from Cou
had managed to get down into the country to grace the coming of age of the heir, bringing with her all the Ladies Amelia, Ros
he pretext, imperatively urged, of Augusta's teeth-young ladies' teeth are not unfrequently of value in this way;-and having received authority for a new carpet, which was really much wanted, had made such dexterous use of that sanction as to run up an upholsterer's
ter's dressing-room, discussing the unreasonableness of the squire, who had expressed himself with more th
ch eager animation; "what can the man
ondon, and bury us all here for ever.
oes he say?" Lady de Courcy was very anxious to learn the exact truth of the matter, a
town at all; that he was barely able to pay the claims mad
hat?" asked
he would not utterl
n Fr
what h
o bad as that? What possible reason
talking of tho
here was when you married into the family; we all know that. And whom will he have to thank but
Rosina," said the Lady A
any expenses that are not absolutely necessary. That is a golden rule which Mr Gresham ought to have remembered. Indeed, I put it to
aimed, in her gratitude, the Lady Arabella; to speak the truth, however, but for the de Courcys,
eshamsbury; but yet, my dear, the hounds can't have eaten up everything. A man with ten
scription was li
lla, what does he do with his money?
y, and certainly very few men looking like gamblers were in the habit of coming thither as guests. "I don't think he does gamble." Lady Arabella put her emphasis on
cious. She certainly had sufficient domestic reasons for disliking the pro
don't know it," sai
give when you tell him you want this and that-all the comm
sometimes he says the
rank, and he can't have cost anything yet. Ca
anything; he never did, and never will save, though he is
id the Countess de Courcy, w
the money goes!" And the injured wife wiped a piteous tear from her eye with her fine dress cambric handkerchief. "I have all the sufferings and privations of a poor man's wife, but
Countess de Courcy hated Dr
verything, too. Whatever difficulties poor Gresham may have, I do
magine. Lord de Courcy has not always been to me all that he should have been; far from it." And Lady de Courcy thought over in her mind injuries of a much graver desc
as the doctor,"
estate like him, making a confidant of a country doctor was too great a shock for her ne
a year may indulge himself in looking for blood, as Mr Gresham did, my dear"-it must be understood that there was very little compliment in this, as the Lady Arabella had always conceived herself to be a beauty-"or for beauty, as some men do," continued the countess, thinking of the choice that the present Earl de Courcy had made; "but Fr
Gresham had already m
he walked round to the stable-yard with him before dinner, to inspect a setter puppy of peculiarly fine breed wh
the eldest son of a plain squire?" said Frank, wishing t
man sighed as he reflected what small hope there was that all those who were nearest and dearest to him should die out of his way, and leave him to the sweet enjoyment of an earl's coronet and fortu
prospect now that it was offered to him. He had always, however, been taught to look to his cousins, the de Courcys, as men
rsetshire this season, John
dland. I rather fancy I shall go to Leicestershire when the partridge-s
ave two," he said; "that is, the mare I have had these t
? and the mare is not
hands," said F
onourable John. "What, go out before the county with one un
hing in Barsetshire shall stop him. Peter says"-Peter was the Gre
at you'll stand anything; and if you don't mean to go in leading-strings all your life, now is the time to show it. There's young Baker-Harry Baker, you know-he came of age last ye
ly four thousand a year; but it was also true that he had no other child than Harry Baker; that he had no great establishment to keep up; that he owed a shilling to no one; and, also, that he was a gr
knows very well that you won't put up with such a stable as that. Lord bless you! I have heard that when he married my aunt, and that
, died when he was ve
roke of luck that doesn'
ith indifference. What! was he thus to think of his father, whose face was always lighted up with pleasure when his boy came near to him, and so rarely bright at any other time? Frank had watched his father closely enough to be aware of this; he knew how his father delighted in him; he had had cause to guess that his fath
luck, John. I should think it the
orality, or even an expression of ordinary good feeling, without giving himsel
understand that without saying it. Porlock, of course, would feel exactly the same about the governor; b
ling with my uncle, I know. I only spoke of myself; I ne
e tried; but if you are, you'll find before six months are o
ldn't find anyth
did, at Hatherly Court, in Gloucestershire, when his f
never s
was in Paris, but he went off to Hatherly as fast as special train and post-horses would carry him, and got there just in time for the funeral. As he came back to Hatherly C
s," sai
leman. That would be too much of a joke; I'll take care of that.' So he got up at night, and he got some fellows with him, and they climbed up and painted out 'Resurgam,' and they painted into
in's mode of translating the undertaker's mottoes; and then they s
resham's request, and was now sitting with the squire in his own boo
itting in his usual arm-chair, close to his littered table, with his head supported on his han
s standing with his back to the fireplace, with his coat-tails over his arms, as though he were engaged,
unds! It's a very l
n," said t
is no doubt he'll let you have it. Scatcherd will let you
uire. "There is not a registered debt agains
is very lar
ng; about four-and-tw
comes first
there was nothing left of Greshamsbury. What's four-and-tw
it well enough: I
ch a bother about a few thousand
as already advanced before he goes on. I wish to goodness you had no f
difficulty, Umbleby
will you have
oke, he got up hurriedly from his chair, thrust his hands into his trousers-pockets, walked qu
one of his feet, "though God knows I ought to be patient now, for I am made to bear a good many things.
thing, his face said much. He was very unhappy; he was greatly grieved to find that the squire was so soon again in want of money, and greatly grieved also to find
but he was not endowed with the gift of silence,
asy about everything if it were not for
laid it gently on the squire's shoulder. "Frank will do very well yet," said the he. "It is
e, and I should leave it entire to my
act, on the other hand, was that, long as he had k
cannot be, and, therefore, I say again, that Frank will do very well yet, although he will not
w a man feels when he-Ah, well! it's no use my troubling you with what
his back against the chimney-piece,
eby as you came in?"
y advice you will not see him now; at
from someone; you say Scat
ham; I did n
ember, and the money must be had. I have agreed to give Moffat si
ot more than your daughter should have. But then, five times six a
en, and that the trouble of arranging their marriage portions might
aid the squire. "I suppose Augusta likes him
erything. I am not in love with him my
de Courcy says that he is a perfect gentl
all right," said the doctor, with a quiet sarcas
fication in the near connexion which he had with the earl and countess; and when he wanted to support his family greatness, would sometimes weakly
he country-he did not say, was now at Boxall Hill, as he did not wish to wound the squire's ears-perhaps he had better go and see him, and ascertain in what way this affair of the money
ands, then. I think ten thousand pounds will do. And n
the least; neither had he any such interest, nor did the squire think that he had any. What Dr Thorne did in this matter the squire well knew was done for love. But the squire of Greshamsbury was a great m
n indulgence for his weakness. Had Mr Gresham been in easy circumstances, the doctor would by no means have stood so placidly with his hands in his pockets, and have had Mr Umbleby thus thrown in his te
the grown-up young ladies of the family, whereas one of the old nurseries was now the modern schoolroom. Mary well knew her way to the sanctum, and, without asking any questions,
, and having shaken hands with her two friends, was bowing to the lady, when t
er by indulging in such a friendship. But Beatrice, with some faults, was true at heart, and she persisted in lovin
pretended, that she loved Mr Moffat, but she knew, she said, that in the present state of her father's affairs such a match was expedient. Mr Moffat was a young man of very large fortune, in Parliament, inclined to business, and in every way recommendable. He was not a man of birth, to be sure; that was to be lamented;-in confessing that Mr Moffat was not a man of birth, Augusta did not go so far as to admit that he was the son of a tailor; such, however, was the
pretend to any romance of affection. And, having so said, she went to work with considerable mental satisfaction, choosing furniture, carriages, and clothes, not extravagantly as her mother would have done, not in deference to sterner dictates of the latest fashion as her aunt would have done, with none of the girlish glee in new purc
fore fell back on such qualities as she had, and determined to win the world as a strong-minded, useful woman. That which she had of her own was blood; hav
tapis, the invitations to be given were talked over. Sensible as Augusta was, she was not above such feminine cares; she was, indeed, rather anxious t
n whether or not there should be any more. If there were to be one more there must be two. Now Miss Moffat had expressed a direct wish, and Augusta, though she would much rather have done without her, hardly knew how to refuse. Alexandrina-we hope we may be allowed to drop the "lady" for the sake of brevity, for the present scene only-was dead against
really think that Pussy is too young; it will be troublesome." Pussy was the you
her noble cousin, "if you do have Miss Moffat would you mind asking Mary Thorne to join her? I think Mary would like
spake the Lad
all. Miss Thorne is a very nice girl, I am sure; and, indeed, what little I have seen of her I highly approve. Bu
and, in spite of the dignity of her co
aying a word agai
r, she shall be one of my
rteous pen to drop the title. "But Augusta is very peculiarly situated. Mr Moffat is, you see, not of the
have Miss Moffa
f I could help it,
Greshams," said Beatrice. She had not quite t
of Ullathorne, Augusta probably would not object t
r Thorne'
ho her father was, or who her mother was? I, for o
opened gently and Mary
es were a little cast aback. The Lady Alexandrina, however, quickly recovered herself, and, by he
I may mention to an acquaintance of so long standing as Miss Thor
e schoolroom; had quarrelled, and squabbled, and caressed and kissed, and been all but as sisters to each other. Acquaintance indeed! Beatrice felt that her ears were ting
put her arm over Augusta's shoulder and kissed her. The Lady Alexandrina could not but think that the doctor's niece uttered h
the beginning of October, is the nicest time of the year. If I we
ere, Mary," s
oneymoon along with me. I won't stir out of Greshamsbury till I have
at," said Augusta. "Mr
to Paris in September?" s
say on the matter?" said the doctor's niece. "Of course
and act at Greshamsbury as though she was on a par with the young ladies of the family. That Beatrice should have
she; "I agree with Miss Thorne in thinking that, in ordinary circumstances, with ordinary people, perhaps
's niece, "presuming them to be of some use; but I fear
t. It was almost impossible, it was incredible, that a fatherless, motherless, doctor's niece should be pert to an earl's daughter at Greshamsbury, seeing that t
er she intended to be pert or not, Miss Mary Thorne was, to say the least, very free. The de Courcy ladies knew what w
ch stately composure, "it is nearly time to dress; will y
am-no, tried to swim-after her. Miss Gresham had had great advantages; but she had not been absol
ustling muslins of the ladies. "There, I have made
r back, why do you come and upset it all by making the whole family of the
would be equally unanimous in a case of love a
o much sense? Don't you remember what you were saying yourself the other
It is so much easier to preach than to
done so much
e whole evening in a corner; if I put my neck down and let all your cousins trample on it, and then your aunt, would not t
ry; but still I think you
le, which I look upon to be the comparative, or, indeed, superlative degree. Or perhaps there are four degrees; humble, umble, stumb
, M
ou. There, perhaps you'd like to put your foot on my neck." And the
hand on your cheek and give you a
read on me, or slap me, or k
I am," said Beatrice; "I w
al in female matters. I mean pots and pans, and such like. Of course I don't allude to extraordinary peopl
well,
t, there I won't. I won't allude to the noble blood of your noble relativ
e one of Augusta
me, even for a morning, into the same category o
e is to
ink of it. Even if Augusta wished it I should refuse. I should be obliged to refuse. I, too, suffer from pride; a pride quite as unpardonable a
d knows that you are pre
but on its birth. You know how they would look at me; how they would scorn me; and there, in church, at the altar, with all that is solemn round us, I could not return their scorn as I might do elsewhere. In a room I'm
ort of arrogance should be despis
ells you to hate riches. But though the clergyman tells
you to be one of Au
nour has not been, and will not be, offered to me. No, T
hat, d
married, when the new wing has bee
tongue, or you know
d upon me and obliterate me. Though I should be as dust among the stars, though I should creep up in calico among their satins and lace, I will nevertheless be there; close, close to the bride; to hold something for her, t
reshadowed in her friend's promise we will not repeat. The afternoon was advanc