y. She
leaves this place to-day, under the guardianship of a sure friend."

"Not of----?" exclaimed Peveril, and stopped short; for he felt he had
no right to pronounce the name which came to his lips.

"Why do you pause?" said Bridgenorth; "a sudden thought is often a
wise, almost always an honest one. With whom did you suppose I meant to
entrust my child, that the idea called forth so anxious an expression?"

"Again I should ask your forgiveness," said Julian, "for meddling where
I have little right to interfere. But I saw a face here that is known to
me--the person calls himself Ganlesse--Is it with him that you mean to
entrust your daughter?"

"Even to the person who call himself Ganlesse," said Bridgenorth,
without expressing either anger or surprise.

"And do you know to whom you commit a charge so precious to all who know
her, and so dear to yourself?" said Julian.

"Do _you_ know, who ask me the question?" answered Bridgenorth.

"I own I do not," answered Julian; "but I have seen him in a character
so different from that he now wears, that I feel it my duty to warn you,
how you entrust the charge of your child to one who can alternately
play the profligate or the hypocrite, as it suits his own interest or
humour."

Bridgenorth smiled contemptuously. "I might be angry," he said, "with
the officious zeal which supposes that its green conceptions can
instruct my grey hairs; but, good Julian, I do but only ask from you the
liberal construction, that I, who have had much converse with mankind,
know with whom I trust what is dearest to me. He of whom thou speakest
hath one visage to his friends, though he may have others to the world,
living amongst those before whom honest features should be concealed
under a grotesque vizard; even as in the sinful sports of the day,
called maskings and mummeries, where the wise, if he show himself at
all, must be contented to play the apish and fantastic fool."

"I would only pray your wisdom to beware," said Julian, "of one, who,
as he has a vizard for others, may also have one which can disguise his
real features from you yourself."

"This is being over careful, young man," replied Bridgenorth, more
shortly than he had hitherto spoken; "if you would walk by my counsel,
you will attend to your own affairs, which, credit me, deserve all your
care, and leave others to the management of theirs."

This was too plain to be misunderstood; and Peveril was compelled to
take hi