Harry, you have not
played me fair in this business."

"How is that?" asked the other, rather quickly.

"I fear you've prejudiced your sister against me, and that instead of
giving me a clear stage, you gave me the 'no favor' portion of the adage
only."

"I am not in the habit of stating a falsehood, Hycy, nor of having any
assertion I make questioned; I have already told you, I think, that I
would not prejudice my sister against you. I now repeat that I have not
done so; but I cannot account for her prejudices against you any more
than I shall attempt to contradict or combat them, so far from that I
now tell you, that if she were unfortunately disposed to many you, I
would endeavor to prevent her."

"And pray why so, Harry, if it is a fair question?"

"Perfectly fair; simply because I should not wish to see my sister
married to a man unburthened with any kind of principle. In fact,
without the slightest intention whatsoever, Hycy, to offer you offence,
I must say that you are not the man to whom I should entrust Maria's
peace and happiness; I am her only brother, and have a right to speak as
I do. I consider it my duty."

"Certainly," replied Hycy, "if you think so, I cannot blame you; but I
see clearly that you misunderstand my character--that is all."

They separated in a few minutes afterwards, and Hycy in a very serious
and irritable mood rode homewards. In truth his prospects at this
peculiar period were anything but agreeable. Here his love-suit, if it
could be called so, had just been rejected by Miss Clinton, in a manner
that utterly precluded all future hope in that quarter. With Kathleen
Cavanagh he had been equally unsuccessful. His brother Edward was now at
home, too, a favorite with, and inseparable from his father, who of late
maintained any intercourse that took place between himself and Hycy,
with a spirit of cool, easy sarcasm, that was worse than anger itself.
His mother, also, in consequence of her unjustifiable attempts to
defend her son's irregularities, had lost nearly all influence with her
husband, and if the latter should withdraw, as he had threatened to
do, the allowance of a hundred a year with which he supplied him, he
scarcely saw on what hand he could turn. With Kathleen Cavanagh and Miss
Clinton he now felt equally indignant, nor did his friend Harry escape
a strong portion of his ill-will. Hycy, not being overburthened with
either a love or practice of truth himself, could not