'I'll be there, too, some day,' he said, moaning at the prospect of an extreme age before such honours would befall him. The society of Eckart prevented me from urging him to puff me up with his talk as I should have wished, and after I had sent the German to be taken care of by Mrs. Waddy, I had grown so accustomed to the worldly view of my position that I was fearing for its stability. Threats of a petition against me were abroad. Supposing the squire disinherited me, could I stand? An extraordinary appetite for wealth, a novel appreciation of it --which was, in truth, a voluntary enlistment into the army of mankind, and the adoption of its passions--pricked me with an intensity of hope and dread concerning my dependence on my grandfather. I lay sleepless all night, tossing from Riversley to Sarkeld, condemned, it seemed, to marry Janet and gain riches and power by renouncing my hope of the princess and the glory belonging to her, unless I should within a few hours obtain a show of figures at my bankers. I had promised Etherell to breakfast with him. A note--a faint scream-- despatched by Mrs. Waddy to Mr. Temple's house informed me that 'the men' were upon them. If so, they were the forerunners of a horde, and my father was as good as extinguished. He staked everything on success; consequently, he forfeited pity. Good-bye to ambition, I thought, and ate heartily, considering robustly the while how far lower than the general level I might avoid falling. The report of the debates in morning papers--doubtless, more flowing and, perhaps, more grammatical than such as I gave ear to overnight--had the odd effect on me of relieving me from the fit of subserviency into which the speakers had sunk me.