young man, so winning as Lionel, would naturally produce on the fancy or
the feelings of a girl, who as yet, too, has seen no others; but
impressions in youth are characters in the sand. Grave them ever so
deeply, the tide rolls over them; and when the ebb shows the surface
again, the characters are gone, for the sands are shifted. Courage!
Lady Montfort will present to her others with forms as fair as Lionel's,
and as elegantly dressed. With so much in her own favour, there are
young patricians enough who will care not a rush what her birth;--young
lords--Lady Montfort knows well how fascinating young lords can be!
Courage! before a year is out, you will find new characters written on
the sand."

"You don't know Sophy, sir," said Waife, simply; "and I see you are
resolved not to know her. But you say Arabella Crane is to inquire; and
should the inquiry prove that she is no child of Gabrielle Desmarets--
that she is either your own grandchild or not mine--that--"

"Let me interrupt you. If there be a thing in the world that is cruel
and treacherous, it is a false hope! Crush out of every longing thought
the belief that this poor girl can prove to be one whom, with my consent,
my kinsman can woo to be his wife. Lionel Haughton is the sole kinsman
left to whom I can bequeath this roof-tree--these acres hallowed to me
because associated with my earliest lessons in honour and with the dreams
which directed my life. He must take with the heritage the name it
represents. In his children, that name of Darrell can alone live still
in the land. I say to you, that even were my daughter now in existence,
she would not succeed me--she would not inherit nor transmit that name.
Why?--not because I am incapable of a Christian's forgiveness, but
because I am not capable of a gentleman's treason to his ancestors and
himself;--because Matilda Darrell was false and perfidious; because she