CHAPTER XXIII. THE PROPOSAL. Oh! you would be a vestal maid, I warrant, Hath ta'en degrees in the seven sciences That ladies love best -he is young and noble, Handsome and valiant, gay, and rich, and liberal. THE NUN. THE morning after a debauch is usually one of reflection, even to the most customary boon companion; and, in the retrospect of the preceding day, the young Laird of St. Ronan's saw nothing very consolatory, unless that the excess was not, in the present case, of his own seeking, but had arisen out of the necessary duties of a landlord, or what were considered as such by his companions. But it was not so much his dizzy recollections of the late carouse which haunted him on awakening, as the inexplicability which seemed to shroud the purposes and conduct of his new ally the Earl of Etherington. That young nobleman had seen Miss Mowbray, had declared his high satisfaction, had warmly and voluntarily renewed the proposal which he had made ere she was yet known to him—and yet, far from seeking an opportunity to be introduced to her, he had even left the party abruptly, in order to avoid the necessary intercourse which must there have taken place between them. His lordship's flirtation with Lady Binks had not escaped the attention of the sagacious Mowbray-her ladyship also had been in a hurry to leave Shaws-Castle; and Mowbray promised to himself to discover the nature of this connection through Mrs. Gingham, her ladyship's attendant, or otherwise; vowing deeply at the same time, that no peer in the realm should make an affectation of addressing Miss Mowbray a cloak for another and more secret intrigue. But his doubts on this subject were in great measure removed by the arrival of one of Lord Etherington's grooms with the following letter: "MY DEAR MOWBRAY, "You would naturally be surprised at my escape from the table yesterday before you returned to it, or your lovely sister had graced it with her presence. I must confess my folly; and I may do so the more boldly, for, as the footing on which I first opened this treaty was not a very romantic one, you will scarce suspect me of wishing to render it such. But I did in reality feel, during the whole of yesterday, a reluctance which I cannot express, to be presented to the lady on whose favour the happiness of my future life is to depend, upon such a public occasion, and in the presence of so promiscuous a company. I had my mask, indeed, to wear while in the promenade, but, of course, that was to be laid aside at table, and, consequently, I must have gone through the ceremony of introduction; a most interesting moment, which I was desirous to defer till a fitter season. I trust you will permit me to call upon you at Shaws-Castle this morning, in the hope the anxious hope-of being allowed to pay my duty to Miss Mowbray, and apologize for not waiting upon her yesterday. I expect your answer with the utmost impatience, being always yours, &c. &c. &c. 66 "ETHERINGTON." This," said St. Ronan's to himself, as he folded up the letter deliberately, after having twice read it over, seems all fair and above-board; I could not wish any thing more explicit; and, moreover, it puts into black and white, as old Mick would say, what only rested before on our private conversation. An especial cure for the headache, such a billet as this in a morning." So saying, he sat him down and wrote an answer, expressing the pleasure he should have in seeing his lordship as soon as he thought proper. He watched even the departure of the groom, and beheld him gallop off, with the speed of one who knows that his quick return was expected by an impatient master. Mowbray remained for a few minutes by himself, and reflected with delight upon the probable consequences of this match; the advancement of his sister-and, above all, the various advantages which must necessarily accrue to himself, by so close an alliance with one whom he had good reason to think deep in the secret, and capable of rendering him the most material assistance in his speculations on the turf, and in the sporting world. He then sent a servant to let Miss Mowbray know that he intended to breakfast with her. "I suppose, John," said Clara, as her brother entered the apartment," you are glad of a weaker cup this morning than those you were drinking last night—you were carousing till after the first cock." "Yes," said Mowbray, "that sandbed, old MacTurk, upon whom whole hogsheads make no impression, did make a bad boy of me-but the day is over, and they will scarce catch me in such another scrape.-What did you think of the masks?" 66 'Supported as well," said Clara, "as such folk support the disguise of gentlemen and ladies during life; and that is, with a great deal of bustle, and very little propriety." "I saw only one good mask there, and that was a Spaniard," said her brother. "O, I saw him too," answered Clara; "but he wore his visor on. An old Indian merchant, or some such thing, seemed to me a better character-the Spaniard did nothing but stalk about and twangle his guitar, for the amusement of my Lady Binks, as I think." "He is a very clever fellow, though, that same Spaniard," rejoined Mowbray-"Can you guess who he is ? " "No, indeed; nor shall I take the trouble of trying. To set to guessing about it, were as bad as seeing the whole mummery over again." "Well," replied her brother, "you will allow one thing at least-Bottom was well acted-you cannot deny that." "Yes," replied Clara, "that worthy really deserved to wear his ass's head to the end of the chapter-but what of him?" "Only conceive that he should be the very same person with that handsome Spaniard," replied Mowbray. "Then there is one fool fewer than I thought there was," replied Clara with the greatest indifference. Her brother bit his lip. "Clara," he said, "I believe you are an excellent good girl, and clever to boot, but pray do not set up for wit and oddity; there is nothing in life so intolerable as pretending to think differently from other people. That gentleman was the Earl of Etherington." This annunciation, though made in what was meant to be an imposing tone, had no impression on Clara. "I hope he plays the peer better than the Hidalgo," she replied, carelessly. "Yes," answered Mowbray, "he is one of the handsomest men of the time, and decidedly fashionable—you will like him much when you see him in private." "It is of little consequence whether I do or no,” answered Clara. "You mistake the matter," said Mowbray, gravely; "it may be of considerable consequence." "Indeed!" said Clara, with a smile; "I must suppose myself, then, too important a person not to make my approbation necessary to one of your first-rates. He cannot pretend to pass muster at St. Ronan's without it. -Well, I will depute my authority to Lady Binks, and she shall pass your new recruits instead of me." "This is all nonsense, Clara," said Mowbray. "Lord Etherington calls here this very morning, and wishes to be made known to you. I expect you will receive him as a particular friend of mine." "With all my heart-so you will engage, after this visit, to keep him down with your other particular friends at the Well.-You know it is a bargain that you bring neither buck nor pointer into my parlour-the one worries my cat, and the other my temper." "You mistake me entirely, Clara-this is a very different visitor from any I have ever introduced to you. I |