ght morality. Nothing, perhaps, is less innate than virtue. I
own that the lessons of my uncle did not work miracles--that, living in
the world, I have not separated myself from its errors and its follies:
the vortex was too strong--the atmosphere too contagious; but I have
at least avoided the crimes into which my temper would most likely have
driven me. I ceased to look upon the world as a game one was to play
fairly, if possible--but where a little cheating was readily allowed;
I no longer divorced the interests of other men from my own: if I
endeavoured to blind them, it was neither by unlawful means, nor for
a purely selfish end:--if--but come, Henry Pelham, thou hast praised
thyself enough for the present; and, after all, thy future adventures
will best tell if thou art really amended.

CHAPTER XXXVIII.

Mihi jam non regia Roma, Sed vacuum Tibur placet.--Horace.

"My dear child," said my mother to me, affectionately, "you must be very
much bored here, pour dire vrai, I am so myself. Your uncle is a very
good man, but he does not make his house pleasant; and I have, lately,
been very much afraid that he should convert you into a mere bookworm;
after all, my dear Henry, you are quite clever enough to trust to your
own ability. Your great geniuses never read."

"True, my dear mother," said I, with a most unequivocal yawn, and
depositing on the table Mr. Bentham upon Popular Fallacies; "true, and
I am quite of your opinion. Did you see in the Post of this morning, how
full Cheltenham was?"

"Yes, Henry; and now you mention it, I don't think you could do better
than to go there for a month or two. As for me, I must return to your
father, whom I left at Lord H--'s: a place, entre nous, very little more
amusing than this--but then one does get one's ecarte table, and that
dear Lady Roseville, your old acquaintance, is staying there."

"Well," said I, musingly, "suppose we take our departure the beginning
of next week?--our way will be the same as far as London, and the plea
of attending you will be a good excuse to my uncle, for proceeding no
farther in these confounded books."

"C'est une affaire finie," replied my mother, "and I will speak to your
uncle myself."

Accordingly the necessary disclosure of our intentions was made. Lord
Glenmorris received it with proper indifference, so far as my mother was
concerned; but expressed much pain at my leaving him so soon. However,
when he found I was not so much