that
impediment of a previous engagement? Being very ignorant of the world
at large, and altogether ignorant of this man in particular, he did
not doubt that the tailor might be bought off. Then he was sure that
all who would have access to Lady Anna would help him in such a
cause, and that her own mother would be the most forward to do so.
The girl would hardly hold to such a purpose if all the world,--all
her own world, were against her. She certainly would be beaten from
it if a bribe sufficient were offered to the tailor. That this must
be done for the sake of the Lovel family, so that Lady Anna Lovel
might not be known to have married a tailor, was beyond a doubt;
but it was not so clear to him that he could take to himself as his
Countess her who with her own lips had told him that she intended
to be the bride of a working artisan. As he thought of this, as his
imagination went to work on all the abominable circumstances of such
a betrothal, he threw from his hand into the stream with all the
vehemence of passion a little twig which he held. It was too, too
frightful, too disgusting; and then so absolutely unexpected, so
unlike her personal demeanour, so contrary to the look of her eyes,
to the tone of her voice, to every motion of her body! She had been
sweet, and gentle, and gracious, till he had almost come to think
that her natural feminine gifts of ladyship were more even than
her wealth, of better savour than her rank, were equal even to her
beauty, which he had sworn to himself during the past night to be
unsurpassed. And this sweet one had told him,--this one so soft and
gracious,--not that she was doomed by some hard fate to undergo the
degrading thraldom, but that she herself had willingly given herself
to a working tailor from love, and gratitude, and free selection! It
was a marvel to him that a thing so delicate should have so little
sense of her own delicacy! He did not think that he could condescend
to take the tailor's place.

But if not,--if he would not take it, or if, as might still be
possible, the tailor's place could not be made vacant for him,--what
then? He had pledged his belief in the justice of his cousin's
claim; and had told her that, believing his own claim to be
unjust, in no case would he prosecute it. Was he now bound by that
assurance,--bound to it even to the making of the tailor's fortune;
or might he absent himself from any further action in the matter,
leaving it entirely i