such condescension. When Lady Anna had
first told him that she had pledged her word to a lover low in the
scale of men, the thing had seemed to him to be over. What struggle
might be made to prevent the accomplishment of so base a marriage
must be effected for the sake of the family, and not on his own
special behoof. Not even for twenty thousand a year, not even for
Lady Anna Lovel, not for all the Lovels, would he take to his bosom
as his bride, the girl who had leaned with loving fondness on the
shoulders of Daniel Thwaite. But when he found that others did
not feel it as he felt it, he turned the matter over again in his
mind,--and by degrees relented. There had doubtless been much in the
whole affair which had placed it outside the pale of things which are
subject to the ordinary judgment of men. Lady Anna's position in the
world had been very singular. A debt of gratitude was due by her to
the tailor, which had seemed to exact from her some great payment. As
she had said herself, she had given the only thing which she had to
give. Now there would be much to give. The man doubtless deserved his
reward and should have it, but that reward must not be the hand of
the heiress of the Lovels. He, the Earl, would once again claim that
as his own.

He had hurried out of town after seeing Sir William, but had not
returned to Yoxham. He went again to Scotland, and wrote no further
letter to the rectory after those three lines which the reader has
seen. Then he heard from Mr. Flick that Lady Anna was staying with
the Serjeant in Bedford Square, and he returned to London at the
lawyer's instance. It was so expedient that if possible something
should be settled before November!

The only guests asked to meet the Earl at Serjeant Bluestone's, were
Sir William and Lady Patterson, and the black-browed young barrister.
The whole proceeding was very irregular,--as Mr. Flick, who knew what
was going on, said more than once to his old partner, Mr. Norton.
That the Solicitor-General should dine with the Serjeant might be all
very well,--though, as school boys say, they had never known each
other at home before. But that they should meet in this way the then
two opposing clients,--the two claimants to the vast property as to
which a cause was to come on for trial in a few weeks,--did bewilder
Mr. Flick. "I suppose the Solicitor-General sees his way, but he may
be in a mess yet," said Mr. Flick. Mr. Norton only scratched his
head. It