Sir Brook Fossbrooke, Volume I.

his sister, he determined he would "pitch his tent," as he called it,

teaching ever gives, and, along with these, a mind stored with thought and reflectiveness. Let us, however, be just to each, and own that her beauty and the marvellous fascination of her smile gave her, even in that old man's eyes, an irresistible charm. It was a very long bygone, but he had once been in love, and the faint flicke

quiet pleasures. He loved scenery passionately, and with a painter's taste for color and form; he loved poetry, which he read with a wondrous charm of v

youth. It is, at least, an honest worship, an unselfish offering, a

from his father, his fastidious retirement from the world, and, last of all, his narrow fortune, apparently now gr

re not teachable qualities; he could pick up a certain amount of almost anything,-he could learn nothing. He could carry away from a chance conversation an amount of knowledge it had cost the talkers years to acquire, and yet set him down regularly to

ot a theme he could not talk on, and talk well too. "It was but the other day he told the chief engineer of the Shannon Company more about the geological formation of the river-basin than all his staff knew. Ay, and what's stranger," added the vicar, "he understands the whole

Fossbrooke, "but not to be

manner, and a winning address; but who would thin

boldly, "for I place her

lass of advantages he ascribed the other's prefere

return. He drew, too, with great skill, and Lucy made considerable progress under his teaching; and as they grew more intimate, and she was not ashamed of the confession that she delighted in th

the love of simple pleasures and a purer source of enjoyment. Whichever way the truth inclined, each was happy, each contented. And how fond are we all, of every age, of playing the missionary, of setting off into the savage distri

, that, while Tom and Lucy were yet at breakfast,

n that dark pool under the larch

. "You said, t'other morning, you wanted cloud effects

ull basket before four

ketch-book," said Lucy, wit

; for I have a plan of my own,

go to work on that fish-p

a punishment for not being able to find Machiavelli's comedies last

e third form. But what 's your plan, Sir Brook? We have thought of all the

sure only; so pack up at once and get

glad! Where's Trafford

well-filled hampers to Holy Island, where I me

n too! I adhere

ir Brook, as the young girl stood with a

t's not a very plea

Lucy? Where

n't this too bad? She tells me Nicholas does not like all

Nicholas thinks that p

we have a commission to examine Ni

ess into the Shannon. Come along, Lucy; don't let us lose this glorious morning.

itude of doubt and hesitation. "I mustn't risk your good opinion of me rashly. If yo

ground that all this is so unlike the life we have been leading hitherto. Papa will surely disapprove of it.

the day after. He hopes all will be well. Papa knows your name, Sir Brook. He says, 'Ask your friend Sir Brook if he be any relative of a Sir Brook Foss-brooke who rescued Capta

ving struck the Count d'Aconi across the face with his glove; and the Count was nephew to the Kin

aring thi

y showed fight. Our toughest enemies were the galley-slaves, who, when they discovered that we never

n, what bec

e me two fingers to shake the last

Oh, don't tell me o

hich, once acknowledged, is acquitted; and perhaps they are

ll him this story, or wil

lood is over-hot as it is. Let him not have

y I tel

ted to me in those days. He may possibly remember some of them, a

ploit?" asked she, looking, not without admir

. Set me once a-talking of myself, all my prudence, all my reserve vanishes; so that, as a measure of safety for

te in localities was somehow always associated with some feature of festivity, the great merit of the present spot being that you could dine without any molestation from beggars. In such estimation, indeed, did he hold the class, that

eated himself under the shelter of an ivy-covere

ion or two," said Tom, "I 'll build a cottage he

the present day as a sort of f

th, for example, you, my dear doctor, may be a bishop, and not over inclined to these harmless levities. Tom there will be, as he hints, gold-crushing, at the end of the earth. T

said the vicar; "pa

pting the mitre," said Sir Brook, laughing. "Bish

broke in Lucy. "I am in a sad minori

pular prejudic

e as illogical as bishops? I see I was ri

e rejection of?" said Sir Brook; and the young fellow'

his salad?"

"The doctor has helped himself twice to it, and t

as long ago as the year 1806. Sir Robert Adair had been our minister at Vienna, when, a rupture taking place between the two Governments, he was recalled. He did not, however, return to England, but continued to live as a private citizen at Vienna. Strangely enough, from the moment that o

to my great achievement than the Grand-Duchess Sophia, who it seems had watched the whole performance, sent a servant round to beg that I would send her my plate. She accompanied the request with a little bow and a smile whose charm I can still recall. Whatever the reason, before I awoke next morn

dish of salad!"

of an archduchess, rather

t to his gallantry showed how, even in a hear

very hard," said T

p the salad, so think

I 'd have gone,"

been shot if you had

e in their justice. You, for instance, Trafford, are well pleased to be here on leave, and enjoy yourself, as I take it,

it would,

, sullenly; "I 'd rather go into close arre

Tom. "I do like to hear a fellow say he is

nds," broke in the vicar. "Now that we have dine

coffee, doctor, then?

ffee and a pipe, too, for I kn

"or she 'd have a poor time

casion, for I 'll take a stroll through the ruin

. "We cannot lock the door, Lucy, de facto,"

window," said she, springing through an ol

r Brook, mournfully, as he looked after her. "If there were only eno

let me nourish myself till your

fades away before the graceful attraction of h

ught save to make herself the companion of her poor father,-a sad, depressed, sorrow-struck man, only rescued from despair by that

lly. The action spoke more than any words. "And the bro

ys 'either makes a spoon or spoils

him they spoke of, and with a laughing eye he cried out, "Wha

il how you turn out. There's stuff in you to make a hero, b

live in," said Tom, gayly. "Are we to have another bottle of that

u land me at the quay of Killaloe. When temperance means saf

ere was a feeling, too, not of damp, but chilliness; at all events, he was averse to being on the w

et foot on board. Meanwhile Sir Brook and Tom had engaged in an animated discussion as to the possibility of settling in Ireland as a man settles in some lone island in the Pacific, teaching the natives a few of the needs of civilization and picking u

they both understand it, mingling, the very sagest reflections with projects the wildest and most eccentric. Their life, as they sketched it, was to be almost savage in freedom, untramme

e at first about the want of hot plates or finger-glasses, but he would soon fall into their w

trait of the other's childhood, eager to hear any little incident which might mark character or indicate temper. And at last they came down to the present,-to the very hour they lived in, and laughin

by an effort suppressing he

gest thing in the world,-I who have never had friendships or

ple in country-houses and the like; but I never met any one before I could speak to of myself,-I mean, that I had courage to te

" said she, with, though not visible

say of me,-I mean now, for once o

are you n

t dishonorably, mind; the scrapes I speak of were money troubles, and they brought me into collision with my governor. That

taking off her glove, she suffered her h

apidly away, however, and then, to prevent the conversation returning to its former channel, said aloud: "What are you

he doctor's arm now and wake him up, for I see the li

rafford, in a whisper; "I wish this