breach of discretion. He had, in fact, allowed himself, by too much confidence in Lord Mowbray, to be hurried into disclosures of the most vital importance, before he had ascertained from his own observation that the party receiving them had been properly prepared. His other great passion, and his anxieties about all connected with the object of it, had indeed thrown him off his guard, and made him too prone to listen to Lord Mowbray's assurances about his nephew; but this did not excuse him in his own mind.

He took a turn across the room to recover his surprise, and only after a long pause was able to exclaim, "I find I have been egregiously misled, but I have at least a man of honour to deal with; and I thank you for having so early undeceived me."

"Undeceived you, my lord !"

"Not so much undeceived

a most gross

me, as cleared up mistake; and the best excuse I can

make for my own want of caution is, that your uncle in terms assured me I might count upon him and all that belonged to him."

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My uncle is very good to me," replied De Vere," but I did not know I belonged to him."

"This is most untoward," said Lord Cleve

land," and particularly in regard to other views which I had entertained (excuse me) about yourself. For it would be easy for me (though I might be opposed in it by Lord Oldcastle) to place you in a post, high for your youth, and worthy, I may say, of your character and talents; in fact, a post which it is the great object of Eustace to fill; which, indeed, he expects, and which his father at present makes a sine qua non.”

This intimation was certainly not without its weight with De Vere; since ambition, though not very violently kindled, was far from being dead in him; and it had been even fostered and fanned by hopes of a softer kind, which have been sometimes thought incompatible with the passion, though it often supplies it with its daintiest food. For many a labour has been encountered, and many a life ventured, seemingly for the sake of power, or riches, or high degree, when power, riches, and high degree have all been only courted for a sweeter reward, the seducing sweetness of a woman's love.

Hence these words of Lord Cleveland were precisely the winged words to go deepest into De Vere's heart. Nevertheless, they were linked with so many jarring conditions, that he rose

above the temptation, powerful as it was, and so much more powerful than even Cleveland himself had thought it.

It is certain he faltered a little, till at length, thanking the Earl for his good will, he very frankly told him that nothing could be more agreeable to him than his proposal; but that even if he was yet prepared to embark in a party, merely on the authority of names, the ill grace, nay injustice, that would attend upon the preference of himself to Eustace, whose wishes had been thus made known and entertained, and who had agreed to make common cause with Lord Cleveland, would prevent him from profiting by his favourable intentions.

The refusal, and the old-fashioned reason given for it, here got the better of the practised Earl. He regarded De Vere with almost derision, and asked him if he really was such an old maid in politics, as to think, even, if the hopes given to Eustace had been precise and absolute, that they could stand in the way of a necessary arrangement.

"Twas a convenient phrase, (and many a man has found it so) to promote, or postpone, or finally withhold, whatever it was agreeable or

disagreeable to himself at the time, to promote, postpone, or withhold.

"Are you yet to learn," asked Lord Cleveland, “that in the management of a political party, arrangement is every thing, friendship nothing; nay, that the most determined friends must often give way to doubtful allies, to determined enemies, always ?"

"I confess I am in that miserable state of ignorance," returned De Vere; "nor did I believe but that these corruptions of the good old school, like many other corruptions, had gone out of fashion."

"I congratulate you on your very virtuous naïveté," said Lord Cleveland.

"I have no doubt," returned De Vere, rising far superior to the Earl's irony, "that I expose my schoolboy ignorance to you, who are one of the great spirits formed to soar above us petty sciolists in politics; but even with this disgrace hanging over me, I venture to predict that Lord Eustace will not only think himself, but actually will be ill-treated, if promise is not kept to him; I, at least, as his friend, will never be the cause of breaking it."

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changing his tone, you cannot suppose that one who esteems this very integrity in you as I do, could wish you to depart from it. But without dishonour, you surely are not to be told that to make a different arrangement, or even a postponement, (which is all I meant,) is not the same as breaking a promise."

"Has then the arrangement you propose, been submitted to Eustace, and has he consented ?" asked Mortimer.

"I have not even thought what the arrangement shall be,” replied the Earl," and of course he cannot at present have given his consent."

"Then neither ought I," replied De Vere ; even could I otherwise come up to your wishes. But I ought to release you from the task of thinking of me, since, as you have not even opened to me the great public principles on which you propose to found an administration, I have told you that I can come under no obligation to embark in its support. I have owned to you besides, that the principles as well as abilities of Mr. Wentworth have all my approbation, and I am still lost in wonder that you think it worth your while to compliment with such important communications, a person so utterly insignificant as myself."