“Thank ye, gov—that is, Mr. Coleman—uncle, I suppose I shall soon have to call you,” said Lawless, with a wretched attempt at hilarity; “it's very flattering, you know, and of course I feel excessively, eh 1 uncommon, don't you see?—Get me away, can't you?” he added in an angry whisper, turning to me, “I shall go mad, or be ill, or something in a minute.”
“I think the tandem has been here some time,” interposed I, coming to his assistance; “the horses will get chilled standing.”
“Eh! yes! very true, we must be cutting away; make ourselves scarce, don't you see?” rejoined Lawless, brightening up at the prospect of escape.
“Let me ring for the ladies,” said Mr. Coleman, moving towards the bell.
“Eh! not for the world, my dear sir, not for the world,” exclaimed Lawless, interposing to prevent him—“Really, my feelings—your feelings, in fact, all our feelings, have been sufficiently excited—steam got up—high pressure, eh?—some other day—pleasure. Good-morning. Don't come out, pray.”
And so saying, he fairly bolted out of the room, an example which I was about to follow, when Mr. Coleman, seizing me by the button began:—
“I can see, Mr. Fairlegh, that Mr. Lawless is naturally uneasy and annoyed at Mr. Brown's attentions: but he need not be—pray assure him of this—Mr. Brown is a highly estimable young man, but his family are very much beneath ours in point of rank. I shall write to him this afternoon, and inform him that, on mature deliberation, I find it impossible to allow my niece to contract a matrimonial alliance with any one in trade—that will set the matter definitely at rest. Perhaps you will kindly mention this to your friend?”
“I shall be most happy to do so,” replied I, “nor have I the slightest doubt that my friend will consider the information perfectly satisfactory.” And with many assurances of mutual consideration and esteem we parted.
Oh! the masks and dominoes of the mind! what mountebank ever wore so many disguises as the heart of man? If some potent spirit of evil had suddenly converted Elm Lodge into the palace of Truth, the light of its master's countenance would have grown dark as he read the thoughts that were passing in my breast; and instead of bestowing upon me the attentions due to the chosen friend of the wealthy suitor to his portionless niece, he would have done his best to kick me down the steps as an impostor plotting to marry his son to a beggar. When will men learn to value money at its real worth, and find out that warm loving hearts and true affections are priceless gems that wealth cannot purchase!
We drove for some time in silence, which was at length broken by Lawless, who in a tone of the deepest dejection began:—