Excerpt from A New Way to Pay Old Debts: With Introduction and Notes

His property, in the assured hope that he will thereby reap a reward much greater than he could ever expect from his niggardly and tyrannical employer. Wellborn's plot being so far advanced, we come to a scene in which Lovell is received at Overreach's country-seat in the character of a suitor for Margaret's hand. But here again the usurer is the subject of a stratagem planned between Lovell and his page. Lovell is to play the part of lover only in order to arrange for the elopement of Margaret with Allworth. A mighty feast has been prepared by Overreach, when, as the guests are about to sit down to it, Lady Allworth presents herself at the house. With her is W'ellborn, to whom for her sake Overreach not only extends his hospitality, but supplies him with a thousand pounds to enable him to pay his petty debts and marry the widow, of whose wealth he hopes to make himself master through the prodigality of her husband. Meanwhile, Lovell's pretended courtship of Margaret has gone on so well that Overreach, in hot haste to secure a titled son-in-law, arranges to have the marriage performed at another country-honse of his by a resident chaplain whose ready subservience will waive the usual legal formalities. Lovell and Margaret, the latter with pre tended reluctance, assent to the arrangement, the plot of course being that Allworth shall take the place of Lovell. To this end Lovell tells Overreaeh that for family reasons he would prefer the wedding to be a private one, and that even his name should be concealed from the chaplain. The directions sent to that functionary are therefore in the words Marry her to this gentleman, and Margaret, Lovell, and Allworth set out on their journey. In their absence Over mch, who has been tricked into the belief of a secret marriage between Lady Allworth and Wellbom, thinks the moment has come for demanding from the latter adequate security for his loan of a thousand pounds. Wellborn not.

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