"a client should have no secrets from his

professional adviser."

"Perfectly right," Flint answered with a cheerful air; "and now, Mr. Laneton, as I perfectly understand you, I have only to express my regret that I have failed to satisfy you, and my hope that some other gentleman may be more fortunate. From this hour, I desire that, whatever may happen-whatever turn the suit may take no responsibility may attach to me. Good-day, Sir!"

He held out his hand to the capitalist, who not only took it, but held it for some moments in his grasp.

"Perhaps," he said with some hesitation"perhaps, I have been too hasty. At all events, do nothing till you hear from me further; only consider, in the mean time, how far it may be possible to meet my views, and whether it will not greatly facilitate them, if, in all steps necessary to be taken, the other side acts in concert with us."

To this Flint returned a civil answer, and took his departure.

"I must temporize with this man," Mr. Laneton thought, as Flint left the room; "I don't know what injury he may do me in revenge, if I make an enemy of him.

VOL. II.

с

As Flint turned the corner of St James's Square, his face wore as pleasant a sneer as any Timon in that fashionable quarter could desire to see.

"So ho!" said he under his breath; "so ho! this clever gentleman wants to use me, does he? He thinks no one has a right to the rewards of industry but himself. Ha! ha! I've got him tight enough; and," here he used an oath, not to be repeated, "I'll make him feel it, too, before I'm done with him."

CHAPTER II.

L'intérêt parle toutes sortes de langues, et joue toutes sortes de personages, même celui de désintéressé.-ROCHEFOUCAULD.

FLORIAN luxuriantly reclined over a late breakfast, in a noble room of the Green Park mansion. The open sashes disclosed nothing of smoky London, but gave to view a pleasing prospect of verdure and foliage. But above the trees might be seen floating the royal standard from the abode of sovereignty; and on either side were ranged some of those palatial residences, which mark by their magnificence, how nearly in wealth and splendour the nobility of England approaches the throne. From the spacious balcony, the sweet summer air brought in the perfume of flowers, and swept gratefully over his feverish face.

He had concluded the first month of his new existence-and what a month it had

been! He had been fêted, flattered, and caressed. He could not misunderstand the expression of those languishing glances, shot from fair eyes, which had greeted him. "You may throw your handkerchief to what lady you please," said the fat rascal, Freeborn. "The Grand Turk in his seraglio, at Constantinople, is not more absolute than you are now in London. Only recollect, that when your handkerchief is once thrown, your privilege is lost for ever. Make the most of your liberty, my dear fellow; it is impossible that, with so many traps laid for you, you can keep it long."

He had been royally-and more than royally-profuse in his expenditure. When he discovered that no demand would be made on his purse for household expenses, the revenue for such purposes having been carefully provided, he considered how he should be able to spend the wealth at his disposal. Conceiving, in a laudable spirit, that charitable institutions had the first claim on him, he had spent an hour in writing out cheques for those which had been most dexterously brought to his notice. In a single day, the most liberal of the liberal saw their good deeds eclipsed by the beneficence

of this young stranger. Prudent men reck-: oned up the sums which, from published lists, it was certain that he had given in donations, and marvelled what must be the amount of that wealth which could thus throw abroad superfluous thousands as ordinary men give away their loose change. There was something of childish delight in the feeling with which Florian marked this wonder. He had no notion before how easy it was to get rid of immense sums of money. The whole art he found consisted in being good-natured, and complying with every request made to him. All those ingenious people, who, in a great metropolis, minister to art and luxury, clustered round him as thickly as flies round a sugar-pot, and none of them (for he was not made of the stuff which can resist importunate flattery) went away unsatisfied.

lar.

As a natural result, he became very popuThere is no varnish like wealth to set off a man. He was elected-of course on payment of the fees-a fellow of he knew not how many learned societies. Though not prone to moralize, this led him to reflect a little. The benefactor of his youth—a man of rare and curious learning-had known, in