then, my repentance won't be commonplace
repentance. I shall do the thing with an aristocratic feeling--or, in
other words, I shall repent like a man of honor and a gentleman."

"Like anything but a Christian, my I presume."

"Just so; I must be original or die. I will give up everything; for,
after all. Miss Gourlay, what is there more melancholy than the vanity
of life--unless, indeed, it be the beauty of holiness--ahem! All
flesh--no--I repeated that sweet text before. He that marrieth doth
well; but he that marrieth not doth better. Sufficient unto
the day--No, hang it, I think I misquoted it. I believe it runs
correctly--He that giveth 'way, does well; but he that giveth not way,
does better: then, I believe, comes in, Sufficient unto the day is the
evil thereof. What beautiful and appropriate texts are to be found in
Scripture, Miss Gourlay! By the way, the man that wrote it was a
shrewd fellow and a profound thinker. The only pity is, that the work's
anonymous."

Lucy rose, absolutely sickened, and said, "My lord, excuse me. The
object of our interview has been accomplished, and as I am far from
well, you will permit me to withdraw. In the meantime, pray make
whatever arrangements and hold, whatever interviews may be necessary in
this miserable and wretched business; but henceforth they must be with
my father."

"You are surely not going, Miss Gourlay?"

She replied not, but turning round, seemed to reflect for a moment,
after which she spoke as follows:

"I cannot bring myself to think, my lord, after the unusual opinions
you have expressed, that you have been for one moment serious in the
conversation which has taken place between us. Their strangeness and
eccentricity forbid me to suppose this; and if I did not think that it
is so, and that, perhaps, you are making an experiment upon my temper
and judgment, for some purpose at present inconceivable; and if I did
not think, besides, notwithstanding these opinions, that you may possess
sufficient sense and feeling to perceive the truth and object of what I
am about to say, I would not remain one moment longer in your society.
I request, therefore, that you will be serious for a little, and hear me
with attention, and, what is more, if you can, with sympathy. My lord,
the highest instance of a great and noble mind is to perform a generous
act; and when you hear from my own lips the circumstances which I am
about to state, I would hope to find you capable