went on; "if you really did
meet with my poor girl, one of these days, and knew that you had met
with her--do you mean to say you could be cruel enough, no matter how
badly I behaved to you, to tell me nothing about it? Is _that_ the heart
I can feel beating under my hand? Is _that_ the Christianity you learnt
at Tadmor? Pooh, pooh, you foolish boy! Go back to Regina; and tell her
you have tried to frighten me, and you find it won't do."

The next day was Saturday. The advertisement of the lecture appeared in
the newspapers. Rufus confessed that he had been extravagant enough,
in the case of the two weekly journals, to occupy half a page.
"The public," he explained, "have got a nasty way of overlooking
advertisements of a modest and retiring character. Hit 'em in the eyes
when they open the paper, or you don't hit 'em at all."

Among the members of the public attracted by the new announcement, Mrs.
Farnaby was one. She honoured Amelius with a visit at his lodgings. "I
called you a poor weak creature yesterday" (these were her first words
on entering the room); "I talked like a fool. You're a splendid fellow;
I respect your courage, and I shall attend your lecture. Never mind what
Mr. Farnaby and Regina say. Regina's poor little conventional soul
is shaken, I dare say; you needn't expect to have my niece among your
audience. But Farnaby is a humbug, as usual. He affects to be horrified;
he talks big about breaking off the match. In his own self, he's
bursting with curiosity to know how you will get through with it. I tell
you this--he will sneak into the hall and stand at the back where nobody
can see him. I shall go with him; and, when you're on the platform, I'll
hold up my handkerchief like this. Then you'll know he's there. Hit him
hard, Amelius--hit him hard! Where is your friend Rufus? just gone away?
I like that American. Give him my love, and tell him to come and see
me." She left the room as abruptly as she had entered it. Amelius looked
after her in amazement. Mrs. Farnaby was not like herself; Mrs. Farnaby
was in good spirits!

Regina's opinion of the lecture arrived by post.

Every other word in her letter was underlined; half the sentences began
with "Oh!"; Regina was shocked, astonished, ashamed, alarmed. What would
Amelius do next? Why had he deceived her, and left her to find it out in
the papers? He had undone all the good effect of those charming letters
to her father and herself. He had no idea of