Frickman 4-8-46 55038 V.3 CHAPTER XIX. SHE STOOPS TO CONQUER." I pray Sir, tell me, is it possible That love should of a sudden take such hold? Wilt thou love such a woman? What, to make thee an instrument, and play false strains upon thee? SHAKSPEARE. LETTER XVII. CAROLINE ST. CLAIR TO MRS. BALCARRIS. Grindelwald, Sept. 12. Thank heaven the poor invalid is better!The fever has considerably abated, and though his recollection is not clear, there are gleams of returning sense in his wanderings which afford hope for his amendment. 'I have now some hopes!' said the surgeon this morning, with considerable confidence. There is a perceptible improvement.' How grateful these consoling words were to me, you may easily imagine! The Pastor himself returned to day from Berne. He seems a very amiable, retired, contemplative sort of character, with a fine mild expression of countenance, and great simplicity of manner. Con ceive my surprise and pleasure this morning, soon after his arrival, to hear a well known voice at the house door, impatiently ask for Miss St. Clair,' in English !—and though the inquiry might as well have been made in Hebrew-indeed better, for I suppose the good Pastor understands that venerable tongue-it was not, you may believe, long in being answered, by my flying into Lady Hunlocke's arms. She comes expressly to stay with me as long as I am obliged to remain. 'Did you really think,' asked the warm-hearted generous woman-' that I would leave you here all alone, to act the part of sick nurse without a friend near you-and perhaps run the risk of losing your character too, by that very deed of generosity and greatness of mind, that ought to exalt it above all praise. But this is a sad censorious world, Caroline, and you shall not be the victim of its misconstruction, if I can help it. You are now staying with me,-—with a matron -a widow-a steady sedate chaperôn-with an old lady, in short, not with a young gentleman --and the world can say nothing against it.' Lady Hunlocke! old! steady! sedate! widow! matron! and chaperôn! Excellent! She is certainly not a bit more steady or sedate, and not very much older than myself. Still, it is true that she is a widow---a handsome widow---a rich widow--a fashionable widow---and consequently a most incomparable chaperôn;---besides being endowed with that high privilege exclusively confined to fashion-- that she can do no wrong.' 'It will be no penance to me,---no sacrifice to me,' she said eagerly, in answer to my objection |