intention which the visit implied seemed to rouse the repose of the old
man and to break the ice at its surface; for he followed Trevanion to
the door, took both his hands, pressed them, then turned away, and
resumed his seat. Trevanion beckoned to me, and I followed him
downstairs and into a little parlor which was unoccupied.

"After some remarks upon Roland, full of deep and considerate feeling,
and one quick, hurried reference to the son,--to the effect that his
guilty attempt would never be known by the world,--Trevanion then
addressed himself to me with a warmth and urgency that took me by
surprise. 'After what has passed,' he exclaimed, 'I cannot suffer you
to leave England thus. Let me not feel with you, as with your uncle,
that there is nothing by which I can repay--No, I will not so put it,--
stay, and serve your country at home; it is my prayer, it is Ellinor's.
Out of all at my disposal it will go hard but what I shall find
something to suit you.' And then, hurrying on, Trevanion spoke
flatteringly of my pretensions, in right of birth and capabilities, to
honorable employment, and placed before me a picture of public life, its
prizes and distinctions, which for the moment, at least, made my heart
beat loud and my breath come quick. But still, even then I felt (was it
an unreasonable pride?) that there was something that jarred, something
that humbled, in the thought of holding all my fortunes as a dependency
on the father of the woman I loved, but might not aspire to; something
even of personal degradation in the mere feeling that I was thus to be
repaid for a service, and recompensed for a loss. But these were not
reasons I could advance; and, indeed, so for the time did Trevanion's
generosity and eloquence overpower me that I could only falter out my
thanks and my promise that I would consider and let him know.

"With that promise he was forced to content himself; he told me to direct