She was very unhappy,--as unhappy as her nature would allow her to be.

She would have made almost any sacrifice to bring the two young people together;--would have willingly given her time, her money, her labour in the cause;--would probably herself have gone to the little town in the west of France, had her going been of any service.

But, nevertheless, after her own fashion, she extracted no small enjoyment out of the circumstances of this miserable quarrel.
The Lady Milboroughs of the day hate the Colonel Osbornes from the very bottoms of their warm hearts and pure souls; but they respect the Colonel Osbornes almost as much as they hate them, and find it to be an inestimable privilege to be brought into some contact with these roaring lions.
But there arose to dear Lady Milborough a great trouble out of this quarrel, irrespective of the absolute horror of the separation of a young husband from his young wife.

And the excess of her trouble on this head was great proof of the real goodness of her heart.

For, in this matter, the welfare of Trevelyan himself was not concerned;--but rather that of the Rowley family.