Thereupon serious looks were assumed by Lord and Lady Martindale, and those serious looks reflected by their honorable son. They were all three greatly perplexed--they all three uttered many wise sayings--they all three talked the matter over with great deliberation--they all three resolved and concluded that something must be done; but they were all three at a loss to know what must be done. Looking at one another was not the best way to get over their perplexities, and yet it is what people often do in perplexities; nor was there any progress made by the simultaneous and harmonious expression of wishing that matters had been otherwise. The past will not return, and that which is done cannot be undone. There is no great wisdom in this discovery; the merit is in applying it to practical purposes. A great deal of time is lost, and a great deal of trouble and pains incurred, for want of the wisdom which the above truism would teach. Lady Martindale repeated what she had said before, as to the impolicy of Philip’s accepting the old gentleman’s offer of the Abbey. Philip repeated what he had said before, namely, that he might have offended and alienated the old gentleman by a refusal. Lord Martindale repeated, that there was some truth and propriety in what they both said. Still they were no nearer to a conclusion promising any satisfaction. In the midst of this perplexity, Philip thought it would be a good time to propose his own scheme for getting rid of all the difficulty by offering his hand to Clara Rivolta. He was not, however, without his fears that the proposal would not be acceptable to Lord and Lady Martindale: he therefore approached the subject cautiously and circuitously. After a little pause, and with a change of tone and altered look, as if the question of what must be done had been adjourned and a new topic called, he began to talk of the meeting with these newly-discovered relatives in such a manner as to lead Lady Martindale to ask particularly as to their appearance and manner. To this inquiry he gave such an answer as impressed her ladyship with a higher opinion of them all three than he had actually expressed in his description of them. He uttered his compliments in the tone and with the air of concession, and his language was circuitous, so that it did not appear purposely directed to the object of exciting a high opinion of the party. When he spoke of Signora Rivolta, he did not say that her style was truly noble and commanding, but he said that her style and address reminded him of the Hon. Mrs. B----, or of Lady Charlotte D----. Then he added some little qualification of the comparison; but the qualification was rather in favor of the daughter of John Martindale, so far as the taste of Lady Martindale was concerned; for it is a notorious fact that all sensible people think differently from the rest of the world. Therefore, if there be in any character or individual a little more or a little less than what the