cause, induce Lacy to overlook the numerous attendant stains upon his honesty, and lend him his future countenance and protection, he might hope to derive no slight advantage. These were some of the sentiments that flashed across the mind of Allen, and they disposed him to make his peace with Lacy, and to lay open the iniquities of Sackville.

This important step was immediately taken; and in a short time Lacy became possessed of a complete knowledge of the various arts which had been employed against him, by the man whom he once thought his friend. When Allen had opened his communications, he took care to gain some credit to himself, by making them full and satisfactory, and extending them to every particular in which Lacy was likely to be interested. They therefore embraced not only the machinations of which Lacy seemed the immediate object, but those by which Sackville had effected his engagement with Miss Morton.

Deep was the disgust and indignation of Lacy, as this dark picture of subtle villainy was gradually unfolded. His surprise was less;

for it could hardly be said that the truth had burst upon him unexpectedly. The communication did but serve to confirm previous suspicions of foul play, for which he had formerly reproached himself, and which he had tried to dismiss, as illiberal and ungrounded.

But it was now no time to dwell on retrospects. The present emergency called for action. The course of explanation was only begun, and much misunderstanding was still to be removed, between Lacy and Mr. Morton. A letter was immediately sent to the latter, by Lacy, from Allen's abode. It requested, in pressing terms, the favour of an admission to an immediate conference, and without entering into any explanatory details, briefly signified its important object.

A favourable answer was returned; and Lacy, attended by Allen and Wilkinson, repaired to the house of Mr. Morton.

CHAPTER XVI.

Telle est la force d'un sentiment vrai que, lorsqu'il parle, les interpretations fausses et les convenances factises se taisent.

B. CONSTANT. Adolphe.'

To detail the progress of the investigation which took place in the presence of Mr. Morton, would be merely to recapitulate circumstances with which our readers are already acquainted. Suffice it to say that, in the course of that conference, the artifices of Sackville were completely unmasked, and the integrity of Lacy established, in a manner that carried entire conviction to the mind of Mr. Morton.

Sackville, meanwhile, remained in ignorance of the event which tended so materially to affect

his views; and knew not that, in one hour, the specious fabric of artifice, which he had so long and anxiously reared, had crumbled to dust beneath the touch of truth. Such had been the promptitude of Lacy's proceedings, that the interviews with Allen and with Mr. Morton had both taken place, before Sackville knew that he was returned to London.

On the morning after Sackville's last angry conference with Allen, he was engaged with business, and obliged to forego an intended visit to the Mortons. Having, however, dispatched his affairs, he was on the point of bending his course towards the residence of the Mortons, when a packet was put into his hand. It was in Mr. Morton's hand-writing; and Sackville, on perusing it, found, with shame and dismay, that it contained a full and circumstantial statement of many of those parts of his past conduct which he was most desirous of concealing. The communication was also accompanied with copies of those letters and papers, the possession

of which he had been so anxious to obtain from Allen. In short, the exposure seemed to have been complete; and the concluding part of the letter showed that the impression made by it upon the sentiments of Mr. Morton, was of the most unfavourable kind. It refused to admit Sackville to a personal conference, until he had sent, in writing, a denial of the truth of the allegations made against him and of the authenticity of the letters and papers which supported them.

"If," pursued Mr. Morton, "you cannot make this denial, and also establish its correctness; if you cannot remove the opinion, which (though much against my will) I am now bound to entertain, by contrary testimony of as powerful a description; if you cannot impugn the veracity of Allen, it is almost needless for me to say that we can no longer meet on the same terms as formerly, and it will be better for both of us if we never meet again. Your character must be thoroughly cleared from every stain