t pretend that he still had them. In the first
alternative, the consideration upon which she had agreed to marry him
came to nothing. Moreover, Ida was thereby released from her promise,
and he was well aware that under these circumstances she would
probably break off the engagement. In the second, he would be acting a
lie, and the lie would sooner or later be discovered, and what then?
Well, if it was after marriage, what would it matter? To a woman of
gentle birth there is only one thing more irretrievable than marriage,
and that is death. Anyhow, he had suffered so much for the sake of
this woman that he did not mean to give her up now. He must meet the
mortgages after marriage, that was all.

/Facilis est descensus Averni/. When a man of the character of Edward
Cossey, or indeed of any character, allows his passions to lead him
into a course of deceit, he does not find it easy to check his wild
career. From dishonour to dishonour shall he go till at length, in due
season, he reaps as he has sown.

CHAPTER XXVIII

HOW GEORGE TREATED JOHNNIE

Some two or three days before the scene described in the last chapter
the faithful George had suddenly announced his desire to visit London.

"What?" said the Squire in astonishment, for George had never been
known to go out of his own county before. "Why, what on earth are you
going to do in London?"

"Well, Squire," answered his retainer, looking marvellously knowing,
"I don't rightly know, but there's a cheap train goes up to this here
Exhibition on the Tuesday morning and comes back on the Thursday
evening. Ten shillings both ways, that's the fare, and I see in the
/Chronicle/, I du, that there's a wonnerful show of these new-fangled
self-tying and delivering reapers, sich as they foreigners use over
sea in America, and I'm rarely fell on seeing them and having a
holiday look round Lunnon town. So as there ain't not nothing
particler a-doing, if you hain't got anything to say agin it, I think
I'll go, Squire."

"All right," said the Squire; "are you going to take your wife with
you?"

"Why no, Squire; I said as I wanted to go for a holiday, and that
ain't no holiday to take the old missus too," and George chuckled in a
manner which evidently meant volumes.

And so it came to pass that on the afternoon of the day of the
transfer of the mortgages from Edward Cossey to Mr. Quest the great
George found himself wand