The Virginians

e door, seemed to be very little affected by the announcement that the visitor was a relation of the family. The family was away, and in their absence John cared very little for their

lord and his brother, and the young ladies, and the Baroness, who was to have the state bedroom. Who was the Baroness? The Baroness Bernstein, the young ladies' aunt. Harry wrote down his name on a paper from his own pocket-book, and laid it on a table in the hall. "Henry Esmond Warrington, of Castlewood, in Virginia, arrived in England yesterday-staying at the Three Castles in the village." The lackeys rose up from their cards to open the door to him, in order to get their "wails," and Gumbo quitted the bench at the gate, where he had been talking with old Lockwood, the porter, who too

ses of the evening, the talk of the rooks, and the calling of the birds round about-a couple of young men on horseback dashed over the bridge. One of them, with an oath, called him a fool, and told him to keep out of the way-the other, who fancied he might have jostled the foot-passenger, and possibly might have sent him over the parapet, pushed on more quickly when he reached the other side of the water, calling likewise to Tom to come on; and the pair of young gentlemen were up the hill on their way to the house before Harry had recovered himself from his surprise at their appearance, and wrath at their behaviour. In a minute or two, this advanced guard was followed by two livery servants on horseback, who scowled at the young traveller on the bridge a true British welcome of Curse you, who are you? After these, in a minute or two, came a coach-and-six, a ponderous vehicle having need of the horses which dre

ter the arrival of the first carriage, a second chariot with four horses had passed over the bridge, and a stout, high-coloured lady, with a very dark pair of eyes, had looked hard at Mr. Warrington. That was the Baroness Bernstein, the landlady said, my lord's aunt, and Harry remembered the first Lady Castlewood had come of a German family. Earl, and Countess, and Baroness, and postilli

ill voice, with many oaths, which Harry Warrington recognised, cursed Gumbo for a stupid, negro woolly-pate,

e bridge. Didn't know you-course shouldn't have done it-thought it was a lawyer with a writ-dressed in black, you know. Gad!

sheriff's-officer, cousin," says Harry, with

I ask your pardon. You see I had been drinking at the Bell at Hexton, and the pun

n, and I should think you have," Harry c

said. Why the devil should he go down? Castlewood says, and so said my lady, but the Baroness would have you. It's all the Baroness's doing, and if she says a thing, it must be done; so you must just get up and come." Mr. Esmond delivered these words with the most amiable rapidity and indistinctness, running them into one another, and tacking about the room as he s

ook you for a bailiff-a confounded pettifogging bum-bailiff!" And he went on screeching more oaths and incoherencies, until the landlord, the drawer, the hostler, and all

n home, and poor Mr. William, it appeared, had returned in a wheelbarrow, being not altogether unaccustomed to that mode of conveyance. "He never remembers nothin' about it the next day. He is of a real kind nature, Mr. William," the

invite him. Let a man go down with the proper messages, let a servant carry a note. Lady Fanny thought it would be more civil if one of the brothers would go to their kinsman, especially considering the original greeting which they had given. Lord Castlewood had not the slightest objection to his brother William going-yes, William should go. Upon this Mr. William said (with a yet stronger expression) that he would be hanged if he would go. Lady Maria thought the young gentleman whom they had remarked at the bridge was a pretty fello

een prepared for her. The cook had arrived the previous day with instructions to get ready a supper for her such as her ladyship liked. The table sparkled with old plate, and was set in the oak dining-room with the pictures of the family round the walls. There was the late Viscount, hi

appropriately to their friend. She was full of spirits and humour. She seemed to know everybody in Europe, and about those everybodies the wickedest stories. The Countess of Castlewood, ordinarily a very demure, severe woman, and a stickler for the proprieties, smiled at the very worst of these anecdotes; the girls looked at one another and laughed at the maternal signal; the boys giggled and roared with especial delight at their sisters' confusion. They also

y word," say

r," says Will-wink

with the punch; and she became voluble, might have been thought coarse, but that

ly man of the family was that," she said, pointing (with an arm that was yet beautifully round and whi

ught he was good for nothing but to cultivate tob

ever was one of the male Esmonds that had more brains than a goose, except him. He was not fit for this wicked, selfish o

ly kind to our pap

ss. "I am sure my dear Earl was very kind to h

to-day is heir to that. Mr. Draper told me so! Peste

-day?" asked the Baro

: "a lad whom Will nearly pitched into the river, and wh

n boys has been to Castlewood, and

creature," interposes the Earl. "Th

ame, fo

leasant, I conf

, the master of this house, has been here, a

and he is staying at the

old lady. "This is too bad-call somebody to me. Get me my hood-I'll

ul' applied to my conduct. I won't go and fetch the young gentleman from Virginia, and I propose to sit here and finish this bowl of punch. Eugene! Don't Eugene me, madam. I know h

any dislike. She leaned over to him and said rapidly in German, "I had unright when I said the Colonel

this hour of the night, let William, at leas

hing I prop

did we!" cried the d

consent!" said their mother, "and shall be cha

get a lantern, and go fetch

o by this time had already had too much. And he went forth-how we have s

others are not eager to encourage the visits of interesting youths of nineteen in families where there are virgins of twenty. If Harry's acres had been in Norfolk or Devon, in place of Virginia, no doubt the good Countess would have been r

e her ladyship, are friendly to those who have plenty of friends. A poor lad, alone, from a distant country, with only very moderate means, and those not as yet in his own power, with uncouth m

stlewood family showed to her-mother, and daughter, and sons,-and being a woman of great humour, played upon the dispositions of the various members of this family, amused herself with their greedinesses, their humiliations, their artless respect for her money-box, and clinging attachment to her purse. They were not very rich;

ne, which her ladyship was in the habit of taking freely, and because she may have had a generous impulse when generous wine warmed her blood, and felt indignant as she thought of the poor

revolt. He was as selfish as the rest of the family, but not so mean; and, as he candidly state

olly Will had slept off his various potations of punch. She was up, and pacing the green terraces that sparkled with the sweet morning dew, which lay twinkling, also, on a flowery wilderness of trim parterres, and on the crisp

d despatched an early billet by one of the Lockwoods. The note was signed B. Bernstein, and informed Mr. Esmond Warrington that his relatives at Castlewood, and among them a dear friend of his grandfather, were most anxious that he should come to "Colonel Esmond's house in England." And now, accordingly, the lad made his appearance, passing under the old Gothic doorway, tripping down the steps from one garden terrace to another, hat

So you came yesterday to see his picture, and they turn

he, I fear, was tipsy. I spoke rudely to my cousin, and would ask his pardon. Your ladyship knows that in Virginia our manners towa

u this morning, only I was so eager to see you. There will be breakfast in an hour; and meantime you must talk to me. We will send t

d to call us his cr

him, though

nd held out to him. No wonder he clung to it. In the hour during which they talked together, the young fellow had poured out a great deal of his honest heart to the kind new-found friend; when the dial told breakfast-time, he wondered to think how much he had told her. She took him to the breakfast-room; she presented him to his aunt, the Countess, and bade him embrace his cousins. Lord Castlewood was frank and gracious enough. Honest Will had a

little room in the courtyard where his grandfather used to sleep, and a cunning cupboard over the fireplace which had been made in the time of the Catholic persecuti

ecise words in which Mr. Harry Warrington delivered it to Madam Bernstein