, as once Heaven's cherubim stood at
the gates of Paradise, with fiery swords turning all ways, to hinder
its ejected tenants from breaking back into the garden,--would you
have me, I say, stand at my gates at Stillyside, and, meeting young
Montigny, flourish in his face a fist full of fasces, in the form
of threatened pains and penalties? No; your suit, sir, is denied:
you take nothing by your motion."

"Dare you deny," retorted the seigneur, loudly, and with a look of
coming triumph; "dare you deny that you are privy to their intimacy;
will you assert that you--yourself unseen--have not witnessed my
son in secret, midnight conversation with your ward at Stillyside;
there overheard them interchanging vows of endless love, and dealing
declarations of devotedness unto each other;--I ask you; did you
not hear and see these doings, and, even when you did at length
surprise the pair, did you not by failing to condemn their folly,
give it your silent sanction?"

"Something of this I did," said the advocate coolly, "for I remembered
some rather liberal breathings of my own when I was young,--and
youth will have its fling,--nay, do not bite your lip, but listen.
Monsieur Montigny, thus far we have met guile with guile. Just like
two wily fencers, both of us, waiting to spy our advantage, have
still witheld the lunge, until, at last, you, having grown desperate,
have rushed into the close. Yet, do not let your anger overbear
discretion. The heated iron hisses when it is plunged into the
trough, but shall we hiss at each other like geese or serpents?
Shall we quarrel, deny the undeniable, try to undo the accomplished
deed? What is done is done, and not Omnipotence itself, sir, could
undo it."

"But we may hinder further evil," observed the seigneur.

"Ay? Would you keep out the lightning by high builded walls?"
demanded the advocate, "for you are as likely to accomplish that,
as to keep lovers from each other. No, let them alone, for they
are as climbing Titans towards their wishes' skies; despising
guardians' gates and fathers' fences, just as much as did Briareus
and his crew disdain its rugged sides, and risk their necks up
steep Olympus, when they were making war on Jove. You cannot bar
them. The sun may be debarred from attics, and frost may be kept
out of cellars, but, Monsieur Montigny, the mutually enamoured can
never be permanently parted. Sir, no more."

"Enamoured he, and she at length dishonoured," cried the s