Chapter III.

Matilda, who, from an object of dislike, was become a sort of favorite with Lady Strathallan; received frequent invitations, (which she did not always refuse) to join the party at Woodlands. An innocent plan to turn the partiality of the Viscountess to the advantage of Strathallan, and thus in an indirect manner, contribute to his happiness, was the cause of this compliance. ‘Oh! could I be but the instrument to reconcile him to the choice my well-intended disinterestedness, in part, induced him to make,’ she exclaimed, ‘I should be repaid for all! – more than repaid.’ She endeavoured to discover if Lady Strathallan had not some points of character in sympathy with that of her Lord, and thought she at length perceived that congeniality in a certain elevation of sentiment, which often broke forth from amidst the cloud of absurdity, and romantic affectation with which it was surrounded, and a disinterestedness, amounting almost to a contempt of money, which she not only professed, but acted up to, on every occasion. She was not destitute of greatness of mind, if she had not been too conscious of the possession of that advantage. Her’s was not, indeed, that unaffected and almost unconscious heroism which springs from the heart, and may be termed, the sublime of tenderness. She was not an Arria, to draw forth the dagger and cry ‘Pœtus, it is not painful;’ ¹⁰ but she was fully equal to the answer of Lewis the Fourteenth’s consort, when questioned if her heart had ever entertained a former preference, ‘Il n’y avait point de roi à la cour de mon père.’ ¹¹ ‘Sydney’s sister, Pembroke’s mother,’ ¹² she would have deemed far inferior titles to that of the wife of the matchless / Strathallan. Was it hard with a woman of such dispositions to suggest the means of deserving him? Still referring to Strathallan’s wishes, Matilda gradually led her, not contented with being the promoter of the ball, or the patroness of a play, to stand forth the encourager of every thing that had the happiness or advantage of those within the sphere of her influence, for its object.