THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 THE 
 
 LANDLORD OF 'THE SUK' 
 
 % Hoiw-I. 
 
 BY 
 
 WILLIAM GILBERT, 
 
 AITTHOK OF " MAETHA," "SHIELET HALL ASTLUM," &C., &C. 
 
 IN THEEE VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 K. BENTLET & SON, NEW BUELINGTON STREET. 
 
 1871. 
 
 The right of Trauslution is reserved.
 
 
 V'l 
 
 THE LANDLOED OF "THE SUN." 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 INTRODUCTOEY. 
 
 IN all novels in wliicli tlie interest mainly 
 depends on the adventures of the hero, the 
 opening chapters are generally not only the 
 most difficult for the author to write, but also 
 the most uninteresting of the whole. To allow 
 the reader to form a just idea of the hero's 
 character, it is necessary to give at least some 
 few details of his childhood ; for as " the boy 
 is father to the man," the peculiarities and 
 idiosyncracies of his early life will more or less 
 be traceable through his career when grown 
 up to man's estate. Now, to interest the novel- 
 reader with the adventures of boyhood is in 
 itself a work of so much difficulty that few ever 
 succeed in it, and in the present instance the 
 task is more difficult than usual. Were the 
 scenes of our narrative placed in the middle or 
 higher positions in society, certain family 
 episodes of an interesting desjsription might be 
 
 VOL. I. SL'-I'AV)'^? B 
 
 . ENGIJSH
 
 2 The Landlord of " Jle San:' 
 
 introduced, so as to compensate tlie reader for 
 the duller matter connected with the history 
 of the boy. Unfortunately, however, our hero's 
 station in life was not in that respectable 
 grade of society best calculated to excite the 
 sympathies of the reader, and the episodes 
 connected with his family were of the most 
 commonplace and uninteresting description. 
 Again, on the other hand, our hero, although his 
 boyhood was passed in a low neighbourhood, was 
 not in a sufficiently poverty-stricken or degraded 
 position to give to his adventures any of the 
 Jack Sheppard school of interest, or to allow 
 the author to arrest the attention of the reader 
 by vivid descriptions of the crimes, sufferings, 
 privations, or virtues of the lowest stratum in 
 society. The indulgence and patience of the 
 reader are therefore claimed for the first few 
 chapters, possessing as they do hardly any 
 interesting details in the life of our hero, and 
 which will not appear to indicate the many 
 exciting adventures it w^as afterwards his lot 
 to meet with. 
 
 The father of Christian Brandon occupied 
 the humble position of messenger in a public 
 oflBce, and the hero of our narrative was his 
 only son. But the official position of Walter 
 Brandon was not his only means of support ; he 
 was also the proprietor of a small chandler's
 
 Introductory . 3 
 
 or general shop, situated in one of the narrow 
 streets which intersect one another in so com- 
 phcated a manner in that unsavoury locahty 
 known as the Mint, in Southwark. Although 
 the ostensible duties of Walter Brandon ap- 
 peared to be of the easiest possible description, 
 he was at the same time a man of very active 
 energetic habits. He was, moreover, somewhat 
 of an ambitious temperament, though it should 
 be clearly understood this weakness, or virtue, 
 as the reader may please to consider it, was not 
 elicited for his own aggrandisement, but for 
 that of his son, whom he loved as the apple of 
 his eye. To procure the means of giving this 
 boy a sound education for his position in 
 life, and to start him fairly in the world, 
 Walter Brandon, although his salary at the 
 ofi&ce was fully sufiBcient for the maintenance of 
 himself, his wife, and child, had determined to 
 increase his means, and thereby the opportu- 
 nity of forwarding the interests of his son, by 
 keeping a small shop. 
 
 Brandon's wife was also well adapted to make 
 her husband a fitting helpmeet in a work of 
 the kind. In fact, it is doubtful whether 
 Brandon by himself would have succeeded in 
 such a speculation, even if he had had the 
 whole of his time at his disposal, instead of being 
 occupied, as he was, at the office the best hours 
 
 B 2
 
 4 The Landlord of " The Sun" 
 
 of the day. Brandon, in proportion to Ms 
 means, was naturally of a somewhat liberal dis- 
 position, and therefore hardly by nature adapted 
 to calculate the petty returns arising from his 
 trade, nor to take into consideration that even 
 a farthing profit on a penny article sold over 
 the counter represented a clear dividend of 
 25 per cent. Mrs. Brandon, on the contrary, 
 was admirably adapted for it. She could add 
 farthing to farthing, and penny to penny, till 
 they had reached to a pound, and would then 
 invest it (somewhat against the law in that 
 case made and provided) in the savings-bank 
 in her own name. Brandon, as his capital in- 
 creased, would willingly have started out into a 
 more respectable line of business, but in this, 
 as well as in all other circumstances connected 
 with the shop, he was overruled by his wife. 
 Yet it must not be imagined that Brandon's 
 share in the duties of the business was by any 
 means a sinecure. On the contrary, he had 
 thrown on him, possibly, the most difficult por- 
 tion to perform — that of making the pur- 
 chases. Being naturally an intelligent fellow, 
 he soon acquired the habit of detecting good 
 articles of merchandise from bad, and having, 
 in proportion to the business conducted at the 
 shop an ample capital, he had the means of 
 making his purchases in the best market, which
 
 Introductory. 5 
 
 lie always did witli judgment and discretion. 
 
 One subject, and one alone, caused any dif- 
 ference of opinion on money-matters between 
 husband and wife, and that was tlie amount 
 to be expended on little Christian's education. 
 Brandon, when his son was about eight years 
 of age, proposed sending him to a small day- 
 school kept by an assistant-minister of the 
 Surrey Chapel in the Blackfriars Road. Mrs. 
 Brandon, on the contrary, argued that there 
 were several excellent charity-schools in the 
 neighbourhood to which the boy might be sent, 
 and where he would be as well instructed as in 
 the school proposed by her husband. Brandon 
 still held to his original idea with great tenacity, 
 and his wife as pertinaciously kept to her own, 
 although in this instance she did not exhibit 
 that open opposition she was accustomed to 
 show to any proposition of her husband which 
 did not meet with her approbation. 
 
 It must not, however, be supposed that this 
 "unusual delicacy on her part arose from any 
 respect she had for the superior judgment of 
 her husband on a subject connected with 
 education. The fact was, that Mr. and Mrs. 
 Brandon were, and had been for many years, 
 members of the Surrey Chapel, and they had 
 both frequently " sat under" the minister who 
 kept the day-school to which Brandon wished
 
 6 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 to send his boy. Now Mrs. BrandoD, before 
 lier husband proposed it, had frequently ex- 
 pressed herself in terms of high admiration of 
 the same minister, always speaking of him, not 
 only as a very godly man and an able preacher, 
 but one of great learning as well. She had 
 also had the advantages of his private acquaint- 
 ance, and he would frequently look in on pass- 
 ing and have a few minutes' conversation with 
 her — an honour which pleased Mrs. Brandon 
 greatly, even though it might possibly for the 
 moment interfere with her duties in the shop. 
 When, however, her husband proposed sending 
 the child to the said minister's school, which 
 would have caused a diminution in her savingfs, 
 she began to entertain great doubts as to the 
 soundness of her favourite minister's doctrines. 
 Hitherto her religious views had been eminently 
 antagonistic to those of the Church of England, 
 but she appeared now to look upon them in 
 a far more liberal manner than formerly. 
 
 This increased liberality of opinion on the 
 part of Mrs. Brandon was first noticed when 
 her husband urged as an objection to the 
 St. Saviour's Charity School, that the boys in 
 it were brought up in the tenets of the Church 
 of England. Turning sharply round on him, 
 she asked who it was that had taught him 
 that there were not as pious men, and men as
 
 Introductory. 7 
 
 secure of salvation, in the Church of England 
 as out of it ; and although she had been born 
 and bred a Dissenter, she was, thank God, too 
 free from prejudice to imagine that piety, 
 learning, and virtue could not be acquired in a 
 school conducted on the principles of the Estab- 
 lished Church, and superintended, if not taught, 
 by its ministers. So warmly, in fact, did she 
 maintain her arguments, that her husband, 
 though greatly astonished (for, hitherto, res- 
 pect for the Established Church had not been 
 one of his wife's peculiarities), gave up for the 
 moment the discussion, and contented himself 
 to the best of his abilities in giving his son 
 what little instruction he could in the evening 
 after the duties of the day were over. 
 
 Although Brandon, for the sake of preserving 
 peace in his home, had for the moment given 
 up the idea of sending his son immediately to 
 the school, he did not attempt to disguise from 
 himself that he and his wife would be at issue 
 on the subject. He was as determined that 
 his son should not have the stigma of " charity 
 boy " cast on him, as his wife was that the 
 moderate expense requisite to send him to the 
 minister's school should be avoided. From 
 time to time he broke ground on the subject, 
 but Mrs. Brandon maintained her point with 
 so much pertinacity, that her husband, for the
 
 8 The Landlord of " The Sim." 
 
 sake of peace and quietness, as he termed it, 
 generally, after a short discussion, dropped the 
 subject. Mrs. Brandon, on her part, finding 
 her husband as inflexible to her arguments as 
 she was to his, determined to change her tactics, 
 and by a little female cajolery to make him 
 give up a point which she found it impossible 
 to do by fair argument. She now dropped, or 
 rather concealed to a certain extent, the natural 
 acerbity of her temper, and tried every little 
 art which housewives of her grade in society 
 are apt to use to please their husbands. 
 
 If poor Brandon had any weakness, it was 
 his love for a nice comfortable supper after the 
 fatigues of the day were over, and Mrs. 
 Brandon, who before her marriage had been 
 cook in a gentleman's family, now employed 
 her utmost skill in preparing secundum artem 
 something for supper which she knew would 
 please her husband ; and on more than one 
 occasion a considerable reduction was made of 
 the balance in the till in her preparations for 
 the evening meal. Finding her husband pleased 
 with these proofs of attention on her part, Mrs. 
 Brandon would from time to time deplore the 
 inactive life their son Christian was leading. 
 
 " It was a pity," she said, " that a boy of 
 his age was not occupied, especially in such a 
 neighbourhood as theirs, surrounded as they
 
 Introductory. 9 
 
 were witli bad characters, and with, wliose 
 children she had too much reason to fear her 
 son might in time become acquainted, although 
 she did all in her power to prevent his mixing 
 with them." 
 
 Brandon, on these occasions, used sorrow- 
 fully to admit the truth of his wife's arguments, 
 but, dreading a family dispute, he generally 
 took the first opportunity of changing the sub- 
 ject. To say that Mrs. Brandon had in any 
 way induced her husband to look with any sort 
 of favour on her desire to send Christian to 
 the Charity School, would be to admit too 
 much ; at the same time it is not improbable 
 she might in the end have gained her own way, 
 had not her want of discretion tempted her to 
 go too far. 
 
 One evening after supper, Mrs. Brandon, 
 thinking her husband in a favourable state 
 of mind, broached the subject of the Charity 
 School. Brandon listened to her silently, 
 without either assentino^ to her ars^uments 
 or attempting to disprove them. Taking his 
 silence as a proof that he was at last being 
 convinced, Mrs. Brandon went further, and 
 brought forward the one argument she had so 
 long held in reserve, hoping completely to 
 deprive her husband of the power of any further 
 opposition.
 
 10 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 "My dear," she said to Mm, '• I have had a 
 hint given me to-day, which if I find to be true 
 (as I have no doubt I shall) I think you will 
 admit without further hesitation that the best 
 thing we can do is to send Christian to the St. 
 Saviour's Charity School ?" 
 
 Mrs. Brandon here stopped short for a mo- 
 ment, expecting her husband wonld inquire to 
 what she alluded. Brandon, however, re- 
 mained silent, merely gazing in his wife's face, 
 as if waiting for her to proceed. 
 
 " I very much suspect, my dear," she con- 
 tinued, after a few moments' silence, " that not 
 only would you be able to send Christian to the 
 school without payment, but it might be the 
 source of a considerable saving to ns as well." 
 
 Brandon merely opened his eyes wider than 
 before, and gazed at his wife with an ex- 
 pression of great surprise. Mrs. Brandon was 
 greatly irritated at her husband's behaviour, 
 and would willingly have remarked somewhat 
 severely on it ; but on second thoughts she per- 
 ceived the necessity of restraining her temper, 
 and said slowly and emphatically, though at 
 the same time with much cajolery in her tone : 
 
 " I have been told, my dear, that if applica- 
 tion were made by a certain gentleman in your 
 office, we could get Christian admitted as one 
 of the boys on the establishment !"
 
 Introductory. 11 
 
 " And of what advantage, or what saving, 
 would that be ?" inquired Brandon, speaking 
 now for the first time. 
 
 " Why his dress would be found him, of 
 course," replied Mrs. Brandon. 
 
 " And do you suppose," cried Brandon, 
 starting from his seat, and in a voice almost 
 inarticulate by fury, — " and do you suppose 
 for a moment that I would allow my son to 
 wear the dress of a charity boy ? You ought 
 to be ashamed of yourself to propose such a 
 thing ! Saving is all very well, but I will not 
 have it pushed to meanness in my house — at 
 any rate in a case where the respectabihty of 
 ray son is likely to suffer from it." 
 
 Mrs. Brandon attempted to reply in terms 
 as energetic as those employed by her husband, 
 but Brandon, though generally of a quiet dis- 
 position, was now thoroughly aroused. He 
 assured his wife that the next morning, without 
 fail, he would call upon the minister and make 
 arrangfements for his son to become one of his 
 pupils, and he warned her that it would be 
 utterly useless on her part to attempt to offer 
 any opposition. He was determined on the 
 subject, and would have his own way. 
 
 It must not be imagined that although her 
 husband's anger had reduced Mrs. Brandon to 
 silence, she was by any means convinced. Still,
 
 12 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 she knew Brandon's temper too well to irritate 
 liim by further opposition at the moment. 
 Though by nature quiet and peaceable, he was, 
 like many other men of similar disposition, 
 determined to obstinacy when his temper was 
 thoroughly aroused. Mrs. Brandon, therefore, 
 said no more on the subject that night; hoping 
 that possibly her husband's temper would be 
 somewhat calmer the next morning, and in that 
 case she would agj'ain continue her attack. She 
 was, however, doomed to be disappointed. 
 The next morning, at breakfast, after Brandon 
 had pursued his meal in strict taciturnity for 
 some time, he turned suddenly round to his 
 son Christian, who was sitting beside him, and 
 told him to put on his shoes and cap, as he 
 wanted to take him out. Mrs. Brandon, who 
 had hitherto been as silent as her husband, 
 and had worn a somewhat cool dignified de- 
 meanour, now became greatly alarmed. Chang- 
 ing her manner, and assuming great kindness 
 in her tone, she said : 
 
 *' My dear, you had better not take Christian 
 out this morning. Our clock is nearly ten 
 minutes too slow ; besides, if you have any 
 time to spare, I wanted you to buy some things 
 we are out of for the shop." 
 
 " I can do that as I come home," was 
 Brandon's reply. " Christian, do as I tell you.
 
 Introductorv. 13 
 
 Put on your shoes and cap, and come witli me." 
 Mrs. Brandon, as a last resource, now said : 
 " If you are determined to take him out you 
 must wait longer then, for I won't have him 
 leave the place without his hands and face 
 being" washed. I should be ashamed of his 
 being seen in such a dirty condition." 
 
 And then, seizing the boy by his hand, she 
 dragged him out of the room, and took him 
 upstairs for the purpose of performing the 
 required ablutions. In this she occupied a con- 
 siderable space of time, far more than was 
 necessary, hoping, by the delay, to tire out her 
 husband. But here she was mistaken. Brandon 
 sat patiently waiting till his boy was ready ; 
 and then, taking him by the hand, he hurried 
 with him out of the shop, either insensible or 
 indifferent to the angry glances which his wife 
 cast on him as he went. Half an hour after- 
 wards. Christian was admitted as a pupil in the 
 school. 
 
 Although Mrs. Brandon had suffered a de- 
 feat, she afterwards made considerable efforts 
 to regain the ground she had lost. The a/p- 
 petissant suppers she had for some time pro- 
 vided for her husband now no longer appeared ; 
 while, on the contrary, the evening meal she 
 set before him was not only of the plainest 
 description, but very scanty in quantity. For
 
 14 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 some time Brandon put up with his wife's 
 tyranny with perfect equanimity ; justly attri- 
 buting it to annoyance at her defeat, and hop- 
 ing that in time she would come to a better 
 frame of mind. Mrs. Brandon, however, had 
 no intention of doing anything of the kind 
 until she had forced her husband to complain 
 of her behaviour, calculating that it would give 
 her a pretext for again opening the subject of 
 the increased expense caused by Christian's 
 education. It is true Brandon had had his 
 own way in sending Christian to the school, 
 yet Mrs. Brandon had great hopes she would 
 be able, after the first quarter, to take him 
 from it again. She succeeded in making her 
 husband complain of the suppers, but decidedly 
 failed in forcing him to remove their son from 
 the school. One evening, when the supper had 
 been more than usually scanty, Brandon ven- 
 tured to complain. 
 
 " I know perfectly well," his wife replied, 
 " that neither your suppers nor breakfasts are 
 now what they used to be, but we can't afford 
 better. The cost of Christian's schooling is 
 more than I can manage, if we are to live in 
 the way we used to do before he went to 
 school; besides, the profits of the shop are 
 daily getting less. I never knew business so 
 bad*."
 
 Introductory. 15 
 
 " Indeed," said Brandon ; " then it is time 
 for me to interfere. To-morrow evening I will 
 look into the accounts, and see how things are 
 going on ; and if I find them as bad as you 
 state, I will sell the goodwill of the business, 
 and give it up altogether." 
 
 This was by no means what Mrs. Brandon 
 had calculated on ; and she told her husband 
 that, although business had fallen off, she did 
 not for a moment mean to say that it did not 
 return a profit. She herself had been so 
 worried in her mind, lately, that she hardly 
 knew how things stood ; but she would exam- 
 ine into them more particularly the next day, 
 and, if she found they could afford it, their 
 housekeeping should be conducted on a more 
 liberal scale. 
 
 Finding it quite impossible to induce her 
 husband to change his resolution, Mrs. Brandon 
 (to use her own phraseology) resolved to make 
 the best of a bad bargain. If, through the 
 minister's agency, she was put to a greater 
 expense than she liked, she determined in 
 return to obtain from him as much as possible, 
 to indemnify her for the loss she had sustained. 
 She now omitted no opportunity of attending 
 the chapel, so far, at least, as it did not inter- 
 fere with her business. In the evening she 
 was especially punctual ; and she took her son
 
 16 The Landlord of " The Siinr 
 
 with her, leaving Brandon to mind the shop 
 during her absence. This certainly had the 
 effect of brinGrinof the minister back into her 
 good graces ; and the result was that, in the 
 end, she dropped all further opposition about 
 the school, never alluding to it in conversation, 
 till at last the only symptom of her defeat 
 which she ever allowed to appear was a long- 
 drawn sigh whenever the minister's quarterly 
 account for Christian's instruction was sent in 
 for payment. 
 
 It must, in justice to Mrs. Brandon, be 
 admitted that the expense of Christian's educa- 
 tion formed a serious item in their expenditure ; 
 for it should be borne in mind that the income 
 of the worthy couple, even when the profits of 
 the shop were brought into consideration, was 
 of a very limited description ; and their expenses 
 would now be further increased by the neces- 
 sity of employing some one to do the duties in 
 the business which had hitherto been performed 
 by little Christian. Mrs. Brandon, by dint of 
 years of rigid economy, had contrived to set 
 apart in the savings-bank a somewhat round 
 sum ; but, with all her love for her son, she 
 never for one moment dreamt of applying any 
 of it to the expenses of his education. Mrs. 
 Brandon was labouring under the idea that her 
 husband was totally ignorant of her habit of
 
 Introductory. 17 
 
 secreting money. Brandon was, however, per- 
 fectly aware of her habit, although to avoid 
 matrimonial disputes, and also possibly with 
 the intention of not forcing his wife to the per- 
 petration of a series of falsehoods (which he 
 was aware she would commit in denying the 
 fact), did not, even in the present instance, 
 call upon her to refund any portion of her accu- 
 mulations. He knew perfectly well that the 
 law would empower him to obtain the money 
 from the savings-bank had he pleased ; but he 
 also knew that every shilhng he succeeded in 
 obtaining would cost his wife as much pain as 
 if he had drawn a drop of blood from her heart. 
 But if the expenses attending Christian's 
 education were great in proportion to the 
 means of his parents, it could not be denied 
 that the child was well worthy of it. He was 
 naturally affectionate, obedient, and intelligent, 
 besides possessing great powers of perseverance. 
 He was tenderly attached to both his father and 
 mother, although in the case of the latter it 
 rather arose from his naturally affectionate dis- 
 position than from any excessive amount of 
 love or indulgence his mother lavished on him. 
 That she loved the boy is certain; but she had 
 a grim austere way with her, which in a child 
 less amiable than Christian might possibly 
 have had the effect of estranging him from her. 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 18 The Landlord of " The 8u7i.'' 
 
 Even during the diseases of childhood, al- 
 thoiio-h she attended him with unceasing 
 care, she had with her a certain harsh dis- 
 agreeable manner, not calculated to elicit a 
 child's affection. When she administered to 
 him the medicine prescribed by the apothecary 
 who attended him, and the child showed any 
 symptoms of repugnance at its nauseous taste, 
 she would sternly insist on its being swallowed, 
 rather as a moral duty he was under to 
 obey her, than that his health would receive 
 benefit by following her directions. When in 
 health, and as soon as he was old enough to 
 be of any use to her, Mrs. Brandon employed 
 him in the business, with the intention, as she 
 said, of inculcating in him habits of industry, 
 besides keeping him from associating with the 
 disreputable boys who swarmed in the neigh- 
 bourhood. She thus obviated the necessity 
 of hired help, which would not only have been 
 an additional outlay, but would have contri- 
 buted greatly to disturb her peace of mind and 
 comfort ; for being of a suspicious disposition, 
 every moment she was obliged to quit the shop 
 would have been one of intense anxiety to her, 
 lest she might be robbed of a penny during her 
 absence. 
 
 Notwithstanding these unamiable attributes, 
 little Christian loved his mother. Every httle
 
 Introductory. 19 
 
 caress or present she made him (the latter, by 
 the way, of exceedingly rare occurrence) he re- 
 ceived with gratitude ; and they increased, if 
 possible, the love he already bore her. Nor 
 were these rare effusions of love on the part of 
 his mother solely elicited by her child's amiable 
 qualities, for he possessed others generally 
 much estimated in maternal eyes. Christian 
 was eminently handsome. His complexion was 
 fair, his eyes large and of a deep blue colour, 
 his features delicate, though not effeminate, 
 his brow broad and high, and his hair a bright 
 auburn, while the expression of his face was 
 open, candid and resolute. Although still 
 hardly emerged from early childhood, he was, 
 for his age, tall and well-made, and his form 
 gave promise (which it afterwards kept) of his 
 becoming a powerful and handsome man. 
 
 Of the love existing between Brandon and 
 his son little need be said. He was always 
 kind and indulgent to him ; and although 
 Christian's love for his father might have been 
 less demonstrative than that for his mother 
 (that is to say, when the good lady would allow 
 him to exhibit it), it was fully as deep. In- 
 deed, Brandon used to boast that his boy, with 
 occasional exceptions on account of his health, 
 had never caused him a moment's uneasiness.
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 CxIDEON HAROOURT. 
 
 AT tlie time when Christian Brandon joined 
 the minister's school, although he was 
 nearly nine years of age, his education was hardly 
 more advanced than the sons of respectable 
 parents in the humble walks of life usually are 
 at seven. All the instruction he had received 
 had been given him by his father, in the 
 evening, after the duties of the office were over. 
 Ill-educated himself, he was little adapted to 
 teach others. The only instruction he had 
 been able to give his son was to teach him to 
 read, which he could do with fluency ; a little 
 writing, in which he was not more advanced 
 than a child of six or seven years of age would 
 have been ; and some rude idea of arithmetic, 
 which had been somewhat slightly improved 
 by the experience he had gained in the shop. 
 Keenly sensitive by nature, it may easily be 
 imagined how severely his pride was mortified 
 at finding himself so far behind other boys of 
 his own age ; and this was again increased by
 
 Gideon Har court. 21 
 
 his master, deceived by his size and intelligent 
 countenance, having placed him at first in a 
 class with others older than himself, and after- 
 wards, on finding how much his education had 
 been neglected, transferring him to one where 
 the boys were not only younger than himself, 
 but the most backward in the school. 
 
 Even in the lowest class poor Christian for 
 some time remained among those who pro- 
 gressed most slowly. Nor was this either from 
 want of application or intelligence on his part. 
 As before stated, he had no lack of either 
 ability or application. His apparent dullness 
 arose solely from anxiety to please, and a dread 
 of not succeeding — the two creating in him 
 such a state of nervous excitement that he 
 found it an impossibility to apply his mind with 
 sufficient vigour to the task which had been 
 set before him. And as time passed on, this 
 feeling rather increased than diminished. The 
 usher of the school, under whose immediate 
 care Christian was placed, judging from the 
 intelligent expression of his countenance, 
 erroneously imagined that his tardiness in 
 learning arose from inattention, and, after 
 remonstrating with him for some time, at 
 length reported him to the minister. The 
 latter spoke very severely to him, and threat- 
 ened to complain to his parents if ho
 
 22 The Landlord of " The Sun. 
 
 j> 
 
 did not become more diligent. Though this 
 threat had the effect of stimulating Christian 
 to greater exertion, it had also the effect 
 of rendering him still more nervous, and, 
 in consequence, his lessons were even more 
 unsatisfactory than before. At last the minis- 
 ter's patience fairly gave way ; and one day, 
 after morning studies were over, he told Chris- 
 tian not to leave the schoolroom till he had 
 learnt a task in English grammar which had 
 been set him by the usher ; and he also told 
 him, that if he failed to repeat it correctly, he 
 would that evening call on his father and com- 
 plain of his conduct. 
 
 The other boys now quitted the schoolroom, 
 and Christian was left in it alone, to learn the 
 task which had been given him. The silence 
 of the room by no means contributed to smooth 
 the difficulties in the boy's way ; on the con- 
 trary, the threat of the minister to call on his 
 parents haunted him so pertinaciously, that he 
 was unable, in spite of all his efforts, to retain 
 three consecutive lines in his memory. At last 
 he fell into a state of despair, and, closing his 
 book, he buried his face in his hands, and gave 
 way to an uncontrollable flood of tears. The 
 more he thought on the minister's threat, the 
 greater became his grief, till at length he fairly 
 wept aloud. Not that he dreaded the effects
 
 Gideon Har court. 23 
 
 of his father's anger, but lie felt ashamed that 
 he should know how dull he was, and how 
 little credit he seemed likely to do him. In 
 this frame of mind he continued till it wanted 
 but a quarter of an hour to the time for the 
 reassembling of the pupils for afternoon studies, 
 when the door of the schoolroom opened, and 
 Gideon Harcourt, the senior pupil, entered. So 
 absorbed was Christian in his sorrow, that he did 
 not notice the entrance of his fellow-pupil, nor 
 was he aware of his presence for some moments 
 afterwards, when Gideon, placing his hand on 
 his shoulder, asked him the cause of his tears. 
 
 " I have been kept in to learn my grammar 
 lesson, and I am not able to do it," replied 
 Christian, sobbing. 
 
 " And why not ?" said Gideon, kindly. " It 
 surely cannot be so difiicult as all that." 
 
 " I don't know why, but I can't learn it. 
 The other boys do, but I'm too stupid, I sup- 
 pose ; and I can't help it." 
 
 " Too stupid !" said Gideon, as he took a 
 seat by Christian's side; "too stupid! That's 
 all nonsense. Come, show me your lesson, 
 and let me see if I can't explain it to you, and 
 then perhaps it will help you to learn it." 
 
 There was a sympathetic tone in Gideon's 
 voice which had a most soothing effect on the 
 sensitive mind of Christian. The few words
 
 24 The Landlord of " The 8mir 
 
 uttered by Gideon, uninteresting and common- 
 place as they were, had given him more en- 
 couragement than all the threats and persua- 
 sions of the masters, and opening his book, he 
 showed him the task he had in vain been en- 
 deavouring to learn. Gideon, when he saw it, 
 looked at his fellow-pupil with surprise, for it 
 was merely a page in Murray's Grammar, and 
 that in one of the easiest portions at the com- 
 mencement. He made no remark, however, 
 but read it over to Christian, explaining it to 
 him as he went. When he had done this he 
 questioned him, and found he understood it 
 perfectly. He now made Christian learn it 
 sentence by sentence, and join them together. 
 This the boy did with a facility which astonished 
 both himself and his instructor. Again and 
 again they went over the lesson, each time 
 Christian remembering it better than before, till 
 at last Gideon considered him perfect in it, and 
 told him to close the book till school begun, 
 and then just to read it once before repeating 
 it to the master, and to try and say it off with- 
 out fear or doubt. 
 
 Christian followed the advice of his friend, 
 who remained beside him till the minister 
 had taken his seat at the desk. Casting his 
 eye once more over the lesson. Christian took 
 it up, and repeated it without missing a word.
 
 Gideon Har court. 25 
 
 When lie had finished it, the minister said to 
 him : 
 
 " I see, Brandon, you can learn if you 
 please, and rapidly too. As you have said 
 your task in a perfectly satisfactory manner, I 
 will of course keep my word with you, and not 
 complain to your father, as I should certainly 
 have done had you failed. But now let it be 
 clearly understood, ' A bird that can sing, and 
 won't sing, must be made to sing.' I find you 
 can learn if you please, and you must learn. 
 If you do not, I shall first complain to your 
 parents ; and if that has no good effect, I must 
 send you from the school, as I will not have an 
 idle boy here to serve as a bad example for the 
 others. Now go back to your seat, and be a 
 better boy for the future." 
 
 Poor Christian, as he quitted his master, 
 cast an imploring glace on Gideon, who 
 answered it with one of encouragement. And 
 it had its eff'ect on Christian, for his lessons 
 that afternoon were performed in so faultless a 
 manner as to astonish both himself and the 
 usher. True, from time to time he had a little 
 encouragement from Gideon, who, from being 
 the eldest boy in the school, had more license 
 given him than the others, and even occasion- 
 ally did duty for the usher when the latter was 
 absent for a holiday or some other cause ; and
 
 26 The Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 he now and tlien whispered a word of advice, 
 or explained a difficult point to his young friend. 
 
 When Christian arrived home that evening, 
 he was questioned as to the cause of his non- 
 appearance in the middle of the day. He can- 
 didly told his father the truth, who readily 
 forgave him. Not so, however, his mother. 
 She had wanted him to run on some errand for 
 her, and in consequence of his absence had 
 been obliged to induce a neighbour's boy for 
 a penny to execute the commission — a circum- 
 stance which had since rankled in her mind. 
 Her ill-humour at length passed off, and Chris- 
 tian that evening laid his head on his pillow in 
 a happier frame of mind than he had done since 
 he had joined the school. 
 
 The kindness shown to him by Gideon Har- 
 court had a singular effect on the sensitive 
 mind of Christian Brandon. So great was it, 
 indeed, as almost to induce belief in the power 
 mesmerists, electro-biologists, and other char- 
 latans inform us one being will hold over an- 
 other, and which to human science is at pre- 
 sent inexplicable. Although as a general rule 
 the minister and his assistants were most kind 
 to the pupils confided to their care, and not only 
 stimulated them to persevere, but encouraged 
 them in their studies, their good offices had 
 produced no effect on the bewildered mind of
 
 Gideon Har court. 27 
 
 Christian ; while a few words spoken in sym- 
 pathy by another individual, with whom Chris- 
 tian had previously been but little in com- 
 munication, had great influence with him ; 
 and this was the more remarkable, as, at first 
 sight, there appeared nothing in common be- 
 tween the two. Gideon, as before stated, was 
 the eldest boy in the school, Christian among 
 the youngest; in fact, there were no fewer than 
 some five or six years' difference in their ages 
 — a very material distinction at their time of life. 
 Youths of sixteen or seventeen are generally 
 most desirous of establishing a wide difference 
 between themselves and the younger pupils in 
 a school, as if fearing their claims to coming 
 manhood might be delayed were it thought they 
 were on terms of intimacy with boys younger 
 than themselves. 
 
 Again, this weakness was predominant in the 
 mind of Gideon Harcourt, and he was in the 
 habit of keeping himself aloof from the younger 
 pupils, unless (he being a very good-natured 
 fellow) it was under the pretext of assisting 
 them in their tasks, or of arranging the little 
 disputes which took place between them. He 
 carefully avoided mixing in their games, lest he 
 should lose something of the manly dignity he 
 imagined himself to possess. Again, Gideon 
 was a remarkably intelligent lad, and his edu-
 
 28 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 cation had been puslied by the minister — him- 
 self a man of learning — far beyond what the 
 generality of the scholars who attended the 
 school were desirous of acquiring, most of them 
 being sons of small tradesmen, or of employes 
 in the different manufactories in the neio^hbour- 
 hood. Christian, on the contrary, had gener- 
 ally been considered as a remarkably dull boy, 
 and but little calculated to excite the s^niipathies 
 of so intelligent a lad as Harcourt. 
 
 The change which had come over the mind 
 of Christian Brandon the day he had formed 
 Gideon's acquaintance did not afterwards re- 
 lapse. He appeared to have imbibed from his 
 new friend an amount of confidence in his own 
 abilities which he had never before possessed. 
 He no louQ-er feared the lessons given him 
 to learn, but attacked them resolutely, and 
 generally succeeded in mastering them, If, as 
 occasionally happened, he was somewhat puzzled, 
 he had but to beckon to his friend Gideon to 
 release him from his difficulty, which the latter 
 was always willing to do. In a short time 
 Christian's natural intellio^ence beo-an to de- 
 velope itself, and he was not only removed 
 from the class in which the majority of the 
 pupils were younger than himself, but was put 
 into another where some were even older ; and 
 so rapid was his progress that he was soon at
 
 Gideon Harcourt. 29 
 
 tlie head of that class, and his parents had the 
 satisfiictiou of frequeutly hearing that a more 
 diligent, intelhgeut, or obedient lad than their 
 son was not to be found in the school. 
 
 The vear following; Christian's admission into 
 the school his friend Gideon Harcourt quitted 
 it. During the twelve months they had been 
 together their intimacy had gradually increased. 
 Gideon would frequently accompany his young 
 friend home after school hours, or call on him 
 during the evening, and explain to him, when 
 necessary, the lessons set him to learn for the 
 following day. On these occasions Gideon always 
 received a most hospitable welcome from Mrs. 
 Brandon, who, contrary to her usual habits, 
 used to invite him to tea, and the invitation 
 was the more often repeated in consequence of 
 Gideon's refusal to accept the proffered hospi- 
 tahty. To say the truth, Mrs. Brandon was 
 not a little flattered at the connection. The 
 fact is that Gideon's aunt, Mrs. Matthews, had 
 been long known by sight to Mrs. Brandon 
 as a regular attendant at the Surrey Chapel, 
 and she had often wished to become acquainted 
 with her. But, alas ! a great gulf existed 
 between the social position of herself and Mrs. 
 Matthews. Mrs. Brandon was only the keeper 
 of a very small chandler's or general shop in a 
 somewhat disreputable neighbourhood in tlie
 
 30 The Landlord of " Tlie Sun:' 
 
 Borongli, while Gideon's aunt not only lived in 
 a good house in Nelson Square, but was, more- 
 over, reputed to be a lady of considerable 
 wealth though of somewhat penurious habits 
 — the generally threadbare state of her nephew's 
 clothes giving no indifferent proof of the latter 
 accusation. 
 
 Mrs. Brandon was also not unknown by 
 sight to Mrs. Matthews, from having seen her 
 for so many years in the congregration of the 
 Surrey Chapel ; and she had also noticed the 
 handsome curly-headed boy by whom she was 
 generally accompanied. Still, not a word or 
 sign of recognition for years ever passed 
 between them, till one summer's evening, when 
 leaving the chapel, Mrs. Matthews saw her 
 nephew go up to Christian and shake hands 
 with him, and also talk for some moments with 
 his mother. At supper that night Mrs. 
 Matthews asked her nephew who the person 
 was with whom he had been speaking when he 
 left the chapel, and Gideon told her that the boy 
 was one of the pupils at the school, and the 
 woman who accompanied him was his mother. 
 On his aunt inquiring as to their position in 
 life, Gideon replied, without hesitation, that 
 they were in humble circumstances, the father 
 holding an inferior post, and the mother keeping 
 a small shop in the Mint. For some time Mrs.
 
 Gideon Harcourt. 31 
 
 Matthews remained silent, turning over in lier 
 mind tlie advisability of Gideon continuing the ac- 
 quaintance, but even after mature consideration 
 she saw no objection to it. Shrewd, cunning, 
 and by long experience an excellent judge of 
 human nature, she rightly calculated that an 
 industrious man whose wife assisted him by 
 keeping a shop, and who had only one son, was 
 not likely to lead her nephew into any expense. 
 A sort of sympathetic feeling, somewhat re- 
 semblino; that which existed between Gideon 
 Harcourt and Christian Brandon, had sprung 
 up between the aunt of one and the mother of 
 the other. And the sympathy beween the two 
 matrons, all things considered, seemed more 
 natural than that between the two boys, wiith 
 whom there was no similarity in appearauice. 
 Gideon was a remarkably tall lad of his a^>;e, 
 and had almost a manly look about him ; whilb* 
 Christian, though well-grown, was, both in 
 form, mind, and manner, a thorough boy. 
 Gideon's thoughts, as was natural to his age 
 and peculiar temperament, were frequently em- 
 ployed on subjects connected with man's estate, 
 while the mind and thoughts of Christian were 
 that of a child. Between the two matrons, how- 
 ever, there existed both in mind and person, a 
 strong similarity. In their age there was certainly 
 a discrepancy of several years, Mrs. Matthews
 
 32 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 being the elder, but at their time ofhfe it made 
 comparatively little difference in their appear- 
 ance. In person, both were tall and angular ; 
 in mind, both were shrewd, mean, and vindic- 
 tive. In fact had they been in the same station 
 in life (the reader must remember that the 
 different grades in society are as rigidly marked 
 and maintained, or perhaps more so among the 
 bourgeoisie of Southwark as in Belgravia), Mrs. 
 Matthews and Mrs. Brandon might have passed 
 for sisters. 
 
 The following Sunday, on leaving chapel, 
 Gideon Harcourt again spoke to Christian and 
 his mother, and Mrs. Matthews condescend- 
 ingly broke the ice and spoke to Mrs. Brandon. 
 Of course Christian was made the excuse for 
 commencing the conversation. 
 
 ■" So I understand," she said to Mrs. Bran- 
 firon, *' your son and my nephew are school- 
 fellows ? I hope he is a good boy, and diligent 
 at his lessons." 
 
 " He is a very good boy, ma'am, I am happy 
 to say," replied Mrs. Brandon, highly gratified 
 by Mrs. Matthews having addressed her. " He 
 is a very good boy, and I have his master's 
 word for it as well, who always speaks highly 
 of him." 
 
 "So I have heard from my nephew Well, 
 when his holidays commence, and you do not
 
 Gideon Harcourt. 33 
 
 want him at home, I hope you will let him come 
 sometimes and sit with GideoD. and on fine 
 evenings they can take a walk together." Then 
 bowing graciously to Mrs. Brandon, and 
 shaking hands with Christian, Mrs. Matthews 
 quitted her new acquaintance, and took her 
 nephew's arm to return home. 
 
 Although Gideon had conceived a strong 
 friendship for Christian, the tone of his aunt's 
 remarks to Mrs. Brandon, and the manner in 
 which she had given Christian the invitation to 
 visit him, and occasionally take a walk, galled 
 him exceedingly. Yet his anger was against 
 his aunt, and not in the least against his young 
 companion. It appeared to him that she had 
 given the invitation in a peculiarly loud tone of 
 voice, speaking of Christian in such a way as 
 evidently to lead the bystanders to think there 
 was but little difference in their age. Gideon 
 considered himself a man, and Christian a 
 mere child, and he imagined it was done to 
 annoy him ; in fact, " his aunt was always doing 
 something to disparage him in the eyes of 
 others, and it was time he should put a stop to 
 it." True, he was utterly dependent on the 
 bounty of his aunt, a fact he had well learnt by 
 heart ; for Mrs. Matthews was in the habit not 
 only of impressing it on his memory every time 
 he gave her the slightest offence, but of telling 
 
 VOL. I. D
 
 34 The Landlord of " The Sun.'' 
 
 him that if he did not treat her with greater 
 respect she should be under the necessity of 
 ordering him to leave the house. Certainly he 
 was her sister's child, she would add; but if 
 she had taken him in and fostered him out of 
 love for his mother, it was incumbent on him 
 to show her implicit respect and obedience. 
 
 During his childhood, poor Gideon used to 
 receive these remarks with due submission, and 
 would express, and sincerely too, his repentance 
 for any offence he might have given — adding, 
 truly enough, that he did not do so intention- 
 ally. As he grew older, however, and his 
 reasoning faculties became stronger, he began 
 to feel annoyed at his aunt's thus incessantly 
 reminding him of his destitute condition, and 
 the amount of oblisration he was under to her. 
 Without denying this obligation, he began to 
 entertain a spirit of independence, and with it 
 the desire to acquire by his own exertions the 
 means of maintaining himself; and this was 
 possibly increased by a latent wish to release 
 himself from the thraldom he was under to his 
 aunt. So strong did his wish for independence 
 become that at last he resolved to speak to her 
 on the subject. But it was long after he had 
 formed the idea before he could summon up 
 sufficient courage to make the attempt. Not 
 that Gideon was by any means of a timid dis-
 
 Gideon Harcourt. 35 
 
 position ; on the contrary, he was naturally a 
 very resolute lad, but submission to and dread of 
 his aunt had become chronic in him. He felt 
 in her presence something of the same instinct 
 that induces the lion in the cage of a travelling 
 showman to permit the keeper to enter it, 
 when he would tear a stranger to pieces. The 
 beast had been subject to his keeper's ill-treat- 
 ment ever since he was a cub, and to submit 
 passively had become a habit. In like manner 
 Gideon, though naturally of a good-natured 
 and forgiving disposition, would have courage- 
 ously rebelled at any despotism or ill-treatment 
 offered him by others. 
 
 Although, on the particular evening in ques- 
 tion, Mrs. Matthews had not intended the 
 slightest affront to her nephew, but rather 
 had given the invitation to Christian Brandon 
 to visit him with even a kind feeling (a frame 
 of mind somewhat unusual to her), it certainly 
 had a result far different from what she had 
 intended. It happened that the sermon that 
 evening had been rather of an uninteresting 
 description, and Gideon, unable to fix his at- 
 tention on it, had suffered his mind to dwell on 
 his dependent position, and his wish to relieve 
 himself from it. The more he thought over 
 the subject the more he became absorbed in it 
 — indeed, so much so that the sermon had 
 
 D 2
 
 36 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 ended and the terminating prayer commenced 
 before lie was aware of it, though his mind was 
 speedily called to the fact by a nudge from his 
 aunt's somewhat sharp elbow, as well as a 
 o-lance of indio-nation at his inattention. The 
 behaviour of his aunt was also noticed by a 
 voung lady who sat in the same pew, and who 
 could not repress a smile on the occasion. 
 Now, although there was in her manner no- 
 thing supercilious, or intended to annoy, it 
 grated most irritatingly on the feelings of a lad 
 just entering his seventeenth year, when the 
 mind is particularly sensitive about appearing 
 ridiculous in female eyes. Gideon, who had 
 noticed the damsel's smile, felt greatly annoyed 
 at it, as he had lately attempted, by more than 
 usual attention to his Sunday toilet, to make 
 himself acceptable in her eyes, and now to find 
 himself made an object of ridicule by his aunt, 
 pained him exceedingly. In fact, so keenly did 
 he feel his assumed humiliation, that in all pro- 
 bability it increased the anger he felt at his 
 aunt's considering him a fitting companion for 
 a boy of Christian Brandon's age. 
 
 During their short walk home, Gideon's 
 irritability of mind seemed to affect his whole 
 person, and he started off at so rapid a pace 
 that his aunt remonstrated severely with him 
 on his indifference to her convenience. This
 
 Gideon Harconrt. 37 
 
 again added to Gideon's ill-liumour, for Lis 
 aunt's voice, naturally loud and shrill, was 
 heard by several of those around them, among 
 whom he remarked the young lady who sat in 
 the same pew with them, and whose behaviour 
 had unintentionally caused him so much annoy- 
 ance. Blushing deeply — a fact he was pain- 
 fully aware of — he slackened his pace, and no 
 further conversation passed between the aunt 
 and nephew on their way home. 
 
 When at supper, an expression of ill-humour 
 was plainly discernible on the faces both of 
 Mrs. Matthews and her nephew. Gideon was 
 by no means surprised to notice it in his 
 aunt, for he was well used to it. With Mrs. 
 Matthews the case was different, and she viewed 
 the expression on her nephew's countenance 
 with very angry feelings, and this was further 
 increased by the innate conviction that that 
 evening, at any rate, she had given him no 
 intentional offence. During their meal she 
 made no remark on the subject, but as soon as 
 the servant had cleared the table, and closed 
 the door after her, she commenced by saying : 
 
 " Gideon, do you know what the text was 
 this evening?" 
 
 " I don't remember," replied Gideon, sullenly. 
 
 "I imagined as much," said his aunt. "I 
 was exceedingly displeased, sir, to notice the
 
 38 The Landlord of " The Smir 
 
 little attention you paid to the excellent dis- 
 course of the minister this evenins"." 
 
 Expecting he would make some reply, she 
 remained a short time silent; but as Gideon 
 said nothing, she continued : 
 
 " It was exceedingly painful to me to notice 
 your behaviour, and I request it may not occur 
 
 agam." 
 
 " I was not aware that my behaviour differed 
 in any way from what it usually is ; and, in- 
 deed, if I did not pay much attention to the 
 sermon, it arose from the fact that I heard 
 little in it worth listening to." 
 
 " What do you mean, sir, by that remark?" 
 said his aunt, in an angry tone. " I never heard 
 a better sermon in my hfe ; and understand me, 
 as long as you remain in my house, I insist on 
 your conducting yourself in a more reverent 
 manner, and not disgracing me in the way you 
 did this evening." 
 
 " And I request that you will not again 
 behave as you did to me this evening," said 
 Gideon, firing up — " making me ridiculous be- 
 fore everybody !" 
 
 Mrs. Matthews was mute for some moments, 
 so utterly aghast was she at this insubordina- 
 tion on the part of her nephew, who was 
 generally so submissive to her. Then, gazing 
 at him with an expression of great indignation
 
 Gideon Harcourt. 39 
 
 on her counteiiance, sLe said, " God forgive 
 you ! You are a very wicked boy." 
 
 Gideon, for the moment, had been somewhat 
 frightened at his own audacity, but the unfor- 
 tunate word "boy" again roused his courage. 
 
 " I am no boy !" he said, indignantly. " I 
 am now nearly seventeen years of age, and will 
 be treated like a boy no longer !" 
 
 "It's a fortunate thing that it has pleased 
 God to take your poor mother," said Mrs. 
 Matthews ; " she has been spared this pang, at 
 any rate." 
 
 " My mother would never have wished me 
 to be treated like a boy at my age," said 
 Gideen. 
 
 " If you are displeased with the treatment 
 you receive at my hands," said his aunt, " you 
 can leave my house as soon as you please." 
 
 " You have told me so fifty times," replied 
 Gideon, who, now his anger was thoroughly 
 aroused, spoke with great determination. " You 
 have told me so fifty times ; but where am I to 
 go ? I have neither acquaintance nor friend to 
 assist me." 
 
 " That is a subject for your consideration," 
 said his aunt. " All I say is, that if you are 
 discontented here, you may go as soon as you 
 please, and the sooner the better, seeing how 
 ungrateful you are."
 
 40 The Landlord of " The Sim.'' 
 
 " Give me some money then," said Gideon, 
 "and I will go to-morrow." 
 
 " Give you some money ! And pray, sir, 
 what money have I of yours ?" 
 
 Had Gideon seen more of the world, and 
 been of a suspicious temperament, the state of 
 anxious excitement his aunt was in at the 
 moment might have aroused the idea in his 
 mind that he had touched on an unpleasant 
 subject ; but thinking it was only one of her 
 ordinary ebullitions of temper, he replied : 
 
 "Yes; how do you think I can go without a 
 shilling in my pocket ? I only want enough to 
 last me for a few days, till I can obtain some 
 employment ; and if I fail," he continued, the 
 tears starting^ to his eves, " I will enlist as a 
 soldier, sooner than be a burden to you any 
 longer. Better that than be continually twitted 
 with the obligations I am under to you." 
 
 His aunt's mind seemed somewhat relieved 
 by the lad's answer, and she said : "You are a 
 very silly ungrateful boy, man as you think 
 yourself. Who do you imagine will employ 
 you without a character or a reference ? Be a 
 soldier if you please, but you will soon have 
 enough of that. And remember this, if you 
 do enlist as a soldier, I will not advance one 
 shilling to buy you off, bitterly as you may 
 repent your behaviour. But I will talk no
 
 Gideon Harcourt. 41 
 
 more with you on the subject. Take your 
 candle and go to bed, and you may think your- 
 self fortunate that I do not turn you out of my 
 house to-night, as you richly deserve, and 
 which I shall most probably do to-morrow. 
 Once more, sir," she continued, seeing Gideon 
 was about to speak, " take your light and go 
 to bed. I will not hear a word more from you, 
 ungrateful wretch that you are !" 
 
 Indio-Dant as Gideon felt at his aunt's tone 
 and manner, and anxious as he was to reply, 
 the force of habit was so strong within him that 
 he mechanically prepared to obey her. Rising 
 from his seat, he took the rushlight fixed in a 
 small lantern, which the servant, according to 
 custom, had brought in and placed on the little 
 side-table, and prepared to light it at the 
 solitary candle which illumined the room — for, 
 as before stated, Mrs. Matthews's habits of 
 economy were of the most rigid description. 
 From the manner the rushlight had been fixed 
 in the lantern, Gideon had great difiiculty in 
 lighting it, which was further increased by the 
 knowledge that his aunt's impatient gaze was 
 on him at the time. He became more nervous, 
 and his hand began to tremble, his aunt's im- 
 patience increasing the while, which she showed 
 by tapping her foot spasmodically on the floor, 
 each succeeding tap being louder than the
 
 42 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 former. At last she could support tlie delay no 
 longer, and, rising from her chair, she seized 
 the candle from his hand, and, with a steadi- 
 ness which contrasted singularly with the 
 trembling nervousness exhibited by her nephew, 
 she lighted the rushlight, and then, turning 
 sharply round, said to him : 
 
 " There, sir, take your lantern and begone ! 
 I am glad to see by your agitation that your 
 conscience is not utterly hardened, and that 
 you are not yet lost to all sense of shame. Now 
 go at once, and if you expect to remain another 
 day under my roof, let me find you to-morrow 
 morning in a very different frame of mind to 
 what I have seen you in to-night." 
 
 Gideon — whether from prudence, or cowed 
 by his aunt's behaviour, or ashamed of the 
 nervous trepidation he had exhibited — made 
 no further remark, but hastily quitted the 
 room 
 
 A strong change came over the spirits of both 
 aunt and nephew during the night. Gideon, as 
 soon as his temper begun somewhat to cool 
 down — a fact which had been greatly accelerated 
 by the knowledge of his undignified behaviour 
 when lighting the lantern — began calmly to think 
 over the events of the evening. On mature 
 consideration, he could not disguise from him- 
 self that on this occasion he had possibly been
 
 Gideon Harcourt. 43 
 
 more to blame than his aunt. He now besfan to 
 see, and even to admit, that she was not alto- 
 gether to blame for calling his attention to the 
 termination of the sermon ; and he was further 
 obliged to own to himself, that his anger was 
 occasioned more by the ridiculous appearance he 
 imagined he made in the eyes of the young lady 
 who sat inthepew with them, than from any other 
 cause. Finding he had no reasonable ground for 
 anger against his aunt for her behaviour on 
 that point, he next thought over the indignity 
 she had practised on him, in putting the child 
 Christian Brandon on a level with him in com- 
 panionship. But even here, after reflecting 
 coolly on the matter, he was not only obliged 
 to admit that his aunt could have had no inten- 
 tion to annoy him, and that he ought not to 
 have imagined it, but that she had positively 
 acted with a kindness of feeling most unusual 
 to her. 
 
 The more Gideon reflected on these matters, 
 the less objectionable appeared the behaviour 
 of his aunt, and the more so his own, till at 
 last he was forced to admit that he had that 
 evening been entirely in the wrong. Gideon 
 was of too honourable a mind to attempt to 
 defend himself when his conscience told him he 
 had been in error, and before he went to sleep 
 he had fully determined the next morning, at
 
 44 The Landlord of " The Sun. 
 
 J) 
 
 breakfast, to apologize to his aunt for his ill- 
 behaviour. 
 
 Mrs. Matthews, after she had sought her bed, 
 was scarcely less disturbed in mind than her 
 nephew. The lad had that evening shown 
 an amount of determination which had fairly 
 astonished her. Accustomed as she had hitherto 
 been to the most perfect and unreasoning sub- 
 mission on his part, his conduct surprised her 
 the more, as, on reflection, she could see that 
 she had given him no real cause for offence ; 
 nor could she perceive anything in her own 
 conduct to excite his anger. Although deeply 
 enraged with him, her natural shrewdness 
 pointed out to her that Gideon's manifestation 
 of anger, without sufficient provocation, was 
 an unmistakable sign of growing independence ; 
 and this led her to the conclusion (and sorely 
 against her will) that she must adopt a different 
 policy towards him, in case she determined to 
 keep him in the house with her. 
 
 It is but justice to Mrs. Matthews to admit 
 that her taunts to Gideon of his utter depen- 
 dence on her, and her desire that he should 
 quit her house and be no further expense to 
 her, were used rather as instruments of mental 
 torture or punishment, when she had any real 
 or fancied cause of displeasure, than from any 
 wish that he should obey her. And it must
 
 Gideon Har court. 45 
 
 also be admitted that she had hitherto practised 
 with success this pecuhar system of annoyance ; 
 so the reader may easily imagine how great 
 had been her surprise that evening at hearing 
 her nephew propose to leave the house, and 
 release her from any further obligation to main- 
 tain him. Now Mrs. Matthews loved her nephew 
 as much as it was possible for her to love any- 
 thing on earth — which after all, perhaps, was 
 saying but little. She seemed to divide all her 
 better feehngs between religion and love for her 
 nephew, the latter possibly ranking the higher 
 in her thoug-hts of the two. She had reasons 
 of her own for knowing that Gideon's board cost 
 her nothing; while her seats in the chapel, and 
 her contributions to the various excellent chari- 
 ties connected with it (and to which, from very 
 shame she was obliged to contribute), occasioned 
 her, from time to time, considerable annoyance. 
 However, in a sister-spirit with Mrs. Brandon, 
 she considered that if she contributed to the 
 support of the chapel, she had a right to obtain 
 from it as much as possible in return, and she 
 therefore never missed any of the services, 
 thereby gaining credit from the worthy minister 
 for far more piety than she really deserved. 
 
 Occasionally, during her reflections, when her 
 natural avarice got the ascendant, she began to 
 entertain the question whether it would not be
 
 46 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 as well to allow Gideon to enlist as a soldier, 
 and tlius save the cost of his maintenance in 
 clothing; but her better feelings — assisted pos- 
 sibly by the force of habit in having the society 
 of the lad for so many years — conquered, and 
 before falling asleep she had determined, that 
 in case Gideon should the next mornins: show 
 any signs of penitence she would accept them, 
 though with simulated reluctance, and then 
 attempt to meet his views in putting him out in 
 the world, though it should be done in such a 
 manner as to cause her the least possible 
 expense.
 
 w 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 GIDEON HAECOURT's FIRST START IN LIFE, 
 
 ,m / HEN Gideon and his aunt met at break- 
 fast the next morning, for some time 
 they both preserved a strict silence, each fur- 
 tively glancing in the other's face, to judge, if 
 possible, of the frame of mind its owner was in. 
 In this respect Mrs. Matthews had certainly 
 the best of the contest. Her naturally stern 
 expression of features had, through years, be- 
 come habitual. Nor could she greatly alter it, 
 even when she smiled or laughed — so rigid were 
 the muscles of her face. Gideon was therefore 
 unable to judge what might be her frame of 
 mind ; while Mrs. Matthews, with inward satis- 
 faction, easily detected, by the ingenuous expres- 
 sion of her nephew's countenance, that his ill- 
 humour of the evening before had vanished, 
 and that she had every reason to expect he was 
 about to offer her his submission. In this she 
 was not mistaken, for before their meal was 
 half over, Gideon said to her, in a calm tone of 
 voice, and with evident sincerity :
 
 48 The LamUord of " The Simr 
 
 " T am very sorry, aunt, for my behaviour to 
 you last night. I thought over my conduct 
 when in bed. I can now easily perceive you 
 ^ave me no cause for offence, and it was very 
 wrong on my part to behave to you in the 
 manner I did. I hope you will forgive me." 
 
 Mrs. Matthews was at first rather inclined to 
 make some objection, and to tell Gideon he 
 was perfectly at liberty to leave the house, if 
 he pleased ; but the better feelings of the 
 woman predominated, as, looking into the 
 handsome face of her nepliew, she saw a tear 
 gathering in his eye. 
 
 " Gideon," she said, after a moment's reflec- 
 tion, and with considerable candour in her tone, 
 " T am very pleased to find you have regainedyour 
 senses. I will not further allude to your conduct 
 last evening, than by saying you did me an injus- 
 tice in imagining I was indifferent to your pros- 
 pects, or your wish to become independent. My 
 desire has always been that you should be edu- 
 cated for the ministry of our own religious deno- 
 mination, although your poor mother was, I 
 am sorry to say, strongly attached to the errors of 
 the Church of England. It is for that reason I 
 have kept you at school, and intend doing so 
 for some time longer, when I hope you will be 
 sufficiently advanced to be attached to some 
 congregation yourself."
 
 Gideon'' s First Start in Life. 49 
 
 The expression of submissioD on Gideon's 
 face now changed to one almost of alarm. 
 
 " But, aunt," lie said, *' you have never spoken 
 to me before on the matter ; I surely ought to 
 have some voice in it ?" 
 
 " I really do think," said Mrs. Matthews, 
 " that I ought to be the sole judge as to what 
 is best for you. A boy of your age has no right 
 to judge for himself." 
 
 Gideon swallowed the word "boy" as he 
 best could, and merely replied : 
 
 " But, aunt, I feel no vocation for the 
 ministry, though I hold it in great respect. 
 Surely it would not be right to become a minister 
 of religion withont the heart being fully engaged 
 in it ?" 
 
 Mrs. Matthews gazed at her nephew with great 
 surprise, for Gideon had spoken in a remarkably 
 firm and decided tone of voice. Fearing a re- 
 petition of the scene of the evening before, she 
 said to him, mildly enough it must be admitted : 
 "And what better profession can you have than 
 that of the ministry ?" 
 
 " None, aunt, I admit. At the same time I 
 am fully convinced I am not adapted for it, and 
 I have too much conscience to become a minister 
 when I do not feel a love for the vocation." 
 
 " But, Gideon, that love may come ?" 
 
 " No, aunt — not with me. I feel certain of 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 50 The Landlord of " The Sun" ■ 
 
 the truth of what I say, and must positively 
 decline to entertain the subject further. Of 
 course I am in your hands, and must leave the 
 house if you order it, even if I have no better 
 alternative than becoming a soldier. But I 
 hope you will reconsider the matter. Any 
 other profession or occupation you may decide 
 upon I will gratefully accept without objection 
 or remark, but I cannot conscientiously enter 
 the ministry, so do not ask me." 
 
 Mrs. Matthews was silent for some moments, 
 evidently at a loss what to say. At first she 
 felt strongly tempted to insist on having her 
 own way, but her nephew had spoken so de- 
 cidedly that she easily perceived there was no 
 probabihty of his changing his mind. Again, 
 there was an amount of respect in his manner 
 which had a considerable effect on her. She 
 appeared to reflect over the matter for some 
 minutes, and then said : 
 
 " Gideon, I will come to no decision about it 
 at present ; my mind is too much agitated. Go 
 now to your school, and I promise you that 
 during the day I will give the subject my serious 
 consideration, and when we meet in the even- 
 ing I will tell you the conclusion I have arrived 
 at. Now, go — and let there be peace between 
 us." So saying, she rose from her chair and 
 presented her cheek to her nephew, who kissed
 
 GideorCs First Start in Life. 51 
 
 it respectfully, and immediately afterwards left 
 the house. 
 
 For more than an hour after Gideon's de- 
 parture, his aunt remained seated in her well- 
 worn easy-chair, turning over in her mind the 
 conversation she had had with her nephew. 
 She was willing to assist him, if she could do 
 so without expense to herself. Nor was the 
 idea of his earning money — no matter of how 
 small an amount — without charms for her, 
 although she would be disappointed not to see 
 him in the ministry. Even if he earned no- 
 thino" at the commencement, she would no 
 longer have his school expenses to pay, and 
 that in itself would be a considerable saving. 
 Then, again, if he earned anything, even but 
 a few shillings a week, she would insist on 
 receiving a portion of it — to encourage him, as 
 she pretended, in habits of independence, and 
 not to be beholden to anybody. But to whom 
 could she apply to assist her in finding him 
 occupation ? She had but very few acquaint- 
 ances, and none of them, as far as she could 
 see, had any patronage. Altogether she found 
 the question a very difficult one, and what step 
 to take in it she could not decide. 
 
 Mrs. Matthews continued to think over the 
 subject without being able to come to any 
 satisfactory conclusion, when her meditations 
 
 E 2
 
 52 The Landlord of " The San:' 
 
 were disturbed bv a double-knock at the street- 
 door, and immediately afterwards her maid- 
 servant announced, " Mr. Desbrow." The 
 new-comer was a man about forty years of age, 
 rather above the middle height, well-made, and 
 with a shrewd intelligent expression of counte- 
 nance. His hair and eyes were dark — the 
 latter particularly piercings — bis nose aquiline, 
 his mouth good, his teeth (which he showed 
 almost affectedly when speaking) beautifully 
 white and regular. Altogether he might have 
 been called handsome, had it not been for a 
 heavy under-jaw, which considerably marred 
 the good effect his other features produced. 
 His dress was neat and gentlemanly in the 
 extreme, and his whole appearance, with the 
 exception of the defect alluded to, prepossess- 
 ing. He had been managing-clerk for several 
 years to a highly respectable firm of solicitors, 
 who had occasionally been employed by Mrs. 
 Matthews ; but had lately started on his own 
 account, taking with him several of his late 
 employers' clients, whose good opinions he 
 had contrived to gain — and among them Mrs. 
 Matthews. 
 
 The business he had called about was the 
 first she had entrusted to his management. It 
 was an affair of very little importance — merely 
 the renewal of the lease of one of her houses,
 
 Gideon's First Start in Life. 53 
 
 and he had called for her signature. To her 
 expression of regret that he had not sent the 
 deed by one of his clerks, instead of taking the 
 trouble to come himself, Mr. Desbrow replied 
 that he did so without any inconvenience. Al- 
 though his offices were in Ely Place, he had a 
 bachelor's house in Clapham, where he resided ; 
 and he came up to business every morning in 
 the stage-coach, and it occupied but little of his 
 time in calling on his way. 
 
 He now unfolded the lease, and Mrs. 
 Matthews affixed her sio-nature to it. He was 
 in the act of folding it up again, when the idea 
 struck her to consult him about finding some 
 employment for Gideon. She told him she had 
 a nephew, a very clever lad, whom she wished 
 to place out in the world ; and she wanted some 
 one to advise her in the matter, as she had but 
 few friends to whom she could apply. 
 
 " My dear madam," repUed Mr. Desbrow, 
 " I will readily assist you in any way in ray 
 power. What do you intend making of him ?" 
 
 " It is precisely on that point that I am at a 
 loss," said Mrs. Matthews. " 1 wished to bring 
 him up for the ministry, but, though otherwise 
 a good lad enough, he appears to have no love 
 for the vocation." 
 
 " I am sorry to hear it," said Mr. Desbrow. 
 " Were I in his place, I should have been de-
 
 54 The Landlord of " The San." 
 
 lighted had the opportunity been offered me, 
 irrespective of my wish to oblige an esteemed 
 relative." 
 
 " I much regret the decision he has arrived at," 
 remarked Mrs. Matthews, " as it would have 
 been a great happiness to me to have seen him 
 in the pulpit. But," she continued, " it is 
 no use my annoying myself about it; he has 
 made up his mind, and there is no chance of 
 his altering it." 
 
 " And what are his wishes as to his future 
 occupation ?" inquired the solicitor. 
 
 " He says he has no choice in the matter- 
 All he wants is employment, and is willing to 
 accept any I may approve of." 
 
 " So far, so good," said Mr. Desbrow. 
 " What would he say to the law ?" 
 
 " I have no doubt it would suit him exactly," 
 replied Mrs. Matthews. 
 
 " I do not at present know anyone who 
 wants an articled clerk," said Mr. Desbrow, 
 after a moment's consideration. " To oblige 
 you I would take him myself, although as yet 
 I have hardly an opening for him. He would 
 of course have to pay for the stamp, which 
 
 would be a hundred pounds, and " 
 
 " Oh ! he has not a shilling in the world," 
 broke in Mrs. Matthews, with great decision in 
 her tone. " No ; what he wants is some em-
 
 Gideon's First Start in Life. 55 
 
 ployment where lie could commence at a small 
 salary, to be increased as lie became more 
 useful." 
 
 A slight look of disappointment for a moment 
 was apparent on Mr. Desbrow's face, but the 
 next it vanished. 
 
 " I do not at present know anyone wanting 
 a lad of the kind ; but should I hear of any 
 vacancy in a respectable office (for, of course, I 
 would not advise his accepting employment 
 except with a firm of known respectability), I 
 will inform you. I will commence inquiries to- 
 day, so that no time may be lost." 
 
 Mrs. Matthews thanked the solicitor for his 
 promise, adding that she hoped it would not 
 be long before he heard of something to suit 
 her nephew ; and after a little further conver- 
 sation on general matters, Mr. Desbrow took 
 his leave. 
 
 Mrs. Matthews, after supper that evening, 
 informed Gideon of Mr. Desbrow's visit — omit- 
 ting, however, all mention of the nature of the 
 business he had transacted with her, as she 
 appeared to have an insuperable objection to 
 letting her nephew have even the slightest in- 
 sight into her private affairs. She told him 
 of the promise Mr. Desbrow had given to find 
 him, if possible, some employment in a respect- 
 able solicitor's office. As Gideon listened, his
 
 56 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 eyes brightened up with animation, and he ex- 
 claimed : " And did he think he should soon 
 succeed, aunt ?" 
 
 '* He told me, on the contrary, that at pre- 
 sent he knew of no one likely to want a junior 
 clerk, but that as soon as he heard of a 
 vacancy he would bear you in mind. And now, 
 Gideon," she continued, " I hope you will 
 admit that you did me an injustice when you 
 considered I was indifferent to your wishes. I 
 assure you " (and this she evidently said with 
 most perfect sincerity), " that had I thought 
 you would have objected to enter the ministry, 
 you should have left school long before this. 
 But do not be too much elated with the pros- 
 pect before you. In the first place, it would 
 be silly ; and in the next, you may meet with 
 disappointment." 
 
 " You don't think Mr. Desbrow will fail to 
 keep his word — do you, aunt ?" 
 
 " No, my dear ; I did not allude to that. I 
 meant that when he has succeeded in obtaininsr 
 employment for you, it is more than probable 
 you will find there is a great deal to do, and 
 very Httle remuneration for it. But of that I 
 am talking in the dark. At the same time, if 
 my memory serves me correctly, he said some- 
 thing about the salary, at any rate at first, 
 being very small ; so do not be disappointed if
 
 Gideoris First Start in Life. 57 
 
 it does not come up to your expectations." 
 
 The remainder of the evening was passed by 
 Gideon and his aunt in comparative silence. 
 The lad, however, was so excited at the news 
 he had heard, that he found it almost impos- 
 sible to remain for a couple of minutes in the 
 same position — sometimes rising from his chair 
 and pacing to and fro in the room, and then 
 seating himself as^ain. At last his aunt said to 
 him : " I wish, Gideon, you could contrive to 
 remain quiet for five minutes together. You 
 wear out the carpet, besides irritating my 
 nerves. Now sit down and keep still, if you can." 
 
 Gideon obeyed his aunt, and sat quietly in 
 his chair for some minutes — then suddenly 
 started up and said : " Aunt, it is impossible; 
 T can't keep still. Let me go to bed, for I 
 shall only annoy you, and that without intend- 
 ing it, if I remain any longer." 
 
 His aunt bestowed on him a grim smile and 
 nod of acquiescence, and Gideon, after wishing 
 her " Good-night," left the room. 
 
 The next morning, shortly after Gideon had 
 gone to school, to the great surprise of Mrs. 
 Matthews, Mr. Desbrow was ushered into her 
 presence. After the first ceremony of saluta- 
 tion was over — and it may be remarked that 
 the solicitor was most punctilious and deferen- 
 tial to his client — he said to her : " I daresay,
 
 58 The Landlord o/" The Sunr 
 
 Mrs. Matthews, you are surprised to see me 
 again so soon. I should not have troubled you 
 about any affairs of my own. It is respecting 
 your nephew, in whom I am sure you take 
 great interest, that I have called. On arriving 
 at my office yesterday, after my interview with 
 you, I immediately inquired of my senior clerk 
 if he knew of any opening for a youth, as I 
 much wished to find a situation for a protege 
 of one of my clients. I thought it better not 
 to mention the relationship between you until I 
 had taken your instructions on that point." 
 
 "You were quite right," said Mrs. Matthews. 
 " I think with strangers there is no need to go 
 into family affairs. Of course in your own 
 case it is different, as there is but Httle use 
 in attempting to keep a secret from one's own 
 private solicitor." 
 
 " And I may say, in justice to our profession, 
 that family secrets are generally kept inviolate 
 by us. But to proceed with the object of my 
 visit. My clerk told me he knew of no vacancy 
 at present, but he had heard that the junior 
 clerk in my own office intended throwing up 
 his appointment next week, his friends having 
 procured for him a more lucrative one. I im- 
 mediately called the young gentleman into my 
 private room, and ascertained from him that 
 the information of my clerk was correct. Now,
 
 Gideon's First Start in Life. 69 
 
 if you would like your nepliew to take his place, 
 it is perfectly at your service, assuming (as I 
 have no doubt is the case) that he is an intel- 
 ligent well-conducted lad." 
 
 " That I can safely say," said Mrs. Matthews. 
 " I am fully persuaded his conduct will be all 
 you can wish. But I am really very much 
 obliged to you for your kindness, Mr. Desbrow." 
 
 " Not at all, my dear madam — not at all. 
 But there are some other matters to be spoken 
 of. At first, of course, he will be but of little 
 use to me — in my profession not at all — so that 
 at the commencement his salary will be almost 
 nominal ; in fact, it will only be eight shillings 
 a week. As he gets on, and becomes more 
 useful, of course that sum will be increased. 
 I am really ashamed to offer such a trifle, but 
 I can assure you it is even more than is usually 
 paid at the commencement to a lad of the 
 kind." 
 
 " I am perfectly satisfied with it, and the 
 more so that he will be under your care. When 
 shall he commence his duties ?" 
 
 " Well, T should like to make his acquaint- 
 ance at once, but he need not begin his duties 
 before next Monday. He will then have an 
 opportunity of being put into the way of the 
 office by the young lad who is on the point of 
 leaving. By-tbe-bye, I suppose there will be
 
 60 The Landlord of « The Sun." 
 
 no objection to its being known in my oflBce 
 that he is your nephew ?" 
 
 ''I am afraid it will be no use objecting to 
 it," replied Mrs. Matthews ; " it would be sure 
 to ooze out in some way. But, Mr. Desbrow," 
 she continued, with something like an expres- 
 sion of alarm on her countenance, " of course 
 my nephew will not, in your office, be allowed 
 to spy into my private affairs ?" 
 
 " Certainly not. He will hear nothing 
 from me, and there is no other means of his 
 obtaining information on the subject. And 
 then, ao^ain," continued the solicitor lausfhinof, 
 " I should not, even were I inclined, be able 
 to give him much information. Almost all 
 your papers and deeds are with Thornbury 
 & Potts, your old solicitors ; and as they were 
 principally interested for you in Chancery mat- 
 ters, while I had the manag^ement of their 
 common-law business, T know little about the 
 matter myself. But, joking apart, I assure 
 you that you need not fear my discretion." 
 
 Mr. Desbrow now took his leave, after ar- 
 ranging that Gideon should call on him, which 
 he did that afternoon. The solicitor received 
 him jn a very friendly manner, and the follow- 
 ing Monday he entered on his duties at the 
 office. On his return home the next Saturday, 
 his aunt asked him if he had received his salary.
 
 Gideon's First Start in Life. 61 
 
 He told lier that he had, when she said to 
 him : " Gideon, you have hitherto been a 
 great expense to me, without my getting any- 
 thing in return. I do not say this to hurt 
 your feehugs — nay more, I did it wilHngly, out 
 of love for your poor mother. But, now you 
 are able to earn money by your own exertions, 
 it is only fair you should contribute to your 
 support. I do not wish to be hard on you, but 
 it is better for us to begin as we intend to 
 go on. What I propose is, that you should 
 pay me, for your board and lodging, one half 
 your earnings, and the rest you can retain for 
 pocket-money and clothes." 
 
 Gideon, without hesitation, agreed to the 
 bargain, and paid his aunt half the amount he 
 had just received ; and everything being now 
 placed on what both seemed to think an agree-" 
 able footing, things went on between aunt and 
 nephew with perfect smoothness and regularity. 
 Although Gideon had now quitted the minis- 
 ter's school, he still continued his intimacy 
 with young Christian Brandon. They were 
 possibly even more intimate than before, for the 
 only barrier to their former friendship when 
 schoolfellows had now been removed. Gideon, 
 as a clerk in a lawyer's ofiice, considered he 
 might be as intimate as he pleased with Chris- 
 tian, without in any way injuring his newly
 
 62 The Landlord of '* The Sunr 
 
 acquired manly position, which he imagined 
 could hardly be the case as long as they were 
 schoolboys together. He would now frequent- 
 ly, in the evening, when the duties of the day 
 were over, leave his aunt's house, and, calling 
 at Mrs. Brandon's, assist Christian in the les- 
 sons he had to prepare for the morrow. On 
 these occasions he always received a warm wel- 
 come from Mrs. Brandon, who considered it 
 no little compliment that a young man whose 
 aunt lived in Nelson Square, should be on 
 terms of intimacy with her son. As they be- 
 came better acquainted, Christian would from 
 time to time ask Gideon what duties he had to 
 perform in his office. He would then listen 
 with profound attention, and even admiration, 
 to the serious business entrusted to his friend ; 
 although it must be admitted that Gideon's 
 share in it rarely exceeded the copying-out (as 
 he wrote a fine legal hand) some of the most 
 unimportant papers required in the case, what- 
 ever it might be. 
 
 Mrs. Brandon, too, who at first had a more 
 moderate estimation of Gideon's legal abilities 
 than her son, began in time to hold them in 
 greater respect, and she would frequently con- 
 sult him upon different knotty points in con- 
 nection with the business of her shop — such, 
 for example, as whether she had any legal
 
 Gideon s First Start in Life. 63 
 
 claim on the wholesale firm of whom she 
 bought her butter aud cheese, for sending an 
 article inferior to sample, and other questions 
 of the same description. The acquaintance, 
 also, between Mrs. Brandon and Mrs. Matthews 
 had increased in intimacy, although the line of 
 social demarcation between Nelson Square and 
 the Mint was always fully maintained by the 
 latter lady, and admitted by the former. Un- 
 less in very bad weather, they frequently con- 
 versed after evening service in the yard of the 
 Surrey Chapel. Mrs. Matthews would occa- 
 sionally go so far as to invite Mrs. Brandon to 
 accompany her home. This condescension was, 
 however, but of rare occurrence, and, in fact, 
 seldom accepted when offered. Mrs. Matthews, 
 in o-eneral, maintained with so much coolness 
 and rigidity of manner the difference of their 
 position in life, that it grated so much on the 
 feelings of her guest, as to make her consider 
 the honour not worth the unpleasantness it 
 occasioned her. 
 
 With Christian it was different, and fre- 
 quently in the evenings he would viiait Gideon 
 at his aunt's house. Mrs. Matthews would 
 then abandon the reserve she was accustomed 
 to show to his mother — whether from good- 
 feeling towards the boy, or from considering 
 him hardly capable of entertaining the question
 
 64 The Landlord of '' The Sun:' 
 
 of precedence, it would be difficult to say. On 
 the whole, she treated him with kindness, and 
 Christian, who was of a most grateful disposi- 
 tion, began to hold her in high estimation. 
 
 Notwithstanding the absence of his friend 
 Gideon from the school. Christian contrived 
 to hold his place in the class. He improved 
 rapidly, and frequent and complimentary were 
 the reports Mrs. Brandon received, from the 
 minister conducting the school, of the progress 
 her son was making in his studies.
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 CHRISTIAN Brandon's first start in life. 
 
 HAYING- now fairly introduced to the reader 
 two of our principal characters, we will 
 hurry somewhat rapidly over the events of the 
 next six or seven years, rather than dwell too 
 long on the uninteresting details of their boy- 
 hood. Gideon continued to work steadily in the 
 ofl&ce of Mr. Desbrow, giving that gentleman 
 perfect satisfaction. This, however, was rather 
 to be judged fi^om the gradual increase in Gi- 
 deon's salary, than from any lavish commenda- 
 tions on the part of his employer. Very few and 
 slight communications ever took place between 
 them. As stated in the last chapter, Gideon 
 was placed under the orders of the head-clerk ; 
 and his duties principally consisted in copying 
 documents placed before him by that gentleman, 
 or performing (still under his instructions) some 
 of the outdoor duties connected with a thriving 
 solicitor's office. 
 
 Mr. Desbrow's visits to Nelson Square were, 
 
 VOL. I. p
 
 66 The Landlord of " The Sun 
 
 »j 
 
 it should be stated, of comparatively rare oc- 
 currence, as Mrs. Matthews did not by any 
 means encouraQ:e them — inasmuch as she had 
 for the remainder of the day, after his departure, 
 visions of the figures 6s. 8d. floating before her 
 mind's eye, greatly disturbing the equanimity 
 of her temper. Occasionally she would enter- 
 tain the question whether she ought not to 
 debit these sums to Gideon, and claim tliem 
 from the moiety of his week's salary (for what- 
 ever advance Mr. Desbrow had made to Gideon's 
 weekly stipend his aunt continued to receive 
 the half) ; but after giving the subject serious 
 consideration, she could not disguise from her- 
 self that Mr. Desbrow' s visits were connected 
 with her own private affairs, and the commen- 
 dations he bestowed on her nephew were simply 
 mentioned in the course of conversation. Find- 
 ing she could not, by any sophistry of her own, 
 make a claim against Gideon for any portion of 
 the expense attendant on Mr. Desbrow' s visits, 
 she gave up the idea — possibly consoling herself 
 with the knowledge that the moiety she then 
 received of her nephew's salary (which had risen 
 to a pound a week), not only compensated her 
 for the very modest expense he put her to, but 
 left a margin of profit in her favour. 
 
 A few words are now requisite to introduce 
 Mr. Desbrow, the sohcitor, more particularly
 
 Christian's First Start in Life. 67 
 
 to the reader, inasmuch as he is destined 
 to play no inconsiderable part in our drama. 
 Of his personal appearance we have already 
 given a short description in the previous chapter. 
 Mr. Desbrow entered life in much the same posi- 
 tion that Gideon had done — that of junior clerk 
 in a solicitor's office. His father had been a res- 
 pectable Dissenting minister in a country town ; 
 and as the receipts arising from the congregation 
 of his chapel were of the most moderate descrip- 
 tion, he added to his exchequer by keeping a 
 small shop for the sale of linendrapery, paper, 
 pens, and suchlike heterogeneous matters as fre- 
 quently formed the stock-in-trade of a shop- 
 keeper in out-of-the-way small country towns. 
 
 It should be understood, however, that when 
 the Rev. Mr. Desbrow accepted the invitation of 
 his flock to become their pastor, he occupied 
 himself solely in the duties of his clerical pro- 
 fession, his income being then sufficient for his 
 modest wants. He afterwards took unto him- 
 self a wife, and before the end of the following 
 year she presented him with a son, who was 
 called Thomas, after his father, and who in due 
 time became the solicitor whom we have intro- 
 duced to the reader. The third year after the 
 reverend gentleman's marriage his wife pre- 
 sented him with twins, both girls. The birth 
 of his firstborn had been a source of unmingled 
 
 F 2
 
 68 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 joy to him, but as much could hardly be said 
 with truth respecting the twins. That he loved 
 his wife and his offspring dearly it was true — 
 still, he could not shut his mind to the fact that 
 they would considerably add to the expenses of 
 liousekeeping. 
 
 The evening after the birth of the twins, when 
 the Rev. Thomas Desbrow had retired to his 
 small sitting-room, to determine what text to 
 take for the next Sunday's discourse, and the 
 manner in which he should treat it, he found it 
 exceedingly difficult to fix his mind on the task. 
 As he sat there, with his Bible open on his knee, 
 he attempted to select text after text without 
 being able to decide on any — so vividly did the 
 increased difficulties occasioned by the unex- 
 pected addition to his family come before him. 
 At last, annoyed with himself for allowing his 
 worldly affairs to enter his mind when engaged 
 on holier subjects, he closed the Bible, and 
 placing it on a table beside him, took a book at 
 hazard from one of the shelves, and, opening it 
 mechanically, commenced reading. 
 
 By degrees he became greatly absorbed in its 
 contents. The particular chapter he was read- 
 ing dwelt on the lives of the clergy at the early 
 period of the Christian Church. One paragraph 
 in particular riveted his attention in an extra- 
 ordinary manner. It spake of the difficulties
 
 Christian'' s First Start in Life. 69 
 
 attending tlie teaching of the Gospel in those 
 days, and the small reward the ministers of re- 
 lio'ion received for their labours. In fact, so 
 inadequate was it to their wants, that the bishops 
 insisted on their clergy practising some trade 
 or mechanical calling ; thereby not only to re- 
 lieve them from the painful task of applying to 
 their flocks for greater contributions than they 
 found it convenient to give, but at the same 
 time to fulfil one of the first commands of the 
 Almighty — that man should earn his bread by 
 the sweat of his brow. 
 
 Having finished the paragraph, the reverend 
 gentleman attempted to continue his reading, 
 but found it impossible. Had what he had just 
 read been sent to him as an especial message 
 from Heaven, it could hardly have made a 
 greater impression on his imagination. He 
 almost accepted it as a direction to him to main- 
 tain his family by some personal exertions of 
 his own. Closing the book, he determined to 
 read no more that evening, but endeavour, after 
 he had prayed to the Almighty for guidance on 
 the subject, to think over the steps he should 
 take as coolly as possible. 
 
 The next morning he had fully resolved on 
 the course he would adopt. His wife had 
 lately been left by a deceased relative the sum 
 of two hundred pounds ; and as he had heard
 
 70 Tlie Landlord of " The Sim:' 
 
 that tlie principal shopkeeper in the little town 
 was obliged to retire from business on account 
 of ill-health, he resolved to inquire what sum 
 he would take for his goodwill and stock ; and 
 if he found it within his means, to propose the 
 subject to his wife, as soon as she had suffi- 
 ciently recovered to entertain the question. 
 The same day he called on the shopkeeper, and 
 after a little conversation on general matters, 
 broached the subject of the sale of the business. 
 To his great satisfaction, he found that so 
 anxious was he to leave the town, that he was 
 willing to take one hundred pounds for the 
 stock-in-trade and goodwill of his shop. Hav- 
 ing obtained the shopkeeper's promise to allow 
 the matter to stand over for a few days, 
 the reverend gentleman in due time consulted 
 with his wife, who without hesitation entered 
 into his views ; and in a few weeks afterwards 
 they were installed in the business. 
 
 Although the profits of the shop, even in 
 addition to the receipts of his chapel, were 
 sufficient, with strict economy, to pay the 
 expenses of housekeeping, they left no surplus 
 beyond it. Still the worthy man and his wife 
 contrived to hold a very respectable position in 
 the neighbourhood, and were much liked by all 
 with whom they came in contact. 
 
 Little Thomas and the twins throve apace.
 
 Christiaiis First Start in Life. 71 
 
 and were intelligeDt healthy children. The 
 instruction of the boy was undertaken by his 
 father, who gave his son a really good educa- 
 tion. He learned rapidly, and showed con- 
 siderable intelligence. When about fifteen 
 years of age, his father found a situation for 
 him in the oflS.ce of a solicitor of the town, who 
 was clerk to the magistrates. In the evening, 
 when his oflB.ce-duties were over, Mr. Desbrow 
 would further attend to the education of his 
 son, so that he might be able to start in the 
 world with credit to himself and his instructor. 
 Youno^ Thomas remained in the solicitor's ofl&ce 
 till he was about nineteen years of age, giving 
 considerable satisfaction to his employers. At 
 that time he had the misfortune to lose his 
 father and one of his sisters by typhus-fever, 
 and the following year his mother also died. 
 There now only remained Thomas Desbrow and 
 one of his sisters. The latter attempted to 
 manage the shop, but hardly succeeded, and a 
 year afterwards she accepted an ofifer of mar- 
 riage from a young man who was about to start 
 for Canada. The stock and goodwill of the 
 shop were sold, and the proceeds divided 
 between Thomas and his sister, who shortly 
 afterwards left England for the New World. 
 
 Thomas Desbrow was now possessed of 
 nearly one hundred pounds of his own, and
 
 72 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 being without incumbrance, and of a naturally 
 ambitious temperament, lie resolved to start 
 for tlie metropolis, and there attempt to make 
 his way in the world. His employers allowed 
 him to depart without any expressions of regret, 
 although they could neither deny his ability 
 nor his energy. In point of fact, there was 
 but little sympathy between them. Young 
 Desbrow never felt any attachment to his em- 
 ployers, though scrupulously attending to their 
 interests ; and his employers, while admitting 
 the excellent manner in which his services 
 were performed, bore him no goodwill in 
 return. 
 
 As a matter of justice, they gave him a 
 strong letter of recommendation to the house 
 in London whose agents they were. On his 
 arrival he was received with courtesy, and told 
 that, although at the moment the firm were 
 not in want of assistance, he could take a desk 
 in their office for the time, and if a vacancy 
 occurred in their staff they should be happy to 
 offer it to him ; or if they heard of any em- 
 ployment likely to suit him, they would use 
 every efi*ort in their power to obtain it for him. 
 
 A few months afterwards a vacancy occurred 
 on their own staff, which Thomas Desbrow 
 readily accepted. In this office he remained 
 for more than ten years, giving perfect satis-
 
 Christianas First Start in Life. 73 
 
 faction to his employers, yet acquiring little of 
 their good-feeling in return. In fact, hardly 
 anyone seemed to like him ; and this was the 
 more singular, as he was strictly attentive to 
 his duties, and gentlemanly and courteous to 
 all. By degrees he rose to the position of 
 managing-clerk of the common-law department, 
 and it was while holding that appointment that 
 he became acquainted with Mrs. Matthews, 
 havino^ had t6 conduct some uninterestino; law- 
 business on her behalf. 
 
 If Thomas Desbrow had been unable to 
 secure the sympathies and good-feeling of his 
 employers, it was hardly the case among their 
 clients. Many of them, on the contrary, ap- 
 peared to take a great fkncy to him, and, when 
 they visited the office, seemed to prefer con- 
 sul tins; him on their affairs rather than either 
 of the partners — a fact which in itself might, 
 to a certain degree, explain the little love they 
 seemed to bear him. By a singular coincidence, 
 and one most difficult to account for, the class 
 of clients who appeared to have the greatest 
 reliance in Thomas Desbrow were publicans, 
 the firm he had left being at the time solicitors 
 for one of the largest porter-brewers in Lon- 
 don. Why the publicans who had business 
 with these solicitors should have taken Thomas 
 Desbrow into their favour it would be difficult
 
 74 The Landlord of " The Siin.'' 
 
 to say, for in disposition and behaviour lie 
 appeared to Lave but little in common with 
 them. In his manners, habits, and conversa- 
 tion, he was rather staid than otherwise ; and 
 religion was with him a favourite topic of con- 
 versation. He went but little into society, and 
 led, when away from the office, a somewhat 
 retired life — never inviting anyone to his lodg- 
 ings, and, in return, but rarely accepting the 
 invitations his publican friends favoured him 
 with. 
 
 Mr. Desbrow was about thirty years of age 
 when he left his employers. He then took an 
 office in Ely Place, Holborn, and started in 
 practice on his own account. Although it could 
 not be detected that he had attempted in any 
 manner whatever to withdraw clients from the 
 office of his employers, or had canvassed for 
 their patronage, many of them, and especially 
 the publicans, gave him their business. Before 
 two years were over since commencing practice, 
 affairs flourished so well with Mr. Desbrow that 
 he took a house of somewhat handsome preten- 
 sions in Clapham. This he furnished in great 
 good taste, and gave up his lodgings in town 
 to reside in his new abode, leaving it, as he 
 told Mrs. Matthews, early in the morning, to 
 attend to the duties of his office, and returning 
 to it again in the evening.
 
 Christian'' 8 First Start in Life. 75 
 
 His neighbours iu Clapham knew but little of 
 him, and certainly nothing to his prejudice. 
 With those whose acquaintance he made (and 
 they were principally his companions on the 
 stagecoach) he was generally reserved, although 
 he could occasionally speak on subjects which in- 
 terested him with great propriety. He had sit- 
 tings in the Rev. Mr. 's Dissenting chapel, 
 
 which he attended with regularity, and subscribed 
 with great liberality to all the charities con- 
 nected with it. With the inhabitants of the 
 neighbourhood he made but few acquaintances 
 — not that he lacked opportunity, as may be 
 judged from the fact that he was a handsome 
 bachelor, highly respectable, even pious and 
 meritorious in his conduct, and possessed of a 
 large and lucrative practice. All must admit 
 that the qualifications we have mentioned would, 
 in a neighbourhood thickly studded with mar- 
 riageable young ladies, render their possessor a 
 welcome visitor in many houses of respectability. 
 
 To return to Christian Brandon. He con- 
 tinued in the same school till he was more than 
 fourteen years of age, making considerable 
 progress in his studies. He could then write a 
 good schoolboy hand, was expert in arithmetic, 
 and had an elementary knowledge of history. 
 He was the pride of his father ; but, though his 
 mother loved him tenderly she began frequently
 
 *?& The Landlord of " The Smi^ 
 
 to object to the expense of his education — for, 
 as she got older, the natural avarice of her 
 disposition seemed to increase with her years. 
 " What is the use," she would argue with her 
 husband, " in keeping Christian longer at 
 school P Every time we see his master he gives 
 us a good account of him, and has done so 
 regularly for years past. He must now surely 
 know enough to get his own living, and why 
 should he not do so ? Besides, although he 
 is little more than fourteen years of age, he 
 is as tall and strong as most boys a couple of 
 years older. I call it a sinful throwing-away of 
 money. We cannot afford to go on in this 
 manner ; and if you did your duty as a father, 
 you would endeavour to find some respectable 
 situation for him, instead of allowing his time to 
 be wasted at school." 
 
 To this Brandon would reply, that Christian 
 would be all the better for a few years' more 
 schooling ; at any rate he would not allow him 
 to be removed for the present, and it was there- 
 fore no use her putting herself in an ill-humour 
 on the subject. Mrs. Brandon knew her husband 
 too well to press the matter further, for, though 
 habitually a remarkably quiet good-natured 
 man, there were certain points on which, if he 
 had once made up his mind, nothing could move 
 him — and Christian's education was one. She
 
 Christian' a First Start in Life. 77 
 
 therefore contented herself with occasionally 
 grumbling, which her husband put up with very 
 placidly ; and whenever the subject was mooted 
 between them, it generally terminated by both 
 parties remaining of the same opinion as before 
 they began. 
 
 When Christian had completed his fifteenth 
 year, a circumstance took place which made a 
 great change in his prospects. One evening 
 his father, when returning from his office, was 
 seized with paralysis, and was brought home in 
 an utterly helpless condition. He was with 
 great difficulty carried upstairs and placed upon 
 his bed, and a surgeon was immediately sent for. 
 For some days Brandon remained in an uncon- 
 scious state, but by degrees he partially re- 
 covered his mental faculties. Still he was 
 unable to move hand or foot, or to utter an 
 articulate word. His first sign of returning 
 consciousness was at the sight of his son. He 
 had been ordered by the surgeon who attended 
 him to be kept strictly quiet, and everything 
 that might disturb his mind was to be avoided. 
 Christian, who loved his father tenderly, used 
 from time to time stealthily to enter the room 
 with his shoes off, so as to make as little noise 
 as possible. On these occasions his father's 
 eyes would turn towards him, though without 
 showing any signs of recognition. One day,
 
 78 The Landlord of *' The Sun.'' 
 
 however, about a week after his father had been 
 attacked, Christian entered the room and stood 
 by his bedside. Presently the big tears began 
 to chase each other down the lad's face at the 
 sight of the helpless condition his father was 
 in. Suddenly an expression of consciousness 
 became visible on poor Brandon's countenance, 
 and he gazed on his son with intense affection, 
 the tears gathering the while in his eyes. No 
 ill-effects followed the temporary excitement ; 
 on the contrary, Brandon began from that day 
 slowly to recover. It was fully three months 
 before he was able to leave his room. During 
 this time the directors of the office where he 
 was employed behaved to him with great 
 kindness and consideration, and continued him 
 his full salary. 
 
 At last Brandon, contrary to the opinion of 
 the surgeon who attended him, considered his 
 health sufficiently re-established to resume his 
 usual duties. On presenting himself at his 
 office, however, it was plainly apparent to all 
 that he was no longer fit for the appointment 
 he had held with credit to himself for so many 
 years. They treated him with great indulgence, 
 giving him but little to do. Brandon, perceiving 
 this, exerted himself more than was necessary, 
 in order to show that he had perfectly recovered, 
 and the result was that he was again thrown on
 
 Christian's First Start in Life. 79 
 
 a bed of sickness. Finding there was no cliance 
 of their old servant being ever again able to 
 resume his duties in a proper and efficient 
 manner, the directors discharged him, allowing 
 him an annuity for the remainder of his life 
 equal to one-half of his salary. 
 
 This serious diminution in their revenue had 
 a most prejudicial effect on the temper of Mrs. 
 Brandon. She loudly insisted that her son 
 should leave school and obtain a situation, and 
 this she did perhaps the more vigorously, from 
 the comparative inability of her husband to 
 reply to her. She now, without asking Bran- 
 don's permission, took Christian from school, 
 thereby saving any further expense for his 
 education. She looked around her to find some 
 employment for him by which he could earn 
 money, but this she was unable to accomplish, 
 although she applied to all the wholesale firms 
 with whom she was in the habit of dealinof. 
 Disappointed in her effbrts, she turned her ill- 
 humour on her son, whom she accused of lazi- 
 ness in not sufficiently exerting himself to find 
 employment. Poor Christian felt bitterly his 
 mother's invectives, to which he submitted as 
 patiently as he could. One evening, however, 
 after she had grossly insulted him, he paid a 
 visit to his friend Gideon Harcourt, who easily 
 perceived from the redness of his eyes that he
 
 80 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 had been crying. On inquiring the cause, 
 Christian for the first time explained to him 
 the unhappy hfe he led at home, caused by his 
 mother's behaviour, and added how pleased 
 he should be to find some employment, no 
 matter how small the remuneration might be. 
 Gideon said nothing at the time, being unwil- 
 ling to raise Christian's hopes should he not 
 succeed ; but he resolved the next day to speak 
 to his friend the senior clerk on the subject, 
 and ask him to exert himself to find, if possible, 
 some appointment for Christian. 
 
 Now, between Mr. Morgan, the senior clerk 
 in Mr. Desbrow's office, and Gideon there 
 existed great good-feeling, elicited on Mr. Mor- 
 gan's part by Gideon's steady application to 
 his duties, and on Gideon's from a double 
 reason. In the first place, Mr. Morgan showed 
 great courtesy towards his subordinate ; and 
 in the next, he frequently invited him to his 
 house in Kentish Town, where Gideon passed 
 some of the happiest hours of his life while a 
 clerk in Mr. Desbrow's oflice. Mr. Moro-an 
 was a middle-aged married man, with a family 
 of children. The affairs of his household were 
 principally conducted by his eldest daughter, 
 a very pretty girl, about eighteen years of age ; 
 Mrs. Morgan being herself a great invalid, and 
 incapable of undergoing exertion, either mental
 
 Christianas First Start in Life. 81 
 
 or bodily. Fortunately, it would have been 
 impossible to have found a person better 
 adapted to perform the duties than her daugh- 
 ter Kate, who not only acted the housekeeper 
 to admiration, but played the part of governess 
 to the younger children, of whom there were 
 three — -the eldest being five years younger 
 than her instructress. Mr. Morgan had also a 
 son about sixteen years of age, who was em- 
 ployed in a merchant's office, but who resided 
 with his family. The friendship of the Mor- 
 gans was, indeed, a godsend to poor Grideon, 
 whose aunt — partly from her love of seclusion, 
 and partly from the natural parsimony of her 
 habits — refused to keep any society. 
 
 On Gideon's arrival at his office the day 
 follo^dng his conversation with Christian, 
 Mr. Morgan was too much occupied to allow 
 him to mention the subject to him. When 
 the duties of the day were over, to his 
 great satisfaction, Mr. Morgan invited Gideon 
 to return with him to Kentish Town, and spend 
 the evening with his family. Gideon joyfully 
 accepted the invitation, and on their way he 
 broached the subject of Christian's wish for 
 employment. Mr. Morgan paid little attention 
 to it at the time, possibly being absorbed in 
 his occupations of the past day; but in the 
 evening, after tea, he brought up the subject 
 
 VOL. I. G
 
 82 The Landlord of " The Snnr 
 
 again, and made several inquiries respecting 
 Christian. Kate and ber brother and younger 
 sisters seemed interested in the conversation, 
 and joined Grideon in pressing their father to 
 find, if possible, some occupation for the hand- 
 some young fellow — for Gideon had spoken of 
 his friend in terms of high admiration. Mr. 
 Morgan promised he would do all in his power 
 to assist Christian, and as he had a very exten- 
 sive acquaintance among men of business, he 
 thought it very probable that his inquiries 
 might be attended with success. 
 
 Gideon was so overjoyed at the sanguine 
 manner in which Mr. Morgan had spoken of 
 being able to obtain employment for Christian, 
 that it was with difficulty he could refrain the 
 next day from running round to the Mint before 
 going to his office, to convey to his young 
 friend the good news. On mature considera- 
 tion, however, he resolved to postpone speak- 
 ing on the subject till Mr. Morgan had heard 
 of some appointment likely to be eligible. 
 This, fortunately, occurred in a few days. One 
 of the proprietors of a large distillery in the 
 Borough, for whom Mr. Desbrow acted as soli- 
 citor, called at the office on some business con- 
 nected with the firm. Mr. Desbrow was absent at 
 the time, but was expected back shortly. The 
 gentleman, who had determined to wait, had
 
 Christian's First Start in Life. 83 
 
 some conversation on indifferent subjects with 
 Mr. Morgan. Knowing that he had a large 
 circle of acquaintance, Mr. Morgan inquired 
 whether he knew of anyone who had an open- 
 ing in his house for an intelligent well- 
 educated lad, about sixteen or seventeen years 
 of ag-e, and in whom he was much interested. 
 The gentleman replied that he did not at that 
 moment know of anyone. " But," he added, 
 " to tell you the truth, we have some idea in 
 our own firm of taking such a lad as you mention 
 into the counting-house. I will speak to my 
 partners on the subject, and give you an answer 
 in a few days." 
 
 The answer came as promised, and, to Mr. 
 Morgan's satisfaction and Gideon's joy, it was 
 a favourable one. The note which conveyed 
 the intelligence merely stated that if the lad 
 spoken of by Mr. Morgan would call at the 
 distillery the next day, between three and four 
 o'clock in the afternoon, he could see one of the 
 partners ; and if he was found eligible, he had 
 no doubt he would be employed by them. Mr. 
 Morgan gave the note to Gideon, and told him 
 to take it to his young friend, and tell him to 
 brush himself up as smartly as possible, and 
 keep the appointment ; adding that the partners 
 in the firm, though strict disciplinarians, were 
 very liberal and kind-hearted men, and that 
 
 G 2
 
 8-i The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 there was little doubt, if Christian conducted 
 himself well, he would rise rapidly, and in time 
 obtain a lucrative employment. 
 
 The same evening, before returning home, 
 Gideon called upon Christian, whom he had 
 not seen for some days. He found his young 
 friend very low-spirited, and Mrs. Brandon 
 evidently in an ill-humour — so much so, in 
 fact, that, contrary to her usual custom, she 
 received Gideon very coldly. The intelligence 
 he brought, however, wonderfully improved 
 her temper, and she even spoke to her husband 
 and Christian with great kindness. Her tongue 
 ran on for some time with great volubility, and 
 she asked her husband, in a tone of triumph, 
 whether her policy had not been right after all, 
 and how much Christian might have gained 
 had he followed it sooner. Brandon at first 
 attempted to show her that it was very possible 
 that had Christian been younger, he would 
 hardly have been able to obtain a situation in 
 the counting-house of a firm so respectable; 
 but, of course, she was not to be convinced, 
 and Brandon, happy at the prospect in store 
 for his son, allowed his wife to enjoy her 
 triumph without any molestation or interference 
 on his part. 
 
 Great indeed was the state of excitement 
 Mrs. Brandon was in during the whole of the
 
 Christianas First Start in Life. 85 
 
 next morning. She examined minutely the 
 dress Christian was to wear (and which, by- 
 the-bye, was somewhat threadbare, as for more 
 than a year past she had refused to buy him 
 any new clothes, under the plea that she could 
 not afford it), and otherwise attended to his 
 appearance. When at last he was in readiness, 
 a remarkably good-looking lad he seemed, and 
 the more so as his eye was now lit up with 
 excitement at the prospect before him of making 
 his first start in the world. 
 
 Armed with the note which Mr. Morgan had 
 received the day before. Christian, at the ap- 
 pointed hour, presented himself at the counting- 
 house of the distillery. Shortly afterwards he 
 had an interview with one of the partners in 
 his private room, who, possibly attracted by 
 his prepossessing appearance, received him 
 most kindly. After some ordinary questions, 
 during which Christian contrived to regain his 
 equanimity (for he had felt rather timid at 
 first), the gentleman said to him : 
 
 " Well, my lad, I must, of course, make 
 some inquiries respecting you before we de- 
 fiuitely decide to take you into our counting- 
 house, and these, as far as your respectability 
 is concerned, I have no doubt will prove quite 
 satisfactory. As to your capabilities for the 
 post, I shall leave Mr. Washbourne, our senior
 
 86 The Landlord of " The Simr 
 
 clerk, to be the judge. Come with me now 
 into the counting-house, and I will introduce 
 you to him. If he gives a good account of 
 you, we will then talk about salary and other 
 matters." 
 
 Christian was then conducted into the count- 
 ing-house and introduced to Mr. Washbourne, 
 who, placing him on a seat by his side, gave 
 him a long row of figures to add up, which he 
 did. correctly. He then set before him a letter 
 to copy, which Christian, notwithstanding some 
 natural trepidation at the moment, did in a 
 most creditable manner. Being perfectly satis- 
 fied as to his capabilities, Mr. Washbourne 
 took him into the partner's private room, and 
 showing him the letter Christian had copied, 
 that gentleman highly complimented him on 
 the manner it was done, and said he thought 
 he was perfectly adapted for the situation. 
 
 " And now, Brandon," he continued, " I 
 told you I should make some further inquiries 
 respecting you ; but if you do not hear to the 
 contrary, you may enter on your duties next 
 Monday. Your salary at the commencement 
 will be ten shillings a week ; but understand 
 me, when I say ' at the commencement,' I 
 mean it to the letter; for if 1 find you diligent 
 and industrious, as I trust I shall do, it will 
 soon be advanced. Now, if you are satisfied
 
 Christianas First Start in Life. 87 
 
 with these arrangements, you can go, and, as 
 I said before, unless you hear to the contrary, 
 let me see you here on Monday morning." 
 
 Christian, when he entered his mother's 
 house after the interview with the senior 
 jDartner at the distillery, certainly appeared to 
 be taller than when he had left it an hour 
 before, and, as his mother remarked, he looked 
 more like a man. On the question of salary 
 both his parents were fully satisfied, and an 
 arrangement was entered into somewhat similar 
 to that which had taken place between Gideon 
 and his aunt when first he received his appoint- 
 ment as junior clerk in Mr. Dasbrow's ofiice — 
 that he was to pay one-half of his salary to his 
 mother for his board and lodo^ins*, an arrano^e- 
 ment which perfectly satisfied the good woman. 
 In fact, so great was her state of contentment, 
 that she offered to advance Christian the money 
 to purchase a new suit of clothes, that he 
 might be able to make a gentlemanly appear- 
 ance at the counting-house, though under the 
 solemn condition that he should pay her two 
 shilHngs a week out of his moiety of his earn- 
 ings until the sum she advanced was liquidated.
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 IN WHICH BOTH CHKISTIAN AND GIDEON 
 FALL IN LOVE. 
 
 CHRISTIAN, not having heard to the con- 
 trary, presented himself, as agreed, the 
 following Monday at the distillery, and, having 
 had assigned him in the counting-house a seat 
 and desk, he entered regularly on his duties. 
 These were, of course, for some time of the 
 most elementary description, but he performed 
 them in a perfectly satisfactory manner. The 
 head-clerk took him especially into favour, in- 
 asmuch as Christian, when by practice he had 
 lost that nervous trepidation which somewhat 
 oppressed him at the commencement, was found 
 to be possessed of those inestimable accomplish- 
 ments in a well-conducted house of business — 
 an excellent handwriting and unimpeachable 
 orthography. The result was that, before he 
 had been in his appointment a month, the let- 
 ter-book was placed under his especial manage- 
 ment, for in those days the present copying-
 
 Christian and Gideon fall in Love. 89 
 
 press was hardly in use. Although the duty 
 was somewhat of a mechanical description, 
 Christian took as much pains with it as if it had 
 been of the most interestino- character. Not a 
 blot was there in it, nor a single erasure. In 
 his other duties he showed great alacrity and 
 willingness, and in a very short time won 
 the good opinion of all. He was, moreover, 
 well pleased with his occupation, though 
 perhaps he might have preferred rather 
 more of the outdoor duty. This Mr. Wash- 
 bourne, with good sense, refused to allow him, 
 their customers being almost entirely composed 
 of publicans, and he justly considered that the 
 atmosphere of a publichouse was not desirable 
 for a boy of Christian's age. 
 
 Brandon and his wife were both perfectly 
 content with their son, though his mother, after 
 he had been in his employment a few weeks, 
 somewhat vexed him by frequently asking when 
 his salary was to be raised, as the sum she re- 
 ceived for his board did not cover the expenses 
 he put her to. One day, after Christian had 
 been four months in the distillery, she went so 
 far as to insist on his applying to his employers 
 for an increase of pay. Brandon, on this occa- 
 sion, relieved his son from the onus of replying 
 to his mother. " Woman !" he said to her, in 
 a tone of great indignation, *' is your griping
 
 90 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 meanness so great that you would run tlie chance 
 of making an enemy of tlie best friend your son 
 lias in the world, in order that you may be able 
 to save a shilling or so more a week ? You ought 
 to be ashamed to think of such a thing !" 
 
 " I don't care," said the greedy woman. " I 
 say, as clever a lad as he is " (patting Christian 
 on the head, in a cajoling manner), " is worth a 
 great deal more than he receives, and he would 
 do quite right to ask for it." 
 
 " Now, listen to me," said Brandon, rising 
 with difficulty from his seat. " If I hear that 
 Christian does anything of the kind, I will call 
 at the distillery myself, and tell the partners it 
 was no fault of the lad that he made the demand, 
 but that of his grasping avaricious mother, 
 who obliged him to do it. So, Christian," he 
 continued, addressing his son, " if you don't 
 wish to appear ridiculous in the office, don't 
 follow your mother's advice; for, as I am a man 
 of my word — and both of you know that — I'll 
 keep my promise, if I have to crawl to the dis- 
 tillery on TDj hands and knees. Now, you under- 
 stand me, both of you — so do as you like." 
 
 Christian, although he did not obey his 
 mother, had the satisfaction, after he had been 
 about six months in his appointment, of receiv- 
 ing an increase of two shillings a week. Al- 
 though Mrs. Brandon expressed her opinion
 
 Christian and Gideon fall in Love. 91 
 
 that it was very shabby of the firm not to give 
 a greater increase, the extra shilhng she received 
 had the effect for some time of calming her ill- 
 humour. 
 
 When Christian had first received his appoint- 
 ment he despatched a well-written letter to Mr. 
 Morgan, thanking him for the successful exer- 
 tions he had made on his behalf, and concluded 
 by sayiug that, if it would not be occupying too 
 much of his valuable time, he should like to 
 call and thank him personally. Mr. Morgan, in 
 reply, wrote that it gave him much pleasure to 
 find that he had succeeded in getting the ap- 
 pointment, and that, as his time was too much 
 occupied at the office, he should be happy to 
 see him at his house in Kentish Town, if 
 he would accompany his friend, Mr. Harcourt, 
 some evening when he paid them a visit. 
 
 Christian was delighted at the invitation, and 
 the same day called on Gideon, who proposed 
 that they should go the next evening ; adding, 
 that he was sure Christian would pass a very 
 pleasant one, as Mr. Morgan and his family 
 were most hospitable people, and his eldest 
 daughter a very agreeable and handsome girl. 
 Christian, though anxious to accept the invita- 
 tion, begged to defer their visit for a few days. 
 On his friend inquiring the cause. Christian 
 at first coloured very deeply, and then acknow-
 
 92 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 ledged that lie did not wish to go till the tailoi' 
 had sent home his new suit of clothes, as those 
 lie had on were rather shabby. Gideon readily 
 accepted the excuse, and the following Saturday, 
 the new clothes having been sent home, they 
 resolved to pay their visit that evening. 
 
 To do Christian only justice, he looked re- 
 markably well in his new clothes. When his 
 mother had offered to advance the money for 
 them, he had the good sense to go to a tailor of 
 respectabihty, and one somewhat in vogue at 
 the time. The result was, that he really looked 
 a very attractive young fellow, and, although in 
 years still a boy, he was remarkably well-grown 
 for his age, and might easily have passed for two 
 or three years older. 
 
 When the two friends arrived at Kentish 
 Town (Mr. Morgan having been informed of 
 their intended visit), they found tea prepared 
 for them. Christian was introduced in due 
 form to all the family. Mr. Morgan received 
 him with much honhomie, and his wife, with 
 her son and daughters, in a very friendly 
 manner. Although Christian had resolutely 
 determined to play the "man on the occasion, it 
 must be admitted that the hoy predominated. 
 His knowledge of female society was limited 
 in the extreme, and the consciousness that the 
 eyes of ladies were upon him made him ex-
 
 Cliristian and Gideon fall in Love. 93 
 
 ceedingly nervous, bringing up a deep blush 
 on his countenance, of which he was painfully 
 aware. This caused him so much trepidation 
 as to make him exceedingly awkward with his 
 teacup, sorely to the annoyance of Mrs. Morgan, 
 who was of a fractious nervous temperament, 
 and who, during their meal, was in great fear 
 for her carpet. To say the truth, Christian 
 hardly recovered himself the whole of the 
 evening ; he felt out of his element, for, with 
 the exception of Mrs. Matthews, he had never 
 been in the society of anyone above the rank of 
 a maidservant. Nor did the kindness of Mr. 
 Morgan reassure him, and when he left the 
 house that evening, he did so with the un- 
 pleasant conviction that he had created but a 
 very unfavourable impression. 
 
 On his arrival at home, his mother easily 
 noticed the look of disappointment on his face ; 
 nor could she, in spite of all her endeavours, 
 obtain from him any succinct description of the 
 manner he had passed his evening. At last, 
 feehno" annoyed at his mother's persistent in- 
 quiries, he somewhat abruptly bade her " Good- 
 night," and sought his bed. 
 
 For many months afterwards Christian and 
 Gideon rarely met, the duties of the former 
 terminating at a much later hour than Gideon's. 
 Christian, also, was rather ashamed of his
 
 94 27^6 Landlord of " The SunJ' 
 
 behaviour at Mr. Morgan's, and lie somewhat 
 avoided his friend — without, however, any ill- 
 feehng existing between them. Gideon still 
 continued his visits to Mr. Morgan's house. 
 Unknown to himself, although by no means to 
 the object of his admiration, he had fallen 
 desperately in love with Kate Morgan. Nor 
 was he without good excuse, for a more 
 amiable or loveable girl it would have been 
 difficult to meet with. She was exactly the 
 kind of person calculated to attract the affec- 
 tions of as steady and good a young man as 
 Gideon Harcourt. In person, without being 
 absolutely beautiful, she was eminently pre- 
 possessing. She was somewhat above the 
 middle height, remarkably well-made, though 
 possibly a little inclining to emhonpoint. Her 
 complexion was fair and beautifully clear, her 
 features delicate and well-formed, her eyes 
 large and of a clear blue, her mouth small, 
 and her teeth white and regular. Her fore- 
 head was, perhaps, a trifle too broad for the 
 Medicean Venus ideal of beauty, and her hair 
 luxurious and a beautiful auburn colour. But 
 possibly the principal charm about her, in 
 Gideon's opinion, was the amiable and in- 
 genuous expression of her countenance ; iu 
 seemed to convey the idea that she was not 
 only incapable of untruthfulness herself, but
 
 Christian and Gideon fall in Love. 95 
 
 that she could hardly comprehend its existence 
 in others. 
 
 Naturally prudent, Gideon could not disguise 
 from himself his utter inability to keep a wife, 
 and he readily admitted how unjust it would be 
 on his part to engage the affections of the con- 
 fiding girl. On more than one occasion he 
 formed the resolution of not visiting so fre- 
 quently at the house, and had even attempted to 
 put his resolution into practice. One time he 
 managed to stay away for more than a week, 
 but all in vain ! — he found that his love for 
 Kate, instead of diminishing, positively in- 
 creased. Each day it became stronger than on 
 the day before, and on the morrow greater 
 still. At last he fairly gave up the attempt. 
 He had risen one morning with the full reso- 
 lution that, cost him what it might, he would 
 not succumb ; but that evening found him on 
 his road to Kentish Town. Before he arrived 
 at the house, he had endeavoured to persuade 
 himself that his visit was solely to inquire after 
 Mrs. Morgan's health, as her husband had in- 
 formed him, in the morning, that she had been 
 suffering for some days past from a severe cold. 
 The expression of satisfaction, however, which 
 he beheld in Kate's eyes on seeing him, fairly 
 drove from his mind the excuse he had formed ; 
 and it was not till after the tea-things were
 
 96 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 removed, tliat lie remembered Mrs. Morgan bad 
 been more than usually indisposed. Before 
 the evening was over, not only had his good 
 resolve entirely vanished, but he had (perhaps 
 unconsciously) determined that no difficulties 
 or dangers should separate him from the object 
 of his affections, if she consented to recipro- 
 cate his love. 
 
 Gideon, on his return home that evening, 
 fully resolved that on his next visit to Kentish 
 Town he would, if possible, tell Kate Morgan 
 the state of his heart ; but he said not a word 
 on the subject. He tried to persuade himself 
 that, during the evening, lie had not found a 
 convenient opportunity; but this was hardly 
 the case. Kate and he had been left alone for 
 some time, but he had not sufficient courage 
 to make the declaration, though he mentally 
 argued that it arose solely from fear they 
 might be disturbed by some one entering 
 the room. On his next visit, it is true, he had 
 no opportunity, as they were not alone for a 
 moment ; but on the third he was more fortu- 
 nate. When he arrived, he found that Mr. 
 Morgan had gone that evening to visit a sick 
 relative, and that his son had taken the 
 younger children for a walk. Mrs. Morgan was 
 in her room, and Kate alone in the parlour. 
 
 Whether or no Kate had any suspicion of
 
 Christian and Gideon fall in Love. 97 
 
 his visit, and had taken more pains than usual 
 with her toilet, or whether it was solely the 
 effect of Gideon's imagination, it is impossible 
 to say ; but she had never appeared so lovely 
 in his eyes as she did that evening. As he 
 gazed upon her his timidity vanished, and he 
 candidly, though with great feeling, told her 
 the affection he had for her, and hoped she 
 would return it. Kate, hke a prudent and 
 modest young girl, of course demurred, but so 
 artificially, that Gideon, though a novice, was 
 rather encouraged by it than otherwise. He 
 argued his cause so persuasively, that Kate's 
 objections became fainter, till at last, after 
 giving him a glance of as pure love as it was 
 possible for a mortal to bestow, she placed her 
 hand in his, and said softly : " Yes, but do not 
 tell anybody." 
 
 How far Kate and Gideon kept their secret 
 from the family it would be difficult to say. 
 Perhaps, after all, they merely thought the 
 young couple looked at each other with great 
 good-feeling — nothing more. Mr. Morgan was 
 too much occupied in his professional duties to 
 be very alert on the subject, and probably his 
 knowledge of the very limited resources of 
 Gideon (for his salary at the time was only 
 twenty-five shillings a week, with but slender 
 prospect of advancement), precluding him 
 
 VOL. 1. H
 
 98 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 from the possibility of maintaining a wife, 
 drove the idea of an attachment between the 
 young people out of his head Mrs. Morgan 
 was so much taken up with her own physical 
 infirmities that she did not pay attention to the 
 subject, while the son occasionally positively 
 joked his sister on the folly of not setting her 
 cap at such a good-looking young fellow as 
 Gideon Harcourt. 
 
 Christian still continued in the distiller}^ at- 
 tentive to his duties, and much liked by his 
 employers. When he was about twenty years 
 of age his father died, to Christian's great grief, 
 for he had much, loved him. His behaviour to 
 his mother after his father's death was of the 
 most exemplary description. He continued to 
 reside with her, and assisted her in the business 
 as far as his other avocations would allow him ; 
 keeping her account-book, making her purchases 
 in the cheapest market, advising her in any lit- 
 tle diflSculties, and submitting with great pa- 
 tience to her avarice and ill-temper. 
 
 The next few years passed over Christian's 
 head with little worthy of notice. He conti- 
 nued in the same firm, and at last rose to the 
 position of collecting-clerk. His income in this 
 capacity was quite sufiicient to enable him to 
 maintain a wife, and he began seriously to think 
 of wedlock. Although he was naturally of a
 
 Christian and Gideon fall in Love. 99 
 
 most affectionate disposition when once fairly 
 attached, he was by no means of a susceptible 
 nature, and he had reached his twentv-third 
 year without ever having been once deeply in 
 love. However, the blind god at last claimed 
 him as a devotee. Possibly it may be thought 
 that his blindness in this respect was to a great 
 degree proved by Christian's choice — certainly 
 if the matter were regarded from a mere worldly 
 point of view. Christian was a remarkably 
 handsome and even gentlemanly-looking young* 
 fellow, and the object of his affections was cer- 
 tainly inferior to him in position, occupying, 
 as she did, the humble position of a housemaid 
 in the family of the chief clerk, who resided 
 in a private house attached to the distillery. It 
 must be admitted she was a very pretty girl, 
 and of unblemished character. It was some 
 time after Christian had fallen in love with her, 
 that he made her a bond fide offer of marriage, 
 and it need hardly be said that Martha showed 
 but little hesitation in accepting him. But a far 
 more difficult task than that of obtaining Mar- 
 tha's consent Christian had yet to perform — 
 that of obtaining his mother's. True, it may 
 be said that, at his time of life, there would be 
 but little difficulty in his marrying without it ; 
 but poor Martha had something of a proud in- 
 dependent spirit, and she assured Christian she 
 
 H 2
 
 100 The Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 would never marry him without his mother's 
 consent, as she had too much pride to enter any 
 family where she might be looked down upon. 
 
 To please Martha, Christian promised he 
 would speak to his mother that evening, at the 
 same time premising that he might have some 
 difficulty with her — not from any feeling of pride 
 on her part, but that she might object to lose 
 his society, and the more so as she would have 
 much trouble in minding the business without 
 him. To this Martha urged that she was 
 perfectly aware that Mrs. Brandon had two 
 rooms in her house more than she occu- 
 pied, and that she and Christian might 
 take them, and all live comfortably together. 
 Christian, although he promised he would bring 
 the subject that evening before his mother, was 
 not very sanguine as to the result. He knew 
 too well her suspicious selfish temper, and he 
 much feared she would object to the proposition. 
 So displeasing he considered the subject of his 
 marrying would be, that he had not even told 
 his mother of his acquaintance with Martha. 
 He clearly saw, however, that something must 
 be done, and, half-ashamed of his irresolution, 
 he determined to delay no longer, but to bring 
 the subject at once before her. The same even- 
 ing, after fully maturing his plans, he, shortly 
 before retiring to bed, commenced operations.
 
 Cliristian and Gideon fall in Love. 101 
 
 *' I have been thinldng, mother," he said, 
 " that I shall marry. I have found a young 
 woman who will make me an excellent wife, 
 and I am sure you will like her very much." 
 
 " Can't you wait till I'm dead ? You needn't 
 be in such a hurry to get rid of me ; I daresay I 
 shall not live long," was the unpromising reply. 
 
 " But, dear mother," said Christian, "I have 
 no wish or intention to leave you. I should 
 bring my wife to live here, and we would pay 
 vou for the two rooms overhead, and she could 
 help you in the shop." 
 
 This he said to pacify her, for such an ar- 
 rauD^ement would have been to the old woman's 
 pecuniary advantage. But Christian was again 
 doomed to be disappointed. 
 
 " Help me in the shop, indeed !" she exclaimed. 
 " I didn't know that I needed help. I'm not 
 such a cripple as that, thank God !" 
 
 " I only said so to please you, mother, think- 
 ing you might like some one to help you." 
 
 " Yes, it would be very handy, no doubt," 
 she said, sarcastically ; " and if she didn't help 
 me, she could help herself." 
 
 This attack on Martha's integrity was more 
 than Christian could put up with. A violent 
 quarrel — the first, on his part at least, since 
 his father's death — took place between them 
 and they separated for the night without the
 
 102 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 slightest attempt at reconciliation on either side. 
 Christian slept little that night. A vague 
 feeling hung over him that he had behaved un- 
 kindly to his aged parent, and been wanting in 
 the respect due to her. As morning advanced 
 the feeling increased, till at last he determined, 
 before leaving the house, to do all in his power 
 to pacify her, and, if he succeeded, again to 
 bring on the subject of his contemplated mar- 
 riage. When they were at breakfast, he found 
 his mother in perfect good-humour. She made 
 not one angry or sarcastic remark when she 
 saw him — an omission very unusual with her 
 when anything had occurred to ruffle her 
 temper — but at the same time he could easily 
 perceive there was something brooding in her 
 mind. After wishing her " Good-morning," 
 Christian told her he much regretted if he had 
 said anything to offend her the evening before. 
 She merely replied that she never bore malice 
 against anyone, though this was said in a 
 sharp querulous tone of voice, which strangely 
 belied the words she uttered. He then brought 
 on again, as delicately as he could, the subject 
 of his marriage. He assured his mother that 
 if she only knew the girl he was attached to, 
 she would be sure to like her. " She has," 
 he continued, " been well and economically 
 brought up, and will make as good a wife as
 
 Christian and Gideon fall in Love. 103 
 
 an}'- girl in London. May I bring her to see 
 you?" 
 
 " No, not yet," his mother repKed ; " I don't 
 know who she is. Let me know where she 
 lives, and then I will inquire about her myself. 
 I always like to judge of people from my own 
 findino' out." 
 
 Christian immediately gave her every par- 
 ticular in his power, to one only of which did 
 she seem to make any objection : the girl, she 
 said, was nothing but a common servant, after 
 all. (It may here be remembered that Mrs. 
 Brandon herself had been a servant when her 
 husband first fell in love with her.) Mrs. 
 Brandon did not, however, follow up her re- 
 mark by any other of an unpleasant nature ; on 
 the contrary, she seemed to treat her son with 
 more than usual affection, and he began to 
 entertain favourable ideas of the result, and 
 started off to the business of the day with 
 much lighter spirits than he had anticipated he 
 should do after his conversation with his mother 
 the evening before. 
 
 After arriving at the distillery he took an 
 early opportunity of seeing Martha. He told 
 her he had spoken to his mother on the subject 
 of their marriage, and he was in great hopes 
 that all would pass off pleasantly for both 
 parties. Poor Martha was in a flutter of ex-
 
 104 Tlie Landlord of " The Sun^ 
 
 citement at this intelligence. In the few ad- 
 ventures of interest in the life of a friendless 
 servant-girlj there is none of more anxious im- 
 portance, or that creates greater agitation in 
 her mind, than the prospect of being intro- 
 duced to the mother of her "young man;" 
 and Martha was no exception to the rule. Her 
 mistress that day was fairly puzzled to discover 
 " what had come over the girl." Her work, 
 generally faultless, was done in a most careless 
 manner. Dusters, brushes, pans, and in fact 
 the whole housemaid's battery, seemed to have 
 been left purposely in all sorts of sites the 
 least adapted for their use. Portions of the 
 furniture, hitherto remarkable for their lustre, 
 were now covered with dust; and, in fact, 
 everything in Martha's department — in house- 
 wifely phraseology — seemed going to sixes and 
 sevens. 
 
 At last the patience of her mistress could 
 hold out no longer, and she rang the bell for 
 the purpose of giving her servant a good scold- 
 ing ; but Martha did not answer it. Mrs. 
 Washbourne rang a second time, but still 
 Martha did not make her appearance. Her 
 mistress, now thoroughly angry, commenced 
 a search for her; and her anger was by no 
 means diminished when she found Martha, 
 quietly seated on a bed in the servants' room,
 
 Christian and Gideon fall in Love. 105 
 
 making up a cap as coolly as if tliere was no- 
 thing left for her to do that day, and she had 
 determined to give herself a holiday. 
 
 Martha was rapidly made aware of the 
 opinion of her mistress of such behaviour, who 
 terminated her remarks by insisting on the 
 girl's going to work and doing her duty more 
 efficiently, or she would certainly receive a 
 month's warning, Martha placed her cap in a 
 sort of nondescript bonnet-box, and then again 
 went to her work. Still things did not go on 
 flourishingly by any means, and poor Martha 
 began to find herself greatly in need of consola- 
 tion. By one of those inexplicable combina- 
 tions of probabilities which occur only to lovers, 
 she had hardly become aware of the fact, when 
 Christian met her accidentally in a sort of back 
 court from the dwelling-house to the distillery. 
 Here her lover's conversation had a far more 
 soothing effect upon her than all the good 
 advice contained in her mistress's lecture. The 
 pair continued talking together in the most 
 confidential manner for some minutes. Chris- 
 tian's part of it, after Martha had been consoled 
 consisting principally in answering her ques- 
 tions as to what sort of a woman her future 
 mother-in-law was, and whether she was sure 
 to receive her kindly. At first Christian was 
 sorely puzzled what answer to make her ; but
 
 106 The Landlord of " TJie Sun." 
 
 after a little consideration, deeming it impossi- 
 ble for his mother to see the pretty, neat, and 
 srood sfirl, who at that moment stood beside 
 him (and close beside him, too), without being 
 as much pleased with her as he was himself, he 
 gave his description of the probable reception 
 she would receive from the old woman. He 
 certainly qualified his statement by saying he 
 would speak more on the subject to Mrs. Bran- 
 don that evening, and that if Martha would 
 ask for her holiday the next day, he would in- 
 troduce her to his mother. Their conversation 
 was shortly afterwards put a stop to by Martha 
 hearing her mistress's bell, and after a most 
 cordial adieu the lovers parted. 
 
 The duties of the day over, Christian started 
 for home. On his road he turned over in his 
 mind in what way it would be most politic for 
 him to address his mother, so as to prepare her 
 for the introduction the next day. By the time 
 he had mentally arranged all things in a satis- 
 factory manner, he arrived at home, when to 
 his great surprise he found his mother absent. 
 She had left the shop in charge of a httle 
 girl, a neighbour's child, who occasionally as- 
 sisted her. Christian attempted to get from 
 the child some intelligence about his mother ; 
 but beyond the fact that she had left the house 
 about half-an-hour before, saying she expected
 
 Christian and Gideon fall in Love. 107 
 
 to be soon back, lie could obtain no further in- 
 formation. Christian was naturally much an- 
 noyed at the circumstance, but regret seemed 
 useless, and he was obliged to wait patiently till 
 his mother's return. He attempted to eat, but 
 all sense of appetite was lost in his anxiety. 
 Without being able to explain the sensation, he 
 felt that some misfortune was hanging over him, 
 but of what kind it was impossible to say. 
 
 It was late at night when Mrs. Brandon re- 
 turned. As she entered the house she cast an 
 anxious glance on her sou, but said nothing, 
 beyond asking him, in her usual cajoling tone, 
 whether he had had his supper comfortably. 
 One thing especially struck him as singular. 
 His mother kept the neighbour's child with her 
 till it was quite bed-time, and immediately after 
 the girl had left, retired to her bedroom with- 
 out saying one word to him. The next morning 
 she rose at so late an hour that any conversation 
 between them was impossible ; so Christian was 
 obliged to leave without any idea as to the man- 
 ner Martha's introduction was to be arranged, 
 and, with something like fear and trembling, he 
 determined to leave the whole affair to chance. 
 
 Immediately after Christian's arrival at the 
 distillery the senior partner sent for him into 
 his private room, and there informed him that, 
 for the first time since he had been in their
 
 108 Tlie Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 emplo^^ment, be had reason to be discontented 
 with his conduct. He had been informed, on 
 indisputable authority, that a clandestine cor- 
 respondence of a disreputable character had been 
 carried on between him and Mrs. Washbourne's 
 servant. The girl had already had notice to 
 leave the house, and he insisted that, in case 
 Christian expected to remain in their employ- 
 ment, he would pledge his word not to attempt 
 to renew the acquaintance with her. 
 
 For some moments surprise and indignation 
 deprived Christian of the power to reply. He 
 soon recovered himself, however, and then, 
 with much determination in his tone, requested 
 the name of the individual who had given rise 
 to so foul a slander. 
 
 " I do not consider myself at liberty to tell 
 you without permission to do so," was the reply. 
 
 " Then, sir," said Christian, firmly but res- 
 pectfully, " I must leave your employment, much 
 as it will pain me, for I maintain that a grosser 
 falsehood was never uttered than that any im- 
 propriety ever occurred between me and Mrs. 
 Washbourne's servant." 
 
 Christian's independence of tone and manner 
 somewhat surprised and even alarmed Mr. 
 Thurstan, the gentleman with whom he was 
 conversing. Both himself and the other part- 
 ners in the business had great respect for
 
 Christian and Gideon fall in Love. 109 
 
 Christian's integrity and ability, and it would 
 cause them much annoyance should he quitthem. 
 After a moment's consideration he said : 
 
 " I refused to give you the name of my in- 
 formant, Brandon, solely out of consideration for 
 you. If you insist on knowing it I am ready to 
 tell you ; but if the accusation is false, take my 
 advice and do not ask it." 
 
 " Pardon me, sir," said Christian firmly ; 
 " but I must either know the name of your in- 
 formant, or quit your service." 
 
 " Well then," said Mr. Thurstan, " if you 
 will know, it was your own mother." 
 
 Christian was thunderstruck at the informa- 
 tion. At first he was upon the point of expressing 
 his disbelief, but on a moment's consideration 
 the singular behaviour of his mother the pre- 
 vious evening told him the strong probability 
 of the truth. He endeavoured to speak, but his 
 voice faltered, his eyes filled with tears, and, 
 without saying a word, he hurriedly turned 
 away and left the counting-house. In the after- 
 noon, thanks to the kind ofiices of the cook, 
 Christian had an opportunity of seeing Martha. 
 She met her lover somewhat angrily at first, 
 and it was with difficulty he could get her to talk 
 reasonably on the subject. 
 
 "No, Christian," she said — "we'd better 
 part. I know I should never be happy with that
 
 110 The Landlord of " Tke Sun." 
 
 motlier of yours ; and I'll never marry any one 
 to bring ill-blood into the family. She's a hor- 
 rid story-telling old woman ! She's attempted 
 to take away my character, and no thanks to 
 her she hasn't succeeded." 
 
 " But, Martha," said Christian, " hear reason. 
 I'm sure I shall be able to make it up between 
 you and my mother." 
 
 "Make it up between us!" said Martha. 
 " Make it up between us, indeed ! What have I 
 done to offend her, and how has she treated 
 me ? Thank God !" she continued, " I had 
 five years' good character in my last place, and 
 my last mistress, I'm sure, will give me another 
 when she knows how I've been treated. Oh, 
 Christian ! your mother is a wicked woman, and 
 has behaved to me shamefully ! No fault of her's 
 that Vve not been turned into the street like a 
 bad girl." 
 
 Martha, like most of her class, was in the 
 habit of putting but little restraint upon her 
 tongue when her anger was fairly aroused, and 
 strong and forcible indeed were the expressions 
 she made use of against Mrs. Brandon. Christian 
 attempted to pacify her, but with little success ; 
 and the conversation at last ended by the girl, 
 who had commenced it sorrowfully, and almost 
 with tears in her eyes, getting into a towering 
 passion.
 
 Christian and Gideon fall in Love. Ill 
 
 It would be difficult to describe the feelings 
 of Christian when he returned, home that 
 eveniuo-. Ansfry as he was at the treatment 
 Martha had received at her hands, his mother's 
 behaviour, when they met, almost pleaded for 
 her. There was a guilty downcast look on her 
 face that told him some sense of shame was still 
 left in the selfish old woman. Her sycophantic 
 manner when addressing him almost shocked 
 him. The habitual veneration in which he had 
 been accustomed to hold his parents, made her 
 abject fawning manner intensely painful to him, 
 and he determined to abstain from speaking of 
 her infamous behaviour till the next morning. 
 When the next morning came, however, she 
 did not leave her room till it was time for 
 Christian to go to the distillery, and therefore 
 he had no opportunity of mentioning the subject. 
 On arriving at the counting-house, he attempted 
 to see Martha; but was terribly disappointed 
 when her fellow-servant told him she had left 
 the house the evening before, and refused to 
 give any address — saying, however, that in the 
 course of the day Christian should receive a 
 letter from her, explaining her reasons for the 
 step she had taken. 
 
 On few occasions has the postman's knock 
 been more anxiously expected than it was by 
 Christian that day. Evening approached, but
 
 112 The Landlord of " The Sim. 
 
 >5 
 
 still no letter arrived. It was now time for him 
 to return home, but he remembered there was 
 still another post-delivery. He waited in the 
 street till it was due, when, to his great relief, 
 the postman put a letter into his hand ; — it was 
 from Martha. Taking it to the nearest gas-lamp, 
 he read its contents. Martha's letter was short, 
 and not unkindly worded, but strictly to the 
 point. In it she told her lover, that as it 
 was impossible any friendship could ever exist 
 between her and his mother after the latter's 
 cruel behaviour, she declined marrying him, 
 although she had no objection to admit she was 
 still strongly attached to him. She knew that 
 Christian was very fond of his mother, and she 
 did not blame him for it ; but if she married 
 him there would be family quarrels, and it was 
 better they should part than that such should 
 occur. She would not give her address ; but as 
 she was sure he would still feel interested in her, 
 she begged to tell him that she had already seen 
 her old mistress, who had received her kindly, 
 and promised to give her another character, so 
 that she would have no difficulty in getting a 
 new place. She concluded her letter by saying, 
 that although she would not let him know her 
 address, she should always look upon him as a 
 friend, and trusted, in return, he would bear 
 her no ill-feeling.
 
 ChristiaM and Gideon fall in Love. 113 
 
 Poor Braudon was thunderstruck at the con- 
 tents of Martha's letter. With a slow pace and 
 heavy heart he continued his path homewards. 
 He arrived at so late an hour, that his 
 mother, who really loved him, had become se- 
 riously anxious on his accounto He entered into 
 no conversation with her, but sat silently down 
 to his supper. It was in vain that he tried to 
 eat — all appetite had gone. Presently he threw 
 dawn his knife and fork, and, covering his face 
 with his hands, gave way to a violent flood of 
 tears. This continued so long, that at last his 
 mother was obliged to interfere, and she be^s-ed 
 him to moderate his grief. Hearing her voice, 
 he took his hand from his face, and, looking 
 at her through his tears, exclaimed : 
 
 "Mother — mother ! you have almost broken 
 my heart !" 
 
 " She only wanted my money," was his 
 mother's reply. 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 CHEISTIAN Brandon's second love-affair. 
 
 CHRISTIAN Brandon still continued to hold 
 his appointment in the distillery ; it was 
 many months, however, before he quite recovered 
 from the sorrow the loss of Martha had occa- 
 sioned him. Still, his duties were well per- 
 formed, and he continued— and deservedly — to 
 be held in high estimation by his employers. 
 He still resided with his mother, who, since 
 her unjustifiable and wicked behaviour, had 
 greatly changed her manner towards him. She 
 was now attentive to his every wish, and did all 
 in her power to please him — at the same time, 
 however, receiving regularly the liberal com- 
 pensation he made her for the board and 
 lodging she afforded him. Things continued 
 in this manner till the ensuing winter, when 
 Mrs. Brandon was attacked with a violent in- 
 flammation of the lungs, which terminated in her 
 death. Christian behaved to her, in her last 
 moments, with all the respect and attention due
 
 Christianas Second Love Affair. 115 
 
 from a child to a parent, though it could hardly 
 be said he grieved for his mother as bitterly as 
 he had done for his father. 
 
 Christian received leave of absence for some 
 days from his employers. After the funeral 
 he searched for a will, and at last discovered 
 one concealed in an old cupboard. To his great 
 surprise, he found the will had been prepared 
 by Mr. Desbrow, and he at first felt some 
 little annoyance that his friend Gideon had never 
 mentioned the circumstance to him. This, how- 
 ever, vanished after a little consideration, as 
 doubtless his mother had given Mr. Desbrow 
 the commission to draw up the will under a 
 pledge of secrecy, and it would have been a 
 breach of professional etiquette, as well as hon- 
 our, for Gideon to have disclosed it. By her 
 will (which was dated some weeks after her cruel 
 behaviour to Martha) she left everything she 
 possessed absolutely to her son. He not only 
 found that, by dint of incessant parsimony, 
 she had contrived to invest four hundred pounds 
 in the Funds, but on searching through the 
 house, he discovered, in different drawers and 
 hiding-places, some sixty to eighty pounds more. 
 After the sale of the furniture and stock, Chris- 
 tian found, when the expenses and liabilities 
 were paid, including Mr. Desbrow's bill of costs 
 (who acted for him in the matter), that he had 
 
 1 2
 
 116 The Landlord of " The Sun. 
 
 j> 
 
 inherited fully five hundred pounds by his 
 mother's death. 
 
 Christian now took a respectable apartment, 
 and his first step was to discover Martha — the 
 only impediment to their union being removed- 
 This, however, gave him no little trouble, so 
 well had the determined girl contrived to con- 
 ceal her address. At length, by dint of persever- 
 ance, he succeeded — but only to be again dis- 
 appointed. He found that, three weeks before 
 he had ascertained her whereabouts, she had 
 become the wife of a sergeant in the police, 
 quartered in a distant part of the metropolis. 
 This news was a cruel blow to Christian, and it 
 was rendered still more severe, as it wounded 
 both his love and vanity. In the first place, he 
 was sincerely attached to the girl ; and in the 
 next he had believed it to be impossible for her 
 to love another while he was still single. 
 
 It need hardly be said that, if Christian 
 Brandon had wished, he would have had but little 
 difficulty in finding a damsel willing to supply 
 Martha's place in his aff'ections. In personal 
 appearance he was almost gentlemanly, and re- 
 markably good-looking. His features were de- 
 cidedly handsome, and the general expression 
 of his face combined gentleness and good-nature, 
 mingled with great intelligence, and these quali- 
 fications were further enhanced by a singularly
 
 Christianas Second Love Affair. 117 
 
 sweet-toned voice and pleasing address. If it 
 should appear that these qualifications were of 
 a somewhat effeminate description, the fault 
 was more than compensated by the manly sym- 
 metry of his form. He was fully six feet high, 
 his chest of great breadth, and his limbs exqui- 
 sitely knit together. Altogether his frame ex- 
 hibited great strength and agility, without the 
 slightest suspicion of heaviness. Judging from 
 his general appearance, he might have stood to 
 an artist as the model for a gladiator, had not 
 the gentle good-humoured expression of his 
 countenance somewhat destroyed the effect. 
 
 After he had recovered a little from his dis- 
 appointment, occasioned by Martha's marriage, 
 he determined to trace out for himself a course 
 of life, and then follow it inflexibly. He was by 
 no means ambitious — the position he wished to 
 attain being simply that of a respectable trades- 
 man, and he resolved, if possible, to become 
 one. Before deciding what branch of commerce 
 he would take up, he determined to look coolly 
 around him, till he had found some business in 
 which he would be likely to succeed with his 
 moderate capital. He well knew that the sum 
 left him by his mother, in addition to four hun- 
 dred pounds of his own savings, would not go 
 far in any trade where there was much danger 
 of competition. After giving the subject great
 
 118 The Landlord of " The Sim:' 
 
 consideration, he came to the conclusion that 
 he was more hkelj to succeed as the proprietor 
 of a well-conducted publichouse than in any 
 other way of business. Again, from the position 
 he held in the distillery, he had a good oppor- 
 tunity of knowing the character and profits of a 
 business of the kind before he purchased the 
 goodwill, and he would therefore be httle likely 
 to be deceived in the matter. He was, more- 
 over, eminently well calculated for such an oc- 
 cupation — being honest, courteous, and good- 
 natured, and exactly the class of man hkely to 
 bring respectable customers to the house, and 
 to secure their patronage after he had done so. 
 Before consulting his employers on the sub- 
 ject, he could not disguise from himself, that 
 to succeed in such a business it would be neces- 
 sary for him to secure a fitting helpmeet — one 
 whom he could love, and who would faithfully 
 stand by him in the battle of life. But Chris- 
 tian had great difficulty in finding a wife to his 
 choice. Not that many, and highly respecta- 
 ble, girls would have objected to fill such a 
 position, had he proposed to them, but, as 
 before stated, he was somewhat difficult to 
 please. Perhaps, also, the image of Martha 
 still dwelt too forcibly on his mind to allow 
 him to conceive any strong aff'ection for another, 
 and Christian Brandon was not of a disposition
 
 Christianas Second Love Affair. 119 
 
 to marry anyone he did not sincerely love. 
 Then, again, it became a difficult question 
 with him to determine in what class of life he 
 could find a girl adapted to become his wife. 
 He had but few acquaintances, and although, 
 with his appearance and manners, he might 
 without difficulty have introduced himself into 
 the lower middle-class of society, the young 
 ladies he would meet with there would hardly 
 like to become the wife of a pubhcan, and cer- 
 tainly not of one who would require her assist- 
 ance, either directly or indirectly, in the busi- 
 ness. He knew perfectly well that any respect- 
 able maidservant would have no objection to un- 
 dertake such a duty, but Christian, with his 
 accession of fortune, had become rather more 
 elevated in his way of thinking, and he soon 
 dismissed the idea from his mind. The fact is, 
 he was certainly difficult to please. Most 
 young men form an ideal image in their own 
 minds of the woman they would like to marry, 
 but marvellously few ever find the model. With 
 Christian, however, it was different, for he 
 ultimately succeeded in finding the original of 
 the ideal portrait he had painted. 
 
 When Christian lost his mother, and found, 
 as before stated, that Mr. Desbrow had drawn 
 up her will, he employed that gentleman to 
 settle her affairs. Since her death he had re-
 
 120 The Landlord of " The Simr 
 
 ceived an accession of trust in the employment 
 he held ; and as the collection of doubtful debts 
 was part of his new duties, he had frequent oc- 
 casion to call at Mr. Desbrow's office (who was 
 the solicitor of the firm), and he thus became, 
 if not on friendly terms with that gentleman, 
 at least on the footing of an acquaintance. One 
 morning Christian, on going his rounds, had 
 to call at a house where the landlord was con- 
 siderably in debt to the firm he represented. 
 To his great surprise he found the house closed, 
 and a van at the door, in which the goods were 
 being removed. He inquired for the landlord, 
 but was told he had left the house some days 
 before ; and being unable to gain any other in- 
 formation, he hurried back to the distillery for 
 further instructions. 
 
 On informing Mr. Thurstan of the circum- 
 stance, he requested him to call immediately on 
 Mr. Desbrow and place the affair in his hands. 
 When Christian reached Mr. Desbrow's office, 
 he found he had not been there that morning, 
 though why neither Mr. Morgan nor Gideon 
 could tell. On hearing the business Christian 
 was enoT'ao^ed in, the former advised him im- 
 mediately to start off to Mr. Desbrow's private 
 house. at Clapham, and if possible to see him, 
 as Mr. Morgan hardly knew what steps to take 
 in the matter, the landlord of the house in
 
 Christianas Second Love Affair. 121 
 
 question being himself a client of Mr. Desbrow. 
 
 Without a moment's hesitation Christian 
 started off to Clapham, and with but little 
 difficulty succeeded in finding Mr. Desbrow' s 
 house. The door was opened by a maidservant, 
 and Christian also saw standing in the passage 
 a young lady who particularly attracted his at- 
 tention. She was exceedingly pretty, though 
 somewhat pale — her complexion brunette, her 
 mouth well-formed, and, like Christian, she 
 had a beautiful set of teeth. Her figure was 
 good, and she was tall and slim, without being 
 too thin. Altogether she presented a most 
 pleasing appearance, and Christian was so struck 
 with it, that at the moment he was puzzled 
 whom to address — the young lady herself, or 
 the servant. With true feminine facility of 
 perception, the young lady saw the impression 
 she had made, and seemed by no means dis- 
 pleased with it. To Christian's inquiry whether 
 Mr. Desbrow was at home, she replied that he 
 was not, as he had been obliged to go to 
 Croydon that morning, but that she expected 
 him back in the afternoon. 
 
 The few words she had uttered increased the 
 pleasing impression she had already made on 
 Christian. Little as she said, he easily detected 
 that she possessed that soft sweet voice, which 
 Lear tells us, and truly too, is so excellent a
 
 122 The Landlord of " The Simr 
 
 thing in woman. Christian was so well pleased 
 with it, that he strongly wished to hear more 
 of itj or he seemed duller than usual in catch- 
 ing her meaning. Good-breeding at last told 
 him to go, and he did so, promising to call 
 again at four o'clock that afternoon. 
 
 Christian was more than punctual to his 
 appointment, for it wanted fully a quarter of an 
 hour to the time when he returned to the 
 house. If the young lady had much pleased 
 him in the morniucr, it was little to the effect 
 she produced in the afternoon. Though very 
 simply attired, she looked in every respect 
 a lady, and Christian thought he had never 
 seen a woman whose appearance he admired so 
 much. He remained for some minutes in con- 
 versation with her in the parlour, and had 
 already made some steps towards acquaintance- 
 ship, when Mr. Desbrow returned. He seemed 
 considerably surprised at seeing Christian, but 
 received him in a very friendly manner, and 
 listened with great attention to the business he 
 had come upon. After making a few notes, 
 Mr. Desbrow allowed Christian to depart, say- 
 ing the affair should be put in hand the next 
 morning. 
 
 Little sleep came to Christian that night, so 
 pertinaciously did the image of the handsome 
 girl he had seen in the daytime haunt him.
 
 Christian's Second Love Affair. 123 
 
 The next morning the favourable impression 
 she had made by no means diminished ; in fact, 
 Christian, possibly without being aware of it, 
 was really desperately in love. A strong and 
 very natural wish came over him to see her 
 again, but how to form an excuse for calling 
 at the house puzzled him extremely. Mr. Des- 
 brow was one of those cool reserved men who, 
 though affable enough in conversation, evidently 
 wished to draw a marked line between his 
 business connections and his private friends. 
 He remembered having been told by Gideon, 
 that during the many years Mr. Morgan had 
 been in the office, Mr. Desbrow had never once 
 invited him to visit at his house. The day 
 passed over, and the next followed ; but so far 
 was the impression the girl had made on 
 Christian's imagination from fading away, that 
 it seemed to become stronger and stronger. 
 At length he determined that, cost what it 
 might, he would see her again, if he could but 
 frame some decent excuse for calling at the 
 house. Good fortune kindly presented one to 
 him that day. Intelligence in the distillery 
 had been received that morning of the where- 
 abouts of the defaulting publican, and Christian 
 was sent to Mr. Desbrow' s office to put him in 
 possession of the fact. 
 
 On reaching Ely Place, he found that Mr.
 
 124 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 Desbrow bad not arrived, and, without saying 
 a word as to the object of his visit, Christian 
 quitted the office and immediately started off 
 for Clapham, very possibly passing Mr. Des- 
 brow on the road. He found the young lady 
 at home, who naturally seemed greatly sur- 
 prised to see him. There was no displeasure, 
 however, in her surprise. Christian conversed 
 with her for some time, and a well-developed 
 acquaintanceship sprang up between them, to 
 which the damsel seemed nothing loth. The 
 next day and the following one Christian again 
 called at Clapham, somewhat to the neglect of 
 his own duties, and on each occasion the in- 
 timacy between him and the young lady became 
 greater. In conversation with her, she told 
 him that her father had kept an inn in the 
 village in which Mr. Desbrow had served his 
 clerkship, and that the families had always 
 been intimate ; that although she was quite a 
 child when Mr. Desbrow left the town, the 
 intimacy continued till her father's death. He 
 had been a widower for more than two years, 
 during which time, young as she was, she had 
 taken part in the management of the business. 
 On her father's death he had proved to be 
 hopelessly insolvent, and the creditors seized 
 all he had possessed. She would have been 
 destitute indeed, she said, but for the kind-
 
 Christicm's Second Love Affair. 125 
 
 ness of Mr. Desbrow, wlio placed her in a 
 school till she was old enough to accept an 
 appointment as nursery-governess in a respect- 
 able family. 
 
 Christian was now desperately in love. His 
 prudence taught him, as well, that he had 
 found the person just suited to make him a 
 good wife. With his peculiar temperament he 
 could hardly have done better, for, although 
 she was poor, and he might perhaps have 
 married some one for money, he wished to 
 make love his primary object, and felt he could 
 never love anyone so well as the handsome 
 girl with whom he had so lately become ac- 
 quainted. 
 
 After Christian had called several times in 
 the afternoon at Mr. Desbrow's private resi- 
 dence, and on each occasion had an interview 
 with the young lady, he at last summoned up 
 sufficient courage to propose to her in due form, 
 and after some little demur on her part she 
 accepted, him. Christian asked her whether he 
 should inform Mr. Desbrow of their proposed 
 union, or whether she would do so — to which 
 she replied that it would be better to leave the 
 affair in her hands, as she had not hitherto 
 mentioned Christian's repeated calls ; and 
 although Mr. Desbrow was, as a general rule, 
 of an amiable temper, he could on occasion
 
 126 The Landlord of " The Sun" 
 
 express himself in strong terras, if lie thought 
 any slight had been offered him. She would 
 be able to bring it about by degrees, she said, 
 and thus ward off any angry feeling on his 
 part ; whereas coming from Christian, it would 
 be more abrupt, and therefore more likely to 
 excite his displeasure. At the same time, she 
 advised him to abstain from visitino- at the 
 house till he heard from her again. 
 
 A few days afterwards Christian received a 
 letter from her, saying she had spoken to Mr. 
 Desbrow on the subject. '' At first," she 
 wrote, " he showed considerable displeasure, 
 telling me that, from our relative positions, I 
 ought not to have accepted an offer of marriage 
 without consulting him. He considered him- 
 self, he said, in the light of my guardian ; and 
 it was exceedingly ungrateful of me, and un- 
 complimentary as well, to entertain an offer of 
 the kind without his approbation. How did I 
 know, he asked, that the person to whom I 
 had engaged myself was a man of respectability 
 — that nothing was more necessary for the 
 future happiness of a young girl than that the 
 man she was likely to marry should be of good 
 reputation, as well as possessed of the means 
 to support her ? I endeavoured to persuade 
 him I was perfectly convinced on both points, 
 but he said 1 had not sufficient experience of
 
 Christianas Second Love Affair. 1 27 
 
 tlie world, and that he ought to have been 
 consulted. 
 
 "He did not deny that you possessed the 
 confidence of your employers, or that you were 
 a respectable man ; but between the public and 
 outdoorlife of a man and his private character, 
 he said, there was frequently great discrepancy. 
 Doubtless, he added, you were honest, but 
 that did not prove you to be either pious or 
 moral, and these qualifications ought to have 
 been inquired into before I had accepted you. 
 I told him that, much as I regretted having 
 off'ended him, my mind was made up on the 
 subject, and nothing would induce me to alter 
 it. He then said that, although he had no 
 legal power to prevent me, he had a right to 
 state who should visit at his house, and re- 
 quested me to tell you not to come here again. 
 What am I to do. Christian ? I have no wish 
 to break ofi" with you — on the contrary, you 
 know I love you dearly. At the same time, he 
 is certainly master in his own house. Write 
 to me soon, dear, and tell me what to do, for 
 I am thoroughly miserable." 
 
 Christian, in reply, admitted that Mr. Des- 
 brow was quite justified in refusing to admit 
 him as a visitor at his house. He thought it 
 would be better if he called at the office, and, 
 candidly telling Mr. Desbrow the truth, invite
 
 128 The Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 him to make any inquiries he pleased respect- 
 ing his private life. " I quite agree with you," 
 he concluded, " that it is as well we should be 
 on friendly terms with him if possible. We 
 are, however, perfectly independent of him, 
 should he attempt to show any unnecessary 
 opposition. I will take an opportunity, if pos- 
 sible, of calhng on him to-morrow, and imme- 
 diately after our interview I will write and 
 inform you of the result." 
 
 The next day Christian put his determina- 
 tion into execution, and, calling at Mr. Des- 
 brow's office, was fortunate enough to find him 
 within. He received Christian coolly, but civilly, 
 and begged him to take a seat in the client's 
 chair. 
 
 " You have heard," said Christian, deter- 
 mining to break ground at once, " that I have 
 made an offer of marriage to Miss Sarah Gor- 
 don, and that she has accepted me. Now, 
 although, Mr. Desbrow, we are both of suffi- 
 cient age to act independently of anyone, we 
 should regret doing anything you might con- 
 sider disrespectful to you on our part. Sarah 
 tells me that you have known her since she 
 was a child, and were well acquainted with her 
 family and connections ; and that, after her 
 father's death, you kindly, for some time, 
 offered her an asylum in your own house, when
 
 Christian s Second Love Affair. 129 
 
 otherwise she would have been destitute. She 
 tells me also, that you consider she has acted 
 rashly iu accepting an offer without first know- 
 ing my means of supporting her, and my 
 private character for morality and piety. My 
 means, I admit, are very small. You know I 
 inherited from my mother five hundred pounds, 
 and I have managed to save nearly four hun- 
 dred pounds more. On the other points, I 
 invite you to make any inquiries, you please, 
 being fully satisfied that the answers you may 
 receive will not be unfavourable." 
 
 Mr. Desbrow remained silent for a few mo- 
 ments, and then said, calmly and deliberately : 
 " Mr. Brandon, I unhesitatingly admit I was 
 much displeased at hearing you had been a 
 visitor, at my house without ray permission, 
 and I was also vexed that Sarah should have 
 accepted an offer of marriage without consult- 
 ing me — who stand in place of her guardian — 
 on the subject. But I also candidly admit that 
 my anger is greatly, if not altogether, abated. 
 I can now form an excuse for a young fellow 
 iu love breaking through the bounds of eti- 
 quette, and visiting at a house without permis- 
 sion from its owner. I have also, since my 
 conversation with Sarah, made inquiries re- 
 specting your private character, and it is but jus- 
 tice to say that I am perfectly satisfied with the 
 
 VOL. I. ' K
 
 130 The Landlord of « The Sun." 
 
 result. I should of course like to know, though 
 I don't say I have the slightest right to inquire, 
 what your future prospects are. Do you intend 
 to keep your appointment at the distillery ?" 
 
 "No, I do not," said Christian. "My idea 
 is to look out for some respectable house — half 
 tavern, half publichouse — and purchase the 
 lease, as I am fully convinced of my capability 
 to conduct a business of the kind." 
 
 Again Mr. Desbrow was silent for a few 
 minutes, evidently deeply absorbed in thought, 
 but at last said : — " It is true I should have 
 liked to see Sarah in some other position than 
 mistress of a publichouse, however respectably 
 it may be conducted, but I must admit she is 
 not without some experience. For more than 
 two years, after her mother's death, she assisted 
 in the domestic arrangements of the inn at 
 
 X , although a mere child at the time. All 
 
 things considered, I should not, even if I had 
 the power, attempt to offer any impediment to 
 your union. On the contrary, if I can assist 
 your views in any manner, I will do it. One 
 thing, however, I must candidly admit — and 
 that is, I do not like your calling at my private 
 residence. If you and Sarah can make any 
 arrangement between yourselves where you can 
 meet, I have not the shghtest objection. 1 
 understand that an elder sister of hers, whose
 
 Ckristian^s Second Love Affair. 131 
 
 husband is in business somewhere down in the 
 West of England, is Hkely to come up to 
 London in the course of a week or so. If she 
 does, I should advise that the better plan 
 would be for her to take lodo-ino^s somewhere 
 near you, and Sarah could reside with her 
 during the time she remains in town. This 
 arrangement seems the best that could be 
 adopted, all things taken into consideration, 
 as Sarah would then be under the care of a 
 protectress, and your courtship could be car- 
 ried on with the propriety which should be 
 observed on such occasions." 
 
 After his interview with Mr. Desbrow, Chris- 
 tian's first occupation was to write to Sarah 
 and inform her of all that had taken place, and 
 he offered to procure apartments in London 
 ready for her sister when she should arrive. 
 In reply, Sarah informed him that slie was 
 much pleased at the news contained in his 
 letter, and also that she had just heard from 
 her sister, stating that she would arrive in 
 London the following morning, and requesting 
 her to provide apartments —but that duty she 
 would now leave to Christian. This he wil- 
 lingly undertook, but, as chance would have 
 it, the only apartments he could find at all 
 likely to suit were within a few yards of his 
 own lodgings. The next day the sister arrived, 
 
 K 2
 
 132 The Landlord of " The San:' 
 
 as expected, and Sarali, quitting Mr. Des- 
 brow's house, took up her abode with her. 
 
 Hardly a day now passed without the young 
 couple meeting, and their courtship passed off 
 smoothly enough. A singular change, how- 
 ever — without in any manner w^hatever dimin- 
 ishing her love for Christian — seemed to come 
 over the behaviour of his affianced bride. At 
 first her manners had been frank, open, and to 
 a certain degree hvely ; but they were rather 
 those of a sfirl flattered with the attention of a 
 handsome young fellow, than showing any in- 
 tensity of affection. For some time after she 
 had taken up her abode at her sister's, she 
 preserved the frank open manner she had 
 done on the first days of their acquaintance ; 
 but by degrees she appeared to become exceed- 
 ingly low-spirited, and that without any 
 assignable cause. There was certainly no 
 repugnance on her part to the match — on the 
 contrary, her love seemed to increase each 
 time she saw her lover. Yet with all that, there 
 was occasionally an unmistakable melancholy 
 about her, which mystified both her sister and 
 Christian. 
 
 One evening, when her sister had quitted 
 the house to make some purchases in the 
 neighbourhood, she left the lovers sitting to- 
 gether on the sofa. Their conversation, when
 
 Christian's Second Love Affair. 133 
 
 her sister liad first gone, turned on their future 
 prospects in life, and the exertions Christian 
 had made to find the lease and goodwill of 
 some tavern sufl&cieutly eligible for them to 
 take. Afterwards their tone became more 
 lover-like and less matter-of-fact, especially on 
 Christian's part. During a pause in their 
 conversation, Sarah heaved a deep sigh, and 
 by way of consohng her, Christian passed his 
 arm round her waist and drew her closer to 
 his side. She leant her head on his shoulder, 
 and they remained quietly till the shades of 
 evening had fairly closed in. At last Christian 
 attempted to raise Sarah's head nearer to his 
 own, when, to his great surprise, he found his 
 coat wet with her tears^ for she had been for 
 some time silently weeping. Now thoroughly 
 alarmed, he inquired the cause of her distress ; 
 but Sarah, instead of answering, only flung her 
 arms round his neck, and wept with even 
 greater effusion than before. Again and again 
 did Christian attempt to get some explanation, 
 but all in vain; and she continued to sob on, 
 pressing her arms more tightly around him 
 the while. Presently her sister returned, and 
 immediately asked what ailed her; but Sarah 
 merely said it was nothing more than lowness 
 of spirits — she had felt low-spirited all the day, 
 and could not account for it. Nothing had
 
 134 The Landlord of " The Sun. 
 
 5> 
 
 been clone to displease her — on tlie contrary, 
 everyone was kind to her, and Christian was 
 " the best man that ever lived." 
 
 Lights were now brought in, and her sister 
 looked at Sarah earnestly for some time, as if 
 doubtful that she had told the truth. She 
 however, with perfect equanimity, sustained 
 her scrutinising gaze, and the evening passed 
 over more satisfactorily. Sarah, contrary to 
 her usual custom, appeared in high spirits, 
 although her sister had little difficulty in per- 
 ceiving that these were forced. After Christian's 
 departure, she again, endeavoured to obtain 
 from Sarah some explanation respecting her 
 tears. 
 
 "Now, my dear!" she said, "do tell me 
 what has happened to make you unhappy ? 
 Has Christian done anything to offend you ?" 
 
 " Nothing whatever," was her reply ; " why 
 do you ask?" 
 
 " Because you seem so thoroughly unhappy, 
 and I could easily detect your gaiety during 
 supper-time was all artificial and forced. Tell 
 me, dear Sally ! — for I am nearly old enough to 
 be your mother — has anything occurred to make 
 you object to this match ? If so, take my 
 advice, and break it off at once. A thousand 
 times better remain an old-maid, and get your 
 bread by needle-work, than marry a man you
 
 Christian^ s Second Love Affair. 135 
 
 don't love ; and to tell you candidly, from what 
 I liave seen of your behaviour this evening, I 
 suspect you don't love Christian Brandon." 
 
 " I don't love Christian Brandon !" ex- 
 claimed Sarah, clenching her hands, and gazing 
 at her sister with almost supernatural intensity 
 — " I don't love Christian Brandon ! I tell 
 you, I almost worship the ground he treads 
 on ! Do, for Heaven's sake, Charlotte, get 
 all that nonsense out of your head ! Why, 
 bless me, are you never low-spirited yourself 
 without being able to account for it ? I am, 
 often enough, I know. Now, Charlotte, don't 
 worry me any more about it," she continued, 
 nervously and anxiously. " I tell you there's 
 nothing the matter, and I don't want you to 
 interfere." 
 
 So saying she rose from her chair, and pre- 
 pared to leave the room. Arrived at the door 
 she suddenly stopped, and turning round to 
 her sister, gazed at her attentively. Then, her 
 eyes filling with tears, she advanced towards 
 her and kissed her affectionately. 
 
 " Charlotte," she said to her, " don't be 
 angry with me for speaking unkindly to you; 
 I did not mean it. I feel dreadfully nervous 
 and irritable. Now promise me, like a dear 
 old soul as you are, that if ever you see me 
 low-spirited again, you will never speak to me
 
 136 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 about it, for it only makes me worse. Good- 
 night ; and once more, don't be angry with 
 me." 
 
 Then kissing her sister, she left the room. 
 
 Charlotte, however, was by no means re- 
 assured by her sister's behaviour. Still, she 
 knew that, although habitually calm and 
 amiable, Sarah could, when aroused, be very 
 determined. She clearly saw it would be use- 
 less to speak to her again on the subject, 
 though she did not like the idea of her sister 
 marrying anyone against her inclination. She 
 sat quietly in the chair, thinking over the 
 matter for some time ; and at length came to 
 the conclusion that she would herself call on 
 Mr. Desbrow the next morning, and, after 
 mentioning to him her sister's behaviour, take 
 his advice on the subject.
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 KETEOSPECTIVE. 
 
 BEFORE continuing the history of Christian 
 Brandon, we must, for a few pages, de- 
 tain the reader with a short account of events 
 which have taken place between our hero and 
 his friend Gideon Harcourt, after the tea-party 
 at the house of Mr. Morgan in Kentish Town 
 — or perhaps, more especially, after Gideon 
 had obtained from Kate Morgan an avowal of 
 the interest she felt for him. Since Christian 
 had parted from Gideon on the abovenamed 
 evening, little communication had passed be- 
 tween them, and on the few occasions on which 
 they saw each other, their meeting was per- 
 fectly accidental. It must not, however, be 
 imagined that the slightest ill-feeling, animosity, 
 or jealousy existed between them ; on the con- 
 trary, the same friendship they had felt for 
 each other since their first acquaintance, when 
 pupils at the school of the minister of the 
 Surrey Chapel, remained as warm as ever.
 
 138 The Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 The temporary estrangement — if sucli it 
 might be called— arose from several causes. 
 The commencement was possibly more the 
 fault of Christian than of Gideon, for after 
 their parting, on tlieir return from Kentish 
 Town on the evening they had taken tea to- 
 gether at Mr. Morgan's house, Christian, for 
 some time, laboured under the unpleasant idea 
 that from his bashfulness, and the awkwardness 
 of his manner, he had made himself appear 
 supremely ridiculous, not only in the eyes of 
 the Morgan family, but — what was perhaps 
 more painful to him — in the opinion of his 
 friend Gideon. By degrees, however, the feel- 
 ing vanished ; and for some few years after- 
 wards, the cause of their rarely meeting was 
 rather to be attributed to the enero-etic and in- 
 defatigable manner they laboured at their re- 
 spective employments, than from anything else. 
 Afterwards another element arose which made 
 Christian purposely avoid meeting his friend — 
 the ill-success of his love-affair with Martha. 
 Not that he had the slightest reason to be 
 ashamed of his share in the transaction — for, 
 as the reader is aware, he had behaved through- 
 out in a most honourable manner — but the 
 natural aversion which a young man of Chris- 
 tian's sensitive temperament w^ould have in 
 allowing a friend — and one whom he admired
 
 Betrospective. 139 
 
 as mucli as Christian did Gideon Harcourfc — to 
 be aware of his ill-success. 
 
 It is true that at the time of Christian's 
 mother's death the two friends met somewhat 
 more frequently. Mr. Desbrow having, as 
 Mrs. Brandon's legal adviser, the duty of 
 transacting the law-business connected with her 
 will, and Christian being her sole legatee, his 
 visits to Mr. Desbrow's office were frequent at 
 the time. On these occasions he used to meet 
 Gideon on terms of the most perfect friendship 
 and good-feeling, though, beyond the con- 
 gratulations which Gideon bestowed on him on 
 his somewhat unexpected accession to so much 
 money, little conversation of a private nature 
 took place between them. After the winding- 
 up of the affairs connected with the will was 
 fully completed, their separation became even 
 more marked than before, though now, per- 
 haps, Gideon was more to blame than Christian 
 for the estrangement. 
 
 For about two or three years after Gideon's 
 entrance into Mr. Desbrow's office, the current 
 of his life ran on smoothly enough. During the 
 whole of the time he had remained with his 
 aunt, Mrs. Matthews, in Nelson Square, and no 
 event worthy of remark had taken place be- 
 tween them. True, the old lady had become 
 somewhat more infirm, and her avarice had
 
 140 The Landlord of " The Sun.'' 
 
 certainly increased with her age. Although, 
 from the periodical augmentations which had 
 been made in her nephew's salary, the moiety 
 of which she continued to exact, she was far 
 more than compensated for the very moderate 
 expense he put her to, she was incessantly 
 throwing out hints that he ought to be more 
 liberal, and that, as now his income had so 
 much increased, he ought to make her a larger 
 allowance than the half of his weekly stipend. 
 Gideon was, however, deaf to all her hints, or 
 avoided replying to them ; but one day, the 
 old lady, somewhat irritated at his refusal to 
 understand her inuendoes, told him plainly that 
 the sum she received not only did not compen- 
 sate her for his expenses, but that he was in 
 honour bound to increase it, in order in some 
 measure to recoup her for his board and educa- 
 tion during childhood. But the old lady dis- 
 covered she had no longer in Gideon the obedient 
 submissive lad she had formerly been accustomed 
 to control with so much despotism and severity. 
 He replied to her remark by telhng her that he 
 considered the proportion of his salary he paid 
 to her was more than suflBcient for the accom- 
 modation he received, and that he certainly 
 should not think of increasing it. He more- 
 over told her, that if she was discontented with 
 the amount he paid, or considered herself a
 
 Retrospective. 141 
 
 loser by it, to say so candidly, as he should 
 not have the slightest difficulty in making other 
 arrangements. As to the obligations he was 
 under to her for the expenses he had put her 
 to during his childhood, he unhesitatingly ad- 
 mitted them, and if, by good fortune, he should 
 be able to rise in the world, one of his first en- 
 deavours would be to put by periodically a sum 
 of money to compensate her, but that it was 
 too much for her to expect him to do so from 
 the very limited salary of a junior clerk in a 
 solicitor's office. 
 
 Mrs. Matthews, although greatly astonished 
 at the independence of her nephew's tonie and 
 •manner, turned round sharply to answer him 
 in the same way ; but noticing the resolution 
 stamped on his countenance, so different from 
 what she had hitherto been accustomed to, she 
 contented herself by making some remarks, in 
 a grumbling tone, about the wickedness and 
 ingratitude existing in the world, and giving 
 out certain religious hints of the punishment 
 which might be expected in the next by those 
 who had failed to fulfil their pecuniary obliga- 
 tions, either moral or legal, in this — though 
 frequently, she said with marked emphasis, 
 the punishment was inflicted on both. 
 
 A gloomy and almost angry coldness now 
 continued to exist between aunt and nephew ;
 
 142 The Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 in fact, beyond the ordinary salutations morn- 
 ing and evening, tlioy seldom exchanged a 
 word. Indeed, there would have been but 
 little opportunity for any lengthened conver- 
 sation ; Mrs. Matthews, from her increasino* 
 infirmities, rarely leaving her bedroom before 
 it was time for Gideon to go to his ofiice, while 
 he seldom returned till the evening was some- 
 what advanced. Frequently the idea entered 
 the old lady's mind to inquire of Gideon in what 
 manner he passed his evenings, as she was 
 perfectly aware that at least two or three hours 
 must have elapsed between the time the duties 
 of the office were over and his return to Nelson 
 Square. Actuated, however, by a sort of 
 sullen pride, as well as feeling it would be 
 derogatory on her part to take any open in- 
 terest in the movements of her disobedient 
 nephew, she determined to remain silent on 
 the subject. 
 
 The manner Gideon passed his evenings 
 might have been accounted for most circum- 
 stantially. His love for Kate Morgan seemed 
 to increase rather than diminish, and every 
 evening — or, at any rate, several evenings a 
 week — he spent in her society. Neither Mr. 
 nor Mrs. Morgan, nor in fact any of the family, 
 could now shut their eyes to the state of the 
 case — that Gideon was in love with Kate, and
 
 Retrospective. 143 
 
 that liis attentions were by no means disagree- 
 able to the damsel herself. Mrs. Morgan 
 treated the matter in her usual apathetic man- 
 ner, or rather seemed to encourage the afifection 
 evidently existing between the young couple 
 than otherwise. Not so Mr. Moro-an. Al- 
 though somewhat late in perceiving it, the 
 tardiness did not arise from any indifference to 
 his daughter's happiness, but that his incessant 
 attention to his duties closed his eyes in a 
 certain degree to what was passing at home. 
 As soon, however, as he was more at liberty, 
 and became accustomed to his new business 
 occupations, he detected that a very warm 
 feeling: existed between his daughter Kate and 
 Gideon ; and he resolved, when an opportunity 
 should offer, to speak to the young fellow on 
 the subject. This shortly afterwards occurred. 
 With considerable tact Mr. Morgan introduced 
 the conversation — at first remotely dwelling on 
 the pleasure he had in seeing Gideon at his 
 house, but that he was afraid his (Gideon's) 
 aunt might think he visited there too frequently, 
 thereby neglecting her and his home. Gideon, 
 in reply, said that his aunt took but little 
 interest in what he did, and that he should be 
 much pleased if Mr. Morgan would allow him 
 to visit in the manner he had hitherto been 
 accustomed to do. To this, greatly to Gideon's
 
 144 The Landlord of " The Siuir 
 
 surprise and chagrin, Mr. Morgan returned a 
 somewhat cool answer, and they walked on 
 together for some distance in silence. At last 
 Gideon could support the state of suspense he 
 was in no longer, and he candidly told Mr. 
 Morgan the story of his affection for his 
 daughter Kate, and the hope that he would be 
 allowed to continue his visits. 
 
 Mr. Morgan rephed, in a tone of great kind- 
 ness, that he felt flattered at the proposition, 
 but, at the same time, Gideon must bear in 
 mind that he had no means to support a wife, 
 and that he personally could give him but little 
 aid; for, although he was managing-clerk to 
 Mr. Desbrow, his salary was httle more than 
 sufficient for the maintenance of himself and 
 family. " No — Gideon, my boy," he continued, 
 " do not think me unkind if I say the question 
 ought not to be entertained further. I shall 
 always be happy to receive you as a friend, 
 come when you will, but you had better not at 
 present cherish any matrimonial projects. 
 Kate is a good and affectionate girl, and I am 
 sure would make you an excellent wife ; but, 
 as I said before, matrimony, even with the 
 severest economy, brings with it heavy ex- 
 penses, which you, with your moderate income, 
 would be unable to meet. It will be time 
 enough for you to think of the subject when
 
 Retrospective. 145 
 
 your prospects are brighter. I will speak to 
 Kate myself, and if you only take a reason- 
 able view of the matter, I am sure she will do 
 the same." 
 
 Poor Gideon, unable to combat Mr. Morgan's 
 arguments, ruefully assented to their truth, 
 and promised to follow his advice to the best 
 of his ability ; holding in reserve the permission 
 Mr. Morgan had held out to him, that, should 
 his prospects ever appear brighter, he would 
 allow him to reopen the subject. To this Mr. 
 Morgan fully agreed, and the conversation 
 shortly afterwards ended. 
 
 Conscientiously did Gideon attempt to keep 
 his promise, and, by way of making it easier, 
 for some time he visited Mr. Morgan's house 
 but once a week. Poor Kate, after her father 
 had spoken to her on the subject, attempted to 
 assist Gideon, and always addressed him in a 
 very friendly manner, but nothing more. This 
 continued for some time, and with apparent 
 success, though flimsy indeed was the veil the 
 young couple threw over their real feelings. 
 Each, with the most perfect facility, read the 
 other's heart, and, notwithstanding their as- 
 sumed coldness, each loved the other as dearly 
 as ever. They carried on the deception for 
 some time with the most barefaced hypocrisy 
 on both sides : but at last the real truth broke 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 146 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 out, in spite of all their poor efforts at conceal- 
 ment. One evening when tea was over, and 
 they were left to themselves, they remained for 
 more than half an hour without a word or 
 a glance passing between them. Suddenly 
 Gideon cast his gaze on Kate, and found her 
 eyes filled with tears. Acting under an impulse 
 which he was unable to withstand, and which 
 set all his cooler judgment at defiance, he rose 
 from his seat, and, without uttering a word, 
 took her hand. Kate did not withdraw it, but 
 burst into an uncontrollable flood of tears. 
 Gideon now seated himself by her side, and a 
 few minutes afterwards all their prudent re- 
 solves had vanished, their promises were 
 thrown to the winds, and fresh ones entered 
 into between them. They solemnly agreed that 
 in the sight of God they were betrothed, and, 
 no matter what length of time should elapse, 
 they would for the future consider themselves 
 as indissolubly engaged to each other. 
 
 Although the young couple, by every means 
 in their power, endeavoured to conceal from 
 the family the new engagement they had 
 entered into, they occasionally gave sufficient 
 indices to give rise to a suspicion that the 
 attachment had again burst out in its full 
 force, notwithstanding their attempts to con- 
 ceal it from the eyes of others. There is no
 
 Retrospective. 147 
 
 doubt Mr. Morgan would have noticed it, and 
 very probably did, but a circumstance occurred 
 to him about the time, of so much importance, 
 that it mio:ht in some deo^ree have drawn his 
 attention away from what was passing at home. 
 The junior partner in the firm of Thornbury 
 & Potts, solicitors of the highest respecta- 
 bility — in whose office Mr. Desbrow had 
 entered on his arrival in London, and where 
 he had remained till he started in business on 
 his own account, and whom Mrs. Matthews 
 also formerly employed as her professional ad- 
 visers — died suddenly, and Mr. Thornbury, 
 the senior partner, a man of fortune, who 
 had latterly paid but little attention to the 
 business, finding the fatigue of transacting it 
 singlehanded more than was convenient to 
 him, determined to take another partner. In 
 procuring a suitable gentleman he had but little 
 difficulty, but his new partner, although ta- 
 lented and energetic, was still young in the 
 profession ; and it was agreed between them 
 that they would engage a managing-clerk to 
 take the general superintendence of the busi- 
 ness — one on whose ability and integrity they 
 could rely — and, by way of securing his ser- 
 vices for a continuance, they resolved to offer 
 him a most liberal salary. Of course they had 
 many applicants for the appointment, and 
 
 L 2
 
 148 The Landlord of " The Sun:* 
 
 amon<^ tliem was Mr. Morgan, who was at last 
 selected. 
 
 Up to the present time Mr. Morgan had said 
 nothing on the subject to Mr. Desbrow ; in 
 fact, lie considered his chances of success in 
 obtaining the appointment so small, that he 
 thought it hardly worth while to mention the 
 matter to him, judging that possibly it might 
 disturb the good relationship which had existed 
 between himself and his employer. All being 
 arranged, however, with the new firm, he one 
 morning, when Mr. Desbrow arrived at the 
 office, requested a few minutes' conversation 
 with him. On entering Mr. Desbrow's private 
 room, he informed him that he had acccDted 
 the appointment of managing-clerk to a highly 
 respectable firm, and as in the course of a 
 short time he should be oblig^ed to enter on 
 his new duties, he thought it right not to delay 
 giving Mr. Desbrow the information, that he 
 might at his convenience make arrangements 
 in the office for the future manao-ement of his 
 department. For some moments Mr. Desbrow 
 was silent, though the expression of his coun- 
 tenance, which he was habitually able to con- 
 trol with singular facility, showed that he was 
 greatly annoyed at Mr. Morgan's communica- 
 tion. At last he broke silence : — " I think, 
 Mr. Morgan," he said, " you have hardly
 
 Retrospective. 149 
 
 treated me with common fairness. In the first 
 place, I have invariably endeavoured to behave 
 to you with courtesy and consideration; and 
 in the next, although I considered your salary 
 ample, I would readily have made some addi- 
 tion to it, had you informed me you thought 
 it insufficient. Why then should you have 
 made arrangements to quit me in this abrupt 
 manner ?" 
 
 " Mr. Desbrow," replied Mr. Morgan, calmly, 
 " I am perfectly ready to admit that I have 
 always received at your hands great kindness 
 and consideration. My sole reason for quitting 
 you is that the salary now offered me — and 
 with every probability of continuance — is more 
 than double that which I receive from you ; 
 and had I wished for an increase from you, I 
 should neither have had the courage to ask, 
 nor would you have granted, one-half the 
 amount I am about to receive." 
 
 " I am quite willing to admit I should not 
 have granted it," said Mr. Desbrow. " But, 
 may I ask, what firm is able to off"er you such 
 liberal terms, and what are the duties you are 
 expected to undertake in their office?" 
 
 *' The appointment is general manager and 
 confidential clerk to Messrs. Thornbury & 
 Potts," replied Mr. Morgan. 
 
 An unmistakeable appearance of anger and
 
 150 The Landlord of " TJie Sanr 
 
 vexation passed across Mr. Desbrow's face 
 wlien he heard the name of the firm. Quickly 
 recovering his self-possession, however, he rose 
 from his chair, and, with great blandness in his 
 tone, said : 
 
 " All things considered, Mr. Morgan, I admit 
 I should have acted exactly as you have done, 
 had I been in your position. Let me congra- 
 tulate you on your appointment !" 
 
 And then, shaking Mr. Morgan warmly by 
 the hand, the interview terraiuated. 
 
 Although Mr. Desbrow appeared fully satis- 
 fied with Mr. Morgan's explanation, when they 
 separated, the intelligence caused him the 
 greatest uneasiness. He could not disguise 
 from himself that some years before, when 
 common-law clerk in the firm of Thornbury 
 & Potts, he had quitted them far more abruptly, 
 taking with him no inconsiderable portion of 
 their connection, and he fully, and reasonably, 
 feared Mr. Morgan might do the same. Again, 
 it would be no easy matter, at a short notice, 
 to supply Mr. Morgan's place in the ofl&ce. 
 True, there was no lack of gentlemen perfectly 
 competent to undertake the duties, and at a 
 salary considerably less than that he paid to 
 Mr. Morgan ; still, the energy, talent, and 
 unflinching integrity he displayed could not be 
 surpassed, and even if equalled, Mr. Desbrow
 
 Retrospective . 151 
 
 could not be certain of tlie fact until long and 
 watcliful experience had proved it. Then, 
 again, another danger started up before him. 
 He was aware that a strong intimacy, or rather 
 friendship, existed between Mr. Morgan and 
 Gideon Harcourt, and he greatly feared the 
 probability of the former finding a situation 
 for Gideon in the office of Messrs. Thornburv 
 & Potts, and this was the more likely as the 
 young fellow had been accustomed principally 
 to act under Mr. Morgan's instructions. Gideon 
 Harcourt, through his attention and ability to 
 his duties, was now exceedingly useful in the 
 office — so much so, in fact, that when Mr. 
 Morgan was absent, either attending some case 
 in the country, or engaged in some lengthened 
 trial in town, Gideon had shown himself per- 
 fectly competent to perform his duties ; and if 
 he had had but a few more years' experience, 
 would have been fully able to occupy the posi- 
 tion soon to be vacated by Mr. Morgan. 
 
 For more than half an hour Mr. Desbrow 
 remained alone in his office, dehberating what 
 steps he should take. At last he determined 
 to increase Gideon's salary to two pounds a 
 week, under the pretext that it was a reward 
 for his great attention to his duties — at the 
 same time resolving to engage an elderly law- 
 clerk, with whom he had some acquaintance,
 
 152 The Landlord of " The Sim." 
 
 and who was in want of employment, at a low 
 salary, ostensibly to fill Mr. Morgan's post, 
 while in reality the principal duties would be 
 performed by Gideon. Having determined on 
 this arrangement, the business of the day passed 
 on in the ordinary manner till a short time before 
 the ofi&ce closed, when Mr. Desbrow sent for 
 Gideon into his private room, and told him 
 that, in consequence of the satisfactory manner 
 in which he had performed his duties, and the 
 energy and ability he had shown, he had de- 
 termined to place more important matters in 
 his hands, and that his income for the future 
 Avould be raised to two pounds a week. 
 
 Poor Gideon was so delighted at the intelli- 
 gence, that for some time he was unable to 
 thank Mr. Desbrow for his liberality ; and when 
 he did so, his heart was so full that it was 
 with difficulty he could make himself intelli- 
 gible. Mr. Desbrow, however, easily read his 
 meaning, and, with great tact, relieved the 
 young man from the embarrassing position he 
 was in, by assuring him he had much pleasure 
 in making the addition he did to his salary ; 
 and he even went so far as to hint, that if 
 Gideon continued to perform his duties in the 
 irreproachable manner he had hitherto done, 
 he might in time expect a still further increase 
 to his income.
 
 Betrospective. 153 
 
 When office hours were over, Gideon accom- 
 panied Mr. Morgan to Kentish Town. For 
 some time httle conversation passed between 
 them, but as soon as they began to get clear 
 of the more crowded streets, Gideon said : 
 
 " Don't you congratulate me upon my good 
 fortune, Mr. Morgan ?" 
 
 '•' I shall be very happy to congratulate you 
 upon any good fortune which may have befallen 
 you ; but to what do you particularly allude ?" 
 
 " Mr. Desbrow has increased my salary to 
 two pounds a week, and raised me a step in 
 the office." 
 
 " Well, I sincerely congratulate you, but I 
 must frankly admit you somewhat surprise me. 
 When did Mr. Desbrow speak to you on the 
 subject ?" 
 
 "A few minutes before I left the office." 
 
 Mr. Morgan remained a little time silent, and 
 then, bursting into a laugh, said : — 
 
 " Well, he appears determined not to lose 
 you, at any rate, and in this he shows his good 
 taste. But I, in my turn, have some news to 
 tell you. I am about to leave Mr. Desbrow's 
 office, having accepted the management of 
 Messrs. Thornbury & Potts's business. You 
 seem astonished, my dear fellow," continued 
 Mr. Morgan, noticing an expression of surprise 
 on his young friend's countenance, " and possi-
 
 154 The Landlord of " Tlie Sun." 
 
 bly tliink I am not makinfr a change for the 
 better. However, that is not altogether the 
 case. I like Mr. Desbrow's office very well, 
 but as my salary will be more than double 
 in my new appointment, of course I did not 
 hesitate to accept it. But, Gideon, my boy, 
 keep where you are. I know that the manag- 
 ino--clerk Mr. Desbrow intends engaging, al- 
 though a very worthy fellow, is too aged and 
 feeble long to occupy the post, and you may 
 step into it when he vacates it ; so you may at 
 last be able to obtain what you have so long 
 been looking for, and which you richly deserve 
 — a fair start in life." 
 
 Gideon, as Mr. Morgan uttered these words, 
 looked anxiously in his face, but the old law- 
 yer's clerk was too wary to allow him to read 
 his thoughts ; at the same time, Gideon felt 
 fully persuaded that his friend's words con- 
 cealed an allusion to the possibihty of his mar- 
 riao-e with Kate. He had the good sense, 
 however, to make no remark on the subject, 
 and the two friends continued to converse 
 amicably together on their futui^e prospects, 
 till they had reached Mr. Morgan's house. Ar- 
 rived at home, neither spoke of their good 
 fortune until the tea-things had been removed, 
 and then Mr. Morgan, for the first time, in- 
 formed his wife, daughter, and son of his in-
 
 Retrospective. 155 
 
 teDtion to enter tlie office of Messrs. Thornbury 
 & Potts — merely adding that be did so princi- 
 pally in consequence of tlie considerable increase 
 it would make to his salary, without naming 
 any definite sum — and Gideon afterwards told 
 them of the stroke of o-ood fortune he had 
 that day received. All were, of course, de- 
 lighted with the intelligence. Kate's behaviour, 
 however, offered some singular peculiarities at 
 the time. Apparently irresistibly, she had 
 fixed her gaze for a moment on Gideon, and as 
 suddenly turned it from him again, and looked 
 with intense earnestness into the fire. Although 
 she resolutely endeavoured to conceal all emo- 
 tion, an acute observer could have perceived 
 that the intelligence had given rise to a multi- 
 tude of ideas which were flocking through her 
 brain. 
 
 Gideon, on his part, by no means attempted 
 to conceal the state of satisfaction he was in, 
 but chatted incessantly, addressing his remarks 
 frequently to Kate — who, however, answered 
 him only in monosyllables ; while Mr. Morgan 
 sat by in his easy chair, and, under the pretext 
 of great fatigue, entered but rarely into the 
 conversation, though possibly he was at the 
 time keenly watching the behaviour of the 
 young couple. It was somewhat late in the 
 evening before Gideon quitted the Morgan
 
 15G TJie Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 family, and when he left the house, Kate accom- 
 panied him to the door — a civility she had not 
 offered him since the time it was agreed be- 
 tween them that their engagement should be 
 kept a secret. Whether they thought that the 
 time was now approaching when their en- 
 gagement need not be kept a secret, it is 
 impossible to say ; but their leave-taking that 
 night, though none of the longest, was certainly 
 longer than would have come within the rules 
 of propriety, had they not been formally en- 
 gaged to each other. 
 
 When Gideon arrived at his aunt's house in 
 Nelson Square, to his great surprise he found 
 the old lady sitting up for him, as for some 
 months past she had been accustomed to seek 
 her bed at a very early hour in the evening. 
 When he entered the room and saluted her, 
 she received him rather coolly and sternly, but 
 not uncivilly. To her inquiry as to the manner 
 in which he had passed his evening, he told her 
 he had taken tea with the family of Mr. Morgan, 
 managing-clerk to Mr. Desbrow. 
 
 " You appear to be always there," she said, 
 somewhat snappishly. " I think it would become 
 you much better if you occasionally passed your 
 evening in chapel, instead of incessantly gadding 
 up there to Kentish Town. But now," she con- 
 tinued, abruptly changing the conversation.
 
 Uetrospcctive. 157 
 
 » 
 
 " I wish to speak to you upon anotlner subject. 
 Have you beard from Mr. Desbrow whether he 
 intends making any increase in your salary ? 
 If not, I must insist upon your giving me more 
 than the half of what you now receive. I am 
 not sufficiently compensated for the expense 
 you put me to, even taking into consideration 
 that your dinners are now paid for out of your 
 own pocket." 
 
 " Aunt," replied Gideon, " I was about to 
 speak to you on the same subject, and tell you 
 that to-day Mr. Desbrow has promised to make 
 a considerable increase in my income — one 
 which will enable me to maintain myself without 
 being any burden upon you. If, therefore, you 
 have no objection, I will propose that I leave 
 the house next week — at the same time hoping 
 that I shall not incur your displeasure by 
 so doing, which would grieve me exceed- 
 ingly.". 
 
 For some moments the old lady was dumb 
 with astonishment at her nephew's proposition. 
 But, the first shock over, the effect it had seemed 
 to produce was rather that of sharpening her 
 wits, and bracing up her nerves for a quarrel, 
 than any other. Presently, evading Gideon's 
 direct proposition, she said to him : 
 
 " And what alteration has Mr. Desbrow made 
 in your salary ?"
 
 158 Tlie Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 " He has increased it, aunt, to two pounds 
 a week," 
 
 " And you, ungrateful wretch that you are !" 
 said Mrs. Matthews, sternly, to him, " now 
 that you are capable of paying me with ease 
 for the full expense you put me to, as well as 
 allow me something more to indemnify me for 
 the heav}^ outlay I incurred for you in your 
 childhood — you deliberately propose to quit 
 my roof, instead of being a solace and comfort 
 to me in my old age. Oh ! it's a fortunate 
 thing it pleased Providence to take your poor 
 mother, for what would have been her feelings 
 had she witnessed the disgraceful behaviour of 
 her son ?" 
 
 " Aunt," said Gideon, calmly, " let there be 
 no illwill between us, though, if any should 
 arise, it shall be solely on your part, for I will 
 not say one word to offend you more than is 
 sufficient to explain my meaning. I am now 
 nearly twenty-five years of age, and I wish to 
 settle myself in life. 1 have formed an attach- 
 ment for an amiable young lady, who has ac- 
 cepted me, and I am determined to marry her. 
 It is to reside near her, so as to be able to make 
 arrangements for my future housekeeping, and 
 from no want of affection or respect for you, 
 that I propose quitting your roof." 
 
 " And, pray, who may this young lady be ?"
 
 Retrospective. 159 
 
 asked Mrs. Matthews, lier shrewdness increas- 
 ing in proportion with her anger — which last, 
 however, she made strenuous efforts to con- 
 ceal. 
 
 " She is the daughter of Mr. Morgan, the 
 head-clerk in Mr. Desbrow's office, with whose 
 family I have been now for some years intimate, 
 so that I have had abundant opportunities of 
 knowing her character and disposition." 
 
 " Has she any property of her own ?" 
 
 " Not a shilling," replied Gideon. 
 
 " And you, who in common honesty are over- 
 head-and-ears in debt to me, propose marrying 
 a girl who, according to your own showing, is 
 little better than a beggar !" 
 
 " I am sorry, aunt, you choose to put it in 
 that offensive light ; but it will in no way alter 
 my determination." 
 
 Mrs. Matthews remained silent for some mo- 
 ments, and then said : 
 
 " And what is the opinion of the girl's father 
 as to this precious match ?" 
 
 " Well," replied Gideon, somewhat sheep- 
 ishly, " to tell the truth he has not yet given 
 his positive consent ; but, at the same time, 
 I have no fear as to the result." 
 
 A dense silence now ensued between the aunt 
 and nephew, which lasted perhaps for half an 
 hour, when Mrs. Matthews, turning sharply
 
 160 The Landlord of " The Sun 
 
 jj 
 
 round on Gideon, said, " What are you wait- 
 incr for ?" 
 
 " 1 thought, aunt, you might wish to say 
 something more to me.'" 
 
 " Something more to you !" said Mrs. Mat- 
 thews, glancing at her nephew in a most vin- 
 dictive manner. " Something more to you, 
 indeed ! No, sir ! 1 have heard from you this 
 evening enough to hist me for my hfe ; and, 
 for my own part, I do not wish to address a 
 word to you again. Now, take your candle 
 and go to bed." 
 
 The next morning Gideon had left the house 
 for his oflBce before his aunt had quitted her 
 room — a matter which gave him no chagrin, 
 as he was thoroughly indignant at the treat- 
 ment he had received from her the evening be- 
 fore. He was resolved he would offer her 
 neither apology nor excuse, nor make any 
 overtures towards reconciliation, but to keep 
 steadily to the course he had decided on. 
 
 Although Mrs. Matthews had not quitted her 
 room at the time of her nephew's departure, 
 she was thoroughly prepared to do so — indeed, 
 she had been dressed for some time previously, 
 but wished to avoid meeting Gideon. As soon 
 as she heard the door close after him, she de- 
 scended to the sitting-room, and, opening her 
 writing-desk, wrote a short note to Mr. Des-
 
 BetrospecUoe. 161 
 
 brow, requestiDg liim, as a particular favour, 
 to call on her at his earliest convenience, as she 
 had something of the greatest importance she 
 wished privately to consult him upon. She then 
 told her maid to seek for a messenger to take it 
 to the office, and one who was unknown to 
 Gideon, so that, in case he might be there at the 
 time, he would not be aware that the letter 
 came from her. 
 
 Three hours after the latter had been des- 
 patched, Mr. Desbrow arrived at the house in 
 Nelson Square, and was forthwith ushered into 
 the presence of Mrs. Matthews. She received 
 him with great civility, and requested he would 
 take a seat by her. 
 
 ** You perceive, my dear madam," said Mr. 
 Desbrow, with great blandness in his tone and 
 manner, " that I have lost no time in obeying 
 your summons. Of what use can I be to you ?" 
 
 " Mr. Desbrow," she replied, " I wish par- 
 ticularly to consult you about my nephew, and 
 his behaviour at your office. Are you content 
 with him ?" 
 
 " Perfectly so, my dear madam," replied Mr. 
 Desbrow. " In fact, only yesterday I greatly 
 increased his income. He is intelligent, regular 
 in his duties, and of strict integrity and veracity 
 in every respect." 
 
 " I am almost sorry to hear you speak of him 
 
 VOL. I. M
 
 162 The Landlord of " The Sun 
 
 jj 
 
 in that manner, as I am afraid what I am ^oing 
 to propose may put you to some inconvenience, 
 if you accede to it. My nephew has behaved to 
 me in a most infamous and dishonest manner, 
 and I am determined never to speak to him again. 
 As it was through my intercession he obtained 
 employment in your office, T now earnestly re- 
 quest that, as soon as you can find a substi- 
 tute, you will dismiss him." 
 
 " You perfectly astonish me," said Mr. Des- 
 brow. " I will not, of course, be so indiscreet 
 as to ask you any questions ; but, at the same 
 time, let me advise you to reflect well before 
 you proceed to extremities against him." 
 
 " I am not acting without due consideration 
 in the matter," said Mrs. Matthews, coolly and 
 pointedly, " and of course I have not the 
 slightest right to attempt to control you in any 
 Avay ; but it is better that we should clearly 
 understand each other. Hitherto I have myself 
 transacted the whole of my affairs, except those 
 directly connected with the law, and I flatter 
 myself I am no indifl'erent woman of business " 
 (Mr. Desbrow bowed politely as she made this 
 remark) . " But I am now getting an old woman, 
 and, feeling the infirmities of age coming upon 
 me, I have determined to place the whole of 
 my affairs for the future in your hands. This 
 I snould hardly like to do when I remember that
 
 Betrospecfive. 163 
 
 one of the principal clerks in your office lias 
 not only behaved to rae with the most infamous 
 ingratitude and dishonesty, but against whom 
 I bear the most unflinchino; angler." 
 
 " I will do everything in my power to please 
 you, Mrs. Matthews," said Mr. Desbrow — not, 
 however, having the slightest intention of dis- 
 missing Gideon, who was far too valuable to 
 lose — " but there requires some little tact and 
 consideration before acting on your suggestion." 
 
 " How so ?" asked Mrs. Matthews. 
 
 " Why, the fact is, your nephew is on the 
 strictest terms of intimacy with Mr, Morgan, 
 who acts as head-clerk in my office, but who is 
 about to leave me, having accepted the ap- 
 pointment of managing-clerk to Messrs. Thorn- 
 bury & Potts, your former solicitors, where he 
 Avill be all-in-all sufficient. Now, if I dismiss 
 your nephew from my office, the probabilities 
 are that Mr. Morgan will get him immediate 
 employment under him with Messrs. Thorn- 
 bury & Potts, who, as you know, still hold the 
 whole of the papers connected with the Chancery 
 suits you were engaged in some twenty-three 
 years ago. Although I am ready to inform 
 your nephew that I have no further need of his 
 services, would you less object to his remaining 
 with me, or entering into the office of Messrs. 
 Thornbury & Potts ? It is a question for your 
 
 M 2
 
 164 The Landlord of " The Svnr 
 
 coDsideration, but I should like to have your 
 answer without delay on the subject." 
 
 It should be clearly understood that Mr. 
 Desbrow's remark was merely invented, at the 
 spur of the moment, to serve him as an ex- 
 cuse for keeping the old lady from insisting on 
 the immediate dismissal of Gideon — although, 
 as before stated, Mr. Desbrow had not the 
 slightest intention of parting with him. He 
 knew perfectly well the extreme aversion Mrs. 
 Matthews had to anyone investigating, or be- 
 coming acquainted with, her private affairs ; 
 and he rightly judged that, much as she wished 
 to see her nephew dismissed, she would rather 
 he remained in his present appointment for a 
 short time longer, than run the risk of his 
 obtaining another in the office of Messrs. Thorn- 
 bury & Potts. 
 
 " T am ready to admit," she continued, after 
 a pause of some minutes, " that your objection 
 to dismissing my nephew at the present mo- 
 ment seems to be a valid one. I should 
 strongly object to his interfering in, or in any 
 manner becoming acquainted with, my affairs. 
 But why should my papers remain with Messrs. 
 Thornbury & Potts ? They are not at the pre- 
 sent moment my professional advisers, and 
 what right have they to hold them ? I wish 
 you would take possession of them, and either
 
 Retrospectioe. 165 
 
 keep them yourself, or return them to me to 
 put with my other papers, and when you have 
 done this we can again take up the question of 
 my nephew." 
 
 " I do not know of any reason why I should 
 not obtain possession of them," said Mr. 
 Desbrow ; " but, as I said before, I know 
 nothing whatever of the transactions they 
 allude to, which not only took place before 
 I entered as a clerk in their office, but which, 
 I understand, related solely to Chancery pro- 
 ceedings, while my duties were entirely con- 
 nected with Common Law. However, if you 
 will sign a written authority — which I will now 
 draw up for you — I will write to Messrs. 
 Thornbury & Potts, stating that I am au- 
 thorised by you to demand from them all the 
 law-papers connected with your affairs at pre- 
 sent in their possession." 
 
 Mrs. Matthews readily agreed to the pro- 
 position ; and the document having been drawn 
 up by Mr. Desbrow, and daly signed by Mrs. 
 Matthews, the conversation turned on Mr. 
 Morgan and his family. Mr. Desbrow, how- 
 ever, knew but little about them, as he never 
 interfered with the domestic arrangements of 
 the gentlemen in his office. He was greatly 
 surprised to hear that Gideon was about to 
 marry Mr. Morgan's daughter; in fact, he
 
 166 The Landlord of " The 81111.'' 
 
 was not even aware he liad a daughter. Al- 
 together the information she received from 
 Mr. Desbrow was of a somewhat unsatisfactory 
 description ; and Mr. Desbrow shortly after- 
 wards took his leave, promising the old lady 
 that he would immediately communicate with 
 Messrs. Thornbury & Potts, and let her know 
 the result as soon as he should receive their 
 reply. 
 
 In the course of a few days their answer 
 came; but, so far from being satisfactory to 
 Mrs. Matthews, it aroused in her mind a feel- 
 ing of strong anger, not unmixed with con- 
 siderable uneasiness. It was to the effect that, 
 on looking over the law-papers alluded to, they 
 not only found them to relate to divers 
 Chancery suits, but that more than one trustee 
 was interested in the proceedings ; and without 
 their consent, they considered themselves 
 justified in retaining the papers in their own 
 custody.
 
 w 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 GIDEON MARETED. 
 
 HEN Sarah Gordon and lier sister met at 
 
 breakfast, the morning after the foi 
 mer's attack of low spirits narrated in a pre- 
 vious chapter, not a word passed between them 
 on the subject. Nevertheless, it was easy to 
 perceive that the minds of both were preoccu- 
 pied, and each was instinctively aware that her 
 sister's thoughts were dwelling on the same 
 subject as her own. At last the silence became 
 oppressive, and each, in her turn, attempted to 
 force a conversation on some indifferent matter 
 which suggested itself at the moment. Seeing, 
 however, it was useless, the attempt was given 
 up, and a silence as profound as that they had 
 observed at the commencement of their break- 
 fast again continued to hang over them. 
 
 Their meal finished, Charlotte, without any 
 remark to her sister, rose from the table and 
 left the room, but shortly afterwards entered it 
 again, dressed, to leave the house.
 
 168 Tlie Landlord of " 77^.6 Sunr 
 
 "Where are you going, dear ?" asked Sarah. 
 • Charlotte hesitated for a moment, as if 
 searching for some excuse ; but finding none, 
 and her countenance beginning to redden 
 under the gaze of her sister, she thought it 
 better to tell the truth. 
 
 " I am going to call on Mr. Desbrow," she 
 said ; and then, as if to turn Sarah's thouo-hts 
 from the real object of her visit, she added, " I 
 wish to consult him about a little business of 
 my own." 
 
 "Is that all, Charlotte?" said her sister, 
 significantly. 
 
 " Yes dear," was Charlotte's reply, her 
 honest countenance colouring up as red as a 
 peony at the untruth she had uttered. 
 
 " Charlotte, your face is more truthful than 
 your tongue this morning," said Sarah. 
 " Come, now, let me know the whole truth ; 
 for I shall be sure to learn it, sooner or later." 
 
 " Well, then, my dear," said her sister, 
 summoning up courage, " I tell you candidly, 
 it was also my intention to speak about you ; 
 for I am very uneasy on your account." 
 
 " In the first place, Charlotte, I know no 
 reason why you should be uneasy about me. 
 There is nothing the matter with me whatever, 
 either in mind or body; and, supposing there 
 had been, what interest can it possibly be to
 
 Gideon Married. 1G9 
 
 Mr. Desbrow, or what right has he to interfere 
 in the matter ?" 
 
 " Every right, clear," said Charlotte. " He 
 has been to you in the place of a parent. 
 When, after our father's death, you were left 
 a helpless girl, almost without a friend (for I, 
 being in Canada at the time, could not assist 
 you), he took you under his charge, and has 
 behaved with the greatest kindness to you 
 ever since, as you yourself have frequently 
 admitted in your letters to me on the subject. 
 Is it not perfectly natural, then, that I, the 
 only relative you have in the world, should 
 apply to him for advice at the present moment, 
 when I am so anxious about you ?" 
 
 " But now, Charlotte," said Sarah, " let 
 us speak reasonably on the subject What 
 cause have you to be anxious about me?" 
 
 " That which I told you of yesterday evening 
 — your frequent lowness of spirits," replied 
 Charlotte. 
 
 " But what has Mr. Desbrow to do with 
 that ? He cannot cure them, even if I allowed 
 him to speak to me on the subject — so why 
 trouble him about me ?" 
 
 " I tell you, Sarah," said her sister, " I 
 strongly suspect you are about to marry a man 
 whom you do not love ; and Mr. Desbrow, 
 who has always acted as your guardian, and
 
 170 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 to whom you owe every respect, might, if my 
 surmise be a right one, have sufficient influence 
 with you to induce you to break off the match." 
 
 "I do not love Christian Brandon!" said 
 Sarah, slowly, and laying a stress on each 
 word as she uttered it — " not love Christian 
 Brandon ! Why, as I told you last night, I 
 worship the very ground he treads upon. What 
 right have you to interfere in the matter? 
 Although you are ten years older than I am, 
 you shall not control me !" 
 
 "I have no wish to control you, Sarah," 
 said her sister, mildly. 
 
 " I am sorry for what I said, Charlotte, and 
 did not mean it. You are a very good kind 
 sister, I know ; but, after all, this affair is 
 mine, and not yours. I know," she continued 
 earnestly, and looking in Charlotte's face, 
 " that when you have made up your mind on a 
 subject, it is no easy matter to turn you from 
 it, and, in spite of my request, you may still 
 speak to Mr. Desbrow. But mark my words 
 — if you do, and he comes here to talk to me 
 on the matter, I will not see him ; and I am 
 of as determined a character as yourself. Do 
 not, therefore, give him any useless trouble. 
 I would lose my right hand rather than lose 
 Christian's love, or be separated from him, 
 though" (and then she added in an undertone.
 
 Gideon Married. 171 
 
 the tears gatlieriag in her eyes) " I would 
 rather have lost it than ever to have seen 
 him." 
 
 Then placing her hand before her eyes, she 
 commenced weeping. 
 
 " Sarah," said her sister, kindly, after 
 having attempted to console her, " what am I 
 to understand by your behaviour ? You make 
 me almost as miserable as yourself!" 
 
 " Do not disturb yourself about it," said 
 Sarah, hurriedly wiping her eyes. " I admit 
 I have not been very well lately, and that has 
 caused my lowness of spirits. If I could get 
 a few days in the country, no doubt I should 
 soon be better. Will you come with me ? I 
 am sure Christian will let me go." 
 
 " Well, dear," replied Charlotte, kissing 
 her, " we will talk the matter over when I 
 return. All will depend upon my interview 
 with Mr. Desbrow, concerning the business I 
 told you about. But do not be alarmed, dear," 
 she continued, noticing an expression of anxiety 
 on her sister's countenance ; " I will not speak 
 to him about you, further than asking his 
 opinion of the probable success in life of Chris- 
 tian Brandon, and whether, in a worldly point 
 of view, he considers the match a prudent and 
 safe one. You surely cannot object to that ?" 
 
 " Certainly not — if you wish it. At the
 
 172 The Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 same time, the less said about me the better I 
 shall be pleased. Now, dear, go at once, and 
 be back again as soon as jou can, for I shall 
 count the minutes till you return." 
 
 Although Charlotte faithfully kept her word 
 not to mention to Mr. Desbrow the frequent 
 attacks of melancholy her sister laboured under, 
 the subject caused her great uneasiness, and 
 this, perhaps, was still further increased by 
 her sister's extraordinary behaviour at the 
 termination of their conversation. She felt 
 fully convinced there was something Sarah 
 concealed, but what that might be she could 
 not form even a remote idea. Devoutly she 
 hoped that the lowness of spirits might be 
 occasioned by some slight indisposition. In 
 that case, evidently the best plan which could 
 be adopted to cure her would be what she had 
 herself suggested — change of air and scene 
 for a few days. At last she determined, if, 
 on her return, she found her sister of the 
 same opinion, she would write to a friend 
 living in Kent, some ten or twelve miles from 
 London, to receive them, as the distance would 
 not preclude Christian from occasionally visit- 
 ing them. Her interview with Mr. Desbrow 
 on her own business passed off satisfactorily 
 enough, and she then asked him if he were ac- 
 quainted with Christian Brandon, and whether
 
 Gideon Married. 17 
 
 o 
 
 lie thought the marriage would be a good one 
 for her sister. 
 
 " As far as Brandon is concerned," said Mr. 
 Desbrow, " although personally I know but 
 little of bim, I have every reason to entertain 
 for him the highest opinion. I have known 
 him by sight, and occasionally meeting him on 
 business-matters, for the last ten or twelve 
 years — in fact, since he first entered as a lad 
 in the distillery where he is now employed. 
 Not only has the firm been perfectly satisfied 
 with him, but he has gradually risen in their 
 employment, till for the past three or four years 
 he has been occupied as their collecting-clerk 
 — a situation of considerable trust, and which 
 he has filled with the most perfect integrity. 
 Added to that, I have good reason to know he 
 was an excellent son, and is likely, therefore, 
 to make a good husband." 
 
 " All that is very satisfactory," said Char- 
 lotte, " but are his means sufficient to maintain 
 my sister ? And, again, I hardly like the idea of 
 his keeping a tavern, as he now proposes. I 
 would myself much prefer any other sort of 
 business." 
 
 " With most men," said Mr. Desbrow, " I 
 should fully agree with you ; but I think there 
 is less danger with him. Christian Brandon 
 is exceedingly temperate, good-natured, and
 
 174 The Landlord of " The 8unr 
 
 honest, and altogether adapted to manage a 
 first-class business of that description. I will 
 tell you, however, though perhaps you may 
 have heard it before, that his capital is not 
 sufficient to allow him to embark in any other 
 line of business in which there is likely to be 
 much competition. In fact, it is so small — 
 scarcely exceeding nine hundred pounds — that 
 I hardly think he will be able to purchase the 
 lease of any respectable house with it. But 
 that remains to be seen. He is very sanguine 
 himself, and knows more on the subject than 
 I do. As to the advisability of the match, all 
 things considered, in a worldly point of view, 
 I do not think your sister could have done 
 better than accept him." 
 
 Charlotte warmly thanked Mr. Desbrow for 
 the opinion he had given, and afterwards 
 made her way back to the lodging, where her 
 sister was anxiously expecting her. As soon 
 as she had somewhat recovered from the 
 fatigue of her walk, Sarah said to her : " Now, 
 dear, tell me candidly all that has taken place 
 — at any rate as far as I am concerned." 
 
 *' As I promised you," replied Charlotte, "I 
 did not mention to Mr. Desbrow the attack of 
 low spirits you are subject to, but merely 
 questioned him as to his knowledge of Christian 
 Brandon, and his opinion of the match you
 
 Gideon Married. 175 
 
 are about to form — which, as your elder sister, 
 I corisidered myself entitled to do. He spoke 
 in a very straightforward manner. He said 
 that although Christian's prospects were not 
 very brilliant, there was every probability of 
 his success in life, and, in a worldly point of 
 view, he did not consider the match by any 
 means a bad one. Of Christian he expressed 
 himself in the highest terms, stating that he 
 believed him to be a most honest worthy fellow, 
 and one on whose integrity and steadiness he 
 had the fullest reliance. And now, dear, I 
 think I have told you all." 
 
 Sarah Gordon made no remark when her 
 sister had finished, but remained for some time 
 apparently absorbed in deep thought. Then 
 suddenly placing her arm round Charlotte's 
 neck, and kissing her, she thanked her for the 
 interest she had taken in her. " And now, 
 dear Charlotte," she continued, " tell me can- 
 didly what you think of the idea of our going 
 into the country for a week ? I am sure it 
 would do my health good, and I should be 
 much benefited in spirits." 
 
 " I am perfectly ready to do so, my dear," 
 replied Charlotte ; " and, if you hke, we will 
 start to-morrow morning. At any rate, we will 
 talk the matter over when Christian comes this 
 evening."
 
 176 The Landlord o/" The Sun:' 
 
 This being agreed on, the conversation on 
 the subject dropped In the evening, Christian 
 Brandon paid his expected visit to his be- 
 trothed, and appeared in high spirits. He told 
 her that he had ever}^ reason to beheve he had 
 met with a house likely to suit him, though, 
 unfortunately, he had not been able to ascertain 
 the terms they desired for the lease and good- 
 will. 
 
 " I called on Mr. Desbrow this afternoon," he 
 continued, " to speak to him on the subject, 
 and to ask, in case they should require any 
 proofs as to my respectabihty, whether I might 
 refer to him — my own firm having given me 
 permission to use their name. He received 
 me in a most friendly manner, and told me he 
 should be very happy to assist me in any way 
 he could, and that I might make what use of 
 his name I pleased. He is really a very good 
 fellow, and a warm friend, and the more I see 
 him the more I like him. But I met with a 
 curious circumstance on leaving the office." 
 
 " What was that ?" asked Sarah. 
 
 " During my last two or three visits," re- 
 phed Christian, "I had not seen my old 
 friend Gideon Harcourt. This caused me no 
 surprise, as I imagined he was in all probability 
 engaged in some law-business. To-day, how- 
 ever, as I left Ely Place, I saw him. Our
 
 Gideon Married. 177 
 
 meeting was a very friendly one, as you may 
 believe ; and we chatted together for some few 
 minutes, when I remarked I had not seen him 
 latterly, when I called at the office. ' No 
 wonder,' he said, ' for I have left Mr. Des- 
 brow's some twelve or fifteen months since.' 
 ' Are you not friendly with him ?' I then 
 inquired. ' Perfectly so,' he said ; ' indeed, we 
 are on the best of terms, but circumstances 
 have been brought about — thanks to that 
 amiable old aunt of mine in Nelson Square ! — 
 which obliged me to leave the office. This I 
 did with some regret, for I have always re- 
 ceived from Mr. Desbrow the most liberal 
 and gentlemanly treatment. When I left him, 
 we not only parted on good terms, but he 
 made me a present of this ring' (showing 
 me a very handsome one on his finger), 'to 
 keep as a remembrance of his good feeling to- 
 wards me, and his high satisfaction at my 
 behaviour during the time I had been in his 
 office.' I then asked where he now was, and 
 he replied in the same office as his father-in-law, 
 Mr. Morgan, where he held as good an ap- 
 pointment as he did with Mr. Desbrow." 
 
 " Why, you don't mean to say he is married !" 
 exclaimed Sarah. 
 
 " That is precisely the question I put to 
 him," said Christian. " ' Married,' he replied; 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 178 The Landlord of " The Saii:' 
 
 ' yes, and a father in tlie bargain. I was mar- 
 ried about six months after the affairs con- 
 nected vvitli your mother's will were wound up, 
 to Kate Morofan, the daughter of the confi- 
 dential and managing-clerk to the firm I am 
 now with. But I cannot stay longer talking 
 with you at present. There is my address, and 
 you must come some evening and have tea with 
 us, when I will introduce you to my wife, and 
 my son and lieir. I can assure you, Kate and 
 I have often talked of you, wondering whether 
 you were married, and what you were doing. 
 But now,' he continued, ' when will you come ? 
 Have you anything to do to-morrow evening ? 
 — if not, be with us about seven o'clock, and 
 we shall be delighted to see you.' I promised 
 him I would go, and if you have no objection, 
 Sarah, I will keep my word, as I should like to 
 see what sort of a life he is leading." 
 
 " And did you tell your friend that you were 
 going to be married ?" inquired Charlotte. 
 
 " Well," said Christian, looking rather 
 sheepish, " I did not. You see I had no 
 time." 
 
 " He seemed to find time to say a great deal 
 to you," continued Charlotte. " But no matter 
 — he will hear all about it to-morrow night." 
 
 Christian now asked what Sarah and her 
 sister had been doing with themselves all the
 
 Gideon Married. 179 
 
 day, and heard that, with the exception of 
 Charlotte's visit to Mr. Desbrow, neither of 
 them had quitted the house. They then told 
 him of the intended visit to the country, and 
 their reason for going. Christian, of course, 
 could offer no objection, and promised that he 
 would pay them a visit on the Sunday, spend- 
 ing the two evenings which must elapse in the 
 interim as he best could. " In all probability," 
 he continued, " I shall be able to give you, by 
 then, some more definite information as to the 
 house I have seen, and the probability of my 
 becoming the proprietor." 
 
 The following morning Sarah Gordon and 
 her sister started off for the country, and in 
 the evening, as agreed, Christian Brandon 
 paid a visit to his friend Gideon. He found 
 him living in a neat six-roomed house in the 
 neio-hbourhood of Kentish Town, which was 
 well-furnished, and had every appearance of 
 comfort about it. He was introduced to Mrs. 
 Harcourt, who received him in a most friendly 
 manner. On his inquiring whether she re- 
 membered him, and his unfortunate clumsy 
 behaviour on the evening he drank tea at her 
 house, some eight or ten years before, she 
 replied, laughing, that she remembered it very 
 well, although she should hardly have known 
 him again. Nor was this much to be wondered 
 
 N 2
 
 180 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 at, foi" there was no trace of the awkward 
 though fine-looking boy he then was, to be 
 seen in the athletic, well-made, and gentle- 
 manly young fellow who now stood before her. 
 Ahhouofh Christian's ambition rose no higher 
 than to be the proprietor of a respectable 
 tavern, his personal appearance might have 
 been envied by many in a very aristocratic 
 position in society. 
 
 " And now, Mr. Brandon," said Mrs. Har- 
 court, " tell us candidly, are you not mar- 
 ried ?" 
 
 " No, I am not." 
 
 " Nor going to be ?" 
 
 " That may be a somewhat indiscreet ques- 
 tion," said Gideon. 
 
 " Not at all," said Christian. " I am not 
 only going to be married, but very shortly too. 
 My future wife is at present in the country ; 
 but as soon as she returns, which will be in 
 about a week, I shall have much pleasure in 
 introducing her to you. Nothing would please 
 me more than that, for the future, an intimacy 
 should exist between us, though I am not 
 certain you will like to visit us when we are 
 married and settled." 
 
 *' And why not ?" inquired Mrs. Harcourt, 
 in a tone of surprise. 
 
 " Because," said Christian, " I intend keep-
 
 Gideon Married. 181 
 
 ing a tavern ; and although you may be sure 
 it will be a most respectable one, there are, I 
 know, some people who object to visit at a 
 house of the kind." 
 
 " You do both me and my wife a great in- 
 justice, if you imagine we should be actuated 
 by such a feeling," said Gideon, " No, Chris- 
 tian ! we have been friends since we were boys 
 together, and I hope we shall continue so. It 
 will give us both pleasure to be on terms of 
 intimacy with you and your wife," 
 
 Mrs. Harcourt was now called out of the 
 room, to superintend the ceremony of putting 
 her little son to bed, and the conversation 
 between Gideon and his friend turned on the 
 different occurrences which had befallen them 
 since Gideon had left his aunt's house in Nelson 
 Square. The first portion of the dispute be- 
 tween him and Mrs. Matthews, as well as her 
 application to Mr. Desbrow to dismiss her 
 nephew from his ofiice ; her consent to allow 
 him to stay longer, in consequence of her ob- 
 jection to his entering the office where Mr. 
 Morgan was ; her application, through Mr. 
 Desbrow, for the law papers connected with 
 some early Chancery suits, and the refusal of 
 Messrs. Thornbury & Potts to dehver them up, 
 have already been brought before the reader. 
 Gideon now told his friend that, for some little
 
 1^2 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 time after he had quitted his aunt's house 
 (which he did the week following their quarrel), 
 she remained in a sort of apathetic state, with 
 the exception that her indignation against him 
 seemed to increase daily. The leases and 
 securities which she had promised to place in 
 Mr. Desbrow's hands, she still retained in her 
 own possession, not liking them to be sent to 
 the office while Gideon was engaged there, lest 
 they might come under his eye ; and, of all 
 persons living, her nephew was the one she 
 had the most objection to becoming acquainted 
 with any of her affairs. 
 
 It is more than probable she would have 
 •withdrawn the promise she had made to Mr. 
 Desbrow, that he for the future should have the 
 manao^ement of the whole of her affairs ; but 
 the increased strain on her temper, which she 
 had kept up for so long a time, at last brought 
 on an attack of paralysis of the right side and 
 arm ; and although, after the first severity had 
 somewhat abated, it did not present any 
 symptoms of immediate danger, she was phy- 
 sically precluded from keeping her accounts, 
 writing her letters or receipts, or in any way 
 conducting her own affairs. Finding now she 
 had no alternative, she resolved again to apply 
 to Mr. Desbrow, and offer to place her affairs 
 entirely in his hands, under the express "ison-
 
 Gideon Married. 18') 
 
 dition tliat lier nephew should be dismissed 
 from his office In vain did Mr. Desbrow form 
 excuse after excuse, to moUify the inveterate 
 hatred of the old woman. She would, how- 
 ever, hear of no alternative, and Mr. Desbrow 
 beg:an to be somewhat embarrassed as to what 
 course to pursue, and at last resolved to con- 
 sult Gideon on the subject. 
 
 Now Gideon, for some time, had entertained 
 the idea of quitting Mr. Desbrow's office, and 
 enterinof the same in which Mr. Moro^an held his 
 appointment as confidential clerk; indeed, a 
 situation, equal in emolument to that he received 
 from Mr. Desbrow, had already been offered 
 to him, and sundry circumstances rendered the 
 offer particularly tempting. One evening, when 
 he and Mr. Morgan were walking home together, 
 the latter said to Gideon : 
 
 " Of course you have heard that your aunt 
 has made an application, through Mr. Desbrow, 
 for the papers connected with some old Chan- 
 cery suits in which she was engaged, to be de- 
 livered up to her. I examined those papers, to 
 see what they might be, when I found that cer- 
 tain trustees were mixed up in those suits ; and 
 as I had no opportunity of knowing whether 
 they were alive or dead, till that fact could be 
 ascertained to a certainty, of course we should 
 not be justified in parting with them, as their
 
 184 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 consent might be required for our doing so. I 
 have since been making some inquiries as to 
 their whereabouts, though without much suc- 
 cess. T intend, however, at my leisure (un- 
 fortunately, at this moment we are exceedingly 
 busy, without any apparent probability of our 
 becoming less so), to go deeply into the matter, 
 and I strongly suspect it is possible the old lady, 
 your aunt, has not acted towards you in an hon- 
 ourable manner, and that you may not be al- 
 together uninterested in the matter. All this 
 is very vague, and no conclusion can be arrived 
 at now, so, do not allow anything I have said to 
 raise hopes in your bosom which in the end may 
 never be realised." 
 
 On more than one occasion the behaviour of 
 Mrs. Matthews on money-matters had appeared 
 inexplicable to Gideon, and the more he reflected 
 on the subject, after quitting her house, the 
 more unsatisfactory did it appear. Still, there 
 was not a single proof he could take hold of, 
 and he endeavoured to drive the subject as 
 much as possible from his mind. The conver- 
 sation he had had with Mr. Morgan now gave 
 him an intense desire to know more, but he 
 had no alternative but patience ; and this ap- 
 peared all the more necessary, as he was now 
 about to ask Mr. Morgan to allow his marriage 
 with Kate to take place at an early date, Mr.
 
 Gideon Married. 185 
 
 Morgan having already given his sanction to 
 the union. He listened to his request with 
 great kindness, and promised to assist them to 
 a very considerable extent in furnishing a house, 
 and shortly afterwards the marriage was so- 
 lemnised. 
 
 It was one morning, a few weeks after the 
 marriage, that Mr. Desbrow carried out his 
 resolution of speaking to Gideon, and it hap- 
 pened the more opportunely, as a few days before 
 Mr. Morgan had told him there would shortly 
 be a vacancy for a common-law clerk in their 
 ofi&ce, and that the salary was equal to what 
 Gideon was then receiving ; and he sub- 
 mitted to him whether, in case there was no 
 prospect of preferment in Mr. Desbrow' s office, 
 he would like to accept it. Gideon would 
 readily have done so had he not thought it 
 might annoy Mr. Desbrow, for whom he enter- 
 tained the highest respect. But now, when 
 Gideon was requested to enter Mr. Desbrow's 
 private room, and heard of the vindictive be- 
 haviour of his aunt, and Mr. Desbrow's embar- 
 rassment on the occasion, he was quite disposed 
 to meet his aunt's views. 
 
 " Mr. Desbrow," he said, after having heard 
 that gentleman's communication, " I should 
 not have thought of quitting you, less on 
 account of not perhaps finding another post
 
 186 Tlie Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 where the salary would be equal to what I now 
 receive, than my unwillingness to do so after 
 the great courtesy and kindness I have ex- 
 perienced at your hands. Now, pray, let me 
 beg of you to act in such a manner as will be 
 most conducive to your own interests. From 
 what I know of my aunt's affairs, I am fully 
 convinced it will throw a great deal of lucra- 
 tive business in your hands, and I am fortunately 
 provided with an appointment the moment I 
 leave your office." 
 
 " I am very much pleased to hear of your 
 appointment," said Mr. Desbrow, " and will 
 accept your resignation. In doing so, however, 
 believe me I am perfectly satisfied with the 
 manner you have performed your duties, and I 
 hope the most cordial good-feeling will continue 
 to exist between us." 
 
 " The next week," concluded Gideon, " I 
 quitted Mr. Desbrow's office, and entered that 
 in which my father-in-law is employed, where 
 I have remained ever since." 
 
 " And did you clear up any mysteries con- 
 nected with your aunt's transactions ?" inquired 
 Christian. 
 
 "Up to the present time none whatever, at 
 least in a satisfactory manner. I am fully per- 
 suaded there has been some grossly unfair play, 
 though, from the absence of some either lost or
 
 Gideon Married. 187 
 
 mislaid papers, I am unable to say of what 
 description. It is my intention, however, dur- 
 ing the long vacation to go more deeply into 
 the matter, and I trust I shall be able to clear 
 it up, either one way or the other." 
 
 The entrance of Mrs. Harcourt into the 
 room put an end for the moment to the con- 
 versation which had been carried on during her 
 absence. Having taken her seat, she said to 
 Christian : 
 
 " Now, as I daresay Gideon has been giving 
 you a description of the events which led to 
 our marriage, as well as our present prospects, 
 I think, Mr. Brandon, yon should in your turn 
 give us some information respecting the young- 
 lady you are about to marry." 
 
 " I will do it with pleasure," said Christian ; 
 " but let me premise that her history and 
 antecedents are simple and unromantic in the 
 extreme. Her father kept a small inn in the 
 village where Mr. Desbrow served his time as 
 clerk to a solicitor. He was well acquainted 
 with the family, and the strongest intimacy 
 had existed between his father and Sarah's. 
 During the time Mr. Desbrow was residing in 
 the village, he knew but little of Sarah Gordon, 
 she being then comparative!}'" a child. He 
 knew her sister Charlotte, who is some ten 
 years older, and who, shortly before Mr. Gor-
 
 188 The Landlord of " The Simr 
 
 don's death, married a gentleman who had 
 some relatives in Canada, and largely employed 
 in the timber trade. Her husband, havino- an 
 appointment offered him in the firm, quitted 
 England with his wife, and proceeded thither. 
 Charlotte had less objection to this arrange- 
 ment, as a sister of Mr. Desbrow, with whom 
 she was acquainted, was settled in the neigh- 
 bourhood, and thus, on her arrival in Canada, 
 she would not be without a female friend. 
 About three years after quitting England, Mr. 
 Gordon died suddenly. He had the reputation 
 of being a man of some small property, but at 
 his death his affairs were found to be hopelessly 
 insolvent. In fact, since the death of his wife, 
 which occurred about five years previously, the 
 business of the house had gradually dwindled 
 away. True, he had been assisted by his two 
 daughters, but after the elder one's marriage, 
 Sarah was too young (although she exerted 
 herself to the utmost) to exercise much control 
 over the business. 
 
 " At the time of Mr. Gordon's death an 
 execution was put into the house, and every- 
 thing sold off to pay the creditors, leaving poor 
 Sarah utterly destitute. One of the neighbours, 
 knowing the intimacy which had existed be- 
 tween the two families, wrote up to inform Mr. 
 Desbrow of the event, and the destitute con-
 
 Gideon Married. 189 
 
 dition tlie poor girl was in, and without 
 
 delay he immediately left London for X , 
 
 but, unfortunately, found that nothing could 
 be saved from the w^reck. He now determined, 
 if possible, to assist Sarah in getting some re- 
 spectable situation, but in conversation with 
 her he found that her education had been much 
 neglected. With great liberality he offered to 
 place her at a good school, and to defray the 
 expenses of her education out of his own pocket, 
 but with the understandina; that if she had the 
 opportunity of reimbursing him she was to do 
 so. 
 
 " Sarah remained at school three years, 
 making considerable progress, and afterwards 
 she accepted the appointment of teacher in the 
 same establishment, which she held for two 
 years. Her salary was, however, so miserably 
 small that Mr. Desbrow thought she would do 
 better if she came up to London, and it was 
 shortly after her arrival that I met her acci- 
 dentally at his house, just in time to save her 
 from accepting another situation which had been 
 offered her. I have now given you," continued 
 Christian, "a fair sketch of her history, in 
 which you will see there is nothing either re- 
 markable or interesting. She is at present 
 under the care of her sister, who, with her hus- 
 band, has returned to Europe, and they are now
 
 190 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 livinp; in the West of England — the husband 
 acting as agent to the firm in Canada ; but 
 there is every probability they will soon return 
 to America. Of my future wife's personal ap- 
 pearance and qualifications, I hope you will soon 
 have an opportunity of judging for yourselves, 
 and therefore I shall say nothing aboufc them." 
 
 The conversation now turned on the habi- 
 tually kind behaviour of Mr. Desbrow. 
 
 " Few people," said Gideon, " would imagine, 
 under his reserved calm appearance and cautious 
 manner, how warm a heart he has. During 
 the time I have been in his office, I heard of 
 many little good actions he did, of which he 
 never spoke, and evidently imagined were un- 
 known to anyone but himself." 
 
 Christian had also much to say in Mr. Des- 
 brow's favour, and it was pretty much on 
 subjects connected with his affairs that the 
 conversation during the remainder of the even- 
 ing was carried on. When Christian rose to 
 take his leave, it was agreed between them that 
 he should let them know as soon as his future 
 bride and her sister returned from tlio country, 
 and that Gideon and his wife were to take tea 
 with them, when he hoped a long friendship 
 would be commenced between them. 
 
 On the following Sunday Christian paid a 
 visit to Sarah Gordon and her sister, at their
 
 Gideon Married. 191 
 
 friend's house in Kent, and found his betrothed 
 much benefited in health by her few days' 
 sojourn in the country. He had but Kttle news 
 to give them respecting the house he was in 
 treaty for, the proprietor being at the time 
 in very bad health, and quite unable to attend 
 to business-matters. He hoped, however, to 
 have some definite reply in the course of the 
 next week. 
 
 " I am most anxious about it," he said; " as 
 when once I am settled with a house, I trust 
 there need be no further delay to our union, 
 but until that is done all remains indefinite." 
 
 " Still," said Charlotte, " when once you 
 have determined on the house, will there not 
 be a great deal to do before you are able to 
 enter it?" 
 
 " Not if I obtain the one I am in treaty for," 
 replied Christian. " It is handsomely fitted up, 
 and all the trade appointments are in excellent 
 condition. The private dweUing portion of the 
 house must be re-furnished, it is true, as the 
 late proprietor intends to take his own furni- 
 ture away. With regard to the billiard and 
 private sitting-rooms, as well as the club-room 
 (and there is a good one), the furniture is 
 included in the money I shall have to pay for 
 the lease." 
 
 "And now, Christian, we want to know all
 
 192 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 about your visit to Mr. Harcourt, and what 
 sort of a person bis wife is ?" said Sarah. 
 
 Christian then gave them a succinct account 
 of the evening spent with his friend, and the 
 principal portion of the conversation which 
 took place, as well as a most flattering descrip- 
 tion of Mrs. Harcourt, whom he characterised 
 as one of the most agreeable women he had 
 ever met with. 
 
 " But upon that subject," he continued, 
 " you will soon have an opportunity of judging 
 for yourselves, as they have promised to take 
 tea with us the day after you return to town. 
 I am sure you will like them both very well ; 
 they are nice unaffected people, and I trust 
 we shall continue good friends ; and this is 
 Gideon's wish as well as my own." 
 
 Both Sarah and her sister expressed the 
 pleasure they would have in making their 
 acquaintance, and the conversation then turned 
 on other matters, till it was time for Christian 
 to return to London.
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 CHEISTIAN MARRIED. 
 
 DURING tlie few days whicli elapsed till 
 Sarah Gordon and her sister returned to 
 town, Christian employed himself in selecting 
 a suitable house. This, however, he found 
 to be no easy matter ; for, although many were 
 offered him, each seemed to contain some 
 almost insuperable objection — the one he had 
 set his mind upon presenting, perhaps, greater 
 difficulties than any other, the price asked for 
 the lease and good-will being far in excess of 
 the capital he possessed, and he was reluctantly 
 obliged to give up the idea. As before stated, 
 his capital scarcely exceeded nine hundred 
 pounds, and the amount required would not be 
 less than fifteen hundred. Even at this price, 
 however, it was by far the cheapest, in pro- 
 portion to the profits it would yield, to any he 
 had yet met with ; for the business was an old- 
 estabhshed one, and the connection highly re- 
 spectable. He knew he could without difiiculty 
 VOL. I. o
 
 194 The Landlord of " The Sun.'' 
 
 obtain money by way of loan from tlie brewers, 
 but, from the experience lie had already had in 
 business, he also knew perfectly well he would 
 be placing himself in their power, and would 
 no longer be a free agent in conducting his 
 own affairs. 
 
 The price of the lease of the next most 
 eligible house that was offered him would 
 hardly exceed the capital he possessed. It was 
 well-built, commodious, and handsomely fitted 
 up, but, being in a new neighbourhood, the 
 returns (certainly at first) would be very small. 
 As a set-off against this, however, not only 
 were the houses around rapidly filling with re- 
 spectable tenants, but, as the locality was a 
 favourite one, there appeared little doubt that 
 those in course of erection would soon find 
 occupants. After all, he calculated, if the im- 
 mediate returns were not large, it was more 
 than probable that, in time, a good and 
 lucrative connection might be secured for the 
 house ; and, should he be inclined to leave it, 
 no doubt a far higher price might be obtained 
 for the lease than what he had paid for it. 
 
 On making further inquiries, Christian found 
 that there were certain stipulations in the lease 
 which appeared to him somewhat onerous, as 
 well as others which he did not clearly under- 
 stand. Before, therefore, coming to any
 
 Christian Married. 195 
 
 decision on the subject, be resolved to consult 
 his friend Mr. Desbrow, and ascertain if he 
 considered the objections of a serious nature, 
 and whether he approved of the conditions of 
 the lease. Having made a note to this effect, 
 he called at Mr. Desbrow' s office, to talk over 
 the matter, but found him absent. He left 
 word that he would call the next day, about 
 noon, when he hoped Mr. Desbrow would be 
 able to see him, or make an early appointment, 
 as the business he wished to consult him upon 
 was of great importance, and he wished to do 
 so as speedily as possible. The clerk told him 
 that in all probability, Mr. Desbrow would be 
 in during the latter part of the day, if he liked 
 to call again ; but Christian declined doing so, 
 and adhered to his original proposition of 
 calling the next morning. 
 
 The reason Christian did not wish to call on 
 Mr. Desbrow again that afternoon, was that, 
 as Sarah Gordon and her sister were to arrive 
 home in the evening, he naturally wished to be 
 in readiness to meet them, and reached their 
 lodgings some little time before they came. 
 Though somewhat impatient, he passed the time 
 as best he could, and at last had the satisfaction 
 of hearing them enter the house. After the 
 first ebullition of feeling at their meeting was 
 over. Christian with joy, noticed the flush of 
 
 2
 
 196 lliG Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 health on the face of his betrothed, showing that, 
 short as had been her sojourn in the country, 
 it had been attended with excellent effects. 
 Her spirits also seemed to have recovered their 
 former elasticity, and she talked and chatted 
 with great animation. Possibly an astute ob- 
 server might have imagined that her gaiety 
 was rather more than natural, but Christian 
 was too happy to be hypercritical on the sub- 
 ject, and on his part conversed quite as fluently 
 as his betrothed. 
 
 After the first inquiries as to the events of 
 their little journey and sojourn in the country 
 were over, Charlotte asked Christian whether he 
 had heard anything more about the terms of the 
 house he desired to take. In reply, Christian 
 told her that he had, but unfortunately, the price 
 asked for it, although by no means in excess of 
 its real value, was more than he could afford to 
 give, and he had determined not to commence 
 business without having sufficient capital to do 
 it easily, as he had a violent aversion, if he 
 could help it, to running into debt. The only 
 persons to whom he thought he could apply 
 were his brewers, and he certainly should not 
 wish to be in their power, as, in case any mis- 
 understanding arose between them, they could 
 call their money in at a short notice, and 
 thereby possibly ruin him.
 
 Christian Married. 197 
 
 Both Sarah and her sister corDphmented him 
 highly on his prudence, and then inquired 
 whether he had heard of any other opening 
 hkely to suit him. Christian told them he had, 
 but that the prospects of the house were not 
 so brilliant as the one he had set his heart on ; 
 and he then explained to them more fully the 
 particulars of the one he was going to consult 
 Mr. Desbrow about on the following day. They 
 both listened with great attention, and then 
 agreed that it would be far more prudent to 
 take the one in question, than run any risk of 
 crippling himself for want of sufiicient capital 
 to carry on the business. 
 
 Tea was now brought in, and a very sociable 
 meal it was. When over, Charlotte, beginning 
 to imagine herself c^e trop in the room, was on 
 the point of leaving the lovers together, some- 
 what perhaps against the conventional rules of 
 propriety, when the wheels of a cab were 
 heard driving up to the door, and Christian, 
 who was sitting at the window, exclaimed : 
 
 " Why, here is Mr. Desbrow ! What possibly 
 can have induced him to call on us ?" 
 
 Sarah, who had been sitting quietly on the 
 sofa, here turned round, and cast an inquisi- 
 tive and somewhat angry glance at her sister, 
 which Charlotte met with the most perfect 
 composure. Presently the street-door was
 
 198 The Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 opened, and Mr. Desbrow's footsteps heard 
 on the stairs. Sarah then, casting a second 
 indio-nant plance at her sister, rose from her 
 seat, and hurriedly left the room, which 
 a moment afterwards Mr. Desbrow entered. 
 Christian and Charlotte received him with great 
 friendliness; and after a few short common- 
 place expressions had passed between them, 
 Mr. Desbrow inquired after the health of his 
 ward, as he called her. In reply, Charlotte 
 told him that she had been in the country for 
 nearly a week, for the benefit of her health, 
 and had only just returned to London. Her 
 sister, she said, was feeling fatigued with her 
 journey, and had a few minutes before left the 
 room, but no doubt she would return directly 
 she heard of Mr. Desbrow's arrival. Charlotte 
 was about to summon her, when Mr. Desbrow 
 said : 
 
 " Oh, pray do not disturb her. I am very 
 happy to hear she has derived benefit by her 
 trip into the country. Now do not disturb her," 
 he continued, as Charlotte was about to call 
 her sister. " I have called solely on a little 
 matter of business with Mr. Brandon, and am 
 rather in a hurry. I will, however, take the 
 opportunity of coming again, when I hope to 
 find her at home and in good health." 
 
 "Well," said Charlotte, "I think I had
 
 Christian Married. 199 
 
 better leave you then, so that you may talk 
 over your affairs together." 
 
 " Oh, don't go," said Christian ; " I have 
 nothing to say but what you are perfectly wel- 
 come to hear." 
 
 Charlotte persisted, however, in going ; 
 and said she would tell her sister of Mr. Des- 
 brow's arrival, but he again begged she might 
 not be disturbed. 
 
 No sooner were Mr. Desbrow and Christian 
 left together, than the former, who appeared 
 to be in remarkably good spirits, said laughing : 
 
 " I am sadly afraid I have interrupted you, 
 and no doubt my visit was very ill-timed, 
 though I am not altogether without excuse 
 for it. I understand, Mr. Brandon, you called 
 at my oflS.ce to-day, wishing to make an ap- 
 pointment with me to-morrow, as the business 
 you wanted to see me upon was urgent. Now, 
 it unfortunately happens that I am obliged to 
 leave town early to-morrow morning, and shall 
 not return till the day afterwards, and then, 
 possibly, at a late hour in the afternoon. I 
 thought, therefore, it would be better to see 
 you this evening, and give you the information 
 you require, without obliging you to wait till 
 my return. I called first at your lodgings, and 
 was there informed that you were not at home, 
 but that most probably I should find you here.
 
 200 The Landlord of " The 81111." 
 
 Now, tell me in what way can I serve you ?" 
 
 " You are very kind," said Christian, " to 
 take so much trouble ; but the truth is, I did 
 wish to see you very particularly. I have seen 
 a house that I think will suit me, but there are 
 certain clauses in the lease which I did not 
 clearly understand, so I thought I would ask 
 if you considered they presented any insupera- 
 ble objections." 
 
 " Did you make a note of them ?" 
 
 " I did," said Christian, drawing a paper 
 from his pocket, " and here they are." 
 
 Mr. Desbrow glanced Ms eye rapidly over 
 the paper, and said he saw nothing whatever 
 objectionable in the clauses. 
 
 " But surely," he continued, " this is not 
 the house you were speaking to me about the 
 other day; have you given up all intention of 
 taking that one ?" 
 
 " I have," replied Christian, " although I 
 would willingly have done so, had T the means ; 
 but the sum they require for it is far in excess 
 of the little capital I have. I daresay I could 
 obtain the difference from the brewers, but I 
 have no wish to put myself in their power." 
 
 "I compHment you on your prudence," said 
 Mr. Desbrow. " But now let me hear the par- 
 ticulars of the case. What is the full amount 
 they require for the lease and good-will ?"
 
 Christian Married. 201 
 
 " Fifteen hundred pounds," said Christian ; 
 " and it will require at least two hundred more 
 to furnish the dwelling-house respectably, and 
 leave me a little over to go on with. You 
 know I have only about nine hundred pounds 
 of my own." 
 
 • " The difference is a serious one," said Mr. 
 Desbrow. " But where is the house?" 
 
 " It is ' The Sun,' in Street." 
 
 " That is singular," remarked Mr. Desbrow. 
 " I was concerned with a person who sold the 
 lease to the last proprietor. . I know the house 
 well, and a capital one it is. At the same time, 
 you rather surprise me in stating they would 
 take so small a sum for it. Unless the business 
 has much fallen off, it is one of the greatest 
 bargains I ever knew. Why does the present 
 proprietor part with it ?" 
 
 "From ill-health," replied Christian. " As he 
 is a man of some property, and not dependent 
 on his business, he is determined to push the sale 
 even to a lower price than the house is worth, 
 and, with his wife, to retire somewhere on the 
 coast of Devonshire. He admits, however, 
 that the business has somewhat fallen off of 
 late, not from the opposition of any other 
 house in the neig-hbourhood, but from ill-health 
 on his part preventing him giving it the atten- 
 tion it required."
 
 202 The Landlord of '' The Sunr 
 
 "All that seems very fair," said Mr. Des- 
 brow; " but still, there are one or two tliiDgs 
 which should be taken into consideration, which 
 in my opinion open the question, whether it 
 would not be better for you to borrow some 
 money, and take that house instead of the 
 other you were speaking of. The rent is re- 
 markably low for the locality ; and suppose we 
 say that you borrowed seven hundred pounds, 
 and consider the interest you paid for it as 
 merely an addition to the rent, you would still 
 have the house on very reasonable terms. You 
 would manage very badly indeed if you did 
 not, out of the profits, contrive to put by a 
 couple of hundred a year towards the redemp- 
 tion of the orimnal debt." 
 
 "All that I am perfectly ready to admit," 
 said Christian. " But of whom could I borrow 
 the seven hundred pounds, unless of the 
 brewers ? I know no one who would lend me 
 the money." 
 
 "Not so fast," said Mr. Desbrow. "Al- 
 though 1 have not the money myself, a client 
 of mine has about that sum, which he wishes 
 to invest in a mortgage for five years, at 5 
 per cent, interest. The interest must, how- 
 ever, be paid regularly, or he would foreclose. 
 I do not know whether he has yet found an 
 investment for his money, but if not, would
 
 Christian Married. 203 
 
 you like to accept it on those terms ?" 
 " Yes," said Christian, " most wilhngly ; 
 and I hardly know how to express my gratitude 
 to you, Mr. Desbrow, for your kindness to me 
 in the matter." 
 
 Mr. Desbrow burst into a loud fit of laugh- 
 ing. " My dear sir," he said, " what do you 
 mean by my kindness to you in the matter? 
 All I am doing is nothing but a most common- 
 place businesslike transaction. Do not imagine, 
 for one moment, that I have no intention of 
 sending you in my bill of costs for the trouble 
 I shall have, though I trust you will not 
 quarrel or be discontented with the amount. In 
 the first place, an exorbitant bill would be 
 against my principles, and beyond that, I have 
 too much wish to secure you as a client, to run 
 the risk of disgusting you at the commence- 
 ment of our acquaintance. At the same time, 
 I will not disguise from you the fact, that I do 
 feel some satisfaction in having found a good 
 investment for one client, and able to oblige 
 another friend while doing so. I may further 
 state," he continued, " that should the client 
 I allude to not have, at the present moment, 
 the money at his disposal, I have little doubt I 
 shall be able to find you another; so, if you 
 choose to take the house, you may see the 
 proprietor and settle the preliminaries as soon
 
 20-i The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 as you- please. If you will call on mo the clay 
 after to-morrow, about noou, we will then go 
 further into the matter." 
 
 Mr. Desbrow now rose to depart. 
 
 " Pray do not go," said Christian, " till you 
 have seen Sarah, for I am sure she will be very 
 vexed at missing you." 
 
 " You are very kind," said the lawyer, " but 
 do not trouble her. Give her my kind regards, 
 and tell her I shall do myself the pleasure of 
 seeing her very shortly. Now, good-bye, Mr. 
 Brandon, and let me see you the day after to- 
 
 morrow." 
 
 After Charlotte had quitted the room, on 
 Mr. Desbrow commencing to speak to Christian 
 on business-matters, she sought her sister, 
 who at first received her in a very angry 
 manner. 
 
 " I am sure, Charlotte," she said, " in spite 
 of all you told me, that you did mention to 
 Mr. Desbrow my lowness of spirits, and that he 
 called in consequence." 
 
 " My dear," said Charlotte to her, very 
 calmly, *' do not irritate yourself without any 
 cause. Not only has Mr. Desbrow merely 
 called to see Christian on some business-matter, 
 but he requested me to tell you on no account 
 to trouble yourself to come down, as he in- 
 tended stopping but a very short time, and
 
 Christian Married. 205 
 
 would scarcely be able to speak to you if you 
 did." 
 
 Sarah seemed somewhat annoyed with her 
 own petulance, and then asked her sister if she 
 knew upon what" business Mr. Desbrow had 
 called. Charlotte was unable to give her the 
 information she required, and, moreover, told 
 her that she did not herself intend returning 
 to the sitting-room, fearing she might inter- 
 rupt the conversation. The two sisters then 
 sat talking together till they heard Mr. Desbrow 
 leave the house, when they both went down- 
 stairs to Christian. Sarah had contrived to 
 erase all trace of her momentary ill-humour 
 from her face before meeting her lover, and 
 they all chatted together on indifferent subjects 
 for some little time, when Sarah suddenly 
 asked Christian what business Mr. Desbrow 
 had called about. 
 
 " The more I see of that man," replied 
 Christian, " the better I like him. A warmer 
 or more hearty a friend I never met with in my 
 life. I called on him and made an appoint- 
 ment for to-morrow, to consult him respecting 
 the lease of the house I told you of; but as he 
 will be out of town, he thought he would save 
 me the trouble of calling uselessly, and very 
 kindly came to see me this evening, instead. 
 In course of conversation he asked me why I
 
 206 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 gave up the idea of taking ' The Sun,' as I 
 appeared to have set my heart upon it, and I 
 told him that I should require seven hundred 
 pounds more capital than I possessed. He 
 then immediately offered to raise the sum, at 
 5 per cent, interest, on mortgage of the lease, 
 which I need not say I most gratefully ac- 
 cepted." 
 
 " But why should you borrow the money of 
 him, Christian ?" asked Sarah, rather angrily. 
 *' 1 thought you objected to being in debt." 
 
 " True, Sarah, I did," replied Christian ; 
 " but, at the same time, the terms are so ad- 
 vantageous that I could not refuse them." 
 
 " Still," continued Sarah, in the same tone, 
 " I should have preferred the small house rather 
 than be under an obligation to anyone." 
 
 " My dear girl," said Christian, putting his 
 arm round her, " these are business-matters 
 which you do not understand. Now, don't be 
 angry with me, for I know well what I am 
 doing ; and, besides that, the affair is as good 
 as completed, so there is no use saying anything 
 more about it." 
 
 Sarah, although she made no further remark, 
 appeared discontented and moody ; but upon 
 Charlotte, who, rightly judging that a tiff would 
 take place between them, leaving the room. 
 Christian again passed his arm round his
 
 Christian Married. 207 
 
 betrothed, and she, a few moments afterwards, 
 laid her head on his shoulder, and for the re- 
 mainder of the time they appeared the happiest 
 of mortals. 
 
 The following evening Gideon Harcourt and 
 his wife came, as agreed, to the lodgings. 
 Sarah, at Christian's particular request, made 
 herself as attractive as possible, and evidently 
 took great pains to please Mrs. Harcourt, for 
 whom in a very short time, she began to enter- 
 tain great good-feeling. Nor was this unreci- 
 procated on Mrs. Harcourt's part. Although 
 generally calm and undemonstrative almost to 
 a fault, few people could make themselves more 
 attractive or engaging than Sarah, if she pleased. 
 The evening passed in conversation about their 
 different affairs and prospects in life. Christian 
 told his friend that he had almost secured — in 
 fact, he might say, quite secured — an excellent 
 house of lousiness, to which he hoped shortly to 
 remove. His prospects, he said, were of the 
 brightest, and he had no doubt he should do 
 extremely well. He then narrated the hand- 
 some behaviour of Mr. Desbrow on the oc- 
 casion, and Gideon told him he was not 
 at all surprised to hear it, from similar acts 
 of kindness and good feeling he had shown on 
 other occasions. After some warm compliments 
 on Mr. Desbrow' s behaviour had passed be-
 
 208 The Landlord of " The Sun.'' 
 
 tween tlie two friends, Gideon asked Sarah 
 whether she would not be very glad when she 
 was the mistress of her own house. 
 
 "Certainly," she replied; "who can doubt 
 it?" 
 
 " I think," said Christian, " few people ever 
 had better prospects to commence life with than 
 we have. I am fully convinced that in a short 
 time I shall be able to understand the business 
 thoroughly; and although, of course, Sarah 
 will not take the slightest open part in its man- 
 agement, yet she will assist me in keeping the 
 books, and other little duties of the kind. I 
 have no doubt, with such a helpmeet, I shall 
 rapidly get on, and, in time, become the pro- 
 prietor of a very different sort of establishment." 
 
 " But, Christian," said Sarah, " you surely 
 are not thinking of leaving the business already ? 
 Remember, ' a rolling stone gathers no moss,' 
 and you have a heavy debt to pay off." 
 
 «« Very true, my dear," said Christian, "but 
 I have no intention of playing the part of a 
 rolling stone ; nor should I dream of quitting 
 ' The Sun ' till I have paid off every farthing I 
 borrowed on it, and collected a good deal of 
 moss from it besides, and then I should look 
 out for a more respectable kind of business. 
 I daresay," he continued, laughing, and ad- 
 dressing Mrs. Harcourt, "you consider me
 
 Christian Married. 209 
 
 very ambitiouSj if such a term might be applied 
 in any way to a man in the humble position of 
 a tavern-keeper ; but, however, I admit my 
 weakness, and I hope you will not ridicule it." 
 
 " Indeed, Mr. Brandon, I have no right to 
 speak on the subject," replied Mrs. Har- 
 court, " for mj husband is inclined to in- 
 dulge in hopes a good deal more visionary, 
 perhaps, than yours. Whcit do you think? 
 He says that some day he expects to become 
 a member of the Bar, and then he is fully con- 
 vinced he shall be able to work his way up in the 
 world, which I consider a very visionary piece 
 of ambition on his part." 
 
 " Stop— stop !" said Gideon ; " do not go 
 on so fast, my dear. Remember, I only said 
 that I should entertain ideas of the kind if I 
 find my aunt is in possession of any sum of 
 money belonging to me ; and if that is the case, 
 I certainly should, if possible, carry out my 
 wishes." 
 
 " Have you heard anything more on that 
 subject ?" asked Christian. 
 
 " Nothing whatever," rephed Gideon ; " nor 
 shall I have time to make further inquiries for 
 some months to come. And really, Kate," he 
 continued, " I am rather angry with you for 
 having mentioned the subject, which I admit 
 appears ridiculous enough in one point of view ; 
 
 VOL. 1. P
 
 210 The LamUord of " The Sun:' 
 
 but it is getting late, and we have a long way 
 to go before we reach home, so the sooner you 
 put on your bonnet and shawl the better." 
 
 It would be useless detaining the reader with 
 the details of the little difficulties and impedi- 
 ments which occurred before Christian had the 
 sum of money he required, and the house com- 
 pletely transferred to him. It was, however, 
 at last satisfactorily accomplished, and he now 
 found himself regularly engaged in the battle 
 of life. Of the house itself, the more he ex- 
 amined it the better it pleased him. As the 
 sign is a somewhat common one, it might be 
 wrong to indicate the exact locality in which 
 the house was situated ; and to avoid the pos- 
 sibility of wounding the feelings of any, it 
 would, perhaps, be better to state that it was 
 situated in a respectable though densely- 
 crowded neighbourhood, without any other 
 establishment of the kind being in such close 
 proxiuiity as to occasion any rivalry between 
 them. The house was at the angle of a leading 
 thoroughfare, the business portion being in 
 front, with an entrance at the side ; and at the 
 extremity of the building was a private door, 
 by which Sarah and her friends could leave the 
 house with as much privacy as they pleased. 
 The trade-fittings, in every respect, were in a 
 satisfactory condition ; while the private apart-
 
 Christian Married. 211 
 
 ments in the rear were commodious in the ex- 
 treme, and so situated that Sarah would be 
 able, during her husband's absence, to keep a 
 watch over all that transpired without being 
 seen. 
 
 In learning the details of the business, Chris- 
 tian was assisted by a retired publican— a Mr. 
 Thornton, who initiated him into the mysteries 
 of the trade, and, in fact, was to reside in the 
 house till after the wedding was over, which was 
 to take place as soon as the furnishing had been 
 completed ; nor did Mr. Thornton relinquish 
 his management till the bride and bridegroom 
 returned from their honeymoon. The business 
 of furnishing went on rapidly and successfully 
 — so much so, that two months after the lease 
 and house had been assigned to Christian, the 
 weddino^-dav was fixed. 
 
 The courtship likewise progressed favourably, 
 the affection o*f the young couple appearing to 
 increase daily ; but to give anything like a des- 
 cription of their loves would be a difficult, if 
 not an impossible, task. In all novels there 
 appears to be a conventional manner in writing 
 of affairs of the kind, according to the different 
 stations in life of the lovers ; and an equally 
 conventional phraseology has been invented, 
 which, in ninety-nine cases out of a hundred, 
 is utterly unnatural. In the courtship of an 
 
 p 2
 
 212 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 interesting curate and an amiable young lady, the 
 conversations which take place between them, 
 though perhaps somewhat vapid, are generally a 
 melange of love and piety. In the courtship of 
 an officer in the army and a somewhat fast 
 young lady, the lover is generally curt and 
 haughty, if not rude, to others, while docile 
 and affectionate to his ladylove ; while, on her 
 part, she is scarcely less vapid than the beloved 
 of the curate. Aristocratic love-affairs are 
 generally tame in the extreme, though frequent- 
 ly held up as examples which it would be utterly 
 impossible for any not in the " upper ten thou- 
 sand" to imitate. For the lower ranks of 
 society — and among the working-classes in 
 particular — a phraseology has been invented 
 by novel-writers, and passes current as genuine 
 among novel-readers, which has not the slightest 
 similarity to that in use, as any person ac- 
 quainted with the humbler classes will admit. 
 
 In what manner, then, will it be possible to 
 place before the reader, in an interesting point 
 of view, the courtship between the young 
 tavern-keeper and the object of his affections r 
 To do so according to the received conventional 
 model, he should speak most ungrammatically, 
 whereas the English of our hero was exceed- 
 ingly pure and good. Nor is it possible to find 
 anything romantic in their evening walks in
 
 Christian Married. 213 
 
 tlie neiglibourliood of Blackfriars E-oad or the 
 New Cut, or even wlien occasionally extended 
 to Kenninofton Common or the Brixton E-oad. 
 In fact, all surrounding' tliem was common- 
 place and unromantic in the extreme, and yet, 
 with all these disadvantages, a handsomer or 
 more attractive young couple it would have 
 been difficult to find. Many were the persons 
 they met in their evening walks, who, after 
 having passed them, would turn round to cast 
 a glance of admiration at Sarah's slim graceful 
 figure, and the strong agile form of her lover. 
 It would have been difficult to imagine any- 
 thing more pure or ardent than was their love. 
 Sarah's almost amounted to adoration, and 
 Christian seemed to worship the beautiful girl 
 who had consented to join her lot with his. 
 
 The wedding-day was fast approaching, and the 
 dresses and paraphernalia for the occasion were 
 purchased. The wedding itself was to be an 
 exceedingly quiet one, the only persons invited 
 to attend being Mr. and Mrs. Harcourt and 
 Mr. Desbrow. The latter, however, in a very 
 kind letter, regretted it would be impossible 
 for him to be present, inasmuch as about that 
 time he should have occasion to leave London 
 for a fortnight. He wished the young couple 
 every happiness, which he had no doubt, from 
 what he knew of both, would bo their lot.
 
 214 The Landlord of " TJie Sun:' 
 
 Christian expressed himself greatly chagrined 
 at Mr. Desbrow being unable to join the wed- 
 ding-party, as also did Charlotte ; but Sarah 
 seemed too much occupied, at the time, with 
 some conversation she was having with the 
 milliner about her wedding-dress to take much 
 interest in what they were saying. 
 
 At length the wedding-day arrived, and 
 Christian, the happiest of men, after having 
 paid particular attention to his toilet, betook 
 himself to the church, there to await the arrival 
 of the bride and her party. After a short 
 delay, Sarah, accompanied by her sister, and 
 attended by a younger sister of Mrs. Harcourt, 
 who acted as bridesmaid, entered the church, 
 and they were soon after joined by Gideon and 
 his wife. Christian met her when she arrived, 
 and after the preliminary ceremonies were gone 
 through, the whole party placed themselves 
 before the altar. The service was performed 
 in a proper and edifying manner, and when 
 over, and they proceeded to leave the church, 
 they found that a considerable crowd had col- 
 lected to see them depart, and loud and com- 
 plimentary were the remarks made on the 
 beauty of the bride. On reaching the lodgiugs, 
 where breakfast had been prepared, they re- 
 mained for, perhaps, a couple of hours; the 
 ouly thing worthy of notice duriug the time
 
 Christian Married. 215 
 
 was the total absence of the speeches generally 
 made on such occasions, though, perhaps, no 
 wedding had ever taken place where the sym- 
 pathies of the guests were more warmly enlisted 
 in favour of the married couple than the pre- 
 sent. At last the coach was brought to the 
 door, and, after an affectionate leave-taking of 
 their kind friends. Christian and his bride 
 started on their wedding-trip.
 
 M 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 A CLOUD ON CHKISTIAN's HAPPINESS. 
 
 E/ THORNTON, in whose charge Chris- 
 tian had left his house of business during 
 his wedding trip, entered on his duties with 
 great alacrity and earnestness, hoping by the 
 end of the month, when Christian should re- 
 turn, to present him with such a report of 
 what had occurred during his absence as should 
 fully satisfy him of the excellent capabilities 
 of the business, and the bargain he had made 
 in purchasing it at the price he had paid for it. 
 He had formed, in his own mind, some idea of 
 what would be the total of the month's profits, 
 and the pleasure he should have in handing them 
 over to Christian. His duties, however, termi- 
 nated far sooner than he had anticipated. On 
 the afternoon of the third day after Christian's 
 departure, to his great surprise, a cab drew 
 up with Christian and his wife inside, and their 
 luggage on the roof. When the door was 
 opened, Mrs. Brandon hurried to the private
 
 A Cloud on Ghristian^s Haiipiness. 217 
 
 entrance, wbile Christian with the lu^fQ-aofe en- 
 tered by the front one. 
 
 When Mr. Tliornton came forward to meet 
 Christian, the latter accosted him in a somewhat 
 abrupt though by no means uncivil manner. 
 Perhaps it was rather the expression of anger 
 on his countenance than the words he uttered. 
 Mr. Thornton attributed his apparent coolness 
 to an altercation which had taken place between 
 Christian and the cabman, in which, it is but 
 justice to say, the former was to blame. After 
 a few commonplace observations, during which 
 Christian appeared greatly preoccupied, he and 
 his friend entered the private sitting-room at 
 the back of the building, where they found 
 Mrs. Brandon, seated on the sofa, with her 
 bonnet and shawl by her side, and wearing a 
 countenance scarcelv less disturbed than her 
 husband's. Although somewhat surprised at 
 the behaviour of both Christian and his wife, 
 Mr. Thornton had the good sense to make no 
 remark, but expressed his pleasure at seeing 
 her. Then, turning to Christian, he said : 
 
 " But, Brandon, what is the reason your 
 stay in the country has been so short ? Surely 
 you could not have doubted the interest I took 
 in your business, for I am by no means the 
 man to neglect any commission I have under- 
 taken ?"
 
 218 TJie Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 "My dear fellow," said Cliristiari, with a 
 sort of forced honliomie in his manner, " pray 
 do not imagine anything of the kind. I am 
 sure you would look after my interest quite as 
 keenly as, if not more so than, your own. 
 The fact is, that while in the country I received 
 some very unpleasant intelligence connected 
 with legal matters, and as I was hardl}^ man 
 of business enough to take the management of 
 it myself, after a little deliberation I determined 
 to come up to town and consult Mr. Desbrow. 
 You may easily imagine I should not have en- 
 joyed my stay at the seaside with a matter of 
 such importance hanging over me at the time." 
 
 Mr. Thornton perfectly agreed with Chris- 
 tian, and he then, turning to Mrs. Brandon, 
 asked her how she liked the idea of returning 
 so soon to town, and taking upon herself the 
 fatigue and anxieties of housekeeping. 
 
 " Oh," she replied, with something of forced 
 gaiety in her tone, " I like the idea immensely. 
 To tell you the truth, the two or three days 
 we were absent, I was continually wishing I 
 was back again in London, that I might com- 
 mence my new duties." 
 
 " And now, Brandon," said Mr. Thoraton, 
 " let me give you some idea of what has taken 
 place in your absence, and what I think of 
 your future prospects in this house. I may as
 
 A Cloud on Christianas Happiness, 219 
 
 well do so at once, as, now you have returned 
 to town, you will take the management your- 
 self; and I shall not be altogether sorry to go 
 to my own lodgings, as my wife has been rather 
 ailing, and I should like to be at home. When 
 I first took the management of this house, the 
 returns went on increasing, each day being 
 better than the former; but during the time 
 you have been in the country, trade seems to 
 have taken a fresh start, and the returns have 
 increased in a wonderful manner. I think your 
 prospects certainly are of the most brilliant. 
 I shall now leave you, but to-morrow morning 
 I will return, and hand you over the moneys I 
 have taken. But, before I go, 1 wish you 
 would add up the schedule I have made of 
 each day's returns, and see whether your total 
 corresponds with mine." So saying, he handed 
 a paper to Christian, in which the whole was 
 carefully drawn out. 
 
 " As you are beginning to talk of business," 
 said Mrs. Brandon, " I will leave you for the 
 present; but before I go, let me beg of you, 
 Mr. Thornton, at any rate to remain till tea is 
 over; for I want to have some conversation 
 with you respecting the house, that is to say, 
 as far as my duties are concerned, and I shall 
 feel aggrieved if you do not oblige me. Now, 
 promise you will stay with us."
 
 220 Tlie Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 Mr. Thornton, after a moment's hesitation, 
 promised to accede to her request, and Mrs. 
 Brandon then left the room. No sooner had 
 she gone than Mr. Thornton seated himself 
 beside Christian on the sofa, to audit with him 
 the accounts he had prepared. Although Mr. 
 Thornton explained them lucidly enough, Chris- 
 tian evidently had great diflSculty in under- 
 standing them, and at last, when he admitted 
 that they were correct, it was rather to con- 
 ceal his inability than from his really compre- 
 hending the question. "When he came to the 
 addition he was even more inapt, his mind 
 evidently being so preoccupied that it was im- 
 possible for him to add up the figures correctly. 
 At length Mr. Thornton said to him : 
 
 " I tell you what it is, Brandon — that law- 
 business of yours is running in your head, and 
 you are paying no attention to the subject 
 before you. I will place the paper on the 
 side-table, and perhaps in the evening you can 
 look over it yourself. But now come in front, 
 and let me explain to you the system I have 
 adopted for the carrying-on of the business, 
 which I think works well, but which of course 
 you can alter in any way you please." 
 
 The two friends conversed together till Mrs. 
 Brandon sent to tell them tea was ready, when 
 they joined her in the private sittiug-room.
 
 A Cloud on Christian'' s Happiness. 221 
 
 Sbe now appeared to have recovered from lier 
 fatigue, and was looking remarkably well, but still 
 with an anxious expression on her countenance. 
 During their meal she chatted incessantly with 
 Mr. Thornton, asking him an immense variety 
 of questions respecting the different people in 
 the neighbourhood, the character of the ser- 
 vants in the house, and other matters — all of 
 which would be uninteresting to the reader. 
 But, while talking with an excess of volubility, 
 it mio'ht have been remarked that, in the mul- 
 titude of questions she put to Mr. Thornton, 
 she very frequently seemed to pay but little 
 attention to his answers. This, however, he 
 did not appear to notice, and they continued 
 their conversation till it was time for him to 
 leave. For some time after he had quitted 
 the room, accompanied by Christian, who re- 
 mained superintending the business, Mrs. 
 Brandon was left in the parlour by herself. 
 At last, apparently tired of being alone, she 
 went upstairs to her bedroom. Her husband 
 met her at the foot of the stairs, and merely 
 said to her : 
 
 " Have you seen that the front room on the 
 second-floor has been prepared for me ?" 
 
 '• I have," she said, continuing her way up- 
 stairs, and Christian then returned to the 
 business portion of the premises.
 
 222 The Landlord of " The Siui 
 
 jj 
 
 When the house was closed, and the gas put 
 out, Christian returned to the sitting-room, and, 
 throwing himself in an easy-chair, remained for 
 some moments motionless. Suddenly his eye 
 fell on the balance-sheet which had been 
 drawn up by Mr. Thornton, and placed aside 
 for him to look over. He now took a pencil 
 from his pocket, and commenced adding up the 
 short row of figures prepared for him. Short, 
 however, as it was, he attempted to go over 
 it several times ; but before he had reached the 
 top, his mind evidently reverted to some other 
 subject, and he was obhged to recommence. 
 Over and over again he made the attempt to 
 add up that small column, and every time with- 
 out success. At last, cursing the paper, he 
 threw it from him on the floor, and again 
 seating himself in the easy- chair, soon fell into 
 a deep current of thought. 
 
 Judging from the frequent and long-drawn 
 sighs which escaped from his breast, the nature 
 of his meditations must have been painful in the 
 extreme. Then, again, he would appear to sink 
 almost into a state of unconsciousness, the only 
 proof to the contrary being the careworn sorrow- 
 ful expression on his countenance. In this 
 manner hour after hour passed — still Christian 
 remained motionless in his chair. At length, 
 apparently unknown to himself, the big tears
 
 A Cloud on Christian's Hapjnness. 223 
 
 gathered in his eye, and continued for some 
 time to roll down his face, until his attention 
 was called to the fact by a drop falling 
 on his hand. This had almost an electrical 
 effect on him. Dashing the tears away with 
 his hand, he rose from his chair, and gazed 
 angrily around him. Then again he appeared 
 on the point of resuming his seat, but 
 suddenly stopped, and, seizing a light, in a 
 hurried manner left the room, and in a short 
 time returned, carrying in his hand a tumbler 
 more than half filled with brandy, a portion of 
 which he swallowed, and then placed the re- 
 mainder on a little table by his side. The 
 spirit seemed to have a most restorative effect 
 upon his mind, but when he woke up to the 
 realities of life, the expression on his counte- 
 nance was of a most angry description. This 
 state of feeling he seemed rather to encourage 
 than otherwise, and in this he was greatly 
 assisted by his application to the glass of 
 spirits. At last it was completely emptied, 
 and Christian, then starting from his chair, 
 and with most intense fury painted on his 
 countenance, shook his fist at some imaginary 
 adversary, and, hurriedly quitting the parlour, 
 sought his own room. 
 
 The next morning husband and wife did not 
 meet at breakfast ; she, pleading indisposition,
 
 (C 
 
 224 Tlie Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 had remained m her bedroom. Early in the 
 forenoon Mr, Thornton called, and he and 
 Christian again went over the accounts which 
 had been prepared the day before. 
 
 And now, Brandon," said Mr. Thornton, 
 
 I will take my leave of you, and may every 
 success in life attend you and your excellent 
 wife !" 
 
 " Thank you, Mr. Thornton, for your good 
 wishes," said Mrs. Brandoii, who entered the 
 room at that moment. " If ever I want a 
 friend I shall apply to you." 
 
 " And you will not apply in vain, I can 
 assure you," said Mr. Thornton. " But now, 
 Brandon, can I be of any further use to 
 you? 
 
 " Well, I am much obliged to you, my dear 
 fellow ; but T don't think so, unless you could 
 look in for a moment this afternoon, as I am 
 going out." 
 
 " I will do so, if I possibly can," said Mr. 
 Thornton. " What time do you go ?" 
 
 "About two o'clock," replied Christian. 
 
 " I am afraid that will be rather early for me. 
 At any rate I will be here by three," and Mr. 
 Thornton then left the room. 
 
 During the morning not a word passed be- 
 tween Christian and his wife. This, however, 
 might certainly have been accounted for to a
 
 A Cloud on Christianas Uappiness. 225 
 
 considerable extent, both being occupied in 
 their several duties. Shortly before two 
 o'clock, Christian went up to his room, and 
 after dressing himself with a certain degree of 
 care, left the house — his wife, from the parlour- 
 window, watching him intently, to see which 
 road he took. No sooner was he out of sieht 
 than she hurried to her own room, and shortly 
 afterwards returned to the parlour equipped 
 for walking. Then, ringing the bell for her 
 maid, she told her, if anyone should call and 
 want her, or if Mr. Brandon returned, to say 
 she had gone to her sister's, but that she 
 should be back to tea. 
 
 Mrs. Brandon now left the house by the 
 private door, but a few minutes afterwards a 
 knock was heard at it, and, to the servant's 
 great surprise, her mistress re-entered the 
 house, and hurried into the parlour. 
 
 " Have you left anything behind you, 
 ma'am ?" asked the servant. 
 
 " No — nothing," said Mrs. Brandon, rather 
 sharply. 
 
 The girl, somewhat surprised at the irrita- 
 bility of manner her mistress displayed, looked 
 in her face, and noticing that she appeared 
 pale, asked if she were not well, and whether 
 she should get her anything. 
 
 " No — nothing, thank you," was the reply. 
 
 VOL. I. Q
 
 226 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 " Now leave me, there's a good girl ; I shall be 
 better presently." 
 
 No sooner had the sers^ant left the room, 
 than Mrs. Brandon, throwing off her bonnet, 
 flung herself on the sofa, where she remained 
 for some time almost as immovable as a statue. 
 Then, suddenly springing on her feet, she 
 exclaimed : " My God, what shall I do ! — what 
 shall I do ! where can I look for advice or 
 consolation ! I dare not speak to Charlotte, or 
 she would spurn me from her, and treat me as 
 an outcast. And yet there is no other of whom 
 I can ask advice. What am I to do ? Oh, 
 how I wish I were dead !" she continued, 
 wringing her hands. " Were it not for the sin 
 of taking my own life, I would kill myself 
 before an hour is over ; but live in this un- 
 happy manner I cannot, and am determined I 
 will not, come what may of it !" 
 
 An abundant flow of tears now came to Mrs. 
 Brandon's relief, and she continued sobbing 
 for some time. Afterwards, hearing Mr. 
 Thornton enter the house, and not wishing 
 him to perceive that she had been crying, she 
 ascended to her own room, and remained there 
 until the evening. It was somewhat late in 
 the afternoon when Christian returned, and 
 when he did he remained chatting with Mr. 
 Thornton for some time. In fact, Christian,
 
 A Cloud on Christian'' s Happiness. .227 
 
 who appeared sullen and irritable to all others, 
 had evidently taken him into great favour. 
 
 " I suppose," said Mr. Thornton to hiin, 
 when they had entered the sitting-room, " you 
 have been to your solicitor's this afternoon, 
 about the business which called you up to town. 
 I hope it is going on satisfactorily." 
 
 " Thank you," said Christian, somewhat 
 gloomily ; "I am sorry I have nothing very 
 favourable to report upon it. I shall hear, I 
 expect, some more news in the course of a few 
 days. However, let us hope for the best, and 
 that all will terminate well." 
 
 Mrs. Brandon now joined them, her eyes 
 somewhat swollen with weeping, though, 
 thanks to evening setting in, it was not noticed 
 by Mr. Thornton. 
 
 "Your husband tells me," said Mr. Thorn- 
 ton, " that he has been to his sohcitor's this 
 afternoon, but did not receive any favourable 
 intelligence respecting his lawsuit, though ho 
 expects something more on the subject in a 
 few days. I suppose you are as anxious about 
 it as he is ?" 
 
 " Yes, certainly — oh, of course I am," stam- 
 mered out Mrs. Brandon. 
 
 Poor Mr. Thornton's remark, though uttered 
 in perfect innocence, seemed to have produced 
 a most unfavourable impression on both hus- 
 
 Q 2
 
 228 The Landlord of " The Siinr 
 
 band and wife. Mrs. Brandon cast a c^lance of 
 unmistakable terror on her husband, while 
 Christian, on his part, seemed to be exceed- 
 ingly annoyed. Fancying Mr. Thornton noticed 
 the perturbation he was in, he merely said 
 to him : 
 
 " Thornton, my dear fellow, I always like to 
 beo-in as I mean to q:o on. Of course I should 
 never interfere in any manner whatever with 
 the duties of the house, and I have not the 
 shghtest intention of allowing my wife to in- 
 , terfere in my business-matters. Understand 
 me, however," he continued — assuming a 
 gaiety which was evidently far from natural — 
 " I say this with the most perfect good-feeling, 
 only I don't want Mrs. Brandon to think she is 
 to mix herself up in my business affairs in any 
 manner whatever." 
 
 " Oh, of course not," said Mrs. Brandon ; 
 " I should not wish for anything of the kind, 
 my dear. The duties I have to perform, I 
 find, are quite enough for me, and I do not 
 care to increase them by having further anxie- 
 ties." And here she lauofhed so artificiallv that 
 Mr. Thornton easily perceived it was not 
 
 genume. 
 
 The sullen expression on the faces of both 
 husband and wife still continuing, excited the 
 attention of Mr. Thornton. He could not
 
 A Cloud on Christianas Uaioiyiness. 229 
 
 divest himself of tlie idea that there was some 
 ill-feehng existing between them, and he felt 
 considerable sorrow at the discovery. He 
 glanced from one to the other for some mo- 
 ments with an anxious and curious expression, 
 while the knowledge that he was scrutinising 
 them narrowly increased their ill-humour, and 
 the three sat for some time with hardly any 
 conversation passing between them. At last 
 the silence became insupportable, and Mrs. 
 Brandon, hastily rising from her chair, said : 
 '' I am sure, Mr. Thornton, you must be 
 hungry; let me get you, some refreshment." 
 
 "Thank you," said Mr'." Thornton; "I am 
 very much obliged to you, but I have already 
 dined. But now, if I can be of no further use 
 to you, I will take my leave." 
 
 Both Christian and his wife would willingly 
 have said something civil in reply, but unfor- 
 tunately, their minds were so preoccupied that 
 neither could conjure up a single sentence. 
 They shook hands with Mr. Thornton, however, 
 when he left, and both Christian and his wife 
 evidently felt it a relief when he had gone,' 
 notwithstanding the heavy obligations they 
 were under to him. 
 
 But Mr. Thornton was not the only person 
 who had noticed the coolness existing between 
 Mr. and Mrs. Brandon. Almost every servant
 
 230 The Landlord of " The Sim:' 
 
 employed in the establishment had done so, and 
 had already begun to pass their remarks very 
 freely on the subject, although they succeeded 
 in concealing their suspicions from their master 
 and mistress. In consequence of this discovery, 
 the element of disorganisation had, even on 
 this the second day that Christian had exercised 
 his functions as landlord of " The Sun," begun 
 to make its appearance in the establishment. 
 The barman and cellarman both noticed, and 
 commented on, the extraordinary frame of mind 
 of their employer, and others in the house did 
 the same. Sometimes he would follow them, 
 and inspect them in their duties in a manner 
 almost offensive, while at others he seemed 
 utterly indifferent to anything they were doing. 
 The two maidservants were not less acute in 
 their observations on their mistress. At times, 
 though but rarely, she would show consider- 
 able petulance in speaking of their duties, but 
 they could easily perceive that at others she 
 was totally oblivious to what was passing 
 around her. They also noticed that at dinner, 
 after Mr. Thornton had quitted them, not a 
 word passed between husband and wife, and 
 they rightly concluded that some serious mis- 
 understanding had occurred. This was com- 
 municated to the male officials of the house, 
 who, in their turn, informed the female ser-
 
 A Cloud on Ghridian^s Happiness. 231 
 
 vants of tlieir own experience on the subject. 
 Of course, as early as their second day of 
 residence in town, no direct breach of discipline 
 or impropriety occurred. Still, it was a " house 
 divided against itself," and unless some for- 
 tunate circumstance took place to put things 
 on a better footing, there was too much reason 
 to believe the results mio-ht be of a disastrous 
 description. The second evening Mrs. Brandon 
 retired to her room at an early hour, and her 
 husband, after the house was closed, seated 
 himself for some time in solitude in the parlour. 
 He did not, however, remain there as long as 
 on the previous evening. Finding his accession 
 of low spirits beginning, and remembering 
 the salutary effects the brandy had produced on 
 him the evening before, at a very early hour 
 he applied to it for consolation. On this occasion 
 the spirit had not the same effect on him as then, 
 although the quantity he consumed was perhaps 
 laro-er. It seemed rather to have the effect of 
 raising a reckless frame of mind. He attempted 
 to reflect on his present position, but he did 
 so in a lazy and indifferent mood. He seemed 
 to feel a sort of apathy for all things, and this 
 increased as he drank on, till at last it reached 
 to such an extent, that had he been told, the 
 following morning, an execution would be put 
 in the house for rent, and his goods and lease
 
 232 The Landlord of " The Simr 
 
 sold, it would hardly have caused him any sur- 
 prise or uneasiness. His glass empty, he now 
 sought his bedroom, and, dressed as he was, 
 threw himself on the bed, and a few minutes 
 afterwards was fast asleep. 
 
 The next three days followed without any- 
 thing particularly worthy of remark. Husband 
 and wife met but rarely, and then no conversa- 
 tion passed between them. Even at their din- 
 ner (the only meal at which they met), absolute 
 silence was maintained on both sides. At the 
 same time a marked difference was perceptible 
 on the faces of the unhappy couple. On Chris- 
 tian's was an expression of stern sullen anger, 
 which he evidently tried to subdue, but which, 
 in spite of his efforts, seemed to threaten that an 
 ebullition of violent passion might the next 
 moment burst out. The expression on the face 
 of his wife, however, was that of deep melan- 
 choly, and frequently she was seen in tears. 
 
 Christian, during the day, was occupied in 
 his business, but his supervision of it seemed to 
 lack that continuous interest which a young 
 tradesman generally shows to his affairs when 
 he first starts in life. As before stated, after 
 his arrival, he would occasionally watch, almost 
 in a vexatious manner, the behaviour of those 
 employed in his service, and if anything met his 
 disapprobation, he would express himself in
 
 A Cloud on Christianas Hcq^inness. 233 
 
 very strong language. At other times lie would 
 seat himself in his parlour with the newspaper 
 before him, or else sit moodily watching the 
 fire for hours together. Neither husband nor 
 wife seemed to have the slightest inclina- 
 tion to utter a word. The supervision Chris- 
 tian gave to his servants by no means increased 
 their efficiency, while the neglect he afterwards 
 showed allowed them far too great an amount 
 of latitude, of which they took full advantage. 
 Even during the few days which had elapsed 
 since the departure of Mr. Thornton, a visible 
 deterioration had taken place in the manage- 
 ment and business of the house. 
 
 On the afternoon of the fourth day Mr. Des- 
 brow called. He was received by Christian 
 (who evidently had been expecting him) with 
 great warmth, and conducted by him into the 
 parlour. As soon as the door was closed, Mr. 
 Desbrow, on whose countenance was stamped 
 an expression of deep sorrow, began the con- 
 versation : 
 
 " My dear friend," he said, " I much regret 
 to tell you that what I imagined your unjusti- 
 fiable suspicions concerning your wife, which 
 you imparted to me the day after your arrival, 
 have turned out, to a considerable extent, to be 
 but too true. The day after you had left me I 
 commenced, as I promised, to make inquiries on
 
 234 The Landlord of " The Sun. 
 
 jj 
 
 the subject, though for some time with but httle 
 effect. At last I discovered that, during the 
 time your wife was at the school in which I had 
 placed her (she was then, I should say, a mere 
 child, being scarcely more than sixteen years of 
 age), she fell a victim, I understand, to the 
 arts of the French master of the establishment 
 — a plausible, handsome, worthless fellow, who 
 ought never to have been employed in a 
 capacity of the kind, and the result was that 
 Sarah became a mother." 
 
 " But were you never informed of the fact ?" 
 asked Christian. 
 
 " Never !" said Mr. Desbrow, with some- 
 thing like indignation in his tone — " never !" 
 
 *' And how was it concealed ?" 
 
 " The mistress, after she had discovered the 
 truth," replied Mr. Desbrow, " immediately 
 dismissed the French master; and, partly to 
 avoid the scandal which she feared might attach 
 itself to her school, partly, perhaps, actuated 
 by a feeling of humanity towards Sarah herself, 
 took lodgingfs for her at a town some little 
 distance from her house, where she remained 
 until the child was born, which died about a 
 week after its birth. As soon as Sarah had 
 recovered, the schoolmistress again sent for 
 her, and she resumed her studies." 
 
 Poor Christian now placed his hands before
 
 A Cloud on Christian's Happiness. 235 
 
 Ms face, and wept bitterly, yet made no remark. 
 
 '' Nay, my dear fellow," said Mr. Desbrow, 
 in a tone of kindness, " do not grieve in that 
 manner. Unfortunately it cannot be helped, and, 
 angry as I am with her (and I need hardly tell 
 you, had I been informed of the circumstance, 
 you should have been made aware of it before 
 she was finally engaged to you), it must be 
 admitted that her conduct since has been 
 perfectly irreproachable. Nor do I say this 
 without due consideration, for I have made 
 strict inquiries of those with whom she has 
 been acquainted, and have received most favour- 
 able answers from all. But now, tell me, does 
 she know you have spoken to me on the 
 subject ?" 
 
 " She does not," said Christian. " I have had 
 no conversation with her whatever. My mind 
 at the present moment is too unsettled to trace 
 out any positive plans for the future, be^^ond 
 that I will never speak to her again." 
 
 " But remember," said Mr. Desbrow, "you 
 will have great difficulty in releasing yourself 
 from her. I hardly know even whether you 
 will succeed, and if you did, the proceedings 
 would be both expensive and derogatory. Of 
 course, if it is your settled determination not 
 to live with her, it is not for me to offer any 
 opposition.' 
 
 )>
 
 236 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 " To avoid scandal," said Christian, '^I will 
 allow her to remain in my house for some time 
 longer, on condition that a thorough separation 
 takes place between us ; and, as I said before, 
 as soon as my mind becomes somewhat clearer, 
 I will decide upon what steps I shall take for 
 the future. But," he continued, turning 
 sharply round on Mr, Desbrow, " can you not 
 advise me on the subject ?" 
 
 " Candidly, Brandon, I would not attempt 
 to do so until you have yourself positively 
 made up your mind. Then, so indignant am I 
 with her for her behaviour, I will assist you in 
 carrying out any plan you may decide on." 
 
 " But I tell you," said Christian, " on the 
 main point I have already decided : I will no 
 longer live with her, although I wish the separ- 
 ation to be effected with as little scandal as 
 possible." 
 
 " Still," said Mr. Desbrow, slowly and em- 
 phatically, and looking fixedly at Christian 
 while he spoke — " though, mark me, I do not 
 "wish to offer any advice — I have frequently 
 noticed in circumstances of the kind (for, un- 
 fortunately, such irregularities are far more 
 common than you imagine), that by subsequent 
 good behaviour on the part of the wife, her 
 prenuptial fault is often overlooked." 
 
 " Do you imagine, sir," said Christian to
 
 A Cloud on Ghristian^s Happiness. 237 
 
 him, sternly, " that it would be so in my case ? 
 If you do, you know but little of me. No," 
 he continued, tears gathering in his eyes as he 
 spoke ; " before I married her, no man ever 
 loved woman more faithfully or ardently than 
 I loved her. I would willingly, and without 
 the slightest hesitation, have laid down my life 
 rather than any ill should have befallen her. 
 In so high estimation did I hold her, that when 
 reflecting on my married life, it appeared to 
 me that whatever fatisrues or anxieties I miofht 
 experience in the duties of my calling, they 
 would be as completely absorbed or obliterated 
 in her society as if they had never occurred. 
 And what is the result ? I find she has de- 
 ceived me in the grossest manner, and from 
 that one fact I should never be able to place 
 the slightest reliance on anything she ever 
 said or did. Now, instead of seeking for con- 
 solation or happiness in her society, on the 
 rare occasions I meet with her, her presence 
 is a very curse to me ; for it not only tells me 
 the infamous deception she has practised upon 
 me, but at the same time taunts me with my 
 folly in having drawn the pictures of future 
 happiness which I did, and which have ended 
 in nothing but bitter disappointment. No, 
 Mr. Desbrow, there is not the slightest proba- 
 bility of our living together as husband and
 
 238 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 wife. I would sooner liaug myself to the door- 
 post than that such a thing should take place ! 
 And now, having heard ray fixed determina- 
 tion, let me again implore you to advise me 
 what steps to take in the matter, so that the 
 separation may be effected, in the quietest 
 possible manner." 
 
 Mr. Desbrow remained for some moments 
 silent, as if in deep thought, and then said to 
 Christian : " I may assume, then, that your 
 determination to separate from your wife is 
 inflexible ?" 
 
 " Perfectly so," said Christian. 
 
 " Well, then," said Mr. Desbrow, " as I am 
 certain you would wish to do her reputation no 
 injury, I should say that, after a short time, 
 under the plea of ill-health or some other ex- 
 cuse, she had better quit your house and re- 
 side in the country, and then after a time the 
 question of a final separation might be enter- 
 tained." 
 
 " But should she object to it," asked 
 Christian, " have I the power to insist on 
 it ?" 
 
 " Certainly not," replied Mr. Desbrow. 
 " The only way that it could be done would be 
 to get some mutual friend to speak to her on the 
 subject, and by degrees to get her to enter- 
 tain it."
 
 A Gloud on Christianas Happiness. 239 
 
 "Would you kindly undertake tliat task?" 
 said Christian. 
 
 " Frankly, I would rather not," replied Mr. 
 Desbrow. 
 
 " Then," said Christian, " I know of no 
 one else to whom I could apply. If I appeal 
 to her sister, it is more than probable she 
 might advise Sarah — my wife I mean, for I 
 will never call her by that name again — to set 
 me at defiance, and remain where she is, and 
 perhaps she may even have been a party to the 
 deception herself." 
 
 " On that point," said Mr. Desbrow, "I am 
 fully persuaded she knows nothing about it, 
 though I hardly think she would be the person 
 to apply to." 
 
 " To whom, then, can I apply but to your- 
 self ?" said Christian. " I can speak to no 
 other without informing him of my own dis- 
 honour." 
 
 "Stop, Brandon," said Mr. Desbrow; "dis- 
 honour is hardly the word to be applied to you. 
 That you have been deceived is perfectly true, 
 but through no fault of your own, and every- 
 one who knows anything of the circumstances 
 of the case must sympathise with you. If, 
 however, you have so strong an aversion to 
 make a confidant of any other person, painful 
 as the commission would be to me, I would
 
 240 The Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 undertake it for you, though you would greatly 
 oblige me by relieving me from it." 
 
 "Nay," said Christian ; "after having said 
 so much, pray do not waver. And it appears 
 to me that the sooner she is put in possession 
 of my intentions the better, as then we shall 
 be able, for the time that she remains here, to 
 carry on the affairs of the house with less ap- 
 pearance to the servants of open hostility than 
 is the case at present. She is at home now, 
 and if you will allow me I will send for her, 
 and then leave you to speak to her. I am sure 
 she would pay more attention to you than to 
 any other person. ISTow, let me call her." So 
 saying, he rose from his chair and rang the 
 bell, and a moment afterwards the servant 
 appeared. 
 
 " Is your mistress in her bedroom ?" Chris- 
 tian inquired, 
 
 " She is, sir." 
 
 " Tell her, then, that Mr. Desbrow is here, 
 and wishes to have some conversation with her, 
 as soon as she can conveniently see him." 
 
 The servant left the room, and shortly re- 
 turned again, and said to Christian : "I gave 
 your message to my mistress, sir, and she told 
 me to tell the gentleman she intended to re- 
 main in her room all the day, and could not 
 see him."
 
 A Cloud on Christian s Hcqjpiness. 241 
 
 " But you surely could not have given her my 
 inessao;e ?" said Christian. 
 
 " Oh yes, sir, I did ; and I also said that 
 you wanted her to come down as well, but she 
 merely repeated her answer, and told me to 
 leave the room." 
 
 "Very well," said Christian, " that will do." 
 Then, turning to Mr. Desbrow, his countenance 
 inflamed with passion, he said : " I am afraid 
 the task you have been kind enough to take 
 upon yourself will be a somewhat difl&cult 
 
 one." 
 
 '• Possibly it may," said Mr. Desbrow, 
 calmly, '" but you must not hurry matters with 
 her. No doubt she is now aware that I know 
 the whole of the circumstances, and is ashamed 
 to see me, and that is natural enough. How- 
 ever, I will call occasionally at the house, and 
 possibly I may meet her ; and if once I can 
 enter into conversation with her, I will try 
 what I can do to carry out your views. But 
 now, good-bye, my dear friend, for I think I 
 can do nothing more for you at present. 
 Should you at any time wish to see me, either 
 call or drop me a line, and I shall always be 
 at your service." 
 
 VOL. I. K
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 christian's singular behaviour to his wife. 
 
 DURING the next fortniglit Mr. Desbrow 
 called several times at " The Sun," for 
 the purpose of obtaining an interview with 
 Mrs. Brandon, but without success. When 
 the maidservant took the message, " that he 
 wished to speak to her," she invariably sent 
 back a civil answer, declining the meeting on 
 the plea of indisposition, or of being par- 
 ticularly engaged. So great seemed her dread 
 of meeting him, that she requested her servant 
 to ask the barman, and other persons emplo^^ed 
 in the business portion of the house, to give 
 notice whenever they saw him enter, so that 
 she might have an opportunity of escaping to 
 her bedroom should she be in the parlour at 
 the time. In the meanwhile Christian became 
 each day more anxious that some definite ar- 
 rangement should be arrived at. One day he 
 entered the house just as Mr. Desbrow was
 
 Christianas Behaviour to his Wife. 243 
 
 leaving it, and he invited hira to accompany 
 liim to the parlour. When they were alone, 
 Christian asked if he had yet succeeded in 
 obtaining an interview with Mrs. Brandon. 
 
 Mr. Desbrow replied that he had not, and 
 that he thought it would be better, perhaps, 
 not to make any further attempt for the pre- 
 sent. " At the same time," he continued, " I 
 think her conduct very unreasonable. She 
 might be perfectly assured, from the kindness 
 I have invariably shown her, that, deeply as I 
 grieve at her fault, she would receive no re- 
 proach from me, but, on the contrary, that I 
 would do everything I could to serve her." 
 
 " But I trust, Mr. Desbrow," said Christian, 
 " you will make another attempt. I am very 
 sorry you should have received such treatment 
 from her. T have not interfered in any way, 
 as I dreaded speaking to her on the subject, 
 lest my temper should give way; but I will 
 abstain no longer. When we meet at dinner 
 to-day, I will bring the matter before her, and 
 insist on her allowing you an interview, espe- 
 cially as you desire it on my behalf" 
 
 " Well," said Mr. Desbrow, " I shall have 
 much pleasure in attending any appointment 
 she may make. At the same time, you will 
 easily believe it is unpleasant for me to be call- 
 ing continually without being able to obtain an 
 
 R 2
 
 244 The Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 interview with lier ; and tlie more so as I have 
 seen certain signs of intelhgence pass between 
 the persons in your employ, at the constant 
 refusals I receive." 
 
 "I will, as I said before, speak to her to-day, 
 and insist on her naming a time to see you, if 
 you will call again." 
 
 This being agreed, Mr, Desbrow left the 
 house. When Christian and his wife met at 
 dinner that day, the habitual moody silence 
 which reigned at their meals was for some time 
 observed between them, and continued till Mrs. 
 Brandon rose to leave the room. Christian 
 then hastily said to her, with considerable 
 anger in his tone : 
 
 "Stop, one moment; I wish to speak to 
 you. I have requested my friend Mr Desbrow 
 to see you, about an arrangement I wish 
 entered into, and which, if carried out, will be 
 better for both of us. He tells me that, al- 
 though he has called frequently, you have in- 
 variably refused to see him. Now, I request 
 this may no longer be the case. All I require 
 is that you should have one interview with hira, 
 and I think he would make such a proposition 
 as you would not fail to accept." 
 
 " If you have any proposal to make," said 
 Sarah, " why not speak to me yourself? — why 
 employ Mr. Desbrow ?"
 
 Ghristian^s Behaviour to his Wife. 245 
 
 " Because I do not choose to have any com- 
 munication with you, or speak or reason with 
 you, OD any subject whatever, and that you 
 know perfectly well. Mr. Desbrow, on the con- 
 trary, would act as a friend to us both, and a 
 satisfactory arrangement might be arrived 
 at." 
 
 " But [ will not see Mr. Desbrow," said 
 Sarah, now using more determination in her 
 tone than she had hitherto shown ; " and I 
 hope you will not press me to do so, as it will 
 oblige me to do what would cause me great 
 pain." 
 
 "And what is that?" 
 
 " Positively to refuse to obey you. I will 
 allow no third person to interfere in my affairs, 
 no matter whether man or woman," 
 
 " But I insist on being obeyed !" said Chris- 
 tian, now getting into a violent passion. " I 
 shall write to Mr. Desbrow, naming some day 
 for him to call, and you must see him when he 
 comes." 
 
 " And what will be the result of my refusal, 
 which he will certainly receive ?" said Sarah. 
 *' It is better that we come to some definite 
 understanding on the subject, at any rate as 
 far as Mr. Desbrow is concerned." 
 
 " What would be the result ?" said Christian, 
 in a voice almost inarticulate with passion.
 
 246 The Landlord of " 11 te Sun. 
 
 j> 
 
 " That you will positively drive me to turn you 
 out of the house !" 
 
 " Do so," said Sarah, calmly ; " I would 
 prefer it of the two. No, Christian," she cou- 
 tiuued, bursting into tears ; " although it is 
 my wish to submit to you, iu most things, as 
 implicitly and humbly as it is possible for a 
 human being to do, there are certain points on 
 which I am determined, and on which no power 
 shall change me. One of these is, that I will 
 not allow Mr. Desbrow to interefere between us." 
 So saying, and hastily wiping the tears from 
 her eyes, she left the parlour, and, disregarding 
 her husband's angrily expressed order to come 
 back, she rushed upstairs into her bedroom, 
 nor did she leave it again during the day. 
 
 Christian's anger, after his wife had left him, 
 was so great, that he found it impossible to bring 
 his mind to bear upon any subject, and fearing 
 that he might be looked upon with curiosity by 
 the persons in his employ, and dreading their 
 ridicule, he seized his hat and hurriedly left 
 the house. Without objects, he wandered for 
 some hours about the streets, till evening fairly 
 closed in, and then returned home. He now 
 attempted to employ himself in his business, 
 but with very little efficiency. Still he kept on 
 till business hours were over. Then, taking a 
 bottle of brandy and a glass, lie entered the par-
 
 Christian s Behaviour to liis Wife. 247 
 
 lour, and, seating himself in his easy-chair, began 
 to reflect over his position, with the wish, if 
 possible, to decide on some definite course of 
 action. But he was now fairly puzzled what to 
 do. He was already sufficiently acquainted 
 with his wife's temper to know that, if she had 
 definitely made up her miud upon a subject, it 
 was useless to attempt to make her alter it. 
 And yet, what further steps could he take ? 
 He did not wish the scandal of an open rupture, 
 and there appeared no alternative unless he 
 allowed her to remain with him in the house. 
 
 He now applied, as unfortunately he was 
 rapidly getting into the habit of doing, to the 
 spirit-bottle to inspire him. It answered his 
 appeal, certainly, but in a vague and unsatis- 
 factory manner. One moment it advised him 
 to secretly dispose of the lease and goodwill of 
 his business, and escape with the amount it 
 realized to some foreign country ; but as the 
 action of the spirit he had swallowed began to 
 diminish, a powerful objection to such a course 
 presented itself. Indignant as he was at the 
 deception practised on him by his wife, his 
 better feelings revolted at the idea of leaving 
 her utterly destitute. He remained in doubt 
 on the subject for some time, and then made a 
 second application to the bottle. The spirit he 
 swallowed had the effect of again raising his anger
 
 248 The Landlord of " The Simr 
 
 against his wife, and lie resolved to carry out 
 the idea of sellino^ his business and leavins^ Eno^- 
 land. He now began to reflect in what manner it 
 could be done, when, this time, an insuperable 
 objection presented itself to him : the lease of 
 the house was held by Mr. Desbrow, as se- 
 curity for the money which had been advanced 
 on it, and it was impossible to dispose of it 
 without that gentleman's consent, which he 
 was perfectly well aware he would never be 
 able to obtain. Then, again, other ideas 
 passed through his mind, all of which — even in 
 his then half-drunken state — after a moment's 
 consideration, he perceived to be impractic- 
 able. 
 
 He now attempted to drown all thoughts on 
 the subject by drinking, and so fully succeeded, 
 that at last, seated in his chair as he was, he 
 fell into a heavy slumber, from which he did 
 not awake till the next morning. His cellar- 
 man, who slept in the house, had arisen for the 
 purpose of commencing his daily duties, and 
 in passing the parlour-door, which was partially 
 open, saw his master, with the half-emptied 
 brandy-bottle and the glass by his side, utterly 
 unconscious. The man — who had too much 
 experience in cases of the kind not to be per- 
 fectly aware of the cause of his master's con- 
 dition — advanced towards him, and, gently
 
 Christian'' s Behaviour to his Wife. 249 
 
 sliakiDg Lira by the shoulder, asked if he did 
 not thiDk he had better go to bed. 
 
 It was some moments before Christian could 
 recover his senses sufficiently to realise the 
 position he was in. At length he somewhat 
 succeeded, and told the man that, in conse- 
 quence of the fatigue he had experienced 
 the day before, he had fallen asleep in his 
 chair. 
 
 " Ah yes, sir, I see," said the cellarman ; 
 "but don't you think you had better let me 
 help you upstairs ?" 
 
 " Certainly not," said Brandon angrily ; 
 " why should you help me ? I can go well 
 enough by myself — can't I ?" and he rose from 
 his seat, for the purpose of leaving the room. 
 His legs, however, tottered under him, and he 
 was oblio^ed to hold the back of a chair to 
 keep himself from falling. When he had some- 
 what recovered himself, he still refused to re- 
 ceive the man's assistance, and, staggering 
 out of the room, made for the staircase. 
 
 The man, knowing full well how useless it 
 would be to argue with his master in such a 
 state, left him to himself; and Christian con- 
 tinued stumbling upstairs, till he had reached the 
 landing-place opening into his own room, when 
 he laid himself down on the floor, and there re- 
 mained till the maidservant, who was passing,
 
 250 The Landlord of " Tlie Sim:' 
 
 saw liira. Slie aroused him, and Cliristian 
 made another attempt to reach his bed-room, 
 which he managed to do, and flinging himself 
 on the bed, was soon fast asleep. 
 
 It may easily be imagined that the disgrace- 
 ful conduct of the master of the house was soon 
 known to the whole of the servants, and fully 
 commented upon, although, of course, no men- 
 tion was made of it to him. As for Christian, 
 it was some days before he fairly recovered 
 from the effects of his drunken fit. Durino; the 
 time his wife and he occasionally met, but no 
 conversation passed between them, nor was the 
 subject of Mr. Desbrow's visit again alluded to. 
 In fact, a singular change seemed about taking 
 place in Christian's temper and manner of 
 thinking. The high state of nervous irritability 
 he had been in appeared to subside, and a 
 sullen sort of apathy, with occasional bursts of 
 ill-temper, supplied its place. This, probably, 
 might be accounted for from the fact, that as soon 
 as he had recovered from the state of intoxica- 
 tion in which he was discovered by the cellar- 
 man, he determined that it should never occur 
 again; but, by way of compensating himself 
 for the privation, he resolved to drink secretly 
 and with moderation, and, wishing to keep the 
 knowledge of the practice fron his servants, he 
 placed some spirits, in a closet, in his room, of
 
 Christian s Beliaviom- to Ids Wife. 251 
 
 wliicli lie continually drank, tliougli a very 
 small portion at a time. 
 
 Christian now began to show great indiffer- 
 ence to everything that was going on around 
 him. Although he treated his wife with the 
 same cold reserved manner, he did not seem 
 to entertain the idea of separation. Mrs. 
 Brandon, on her part, behaved to her husband 
 with quiet submission, never thrusting her con- 
 versation on him ; and while, from careless- 
 ness, her husband's business was daily getting 
 into a disorganised state, the domestic duties, 
 under her own superintendence, were carried 
 on in a most efficient manner. In this way 
 things went on, till at last they seemed to have 
 settled down into a chronic state, which neither 
 husband nor wife appeared inclined to disturb. 
 
 It was nearly a month after Christian's mar- 
 riage when his wife's sister called at " The 
 Sun," to inquire when the newly-married 
 couple were expected home, as, from not hav- 
 ing heard from them, she had become some- 
 what uneasy on their behalf. On asking the 
 maidservant, who opened the door, when she 
 expected her master and mistress to arrive in 
 London, to her great surprise, she heard they 
 had been home more than three weeks. On 
 inquiring whether they were then in the house, 
 the servant told her that Mr. Brandon was
 
 252 The Landlord of " The Sun 
 
 J5 
 
 absent for the moment, but she thought that 
 Mrs. Brandon was at home. Charlotte was 
 then ushered into the parlour, and the girl 
 inquired her name, that she might take it to 
 her mistress. 
 
 " Merely tell her," was Charlotte's reply, 
 " that I am her sister, and should much like to 
 see her." 
 
 The girl remained motionless a moment, and 
 then said, " Oh, ma'am, how pleased I am you 
 have come ! I wish you'd been here a fortnight 
 
 ago." 
 
 " Why ?" inquired Charlotte, in a tone of 
 alarm. "Your mistress is not ill, is she ?" 
 
 " Oh no, ma'am, not worth mentioning ; 
 and perhaps it's not my duty to speak on the 
 subject at all," replied the girl. " But she 
 appears so dreadfully unhappy — it quite goes 
 to my heart to see her. She seems to have no 
 one whom she can speak to, or give her any 
 advice, or soothe her in her sorrow." 
 
 " Has anything happened to her, then ?" 
 said Charlotte, now greatly terrified. 
 
 "No, ma'am; but things don't go on at all 
 comfortably between her and master. I'd 
 rather not say anything further ; and you had 
 better see her, and judge for yourself. I will 
 run up and say you are here, and no doubt 
 she'll come down directly."
 
 Christianas Behaviour to his Wife. 253 
 
 The servant then left the room ; and a few- 
 moments afterwards Sarah hurriedly rushed 
 down stands, and, entering the parlour, flung 
 herself into her sister's arms. After kissino; 
 her affectionately, she laid her face on her 
 bosom, and burst into tears. It was some 
 time before Charlotte could manage to obtain 
 any control over her sister ; but at last she led 
 her to the sofa, though Sarah continued to sob 
 convulsively. When she appeared somewhat 
 calmer, Charlotte implored her to tell her wdiat 
 had occurred to cause her so much sorrow, 
 and whether she could not lielp her in any 
 way. 
 
 "No, Charlotte," replied Sarah, evading her 
 sister's question ; " you cannot help me in any 
 way, nor can anyone else. Would to Heaven 
 I had taken your advice and never married !" 
 
 " Sarah," said Charlotte, " I felt convinced 
 at the time that vou did not love that man, 
 and I find I am not mistaken." 
 
 "Not love him !" exclaimed Sarah, with 
 considerable animation. " I tell you that I 
 loved him as dearly as it was possible for 
 woman to love man, and I love him as dearly 
 now. I would willingly sacrifice my life to 
 save his, or to insure his happiness ; and it 
 may probably come to that, after all." 
 
 How is it possible, Sarah, I can under- 
 
 C(
 
 254 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 stand when you speak in sucli a contradictory 
 manner ?" 
 
 " No, Charlotte," said Sarah, turning round, 
 and again throwing her arms round her sister's 
 neck ; " nor can anyone else, and I hope to 
 God no one ever will know the cause of my 
 sorrow ! But let us say no more about it, for 
 it can do no good ; so, like a good dear crea- 
 ture, don't speak of it again. Now, come 
 upstairs, and take off your bonnet and shawl, 
 and spend the evening with me. You don't 
 know how great a charity it will be. If Bran- 
 don comes in — and I expect him presently — • 
 take no notice if he beliaves rather coldly to 
 me. Put up with it, dear, for my sake, and I 
 will ever bless you for your kindness. Come 
 with me, now, to my room, and tell me all 
 you have been doing since we parted. Do not 
 think it unkind that I did not write to tell you 
 we had arrived in London ; but I did not like 
 you to see me unhappy." 
 
 When Christian returned home, he found 
 Charlotte seated in the parlour with his wife. 
 At first he seemed undetermined what sort of a 
 reception to give her, and looked at her for a 
 moment in a hesitating and suspicious manner. 
 Charlotte, however, being a strong-minded 
 woman, and possessing great nerve, had 
 already fixed upon the line of conduct she
 
 CJwistian^s Behaviour to his Wife. 255 
 
 should adopt towards him ; and when he 
 entered the room, she advanced towards him, 
 and, taking his hand, presented her cheek, 
 which, after a moment's hesitation, he kissed, 
 — and yet seemed hardly conscious of what he 
 was doing. Charlotte then inquired after his 
 health, and expressed her pleasure at seeing 
 him. Brandon stammered out some unintelli- 
 gible remark, and then, offering Charlotte a 
 chair, took another himself. 
 
 A dead silence for some moments ensued, 
 and a feeling of embarrassment pervaded 
 all three. Charlotte was the first to recover 
 herself. With a perfectly composed expression 
 on her countenance, she asked Christian how 
 he liked the business he had entered into, and 
 whether it answered his expectations. 
 
 Christian, who seemed thankful to her for 
 relieving him from the oppression he was 
 labouring under, replied, with great civility 
 both in tone and manner, that he liked his 
 business well, and, as far as he had seen had 
 every reason to be content with it. Charlotte, 
 noticing the good impression she had made, re- 
 solved not to let the conversation drop ; and 
 she continued to ask Christian other questions 
 connected with the trade — such as, whether it 
 was not very fatiguing, and if it did not require 
 constant superintendence — whether he had any
 
 256 The Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 difficulty with liis customers, and such hke in- 
 quiries, all of which Christian answered with 
 great willingness, and even seemed for the 
 moment to forget his habitual sullenness. 
 
 When Charlotte had exhausted all her ques- 
 tions, she asked Christian to show her over 
 the premises, as she had no idea in what way 
 a business of the kind was conducted. Chris- 
 tian, who for the moment was hardly able to 
 suppress a smile at what he considered Char- 
 lotte's feminine curiosity, immediately granted 
 her request, and showed her over the different 
 departments for carrying on the business of 
 the house, explaining them to her, and answer- 
 ing with great readiness the innumerable ques- 
 tions she put to him, almost seeming to take a 
 pleasure in doing so. In all this Charlotte 
 played her part admirably, pretending to take 
 the greatest interest in subjects which certainly 
 were totally indifferent if not repulsive to her. 
 
 Returned to the sitting-room, they found tea 
 prepared for them, and Sarah seated at the 
 table. Christian seemed for a moment puzzled 
 how to act. He had not taken tea with his 
 wife since the evening of their arrival, and he 
 now appeared afraid that by joining in the meal 
 with them, she might think it a step on his 
 part towards reconciliation. He stood for a 
 moment, as if in doubt what to do, when he
 
 Christian s Behaviour to his Wife. 257 
 
 remembered that on tlie evening of his arrival 
 lie had, in company with Mr. Thornton, taken 
 tea with his wife, and, accepting it as a pre- 
 cedent, without further remark seated himself 
 at the table in his easy-chair. Charlotte, who 
 had noticed his irresolution, determined again 
 to arrest his attention, and did so by teUing 
 her sister how much she had been interested 
 in all she had seen, although she feared she 
 must have taken up too much of Christian's 
 time. This of course he denied, and expressed 
 the pleasure he had had in answering all her 
 questions, when Sarah, profiting by his atten- 
 tion being engaged, offered him a cup of tea, 
 which he took mechanically, thanking her for 
 it, and continued his remarks to her sister. 
 Charlotte talked on incessantly, and by degrees 
 contrived to bring Sarah partially into the con- 
 versation. She asked her if she succeeded to 
 her own satisfaction in managing her portion 
 of the duties of the house, and was assured, 
 in reply, that she did so without any difficulty. 
 The two sisters for some moments carried on 
 the conversation, Christian at first abstaining 
 from making the slightest remark on any of 
 his wife's answers ; but in a little time he now 
 and then did so, and without any apparent 
 anger in his tone or manner. 
 
 At last the time arrived for Charlotte 
 VOL. I. s
 
 258 The Landlord of " Tlie Sun:' 
 
 to return home, and Christian, in an unusual 
 spirit of gallantry, volunteered to escort her. 
 With many thanks she declined the offer, 
 stating that she felt fatigued, and intended to 
 take a cab. She now left the room with Sarah, 
 for the purpose of preparing herself to leave the 
 house. When the sisters found themselves 
 alone, Sarah said : 
 
 " Oh, Charlotte dear ! you cannot think how 
 grateful I feel to you for your behaviour this 
 evening, and how happy you have made me. 
 The power you have over Christian is wonder- 
 ful, and I almost feel in hopes that if you come 
 to see us frequently, you possibly might be the 
 means of making peace between us, or, if not, 
 to assist in arranging matters, so that my hus- 
 band and I may go on somewhat more comfort- 
 ably together. Now promise me, dear, that 
 you will come again very soon." 
 
 " I would willingly do so," said Charlotte, 
 " but I am afraid your husband will think I am 
 unwarrantably interfering in his affairs, and 
 I should strongly object to give him cause to 
 imagine anything of the kind." 
 
 " Do not be afraid of that," said Sarah. " I 
 know he entertains a very great respect for you, 
 and you will be able to do more with him than 
 all the world besides. Tell me, dear, what day 
 you will^come again."
 
 Christian s Behaviour to his Wife. 259 
 
 This, however, Cliarlotte could not do, but 
 promised that her sister should see her again 
 in the course of a few days, and they then 
 joined Brandon below, where they found a cab 
 waiting to convey Charlotte home. Brandon 
 conducted his sister-in-law to it, and then re- 
 turned to the house. He did not, however, 
 again enter the parlour, where his wife had re- 
 mained, evidently hoping that she should see 
 him again that evening ; but he kept in the 
 business part of the house till it was time to 
 close for the night. 
 
 The next day Brandon studiously avoided 
 meeting Sarah, evidently undecided in what 
 manner he should address, or how answer her, 
 in case she put any question to him. As the 
 day wore on he became more anxious and 
 nervous on the subject, till it was near their 
 accustomed dinner-hour, at which meal, as 
 before stated, the husband and wife had hitherto 
 been in the habit of meeting. At last the ser- 
 vant informed him that the dinner was on the 
 table. He gazed at her for a moment, as if 
 not clearly understanding her, and she repeated 
 her words. He then made a momentary effort 
 to determine what he should do, and abruptly 
 said to the girl : " Tell your mistress I shall 
 not dine at home to-day. I am going out, and 
 may not return till evening." 
 
 s 2
 
 260 The Landlord of " The Sim:' 
 
 How and where Christian passed the re- 
 mainder of the day it woidd be difficult to say, 
 but certainly when he returned home he was 
 more than three parts intoxicated. The bar- 
 man and others in the business easily perceived 
 the state their employer was in, and com- 
 municated it to the girl who was accustomed 
 to wait on Mrs. Brandon. Now, Christian was 
 one of those men on whom the effects of drink 
 has a most prejudicial effect, arousing all their 
 evil passions, and causing outbreaks of temper. 
 The servant-girl, fearing this, informed her 
 mistress of his state, who immediately and 
 prudently went into her own room, and locked 
 the door after her. Nor was this done one 
 moment too soon, for Brandon, on seeing the 
 girl, asked in an angry tone of voice where her 
 mistress was, and desired her to say he wished 
 to speak to her immediately. The girl, seeing 
 the temper he was in, replied that her mistress 
 was ill and had gone to bed, and she dared not 
 disturb her. Brandon then, finding it ne- 
 cessary to vent his ill-humour on some one, 
 commenced abusing the girl in a most violent 
 manner, who put up with it, however, with 
 the greatest equanimity. At length, notwith- 
 standing his drunken condition, he began to 
 suspect he was behaving in a derogatory man- 
 ner, and leaving the girl, he entered the sitting-
 
 Christian'' s Behaviour to his Wife. 261 
 
 room, wliere he remained till the business of 
 the day was over. 
 
 The next day, when Christian met the ser- 
 vant-girl, he had the good sense to apologise 
 to her for the language he had made use of 
 the previous evening, which she, in her turn, 
 readily excused ; adding, with more candour 
 than tact, that she saw the state he was in, 
 and that evidently he did not know what he 
 was about. This remark made a deep impres- 
 sion on Christian. He knew full well that the 
 other servants were all aware of the condition 
 he was in, and he felt annoyed with himself at 
 his unworthy behaviour. That day he even 
 felt more dread at meeting his wife than the 
 day before, being certain that she knew of his 
 dispute with the maidservant. He felt he could 
 not meet her without appearing in a derogatory 
 position, and yet he did not like the idea of 
 again dining-out, as it would seem like an ad- 
 mission that he had done wrong. 
 
 While undecided as to what course he should 
 pursue. Christian found that his wife's sister 
 had called, and he now made no further diffi- 
 culty. He received Charlotte in a very friendly 
 manner, and asked her to remain to dinner 
 with them. She at first replied that she could 
 not, as she had merely called in consequence 
 of being near the house, and intended to
 
 2C2 The Landlord of " The Sunr 
 
 return home. Christian, however, pressed her 
 so earnestly, that at length she consented. 
 
 So great a relief was Charlotte's presence to 
 Christian, and so pleased was he to see her, 
 that on several occasions durinc: the afternoon 
 he seemed, in his good-humour, to forget the 
 anger he felt towards his wife, and more than 
 once joined in the conversation passing between 
 her and Charlotte. On these occasions a look 
 of intelligence would pass from Sarah to her 
 sister, as if wishing her to notice the power 
 her presence had over Christian, and the good 
 results which might follow if she continued her 
 kind offices. After dinner Christian was ob- 
 liged to leave them, but at tea-time he rejoined 
 them again, and remained quietly at home for 
 the rest of the evening, which passed more 
 satisfactorily than any other since their return 
 to town. 
 
 About a month or five weeks after they 
 had returned to London, Gideon and his wife 
 called to pay their wedding-visit. Fortunately 
 for Christian, he was absent at the time, nor 
 did he return till after their departure. Of all 
 men living, perhaps Gideon was the one whom 
 Christian most dreaded to meet : in fact, for 
 some time past, he had been in a state of con- 
 tinued terror lest his friend should call with his 
 wife for the conventional wedding-visit. He
 
 Christianas Behaviour to his Wife. 263 
 
 knew Gideon entertained for bim more than 
 friendship, indeed almost the affection of a 
 brother, and that his comphments and con- 
 gratulations would be of the warmest descrip- 
 tion. He anticipated Gideon would express 
 hopes that he and Sarah might live happily 
 together for many years, and the pleasure it 
 would afford himself and his wife that their 
 friendship should remain close and uninter- 
 rupted. He had often attempted to frame in 
 his mind what answer he should make to 
 Gideon when they met. Christian knew per- 
 fectly well that were he to show the slightest 
 coolness to Sarah during their visit, it would 
 be remarked, if not by Gideon, certainly by 
 his wife, and he dreaded the animadversions 
 they might make on it after leaving the house. 
 Yet, to show Sarah the kindness and courtesy 
 which a young married man habitually exhibits 
 towards his wife, when receiving with her the 
 wedding-visits of their friends, might very 
 possibly awaken in her mind the idea that a 
 reconciliation mis^ht be at last effected — an 
 idea he had no wish to inculcate, as he still 
 continued firm in his resolution that, cost what 
 it might, a separation should eventually take 
 place between them. 
 
 Gideon Harcourt and his wife, on their visit, 
 were received by Mrs. Brandon, who expressed
 
 264 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 great pleasure in seeing them, and her regret 
 that Christian was absent at the time. Hoping 
 he might soon return, she endeavoured to pro- 
 long their visit as much as possible, and con- 
 versed with them on every conceivable subject. 
 She felt somewhat puzzled, for the moment, 
 what reply to make to Mrs. Harcourt's inquiry 
 as to how long they had returned from their 
 honeymoon. After a slight hesitation, she said : 
 
 " Why, the fact is, we have been home some 
 time." Then, seeing Mrs. Harcourt upon the 
 point of expressing her surprise, she con- 
 tinued : "I would willingly, as you may 
 imagine, have remained away much longer ; 
 but Mr. Brandon became so nervous about the 
 business, and anxious to return, that at last I 
 made no further objection." 
 
 " Well, no matter," said Gideon ; " since 
 you are returned, I hope we shall meet very 
 frequently. And now, tell me when you will 
 come and spend an evening with us. Name 
 your own day, so you can have no excuse, and 
 pray bring your sister with you, for she is a 
 great favourite of ours." 
 
 " I would willingly come any day," said 
 Sarah ; " but remember, I am not my own 
 mistress now, and have a ' lord and master ' to 
 consult." 
 
 " Very proper indeed/' said Gideon. " I am
 
 Christianas Beliaviour to his Wife. 265 
 
 very glad to hear that Christian has you already 
 in such good training, but tell him to let me 
 know what day you will come. Remember, we 
 give you the choice of the whole week. Tell 
 your husband, also, that I want particularly to 
 see him, as I have some news respecting my 
 own affairs which I am sure he will be pleased 
 to hear. But now we must put a stop to our 
 long visit, for we have many things to do to- 
 day; and you must remember, my wife has 
 some one at home in whom she takes a great 
 interest, and of whose welfare, during her 
 absence, she is exceedingly anxious." 
 
 Gideon and his wife then took leave of Mrs. 
 Brandon, the former saying, as they were 
 leaving the room : " Tell Christian to write to 
 me to-night, and name a day for coming to us 
 next week, and I will arrange my business- 
 matters in such a manner that I shall be certain 
 to meet him." 
 
 When Christian arrived at home in the even- 
 ing, Sarah sent a message to him, to say she 
 wished to speak to him in the parlour. Though 
 greatly surprised at receiving a communication 
 of the kind, he put on a somewhat cold stern 
 expression, and on seeing his wife, asked what 
 she required of him. 
 
 " I wish to tell you," replied Sarah, " that 
 while you were out to-day, Mr. and Mrs. Har-
 
 266 TJie Landlord of " TJie Sun:' 
 
 court called on us. They waited a long time, 
 hoping you would return, but as you did not 
 they were obliged to leave. When they went 
 away they gave me a message for you, that 
 they hoped to see us next week to spend an 
 evening with them ; and, that there might be 
 no reason for forming an excuse, they wished 
 us to fix our own day. Will you write to them, 
 or shall I ?" 
 
 "You had better write," said Christian, after 
 a moment's reflection. " Tell them you will 
 go, but that I am so occupied at present on 
 different business-matters, it will be impossible 
 for me to do so." 
 
 " But that would hardly be civil," said 
 Sarah ; " for Mr. Harcourt expressly told me 
 to say he wished particularly to see you. He 
 said he had some news to tell you, respecting 
 his own private affairs, which he was sure you 
 would hear with great satisfaction. I think," 
 she continued, " if you object to go with me, 
 you had better go by yourself." 
 
 Christian remained for some moments evi- 
 dently puzzled what answer to make, when 
 Sarah said : 
 
 " Oh ! I forgot to tell you that they ex- 
 pressly hoped Charlotte would accompany us. 
 Perhaps you two had better go together ; I can 
 easily plead indisposition, and remain at home."
 
 Cliristian^s Behaviour to his Wife. 267 
 
 "No; if Charlotte has been invited," said 
 ChristiaD, " I have no objection for us all to go 
 together — that is to say, if you and your sister 
 cannot go by yourselves." 
 
 " I should positively object to that," said 
 Sarah, determinedly. 
 
 " Well, then," said Christian, " name Wed- 
 nesday next, and, in case you do not see your 
 sister before that time, write and ask her to 
 hold herself in readiness to accompany us; and 
 if she does so, she will do me a great favour." 
 
 Sarah promised she would attend to it, and 
 the conversation between them ended.
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 A SURPKISE. 
 
 CHARLOTTE willingly accepted Mrs. Har- 
 coiirt's invitation, and on the appointed 
 Wednesday arrived at " The Sun " to accompany 
 Brandon and his wife to Kentish Town. Bran- 
 don, however, from some real or pretended cause 
 •was unable to escort them ; but he promised 
 that without fail he would join them in the course 
 of the evening, and conduct them home. Sarah 
 looked somewhat inquisitively in his face, as 
 if to ascertain from its expression whether he 
 really intended doing so, when her husband, who 
 instinctively understood her, angrily told her 
 he was not in the habit of making promises and 
 then breaking them, and that he would certainly 
 be with them as early in the evening as he could. 
 
 It was at a late hour before Christian fulfilled 
 his promise, though, to do him justice, when 
 he did arrive, he behaved in an exceedingly 
 amiable and friendly manner. In the course 
 of the evening he said to Gideon : 
 
 " I am sorry, Harcourt, to have been so late
 
 A Surprise. 269 
 
 this evening, but I was detained on business 
 matters which I could not postpone. I must 
 candidly tell you though, that I should not 
 have come at all had I not been anxious to know 
 what piece of good fortune has befallen you, 
 for I heard you had something to tell me res- 
 pecting your own prospects that I should be 
 glad to hear. 
 
 "Well, Brandon," said his friend, "I told 
 you I had good reason to suspect my amiable 
 aunt in Nelson Square had not behaved honour- 
 ably to me, and I now know that my suspicions 
 were just. Although it is our busy time, I 
 have contrived after office hours were over to 
 make a short search among the old law papers 
 connected with our family, which my aunt 
 wished to place in Mr Desbrow's hands, but 
 without success, as our firm, finding that other 
 parties were interested in the matter, refused 
 to give them up. Well, for some time I gained 
 nothing by my trouble, but at last I hit upon a 
 document which tended to prove in the clearest 
 manner that two freehold houses in the Boroug^h, 
 at present let at one hundred a year each, really 
 belong to me, and of these she has been receiv- 
 ing the rents as her own. As far as I have 
 gone I believe my title to be indisputable, and 
 am now oulv in doubt whether I shall at once 
 take proceedings against her, or remain quiet
 
 270 The Landlord of « The Sun." 
 
 till I have gone further in my researches, for I 
 strongly suspect there is a good deal more pro- 
 perty belonging to me, which she keeps in her 
 own possession." 
 
 "You astonish me!" exclaimed Brandon. 
 " Why, that old woman must be worth a mint 
 of money ! From the very quiet manner in 
 which she hves, I should have thought her in- 
 come had been very small." 
 
 " So would most people," said Harcourt. " I 
 myself had not the most remote idea she was 
 as wealthy as I find she is, although I knew 
 perfectly well her income was a very good one. 
 She was always very secret about her affairs, and 
 I had not the most distant knowledge of what 
 she possessed, beyond that she had a good many 
 houses which she managed herself Whenever 
 any person called to see her on business, if I 
 happened to be at home, I was invariably sent 
 out of the room, so jealous was she (and I can 
 now understand her objection) that I should 
 gain the slightest insight into her affixirs. She 
 is now, I hear, suffering from partial paralysis, 
 and has doubtless been obhged to place no in- 
 considerable portion of her business in Mr. 
 Desbrow's hands." 
 
 " Could not he give you some information on 
 the subject r" inquired Christian ; " you are a 
 great favourite of his,"
 
 A Surprise. 271 
 
 " That lie could assist me considerably there 
 is no doubt," said Gideon ; " but warm as his 
 friendship may be for me, he is far too honour- 
 able a man to divulge the private affairs of a 
 client entrusted to him. No, no ; I will work 
 the affair out myself, and I have strong hopes 
 of success." 
 
 " Does your husband still nourish hopes of 
 becoming a member of the bar ?" inquired 
 Sarah of Mrs. Harcourt. 
 
 " Oh, yes," she said, " he is as warm about 
 it as ever." 
 
 " Perfectly true, my dear," said Gideon to 
 his wife, " and now I will tell you more. I 
 have already mentioned the subject to our senior 
 partner, who complimented me on my deter- 
 mination, and told me that they were so pleased 
 with my conduct during the time I had been 
 with them, that if I were called to the bar they 
 would assist my views in every way they could 
 consistent with the welfare of their clients. So 
 you see, I have one good firm to fall back upon, 
 at any rate." 
 
 " Well," said Christian, " I most sincerely 
 wish you success, if you do make the trial. 
 Remember, however, the old story of the dog 
 crossing the brook with a bone in his mouth, 
 and seeing a dog with a larger bone than his 
 own in the water."
 
 272 Tlie Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 " No danger of tliat," said Gideon. *' You 
 may depend upon it I am not a man to quit the 
 substance for the shadow. Rely upon it I shall 
 not give up my present appointment till I find 
 I have sufficient in hand to maintain myself, 
 my wife, and child, during the time I am pur- 
 suing my studies at the bar. Then to carry 
 out my idea will be legitimate enough. And 
 now, Brandon, let me congratulate you on the 
 satisfactory results which I hear have attended 
 your business operations, and most heartily I 
 wish they may continue to succeed." 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Brandon and Charlotte remain- 
 ed with their friends till a somewhat late hour, 
 when they returned home. During the whole 
 of the time Christian had behaved with great 
 courtesy to his wife, so much so that the most 
 acute observer could not have o-uessed that the 
 sliofhtest ill-feelino- existed between them. On 
 their way home he even spoke to Sarah on 
 topics connected with their conversation during 
 the evening with so much kindness, that hopes 
 began to rise in her breast that a more happy 
 time than she had lately enjoyed might possibly 
 at no distant date be in store for her. 
 
 A change, apparently for the better, took 
 place in Christian Brandon's conduct, almost 
 immediately after the evening spent witli the 
 Harcourts, and for the next two months there
 
 A Surprise. 273 
 
 was little to be noticed objectionable in him. 
 It must not, however, be imagined that he 
 showed any wish for a reconciliation with his 
 wife, but he treated her with more civility when 
 they met than he had been accustomed to do 
 since their return to London. When he was 
 with her in the company of friends or strangers, 
 he would enter freely into any subject she 
 might be conversing upon. Nay, more; he 
 would frequently address remarks to her, treat- 
 ing her replies with great respect. He never 
 advanced, however, beyond the conventional 
 courtesy a man is accustomed to show his wife, 
 and on more intimate points he remained as 
 cool with her as ever. He still kept his own 
 room, on the second floor, leaving her in sole 
 possession of the one on the first, nor did they 
 meet, with very rare exceptions, till dinner 
 time. 
 
 Charlotte was a frequent and very welcome 
 visitor with both husband and wife. Indeed 
 her arrival seemed a pleasure to both, nor did 
 Christian on any occasion seek to leave the 
 house when she was in it. Gideon and his wife 
 also paid them a visit, and the evening passed 
 off in a very agreeable manner. 
 
 But while slight symptoms of amelioration in 
 the behaviour of Christian were hailed with 
 great satisfaction, both by his wife and her 
 
 VOL. I. T
 
 274 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 sister, he was on the other hand, secretly but 
 rapidly acquiring two terrible vices — drinking 
 and gambUng. He had, however, sufficient 
 discretion to keep his drinking habits somewhat 
 concealed from those in his own employ, though 
 to do so he was obliged greatly to neglect his 
 own business, and that too at a time when it 
 especially required his supervision. He had 
 formed the acquaintance of the landlord of a 
 notorious sporting house, and in his society 
 Christian used to spend a considerable portion 
 of his evenings. Although, by a strong effort 
 of his own sound common sense, there might 
 have been a possibility of his curing himself of 
 the vice of drinking, there was unfortunately 
 a far more doubtful probability of his reforma- 
 tion as a gambler. He had been induced to bet 
 on several horse races (a list of all the races 
 about to be run being kept at his friend's house 
 for the benefit of his customers), and, as is too 
 frequently the case in the commencement of a 
 gambler's career, he came off a winner in most. 
 He was now encouraged to increase his stakes, 
 and even to attend some of the races which 
 were held near London ; but a run of ill luck 
 set in against him and he lost considerably. 
 He attempted to regain what he had lost, 
 determining, like a good many others, that if he 
 were fortunate he would abstain from betting
 
 A Surprise. 275 
 
 for tlie future. To a certain extent lie succeeded 
 in winning, but still there was a balance against 
 him, and he continued betting, though now 
 much more moderately, to make up the loss, 
 but without being able to do so. 
 
 And now mysterious conversations were held 
 between Sarah and her sister; the latter's 
 visits to " The Sun" having become almost a 
 daily occurrence. One day, after they had been 
 closeted together for some time, they left the 
 house for the purpose of shopping, and shortly 
 after their return a large brown-paper parcel 
 arrived, which on being opened was found to 
 contain divers kinds of linen drapery, some of 
 peculiar fineness. The sisters then proceeded 
 to talk over the contents of the package with 
 great animation for more than half-an-hour, 
 examining: the texture of the different articles 
 it contained, and deliberating in what manner 
 they ought to be made up, without apparently 
 coming to any satisfactory conclusion. 
 
 " I tell you what it is, my dear," said Char- 
 lotte at last ; " it is no use worrying ourselves 
 over it, as we have plenty of time before us. 
 Let us put the things by now, and to-night I 
 will speak to the landlady of our house, whose 
 sister is the head shopwoman of a fashionable 
 baby-linen warehouse at the West-end. If I 
 ask her, I am sure she will get me some of the 
 
 T 2
 
 276 The Landlord of " The Siinr 
 
 best patterns, and we can then set to work at 
 our leisure." 
 
 Their purchases were now carefully placed in 
 a drawer, and Mrs. Brandon and her sister 
 descended from the bedroom (where the con- 
 sultation had taken place) to join Christian in 
 the sitting-room. As usual, the latter ex- 
 pressed himself pleased to see Charlotte, and 
 the evening was spent agreeably to all. It 
 may here be said that no mention was made 
 before Christian of the purchases which had 
 been made in the morning. 
 
 If Charlotte had reckoned without her 
 hostess in saying she was certain she could 
 obtain, through her landlady, some good pat- 
 terns of baby-linen, she was not disappointed. 
 Two days afterwards she arrived at " The Sun," 
 and brought with her divers models of caps, 
 extraordinary little shirts, baby's long robes 
 and night-gowns, and in fact every article 
 necessary for a well-appointed layette. And 
 now really began the work of cutting out ac- 
 cording to the patterns, — an occupation which 
 required so much time that they did not leave 
 their room till the shades of evening had set in. 
 Then, putting the work away till a future 
 opportunity, they returned to the sitting-room. 
 Brandon, however, was not there as they had 
 expected. He had remained for more than an
 
 A Surprise. 277 
 
 hour waiting for them, and as they did not 
 come down, had left home to pass the evening 
 with his friend the landlord of the sporting 
 house. It was late in the evening before he 
 returned ; and when he did so it was not diflQ- 
 cult to perceive that he had been drinking pretty 
 freely. On entering the house he made no 
 inquiry after his wife or her sister. The latter 
 had left more than an hour, and Sarah had al- 
 ready retired to her chamber. 
 
 After having attended to the closing of the 
 house, Christian entered the parlour, and, 
 throwing himself into his easy-chair, began to 
 think as coolly as he could over the events of 
 the evening. He remembered having made 
 several bets — and some of them to a consider- 
 able amount — with persons with whom he was 
 but little acquainted, and in fact, excited by 
 drink, he would have gone further had not 
 a friendly hint been given him by his friend the 
 landlord to be cautious what he was about. 
 He now found himself placed iu that awkward 
 predicament, that if he won there might be a 
 strong probability that he would never receive 
 his money ; while on the other hand, if he lost, 
 as an honest man himself he could not do other- 
 wise than pay the amount. He next began to 
 curse his folly in having made these bets after 
 drinking, for he could easily perceive that to
 
 278 The Landlord oj " The Sun:' 
 
 be successful in any game of probabilities re- 
 quires a very cool bead. The mischief, how- 
 ever, was done. He would call the next after- 
 noon on his friend the landlord and inquire into 
 the character of the men with whom he had 
 betted, and also ask if he could remember the 
 amounts, as on looking over the notes he had 
 taken he found them to be so obscure and ill 
 written he could not himself understand them. 
 
 The following morning Christian was even 
 more annoyed with his betting transactions 
 than on the previous evening, and he resolved 
 to lose as little time as possible in seeing his 
 friend, to ascertain more clearly what his posi- 
 tion was. He remained at home during: the 
 morning to superintend his business, and in 
 the afternoon left home to call upon the land- 
 lord of the sporting house. His wife kept in 
 her room busily employed with her needle, and 
 later in the day was joined by Charlotte, who 
 as usual came to assist her. 
 
 The sisters worked on steadilv, and with a 
 rapidity which promised that all necessary pre- 
 parations for the expected confinement would 
 be ready in the course of a month or six weeks. 
 
 Christian called on his friend, but not finding 
 him at home had to wait till somewhat late in 
 the afternoon before he returned. On tellinsf 
 him the object of his visit, Christian found, to
 
 A Surjprise. 279 
 
 his intense annoyance, that he had made 
 bets to the amount of between two and three 
 hundred pounds with some men from whom 
 (unless they made a very successful book upon 
 the forthcoming races) it would be impossible 
 to obtain as many shillings. 
 
 " But never mind, Brandon," said his friend, 
 " you must in future make your bets more care- 
 fully. Stop and dine with me to-day ; dinner 
 will be ready in less than an hour. Two or three 
 friends will join us who are as well acquainted 
 with turf matters as any men in England, and 
 from whom very possibly you may obtain some 
 valuable information. We shall be a very snug 
 little party. I've nothing much to tempt you, 
 only some salmon, rump steak, and oyster 
 sauce ; but, on the other hand, I'll give you 
 as excellent a glass of port or sherry as ever 
 you tasted in your life." 
 
 Christian accepted the invitation, and in due 
 time the friends arrived. They were of the 
 turf — turfy. They were men, shrewd and in- 
 telligent enough, who would gain money fairly 
 if they could, and if not, by any means which 
 presented itself to them. They were of that 
 class who boast that "honesty is the best 
 policy," — mentally making the reservation that 
 if they were in error, and any policy more pro- 
 fitable should present itself to them, they would
 
 280 The Landlord o/" The Sun." 
 
 certainly adopt it. Tlie dinner passed off plea- 
 santly enough, and tlie conversation was in- 
 teresting and lively — to those at least who 
 were adepts or enthusiasts in horse-racing. 
 Christian that eveninof betted but little, but he 
 and his new acquaintances, with the landlord, 
 agreed to hire a trap and attend the races at 
 
 X , which were to be held the folio win «• 
 
 week, and where they had no doubt they should 
 spend a pleasant and comfortable day together. 
 Sarah had now to take into consideration 
 how to accomplish the task of letting her hus- 
 band know for what purpose she had lately 
 been so occupied with her needle. In most 
 cases a young wife would have been but too 
 happy to make a confidant of her husband 
 under the circumstances of the kind, but with 
 poor Sarah it was a very delicate and difficult 
 question. Earnestly as she wished to do so, she 
 dreaded the effect it might have on him. Al- 
 though in general he was quiet and subdued in 
 the house, his temper — as is too frequently the 
 case with persons when contracting the habit 
 of drinking — even when sober, was exceedingly 
 capricious, and he would occasionally give way 
 to great outbursts of passion. This, added to 
 her unhappy position, necessitated great caution 
 and tact in bringing the matter under his no- 
 tice. Day after day she resolved upon some
 
 A Surprise. 281 
 
 fresh plan to be put into execution upon tlie 
 morrow, but wlien the morrow came she found 
 some objection to it. In this manner she pro- 
 crastinated till the day after the races, already 
 alluded to, thinking that as the amusement 
 Brandon would have had might put him into a 
 good temper, it would be the best opportunity to 
 break ground. She determined first to call his 
 attention to the work she was occupied with, 
 and then, if she could induce him to ask a 
 question, a conversation might ensue which 
 would enable her to put him in possession of 
 the real state of the case. 
 
 Sarah had hitherto performed all her needle- 
 work in her own room, but on the day men- 
 tioned, shortly before dinner, she took with 
 her into the sitting-room an unfinished baby's 
 robe. Having placed herself in such a position 
 as to claim her husband's attention when he 
 entered the room, she continued working as- 
 siduously till he made his appearance. For a 
 moment she pretended not to be aware of his 
 presence, and then, raising her eyes to his face, 
 told him the unqualified untruth that she did 
 not know the dinner was so nearly ready. She 
 rose from her chair, with the baby's robe still 
 in her hand, so that he could not escape seeing 
 it, and folding it carefully up, placed it on the 
 sofa, and then took her seat at the table. She
 
 282 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 was, however, doomed to be disappointed ; her 
 husband made no inquiry as to the work she 
 was engaged with. Hardly a word of conver- 
 sation passed between them during their meal, 
 althoug:h Christian was neither sullen nor ill- 
 tempered ; but he appeared greatly preoccupied, 
 and to wear more of an anxious than a moody 
 expression of countenance. As soon as dinner 
 was over he rose from the table, and taking his 
 hat, left the house, without saying a word as 
 to where he was going or when he should re- 
 turn. 
 
 The table was now cleared, and poor Sarah, 
 with a sigh, taking up the little robe, com- 
 menced working as before. She was shortly 
 afterwards joined by her sister, who, in her 
 turn, sought some other article from the bed- 
 room, and sat down to work with Sarah. It 
 was late in the evening when Brandon returned, 
 and Charlotte was on the point of leaving when 
 he entered the parlour. He accosted her in the 
 usual friendly manner, and asked how she had 
 been employing her time during the evening. 
 For all reply, Charlotte showed him the baby's 
 cap she had been making, and asked him 
 whether he did not think her a very clever 
 needlewoman. 
 
 Christian took the cap in his hand, and 
 pretended to examine it minutely. He com-
 
 A Surprise. 283 
 
 plimented her higlily on her efficiency, altliougli 
 of the merits of the work of course he knew 
 nothing. He was on the point of returning 
 the little cap to her, when his eye fell on the 
 baby's robe his wife had in her hand. For a 
 moment he looked bewildered, first at one and 
 then at the other, then, turning deadly pale, 
 he fixed a long and anxious glance on his wife. 
 He now seemed on the point of fainting, and 
 sunk rather than seated himself in a chair. So 
 strange and overpowering was the efiect the 
 idea of Sarah's pregnancy had on him, that the 
 two sisters regarded him with intense and 
 anxious interest. Even Charlotte, generally so 
 ready with excuses to attract his attention, was 
 now as speechless as her sister, who had let 
 the work drop from her hand and remained 
 motionless as a statue, dreading what turn her 
 husband's temper might take as soon as he 
 had recovered his self-possession. 
 
 Fortunately, as far as his temper was con- 
 cerned, her alarm was groundless, for after 
 remaining perfectly silent for some minutes he 
 rose from his chair, and leaving the room 
 proceeded to the front of the house. Here, 
 however, so powerful a sensation of faintness 
 came over him that he was determined to seek 
 the open air to recover himself. The night 
 being cold, he soon felt refreshed ; but dreading
 
 284 Tlie Landlord of " The Sim." 
 
 to return home, he bent his steps towards the 
 sporting house, and this he did the more readily 
 as he had formed in the daytime a wish to have 
 an interview with the landlord. 
 
 It must not be imagined that Christian Bran- 
 don was of so dull a temperament, that on 
 ordinary occasions he would not have under- 
 stood the hint thrown out to him by his wife, 
 when she so ostentatiously placed before his 
 eyes the baby's robe ; but his mind was occupied 
 at the time on a subject which caused him so 
 much anxiety as to considerably lessen his 
 powers of observation. He had been a heavy 
 loser at the races the day before, indeed, to 
 such an extent that it required all his mental 
 energies to discover a plan by which his losses 
 could be met. He was already getting into 
 debt to his brewer and distiller, and now those 
 debts would be heavily increased unless he 
 could devise some means of raisina: sufficient 
 money to pay them, and — as it is assumed debts 
 of honour must be paid prior to all others — his 
 losses besides. His first idea was to appeal to 
 Mr. Desbrow, and ask if he could extend his 
 mortgage on the house, but so great was his 
 dread of that gentleman's displeasure and the 
 indignation so respectable a man would show, 
 when he heard that the money had been lost by 
 gambling, that he gave up the idea.
 
 A Surprise. 285 
 
 The only person of whom he felt he could 
 make a confidant was his friend Botcherly, the 
 landlord of the sporting house. He was a good- 
 natured, plausible sort of a fellow, that any 
 one in want of advice would be tempted to 
 consult. Christian remembered that he was 
 acquainted with more than one moneyed man 
 on the turf who was in the habit of lendino- 
 money, at somewhat heavy interest, to those 
 in want of a temporary advance on whose re- 
 spectability he could rely. Christian's mind 
 was that evening too confused to allow him to 
 enter fully into the case with Botcherly ; but 
 he made him understand enough of it to be 
 aware he was in want of a temporary loan of 
 from one hundred to one hundred and fifty 
 pounds. 
 
 " Oh ! my dear fellow," replied Botcherly, 
 " don't bother yourself about a trifle of that 
 kind. I'd let you have the money myself, 
 willingly, but I'm rather hard up just at present. 
 However, call here to-morrow afternoon, be- 
 tween three and four o'clock, and we'll go 
 together to a friend of mine, at the West-end, 
 who, on my recommendation, will, I am sure, 
 do the needful for you ; in fact, if he wants a 
 second name to the bill, rather than you should 
 be inconvenienced I will put mine." 
 
 Brandon warmly thanked his friend for his
 
 286 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 kindness, and promised to be with him at the 
 time appointed, and then, in spite of all 
 Botcherly's entreaties to remain longer, he re- 
 turned home. 
 
 The next day Christian obtained from the 
 bill discounter the money he required, though 
 at an exorbitant interest. This, however, 
 placed his mind at ease on pecuniary matters for 
 the next three months, and for a short time he 
 superintended his business with tolerable regu- 
 larity. Sarah made a point at every opportunity 
 of letting him see the articles of baby linen she 
 was employed on, hoping to induce him some 
 day to speak on the subject, but in vain. Their 
 sight seemed to cause him extreme repugnance ; 
 but h9 said nothing, and showed his dislike by 
 frequently leaving the room. He ceased alto- 
 gether for some weeks from gambling, but 
 unfortunately not from drinking. This latter 
 vice, since he had arrived at the knowledge of 
 the interesting condition Sarah was in, had 
 evidently increased with him, and he was fre- 
 quently seen in a state of inebriation in his own 
 house. Both his wife and her sister noticed it 
 and deeply lamented it. Still, notwithstanding 
 his fits of passion, they were not, either when 
 sober or otherwise, directed towards Sarah ; 
 in fact, it might almost be imagined from the 
 apathy he showed her, apart from his dislike
 
 A Surprise. 287 
 
 to see the baby clotbes, that she was com- 
 paratively indifferent to him. 
 
 One evening Sarah and her sister were in the 
 parlour, occupied as usual with the little articles 
 of clothing, when Christian, evidently with the 
 idea of avoiding their sight, placed his easy- 
 chair with his back partially turned from them. 
 He had remained for more than an hour in a 
 sort of half dreamy state, apparently not paying 
 the slightest attention to the subject they were 
 speaking about. This ran entirely on the baby 
 linen, and they began to pass in review the 
 different articles they had already completed. 
 
 " Well, Sarah," said her sister, evidently 
 imagining Christian to be asleep, " I suppose 
 you won't be sorry when the whole is com- 
 pleted, and the things put to their proper 
 uses ?" 
 
 " To tell you candidly the truth, dear, I 
 shall not," was Sarah's reply. "It will be a 
 great blessing to me to have something I can 
 teach to love me." 
 
 She had scarcely uttered the words when 
 Christian, who had apparently remained uncon- 
 scious of everything passing around him, sud- 
 denly sprang from his chair, and with a 
 countenance almost indicative of his being 
 possessed with a demon, seized the poker from 
 the hearth, and made a fearful blow with it at
 
 288 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 Ms wife's head. Fortunately, Charlotte, seeing 
 the blow coming, raised her arm, and the poker 
 fell obliquely by Sarah's side. Christian raised 
 the weapon a second time, but the screams of 
 the women soon brought several persons from 
 the front of the house to their assistance, and 
 the weapon was wrenched from his hands while 
 Sarah and her sister contrived to escape. In 
 vain did Charlotte ask her sister to leave the 
 house and accompany her to her lodgings ; she 
 could not persuade her, and the result was that 
 Charlotte resolved to pass the night with her, 
 fearing she might be murdered if left alone. 
 
 Christian, in the meantime, having partially 
 recovered from his temporary unreasonable burst 
 of passion, threw himself into his easy-chair, 
 totally indifferent to the remarks which were 
 made to him on his brutal conduct, and more 
 than one person threatened they would the next 
 day give notice to the police of his treatment to 
 his wife. Still Brandon made no reply, but 
 sat sullenly in his chair, in the same position 
 as before the outrageous attack on Sarah. 
 
 The next day when Christian made his ap- 
 pearance there was a deep expression of shame 
 on his countenance, nor did he take offence at 
 the scowling and indignant looks his servants 
 cast at him. The barman even spoke to him 
 about his conduct.
 
 A Surprise. 289 
 
 " I tell you what it is, sir; I'm willing to go 
 whenever you please, for I feel almost dis- 
 graced by being in the house of such a man as 
 you are ; but if I do remain here, and you ever 
 attempt to ill-treat your missus again, I'll just 
 collar you and hand you over to the police. If 
 I'm not strong enough to do it myself there'll 
 be plenty of others to help me. You're pretty 
 ■well known about here, I can tell you." 
 
 On any ordinary occasion it is very possible 
 Brandon, who was as strong as a giant, would 
 have knocked down the barman for half the 
 provocation he had given, but that " conscience 
 "which makes cowards of us all " was at the 
 moment dominant in him, and he merely 
 muttered that he was very sorry for what had 
 taken place and he would take good care it 
 should not occur ao-ain. 
 
 '' Better not, if I'm in the house," muttered 
 the barman. 
 
 Sarah that morning kept her room, and 
 Charlotte, finding Brandon quiet, determined, 
 without speaking to her sister on the subject, 
 to call on Mr. Desbrow and inform him what 
 had taken place. It is possible she might not 
 have taken a step of the kind, knowing how 
 averse her sister was to Mr. Desbrow interfer- 
 ing in her affairs, but she had been haunted 
 during the night by the idea that Christian was 
 VOL. I. U
 
 (I 
 
 290 The Landlord of " The SunJ' 
 
 not in his rioflit mind — no unreasonable con- 
 elusion for her to have arrived at, when she 
 remembered the apparently causeless and fero- 
 cious attack he had made upon his wife. She 
 found Mr. Desbrow at home, and narrated what 
 had taken place. 
 
 I am truly grieved to hear it," he said, 
 but I hardly know what to advise. I will not 
 disguise from you that I have been exceedingly 
 discontented with Mr. Brandon's behaviour, 
 and if he continues in the same course he has 
 been following for some time past, he will leave 
 both himself and his wife without a shilling in 
 the world. In the course of my practice many 
 things come before me that frequently give me 
 a far greater insight into what is passing around 
 me than people generally imagine. And it is 
 so in Mr. Brandon's case. I hear that for some 
 months past he has been indulging in a reckless 
 career of drinking and gambling. He is inti- 
 mate with several of the worst blacklegs on the 
 turf, and more — he has been a considerable 
 loser. Several times I have intended to remon- 
 strate with him on the subject, for notwith- 
 standing the little courtesy I received from your 
 sister when her husband requested me to interfere 
 with her, I should be exceedingly sorry to see 
 Mr Brandon ruined. From what you tell me of 
 him, and ft^om my own experience, my respect
 
 A Surprise . 291 
 
 for liim lias considerably diminished. Although I 
 do not like interfering I will make an effort tliis 
 afternoon. I will call on him and have some 
 serious conversation with him, and point out 
 the dangerous position he is already in, and 
 what may occur if a very decided reformation 
 does not take place in his conduct." 
 
 " If you would," said Charlotte, " you will 
 be doing me a great favour. At the same time, 
 as I wish to be on terms of intimacy with my 
 sister during my stay in England, you will 
 greatly oblige me by introducing my name 
 during the conversation as little as possible." 
 
 Mr. Desbrow assured her she had nothino: 
 to fear from any want of discretion on his part, 
 and Charlotte, after again thanking him, left 
 the house. 
 
 The solicitor, the same afternoon, true to his 
 word, called on Christian. Though much sur- 
 prised at his visit. Christian attempted to receive 
 him with great cordiality, which was returned 
 by Mr. Desbrow with such stern coolness as 
 clearly proved he was aware of all that had 
 taken place. As soon as they had entered the 
 private room, Mr. Desbrow said to him in a tone 
 which almost made him tremble : 
 
 " Not only do I hear, Mr. Brandon, that for 
 some time past you have indulged in the habit 
 of gambling, and to such an extent as to make 
 
 u 2
 
 292 The Landlord of " The Smir 
 
 considerable inroads on your capital — and here 
 let rae remark that the interest on your mort- 
 gage is somewhat in arrears — but that also 
 your treatment of your wife is systematically 
 brutal and unmanly, and as a climax to your 
 usual conduct towards her, you yesterday even- 
 ing made so ferocious an assault on her that had 
 it not been for the intervention of her sister you 
 miglit have had to answer for your conduct at 
 the bar of the Old Bailey." 
 
 And here Mr. Desbrow stopped for Christian 
 to speak. 
 
 " With respect to the mortgage, sir, I am 
 very sorry, but I thought as a friend you would 
 allow it to stand over a little." 
 
 " Never use the word ' friend ' in connection 
 with me again, sir," said Mr. Desbrow, sternly, 
 " and remember, next week I expect the money 
 to be paid. But now to the immediate object 
 of my visit. I have, and always have had, a 
 very great esteem for your wife, who is a very 
 estimable and amiable young woman, and as 
 the sole friend she has had in the world since 
 the death of her father, I consider myself justi- 
 fied in befriending her. Let me hear again, 
 sir," he continued, shaking his fist in Brandon's 
 face, " of the slightest brutality or ill-treatment 
 of any description offered to her, and I not only 
 assure you I will see that the law affords her
 
 A Surprise. 293 
 
 protection, but I will send you forth from tins 
 house as destitute as a besfg^ar in the streets. 
 Now, sir, everyone who knows me will tell you 
 that I am a man of my word, so beware that 
 you give no cause for my interference again." 
 
 ** I am sure, sir," said Christian humbly, "I 
 am deeply penitent for what took place yester- 
 day evening. With regard to the interest on 
 the mortgage, you shall have it punctually paid 
 to you next week." 
 
 " Let it be so then," said Mr. Desbrow. 
 " And remember this, that 1 will take such 
 steps for the future that everything which 
 occurs in this house shall be as well known to 
 me as to yourself, and any indignity you may 
 offer to your wife you shall heartily repent." 
 So saying, and without listening to the apologies 
 and excuses Christian was uttering with great 
 earnestness, he left the house. 
 
 Mr. Desbrow's visit effected a marvellous 
 change for the better in the behaviour of Chris- 
 tain Brandon towards his wife, but unfortu- 
 nately little or none on his drinking or gambling- 
 propensities. Whenever he met his wife, either 
 alone or in company with her sister, he treated 
 her with civility, frequently addressed her, yet 
 always in a cold reserved tone, which showed 
 his ill-feeling towards her had in no manner 
 abated. Even when under the influence of
 
 294 The Lanalord of " The Smir 
 
 spirits, or after its subsidence, when liis temper 
 was perhaps more dangerous and uncertain than 
 when under the direct stimulus of drink, he 
 never exhibited to her the sho-htest harshness 
 or incivility, while to others he was quarrelsome 
 and overbearinsT in the extreme. Nor did he 
 confine his ill humour solely to those in his 
 own establishment. He had frequent quarrels 
 with the best and most respectable of his cus- 
 tomers, tradesmen in the neighbourhood, whom 
 he succeeded in driving from his house, while 
 their void was filled with others of a less 
 reputable description. 
 
 Several very disgraceful riots which had taken 
 place in his house had been brought under the 
 notice of the police, and many charges were 
 brought against him for allowing card-sharping 
 and gambling. He received repeated warnings 
 to conduct his house in a more respectable 
 manner. He still continued on terms of inti- 
 macy with his friend Botcherly, and had accom- 
 panied him to several of the races, on all of 
 which he had betted very heavily, without being 
 on the whole, a winner at any. His losses, on 
 the contrary, added to the enormous interest 
 he was obliged to pay on the money he had 
 borrowed, began, in spite of the consolation he 
 derived from drink, to weigh very heavily on his 
 spirits, and in his sober moments he became
 
 A Surprise. 295 
 
 subject to fits of great depression which he 
 took but httle trouble to conceaL 
 
 One evening, after he had had during the day 
 an unpleasant interview with the bill broker, he 
 was seated in his chair by the fire, and Sarah, 
 with whom he now frequently passed the even- 
 ing, was sitting on the sofa before him, employed 
 with her needle. A dead silence had reigned be- 
 tween them for perhaps half-an-hour. Christian 
 evidently labouring under great depression of 
 spirits. At last Sarah, who from time to time 
 had been watching her husband, saw the tears 
 gathering in his eye, and shortly afterwards, 
 covering his face with his hands, he burst into 
 an uncontrollable fit of weeping. Forgetting 
 for the moment all other circumstances, at the 
 sight of her husband's tears Sarah threw her 
 needlework on the sofa, and advancing to Chris- 
 tian, placed her hand kindly on his shoulder. 
 
 " My dear husband," she said, the tears 
 flowing the while down her own cheeks, " do 
 not weep so bitterly, for it goes to my heart to 
 see you." 
 
 " Husband ?" exclaimed Christian, raising his 
 eyes and looking at her sternly for a moment ; 
 " when did I authorize you to call me by that 
 name i 
 
 " Nay, dear, say what you please, be as angry 
 with me as you like, but for Heaven's sake do
 
 296 The Landlord of " The Sim:' 
 
 not be so downhearted. You cannot think how 
 it grieves me." 
 
 " It would be difficult when a man is more 
 than half ruined," replied Christian, " to be 
 otherwise than downhearted." 
 
 " But what has ruined you ?" said Sarah, 
 somewhat astonished. 
 
 "You," said Christian indignantly, "you! 
 No man ever began the world who intended 
 more conscientiously to work his way forward 
 honourably and industriously than I did, till I 
 found I had married a woman who had deceived 
 
 me." 
 
 " Christian," said Sarah, " blame me as much 
 as you please, and I deserve it, but still I am 
 not so bad as you imagine. Although I admit 
 I am greatly in fault, yet you have not grieved 
 over the deception I practised on you more 
 bitterly than I have. Before our marriage I 
 determined over and over again to tell you 
 everything candidly and openly, but the more 
 I knew of you the more I loved you, and I 
 became afraid lest, when you knew all, you 
 might leave me, I now see how wrong I was. 
 I do not ask you to forgive me, and am perfectly 
 ready to obey you as a servant if you please, if 
 your circumstances compel you to remove to 
 another house ; only do not drive me from you 
 or behave unkindly to me, at any rate till after
 
 A Surprise. 297 
 
 the birth of my poor baby. Then do as you 
 please." 
 
 "And even on that pomt," said Christian, 
 " what terrible doubts you have given rise to ! 
 You have deceived me before; may you not 
 have deceived me in this instance ?" 
 
 " Christian," said Sarah, slowly and emphati- 
 cally, " listen to one remark I have to make. 
 You know I am a woman of determination when 
 once I make up my mind. Ever give a doubt 
 on that point again, and as surely as there is 
 a Heaven above us, so surely will I destroy 
 mvself. No ! I have sinned once, but that was 
 when I was quite a child. From that time to 
 this no woman's conduct could have been 
 purer than mine. Make any inquiries into my 
 behaviour you please, and you will find it is 
 correct; or if you want any information re- 
 specting it I will answer you with perfect 
 truthfulness." 
 
 Christian remained in doubt for some mo- 
 ments, and then said : 
 
 " Where is now the fruit of your miscon- 
 duct ?" 
 
 "He is under the care of his father, who at 
 first would have sent him to the workhouse, had 
 I not threatened to expose him to the world if 
 he did so, and he has now been placed at a 
 school."
 
 298 The Landlord of " TJie Sun." 
 
 " And who was tlie father ?" 
 
 Sarah looked at her husband for a moment, 
 as if summoning up courage to answer, and 
 then said : 
 
 " Mr. Desbrow !" 
 
 For an instant Christian seemed perfectly be- 
 wildered at what he heard. Then starting from 
 his chair, and with an expression of fury on his 
 countenance rather resembling that of a demon 
 than a man, he raised his fist, and with 
 one blow on his wife's temple, stronger than 
 that required to fell an ox, stretched her sense- 
 less on the floor. In falling, Sarah overthrew a 
 small table on which there were some tea-things, 
 and the noise brought several persons to the 
 room. Among these was the barman, who, 
 seeing the condition Sarah was in and the 
 infuriated glance on Brandon's countenance, 
 judged what had taken place. Seizing his em- 
 ployer by the throat, he said to him : 
 
 " I told you some time ago, if ever you struck 
 your wife, and I was in the house, I would 
 give you in charge of the police, and I will do 
 
 so now." 
 
 Without replying, Brandon struck the bar- 
 man a blow scarcely less terrible than the one 
 he had inflicted on his wife. Several persons 
 now interfered and dragged him out of the room, 
 while others went to seek for the police. A
 
 A Surprise. 299 
 
 surgeon was also fetched to attend to Mrs. 
 Brandon, who, still in .a senseless condition, 
 had, with the assistance of her maid-servant 
 and a bystander, been placed on the sofa. 
 
 Brandon in the meantime fought desperately 
 with those who held him till the policeman 
 arrived, and then, by a violent effort releasing 
 himself from them, made a desperate assault on 
 the policeman. He was soon, however, over- 
 powered, and, still struggling violently, was 
 conducted to the police station, where, the 
 charges of assault being entered against him, 
 he was locked up in one of the cells.
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 A SEPARATION. 
 
 SO desperate was Brandon's fury that even the 
 dark solitude of the pohce cell in which he 
 remained during the whole of the night (for the 
 inspector on duty at the station, imagining the 
 possibility of his insanity, thought it prudent 
 not to place him with the other prisoners), had 
 not the least effect of calming him, and the 
 next morning found him with the same angry 
 feelings towards his wife as on the previous 
 day. One by one different episodes which had 
 taken place in connection with Mr. Desbrow 
 came before him, in all of which he judged 
 Sarah to have been a party to the deception 
 practised on him. What tended perhaps more 
 than anything else to keep up his fury was the 
 bitter sarcasm and ridicule concealed in Mr. 
 Desbrow's conduct, and of which he (Christian) 
 had been the object. He had looked upon the 
 man as one of the most honourable he had ever 
 met with. He would have accepted his word
 
 A Sepiration. 301 
 
 with scarcely less doubt tlian Holy Writ itself, 
 so upright did he consider him. Before his 
 marriage he had consulted him on the future 
 prospects of his married life, and had followed 
 his advice implicitly in all things ; and yet, at 
 the very time, the man whom he so much 
 respected was palming off on him his cast-off 
 mistress, and laughing in his sleeve at the folly 
 of the fool who so implicitly trusted him. Then 
 again he brought to his mind the time when 
 after his marriage he had reason to believe he 
 had been deceived in the previous character of 
 his wife, and remembered how he had implored 
 Mr. Desbrow to discover the truth for him, and 
 the hypocritical and false answer which the 
 villain had given him. But terrible as his 
 annoyance was at this reminiscence, it was 
 further augmented by the fact that he had im- 
 plored him to arrange a separation with Sarah, 
 and the remark of Mr. Desbrow that whatever 
 had been her faults before marriage, it would 
 be unjust to turn her away without making an 
 ample allowance for her maintenance. Had 
 the idea been carried out, he felt convinced, 
 that not only would Sarah again have be- 
 come the mistress of Mr. Desbrow, but that 
 it was the latter's intention to make him (Chris- 
 tian) the means of supporting her. 
 
 So terribly did the sense of injury weigh on
 
 302 Tlie Landlord of " The Sim:' 
 
 Christian's mind, that he was totally unable to 
 give his wife credit for the many mitigating cir- 
 cumstances which might have been brought for- 
 ward in her behalf had he reflected coolly on the 
 subject. He might have remembered that when 
 first he made Sarah's acquaintance she had but a 
 day or two before returned from a situation she 
 had filled as nursery governess in the country, 
 and that almost immediately afterwards she had 
 quitted Mr. Desbrow's house to reside with 
 her sister. That not only during the time of 
 the courtship had Sarah steadily refused on 
 any account to meet Mr. Desbrow, but she 
 had also expressed great discontent at the idea 
 of his finding her future husband the loan on 
 mortg:a2:e which enabled him to become the 
 landlord of " The Sun." Again, after their 
 marriage, whenever Mr. Desbrow had called 
 at the house, Sarah persisted in her refusal to 
 meet him, and that in direct opposition to the 
 command of her husband. Another subject 
 which came to his mind and added greatly to 
 his annoyance was the pecuniary obligation he 
 was under to him or to his client, and his total 
 inability to release himself from its horrible 
 thraldom. 
 
 This distressing train of thought continued 
 to pass through Christian's mind till he received 
 a summons to attend before the magistrate.
 
 A Separation. 303 
 
 When placed in the dock, and after the charge 
 of assault on the barman and policeman had 
 been read over, the inspector told the magistrate 
 he beheved there would be another and far 
 more serious charge brought against the pri- 
 soner, but unfortunately at that moment they 
 were unable to do so — that of a murderous 
 assault on his wife, which was rendered the 
 more infamous as she was in an advanced state 
 of pregnancy. A surgeon who had been called 
 in to attend her was present, who would show 
 that the wife was still too unwell, from the 
 shock she had received, to attend before the 
 court. The magistrate then asked the surgeon 
 if he considered the wife to be in any danger ; 
 to which he replied that he could not at pre- 
 sent say, as the blow she had received might 
 bring on premature confinement ; but in a few 
 days he should be able to give a better opinion 
 on the subject. 
 
 The magistrate then inquired whether she 
 had been wounded in any manner, and was 
 told by the surgeon that she had received a 
 fearful blow on the temple and was otherwise 
 bruised. To his question as to whether the 
 bruise on the temple might have been caused 
 by a direct blow, or by falling and striidng her 
 head against some article of furniture, the 
 surgeon replied that it was somewhat difficult
 
 304 The Landlord of " The Sun:'' 
 
 to say. His opinion, lie added, was, that slie 
 had received the blow before falling, but that, 
 although she was now perfectly conscious, she 
 refused to answer any questions he put to her. 
 
 *' No, nor she won't either," said the 
 barman, who attended to prove the assault 
 committed on himself. " I know her too well 
 for that; she's a deal too fond of the brute. 
 But I believe we shall be able to bring it home 
 to him for all that." 
 
 " Are you in his employment ?" asked the 
 magistrate. 
 
 " I am, your worship, I'm sorry to say," 
 replied the man, " for I feel it a disgrace to be 
 so. And this isn't the first time he's ill-treated 
 her. He tried to murder her one evening some 
 months since." 
 
 " Do you think," said the magistrate, ad- 
 dressing the surgeon, " that in a few days you 
 will be better able to state whether you consider 
 your patient in any danger from the wounds 
 she has received ?" 
 
 " I do, your worship." 
 
 "Then I shall adjourn the case till this day 
 week," said the magistrate, " when I request 
 the whole of you will be in attendance. Re- 
 move the prisoner." 
 
 During the week which elapsed before the 
 examination took place Christian's fury had
 
 A Separation. 305 
 
 considerably abated, thougli without in any 
 manner cbanging his ill-feehng against his wife. 
 Still, now that he had been kept from drinking, 
 he could not but deeply regret the cowardly 
 and unmanly assault he had been guilty of. So 
 great was the shame he felt, that he dreaded 
 more his re-appearance before the public than 
 the severe punishment he felt would be awarded 
 him. The day for re-examination at last ar- 
 rived, and Christian was again placed in the 
 dock. For a moment he cast down his eyes, 
 as if ashamed to meet the glances of those 
 assembled in court, but by degrees his anxiety 
 to know whether his wife were present somewhat 
 overcame the feeling, and he looked stealthily 
 around him. But although he saw the surgeon, 
 the barman, and the policeman whom he had 
 assaulted, Sarah was nowhere to be seen. A 
 feeling of intense anxiety now came over him, 
 caused by the idea that his wife might still be 
 suffering from the effects of his ill-treatment. 
 He had not, however, long to be in doubt. The 
 inspector on duty informed the magistrate that 
 the surgeon who was present would explain to 
 him that his patient was out of danger, but that 
 she positively refused to appear against her 
 husband or give the slightest information as to 
 the treatment she had received from him. 
 
 " If I sent an officer to request her atteudance, 
 
 VOL. 1. X
 
 306 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 do _you not tliink she would come ?" asked the 
 magistrate. 
 
 "I do not beheve it would be of the least 
 use," said the inspector. " I have seen her 
 myself, and I believe nothing will change 
 her determination. But the doctor will be 
 better able to speak on the point than I am." 
 
 " And I am fully convinced, your worship," 
 said the surgeon, " that you will do no good in 
 sending for her. She appears to be a woman 
 of great determination. I have, for professional 
 reasons, endeavoured to get the particulars from 
 her of the manner in which she received the 
 blow ; but without any success. She positively 
 refused to answer a word on the subject." 
 
 " Well, if that is the case, and you consider 
 her out of danger, we will go on with the cases 
 of assault on the barman and the policeman." 
 
 These were gone into and, in the clearest 
 manner, proved. The magistrate then asked 
 Christian if he had any defence to make, and 
 receiving a reply in the negative, he told him 
 that he appeared to be a brutal, ruffianly fellow, 
 and that he was extremely sorry his wife would 
 not appear against him, when he would certainly 
 have sent the case for trial. As it was, he had 
 been proved guilty of two most unprovoked 
 assaults, and he felt it his duty to incapacitate 
 him for some time from repeating them. He
 
 A Sejmration. 307 
 
 then sentenced liim to six months' imprison- 
 ment with hard labour. 
 
 Durino- his incarceration Christian Brandon 
 had ample time to think over his late ill conduct, 
 as well as to determine what course he should 
 adopt on being liberated from prison. Although 
 his anger at the deception of his wife, in keeping 
 secret from him her liaison with Mr. Desbrow, 
 and thereby allowing him to be placed in the 
 degrading position of considering her paramour 
 as Ws friend and confidant, still haunted him, 
 he could not relieve himself from the feeling of 
 horror and shame which hung over him when 
 he thought of his brutal behaviour. True, at 
 the moment, the fearful rage he was in at the 
 disclosure she had so abruptly made had driven 
 him into a state of raving madness ; and that 
 was again increased by the spirit he had that 
 evening swallowed, which, although less than 
 usual, was sufi&cient to augment any morbid or 
 excited action of the brain arising from other 
 causes ; still, the disgrace he had incurred, and 
 which, to do him justice, he felt keenly, was 
 too deep for any excuse he could frame to 
 palliate. 
 
 To come to any definite conclusion as to the 
 course he should adopt on his liberation was 
 difficult indeed. If he returned to his house, 
 could he again take the management of the 
 
 X 2
 
 308 The Landlord of " The Simr 
 
 business, with the stigma of his crime and its 
 punishment still fresh upon him ? Again, he 
 was in doub^ as to what had taken place during 
 his absence. ' Was his wife still in the house, 
 and if so, how should he meet her ? Then he 
 was in anxiety as to the result of her confine- 
 ment, which must long since have been over. 
 On his first entrance into the prison, he had 
 begged as a particular favour of the governor 
 that no visitors should be allowed to see him, 
 as he felt too much shame and abhorrence at 
 the remembrance of his crime and the des^rada- 
 tion of his prison dress to hold an interview 
 with anyone. The request was a useless one, 
 as during the whole time of his incarceration 
 not a person came to inquire after him. 
 
 As the term of his imprisonment approached 
 its end, however, he began to feel greatly 
 annoyed that no one had been to see him, as 
 he miofht then have learnt what had taken 
 place at home during his absence. Again, 
 another terrible suofffestion occurred to him — 
 that possibly the child Sarah had been confined 
 of might be dead; and if so, might he not in 
 justice be considered its murderer ? This idea 
 was the more painful, as upon mature reflection 
 he had no reason to believe that the child was 
 not his own, especially when he remembered 
 the determined manner Sarah had exhibited.
 
 A Separation, 309 
 
 both before and after bar marriage, not to meet 
 Mr. Desbrow. The idea that he mis'ht have 
 killed his own child now bewin to haunt him 
 with terrible pertinacity, which seemed to in- 
 crease in intensity the nearer the term of his 
 imprisonment approached its expiration. 
 
 At last the morning arrived, and Christian, 
 after divesting himself of his prison dress and 
 putting on the clothes he wore at the time of 
 his arrest, left the gaol. For some time he 
 wandered on as if irresolute what course he 
 should pursue, apparently his only desire being 
 to leave the prison walls as far behind him as 
 possible. This feeling at length subsided, and 
 he stopped to consider whether he should at 
 once proceed home or seek a lodging at some 
 distance from it, where he might ascertain at 
 his leisure what had taken place during his 
 absence. Strongly as he felt inclined to adopt 
 the latter course, his dread of meeting his wife 
 or any of his old associates or servants at 
 " The Sun," was less in proportion than his 
 anxiety to know the truth ; and at last he deter- 
 mined that he would at once proceed home, 
 cost what it might. 
 
 While still under a feeling of dread his pace 
 was at first slow and deliberate in the extreme, 
 but in proportion as he arrived nearer to his 
 house he seemed to come within a centre of
 
 310 Tlie Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 attraction, and his steps quickened till at last 
 they nearly amounted to a run. 
 
 " The Sun " was reached at length, but no 
 sooner had Christian cast his eyes on it than 
 his feet seemed riveted to the ground with as- 
 tonishment. Not only did the house appear 
 hermetically closed, but on the shutters were 
 the remains of bills which indicated that a sale 
 by auction had taken place on the premises. 
 When a little recovered, he looked at the 
 upper windows to discover if the house were 
 inhabited, but not a soul was to be seen. He 
 now resolved to apply at the private door, and 
 see if any one was at that time on the premises. 
 After ringing two or three times he heard* a 
 footstep approach, and the door, which had 
 been closely barred, was opened by a decent- 
 looking woman. Christian was upon the point 
 of entering, when she said to him : 
 
 " I can't let you in ; I don't know who you 
 
 are." 
 
 " I am the landlord of the house," said 
 Christian, " and I have a right to come in." 
 
 " My orders, and those of my husband, are, 
 not to let anyone come in," said the woman. 
 And who is your husband ?" asked Christian. 
 He is a policeman, and we have been put 
 in charge of the house with strict orders not to 
 admit anyone." 

 
 A iSeimration. 311 
 
 " Nonsense," said Christian, " I tell you I 
 am the owner of the house, and I have a right 
 to come in." 
 
 " Then," said the woman, " I must call my 
 husband, who is just lying down on the bed 
 below. Here, John !" she called out, " come 
 upstairs as fast as you can, for here's a person 
 will come into the house, although I've told 
 him we've strict orders not to allow anyone to 
 set foot in it." 
 
 A moment afterwards a man's footstep was 
 heard approaching, and Christian, fearing that 
 perhaps it might be one of the policemen of the 
 beat to whom he was known, told the woman it 
 was no matter, he would not attempt to enter 
 against her inclination. At the same time he 
 wanted a little information which she might 
 give him. 
 
 At that moment her husband made his ap- 
 pearance, who immediately recognised Chris- 
 tian, and said to him civilly enough : 
 
 " I am very sorry, Mr. Brandon, we can't 
 allow you to enter the house, but our orders 
 are very strict." 
 
 " Well then," replied Christian, " will you 
 give me a little information ? You can have 
 no objection to do that. Can you tell me what 
 has become of those who were living in the 
 house ?"
 
 312 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 " I haven't the most remote idea, sn%" said 
 he. " They moved out about a month or six 
 weeks after that unfortunate affair, and about 
 a fortniglit later there was a sale in the house." 
 
 " Do you know by whose orders ?" inquired 
 Christian. 
 
 " That I don't, sir," said the man. " The 
 fact is, another policeman and his wife were at 
 first placed on the premises, and they remained 
 here four months before I came in ; and by 
 whom the sale was ordered I know nothing." 
 
 " Can you give me any idea where I could 
 obtain the information ?" said Christian. 
 
 " I can't tell at all, sir," said the man ; 
 " unless perhaps it might be the auctioneer who 
 sold the goods, and whose name I think you'll 
 find on the bills which are still posted on the 
 front shutters. Perhaps he might be able to 
 tell you, but I don't know of anybody else who 
 could." 
 
 Christian thanked the policeman for his ad- 
 vice, and having ascertained the name of the 
 auctioneer determined at once to go to his 
 office. He found him at home, and Christian, 
 w^th rather a downcast look, explained the 
 object of his visit. 
 
 " I am very sorry, sir," said the auctioneer, 
 '' but I can give you no information upon the 
 subject. The fact is, I received my authority
 
 A Separation. 313 
 
 for the sale of tlie goods from Mr. Desbrow, 
 the solicitor, in Ely Place." 
 
 " Can you inform me where the parties who 
 lived in the house are gone ?" 
 
 " I would, with pleasure, sir, if I could," 
 was the repl^^ ; " but I know nothing whatever 
 of the circumstances of the case. Perhaps you 
 had better apply to Mr. Desbrow himself. You 
 will find him a very respectable and honoura- 
 ble gentleman, who, I am sure, will readily 
 give you every information in his power." 
 
 Christian muttered some thanks to the auc- 
 tioneer, but so powerful an effect had the 
 mention of Mr. Desbrow's name on him that 
 he was obliged to hurry out of the house into 
 the street as quickly as possible, lest the auc- 
 tioneer might notice the altered expression of 
 his countenance. At first he felt a strong in- 
 clination to follow the advice given him, and 
 go immediately to Mr. Desbrow's office, but he 
 had not proceeded many hundred yards when 
 he prudently began to doubt his own powers of 
 resisting the provocation the bare sight of that 
 man would occasion him, and he knew not 
 what desperate act he might commit. He now 
 wandered listlessly about the streets, trying to 
 determine what next step he should take, but 
 nothing satisfactory could be arrived at. He 
 resolved at last to seek a lodging, and after-
 
 314 The Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 wards, with a cooler brain than he then pos- 
 sessed, to decide on some course to follow. 
 He was deliberating where he should take up 
 his quarters, when he remembered that near 
 the spot was the publichouse belonging to a 
 man he had frequently met at his friend Botch- 
 erly's, and in an evil hour he determined to 
 apply to him for a lodging. 
 
 The man received him in a very friendly 
 manner, and told him he much regretted the 
 course things had taken, which he had heard 
 mentioned, and hoped that now they would 
 turn out better than was imagined. Any ad- 
 vice or assistance he could render he should be 
 most happy to give him. If during his trouble 
 he would like to stay a week or so at his house, 
 he would, if he required it, be willing to give 
 him credit for board and lodging during that 
 time. Christian, however, on his arrest, had 
 nearly fifteen pounds in his pocket, which had 
 been returned to him on leaving the prison, 
 and thanking the man for his offer, told him he 
 was not in want of money — a piece of informa- 
 tion which seemed to take a weight off the 
 landlord's mind. 
 
 Christian in a short time was fairly installed 
 in his friend's house. It was now getting late 
 in the day, and he ordered some dinner, re- 
 solving afterwards to think over what course
 
 A Separation. 315 
 
 he could adopt to gain information respecting 
 his wife, and what steps he should take to re- 
 cover possession of " The Sun." Unfortu- 
 nately, after dinner, Christian did not reflect 
 over the matter with the cool brain necessary 
 to come to a just conclusion. He called to his 
 aid a glass of brandy-and-water, which had 
 considerable effect in raising his spirits, the 
 more so perhaps as he had been deprived of the 
 use of any stimulants during the whole time 
 he had been in prison. Under its influence, he 
 resolved the next day to call on Mr. Desbrow, 
 and have a clear understanding with him, cost 
 what it might. He would endeavour, if pos- 
 sible, to restrain his temper in his presence, 
 and even if he could not, he argued that the 
 satisfaction he should feel in giving him a good 
 sound thrashing would almost be equivalent to 
 any punishment he might receive for it. A 
 second glass of brandy-and-water confirmed 
 him in his resolution, but the third and fourth 
 had the effect of obliterating from his brain 
 everything he had decided on, and he fell into 
 a heavy sleep, from which he was at last 
 awakened by the landlord. 
 
 Christian now ordered brandy-and-water for 
 both, and the two conversed together on sub- 
 jects which had taken place during Christian's 
 incarceration, and the different fortunes which
 
 316 Tlie Landlord of " Tlie Sun:' 
 
 had befallen the friends they nsed to meet at 
 the sporting house. The spirits which Chris- 
 tian had swallowed had the effect of brinofing: 
 back to his mind many circumstances which 
 had taken place at Botcherly's and the races in 
 which he had been interested, and they con- 
 tinued talking together on subjects of the kind, 
 continually ordering their glasses to be re- 
 plenished, till Christian at last was obliged to 
 be assisted to his bed in a state of almost help- 
 less intoxication. The next morning, when 
 he left his room, there was an expression of 
 deep shame stamped on his countenance, and 
 he was suffering at the time severely from head- 
 ache. The first person he saw on entering 
 the bar parlour was the landlord. On inquir- 
 ing of Christian how he had slept, the latter 
 told him he was suffering from a violent head- 
 ache. 
 
 " A hair of the dog that bit you, my dear 
 fellow," said the landlord, "is the proper 
 remedy for that. Come, let me pour you out 
 a glass of rum, and you'll soon find your head- 
 ache disappear." 
 
 Christian for a moment hesitated, but at 
 length followed the advice of his friend, and 
 then left the house to take a stroll through the 
 street, for the purpose of refreshing himself 
 before breakfast. During his meal he began
 
 A Separation. 317 
 
 to consider what steps he should take to find 
 the whereabouts of his wife. He knew per- 
 fectly well the person who could give him the 
 best information would be Charlotte, but he 
 felt too much ashamed of his conduct to Sarah 
 to meet her. Could he not obtain the informa- 
 tion from her by some indirect means ? He 
 now remembered that when Charlotte arrived 
 in London it was the landlady of the lodgings 
 where he was himself living who had found the 
 apartments for her, and that she had told him 
 she was an intimate friend of the person who 
 kept them. The idea now struck him that 
 if he called on his old landlady he might 
 through her means obtain from the mistress of 
 the other house indirect information of what 
 had become of Sarah. This plan, on further 
 consideration, appeared exceedingly feasible, 
 and he resolved without an hour's delay to put 
 it into execution. 
 
 He now proceeded to the house at which he 
 formerly resided on the Surrey side of the 
 water, and found the landlady at home. To 
 his great satisfaction he perceived from her 
 friendly reception that she had heard nothing 
 of his behaviour and subsequent punishment. 
 After a little conversation on ordinary subjects, 
 he invented a tale of some plausibiUty, stating 
 that he had had a violent dispute with his
 
 318 HiG Landlord of " TJie Sun:' 
 
 sister-in-law, wlio was lodging at lier friend's 
 house. " These family disputes," he said, " were 
 exceedingly repugnant to him, and the more 
 so in the present instance as his wife sided 
 with her sister. What he wished to ascertain 
 was, whether, if he called on her, his sister- 
 in-law would receive him in a friendly manner. 
 That was pretty well all he wanted to know, 
 except, just for curiosity's sake, whether she 
 had seen his wife lately, as he believed the two 
 were in constant communication." 
 
 " I assure you, sir, you are labouring 
 under a great mistake," said the landlady. 
 " Why, to my certain knowledge, your wife's 
 sister left Ensfland for Canada some months 
 
 ago. 
 
 " Oh, you are in error," said Christian. 
 " You can't know the person I mean. I allude 
 to Mrs. Jordan." 
 
 " I knew Mrs. Jordan very well, sir," said 
 the landlady, *' and have seen and talked with 
 her several times. I assure you I am quite 
 right in what I say." 
 
 " Well, you really astonish me," said 
 Christian, this time truthfully enough ; and 
 he then continued, "why my wife should 
 have concealed the fact from me I really 
 don't know. It was very wrong of her, cer- 
 tainly."
 
 A Separation. 319 
 
 " Oil, little disputes of the kind will happen 
 in all families," said the landlady. " Your's 
 is not the only one, that you may be sure 
 of." 
 
 " At the same time," said Christian, notic- 
 ing an expression of surprise on the woman's 
 countenance, although from the words she had 
 uttered she appeared to treat it as a trifling 
 matter, " I was wrong, it appears, after all. 
 I thought my wife might not have told me the 
 truth when she said she had no communication 
 with her sister ; but I find I was in error, after 
 all. Well, I am very sorry to have troubled 
 you," he continued, taking up his hat hurriedly, 
 evidently wishing to leave the house as quickly 
 as possible, lest he might be asked any unplea- 
 sant questions. " Grood-bye. I shall call and 
 see you again the first time I am this side of 
 the water." Then, shaking the good woman 
 by the hand, he left the house. 
 
 Christian now returned home, or rather to 
 the public-house where ]ie had taken up his 
 lodofins:, and remained there for the rest of 
 the day, being somewhat chary of being seen 
 abroad lest he should meet anv of his old asso- 
 ciates. He attempted now to devise some other 
 plan of action, but without success. lie was 
 afraid to apply to Gideon Ilarcourt, who very 
 probably was in possession of the whole facts of
 
 320 The Landlord of " The Sun." 
 
 the case. No, the idea could not be enter- 
 tained, Harcourt, of all men living, Christian 
 most dreaded to meet. 
 
 That day the landlord and Christian dined 
 together, and during their meal the former 
 inquired of him what he intended to do about 
 "The Sun." 
 
 " It is a pity," he said, " that such a capital 
 house should be lying idle. You bought the 
 lease of it, did you not ?" 
 
 "Yes," replied Christian, "but there was a 
 mortgage on it to nearly a third of its value, 
 which has now been foreclosed." 
 
 " Well," said the landlord, " but the lease of 
 the premises must be worth far more than that. 
 How did you stand with your brewer and dis- 
 tiller?" 
 
 " I did not owe very much to either of 
 them," said Christian. " But the fact is I 
 was so distressed in my mind before that uu- 
 fortunate affair, I hardly knew what I was 
 about. Still, the stock-in-trade and the furni- 
 ture which has been sold must have realized 
 much more than would have paid them. Then 
 you see I had some betting transactions still 
 unsettled, and which I wish to wipe off as soou 
 as possible. However, at a rough guess I 
 should say, if the lease of my house could 
 be sold at the price I gave for it, I should
 
 A Separation. 321 
 
 still have a good four or five hundred pounds 
 coming to rae." 
 
 " Then why, in the name of fortune, don't 
 you stir about it?" said the landlord. "You 
 must know perfectly well that all the time you 
 are idle the lawyers are eating up your pro- 
 perty. Take my advice and lose no time, but 
 set to work at once. I know I would, if it was 
 my case. Now promise me you'll do so to- 
 
 morrow." 
 
 Christian, who could not deny the reason- 
 ableness or cogency of the landlord's remarks, 
 promised he would follow his advice, and the 
 conversation then turned on horse-racing and 
 cognate subjects of no interest to the reader. 
 
 The idea of again obtaining possession of 
 " The Sun " not only haunted Christian's ima- 
 gination long after he had retired to rest, but 
 mixed itself up with his slumbers. In his 
 dreams he imagined himself again the landlord 
 of " The Sun " and superintending the busi- 
 ness. Although he was perfectly aware the 
 barman had been instrumental in getting him 
 arrested for the assault on his wife, he appeared 
 to bear him no ill-will ; while the man, who 
 seemed to have forgotten all that had taken 
 place, behaved to him with great respect. 
 Divers of his old and most respectable cus- 
 tomers, who had long since abstained from 
 
 VOL. I. Y
 
 322 TJiG Landlord of " The Sun:' 
 
 frequenting "The Sun," in consequence of 
 its landlord's drunken and violent habits, called 
 in to see him, and without in the most remote 
 way alluding to the incarceration he had under- 
 gone, accosted him in the most friendly manner, 
 expressing their great satisfaction in "meeting 
 him again. Indeed, had he just escaped from 
 a dangerous fit of illness, or returned to his 
 homo after a long journey, they could not 
 have met him in a more cordial man- 
 ner. 
 
 A change now came over his dream. He 
 had been talking for some time before the bar 
 with two of his old friends, when he invited 
 them into his sitting-room to sup with him. 
 They accepted the invitation, and on entering 
 the room, to his great surprise. Christian found 
 his wife and Mr. Desbrow seated at a table, 
 apparently in deep conversation, so much so, 
 in fact, that they did not notice his entrance. 
 The sight of his enemy had such an effect on 
 Christian that he attacked him with the fury of 
 a tiger, and, seizing him by the throat, threw 
 him on the ground. 
 
 Suddenly Christian awoke, but so great had 
 been the effect the imaginary sight of Mr. 
 Desbrow had on him that he found his brow 
 covered with heavy drops of perspiration, and 
 that he was suffering from a nervous and most
 
 A Sejmration. 323 
 
 distressing trembling of the riglit hand, which 
 he had great difficulty in subduing. He re- 
 mained for some time awake, reflecting on the 
 dream which had caused him so much excite- 
 ment, when the idea suddenly crossed his 
 mind whether Sarah, after the seizure and sale 
 of the goods, might not have taken refuge in 
 Mr. Desbrow's house and be there at the 
 present moment. Although he felt no jealousy 
 at the supposition, and it would be absurd to 
 say he had any afiection now for the woman 
 he formerly had loved so fondly (and without 
 love jealousy cannot exist), he felt keenly the 
 indignity such a proceeding would cast on him. 
 He now resolved that the next morning he 
 would visit Mr. Desbrow's house at Clapham, 
 to ascertain whether Sarah was there, and, if 
 not, to try and obtain some intelligence re- 
 specting her. 
 
 He remained awake for some hours longer, 
 endeavouring to decide in what manner he 
 would conduct his visit, so as to gain the most 
 certain information, but without any definite 
 result, and he then fell into a disturbed 
 slumber, in which Mr. Desbrow again appeared 
 before him, though now in no way in con- 
 nection with any of the events which had 
 taken place either at " The Sun " or before his 
 
 marriage. 
 
 Y 2
 
 324 The Landlord of " The Sim." 
 
 Daylight at last awoke Christian from liis 
 slumbers and the painful dreams which accom- 
 panied them. He now rose from his bed, 
 determining that, as soon as he had break- 
 fasted, he would start off for Clapham, and 
 at once relieve his mind of the doubts which so 
 cruelly oppressed it. When he had descended 
 to the ground-floor he found the servants were 
 not yet up. He now determined to stroll 
 about the streets for an hour, in hopes the 
 early morning air might have the effect of 
 cooling his fevered brain. It did him but little 
 good, however, and after an hour's walk he 
 returned home, scarcely more refreshed than 
 when he had left the house. His breakfast 
 over, he started off on foot for Clapham, pre- 
 ferring it to riding, as it gave him more 
 opportunity to consider the position he was in 
 and the steps he should take on arriving. 
 After grave consultation, he at last decided to 
 proceed at once to Mr. Desbrow's house and 
 inquire if any lady was living there. He also 
 resolved that if he met Mr. Desbrow he would 
 contain his passion, at least so far as to 
 commit no assault on him, though he would 
 not hesitate to expose his villauy, if not to the 
 world, at least to the members of his own 
 household. This he felt he could do the more 
 effectually, as he knew Mr. Desbrow affected
 
 A Separation. 325 
 
 in his general behaviour a highly moral and 
 even a sanctimonious demeanour. 
 
 Arrived at the house, the door was opened 
 to him by a respectable-looking middle-aged 
 woman, who had the appearance of a house- 
 keeper. 
 
 "Is your mistress at home?" asked Chris- 
 tian. 
 
 " My mistress ?" said the woman, evidently 
 surprised at the inquiry ; " there is no lady 
 living here.*' 
 
 " But this is Mr. Desbrow's, is it not ?" 
 
 " Yes, sir, but Mr. Desbrow isn't married." 
 
 " I was told the contrary," said Christian. 
 *' Has any lady been on a visit here, then ?" 
 he continued, " as that might have caused the 
 mistake?" 
 
 " None whatever," said the woman. " I've 
 been here for more than twelve months, and 
 during that time, though occasionally ladies 
 may call who are connected with the chapel, 
 and the different charities Mr. Desbrow sub- 
 scribes to, I can safely say that no lady has at 
 any one time remained in the house for more 
 than half-an-hour." 
 
 " That is certainly very strange !" said 
 Christian, appearing to meditate, but really 
 only trying to gain time. " I have received 
 then some very imperfect iutbrmatiou. Is
 
 326 The Landlord of " The Sun.'' 
 
 there any other Mr. Desbrow living about 
 here?" 
 
 "Not that I know of," said the housekeeper, 
 *' nor do I think there is, or I should have 
 heard of it. But here comes the postman, he'll 
 be able to inform you." 
 
 The inquiry was made of the postman, 
 who, however, knew no other person of the 
 name. 
 
 " Can I see Mr. Desbrow himself?" inquired 
 Christian. " Perhaps he may help me to clear 
 up the matter." 
 
 " My master left home before seven o'clock 
 this morning," said the housekeeper, " as he 
 wished to catch, one of the early trains into 
 the country; but he left word he should be 
 back this evening. Will you leave your name, 
 sir?" 
 
 *' No, it's no use my doing that, but he will 
 hear from me in a few days. I am sorry to 
 have troubled you. Good morning." 
 
 Christian, after he had left the house, made 
 several inquiries in the neighbourhood re- 
 specting Mr. Desbrow, but no intelligence 
 could he obtain to throw the slightest light on 
 the object of his visit. Many of the tradesmen 
 he spoke to knew Mr. Desbrow, either per- 
 sonally or by reputation, and all concurred in 
 speaking of him wilh the highest respect.
 
 A Separation. 327 
 
 One, a grocer, said ho much regretted Mr. 
 Desbrow had ever chosen the law as a pro- 
 fession. He knew him well, as sitting with 
 him under the same minister, and he fully 
 believed there was not a more pious God- 
 fearing man in the whole congregation. 
 
 END OP THE FIRST VOLUME. 
 
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