ter of the artiste. In the former supposition, as I
have said over and over again, a marriage between Lionel and Sophy
is precisely that which Darrell should desire; in the latter case, of
course, if Lionel were the head of the House of Vipont, the idea of such
an union would be inadmissible. But Lionel, _entre nous_, is the son of
a ruined spendthrift by a linen-draper's daughter. And Darrell has but
to give the handsome young couple five or six thousand a year, and I
know the world well enough to know that the world will trouble itself
very little about their pedigrees. And really Lionel should be left
wholly free to choose whether he prefer a girl whom he loves with his
whole heart, five or six thousand a year, happiness, and the chance of
honours in a glorious profession to which he will then look with
glad spirits--or a life-long misery, with the right, after Darrell's
death--that I hope will not be these thirty years--to bear the name of
Darrell instead of Haughton; which, if I were the last of the Haughtons,
and had any family pride--as, thank Heaven I have not--would be a
painful exchange to me; and dearly bought by the addition of some
additional thousands a year, when I had grown perhaps as little disposed
to spend them as Guy Darrell himself is. But, after all, there is one
I compassionate even more than young Haughton. My morning rides of late
have been much in the direction of Twickenham, visiting our fair cousin
Lady Montfort. I went first to lecture her for letting these young
people see so much of each other. But my anger melted into admiration
and sympathy when I found with what tender, exquisite, matchless
friendship she had been all the while scheming for Darrell's happiness;
and with what remorse she now contemplated the sorrow which a friendship
so grateful, and a belief so natural, had innocently occasioned. That
remorse is wearing her to death. Dr. F------, who attended poor dear
Willy, is also attending her; and he told me privately that his
skill was in vain--that her case baffled him; and he had very serious
apprehensions. Darrell owes some consideration to such a friend. And to
think that here are lives permanently embittered, if not risked, by the
ruthless obstinacy of the best-hearted man I ever met! Now, though I
have already intimated my opinions to Darrell with a candour due to the
oldest and dearest of my friends, yet I have never, of course, in the
letters I have written to him or the tal