ends, Evellin fretted at his situation, and yielding his mind to
irritability, became incapable of cool discrimination or vigorous
action. He had borne a long banishment with melancholy patience,
disdaining to complain, and affecting resignation, but he was then an
unconnected man, and his fate was of small importance. A gleam of hope,
improved by his sanguine temper into confident expectation, had
encouraged him to unite himself to a most amiable woman, in whose breast
he had excited an expectation of the most exalted fortunes. He had given
an implicit promise, that he would add to Dr. Beaumont's power of doing
good; and after this, must he still continue a nameless exile, poorly
content to barter reputation for life!

Subsequent dispatches from De Vallance heightened his distress. In a
moment of extreme irritation, when, by long pondering on his own and the
nation's wrongs, passion gained the ascendancy of judgement, Evellin in
a confidential letter to Walter had anticipated with hope and exultation
the fate that afterwards befell the Duke of Buckingham. A sermon of Dr.
Beaumont's afterwards convinced him of the guiltiness of an expression,
which, though proceeding from a sudden unweighed suggestion rather than
a deliberate purpose, yet, certainly, as our church has well determined,
proves "the infection of our nature, and has in it the nature of sin."
Convinced that positive evil may not be committed to procure
problematical good, and that no uninspired person should presume to
think himself God's champion, unless placed in that station which
visibly arms him with his authority, Evellin had often lamented this
rash letter, as one of his secret faults. He now severely felt it also,
as an imprudence, in having given vent to his angry feelings, even in a
confidential communication. De Vallance informed him that, through a
fatal mistake of his secretary, this very letter had been laid with some
other papers, tending to prove him innocent of the death of Saville, and
was thus put along with them into the King's hands by the Queen, who had
graciously undertaken to plead for the brother of her favourite Lady
Eleanor. No expiatory apology could be urged to weaken the effect of
sentiments attested by his own writing, and they were obliged to yield
him to the storm, as the King now declared that mercy would be
compromising blood. Walter was in despair. Lady Eleanor still determined
to watch for a favourable moment; they both co