CHAPTER XIV.

"Oh! what a tangled web we weave,

When first we venture to deceive.”—SCOTT.

BEATRICE had a delight scarcely to be equalled, in pleasant intellectual conversation; and from the time of Mrs. Lorraine being settled at Clanmarina, the new schoolmistress most ingeniously contrived opportunities and incidents which brought her into private confidential intercourse with Lady Edith's young protegée, to the apparently accidental exclusion of Lady Edith herself. Long intimacy alone could have accounted for the excessive partiality professed for the society of Miss Farinelli, by one who seemed to shun all others with very chilling indifference. Mrs. Lorraine was evidently of the select species, and Beatrice herself felt not only flattered, but very much astonished at the almost enthusiastic attachment testified towards her by "that frozen iceberg," as Mrs. Clinton called Mrs. Lorraine, after several days spent in a fruitless endeavour to have some congenial inter

course.

"We need not build an ice-house now," said

Lady Edith, smiling; "Gunter himself could not desire a better freezing apparatus than Mrs. Lorraine!"

After having, with insidious perseverance, twined herself apparently into the confidence of Beatrice, Mrs. Lorraine at length began to exchange the general expressions of attachment with which she had at first met her young favourite, for hints, becoming daily more distinct, that there existed certain secrets of importance, with which she was entrusted, relating to the most charming young girl on earth, but only to be revealed on certain conditions. She added that wealth, friends, relatives, and a very high position, were withheld from one who was most deserving, and most justly entitled to inherit them; but owing to a difference of faith between the parties, justice seemed never likely to be done. Mrs. Lorraine, who always spoke in a whisper, as if every bit of furniture had ears, alluded next, with well-expressed abhorrence, to those who could withhold any just claim from another, and with affectionate sympathy mentioned the poor defrauded orphan, in whom Beatrice could not but feel convinced that she recognised herself. More and more frequent grew the occasions on which Mrs. Lorraine wandered casually into the private sitting-room allotted to Beatrice, "The Den," as it was called, or met her, if she ever took a solitary walk, or called when Lady

Edith had gone out; or was, in short, constantly now a shadow on her path, and always mysterious.

Lady Edith herself might have almost forgotten that Mrs. Lorraine existed, so very seldom did they meet, and so very little encouragement did her visits at the school receive; till at length finding her presence as useful and more acceptable elsewhere, Lady Edith for some weeks devoted herself entirely to the sick, and relinquished the school to Mrs. Lorraine's energetic guidance.

The new schoolmistress had that happy art of governing others which seemed like no art at all. She at once took the reins at Clanmarina with so masterly a hand, that all around felt, they scarcely knew why, as if she were absolutely entitled to their most implicit obedience. Still that unaccountable magnetic influence, which often seems to cause an instinctive liking or antipathy to individuals, made Lady Edith more and more conscious that it was impossible for her ever to like or trust Mrs. Lorraine, though that did not prevent her kind heart from treating the schoolmistress with every considerate attention. Lady Edith felt it quite an animating perplexity to discover why this apparently whimsical prejudice in her own mind could not be conquered; but meet the schoolmistress when or where she might, this feeling of distrust seemed always instinctively to increase, while, in the words of Byron, she asked herself

"Is human love the growth of human will?”

The diligence of Mrs. Lorraine in her school was so immeasurable that Beatrice one day, with a feeling of respectful compassion, jestingly said to her, "Do you never sleep at all? or perhaps you close only one eye at a time, Mrs. Lorraine ? I see your candles blazing long after midnight, and you are always first up in the morning, as I often observe you coming back from a stroll towards Eaglescairn, when I am dressing for breakfast. These are almost monastic hours!"

"I am a working-bee, not an idle drone in the hive," said Mrs. Lorraine, turning away, and continuing for some time to gaze out of the window, without saying more, while her young companion wished her thoughts would oftener take the air, and secretly wondered also whether she ever changed her clothes, as the same serge gown and indescribable black bonnet had appeared in the school week after week, without any visible alteration, except their looking if possible more shabby. Beatrice felt certain that if the kindhearted and liberal Lady Edith observed this poverty of dress, she would devise some unobtru sive way to remedy it; yet, though poor in other respects, Mrs. Lorraine was most astonishingly rich in books. Many publications, new and old, she recommended to Beatrice for perusal, and always happened "fortunately, and by the merest

chance," to possess a copy which she offered to lend her, but invariably added, in her usual laconic monotonous accent, "May I beg you not to show this, as I never lend my books. It is a rule I would break through for no one but yourself; and at the same time I should dislike to refuse the Clintons or Lady Edith, if they asked me. You are quite safe in reading Milner's 'End of Controversy,' and St. Bonaventure's 'Life of our Lord.' Pray finish these, however, as soon as you can, and let me have them back, that I may send you Ignatius Loyola, and St. Francis de Sales. There are those deeply interested in you, Miss Farinelli, who would rejoice to hear of our having met, conversed, and read together!"

"Indeed! tell me! oh, tell me more!" said Beatrice earnestly.

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Pray," asked Mrs. Lorraine, with slow deliberate emphasis, "Why do you suppose that I am here, Miss Farinelli, labouring in this laborious vocation?"

"I am so matter-of-fact as to suppose it is because you wished to fulfil its duties," replied Beatrice, surveying Mrs. Lorraine with wondering perplexity, and speaking in a low anxious tone; "Excuse me if I cannot imagine any other."

"Life, without hopes and fears, would be a mere nonentity; but you seem not to look forward beyond dinner-time," continued the schoolmistress,