THERE IS NO HURRY. 179

pieces with even more fierceness, but less inge-
nuity ; they deal in a cut-and-hack sort of sar-
casm, and do not hesitate to use terms and insi-
nuations of the harshest kind, when a lady is in
the case. Mary (to distinguish her from he
high-bred cousin, she was generally called Mary
Charles) was certainly disappointed when her
wedding was postponed in consequence of her
uncle’s death ; but a much more painful feeling
followed, when she saw the admiration her lover,
Edwin Lechmere, bestowed upon her beautiful
cousin. Mary Charles was herself a beauty—
fair, open-eyed, warm-hearted—the beauty of
Repton; but though feature by feature, inch by.
inch, she was as handsome as Mary, yet in her
cousin was the grace and spirit given only by
good society ; the manners elevated by a higher
mind, and toned down by sorrow; a gentle
softness, which a keen observer of human na-
ture told me once no woman ever possessed
unless she had deeply loved, and suffered from
disappointed affection; in short, she was far
more refined, far more fascinating, than her
country cousin: besides, she was unfortunate,
and that at once gave her a hold upon the sym-
pathies of the young curate: it did no more:
but Mary Charles did not understand these nice
distinctions, and nothing could exceed the
change of manner she evinced when her cousin
and her betrothed were together.

Mary thought her cousin rude and petulant ;