Mr. Weston was a native of Highbury, and born of a respectable family, which for the lasttwo or three generations had been rising into gentility and property. He had received agood education, but, on succeeding early in life to a small independence, had becomeindisposed for any of the more homely pursuits in which his brothers were engaged, andhad satisfied an active, cheerful mind and social temper by entering into the militia of hiscounty, then embodied.Captain Weston was a general favourite; and when the chances of his military life hadintroduced him to Miss Churchill, of a great Yorkshire family, and Miss Churchill fell in lovewith him, nobody was surprized, except her brother and his wife, who had never seen him, and who were full of pride and importance, which the connexion would offend.Miss Churchill, however, being of age, and with the full command of her fortune-thoughher fortune bore no proportion to the family-estate-was not to be dissuaded from themarriage, and it took place, to the infinite mortification of Mr. and Mrs. Churchill, whothrew her off with due decorum. It was an unsuitable connexion, and did not produce muchhappiness. Mrs. Weston ought to have found more in it, for she had a husband whose warmheart and sweet temper made him think every thing due to her in return for the greatgoodness of being in love with him; but though she had one sort of spirit, she had not thebest. She had resolution enough to pursue her own will in spite of her brother, but notenough to refrain from unreasonable regrets at that brother's unreasonable anger, norfrom missing the luxuries of her former home. They lived beyond their income, but still itwas nothing in comparison of Enscombe: she did not cease to love her husband, but shewanted at once to be the wife of Captain Weston, and Miss Churchill of Enscombe.Captain Weston, who had been considered, especially by the Churchills, as making suchan amazing match, was proved to have much the worst of the bargain; for when his wifedied, after a three years' marriage, he was rather a poorer man than at first, and with achild to maintain. From the expense of the child, however, he was soon relieved. The boyhad, with the additional softening claim of a lingering illness of his mother's, been themeans of a sort of reconciliation; and Mr. and Mrs. Churchill, having no children of theirown, nor any other young creature of equal kindred to care for, offered to take the wholecharge of the little Frank soon after her decease. Some scruples and some reluctance thewidower-father may be supposed to have felt; but as they were overcome by otherconsiderations, the child was given up to the care and the wealth of the Churchills, and hehad only his own comfort to seek, and his own situation to improve as he could