Aunt Rachel / A Rustic Sentimental Comedy

owed by the valet, who bore his painting tools-had climbed into a field knee-deep in grass which was ready for the scythe. At the bottom of this meadow ran a little purling stream, with

elf-imposed task before half an hour was over, threw himself at length beside the brook, and there, lulled by the ripple of the water

things to the Hall, s

anged his scarf, cocked his cap, and sauntered from the field. His way led him past a high time-crumbled wall, over which a half score of trees pushed luxuriant branches. The wall

is head from side to side to make out, if possible, the inmates of the garden, but he could see nothing but the figure of a girl, who leaned her hands upon a tree and her cheek upon her hands. This, however, was enough to pique curiosity, for the figure was singularly graceful, and had fallen into an attitude of unstudied elegance. He pushed t

followed by Joseph Beaker, who bore the saw and the billhook, and the old nobleman was evidently somewhat fatigued, and carried the ladder with difficulty. Seeing hi

, in a discontented voice,

the music," said Fe

caterwauling?" He waved a hand towards

d; "for country people they play cap

d on music. I haven't ventured to call on him for a long time. We had quite a little fracas years ago about these overhanging boughs. They're quite an eyesore-quite an eyesore; but he won't have 'em touch

the ladder and gone off with it in his own crab-like way, the two stood together u

nd stood somewhat irresolutely, as if uncertain. Finally, she bowed in a manner sufficiently distant and ceremonious. Ferdinand put up an eye-g

s we passed by, and stopped to listen to it. This is my young friend, Mr. De Blacquaire, who's going to stand, you know, fo

ywhere, of course, but I had not expected to find so advanced a company

d in the sunlight, looking alternate

De Blacquaire is worth having, let me tell you, Fuller. Mr. De Blacquaire is himse

rl's arrival, had deliberately turned his back, and was now engaged

iah, mildly, "his lords

s he's a-talking to one on us. As for m

ope," said his lordship,

er, so far as I can se

ld," said Fuller.

f the vicar's mek a fly at a mongrel dog as had a bone. The mongrel run for it and took the bone along with him. It comes into

for a speech which should turn the current of conversation into a pleasanter channel. The Earl of Barfield was particularly keen in his desire to run Mr. Ferdinand de Blacquaire for the county, and to run him into Parliament. Ferdinand himself was much less ke

?" he asked, in a silky

ised wrath at him, almost of horror

him," said Sennacheri

him discovered that everybody was smiling more or les

. Eld," said Fu

Mr. Eld is a local notability, Ferdinand. Mr. Eld speaks his mind to everybody. I'm afraid he's on the other side, and in

al drawl, "we'll tek a bit of a wrastle n

t us start harmoniously. Give us a little musi

hip a chair, and bring another for Mr.---" He h

e," suggeste

earl, correcting him. "Mr.

rough his eye-glass. The only young man in the quartette party, Reuben Gold, eyed Ferdinand with a look in which criticism

, "we'll have a slap at that t

f irritation. Ruth reappeared with a chair in each hand. They were old-fashioned and rather heavy, being built of solid oak, but she carried them lightly and gracefully. Ferdinand started forward and attempted to relieve her of her burden. At first she resisted, but he insisting upon the point she yie

to his ears. Reuben was less provincial to look at, but to Mr. De Blacquaire's critical eye the young man was evidently not a gentleman. He had not heard him speak as yet, but could well afford to make up his mind without that. Nobody but a boof could have employed Reuben's tailor or his shoemaker. As for the girl, she looked lik

nt old garden you have h

d apple-tree, and she rested her ripe cheek against it. Her eyes began to dream at the music, and it was evident that her forgetfulness of the picturesque young gentleman beside her was complete and unaffected. The picturesque young gentleman felt this rather keenly. The snub was

ery small affairs which rankle in a certain sort of mind. Ferdinan

e. It had been a joke against him in his youth that he had once failed to distinguish between "God save the King" and the "Old Hundredth." Harmony and melody here were alike divine in themselves, and were more than respectably rendered, and he sat and suffered un

d. Will you forgive me just a hint, sir?" He addressed Sennacherib.

," said Sennacherib, in a dry, mock humility,

f the intended satire, and walked round the table until he came

eneath his chin, played through a score of bars with a cer

? It's a pretty tone, though," he allowed. "The young man can fiddle. Strikes me, young maste

good-humor. This insolent ol

ty well in the House of Commons, if you will be good enough to

er, in a mellow, peace-making kind o

is pianner, and forte is forte, but theer's no call to strain a man's ears to listen to the one, nor to drive him d

cquaire, with unshaken good-humor; "but if you'll allow me t

s theer, Mr. Fuller?"

ee the young gentlem

ctation. It pleased everybody but Reuben, who had conceived a distaste for him from the first. Perhaps, if he had not placed his ch

. We happen to be here this afternoon because young Mr. Gold is goin' away for to-night

p, who dreaded the new beginning of the music. "Good-afte

not spoken until now, and Ferdinand had wished to note the

owing into a woman, Ful

' most gells, my l

th," said the old noblem

attentive ear noted again the absence of the dis

addressed to her, but she did not answer it, either by glance or w

uller; "come

d at the garden door for a final glance at the pretty girl, but she had he