Sir Richard undertook to disclose the affair to Lord Montreville, and to parry the first effusions of his Lordship's anger by a very common, yet generally successful stratagem, that of affecting to be angry first, and drowning by his own clamours the complaints of the party really injured. For this purpose, he waited early one morning on Lord Montreville, and with a countenance where scornful superiority was dismissed for pusillanimous dejection, he began.-- 'My Lord--when I reflect and consider and remember the innumerable, invaluable and extraordinary favours, kindnesses and obligations I owe your Lordship, my heart bleeds--and I lament and deplore and regret that it is my lot to announce and declare and discover, what will I fear give infinite concern and distress and uneasiness to you--and my Lord----' 'What is all this, Sir Richard?' cried Lord Montreville, hastily interrupting him.--'Is Delamere married?' 'Heaven forbid!' answered the hypocritical Crofts.--'Bad, and unwelcome, and painful as what I have to say is, it does not amount or arise to that misfortune and calamity.' 'Whatever it is Sir,' said his Lordship impatiently, 'let me hear it at once.--Is it a dismission from my office?' 'Never, I hope!' replied Sir Richard. 'At least, for many years to come, may this country not know and feel and be sensible of such a loss, deprivation and defection. My Lord, my present concern is of a very different nature; and I do assure and protest to your Lordship that no time nor intreaties nor persuasion will erase and obliterate and wipe away from my mind, the injury and prejudice the parties have done _me_, by thus----' 'Keep me no longer in suspense!' almost angrily cried Lord Montreville. 'Mr. Crofts, my Lord; Mr. Crofts is, I find, married--' 'To _my_ daughter, Sir Richard.--Is it not so?' 'He is indeed, my Lord! and from this moment I disclaim, and renounce and protest against him; for my Lord----' Sir Richard continued his harangue, to which Lord Montreville did not seem to attend. He was a moment silent, and then said-- 'I have been more to blame than the parties.--I might have foreseen this. But I thought Fanny's pride a sufficient defence against an inferior alliance. Pray Sir, does Lady Montreville know of this marriage?'