DILEMMAS OF PRIDE.
BY MARGRACIA LOUDON
THE AUTHOR OF FIRST LOVE.
IN THREE VOLUMES.
VOL. III.
LONDON:
BULL AND CHURTON, HOLLES STREET.
1833.
CONTENTS
CHAPTER I.
CHAPTER II.
CHAPTER III.
CHAPTER IV.
CHAPTER V.
CHAPTER VI.
CHAPTER VII.
CHAPTER VIII.
CHAPTER IX.
CHAPTER X.
CHAPTER XI.
CHAPTER XII.
CHAPTER XIII.
CHAPTER XIV.
CHAPTER XV.
CHAPTER XVI.
CHAPTER XVII.
CHAPTER XVIII.
CHAPTER XIX.
CHAPTER XX.
CHAPTER XXI.
CHAPTER XXII.
CHAPTER XXIII.
CHAPTER XXIV.
DILEMMAS OF PRIDE.
CHAPTER I.
We shall here pause for a few moments to give a slight sketch of theprincipal agent employed by Geoffery in this part of the business, andindeed in the conduct of the whole affair.
In Arden, the neighbouring county town, there lived a solicitor, who,unfortunately for the honour of humanity and his own especial calling,was without exception, the most thorough-paced villain unhanged; nay,many have been hanged who were not half as bad; for this man was notonly without remorse of conscience, but also without remorse of heart.His only reason for committing more robberies than murders was, that theformer crime was in general more profitable than the latter; but as towho died the lingering death of a broken heart, he cared not, so long ashe gained a few pounds by the transaction.
He was known for a mean contemptible fellow, and consequently possessedbut little of the confidence of the higher orders, so that when he couldcatch a gentleman to plunder, it was a sort of prize in the lottery tohim; but unfortunate tradesmen in a little way, were his natural prey:to such, when perishing in the gulf of misery, he pretended to stretch ahelping hand, but with that very hand assisted in the work ofdestruction, and finally possessed himself of the wreck of theirfortunes. This fellow, by name Fips, had long been Geoffery Arden'sright-hand man, and for all his services had invariably been one way orother payed out of Sir Willoughby's pocket. Such was the fittingcoadjutor to whom Geoffery applied for that assistance which the presentmomentous occasion demanded, as the following interview will showwithout absolutely committing himself.
Fips, who had just dined, was seated in an old-fashioned black-bottomedmahogany arm-chair, which he filled, or rather over-filled, in much thesame manner as a feather-bed tucked into the same piece of furniturewould have done; and had