look upon—­the index of an honorable, sincere nature—­not that it would have been called a handsome face, so much as a pleasing and a distinguished one.  Though but the son of a country lawyer, and destined to be a lawyer himself, he had received the training of a gentleman, had been educated at Rugby, and taken his degree at Oxford.  He advanced at once to the earl, in the straightforward way of a man of business—­of a man who has come on business.

“Mr. Carlyle,” said the latter, holding out his hand—­he was always deemed the most affable peer of the age—­“I am happy to see you.  You perceive I cannot rise, at least without great pain and inconvenience.  My enemy, the gout, has possession of me again.  Take a seat.  Are you staying in town?”

“I have just arrived from West Lynne.  The chief object of my journey was to see your lordship.”

“What can I do for you?” asked the earl, uneasily; for a suspicion had crossed his mind that Mr. Carlyle might be acting for some one of his many troublesome creditors.

Mr. Carlyle drew his chair nearer to the earl, and spoke in a low tone,—­

“A rumor came to my ears, my lord, that East Lynne was in the market.”

“A moment, sir,” exclaimed the earl, with reserve, not to say hauteur in his tone, for his suspicions were gaining ground; “are we to converse confidentially together, as men of honor, or is there something concealed behind?”

“I do not understand you,” said Mr. Carlyle.

“In a word—­excuse my speaking plainly, but I must feel my ground—­are you here on the part of some of my rascally creditors, to pump information out of me, that otherwise they would not get?”

“My lord,” uttered the visitor, “I should be incapable of so dishonorable an action.  I know that a lawyer gets credit for possessing but lax notions on the score of honor, but you can scarcely suspect that I should be guilty of underhand work toward you.  I never was guilty of a mean trick in my life, to my recollection, and I do not think I ever shall be.”

“Pardon me, Mr. Carlyle.  If you knew half the tricks and ruses played upon me, you would not wonder at my suspecting all the world.  Proceed with your business.”

“I heard that East Lynne was for private sale; your agent dropped half a word to me in confidence.  If so, I should wish to be the purchaser.”

“For whom?” inquired the earl.

“Myself.”

“You!” laughed the earl.  “Egad!  Lawyering can’t be such bad work, Carlyle.”

“Nor is it,” rejoined Mr. Carlyle, “with an extensive, first-class connection, such as ours.  But you must remember that a good fortune was left me by my uncle, and a large one by my father.”

“I know.  The proceeds of lawyering also.”

“Not altogether.  My mother brought a fortune on her marriage, and it enabled my father to speculate successfully.  I have been looking out for an eligible property to invest my money upon, and East Lynne will suit me well, provided I can have the refusal of it, and we can agree about the terms.”