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CHAPTER VII.

Marriage and hanging go by destiny.

Old Proverb.

EVERY street in London was Macadamizingevery shop was selling bargains; - the pale pink, blue, and primrose ribands were making one effort for final sale, before the purples and crimsons of winter set in. Women in black gowns, and drab-coloured shawls hung upon their shoulders as if they were pegs in a passage-men in coats something between a greatcoat and a frock-strings of hackney-coaches which moved not-stages which drove along with an empty, rattling sound-and carts laden with huge stones, now filled Piccadilly. All the windows, that is to say all of any pretensions, had their shutters closed, excepting here and there an open parlour one, where the old woman left in care of the house sat for her amusement.

Every thing bespoke the season of one of those migratory disorders, which, at certain periods, depopulate London. Still, one mansion, which the time ought to have unpeopled, was evidently inhabited; and in one of its rooms-small, but luxurious enough for a sultana in the Arabian Nights, or a young gentleman of the present day-were seated two persons in earnest conversation.

After a time, one of them—it was Mr. Delawarr rose and left the room, saying, “I own the truth of your remarks-it makes good the observation, that a bystander sees more of the game than those who are playing; - and now let me remind you of the assistance you can render me; that will be a more powerful motive than all I could urge of your own ambition and advancement."

Lorraine rose, and paced the room in an excited and anxious mood: he felt conscious of his own great powers, and of the many advantages he possessed for bringing them into action. But pleasures are always most delightful when we look back upon, or forward to them; and he felt an indolent reluctance to turn from the voice of the charmer charm she never so wisely and assume those enduring habits of

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industry and energy which are as much required as even talent in an Englishman's public career. He only wanted the influence of a more powerful motive than the theoretic conviction of the excellence of such exertion; but the necessity was even now on its road.

Noon and the post arrived together; and they brought that letter which had given Lord Etheringham.e such trouble in its composition, announcing his engagement with Lady Adelaide Merton. Lorraine was as completely taken by surprise as it was well possible for a gentleman to be. His brother's marriage had long ceased to enter into his calculations; but if it were possible for any human being to be without one grain of selfishness in their composition, Edward Lorraine was that being; and his first vague astonishment over, his next feeling was to rejoice over an event so certain to restore his brother's mind to a more healthy tone - to recall him to his place in society; and never was a letter more frank or affectionate in its congratulations than the one he forthwith despatched to the Earl. He could not but feel curious to know how the conquest had been managed, and perhaps thought any other match would have been as good. Still, a young man is rarely very

severe on the faults of a very beautiful girl; and, moreover, it was a flattering unction to lay to his soul, that he, rather than the lady, had been the first to withdraw from their flirtation.

He then went to communicate the affair to Mr. Delawarr, whose equanimity being unsupported by affection, was much the most disturbed by the occurrence. His judgment, unbiassed by any brotherly partiality, drew no flattering conclusions for Lord Etheringhame's future, either as a brilliant or as a useful career—

"Unstable as water, thou shalt not excel;"

and he foresaw Lord Etheringhame would just be a puppet in the hands of his very lovely wife. These reflections he deemed it unnecessary to communicate, and finished the dialogue by exclaiming, "Well, Edward, I only wish you had married her yourself." In this wish, however, his auditor did not quite cordially join.

Lord Etheringhame had many feminine points in his character: this his very letter evinced. Part of its most important information was in the postscript, viz. that Mr. Maynard had died suddenly; his physician said by his cook-the

jury, by the visitation of God. The borough he had represented was now vacant: it was his lordship's, and the seat was offered to Edward, and accepted. The grief into which Lady Alicia's death plunged Mr. Delawarr, made Lorraine's presence and assistance invaluable to one who had quite enough of business to justify his saying, "He had not a moment's time to himself;" -an assertion more pleasant than we are ready to admit. No thoroughly occupied man was ever yet very miserable.

March arrived, and with it the period fixed for the marriage, which had been delayed, and was now to be private, on account of the recent loss. Lady Lauriston and her daughter had spent a quiet fortnight in London: people cannot be married without a clergyman-the milliner and the jeweller are equally indispensable. They returned to Stanbury Park, whose owner made his niece a present of a set of pearls and a cookery book; and at last the day came when the ceremony was to be performed in the chapel of Etheringhame Castle.

From a delay on the road, almost impossible in these days-but rapid driving does sometimes accomplish impossibilities-Edward only arrived that very morning in time to accompany

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