dreamed
only of God the Avenger. His vivid imagination was perverted to raise
out of its own abyss phantoms of colossal terror. He shuddered aghast
at his own creations, and earth and heaven alike seemed black with
the everlasting wrath. These symptoms completely baffled and perplexed
Cleveland. He knew not what remedy to administer--and to his unspeakable
grief and surprise he found that Ernest, in the true spirit of his
strange bigotry, began to regard Cleveland--the amiable, the benevolent
Cleveland--as one no less out of the pale of grace than himself. His
elegant pursuits, his cheerful studies, were considered by the young but
stern enthusiast as the miserable recreations of Mammon and the world.
There seemed every probability that Ernest Maltravers would die in a
madhouse or, at best, succeed to the delusions without the cheerful
intervals of Cowper.

CHAPTER XV.

"Sagacious, bold, and turbulent of wit,
Restless--unfixed in principles and place."--DRYDEN.

"Whoever acquires a very great number of ideas interesting to
the society in which he lives, will be regarded in that society
as a man of abilities."--HELVETIUS.

IT was just when Ernest Maltravers was so bad that he could not be worse
that a young man visited Temple Grove. The name of this young man was
Lumley Ferrers, his age was about twenty-six, his fortune about eight
hundred a year--he followed no profession. Lumley Ferrers had not what
is usually called genius; that is, he had no enthusiasm; and if the word
talent be properly interpreted as meaning the talent of doing something
better than others, Ferrers had not much to boast of on that score. He
had no talent for writing, nor for music, nor painting, nor the ordinary
round of accomplishments; neither at present had he displayed much of
the hard and useful talent for action and business. But Ferrers had what
is often better than either genius or talent; he had a powerful and most
acute mind.

He had, moreover, great animation of manner, high physical spirits,
a witty, odd, racy vein of conversation, determined assurance, and
profound confidence in his own resources. He was fond of schemes,
stratagems, and plots--they amused and excited him--his power of
sarcasm, and of argument, too, was great, and he usually obtained an
astonishing influence over those with whom he was brought in contact.
His high spirits and a most happy frankness of bearing carried off and
disguised his leading vice