d easy, he was not, during
the operation, to be subjected to any of his father's book-room
conversations: for this he stipulated as an absolute _sine qua non_
in the negotiation, and the clause was at last agreed to, though not
without much difficulty.

Both father and son seemed to think that the offer should be made at
once. Lord Cashel really feared that his son would be arrested at Grey
Abbey, and he was determined to pay nothing further for him, unless
he felt secure of Fanny's fortune; and whatever were Lord Kilcullen's
hopes and fears as to his future lot, he was determined not to remain
long in suspense, as far as his projected marriage was concerned. He
was determined to do his best to accomplish it, for he would have done
anything to get the command of ready money; if he was not successful,
at any rate he need not remain in the purgatory of Grey Abbey. The
Queen's Bench would be preferable to that. He was not, however, very
doubtful; he felt but little confidence in the constancy of any woman's
affection, and a great deal in his own powers of fascination: he had
always been successful in his appeals to ladies' hearts, and did not
doubt of being so now, when the object of his adoration must, as he
thought, be so dreadfully in want of some excitement, something to
interest her. Any fool might have her now, thought he, and she can't
have any violent objection to being Lady Kilcullen for the present, and
Lady Cashel in due time. He felt, however, something like remorse at
the arrangement to which he was a party; it was not that he was about
to make a beautiful creature, his own cousin, miserable for life, by
uniting her to a spendthrift, a _roue_, and a gambler--such was the
natural lot of women in the higher ranks of life--but he felt that
he was robbing her of her money. He would have thought it to be no
disgrace to carry her off had another person been her guardian. She
would then have had fair play, and it would be the guardian's fault if
her fortune were not secure. But she had no friend now to protect her:
it was her guardian himself who was betraying her to ruin.

However, the money must be had, and Lord Kilcullen was not long in
quieting his conscience.

"Tierney," said Kilcullen, meeting his friend after his escape from the
book-room; "you are not troubled with a father now, I believe;--do you
recollect whether you ever had one?"

"Well, I can't say I remember just at present," said Mat; "but I
belie