When the matter was broached to Lady
Irwin, she listened with mingled
astonishment and indignation. Her countenance
sufficiently expressed her displeasure, though
she controlled her utterance, and replied,
only in a few cold words of disapprobation,
to her husband's kindly representations of
the wishes of the lovers. Strange as it may
seem she had never contemplated the
probability of Frank's marriage, or only as a
possible distant evil, to be prevented when it
arose. That he would form an attachment
to Catherine Birkby had never once occurred
to her. Indeed, she held Kitty's beauty and
accomplishments in very low esteem, and
hardly thought of her except as a useful
playfellow for Edward— an agreeable domestic
anirnal, whom it was convenient to have
about the house. To discover in this soft-
voiced tender girl the enemy whom she should
most sedulously have guarded against, was a
bitter aggravation of her annoyance.

Turn the subject which way she would, she
could discover no reasonable hope of averting
the evil; Sir Edward had already given a
quasi consent; she knew that, though
generally complaisant, he was occasionally capable
of firmness; that his affection for his eldest
son was strong, his sense of justice strict, and
that he had always regarded Kitty herself
with peculiar tenderness. But none of these
considerations shook her resolution to
prevent the marriage, cost what it might; on
the contrary, the difficulties that lay in her
way rather strengthened her determination,
and sharpened her ingenuity.

The sympathetic indignation of Agnese, to
whom she disclosed the subject of her
uneasiness during her evening toilette,
confirmed her in the idea that Catherine had
abused her hospitality, and under the guise
of innocence had successfully carried out her
wily designs upon the heir. She determined
to meet craft with craft, and, by using her
great influence with her husband, to retard
the union of the lovers, and, while seeming to
be only anxious for their welfare, to
counteract, and finally to subvert their designs.

The youth of the lovers naturally formed
the burden of her objections; she touched
slightly on Catherine's want of fortune, and
inferior rank; she urged the curtailment of
Sir Edward's expenses which would become
necessary if two families were to be supported
on an income, handsome indeed, but every
sixpence of which was annually spent; she dwelt
on the injury it would be to Edward, if he were
deprived of the advantages of such an education
as his brother had enjoyed,—advantages
more necessary to him, since his position
must depend on his own exertions. She
frankly acknowledged she could not comprehend
Frank's attachment, and insinuated a
doubt of its continuance, urging how often
the pretty face and sweet temper, which
were sufficient for the youth, palled upon the
matured taste of the man. To this Sir
Edward replied, that it was not probable that
an attachment founded on such intimate
knowledge, and so fortified by esteem, would
be of a transitory character; he said that for
his part he was quite satisfied with little
Kitty for a daughter-in-law, but he acknowledged
that he had not contemplated the
necessity of a separate establishment, and
ended by expressing his belief that the young
people were in no hurry, and would make no
difficulty of waiting a year or two.

When Frank found that Catherine's apprehensions
were, in a measure at least, realised,
and that Lady Irwin seemed determined to
retard, if not openly to oppose their union,
the antagonism of his nature was roused, and
he could not altogether control his impatience
in replying to her representations. He rejected
with indignation the idea that his feelings
might change; he thought the house was
large enough for him and Kitty, but if his
father and mother thought otherwise, his
father had interest to get him some appointment
which would enable him to take the
burden of his own maintenance, and that of
his wife, upon himself; he had no idea of an
immediate marriage, but he could see no
reason to justify him in submitting Catherine
to the anxieties of an engagement of uncertain
duration.

In Catherine herself Lady Irwin found the
most pliant listener, she was so prepared for
anger in the dreaded Lady of the Manor,
in the event of her passion becoming known,
that when she assailed her with arguments,
persuasion, and entreaties, coupled even with
caresses, she yielded only too readily, and,
grateful for permission to love, assented to
any terms, thinking delay scarcely an evil
in the greatness of her unhoped-for
happiness.

They were betrothed, and it was an
acknowledged fact in the neighbourhood, that
Miss Birkby was engaged to Mr. Irwin.
One or two sour spinsters and intriguing
mammas were highly indignant, but by the
community at large, it was regarded as a
very natural and desirable arrangement.

Mr. Birkby, when asked for his consent,
gave it heartily, telling Frank, with tears of
pleasure, that he was glad to show the love he
bore him, by giving into his keeping his dearest
earthly treasure; he was a little displeased
at Lady Irwin's desire for the postponement
of the marriage, for his affection took alarm
at the idea that his child's excellence was not
duly appreciated, but a few words from
Catherine tranquillised his doubts, and he
could not be long angry at what gave him
longer possession of her who was so dear, so
necessary to him.

As to Miss Birkby, the intelligence threw
her into a flutter of delight. She had
happy knack of never seeing what was
going on before her eyes, of course she knew
that Kitty and Frank liked each other very
Much, but as to anything more than friendship