e beautiful brute
really had inspired more than once in his abominable life. Accordingly,
he moved into the neighbourhood of Podden Place, contenting himself with
a second-floor bedroom in a house recommended to him by Mrs. Crane, and
taking his meals at his adopted mother's with filial familiarity. She
expressed a desire to make Mr. Poole's acquaintance; Jasper hastened to
present that worthy. Mrs. Crane invited Samuel Dolly to dine one day,
to sup the next; she lent him L3 to redeem his dress-coat from pawn, and
she gave him medicaments for the relief of his headache.

Samuel Dolly venerated her as a most superior woman; envied Jasper
such a "mother." Thus easily did Arabella Crane possess herself of the
existence of Jasper Losely. Lightly her fingers closed over it,--lightly
as the fisherman's over the captivated trout. And whatever her
generosity, it was not carried to imprudence. She just gave to Jasper
enough to bring him within her power; she had no idea of ruining herself
by larger supplies: she concealed from him the extent of her income
(which was in chief part derived from house-rents), the amount of her
savings, even the name of her banker. And if he carried off to the
rouge-et-noir table the coins he obtained from her, and came for more,
Mrs. Crane put on the look of a mother incensed,--mild but awful,--and
scolded as mothers sometimes can scold. Jasper Losely began to be
frightened at Mrs. Crane's scoldings. And he had not that power over
her which, though arrogated by a lover, is denied to an adopted son.
His mind, relieved from the habitual distraction of the gaming-table
for which the resource was wanting, settled with redoubled ardour on the
image of Mrs. Haughton. He had called at her house several times
since the fatal day on which he had met there Colonel Morley, but Mrs.
Haughton was never at home. And as when the answer was given to him by
the footman, he had more than once, on crossing the street, seen herself
through the window, it was clear that his acquaintance was not
courted. Jasper Losely, by habit, was the reverse of a pertinacious and
troublesome suitor; not, Heaven knows, from want of audacity, but from
excess of self-love. Where a Lovelace so superb condescended to make
overtures, a Clarissa so tasteless as to decline them deserved and
experienced his contempt. Besides, steadfast and prolonged pursuit of
any object, however important and attractive, was alien to the levity
and ficklenes