Beauchamp's Career -- Volume 2

rn from his last cruise, and first he tried the efficacy of a dive in salt water, as a specific for irritation. It gave the edge

t's one of our infernal panics again, and patch here, patch there; every inch of it make-believe! I'll prove to you from examples that the humbug of Government causes exactly the same humbugging workmanship. It seems as if it were a game of "rascals all." Let them sink us! but, by heaven! one can't help feeling for the country. And I do say it's the doing of those Liberals. Skilled workmen, mind you, not to be netted again so easily. America reaps the benefit of our folly . . . . That was a lucky run of yours up the Niger; the admiral was friendly, but you deserved your luck. For God's sake, don't forget the state of our service when you're one of our c

as you are a seaman, I shall do. Pounce on Hardist's vote without losing a day. I would go to him, but I've missed the Halketts twice. They

But a girl like Cecilia Halkett-one can't call her a girl, and it won't do to say Goddess, and queen and charmer are out of the question, though she's both, and angel into the bargain; but, by George! what a woman to call wife, you say;

on the deck of her father's yacht, the Esperanza, standing out of Otley river. There was a gallant splendour in the vessel tha

g out, 'Giv

rs, and presently the schoon

. Yes, now I mean Miss Halkett. Blest if I think she talked of anything else. She sees us. I'll tell you what she likes: she likes yachting, she likes Italy, she likes painting, likes things old English, awfully fond of heroes. I told her a tale of o

Miss Halkett had come to the side. The oars s

eemed to him, to enjoy the most delicious you-and-I on salt water that a sailor could dream of; and placidly envying, devoid of jealousy, there was just enough of fancy quickened i

since they had parted last! such changes in the interval! and great

Beauchamp.' He retorted

ately took footing on t

she. 'I have not missed you to-day. No address was on your car

a Bevisham hotel

ynham yet? Papa comes hom

ll go to Steynham yet. I-' Beauchamp was astonished at the hesita

iness?' sh

' sa

trary opinions; and for the sake of preserving the sweet outward forms of friendliness, Beauchamp was anxious not to speak of the b

dee

colonel to giv

t condemnatory or reproachful-a sound to fil

t can be more beautiful than these green waves and that dark forest's edge, and the garden of an island! The yachting-water here is an unrivalled lake; and if I miss colour, which I love, I remind myself that we have temperate air here

sant to hear from her lips.

ou bear compliments? You have been in Italy some years,

Cecilia, smiling. '

an dress

eived it

of thanks-and abuse,

may recognize

her right wrist. He lo

pearls of pri

fascinate the jewellers

te at an Election. Yo

? But you have not

altoge

t who has not? We cannot spare officers like you. Papa

tion was co

can aim at,' Beauch

tics when you were a midshipman,' she said

y wants a head,

, is the best of occupatio

t is a little to

go on very well withou

n very well

t tapped wi

Radical to talk i

me for

ot even im

iberal

wed from surprise to reproach, and then to pain-are you

cilia; but we, on our sid

plots of an old Republican in Bevisham-some doctor there; and I believe he went to London to look out for a second Tory candidate to oppose to the Liberal

il Beauchamp said: the Tories upheld t

er, never had loyal support but from the Tory Government. The Whigs, papa says, absolutely preached submission to Napoleon! The Whigs, I hear, were the Liberals of those days. The two Pitts were Tories. The greatness of England has been built up by the Tories. I do and will defend them: it is the fashion to decry them now. They have the honour and safety of the co

hamp

lked over it often, and especially of late. You will fi

d y

ill have to pardon me

would prefer having you agains

And now- can you throw off political Nevil, and be sailor Nev

ul anta

I am grieved. But we will finish our sail in peace. I detest controversy. I suppose,

n susceptible to the delicate chastisement, probably was not, for when he ceased it was to look on the beauty of her lowered eyelids, rather with an idea that the weight of his argument lay on them. It breathed from him; both in the department of logic and of feeling, in his plea for the poor man and his exposition of the poor man's rightful claims, he evidently imagined that he had spoken overwhelmingly; and to undeceive him in this respect, for his own good, Cecilia calmly awaited the occasion when she might show the vanity of arguments in their effort to overcome convictions. He stood up to take his leave of her, on their return to the mouth of the Otley river, unexpectedly, so that the occasion did not arrive; but on his mentioning an engagement he had to give a dinner to a journalist and a tradesman of the town of Bevisham, by way of excuse for not complying with her gentle entreaty that he would go to Mount Laurels and wait to se

e latter and more pardonable state, a

may tell papa to e

im to prepare f

in you a vote! I hope you will find your

n toward them by saying that he hoped so; as though the meeting them, ins

she glided swan-like to her moorings off Mount Laurels park through dusky merchant craft, colliers, and trawlers, loosely shaking her t

es to wealth, devoting them to wealth-splendid achievements of ar

But were they not in too great a profusion in proportion to their utility? That was the question for Nevil Beauchamp. The democratic spirit inhabiting him, temporarily or permanently, asked whether they were not increasing to numbers which were oppressive? And further, whether it was good, for the country, the race, ay, the species, that they should be so distinctly remov

ons. Beauty plucked the heart from his breast. But he had taken up arms; he had drunk of the questioning cup, that which denieth peace to us, and which projects us upon the missionary search of the How, the Wherefore, and the Why not, ever afterward. He questioned his justification, and yours, for gratifying tastes in an ill- regulated world of wrong-doing, suffering, sin, and bounties unrighteously dispensed-not sufficiently dispersed. He said by-and-by to pleasure, battle to-day. From his point of observation, and with the store of ideas and images his fiery yet reflective youth had gathered, he p