I have already told you how much it flatters me to be consulted by the most helpless clerk in office; how much more about the private concerns of an enlightened young--friend, will Lord Colambre permit me to say?
I hope so; for though the length of our acquaintance might not justify the word, yet regard and intimacy are not always in proportion to the time people have known each other, but to their mutual perception of certain attaching qualities, a certain similarity and suitableness of character.' The good count, seeing that Lord Colambre was in much distress of mind, did all he could to soothe him by kindness; far from making any difficulty about giving up a few hours of his time, he seemed to have no other object in London, and no purpose in life, but to attend to our hero.

To put him at ease, and to give him time to recover and arrange his thoughts, the count talked of indifferent subjects.
'I think I heard you mention the name of Sir James Brooke.' 'Yes, I expected to have seen him when the servant first mentioned a friend from Ireland; because Sir James had told me that, as soon as he could get leave of absence, he would come to England.' 'He is come; is now at his estate is Huntingdonshire; doing, what do you think?
I will give you a leading hint; recollect the seal which the little De Cresey put into your hands the day you dined at Oranmore.
Faithful to his motto, "Deeds not words," he is this instant, I believe, at deeds, title-deeds; making out marriage settlements, getting ready to put his seal to the happy articles.' 'Happy man! I give him joy,' said Lord Colambre; 'happy man! going to be married to such a woman--daughter of such a mother.' 'Daughter of such a mother! That is indeed a great addition and a great security to his happiness,' said the count.

'Such a family to marry into; good from generation to generation; illustrious by character as well as by genealogy; "all the sons brave, and all the daughters chaste."'-- Lord Colambre with difficulty repressed his feelings.--'if I could choose, I would rather that a woman I loved were of such a family than that she had for her dower the mines of Peru.' 'So would I,' cried Lord Colambre.
'I am glad to hear you say so, my lord, and with such energy; so few young men of the present day look to what I call good connexion.

In marrying, a man does not, to be sure, marry his wife's mother; and yet a prudent man, when he begins to think of the daughter, would look sharp at the mother; ay, and back to the grandmother too, and along the whole female line of ancestry.' 'True--most true--he ought he must.' 'And I have a notion,' said the count, smiling, 'your lordship's practice has been conformable to your theory.' 'I!--mine!' said Lord Colambre, starling, and looking at the count with surprise.
'I beg your pardon,' said the count; 'I did not intend to surprise your confidence.

But you forget that I was present, and saw the impression which was made on your mind by a mother's want of a proper sense of delicacy and propriety--Lady Dashfort.' 'Oh, Lady Dashfort! she was quite out of my head.' 'And Lady Isabel ?--I hope she is quite out of your heart.' 'She never was in it,' said Lord Colambre.
'Only laid siege to it,' said the count.