the lovers were
chilled, not that they perceived any malice in the Countess, but their
keen instincts felt an evil fate.

The Countess had but to tell Evan that she had met the insolvent in
apples, and recognized him under his change of fortune, and had no doubt
that at least he would amuse the company. Then she asked her brother
the superfluous question, whether he loved her, which Evan answered
satisfactorily enough, as he thought; but practical ladies require
proofs.

'Quick,' said Evan, seeing Rose vanish, 'what do you want? I'll do
anything.'

'Anything? Ah, but this will be disagreeable to you.'

'Name it at once. I promise beforehand.'

The Countess wanted Evan to ask Andrew to be the very best
brother-in-law in the world, and win, unknown to himself, her cheerful
thanks, by lending Evan to lend to her the sum of one hundred pounds, as
she was in absolute distress for money.

'Really, Louisa, this is a thing you might ask him yourself,' Evan
remonstrated.

'It would not become me to do so, dear,' said the Countess, demurely;
and inasmuch as she had already drawn on Andrew in her own person pretty
largely, her views of propriety were correct in this instance.

Evan had to consent before he could be released. He ran to the end of
the walk through the portal, into the park. Rose was not to be seen. She
had gone in to dress for dinner. The opportunity might recur, but would
his courage come with it? His courage had sunk on a sudden; or it may
have been that it was worst for this young man to ask for a loan of
money, than to tell his beloved that he was basely born, vile, and
unworthy, and had snared her into loving him; for when he and Andrew
were together, money was not alluded to. Andrew, however, betrayed
remarkable discomposure. He said plainly that he wanted to leave Beckley
Court, and wondered why he didn't leave, and whether he was on his head
or his feet, and how he had been such a fool as to come.

'Do you mean that for me?' said sensitive Evan.

'Oh, you! You're a young buck,' returned Andrew, evasively. 'We
common-place business men-we 're out of our element; and there's poor
Carry can't sit down to their dinners without an upset. I thank God I'm
a Radical, Van; one man's the same as another to me, how he's born, as
long as he's honest and agreeable. But a chap like that George Uplift to
look down on anybody! 'Gad, I've a good mind to bring in a Bill for the
Abolition of the Squirearchy.'

U