He  would  have  told  you  the  fact,  instead  of  a  garbled
version ;  and  the  fact  is  that,  before  he  knew  Bella,  he
had  a  connection  which  he  prepared  to  dissolve,  on  terms
very  honorable  to  himself,  as  soon  as  he  engaged  himself
to  your  daughter.  What  is  there  in  that  ?  Why,  it  is
common,  universal,  amongst  men  of  fashion.  I  am  so
vexed  it  ever  came  to  Bella's  knowledge;  really  it  is
dreadful  to  me,  as  a  mother,  that  such  a  thing  should
have  been  discussed  before  that  child.  Complete  inno-
cence means  complete  ignorance,  and  that  is  how  all  my
girls  went  to  their  husbands.  However,  what  we  must
db  now  is  to  tell  her  Sir  Charles  has  satisfied  me  he  was
not  to  blame ;  and,  after  that,  the  subject  must  never  be
recurred  to.  Sir  Charles  has  promised  me  never  to
mention  it,  and  no  more  shall  Bella.  And  now,  my  dear
John,  let  me  congratulate  you.  Your  daughter  has  a
high-minded  lover,  who  adores  her,  with  a  fine  estate.
He  has  been  crying  to  me,  poor  fellow,  as  men  will  to  a
woman  of  my  age ;  and,  if  you  have  any  respect  for  my
judgment,  ask  him  to  dinner."

She  added  that  it  might  be  as  well  if,  after  dinner,  he
were  to  take  a  little  nap.
Admiral  Bruce  did  not  fall  into  these  views  without
discussion.  I  spare  the  reader  the  dialogue,  since  he
yielded  at  last,  only  he  stipulated  that  his  sister  should
do  the  dinner,  and  the  subsequent  siesta.
Bella  returned,  looking  very  wistful  and  anxious.
