Meanwhile, burning with ungovernable passion, Caroline pursued Mabel to the garret chamber, and, after insisting on her opening the door, attacked her with such rapid accusations of cunning, meanness, and duplicity, and in language so loud and inflamed, that Mabel felt powerless to answer her. It seemed as if all the malice of the last few months had been concentrated in that moment, when she stood at her open door, loading her with invectives, almost as inappropriate as they were undeserved. Where she would have stopped the mad passion which overcame her, it is difficult to say, but the stealthy opening of the doors of the servants' rooms, which were close by, and the suppressed tittering and whispering which issued from them, recalled her to something like a sense of what she was doing, and, pulling the door to with violence, that sent an echo down all the long stair case, she descended, to revenge herself further on her mother. But Mrs. Villars had taken the precaution of entrenching herself behind a carefully fastened door, and though she could not shut her ears to the distant rumbling of the storm, she escaped its first fury. Poor Mabel, spite of all her happiness, cried herself to sleep, that night. CHAPTER IX. Yet must my soul unveiled to thee be shown, And all its dreams and all its passions known, Thou shalt not be deceived, for pure as Heaven, Is thy young love in faith and fervour given. HEMANS. What a breakfast they had next morning! Mabel agitated; Lucy frightened and silent; and the rest tired and wofully cross. If Caroline had looked most beautiful the night before, she was now quite the reverse. Some indeed say, that there were lines made by passion on her face, which never quite wore away again, but grew deeper as she grew older. However this may be, there she sat that morning, looking, every minute, ready to break out afresh with some bitter remark, should occasion offer; particularly, as, under the impression of happy circumstances, Mabel's countenance seemed to grow more and more beautiful. Colonel Hargrave, the servant told them, had taken his breakfast with Mr. Villars, and had since gone out. This was a momentary relief to Caroline, it seemed like coldness or inconstancy; and whenever she saw Mabel's eyes turn anxiously to the door, she caught the glance, and returned it with one of malicious exultation. At length, however, he came in, looking so happy, that all her short-lived triumph was over. Gently, and unobtrusively pressing Mabel's hand, and bidding the others good morning, with cheerfulness which was not responded to--he told her, that he had been to place a letter, written by her uncle, in the hands of the Weymouth coachman, for Mrs. Noble, and that he had received many promises of its safe delivery.