He lived splendidly,
and spent money freely when he had it; incurred debts with
great facility when he had not--debts which he did or did not
pay, as the case might be.
It was during a winter spent at Brussels that he made the
acquaintance of Charles Moore, a young Englishman with tastes
identical with his own, but inferior to him in ability,
talents, and even in principles. A sort of partnership was
formed between them, Mr. Linders undertaking most of the work,
and the Englishman contributing his small fortune as capital;
and not only his own, but that of his sister Magdalen, a young
girl who had come abroad with her brother, the only near
relation she had in the world. M. Linders had been introduced
to her, and she, in complete ignorance of the real character
of either him or her brother Charles, had, with all the
simplicity of eighteen, straightway fallen in love with the
handsome gentlemanlike man, who, on his side, made no secret
of the impression produced on him by the great loveliness of
the English girl. Moore, who was a thoroughly heartless scamp,
had not the least compunction in agreeing to a marriage
between his sister and this man, with whose character and mode
of life he was perfectly well acquainted; indeed, it suited
his views so well, that he did what lay in his power to
forward it.
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