I'd scarce recovered
from my wound when I was arrested at Rofflash's instigation and thrown
into Newgate."
"I suppose she did right and you, too, Mr. Vane," rejoined Lavinia with
a toss of her head. "It is naught to do with me. Let us talk of other
matters. Mr. Gay tells me your father's a clergyman."
"Yes. He would have had me be one too, but I hated everything to do with
the Church. We parted in anger, and I went my own way. Ill luck followed
me. I've made a mess of my life. Everything went wrong. I thought
Fortune was coming my way when I met you, but she turned her back."
"That wasn't my fault, Mr. Vane."
"Great heaven, no! 'Twas entirely my own folly and accursed fate. I've
no one to blame but myself. Wine was an easy way of drowning my
troubles."
"You've no need to remind me of that, Mr. Vane," put in Lavinia hastily.
"I beg your pardon for going over my sins, but open confession's good
for the soul, they say."
"I'd rather not hear about your sins, Mr. Vane. I don't want to listen
when you talk like that. Tell me something of the other side."
"I doubt if there is another side," he rejoined in deep dejection. "I've
had to come back to my father. He's vicar of a parish not far from here.
You see my stay in Newgate and my trial ruined me. The publishers
refused me employment and even my old companions turned their backs upon
me."
"That was no loss.
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