Rhoda Fleming -- Volume 1

osition of Anthony Hackbut in that celebrated establishment, and the degree of influence exercised by him there, were things unk

osed his risks, and eyed the pile of visionary gold with an interest so remote, that he was almost correct in calling it disinterested. The brothers-in-law had a mutual plea of expense that kept them separate. When Anthony refused, on petition, to advance one hundred pounds to the farmer, there was ill blood to divide them. Queen Anne's Farm missed the flourishing point by one hundred pounds exactly. With that addition to its exchequer, it would have made head against its old enemy, Taxation, and started rejuvenescent. But the Radicals were in power to legislate and crush agriculture, and "I've got a miser for my brother-in-law,

any man's springs of action critically while he is being tried by a sorrow; and the farmer's angry rejection of Anthony's offer of aid must pass. He remarked in his letter of reply, that his wife's funeral should cost no less than he chose to expend on it. He breathed indignant fumes against "interferences." He desired Anthony to know that

thought over before they were undertaken; and when you are away from your post, you never knew who maybe supplanting you. He did not promise that he could come, but frankly stated his susceptibility to the friendliness of an invitation. The feeling indulged by Farmer Fleming in refusing to notice Anthony's advance toward a reconciliation, was, on the whole, not creditable to him. Spite is more often fattened than propitiated by penitence. He may have thought besides (policy not being always a vacant space in revengeful acts) that Anthony was capable of something stronger and warmer, now that his huma

oldiers." Indeed, he joked quite comically in speaking of the famous horse-guards-warriors who sit on their horses to be looked at, and do not mind it, because they are trained so thoroughly. "Horse-guards blue, and horse-guards red," he wrote-"the blue only want boiling." There is reason to suppose that his disrespectful joke was not original in him, but it displayed his character in a fresh light. Of course, if either of the girls was to go, Dahlia was the person. The farmer commenced his usual process of sitting upon the idea. That it would be policy to attach one of the family to this chirping old miser, he thought incontestable. On the other hand, he had a dread of London, and Dahlia was surpassingly fair. He put the case to Robert, in remembrance of what his wife had spoken, hoping that Robert would amorously stop his painful efforts to think fast enough for the occasion. Robert, however, had nothing to say, and seemed willing to let

of London for holding her sister away from her, melted in gratitude. She had permission to keep the portrait a week; it was impossible to forbear from showing it to Mrs. Sumfit, who peeped in awe, and that emotion subsiding, shed tears abundantly. Why it was to be kept secret, they failed to in

the iron gate. Her heart thumped. She divined correctly that it was her uncle. Dahlia had now been absent for very many months, and Rhoda's growing fretfulness sprang the conviction in her mind that something closer than letters must soon

id, and her hands came in cont

She had no longer

was in dread of all the thieves of London. You ain't afraid o' me, miss? I'm not the party generally outside of a

ke a cracked flute, combined with the

den of Queen Anne's

your father says. "Little," says I; why, you needn't be ashamed to

hoda. "Tell me how my sister is.

urned old An

Rhoda looked at him wit

e spoke, fixed his small brown eyes on the girl, and seemed immediate

health

ead's good, lungs, bra

t giddy, t

her

ever you mind. You look

ke to you,

, when the farmer came out, and s

her T

, brother W

last." The farmer walked u

t too late,

late-to mend,"

the ball; and in this way they got over the confusion

oda, I see," said the farm

al nigh a candle. She looks, as you'd say, 't' o

ain't got much to offer, but what there i

halting explanation. You would have said that a debtor was humbly putting his case in his creditor's ear, and could only now and then summon courage to meet the censorious eyes. They went in to Mrs. Sumfit's shout that the dumpl

got into conversation with the driver of a fly at a station, who advised him of a cart that would be passing near Wrexby. For threepennyworth of beer, he

r Tony," said the

brother William John," sa

ch as it is." The far

remarking, "That's good

n beer, this stuff's not so bad, if you bear in min

said Anthony. "So, what do I do? I dr

e." The farmer put a li

e threepence a day in b

even's twenty-

and let out his elbow i

p: "And fifty-two

uch is that, Mas' Gammon?"

himself with dumpling. He relaxed his exertions sufficiently to

I feeds-Ah was al'ays

s it

at never was rode! Try again

mmon replied, "that ain't no r

y's fear of the pedagogue, he fought Anthony off by still pressing the arithmetical proble

eason why I should think fer ye," w

r transferred the quest

delay, while Anthony wa

it is-it's poun

that neatly, I will say. Let it be five. You out with your five at interest, compound interest; soon com

did!" said the far

sion by holding his plate to Mrs. Sumfit for a help. The manifest evasion and mut

all about my darlin', sir," M

ther-after dinner

lings is finished?" she exclaimed, piteous

we'll have a

lmly tightening. His fork was on end, with a vast mouthful impaled on the prongs. Master Gammon, a thoughtful eater, was always last at the meal, and a latent, deep-lying irritation at Mrs. Sumfit for her fidgetiness, day after day, toward

ot impervious to the sound sense of th

ul; but, all about my Dahly waitin',-I feel pricked wi' a pin all over, I do; and there's my blessed in London," she answer

ice Mrs. Sumfit sounded a despairing, "Oh, deary me!" but it was useless. No human power had ever yet driven Master Gammon to a demonstration

nk you'll have d

down his knife and fork. He half raised his

els my but

deliberately fe

ed back in her ch

ime, and move. Master Gammon cleared his plate. There stood in the dish still half a dumpling. The farmer and R

o please Master Gammon, she could have done? When Anthony was ready to speak of her Dahlia, she obtruded this question in utter dolefulness. Robert was kindly asked by the farmer to take a pipe among them. Rhoda put

llow attend to busi

l young folks. Makes a butt of old Mas' Gammon; laughs at the old man. It ain't respectful t' age, I say. Gammon don't understand nothing about new feeds for sheep, and dam nonsense about growing such things as melons, fiddle-faddle, for 'em. Robert's a beginner. What he kno

e Rhoda a pat o