ment."

"You are cruel!" said Mauleverer, disconcerted. "I trust not, for the
sake of my continued addresses."

"My dear lord," said Brandon, urbanely taking the courtier's hand, while
the anguis in herba of his sneer played around his compressed lips,--"my
dear lord, we are old friends, and need not deceive each other. You wish
to marry my niece because she is an heiress of great fortune, and you
suppose that my wealth will in all probability swell her own. Moreover,
she is more beautiful than any other young lady of your acquaintance,
and, polished by your example, may do honour to your taste as well as
your prudence. Under these circumstances, you will, I am quite sure,
look with lenity on her girlish errors, and not love her the less
because her foolish fancy persuades her that she is in love with
another."

"Ahem!" said Mauleverer, "you view the matter with more sense than
sentiment; but look you, Brandon, we must try, for both our sakes, if
possible, to keep the identity of Lovett with Clifford from being
known. I do not see why it should be. No doubt he was on his guard while
playing the gallant, and committed no atrocity at Bath. The name of
Clifford is hitherto perfectly unsullied. No fraud, no violence are
attached to the appellation; and if the rogue will but keep his own
counsel, we may hang him out of the way without the secret transpiring."

"But if I remember right," said Brandon, "the newspapers say that this
Lovett will be tried some seventy or eighty miles only from Bath, and
that gives a chance of recognition."

"Ay, but he will be devilishly altered, I imagine; for his wound has
already been but a bad beautifier to his face. Moreover, if the dog has
any delicacy, he will naturally dislike to be known as the gallant of
that gay city where he shone so successfully, and will disguise
himself as well as he is able. I hear wonders of his powers of
self-transformation."

"But he may commit himself on the point between this and his trial,"
said Brandon.

"I think of ascertaining how far that is likely, by sending my valet
down to him (you know one treats these gentlemen highwaymen with a
certain consideration, and hangs them with all due respect to their
feelings), to hint that it will be doubtless very unpleasant to him,
under his 'present unfortunate circumstances' (is not that the phrase?),
to be known as the gentleman who enjoyed so deserved a popularity at
Bath, and that, though 'the laws of m