ife, my life's mild companion;
let it be soon--soon--for I need you. I need all the strength of that
holy tie. Helen, let me press you to fix the time."

"I owe you too much," answered Helen, looking down, "to have any will
but yours. But your mother," she added, perhaps clinging to the idea of
some reprieve,--"your mother has not yet--"

"My mother--true. I will speak first to her. You shall receive from my
family all honour due to your gentle virtues. Helen, by the way, have
you mentioned to Violante the bond between us?"

"No; that is, I fear I may have unguardedly betrayed it, against Lady
Lansmere's commands too--but--but--"

"So, Lady Lansmere forbade you to name it to Violante? This should not
be. I will answer for her permission to revoke that interdict. It is due
to Violante and to you. Tell your young friend all. Ah, Helen, if I am
at times cold or wayward, bear with me--bear with me; for you love me,
do you not?"

CHAPTER X.

That same evening Randal heard from Levy (at whose house he stayed late)
of that self-introduction to Violante which (thanks to his skeleton
key) Peschiera had contrived to effect; and the count seemed more than
sanguine,--he seemed assured as to the full and speedy success of his
matrimonial enterprise. "Therefore," said Levy, "I trust I may very soon
congratulate you on the acquisition of your family estates."

"Strange!" answered Randal, "strange that my fortunes seem so bound up
with the fate of a foreigner like Beatrice di Negra and her connection
with Frank Hazeldean." He looked up at the clock as he spoke, and added,

"Frank by this time has told his father of his engagement."

"And you feel sure that the squire cannot be coaxed into consent?"

"No; but I feel sure that the squire will be so choleric at the first
intelligence, that Frank will not have the self-control necessary for
coaxing; and, perhaps, before the squire can relent upon this point,
he may, by some accident, learn his grievances on another, which would
exasperate him still more."

"Ay, I understand,--the post-obit?" Randal nodded.

"And what then?" asked Levy.

"The next of kin to the lands of Hazeldean may have his day."

The baron smiled.

"You have good prospects in that direction, Leslie; look now to another.
I spoke to you of the borough of Lansmere. Your patron, Audley Egerton,
intends to stand for it."

Randal's heart had of late been so set upon other and more avaricious
schemes,