 of getting about some real friend of Sir Sidney, and making him your confidant. If it did nothing else, you would know from a channel of that sort what were his private sentiments of you, and, among other matters, it would furnish you with some particulars relative to Miss Roebuck.'

This last consideration bore down every other, and Mr. Balance was thought by both the properest man in the world for this purpose. He was however at that time out of town.
'But,' said Charles, 'a thought has struck me, and it will convince you that I mean in future not to quarrel with people quite so much for their vices. What do you think of Ego? I have told you all his particularities, and really he has not very much prostituted his talents: perhaps indeed because he has but few to prostitute; for the pension he has was given him more from ostentation in the donor, than through any servility in himself. Indeed he has too good an opinion of himself to be very solicitous;

for he takes as much care as he can that, in all his affairs, Ego should be the first person.'

'This is charming,' said Mrs. Marlow, and I will warrant something comes of it; for, as he loves tittle tattle, he knows of course all Sir Sidney's family affairs, and it shall go hard but I will worm some of them out of him: and so you see, without asking a single question I shall get at every intelligence you wish to receive.

It was then agreed that Ego should be sounded; but it was to appear that our hero knew nothing of the business. Thus was the first duplicity he ever practised occasioned by love. Indeed he could not live any longer in this state of uncertainty; and if this method had not been hit upon for the present relief of his anxiety, he certainly would have been put upon playing some mad prank or other, which might have induced concessions on his side, for which he never would have forgiven himself.
On the other hand this business was a lucky hit for Mrs. Marlow, who, just at that time, was upon the point of forging some sort of intelligence, to soften the edge of our hero's unhappiness. It was now however unnecessary; for as Charles was not to be supposed to know what passed between her

and Ego, so there would be no occasion to relate more of their conversation than such parts of it as would relieve his fears, which again, if they were not strong enough
