orth noticing now, induced your lordship to place
much confidence in me, and to render me a familiar visitor at your
house. You on one occasion called me to your daughter your best
friend, and I was more than once left in Lady Laura's society for a
considerable period alone. Now, my lord, none can know better than
yourself the charms of that society, or how much it is calculated to
win and engage the heart of any one whose bosom was totally free, and
had never beheld before a woman equal in the slightest degree to his
ideas of perfection. I will confess, my lord, that I struggled very
hard against the feelings which I found growing up in my own bosom.
At that time I struggled the more and with the firmer determination,
because I had always entertained an erroneous impression with regard
to my own birth, an impression which, had it continued, would have
prevented my dreaming it possible that Lady Laura could ever be
mine--"
"It is a pity that it did not continue," said the Duke, dryly; but
Wilton took no notice, and went on.
"At that time, however," he said, "I learned, through the Earl of
Byerdale, that I had been in error in regard to my own
situation--though the distance between your grace and myself might
still be great, it was diminished; and you may easily imagine that
such joyful tidings naturally carried hope and expectation to a
higher pitch than perhaps was reasonable."
"To a very unreasonable pitch, it would seem, indeed, sir," answered
the Duke.
"It may be so, my lord," replied Wilton, "but the punishment upon
myself is very severe. However, not even then--although I had the
fairest prospects from the interest and promises of the Earl of
Byerdale, and from the whole interest of the Earl of Sunbury, who has
ever treated me as a son--although I might believe that a bright
political career was open before me, and that I might perhaps raise
myself to the highest stations in the state--not even then did I
presume to think of Lady Laura with anything like immediate hopes.
Just at this same period, however, the daring attempt to mix your
grace with the plans of the conspirators by carrying off your daughter
took place, and you were pleased to intrust to me the delicate and
somewhat dangerous task of discovering the place to which she had
been carried, and setting her free from the hands of the bold and in
famous men who had obtained possession of her person. Now, my
lord--feeling every inclination to love her, I may indeed say loving
her before--y