the blow dealt him by his uncle Everard with so sure an aim so ringingly on the head. And in the first place he made no attempt to disdain it because it was n

laying his gun for a long shot-to give as good as he had received; and in realizing Everard Romfrey's perfectly placid bearing under provocation, such as he certainly would have m

some degree signalized it. Beauchamp could fancy his uncle crying out, Who set the example? and he was not at that instant inclined to dwell on the occult virtues of the example he had set. To be honest, this elevation of a political puppet like Cecil Baskelett, and the starting him, o

ness of his uncle Everard's conspiracy a something in it that was half-smile half-sneer; not exactly malignant, and by no means innocent; something made up of the simplicity of a li

it, with tolerably natural laughter, and Cecilia rallie

hen I meet him tonight,' he sai

roun, who likewise had a turn for buffooneries to serve

a Northerner from the f

and exclaimed: 'Baron Troll! I'm afraid, Cecilia, you have robbed him of the best part of his fun. A

forget I did you some service, and that I wish, I shall be so glad if yo

waste a word on him. The fact is, he would not understand a word, and would require more-and t

smiled g

not have been sweeter to her than thi

e ponies' manes and made threads of Cecilia's shorter locks of beautiful auburn by the temples and the neck, blustering

ute in the mouths of men, home, and a trustworthy woman for mate, an ideal English lady, the rarest growth of our country, and friends and fair esteem, were offered. Last night he had waltzed with her, and the manner of th

ow dead-blue cloud swing

e of Renee's letter! It

an three days,' he said; paused, eyed Cecilia

so much as we t

if we

ere is a differe

keep our li

e to shut our

he warmer for her unwittingness in producing it: an

t cause wounds, except when very unintellectual sentiments are behind them:-my conceit, or your impatience, Nevil?

e in Italian cha

was that

isest:

avourite! I must

ss on the august name; and it was mani

lusiveness could

d the world half as charitable as he!-You ask me if I shall admit my sight to be imperfect. Yes; when you prove to me that priests and land

unding again. Cecilia

nel f

ou this?-must not every one feel the evil spell

know him,

him yes

ght him t

t of his

be with you if you w

ndebted to my unc

't answer me out of the heart. I 'm convinced i

use you cannot imagine women to hav

in that remark se

uppet's fresh-printed address to the electors, on one of the wayside fir-trees. 'Bev

it would be mon

es! exactly as though we had gained the best of human conditions, instead of counting crops of rogues, malefactors, egoists, noxious and lu

hought that of

air, an absence of that enthusiasm which struck her with suspicion when it was not applied to landscape or the Arts; and she accepted it, and warmed

is bondage to the Frenchwoman, who c

town was of an ignoble aspect; and it was declining in prosperity; and it was consequently over-populated. And undoubtedly (so she was induced to coincide for the moment) a Government, acting to any extent like a supervising head, should aid and direct the energies of towns and ports and trades, and not leave everything everywhere to chance: schools for the people, public morality, should be the charge of Government. Cecilia had surrend

ernment, acting with some degree of farsightedness, might have won to pay the public debt and remit taxation, by original

rodigious amount, but inqui

it was his manner of probing her for sympathy, as other men would have conducted the process preliminary to deadly flattery or to wooing, her wits fenced her heart about; the exercise of shrewdness

of the Radical mists, might it not? she hinted. And besides, we can

Governments go,

under the pretence that it was being reclaimed for cultivation, when in reality it has been but an addition to their pleasure-grounds: a flat robbery of pasture from the poor man's cow and goose, and his right of cutting furze for firing. Consider that! Beauchamp's eyes flas

ing it still

em. But for him, Grancey Lespel would have enclosed half of Northeden Heath. As it

what we require, and our means of getting it must be through universal suffrage. At present we have no Government; only s

rne by Dr. Shrapnel, inwardly praying that

otism,

he best of men in that character; but he cast it on Tory, Whig, and Libe

armed, and accuse one another of treason to the Constitution, and they don't accept the situation: and there's a fear, that to carry on their present

ecilia, 'I am o

u; I can swim fo

I find I am not fit for battle;

Try to comprehend once fo

o meet your uncle Everard and if you will sleep at Mount Laurels to-night, the Esp

sh mounting over Nevil's face. S

at the barrier dividing them. It remained as good as a secret, unchallenged until they had separated, and after midnight Cecilia looked through her. chamber windows at the driving moon of a hurricane scud, a

nior Tory's address to the Electors, throughout which there was not an idea-safest of addresses to canvass upon! perused likewise, at Captain Baskelett's request, a broad sheet of an article introducing the new candidate to Bevisham with the battle-axe Romfreys to back him, in high burlesque of Timothy Turbot upon Beauchamp: and Cecil hoped his cousin would not object to his borrowing a Romfrey or two for so press

ed of his return 'home' within t

sing should not b

n hearing it stated by the jubilant young Tories at Mount Laurels, as a characteristic of Beauchamp, that he was clever in parrying political thrusts, and slipping from the theme; he who with her gave out unguardedly the thoughts deepest in him. And the thoughts!-were they not of generous origin? Where so true a helpmate for him as the one to whom his mind appealed? It could not be so with the F