ne calling
himself a gentleman. Umph! Umph!"

"Really I cannot be expected to discuss the matter farther," replied Mr.
Vernor, with greater irritation of manner than he had yet suffered to
appear. "I have not formed my opinion of Mr. Fairlegh hastily, nor on
insufficient grounds, and it is not very probable that I shall alter it
on the representations of a nameless individual, brought here for the
evident purpose of chorusing Mr. Fairlegh's assertions, and assisting
to browbeat those who may be so unfortunate as to differ from him. You
must find such a friend invaluable, I should imagine," he added, turning
towards me with a supercilious smile. "Umph! nameless individual,
sir--nameless ~446~~ individual, indeed! Do you know who you are talking
to?" Then came the aside, "Of course he does not, how should be? Umph!"

"I think you must by this time see the folly of attempting to prolong
this absurd scene, Mr. Fairlegh," said Mr. Vernor, addressing me,
without noticing Mr. Frampton's observation otherwise than by a
contemptuous glance; "I presume we have come to the last act of this
revival of the old comedy, 'A Bold Stroke for a Wife,' and I think you
are pretty well aware of my opinion of the performance."

"Umph! eh?--I fancy you'll find there's another act before the play is
ended yet, sir," returned Mr. Prampton, who was now thoroughly roused;
"an act that, with all your cunning, you are not prepared for, and that
even your unparalleled effrontery will be insufficient to carry you
through unmoved. You say, sir, that by the will of the late Sir Henry
Saville, his daughter's inheritance descends to you in the event of her
marrying without your consent. May I ask whether there is not a certain
contingency provided for, which might divert the property into another
channel? Umph!"

"Really, sir, it is long since I looked at the will," exclaimed Mr.
Vernor, for the first time dropping his usual tone of contemptuous
indifference, and speaking quickly and with excitement--"May I inquire
to what you refer?"

"Was there not a clause to this effect, sir?" continued Mr. Frampton
sternly; and, producing a slip of paper, he read as follows:--

"'But whereas it was the firm belief and conviction of the aforesaid
Clara Rose Elliot, afterwards Lady Saville, my late lamented wife, that
her brother Ralph Elliot, supposed to have perished at sea, had not
so perished, but was living in one of our colonies, I hereby will and
direct,