for his own purposes.  The finding poor Maria open to the admiration he gave her beauty, put it into his head to make a tool of her; and this was not the first time he had used Edward’s seal, or imitated his writing.  No wonder there was such a confusion in the accounts as told so much against Edward.  He told the particulars, Edward says, with the strangest mixture of remorse and exultation.  At last came the journey to Bohemia, and his frauds became the more easy, until he saw there must be a bankruptcy, and made the last bold stroke, investing the money abroad in his own name, so that he would have been ready to escape if Edward had come home again.  He never expected but that Edward would have returned, and finding the affairs hopeless, did this deed in order to have a resource.  As to regret, he seemed to feel some when he said the effects had gone farther than he anticipated; but ’I could not let him get into that subject,’ Edward said, and he soon came back to his amused complacency in his complete hoodwinking of all concerned at home, almost thanking Edward for the facilities his absence had given him.  After this, he went abroad, taking Maria lest she should betray him on being cast off; and they lived in such style at German gambling places that destitution brought them back again to England, where he could better play the lecturer, and the artist in search of subscriptions.  Edward could not help smiling over some of his good stories, rather as ‘the lord’ may have ’commended the wisdom of his unjust steward.’  Well, here he came, and, as he said, he really could hardly have helped himself; he had only to stand still and let poor Rachel deceive herself, and the whole concern was in a manner thrust upon him.  He was always expecting to be able to get the main sum into his hands, as he obtained more confidence from Rachel, and the woodcuts were an over-bold stroke for the purpose; he had not intended her to keep or show them, but her ready credulity tempted him too far; and I cannot help laughing now at poor Edward’s reproofs to us for having been all so easily cheated, now that he has been admitted behind the scenes.  Maddox never suspected our neighbourhood, he had imagined us to be still in London, and though he heard Alison’s name, he did not connect it with us.  After all, what you thought would have been fatal to your hopes of tracing him, was really what gave him into our hands—­Lady Temple’s sudden descent upon their F. U. E. E. If he had not been so hurried and distressed as to be forced to leave Maria and the poor child to her fate, Maria would have held by him to the last and without her testimony where should we have been?  But with a summons out against him, and hearing that Maria had been recognised, he could only fly to the place at Bristol that he thought unknown to Maria.  Even when seized by the police, he did not know it was she who directed them, and had not expected her evidence till he actually saw and heard her on the night of the sessions.  It was