 own family, he should now certainly make no scruple of applying for the money.
In short, he informed our hero, who began now to smell a rat, that Zekiel was the thief.
What an opportunity is here to put an end to this history! Charles had nothing to do but get his brother hanged, to be heir to the family, title, and estate, his marriage with Annette would have followed of course, and when they had produced half

a dozen children, for Lord Hazard to dandle on his knee, and comfort himself in his old age, he would have sunk peaceably to rest, and have left his darling son and daughter in possession of his honours.
Whether Charles foresaw an uniform tranquillity in such a life, and was determined to experience what sort of pleasures are generally produced by variety, or whether—which is full as probable—he felt a strong wish to hide his unnatural brother's frailty, we will not enquire. Certain it is, he, without hesitation, repaid Mr. Dessein upon the spot, thanked him for his prudence, and represented that he was sorry to see his brother possessed so insolent a spirit, but begged he would consider the whole as an extravagant tour de jeunesse, which had more of false wit in it than premeditated vice. He desired that the whole might sink into oblivion, and in particular that it might never come to his father's ears.
Mr. Dessein promised literally to follow the directions of our hero, with whose manner and generosity he was very much struck; and could not help remarking that he plainly saw, though

the honour was vested in the elder brother, the younger possessed the virtues which could alone enoble a family.


CHARLES having finished this business greatly to his satisfaction, determined that no hint should escape him concerning it, not even to Figgins; but, lest future instances of his brother's nefarious conduct should multiply in a strange country, where it would cost him dearly to extricate himself from such difficulties, he lengthened a letter he had already written to his father, by first very delicately apologizing for touching on such a subject, and then entreating that his brother's allowance might be augmented, even though his own should be curtailed; for that it was impossible for a man in any style to cut a figure in France—particularly a young and inexperienced man—with a slender income. He gave some general reasons for this request, and, though with great deference, strongly submitted the matter to his father's consideration.

After entreating Mr. Dessein to send any letters forward for him to Lisle, he
