"Ah, how justify that?"

"Justify it? Good Heavens! Justify it? No. I only say this, strange
as it may seem, that I believe his affection for Miss Trevanion was for
herself,--so he says, from the depth of an anguish in which the most
insincere of men would cease to feign. But no more of this; she is
saved, thank Heaven!"

"And you believe," said Lord Castleton, musingly, "that he spoke the
truth when he thought that I--" The marquis stopped, cowered slightly,
and then went on. "But no; Lady Ellinor and Trevanion, whatever might
have been in their thoughts, would never have so forgot their dignity as
to take him, a youth, almost a stranger,--nay, take any one into their
confidence on such a subject."

"It was but by broken gasps, incoherent, disconnected words, that
Vivian--I mean my cousin--gave me any explanation of this. But Lady N--,
at whose house he was staying, appears to have entertained such a
notion, or at least led my cousin to think so."

"Ah! that is possible," said Lord Castleton, with a look of relief.
"Lady N-- and I were boy and girl together; we correspond; she has
written to me suggesting that--Ah! I see,--an indiscreet woman. Hum!
this comes of lady correspondents!"

Lord Castleton had recourse to the Beaudesert mixture; and then, as if
eager to change the subject, began his own explanation. On receiving my
letter, he saw even more cause to suspect a snare than I had done, for
he had that morning received a letter from Trevanion, not mentioning a
word about his illness; and on turning to the newspaper, and seeing a