family, and of course must have been completely satisfied with the
reasons by which these objections are overbalanced, since I have
proceeded so far in the matter."

"Nay, Master, if you had heard me out," said his noble relation, "you
might have spared that observation; for, withotu questioning that you
had reasons which seemed to you to counterbalance every other obstacle,
I set myself, by every means that it became me to use towards the
Ashtons, to persuade them to meet your views."

"I am obliged to your lordship for your unsolicited intercession," said
Ravenswood; "especially as I am sure your lordship would never carry it
beyond the bounds which it became me to use."

"Of that," said the Marquis, "you may be confident; I myself felt the
delicacy of the matter too much to place a gentleman nearly connected
with my house in a degrading or dubious situation with these Ashtons.
But I pointed out all the advantages of their marrying their daughter
into a house so honourable, and so nearly related with the first of
Scotland; I explained the exact degree of relationship in which the
Ravenswoods stand to ourselves; and I even hinted how political matters
were like to turn, and what cards would be trumps next Parliament. I
said I regarded you as a son--or a nephew, or so--rather than as a more
distant relation; and that I made your affair entirely my own."

"And what was the issue of your lordship's explanation?" said
Ravenswood, in some doubt whether he should resent or express gratitude
for his interference.

"Why, the Lord Keeper would have listened to reason," said the Marquis;
"he is rather unwilling to leave his place, which, in the present view
of a change, must be vacated; and, to say truth, he seemed to have
a liking for you, and to be sensible of the general advantages to be
attained by such a match. But his lady, who is tongue of the trump,
Master----"

"What of Lady Ashton, my lord?" said Ravenswood; "let me know the issue
of this extraordinary conference: I can bear it."

"I am glad of that, kinsman," said the Marquis, "for I am ashamed to
tell you half what she said. It is enough--her mind is made up, and the
mistress of a first-rate boarding-school could not have rejected
with more haughty indifference the suit of a half-pay Irish officer,
beseeching permission to wait upon the heiress of a West India planter,
than Lady Ashton spurned every proposal of mediation which it could at
all become me to o