Not only from her husband did Letitia learn how welcome she was back to Weston. The days of her absence had passed like other days, when people who prefer the town, and whose lives are formed for that destination, are thrown together in the country. There were means of enjoyment in abundance; but not of a kind to be permanently relished by those before whom they lay. Letitia’s music was wanted in the evenings; Letitia’s conversation, artless and sprightly as a girl’s, rich as a matured woman’s, and entertaining enough to suit everybody, was sighed for at table, and when it rained, and especially when the ladies were called upon to amuse each other in the absence of the gentlemen. It was only on rare occasions, however, that she relinquished her privilege of reserving several hours of the morning for herself and her husband. On one desperately rainy day, she was found ready for chess or music before dinner; and at another time, when all the gentlemen were absent for the whole day at a political meeting in the neighbouring city, she did not leave her guests at all. But these occasions were rare. On the last-mentioned one, she had some view to her own interest as well as that of her guests. Lord F—— meant to speak at the meeting; his speech must, from his office, be one of the most important of the day; and he was doubtful both how he should acquit himself, and how that which he had to say would be received. Letitia was, of course, far from being at ease, and was glad to conceal, and to carry off some of her anxiety at the same time by being “on hospitable thoughts intent.” It was the last day of the last of her visiters; the gentlemen having waited only for this meeting. Their carriages were ordered for the next morning, and they did not return till late at night. They were nearly as eloquent in describing the effect of lord F——’s speech, as, by their account, had been the speech itself.—One swore by his soul that it was the most good-natured sort of thing he had ever heard in his life: another, that the government and the government candidate ought to feel themselves much obliged to him; another, that lord F——’s constituents would be more proud of him than ever; another, an M.P., a representative of the commercial interest, that lord F—— had enlightened the people not a little on the question when low profits were harmless, and when bad things, and why; and all, with the earl among them, that this day might prove the beginning of a new era in lord F——’s public life. He would now have as potent a voice out of the house as his friends had ever hoped he would in time have in it. “How happens all this, Henry?” asked Letitia, aside, with a glowing smile. “You gave me no expectation of anything like this.” “Because I had none myself. The charm lay in the burden which I adopted from our neighbours down in the village;—‘for each and for all.’” “I see; I understand. Now leave the rest till you can give it me all in order.”