my surprise at seeing her--"

"And your delight," added Tomlinson, "at hearing she is as rich as she is
pretty."

"No!" answered Clifford, quickly; "that thought gives me no pleasure.
You stare. I will try and explain. You know, dear Tomlinson, I'm not
much of a canter, and yet my heart shrinks when I look on that innocent
face, and hear that soft happy voice, and think that my love to her can
be only ruin and disgrace; nay, that my very address is contamination,
and my very glance towards her an insult."

"Heyday!" quoth Tomlinson; "have you been under my instructions, and
learned the true value of words, and can you have any scruples left on
so easy a point of conscience? True, you may call your representing
yourself to her as an unprofessional gentleman, and so winning her
affections, deceit; but why call it deceit when a genius for intrigue is
so much neater a phrase? In like manner, by marrying the young lady, if
you say you have ruined her, you justly deserve to be annihilated; but
why not say you have saved yourself, and then, my dear fellow, you will
have done the most justifiable thing in the world."

"Pish, man!" said Clifford, peevishly; "none of thy sophisms and sneers!"

"By the soul of Sir Edward Coke, I am serious! But look you, my friend!
this is not a matter where it is convenient to have a tender-footed
conscience. You see these fellows on the ground, all d---d clever, and
so forth; but you and I are of a different order. I have had a classical
education, seen the world, and mixed in decent society; you, too, had not
been long a member of our club before you distinguished yourself above us