er Bridgenorth,
are of a nature to supersede many other considerations, to which in
any other case, I should feel it my duty to give the most reverential
attention. I will not disguise from you, that my father's prejudices
against such a match would be very strong; but I devoutly believe they
would disappear when he came to know the merit of Alice Bridgenorth, and
to be sensible that she only could make his son happy."

"In the meanwhile, you are desirous to complete the union which you
propose without the knowledge of your parents, and take the chance
of their being hereafter reconciled to it? So I understand, from the
proposal which you made but lately to my daughter."

The turns of human nature, and of human passion, are so irregular and
uncertain, that although Julian had but a few minutes before urged
to Alice a private marriage, and an elopement to the continent, as
a measure upon which the whole happiness of his life depended, the
proposal seemed not to him half so delightful when stated by the calm,
cold, dictatorial accents of her father. It sounded no longer like the
dictates of ardent passion, throwing all other considerations aside, but
as a distinct surrender of the dignity of his house to one who seemed
to consider their relative situation as the triumph of Bridgenorth over
Peveril. He was mute for a moment, in the vain attempt to shape his
answer so as at once to intimate acquiescence in what Bridgenorth
stated, and a vindication of his own regard for his parents, and for the
honour of his house.

This delay gave rise to suspicion, and Bridgenorth's eye gleamed, and
his lip quivered while he gave vent to it. "Hark ye, young man--deal
openly with me in this matter, if you would not have me think you the
execrable villain who would have seduced an unhappy girl, under promises
which he never designed to fulfil. Let me but suspect this, and you
shall see, on the spot, how far your pride and your pedigree will
preserve you against the just vengeance of a father."

"You do me wrong," said Peveril--"you do me infinite wrong, Major
Bridgenorth, I am incapable of the infamy which you allude to. The
proposal I made to your daughter was as sincere as ever was offered
by man to woman. I only hesitated, because you think it necessary to
examine me so very closely; and to possess yourself of all my purposes
and sentiments, in their fullest extent, without explaining to me the
tendency of your own."

"Your proposa