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MAN OF THE PERIOD,

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BRACEBKIDGE HEMYXG,

AUTHOR OF "THE GIRL OF THE PERIOD," "ETON SCHOOL-DATS," " THE SEASON AT BRIGHTON," ETC,

CHAP. PAGr: I. LAXDY'S .... I

II. BACHELORS' OPIXIOX.S

III. 8uBURBAx SOCIETY . 31 IV. CHERIE ST. AXGE 46 V. THE IxTERVfEW AT THE CLIT, 56 VI. LORD EKACKEX'S BLUXD::I; 64 VII. TREVELLIAX HAS HIS DUL'BT.S 71 VIII. OUT OF HIS RECKOXIXO 8r

IX. CHERIE'S FLIGHT 91 X. How THE ^.IOXEV WEXT 109 XI. WITH XEW FRIEXDS . 119 XII. IT WAS THEIR FATE . 12S

XIII. BEIIIXD HIS BACK 137 XIV. Do, PLEASE, PET ^lE . 147

THE MAN OF THE PERIOD.

CHAPTER I.

LAXDY'.S.

LIFE at a private tutor's is not generally very event ful. It certainly ^vas not so at Mr. Landy's establish ment at Barnes. The dull routine of the studies to which the young gentlemen under his care were condemned, was only varied by an occasional run with the beagles in the autumn, a row on the river, a fragrant pipe, and a game of billiards at the nearest place of accommodation for that jiarticular mode of passing one's time, and a Avalk in Richmond Park iur tliose who were fond of ;;cer;ery and exerci.::e. lUr. Landy was considered a good coach. He had estab lished a reputation for sending men well up to their work to the universities, to civil service and army examination-^, and for fitting them generally for every v.alk in life, which chance, inclination, or the sweet •\^•ill of their parents marked out for them. He never advertised. That ^va3 low and far beneath him. His cor.iieclion v.as liood, and his house, a lame one, was B I THE MAN OF THE PERIOD. always full. The young men whose minds and morals lie was supposed to look after, were, many of them public-school boys, whose education, according to the Public Schools Commissioners, is always shamefully lif'glected, while their muscular Christianity was v\- disputable, and that was about all that could be said for them. The physical-force mania has increased won derfully of late years ; and though Landy did nothing lo check it, he told his pupils plainly, that he could imt pass them unless they gave him as much of their undivided attention as seemed fit and advisable to their growing minds. As a rule they were responsive to the appeal, because they could not be blind to their own interests. So they ground away at dead and living- languages and mathematics with an energy which con trasted strangely with the listless apathy which the )()nth of the day think it becoming to assume on (U'dinary occasions. They bought light literatui'e, how ever, recklessly; thinking its perusal a harmless iv- creation, and were great at the bookstall ;it the station, of which they were munificent jiatrons. A I'avourite amusement of theirs was to stare somewhat rudely at a pretty woman when they chanced to meet one; and if their ingenuity enabled them to find out a decent- looking shop-girl in any of the villages within a radius of five miles, they would rush to make absurd pur chases, and talk wildly to one another in the evening about her hair and eyes, Avitli the usual fervour of impetuous and gilded youth. In short, they were neither better nor worse than the nin of gentlemen's sons; and if they wore not brilliant, they were not verv vicioiU'. In the ]_H'e;inning of October, ;i vear or t^x) Jiiin, LANDY'S. 3 Mr. Landy's establishment was somewhat reduced; two men had gone up for the Indian Civil, and, strange to say, passed. Some had matriculated at Oxford; and one had perversely lost his life on an Alp. He always was fond of climbiiig. He Avould go up an apple-tree or a sanJ-hill, or even a painter's ladder at the side of a house, rather than not climb at all; and at last he came to grief, and hjs climbing was oAcr. There were not more than ten or a dozen at 3,Ioii- conibe House. Three of those who had been there longer than the others formed themselves into a clique. How is it that this sort of cliqueism will pervade the lives of the English, do wdiat they will, or go where they like? Their names ATcre Cook, .Vrden. and Viscount Bracken; the latter incorrigibly stujrM, but very geu- tiemanly. Some letters arrived in the evening, and one di rected to ^Matthew Arden was opened eagerly. It was from an old pupil v^dio had gone up to Cambridge—• a nice fellow, and a general favourite. The clique were in the general reading and smoking-room, and, of course, were trying to colour ugly-looking pipes, which generally bi'oke before the process, of dubious utility, Avas accomplished. "What does Shirley say?" asked Lord Bracken, exhibiting more curiosity than he usually bestowed on any v/orldly matter. "He begins with a little elegant Latin,"' replied Arden. "I suppose lie thought he vrould do a theme, and cliano'cd his mind, to vvi'ite a letter. He alwavs was a lazy beggar. Yiliat does this mean? 'Haslit- teras scribebam intra sanct(.(S Sauctissimi Joliannis CoUegii muros, in celeberrima liac nostra academia 4 THE MAN OF THE PEIUOH. Cantabrigitp.' O, I see. It is easier to translate than I thought. He means, he is writing in the sacred pre cincts of St. John's College, in the celebrated college of Cambridge; and he has the impertinence to add, 'La- tine minus eleganter scribere videor cjûam Greece,' when he does not know much of either one or the other." Arden went on reading the letter to himself, until the patience of those who were desirous of being his hearers was exhausted, and Bracken exclaimed, "'Y'ou are very communicati\e, I must say." "You shall each enjoy the felicity of reading it for yourselves," rejoined Arden. " It is full of rot. lie sa)s he has got a cause at issue with his waslierwoman on the score of his linen being deficient. His bed- maker, or scout, is called a gyp, and he derives it from a Greek word sio-nifyino- a vulture. He was al\v;ivs good at derivations. The gyp is an awful thief, and steals everything he can la}- his hands on, excu>i;ig himself, when found out, by saying, he only )3orrows them. His last theft was a sack of coals. 1 say, I can"t stand that; can vou? I can understand a man bagging your weeds, and your potables or edibles; but a sack of coals is out of all conscience. Take tlie letter. Bracken, and hand me your pouch, will you?" His juvenile lordship handed him a seal-skin pouch filled with a prepared mixture of great Airtue. He was proud of telling every one how he had iuAented it. In it was honey-dew, cut Cavendish—these two being so much alike you could not tell one from the other— Latakia and Maryland returns, Arden filled his pi})e, and handed back the poucli, which was xcry often put under contribution, as Bracken had more money than most -\-ouni<; men of his aae, and wai verv .'ronerous. LANDY'S. 5 "O, I see why you wouldn't read it out," said his lordship presently, as he cast his eyes rapidly over the letter. " There's some chaff about your brother. The fellows call him Sanctus Arden, and he has gone in heavily for theological reading." " I don't see wlij- he shouldn't, if he hkes it. A man is an ass who allows himself to be chaffed out of what he thinks is right," ans-\vered Matthew Arden, who flushed a little. " I'm not so good as I ought to be; but I don't care about hearing sacred things turned into richcule. If a fellow wants to be funny, let him leave religion alone. AVhat do you say, Cook?" "It is a subject I always avoid. I'm not good at religion or politics, and I prefer leaving them to other people. If they are started, there is sure to be a row about them before the thing is over.'' Bracken said nothing. It was not his custom to find his friends in ideas. He found them in tobacco, and he thought that he had done his duty after that. He gave back the letter with a dry " thank you," re lighted his pipe, wdiich had gone out, and looked straight before him, at nothing in particular, like an owl in an ivy-bush. Arden was not well pleased at this contemptuous silence, for such he took it to be, though it was really nothing of the sort. Bracken was too lazy and incom petent to enter into an argument. He would have been bored, and he hated that; and he vrould infallibly have been beaten, which would have roused a latent acrimonious feeling; so he acted wisely in avoiding both. Putting his letter from Shirley in his pocket, he walked away, whistling a tune po])ular at music-halls, () THE ilAN OF THE PERIOD. and droned dismally by those instruments of auricular torture, street-organs. Presently, turning round, he said, " Y\^hen I show you a letter again, you may con gratulate yourself." " I have no v/ish to be favoured with your corre spondence. If you address that remark to me," answered Cook. " Under no circumstances would it be a matter of con gratulation to me," observed Bracken. Arden whistled louder than ever, and quitted the room, in too much of a temper to speak any more to his friends. He v/as easily offended, and a moment after he had taken offence in this instance he v>'as angry with himself for doing so, because he could not exactly see what had been done to offend him. He had a sincere regard for his brother, and was at all times ready to fight his battles; and he was In reality annoyed because he thought his brother's name had been regarded slightingly, or his principles sneered at. Their father was a stock- and sharebroker in the City, a member of the firm of Fulling and Arden. He was a scheming, adventurous man, of no family, and was edu cating; his two sons, one for the church, and the other for the army. He had two daughters—Fanny and Polly— Avho were of a marriageidtle ;!ge; isud his highest ambi tion was to marry tliem well, regardless of their happi ness or inclination. To a man of this sort it Is unspeakable delight to hear his daughter addressed ;is a lady of title, and know that he is through her connected A-\-ith some noble house; and he thought he should be more likely to ijet o'ood men to his house by bringing his sons up to the liberal professions than by putting them into trade. He could LANDY S. 7 easily marry his girls to money, but that was of no use to him, because ho had as much as he or they wanted. He was fishing for a title, but as yet he had not caught It. He continually urged his son ^Matthew to make grand acquaintances, and, If he could manage It, to invite them to River-side House, Teddington, where he lived. In the City they accounted Fulling and Arden very smart jêople, and so thev were. It was much to their credit that they had made a fortune. Arden re spected FuUing very much, and liked his fimiily; but he kept them as much at a distance as he could, because he did not want an Arden to marry a Fulling; and as i\Ir, Fulling was animated by precisely similar ideas, the younger branches of the two families very rarely came in contact, " Arden's hooked it off In a huff," said Tom Cook, as his friend's figure dimlnislied by degrees and grew lâutifully less. " Let him huff',"' rephed Viscount Bracken. " Have another pipe ?" he added, tendering the inevitable pouch. "No, thanks; not now," answered Cook. As he spoke, something on tlie floor attractficl his attention, and, stooping down, he picked it up. A moment's scrutiny enabled him to percelAe that Arden had let fall some letters ; but. Instead of hastening after him, he turned to his companion, and said, " These belong to Arden. It would be great fun to read and then bu.rn them." " I don't think so," replied Bracken. "' It is a black guard thing to read a man's private letters." " Is it ? Well, I'll give them to him, then," answered Cook, a little abashed, " I only said so because he -was so cockv about the one he showed ns," 8 THE JIAN OP THE PERIOD. He put the letters In his pocket, not feeling Inclined just then to run after Arden, and the matter escaped his memory during the evening; so that when he went to bed he still had the epistles in his possession. The resources of INIr. Landy's establishment did not permit him to allow each of his pupils a separate bed room. Lord Bracken and Cook slept In the same room, and made the best of the slender accommodation afforded them. Mr. Landy excused himself by saying that it was not his fault: he could not give every one a room to him self. It was the man who built the house that was to blame; and in this remark there was some sense. Not being In any way treated like schoolboys. Bracken and Cook could keep their light burning as long as they liked; and though smoking upstairs was not supposed to be allowed, they generally indulged In that amuse ment, and frequently read for an hour or more before going to sleep, or talked vicariously. On this particular night Cook was not In a loqua cious mood. Bracken addressed several questions and observations to him, receiving short answers. " What are you doing?" at length he exclaimed. " Reading," replied Cook. " O ! Did jon give Arden his letters ?" There was a pause, at the expiration of which Cook said, " I don't mind telling you that I didn't. The fact is, I forgot all about It; and—look here, Bracken, I'm beastly sorry, but my curiosity got the better of me, and I've been reading the things. I'm not altogether so sorry as I should have been, though, because there is something about you in two of them which I think -vou ouo'ht to see." LANDY'S. 9

" I!" cried Bracken, in a tone of voice which the devil might employ when solicited to touch holy water. " No, thank you. If you are bad enough to read a man's letters, I am not going to back 3-ou up in it," "Perhaps I'm not right; I don't think I am," said Cook, " There may be a difference of opinion about It, howe-\-er, and one does so many things one ought not to do in the course of the d*}', that I'll risk this," " Rather loose morality I"' "Is it? We"ll get Landy to give us a lecture on ethics to-morrow; but, in the mean time, listen to this. Don't say you won't, because I mean to read it to you; and unless }ou get up and go out, or put your fingers in 3'our ears, you must hear me,"" Lord Bi'acken again attempted a feeble remonstrance, but Cook overruled him, and with astonishment, not unmingled with amusement, he heard the following let ter read :

" My dear islat,—I am glad to hear that }'ou think you are getting on well Avith your studies, and will make a good shoAv at (JhelsJa Avhen you go up for your exami nation. It Avill be a source of great consolation to me to see you take your place among gentlemen; to enable you to do which, I have, as vou knoAV, spent a consi derable sum of money, and am prepared to spend a gi'eat deal more, I should not advise you to try to be too profound. Just leaini enough to pull through. Learn ing does not help you much Avith Avomen, Avho care more for a red coat, a captain's commission, and a nice-looking felloAv,—as I am proud to say you are,—than for all the Latin, Greek, and mathematics that a man can cram into his head, Y^ou must marry a Avoman of title AvIth JO THE MAN OV THE PEUir>I». money some day. That Is my darling Avish, and you have often promised you AVIII not disappoint me. Talk ing of this reminds me of Avliat you said In your last letter about young Lord Bracken. I have made in quiries about him, and find that he AVIU be very rich In a year's time, Avhen he comes of age, as his fortune has been accumulating during his minority, and he has large estates in the north as Avell as In the south of England. He is decidedly a man to knoAv, and you should culti vate him. See If you cannot get him over to Tedding ton some day, either in a boat up the river, or let the girls drive oA'cr and fetch you. That Avould not look Avell, though, as he has not been introduced. I think Bracken Avould just do for TIbby, Avho is a fine girl, and AA'ould do her best to look well and 2-)lease, See to this; and If you can bring your friend to River-side House, I shall be delighted, and you can draAv upon me for an extra ten pounds this quarter. "I am. my dear Mtxt your aftVctlonate father, " G, W. ARDEN.'"

When Cook finished reading* this letter. Viscount Bracken could not help Inirsting into a loud fit of laughter. " What do you think of that ?"' asked Cook. '• You did not knoAv that a trap Avas set for you." " It is one Avhich I am not likely to fall into,"" ansAvered Bracken. " But I am sm'prlsed that Arden should lend himself to his father's schemes; he has ahvays seemed such a different sort of felloAv to me." "Perhaps he does not like It, but can't help him self," said Cook. " You AVUI not go to River-side HOIT'O if he asks you, I suppose?" LANDY"S. 11 " He has asked me, and I shall go just for the fun of the thing." " Take me Avith you, then," cried Cook; " I shall enjoy It immensely," " HoAv can I take you, Avlien it is not my place ? If the man chooses to invite you, it will be another thing," " I am not going to make-up to him for an Invita tion, Perhaps there Is more than one sAveet Interesting Tibl3}-, and I might be singled out by the deai' crea ture," "Areyou a catch?" asked his lordship, " I don't know. Some people might think so. i\Iy fiither's got some coin, Avliich I shall haA-e some day. Here is another letter Avhich you ought to hear. It Is from Tibby herself." " I am ashamed of having listened to the paternal effusion ; but I can't resist the temptation of hearing Avliat TIbby has to say. The spirit is Avilling, but the flesh is awfully Aveak, Go ahead I" Cook then read a letter from Matthew Ardeifs eldest sister, Avhose name Avas Fanny, but who Avas always called Tibby In the family circle. No one kncAv Avhy, It Avas one of those familiar pet names of Avhich one scarcely ever knoAvs the origin.

"Dear old boy," began Miss Tibby,—"It is an'age since I Avrote to you, and I don't knoAv that I should liaA'e taken up the goosevi'Ing noAV, if the goA'ernor had not positively badgered ma into it. Y"ou know how I hate letter-vvriting. Not that my education, in some respects, has been shamefully neglected, as you Avould spitefully suggest; my pothooks and hangers being A-ery 12 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD. angular and elegant; but, though I can rattle away Avhen I am talking to any extent, I can't put ni}- thoughts on paper Avithout making an effort, Avhich is A^'ork, and Avorking Is not my form. If I can shirk it. Who Is this Viscount Bracken that the governor has got hold of? I have heard of nothing else for days and Aveeks past. The JSIum took us over to Richmond and bought a heap of things a day or two ago ; and I heard the old people talking together, and saying,' Tibby must have this, and Tibby must liaA-e that.' I Avent out for a pull on the river Avith Polly yesterday, and got an awful wii;-oing for beinsj; red and tanned. ' What Avould his lordship say ?' inquired the Mum. ' Bother his lordship !" replied I; and then I Avas accused of being Indifferent to my future prospects, and ungrateful to the last degree. The fact Is, I am expected to make a dead set at this iiiend of yours, AvhIch I am sure I sha'n't do, If he isn't nice and up to my standard, AAdiich, as you know, ]\Iat, Is rather high; and if I snub him, AvhIch It Is ten to one I shall do, there AVUI be row enough to last the old people for a month. Cant you take his lordship out rowing and half drown him, or rattle him over the stones In a trap and pitch him out, so as to postpone the aAvf ul ordeal ? He will be the first lord Ave'A'e cA-er had at RlA-er-side, and none of us AVUI knoAv IIOAV to treat him. The old lady AVIU fiiU down and Avorship him, I verily believe. Y'ou remember, Avhen Ave got as far as a baronet, Avho Avas a director of a City company and let the governor In for a lump, how the Mum Avas fit to eat him up, and Avould make him have such a lot of cham pagne that he got disagreeably tight before the evening Avas half out, and made an ass of himself trying to kiss me in a corner, for which I gave him a gentle reminder LANDY'S. 13 Avith my left that he did not forget In a hurry. Please, if you can manage it, INIat dear, send me the bull-pup you've been promising me this ever so long. J^Jy cat got knocked on the head the other day, and my tov terrier's got the mange through the Mum's over-feeding it, and It's gone to a vet; so I am positively pet-less. Send the bull-pup, and drop me a line about tlie Infant peer; and for ever oblige your loving TIES,"'

"I like that," said Viscount Bracken. "She is not a bad sort of girl, I should think ; though the stjle of writing is not quite Richardsonian. It is evident that Blie Is not so mercenary as her father and mother. I Avonder if Arden means to gi^-e her the bull-pup." "He's a beast if he docsift, after such a pathetic appeal," said Cook. ''I haA-e half a mind to do so myself; only I should betray a knowledge of the letter, Avhich wouldn't do," " No ; you must not Ijctray me. Are }-ou going to sleep? If so, just shy something at the candle. Don't dream of Tibby." His lordshlj) took up a book he had been reading, and Avith a dexterous tliroAv caused it to alight ui)on the top of the candle, and extinguish it gracefully Avithout a smash ; then he Avished his friend good night, and going to sleep, did dream of Tibby, Avho Avas uncon scious of the Interest Avliich the young nobleman Avas beginning to take in her, even In his slumbers. 14 THE IMAN OP THE PERIOD,

CHAPTER 11.

BACHELORS' OPINIONS.

SOME very agrocabL' neighbours of the Ard.ens at Teddington Avere the Wiltons. There Avas a great deal of difference bet"\veen the tAvo families, and for more reasons than one. The A rdens did everything for show; and having moncA' to spend, they did not hesitate io spend It to effect the end they had In VICAV, AVIUCII V as to marry their children Avell. INIajor Wilton Avas poor; he had lost a large sum of money through inACstinir in the shares of ii Cit\" corn- jiaiiy, and he had to regret the loss of this money all tlie more because it Avas his Avifc's. She allowed him to do as he liked, and the result Avas comparative poverty; for the loss reduced his Income rather more than one-half. He had a son and a daughter. The son Edward Avas in the Accountant-General's office, and he lived at home; but not to sponge on his parents. His incoiiic from the War-office Avas not large, and after paying income-tax It looked still smaller on paper; but he made It go a long way, and paid his mother for the board and lodging Avhicli he received at home. To make his mother and sister presents he deprived himself of many comforts Avhicli he might have enjoyed, and Avliich he found other men In his position Avould and did enjoy at all hazards. He had the approval of his OAvn conscience, and his mother and sister adored him. Edina Wilton, the sister, usually called Eddie "\ViIton, or !Miss Eddie, A\as a tall, handsome, dark girl, Aer\- quiet and reserved in her manner—religion-. ])unctual BACHELORS' OPINIONS, 15 in her attendance at church, fond of visiting the poor in their homes Avhen nobody kncAV It, and In favour of family prayers on Sunday evenings. There Avas another Inmate of Major Wilton's house hold, and that Avas a girl of Frenrh extraction, Miss Cherie St, Ange, Avliose father had been a French refugee and a man of fortune. L^nhapplly he lost his life in a generous attempt to saA'e that of a fellow- creature Avho had fallen into the river Thames, and pei'ishing there Avithout a Avill his fortune had been claimed by his brother, Avho Avas his helr-at-laAA-, and Avho administered the estate, the daughter not obtain ing a shilling. She had been Avell educated, and the ]\Iajor being acquainted Avith her father, took her Int<^ his household as the companion and Instructress of his child. She Avas not made to feel that her position Avas that of an inferior, but on CA ery occasion and In every Avay she Avas treated as one of the family. It Avas no Avonder that eveiy one loA-ed Cherie St. Aufrc. In fif>;un' she Avas short and sliirht, her hair was fair, almost golden, her features Avere not Aery re gular, but their expression Avas so good-natured, and her disposition so thoroughly good and happy, that she could not make an enemy. Her A'lvacity never failed her. She seldom deplored the loss of the fortune which her father had brought from France, and AvhIch should liaA'e been hers, though she frequently asserted that her father had spoken to her of a Avill, Avliich she belieA'ed to be in existence somcAvhere, though the solicitors of the late M. St. Ange, Avho Avere Messrs, Peddle and Lever in I'edford-row. declared that they had searched among all the pa[iers of tlie deceased gentleman, but could find no wilt : thouu'h. curlouslv enough, thev ad- 16 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD.

mltted that they had some years before draAvn up a AVIU in Avhicli M, St. Ano-e left ever\thing he had in the Avorld to his dauo-hter. Nor was this an inconsiderable sum, St, Ange had foreseen coming calamity in France, and he feared that the republican principles AvhIch he professed, and Avliich he Avould rather die than renounce, Avould en tail misfortune upon him; so he transferred, Avhile he could, all his fortune, amounting to a hundred thou sand pounds, to the English funds; and AAdien the time came for him to leave France to aA'oid Imprisonment, and perhaps death, he fled to England, and lived com fortably, OAvIng- to his prudence and foresight. The lawyers suggested that this AVIU had been removed by the testator and destroyed. Several theories Avere started by the Aoung lady s friends to account for the destruc tion of the will: but the fact remained the same. The Avill could not be dlscoA ered; and AvhIle her uncle re- A'elled in her fortune, she Avas penniless. The kindness with Avhich she Avas treated by the \\ iltoiis compensated her for her loss, and she felt that she ^\•as regarded more as a daughter than a go verness or companion, Avhilc Edina looked upon her as ;! sirjter. In order to Increase his limited Income, Major Wil ton reluctantly allowed his Avife to take In a lodger, whose namcAvas Golfer; oddly enough, a clerk In Peddle and Lever's office, they being, as Ave have said, solicitors to the late M. St. .\nge. INIr. James Golfer, at the age of thirty, Avas not an agreeable man. The law can turn out some very remarkable specimens of human nature, and he Avas one of them. He Avas tall and thin, Avith long, straight BACHELORS' OPIXldNS. 17 black hair. His manner was respectful to his supe riors and even cringing; but AvIth his equals, or those he thought his equals, lie could be loud and vain- His mind gave itself up to subtlety and add to which he was an invaluable process- ser\er, and Avas Avell acquainted Avith all the trick:; and subterfuges AvhIch seem to be Inseparable from the pro fession of an attorney—or let us (pialify the assertion aiul say, from tlie caUing of a hiwser's clerk. It seemed strange at first sight that ]Mr. aiul Mi':, \Yilton consented to receive a man like Golfer into their house; but the fact Avas, Mr. 'Wilton had made his acquaintance A\hen calling upon Peddle and Lever to endeavour to establish Cherie St. Ange's rights, and he had found the fellow so uniformly civil and obliging, that Avlien he had a couple of rooms to let, and heard that Golfer Avanted to o-et out of town, he took him In at a guinea a Aveek; and he crept by degrees into the family circle, nobody liking him. but no one ob jecting openly to him, because he Avas so humble, and, as the Major said more than once, "so deuced civil." Edward AA'Ilton did not care about Mr. Golfer: but not Avishlng to offend his mothers lodger—the idea of her having one rather hurt his pride—he did not let him see how much he disliked him. CJolfer did not force himself upon his society. He had sense enough to see Avhen and A\liere he was Avanted, and where lie Avas not. He could make himself comfortable in his little sitting-room AvIth a pipe and the abstract of a deed, Avhich he preferred to ])oetry or novels. But under lying this surface of humility and satisfaction Avitli his lot there Avas an under-current of craftiness and ambition, Avliich A\ill develop itself as our story proceeds. C 18 THE 51 AN OF THE PERIOD. We have said that the V'iltons were on friendly terms with the Ardens. The Major thought that his children should go out a little; and Mr. and :Mrs. Arden Avere very hospitable, and gave good parties. It pleased Mw. Arden to say, as he pointed out the T^Iajor, "Old friend of mine. Cavalry officer. Fine felloAv. Got medals for foreign service. One of the right sort, sir. The country Avill never go to the dogs so long as Ave have men of his stamp among us. My children and his are like brothers and sisters." The ^Nlajor could not afford to glA'e champagne suppers, and engage a band from London; so he con tent, d liimself Avitli a mild croquet-party on his laAvn, Avhidi, like Arden s, sloped pleasantly doAvn to the river. He had bought his house before he lost his moncA-, and he had, fortunately, not mortgaged it In any A\aA-. so that he could li\e rent free, and had only to ]iav the many and Acxatious taxes Avliich AA^ony the life of the householder In this expenslAO country. The mild croquet-]iart\- Avould be followed by a still milder tea orsujiper; sallylnns and Avatcrcresses distinguish ing the former, and cold ribs of beef or a couple of fowls being the chief feature of the latter; AAdth mild ale from a cheap l)rc\\-ery, dispensed AvIth frugality and care. But If the old military swell, as Arden called him to his Avife, Avas mean, and shaA'ed rather closely in trifles, he couldn't help it. It Avas the fault of his poverty, not his AVIII ; but the Ardens kncAV that, Mrs. Wilton Avas a ladj', and the JSIajor a gentleman "bred and born." Edina Avas a very different stamp of girl from Tibby, and EdAvard had somcAvhat the ad vantage of Mat. If It had not been for Edward's sake, perhaps the BACHELORS' OPINIONS. 19

Major Avould not have been so CIAII to the Ardens; but he argued, that If Edward gave up lodging in toAvn, and the concomitant deliirlits of music-halls and theatres, and an evening noAv and then at some man's rooms, he must be compensated for his self- denial in some Avay; so he knocked-up acquaintances in the neighbourhood; and dear, good, obliging Cherie St. Ange Avas always an acquisition, for she ncA-er re fused to play for hours together Avhile others Avere dancing, and to cry forfeits, at Inventing Avhich she Avas very cleA'er. If she did not get a dance the AAdiole evening, she did not grumble. "What does it matter ?" she Avould say ; " I daresay my turn Avill come some day." At home she Avas ahvays con tented ; Avhat little money she had, she spent in judi cious finery and French noA-els. In the pages of XaAder de Montepan, Ponson de Terrail, and, chief of all, Garborlan, she found mines of consolation. It Avas her nature, and she could not help It. The love, adventure, and excitement Avith AAdiich .French novels abound had charms for her beyond those of our OAvn novelists, AAIIICII, as a rule, consider character of more A-alue than Incident. In the War-office EdAvard ^Vllton had made ac quaintance Avitli a young gentleman, Avhose income amounted to three hundred a-year. Of course, he spent more; and his debts had occasionally to be paid under protest by his Indulgent parents, whose Avorldly Avealth diminished after each appeal AA-hlch Avas made upon it. His name Avas Geoffray Trevellian ; and he Avas a fair specimen of the young man of the period. De cidedly not a fool, though not actually clever, he kneAV hoAV to say sharp and cutting things Avhen he liked, 20 THE .AIAN OF THE PERIOD.

A\hich ])assed current for Avit. Pie Avas the possessor of a moderate share of good looks. Of course he Avas selfish —most .young men noAvadays are ; he Avas cynical— It is the fashion to be so. In rehgious matters he Avent in for Indifterentlsm. The great questions Avhicli are shaking society to its A cry foundation in religion and ])olitics, did not extract a thought from him; or if they Avere honoured Avith a thought, he did not think them Avortli\- of a remark. He Avould as soon go to church as stay aAvay from It. ^Vs a rule, he did attend dl\lne woi>lii[) Avlieu in the country, because he could see people he kncAv, and the}- could see him. He Avas a capital dancer, and a good hand at that sort of small- talk Avhicii is so useful in a draAvinjr-room. Beinjf a man of good family, he had numerous In\ItatIons from jieople of position: but, though he flirted terribly, he Avas not in a fair A\-ny to get married, because he Avas on the look-out for a Avoman AvIth mimev; and the parents of those girls Avho Avere AAell endoAAcd Avanted somebody better than :\Ir. (^eoffray Trevellian, Edward AVilton Avas one of those quiet amiable fel- loANS Avho felt dazzled Avlien in the 2)resence of Trevellian, Avho had the knack of ac(piiring great Influence over most A'oung men AvIth Avhom he came In contact. Wil ton Avanted to get him doAA-n to River-side House; but Trevellian thought it scarcely Avorth his Avhile to accept the invitation. His great friend Avas a Mr. Jack Easby, AVIIO liAed in chambers in the Temple. Easby had been called to the bar, but he had A-ery little money ; and as literature offered him a tempting field, he neglected the law to Avrite for papers and periodicals. lie deri\'ed a con siderable income from the cheap and Avidely-clrculated BACHELORS' OPINIONS. 21 penny journals, the readers of Avhich adored him; an

)-ou point out, Avhen one cannot haA-e a good opinion of one's friends." " Or Avhen your friends liaAC not one of you," re joined TreAellian, AA-IIO Avas not deficient in a certain smartness of repartee. " I suppose this man Wilton has sisters," remarked Easby, adroitly changing the subject. "He has told me of one." "Ah ! that Is the bait generally AvIth those men AVIIO a^k one to their places. They sa}-, MVe have some nice girls,' or * My sisters, }-ou know, AVIU ask a friend or two, and Ave can get up a carpet-dance.''' "It Is an aAvful bore to dance Avith and be civil to Avoinen one does not care a straAV about," observed Tre vellian. " So It is. Do A'OU knoAA-, I have established a standard of my OAVU about beauty; and Avhen I describe a lovel}' girl Avithout .spot and Avithout blemish, in one of my sensation tales for the Tower-Hill, I can (;nu- nierate on my fingers' ends the points AvliIch a Avoman ought to possess ?"' "What are they .'•' "To begin AvIth, there are three Avhite things a Avoman ought to have—skin, teeth, and hands; three dark—eyes, eyebroAvs, and eyelashes ; three red—lips, cheeks, and nails; three long — the body, hair, and hands; three short—the teeth, ears, and feet; three broad—the chest, forehead, and space betAveen the eyes, GIAC a Avoman these excellences, and }-ou ma}- call her a Venus Avithout much fear of contradiction from a man of any taste." " You Avon't find all those things, my dear felloAA', at least not in London, because ladles think It fashionable 30 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD. and proper to regard delicacy in its physical sense of Aveakness an essential element of beaut}-. Don't girls go In for paleness about the face and tenuity of figure? they laugh at health, and lace tight; and a AVoman AAdio practises tight-lacing must, be uuAvholesome, Avhatever ma}' be the regularity of her features or the symmetry of her bod}-. I call all the AAdiite alabaster-looking Avomen, Avho stick on 'paint in daubs, uiiAvholesome, and give them a Avide berth at half the parties and balls one goes to. One cannot help being a AvallfloAver; for AA^ho can dance Avith the Insipid and sometimes positively re pulsive girls AA-ho are trotted out to annoy single men ? I hate an unAAdiolesome AVoman; and all Avho trifle Avith nature must be so." "I think you're right," answered Easby. " And noAV, old boy, haA-e one more pipe, and let me go on Avitli the 'FestlA'e Martyr,' Society expects its 'Martyr' every Aveek, and I must not disappoint a craving public of Its Aveekly bliss," "I AA'on't smoke any more, thanks," replied Trevel lian. " If you Avon't come out, I shall take a cab to the Alhambra for an hour, and then go home to bed. Good night! Don't be too hard on the ' Festive jNIartyr.' " "He's up to his eyes in trouble; for he's just pro posed to tAvo girls at the same time; and his first AvIfe turns up, and proves him to be desirous of committing bigamy; the sheriff's officers are Avaiting at the door to take him to Whitecross-street, and the brother of a girl he has seduced is in the passage voAving vengeance, and brandishes a big stick; while his landlady Avants her little bill; and his best friend has just run aAvay AvIth his sister." Trevellian laughed, saying, "I AvIsh him Avell out of it." SUBURBAN SOCIETY. 31

CHAPTER IIL

SUBURBAN SOCIETY.

]MR. ARDEN left the arrangement of his parties entirely to his Avife, and she, poor creature, having no taste AvhatCA^er of her OAVU, left everAthing to a man in London Avell knoAvn for the sort of thing, AVIIO con tracted for a certain sum to decor-ate rooms, proA-Ide floAvers, send doAvn a band, find servants, and feed a certain number at supper, as Avell as refresh them at intermediate stac-cs. The man's taste Avas perhaps exceptionall}- good, or he Avas lucky In his selection of assistants; hoAvever that might be, his parties—he called them his—Avere alAva}-3 a success. ^Irs. Arden had received a letter from her son to this effect:

" ]\Iy dear ]\Iother,—I Avrite to you because the matter contained In my brief letter concerns you as much as my father, though he Avrote to me last. I should have AATittcn before, but I mislaid or lost the Governor's letter and Tibby's, Avhich Avere eA-entually found under my bed by the servant. Lord Bracken has kindly consented to come and spend a foAV days AA-ith us AvheneA-er you send him a formal in\-Itation through me. Tell the Governor that I liaA-e earned AA-hat he promised me. Also tell Tibby that I can't get a bull- pup anyAvhere; but Bracken says he has a splendid breed of brindled bulls at his place, and will send for one expressly for her, as I happened to mention her 32 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD. AvIsh before him. "\^^rite soon, and get up something joll}- for us A\hen Ave come—something, I mean, a cut above a carpet-dance, and cake, and negus. Bracken is a very quiet felloAv here ; but he knoAvs hoAV things ought to be done.—Y'ours affectionately, M. ARDEN."

Mrs. Ai'den thought, that as tableaux vivants Avere Aery popular in the ga}- AAorld, it AAOUICI not be a bad iileato get up some at RiA-er-side House; and she applied to all her friends for classical subjects. The ignorance of those to Avhoin her application Avas made nearly droA e her to the verge of despair, and she had recourse, as usual, at last, to her general furnisher ^Nlr. Fixham, AVIIO had come doAvn to settle the number at supper, and com mence cleariiiif-out the draAA-Insi; and other rooms AvhIch Avould be required for the party. We must state that ^Ir. Fixham A\-as a man of edu cation, or at least a man Avho had acquired a smattering and superficiality AAdiich passed current for the possession of education. He ina}- not have known the use of cer tain AA-ords employed by him, but he used them judi- clousl}-, as certain people do Latin quotations or French -—Ijatin preferably, because it Is more like English and easier to pronounce, the only danger being a false quantity ; Avhereas French must be ])ronounced. Verbuvi ^op. Avas a favourite phrase of Mr. Fixham's, AVIIO kncAv Its meaning; but had you asked him to go on Avith sap. and give It you in full, and afterwards decline it, he Avould have been at fault. Perhaps he Avould have acted Aviseh-, and declined it altofjether. Fixham entered INlrs. Arden's drawino'-room hat In hand, and bowed, according to his custom. "T have recelAed your letter, madam," he said, " and I noAV SUBURBAN SOCIETY. o.)

luue the honour to Avait on you. FloAvers, waiters, bands, as usual. Supjier for forty-five. Have I inter preted your wishes aright?" "Y"ou haAe, Mr. Fixham," replied Mrs. Arden. " But there is one little difficulty out of Avhich you must try to help me, I am told that tableaux are the rage in good societ}- IIOAV, and I Avant to group some tableaux. Will } ou tell me IIOAV It Is to be done ?"' " ]'erbu)n .vc/y., madam," promptly returned Mr, Fixham. " It Avas only last Aveek that I Avas a})plied to b}- the Countess of Carthampton, on the ver}- same business. HaAe }-ou got }-our ladies and gentlemen Avillinfr t(j act ? but it don"t matter. Y"ou can "et them as a matter of course. It's sulyects you Avant. Every one Avants subjects." "Exactl}-."'' "Very AA'CII. Take, to start Avith, one of Moores fantasies—Azira's Vision. It sounds AA-CU, and is very prett}-, if not strictly classical. Azim dreaming, Avith a lot of light o\er him, behokls Zelica, Avhom he loAes. The dress and the light go for oAerythhig." '* That's one," said INIrs. Arden, making a note of It. " You must get the costumes, Mr. Fixham, and place the actors at the rehearsals." "Certainly, madam. Verbum sap. NOAV, second. SaA- Ilermione, from the 'Winter's Tale,' that AVIU take six characters. The injured queen Is a fine part. Third, ' Beggans" 0])era;' Polly, Luc}-, Captain INIac- lieatli: ' HOAV lia])py could I be Avith either '' This is always a hit, because of the looseness of the characters in the original. ' Romeo and Juliet' is ahvays a stock piece or set-scene. ' Joan of Arc' Is not bad; you liaxc the Maid of Orleans, the confessor, and'others. D o4 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD.

Lady Jane Grey preparing for execution, is liked, though it is A-ery sad; the set makes up Avei!, though, Avith a good pose and a pi'operty axe. Then there is 'Britomart disarming.' from Spenser's 'Fairv Qvicen, and •.:-,e ' Death of llinda,' from ' Lalla Rookh,' and the 'Eve of St, BartholomeAv,' and'Paradise and the Peri,' 'Angel and Peri,"—you knoAV, madam; very finc set this. If you Avill leave it all to me, I AVIU coach-up your team in a fortnight.'" " But Ave luvA e only a Aveek," said ^Irs. Arden in alarm. •• Very Avell. It shall be done in six dav.s,"" ans Avered the acconnnodating }»lr. Fixham, Avho Avas as Lood as his Avord. and goi-uj) the inhleau.r in a Avay that reiiectcd equal ci'edit 11)1011 him and the iierformer.s. The ^^'ilton jiart\- Avere of (•oiu->e invited, and Ed Avard Avas told that he mifjlit brinir auA- nice youno; man he kncAv. So he repeated his iuAitation to Geof- fra}- TreAellian—his first not having been accepted; and as "\^'iIton Aer\ obligiiigl}- ]»ut his name to a bill for Trevellian the same day, the latter, AvIth equal good nature, iigreed to go to Teddington, though he be- Availed his hard fate, and made himself out a victim to all who knew him. He came doAvn eaiiv in the afternoon Avith Edward ^^ ilton, and dined at his house, beinir reo-arded by Miss Edina Avitli some curio.sit\, she liaAing heard a great deal of Ju'm fi-oin her brother,—and sisters alAA'ays get intt'i-ested in their brothers" friends. trevellian sat b}- her side In the drawing-room be fore dinner, and thev chatted tooether, and Edina soon told him slie tliouglit lie Avas a great quiz. " It IS vei-N- liard," lie ansAvercd; "people alwaAs sav 1 am a quiz, and goodness onh- knows win. I admit 1 SUBURBAN SOCIETY. 35 am obser\-ant, and I like to see IIOAA- a lady Is dressed. ^Yhether her boots are Aisiblo beneath her goAvn; Avlie- tlier her gOAvn is short or tucked up, and IIOAV far she Avill alloAv herself to be Jn-olefi'e out of doors. It may be a matter of the most perfect indifference to most men, Avhether a lad}-, Avlioin they meet casually, rolls or crimps her hair. It is not so to me. I am in faA our of the golden haystack, and the miniature bonnet, or the ajjolog}- for a hat, Avliich Is of'Al]»ine' shape; Petti coats, parasols, and head-dresses, all receive ni}- atten tion.'' "What do j-ou think of me, Mr. Trevellian, if it Is fair for me to ask T' said Miss Eddie. "I think you are exceptionally charming. Miss Wil ton," he ansAvered, looking almost immediately in an opposite direction. " That reply quite bears out the estimate I " She paused abruptly, and seeing that he looked Inquiringly at her, she added, '' Pray excuse me, I am becoming ver}- rude; but the fact is, I liaAc heard ni}- brother speak of you so often latel}-, that I haAe formed an estimate of you solel}- from Avhat he has said, and I feel that I ouodit not to have told AOU, because A-OU A\ill Avant to know Aviiat the estimate is ; Avill }-ou not ?" "I must confess to a slight curiosity," he replied. "All I can tell }'oii is, that I pictured you to myself a young man of the period; Ave Avon't say gentleman. Ccla rrt sans dire.'' " Thank you Acry mucli,"ansAA-ered Trevellian. " Y"ou must not stop there," he added; " because I Avant a definition of that phrase, ' young man of the period;' AAdio is he, and Avliat is he, and Avhere is he to be found :* " 3(3 THE -MAN OP THE PERRJD.

" O, he is ubiquitous, I am sorry to say. O, dear. There, I have ao-aln said somethiiiir I ou,Q;lit not to have said. I Avisli you Avould not cross-question and jn-ess me so, ]\Ir. Trevellian," said jNIiss Eddie, almost in clined to cry. She had been betrayed Into remarks and observa tions Avliich she meant to liaA'e kept to herself, as niany giiis are AAdio do not go out much, and are rather spooney. Miss Eddie Avas not an outrageousl}- glaring flirt; but still she liked to flirt, and she Avas the more dangerous because she did not care Avhat sort of a man It Avas she flirted AAitli. She Avould flirt Avitli any man, and had no discrimination, or shall Ave sa}- no mercy ? "Evldenth-, if I understand A'OU riiihtlv,'" Trevellian said, "}-ou have found soniething Aery objectionaljle about the average young man of the dav. Ma}-I ask Avhat it is?" "His besettinir sin is a love of self. I am jToIno- to 1)0 candid Avith A-OII,"" replied ]Miss Eddie Avith a smile. "It is apparent In eAcry act of his life, and betra}s him into luxurious indulgences, incompatible Avith a projier Spartan sort of code." " That sounds Aery Avell," ansAAered TreAellian. " But I cannot aiiree Avith AOU that It is the liii>iiest A'lr- tue to live for others. A man owes something to himself."' "The man I am desciiblno- owes more to his tailor," replied Miss Eddie, laughing. "You Avould have a man study econoni}-, AA-ear a t'oat till its a]>pearaiice Is decldedh' against its owner, and give up cigars, theatres, and other ainuseinents, in order that he may pay the premium on his life assurance, save something cAery quarter, or send an occasional ten-pound note to some poor relative." SURITiBAN SOCIETY. 37

'• Certainl}-," " Well, the young man of the present day Avon't do that, and I don"t blame him, I like to glide along the river of life quietly; and I go upon the principle of never A-exIng myself about AA-hat I can't help, and never bothering myself about Avhat I can help. In .short, I take things Aery much as they come, and find the good and the bad of this Avorld pretty equally mingled together." ^liss Wilton saAv Cherie St. Ange enter the room, and she made Ava}- for her on the sofa. Trevellian Avas Intro duced, and thought her very pretty. Her couA-ersatlon confirmed the good Impression she made upon him, and ]Miss Eddie Avas nec;lected for the fascinatino; French girl. After dinner EdAvard Wilton took his friend Into a little smoking-room, AA-IIICII Avas sacred to his books, pipes, and other household treasures, saying, " We are not due just yet at River-side, and have not far to go Av hen Ave start; so I propose just one pipe; or AA-OUUI you pi'efer a cigar?" " Thank you," ansAvered Trevellian, taking a cigar Avliich Avas offered him, and adding, Avhen he had lighted It, "That Is a prett}- girl—Miss St. Ange, I mean." " Is she not ?" replied Wilton. " Every one likes her, but she neA-er gets an offer. She is so poor, and entirely dependent on us." '' Indeed," ejaculated TrcA-ellian, AVIIO could not help thinking that she AA-ould be \-ery precious to many men Avithout a farthing, although he openly professed the doctrine that a Avife AAdio had no fortune but her face and amiable disposition AA-as a burden too Intolerable to be dreamt of by a clever man. A fly took the ladies, Avhen the time came, to River- 38 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD. side, the Major Avalking Avitli Trevellian and his son. They found the house biilliantly lighted up from top to bottom, and the strains of music Avere alread}- stealing out upon the night. isIattheAV Arden received them, and introduced his friend Lord Bracken. They had only arrived that afternoon from 3.1r. Landy's ; and Bracken had not as yet had much opportunity of speak ing to or observing iSIIss TIbb}-, AVIIO Avas busy in various Avays, there always being so much to superintend and see to Avhen one gives a party. The tableaux. In Avliich some intimate friends of the Ardens took part, and In AvliIch Tibby shone resplend ent, commenced the entertainment, and AA-ere deservedly applauded. Mr. Fixham had brought doAvn some printed programmes, so that cAery one might understand the groups and combinations, Avhich AA-ere materially assisted by the lime-light. SomehoAv or other. Lord Bracken got mixed up AAith the Wilton party, and sat during the tableaux between ]\Iiss Eddie and Cherie St. Ange. To the latter he paid considerable attention, much to the disgust of Mrs. Arden, AVIIO Avas boiling Avith impatience to sejiaratc him from " that set," as she called her dear friends the Wiltons. Seizing her husliand b}- the arm, she drcAV him Into a corner, and said, In a low A-oice, " I think you might have managed things better than to liaAC alloAA-ed his lordship te get in AAith the Wiltons. Look IIOAV he Is AAedged betAveen the tAVO girls. I do Avish they Avould not bring that French doll out Avitli them. She is just stupidly pretty enough to make the men go after her. He ought to have been kept aAva}-. It does not give poor Tibby a chance." SUBURBAN SOCIETY. 39

" I left all that to you, my dear,'" ansAvcred ^fr. Arden. " I liaAC been downstair.s, giving out the Avine to Fixham."" '' Do, for goodness' sake, go and get his lordship out of the trap that is laid for him. I can see through it all, ivlrs, Wilton ought to be ashamed of herself," " So she ought,"' said iNIr, Arden, AAdio ncA-cr contra dicted his Avife AAdicn he saw that she Avas put out b}- any untoAvard circumstance, " Don't Avorry, my dear. I'll go and see to his lordship. These tableaux AVIII be OA'er soon, and dancing AVIII glA'e Tibby a chance." Mrs. Aixlen smiled at the pleasing prospect, and rushed off" to another part of the room to Avelcome some ncAV arrivals. As for Bracken, he was unconscious of the emotions he had roused in the breast of his hostess, and, taking a likino- to Cherie St. Ano-e, he talked to her and iiliss Wilton In as familiar a manner as if he had known them a long time. They spoke about Paris; and Bracken said to Miss St. Aiigc>, " < )f course, A on like Paris, and often go there '." " No, Indeed," she ans-.-vcred A\itli a sigh. " I A-\as so yoimg Avhen I left, that I do not remember it at all; and though I Avisli to go there, I cannot, because I am poor and dependent. Have they not told you that I am Miss Wilton's gOA^erness and companion ?" " No, I AA-as not aAA-are of it," said Bracken, In some confusion. " Some one generally informs an}' one of It to Avhom I happen to be talking,"' continued Clieiie, Avith a slight tinge of bitterness in her A'olce. '• Not that I care ; only I often think IIOAV nice it AA-ould be to be rich, and ones own mistress, and go about just Avhen and Avhere and how one likes."" 40 THE MAN fiF THE PERIOD.

" Y\'s, It must lie very nice," said Bracken. "Are you rich? Can you do all this?" inquired Cherie St. Ange, Avith much simplicity. " I shall be rich Avhen I am of age," he ansAvered smiling. " At present I am reading for the army, and cannot call myself my OAVU master."' The tableaux Avere UOAV over, and Mr. Arden seized Lord Bracken before he could extricate himself from the netAA'ork of chairs and offer his arm to Cherie, AA-hich he intended to do, for a promenade. " Well, my lord," cried ]\Ir. Arden, '' Avliat do }-ou think of (mr little effort to amuse you, eh? Very Avell done. So I think, IMy eldest girl made a A-ery good Lady Jane Grey, I thought. Quite touching to see her neck bared to the executioner, AA-asn't It ? Come this way, my lord, I Avant your opinion about some camellias In the conservatory," Turning to INIiss St. Ange, Bracken said, " We shall meet again during the evening." " I hope so," she ansAvered; for she had been much impressed Avith his handsome face and gentlemanly de meanour, and also by the Interest Avliich she saAv that he took In her Avlien he heard that she Avas poor and depen dent. The society of a girl like Cherie St, Ange Is generally more acceptable to a man than that of a pro found young lady, Avho has a decided Idea about things in general, and can argue the point, If you happen to make a remark AAdiich does not coincide Avith her ojDlnlons. jNlrs. Arden had gone Into the room In Avhich the ladies dressed Avho formed the tableaux, and, taking her daughter by the arm, Avhispered in her ear, " Make haste, my dear; you AVIII spoil everything If you daAvdle." SUBURBAN SOCIETY. 41 " O, ma, don't pinch so; you'll make me black and blue," remonstrated Miss TIbb}-, draAving her arm aAvay from the maternal grip, AvliIch Avas more tenacious than comfortable. When she had arranged her hair, and " touched herself up a bit," as she expressed It, she AA'as led Into the draAving-room, and guided skilfully up to the place Avhere ^Ir. Arden had, of course unconsciously, led the, as they thought, unsuspecting young nobleman. " O, here you are," said INIrs. Arden, addressing her hnsliand, " and Ijord Bracken too. I am very glad you are paying his lordship some little atten tion. He seemed dreadfully dull and bored a little AAdiile ago." " Not at all,'' said his lordship. " O, I knoAV," ansAvered !Mrs. Arden, AAith a shrcAvd look. " Your politeness AAill not let you say so, but I could see that the governess Avas a bore, and ^liss AVIlton not much better; they are not the sort of people your lordship has been accustomed to meet; but the Major—Avhat regiment Avas he in, dear?" "EleA^enth Hussars, Prince Albert's OAVU," sald^Fr. Arden. " Ah! exactly; fine old gentleman. Well, as I Avas saying, ]Major Wilton Is an old friend of ours, and really, in the country, secluded as Ave are, it is not easy to fill one's rooms if one is too particular." " I can quite understand that," replied Bracken. " NoAv my daughter Fanny—my eldest girl—Lord Bracken," continued i\Irs. Arden, " is A-ery anxious to knoAV Avliat you thought of her Impersonations this even ing?'' "I thought them extremely creditable in eA-ery 42 THE :MA.S OF THE PERIOD.

AA'ay. I have not been so much interested for a long time." " I am delighted to hear you say so. It Avas all the dear chihl's OAVU Idea. She conceived and exe cuted it, and has Avorked terrlldy hard to get the right costumes and drill her little company, if I may be al- loAA'ed the expression." Miss Tibby looked at her mamma reproachfully, as much as to sa}-, " Why are you telling so many useless falsehoods, Avhich AVIII probably entail a number more upon me, in order to sustain yours ?" " I Avas p'olno; to shoAV Lord Bracken the camellias In the conserAatory," exclaimed ISIr. Arden. "But I lia\-e just thought of a little matter that requires my attention. Domestic details, you knoAv, my lord, must sometimes be .seen to In- the master of the house, or eA-erything goesAvrong; and if you AA-III have the good nature to excuse me, I AVIU hand you over to Miss Fanii}', Avho AVIU do the honours of the conservatory in my place." Bracken bowed, and offered his arm to !Miss Arden, AAdio expressed her Avlllingness to guide him over the conserAatory. jSIr. and jNIrs. Arden saAv them AA-alk aAvay together, and their eyes sparkled AvIth delight and gratified pride. "That's management," exclaimed i\Irs. Arden. " The Idea of Mrs. Wilton thinking she Avas going to cut Tibby out, and make her stick of a girl monopolise the lion of tlie room. N(,i, no; I have some tact, and flatter m}-self that I knoAV IIOAV to manoeuvre as Avell as most mothers AA-ith marriageable daughters." " (^uite right, my dear. AlAva}s look to the main chance," said ^dr, Arden. SUBURBAN SOCIETY. 43 When liord Bracken saw ^Miss Arden, he remem bered the letters Avhlch Tom Cook had picked up, and Avhicli they lia

"I!"' repeated Miss Tibby scornfully. "I didn't do It. I Avould not have gone doAvn to the bottom of the garden to get a glass of Thames Avater for the richest lord in England. I had nothinir to do Avith It. It AA-as the old people." " What Avas their object ?" " Can't you guess ? If you can't, I am sorry for A'our poAvers of perception." "AAVISII to settle their eldest dauohter comfortably In life ?" he suggested, Avith a slight tinge of sar casm. Miss Tibby nodded her head violentlv, " They may make themselves perfectly easy on that score," he continued. " I don't Avish to be in the slightest degree rude to you, jMis.s Arden, but I can assure you that 1 am not a marrying man ; and though I am perfectly conscious of your charms, it is impos- . sible that tliey should excite in me any feeling stronger than that of the Avarmest admiration." "Then }-ou are not going to make U]) to me," cried Miss TIbb}- delightedl}-. " That is capital, 1 ^^ as s.j aAA'fully afraid that I should be obliged to man'}- a man I don't like, I mean, I like you as a brother; but I can't tell you all my secrets. I luiA-e seen some one though, Avho, If he only had the courage to tell me Avliat he thinks of me, might receive a pat on the back. Y'ou liaA'e taken a m'cat Aveio;lit off ni\- mind, and I don't mind confessing IIOAV that I had determined to be as rude and disagreeable as I could, I knoAv you Avill forgive me, and Ave shall be excellent friends; }-ou nia}- e\-en call me Tibby if you like." " Thank AOU for that great privilege,'" said Brac ken. 4(3 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD, Suddenly they Avere dlstuidxid l)y loud cries, Avliich ])roceeded from the drawing-room ; and, Avondeiing Avliat Avas the matter, they made their Avay out of the con- seiwatory Avitli as much sjieed* as they conveniently could.

CHAPTER IV, CHERIE ST. ANGE. THE screaming increased as they Aveiit along, and a bright glare, accompanied by a thick snuds^e, made their hearts beat quicker as It gave them the idea of fire. Leaving !Miss Arden, Lord Bracken hurried on to see Avliat Avas the matter, and if he could be of any service. He arrived too late, for all he saAv through the smoke and the croAvd, AA-as a man, AVIIO Avith coolness, intre pidity, and dexterity, had eiiA'eloped a Avoman, Avliose dress had caught fire, In a large curtain AAdiich he had torn doAvn for the pui'pose. " AVho Is she? Is she much hurt? BraA'ely done!" and other questions and remarks arose on all sides. Presentl}- the croAvd made AAa}', and through a living lane a man bore a senseless burden, still Avrapped in the drapery, and, amidst a dead silence, caiuied it up stairs. It Avas Avith some difficulty that Lord Bracken could make out Avhat had happened; but he succeeded at length in ascertaining that Cherie St. Ange had gone too near an unprotected grate, and that her dress had caught fire. Every one looked on amazed and stu pefied, AvhIle the poor girl screamed terribly. The ladles CHERIE ST, ANGE, 47 added their screams to hers. All at once, Trevel lian, Avho entered the room accldentall}', beheld Avhat Avas taking place, and, acting Avith great presence of mind, comprehending all In an Instant, aAcrted an aAvful tragedy b}' tearing doAvn a curtain and extinguishing the flames. It Avas not for some time that the anxious guests of Air. and Airs. Arden Avere able to knoAv Avhether she Avas hurt or not; but at length the Avelcome Intelligence came that the doctor had arrived, and that he had de clared Aliss .St. ^Vnge not to be at all burnt. She Avas in imminent danger ; but Air. TreA'ellian had saved her before the flames could do her an}' Injur}'. She Avas much friuhtened and shocked : but a niiidit's rest Avould remedy all that. This ha])py intelligence restored the .spirits of all, Avhicli had begun to droop, and the festlvit}' and amuse ments of the evening Avent on as smoothly as before they Avere suddenly interrupted. Geoffray Trevellian Avas the hero of the hour, and the e}-es of all the ladles Avere turned admiiingi}- upon him, the more so as he had burnt his hand in rescuing Aliss St. Ange ; and as It had been Avra])ped in a poul tice, he Avore it In a sliiirr made out of a black silk 7 O handkerchief. Those gentlemen AAdio had looked on at the burning girl as they might have regarded any other entertain ment, HOAV seemed ashamed of their coAvardice, and one and all asserted that they AA-ould liaA-e done precisely Avliat TreA-ellian had done, if he had not anticipated them. On hearing Avliich Aliss Eddie AVilton said, " She had a good mind to set her OAvn dress on fire, just to see if the}- Avould be as good as their AAord." 48 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD.

Trevellian experienced a good deal of pain from his hurt; but he had stoicism sufficient not to betray his suf fering. Edina AN'ilton magnified him into a hero ; and Avhen she came doAvn from the room In AvliIch Aliss St. Ange had been placed, she sought out Trevellian, Avho Avas leaning against a Avail, Avatching the dancers and talkino; to EdAvard AVilton, AVIIO, though courageous, O 7 7 o o ' had Avanted that presence of mind Avhich had enabled Trevellian to save the life of Cherie St. Aiio;e. He saAv the accident from the commencement, yet he had not moA-ed, he had scarcely breathed in fact, until all AAas over. " I must compliment you very higlil}'. Air. Tre A-ellian," said Aliss Eddie, " upon A'our heroic conduct. Cherie tells me to sa}' that she can never sufliciently thank you for Aour noble behaviour." " I am A er}- liap}(\- and fortunate in being so near at hand," he replied; "' and, after all, I oiil}- did%hat aii}- one else Avould have done. AIny I ask }-ou one thing, though ! Is heljiing any one in distress characteristic of a vonng man of the da}- f " 1 did not think so until IIOAV." " Y"ou atlniit, then, that A\ e haA e some redeeming qualities." " I cannot help doing so." " Are }-ou convinced against }-our A\ ill f' he said. " O, no ! I alAva}-s tr}- to think as Avell as I can of every one," ansAvered Edina, blushing. They Avere IIOAV jcjlned by the Alajor, Avho Avas pro fuse in his gratitude. " Aliss St, Ange is not a child of mine," he said, " but I love her as If she Avere ; and in saving her from the most horrible of all death-, A ou IUIA e done me an CHERIE ST, ANGE, 49 everlasting serAice, Thank you, sir. I am proud to kiiOAv }-ou. I hope you will look upon my house as }-our home; and Avhenever you are this vây, there is always a knife and fork for you.' TreA'elhan expressed his sense of obligation, and promised not to forget that he Avas in future to be on the Alajor's list of friends. The party Avas kept up for a considerable time, and Air. Arden, In order to do everything In that princely style for Avliich he Avished to be famous, sent all his guests Avho lived in London, back by special train at four o'clock In the morning. Although nobody had iiiA'ited him. Air. James Gol fer, AAdio lodged at Major Wilton's, had managed to be present. He had an uncomfortable knack of introdu cing himself at places Avliere he Avas not Avanted, and nobody liked to rebuke him or say anything at all harsh to him, because he AA-as so milformly quiet and submis sive. He did not dance, nor did he mingle Avith the company; he affected retired corners, and listened to the music, bobbing his head up and doAvn as If trying to keep time to the fascinating melody. Golfer saAV the accident Avhich befell Cherie St. Ange, and his cheek Avcnt deadly pale, until TreAellian dashed forAvard magnificently and put out the flames and then his pale face grcAv brighter, and his usual complacent smile sat on his thin lips once more. " If she had died !" he muttered. Air. James Golfer quitted the scene of festivity ear lier than most of the guests. lie Avas in bed at one, and sound asleep at half-past, AA'hich Avas necessary, as he had to be at the office in Bedford-roAv at half-iâ a nine everv morning. Punctual as a clock Avas Air. Golfer, and frequently he had tlie office to himself for ')() Till', MAN oK THE PERIOD. lialf an hour, as the other clerks Avere not so fond of tni'iiliiii; out enrh-, and Alessrs. Peddle and Lescr never made their appearance before ten. LiivC a busy bee. Air. Golfer improved each shining hour; and Peddle and IêA-er might have seen liiin, Avlien at the office early arid alone, turning over old papers, and routing about in cupboards and druAvers full of discolou.red moth-eaten documents tied Avith red tape, and reading; everAtliin2; he could come across in the .shape of parchment, AvIth the avidity of an historian looking oA-er precious records In a public office, or at the liouse of a private collector of ])apers of historic A'alue. On the morning after the ball at Air. ATden"s, Gol fer arrived rather earlier tlian usual at the ofiice, and the clock had not long struck nine Avhen the old house keeper let him in. He gaAe her a nod, and passed In to the private rooms, Avliere Peddle and Lever and the Chancerv clerks sat and did tluir daily Avork. He had a safe of his OAA-II, and kej)t the key of It, In AAdiich he placed pa})ers of a valuable or jjrivate nature confided to his care ; and this he proceeded to open, looking around him carefully the Avhile, as if to see that no one Avas observing him. Hidden aAva}' In a remote corner of the safe, under a pile of superincumbent deeds and documents, A-i'as a bundle of papers carefully tied up. This he placed on his desk and looked at affectionateb,'. The topmost paper AAas Indorsed " Re St. Ange. Instructions for draAving AVill;" and initialed -'E. W. P.," Avliich clearly meant Edward AViUiam Peddle. Assuring himself that the papers Avere safe, and in the same condition in Avliich he had left them, Air. Golfer put them back again, locked up, the safe, and, leanino; his head on his hands. CHKRIK ST. ANGE. fil began to ruminate, < )ccasionally he allowed a few Avords to escape him, AAdiicdi AAould have gi\en any one Avho happened to be listening a clue to his secret thoughts. " These documents ought to be of A-alue to me," he muttered. " I must be careful. One false step will ruin eA'erything. AVait, Avalt; the time AVIU come."' AVlien Air. Peddle arrived, at a quarter past ten, lie found Air, Golfer still dreaming: but he quickl}- aAA-oke to the reality of his daily life, and Avas once more the cool and collected Golfer of the common-laAA- depart ment of Peddle and Lever's, f\-ddie attended to the common-hxAV liusiiiess of the firm, and Air, Lever did the chancer}- Avork, obserAing privately and confidentiall}- to his friends that It Avas " so much more respectable; and if he had his A\a}-, he'd kick all the common LIAV out, and. have nothing but equity."" "' rôlfer,'" exclaimed AFr, Peddie. •• Avliar have A'OU got to do this morning?"' " Nothing Aery particular, sir," rephed Air. (.'olfer. '' It Is time to c:ill at Cliitt}-'s for the pleas in that running-doAvn case of Driver v. Tandem. There Is Ale-- siter's application for release In bankruptcv v.t tAvelA'c."' '• AA^hose court f" "Air. Commissioner Bacon.'' '' That Is all right. AVe shall get Afessiter out, if he comes up before Bacon. \Miat next r " There's that action for slander. TAVO Avidow AA'omen, lodging-house keepers In Guildford-street, Russell-square, sir; ShreAvkins v. ScrcAA-klns. Counsel ought to be Instructed on behalf of our client ShreAv kins."" " Aêry AA-CII, Send the brief to Spouter, and mark 52 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD.

It eight guineas. Arrange a consultation before sittings after term. AVe shall get it on at Guildhall. Anything else ?" " There's the assault case—Herr Sticktooum, the German jeAA-eller in Hatton Garden, and the police. What's to be done In that ? The commissioners seem inclined to fight the case, and, of course, the defendants. Sergeants SAA'earhard and Perjurer, Avon't hang back at trifles." " Write Herr Sticktooum, and ask for further in structions ; and Avhen you go out, I Avant you to serve a Avrit at the AVar-oflfice." '• The AVar-ofiice ?" repeated Air. Golfer, with curio.slty depicted on his countenance. " Y"es. Y"ou"ve been there before. Our clients, SmallA' and Pegtop, the tailors, have jdaced the matter in our hands. The debt is one hundred and ten pound.s, including costs up to the present time. Three letters have recelA'ed no ansAA-er. SerAC him." " Y'ou have not told me the name yet, sir," said Air. Golfer. " Haven't I? " replied Air. Peddie. " Here it is on this piece of paper, AvliIch also contains the particulars of demand. ' Geoffray Trevellian, Accountant Gene- ral"s Ofiice.' That's it." A peculiar smile flitted across Golfer's face as he heard this name mentioned; but Air. Peddie did not obserA'e it. He had aiA'en his Instructions to his com- inon-laAv clerk, and he Avent into his private room to read his letters. " All AA'orks AA'cll,"' said Air. Golfer, as he rn.se, put on his hat and coat, and prepared to leave the office. Ihit before he did s(-), he once more opened the safe, and CHERIE ST, AXGE, 53 brought out a green-coloured book, Avith James Golfer, Esquire, Aviitten in large letters on the back. This Avas a banker's pass-book, and Air. Golfer, turning over the leaves, came to the last page Avritten upon, and saAv to his satisfaction, that he had standing to his credit at the Union Bank of Loudon seven hundred and fifty- five pounds, eight shilling.-, and sixpence. He put this back and locked up the safe again, sa}iiig to him self, as he left the office, " HOAV I have scraped and saved and AAorked to get that little heap of money to gether I If I'd done Avliat other men do, I shouldn't haAe been Avorth a jienny. I don't smoke, unless It is Avith some one else's tobacco. I don't drink, unless some one gives it me. I travel third-class, and liaA-e my coats turned, and get nn' hair cut for tAvo-pence, and scrape and scrape till peo})le call me mean, and only excuse me on account of in}- poA-(>rtv. A laAA'ver's clerk is not supposed to be extra\agaiit. If they kncAv that I had seA-eii hundred jiounds at in}- bankers", e\er}- one I knoAv Avould come round me like a flock of sheej) or a IIIA'C of bees, and call me 'ni\- dear fbdfer,' and propose Aaiious tempting speculations; Irat they would not have me. When the time comes I know Avliat to do Avitli my small capital. I'll haAe in}- revenge on the Avorld some day." He finished his meditation Avitli a sort of porcine grunt, and AA^alked quicklv, for the morning Avas cold. In the direction of Pall Alall.

" It"s pleasanter to be humble and SIOAA-, and knoAv you're Independent," he Avent on, pursuing his train of thought, " than to be up in the stirrups, and be able to liaA'e credit. AVh}', the A-ery shopman, AAIIO boAvs to the ground as you enter his shop, and calls you ' sir,' A\'Ith abject humility, AVIU be the first to lock you up in -•> 1 THE .AIAN OF THE PERIUt>. \\ hitecross-sdvet, if \-ou don't pav Avhen he .sends in his little liill. 1 gi\e six-and-six for my hats and p;iy casli. They last me a }'ear, Avitli an occasional brush-up : twenty-three and six at the AVest-end could not ans- Aver ni}' purpose better. I saAv TrcA-elllan last night better dressed than me, Imt he liasivt paid for a single thing he had on. Can lie sleep better at night than J .' Can he feel the sa tisfliction that I feel at having scA en hundred pounds at my bankers' ?'" and James Gol fer grinned the ghastly grin of an Incipient miser. He had be

Looking doAvn the stairs. Golfer saAv Geoffray Tre- vellia.u ascending, and made bold to stop him. Tre A-ellian Avas in a bad humour. He had drank rather more than Avas good for hini the night before at Ted dington, and a couple of sodas and brandy liad not restored him to his normal condition. "Can I speak to you, sir?"' said Golfer. "No you can't; I'm In a burr}'. If you have a letter, or a bill, or an}- anything, send it in,"' ansAvered TreA-ellian. Golfer, Avho AVfis an adept In this sort of Avork, placed himself before the green-baize door, Avhich, Avhen open, Avould haAe alloAved TreAellian to dart into his sanctuary, like a rabbit Into its AA-arren. " O," exclaimed Trevellian coolly ; " I knoAV what AOU are. AVho do you come from ?" " Alessrs. Peddie and LcA'er: and I have got—" " Y^es, }-cs ; I knoAV AA hat you"ve got as AVCU as you do yourself, my good felloAv: }'ou need not baAvl it out all over the place," I'eplled Trevellian testily. '' NOAV these men haA^en't behaved Avell; these Peddie and LcA'er. If they'd haAe told me Smally and Pegtop v.ere going to extremities, I'd liaA'e accejited service, and you Avould liaA'e been saA'ed the disagreeal)le task of hanging aJ)Out here in Avait for me: or, perhaps. It is a congenial occupation 1 It"s an aAvful bore to haA'e to deal Avith IOAV solicitors.'" Golfer handed him the Avrit, AAdiich he had procured going along. " Look here," continued Trevellian. " Tell Peddie and Lever I'll send them a cheque for their costs, and they must get Smally and Pegtop to Avait. That's Avhat I o-eiieralb- do In these cases." 5(3 THE :.IAX OF THE PERIuD.

"Excuse me. Air. Trevellian," said Golfer, in a low tone ; '"' can I see AOU anywhere this eAeiiing !"' "AVhat do you Avant to see me for :"" Avas the re[)l}'. " I can't tell you here; but if you Avill meet me in the Burlington Arcade at five o'clock, and come soine- Avhere and have a bit of dinner Avitli me, I shall have something to say Avliich you Avill find Interesting,'" " No, I Avon't do that,"' cried Trevellian. " Come to my club at six, and send }-our card up, I'll talk to you—The AVIndham, St. James's-square." And putting the Aviit in his pocket, he Avalked into his room, Avliilc Golfer took his departure, aocompanied by the ill-looks of the messenger, AVIIO felt son-}- now that he had pointed out Air. Trevellian to so Indiffer ent a fellow as a AAait-server.

CHAPTER V.

THE rXTrUAIEW' AT THE CLI l^.

THERE \\ere se\en men ht'ides himself in Trcel- ban's room at the V\'ar-office, and they had all arri\ed when he put in a tardy appearance. The head oi'the room looked atliiin angrily, and said, "I do think, Air. Trevellian, that you might contrive to come a little earlier." ''Do you? I don't,"' ansAvered Trevellian cooll}-, as he sat doAvn at his table, after hanging up his hat and coat. There Avere a lot of letters Avaitino; for him to read and ansAA-er; but, pushing them on one side, he ex claimed, " Has an\' one ffot the Times?" THE IXTERVIEW A'l Till': CLl'B. 57

" Here it is,"' replied a man near hiin, tossing it o\-er as he spoke. Trevellian cast his eyes over the paper, and after that read some of his letters. Then he got up Avitli a yawn, and said he must visit a friend of his, AA-IIO Avas in a different office, and aAvay he AAcnt. The friend Avas EdAvard A^'Ilton, Avhom he Avished to see particularly, to get IICAVS of Cherie St. Ange, he havliic; left TeddIn2;ton In the mornincr, Avhile Tre- Aellian and the others departed in the special at break of day. AVilton Avas not so fi'esh as he might haA'e been. Night-Avork AVIU leaA-e its mark upon Its youngest and str(jii2;est votaries. " HOAV do ?" he said, as his friend entered. " I feel Avretchedly 111 this morning. HOAV are you?" " Fresh as a rose," ansAA'ered TreA-ellian ; AAdiich was not strictly matter of fact. "HOAV did AOU leaAe Aliss St. Ange r " Aluch better than any one expected," replied Wil ton. '*AVe did not anticipate that she would be at breakfast this morning, but she Avas; and all the harm the accident did her Avas a short fright, thanks to }-ou."' " I am A'ery glad to hear it," said TreA'ellian. " AVlien Avill it be couA'cnlent for me to come and pay ni}' re spects?'' " Any time }-ou like. I)on"t stand upon ceremony Avith us." " I don't mean to, and shall run up on Saturday. Do you roAv?" " A little. I can feather, and that is all. I don't think I could sit an outrigger, or manage anything but a tub."' 58 TUB MAN Ol>' THE PERIOD.

" We Avill go on the river in the afternoon, if A'OU like." '•iSothlng AA'ovdd please me more," re})lied AViltoii. " A'\''e can go doAvn and visit some friends of mine ;it Barnes. One is Arden, AAdiom you met, and the other is Lord Bracken, AYIIO are both at a private tutor's there. But I say, old felloAv, don't }-ou get smitten In a particular quarter. I mean Cherie St. Ange."" " Don"t talk such utter rot," interrupted TreA-ellian in a tone of displeasure. "One is not obliged to fall in love Avitli a oirl because one saA os her life." '•No, of course not. I did not mean anvthiim'. It Avas only a joke of mine." ansAvered AVilton laughing. '' That appointment holds good, then, for Satur day ?" " Certainly."' TreA'ellian AVcnt back to his room and did some work till lunch-time ; after that he did a little more : but he left the office as soon a.s he conveniently could. He dined at his club, ordering- red mullets and a spatch cock, Avhich he had scarcel}' finished Avashlng doAvn Avitli a bottle of still hock, Avhen Air. Golfer Avas an- nounred. He had him .SIIOAYU into the Aisitors' room, and joined him almost immediatel}-, sa}iiig, as he Aviped his mouth Avitli his pocket-handkerchief, " NOAA-, sir, I am at your service. What is the nature of your business Avitli me?" "I belieA'e you are in want of money, Air. TreA'el lian," replied ({olfer, holding his hat In his hand and twisting it round by the brim. " That is an odd question for }-ou to ask me. Have }-ou forgotten your little achievement of this morning?'' replied TreAelhan. 11113 IXTERVILW AT I HE OLLB. 59

''No, sir. That is what emboldened ine to seek this interview and sa}- Avhat I have done."' " Be good enough, before }-ou go any further, to tell me Avho and Avliat are you," replied Trevellian. " Certainl}-, sir. I am a clerk in the office of I'eddie and Lever, as you knoAv. AI}- name, as you also knoAA-, is Golfer, and I hjdge In the house of Alajor AVilton at Teddington." " Y'ou lodge there I" cried Trevellian, suddenly be- omhig Interested. "HOAV the deuce did you get into a decent family like that !"' " I am only a jioor clerk, sir, but I lia\-e always borne a good name and been highly respectable," ans Avered Golfer In his humble Avay. "But Alajor AA'^ilton is Avell acquainted Avith my employers, and he kindly took me in, and alloAvs me to HA^C In his house for the consideration of a Aveekly payment.'" "Are vou on friendly terms Avith the family?" " Y\>s ; I do as I like there." 'AVere you at the ball last night '"' " Yes,"' again replied Golfer ; '• and I saw the acci dent to Aliss St. Ance, AVIIO is a charmino; A'ouuif lath-, and one Avliom I luiAe a great regard for. She ought to have been an heiress." " Ought to have Ijeen I" '• She Avould have been. If her father had not, as they say, died intestate.'" " As theA' say!'" repeated TreA-ellian. '• That is the current report.'' " Is there any doubt about it ? If there is, her friends ought to see into It." "Aliss St. Ange cannot be said to haAe auA frlencls," answered Golfer: "because Alajor AAIlton is an old (30 THE MAN Ul' THE PERIOD. soldier, and knoAVS nothing about laAV. He Avould pro tect her if any one-insulted her, but beyond that he is poAA-erless. I thought over this young lach's case years ago, and I AAished that 1 stood In some near relatioji to her, for then I should have felt myself emi>OAvered to act.'' "In Avhat Ava}-?'' demanded Trevellian. "In asserting her rights. She ought to be In the possession of a hundred thousand pounds A\hicli Is noAv enjoyed by Al. Commarin St. Ange, an old Paris notar}, Avho Is already rich, and Avere he not a miser Avould not think of robbing an orphan as he has done. The letters of his brother, addressed to him, must have told him Avhat his brother's Intentions Avere, and he took adA'antage of the loss of the Avill to impose upon her, and cancel the intentions of the testator.'' '' This is strong language. Air. (lolfer: and how comes It that you think yourself justified in using it?" inquired TreA-ellian. '• I liaAc good grounds for It, ' answered Golfer. " ll seems to me,'' said TreA-ellian, "that my interest ill Aliss St. Ange has led me to dlA-ert from the subject Ave had before us—if indeed AVC had au} subject at all. A'\ill AOU oblige me, AAlthout any further beating about the bush, to say Avliy you Avanted to see me :'" " AVitli pleasure. Tlii.s, of course, is a juivileged connnunication, and I sjieak, as AVC lawA'crs sa}', A\ithout ])rejiidice,'" retui'iied (lolfer. '• A'ou are in difficulties ; a'nd if you Avill place yourself in iii}- hands, I think I can extricate A on from them. Tell me IIOAA- much }-ou OAve, and give me the poAAcr to bm-up Aour debts. You Avill then haAe one creditor, instead of fifty, ])erhaps."' " This Is a A'er}' startling proposition," said TreA'el lian. '• I dare say I OAA-C a cou])le (^f thousand jiounds." THE INTERVIEAV AT THE CLI'B. 61

" Have you e\-er paid an}bod}-?" " Never. No one has had a halfpenu}- from me." " Are your friends Avell offT' " On the contrary, they ha\-e sufficient to li\e upon, and that is all." " The most credulous creditor Avould not expect them to pay your debts T' " I should think not. I don't knoAV how far human credulity can go; but I should say that any London tradesman AVIIO expected my people to pa}- my debts was a man AVIIO relied on false information.'' " I'hat will do. Your two thousand pounds' Avorth of debts ought to be bought u]i, Air. TreAellian, for fiA-e hundred. Y'ou see I am candid Avith } ou, and I am the man to do It.'' " Y^ou !' exclaimed TreA-ellian. " AVell, if you can, }ou have my perfect permission. I don't Avant to throAV cold Avater upon any scheme AA-hich may be of service to myself. Bu}- up my debts, and be ni}- only creditor. If }-ou A\ish it; and you can add to your obligation by glAing me a little read}' mone}-." " That I cannot jiromlse to do," ivqilled Golfer. " If you Avould jilaee yourself in a position to marry Avell, I daresa}- that I could oblige you." " I don't think I can hold out any hope of that sort," replied Trevellian. " Has Aliss St. Ange no charms ?"" continued Golfer, curiously eyeing Trevellian. " AIv good sir, do not be Impertinent,"' replied Tre vellian. " I am at a loss to understand you. First of all, you tell me you are an Inmate of Alajor AVIlton's fami! V 01- house, and you profess a knowledge of Aliss St, Ange's present abode, and pi'ospects, and antece- Ci'2 THE MAX (IF THE PEKloD. dents. Then, again,}ou speak about marrying Avell, and in the same breath seem—as I take you—to suo-o-est Aliss St. Ange as a desirable match. From AAdiat I have heard I should say that she Avas directh' the rcA'erse in a pecuniary point of VICAV." "And that is the only point of VICAV to regard it from," said Golfer, Avith his accustomed assurance. , " If you Avill be content to take my Avord for it, you may rest satisfied that Aliss St. Ange is Avortli any maifs AvhIle to cultivate. I knoAv more res])ecting her affairs than she herself or any one else ICUOAA-S. CultlA-ate her, as I snu'c'est, and I Avill tell vou tliis : the man AVIIO manies Clierie St. Ange AVIU marry three thousand a- year." " Have }-ou told this to the young lady ?"' " No. Nor do I Intend to."' " But—"" "dust u:\\i' me a AA'iitten authority to buy-up AOur debts, .\-sign them to me, and Ave can talk .aliout other things afterwards. If }()u \\ant tvrentA- pounds to-day, }-ou can have it." Trevellian did as Gvilf'er told him, and folloAA-ed his instructions to the letter. He Avas surprised to see the laAV}-er"s clerk take a blank cheque on so respectable a bank as the I'nion out of his pocket-book, and fill it up for twenty pounds. It Avas a thing he could not do, and he envied him: but he did not think of the pri vations Golfer had undergone to enable him to save mone}-. AVheii Trevellian felt Inclined for a cigar, he Avould go into a shop, and bu}-, perhaps, half-a-croAvn's AA-orth, at four- or sixpence apiece, and give more than half to his friends. In preference to Avalking he would have a cab, and so on Avith eA-erything. He had no idea THE INTERA-IKW AT THE CLUB. 63 of economy. Aloney burnt a hole in his pocket; and it is scarcely too much to say that he Avas not happy AAdiile he had any. This recklessness made him live beyond his income, and he Avas generalh- in cUfficul- ties. "Y^ou legal men are lucky felloAvs, AL.-. Golfer,"' he observed. " AVe AA-ork, sir, and we are careful; that Is all," ansAvered Golfer, AVhen Golfer had everything signed and aiTanged as he Avished, he AA-as ready to act, and Avas about to take his leaA-e of his ncAv client, Avlien the latter suggested the propriety of something to drink. Golfer Avould eat and drink anything he had not to pay for, and he had often dined sumptuously on a penny bun Avlien he liatl not much mone}-, and Avould not draAv an}- out (d' his bank; so he accepted the offer, drank a gla--s or Uvo of Avine, and Avent home to bed, so that he might get up in the morning Avith a clear head, and be readv for business. He promised Trevellian that he AAould see him again In a fortnight to report progre-s, and In the mean time advised him to culti^-;lte the acquaintance of Cherie St. Ange. This advice perplexed Trevellian greatly. He looked upon Cherie as a poor dependent on the bom-ity of Alajor AVilton; but Golfer's hints induced him on re flection to take a different VICAV of the matter. Of course Golfer had an interested motive in buying-up his debts, and expected to recoup himself for his outlay some day; and Trevellian began to think that his pro spects Avere better than they reall}- Avere, or such a shreAvd man as Golfer eA-idently was Avould not have taken such an interest in his affairs. At any rate, he could not go 64 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD. Avroiig, because it Avas better to have one creditor than a multitude of the " clamouring' beasts, as he called them; and so Golfer Avas the rock on AAdiich he built his house for the present.

CHAPTER A^I. LORD BRACKEN'S BLUNDER.

TREVELLIAN Avas at a loss to understand Avliy Golfer took an interest in him; but he Avas satisfied AAith the fact, especially Avhen it took the form of a tAventy-pound cheque, which he got cashed the foUoAving morning. It AA-as not his custom to bother himself about anything; he took things A'ery much as they came, and did not approA'e of meeting trouble half-Ava}-. When he reached the office he found a letter from home. His home Avas a small cottage, delightfully situated at Alalvern, Avliere his father, an old line officer on half-pay, lived Avitli his Avife. Geoffray Tre A'ellian Avas their onl}' child. The}- had sent him to Alarlborough school, and afterAvards got him into the War-office, through Captain Trevellian's interest Avith the Commander-in-chief, Avho gave the lad a letter of introduction to the prime minister of the day, and the thing Avas done. Geoffray's parents Avere not AA-ell off, though they Avere comfortably situated, and as their Avants were feAV and their habits InexiienslA'e, they lived a very quiet and happy life. In the leftex'. Captain Trevellian, after treating of local ueAA's of no particular intere.st to anyone but the LORD BRACKEN'S BLUxriER. 65 Avriter, said: " I met with a loss last month, I am soriy to sav, by lending a little money to a young man I met on the hills, and Avho Avas staying here for his health. He has gone aAvay, and, strange to tell, left no address. I am reluctant to believe any ill of him, and hope I may some day get back my OAVU. But Avhat I Avanted to say is this : If you should be burdened Avith fifteen or tAventy pounds more than you knoAV Avliat to do Avitli, it Avould be very acceptable just HOAV to your good mother, Avho, I am told, has seA-eral little de mands pressing upon an exhausted purse AvhIch I shall not be able to supply until next quarter. .Vnd now I mu.st finish this begging letter by trusting that you are in the enjoyment of robust health, and doing all that befits a gentleman such as you are by birth and education.'" TreA-ellian, Avith all his affected Indiffei-ence, Avas not a bad-hearted felloAA^, and he felt sincerely rejoiced that he had fifteen pounds to spare, and Avithout any delay he put the notes in an euA-elope, had the letter registered and sent off to Alalvern, liaAing; Avritten a fcAv kind AvorcLs, AA-hich cheered the hearts of the old people AvonderfuUy, and made them bless their stars to think that they had such a son. It Avas God's good ness, they said, and they kncAV he.Avould be the support of their old age should they stand In need of him. They little thouo;lit that he had been running: steadily into debt, and that his life altogether Avas not so immaculate as they, in their simplicity. Imagined. The Avinter Avas comdng on, and there Avas not much attraction in the country. RoAving Avas not in high fi-ivoui', and in rnosf, bont-liousos PA-orytbing Avas niado 'iliiUT, and tliP '^'^nson coneidcrfd o\'ev. 66 THE ^lAN OF THE PERIOD.

Trevellian, however, took a fa:icv to tlio couiitiw, and seeking AVilton, asked him wh.it sort of a place Teddington AA-as to live at. "AAvfuUy jollv,"" rejdied AVillon. '• I Avish you Avould come down there. I could find AOU a [ilace cheap and handy to the station." "If you Avill look out for me, and let me knoAV, I shall be much obliged, and AVIII run doAvn some day and make up iii}- mind Avhat to do," Trevellian ansAvered. "You see, I am A-erv comfortable in mv diggings in Duke-street; but I Avant a change, and I think Rich mond, or someAvhere near, AVIU do me good.'' Edward AViHon promised faithfully to do his best, and the result Avas soon apparent. TreA-ellian liked the lodgings that he found for him, and took u]) his abode near the Alajor's house, and of course Avlthiii a fcAV hundred ya.rds of Cherie St. Ange, AVIIO had re covered lier serenity, and had forgotten all the dani'\'r the lire had exposed her t(i, but not tlie in-atitnde she owed to her gallant jrceserwi'. Alajor Wilton was (piite jdeased to think that Air. I'revellian had hecoine a neighl)Our of his, and Avonld insist upon his coming frequenth' to his house in the CA'enlng. Here he Avas consta.ntly in Aliss St. A!i::e's society and that of Edina Wilton. Aliss Ed.Iie had concelA'cd a tender feeling for TreA-ellian, ai.d it Avas not Avithoed a jiang of j,_'a.io;is}- t'nat .she saw the aitei:- tion Avliich Cherie recei\ed from the man AVIIO liad saA-ed her life. TrCA-ellian Avas not very denionstra- tlA-e. He did not get up in the morning and buy floAvers for Cherie, or v.'iitc s])oonc}- verses and mope anil sigh, nor did he S'^y much : but tlie eA'cs of an • 'ii\ii>iis aiid .jeali-i-.s -vrr^oirMi cioi tell 1)\- n Ion!-- QM,] LORD BRACKEN'S BLUNDER. 67 a Avord IIOAV and fen' AAIIOIU the heart of a man is beating, and Aliss Eddie knew xc'vy Avell that Trevel lian cared for Aliss St. Ange, and that probably the interest he took in her Avould be changed into a Avai- mer and stronger feeling as It dcAeloped and matured. For the first time In her life Aliss Eddie began to dislike her friend and companion, Cherie St, Ange, She'found her tedious, and took exception to her dress ;is Avell as her personal appearance. Her hair, she said, Avas not golden, It Avas a bright red; her complexion Avas anything but delicate, and she Avas ver}- fast and forward in her manner, Cherie noticed a change In the treatment she re- celA-ed, and Avas unable to account for it. She was unconscious of having intentionally given offence; but Avlien a])pealed to, Edina AVilton Avould give her no explanation ; and Cherie Avent aAvay to her chamber to cry in secret, and pray that Edina's heart might be turned; Avliich, Avith childish simplicity, she hoped Avould, soon be acc(!mplls]ied. As for herself, slie scarcely knew Avhat loA-e Avas. Certainly she h;ul ncA-er felt its poAver, and Avas uncijii- scious of having attracted Tre\-ellian to her side. If she had known that Aliss Eddie Avanted him for a lover, slie Avould iia\e done all .she could to make him love her, and transfer his allegiance, Alattliev,- Arden and Lord Bracken Avere more toge- tlier tlniii ever, and Avcre Acry often at Teddington. The latter culti\-ated Edward AA^ilton just as TreA-el lian had done, and Avith the same object in A-ICAA-. He Avas smitten AvItli the charms of the jiretty French girl, and A\as never so happy as Avhen In her compauA-. Air. Hi'.d Afrs. Arden fondlv f^Tlicir-d tliat In's visits to Ted- (38 THE :\rAN OF THE PERIOD.

dington were Induced by a regard for TIbby. It is true that the A-oung lady could haA'e told a different tale; but Airs. Arden Avas not a mother AVIIO laid herself out for her daughter's confidence, and she conserpently kncAV no more of the real state of her heart than she did of the jorlce of AVOOI in NCAV South AVales. Bracken and Trevellian met constantly in a tobacco- shop, at a billiard-room, or at the houses of the Aixlens and the AVIltons; but they did not knock-up a friend- sliip. They A; ere distantly civil and scrupulously polite to one another, but that Avas all. Each distrusted the other, and saAV Avhat his intentions AA-ere Avith I'egard to Cherie St. Ange, AAdio, it must be alloAVcd, had achleA-ed a great triumph in bringing to her feet Loi'd Bracken and TreA-ellian, both big fish Avorthy the angler's am- liition and of capture; but the best of the joke Ava.s, that she did not knoAv she had been so successful, and Avould h;iA-e cared A'ery little if she had. Tills Indifference to the tender passion, li0A\-eA-er, Avore off by degrees. She could not remain insensible to the attention AAliich Lord Bracken paid her, and her little heart, flutter as it Avould, AA'as not proof against the arroAvs of Cupid. She fell in love Avithout knoAA'- ing it, as man}' a girl has done before, but it AA-as Avitli I'racken, and not Avith TreA-ellian. Bracken ventured to AA-rite to Cherie occasionally, and she trea.sured up his letters. At first she AA-ould not ansAA-er them, but at length .she Avas Induced to do so, and they established a correspondence. For some time they invented and practised a peculiar mode of letter- Avriting. The rule Avas, to sacrifice the first and every alternate sentence of the letter, and read Avhat remain^. For instfinc<>% w.-^ will snppos;- t1i.st 1>P hud xviitten to hov LORD BRACKEN S- BLUNDER. 69 asking her to stay a^\a}' from church on Sunda}-, and meeting him, go for a Avalk in the fields ; her ansAA-er AAOuld run thus, so as to conAey a false impression if it should fall into hands other than those It was Intended for : "Do not think, I AVIU meet }'ou, on any considera tion Avhatever, at the old stile in the lane: you should not dream of going out, on Sunda}'. I consider it A'cry Avicked, Avhile the bells are ringing, to Avander about the fields, at church-time and during divine service." NoAv this letter, pi'operlv read, AAith the first and alternate sentences omitted, AYIU read In this Avay:— " I Avill meet you at the old stile In the lane on Sunda}', Avliile the bells are ringing, at church-time."' T'/» Jng8«Ious contrivance afforded them much amusement; but at length Bracken got tired of con cealment and determined to make an aAOAval of his affection for Cherie St. Ange, Avhich the latter could shoAv to her friends. Consequentl}' he sat doA-vii and Avrote a letter, and having finished it, he Avrote another to Aliss Arden for her to SIIOAV her people, so as to ex plain the nature of his visits to River-side House, and put an end to any extravagant hopes that Its Inmates might liaA-e formed. In the first letter he said: " I have resolved, nu clear child, to put a stop to an}' doubts and conjectures respecting my intentions toAvards you, Avliich those AVIIO have obseiwed us narroAvly of late may have Indulged in. I must take an early opportunity of coming over and seeing the person most proper to talk to. I am convinced that you AVIU make no objection, and I sin cerely hope that I shall be studying your happiness and my OAvn in adopting the course Avhich I noAV suggest," 70 THE :\IAN OP THE PERIOD.

He signed his name AvIth loving and affectionate adtiitions, and then began in this Avay the second letter, Avhicli Avas hitended for Aliss Tibby:

'^Aly dear young lady,—From Avliat I have heard from }-our OAVU lips, I knoAV that Avliat I am about to say Avill prove agreeable to you. It is necessary that I sho'uld .s})e;ik plainl.A-, because your friends AAOII think tluit I am purposely deceiving you and them. I am about to engage myself to a young lady Avlioin you are acquainted Avith, and I feel confident that you AviU be sincere in Avi.sliing us the ha])]>iness Ave luipe for. I have to thank yon ior many kindnesses, and sliall regret extremely any unforeseen occurrence Avliich may at any time Interrupt our friendship.—Believe me ahvays your sincere Avell-Avisher, BRACKEN.'

Arden came into the room jn: t as he had finished the second letter. The envelopes Avere directed, one to Aliss Arden, and the other to Aliss St. Ange. Bracken did not Avish AlaithcAv Arden to see Avliat he Avas doing, or Avho he Avas AA-riting to, so lie slip])ed the letters into the envelopes hastily, moistened the adliesi\-e mixture, and put them in his pocket, haA-ing done vihat he Avould not liaA-e done for a thousand pound.;. He had made a mistake. The letter directed to Aliss St. Ange contained the epistle intended for Aliss Arden, :ind that directed to the latter held the affectionate effusion, hinting ob scurely at a promise of marriage, Avhich should haA-e rea,clied the f'air Cherie. "AVill yon come for a ])ull on the riA'cr? The sun Avill shine for an hour or so."' " I AA ill smoke a }>ipe, if you like to paddle me TREVELLIAN HAS HIS DOUBTs. 71 about," ansAA-ered Bracken, "I Av;int to post a couple of letters as we go doAvn the village." It Avas a fine day in Avinter, and though cold, the air Avas fresh and bracing. The Aoujig men started together; and as Bracken passed the post-oiHce, he drop[)ed the letters in the box, and laid the foundation OL more confusion and positive harm than he had any idea of.

CHAPTER VIL TREA-ELLIAN HAS HIS DOUBTS. IN less than a year's time Lord Bracken kneAV that ho Avould be entirely his OAVU master, and he did not think that he could do better than marry a pretty girl AAdio pleased him and to Avliom he Avas deA'otedl}' at tached. He loved Cherie St. Ange, and he had some reason to suppose that she cared for him. Trevellian endeaA-oured to make progress In that quarter, but he could not tell IIOAV he got on, because Aliss St. Ange Avas so innocent and so artless, that she Avas frequently accused, of coipietry b\- those Avho did not knoAV liei*. She Avas ag-reeable enongli to him to induce him to think that he had a chance of Avinning her heart. Golfer carried out all that he undertook. It Avas a characteristic of Golfer's tli;it he Avas thorough. If he said he Avould do a thing, he invariably kept his Avord. In the present instance he exjieuded i-;early five hun dred pounds of his hard-earned savings in buying-up Trevellian's debts. This he effected by representing to 72 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD. the creditors that he contemplated an appeal to the banlvi'uptcy court, and that if they did not take Avhat Avas offered, they Avould get nothing. Some stood out, but he eventually got them all of one mind; and after he had finished his voluntary labour, Trevellian had nothing to harass him but a judgment-debt Avhich Golfer had against him. " Yôu give me an acknowledgment payable at sight," said Golfer, " for tAA-o thousand three hundred pounds; the three hundred's Interest, you knoAV, and for my trouble. I shall sue you, and get judgment. It's sim ple, and gives me my proper position." " GiA'es }-ou the AA'hip-hand, you mean," said Tre vellian. "I shall ncAcr use It. Doi/t be alarmed. If you are,"' replied Golfer, " AVC can break off' at once. Yôu can give me the actual cash I lun e expended, and ' "No, no! I am satisfied,"' interrupted Trevellian. "(.iet your judgment, and do Avhat you like. I dim't suppose you AVIU do me any liaim, because you AVIII lose your money If you do." So Golfer got a judgment against Geoffray Tre Aellian, AA'hich enabled him to arrest him at any mo ment ; consequently he Avas In his poAver. This Avas accomplishing the first step he had In VICAV. Having done so, he again sought Trevellian. He Aery often met him. Sometimes they AA'eiit doAvn in the same train to Teddington from A^âterloo, but Golfer travelled second class, Avliile Trevellian Avent first; and Golfer Avould rather haA-e experienced the pangs of sudden death. If there are any, or undergone sloAv tortures, than have paid the difference at any time in the same carriage Avitli his TREVELLIAN HA^ HIS DOUBTS. 73 friend, though he AAOUICI gladly have cheated the rail- Avay company. If he had not feared that his ticket Avould be examined before starting. AVhen TreA-ellian reached his lodgings in the even ing, he lighted a pipe, and Avondered Avhat he could do to pass aAvay the time. His servant brought him a letter from Golfer, In AvliIch the latter said he should be glad to run oA-er for an hour for a confidential chat. If agreeable. Trevellian replied that It Avould be agree able, and the messenger Avent back. Presently Golfer put in an appearance. TreA-ellian regarded him as a cad, and could under no circumstances have made a friend of him. His hats Avere bad, narroAA--brimmed, and so shiny as to be suspicious of soaji or grease. His coats A\-ere generally frock, unbuttoned, and Avorn at the slecA'cs and elbows. In AAinter he Avore an imitation sealskin Avaistcoat. "The vest, as advertised, ten and six, Lemuel Brothers, ecjual to bespoke," AvhateA-er the latter expression may mean. Plis shirts Avere of flannwl, and he took care to let every one knoAV it, for he usu ally AA-ore a slip of black ribbon, Avhich, as a rule, set off In bold relief the edges of a dirty collar. His boots Avere of Northampton make, and hideously Sfpare at the toes. Of gloves his hands Avere generally Innocent; and Avhen Indeed he Avore gloves, the magnitude of his hands became horribly apparent, in the loose eighteen- penny bags he thought it advisable to purchase. AVhen he came to TreA-ellian"s lodgings he had on the "Lemuel Brothers,"' and the "A-est"' shone resplen dent after tAvo years' service, though It must be con fessed It had someAvhat lost fur, and Avas not so fluffy as had been the original rabbit-skin. " Good-eAcning, Golfer: IIOAV do?"'exclaimed Tre- 74 THE JIAN OP THE PERIOD,

A-ellian. "Bring yourself to an anchor, an.d say Avliat you'll drink. AVhisky cold ! So you shall. The "l.iacca Is near A'OU ; lielp yonrseli."' AVhen Iiis waiits Avere snppliel, Tiolfer said,, '"Th" time lias now come for us to understand one ai'.otiier, Air. Trevellian. I ha\e done n good detd for }'0u, liut you can't suppose for a moment tliat 1 have done it for nothing. There is nothing so A'ery fascinatinc- aliout }-0H, that I ^;llould throAv ni}- little fortune at your feet and sink it In a gulf,—is there?"' "I don't care about (he sort of lang'uage }-ou are using to me," answered Tre'icllian ; "I am not accus tomed to it: and if you think you"re going to bully and dictate to me just because I oAve A'OU mone}-, yo-a're dismally mistaken, mv good felloAv." Golfer had a AA-a}', a peculiar Avay, of grinning, and AA-henever auA-thing amused him, he indulged in this burlesque of a smile, and a ghasti}- grin Avas the di.s- agreeable and irritating result. " I Avill endeaAOur to make my remarks as palatable as I can,"' he said; "arid 1 hope I shall be successful, for I don't AA'ant to quarrel Avith }0U. AVe must roAv together, and then Ave shall land a large stake." '•' Still, I am at a loss to comprehend your meaning," said irevellian. " AVluit can there possibly be in com mon Ijctween us ?" " What AVonld }-ou giA-c me if I Avere to tell you hoAv to get liohl of a huiuh'ed thousand pounds?" said Golfer. "Honestly?" " Of course."" "You should liaAc ten per cent." "AViite me a letter to that eftect. You are a TREVELLIAN HAS HIS DOUBTS. 75 gentleman, and }'ou Avould not disoAvn your hand- Aviitlng. As a legal securit}- your letter Avould not be Avorth much. I could not sue AOU at common laAA', because I should be unable to proA-e a consideration, unless,"" he added, Avith a laugh, " getting a man a AAife IS a consideration." "AAvife! AVhat do }'ou mean ?"' asked Tre\-ellian surprised. "How far liaA-e you gone vrith Aliss St. Ange '." '•' It is an impertinent rpiesticin, and I don't knoAv Avhat light A-ou liaA-c to a^k it,"' said TreA-ellian flushing aiigril}'; ''but I Avill tell AOU tliat I believe I haA'e made scmie impression upon her. I have never thought seiiousl}- of maiTylng her. At first I scarcely kncAV AAdiy I made up to her. Latterly I liaA-e done It to cut out a felloAv you have seen at Alajor AA'Ilton s."' "Lord Bracken," suggested Golfer. "Y^es. I don't think I should liaA-e staved so long at Teddington as I liaA-e, if it had not been for a little rivalry Avhich has sprung up betAA-een us.' "Then you admit that you haA-e tried to make this young lady love you,'' said Golfer Avith Avhat seemed an affectation of virtuous indignation, " A\ithout any Inten- O 7 t tion of making her the only reparation you have in your power? YouAvouhl Avillingiy lireak her heart, andleaA-e somebody else to mend it. Is this the conduct of a gentleman. Air. Trevellian f' " 1 don't Avant to be catechised and lectured Irvyou," responded TreA'ellian sulkil}-. "As a friend of Aliss St. Ange, I liaA-e a right to make these remarks."" " IlaA'C }'ou ?"' said TreAellian rudel}-. " I should not think you Avere able to call yourself a friend simply 76 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD. beCcUise you happen to lodge In the house. If }ou are a fiien.b and think any serious Avrong has been done your protegee, Avhy not marry her }ourself T' '• She Avould not have me," ansAvered Golfer rather sadly, all the rage vanishing out of his e}es. " I have neither name, looks, position, manners, or education to charm her; but believe me or not, rloAe that girl as a brother, and I AAOuld not see any harm come to her for ever so much. I Avould rather lose the little money I have scraped together and luA'csted in my present com pany, Avliich I Avill make bold to call ' TreA-ellian and Co., Limited,' than have a hair of her head Injiu'ed." He spoke Avitli such energy that Trevellian regarded him AvIth that admiration Avliich AVC all feel for any one Avho is In earnest. "I had hoped that AOU Avould lo\e her," continued C'olfer; "and that knoAving ^ou both, 1 might continue a friend of the famih', and carry on the IOAC I luue for the mother to the children. If Iliad dared tell my lo\e, I Avould haA e done so long ago; but I'm not a fool. Air. TreAellian. I knoAv as Avell as you could tell me that I am not a ladA's man, and I Avas sure—as I am now— that I could be nothing more than a friend or an ac quaintance to Aliss St. Ange, though I Avorshlp the ground she Avalks upon. AVhat remains for me to do'! Simply to look out for a husband for her, Avho Avould treat her AA-ell and as she deseiwed. I don't belleA-e In Lord Bracken ; it is not likely that he means to deal honestly Avitli her. A peer of the realm, Avitli all the mone}- they say he's got, doesn't go and marry a poor governess and companion. He may make a fool other, and then she can take her chance; the Avorld AAon't blame him, but they AVIU blame the AAoman, poor dear." TREVELLIAN HAS HIS DOUBTS. 77

Air. Golfer AA-as shoAving a UCAV part of his character to TreA'ellian, Avho listened and maiwelled. " I am sorry I should haA'e disappointed your high expectations," he said. "I'AC a good mind to chuck it up," said Air. Golfer gloomil}-, as he relapsed into his everv-da}- Avay of ex pressing himself once more. "Let us talk about the mone}-," exclaimed TreA-el lian after a pause. "That's more In }-our Avay," replied Golfer srimost fierceh'. "It is all the m.en of the present day think about. What's your objection to Aliss St. Ange ? Tell me that first. If she had a pot of money, Avould you marry her?" '' That AA-ould alter the complexion of things mate rially. Look here. Golfer; I am a poor man, and she Is poorer than me. AVhat good should I do her In- marrylng her, even if she AA-ould haAe me :' I can't afford a AA-ife, unless It be a rich one. It is one oftlio.se luxuries utterly beyond tli(5 reach of a GoA-ernment clerk like me. It is as much as I can do to get along at pre sent. Aly friends cannot spare anything ; and Aliss St. Ange Avould be little better off than a labourer's AAife if she Avere to bear my name."' " She's not the poor creature you take her for," said Golfer. "If justice is done her, she ought to haA'e three thousand a-year in GoA-ernment Three per Cent Stock."' "If!"' TreA-ellian repeated this little monosyllable sarcastl- callv " Thei-e is no 'If about it. She's got It, and I can |,r.ive it tn-ninrrow,''' 78 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD.

"Yôu!" ejaculated Trevellian. "Y'es. I, James Golfer, common-laAV clerk at Peddle and Lever's, Bedford-roAv, Ilolborn, E.C.," ans AA-ered that IndlAidual phufull}-. This declaration completel}- knocked Trevellian off his centre, as he AA-OUICI have said; and he had some difficulty In believing that it Avas true. " AVill A-ou promise me," Golfer A\-ent on, " that A\ hat I am going to tell you about Aliss St. Ange's fortune you Avill keep a profound secret, unless I give you per mission to speak .^" "Ought I to make such a promise?"' queried Tre A-ellian, " I shall not utter another Avord vniless }-ou do," re plied Golfer decisiyel}:. '* I AAIU give you the required promise, and declare upon my Avord that 1 AVIU consider anything you ma}' sav to me sacred," TrcA-ellian de(dared. He Avas carried away by his curiosity to hear more, though he thoiiidit at the time he Avas doing Avroiig In making such a promise. "You haA'e heard, I daresay,"" began Golfer, "that Air. St. ^Vnge died intestate. No such thing, Peddie an;'. Lever drew a Avjll, wlii(Ji Avas duly sealed, signed, and delivered, and In this AVIU A\lr. St. Ange becpieaths all his fortune, amijunting to 100,Cr;)0/., in the English funds, to his daughter Cherie St. Ange, Avho becomes the heiress of the testator."' " But no Aviil Avas found." " I knoAv it. Air. Peddie remembered the making of the Avill, and so did Air, IA'WT ; but they could not find the AVIU, and ever}- one .supposed that the deceased ifcntj.'in.an. dnvinii' oric of lijc; vi>ifs to tfie office, niiist TREA'ELLI.AN HAS HIS DOUBTS. 79 liaA-e taken it aAvay Avitli him, and either destroyed or mislaid It. His sudden death preA'ented any explana tion upon this ])oint. Ho',ve\-er, to make a long story short, that Avill is now in in}- possession." "In yours ! Impossible!" said TreA-ellian. " I have It, sir; and can put my hand on it at a moment's r.otice,"'said Golfer, slapping the table Avith a proud consciou.sness of poAA-er. " Since Avlien, ma}-1 ask, have }0U had this valuable instrument?" " About six months UOAV." "And }-ou haA-c not said anything to anybody?" " You are the first living being to AAdiom I haA'e opened my mouth," replied Golfer. "Don't }-ou think you liaA-e been acting A-cryAvrong in kee])ing Aifss St. Ange out of her property for so hmg a time?" said Trevellian. "No, I doift,"' answered Golfer in his blunt Avay ; " I dor/t think an\thlng of the sort. I like to d-;) things in my own Ava}-. NOAV I"11 put it to A'OU. Suj)pose, Avlien I had discovered this valuable instrument, as A'OU A-ery pi-operl}- cadi it, I had rushed up to Peddie or Lover Avith It in my hand. The\- Avould haA'e thanked me, and said it was a fortunate circumstance, and that l'"ro-\ i'leuce arranges everything for the best, though it moves in a m}-sterious Ava}-. ^Vfter a few more 2)lati- tudes, Peddie or Le'>-er v-oul.l haAe l;a 1 a cab and gone down to Teddington to see the Alajor, and there Avould have fieen a great fuss, and eA'erything that could be done to make costs AA'ould liave been resorted to as a matter of course. I should Inive been shoA-ed on one side and got no thanks—perhaps Aliss St. Ange Avould not fiave liea'''d inA' naiu.;- lupofionpil,"" 80 THE >rAN OF THE PERIOD. " That Is possible enough," said Trevellian. " But I want to be somebody_ in this matter, and I Avant to get something out of it for myself. " Is not that something like robbing the orphan?" " I think not. Suppose I get ten thousand out of it—ten thou.'s my price—don't I deserve it? Don't I give the orphan ninety thousand, Avhereas she wouldn't get a penny if I liked to put the Avill on the fire, and see it burn to a Avliite ash, Avithout saying a AVord or making a sign ?"' '• I can't contradict you.'' '•I had hoped,'" said Golfer, "that you Avould by this time have fiillen in loA-e Avitli Cherie St. Ange. Not Avith her money, mind youÎ don't Avant that—and that A-ou AvouLl co\enant to ]iay me my price, and take the girl as }((nr Avife : and now I haA'e a good mind, Air. Trevellian, to tell vou that, if you don't go in and Avin, ril ]iiit the screw on, and send you through the bankru]i1cv coiiit, Avliich Avill be equlA-alent to ruining A ou. J can do it ; for my judgment holds good. I iviicwiil it Acs1erda\-, and I can put it iu force at an}- moment."" Trevellian looked blankly at Golfer, as if he Avon dered how his commonplace-looking head could liaA'C invented MKII a clever jdot as that Avhicli he had just lis tened to. After that, bis e}t>s flashed, and he seemed ^s if labouring liard to sn])press an almost irresistible i^mpulse to kick the lawNvr's clerk out of the room. tersôlT'leis over Qvnetl' -^'f v ' n^"' i^ ^^^« tl^""^^ feeling was to talk mat- consult his futrn'-o ' *'''''"""'' "^ô his own heart and wl.nl was Lpst to hin°^^'*""^'' """-^ decide generally as to OUT OF HIS RECKONING. 81

CHAPTER VIII. OUT OP HIS RECKONING. THE reA-elatlon to which TrcA-elhan had listened was certainly a most startling one. He thought for a long time over It, and at length told Golfer that he must come and see him again on the folloAviiig evening, if he could make It couAenient, and he Avould then see if he could come to a decision and tell him if he really loved Aliss St. Ange sufficiently to make her his Avife. "I Avill be candid AAith you In this matter,"' he said; "and If I find on reflection and consideration that I do not cai-e sincerely for Aliss St. Ange, I AVIU advise you to look out for some one else to help you In your ambi- tiotis schemes. I am not a mere fortune-hunter, thotigh 7 O you may have Inferred so from AA'hat I haA'e said. The fact is, most young men like to have a little money Avith their AA'Ives If they can get It. The pleasure that a man derives from the society of a beautiful Avoman is not com pensation enough for the Avorry she entails and the deprivation of comforts, and the giving-up of pet habits, su])]iosing he has a limited Income." " A husband ought not to be selfish," moralised Air. (i olfer. " It Is all very Avell to sa}' that; but men are natu rally selfish. I like theatres and music-halls occa- sioirally, and I should miss an eA'ening UOAV and then at Cremorne. I could not take my Avife to the theatre unless I had a cab there and back; and I should have to pay for tAA-o Instead of one, unless I knew some man on the press and got nrdprs, AA'hich T hate doing. ,n^ 82 THE I\IAN OP THE PERIOD. I ahvays think It looks mean to go into a theatre Avith paper. I could not degrade my Avife to the lex'e! of a music-hrdl or Cremorne." " "\Vhy degrade }'ourself ?"' asked Air. Golfer sliarphy. " We Avill not discuss that point, if you j)lease," returned Trevellian, discreetly avoiding that battle ground. " Now, supposing I continued to indulge in niA- music-hall and ni}- Crenior:ie, I should have to tell ni}- A\ife some untruth to account for iny stopping out, Avhicli Avould 1)0 a bore ; fijr unless she Avere a fool or an angel " " Are tlie terms synonymous ?" "Very nearly so,—she Avould not permit me, Avith- o-iit ene-rgetic remonstrance, to sjiend ni}- eAeiiings aAA-ay from her. This is all Aery Avell; but I, for one, don't care aljout being pinned to any AA-oman's apron-string." " Do you mean to say that you have a disinclination to marriage altogether T" inquired Golfer. " I Avon"t say that. I am onl}- trying to instil into your mind that a man Is not mercenary AAdien lie asks for money In a Avifc to ina]-;e up for the disadA'antages and annoyances she Is sure to entail upon him. I have heard people talk about the charms of a fireside; }-our Avife Availing for you AAdien you come home after a hard duiA-'s Avork, meeting you in the hall and kissing AOU tenderly. But snp])ose you don't Avant to be kissed? AVhat are }-ou to do in the evening 1 Y'our Avife Avill look glumpy If you read a book or a magazine, and, as a rule, Avoinen can't talk sensibly ; that is to sa\-, tlic}- are incapable of sustaining a conversation upon aii}- matter of interest to a man. AA'hen a Avoman marries, she generally gives up her music, or, if she does not, she wants practice, arid fov.cx^ts eveiwrhing except ,i. OUT OF HIS RECKON! N'G. 83 few stock pieces that one has heard hundreds of times before during one's courtship, and Avhlch one hates for that very reason, beca.use very often it reminds one of a ]ia.>t folly and an IrreA-ocable error. Sometimes the stock pieces are pla}-e(l so carelessly and so execrably badly that the false notes jar upon the ear, and create a disgust Avhicli is palpable at the finish of the ])ei-f(»rm- ance; and getting a SCOAVI instead of a smile A-our Avife begins to cry and makes matters \'.'i_)rse. Then, again, Avomeu caift play chess or backgammon, and call crib- bage loAv ; or if theA- have a knoAvledge of these games, It is so superficial as to enable A-OU to get an eas}- vic tory, Avhich Is no fun, tune after time. As often as not, AOU are thiven out of }-our OAVU house to smoke a pipe or a cigar. Y^our Avife never has anything to saA'; ncA-er goes anyAA-here; iieA'er sees auA' one. Your baby is always 111, and AVIII Avake you up In the night Avitli its ])ropensit}- for squalling Avlien all other decent created tilings are fast asleep. A'our home naturally enough becomes a AA-orry and a bore : an.d }-ou have to look a.t everA- shilling before you sjicnd it ; so that you cannot offer a friend a cigar, or ask him to have a glass of Avine at your club, Avithout }-our conscience reproaching and telling }-ou tliat you are rolibing your Avife, AVIIO could lay the mone}- out much l)etter iu l-uying a nev,- p^ir of shoes for your cliild." Air. Golfer laughed at this catalogue of-.voes. '^ Xny one Avould think you spoke from experience, ' he said. " I feel deeply and strongly on the subject," he re plied ; " and I am convinced that the A'iew I take is the right one. But Ave need not go any further; I hope I liaA'C established the po.sltion I took up. If I think that I can bonestlA' make tip IUA- mind to i^ropose to Aliss St 84 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD.

Ange, I Avill let you knoAV; though Ave are counting our chickens liefore they are hatched, for I don't know AAdiether she Avill liaA'c me."' " Take her by storm. I am not afraid of the result, if }-ou lay siege manfully,"" ansAvered Golfer. The conversation ended there; and Golfer AA-ent home. On the foUoAvIng eA-ening he called again ujwn Trevellian, AVIIO told him that he had finally decided to propose to Aliss St. Ange, and that he had come to that conclusion unbiassed In the slightest degree by AA-hat he had heard respecting her fortiuie. He gave Golfer an undei'taklng to pay him ten thousand pounds In the event of his marrying the heiress, and haA-ing the control of her fortune, or, at least, sufficient control to enable him to pay that .sum stated. In the mean time eA-ents Avere taking place AAdiich neither of them had calculated upon. The letters Avliich Lord Bracken had posted at Barnes had been dellA'cred at Teddington. Aliss ,\rdeii recelA'cd hers, and read it Avitli consideralile astonishment. Her mother also read it, looking over her shoulder, and was greatly elated in consequence. It Avas the letter which Cherie St. ^Viige should li;iA'e had, and, though Aagne In its terms, amounted, as Airs. Arden properly thought, to a promise of marriage. Tibby Avas not at all pleased. Indeed, she could not understand the letter, after the conversation she had ill the ball-room Avitli Lord Bracken. In spite of her father's precaution, she Avas in love Avitli one of his part ner's sous, and they had carried on a clandestine corre- --])ondence for some time. Her mother Avas too much fdatod to notice her dnua;]itov"s di.scnmfituve, and ex- OUT OP HIS liECKONIN(... o-J claimed, "I thought It would come to this at last, and must congratulate }'ou, my dear TIbb}-, ujioii having a chance of speedily becoming a lad}- of title." Tibby dared not sa}- that she Avas not at all anili- tious of the honour; so she muttered something scarcely iutelligible, and Aveiit up stairs, locking herself in her bed-room, and having a good cry Avithout interrup tion. Airs. Arden Avaited impatiently for the comi;;g of her husband, and fumed and fretted because he haj)- peiied to be kept late Iu the City, and did not coir.e bA' the usual train. His fiice was rather longer than usual Avhen he did arrive, and at any other time she AA'ould have remarked this, and knoAvn that he had not had a A-ery good da}-. City men generall}- show in their faces the sort of luck they have met Avitli in lui^i- ncss. The inereiiry of their ]^)crsoiial barometer fs easily forcctl up or doA\ii, " HOAV late }-ou are !"' she .-aid. "Late! It's a AA-onder you saAv me at all. A\'e'\e had a panic in the Cit}-, and I've bidled e\-er}- stock tor the last fortnight,'' groAvled Air. Arden. "Tw(; of orn* best customers AVIU be ruined, and Ave shall lo,~e a } ear's Income, If something does not turn up to-morroAv.'" " Never mind business,'' exclaimed Airs. Arden, Avith a lofty disdain. " AVhat AVIII you sa}- Avlien I tell AOU that Bracken has proposed to Tibby ?"' " Proposed ! his lordship proposed ! you don't sa}- so? That is good ncAvs," cried Air. Arden, Avliose coun.- tenance lighted up. " I did not expect that; not just yet, at least." "Didn't .you? I did. See, here is the letter he hao Avritten her. It is rather brief and ol)-cnre, AC* I think 86 THE .MAN OF TllL PERIOD. there can onl\- be one interpretation to be placed upon It." The stock-broker took and read the letter, and said, " I am of your opinion ; he is in love Avith the girl, and this Is a proposal. He alAva}'s seemed to me rather sli}- a;id timid. If he had not been, things Avould haA'e come to a crisis before UOAV. HoAA'CA'er, It is all right. I Avill see to it," " If you AAill take my ad\-ice, dear, you Avill go over to his lordship to-morroAV morning, before vou go to business, and clench the matter. Tell him Tibby is AvIllIng to make a match of it, in such a Avay that he can't get out of It Avithout an action for breach of pro mise," said the astute mother of the charming Tibby. " Not the first thing. I must be in the City early, but I'll get aAvaA- as soon as the danger AA-hich threatens us Is over, and go doAvn to his lordship and do as you suggest, my dear. GIA'C me the letter." "Do not lose It, in case of accident.s," said Airs. Arden, as slie g.ave her husband the letter, which he put in his pocket. " Not I!" lie rejoined. " I never lost a valuable document In my life. You can order dinner. I shall not be long dressing."" He disappeai'ed up stairs, indulging golden dreams of the honour Avliich aAvaited his daughter, and AAdiich Avould reflect indi-reetly upon him. It Avould be so plea sant to talk in tb.c City to his friends of my daugliter Lad}- Bracken. Jle Avoiild haA-e preferred a mor-.' grandly sormding name, such as I'lantagenet, De A'^ere, or some- tiiing of tiiat natme, ijut he wa.i t(^]erab!y satisiled Avith the reflection that she Avould be a peeress, and he Avon dered Avhether Bracken had a seat in the House of OUT OP HIS RECKONING. 87 Lords, and Avliat sort of shooting he could give him at his country seats. Air. Arden could have sliot about as Avell AvIth a broomstick as Avitli a breech-loader; but he Indulged pleasant Aisions of battues, in Avhlch, like Samson, he SICAV his thousands. AVhen he got to the City in the morning, things AA'ere rather better and prices recovered themselves. Getting an opportunity of speaking to his partner, he said, " The big thing has come off at last '" "AVhat's that?"' asked Air. Fulling. " Bracken has proposed to my daughter."' And Air. Arden put his fingers In his AA'aistcoat- pockets, and drcAv himself up to his full height, Avatching the effect of this tremendous announcement upon the trembling Fulling. "Lord Bracken! The one I've heard you speak aboixt!" exclaimed the latter. Air. Arden nodded his head. " Going to marry your Tibby .f "Yes, sir." "AVell, I neA-er!'' said Air. Fulling, sinking Into a chair, overcome Avith CIIA-}-, hatred, malice, and all un- charitableness. " There's a AvaA- of managing these things. Fulling," said Air. Arden,.in a patronising sort of manner. "It Is'nt CA-erybody Avho's got the knack. But }'O-LI see I'A'C don.e it. I'A'C landed a two-hundrcd-thousand-pound man, and a jieer of the realm into the bargain. None of }-our knocked-o-ut penniless sprigs of nobility, but a proper peer, sir, one AAdio stands Avell Aviih the aris tocracy, and can ask the prime minister a favour, or dine AAith the Queen at Balmoral, if he happens to be going that Avay. That is AAdiat I call tact."' 88 THE .AIAN OF THE PERIOD.

"I am sure I am ver}- Inqipy to hear it, Arden, very happ}-, and I hope the girl will find him all her fancy paiuts him; but these young noblemen are generally sad clogs," remarked Air. Fulling. "No fear; TIbb}-'s been Avell brought up ; aiul if he won't run In the snaffie, she'll try the curb."' "I AvIsh you joy," Air. Fulling Aveiit on, iu the magnanimity of his heart; shook his partner by the hand, being all the time ready to Avish him and his daughter every species of evil through sheer vexation. As soon as he could get aA\-a}' Air. Arden left the City and AA'ent doAvn to Barnes. On inquiring he found that Lord Bracken had gone out, ami Avould probabl}- be found on the Common Avitli a UCAV dog AvliIch had just arrlA-ed for him from the country. Thither he Aveiit, and on the Common found Bracken alone, if \\e except the dog, Avhicli ^^a.J of the bull l.rced. "llo\\ do.'' exclaimed he, extending lii^ hand. " Lxlad to oce }ou. I luvve a present for Aliss Arden. t->he spoke frequently to me about a dog. Here is one of the breed she admli'cs; and If AOU AVIII take it back with vou, I shall be pleased."' " Certainl}-, ni}- lord,"' replied Air. Arden, Avliose face beamed AvIth pleasure, thinking this commencemen.t a good sign, as devoted lovers ahvays make presents; and though one of Air. Streeter's handsomest bracelets Avould have been far preferable, a bull-pup Avas better than nothing, if only as an indication of IIOAV the AVIIUI blcAV. This w as Avliat he said to himself. They Avalked along among the furze, and the pup jumped up about their leg>, making Air, Arden's ti'ou- OUT OF HIS RECKdNING, 89 sers anything but clean, owing to some thick clay in AvliIch he had been setting his paAVS. "I su])pose }-ou can guess Avliy I am here, my lord ?" exclaimed Air. iVrdeii, after a brief pause, and putting on his blandest manner. "No, Indeed I can't. Have }-ou any special reason for visiting me T' ansAvered Bracken. "Your letter, my lord " " O, ah, I see," Interrupted Bracken, " I am sorr}- if its contents at all disappointed or offended A on, be cause you liaAC given me great hospitality, and your daughter is an amiable, agreeable girl,"' "Offended! disappointed'"' repeated Air, Arden aghast, " Y'es; I don't suppose }-ou are either one or the other, for you are a seiisilde man, Arden,"" continued Lord Bracken. "1 thought it best, honeier, to sa}' openly that 1 could not d.o m} eli the honour of a.ii alliance y hh your famil}-— He A', as obliged to stop abiuptlv in the midst of his speech, oAvnig to a Avild, maniacal laugh of Air. Arden's. That Irascible gentleman tore open his coat, and from his pocket drcAv the letter Avliich Tibby had re ceived. " That Is your letter, my lord, I have every reason to believe?" "That is my handAvrltlng, and I daresay It is the letter I sent Aliss Arden yesterday," replied Bracken, Avondering at the man's vehemence. "Y"ou admit It, and yet you liaAC the audacity to endeaAOur to creep and craAvl out of It. But }ou don't escape so easily. Lord Bracken ; O, dear no," cried the broker, Avhose passion grcAv stronger each moment. 90 THE MAN ((F THE PERIOD. Lord Bracken took the letter and read It. He saAV in a moment that he had made a mistake, and though much annoyed, calmly proceeded to set the merchant right. " I am sorry to say that this letter Avas intended for a young lad}-, Aliss St. Ange, Avith Avliom you are ac quainted,'" he exclaimed; " I Avrote one at the same time to your daughter, and the one I meant for her must haA'e gone into the euA-elope directed to Aliss St. Ange. It Is a stupid blunder, but easily set right. Aliss Arden can be nothing to me but a friend, and—" Air. Arden interrupted him, and threatened laAA'- proceedlngs, which put the young nobleman on his mettle. " O," he continued, "if that Is hoAV you talk, this IntervieAv is best not prolonged. You may do Avliat you like, sir; and if you think you have a legal remed}' for my unfortunate mistake, I leave it in your OAVU hands, I cannot blame myself, for I haA'e never given Aliss A^rden In any Avay to understand that she Avas dear to me."' " But, my lord—" '• I can hold no farther com ersation Avitli }-ou, sir,' said Bracken, Interrupting him In his turn. " You haAe spoken of kiAV—to your hiAV I leaA'e }'ou ; and I have the honour to Avfsh you a Acry good-morning."' AVliistiing to his dog he strode aAvriy: AAdiile the inei- cliant stoO'l amidst tlie furze on the common, tlie picture of am;;:;eino-it; deep ehagrhi, and the blankest despaii'. "^Vell, I never!" he muttered. ''Here's a di.-ap- jiointment! AVhat Avill my Avife say i I Avisli I had luit mentioned Tibb}-'s brilliant prospects to ni}- partner. HOAV he Avill crow over me!" CHERIE S FLIGHT. 91

CILVPTEPv IX.

CHERIE S FLIGHT.

THERE Avas nothing for Air. Arden to do but to go lioine, Avhicli he did by the next train. Airs. Arden received the nevrs he brought Avitli silent rage, feeling that she could tear Cherie St. Ange to pieces for siqiplanting her daughter In Lord Bracken's affections ; but Aliss Tibby AA'as delighte'd. ToAvards eA'ening Edina AVilton called, and Airs. Arden could scarcely briiig herself to receive her AvIth common civility, though she strove liard to stifle her rage ; b-at Avlien she heard her reason for calling, she brightened up a little. Aliss Eddie Avas in search of Cherie St. Ange. She had gone out early that morning looking ill and Avorn, telling no one AA-hlther she Avas bound, and had not been seen since. Her prolonged absence alarmed her friends, AAIIO kncAv not Avliat to think of her strange conduct. Airs. Arden could give Aliss AVilton no Intelligence. She had not seen Cherie. And Edina Avent aA\ay still more alarmed. The next da}- Avas equall}- blank ; but In the after noon Alajor AVilton received a letter Ijoaiing the London post-mark from Aliss St. Ange, stating that circumstances had aiiseu A'.hich made it desirabdc she should. le;iA-c Teddington. Siie thanked thoni ibr their kindiie^s to her, and added that .she AV;I.-, in treaty for a situation Avitli some }>eop]e in a midland count}-, and begged them to have no concern respecting her future. This Avas alk 02 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD,

To Lord Bracken AVIIO came o\er in the evening, they shoAved the letter; and he was much cut iqi, not doubting for a moment, that what she considered his cruel letter had been the cause of her sudden flight. He Avould haA e gi\ en tliousaiid.> of pounds to find her, set matters right, and opeul}- tell her IIOAV much he loved and longed to make her his Avife; but she AAas gone, and he kncAV not Avhere to find her, Geoffray Trevellian Avas equall}- auiio}-ed and a- larmed; he fancied that since there Avas no chance of his marrying the heiress. Golfer Avould iiress him for satis- facthm of the judgment he held against him. Nor Avas he mistaken. (Jolfer Avas like a madman, and raAcd as one out of his senses, demanding his monev In a Aveek. It Avas out of Trevellian s power to give it to him, but he deterniincd to make an effort to get it. There Avas a gentleman from whom he had obtained sums of money on seAcral occasion-. He ya;> a .solicitor, and the legal adAiscr to Air. (.reorgc St}-leiiiau Tre\ellian, AVIIO Avas Geoft'ray's uncle. Air. George Avas not on A-er}' friendly terms Avitli Geoffray, AVIIO had Avorn out his jia- tieiice by appeals for mone}-; but the laAVAcr kncAV that GeoffVay, at his father's death, Avas his uncle's heir, and Air. George TreAellian had no children, consequently lie stood a good chance of inheriting his property, AvhIch AA-as considerable; and on this chance Air. Dobson, the solicitor In question, had made the young spendthrift adA-ances from time to time. It Avas to Air. Dobson that GeoftVay noAV Avent. Air. Dobson had chambers, or offices. In Doctor.s'- commons. His practice Avas not popularly supposed to be large, but it Avas kiioAvn that he had some rich clients, through Avliose Instrumentalit}- he one Avay and CHERIE S FLIGHT. 93

another put a good deal of money in his pocket. He did not trouble himself much about the pett}- business of the profession. It was not Avorth Air. Dobson's Avliile to make a fcAv shillings HOAV and then by serving Avrits, and sci-CAvIng the last pound or so out of a poor felloAV Avho had got out of his depth. He shot his shafts at higher game, and as often as not succeeded in bringing down his quarry. One morning he had arrived at the Commons at his usual time; the clock of St. Paul's struck the hour of ten as he entered one of the devious alleys Avliich lead Into the hitricacles of the legal warren iu AAdiich he burroAved during the da}-time. He ke])t tAA-o clerks ; and although his practice AA-as not verA- ex- tensh-e, as AA'C liaA-e already hinted, yet he contrlA-ed to find something more for them to do than nibbing pens, and spoiling paper by sketching preposterous heads of impossible brigands. The paper of his prlA-ate room Avas nearly hidden by an accumulation of black-tin boxes, marked on the outsides Avith the names of the proprietors, or AAith inscriptions denoting the corpora tion or board to AAdiich the papers Inside appertained. There Avere two or three tables In the room, A\-hicli JKJSI- tively groaned beneath the Aveight of the papers placed upon them. Alost of these Avere discoloured b}- time and dust, and had a funereal appearance not very Inter esting to the superficial observer. On his arrival Air. Dobson sat doAvn and opened his letters. ^Vfter perus ing the contents he replaced the notes, and carefnll}- In dorsed the date and the name of the Aviiter on the back of the euA-elope; then he approached the pile of boxes, and detached one from amongst the rest. It appeared to haA-e been in his office for some considerable time; it AA'as not only dlrtA* and dnst-liegrimed, bnt the I'^fters 94 THE JIAN OF THE PERIOD. upon its face Avere almost obliterated ; but after a mi nute inspection, the Avords " George Styleman Trevel lian" might have been deciphered. AVhen the attorney had succeeded in placing this box on the table, he sat doAvn before It, and sur\e}'ed It Avitli a tlioughtful air. As he remained for a moment or so stee])ed in meditii- tion, he presented a singular stud}- for a disciple of L;i- A'ater. In person he Avas short and stout; his face Avas round, like a turnip or a pumpkin, but it Avas deeply furroAved Avith years of care and study. At times, Avlien he Avas pleasant, it AA-ore Avhat might be called an e.K- pression of a ghost of jocularity; but his attenijits at mirth Avere very faint, and, Indeed, Avere usuall}- consi dered by his friends to be miserable, if not lamentable failures. Presently he undid the box Avitli a kc}' he took from his Avaistcoat-pocket, and rising from his chair, looked AvistfuUy at th.e documents AvliIch Avere i-OA-ealed to his eager gaze. After searching amongst the number displa}'ed before him, he selected three or four, and placed them by his side. There Avas a musty smell about them, as If they had not been disturbed for a long time. A^ampire sorts of moths had made an attempt to dcA'our the corner of one; but apparenth- finding it unpalatable, they had desisted, for onl}- a fragment Avas eaten av/a}-. Air. Dobson had hardl}- arran-god the papers before him to his satisi'action, and put the box doAvn upon the carpet liy his side, before one of his clerks entered the room, after giving a pre liminary knock, and stated that a gentleman AAished to see him. "His name?" demanded Air. Dobson. In reply to this C[uery the clerk handed a diminutive ''ai'd io bis ni.ister, Tlic tln^.- bh '-.f paslclinnrd was frilt CHERIE'S FLIGHT. 95

round Its edges, and argued AVCU for the affectation of its owner. " O, Air. Geoffray TreA'ellian !"' exclaimed Afr. Dob son. "Let him come in."' And as the clerk retired, he disposed himself Avitli a satisfied smile on his rotund countenance to receive his A-isitor. AA hen the door again opened, the clerk usliered in a AOung gentleman about three-and-tAventv Aears of age, dressed iu the height of fashion. He AA-as of a light complexion, and his hair Avas auburn. A delicate moirs- taclie had already made its a2:)pearance upon his some- Avhat feminine lip, but Avhiskers AA'cre as }-et bcnond the reach of his ambition. Our readers haAe seen him be- fiire. Pie Avas our friend of the AVar-office ; the moneA- hunter Avho Avished to marry Cherie St. .'\.nge, the fngi- tiA-o heiress. The A-oung man nodded In a carele-s manner to the attorney, and threw himself Into an arin-chaii\ saving as he did so, "Alorning, Dobson; hoAV do A'OU do?" "'Good-morning, Air. TreA-ellian: good-rnorning, sli','' said the attorncA- After this mutual greeting there was a pause of a fcAV seconds' duration. It appeared that the tactics of both Avere Identical—the attorney Avas Avaiting for his A-isitor to commence the conversation, Avhile GeoffraA' Avas equally desirous that the man of laAv should begin the verbal skirmish that Avas aliout to ensue. TreA'el lian ]ilayed Avith his silken moi-istache, and stared in a A-acant Avay at the ceiling : the attorney coughed and fidgeted on his chair. At last Air. Dobson exclaimed, ''You are out betimes, Air. Trevellian." '•AVliv, A'cs, " --'^'ae ibc I'cid-v; "'osii \t^\\ arc doiiiitl,--!:3 96 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD.

aAvare, Air. Dobson, that business must be attended to before pleasure." The attorney rubbed his hands, as If enjoying an excellent joke. " Certainly, my dear sir, certainly ; business before pleasure has ahvays been my motto ; Avas so, sir, AAdien I Avas a boy that high;" and he indicated about the height of a cubit by placing his hand a certain distance from the floor. "Nothing like it, sir; nothing like It," he added sententlously. Again there Avas a pause, but this time of short duration, for the attorney broke the silence by saying, '• And Avhat may the business be Avhich has called you out so early this morning. Air. Geoffray Ti'eAellian." " Business AAdiich you AAill scarcely be at a loss to guess, I should think."' "Indeed!" " Come noAA-, Dobson," continued the young gentle man, " you knoAV as Avell as I do AA-hat my business is, so Avliat is the good of beating about the bu.sh?" "Reall}-," replied the attorney, Avitli an affectation of liumilltA-—" reall}-, I must be ACI-}- dense and stupid to day, for I cannot, for the life of me, think Avliat yon mean b} sa}Ing that I kmnv the purport of your busi ness Avith me. \'ou must condescend to be a little more lucid, .sir. I am, as }-ou kiioAv, onl}- a simple attorney, and do not pretend to lie so clcA-er as a fashionable AVest-end gentleman like yourself.'" Geoffray smiled contemptuously at the beginning of this address; but as the laAvyer proceeded he made a gesture indicative of inijiatience, and ansAvercd in a A-oice tinged shghtly Avith annoyance. " D in t talk non sense, Dobson- AVliat is the use of your tolling nic tlmt CHERIE S PLIGHT, 97 }-ou are dense and stupid, and onl}- a simple attorncA-, AA-hen e\erybod}- knows that }-ou are a deuced clever fellow, and one of the shrcAvdest In Doctors' Commons and Bedford-roAv put together," " Indeed, my clear sir, you flatter me," replied the attorne}-, looking doAvn at his hands. The immaculate purity of one of his finger-nails Avas allo}-ed Avith a spot of ink, Avhlcli he began sedulously to Avipe off AA'ith his pocket-handkerchief. The young man saAv from Air. Dobson's manner that he AAould haAe to break the ice himself—the attorney AAas too clever for him; so he ex claimed, "AVell, Air. Dobson, .Aip['osc we plunge into the middle of the affair at once?"' "By all means."' Geoffray reflected a moment, and theft ?aid abruptl}', " HOAV IS the moneA--market this morning .'"' o "Tight, mv dear sir—Acrv tight.*' "Hang me if it isn't alAA-aAs tight Avheii I lia\e any interest in its being loose, or whate\er the phra-^e i-," ivplied Tre\ ellian, "Aloney ncA-er A\as so scarce as at the nreseiit mo- ^J J. meiit," said Air. Dobson, A\ho appeared to iaiAc re- coAcred his Aolubillt}-all at once ; "• wli}- the}- are glAliig five per cent for good bills In the cit}—bills Avliich liaAc only ten days to run. Fancy that, my dear sir; fiAe per centum per annum for a ten day.s" bill! That AVIII •nve A'OU an idea of the scarcity of the circulating me dium. IIoAvcA'er, I luiAe still some confidence iu you, and do not mind letting you have a little more mone}-, and for this reason: your uncle has made his Avill, and A'our name is inserted In a corner. I tell you this much, though I am not at liberty to g

" AVItli pleasure," replied Trevellian, taking up a pen. "Fire away."' Easby had several books before him, one of i-ecipes, a gazetteer, a book of anecdotes, and others. He se lected paragraplis from them AvliIch he read aloud to Trevelhan, prefacing them Avith names or initials. "SELIX.A.— 7b remove freckles from the face: Dis solve In half an ounce of lemon-juice one ounce of A'enice soap, and add a quarter of an ounce each of oil of bitter almonds and delignated oil of tartar. Place this mixture In the sun till It acquires the consistency of ointment ; Avlien in this state, add three drops of the oil of rhodium, and keep it for use. Apply It to the face in the folloAving manner: AVasli the parts at night Avitli elder-floAA-er Avater: then anoint Avitli the ointment. In the morning cleanse the .skin from its oily adhesion by Ava.shing It copiously In rose-Avater. '• IITSTRIOXK us.—Garrick's greatnc'ss as an actor Avas as fully recognised during his lifetime as It has been since his death. IIcAvas recelAcd in the highest society; and tell your

" CLARIBEL.—Dr. Edward Young, the author of Xight-Thoughts, Avas for many } ears rector of AVelwyn Iu Hertfordshire, A\here he died on Good Frida}- 1765, and lies buried under the altar, over Avhich is still to be seen a piece of embroidery, the Avork of his Avife, Lady Belt}- Y'oung, AVIIO died many years before her husband." '' PETERiaN.—The oldest tree in the Avorld of Avhich there Is any authentic record, Is a cypress AvhIch stands In Soma, or Somma, In Lombard}-, and Is said to have been planted In the year of the birth of Jesus Christ; and on this account Is treated Avith great reverence by tlie inhabitants of the place. The largest tree in the Avorld is a cypress at Chapultepee, in the region of Alexico, Avhicli is said to be 117 feet 10 Inches round, consisting of only one stem. There are several monster trees in England—the Faiiiop Oak, for instance, of Hainault Forest, Essex, Avhicli measured, at a }-ard from the ground, thirty-six feet in girth, and the boughs of Avliich extended about 300 feet la circumference. Faiiio]) Fair Avas established on this spot about the Acar 1720, by Air. Daniel Da}-, blockmaker, of AVappi ng, Avho gave his men an annual bean-feast under the shade of the oak on the first Fiitlay in Jul}-. But, alas for the glory of all earthly things ! Air. Dav is dead; his Aerv name forgotten. The fair, once so renoAvned, has been put doAvn, and the oak that had braA-ed the storms of a tho'i- sand Avinters has long since fallen under the destroying hands of the London roughs AAdio resorted to the I'lir." " Have you got all that '.'' asked Easb}-. "Y'es," ansAA'ered TreA'ellian. " Thanks. Just add this about a certain mordacious Insect Avhicli iu polite circles is generally iiameles.s, but CIIERTK S FLIGHT. 107 Avhi(di is indigenous to most lodging-houses. Its sure to be Avelcome to somebody. Head it'Brutus.' Say Brutus Avants to knoAV how " To DESTROY BUGS.—Bugs cannot stand hot alum- Avater. Take two pounds of alum, braise it, and reduce it nearly to powder: dissolve it in tlrree quarts of boil ing Avater, letting it remain in a Avarin place till the alum is dissolved. The aluin-Avater Is to "be applied hot, by means of a brush, to every joint and crcAice. Brush the crevices In the floor of the skirting-board If they are suspected places; AvhitcAA'ash the celling, putting In plenty of alum, and there AVIU be an end to their dropping from thence.'' " That is rather dry, though, coming all together. I must make something up. ^^'lite these doAvii, and add a note Avitli three stars f(U' the printer: ' Please scatter the matrimonials and .short answei's among the fill-up pars, '" ''TULIP.—AVe think Aour hair may be pronounced red, or at least a A'ery Avarm auburn. Your Avriting is good, but not elegant. " GEORGE ELMORE.—In the present dlsturiied state of the country AA-e shotild recommend you to stay at home. A clever and Industrious Avorkman need never be long out of employment. Don't be discouraged by a fcAV dis appointments. Perseverance In a good cause is sure to meet AvIth success. " A. B.—To got flowers clieap a.t C(jveut-garden market you must be up early in the morning, as the de mand for them Is very great. The most confirmed slug gard Avould be roAvarded for his sacrifice of sleep by a sight of that gloAving picture on a bright Al.ay morning." " There seems to be a lot of Avork in your paper," remarked Trevellian. 108 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD.

"I should think there Avas too," replied Easby; "I've been all day at it. There's the ' Sphinx' column—cha rades, rebuses, arithmorems, and all that; and 'Facetla^,' —I don't knoAV Avhat I should do Avithout the NeAV York papers for that; our comic journals never liaA-e anything funu}- In them,—and 'Household Recipes,' and 'Science,' and ' Poetry;' and. In fact. It's Avell Avorth the three pounds a-Aveek I get for It." " Couldn't you make more at the bar. Jack ?" in quired TreA-ellian. '• I daresay I could; but I Avant some money to .start Avith. I knoAV I'm selling my birthright for a mess of pottage, but I can't help myself: ncA-ermind. Blot that and fold it up for me.—Boy !" A lad came from the outer room at this summons, and gratefully recelA-ed the packet for Avhich he had been Avaitlng. "NoAv for a pipe,'* exclaimed Jack gleefully; ''that's done, and I can .spare a little time. In three days you Avill see the Startler In all the shop-AvIndoAvs, and two- hundred-thousand penii}- readers Avill thrill over ni}- Blissfd, Belgraria, In AAdiich I try hard to shoAA--up a bloated and tyrannical aristocracy, and elcA-ate the cha racter of the poor but honest artisan and the hard-AA'ork- ing but A-Irtuous seamstress, though strongly tempted b}- the seductive Aviles of the Avicked Earl of Alountsedgelev, .and—" "I say,"' cried Trevellian deprecatingly, ''don't 0A*er- Avhelm me. I'm not used to such tall AA-rJting, and It might have an Injurious efl'ect upon me." Jack Easby laughed. They filled their pipes, and disposed themsehes for a pleasant chat. HOAV THE MONEY WENT. 109

CHAPTER X,

HOW THE .AIONEY WENT,

TREVELLLVN fully intended to devote the money Air, Dobson had lent him to paying Golfer; but Jack Easby hajipened to propose a run down to Richmontl, and a A\ind-up afterwards at AlaxAvelton's In Piccadilly, Here there used to be a little high, pki}' three nights during the Aveek; in fact, It Avas a gainbling-house, to Avhicli a select circle AA-ere admitted. Air. AlaxAvelton only enter- f.ained those he A\as personally acquainted Avitli, or those A\ bom his friends could A ouch for. Geoffray had on several occasions Avon and lost money at AlaxAA-elton's, and the temptation to risk at least a por tion of his money Avas too great to be resisted. TrcA-ellian had ahvavs been fond of gambling. He Ava.s first allured Into the ineshes of the gaming-net by answering the advertisement of an agent for au Austrian goAernnieiit lottei'}-. He Ijoiight one hundred shares in it, at a pound apiece, and got fifteen prizes out of his in vestment—prizes of diil'erent A alues, AvliIch altogether brought him In ninety pounds; so, though he did not gain, he did not lose much by the transaction. After Avards, being fully possessed by the demon of play, he Avas Inveigled by one of his companions Into AlaxAAelton's hell, Avliere the kindred processes of black-legging and gambling Avere carried on In spite of the exertions of the police. Here a foAv } ears ago, Avhenever he had mone}-, he A\as to be seen early and late. The fatal vice fasci nated his mind, his soul, and obtained swa}- over his 110 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD. senses. At first he did not ])lay high. He risked a five- })ouiid note or a few sovereigns, as often Avinuing as losing. The }'oung men reached the house about ten o'clock, and their faces AA'ere flushed Avith the Avlue they had Im bibed at Richmond. They took a glance at the table, and Avalked Into an Inner room, Avliere they were served Avith some chani- jiagne and a cold AA'oodcock by a Avalter In gorgeous liAcr}-. No charge A\-as made for this. The proflts of the ]»roprietor of the hell A\ere so great that he could afford to be generous in the matter of Aiauds and liipiors. lietunilng after their repast to the gainbling-saloon, Tre- Aclliaii took a chair, and draAviug near the table, looked on. Piles of gold and siher caught the CAC ; and the cupidity of the beholder Avas further increased b}- the spectacle of thick rolls of notes AAdiich Avere displayed here and there Avithin reach of the croupier's rake. That night TreA'ellian had a fancy for a particular colour; the game hapjienlng to be the old one of red and black. On different eA'enlngs they jdayed different games. In the beginning of the AAeek it Avould be trente et quarante; In the middle, hazard, Avlien }()UAVould hear the familiar exclamation, " St'A'cn's the main,"" as the favourite num ber Avas called out; and at the end, that Is, Saturda}', rouge et noir Avould solicit the attention of the patrons of the place. Geofl'ray Avatehed and Av;itclied the game Avitli a critical and calculating CA e for a long time Avitli- out risking the smallest piece of gold; but at length he could resist the temptation no longer. He thought that a favourable opportunity presented Itself, au'd he deter mined to try his luck. Red had been the Avinning colour, to the confuslou wf many, for upAvards of tAventy times. HOAV THE MONEY AVENT. Ill Avhlcli Avas very unusual, although not unprecedented. So he resoh-ed to back the black. He said nothing to Easb}-, Avho stood at the back of his chair, and looked OAcr his shoulder Avith profound interest. TreAellian had the five hundred pounds Avliich he had received from the attorney in his pocket, partly in gold, l)artly In notes. Taking it out of his purse, he laid it on the table before him, and staked tAventy pounds on black. Several other players seemed to l>e of hi> Ava}- of thinking, and they A'entured larger sums on the saLine colour. SloAvly the machine reA-ohed. Eagerly the sjiectattirs aAvaited the resiflt. At last it came. They hist' Reel again assei'ted Its SAvay, and the money Avas raked In by the proprietors of the bank, Avhicli from its solid appear ance seemed to defy breaking. The next time Trevellian doubled his stake; but luck AA'as evidentlA" against him, for he lost again. The other spectators changed their tactics; then- thought that red Avas the proper colour to back, and transferred their allegiance to it. Trevellian had HOAV lost sixty pounds; but he deter mined to be staunch to the cause he had first e.spoused. This time he ventured eighty pounds: and Avaited Avlth a beating heart to know Avhether he A\-as more suc cessful than before. No ! Red Avas a third time triumphant. This in creased his loss to one hundred and fort}- poimds ; con sequently he had but three hundred and sixty left. But that Avas ample to go on Avith. He reasoned that black must cAentually tiu'n up, and then he Avould regain all 112 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD. he had lost. So he risked double Avliat he had already sunk. TAVO hundred and eighty pounds IIOAV glittered on the board. If he lost this time, he had not enough left Avith which to retrieve his loss, according to the tactics 7 O he had been pursuing. It AAas au anxious moment AAith him, and he turned a shade paler as he aAvalted his fate. Black seemed to be abandoned by all the players but himself; he Avas the sole exception to the general rule. Jack Easby touched him on the shoulder, and ad- A'ised him to turn his luck; but he resolutely refused to Itsten to him. It A\as fortunate that he did so. Had he not turned a deaf ear to his adAice, he Avould lia\e lost all his mone}-, AAith the exception of the few pounds that }et remained. Black turned up, and he received the sum of tAvo hundred and eighty pounds, Avhicli made liiin a consider able Avinner. Feeling an iuANard couAlctlon, as some gamblers often declare thev do, that his ''run'" had now c ommenced, Trevellian left the ANIIOIC of his stake upon the board, and backed black to AVIII for five hundred and sixt}- pounds. It A\as a large sum, and few men In his position Avould luue been ra.sh enough to do It. Seeing that high play Avas commencing, and antici pating some excitement, numbers of idlers round the room collected near the table to Avatcdi the game. Alost of the .small players UOAV left off. It Avas an understood thing that Avlien a man Avon a large sum, and risked it AvIth double its amount, he intended to try and break the 1 laiik. To the dismay of the ^^I'oprletors of the bank, Tre- Aellian Avas successful a second time. Luck :>eemed to HOW THE AIONEY WENT. 113 haA'e set in his fiiA-our. Eleven hundred and twent\- pounds noAV Avas his. It AA-as a tempting prize ; and he felt more than half-inclined to take it, put it in his pocket, and Avalk out of the hell a richer man than he came in. But the demon of greed and gain Avhlspered his fell and eA-il promptings in his ear, and he left it on the baize. "Do you back the black?" inquired the croupier. Trevellian replied In the affirmatlA-e: and AAith bi-eath- less expectation all aAvaited the result. TroA-elllan AA-as terribly excited; his eyes Avere hot. red, and bloodshot. He called for a flagon of AvIne, AAdiich an obsequious footman instantly brought him. Draining the sih'er cup to the dregs, he threw it Into a corner; and leaning his face on his hands, and his elbows on the talde, Avalted for AA'hat AA-as to come next, ''Black again!" Avas the cry; and AAith rapturous delight Geoffray TreA'ellian found himself the lucky pos sessor of tAVO thousand tAvo hundred and forty pounds. Every one of those he kncAV and those he did not know noAv began to take a sudden and particular Inter est In him; thcA- began to see a chance of borroAA'ing an occasional fifty, or of driA'ing doAvn to GreeuAvIch or to Richmond, and having a dinner at the expense of the lucky .speculator. They one and all urged him to gh'e up play and come aAva}'; bnt the demon of obstinacy possessed him, and he refused to moA'e. ''Will the gentleman play again ?"" said the croupier blandly. " Yes," replied Trevellian, AvIth a AAild laugh; and he once more risked his large winnings. The anxiety this time Avas much more intense than before: and nnnierous bets AVPI'P mad^ in the room. I 114 THE M.VN OF THE PEUIOD.

He called for more Avine. His head Avas throbbing fiercel}', and his throat Avas parched; a single cup Avas to him, in his then state, but as a drop in the ocean. ALixAvelton, tlie proprietor of the Ixxnk, began to look gloomy and apprehensive; but the oily smile of the croupier, as he sat passive and iminobile Avith his delicate Avooden rake in his hand, Avas as impassible as CA'er. A shout suddenly arose from those assembled-*—Tre vellian had Avon once more. "I play again," cried TreA-ellian, AAith the utmost- firmness and determination. A murmur of applau.';e at his courage ran round the room. Very few of those assembled Avould have done A-\diat he Avas going to do. Four thousand four hundred and eighty ])ouiids Avas noAY the sum to be gambled for; and the b;ink pro prietor turned a shade paler as he contemplated the lislv he Avas running. Trevellian trembled all over. The croupier on the contrary Avas perfectly cool; he seemed in his ele ment. Pushing his chair back, TreA-ellian rose to his feet and paced the apartment AvIth rapid strides. If any one spoke to him, he ansAA-ered them sliarph'; and they gave up the attempt at conversation Avitli disgust. If not iu despair. At last, leaning against a handsome piece of furni ture in an obscure corner of the room, he Avas aroused by a shout; hands grasped him convulslA-ely and dragged him to the table. "Fortune smiles upon you, sir," exclaimed the crou pier. " Are you Avilling to tempt her still further ? ' A huge mass of money" UOAV I;I,A- before TreAellian H<')W THE MONEY WENT. 115 amounting In all to eight thousand nine hundred and sl.xty pounds, " Y^es," replied he, mechanically. " Very well." Again the game proceeded, and tlie most apatlietic came orft of the supper-room and looked on. It Avas very exciting. Even those AA'IIO Avere not in tiie least interested In the result lield their breath and bit their lips. Trevel lian himself buried his face In his hands, and beat the devil's tattoo on the carpet Avith his restless feet. As before, he Avas a Avinner; and he Avas now the undisputed piossessor of the handsome amount of seven teen thousand nine hundred and tAveiit}- pounds. The proprietor of the bank reflected a moment, and at last, by Air. MaxAvelton's orders, the croupier declared the bank broken for the eA-ening, Fifteen thousand Avas the usual amount they risked, and they had already exceeded that b}- some thousands. A scene of the Avildest confusion nov,-ensued. People Avalked about the room as If they had gone mad; ami nothing Avas spoken of but the extraordinary luck Avhicli had fallen to the lot of Geoffray Trevellian. Jack Easb}' Avas beside himself Avith delight, and danced about like a madman, singing a song of his OAVU com position Avhich had the Aveek before appeared in the Startler. But though the bank Avas broken, there Avas a man AA-ho Avas Avilling to back It, and he proposed to Alax Avelton that he should stand in his place, and that the play should continue. This man Avas not knoAvn to any body, but he had mone}- Avitli him, and AlaxAVelton ^heet'fullv agreed that be slmrdd occnpv the piece of th« 11'^ THE T\rAN OF THE PERIOD, banker, and privately made a bargain that If he Avon, he should have a percentage on his gains. When Trevellian AA-as asked if he AA-ould go on, he at once consented; for, like most gamblers, he did not knoAV Avhen to leaA-e off, EasbyAvas in despair; he Avould haA-e gladly got him by main force out of the room; btit It Avas not Mr. Alax Avelton's Intention to let him depart so easily. The pi'e- sumption In Easby's mind Avas, that the strange man Avas an accomplice of AlaxAA-elton's; but TreA-ellian did not for a moment suspect such a thing. The man approached the table as those around made room for him. Then he produced a roll of bank-notes, carefully counted them, and handed them to the mana ger of the bank to inspect. This functionary took them In his hand.s, looked at the Avater-mark, and otherwise critically examined them, and pronounced them, as far as his knoAvledge Avent in such articles, to be j^erfect. But he nevertheless said, "As this gentleman- " Air. TreA-ellian," said Easby. " I Avas going to observe,"' continued the manager, "that as Air. TreAellian and yourself did not seem to be acquainted Avith one another, you AA-onld have no objec tion to lodge your card Avith me. I hope }'ou AVIU not think I mean to offend you In any Ava}-; but I have not seen your face in this room before." TreA-ellian during this discussion seemed cordially to approA-e of the precautionary measures the manager Avas anxious to adopt. " This gentleman and myself may liaA-e met before," he said; " but I am not aAvare that- Ave have done so. If, however, such should be tlic case, it ;« no good and sufficient reasAii wb}- he "honlrl refuse to jriyc von ]nf HOW THE MONEY AVENT. 117 card if you Avish for it. Y''ou are the manager of the bank, and ought to be better acquainted AvIth the rules of the establishment than I am myself. But I can only say for myself, that If I Avere asked for my card, I should be A-ery glad to gh-e it." " Certainl}-," said every one in chorus. The sense of the bystanders was eA-idently AA'ith Trevellian and the manager of the bank. "HaA-e you any objection to do as I had the honour of requesting you just noAv.''"' blandly asked the manager

It; for there Avere men doAvnstaIrs Avho AVOUICI haA'e opposed his exit and considerably lightened his purse, had he not conciliated the poAvers above. This he Avas aAvare of; and having given them a very respectable tithe of Avhat he possessed, he Avas alloAA-ed to depart freely and In peace. Catching hold of the managers arm, Trevellian ex citedly said, " The card !—the card! V/here is it ?"' " AVhat card?" demanded the manager. " The stranger's—the address he gaAe you. That of the man AAdio I belieA'e has robbed me. I must haA'e It!"' "Certainly; it Is of no use to me. AVhere did I put it ? O, here It Is."' Taking it up from off" his desk, the manager gave It to Trevellian. It Avas a plain piece of note-pajier folded in half. He hastily undid it. He gazed upon it Avitli blank amazement. His head SAvam. It AA'as destitute of any Avriting Avhatever. He had been duped. It Avas AViitten in invisible Ink, Avliich, once dr}' and faded, is gone for ever.

CHAPTER XL WITH NEAV FRIENDS. IT 'Avas Avith difficulty Jack Easby got TreA'ellian home to his lodgings. Bitterl}' he regretted his folly in playing Avitli a man Avho Avas evidently a sharper ; though liOAv his fraud Avas managed no one kneAV. But regrets Avere useless. He Avas ill for se^ oral da\ s. Golfer pressed for his 120 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD. money; and Trevellian, driven to despair, left the War- office AvIthout saying a Avord to any one, thereby risking his appointment, and Avent straight aAvay to his uncle in AVarAvIckshire, AVIIO resided at a charming place near Nunninton, called Binnethorpe Hall. Air. George Styleman Trevellian received his nephcAV Geoffray Aer}- kiiidl}', and declared It Avas good of him to pay him a A-Isit; to do AVIIICII Geoffray said he had obtained lea\-e, and forbore to mention the desperate state of his affairs. AVe must leaAc him here, while Ave foUoAV the for tunes of Cherie St. Ange, AVIIO, in order to get away from London, had accepted the (to her) novel position of governess in a farmer's family near Nunninton. Oddly enough, the farmer, Avliose name Avas GarraAva}-, A\as a tenant of Air. George St}-leman Trevellian ; so fate brought Geoff'ray Avithln a short distance of the girl ujion Avhoni he thought all his future prospects de pended. Such Avas one of the strange occurrences Avitli Avliich this life Is replete. Air. and Airs. GarraAvay occupied AVoodhouse Farm. Thomas GarraAvay Avas a steady, industrious man, and ])ut by a little money, AvliIch he had been enabled to saA'e bA' a life of frugality and labour. He did not save because he Avas fond of money for money's sake, and Avovild have laughed at the accusation that he Avas a miser, as something too ridiculous to be entertained for an instant. Farmer Thomas GarraAA'ay kncAV the un certainty of human existence; he had a Avife and tAVO daughters entirely dependent upon his forethought and exertions, AVIIO Avould, If he died suddenly, be cast upon the hard mercy of the Avorld unless he i>rovIded for thein in some manner. WITH NEW FRIENDS. 121 It Avas a hard thing for Farmer Thomas GarraAvay to save money. AVhen he had paid his rent, and taken stock, and settled all little outstanding obliga tions against him, he Avas not much In pocket; for his landlord Avas a man Avho extracted every penny he could from his tenants; Avould make no improvements on the land, until the Avant and need of them Avas so disgrace fully appai'ent that he could Avitli decency refuse no longer; and, to his great unpopularlt}-, Avent upon the juinclple that a Avorklng-inan Is, and should be, kept as a slave ; discountenanced the allotment-.s}-steni; Avould never give a lease, because he liked to have a man in his ])OAver, Avliich must be the case Avlieu he is a tenant-at- Avill; and behaAcd AvIth such tyrannical hauteur, and such a Avant of generosity generally, that the name of TreAellian became a by-Avord and a reproach to all AVIIO thought that something besides money is ref[uired to make a gentleman. His nephcAv, people aaid, A\as an apt pupil of his AAorthy uncle, and folloAved so closely in his footsteps that he shoAved the force of example Avas not lost on him; and became In a fcAV Aveeks scared}' less detested in the vicinity of Nunninton than Avas the squu'e. Farmer Thomas GarraAAay Avas often asked b}' those who kneAV him best, and AAIIO could take the liberty of questioning him upon so delicate a subject, AAdiy a prac tical fanner, such as he undoubtedly Avas, put up with the domineering conduct of his landlord and the onerous conditions of his tenancy. To this he made one inva riable reply. He had lived for years upon the farm ; his youngest daughter had been born there, both his children had been brought up there, and the spot Avas endeared to him by many pleasant recollections. The house A\as built In a pleasant, AAell-Avoodcd Aalley, 122 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD. through AvhIch a small stream, called the Anchor, floAved. It Avas dignified AvIth the name of a rlA'er; but had it at any time or bA' any chance been confronted Avith the Amazon, St. LaAvrence, or Alississippi, it Avould liaAC hid its head for ver}- shame. Still, the Anchor Avas a 'pleasant stream, and Its bright iiellucld Avaters floAved down from the hills and sparkled clear in the sunlight, Avliile the speckled trout leaped and dashed in tlie circling eddies : and in Avinter the Avater overfloAved the high banks, and spread like a sheet of glass over the low-l}Ing meadoAvs and helped to fertilise the land, AvhIch Avas lieaA-y AvIth the rich gras.s-crop. Geoffray Trevellian AA-as not conciliatory to any Avith Avhom he came in contact; for he Avas mitcli irritated b}' the condition of his affairs In toAvn, and did not care at any time to conciliate inferiors. As Aveek after Aveek jiassed, and he did not return to the AVar-office, his uncle Avondered; but Geoffray gained his good-AAill for ever Ity saying that he Avould risk the continuance of his appointment, as he saAv he Avas not In A'er\- strong health, and that his society Avas pleasing to him. The daughters of farmer (iarraway Avere named respectiAel}- Amanda and .lane, and the tAvo girls had very different di.spositiojis, tastes, and Ideas. AVe .shall desnibe them separately. .Vmanda Avas tall, dark, and handsome, her features Averc regular and interesting, the nose straight and Grecian ; her black flashing c}es, full and lustrous, commanded the attention and en chained the admiration of the observer, for they Avere full of a scornful ])ride, and ambition lurked In their inscrutable de])tlis. Her father Avas A'cry proud of her accomplishments ; he had sent her to a boardlng-schoolj WITH NE^V I'RIEXDS. 123 where she learnt French, and Avas taught to play the piano,—acquirements of little use to a girl in her po sition, and Avliich gave her ideas far above her station. AVhen she left school, at the age of eighteen, she came home, her head filled Avith high-floAvn notions, and speedily became discontented w ith her lot, flatly refusing to go Into the dair}' and the kitchen, regiirding domestic Avork as beneath her digiiit}-, looking upon herself as a young lady AYIIO Avas cruelly treated, because .she was unalde to assume that pkice In society fiir Avhich her education fitted her. A\diat money she could Induce her father and mother to bestoAv upon her, and the sums AA'ere not small, she spent in dress, for the endoAvmcnt of her person Avas AvIth her the first huv of nature, and •she AA-as never so A\ ell satisfied as AAdien her elegant figure Avas set-off to the best advantage in a dress of the ncAA-est fabric and latest fashion. She AA'as a regular subscriber to the circulating library at Nunninton, and early Imbibed romantic ideas about love and marriage. At church she Avas a const;int attendant, not because lier rehgious jninciples Avere firm and of a high order, but for the reason that she could there display her finery to the best adA-antage, and see and be seen b}- the prin cipal people in the parish and neighboiudiood. It Avas for ^Amanda that Air. GarraAva}- had en gaged Cherie St. Ange as a finishing governess, think ing that the girl, Avhen old en.ough and qualified, Avould best consult her interests by obtaining the position of instructress in some good fiiinily. Jane, her sister, had a prett}- face, but its expression Avas serious, if not sad. She Avas a hard Avorker, and her disposition Avas generous and cheerful; but the actual business of life took up all her time and atten- 124 THE M.VN OF THE PERIOD. tion, so that she seldom had time even to laugh, and Amanda said that she Avas usually too busy to smile. AL. GarraAvay Avas getting old and could not bustle about much, so the management of the dairy and the poultry-yard fell to Jane's share. She made capital butter and good cheese, and her careful management of these tAvo branches of farm Industries, helped her father materially Avhen tiuarter-day came round. Jane lay under one misfortune, AvhIch, hoAvever, Avas not a Aery serious draAvback to her. The nui'se had let her fall Avheii an infant, and Injured her so severely, that a ])er- manent lameness In the right foot Avas the lamentable result. This made her carriage a little aAvkAvard, but it seemed to lia\-e redoubled her industries, and perhaps Inculcated in her mind a humble and submissive spirit, AvhIch made her contented Avith her fate In life. She Avas a general faAourite Avith cAery one, and Avith one person in particular. This Avas John Short, AAIIO had openly expressed his affection for Jane for some time. She had not the brilliant parts of her sister Amanda. If she could read, and Avrite, and calculate, it Avas all she could boast of being able to do; ncA-ertheless her bills Avere Avell made out and legible, if they Avere not Avritten in a fine, running, Italian hand; and she rarely made a mistake in her arithmetic. John Short Avanted a good, loving, affectionate Avife, AAdio could make herself useful and AA'ould attend to him, his house, and his children, and he ver}- Avisely thought that he might go farther afield and fare Avorse, than he should Avith Jane Gar raAvay; so, in spite of her lameness, he made loA-e to her, and the farmer approved strongly of the courtship. John Short Avas a small tradesman, AVIIO had a baker's shop at the entrance to Nunninton, and did a WITH NEAV FRIENDS. 125 good business. The river ran at the bottom of his gar den, and he Avas only Avaiting for a slight addition to his capital to build a mill, and utilise the Avater-power so as to grind his OAVU flour. There Avere scA-eral ambiti ous, useful, and money-making projects In John's long head, and it Avas predicted that he Avould become a rich man. In person he Avas short and thickset, and his best friends coirld not compliment him on his beaut}-; but his heart AA-as in the right place, and a more sober, honest, industrious fellow, AA-as not to be met with miles round. One eA'ening, about tAVO months after Cherie St. Ange's anival at the farm, the familv sat round the huge kitchen fireplace, occupying themseh-es In A'arious Avays. AL"s. GaiTaAvay looked after a large tin sauce pan, AAdiich contained a saA-oury mess for the eA-ening meal. Amanda Avas engaged In the congenial pursuit of novel-reading. Jane Avas busily stitcliing, as if her life depended upon her exertions. Cliexie St. Ange Avas talking to the farmer. AVIthout, the cold and bois terous northerly wind hoAvled and roared in Avanton fur}-, making those AvIthin doors consider the fire a greater luxury than usual, and thank their stars that they AA-ere under shelter, and could enjoy a comfortable home, AvhIle they pitied the houseless wanderer, compelled to beg from door to door for a scanty subsistence, AA-hich, at the best, only enabled him to keep body and soul together. Farmer GarraAvay Avas talking about Air. TreA-ellian his landlord, who had lately made an attempt, in some cases successfully, to raise the rents of his tenants. Ru mour, as usual in such cases, Avas rife, and the cause alleged Avas a miserly fondness for money; others said that Air. TreA-ellian Avas obliged to pay several thousand pounds for his nephcAA', \Adiich this vniuifT p'-ntlcmqn owed to h'ftdesnifin a' London, 126 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD.

The exploits of Air. Geoffray TreA-ellian since his arrival at Binnethorpe Hall had not been of a character to conciliate the good opinion of the tenantry, or Avin him the esteem of the countr}- side. He had ridden reck lessly across country, reira'dless of tlie groAving crops. Pie declared that no ralnnts .sliould lie shot; and prose cuted Avitli relentless rigour a poor man, the father of a famil}-, Avho Avas found Avitli a hare in his possession. He A\as insolent in his manner to all AA-IIO paid his uncle rent, as if he thought the act in Itself made them inferior, and he Avould permit no one to remonstrate AvIth him. On one occasion he had severely horse-Avhij^ped a lad AA-ho told him that some birds he AA'as shooting Avere tame pigeons; and he recklessly rode over an aged AA-oman, AA-IIO either refused, or Avas not nimble enough, to get out of his Ava}' In a narroAv lane. Amanda liad seen the young squire, as he Avas called, at church, Avhlther she had accompanied her mother. Jane, like Alartha in Scripture liistor}-, Avas Avorried Avitli much serving, and could seldom spare time to at tend divine Avorship. She said, Avitli some justice, that if a dinner Avas to be cooked, some one must look after it, and she AA-ould not throw the burden upon -her old mother. Geoftra}- Trevellian, as our reailers know, Avas tall and Aery good-looking, at least Amanda thought so when she found his burning gaze fi.xed intently ujion her more than once during the serAice, and she Avent aA\-a}' bearing Avell in mind a faithful remembrance of his chestnut hair, bright blue eyes, broAvn moustache, and his gentlemanl}- bearing, Avhich she, in her simpli city, did not think suffered from the someAvhat impudent stare Avith Avhich he had faAoured her. Chciie St, Ange was n Clatbolic, "nd as there AATII WITH NEW FRIENDS. 127 no church of her persuasion nearer than Nunninton, she did not often attend divine AVorship. ^As yet she had seen nothing of Geofl'ray Trevellian, nor did she think much of him. Iler mind Avas filled Avitli bitter re flections respecting the letter she fancied Lord Bracken had sent liei", and until the receipt of which she did not knoAv hoAv dear he Avas to her. Since she had been at the farm she had tried to forget him. But had she sue- ceeded? Her heart could only answer that question. It Avas a pleasant sight to see the farmer and his family circle grouped round the fire, Avliich leaped and tAAusted in the grate, the eager flames licking the huge logs greedil}-, and casting a ruddy glare upon the coun tenances exposed to it. Suddenl}'a knocking Avas heard at the door; not a quiet, subdued knock, such as a tramp, beggar, or ordinarily AvcU-behaved belated tra veller Avould give, but an imperious thumping, varieil occasionally by an energetic kick. The girls left off reading, Avorking, and talking. Airs. GarraAvav stood Avitli the saucepan-lid, Avhicli she had just remoAed, in her hand, and in an attitude of expectation ; Avliile the farmer, marv-elllug much Avho his late and noisy Aisitor might be, AA-alked acrtjss the kitchen floor and threw Avide open the door. The rough and stormy Aviiid beat in Avitli a violence AAdiich extinguished the candle on the table, but this mattered little, as the fire-light Avas strong and A-ivId, and sufficient to enable CAery one to behold the neAA--comer, AVIIO, crossing the threshold, looked romid him AvIth an air of either impertinent curiosity or asto nishment ; it Avas difficult to tell AA-hich. The farmer closed the door again, to shut out the AvInd; Jane lighted the candle; and every one Avaited for the stranger to s][)p,ak, which he Avas not SIOAV in doing. 128 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD.

CHAPTER Xn. IT WAS THEIR FATE.

CHERIE ST. ANGE turned very pale, and stared rather rudely at the intruder upon their privacy. The person Avho had applied for and obtained admit tance to the hospitable dAvellIng of Farmer Gan-awa}' Avas appai'ently a young gentleman. His face Avas un doubtedly handsome, though many Avould haA'e objected to its AvIld, reckless, defiant expression, AA'hich seemed to cast the gauntlet doAvn to all laAvs, human and dlAine. AAdien he left home he might have been Avell dressed. NoAV it Avas almost impossible to tell the colour and cut of his clothes, as he Avas covered Avith mud and dirt, his coat Avas torn In more than one place, and his hat had suffered severel}-, being seriously indented and crushed.. " Perhajis," he exclaimed, "some of you AAill be goorl enough to tell me Avliere I am, as I have lost my A\-a}- in this Avinding valle}-. I kncAv I ought to bear for the north to reach the place I Avanted to get to, but the rlA-er met me at CA-ery turn, and there Avas no bridge, and— excuse me, but it might have occurred to some of you that I Avas tired AAith Avalking, and that to offer- me a chair would be an act of necessary clA-IlIty." " I am not In the habit of asking people Avith whom I am unacquainted to sit doAvn at ni}- fireside,"" ansAvered the farmer Avith dignity. '" Y"ou knocked at my door, and I admitted you; but I am therefore under no obli gation to ask A-ou to stay. If you request permission in a becoming manner to AA-ai-m yourself, and Avould caiv for a mug of ale, T am your bumbl.^ seiyaut, I will not IT AA'AS THEIR FATE. 120 though, give as a right that AvhIch can only be sought as a favour."' " Indeed," cried the stranger somcAA-hat haughtily. " Suppose, my good man, that I have as much or more right here than }'ou. But I'll mystify you no longer; and since I see seA'eral pretty faces before me, I'll not quarrel Avith AOU, though you are enough to provoke a saint, Avhich, thank goodness, I am not. Yôu are curious to knoAV Avhat and AVIIO I am. It's no great secret, and I AA-onder you have not guessed before that—" He broke off abruptl}-, and going toAvards Cherie St. Ange, held out his hand, sa}iiig, "This Is Indeed strange. Can It be }-ou ? How AA-as it I chd not see you before?"' " I thought it Avas you, Air. Trevellian,"' she ans AA-ered, "though I had some difficulty in recognising you with your torn clothes and the splashes of mud on your face." "Add to that, my disreputable appearance gene rally," exclaimed the young man laughing, " But this young ladA' Is right, farmer. I'm GeoffruA' TreA'ellian, your landlord's son, and glad to make your acquaintance. Make room for me, if yoit can, b}' the fire, for the AvInd has chilled me to the bone; and AA'lien I have had some of the ale you spoke of, I'll tell you IIOAV I came into the state in Avliich vou see me. It's odd that I should have lost myself, for I have ridden all over the valley, and fished in the stream. The land all belongs to my uncle, and yet I Avas Ignorant of the existence so near to me of the three graces it Is UOAV my good fortune to meet.'" "Y'ou appear to knoAvMIss St. Ange, sir," said Gar raAvay. " We have met before," he replied cautiously. " Get K 130 THE IM.VN OF THE PERIOD. the beer, my friend, the beer, and then AVC AVIU have a little farther conversation." The farmer placed a chair for the young squire, and Avent through the back kitchen to the cellar, to draAV a jug of fine sparkling October ale, his OAVU breAving, the excellence of AA-hich he could Aouch for. Amanda re turned Geoffray's amorous glance in her direction AvIth a supercilious stare, and taking up her book Avent on reading; a proceeding AvhIch piqued the young squire considerably. Jane had already busied herself Avith her everlasting needleAvork. Cherie alone remained idle as a butterfly, and to her Trevellian addressed his regards and his conversation, dividing his attention betAA-een her and the farmer and his family. If his manner Avas a little less conciliatory than it might haA-e been, if he Avas proud and haughty, and did not look Avith kindly feeling upon those Inferior to him, pcrhajis the fault Avas in his education and the associa tions (d" his daily life. He did not knoAv the meaning of povert}-. ."buffering had ahvays been absent from his home. He derived enjoyment from existence, and If he did not ix'alise his ideal in every Avay, he AA-as neA-ertheless indefatigable in his eideavours to render him self happy. It was with something like contempt, not unmixed •^vith Avonder, that he examined the room iu AvhIch he found himself, Avhich the farmer and his Avife thought fiv^ch a miracle of good taste and neatness. The tawdry German prints, in colours, which hung on the walls, he turned from with horror ; they contrasted so strangely, and l.Ti*'''^*''V'''*^' ^^'^^ '^'^ masterpieces of ancient abounXf'V "'*î "^"'^^ ^'^^ ^-"- «f I- -êle abounded. The members of the farmer's family AVIIO IT WAS THEIR PATE. 131 had called in the aid of the photographer to perpetuate their faces Avere not remaidcable for their beauty, and Avhen he came to the roAv of family portraits, he smiled again. Certainly the room was clean, for the family Avere aA-OAved enemies to dirt, but that Avas all that could be said in Its favour. There Avas more furniture in it than It could properl}- hold, and that Avas badly arranged; AvliIle the dull level of inferiority Avas not relicA-ed by a single shrub or floAver, and rather aggraA-ated than not by a foAv branches of artificial roses and chrysanthemums —an odd mixture—Avhlch" Avere stuck in hideous vases, such as dealers In old clothes exchange for left-off arti cles of AA-earlng-apparel. " Capital beer,*' he said, as he drained glass number tAVO, Avitli a deep sigh of satisfaction. " I begin to feel better than I have done since I Avas assaulted. Y"ou must knoAv that I Avent out shooting this afternoon, and had such miserable sport, that I could have shot a cock- sparroAV for the sake of letting my gun off. AVell, 1 came to the riA-er, and on the chance of meeting Avith a snipe or a moor-hen, I folloAA-ed It up nearly to Nunninton. Not a feather could I see until I came to some remark ably fine ducks. Not knoAvIng, or, for the matter of that, caring much, Avho they belonged to, I fired aAvay at them, knocking them right and left, and killing I daresay half- a-dozen. This innocent amusement—for Avliich, mind you, I was fully prepared to pay—Avas not alloAved to continue. An ugly man, Avho to the repulslA-eness of his personal appearance added the roughest and most disagreeable manner I ever remember to have met Avith, Avalked doAvn a bit of garden ground Avhicli seemed to belong to him, and attacked me in violent language for 132 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD. killing the ducks, ANdilch he claimed as his property. If he had spoken clA'illy, I should have paid him AvhatCAer he asked; but as he Avas abuslA-e, I told him I Avould take care he Avas punished for his insolence. To my surprise he broke doAvn the bough of a pollard AVIHOAA', strlpjjed It of Its leaACs. and, seizing me In a grasp like a vice, belaboured me till I thought he Avould break CA'ery bone in my body. He tore my clothes, rolled me in the mud, and Avhen I escaped from his murderous clutches, and ran for my life, he gave chase, pursuing me until a fog began to rise from the loAvlands, and I lost ni}- Avay In the Aalley.'' "Rather rough treatment,"' said fiirmer GarraAva} ; " though I must admit that you Avent far to deseiwe It. I Avonder AVIIO the man Avas. There is but one that I can think of Avho keeps ducks, and that is John Short. If It Avas he, I'd Avarrant he'd belabour you soundly: for honest John's no respecter of persons, and if a king's son did not knoAV IIOAV to behave himself, and ran foul of John, he'd teach him." " Aly position and that of m}' uncle In the count}' haA'e to be vindicate:!,"" replied TreAellian fliidiing an grily. '' Surel}' the huv Avill protect me, and I AVIII pro secute him Avith the utmost rigour. I Avould not soil my hands by fighting a loAA-bred felloAV such as he is. AA^hen he finds himself in prisf>n, he AVIII regret that he acted so hastily. I appeal to these young ladies if I liaA-e not been treated badly."' " If you ask me,"' said Amanda, " I must tell you that I Avas not aAvare you Avere justified in considering domestic birds game; and if they AA-ere not game or Avild foAvl, you had no business to shoot them. I do not ap pro A-e of the rottgh usage you recelA'cd; but in my opinion IT AVAS THEIR FATE. 133 you Avere both to blame. It's a disgraceful affair, and the less that is said about It the better." TreA'ellian bit his lips. The farmer's girls, Avliom he had dignified Avith the title of young ladies to conciliate them, Avere not so much impressed Avith his position as he thought they ought to have been ; but he Avas slightly consoled Avlien Cherie observed that she looked upon him as the victim of cruel usage; and that, for her part, she AA-ould never speak to .lohn Short again, if he Avere the offender, for having recourse to such extreme mea- siires on account of the loss of a fcAV paltry ducks. They had scarcely finished speaking, Avlien a quick footstep Avas heard outside, folloAved by a sharp rat-tat, similar to that of the postman. Jane flcAv to the door, for she kncAv It Avas the usual knock of her lover; and AAdien the door sAvung back on its Avell-olled hinges, John Short, Avrapped In a thick greatcoat and liaA-Ing a muf fler round his neck, stcqiped in and, bending doAvn, kissed Jane tenderly. He Avas about to go foinvard and sliake hands Avitli the other members of the family, Avhen his eye rested on Geoffray TreAellian, and he halted abru})tly. The astonishment noticeable in his face Avas almost comical in its intensit}-. He looked and looked again, thinking that, as he had just come out of the darkness and mist of tlie night, he might be mistaken. Trevel- llan had risen as John Short entered, and his eyes were riveted upon him Avitli equal fixity and attention. The farmer looked from one to the other for an explanation, AvliIch he really did not stand in need of, for he guessed already the nature of the scene Avhich he expected Avould ensue. It Avas clear to the most limited comprehension tlifit John Avas the man AVIIO had taken the laAV into his 134 THE JIAN OF THE PERIOD. OAVU hands, and beaten Air. TreA-ellian for killi.ng his poultry. The meeting Avas a singular one; and it re joiced the farmer's heart he had treated Trevellian Avith a reluctant civllit}-, and for this reason : he had heard of his licentious character, and clIdnotAAish him to make the acquaintance of his daughters. They AA-ere no match for a man in Air. TreA'ellian"s position. Though he had heard frequent instances of girls loAvly born being raised by marriage Into high positions; still his common sense told him that the}- Avere more likel}-»to be truly happy in their OAVU condition of life, Avith a congenial helpmate Again, he feared that a young man of Air. Trevel lian's character might think it good sport to talk empt}' Avords of loA'c, A\-liich Avould turn the head and AVIU tLc- heart of a farmer's daughter. Visions of splendour aiid a round of amusements Avould contrast to the disadvan tage of a stead}- plodding life of hard Avork and mono tonous routine on the farm. He Avas delighted Avlien Amanda replied so boldly; and he trembled Avitli a secret dread AAdien Cherie, AVIIO Avas under his roof, and conse quentl}' under his protection, IiiA'cnted excuses for the audacity of the }()iing man. The latter took the iiiitiati\e, exclaiming : " I claim A'our protection, farmer, against this ruffian, Avho Is the man I have been so grossly Ill-used IIA'. It grieves me to find that he Is a friend of } ours, as I had Intended to mention you favourabi}- to m}- uncle, the consequence- of Avhich might liaAC been the granting of a lease, AvliIch I knoAv is Avliat you felloAvs are all clamouring for, and certain improvements might have been made upon the farm, Avliich Avould, I haAe little doubt, have been accept able to you."" " Thank you all the same, squire," ansAA'cred farmer IT AVAS THEIR FATE. 135 Thomas GarraAvuA': "I am not to be bribed into doing an act of injustice. John Short here Is a friend of mine, and I'm proud to say it. I could not haA'e a higher opi nion of him than I possess ; and I'm bound to say that Avhat he has done to you to-day has not lessened him in the slightest degree In my esteem." " O, very Avell," returned TreA'ellian contemptu ously; " I might have expected this. You sort of people alAA'ays hang together, and I perfectly understand }-ou. Of course you cannot imagine that I shall stay here after }'ou haA'c so Avarmly espoused the cause of iii}- enemy, Avho you AA'ould instanth tiu'n out of doors if you had a proper regard for your OAVU interest, and a due sense of the respect which you OAve to the nephcAv of your land lord." John Short Avas about to speak, Avhen GarraAvay In terrupted him, saying, "Take a seat, John; leaAe me to finish this matter. I knoAV all about your quarrel Avith Air. Trevellian, and though I don't say }'0u Avere not a little hasty, I don't blame you. NOAA-, sir," he added, turning to the .young man, "I nrust tell you that }-ou presume too much upon the accident of birth Avhicli has placed }0U in }-our pre sent position ; and you are Avrong to despise any man because he gets his liAing by the SAA-eat of his broAA'. The Avlieel of fortune ma}' turn and put you at its bottom; and if you should ever be reduced to poverty, AvhIch is not by any means Impossible, you AVIU understand the full force of my Avords. I don't Avant to lecture you; but I cannot submit to an Insult, even from the nepheAv of niA- landlord"—here he employed a sarcastic emphasis— " Avithout giving him Avhat seems to me a suitable reply. Common people, as you call us, haA-e their feelings; and 136 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD. the day has long since passed Avlien the gentry of the country can treat those beneath them as slaves. I should be glad. Indeed, If I could reconcile you and Air. Short—" "Don't Avaste your breath In the attempt," angrily responded TreAellian. "I am A'ery sorry that my AAau- dering footsteps should have brought me into the house in AA-hich my uncle foolishly alloAvs vou to live. I look upon you as an accomplice of this man Short; and Avheii I complain to the proper authorities, I shall see If some severe measures cannot be taken Avitli }-ou, to let you knoAv the respect you should pay to your betters." GarraAvay smiled. His quiet, majestic, calm look be came his venerable appearance, and presented a pleasant contrast to the Impetuous manner of the hot-headed youth Avho threatened him In such an unseemly manner. " If there Is an}-tliing that my poor house affords of Avhich you are in need, do not forget to ask for it. I cannot alloAV myself to look upon you as a total stranger, ^s you have claimed ni}' hospitality," continued the farmer. " I Avill call one of my men from the stables, AAdio, Avitli a lantern, shall SIIOAV you the Avay to the hall, and—" "Thank you,'' ansAvered Geoffray TreAellian coldly; " I Avill put myself under no farther obligation to you. The Avay is not difficult, and I Avill trust to fortune and my knoAvledge of locality. I Avish you a good evening ; and can only blame myself for expecting manners and good-breeding Avhere I had no right to look for them." He boAved, and the farmer, Avitli a politeness AvhIch had nothing of obsequiousness In it, opened the door for him to pass out. Short took no notice of him. Cherie alone looked after him; and he, Avitli a motion so quick BEHIND HIS B.VCK. 137 that It escaped the notice of all saA'c her for Avliom It was Intended, Idssed his hand as a token that he Avas In no Avay off'ended Avith her, though he had such serious cause of complaint against the other members of the farmer's family. When he AAas gone. Airs. GarraAvay laid the cloth and serA-ed up the supper, of AvliIch all partook. The subject of conversation Avas, ofcour.se, the conduct of the young man. John Short, AA-IIO Avas an independent Ra dical, justified his OAVU behaviour, and he had all but Ohorie A\ ith him. The farmer commended him Avarmly. They laughed at Trevellian's threats; but they did not know the full extent to which a A-indlctlA'e and unscru pulous nature Avas capable of going, nor the influence he Avielded over his Aveak and impulsive imcle.

CHAPTER XIIL BEHIND HIS BACK.

TREVET_ILI.\N AA-as afraid to sa}- much to Cherie before the farmer and his family. He Avas, of course, rejoiced to meet her again, and determined that he Avould seek an InterA'IeAv Avith her, and do all he could to prejudice her against Lord Bracken : for the story of the letters had oozed out at Teddington, and he guessed that she preferred his lordship to any one else, until ,she fancied he had treated her badly. He Avas really angry Avith John Short, for no man likes to be knocked about Avith a stick and rolled In the mud: and thinking the man too big to fight, he resolved 138 THE .VIAN OP THE PERIOD. to punish him by the aid of the laAv. He Avas also aAvare that the farmer regarded Cherie St. Ange as a member of his family circle. Perhaps she AVUS a rela tion ; and if he did not mind Avliat he Avas about, he might I'ecelA-e a second castigation; for he had already —short though his stay had been at Binnethorpe Hall— established a reputation In his behaA-Iour to Avomen, which Avould justify an}' prudent man in closing his doors against him. His first act Avas to go to laAv AvIth John Short, AAdio^ AA'as fined for the assavdt in a mitigated penalty, on account of the proA-ocatlon and the loss of the ducks, Avhich had to be paid for by the young man, Avhose behaAlour throughout the affair Avas called pusillani mous, and commeirted strongly on by the country pa pers. AMieii it AA-as all over, Trevellian Avished that he had taken farmer Garraway's advice and let the matter drop Into deserved oblivion ; for he occasionally over heard remarks Avliich Avere anything but complimen tary to him, and tliCA' stung him like so many gad flies. AA hen this affair Avas OA-er, he Avalked to the farm to have the IntervIeAv AAith Cherie St. Ange AA-IIICII he had promised himself. AVhen he arrived, Cherie AA-as stand ing in the porch In the act of fastcning-up some Avliite and red roses AvhIch grcAA- together, and AvliIch had be- O O 7 come disarranged h\ a AvInd Avliich blcAv during the night. She Avore a light cotton frock, and had a colour as red as the roses she Avas tAvIning around the fretted AvoodAvork of the porch. Trevellian accosted her Avith a smile, in return for Avhich she handed him a floAver, Avhich he placed in his button-hole, and comphmented her upon the freshness BEHIND HIS BACK. 139 of her appearance, comparing her to Aurora, queen of the morning. Presently the colour faded from Cherie's cheeks; she heard a step Avithin, which she kncAv to be the fanner's. In another moment he Avas before them. " Aly dear,"' said farmer GarraAvay, aird his voice Avas mild and ^ gentle, as If he did not mean to chide her, " go Into the house ; Amanda Avants you." Having said this, he Avaited until she Avalked through the porch, not Avith her head boAved doAvn like a guilty thing, but Avith the deep blushes Avhich attend SAA-eet confusion. Then he confronted the young man, exclaiming, " Air. Trevellian, may I reCj[uest the favoui* of a few minutes' conversation with you. Not here, if you please; Ave Avill go a little a-field, as Avhat I have to say Is intended for no ears but A'OIU'S." "Yes, I Avill go AA'ith you, though I do not knoAV Avhy }-ou should look so graAe this fine da}-,"' replied Geoffray TreA-ellian Avith a smile, endeaA-ourlng to as sume an air of unconcern. In Avliich he failed miser ably. Farmer Thomas GarraAva}-, AVIIO Avas as fine a speci men of an honest, upright English }-eoman as you could AvIsh to meet Avith in a day's march, led the Avay to the end of the garden, and standing by the gate, continued —" No farther ; this Avill do, NOAA-, SU', I Avill tell you AvliA' I am so serious this fine morning. Aliss St. Ange is an Inmate of my household; she, in fact, is my daugh ters' companion, instructress, and friend, and AvhIle she remains Avitli me I stand in the relation of a father to her. Y^our visits here are dangerous; and I am going to use strong language UOAA-, sir. I am going to sa}-, that the man AA-ho Avould steal the loA'e of that poor 140 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD. girl Is a villain, unfit to cumber the face of this fair earth." "lAvon't contradict you. Goon, GarraAvay. Let me hear as soon as convenient AA-hat you are coming to," responded the .young man Avith the same sickly smile. " If you Avant any one had up, I am not in the commission of the peace ; but I AVIU mention the matter to my uncle, A\1IO is, c.;id I liaAC no doubt, if your appli cation is backed by me, you AVIU get a Avarrant or a summons, AAdiicheA'er it is you requli'e." " I am thankful that I Avant neither one nor the other," said the farmer. "All I have to ask Is, that you Avill be good enough to discontinue your visits to my house AV^hen AA-e last met Ave parted In anger, and your threats and defiance are still ringing in m\- ears. I have heard of your character, AA'li}' are you here ? You do not seek me. Y^our uncle conducts his affairs through an agent, therefore you can haAc no business Avith me ; and as Ave are not on friendly terms, you can not come hither through a Avish for my compau}-, Avliich Avould not be, under any circumstances, particularly entertaining to a young gentleman in your position." " I tell you frankly, that I come here because I like—" began Trevellian. He stopped suddenly, for a .menacing gleam In the old man's eye Avarned him not to proceed. He AAas about to say, " Because I like Aliss St. Ange ;" but the obvious Inconvenience of the C[ues- tlons Avhicli Avould be put to him at once suggested itself, and he thought it prudent not to provoke the liostility of the farmer liy aAOAvIng an affection for Cherie, AvliIch Avould oblige him to explain the relations formerly existing betAveen them; and he did not care about taldng GarraAvay- into his confidence. BEHIND HIS BACK. 141

''(TO on, sir,'" said the farmer, Avliose face AA-ent A'ery pale: " or shall I sa} that your coAAardly heart dare not? Y"ou come here to steal the IOA'C of that girl—a silly creature, AVIIO, I belieA'e, has no more knoAvledge of the Avoiid than she has of inen"s villany. Don't deny it. If } ou dare to tell me a lie to my face, old as I am, 111 strike you." (ieoriray stepped back, as If to get out of danger, for there Avas that in the farmer's manner Avliieh told him, plainer than the most forcible language, that he AAonld keep his Avord. He kncAV he Avas in the Avrong, and felt more inclined to pacity than irritate him—say ing a fcAv Avord> Avith this cud iu AICAV ; but the farmer Avaved his hand, as if to bid him keep silence, and Avent on: " Be adAised by me. Air. Trevellian. and keep aAvay from this house I Avant nothing from AOU, and there is no earthly reason Avliy A\e should come iu contact. The peace of this AallcA', Avhicli has been a happy one, AVIU be disturbed hy you at your peril; and if I find you liroAvlIng about here again, ui}- men AVIU haAe orders from me to drub you soundly, and drag A'OU throtigh the hoi'sepond. That's plain Eng!!

"Mr. GarraAva}-, I retract AAdiat I liaA-e said. Be pleased to drive this young lady to Binnethorpe Hall as soon as it may be agreeable to her to come. Aly nephcAv and I AAill return on foot." " Certainl}', sir. If Aliss St. Ange is Avilling to go to your house I AVIU drive her over." Air. George Trevellian nodded, and linking his arm In that of his nephcAA-, they Avalked aAvay together. During the Avalk Geoffray told his uncle that since Aliss St. Ange's flight from Alajor Wilton's at Teddington, a laAA-yer's clerk had Informed him that she Avas entitled to three thousand a-year under her father's AVIII, AAIIICII he had found. On seeing there AA-as money in the case, his uucle approved strongly of his making himself agreeable to her, and apologised for his obserA-ations AA'hen at the farm. Cherie St. Ange came OA-er In the afternoon, A-ery nicely dressed, looking ladylike and charming, as she ahvays did. She Avas anxious to see Trevellian, not because she liked liiin, but she hoped to get some UCAVS of Ijord Bracken from him. Since her flight she had fancied she might liaA'c been mistaken, but she had kept the cruel letter, and that seemed concluslA-e. In addi tion to this reason for Avishing to meet Geoffray, she Avanted to ask him to keep her place of refuge a secret from the Teddington people. Air. George Trevellian AA-as busll} engaged In his .study Avriting some letters, AA-hen Cherie called, and she Avas shoAvn into the handsomely-furnished draAvIng-room of Binnethorpe Hall, Avliere Geoffray Avas anxiously aAvaiting her coming. He Avas very gracious to her, being particularl}' anxious to make a faA'ourable impression upon her. If he could induce her to marry him, he BEHIND HIS B.\CK. 145 could go back to London the husband of a rich Avoman, keep his engagement Avith Golfer, and laugh at th.e AVar- office, Avhich he could afford to tliroAV up ; for his pride did not at all stand In the Avay of his living upon his AvIfe's fortune. "This is kind of you !" he exclaimed. " Y"ou are an old friend, and it Is Avell that Ave should meet, Air. Trevellian,"" she replied. "I hope," he exclaimed blunth', "that you haA'e by this time got OA'er your fleeting fondness for Lord Bracken." " He is nuAvorthy of my consideration; and }-et. If you kncAV all—" She paused abruptly. " I do knoAv more perhaps than you think,"" ho ans AA-ered. " The letter he sent you he has openly lôasted of." "To you?" "Yes, and to others." This Avas a death-bloAV to all her hopes; this Avas a sad confirmation of all her suspicions : and OA'ercome by the painful revelation, she sank on her knees before a chair, and buried her face in her hands. TreA'ellian stood Avitli his back against the mantelpiece, and gazed at her unconcernedly. Her grief did not last long. Recovering herself, she O O O 7 rose and sat doAvn, sa}-Ing, Avhile her tears still fell, " Do not laugh at me for my AA'eakness, Air. TreA-ellian; you do not knoAV on Avhat terms Lord Bracken and I Avere. He led me to expect that, that—" '' That he AA-ould make you his AvIfe." "Yês." " Ah ! If you AA-ere as Avell acquainted Avith him as I L 146 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD. am, you would not be surprised at his throAvIng you over," ansAvered TreAellian. " If I Avere you, I should forget, and treat him Avith the contempt he deserves. There are others AVIIO AVOUUI make you amends for his cruel behaviour. I must speak more ])lalnly, my dear Miss St. Ange; this Is an opportunity I have*been AA'ait- ing for. I—I—Avhy need I make any secret of an honest attachment ?—I haA'e long loved you. Do you think you could In time return my affection ?" Cherie shook her head sadly, and a melancholy smile crossed her pretty face. "No," she replied flatly. "It is useless for me to deceive you : ni}- heart is too deeply Avounded ever to alloAv me to form another attachment." TreA-ellian bit his lip. This rejection of his adA-ances Avas not what he had expected. " I did not anticipate this. Air. Trevellian,'' she said after a pause, " or I Avould ha\-e spared you and myself the pain of this InterAicAV. Aly object In coming here Avas to ask A-OU to not communicate m}' present address to Alajor AVilton." "And Avliy not, pray?*' he said coldly. " Because he Avould exert all his Influence OA-er me to return to his house. He was my father's friend, and I do not Avell knoAv hoAv I could refuse him. The associa tions connected Avith the Alajor's house are of such a nature that I do not Avish to be reminded of them; you must see that." " I think It AAill be my duty to A\-rite to your friends, Miss St. Ange," TreA-ellian replied. " If }'ou do that, you AAill drive me to desperation," she exclaimed Avildly. " I fancied I Avas secure In this country place; though I did not dare to think of my DO, PLEASE, PET ME. 147 future. O, it Is dreadful to bo situated as I am—no father, no mother, to advise me!" "I AA-ould be both to you," he ansAvered tenderly; " I Avould be more—a husband." DraAving herself up AvIth dignity, she said : " I have already Intimated to yoit that such a relation betAveen us is impossible Yôu have not treated me In a gentle manly Avay, Mr. Trevellian; and I shall w-Ish you good bye."" He endeavoured to detain her; but she SAvept past him, and Avas quickly In the open air, and took her seat b}- the side of the farmer, who Avas aAvaltIng her. "The devil take the AA-omen!"' muttered TreA-ellian angrih-; " I never did knoAV hoAv to manage them."

CHAPTER XIV. DO, PLEASE, PET JIE.

CHERIE ST. ANGE made short ansAvers to all farmer GarraAvay's questions; and seeing that she Avas in an uncommunlcatlA-e mood, he did not press her. She Avas thinking AA-hat she shotild do for the best. All the long night she thought, for her mind was too much burdened for rest, and toAvards morning she deter mined to quit Woodhouse farm, go to the gOA-ernesses' Institution in London, and look out for a neAv situation. The farmer's house was no longer a place of security for her, since Geoffray Trevellian had disco\-ered her, and she feared that he would persecute her with his ach-ances, as Avell as send Major Wilton to her. All at the farm Avere grlcA-ed to hear that she Avas 148 THE I\IAN OP THE PERIOD. going to leave them on the folloAvIng da}-; and Garra Avay told her alAva}-s to make his house her home, should she be in Avant of an as}dum at any time. AVith tears in her eyes she quitted her friends, and was driven to the raibvay station, Avliich she reached just as the train AA-as starting for London. The farmer hastily opened the door of a first-class carriage, handed herin, and Avished her good-bye, AA'hen the engine AA-IIIS- tled, and the train mo\-ed sloAvly aAvay. Suddenly a voice exclaimed, " Cherie!" She looked round and trembled, for Avell she kncAV that voice. It Avas liOrd Bracken's. The}- Avere alone together. Trying to be brave and stern, Cherie said, " Aly lord, I—" But she could get no further; her for titude gaA-c Avay, and leaning back against the cushions she Avept bitterly. " Aly dear child,"" cried his lordship, coming close to her, Avliile his voice melted Avith tenderness, " this Is Indeed fortunate. I can UOAV say Avhat I liaA-e been longing to say to you for months past. HOAV lucky that I should have been spending a fcAv days in the country! The AA'retched mistake, Avhich has, I fear, caused you so much misery, as Avell as myself, can noAv be explained." "A mistake?" she murmured. " Y"es ; the letter you received Avas intended for Aliss Arden ; but by a stupid blunder I put the letters in the w-rong eiiA-elopes. It is you I love, and ahvays did and alAva}'s Avill love. It is my dearest AvIsh to make you my AAife, and I Avrote to tell you so. O Cherie, AA-hy did you go aAvay, and make my heart almost break?"' She Avas silent for a time; then, leaning upon his shoulder, she said, " O, do, please, pet me. I am so happy noAV," DO, PLEASE, PET ME, 149 And he put his arm round her Avaist, and looked lovingly Into her pretty face, and Avhispered tender af fectionate things to her, Avliich made her little heart leap in her bosom Avith a Avild and uuAA-onted joy. The mistake Avas cleared up at last, and the dark clouds had lifted. The remainder of the journey to London Avas passed pleasantly enough IIOAV; mutual explanations ensued; and Cherie St. Ange Avas escorted in triumph to Major Wilton's by Lord Bi'acken, AVIIO introduced her to her Avondering friends as his future Avife. The same eA'ening, Air, James Golfer sought his lordship, and stating the facts he had mentioned to Tre A-ellian, made a similar bargain, the consequence of Avhich Avas, that In a few days the AAIU Avas produced, and Cherie St. Auge"s uncle compelled t(j giA-e up the money he had so long enjoyed, but AA-IIICII her father had Intended for his child. Golfer started in trade AAith the mone}- he obtained, and became a bill-discounter, by Avliich means he soon grcAv rich ; until one da}' a panic occurred in the City, and he lost all he possessed In the Avorld, AA'hich compelled him to go back to his desk In Peddie and LCA er's office, Avhere he UOAV drlA'cs a quill as of old. Tibby, the impulsive daughter of Air. and Airs. Arden, Avas as difficult to manage as ever. The mistake Avhich Lord Bracken had made delighted her, AvhIle it mortified and annoyed her friends beyond measure. It gave her a chance of marrying young Fulling, her father's partner's son, Avhom she loved AvIth all the fer- \our of her generous and impulsive nature. But Mrs. Arden selected a new suitor for her hand, a Mr. Baylls, Avho Avas very rich, and really loved her. He was a 150 THE MAN OP THE PERIOD. middle-aged man, and had been on 'Change, making his fortune iu lucky speculations. Tibby longed for the time when she Avould be of age : she called it the period of her emancipation, and voAved that then nothing .should prevent her from marrying Mr. Fulling. Her iuA-arl- able answer to her mother's repeated solicitations Avas, " I suppose I must hold my tongue, and be an obe dient child, until my emancipation takes place. Thank goodness, it is not long distant!" A deep sigh Avould folloAV this outbiu'st. "I must get }-our father to speak to you," her mother said on one occasion, "as it seems that my remonstrances have no effect AAdiatever upon you. AVe have spoilt you. I often urged upon Air. Arden the necessity of a little more seA-erlty; but the poor man doted upon you Avlieii you were young, and I let him have his OAVU Avay, unfor tunately. Y''ou seem to forget one thing, though, as you are sitting thei'e before the fire AvIth your old dress on, and your hair in a Avretchedly untidy state." "AVhat is that?" inquired Tibby, Avitli a yaAvn. "Mr. Nelson Baylls is coming to-night. I Avrote and Invited him to drop in, as we should be glad to see him." " In that case, my dear mamma," replied Tibby, " I shall take an early opportunity of going up-stairs, and I shall stay there all the evening, as I do not feel in the humour to entertain your model husband. HOAV long, pray, does he intend to stay ?" "How can I tell? HOAV long do people generally stay AA'hen they are invited au} Avliere to spend the even ing?" said Mrs. Arden, across Avhose face a shade of vexation stole. "Please make some excuse for me Say I am un- DO, PLEASE, PET ME. 151 well, or have gone to the theatre. I AVIII have a fire lighted in my bedroom, and Avitli a UCAV novel I think I can Avhile aAvay the evening more pleasantly than I could in Air. Baylls's company." " Aly dear," exclaimed Airs. Ai'den sternly, " AvliIle you are Avith me, and under my charge, I AVIU exact that obedience AvliIch CAery daughter OAves to a mother. I have all my life been too Aveak and indulgent to j'ou. It is, perhaps, not too late to turn over a UCAV leaf. Y'ou go to church, you say }'our prayers, and are, I believe, at heart a good, religious girl. NOAV I command you to obey me—your mother*—and to recelA'e this man this evening; and further, to make youi'self agreeable to him." " O, ver}' Avell!" ansAvered Tibby, Avhose eyes flashed. " If you Avant to make me a hjqiocrlte, the fault must rest Avitli you. I AVIU flirt desperately Avith Air. Baylls, and send him aAAa}- with the belief that I am head and ears In love Avith him, as A'OU are good enough to saA' he is Avith me." " That Avould be rushing Into the other extreme. Preserve the golden mean." " I cannot. I must be one thing or the other," an- SAvered the amiable Tibby, leaving the room to make her toilette. She Avas dreadfully untidy, as her mother had alleged, and had no Idea of method. Her Avardrobe Avas under the charge of a maid; If it had not been, she Avould never have knoAvn Avhere to find anything. She AVOUICI tliroAv things of all kinds into corners, and tumble draAvers full of clothes about in such a Avay as to dis arrange all their contents. When she expected no one, she Avould sit with her hair unbrushed, her chignon 152 THE MAN OF THE PERIOD. aAA'ry, and her face and hands no cleaner than a hasty sponge In the morning could make them; but her love of admiration Avould Induce her to adorn herself to the best adA-antage Avlien visitors Avere looked for. Nelson Baylis was a tall handsome man of five-and- forty. He had knoAvn Tibby for some months. His love for her AA-as one of those unaccountable pas sions Avhich it Is difficult to understand. He Avas a clever, and had been a hard-Avorking, fello\v. She Avas a fine, shoAA-y, giddy girl. He did not love her for her father's money. His own Avealthy position placed him far above any consideration of a mercenary nature, and he Avould have loved her just as dearly and as hopelessly If her people had been AA'ithout a penny, Alany a fine felloAV has ere noAV loved a Avoman ut terly uuAVorthy of his honest affection, and loved in a passionate, AAdiole-hearted manner, the earnestness of Avhich has only ceased AvIth his life. In spite of her promise to be fascinating, and flirt desperately Avith Air. Ba}-lis, Tibby sat in a sort of sullcr. state during the time he remained, seldom joining in the conversation, and ansAA'eiing "yes" or "no" Avhen sjioken to. Ba}-lis had ncA-er dared to tell the haughty and in different beauty his loA-e'; but he had made a confidante of her mother, and it Avas sometlilng to him to knoAV that he had her as an ach-ocate and Avell-AAisher, At ten o'clock he rose to go, and Tibby's face was instantly lighted u]) Avitli satisfaction. She held out the ti])s of her fingers for him to touch, and Avith a half- yaAvn, Avhlch Avas very rude, but AAIIICII she did not at tempt to suppress, she AvIshed him good-night. He Avent AAith a lieaA}- heart, and she retired once DO, PLEASE, PET ME. 153 more to her bedchamber, to read a scented three-cor nered note AA'hich her maid had been asked by young Fulling to give her. It Avas not Avritten in an extraA'agaiit A'ein. The Avrlter simply told her that, as he could knoAv little peace Avhen separated from her, he Avas willing to offer his liand, and to lay his slender fortune, such as It Avas (a hundred a-}-ear left him by an aunt), at her feet. If she complied Avith his request, that she Avould be liappier than she then Avas, and he Avould endeaA-our to repay her AvIth the devotion of a life. She treasured this letter up, and jealously guarded It from her mother. In three days she replied, saAliig that the Avriter might hope, but she could take no de cided step hastily. vShe added that she should haA'e no objection to meet Fulling clandestinely, as her father had lately forbidden him the house; but that she could not ask him to come to Teddington, as Airs. .Vrdeii objected to him, and his presence Avould only be pro- ductiA'e of unpleasantness. Then began a career of deception. She met Fulling at A'arious places, and listened to the loA'e he poured into her ears. She liked to hear that she Avas the most beautiful Avoman in the Avorld, and possessed of more accomplishments and gi'aces tlian Avere yet centred in one daughter of EA'C. Airs. Arden foiuid a bundle of letters from Fulling, Avhich Tibby had treasured up In a draAver; and think ing herself privileged to read them, she did so, thus gaining an Insight into AA-hat Avas going on. She remonstrated Avith her daughter*, but Avithout avail. She did more; she incited Nelson Baylis to make her an offer of marriage, AvhIch he did. He had 154 THE JIAN OP THE PERIOD. the mortification, hoAvcA-er, to be rejected. Tibby told him plainly that she could respect him as a friend. If he Avould not ask her to love him; but that If he pei- slsted in his attentions, AA-hich Avere the reverse of agree able, she should not continue to regard him cAen from a friendly point of A'iew. He Avent away with despair In his heart. Still he loA'ed her. It Avas a religion AvIth him to love this Avoman, and he Avas a devotee. That Is to say, for a month; at the end of Avhich time Tibby ran aAvay AvIth young Fulling, and got married to him In London. This eA'ent made the stockbroker turn his affectionate regards in another direction. Air. and Airs. Arden Avere obliged to forgive the im pulsive Tibby, Avho has settled doAvn to double harness, and takes A'ery kindly to her first baby, a fat cliubb}'-faced boy, Avho Is as like his father as one pea is to another. Air. and Mrs. Fulling are on terms of great inti- macA- AvIth Lord and Lady Bracken, and live near them In Belgravia. Cherie and her husband had gone to toAvn after their marriage; and large sums of money Avere spent by Lord Bracken in redecorating his toAvn- house, AvhIch Avas situated in Eaton-square; and plenty of Avork Avas given to the best milliner at the AVest-end, Avho had to supply her ladyship Avith the newest fashions, for she Avell kneAv the charm that a Avell-dressed Avoman exercises o\'er all AvIth Avhom she comes In contact. The season Avas a A'ery brilliant one. Parliament met early. The coui't set the example of extravagance and display in giving costly parties, balls, and dinners; and the aristocracy—the richest in the Avorld—emulated the example thus set, AvIth a recklessness of expenditure which diminished many a rent-roll, but added to tlie LO, PLEASE, PET ME. 155 splendid gaiety of " the season,'" and sent their names, trumpeted on the tongue of Fame, to the uttermost limits of the domain of fashion. Among these Lord and Lad}- Bracken Avere distinguished. The occasion Avas a grand one, that of the Introduction of his dearly-loA-ed AvIfe to society; and he spared no expense, for It Avas his dearest Avish to sliOAv the AA-orld that he had Ibeen superior to the aristocratic prejudice AA-hich makes those In the highest ranks look for husbands and Avlves In their OAVU .sphere, Avho can number on their coats-of-arms as many quar- terings as themseh-es. Geoff'ray TreA'ellian stayed at Binnethorpe for a few montlis, at the end of AvhIch time his uncle Avas taken serloush- ill and died, leaving him a sum of moneA- AVIIICII, after paAing all his debts, brought him In three huncb'ed a-A-ear. He is a man about tOAvn, aAA-fully In debt; un married, but believed to be looking out for a woman AvIth mone}-, though he does not seem very near the chance. He occasionally meets Lord and Lady Bi'acken, Avho are good enough to ask him t(j dinner; but neither of them knoAv IIOAV he plotted AAith Air. James Golfer, the laAA'yer's clerk, to obtain possession of Cherie .St. Ange's hand and her hidden fortune at one and the same time. That is his secret, and he broods OA-er it sometimes AA'hen he gets into the middle of his second pipe.

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