ner intended by his father, but
it had anything but the effect of quieting the creditors. The payments
were sufficiently large to make the whole hungry crew hear that his
lordship was paying his debts, but not at all sufficient to satisfy
their craving. Indeed, nearly the whole went in liquidation of turf
engagements, and gambling debts. The Jews, money-lenders, and tradesmen
merely heard that money was going from Lord Kilcullen's pocket; but
with all their exertions they got very little of it themselves.

Consequently, claims of all kinds--bills, duns, remonstrances and
threats, poured in not only upon the son but also upon the father. The
latter, it is true, was not in his own person liable for one penny of
them, nor could he well, on his own score, be said to be an embarrassed
man; but he was not the less uneasy. He had determined if possible to
extricate his son once more, and as a preliminary step had himself
already raised a large sum of money which it would much trouble him to
pay; and he moreover, as he frequently said to Lord Kilcullen, would
not and could not pay another penny for the same purpose, until he saw
a tolerably sure prospect of being repaid out of his ward's fortune.

He was therefore painfully anxious on the subject; anxious not only
that the matter should be arranged, but that it should be done at once.
It was plain that Lord Kilcullen could not remain in London, for he
would be arrested; the same thing would happen at Grey Abbey, if he
were to remain there long without settling his affairs; and if he were
once to escape his creditors by going abroad, there would be no such
thing as getting him back again. Lord Cashel saw no good reason why
there should be any delay; Harry Wyndham was dead above a month, and
Fanny was evidently grieving more for the loss of her lover than that
of her brother; she naturally felt alone in the world--and, as Lord
Cashel thought, one young viscount would be just as good as another.
The advantages, too, were much in favour of his son; he would one day
be an earl, and possess Grey Abbey. So great an accession of grandeur,
dignity, and rank could not but be, as the earl considered, very
delightful to a sensible girl like his ward. The marriage, of course,
needn't be much hurried; four or five months' time would do for that;
he was only anxious that they should be engaged--that Lord Kilcullen
should be absolutely accepted--Lord Ballindine finally rejected.

The earl ce