"What! the traitor who has robbed us of our rights?"

"He never would have robbed you of your rights if you had been more
kind to him. You should be gentle, madam; you should forgive him-
-you should be friends with him."

"With a traitor, never!"

"Think what made him a traitor, Lady Gorgon; look in your glass, and
say if there be not some excuse for him? Think of the feelings of
the man who saw beauty such as yours--I am a plain man and must
speak--virtue such as yours, in the possession of a rival. By
heavens, madam, I think he was RIGHT to hate Sir George Gorgon!
Would you have him allow such a prize to be ravished from him
without a pang on his part?"

"He was, I believe, very much attached to me," said Lady Gorgon,
quite delighted; "but you must be aware that a young man of his
station in life could not look up to a person of my rank."

"Surely not: it was monstrous pride and arrogance in Mr. Scully.
But que voulez-vous? Such is the world's way. Scully could not
help loving you--who that knows you can? I am a plain man, and say
what I think. He loves you still. Why make an enemy of him, who
would at a word be at your feet? Dearest Lady Gorgon, listen to me.
Sir George Gorgon and Mr. Scully have already met--their meeting was
our contrivance. It is for our interest, for yours, that they
should be friends. If there were two Ministerial Members for
Oldborough, do you think your husband's peerage would be less