“That I do not doubt one moment,” replied Mrs. Hamilton, earnestly; “if I hesitated, it was from no doubt of either your grace’s care or kindness.  If Caroline be willing to accept your invitation, and her father consent, she has my permission.”

“Thank you, my good friend; I trusted in my eloquence to prevail,” the Duchess said, smiling with an air of sincerity that gratified Mrs. Hamilton; and she quickly imparted to Caroline the accepted invitation, but in vain endeavoured to read on the face of her child whether she were pleased or otherwise.  Circumstances which caused Mrs. Hamilton rather to rejoice at Caroline’s absence from London for a time, were to the latter great preventives to the enjoyment to which, in such elegant society, she might otherwise have looked forward.  Annie Grahame was, much to her own vexation, excluded from this select circle.  The Duchess had penetrated her designing character, and regarded her with a prejudice, as violent as was her nature.  She was only invited to those large assemblies which included all her acquaintances, not merely her friends.  Amazed at this slight, Miss Grahame at once determined that there the catastrophe for which she had so long planned should take place, and her detestation of Mrs. Hamilton be gratified to the uttermost.

Would Lord Alphingham be there, was a question that crossed Caroline’s mind repeatedly, and was as often demanded of her friend.  Annie either would not or could not tell; and she would add, perhaps she ought to congratulate Caroline on her separation from him, as such a dread mandate had gone from her parent, and she surely would not wish to encourage his society; and then she would implore her forgiveness, and sympathise so well in her fancied distress, and describe that of Lord Alphingham in such heightened colours, that Caroline, unsophisticated as in some things she still was, felt truly miserable.  The Viscount’s sudden departure from town would have been unaccountable, had not Annie succeeded in persuading her that she was sure it was entirely owing to her (Caroline’s) coldness and Mr. Hamilton’s unaccountable conduct.

Mr. Hamilton did not at first approve of his daughter leaving home without her mother, even to visit the Duchess of Rothbury, but he yielded to the solicitations of his wife.  They knew that Lord Alphingham was somewhat of a favourite with the Duke, but felt so assured that the heart of their child was entirely disengaged, at least to him, that on his account they did not hesitate.  Caroline’s conduct with regard to St. Eval had, they were convinced, proceeded from the pure love of coquetry; they could not believe she had rejected him because she fancied she loved another, they had had no cause to do so:  and since Mrs. Hamilton had spoken so seriously on the subject, Caroline’s behaviour in public had been such as to excite their approbation, and renew, in some measure, their confidence in her integrity.  She was more reserved, and her manner to the Viscount,