“Pshaw!  George,” interrupts Mr. Snivel, brightening up, “be a philosopher.  Chivalry, you know-chivalry!  A dashing fellow like you should doff the kid to a knight of his metal:  challenge him.”  Mr. Snivel reaches over the table and pats his opponent on the arm.  “These women, George!  Funny things, eh?  Make any kind of love-have a sample for every sort of gallant, and can make the quantity to suit the purchaser.  ’Pon my soul this is my opinion.  I’m a lawyer, know pretty well how the sex lay their points.  As for these unfortunate devils, as we of the profession call them (he pauses and empties his glass, saying, not bad for a house of this kind), there are so many shades of them, life is such a struggle with them; they dream of broken hopes, and they die sighing to think how good a thing is virtue.  You only love this girl because she is beautiful, and beautiful women, at best, are the most capricious things in the world.  D-n it, you have gone through enough of this kind of life to be accustomed to it.  We think nothing of these things, in Charleston-bless you, nothing!  Keep the Judge your friend-his position may give him a means to serve you.  A man of the world ought at all times to have the private friendship of as many judges as he can.”

“Never! poor as I am-outcast as I feel myself!  I want no such friendship.  Society may shun me, the community may fear me, necessity may crush me-yea! you may regard me as a villain if you will, but, were I a judge, I would scorn to use my office to serve base ends.”  As he says this he draws a pistol from his pocket, and throwing it defiantly upon the table, continues as his lip curls with scorn, “poor men’s lives are cheap in Charleston-let us see what rich men’s are worth!”

“His age, George!—­you should respect that!” says Mr. Snivel, laconically.

“His age ought to be my protection.”

“Ah!—­you forget that the follies of our nature too often go with us to the grave.”

“And am I to suffer because public opinion honors him, and gives him power to disgrace me?  Can he rob me of the one I love-of the one in whose welfare my whole soul is staked, and do it with impunity?”

“D—­d inconvenient, I know, George.  Sympathize with you, I do.  But, you see, we are governed here by the laws of chivalry.  Don’t let your (I am a piece of a philosopher, you see) temper get up, keep on a stiff upper lip.  You may catch him napping.  I respect your feelings, my dear fellow; ready to do you a bit of a good turn-you understand!  Now let me tell you, my boy, he has made her his adopted, and to-morrow she moves with him to his quiet little villa near the Magnolia.”

“I am a poor, forlorn wretch,” interrupts George, with a sigh.  “Those of whom I had a right to expect good counsel, and a helping hand, have been first to encourage me in the ways of evil—­”