offering it to him, but not so much, I freely confess, as I feel now in proposing the same thing to you; for somehow or other you have contrived to take a singularly strong hold upon my affections. Your four thousand pounds, Charles, secured by a mortgage upon my estate, will bring you in exactly three times the income yielded by the funds; and though this, my dear boy, is by no means equal to the fortune I shall hope eventually to see you enjoy, it would at any rate be a maintenance. What say you to this, my dear Charles? Are you willing to trust me with your money upon my personal security?"

These last words were uttered with a pleasant smile, which smile Charles affectionately returned, as he said

"Trust you, Sir George?"

The extremity of the rustic ignorance in which poor Charles Chesterfield had been reared will be properly estimated, when it is stated that the ill-matched ideas of dishonesty and high station had never at any instant of his existence entered his head together. The noonday sun and total darkness would hardly have seemed more incongruous had he heard them named together and Sir George's little obliviousness about shillings and sixpences was so far from having even awakened suspicion within him, that it only made him feel more respectfully aware of the great difference in their situations, inasmuch as what to him was quite inconvenient to lose, was too trifling for his wealthy patron even to remember.

This merry question therefore, "Are you willing to trust me with your money?" very naturally produced a smiling rejoinder, because of course he could only take it jocosely; but when after patting him good-humouredly on the shoulder, and nodding his head as much as to say, "We understand each other,"-when, after this little eloquent dumb show, Sir George resumed the conversation in a graver and more business-like tone, Charles answered with equal gravity, and assured Sir George that he himself and all his family would be most deeply grateful if he would have the great kindness to undertake the management of his money, and the placing it in whatever way he thought most advantageous.

"I believe it, my dear boy," replied the baronet, wringing his hand with much affection. "And this business once settled, I will explain my plan about Mrs. Sherbourne."

No one could be more lively and agreeable than was Sir George after the conversation had reached this point; but he soon confessed that he felt himself some few years older than he had been, and therefore proposed that they should turn their steps homewards, which brought them back in time for Sir George to despatch a letter or two by the post; one of which was to desire his man of business immediately to send down a power of attorney for Charles to execute, which as he observed to Chesterfield, would enable them to complete the business without having the bore and the expense of a journey to London, just when Brighton was so particularly agreeable.

This sort of business indeed, when proper agents are set to manage it is easily and promptly executed; and several days before Mrs. Longuéville and Clara returned from London, Sir George Meddows was in possession of Charles Chesterfield's legacy, and Charles Chesterfield was in possession of Sir George Meddows's note of hand for the amount. May. vol. LXII. NO. CCXLV.

F

CHAP. XXVI,

SCHEMES THE PLOTTERS DISAGREE-MUCH BUSINESS IS A-FOOT-A SUDDEN JOURNEY-A TETE-A-TETE BETWEEN THE FATHER AND

DAUGHTER.

As soon as this little affair was completely settled, Charles once more led the after-dinner conversation between himself and his patron to the subject of his threatened difficulties with Mrs. Sherbourne.

"All our money business is settled now, Sir George," said he, "is it not?"

"Yes, Charles, quite settled; every thing is now perfectly straight between us."

"Well then, my dear sir, will you forgive my plaguing you once more about Mrs. Sherbourne? You said that you had thought of some plan to get me out of her power."

"And so I have, Charles; do not fancy that I have forgotten it: but no man who thoroughly understands business, none at least with such regular habits as myself, ever will mix two things together, if it be in any way possible to keep them separate. It is for this reason, and for this reason only, that I have suffered this subject to drop. You refer to it, my dear fellow, exactly at the proper time, not only because one thing being finished another may be taken in hand; but because the completion of the one enables you very advantageously to set about the other. But tell me, Charles, do you think you can stand the shock of being told that in my opinion Mrs. Sherbourne's tender attachment to you originated in her knowledge of the fact that you had a sum of ready money in your possession?"

66

My vanity has made a great fool of me, Sir George, as I am quite ready to confess: but as far as Mrs. Sherbourne is concerned that weakness is quite over, and did I think it at all possible that she could have known of this before I myself named it to her, I should be quite ready to believe that from the very first her attention to me had no other object."

"Have no further doubts then on the subject. I will undertake to assure you that she did know it, and further, Charles, I will undertake to assure you also, that this threatened action is only brought forward because she knows you have those few thousands wherewith to pay the hoped-for damages. This being the case, you have only to let her understand that you have made away with your money in order to make her instantly suspend the proceedings."

"But if I tell her that I have let you have the money, Sir George, she will know that it is only ten times safer than ever it was. That will not stop her," said Charles innocently.

Sir George for a moment employed himself very intently on peeling a dry walnut, but presently answered,

"That is perfectly true, certainly; and therefore care must be taken that the transaction between us is placed in such a light as to make her feel that you have no longer the command of the money. To say the

truth, I believe it was this notion which first led me to think of your placing it in my hands, and I particularly wish that you should let your excellent father understand that such was my motive."

"My father, Sir George?" replied Charles, with a look of dismay; "I would not for the whole world that my father or any of my friends at Charlton should ever know any thing about Mrs. Sherbourne, or the foolish scrape I have got into with her. Indeed, Sir George, you must excuse my saying any thing to my father about it."

Sir George's countenance had less of good humour in it at that moment than young Chesterfield had ever seen it wear before.

"I should be very sorry to vex you, Charles, in any way," he replied; "but I'll tell you fairly that I shall consider myself as exceed ingly ill used if your father is not made to understand the reason for which I have so hurried through this business. With me every thing, it is true, is done promptly--such is my habit, as it is in fact of all real men of business; but in this case I should certainly not have permitted you to place this money in my hands without consulting your dear good father on the subject, had it not been for the sake of having it at once in our power to stop this nefarious claim upon you. He must know it, Charles, he must indeed; unless, by the bye, you should prefer not mentioning the transaction to him at all; in that case, of course, I shall have nothing more to say."

"I should prefer any thing, Sir George," replied Charles, turning pale at the idea of Bessy's hearing of this hateful promise of marriage; "I should prefer any thing to my father's knowing-to any of them down at Maplebury knowing of this woman's pretended claim upon

me."

"Then will you give me your word of honour, my dear Charles, that you will not say a word to your father, or to any member of your family, of your having sold your money out of the funds?" demanded Sir George eagerly.

Charles looked puzzled and embarrassed. The idea of having such a secret as this to keep from his family was extremely painful to him, and he ventured to say,

"Indeed, Sir George, my father will feel very grateful to you; as I told you when you first mentioned taking my money upon such good interest, and he could not be more so, I am sure, because of your having a second motive, besides your kindness, for doing it."

"You must give me leave to be a judge of that, Mr. Chesterfield," replied the baronet gravely. "I know your father well; he is an excellent man, but he has notions of his own; and I am quite sure that he would not like it well, that you and I should have settled this business without consulting him. In fact, nothing but this entanglement with Mrs. Sherbourne could have led me to do it. When he hears of that, he will understand my motives, and appreciate them properly, but not before."

"But, Sir George," persisted poor Charles, "how much more cause he will have to be angry if the transaction be kept secret from him altogether, than if it has only been arranged without consulting him. So very advantageous it is to me, he cannot be seriously angry at that, especially, Sir George, as he knows, I dare say, your prompt way of doing business that you speak of."