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"And have you," said he, hesitating, as he loitered by the door after the stroke of twelve had warned him to take his leave "have you never heard anything of my my the unfortunate Alice Darvil?" "Who? Oh, that poor young woman; I remember! not a syllable." Maltravers sighed deeply and departed.
He need no longer fear that Alice would be degraded in the eyes of Evelyn. Henceforth the secret that identified the erring Alice Darvil with the spotless Lady Vargrave was safe, known only to Mrs. Leslie and to Aubrey.
Darvil was still employed on some cold meat, and was making wry faces at the very indifferent brandy which he had frightened the formal old servant into buying at the nearest public-house; and opposite sat the respectable highly respectable man of forms and ceremonies, of decencies and quackeries, gazing gravely upon this low, daredevil ruffian: the well-to-do hypocrite the penniless villain; the man who had everything to lose the man who had nothing in the wide world but his own mischievous, rascally life, a gold watch, chain and seals, which he had stolen the day before, and thirteen shillings and threepence halfpenny in his left breeches pocket!
A cow had passed through the streets with a milkwoman behind; two young and gay shopmen "looking after the gals," had reconnoitred the street, and vanished in despair. The twilight advanced but gently; and though a star or two were up, the air was still clear. At the open window of one of the tenements in this street sat Alice Darvil.
I say I have the best of it here man to man I am your match." "But why quarrel with me?" said the banker, coaxingly; "I never meant you harm, and I am sure you cannot mean me harm." "No! and why?" asked Darvil, coolly; "why do you think I can mean you no harm?" "Because your annuity depends on me." "Shrewdly put we'll argufy that point.
"At whose control Despair and anguish fled the struggling soul." He had words of comfort for the pious, but he had none for the sceptic he could soothe, but he could not convert. It was not in his way; besides, he saw no credit in making a convert of Luke Darvil.
The respectable man was more than a match for the villain. "Had you been as poor as I, Gad! what a rogue you would have been!" "I think not," said the banker; "I believe roguery to be a very bad policy. Perhaps once I was almost as poor as you are, but I never turned rogue." "You never were in my circumstances," returned Darvil, gloomily. "I was a gentleman's son. Come, you shall hear my story.
"Why, then you have robbed me of ten guineas, and must take the usual consequences of robbery." Darvil started to his feet his eyes glared he grasped the carving-knife before him. "You are a bold fellow," said the banker, quietly; "but it won't do. It is not worth your while to murder me; and I am a man sure to be missed." Darvil sank down, sullen and foiled.
From the window, a sad and straining eye gazed upon the gayer equipage of the peer that eye which Maltravers would have given his whole fortune to meet again. But he did not look up; and Alice Darvil turned away, and her fate was fixed! "Strange fits of passion I have known. And I will dare to tell." " * The food of hope Is meditated action." MALTRAVERS left Doningdale the next day.
"Sweet girl," he said, with involuntary and mechanical compliment, "how well this light becomes you. How shall I thank you for not forgetting me?" Alice surrendered her hand to his without a struggle. "What is your name?" said he, bending his face down to hers. "Alice Darvil." "And your terrible father, /is/ he, in truth, your father?" "Indeed he is my father and mother too!"
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