"
"Ay?" said Burley; "indeed? Is such truly your hope? Wilt thou express it
more plainly?"
"In a word, then," said Morton, "you have exercised, by means at which I
can guess, a secret, but most prejudicial, influence over the fortunes of
Lady Margaret Bellenden and her granddaughter, and in favour of that
base, oppressive apostate, Basil Olifant, whom the law, deceived by thy
operations, has placed in possession of their lawful property."
"Sayest thou?" said Balfour.
"I do say so," replied Morton; "and face to face you will not deny what
you have vouched by your handwriting."
"And suppose I deny it not," said Balfour; "and suppose that
thy--eloquence were found equal to persuade me to retrace the steps I
have taken on matured resolve,--what will be thy meed? Dost thou still
hope to possess the fair-haired girl, with her wide and rich
inheritance?"
"I have no such hope," answered Morton, calmly.
"And for whom, then, hast thou ventured to do this great thing,--to seek
to rend the prey from the valiant, to bring forth food from the den of
the lion, and to extract sweetness from the maw of the devourer? For
whose sake hast thou undertaken to read this riddle, more hard than
Samson's?"
"For Lord Evandale's and that of his bride," replied Morton, firmly.
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