Dilemmas of Pride, (Vol 1 of 3)

er lodgings again, that she had hardly had time to

ere lodging; for she was determined to make an exertion, while the Ardens were in Cheltenham,

lar objection to seeming t

invitation for the pleasure of the thing; but the arrangement would have been so very convenient, that her pride took the alarm, and would not suffer her to accept the offer. In her father's life time, as a daughter of the then head of the family,

but pride, when complicated with poverty, is apt to render the unhappy sufferer not only always very uncomfortable, but

Mrs. Dorothea had also hired a footman for the great occasion, and put him into livery; so that with Sarah, her own maid, she had now, for a single lady, quite a respectable little establishment, and could look forward to returning the evening entertainments, at least of her relations, on something of an independent footing. Dinners of course she could not give, nor need she accept them; she

the lodging had no other recommendation, as in addition to its many discomforts, it had proved one way or other very expensive; for mistaking the heat and restlessness she felt at nights for the consequences of the lassitude and want of appetite of which they were in fact the cause; she had got frightened about herself, and had called in doctor after doctor, and taken ever so much medicine in vain, till at last happening to go in next door to correct an error in her baker's bill, in which she had been charged with all the bread supplied to her landlady, she became acquainted with the geography of the premises, and so discovered the whole mystery. Then being without a key to the chiffonier too, made a great difference in the groceries, though having no proof of the fact, it would not do to say so. This might have brought down the lawy

impudence to call, and the new footman not

rothea looked her astonis

tuation," exclai

se," said Miss Grace

e in finding you at h

ndeed!" added Miss Grace.

ast night," said Miss Salter, "we had such a

would have liked,"

e, and our particular friend, Lady Whaleworthy, and our particular friend, Lady Shawbridge, and all that pleasant set being here just now, naturally induces one to see a great deal of comp

ed Miss Grace, "an old baronet,

re is General Powel too, in short we quite abound in nice young men. And I hope," added Miss Salter, wit

me considerable time be controlled entirely by those of my sister, Lady Arden, and her family, w

ll affected surprise. "Dear me, I'm sure we should be

with if possible increasing stiffness, "but Lad

ding lingering and last words usel

rove, sending forth on each breeze some strain of melody, all seemed delightful and refreshing to people just escaped from the heat and fatigue of London. While the large and joyous looking family party, some seated within the open glass door, some standing in the veranda, some straying on the fresh mown turf of the little lawn, formed a picture of social felicity quite delightful to the usually solitary Aunt Dorothea; to whom the