Part 105 (1/2)

”I quite agree with your lords.h.i.+p,--there can be no truth in such a rumour. Some Englishman, hearing, perhaps, of the probable pardon of the exile, may have counted on an heiress, and spread the report in order to keep off other candidates. By your account, if successful in his suit, he might fail to find an heiress in the bride.”

”No doubt of that. Whatever might be arranged, I can't conceive that he would be allowed to get at the fortune, though it might be held in suspense for his children. But indeed it so rarely happens that an Italian girl of high name marries a foreigner that we must dismiss this notion with a smile at the long face of the hypothetical fortune-hunter.

Heaven help him, if he exist!”

”Amen!” echoed Randal, devoutly.

”I hear that Peschiera,'s sister is returned to England. Do you know her too?”

”A little.”

”My dear Mr. Leslie, pardon me if I take a liberty not warranted by our acquaintance. Against the lady I say nothing. Indeed, I have heard some things which appear to ent.i.tle her to compa.s.sion and respect. But as to Peschiera all who prize honour suspect him to be a knave,--I know him to be one. Now, I think that the longer we preserve that abhorrence for knavery which is the generous instinct of youth, why, the fairer will be our manhood, and the more reverend our age. You agree with me?”

And Harley suddenly turning, his eyes fell like a flood of light upon Randal's pale and secret countenance.

”To be sure,” murmured the schemer.

Harley, surveying him, mechanically recoiled, and withdrew his arm.

Fortunately for Randal, who somehow or other felt himself slipped into a false position, he scarce knew how or why, he was here seized by the arm; and a clear, open, manly voice cried, ”My dear fellow, how are you?

I see you are engaged now; but look into my rooms when you can, in the course of the day.”

And with a bow of excuse for his interruption to Lord L'Estrange, the speaker was then turning away, when Harley said,

”No, don't let me take you from your friend, Mr. Leslie. And you need not be in a hurry to see Egerton; for I shall claim the privilege of older friends.h.i.+p for the first interview.”

”It is Mr. Egerton's nephew Frank Hazeldan.”

”Pray, call him back, and present me to him. He has a face that would have gone far to reconcile Timon to Athens.” Randal obeyed, and after a few kindly words to Frank, Harley insisted on leaving the two young men together, and walked on to Downing Street with a brisker step.

CHAPTER X.

”That Lord L'Estrange seems a very good fellow.”

”So-so; an effeminate humourist,--says the most absurd things, and fancies them wise. Never mind him. You wanted to speak to me, Frank?”

”Yes; I am so obliged to you for introducing me to Levy. I must tell you how handsomely he has behaved.”

”Stop; allow me to remind you that I did not introduce you to Levy; you had met him before at Borrowell's, if I recollect right, and he dined with us at the Clarendon,--that is all I had to do with bringing you together. Indeed I rather cautioned you against him than not. Pray don't think I introduced you to a man who, however pleasant and perhaps honest, is still a money-lender. Your father would be justly angry with me if I had done so.”

”Oh, pooh! you are prejudiced against poor Levy. But just hear: I was sitting very ruefully, thinking over those cursed bills, and how the deuce I should renew them, when Levy walked into my rooms; and after telling me of his long friends.h.i.+p for my uncle Egerton and his admiration for yourself, and (give me your hand, Randal) saying how touched he felt by your kind sympathy in my troubles, he opened his pocket-book, and showed me the bills safe and sound in his own possession.”

”How?”

”He had bought them up. 'It must be so disagreeable to me,' he said, 'to have them flying about the London moneymarket, and those Jews would be sure sooner or later to apply to my father. And now,' added Levy, 'I am in no immediate hurry for the money, and we must put the interest upon fairer terms.' In short, nothing could be more liberal than his tone.

And he says, he is thinking of a way to relieve me altogether, and will call about it in a few days, when his plan is matured. After all, I must owe this to you, Randal. I dare swear you put it into his head.”

”Oh, no, indeed! On the contrary, I still say, Be cautious in all your dealings with Levy. I don't know, I 'm sure, what he means to propose.