he felt that he was secure--that, however painful to
Godfrey's self-love, he would never suffer him to bear the reproach of a
crime committed by himself.

Confident of success, he rose by the dawn of day, and sought his
cousin's apartment. After rapping several times at the door, his summons
was answered by Godfrey in a grumbling tone, between sleeping and
waking.

"I must see you, Godfrey," cried Anthony, impatiently shaking the door.
"My errand brooks no delay."

"What the deuce do you want at this early hour?" said Godfrey with a
heavy yawn. "Now do be quiet, Tony, and give a man time to pull his eyes
open."

Again the door was violently shaken. Godfrey had fallen back into a deep
sleep, and Anthony, in his eagerness to gain an audience, made noise
enough to have roused the Seven Sleepers from their memorable nap. With
a desperate effort Godfrey at length sprang from his bed, and unlocked
the door, but, as the morning was chilly, he as quickly retreated to his
warm nest, and buried his head in the blankets.

"Godfrey, do rouse yourself, and attend to me; I have something of great
consequence to communicate, the recital of which cannot fail to grieve
you, if you retain the least affection for me."

"Could you not wait until after breakfast?" and Godfrey forced himself
into a sitting posture. "I was out late last night, and drank too much
wine. I feel confoundedly stupid, and the uproar that you have been
making for the last hour at the door has given me an awful headache.
But what is the matter with you, Tony? You look like a spectre. Are you
ill? or have you, like me, been too long over your cups?"

"You know I never drink, Godfrey, nor have I any bodily ailment; but in
truth my mind is ill at ease. I am sick at heart, and you, you, cousin,
are the cause of my present sufferings."

"Ah! the old love story. You repent of giving up Juliet, and want me to
release you from your promise. I am not such a romantic fool! I never
give up an advantage once gained, and am as miserly of opportunities as
your father is of his cash. But speak out Anthony," he continued, seeing
his cousin turn pale, "I should like to hear what dreadful charge you
have to bring against me."

"You shall hear, Godfrey, if I have strength and courage to tell you."
Anthony sat down on an easy chair by the side of the bed, and after a
long pause, in which he tried to compose his agitated feelings, he
informed his cousin of the conversation th