himself hope--He stopped short even in his own soliloquy, and his breath
came quick. Now, in his last visit to Hazeldean, he had come in contact
with Riccabocca, and been struck by the beauty of Violante. A vague
suspicion had crossed him that these might be the persons of whom the
marchesa was in search, and the suspicion had been confirmed by
Beatrice's description of the refugee she desired to discover. But as
he had not then learned the reason for her inquiries, nor conceived the
possibility that he could have any personal interest in ascertaining the
truth, he had only classed the secret in question among those the further
research into which might be left to time and occasion. Certainly the
reader will not do the unscrupulous intellect of Randal Leslie the
injustice to suppose that he was deterred from confiding to his fair
friend all that he knew of Riccabocca by the refinement of honour to
which he had so chivalrously alluded. He had correctly stated Audley
Egerton's warning against any indiscreet confidence, though he had
forborne to mention a more recent and direct renewal of the same caution.
His first visit to Hazeldean had been paid without consulting Egerton.
He had been passing some days at his father's house, and had gone over
thence to the squire's. On his return to London, he had, however,
mentioned this visit to Audley, who had seemed annoyed and even
displeased at it, though Randal knew sufficient of Egerton's character
to guess that such feelings could scarce be occasioned merely by his
estrangement from his half-brother. This dissatisfaction had, therefore,
puzzled the young man. But as it was necessary to his views to establish
intimacy with the squire, he did not yield the point with his customary
deference to his patron's whims. Accordingly he observed that he should
be very sorry to do anything displeasing to his benefactor, but that his
father had been naturally anxious that he should not appear positively to
slight the friendly overtures of Mr. Hazeldean.