"_A propos des fous_," replied Colonel Desmond, taking advantage of that language in which so much can be conveyed to the mind without shocking the ear, "_ce Monsieur la_," looking towards Mr. Webberly, "_est amoureux--cela ce peut bien; mais Mademoiselle est elle amoureuse?_" "_Ah! Dieu l'en garde!_"[13] exclaimed Adelaide, with unfeigned horror, involuntarily raising her hands, lowering her brows, and throwing back her head. "_Tant mieux!_ then I will act the part of Wall in this new tragi-comedy of Pyramus and Thisbe; Pyramus shall truly say, '_O! wicked wall, through whom I see no bliss_,' and will perhaps find our entertainment '_Very tragical mirth_.'" Colonel Desmond faithfully kept the promise thus conveyed; and, when present, completely shielded Adelaide from Mr. Webberly's conceited love, and thus saved her the trouble of standing on the defensive herself. And though the captivating youth would willingly have sent his rival, like the pious ∆neas, to visit his father in the realms below; yet such was the unwilling respect that rival's manners extorted, that he never presumed openly to manifest his real sentiments. All this time Caroline had been sitting at Adelaide's feet on one of the small packages, dressing and undressing a huge wax doll, which was her usual travelling companion, and occasionally reading to it the "Memoirs of Dick the Pony," which her indulgent friend had bought for her in Dublin. Colonel Desmond was delightedly listening to her gay laugh, and watching her infantine merriment, when her mother called her over, in order to display her beauty to the obsequious acquaintance she was so much pleased with, who had been profuse in Caroline's praise. As the little girl skipped along, with the favourite doll closely pressed to her innocent heart by one hand, and the open book in the other, her eyes dancing with delight at the thoughts of Dick's adventures, he said to Miss Wildenheim, "I am surprised to see how little Mrs. Sullivan notices that charming child; every body but you seems to treat her with absolute unkindness." "I assure you," replied she, "you do Mrs. Sullivan great injustice; she does not behave _unkindly_ to Caroline, though certainly she is not too prodigal of her caresses to the dear infant. I have heard this indifference is not uncommon towards the offspring of second marriages. I really believe some people's affections are of the oyster kind, sticking through life to the spot they were first deposited on, without ever having exercised the smallest volition in the affair." "I beg," said he, laughing, "that when you undertake to give my character in short hand, you will recollect that 'No heart or understanding can long withstand the destroying powers of a love of ridicule.'" "Thank you for the memento," she replied, with one of her sweetest smiles; "the habit I deprecate gains strength but too quickly."