nour of a
matrimonial proposal, she fully concurs with me and her mother in the
negative which I feel necessitated to put upon your obliging offer.

I need not add that all correspondence with my daughter must close here.
I have the honour to be, sir,

Your very obedient servant, WESTBOROUGH.

TO CLARENCE LINDEN, Esq.

Had Clarence's blood been turned to fire, his veins could not have
swelled and burned with a fiercer heat than they did, as he read the
above letter,--a masterpiece, perhaps, in the line of what may be termed
the "d--d civil" of epistolary favours. "Insufferable arrogance!"
he muttered within his teeth. "I will live to repay it. Perfidious,
unfeeling woman: what an escape I have had of her! Now, now, I am on the
world, and alone, thank Heaven. I will accept Aspeden's offer, and leave
this country; when I return, it shall not be as a humble suitor to Lady
Flora Ardenne. Pish! how the name sickens me: but come, I have a father;
at least a nominal one. He is old and weak, and may die before I
return. I will see him once more, and then, hey for Italy! Oh! I am so
happy,--so happy at my freedom and escape. What, ho! waiter! my horse
instantly!"

CHAPTER LIII.

Lucr.--What has thy father done?
Beat.--What have I done? Am I not innocent?--The Cenci.

Tam twilight was darkening slowly over a room of noble dimensions and
costly fashion. Although it was the height of summer, a low fire burned
in the grate; and, stretching his hands over the feeble flame, an old
man of about sixty sat in an armchair curiously carved with armorial
bearings. The dim yet fitful flame cast its upward light upon a
countenance, stern, haughty, and repellent, where the passions of youth
and manhood had dug themselves graves in many an iron line and deep
furrow: the forehead, though high, was narrow and compressed; the brows
sullenly overhung the eyes; and the nose, which was singularly prominent
and decided, age had sharpened, and brought out, as it were, till
it gave a stubborn and very forbidding expression to the more sunken
features over which it rose with exaggerated dignity. Two bottles of
wine, a few dried preserves, and a water glass, richly chased, and
ornamented with gold, showed that the inmate of the apartment had passed
the hour of the principal repast, and his loneliness at a time usually
social seemed to indicate that few olive branches were accustomed to
overshadow his table.

The windows of the dining-