I in any degree committed myself. All my precautions were, however, in
vain.

"Eh! I won't keep you five minutes, but you see this sort of thing will
never do at any price; I'm all wrong altogether--sometimes I feel as if
fire and water would not stop me, or cart-ropes hold me--then again I
grow as nervous as an old cat with the palsy, and sit moping in a
corner like an owl in fits. Last hunting-day I was just as if I was
mad--pressed upon the pack when they were getting away--rode over two or
three of the tail hounds, laid 'em sprawling on their backs, like spread
eagles, till the huntsman swore at me loud enough to split a three-inch
oak plank--went slap at everything that came in my way--took rails,
fences, and timber, all flying, rough and smooth as nature made 'em--in
short, showed the whole field the way across country at a pace which
rather astonished them, I fancy;--well, at last there was a check, and
before the hounds got on the scent again, something seemed to come over
me, so that I could not ride a bit, and kept cranning at mole-hills
and shirking gutters, till I wound up by getting a tremendous purl from
checking my horse at a wretched little fence that he could have stepped
over, and actually I felt so fainthearted that I gave it up as a bad
job, and rode home ~355~~ ready to eat my hat with vexation. But I
know what it is, I'm in love--that confounded Charade put me up to
that dodge. I fancied at first that I had got an ague, one of those
off-and-on affairs that always come just when you don't want them, and
was going to ask Ellis to give me a ball, but I found it out just in
time, and precious glad I was too, for I never could bear taking physic
since I was the height of sixpenny worth of halfpence."

"Really, Lawless, I must be getting home."

"Eh! wait a minute; you haven't an idea what a desperate state I'm in; I
had a letter returned to me yesterday, with a line from the post-office
clerk, saying no such person could be found, and when I came to look at
the address I wasn't surprised to hear it. I had written to give some
orders about a dog-cart that is building for me, and directed my letter
to 'Messrs. Lovely Fanny, Coachmakers, Long Acre'. Things can't go on in
this way, you know--I must do something--come to the point, eh?--What do
you say?"

"Upon my word," replied I, "this is a case in which I am the last person
to advise you."

"Eh I no, it is not that--I'm far beyond the reach of advi