"Eh! yes! very true, we must be cutting away; make ourselves scarce,
don't you see?" rejoined Lawless, brightening up at the prospect of
escape.

"Let me ring for the ladies," said Mr. Coleman, moving towards the bell.

"Eh! not for the world, my dear sir, not for the world," exclaimed
Lawless, interposing to prevent him--"Really, my feelings--your
feelings, in fact, all our feelings, have been sufficiently
excited--steam got up--high pressure, eh?--some other day--pleasure.
Good-morning. Don't come out, pray."

And so saying, he fairly bolted out of the room, an example which I was
about to follow, when Mr. Coleman, seizing me by the button began:--

"I can see, Mr. Fairlegh, that Mr. Lawless is naturally uneasy and
annoyed at Mr. Brown's attentions: but he need not be--pray assure him
of this--Mr. Brown is a highly estimable young man, but his family
are very much beneath ours in point of rank. I shall write to him
this afternoon, and inform him that, on mature deliberation, I find it
impossible to allow my niece to contract a matrimonial alliance with
any one in trade--that will ~438~~ set the matter definitely at rest.
Perhaps you will kindly mention this to your friend?"

"I shall be most happy to do so," replied I, "nor have I the slightest
doubt that _my friend_ will consider the information perfectly
satisfactory." And with many assurances of mutual consideration and
esteem we parted.

Oh! the masks and dominoes of the mind! what mountebank ever wore so
many disguises as the heart of man? If some potent spirit of evil had
suddenly converted Elm Lodge into the palace of Truth, the light of its
master's countenance would have grown dark as he read the thoughts
that were passing in my breast; and instead of bestowing upon me
the attentions due to the chosen friend of the wealthy suitor to his
portionless niece, he would have done his best to kick me down the steps
as an impostor plotting to marry his son to a beggar. When will men
learn to value money at its real worth, and find out that warm loving
hearts and true affections are priceless gems that wealth cannot
purchase!

We drove for some time in silence, which was at length broken by
Lawless, who in a tone of the deepest dejection began:--

"The first tolerably deep gravel pit we come to, I must trouble you to
get out, if you please".

"Get out at a gravel pit! for goodness' sake, why?" inquired I.

"Because I intend to back the tandem into it, an