d then as he
threw himself on his bed he thought of Sophia Furnival. Would she
share his disgrace with him? Was it possible that there might be
solace there?

Quite impossible, we should say, who know her well.

CHAPTER LXXIV

YOUNG LOCHINVAR

Judge Staveley, whose court had not been kept sitting to a late hour
by any such eloquence as that of Mr. Furnival, had gone home before
the business of the other court had closed. Augustus, who was his
father's marshal, remained for his friend, and had made his way in
among the crowd, so as to hear the end of the speech.

"Don't wait dinner for us," he had said to his father. "If you do you
will be hating us all the time; and we sha'n't be there till between
eight and nine."

"I should be sorry to hate you," said the judge, "and so I won't."
When therefore Felix Graham escaped from the court at about half-past
seven, the two young men were able to take their own time and eat
their dinner together comfortably, enjoying their bottle of champagne
between them perhaps more thoroughly than they would have done had
the judge and Mrs. Staveley shared it with them.

But Felix had something of which to think besides the
champagne--something which was of more consequence to him even than
the trial in which he was engaged. Madeline had promised that she
would meet him that evening;--or rather had not so promised. When
asked to do so she had not refused, but even while not refusing had
reminded him that her mother would be there. Her manner to him had,
he thought, been cold, though she had not been ungracious. Upon the
whole, he could not make up his mind to expect success. "Then he must
have been a fool!" the reader learned in such matters will say. The
reader learned in such matters is, I think, right. In that respect he
was a fool.

"I suppose we must give the governor the benefit of our company over
his wine," said Augustus, as soon as their dinner was over.

"I suppose we ought to do so."

"And why not? Is there any objection?"

"To tell the truth," said Graham, "I have an appointment which I am
very anxious to keep."

"An appointment? Where? Here at Noningsby, do you mean?"

"In this house. But yet I cannot say that it is absolutely an
appointment. I am going to ask your sister what my fate is to be."

"And that is the appointment! Very well, my dear fellow; and may God
prosper you. If you can convince the governor that it is all right, I
shall make no objec