pleasant to her delicate mind, may be viewed with goodwill, if not with favour?"

"As her guardian," replied the marquis, with politeness, "I am ready to listen, as becomes me, to any proposal which Lord Cleveland may think it right to make."

"But you are cold, marquis," returned Lord Cleveland," and my proposals are not to be thrown away upon an unwilling heart. They emanate from feelings which ought at least to be respected, and I go not a step until I am assured that I am willingly heard."

"If this mean," replied the marquis, "any thing in the shape of menace

"The farthest in the world from it," interrupted Cleveland, alarmed at his own haste; "and you must forgive any thing that may appear abrupt from one whose feeling is at this moment too anxious to be conveyed in terms very measured."

The marquis looked surprised, and Cleveland went on. "Know, then, that you see before you a man who, with all the efforts he has made to conquer himself, is still the lover of your admirable ward. She has resisted my advances more than once; and I know well what would be required of me by pride. But though I am not deficient in that respect" (and he forced a smile, which called up a real one in his hearer), "I own that I can feel none towards so gentle a creature."

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Your lordship but properly appreciates her," said Lord Clanellan, somewhat softening towards him.

The earl then proceeded to explain all his wishes, which, never suppressed, had rekindled, he said, upon the prospects which what he still called his discovery had opened.

"I felt," said the earl, "all the advantages it gave me, but-"

"You must give me leave to stop you," cried the marquis, interrupting him; "I know of no advantage you can have derived from your new situation over the pure and disinterested being whom you seek, even were all your supposed claims already confirmed. But I need not point out to you that we acknowledge no claims, nor even know of any that can affect our commonest interests, much less influence a heart which you have yourself described as delicate."

"I confess myself wrong," said the earl, with a vexed

air," and acknowledge you have reason in what you say. I had better, therefore, come at once to the point; which is, that I had far rather owe what may devolve upon me to Lady Constance's own bounty, by giving me her hand, than to any decision of the law, even supposing it were now ready to be pronounced."

"I am to understand, then," said the marquis, "that you still love Lady Constance; and that, provided your hand is accepted, these supposed claims will be suppressed."

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Exactly so, and I desire your frank answer to my proposals.

Frankly, then, as guardian, I shall think myself bound to lay them before Lady Constance."

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"I conclude so.

But is that all? Have you no opinion

upon my offers? No advice?"

"None in the world."

"And why not?"

"Because not only is it an affair which concerns the lady alone, but I know not a person in the world who could form a better opinion of it than Lady Constance herself."

Lord Cleveland did not like this fencing on the part of Lord Clanellan; and, coming to close quarters, fairly asked his own sentiments upon his chance of success; "for sentiments I suppose you must have," said he.

"If I must give them," answered Lord Clanellan, "you will not be offended, I hope, if I say, I think you will not succeed. Excuse me if I compare your proceedings to the rough addresses of Henry VIII. when he sought Mary of Scotland for his son. He made war, and the Scots,' says the historian, 'resisted the more, because they did not like this rough way of wooing.'

"Do you blame me, then, for expressing my opinion of my legal rights?"

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"By no means: but I blame you for offering to compromise their suppression-"

Lord Cleveland absolutely started at this accusation; a tempest gathered on his brow, while the marquis, not noticing it, coolly went on.

"If I know any thing of Lady Constance, had she no preconceived opinions, nay, if they were in your fa

vour-"

"Which it seems they are not," cried the earl with petulance: "but go on ;" and he folded his arms in a

listening posture, but turned away to hide the impression which the marquis's implied supposition had made upon his spirit.

"My lord," answered Lord Clanellan, "let us not hurry one another. The situation you place me in is always a delicate, in this instance a difficult one. It were easy for me to parry it, by merely saying that your lordship is of far too much consequence for me not to lay your proposals before my ward; and with this I might cease. But you have also pressed me for my own opinion, which, excuse me if I say, you ought not to demand."

Cleveland admired his placidity, yet wished himself under ground for having put his wishes in his power. But he was too far gone to recede, and summoned all his patience while Lord Clanellan resumed.

"I have observed to you, that even if Lady Constance had prejudices in your favour (of which I know nothing), this novel, and again I will call it rough mode of wooing would, I think, determine her against you. If her feelings are against you already-"

"Of which you know something," again interrupted the petulant earl.

"My lord," said Lord Clanellan," it is fit we break off. You must excuse me if I content myself with saying that I shall certainly lay your proposals before Lady Constance, with all the offered advantages, and also the threats, with which they have been accompanied."

"I have used no threats," replied Lord Cleveland, with vehemence;" and I throw myself upon your consideration, not to let my eagerness to succeed prejudice me, as I perceive it will. I therefore entreat you to commend my suit, without the accompaniment of the threat which you think I have held out. Annihilating that word between us, conceive that I have merely opened to you what I have so lately learned of my claims in law, without the intimation that I mean to enforce them."

"You ask an impossibility," returned Lord Clanellan. "Were I only the friend of Lady Constance, to conceal her danger would be false tenderness. As her guardian, it would be treason."

"Surely you are too honourable," said Lord Cleveland, "to take advantage of an imprudence which you must perceive has arisen from the anxiety of love alone?" 'I am distressed," answered Lord Clanellan, “but not VOL. II.-21

L

embarrassed. It is wholly impossible for me, standing in the relation I do to Lady Constance, to keep from her the danger that hangs over her fortune; or, knowing the alternative your lordship holds out, not to acquaint her with the means of avoiding it. If your lordship, however, retract that alternative, and mean me to understand that you withdraw your claims at all events, then, and then only, can I think myself released from my duty in this respect. But neither do we expect you to do this, nor could you if you would, nor ought you if you could, consistently with your duty to yourself, or to those who may come after you."

"But I may gratuitously release my right," cried Lord Cleveland; "and I will do so to-morrow, if you will only tell me it will make a favourable impression on this heavenly girl. Say, I beseech you."

"Such generosity could not fail to impress any woman favourably," said the marquis; " and this I may willingly concede. Whether that favourable impression may rise to the height you evidently mean is a point upon which I am equally bound, as a man of honour, not to hazard an opinion.'

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'My impatience has destroyed me," exclaimed Lord Cleveland, taking a quick turn in the room; then grasping the marquis's arm, "Lord Clanellan," said he, "though a man of all others perhaps the most practised in the world, you see before you, upon these points, an absolute child. Will you promise at least to give me time, and wait till to-morrow before you take any proceeding on this communication?"

Lord Clanellan, really almost pitying his condition, gave the promise required; but stated, that after what had passed, he could not longer keep his ward in ignorance of what so deeply concerned her; and with this the two noblemen parted.

On his way home, the spoiled child of the world gave a loose to his rage, which the cool firmness of Lord Clanel an had forced him to suppress. "I was a fool and a madman," exclaimed he, "to hope to make any impression upon a man who has no passions: an automaton, put into motion by rule and line. Alas! he never knew a sensation of love, any more than of ambition, or the value of money. Cunning, however, withal, for his ward; an excellent guardian; yes, yes! very excellent!" Then pulling out the deed the moment he got home, he read it,

with all the opinions taken upon it, for the tenth time that day; and feeling more than ever confident that the male heir mentioned could only describe himself, he started up with an exclamation, “Release my right! give up ten thousand a year, to be rejected perhaps after all! rejected, as I have been already! Ambition, interest, and revenge

forbid !"

So saying, he ordered Clayton and Graves to be sent for; and breaking an engagement to dinner, he shut himself up with them during the rest of the day, torturing the whole English language from every thing that could be construed against his case, until no construction was left but what confirmed it. The result was, that he felt so confident of success in his cause, that he could not submit to withdraw his claim on the event of an uncertain suit; and he sent a letter in form to Lord Clanellan to that effect, only repeating, that he would still rather derive these estates from Lady Constance herself than from a decision of a court of law.

CHAPTER XXXIV.

PRINCIPLE.

I grant I am a woman, but withal
A woman well reputed.-SHAKSPEARE.

EVERY dinner-table and every drawing-room, the court, the city, all London now rang with the subject of Lord Cleveland's claim on the inheritance of Lady Constance. Politicians forgot the colonies and the Continent to discuss it; the shuffling at the whist-table was prolonged, in order that the old might talk of it; and the young lost the figure in the dance, in expressing their wonder who would succeed, and in commenting upon the conduct of all the parties concerned. By this latter class, especially the females, Lord Cleveland was universally condemned for seeking to ruin a young orphan merely because she could not love him; while her rejection of him, under such perilous chances, was lauded to the skies. She was a true heroine, a model of delicacy and greatness of soul. At any rate, she would have Castle Mowbray and the