What Will He Do With It, Book 6.

re Guy

our house in the country-no matter how long the absence, no matter how decayed by neglect the friendly chambers may be, if it has only been deserted in the meanwhile (not let to new races, who, by their own shifting dynasties, have supplanted the rightful lord, and half-effaced his memorials)-the walls may still greet you forgivingly, the character of Home be still there. You take up again the thread of associations which had, been suspended, not snapped. But it is otherwise with a house in cities, especially in our fast-living London, where few houses descend from father to son,-where the title-deeds are rarely more than those of a purchased lease for a term of years, after which your property quits you. A house in London, which your father never entered, in which no elbow- chair, no old-fashioned work-table, recall to you the kind smile of a mother; a house that you have left as you leave an inn, let to people whose names you scarce know, with as little respect for your family records as you have for theirs,-when you return after a long interval of years to a house like that, you stand, as stood Darrell, a forlorn stranger under your own roof-tree.

ing almost as soon as seen. No, whatever the baptismal register may say to the contrary, that man is not old,-not even elderly; in the deep of that clear gray eye light may be calm, but in calm it is vivid; not a ray, sent from brain or from heart, is yet flickering down. On the whole, however, there is less composure than of old in his mien and bearing; less of that resignation which seemed to say, "I have done with the substances of life." Still there was gloom, but it was more broken and restless. Evidently that human breast was again admitting, or forcing itself to c

glishmen stood, hands tightly clasped in each other, in true English greetin

ds had seated themselves, he surveyed Darrell's countenance deliber

u beat me; you have been spending life,

ue of health from the fear to lose it; to feel an interest in rheumatism, an awe of bronchitis; to tell anecdotes, and to wear flannel. To you in strict confidence I

t recalls to him the gay time of the world he remembered in his young day,-and recalls it to him on the lips of a friend in youth! But Darrell sa

did you arrive? whence? How long do

ed? this evening. Whence? Ouzelford. How long do I sta

ll my heart. You have p

hibernation

c medium. I took rather a vast one, -nearly all the rest of the known world. I have visited both Americas, either end. All Asia have I ransacked, and pierced as far into Africa as traveller ever went in search of Timbuctoo. But I have sojourned also, at long intervals, at least they seemed long to me,-in the gay capit

comprehend; the exp

day, lest my resolution should fail me. I have thrown myself into this castle of care without even a garrison. I hope

hand. You have seen the newspapers regularly, of course: the state of the country interests you. You say that you co

nded just in time to keep my appointment; reached Ouzelford early this morning, went through the ceremony, made a short speech, came on at once to London, not venturing to diverge to Fawley (which is not very far from Ouzelford), lest, once there again, I should not have strength to leave it; and here I am." Darrell paused, then repeated, in brisk emphatic tone, "Parliament? No. Labour? No. Fellow-man, I

hi furere

ements,-let m

ve tried all, and begin to be tired. I have had my holiday, exhausted its sports; and you, coming from books and

re felicitous grace: nor, in following pleasure, have you parted company with conscience and shame. A fine

is? Satisfie

-whose choice, other than y

tain

ho

ou

eyes with unaffected amaze. "

iation,-are not name and lineage again written in the /Libro d'oro/? What king would not hail you as his counsellor? What senate not open its ranks to admit you as a chief? What house, though the haughtiest in the land, would not accept your alliance? And withal, you stand before me stalw

ve your belief in my vanity. Pass on, -or rather pass back; you say you have tried all in life that dis

ented the retort; for Darrell started as if stung to the quick; and his brow, before serene, his lip, befor

Cordial thanks for all your kindness to him. You write me word that he is much improved,-most likeable; you add, that at Paris he became the rage, that in Londo

e, perhaps, because-whatever he thinks, and I say to the

ickly. "But he does not nurse those exp

recoil from planting hopes of wealth in the graves of benefactors, Lionel Haughton would prefer carving his

rtily glad to hear

m what you say that you are h

id Darrell, firml

ou would marry again.

t la

you have

mothers and marriageable daughters that London-/arida nutrix/-rears for nuptial altars: where, amongst them, shall I, Guy Darrell, the man whom you think so enviable, find the

rubs his brow gently, and says in his softest, best-bred accents, "You would not marry a mere girl? some one of suitabl

maids. No! d

ce of your old age with a girl of eighteen, or else I do know

fe by the side of Eig

becomes narrowed. You would prefer a widow. Ha! I have though

no widow to me. A widow, with he

ecessarily. An

Fickle is the woman who can love twice. Did she not love him? Why did she marry him? Perhaps she sold herself to a rent-roll? Shall

her maids, be they ol

angel. London is not

yet, Alban, I am serious; and I do not presume to be so exacting as my words have implied. I ask not fortune, nor rank

at? you have left nothing w

old house at Fawley), ay, and after signing, cut off to boot this right hand, could I but once fall in love; love, and be loved again, as any two of Heaven's simplest human creatures may love each other while life is fresh! Strange! strange! look out into the world; mark the man of our years who shall be most courted, most adulated, or admired. Give him all the attributes of power, wealth, royalty, genius, fame. See all the younger generation bow before him with hope or awe: his word can make their fort

you, and with half your pretensions, even of outward form, have carried away hearts from boys like

my choice. Pilot

ld, and penetrate those sacred recesses where awaiting spinsters weave the fatal web. Leave all to me. Let

course; must I di

softly, and t

fatigue you already, what chance

eleven. And it is you

l walk back with you. Leave me not alone in this room,-alone in t

aid Alban, when they were in the open air:

streets are grown strange to me. Who live now in

rich; in a year or two, with luck, they may be exclusives,

rawl they, sting they, bask they in the sun, or

nothing so injudicious. I am a Vipont, too, and all for

but no drop in the blood of time-servers flows through the veins of the last childless Darrell. Pardon. I allow the

man, a Lord in the Admiralty. Carr has a second son in the Hussars; has just purchased his step: the other boys are still at school. He has three daughters too, fine girls, admirably brought up

-a farthing rushlight in a London fog! Hasten on to subjec

late Lord Niton's, fa

ied before the Flood. A deluge, at least, has gone over

e poor Marquess's, the last Marquess; the marquisate is extinct. Surely, whatever y

n a somewhat husky and muttered voice. "So

's at the time. I suspect that Carr made him talk! a thing he was not accustomed

she with him

Montfort? No; they wer

is not marri

o propose. Montfort has been only dead eighteen months; died just before young Carr's marriage. His widow lives

-"When w

n months ago; she asked af

L.-"Af

mother were at your house? Is it strange that she should ask after you?

to acquire much accurate knowledge of a young lady's character. I sho

artificial: Lady Montfort is natural. Indeed, if you had not that illiberal pr

is extinct, and Sir James Vipont, whom I remember in the House of Commons-respectable man, great authority on ca

property, but of its influence, out of Carr's hands, and will make a sad mess of it, for he is an impracticable, obsolete politician. He will never keep the family together, impossible, a sad thing. I remember how our last muster, five years ago next Christmas, struck terror into Lord's Cabinet; the mere report of it in the newspapers set all people talking and thinking. The result was that, two weeks after, proper overtures were made to Carr: he conse

the lock, Alban's mind returned from the perils that threatened the House of Vipont and the Star of Brunswick to the petty claims of private friendship. But

emembered; your position greater for having been out of all the scrapes of the party the last sixteen or seventeen years: your house should be the nucleus of new combinations. Don't forget to send Mills to me; I will engage

y cry it at C

about money whenever they talk about marriage. I should not like to exaggerat

y shi

great deal since you re

hen I say that, what with the rental of lands I purchased in my poor boy's lifetime and the interest on my much more lucrative moneyed capital

m the same age as yourself; and if I had thirty

fool!" said Darr