BOOK XII.


CHAPTER I.

THE MAN OF THE WORLD SHOWS MORE INDIFFERENCE TO THE THINGS AND
DOCTRINES OF THE WORLD THAN MIGHT BE SUPPOSED.--BUT HE VINDICATES
HIS CHARACTER, WHICH MIGHT OTHERWISE BE JEOPARDISED, BY THE
ADROITNESS WITH WHICH, HAVING RESOLVED TO ROAST CHESTNUTS IN THE
ASHES OF ANOTHER MAN'S HEARTH, HE HANDLES THEM WHEN HOTTEST BY THE
PROXY OF A--CAT'S PAW.

In the letter which George told Waife he had received from his uncle,
George had an excuse for the delicate and arduous mission he undertook,
which he did not confide to the old man, lest it should convey more hopes
than its nature justified. In this letter, Alban related, with a degree
of feeling that he rarely manifested, his farewell conversation with
Lionel, who had just departed to join his new regiment. The poor young
man had buoyed himself up with delighted expectations of the result of
Sophy's prolonged residence under Darrell's roof; he had persuaded his
reason that when Darrell had been thus enabled to see and judge of her
for himself, he would be irresistibly attracted towards her; that
Innocence, like Truth, would be mighty and prevail; Darrell was engaged
in the attempt to clear William Losely's name and blood from the taint of
felony;--Alban was commissioned to negotiate with Jasper Losely on any
terms that would remove all chance of future disgrace from that quarter.
Oh yes! to poor Lionel's eyes obstacles vanished--the future became
clear. And thus, when, after telling him of his final interview with the
Minister, Darrell said, "I trust that, in bringing to William Losely this
intelligence, I shall at least soften his disappointment, when I make it