Kenelm Chillingly, Book 4.

in which the charm of intellectual companionship is not yet withered away in the heated atmosphere of crowded rooms,-season in which parties are small, and conversation extends beyond the interchange

d science with hereditary rank and political distinction,-that art which was the happy secret of the Lansdownes and Hollands of the last generation. Lord Beaumanoir was himself a genial, well-read man, a good judge of art, and a pleasant

liarly. The one might be about fifty-four; he was tall, strongly built, but not corpulent, somewhat bald, with blac

sions. On such occasions he carried great weight, and, by the brief expression of his opinions, commanded more votes than many an orator infinitely more eloquent. Despite his want of ambition, he was fond of power in his own way,-power over the people who /had/ power; and, in the love of political intrigue, he found an amusement for an intellect very subtle and very active. At this moment he was bent on a new combination among the leaders of different sections in the same party, by which certain veterans were to retire, and certain younger men to be admitted into the

his enemies and serve his friends. Something in this young man's countenance and bearing tended to favour the credit given to his ability and his promise. In his countenance there was no beauty; in his bearing no elegance. But in that countenance there was vigour, there was energy, there was audacity. A forehead wide but low, protuberant in those organs over the brow which indicate the qualities fitted for perception and judgment,-qualities for every-day life; eyes of the clear English blue, small, somewhat sunken, vigilant, sagacious, penetrating; a long straight upper lip, significant of resolute purpose; a mouth in which a student of physiognomy would have detected a dangerous charm. The smile was captivating, but it was artificial, surrounded by dimples, and displaying teeth white, small, strong, but divided from each other. The expression of that smile wou

y furnished, with chintz draperies. The walls were adorned with drawings in water-colours, and precious specimens of china on fanciful Parian brackets. At one corner, by a window that looked southward a

he room, was the hostess's favourite writing-nook. The two men I have described were

on through money. It demands liberalism from a candidate,-two kinds of liberalism seldom united; the liberalism in opinion which is natural enough to a very poor man, and the liberalism in expenditure which is scarcely to be obtained except from a very rich one. You may compute the cost of Saxboro' at L3000 to get in, and about L2000 more to d

tter; the expense does. I canno

u say, only one son; and if anything ha

apply to him for money to obtain a seat in Parliament upon the democratic side of the question; for, though I know little o

mocrat if, by the death of your cousi

times when a democrat of ancient lineage and good estat

r Gordon, /vou

gainst the men of my own day, I do n

wice when he was very young, and reading with Welby in London. Pe

er he be clever or whether he be odd, he is

poetry p

of it, I

world, and no queen of that world was ever less worldly or more queen-like. Side by side with the lady was Mr. Chillingly Mivers. Gordon and Mivers interchanged friendly nods, and the former sauntered away and was soon lost amid a crowd of other young men, with whom, as he could converse well

at my old young friend Kenelm is here? Since you told me so, I have loo

but before I could escape from a geologist who was bo

it was hi

cord; and so many people tell me that they converse with the dead under the

bout table-rapping," said Lady Glenalvon. "There

lmly mournful the expression of his face, so estranged did he seem from all the motley but brilliant assemblage which circled around the solitude he had made for himself, that he might well have been deemed one of those visitants from another world whose secre

Before he could answer, Mivers, who had follow

me to London? Why have you not called on me;

kindliest expression of his soft dark eyes; "I am not so far advanced towards the noon of life as to forget the sunshine that brightened its morning. My dear Mivers, your questions are easily answered. I arrived in England two weeks ago, stayed at Exmundham till this morning, to-day dined with Lord Thetford, whose acquain

n your cousin Gordon as

a little later some others came in, for I heard a faint buzz, like that of persons talking in a

a louder tone, Kenelm had been too absorbed in his ow

ambition to enter Parliament. I hope no old family quarrel between his

he would scarcely forgive me if I declined

at breakfast to-morrow,-ten o'clo

, and was quietly observing his countenance. Now she spoke. "My dear Mr. Mivers, you will have

ur hermitage. How all the men in t