ered his protection
indispensable to her comfortable existence--"I will not," he said,
"pillage her, come on't what will. I will rather go a volunteer to the
continent, and die like a gentleman."

He continued to pace the room in a moody silence, which began to disturb
his companion, who had not been hitherto accustomed to see his patron
take matters so deeply. At length he made an attempt to attract the
attention of the silent and sullen ponderer.

"Mr. Mowbray"--no answer--"I was saying, St. Ronan's"--still no reply.
"I have been thinking about this matter--and"----

"And _what_, sir?" said St. Ronan's, stopping short, and speaking in a
stern tone of voice.

"And, to speak truth, I see little feasibility in the matter ony way;
for if ye had the siller in your pocket to-day, it would be a' in the
Earl of Etherington's the morn."

"Pshaw! you are a fool," answered Mowbray.

"That is not unlikely," said Meiklewham; "but so is Sir Bingo Binks, and
yet he's had the better of you, St. Ronan's, this twa or three times."

"It is false!--he has not," answered St. Ronan's, fiercely.

"Weel I wot," resumed Meiklewham, "he took you in about the saumon fish,
and some other wager ye lost to him this very day."

"I tell you once more, Meiklewham, you are a fool, and no more up to my
trim than you are to the longitude.--Bingo is got shy--I must give him
a little line, that is all--then I shall strike him to purpose--I am as
sure of him as I am of the other--I know the fly they will both rise
to--this cursed want of five hundred will do me out of ten thousand!"

"If you are so certain of being the bangster--so very certain, I mean,
of sweeping stakes,--what harm will Miss Clara come to by your having
the use of her siller? You can make it up to her for the risk ten times
told."

"And so I can, by Heaven!" said St. Ronan's. "Mick, you are right, and I
am a scrupulous, chicken-hearted fool. Clara shall have a thousand for
her poor five hundred--she shall, by ----. And I will carry her to
Edinburgh for a season, or perhaps to London, and we will have the best
advice for her case, and the best company to divert her. And if they
think her a little odd--why, d---- me, I am her brother, and will bear
her through it. Yes--yes--you're right; there can be no hurt in
borrowing five hundred of her for a few days, when such profit may be
made on't, both for her and me.--Here, fill the glasses, my old boy, and
drink success to it, for