Selina, or Griff's bird, as
Martyn chose to term her, was certainly handsome and stylish; but
her complexion had lost freshness and delicacy, and the ladies said
her colour was rouge, and her fine figure due to other female
mysteries. She meant to be very gracious, and patronised everybody,
especially Emily, who, she said, would be quite striking if not
sacrificed by her dress, and whom she much wished to take to London,
engaging to provide her with a husband before the season was over,
not for a moment believing my mother's assurance that it would be a
trial to us all whenever we had to resign our Emily. Nay, she tried
to condole with the poor moped family slave, and was received with
such hot indignation as made her laugh, for, to do her justice, she
was good-natured and easy-tempered. However, I saw less of her than
did the others, for I believe she thought the sight of me made her
ill. Griff, poor old fellow, was heartily glad to be with us again,
but quite under her dominion. He had lost his glow of youth and
grace of figure, his complexion had reddened, and no one would have
guessed him only a year older than Clarence, whose shoulders did
indeed reveal something of the desk, but whose features, though
pale, were still fair and youthful. The boy was another Clarence,
not so much in compliment to his godfather as because it was the
most elegant name in the family, and favoured an interesting belief,
current among his mother's friends, that the king had actually stood
sponsor to the uncle.
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