Oh, no, that man's
honest--there can;t be any mistake about it."
From this topic he could not help reverting, as he pursued his way
home, to the hints he had received with respect to Hycy Burke's enemity
towards him, the cause of which he could not clearly understand. Hycy
Burke had, in general, the character of being a generous, dashing
young fellow, with no fault unless a disposition to gallantry and a
thoughtless inclination for extravagance; for such were the gentle
terms in which habits of seduction and an unscrupulous profligacy in
the expenditure of money were clothed by those who at once fleeced and
despised him, but who were numerous enough to impress those opinions
upon a great number of the people. In turning over matters as they stood
between them, he could trace Burke's enemity to no adequate cause;
nor indeed could he believe it possible that he entertained any such
inveterate feeling of hostility against him. They had of late frequently
met, on which occasion Hycy spoke to him with nearly as much cordiality
as ever. Still, however, he could not altogether free himself from
the conviction, that both Clinton and Fethertonge must have had
unquestionable grounds for the hints which they had in such a friendly
way thrown out to him.
In this mood he was proceeding when he heard the noise of horses' feet
behind, and in a few minutes Hycy himself and young Clinton overtook him
at a rapid pace.
Pages:
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166