of marrying. What is a wife but a pretended stumbling-block in the man's path, who has his way to make in the world?"
"I should rather say," exclaimed Charles, "a wife would be a perpetual stimulus to exertion and to perseverance."
"The expences of married life," said Lord Penrhyn, rather thinking his own thoughts aloud than answering, "are awful. I have often thought that women were superfluities in creation. There is, of course," added he, suddenly recollecting himself, "an exception in favour of your dear sister."
Charles knew his brother-in-law well enough to see that any attempt to enlist Lord Penrhyn's kindness on his side was in vain; he therefore decided to try another plan, and the most direct appeared also the best. "Your opinion of the ill consequences of matrimony," said he, "have put out of my head what I called this evening about. Leaving my future wife till I find her, let me think of my actually existing self. I hear that the place of secretary of legation will soon be vacant at the court of; will you use your interest to get me appointed?"
"I heard of this before," said his lordship, every feature growing more harsh than usual with denial, "but Sir Charles Neville is trying to procure it for his third son."
"Why," exclaimed Penrhyn, "he is utterly unfit for such a situation; Robert is but one remove from a fool."
