brown." Catherine could bear no more. She rose hastily, and with a countenance "deathly pale," with difficulty found her way across the room, and sought the solitude of her chamber, where, flinging herself upon the sofa, she sobbed aloud in the fulness of her heart. The deep though momentary silence which followed her departure, recalled the thoughtless narrator to a sense of his imprudence. He would have taken his leave, provoked beyond measure at his own indiscretion; but Courtney had other inquiries to make, and he led him apart from the group. "May I entreat, Sir," said he, "that you will complete your story. I am afraid that you know more of the subject than you choose to tell." "On the contrary, I rather think I have told more," returned Mordaunt, disconcerted, "than I had any right to tell. I speak from little better than report." "But report," argued Philip, "has but too often its foundation in something very like the truth; plainly, has there been a meeting, a duel?" "I have made a most unpardonable blunder in this business, Sir," was the reply. "I was almost under an injunction of secrecy, yet here have I let the whole affair slip in the first five minutes, and before ladies ""And Vaughan gave you this injunction?" urged Courtney."As to the intended duel, the ren contre is, I am afraid a fact." "And the cause?" "I know nothing beyond the common rumour of the camp; and I am most extremely mortified that I mentioned either the one or the other. It was the ladies! a man that falls headlong and unprepared into a drawing-room, can have no more chance of keeping a secret of the last importance, than -than I had." "Well," said Courtney, laughing, "as I am no woman, perhaps you will acquit me of all irregular curiosity in my inquiries. I am, I assure you, actuated simply by an earnest wish to serve Vaughan. I would know the facts entire of this unlucky adventure, to enable me to repeat the story to his advantage. He has relations. If it should reach his uncle's ears, it might shake him considerably in his good opinion.”—“ Most unlucky," said Mordaunt, in an accent of real regret, "yet you may rely upon his coming off with honour."-" And did he," said Courtney, "knowing that you were about to depart for England so immediately, charge you with no letters, no message? strange." 66 None," replied Mordaunt; "but that was scarcely to be wondered at, considering his reluctance to let the matter get loose in England. And after all, it might come to nothing. Those affairs you know blow over every day." "No letter," murmured Courtney; his deep eye glistening with the triumph which he was to build upon this unwary omission. He walked away a few involuntary steps, to indulge in his exultation. Then suddenly turning to the perplexed Mordaunt, "You are perfectly satisfied that no communication, no detail on this subject has reached England. You have come alone from the army." "No, not absolutely alone," replied Mor daunt, laughingly; "but I can assure you, that my companion is not at all burthened with the histories of the campaign." Courtney meditated again." Of the duel you are sure?" "Perfectly." "He would fight?" "No doubt of it. There was not a more dashing fellow in the brigade, I have good reason to say it."" He may have been killed," murmured Courtney, "and you have brought the news?"-he approached and gazed with a wild eagerness in his hearer's face.. "Heaven forbid !" said Mordaunt, shrinking at the thought-and overpowered by the fierce glare of his eye; "That is scarcely the surmise of a friend." "A friend, Sir! ay, he shall find me a friend indeed," retorted Courtney, with a sardonic smile. He stood silent for a while. Then suddenly recovering himself, with a look of his mother's subtle courtesy, he apologized for any abruptness of which he might have been guilty in the inquiry, on the ground of his extreme interest in his beloved relative's welfare. The ladies had already withdrawn, and Mordaunt took his leave, perplexed by what he had seen, and regretting what he had done. Courtney bowed him to the door; then violently flinging it to, paced the room in a fever of exulting and inflamed feelings. "Out of this imperfect story, this unexplained romance, this dubious duel, might be framed the ruin of the rival lover and the rival heir. His mistress was to be won, his uncle was to be alienated." The picture spread in sanguine colours before him, and he long indulged in the luxuries of his stern imagination. CHAPTER IV. I must be Envious, and so sit eating of myself Beaumont. THE greater part of that wretched day was spent by Catherine in her chamber; but, conscious of the remarks to which she would subject herself by a longer seclusion, she joined the family at the dinner-hour. Mrs. Vaughan, unhappily acquainted with the leading points of the story, did not make her appearance, and she could feel it no shame to give herself up to the indulgence. of a natural grief. Catherine envied her the freedom of her solitude, but knew too well that no such allowance would be made for herself. She felt that a mother's grief is sacred,-while the anguish of a heart like her's was much less likely to meet sympathy than ridicule. By a violent and painful effort, she compelled herself to appear before them, and even tried to smile and talk on indifferent 3* VOL. II. |