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v.  I 


THE   FAT  OF  THE   LAND 


THE    FAT    OF    THE    LAND 


A    NOVEL 


BY 


M  A  R Y      LESTER 

(MARIA.    SOLTERA) 

AUTHOR  OF   'A  LADY'S  RIDE  ACROSS  SPANISH   HONDURAS' 


IN    THREE    VOLUMES 
VOL.     I. 


WILLIAM     BLACKWOOD     AND     SONS 
EDINBURGH     AND     LONDON 
MDCCCLXXXVIII 


All  Rights  reserved 


V,  1 


CONTENTS   OF   THE   FIRST   VOLUME. 


IS 


CHAP. 
I. 

II. 

III. 

IV. 

V. 

VI. 

VII. 

VIII. 

IX. 

X. 

XI. 


XII. 
XIII. 

1 


hunter's  lodge,    ..... 

HYGIEIA,  ...... 

SOME    RETROSPECTION,        .... 

MISS    FANSHAWE,       ..... 

THE    WORKING    OF    THE    EAST    WIND.   . 

THE    BANKS    OF    THE    YAR, 

SOME    MEMBERS    OF    THE    LA    TOUCHE    FAMILY, 

MR    GLASCOTT,  ..... 

COLONEL    LEPPELL    IN    LONDON, 

IN  RE    MARMADUKE,  .... 

COLONEL    LEPPELL    AT    PARIS,     . 
STEPHEN    LA    TOUCHE    AT    PINNACLES, 
JONATHAN    SIKES,     ..... 


1 

23 

46 

63 

86 

110 

134 

159 

181 

202 

231 

253 

274 


THE   FAT    OF   THE   LAND. 


CHAPTER    I. 


HUNTER  S    LODGE. 


"When  sorrows  come,  they  come  not  single  spies, 
But  in  battalions." 

— Shakespeare. 


A  still  night  in  the  end  of  March,  wherein  the  crisp 
air  was  tempered  by  the  faint  perfume  which  a  recent 
rainfall  had  drawn  forth  from  the  early  spring  blossoms 
and  the  newly  upturned  earth.  This  shower  had  not 
only  freshened  the  budding  trees,  but  it  had  effect- 
ually laid  low  the  dust,  which  for  weeks  past  had 
powdered  alike  every  hedgerow  and  tussock  in  the 
village  of  Blythe,  and  taken  away  for  the  nonce  the 
palm  for  bright  delicate  spring  tints  and  emerald 
green  turf,  which  had  been  for  years  past  conceded 
to  this  charming  nook  of  East  Yarneshire. 

The  night  was  wearing  on,  and  it  was  strange  at 
this  season  to  see  the  mistress  of  Hunter's  Lodge  pace 

VOL.   I.  A 


2  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

up  and  down  the  gravel  walk  in  front  of  the  house, 
and  occasionally  pass  through  the  broad  barred  gate 
which  opened  upon  the  road,  and  look  about  her 
anxiously  in  the  direction  of  the  county -town  of 
Yarne,  from  whence,  it  was  evident,  she  was  in  ex- 
pectation for  somebody  who  ought  to  come.  Usually 
this  lady  was  of  a  quiet  imperturbable  nature,  and 
seldom  demonstrative  for  either  joy  or  sorrow.  Her 
experience  of  life  hitherto  had  been  such,  that  to  take 
the  rough  with  the  smooth  was  (if  not  always  the 
wiser),  for  her,  the  more  expedient  plan. 

When  much  aggravated  or  disturbed,  Mrs  Leppell — 
ox-eyed  as  Juno — would  open  her  splendid  orbs  to 
their  fullest  extent,  and  fix  them  with  a  scintillating 
light,  which,  together  with  the  working  of  her  exqui- 
sitely curved  nostrils,  served  not  only  to  make  her  look 
handsomer  than  she  really  was,  but  also  to  convince 
the  beholder  that  fire  did  exist  beneath,  not  the 
ice,  but  the  india-rubber,  so  to  speak,  of  her  com- 
position. 

A  hesitation  of  speech  and  a  certain  timidity,  which 
were  inseparable  to  her,  had  ever  restrained  this  lady 
from  overstepping  the  bounds  of  conventionalism,  and 
a  natural  indolence  of  disposition  sometimes  did  duty 
for  long-suffering  and  forbearance. 

A  more  sensitive  woman  in  Mrs  Leppell's  position 
would  have  been  not  only  miserable  herself,  but  most 
probably  would  at  the  same  time  have  been  the  cause 
of  much  suffering  to  others ;  and  a  more  spirited 
woman  would  have  murdered  Colonel  Leppell   (her 


HUNTERS  LODGE.  3 

husband),  or  have  been  herself  speedily  and  violently 
extinguished  by  that  irascible  gentleman. 

Here,  then,  was  the  right  woman  in  the  right  place : 
and  on  this  night  the  March  wind  had  tempered  itself 
undeniably  to  this  shorn  lamb  ;  for  she  was  wellnigh 
overwhelmed  with  trouble,  and  her  only  alleviation 
under  its  burden  was  to  go  forth  into  the  silent  garden, 
and  there  in  the  soothing  air  commune  with  her 
troubled  spirit,  and  think  out  what  was  best  to  be 
done,  how  best  to  break  the  news  to  her  husband 
when  he  should  come — and  such  news ! 

She  pulled  her  warm  knitted  shawl  closely  round 
her,  and  then  turned  and  looked  up  at  the  windows 
of  the  Lodge.  Her  nursery  children  had  long  been 
asleep ;  only  here  and  there  did  a  light  now  shine  out 
into  the  darkness.  At  one  particular  casement  Mrs 
Leppell  looked  intensely. 

"Mary  ought  to  be  undressed  by  this  time,"  she 
said  to  herself.  "  I  sent  her  to  her  room  early  :  her 
father  may  want  to  get  speech  of  her  at  once,  but  he 
will  never  have  the  child  called  out  of  her  bed  at  this 
time  of  night.  Yet,  he  is  so  inconsiderate,  so  regard- 
less of  others " 

The  sudden  extinction  of  the  candle  in  that  partic- 
ular room  put  an  end  to  Mrs  Leppell's  ruminations, 
and  a  feeling  of  satisfaction  brightened  her  face. 
"  Mary  is  safe  in  bed — that's  a  comfort,"  she  whispered. 
And  then  she  turned  her  eyes  in  the  direction  of  a 
bow-windowed  apartment,  on  the  ground-floor,  at  the 
extreme  end  of  the  building, — this  was  her  mother's, 


4  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

Lady  Asher's,  room, — and  from  thence,  between  the 
openings  of  the  window-curtains,  Mrs  Leppell  descried 
the  glimmer  of  a  lamp,  and  wondered  why  the  old 
lady  had  not  retired  to  rest. 

Another  glance,  and  she  interpreted  matters  aright. 
"That  is  Prothero's  lamp:  Prothero  has  seen  that 
something  is  amiss,  although  she  has  made  no  remark. 
It  is  as  well  that  she  should  be  up,  though  I  do  not 
know  why  I  should  think  so ;  but  still,  it  is  as  well. 
Yes ;  it  is  possible  that  she  may  be  wanted,  so  I  won't 
interfere  with  her  now." 

Prothero  was  Lady  Asher's  maid.  Her  mistress 
and  this  attendant  lived  at  Hunter's  Lodge  as  part  of 
its  regular  household,  bearing  much  for  Mrs  Leppell's 
sake,  and  enduring  much  for  the  dear  memory's  sake 
of  honest  Gilbert  Asher,  whose  only  daughter  Adelaide 
was  the  wife  of  the  Honourable  Colonel  Ralph  Leppell. 

Satisfying  herself  that  Prothero  was  at  hand,  quietly 
and  unobtrusively  on  the  watch  maybe  (for  there  had 
been  occasions  whereon  the  powerful  aid  and  discreet 
bearing  of  that  handmaiden  had  been  of  infinite  ser- 
vice  to  the  wife  when  Colonel  Leppell  returned  "lively  " 
from  a  convivial  dinner-party  or  a  hunt-supper  at 
the  town  of  Yarne,  or  from  some  place  in  the  county), 
Mrs  Leppell  betook  herself  to  the  garden  gate. 

She  had  scarcely  leaned  over  it  ten  minutes  when 
she  found  herself  counting  the  strokes  of  the  great 
clock  of  Yarne  Cathedral,  as  it  tolled  out  the  eleventh 
hour  of  the  night.  The  air  was  so  still  that  the  sound 
seemed  to  carry  itself  almost  in  a  direct  line  towards 


HUNTERS   LODGE.  5 

Blythe ;  but  the  nerves  of  the  watcher  were  strung  to 
their  utmost  tension,  and  as  every  sense  was  in  con- 
sequence painfully  on  the  alert,  the  warning  of  the 
clock  fell  with  unwonted  distinctness  on  her  ear. 

"  Eleven  o'clock  ! "  she  exclaimed  aloud  as  the  chime 
ceased  ;  "  he  cannot  be  long  now." 

Then  she  fell  to  wondering  if  her  husband  had 
stayed  in  Yarne  to  dine  at  the  militia  mess,  or  if  he 
had  been  to  his  office  in  Eed  Lion  Square,  whereat  he 
transacted  his  business  as  staff-officer  of  pensioners, 
and  secured  his  letters,  together  with  a  visiting-card, 
which  she  knew  awaited  him  there ;  or  had  he  trav- 
elled straight  from  London,  where  he  had  been  for  ten 
days,  and,  finding  it  late,  had  just  got  his  horse  at  the 
hotel  and  ridden  home  ?  She  hoped  he  had  taken  the 
latter  course,  for  it  was  her  desire  to  speak  with  him, 
before  stern  accurate  correspondence  should  acquaint 
him  that  disgrace,  and  possibly  utter  ruin,  had  befallen 
his  name. 

"  Sometimes  the  Colonel  takes  it  into  his  head  to 
walk  home  from  Yarne  by  the  short  cut  upon  the 
river  bank,"  thought  she ;  "  but  he  is  not  likely  to  do 
this,  I  should  think,  for  the  path  by  the  Yar  is  not 
quite  safe  even  in  daylight.  No,  no ;  he  will  never  do 
so  foolish  a  thing  as  that." 

A  clang  of  horse-hoofs  advancing  at  a  rapid  trot 
caused  Mrs  Leppell  to  pass  out  into  the  road  and 
stand  there.  A  horseman  soon  appeared  in  sight.  As 
he  approached  near  enough  to  be  recognised,  she 
called  out — 


6  THE   FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

"  Ealph  ! — Colonel  Leppell,  is  that  you  ? " 

"  Yes.  What  do  you  want  ? "  answered  a  loud  voice. 
"  Why,  Adelaide !  what  in  the  name  of  fortune  brings 
you  out  here  ? " 

"Never  mind  now;  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come 
home,"  she  answered.  "  Don't  stop  at  the  stable  gates  ; 
come  forward  here,  where  I  stand." 

Colonel  Leppell  dismounted  in  the  road,  and  draw- 
ing the  bridle  through  his  arm,  walked  towards  his 
wife.  "Good  gracious,  Adelaide!"  he  said,  in  an 
alarmed  tone,  "  are  the  grooms  all  gone  ?  you  can't 
take  the  horse.  Why  am  I  not  to  halt  at  the  stable 
gate  ?  and  why  the  deuce  are  you  waiting  in  the  road 
at  this  time  of  night  ? " 

"  I  want  to  see  you,  to  speak  to  you  before  any  one 
else  does,"  she  replied.  "  I  was  afraid  you  would  go 
to  your  den  at  the  stables,  and  lie  down  on  the  sofa 
there,  and  fall  fast  asleep  as  you  so  often  do.  Come 
into  the  house  at  once ;  Ben  is  sitting  up  by  the 
kitchen  fire  waiting  to  take  the  horse.  I  have  news 
for  you,  Ealph,  and  we  must  be  alone  when  I  tell  it." 

She  had  satisfied  herself,  by  his  manner,  that  her 
husband  had  not  secured  the  letters  which  were  await- 
ing him  at  his  office :  her  conjecture  was  correct, — he 
had  travelled  from  London,  left  his  portmanteau  at 
the  station,  and  had  ridden  straight  home. 

Again  she  spoke.  "  Knock  at  the  shutter  of  the 
kitchen  window,  and  when  Ben  comes  out,  follow  me 
to  the  hall  door,  where  I  will  wait.  Bring  the  horse 
through  the  front  gate  ;  Ben  is  expecting  you." 


hunter's  lodge.  7 

She  spoke  with  a  tone  of  decision  so  unusual  to  her, 
that  the  Colonel  looked  at  her  in  some  perplexity  and 
wondered  what  he  should  do.  It  was  so  new  to  him  to 
be  ordered  by  her,  to  find  plans  for  his  guidance  so 
readily  arranged,  that  surprise  chained  his  tongue  ; 
so  they  passed  through  the  garden  gate  in  silence.  He, 
doing  as  he  had  been  directed,  made  for  the  kitchen 
window  —  his  wife,  meanwhile,  wending  her  way 
towards  the  steps  of  the  hall  door. 

Her  face  was  very  pale,  but  she  was  quite  calm  as  she 
found  herself  confronted  with  the  disagreeable,  pain- 
ful task  before  her.  There  was  no  evading  or  putting 
off  this  duty :  her  husband  had  arrived,  and  now  she 
had  to  tell  him  strange  things  of  Marmaduke,  their 
eldest  and  their  favourite  son. 

A  son  much  treasured,  for  a  fell  fever  had  carried 
off  two  boys  who  were  born  to  them  in  the  first  years 
of  their  married  life,  and  so  "  Duke,"  as  he  was  called, 
was  precious  in  his  parents'  sight. 

"  Come  in,  and  please  bolt  the  door,"  Mrs  Leppell 
said,  as  the  Colonel  joined  her.  "  There  is  supper  laid 
for  you  in  the  morning-room,  and  I've  had  a  good  fire ; 
you  must  be  both  hungry  and  tired,  and  it  is  very 
chilly  now." 

"  I  know  what  you  have  to  tell  me,"  said  the  Colonel, 
savagely,  as  they  entered  the  little  room  ;  "  there's  no 
use  in  trying  to  awe  me  with  these  solemn  airs  of 
preparation :  I  see  through  it  all.  That  young  devil 
Dick  has  been  riding  the  bay  mare  contrary  to  my 
express  orders,  and  has  let  her  go  down, — that's  all 


8  THE  FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

about  it.     I'll  thrash  the  life  out  of  him,  the  young 
scoundrel ! " 

"  You  are  wrong,"  his  wife  answered.  "  Do  not  in- 
dulge in  your  habit  of  jumping  at  conclusions  :  this  is 
no  question  of  Dick  ;  now  don't  bluster, — it  is  a  much 
more  serious  matter,  for  it  is  a  question  of  Duke." 

"  Duke  ! "  cried  the  father,  now  thoroughly  alarmed, 
"  what  of  him  ?  don't  look  like  that.  I  know :  he  has 
ridden  the  Barham  steeplechase  and  has  been — no, 
no,  the  boy  is  too  good  a  rider — say  it  out,  Adelaide  ; 
the  lad — Duke  is — is  killed." 

"  No,  no,  Ealph ;  listen  patiently.  Duke  is  unharmed 
and  well  as  far  as  bodily  health  is  concerned,  but  he  is 
in  hiding:  an  officer  of  the  Court  of  Chancery  was 
here  yesterday  making  inquiries  about  him.  Oh,  I 
was  so  thankful  to  be  able  to  say  with  truth  that  the 
lad  has  not  been  here  for  months  past." 

"  Chancery  !  what  has  Duke  to  do  with  Chancery  ? 
He  has  not  stolen  any  of  their  money,  has  he  ?  what 
do  you  mean  ? " 

"  He  has  not  stolen  any  Chancery  money,"  Mrs  Lep- 
pell  replied,  "  but  he  has  carried  off  a  ward  of  that 
court.  In  plain  English,  he  ran  away  last  week  with 
an  heiress  from  a  boarding-school  at  Wisgate,  who  is 
a  ward  of  Chancery.  This  offence  is  actionable,  and 
renders  him  liable  to  imprisonment." 

"  Duke  is  a  minor,"  interposed  Colonel  Leppell,  "  and 
very  likely  does  not  know  that  he  has  committed  any 
offence  against  the  law." 

"  So  I  said  to  the  officer,  but  it  appears  that  ignor- 


HUNTERS   LODGE.  9 

ance  of  the  law  is  not  admitted  as  any  excuse  for  the 
infringement  of  it.  Duke  is  turned  twenty,  and  ought 
to  know  what  he  is  about.  Just  look  at  the  amount 
of  money  which  has  been  spent  on  his  education ! " 

"  Who  is  the  girl  ? "  inquired  the  Colonel  briskly. 

"  A  Miss  Lorton,  an  orphan :  her  father  made  a 
large  fortune  as  a  manufacturer  of  tin-ware  baths,  at 
a  suburb  near  Dublin,  I  believe.  She  was  placed,  at 
his  death,  under  the  care  of  two  ladies,  distant  rela- 
tives, who  keep  a  first-class  school  at  Wisgate,  not  far 
from  Dublin.  How  Duke  first  came  to  make  her 
acquaintance  is  not  known." 

"At  any  rate,  Miss  Lorton  was  not  carried  off  by 
force,"  replied  the  Colonel  exultingly  ;  "  of  course  not. 
The  girl  was,  no  doubt,  a  consenting  •  party,  there  can 
be  no  doubt  of  it :  a  handsome  young  fellow  like 
Duke  is  not  to  be  sneezed  at,  and  his  connection  is 
a  great  one  for  mere  tradespeople.  Did  they  get 
married  ? " 

"  The  officer  was  not  sure  of  this  ;  but  he  seemed  to 
entertain  the  idea  that  some  ceremony  might  have 
been  gone  through  at  a  registrar  office.  However, 
they  were  pursued  and  overtaken  at  Dieppe,  and  the 
girl  was  returned  to  Wisgate,  there  to  await  the  Chan- 
cellor's pleasure.  Duke  managed  to  escape,  and  the 
authorities  naturally  assumed  that  he  was  hiding  in 
this  county." 
"  Is  that  all  ? " 

"  Unfortunately  no  :  Duke  is  charged  with  embezz- 
ling money  under  false  pretences  by  a  firm  in  Liver- 


10  THE   FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

pool.  Writs  are  out  against  him ;  the  Sheriffs  officer 
was  here  yesterday  morning,  and  I  had  to  hear  and 
bear  it  all,"  the  poor  mother  said.  "The  man  was 
very  good :  he  had  inquired  for  you  at  Yarne,  and 
finding  that  you  were  in  London,  came  straight  here 
for  your  address.  He  said  that  he  would  keep  the 
matter  quiet,  and  intimated  that  it  was  possible  that 
some  arrangement  might  be  made ;  in  fact,  he  seemed 
to  say  that  something  might  be  done  out  of  respect  to 
my  family,  and  mentioned  that  the  merchant  who  had 
suffered  this  fraud  knew  my  late  father,  and  held  him 
in  much  esteem.  It  was  only  at  the  last  moment  that 
it  was  discovered  by  the  head  partner  of  the  firm  that 
Duke  was  the  grandson  of  Gilbert  Asher, — too  late, 
however,  to  stop  the  issue  of  the  writ." 

"  Out  of  respect  to  your  family,  madam  ! "  thundered 
Colonel  Leppell,  his  face  crimson  with  indignation ; 
"  this  is  the  first  time  I  have  heard  that  you  have  any 
family  to  boast  of — a  set  of  cotton  bags.  I  should 
think  the  family  of  Lord  Hieover  would  be  nearer  the 
mark.  Duke  being  the  grandson  of  Viscount  Hieover, 
and  the  eldest  son  of  the  Honourable  Colonel  Leppell, 
should  carry  weight,  I  rather  think,  eh  ? " 

"  In  this  case  not,  rather  to  the  contrary,"  Mrs 
Leppell  answered,  without  the  least  shade  of  annoy- 
ance at  the  contemptuous  mention  made  by  her  hus- 
band with  regard  to  her  own  antecedents.  "  The 
respect  is  for  good  name,  and  the  memory  of  an  up- 
right man.  Knowing  that  my  mother  has  sacrificed 
more  than  half  her  income  to  assist  you,  I  wonder  at 


hunter's  lodge.  11 

your  speaking  as  you  do.  Let  that  pass :  you  have 
mentioned  Lord  Hieover ;  an  application  has  already 
been  made  to  him  from  the  Court  of  Chancery  to 
know  if  he  can  supply  any  information  regarding 
Duke." 

"  Well,  what  did  he  say  ? " 

"  His  lordship's  answer,  it  appears,  was  curt  enough. 
He  knew  nothing  of  the  young  scamp,  nor  did  he 
want  to  know  anything,  and,  moreover,  he  was  resolved 
never  to  know  anything  about  him.  Let  him  dare  to 
set  his  foot  in  Hieover  Grange,  the  Viscount  knew  how 
to  make  that  residence  too  hot  to  hold  Mr  Leppell. 
Your  father,  in  fact,  entirely  disclaimed  and  disowned 
him." 

The  Colonel  looked  rather  aghast  at  this  news. 
"  What  is  to  be  done  ? "  he  inquired  at  length.  "  / 
can't  assist  him.  I  knew  he  was  dipped,  but  I  cannot 
think  that  my  father  would  throw  him  over  in  that 
fashion.  For  the  sake  of  keeping  the  thing  quiet — for 
this  covers  the  whole  family  with  shame — his  lordship 
must  come  forward.  I'll  go  over  and  see  him  to-mor- 
row. It's  that  sneaking  hound  Alex,  who  is  in  the 
way :  by  Jove  !  though,  I'm  not  the  man  to  allow  my 
brother  to  oust  my  son.     Not  likely  ! " 

"  Your  brother  is  from  home,  at  Wurstede ;  he  had 
nothing  to  do  with  this :  you  are  always  inclined  to 
judge  Alex,  harshly,"  Mrs  Leppell  made  reply. 

"  Well,  then,  if  it  were  not  for  Duke,  I  would  cut 
the  Viscount  dead,  though  he  is  my  own  father.  What 
business   had   he   to   insist   upon   Duke  joining   the 


12  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

Koyal  Goldspinners,  if  he  did  not  mean  to  help  him 
at  a  pinch  ? " 

"You  know,  Ealph,  when  your  father  paid  all 
Duke's  expenses,  only  two  years  ago,  and  presented 
him  with  a  handsome  sum  over  and  above  that,  he  told 
us  all  to  understand  clearly  that  he  would  do  nothing 
more.  I  don't  suppose  that  Lord  Hieover  will  even  now 
withdraw  the  annual  allowance  he  makes  to  Duke." 

"  I  don't  know,"  replied  Colonel  Leppell ;  "  it  would 
be  just  like  him  if  he  did  :  he  will  be  only  too  glad  of 
an  excuse.  The  idea  of  his  disowning  Duke  !  it's  dis- 
gusting— bad  form." 

"  You  must  remember,  though  it  is  sad  to  say  it, 
Duke  is  in  disgrace,  charged  with  embezzling  money  ; 
so,  if  that  comes  to  your  father's  ears,  the  chances  are 
that  Lord  Hieover  will  disclaim  the  whole  of  us.  As 
yet,  your  father  is  cognisant  of  the  elopement  busi- 
ness only ;  and  he  was  naturally  very  much  annoyed 
at  an  officer  of  the  Court  of  Chancery  going  to 
Hieover  to  seek  Duke.  It  did  transpire  there  that 
our  son  was  deeply  in  debt,  but  there  was  no  mention 
made,  of  course,  of  the  more  serious  charge ;  that  was 
the  business  of  the  Sheriff's  officer." 

"  Haw  !  the  writ  is  the  awkward  part,  and  the 
accusation  of  fraudulency  :  it  is  dreadful  to  think  of. 
Oh,  how  could  he  ?  how  could  Duke  act  in  such  a 
manner  ?  he  has  never  thought  of  me  ;  what  could  have 
bewitched  the  lad  ?  But  did  you  not  say  that  this 
wretched  business  might  be  arranged  ?  I  cannot  see 
how." 


hunter's  lodge.  13 

She  was  silent  for  a  moment :  her  magnificent 
eyes  dilated,  but  not  in  anger ;  the  working  and 
twitching  of  the  lines  about  her  mouth  evinced 
nervousness  not  unmixed  with  dread.  The  slight 
hesitation  in  her  speech  was  increased  to  a  painful 
extent  as  these  words  dropped  from  her  pale  lips — 

"  There — there  is  one  person  in  the — the  world  who 
is  able  and  —  and  quite  will — willing  to  save  our 
honour,  Balph.  Don't  be  violent — don't,  do  not  be 
angry.     I  could  not  help  it,  Ealph." 

"  You  are  hard  hit,  Adelaide,"  said  her  husband 
more  kindly, — "  very  hard  hit,  and  I  don't  wonder. 
Here,  take  a  glass  of  wine ; "  and  the  Colonel  as  he 
spoke  poured  out  some  sherry  and  carried  it  round  to 
where  Mrs  Leppell  sat,  and  placed  the  glass  in  her  hand. 

He  heard  her  teeth  rattle  against  the  edge  of  the 
glass  as  she  swallowed  the  wine,  and  marked  her 
tremble  with  a  cold  shiver  as  she  drew  her  shawl 
close  around  her.  As  she  did  not  speak,  Colonel 
Leppell  thought  to  assist  her  with  a  leading  question. 

"  Who  is  going  to  help  us,  did  you  say  ?  not  your 
mother, — not  Lady  Asher,  surely  ? " 

"  No,  no ;  she  has  done  enough,"  replied  Mrs  Leppell, 
finding  voice ;  "  she  cannot,  even  if  she  would.  You 
have  had  all  till  her  death,  and  you  are  not  so  wicked 
as  to  wish  for  that." 

"  Xo ;  let  the  old  woman  live  as  long  as  she  likes," 
returned  the  Colonel,  patronisingly ;  "  she  has  often 
helped  me,  and  I  don't  want  to  deny  it.  But  who  is 
going  to  come  forward  now  ? " 


14  THE   FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

"One  who  owes  you  neither  honour  nor  justice,  not 
common  consideration  even.  Many  years  have  passed 
away  since  we  both  agreed  never  to  name,  never  to 
allude  to  him  :  time  works  strange  marvels  !  Don't — 
don't  be  violent;  I  must  name  him  now, — Everard 
Glascott." 

"  Glascott ! "  gasped  the  Colonel,  sinking  back  on  his 
chair  as  if  he  had  been  shot. 

"  Yes,"  she  answered  resolutely,  seeing  that  for  the 
moment  she  had  some  advantage ;  "  Everard  Glascott, 
noble  heart,  overlooking  all,  forgiving  all,  has  come 
forward,  and  for  my  father's  sake, — yes,  and  I  dare 
to  say  it,  for  my  sake  also, — he  will  save  the  honour 
of  our  son." 

These  words  seemed  to  inspire  her  with  courage,  for 
now  Mrs  Leppell  looked  her  husband  steadily  in  the 
face,  and  her  speech  no  longer  hesitated  ;  she  was  now 
calm  and  resolute. 

"Has  he  written  to  you?"  inquired  the  Colonel, 
rising  to  his  feet  and  drawing  a  deep  breath.  "  What 
has  he  to  do  with  all  this  ? " 

"  He  has  written  to  you,  and  he  has  seen  me  this 
day  in  this  room.  I  wonder  I  did  not  drop  down  and 
die  for  shame.  He  will  save  Duke,  save  exposure, 
arrange  all ;  but,  Ealph,  there  is  a  price  to  be  paid  for 
all  this,  and  you  must  consent  to  pay  it.  Wait, — I  am 
breathless, — that  price  is — is  Mary." 

Mrs  Leppell  uttered  the  last  word  with  a  great 
effort,  and  then  remained  like  one  who  expects  a 
raging  storm  to  break  forth. 


HUNTERS   LODGE.  15 

*  Never  ! " — and  here  Colonel  Leppell  swore  an  awful 
oath, — "never !  What !  give  Mary  to  him — my  beautiful 
girl — my  heavenly  Moll !  He,  Mr  Glascott,  forgets  that 
he  is  ten  years  older  than  you  and  I ;  he  is  fifty-eight 
years  of  age  :  it's  wicked,  it's  monstrous.  Give  her  to 
him  !  does  he  think  that  because  he  was  disappointed  of 
the  mother,  he  is  to  be  repaid  with  the  daughter  ? " 

"  Stop !  be  quiet  and  don't  run  on  so,"  cried  Mrs 
Leppell,  putting  up  her  hand  with  a  deprecatory  ges- 
ture. "  It  is  not  as  you  think ;  our  daughter  is  not  to 
be  sold  to  Mr  Glascott — nothing  of  the  kind.  His 
young  cousin,  Francis  Clavering,  met  Mary  at  the 
Chichesters  last  Christmas,  and  became  desperately 
enamoured  of  her ;  since  that  they  have  met  here  and 
there  in-  the  county." 

"  What  brought  him  into  Yarneshire  ?  " 

"Mr  Clavering  is  making  some  researches  in  the 
neighbourhood  for  the  Geological  Society,  and  so  had 
brought  several  letters  of  introduction  to  various 
people  in  the  town  and  county,"  Mrs  Leppell  replied. 

"  Has  he  made  any  proposals  ?  does  Moll  allow  his 
attention  ? " 

"  No  proposals  have  been  made  by  Mr  Clavering ; 
and  it  is  not  likely  that  a  girl  would  speak  of  a  man's 
attentions  until  she  is  sure  that  he  means  something 
more  than  mere  acquaintance.  The  truth  is,  that  Mr 
Clavering,  knowing  of  Mr  Glascott's  strong  objection 
to  you  and  to  your  connection,  has  been  cautious  in 
making  advances  till  he  could  induce  his  guardian  to 
give  some  kind  of  countenance  to  his   suit.      After 


16  THE  FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

seeing  Mary,  it  appears  young  Clavering  went  to 
Paris,  and  vainly,  in  spite  of  entreaty  and  persua- 
sion, sought  to  soften  Mr  Glascott.  All  he  could  do 
then  was  to  promise  to  make  no  proposals  until  Mr 
Glascott  should  see  Mary  himself,  without  her  know- 
ing it." 

"  Has  he  done  so  ? "  asked  the  Colonel,  with  a 
lowering  aspect. 

"  Yes ;  there  was  a  ball  at  Frodsham, — you  took 
Mary  yourself,  you'll  remember.  Mr  Glascott  sat  in 
the  gallery  which  was  erected  for  the  spectators ;  he 
saw  the  child,  and  speedily  went  his  way.  Like  all 
the  world,  he  was  charmed  with  her  beauty  and 
her  grace ;  but  he  still  could  not  make  up  his  mind 
to  consent  to  Mr  Clavering  seeking  an  alliance  with 
her,  his  hatred  towards  the  Hieover  race  was  so 
strong." 

"  Clavering,  Clavering, — it  strikes  me  I  have  met 
the  man,"  said  Colonel  Leppell  suddenly.  "Yes,  he 
dined  at  Hieover  Grange  just  after  the  New  Year. 
He  is  one  of  the  literati,  or  illuminati,  or  gnostics,  or 
something.  He  goes  lecturing  about  the  country,  and 
somebody  said  he  was  going  to  be  made  a  professor  of 
— I  forget  what.  He  does  not  hunt,  though ;  I  wonder 
how  he  got  introduced  at  Hieover." 

"  I  don't  know,  but  his  society  is  sought  everywhere. 
He  is  one  of  the  brilliant  rising  men  of  the  day.  He 
went  to  Hieover  as  a  member  of  the  Geological 
Society  possibly." 

"  Has  he  any  money  ?  that's  the  point." 


hunter's  lodge.  17 

"  I  believe  but  little  of  his  own  at  present.  He  is, 
however,  Mr  Glascott's  heir,  and  the  only  son  of  a 
first  cousin.  Xow,  listen  :  for  love  of  this  young  man 
(for  Mr  Glascott  regards  him  as  his  son),  Everard  will 
not  only  forego  his  enmity  against  you,  but  he  will 
immediately  have  the  writs  withdrawn  which  are  out 
from  the  Liverpool  Bank  against  Duke " 

"  Can  he  do  this  ?  is  this  in  his  power  ? "  interrupted 
Colonel  Leppell. 

"  It  is  in  his  power,  seeing  that  Mr  Glascott  is  a 
sleeping  partner  in  the  firm,  and  has  the  largest  in- 
terest in  it." 

"Curious,  by  Jove!"  exclaimed  the  Colonel ;  "but 
what  brought  Mr  Glascott  out  here  ? " 

"  The  fact  of  your  being  absent  from  Yarne.  He 
called  at  your  office  yesterday,  and,  to  save  time,  find- 
ing that  you  were  in  London,  he  came  here  in  a  close 
carriage,  and  asked  to  see  me.  His  revenge  has  been 
noble." 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  Colonel  slowly ;  "  but  his  aid 
is  a  bitter  pill  for  me  to  swallow.  Oh,  Duke,  what 
have  you  done  ?  to  have  to  bend,  through  you,  to  the 
man  I  hate,  and  who  must  hate  me ! " 

"  The  injured  are  ever  the  first  to  forgive,"  returned 
Mrs  Leppell.  "  Everard's  life  since  the  day  we  parted 
has  been  devoted  to  others.  Self-sacrifice  is  a  great 
softener.  This  Francis  Clavering,  and  his  sister, 
Willina,  have  been  for  years  the  objects  of  his  love 
and  solicitude ;  he  tells  me  that  a  parent's  love  could 
not  be  stronger  than  is  his  for  these  young  people." 

VOL.   I.  B 


18  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

"  Are  there  any  more  of  these  Claverings  ? " 

"  No ;  these  two  are  the  eldest  and  the  youngest  of 
a  large  family.  Miss  Clavering  is  nearly  eighteen ; 
the  brother  is  twenty-four." 

"The  man  I  met  looks  older  than  that.  I  don't 
like  the  whole  thing.  Mary  must  have  given  him 
some  encouragement ;  it  cannot  be  otherwise,  or  why 
should  Mr  Clavering  think  it  necessary  to  entreat 
Mr  Glascott  to  overcome  his  scruples,  and  consent  to 
his  proposing  for  Mary  as  a  favour.  A  girl,  too,  who 
might  command  a  coronet :  it  is  absurd." 

"  People  view  things  in  a  different  light,"  Mrs  Lep- 
pell  said.  "  You  know,  you  have  given  out  that  no 
one  without  money  is  to  come  near  your  daughters : 
recollect,  too,  you  withdrew  your  consent,  after  giving 
it  in  writing,  to  Henrietta's  engagement  to  Captain 
Lasseter ;  the  consequence  was,  that  they  married 
without  leave.  You  may  not  think  it,  but  these 
things  tell  very  seriously.  No  wonder  that  Mr  Clav- 
ering was  anxious  to  obtain  his  cousin's  consent ; 
without  that,  there  would  be  no  money  wherewith  to 
dower  your  daughter." 

"  As  the  matter  stands,  is  Glascott  prepared  to  pay 
down  a  proper  sum  in  the  event  of  Clavering  being 
accepted  ? " 

"  He  told  me,"  answered  Mrs  Leppell,  "  that  if 
Mary  becomes  the  wife  of  Mr  Clavering,  by  her  own 
consent,  given  in  writing,  he  will  make  over  his  small 
estate  in  Lancashire  immediately,  and  settle  an  ade- 
quate sum  on  his  cousin,  putting  all  out  of  his  own 


hunter's  lodge.  19 

power  to  retract  or  disannul.  It  seems  Mr  Claver- 
ing  is  in  a  fair  way  to  make  a  good  income  soon  by 
his  own  talents  ;  he  is  a  man  who  loves  hard  work, 
and  he  has  had  a  brilliant  education." 

"  It  is  a  handsome  offer  certainly,"  said  the  Colonel 
after  a  pause ;  "  but  it  goes  against  the  grain,  I  tell 
you — confoundedly  against  the  grain.  If  it  were  not 
for  Duke " 

"  Mr  Glascott  proposes  to  act  with  more  than  or- 
dinary delicacy  in  the  matter/'  interrupted  Mrs  Lep- 
pell ;  "  for,  being  convinced  that  you  would  refuse 
anything  in  the  shape  of  a  settlement  coming  from 
him,  he  intends  to  convey  the  estate  of  Tring  absol- 
utely to  his  cousin ;  the  money  present  is,  I  think,  to 
take  the  form  of  an  allowance.  The  payment  of 
Duke's  liabilities  will  be  made  in  memory  of  the 
generosity  of  my  father,  who,  as  Mr  Glascott  remind- 
ed me,  was  the  person  through  whose  influence  he  was 
placed  in  the  position  which  has  led  to  his  making 
the  ample  fortune  which  he  now  enjoys." 

"  And  he  does  all  this  for  gratitude,  and  for  nothing- 
more  ? "  said  the  Colonel  suspiciously. 

"  He  does,"  the  wife  answered  steadily.  "  Disap- 
pointed of  his  own  heart's  desire,  Everard  Glascott 
will  not  stand  in  the  way  of  another  man's  love,  nor 
cast  a  blight  upon  the  prospects  of  a  younger  man's 
life.  Firm  in  this,  and  strong  in  good  purpose,  he 
sought  you  out ;  strong  also  in  his  respect  for  me," — 
and  here  the  colour  mounted  in  Mrs  Leppell's  face, — 
"  with  reverence  for  my  position  as  a  wife  and  mother > 


20  THE  FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

he  came  under  this  roof  to-day.  He  greeted  me  as 
a  grey-haired  old  man,  ten  years  my  senior — gener- 
ously using  the  age  with  which  you  were  wont  to 
taunt  him  as  the  halo  by  virtue  of  which  he  could 
enter  our  home  and  seek  speech  of  me.  He  came, 
moreover,  to  save  our  son,  and  to  make  reconciliation 
with — with  you." 

"  Did  either  your  mother  or  '  Bothero '  see  him  ? " 
Colonel  Leppell  always  spoke  of  Prothero  as  Bothero ; 
it  was  his  weak  way  of  showing  how  much  he  disliked 
his  mother-in-law's  maid. 

"  No ;  my  mother  was  out  in  her  donkey-chair,  and 
Prothero  was  with  her,  of  course.  Little  Arthur  was 
the  only  child  with  me  in  the  drawing-room,  when 
Mr  Glascott's  card  was  brought  in." 

"  You  have  promised  nothing,  then  ?  " 

"  Nothing ;  I  have  waited  to  see  you." 

"  He,  Mr  Glascott,  has  written  to  me,  you  say  ? " 
inquired  the  Colonel,  raking  the  fire. 

"  He  was  to  write  to  you  from  the  Eed  Lion  Hotel, 
where  he  is  now  staying :  Mr  Clavering  joins  him 
there  to-morrow.  The  latter  will  either  call  upon 
you,  or  write  to  you  proposing  for  Mary,  as  soon  as 
possible,  on  his  arrival  at  Yarne." 

"  I  don't  like  this — I  don't  like  it  at  all :  there  must 
be  some  understanding  between  Mr  Clavering  and 
Moll,  or  how  could  things  come  to  fall  into  this 
arrangement  ?  It  is  too  late  to-night,  or  I  would  have 
Mary  down  and  question  her." 

"Do  nothing  of  the  kind,"  enjoined  Mrs  Leppell; 


HUNTER'S  lodge.  21 

"  wait  till  the  letters  come,  and  don't  tease  Mary.  It 
would  be  so  unwise,  Balph,  to  force  the  child  into  a 
confession  of  even  a  preference  for  Mr  Clavering.  She 
will  naturally  resent  the  imputation,  and  it  would  set 
her  against  the  match.  Be  careful :  as  far  as  I  know, 
she  has  no  particular  liking  for  any  one ;  now  if  you 
set  her  against  the  Clavering  suit,  what  becomes  of 
Duke  ? " 

This  little  bit  of  diplomacy  had  its  effect.  The 
Colonel  pshawed,  and  tossed  and  rattled  the  fire-irons. 
He  could  find  no  way  out  of  this  dilemma ;  and  so 
he  easily  promised  Mrs  Leppell  to  be  silent  on  the 
subject  with  their  daughter,  till  a  more  convenient 
season,  at  all  events.  Then  the  Colonel  flung  out  of 
the  room,  calling  back  to  his  wife  that  she  had  better 
come  to  bed,  for  there  was  no  use  in  sitting  up  there 
all  night. 

She  rose  up  to  follow  him,  but  a  shaking  of  her 
limbs,  and  a  tremor  that  pervaded  her  whole  frame, 
caused  her  to  slide  down  to  the  floor.  Eaising  herself, 
by  a  strong  effort,  to  her  knees,  she  drew  herself 
along,  and  laid  her  head  upon  the  table.  There  the 
pent-up  waters  of  her  grief  burst  forth,  and  she  wept 
and  sobbed,  as  she  had  never  done  since  her  boys  lay 
dead  upon  their  nursery  beds  when  her  married  years 
were  few. 

"  It  has  all  come  together,  so  much  at  once,"  she 
cried,  raising  her  head,  and  turning  round  as  the 
faithful  voice  of  the  waiting-maid  fell  on  her  ear.  "  It 
is  too  much,  Prothero ;  let  me — let  me  have  my  cry 


22  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

out,  or  my  heart  will  break.  0  Duke !  Duke !  and 
Mary — oh!  I  can  tell  no  more.  Prothero,  stay  by 
me ;  I  shall  be  the  better  for  weeping,  sorrow  has 
made  me  numb  so  long, — so  long." 

"  Yes,  yes,  cry  on,  dear,"  said  the  maid  soothingly ; 
"  don't  mind  me.  I  understand  it  all, — Duke  and  the 
debts ;  and  the  Colonel  so  unreasonable — so  very  hard 
to  manage.  I  saw  the  Sheriffs  officer  and  guessed 
there  was  some  trouble,  but  I  thought  it  wiser  not  to 
let  on  that  I  suspected  anything.  I  suppose  Duke  is 
more  dipped  than  ever,  and  the  family  won't  pay." 

"  Yes,  yes,  that  is  it,"  answered  the  poor  lady  be- 
tween her  sobs  —  in  her  agony  still  shielding  her 
erring  child  from  the  graver  fact ;  "  it  may  be  put 
right,  but  this  is  his  greatest  difficulty."  ' 

"  Never  dwell  upon  it,"  returned  the  attendant ; 
*  perhaps,  after  all,  Lord  Hieover  will  help  for  your 
sake ;  he  is  fond  of  you."  And  so  Mrs  Leppell  was 
soothed  by  degrees,  till  at  length,  utterly  worn  out  and 
prostrate,  she  lay  on  the  sofa  in  deep  sleep,  and 
Prothero  watched  over  her  there  till  the  morning 
broke. 


23 


CHAPTEE   II. 


HYGIEIA. 


The  cold  shimmer  which  precedes  the  dawn  in  its 
time  pervaded  the  room  in  which  Mrs  Leppell  was 
laid,  sleeping  the  sleep  of  exhaustion.  It  warned  the 
faithful  watcher  to  cover  her  charge  more  closely,  and 
to  bethink  herself  also  how  best  to  act  for  the  coming 
hours, — for  Prothero  knew  full  well  that  the  dwellers 
in  Hunter's  Lodge,  stimulated  by  the  presence  of  its 
master,  would  all  be  early  astir.  Certain  she  also 
was  that  the  weighty  trouble  which  had  so  pros- 
trated Mrs  Leppell  would  break  out  in  much  irri- 
tation and  complaint  on  the  part  of  the  Colonel 
against  everything  and  everybody  that  came  in  his 
way. 

It  was  the  habit  of  that  officer  to  throw  off  his  own 
annoyances  by  afflicting  the  spirits  of  all  with  whom 
he  happened  to  come  in  contact,  and  Prothero's  long 
experience,  added  to  the  little  which  she  had  discovered 
on  the  previous  night,  convinced  her  that  something 
more  weighty  than  even  debts,  duns,  or  the  withdrawal 


24  THE   FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

of  Lord  Hieover's  countenance,  was  looming  over  the 
family. 

"  Come  what  may,"  communed  this  faithful  servitor, 
"  it  is  my  duty  to  look  after  the  ladies  and  the  dear 
children :  the  Colonel  and  Duke  are  a  pair,  and  they 
are  quite  able  to  fight  their  own  battles." 

Thus  ruminating,  Prothero  rose,  and  having  satis- 
fied herself  that  her  mistress  still  slept,  she  crept  to 
Lady  Asher's  chamber.  Finding  all  as  usual  there, 
she  hurried  to  a  small  room  on  the  ground-floor  which 
was  appropriated  to  chance  visitors,  lighted  a  fire,  and 
arranged  the  apartment  for  the  immediate  occupation 
of  Mrs  Leppell. 

This  done,  Prothero  ascended  the  stair-case,  vali- 
antly opened  the  door  of  the  dormitory  which  was  dedi- 
cated to  the  heads  of  the  household,  and  cautiously 
looked  within. 

The  Colonel,  to  her  great  satisfaction,  was  snoring  lus- 
tily, with  his  head  buried  beneath  the  bed-coverings. 

This  was  the  moment  in  which  to  seize  some  articles 
necessary  for  the  toilet  of  Mrs  Leppell ;  and  her  maid 
at  the  same  time  deftly  drew  the  window-curtains 
closer,  and  moved  a  folding  screen  some  feet  nearer  to 
the  bed. 

"  The  longer  he  sleeps,  the  better  for  all  of  us," 
thought  Prothero,  as  she  darted  from  point  to  point,  in 
evident  fear  lest  the  sleeper  should  awake  suddenly 
and  surprise  her.  None  knew  better  than  she  how 
loudly  the  Colonel  would  exult  should  he  find  her 
overstepping  the  boundary  of  her  own  province ;  and 


HYGIEIA.  25 

though  she  had  lately  nursed  him  through  a  dangerous 
illness,  that  service  would  offer  no  palliation  of  the 
crime  of  intruding  at  this  time  unauthorised  on  his 
slumbers. 

It  should  be  stated,  to  be  accurate,  that  these  two 
hated  the  one  the  other,  and  the  feeling  was  intensi- 
fied on  Colonel  Leppell's  part,  because  through  years 
of  annoyance,  and  at  times  of  positive  insult,  the  maid 
steadily  held  to  her  place,  and  eventually  had  come  to 
know  too  much  of  the  ways  and  works  of  the  Leppell 
race  to  be  safely  dispensed  with.  Besides,  if  Prothero 
departed,  Lady  Asher  would  depart  likewise,  and  the 
meaning  of  that  Hegira  would  be  the  withdrawal  of 
four  hundred  pounds  a-year,  this  being  the  amount 
which  her  ladyship  paid  for  the  accommodation  of 
herself  and  maid  at  Hunter's  Lodge. 

In  addition  to  this,  Prothero  could,  if  she  chose, 
supply  the  place  of  any  domestic  in  the  household 
who  might  chance  to  be  summarily  dismissed,  or  elect 
to  take  that  leave  which  is  usually  denominated 
"  French " ;  and  transformation-scenes  of  this  nature 
were  not  unfrequent  in  Colonel  Leppell's  house.  The 
woman  was  devoted  to  the  ladies  and  to  the  children, 
and  she  was  remarkable  for  being  the  one  of  the 
household  who,  on  her  own  account,  stood  the  least 
in  awe  of  Colonel  Leppell.  Prothero  had  always  care- 
fully avoided  giving  her  master  direct  offence,  and  had 
endured  her  share  of  abuse  from  that  officer  (when 
he,  in  his  impartiality,  stormed  at  the  family  all  round) 
with  the  most  exemplary  imperturbability.     This  for- 


26  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

bearance  was  exercised  entirely  out  of  affection  for 
Mrs  Leppell,  and  as  it  served,  in  a  measure,  to  alle- 
viate some  portion  of  the  fault  -  finding  which  was 
not  unfrequently  directed  towards  the  mistress  of  the 
house,  Prothero  was,  in  consequence,  much  esteemed 
by  all  the  denizens  of  Hunter's  Lodge,  and  the  most 
unruly  of  its  sons  declared  that  "he  would  stand  a 
good  deal  from  old  '  Bothero,'  because  she  didn't  care  a 
rap  for  the  governor,  and  always  stuck  up  for  ma." 

A  kind  of  armed  neutrality  at  this  time  subsisted 
between  the  Colonel  and  Prothero,  her  attention  dur- 
ing his  late  illness  having  somewhat  mollified  the 
great  dislike  which  he  had  constantly  borne  her. 
During  many  years  he  had  designated  her  "  Bothero," 
and  as  his  boys  took  up  the  cry,  she  had  become  ac- 
customed to  accept  this  as  her  proper  cognomen,  strong 
in  the  conviction  that,  were  her  place  vacant,  a  very 
important  factor  in  the  Leppell  household  would  be 
with  difficulty  replaced. 

Colonel  Leppell  also  chose  to  give  credence  to  a 
little  legend  with  regard  to  his  mother-in-law's  atten- 
dant, which  he  thought  to  square  with  her  undisguised 
disapprobation  of  his  own  conduct  and  that  of  his 
eldest  son,  Marmaduke. 

Prothero's  first  introduction  to  the  family  had  been 
as  lady's-maid  to  Mrs  Leppell  in  the  first  years  of  her 
married  life.  The  growing  expenses,  which  demanded 
nurses  and  under-nurses  and  school  fees,  had  later  on 
obliged  Mrs  Leppell  to  dispense  with  a  purely  per- 
sonal  attendant,   and   in   consequence   Prothero  was 


HYGIEIA.  27 

transferred  to  Lady  Asher,  who,  being  lame,  and  also 
not  being  very  prolific  in  mental  resource,  necessarily 
required  a  person  of  superior  education  about  her  who 
could  act  in  the  capacity  of  companion  as  well  as 
lady's-maid. 

On  first  entering  Mrs  Leppell's  service,  Prothero 
had  been  sad  and  depressed,  and,  for  a  young  woman, 
strangely  reserved.  It  was  remarked  also  that  she 
never  had  any  ready  money,  and  that  she  was  always 
more  silent  than  usual  after  receiving  letters  which 
bore  an  American  post-mark. 

Nothing,  however,  could  be  elicited  from  her  except 
that  her  father's  home  was  uncomfortable  owing  to 
the  presence  of  a  step-mother,  and  that  in  consequence 
of  this  she  and  her  sisters  had  sought  service  early. 

Her  recommendations  as  to  character  and  efficiency 
were  of  the  first  order ;  and  if  any  trouble  weighed  on 
her  mind,  she  communicated  it  to  no  living  soul.  At 
length  it  leaked  out,  through  one  of  those  channels  of 
talk  of  which  there  is  neither  finding  the  beginning 
nor  the  end,  that  Prothero  had  married  a  vagabond 
gipsy,  and  that  she  paid  him  a  certain  sum  yearly  on 
the  understanding  that  he  would  never  come  near  her. 
Anne  Prothero  was  a  fairly  good-looking  woman ;  and, 
as  she  persistently  declined  all  the  proposals  she  had 
made  to  her  of  changing  her  name,  some  colour  was 
thereby  given  to  the  report. 

The  ladies  of  the  Leppell  family  had  never  hinted  at 
this  knowledge ;  but  the  Colonel,  in  one  of  his  fits  of 
wrath,  had  come  out  with   this   history,  by  way  of 


28  THE  FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

accusing  the  woman  of  living  under  false  pretences. 
The  look  which  she  gave  him  as  he  spoke — long,  stern, 
and  defiant — was  one  which  he  had  never  seen  directed 
towards  him  by  female1  face;  and  the  tone  in  which 
she  denounced  him  as  a  "  cowardly  spy,"  was  such  as 
to  affect  even  the  Colonel's  strong  nerves,  which  were 
not  to  be  shaken  generally  by  a  trifle. 

Prothero's  portion,  however,  would  have  been  instant 
dismissal  had  Colonel  Leppell  been  in  a  position  to 
afford  such  retaliation;  but  there  was  Lady  Asher's 
yearly  payment  to  be  considered,  and  the  certain 
knowledge  also  that  adieu  for  ever,  maid,  would  be 
inevitably  adieu  for  ever,  Lady  Asher;  and,  this  step 
taken,  even  Adelaide's  persuasions  would  never  suf- 
fice to  recall  her  mother  as  a  permanent  resident  of 
Hunter's  Lodge. 

Some  sort  of  amende  honorable  was  eventually  made 
through  the  medium  of  Mrs  Leppell  for  her  husband's 
hasty  speech ;  and  the  Colonel  argued  himself  into  the 
belief  that  the  wrongs  which  Prothero  had  suffered  at 
the  hands  of  mankind  were  the  main  reason  for  the 
damsel's  want  of  appreciation  of  himself  and  of  his 
eldest  son.  He  was  good  enough  also  to  remark  that, 
if  his  feeling  towards  the  woman  sometimes  mounted 
to  actual  hostility,  he  remembered  her  services,  and 
concluded  to  put  up  with  her. 

A  knock  resounded  at  the  door  of  Colonel  Leppell's 
room  a  little  before  eight  o'clock  ;  this  knock  was 
repeated  with  the  precision  and  force  of  a  sledge- 
hammer, and  aroused  that  warrior  into  fiercely  de- 


HYGIEIA.  29 

nianding,  "  Wlio  the  devil  is  there  ? "  and,  "  Where, 
where  on  earth  has  Mrs  Leppell  got  to  ? " 

These  inquiries  were  answered  by  the  appearance 
of  his  groom,  who  brought  a  note  written  in  pencil, 
which  he  stuffed  into  his  master's  hand.  "  Mrs  Pro- 
thero  gave  me  this,"  the  lad  said,  "  and  you  are  to  read 
it  directly." 

The  note  contained  a  few  lines  written  by  Mrs  Lep- 
pell three  hours  before,  stating  that,  being  disturbed 
in  the  night  by  illness,  she  had  retired  to  the  spare 
room,  and  that,  feeling  then  disposed  to  sleep,  she 
begged  him  to  allow  her  to  remain  quiet  for  a  few 
hours.     Mary  would  attend  to  the  breakfast. 

Meanwhile  Ben,  the  groom,  after  depositing  his 
master's  boots  and  shaving-water  in  their  respective 
places,  made  for  the  door,  but  not  before  the  sten- 
torian tones  of  Colonel  Leppell's  voice  recalled  him  to 
attend  to  orders. 

"  Take  Sally  and  ride  into  Yarne  for  the  letters — 
or  you  may  as  well  drive  the  dogcart  and  go  straight 
to  the  station  for  my  portmanteau ;  you  will  find  it  in 
the  parcels  office.  If  you  are  too  early  for  the  mail 
delivery,  wait  at  the  office  till  it  comes  in.  Don't  go 
skylarking  about  the  town,  and  tell  Miss  Mary  to  get 
the  household  assembled  for  family  prayers  at  a  quarter 
to  nine.     Look  sharp  ! " 

"  Yes,  Colonel."  The  man  departed  with  a  grin  on 
his  face,  which  the  mention  of  family  prayers  had  called 
forth. 

The  erratic  devotions  at  Hunter's  Lodge,  which  were 


30  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

dignified  by  the  name  of  family  prayers,  were  unto  Mrs 
Leppell  even  as  lions  in  the  path.  Old  Lady  Asher 
had  been  present  at  them  once  (the  institution  was  of 
recent  date),  and  this  was  the  alpha  and  omega  of  her 
attendance;  and  Prothero  had  denounced  the  whole 
thing,  as  conducted  by  the  Colonel,  as  being  little 
short  of  rank  blasphemy,  and  a  decided  tempting  of 
Providence.  The  children  and  servants  endured  the 
orations  inflicted  on  them  in  a  semi-martyr  and  semi- 
comic  spirit,  the  great  achievement  being  to  preserve  a 
becoming  gravity,  and  to  be  careful  not  to  be  caught 
in  the  indulgence  of  any  outward  and  visible  sign  of 
merriment. 

The  signal  for  prayers  had  become  interpreted  by 
the  family  in  general  as  something  being  wrong  with 
the  governor;  and  thus  when  he  descended  to  the 
breakfast-room,  he  found  an  uncommonly  clear  coast, 
owing  to  the  stampede  which  Ben's  news  had  oc- 
casioned among  the  children.  Testaments,  however, 
were  opened,  and  set  with  their  faces  upturned,  each 
on  a  file  of  chairs,  which  were  drawn  up  with  soldier- 
like precision  at  the  end  of  the  room ;  and  a  face  from 
the  garden  was  looking  in  at  the  half-opened  window, 
ready  to  give  the  signal  when  the  commanding  officer 
should  appear. 

Such  a  face !  framed  with  real  golden  hair !  hair  so 
bright  and  silky  that  it  would  seem  as  if  Aurora  had 
massed  the  sunbeams  in  her  hand  and  showered  them 
down  to  crown  the  young,  whom  the  ancient  story  tells 
us  she  ever  favoured  and  ever  loved.    The  clear  dark- 


HYGIEIA.  31 

grey  eyes,  which  looked  violet  in  some  lights,  contrast- 
ed well  with  the  delicate  yet  healthy  colouring  of  the 
skin.  The  clean-cut  nostrils  and  beautiful  curve  of 
the  chin  could  only  be  rivalled  by  the  small  shell-like 
ear  and  the  round  pillar-like  throat.  A  graceful  figure, 
elastic  and  lissome,  which  was  confined  in  a  simple 
dress  suitable  to  her  years,  testified  that  Mary  Leppell 
was  in  the  enjoyment  of  pure  good  health. 

No  wonder,  that  her  admirers  had  toasted  her  as 
"  heavenly  Moll."  She  might,  as  she  stood  there, 
have  been  sculptured  as  the  goddess  Hygieia,  watch- 
ing and  waiting  to  scatter  health  and  beauty  on  all 
the  sons  and  daughters  of  the  earth. 

"  That's  right,  Moll,"  the  Colonel  said,  as  he  spied 
her  on  his  entrance  into  the  breakfast-room ;  "  have 
'em  all  in — make  haste,  there's  a  good  girl.  Where 
are  those  young  scamps  of  boys  ? " 

"Dick,"  said  the  girl,  turning  round  to  a  boy  of 
fourteen,  who  was  riding  on  a  fence,  "  run  quick ;  the 
governor's  down." 

A  rush,  a  scuffle  on  the  gravel,  and  Dick,  with  a 
glowing,  rosy  face,  is  in  the  morning-room  in  a  second 
of  time. 

"  That's  right,  my  boy,"  said  the  father ;  "  glad  to 
see  you  so  punctual.  There  will  be  a  blessing  upon 
you.  You  know  the  sons  of  Aminadab, — or  some- 
body,— they  had  a  blessing  for  ever " 

"  Oh,  those  were  the  water-drinking  parties,  pa," 
explained  Master  Dick. 

"Yes;  haw,  now  I  remember.     I  must  have  been 


32  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

thinking  of  the  man  who  prayed  punctually  for  rain, 
and — and — got  it." 

"  Yes,  pa ;  but  don't  you  think  he  deserved  more 
credit  for  sticking  to  his  work  ?  He  prayed  three 
years"  said  Dick,  in  a  tone  of  extreme  astonishment, 
"  and  never  gave  in.     I'll  look  up  the  passage." 

"  Do  so,  my  boy,"  returned  the  Colonel,  with  an  air 
of  extreme  wisdom ;  "  it  is  always  well  to  be  able  to 
verify  one's  statements." 

Meanwhile  the  household  trooped  in  by  units  and 
twos,  and  were  greeted  with  a  nod  here  and  there, 
supplemented  by  a  pat  on  the  head  for  the  younger 
children ;  for  the  Colonel  was  very  fond  of  the  little 
ones  of  the  family,  and  very  rarely  made  his  presence 
a  tangible  terror  to  them. 

As  he  surveyed  his  congregation  he  missed  two  of 
its  members.  "Where  is  Langton  and  that  stable- 
boy  ? "  inquired  the  Colonel,  fiercely  ;  "  they  ought  to 
be  here.  It's  no  use  their  thinking  that  because  they 
are  outdoor  servants  they  are  exempt  from  family  wor- 
ship. Dick,  get  the  horn  and  sound  a  summons  in  the 
direction  of  the  stables." 

Dick,  nothing  loth,  darted  into  the  hall,  followed  by 
Fritz,  and  a  short  struggle  took  place  between  these 
young  gentlemen  for  the  possession  of  the  instrument. 
The  contest  ended  in  favour  of  Dick,  and  there  was 
nothing  left  for  Fritz  to  do  but  to  return  to  the  room 
and  get  his  head  rapped  by  his  parent  for  leaving 
it  without  permission.  This  delicate  attention  Fritz 
received  without  wincing,  but  he  privately  scored  a 


HYGIEIA.  33 

resolve  to  have  a  turn  at  the  horn  on  the  first  op- 
portunity. 

"Tra-li-ra  !  tra-li-ra  !  ra-ra-rgr!"  re-echoed  in  space, 
vocally  accompanied  by  the  Colonel,  as  he  thrust  his 
head  out  at  the  window,  and  repeated  the  notes  thus 
blown  with  stentorian  effect  and  accuracy. 

"  Tri-li-ra  !  lali-ra  !  lali-ra  !  la-li-ra-ra  ! "  again  bel- 
lowed the  horn,  and  this  last  call  produced  a  helper 
from  the  stable-yard,  who  got  himself  into  a  stable- 
jacket  as  he  slouched  leisurely  along. 

Behind  came  Jack,  the  lad,  evidently  shirking  and 
reluctant. 

This  was  too  much  for  Colonel  Leppell.  Dashing 
through  the  window,  he  rushed  towards  the  unlucky 
groom,  and  turning  sharply  round,  he  drove  him  before 
him  as  if  he  had  been  a  horse  or  a  cow.  "  D — n  you, 
come  to  prayers  !  didn't  you  hear  the  horn,  you 
rascal  ? "  and  with  this  and  other  choice  adjurations 
the  reverse  of  complimentary,  Jack  was  propelled  into 
the  room,  and  crushed  down  on  a  vacant  seat  in  the 
file  of  chairs. 

"  Now,  then,"  said  the  Colonel,  after  recovering 
himself  a  little,  "  steady ;  tenth  chapter  of  the  Acts, 
eh  ? " 

"  Yes,  Colonel,"  from  the  congregation. 

"  Well,  mind  now.  I  read  the  first  verse,  and  the 
whole  of  you  will  read  the  next  one  together.  Keep 
the  time  —  not  one  after  the  other,  but  together. 
Never  mind  if  any  one  read  badly ;  the  rest  will  help 
a  stumbler  along." 

vol.  i.  c 


34  THE  FAT  OF  THE   LAND. 

So  the  master  began,  and  the  chapter  was  read 
throughout  with  a  reverence  and  attention  hardly  to 
be  expected  under  the  circumstances. 

At  the  close  the  Colonel  said,  "  I  won't  bother  with 
the  Commentary.  I  don't  believe  in  commentaries  as 
a  rule ;  and  the  one  you  have  placed  here,  Mary,"  he 
continued,  addressing  his  daughter,  "  is  written  by  a 
woman,  a  Mrs  Biddle, — ought  to  be  Mrs  Fiddle.  Con- 
found her !  what  business  has  a  woman  to  write  a 
commentary  ?  very  unscriptural,  and  flying  in  the  face 
of  St  Paul — or  Timothy.  Put  that  book  in  the  fire, 
or  anywhere  you  like,  but  don't  bring  commentaries 
written  by  a  woman  in  here."  So  saying,  the  unfor- 
tunate Commentary  was  hurled  into  Miss  Leppell's 
lap. 

"  Now,"  went  on  the  Colonel,  "  I  want  you  all  to 
take  notice  that  the  man  we  have  been  reading  about 
was  a  soldier,  and  that  an  angel  was  especially  sent  to 
this  soldier,  and  that  soldiers  are  mentioned  with 
respect  throughout  Scripture. 

"  We  don't  read  of  angels  being  sent  to  parsonesses, 
though  it  is  the  fashion  in  cathedral  towns  to  glorify 
these  people  a  great  deal  too  much.  Now  mind,  when 
you  hear  the  military  run  down,  do  you  think  of 
Cornelius,  and  that  his  alms  were  had  in  remembrance 
in  the  Lord's  sight.  Then  there  were  Abner  and 
Joshua — the  latter  a  capital  general, — both  Scripture 
soldiers,  and  highly  favoured  ;  and  Jehu — no,  I  rather 
think  Jehu  was  celebrated  for  his  driving — it  doesn't 
matter ;    the   fighting   men   of  Israel  crop  up  in  all 


HYGIEIA.  35 

directions  through  the  Bible.  You  will  remember  all 
this,  won't  you  ?  because  being  deluged  with  clergy- 
women  as  we  are,  it  is  a  Christian  duty  to  stick  to  our 
own  profession  and  be  able  to  give  Bible  reasons  for 
honouring  the  military  in  every  possible  way." 

The  congregation  collectively  affirmed  that  they 
would  remember;  and  Dick  audibly  proclaimed  his 
admiration  for  General  Stonewall  Jackson  on  the 
spot,  averring  "that  it  was  a  shame  that  warrior 
could  not  be  put  into  the  Bible  with  the  rest  of  them." 

The  Colonel  bestowed  an  approving  grin  on  his  son, 
and  then  ordered  him  to  hold  his  tongue. 

"  Kneel  down  all  of  you,"  said  the  master  of  the 
house,  "  and  when  I  pray  for  all  persons  in  general,  I 
ask  you  to  pray  for  my  son  Marmaduke  in  particular ; 
repeat  after  me  at  the  proper  time." 

A  short  exordium  appropriate  to  the  day  of  the 
week  was  read,  and  after  that  the  Lord's  prayer  was 
repeated  by  all.  A  pause — and  then  the  Colonel  pro- 
ceeded :  "  We  ask  for  special  guidance  for  our  absent 
one,  Marmaduke  Leppell.  May  he  succeed  in  all  his 
undertakings,  may  his  troubles  be  averted,  and  may 
all  his  enemies  be  confounded.     Amen." 

"  Now,  cook,  look  sharp  and  devil  the  kidneys,"  was 
the  next  injunction,  as  the  assemblage  rose  from  their 
knees.  "Moll,  make  the  breakfast;  I'll  just  go  and 
see  after  the  bull-terrier  pup  meanwhile. 

"  Dick  and  Clara  can  breakfast  with  us  ;  all  the  rest 
disperse."  So  the  chamber  was  cleared  and  the  train 
disappeared,  and  Fritz  and  the  stable-lad    conferred 


36  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

together  in  a  safe  corner  of  the  stables,  and  came  to 
the  conclusion  that  Marmacluke  must  either  be  in 
"  quod "  for  disobedience  of  orders,  or  that  he  had 
caught  the  typhus  fever. 

Fritz  rather  inclined  to  the  latter  hypothesis,  be- 
cause his  brother  had  mentioned  in  his  last  letter  that 
this  disease  was  rampant  in  the  town  whereat  the 
Royal  Goldspinners  were  quartered. 

"  Anyhow,  we  must  trust  in  Providence,"  remarked 
Fritz  resignedly ;  "  it  won't  do  to  ask  the  governor  any 
questions  just  now.  I  know  him  ;  he  is  in  one  of  his 
queer  humours." 

"  Be  as  well  if  a  hangel  were  sent  to  he,  I  am 
thinking,"  replied  the  stable-lad,  who  had  not  forgotten 
the  unceremonious  treatment  which  he  had  lately 
received.  "  Though  the  Colonel  is  your  pa,  Master 
Fritz,  I  makes  bold  to  say  that  the  way  he  goes  on  at 
passons  is  orful ;  I  do." 

"  Oh,  that  does  not  matter  much,"  Fritz  replied 
soothingly.  "  The  governor  thinks  that  Mr  Vane  is 
going  in  for  Popery,  and  he  hates  Mother  Braintree 
because  she  is  a  meddling  busybody,  and  lays  down 
the  law  to  the  Dean  and  Chapter  of  Yarne,  through 
her  old  man,  you  know.  I  believe  she  even  went  so 
far  as  to  tackle  the  governor  because  she  heard  him 
rap  out  an  oath  one  day  when  he  was  drilling  the 
pensioners  in  the  cathedral  square,  and  desired  him 
to  remember  that  she  was  in  residence.  A  good 
joke !  no  wonder  the  governor  has  a  fling  at  the 
'  parsonesses,'  as  he  calls  them." 


HYGIEIA.  37 

Mr  Yane  was  clergyman  of  the  parish  of  Blythe,  and 
had  only  lately  been  inducted  into  the  living.  The 
value  of  this  piece  of  preferment  was  sixty  pounds  a- 
year,  and  had  not  Mr  Yane  possessed  some  private 
means  of  his  own,  he  could  not  have  accepted  the  cure. 
He  was  an  earnest,  kindly  man ;  and  the  symptoms  of 
Popery  with  which  Colonel  Leppell  accredited  him 
were,  that  he  had  morning  prayers  every  Wednesday 
and  Friday  in  Blythe  Church,  and  that  he  pulled  the 
bell  himself  to  call  the  parishioners  to  these  devotions. 
Further,  Mr  Yane  had  presumed  to  do  his  duty,  and 
impress  upon  the  farmers  and  others  who  attended 
Blythe  Church  that  a  more  suitable  place  must  be 
found  than  the  communion-table  as  a  receptacle  for 
greatcoats  or  umbrellas,  wet  or  dry. 

The  Hunter's  Lodge  pew  was  of  the  loose  horse-box 
pattern,  and  had  formerly  contained  a  fireplace  for 
the  especial  delectation  of  the  Squire's  family,  when  a 
Squire  of  Blythe  was  there  to  occupy  it.  The  present 
owner  of  Blythe  was  abroad ;  and,  in  consequence, 
the  tenant  of  Hunter's  Lodge  was  adjudged  the  right 
of  occupying  the  seat  of  the  Squire  in  the  parish 
church. 

On  the  wall,  just  above  the  north  side  of  this  square, 
a  tablet  was  plastered  which  bore  the  following  re- 
markable inscription : — 

"  In  Memory  of  S.  P.  Q. 

"  He  was — words  are  wanting  to  say  what : 
Think  of  what  Father,  Husband,  Friend  should  be, 
And  he  was that." 


38  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

Colonel  Leppell,  when  lie  attended  the  service  at 
Blythe  Church,  sat  immediately  under  this  tablet, 
which,  because  it  was  the  wonder  and  amusement  of 
all  strangers,  he  eulogised  as  being  very  plain  and 
evangelical.  "jSTo  cross — no  carving — no  flummery 
about  it,"  he  would  say ;  and  from  this  coign  of  van- 
tage he  narrowly  scanned,  with  an  eye  like  Mars, 
what  he  was  pleased  to  call  Mr  Vane's  "goings  on," 
to  the  great  discomfort  of  that  good  and  conscientious 
minister. 

The  lady,  disrespectfully  referred  to  by  Fritz  as 
Mother  Braintree,  was  the  wife  of  a  newly  appointed 
canon  of  Yarne  Cathedral,  who  laboured  under  the 
delusion  that  the  transition,  for  three  months  in  the 
year,  from  a  London  parish  to  a  house  set  especially 
apart  for  the  use  of  the  resident  canon  in  Yarne  was 
equal  to  a  patent  of  nobility,  and  a  licence,  not  only 
to  associate  with,  but  to  be  recognised  as  being  one  of, 
the  county  families.  At  this  time  (twenty  years  ago) 
it  was  not  unusual  to  meet  with  the  wives  of  country 
clergymen,  who,  if  they  chanced  to  be  of  good  birth, 
assumed  all  the  airs  of  the  landed  gentry — such  as 
declining  to  visit  in  the  county  town,  and  regarding 
cle  haut  en  has  the  spouses  of  clergymen  of  the 
city  parishes,  especially  if  their  husbands  acted  as 
master  of  a  school,  either  public  or  private. 

The  cathedral  clergy — that  is,  the  portion  of  that 
body  who  were  recognised  as  the  "  dignified  clergy  " — 
were,  of  course,  exempted  from  this  ostracism,  which, 


HYGIEIA.  39 

while  it  went  far  to  form  a  purely  ecclesiastical  clique, 
was  little  calculated  to  produce  examples  of  Christian 
courtesy,  and  that  large-hearted  charity  which  is  to  be 
especially  required  of  the  holders  of  spiritual  good 
things. 

The  progress  of  education,  and  the  broader  views  of 
the  present  time,  especially  in  the  matter  of  political 
economy,  have  in  a  measure  stamped  out  what,  in  some 
instances,  was  an  absurd  anomaly,  and  in  others  a 
gross  abuse.  People  are  beginning  to  question  the 
propriety  of  allowing  clergy,  holding  a  living  and  a 
residence  in  one  part  of  the  country,  to  occupy  a 
good  house  for  quarter  of  the  year  in  a  cathedral  town, 
and  leave  it  either  untenanted  or  occupied  by  their 
relations  for  the  other  three-quarters  of  that  period. 
In  Yarne  no  less  than  four  houses  were  thus  set  aside 
for  the  use  of  the  four  cathedral  canons :  and  Colonel 
Leppell  was  not  far  wrong  when  he  expressed  his 
opinion  that  one  house  should  suffice  for  this  quar- 
tette— thus  giving  more  room  for  charitable  institu- 
tions and  schools,  or  for  any  work  (had  they  so  pleased) 
which  would  have  been  in  harmony  with  the  Dean  and 
Chapter  of  the  Cathedral. 

If  this  were  not  necessary — as  it  was  then  argued — 
it  were  very  easy  to  let  the  houses,  and  there  were 
plenty  of  poor  and  suffering  to  whom  the  proceeds  of 
the  rent  would  have  been  a  blessing  indeed. 

It  is  but  fair  to  state  that  the  canons  themselves 
had  discussed  this  subject,  and  had  rather  leaned  to 


40  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

the  idea  of  accepting  one  house,  to  be  occupied  in  turn 
as  their  several  terms  of  residence  fell  due.  But  their 
wives  took  a  very  different  view  of  the  subject,  and 
were,  to  a  woman,  furious  at  the  bare  mention  of  such 
a  proposition.  They  were  so  keenly  alive  to  the 
dignity  and  consequence  of  the  Cathedral  Chapter — 
to  the  dignity  of  the  whole  Church,  in  fact, — what 
could  possess  a  son  of  Lord  Hieover  to  put  such  an 
idea  into  their  husbands'  heads  ?  Why,  the  Bishop 
himself  had  two  residences — the  palace  at  Yarne  and 
the  palace  at  Wurstede — and  the  Bishop's  wife  had 
proclaimed  herself  to  be  equal  to  both  dioceses. 

"  The  idea  was  preposterous,"  argued  Mrs  Canon 
Hetherby ;  "  let  Colonel  Leppell  mind  his  own  busi- 
ness, and  be  content  to  drill  his  pensioners  in  the 
cathedral  square."  She  said  this  as  if  the  locality 
sufficed  to  throw  the  mantle  ecclesiastic  at  once  over 
the  commanding  officer  and  the  whole  of  the  body  that 
there  assembled  under  arms. 

Mrs  Braintree  had  arrived  in  the  diocese  of  Yarne 
in  the  character  of  a  woman  of  business,  and  she  had 
lost  no  time  in  giving  ocular  demonstration  of  her 
capability  to  maintain  a  reputation  of  being  thoroughly 
up  to  work. 

As  the  wife  of  a  rector  of  a  London  parish,  this  lady 
had  borne  her  part  with  sincere  zeal ;  and  being  fond 
of  employment,  and  loyally  and  literally  magnifying 
her  husband's  office,  she  had  managed  the  parish  so 
successfully,  and  had  thereby  earned  so  much  respect 


HYGIEIA.  41 

and  deference,  that  it  was  hardly  to  be  wondered  at  if 
she  at  times  demeaned  herself  as  a  clerk  in  feminine 
orders — as  far  as  the  assumption  of  authority  and  the 
giving  of  advice  went.  It  was  to  her  credit  also  that 
she  never  assumed  her  husband's  position,  and  that  all 
her  acts  were  performed  as  coming  with  his  sanction 
and  approbation,  although  it  was  known,  by  those  be- 
hind the  scenes,  that  Mr  Braintree  never  acted  so 
wisely  as  when  he  was  guided  in  the  performance  of 
his  duties  by  the  counsel  of  his  wife ;  and  also,  that  a 
good  portion  of  her  daily  task  consisted  of  smoothing 
down  difficulties,  and  mollifying  the  ire  of  persons, 
raised  mostly  by  the  utter  want  of  tact  which  the 
reverend  gentleman  usually  displayed  in  the  common 
affairs  of  life.  He  was  a  good  man,  and  a  kind  one  to 
those  whom  he  liked,  but  he  was  given  to  take  un- 
warrantable prejudices — and  so  the  best  side  of  his 
character  was  only  appreciated  by  his  intimate  friends. 
In  person,  Mr  Braintree  irresistibly  reminded  the  be- 
holder of  the  leaning  tower  of  Pisa — so  tall,  and  so  out 
of  the  perpendicular,  was  his  build.  But  he  bore  the 
impress  of  a  gentleman ;  and  in  perfect  good  faith  and 
courtesy  he  resolved,  like  his  wife,  to  set  everybody 
and  everything  to  rights  when  he  should  enter  into 
residence  as  canon  of  Yarne. 

With  their  experience  it  was  naturally  a  matter  of 
surprise  to  this  couple,  on  further  acquaintance  with 
the  regime  with  which  Mr  Braintree's  preferment  had 
amalgamated  them,  to  find  that  the  canons'  wives  were 


42  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

as  ignorant  as  the  cathedral  stones  regarding  the  vice 
and  misery  which  reigned  rampant  under  the  very 
shadow  of  its  towers.  True,  they  subscribed  to  char- 
ities, and  they  had  some  of  the  goody-goody  women 
to  tea  (and  how  these  women  toadied  them,  let  those 
who  then  dwelt  in  Yarne  testify) :  but  no,  they  did  not 
visit  the  poor  personally ;  they  did  not  consider  that 
they  belonged  to  the  place ;  they  were  only  in  resi- 
dence three  months  in  the  year,  &c.  Such  was  the 
burden  of  their  song ;  and  Mrs  Canon  Heatherby, 
whose  husband  was  master  of  a  hall  at  one  of  the 
universities,  blandly  informed  Colonel  Leppell,  on  his 
application  to  her  for  five  shillings  for  a  sick  soldier, 
that  she  really  only  looked  upon  their  stay  at  Yarne 
"  as  a  kind  of  picnic, — they  never,  in  fact,  even  brought 
down  their  plate." 

"  The  college  plate  I  suppose  you  refer  to,  madam  ? " 
the  Colonel  had  ungallantly  replied  ;  "  still,  I  think,  as 
your  husband  draws  seven  hundred  a-year  from  the 
cathedral  revenues,  you  will  hardly  refuse  me  a  trifle 
for  my  poor  soldier." 

This  shamed  the  lady  into  doubling  the  amount 
which  he  asked  for:  but  she  ever  afterwards  de- 
nounced Colonel  Leppell  as  a  man  of  the  most  pecu- 
liar ideas ;  whilst  he,  in  his  turn,  sang  pseans  over  the 
Catholic  clergy,  who,  however  he  might  differ  from 
them  in  theology,  he  respected  for  knowing  better 
than  to  be  hampered  with  the  nuisance  of  clergy  women 
in  the  shape  of  wives.     "  Sensible  men,  very  sensible 


HYGIEIA.  43 

men!"  he  would  remark.  Mrs  Braintree,  having  ven- 
tured to  reproach  him  for  swearing  at  his  soldiers  in 
the  cathedral  precincts,  some  time  afterwards,  rather 
strengthened  his  dislike  towards  the  parsonesses,  as 
he  called  them.  In  his  heart  of  hearts,  however,  he 
respected  the  lady  for  having  done  (in  a  wrong  way) 
the  right  thing ;  and  he  always  insisted  that,  if  Mrs 
Braintree  did  interfere  in  things  spiritual,  she  spent 
the  income  of  the  canonry  in  Yarne — and  that  was  a 
precious  deal  more  than  could  be  said  for  the  other 
three  factors  of  the  quartette  which  composed  the 
wives  of  canons  prebendal  of  Yarne ;  to  wit,  Lady 
Smirke,  Mrs  Varnishe,  and  Mrs  Canon  Heatherby, — 
the  latter  lady  being  called  Mrs  Canon  in  right  of  her 
husband  being  the  longest  appointed  canon  on  the  list. 

Colonel  Leppell,  after  seeing  that  the  bull-terrier 
pup  was  in  a  satisfactory  condition,  returned,  with  the 
little  beast  on  one  arm  and  his  youngest  daughter 
Julia  on  the  other,  to  the  breakfast-room.  A  fondness 
for  young  things  of  all  kinds  was  one  of  the  Colonel's 
redeeming  qualities ;  but  in  this,  as  in  all  else,  he  was 
apt  to  run  into  inconsistency. 

Miss  Julia  would  have  been  better  in  the  nursery, 
and  the  pup  in  the  stable  at  this  time,  seeing  that  be- 
tween them  the  milk -jug  was  upset,  and  the  pup 
obligingly  vandyked  a  side  of  the  tablecloth,  as  a 
hint  to  the  company  that  all  his  teeth  were  well  to 
the  fore. 

At  length  the  little  girl,  choked  by  a  piece  of  hot 


44  THE   FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

kidney  which  had  been  rammed  into  her  month  by 
her  inconsiderate  parent,  grew  black  in  the  face,  and 
kicked  like  a  bnll  of  Bashan ;  and  Dick  had  to  hold 
her  over  the  window,  and  thump  and  shake  her  till 
the  piece  was  pumped  up. 

The  next  thing  for  Miss  Julia  to  do  was  to  howl 
lustily,  and  inveigh  against  her  family  in  the  most 
energetic  manner.  "  I  wish  I  was  a  clock,  I  do — nasty 
papa ! "  cried  this  infant.  "  I  wish  I  was  a  clock, 
and  I  would  not  go  for  you — no,  I  would  not  go  for 
you — no ! " 

This  was  particularly  hard  on  the  Colonel,  for  it 
was  one  of  his  fancies  to  wind  up  and  otherwise 
regulate  all  the  clocks  and  watches  in  the  house.  He 
even  at  times  took  them  to  pieces,  and  of  course  he 
never  could,  by  any  chance,  set  them  up  again.  The 
winding  and  striking  and  ticking  that  went  on  at  in- 
tervals  was  a  terror  to  the  household,  and  as  the 
nursery  clock  had  persistently  stood  still  for  a  fort- 
night after  the  master's  latest  manipulations,  it  was 
very  possible  that  Miss  Julia  had  heard  some  remarks 
on  that  subject  which  were  not  intended  to  travel 
outside  the  nursery  door. 

The  pup  had  taken  advantage  of  this  diversion  to 
make  short  runs  at  the  heels  of  his  owner,  incited 
probably  thereto  by  the  screams  of  Miss  Julia.  A 
speedy  eviction  followed ;  and  the  child  and  the  ani- 
mal howled  in  concert  on  the  door-mat  in  the  hall,  till 
a  passing  nursemaid  rescued  the  pair. 


HYGIEIA.  45 

i:  I  am  going  to  the  '  den,'  and  shall  smoke  there," 
said  Colonel  Leppell  to  his  son,  as  they  rose  from  the 
breakfast-table.  "  When  Ben  returns,  send  him  there 
to  me.  Mary,  go  and  see  if  your  mother  is  awake : 
if  she  is,  tell  her  I  will  come  to  her  after  the  letters 
arrive." 


46 


CHAPTER    III. 


SOME    RETROSPECTION. 


It  was  a  positive  relief  to  Colonel  Leppell  when,  freed 
from  the  presence  of  his  family,  he  could,  unseen  and 
with  his  pipe  for  company,  ponder  over  the  unfor- 
tunate position  of  his  son,  and  make  some  attempt  to 
extricate  that  youth  from  his  difficulties  without  accept- 
ing the  aid  which  had  been  offered  in  so  unexpected  a 
manner.  But  ponder  and  pshaw  and  exclaim  as  the  Col- 
onel would  and  did,  the  stern  fact  of  his  utter  helpless- 
ness to  extricate  Marmacluke  from  his  embarrassments 
still  confronted  him.  There  was  no  way  to  evade  the 
difficulty,  no  solution  of  the  problem  but  that  of  accept- 
ing the  proposition  made  to  his  wife  by  his  quondam 
foe,  Everard  Glascott,  —  a  man  whom  he  had  scan- 
dalously ill-used,  years  ago,  in  the  literal  interpretation 
of  the  game  of  all  being  fair  in  love  and  war.  There 
was  only  one  comfort  in  the  matter,  and  that  was,  that 
he  more  than  discharged  a  quid  pro  quo  by  giving 
his  beautiful  daughter  to  the  cousin  of  the  man  who  had 
so  generously — so  romantically — come  forward  to  aid 


SOME   RETROSPECTION.  47 

him  and  screen  his  son.  Then  the  Colonel  worked 
himself  into  the  belief  that  he  was,  on  his  part,  doing 
a  generous  and  self-sacrificing  thing  in  even  enter- 
taining an  idea  of  the  match  with  Mr  Clavering. 
"  Mr  Clavering,  indeed  !  "  he  exclaimed  aloud.  "  What 
a  sinking  in  poetry  !  haw  ! — I  had  intended  Moll  to  be 
a  Vicountess  at  least.  If  I  had  but  known,  I  would 
not  have  allowed  her  to  refuse  Lord  Duffer.  I  won- 
der what  Moll  thinks  of  this  man  Clavering, — it's  all 
I  can  do  to  keep  my  wits/'  soliloquised  the  poor 
Colonel,  as  he  in  vain  endeavoured  to  get  matters 
righted  in  his  mental  vision  in  the  course  of  summing 
them  up.  "  Marmaduke  charged  with  obtaining  money 
under  false  pretences,  writs  out  against  him  ;  Glascott 
a  sleeping  partner  in  the  firm  who  are  prosecuting 
him — there's  a  special  interposition  of  Providence  in 
that  though — and  finally  Marmaduke  running  off  with 
an  heiress,  and  being  caught  before  the  end  of  the 
journey,  and  the  bride  taken  back  by  her  friends. 
The  thunders  of  the  Court  of  Chancery  were  light 
in  comparison  with  this  piece  of  humiliation :  besides, 
what  would  or  could  the  Lord  Chancellor  do  ?  After 
all,  it  only  amounted  to  contempt  of  Court,  and 
he  didn't  believe  they  would  imprison  Marmaduke 
for  that,"  argued  the  father  to  himself.  "  In  fact,  I 
don't  believe  the  Court  of  Chancery  would  bother 
about  it ;  it's  the  absurd  prejudice  people  have  against 
the  army  which  is  at  the  bottom  of  it.  No  doubt  the 
girl's  friends  are  roturiers,  and  want  to  keep  her  for 
some  vulgarian  of  their  own  breed, — that's  all  about  it. 


48  THE    FAT    OF   THE   LAND. 

But  I  do  wish,  for  all  that,  some  news  from  Marnia- 
duke  himself  would  turn  up." 

So  musing,  Colonel  Leppell  took  down  a  law-book, 
and  rummaged  among  its  pages  to  see  if  he  could  glean 
any  information  therefrom  regarding  the  abduction 
of  wards  in  Chancery.  He  was  thus  busily  employed 
when  he  heard  the  clatter  of  horse's  hoofs. 

It  would  have  been  in  accordance  with  his  usual 
habit  had  he  started  out  hatless  to  meet  the  mes- 
senger, for  he  instinctively  felt  that  Ben  had  returned. 
Now  he  rose  up,  and  quickly  resumed  his  seat;  a 
slight  pallor  overspread  his  features,  and  he  trembled 
perceptibly.  Were  there  any  letters  ?  perhaps,  after 
all,  there  were  none :  he  almost  wished  the  latter 
might  be  the  case, — it  would  be  better  in  this  instance 
to  remain  in  ignorance,  than  know  the  worst. 

So  argued  the  man ;  a  woman  would  rather  possess 
complete  knowledge,  and  seek  to  know  the  worst. 
Thus  both  husband  and  wife,  though  apart  in  the 
same  house,  waited  for  the  tidings  which  the  return 
of  the  groom  would  bring. 

Ben  dismounted,  and  being  waylaid  by  Dick,  who 
seized  the  reins  and  drove  to  the  stables,  at  once  took 
his  way  to  the  "  den  "  with  the  letter-bag.  He  was 
allowed  to  knock  twice  at  the  door  of  that  retreat 
before  permission  to  enter  was  accorded.  Little  given 
to  dissimulation,  generally  speaking,  the  Colonel  at 
this  moment  appeared  to  be  deeply  absorbed  in  his 
researches,  his  head  being  lowered  almost  between  the 
pages  of  his  book,  and  his  voice  giving  utterance  to 


SOME   RETROSPECTION.  49 

vague  and  detached  words :  thus  he  received  the  letter- 
bag,  without  even  looking  at  the  bearer. 

"  Put  it  down  there,"  he  said  to  the  groom.  "  By 
the  by,  did  you  bring  back  my  portmanteau  ? " 

"  Yes,  Colonel,  it  is  in  the  dogcart ; "  and  thus  re- 
plying, the  lad  turned  to  go  out. 

"Wait  a  moment,"  cried  the  master,  looking  up 
suddenly ;  "  there  may  be  letters  here  for  Mrs  Leppell 
and  the  others.  Ah !  yes — one,  two,  three — one  for 
Miss  Leppell."  This  missive  the  Colonel  scanned 
narrowly  before  placing  it  on  the  packet  with  the  rest. 
The  handwriting  bore  a  wonderful  resemblance  to 
that  in  which  an  epistle  to  himself  was  addressed. 
"  Miss  Kate  Bubb,  Hunter's  Lodge,  Blythe,  forsooth  ! 
who  the  deuce  is  Miss  Kate  Bubb  ? " 

'■  The  new  kitchen-maid,  Colonel,"  answered  Ben, 
rather  reluctantly,  for  he  expected  a  storm. 

"  Tell  Miss  Kate  Bubb,  with  my  compliments,  that 
she  had  better  instruct  her  correspondents  to  make 
some  mention  of  the  name  of  the  family  whom  she 
serves  when  they  address  letters  to  her.  What  is  the 
world  coming  to  ?  Why,  that  brat  was  in  the  village 
school  only  two  months  ago,  wasn't  she  ? " 

"  I  think  so,  Colonel ;  but  ye  see  she's  ignorant, 
and  hasn't  had  much  training  in  the  fine  work,  sir," 
ventured  Ben. 

"  True,"  returned  the  Colonel  amiably,  for  Ben 
(being  a  soldier)  was  rather  a  favourite.  "  After  all, 
it  does  not  do  to  teach  'em  too  much  fine  work,  as  you 
call  it — not  just  at  first,  I  mean.    At  any  rate,  just  you 

VOL.    I.  L> 


50  THE  FAT  OF  THE   LAND. 

show  Miss  Kate  Bubb  how  her  letters  are  to  be  ad- 
dressed ;  and  if  you  can't  make  her  understand,  send 
her  to  me." 

Ben  thought  he  could  undertake  this  office,  knowing 
full  well  that  Miss  Bubb  would  rather  fly  the  country 
than  risk  a  tete-a-tete  with  Colonel  Leppell  in  the  re- 
cesses of  his  den.  The  groom  was,  however,  not  sorry 
to  have  the  schooling  of  this  young  person,  as  he  had 
on  several  previous  occasions  warned  the  kitchen- 
maid  that  it  would  be  more  becoming  were  she  less 
free  with  the  names  of  the  surrounding  gentry.  He 
had  even  taken  the  trouble  to  point  out  to  this  auda- 
cious young  female  that  "  Wildmere's  people  "  was  not 
the  manner  by  which  the  family  of  Sir  Morris  Wild- 
mere  should  be  indicated,  any  more  than  the  informa- 
tion that  Dr  Trimmings,  the  physician  of  Yarne,  should 
be  reported  as  "  Trimmings  coming  to  dinner  " ;  in  the 
same  breath,  too,  with  Mr  Tartar,  the  travelling  tin- 
smith, who  was  coming  to  scrape  the  kitchen  kettles  ! 
It  must  be  one  of  the  outlets  of  the  doctrine  of  com- 
pensation, this  mania  persons  of  low  degree  almost 
invariably  have  for  mutilating  the  names  and  con- 
temptuously handling  the  state  of  persons  of  position, 
and,  conversely,  liberally  glorifying  the  cognomen  and 
walk  of  life  of  those  whom  Providence  has  ordained 
to  be  hewers  of  wood  and  drawers  of  water. 

"  Mr  Lumps,  the  coal-heaver,  thinks  this ;  and  old 
Carew  (Sir  Cecil  Carew)  up  there  (Mount's  Manor), 
thinks  the  other  thing."  In  this  respect  the  mode  of 
expression  of  twenty  years  ago  is  not  improved,  and 


SOME   RETROSPECTION.  51 

education  has  yet  to  bear  upon  minds  which  riot  in 
the  delusion  that  flippant  ignorant  impertinence  to- 
wards others  is  a  mark  of  supreme  independence. 

To  do  Blythe  and  its  neighbourhood  justice,  no  one 
had  ever  been  known  to  designate  Colonel  Leppell 
otherwise  than  by  his  proper  title,  or  as  the  "  Colonel." 
In  his  own  family  the  governor  or  "  he  "  was  equiva- 
lent to  some  recognition  of  his  position ;  but  people 
were  very  chary  of  using  the  pronoun  when  the  noun 
proper  was  within  ear-shot,  and  thus  Miss  Bubb's 
familiarities  alarmed,  as  much  as  they  scandalised, 
Ben  Piifles  the  groom.  He  now  leaves  the  room  on  his 
mission  of  reformation  to  Miss  Bubb ;  and  his  master, 
as  soon  as  the  door  is  closed,  turns  and  takes  up  his 
letters. 

The  first  is  merely  a  bill.  "  To  bill  delivered  "  is  its 
announcement,  and  the  sender  respectfully  bespeaks 
Colonel  Leppell's  attention  to  the  fact  that  this  is  the 
third  time  of  asking  for  payment.  The  account  is  one 
for  saddlery,  and  amounts  to  £30,  5s.  8d.  The  Colonel, 
as  he  looks  over  the  document,  ponders  as  to  whether 
his  brother  Alexander  would  like  to  pay  its  demands 
for  him ;  he  (the  Colonel)  has  given  him  many  a  mount 
— Alex,  really  ought — he  has  no  wife  nor  children — 
lives  on  the  best  at  free  quarters  at  Hieover ;  it  is  a 
duty  for  one's  unmarried  kindred  to  assist  the  burdens 
of  the  benedicts :  and  so  in  this,  as  in  many  other  in- 
stances, this  officer  works  himself  into  the  conviction 
that  by  somebody,  or  by  some  method,  his  means  of 
subsistence  must  be  supplied,  and  also  be  supplied  ad 


UmVJ^'-Y  Or  ILL. 


52  THE  FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

infinitum.     However,  for  the  present,  the  bill  is  cast 
aside,   and    Colonel    Leppell,    with    a    strong    grasp, 
pounces   on   an    undeniable-looking   letter,   which   is 
marked  "private,"  and  literally  wrenches  it  open. 
The  contents  were  as  follows : — 

"  To  the  Honourable  Colonel  Leppell, 
"  Staff-Officer  of  Pensioners. 

"  Yarne,  March  2,  186-. 

"  Sir, — The  knowledge  that  I  have  this  day  volun- 
tarily entered  beneath  your  roof  cannot  be  more 
surprising  to  you  than  it  is  to  myself.  True,  the 
forgetfulness  which  time  in  its  mercy  brings,  had 
already  obliterated  the  feelings  of  animosity  with 
which  I  formerly,  and  with  justice,  regarded  you ; 
but  I  frankly  own  that  my  object  in  now  seeking 
you  arises  less  from  a  desire  of  reconciliation  than  to 
promote  the  interests  of  one  who  now  holds,  in  every 
respect,  the  place  of  a  dearly  loved  son  to  me. 

"  I  allude  to  my  young  cousin,  Mr  Francis  Clavering, 
who,  by  this  post,  asks  your  consent  to  his  suit  for  the 
hand  of  your  lovely  daughter,  Miss  Leppell.  It  is 
probable  that  you  entertain  higher  views  for  that  lady 
with  regard  to  both  rank  and  fortune.  Mr  Clavering 
is  simply  the  son  of  a  gentleman,  and  has  no  claim  to 
other  nobility  than  that  of  the  genius  with  which  he 
is  so  magnificently  gifted  by  nature. 

"  As  to  fortune,  Mr  Clavering  amply  maintains  him- 
self by  his  talents  and  hard  work ;  but  in  the  event  of 
his  marriage  with  Miss  Leppell,  I,  as  his  father  by 


SOME   RETROSPECTION.  53 

adoption,  undertake  to  allow  him  an  annual  income  of 
one  thousand  pounds,  and  at  once  convey  to  him  by 
deed  of  gift  a  small  property  in  the  north  of  England, 
which  would  suffice  for  a  good  and  permanent  home. 

"  For  the  rest  (and  I  would  fain  leave  this  subject 
untouched),  as  a  partner  of  the  firm  with  which  your 
eldest  son  has  lately  held  more  than  unfortunate  trans- 
actions, I  promise  to  use  my  influence  in  detaining  for 
the  present  the  writs  now  out  against  that  young  man  ; 
and  further,  to  arrange  to  have  the  same  totally  with- 
drawn in  the  event  of  the  announcement,  within  a 
reasonable  time,  of  your  daughter  Mary's  engagement 
with  Mr  Francis  Clavering. 

"  Should  you  wish  to  confer  with  me,  I  shall  be  at 
home  every  morning  for  ten  days,  at  the  subjoined 
address. — I  have  the  honour  to  remain,  sir,  yours 
faithfully,  Everard  Glascott. 

"Red  Lion  Hotel,  Yarne." 

Colonel  Leppell  read  and  re-read  this  epistle,  with 
mingled  feelings  of  shame  and  anger.  Under  the 
circumstances  of  the  case,  he  felt  that  the  conduct  of 
the  writer  was  more  than  generous  ;  it  was  noble — 
nay,  it  was  almost  quixotic. 

Still  there  remained  the  stern  fact,  that  the  propo- 
sitions contained  therein  amounted*  to  little  less  than 
a  barter.  His  Moll — heavenly  Moll ! — was  therein 
as  actually  bid  for  as  if  she  had  been  a  herd  of  cattle 
or  so  many  acres  of  land.  Almost  imperceptibly,  also, 
there  dawned  upon  the  Colonel  the  recollection  that 


54  THE   FAT    OF   THE   LAND. 

he  had  entertained  very  different  views  with  regard  to 
the  disposal  of  his  daughter  Mary.  There  was  Lord 
Willows,  a  young  widower  of  high  degree,  who  would, 
Colonel  Leppell  felt  sure,  pay  the  highest  compliment 
to  the  memory  of  his  dead  wife  by  choosing  a  successor 
within  six  months  after  her  demise !  Lady  Willows 
had  already  been  dead  four  months,  and  her  spouse 
was  to  be  seen  disporting  himself  at  county  balls,  to 
one  of  which  he  had  ridden  forty  miles  in  order  to 
claim  the  first  waltz  with  Mary  Leppell !  And  Mar- 
maduke — Marmaduke  was  the  spoke  which  thrust 
itself  into  every  spar  of  the  Colonel's  mental  wheel. 
Willows,  he  knew,  might  kick  against  the  embezzle- 
ment business ;  but  even  if  he  did,  there  were  other 
men  of  rank  who  were  not  so  punctilious.  And  then 
— then,  a  cousin  of  Everard  Glascott,  of  all  men  in  the 
world, — what  on  earth  could  be  the  meaning  of  this 
affection,  this  devotion  to  a  man  who  was  only  a 
cousin's  son  ? 

After  all,  there  is  no  love  like  the  love  which  grows 
downwards  and  outwards — unselfish,  unworldly,  god- 
like :  it  absorbs  all  that  is  disappointing  in  misplaced 
affection ;  it  supersedes  the  romantic  love  of  youth, 
and  the  worship  of  kindred  and  of  race.  Pure  as  the 
rain-diamond,  it  gives  all,  and  neither  asks  nor  expects 
return.  Few  have  the  power,  still  fewer  have  the 
capacity  to  exercise  it ;  but  in  all  the  world's  history 
there  is  no  richer  harvest  than  the  success  which  men 
attribute  to  their  launch  in  life  through  the  love  of 
some  human  being  upon  whom  they  had  no  shadow 


SOME   RETROSPECTION.  55 

of  claim — to  whom,  probably,  they  were  at  first  un- 
known. Nature's  one  touch  of  sympathy,  in  these 
cases,  opens  the  sealed  and  hidden  fountain,  and  the 
waters,  which  might  have  been  called  "  Marah "  in 
their  pent-up  bitterness,  gush  forth  in  a  tide  of  sweet- 
ness, bearing  a  blessing  in  their  course — for  are  not 
their  head-springs  in  the  heart  of  him  who  loves  his 
fellow-men  ? 

"Write  me  as  one  who  loves  his  fellow  -  men," 
Everard  Glascott  might  well  have  declared,  when, 
after  the  first  shock  of  disappointment,  he  looked 
out  upon  the  great  world,  if  not  for  consolation,  at 
least  for  distraction  in  the  hard  work  of  life,  which 
leaves  no  time  for  sorrow.  Beared  in  a  mercantile 
house  which  at  that  time  was  in  the  height  of  its 
prosperity,  he  bethought  himself  to  go  to  Lyons,  there 
to  increase  the  branch  of  the  silk  trade  which  it  was 
the  object  of  the  English  firm  to  amalgamate  with 
their  business.  His  cousin,  Mr  Clavering,  was  just 
dead ;  why  not  take  the  eldest  son  among  these 
orphans  as  a  travelling  companion,  and  thus  give 
hini  the  opportunity  of  acquiring  more  perfectly  a 
foreign  language,  and  enlarge  the  lad's  ideas  of  men 
and  manners  ?  His  intention  was  confirmed  when 
the  news  of  the  sudden  death  of  Mr  Clavering's  eld- 
est daughter,  just  one  week  after  her  father's  demise, 
reached  him.  The  poor  young  girl  had  succumbed 
to  heart -complaint,  brought  on,  it  was  said,  by  too 
much  care  and  anxiety,  for  hers  had  been  the  duties 
of  a  mother,  combined  with  the  school  life  and  studies 


56  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

of  early  maidenhood.  For  two  years  this  child  had 
tilled  the  post  of  mother,  housekeeper,  instructress, 
and  nurse ;  no  wonder,  then,  that  after  the  funeral  of 
her  father  she  was  found  dead  in  the  great  arm-chair, 
close  to  the  bed  whereon  he  had  breathed  his  last. 
Thus  with  a  smile  on  her  face  this  sweet  life  faded 
out,  and  Francis  Clavering  and  his  youngest  sister, 
verily  Benjamina,  were  left  alone. 

There  had  never  been  much  intimacy  between  these 
cousins ;  they  had  met  and  they  had  parted  much  as 
ordinary  mortals  do  in  the  usual  walks  of  life.  They 
had  never  required  anything  one  from  the  other, 
consequently  their  intercourse  had  been  one  of  un- 
ruffled peace.  Everard  Glascott  had  arrived  to  pay 
his  visit  of  condolence  the  day  after  the  young  girl's 
burial,  and  the  grief  of  the  little  sister  had  so  touched 
him,  that  he  there  and  then  made  a  resolution  hence- 
forth to  look  upon  the  orphans  as  his  own  children. 
The  fact  that  all  the  portion  that  each  would  have 
was  a  bare  thousand  pounds,  rather  stimulated  than 
arrested  this  intention ;  and  thus,  having  placed  little 
Willina  under  the  care  of  the  mother  of  one  of  the 
child's  playfellows,  he  took  the  boy  with  him  to  the 
Continent,  and  from  the  hour  that  he  led  his  charges 
forth  from  their  father's  house,  he  in  every  way 
strictly  carried  out  the  obligations  he  had  imposed 
upon  himself  towards  them. 

It  was  thus,  in  his  great  love  for  Francis  Clavering, 
that  Mr  Glascott  gave  up  the  fixed  intention  of 
having    done   with   the    Leppell    race   for   evermore. 


SOME   RETROSPECTION.  57 

Lady  Asher,  whose  husband  had  been  made  a  baronet 
from  having  had  the  luck  to  go  up  to  royalty  at  the 
head  of  an  important  deputation,  was  immediately 
seized  with  such  a  passion  for  rank,  that  she  threw 
the  weight  of  her  influence  in  favouring  the  addresses 
of  the  Honourable  Mr  Leppell,  then  an  ensign  in  a 
marching  regiment,  to  the  utter  exclusion  of  Mr 
Glascott,  who  was  the  promised  suitor  of  Adelaide, 
the  only  child  of  the  Ashers.  These  had  married  late 
in  life,  and,  from  their  great  success  as  fringe  manu- 
facturers, were  able,  if  not  to  make  their  daughter  an 
heiress,  to  endow  that  young  lady  with  a  very  com- 
fortable fortune  ;  and  as  her  personal  attractions  were 
far  above  the  average,  it  was  only  in  the  proper  course 
of  things  that  Miss  Asher  should  be  with  the  most 
sincere  intentions  sought  in  marriage,  both  by  the 
flower  of  the  youth  who  entered  the  manufacturing 
town  of  Mills,  and  also  by  those  who  dwelt  within  its 
boundaries. 

A  most  unhandsome  subterfuge  employed  by  Mr 
Leppell  to  affect  the  honour  of  his  rival,  and  which 
was  matured  into  a  specious  appearance  of  substantial 
truth  by  the  management  of  that  young  gentleman's 
cleverer  brother  Alexander,  was  the  reason  given  by 
Sir  Eobert  Asher  for  his  one  day  not  only  formally 
rejecting  Mr  Glascott's  suit  on  behalf  of  his  daughter, 
but  also  for  intimating  at  the  same  time  that  it  would 
be  desirable  that  the  acquaintance  which  had  subsisted 
between  the  families  should  cease. 

Young  Glascott  in  vain  demanded  a  full  explana- 


58  THE  FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

tion  of  this  conduct.  "  I  have  no  direct  accusation  to 
make  against  you,"  was  the  old  man's  reply;  "but 
you  know  that  through  you  business  has  been  lost 
to  the  firm,  and  there  is  an  impression  that  two 
clerks  forfeited  their  places  through  your  having 
borne  false  witness  against  them." 

'•'Do  you  believe  this? — sincerely,  conscientiously 
believe  it  ? "  the  young  man  inquired. 

"  I  wish  I  could  answer  you  that  I  do  not,"  the 
old  man  replied  sadly.  "  I  daresay  that  there  has 
been  some  exaggeration  in  the  matter ;  but  there 
are,  as  you  must  know,  facts  which  appear  to  damage 
you." 

"Appearance  is  not  reality,"  the  young  man  an- 
swered with  some  scorn.  "  However,  the  law  will 
right  me  sooner  or  later ;  meanwhile  let  me  see 
Adelaide, — in  your  presence  if  you  will — but  let  me 
see  her." 

"  She  has  promised  to  obey  her  parents,"  was  Sir 
Eobert's  reply ;  "  but  it  will  perhaps  be  more  satis- 
factory to  all  parties  that  you  should  learn  from  her 
own  lips  that  she  acquiesces  in  our  decision." 

The  young  man  put  the  same  question  to  the 
daughter  that  he  had  done  to  the  father.  "In  the 
presence  of  your  parents,  Adelaide,"  he  said  very 
gently,  but  with  clear  defiant  eyes,  "do  you  believe 
that  I  am  capable — that  I  have  sworn  falsely  against 
two  clerks  employed  in  your  father's  warehouse  ? " 

No  answer ;  only  a  quivering  of  the  hesitating  un- 
decided mouth,  and  a  stolen  look  at  her  mother. 


SOME   RETROSPECTION.  59 

Again  the  young  man  repeated  his  question.  The 
answer  came  slowly — "  I  am  very  sorry, — but  I  must 
believe  what  my  parents  believe." 

Nothing  to  him  that  there  were  tears  in  her  eyes 
and  in  her  voice.  He  bowed  low,  and  with  a  look  of 
supreme  contempt  directed  towards  Lady  Asher,  he 
turned  to  depart.  "  May  you  none  of  you  live  to 
repent  of  your — your — gullibility/'  was  all  he  said ; 
and  then  he  threw  a  letter  towards  Sir  Gilbert 
Asher. 

"  Eead  that,  and  ponder  over  it  at  your  leisure,"  he 
cried,  and  the  next  moment  Mr  Glascott  was  out  of 
the  house. 

The  letter  was  one  written  from  one  of  the  clerks 
who  had  been  discharged  from  Mr  Asher's  manufac- 
tory. It  contained  a  declaration  that  all  Mr  Glascott 
had  stated  concerning  him  was  true,  and  further,  it 
volunteered  the  information  that  had  it  not  been  for 
Mr  Glascott's  vigilance,  a  very  serious  robbery  would 
have  been  perpetrated  in  the  warehouse  by  himself 
and  his  fellow-clerk.  The  writer  asked  pardon  of  Mr 
Glascott  for  his  false  statements,  and  added  that  he 
had  been  induced  to  make  them  by  parties  whom  he 
would  rather  not  name.  This  epistle  was  fully  dated 
and  signed. 

"  That  she  could  be  persuaded  to  think  so  ill  of  me 
is  quite  sufficient  reason  why  I  will  never  attempt  to 
see  her  again,"  was  the  young  man's  reflection.  "  I 
know  the  Leppells  are  at  the  bottom  of  all  this  ;  let  her 
marry  Balph—  he  is  better  than  that  sly  villain,  his 


GO  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

brother.     Faugh !  vainly  do  they  seek  to  rise  to  the 
level  of  my  contempt !     Poor  Adelaide  !  " 

Thus,  after  seeking  the  Leppells  and  giving  them  the 
cut  direct  in  a  very  public  place,  and  then  inserting 
the  clerk's  epistle  in  the  'Mills  Gazette,'  Everard 
Glascott  went  his  way,  and  up  to  this  time  never 
sought  the  love  of  womankind.  Immediately  after- 
wards, Adelaide  married  Ealph  Leppell,  and  her  life 
subsequently  was  spent  in  repenting  the  bargain  she 
had  made. 

Everard  Glascott's  feelings  can  be  better  imagined 
than  described,  when,  long  years  afterwards,  Francis 
Clavering,  a  somewhat  cold  and  self-contained  young 
man,  rushed  into  his  rooms  at  Paris,  and  besought 
his  co-operation  in  bringing  about  a  marriage  with 
himself  and  Ealph  Leppell's  daughter.  The  young 
man  was  aware  of  the  detestation  in  which  his  cousin- 
father  held  the  whole  house  of  Hieover ;  he  remem- 
bered that  when  he  had  gone  into  the  county  of  Yarne, 
in  company  with  the  other  members  of  the  Geological 
Society,  Mr  Glascott  had  told  him  that  there  were 
reasons  why  he  could  not  furnish  him  with  letters  of 
introduction  to  any  member  of  that  family;  he  knew, 
though  he  could  not  distinctly  put  into  words  what  it 
meant,  that  some  quarrel  had  estranged  Mr  Glascott 
for  years  from  his  oldest  friends  the  Ashers  of  Mills, 
and  that  on  the  rare  occasions  when  he  did  mention 
Lady  Asher,  it  was  to  stigmatise  that  matron  as  a 
"  fool  filled  with  folly."  Strange  world,  strange  course 
of  events,  which  brought  Everard  Glascott  to  forget 


SOME   RETROSPECTION.  61 

his  wrongs,  and,  for  the  deep  love  he  bore  to  his  adop- 
ted son,  to  place  himself  almost  in  the  position  of  a 
suppliant  to  Ealph  Leppell ! 

At  the  close  of  Francis  Clavering's  entreaties,  Mr 
Glascott  took  counsel  with  himself,  and  the  unselfish- 
ness of  his  nature  never  shone  out  more  grandly  than  it 
did  on  this  occasion.  "  It  cannot  be — it  shall  not  be," 
he  mused,  "  that  Francis  is  to  suffer  the  pangs  of  mis- 
placed affection  as  I  have  so  suffered.  No ;  his  career 
in  life  must  neither  be  embittered  nor  arrested  because 
an  old  man's  resentment  has  stood  in  the  way  of  his 
heart's  desire — of  his  love  and  of  his  happiness.  This 
is  no  boyish  fancy ;  it  is  the  deep  affection  of  the  man 
— of  one  who  has  never  frittered  this  treasure  here 
and  there  in  the  light  measure  of  the  grains  of  sand : 
he  gives  the  whole  store,  and  sinks  or  swims  with  the 
venture. 

"  This  is  so  rare  nowadays,  almost  strange,  that  I 
dare  not  refuse  my  consent  to  Frank's  union  with  Ealph 
Leppell's  daughter.  There  is  something  due  from  the 
old  to  the  young  ;  we  are  mostly  too  apt  to  forget  this, 
wrapt  as  we  often  are  in  the  cloud  of  mental  stupor 
in  which  the  waters  of  Lethe  have  steeped  our  souls. 
I  must  in  justice  recognise  the  fact  that  Frank  has 
paid  me  the  respect  of  asking  my  sanction  to  his  pay- 
ing his  addresses  to  Mary  Leppell ;  many  men  would 
not  have  so  acted.  And  more,  he — calm,  reserved, 
and  almost  rejecting  all  sentiment  as  a  matter  too 
trivial  to  mingle  with  the  work  of  life — he  comes  to 
me  as  a  girl  comes  to  her  mother,  and  lays  bare  the 


62  THE  FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

secret  of  his  soul.  I  will  delay  no  longer, — I  will  rise 
up  and  seek  Balph  Leppell :  there  is  no  humiliation  in 
doing  this,  and  what  if  there  were  ?  Clavering  is  the 
son  of  my  love — the  love  which  is  born  out  of  life's 
disappointment." 

So  he  rose  up  and  wended  his  way  into  Yarneshire. 
It  was  with  no  desire  to  heap  coals  on  the  head  of  his 
enemy  that  further  induced  Mr  Glascott  to  avail  him- 
self of  the  opportunity  that  a  curious  chance  presented 
(by  being  unexpectedly  called  to  Liverpool  on  business), 
to  use  his  influence,  and  endeavour  to  shield  Marma- 
duke  Leppell  from  the  consequence  of  his  own  acts. 
Writs  had  been  issued  against  that  youth,  but  hitherto 
he  had  managed  to  evade  the  Sheriffs  officers. 

Mr  Glascott  had,  on  the  part  of  Francis  Clavering, 
everything  to  hope  from  the  desperate  situation  into 
which  the  force  of  circumstances  had  placed  his  quon- 
dam enemy,  Colonel  Leppell. 

Affairs  stood  thus  at  the  time  when  this  thoroughly 
perplexed  gentleman  paced  up  and  down  in  his  den 
holding  Everard  Glascott's  letter  in  his  hand. 


63 


CHAPTEE    IV. 


MISS   FANSHAWE. 


The  action  of  pacing  to  and  fro  in  a  manner  indicat- 
ive of  a  huge  share  of  muscular  Christianity  did  not, 
however,  suffice  to  bring  Colonel  Leppell  to  any  direct 
conclusion  as  to  how  he  should  deal  with  the  com- 
munication which  he  had  for  the  fifth  time  perused. 

His  mind  was  in  so  great  a  state  of  agitation,  that 
he  could  scarcely  distinguish  whether  the  contents  of 
Mr  Glascott's  letter  were  acceptable  to  him  or  the 
reverse ;  and  so  in  order  to  stave  off,  for  a  while  at 
least,  further  contemplation  of  the  matter,  he  returned 
to  the  table  and  seized  the  next  epistle  which  lay 
thereon. 

This  turned  out  to  be  a  missive  from  Mr  Francis 
Clavering,  bespeaking  rather  than  entreating  Colonel 
Leppell's  sanction  to  his  suit  for  the  hand  of  that 
gentleman's  daughter,  Mary.  The  writer  further  in- 
timated his  intention  of  paying  his  respects  at  Hunt- 
er's Lodge  on  the  afternoon  of  the  day  on  which  his 
letter  would  be  received. 


64  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

("  He'll  be  here  before  we  have  time  to  look  round, 
confound  him  !  "  exclaimed  the  reader.)  Mr  Clavering 
ventured  to  hope  that  an  interview  with  Miss  Lep- 
pell  might  be  accorded  to  him,  and  he  took  pleasure 
in  informing  Colonel  Leppell  that  he  was  indebted  to 
Lord  Hieover  for  his  first  acquaintance  with  that 
lady,  he  having  been  specially  presented  to  her  by  his 
lordship. 

("  What  on  earth  induced  my  father  to  invite  the 
Geological  Society  to  Hieover,  giving  them  champagne 
luncheons,  and  having  the  place  ransacked  by  a  lot 
of   wandering    lecturers :    here's   what    has   come    of 

it.-) 

The  Colonel  took  a  turn  in  the  den,  stamped  and 
haw-hawed,  and  then  continued  the  reading  of  his 
letter. 

Concerning  his  position  and  prospects,  Mr  Claver- 
ing referred  Colonel  Leppell  to  his  relative  and 
guardian,  Mr  Glascott  of  Brydone,  Island  of  Jersey, 
who  was  now  in  Yarne  for  the  ensuing  week.  "  It 
may  suffice  for  the  present,"  the  writer  continued, 
"  to  state  that  my  income  is  raised  by  my  earnings 
both  as  a  scientific  lecturer  and  as  a  barrister-at- 
law." 

The  whole  concluded  with  an  assurance  that  it 
would  be  the  object  of  Mr  Clavering's  life  to  promote 
the  happiness  of  Miss  Leppell,  should  these  his  pro- 
posals of  marriage  arrive  at  a  satisfactory  arrange- 
ment, and  it  was  needless,  he  trusted,  to  add  that  he 
entertained  sentiments   of  the  deepest  affection   and 


MISS   FANSHAWE.  63 

respect  towards  the  lady.  In  the  hope  that  he  might, 
ere  long,  be  recognised  as  a  member  of  Colonel  Lep- 
pell's  family,  Mr  Clavering  signed  himself  that  gentle- 
man's obedient  servant,  and  dated  his  letter  from  the 
Eed  Lion  Hotel,  Yarne. 

The  recipient  of  this  document  gave  it  a  turn  in  the 
air,  and  then  dashed  it  on  the  table. 

There  was  certainly  a  cool  assured  ring  about  this 
composition  which  convinced  the  Colonel  that  the 
gentleman  with  whom  he  was  now  to  deal  was  of 
the  Veni,  Vicli,  Vici  order  of  wooers.  It  might  be 
that  Clavering  had  reasons  which  satisfied  him  that  his 
proposals,  if  not  actually  accepted,  would  at  least  be 
no  matter  of  surprise  to  his  daughter.  She  might 
fancy  the  man  —  girls  are  so  inexplicable  in  these 
matters.  But  so  little  time  had  been  left  both  by 
him  and  his  guardian  for  consideration,  that  only  one 
inference  could  be  drawn  from  their  mode  of  action — 
they  believed  that  Marmaduke's  folly  insured  Claver- 
ing's  success. 

"  I  won't  consent, — I  declare  I  won't  consent,"  the 
Colonel  at  length  protested  in  an  audible  key.  "  I'll 
go  over  to  Hieover  and  put  the  matter  before  my 
father  and  Alick  ;  for  their  own  sakes,  they  will  shield 
Marmaduke, — they  must  do  it." 

Then  it  occurred  to  the  perplexed  father  that,  even 
if  his  kindred  came  to  the  rescue,  it  could  only  be  the 
repayment  of  the  money  to  the  Liverpool  firm  which 
would  benefit  him,  and  the  safe  rejection  of  Mr 
Clavering's  suit  would  evidently  not  be  arrived  at  by 

VOL.    I.  E 


66  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

this  means.  Everard  Glascott  did  not  want  money ; 
he  wanted  his  daughter  for  the  son  of  his  love,  and  if 
she  were  refused  to  him,  there  was  nothing  but  utter 
ruin  in  store  for  Marmaduke  Leppell.  There  was 
another  phase  of  the  situation  which  the  Colonel  had 
not  as  yet  brought  into  account — nay,  it  only  at  this 
moment  dawned  upon  his  imagination — Moll  might 
take  it  into  her  head,  without  any  prompting  from 
him,  to  decline  Mr  Clavering  altogether.  She  had  a 
will  of  her  own  in  a  quiet  way — it  was  possible  that 
she  had  another  preference  —  goodness  only  knew  ; 
so  with  all  this  working  on  his  brain,  the  Colonel 
started  up,  and  crumpling  his  letters  together  in  his 
hand,  went  through  the  house  and  straight  to  the 
room  wherein  his  wife  was  supposed  to  be  taking 
rest. 

Mrs  Leppell  was  still  in  bed,  her  young  daughter 
humped  up,  as  it  were,  by  her  side  on  the  coverlet. 
The  eyes  of  the  latter  were  moist  with  tears ;  it  was 
evident  that  the  mother  and  daughter  had  been  in 
deep  conference,  and  neither  seemed  particularly  de- 
lighted when  the  head  of  the  family  knocked  and  en- 
tered at  the  instant  his  knuckles  were  off  the  door. 

"  You  are  better,  aren't  you  ?  "  he  said,  nodding  to- 
wards his  wife ;  "  I  am  sure  I  hope  so,  for  I  want  to 
talk  to  you  about  these  letters.  I  sent  one  to  you, 
Moll,"  he  went  on  to  say,  looking  at  Mary,  "  from 
the  same  quarter,  to  judge  by  the  handwriting,  from 
whence  this  one  comes,"  and  he  dropped  Mr  Claver- 
ing's  epistle  into  the  girl's  lap. 


MISS   FAXSHAWE.  67 

"  AYell,  this  swain  of  yours  goes  through  the  cere- 
mony of  asking  my  consent  in  a  fashion,  as  you  see : 
what  do  you  mean  to  say  to  it,  my  queen  of  beauty  ? 
Eh?" 

"  My  queen  of  beauty  "  reddened  deeply,  and  said 
that  she  was  not  quite  sure  that  she  knew. 

"  But  you  are  not  in  love  with  this  fellow  ? "  cried 
the  Colonel  assertively. 

Deep  silence  on  the  part  of  Miss  Leppell. 

Her  father  changed  the  form  of  his  question  and 
enlarged  the  substance  of  it.  "  Have  you  allowed  Mr 
Clavering  to  make  advances  to  you  ?  has  he  given  you 
any  notion  of  what  he  intended  to  write  to-day  ? " 

"  jSTo,  not  exactly ;  at  least  I  do  not  think  so.  Mr 
Clavering  is  much  less  given  to  pay  me  compliments 
than  any  of  the  men  whom  I  meet  in  society." 

"  You  met  him  at  Hieover,  I  believe  ? "  says  the 
Colonel. 

"  Yes ;  grandpapa  and  uncle  Alex,  think  very 
highly  of  him ;  and  as  for  Lillian  Fanshawe,  you 
should  hear  what  Lillian  thinks  of  him."  The  girl 
said  this  in  a  tone  which  implied  that  a  most  incon- 
trovertible authority  had  been  cited  in  the  mention  of 
Miss  Fanshawe. 

"  Lillian  Fanshawe !  where  did  she  become  ac- 
quainted with  him  ? " 

"  Mr  Fanshawe  gave  a  luncheon  to  some  of  the 
members  of  the  Geological  Society,  and  Lillian  after- 
wards walked  with  Mr  Clavering  to  show  him  some 
curious  rocks  which   exist  near  Pinnacles.     He  was 


68  THE  FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

preparing  a  lecture  on  geology,  and  Lillian  helped  him 
very  much,  he  told  me." 

"  H'm ;  these  travelling  clubs  are  a  great  nuisance. 
Did  you  go  with  the  walking  party  ? " 

"  No,  papa ;  I  am  not  clever,  and  that  is  one  thing 
which  makes  me  uncertain  with  regard  to  Mr  Claver- 
ing.  He  is  so  learned  and  so  wise ;  it  frightens  me. 
The  only  comfort  is,  that  he  is  not  too  dignified  to  go 
to  balls,  and  he  dances  fairly  well." 

"  I  remember  something  of  him  somewhere — lec- 
tures on  somebody — no — on  some  'ology  or  other," 
returned  the  Colonel. 

"  Lillian  says  he  knows  all  the  'ologies,  and  that  he 
is  the  most  intellectual  man  that  has  ever  entered  the 
county,"  the  girl  replies. 

"  Has  Lillian  seen  much  of  him  ?  I  am  glad  to  hear 
that  he  is  an  acquaintance  of  hers ;  Miss  Fanshawe's 
opinion  is  worth  having,"  continued  Colonel  Leppell, 
rather  sententiously. 

"  I  think  Mr  Clavering  was  only  at  Pinnacles  once. 
He  has  never  been  here ;  you  were  so  much  away,  and 
mamma  was  ill.  I  saw  most  of  him  when  old  Lady 
Kindred  was  chaperoning  me  about.  Oh,  I  have  seen 
more  of  him  than  Lillian  has.  I  don't  think  she  met 
Mr  Clavering  at  balls  and  parties ;  besides,  she  judges 
of  him  from  the  geological  point  of  view." 

"  Well,  he  is  coming  here  this  afternoon,  so  you 
must  know  what  answer  he  is  to  get,  and  that  quickly, 
Moll,"  said  her  father,  with  a  touch  of  sorrow  in  his 
voice. 


MISS    FANSHAWE.  69 

"  I  must  have  time,"  the  girl  answered,  suddenly 
and  very  decidedly.  "  I  shall  not  think  he  really 
cares  for  me  if  he  will  not  allow  me  time  to  know 
my  own  mind.  If  it  comes  to  any  question  of  that,  I 
shall  be  ready  to  answer  Mr  Clavering  in  the  negative 
form." 

"  Satisfy  us,  your  parents,  on  one  point,  Moll,  dear," 
said  the  mother,  rising  in  her  bed  and  clasping  this 
pearl  of  price  in  her  arms, — "  tell  us  one  thing — do  you 
care  for,  do  you  love,  or  have  you  any  decided  prefer- 
ence for,  any  other  man  ?  Do  not  fear  to  answer,  my 
precious  one,  for  if  you  have,  you  shall  not,  you  shall 
not  marry  Mr  Clavering."  Here  she  looked  at  her 
husband,  and  in  her  look  these  words  were  conveyed 
to  him  in  the  fullest  sense  of  their  meaning — "  My 
daughter  shall  not  be  bartered  for  Marmaduke's  sake. 
Honour,  money,  fame  may  go,  but  Moll  shall  not  be 
sacrificed.  I  have  yielded  much  in  my  lifetime,  but 
this  child  makes  me  firm  as  the  granite  rock  now." 

The  Colonel  evidently  understood  what  his  wife 
intended  that  he  should  understand.  His  mind  had 
been  so  harassed  within  the  last  twenty -four  hours, 
that  he  was  unequal  to  being  astonished. 

To  the  great  relief  of  both  parents,  Mary  answered 
simply,  and  with  the  most  charming  candour,  "  No, 
mother  dear.  Sometimes  I  fancy  one  more  than 
another ;  but  I  have  no  regard  for  any  one — be  sure, 
if  I  had,  I  would  marry  that  man,  or  remain  single  all 
my  days.  No ;  Mr  Clavering,  to  my  mind,  is  worth 
all  my  admirers  put  together." 


70  THE    FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

"  Thank  God ! "  said  Mrs  Leppell,  falling  back  on 
her  pillow,  and  giving  way  to  a  burst  of  tears. 

She  soon  recovered  herself,  and  then  said,  "  I  want 
to  talk  to  papa  now,  and  you  have  been  taken  so 
much  by  surprise,  that  you  ought  to  be  alone  to  think 
matters  over.  Put  on  your  hat  and  go  into  the  garden  ; 
the  fresh  air  will  do  you  good.  And  you  may  as  well 
take  the  little  ones  out — that  is,  if  you  like  ;  they  will 
play  about,  and  will  not  interfere  with  you.  As  you 
pass  through  the  hall,  just  knock  at  grandmamma's 
door  and  see  how  she  is." 

"  Yes."  And  then  kissing  both  her  parents,  Mary 
Leppell — sweet,  innocent  young  girl — tripped  out  of 
the  room,  and  was  away  with  the  little  children  among 
the  violets  and  the  daffodils ;  and  all  her  perplexities 
seemed  to  vanish  in  the  sound  good  health  which  finds 
pleasure  in  the  mere  fact  of  moving  and  being,  of  lov- 
ing and  being  loved. 

No  sooner  had  the  sound  of  her  footsteps  died  away 
than  Colonel  Leppell  spoke.  "  You  haven't  mentioned 
anything  about  Marmaduke  to  her,  have  you  ? "  said 
he  to  his  wife,  with  an  air  of  suspicion. 

"  Certainly  not ;  but  read  this,"  and  she  placed  a 
letter,  which  she  withdrew  from  beneath  her  pillow, 
in  his  hand. 

The  superscription  of  this  epistle  bore  a  different 
handwriting  from  that  in  which  its  contents  were  set 
forth. 

"  It  is  from  Duke,"  said  his  mother.  "  He  is  evi- 
dently afraid  of  being  traced.     He  has  got  some  one  to 


MISS    FANSHAWE.  71 

address  his  letter.  His  news  is  dreadful !  Oh,  what 
is  to  be  done  ? " 

"  From  Duke ! "  exclaimed  Colonel  Leppell,  in  a 
tone  of  the  utmost  delight.  "  He  has  managed  to  get 
out  of  the  way.  I  thought  he  would,  dear  fellow. 
Perhaps,  after  all,  he  may  get  clear  off,  and  be  out  of 
the  country,  abroad  somewhere." 

"  Eead  for  yourself,"  replied  Mrs  Leppell.  "  Duke's 
position  cannot  well  be  worse." 

It  was  a  lamentable  communication,  without  doubt, 
and  it  ran  as  follows  : — 

"  Dearest  Mother, — I  wonder  if  you  and  the  gov- 
ernor have  heard  anything  about  me — anything  un- 
comfortable, to  put  it  mildly — lately  ?  If  you  have,  I 
know  that  you  will  not  cast  me  off,  nor  do  I  think 
papa  will  either,  because  he  knows  how  hard  the 
world  is  on  young  fellows,  especially  if  they  happen  to 
be  army  men.  Knowing  this,  I  hope  you  won't  be 
very  much  upset  when  I  tell  you  I  have  been  very 
unfortunate  lately — so  much  so,  that  I  am  obliged  to 
hide  with  rather  a  peculiar  character,  the  Birmingham 
Pet !  the  gentleman  who  taught  me  to  use  the  gloves 
scientifically,  and  who  is  a  renowned  champion  in  the 
ring. 

("  The  Birmingham  Pet  is  a  prize-fighter,  and  his 
name  is  Thwacker,"  interpolated  the  Colonel  in  ex- 
planation.) "  Luckily  I  have  introduced  several  pupils 
to  this  man,  and,  in  return,  he  has  taken  me  into  his 
place,  and  is  concealing  me  from  pursuit.     The  word 


72  THE   FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

1  pursuit  ■  will  frighten  you ;  but  the  truth  is,  I  have 
been  tempted,  under  the  strong  pressure  of  money  and 
of  duns,  to  add  a  cipher  to  a  cheque,  which  I  got 
cashed  at  Liverpool  at  the  private  bank  of  Fairlight 
&  Deare.  As  you  may  have  some  one  inquiring 
after  me,  I  want  to  tell  you  how  all  this  happened,  as, 
if  the  affair  comes  out,  the  governor  will  hear  accounts 
of  the  matter  which,  ten  to  one,  won't  be  true. 

"  I  sold  a  dog  to  Cracky  Winton  (he  is  called  Cracky 
because  he  does  such  queer  things),  and  he  gave  me  a 
cheque  for  eight  pounds  to  pay  for  it  on  the  bank  I 
have  mentioned,  never  hinting  that  old  Deare  was  his 
step-father.  Well,  I  know  it  was  a  stupid  thing  to  do, 
but  I  was  horribly  pressed  for  money  just  then,  and 
half  mad  into  the  bargain  with  one  thing  and  another ; 
so  I  altered  the  cheque  to  eighty  pounds,  knowing  that 
I  could  repay  Cracky  after  my  marriage  (which  he 
knew  about),  and  that  he  would  forgive  me  when  I 
should  tell  him  all  the  circumstances.  What  should 
that  meddling  old  Deare  do  but  trouble  his  head 
about  Cracky's  affairs,  and  wrote  to  him  to  know 
what  could  be  the  reason  of  his  paying  so  large  a 
cheque  to  me  as  that  of  eighty  pounds,  which  had 
been  cashed  two  days  before.  Fortunately  I  was  with 
C.  W.  when  old  Deare's  letter  came :  he  handed  it  to 
me,  and  was  such  a  trump  about  the  whole  thing. 
He  forgave  me,  and  promised  to  help  me  in  getting 
off  with  Peggy  Lorton  that  very  night.  It  seems  some 
of  the  bank's  people  suspected  that  Cracky's  cheque 
was  not  all  right,  and  old  Deare  wrote  with  the  inten- 


MISS   FANSHAWE.  73 

tion  of  getting  Cracky  to  admit  that  the  original  had 
been  altered.  I  got  a  hint  that  the  bank  would 
prosecute,  and  so  that  same  night  I  ran  off  with 
Peggy — who  will  have  £40,000  when  she  comes  of 
age,  and  who  is  nice  as  well  as  rich.  Well,  we  got 
caught,  and  Peggy  was  taken  back ;  but  we  had  been 
married  two  hours  previously  at  a  registrar's  office  at 

G .      I  could  not   insist   upon   going  back  with 

Peggy  because  of  this  bank  business,  which,  of  course, 
she  knows  nothing  about.  I  shall  have  to  go  to 
prison  for  abducting  a  ward  of  Chancery,  but  that  I 
don't  so  much  mind,  though,  of  course,  it  is  a  great 
nuisance  losing  my  wife  in  that  way.  It  is  hard  about 
the  bank,  as  Cracky  AVinton  would  not  prosecute  me  ; 
but  he  is  not  quite  of  age,  and  that  malignant  old 
Deare  is  his  guardian,  and  he  is  the  prime  mover  in 
the  business :  the  wickedness  of  elderly  men  is  cer- 
tainly increasing  everywhere. 

"  I  should  tell  you  that  it  was  those  two  miserable 
old  Shallards,  at  whose  school  Peggy  was  a  parlour 
boarder,  that  communicated  with  the  Court  of  Chan- 
cery, and  set  the  officers  of  that  Court  after  us.  ■  It's 
all  envy,  because  no  one  ever  wanted  to  elope  with 
either  of  them,  or  marry  them  after  the  conventional 
tack.  Please  talk  this  over  with  the  governor.  Could 
you  not  manage  to  bring  G.  P."  ("Grandpapa,  he 
means,"  said  the  Colonel)  "  round  ?  A  viscount  might 
do  something.  Please  write  soon  to  this  address — 
T.  Thwacker,  Esq.,  The  Bruisings,  20  Holborn  Bars, 
London. 


74  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAKD. 

"  P.S. — If  you  put  a  small  '  o  '  over  the  T.,  Thwacker 
will  know  that  it  is  intended  for  me.  I  am  dressed 
and  blackened  as  a  Kentucky  serenader,  and  play  the 
banjo  after  dark,  so  I  am  earning  my  board ;  but  you 
may  be  sure  I  am  very  miserable  under  my  gay  attire." 

"  Dreadful,  Ralph,  is  it  not,"  said  Mrs  Leppell.  "  I 
wish  Duke  had  expressed  more  regret,  but  I  suppose 
he  is  trying  to  make  light  of  the  matter  to  spare  my 
feelings — it  must  be  that,"  said  the  poor  mother, 
searching  hopelessly  to  find  some  excuse  for  her  eldest 
born ;  "  he  must  feel  his  position  acutely." 

"  Yes,  that  he  must,"  answered  Duke's  father ;  "  the 
bare  idea  of  that  exquisite,  Duke,  being  compelled  to 
figure  as  a  black  strolling  singer,  dressed  in  striped 
pink  stuff,  like  the  coverings  of  the  Heatherbys'  draw- 
ing-room chairs,  is  enough  to  make  us  repudiate  him 
altogether.  But  come,  Adelaide,"  continued  the  Colo- 
nel, "  cheer  up.  I  will  give  my  full  consent  to  Moll's 
marrying  young  Clavering,  and  I  will  do  it  with  a 
good  grace ;  so  you  see  that  will  dispose  of  the  bank 
business,  if  Glascott  keeps  his  word." 

"  He  will ! "  she  retorted  with  some  animation ; 
"  Everard  Glascott's  word  is  better  than  many  another 
man's  bond.  If  I  could  only  be  sure  that  Mary  will 
not  be  a  sacrifice.  I  feel,  I  do  not  know  why,  that 
there  is  too  much  haste,  too  much  barter,  in  this 
business." 

"Barter  it  is,  and  no  mistake,"  returned  Ealph. 
"  That  is  Glascott's  doing ;  but  are  not  daughters  bar- 


MISS   FANSHAWE.  75 

tered  every  day  of  our  lives  in  some  fashion  or  other  ? 
You  ought  to  be  thankful  that  Moll  has  no  admirer  to 
reject  or  to  put  aside  for  this  man.  She  half  likes 
him  evidently." 

"  Half  likes,  yes ;  but  her  mate  should  be  some  one 
warm,  generous-hearted,  and  frank  as  herself.  This 
Mr  Clavering  seems  to  have  had  no  youth." 

"  How  do  you  know  ?  What  nonsense  women  take 
into  their  heads.  Why,  don't  you  remember,  Moll 
said  that  Lillian  Fanshawe — that  piece  of  ice-cream — 
was  quite  taken  with  him  ;  and  mind  you,  Miss  Lillian 
is  rather  fastidious — her  last  London  campaign  has 
not  been  thrown  away  upon  her." 

"  True  ;  I  was  rather  glad  to  hear  that,"  Mrs  Leppell 
answered ;  "  but  how  about  Duke's  affairs  ?  I  think 
you  are  taking  this  running  away  with  a  ward  of 
Chancery  rather  too  lightly.  The  officer  who  called 
here  told  me  it  was  a  very  grave  misdemeanour, 
and  you  see  Duke  himself  speaks  of  his  being  im- 
prisoned for  this  escapade  as  a  certain  thing.  He 
must  have  obtained  some  reliable  information  on  the 
subject,  for  in  the  way  Duke  puts  it,  this  seems  to  be 
inevitable.  He  would  not  write  such  news  to  his 
mother  if  it  were  not  so." 

"Can't  think  why  he  did  not  manage  that  elope- 
ment better,"  the  Colonel  replied,  pulling  at  his  mous- 
tache ;  "  generally  speaking,  Duke  is  a  cool  hand, — 
this  cheque  business,  I  daresay,  flurried  and  upset 
him." 

"  I  hope  it  did,"  Mrs  Leppell  answered,  with  a  look 


76  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

of  indignation.  "  Oh,  Balph,  I  do  not  think  you  fully 
comprehend  what  a  degrading,  miserable  business 
this  is!" 

What  Colonel  Leppell  would  have  replied  to  this  it 
is  quite  impossible  to  say.  It  may  be  that  he  felt  more 
indignation  against  his  son  than  he  cared  to  show ; 
but  it  was  still  more  likely  that,  with  the  confidence 
of  a  sanguine  temperament,  he  already  regarded  the 
bank  affair  as  being  entirely  condoned,  through  the 
fortuitous  circumstances  which  tended  to  conceal  that 
disgraceful  transaction.  Moreover,  he  firmly  believed 
that  he  was  acting  the  part  of  a  Eoman  father  in  thus 
generously  giving  up  his  own  plans  and  intentions 
with  regard  to  his  daughter's  settlement  in  marriage, 
sublimely  ignoring  the  fact  that  he  actually  stood  in 
that  position  which  is  vulgarly  defined  as  being  "  Hob- 
son's  choice." 

Many  circumstances  in  his  own  career  had  tended  to 
blunt  the  Colonel's  estimate  of  what  most  men  regard 
as  strict  honour ;  and  it  is  to  be  feared  that  he  ex- 
tended his  indulgence  towards  a  sinner  against  society 
very  much  in  proportion  to  the  chances  of  the  delin- 
quent being  astute,  or  lucky  enough  not  to  be  found 
out. 

Flying  feet,  from  the  garden  into  the  house,  and 
then  towards  the  door  of  the  little  bedroom,  saved 
Colonel  Leppell  from  the  necessity  of  attending  to  his 
wife's  last  remark.  This  distraction  was  evidently  a 
relief  to  him ;  for  he  rose  quickly,  and  had  the  door 
opened  just  as  a  hand  from  outside  was  on  the  lock. 


MISS   FANSHAWE.  77 

"  Holloa,  Moll !  I  thought  it  was  you  ;  am  I  wanted  ? " 
he  inquired. 

"  Oh,  papa !  is  not  this  fortunate  ? "  his  daughter 
exclaimed.  "  Here  is  Lillian ;  she  is  staying  at  the 
Braintrees' :  they  had  a  dinner-party  last  night ;  and 
she  has  escaped  Sarah  Braintree,  and  walked  out  here. 
I  am  so  pleased,  for  she  can  tell  you  all  about  him — 
Mr  Clavering,  I  mean." 

"  Where  is  she  ? "  said  the  Colonel,  looking  over  the 
girl's  head. 

"  I  left  her  in  the  garden,  talking  to  the  children. 
I  thought  I  would  run  in  and  see  if  mamma  would 
mind  my  bringing  her  in  here." 

"  Not  in  the  least,"  Mrs  Leppell  answered  for  herself 
from  the  bed ;  "  wait  a  little,  and  tell  Prothero  to  come 
and  arrange  the  room.  I  don't  know  what  can  be 
wrong  with  me ;  but  I  feel  I  cannot  rise  till  later  in 
the  day.  Ealph,  go  and  receive  Lillian,  will  you  ?  and 
tell  her  how  unwell  I  am." 

The  Colonel  very  willingly  executed  his  wife's  in- 
junction, and  at  once  went  out  in  search  of  the  guest 
announced  by  the  familiar  name  of  Lillian. 

This  young  lady  was  not  only  an  intimate  friend  of 
the  Leppells,  from  the  reason  of  her  family  being  land- 
holders and  inhabitants  of  the  same  county,  but  the 
nearer  tie  of  school-fellowship  had  strengthened  what 
had  hitherto  been  but  an  ordinary  pleasant  acquaint- 
ance on  the  part  of  the  two  girls,  Mary  Leppell  and 
Lillian  Fanshawe.  The  latter,  by  virtue  of  one  year's 
seniority,  had  made  her  cUbut  some  time  earlier  than 


78  THE  FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

her  friend  ;  and  being  a  lady  of  great  observation,  reti- 
cence, and  self-command,  she  comported  herself  with 
all  the  ease  and  savoir  /aire  which  is  often  greatly 
lacking  in  matrons  double  Miss  Fanshawe's  age. 
These  qualifications,  combined  with  a  cold  manner, 
which  was  marvellously  counteracted  by  the  sweetness 
of  her  voice  and  the  speaking  expression  of  a  pair  of 
glorious  eyes,  served  to  furnish  her  with  society's  pass- 
port of  being  a  very  superior  young  woman. 

The  position  which  Lillian  Fanshawe  held,  and  the 
circumstances  of  her  life  perhaps  more  than  her  natu- 
ral temperament,  had,  from  a  very  early  age,  served, 
as  it  were,  to  force  and  harden  every  instinct  which 
might  incline  to  ensure  success  in  life,  and  to  repress 
every  tender  and  gentle  feeling  which  other  training 
might  have  encouraged  and  helped  forward.  Her 
father  combined  the  two  dissimilar  posts  of  country 
clergyman  and  county  gentleman ;  and  as  the  income 
arising  from  both  sources  was  insufficient  to  maintain 
a  family  of  fourteen  children  in  tolerable  comfort,  the 
struggle  between  the  spirituals  and  the  temporals  was 
a  matter  of  daily  occurrence.  This  arose  chiefly  from 
the  fact  that,  whilst  Mr  Fanshawe  would  have  been 
satisfied  to  reside  at  his  rectory,  and  live  as  a  country 
clergyman  should  live,  his  whole  family,  including 
their  mother,  were  endowed — by  Providence  possibly 
— with  a  much  greater  zest  for  the  flesh-pots  of  Egypt 
than  for  the  frugal  habits  and  comparatively  retired 
life  which  a  residence  at  the  rectory  of  Pinnacles 
would  have  required.  , 


MISS   FAXSHAWE.  79 

"  Your  cousin  has  died  just  in  the  nick  of  time," 
Mrs  Fanshawe  remarked,  when  the  letter  announcing 
the  demise  of  the  bachelor  relative  which  made  Mr 
Fanshawe  lord  of  the  manor  of  Pinnacles  Court  was 
read  through ;  "  the  rectory  is  getting  small  for  our 
family,  and  you  would  have  had  to  build  in  another 
year.  Of  course  we  shall  move  to  the  Court  at 
once." 

The  rector  did  not  think  that  move  would  be  neces- 
sary. He  reminded  his  spouse  that  the  lamented  de- 
ceased had  not  lived,  unfortunately,  long  enough  to 
pay  off  all  the  mortgages  with  which  the  property 
was  encumbered,  and  added,  that  he  feared  that  there 
was  very  little  ready  money  left  to  enable  them  to 
keep  up  Pinnacles  Court.  He  also  admonished  Mrs 
Fanshawe,  as  delicately  as  he  could,  that,  in  conse- 
quence of  some  remarks  which  she  had  made  with 
regard  to  his  late  relative's  personal  appearance, 
and  which  were  the  reverse  of  complimentary,  she 
must  not  be  disappointed  if  neither  the  one  nor  the 
other  of  them  was  named  in  the  special  bequests  and 
legacy  portion  of  the  will,  and  that  it  would  be  as  well 
if  she  would  at  once  make  up  her  mind  to  accept  pleas- 
antly the  fact  that  all  the  articles  of  female  adornment, 
in  the  shape  of  very  valuable  jewels,  would  become  the 
sole  possession  of  their  respected  aunt,  Susannah  Fan- 
shawe, aged  sixty-six,  to  dispose  of  as  might  seem  good 
unto  that  childless  widow  of  the  house. 

"  But  surely  your  cousin  Gilbert  might  have  remem- 
bered our  girls  :   he  knew  how  many  we  have,  and 


80  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

that  it  is  not   likely  that  we  could  give  them  valu- 
able jewelry." 

"  Oh,  he  knew  all  that,"  answered  the  rector,  "  but 
you  are  well  aware  he  did  not  care  a  button  either 
for  them  or  for  us;  consequently,  he  will  not  have 
left  anything  more  in  our  direction  than  what  he  was 
actually  obliged  to  leave.  Besides,  during  the  nine 
years  that  Gilbert  occupied  the  Court,  he  lived  up  to 
every  penny  of  the  income.  It  would  be  pleasant  for 
me,  certainly,  to  live  in  the  home  of  my  forefathers," 
continued  the  rector,  thoughtfully ;  "  but  I  fear  this 
step  would  only  hamper  us,  and  render  the  ordinary 
struggle  of  life  more  difficult." 

"  Not  at  all,"  the  rector's  wife  replied,  with  all  the 
readiness  of  a  woman  of  resource.  "  To  occupy  the 
Court  would  give  you  at  once  the  position  which  will 
be  so  necessary  when  the  girls  are  introduced.  You 
know  what  the  world  is.  Why  not  let  the  rectory  ? — 
this  house,  I  mean.  It  is  large  and  commodious  enough 
for  any  moderate  -  sized  family,  and  its  being  seven 
miles  from  Yarne  gives  a  county  tone  to  the  pro- 
perty. It  would  just  suit  some  of  the  merchants  of 
Yarne,  who  would  like  to  have  their  country  house. 
It  need  not  be  called  Pinnacles  Eectory ;  change  the 
name  to  Beaudesir,  or,  as  you  object  to  foreign  names, 
why  not  call  it  the  '  Betreat '  ? " 

"Nice  retreat  for  a  Yarne  shopkeeper  from  eight 
at  night  to  seven  in  the  morning,"  growled  the  rector, 
"  and  a  mile  to  get  to  the  railway.     Still,  your  idea 


MISS   FANSHAWE.  81 

is  feasible,  and  the  mercantile  class  of  all  degrees  can 
afford  a  high  rent.  Mind,  I  won't  have  the  house  let 
to  any  genteel  paupers ;  I  prefer  substantial  commer- 
cials. But  what  about  the  curate  ?  I  must  keep 
one,  now  that  the  Bishop  has  decided  to  amalgamate 
Brockenhurst  with  Pinnacles." 

"  Oh,  the  curate  must  be  single,  and  very  young — his 
first  place,  in  fact.  He  can  live  in  two  rooms  down 
in  the  village ;  old  Mrs  Skrimpshire  has  the  very 
thing,  and,  of  course,  I  will  see  that  the  young  man 
is  comfortable,  and  has  all  he  wants.  I  think  the 
sooner  we  make  up  our  minds  about  moving  the  bet- 
ter, and  when  you  come  to  reflect  on  the  matter,  you 
will  see  that  it  is  due  to  yourself  and  to  your  family 
that  you  should  at  once  occupy  the  family  seat  of 
the  Fanshawes." 

So  they  did  make  up  their  minds,  and  the  result 
of  that  effort  was  an  immediate  move  to  Pinnacles 
Court  as  a  local  habitation.  The  rectory  was  also  let 
satisfactorily  and  permanently  to  a  merchant,  not  of 
Yarne  but  of  London  town,  as  a  residence  for  his 
invalid  imbecile  sister  and  her  nurse.  In  spite  of  the 
rector's  objection  to  foreign  nomenclature,  he  was 
obliged  to  accept  his  tenant  as  Mr  John  La  Touche, 
and  the  new  name  of  Pinnacles  Eectory  as  "  Esperanza." 
The  proper  kind  of  curate  came  to  hand,  and  thus, 
from  the  time  that  Lillian  was  twelve  years  of  age, 
she  had  been  accustomed  to  hear  all  the  family  plans 
and  those  of  others  correlative  with  thesfe  discussed 

vol.  I.  F 


82  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

and  turned  to  account,  and  was  thereby  more  advanced 
in  the  art  of  keeping  up  appearances  than  many  a 
grandmother  of  seventy  years. 

Added  to  this,  there  had  never  been  any  sympathy 
betwixt  Lillian  and  her  mother ;  and  as  the  latter 
prided  herself  upon  her  sincerity,  and,  under  the 
mantle  of  this  delusion,  permitted  herself  to  say  the 
most  insulting  and  impertinent  things  to  and  about 
society,  individually  and  collectively,  it  was  not  to  be 
wondered  at  that,  as  the  girl  grew  older,  she  should 
become  reserved  and  cold,  and  resolutely  set  herself 
against  offering  any  opening  for  the  exercise  of  Mrs 
Fanshawe's  satire  in  regard  to  herself.  Her  mind, 
naturally  logical  and  reflective,  could  not  balance  with 
any  degree  of  satisfaction  the  mixture  of  the  clerical 
maxims  and  worldly  practices  which,  as  years  and 
children  progressed,  permeated  the  whole  life  at 
Pinnacles  Court,  and,  as  a  natural  consequence, 
everything  connected  with  parish  work  and  the 
duties  of  a  clergyman  and  his  family  were  not 
only  distasteful,  but  highly  repellent,  to  Miss  Lillian 
Fanshawe. 

The  refining  influence  of  a  first-class  school  had 
imparted  a  charm  to  this  young  lady's  manners  which, 
combined  with  her  attractive  appearance  and  self- 
possession,  caused  her  to  be  much  appreciated  in  the 
society  wherein  she  moved ;  and  a  curious,  indescrib- 
able resemblance  which  she  bore  to  Mrs  Leppell  had 
early  enlisted  Mary's  warm  regard  towards  her  in 
the  closer  intimacy  of  their  school-life.     Indeed  this 


MISS   FANSHAWE.  83 

likeness  was  so  strong  that,  on  the  younger  lady's 
visits  to  Hunter's  Lodge,  strangers  had  invariably 
greeted  her  as  one  of  the  daughters  of  the  house. 

The  great  difference  in  this  resemblance  was,  that 
in  proportion  as  the  lower  part  of  Mrs  Leppell's  face 
was  remarkable  for  a  decided  weakness  of  expression, 
which  was  enhanced  by  a  hesitation  in  her  speech 
whenever  she  became  hurried  or  agitated,  Lillian's 
mouth  and  chin  were  conspicuous  by  an  air  of  resolu- 
tion, which  dominated  every  curve  of  those  features. 
Her  speech,  clear  and  incisive,  was  modulated  to  the 
tone  of  a  well-tempered  bell,  each  sound  falling  like 
a  touch  on  the  ear,  distinct  and  always  sweet.  Both 
of  these  ladies  possessed  the  same  fine  cast  of  head 
and  throat,  and  the  dignified  tread  of  the  Castilian 
peasant  rather  than  the  hurry  -  scurry  step  which 
is  the  usual  factor  in  the  locomotive  power  of  the 
majority  of  English  women. 

That  Lillian  was  a  great  favourite  of  the  Colonel 
was  also  a  recommendation  to  her  in  his  wife's  eyes : 
she  could  say  and  did  say  so  much  in  her  quiet 
polite  fashion,  and  always  said  her  say  with  unerring 
tact  and  reason,  so  that  more  than  once  a  domestic 
storm,  which  rose  in  blackness  and  fury,  had  sailed 
right  away  and  burst  into  space,  thanks  to  the  calm 
and  astute  manner  in  which  a  diversion  in  the  in- 
terests of  peace  and  common-sense  had  been  effected 
by  this  young  visitor  in  the  house. 

The  great  secret  of  Miss  Fanshawe's  management 
of    people   lay   in   the  fact   that   whilst   seeing   and 


84  THE   FAT  OF  THE   LAND. 

hearing  and  fully  understanding  all  that  passed  before 
her,  she  never  appeared  to  know  what  it  was  intended 
that  she  should  not  know,  or  to  see  what  it  was 
supposed  that  she  had  not  seen.  She  accepted  every 
confidence  that  came  in  her  way,  but  she  never  sought 
any,  and,  above  all,  Miss  Fanshawe  had  never  been 
guilty  of  the  weakness  of  making  a  confidant  on  her 
own  account,  or  troubling  others  with  regard  to  her 
own  affairs. 

The  peculiar  position  which  this  young  lady  held 
in  relation  to  her  own  home,  was  perhaps  one  reason 
why  she  always  appeared  to  better  advantage  in  the 
society  of  strangers,  or  of  friends  who  were  not  in- 
timate with  her  family.  The  want  of  sympathy 
between  her  and  her  mother  had  existed  almost 
from  Lillian's  birth ;  and  thus  it  was  that,  on  arriving 
at  woman's  estate,  a  tacit  arrangement  sprung  up  that 
Lillian  should  visit  as  much  from  home  as  possible, 
and  that,  as  she  was  naturally  well  able  to  conduct 
her  own  affairs,  no  interference  would  be  offered  in 
the  event  of  her  being  able  to  make  a  settlement  in 
life. 

Mrs  Leppell  had  shown  the  girl  many  kindnesses, 
and  had  made  Hunter's  Lodge  so  pleasant  a  refuge 
from  the  indifference  and  slights  which  she  experi- 
enced at  home,  that  it  was  but  natural  Miss  Fan- 
shawe should  take  every  opportunity  of  seeking 
the  society  of  those  who  so  admired  and  appreciated 
her. 

It  was  not  everybody  that  Colonel  Leppell  could 


MISS   FANSHAWE.  85 

or  would  endure  as  an  inmate,  therefore  Miss  Fan- 
shawe's  visit  on  this  particular  morning  was  singularly 
opportune.  She  was,  in  fact,  the  very  person  that 
each  one  of  the  family  would  like  to  see.  So  it  was 
with  unfeigned  cordiality  that  the  Colonel  stepped 
forth  into  the  garden  to  greet  this  early  morning- 
visitor. 


86 


CHAPTER    V. 

THE   WORKING   OF   THE   EAST   WIND. 

"  Welcome  as  flowers  in  May,"  called  out  the  master 
of  Hunter's  Lodge,  coming  forward  and  taking  Miss 
Fanshawe's  two  hands  into  his  enormous  grip.  "  Mrs 
Leppell  is  not  at  all  well ;  will  see  you  presently, 
though.  So  you  have  walked  out  here  from  Yarne. 
Dined  at  the  Braintrees'  last  night,  Moll  says  ? " 

"  Yes ;  it  was  one  of  the  regulation  ecclesiastical 
feeds  which  prebends  are,  I  believe,  obliged  to  give 
when  they  come  into  residence.  I  was  invited  with 
papa,  and  to  remain  the  night,  for  the  trains  did  not 
suit  our  return  to  Pinnacles  after  the  coffee.  But  we 
go  back  this  afternoon ;  and  so  after  breakfast  was 
over,  I  escaped  Sarah  Braintree,  and  walked  here  to 
see  Moll." 

"  See  Moll,  indeed  !  and  what  about  Moll's  father  ? 
You  seem  to  forget  that  he  always  delights  to  wel- 
come a  pretty  girl,"  said  the  Colonel  gallantly. 

"  Of  course,"  returned  the  lady,  with  the  most 
deliberate   accent,   "you    especially   ought    to    think 


THE   WORKING   OF  THE   EAST   WIND.  87 

yourself  fortunate  to  possess  a  friend  who  is  thought 
to  resemble  Mrs  Leppell  so  strongly.  I  feel  highly 
flattered  that  the  likeness  is  so  universally  recog- 
nised," continued  Miss  Fanshawe,  turning  up  her  eyes, 
and  looking  as  innocent  as  the  proverbial  lamb. 

"  Haw,  yes ;  I  admire  my  wife,  of  course — comes 
naturally — belongs  to  me — but  we  all  like  a  change, 
you  know.  How  did  the  dinner  go  off?  Who  was 
there  ?  I  suppose  it  was  rather  a  heavy  business, 
eh  ? " 

"  The  dinner  was  all  very  well,  I  suppose,"  returned 
the  girl,  with  the  indifference  of  her  age  with  regard 
to  this  particular.  "Everybody  ate  a  good  deal,  I 
observed.  Mr  Wilby,  judging  by  his  looks  and  man- 
ner, seemed  disappointed  that  he  could  not  devour 
everything  that  was  on  the  table." 

"  Had  you  any  music  afterwards  ?  "  inquired  Mary. 
"  Sarah  Braintree  sings." 

"  Or  fancies  she  does,"  returned  Miss  Fanshawe. 
li  Xo ;  the  proceedings  after  dinner  were  rather  lively. 
Some  of  the  goody-goody  women  came  in  to  tea,  and 
after  that " 

"  They  never  had  a  dance  ! "  interrupted  Miss  Lep- 
pell, with  profound  amazement. 

"  Dance  ?  no,"  answered  her  friend,  with  an  air  of 
superiority.  "  The  tea,  which  was  a  special  feast  for 
the  entertainment  of  these " 

"  Ecclesiastical  jackals,"  supplemented  the  Colonel. 

"  Ecclesiastical  jackals,"  continued  the  girl,  gravely, 
"  was  rather  a  long  business,  for  during  its  progress  a 


88  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

conference  went  on  regarding  the  establishment  of  a 
Dorcas  Society  in  Yarne.  I  was  much  amused  at 
hearing  some  of  the  experiences  of  these  women  when 
collecting  money  for  this  object." 

"  Dorcas — Dorcas.  There  was  a  very  good-looking 
Quakeress  of  that  name  who  sold  sausages  in  Wur- 
stede  years  ago  ;  are  they  getting  up  a  fund  for  her  ? " 
inquired  the  Colonel. 

"  Oh  no,  papa  ! "  explained  Miss  Leppell ;  "  it's  the 
woman  in  the  Bible " 

"  She's  been  dead  ages  ago,"  answered  the  parent. 
"  They  are  not  surely  going  to  put  up  a  monument  to 
her  at  this  time  of  day  ! " 

"  No,  no,"  insisted  the  visitor  ;  "  let  me  explain.  A 
Dorcas  Society  is  the  name  adopted  by  any  circle  of 
ladies  who  meet  together  to  work  for  the  poor.  They 
supply  the  materials,  and  the  garments  so  made  are 
given  to  the  most  needy  and  deserving.  Money  is,  of 
course,  required  to  buy  the  materials  out  of  which  the 
clothes  are  made  up,  hence  the  necessity  for  gathering 
subscriptions  to  establish  a  fund.  The  Society  takes 
its  name  from  the  charitable  woman  we  read  of  in  the 
Bible.     You  remember  now,  don't  you  ? " 

"  Yes,  I  think  I  do,"  answered  the  Colonel,  hesitat- 
ingly. "  Didn't  she  make  a  little  coat  and  show  it  to 
somebody,  and  then  give  it  to  Samuel,  eh  ? " 

"  You  are  mixing  two  occurrences  together,  Colonel. 
The  woman  who  made  the  one  little  coat  was  Samuel's 
own  mother,  whereas  Dorcas  worked  for  all,  whose  sole 
claim  to  help  was  their  poverty." 


THE   WORKING   OF   THE   EAST   WIND.  89 

"  Wish  somebody  would  come  and  make  clothing 
for  my  family,"  said  Colonel  Leppell.  "  Our  bills  for 
drapery  are  enough  to  scare  a  regiment.  But  still  the 
ancients  were  quite  justified  in  being  proud  of  Dorcas. 
Why,  it  was  all  hand-work  her  industry." 

"  The  sewing-machine  certainly  did  not  exist  at  that 
time,"  returned  Miss  Fanshawe.  "But  I  advise  you  to 
read  up  the  history  of  Dorcas,  for  I  fancy  you  will, 
among  others,  be  called  upon  to  support  this  excel- 
lent and  deserving  charity,  as  the  prospectus  scheme 
has  it." 

"  Well,  then,  I  won't,"  replied  the  officer ;  "  neither 
shall  Moll.  The  whole  thing  will  drift  into  a  female 
gossiping  club,  the  pious  dodge  covering  its  sins." 

"  I  can't  agree  with  you,  Colonel,"  returned  his 
visitor.  "  The  arrangements  preclude  everything  of 
the  sort ;  and  Mrs  Braintree  has,  my  father  says, 
shown  great  business  proclivities  in  the  way  she  pro- 
poses to  carry  out  the  plan.  The  sewing-party  will 
meet  once  a- week  only,  at  the  house  of  one  of  the  sub- 
scribers, where  vigorous  stitching  will  go  on  for  three 
hours.  During  that  time  some  interesting  book  will 
be  read  aloud,  the  readers  taking  turns  every  half- 
hour." 

"  Do  you  think  the  society  would  invite  you  to  read 
to  its  members,  papa  ? "  inquired  Mary,  with  an  arch 
look  at  Lillian. 

"  Don't  turn  your  parent  into  ridicule,"  admonished 
Colonel  Leppell,  looking  fondly  at  his  daughter.  "  But 
I  tell  you  what,  if  they  will  get  up  a  meeting  for  help- 


90  THE   FAT   OF   THE  LAND. 

ing  poor  soldiers,  I  would  not  mind  taking  the  chair, 
and  making  a  speech " 

"  And  making  a  mess  of  the  whole  thing,"  thought 
Miss  Fanshawe,  mentally  completing  the  sentence. 
However,  she  merely  said,  "Why  not  consult  Mrs 
Braintree  ?  her  forte  lies  in  getting  up  meetings." 

"  Never  mind  the  meetings  now,  Lillian,"  interposed 
Miss  Leppell ;  "  but  tell  us  what  it  was  that  caused 
you  so  much  amusement  in  the  proceedings  of  last 
night." 

"  I  have  already  told  you  that  it  was  decided  to  raise 
money  by  soliciting  subscriptions  both  in  town  and 
country  for  the  purpose  of  starting  the  society.  Mrs 
Syrop,  that  obsequious  woman  who  is  always  talking 
about  her  privileges,  undertook,  some  days  ago,  in  the 
character  of  old  inhabitant,  to  accompany  Sarah  Brain- 
tree,  in  the  character  of  daughter  of  Canon  in  residence, 
to  make  a  house-to-house  collection  for  this  purpose." 

"  Most  abominable  impudence !"  shouted  the  Colonel. 
"  The  law  ought  to  put  these  things  down.  What 
right  have  people  to  invade  their  neighbours'  houses 
and  bully  or  cajole  them  into  giving  money  for  carry- 
ing on  their  particular  whims,  pious  or  otherwise. 
They  never  come  near  Hunter's  Lodge,  though." 

"  Fortunately  for  them,"  answered  Miss  Fanshawe. 
"But  where  do  you  think  these  ladies  did  go,  and  that 
in  spite  of  warning  and  the  expostulation  of  the 
others  ? " 

"  Can't  imagine :  possibly  to  the  lunatic  asylum 
or  to  the  city  jail." 


THE   WORKING   OF   THE   EAST   WIND.  91 

"To  neither  of  these.  What  do  you  think  of  an 
invasion  of  Catalonia  ?  " 

"  Catalonia !  What  ?  the  residence  of  old  Miss 
Elmore !  You  don't  mean  to  tell  me  that  they  had 
the  effrontery  to  intrude  upon  her,"  exclaimed  the 
Colonel. 

"  They  must  have  known,"  said  Mary,  "  that  Miss 
Elmore  makes  it  a  rule  never  to  set  her  name  down  on 
any  subscription-list,  and  all  begging-letters  she  in- 
variably throws  into  the  waste-paper  basket." 

'■  Jolly  old  woman  ! "  interrupted  the  Colonel ;  "  she 
gave  me  five  pounds  for  my  sick  soldier." 

"  Which  you  got  because  you  managed  to  let  her 
know  of  the  case  without  asking  her  for  aid ;  so  con- 
tradiction has  its  advantages  sometimes.  However, 
our  friends,  knowing  that  when  Miss  Elmore  does 
give,  she  gives  liberally,  determined  to  provide  her 
with  an  opportunity  of  exercising  her  benevolence. 
They  set  off  early  one  morning  to  Catalonia,  strong  in 
the  intention  of  divesting  Miss  Elmore  of  five  guineas, 
the  sum  which  they  intended  she  should  contribute." 

"  Deuced  cool,  I  think,"  remarked  Colonel  Leppell. 

"  The  ladies  were  admitted,  and  shown  into  a  dark 
oak  parlour.  They  were  kept  waiting  some  time,  but 
employed  themselves  in  inspecting  the  old  china  which 
decorated  that  apartment.  I  gather  from  their  own 
admission  that  they  yielded  to  the  temptation  of 
coveting  and  desiring  their  neighbour's  crockery." 

"Einest  collection  of  china  in  the  county,"  said 
Colonel  Leppell.     "  I  don't  blame  'em  for  that." 


92  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

"At  last  Miss  Elmore  presented  herself,  with  the 
cards,  in  her  hand  and  a  look  of  unconcealed  amaze- 
ment on  her  face.  Making  a  most  elaborate  curtsey 
to  each  of  her  visitors,  and  waving  them  to  be  seated, 
although  she  stood  herself,  she  looked  at  the  cards  and 
read  aloud,  '  Mrs  Syrop  and  Miss  Braintree,'  and  then 
inquired,  '  Pray,  who  may  Mrs  Syrop  and  Miss  Brain- 
tree  be  ?  I  have  not  the  honour  of  knowing  these 
names.' " 

"  Fine  old  lady  ! "  ejaculated  the  Colonel.  "  She 
knew  the  names  as  well  as  you  and  I  know  them. 
Fancy  the  disgust  of  Miss  Braintree — haw  ! " 

"  The  ladies  seem  to  have  been  very  much  repelled 
by  this  reception,"  Miss  Fanshawe  continued ;  "  but 
after  a  moment's  silence,  Mrs  Syrop,  as  the  elder  and 
the  matron,  explained  their  position  and  their  mission. 
She  pleaded  the  cause  of  the  Dorcas  Society,  and 
avowed  her  conviction  that  Miss  Elmore,  both  as  a 
woman  and  a  Christian,  could  not  reject  its  claims." 

"  That  was  very  well  put,"  said  Mary. 

"'Dorcas,  Dorcas!'  at  length  answered  the  old 
lady ;  '  do  you  mean  to  tell  me,  Mrs  Syrop  and  Miss 
Braintree,  that  you  have  the  presumption  to  compare 
yourselves  with  that  good  woman  we  read  of  in  the 
Scriptures  ? — a  woman  who  kept  at  home  and  minded 
her  sewing,  and  never,  I  am  sure,  routed  up  strangers 
at  unearthly  hours  in  the  morning.' " 

"  What  did  they  say  ?  How  very  uncomfortable 
they  must  have  felt ! "  said  Mary  Leppell. 

"They  disclaimed,  of  course,  all  intention  of  com- 


THE   WORKING   OF   THE   EAST   WIND.  93 

paring  themselves  with  Dorcas,  but  averred  that  they 
would  like  in  a  humble  way  to  imitate  her ;  and  they 
ventured  to  appeal  to  Miss  Elmore  to  supply  the  funds 
to  enable  them  to  carry  out  their  aspirations.  Their 
humility  was  of  no  avail.  Miss  Elmore  waved  her 
hand  and  replied,  '  I  give  my  alms  to  whom  I  please, 
and — there's  the  door.'  So  saying,  she  walked  out,  and 
left  the  couple  plants  la.  You  may  imagine,"  continued 
Miss  Fanshawe,  "the  indignation  with  which  this 
story  was  received  last  night,  and  the  comments  there- 
upon.   I  assure  you,  it  made  the  evening  quite  lively." 

"  Here  comes  Bothero  ! "  exclaimed  the  Colonel.  "  I 
suppose  Mrs  Leppell  will  see  Miss  Eanshawe  now  ? " 
he  continued,  turning  towards  that  personage. 

•Mrs  Leppell  is  taking  some  beef-tea,  sir;  but  she 
would  be  glad  if  Miss  Fanshawe  would  look  in  upon 
my  mistress  for  a  few  moments.  Lady  Asher  feels  it 
quite  lonely,  for  nobody  has  been  to  sit  with  her  this 
morning." 

Of  course  Miss  Fanshawe  would  be  delighted,  but 
said  that  she  must  not  remain  long ;  she  had  promised 
to  be  back  for  the  Braintrees'  luncheon,  which  was  at 
half-past  one  o'clock.  Mary  accompanied  her  friend, 
but  as  yet  there  had  been  neither  time  nor  opportunity 
for  the  girls  to  have  a  chat,  only  Miss  Leppell  had 
managed  to  intimate  that  she  had  something  particular 
to  say  to  Lillian.  "  Walk  back  part  of  the  way  with 
me,"  said  Miss  Fanshawe,  in  an  undertone,  in  reply ; 
"  you  can  have  it  all  out  comfortably  then :  now  for 
grandmamma." 


94  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

A  visit  to  Lady  Asher  was  not  a  very  lively  enter- 
tainment in  itself ;  she  was  one  of  those  women  who 
never  read,  never  worked,  and  had  very  little  conver- 
sation of  any  sort. 

Dressed  as  became  her  time  of  life,  by  the  taste  and 
common-sense  of  her  maid,  she  often  sat  for  hours  in 
the  same  position,  with  a  hand-screen  shading  her  face 
in  the  winter  from  the  fire,  in  the  summer  from  the 
sun ;  and  if  she  did  contemplate  any  object  in  parti- 
cular, it  must  have  been  the  portrait  of  her  late  hus- 
band, which  hung  above  the  mantelpiece.  Perhaps, 
also,  the  old  lady  felt  comfort  and  security  in  the 
knowledge  that  her  son-in-law  seldom  entered  her 
apartments,  and  that  to  lie  upon  her  sofa  and  be  still 
was  a  luxury  which  Mrs  Leppell  could  generally 
count  upon,  when  the  Colonel  was  more  than  usu- 
ally overbearing  and  quarrelsome.  Here  did  Henri- 
etta, by  the  favour  of  Prothero,  hold  interviews  with 
her  lover,  and  arrange  for  her  flight  and  marriage, 
after  having  vainly  attempted  to  induce  her  father  to 
bestow  the  consent  which  he  had  at  first  given  and 
then  withdrawn.  Lady  Asher  had,  in  her  passive 
way,  however,  done  much  to  alleviate  the  numerous 
trials  which  were  the  outcome  of  her  daughter's  mar- 
riage with  Colonel  Leppell ;  and  if  this  lady  had  never 
actually  expressed  regret  for  the  manner  in  which  she 
had  brought  about  this  union,  it  was  evident  that 
she  did  her  best,  in  late  years  especially,  to  atone  to 
Adelaide  for  the  great  wrong  which  she  had  prompted 
her  to  commit.     Her  ladyship  had  paid  pretty  dearly 


THE   WORKING   OF   THE   EAST   WIND.  95 

for  the  honour  of  the  Hieover  alliance,  inasmuch  as 
more  than  half  her  fortune  had  been  absorbed  in  loans 
to  Colonel  Leppell,  and  the  frequent  payment  of  his 
debts,  all  of  which  was  accepted  as  a  matter  of  course. 
At  length  common  prudence,  in  the  person  of  Prothero 
for  councillor,  and  legal  restraint,  by  the  action  of  a 
firm  of  lawyers,  who,  seizing  a  moment  of  exasperation, 
opportunely  improved  that  occasion  for  Lady  Asher's 
especial  benefit,  combined  to  sink  the  greater  part  of 
what  remained  of  her  fortune  in  the  purchase  of  a  large 
annuity,  leaving  what  represented  about  one  hundred 
a-year  for  her  ladyship  to  be  further  cajoled  or  bullied 
out  of.  But  the  worm  had  turned ;  and  as  the  legal 
advisers  had  succeeded  in  convincing  their  client  that 
to  give  or  lend  one  farthing  more  would  be  but  a  pre- 
liminary step  to  the  workhouse  and  a  beggar's  grave, 
Lady  Asher  henceforth  adopted  and  played  the  role  of 
genteel  pauper  with  great  success. 

"  You  can  tell  Ealph,  with  my  compliments,"  said  the 
old  lady  to  her  daughter,  after  enduring  that  gentle- 
man's reproaches  for  what  he  was  pleased  to  term  her 
underhand  conduct  for  the  space  of  half  an  hour,  "  that 
as  long  as  he  behaves  himself  he  shall  enjoy  the  pro- 
ceeds of  my  annuity  in  payment  for  my  accommoda- 
tion, and  so  forth,  at  Hunter's  Lodge.  He  can  visit  me 
now  and  then  during  the  week,  if  he  likes  ;  but  I  will 
hear  no  more  of  bills  and  demands  for  money, — I  am 
too  poor  now,  and  must  take  to  wearing  old  clothes. 
Oh,  Adelaide  !  just  think  what  your  dear  father  would 
say,  if  he  could  look  up  and  see  me  wearing  an  old 


96  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

black  silk,  with  its  rents  covered  up  by  means  of 
bands  of  broad  velvet,  and  after  leaving  all  his  money 
entirely  at  my  disposal  too  !  " 

All  that  Adelaide  could  do  was  to  reply  that  she 
was  very  sorry,  and  express  her  thankfulness  that  her 
father  had  made  her  own  settlement  so  stringent, — 
"  but  you  know,  mother,"  she  said  one  day,  "  I  give  up 
every  penny  of  my  income;  I  only  get  what  Ealph 
chooses  to  let  me  have  :  but  I  will  put  up  with  any- 
thing for  peace's  sake."  In  these  confidences  never 
had  the  name  of  Everard  Glascott  passed  the  lips 
of  either  lady :  they  heard  of  him  indirectly,  at  long 
intervals,  and  Lady  Asher  sometimes  wondered  if 
her  daughter,  in  her  heart,  regretted  her  early  love ; 
but  this  reflection  only  glimmered  on  Lady  Asher 's 
soul  after  the  blazon  of  the  Hieover  connection  had 
become  dim,  and  the  pressure  of  lack  of  money  was 
casting  a  shadow  over  both  their  lives.  Then  the 
mother  thought  of  Everard  Glascott,  and  confessed 
that  she  had  done  the  thing  which  she  ought  not 
to  have  done.  Of  this,  however,  she  never  spoke,  and 
even  Prothero  only  knew  that  Adelaide  had  not 
married  her  first  love,  and  that  Colonel  Leppell, 
according  to  both  these  ladies,  had  not  fulfilled  the 
promise  of  his  earlier  days. 

As  it  generally  befalls  those  persons  who  give  a 
great  deal  of  trouble,  and  are  the  cause  of  universal 
anxiety,  those  around  Lady  Asher  were  most  de- 
voted, not  only  in  sparing  her  any  inconvenience  to 
which  her  infirmity  of  severe  lameness  might  expose 


THE   WORKING   OF  THE   EAST   WIND.  97 

her,  but  also  in  saving  her  from  annoyance  and  agita- 
tion of  every  description  ;  and  if  it  were  imperative 
that  any  adverse  or  uncomfortable  communication 
must  be  made  to  her,  Prothero  was  invariably  dele- 
gated to  perform  this  duty.  She  knew  the  old  lady's 
ways,  it  was  urged,  and  exactly  what  to  say  and  what 
to  leave  unsaid.  Mrs  Leppell  often  made  use  of  Pro- 
thero's  services  in  the  like  event,  because  she  thereby 
escaped  the  indignant  commentaries  which  both  mis- 
tress and  maid  were  wont  to  pour  forth  when  Colonel 
Leppell's  "  difficulties  "  were  the  subject  of  considera- 
tion. 

"  After  all,  Ealph  is  fond  of  me  after  his  own 
fashion,"  the  wife  argued  to  herself,  "  and  those  peo- 
ple in  the  wing  are  sometimes  too  hard  on  him," — 
"  those  people  in  the  wing  "  having  special  reference  to 
Lady  Asher  and  her  maid,  together  with  their  habitat. 

Mrs  Leppell  had  already  told  Prothero  as  much  as 
she  thought  fit  concerning  Duke  and  the  unsuccessful 
issue  of  his  elopement.  She  limited  her  confidence  at 
this  point,  and  begged  the  attendant  to  convey  this 
piece  of  news  to  grandmamma,  and  to  tell  the  old  lady 
that  she  would  talk  the  matter  over  with  her  at  her 
early  dinner,  at  which  she  would  join  her  at  two 
o'clock.  Mrs  Leppell  alleged  that  it  was  the  visit 
of  the  officer  of  the  Chancery  Court  which  had 
made  her  ill,  and  also  the  severity  of  the  east  wind. 
"  Don't  alarm  my  mother  into  coining  to  see  me," 
she  continued,  "  but  go  into  the  garden  and  ask  Miss 
Fanshawe  to  visit  her  before  she  comes  to  me." 

VOL.    I.  G 


98  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

"  Very  well,  ma'am,"  Prothero  replied,  not  believing 
a  word  about  the  east  wind,  and  feeling  convinced 
that  something  more  than  the  elopement  must  figure 
in  the  sum  of  Duke's  iniquities. 

The  extraordinary  clause  in  the  morning  prayers 
which  had  been  introduced  for  that  young  gentleman's 
especial  benefit  had  been  repeated  to  Prothero  with 
wonderful  accuracy ;  and  this,  together  with  his 
mother's  great  distress,  convinced  her  that  Marma- 
cluke  had  stolen  or  pawned  some  of  the  regimental 
plate  in  order  to  pay  the  expenses  of  the  wedding- 
tour.  Like  the  majority  of  her  sex,  Prothero  was  apt 
to  jump  at  conclusions,  but  she  rarely  allowed  her 
conclusions  to  jump  beyond  her  own  brain — a  piece  of 
wisdom  which  many  women  would  do  well  to  imitate. 

Miss  Panshawe,  accompanied  by  Mary,  paid  her 
visit  to  grandmamma,  and  was  cordially  welcomed 
by  that  lady,  who  was  always  glad  to  see  her,  for  she 
reminded  her  of  what  Adelaide  had  been  in  her  early 
years.  Lady  Asher's  infirmity  prevented  her  getting 
about  at  pleasure,  and  she  was  always  gratified  when 
youth  and  freshness  came  to  seek  her.  The  girls  had 
brought  some  early  spring  flowerets  in  with  them — 
flowerets  so  scarce  yet,  that  a  whole  bunch  of  one 
kind  could  not  be  collected  together ;  but  sweet 
violets,  and  here  and  there  a  ball  of  the  delicate 
hepatica,  which  had  early  put  forth  its  head  in  thank- 
fulness for  being  planted  under  a  sunny  wall,  in  com- 
pany with  their  delicate  sister  primrose,  told  the  sweet 


THE   WORKING   OF   THE   EAST   WIND.  99 

story  that  the  winter  was  gone,  and  that  colour  and 
greenness  had  begun  to  deck  the  earth.  No  wonder 
that  the  breath  of  Spring  incensed  the  aged  lady's 
room,  as  these  fair  girls  brought  with  them  the  bless- 
ing of  her  children,  the  new-born  flowers. 

So  they  talk  cheerfully,  and  G.  M.  (as  she  is  fami- 
liarly abbreviated  by  her  descendants)  hears  with 
considerable  gusto  the  story  of  old  Miss  Elmore  and 
the  Dorcas  Society's  pioneers.  Lady  Asher  has  no 
ill-feeling  towards  the  present  people  who  take  the 
lead  in  society ;  but  she  thoroughly  enjoys,  with  her 
silent  laugh,  the  fact  that  one  of  her  own  generation 
is  well  up  to  the  mark,  and  is  so  much  better  able  to 
take  care  of  her  purse  than  she  herself  had  been. 
There  was  also  a  point  gained  in  the  suppression  of 
Sarah  Braintree,  however  short  that  suppression 
might  be.  The  Canon's  daughter  had  once  been 
taken  into  the  "  wing "  of  Hunter's  Lodge,  and  that 
visit  resulted  in  Lady  Asher  pronouncing  Sarah  to 
be  an  audacious  young  female,  and  a  disgrace  to  the 
cloth ;  and  further,  in  insisting  that  under  no  circum- 
stances whatever  must  the  said .  audacious  female  be 
allowed  to  again  enter  that  portion  of  the  house.  No 
wonder,  then,  that  on  this  particular  morning  Miss 
Fanshawe's  advent  was  especially  acceptable. 

Prothero  soon  comes  with  a  message  from  Mrs 
Leppell  to  the  effect  that  she  is  sorry  to  hurry  Miss 
Fanshawe,  but  that  time  is  getting  on,  and  she  much 
wishes  to  see  that  young  lady  alone.     Miss  Fanshawe 


100  THE   FAT   OF   THE    LAND. 

rises  to  take  leave,  and  Mary  says  in  a  low  voice, 
"Mamma  wants  to  tell  you  about  me,  so  I'll  stay 
here.  Let  me  know  when  you  go,  as  I  can  walk  part 
of  the  way  back  with  you,  as  I  proposed  to  do — that 
is,  if  you  really  can't  stay  ?  " 

"Impossible,  my  dear.  It  was  really  good  of  Mrs 
Braintree  to  excuse  me,  and  I  promised  to  return  to 
luncheon :  besides,  if  I  am  not  punctual,  papa  would 
not  take  me  out  with  him  again,  and  I  enjoy  visiting 
with  him  alone,  he  is  always  so  much  nicer  without 
mamma."  This  was  said  in  a  sweet  equable  tone, 
quite  as  a  matter  of  course ;  and  then  Miss  Fanshawe 
took  her  leave. 

« Very  superior  girl  that,"  remarked  the  old  lady, 
looking  after  her.  "  Now,  my  dear,  Prothero  is  busy 
getting  up  my  laces  and  spring  things,  so  I  would  be 
glad  if  you  would  arrange  the  room  a  little,  and  put 
those  flowers  in  water,  and  see  to  the  hyacinths ;  they 
are  beginning  to  sprout,  and  want  a  little  water  added 
in  their  glasses.  Your  father  takes  all  the  newspapers 
into  that  horrid  den  of  his.  I  wish  he  would  leave 
the  '  Illustrated '  alone  ;  that  is  my  own  private  paper, 
and  I  hate  looking  at  pictures  smelling  of  tobacco — 
nasty,  low,  vulgar  habit — I  mean  smoking  in  a  room ; 
but  I  suppose  '  dens '  of  all  kinds  are  more  or  less 
objectionable.  And,  by  the  way,  I  wish  you  would 
write  to  Furbishe  about  my  new  bonnet ;  it  must  be 
made  of  good  material,  and  to  cover  my  head.  /  am 
not  going  about  with  a  rosette  of  lace  for  crown,  and  a 
lily  and  a  string  for  finish,  as  so  many  old  hags  now- 


THE   WORKING   OF  THE   EAST    WIND.  101 

adays  are  so  fond  of  doing.  It's  wicked,  my  dear, 
and  the  Government  ought  to  interfere,  and  shut  up 
these  old  women." 

"  Anything  more  about  the  bonnet,  grandmamma  ? " 

"  Only  that  it  is  not  to  be  very  expensive,"  returned 
the  senior  lady.  "  I  can't  afford  fine  clothes  nowadays, 
but  I  will  look  respectable  and  like  my  time  of  life. 
Here  comes  Prothero  with  my  glass  of  wine  and  bis- 
cuit. I  am  glad  to  get  it,  Prothero,"  continued  Lady 
Asher,  as  the  attendant  placed  the  tray  on  the  table ; 
"  but  you  might  have  had  the  sense  to  bring  some  hot 
water.  The  wind  is  in  the  east,  and  it  pierces  me 
through.  No  wonder  Mrs  Leppell  has  to  remain  in 
bed.  Put  some  more  wood  on  the  fire,  and  get  me  a 
wrapping-shawl,  please.  And  is  there  no  soup  ?  I 
would  rather  have  soup  to-day ;  just  see  if  there  is 
any  nearly  ready." 

Prothero  avowed  there  was  none  even  in  progress — 
Mrs  Leppell  had  been  content  with  beef -tea.  The  maid 
continued,  "  But  I  will  go  and  get  some  hot  water, 
and  add  a  little  wine  to  this,  my  lady.  This  weather 
upsets  everybody ;  even  Miss  Mary  there  is  not  look- 
ing her  best." 

The  additional  comfort  being  brought,  Prothero 
speedily  vanished,  fearful  of  being  detained  on  other 
service ;  for,  as  Dick  Leppell  remarked  on  one  occa- 
sion, G.  M.  could  find  work  out  of  nothing  for  two 
stout  niggers,  and  never  think  then  that  she  had  got 
enough  waiting  out  of  them. 

The  '  Illustrated '  being  found,  happily,  in  an  im- 


102  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

maculate  state,  its  owner  sunk  back  into  her  chair, 
turning  over  the  engravings  of  that  newspaper  with 
deliberation,  and  enjoying  the  refreshments  which 
were  daily  brought  to  her  at  half -past  eleven  o'clock. 
Mary,  feeling  convinced  that  the  east  wind  was  the 
cause  of  her  grandmother's  being  so  exacting  on  this 
morning,  set  to  work  to  obey  the  old  lady's  behests, 
rather  pleased  than  otherwise  that  occupation  had 
been  supplied  her  which  would  in  no  wise  disturb  the 
current  of  her  thoughts. 

It  often  happens  that  when  the  body  is  fully  active, 
the  spirit  acts  in  unison  and  works  freely ;  and  as  we 
none  of  us  can  properly  reflect  or  meditate  to  order, 
outside  distractions  often  come  in  friendly  guise,  and, 
by  setting  the  exterior  case  in  motion,  give  play  to  the 
machinery  which  is  pent  up  within.  The  girl  ful- 
filled all  her  relative's  injunctions  with  the  greatest 
accuracy ;  but  her  mind  was  concentrated  on  one  sole 
subject,  and  the  burden  of  it  was  this :  "  In  spite  of 
all  mamma  said,  I  am  sure  she  wishes  me  to  accept 
Mr  Clavering.  What  can  be  the  reason  ?  Everybody 
hitherto  has  always  talked  as  if  I  were  to  be  a  grand- 
duchess  at  least." 

Whilst  Mary  is  wondering  and  weighing  her  own 
inclinations  and  her  duty,  and  hoping  in  all  her  inno- 
cence and  truth  that  the  Father  in  heaven  will  guide 
her  aright,  Lillian  Fanshawe  is  in  deep  conference 
with  Mrs  Leppell ;  and  as  the  east  wind  has  affected 
the  Colonel  so  strongly  that  he  has  been  obliged  to 
seek  refreshment  in  the  shape  of  good  warm  ale  in  the 


THE   WORKING   OF   THE   EAST   WIND.  103 

privacy  of  his  den,  that  gentleman  leaves  his  wife's 
room  as  soon  as  he  has  seen  Miss  Fanshawe  safely 
within  that  apartment. 

"  It  is  not  often  that  I  am  to  be  found  in  bed  at 
this  hour,  Lillian,"  said  Mrs  Leppell,  smiling  and  try- 
ing to  look  at  ease ;  "  but  I  have  not  been  well  for 
some  time,  and  this  east  wind  has,  I  think,  got  quite 
a  hold  upon  me.  I  am  so  glad  you  have  come,  for  I 
want  to  speak  to  you  about  Mary." 

"  Moll  gave  me  a  hint  that  you  had  something  to 
say  to  me  about  her,"  Miss  Fanshawe  replied ;  "  but 
she  had  no  opportunity  of  giving  me  a  clue  to  the 
subject.  However,  where  Moll  is  concerned,  it  is  easy 
to  draw  a  conclusion,  so  I  will  say  at  once  that  I  shall 
be  truly,  heartily  delighted  to  be  taken  in  to  dinner 
some  day  behind  Lady  Willows." 

The  girl's  eyes,  bright  with  right  goodwill  and 
friendship,  arrested  Mrs  Leppell's  attention,  and  she 
involuntarily  congratulated  herself  that  Mary  had  so 
staunch  a  friend — so  genuine  and  so  free  from  envy, 
the  good  lady  thought.  She  even  felt  regret  at  having 
to  tell  her  visitor  how  far  wide  of  the  mark  her  con- 
clusions had  fallen. 

"  You  are  wrong,  Lillian,"  she  said,  after  a  moment's 
pause.  "  The  Willows  event  has  been  predicted  and 
expected  by  more  than  yourself ;  but  it  has  turned  to 
moonshine.  Lord  Willows  has  paid  Mary  a  good  deal 
of  attention  certainly,  but  he  has  never  gone  further 
than  that.  I  think  myself  that  he  has  been  trying  to 
spin  out  the  time  till  he  could  come  forward  with  pro- 


104  THE  FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

priety.  You  know  he  has  been  hardly  seven  months 
a  widower,  and  it  would  be  scarcely  the  thing  to  make 
marriage  proposals  so  much  within  the  year.  How- 
ever, that  does  not  matter,  for  Moll  no  more  cares  for 
Lord  Willows  than  she  cares  for  any  other  Tom,  Dick, 
or  Harry." 

"  I  can  believe  that,"  Lillian  answered ;  "  but  I 
had  no  idea  that  there  was  any  one  else  seriously  in 
the  field,  and  the  Colonel  evidently  favoured  Lord 
Willows." 

"  Oh,  the  Colonel,"  replied  his  wife ;  "  one  never  can 
quite  depend  upon  him — these  matters  go  just  as  the 
whim  seizes  him.  He  encouraged  Lord  Willows  and 
made  a  fuss  about  him,  more  to  keep  off  ineligibles 
than  anything  else,  and  he  had  taken  into  his  head 
that  Mary  must  marry  a  title,  or  at  least  some  one 
with  a  handle  to  his  name.  Now  the  man  who  has 
actually  proposed  for  Mary  has  no  handle  to  his  name, 
and  circumstances  oblige  us  both  to  be  thankful  that 
she  holds  this  gentleman  in  some  esteem,  at  any  rate. 
Now,  Lillian  dear,  you  have  so  much  influence  with  the 
child,  and  she  has  such  faith  in  your  opinion,  that  I 
want  you  to  talk  this  over  and  induce  her  to  accept 
Mr  Clavering  at  once." 

"  Clavering  ! "  replied  Miss  Fanshawe,  with  a  percep- 
tible start  of  surprise — "  Clavering ;  not  that  gentle- 
man, surely,  who  was  visiting  in  the  county  last 
autumn,  and  who  is  rather  celebrated  as  a  scientific 
lecturer  ? " 

"  The  same.     Of  course  it  is  not  a  good  match  ;  but 


THE   WORKING   OF   THE   EAST   WIND.  105 

you  will  understand,  when  I  tell  you  all,  why  it  is 
imperative  that  the  engagement  must  take  place.  Our 
reasons  are  most  cogent;  and  Mr  Clavering  is  to  be 
here  in  the  afternoon." 

"  Here  this  afternoon  ? "  the  girl  repeated  mechan- 
ically— "  here  this  afternoon,  did  you  say  ? " 

"  Yes ;  he  only  arrived  in  Yarne  last  night.  We 
had  letters  this  morning." 

"  It  seems — sudden,"  returned  Lillian.  "  Oh,  I  am 
so  cold ;  this  east  wind  has  chilled  me.  Let  me  sit, 
please,  where  that  ray  of  sun  is  slanting ;  it  is  more 
genial  than  the  fire." 

"  Why,  Lillian,  you  are  as  pale  as  death.  Eing,  and 
order  some  hot  wine  and  water.  I  ought  to  have 
thought  of  it,  for  you  have  been  a  long  time  walking 
and  going  from  place  to  place.  Oh,  I  hear  the  Colonel ! 
he  said  he  would  come  back,  for  he  wants  to  speak  to 
you  about  Duke.  There's  trouble  about  him — Duke, 
I  mean — and  we  knew  we  could  tell  you,  and  trust 
you  about  everything." 

The  Colonel  came  in,  and  his  first  observation  was 
directed  to  the  face  of  his  visitor.  "  You  have  caught 
a  chill,  Lillian,"  he  said.  "  I  will  go  and  fetch  you  a 
glass  of  sherry." 

"  No,  no,"  the  girl  answered ;  "  I  would  rather  you 
would  mull  me  some  of  your  elder  wine,  and  let  me 
have  it  strong  and  hot.  Lady  Asher's  room  is  always 
kept  so  warm,  and  I  think  I  feel  the  difference  of 
temperature  from  being  so  much  in  the  air." 

The  Colonel  was  an  adept  at  concocting  this  mix- 


106  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

ture,  which  should  be  always  simmered  in  a  silver 
saucepan.  This  utensil  had  been  used  lately  for 
warming  some  mess  for  the  bull-terrier  pup,  and  had 
to  be  routed  out  of  the  den  and  cleaned  before 
it  could  be  made  to  serve  its  legitimate  purpose. 
"  Bother  this  east  wind ! "  the  kitchen-maid  had  ex- 
claimed, when  called  upon  to  furbish  the  silver 
saucepan  and  bring  it  to  Mrs  Leppell's  room.  "  I 
can't  think  what  ails  the  people, — the  Colonel  must 
needs  have  warm  ale,  on  account  of  the  east  wind, 
and  have  it  warmed  with  a  red-hot  poker  stood  up- 
right in  the  middle  of  the  jug :  what  next,  I  am 
wondering  ? " 

11  Never  you  mind,"  replied  the  cook,  "  but  do  as 
you  are  told,  and  be  quick  about  it.  East  wind  is 
very  bad  for  us  all :  my  back  is  splitting  with  pain, — 
I  think  I  shall  follow  the  Colonel's  example ;  so  put 
the  poker  into  the  fire,  and  I  will  have  some  warm 
ale  to  keep  the  wind  out  too." 

Time  and  patience  brought  the  pan  and  the  neces- 
sary ingredients  for  making  mulled  elder  wine.  A 
good  tumbler  of  this  most  excellent  and  simple  restor- 
ative completely  revived  Miss  Fanshawe,  and  she 
was  able  to  receive  the  confidence  of  her  friends  with 
becoming  interest  and  attention.  Still  she  was  very 
silent,  and  did  not  express  even  ordinary  astonishment 
at  the  recital  of  Duke's  evil  doings. 

"  You  are  horrified  at  what  I  am  telling  you,"  Mrs 
Leppell  said,  "  but  you  are  too  good  to  say  so.  Now 
you  see,"  she  continued,  "  why  I  want   you   to   get 


THE   WORKING   OF   THE   EAST   WIND.  107 

Mary  to  accept  Mr  Clavering  at  once  ;  there  must  be 
no  delay  about  it,  you  perceive." 

"  Does  Mary  know  anything  about  this  bank  busi- 
ness \  "  Lillian  inquired,  after  reflecting  a  little. 

"  Xot  a  word,"  the  Colonel  interrupted.  "  They 
all  know  there  is  something  amiss  with  Duke,  but,  of 
course,  that  I  shall  put  down  to  the  elopement  en- 
tirely. If  the  bank  affair  could  only  be  hushed  up,  I 
am  not  so  afraid  of  the  other  case  after  all, — that  is 
only  contempt  of  Court — haw  ! " 

"  Yes ;  but  contempt  of  the  Court  of  Chancery  is 
rather  more  serious  than  you  seem  to  think.  I  do 
not  wish  to  alarm  you  unnecessarily,"  continued  Miss 
Fanshawe,  whose  colour  had  now  returned,  "but  I 
must  tell  you  that  Duke  has  committed  himself  most 
egregiously.  A  circumstance  of  this  kind  took  place 
a  few  years  ago  in  my  mother's  family,  and  as  it 
was  much  discussed  when  I  was  at  home  during  a 
vacation,  I  am  not  mistaken  in  what  I  now  tell  you. 
The  gentleman  in  the  case  to  which  I  refer  eloped 
with  a  ward  of  Chancery,  and  married  her  in  some 
church  or  chapel,  somehow  and  somewhere.  The 
couple  were  surprised  before  they  could  reach  the 
Continent,  and  they  were  compelled  to  go  through  the 
marriage  ceremony  again,  with  proper  witnesses,  by 
order  of  the  Court.  After  that,  the  lady  was  sent  to 
the  care  of  some  especially  appointed  guardian,  and 
the  bridegroom  was  imprisoned  for  nine  months. 
Furthermore,  the  lady's  money  was  so  settled  that  the 
husband  could  never  touch  it,  or  make  it  available  for 


108  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

his  own  purposes  in  any  way ;  and  I  believe  he  could 
only  enjoy  as  much  of  the  income  as  his  wife  chose  to 
allow  him  during  her  life.  At  the  termination  of  the 
imprisonment,  the  gentleman  was  required  to  make  an 
apology  to  the  Court  for  his  contempt,  and  he  was 
lectured  and  rebuked  in  the  most  severe  manner 
at  the  same  time.  In  fact,  the  course  of  humili- 
ation which  the  bridegroom  underwent  would  re- 
quire a  life  of  devotion  on  the  part  of  his  wife  to 
atone  for." 

"  But  this  girl  went  off  with  Duke  of  her  own 
accord, — of  course  she  did,"  answered  the  Colonel, 
argumentatively. 

"  Very  likely ;  but  that  makes  no  difference  in  the 
eye  of  the  law.  She  is  not  of  age,  and  till  then  she 
cannot  marry,  I  am  almost  certain,  without  the  Lord 
Chancellor's  consent." 

"  If  Duke  could  manage  to  get  off  abroad  some- 
where, and  hide  till  the  girl  comes  of  age,"  inquired 
Mrs  Leppell,  "  do  you  think  the  Court  of  Chancery 
could  touch  him  ? " 

"  I  cannot  say ;  but  would  not  such  a  proceeding 
oblige  him  to  leave  the  army  ?  No ;  my  humble 
advice  is,  let  your  son  surrender  himself  at  once  to 
the  Court  of  Chancery  and  abide  the  result.  His 
offence  is  not  a  crime,  and  imprisonment  on  this 
account  would  not  oblige  him  to  lose  caste  in  society. 
The  more  you  think  of  it,  the  clearer  you  will  perceive 
the  utter  folly  of  an  escape  out  of  the  country,  even 


THE   WORKING   OF   THE   EAST   WIND.  109 

if  it  could  be  effected  successfully.  His  wife  would  be 
prevented  from  joining  him,  and  until  she  came  of 
age,  his  would  be  a  life  of  subterfuge  without  any 
compensating  result.  Depend  upon  it,  the  more 
politic  plan  will  be  for  Duke  to  surrender  himself  at 
once." 


no 


CHAPTER   VI. 


THE   BANKS   OF   THE   YAR. 


So  counselled  this  young  Daniel,  and  the  two  grown- 
up children  who  listened  pondered  over  and  weighed 
her  words  as  if  a  Queen's  Counsel  was  pleading  before 
them. 

During  a  pause  the  husband  and  wife  conjointly 
avowed  their  utter  ignorance  of  the  law.  Mrs  Leppell 
was  sure  that  her  son  had  no  intention  of  treating  the 
Lord  Chancellor  with  disrespect ;  the  Colonel  could 
answer  for  Duke  that  he  did  not  know  that  dignitary 
by  sight. 

"You  had  better  consult  a  lawyer  immediately," 
Miss  Fanshawe  urged.  "Mind,"  continued  she,  "I 
have  only  given  you  an  account  of  what  happened 
within  my  own  knowledge ;  in  some  of  the  details  I 
may  be  in  error.  I  am,  however,  certain  of  one  thing, 
and  that  is,  that  contempt  of  the  Court  of  Chancery  is 
far  more  serious  than  any  other  kind  of  contempt.  It 
is  sad  to  hear  so  dreadful  an  account  of  my  old  play- 
fellow,  Duke  ;    but  exposure   may   be   prevented   if 


THE   BANKS   OF   THE   YAK.  Ill 

matters  are  well  managed.  As  to  Moll,  if  she  have 
no  other  preference,  she  will  not  require  much  per- 
suasion to  carry  out  your  wishes." 

"  She  has  no  other  preference,  I  feel  assured,"  said 
Mrs  Leppell ;  "  and  now  you  understand,  Lillian,  why 
I  so  much  desire  your  assistance  in  this  matter.  It 
will  never  do  to  allow  it  even  to  be  hinted  afterwards 
that  we  had  pressed  Mary  on  account  of  her  brother's 
difficulties ;  that  is  the  reason  that  she  is  ignorant  of 
all  beyond  the  annoyance  of  the  elopement.  Did  she 
know  all,  she  would  accept " 

"  Old  Nick  himself,"  interpolated  Colonel  Leppell. 

"  Not  quite  so  bad  as  that,"  the  wife  replied  with  a 
dreary  smile ;  "  but  Moll  is  proud,  and  I  feel  sure  that 
even  if  this  Mr  Clavering  were  repugnant  to  her,  she 
would  consent  to  marry  him  in  order  to  save  the 
family  honour.  You  see,  Lillian,  how  we  are  situated 
— that  we  cannot  say  very  much  to  Mary  in  the  way 
of  guiding  her  choice ;  we  must  be  thankful  to  know 
that  her  opinion  of  this  gentleman  is  very  favourable, 
and  that  you,  Lillian,  dear,  have  spoken  of  him  in  such 
high  terms  of  commendation." 

"  Not  more  than  he  deserves,"  the  girl  replied,  flush- 
ing crimson.  "  I  certainly  had  very  little  opportunity  ' 
of  seeing  Mr  Clavering,  but  that  little  convinced  me 
that  he  is  a  man  of  very  high  culture  and  worth,  and 
that  any  lady  might  be  proud  of  receiving  his  ad- 
dresses ;  I  mean,  that  he  is  not  of  the  general  admira- 
tion sort, — and  that,"  continued  Miss  Fanshawe,  "is  a 
quality  not  to  be  lightly  esteemed.     It  is  too  much 


112  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

the  fashion  for  men  to  make  love  all  round.  This 
one,  as  far  as  I  can  judge,  would  despise  such  non- 
sense." 

"  I  am  glad  to  hear  you  say  this,  Lillian,"  continued 
the  mother.  "Mary  is  so  tender,  so  pure,  it  would 
break  her  heart  if  the  man  she  married  should  turn 
out  unsteady,  or  be  flirting  about  with  any  one  who 
would  flirt  with  him.  Ah !  I  hope  it  will  all  end 
well." 

"  Deuced  bad  match ! "  burst  out  the  Colonel, 
"  steady  or  not  steady :  cool  head,  I  should  imagine, 
judging  from  his  epistle.  Hang  it,  Adelaide,  I  would 
not  have  cared  so  much  if  he  had  not  belonged  to — 
to  —  you  know  who.  Talk  about  dispensations  of 
Providence — haw  !  these  dispensations  come  rather 
awkwardly  sometimes.  Well,  I,  like  the  rest,  must 
make  the  best  of  this  bad  business ;  but  I  feel  that  I 
am  a  regular  victim — indeed  I  do.  You  may  smile, 
Lillian ;  but  I  tell  you  I  am  a  victim  to  my  family, 
old  and  young." 

"Well,  Colonel,  we  none  of  us  can  have  our  own 
way  all  the  days  of  our  life,"  replied  his  guest,  slowly. 
"  We  must  all  learn  to  give  up  for  others ;  nothing 
comes  right  in  the  world,  I  do  believe.  Now,  I  must 
be  off,  for  it  is  half-past  twelve,  and  this  just  leaves 
me  bare  time  to  reach  the  College  precincts.  Papa 
will  be  so  cross  if  I  am  not  punctual ;  the  east  wind 
always  tries  his  temper.  Mary  will  be  ready  and 
waiting  by  this  time." 

"  Which  road  are  you  going  to  take  ? "  asked  Colonel 


THE   BANKS    OF   THE   YAR.  113 

Leppell,  as  he  walked  down  the  gravel  drive  and 
opened  the  gate  for  the  girls  to  pass  through. 

"  As  I  was  alone,  I  came  by  the  highroad,"  replied 
Miss  Fanshawe  ;  "  but  could  not  Moll  and  I  walk  part 
of  the  way  by  the  river  bank  ? — we  are  both  so  fond  of 
that  route  into  Yarne.  We  might  go  as  far  as  the 
turnstile,  and  then  when  we  part  we  can  strike  off 
there,  and  each  regain  the  highroad." 

« Very  good ;  but  mind,  you  are  not  to  go  farther 
by  the  river  than  the  turnstile  at — somebody's  mea- 
dows— you  know ;  that  portion  of  the  river-side  just 
into  Yarne  is  not  a  nice  place  for  ladies — too  near  the 
town  and  the  shipping,"  said  Colonel  Leppell.  "  Moll, 
you  had  better  return  home  when  you  reach  that 
point ;  or,  if  you  like  to  walk  farther,  do  so,  but  don't 
go  into  the  town.  Take  your  time  and  your  chat ;  I 
will  come  and  meet  you." 

Thus  giving  his  orders,  Colonel  Leppell  re-entered 
the  house,  and  went  straight  to  his  den ;  and  his  wife 
laid  herself  back  on  her  pillow,  and  set  herself  to  con- 
sider what  would  be  best  to  be  done  should  the  event 
now  in  train  not  come  to  a  satisfactory  issue. 

Reviewing  the  confidence  which  she  had  reposed  in 
her  young  friend,  Mrs  Leppell  regretted  that  it  had 
been  so  ample  and  so  unrestrained ;  in  fact,  she  per- 
ceived that  she  had  placed  herself  and  her  whole 
family  very  much  in  Lillian  Fanshawe's  power,  by  the 
communication  she  had  made  concerning  Duke's  evil 
dealing  with  Cracky  Winton's  cheque.  "  You  govern 
the  unspoken  word ;  the  spoken  word  governs  you," 

VOL.    I.  H 


114  THE   FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

was  a  wise  Arabian  proverb  which  jumped  to  her 
mind,  as  she  reviewed  this  portion  of  her  confidence, 
and  it  had  at  the  particular  juncture  the  usual  effect 
of  coming  with  a  warning  when  the  mischief  was  done. 

Yet,  why  associate  the  idea  of  mischief  and  warning 
with  the  conversation  that  had  just  taken  place  ?  Lil- 
lian was  attached  to  the  family  ;  "  and  at  one  time  " — 
the  mother  argued  to  herself — "  at  one  time  I  thought 
the  girl  had  a  very  strong  liking  for  Duke  "  (a  most 
egregious  delusion).  "  At  all  events,  if  it  is  only 
friendship,  that  would  lead  her  to  screen  his  sins  :  she 
seems  willing  also  to  use  her  influence  with  Mary." 

Still,  reason  and  ponder  as  she  did,  Mrs  Leppell's 
mind  was  pervaded  with  the  one  dominant  idea,  and 
that  was,  that  harm  would  eventually  arise  out  of  all 
this  secrecy  and  management.  Her  own  married  life 
had  been  little  else  than  a  series  of  troubles  and  of 
keeping  up  appearances,  and  she  trembled  to  think 
that  Mary's  wedded  life  should  begin  with  a  disgrace- 
ful secret,  hushed  up  by  what  looked  very  like  a 
barter  or  positive  sale.  But  why  should  Mrs  Leppell 
regret  the  confidence  which  she  had  so  fully  reposed 
in  Miss  Fanshawe  ?  Had  not  her  husband  co- 
operated with  her  in  laying  bare  the  trouble  of  their 
hearts,  and  to  one,  too,  who  had  often  told  them  that 
her  own  chief  happiness  consisted  in  coming  to  their 
house  as  to  a  home  ?  Why  should  she  regret  having 
told  all  ?  half  confidences  are  far  more  dangerous  than 
a  whole  revelation.  Comforting  herself  with  this  last 
truism,  and  putting  the  subject  from  her  mind  as 


THE   BANKS   OF   THE   YAK.  115 

being  derogatory  and  insulting  to  her  daughter's 
friend,  the  poor  lady  fell  into  a  sound  sleep. 

Those  who  know  the  world — those  whose  career  has 
been  mostly  through  its  tangled  bowers  and  thorny 
paths — can  most  thoroughly  understand  the  meaning 
of  Mrs  Leppell's  doubts  and  apprehensions. 

When  we  review  our  own  past  experience,  does  not 
the  miserable  recollection  come  back  to  many  of  us, 
that  a  certain  misplaced  confidence,  wrung  out  at  the 
time  by  the  pressure  of  the  soul's  agony,  has  been 
more  surely  the  cause  of  our  subsequent  undoing  than 
many  of  the  false  steps  which  we  have  taken,  more  or 
less  deliberately,  trusting  to  chance  for  deliverance, 
but  of  which  we  have  never  made  mention  by  word  or 
sign,  even  to  our  nearest  and  dearest  ? 

A  social  safety-valve  is  a  treasure  not  to  be  under- 
valued, but  the  difficulty  lies  in  choosing  when  and 
where  we  should  use  the  machine.  The  experience  of 
life  so  often  shows  us  that  we  are  prudent  in  the 
wrong  direction  ;  and  when  this  virtue  appears  to  be  of 
no  avail,  or  to  be  thoroughly  cast  out,  we  rush  into 
the  opposite  extreme  and  pour  out  our  wrongs  and 
our  sufferings,  for  the  exquisite  pleasure  of  obtaining 
human  sympathy.  The  mistake  consists  in  assuming 
that  the  sympathy  we  thus  obtain  will  endure  for 
life ;  we  forget  that  other  men  and  women  are  but 
mortal ;  we  ignore  the  frailty  of  human  nature,  the 
shadows  and  lights  of  passing  circumstances,  and  the 
general  tendency  of  all  of  us  to  inconsistency  of 
thought  and  action.     The  poet  tells  us  that  love  bears 


116  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

within  itself  the  very  germ  of  change :  much  more 
does  friendship  do  so,  especially  when  friendship  is 
not  of  equal  growth. 

The  young  are  somewhat  apt  to  regard  the  confi- 
dences of  their  elders  either  as  an  outcome  of  senility 
or,  more  frequently  perhaps,  as  a  quid  pro  quo  for 
some  service  which,  either  sooner  or  later,  may  be 
required  of  them,  or  some  assistance  which  it  would 
be  convenient  that  they  should  render.  Not  un- 
seldom,  in  the  rashness  of  the  early  tide  of  life,  it  is 
assumed  that  the  elder  person  confiding  has  no  other 
option  in  the  choice  of  a  confidant.  And  this  idea 
very  much  militates  against  the  sacredness  and  in- 
violability of  the  charge ;  and  on  all  sides  the  wise 
man's  axiom  is  too  generally  ignored,  "  He  that  is  of  a 
faithful  spirit  concealeth  the  matter."  As  long  as  the 
world  lasts,  it  will  be  a  point  of  great  nicety  to  ascer- 
tain in  many  cases  where  frankness  should  end  and 
where  reticence  should  begin,  and  vice  versa. 

The  two  girls,  after  receiving  their  instructions, 
walked  briskly  forward,  and  only  relaxed  their  pace 
as  they  reached  the  banks  of  the  Yar.  This  branch 
of  the  river  winds  prettily  from  the  town  of  Yarne 
into  the  country  beyond,  and  the  walk  to  the  village 
of  Blythe,  and  to  others  farther  inland,  is  at  all 
points  thoroughly  rural  and  interesting.  At  this 
season,  although  the  weather  was  sharp,  and  the  livery 
of  green  very  feebly  indicated,  still  the  imperceptible 
sensation  of  returning  life  and  freshness  permeated 
the  atmosphere  and  tinted  the  scene.     A  clump  of 


THE   BANKS   OF   THE   YAK.  117 

primroses  in  a  curve  of  the  bank,  brown  branches  and 
twigs  dotted  with  tufts  of  undeveloped  leafage,  and 
here  and  there  a  pronounced  outburst  of  the  wild 
daffodil, — the  dear  daffodowndilly,  which  in  old  simple 
belief  was  the  herald  of  an  early  Easter-tide, — these, 
with  the  chirp  of  a  bird  and  the  distant  wail  of  a 
lamb,  told  the  old-world  tale  that  the  winter  was  gone, 
and  that  spring,  with  her  fresh  loveliness  and  her 
gleams  of  uncertain  mood,  had  placed  one  foot  securely 
on  this  portion  of  the  earth. 

"  Well,"  said  Mary,  looking  straight  into  the  river, 
"  I  suppose  mamma  has  told  you  all  about  me :  don't 
you  think  this  offer  is  rather  sudden  ?  I  have  not 
seen  Mr  Clavering  for  more  than  a  month  ;  and  look 
here,  Lillian,  I  do  think  he  might  have  taken  the 
trouble  to  find  out  how  I  regard  his  attentions  before 
he  wrote  to  the  governor,  asking  for  me  as  if  I  were  a 
chattel  to  be  handed  over  when  my  parents  think 
proper :  what  do  you  say  ? " 

"  I  must  answer  you  by  a  quotation  from  a  copy- 
book slip,  my  dear — '  Circumstances  alter  cases ; '  and 
here  the  quotation  fits  in  to  the  case  exactly.  You 
know  the  Colonel  has  always  given  out  that  he 
must  have  rank  and  fortune  for  his  daughters,  and 
Mr  Clavering,  like  a  wise  man,  secured  the  fortune 
before  he  ventured  to  propose.  Then  again,  you 
know,  dear,  how  your  father  rages  and  storms  if  any 
ineligible  ventures  within  his  gates,  especially  during 
his  absences  from  home,  and  how  your  mother  suffers 
for  it." 


118  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

"  Ah  yes,  poor  mother !  but  Henrietta's  husband 
managed  differently ;  he  got  my  sister's  consent  first. 
I  wish  I  had  seen  more  of  Mr  Clavering :  he  is  always 
very  attentive  and  very  pleasant ;  but  latterly  I  have 
not  even  met  him.  All  this  makes  it  very  difficult 
for  me  to  decide." 

"  You  know,  Moll,"  returned  her  friend,  "  that  a 
family  feud,  or  something  like  that,  prevented  Mr 
Clavering  from  bringing  letters  of  introduction  to 
your  immediate  family." 

"  But  he  was  a  visitor  at  Hieover." 

"  True,  but  Mr  Clavering  was  first  introduced  there 
as  a  member  of  the  Geological  Society :  the  whole 
batch  of  these  wiseacres  were  invited  to  the  luncheon 
which  your  grandfather  gave  in  their  honour.  I 
conclude  Lord  Hieover  and  your  uncle  Alick  were 
charmed  with  Mr  Clavering,  for  he  went  there  again 
and  dined  en  ami,  and  I  think  stayed  a  day  or  so.  It 
is  not  probable  that  Mr  Clavering  troubled  his  head 
about  the  family  feud,  especially  as  your  grandfather 
had  nothing  to  do  with  it,  and  your  uncle  had  for- 
gotten it  apparently.  Besides,  the  name  of  Mr 
Clavering's  guardian  (one  of  the  original  foes)  is  dif- 
ferent ;  he  is  an  old  cousin  of  the  name  of  Glascott." 

"  Glascott ! — I  have  heard  that  name,"  said  Mary. 
"  Now  I  think  of  it,  it  belongs  to  somebody  whom  grand- 
mamma dislikes :  there  was  some  writing  in  an  old 
album,  I  remember,  signed  by  that  name,  but  the  page 
has  been  torn  out  for  a  very  long  time." 

"  I  had  better  tell  you,  Mary,  that  this  Mr  Glascott 


THE   BANKS   OF   THE   YAR.  119 

was  once  very  fond  of  your  mamma,  and  your  father 
was  preferred  before  him." 

"  How  do  you  know  that  Mr  Clavering  secured  the 
fortune  before  proposing  for  ine  ? "  asked  Mary,  sud- 
denly. 

"  Simply,  my  dear,  because  your  mother  told  me  so. 
There  has  been  some  communication  with  this  Mr 
Glascott,  but  as  you  have  not  been  made  aware  of  it, 
you  had  better  remain  ignorant  of  the  circumstance. 
You  know,  by  Mr  Clavering's  letter  to  your  father,  that 
Mr  Glascott  is  in  Yarne  at  this  moment  ? " 

"  Of  course ;  I  hardly  read  the  letter  to  the  governor 
through,  and  the  np.me  is  not  mentioned  in  mine.  One 
thing,  if  I  accept  Mr  Clavering,  it  will  be  the  means  of 
reconciling  my  parents  and  Mr  Glascott — there's  com- 
fort in  that,"  and  the  girl  brightened  like  a  sun-glint 
as  she  spoke. 

"  He's  a  first-rate  man,  Moll,  there  is  not  a  doubt 
about  that,"  Miss  Fanshawe  said,  "  and  worth  a  dozen 
of  the  sprigs  of  nobility  and  genteel  youngsters  one 
finds  scattered  on  one's  path.  It  is  not  necessary  to 
tell  you  either,  that  though  not  handsome,  Mr  Claver- 
ing is  far  better  bred,  both  in  looks  and  manners,  than 
is  Lord  Willows." 

"  Lord  Willows  !— little  donkey  ! " 

"  A  man  that  you  can  look  up  to " 

"  For  advice — he's  tall  enough,"  answered  Miss  Lep- 
pell. 

"  And  hold  in  respect,"  continued  the  young  mentor. 

"  Yes,  and  ask  his  leave  if  I  may  or  may  not  waltz. 


120  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

He  quite  allows  dancing  to  our  sex,  that's  one  comfort ; 
but  I  remember  Mr  Clavering  saying  something  one 
evening — it  was  at  a  party  of  Mrs  Frisky's  of  Matron 
— to  the  effect  that  he  very  much  doubted  the  pro- 
priety of  the  waltz  for  girls.  I  fancy,  Lillian,  that  he 
rather  overdoes  the  '  dignified.'  I  don't  mind  a  little 
of  this  article ;  but  when  it  is  combined  with  great 
cleverness,  I  begin  to  feel  rather  alarmed." 

"  I  don't  think  you  have  anything  to  fear  from  that," 
Miss  Fanshawe  said.  "  Depend  upon  it,  the  dignity  is 
natural ;  men  of  real  science  or  goodness  never  affect 
shams.  What  a  dreadful  spectacle  it  is  to  confront  a 
born  fool '  doing  the  dignified  ' ; " — and  here  the  speaker 
instanced  and  illustrated  an  example  of  this  art  with 
so  much  aplomb,  that  Mary  Leppell  laughed  till  the 
moisture  glistened  in  her  eyes. 

"  Who  would  believe  you  were  so  good  an  imitator, 
— or  ought  I  to  say,  imitatress  ?  we  are  getting  so 
grammatical  nowadays.  I  should  have  recognised  our 
friend  anywhere.  By  the  way,  I  wonder  if  Mr  Claver- 
ing would  approve  of  this  sort  of  thing.  I  should  say 
that  he  would  not,"  said  Miss  Leppell. 

"That  depends  upon  how,  when,  and  where  such 
and  such  things  are  done.  If  my  opinion  be  correct, 
Mr  Clavering  is  just  the  man  to  discriminate  in  these 
cases, — that  is  to  say,  between  a  little  harmless  fun 
and  downright  vulgar  mimicry.  He  has  a  great  deal 
of  fun  in  himself,  in  a  quiet  way,  I  feel  sure." 

"  I  wish  I  could  be  certain  that  he  is  nice  and  reli- 
able at  home,"  answered  Moll ;  "  these  clever  learned 


THE   BANKS   OF   THE   YAK.  121 

people,  it  is  said,  are  always  more  pleasant  abroad  than 
in  their  own  houses." 

"  All  nonsense, — part  and  parcel  of  ignorant  preju- 
dice,— don't  believe  that,  Moll.  Mr  Clavering,  you 
must  see,  is  well-bred  and  agreeable ;  why  should  his 
being  a  scientific  man  stand  in  the  way  of  his  being 
domestic  and  kind  ?  I  am  sure,"  continued  Miss 
Fanshawe,  with  the  greatest  coolness,  "  your  governor, 
as  you  all  call  him,  is  neither  learned  nor  scientific ; 
but  that  does  not  prevent  him  from  being  very  tire- 
some and  rampagious  at  times,  good-hearted  as  he  is." 

"  No ;  but  papa  is  horsey,  and  he  never  in  his  life 
has  had  enough  money,  and  the  two  together  are  enough 
to  try  the  spirit  of  an  angel,"  replied  Colonel  Leppell's 
illogical  fair  daughter.  "  Nevertheless,  in  spite  of  all 
his  storming,  the  clear  old  governor  is,  as  you  know, 
very  kind-hearted.  You  should  have  seen  what  a  way 
he  was  in  when  Diamond,  the  old  hunter,  died — that 
horse  was  like  one  of  the  family.  Yes,  papa  has  his 
whims,  but  he  is  full  of  good  feeling." 

"  That  he  is,"  answered  Lillian ;  "  both  your  father 
and  mother  are  so  tender  and  loving  for  their  chil- 
dren. Just  look  how  Duke  has  behaved,  and  they  have 
scarcely  reproached  him — doing  all  they  can,  in  fact, 
to  make  excuses  for  him  and  pay  his  debts.  If  my 
father  were  in  Colonel  Leppell's  place,  I  really  don't 
know  what  he  would  do." 

"  Oh,  Mr  Fanshawe  is  a  clergyman,  and,  of  course, 
he  would  have  to  think  of  the  example  to  his  flock  and 
all  that,  and  his    Christian    duty  would   make   him 


122  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

severe,"  replied  Mary,  with  the  most  charming  simplic- 
ity. "  But  then,  you  know,  all  fathers  and  mothers 
are  kind  to  their  own  children,  some  in  one  way  and 
some  in  another;  but  what  is  so  delightful  in  my 
father  is,  that  he  never  forgets  that  he  has  not  been 
steady  himself,  and  so  he  makes  allowances  for  other 
people.  I  know  your  mother  is  very  hard  to  you, 
Lillian  dear,  but  I  don't  think  she  means  to  be  un- 
kind." 

"  Perhaps  not,  but  the  effects  are  the  same,"  Lillian 
answered.  "  She  has  never  forgiven  me  for  not  being 
a  boy :  it  seems  it  was  my  duty  to  be  masculine,  as 
the  eldest  child,  and  I  failed  in  doing  my  duty.  Do 
you  know,  Mary,  that  I  cannot  recollect  my  mother 
having  once  embraced  me,  or  showing  me  once  any 
loving-kindness ;  a  cold  dab  on  the  forehead,  called  a 
kiss,  has  now  and  then  been  bestowed  on  me,  when 
she  could  not  in  common  decency  do  otherwise.  I  am 
sure  papa  is  grieved  about  it,  but  she  quite  governs 
him,  and  he  thinks  it  better  to  let  things  go  their 
own  way.  Men  seem  to  me  to  be  great  cowards  in 
domestic  matters,  generally  speaking,  and  those  with 
large  families  think  it  best,  I  suppose,  to  avoid  much 
trouble,  for  peace's  sake." 

"  Well,  you  may  soon  have  your  own  remedy,"  said 
Mary  in  reply.  "  What  have  I  heard  about  one  Per- 
cival  La  Touche,  eh  ? " 

"  A  great  deal  that  is  mere  conjecture,  Moll,"  re- 
plied her  friend.  "  It  will  be  quite  time  enough  to 
think  about  him  as  an  admirer  when  he  declares  him- 


THE   BANKS   OF  THE   YAR.  123 

self  as  such.  This  he  has  not  done ;  and  since  he  has 
come  into  his  fortune,  his  self-conceit  is  something 
awful.  No,  no ;  believe  that  Percival  La  Touche 
comes  down  from  London  now  and  then  to  see  his 
aunt,  because  his  father  has  not  time  to  do  so,  and 
does  not  care  to  come  in  contact  with  his  imbecile 
sister.  The  old  gentleman  told  papa  as  much  when 
he  paid  the  rent  last  Christmas." 

"  I  can't  say  I  admire  Percival  La  Touche  much," 
returned  Mary  ;  "  he  seems  to  think  that  every  girl  is 
on  the  look-out  for  him,  and  I  daresay  he  is  dreadful 
now  that  he  has  got  all  that  money  from  his  uncle. 
Still,  I  thought  he  was  very  agreeable  to  your  mother, 
and  she  was  wonderfully  gracious  to  him,  when  I  last 
saw  them  together." 

"  Very  likely :  my  mother,  under  all  her  appearance 
of  independence,  is  a  regular  tuft-hunter  at  heart, — no 
one  knows  better  than  she  how  to  keep  on  good  terms 
with  persons  of  money  or  position.  Her  tactics  are 
different,  though,  from  those  of  the  world  in  general ; 
she  is  generally  most  piquant  and  rude  to  those  she 
most  wishes  to  conciliate.  As  it  is,  she  is  civil  to  the 
La  Touches,  because  they  have  a  good  London  house, 
and  mix  much  in  society.  I  see  through  it  all :  we 
are  poor,  and  my  mother  would  like  Percival  La 
Touche  for  either  Eose,  Etta,  or  myself, — no  matter 
which,  only  let  one  of  us  be  got  off.  There  is  one 
thing — no  son-in-law  need  dread  any  interference  from 
her ;  she  would  only  be  too  thankful  to  him  for  reliev- 
ing her  of  a  daughter." 


124  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

"  Thank  goodness  my  mother  is  so  soft  and  tender," 
replied  Mary.  "  I  know  at  this  moment  that  she  fears 
to  advise  me  to  marry,  in  case  my  happiness  may  be 
endangered.  She  would  not  interfere,  but  she  would 
love  her  son-in-law  for  her  daughter's  sake,  dear 
mother ! " 

The   girls   had  strayed  away  from  the  legitimate 
subject   of    their   conversation,   and   Miss   Fanshawe 
seemed  more  than  usually  inclined  to  speak  of  her 
home-life.      She  had  already  made  the  resolve  that 
noiv,  should  Percival  La  Touche  come  forward  as  her 
suitor,   she   would  not  say  him  nay ;   moreover,  she 
would  be  generous,  and  stifle  her  rising  affection  for 
this  stranger,  Mr  Clavering,  and  do  her  best  to  secure 
the  desire  of  his  eyes  for  that  fascinating  gentleman. 
She  now  resolutely  returned  to  the  subject  of  Mary's 
offer  of  marriage,  and  very  strongly  persuaded  her 
friend    that,    by    accepting    it,   a    great   load   would 
be   taken   off  the  minds  of  both  her  parents.     She 
urged    Marmaduke's    debts   as   being    a   great   drain 
upon  them, — "and  you  know,  Mary,"  she  continued, 
"  this  elopement  business  will  in  its  way  cause  much 
expense  and  annoyance.     To  see  you  in  a  good  posi- 
tion, and   married   to   a  man   with  such  a  brilliant 
name,  will,  I  am  sure,  be  a  great  comfort  to  both  your 
parents.     I  know  your  father  looked  much  higher  for 
you,  dear ;  but  you  are  a  queen  in  yourself,  and  you 
don't   seek  wealth   and  rank  for  their  own  sake,  I 
know." 

"  Not  I,"  returned  Mary  ;  "  and  I  must  say  I  should 


THE   BANKS    OF   THE   YAR.  125 

like  to  feel  what  having  quite  enough  to  live 
upon  is  like.  It  will  also  be  very  nice  to  know  that 
both  Henrietta  and  I  are  no  longer  burdens  on  papa. 
Besides,  though  I  am  not  what  is  called  very  violently 
in  love  with  Mr  Clavering,  still,  Lillian,  I  don't  think 
that  I  should  like  to  hear  of  his  being  married  to 
anybody  else." 

"  That  settles  the  matter,"  returned  her  friend ; 
"  and  I  don't  know  that  it  is  wise  for  the  woman 
to  have  too  much  regard.  Better  let  the  great  in- 
tensity of  feelings  come  from  the  man's  side,  for  in 
that  case  one  can  never  be  reproached  afterwards  for 
a  display  of  too  much  affection.  You  know  Willie 
Carew — mean  little  wretch  ! — is  always  throwing  it  up 
to  his  wife  that  he  married  her  because  he  saw  that 
she  would  fret  herself  into  her  grave  if  he  had  not 
returned  her  love :  fancy  a  woman  having  to  stand 
that : " 

"  It  is  too  dreadful  to  think  of,"  returned  Mary ; 
"  and  it  should  be  a  warning  to  us  to  keep  our  admir- 
ers in  the  ice-pail,  even  when  we  are  sure  of  them. 
Talk  of  ice,  here  it  comes,"  and  a  shower  of  hail 
peppered  these  young  women  right  and  left,  and 
almost  blinded  their  eyes.  They  were  near  the  turn- 
stile leading  into  the  meadows  which  bordered  the 
highroad.  A  broken-down  shed,  apparently  used  as 
a  protection  for  live  stock,  stood  nearly  mid-way :  to 
this  they  wended  their  steps,  and  they  had  hardly 
reached  their  shelter  when  the  entrance  was  dark- 
ened by  a  figure  evidently  bent  upon  the  same  ob- 


126  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

ject  as  themselves — viz.,  protection  from  the  bitter 
shaling  sleet-storm.  Mr  Francis  Clavering — for  it  was 
he — walked  straight  towards  the  ladies,  saying,  "  You 
passed  through  the  turnstile  so  quickly  that  you  did 
not  see  me.  I  was  a  little  way  down  on  the  bank  ex- 
amining a  peculiar- looking  stone,  and  saw  you  coming 
along.  How  ladies  can  run  when  they  choose,"  con- 
tinued he,  "  and  no  wonder  ;  why,  my  coat  is  powdered 
with  hail  as  thickly  as  are  your  dresses." 

The  shaking  and  stamping  was  just  then  a  peculi- 
arly opportune  diversion,  for  this  meeting  was  awk- 
ward, and  each  one  of  the  company  felt  that  it  was  so, 
as  they  severally  wondered  what  brought  the  other 
to  that  place. 

Naturally,  Miss  Leppell  did  not  like  to  appear  as  if 
she  were  coming  to  meet  Mr  Clavering,  and  it  was 
impossible  to  say  that  this  gentleman  was  expected, 
by  his  own  appointment,  in  the  afternoon  at  Hunter's 
Lodge,  or  to  assume  that  it  was  towards  that  residence 
that  he  was  now  bending  his  steps.  So  Miss  Leppell 
rather  iced  her  salute,  and  remarked  how  uncomfort- 
able the  east  wind  made  everybody  feel.  Miss  Fan- 
shawe,  flushed  with  surprise,  in  which  pleasure  held 
a  very  considerable  place,  for  a  moment  lost  her  usual 
calm  self-possession,  and  volunteered  the  bare  informa- 
tion that  she  was  on  her  way  to  lunch  with  the  Brain- 
trees,  which  being  apropos  of  nothing  at  all,  bewildered 
Mr  Clavering  into  inquiring  if  it  were  not  rather 
a  long  way  from  Pinnacles ;  and  forthwith  supple- 
menting that  remark  by  saying  that  he  was  looking 


THE   BANKS    OF   THE  YAK.  127 

for  a  friend  who  had  left  him  to  take  a  constitu- 
tional walk  by  the  river. 

All  this  was  pure  fiction  on  Mr  Clavering's  part, 
who  in  reality  was  endeavouring  to  kill  time  by  feast- 
ing his  eyes  on  the  river  approach  to  Blythe.  It 
failed  so  signally  in  being  accepted  for  truth  that 
Miss  Fanshawe,  quickly  recovering  herself,  repeated, 
with  an  arch  twinkle  of  her  eye,  a  verse  of  a  hymn 
which  was  the  outpouring  of  a  converted  negro,  a  kind 
of  sable  Dr  Watts  on  a  Jamaica  plantation,  in  the 
year  of  grace  1837  : — 

"  Auntie  Prissie,  Auntie  Prissie  told  a  wicked  story  ; 
Clap  a  plaster  on  her  mouth,  and  take  her  up  to  glory." 

The  chorus  of  this  song  was — 

"  Hulloo  boo,  loo,  roo  roo,  Missey  Chrissey, 
Remember  the  fate  of  Auntie  Prissie." 

Miss  Fanshawe,  however,  did  not  supply  the  refrain, 
thinking,  perhaps,  that  under  the  circumstances  she 
might  lack  support. 

The  effect  of  this  recital  produced  a  desirable  diver- 
sion in  the  situation.  Miss  Leppell  and  Mr  Clavering 
now  looked  bravely  into  each  other's  faces  and  laughed 
heartily,  and  for  a  few  minutes  all  three  of  these  young 
people  talked  with  very  great  vigour,  each  of  them, 
however,  wondering  in  spirit  what  was  to  be  done 
next — whether  to  remain  together  or  part  company 
civilly  and  with  decorum.  The  position  presented  a 
charming  illustration  of  two  being  company  and  three 
being  none. 

The  hail,  meanwhile,  had  driven  past,  and  only  a  few 


128  THE   FAT    OF   THE   LAND. 

large  drops  descended  at  intervals.  Miss  Fansliawe 
walked  out  beyond  the  opening  of  the  shed,  and  turn- 
ing round  said,  "  I  must  be  going  now,  Mary ;  I  shall 
be  late  as  it  is.  Will  you  and  Mr  Clavering  walk  as 
far  as  the  road  with  me,  and  then  go  your  own  ways." 

Clavering  directed  a  grateful  look  towards  the 
young  lady — a  look  which  stimulated  her  into  acting 
thoroughly  in  his  interests,  and  which  almost  repaid 
her  for  the  sacrifice  of  her  own  predilections  towards 
him.  Perhaps  the  thought  ran  through  her  mind  that 
if  his  love  could  not  be  hers,  he  should,  at  any  rate, 
be  largely  her  debtor  in  gratitude  for  her  good  offices. 
Perhaps,  also,  a  higher  and  nobler  feeling  animated 
her  conduct ;  the  generous  abnegation  of  self  making 
her  a  willing  instrument  in  helping  the  man  she  so 
highly  esteemed  to  gain  the  fulfilment  of  his  heart's 
desire,  and  thus  perfect  his  happiness  in  life. 

Who  can  fathom,  who  can  even  discern,  the  curious 
workings  of  the  human  heart  ?  Strange  that  Lillian 
Fanshawe  should  work  so  enthusiastically  for  this 
acquaintance  of  an  hour  ;  that  her  anxiety  that  he 
should  win  his  love  should  induce  her  to  discard  her 
own  fancy  to  the  winds,  and  influence  the  friend  of 
her  youth  to  play,  as  it  were,  into  her  hands  without 
heed  of  misadventure  or  probability — intent  only  on 
one  point,  and  that  was  that  Clavering  should  win  the 
prize.  To  say  truth,  Miss  Fanshawe  took  little  heed 
of  Mary's  feelings  in  this  matter.  It  was  sufficient 
that,  situated  as  Miss  Leppell  was,  it  was  a  providen- 
tial circumstance  that  a  respectable  and  comfortable 


THE   BANKS   OF   THE   YAR.  129 

settlement  was  within  reach,  and  it  would  be  worse 
than  folly  to  reject  this  or  cast  it  aside. 

"AVe  might  all  three  walk  into  Yarne  together," 
Mary  proposed,  shrinking  nervously  from  being  left 
alone  with  Mr  Clavering. 

"  That  will  never  do,"  replied  Miss  Fanshawe  with 
decision.  "  Colonel  Leppel]  said  he  would  come  and 
meet  you  on  your  return :  you  had  better,  I  think, 
keep  to  his  arrangement." 

"  No,  no,"  interrupted  Clavering,  energetically  ;  "  we 
will  go  so  far  with  you,  and  return  to  Blythe  by  the 
river.     I  will  see  Miss  Leppell  safely  home." 

"  The  best  thing  you  can  do,"  said  Miss  Fanshawe ; 
"  only,  Mary,  as  your  papa  desired  you  to  return  by 
the  road,  had  you  not  better  take  that  way  ?  I  am 
sure  Mr  Clavering  will  agree  with  me." 

Mary  said  it  was  indifferent  to  her  which  way 
they  took,  and  Mr  Clavering  made  no  reply.  He  did 
not  want  to  encounter  Colonel  Leppell  just  then,  and 
it  was  only  out  of  respect  to  that  gentleman's  daughter 
that  he  did  not  consign  that  officer  (for  the  nonce)  to 
warmer  regions.  Moreover,  he  had  internally  resolved 
to  walk  to  Blythe  by  the  river-bank  with  Miss  Leppell, 
and  also  with  the  lady's  consent  to  the  deviation  of 
route. 

The  party  set  out  for  the  highroad,  and  reached  it 
just  as  the  sun  shot  forward  gleams  of  steely  light,  so 
warm  and  penetrating  withal,  that  it  was  evident 
the  sun  meant  to  predominate  finally  over  wind  and 
weather.     Like  a  true  knight  he  had  taken  fair  Spring 

VOL.  I.  I 


130  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

by  the  hem  of  her  robe,  and  with  his  golden  lance 
upheld  her  against  grim  Winter,  who,  falling  back 
with  his  face  to  the  enchantress,  covered  his  retreat 
with  frosted  arrows  of  sleet  and  rain,  fighting  to  the 
death  for  the  dominions  over  which  he  had  till  lately 
ruled  with  iron  sway. 

Grand  old  Winter ;  fated  now  to  be  awhile  a  dis- 
crowned king  in  the  land  wherein  Sabrina,  released 
from  her  icy  fetters,  first  melts  him  to  tears,  and  then 
turns  him  to  a  river-god  by  the  strength  and  warmth 
of  her  embrace. 

Miss  Fanshawe,  under  cover  of  a  shower  of  hail 
which  pelted  like  swan-shot,  plunged  forward,  saying 
as  she  did  so,  "  Good-bye,  good-bye ;  return  to  Blythe 
as  quickly  as  you  can,  unless  you  want  the  skin  to  be 
torn  off  your  faces  ;  I  have  not  a  moment  to  spare," — 
and  thus,  fearful  of  being  detained  longer,  the  young 
lady  walked  quickly  out  of  sight. 

A  waggon  was  coming  along  the  road,  drawn  by  four 
immense  cart-horses,  the  two  leaders  being  decorated 
with  bells  en  their  collars  which  sounded  cheerily  on 
the  sharp  air.  Sounds  in  themselves  homely  enough, 
but  the  cover  of  their  noise  was  very  grateful  to  the 
two  young  people  left  behind,  serving  as  it  did  to 
take  off'  the  edge  of  an  awkward  isolation.  At  length 
Clavering  spoke,  and  in  a  tone  betwixt  entreaty  and 
expostulation  said  :  "  Let  me  take  you  home,  Mary ; 
shall  it  be  the  roadway  for  your  father,  or  the  river- 
side for  me  ?  Oh,  my  sweet  queen  !  choose  the  river  ; 
do  choose  the  river,  and  call  me  Frank — just  once, 


THE   BANKS   OF  THE   YAR.  131 

that  is  all, — I  ask  no  more.  Say,  then,  the  river,  and 
I  shall  know  my  fate," — and  he  took  her  hand  and 
looked  beseechingly  into  her  eyes. 

His  words  brought  clear  meaning  enough  to  her 
sense.  The  river  with  him, — ah,  yes  ;  after  all,  that 
must  be  her  course :  nothing  less  than  the  stream  of 
their  lives  flowing  as  one  into  the  stream  of  time. 
Mary  Leppell  looked  up  into  the  face  of  the  man  of 
science,  and  read  there  how  love  and  hope  had 
banished  its  workaday  aspect,  and  that  tenderness 
had  routed  self-confidence  to  make  way  for  a  re- 
spectful, and  even  a  visibly  trembling,  expectation. 
And  so  the  question  that  was  to  be  asked  in  state 
at  a  set  time  at  Hunter's  Lodge,  was  simply  asked 
and  answered  on  the  banks  of  the  Yar,  within  sight 
of  its  silent  flowing  waters. 

"  Take  me  home  by  the  river,  Frank,  Frank  !  "  said 
the  fair  young  girl,  putting  her  other  hand  within  his, 
whilst  the  soft  drop  twinkled  in  her  eyes  like  the  dew 
in  the  cup  of  sweet  blue  flowers.  "  I  trust — I  trust  to 
you, — we  have  not  seen  very  much  of  each  other, 
certainly — but — but — never  mind, — we  will  go  home 
to  my  mother  by  the  river." 

A  pause ;  and  then  they  wandered  away  from  the 
highroad  and  out  of  the  sight  of  passers-by — and  they 
were  joyous  for  awhile  and  silent  anon  ;  and  they 
looked  into  the  nests  of  the  yellow  -  hammers,  and 
pulled  the  golden  tassels  of  the  early  budding  hazel, 
and  the  events  of  time  and  life  were  blotted  from  their 
memory  as  they  revelled  in  that  hour  of  pure  happi- 


132  THE  FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

ness,  which  experience  tells  us  is  worth  long  years  of 
pain.  And  they  at  length  arrived  at  the  Lodge  gate, 
as  two  travellers  who  were  passing  through  a  country 
the  name  of  which  is  Glamour ;  and  Glamour,  we  most 
of  us  know,  is  a  region  without  time  or  tide,  and  neither 
can  those  who  live  beyond  it  enter  it  at  will,  nor  those 
return  to  it  who  have  escaped  from  out  its  bounds. 

Thus  it  happened  that  Colonel  Leppell  did  not  meet 
his  daughter  on  the  highroad  towards  Blythe,  and 
that  Miss  Fanshawe,  stimulated  by  the  east  wind, 
arrived  at  Yarne  just  in  time  to  avoid  her  father's 
rebuke,  and  that  Mr  Glascott  lunched  alone  at  the 
hotel  at  Yarne,  wondering  where  on  earth  Mr  Francis 
Clavering  had  betaken  himself. 

This  last  happy  man  on  his  part  lunched  very 
comfortably  in  Lady  Asher's  room  in  company  with 
Mrs  Leppell  and  her  daughter  Mary  ;  the  boy  Lep- 
pells  meantime  averring  that  Moll  had  brought  a 
stranger  into  the  house, — the  same  fellow  whom  they 
had  seen  months  ago  loitering  about  the  village  with 
a  green-baize  bag  on  his  arm. 

"  Oh,  they  knew  him — and  ma  and  Moll  had  hidden 
him  in  G.  M.'s  room  to  be  out  of  the  way  of  the 
governor."  "  You  know,"  said  Dick  to  Fritz,  "  that  the 
governor's  orders  are  that  no  man  that  calls  here  is  to 
be  asked  to  stay  when  he  is  from  home.  Well,  this 
one  won't  go  ;  but  if  pa  finds  him,  there  will  be  a  jolly 
row."  So  saying,  Dick  winked  hideously  at  his  brother, 
and  fulfilled  his  intention  of  looking  out  for  squalls. 

These    young    gentlemen   were   on    this    occasion 


THE   BANKS   OF   THE   YAR.  133 

doomed  to  complete  disappointment.  When  the 
Colonel  returned,  Mrs  Leppell  met  him  in  the  hall, 
and  after  a  few  words  had  been  interchanged  he 
linked  her  arm  within  his  own,  and  marched  with 
her  into  Lady  Asher's  quarters.  His  sons  caught  his 
words  as  their  parents  moved  away — "By  George! 
Adelaide,  this  is  good  news.  What  a  weight  has  been 
taken  off  our  minds  !  But  " — in  a  whisper — "  I  don't 
like  the  thing,  all  the  same." 


134 


CHAPTEE    VII. 

SOME   MEMBERS   OF   THE   LA   TOTTCHE   FAMILY. 

There  was  trouble  and  perplexity  in  No.  9  Hin- 
ton  Square,  London,  West,  the  house  of  Lillian  Fan- 
shawe's  friends.  John  La  Touche,  wine  -  merchant 
in  the  city,  and  also  landed  proprietor  in  the  fair 
Weald  of  Sussex,  sat  in  deep  conference  with  Marcia 
his  sister.  The  lady  was  unmarried,  and  had  presided 
over  her  brother's  household  from  the  time  he  had 
become  a  widower,  some  nine  years  since ;  and  she 
was  at  the  fat,  fair,  and  forty  epoch  of  her  own  term 
of  days. 

The  personal  appearance  of  Miss  La  Touche  en- 
tirely controverted  the  opinion  which  is  commonly 
held  with  regard  to  the  outward  and  visible  si<nis 
of  elderly  maidenhood  ;  in  fact  Marcia  had,  on  more 
than  one  occasion,  been  accredited  as  being  the  mother 
of  her  brother's  eight  children,  whilst  discharging 
her  legitimate  function  of  aunt  and  guardian  to  these 
fine  wayward  specimens  of  humanity.  Both  mentally 
and  physically,  Miss  La  Touche  was  of  a  soft  creamy 


SOME   MEMBERS   OF  THE  LA   TOUCHE   FAMILY.     135 

nature,  and  her  beautiful  skin  and  delicate  pink 
colour  were  always  a  pleasant  thing  in  men's  sight. 
The  smoke  and  dust  of  the  day,  together  with  late 
hours  and  fatigue,  which  dim  the  lustre  of  the  young 
girl's  beauty  and  drive  the  more  mature  amongst 
matrons  to  artificial  aids  to  admiration,  never  affected 
the  appearance  of  Marcia  La  Touche. 

At  all  times  almost  redolent  of  the  bath  and  the 
toilette-table,  fresh  pure  water  and  a  hygienic  soap 
were  the  only  cosmetics  that  ever  had  contributed 
to  the  embellishment  of  the  lady's  charms.  Her 
figure,  more  than  inclining  towards  embonpoint,  was 
restrained  by  an  adaptation  of  costume  at  once  sen- 
sible and  cunning,  and  none  could  define  better  than 
Marcia  the  distinction  which  lies  betwixt  clothing 
and  dress,  as  that  astute  observer,  Lady  Prye,  was 
wont  to  remark,  viciously, — the  Misses  Prye  being 
remarkable  for  being  always  dressed,  but  seldom 
clothed,  in  the  small  hours  of  the  morning  more 
especially. 

The  common  sentiment  either  expressed  or  under- 
stood by  all  who  first  beheld  Marcia,  was  unmitigated 
surprise  that  she  should  have  managed  to  escape  the 
snares  of  matrimony ;  and,  following  the  fashion  of 
the  world,  the  majority  of  persons  were  ready  with 
good  and  credible  reasons  to  account  for  this  cir- 
cumstance. 

Those  who  held  no  clue,  nor  were  possessed  with 
any  knowledge  of  the  matter,  invented  false  history 
and  stuck  to  it.     It  suffices  to  say  that  Marcia  had 


136  THE  FAT  OF   THE  LAND. 

in  her  early  youth  been  prevented  from  marrying  the 
man  whom  her  soul  loved,  and  in  yielding  to  the 
wishes  of  her  parents  she  had  solemnly  declared  that 
none  other  should  call  her  wife.  "I  will  obey  you," 
she  said,  after  her  parents  had  worried  and  tormented 
her  to  give  up  her  lover,  and  had  found  that  his 
parents  were,  on  their  part,  making  their  son's  life  an 
earthly  purgatory, — "  I  will  obey  you,  but  remember, 
my  life  will  be  a  single  one.  Never  name  matrimony 
to  me  again ;  I  will  never  marry — never  ! "  She  kept 
her  word,  in  spite  of  predictions  and  head-shakings, 
and  the  recorded  experiences  of  those  who  had  wit- 
nessed like  protestations,  and  had  lived  to  see  them 
vanish,  more  or  less  speedily,  into  the  dense  atmo- 
sphere of  a  prosaic  comfortable  establishment.  It  is 
true  that  the  surroundings  in  which  she  had  been 
reared  tended  to  render  Marcia  very  chary  of  chang- 
ing her  home;  for  among  her  subsequent  admirers 
there  were  none  whose  possessions  rose  above  the 
level  of  a  moderate  competence,  and  she  was  not  the 
woman  to  brave  poverty  or  an  insignificant  position 
merely  for  the  title  of  a  married  daughter  of  her 
house,  except  for  a  first  love.  This  latter  ingredient 
being  out  of  the  question,  the  remaining  single  was 
purely  the  fixed  resolution  of  the  lady ;  and  the  trials 
and  struggles  of  her  eldest  sister,  who  had  married 
the  Eeverend  Dr  M'Taggart,  a  famous  Presbyterian 
minister,  were  rather  calculated  than  otherwise  to 
strengthen  Miss  La  Touche  in  her  determination  to 
avoid  any  chance  of  a  harassed  or  impecunious  life. 


SOME   MEMBERS  OF   THE   LA   TOUCHE   FAMILY.      137 

Then  her  sister  Arabella,  who  had  dutifully  married 
a  rich  man,  and  was  thought  by  her  own  family  to 
have  done  great  things,  had  for  years  lived  in  misery 
with  a  selfish  and  uncongenial  mate,  who  uniformly 
treated  her  with  indifference,  and  sometimes  also  with 
harshness. 

At  length  Mr  Kemble  put  an  end  to  his  existence 
by  a  pistol-shot,  in  his  wife's  presence,  on  hearing 
that  a  race-horse  upon  which  he  had  staked  an  enor- 
mous sum  had  failed  signally,  coming  in  a  bad  fourth 
in  a  contest,  whilst  the  horse  of  his  enemy  had  come 
in  first  and  won  by  a  neck. 

The  shock  of  this,  combined  with  previous  anxieties, 
had  effected  Mrs  Kemble's  mind  so  seriously  that 
Mr  La  Touche,  by  the  advice  of  physicians,  placed 
his  widowed  and  childless  sister  in  the  retirement 
of  the  old  rectory  house  at  Pinnacles,  in  Yarneshire, 
some  four  years  ago.  A  twofold  purpose  was  secured 
by  this  arrangement.  The  house  being  large,  it  served 
also  as  a  country  retreat  for  various  members  and 
children  of  the  La  Touche  family.  Thus  it  was  that 
an  acquaintance  had  sprung  up  between  the  Fan- 
shawes  and  La  Touches :  and  as  the  young  people 
grew  up,  visits  of  some  length  were  exchanged  be- 
tween London  and  the  country.  Aunt  Arabella, 
meanwhile,  kept  very  much  to  her  own  apartments ; 
but  it  was  whispered,  after  a  time,  that  she  was  be- 
coming very  queer,  and  that  her  attendant  had  now 
and  then  some  difficulty  in  pacifying  her.  Mrs  Fan- 
shawe  particularly  remarked  that  after  Percival  La 


138  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

Touche's  visits  (the  eldest  son  of  that  house),  the 
patient  remained  in  a  quiet  half-paralysed  state  for 
days ;  also  that  during  the  time  that  Mrs  Kemble  had 
been  their  tenant,  Miss  Marcia  La  Touche  had  never 
but  once  come  to  see  her  sister,  and  then  she  seemed 
particularly  anxious  to  avoid  any  mention  of  her 
malady,  or  to  admit  that  she  suffered  from  anything 
beyond  a  nervous  depresssion.  "  Surely,"  Mrs  Fan- 
shawe  said  one  day  to  her  spouse, — "  surely  Miss  La 
Touche  might  contrive  to  come  down  and  stay  with 
Mrs  Kemble.  It's  disgraceful  to  think  that  she  has 
only  been  here  once  in  four  years." 

"  I  don't  see  how  she  could  very  well  remain  even 
for  a  short  time,"  the  rector  replied,  "  with  all  that 
family  and  a  large  London  house  to  look  after.  They 
live  expensively,  and  go  into  a  good  deal  of  society. 
Then  who  is  to  see  to  the  ordering  of  Percival's 
dinners  ?  He  won't  be  left  to  servants,  and  if  he 
is  not  made  comfortable  in  his  father's  house,  he 
threatens  to  live  elsewhere.  I  have  heard  Miss  La 
Touche  say  that  she  is  often  kept  awake  at  night, 
thinking  how  to  vary  her  nephew's  diet,  and  how 
his  favourite  dishes  are  to  be  prepared." 

"  Horrid  little  gourmand ! "  exclaimed  Mrs  Fan- 
shawe. 

"Not  gourmand,  my  dear,  but  gourmet,"  corrected 
the  lady's  husband ;  "  gourmet  is  the  proper  term 
to  apply  to  refined — ahem — refined  gluttons." 

"  What's  the  difference  ? "  inquired  Mrs  Fanshawe, 
with  a  snap  at  Percival  in  the  very  tone  of  her  voice. 


SOME   MEMBEES    OF  THE   LA   TOUCHE   FAMILY.      139 

"  A  gourmand  eats  for  quantity ;  a  gourmet  for 
quality,"  answered  the  rector.  "  Both  characters 
are  bad  enough ;  but  I  hold  the  gourmet  to  be  the 
more  objectionable  of  the  two,  because  the  latter 
gives  the  larger  share  of  trouble  and  anxiety  to  other 
people.  I  don't  mean  to  say,"  continued  Mr  Fan- 
shawe  quickly,  "that  it  is  immaterial  how  a  dinner 
is  cooked ;  don't  even  the  cows  know  good  grass  from 
bad  ?  but  it  is  the  immoderate  abuse  of  the  thing  in 
pampering  the  appetite  that  is  so  reprehensible." 

u  But  Miss  La  Touche  does  not  cook  the  dinners." 

"  Certainly  not ;  but  as  mistress  of  the  establishment 
she  has  to  order  them  and  sit  at  the  head  of  the 
table.  It  is  by  no  means  a  sinecure  to  have  to  do 
with  the  La  Touche  men  where  dining  is  concerned." 

"  Her  own  sister  ought  to  be  considered  before 
those  nephews  at  any  rate,"  Mrs  Fanshawe  replied. 
"  But  single  women  are  all  alike ;  they  will  only  do 
what  they  fancy,  even  to  making  martyrs  of  them- 
selves. I  should  have  thought  that  Miss  La  Touche's 
mission  in  this  life  would  have  been  to  live  with 
and  look  after  her  afflicted  sister, — especially  now 
that  her  two  eldest  nieces  are  grown  up,  and  can  at 
least  help  to  manage  their  father's  house." 

"  They  are  only  just  introduced,"  replied  Mr  Fan- 
shawe (who  had  a  liking  for  Marcia,  and  was  unwill- 
ing to  hear  her  censured,  though  in  his  heart  he  did 
think  she  might  have  found  her  way  to  Pinnacles 
long  ago) ;  "  and  they  require  their  aunt's  presence 
and  chaperonage  more  than  ever.     As  to  Marcia  La 


140  THE  FAT  OF   THE  LAND. 

Touche's  mission  in  life,  you  forget  that  she  was 
taking  care  of  her  brother's  establishment  and  chil- 
dren some  years  before  Mrs  Kemble  became  a  widow ; 
and  that  she  nursed  the  late  Mrs  La  Touche  through 
her  long  illness  with  the  greatest  devotion.  In 
common  justice,  you  must  admit  that  few  people 
can  have  done  their  duty  more  completely." 

"  I  don't  dispute  that,"  answered  Mrs  Fanshawe ; 
"but  it  is  a  luxurious  berth  she  has  got  into,  plenty 
of  servants  and  company,  and  all  the  amusements 
which  fall  to  the  lot  of  those  who  belong  to  a  good 
London  set.  This  is  far  more  interesting  than  a 
retired  life  in  the  country  with  an  ailing  and,  I 
think,  more  than  nervous  sister;  I  had  better  speak 
plainly,  more  than  nervous, — Mrs  Kemble  is  getting 
violent  now  and  then,  and  if  we  are  not  careful  we 
may  have  a  raging  lunatic  on  our  hands.  I  have  good 
reason  for  thinking  so." 

"  Well,  but  you  need  not  express  your  convictions 
so  strongly,"  replied  the  rector,  across  whose  mind 
the  same  impression  had  more  than  once  floated.  "  I 
think  I  shall  advise  Mr  La  Touche  to  call  in  Dr 
Williams." 

"  You  are  right ;  and  it  would  be  as  well  to  request 
the  presence  of  one  of  the  ladies  of  the  family  for  a 
few  days.  A  much  better  judgment  can  be  arrived  at 
in  this  way,  for  in  the  flying  visits  of  Mr  La  Touche 
and  his  son  there  is  little  opportunity  for  them  to 
judge  fairly  of  Mrs  Kemble's  state.  Besides,  it  seems 
to  be  Percival's  game  to  ignore  that  there  is  anything 


SOME   MEMBERS   OF   THE   LA   TOUCHE   FAMILY.      141 

very  seriously  wrong  with  his  aunt  Arabella.  If  you 
remark,  he  always  persists  in  speaking  of  the  nervous 
state  of  his  relative,  and  has  even  insisted  that  she 
simulates  imbecility,  and  therefore  ought  to  be  shaken 
up  and  roused  both  mentally  and  physically." 

"  Very  improper — very  wrong,"  replied  the  rector, 
who  was  really  a  man  of  deep  kind  feeling,  though 
there  were  occasions  on  which  he  shrank  to  show  too 
much  tenderness  before  his  hard-natured  wife.  "  I 
wonder  if  the  eldest  sister  of  the  La  Touche  family, 
Mrs  M'Taggart,  could  come  for  a  month :  it  would  be 
a  great  comfort,  and  be  somewhat  of  a  change  for 
her  after  her  late  trouble  in  losing  her  husband  so 
suddenly." 

"  I  doubt  whether  she  could  leave  her  family,  and 
she  is  very  badly  off.  But  I  have  more  hope  of  seeing 
her  a  visitor  at  Pinnacles  than  I  have  of  seeing  Miss 
La  Touche  in  that  character.  The  latter  has  been 
highly  favoured ;  her  mission  has  fallen  among  the 
good  things  of  life  in  every  way,  and,  suffer  who  will, 
Marcia  will  always  live  in  comfort  and  luxury." 

Mrs  Fanshawe  was  only  partially  correct  when  she 
made  this  assertion.  True,  Marcia's  nature  was  of  so 
luxurious  and  soft  a  mould,  that  it  is  questionable 
whether  she  would  have  acquitted  herself  with  even 
ordinary  decency  had  her  lines  fallen  in  unpleasant 
places,  among  inferior  people,  and  in  close  contact 
with  a  scarcity  of  cash.  Eeared,  too,  from  her  birth 
in  comfort  and  independence,  it  was  natural  that  in 
her  mature  years  she  should  accept  luxury  as  another 


142  THE   FAT  OF  THE   LAXD. 

step  in  her  wheel  of  life,  and  incline  rather  to  the 
stalled  ox  than  to  the  dinner  of  herbs.  But  her  mis- 
sion did  exist,  although  it  did  not  lie  in  the  direction 
whereto  Mrs  Fanshawe  had  been  pleased  to  allot  it. 

In  a  word,  the  great  aim  and  intent  of  Marcia's  life 
was  to  prevent  her  brother  John  La  Touche  from 
marrying  a  second  time,  and  in  this  undertaking  much 
tact  and  judgment  were  required  in  order  to  carry 
matters  to  a  successful  issue.  Being  of  a  warm  and 
pleasure-loving  nature,  with  much  of  the  rosy  outward 
appearance  which  distinguished  his  sister,  John  La 
Touche,  at  sixty-three  years  of  age,  was  not  the  man 
to  wear  sad  raiment,  and  decline  good  dinners,  evening 
parties,  and  the  delights  of  his  club  (gout  intervening), 
because  some  of  his  children  were  grown  up,  or  to 
allow  his  son  Percival  to  take  the  lead  because  a  large 
landed  property  had  fallen  to  that  eccentric  young 
gentleman.  This  latter  event  had  rather  the  effect  of 
stimulating  the  father  to  assert  himself  more  decidedly 
than  he  had  hitherto  done ;  and  as  in  late  years  great 
commercial  success  had  attended  his  enterprises,  this 
gentleman  found  himself  much  more  at  leisure,  and 
far  more  youthful  in  mind  and  person,  than  he  was  at 
the  period  when  he  became  a  widower.  At  that  time 
he  had  to  work  hard  to  maintain  his  family,  and  the 
sorrow  he  had  felt  at  his  wife's  death,  together  with  a 
long  illness,  had  for  some  years  subdued  the  man's 
spirit,  and  left  little  time  for  the  alleviations  of  society 
in  any  shape.  Now,  with  sharp  avaricious  Percival 
as  his  partner,  a  first-class  managing  clerk,  and  his 


SOME   MEMBERS    OF   THE   LA   TOUCHE   FAMILY.      143 

good-tempered  handsome  young  son  Andrew  among 
the  juniors  in  the  office,  Mr  La  Touche,  senior,  felt 
himself  justified  in  taking  more  leisure  and  enjoying 
himself  after  his  own  fashion.  It  was  this  fashion 
that  alarmed  Marcia,  for  it  had  of  late  taken  the  form 
of  runs  down  to  Brighton  and  trips  up  to  Scarborough, 
and  quiet  little  dinners  in  the  metropolis,  where 
widows  and  unshelved  spinsters  played  the  hostess 
with  great  aplomb  and  vivacity.  The  worst  feature  in 
the  case  was,  that  Mr  La  Touche  always  partook  of 
these  distractions  alone ;  and  a  legend  was  circulated 
by  Percival,  that  whilst  the  family  in  London  firmly 
believed  that  their  head  was  drinking  the  waters  and 
disporting  himself  amid  the  sulphur-baths  of  Harro- 
gate, a  traveller  for  the  firm  had  actually  beheld  him 
at  the  same  time  dancing  Highland  reels,  and  whoop- 
ing and  snapping  his  joints  with  the  best  of  them  at 
the  Caledonian  ball  in  the  Assembly  Eooms  at  Scar- 
borough. And  this  gay  deceiver  was  writing  dreary 
letters  about  his  health,  and  giving  accounts  of  the 
missionary  meetings  he  had  attended  in  the  north, 
"  at  the  very  time  when  he  was  in  the  very  thick  of 
gay  Scarborough  society,  and  enjoying  life  at  the 
best  hotel." 

Another  circumstance  also  tended  very  materially 
to  increase  Marcia's  uneasiness  on  this  head.  Some 
time  previously  Percival  had,  at  the  office,  come  across 
a  letter  addressed  to  his  father,  on  the  envelope  of 
which  the  word  "  private  "  was  marked.  This  missive 
had  been  inadvertently  left  on  the  senior  partner's 


144  THE  FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

table;  and  his  son  entering  the  apartment  dedicated 
to  that  functionary,  for  the  purpose  of  asking  some 
question  relating  to  business,  found  that  he  had  gone 
out  without  mentioning  to  any  one  that  it  was  his 
intention  to  do  so,  or  signifying  the  time  of  his  return, 
which  was  rather  an  unusual  omission  on  the  part  of 
Mr  La  Touche.  Casting  his  eye  on  the  letter,  Percival 
seized  it,  and  without  ceremony  and  without  qualm  of 
conscience  made  himself  master  of  its  contents. 

These  were  startling  even  to  Percival,  who  was  one  of 
those  men  who  fancied  that  nothing  could  escape  him, 
and  that  it  was  impossible  to  mislead  or  hoodwink  him 
in  any  matter,  especially  in  those  delicate  intricacies 
of  the  paths  of  life  which  the  French  designate  affaires 
du  cceur.  We  have  no  English  equivalent  for  an  ex- 
pression which  conveys  so  much  meaning,  and  which 
may  refer  to  the  honest  tenderness  of  two  souls,  or  to 
that  yeasty  frothy  feeling  which,  born  of  the  fancy  of 
the  hour,  treats  the  heart  as  if  it  were  a  moral  calen- 
der pressing  up  one  affection,  at  the  same  moment  that 
another  is  percolated  downwards  into  nothingness, 
diffusing  an  unsatisfactory  flavour  of  labour  lost  in  its 
descent  and  annihilation. 

Percival  read  the  letter  through,  copied  it  into  his 
note-book  before  returning  it  to  its  normal  resting- 
place,  and  thanked  his  stars  that  he  and  his  family 
had  made  a  narrow  escape.  His  father's  addresses 
might  be  considered  as  being  safely  rejected,  inasmuch 
as  Miss  Longview  urged  the  necessity  of  Marcia,  and 
one  at  least  of  Mr  La  Touche's  daughters,  being  settled 


SOME   MEMBERS   OF   THE   LA   TOUCHE   FAMILY.      145 

in  life  before  she  could  think  of  entertaining  his  pro- 
posals, flattering  as  she  felt  these  to  be.  The  writer 
further  stated  that  another  insuperable  objection  ex- 
isted to  her  entering  Mr  La  Touche's  house  and  family 
as  his  wife.  This  was  the  presence  of  his  eldest 
son  as  a  constant  inmate  of  No.  9  Hinton  Square, 
and  the  fact  that  a  large  share  of  the  income  for 
the  support  of  that  establishment  was  contributed  by 
that  gentleman  in  payment  of  his  expenses.  She 
meant  no  offence,  but  Mr  La  Touche  must  be  aware 
that  balls,  dinners,  and  constant  company,  military 
and  otherwise,  were  not  congenial  to  her  tastes ;  and 
the  pious  leanings  of  the  father  being  paralysed  by 
the  action  of  his  family,  it  was  not  difficult  to 
perceive  that  any  influence  which  she  might  assert 
would  be  entirely  set  aside  by  the  concentrated  oppo- 
sition of  his  sister  and  his  children,  &c,  &c. 

"  Confounded  old  cat !  "  exclaimed  Percival,  as  he 
entered  the  last  clause  of  this  document, — "  the  gov- 
ernor's pious  leanings,  forsooth  !  We  all  know  that  he 
enjoys  life  as  much  as  any  of  us,  and  thinks  he  squares 
accounts  by  asking  a  missionary  and  some  of  the 
'  serious '  sets  to  dinner.  They  never  refuse  a  dinner, 
trust  them ;  but  how  warily  all  this  has  been  managed  ! 
I  wonder  if  Marcia  has  had  any  suspicion  of  what  my 
father  has  been  up  to  ?  We  have  had  our  eyes  too 
much  upon  Brighton  and  Scarborough,  and  his  dodge 
has  been  Clapham  Eise  all  the  time — the  locality,  by 
the  way,  and  stronghold  of  the  rich  '  serious.'  Miss 
Longview  must  have  five  hundred  a-year  of  her  own. 

vol.  I.  K 


146  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

I  am  more  ambitious ;  a  woman  with  a  thousand  per 
annum  is  my  mark.  /  have  no  intention  of  being 
married  for  my  money  !  No,  no.  I'm  not  such  a  fool 
as  that ;  but  I  will  go  and  talk  this  over  with  Marcia, 
at  any  rate." 

To  his  aunt,  therefore,  Percival  betook  himself ;  and 
casting  to  the  winds  the  stupid  little  mysterious 
manner  and  implied  innuendo  with  which  he  was 
wont  to  treat  his  relatives,  he  placed  the  copy  of  the 
letter  in  her  hands,  and  inquired  what  she  thought 
of  it. 

One  would  have  surmised  that  some  word  of  reproof 
would  have  followed  the  information  which  Percival 
unblushingly  supplied  as  to  how  he  had  come  into 
possession  of  this  knowledge  of  the  private  affairs  of 
the  master  of  the  house ;  but  if  Miss  La  Touche  felt 
any  disapprobation  of  the  proceeding,  she  certainly 
evinced  no  sign  of  it  to  the  offender. 

The  relation  between  this  pair  was  more  of  good 
comradeship  than  of  the  distinctive  position  of  aunt 
and  nephew ;  and  their  twelve  years'  difference  in  age 
had  entitled  Percival  to  treat  Miss  La  Touche  more  as 
an  elder  sister  than  as  a  relation  belonging  to  the 
previous  generation.  They  generally  acted  in  concert, 
although  occasionally  they  abused  one  another  rather 
freely.  Marcia,  however,  by  strict  attention  to  Per- 
cival's  creature  comforts,  managed  in  the  long-run  to 
have  pretty  much  her  own  way ;  and  as  she  generally 
supported  him  in  most  of  his  whims  and  works,  and 
winked  at  his  evil  deeds,  Percival  concluded  to  think 


SOME  MEMBERS   OF   THE   LA   TOUCHE   FAMILY.      147 

with  great  magnanimity  that  the  world  contained 
worse  individuals,  taking  all  in  all,  than  Marcia,  as  he 
always  called  her. 

"  Only  think  what  we  might  have  been  let  in  for  ! " 
exclaimed  the  aunt,  as  she  concluded  her  perusal  of 
the  letter.  "  Fancy  Miss  Longview  as  your  step- 
mother, Percival  !  and  her  impudence  in  refusing 
your  father  on  account  of  the  family  being  objection- 
able !  Upon  my  word,  she  ought  to  have  been  glad 
of  the  chance  of  getting  into  good  society ! "  and 
Marcia's  pink  colour  deepened  to  crimson  as  she 
indignantly  reviewed  the  passage  which  related  to 
herself  and  her  nephews  and  nieces  collectively. 

Then  stated  Percival,  "  What  a  sly  old  party  my 
father  has  proved  to  be  !  I  had  not  the  slightest 
suspicion  of  this.  I  know  the  governor  thinks  it 
politic  to  do  the  good,  and  come  the  pious  dodge  in 
certain  quarters.  It's  good  for  the  home  trade,  and 
he  never  troubles  about  those  who  do  not  give  a  large 
wine  order,  so  I  have  no  objection.  Certainly  he  has 
now  and  then  hinted  that  he  sees  no  reason  why 
.  he  should  not  marry  again ;  but  my  suspicions  have 
been  excited  in  another  direction.  Where  and  how 
this  has  been  carried  on  is  certainly  a  mystery  to 
me." 

Marcia,  in  reply,  said  that  she  could  not  for  the  life 
of  her  throw  any  light  on  the  subject.  She  admitted 
that  she  had  wondered  what  took  her  brother  to  the 
May  meetings  at  Exeter  Hall  last  year,  but  accounted 
for  this  in  supposing  that  he  wanted  to  ingratiate 


148  THE  FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

himself  with  a  certain  peer  who  lectured  in  that  build- 
ing during  the  vernal  season,  and  so  thought  nothing 
of  it.  She  further  deponed  that  she  had  found  some 
very  highly  spiced  religious  tracts  in  Mr  La  Touche's 
rooms ;  "  but  you  know,  Percival,"  the  lady  continued, 
"  nothing  delights  your  father  so  much  as  to  be  taken 
for  a  retired  bishop,  or  an  ecclesiastical  supernumerary 
of  some  kind  or  other — non- Catholic,  of  course.  People 
get  on  his  weak  point,  and  induce  him  to  subscribe  to 
their  several  charities  and  societies :  the  consequence 
is,  that  the  house  is  inundated  with  tracts,  and  begging- 
letters,  and  appeals,  and  voting-papers  for  every  insti- 
tution in  London,  I  should  think.  Now,  I  have 
noticed  that  some  of  the  heavy  reading  is  addressed 
in  a  feminine  hand,  very  likely  that  of  Miss  Long- 
view." 

"  Such  audacity  in  objecting  to  me ! "  quoth  Per- 
cival ;  "  why,  the  board  I  pay  here  is  almost  as  much 
as  that  woman's  whole  income  ! " 

"  Yes ;  but  don't  forget  that  my  brother  is  most 
liberal  on  his  part  to  every  one  of  us,"  answered 
Marcia,  with  spirit.  "  He  does  not  depend  upon  you ; 
and  as  long  as  you  are  single,  it  is  as  well  that  you 
should  have  your  rooms  and  servant  in  your  father's 
town  house,  until  you  provide  an  establishment  for 
yourself.  It  is  quite  as  much  a  matter  of  astonish- 
ment to  him  as  it  is  to  me,  that  you  should  let  or  sell 
every  brick  and  stone  that  belongs  to  you ;  but  that  is 
neither  here  nor  there.  About  this  Miss  Longview,  I 
seem  to  know  her,  and  yet  I  don't  know  her." 


SOME  MEMBERS  OF  THE  LA  TOUCHE  FAMILY.   149 

"She  is  a  sister  of  Mrs  Wiseman,  and  she  lives 
with  them.  Mr  "Wiseman  is  our  manager  and  agent 
at  Bordeaux ;  he  keeps  the  French  trade  of  the  house 
together,  and  does  very  well,  though  he  is  an  atro- 
cious linguist.  There  are  some  of  his  brothers  in  the 
concern  as  clerks,  but  they  are  a  canting,  stiff-starched 
lot,  risen  from  nothing,  and  always  running  down 
people  of  better  caste." 

"  I  remember  now,"  replied  Marcia.  "  A  long  drab- 
coloured  woman,  with  a  face  like  an  unbaked  platter ; 
and  she  ate  her  bread  and  butter  at  a  school-feast  in 
some  unearthly  fashion.  She  may  be  very  excellent, 
but  why  do  these  good  women  invariably  persist  in 
having  their  dresses  so  badly  made  at  the  back  ? " 

Percival  could  not  say,  but  he  warned  Marcia  that 
if  his  father  could  carry  on  this  courtship  in  so  secret 
a  fashion,  there  was  no  knowing  what  he  might  do 
next.  As  it  was,  they  were  very  much  obliged  to 
Miss  Longview,  but  who  knows  ?  some  dashing  widow 
or  even  a  young  girl  might  be  brought  in  over  their 
heads ;  and  Percival  grinned  as  he  conjured  up  this 
horrid  vision,  for  none  knew  better  than  he  how 
greatly  such  a  proceeding  would  harass  the  soul  and 
vex  the  spirit  of  his  respected  aunt  Marcia. 

A  noise  in  the  hall  here  arrested  this  conversation : 
some  one  had  entered  with  a  latch-key,  and  had  dis- 
placed some  of  the  appendages  of  the  hat-stand,  by 
striking  against  it.  Marcia  opened  the  door  of  the 
morning-room,  and,  looking  out,  saw  to  her  astonish- 
ment that  her  brother  had  returned  from  the  city. 


150  THE   FAT    OF   THE   LAND. 

This  was  a  most  unusual  thing  for  Mr  La  Touche  to 
do,  as  he  invariably  lunched  at  a  particular  restaurant 
at  one  o'clock  sharp.  It  was  now  barely  twelve  o'clock, 
and  some  weighty  reason  must  have  caused  his  return. 
Both  Marcia  and  her  nephew  opined  that  he  had 
been  taken  suddenly  ill,  and  the  latter  particularly 
congratulated  himself  that  his  dealings  with  his 
father's  letter  had  been  confined  to  taking  a  copy 
of  its  contents.  It  was  clear  that  he  could  not  have 
returned  home  on  any  business  connected  with  this. 
Percival  therefore  breathed,  but  for  all  that  he  did 
not  feel  quite  comfortable,  and  it  is  to  be  hoped  that 
conscience  had  something  to  do  with  his  visible  per- 
turbation of  spirit. 

Seeing  his  sister,  Mr  La  Touche  merely  said,  "  Come 
into  the  back  drawing-room,  and  don't  let  anybody  be 
admitted  up  there.  I  have  received  some  annoying 
letters,  and  I  want  to  speak  to  you  about  them." 

The  plural  number  fell  like  balm  on  Marcia's  soul, 
for  she  had  entertained  some  misgivings  as  to  the 
cause  of  her  brother's  return.  Making  a  sign  to  Per- 
cival to  remain  in  the  background,  she  immediately 
followed  her  brother  up-stairs  into  the  sanctum,  which 
was  reserved  as  the  especial  private  department  of 
the  La  Touche  household. 

"  It  is  all  out,"  said  the  merchant,  as  the  door 
closed  upon  him  and  his  prime  minister. 

"  About  Arabella,"  answered  Marcia.  "  I  knew  it 
would  come  to  this :  it  would  have  been  much  better 
to  put  her  into  a  private  asylum  at  first." 


SOME   MEMBERS   OF   THE   LA   TOUCHE   FAMILY.      151 

Mr  La  Touche  took  no  notice  of  this  remark,  but 
pulled  a  letter  out  of  his  pocket,  and  gave  it  to 
Marcia.  It  was  from  the  rector  of  Pinnacles,  stat- 
ing that,  in  an  access  of  insanity,  Mrs  Kemble  had 
wounded  her  attendant  in  the  arm  with  a  fork,  and 
that  every  article  of  furniture  in  her  room  was  more 
or  less  injured.  It  declared  also,  that  unless  some 
immediate  restraining  power  were  supplied,  it  would 
be  impossible  for  Mr  Fanshawe  to  retain  Mrs  Kemble 
as  a  tenant,  and  that  the  urgency  of  the  case  had 
obliged  Mr  Fanshawe  to  call  in  Dr  Williams,  the 
head  physician  of  the  county  lunatic  asylum  of 
Yarneshire.  That  gentleman  had  given  a  very  de- 
cided opinion  as  to  the  violence  of  the  attack,  but 
could  not  state,  of  course,  whether  Mrs  Kemble's  ail- 
ment was  in  any  way  due  to  hereditary  disease.  The 
attendant  had  said  that  it  was ;  but  in  any  case,  it 
would  be  advisable  that  Mr  La  Touche  should  come 
at  once  to  Pinnacles,  and  if  Miss  La  Touche  would  ac- 
company him,  Mrs  Fanshawe  would  be  delighted  to 
accommodate  her  at  Pinnacles  Court. 

"  I  can't  go  !  I  won't  go  ! "  cried  Marcia,  raising  her 
usually  low  voice  in  deprecation.  "  I  know  what  our 
mother  was.  It's  too  dreadful ;  and  Arabella  would 
not  have  been  so  bad  if  it  had  not  been  for  that  horrid 
husband  of  hers  :  it  must  be  kept  quiet  for  the  sake  of 
your  children." 

"  That  is  not  the  worst  of  it,"  said  John  La  Touche, 
with  a  ghastly  pale  face.  "What  do  you  think  of 
little  Anna  ?  she  has  had  a  terrible  attack,  but  the 


152  THE  FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

people  at  the  school  think  it  is  epilepsy.  You 
know  it  is  more  than  that." 

Little  Anna  was  the  youngest  daughter  of  the 
house,  a  child  of  eleven  years.  Curious  and  violent 
from  her  earliest  years,  and  subject,  occasionally,  to 
fits,  she  had  been  placed  at  a  quiet  home-like  school, 
about  ten  miles  from  London.  Judicious  care  and 
training  had  proved  of  great  benefit  to  this  little  girl, 
and  it  had  been  hoped  that  as  years  advanced  she 
would  grow  out  of  all  her  maladies.  Unnaturally 
quick  in  some  matters,  she  was  almost  idiotic  in 
others,  and  the  least  restraint  sufficed  to  irritate  her 
to  a  lamentable  degree.  That  morning,  on  arriving 
at  his  office,  her  father  had  received  a  letter  from  the 
principal  of  the  school,  urging  him  to  go  down  to 
Slowe  without  delay.  This  and  the  communication 
from  Pinnacles  had  brought  him  back  to  Hinton 
Square,  in  order  to  consult  his  sister  as  to  what 
was  best  to  be  done. 

The  folding-doors  of  the  great  drawing-room  opened 
at  this  moment,  and  gave  admission  to  a  tall  fine- 
looking  young  man,  whose  resemblance  to  his  elders 
told  that  he  was  of  the  house  of  La  Touche.  He  had, 
however,  a  great  advantage  over  them  in  respect  to 
his  aristocratic  bearing  and  highly  dignified  manners. 
This  gentleman  was  Stephen,  the  third  son,  who  had 
been  educated  at  Oxford,  and  who  now  had  fairly  en- 
tered on  his  career  as  barrister  -  at  -  law.  Though 
really  the  flower  of  his  family,  strange  to  say  he  was 
little  appreciated  by  his  people ;  and  had  it  not  been 


SOME   MEMBERS   OF   THE   LA  TOUCHE   FAMILY.      153 

for  his  handsome  presence,  Marcia  would  have  been 
as  well  pleased  had  he  lived  elsewhere,  for  Percival 
and  Stephen  were  always  at  daggers  drawn,  and  the 
aunt,  right  or  wrong,  invariably  inclined  to  the  side  of 
her  elder  nephew. 

"  What  has  brought  you  in  here,  sir,  at  this  time  of 
day  ? "  said  the  elder  man  sharply  to  his  son,  as  the 
latter  entered  the  room  in  the  quiet  leisurely  manner 
which  was  peculiar  to  him. 

"  I  have  returned  from  Temple  Court  for  some  law 
papers  which  are  in  my  charge,  and  I  was  looking 
them  over  at  this  moment  in  the  quiet  of  the  drawing- 
room  ;  my  aunt's  exclamations  diverted  my  attention, 
and  I  have  come  in  to  tell  you  that  from  what  I  have 
partly  heard,  I  conclude  that  there  has  been  bad  news 
from  Aunt  Arabella." 

Mollified  by  this  temperate  reply,  Mr  La  Touche 
desired  his  son  to  sit  down,  and  at  once  gave  him 
the  undesirable  intelligence  which  had  elicited  a  cry 
more  of  anger  than  of  sorrow  from  Marcia. 

"  What  is  to  be  done  ? "  said  the  elder  man,  after 
Stephen  had  perused  the  letters  ;  "  do  you  think  they 
suspect  that  we  have  madness  in  the  family  ?  " 

"  I  won't  go  to  Pinnacles  ! "  intervened  Marcia ;  "  it 
would  upset  me  dreadfully,  and  I  could  do  no  good. 
It  would  be  far  better  to  say  that  little  Anna  is  taken 
ill,  and  that  I  am  called  away  to  her.  I  don't  mind 
going  to  Slowe  for  a  day  or  so ;  but  Pinnacles  is  far 
beyond  me." 

"  Yes,  yes,"  replied  Mr  La  Touche  hastily ;   "  but 


154  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

about  the  family  affliction  ?  What  am  I  to  say  to 
this  Dr  Williams  ? "  and  he  looked  appealingly  to- 
wards Stephen  as  he  spoke. 

"  Simply  tell  the  truth,  and  say  that  hereditary 
mania  does  exist  in  our  family,  owing  to  the  fre- 
quent intermarriages  between  cousins  in  all  its  gen- 
erations," the  young  man  replied.  "  The  doctor  could 
then  act  with  greater  certainty,  and  know  better  what 
course  to  adopt.  Depend  upon  it,  the  truth  will  serve 
best.  If  Aunt  Marcia  will  not  go,  perhaps  you  will 
let  me  accompany  you,"  continued  the  young  man. 
"  I  think  Aunt  Arabella  would  be  glad  to  see  me : 
she  was  always  fond  of  me  as  a  boy,  and  you 
know  I  spent  a  long  time  with  them  at  Heidelberg. 
She  referred  to  that  visit  when  I  went  to  see  her 
two  years  ago." 

"  That's  not  a  bad  idea,"  interrupted  Marcia,  who 
was  ready  to  agree  to  any  proposition  that  would 
obviate  the  necessity  of  her  own  appearance  on 
the  scene.  "Aunt  Arabella  likes  you,  Stephen,  and 
people  that  are,  are — queer,  can  be  better  managed 
by  those  whom  they  like.  Yes,  you  had  better  ac- 
company your  father." 

"  The  Fanshawe  family,  of  course,  know  the  full 
extent  of  the  malady,  don't  they  ? "  said  Stephen, 
who  had  been  abroad  since  his  return  from  college, 
and  was  not  up  in  the  details  of  this  terrible  case. 
"  In  fact,  circumstances  must  have  forced  the  know- 
ledge upon  them." 

"  When  I  placed  your  aunt  there — at  Pinnacles,  I 


SOME  MEMBERS  OF  THE  LA  TOUCHE  FAMILY.  155 

mean — I  told  Mr  Fanshawe  that  she  was  a  very 
nervous  invalid,  and  liable  at  intervals  to  attacks  of 
mental  aberration ;  accrediting  all  to  the  sufferings 
she  had  gone  through  with  her  husband,  and  the 
shock  of  his  death  by  his  own  hand,"  answered  Mr 
La  Touche. 

"  That  was  quite  enough  to  account  for  any  woman 
going  off  her  head,"  interrupted  Marcia,  with  a  little 
triumphant  waggle  of  her  own  head  at  Stephen. 

"  Yes,"  answered  the  nephew,  "  especially  when 
there  is  the  hereditary  taint  of  lunacy  to  aggravate 
and  bring  out  any  disposition  to  excitement." 

"  You  see,"  said  Mr  La  Touche,  not  heeding  his  son's 
remark,  but  anxious  to  vindicate  his  method  of  action 
— "  you  see  Mr  Kemble's  death  was  such  a  fortunate 
dispensation,  and  accounted  so  satisfactorily  for  the 
state  of  the  widow,  that  there  was  no  necessity  for 
making  Mr  Fanshawe  aware  of  the  family  tendency 
— liability — umh — predisposition  to  excitement.  Un- 
fortunately your  aunt  has  become  more  peculiar,  and 
even  violent,  for  you  see  by  the  rector's  letter  that 
she  has  destroyed  some  of  the  furniture  of  her 
room." 

"  Poor  old  lady ! "  said  Stephen,  in  a  tone  of  deep 
compassion  ;  u  has  this  last  attack  come  on  suddenly  ?  " 

"  Well,  yes,  I  should  say  the  violent  stage  is  sud- 
den ;  but  your  aunt  has  become  more  peculiar  for  some 
months.  Did  not  Lillian  Fanshawe  tell  you  something, 
when  she  was  last  in  London  ? "  inquired  Mr  La 
Touche,  turning  to  his  sister. 


156  THE  FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

"Yes ;  the  Fanshawes  were  rather  alarmed  lest  Aunt 
Arabella  should  take  to  walking  about  the  village 
dressed  in  brown  paper,"  Marcia  replied.  "  It  was  a 
fancy  for  the  time,  and  that  wore  away ;  but  she  sud- 
denly clutched  the  bonnet  off  a  woman's  head  one 
Sunday  in  church,  and  of  course,  as  everybody  saw 
that,  it  got  about  that  the  Fanshawes  had  a  mad 
tenant  under  their  charge.  Lillian  did  not  like  to 
tell  me  this,  and  would  not  have  done  so  ;  but  her 
father  insisted  that  he  would  not  be  considered  as 
having  Mrs  Kemble  in  his  care :  we  were  to  under- 
stand that  she  was  his  tenant  solely,  and  that  it  was 
the  duty  of  her  family  to  provide  her  with  a  respon- 
sible attendant." 

"  Quite  right,"  replied  Stephen ;  "  I  honour  the  man 
for  his  common-sense.  Of  course  she  was  supplied 
with  a  proper  trained  nurse  after  that  ?  " 

"  I  had  thought  of  it,"  said  Mr  La  Touche, 
abashed  by  the  straightforward  declaration  of  his 
son, — "  I  had  thought  of  it,  but  I  waited  till  I  could 
see  in  person  what  to  do.  In  fact,  I  don't  go  there 
often  ;  it  annoys  me,  and  Percival  manages  her  bet- 
ter. Arabella  is  always  quiet  when  he  goes  down 
to  look  after  her." 

"  Yes ;  because  he  frightens  and  terrifies  her,"  said 
Stephen  stoutly.  "  The  attendant  told  me  that  after 
Percival's  visits  my  aunt  suffered  acutely  from  ner- 
vous prostration  and  sleeplessness  ;  also  that  her 
aversion  to  my  brother  amounts  to  positive  horror. 
His  very  presence   seemed   to   freeze   her   soul   and 


SOME   MEMBERS   OF   THE   LA   TOUCHE   FAMILY.      157 

body.  I  was  thankful  that  business  kept  him  so 
much  at  Bordeaux  for  her  sake,  poor  suffering  soul." 

"  You  are  always  hard  on  Percival,"  intervened 
Marcia.  "  I  am  sure  you  ought  not  to  be  jealous 
because  he  is  the  eldest  son." 

"  Nonsense,  Aunt  Marcia ;  you  know  better  than 
that,  and  you  know  as  well  as  I  do  that  Percival's  aim 
is  to  make  the  Fanshawes  and  all  the  world  believe 
that  Aunt  Kemble's  affliction  is  purely  an  accidental 
thing.  It  is  sad  enough,"  continued  the  young  man, 
"  that  we  should  suffer  from  the  avarice  of  the  former 
generations ;  for  there  is  no  doubt  that  the  frequent 
intermarriages  in  the  family  have  mostly  arisen  from 
the  desire  of  keeping  the  money  among  them.  At  the 
same  time,  we  should  accept  the  fact  that  as  we  are 
tainted  with  hereditary  insanity,  everything  ought  to 
be  done,  physically  and  morally,  to  abate  this  afflic- 
tion. Besides,  the  fact  remains  that  an  affliction  of 
Providence  is  no  disgrace." 

"  I  don't  agree  with  you,  sir — in  fact,  I  entertain  a 
very  contrary  opinion  !  "  flared  out  Mr  La  Touche. 
"  It  is  a  disgrace  to  have  an  insane  relative  ;  and  there- 
fore I  think  it  a  duty — a  Christian  duty  I  owe  my 
children — to  keep  your  Aunt  Kemble's  existence  as 
much  as  possible  a  secret." 

"  But  we  do  accept  the  fact,"  said  Marcia,  in  a 
mollifying  tone, — "  indeed  we  do,  Stephen  ;  we  accept 
it  as  a  liability  to  Jits.  Some  we  call  apoplectic  fits ; 
others,  when  the  case  is  like  little  Anna's,  we  call 
epileptic  fits.     You  see,  they  may  be  mixed  up  with 


158  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

lunacy,  or  they  may  not ;  but  it  will  never  do  to  pro- 
claim to  the  world  that  we  are  mad.  Of  course  you 
see  the  wisdom  of  this,  but  you  have  got  the  idea  into 
your  head  that  Aunt  Arabella  has  been  improperly 
managed.  That's  it.  Come  along  both  of  you  ;  there 
is  the  luncheon-bell.  And,  Stephen,  go  with  your 
father,  and  judge  for  yourself, — I  won't  go  to  Pin- 
nacles ! " 


159 


CHAPTER    VIII. 

MR   GLASCOTT. 
"  You  may  tell  by  the  stubble  what  the  grass  has  been." — Greek  Proverb. 

The  satisfaction  which  Colonel  Leppell  evinced  at  the 
manner  in  which  affairs  had  arranged  themselves,  was 
apparent  in  his  reception  of  Mr  Clavering.  This, 
though  not  so  cordial  as  that  which  he  would  have 
accorded  to  a  suitor  of  his  own  choosing,  was  yet 
sufficiently  friendly  to  set  the  latter  quite  at  his  ease, 
and  make  him  inwardly  congratulate  himself  on  the 
success  of  his  wooing. 

Lady  Asher  could  not  remember  the  time  when  a 
pleasanter  party  had  assembled  round  the  table  in  her 
private  apartment,  and  she  much  wondered  who  this 
stranger  might  be  who  cast  an  almost  magical  charm 
upon  herself  and  upon  all  there  assembled. 

Prothero  had  barely  time  to  apprise  Lady  Asher 
that  Mrs  Leppell  intended  to  bring  a  stranger  into  her 
room  to  luncheon,  and  to  beg  her  mistress  to  ask  no 
questions,  promising  that  she  should  hear  all  about 
the  visitor  afterwards. 


160  THE   FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

She  then  vested  Lady  Asher's  head  in  a  lace  cap, 
threw  a  soft  Shetland  shawl  over  her  shoulders, 
whispering  as  she  did  so  that  the  new-comer  was  a 
very  learned  man — very  much  thought  of  in  London, 
and,  she  rather  fancied,  after  Miss  Mary,  but  on  that 
subject  it  would  be  as  well  to  hold  their  peace.  Time 
would  show. 

Well  might  the  old  lady  wonder  !  Adelaide  looked 
brighter  than  she  had  seen  her  for  months  past; 
Ralph  spoke  quietly,  and  had  asked  her  to  take  wine 
with  him — had  actually  addressed  her  as  grandmamma, 
instead  of  the  habitual  G.  M. ;  and  Mary,  who  was 
always  lovely  in  the  eyes  of  this  relative,  now  appeared 
to  her  as  an  angel  crowned  with  the  aureole  of  happi- 
ness. This  young  girl,  by  that  intuitive  perception 
which  God  often  bestows  on  those  whose  years  pre- 
clude the  knowledge  which  experience  brings,  felt 
that  she  had  done  the  thing  which  was  right,  and  that 
she  in  so  doing  had  given  satisfaction  to  both  her 
parents,  and  shed  around  her  family  the  blessings  of  a 
great  peace.  As  Mrs  Leppell  conversed  with  Mr 
Clavering,  she  began  to  like  him  better  than  she 
imagined  that  she  would  have  done,  and  some  little 
attention  he  bestowed  on  the  elder  lady  went  far  to  win 
her  heart.  It  was  a  comfort  to  her — though  a  strange 
one — to  think  that  this  new  relative  would  be  quite 
equal  to  maintain  his  own  against  the  Colonel,  should 
the  occasion  present  itself,  and  that  there  was  a  chance 
of  having  a  man  whose  opinion  and  advice  would  be 
reliable,  to  whom  she  and  her  husband  could  appeal  in 


MR   GLASCOTT.  161 

the  event  of  any  difficulty  arising  in  the  management 
of  their  younger  sons.  Viewing  matters  in  this  light, 
Mrs  Leppell  was  not  so  sure  that  it  was  a  disadvantage 
in  Mr  Francis  Clavering  being  older  and  wiser  than 
his  years.  Henrietta's  husband,  she  reminded  her- 
self, was  a  hot-headed,  impetuous  young  fellow,  much 
better  away  in  India  ;  for  Ealph,  if  they  lived  to  a 
hundred,  would  never  be  influenced  by  him.  Thus, 
quite  unconsciously,  Mrs  Leppell  had  already  estab- 
lished Mr  Claverinof  more  as  a  mentor  and  less  as  a 
son-in-law  in  their  future  relations,  the  one  with  the 
others. 

Mary  was,  as  has  been  seen,  perfectly  unsuspicious 
of  the  cause  which  compelled  her  father  to  consent  to 
her  engagement,  and  thus  ratify  it  so  pleasantly.  The 
one  great  object,  as  far  as  Colonel  Leppell  was  con- 
cerned, was  secured, — the  emancipation  of  Marmaduke 
from  his  disgraceful  difficulty.  As  to  the  alliance  itself, 
it  might  have  been  better — a  deuced  deal  better.  Still, 
Providence,  and  all  that,  provided  for  the  best.  The 
fellow,  too,  is  very  presentable,  and  does  not  come  down 
upon  one  with  his  learning  like  a  load  of  bricks.  Thus 
ruminating,  the  Colonel  finally  concluded  to  make  the 
best  of  it,  and  never  to  forget,  that  whatever  Mr 
Glascott  might  have  done  to  serve  him,  the  bestowal 
of  his  precious  Moll  was  more  than  an  equivalent  for 
all  favours,  present  and  to  come. 

This  conclusion  led  Colonel  Leppell  into  wondering 
how  on  earth  he  was  to  come  face  to  face  with  Mr 
Glascott ;  and  in  this  he  felt  all  the  reluctance  which 

VOL.  i.  l 


162  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

the  injur er  usually  shows  in  coming  in  contact  with 
the  injured  person,  or  even  accepting  pardon  from  him. 
The  position  was  very  galling  to  Ralph  Leppell,  who, 
though  often  committing  very  undignified  acts,  was 
essentially  a  man  of  proud  spirit,  and  served  as  a 
strong  illustration  of  a  not  uncommon  paradox.  His 
case  was  the  more  particularly  trying,  inasmuch  as  he 
was  obliged  to  accept  a  favour  from  his  quondam 
opponent.  However,  when  an  unpleasant  thing  has  to 
be  done,  it  is  well  to  act  promptly,  especially  as  delay 
or  procrastination  would  in  nowise  serve  the  interests 
of  Mr  Marmaduke  Leppell. 

Therefore,  in  an  interlude  of  the  general  chat,  and 
quite  forgetting  that  Lady  Asher  was  ignorant  of  Mr 
Glascott's  presence  in  the  neighbourhood,  the  Colonel 
proposed  to  Mr  Clavering  that  he  should  accompany 
him  back  into  Yarne,  and  apologise  to  that  gentleman 
for  Mary's  having  detained  his  cousin  in  his  walk, 
and  for  her  parents  having  aided  and  abetted  her  by 
keeping  him  to  luncheon.  The  Colonel  looked  around 
for  approbation  on  delivering  this  speech,  for  he 
fancied  he  had  done  a  difficult  thing  rather  neatly. 

"  Mr  Glascott  will  only  be  too  glad  to  accept  the 
very  flattering  explanation  which  I  shall  give  him  as 
to  the  cause  of  my  detention,"  Francis  replied.  "  There 
is  a  saying  that  happiness  comes  to  us  whilst  we  are 
sleeping ;  mine  came  to  me  whilst  I  was  walking,"  the 
young  man  continued  gallantly.  "As  to  Mr  Glas- 
cott, I  am  sure  he  will  be  as  impatient  as  myself,  or 
nearly  so,  to  come  and  pay  his  respects  to  you  all  as 


MR   GLASCOTT.  1G3 

soon  as  possible/'  he  went  on  to  say,  slightly  bowing 
to  the  company. 

"  Glascott !  Glascott ! "  exclaimed  the  old  lady,  in 
a  low  voice,  to  her  daughter,  and  peering  curiously 
into  her  face  ;  "  not  Everard — not  your " 

"  Don't  take  any  notice  now,  mother  dear,"  said  Mrs 
Leppell,  casting  a  nervous  glance  towards  her  hus- 
band,— "  don't  take  any  notice  now ;  I  will  tell  you 
presently." 

"  Xow  that  you  can't  help  yourself,"  replied  the 
old  lady  crossly.  a  I  am  never  told  anything.  What 
is  your  friend's  name  ? " 

Fearful  of  attracting  attention,  Mrs  Leppell  merely 
replied,  "  It  is  quite  a  different  one  to  that  you  have 
just  mentioned.  I  did  not  know  he  was  coming  till 
he  entered  the  house." 

This  reply  mollified  the  old  lady  considerably,  and 
as  the  visitor  at  that  moment  addressed  a  remark  par- 
ticularly to  her,  this  piece  of  good  luck  had  the  effect 
of  distracting  her  mind  for  the  moment  from  the  sub- 
ject of  Mr  Glascott. 

"  We  had  better  start  back  at  once,"  said  the  master 
of  the  house,  totally  ignoring  that  it  was  possible  that 
Mr  Clavering  would  like  to  hold  some  further  converse 
with  his  fiancee;  and  indeed,  thinking  more  of  the  hail- 
shower  which  was  threatening.  "  I  am  glad  to  walk,"  he 
continued,  "  for  I  have  a  lot  of  things  to  attend  to  in 
the  town.  These  pensioners  give  no  end  of  bother, 
and  now  some  of  the  awkward  squad  belonging  to  a 
regiment  quartered  at  Wurstede  are  to  be  sent  up  to 


164  THE   FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

me,  in  order  that  they  may  drill  with  my  men.  It  is 
absurd ;  but,  as  usual,  I  am  a  victim  to  everything  and 
everybody.     By  the  way,  are  you  fond  of  horses  ? " 

"  Very,"  the  visitor  replied ;  "  of  good  ones  more 
especially." 

"  That's  a  comfort.  I  have  just  had  a  very  handsome 
colt  presented  to  me — that  is  to  say,  I  have  got  to  take 
him  from  a  tenant ;  there  is  no  other  way  of  getting 
some  rent  he  owes  me.  Would  you  like  to  see  this 
colt  ?  He  is  a  real  beauty,  rising  three  years,  and  has 
a  good  many  racing  points,  all  first-rate.  However, 
I  will  not  have  him  put  into  training  too  early ;  it  is 
a  bad  system  this  running  colts  of  two  and  three 
years,  and  will  in  time,  I  predict,  ruin  the  breed  of 
horses.  All  that  is  looked  for  nowadays  is  speed, 
and  the  training  is  too  severe  for  two-year  olds.  Weight 
and  carrying  power  are  all  sacrificed  in  the  selection  of 
blood  stock  for  pure  rush,  and,  of  course,  there  must 
be  many  casualties  in  training  racers  of  insufficient 
stamina.  It  makes  them  unsound  in  wind  and  limb, 
sir." 

Mr  Olavering  replied  that  he  had  no  doubt  the 
Colonel  was  perfectly  right ;  it  stood  to  common-sense, 
he  urged. 

"  Where  is  this  colt  ? "  inquired  Mary,  whose  interest 
in  the  horse  department  made  her  a  great  favourite 
with  her  father.  "  Dick  told  me  this  morning  that  he 
had  not  arrived,  I  am  so  glad  to  hear  that  the 
creature  is  to  enjoy  his  life  some  time  longer.  Poor 
things !  how  these  racers  suffer  in  training." 


MR   GLASCOTT.  165 

He's  at  Thompson's  stable  hard  by,  waiting  till  I 
could  send  for  him.  We  had  better  all  go  down  there, 
for  I  desired  the  lad  who  brought  him  to  stay  at 
Thompson's  and  take  a  fill  of  bread  and  cheese  and 
beer  there.  By  the  way,"  continued  the  Colonel, 
"  that  colt  represents  old  Gingell's  rent ;  just  wait  a 
minute  till  I  write  a  receipt, — or  Mary,  you  may  as 
well  show  Mr  Clavering  the  way  to  Thompson's,  and 
have  the  first  look  at  this  beast.     I'll  follow." 

Thus  arranging  the  order  of  progression,  the  Colonel 
strode  off,  nearly  flattening  a  little  Skye  terrier,  the 
colour  of  the  door-mat,  and  quite  as  shaggy,  as  he  trod 
on  it  in  his  exit. 

He  took  up  the  animal,  which  shrieked  with  pain, 
patted  its  head,  apologised  to  it,  and  then  opening  the 
hall-door,  banged  the  mat  into  the  garden,  where  it 
alighted  among  some  shrubs.  "  Never  get  these  beastly 
shaggy  things  again  for  the  house  doors,"  the  master 
vociferated  for  the  benefit  of  the  general  public.  "  The 
dogs  must  be  considered ;  they  are  persons  and  people, 
I  feel  convinced,  and  a  precious  sight  better  than  many 
a  professing  Christian."  Colonel  Leppell  was  not  far 
wrong  in  his  estimate.  Ah,  what  a  black  list  there 
will  be  some  day  against  many  for  wanton  cruelty  to 
the  dumb  animals  of  this  earth  !  It  is  an  open  ques- 
tion whether  Christians,  professed  or  otherwise,  do 
not  often  sin  in  this  respect  quite  as  deeply  as  the 
pagan  and  heathen  they  attempt  to  convert  and  civi- 
lise. It  would  be  interesting  to  know  what  the  cab- 
horses  of  London,  and  the  turnecl-out  household  cats 


166  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

of  Edinburgh,  would  say  on  this  subject,  could  the 
power  of  speech  be  allowed  them.  The  Colonel  went 
to  his  den,  carrying  his  maimed  favourite  in  his  arms, 
and  Mrs  Leppell  considerately  despatched  the  lovers 
to  Thompson's  stables.  She  then  took  the  opportunity 
of  telling  her  mother  how  matters  stood  in  reference  to 
Mr  Glascott,  and  explained  the  relationship  between 
that  gentleman  and  the  visitor  who  had  just  left  the 
table.  "  You  see,  mother,"  continued  Mrs  Leppell, 
"  that  I  could  not  very  well  inform  you  of  these  mat- 
ters when  I  only  knew  a  quarter  of  an  hour  before 
your  dinner  what  Mary  had  decided  to  do."  She  then 
made  the  old  lady  aware  of  some  of  the  passages  in 
Marmaduke's  present  career,  using  a  wise  discretion  in 
the  selection,  and  managed  very  fairly  to  be  acquitted 
of  designedly  keeping  her  parent  in  the  dark  concern- 
ing the  affairs  of  the  family. 

"  I  have  thought  a  good  deal  about  Everard  Glas- 
cott lately,"  Lady  Asher  said  after  a  pause, — "  I  do  not 
understand  why.  But  do  you  know  that  one  day,  when 
I  was  taking  an  airing  in  my  donkey-chair,  I  thought 
I  saw  him  walking  near  the  river-bank." 

«  Very  likely  it  was  he,"  said  Adelaide.  "  Mr  Glas- 
cott seems  to  go  about  a  good  deal  with  his  cousin, 
and  you  know  he  is  in  Yarne  at  this  moment."  It 
did  not  suit  the  lady  just  then  to  admit  that  her  old 
lover  had  actually  been  under  her  roof, — everything 
must  remain  secret,  trilling  or  otherwise,  till  it  was 
well  with  her  eldest  son. 

Meanwhile  Mary  returned  from  her  visit  to  the 


MR   GLASCOTT.  167 

colt,  and  the  two  gentlemen  made  their  way  into 
Yarne.  Happening  to  look  out  of  the  window  of  his 
room,  as  they  crossed  Eed  Lion  Square,  Mr  Glascott 
was  at  first  surprised,  and  at  the  next  moment  highly 
gratified,  to  behold  the  arm  of  his  cousin  linked  within 
that  of  Colonel  Ealph  Leppell.  He  even  smiled  to 
himself,  for  he  heard,  or  fancied  he  heard,  Ealph's 
hee-haw  voice :  it  was  likely  enough,  for  when  that 
officer  found  himself  in  an  embarrassing  situation,  he 
was  always  particularly  loud.  The  restraining  influ- 
ence of  Mr  Clavering's  vigorous  arm  tempered  the 
Colonel's  inclination  to  swagger,  and  it  also  rather 
served  to  reduce  his  stride.  However  that  may  be,  the 
hotel  door  was  approached  with  grave  decorum,  as  far 
as  progression  was  concerned. 

Before  they  reached  the  landing-stage,  Mr  Glascott 
was  awaiting  them  at  the  head  of  the  staircase. 
"  Good  morning,  Colonel  Leppell,"  he  said ;  "  I  am  glad 
to  see  you.  Ah,  Frank !  I  can  understand  now  why 
I  was  left  to  take  my  luncheon  alone."  He  shook 
hands  with-  both  comers,  and  then  rang  the  bell. 

"  Bring  some  wine-glasses,  waiter,  and  a  bottle  of 
that  old  madeira  with  the  yellow  seal.  You  know 
where  I  keep  it ;  I  am  very  anxious  that  Colonel  Lep- 
pell should  judge  of  its  merits." 

"  Yessir,  very  good  sir, — dry  biscuits  of  course  ; "  and 
so  the  waiter  vanished  with  the  words  in  his  mouth. 

Thus  began  and  ended  this  terrible  interview  which 
the  Colonel  had  so  much  dreaded — that  is  to  say,  the 
interview  which  was  to  renew  their  mutual  acquaint- 


168  THE  FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

ance,  and  despatch  the  former  animosities  of  these 
two  gentlemen  into  the  limbo  of  forgotten  memories. 
Then  the  wine  was  produced,  and  fair  Mary  Leppell 
was  toasted  in  the  fashion  of  twenty  years  ago ;  and 
the  naming  of  this  toast  by  Mr  Clavering  further  in- 
formed Mr  Glascott  that  all  was  satisfactory  in  that 
quarter.  The  Colonel  pronounced  the  madeira  to  be 
excellent,  and  did  justice  to  it,  prophesying  that  in  a 
few  years  the  very  name  of  this  recherche  beverage 
would  be  extinct.  Then  Mr  Glascott  proposed  that 
the  Colonel  should  walk  round  the  College  precincts 
with  him.  "  My  time  in  Yarne  is  short,"  said  that  gen- 
tleman, "  and  we  had  better  enter  into  the  ways  and 
means  at  once.  Frank,  if  you  have  any  regard  for  the 
elderlies,  you  will  let  us  depart  in  peace  ;  but  I  will  be 
better  than  you  were, — I  won't  keep  you  waiting  when 
dinner-time  comes." 

Frank  laughed,  and  the  two  others  went  their  way. 
As  soon  as  they  got  into  the  street,  Mr  Glascott  said, 
"  I  am  very  gratified  that  I  am  to  receive  your 
daughter  as  my  daughter,  and  appearances  justify 
me  in  supposing  that  she  has  accepted  my  cousin  en- 
tirely of  her  own  free  will,  without  pressure :  is  that 
not  so  ? 

"  Most  certainly ;  and  I  think  it  due  to  myself 
to  add,  that  at  this  moment  my  daughter  is  quite 
ignorant  of  her  brother's  position.  Her  mother  and  I 
have  purposely  kept  this  from  her,  in  order  that  her 
decision  might  be  perfectly  free  and  uninfluenced. 
At  the  same  time,  Mr  Glascott,  both  Adelaide  and  I 


MR   GLASCOTT.  169 

feel  very  grateful  to  you  for  your  noble,  your  generous 
action  in  this  matter.  Let  me  add,  that  we  both  feel 
that  we  do  not  deserve  it." 

"  Say  no  more  about  it.  Frank  is  unto  me  as  a 
son,  and  I  feared  that  if  he  were  disappointed  of  this 
attachment, — I  believe  it  is  the  first  and  only  one  he 
ever  had, — his  prospects  and  success  in  life  would 
thereby  be  seriously  imperilled.  His  disappointment 
at  hearing  the  report  of  your  daughter's  engagement 
to  Lord  Willows  was  intense ;  in  fact,  the  state  of  his 
mind  was  the  cause  that  induced  me  to  come  forward 
as  I  have  done.  What  I  want  particularly  to  say  to 
you  is  this :  had  I  found  that  Miss  Leppell  enter- 
tained a  decided  preference  for  any  one  else,  and 
had  honestly  told  Frank  of  it,  much  as  I  should  have 
regretted  the  circumstance,  I  would  still  have  assisted 
you  to  cover  your  son's  disgrace  for  the  sake  of  his 
mother  and  old  times.  My  cousin  is  also  perfectly 
ignorant  of  this  unfortunate  occurrence  ;  he  only  knows 
that,  for  his  sake,  I  have  foregone  a  lifelong  enmity  in 
order  to  secure  his  happiness.  But,  as  I  said  before, 
had  your  daughter's  affections  not  been  hers  to  bestow, 
I  would  still  have  helped  you.  '  An  unwilling  squaw 
makes  an  unhappy  wigwam/  says  the  Indian  axiom ; 
and  it  is  of  course  a  matter  of  congratulation  to  us 
all  that  things  have  turned  out  as  happily  as  they 
have  done." 

Alas  !  for  human  nature.  Ealph  was  wishing  in  his 
heart  of  hearts  that  he  had  known  what  would  have 
happened  if  Mary  had  been  engaged, — he  could  have 


170  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

brought  Lord  Willows  to  book  in  no  time,  and  then 
her  affections  would  have  been  his  lordship's,  of  course. 
However,  what  was  done  could  not  be  undone,  and  by 
way  of  distraction,  he  treated  Mr  Glascott  to  an  ac- 
count of  Marrnaduke's  elopement,  and  the  failure  of 
that  performance, — "  which  of  course,"  said  the  father 
ruefully,  "was  an  additional  anxiety  and  trouble  to 
the  delinquent's  friends." 

"  Eemember  your  anxiety  about  the  bank  business 
is  over,"  said  Mr  Glascott  kindly,  "but  you  should 
take  immediate  steps  with  regard  to  this  contempt 
of  Court:  mind,  the  Court  of  Chancery  is  an  awk- 
ward tribunal  to  trifle  with.  I  will  call  at  Hunter's 
Lodge  to-morrow,  and  we  can  then  talk  over  the  ar- 
rangements for  settling  our  young  people  finally.  It 
is  past  four  very  much  ;  still,  I  think,  you  had  better 
consult  a  lawyer  at  once.  You  employ  one  in  Yarne,  I 
presume  ? " 

"Yes,  I  always  stick  to  Fagan  and  Winshaw, — a 
most  respectable  firm,  and  their  office  is  close  to  this. 
I  shall  just  have  time  before  dark.  The  ladies  will  all 
be  glad  to  see  you  to-morrow.  Good-bye  till  then," 
and  the  Colonel  hied  at  full  speed  to  consult  his  legal 
adviser. 

"  Master  in,"  inquired  Ralph  of  a  young  gentleman, 
who  was  sitting  on  a  high  stool,  conning  a  severe-look- 
ing document,  and  wrinkling  the  skin  of  his  nose  very 
decidedly  over  the  same.  "  Look  sharp,  will  you,  and 
tell  Mr  Fagan  that  Colonel  Leppell  wants  to  see  him 
on  particular  business." 


MR   GLASCOTT.  171 

The  lad  raised  his  eyes,  stared  at  the  officer,  and  at 
length  inquired  what  he  meant  ? 

"What  I  say,"  answered  the  Colonel,  in  a  voice 
which  made  his  young  friend  jump  with  such  alacrity 
that  the  stool  rocked  again.  "  I  want  to  know  if  Mr 
Fagan  is  in  ;  you  are  his  apprentice,  aren't  you  ? " 

"  I  am  nothing  of  the  kind,"  replied  the  lad  loftily, 
as  he  descended  from  his  perch.  "  I  am  an  articled 
clerk,  and  have  paid  my  premium  :  the  office-boy  is  out." 

"  Oh,  that's  it,  is  it  ?  Well,  never  mind,  I  will  call 
Mr  Fagan  myself," — and  going  to  the  foot  of'a  flight  of 
stairs,  the  Colonel  began  to  roar,  "  Fagan,  are  you  at 
home  ?  may  I  come  up  to  you  ?  the  young  prig  in  your 
outer  office  won't  budge  ! " 

"  For  goodness'  sake,"  cried  the  prig  in  question, 
"  allow  me  to  go  up-stairs.  Mr  Fagan  is  most  partic- 
ular about  noise."  And  so  saying,  the  lad  flew  past  this 
peremptory  client  with  the  speed  of  an  arrow,  and  dis- 
covered, fortunately  for  himself,  that  the  senior  partner 
had  ascended  to  an  upper  room  in  order  to  search  for 
a  document  that  was  wanting  in  his  own  office. 

"  Colonel  Leppell  waiting,"  said  Mr  Fagan.  "Ask 
him  to  go  into  my  room ;  I  will  be  down  in  a  moment. 
Just  poke  the  fire  there,  will  you  ?  and  see  that  no  one 
comes  in." 

"  Yes,  sir,"  returned  the  articled  clerk,  as  meek  as 
a  mouse ;  and  in  a  humbled  and  chastened  spirit  he 
descended  to  do  the  honours  to  the  Staff-officer  of 
Pensioners. 

Colonel  Leppell  eyed  the  youth  with  grim  amuse- 


172  THE   FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

ment  as  the  latter  renovated  the  fire  and  cleared  away 
some  papers.  "  You  are  young  Lilliput,"  he  said  at 
length. 

"  Ya — as,  Colonel,  ya — as,"  was  the  reply,  given  in 
tremolo  key. 

"  Knew  every  one  of  you  since  you  were  babies. 
Hope  you  attend  to  your  duties,  and  obey  your 
mother  ;  she's  put  you  into  a  respectable  berth.  Now 
look  here,  don't  you  be  playing  the  grand  to  the 
clients  who  come  to  this  office — it  won't  do  you  any 
good.  I  did  not  mean  to  hurt  your  dignity,  and  if 
you  like  to  come  out  to  Hunter's  Lodge  any  day  when 
my  boys  are  at  home,  I'll  give  you  a  mount,  and  you 
can  take  pot-luck,  if  you  will.  There, — no  thanks,  be 
off, — here's  Mr  Fagan." 

Glad  to  escape,  Mr  Lilliput  did  make  off,  and  the 
Colonel,  with  a  heavy  heart,  confided  the  difficulty  of 
Marmaduke's  position  to  that  clever  lawyer. 

"  They  won't  imprison  him  for  months,  will  they  ? " 
said  the  Colonel,  after  he  had  revealed  the  case,  as  far 
as  he  was  acquainted  with  it.  "  The  Lord  Chancellor 
has  been  young  himself,"  he  urged ;  "  and  of  course 
the  girl  was  a  consenting  party." 

"  That  makes  no  difference,"  said  Mr  Fagan ;  "  the 
thing  to  be  ascertained  is  whether  the  money  was  the 
object  of  your  son's  acting  in  this  way.  If  it  turns 
out  that  he  was  influenced  by  pecuniary  motives,  of 
course  the  Court  will  take  a  very  grave  view  of  his 
conduct.  Is  your  son  in  debt,  do  you  know  ?  I  mean 
to  any  amount  ? " 


MR   GLASCOTT.  173 

"  Unfortunately  lie  is,"  replied  Marmaduke's  father, 
u  and  I  cannot  help  him.  You  know,  Fagan,  I  can 
hardly  keep  ray  head  above  water  myself." 

"  Has  Mr  Leppell  been  pressed  for  money  ?  " 

"  I  think  so,  at  least.  I  am  sure  he  has,"  answered 
Colonel. 

"  That's  bad,"  said  Mr  Fagan.     "  Where  is  he  ?  " 

"Hiding  in  London, — somewhere  in  Holborn,  dis- 
guised as  a  nigger ;  only  fancy  ! " 

In  spite  of  himself,  the  lawyer  could  not  repress  a 
smile.  "  Well,  look  here,  Colonel,"  he  said  at  length, 
"  you  had  better  go  to  London,  and  get  your  son  to 
surrender  himself  at  once  to  the  Court.  The  sooner 
you  go  the  better.  I  will  give  you  a  letter  to  our 
correspondents  in  the  city,  who  will  advise  you  how 
to  act.  You  will  want  legal  assistance  on  the  spot. 
As  soon  as  you  find  Mr  Leppell,  take  him  to  these 
lawyers  directly.  I  will  think  over  the  case,  and  send 
the  letter  and  any  advice  that  may  occur  to  me  some 
time  to-morrow." 

"  I  cannot  furnish  you  with  more  particulars,"  replied 
the  Colonel,  "  my  own  information  is  so  very  meagre  ; 
at  any  rate,  I  will  follow  your  advice,  Fagan.  You 
cannot  imagine  how  much  I  have  to  worry  me  just 
now ;  I  am  a  regular  victim  to  everybody  and -" 

Here  Mr  Fagan  laughed  outright,  and  said,  "  I 
think  you  can  manage  to  keep  your  own,  Colonel, 
pretty  fairly.  However,  an  affair  of  this  kind  always 
does  bring  a  good  deal  of  annoyance  more  or  less,  and 
as  far  as  I  can  judge,  the  lady's  friends  in  this  case 


174  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

are  more  inclined  to  obstruct  your  son  than  to  help 
him  out  of  his  difficulties." 

"  Confound  them  !  Thank  goodness,  they  are  no 
acquaintances  of  mine,  nor  of  Marmaduke's  either, 
with  the  exception  of  the  girl.  He'll  have  to  make 
her  cut  the  whole  lot  when  matters  are  arranged." 

"  You  cannot  act  too  promptly,  Colonel,"  said  Mr 
Fagan,  ignoring  his  client's  asseverations.  "  If  you 
cannot  start  to-morrow,  make  it  the  day  after." 

"  I  can  manage  to  set  off  by  the  night  mail  to- 
morrow ;  it  does  not  leave  till  eleven,  so  that  will  give 
me  a  long  day  wherein  to  settle  various  matters. 
Send  the  letter,  please,  you  intend  for  your  agents  to 
my  office ;  any  time  will  do,  as  I  shall  look  in  there 
the  last  thing  on  my  way  to  the  rail.  Good-bye — I 
must  step  out,  for  it  is  getting  dark ; "  and  Colonel 
Leppell  strode  along  at  a  pace  which  wellnigh  riv- 
alled the  speed  of  the  seven-league  boots  of  the 
fairy  tales. 

On  the  following  day  Mr  Glascott  wended  his  way 
on  foot,  accompanied  by  Mr  Clavering,  to  pay  his 
respects,  as  he  put  it,  first  and  foremost  to  fair 
Mary  Leppell,  the  lady  of  whom  he  had  heard  so 
much  as  "  heavenly  Moll."  This  was  in  accordance 
with  the  old-fashioned  respect  and  courtesy  which, 
even  at  that  time,  was  being  elbowed  out  by  the  rush 
of  life,  and  the  selfish  assertiveness  of  what  has  now 
culminated  into  "  fast  manners,"  as  well  as  fast  doings. 
Nowadays,  persons  with  the  best  intentions  often 
seem  to  consider  that  these  intentions  ought  to  be 


MR   GLASCOTT.  175 

accepted  and  understood,  the  rush  and  hurry  of  life 
doing  away  with  the  necessity  of  any  but  the  scantiest 
forms  of  politeness.  There  is  nothing,  perhaps,  more 
pleasant  and  gratifying  than  the  deference  which  a 
high-bred  elderly  man,  of  what  is  called  the  old  school, 
shows  to  a  young  and  beautiful  girl.  It  is  at  once 
a  tribute  to  innocence  and  purity,  and  sets  a  good 
example  to  younger  men,  as  regards  their  manners 
towards  the  softer  sex  ;  and  without  preaching,  it 
inculcates  the  silent  lesson  of  culture  and  regard  for 
the  feelings  of  others,  which  is  ever  the  highest  mark 
of  sincerity  and  kindliness.  It  is  a  delusion  with 
some,  and  a  delusion  that  amounts  in  certain  forms 
to  a  superstition,  that  rudeness  and  abruptness  of 
manner  is  a  sign  of  a  good  heart,  and  of  sound  ster- 
ling worth ;  and  many  of  the  impertinences  that  are 
dispensed  about  the  world  emanate  most  generally 
from  those  who  profess  to  hold  the  outward  observ- 
ances of  social  life  as  veils  for  hypocrisy  and  false 
dealing,  whilst  they  are  practising  their  very  vices 
under  the  thick  cloak  of  surliness  and  insolence. 
Good  manners,  whatever  they  may  conceal,  are  at 
least  void  of  offence ;  and  it  would  be  as  well  if  a 
large  majority  of  those  who  profess  great  sanctity 
would  remember  that  "Be  courteous"  is  one  of  the 
Scripture's  golden  rules. 

There  was,  however,  some  little  disappointment 
mixed  with  the  great  admiration  with  which  Everard 
Glascott  scanned  the  fair  face  of  this  lovely  daughter 
of  the  house  of  Hieover.     It  was  natural,  perhaps, 


176  THE  FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

that  he  should  expect — on  a  nearer  view  than  that 
which  he  had  secured  some  time  previously  from  the 
gallery  of  a  ball-room — to  see  the  girl  very  much 
what  the  mother  had  been,  or  at  least  some  strong 
likeness  which  would  at  once  associate  the  parent 
with  the  child  in  her  features  or  expression.  In  vain 
did  he  seek  to  discover  any  lineament  which  would 
in  the  faintest  degree  recall  the  face  of  Adelaide,  n4e 
Asher,  at  the  age  of  eighteen.  He  could  only  confirm 
the  fact  that  Miss  Leppell  was  much  more  beautiful 
than  her  mother  ever  had  been.  The  style  of  both 
was  essentially  different  also,  and  Mary,  in  every 
movement,  evinced  a  grace  and  elegance  which  were 
totally  lacking  in  Mrs  Leppell,  that  lady  being  always 
more  of  the  handsome  and  ponderous  than  of  the 
light  and  lithe  cast. 

After  some  conversation,  Mr  Glascott  asked  to  see 
the  younger  children ;  and  as  many  of  these  as  could 
be  found,  intermingled  with  dogs  and  kittens,  and 
even  a  pigeon  held  by  the  scruff  of  the  neck  in  a  baby 
hand,  were  marshalled  into  the  presence  of — as  it 
was  represented  to  them — this  very  old  friend  of 
mamma,  who  had  come  a  long  way  to  see  them  all. 
It  was  only  in  the  chubby  unformed  faces  of  the 
younger  children  that  the  visitor  recognised  a  resem- 
blance betwixt  them  and  their  mother,  and  this  was 
confined  to  the  hesitating  expression  of  the  mouth, 
and  the  weak  moulding  of  the  chin.  Looking  up 
at  a  picture  which  hung  in  the  room  into  which  he 
had  been  ushered,  Mr  Glascott  earnestly  inspected 


MB  GLASCOTT.  177 

a  portrait  which  represented  a  young  man  in  his 
earliest  prime,  dressed  in  regimentals.  The  beautiful 
evil  face  bore  a  provoking  likeness  to  Mary,  and  was 
none  other  than  that  of  Marmaduke,  painted  when  he 
first  joined  his  regiment. 

Long  did  he  gaze  upon  it,  whilst  Clavering  and 
Mary  were  engaged  in  their  own  affairs,  and  Mrs 
Leppell  had  departed  to  prepare  Lady  Asher  to  re- 
ceive his  visit.  What  a  wicked  face,  thought  the 
honest,  pure-minded  man,  as  he  looked  at  it  more  and 
more  intently, — yes,  wicked,  and  what  is  worse,  hard, 
hard  to  the  heart's  core.  Whom  did  it  resemble  ? 
not  his  father,  not  Ealph — no ;  but  it  bore  a  striking 
resemblance  to  Alexander  Leppell,  Ealph's  elder 
brother — the  man  of  all  others  whom  Everard  Glas- 
cott  had  ever  avoided,  and  finally  almost  detested. 

"  That  is  Marmaduke  ;  he  is  considered  very  hand- 
some," said  the  mother,  coming  up  behind  her 
visitor.  "  Do  you  see  any  likeness  to  me  in  the 
features  ? " 

"Not  any,"  Mr  Glascott  replied;  "its  resemblance 
is  strong  wherein  I  would  rather  not  see  it,  only  that 
the  colouring  of  the  face  is  beautiful.  That  portrait  is 
a  flattering,  very  flattering,  refined  likeness  of  your 
brother-in-law  Alexander." 

She  gave  a  low  cry,  and  placed  her  hand  on  his 
arm.  "It  is  no  use  attempting  to  deceive  myself," 
she  said;  "Duke  not  only  resembles  his  uncle  in 
person,  but  he  is  like — ah,  too  much  like — him  in 
disposition.      Pray  God  he  may  not  turn  out  hard 

vol.  I.  m 


178  THE  FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

and  cruel — yes,  cruel ;  he  bears  it  in  his  face,  and  the 
portrait  is  a  faithful  likeness." 

A  twitching  of  Mr  Glascott's  finely  cut  lip  and 
nostril  alone  gave  evidence  of  the  emotion  which 
he  felt.  Not  daring  to  yield  to  this,  he  merely  said, 
"  Eemember  that  you  always  have  a  true  friend  in  me, 
and  it  will  be  my  first  endeavour  to  try  and  influence 
your  boy  for  good.  He  is  young  yet,  and  perhaps 
his  present  experiences  may  tone  down  his  wild  folly, 
and  frighten  him  at  first  into  more  respectable 
courses.  Come  along  now  and  take  me  to  your 
mother,"  and  he  offered  her  his  arm  and  led  her  to 
the  wing  wherein  Lady  Asher  dwelt. 

"  I  am  lame,  quite  a  cripple,  in  fact,"  the  old  lady 
said,  as  she  strove  to  rise  and  meet  Mr  Glascott ; 
"  if  I  had  the  power  I  would  go  down  on  my  bended 
knees  and  implore  your  forgiveness  for  the  wrong 
I  did  you.  You  forgive  me ;  I  am  sure  you  do,  or 
you  would  not  be  here.  Ah,  me !  your  goodness  will 
heap  coals  of  fire  on  our  heads ;  but  we  have  suffered 
—  Adelaide  and  I  —  no  one  but  God  can  tell  how 
much." 

"Believe  me,  all  is  forgotten,  old  friend,"  said  Mr 
Glascott,  placing  her  tenderly  in  her  chair.  "  It's 
many  years  since  we  parted,  but  have  we  not  some- 
thing to  be  thankful  for  ?  that  through  the  happiness 
of  younger  people,  we  are  all  brought  together  once 
more, — that  we  live  to  bless  one  another,  and  throw 
the  mantle  of  old  loving-kindness  over  the  faults  of 
the  past  ? " 


MR   GLASCOTT.  179 

Yes,  yes ;  but  it  is  you  that  have  done  all  this : 
you  have  come  to  us  who  so  wronged  you ;  you  are 
taking  my  grand-daughter  to  your  heart,  and  you  are 
in  friendship  again  with  Ealph.  I  never  expected 
this — never  dreamed  that  it  could  be.  Oh,  Everard 
Glascott,  what  dreary  years  of  self-reproach  the 
memory  of  a  great  wrong  brings !  I  am  thankful, 
and  Adelaide  is  thankful,  that  I  shall  go  to  my  grave 
with  your  pardon  on  my  heart." 

The  tears  flowed  fast  down  poor  Adelaide's  face — 
her  recent  trials  and  bodily  weakness  had  served  to 
unnerve  her.  But  these  were  happy  tears,  drawn  from 
the  source  which  had  been  struck  by  the  magic  wand 
of  a  fellow-sinner's  confession  of  wrong.  Nay,  more, 
Adelaide  Leppell  felt  assured  that  her  mother  would 
no  longer  live  an  unthankful,  fretful  woman :  she  had 
been  led  to  admit  the  sins  of  her  earlier  days,  and  a 
good  man's  forgiveness  had  brought  to  them  both  the 
blessing  of  peace.  Come  weal,  come  woe,  Everard 
Glascott  was  her  mother's  friend  once  more ;  and,  if 
God  should  will  it  so,  he  would  lay  her  head  in  the 
grave  as  one  who  had  been  unto  her  more  than  a 
son. 

They  turned  with  one  accord  from  the  past  to  the 
present,  and,  glad  to  force  conversation  into  other 
channels,  they  discoursed  of  the  coming  nuptials. 
Then  it  was  that  Mr  Glascott  spoke  of  Mr  Clavering's 
young  sister,  Willina.  "  She  is  a  fine  girl,"  he  said ; 
"  truthful  and  frank,  and  I  think  she  will  make  a  nice 
sister-in-law.     She  is  just  Miss  Leppell's  age.     I  am 


180  THE  FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

going  to  Belgium  to  fetch  her,  and  I  suppose  that 
her  home  will  be,  eventually,  at  Brydone,  in  Jersey ; 
but  I  shall  return  again  to  Yarne  with  this  young 
lady  in  charge." 

"  Bring  her  here  by  all  means,"  said  Mrs  Leppell. 

"You  are  most  kind.  Now,  Mrs  Leppell,  I  am 
going  to  trouble  you  to  give  this  packet  to  Mary  ; 
it  contains  some  fine  unset  diamonds.  I  have  kept 
an  equal  share  for  Willina ;  but  as  brides  have  their 
own  tastes  in  these  matters,  and  I  am  totally  ignor- 
ant about  jewelry,  I  have  taken  the  liberty  of  en- 
closing a  sum  with  these  stones  which  will  defray  the 
expense  of  setting  them.  Good-bye,  Lady  Asher ;  I  am 
going  to  talk  with  the  Colonel  now,  and  you  can  all 
do  as  you  like  with  Clavering.     Good-bye." 

Mrs  Leppell  attended  Mr  Glascott  to  the  door,  and 
then  spoke  to  her  mother.  No  reply  came,  and  her 
daughter,  turning  to  look,  saw  that  Lady  Asher,  with 
her  head  bowed  on  the  table,  had  swooned  away. 


181 


CHAPTEK  IX. 

COLONEL   LEPPELL   IN   LONDON. 

"  Only  over-excitement  and  the  strain  on  the  nerves 
from  seeing  an  old  friend  rather  unexpectedly,"  was 
Colonel  Leppell's  verdict  on  being  made  acquainted 
with  Lady  Asher's  condition  some  little  time  after  Mr 
Glascott's  departure. 

"We  thought  that  at  first,  Kalph,"  said  poor 
Adelaide,  "but  mother  has  gone  out  of  one  faint- 
ing fit  into  another,  and  now  I  do  think  we  ought 
to  send  for  a  doctor ; "  and  placing  her  hand  on  her 
husband's  shoulder,  and  looking  the  picture  of  misery, 
she  implored  him  to  send  into  Yarne  for  medical 
aid. 

"  I  think  you  all  frighten  yourselves  unnecessarily," 
replied  the  Colonel.  "Give  her  some  brandy-and- 
water — not  weak  sweet  stuff,  but  a  good  stiff  table- 
spoonful  or  so — and  don't  look  as  if  anything  were 
going  to  happen, — I  mean,  as  if  the  old  lady  were 
going  to  collapse,"  he  continued,  rather  less  asser- 
tatively ;  for  the  loss  of  the  four  hundred  a-year  had 


182  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

just  darted  into  his  mind.  "Who  is  with  grand- 
mamma ? " 

"  Mary  and  Prothero,  of  course."  As  Mrs  Leppell 
spoke  the  latter  personage  stood  in  the  doorway, 
and  without  waiting  to  be  addressed  said,  "Pray, 
go  to  your  mother  at  once,  Mrs  Leppell ;  Lady  Asher 
is  talking  very  queerly,  and  it  is  not  fit  that  Miss 
Mary  should  be  left  with  her  grandmamma  alone. 
Colonel,  will  you  desire  Master  Dick  to  ride  into 
Yarne  at  once  for  the  doctor, — there  is  no  time  to 
lose." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say  that  Lady  Asher  is  as  bad 
as  that  ? "  replied  the  master  of  the  house,  glaring  at 
Prothero  as  if  she  were  responsible  for  her  mistress's 
attack  of  illness.  "Are  you  sure  that  you  are  not 
making  too  much  of  it  ?  Give  her  some  brandy.  Old 
ladies  and  babies  are  much  the  same,  they  are  up 
and  down  in  no  time." 

Colonel  Leppell  answered  in  this  wise,  not  so  much 
from  want  of  feeling,  but  from  such  a  dread  of  serious 
illness  that  he  unconsciously  determined  that  no  one 
of  his  household  should  be  supposed  to  be  likely  to 
die,  or  even  to  be  slightly  indisposed,  when  he  was 
in  the  way  to  quench  the  like  proceedings. 

So  he  urged  that  surprise  and  excitement,  and 
perhaps  the  east  wind,  were  at  the  bottom  of  the 
mischief ;  and  that  women,  as  was  usual  with  them, 
always  made  too  great  a  fuss,  and  were  always  ready 
to  summon  a  doctor  on  the  slightest  provocation, 
&c,  &c. 


COLONEL   LEPPELL   IX   LONDON.  183 

"This  is  more  than  excitement,  sir,"  answered 
Prothero  resolutely.  "  My  mistress  has  been  grad- 
ually ailing  for  some  time  past,  and  from  what  she 
has  let  fall,  I  feel  confident  that  she  does  not  expect 
to  live  long, — I  mean,  that  her  days  are  numbered, — 
she  has  been  so  different  of  late.  I  am  very,  very 
anxious;  oh,  my  dear  mistress," — and  here  Prothero 
not  only  burst  into  tears,  but  sobbed  like  one  over- 
come with  grief. 

Colonel  Leppell  looked  at  the  maid  in  blank  amaze- 
ment: never  had  he  seen  this  woman  so  unnerved. 
He  had  for  years  regarded  her  very  much  as  the 
owner  of  the  automaton  chess-player  would  regard 
the  mechanical  figure  which  silently  plays  its  ap- 
pointed part  and  works  its  way, —  the  soupgon  of  a 
secret  claiming  the  chief  interest  in  its  movements. 
Thus  Prothero  had  come  to  be  looked  upon  by  the 
Colonel  as  a  mysterious  special  machine,  always 
moving  on  well-oiled  wheels,  and  ignorant  of  nerves 
and  feelings,  or  even  of  fits  and  starts,  except  in  the 
temperament  of  those  for  whose  benefit  the  daily 
grinding  of  the  mill  went  round.  Tears  and  emotion 
proceeding  from  such  a  source  had  therefore  far 
greater  weight  than  the  alarm  of  his  wife.  And  so  it 
was  that  Lady  Asher's  son-in-law  was  startled,  if 
not  actually  frightened,  into  doing  the  reasonable 
thing. 

"  0  Lord  !  for  goodness'  sake  don't  give  way  like 
that,  Prothero  ;  old  Prothero,  you  are  a  faithful  creature, 
and  I  mean  what  I  say.     You  shall  have  any  horse 


184  THE  FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

you  like ;  you  may  have  the  coach,  and  I'll  drive ;  two 
of  the  colts  have  only  been  once  in  harness,  but  that 
don't  signify." 

"Master  Dick  shall  ride  Sally,  sir,"  answered  the 
maid,  almost  hysterical  between  sorrow  and  the  vision 
of  her  master  driving  her  into  Yarne ;  "  may  I  go  and 
send  him  at  once.  The  idea  of  me  in  the  coach — 
oh  !"  laugh — sob. 

Colonel  Leppell  rang  the  bell — nobody  ever  kept 
that  officer  waiting  one  instant.  "  Tell  Ben  Eifles  to 
get  on  Sally  and  ride  into  Yarne  for  Dr  Williams,  or 
the  other  man  —  he  knows ;  I  always  forget  these 
fellows'  names,"  he  said  to  the  domestic  who  had 
appeared  like  lightning  to  answer  the  summons. 
"  Bring  the  doctor  whether  he  is  engaged  or  not ;  say 
it's  a  case  of — well,  something  that  won't  wait — not  a 
confinement,  but  old  Lady  Asher.  Look  sharp.  And 
Prothero,  if  you  want  any  camphor,  or  cod-liver  oil,  or 
mix  vomica,  or  Cockle's  Indicus  (that  homoeopathic 
stuff),  you  had  better  write  it  down  and  send  for  it 
now." 

Prothero,  who  had  in  some  measure  recovered  her 
composure,  declined  to  take  advantage  of  this  offer. 
"There  was  a  box  of  homoeopathic  globules  in  the 
house,"  she  said,  "but  it  was  hidden  away,  as  Dick 
had  expressed  his  intention  of  swallowing  the  whole 
concern  at  a  gulp,  to  convince  the  family  of  the  worth- 
lessness  of  that  kind  of  medicine. 

"Sensible  lad,"  answered  the  father  delighted. 
"  Now  Prothero,"  he  continued,  actually  clapping  that 


COLONEL  LEPPELL  IN  LONDON.  185 

astonished  female  on  the  back,  "you  go  into  the 
dining-room  and  help  yourself  to  a  good  glass  of  port ; 
that  will,  perhaps,  be  better  for  you  than  a  drive  in 
the  coach." 

The  woman  almost  laughed;  for  this  vehicle  was 
the  astonishment  and  amusement  of  the  whole  coun- 
try-side. In  it  Colonel  Leppell  was  accustomed  to 
train,  as  he  pleased  to  term  it,  young  quadrupeds 
for  work  in  harness.  His  family,  both  boys  and 
girls,  never  enjoyed  anything  better  than  to  go  out 
on  these  training  expeditions,  filling  the  coach  inside 
and  out,  not  only  with  themselves,  but  also  with  such 
friends  as  could  be  induced  or  seduced  into  joining 
the  party,  literally  going  over  hedges  and  ditches. 
That  no  one  of  them  had  ever  lost  their  lives  or 
injured  their  limbs  must  be  looked  upon  as  the  action 
of  a  special  Providence,  combined  with  the  firm  con- 
viction of  the  young  Leppells  that  their  father  could, 
if  he  chose,  drive  over  the  tops  of  the  houses  and 
never  bring  them  to  grief. 

What  the  ladies  and  Prothero  suffered  when  these 
expeditions  were  in  full  swing  was  never  compre- 
hended, nor  taken  into  account  by  any  one  of  the 
number  composing  them ;  they  had  always  returned 
all  right,  it  was  insisted.  And  what  a  lark  it  would  be, 
Fritz  had  observed  one  day,  could  Ma  and  G.  M.  and 
old  Prothero  be  placed  inside,  and  be  thus  driven  into 
Yarne  by  Dick,  he  (Fritz)  intervening ! 

So  Prothero  was  indeed  scared  when  the  Colonel 
gravely  and  sincerely  proferred  this  treat  to  herself 


186  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

alone ;  and  the  little  surprise,  together  with  her  sor- 
row and  alarm,  caused  the  glass  of  port  wine  to  be 
truly  acceptable.  Thus  refreshed,  the  faithful  servant 
was  able  to  present  herself  in  her  mistress's  apartment 
with  her  wonted  imperturbable  serenity. 

She  found  Lady  Asher  literally  lying  in  the  arms 
of  her  daughter,  in  all  the  prostration  of  mind  and 
body  in  which,  with  old  persons,  a  long  series  of  ail- 
ments not  receiving  any  very  direct  medical  atten- 
tion generally  culminates.  Though  her  debility  was 
great,  the  patient  was  by  no  means  insensible  to  her 
condition  ;  and  it  was  perhaps  due  to  the  small  por- 
tion of  brandy  which  Mrs  Leppell  had  given  her 
mother,  that  the  latter  retained  her  senses  and  did 
not  relapse  into  fainting. 

Both  Mrs  Leppell  and  Prothero  were  convinced, 
from  the  broken  words  which  occasionally  fell  from 
the  patient,  that  it  was  the  interview  with  Mr  Glas- 
cott  that  had  so  thoroughly  upset  her ;  and  as  oppor- 
tunity, in  later  years,  had  turned  Prothero  into  the 
confidante  of  the  female  members  of  Colonel  Leppell's 
household,  it  was  natural  that  she  should  comprehend 
the  slightest  allusion  to  what  was  passing  in  the 
mind  of  her  mistress  and  friend. 

It  had  occurred  now  and  then  in  the  little  talks 
with  Adelaide  which  took  rise  out  of  some  trying 
behaviour  of  the  Colonel,  when  the  wife  took  refuge 
in  her  mother's  apartments  from  a  domestic  storm, 
that  the  old  lady  had  referred  sadly  to  what  things 
might  have  been,  and  had  more  than  once  reproached 


COLONEL   LEPPELL   IN   LONDON.  187 

herself  for  their  joint  faithlessness  towards  Everard 
Glascott.  This  certainly  was  more  by  inference  than  by 
actual  statement,  as  it  wTas  rare  indeed  to  hear  Lady 
Asher  mention  that  gentleman's  name.  Perhaps 
length  of  days  brings  increase  of  wisdom  more  surely 
when  it  takes  the  turn  and  points  downwards,  to 
indicate  the  extinction  of  life ;  perhaps  at  this  time 
Lady  Asher  more  surely  bewailed  her  own  sin,  and 
recognised  its  wages  in  the  daily  harrass  and  anxiety 
which  had  for  long  been  her  daughter's  portion  in 
her  married  life. 

The  knowledge,  too,  had  been  almost  forced  upon 
her,  that  a  good  position  without  adequate  means  to 
maintain  it,  is  more  difficult  to  bear  than  downright 
actual  poverty.  The  world  readily  draws  the  mantle 
of  obscurity  over  the  latter :  and  the  hard  realities 
of  penury  entirely  obviate  the  necessity  of  keeping  up 
appearances ;  making  two  ends  meet ;  fastening  on 
rich  people,  time-serving  and  toadying  the  same ;  or 
of  any  other  of  those  contrivances  by  which  genteel 
paupers  preserve  their  "  status "  in  society,  exciting 
admiration,  not  unmixed  with  amazement,  in  their 
compeers. 

Mrs  Leppell  had  remarked  that  #her  mother  had 
become  more  reflective  of  late,  and  also  very  appre- 
hensive that  she  had  done  wrong  in  promoting  Hen- 
rietta's marriage  in  the  way  she  had  done,  with  per- 
sistent opposition  to  Colonel  Leppell.  That  a  change 
had  come  over  Lady  Asher's  spirit  was  evident,  for 
she  had  never  indulged  in  any  high  speculation  con- 


188  THE   FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

cerning  the  future  of  her  favourite  grandchild  Mary  ; 
and  when  she  was  informed  of  the  girl's  engagement  to 
Mr  Clavering,  she  was  emphatic  in  her  thankfulness 
that  a  comfortable  home  and  a  suitable  provision  had 
fallen  to  the  child's  lot,  rather  than  rank,  even  with 
a  fortune  attached  to  it. 

At  first,  like  her  son-in-law,  Lady  Asher  thought 
she  perceived  the  glow  and  the  seethe  of  the  coals  of 
fire  falling  on  Mary's  young  head,  through  the  gener- 
osity of  the  quondam  adversary  of  her  house ;  but  a 
moment's  reflection  caused  the  grandmother  to  cast 
this  idea  aside  almost  as  quickly  as  it  had  occurred 
to  her,  strong  in  the  conviction  that  Providence  would 
never  lead  Everard  Glascott  into  so  terrible  a  tempta- 
tion. Had  she  known  all,  it  is  probable  that  the  old 
lady  would  have  convinced  herself  that  coals  of  fire 
of  some  kind  or  another  must  and  ought  to  descend 
upon  some  of  the  heads  belonging  to  the  house  of 
Leppell.  Fortunately  for  the  peace  of  her  declining 
days,  Lady  Asher  was  entirely  ignorant  of  the  dis- 
grace which  her  eldest  grandson  had  brought  upon  his 
name  and  people  ;  and  with  regard  to  the  elopement, 
a  pitying  "  poor  girl,"  in  reference  to  the  lady,  was  all 
the  comment  which  she  thought  necessary  to  bestow 
on  this  matter,  warmly  supported  by  Prothero  in  the 
opinion  that  Duke  would  make  a  ten  times  worse 
husband  than  his  father.  Lady  Asher  had  in  this 
instance  elected  to  leave  bad  alone,  and  so  preserved 
a  significant  silence  when  that  young  gentleman's 
name   was   casually  mentioned.      "  Pialph  has   some 


COLONEL   LEPPELL   IN   LONDON.  189 

feeling,"  the  old  lady  would  remark  to  her  maid, 
"  and  he  is  fond  of  his  children,  and  indeed  of  us  all  in 
his  way.  Why,  if  he  were  to  catch  anybody  insult- 
ing Adelaide,  or  even  me,  he  would  kill  them — I  do 
believe  he  would  ! " 

"  You  belong  to  him,"  said  Prothero  grimly. 

"  But,"  the  old  lady  continued,  without  heeding  this 
remark,  "  Duke  is  as  hard  as  iron,  and  as  cruel  as  a 
sepoy.  Never  trust  him,  in  spite  of  his  good  looks. 
He's  of  the  stuff  that  the  fallen  angels  are  made  of, 
it's  my  belief." 

"  It  would  be  as  well  not  to  say  that  to  either  of 
his  parents,"  returned  Prothero  with  wisdom.  "  Besides, 
Duke  takes  strongly  after  his  uncle  Alex.,  and  so  it 
can't  be  helped,  my  lady, — it  is  in  the  family." 

"  Mary  has  more  the  innocent  trusting  nature  of  my 
dear  husband.  Oh,  Prothero  !  things  would  have  gone 
easier  for  Mrs  Leppell  if  I  had  been  more  deferential 
to  him,  and  submitted  to  be  led  by  his  advice ;  but 
my  selfishness,  and  my  desire  to  wed  my  daughter  to 
her  superior  in  station,  has  wrought  sad  things.  Ah, 
me!" 

It  was  from  such  scraps  of  conversation  that  in 
course  of  time,  and  without  making  any  direct  inquiry, 
Prothero  came  to  absorb  much  acquaintance  with  the 
family  affairs ;  and  with  the  reticence  and  good  sense 
which  formed  the  strong  points  of  her  character, 
she  was  wise  enough  not  to  see  too  much,  and  thus 
managed  to  steer  clear  of  the  domestic  solecism  of 
putting  people  by  the  ears,  or  causing  discomfort  by 


190  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

appearing  to  know  those  things  which  she  ought  not 
to  know,  or  hear  things  which  she  was  not  intended 
to  hear. 

Duke,  however,  in  spite  of  his  manifold  iniquities, 
stood  in  good  stead  to  his  family  just  now.  The 
doctor  had  arrived,  and  had  pronounced  Lady  Asher 
to  be  ill — seriously  ill ;  and  though  he  could  not  posi- 
tively assert  that  any  alarming  symptoms  were  present, 
still  he  advised  Mrs  Leppell  to  be  prepared  for  the 
worst,  because  there  was  so  little  rallying  power  in  the 
patient.  Lady  Asher,  he  continued,  "  might  linger  on 
for  some  weeks,  or  she  might  go  off  at  any  moment." 

"  Well,  I  must  go  off,"  said  the  Colonel,  to  whom 
this  opinion  had  been  reported  whilst  smoking  in  his 
den,  awaiting  the  doctor's  verdict.  "  It  will  be  better 
for  me  to  start  for  London  at  once  and  see  after  Duke. 
I'm  of  no  use  where  there  is  sickness  (this  was  per- 
fectly true),  and  I  believe  the  old  lady  will  live  on  for 
some  time.  Pop  her  into  bed  and  keep  her  there. 
Why,  with  care  and  plenty  of  nourishment,  she  may 
see  us  all  out." 

Prothero,  who  had  been  the  person  to  report  the 
doctor's  opinion  of  the  case,  here  remarked  that  con- 
finement to  bed  would  have  a  very  bad  effect  upon 
her  ladyship.  "  Her  mistress,"  Prothero  said,  "  could 
not  bear  to  be  put  aside  as  an  invalid  ;  it  would  annoy 
her  terribly,  and  lead  to  bad  results." 

"  I  don't  agree  with  you,"  the  master  answered  with 
his  usual  peremptoriness.  "  The  old  lady  is  always 
sitting  in  draughts,  and  pottering  about  that  garden  at 


COLONEL   LEPPELL   IN   LONDON.  191 

all  hours  ;  and  that  donkey-chair  is  like  a  petrify- 
ing machine  in  this  weather.  The  doctor  says  she 
requires  the  greatest  care,  doesn't  he  1 " 

"  Yes,  sir ;  but  when  Lady  Asher  gets  a  little  better, 
she  will  resent  being  made  a  regular  invalid  all  of  a 
sudden, — I  feel  sure  that  she  will." 

"  Nothing  of  the  sort,"  returned  the  Colonel ; 
"  make  her  bedridden  at  once,  and  she  will  last  for 
years." 

"  It  may  be  so,  sir,"  returned  Prothero,  whose  know- 
ledge told  her  that  no  good  ever  had  come  by  contra- 
dicting the  Colonel,  who  perhaps  was  right  in  his 
opinion.  It  must  be  within  the  experience  of  many 
that  to  confine  an  elderly  invalid  to  bed,  and  especially 
to  one  moderate  temperature,  at  the  outset  of  an  illness, 
has  resulted  in  preserving  life  at  the  cost  of  a  continual 
course  of  ailing  health,  with  just  as  much  alleviation 
as  prevents  the  situation  from  becoming  downright 
unpleasant,  or  even  wearisome. 

The  second  nature  which  use  is  supposed  to  initiate 
and  to  perfect,  claims  with  the  most  unfaltering 
tenacity  every  privilege  for  the  invalid ;  and  thus  the 
patient,  when  studiously  watched  and  waited  upon, 
comes  to  enjoy  the  situation,  after  the  first  annoyances 
attendant  upon  enforced  restraint  have  worn  away, 
and  in  the  long-run  holds  out  for  a  length  of  years, 
often  surviving  the  young  and  vigorous,  whose  lives, 
may  be,  they  have  harrassed,  and  at  least  made  troubled 
on  their  account. 

It  was  perhaps  with  this  idea  that  Colonel  Leppell 


192  THE   FAT  OF  THE   LAND. 

insisted  that  his  mother-in-law  should  be  placed  in  her 
bed  and  be  kept  therein.  In  this  there  was  no  disposi- 
tion to  run  contrary  to  Mrs  Prothero  for  contradiction's 
sake,  as  was  sometimes  the  case  with  that  individual. 
To  keep  Lady  Asher  alive  was  his  sincere  hope  and 
wish,  for  the  very  cogent  reason  that  the  loss  of  four 
hundred  a-year  would  place  him  in  greater  embarrass- 
ment than  ever, — all  other  considerations  being  set 
aside,  though,  of  course,  they  existed.  His  former 
doubts  as  to  the  serious  nature  of  Lady  Asher's  attack 
had  vanished  completely  as  soon  as  the  question  of 
finance  had  occurred  to  his  mind ;  and  to  be  consist- 
ent in  what  he  now  elected  to  believe,  the  house  must 
be  kept  perfectly  quiet, — no  visitors,  little  going  to 
and  fro,  and,  above  all  things,  much  control  over  the 
tones  of  the  voice  would  have  to  be  exercised  by  the 
master  of  the  house. 

Hating  everything  in  connection  with  illness,  and 
not  disposed  to  sacrifice  one  iota  of  his  comfort  or 
convenience,  Colonel  Leppell  found  a  positive  relief  in 
having  Duke's  affairs  to  attend  to  ;  and  thus  after  wait- 
ing a  few  hours  to  ascertain  that  there  was  no  fear  of 
present  danger  to  his  mother-in-law,  he  announced  his 
intention  of  setting  off  for  London  on  the  following  day. 

This  intelligence  was  hailed  with  unqualified  delight, 
as  the  Colonel  was  a  positive  let  and  hindrance  when 
illness  was  in  the  house ;  so  it  was  cautiously  impressed 
upon  him  by  his  wife  and  Mary  that  his  duty  was  now 
to  look  after  Duke,  and  that  he  could  depart  in  peace 
with  an  unruffled  conscience. 


COLONEL   LEPPELL   IN   LONDON.  193 

"  I  really  can  be  of  no  use  here,"  Ealph  said,  with  a 
faint  show  of  reluctance  which  imposed  on  nobody. 
"  Every  hour,  you  know,  Adelaide,  is  of  the  utmost 
importance  to  Duke.  Poor  fellow !  his  state  of  mind 
must  be  dreadful,  for  he  does  not  know  that  the  bank 
business  is  arranged  by  this  time.  You  can  telegraph 
for  me  if  anything  goes  wrong,  which  it  won't — I  am 
a  pretty  good  judge  of  these  matters — and  it's  only 
natural  that  you  should  be  alarmed.  By  the  way, 
Moll  had  better  give  me  those  diamonds.  I  can 
take  them  up  to  town  and  have  them  set.  I  have 
hardly  looked  at  them.  Very  handsome  of  Glascott 
to  allow  her  to  choose  the  setting  according  to  her 
own  taste." 

"  Yes  ;  and  to  enclose  the  amount  of  the  cost  in  the 
case  with  the  stones,"  returned  Mrs  Leppell.  "  There 
are  bank-notes  to  the  sum  of  two  hundred  pounds  for 
that  purpose." 

The  Colonel  gave  a  low  whistle.  "  The  setting  won't 
cost  as  much  as  that,"  he  said. 

"  Perhaps  not ;  but  the  child  shall  retain  whatever  is 
over  for  her  own  needs,"  said  the  mother  resolutely  ; 
"  she  will  want  several  things  for  her  '  trousseau,'  with 
which  it  may  be  difficult  for  us  to  supply  her.  I  have 
thought  that  whatever  is  over  after  the  setting  of  the 
jewels  should  be  Moll's  own  money.  She  has  given  it 
to  me  to  take  care  of ;  but  I  will  let  you  have  the  half 
of  the  sum  if  you  like.  You  can,  at  all  events,  pay  the 
jeweller  on  account,  and  whatever  is  required  over  can 
be  easily  sent.     Mind,  Ealph,  nothing  of  this  is  to  be 

vol.  I.  N 


194  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

spent  upon  Duke — not  a  fraction.  He  is  released  from 
disgrace  for  my  sake ;  but  the  gift  to  Mary  shall  not 
be  used  to  help  him  out  of  his  money  difficulties." 

The  Colonel  stared  at  his  wife,  but  made  no  reply, 
whether  from  amazement  at  the  decision  of  her  manner 
or  from  the  consciousness  that  she  was  thoroughly  in 
the  right,  it  is  impossible  to  say.  The  advantage 
gained  by  what  appeared  to  be  passive  acquiescence 
on  her  husband's  part  emboldened  Mrs  Leppell  to  pro- 
ceed, which  she  did  on  this  wise. 

"  You  are  certainly  better  out  of  the  house  now," 
she  continued,  "  and  if  you  can  arrange  with  Captain 
Plume  to  take  your  work,  you  had  better  remain  as 
long  as  you  can,  and  thus  get  everything  settled  as 
regards  Duke  thoroughly,  and  be  with  him  as  much 
as  you  can ;  and,  above  all  things,  don't  trust  to  Duke's 
representations,  but  go  to  the  London  lawyers  first. 
Make  Duke  do  what  they  advise,  and  if  they  say  he 
must  surrender  himself  to  the  Court  of  Chancery,  make 
him  do  so.  You  promise  me  that,  Ealph,  don't  you  ? " 
and  this  handsome,  innocent  woman  of  forty-eight  en- 
treated her  husband  with  all  the  caressing  naweU  of 
a  girl  of  sixteen. 

"  I  can't  help  myself,"  was  the  reply.  "  I  will  do 
my  best,  dear ;  but  mind,  I  won't  have  Duke  bullied 
or  sat  upon, — in  spite  of  all,  he  is  our  son,  our  eldest 
son.  I  can't  help  thinking  that  this  Court  will  take 
care  that  the  lad  gets  little  or  no  benefit  from  his  wife's 
fortune, — that's  bad  enough." 

"He  must  take  his   chance  of   that,"  the  mother 


COLONEL   LEPPELL   IN   LONDON.  195 

replied,  "and  submit  with  as  good  a  grace  as  pos- 
sible." 

"  One  comfort — his  wife  seems  to  have  married  him 
from  affection,  and  no  doubt  she  will  in  the  end  repay 
him  for  what  he  will  suffer  on  her  account.  I  daresay 
she  will  make  him  a  handsome  allowance,  or  settle 
something  upon  him  at  once,"  said  the  Colonel,  in 
magnificent  ignorance  of  the  laws  of  the  country  in 
the  matter  of  the  property  and  marriage  of  wards  of 
Court. 

"  We  must  hope  for  the  best,"  said  Mrs  Leppell, 
"  and  do,  I  beseech  you,  let  the  London  lawyers  act  in 
the  matter.  We  know  nothing,  and  indeed  are  per- 
fectly ignorant  of  how  all  this  has  come  about.  Be 
sure  and  make  Duke  respectful  and  civil  if  he  should 
have  to  appear  before  a  judge, — these  men  have  so 
much  in  their  power." 

"I  don't  like  the  idea  of  the  lad's  figuring  as  a 
nigger  serenader,"  said  Colonel  Leppell,  giving  him- 
self a  shake.  "  Must  keep  that  dark  with  his  regiment. 
Well,  the  first  thing  I'll  do  will  be  to  go  direct  to 
Holborn  and  relieve  the  lad's  mind.  Glad,  though, 
that  he  has  not  been  beholden  to  Thwacker  for  board 
and  lodging :  he  tells  you  in  his  letter  that  he  is  earn- 
ing his  bread,  does  he  not  ? " 

"  Yes,"  said  the  mother,  drearily.  She  could  have 
added,  "  And  spending  double  what  he  earns  :  it  is  the 
manner  of  the  race."  But  she  wisely  withheld  the 
expression  of  this  conviction,  and  proposed,  after  a 
moment's  silence,  to  send  Moll  to  her  father  to  show 


196  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

him  her  diamonds.  "  You  know  where  to  take  them," 
she  said ;  "  they  ought  to  be  mounted  in  the  very  best 
manner." 

"  You  are  right.     I  will  take  them  to  Paris." 

"  To  Paris  ! "  she  exclaimed  in  astonishment.  "  Are 
the  London  jewellers  not  good  enough  ? " 

"  Some  of  them  are ;  but  Dupont  is  the  prince  of 
jewellers.  Besides,  he  has  done  a  good  deal  for  the 
house  of  Hieover,  and  I  would  rather  give  him  the 
order." 

"  Oh,  if  you  know  a  respectable  and  reliable  man, 
that  makes  all  the  difference,"  said  Mrs  Leppell ;  "  and 
I  may  as  well  give  you  two  bank-notes  of  fifty  pounds 
each,  which  Moll  will  bring  you,  to  pay  for  the  setting. 
Don't  let  the  cost  be  much  more,  Ealph,  if  you  can 
possibly  help  it.  You  know  how  short  of  money  we 
will  be  if  anything  were  to  happen  to  grandmamma." 

Adelaide,  to  do  her  justice,  had  only  just  thought  of 
this  contingency.  She  was  now  doubly  anxious  to 
expedite  her  husband's  departure.  How  did  she 
know  that  both  of  them,  through  the  course  of  events, 
might  not  be  tempted  to  divert  this  money  from  its 
legitimate  use  ? 

So  Colonel  Leppell  set  out  for  London,  and  on 
arriving  at  the  Paddington  Station  of  the  Great 
Western  Eailway,  drove  straight  towards  Holborn. 
He  took  the  precaution  to  dismiss  his  cab  at  some 
little  distance  from  the  entrance  to  Mr  Thwacker's 
shooting-gallery,  and  as  it  was  nearly  dark,  he  at  once 
made  his  way  to  that  temple  of  pugilism. 


COLONEL   LEPPELL   IN   LONDON.  197 

Turning  out  of  Oxford  Street,  he  walked  up  an 
alley  which  was  rather  narrow,  and  paved  mercilessly 
with  those  horrible  pebble-stones  which  remind  one  of 
huge  potatoes  petrified  in  substance,  and  extra  rounded 
in  form.  "We  unconsciously  perform  an  act  of  pen- 
ance whenever  we  tramp  over  these ;  in  fact,  it  is  a 
fixed  idea  in  the  minds  of  some  sufferers  that  the 
unboiled  peas  in  the  shoon  of  the  early  pilgrims  and 
penitents  were  but  a  faint  joke  in  comparison  with 
this  infliction  of  later  civilisation. 

Here  and  there  a  flat  paving -stone  laid  at  the 
basement  of  a  door  announced  that  a  humble  dwell- 
ing-place gave  shelter  to  some  of  London's  hard 
workaday  folks. 

It  was  remarkable  that  the  windows  of  these  tene- 
ments were  furnished  with  short  muslin-blinds  which 
were  conspicuous  for  their  beautiful  cleanliness.  The 
masonry  of  these  houses  was  of  the  solid  thick  material 
of  the  olden  times,  when  the  dwelling-places  were 
made  to  stand  hard  wear  and  tear,  and  their  walls 
were  built  thick  enough  to  defy  alike  winter's  cold 
and  summer's  sun.  Partly  denuded  of  plaster  and 
spotted  with  the  colour  of  decay,  as  some  of  them 
were,  they  still  presented  an  air  of  protection,  and  the 
certainty  that  the  occupants  had  veritably  a  weather- 
tight  roof  over  their  heads. 

A  woman's  form  sometimes  protruded  out  of  one  of 
these  doors  as  the  Colonel  tramped  up  this  alley, 
giving  his  opinion  of  its  paving-stones  in  the  most 
forcible  language,  at  the  same  time  turning  himself 


198  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

about  all  ways,  after  the  manner  of  strangers,  in  order 
to  comprehend  the  geography  of  the  district  with 
some  decree  of  certitude. 

"  That's  a  pretty  child  you  have  got  there,"  he  said 
with  such  suddenness  to  a  woman  who  was  peering  at 
him  through  the  twilight,  that  she  started  and  cried 
out,  "  0  Lor ' ! "  "  That's  a  very  pretty  child  ;  but 
you  should  not  keep  it  out  so  late  in  this  air.  I  am 
looking  for  Thwacker's  shooting-gallery ;  am  I  on  the 
right  track  ? " 

"  Ye  be,  my  lord,"  the  woman  replied,  in  the  convic- 
tion that  she  was  enlightening  one  of  Mr  Thwacker's 
aristocratic  pupils.  "  It's  rather  longer  to  wind  about 
this  passage  than  the  street  lower  down.  Many  comes 
this  way,  because  it's  more  private  like." 

"  I  fancied  when  I  was  here  last  that  I  came  by  a 
broad  crowded  street,"  returned  the  Colonel,  graciously. 
"  I  know  the  place  when  I  get  to  it.  The  street  lower 
down  is  the  general  way  to  Thwacker's,  I  suppose  ? " 

"  Yes,  my  lord ;  but  many  passes  down  here  on  the 
quiet.  You  have  only  to  go  straight  on  to  where  you 
see  that  light,  and  turn  sharp  round ;  then  you  will 
find  the  shooting-gallery  right  in  front  of  ye,"  replied 
the  woman.  "  Oh,  thank  you,  my  lord ;  bless  you — 
bless  you  a  thousand  times ! "  This  for  the  shilling 
that  was  put  into  the  little  child's  hand ;  but  it  was 
the  kindly  pat  on  the  curly  head  of  her  offspring,  and 
the  gentle  pinch  on  its  tender  neck  which  accom- 
panied the  gift,  which  drew  forth  the  mother's  bless- 
ing.    Who  knows  ?     In  that  place  and  at  that  time 


COLONEL   LEPPELL  IN   LONDON.  199 

when  all  things  will  be  made  clear,  it  may  be  re- 
vealed how  such  acts  of  unostentatious  kindness  have 
been  set  down  by  the  recording  angel  in  letters  of 
gold,  and  have  gone  far  to  balance  the  gross  unre- 
fined metal  of  the  multitude  of  sins  in  the  sight  of 
the  Father  who  pities  His  children. 

"  Thwacker's,"  as  it  was  briefly  called,  was  being 
lighted  up  and  arranged  for  the  reception  of  those 
pupils  whose  daily  avocations  only  permitted  their 
attendance  at  evening  and  night  time.  It  was  yet 
too  early  for  those  whose  engagements  or  proclivities 
led  them  to  frequent  this  abode  of  athletic  science  in 
the  evening  hours,  and  the  pupils  of  the  daytime  had 
all  departed.  As  the  visitor  stood  before  the  portals, 
he  could  hear  the  sounds  of  sweeping  and  garnishing ; 
and  frequent  pushings  across  the  floor,  accompanied 
by  violent  bumping,  seemed  to  indicate  that  the  im- 
plements of  defence  were  being  relegated  to  their 
several  places  with  the  most  unceremonious  despatch 
on  the  part  of  the  propellers  thereof ;  the  fact  being 
that  the  attendants  all  wanted  their  tea,  and  were 
impatient  to  be  gone. 

As  if  to  take  precautions  that  the  work  must  be 
finished  before  any  one  person  could  be  suffered  to 
depart,  Mr  Thwacker  walked  up  and  down,  now  here, 
now  there,  literally  pervading  his  establishment ;  and 
the  Colonel  could  distinctly  recognise  his  voice  some- 
where in  the  far  interior  of  the  building,  which  ran 
back  to  a  great  length,  and  was  full  of  apertures  and 
windows  of  every  shape  and  size.      At  length  there 


200  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

was  a  lull ;  then  a  good  deal  of  clapping  and  shutting 
together  of  doors  and  casements,  the  whole  culmin- 
ating in  a  triumphant  bang  of  an  outer  gate,  which 
proclaimed  that  Mr  Thwacker  had  for  the  nonce  re- 
duced his  establishment  into  quietness  of  life,  and  that 
he  was  now  free  to  enjoy  his  pipe  and  a  "  refresher  "  in 
the  shape  of  an  enormous  pot  of  London  stout.  Look- 
ing through  the  diamond-panes  of  the  deep-set  window 
frame  of  the  apartment  to  the  left  of  the  entrance- 
door,  the  Colonel  beheld  the  pugilist  resting  from  his 
labours,  and  also,  to  his  great  satisfaction,  saw  that  he 
was  quite  alone,  and  not  at  all  likely  to  be  engaged 
for  some  little  time  to  come. 

As  soon  as  the  last  drop  of  the  stout  had  vanished, 
and  Mr  Thwacker  had  smacked  his  lips  and  given 
other  outward  and  visible  signs  of  contentment,  the 
Colonel  withdrew  from  the  window  and  rapped  smartly 
at  the  outer  door,  which  of  course  was  partially  open, 
calling  out  at  the  same  time,  "  I  am  the  gentleman 
from  Yarneshire, — father  of  one  of  your  pupils,  you 
understand ;  ah,  Mr  Thwacker,  how  are  you  ? " 

Mr  Thwacker  did  understand.  Indeed  his  pro- 
fessional experience  was  so  extensive  and  so  varied, 
that  there  was  very  little  of  a  certain  kind  of  know- 
ledge which  he  could  not  meet,  at  least  half-way ;  and 
in  this  case  he  was  particularly  happy,  for  he  was 
thoroughly  ecu  courant  with  all  Mr  Marmaduke  Leppell's 
ways  and  works,  and  moreover,  so  anxious  to  get  rid  of 
that  young  gentleman,  that  there  was  no  risk  of  his 
affecting  ignorance,  or  being  reticent  concerning  the 


COLONEL   LEPPELL   IN   LONDON.  201 

manner  in  which  the  youth  was  conducting  himself, 
either  in  disguise  or  out  of  it.  So,  after  answering 
the  visitor's  inquiries  respecting  his  health  and  pros- 
perity, the  pugilist  said,  "  I'm  mortal  glad  to  see  you, 
sir,  for  Duke,  —  you'll  excuse  me,  —  Duke  is  more 
anxiety  to  me  than  a  dozen  other  men.  Just  walk 
in  here,  will  you  ? — this  is  my  '  sanctum,'  and  we  can 
talk  in  private.  I  was  just  going  to  get  my  clerk  to 
write  and  ask  you  to  come  up  here  immediate.  Come 
in,  sir,  and  I  will  tell  you  the  reason  why." 


202 


CHAPTER    X. 


IN  RE    MARMADUKE. 


The  private  apartment  dignified  by  the  name  of  Mr 
Thwacker's  "sanctum"  was  a  retreat  devoted  to  the 
purposes  of  bodily  repose,  combined  with  such  busi- 
ness as  was  confined  to  the  calculation  of  the  current 
expenses  of  his  pupils  and  patrons. 

A  commodious  sofa,  mounted  on  a  strong  frame  and 
comfortably  padded,  filled  up  nearly  one  side  of  the 
wall.  Here  it  was  that  Mr  Thwacker  afforded  repose 
to  his  limbs,  after  labours  that  might  be  more  than 
herculean  in  their  nature:  here  also  he  could  give 
the  powers  of  his  mind  to  the  making  up  of  his 
"little  bills"  against  his  customers. 

A  slate  of  huge  dimensions  was  hung  up  behind 
the  door,  and  furnished  evidence  of  the  peculiar 
style  of  arithmetic  employed  in  the  "  sanctum."  A 
rough  drawing  of  a  billiard  cue,  and  various  hiero- 
glyphical  figures,  announced  that  Mr  Thwacker  had 
his  own  private  views,  other  than  those  usually  ac- 
cepted  as   the   signs    of   computation ;    and   that   he 


IN  RE  MARMADUKE.  203 

made  use  of  these  with  liberality,  and  regardless  of 
criticism. 

The  explanation  of  this  consists  in  the  fact  that  Mr 
Thwacker  had  never  been  taught  to  read  and  write, 
and  it  was  a  marvel  to  many  how  this  man  had  got  on 
in  the  world  so  well  as  he  did,  lacking  the  three  K's 
in  their  entirety,  the  omission  of  even  one  of  these 
qualifications  being  generally  regarded  as  a  bar  to 
commercial  success  in  any  undertaking. 

Seeing  Colonel  Leppell's  eye  directed  towards  this 
slate  in  some  bewilderment,  Mr  Thwacker  felt  himself 
called  upon  to  explain  the  meaning  of  the  signs  there 
depicted.  The  former,  however,  disclaimed  any  curi- 
osity regarding  the  private  accounts  of  the  establish- 
ment; he  was  only  wondering  if  this  were  a  short 
method  of  going  into  figures.  Arithmetic  was  not  a 
strong  point  with  any  of  the  scions  of  the  house  of 
Hieover. 

"  I  thought  you  might  be  looking  for  your  son's 
little  account,"  said  Mr  Thwacker.  "There's  little 
again  him  :  he  makes  his  money  and  he  pays  it  as 
far  as  I  am  concerned — he  do.  See  that  black  spot, 
like  a  dab  of  ink  ?  that  means  Duke  —  beg  pardon, 
your  son." 

The  Colonel  nodded. 

"  Well,  that  mark,  one  long  and  one  short,  means 
that  he  is  one  bob  short  in  his  billiard  account. 
Here  again,  white  chalk  blot  means  the  Hon- 
ourable Mr  Lilley,  five  short  marks  at  him ;  I  see 
in  a  moment  he  owes  five  bob.      Full  moon ;   that 


20-4  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

means  that  these  gents  have  paid  in  full :  nice  easy 

method,  ain't  it  ? " 

"  But  you  can't  always  depend  upon  this,  can  you  ? " 
"  Only  as  a  weekly  reckoner,  and  I  never  lets  these 

items  run  beyond  ten  days,  never — it  wouldn't  do. 

For  lame  accounts — and  the  wear  and  tear  here  is 

o 

awful — I  pays  fifteen  shillings  a  -  month  to  a  little 
clerk  near  this,  to  come  and  settle  everything  up, 
wages  and  all,  once  in  the  week.  He  wants  the 
money  and  a  good  supper,  poor  chap,  and  in  addi- 
tion I  lets  him  have  a  turn  in  the  gallery  now  and 
then,  so  all  works  fairly  well,  taking  one  thing  with 
another.  The  great  secret,  Colonel,  is  never  to  let 
things  get  too  much  ahead.  I  am  not  learned  myself, 
— I  don't  pretend  to  be,  and  I  don't  want  to  be,"  con- 
tinued Mr  Thwacker,  candidly ;  "  but  I  have  the  gift 
of  finding  out  in  a  precious  short  time  who  suits  my 
book,  and  I  puts  my  business  into  those  hands  as  does 
it  best,  and  keeps  square  themselves,  and  don't  want 
to  know  too  much." 

« Very  sensible,"  returned  Colonel  Leppell,  approv- 
ingly ;  "  I  wish  I  could  always  get  my  business  well 
carried  out  by  other  people.  But  you  know  the  great 
Duke  of  Wellington's  opinion  on  that  subject,  eh  ? " 

"  Can't  say  as  I  do,  sir,"  replied  Mr  Thwacker. 

"  I  need  not  tell  you,  though,  that  the  Duke  looked 
well  after  his  men,  and  made  everybody  do  their  busi- 
ness, and  wouldn't  stand  any  interfering  or  advising 
from  other  people.  One  day  an  inventor  called  upon 
his  Grace  of  Wellington,  and  begged  him  to  adopt  at 


IX  RE  MARMADUKE.  205 

Apsley  House  a  peculiar  kind  of  riddle  which  was  to 
save  a  great  deal  of  coal,  and  separate  the  dust  and 
stuff  from  the  same.  The  Duke  listened,  and  ex- 
amined the  model  of  the  inventor.  After  expressing 
his  approbation  of  the  thing,  his  Grace  said,  '  Mr  A., 
I  will  order  one  of  your  riddles,  as  you  have  not  kept 
me  loner  in  talking,  and  have  had  the  sense  to  show 
the  working  of  your  machine  by  bringing  your  model ; 
but  I  tell  you  candidly,  unless  I  riddle  the  ashes  my- 
self, this  thing  will  be  of  no  use  in  the  household. 
Good  morning.'  Whether  this  patent  riddle  was  ever 
used  I  can't  say,  but  as  it  was  not  the  Duke's  pro- 
vince even  to  give  orders  about  it,  I  fancy  its  glory  re- 
mained untarnished  during  the  life  of  its  noble  owner 
at  any  rate." 

"  Ah !  we  can't  be  here  and  there  and  everywhere, 
any  of  us,  and  perhaps  it's  just  as  well — just  as  well, 
for  parents  and  guardians  at  any  rate,"  said  Mr 
Thwacker,  significantly. 

The  Colonel  caught  the  meaning,  and  thought  he 
would  take  the  bull  by  the  horns  at  once.  "  Now, 
Thwacker,  I  want  you  to  tell  me  about  my  son :  never 
mind  my  feelings, — what  has  he  been  up  to  since  he 
came  here,  eh  ?  " 

"  Well,"  replied  Mr  Thwacker  slowly,  "  if  I  must  be 
plain-spoken,  I  may  as  well  say  at  once,  Colonel,  that 
I  shall  be  jolly  well  pleased  if  your  son  can  make 
hisself  scarce  here  as  soon  as  may   be  convenient." 

"  Hah  !  is  he  troublesome  then  ? " 

"  It  isn't  that  so  much,  but  he  is  so  random-like, — 


206  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

never  cares  a  bit  for  my  orders,  or  my  wish  to  keep 
this  house  quiet  and  respectable.  The  beaks  and  the 
bobbies  are  always  glad  enough  to  run  clown  a  house 
like  this,  let  the  owner  do  his  very  best  to  keep  things 
square.  Now  Duke,  he's  a  handsome  lad,  as  fresh 
as  paint,  and  as  round  as  an  apple,"  continued  Mr 
Thwacker,  as  his  pugilistic  proclivities  evolved,  "  and 
it's  a  treat  to  see  him  with  the  gloves, — it  is  indeed  a 
noble  sight,  sir :  but  he  don't  stop  at  that,  he  don't  in- 
deed, and  that's  why  I  mourns  over  him — that  I  do." 

"  Has  he  been  sparring  in  the  streets  or  in  public- 
houses  ? "  inquired  the  Colonel,  thinking  to  help  Mr 
Thwacker  out,  or  at  least  to  meet  him  half-way  in 
these  revelations. 

"  I  won't  say  that  he  has  or  that  he  hasn't,"  re- 
turned the  pugilist  mysteriously.  "  Unfortunately, 
Duke — beg  pardon — he  do  look  remarkable  well  as  a 
nigger  tambourine  -  player,  and  so  with  his  lovely 
voice  he  gets  no  end  of  a  crowd  about  him  when  he 
goes  out  singing  at  nights,  and  he  makes  money  like 
one  o'clock  ;  but  the  worst  of  it,  he  brings  all  sorts  to 
the  house  that  ought  not  to  be  here,  and  treats  'em  at 
the  small  private  bar  round  the  opposite  corner  there. 
I  don't  keep  a  public,  but  my  customers  patronise 
the  place  over  there,  and  we  get  mixed  sometimes, 
with  so  much  going  and  coming,  ye  see.  To  cut  it 
short,  Duke  brings  people  into  the  gallery  that  I 
won't  have  there,  and  that's  how  it  is  that  me  and 
him  is  likely  to  have  a  fall  out ;  so  you  are  just  in 
time,  Colonel,  to  get  him  away  quietly." 


IN  RE  MARMADUKE.  207 

"  Too  bad,  too  bad,"  answered  the  Colonel.  "  But 
the  police  have  not  been  here  after  him,  have  they  ? " 

"  Well,  no  ;  I  fancy  the  Court  of  Chancery  don't  do 
their  business  in  that  way  (your  son  told  me  all  his 
little  trouble,  for  you  see,  had  it  been  anything  crim- 
inal, I  would  not  have  harboured  him).  But  one  even- 
ing, Duke, — you'll  excuse  me,  I  can't  help  calling  him 
Duke " 

"  But  he  is  not  known  by  that  name  here,  is  he  ?  " 
inquired  the  Colonel,  in  a  tone  resonant  with  surprise 
and  indignation. 

"  Xo,  Colonel,  by  no  means  ;  he  goes  under  the 
name  of  '  Snowball/  and  Duke  is  supposed  to  be  his 
title,  because,  as  I  can't  help  letting  the  name  out,  we 
agreed  to  let  things  slide  like  that,  especially  as  the 
popular  idea  is  that  your  lad  is  a  young  nobleman  out 
on  the  spree — for  a  bet,  or  something  like  that — so  I 
fosters  the  impression,  and  it  has  answered  uncom- 
monly well." 

This  information  so  far'  tended  to  calm  Colonel 
Leppell's  excitement,  that  he  proclaimed  himself  ready 
to  listen  to  further  communications. 

"  About  the  policeman  that  Duke  fancied  might  be 
looking  out  for  him,"  continued  Mr  Thwacker,  taking 
up  the  thread  of  his  narration,  "  the  bobby  certainly 
roused  suspicion  by  his  peering  here  and  there,  and 
looking  at  the  premises  up  and  down,  and  as  un- 
abashed as  if  they  were  a  lady.  Well,  Duke  thinks 
to  put  a  stop  to  this  kind  of  inspection,  so  what 
does  he  do  but  dress   up   as  the  devil,  and  hide  in 


•208  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

the  lower  court  behind  a  water-butt.  When  that 
poor  deluded  officer  passed,  blest  if  your  son  didn't 
leap  on  the  chap's  back,  with  a  screech  and  a  gleam  of 
phosphorus  which  he  managed  to  draw  across  his  eyes 
at  the  same  moment.  0  Lor' !  Colonel,  that  bobby 
did  run  like  old  boots — that  he  did ;  and  though  I  was 
very  angry,  I  could  not  for  the  life  of  me  help  roaring 
with  laughing, — it  was  too  much  even  for  a  jidge  to 
stand — even  for  a  jidge."  Here  Mr  Thwacker  shook 
with  laughter  as  he  told  the  story. 

"  Then  this  has  got  you  both  into  trouble  with  the 
police,  I  surmise  ?  "  asked  the  Colonel. 

"  No,  sir ;  as  luck  would  have  it,  it  was  thought  to 
be  a  lark  from  one  of  the  neighbouring  pubs,  which  is 
always  at  loggerheads  with  the  bobbies,  and  the  night 
was  very  dark.  Now,  nobody  ever  does  know  any- 
thing about  anybody  else  when  the  '  police  inquiries,' 
as  they  are  called,  come  round  ;  and  the  bobbies,  as  a 
rule,  keep  uncommonly  quiet  about  anything  that  may 
turn  a  laugh  against  one  of  themselves.  Duke,  too, 
had  the  grace  to  keep  away  from  the  place  for  some 
hours.  It  was  a  foolhardy  trick,  because  the  black 
paint  might  have  given  a  clue  to  suspicion.  But  it 
is  not  that, — it's  what  he  did  last  night  that  well- 
nigh  skeared  me,  and  I  can  stand  a  pretty  lot 
too " 


"  What  do  you  mean  ?  "  interrupted  the  father,  with 
a  frightened  look  on  his  face  ;  "  speak  at  once, — tell 
me  what  you  mean  ! " 

"  This  is  what  I  mean,  and  no  mistake  about  it.     I 


IJV  RE  MARMADUKE.  209 

can  be  as  lenient  to  boys  and  men  as  anybody,  when 
they  plays  their  tricks  as  boys  and  men;  but  when 
they  dresses  up  as  females,  and  passes  in  the  streets 
as  females,  and  goes  to  the  theaters  as  females,  there 
I  draws  the  line." 

"  You  don't  mean  to  tell  me,  Thwacker,  that  my  son 
has  done  that  ?  " 

"  He  has ;  last  night,  Colonel,  he  went  to  the  Hay- 
market  Theater,  dressed  as  a  girl,  in  company  with 
one  of  the  worst  scamps  in  London ;  he  was  dressed 
as  a  '  chapprony.'  The  trick  was  so  well  done  that 
they  were  not  suspected,  especially  as  the  scamp  had 
a  friend  who  escorted  them  under  the  guise  of  an 
elderly  clergyman.  It  seems  that  Duke  looked  so 
beautiful,  that  he  attracted  a  good  deal  of  atten- 
tion  " 

"  I  wish  somebody  had  punched  his  head  ! "  roared 
the  Colonel.  He  was  terribly  annoyed,  for  Duke's 
striking  resemblance  to  his  sister  Mary  at  once 
rushed  to  his  mind.  "  The  young  rascal !  he  little 
knows  what  mischief  has  been  done  by  the  like 
actions." 

"  True,  sir  ;  well  it  seems  the  general  admiration 
caused  the  scamp  (who,  worse  luck,  belongs  to  a 
respectable  family,  which  I  could  name)  and  his 
pretended  clerical  friend  to  get  rather  alarmed  at  so 
many  people  spying  and  giving  their  opinion  as  to 
who  this  beautiful  girl  might  be,  and  they  had  the 
sense  to  clear  out  before  the  performance  was  over. 
The  dressing-up  was  not  done  here,  or  I  should  have 

vol.  I.  o 


210  THE   FAT    OF   THE   LAND. 

stopped  it,  even  if  I  had  been  obliged  to  knock  Duke 
down  and  pummel  him." 

"  Quite  right,  Thwacker,  quite  right,"  said  his  visitor 
heartily.  "  Where  did  they  go  after  they  left  the 
Haymarket  ? " 

"  Your  son  returned  here  alone,  covered  with  a 
military  cloak,  and  with  his  head  tied  up  in  a  cape : 
fortunately,  it  was  a  pouring  wet  night,  and  it  seems 
he  stopped  the  cab  short  of  this,  and  just  put  the  fare 
into  the  driver's  hand,  without  speaking.  So  you 
see,  Colonel,  it  is  high  time  that  he  were  out  of  this — 
ay,  and  out  of  London  too.  Prison  might  keep  him  ; 
nothing  else  will,  it  is  my  belief.     You'll  excuse  me." 

"  Is  he  mixed  up  in  any  disreputable  affair  ? "  in- 
quired Colonel  Leppell,  with  a  face  like  fire. 

"  Not  that  I  know  of,  neither  do  I  think  so.  It 
was  done  purely  for  a  lark ;  but  his  companions  are 
known  bad  ones,  and  how  they  have  got  hold  of  him 
beats  my  comprehension.  If  these  rascals  were  to 
offer  to  enter  my  gallery,  I'd  kick  'em  out, — don't 
think  as  your  son  has  made  this  acquaintance  here, 
Colonel." 

"  You  need  not  assure  me  of  that,  Thwacker,"  said 
the  poor  father,  who  looked  thoroughly  crestfallen ; 
"this  all  comes  of  these  concealments.  I'll  make 
Duke  deliver  himself  to  the  Court  of  Chancery,  and 
I'll — I'll  tell  the  Chancellor  that  he  is  to  imprison 
him,  just  for  a  warning — to  give  him  a  fright,  you 
know.  I'll  call  on  the  Chancellor  and  the  judges, 
and   give  them   the   rights   of    the   thing;    and   the 


AY  RE  MARMADUKE.  211 

barrister  who  has  to  defend  him,  he  shall  have  a 
hint." 

"  Better  consult  your  lawyer,  sir ;  you  might  get 
into  trouble  if  you  undertake  such  work  on  your  own 
hook/'  advised  Mr  Thwacker,  with  laudable  discre- 
tion. "  But  you  are  quite  right  to  put  a  stop  to  this 
game  as  soon  as  you  can,  sir,  as  this  sort  of  thing  may 
lead  to  dreadful  results,  and  the  young  fellow  runs 
a  chance  of  being  made  a  tool  on  for  no  end  of 
crime." 

"  No  one  knows  of  this  but  yourself,  I  hope  ?  "  said 
the  Colonel. 

"Not  a  creature,  sir.  I  was  waiting  up  for  him, 
and  as  I  told  you,  the  bad  night  favoured  everything. 
When  I  saw  him  after  he  dropped  the  cloak,  I  let  out 
and  no  mistake,  and  I  made  him  tear  up  every  rag 
and  burn  it,  under  pain  of  calling  in  the  police  there 
and  then.  He  declared  that  he  was  ignorant  that  to 
frequent  a  public  place  dressed  as  a  female  was  an 
offence  against  the  law." 

"  I  don't  suppose  he  knew  anything  about  the  law 
of  the  case,"  said  Duke's  father. 

"That's  where  I  see  the  omissions  committed  by 
this  blessed  education  system.  The  youngsters  is 
crammed  with  a  lot  of  knowledge,  good  in  its  way, 
but  which  nine-tenths  of  them  never  want,  whilst 
they  are  as  ignorant  as  owls  about  the  everyday 
matters  of  ordinary  life.  You  should  just  hear  some 
i  of  them  discussing  the  laws  of  matrimony,  as  I  did 
the  other  day  after   the  class  was  over.     0  Lor' !    a 


212  THE  FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

young  fellow,  who  has  got  a  wife  already,  was  asking 
some  of  the  others  if  a  marriage  called  a  Morgan 
ceremony,  or  something  like  that,  was  valid  in  Eng- 
land. One  of  them  declared  that  it's  done  by  a  special 
licence,  and  another  of  'em  that  it  is  a  German 
privilege,  right  in  Germany,  but  immoral  everywhere 
else  !  You  would  be  astonished  at  the  ignorance  con- 
cerning the  law  of  different  things  that  I  has  to  correct 
every  clay  of  my  life  a'most." 

"  Did  Duke  take  your  rebukes  in  good  part, 
Thwacker  ?     I  hope  he  did,"  said  the  Colonel. 

"  Your  son  is  as  bold  as  brass,  and  as  unyielding 
as  iron,"  rej^lied  Mr  Thwacker,  full  of  metaphor ;  "  but 
last  night  I  properly  alarmed  him.  Yes,"  continued 
the  pugilist,  with  an  air  of  conviction,  "  Master  Snow- 
ball showed  as  white  as  his  name  last  night, — he 
did." 

"  Thank  you,  thank  you  heartily,  Thwacker,"  said 
the  Colonel,  after  a  short  pause,  in  which  he  appeared 
to  be  revolving  an  idea.  "  I  still  think  I  will  get  the 
Chancellor  to  give  Duke  a  month  in  prison :  he  is 
liable  to  that,  you  know,  for  abducting  a  ward  of 
Court, — terrible  liberty  to  take.  I  see  that  more 
clearly  than  I  did.  But  now,  where  is  the  rascal  ? 
Can  I  find  him  ?  or,  perhaps,  you  had  better  send  him 
here  sharp." 

"  You  can't  see  him  just  at  this  moment,  Colonel," 
said  Mr  Thwacker,  with  what  he  meant  to  be  a  smile, 
but  which  really  resulted  in  a  defiant  grin ;  "  he  will 
be  having  tea  with  his  wife  at  this  time." 


IN  RE  MARMADUKE.  213 

"  His  wife  ! "  cried  the  Colonel,  really  startled  at  the 
news  ;  "  what  devil's  mischief  is  up  now  ? " 

"  Well,  sir,  it's  more  woman's  mischief,  as  I  take  it. 
You  know  what  they  are,  women  and  girls,  when  they 
intend  to  carry  things  their  own  way.  Mrs  Marma- 
duke  Leppell  got  away  from  her  guardian,  gave  the 
lady-keeper  some  chloroform,  travelled  night  and  day, 
and  was  here  at  seven  o'clock  this  morning  as  fresh  as 
a  daisy." 

"  How  did  she  know  the  address  ?  " 

"  It  seems  as  they  were  parted  he  managed  to 
whisper  to  her  that  he  would  be  here.  They  were 
pursued  by  people  sent  by  the  lady's  guardians,  and 
not  by  the  officers  of  the  Court  of  Chancery.  The 
young  woman  declares  that  some  old  cousin  wanted 
her  for  his  son,  and  being  baulked  they  set  on  the 
Chancery  people  out  of  spite." 

"  What  is  she  like  ? "  said  the  Colonel,  suddenly, — 
"  nice-looking,  good  feet  and  ankles ;  no  accent,  I 
hope  ? " 

"  She's  a  nice  buxom-looking  girl — not  quite  a  lady ; 
but,  0  Lor' !  a  precious  sight  too  good  for  Duke. 
You'll  excuse  me,  after  what  I  know,  Colonel." 

"  They  shall  surrender  themselves  at  once,"  said  that 
officer,  decidedly ;  "  so  it  is  just  as  well  Mrs  Duke  has 
arrived.  They  can  go  together,  and  be  a  mutual  sup- 
port.    AVhere  are  they  ? " 

"  Well,  sir,  this  not  being  the  place  for  a  lady,  and 
my  wife  dreading  the  responsibility,  we  thought  it 
best  to  advise  them  to  go  at  once  to  Holloway,  and 


214  THE   FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

ft 

take  a  quiet  lodging  with  the  mother  of  one  of  my 
men,  who  is  ill  through  an  accident.  Mrs  Thwacker 
took  her  first  there  alone ;  but  Duke  swore  he  would 
follow,  so  I  thought  it  better  he  should  go  out  there  at 
dusk  in  a  cab  and  chance  it.  He  had  only  started  about 
half  an  hour  before  you  came  in." 

"  He  did  not  go  in  his  nigger's  disguise,  then  ? " 

"  No,  sir ;  I  thought  it  was  only  due  to  his  young 
wife  that  he  should  join  her  in  the  dress,  at  least,  of  a 
gentleman,"  replied  the  pugilist,  without  the  slightest 
intention  of  beinoj  ironical.  "  He  was  to  return  here 
to-morrow  night  at  dusk ;  but  as  you  have  arrived, 
perhaps  you  will  make  other  arrangements." 

"  I  will  go  to  Holloway  at  once,  the  first  thing  in  the 
morning,  and  insist  upon  their  going  with  me  to  the 
lawyers.  I  have  the  address,  and  I  will  write  to  the 
firm  to-night,  telling  them  to  expect  to  see  us  in  the 
afternoon  of  to-morrow.  To  surrender  to  the  Court,  and 
get  a  month's  imprisonment,  will  be  the  best  thing 
for  Duke.  The  girl  can  come  into  the  country  with 
me,  to  pass  away  the  time  with  my  family ;  after  that, 
I  will  get  Duke  sent  to  some  place  out  of  England — 
Corfu,  or  some  station  not  out  of  reach — and  by  that 
time  matrimony  will  have  settled  him  down." 

"  Mrs  Duke  told  my  wife  that  where  her  husband 
went  there  she  would  go ;  she  only  hoped,  she  said, 
that  the  Chancellor  would  put  them  in  the  same  prison. 
As  to  the  money,  Duke  should  have  every  penny  of  it ; 
and  she  declared  she  would  not  sign  or  promise  any- 
thing that  he   did  not  approve  of.      0   Lor' !   these 


IN  RE  MARMADUKE.  215 

women,  they  are  the  same  all  the  world  over ;  they 
delight  to  sacrifice  themselves  for  us  without  thanks  or 
reward — that  they  do,"  said  Mr  Thwacker,  with  energy. 

"  Ay  ! "  replied  the  Colonel ;  "  and  the  sacrifice  in 
most  cases  is  so  complete,  that  they  never  seem  to 
understand  that  it  is  sacrifice.  God  bless  them  !  they 
are  the  best  part  of  the  creation  after  all." 

This,  perhaps,  is  the  greatest  truism  that  Colonel 
Leppell  ever  uttered,  and  he  was  in  earnest  when  he 
made  the  remark. 

"Now,  before  I  go,  I  will  note  down  the  address 
where  these  young  people  are  to  be  found.  Hollo  way, 
you  said.     "Where  ? " 

"  No.  79  Snaggs  Eow,  Eldon  Place.  It's  a  tidy  little 
house,  and  they'll  rest  quiet  there ;  the  name  of  the 
owner  is  William  Tanner." 

"  Thanks,"  said  Colonel  Leppell,  as  he  entered  these 
particulars  in  his  note-book.  "  Do  you  know,  by  the 
way,  if  Mrs  Duke  had  any  money  with  her  ? " 

"  Xot  much,  I  fancy ;  but  your  son  told  me  that  she 
had  a  large  amount  of  jewelry.  It  seems  after  she 
chloroformed  the  lady  she  got  the  keys  and  collected 
all  the  things  belonging  to  her  that  she  could  lay  her 
hands  on,  even  some  silver-plate  which  was  stowed 
away  till  she  should  come  of  age.  She  bribed  a  ser- 
vant to  help  her,  and  thus  she  managed  to  bring  a 
little  luggage  across.  She  wanted  to  change  clothes 
with  the  servant  and  travel  disguised  like  that,  but  the 
maid  did  not  care  to  do  so.  Mrs  Duke  told  us  she 
would  have  been  game  if  necessary." 


216  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

"  Um,"  said  the  Colonel ;  "  a  talent  for  masquerad- 
ing is  likely  to  be  propagated  in  the  family,  eh  ? " 

"  Mrs  Duke  is  a  woman  of  resource,  I'm  thinking, 
sir.  They  can't  be  without  money,  for  your  son  has 
made  a  lot  of  tin  by  his  singing,  and  he  ought  to  have 
several  pounds  to  the  good ;  he  only  owes  a  few  shil- 
lings at  the  outside  here.  Don't  you  pay  it,  Colonel ; 
I'll  get  it  out  of  him.  If  you  settle  his  bill  you  will 
never  see  the  colour  of  your  money,  and  the  young 
scamp  ought  to  learn  to  pay  his  own  way.  Well,  per- 
haps the  Lord  Chancellor  will  settle  him  if  anybody 
can ;  but  ye  see,  sir,  it  is  high  time  that  he  were  well 
out  of  this." 

Fully  agreeing  with  this  opinion,  Colonel  Lep- 
pell  took  his  leave,  carrying  with  him  a  very  sincere 
respect  for  Mr  Thwacker.  "You  have  behaved  like 
a  gentleman,"  he  said,  as  he  shook  the  pugilist  by 
the  hand,  "and  I  thank  you  very  much — will  call 
again  to  report  proceedings — and  understand,  please, 
that  after  to-morrow  there  is  no  earthly  reason  for 
my  son  to  hide  himself,  for  by  this  time  to-morrow 
the  lawyers  will  have  arranged  for  him  to  surrender 
himself  to  the  Court  of  Chancery.  My  address  is  the 
Great  Western  Hotel,  Paddington,  should  you  want  to 
communicate  with  me.     Good  night." 

"  Good  night,  Colonel,"  said  Mr  Thwacker,  respect- 
fully. "  Mind  you  see  your  lawyers  afore  you  trusts 
yourself  to  those  young  people  at  Holloway,"  he  added, 
as  his  visitor  departed.  "  There's  a  load  off  my  mind 
anyhow,"  said  the  honest  man  half  aloud  as  he  shut 


IX  RE  MARMADUKE.  217 

the  door;  "but  the  Colonel  don't  like  the  look  of  things, 
he  don't.  He  keeps  his  pecker  up  to  be  sure ;  but  he's 
hit,  he's  very  hard  hit,  I  can  see.  Ton  my  word,  I 
believe  sons  and  daughters  is  more  bother  than  they 
are  worth,"  and  so  Mr  Thwacker  threw  himself  on  his 
couch  and  meditated,  till  all  his  ideas  ended,  as  they 
had  begun,  in  smoke. 

The  following  morning  found  Colonel  Leppell,  obe- 
dient to  the  advice  to  go  to  his  lawyers  before  trusting 
himself  at  Holloway,  and  bound  in  honour  by  the 
promise  to  his  wife,  in  the  office  of  the  firm  to 
whom  he  had  been  recommended  by  his  friendly  man 
of  business  at  Yarne.  The  principal  was  absent,  but 
the  managing  clerk  received  the  new  client,  and  con- 
trived in  a  cool  matter  -  of  -  fact  kind  of  way  so  to 
impress  Colonel  Leppell  with  the  stupendous  powers 
of  the  High  Court  of  Chancery,  and  its  influence 
for  good  and  evil, — according  to  the  light  in  which 
its  edicts  are  viewed  by  those  who  have  dealings 
with  it, — that  the  officer  declared  this  tribunal  to 
be  a  kind  of  offshoot  of  the  Inquisition.  No  actual 
barbarity,  he  allowed,  but  bother  and  vexation  of  spirit 
enough  to  kill  a  regiment.  Ah !  he  knew  that  Chancery 
had  to  answer  for  the  deaths  of  many  persons,  old  and 
young ;  and  with  regard  to  its  wards,  it  did  not  look 
well,  the  fact  that  a  minor  must  be  possessed  of  pro- 
perty to  come  under  its  protection  at  all.  If  this  were 
not  a  pandering  to  mammon  and  the  golden  calf,  he, 
Ralph  Leppell,  would  be  very  much  obliged  if  Mr 
Constant  would  tell  him  what  was. 


218  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

Mr  Constant,  however,  declined  to  enter  into  the 
merits  of  this  case,  and  reminded  the  client  that  the 
matter  of  his  son  and  the  ward  of  Court,  Miss 
Margaret  Lorton,  commonly  called  Miss  Peggy  Lorton, 
was  now  the  subject  under  consideration.  Having 
secured  the  Colonel's  attention,  and  elicited  some  in- 
formation regarding  Mr  Marmaduke's  prospects,  he 
very  strongly  confirmed  the  opinion  which  had 
been  given  by  the  legal  authority  of  Yarne  in  the 
matter. 

"  It  is  an  aggravated  case  of  contempt — a  very 
aggravated  case,"  the  lawyer  remarked,  after  possess- 
ing himself  of  the  few  particulars  which  the  Colonel 
had  to  give.  "  Do  you  mean  to  say  that  your  son  has 
nothing  at  all  to  settle  on  the  lady  ?  " 

"  Not  a  stiver  ! "  answered  the  Colonel.  "  His  in- 
come consists  of  his  pay  as  a  cornet  of  cavalry,  and 
three  hundred  a-year  which  my  father  allows  him  to 
keep  things  going ;  this  might  be  withdrawn  at  any 
moment.  Lord  Hieover  is  peculiar,  and  if  he  is  dis- 
pleased, he  always  stops  the  cash." 

"  Um  ;  do  you  think  that,  under  the  circumstances, 
his  lordship  would  make  some  settlement  on  his 
grandson,  for  the  benefit  of  his  wife  ?  Is  Mr  Leppell 
Lord  Hieover's  heir,  may  I  ask  ?  " 

"  Only  in  the  event  of  the  death  of  my  elder  brother, 
who  is  unmarried,  and  afterwards  of  my  own ;  then 
my  son  would  succeed  to  the  title  and  estates.  Of 
course  the  Court  takes  cognisance  of  rank — and  you'll 
remark,  if  you  please,  that  in  marrying  my  son,  his 


IN  RE  MARMADUKE.  219 

wife  has  been  raised  from  a  very  inferior  rank  of  life  ; 
in  that  way  she  receives  a  full  equivalent  for  her 
money,"  quoth  the  Colonel,  glaring  at  the  lawyer 
defiantly. 

"  What  is  the  lady's  rank  in  life  ?  "  inquired  Mr 
Constant. 

"  She  is,  I  believe,  the  daughter  of  a  carpet-weaver ; 
and  I  think  a  tin-bath  maker,  an  uncle,  made  her  his 
heiress,  but  I  am  not  sure.  When  you  see  her,  she 
will  be  able  to  enlighten  you  in  these  particulars — I 
know  nothing  of  the  girl." 

Some  further  conversation  transpired,  in  which  it 
was  suggested  by  the  Colonel  that  perhaps  it  would  be 
well  to  apply  to  the  Honourable  Alexander  Leppell 
for  assistance  to  enable  Mr  Duke  to  make  some  settle- 
ment. The  lawyer,  however,  quenched  this  proposal 
summarily. 

"  Your  brother  may  marry  and  have  a  son  of  his 
own,"  Mr  Constant  said.  "  He  might,  however,  be  per- 
suaded, perhaps,  to  bind  himself  to  make  an  allow- 
ance out  of  his  personal  estate ;  or  Lord  Hieover  might 
be  induced  to  come  forward.  Both  contingencies  are 
feasible,  as  far  as  I  know  of  this  case." 

The  Colonel  replied  that  these  relatives  had  "  come 
forward  "  more  than  once  to  pay  Mr  Leppell's  debts, 
and  to  set  him  up  in  life  again.  "  He  was  afraid,"  he 
said,  "that  nothing  more  could  be  done  in  that 
quarter." 

"  Mr  Leppell  is  of  age,  I  assume  ? "  said  Mr  Con- 
stant. 


220  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

"  He  will  not  be  of  age  for  four  months  yet,"  re- 
plied the  parent. 

"  I  should  tell  you,  Colonel  Leppell,"  continued 
Mr  Constant,  "  that  even  if  your  son  were  able  and 
willing  to  make  a  settlement,  it  rests  with  the  Court 
of  Chancery  to  allow  him  permission  to  do  so.  As 
the  matter  appears  to  me,  your  son  has  obtained 
possession  of  the  ward  by  gross  contempt  of  Court, 
and  he  has  married  her  for  the  sake  of  her  for- 
tune. If  the  Court  is  satisfied  of  this,  Mr  Leppell 
will  not  be  allowed  to  profit  by  his  contempt,  or  to 
enjoy  any  part  of  the  ward's  property." 

To  this  Colonel  Leppell  replied,  "  Then  the  Lord 
Chancellor  will  put  him  in  prison  for  a  month  ? " 

"  For  six  or  seven  months,  or  more  ;  all  depends  upon 
the  facts  of  the  case,  and  especially  as  to  how  your  son 
and  his  wife  comport  themselves  towards  the  Court." 

':  They  will  not  be  expected  to  say  they  are  sorry 
when  they  are  not  in  the  least  so  ?  "  asked  the  Colonel, 
with  the  simplicity  of  a  schoolboy. 

"  They  will  be  required  to  express  regret  for  their 
contempt,  and  receive  the  rebuke  they  will  certainly 
get  in  a  becoming  manner ;  by  that  I  mean,  a  proper 
and  respectful  attention  must  be  paid  to  the  judge's 
remarks." 

"  What  do  you  recommend  to  be  done  ?  you,  as  a 
Chancery  lawyer,  must  be  up  to  all  the  ways   and 

trie I  mean,  goings  on  of  these  fellows — judges, 

I  mean." 

"  The  only  thing  to   be  done  is    for  these  young 


IN  RE  MARMADUKE.  221 

people  to  bring  themselves  within  the  jurisdiction  of 
the  High  Court  of  Chancery  as  soon  as  possible," 
replied  Mr  Constant. 

"  So  I  believe  ;  but  they  had  better  come  here  first 
and  let  you  know  all  particulars.  Shall  I  bring  them 
to-morrow  ? "  said  Colonel  Leppell. 

"  I  will  confer  with  our  principal ;  but  if  you  hear 
nothing  to  the  contrary,  you  had  better,  all  of  you,  be 
here  by  twelve  o'clock  to-morrow  —  everything  can 
then  be  arranged.  It  is  an  awkward  case,"  continued 
Mr  Constant,  "  but  we  will  do  our  utmost  to  get  the 
best  arrangement  we  can." 

The  Colonel  took  leave  with  this  piece  of  comfort, 
and  then  wended  his  way  towards  Holloway. 

Angry  and  annoyed  as  that  officer  undoubtedly  was 
at  his  son's  conduct,  yet  his  ire  was  greatly  mollified 
as  he  received  from  that  reprobate  and  his  wife  a 
welcome  which  had  almost  the  air  of  an  ovation. 
Duke  had  descried  his  father  from  the  window,  beimj 
attracted  thereto  by  the  rattle  which  that  officer  made 
in  trying  to  open  the  little  iron  gate  of  the  front 
garden.  The  final  clatter  which  it  gave  forth,  as  the 
Colonel  nearly  wrenched  it  off  its  hinges,  caused 
Peggy  to  exclaim,  "  Look,  Duke  !  there's  such  a  hand- 
some man  trying  to  get  in  here ;  he  can't  belong  to 
the  house  surely  !  " 

"  The  governor,  by  Jove  ! "  was  the  husband's  reply, 
and  in  a  moment  he  had  dashed  out  of  the  house  and 
had  his  arm  round  his  father's  neck  before  the  Colonel 
could  utter  a  word. 


222  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

"  Dear  old  gov. !  just  like  you,  so  kind  and  so  good," 
as  he  drew  his  father  into  the  house  by  the  hand. 
The  manner,  also,  with  which  he  introduced  his  wife 
was  not  ungraceful, — tt  Here's  Peggy ;  she  will  help  to 
make  me  a  better  son  than  I  have  hitherto  been,  and 
she  is  proud  to  be  your  daughter-in-law — aren't  you, 
dear  ? " 

The  young  lady  stepped  forward,  and  the  Colonel 
took  her  hand  and  kissed  her.  Thwacker  was  right, 
thought  he  ;  at  the  same  time — "  Not  quite  thorough- 
bred, but  buxom,  and  very  good  kissing,"  as  he  after- 
wards expressed  it  on  his  experience  whilst  speaking 
of  Mrs  Duke  to  his  younger  sons.  "  Duke  must  have 
married  her  for  the  money  ;  and  I  am  afraid  the 
Lord  Chancellor  will  think  so,  when  he  sees  her — safe 
to  think  so.  But  we  must  trust  in  Providence,  that's 
all  we  can  do,  and  nothing  like  it." 

So  ran  the  current  of  the  parent's  thoughts,  but  like 
a  gallant  man  he  determined  not  to  spoil  the  happiness 
of  this  couple  till  they  had  at  least  had  some  luncheon 
together.  Colonel  Leppell  was  in  reality  very  hungry 
after  the  exertions  of  the  morning,  so  he  asked  Duke 
if  he  could  give  him  some  refreshment  at  once. 
"  Glass  of  wine,  or  anything,"  he  said,  "  for  to  tell  the 
truth,  I  am  rather  sharp-set." 

Yes,  they  had  taken  care,  the  young  fellow  said, 
to  have  some  champagne  wherewith  to  celebrate  the 
wedding.  "  This  will  not  be  a  wedding-breakfast  exact- 
ly, but  we  will  turn  it  into  a  wedding- luncheon,"  the 
youth  continued  cheerily,  "with  the  governor  doing 


IN  RE  MAEMADUKE.  223 

delighted  parent,  and  all  the  rest  of  it.  Peggy,  go 
and  see  after  the  lunch  ;  I  daresay  it  will  be  ready  in 
a  few  moments." 

The  young  lady  obeyed  this  order — which  was  given 
quite  a  la  mode  Leppell — with  the  alacrity  often  ob- 
served in  young  wives  who  are  so  much  in  love  that 
they  glory  as  much  in  being  commanded  by  their 
spouses  as  they  do  in  being  the  objects  of  their  admir- 
ation and  caresses.  Mrs  Peggy,  therefore,  was  quickly 
out  of  ear-shot,  beaming  with  delight  at  having  her 
husband's  behests  to  fulfil,  and  set  upon  having  a  good 
luncheon  to  celebrate  her  reception  by  the  head  of  the 
house.  No  sooner  had  the  door  closed  than  the  Colonel, 
seizing  Duke's  hand,  said,  "  All  is  right,  my  dear  boy  ; 
the  writs  are  withdrawn.  I  cannot  tell  you  more  now, 
but  a  friend — an  early  friend  of  your  mother's — has 
arranged  matters  with  the  Liverpool  bank.  You  have 
had  a  narrow  shave — a  very  narrow  shave — of  being — 
being " 

"  In  the  felon's  dock,  I  suppose,"  said  Marmaduke, 
filling  up  the  gap — a  glitter  of  defiance  lighting  his 
violet-blue  eyes  and  his  handsome  evil  face.  "You 
may  think  that  I  am  superstitious,  or  that  I  possess 
the  gift  of  clairvoyance :  be  it  as  it  may,  I  have  always 
had  the  impression  that  this  would  never  come  to  any- 
thing serious." 

"  Then  you  have  the  devil's  own  luck,  sir,"  said  the 
father  sharply.  "  Have  a  care  !  it  will  desert  you  some 
clay  at  your  greatest  need.  I  know  I  have  not  been 
all  that  I  should  be,"  said  Colonel  Leppell,  lowering 


224  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

his  voice ;  "  but  I  am  all  the  more  anxious  that  my 
children  should  avoid  my  errors.  I  have  seen  the 
folly  of  my  ways,  Duke,  I  assure  you." 

This  was  true,  and  one  of  the  greatest  follies  that 
Colonel  Leppell  committed  (and  that  many  fathers 
constantly  do  commit),  was  the  having  constantly  re- 
hearsed for  the  amusement  of  his  sons  many  of  the 
escapades  of  his  own  early  days,  which,  if  not  actually 
disreputable,  hovered  very  much  on  the  border-land  of 
reckless  folly  and  dissipation,  and  which,  as  in  the 
case  of  the  Leppells,  served  to  create  a  very  dangerous 
precedent.  So  Duke  replied,  "  I  want  to  see  the  folly 
of  my  ways — you  have  had  your  own  fun.  But  all 
elderly  people  are  alike — they  forget  that  they  have 
been  young  themselves." 

"  I  hardly  deserve  this  from  you,"  the  poor  Colonel 
replied  in  a  dejected  tone.  "  I  suppose  it  is  a  case  of 
Eli ;  he  seldom  thrashed  his  sons,  and  they  despised 
him  for  it." 

"  No,  no,  governor,  not  that,"  said  Duke,  upon  whose 
hard  nature  the  word  "  despise  "  had  some  effect.  "  We 
can't  help  our  inclinations :  all  I  want  is  to  enjoy  my- 
self after  my  own  fashion.  I  hate  your  steady  hum- 
drum people ;  and  I  have  often  heard  Uncle  Alick  say 
that  these  strait-laced  rigid  youths  turn  out  regular 
old  rascals  in  their  declining  years.  The  hypocrisy 
comes  out  in  some  way  or  other.  Look  at  Uncle  Alick 
now, —  he  never  goes  anywhere,  has  given  up  racing 
and  boxing,  and  lives  a  highly  respectable  quiet  life — 
and  remember  what  a  rip  he  was  in  his  young  days." 


IN  RE  MARMADUKE.  225 

"  True,  Duke,"  replied  the  father ;  "  but  your  uncle 
Alick  would  not  give  a  shilling  to  save  you  from  the 
gallows,  or  prevent  you  from  dying  of  starvation  in 
the  streets.  His  only  passion  now  is  to  hoard  money; 
and  avarice,  after  all,  may  be  the  greatest  crime  of  a 
man's  advancing  years.  He  would  be  a  better  man 
now  if  he  ever  had  possessed  heart  or  feeling." 

These  two  ingredients  were  so  utterly  wanting  in 
Duke's  own  composition,  that  the  point  of  the  Colonel's 
observation  was  lost  upon  him,  and  so  he  turned  to  the 
discussion  of  his  own  affairs  in  relation  to  this  mar- 
riage. 

The  young  gentleman  was  rather  more  than  aston- 
ished as  he  listened  to  what  his  father  had  to  say 
respecting  this  affair,  and  seemed  disposed  at  first  to 
treat  the  matter  rather  too  lightly,  but  here  the  Colonel 
was  terse  and  decided. 

"  You  and  your  wife  must  be  prepared  to  go  with 
me  to  the  lawyers  in  Chancery  Lane  to-morrow.  I 
have  arranged  this  for  you,  and  then  you  will  be  in- 
structed how  and  when  to  surrender  yourselves  to  the 
Court  of  Chancery." 

The  appearance  of  the  luncheon  here  put  a  stop  to 
conversation,  and  due  justice  was  certainly  done  to 
that  meal,  it  being  quite  evident  that  the  appetites  of 
the  parties  were  not  in  the  least  affected  by  their  con- 
sciences. During  the  repast,  the  young  wife  announced 
that  Duke  was  going  to  take  her  to  the  Crystal  Palace, 
and  invited  the  Colonel  to  accompany  them.  "  You'll 
not  need  to  play  gooseberry,"  Peggy  said  artlessly, — 

vol.  I.  p 


226  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

"  all  that  is  over ;  but  I  should  like  to  have  you  with 
us,  sir." 

"Any  other  time,  any  other  time, — quite  impos- 
sible : "  and  then  the  Colonel  informed  his  daughter-in- 
law  that  she  was  a  culprit  in  the  eye  of  the  law,  and 
asked  her  how  she  would  like  to  be  stopped  by  a 
policeman,  and  hauled  out  of  the  Crystal  Palace  like 
a  pickpocket,  with  the  eyes  of  perhaps  four  thousand 
people  upon  her. 

Peggy  confessed  that  she  did  not  admire  that  pros- 
pect at  all,  and  then  she  was  informed  what  was 
probably  in  store  for  her  at  the  hands  of  the  Lord 
Chancellor. 

"  Then  we  had  better  give  up  the  Crystal  Palace," 
said  Peggy  to  her  husband — "  not  so  much  because  we 
are  afraid  of  the  Court  and  all  that,  but  out  of  respect 
to  your  father,  Duke  ;  he  has  been  so  kind,  and  has 
never  said  a  reproachful  word.  And  as  for  going  to 
prison, — well,  never  mind,  we  may  as  well  spend  our 
honeymoon  there  as  anywhere  else;  all  places  are 
alike  to  me  with  Duke." 

"  Oh,  these  women !  they  are  the  same  as  they 
were  in  the  beginning,"  the  Colonel  said  aloud  to 
his  son. 

"And  ever  shall  be,"  said  Peggy,  concluding  the 
sentence  with  sincere  reverence,  "  or  else  there  would 
be  no  need  of  women." 

"  Strange,"  said  Colonel  Leppell,  "  but  you  have 
chosen  the  neighbourhood  of  the  prison  to  which  per- 
sons are  sent  for  contempt  of  Court,  as  regards  its 


IN  RE  MARMADUKB.  227 

wards.  The  Queen's  Prison,  Hollo  way,  is,  the  lawyers 
tell  me,  the  place  of  retreat  for  these  offenders." 

Duke  was  sorry  to  hear  that,  as  it  was  an  unfashion- 
able part  of  London,  and  he  would  have  much  preferred 
the  Queen's  Bench.  "  Fellows,"  he  said,  "  would  call 
there  who  would  not  take  the  trouble  to  come  down 
to  Holloway." 

"  Then  they  are  better  away.  Such  friends  as  would 
make  the  neighbourhood  an  objection  are  not  worth 
naming,  sure,"  said  Peggy. 

"  Then  we  can't  go  to  the  Crystal  Palace,  I  sup- 
pose," said  Duke,  in  a  disappointed  tone. 

"  Most  certainly  not,  after  what  I  have  told  you," 
replied  the  father ;  "  and  under  the  circumstances  it 
would  be  most  unbecoming,  most  indecent  in  me  to 
be  seen  with  you, — officer  in  her  Majesty's  service — 
public  position,  haw  ! " 

"  Yes,  we  know,"  intervened  Peggy,  innocently ; 
"  and  I  am  sure  Duke  would  not  wish  you  to  go, — I 
am  sure  I  don't,  after  that.  Would  you  like  a  smoke 
together  ?  You  could  walk  up  and  down  that  little 
lane  at  the  back  there,  where  you  will  have  green 
trees,  and  be  private.  This  room  is  horridly  stuffy, 
and  I  can  put  things  to  rights  whilst  you  have  a  chat, 
and  discuss  your  family  news." 

Congratulating  her  upon  her  common  -  sense,  the 
Colonel  seized  the  opportunity  of  talking  to  his  son 
concerning  certain  communications  made  to  him  by  Mr 
Thwacker,  which,  he  said,  "  the  most  indulgent  parent 
could  not  pass  over  without  strong  reprobation  ; "  and 


228  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

so  strongly  did  Colonel  Leppell  reprobate  and  con- 
demn the  same,  that  Marmaduke  was  silent  from 
sheer  surprise  that  two  men  such  as  his  father  and 
Thwacker  should  view  this  subject  in  so  serious  a 
light.  Marmaduke,  however,  secretly  registered  a 
resolve  to  pay  Mr  Thwacker  out  as  soon  as  an  oppor- 
tunity should  present  itself  for  so  doing, — all  this 
honest  man's  friendly  treatment  being  taken  by  this 
young  scamp  as  purely  a  matter  of  course. 

There  was  another  subject  also  upon  which  the 
Colonel  would  have  done  well  to  do  more  than  touch 
in  his  admonitions  to  his  son ;  but  here  the  conscience, 
which  makes  cowards  of  us  all,  made  Colonel  Leppell 
dumb.  Did  he  not  feel  that  he  himself  was  so  far 
out  of  the  path  of  righteous  dealing,  that  he  could  not 
without  the  most  intense  hypocrisy  reprove  his  son 
for  his  lack  of  honesty  ?  His  conscience  reminded 
him  that  he  was  on  the  verge  of  committing  a  decep- 
tion which  deserved  no  other  name  than  that  of  a 
gross  fraud. 

The  diamonds  presented  to  his  daughter  were  to  be, 
by  his  own  act,  exchanged  for  paste  stones,  and  the 
proceeds  of  the  barter  applied  to  the  liquidation  of 
some  long-standing  and  pressing  debts.  But  the 
Colonel  paved  his  way  to  evil  with  good  intentions. 
He  would  pay  the  debts  fully  with  this  money, — debts 
which  had  been  incurred  in  a  great  measure  for  the 
support  and  pleasures  of  his  family. 

Better  so,  he  argued,  than  be  arrested  for  debt 
myself:  I  shall  clear  myself  before  long.     Diamonds 


IN  HE  MAEMADUKE.  229 

are  luxuries,  not  necessaries  of  life,  —  only  I  wish 
they  had  not  been  given  by  Everard  Glascott,  and 
that  I  was  not  deceiving  my  lovely  Moll.  She 
wouldn't  care ;  but,  at  any  rate,  I  hope  to  make  all 
this  good. 

Contenting  himself,  therefore,  with  a  general  warn- 
ing, the  Colonel  concluded  his  admonitions  to  his  son 
and  took  his  leave,  exacting  a  promise  from  both 
Duke  and  his  wife  that  they  would  remain  quiet  for 
the  rest  of  the  day,  and  be  sure  to  meet  him  on  the 
morrow  at  the  lawyer's  offices  in  Chancery  Lane. 

It  was  with  a  sensation  of  intense  relief,  on  the 
following  day,  that  Colonel  Leppell  found  his  children 
already  waiting  at  the  office  when  he  arrived  there 
a  few  moments  in  advance  of  the  appointed  time. 
They  appeared  to  be  rather  subdued  in  manner,  and 
expressed  themselves  anxious  for  instructions  as  to 
how  they  were  to  surrender  themselves  to  the  High 
Court  of  Chancery. 

As  all  three  were  entirely  ignorant  as  to  how  this 
ignominy,  as  they  deemed  it,  was  to  be  effected,  Mr 
Constant  had  matters  very  much  his  own  way ;  and 
appalled  by  his  experiences,  which  he  liberally  be- 
stowed upon  his  client,  the  young  people  began  to 
entertain  a  faint  idea  that  they  had  both  done  the 
thing  which  they  ought  not  to  have  done,  and  were, 
consequently,  more  ready  than  might  be  expected, 
not  only  to  surrender,  but  to  surrender  with  becoming 
submission. 

"  There  is  only  one  thing  that  I  won't  stand,"  said 


230  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

Peggy,  breaking  a  silence  that  had  suddenly  fallen 
on  the  party, — "  there  is  only  one  thing  that  I  will  not 
do,  and  that  is  to  leave  my'  husband.  Where  he  goes, 
I  go ;  my  money  is  his  money ;  and  if  he  is  to  blame 
it  is  all  my  fault.  I  abducted  him ;  he  did  not  abduct 
me, — there  now." 

Mr  Constant  had  perhaps  heard  speeches  of  this 
kind  before,  and  uttered  also  with  the  like  sincerity ; 
but  he  was  too  astute  a  man  to  enter  into  any  dis- 
cussion on  the  point,  and  was  therefore  wise  enough 
to  leave  the  task  of  enlightening  the  young  lady  to 
the  Lord  Chancellor.  So  he  replied,  "  I  must  take 
counsel's  opinion  before  I  give  you  further  directions ; 
and  now,  Mr  and  Mrs  Marmaduke  Leppell,  will  you 
undertake  to  return  to  the  address  which  you  have 
given,  and  remain  there  till  I  come  to  you  ?  You  must 
see  that  I  could  do  nothing  till  this  interview  was 
over.  I  have  got  at  the  particulars  of  your  case,  and 
can  pursue  my  way." 

"  I  will  take  them  back  myself,"  intervened  the 
Colonel ;  "  and  I  can  answer  for  it  that  they  won't 
stir  out  till  you  come  to  seek  them." 

The  culprits  each  undertook  to  comply  with  Mr 
Constant's  injunction ;  and  after  some  further  ar- 
rangements and  signing  some  papers,  the  party  re- 
turned to  Snagg's  Eow,  Holloway. 


231 


CHAPTEE  XT. 

COLONEL  LEPPELL  AT  PARIS. 

A  few  days  later  saw  Colonel  Leppell  at  Paris, 
engaged  in  a  secret  and  delicate  mission  of  his  own. 
That  it  was  not  an  undertaking  of  which  he  was 
particularly  proud,  could  be  descried  in  his  irregular 
hesitating  stride,  and  the  visible  decline  of  his  loco- 
motive action  as  he  neared  a  jeweller's  shop  in 
the  Palais  -  Ptoyal,  and  first  inspected  its  elegantly 
mounted  window,  and  then  looked  up  and  down 
and  around  before  he  gained  the  interior  —  with  a 
plunge. 

It  being  early,  there  was  only  one  customer  in  the 
place ;  and  two  or  three  workmen  could  be  descried 
sitting  in  little  cribs  in  the  back  distance,  busily 
engaged  with  all  the  paraphernalia  of  their  trade 
around  them  —  to  wit,  little  gas-jets,  candles,  wax, 
magnifying-glasses  of  various  powers,  and  a  multitude 
of  divers  tools  of  the  craft. 

An  attendant  was  serving  the  customer,  a  young 
man,  very  much  interested  in  a  tray  of  wedding-rings, 


232  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

and  too  much  absorbed  in  the  selection  of  a  particular 
one  to  take  any  notice  of  the  new  comer. 

Colonel  Leppell  pulled  his  moustache,  shook  him- 
self together,  and  then  mustered  up  his  French. 

"  Est  Munshew,  Munshew  Dupont  dans  la  maison  ? 
Je  suis  le  Colonel  Anglais  qu'il  savait  quelques 
annees  avant  —  oh  !  autrefois,  qu'il  savait  autrefois, 
eh  ?  " 

The  attendant  bowed,  and  tried  to  look  as  if  he 
perfectly  comprehended  this  address ;  nevertheless  he 
confined  his  response  to  the  interrogative,  "  Plait-il, 
M'sieur  ? " 

"  Je  plais  voir  Munshew  Dupont,  et  a  parler  a  lui, 
vite,  tres  vite, — comprenez  ?  " 

"M'sieur  Dupont  n'est  pas  chez  lui  a  present," 
the  attendant  replied,  having  got  a  clue  in  the  verbs 
"  voir  "  and  "  parler,"  together  with  the  quick  intuitive 
perception  of  a  meaning  badly  expressed, — which  seems 
a  gift  of  nature  to  the  French  people, — to  the  Colonel's 
requirements.  "  II  est  sorti,  mais  j'enverrai  le  chercher 
tout  de  suite :  en  attendant,  M'sieur,  donnez-vous  la 
peine  de  vous  asseoir," — indicating,  as  he  spoke,  a 
highly  uncomfortable  spindle-shanked  chair,  towards 
which  the  reckless  politeness  of  the  Frenchman 
directed  the  Colonel's  attention. 

"  Non,  merci,  tres  beaucoup,"  replied  the  English- 
man with  vigour ;  "  je  suis  trop  substantial  pour 
sitter  sur  cette  chose.  Donnez  cette  carte  a  Munshew 
Dupont ;  dites  a  lui  qu'il  come  vite,  ce  moment — il 
me  remembrez." 


COLONEL  LEPPELL  AT  PAEIS.         233 

The  shopman  summoned  one  of  the  workers,  and 
despatched  him  to  find  Mr  Dupont ;  and  the  Colonel, 
with  a  nod  of  relief,  occupied  himself  in  inspecting  the 
various  articles  with  which  he  was  surrounded.  He 
rather  fancied  that  his  French  must  be,  at  least,  in- 
telligible, as  it  had  the  effect  of  sending  off  a  messenger 
at  any  rate.     So  far  so  good. 

Some  minutes  elapsed ;  the  customer  selected  his 
ring  and  departed ;  and  the  attendant,  now  quite  at 
leisure,  dusted  a  short  stool  and  propelled  it  with  a 
flourish  in  the  direction  of  Colonel  Leppell,  evidently 
expectant  that  he  would  give  satisfaction  by  this 
manoeuvre. 

"  Oh,  non,  non  pouvez,"  replied  the  Briton,  squaring 
at  the  stool  as  if  to  illustrate  his  meaning.  "II  est 
better,  oui,  better  que  l'autre,  mais  il  est  trop  fragile, 
— je  le  smasherai  dans  un  moment.  Yous  etes  bon 
fellow,  tres  bon  fellow,  mais  j'espere  que  votre  maitre 
comera  ici  vite, — affaire  privee,  vous  savez  ;  et  je  ne 
puis  pas  parler  a  vous,  parce-qu'il  est  une  affaire  de 
— de — business,  vous  savez." 

'•'  Voila  M'sieur  Dupont  qui  arrive,"  exclaimed  the 
man,  whose  gravity  had  really  been  tried  to  the  utmost 
extent,  and  who  was  equally  relieved  with  the  Colonel 
at  seeing  Mr  Dupont  enter  the  shop.  "  Le  Monsieur 
vous  attend,"  he  said  to  his  chief,  and  then  speedily 
retired  into  the  background. 

"  Thank  goodness,  I  have  got  hold  of  some  one  who 
can  speak  a  respectable  language,"  said  the  Colonel 
with  an  egotism  truly  British.     "  The  tower  of  Babel 


234  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

was  a  mistake,  sir,  a  great  mistake  ;  it  confused  the 
languages  without  confounding  them.  How  are  you 
and  all  your  family  ?  Claudine  grown  up  a  pretty  girl 
by  this  time,  eh  ?  " 

Mr  Dupont,  in  excellent  English,  replied  that  "  all 
his  family  were  well,  and  that  his  daughter  was — tr&s 
Men — very  much  like  other  girls  of  her  age."  Then  he 
inquired,  with  an  intuitive  perception  that  traffic  in 
some  shape  or  other  had  brought  Colonel  Leppell 
there,  in  what  manner  he  could  serve  his  visitor  ? 

"  Can  I  speak  to  you  in  private  ? "  said  the  officer. 

"  Certainly ; "  and  passing  the  workmen,  Mr  Du- 
pont opened  the  door  of  a  small  apartment,  simply 
and  elegantly  furnished,  a  bright  chintz  forming  the 
draperies,  and  good  India-muslin  curtains  shading  a 
small  balcony  upon  which  the  open  window  gave. 
The  air  was  redolent  with  the  perfume  of  violets 
which  grew  in  pots  ranged  within  the  balcony,  and 
a  bouquet  of  fresh  spring-flowers  was  arranged  in  a 
low,  long,  old  -  fashioned  china  dish  upon  a  small 
Chippendale  table,  fenced  at  the  rim  with  a  beautiful 
railing  of  fretwork.  Some  statuettes,  a  handsome 
clock,  and  a  few  well-selected  pictures,  composed  the 
decoration  of  the  room,  which,  in  its  artistic  arrange- 
ment, presented  an  air  of  refined  comfort,  totally 
apart  from  the  oppression  of  spirit  which  is  gener- 
ally the  result  of  coming  in  contact  with  rich  valu- 
ables, heaped  indiscriminately  together  independent 
of  tone  or  keeping. 

It  is  almost  needless  to  add  that  the  deformity  of 


COLONEL   LEPPELL   AT   PARIS.  235 

a  staring  carpet,  pranked  out  with  a  conventional 
pattern,  was  utterly  wanting  here ;  the  true  taste  of 
the  Persian  loom  being  imitated  in  a  sober  floor- 
covering  of  many  colours,  so  ingeniously  woven  to- 
gether that  none  predominated,  and  on  this  subdued 
rich  groundwork  the  several  articles  of  furniture  stood 
out  in  good  relief.  The  handsome,  well-appointed 
writing-table,  and  two  library  chairs  of  the  same 
wood,  quite  distinct  from  the  chintz-covered  lounges, 
seemed  to  convey  the  idea  that  affairs  could  be  here 
transacted  on  strict  business  lines  only. 

Colonel  Leppell  looked  round  :  he  remembered  this 
retreat,  although  it  had  been  garnished  and  much  reno- 
vated since  he  last  stood  on  its  threshold  seven  years 
ago.  It  was  here  that  he  had  sold  poor  Adelaide's  set 
of  diamonds — her  father's  and  her  mother's  present  to 
their  daughter  on  her  wedding-morn  ! 

The  jeweller  shut  the  door,  handed  one  of  the 
business  chairs  to  his  visitor,  seated  himself  on  the 
other,  and  folded  a  newspaper  together  whilst  the 
Colonel  produced  a  packet. 

"  These  diamonds,"  he  said,  "  belong  to  a  lady  of 
my  family  who  cannot  afford  to  keep  them, — as  real 
stones,  I  mean.  I  want  you  to  purchase  these  real 
stones,  and  substitute  paste  diamonds  in  their  place, 
setting  them  as  richly  as  you  can.  I  know  you  will 
deal  honestly  with  me  about  the  price,  for  your 
mother  was  an  Englishwoman,  the  Lord  be  praised  ! " 

Mr  Dupont  drew  himself  up  at  this  equivocal 
compliment.      "  My  father  was  an  honest  man,  sir, 


236  THE  FAT  OF  THE   LAND. 

and  I  trust  I  am  worthy  to  be  his  son — I  strive  to 
be  so." 

"  Oh,  I  mean  no  offence,"  said  the  Colonel  hastily ; 
"  one  ought  not  to  judge  individuals  by  a  nation.  Beg 
pardon." 

Although  this  was  verily  from  Scylla  to  Charybdis, 
Mr  Dupont  ignored  the  remark,  wisely  giving  his 
visitor  credit  for  being  bSte,  which  was  exactly 
what  Colonel  Leppell  was  :  no  man  on  earth  could 
have  been  born  with  less  of  that  quality  called  tact. 
"  Allow  me,"  he  said, "  to  examine  these  stones  ;  they 
appear  to  be  of  the  finest  water,  and  are  mostly  of  the 
same  size,  which,  of  course,  would  increase  their 
value,  for  setting  especially." 

"Are  there  enough  there  to  make  a  whole  set,  or 
— what  do  you  call  it  in  French  ? "  said  Colonel 
Leppell,  after  a  pause. 

"  Parure,"  replied  Mr  Dupont ;  "  and  a  diamond 
necklace  we  express  as  a  rividre  of  diamonds.  It  is 
a  most  happy  expression,  because  nothing  in  art  is 
more  suggestive  of  clear  water  in  sunlight,  spark- 
ling and  dazzling  at  every  turn,  than  a  collar  of  good 
stones  like  these,"  and  the  jeweller  handled  the  gems 
before  him  with  infinite  appreciation. 

"  Ah,  especially  when  it  swims  round  a  snowy 
swan-like  neck,"  replied  the  Colonel,  evidently  be- 
lieving, like  a  gallant  man,  that  the  swan-like  neck 
of  his  imagination  was  the  special  point  of  admira- 
tion. "  The  worst  of  it  is,"  he  continued,  with  a  touch 
of  regret  which  was  deeply  sincere,    "  one  sees  the 


COLONEL  LEPPELL  AT  PARIS.         237 

best  gems  upon  withered,  leathery  old  hags,  who  will 
bare  their  throats,  and  not  stop  at  that  either,  and 
the  sight  is  enough  to  depreciate  the  jewels,  and  put 
them  out  of  fashion."  And  here  the  speaker  treated 
Mr  Dupont  to  some  of  his  experiences  on  this  head, 
which  led  to  the  conclusion  on  the  part  of  both 
these  gentlemen  that  the  Parliament  of  every  civilised 
nation  should  pass  a  sharp  short  bill,  restraining  old 
women  from  wearing  any  jewellery  other  than  their 
wedding-ring. 

"  Yes,"  supplemented  the  Colonel,  "  and  if  they  have 
any  good  ornaments  they  should  be  made  to  give  them 
up  to  the  girls  of  their  family,  and  let  these  show  off 
the  gems  before  Time  steals  upon  them  in  their  turn." 

"  That  would  hardly  suit  my  craft,  though,"  said 
Mr  Dupont.  "  Now  I  have  examined  these  diamonds 
thoroughly :  one  or  two  contain  a  very  slight  flaw 
here  and  there,  but  on  the  whole  they  are  of  the 
finest  water,  and  are  perfectly  cut  also.  If  they 
were  set  in  black  enamel,  I  should  not  ask  less  in 
selling  the  parure  than  forty-two  thousand  francs." 

"  What  is  that  sum  in  English  money  ? "  said  the 
Colonel.  "  I  never  can  manage  foreign  money,  some- 
how, and  I  suppose  decimal  coinage  won't  come  into 
fashion  in  Britain  till  I  am  dead  and  buried,  so  I 
don't  bother  to  understand  it, — but  this  sounds  tre- 
mendous in  francs,  I  can  quite  understand  so  far." 

"  The  amount  in  English  money,"  replied  the  jewel- 
ler, "  would  be  equal  to  one  thousand  seven  hundred 
and  fifty  English  pounds." 


238  THE   FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

"That  sounds  enormous,"  exclaimed  the  Colonel, 
with  a  gesture  of  delight ;  "  of  course  you  will  give  me 
a  proportionate  sum  for  the  stones." 

"  I  will  give  you  a  fair  sum,  and  I  propose  to  arrange 
the  matter  in  this  way.  Nine  hundred  pounds,  English 
money  down,  and  an  equivalent  set  of  paste  diamonds 
of  the  very  best  make,  mounted  either  in  fine  black  or 
deep  violet-blue  enamel,  arranged  in  a  good  pattern. 
Some  judges  incline  to  the  idea  that  the  deepest  blue 
is  a  better  ground  for  paste  diamonds,  for  as  the  latter 
soon  lose  their  first  brilliancy,  at  least  in  some  degree, 
the  blue  rather  attracts  the  eye  from  the  stones,  and  at 
any  rate  does  not  present  the  same  severity  of  contrast 
as  does  the  black  enamel.  Your  object,  as  I  under- 
stand it,  is  to  secure  a  set  of  diamonds  in  paste  which 
will  be  so  like  the  true  stones  that  it  will  be  impos- 
sible to  detect  the  difference  between  the  real  and  the 
false  gems." 

"  Certainly ;  but  I  think  I  ought  to  have  a  thousand 
pounds  in  ready  money  for  these  stones." 

"  Nine  hundred  pounds,  English  gold,  is  all  that  I 
can  allow  you  in  specie.  Eemember  these  diamonds 
have  to  be  mounted ;  and  I  think  it  probable  that,  if  I 
purchase  them,  I  may  have  to  send  them  to  Holland 
to  be  further  polished — they  are  rather  unequal  in 
brilliancy,  I  see,  on  further  inspection.  The  pattern 
of  the  arrangement  of  the  whole  has  to  be  supplied,  as 
also  the  pattern  of  the  paste  set.  Then  the  imitated 
stones  must  be  manufactured  in  the  best  possible  style, 
and  of  the  very  best  materials." 


COLOXEL  LEPPELL  AT  PARIS.         239 

"  True ;  be  sure  and  let  the  pattern  of  the  paste  set 
be  exactly  similar  to  that  chosen  for  the  diamonds." 

"  That  can  be  done ;  and  if  you  will  leave  it  to  me,  I 
can  see,  when  the  paste  set  are  returned  from  the 
manufactory,  which  will  be  the  better  enamel  on 
which  to  mount  them." 

"  Eeturned  ?     Don't  you  make  them  here  ? " 

"Oh  no,"  replied  Mr  Dupont,  "We  have  about 
twenty  workmen  at  a  manufactory  at  Septmon^el  in 
Switzerland ;  this  place  is  about  fifteen  miles  from 
Geneva,  in  the  Jura.  All  kinds  of  false  gems  are 
manufactured  there,  though  the  house  of  Dupont  only 
deals  in  paste  imitations  of  diamonds  and  emeralds : 
but  artificial  gems  of  every  known  kind  can  be 
supplied  from  thence.  jSTow  will  you  kindly  select  a 
pattern  from  among  these,  and  I  will  go  to  Septmon^el 
myself  and  have  the  paste  set  put  in  hand  at  once.  I 
have  several  orders  to  attend  to  there,  so  it  is  fortu- 
nate that  I  had  not  started." 

"  I  will  leave  that  to  you,  you  know  so  much  better," 
replied  the  Colonel  wisely.  "  How  on  earth  are  these 
imitation  stones  made  ? " 

"Every  one  manufactures  with  a  secret  ingredient 
of  his  own,"  returned  Mr  Dupont,  "therefore  the 
proportions  must  be  varied  by  every  maker.  The 
finest  rock  crystal,  and  a  glass  consisting  of  oxide 
of  tin,  forms  the  principal  material  for  making  paste 
diamonds.  The  impossibility  of  their  long  preserving 
their  pristine  brilliancy  is  the  chief  cause  whereby  the 
imposition  is  generally  detected." 


240  THE   FAT   OF   THE  LAND. 

The  Colonel  winced  at  the  word  "  imposition,"  but 
held  his  peace.  "  You  accept  my  terms  ? "  said  Mr 
Dupont,  looking  at  him  steadily. 

"Well,  yes — suppose  I  must;  want  the  money 
badly,"  replied  Colonel  Leppell,  shrugging  his  shoul- 
ders. "  Well,  I  don't  grudge  you  clearing  four  hundred 
or  so  by  the  transaction,  especially  if  the  paste  set  be 
thoroughly  good  imitations." 

"  Eemember,  I  may  not  sell  the  parure,  when  com- 
plete, for  some  little  time,  and  so  the  interest  on  my 
money  is  lost  for  a  while.  Again,  I  may  sell,  and  not 
be  paid  in  full  the  expenses  I  have  laid  before  you ; 
and  taking  all  in  all,  you  have  no  reason  to  complain. 
I  have  a  right  to  insure  a  good  profit,  as  I  may  have 
to  wait  till  I  can  secure  a  suitable  customer."  Mr 
Dupont  then,  taking  a  miniature  set  of  scales  and 
weights  from  a  drawer  of  the  writing-table,  proceeded 
to  make  a  list  of  the  stones,  weighing  and  valuing  each 
one  in  succession.  He  then  sealed  the  whole  in  a 
parcel  and  wrote  out  an  order  upon  one  of  the  prin- 
cipal bankers  in  Paris  for  nine  hundred  pounds,  Eng- 
lish sterling,  in  favour  of  Colonel  Leppell. 

He  also  made  out  a  separate  memorandum,  in 
which  he,  Mr  Dupont,  undertook  to  furnish  Colonel 
Leppell  with  a  set  of  the  best  paste  diamonds,  ar- 
ranged according  to  the  pattern  selected,  and  mounted 
in  fine  enamel,  to  be  delivered  at  the  expiration  of 
thirty  days  from  that  date. 

Here  was  subjoined  an  acknowledgment  of  having 
received  payment  of  the  same  in  full,  to  which  the 


COLONEL  LEPPELL  AT  PARIS.         241 

jeweller's   signature   and   his   business  address    were 
duly  appended. 

This  affair  being  satisfactorily  concluded,  Colonel 
Leppell  informed  the  jeweller  that  he  knew  of  another 
set  of  diamonds  which  would  require  mounting,  with- 
out the  substitution  of  an  equivalent  in  paste,  and 
he  promised  to  induce  the  owner  to  have  them 
mounted  by  Mr  Dupont ;  "  but  I,"  continued  the 
Colonel,  ucan  do  nothing  till  I  see  the — the — work 
from  Septmon^el.  I  am  anxious  that  the  owner  of 
the  jewels  I  allude  to  should  be  pleased  with  the 
pattern  and  arrangement  of  those  you  are  to  supply  : 
this  being  the  case,  I  think  I  can  secure  you  the 
order." 

Mr  Dupont  bowed,  promised  to  do  his  best,  and 
then  inquired  if  Colonel  Leppell  still  lived  in  the 
Yarneshire  village.  Satisfied  with  this,  he  then  ex- 
pressed his  intention  of  sending  the  parure  by  one 
of  his  own  assistants  at  the  expiration  of  thirty  days, 
who  would  deliver  the  case  personally  and  take  the 
Colonel's  receipt  for  the  delivery  of  the  same  at 
Hunter's  Lodge. 

The  English  officer  took  leave,  and,  with  Mr 
Dupont's  order  for  nine  hundred  pounds  in  his  pocket, 
immediately  wended  his  way  to  the  banking  establish- 
ment of  Messieurs  Damigny  Freres,  and  there  con- 
verted that  document  into  cash.  There  were  no 
reductions,  as  the  jeweller  had  handsomely  made  the 
order  payable  at  sight.  Then  Colonel  Leppell  re- 
traced his  steps  to  his  hotel,  resolving  to  return  home 

VOL.  I.  Q 


242  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

by  the  mail-train  which  would  leave  Paris  for  Calais 
at  eleven  o'clock  on  the  same  night.  "  I  will  not 
spend  a  farthing  more  on  myself  than  I  can  help,"  the 
Colonel  mentally  declared  ;  "  all  this  shall  go  to  pay  my 
debts.  I  will  clear  these  and  then  start  free — that  is, 
if  Duke  does  not  hamper  me  too  deeply.  What  can 
my  father  and  Alick  mean  by  throwing  over  a  lad 
like  Duke  ? "  that  young  gentleman's  father  wondered 
with  parental  blindness.  "  They  have  paid  his  debts 
once,  certainly,  but  that  was  rather  to  help  me.  The 
Viscount  could  hardly  pass  me  by.  This  elopement 
scrape  will  cost  something ;  perhaps  Alick  may  help 
us,  out  of  pure  contradiction, — he  is  a  Eadical  from 
principle,  he  says.  Well,  if  he  is  consistent  he  will 
not  stand  the  Court  of  Chancery,  and  so  he  will  help 
Duke.  It  is  a  tyrannical  institution,  and  if  I  had  a 
chance  of  putting  it  down  I  would  turn  Eadical  on 
the  spot,  that  I  would." 

It  was  unusual  for  him,  and  also  quite  contrary  to 
Colonel  Leppell's  customary  habit,  to  refrain  from 
purchasing  an  object  of  fancy  or  otherwise  to  take 
home  to  some  one  or  two  members  of  the  family.  He 
generally  singled  out  a  little  child  as  a  presentee  when 
it  was  not  convenient  of  not  possible  to  give  all  round  ; 
for  the  younger  ones  of  his  flock  had  ever  been  more 
or  less  the  objects  of  the  father's  overflowing  demon- 
strations of  affection.  At  this  moment  a  sudden 
reflection,  which  was  truly  a  prick  of  conscience, 
caused  him  to  turn  resolutely  from  a  toy-shop  which 
he  had  been  inclined  to  enter  in  the  interests  of  the 


COLONEL  LEPPELL  AT  PARIS.         243 

nursery  party  at  home.  The  window,  as  is  usual  with 
this  kind  of  shop  in  Paris,  was  crowded  with  all  kinds 
of  tempting  and  brilliant  articles,  all  placed  well  to 
the  front,  leaving  behind  them,  in  confined  and  half 
darkened  space,  the  ordinary  and  more  inferior  ar- 
ticles of  sale,  in  company  with  broken  boxes,  torn 
paper,  and  perhaps  a  huge  rocking-horse,  mounted  up 
high  on  a  shelf,  and  surrounded  with  much  discol- 
oration and  roughness — the  whole  effect  irresistibly 
reminding  the  beholder  of  a  huge  firework  which  had 
exploded  laterally,  and,  adhering  in  varied  degrees  of 
sparkle  to  the  window,  left  nothing  behind  but  the 
stick  which  had  propelled  it  forwards. 

The  Colonel  looked  into  this  magasin  as  it  called  it- 
self, and  was  nearly  precipitated  backwards  down  the 
narrow  steep  step  at  its  entrance,  in  the  rebound  he 
made  in  turning  sharply  away  from  the  temptations 
which  it  contained.  The  forcible  expression  which 
was  jerked  out  of  the  mouth  of  that  officer  as  he 
recovered  his  footing  had  the  effect  of  bringing  for- 
ward an  elastic  little  Frenchman,  who,  like  a  jack-in- 
the-box,  seemed  to  spring  to  the  opening. 

"  Could  he  have  the  honour  of  serving  Monsieur  ?  " 
he  inquired,  in  his  native  tongue. 

"  Nong,  nong,  mercy,"  replied  the  Briton, — "  tres 
beaucoup  oblige ;  je  only  look  un  moment  clans  le 
window,  je  n'avais  pas  observe  le  step,  et  j'avais 
stumblerai." 

"  Mais,  donnez-vous  la  peine  d'entrer,  Monsieur,"  said 
the  Frenchman  politely ;  "  vous  avez,  sans  doute,  des 


244  THE   FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

petits  enfants  ;  peut-etre  vous  trouverez  ici  quelque 
chose  que  puisse  vous  convenir :  voici  un  excellent 
billard  en  miniature ;  c'est  tout-a-fait  ravissant,  n'est- 
ce  pas  ?  "  and  the  Frenchman  indicated  a  very  cleverly 
made  toy  which  seemed  to  be  just  opened,  its  case 
standing  by. 

"  Oh,  nong,  merci — tres  mauvais  exemple  pour  les 
garcons ;  je  ne  veux  pas  qu'ils  gamble ;  assez  dans 
ma  famille  :  je  ne  puis  pas  buy  les  toys  ;  mais,  montrez 
a  moi  ce — ce — cet  walking-stick  la;  j'aime  le  regard 
clu  chose  s'il  n'est  pas  trop  d'argent,  je  buyerai  cela." 

Some  rattans  and  other  walking-sticks  were  pro- 
duced, and  after  a  little  haggling  the  Colonel  pur- 
chased one  of  the  number,  and  felt  he  had  done  a 
stroke  of  business.  "  Oui,  tres  bon,  et  je  crois  que 
vous  n'avez  pas  charge  trop  beaucoup  for  le  sort  de 
chose,"  said  the  Colonel,  as  he  surveyed  his  purchase 
at  arm's-length.  "  II  faut  que  vous  takey  le  money, 
car  je  ne  sais  pas  combien  il  est  dans  le  money  de  ce 
confondu  pays."  So  saying  he  held  out  some  francs 
in  the  palm  of  his  hand,  and  the  Frenchman,  selecting 
the  exact  price  therefrom,  grinned  at  the  extraordinary 
Briton,  and  assured  him  that  it  was  with  the  greatest 
pleasure  that  he  transacted  business  with  a  gentleman 
who  spoke  so  well  the  French  language. 

"  I  don't  do  that,  I  know,"  said  Pialph  to  himself  as 
he  left  the  shop ;  "  but  these  fellows  understand  me 
somehow.  I  fancy  the  great  secret  lies  in  a  word  or 
two,  and  a  flourish.  Bah  !  an  Englishman  would  never 
take  up  the  thing  as  these  French  fellows  do;  they 


COLONEL  LEPPELL   AT   PARIS.  245 

don't  meet  one  half-way — I  mean  our  people — and 
they  always  laugh  in  a  foreigner's  face  when  he  makes 
a  mistake  in  his  English, — bad  habit,  very  bad  habit. 
After  all,  these  Munshews  do  teach  us  manners,  and 
they  don't  forget,  either,  so  often  as  we  do,  that 
courtesy  is  a  Christian  gift.  Whether  that  be  so  or 
not,  it  is  a  comfort  to  be  civilly  treated." 

Thus  thinking,  the  Colonel  walked  down  the  street, 
looking  now  and  then  into  various  shops,  and  more 
than  once  half  inclined  to  step  in  and  purchase 
something  for  his  little  ones.  But  here  conscience 
did  take  possession  of  him  and  held  him  fast.  "  No, 
no,"  he  resolved, — "  my  innocent  little  children,  I  can- 
not buy  them  toys  out  of  this  money ;  I  will  wait  till 
I  draw  my  next  pay, — and,  Lord  bless  them  !  they  don't 
care  whether  the  things  come  from  Paris  or  from  Tim- 
buctoo ;  but  no  toys  out  of  this.  Bah !  how  I  hate 
myself  ;  but  what  can  1  do  ?  Why  are  we,  most  of  us, 
born  with  inclinations  that  we  cannot  satisfy  ?  and 
why  are  are  we  placed  in  situations  which  are  nothing 
but  a  harass  or  an  anxiety,  to  say  nothing  of  a  snare 
for  wrong-doing  all  our  lives  long  ? " 

Alack !  and  alas !  Life  teems  with  misfits.  If  it 
were  not  so,  the  world  would  not  exist.  The  essence 
of  living  here  below  is  that  we  see  through  the  glass 
darkly,  and  were  the  true  image  of  all  things  to  be 
reflected  back  clearly  on  the  mind,  all  might  perhaps 
walk  straight ;  but  the  great  virtues  of  faith  and  self- 
denial  would  have  no  scope  for  exertion,  and  the  free- 
will to  choose  betwixt  good  and  evil  would  be  swal- 


24G  THE   FAT  OF   THE   LAND. 

lowed  up  in  the  mechanical  action  which  Longfellow  so 
aptly  compares  to  the  inanition  of  dumb  driven  cattle. 

Colonel  Leppell,  in  common  with  many  others  who 
know  the  good,  and  through  weakness  of  character 
adopt  the  evil,  relied  very  fully  on  the  existence  of 
conscience.  Yet  it  would  be  curious  to  collect  toge- 
ther the  astounding  deeds  of  wickedness  which  many 
who  profess  to  act  from  conscience,  or  for  conscience' 
sake,  have  committed  and  do  constantly  commit  against 
their  fellow-creatures. 

It  may  be  all  very  well  to  cite  the  searing  of  the 
hot  iron  as  a  solution  of  this  unpleasant  fact ;  but  we 
should,  in  common  fairness,  look  deeper,  and  convince 
ourselves  of  the  existence  of  the  material  upon  which 
the  searing  process  can  act.  It  will  be  found,  on  hon- 
est investigation,  that  in  many  cases  this  mental  sub- 
stratum is  utterly  absent,  and  that  the  void  is  by  no 
means  confined  to  vicious  or  even  to  careless  persons : 
for  the  "  unco  guid  "  and  rigidly  righteous  are  very  often 
deficient  in  this  spiritual  balance ;  and  those  whose 
conduct  is  or  appears  to  be  regulated  by  the  unwritten 
byelaws  of  honour,  seem  to  possess  more  of  the  genu- 
ine article  than  their  louder  professing  neighbours. 

The  gravity  of  his  position  certainly  acted  as  a 
deterrent  on  the  Colonel  in  the  matter  of  expenditure : 
it  even  seemed  that  to  get  rid  of  this  money  at  once 
in  the  discharge  of  his  debts,  was  one  method  for 
atoning  for  the  unhandsome  manner  in  which  it  had 
come  into  his  possession.  He  therefore  returned  to 
his  hotel,  and  at  once  made  preparations  for  return- 


COLONEL   LEPPELL   AT   PARIS.  247 

ing  to  England  that  night.  Letters  were  in  waiting 
for  him,  which,  on  the  whole,  conveyed  satisfactory 
news.  "  Lady  Asher  was  wonderfully  better ;  but  she 
was  to  be  kept  very  quiet,  and  take  a  great  deal  of 
nourishment, — though  the  doctor  had  greater  hopes 
of  her  case  than  he  had  at  first,"  Mary  wrote.  "  And 
mother  desired  her  to  tell  him,  also,  that  Mrs  Fan- 
shawe  had  written  to  ask  Willina  Clavering  to  stay 
at  Pinnacles  on  her  arrival,  as  grandmamma's  illness 
might  cause  visitors  to  be  an  inconvenience.  So  I  am 
going  there  to  introduce  a  girl  I  have  never  seen," 
continued  the  young  lady ;  "  but  Mr  Glascott  will  be 
there  for  a  few  days,  and  I  suppose  Mr  Clavering — 
Frank,  I  mean — will  hover  about,"  the  writer  opined 
with  great  circumspection.  "  The  nice  one  of  the  La 
Touches,  Stephen,  is  at  the  Kectory  house,  staying 
with  his  poor  aunt,  who,  Lillian  writes  me,  '  is  going 
to  be  a  private  patient  of  Dr  Williams.'  It  seems 
this  nephew  insisted  upon  Mrs  Kemble  being  treated 
differently,  and  the  Fanshawes  are  glad  to  be  quit 
of  the  responsibility." 

The  Colonel  perused  this  letter  with  great  satisfac- 
tion, and  dwelt  particularly  upon  the  part  which 
related  to  Lady  Asher.  "  Pinnacles  Court  will  not 
have  been  so  gay  for  many  a  day,"  thought  he.  "  I 
wonder  what  Lillian  is  about,  or  if  she  takes  this 
marriage  of  Duke's  to  heart, — wish  to  goodness  he  had 
married  Miss  Fanshawe ;  less  money,  but  the  breed 
atones  for  that." 

This  allusion  to  Duke  brought  the  Colonel  to  an- 


248  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

other  epistle  which,  stiff  and  business-like  in  its  out- 
ward bearing,  lay  beside  the  pleasant  epistle  of  his 
young  daughter. 

The  news  it  conveyed  was  not  unexpected  by  the 
Colonel,  nor  did  it  cause  him  much  surprise.  Mr  Mar- 
niaduke  Leppell  had  been  summoned  before  the  Vice- 
Chancellor,  and  had  so  comported  himself  that  he  was 
immediately  ordered  into  confinement,  and  separated 
from  his  wife.  The  latter  was  to  be  consigned  to 
the  care  of  a  lady,  chosen  by  the  Lord  Chancellor  as 
guardian  of  the  person  of  the  ward,  pending  a  decision 
as  to  what  was  to  be  ultimately  settled  for  her  future 
domicile. 

A  heart-broken  epistle  from  Peggy  confirmed  this 
fact ;  and  the  delusion  that  she  would  accompany  her 
husband  to  prison  was  thus  roughly  dispelled.  "  She 
had  been  very  sharply  rebuked,"  she  wrote,  "  for  giv- 
ing Miss  Shallard  the  chloroform,  and  she  really  be- 
lieved that  the  Vice-Chancellor  tried  to  make  out  that 
she  intended  to  poison  that  old  cat,  when  he  ought  to 
have  known  that  she  only  wanted  to  keep  her  quiet 
for  a  few  hours.  I  am  sorry  I  cannot  come  down  to 
Yarne,"  Peggy  continued,  "  but  I  am  a  sort  of  captive, 
and  am  not  allowed  to  move  out  of  the  house  without 
a  Mrs  Bagshot  at  my  heels.  I  think  she  must  be  a 
kind  of  keeper  for  the  female  wards  of  Court,  but  I 
don't  know ;  and  I  don't  intend  to  speak  to  her,  and 
shall  make  myself  as  disagreeable  as  I  can."  Peggy 
concluded  this  pious  resolve  by  signing  herself  the 
Colonel's  affectionate  daughter. 


COLONEL   LEPPELL  AT   PARIS.  249 

This  correspondence,  on  the  whole,  was  rather  satis- 
tactory  to  Colonel  Leppell,  save  one  intimation  con- 
tained in  Mr  Constant's  letter.  This  was,  that  unless 
Mr  Marmaduke  Leppell  signed  a  deed,  demanded  by 
the  Court  of  Chancery,  which  required  that  he  should 
resign  all  interest  in  his  wife's  fortune,  he  would  be 
consigned  to  prison  for  a  very  long  term  ;  indeed  it 
was  only  on  condition  of  proper  submission,  and  the 
unqualified  surrender  of  his  interest  in  his  wife's  pro- 
perty, that  he  would  be  released  at  all.  The  Colonel 
shook  his  head  over  this,  and  was  more  strongly  of 
opinion  than  ever  that,  though  the  restraining  powers 
of  the  Court  of  Chancery  were  at  times  of  some  use, 
yet  its  arbitrary  dictum  as  to  the  disposition  of  other 
people's  property  needed  full  revision  and  reform: 
but  of  course  the  officer  reasoned  from  his  son's  point 
of  view  on  the  matter. 

Mr  Marmaduke  Leppell  was  then  an  inmate  of  the 
Queen's  Prison,  Holloway ;  and  Peggy  was  under  the 
charge  pro  tern,  of  Mrs  Bagshot.  It  had  been  decided 
that  she  should  not  return  to  her  original  guardian, 
Miss  Shallard;  and  this  piece  of  good  fortune  Mrs 
Marmaduke  imputed  to  that  happy  thought  of  hers 
of  giving  chloroform  to  this  vigilant  keeper.  How- 
ever, after  an  interview  with  the  Lord  Chancellor  him- 
self, and  out  of  deference  to  the  kind  manner  in 
which  that  gentleman's  admonitions  were  impressed 
upon  her,  Peggy  was  moved  to  write  an  apology  to 
the  outraged  lady ;  and  this  she  did  with  the  greater 
heartiness  when  she  found   that    under   no  circum- 


250  THE   FAT    OF   THE   LAND. 

stances  whatever  would  she  be  relegated  to  what  she 
was  pleased  to  call  parlour-boardership. 

"  Suppose,  my  lord,"  Mrs  Marmaduke  said  by  proxy 
to  the  Chancellor,  by  way  of  helping  him  to  do  a  hand- 
some thing  on  her  behalf, — "  suppose  you  allow  Miss 
Shallard  a  hundred  a  year  or  so,  for  a  certain  time, 
as  a  little  compensation  for  the  chloroform  and  for 
losing  me, — although  I  have  been  a  good  milk-cow  to 
that  family,  and  they  ought  to  have  saved :  then — 
then,  could  I  not  accept  the  invitation  I  have  had 
to  stay  with  Mr  Leppell's  family  in  Yarneshire  ?  It 
would  be  the  most  respectable  thing  I  could  do," 
urged  Peggy,  imploringly ;  "  and  the  Colonel  quite 
thinks  of  me  as  a  daughter, — indeed  he  does." 

His  lordship  did  not  doubt  that  in  the  least, — "  but 
it  remains  to  be  seen  how  the  husband  comports 
himself  before  I  can  make  any  change  in  the  condi- 
tion of  either  of  these  young  people,"  he  said.  So 
Peggy  saw  that,  for  the  present  at  least,  she  must 
make  up  her  mind  to  remain  under  the  shadow  of 
Mrs  Bagshot's  wing,  and  elected  to  live  in  hopes  of 
better  things  to  come. 

Mr  Glascott  in  due  course  again  arrived  at  the  Eed 
Lion  Hotel  at  Yarne,  accompanied  by  Miss  Clavering 
and  her  brother.  Mary  and  Clara  Leppell,  escorted  by 
their  brothers,  met  the  party,  and  then,  after  the  first 
greetings,  the  invitation  to  stay  at  Pinnacles  Court 
was  given  to  them,  to  decide  upon  as  they  might  think 
good. 

Mr  Glascott  decided  for  Pinnacles  on  behalf  of  the 


COLOXEL  LEPPELL  AT  PARIS.         251 

young  people,  as  soon  as  he  discovered  that  Mary 
Leppell  was  to  be  the  Fanshawes'  guest,  and  an- 
nounced his  intention  of  writing  to  say  that  he  would 
follow  in  a  few  days.  "  That  will  enable  me  to  be 
near  your  mother  and  Lady  Asher,"  he  remarked  to 
Mary,  "  and  you  had  better  stay  as  long  as  you  can. 
Francis  has  received  an  invitation  from  Mrs  Fanshawe 
also,  as  I  daresay  you  know,  and  he  has  accepted  it, 
which  proceeding  I  trust  you  approve  of." 

Mary  answered  bravely  that  she  highly  approved  of 
this  proceeding,  and  then  added,  "  You  will  find  my 
friend  Lillian  Fanshawe  at  Hunter's  Lodge ;  we  have 
changed  places,  in  fact,  and  she  will  remain  with 
mamma  till  either  I  or  the  Colonel  return."  Then 
Mary  turned  and  looked  at  her  new  sister  that  was 
to  be. 

AVillina  Clavering  was  not  what  the  world  reckons 
a  beauty,  but  her  noble  mien,  the  beautiful  shape  of 
her  head,  and  its  elegant  poise  on  her  shoulders,  to- 
gether with  the  severe  Grecian  style  in  which  her  hair 
was  arranged,  gave  her  an  air  of  distinction  which  was 
almost  regal.  This  had  the  effect  also  of  carrying  out 
the  idea  once  expressed  by  the  famous  Count  d'Orsay. 
when  consulted   concerning  the  claims   of  a  certain 

debutante  to  be  considered  handsome.     "  Miss  S 

is  not  a  beauty,"  pronounced  this  fastidious  judge  of 
female  charms,  "but  don't  sit  near  her, — she  makes 
other  women  look  plain." 

The  tincture  of  foreign  courtesy  which  Miss  Claver- 
ing displayed  in  her  manners  was  just  enough  to  pol- 


252  THE   FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

ish  the  frank  British  nature  which  lay  beneath  them ; 
and  this  lady  had  been  too  well  trained  to  accept  the 
theory  that  a  rude  manner  necessarily  forms  the  husk 
of  a  good  heart  and  a  sincere  nature.  Her  religious 
proclivities  led  her  to  respect  that  terse  admonition  of 
St  Paul,  "  Be  courteous." 

Mary  Leppell  looked  in  vain  for  any  resemblance 
that  might  announce  that  Frank  and  Willina  were 
brother  and  sister :  the  dark  strong  complexion  of  the 
former  was  modified  in  the  clear  nut-brown  tint  which 
shadowed  the  young  girl's  face,  the  whole  expression 
of  which  was  softer  and  more  refined.  This  expres- 
sion melted  into  real  tenderness,  sweet  and  pure,  as, 
advancing  towards  Mary,  she  held  out  her  arms,  and, 
in  a  kind  embrace,  said — 

"  Frank  is  a  fortunate  man  ;  well  may  you  be  called 
'  heavenly  Moll/  My  sister, — my  real  sister, — you 
are  beautiful  as  an  angel :  we  are  friends  for  ever,  are 
we  not  ? " 

They  immediately  became  so,  and  it  was  only  after 
long  years  that  death  parted  them. 


253 


CHAPTEE    XII. 

STEPHEN   LA   TOUCHE   AT   PINNACLES. 

According  to  previous  arrangement,  Mr  La  Touche 
and  his  son  Stephen  duly  arrived  at  Pinnacles,  and 
were   satisfied,   both  by   the   report   of   the   Eector's 
family  and  also  by  ocular  demonstration,  that  Mrs 
Kemble's  state  of  mind  had  considerably  changed  for 
the  worse.     The  only  cheering  sign  in  this  poor  lady's 
case  was  the  delight  with  which  she  welcomed  her 
younger   nephew,  and  the  confidence   she   expressed 
that  all  would  be  happy  and  bright  because  he  had 
come  to  see  her.     She  stroked  his  beard  and  patted 
his  hands,  and  evinced  all  the  delight  which  a  child 
would  do  after  a  long  separation  from  a  beloved  mother 
or  nurse.     Lillian  Fanshawe,  who  was  present  at  this 
meeting,  was  very  much  impressed  at  witnessing  this 
outburst  of  feeling, — so  different,  mused  she,  from  the 
reception    she    vouchsafed    to    Percival :    he    always 
seems  to  freeze  her  into  stone,  and  he  never  suggests 
anything   to   brighten   her   condition.     "  Perhaps  we 
might  have  done  more  on  our  part,  but  then  it  is  so 


254  THE   FAT   OF   THE  LAND. 

difficult  to  know  what  the  right  thing  is  with  regard 
to  imbecile  people."  And  so  Miss  Lillian  salved  her 
conscience  for  some  neglect  towards  the  unfortunate 
woman  to  whom  some  little  attentions  would  have 
been  a  great  boon,  and  would  have  been  also  grate- 
fully remembered ;  for  Mrs  Kemble's  powers  of  recol- 
lection were  scarcely  impaired. 

"  Take  me  into  the  garden,  aunt,"  said  Stephen,  "and 
let  me  see  some  of  your  flowers.  I  should  like  you  to 
show  me  your  very  best,  for  I  intend  to  steal  a  good 
many  to  take  up  to  town  when  we  return." 

"  But  you  are  not  going  away  directly,  are  you  ? " 
asked  the  aunt,  with  an  imploring  look ;  "  do  stay, 
Stephen.  Dear  Stephen,  if  you  only  knew  how  dull 
it  is  for  me  here,  so  much  alone.  I  know  I  am  queer 
sometimes,  very  queer ;  something  comes  over  me  that 
I  cannot  help,  and  I  get  violent.  All  me !  The  fit 
has  passed  now,  but  I  am  too  much  alone,  and  I  know 
they  all  think  that  I  am  mad :  I  can  see  it  in  their 
faces  very  plainly,  that  they  believe  I  am  quite 
insane." 

"  I  don't  think  that  quite,  aunt,"  Stephen  answered, 
in  the  quiet  equable  tone  which  is  so  soothing  to  shat- 
tered nerves.  "  The  family  have  always  said  that  you 
are  very  excitable  and  easily  upset,  on  account  of  the 
harsh  treatment  you  received  some  years  ago,  and  your 
mental  anxiety,  and  all  that  has  contributed  to  render 
you  at  times — at  times  only — not  quite  responsible ; 
but  you  are  often  much  cleverer  than  many  of  us." 

"  I   know   Percival   always   says   that   I   am   only 


STEPHEN  LA  TOUCHE  AT  PINNACLES.      255 

nervous,  but  he  has  got  a  reason  for  that, — a  reason, 
and  a  very  particular  reason,  my  dear,"  said  the 
patient,  with  a  look  of  knowing  cunning  which  was 
painful  to  see.  "  Percival  wants  to  lay  my  queerness 
all  to  Mr  Kemble's  account, — and  mind,  he  only  ill- 
used  me  when  he  was  drunk,  and  I  won't  speak  ill  of 
the  dead, — and  to  make  these  Fanshawes  believe  that 
there  is  nothing  wrong  in  the  family.  We  have  it  in 
the  family  strong,"  continued  the  lady,  with  emphasis, 
"  and  Percival  inherits  it.  Ah  !  he  will  be  mad  some 
day  ;  he's  got  the  taint  worse  than  any  of  you." 

"  All  this  is  very  sad,  aunt,"  replied  Stephen,  greatly 
shocked,  although  not  so  much  surprised.  "  But  why 
is  Percival  anxious  to  keep  right  with  the  Fanshawes  ? 
My  father,  you  know,  says  much  the  same  thing,  and 
I  don't  think  he  cares  what  the  people  at  Pinnacles 
Court  say  or  believe  on  the  subject." 

"  True ;  but  you  don't  know  all  the  by-play.  There 
is  a  daughter,  my  dear — a  daughter  young  and  hand- 
some ;  don't  you  understand  now  ? " 

"  Yes ;  but  the  daughter  has  been  there  ever  since 
you  came  to  Pinnacles,  nearly  six  years  ago,  and  my 
brother  must  have  seen  her  off  and  on  during  that 
time.  Don't  take  that  fancy  into  your  head,  dear  aunt, 
and  above  all  things,  don't  say  anything  about  this ; 
Percival  would  be  furious.  He  always  gives  out,  too, 
that  he  will  only  marry  a  girl  who  has  money,  and 
these  Fanshawes  have  none." 

"  All  very  well,  Stephen ;  but  there  is  a  difference 
between  twelve  years  and  eighteen,  and  the  girl  is 


256  THE   FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

older  than  that  in  her  ways  and  manners.  Percival 
has  got  his  fortune  now,  so  he  can  afford  to  follow  his 
fancy.  Ah !  the  very  last  time  he  was  here,  I  saw 
them  walking  under  the  laurels :  he  forgot  that  my 
window  was  open,  and  that  I  could  hear." 

"  Well,  I  daresay  it  wTas  only  friendly  talk." 

"  They  were  talking  about  my  health,  and  he  told 
Miss  Fanshawe  that  my  peculiar  ways  were  entirely 
owing  to  Kemble's  ill-usage  of  me ;  and  that  it  an- 
noyed him  because  people  would  think  that  mad 

it  was  in  the  family,  and  he  was  glad  to  have  the  op- 
portunity of  telling  her  the  real  reason.  What  do 
you  think  of  that?" 

"  No  one  likes  to  proclaim  their  own  misfortunes," 
the  nephew  replied,  gently  ;  "  but  Percival  went  rather 
far  in  his  inferences.  Still,  he  might  not  be  making 
love  for  all  that :  he  was  only  trying  to  keep  up  his 
family." 

"But  I  am  sure  that  he  is  making  love,"  Mrs 
Kemble  answered  quickly,  "and  that  is  the  reason 
he  tries  to  frighten  me  into  being  very  silent  when  he 
comes  here ;  and  he  has  been  worse,  much  worse,  of 
late.  I  know  I  don't  improve, — I  am  too  much  left 
to  myself ;  none  of  them  come  here  for  their  holidays 
or  their  illnesses  as  they  used  to  do :  and,  Stephen, 
the  people  about  this,  they  don't  come  to  see  me, — 
they  are  afraid.  Oh,  take  me  away  !  take  me  away  ! " 
and  the  poor  soul  clung  convulsively  to  her  nephew's 
arm  as  she  spoke. 

Soothing    her    as   well    as   he   was   able,    Stephen 


STEPHEN   LA   TOUCHE   AT   PINNACLES.  257 

promised  faithfully  to  try  and  effect  a  change  in 
his  aunt's  condition,  and  that  as  soon  as  possible. 
"  You  have  been  here  too  long,"  he  remarked ;  "  and 
the  house  is  certainly  too  large  for  what  you  require. 
Now,  would  you  like  to  go  into  a  private  home — 
for  a  time,  I  mean  —  under  a  good  doctor's  care  ? 
I  am  sure  you  would  be  very  soon  all  right  if  you 
did  so." 

Stephen  proposed  this,  as  it  might  meet  the  appro- 
bation of  the  medical  man  of  whom  Mr  Fanshawe 
had  made  mention  in  his  letter  to  his  father ;  and 
further,  he  saw  that  his  relative  was  far  more  likely 
to  accept  any  suggestion  coming  from  him  than  from 
any  one  else.  A  little  conversation  convinced  him  that 
he  was  right  in  this  conjecture,  and  that  there  would 
be  no  resistance  on  the  part  of  Mrs  Kemble  to  any 
plan  in  which  his  counsels  would  bear  a  part. 

Assuring  himself  of  this,  Stephen  resolved  that  if 
his  father  would  make  no  move  in  the  matter,  he 
would  himself  seek  out  this  doctor,  and,  conjointly 
with  him,  try  to  effect  some  arrangement  which  would 
conduce  to  the  satisfaction  at  least  of  this  afflicted 
relative.  He  then  exacted  a  promise  from  Mrs 
Kemble  that  she  would  be  quiet  and  patient,  and, 
above  all,  trust  to  him  implicitly.  "Whatever  may 
be  done,  be  assured,  dear  aunt,  that  1  will  in  future 
see  to  your  welfare  independently  of  any  one  else ; 
all  I  want  you  to  do  now  is  to  be  very  patient." 

"  Marcia  never  comes  near  me,"  broke  in  Mrs 
Kemble  suddenly,  as  her  nephew  led  her  into  the 

VOL.  I.  E 


258  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

house ;  "  that's  very  much  against  me,  you  know — 
very  much." 

"  Little  Anna  is  seriously  ill  at  this  moment," 
said  Stephen,  "  and  Aunt  Marcia  has  had  to  go  to  her 
at  once.  I  assure  you  that  she  hoped  to  manage  to 
accompany  us,  but  really  it  was  quite  impossible." 

"  It's  always  impossible  with  Marcia ;  but  I  shall 
believe  it  as  you  say  so  now.  Anna,  the  youngest, — 
what  is  the  matter  with  the  child  ? " 

"  A  return,  I  fear,  of  the  old  malady.  You  know 
she  has  been  subject  to  fits  all  her  life ;  but  she  has 
been  so  very  much  better  the  last  two  years,  that 
it  was  hoped  she  had  quite  grown  out  of  them,"  re- 
plied Stephen. 

"  I  remember  ;  fits  indeed  !  I  hope  they  are  going 
to  treat  her  in  a  sensible  manner;  for  if  they  keep 
her  away  from  everybody  as  they  have  kept  me,  there 
will  be  something  more  to  manage  than  fits,  I'm 
thinking.  She  will  be  called  highly  nervous,  and  be 
put  out  of  the  way  of  the  family,  because  it  might 
affect  the  chances  of  the  marriages,  you  see,  if  a  cer- 
tain word  beginning  with  '  m ' — you  know,  ah,  you 
know," — and  here  Mrs  Kemble  bestowed  a  look  upon 
her  nephew  which  was  partly  ridiculous  and  partly 
painful  in  its  effect  upon  its  recipient. 

Meanwhile  Stephen  mused  within  himself,  and 
became  more  and  more  thoroughly  convinced  that  his 
aunt  must  not  remain  longer  at  Pinnacles.  There 
was  no  actual  complaint  to  make ;  the  rector  and  his 
family  called  in  occasionally,  and  Mrs  Kemble  was 


STEPHEN   LA  TOUCHE   AT   PINNACLES.  259 

now  and  then  a  guest  at  the  Court  for  a  few  hours 
at  a  time  ;  but  save  for  a  week  at  the  sea,  and  spend- 
ing, at  intervals,  the  day  in  a  picnic  fashion  on  the 
hills,  her  life,  from  its  very  monotony,  was  dreary 
indeed. 

The  rector's  second  daughter,  Etta,  who  was  like  a 
curate  to  Mr  Fanshawe,  called  more  regularly  and 
showed  more  sympathy  than  any  other  person  around 
Mrs  Kemble ;  but  of  late  this  young  lady  had  evinced 
such  ill-concealed  terror  when  in  company  with  her, 
that  her  visits  had  become  rather  irksome  than  other- 
wise, and  the  girl  had  been  made  to  understand  on 
one  occasion  that  if  she  were  afraid  of  her  hostess, 
she  had  better  not  call  again.  Added  to  this,  the 
visits  of  Mrs  Kemble's  relatives,  either  for  pleasure 
or  convenience,  had  become  so  few  and  far  between, 
that  they  might  be  looked  upon  almost  as  events  of 
the  past. 

This  state  of  things  had  the  usual  effect  upon  the 
attendant  who  was  specially  engaged  to  wait  upon 
Mrs  Kemble  and  minister  to  her  comfort.  She,  from 
necessarily  having  control  over  the  household  and 
its  expenditure,  had  waxed  both  neglectful  and  inso- 
lent, and  evidently  deemed  her  position  a  sinecure. 
Not  being  sufficiently  trained  nor  experienced  in  the 
treatment  of  mental  disease,  she  by  her  conduct  had 
at  length  exasperated  her  patient  by  little  and  little, 
until  the  indignation  of  the  latter  had  culminated  into 
doing  her  positive  bodily  harm. 

And  here  let  us  reflect  how  much  acute  suffering 


2 GO  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

and  chronic  injustice  is  often  inflicted  upon  patients 
of  all  classes  of  disease,  mental  or  otherwise,  through 
the  unwisdom  of  their  several  friends  in  the  selec- 
tion of  their  nurses  and  attendants.  Too  often  an 
imbecile  patient,  who  is  warranted  "  not  dangerous,"  is 
placed  under  the  charge  of  an  attendant  whose  vir- 
tues chiefly  consist  in  being  aunt  or  cousin,  or  even 
grandmother,  to  the  housekeeper  or  some  servant  of 
the  family  to  whom  the  patient  belongs ;  or  if  the  mone- 
tary position  does  not  admit  of  this  arrangement,  some 
relative  of  the  family  is  thus  cheaply  provided  for, 
and  rushes  into  the  undertaking  of  nurse,  guide,  cook, 
and  familiar  friend  with  an  enthusiasm  only  equalled 
by  corresponding  incapacity.  We  put  philosophy  out 
of  the  question,  because  true  philosophy  never  com- 
mits such  arrant  blunders  as  these. 

But  the  family  of  La  Touche  had  not  only  put 
philosophy  out  of  the  question,  but  had  relegated  com- 
mon-sense to  the  regions  of  "  nowhere "  when  they 
agreed  to  intrust  Jane  Prosser  with  the  care  of  their 
afflicted  relative.  Mrs  Kemble's  comfort  was  in  this 
selection  very  much  less  cared  for  than  the  providing 
this  female  with  a  comfortable  berth.  "  Send  Jane 
Prosser  down  to  the  country  with  Arabella  ! "  was 
Marcia's  first  exclamation  on  being  informed  that 
some  respectable  trustworthy  person  should  be  at 
once  engaged  to  wait  upon  her  sister,  and  take  a 
general  charge  of  the  house  provided  for  that  lady's 
occupation — "  send  Jane  Prosser, — the  very  person. 
Mr  La  Touche  would  have  to  do  something  for  her 


STEPHEN   LA.   TOUCHE   AT   PINNACLES.  261 

in  a  few  years'  time,  as  he  was  weak  enough  to  pro- 
mise old  nurse  when  she  was  dying  to  get  Jane  into 
an  almshouse,  or  give  her  a  pension  himself,  should 
she  live  to  be  a^ecl.  You  know  she  is  old  nurse's 
niece,  and  my  brother  thought  he  could  acknowledge 
the  services  of  the  latter  in  that  way,  and  thus  stave 
off  putting  money  down.  Prosser  might  die  in  my 
brother's  lifetime,  you  know,"  Marcia  continued  with 
elation,  "  for  she  is  no  chicken,  and  my  brother  may 
see  her  out.  However,  both  he  and  Percival  subscribe 
to  the  refuge  for  incapables  on  her  account ;  but  she 
must  be  some  years  older  before  she  can  be  admitted 
into  that  praiseworthy  institution,  so  this  is  the  very 
thing  for  Jane  till  she  can  be  shelved  for  life." 

Thus  Marcia  to  the  family  physician,  who  did  not 
view  matters  in  this  accommodating  light,  and  who 
even  presumed  to  do  his  duty  and  recommend  a 
trained  nurse  from  an  institution  which  he  named. 
Miss  La  Touche,  however,  with  the  utmost  celerity 
and  decision,  quenched  this  recommendation  in  the 
bud. 

"  That  will  never  do,  Dr  Pearsall — never.  A  nurse 
from  a  mad  place  !  My  brother  would  never  hear  of 
it.  Why,  we  might  as  well  proclaim  the  whole  family 
to  be  raging  lunatics  on  the  spot.  Besides,  the  expense 
would  be  terrific  ! " 

"  I  think  Mrs  Kemble's  jointure  is  four  hundred  a 
year,  and  she  has  two  thousand  pounds  of  her  own. 
You  have  forgotten  that  I  am  one  of  the  trustees 
to  your  sister's  marriage-settlement ;    so   I   am  per- 


262  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

fectly  sure  that  expense  need  not  be  considered,"  re- 
plied Dr  Pearsall,  looking  Marcia  steadily  in  the  eyes. 

"So  she  has,"  returned  the  lady;  "and  do  you 
know,"  she  continued,  with  characteristic  irrelevancy, 
"  that  Air  Keinble's  relations  pray  regularly  night  and 
day  for  her  'release,'  as  they  call  it.  Old  Bishop 
Kemble,  they  say,  would  marry  again  if  Arabella 
were  to  die.  He  is  heir  to  three  hundred  a-year  of 
her  jointure." 

"Fine  old  Bible  Christian,"  returned  the  doctor, 
affecting  to  believe  Marcia's  statement,  though,  like 
an  honest  man,  he  took  the  half  of  it  and  divided  it 
by  three,  according  to  the  old-fashioned  arithmetical 
rule  which  was  the  standard  measure  when  the  accur- 
acy of  a  report  wherein  figures  were  concerned  had  to 
be  tested.  "  But  never  mind  the  Kembles.  Let  me 
urge  upon  you  the  necessity  of  getting  a  well-trained 
experienced  woman  as  a  nurse  for  your  sister.  This 
plan  is  far  more  economical  than  the  one  you  seem 
inclined  to  adopt,  as  you  will  find  out  in  the  long-run." 
So  saying,  the  doctor  took  his  leave,  and  Marcia  pro- 
mised to  mention  his  suggestion  to  Mr  La  Touche 
immediately. 

The  result  of  Marcia's  consultation  with  her  brother 
was  the  immediate  engagement  of  Jane  Prosser,  the 
pair  being  incited  to  this  proceeding  on  being  supplied 
with  the  information  that  Miss  Prosser  mitst  know 
something  about  mad  people,  because  she  possessed  a 
grand-uncle  who  was  in  a  lunatic  asylum,  and  another 
relative  who  was  popularly  supposed  to  be  "  off  her 


STEPHEN  LA  TOUCHE  AT  PINNACLES.      263 

head."  These  qualifications  being  considered  unim- 
peachable, and  in  fact  a  certificate  of  experience  and 
efficiency,  the  woman  was  sent  down  to  Pinnacles, 
and  being  there  free  from  all  supervision,  succeeded 
in  rendering  Mrs  Kemble  so  irritable  and  contradic- 
tory by  her  unworthy  conduct,  that  in  an  accession 
of  ungovernable  excitement  the  patient  stabbed  her 
with  a  dinner-fork  in  the  arm. 

Startling  as  this  action  was,  Stephen  hailed  it  as  a 
tangible  proof  that  his  aunt's  state  of  mind  necessi- 
tated her  removal  to  more  direct  medical  care,  and 
also  that  a  thorough  change  in  the  management  of 
the  patient  was  imperatively  necessary.  He  therefore 
determined  to  join  issue  with  Mr  Fanshawe  in  insist- 
ing upon  a  consultation  with  the  clever  and  benevolent 
director  of  the  Yarne  County  Asylum.  His  inquiries 
regarding  Jane  Prosser  satisfied  Stephen,  also,  that  this 
woman  had  made  the  most  of  her  injuries,  and  it 
transpired,  in  addition,  that  this  attendant  was  by  no 
means  inclined  to  resign  her  situation,  or  even  to 
admit  a  trained  nurse  to  minister  to  the  case  for 
a  few  weeks  upon  trial.  Miss  Prosser  even  expressed 
her  regret  that  Mr  La  Touche  should  have  been  sum- 
moned, for  she  saw  from  the  younger  son's  manner 
that  he  had  no  opinion  either  of  her  capability  of 
managing  an  invalid,  or  her  fitness  for  occupying  the 
very  responsible  post  which  she  held  more  by  good 
luck  than  good  guidance,  as  the  old  saying  has  it. 
Another  point  for  consideration  had  also  rushed  into 
Stephen's  mind.     After  the  outbreak  on  the  part  of 


264  THE   FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

Mrs  Kemble,  how  were  the  future  relations  between 
his  aunt  and  Jane  Prosser  to  be  maintained  ? 

"  I  am  going  up  to  Pinnacles  Court  now,  aunt/'  said 
her  nephew,  after  he  had  carved  her  fowl  and  partaken 
of  her  usually  solitary  dinner.  "  My  father  is  going 
to  dine  and  sleep  there,  but  I  shall  come  back  here 
early  in  the  evening.  I  suppose  you  can  put  me  up 
for  the  night  ? " 

"  Quite  easily  ;  it  will  be  a  comfort  to  have  some  of 
the  rooms  occupied." 

"  By  the  way,"  said  Stephen,  "  does  any  one  attend 
to  you  personally,  now  that  Prosser  is  laid  aside  ? " 

"  Yes,"  returned  Mrs  Kemble  ;  "  a  nice  kindly  woman 
from  the  village,  who  was  sent  here  by  Miss  Etta  Fan- 
shawe.  She  only  stays  during  the  day,  though,  and  so 
the  cook  is  all  I  have  in  the  house  at  night  just  now ; 
but  it  is  safe  enough,  and  there  is  no  fear  of  Prosser 
coming  and  teasing  me  to  go  to  bed  early,  as  she  used 
to  do.  Do  you  know,  Stephen,"  said  the  old  lady  with 
a  chuckle,  "  it  was  a  good  thing  I  gave  her  that  gash. 
They  were  all  so  frightened  that  they  took  her  away 
at  once  to  the  kind  of  infirmary  place  they  have  in  the 
village,  and  she  is  to  stay  there  till  she  gets  well,  and 
we  shall  have  to  pay  for  it.  But  that  does  not  matter ; 
she's  gone,  and  that  is  nuts  to  me,  my  dear — yes,  nuts 
and  figs ! " 

Stephen  did  not  think  it  advisable  to  tell  his  aunt 
that  he  and  Mr  La  Touche  had  interviewed  Jane 
Prosser  just  before  he  called  upon  her,  nor  did  he 
think  it  well  to  encourage  his  aunt  to  converse  on  the 


STEPHEN  LA  TOUCHE  AT  PINNACLES.      265 

subject,  so  he  said,  "  I  have  brought  you  a  book  of 
photographs  to  look  at ;  they  are  very  beautiful,  and 
•  represent  some  of  the  finest  works  of  art  in  the  Paris 
Exhibition.  Do  you  think  the  woman  from  the  village 
would  like  to  look  over  them  with  you  ?  I  always 
think  two  persons  enjoy  looking  over  pictures  of  a 
particular  kind  in  company,  and  this  book  is  large 
and  heavy  for  you  to  hold  alone.  Shall  I  tell  her  to 
come  to  you  as  I  pass  out  ? " 

"  Please  do  so  ;  but  she  need  not  hurry, — I  shall  sit 
in  my  big  chair  there  and  have  a  sleep.  0  Stephen ! 
you  have  brought  the  kindly  blessed  sleep :  it  is 
coming — coming  like  the  rustle  of  an  angel's  wing ; 
let  it  overshadow  me,  and  let  me  feel  what  Elizabeth 
Barrett  Browning  so  sweetly  tells  us  in  poetry  about 
'  He  giveth  his  beloved  sleep.'  You  know  she  made 
a  poem  on  that  verse  of  Scripture,  don't  you  ?  and 
another  upon  'Dying  Alone,'  which  is  one  of  the 
grandest  sonnets  ever  written,  in  my  poor  opinion. 
But  now  let  me  sleep, — for  many  nights  I  have  not 
closed  my  eyes." 

Stephen  drew  his  stalwart  arm  round  the  old  lady 
and  placed  her  in  her  chair,  at  the  same  time  arrang- 
ing both  her  and  her  surroundings  with  a  gentleness 
to  which  she  had  been  long  unaccustomed.  Then  he 
went  to  the  woman  who  was  acting  as  a  substitute  for 
Jane,  and  requested  her  to  go  up-stairs  now  and  then 
and  see  to  his  aunt, — "  but  as  long  as  she  sleeps  don't 
disturb  her,"  he  enjoined. 

"  I  believe  if  Mrs  Kemble  could  get  a  good  sleep 


266  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

oftener,  and  have  more  companionship  like,  she  would 
not  be  half  bad,"  Mrs  Vardon  said.  "  She's  a  nice  lady, 
and  that  there  Jane  a'most  worrited  her  into  fits,  times. 
Lor' !  she  and  I  gets  on  first-rate,  that  we  does." 

Stephen  expressed  himself  delighted  to  hear  it,  and 
presented  Mrs  Vardon  with  half-a-crown  as  a  stimu- 
lus to  future  attentions ;  and  then  he  made  his  way 
out  of  the  house  and  walked  down  a  narrow  enclosure 
bordered  by  laurels  and  flowering  shrubs,  which  led 
from  the  village  in  a  gentle  ascent  to  the  large  front 
gates  of  Pinnacles  Court.  He  was  just  about  to  enter 
when  he  perceived  his  father  and  Mr  Fanshawe  stand- 
ing on  the  steps  which  led  up  to  the  hall  porch.  As 
they  were  evidently  coming  out,  the  young  man 
waited  and  rolled  back  one  of  the  heavy  gates  for 
his  seniors  to  pass  through.  Mr  Fanshawe,  who  was 
a  great  agriculturist,  was  about  to  take  Mr  La  Touche 
through  his  farms,  and  they  were  in  high  talk  about 
drainings,  piggeries,  mangel-wurzel,  and  all  the  concomi- 
tants which  are  popularly  supposed  to  be  the  staple  of 
a  country  gentleman's  talk,  when  Stephen  joined  them. 

Mr  La  Touche  took  care  to  remind  the  rector  that 
he  too  was  a  country  gentleman,  but  that  enormous 
expenses  and  an  immense  family  obliged  him  to  live 
in  London  and  let  his  property,  which  basked  on  the 
lovely  wealds  of  Sussex.  "  Some  of  my  relatives  at 
first  did  not  like  my  entering  into  commercial  life," 
said  Mr  La  Touche,  almost  apologetically ;  "  but  if  I 
had  not  done  so,  my  family  would  have  been  very 
differently  situated." 


STEPHEN"   LA   TOUCHE   AT   PINNACLES.  267 

"  You  were  quite  right,"  replied  the  rector,  energeti- 
cally ;  "  nothing  is  so  trying  as  to  have  to  keep  up  cer- 
tain appearances  with  a  paucity  of  means, — nothing," 
and  the  poor  man  sighed  and  looked  very  glum : 
galdly  indeed  would  he  let  Pinnacles  Court  and  return 
to  his  rectory,  but  what  of  wife  and  daughters  in  the 
case  ?  The  answer  was  plain  and  apparent  enough. 
Mrs  Fanshawe  was  more  in  her  element  as  the  wife  of 
a  landed  proprietor  than  as  the  wife  of  a  country 
clergyman,  and  the  meaning  of  "  advance  "  and  "  pro- 
gress "  with  her  was  rise  in  life  and  increased  money 
in  the  pocket,  the  welfare  of  the  community  at  large 
being  a  very  small  item  in  the  account. 

The  three  gentlemen  walked  round,  now  and  then 
prodding  a  pig  with  their  sticks,  gazing  at  a  bullock 
here  and  there,  and  making  a  deep  halt  before  a  re- 
markable cow-shed  which  had  been  drained  on  highly 
scientific  principles.  Here  the  rector  was  in  his  glory, 
pointing  out  how  the  liquid  manure  could  run  this  way 
into  a  sluice ;  how  the  heads  of  the  cattle  tethered 
therein  would  sway  more  comfortably  the  other  way  ; 
how  the  feed  could  be  husbanded  ;  and  how  cleanly  and 
sanitary  arrangements  were  by  this  process  thoroughly 
carried  out  and  utilised.  The  elder  Mr  La  Touche, 
who  cared  nothing  for  the  country,  and  who  would  as 
soon  have  thought  of  permanently  residing  in  Horse- 
monger  Lane  Jail  as  living  at  his  country  place, 
even  if  circumstances  permitted  him  to  do  so,  listened 
with  much  attention  to  the  rector's  orations  on  this 
head.   The  thought  entered  his  mind  that  money  could 


2G8  THE    FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

be  made  out  of  this  idea,  and  so  he  taxed  his  memory 
to  preserve  the  important  part  of  the  information,  re- 
solving to  advise  Percival  to  look  into  the  matter  the 
next  time  that  he  should  come  into  Yarneshire. 

At  a  pause  in  the  conversation,  Stephen  valiantly 
introduced  the  affair  of  his  aunt  Kemble,  feeling  that 
it  was  safer  to  approach  this  subject  under  the  shadow 
of  the  rector's  wing.  He  had  too  long  been  aware  of 
the  time-serving  and  worldly  nature  of  his  father  to 
be  ignorant  that  Mr  La  Touche  would  rather  shuffle 
away  a  disagreeable  duty  than  meet  it  manfully  and 
do  the  right  thing ;  and  besides  this,  the  elder  gentle- 
man seemed,  perhaps  unconsciously,  to  take  a  de- 
light in  thwarting,  if  not  actually  opposing,  any  pro- 
position, however  reasonable,  which  might  emanate 
from  this  son,  in  which  injustice  he  was  invariably 
backed  up  by  Percival,  and  sometimes  also  by  aunt 
Marcia. 

The  stronger,  sounder  nature  of  the  younger  man 
was  not  in  the  least  subdued  by  a  course  of  conduct 
which  he  attributed  to  its  legitimate  cause.  A 
short  simple  statement  of  the  facts  explains  this.  A 
good  living  had  been  offered  to  Mr  La  Touche 
for  one  of  his  sons,  in  repayment  (or,  to  put  it 
more  respectably,  in  acknowledgment)  of  a  monetary 
service  which  the  merchant  had  rendered  to  a  certain 
spendthrift  nobleman  some  years  before.  Lord  Piashe 
knew  that  Mr  La  Touche  went  in  for  Church  matters, 
as  it  was  said ;  that  he  had  a  lot  of  sons,  and  that  one 
of  the  lot  was  a  famous  boat-oar  of  an  Oxford  college. 


STEPHEN  LA  TOUCHE  AT  PINNACLES.      269 

"  There  was  the  living,  there  was  the  man,  all  ready, 
or  nearly  so,"  Lord  Eashe  averred,  adding  his  thank- 
fulness that  "  the  man "  was  gentlemanlike  in  tone, 
and  would  be  an  acquisition  to  county  society.  It 
was,  therefore,  much  to  the  surprise  of  the  patron  and 
to  the  indignation  of  the  father  that  Stephen  La 
Touche  declined  this  preferment,  and  that  with  great 
decision  and  reason.  "  I  have  no  proclivity  for  the 
profession,"  he  said ;  "  I  do  not  agree  with  certain 
parts  of  the  thirty-nine  Articles  of  the  Church  of 
England,  and  I  am  not  the  man  to  give  assent  thereto 
unless  I  can  accept  them  in  their  entirety  and  with- 
out mental  reservation."  It  is  not  necessary  to  enter 
into  the  why  and  wherefore  of  this  rejection  beyond 
stating  the  fact,  and  adding  that  this  was  the  reason 
why  Stephen  La  Touche  worked  hard  and  in  the  end 
qualified  himself  thoroughly  for  the  law.  He  had  set 
up  as  a  Chancery  barrister,  and  was  doing  well  in  his 
profession  after  less  than  the  usual  anxiety  and  "  hope 
deferred,"  which  is  so  often  the  lot  of  many  as  deserv- 
ing a  man. 

But  the  refusal  of  a  good  living — or  the  promise  of 
it  when  qualified,  strictly  speaking — was  a  great  offence 
in  the  eyes  of  Mr  La  Touche,  and  downright  in- 
sanity into  the  bargain  in  the  opinion  of  Percival, 
who  was  rather  surprised  at  the  steady  success  Qf  his 
younger  brother.  Thus  it  was  that  a  kind  of  un- 
acknowledged estrangement  existed  between  Mr  La 
Touche  and  his  son  Stephen,  although  the  elder  gentle- 
man would  have  sung  paeans  over  the  latter's  straight- 


270  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

forward  and  disinterested  conduct,  had  this  been  dis- 
played by  any  other  person's  son  than  his  own.  But  this 
living  was  highly  endowed,  and  Stephen  as  its  incum- 
bent could  have  married  one  of  the  favoured  daughters 
of  the  land,  and  have  lived  and  fared  sumptuously,  and 
made  a  good  connection  for  his  family,  and  in  fact 
done  all  the  great  things  to  which  parents  aspire  fondly 
for  their  children,  very  often  more  for  their  own  glori- 
fication than  for  the  real  happiness  of  their  offspring. 
However,  Stephen  was  firm,  and  threatened  to  seek 
employment  as  a  tutor  in  the  event  of  his  father  re- 
fusing further  aid  in  his  education.  This  settled  the 
matter,  and  the  subject  was  considered  done  with  for 
ever,  as  the  old  gentleman  summed  up  his  expos- 
tulations with  this  intimation :  "  You  had  best  work 
hard,  sir ;  two  thousand  pounds  is  all  you  will  ever 
get  from  me,  and  not  that  until  I  die.  Meanwhile,  you 
shall  have  half  your  college  allowance  for  two  years." 
Thankful  for  the  presence  of  the  rector  and  the 
absence  of  Percival,  Stephen,  as  it  has  been  said, 
introduced  the  subject  of  his  aunt,  and  so  earnestly 
recommended  an  immediate  interview  with  Dr  Wil- 
liams, the  head  physician  of  the  County  Asylum,  that 
the  old  gentleman's  breath  was  literally  carried  away, 
especially  as  the  young  man  intimated  that  Mrs 
Kemble  would  gladly  acquiesce  in  anything  which 
might  give  her  change  of  scene.  "You  will  find 
Aunt  Arabella  quite  ready  to  be  admitted  as  a  private 
patient,  and  she  knows  as  well  as  I  do  what  her 
malady  is,"  Stephen  concluded. 


STEPHEN   LA   TOUCHE   AT   PINNACLES.  271 

"  I  am  quite  convinced  of  that,"  said  Mr  Fanshawe, 
backing  Stephen  up  in  a  matter-of-fact  kind  of  way ; 
"  indeed  I  have  taken  the  trouble  to  ascertain  in  how 
far  Mrs  Kemble  feels  herself  to  be  at  times  irrespon- 
sible. For  my  part,  Mr  La  Touche,  do  not  let  the 
tenancy  of  the  house  be  any  obstacle  to  your  arrange- 
ments ;  my  curate  is  just  engaged  to  be  married  to  a 
lady  of  large  fortune,  and  he  will  be  only  too  glad  to 
occupy  the  rectory  after  I  have  done  it  up." 

"  Your  curate  going  to  marry  a  fortune  ! "  ejaculated 
Mr  La  Touche,  in  real  admiration,  mixed  with  sur- 
prise. "  Ah,  well,  I  am  not  astonished :  the  English 
Church  is  such  a  good — such  an  introduction  to  that 
kind  of  thing — ladies  and  their  guardians  see  how  safe 
it  is  to  let  money  go  in  that  direction.  Ah,  what  a 
thing  it  is  to  belong  to  the  Establishment ! " 

"  Well,  I  married  a  lady  without  any  money,"  said 
the  rector,  who  naturally  did  not  like  his  Church  men- 
tioned as  if  it  were  a  large  manufactory,  and  therefore 
spoke  rather  more  briskly  than  was  his  wont.  He 
suspected  also  that  a  hit  at  Stephen  was  more  the 
tenor  of  Mr  La  Touche's  meaning  than  anything 
else,  and  he  determined  to  put  an  end  to  any  kind  of 
surreptitious  innuendo  which  might  annoy  Stephen,  for 
whom  the  rector  had  great  respect,  knowing  well  how 
the  latter  stood  with  his  family  from  his  daughter 
Lillian,  to  whom  Percival  had  related  the  circum- 
stances, with  comments. 

So,  between  the  two,  Mr  La  Touche  was  compelled 
to  come  to  a  decided  determination,  and  it  must  be 


272  THE   FAT   OF   THE    LAND. 

conceded  the  projected  occupation  of  the  rectory 
house  stood  out  in  high  relief  in  the  resolutions  which 
were  adopted,  and  Stephen  blessed  Mr  Fanshawe's 
curate  with  all  his  might  and  main.  It  was  finally 
agreed  that  Mr  La  Touche  should  return  to  town, 
and  that  Stephen  should  take  all  the  responsibility 
of  interviewing  the  doctor,  and  making  final  arrange- 
ments for  Mrs  Kemble. 

"  Can  you  stay  down  here  a  week  ? "  Mr  Fanshawe 
said  to  his  young  friend  a  few  hours  later ;  "  if  so,  Mrs 
Fanshawe  will  be  very  glad  if  you  will  make  the  Court 
useful  during  the  day.  I  know  you  won't  desert  your 
aunt,  so  I  won't  ask  you  to  sleep  at  Pinnacles  Court ; 
but  if  you  can  stay,  we  will  all  be  delighted  to  see  you, 
and  make  your  visit  as  agreeable  as  we  can." 

"  Yes,  I  can  stay,"  Stephen  replied,  and  expressed 
the  satisfaction  it  would  be  to  him  thus  to  combine 
pleasure  with  business. 

"  Our  house  will  be  more  attractive  than  usual,"  said 
the  rector,  "  as  we  have  a  very  charming  young  lady 
coming  here  on  a  visit  in  a  few  days.  She  is  the  sister 
of  the  gentleman  who  is  going  to  wed  Mary  Leppell, 
my  daughter  Lillian's  girl-friend.  She  was  to  have 
gone  to  the  Leppells'  with  her  guardian,  Mr  Glascott ; 
but  old  Lady  Asher  is  very  ill,  and  so  Mrs  Fanshawe 
has  invited  them  to  come  here,  and  Mary  with  them, 
in  order  to  relieve  Hunter's  Lodge.  Mary  Leppell's 
future  sister,  of  course,  must  be  looked  upon  as  a 
friend  here." 

"  Her   name  is    Clavering,   then  ? "    said   Stephen  ; 


STEPHEN  LA  TOUCHE  AT  PINNACLES.      273 

"  yes,  I  have  heard  of  the  engagement — Clavering  is 
a  lucky  man." 

"  Sweet,  beautiful  girl,"  said  the  rector,  who,  by  the 
by,  was  not  popularly  supposed  to  perceive  the  differ- 
ence between  one  woman's  attractions  and  another 
— "  I  hope  Clavering  will  value  her." 

"  He  must,"  said  Stephen,  who  had  seen  Mary  Lep- 
pell  at  a  flower-show  in  London,  and  thought  her  an 
angel.  "  I  know  Mr  Clavering  slightly,"  continued 
the  young  man ;  "  I  wonder  if  the  sister  resembles 
him." 

"  Do  you  like  Clavering  himself  ? "  asked  the  rector. 

l<  Our  acquaintance  is  so  slight  that  I  can  hardly 
say :  no,  he  is  a  clever  man,  but  I  am  not  prepossessed 
in  his  favour." 

"  Xor  am  I,"  answered  the  rector ;  "  he  was  here 
once,  and  I  did  not  like  his  tone  or  general  bearing. 
He  may  improve,  though,  on  better  acquaintance.  I 
suppose  you  want  to  write  your  letters  now  ;  mind  and 
arrange  to  stay  for  a  week  or  ten  days." 

So  saying,  the  good  rector  took  himself  off,  and 
left  Stephen,  pleased  and  gratified,  to  follow  his 
own  devices. 


VOL.    I. 


274 


CHAPTER    XIII. 


JONATHAN   SIKES. 


So  many  circumstances  had  for  years  prevented  Mrs 
Fanshawe  from  having  what  is  called  company  in  the 
house,  that  it  was  quite  natural  that  both  that  lady 
and  her  husband  should  feel  alike  anxious  as  to  how 
this  influx  of  visitors,  conjoined  with  their  own  flock, 
were  to  be  entertained  for  "  the  space  of  ten  days  or 
so,"  as  the  manner  of  their  invitation  put  it.     Their 
mutual  astonishment  was  great  as  they  convinced  them- 
selves that  they  enjoyed  this  departure  from  their  or- 
dinary routine  of  life  most  thoroughly :  not  that  the 
rector  and  his  wife  were  in  any  way  allied  to  that  army 
of  humbugs  who  profess  to  dislike  and  despise  society, 
simply  because  want  of  means  or  some  other  circum- 
stance precludes  them  from  entering  into  it ;  but  that 
a  strict  sense  of  duty  and  honesty  had  obliged  this 
couple  to  restrain  their  hospitality  in  a  general  sense- 
Now  that  their  children  were  growing  up,  and  oppor- 
tunity presented  itself,  it  was  felt  to  be  just  and  right 
that  they  should  meet  their  equals,  and  become  accus- 


JONATHAN    SIKES.  275 

tomed  to  dispense,  as  well  as  to  receive,  those  amenities 
of  social  life  which  tend  so  much  to  refine  and  charm 
the  intercourse  which  advancing  civilisation  demands 
for  us  all  in  this  workaday  world. 

"  How  to  amuse  them  ? "  said  Stephen,  repeating  an 
inquiry  from  his  hostess,  which  was  toned  very  much 
like  an  appeal  to  his  own  powers  of  invention.  "  How 
can  you  ask  such  a  question,  Mrs  Fanshawe  ? "  he 
said,  as  he  looked  out  of  the  large  embrasured  window 
of  the  noble  hall  of  Pinnacles  Court  upon  the  pleasant 
garden  which  lay  mapped  beneath  its  walls.  Truly  a 
pleasaunce, — truly  the  pleasant  garden  of  dear  Will 
Shakespeare,  with  its  extensive  lawns  divided  in  equal 
proportions  by  a  broad  walk  straight  on  to  the  boundary 
wall,  to  the  gate  of  which  a  flight  of  stone  steps  led, 
bringing  the  rambler  to  an  exquisite  Norman  arch, 
framed  in  the  old  stone  wall,  around  one  side  of  which 
dark  ivy  clung  with  all  the  pertinacity  of  the  only 
parasite  that  does  not  enfeeble  the  life  of  either  the 
animate  or  inanimate  object.  The  doorway  enclosed  by 
this  masonry  opened  upon  the  kitchen-garden  and 
poultry-yards,  and  so  through  to  the  orchards  and 
fields  which  lay  beyond. 

The  eyes  of  Stephen  La  Touche  were  at  this 
moment  turned  towards  the  bank  of  thick  soft 
sward  on  the  right,  which,  sloping  at  a  rather 
abrupt  angle,  was  crowned  with  a  splendid  terrace 
walk,  shaded  on  the  farther  side  by  handsome 
shrubs,  amongst  which  the  laurustinus  reared  itself 
in    a    bloom    which    was    truly    magnificent,   show- 


276  THE  FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

ing  as  it  did  an  equal  redundancy  of  flower  and 
leaf. 

Flights  of  stone  steps  of  easy  graduated  height  were 
the  legitimate  means  of  ascent  to  the  terrace  walk  ; 
but  to  be  able  to  descend  to  the  lawn  by  means  of  the 
bank  itself  was  an  exciting  and  time-honoured  pastime, 
observed  generally  by  the  younger  members  of  the 
denizens  of  Pinnacles  and  their  visitors.  Stephen 
smiled  as  he  said,  "  I  do  believe  that  bank  will  be  a 
most  popular  resort ;  it  is  no  easy  matter,  as  I  can 
attest,  to  reach  the  ground  in  safety,  owing  to  the 
extreme  slipperiness  of  the  grass.  I  tried  it  with  your 
boys  yesterday,  and  nearly  came  down  head-foremost : 
depend,  upon  it,  we  shall  soon  inaugurate  a  capital 
game  there." 

Mrs  Fanshawe  assented,  and  then  expressed  a  wish 
that  the  season  were  warmer — "  We  might  have  the 
target  put  up  in  the  orchard,  and  have  some  shooting," 
she  said. 

"  I  would  not  give  that  idea  up,  Mrs  Fanshawe, 
if  I  were  you.  Spring  plays  such  tricks  in  this  land 
of  ours — we  may  possibly  count  on  one  warm  after- 
noon :  see  how  beautifully  your  flower  of  the  season 
is  coming  out !  " 

At  this  time  the  flower  of  the  season  was  that  of 
the  splendid  cherry-trees  which  for  untold  time  had 
been  planted  on  the  stately  lawns  of  the  old  Court. 
Here,  as  if  in  gratitude  that  no  other  tree  had  been 
suffered  to  bloom  near  them,  they  poured  out  their 
pure  white  blossoms  in  the   early  year,  and  in  the 


JONATHAN   SIKES.  277 

autumn-fall  they  had  never  failed  to  supply  a  wealth 
of  luscious  and  sound  good  fruit ;  and  so  a  cherry  feast 
on  Pinnacles  lawn  had  for  long  been  an  event  to  which 
the  youth  of  the  neighbourhood,  rich  and  poor,  looked 
forward  as  intently  as  they  did  to  their  Christmas 
cheer,  and  apparently  with  quite  as  satisfactory  a 
result. 

A  clump  of  Norway  firs  of  black-green  hue  were 
picturesquely  grouped  near  a  corner  of  the  lower  lawn, 
as  it  was  called,  because  it  terminated  in  a  deep  ha-ha, 
and  consequently  boasted  no  terrace-walk — and  some 
evergreens  were  dotted  here  and  there,  giving  a  very 
pleasing  effect  to  the  scene  ;  and  to  this  Mr  La  Touche 
directed  the  attention  of  his  hostess. 

"  Yes,"  she  said,  "  but  you  should  see  this  place  when 
the  stone  vases  on  the  top  of  the  terrace  steps  are 
filled  with  flowers  ;  the  scarlet  of  the  Tom  Thumb 
geranium  and  the  orange  of  the  capuchin  nasturtium 
contrast  so  well,  and  shine  out  in  such  splendid  relief 
from  the  grey  shadow  of  the  vases." 

"  Ay,"  replied  Stephen,  "  I  believe  that  the  grey 
shadow  everywhere  gives  a  tone  of  tenderness  to  all 
bright  things ;  without  that,  without  softness,  brill- 
iancy and  glare  are  little  worth." 

Now  as  Mrs  Fanshawe,  with  her  numerous  good 
qualities  and  her  somewhat  satirical  disposition,  was 
utterly  devoid  of  softness,  and  often  of  common 
courtesy,  in  her  manner  at  any  rate,  this  remark  of 
her  visitor  was  rather  inopportune,  especially  as  she 
was  aware  that  she  treated  her  eldest  daughter  with 


278  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

habitual  harshness,  and  that  the  outside  world  was 
beginning  to  comment  rather  too  freely  on  that 
circumstance.  She  did  not  in  her  heart  accuse 
Stephen  of  any  intentional  point  towards  herself  in 
his  remark — indeed  it  was  too  genuine  an  outcome 
of  sincere  feeling  to  bear  any  invidious  interpretation ; 
but  she  made  no  reply  to  the  observation,  and  turning 
to  solid  fact,  she  asked  Stephen  if  he  was  aware  that 
there  was  a  spring  of  water — pure  chalybeate  of  iron 
— in  the  garden. 

"  I  often  say  to  the  rector  what  a  paying  thing  it 
would  be  to  establish  a  small  spa  here — it  would 
answer  well,  I  am  sure,"  continued  Mrs  Fanshawe, 
with  an  eye  to  business. 

"  You  don't  mean  to  say,"  replied  Stephen,  aghast, 
"  that  you  would  like  to  turn  this  fine  old  Court  into 
— into  a  pump  place  !  " 

"  Not  exactly,"  Mrs  Fanshawe  replied  ;  "  there  are 
other  springs  all  coming  from  the  hill  behind  the 
house.  The  pump-room  might  be  in  the  centre  of  the 
village,  you  know ;  and  of  course,  all  the  house,  or 
rather  the  cottage,  property  would  rise  in  value.  But 
let  me  show  you  the  little  well  in  the  garden." 

Stephen  followed  the  lady  out,  and  they  ascended 
the  steps  on  the  right  extremity  of  the  terrace  bank  : 
these  were  divided  by  a  broad  stone  platform,  and 
by  any  one  standing  on  this  and  looking  down  into  a 
deep  hollow  formed  in  the  curve  of  the  bank,  a  little 
rill  could  be  heard  bubbling  up  and  oozing  its  way  from 
the  earth  below  it,  jealously  guarded  by  appropriate 


JONATHAN   SIKES.  279 

water-plants  and  built  round  with  rock-work,  which 
was  just  enough  covered  by  ferns  to  show  the  beautiful 
colouring  of  its  stones,  and  their  wonderful  apparent 
changes  of  shape  as  the  light  and  shade  fell  upon 
them.  This  tiny  well  had  been  bricked  within  long, 
long  ago — so  far  back,  indeed,  that  the  bricks  were 
covered  by  thick  short  moss,  which  literally  lined  the 
interior  of  the  cavity.  An  old-fashioned  bowl,  small 
in  size,  was  appended  to  a  chain  fixed  in  the  rock- 
work  ;  but  this  was  quite  large  enough,  for  the  spring 
never  yielded  more  nor  less  at  a  time  than  what  the 
bowl  could  contain. 

"  Just  fill  the  bowl,"  Mrs  Fanshawe  said,  "  and  drink 
the  water  ;  you  will  discover  what  a  powerful  taste  it 
has." 

Mr  La  Touche  did  so,  knowing  from  the  peculiar 
red  colour  that  it  contained  a  large  proportion  of  iron 
in  its  composition.  "  I  wonder,"  he  said,  after  he  had 
indulged  in  a  good  draught, — "  I  wonder  that  a  well 
should  have  been  built  over  so  small  a  spring :  you 
tell  me  that  there  are  many  much  larger  running 
down  from  that  hill." 

"  Do  you  see  that  window  in  the  gable  of  the  house 
just  above  this  ? — it  looks  down  exactly  upon  this 
platform." 

"  Yes,"  replied  Stephen,  in  some  wonder. 

"  Two  hundred  years  ago,  a  little  daughter  of  the 
Fanshawes  lay  dying,  as  it  was  thought,  in  that  room 
of  which  this  window  is  a  part.  It  was  one  of  the 
child's  delights  to  be  placed  in  her  high  chair  at  this 


280  THE   FAT   OF   THE    LAND. 

window,  and  to  look  out  upon  this  garden  and  the 

bank,  down  which  she  had  often  run  with  her  brothers 

and  sisters  in  the  days  of  her  happy  strength.     The 

child  never  complained,  but  was  always  restless  and 

even  perverse  if  she  was  prevented  from  looking  out : 

a  kind  of  magnetism  seemed  to  chain  her  eyes  and 

thoughts  to  this  spgt.     One  night  in  summer  she  was 

left  sleeping  at  her  post,  and  seemed  to  be  so  deep  in 

slumber  that  her  nurse  ventured  to  leave  her  for  a  few 

moments.    On  the  woman's  return  she  found  her  charge 

radiant  and  ready  to  leap  for  joy.     '  Look  ! '  she  said, — 

'  look  at  that  dear  angel  standing  there  !     Oh,  he  says 

I  shall  not  die,  but  I  must  drink  the  red  water  under 

the  bank.     There — he  points — Elsie  often  has  heard 

the  bubble  of  the  water,  and  never  knew ;  but  now  she 

knows  that  she  will  get  well.     And  the  angel  says 

there  will  be  always  enough  for  a  little  child  like  me 

to  drink,  but  not  much  more, — always,  always  enough 

for  little  children.'    The  story  goes  that  the  child  then 

swooned,  and  remained  for  hours  hovering  between 

life  and  death.     The  father,  Eric  Fanshawe,  had  the 

excavation  made  in  the  bank,  and  the  child   drank 

daily  of  the  spring  that  was  there  found,  and  speedily 

recovered  her  health.    The  parents  in  gratitude  fenced 

the  spring  with  rock-work  without  and  brick  within. 

You  can  take  the  story  for  what  it  is  worth,"  the  lady 

continued ;   "  but  certain  it  is  that  for  many  years 

the  women  of  this  village  have  brought  their  ailing 

children  to  get  a  drink  at  this  particular  spring  in 

preference  to  the  larger  and  more  convenient  ones 


JONATHAN   SIKES.  281 

near  the  hill.  It  is  said  that  the  little  ones  who 
have  taken  this  remedy  always  recover,  and  that  the 
water  of  Elsie's  Well  has  been  spoken  of  as  having 
been  hallowed  by  an  angel's  healing  wing  for  nearly 
two  centuries  past." 

"  It  is  a  lovely,  touching  story,"  replied  Stephen  ; 
"  whether  you  think  me  superstitious  or  not,  I  like  to 
believe  it." 

"But  you  don't  believe  the  angel's  part  in  it,  do 
you  ? "  inquired  Mrs  Fanshawe,  apprehensively. 

"  I  do,"  answered  Stephen,  stoutly  ;  "  it  was  a  dream 
most  probably,  but  who  knows  ?  Might  not  the  dear 
Christ  Himself  have  taken  pity  on  the  suffering  child  ? 
Think  of  it  as  we  may,  much  benefit  to  others  has  re- 
sulted in  the  discovery  of  this  rill.  It  was,  I  suppose, 
the  first  that  was  known  in  the  neighbourhood  ? " 

"  I  believe  so ;  and  the  children  and  all  who  drink 
regularly  of  these  springs  are  as  fine  and  healthy  a  lot 
as  Britain  can  show  in  any  part.  That  is  why  I  am 
urging  the  rector  to  utilise  these  mineral  waters,  and 
make  Pinnacles  a  kind  of  homely  spa  for  the  relief  of 
persons  of  all  ages  and  ranks ;  but  he  does  not  seem 
to  like  the  idea," 

"  You  would  not  like  '  Elsie's  Well '  to  become  pub- 
lic property,  I  am  sure,"  said  Stephen,  gently. 

"  Oh,  I  am  not  so  sure,"  replied  the  lady.  "  In  these 
days  we  cannot  afford  to  be  sentimental,  and  if  our  duty 
to  our  children  obliges  us  to  give  up  ancient  memories 
and  the  homes  of  our  ancestors,  and  their  rockeries  and 
their  wells,  it  must  be  done :  they  had  not  the  burden 


282  THE   FAT   OF  THE   LAND. 

of  keeping  up  appearances,  and  all  that  sort  of  thing, 
as  we  have. " 

"  I  think  they  of  the  olden  times  had  not  so  many 
wants  to  satisfy,"  replied  Stephen  ;  "  and  they  certainly 
knew  more  of  the  blessings  of  contentment  than  we  do. 
I  fear  the  text  of  these  times  is  to  look  after  '  great 
gain,'  throwing  godliness  with  contentment  quite  out 
of  the  question." 

Mrs  Fanshawe  was  about  to  reply  when  a  confused 
sound  and  a  sharp  cry  from  the  back  of  the  terrace 
walk  arrested  her  speech.  Presently  a  troop  of 
children  rushed  on  to  the  lawn,  bearing  amongst 
them  a  little  ragged  lad,  whose  fat  juicy  leg  was 
streaming  with  blood.  "  Sikes  did  it !  Sikes  did  it ! " 
they  cried  in  a  breath ;  "  oh,  he  is  so  dreadful !  why 
does  not  papa  have  him  killed  ? " 

"  Yes,  before  he  kills  some  of  us,"  exclaimed  Harold, 
the  eldest  hope  of  the  male  Fanshawes,  in  an  awful 
tone  of  apprehension. 

"  AVho  is  Sikes  ? "  inquired  Stephen  two  or  three 
times,  without  being  able  to  elicit  a  reply.  At  length 
he  said,  "  I  suppose  Sikes  is  a  watch-dog." 

"  Oh,  far  worse  than  that,"  answered  Frank  Fanshawe, 
';  far  worse ;  he'll  kill  somebody,  and  papa  and  all  of  us 
will  be  had  up  for  murder — see  if  we  aren't." 

As  the  young  gentleman  spiced  this  prophecy  with 
some  elation  in  his  tone  and  bearing,  Stephen  jumped 
at  a  conclusion,  and  hazarded  the  opinion  that  Frank 
was  alluding  to  a  dangerous-looking  bull  which  he  had 
previously  noticed  in  a  meadow  near  the  house. 


JONATHAN    SIKES.  283 

"  Bull !  no,"  returned  Master  Frank  ;  "  the  bull  is  an 
angel  compared  to  him :  he  never  runs  at  people — he 
only  looks  as  if  he  would.  Papa  turns  him  out  in  one 
of  the  meadows  when  parties  will  come  picnicing 
among  the  hay  after  being  warned  off, — then  he  makes 
a  clear  field ;  but  oh  !  no,  he's  nothing  to  Sikes." 

"  Who  is  Sikes,  then  ? "  said  Stephen,  getting  exas- 
perated. "  I  suppose  you  don't  keep  a  bear  on  the 
premises." 

Frank  laughed.  "  Sikes  is  just  as  bad  :  he  is  an  enor- 
mous gander  that  papa  will  keep  in  the  fowl-yard.  He 
frightens  everybody,  and  no  one  dares  cross  the  stile 
of  the  Mallow  Meadow  but  he's  at  them.  There,  stop 
howling,"  he  added,  turning  to  the  boy,  whose  leg  was 
being  bound  up  by  at  least  three  girls  and  a  nurse- 
maid,— "  hold  your  noise,  you  young  bell-wether  !  you 
were  skulking  about  after  the  eggs,  and  had  no  busi- 
ness to  be  on  the  premises, — I  know  you." 

These  dark  insinuations  had  the  intended  effect, 
and  Master  Billy  Bubb  proclaimed  with  great  energy 
"  that  he  would  never  come  nigh  the  place,  never  no 
more,  he  had  had  enough  on  'em," — meaning  Sikes, 
probably. 

The  appearance  of  a  child  with  a  huge  lump  of 
bread  and  honey,  called  in  that  county  "  a  piece," 
went  far  to  mollify  the  pain  of  Master  Bubb's  wound, 
as  little  Clarice  Fanshawe  put  it  into  his  hand  and 
told  him  that  the  bite  of  the  gander  was  a  "judg- 
ment "  for  endeavouring  to  steal  the  eggs,  and  that 
if  he  dared  to  come  into  the  fowl  -  yard,  or  near  it 


284  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

again,  worse  things  would  happen  to  him  than  bread 
and  honey.  "  Mamma  says  that  you  are  to  go  away 
now,  and  we  will  see  you  safe  out  at  the  stable-gate  ;  " 
and  so  the  Fanshawe  fry  conducted  the  culprit  to 
some  port  of  exit,  placed  him  in  the  road,  with  his 
head  well  homewards,  shook  their  small  fists  in  his 
face  as  a  combination  of  warning  and  parting  salute, 
and  then  flew  back  like  lapwings,  to  have  a  run  down 
the  bank  with  "  Touchey,"  as  one  of  the  infants  had 
abbreviated  Stephen. 

The  history  of  Sikes  may  here  be  related.  He 
came  of  a  renowned  stock,  and  at  his  birth  was  the 
private  property  of  a  famous  poacher  of  those  days, 
whose  name  was  Jonathan  Sikes.  This  man  got  into 
trouble,  and  from  the  fact  of  his  having  been  once 
convicted  for  trespassing  on  the  lands  of  one  of  the 
clerical  justices,  before  whom,  in  company  with  the 
rector  of  Pinnacles,  Sikes  had  the  misfortune  to  be 
summoned,  things  were  very  likely  to  go  hardly  with 
him,  had  not  Mr  Fanshawe  interceded  and  intervened. 
As  it  was,  the  rector's  championship  only  softened  the 
sentence  which  was  pronounced  upon  the  poacher,  and 
a  term  of  imprisonment  was  awarded  him,  which  ad- 
mitted of  no  further  mitigation. 

"  Thank  ye  kindly  for  what  ye  did  for  me,"  the  man 
said  to  Mr  Fanshawe,  when  the  latter  visited  him 
before  he  was  taken  to  the  county  jail ;  "  ye  are  a 
right  good  man,  and  if  more  of  the  like  of  you  would 
mind  their  parishes  instead  of  sitting  on  the  magis- 
trates'  bench,    and    giving    the    law    a    bad    name 


JONATHAN   SIKES.  285 

through  their  ignorance,  it  would  be  a  good  thing 
all  round." 

"  Hush,  hush,  Sikes ;  I  cannot  allow  you  to  speak 
that  way,"  said  Mr  Fanshawe,  who  rather  plumed 
himself  upon  being  a  county  magistrate  and  a  jus- 
tice of  the  peace. 

"  No  offence,  Passon  Fanshawe,"  returned  Sikes, — "  I 
am  not  for  going  to  include  you  in  '  justices'  justice  ' ; 
but  the  moment  I  saw  that  old  Passon  Swellington 
among  the  magistrates,  I  knew  I'd  get  hard  mea- 
sure, I  did, — my  only  comfort  was  you  and  Colonel 
Leppell.  Ay,  the  Colonel  he  do  ramp  and  storm, 
but  he's  more  kindly  to  the  people  than  most  of 
them  as  rises  from  the  people." 

"  You  know  you  have  been  wrong,  Sikes,"  replied 
Mr  Fanshawe,  "  and  you  deserve  your  sentence.  I 
have  just  called  to  see  if  I  can  do  anything  for  you." 

"  It's  fortunate  that  poor  Bessie's  gone,  and  I  have 
no  childer,"  the  man  replied,  in  a  troubled  voice ; 
"  but  there  is  one  thing  I  ask  you  to  do,  and  that 
is,  to  accept  that  brood  of  goslings  I  have  up  at  old 
Ford's  farm  on  the  hill.  The  brood  counts  eight. 
I  wants  you  to  give  two  of  the  young  geese  to  Ford 
for  keeping  them,  and  to  please  accept  the  rest  your- 
self,— they  will  wander,  and  perhaps  die,  if  they  are 
not  looked  after.  They  are  right  honest,"  Sikes 
continued,  fancying  that  he  saw  signs  of  hesitation 
in  the  rector's  face, — "the  eggs  was  honest,  and  the 
birds  is  honest." 

Now  the  rector's  geese  had  disappeared  for  some 


286  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

time  past,  mysteriously  and  by  degrees,  so  that  very 
few  remained  of  his  original  stock,  and  therefore 
this  offer  came  in  very  opportunely.  "  Are  you  sure, 
Sikes,"  the  rector  said,  "  that  you  have  no  small 
debts  to  settle,  or  that  Ford  has  no  right  whatever 
to  the  brood  in  right  of  keep  ?  " 

"  None  whatever,  sir ;  and  as  for  Ford,  he'd  be 
precious  glad  to  get  rid  of  the  lot,  for  there's  a 
young  gander  among  'em  as  goes  near  to  frighten 
the  life  out  of  the  whole  family.  Splendid  bird,  sir ; 
I  never  saw  the  like  of  him,  and  I  knows  a  bit  about 
birds  and  poultry  and  game,  that  I  does." 

This  was  true  enough,  and  the  rector  knew  it. 
Then  assuring  himself  that  Sikes  had  no  debts  to 
discharge,  either  large  or  small,  Mr  Fanshawe,  not  to 
hurt  the  feelings  of  the  man,  accepted  the  party  of 
goslings,  promising  to  see  that  Ford  had  his  pick  of 
the  brood. 

"  But  not  that  gander,  sir ;  he  is  too  good  for  the 
like  of  Ford  —  he's  born  for  a  gentleman's  domain, 
that  bird  is.  You  keep  him,  sir ;  he'll  be  as  good  as 
a  watch-dog  to  you.  And  one  word — a  nod  is  as 
good  as  a  wink  —  there's  a  precious  lot  of  small 
things  filched  from  your  premises,  and  by  them  as 
you  thinks  well  on  too  ;  but  I  say  no  more.  You  let 
that  gander  wander  about  the  Mallow  Meadow  a 
bit,  and  you'll  keep  your  fowls'  eggs  and  the  linen 
on  your  lines  a  little  surer,  nights." 

So  matters  were  arranged.  Sikes  and  his  party 
were  conveyed  in  full  number  to  the  rector's  prem- 


JONATHAN   SIKES.  287 

ises,  Mr  Ford  having  stoutly  declined  to  accept  the 
sisters  of  the  redoubtable  gander,  and  expressing 
himself  as  being  thankful  to  get  rid  of  every  feather 
of  them.  "  They  are  magnificent  birds,  I  allow,"  said 
Air  Ford  in  explanation,  "  but  I  haven't  got  suffi- 
cient range  for  them ;  and  that  grey  gander,  he's  a 
bull-terrier  and  a  peacock  and  a  roaring  lion  all  in 
one,  that's  about  what  he  is,"  continued  Mr  Ford, 
as  the  wounded  legs  of  his  children,  together  with 
other  aggressions  of  this  bird,  rose  to  his  mental  re- 
view. "  You  take  him,  and  I  wish  you  and  your 
family  good  luck  with  him."  So  saying,  Mr  Ford 
turned  with  a  grin  to  his  digging ;  and  Mr  Fan- 
shawe,  out  of  remembrance  of  the  donor,  named  the 
gander  "  Jonathan  Sikes,"  as  soon  as  he  could  call 
him  his  own  property. 

Sikes  did  not  belie  his  character,  and  as  he  grew 
in  strength  and  experience,  he  certainly  became  a 
"  power "  and  a  "  terror,"  as  the  parishioners  termed 
him.  But  it  must  be  allowed  that  there  were  more 
eggs  gathered  in  from  the  outskirts  of  the  house,  and 
that  linen  did  remain  unmolested  on  the  lines,  from 
the  second  week  of  his  arrival ;  also  that  either  the 
grain  and  potatoes  kept  in  the  outermost  boiling- 
houses  for  the  use  of  the  animals  seemed  to  be  supplied 
in  better  weight,  or  that  the  pigs  did  not  take  kindly 
to  the  meal.  These  phenomena  were  inexplicable ; 
but  one  or  two  in  the  secret  knew  that  the  rector 
allowed  this  ferocious  bird  to  roam  at  large,  very 
much  as  an  amateur  policeman,  to  pounce  upon  those 


288  THE   FAT   OF   THE   LAND. 

who  might  be  lurking  about  the  premises  with  no 
tangible  reasons  to  assign  for  their  presence  there  ; 
and  the  cheering  fact  remained,  that  as  soon  as  Sikes 
wandered  at  will,  all  depredations  upon  the  rector's 
property  summarily  ceased.  '  He  was  so  uncertain 
and  peculiar  a  bird,  that  even  his  going  to  roost  could 
not  be  safely  counted  upon.  He  would  retire  with 
his  wives,  and  enjoy  his  forty  winks  with  the  best  of 
them  ;  but  let  a  rustle,  or  voices,  or  a  footfall  be 
heard,  and  Jonathan  was  up  and  at  them.  It  had 
been  averred,  also,  that  he  could  not  be  reckoned  upon 
even  at  midnight;  but  this  may  be  a  legend  unsup- 
ported by  ocular  demonstration,  and  should  be  taken 
that  the  gander  was  popularly  supposed  to  be  about 
at  that  witching  hour,  and  so  it  would  be  as  well  to  act 
with  caution,  especially  as  Mr  Fanshawe  would  not 
allow  him  or  his  relations  to  be  locked  up  on  any 
pretence  whatsoever.  "  The  only  thing,"  said  'Harold 
one  day,  in  allusion  to  this  edict, — "  the  only  thing  in 
which  my  father  is  allowed  to  have  his  own  way  by 
the  Mater." 

Although  some  benefit  undoubtedly  accrued  to  the 
Fanshawes  in  the  matter  of  deliverance  from  the 
small  pilferings  to  which  they  had  been  subjected, 
still  the  possession  of  Sikes  was  a  dangerous  privilege, 
as  he  was  utterly  wanting  in  discrimination,  and  more 
than  once  had  pursued  the  wrong  individual,  and  had 
run  down  and  trampled  upon  unoffending  childhood, 
even  those  of  his  own  house.  Mrs  Fanshawe's  only 
remedy  was   to   inform    her   offspring,  that   if    they 


JONATHAN    SIXES.  289 

obeyed  their  parents  and  walked  in  such  and  such 
paths,  wherein  Sikes  never  intruded,  they  were  safe ; 
"  but  who  was  going  a  long  round,"  argued  the  boys, 
"  when  they  could  get  into  the  back  -  yard  of  the 
Court  through  the  Mallow  Meadow,  and  all  for  that 
brute  of  a  gander  ?  " 

"You  must  make  friends  with  him,  and  let  him 
know  you;  he  will  soon  get  accustomed  to  the 
family,''  the  rector  said,  in  reply  to  some  deprecat- 
ing remarks  which  had  been  made  concerning  this 
acquisition.     "  He  never  runs  at  John." 

"  No,"  said  Frank,  "  because  John  gave  him  a  jolly 
good  wopping  with  a  broom-handle,  the  day  after  he 
came.  He  was  young  and  tender  then,  and  John 
now  and  then  shakes  the  broom  -  handle  at  him, 
just  to  refresh  his  memory ;  but  it's  different  with 
us  who  were  at  school,  and  hardly  saw  him  for  a 
month." 

"  He's  as  hard  as  iron,"  volunteered  another, 
"  sticks  and  stones  are  nothing  to  him ;  and  as  for 
shouting,  why  he  only  hisses  one  down  for  any  notice 
he  takes  of  that.  Then  the  girls,  they  run  like  light- 
ning when  they  see  him,  and  he  tears  after  them  and 
enjoys  the  fun.  I  really  believe  the  wretch  looks  out 
for  petticoats." 

"Well,"  returned  the  rector,  "no  petticoat  or  its 
wearer  has  any  business  in  the  Mallow  Meadow.  I 
don't  want  it  to  be  made  a  highway  ;  and  girls, — and 
even  your  mother, — if  they  persist  in  crossing  that 
meadow  to  save  a  few  yards,  must  take  the  chance  of 

'vol.  i.  t 


290  THE  FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

Sikes.  He's  as  good  as  a  watch-dog,  and  I  won't 
have  him  removed." 

"  You  know  he  flew  at  old  Mrs  Bold  the  other  day, 
when  she  came  to  call,  and  she  said  it  was  hard  to 
be  obliged  to  go  round  the  roadway  to  the  front  gate, 
when  she  had  been  accustomed  to  come  in  by  the 
Mallow  all  her  life.  She  gave  Frank  a  shilling  for 
looking  out,  for  she  would  walk  back  that  way." 

"  Just  like  a  woman,"  replied  the  rector,  in  the 
phrase  of  his  sex  on  finding  that  the  law  mas- 
culine is  not  always  the  law  of  the  Medes  and  Per- 
sians ;  "  the  usual  contradictory  way  of  the  best  of 
them.     Glad  Mrs  Bold  had  to  pay  for  her  obstinacy." 

Stephen,  who  was  present,  laughed,  and  remarked 
that,  with  the  coming  visitors,  a  lively  time  was 
imminent  with  regard  to  Sikes.  "Does  he  con- 
fine himself  strictly  to  the  Mallow  Meadow  ? "  he 
asked. 

"  Not  he,"  answered  Frank,  readily ;  "  he's  here, 
there,  and  everywhere.  He  got  into  the  kitchen 
department  the  other  day,  walked  up  the  back-stair, 
and  cook  found  him  plump  in  the  middle  of  her  bed. 
You  should  have  heard  how  she  yelled  ! " 

"  The  doors  should  have  been  shut,"  said  the  rector, 
gruffly;  and  here  the  subject  was  dropped  for  the 
present. 

The  following  day  brought  the  visitors,  whose  num- 
ber was  increased  by  a  couple  of  school  friends  of 
Harold  Fanshawe.  Stephen  was  not  at  Pinnacles 
Court  at  the  time  of  their  arrival,  being  engaged  in 


JONATHAN   SIXES.  291 

receiving  Dr  Williams,  and  making  the  final  arrange- 
ments with  that  gentleman  for  Mrs  Kemble's  removal. 
In  consequence,  he  had  spent  the  greater  part  of  the 
day  at  the  rectory  house,  or  Esperanza,  as  Percivai  La 
Touche  had  named  that  domicile.  Fortunately,  Mrs 
Kemble  had  taken  a  great  liking  towards  the  physician, 
and  had  entered  most  willingly  into  the  suggestion 
that  she  should  become  his  private  patient  for  a 
while.  It  was,  however,  scarcely  satisfactory  to 
Stephen  to  be  told  that,  had  his  aunt  been  placed 
under  proper  medical  supervision  at  first,  her  mind 
would  at  this  time  be  in  all  probability  as  sound  as 
his  own — that  is,  the  doctor  explained,  if  no  undue 
excitement  had  supervened  to  neutralise  the  course  of 
treatment  that  would  have  been  prescribed.  As  it 
was,  Dr  Williams  expressed  strong  hopes  of  being 
able  to  effect  a  cure ;  but  at  this  stage,  longer  time 
and  unbroken  regularity  of  treatment  were  impera- 
tively necessary.  Other  business  being  concluded,  it 
was  settled  that  Stephen  should,  in  the  course  of  ten 
days,  convey  his  aunt  to  the  private  house  of  Dr 
Williams,  which  was  situated  at  the  other  end  of  the 
county,  and  rather  off  the  line  of  railroad  communica- 
tion. "  It  is  by  no  means  dull,"  said  the  doctor ; 
"  there  are  other  lady  patients  who,  like  yourself,  have 
need  of  a  little  care ;  and  the  lady-companion  is  very 
kind,  and  plays  and  sings,  and  is  a  capital  hand  at 
fancy  work." 

All  this   fell   like   warmth   and   comfort   on   Mrs 
Kemble's  soul,  and  the  prospect  of  speedy  deliverance 


292  THE  FAT   OF  THE  LAND. 

from  the  visits  of  Percival  was  the  full  measure  of 
his  aunt's  cup  of  consolation. 

"  Percival  will  never  have  time,  and  what  is  more, 
he  will  never  pay  for  the  hire  of  a  vehicle  for  the  sake 
of  coming  to  see  me,"  said  Mrs  Kemble,  turning  with 
her  painfully  knowing  look  towards  her  younger 
nephew — "  that's  a  blessing.  It  makes  me  sing  Jubi- 
late, indeed  it  does ;  for  it  is  a  special  work  of  Provi- 
dence the  getting  rid  of  Percival  without  an  alterca- 
tion or  being  talked  to  death." 

"You  will  be  busy  getting  everything  ready," 
Stephen  said,  "  and  I  would  advise  you  to  do  a  little 
every  day.  Now  I  am  going  up  to  the  Court  to  meet 
some  visitors  who  are  invited  to  pay  a  visit  there  for 
a  few  days.  Pretty  Mary  Leppell  is  one  of  them. 
She  comes  sometimes  to  see  you  with  Miss  Fanshawe, 
does  she  not  ? " 

"  Mary  Leppell !  Oh,  of.  course,  I  remember  her — 
pretty  sweet  creature !  She  looks  so  sorrowfully  at 
me  out  of  her  flower-blue  eyes ;  she's  worth  a  thousand 
of  that  Lillian  with  all  her  airs.  I  don't  like  that 
Lillian — no." 

"Miss  Fanshawe  has  gone  to  Hunter's  Lodge  to 
nurse  Lady  Asher,  or  rather  to  take  Miss  Leppell's 
place  in  doing  so.  This  allows  the  young  lady  to 
come  here  and  have  some  amusement.  That  is  kind 
in  Miss  Fanshawe,  at  any  rate,"  said  Stephen,  who 
sometimes  had  wished  to  have  that  young  lady  for  a 
sister-in-law,  in  spite  of  his  misgiving  that  she  looked 
down  upon  Percival  de  haut  en  has. 


JONATHAN  SIKES.  293 

"Not  at  all,"  replied  the  old  lady,  tartly.  "Miss 
Lillian  is  glad  to  get  away  from  home  on  any  pretence. 
You  know  her  own  mother  can't  endure  her." 

This  was  putting  the  case  rather  strongly.  The 
want  of  sympathy  betwixt  Mrs  Fanshawe  and  her 
elder  daughter  was  sad  enough,  but  it  had  scarcely 
arrived  at  active  dislike ;  indeed,  had  the  former 
heard  Lillian  depreciated  by  any  other  than  herself, 
she  would  have  been  the  first  to  defend  her.  What- 
ever might  be  their  state  of  feeling,  Lillian,  at  any 
rate,  was  her  daughter,  and  a  Fanshawe.  Here,  as  in 
some  similar  cases,  self-esteem  would  rush  in  as  the 
handmaiden  of  maternal  affection.  The  handmaiden 
personates  her  mistress,  and  finally  usurps  her  duties 
and  her  place. 

Stephen  then  wended  his  way  to  Pinnacles  Court, 
and  found  that  the  new  arrivals,  after  the  manner  of 
very  young  people,  had  all  swarmed  immediately  out 
into  the  air,  taking  every  available  child  of  the  house 
with  them ;  but  he  met  Mrs  Fanshawe,  who  proposed 
that  they  should  go  and  try  to  find  some  one,  as 
distant  voices  and  laughter  proclaimed  that  human 
beings  were  within  hail.  They  walked  together  about 
the  premises  and  beyond  them,  but  to  no  purpose ; 
and  as  the  rector's  wife  was  anxious  to  show  her  guest 
some  game  fowls  of  which  she  was  very  proud,  she 
turned  towards  the  poultry  -  yard,  and  entered  the 
Mallow  Meadow,  as  a  short  cut  towards  the  outlying 
buildings,  where  all  kinds  of  stock  were  kept.  Both 
she  and  Stephen  were  oblivious  of  Sikes,  and  it  must 


294  THE  FAT  OF  THE  LAND. 

be  recorded,  to  their  eternal  discredit,  that  his  very 
existence  was  totally  ignored  by  both  of  them.  Now 
the  whereabouts  of  that  gander  was  generally  a  specu- 
lation which  fixed  itself  pretty  indelibly  on  the  minds 
of  those  who  had  occasion  to  enter  Mallow  Meadow, 
and  who  had  not  as  yet  been  drilled  into  the  rector's 
dictum,  that  it  was  quite  as  pleasant  and  convenient 
to  make  a  d6tour  of  several  hundred  yards,  and  enter 
by  the  stable-gates  on  the  front  side  of  the  building, 
in  order  to  effect  that  object. 

These  ramblers,  therefore,  walked  through  the  turn- 
sole gate,  walked  and  talked,  and  even  stopped  now 
and  then  to  turn  and  rhapsodise  the  view. 

What  is  that  sound  which  suddenly  issues  from  a 
corner  of  the  higher  part  of  the  sloping  meadow,  which 
bursts  on  the  ear  like  a  prolonged  guggling  sob  ?  A 
scream  follows,  and  then  from  behind  some  low  bushes 
emerges  the  redoubtable  Sikes — not  alone,  not  dashing 
at  the  life-blood  of  his  victim,  but  held  tightly  round 
his  neck  by  two  strong  young  hands,  which  elevate 
him  to  the  very  extremity  of  his  toes,  and  which  make 
him  march  by  the  side  of  the  owner  of  the  hands  till 
he  is  ready  to  drop  from  fatigue,  which  the  weight  of 
his  body  on  such  slender  support  naturally  induces. 
He  flaps  his  strong  wings,  he  tugs,  he  turns  half 
round ;  it  is  of  no  use,  he  has  to  march,  for  Miss 
Willina  Clavering  has  got  him  in  hand,  and  he  must 
pay  for  rending  her  dress  and  stabbing  her  feet. 

Stephen  sees  the  situation,  and  goes  forward  to  help 
the  lady. 


JONATHAN   SIKES.  295 

"Please,  be  quick  and  take  him,"  Miss  Clavering 
called.  "My  arms  are  nearly  wrenched  off.  Give 
him  another  turn,  please,  and  then  I  think  he  will  be 
subdued." 

Mr  La  Touche  did  so,  and  marched  Mr  Sikes  up 
and  down  so  effectually,  that  the  gander  succumbed 
both  in  body  and  spirit.  He  made  off  as  soon  as  re- 
leased, and  he  abjured  tall  men  and  women  from  that 
time  evermore.  Children  and  timid  people  he  occa- 
sionally treated  to  a  volley  of  hisses,  but  that  was  the 
outside  of  his  aggression.  So  the  rector  lost  a  police- 
man ;  Mr  Stephen  La  Touche  made  the  acquaintance 
of  Miss  Clavering,  which  was  friendship  at  first  sight ; 
and  Miss  Clavering  was  immortalised  in  the  parish  of 
Pinnacles  as  "  hur  as  tackled  that  brute  of  a  gander." 


END    OF    THE    FIRST    VOLUME. 


PRINTED   BY    WILLIAM    BLACKWOOD   AND   SONS. 


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Annals  of  the  Parish.    By  John  Gait. 
The  Provost,  &c.      By  John  Gait. 
Sir  Andrew  Wylie.    By  John  Gait. 
The  Entail.     By  John  Gait. 
Miss  Molly.    By  Beatrice  May  Butt. 
Reginald  Dalton.     By  J.  G.  Lockhart. 


Adam  Blair.     By  J.  G.  Lockhart. 

Lady  Lee's  Widowhood.  By  General 
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Salem  Chapel.     By  Mrs  Oliphant. 

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BLAIR.     History  of  the  Catholic  Church  of  Scotland.     From  the 

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BROWN.    The  Ethics  of  George  Eliot's  Works.    By  John  Crombie 

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BUCHAN.  Introductory  Text-Book  of  Meteorology.  By  Alex- 
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CAIRD.     Sermons.    By  John  Caird,  D.D.,  Principal  of  the  Uni- 
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CARRICK.     Koumiss  ;  or,  Fermented  Mare's  Milk  :  and  its  Uses 

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CAUVIN.      A  Treasury  of  the  English  and  German  Languages. 

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CAVE-BROWN.      Lambeth    Palace  and  its  Associations.      By  J. 

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CHARTERIS.  Canonicity ;  or,  Early  Testimonies  to  the  Existence 
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lensammlung. '  Edited  by  A.  H.  Charteris,  D.D.,  Professor  of  Biblical 
Criticism  in  the  University  of  Edinburgh.    8vo,  18s. 

CHRISTISON.     Life  of  Sir  Robert  Christison,  Bart.,  M.D.,  D.C.L. 

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CHURCH   SERVICE   SOCIETY.     A   Book  of  Common  Order  : 

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CLOUSTON.     Popular  Tales  and  Fictions  :   their  Migrations  and 

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COLLIER.     Babel.     By  the  Hon.  Margaret    Collier  (Madame 

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CONGREVE.     Tales  of  Country  Life  in  La  Gruyere.     From  the 

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COTTER1LL.  Suggested  Reforms  in  Public  Schools.  By  C.  C. 
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4to,  IS. 

COUNTESS  IRENE.    By  the  Author  of '  Lauterdale  and  Caterina.' 

3  vols,  post  8vo.  [In  the  press. 

CRANSTOUN.     The  Elegies  of  Albius  Tibullus.     Translated  into 

English  Verse,  with  Life  of  the  Poet,  and  Illustrative  Notes.     By  James  Cran- 
stoun,  LL.D.,  Author  of  a  Translation  of  '  Catullus.'    Crown  8vo,  6s.  6d. 
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CRAWFORD.     Saracinesca.     By  F.  Marion  Crawford,  Author  of 

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CRAWFORD.     The   Doctrine  of  Holy   Scripture   respecting  the 

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The  Fatherhood   of  God,  Considered  in  its   General   and 

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Review  of  Recent  Speculations  on  the  Subject.  Third  Edition,  Revised  and 
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DA  VIES.     Norfolk  Broads  and  Rivers ;  or,  The  Waterways,  Lagoons, 

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DAYNE.     In  the  Name  of  the  Tzar.     A  Novel.     By  J.  Belford 

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DESCARTES.  The  Method,  Meditations,  and  Principles  of  Philo- 
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DOBSON.      History  of  the  Bassandyne  Bible.     The  First  Printed 

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DUDGEON.      History   of  the   Edinburgh   or   Queen's   Regiment 

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DUNCAN.     Manual  of  the  General  Acts  of  Parliament  relating  to 

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DUNSMORE.     Manual  of  the  Law  of  Scotland,  as  to  the  Relations 

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DUPRE.     Thoughts  on  Art,  and  Autobiographical   Memoirs   of 

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Story.    Crown  8vo,  ios.  6d. 

ELIOT.     George  Eliot's  Life,  Related  in  her  Letters  and  Journals. 

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home  and  abroad,  who  are  deprived  of  the  ordinary  services  of  a  Christian 
Ministry.     Cheap  Edition,  is.  6d. 

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GERARD.      Reata:    What's  in  a   Name.      By  E.   D.   Gerard. 

New  Edition.    Crown  8vo,  6s. 

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GERARD.    Stonyhurst  Latin  Grammar.     By  Rev.  John  Gerard. 

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GILL.     Free  Trade  :  an  Inquiry  into  the  Nature  of  its  Operation. 

By  Richard  Gill.     Crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

GOETHE'S  FAUST.     Part  I.    Translated  into  English  Verse  by 

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WILLIAM   BLACKWOOD   AND   SONS.  11 


GOEDON  CUMMING.      At  Home  in  Fiji.     By  C.  F.  Gordon 

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GRAHAM.      The  Life  and  Work  of  Syed  Ahmed  Khan,  C.S.I. 

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GRANT.     Bush-Life  in   Queensland.      By  A.  C.   Grant.      New 

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GRIFFITHS.      Locked     Up.      By    Major    Arthur    Griffiths. 

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New  Edition.     Crown  8vo,  6s. 

HAMILTON.  Lectures  on  Metaphysics.  By  Sir  William  Hamil- 
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Edited  by  the  Rev.  H.  L.  Mansel,  B.D.,  LL.D.,  Dean  of  St  Paul's  ;  and  John 
Veitch,  M.A.,  Professor  of  Logic  and  Rhetoric,  Glasgow.  Seventh  Edition. 
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12  LIST   OF   EOOKS   PUBLISHED   BY 


HARBORD.  Definitions  and  Diagrams  in  Astronomy  and  Navi- 
gation. By  the  Rev.  J.  B.  Harbord,  M.A.,  Assistant  Director  of  Educatioi , 
Admiralty,     is. 

HASELL.     Bible  Partings.     By  E.  J.  Hasell.      Crown  8vo,  6s. 

Short  Family  Prayers.     By  Miss  Hasell.     Cloth,  is. 

HAY.    The  Works  of  the  Right  Rev.  Dr  George  Hay,  Bishop  of 

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With  Memoir  and  Portrait  of  the  Author.     5  vols,  crown  8vo,  bound  in  extra 

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Principal  Exercises  of  Piety.     1  vol. ,  43. 

HEATLEY.      The  Horse-Owner's  Safeguard.     A  Handy  Medical 

Guide  for  every  Man  who  owns  a  Horse.  By  G.  S.  Heatley,  M.R.C.V.S. 
Crown  8vo,  5s. 

The  Stuck-Owner's  Guide.     A  Handy  Medical  Treatise  for 

every  Man  who  owns  an  Ox  or  a  Cow.    Crown  8vo,  4s.  6d. 

HEMANS.     The  Poetical  Works  of  Mrs  Hemans.     Copyright  Edi- 
tions.—One  Volume,  royal  8vo,  5s.— The  Same,  with  Illustrations  engraved  on 
Steel,  bound  in  cloth,  gilt  edges,  7s.  6d.— Six  Volumes  in  Three,  fcap.,  12s.  6d. 
Select  Poems  of  Mrs  Hemans.    Fcap.,  cloth,  gilt  edges,  3s. 

HOLE.     A  Book  about  Roses :   How  to  Grow  and  Show  Them.     By 

the  Rev.  Canon  Hole.     Tenth  Edition,  revised.    Crown  8vo,  3s.  6d. 

HOME   PRAYERS.     By  Ministers  of  the  Church  of  Scotland  and 

Members  of  the  Church  Service  Society.    Second  Edition.    Fcap.  8vo,  3s. 
HOMER.      The  Odyssey.     Translated  into  English  Verse  in  the 
Spenserian  Stanza.    By  Philip  Stanhope  Worsley.    Third  Edition,  2  vol.*. 
fcap.,  12s. 

The  Iliad.     Translated  by  P.  S.  Worsley  and  Professor 

Conington.     2  vols,  crown  8vo,  21s. 

HOSACK.     Mary  Queen  of  Scots  and  Her  Accusers.     Containing  a 

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at-Law.  A  New  and  Enlarged  Edition,  with  a  Photograph  from  the  Bust  on 
the  Tomb  in  Westminster  Abbey.     2  vols.  8vo,  £1,  is. 

HUTCHINSON.     Hints  on  the  Game  of  Golf.     By  Horace  G. 

Hutchinson.    Third  Edition.     Fcap.  8vo,  cloth,  is.  6d. 

HYDE.     The  Royal  Mail ;  its  Curiosities  and  Romance.    By  James 

Wilson  Hyde,  Superintendent  in  the  General  Post  Office,  Edinburgh.  Second 
Edition,  enlarged.    Crown  8vo,  with  Illustrations,  6s. 

IDDESLEIGH.      Lectures   and    Essays.      By   the    late   Earl   of 

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INDEX  GEOGRAPHICUS  :  Being  a  List,  alphabetically  arranged, 

of  the  Principal  Places  on  the  Globe,  with  the  Countries  and  Subdivisions  of 
the  Countries  in  which  they  are  situated,  and  their  Latitudes  and  Longitudes. 
Applicable  to  all  Modern  Atlases  and  Maps.     Imperial  8vo,  pp.  676,  21s. 

JAMIESON.  Discussions  on  the  Atonement :  Is  it  Vicarious  ? 
By  the  Rev.  George  Jamieson,  A.M.,  B.D.,  D.D.,  Author  of  'Profound  Pro- 
blems in  Philosophy  and  Theology.'    8vo,  16s. 

JEAN  JAMBON.     Our  Trip  to  Blunderland  ;  or,  Grand  Excursion 

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designed  by  Charles  Doyle,  engraved  by  Dalziel.  Fourth  Thousand. 
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JENNINGS.     Mr  Gladstone  :  A  Study.     By  Louis  J.  Jennings, 

M.P.,  Author  of  '  Republican  Government  in  the  United  States,'  'The  Croker 
Memoirs,'  &c.    Popular  Edition.     Crown  8vo,  is. 

JERNINGHAM.      Reminiscences   of  an  Attache*.      By    Hubert 

E.  H.  Jerningham.     Second  Edition.     Crown  8vo,  5s. 

Diane  de  Breteuille.     A  Love  Story.     Crown  8vo,  2S.  6d. 


WILLIAM   BLACKWOOD   AND   SONS.  13 


JOHNSTON.     The   Chemistry   of  Common   Life.     By   Professor 

J.  F.  W.  Johnston.  New  Edition,  Revised,  and  brought  down  to  date.  By 
Arthur  Herbert  Church,  M.A.  Oxon.  ;  Author  of  'Food:  its  Sources, 
Constituents,  and  Uses; '  'The  Laboratory  Guide  for  Agricultural  Students  ; ' 
'Plain  "Words  about  Water,' &c.  Illustrated  with  Maps  and  102  Engravings 
on  Wood.     Complete  in  one  volume,  crown  8vo,  pp.  618,  7s.  6d. 

Elements  of  Agricultural  Chemistry  and  Geology.  Four- 
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Cameron,  M.D.,  F.R.C.S.I.,  &c.     Fcap.  8vo,  6s.  6d. 

Catechism  of  Agricultural    Chemistry  and   Geology.     An 

entirely  New  Edition,  revised  and  enlarged,  by  Sir  Charles  A.  Cameron, 
M.D.,  F.R.C.S.I.  ,&c.   Eighty-sixth  Thousand,  with  numerous  Illustrations,  is. 

JOHNSTON.  Patrick  Hamilton  :  a  Tragedy  of  the  Eeformation 
in  Scotland,  1528.  By  T.  P.  Johnston.  Crown  8vo,  with  Two  Etchings  by 
the  Author,  5s. 

KENNEDY.  Sport,  Travel,  and  Adventures  in  Newfoundland 
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by  the  Author.    Post  8vo,  14s. 

KING.     The  Metamorphoses  of  Ovid.    Translated  in  English  Blank 

Verse.  By  Henry  King,  M.A. ,  Fellow  of  Wadham  College,  Oxford,  and  of 
the  Inner  Temple,  Barrister-at-Law.     Crown  8vo,  10s.  6d. 

KINGLAKE.     History  of  the  Invasion  of  the  Crimea.     By  A.  W. 

Kinglake.     Cabinet  Edition.     Seven  Volumes,  illustrated  with   maps  and 

plans,  crown  8vo,  at  6s.  each.     The  Volumes  respectively  contain  : — 

I.  The  Origin  of  the  War  between  the  Czar  and  the  Sultan.     II.  Russia 

Met  and  Invaded.     III.  The  Battle  of  the  Alma.     IV.  Sebastopol 

at  Bay.      V.   The  Battle  of  Balaclava.     VI.  The  Battle  of  In- 

kerman.    VII.  Winter  Troubles. 

History  of  the  Invasion  of  the  Crimea.     Vol.  VI.  Winter 

Troubles.    Demy  8vo,  with  a  Map,  16s. 

History  of  the  Invasion  of  the  Crimea.     Vol.  VII.     From 

the  Morrow  of  Inkerman  to  the  Fall  of  Canrobert.  Demy  8vo,  with  Maps  and 
Plans,  14s. 

History  of  the  Invasion  of  the  Crimea.     Vol.  VIII.     From 

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Eothen.    A  New  Edition,  uniform  with  the  Cabinet  Edition 


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KNOLLYS.     The  Elements  of  Field- Artillery.     Designed  for  the 

Use  of  Infantry  and  Cavalry  Officers.  By  Henry  Knollys,  Captain  Royal 
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Sepoy  War,'  &c.     With  Engravings.     Crown  8vo.  7s.  6d. 

LAING.     Select  Remains  of  the  Ancient  Popular  and  Romance 

Poetry  of  Scotland.  Originally  Collected  and  Edited  by  David  Laing,  LL.D. 
Re-edited,  with  Memorial- Introduction,  by  John  Small,  M.A.  With  a  Por- 
trait of  Dr  Laing.     4to,  25s. 

LAVERGNE.  The  Rural  Economy  of  England,  Scotland,  and  Ire- 
land. By  Leonce  de  Lavergne.  Translated  from  the  French.  With  Notes 
by  a  Scottish  Farmer.    8vo,  12s. 

LAWLESS.     Hurrish  :    a  Study.     By  the  Hon.  Emily  Lawless, 

Author  of    'A  Chelsea   Householder,'    'A    Millionaire's    Cousin.'      Third 
"    and  cheaper  Edition,  crown  8vo.  6s. 

LEE.     A  Phantom  Lover  :   A  Fantastic  Story.     By  Vernon  Lee. 

Crown  8vo,  is. 

LEE.  Glimpses  in  the  Twilight.  Being  various  Notes,  Records, 
and  Examples  of  the  Supernatural.  By  the  Rev.  George  F.  Lee,  D.C.L. 
Crown  8vo.     8s.  6d. 

LEES.     A  Handbook  of  Sheriff  Court  Styles.      By  J.  M.  Lees, 

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A  Handbook  of  the  Sheriff  and  Justice  of  Peace  Small 

Debt  Courts.     8vo,  7s.  6d. 


14  LIST   OF   BOOKS   PUBLISHED   BY 


LETTERS  FROM  THE  HIGHLANDS.      Reprinted  from  'The 

Times.'    Fcap.  8vo,  4s.  6d. 

LIGHTFOOT.     Studies  in  Philosophy.     By  the  Rev.  J.  Lightfoot, 

M  A.   D.Sc,  Vicar  of  Cross  Stone,  Todinorden.     Crown  8vo,  5s. 

LINDAU.     The  Philosopher's  Pendulum,  and  other  Stories.     By 
Rudolph  Lindau.     Crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

LITTLE.      Madagascar:    Its  History  and  People.      By  the    Rev 

Henry  W.  Little,  some  years  Missionary  in  East  Madagascar.     Post  8vo 

LOCKHART.    Doubles  and  Quits.     By  Laurence  W.  M.  Lock- 
hart.    With  Twelve  Illustrations.    Fourth  Edition.    Crown  8vo,  6s. 

Fair  to  See  :  a  Novel.     Eighth  Edition.     Crown  8vo,  6s. 

—     Mine  is  Thine  :  a  Novel.    Eighth  Edition.   Crown  8vo,  6s. 


LORIMER.     The  Institutes  of  Law  :  A  Treatise  of  the  Principles 

of  Jurisprudence  as  determined  by  Nature.  By  James  Lorimer,  Regius 
Professor  of  Public  Law  and  of  the  Law  of  Nature  and  Nations  in  the  Uni- 
versity of  Edinburgh.   New  Edition,  revised  throughout,  and  much  enlarged. 

The'  Institutes  of  the  Law  of  Nations.     A  Treatise  of  the 


Jural  Relation  of  Separate  Political  Communities.  In  2  vols.  8vo.  Volume  I., 
price  16s.    Volume  II.,  price  20s. 

M'COMBIE.     Cattle  and  Cattle-Breeders.    By  William  M'Combie, 

Tillyfour.  New  Edition,  enlarged,  with  Memoir  of  the  Author.  By  James 
Macdonald,  Editor  of  the  '  Live-Stock  Journal.'    Crown  8vo,  3s.  6d. 

MACRAE.      A   Handbook   of   Deer -Stalking.      By  Alexander 

Macrae,  late  Forester  to  Lord  Henry  Bentinck.  With  Introduction  by 
Horatio  Ross,  Esq.     Fcap.  8vo,  with  two  Photographs  from  Life.    3s.  6d. 

M'CRIE.  Works  of  the  Rev.  Thomas  M'Crie,  D.D.  Uniform  Edi- 
tion.   Four  vols,  crown  8vo,  24s. 

. Life  of  John  Knox.  Containing  Illustrations  of  the  His- 
tory of  the  Reformation  in  Scotland.    Crown  8vo,  6s.    Another  Edition,  3s.  6d. 

■     Life  of  Andrew  Melville.     Containing  Illustrations  of  the 

Ecclesiastical  and  Literary  History  of  Scotland  in  the  Sixteenth  and  Seven- 
teenth Centuries.     Crown  8vo,  6s. 

.  History  of  the  Progress  and  Suppression  of  the  Reforma- 
tion in  Italy  in  the  Sixteenth  Century.  __  Crown  8vo,  4s. 

1     History  of  the  Progress  and  Suppression  of  the  Reforma- 
tion in  Spain  in  the  Sixteenth  Century.     Crown  8vo,  3s.  6d. 
Lectures  on  the  Book  of  Esther.     Fcap.  8vo,  5s. 


MACDONALD.  A  Manual  of  the  Criminal  Law  (Scotland)  Pro- 
cedure Act,  1887.  By  Norman  Dokan  Macdonald.  Revised  by  the  Lord 
Advocate.     8vo,  cloth.     10s.  6d. 

M'INTOSH.    The  Book  of  the  Garden.     By  Charles  M'Intosh, 

formerly  Curator  of  the  Royal  Gardens  of  his  Majesty  the  King  of  the  Belgians, 
and  lately  of  those  of  his  Grace  the  Duke  of  Buccleuch,  K.G.,  at  Dalkeith  Pal- 
ace.   Two  large  vols,  royal  8vo,  embellished  with  1350  Engravings.    £4,  7s.  6d. 

Vol.  I.  On  the  Formation  of  Gardens  and  Construction  of  Garden  Edifices.  776 
pages,  and  1073  Engravings,  £2,  10s. 

Vol.  II.  Practical  Gardening.     868  pages,  and  279  Engravings,  £1,  17s.  6d. 

MACKAY.  A  Manual  of  Modern  Geography  ;  Mathematical,  Phys- 
ical, and  Political.  By  the  Rev.  Alexander  Mackay,  LL.D.,  F.R.G.S.  nth 
Thousand,  revised  to  the  present  time.     Crown  8vo,  pp.  688.     7s.  6d. 

Elements  of  Modern  Geography.     53d  Thousand,  revised 

to  the  present  time.    Crown  8vo,  pp.  300,  3s. 

The  Intermediate  Geography.  Intended  as  an  Interme- 
diate Book  between  the  Author's  '  Outlines  of  Geography'  and  '  Elements  of 
Geography.'    Twelfth  Edition,  revised.     Crown  8vo,  pp.  238,  2s. 

Outlines  of  Modern  Geography.  176th  Thousand,  re- 
vised to  the  present  time.    i8mo  pp.  118,  is. 


WILLIAM   BLACKWOOD   AND   SONS.  15 


MACKAY.  First  Steps  in  Geography.  86th  Thousand.  i8mo,  pp. 
56.    Sewed,  4<1. ;  cloth,  6d. 

Elements    of    Physiography    and    Physical    Geography. 

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Thousand,  revised.     Crown  8vo,  is.  6d. 

Facts  and  Dates  ;  or,  the  Leading  Events  in  Sacred  and 

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MACKAY.     An  Old  Scots  Brigade.     Being  the  History  of  Mackay 's 

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MACKAY.     The  Founders  of  the  American  Republic.     A  History 

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Democracy.    By  Charles  Mackay,  LL.D.     Post  8vo,  10s.  6d. 
MACKELLAR.     More  Leaves  from  the  Journal  of  a  Life  in  the 

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lar.  By  command  of  Her  Majesty  the  Queen.  Crown  8vo,  with  Illustrations, 
ios.  6d. 

MACKENZIE.  Studies  in  Roman  Law.  With  Comparative  Views 
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MAIN.     Three  Hundred  English  Sonnets.     Chosen  and  Edited  by 

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MAIR.     A  Digest  of  Laws  and  Decisions,  Ecclesiastical  and  Civil, 

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Some  Personal  Recollections  of  the  Later  Years  of  the  Earl 

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MARMORNE.     The   Story  is  told   by  Adolphus   Segrave,  the 

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MARSHALL.      French   Home   Life.      By  Frederic   Marshall. 

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MARSHMAN.     History  of  India.    From  the  Earliest  Period  to  the 
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16  LIST   OF  BOOKS  PUBLISHED   BY 


MARTIN.    Goethe's  Faust.    Part  I.    Translated  by  Sir  Theodore 

Martin,    K.C.B.    Second  Edition,  crown  8vo,   6s.     Ninth  Edition,  fcap. 

Goethe's  Faust.     Part  II.     Translated  into  English  Verse. 

Second  Edition,  revised.     Fcap.  8vo,  6s. 

The  Works  of  Horace.     Translated  into  English  Verse, 

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paper,  21s.  . 

Poems  and  Ballads  of  Heinrich  Heine.  Done  into  Eng- 
lish Verse.     Second  Edition.     Printed  on  papier  verge,  crown  8vo,  8s. 

. Catullus.   With  Life  and  Notes.    Second  Ed.,  post  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

.     The  Vita  Nuova  of  Dante.     With  an  Introduction  and 

Notes.     Second  Edition,  crown  8vo,  5s. 

Aladdin  :  A  Dramatic  Poem.     By  Adam  Oehlenschlae- 

ger.    Fcap.  8vo,  5s. 

Correggio :    A  Tragedy.      By  Oehlenschlaeger.     With 

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King  Rene's   Daughter  :  A  Danish   Lyrical  Drama.     By 


Henrik  Hertz.     Second  Edition,  fcap.,  2s.  6d. 

MARTIN.     On  some  of  Shakespeare's  Female  Characters.     In  a 

Series  of  Letters.  By  Helena  Faucit,  Lady  Martin.  Dedicated  by  per- 
mission to  Her  Most  Gracious  Majesty  the  Queen.  New  Edition.  Royal  8vo, 
with  Portrait.     9s. 

MATHESON.      Can  the  Old  Faith  Live  with  the  New?  or  the 

Problem  of  Evolution  and  Revelation.  By  the  Rev.  George  Matheson,  D.D. 
Second  Edition.     Crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

The  Psalmist  and  the  Scientist ;  or,  Modern  Value  of  the 

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MEIKLEJOHN.     An  Old  Educational   Reformer— Dr  Bell.     By 

J.  M.  D.  Meiklejohn,  M.A.,  Professor  of  the  Theory,  History,  and  Practice 
of  Education  in  the  University  of  St  Andrews.    Crown  8vo,  3s.  6d. 

■  The  Golden  Primer.  With  Coloured  Illustrations  by  Wal- 
ter Crane.    Small  4.to,  boards,  5s. 

The  English  Language  :  Its  Grammar,  History,  and  Litera- 
ture. With  Chapters  on  Versification,  Paraphrasing,  and  Punctuation. 
Second  Edition.     Crown  8vo,  4s.  6d. 

MICHEL.     A  Critical  Inquiry  into  the  Scottish  Language.     With 

the  view  of  Illustrating  the  Rise  and  Progress  of  Civilisation  in  Scotland.  By 
Francisqtje-Michel,  F.S.A.  Lond.  and  Scot.,  Correspondant  de  l'lnstitut  de 
France,  &c.  In  One  handsome  Quarto  Volume,  printed  on  hand-made  paper, 
and  appropriately  bound  in  Roxburghe  style.    Price  66s. 

MICHIE.     The  Larch  :  Being  a  Practical  Treatise  on  its  Culture 

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Crown  8vo,  with  Illustrations.    New  and  Cheaper  Edition,  enlarged,  5s. 

MILNE.     The  Problem  of  the  Churchless  and  Poor  in  our  Large 

Towns.  With  special  reference  to  the  Home  Mission  Work  of  the  Church 
of  Scotland.    By  the  Rev.  Robt.  Milne,  M.  A.,  D.D. ,  Ardler.    Crown  8vo,  5s. 

MINTO.      A    Manual  of  English   Prose   Literature,  Biographical 

and  Critical :  designed  mainly  to  show  Characteristics  of  Style.  By  W.  Minto, 
M.A.,  Professor  of  Logic  in  the  University  of  Aberdeen.  Third  Edition, 
revised.     Crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

Characteristics  of  English  Poets,  from  Chaucer  to  Shirley. 

New  Edition,  revised.    Crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

The  Crack  of  Doom.     3  vols,  post  8vo,  25s.  6d. 


MITCHELL.     Biographies  of  Eminent  Soldiers  of  the  last  Four 

Centuries.    By  Major-General  John  Mitchell,  Author  of  'Life  of  Wallenstein.' 
With  a  Memoir  of  the  Author.    8vo,  9s. 

MOIR.     Life   of  Mansie  Wauch,   Tailor  in    Dalkeith.      With    8 

Illustrations  on  Steel,  by  the  late  George  Cruikshank.      Crown  8vo,  3s.  6d. 
Another  Edition,  fcap.  8vo,  is.  6d. 


WILLIAM    BLACKWOOD   AND   SONS.  17 


MOMERIE.     Defects  of  Modern  Christianity,  and  other  Sermons. 

By  the  Rev.  A.  W.  Momerie,  M.A.,  D.Sc.   Professor  of  Logic  and  Metaphysics 
in  King's  College,  London.    Second  Edition.    Crown  Svo,  5s. 

The  Basis  of  Religion.     Being  an  Examination  of  Natural 

Religion.    Second  Edition.     Crown  8vo,  2s.  6d. 

The  Origin  of  Evil,  and  other  Sermons.     Fourth  Edition, 

enlarged.    Crown  Svo,  5s. 

Personality.    The  Beginning  and  End  of  Metaphysics,  and 

a  Necessary  Assumption  in  all  Positive  Philosophy.    Third  Edition.    Crown 
8vo,  3s. 

Agnosticism.    Second  Edition,  Revised.    Crown  8vo,  5s. 

Preaching  and   Hearing :   and   Other    Sermons.      Crown 


8vo,  4s.  6d. 

-     Belief  in  God.     Crown  8vo,  3s. 


MONTAGUE.     Campaigning  in  South  Africa.     Reminiscences  of 

an  Officer  in  1879.  By  Captain  W.  E.  Montague,  94th  Regiment,  Author  of 
1  Claude  Meadowleigh,'  &c.     8vo,  10s.  6d. 

MONTALEMBERT.      Memoir   of  Count   de   Montalembert.      A 

Chapter  of  Recent  French  History.  By  Mrs  Oliphant,  Author  of  the  'Life 
of  Edward  Irving,'  &c.     2  vols,  crown  8vo,  £1,  4s. 

MURDOCH.     Manual  of  the  Law  of  Insolvency  and  Bankruptcy  : 

Comprehending  a  Summary  of  the  Law  of  Insolvency,  Notour  Bankruptcy, 
Composition  -  contracts,  Trust-deeds,  Cessios,  and  Sequestrations;  and  the 
Winding-up  of  Joint-Stock  Companies  in  Scotland  ;  with  Annotations  on  the 
various  Insolvency  and  Bankruptcy  Statutes  ;  and  with  Forms  of  Procedure 
applicable  to  these  Subjects.  By  James  Murdoch,  Member  of  the  Faculty  of 
Procurators  in  Glasgow.     Fifth  Edition,  Revised  and  Enlarged,  8vo,  £1,  10s. 

MY   TRIVIAL    LIFE   AND   MISFORTUNE  :    A   Gossip    with 

no  Plot  in  Particular.    By  A  Plain  Woman.     New  Edition,  crown  8vo,  6s. 
By  the  Same  Author. 
POOR  NELLIE.     3  vols,  post  8vo,  25s.  6d. 

NEAVES.     Songs  and  Verses,  Social  and  Scientific.     By  an  Old 

Contributor  to  'Maga.'    By  the  Hon.  Lord  Neaves.     Fifth  Ed.,  fcap.  8vo,  4s. 

The  Greek  Anthology.  Being  Vol.  XX.  of  'Ancient  Clas- 
sics for  English  Readers.'    Crown  8vo,  2s.  6d. 

NICHOLSON.     A   Manual  of  Zoology,  for  the  Use  of  Students. 

With  a  General  Introduction  on  the  Principles  of  Zoology.  By  Henry  Al- 
leyne  Nicholson,  M.D.,  D.Sc,  F.L.S.,  F.G.S.,  Regius  Professor  of  Natural 
History  in  the  University  of  Aberdeen.  Seventh  Edition,  rewritten  and 
enlarged.     Post  8vo,  pp.  956,  with  555  Engravings  on  Wood,  18s. 

— Text-Book  of  Zoology,  for  the  Use  of  Schools.  Fourth  Edi- 
tion, enlarged.    Crown  8vo,  with  188  Engravings  on  Wood,  7s.  6d. 

Introductory  Text-Book  of  Zoology,  for  the  Use  of  Junior 

Classes.    Sixth  Edition,  revised  and  enlarged,  with  166  Engravings,  3s. 

Outlines  of  Natural  History,  for  Beginners  ;  being  Descrip- 
tions of  a  Progressive  Series  of  Zoological  Types.  Third  Edition,  with 
Engravings,  is.  6d. 

A   Manual    of   Palaeontology,  for  the   Use  of  Students. 

With  a  General  Introduction  on  the  Principles  of  Palaeontology.  Second 
Edition.     Revised  and  greatly  enlarged.     2  vols.  8vo,  with  722  Engravings, 

£2.   2S. 

The  Ancient  Life-History  of  the  Earth.     An  Outline  of 

the  Principles  and  Leading  Facts  of  Palseontological  Science.  Crown  8vo, 
with  276  Engravings,  10s.  6d. 

On  the   "  Tabulate    Corals "  of    the    Palaeozoic    Period, 

with  Critical  Descriptions  of  Illustrative  Species.  Illustrated  with  15 
Lithograph  Plates  and  numerous  Engravings.    Super-royal  8vo,  21s. 


18  LIST   OF   BOOKS   PUBLISHED   BY 


NICHOLSON.     On  the  Structure  and  Affinities  of  the  Genus  Mon- 

ticulipora  and  its  Sub-Genera,  with  Critical  Descriptions  of  Illustrative 
Species.  By  Henry  Alleyne  Nicholson,  M.D.,  D.Sc,  F.L.S.,  F.G.S., 
Regius  Professor  of  Natural  History  in  the  University  of  Aberdeen.  Illus- 
trated with  numerous  Engravings  on  wood  and  lithographed  Plates.  Super- 
royal  8vo, 18s. 

Synopsis  of  the  Classification  of  the  Animal  King- 
dom.   8vo,  with  106  Illustrations,  6s. 

NICHOLSON.  Communion  with  Heaven,  and  other  Sermons. 
By  the  late  Maxwell  Nicholson,  D.D.,  Minister  of  St  Stephen's,  Edinburgh. 
Crown  8vo,  5s.  6d. 

Rest  in  Jesus.     Sixth  Edition.     Fcap.  8vo,  4s.  6d. 

OLIPHANT.     Masollani:    a  Problem  of  the  Period.      A  Novel. 

By  Laurence  Oliphant.     3  vols,  post  8vo,  25s.  6d. 

Altiora  Peto.    Eighth  Edition,  Illustrated.    Crown  8vo,  6s. 

Piccadilly :  A  Fragment  of  Contemporary  Biography.  With 

Eight  Illustrations  by  Richard  Doyle.  Eighth  Edition,  4s.  6d.  Cheap  Edition, 
in  paper  cover,  2s.  6d. 

Traits  and  Travesties;  Social  and  Political.  Post8vo,  ios.6d. 

The  Land  of  Gilead.     With  Excursions  in  the  Lebanon. 

With  Illustrations  and  Maps.    Demy  8vo,  21s. 

The  Land  of  Khemi.    Post  8vo,  with  Illustrations,  10s.  6d. 

Haifa  :  Life  in  Modern  Palestine.    2d  Edition.    8vo,  7s.  6d. 

Episodes  in  a  Life  of  Adventure  ;  or,  Moss  from  a  Rolling 

Stone.    Fourth  Edition.     Post  8vo,  6s. 

Fashionable  Philosophy,  and  other  Sketches.      In  paper 

cover,  is. 

Sympneumata  :  or,  Evolutionary  Functions  now  Active  in 


Man.    Edited  by  Laurence  Oliphant.    Post  8vo,  10s.  6d. 

OLIPHANT.     The  Story  of  Valentine ;  and  his  Brother.     By  Mrs 

Oliphant.    5s.,  cloth. 

Katie  Stewart.     2s.  6d. 

A  House  Divided  against  Itself.     3  vols,  post  8vo,  25s.  6d. 

OSBORN.      Narratives  of  Voyage  and  Adventure.     By  Admiral 

Sherard  Osborn,  C.B.     3  vols,  crown  8vo,  12s. 

OSSIAN.     The  Poems  of  Ossian  in  the  Original  Gaelic.     With  a 

Literal  Translation  into  English,  and  a  Dissertation  on  the  Authenticity  of  the 
Poems.     By  the  Rev.  Archibald  Clerk.     2  vols,  imperial  8vo,  £x,  us.  6d. 

OSWALD.     By  Fell  and  Fjord  ;  or,  Scenes  and  Studies  in  Iceland. 

By  E.  J.  Oswald.    Post  8vo,  with  Illustrations.     7s.  6d. 

OUR  OWN  POMPEII.    A  Romance  of  To-morrow.    2  vols,  crown 

8vo,  17s. 

OUTRAM.    Lyrics  :  Legal  and  Miscellaneous.    By  the  late  George 

Outram,  Esq.,  Advocate.  New  Edition,  with  Explanatory  Notes.  Edited 
by  J.  H.  Stoddart,  LL.D.  ;  and  Illustrated  by  William  Ralston  and  A.  S. 
Boyd.     Fcap.  8vo,  5s. 

PAGE.     Introductory  Text-Book  of  Geology.      By  David  Page, 

LL.D.,  Professor  of  Geology  in  the  Durham  University  of  Physical  Science, 
Newcastle.  With  Engravings  on  Wood  and  Glossarial  Index.  Twelfth 
Edition.  Revised  by  Professor  Lapworth  of  Mason  Science  College,  Bir- 
mingham. [jn  the  press. 

Advanced  Text-Book  of  Geology,  Descriptive  and  Indus- 
trial. With  Engravings,  and  Glossary  of  Scientific  Terms.  Sixth  Edition,  re- 
vised and  enlarged,  7s.  6d. 

Introductory  Text -Book  of  Physical  Geography.     With 

Sketch-Maps  and  Illustrations.  Editedby  Charles  Lapworth,  LL.D.,  F.G.S., 
&c,  Professor  of  Geology  and  Mineralogy  in  the  Mason  Science  College,  Bir- 
mingham.    12th  Edition.    2s.  6d. 


WILLIAM   BLACKWOOD   AND   SONS.  19 

PAGE.     Advanced   Text -Book   of    Physical   Geography.     Third 

Edition,  Revised  and  Enlarged  by  Prof.  Lapworth.    With  Engravings.     5s. 

PATON.    Spindrift.    By  Sir  J.  Noel  Paton.    Fcap.,  cloth,  5s. 

Poems  by  a  Painter.     By   Sir  ;J.   Noel   Paton.     Fcap., 

cloth,  5s. 

PATTERSON.     Essays  in  History  and  Art.     By  R.  Hogarth 

Patterson.     8vo,  12s. 

The    New    Golden  Age,   and  Influence  of  the  Precious 

Metals  upon  the  World.     2  vols.  8vo,  31s.  6d. 

PAUL.     History  of  the  Royal  Company  of  Archers,  the  Queen's 

Body-Guard  for  Scotland.  By  James  Balfour  Paul,  Advocate  of  the  Scottish 
Bar.    Crown  4to,  with  Portraits  and  other  Illustrations.    £2,  2s. 

PEILE.     Lawn  Tennis  as  a  Game  of  Skill.     With  latest  revised 

Laws  as  played  by  the  Best  Clubs.  By  Captain  S.  C.  F.  Peile,  B.S.C.  Third 
Edition,  fcap.  cloth,  is.  6d. 

PETTIGREW.      The   Handy  Book   of  Bees,  and  their  Profitable 

Management.  By  A.  Pettigrew.  Fourth  Edition,  Enlarged,  with  Engrav- 
ings.    Crown  8vo,  3s.  6d. 

PHILOSOPHICAL    CLASSICS    FOR    ENGLISH    READERS. 

Companion  Series  to  Ancient  and  Foreign  Classics  for  English  Readers. 
Edited  by  William  Knight,  LL.D.,  Professor  of  Moral  Philosophy,  Uni- 
versity of  St  Andrews.    In  crown  8vo  volumes,  with  portraits,  price  3s.  6d. 

[For  list  of  Volumes  published,  see  page  2. 

POLLOK.    The  Course  of  Time  :  A  Poem.     By  Robert  Pollok, 

A.M.  Small  fcap.  8vo,  cloth  gilt,  2s.  6d.  The  Cottage  Edition,  32mo,  sewed, 
8d.  The  Same,  cloth,  gilt  edges,  is.  6d.  Another  Edition,  with  Illustrations 
by  Birket  Foster  and  others,  fcap.,  gilt  cloth,  3s.  6d.,  or  with  edges  gilt,  4s. 

PORT  ROYAL  LOGIC.     Translated  from  the  French  •  with  Intro- 

duction,  Notes,  and  Appendix.  By  Thomas  Spencer  Baynes,  LL.D.,  Pro- 
fessor in  the  University  of  St  Andrews.     Eighth  Edition,  i2mo,  4s. 

POTTS  and  DARNELL.  Aditus  Faciliores  :  An  easy  Latin  Con- 
struing Book,  with  Complete  Vocabulary.  By  A.  W.  Potts,  M.A.,  LL.D., 
Head-Master  of  the  Fettes  College,  Edinburgh,  and  sometime  Fellow  of  St 
John's  College,  Cambridge;  and  the  Rev.  C.  Darnell,  M.A.,  Head-Master  of 
Cargilfield  Preparatory  School,  Edinburgh,  and  late  Scholar  of  Pembroke  and 
Downing  Colleges,  Cambridge.     Ninth  Edition,  fcap.  8vo,  3s.  6d. 

Aditus  Faciliores  Graeci.    An  easy  Greek  Construing  Book, 

with  Complete  Vocabulary.    Fourth  Edition,  fcap.  8vo,  3s. 

PRINGLE.     The  Live-Stock  of  the  Farm.     By  Robert  0.  Pringle. 

Third  Edition.  Revised  and  Edited  by  James  Macdonald,  Editor  of  the 
'Live-Stock  Journal,'  &c.     Crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

PUBLIC   GENERAL    STATUTES   AFFECTING    SCOTLAND 

from  1707  to  1847,  with  Chronological  Table  and  Index.     3  vols,  large  8vo,  £2,  3s. 

PUBLIC   GENERAL  STATUTES    AFFECTING    SCOTLAND, 

COLLECTION  OF.     Published  Annually  with  General  Index. 

RAMSAY.    Rough  Recollections  of  Military  Service  and  Society. 

By  Lieut.-Col.  Balcarres  D.  Wardlaw  Ramsay.     Two  vols,  post  8vo,  21s. 

RAMSAY.      Scotland  and  Scotsmen  in  the  Eighteenth  Century. 

Edited  from  the  MSS.  of  John  Ramsay,  Esq.  of  Ochtertyre,  by  Alexander 
Allardyce,  Author  of  'Memoir  of  Admiral  Lord  Keith,  K.B.,'  &c.  In  two 
vols.  8vo.  [In  the  press. 

RANKINE.     A  Treatise  on  the  Rights  and  Burdens  incident  to 

the  Ownership  of  Lands  and  other  Heritages  in  Scotland.  By  John  Rankine 
M. A.,  Advocate.     Second  Edition,  Revised  and  Enlarged.     8vo.  45s. 

RECORDS  OF  THE  TERCENTENARY  FESTIVAL  OF  THE 

UNIVERSITY  OF  EDINBURGH.   .  Celebrated  in   April  1884.      Published 
under  the  Sanction  of  the  Senatus  Academicus.     Large  4to,  £2,  12s.  6d. 
RICE.      Reminiscences  of  Abraham  Lincoln.      By  Distinguished 
Men  of  his  Time.     Collected  and  Edited  by  Allen  Thorndike  Rice,  Editor 
of  the  'North  American  Review.'    Large  8vo,  with  Portraits,  21s. 


20  LIST   OF   BOOKS   PUBLISHED   BY 


RIMMER.  The  Early  Homes  of  Prince  Albert.  By  Alfbep 
Rimmer,  Author  of 'Our  Old  Country  Towns,'  &c.  Beautifully  Illustrated 
with  Tinted  Plates  and  numerous  Engravings  on  Wood.    8vo,  108.  6d. 

Et<  (BERTSON.  Orellana,  and  other  Poems.  By  J.  Logie  Robert- 
son, M.  A.    Fcap.  8vo.    Printed  on  hand-made  paper.    6s. 

The  White  Angel  of  the  Polly  Ann,  and  other  Stories. 

A  Book  of  Fables  and  Fancies.    Fcap.  8vo,  3s.  6d. 

Our  Holiday  Among  the  Hills.    By  James  and  Janet 


Logie  Robertson.    Fcap.  8vo,  3s.  6d. 

ROSCOE.     Rambles  with  a  Fishing-rod.    By  E.  S.  Roscoe.    Crown 

Svo,  4s.  6d. 

ROSS.     Old   Scottish   Regimental  Colours.     By  Andrew   Ross, 

S.S.C.,  Hon.  Secretary  Old  Scottish  Regimental  Colours  Committee.  Dedi- 
cated by  Special  Permission  to  Her  Majesty  the  Queen.  Folio,  handsomely 
bound  in  cloth,  £2,  12s.  6d. 

ROSSLYN.     Love  that  Lasts  for  Ever.     A  Jubilee  Lyric.     By  the 

Earl  of  Rosslyn.  Dedicated  by  Permission  to  the  Queen,  on  the  Fiftieth 
Anniversary  of  her  Accession,  and  published  by  Her  Majesty's  Command. 
Printed  on  hand-made  paper,  with  vellum  cover,  is. 

RUSSELL.      The  Haigs  of  Bemersyde.     A  Family  History.     By 

John  Russell.    Large  8vo,  with  Illustrations.     21s. 

RUSTOW.     The  War  for  the  Rhine  Frontier,  1870  :  Its  Political 

and  Military  History.  By  Col.  W.  Rusxow.  Translated  from  the  German, 
by  John  Layland  Needham,  Lieutenant  R.M.  Artillery.  3  vols.  8vo,  with 
Maps  and  Plans,  £1,  us.  6d. 

ST  LEGER.     Under  a  Delusion.     A  Novel.     By  Joan  St  Leger. 

2  vols,  crown  8vo,  17s. 

SCHILLER,     Wallenstein.     A  Dramatic  Poem.     By  Frederick 

von  Schiller.     Translated  bv  C.  G.  A.  Lockhart.     Fcap.  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

SCOTCH  LOCH  FISHING.'    By  "Black  Palmer."     Crown  8vo, 

interleaved  with  blank  pages,  4s. 

SCOTTISH   METAPHYSICS.    Reconstructed  in  accordance  with 

the  Principles  of  Physical  Science.  By  the  Writer  of  '  Free  Notes  on  Herbert 
Spencer's  First  Principles.'    Crown  8vo,  5s. 

SELLER  and  STEPHENS.     Physiology  at  the  Farm  ;  in  Aid  of 

Rearing  and  Feeding  the  Live  Stock.  By  William  Seller,  M.D.,  F.R.S.E., 
Fellow  of  the  Royal  College  of  Physicians,  Edinburgh,  formerly  Lecturer  on 
Materia  Medica  and  Dietetics  ;  and  Henry  Stephens,  F.R.S.E.,  Author  of '  The 
Book  of  the  Farm,'  &c.     Post  8vo,  with  Engravings,  16s. 

SETH.     Scottish  Philosophy.     A  Comparison  of  the  Scottish  and 

German  Answers  to  Hume.  Balfour  Philosophical  Lectures,  University  of 
Edinburgh.  By  Andrew  Seth,  M.A.,  Professor  of  Logic,  Rhetoric,  and 
Metaphysics  in  the  University  of  St  Andrews.     Crown  Svo,  5s. 

Hegelianism  and  Personality.  Balfour  Philosophical  Lec- 
tures.   Second  Series.    Crown  8vo,  5s. 

SETON.  A  Budget  of  Anecdotes.  Chiefly  relating  to  the  Current 
Century.  Compiled  and  Arranged  by  George  Seton,  Advocate,  M.A.  Oxon. 
New  and  Cheaper  Edition,  fcap.  8vo.    Boards,  is.  6d. 

SHADWELL.     The  Life  of  Colin  Campbell,  Lord  Clyde.     Illus- 

trated  by  Extracts  from  his  Diary  and  Corresjjondence.  By  Lieutenant- 
General  Shadwell,  C.B.    2  vols.  Svo.   With  Portrait,  Maps,  and  Plans.    36s. 

SHAND.     Fortune's  Wheel.     By  Alex.  Innes  Shand,  Author  of 

'Against  Time,'  &c.    3  vols,  post  8vo,  25s.  6d. 

Half  a  Century ;  or,  Changes  in  Men  and  Manners.    Second 

Edition,  Svo,  12s.  6d. 

Letters  from  the  West  of  Ireland.      Reprinted  from  the 

'Times.'    Crown  8vo,  58. 

SHARPE.      Letters   from   and    to    Charles    Kirkpatrick    Sharpe. 

Edited  by  Alexander  Allardyce,  Author  of  'Memoir  of  Admiral  Lord 
Keith,  K.B.,'  &c.  With  a  Memoir  by  the  Rev.  W.  K.  R.  Bedford.  In  two 
vols.  8vo.     Illustrated  with  Etchings  and  other  Engravings. 


WILLIAM   BLACKWOOD   AND   SONS.  21 


SIM.  Margaret  Sim's  Cookery.  With  an  Introduction  by  L.  B. 
W  vi  por0,  Author  of  •  Mr  Smith  :  A  Part  of  His  Life,'  &c.     Crown  8vo,  5s. 

SIMPSON.      Dogs  of  other  Days:   Nelson  and  Puck.      By  Eve 

Blantyre  Simpson.    Fcap.  8vo,  with  Illustrations,  2s.  6d. 

SKELTON.  Maitland  of  Lethington  ;  and  the  Scotland  of  Mary 
Stuart.  A  History.  By  John  Skelton,  C.B.,  LL.D.  Author  of  '  The  Essays 
of  Shirley.'    Demy  Svo,  12s.  6d. 

SMITH.  Italian  Irrigation  :  A  Report  on  the  Agricultural  Canals 
of  Piedmont  and  Lombardy,  addressed  to  the  Hon.  the  Directors  of  the  East 
India  Company  ;  with  an  Appendix,  containing  a  Sketch  of  the  Irrigation  Sys- 
tem of  Northern  and  Central  India.  By  Lieut. -Col.  R.  Baird  Smith,  F.G.S., 
Bengal  Engineers.    Second  Edition.     2  voJs.  8vo,  with  Atlas,  30s. 

SMITH.     Thorndale  ;  or,  The  Conflict  of  Opinions.    By  William 

Smith,  Author  of  'A  Discourse  on  Ethics,'  &c.  A  New  Edition.  Crown 
8vo,  10s.  6d. 

Gravenhurst ;    or,  Thoughts  on  Good  and  Evil.     Second 

Edition,  with  Memoir  of  the  Author.     Crown  8vo,  8s. 

SMITH.      Greek   Testament   Lessons  for   Colleges,   Schools,   and 

Private  Students,  consisting  chiefly  of  the  Sermon  on  the  Mount  and  the 
Parables  of  our  Lord.  With  Notes  and  Essays.  By  the  Rev.  J.  Hunter 
Smith,  M.  A.,  King  Edward's  School,  Birmingham.    Crown  8vo,  6s. 

SMITH.     Writings  by  the  Way.     By  John   Campbell  Smith, 

M. A.,  Sheriff-Substitute.     Crown  8vo,  9s. 

SMITH.  The  Secretary  for  Scotland.  Being  a  Statement  of  the 
Powers  and  Duties  of  the  new  Scottish  Office.  With  a  Short  Historical 
Introduction  and  numerous  references  to  important  Administrative  Docu- 
ments.    By  W.  C.  Smith,  LL.B.,  Advocate.    8vo,  6s. 

SOLTERA.     A  Lady's  Ride  Across  Spanish  Honduras.     By  Maria 

Soltera.     With  illustrations.     Post  8vo,  12s.  6d. 

SORLEY.     The  Ethics  of  Naturalism.    Being  the  Shaw  Fellowship 

Lectures,  1884.  By  W.  R.  Sorley,  M.A.,  Fellow  of  Trinity  College,  Cambridge, 
and  Examiner  in  Philosophy  in  the  University  of  Edinburgh.     Crown  8vo,  6s. 

SPEEDY.  Sport  in  the  Highlands  and  Lowlands  of  Scotland  with 
Rod  and  Gun.  By  Tom  Speedy.  Second  Edition,  Revised  and  Enlarged. 
With  Illustrations  by  Lieut.-General  Hope  Crealocke,  C.B.,  C.M.G.,  and 
others.     8vo,  15s. 

SPROTT.    The  Worship  and  Offices  of  the  Church  of  Scotland  ; 

or,  the  Celebration  of  Public  Worship,  the  Administration  of  the  Sacraments, 
and  other  Divine  Offices,  according  to  the  Order  of  the  Church  of  Scotland. 
Bv  George  W.  Sprott,  D.D.,  Minister  of  North  Berwick.     Crown  8vo,  6s. 

STARFORTH.  Villa  Residences  and  Farm  Architecture  :  A  Series 
of  Designs.  By  John  Starforth,  Architect.  102  Engravings.  Second  Edi- 
tion, medium  4to,  ^2,  17s.  6d. 

STATISTICAL   ACCOUNT    OF   SCOTLAND.     Complete,  with 

Index,  15  vols.  8vo,  £16,  16s. 
Each  County  sold  separately,  with  Title,  Index,  and  Map,  neatly  bound  m  cloth, 
forming  a  very  valuable  Manual  to  the  Landowner,  the  Tenant,  the  Manufac- 
turer, the  Naturalist,  the  Tourist,  &c. 

STEPHENS.     The  Book  of  the  Farm  ;  detailing  the  Labours  of  the 

Farmer,  Farm-Steward,  Ploughman,  Shepherd,  Hedger,  Farm-Labourer,  Field- 
Worker,  and  Cattleman.  By  Henry  Stephens,  F.R.S.E.  Illustrated  with 
Portraits  of  Animals  painted  from  the  life ;  and  with  557  Engravings  on  Wood, 
representing  the  principal  Field  Operations,  Implements,  and  Animals  treated  of 
in  the  Work.     A  New  Edition,  Rewritten,  and  with  New  Illustrations. 

The  Book  of  Farm  Buildings  ;    their  Arrangement  and 

Construction.  By  Henry  Stephens,  F.R.S.E.,  Author  of  'The  Book  of  the 
Farm  ; '  and  Robert  Scott  Burn.  Illustrated  with  1045  Plates  and  En- 
gravings.    Large  8vo,  uniform  with  '  The  Book  of  the  Farm,'  &c.    ,£1,  us.  6d. 

The  Book  of  Farm   Implements   and    Machines.     By  J. 

Slight  and  R.  Scott  Burn,  Engineers.  Edited  by  Henry  Stephens.  Large 
8vo,  uniform  with  '  The  Book  of  the  Farm,'  £2,  2s. 


22  LIST   OF   BOOKS   PUBLISHED   BY 


STEPHENS.     Catechism  of  Practical  Agriculture.    With  Engrav- 
ings.   IS. 
STEVENSON.    British  Fungi.    (Hymenomycetes.)    By  Rev.  John 

Stevenson,  Author  of '  Mycologia  Scotia,'  Hon.  Sec.  Cryptogamic  Society  of 
Scotland.    2  vols,  post  8vo,  with  Illustrations,  price  12s.  6d.  each. 

Vol.  I.  AOARICUS — BOLBITIUS.      Vol.  II.    CORTINARIUS — DACRYMYCES. 

STEWART.    Advice  to  Purchasers  of  Horses.     By  John  Stewart, 

V.S.,  Author  of  '  Stable  Economy.'    New  Edition.    2s.  6d. 

Stable   Economy.      A   Treatise   on   the   Management  of 

Horses  in  relation  to  Stabling,  Grooming,  Feeding,  Watering,  and  Working. 
By  John  Stewart,  V.S.    Seventh  Edition,  fcap.  8vo,  6s.  6d. 

STORMONTH.     Etymological  and  Pronouncing  Dictionary  of  the 

English  Language.  Including  a  very  Copious  Selection  of  Scientific  Terms. 
For  Use  in  Schools  and  Colleges,  and  as  a  Book  of  General  Reference.  By  the 
Rev.  James  Stormonth.  The  Pronunciation  carefully  Revised  by  the  Rev. 
P.  H.  Phelp,  M.A.  Cantab.  Ninth  Edition,  Revised  throughout.  Crown 
8vo,  pp.  800.     7s.  6d. 

Dictionary    of    the     English    Language,     Pronouncing, 

Etymological,  and  Explanatory.  Revised  by  the  Rev.  P.  H.  Phelp.  Library 
Edition.    Imperial  8vo,  handsomely  bound  in  half  morocco,  31s.  6d. 

The   School  Etymological    Dictionary    and    Word-Book. 


Combining  the  advantages  of  an  ordinary  pronouncing  School  Dictionary 
and  an  Etymological  Spelling-book.    Fcap.  8vo,  pp.  254.     2s. 

STORY.     Nero  ;  A  Historical  Play.     By  W.  W.  Story,  Author  of 

'Roba  di  Roma.'    Fcap.  8vo,  6s. 

Vallombrosa.     Post  8vo,  5s. 

He  and  She  ;    or,  A  Poet's  Portfolio.     Fcap.  8vo,  in  parch- 
ment, 3s.  6d. 

■ Poems.     2  vols,  fcap.,  7s.  6d. 

Fiammetta.     A  Summer  Idvl.     Crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

STRICKLAND.     Life   of   Agnes   Strickland.      By  her    Sister. 

Post  3vo,  with  Portrait  engraved  on  Steel,  12s.  6d. 

STURGIS.     John  -  a  -  Dreams.      A    Tale.    By  Julian    Sturgis. 

New  Edition,  crown  8vo,  3s.  6d. 

Little  Comedies,  Old  and  New.     Crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

SUTHERLAND.     Handbook   of  Hardy  Herbaceous   and  Alpine 

Flowers,  for  general  Garden  Decoration.  Containing  Descriptions,  in  Plain 
Language,  of  upwards  of  1000  Species  of  Ornamental  Hardy  Perennial  and 
Alpine  Plants,  adapted  to  all  classes  of  Flower-Gardens,  Rockwork,  and 
Waters  ;  along  with  Concise  and  Plain  Instructions  for  their  Propagation  and 
Culture.  By  William  Sutherland,  Gardener  to  the  Earl  of  Minto  ;  formerly 
Manager  of  the  Herbaceous  Department  at  Kew.     Crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

TAYLOR.     The  Story  of  My  Life.     By  the  late  Colonel  Meadows 

Taylor,  Author  of  'The  Confessions  of  a  Thug,'  &c.  &c.  Edited  by  his 
Daughter.     New  and  cheaper  Edition,  being  the  Fourth.    Crown  8vo,  6s. 

TAYLOR.      The   City  of  Sarras.      By  U.    Ashworth   Taylor. 

Crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

TEMPLE.     Lancelot  Ward,   M.P.    A  Love-Story.     By  George 

Temple.    Crown  8vo.     7s.  6d. 

THOLUCK.     Hours  of  Christian  Devotion.     Translated  from  the 

German  of  A.  Tholuck,  D.D.,  Professor  of  Theology  in  the  University  of  Halle. 
By  the  Rev.  Robert  Menzies,  D.  D.  With  a  Preface  written  for  this  Transla- 
tion by  the  Author.     Second  Edition,  crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

THOMSON.     Handy  Book  of  the  Flower-Garden  :  being  Practical 

Directions  for  the  Propagation,  Culture,  and  Arrangement  of  Plants  in  Flower- 
Gardens  all  the  year  round.  Embracing  all  classes  of  Gardens,  from  the  largest 
to  the  smallest.  With  Engraved  Plans,  illustrative  of  the  various  systems  of 
Grouping  in  Beds  and  Borders.  By  David  Thomson,  Gardener  to  his  Grace 
the  Duke  of  Buccleuch,  K.G.,  at  Drumlanrig.  Fourth  and  Cheaper  Edition, 
crown  8vo,  5s. 


WILLIAM   BLACKWOOD   AND   SONS.  23 


THOMSON.     The  Handy   Book  of  Fruit- Culture   under  Glass  : 

being  a  series  of  Elaborate  Practical  Treatises  on  the  Cultivation  and  Forcing 
of  Pines,  Vines,  Peaches,  Figs,  Melons,  Strawberries,  and  Cucumbers.  With 
Engravings  of  Hothouses,  &c,  most  suitable  for  the  Cultivation  and  Forcing 
of  these  Fruits.  By  David  Thomson,  Gardener  to  his  Grace  the  Duke  of 
Buccleuch,  E.G.,  at  Drumlanrig.  Second  Edition.  Crown  8vo,  with  Engrav- 
ings, 7s.  6d. 

THOMSON.  A  Practical  Treatise  on  the  Cultivation  of  the  Grape- 
Vine.    By  William  Thomson,  Tweed  Vineyards.    Ninth  Edition,  8vo,  5s. 

THOMSON.      Cookery   for  the   Sick    and   Convalescent.      With 

Directions  for  the  Preparation  of  Poultices,  Fomentations,  &c.  By  Barbara 
Thomson.    Fcap.  8vo,  is.  6d. 

TOM    CRINGLE'S    LOG.      A   New   Edition,  with   Illustrations. 

Crown  8vo,  cloth  gilt,  5s.     Cheap  Edition,  2s. 

TRANSACTIONS  OF  THE  HIGHLAND  AND  AGRICUL- 
TURAL SOCIETY  OF  SCOTLAND.    Published  annually,  price  5s. 

TULLOCH.  Rational  Theology  and  Christian  Philosophy  in  Eng- 
land in  the  Seventeenth  Century.  By  John  Tulloch,  D.D.,  Principal  of  St 
Mary's  College  in  the  University  of  St  Andrews ;  and  one  of  her  Majesty's 
Chaplains  in  Ordinary  in  Scotland.     Second  Edition.     2  vols.  8vo,  16s. 

Modern  Theories  in  Philosophy  and  Religion.     8vo,  15s. 

Theism.  The  Witness  of  Reason  and  Nature  to  an  All- 
Wise  and  Beneficent  Creator.    8vo,  10s.  6d. 

Luther,  and  other   Leaders  of  the  Reformation.      Third 


Edition,  enlarged.    Crown  8vo,  3s.  6d. 

TWO  STORIES  OF  THE  SEEN  AND  THE  UNSEEN.    'The 

Open  Door,'  '  Old  Lady  Mary.'    Crown  8vo,  cloth,  2s.  6d. 

VEITCH.  Institutes  of  Logic.  By  John  Veitch,  LL.D.,  Pro- 
fessor of  Logic  and  Rhetoric  in  the  University  of  Glasgow.    Post  8vo,  12s.  6d. 

The  Feeling  for  Nature  in  Scottish   Poetry.     From  the 

Earliest  Times  to  the  Present  Day.  2  vols.  fcap.  8vo,  in  Roxburghe  bind- 
ing.    15s. 

VIRGIL.      The  ^Eneid  of  Virgil.     Translated  in   English  Blank 

Verse  by  G.  K.  Rickards,  M.A.,  and  Lord  Ravensworth.  2  vols.  fcap.  8vo, 
10s. 

WALFORD.     The  Novels  of  L.  B.  Walford.     New  and  Uniform 

Edition.    Crown  8vo,  each  5s. 
Mr  Smith  :  A  Part  of  his  Life. 


Cousins. 
Pauline. 


Troublesome  Daughters. 

Dick  Netherby. 

The  Baby's  Grandmother. 


History  of  a  Week. 

WARDEN.     Poems.     By  Francis  Heywood  Warden.     With  a 

Notice  by  Dr  Vanroth.    Crown  8vo,  ss. 

WARREN'S  (SAMUEL)  WORKS.    People's  Edition,  4  vols,  crown 

8vo,  cloth,  15s.  6d.     Or  separately  : — 
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Now  and  Then.    The  Lily  and  the  Bee.    Intellectual  and  Moral 

Development  of  the  Present  Age.    4s.  6d. 
Essays  :  Critical,  Imaginative,  and  Juridical.     5s* 
WARREN.      The   Five  Books   of  the   Psalms.      With   Marginal 

Notes.    By  Rev.  Samuel  L.  Warren,  Rector  of  Fsher,  Surrey  ;  late  Fellow, 
Dean,  and  Divinity  Lecturer,  Wadham  College,  Oxford.    Crown  8vo,  5s. 

WATSON.  Christ's  Authority  ;  and  other  Sermons.  By  the  late 
Archibald  Watson,  D.D.,  Minister  of  the  Parish  of  Dundee,  and  one  of 
Her  Majesty's  Chaplains  for  Scotland.  With  Introduction  by  the  Very 
Rev.  Principal  Caird,  Glasgow.    Crown  8vo,  7s.  6d. 

WEBSTER.    The  Angler  and  the  Loop-Rod.    By  David  Webster. 

Crown  8vo,  with  Illustrations,  7s.  6d. 


24  LIST   OF    BOOKS,   ETC. 


WELLINGTON.     Wellington  Prize  Essays  on  "the  System  of  Field 

Manoeuvres  best  adapted  for  enabling  our  Troops  to  meet  a  Continental  Army." 
Edited  by  Lieut.-General  Sir  Edward  Bruce  Hamley,  K.G.B.  8vo,  12s.  6d. 

WESTMINSTER  ASSEMBLY.  Minutes  of  the  Westminster  As- 
sembly, while  engaged  in  preparing  their  Directory  for  Church  Government, 
Confession  of  Faith,  and  Catechisms  (November  1644  to  March  1649).  Edited 
by  the  Rev.  Professor  Alex.  T.  Mitchell,  of  St  Andrews,  and  the  Rev.  John 
Struthers,  LL.D.  With  a  Historical  and  Critical  Introduction  by  Professor 
Mitchell.    8vo,  15s. 

WHITE.     The  Eighteen  Christian  Centuries.     By  the  Rev.  James 

White.     Seventh  Edition,  post8vo,  with  Index,  6s. 

History  of  France,  from  the  Earliest  Times.  Sixth  Thou- 
sand, post  8vo,  with  Index,  6s. 

WHITE.  Archaeological  Sketches  in  Scotland — Kintyre  and  Knap- 
dale.  By  Colonel  T.  P.  White,  R.E.,  of  the  Ordnance  Survey.  With  numer- 
ous Illustrations.      2  vols,  folio,  £4,  4s.    Vol.  I.,  Kintyre,  sold  separately, 

£2,   2S. 

The  Ordnance  Survey  of  the  United  Kingdom.     A  Popular 

Account.    Crown  8vo,  5s. 

WILLS  and  GREENE.     Drawing-room  Dramas  for  Children.     By 

W.  G.  Wills  and  the  Hon.  Mrs  Greene.     Crown  8vo,  6s. 

WILSON.     Works  of  Professor  Wilson.    Edited  by  his  Son-in-Law, 

Professor  Ferrier.     12  vols,  crown  8vo,  £2,  8s. 

.  Christopher  in  his  Sporting-Jacket.     2  vols.,  8s. 

Isle  of  Palms,  City  of  the  Plague,  and  other  Poems.     4s. 

Lights  and  Shadows  of  Scottish  Life,  and  other  Tales.     4s. 

Essays,  Critical  and  Imaginative.     4  vols.,  16s. 

The  Noctes  Ambrosianse.     4  vols.,  16s. 

The  Comedy  of  the  Noctes  Ambrosianae.     By  Christopher 

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