Observing that the squire, though he listened attentively, made no ready answer, Audley turned the subject again to Frank; and with the adroitness of a man of the world, backed by cordial sympathy in his brother’s distress, he pleaded so well Frank’s lame cause, urged so gently the wisdom of patience and delay, and the appeal to filial feeling rather than recourse to paternal threats, that the squire grew mollified in spite of himself, and left his brother’s house a much less angry and less doleful man.
Mr. Hazeldean was still in the Square, when he came upon Randal himself, who was walking with a dark-whiskered, showy gentleman, towards Egerton’s house. Randal and the gentleman exchanged a hasty whisper, and the former then exclaimed,
“What, Mr. Hazeldean, have you just left your brother’s house? Is it possible?”
“Why, you advised me to go there, and I did. I scarcely knew what I was about. I am very glad I did go. Hang politics! hang the landed interest! what do I care for either now?”
“Foiled with Madame di Negra?” asked Randal, drawing the squire aside.
“Never speak of her again!” cried the squire, fiercely. “And as to that ungrateful boy—but I don’t mean to behave harshly to him,—he shall have money enough to keep her if he likes, keep her from coming to me, keep him, too, from counting on my death, and borrowing post-obits on the Casino—for he’ll be doing that next—no, I hope I wrong him there; I have been too good a father for him to count on my death already. After all,” continued the squire, beginning to relax, “as Audley says, the marriage is not yet made; and if the woman has taken him in, he is young, and his heart is warm. Make yourself easy, my boy. I don’t forget how kindly you took his part; and before I do anything rash, I’ll at least consult with his poor mother.”
Randal gnawed his pale lip, and a momentary cloud of disappointment passed over his face.
“True, sir,” said he, gently; “true, you must not be rash. Indeed, I was thinking of you and poor dear Frank at the very moment I met you. It occurred to me whether we might not make Frank’s very embarrassments a reason to induce Madame di Negra to refuse him; and I was on my way to Mr. Egerton, in order to ask his opinion, in company with the gentleman yonder.”
“Gentleman yonder. Why should he thrust his long nose into my family affairs? Who the devil is he?”
“Don’t ask, sir. Pray let me act.”