certain, that the very unusual flow of kindly feeling with which the
Lord Keeper had been thus surprised, was one of the circumstances which
gave much tacit encouragement to the attachment between the Master and
his daughter, and led both the lovers distinctly to believe that it
was a connexion which would be most agreeable to him. He himself
was supposed to have admitted this in effect, when, long after
the catastrophe of their love, he used to warn his hearers against
permitting their feelings to obtain an ascendency over their judgment,
and affirm, that the greatest misfortune of his life was owing to a
very temporary predominance of sensibility over self-interest. It must
be owned, if such was the case, he was long and severely punished for an
offence of very brief duration.

After some pause, the Lord Keeper resumed the conversation.--

"In your surprise at finding me an honester man than you expected, you
have lost your curiosity about this Craigengelt, my good Master; and yet
your name was brought in, in the course of that matter too."

"The scoundrel!" said Ravenswood. "My connexion with him was of the
most temporary nature possible; and yet I was very foolish to hold any
communication with him at all. What did he say of me?"

"Enough," said the Keeper, "to excite the very loyal terrors of some
of our sages, who are for proceeding against men on the mere grounds of
suspicion or mercenary information. Some nonsense about your proposing
to enter into the service of France, or of the Pretender, I don't
recollect which, but which the Marquis of A----, one of your best
friends, and another person, whom some call one of your worst and most
interested enemies, could not, somehow, be brought to listen to."

"I am obliged to my honourable friend; and yet," shaking the Lord
Keeper's hand--"and yet I am still more obliged to my honourable enemy."

"Inimicus amicissimus," said the Lord Keeper, returning the pressure;
"but this gentleman--this Mr. Hayston of Bucklaw--I am afraid the
poor young man--I heard the fellow mention his name--is under very bad
guidance."

"He is old enough to govern himself," answered the Master.

"Old enough, perhaps, but scarce wise enough, if he has chosen this
fellow for his fidus Achates. Why, he lodged an information against
him--that is, such a consequence might have ensued from his examination,
had we not looked rather at the character of the witness than the tenor
of his evidence.