your nation. And, if her
fortune is sufficient I think Miss would be the person who would be most
suitable. I wish to ascertain what her means are before I lead her to
Gretna Grin."

Whether Alcides was as irresistible a conqueror as his namesake, or
whether he was simply crazy, is a point which must be left to the
reader's judgment. But the latter if he had had the benefit of much
French acquaintance, has perhaps met with men amongst them who fancied
themselves almost as invincible; and who, if you credit them, have made
equal havoc in the hearts of les Anglaises.

CHAPTER XXV. Contains both Love and Jealousy

Our readers have already heard Sir Francis Clavering's candid opinion
of the lady who had given him her fortune and restored him to his native
country and home, and it must be owned that the Baronet was not far
wrong in his estimate of his wife, and that Lady Clavering was not the
wisest or the best educated of women. She had had a couple of years'
education in Europe, in a suburb of London, which she persisted in
calling Ackney to her dying day, whence she had been summoned to join
her father at Calcutta at the age of fifteen. And it was on her voyage
thither, on board the Ramchunder East Indiaman, Captain Bragg, in which
ship she had two years previously made her journey to Europe, that she
formed the acquaintance of her first husband, Mr. Amory, who was third
mate of the vessel in question.

We are not going to enter into the early part of Lady Clavering's
history, but Captain Bragg, under whose charge Miss Snell went out to
her father, who was one of the Captain's consignees, and part owner
of the Ramchunder and many other vessels, found reason to put the
rebellious rascal of a mate in irons, until they reached the Cape, where
the Captain left his officer behind; and finally delivered his ward to
her father at Calcutta, after a stormy and perilous voyage in which the
Ramchunder and the cargo and passengers incurred no small danger and
damage.

Some months afterwards Amory made his appearance at Calcutta, having
worked his way out before the mast from the Cape--married the rich
Attorney's daughter in spite of that old speculator--set up as
indigo-planter and failed--set up as agent and failed again--set up as
editor of the Sunderbund Pilot and failed again--quarrelling ceaselessly
with his father-in-law and his wife during the progress of all these
mercantile transactions and disasters, and endin