re aware, was Sir Piers's mistress. Our friend is now
gone, and with him let us bury his offences, and the remembrance of
them. That his soul was heavily laden, would appear from your account of
his last moments; yet I fervently trust that his repentance was sincere,
in which case there is hope of forgiveness for him. 'At what time soever
a sinner shall repent him of his sins, from the bottom of his heart, I
will blot out all his wickedness out of my remembrance, saith the Lord.'
Heaven's mercy is greater than man's sins. And there is hope of
salvation even for Sir Piers."

"I trust so, indeed," said Titus, with emotion; "and as to repeating a
syllable of what I have just said, devil a word more will I utter on the
subject. My lips shall be shut and sealed, as close as one of Mr.
Coates's bonds, for ever and a day: but I thought it just right to make
you acquainted with the circumstances. And now, having dismissed the bad
for ever, I am ready to speak of Sir Piers's good qualities, and not few
they were. What was there becoming a gentleman that he couldn't do, I'd
like to know? Couldn't he hunt as well as ever a one in the county? and
hadn't he as good a pack of hounds? Couldn't he shoot as well, and fish
as well, and drink as well, or better?--only he couldn't carry his wine,
which was his misfortune, not his fault. And wasn't he always ready to
ask a friend to dinner with him? and didn't he give him a good dinner
when he came, barring the cross-cups afterwards? And hadn't he
everything agreeable about him, except his wife? which was a great
drawback. And with all his peculiarities and humors, wasn't he as
kind-hearted a man as needs be? and an Irishman at the core? And so, if
he wern't dead, I'd say long life to him! But as he is, here's peace to
his memory!"

At this juncture, a knocking was heard at the door, which some one
without had vainly tried to open. Titus rose to unclose it, ushering in
an individual known at the hall as Jack Palmer.

_CHAPTER IX_

_AN ENGLISH ADVENTURER_

_Mrs. Peachem._ Sure the captain's the finest gentleman on the road.

_Beggar's Opera._

Jack Palmer was a good-humored, good-looking man, with immense bushy,
red whiskers, a freckled, florid complexion, and sandy hair, rather
inclined to scantiness towards the scalp of the head, which garnished
the nape of his neck with a ruff of crisp little curls, like the ring on