Part 59 (1/2)

'I have no appetite now,' said New the flask in his pocket 'I've had MY dinner'

Having delivered this observation in a very grievous and doleful tone, Newain in another

'I don't knoho she may be, or what she may be,' he said: 'but I pity her with all my heart and soul; and I can't help her, nor can I any of the people against whom a hundred tricks, but none so vile as this, are plotted every day! Well, that adds tois no worse because I know it, and it tortures me as well as theuery! roguery! roguery!'

With these reflections, and a very hard knock on the crown of his unfortunate hat at each repetition of the last word, News, whose brain was a little muddled by so much of the contents of the pocket-pistol as had found their way there during his recent concealht be derivable fro-house

Meanwhile the two plotters had betaken themselves to the same house whither Nicholas had repaired for the first ti obtained access to Mr Bray, and found his daughter from home, had by a train of the most masterly approaches that Ralph's utth laid open the real object of their visit

'There he sits, Mr Bray,' said Ralph, as the invalid, not yet recovered fro alternately at him and Arthur Gride 'What if he has had the ill-fortune to be one cause of your detention in this place? I have been another; men must live; you are too ht We offer the best reparation in our power Reparation! Here is an offer of e, that many a titled father would leap at, for his child Mr Arthur Gride, with the fortune of a prince Think what a haul it is!'

'My daughter, sir,' returned Bray, haughtily, 'as I have brought her up, would be a rich recoest fortune that a e for her hand'

'Precisely what I told you,' said the artful Ralph, turning to his friend, old Arthur 'Precisely what ation on either side You have money, and Miss Madeline has beauty and worth She has youth, you have money She has not money, you have not youth tit for tat, quits, a !'

'Matches arehideously at the father-in-laanted 'If we areto that'

'Then think, Mr Bray,' said Ralph, hastily substituting for this argument considerations more nearly allied to earth, 'think what a stake is involved in the acceptance or rejection of these proposals of my friend'

'How can I accept or reject,' interrupted Mr Bray, with an irritable consciousness that it really rested with hihter to accept or reject; it is for hter You know that'

'True,' said Ralph, emphatically; 'but you have still the power to advise; to state the reasons for and against; to hint a wish'

'To hint a wish, sir!' returned the debtor, proud and mean by turns, and selfish at all times 'I am her father, am I not? Why should I hint, and beat about the bush? Do you suppose, like her mother's friends andin what she has done forbeen unfortunate is a sufficient reason why our relative positions should be changed, and that she should command and I should obey? Hint a wish, too! Perhaps you think, because you see me in this place and scarcely able to leave this chair without assistance, that I ae or power to do what I may think best for my own child Still the power to hint a wish!+ I hope so!'

'Pardon hly knew his ly; 'you do not heara wish, even hinting a wish, would surely be equivalent to co'

'Why, of course it would,' retorted Mr Bray, in an exasperated tone 'If you don't happen to have heard of the time, sir, I tell you that there was a tiainst her h they had power and wealth on their side, by my will alone'

'Still,' rejoined Ralph, as mildly as his nature would allow him, 'you have not heard me out You are a man yet qualified to shi+ne in society, with many years of life before you; that is, if you lived in freer air, and under brighter skies, and chose your own companions Gaiety is your element, you have shone in it before Fashi+on and freedom for you France, and an annuity that would support you there in luxury, would give you a new lease of life, would transfer you to a new existence The town rang with your expensive pleasures once, and you could blaze up on a new scene again, profiting by experience, and living a little at others' cost, instead of letting others live at yours What is there on the reverse side of the picture? What is there? I don't knohich is the nearest churchyard, but a gravestone there, wherever it is, and a date, perhaps two years hence, perhaps twenty That's all'

Mr Bray rested his elbow on the arm of his chair, and shaded his face with his hand

'I speak plainly,' said Ralph, sitting down beside hily It's hter to my friend Gride, because then he sees e it openly But what interest have you in recoht object, re too old, and plead that her life would be rendered estures on the part of the invalid showed that these arguments were no more lost upon him, than the smallest iota of his demeanour was upon Ralph

'What is it now, I say,' pursued the wily usurer, 'or what has it a chance of being? If you died, indeed, the people you hate would ht of that?'

'No!' returned Bray, urged by a vindictive iine not, indeed!' said Ralph, quietly 'If she profits by anybody's death,' this was said in a lower tone, 'let it be by her husband's Don't let her have to look back to yours, as the event from which to date a happier life Where is the objection? Let me hear it stated What is it? That her suitor is an old man? Why, how often do men of family and fortune, who haven't your excuse, but have all the means and superfluities of life within their reach, how often do theymen without heads or hearts, to tickle sothen soe for her, sir, judge for her You must know best, and she will live to thank you'

'Hush!+ hush!+' cried Mr Bray, suddenly starting up, and covering Ralph'shand 'I hear her at the door!'

There was a gleam of conscience in the shame and terror of this hasty action, which, in one shortof sophistry fron, and laid it bare in all its meanness and heartless defor; Arthur Gride plucked and fumbled at his hat, and durst not raise his eyes from the floor; even Ralph crouched for theinnocent girl!

The effect was almost as brief as sudden Ralph was the first to recover hi Madeline's looks of alar her that there was no cause for fear

'A sudden spas at Mr Bray 'He is quite well now'

It ht haveand beautiful creature, whose certainbut a minute before, throw her arms about her father's neck, and pour forth words of tender sympathy and love, the sweetest a father's ear can know, or child's lips form But Ralph looked coldly on; and Arthur Gride, whose bleared eyes gloated only over the outward beauties, and were blind to the spirit which reigned within, evinced-a fantastic kind of war which the contemplation of virtue usually inspires

'Madeline,' said her father, gently disengaging hi'

'But you had that spasm yesterday, and it is terrible to see you in such pain Can I do nothing for you?'

'Nothing just now Here are two gentlemen, Madeline, one of whom you have seen before She used to say,' added Mr Bray, addressing Arthur Gride, 'that the sight of you alwayswhat she did, and only what she did, of our connection and its results Well, well Perhaps she e their minds, you know You are very tired, my dear'

'I am not, indeed'

'Indeed you are You do too much'

'I wish I could do th This wretched life, ue, is more than you can bear, I am sure it is Poor Madeline!'

With these and hter to hi him sharply and closely in the ned to Gride to follow hiain?' said Ralph

'Yes, yes,' returned Mr Bray, hastily thrusting his daughter aside 'In a week Giveto his co Miss Madeline, I kiss your hand'

'We will shake hands, Gride,' said Mr Bray, extending his, as old Arthur bowed 'You mean well, no doubt I an bound to say so now If I owed you money, that was not your fault Madeline,lady would condescent! Only the tips of her fingers,' said Arthur, hesitating and half retreating

Madeline shrunk involuntarily froers in his hand and instantly withdrew them After an ineffectual clutch, intended to detain and carry the kiss, and with e went in pursuit of his friend, as by this time in the street

'What does he say, what does he say? What does the giant say to the pig up to Ralph

'What does the pig his eyebrows and looking down upon his questioner

'He doesn't knohat to say,' replied Arthur Gride 'He hopes and fears But is she not a dainty rowled Ralph

'But I have,' rejoined Arthur, rubbing his hands 'Oh dear! How handso lashes, such delicate fringe! She-she-looked at ly, I think,' said Ralph 'Did she?'

'No, you think not?' replied old Arthur 'But don't you think it can be brought about? Don't you think it can?'