Still he persevered in unwavering and marked politeness, although Annie's representations of Mrs.Hamilton's character had already caused him to determine in his own mind to make Caroline his wife, with or without her mother's approval; and he amused himself with believing that, as her mother was so strict and stern as to keep her children, particularly Caroline, in such subjection, it would be doing the poor girl a charity to release her from such thraldom, and introduce her, as his wife, into scenes far more congenial to her taste, where she would be free from such keen _surveillance_.

In these thoughts he was ably seconded by Annie, who was constantly pitying Caroline's enslaved situation, and condemning Mrs.Hamilton's strict severity, declaring it was all affectation; she was not a degree better than any one else, who did not make half the fuss about it.

Lord Alphingham's resolution was taken, that before the present season was over, Caroline should be engaged to him, _nolens volens_ on the part of her parents, and he acted accordingly.
As opposite as were the characters, so was the conduct of Caroline's two noble suitors.

St.Eval, spite of the encouragement he received, yet shrunk from paying any marked attention either to Caroline or her parents.

It was by degrees he became intimate in their family, but there, perhaps, the only person with whom he felt entirely at ease was Emmeline, who, rejoicing at Caroline's change of manner, began to hope her feelings were changing too, and indulged in hopes that one day Lord St.Eval might really be her brother.