yesterday you

anged your m

t I-

to my thought, h

s rotten appl

r upper side lo

n mistake is c

man and footman in crimson and drab, passed through the lodge-gates of Transome Court. Inside there was a hale good-natured-looking man of sixty, whose hands rested on a knotted stick held between his knees; and a blue-eyed, well-featured lady, fat and middle-aged - a mountain of satin, lace, and exquisite muslin embroidery. T

oubtless,' Lady Debarry was saying.

first county ball she attended we were all ready to fight for the sake of dancing with

'I wish you would avoid making such allusions, Sir Max

ndal, only you remind me of it sometimes,' retorted

rom a sudden piece of luck - the death of her uncle, you know. If Mrs Transome were wise she would go to town - she can afford it now - and consult Dr Truncheon. I should say myself he would or

ly: see how upright she is, and she

n that she mak

active; women are not

n't be s

e's sitting-room, where she was working at her worsted embroidery. A little daily embroidery had been a constant element in Mrs Transome's life; that s

ct composure of manner; but she became paler than usual, and her hands tu

,' said Sir Maximus: 'if he'll stand, he and Philip ca

Lady Debarry. 'I couldn't help thinking that something would occur to p

Sir Maximus, 'for, you know, I remember him

id Mrs Transome. 'My son is mu

his talk was going on. Mrs Transome chose to ignore that no

he good of the county, I couldn't have thought of anything better than having a young Transome for a neighbour who will take an active part

black-maned little boy about three years old, who was urging him on with loud encouraging noises and occasional thumps from a stick which he wielded with some difficulty. The old man paused with a vague gentle smile at the doorway, while the baronet got up to speak to him. Nimrod snuff

- it cannot be - can it be - that you have the happines

'I never heard you speak of his marriage. He

Transome, coldl

tion, and general mistiness. 'How very singular - I mean that we should not have heard of Mr

the cherub gave forth with marked intention the sounds, 'Nau-o-oom,' many times repeated: apparently they summed up his opinion of Lady Debarry, and may perhaps have meant 'naughty

- he'll bite you,' said Mrs Transo

ppily the stuffs upon it were some protection, but the pain forced Mrs Transome to give a low cry; and Sir Maximus, who

ncern. 'What a little savage! Do have your arm attended t

will soon go off. The pleasures of being a grandmamma, you perceive. The child has taken a

young bachelor. What an old stager I am, to be sure! And whom has he married? I hope we shall soon have the pleasure of seeing

rom attending to her arm. I am sure she is in pain. Don't say another word, my dear - we shall see you again - you and Mr Ha

Tell him Philip is a fine fellow - carried everything before him at Oxford. And your

gagement for Thursday; he would of course be happy

e next day - the ver

from being questioned further about Harold's politics. 'This is the last visit I shall rec

asant in his character. Either he kept his marriage a secret from her, or she was ashamed of it. He is thirty-four at least by this time. After living in

ent, and to pull all together. The Transomes have always been a good Tory family, but it has been a cipher of late years. This young fellow coming back with a fortune to give the family a head and a position is a clear gain to the county; and with Philip he'll get into the right hands - of course he wants guiding, having been out of

of a Tory was matter of conscience with him; though the Duffield Watchman had pointed expressly to Sir Maximus Debarry amongst others, in branding the cooperation of the Tories as a conscious selfishness and reckless immorality, which,

ed, 'you could not have observed that anythin

urely wink at a few things for the sake of the public interest, if God Almighty does; and if He didn't, I don't know what would have become of the country

, inwardly remarking, that if he had not been such a lazy f

towards Treby Magna, passed a well-dressed man, who raised

the carriage-door, 'but I have just learned something of importance a

n or Clement?' said Sir Maximus, seeing

Radical candidate. I got this by a stratagem f

ncredulous disgust, as he took the folded bil

's richer th

- it's a trick - it's a squib: why - why - we've just been to his place - eh? do you know any more? S

don't give way so,'

e said he had just had the whole story from Jermyn's clerk. The Ram Inn is engaged already, and a committee is being

to drive on. It's of no use to stay chattering here. J

he baronet's wife, 'I had an instinct that

nct, why did you let us go to Transo

me? But of course you will n

beast among those Mahometans - he's got neither religion nor morals left. He can't know anything about English politics. He'l

rry. 'We know now why his mother seemed so uneasy. I

ow than later. He's an uncommonly adroit, useful fellow, that factotum of Philip's. I wish Phil would

to the remotest shed, was as large as a moderate-sized village, and there were certainly more lights burning in it every evening, more wine, spirits, and ale drunk, more waste and more folly, than could be found in some large villages. There was fast revelry in the steward's room, and slow revelry in the Scotch bailiff's room; short whist, costume, and flirtation in the housekeeper's room, and the same at a lower price in the servants' hall; a select Olympian feast in the private apartment of the cook, who was a much grander person than her ladyship, and wore gold and jewellery to a vast amount of suet; a gambling group in the stables, and the coac

and manners, were feeling rather dull than otherwise, having finished Mr Bulwer's Eugene Aram, and being thrown back on the last great prose work of Mr Southey, while their mamma slumbered a little on the sofa. No; the centre of eager talk and enjoyment was the steward's room, where Mr Scales, house-steward and head-butler, a man most solicitous about his boots, wristbands, the ro

ing his right leg over the seat of the second, and resting his right hand on the back; he held his cigar and displayed a splendid seal-ring with such becoming noncha

k in the steward's room for the sake of the conversation; 'why, I suppose they get money so fast in the East - it's wonderfu

nd of a hundred thousand,' said Mr Scales, with a

rture, as the all-knowing butler puffed and

you that a hundred thous

big sum,' said Mr C

l the other intellects present wer

r Christian. 'Don't talk over people's heads so, Scales

er, who was a ready admirer; 'I should like to

at sneering,' said Mr

h. That's the thing for putting people up to the unknown tongues,' said M

, and pull down his waistcoat in a gentlemanly manner, and drink.

'm not against being taught,'

s capital over almost as soon as he can turn himself. Bless

more,' said the gardener, w

n intimate with parties who have been less nice than I am myself; and knowing what I know, I shouldn't wonder if Transome had as much as five hundred thousand. Ble

g from this difficult ground, 'trade or no trade, the Transomes have been poor enough this many

r kitchen gardens. I suppose it was the eldest son's gambling. I've seen something of that. A m

uperiority. 'New-comers don't know what happened in this country twenty and thirty year ago. I'm turned fifty myself, and my father li

bling?' said Mr Scales, with some im

what it was. Not but what

ready Scales. 'Yes, yes; I think

e young man pretended to be the true heir - let me see - I can't justly remember the names - he'd got two. He swore he was one man, and they swore he was another. However, La

and into the punch-bowl with a plash which se

re quite jarred by this unusual awkwardness of his. 'Go on

ke his head; and always when this Mrs Transome was talked of, he used to shake his head, and say she carried things with a high hand once. But, Lord I it was befo

discomfited that the knowledge of which he had been delivere

rtune to keep up the establishment, and have things done in a decent and gentlemanly way - it would all have been right if he'd not been this sort of Radi

les,' said Mr Christian

Mr Crowder, encouraged by finding t

n a figurative sort of way - meanin

and in foreign countries,' said Mr Crowder, tentatively. 'It's reason

some percentage on the yearly account. He was a highly honourable tradesman, but in this and in other matters submitted to the inst

d like to see 'em a bit scarcer. There's the land and t

knew that Mr Sircome's last sentence was his favourite formula. 'I adv

angry astonishment. I should like to hear you p

sense of the country, which are in the minority, are afraid of Reform running on too fast. So the stream must be running towards Reform and Radicalism; and if you sw

the miller and the butler. The latter pulled down his waistcoat, and puffed and stared in ra

tian,' said the gardener. 'Hang me, if

ou come to that,' said Mr Sircome, who was in the

thrust if I liked, but I shouldn't like it to be said of me that

ladling out the punch. 'What w

-throated as before. Such excessiv

has been quite liberties enough taken with my name. But if you must talk about names,

s assistant, a fast man, whose chief scene of d

, who are up to everything, and have been everywhere - to the hulks, for what I know; and more than that, they come

mething behind worth knowing, and something before them worth seeing. In the general decay of other fine British pugnacious sports, a quarrel between gentlemen was all the more exciting, and though no one would himself have liked to

n the face - you are apoplectic, you know - and it spoils good company. Better tell a few fibs about me behind my back

an, Mr Scales was in a state of frustration that p

in an under-tone, to his next neighbour, the gardener. '

can make out - for he's been pretty free with me sometimes - there was a time when he was in t

t neighbour, Mr Filmore, the surgeon's assistant. 'He runs you down with a sort of tal

-pin were quite above the average. 'I wish I could play ecarte as he does; it's beautiful

his credit,' s

ered a failure. Still the punch was drunk, the accounts were duly swelled, and, notwithstanding the innovati