ough you are not a Hazeldean,
still you are my mother's son; and now that I am about to alter my will,
I can as well scratch in the name of Egerton as that of Leslie. Cheer
up, cheer up: you are younger than I am, and you have no child; so you
will live longer than I shall."

"My dear brother," answered Audley, "believe me, I shall never live to
want your aid. And as to Leslie, add to the L5,000 I mean to give him an
equal sum in your will, and I shall feel that he has received justice."

Observing that the squire, though he listened attentively, made no
ready answer, Audley turned the subject again to Frank; and with the
adroitness of a man of the world, backed by cordial sympathy in his
brother's distress, he pleaded so well Frank's lame cause, urged so
gently the wisdom of patience and delay, and the appeal to filial
feeling rather than recourse to paternal threats, that the squire grew
mollified in spite of himself, and left his brother's house a much less
angry and less doleful man.

Mr. Hazeldean was still in the Square, when he came upon Randal
himself, who was walking with a dark-whiskered, showy gentleman, towards
Egerton's house. Randal and the gentleman exchanged a hasty whisper, and
the former then exclaimed,

"What, Mr. Hazeldean, have you just left your brother's house? Is it
possible?"

"Why, you advised me to go there, and I did. I scarcely knew what I was
about. I am very glad I did go. Hang politics! hang the landed interest!
what do I care for either now?"

"Foiled with Madame di Negra?" asked Randal, drawing the squire aside.

"Never speak of her again!" cried the squire, fiercely. "And as to that
ungrateful boy--but I don't mean to behave harshly to him,--he shall
have money enough to keep her if he likes, keep her from coming to me,
keep him, too, from counting on my death, and borrowing post-obits on
the Casino--for he'll be doing that next--no, I hope I wrong him there;
I have been too good a father for him to count on my death already.
After all," continued the squire, beginning to relax, "as Audley says,
the marriage is not yet made; and if the woman has taken him in, he is
young, and his heart is warm. Make yourself easy, my boy. I don't forget
how kindly you took his part; and before I do anything rash, I'll at
least consult with his poor mother."

Randal gnawed his pale lip, and a momentary cloud of disappointment
passed over his face.

"True, sir," said he, gently; "true, you mus