friendship, I am come to ask an explanation and give redress, if it is in my power."
"What redress," answered Sir Howard vehemently, "can you give me. Sir, for confidence betrayed,—betrayed by having turned it to your own profit? But think you, Sir, I shall tamely submit myself to become your dupe?"
"You wrong me, Sir Howard; I swear by my honour you wrong me."
"Honour!" repeated his antagonist sarcastically.
He would have said more, but he thought it better not to provoke his retorts, which perhaps could be as well applied as his own.
"I thought to have found in you," said he, lowering his accent, "a staunch friend, one who would have aided me in my views, instead of interfering only to oppose them, and throw me at a greater distance from my object. You must know to what I allude,—the affair relating to Rosilia De Brooke."
Sir Howard then used threats and imprecations highly calculated to disquiet his rival, who finding it necessary to appease his wrath, replied,
"Sir Howard, may I beseech you to moderate your feelings and listen to me? without the smallest equivocation or deviation from the truth, I will give you a plain, candid, unvarnished statement of the whole affair, such as it really is. I love Rosilia De Brooke! I will not deny it. Nay, Sir Howard hear me out. It was yourself, you must blame yourself, in having first awakened my imagination in the de-
