VC -- A Chronicle of Castle Barfield and of the Crimea

, and affords a welcome to storm from whatever corner of the compass it may blow. You have to get right away into the Peak district before you can find anyth

a storm raged round and over the old Beacon as no man or woman of that region could even remember. It began in the grey of the dawn in wild and fitful gusts, driving thick squalls of rain before them, but long before midday it lost its first waywardness and settled down to business with a steady purpose. It grew in force from hour to hour, and almost from minute to minute, until all living things sought shelter. The disconsolate

rage of many years, and before the wind had raged itself to rest many scores of patriarchal landmarks were laid low. Roar of tormented woods, howl of wind, c

ow, first in this chamber and then in that, until the whole squat edifice seemed charged with warmth and comfort. The tempest poured its full strength against the grey-stone house. It shook the windows with its frantic hand, it s

is heavy black broadcloth was soaked through and through, and weighed him down. The icy wet had chilled him, and he breathed hard at every laboured step. One stiff slope of some fifty yards had still to be surmounted before he reached the hill-top. Twenty yards further lay the house, with all windows bea

, 'but it's one thing to have a good tight craft under your feet, and it's another to be bogged in the dark,

most fortunately for the wayfarer, there was a thick coppice of stunted trees, which afforded refuge from the gale and shelter from the rain. He was quite blown by the time he reached it, an

s. You haven't got

gious effort that he saved himself from being blown away like a leaf. But having once struggled past the actual summit, he had escaped that danger, and a minute later, through howling-wind and scourging rain, the fire-lit windows of the house were beaming 'home!' u

g brown steaming jug upon the wooden table in the centre of the room, which was paved with the large square tiles locally called 'quarries.' One of the group about the fire turned to this jug and poured out from it a generous-looking stream of dark brown

er inside there, ain't you? Pretty fine old crowd to

the close of his speech and his appearance before the group about the fir

an of middle age, who had risen at his entrance, and stood before him with an embarrassed aspect, 'don't tell the missus that I'm at home, but go upstairs and lay out dry thi

m, and the master of the house approached the fire, and, tur

eaming contents of the mug, and

. I hope there isn't one of you that hasn't got the s

o fightin', Mr. Jervase,' sa

t. You mark my words, now, all of you. You'll remember this night to the last day o' your lives. This is the 27th March, this is. The twenty-seventh of March in the year of Our Lord eighteen hundred and fifty-four. That's a date as w

r. Jervase?' asked the m

of Parliament to say as she's declared war agen the Czar of all the Rooshias. And before a month is over your he

w as little of the rights and wrongs of that great Eastern question which had overshadowed the world so long,

s lifted a hand, and w

I'll tell you what it is, my lads. The Queen wants men, and there isn't one of you that isn't fit to go a-soldiering. I just tell you this-if any one of y

in the abstract was a thing to cheer about, but war in the concrete-war with i

now since I heard a shot fired in anger, or since I stood on a ship's deck. But I've got the heart for the work still, if I haven't got the figger. Heigh-ho,' he went on, with a regretful moan, 'th

his entrance returned at this instant and cou

lads: fine young chaps like you ought not to desert their Queen and country in the hour of need. I'll keep my pr

reached the stairfoot, and finding himself alone, he added, with a sudden snarl, 'I'd like to give three of ye a chance

s, before a big cheval glass, he looked eminently British for his day. The style is a little changing now, but the thick-set sturdy figure, the full paunch, the blunt scowling features, the cold grey eyes, the double chin, the firm yet sensual mouth, were all expressive of his type. The suit of pilot cloth into which he had changed gave him something of a seafaring look; but the high white collar, the shining black satin stock, the heavy gold chain which trailed across his waistcoat, and the clean-trimmed hirsute mutton-chop on either side the heavy jowl combined to make him intensely respectable to look at. He thrust his feet into a pair

oof. Jack Jervase wasn't a very distinguished servant of Her Majesty. He never held the Queen's commission, sir; but h

his own geniality any sense of presumption which might appear to lurk wit

nnate courtesy of a man who could not refrain from bending to people of inferior stature. It scarcely detracted from the military character of his carriage, and, indeed, the General could stand up straight enough when he chose, as divers of the old incorrigibles who had been under his command in many climates knew full well. It was always a bad sign to one of these when he saw the General square his shoulders: and if, in addition to this, both hands were sent at the same time to twist the ends of the great drooping grey moustache, the old offender knew that his plight was serious indeed. Yet, for a grizzled old cam

, I understand,' said the Gen

, has come at last, and by this time I suppose He

war, Jervase?' c

nt a message to Parliament that negotiations with the Czar are broken off. The message goes on to say tha

ad been when he addressed the rustic crowd. It could be seen tha

t on, turning upon his heel and speaking in a raised voice, 'there is your chance, Polson. You're a lucky dog, not ev

lf a set of chessmen from the board on which he had been playing, into the lap of a pretty girl, his partner in the game; but he had listened so intently, from th

out that, Dad? There's

d four inches; and the family resemblance, striking as it was, did not pierce so deep as the expression of the face. The father's blunt features were soften

ssion?' the young man asked. 'There's no f

his father answered, 'and I expect you'll get your cal

s which had fallen in her lap. She placed them on the board, with a meaningless precision, and

oung man grasped it, he laid his left upon his shoulder. 'They won't keep you long at the Depot,' he said, 'for a man who

t, and had made an indeterminate movement forward towards the centre of the room. And out of the boom and thunder of the storm there suddenly came a wild clatter of horses' feet, and a heavy gate was heard to fall back upon its fastening. An instant later there was a mad tugging at the front door bell, and an insa

would have fallen had not Jervase clutched at it. The newcomer and the

The matter?' said the new a