as of
him to involve himself in Lord Culduflf's difficulties at such a crisis;
had he not troubles enough of his own? Would that essenced and enamelled
old dandy have stained his boots to have served _him?_ That was a very
unpleasant query, which would cross his mind, and never obtain anything
like a satisfactory reply. Would not his calculation probably be that
Bramleigh was amply recompensed for all he could do by the honor of
being deemed the friend of a noble lord, so highly placed, and so much
thought of in the world?

As for Lady Augusta's extravagance, it was simply insufferable. He had
been most liberal to her because he would not permit that whatever might
be the nature of the differences that separated them, money in any shape
should enter. There must be nothing sordid or mean in the tone of any
discussion between them. She might prefer Italy to Ireland; sunshine to
rain, a society of idle, leisure-loving, indolent, soft-voiced men, to
association with sterner, severer, and more energetic natures. She might
affect to think climate all essential to her, and the society of her
sister a positive necessity. All these he might submit to, but he
was neither prepared to be ruined by her wastefulness, nor maintain a
controversy as to the sum she should spend.

"If we come to figures, it must be a fight," muttered he, "and an
ignoble fight too; and it is to that we are now approaching."

"I think I can guess what is before me here," said he, with a grim
smile, as he tore open the letter and prepared to read it. Now, though
on this occasion his guess was not exactly correct, nor did the epistle
contain the graceful little nothings by which her ladyship was wont
to chronicle her daily life, we forbear to give it _in extenso_ to our
readers; first of all, because it opened with a very long and intricate.
explanation of motives which was no explanation at all, and then
proceeded by an equally prolix narrative to announce a determination
which was only to be final on approval. In two words, Lady Augusta was
desirous of changing her religion; but before becoming a Catholic, she
wished to know if Colonel Bramleigh would make a full and irrevocable
settlement on her of her present allowance, giving her entire power over
its ultimate disposal, for she hinted that the sum might be
capitalized; the recompense for such splendid generosity being the noble
consciousness of a very grand action, and his own liberty. To the latter
s