he could give five minutes to the sport of
the day, and the next half hour to county politics, or to farming;
but it is scarce necessary to tell you, Harry, that this half
fellowship will not pass on the better side of the Tweed.

"Yet, for all I have told you, this trout was not easily tickled;
nor should I have made much of him, had he not, in the plenitude of
his northern conceit, entertained that notion of my being a good
subject of plunder, which you had contrived (blessings on your
contriving brain!) to insinuate into him by means of Wolverine. He
commenced this hopeful experiment, and, as you must have
anticipated, caught a Tartar with a vengeance. Of course, I used my
victory only so far as to secure his interest in accomplishing my
principal object; and yet, I could see my gentleman's pride was so
much injured in the course of the negotiation, that not all the
advantages which the match offered to his damned family, were able
entirely to subdue the chagrin arising from his defeat. He did gulp
it down, though, and we are friends and allies, for the present at
least--not so cordially so, however, as to induce me to trust him
with the whole of the strangely complicated tale. The circumstance
of the will it was necessary to communicate, as affording a
sufficiently strong reason for urging my suit; and this partial
disclosure enabled me for the present to dispense with farther
confidence.

"You will observe, that I stand by no means secure; and besides the
chance of my cousin's reappearance--a certain event, unless he is
worse than I dare hope for--I have perhaps to expect the fantastic
repugnance of Clara herself, or some sulky freak on her brother's
part.--In a word--and let it be such a one as conjurers raise the
devil with--Harry Jekyl, I _want_ you.

"As well knowing the nature of my friend, I can assure you that his
own interest, as well as mine, may be advanced by his coming hither
on duty. Here is a blockhead, whom I already mentioned, Sir Bingo
Binks, with whom something may be done worth _your_ while, though
scarce worth _mine_. The Baronet is a perfect buzzard, and when I
came here he was under Mowbray's training. But the awkward Scot had
plucked half-a-dozen penfeathers from his wing with so little
precaution, that the Baronet has become frightened and shy, and