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"It is excitebedt, thed, to which this deglect bust be ascribed; but it certaidly was a bost udpardodable trick od the part of Sir Williab D'Albaide."

"Do you think it was done intentionally, then?"

"It looks very buch like it."

"But is he at all the sort of man to act so dishonourably?"

"Why, iddepeddedtly of beidg a duellist, he is a gabbler, ad id the hodour of a gabbler I've dot buch faith."

"I suppose that I can do nothing in it?"

"I'd bedtiod it to Scholefield. But I dod't thidk that, as the batter has terbidated, I should take ady farther dotice of it."

"Well, I must say that it was a most unfair proceeding."

"Udfair!" cried Tom—"the desigd was burderous!"

The pistols were then restored to the case, and shortly afterwards Sylvester proceeded to his chambers, where he found a messenger from Sir Charles's attorney, by whom he was served with a notice of action.

Five years! What a variety of changes take place in five years! What aeriel castles are built but to fall: what hopes spring up and bloom but to wither: what fears are inspired but to prove that they are baseless: what beautiful bubbles are blown but to burst.

The great majority of mankind find the space of five years rich in incident; but there are individuals to whom, during five years, scarcely an incident worth recording occurs. For example, nothing of importance had occurred to either Aunt Eleanor or the reverend gentleman. They were, moreover, in precisely the same relative positions as they were five years before. It may have been imagined that they might have managed matters between them by this time; and so, indeed, they might, but they didn't. He had obtained her consent, it is true, and continued to visit her daily; nay, he had even on three occasions spoken of the contemplated "happy day;" but he never could get her to name that day, until just before those events occurred which have been detailed in the preceding chapter.

Nor had anything of importance transpired in the village. It is true that the barn which stood opposite the cottage had been, about twelvemonths before, newly thatched: it is also true that Obadiah had twice made an assignment, marvelling how it could possibly be that, while all around him were prosperous, he should be constantly involved—sometimes ascribing it to the measures of "Bobby Peel," and sometimes to those of "Johnny Russell"—but beyond this, nothing worth recording took place.