But, Mr. Doldrum, one word with
you before you go."

"A hundred--a thousand, my dear lady."

"It is this: I beg as a personal favor that you will use your great
influence with my father to prevent him from talking to me on this
subject until the day of trial comes. By being kind enough to do this
you will save me from much anxiety and annoyance."

"I pledge you my honor, madam, that your wishes shall be complied with
to the letter, as far, at least, as any influence of mine can accomplish
them."

"Thank you, sir; I wish you a good-morning."

"Good-morning, madam; it shall not be my fault if you are harassed upon
this most painful subject; and I pledge you my reputation that I never
contributed to hang a man in my life with more regret than I experience
in this unfortunate case."

It is quite a common thing to find vanity and stupidity united in the
same individual, as they were in Mr. Doldrum. He was Mr. Folliard's
country attorney, and, in consequence of his strong Protestant
politics, was engaged as the law agent of his property; and for the same
reason--that is, because he was a violent, he was considered a very able
man.

There is a class of men in the world who, when they once engage in a
pursuit or an act of any importance, will persist in working it out,
rather than be supposed, by relinquishing it, when they discover
themselves wrong, to cast an imputation on their own judgments. To such
a class belonged Mr. Folliard, who never, in point of fact, acted upon
any fixed or distinct principle whatsoever; yet if he once took a matter
into his head, under the influence of caprice or impulse, no man could
evince more obstinacy or perseverance, apart from all its justice
or moral associations, so long, at least, as that caprice or impulse
lasted. The reader may have perceived from his dialogue with Helen, on
the morning appointed for her marriage with Whitecraft, that the worthy
baronet, had he made appearance, stood a strong chance of being sent
about his business as rank a bachelor as he had come. And yet, because
he was cunning enough to make the hot-brained and credulous old man
believe that Reilly was at the bottom of the plan for his destruction,
and Hastings only the passive agent in his hands; we say, because he
succeeded in making this impression, which he knew to be deliberately
false, upon his plastic nature, he, Folliard, worked himself up into
a vindictive bitterness peculiar to little minds, as w