nied by a very fine young man, the same you saw with him in the court last night; and my young lady was all anxiety till the scheme he had hinted at was disclosed to her. A villainous scheme, you will say,—no other than to have a marriage made up between my young lady and Monsieur Lausane, his companion.
'He is a natural son of my father's (said he to my lady; for I was in a closet adjoining the chamber in which they sat, and consequently heard all their conversation); and I mean, as soon as I come into possession of my paternal fortune, to make a handsome provision for him; this I shall mention to the Earl as a means of inducing him to consent to your union with him—an union, by which you will be guarded against your father's indignation should he ever discover our connexion, as he must then know the dreadful consequences that would attend its exposure;—an union also, which will give me a pretext, from our relationship, of
