PARENTS AND WIVES. CHAPTER I. Fashion and Feeling. As the beautiful and elegant lady Emily Ardenbrooke was seated at her toilet, admiring the image reflected from her mirror, having just, with the assistance of a soubrette, truly accomplished in her art, put the finishing hand to the adjustment of a most fashionable and becoming morning costume, the footman tapped at the door, and delivered a letter to the abigail, for his lady. "Harrison," exclaimed her ladyship, as I live, here is a letter from dear my cousin, cousin, lady Laura Carleton! The dear creature has arrived from Paris but a few days ago; oh! I am sure she has sent me an account of all the most prevailing modes in that enchanting capital. Now for it. There, lock the door, and put away all this litter, while I stay and read my letter free from all interruption." Mrs. Harrison gave her lady a very sly, knowing, and somewhat triumphant look; she fancied herself mistress of a new secret, and it must be acknowledged she had kept many for her lady; they were those of indiscretion, certainly, but they had not amounted to any thing faulty; they were as imprudently confided as they were carelessly kept, except when self-interest sealed the lips of the waiting-woman, who now reckoned without her host, for lady Emily at that moment had no secret to disclose, nor any thing that she required silence about from a single individual. The The maid watched the countenance of the mistress, as the latter perused the interesting epistle; and she did not altogether like the changes, yet she knew not exactly why, that took place on one of the sweetest and most animated faces in the world; but dismay succeeded to conjecture, when a sob burst from her lady's bosom, and the energetic expression of “Oh, I am sure I shall love her!" issued from her lips; which so alarmed Mrs. Harrison, that she could scarce forbear asking her lady who this person was? and had actually almost finished the sentence of "Oh, pray, my lady, don't say so!" for Harrison was of so much importance to the modish lady Emily Ardenbrooke, that as the soubrette felt her consequence, she could not endure the thought of any one being in favour with her but herself. . She certainly was the most tasteful, useful, and obsequious of all accommodating abigails; and she so well recommended B 2 mended herself by these good qualities, to a female such as was lady Emily, devoted most implicitly to fashion, that she was absolutely at times complete mistress over her, though in that humble way as seemingly never to forget her station, or the respect she owed as a servant: let the caprices of her lady be ever so teasing, Harrison never complained; she would sit up till daylight, endure all her ill-humour, which would sometimes happen from ill-luck at cards, or at a greater share of admiration having been bestowed on a new and younger face; for lady Emily, though still eminently lovely, had just attained her thirty-ninth year. Harrison, however, patiently endured all the starts of ill-humour which not unfrequently proceeded from the above mortifying truth; for lady Emily, though a wife and a mother, knew no bliss so exquisite as that of obtaining universaladmiration, and to hear in a large circle the |