rst into a flood of tears, and to quit the room with
a rapid glance at Harry Esmond,--as my lord, not heeding them, and
still in great good-humor, raised up his young client from his kneeling
posture (for a thousand kindnesses had caused the lad to revere my lord
as a father), and put his broad hand on Harry Esmond's shoulder.

"She was always so," my lord said; "the very notion of a woman drives
her mad. I took to liquor on that very account, by Jove, for no other
reason than that; for she can't be jealous of a beer-barrel or a bottle
of rum, can she, Doctor? D--- it, look at the maids--just look at
the maids in the house" (my lord pronounced all the words
together--just-look-at-the-maze-in-the-house: jever-see-such-maze?) "You
wouldn't take a wife out of Castlewood now, would you, Doctor?" and my
lord burst out laughing.

The Doctor, who had been looking at my Lord Castlewood from under his
eyelids, said, "But joking apart, and, my lord, as a divine, I
cannot treat the subject in a jocular light, nor, as a pastor of this
congregation, look with anything but sorrow at the idea of so very young
a sheep going astray."

"Sir," said young Esmond, bursting out indignantly, "she told me that
you yourself were a horrid old man, and had offered to kiss her in the
dairy."

"For shame, Henry," cried Doctor Tusher, turning as red as a
turkey-cock, while my lord continued to roar with laughter. "If you
listen to the falsehoods of an abandoned girl--"

"She is as honest as any woman in England, and as pure for me," cried
out Henry, "and, as kind, and as good. For shame on you to malign her!"

"Far be it from me to do so," cried the Doctor. "Heaven grant I may
be mistaken in the girl, and in you, sir, who have a truly PRECOCIOUS
genius; but that is not the point at issue at present. It appears that
the small-pox broke out in the little boy at the 'Three Castles;' that
it was on him when you visited the ale-house, for your OWN reasons; and
that you sat with the child for some time, and immediately afterwards
with my young lord." The Doctor raised his voice as he spoke, and
looked towards my lady, who had now come back, looking very pale, with a
handkerchief in her hand.

"This is all very true, sir," said Lady Esmond, looking at the young
man.

"'Tis to be feared that he may have brought the infection with him."

"From the ale-house--yes," said my lady.

"D--- it, I forgot when I collared you, boy," cried my lord, steppin