and self-deception. In this conflict of
alternate approval and condemnation, he passed the greater part of the
night--sometimes, a struggling sense of honour, urging him to regret a
course so fraught with humiliations of every kind; and again, a thrill
of delight would run through his heart to think of all the pleasure he
could confer upon his favourite boy--the indulgences he could once more
shower upon him. He fancied the happiness of emancipation from pressing
difficulties, and how instinctively Mark's buoyant temper would take the
tone of their altered fortunes; and he, once again, become the gay and
reckless youth he loved to see him.

"He must have that brown horse Kerry speaks of," muttered he to himself.
"Sir Marmaduke shall not outbid us there, and we'll see which of the two
best becomes his saddle. I'll back my own boy against his scarlet-coated
fop, for a thousand. They've got some couples of dogs too, Kerry was
telling me, up the mountains--We must enquire about them; with eight or
ten couple, Mark could have good sport in the glen. Then there's those
bills of Callaghan's--but he'll not press hard when he sees we've money.
Cassidy must get his L800, and so he shall; and that scoundrel, Swaby,
will be sending in his bill of costs; but a couple of hundred pounds
ought to stop his mouth. Archy, too--by Jove, I forget how much I owe
him now; but he doesn't, I'll warrant him. Well, well--if it won't stop
the leak, it will, at least, give us time to work the pumps--ay, time,
time!" He asked for no more; he only sought to reach the haven himself,
and cared nothing what happened the craft, nor the crew, afterwards.

His next thought was how to effect all the legal arrangements in these
complicated matters, without the knowledge of Mark or Sir Archy; and on
this difficult point he spent till nigh morning deliberating. The only
mode he could think of was, by writing to Swaby himself, and making him
aware of the whole proceeding. That of course would be attended by its
own penalties, as Swaby would take care that his own costs were among
the first things to be liquidated; but yet it seemed the sole course
open to him, and with the resolve to do this on the morrow, he turned on
his pillow, and fell asleep.

The morning broke, with happiness to the uncle and the niece; but it was
a happiness of a very different order. To him, the relief of mind,
for the long harrassing cares of debt and difficulty, was a boon of
inesti