"Tol de rol! Tol de rol! Tol de lol, lol, lol, rido!--Ah," he added in a loud truculent tone, as Lord De la Zouch and Mr. Aubrey slowly passed him--"done for you now--'pon my life!--turned the tables!--_that_ for you!" said he, snapping his fingers; but I need hardly say that he did so with perfect impunity, as far as those two gentlemen were concerned, who were so absorbed with the grievous event which had just happened, as scarcely to be aware of their being addressed at all. "Aubrey, it's against you--all is lost; the verdict is for the plaintiff!" said Lord De la Zouch, in a hurried agitated whisper, as he grasped the hand of Mr. Aubrey, whom he had quitted for an instant to hear the verdict pronounced. Mr. Aubrey for some moments spoke not. "God's will be done!" at length said he, in a low tone, or rather in a faint murmur. More than a dozen gentlemen, who came crowding out, grasped his hand with fervent energy. "God bless you, Aubrey! God bless you!" said several voices, their speakers wringing his hands with great vehemence as they spoke. "Let us go"--said Lord De la Zouch, putting Mr. Aubrey's arm in his own, and leading him away from a scene of distressing excitement, too powerful for his exhausted feelings. "I am nothing of a fatalist," said Mr. Aubrey, after a considerable pause, during which they had quitted the Castle-gates, and his feelings had recovered from the shock which they had just before suffered;--"I am nothing of a fatalist, but I ought not to feel the least surprise at this issue, for I have long had a settled conviction that such _would_ be the issue. For some time before I had the least intimation of the commencement of these proceedings, I was oppressed by a sense of impending calamity"---- "Well, that may be so; but it does not follow that the mischief is finally _done_." "I am certain of it!--But, dear Lord De la Zouch, how much I owe to your kindness and sympathy!" said Mr. Aubrey, with a slight tremor in his voice. "We are at this moment, Aubrey, firmer friends than we ever were before. So help me Heaven! I would not lose your friendship for the world; I feel it a greater honor than I am worthy of--I do, indeed," said Lord De la Zouch, with great emotion. "There's a great gulf between us, though, Lord De la Zouch, as far as worldly circumstances are concerned--you a peer of the realm, I a beggar!" "Forgive me, Aubrey, but it is idle to talk in that way; I am hurt beyond measure at your supposing it possible that under any circumstances"---- "Believe me, I feel the full value of your friendship--more valuable at this moment than ever!" "That a serious calamity has fallen upon you is certain;--which of us, indeed, is safe from such a calamity? But who would bear it with the calm fortitude which _you_ have already evinced, my dear Aubrey?"