9/27 But his disposition, always brutal, had acquired a gradual accession of ferocity since the settlement of Mr.Falkland in his neighbourhood. He now frequently forgot the gentleness with which he had been accustomed to treat his good-natured cousin. Her little playful arts were not always successful in softening his rage; and he would sometimes turn upon her blandishments with an impatient sternness that made her tremble. The careless ease of her disposition, however, soon effaced these impressions, and she fell without variation into her old habits. Emily was exactly seventeen when Mr.Falkland returned from the continent. |