to set your mind at ease, to pursue your suit towards
Lady Laura, if you have really any regard for her, and to aspire to
her hand. In a very few months more you shall know all."
Wilton cast down his eyes, and mused.
"This is not a little strange," he said; "but I know I may place
implicit reliance on your lordship's word, and proceed in a matter
where I own my heart is deeply engaged, without the risk of calling
upon myself a charge of gross presumption."
"You may, you may," answered the Earl, eagerly; "and if the Duke
should discover your mutual affection, and make any objection, merely
refer him to me. But now let us hear more of your adventures of
yesterday and last night."
Wilton would have been very well contented to muse for a few minutes
over what the Earl said. Although his experience of the world was not
great, yet he had a sufficient portion of good sense to supply
experience in a high degree. This good sense told him, that a sudden
and extraordinary change in the demeanour of any man, but more
especially in that of a man both subtle and determined, was more or
less to be suspected. He would fain, then, have obtained time to seek
for the real motives and views of the Earl of Byerdale, in the
extraordinary fit of kindness and condescension which had seized upon
him; for he could almost fancy that the Earl was contriving his ruin,
by engaging him in some rash endeavour to obtain the hand of Lady
Laura.
Strong, however, in her love, he resolved to go on, to deal with her
and with her father in all honour, and, supposing even that the Earl
was endeavouring to play him false, to try whether straightforward
and upright honesty, guided by a clear head, a firm heart, and a well
prepared mind, might not win the game against subtilty and worldly
cunning.
The Earl marked him as he mused for a minute, but saying nothing more
upon the subject of his hopes, still pressed him to speak of the
events of the preceding day. It was somewhat difficult for Wilton so
to shape his words as not to mention Lord Sherbrooke, and not to
involve himself in any such distinct account of the Jacobites and
their proceedings as might lead to their arrest, and force him at
some future period to become a witness against them. He succeeded
tolerably well, however. He could not, and indeed he did not, think
it right to conceal, that he was perfectly certain the men he met
with were engaged in the most dark and dangerous designs. But he
stated, at the same time, that such was