of devil and angel mixed! Who is she, I wonder, and what was her
errand. Something is under it. She gave her name as 'Mrs. Darke,'--and
her horse made me break the tenth commandment, Surry! Lady and courser
are splendid."

"She is certainly a beauty."

"And what eyes!"

"Dangerous."

Stuart remained silent for some moments, and then I heard him sigh.

"Do you know, my dear Surry," he said, "that if people heard us talk in
this way, they would call us libertines--immoral--any thing? There are
two things that people will not disbelieve about me--that I am impure,
and a drunkard! Do you know what a good man was heard to say of me the
other day? 'Stuart would be one of the greatest soldiers in the army,
if he did not drink so hard!'[1] And others add: 'if he were not a
libertine.' Well, need I defend myself to _you_, from these charges? I
promised my mother in my childhood, never to touch ardent spirits, and
a drop has never passed my lips, except the wine of the communion.[2] I
know I need not tell you that I am equally guiltless of the other
imputation. That person does not live who can say that I ever did any
thing improper of that description. And yet I am a drunkard--a
libertine--I, who never touched drink, and love but one person in this
world!"

[Footnote 1: This was actually said of Stuart.]