"My dear brother," answered Audley, "believe me, I shall never live to
want your aid. And as to Leslie, add to the L5,000 I mean to give him an
equal sum in your will, and I shall feel that he has received justice."

Observing that the squire, though he listened attentively, made no ready
answer, Audley turned the subject again to Frank; and with the adroitness
of a man of the world, backed by cordial sympathy in his brother's
distress, he pleaded so well Frank's lame cause, urged so gently the
wisdom of patience and delay, and the appeal to filial feeling rather
than recourse to paternal threats, that the squire grew mollified in
spite of himself, and left his brother's house a much less angry and less
doleful man.

Mr. Hazeldean was still in the Square, when he came upon Randal himself,
who was walking with a dark-whiskered, showy gentleman, towards Egerton's
house. Randal and the gentleman exchanged a hasty whisper, and the
former then exclaimed,

"What, Mr. Hazeldean, have you just left your brother's house? Is it
possible?"

"Why, you advised me to go there, and I did. I scarcely knew what I was
about. I am very glad I did go. Hang politics! hang the landed
interest! what do I care for either now?"

"Foiled with Madame di Negra?" asked Randal, drawing the squire aside.

"Never speak of her again!" cried the squire, fiercely. "And as to that
ungrateful boy--but I don't mean to behave harshly to him,--he shall have
money enough to keep her if he likes, keep her from coming to me, keep