I looked into the beautiful face of the speaker as she concluded;
perhaps, at that solitary moment, my heart was unfaithful to Ellen; but
the infidelity passed away like the breath from the mirror. Coxcomb as I
was, I knew well how passionless was the interest expressed for me.
Libertine as I had been, I knew, also, how pure may be the friendship of
a woman, provided she loves another.

I thanked Lady Roseville, warmly, for her opinion, "Perhaps," I added,
"dared I solicit your advice, you would not find me wholly undeserving of
your esteem."

"My advice," answered Lady Roseville, "would be, indeed, worse than
useless, were it not regulated by a certain knowledge which, perhaps, you
do not possess. You seem surprised. Eh bien; listen to me--are you not in
no small degree lie with Lord Dawton?--do you not expect something from
him worthy of your rank and merit?"

"You do, indeed, surprise me," said I. "However close my connection with
Lord Dawton may be, I thought it much more secret than it appears to be.
However, I own that I have a right to expect from Lord Dawton, not,
perhaps, a recompense of service, but, at least, a fulfilment of
promises. In this expectation I begin to believe I shall be deceived."

"You will!" answered Lady Roseville. "Bend your head lower--the walls
have ears. You have a friend, an unwearied and earnest friend, with those
now in power; directly he heard that Mr. V--was promised the borough,
which he knew had been long engaged to you, he went straight to Lord
Dawton. He found him with Lord Clandonald; however, he opened the matter
immediately. He spoke with great warmth of your claims--he did more--he
incorporated them with his own, which are of no mean order, and asked no