"Lord Castleton!" exclaimed Fanny, lifting up the face she had buried in
her hands.

Vivian recoiled in dismay, and gnashed his teeth.

"Sir," said the marquis, "I await your reply; for not even you, in my
presence, shall imply that one reproach can be attached to the name of
that lady."

"Oh, moderate your tone to me, my Lord Castleton!" cried Vivian; "in
you, at least, there is one man I am not forbidden to brave and defy.
It was to save that lady from the cold ambition of her parents; it was
to prevent the sacrifice of her youth and beauty to one whose sole
merits are his wealth and his titles,--it was this that impelled me to
the crime I have committed; this that hurried me on to risk all for one
hour when youth at least could plead its cause to youth; and this gives
me now the power to say that it does rest with me to protect the name of
the lady, whom your very servility to that world which you have made
your idol forbids you to claim from the heartless ambition that would
sacrifice the daughter to the vanity of the parents. Ha! the future
Marchioness of Castleton on her way to Scotland with a penniless
adventurer! Ha! if my lips are sealed, who but I can seal the lips of
those below in my secret? The secret shall be kept, but on this
condition,--you shall not triumph where I have failed; I may lose what I
adored, but I do not resign it to another. Ha! have I foiled you, my
Lord Castleton? Ha, ha!"

"No, Sir; and I almost forgive you the villany you have not effected,
for informing me, for the first time, that had I presumed to address
Miss Trevanion, her parents at least would have pardoned the