It must
be owned, if such was the case, he was long and severely punished for an
offence of very brief duration.
After some pause, the Lord Keeper resumed the conversation.--
"In your surprise at finding me an honester man than you expected, you
have lost your curiosity about this Craigengelt, my good Master; and yet
your name was brought in, in the course of that matter too."
"The scoundrel!" said Ravenswood. "My connexion with him was of the
most temporary nature possible; and yet I was very foolish to hold any
communication with him at all. What did he say of me?"
"Enough," said the Keeper, "to excite the very loyal terrors of some
of our sages, who are for proceeding against men on the mere grounds of
suspicion or mercenary information. Some nonsense about your proposing
to enter into the service of France, or of the Pretender, I don't
recollect which, but which the Marquis of A----, one of your best
friends, and another person, whom some call one of your worst and most
interested enemies, could not, somehow, be brought to listen to."
"I am obliged to my honourable friend; and yet," shaking the Lord
Keeper's hand--"and yet I am still more obliged to my honourable enemy.
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