Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

1 48 RAVENSHOE.
world as an English Roman Catholic of fortune. Good heavens!
with your talent, you might aspire to the cardinal's chair!"
"No, no, no! " said Mackworth, fiercely. "I did hesitate, and
I have lied to you; but I hesitate no longer. I won't have the
subject mentioned to me again, sir. What sort of a gentleman
are you to come to men's rooms in the dead of night, with your
father lying dead in the house, and tempt men to felony? I will
not."
" God knows," said Cuthbert, as he passed out, "whether I
have lost heaven by trying to save him."
Mackworth heard the door close behind him, and then looked
eagerly towards it. He heard Cuthbert's footsteps die along the
corridor, and then, rising up, he opened it and looked out. The
corridor was empty. He walked hurriedly back to the fireplace.
" Shall I call him back? " he said. " It is not too late. Ten thousand pounds! A greater stake than I played for; and now, when
it is at my feet, I am throwing it away. And for what? For
honor, after I have acted the " (he could not say the word).
"After I have gone so far. I must be a gentleman. A common
rogue would have jumped at the offer. By Heaven! there are
some things better than money. If I were to take his offer he
would know me for a rogue. And I love the lad. No, no! let
the fool go to his prayers. I will keep the respect of one man
at least.
"What a curious jumble and puzzle it all is, to be sure. Am
I any worse thanrmy neighbors? I have made a desperate attempt at power, for a name, and an ambition; and then, because
the ball comes suddenly at my feet, from a quarter I did not
expect, I dare not strike it because I fear the contempt of one
single pair of eyes from which I have been used to receive
nothing but love and reverence.
" Yet, he cannot trust me, as I thought he did, or he would not
have made the offer to me. And then he made it in such a confident way that he must have thought I was going to accept it.
That is strange. He has never rebelled lately. Am I throwing
away substance for shadow? I have been bound to the Church
body and soul from my boyhood, and I must go on. I have refused a cardinal's chair this night. But who will ever know it?
"I must go about with my lord Saltire. I could go at him
with more confidence if I had ten thousand pounds in the bank
though, in case of a failure. I am less afraid of that terrible old
heretic than I am of those great eyes of Cuthbert's turned on me
in scorn. I have lived so long among gentlemen that I believe
myself to be one. He knows, and he shall tell.
" And, if all fails, I have served the Church, and the Church
shall serve me. What fools the best of us are! Why did I