urself, you have only committed those which were
inseparable from your situation; and few, like the Duke of St. James,
would so soon have opened their eyes to the truth of their conduct.'

'A compliment from you repays me for all.'

'Self-approbation does, which is much better than compliments from
anyone. See! there is papa, and Arundel too: let us run up!'

CHAPTER III.

_Again the Rival_

THE Duke of St. James had, on his arrival at Dacre, soon observed that
a constant correspondence was maintained between Miss Dacre and her
cousin. There was no attempt to conceal the fact from any of the guests,
and, as that young gentleman was now engaged in an affair interesting to
all his friends, every letter generally contained some paragraph almost
as interesting to the Montingfords as to herself, which was
accordingly read aloud. Mr. Arundel Dacre was candidate for the vacant
representation of a town in a distant county. He had been disappointed
in his views on the borough, about which he had returned to England, but
had been nevertheless persuaded by his cousin to remain in his native
country. During this period, he had been a great deal at Castle Dacre,
and had become much more intimate and unreserved with his uncle, who
observed with great satisfaction this change in his character, and lost
no opportunity of deserving and increasing the confidence for which
he had so long unavailingly yearned, and which was now so unexpectedly
proffered.

The borough for which Arundel Dacre was about to stand was in Sussex, a
county in which his family had no property, and very slight connection.
Yet at the place, the Catholic interest was strong, and on that, and
the usual Whig influence, he ventured. His desire to be a member of
the Legislature, at all and from early times extreme, was now greatly
heightened by the prospect of being present at the impending Catholic
debate. After an absence of three weeks, he had hurried to Yorkshire for
four-and-twenty hours, to give a report of the state of his canvass,
and the probability of his success. In that success all were greatly
interested, but none more so than Miss Dacre, whose thoughts indeed
seemed to dwell on no other subject, and who expressed herself with a
warmth which betrayed her secret feelings. Had the place only been
in Yorkshire, she was sure he must have succeeded. She was the best
canvasser in the world, and everybody agreed that Harry Grey-stoke owed
his elec