brilliant assemblies into which she was now being daily introduced, her hopeless and romantic first love.
Vain reasoning: she little dreamt what a sacrifice that course would cost her. She knew not what a deep root her affections had taken, and which ages of such life could not heal. The following reply to her cousin's letter will give some slight idea of her feelings:—
"My Dear Catherine,—Your welcome and interesting letter is now before me. It gives me great pleasure to know that you have made me the confidant of your first love, and I must thus early state that the object is well deserving.
"You wonder that I did not mention Mr. Stuart in our conversation, but I can assure you it was not through any want of appreciation of his many qualities that I omitted to mention him; for, to use your own words I have never, nor do I, expect to meet with any gentleman equal to him in all that is good and noble. I am now surrounded by the most exalted and fashionable gentlemen which England can produce, but I would rather have one moment of that innocent and rural amusement passed in the company of Charlie Stuart, in our Highland home, than pass a lifetime surrounded by the gaities and festivities of London society. But, alas! such happy times I fear will ne'er return. However, I have one consolation, that that happiness which is denied me, is reserved for my more fortunate and charming cousin.
"You are surprised at my indifference to Lord Lundy's addresses. I will just put a question to you which will at once explain the reason. Could you accept any man, however exalted, if you did not feel for him that attachment which you now entertain for Charlie Stuart? Your affectionate cousin,
Catherine Forbes was too much taken up with her own love to detect the indirect hints given in the letter, although a sharper and more experienced eye could easily see and understand such sentiments. However, she was 'cute enough to keep all the contents from her supposed lover, Charlie Stuart; not through any jealousy, but rather a shade of selfishness, in order that she might monopolise all his thoughts.
Thus they carried on their correspondence without Bella ever clearing up the cause of her despondency; and Catherine grew more poetical in her praises of Charles, enumerating with wonderful preciseness all his little attentions towards her, which added so much to Bella's dejection that her communications flagged, and eventually entirely ceased.
