he could think of nothing better. But whom was he to send? Bingham
Blake was a man of character, and would not make a fool of himself; but
he was too young; he would not be able to make his way to Fanny. No--a
young unmarried man would not do.--Mat Tierney?--he was afraid of
no one, and always cool and collected; but then, Mat was in London;
besides, he was a sort of friend of Kilcullen's. General Bourke?
No one could refuse an _entrée_ to his venerable grey hairs, and
polished manner; besides, his standing in the world was so good, so
unexceptionable; but then the chances were he would not go on such
an errand; he was too old to be asked to take such a troublesome
service; and besides, if asked, it was very probable he would say
that he considered Lord Cashel entitled to his ward's obedience. The
rector--the Rev. Joseph Armstrong? He must be the man: there was, at
any rate, respectability in his profession; and he had sufficient
worldly tact not easily to be thrust aside from his object: the
difficulty would be, whether he had a coat sufficiently decent to
appear in at Grey Abbey.

After mature consideration he made up his mind that the parson should
be his ambassador. He would sooner have confided in Bingham Blake, but
an unmarried man would not do. No; the parson must be the man. Frank
was, unfortunately, but little disposed to act in any case without
advice, and in his anxiety to consult some one as to consulting the
parson, returned into the house, to make a clear breast of it to his
mother. He found her in the breakfast-room with the two girls, and the
three were holding council deep.

"Oh, here's Frank," said Sophy; "we'd better tell him all about it at
once--and he'll tell us which she'd like best."