They had been home in England for three or four years, and then Sir Patrick had returned with some new and higher appointment.

For fifteen years, though he had been passionate, imperious, and often cruel, he had never been jealous.

A boy and a girl had been born to them, to whom both father and mother had been over indulgent,--but the mother, according to her lights, had endeavoured to do her duty by them.

But from the commencement of her life she had been educated in deceit, and her married life had seemed to make the practice of deceit necessary to her.

Her mother had run away from her father, and she had been tossed to and fro between this and that protector, sometimes being in danger of wanting any one to care for her, till she had been made sharp, incredulous, and untrustworthy by the difficulties of her position.