"Not a scrape? eh, my boy!"--and Lord Cumberworth, whose morals were not puritanical, smiled. "It can't be Lady Westhope, she is such a prude. You have not been playing the fool, I hope?" continued Lord Cumberworth, putting more of parental gravity into his countenance. "I have been guilty of nothing wrong in deed or thought," replied De Molton with seriousness. "Egad! but there's a woman in question though," replied Lord Cumberworth. "You are not in any danger of marrying?" and his face really assumed an expression of sincere alarm. "Not exactly, father; but I am unfortunately attached to a person who is on the eve of marriage with another." "Thank heaven that is all!" exclaimed Lord Cumberworth. "Remember one thing, Frank--a man is never thoroughly undone till he is married." De Molton remained silent. His father's tone of feeling was so little in unison with his own, that he wished to say no more upon the subject than was absolutely necessary. "Does the girl like you, my boy?" added Lord Cumberworth. De Molton was somewhat perplexed how to answer, but he said, "I told you, father, she was going to be married to another man." "Ah! but women have married a rich man, when they have been in love with a poor man, before now. And you are a d----sh handsome fellow, and more like me than any of my children. Well, don't look so sheepish, like a bashful maiden yourself. Is the girl in love with you?" "I conclude not," resolutely answered De Molton. "Have you told her you are in love with her?" "Why, yes, I have." "And she was not angry, eh? Come, I suppose your nice sense of honour will allow you to say whether she is very much in love with her future husband or not?" "I should say she esteemed him highly, but was not precisely in love with him," was De Molton's guarded reply. "Wheugh--gh--gh!" with an elevation of the eye-brows, and a sound that ended in something like a whistle, was the response produced by this last communication of his son's. "You had better go, my boy. I see how it is: if you stay, we shall have the marriage broken off and the d--l to pay. Ah! well I am sorry to part with you, but you had better go--we will do no more about the exchange. But I am as hungry as a hound--I have eat nothing since I left Brighton. There is no dinner in the house--nothing in it but the old housemaid: we can't roast her--she would be tougher than Pedrillo. Let's be off to Brookes's. By the by, you don't belong to Brookes's: I remember you said it was too expensive, when George wanted to get you put up. Well, you can eat your dinner at your Junior United Service Club; and we will meet here, at home, at ten o'clock, and talk matters over quietly."