Beauchamp's Career -- Volume 4

ll. This is equivalent to saying that the simple pleasures are no longer with us; it must be a personal enemy now to give us any satisfaction in chastising and slaying. Perhaps by-and-

n decree. His conscience approved him cheerlessly, as it is the habit of that secret monitor to do when we have no particula

poacher. The nearest approach to gratification in that day's work which Mr. Romfrey knew was offered by the picture of Nevil's lamentable attitude above his dirty idol. He conceived it in the mock-mediaeval style of our caricaturists:-Sh

d the hues of the objects they conceive, which are very much at the mercy of their sportive caprices; and the state of mind of Mr. Romfrey is not to be judged by

at-racing; go shooting; go horseracing, nine months of the year, while the other Europeans go marching and drilling.' Those occupations he considered good for us; and our much talking, writing, and thinking about them characteristic, and therefore good. And he was not one of those who do penance for that sweating indolence in the fits of desperate panic. Beauchamp's argument that the rich idler begets the idling vagabond, the rich wagerer the brutal swindler, the general thirst for a mad round of recreation a generally-increasing disposition to avoid serious work, and the unbraced moral tone of the c

ation; for if Providence is to do anything for us it must have a sea-worthy fleet for the operation. How loudly would his contemptuous laughter have repudiated the charge that he trusted to supernatural agency for

here?' the c

ctor of his acquaintance,' Mr. Romfrey said, with

eard,' said Colon

of Dr. Shrapnel's particular offenc

erjected: 'Drug-vomit!' and

vil Beauchamp a world

for a cure

an come ac

di

bject. Colonel Halkett abstain

ing- room a few minutes before dinner that Mrs. Culling was entirel

d cause,' the colone

ay, without being a b

nsitive to allow of a beloved father's

that would divide Nevil and his uncle, and be an excuse for dividing her and Nevil. O for th

could not stay longer than a certain number of hours under a roof where tobacco was in evil odour. From her friend Louise, his wife, Cecilia learnt that Mr. Lydiard had been summoned to Dr. Shrapnel's bedside, as Mrs. Devereux knew by a letter she had received from Mr. Lydiard, who was

witzerland,'

there,' said

the case of Dr. Shrapnel from Colonel Halkett, and of Beauch

he was ill. She would have persuaded Mr. Culbrett to go down to Bevisham to see him: she declared that she could even persuade herself to call on Dr. Shrapnel a second time,

hen you saw him, di

. He is detestable

he ought to

d twisted her brows in comic apology for the u

te the expression of her anger, and she did not modify it, forgetful that a woman is the repre

er window in the afte

h his uncle Everard, the

on his feet; the other

ip-tree o

peaking vehemently, she perceived, and vainly, as she judged by the cast of his uncle's figure. Mr. Romfrey's head was bent, and wagged slightly, as he screwed his brows up and shot his eyes, queerly at t

g a series of questions to his uncle. M

e, thundering out a word

Halket

hand out strai

nsent; the colonel shook

some commission and swiftly disappeared, making Rosamun

and heard that Mr. Romfrey reque

forth, and found that she had to traverse the whole space of the lawn up to the tuliptree. C

ed. Did not that man Shrapnel grossly insult you on the day you called on

you speak, ma'am,

d looke

ling of his eyes penetrated and chilled her. Instead of thinking

ou at all, ma'am

hat he was not a cross-exa

ed for he

her senses telling her of a catastrophe, he

nally hurt your feelings or your dignity?'

ely: not . . . I certai

lives, to apologize to you for any offence that he may have been guilty of: he was ignorant of it. I have his word for that, and hi

aw tears leap out of the stern face

ll?' she

a strong dislike

desire any h

ng,' Mr. Culb

omfrey ov

t with a bare affirmative silence Nevil, when his conduct

, ma'am,' he

ould not le

that if you accused him you were mistaken, or that they were mistaken

!' Mr. Romfrey said to him,

urned his f

ffered her his ar

whispered, scarcely able to walk

ing of Captain Beauchamp. That old rascal in Bevisham has been having a beating; that's all. And a very bea

und half audibly under the oppression

in landscape-gardening. He added

acci

apnel defends one of your

m?-for that? Oh, never

had a long acc

th painfully. 'I sha

he colonel fumed as he spoke. 'Those letters of Shrapnel t

at shocking one,

kelett read

d, but her humble position did not warrant such speech. A consideration of the lowliness necessitating this restraint at a mom

to think of her p

k of it, knowing actually

e it for inspection. It was narrowing in her own sight. The prospect of her having to submit to a further interrogatory, shut it up entrenched in th

as generous; and, having recognized the g

ympathized with her very much in the semi-indignity Nevil had forced her to undergo: and very little indeed had she been able to sympathize with Nevil, who had been guilty of the serious fault of allo

to me or his behaviour: I have only a positive impression that I left his house, where I had gone to see Captain Beauchamp, in utter disgust, so repelled by his language that I could hardly trust myse

willingly, gladly have saved him

to have thought of

aptain Beauchamp. I see in his eyes

be so unjust,

might hear what Nevil had

ailed him, and held his hand out; and that Captain Beauchamp had overlooked it, saying he feared M

r. Shrapnel is extraor

Mr. Romfrey b

hinks, very

ince I saw him and heard him, he would be the evil genius of us all: if I dare include myself. But I am not permitted to escape! And, Miss Halkett, c

t of injury done by Dr. Shrapnel's defence of a poacher on his uncle's estate, with the sev

m heaving and sinking deep, as her conscience quav

u had been personally in

istressing doubt of her c

hat Mr. Romfrey compelled me from question to question to confess that the man had vexed me. Insulted, I never said. At the worst, I said vexed. I would not have said insulted, or even offended, because Mr. Romfrey . . . ah! we know him. What I

f the house. It appeared that he had wished his uncle to withdraw with him, and Mr. Romfrey had bidden him postpone private communications.

ITOR'S B

that Provide

xtremely opposite o

tinct without the

orse for nations th

hostage for the fulf

the wrathful-

him to think th

count ahead upon va

above emotion, quite

ed a strait-jac

ded by heterodox

ve, not cravin

mute conformity i

bject is the ca

ciety and advocacy o

producing gre

sk is a c

ow her own mind, for

is vast English mi

come to us as

judging things o