e of obtaining her hand."

"I never till now conceived such a hope. My dear Randal, all my cares
have vanished--I tread upon air--I have a great mind to call on her at
once."

"Stay, stay," said Randal. "Let me give you a caution. I have just
informed you that Madame di Negra will have, what you suspected not
before, a fortune suitable to her birth; any abrupt change in your
manner at present might induce her to believe that you were influenced
by that intelligence."

"Ah!" exclaimed Frank, stopping short, as if wounded to the quick. "And
I feel guilty--feel as if I _was_ influenced by that intelligence. So I
am, too, when I reflect," he continued, with a _naivete_ that was half
pathetic; "but I hope she will not be so _very_ rich--if so, I'll not
call."

"Make your mind easy, it is but a portion of some twenty or thirty
thousand pounds, that would just suffice to discharge all your debts,
clear away all obstacle to your union, and in return for which you could
secure a more than adequate jointure and settlement on the Casino
property. Now I am on that head, I will be yet more communicative.
Madame di Negra has a noble heart, as you say, and told me herself, that
until her brother on his arrival had assured her of this dowry, she
would never have consented to marry you--never crippled with her own
embarrassments the man she loves. Ah! with what delight she will hail
the thought of assisting you to win back your father's heart! But be
guarded, meanwhile. And now, Frank, what say you--would it not be well
if I run down to Hazeldean to sound your parents? It is rather
inconvenient to me to be sure, to leave town just at present; but I
would do more than that to render you a smaller service. Yes, I'll go to
Rood Hall to-morrow, and thence to Hazeldean. I am sure your father will
press me to stay, and I shall have ample opportunities to judge of the
manner in which he would be likely to regard your marriage with Madame
di Negra--supposing always it were properly put to him. We can then act
accordingly."

"My dear, dear Randal. How can I thank you? If ever a poor fellow like
me can serve you in return--but that's impossible."

"Why, certainly, I will never ask you to be security to a bill of mine,"
said Randal, laughing. "I practise the economy I preach."

"Ah!" said Frank with a groan, "that is because your mind is
cultivated--you have so many resources; and all my faults have come from
idleness. If I had any thing