“Eh? yes, of course,” rejoined Lawless, “fathers always do consider their duty to be intensely unpleasant on all such occasions, and it's a duty they never neglect either—I will say that for them. No! depend upon it, mine is the only plan.”
“Really, Frank, I don't see what else is to be done,” urged Freddy; “the danger from the drysalter is great and imminent, remember.”
“Well, you and Lawless can settle it between you: you are a pair of eccentric geniuses, and know how you like to manage your own affairs better than a sober-minded man such as I am.”
“I tell you what, Mr. Sober-minded-man, I mean to take you with me on my expedition; I shall want somebody to pat me on the back—besides, your proper, well-behaved manner will give an air of respectability to the affair.”
“Really you must—” began I.
“Really I won't,” retorted Lawless; while Coleman, seizing me by the arm, drew me on one side.
“Frank, without any joke, I think this freak of Law-less's may enable me to get rid of my rival—this Mr. Lowe Brown—and I should take it as the greatest kindness if you would go with him, and keep him in order; of course I must not be seen at all in the matter myself.”
“Well, if you are really in earnest, and want me to go, I'll do it,” replied I; “though I don't see that I shall be of much use.”
“Shall I write and put Lucy up to it, or not?” rejoined Coleman meditatively.
“If you take my advice, you will not,” replied I; “in fact, the success of your scheme depends very much on keeping her in the dark as to Lawless's not being a bona fide offer. Either her simple woman's mind would dislike the trickery of the thing altogether, or she would excite suspicion by falling into the plot too readily. I would merely write her a cheering note, telling her that you were likely to get an appointment which would enable you to marry; urging her to be firm in her refusal of your abomination, Mr. Brown; hinting that a broken heart would be premature, if not altogether superfluous, and giving her a few general notions that the affair would end happily, without touching upon Lawless at all.”