"Will he not be an excellent hero of romance ?" Emmeline answered, that as she already knew him, she could not throw around him the halo of imagination; she was content to admire his character as it was, without decking him in other charms.

Their further conversation turned upon other and indifferent subjects till Mrs.
Cameron departed.
The death of Lady Helen and the misconduct of her son had cast such deep gloom over Moorlands, that not only Emmeline, but both Mr.and Mrs.
Hamilton feared Grahame would never arouse himself from the moody apathy into which he had fallen.

He felt disgrace had fallen on his name, a stain never to be erased; that all men would shun the father of one so publicly dishonoured.

The extent of Cecil's conduct was scarcely known even to his father; but that he had used dishonest measures at the gambling table to discharge enormous debts; that he had behaved insolently to his superior officers; that it required great interest to prevent a much harsher sentence than had been his punishment--these facts were known all over England.

The previously unsullied name of Grahame was now synonymous with infamy; and it was even supposed Cecil would never show his face in England again.