the
surest way to get the niece."

"But, man, he quarrelled with me."

"It takes two people to quarrel. If he quarrelled with you, do you be
the less willing to come to loggerheads with him."

"Wouldn't it be the best plan, Dot, to carry her off?"

"She wouldn't go, my boy: rope ladders and post-chaises are out of
fashion."

"But if she's really fond of me--and, upon my honour, I don't believe
I'm flattering myself in thinking that she is--why the deuce shouldn't
she marry me, _malgre_ [27] Lord Cashel? She must be her own mistress
in a week or two. By heavens, I cannot stomach that fellow's arrogant
assumption of superiority."

[FOOTNOTE 27: malgre--(French) in spite of; notwithstanding]

"It will be much more convenient for her to marry you _bon gre_ [28]
Lord Cashel, whom you may pitch to the devil, in any way you like best,
as soon as you have Fanny Wyndham at Kelly's Court. But, till that
happy time, take my advice, and submit to the cawing. Rooks and ravens
are respectable birds, just because they do look so wise. It's a great
thing to look wise; the doing so does an acknowledged fool, like Lord
Cashel, very great credit."

[FOOTNOTE 28: bon gre--(French) with the consent of]

"But what ought I to do? I can't go to the man's house when he told me
expressly not to do so."

"Oh, yes, you can: not immediately, but by and by--in a month or six
weeks. I'll tell you what I should do, in your place; and remember,
Frank, I'm quite in earnest now, for it's a very different thing
playing a game for twenty thousand pounds, which, to you, joined to a
wife, would have been a positive irreparable loss, and starting for
five or six times that sum, which would give you an income on which you
might manage to live."

"Well, thou sapient counsellor--but, I tell you beforehand, the chances
are ten to one I sha'n't follow your plan."

"Do as you like about that: you sha'n't, at any rate, have me to blame.
I would in the first place, assure myself that Fanny inherited her
brother's money."

"There's no doubt about that. Lord Cashel said as much."

"Make sure of it however. A lawyer'll do that for you, with very little
trouble. Then, take your name off the turf at once; it's worth your
while to do it now. You may either do it by a _bona fide_ sale of the
horses, or by running them in some other person's name. Then, watch
your opportunity, call at Grey Abbey, when the earl is not at home, and
manage to see s