THE PHRENOLOGIST. 59 



" But, my dear Doctor, we lose time ; every moment is an age till 

 I can explain " 



" Be calm, my young friend/' interrupted the Doctor, " you are 

 nearer your explanation than you think, Lord Rickworth is now at 

 his seat in our neighbourhood. I must be candid with you ; I have 

 myself spoken with Lord Rickworth, who has himself seen this letter, 

 and examined the mother of the unfortunate girl who has been the 

 cause of so much calamity. Need I say, that, from this document, 

 he is fully convinced of all the other falsehoods which have been so 

 industriously circulated, and which may be traced to the same source. 

 In fact, Lord Rickworth is now in my house, and longs to take you 

 by the hand, and restore you at once to his confidence and esteem." 



The emotion of Trevor prevented him from giving utterance to his 

 thanks. He could have fallen and embraced the old man's knees 

 he could have done more, he could have confessed himself a Phreno- 

 logist ! But little time, however, was given him to compose himself, 

 for the door of the study opened, and Lord Rickworth entered. That 

 day was a day of explanation and reconciliation. The party was 

 shortly increased by the arrival of the father of Charles Trevor, who 

 had posted from town at the Doctor's summons. Lord Rickworth 

 had removed to his seat near Ariesport from town, only two days 

 previous, in consequence of the health of Lady Emily, which had 

 suffered materially, from the shock she had received at the supposed 

 unworthiness of her lover. It was reported that he had fled to France. 

 So artfully had the machinations of Frank Trevor been carried on 

 against his more successful rival for the hand of the daughter of 

 Lord Rickworth, that they had escaped the suspicion of all parties 

 but him who they had injured ; and Charles's last interview with 

 Lord Rickworth was too hasty and angry to admit of accusation or 

 explanation. It was now rendered shorter and more satisfactory, by 

 the confession of the unfortunate victim of Frank Trevor's depravity. 



The rest is easily told. There was a certain ceremony performed 

 shortly afterwards, at St. George's, Hanover-square ; and a paragraph 

 went the round of the newspapers, headed tf Marriage in high life," 

 &c. The bells at Ariesport rung merrily that is, as merrily as their 

 infirmities would permit them, on the arrival of Charles Trevor, Esq. 

 and Lady Emily, at their mansion in the neighbourhood, some little 

 time subsequent to the event mentioned above ; and, within an hour 

 after, did Charles Trevor, waving all ceremony, find himself vis a vis 

 the Phrenologist, in his triangular study, at Occiput House. 



" Now, my dear Doctor," said he, earnestly, " to you I am indebted 

 for my life, and to your kind services I am indebted for its greatest 

 blessing my wife. Suffer me to ask you in what manner I can best 

 shew my gratitude to you." 



" My young friend," said the Doctor, kindly, " I shall tax you 

 very hardly. Since your departure, I have been engaged in the com- 

 mencement of a treatise, in which the circumstances of your own case 

 are brought forward, to prove the advantages of science, over every 

 other evidence, in the cause of truth. You must assist me in this; 

 and further," interrupting Trevor, who was about to speak, " not a 

 word about the duck's egg you were wrong there, I assure you." 



