id not
mean altogether so kindly by the Duke as he professed to do, and he
was not sorry the latter nobleman, now that he could do so without
giving the slightest handle to suspicion, should follow the advice of
Lord Aylesbury.
By this time Wilton had become really attached to the Duke; the
kindness that nobleman had shown to him; the confidence he had placed
in him; the leaning to his opinions which he had always displayed,
would naturally have excited kindly and affectionate feelings in such
a heart as Wilton's, even had the Duke not been the father of her he
loved best on earth. But in the relative situation in which they now
stood, he had gradually grown more and more attached to the old
nobleman, and perhaps even the very weaknesses of his character made
Wilton feel more like a son towards him.
To insure, therefore, his absence from scenes of political strife, to
guard against his meddling with transactions which he was unfitted to
guide, was a great satisfaction to Wilton, and a compensation for the
loss of Laura's daily society. Another compensation, also, was found
in a general invitation to come down whenever it was possible to
Somersbury Court, and a pressing request, that at all events he would
spend the Sunday of every week at that place. In regard to all his
affairs in London, and more especially to everything that concerned
Sir John Fenwick and the conspiracy, the Duke trusted implicitly to
Wilton; and the constant correspondence which was thus likely to take
place afforded him also the means of hearing continually of Laura.
He was not long without seeing her again, however; for it was evident
that Lord Byerdale had determined to give his secretary every sort of
opportunity of pursuing his suit with the daughter of the Duke.
"Did you not tell me, Wilton," he said one day, "that your good
friend the Duke of Gaveston had invited you to come down and stay
with him at Somersbury?"
"He has invited me repeatedly, my lord," replied Wilton, "and in a
letter I received yesterday, pressed his request again; but seeing
you so overwhelmed with business, I did not like to be absent for any
length of time. I should have gone down, indeed, as I had promised,
on Saturday last, to have come up on Monday morning again; but if you
remember, on Saturday you were occupied till nearly twelve at night
with all this business of Cook."
"Who, by the way, you see, Wilton, has said nothing against your
friend," said the Earl.
"So I see, indeed, my lord," replied