u are occasioning us. The truth is, that although
wherever we went the son of my revered and right honourable friend would
have always commanded hospitality from us, there are many changes about
to take place in our family which have made us for some time contemplate
leaving Warwick Street. Affairs, especially of late, have gone pretty
well with me in the world,--at least not badly; I have had friends, and
I hope have proved not undeserving of them. I wish Sylvia, too, to
live in an airier situation, near the park, so that she may ride every
morning. Besides, I have a piece of news to communicate to you, which
would materially affect our arrangements. We are going to lose Imogene."

"Ah! she is going to be married," said Endymion, blushing.

"She is going to be married," said Mr. Rodney gravely.

"To Mr. Waldershare?" said Endymion. "He almost said as much to me in a
letter this morning. But I always thought so."

"No; not to Mr. Waldershare," said Mr. Rodney.

"Who is the happy man then?" said Endymion, agitated. "I truly call him
so; for I think myself that Imogene is perfection."

"Imogene is about to be married to the Earl of Beaumaris."

CHAPTER LII

Simon, Earl of Montfort, with whom Endymion was so unexpectedly going
to dine, may be said to have been a minor in his cradle. Under
ordinary circumstances, his inheritance would have been one of the most
considerable in England. His castle in the north was one of the glories
of the land, and becomingly crowned his vast domain. Under the old
parliamentary system, he had the greatest number of nomination boroughs
possessed by any Whig noble. The character and conduct of an individual
so qualified were naturally much speculated on and finely scanned.
Nothing very decided transpired about them in his boyhood, but certainly
nothing adverse. He was good-looking and athletic, and was said to
be generous and good-natured, and when he went to Harrow, he became
popular. In his eighteenth year, while he was in correspondence with
his guardians about going to Christ Church, he suddenly left his country
without giving any one notice of his intentions, and entered into, and
fulfilled, a vast scheme of adventurous travel. He visited countries
then rarely reached, and some of which were almost unknown. His flag
had floated in the Indian Ocean, and he had penetrated the dazzling
mysteries of Brazilian forests. When he was of age, he returned, and
communicated with his guar