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50 her brother, became still more so. Nature had implanted kindly feelings within her, which, however circumstances might seem to smother them, yet at certain moments forcibly predominated. The desire she had often felt to see her nieces had then been gratified, though but in part as regarded Rosilia, yet sufficiently to draw from her eulogiums to her advantage. Thus prepossessed in their favour, gladly would she have promoted a further acquaintance: her bosom secretly yearned for her brother's children—her kindred, her own blood.

How different was the sentiment awakened for them to that experienced for the nieces of her husband; to whom, forbearing to express the full extent of what she felt, she merely said, how happy it would make her to become better known to her nieces! But this remark, ere it fell from her lips, Mr. Arden had prepared himself to combat. His own family and pecuniary interests urged him to take a part in keeping asunder the former breach between Sir Aubrey and his son; for notwithstanding the largeness of his own personal revenue, and the abundant stores he had amassed from his professional labours, it was ever one of his most urgent desires to add to it, on his wife's side, as great an accumulation as he could. Having nephews in his brother's family, supplying to him the