A reconciliation with Ravenswood was
likely to give him an opportunity to play his own game with the Marquis
of A----. "And besides," said he to himself, "it will be an act of
generosity to raise up the heir of this distressed family; and if he is
to be warmly and effectually befriended by the new government, who knows
but my virtue may prove its own reward?"
Thus thought Sir William Ashton, covering with no unusual self-delusion
his interested views with a hue of virtue; and having attained this
point, his fancy strayed still farther. He began to bethink himself,
"That if Ravenswood was to have a distinguished place of power and
trust, and if such a union would sopite the heavier part of his
unadjusted claims, there might be worse matches for his daughter Lucy:
the Master might be reponed against the attainder. Lord Ravenswood was
an ancient title, and the alliance would, in some measure, legitimate
his own possession of the greater part of the Master's spoils, and make
the surrender of the rest a subject of less bitter regret."
With these mingled and multifarious plans occupying his head, the Lord
Keeper availed himself of my Lord Bittlebrains's repeated invitation
to his residence, and thus came within a very few miles of Wolf's
Crag.
Pages:
281
282
283
284
285
286
287
288
289
290
291
292
293
294
295
296
297
298
299
300
301
302
303
304
305