mil 
 
 illjidiii 
 
 mm
 
 THE LIBRARY 
 
 OF 
 
 THE UNIVERSITY 
 
 OF CALIFORNIA 
 
 LOS ANGELES
 
 RAFF HALL, 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 J. B. NICHOLS AND SON, 25, PARLIAMENT STREET.
 
 RAFF HALL. 
 
 BY ROBERT SULIVAN, ESQ. 
 
 i' Your history is a little romantic, Cousin — 
 
 Sir, will you give me leave to try this cap upon your head?" 
 
 Thk RiccRuiTiNG Officer. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. 1. 
 
 LONDON : 
 
 HENRY COLBURN, PUBLISHER, 
 
 GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 
 
 1838.
 
 
 ADVERTISEMENT. 
 
 It will be observed, that the principal character 
 in these volumes bears a name already made fa- 
 miliar in a work of much more consequence. The 
 coincidence is accidental, and was discovered only 
 when the printing ivas too far advanced to admit 
 of remedy. 
 
 5S3S29
 
 AFF HALL. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 I LOST my parents before I was eight years 
 old j when it was discovered that, Ijy unexpect- 
 ed reverses of fortune, I had httle to inherit 
 beyond the bh)od of a gentleman. Such a pa- 
 trimony is not always advantageous; and I was 
 nearly doomed to find it very much the reverse, 
 for my relations, who might have liad no ob- 
 jection to me as a shoe-black, jDroposed me in 
 vain to each other as a protege. In this 
 straight I was applied for by an uncle, who, 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 2 RAFF HALL. 
 
 from difference of tastes and opinions, had 
 long lived estranged from tlieni^ and declared 
 that I must be a valuable acquisition because 
 all else had rejected me. 
 
 Such a conclusion may appear something 
 like caprice; but my uncle was the most con- 
 sistent man in the world, having in his very 
 cradle laid down for himself a rule of conduct 
 from which he had never swerved, and this rule 
 his nurses used to call the " rule of contrary." 
 The discipline of his pastors and masters had 
 proved him an uncompromising systematic 
 from one end to the other. As he advanced 
 in youth and had no longer any personal 
 authority to oppose, he had found it necessary 
 to sustain his character by waging war against 
 the authority of established principles and 
 opinions. From the University he had been 
 expelled by i:)roving liimself twice as wise as all 
 the philosophers who had gone before him, and 
 in the army he had many a time been well 
 nigh cashiered for insubordination.
 
 RAFF HALL. 
 
 In the army, however, notwithstancUng the 
 foregoing unmihtary characteristic, his career 
 had been followed by no small share of that 
 species of credit Avhich is most flattering to the 
 pride of a soldier. He had, immediately on 
 commencing it, been sent on service, where he 
 gained the repiitation of being the best man to 
 lead a forlorn hope, since the days of the 
 Seven Champions. Good luck and good in- 
 terest had helped him to the command of a 
 regiment in a space unusually short, but suffi- 
 ciently long to render further obedience to the 
 will of others intolerable. Nothing would suit 
 him imder the dignity of commander-in-chief; 
 and, accordingly, he threw up his rank and 
 resolved to despise the world in retirement. 
 Here his dogged opposition to all rules Avhich 
 formed the guidance of other people in their 
 social relation was not enough for his discur- 
 sive genius; and, having satisfied himself of 
 their worldly errors, he felt convinced that 
 
 B 2
 
 4 RAFF HALL. 
 
 such a race must be blockheads and dupes as 
 to the future. 
 
 Tlie minor genmses of the neighl^ourhood, if 
 they felt conscience-struck at the subject, could 
 not withhold their aj^plause from his wit, and 
 courted his acquaintance as a matter of dis- 
 tinction. The ladies likewise, for the most 
 part, connecting his reputation with a fine per- 
 son and a large estate, looked upon Sir Hector 
 Maltravers, Bart, of Raff Hall, as an apostate 
 angel whom it would be a great triumph to 
 reform. Thus the spirit of contrariety became 
 emboldened in its daring by gratified vanity, 
 and from priding himself upon being less 
 shackled than other people, he arrived at the 
 singular ambition of being thought worse. 
 
 At length, having heard that his friends con- 
 sidered his character too imsettled for matri- 
 mony, he began to look about for a wife. It 
 Vi'as generally supposed that the prize would be 
 carried off by the accomplishments of Miss A, 
 
 li
 
 RAFF HALL. 5 
 
 and for this prophecy the chance of Miss A. 
 ■vvas at an end. Miss B. would never do, 
 because her mind was a perfect blank, and for 
 this reason Miss B. was preferred to all the 
 creation. A perfect blank, undefiled by any 
 of the absurdities of commonly received opi- 
 nions, was the tablet of all others on which to 
 write his novel substitutes for them. Miss B. 
 became my aunt ; and being proud of the admi- 
 ration lavished upon her husband. 1 ost no time 
 in imbibing his ideas of a world in which she 
 felt she must have been cheaply estimated. 
 Her triumph over her rivals made her a mark 
 for observation ; and her natural perception 
 was insufficient to show her that the allowance 
 which the world is sometimes content to make 
 for the eccentricities of talent, is balanced by a 
 proportionable degree of severity where it is 
 wanting. She became an object of ridicule 
 and dislike, and the visits of curiosity were 
 gradually discontinued till she ceased to belong 
 to society. My uncle too, now that he was
 
 6 RAFF HALL. 
 
 beyond the reach of speculation, found liimself 
 less courted and more in need of attractions at 
 home. Alas ! the attractions of home had been 
 destroyed by his own lessons of independence. 
 All the amenities of life which she had consider- 
 ed restraints, my aunt had cast aside as meanly 
 subservient to rules which she had as much right 
 to infringe as others to impose; and, when re- 
 proached by her husband with her contrast to 
 the rest of the world, she reminded him that it 
 was he who, had taught her to despise it. In 
 this manner his affections were cooled and his 
 temper provoked, till, at the end of the first 
 year, they pursued their ill-starred system at 
 different ends of the house, and never resumed 
 any intercourse beyond the forms of polite 
 visiting. In this state of affairs, and W'hilst 
 mutually cursing the yoke in Avhich they had 
 bound themselves, their first and only child 
 made his appearance, as if purposely to swell 
 the discord. 
 
 The first disjDute occasioned by this pledge
 
 JIAFF HALL. 7 
 
 of mtitvial hatred respected his name, and was 
 singularly unfortunate, for my aunt overcame 
 her usually unaccommodating disposition, and 
 was ready to consent to any name that ever 
 was borne under the sun. Pagan or Christian, 
 excepting only one, and that one unluckily 
 chanced to be her husband's. My uncle, who 
 was desirous of perpetuating his name as that 
 of the first philosopher his family had ever pro- 
 duced, would agree to no other ; and thus, had 
 not a good-natured friend of 1)oth parties con- 
 veyed him stealthily to the font and called 
 him after himself, my cousin had probably 
 never signed anything but his mark as long as 
 he Hved. By this happy expedient it was de- 
 cided that all future complaints of his misde- 
 meanours M'ere to be lodged against him under 
 the style and title of "Master Jack." His 
 parents easily forgave the well-meant trans- 
 action, since neither the one nor the other had 
 been a party to it, and he was left to puzzle
 
 8 RAFF HALL. 
 
 out the rest of the road to salvation as best 
 suited his convenience. 
 
 My uncle, whose whole powers were embark- 
 ed in visionary schemes for the enlightenment 
 of future generations, dealt, like other great 
 minds, so much by "wholesale, that he com- 
 pletely overlooked the opportunity of trying 
 his hand on his heir apparent. My aunt, at 
 the same time, had lived so long in defiance of 
 all method that to lay down any plan for her 
 child's instruction was a thing that never 
 occurred to her. My cousin's mind therefore 
 was left to be enriched by any seeds which the 
 winds might chance to blow there, and the conse- 
 quence was that it soon became as unpromising 
 a piece of soil as ever cherished a bramble. His 
 history up to the time when I was transplanted 
 into his society, may be easily imagined from 
 what I then found him. He was about four- 
 teen years of age, and I about eight; but in 
 education I had, perhaps, the advantage, since
 
 RAFF HALL. 9 
 
 I could say my prayers, and knev/ where to 
 look for my catechism. 
 
 At the tender age at which my history com- 
 mences, I could, of course, kno^y nothing of 
 the foregoing particulars. I had only been 
 able to understand that my uncle and his fa- 
 mily were difterent from every one else, and 
 when the time arrived for my removal to his. 
 protection, my principal feeling was curiosity 
 to see in what the difference consisted. I had 
 already l)ade adieu to the home in which I 
 had dwelt Avith my parents, and had few tears 
 left to 1)estow upon those who had declined 
 filling their place. As I stept into the chaise 
 with the servant who Avas to conduct me, I 
 was complimented vxpon my hrnuiess, and 
 assured that I Avas a dear good little fellow, to 
 go off with such a good grace. 
 
 It was a fine spring morning, and we had 
 started early, for the end of our journey lay 
 in a distant county. For the first few miles 
 the unaccustomed and rapid change of scene
 
 10 RAFF HALL. 
 
 kept me amused, and of good cheer. As 
 the novelty wore off, and the distance in- 
 creased from those whom I knew and whom I 
 had left^ I could not prevent my heart from 
 feeling n slight tremor at the forlornness of my 
 situation. Be the nature of my treatment at my 
 imcle's kind or otherwise, I had no appeal from 
 it to the fond bosoms of my natural protectors. 
 The indulgences, the caresses to which I had 
 been accustomed were no more to be ex- 
 pected ; my faults were to be judged by those 
 who had no inward voice to plead allowance 
 for them, and my merits, if ever I had any, 
 would be viewed without the pride which 
 had been the encouragement of my infancy. 
 I had, hoM'ever, a belief that my parents, if 
 they could no longer protect me, had still their 
 regards upon me, and even now beheld the 
 struggles of my young heart on its pilgrimage 
 in search of affections by which theirs were 
 to be replaced ; I imagined them lamenting 
 that they could not whisper courage for more
 
 RAFF HALL. 11 
 
 manly exertions, and feeling that their happi- 
 ness still depended on that of their infant 
 orphan. This thought was a successful sti- 
 mulant to all the resignation I could command. 
 I saw that to be unhappy would he a sin ; 
 that I waSj in fact, past the age for all the 
 tender treatment which I missed; and that 
 it would he ungrateful in me to anticipate no 
 tenderness in a home Avhich was open to me 
 when all others were closed. 
 
 In reflections like these I passed the greater 
 part of the day. When I again took courage 
 to look out upon our progress, the novelty and 
 interest of the scene were improving. "We 
 were traversing a large wild common, over- 
 gro-UTi by furze and fern, and broken by Axlvet 
 glades and groups of umljrageous oaks. At 
 every turn there was something to arrest my 
 attention. In one place a merry gang of 
 gypsies taking shelter from the orimson rays 
 of the declining sun ; in another, a startled 
 rabbit springing hastily from the apj)roach of
 
 12 RAFF HALL.. 
 
 the carriage. Then there was the white owl ca- 
 reering plaintively through the rising mist, and 
 overhead, the interminalile line of rooks in 
 their loud and lofty march from their daily 
 devastation. All the wonders of this new 
 region were to be henceforth within reach of 
 my adventurous rambles, for the mansion of 
 my uncle, spacious, venerable and imposing, 
 reared its fantastic piles against a rising forest^ 
 scarce half a mile in advance. 
 
 The first person whom I encountered on 
 alighting in the domain, was a tall, pale-faced 
 youth, with his arras a-kimbo, and his hat 
 stuck on one side, upon Ijlack hair and hand- 
 some features. The expression, however, was 
 somewhat too knowing for his years, and his 
 costume, especially the ample knee breeches, 
 buttoned with a strain in front of a pair of 
 spindle shanks, shoAveda little too much of the 
 aspiring stable-boy, and the premature ambi- 
 ion of top-boots. This was my cousin, who 
 had been looking out for me, and received me
 
 RAFF HALL. 13 
 
 in a dubious style of patronage, such as he 
 had probably bestowed upon a puppy whose 
 qualities remained to be proved. Pie under- 
 took to introduce me and make me at home, 
 which reheved me of much of my ])asliful 
 timidity; though I could not help wondering 
 when I found my hrst presentation was to be 
 in the stable. Here I was lianded to three 
 or four idle fellows who were playing at pitch- 
 ing halfpence, as the young cliap who was 
 come to live with tliem because nobody else 
 v.-ould liave him. After receiving many con- 
 gratulatory grins upon the improvement which 
 I was hkely to make under my cousin, who 
 seemed proud of the comphments paid to ])im, 
 I was led away to offer my respects in the 
 kitchen, scullery, and servants' hall. In all 
 these places I found my conductor distin- 
 guished by an equally familiar and friendly 
 reception. I did not quite know wliat to make 
 of the winks and whispers, and slaps and 
 soap-suds, wliich were dealt around; but it
 
 14 RAFF HALL. 
 
 struck me^ though I felt a little ashamed, that 
 there would be a great deal less severity in my 
 new residence than I had expected. This I 
 was assured would be the case, if I behaved 
 like a man, and never told tales. 
 
 At length, the progress of my introductions 
 
 brought me into the presence of my aunt. 
 
 She was alone in a twihghted dressing-room, 
 
 which looked out upon the gloomy woods, and 
 
 reclining in a seemingly painful reverie. There 
 
 was no sign about her, either of occupation or 
 
 regard for appearance. She did not read — for 
 
 she had no one to direct her what to read ; 
 
 she did not work — for she had no one for 
 
 whom to adorn herself j and of religion she 
 
 had been taught to defy the forms, till she had 
 
 become callous to the consolations. Her 
 
 beauty, which was said to have once been 
 
 considerable, was prematurely destroyed by 
 
 the sharp lines of disappointment and chagrin, 
 
 and her voice had become naturalized to the 
 
 tones of complaint. She was like some waning
 
 RAFF HALL. 15 
 
 captive^ condemned to solitaiy and hopeless 
 confinement. 
 
 We had entered at the dark end of the room, 
 and she did not at first perceive me, but ad- 
 dressed her son in a low and plaintive style of 
 reproach. He had not been near her ail the 
 day, she said ; he never came near her — no one 
 came near her; and if she died, no one would 
 find it out. My cousin excused himself on the 
 plea of his many avocations. His father never 
 looked to any thing about the premises, and he 
 had been obliged to give his attendance to all 
 sorts of matters, great and small — from the 
 feeding of the horses to the ferreting of the 
 rats. My aunt shook her head, and he re- 
 torted in the tone of an injured person, that it 
 was of no use to tell him over and over again 
 of his predilection for the company of grooms 
 and rat-catchers; for what was he to do? She 
 herself had cautioned him against the coach- 
 loads of philosophers, who came down from 
 London to talk abominations, as she called it,
 
 1(1 RAFF HALL. 
 
 M'ith his father ; and the people round ahout 
 would have nothing to do with him, Ijecause 
 lie had been 1)rought up so badly, 
 
 " But^ however^, mother/' he continued, 
 '' you need not complain of being lonely any 
 more, for here is the young 'un come to keep 
 you company." 
 
 With that I was brought forward from the 
 shade, and received by my aunt with a languid 
 look of kindness. 
 
 " And this," she said, " is the poor little 
 orplian boy. Our fates are not very dissi- 
 milar ; for we have none to take an interest 
 in either of us. V\^e ought to be friends and 
 to comfort each other ; but I fear you have been 
 taught, like all the world, to think very ill of 
 me and to dislike me before you know me. — Is 
 it not so ? " 
 
 I replied that I had never been taught to 
 dislike anybody. 
 
 " How ! Did you never hear your father or 
 mother lament that your uncle had married a 
 silly, contemi3til)le woman?"
 
 RAFF HALL. I 7 
 
 (C 
 
 No, never. I only heard tliem say how 
 much they wished you would come and see 
 them, and that they would do any thing to 
 make you happy." 
 
 " Did they ? How unjustly have I felt 
 towards them ! They were kind and compas- 
 sionate, and had sense to see how I was 
 treated. I shall love you for their sakes. 
 They were above setting their children against 
 me." 
 
 " My father will never set me against you, 
 if you mean that," interrupted my cousin ; " lie 
 goes the v/rong way to work, for he does not 
 give me half so much money as you do." 
 
 " And if he gave you more, my dear, would 
 you sell your mother for money ?" 
 
 I thought he hesitated, but he contrived to 
 bring out an emphatic denial of such mercantile 
 propensities, and his mother believed him. 
 
 " I only meant to say," he resumed, " that 
 if he had cared much for my neck he would 
 have given me the black colt from Dick Spiu- 
 
 c
 
 18 RAFF HALL. 
 
 away's training stables, for he knows that my 
 little cat-hammed mare is not up to my v/eight." 
 WhereujDon he complacently surveyed his 
 drum-sticks. '^ Dick says she is only fit 
 to carry a feather ; and my father says if 
 she can carry a feather she can carry a 
 straw, therefore I have no need to change 
 her, and no business with two. For my part 
 I was chiefly thinkins: of vouns; cousin here, 
 Avho might have had the mare to learn to ride 
 upon, and I could have hunted her four or five 
 times a Aveek just to keep her quiet for him." 
 
 Mv aunt saw nothintj in all this but the 
 liberal spirit displayed towards young cousin, 
 and the cruel indifference of my uncle to the 
 safety of his son, because he knew she had no 
 other comfort; therefore the black colt was 
 promised, and the astonished proprietor of the 
 cat-hammed mare was led away with redoubled 
 confidence to fresh introductions. 
 
 The next scene was very different from the 
 sad and lonely one I had quitted ; — my uncle
 
 RAFF HALL. 19 
 
 had a party of gentlemen to dinner, and sat 
 at the end of a long lane of them, portly, 
 dignified and absolute, directing the forced 
 marches of half a score of bottles, with tlie 
 voice and decision of a commander-in-chief. 
 He received me with emphatic kindness, gave 
 me a bumper of claret and a large lump of 
 cake, and the conversation which had been 
 interrupted was continued. 
 
 The people, and the things which they said, 
 were of so different a character from what I 
 had been accustomed to, that I looked and 
 listened as if I had been at a play. If I may 
 judge from what I recollect, I was surrounded 
 by itinerant orators, who proved the necessity 
 of new governments, by showing that the old 
 could do without them ; by authors whose 
 laudable endeavours to reform the puljlic 
 morals had been prosecuted by the Society for 
 the Suppression of Vice ; and ])y refugees from 
 troubled countries, where their virtues had not 
 been duly appreciated. 
 
 c2
 
 20 BAFF HALL. 
 
 My uncle was vehement in his sympathy 
 with the various grievances of his company, 
 and found fault with every thing in the world, 
 excepting the disturbers of it. From the in- 
 terest with which he was listened to, and the 
 conviction which every body seemed to feel in 
 the justice of his arguments, the more con- 
 vincing from the boldness with which they 
 were uttered, I was assured that great calami- 
 ties were going to happen. I could not, how- 
 ever, tell exactly what they were to l)e. His 
 conversation was wild and figurative, and so 
 ornamented with earthquakes and whirlwinds, 
 that sometimes I believed we were to be 
 swallowed up, and sometimes to be swept 
 awav. 
 
 I was surprised to find that my cousin could 
 not tell the names of above two or three of 
 this favoured selection from the world's im- 
 provers. I was not old enough to know that 
 those who take u2:)on them to stem the general 
 opinions of mankind have usually to lament
 
 IIAFF HALL. 21 
 
 that their friends are borne from their side, 
 and that the most they can expect of compa- 
 nionship is occasionally to hail some fellow- 
 adventurer wlio is making the same voyage 
 upon a different tack. My uncle's table was, 
 for the most part, filled with strangers, whose 
 misdemeanours had been emblazoned in the 
 public prints, and whose company he had 
 courted as a champion of the rights of man. 
 He used to boast that his house was the resort 
 of the most enlightened and the most virtuous 
 persons of all countries, whilst the neighbour- 
 hood regretted that he made it a den of thieves 
 -and assassins.
 
 22 RAFF HALL. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 The style of guests whom I have mentioned 
 as being most welcome to the table of my 
 uncle, had no lack of subordinates at that of 
 the servants' hall. RafF Hall was known for 
 counties round as a place of consolation to all 
 such as were persecuted by evil opinion. To 
 be a rogue was to be a proof of the unjust laws 
 of the country, so iniquitously opposed to the 
 equahty intended by nature ; and to have been 
 placed in the treadmill or the stocks, was to be 
 a victim entitled to have his belly filled and 
 his battle fought. 
 
 I soon found this motley group of hangers- 
 on exceedingly interesting, for vagabonds are 
 generally more amusing, and always more 
 obliging than honest men. My cousin had
 
 RAFF HALL. 23 
 
 great cronies amongst them, and was indebted 
 to them for many acquirements, which made 
 me look up to him M'ith admiration and Avonder. 
 He could wire a hare or trap a polecat ; knew 
 the exact difference between a terrier and a 
 turnspit, and the most approved method of 
 drawing a badger ; could net a partridge, halter 
 a jack, bandy compliments at the round house, 
 and give his opinion of a glass of gin. As 
 soon as he had arrived at one of these accom- 
 plishments he had gone on to another, for, 
 having never known restraint, it was difficult 
 for him to find an enjoyment. Every object 
 of his desire 'was too easy of access to be 
 valued when obtained, and, young as he was, 
 his happiness was always a phantom of the 
 future. Ilis taste had now turned to jockies 
 and horse flesh, and his instructors in natural 
 history kindly transferred their attentions to 
 one who had leisure to receive them. At first 
 I felt some inward consciousness that I was 
 wrong in having such associates; but there
 
 24 RAFF HALL. 
 
 was no monitor to corroborate the kind voice 
 of nature, and curiosity and the love of new 
 sports made it less audible every day. 
 
 Whilst my cousin was occupied in his more 
 mature employments, my education com- 
 menced, with great promise, under a professor 
 of birds^-nesting ; and my lessons in ornitho- 
 logy, though communicated through such a 
 barbarous medium, form an interesting recol- 
 lection even now. I have essayed all kinds of 
 sports in their turn ; but the palpitation with 
 which I used to watch the cock sparrow 
 dancing a jig to his mate on the pent roof of 
 the pig stye, and finally carrj'ing off a straw to 
 his intended nursery, has never been equalled. 
 Then the rapture of climbing a long ladder, of 
 thrusting my arm under the tiling of the old 
 barn, of stringing the felon's hopes triumph- 
 antly round my hat — this can only be conceived 
 by brother sportsmen of the same age. 
 
 Tlie pleasures of my woodland rambles may 
 be more generally appreciated. My instructor.
 
 RAFF HALL. 25 
 
 who was familiarly known as Billy the Bird- 
 catcher, and exhibited every characteristic of 
 genius, but most particularly its rags, taught me 
 every bush and every tree peculiar to each of the 
 various tribes of the air. Sometimes we tore 
 our way through the sunny brambles and the 
 furze to kidnap the sequestered families of the 
 goldfinch or the linnet, stole under the shadow- 
 ing hazels, and the odours of the ancient thorn, 
 to outwit the blackbird and the nightingale, 
 or crouched beneath the golden buds of the 
 willow to trace the gleam of the homeward- 
 bound kingfisher. Sometimes, more ambiti- 
 ous, we stalked amongst the noble stems of 
 the forest to storm the lofty garrison of the 
 magpie or the crow. The silence of our steps 
 upon the deep moss, and the grotesque shapes 
 of the fungus which reared their slimy heads 
 in my path like living reptiles, used to fill me 
 vnth awe. I have started at the sudden chal- 
 lenge of some feathered sentinel, as if it liad 
 been the genius of the forest demanding what
 
 26 RAFF HALL. 
 
 imp invaded his solitude. Here, in desperate 
 devotion to my calling, I learned to spring 
 crackling aloft through the dead fibrous 
 branches, and hurl down my chattering cap- 
 tive like another Astyanax from the walls of 
 another Troy. Then Avild with triumph I 
 scrambled and scratched my way below, graz- 
 ing my flesh and plastering my clothes with 
 turpentine, to see my companion slit his tongue 
 with a lucky sixpence and make him a conver- 
 sable member of society. In the evening we 
 returned, festooned with eggs of all sizes and 
 colours, and a young bird gaping and wriggling 
 from every rent in our garments. My found- 
 ling hospital was an old outhouse, in which I 
 used generally to rear about one treasure in a 
 hundred ; the rest falling victims partly to 
 overcramming and partly to the claws of the 
 cat. I suspect too, that some of the most 
 thriving went to the manufacture of a pudding 
 for Billy the Bird-catcher. . 
 
 Later in the season when all the nestlings
 
 RAFF HALL. 2^ 
 
 had flown, I learned to carry on the war with 
 nets and decoy birds. For this purpose we 
 repaired, not as heretofore to the woods, but 
 to the open commons, where the careering 
 travellers wheeled down in joyous companies 
 upon the stunted bush and the downy thistle. 
 Here Billy, in some clear space, used to de- 
 posit his pack, and the treacherous meshes 
 were laid out for action. I am sorry that this 
 operation was too complicated to give any 
 young fellow truant a clear account of it in 
 writing. Having arrived so far, we disposed 
 our little cages with their solitary songsters 
 round about, taking care that they should not 
 see and know one another, for like many more 
 vain personages they never talked half so 
 much to their friends as they did to strangers. 
 Then did I take my stand beside my friend 
 Billy, with a tin bird-call in my mouth and 
 my hands in my trowsers pockets, heedless 
 alike of wind or rain or cold or hunger. If a 
 party of the enemy made their appearance in
 
 ^S RAFF HALL. 
 
 the distance, we left off sniffing, and played 
 our penny instruments with all possible skill 
 and perseverance. Then the strangers flitted 
 nearer to reconnoitre and hail us, heard our 
 whole choir repeating the invitation to alight, 
 and, with a few lowering circles, dropped down 
 to greet an accomplice who seemed at liberty. 
 This was the instant of triumph — our nets 
 closed over them and the whole Avere jDrisoners 
 at once. 
 
 If I were not afraid of making my history 
 too much an essav on infant atrocities, I could 
 vnfold matters of high import to the arts of 
 oirdliming and batfowling, in the cultivation of 
 which I left not a post in the parish upon 
 which a hand could be placed, without sticking 
 to it, nor a thatched cottage from which I had 
 not received a malediction for stirring up the 
 eves at midnight. I could also, if I thought 
 my reader Avere likely to be a rat-catcher, give 
 him a few hints by which he would infallibly 
 rise to the top of his profession ; but the rap-
 
 RAFF HALL. 2D 
 
 ture of removing the last sheaves of a barley 
 mow, and of seeing the canine population of 
 his village pricking their ears and snarling at 
 the hot work to come, he has probably never 
 seen. His soul has never been kindled to the 
 accomphshment, and my labours would be 
 thankless. 
 
 Whilst I was thus industriously occupied I 
 saw but little of my cousin. He was so mind- 
 ful of the promise made to my aunt of sub- 
 duing to my management the spirit of the 
 cat-liammed mare, that he rode her out from 
 morning till night, and all the concern I had as 
 yet had with her was to pull off the boots 
 which she had splashed with mire. The truth 
 was, the black colt at Dick Spinaway's was in 
 training to run for a silver cup, and my cousin 
 was in training likewise to have the glory of 
 riding him. It was necessary for him to gallop 
 my mare every day till she was knocked up, 
 and then to run on foot till he was knocked 
 up himself, in order, as he said, to be brought
 
 30 RAFF HALL. 
 
 down to tiie weight. Nay, so severe vras the 
 operation of reducing these few pounds another 
 ounce or two, that after his return home he 
 made it my office to cover him ^^•ith a pile of 
 blankets, which I verily thought would have 
 melted him away, marrov/ and bones and all. 
 
 The cause of his dwindling was a profound 
 secret, which I was to reveal only on pain of 
 being discarded from his confidence, of which 
 I was exceedingly proud. jNIy uncle had too 
 much to think of to be very much alarmed, 
 but my poor aunt made up her mind that he 
 was in the last stage of consumption. Her 
 distress was pitiable and her indulgence was 
 redoubled ten-fold, because she felt the object 
 of it must soon close his career. , All the 
 calves on the property contributed their trot- 
 ters to make strengthening jellies for him, and 
 his pockets were filled with money to enable 
 him to amuse his mind. This last circum- 
 stance made it more imperative than ever to 
 keep up the deception, for it enabled him to
 
 RAFF HALL. 31 
 
 bet upon his black colt. The County Chroni- 
 cler used to apprise the world every Saturday 
 in its racing corner, that the odds Avere three 
 to one against Beelzebub, and taken to a con- 
 siderable amount. A physiognomist would I 
 think have detected a marked alteration in my 
 cousin's expression from about this period. 
 He began to look speculative and calculating, 
 and exhibited a terrier-Hke sharpness whenever 
 he heard the jingle of money. 
 
 At last the time arrived Avhen the sfreat 
 event was to be decided. It was a fine morn- 
 ing, towards the end of October, and the road, 
 which might l)e descried from the house, was 
 crowded with folks going to the races. The 
 course not being many miles distant, my cousin 
 resolved to show himself oii nobly to those 
 whose admiration he most coveted, and treated 
 half a dozen farmers' daughters to a hack 
 barouche and four posters. To my great de- 
 light, he felt an ambition to prove his conse- 
 quence to me likewise, and under pietext of
 
 32 RAFF HALL. 
 
 a reward for keeping his secrets, and telling 
 my aunt that he looked much better since she 
 had increased his finances, I was told that 
 I might make one of the party. The black- 
 berry stains were washed from my mouth, and 
 the burrs combed from my hair, and I was 
 tossed in as supercargo amongst the roses of 
 the parish. My cousin set off before us, as 
 hard as he could go, in order to see how the 
 odds went, at which I was not sorry, for he 
 was rather over-fond of raising a reputation for 
 wit by cutting jokes at my expence, which used 
 to make me feel sheepish, and colour up to 
 my ears. As we dashed into the dusty and 
 slowly-moving throng, there was so much 
 squealing and giggling amongst us, that we 
 seemed to put every body in good humour. 
 Miss Sally and Miss Dolly were bargaining 
 on one side with a gang of fortune-telling 
 gypsies for husbands before Christmas ; and 
 the two Miss Pollys, on the other side, ^ were 
 prudentially laying in a stock of bulls-eyes and
 
 RAFF HALL. 33^ 
 
 gingerbread nuts. Meantime Miss Phcebe, 
 tightly wedged in between the firm hips of 
 her supporters, was screwing herself round to 
 box the ears of Bill Barleycorn, who had 
 clambered up behind ; and her opposite bodkin 
 was making equal struggles to hand a glass of 
 porter to Bob Buttercup, who had insinuated 
 himself between the two stable-boys in front. 
 
 In this style of march Ave made our way to 
 the race-ground and took up our position , 
 where a place had been providently retained 
 for us close to the winning-post, by one of my 
 uncle's waggons. It commanded a fine view 
 of the beauty and fashion, which inspired the 
 County Chronicle for three good columns ; but 
 I was too anxious for the glory of my cousin 
 to pay much attention to these attractions, and 
 scarcely more seductive were those of the 
 dancing dogs, or the conjurors with the thim- 
 bles. My eyes were busied in following the 
 white posts which marked the course, and 
 hunting out my cousin, to whom I thought 
 
 VOL. I. D
 
 34 BAFF HALL. 
 
 they were posts of considerable danger. At 
 intervals I spelt over the list of the running 
 horses, names, weights and colours of the 
 riders, and then I was in greater fear than ever, 
 for there were ten horses to start for the cup, 
 and I felt, that if my cousin chanced to tumble 
 off, he would be run over to a certainty. Still 
 I was very proud to read, all in print, " Mr. 
 Spinaway names Beelzebub, by Lucifer, out 
 of Proserpine— 3 yrs. old, 6'st. lOlb. pink body, 
 yellow sleeves, pink and yellow cap." 
 
 I was studying this when I was electrified 
 by the bell rmging for saddling. The jockies 
 were all to mount at the Avinning-post ; and 
 amongst the rest, vip cantered my cat -hammed 
 mare, newly caparisoned for the occasion, and 
 bearing my aspiring cousin, in his pink and 
 yellow cap, with his saddle and bridle strapped 
 behind him. Beelzebub likemse came pranc- 
 ing up with his trainer and bottle-holder, and 
 looked as fierce as a tiger. Horse and man 
 were soon stripped of their extra covering, and
 
 RAFF HALL. 35 
 
 a pair of ghosts they were; but the contest 
 was to be decided by their legs, and there 
 was no doubt of their having the six longest 
 legs in the race. I had some fear when the 
 girting took place, that the quadruped would 
 be cut into a brace of bipeds ; but, spite of all 
 his kicking, the thorough-bred back-bone still 
 kept him together. The rider was soon hoisted 
 upon his slender perch, and the two together 
 certainly looked as if they could have flown ; 
 but as they cantered down to the distance-post, 
 from whence they were to start, the hiatus 
 between Beelzebub's saddle and the stilted 
 skeleton of his master prepared me to see the 
 latter the best flyer of the two. What had I 
 not given for an opportunity to secure him 
 with a small patch of birdlime ! But the 
 happy thought came too late ; the last of his 
 competitors was making his way down to him, 
 and the other horsemen were cracking their 
 whips to clear the multitude out of the way. 
 Presently the bell sounded again, and there 
 
 D 2
 
 36 RAFF HALL. 
 
 was an eager exclamation from a thousand 
 voices at once — " They 're off ! they' re off ! " 
 Then there was the rapid but measured tramp 
 of hoofs at a steady gallop, and then came 
 the highbred cattle ; Rattler taking the lead in 
 scarlet and black, and Beelzebub grinding his 
 teeth indignantly in the rear. As they passed 
 l)y there was a cry of — " Rattler against the 
 field !" but some gentlemen in the next car- 
 riage gladdened my heart by observing that 
 the black one also looked very like a winner. 
 As soon as they turned the first corner, I again 
 caught sight of them, going in the same order 
 as at first. 
 
 " Beelzebub," said another gentleman, " goes 
 in good style, and seems to be very well- 
 jockeyed." 
 
 I was within an ace of crying " That ^s my 
 cousin ;" but the temptation was resisted, and 
 I continued to look on silent and breathless, 
 whilst my fair friends, mounted tip-toe upon 
 the seats, let loose their tongues like a nest of
 
 RAFF HALL. 37 
 
 hungry magpies. Tliey were all sweethearts 
 of the young squire, and were in despair at see- 
 ing him last ; but somebody said, that they had 
 to go twice round, and that the black one was 
 lying-by. I saw them till they approached the 
 next corner, which was to put them straight 
 towards the winning-post. 
 
 " Beelzebub will bolt at that corner," said 
 one in the Stand ; " the boy cannot hold him.'* 
 
 My pulse stopped beating. 
 
 " No," resumed the gentleman, — " he's safe 
 round; I'll take three to one he wins it!" 
 
 The blood rushed through my veins as 
 though they would have burst. 
 
 In a moment the horsemen who kept the 
 course, galloped along, cracking their whips 
 again, and crying, " stand back !" with all 
 their might. Then again came the regular 
 but accelerated tramp of the racers; Rattler 
 still foremost, stretching out like a grey- 
 hound, and Beelzebub last, with his mouth 
 bleeding, and his eye flashing flames. It was
 
 38 RAFF HALL. 
 
 clear to me now that my cousin required no 
 bird-lime; he stuck like a forest-fly, and 
 looked as determined as his horse ; but the 
 perspiration, which I had latterly not been 
 able to get out of him with half-a-dozen blan- 
 kets, poured down his face in streams. 
 
 When they had performed about half of the 
 last round, the horses which had occupied the 
 space between the two favourites began to 
 change places. Presently Beelzebub, who 
 never seemed to quicken his pace, had two 
 or three astern of him, and Miss Dolly ex- 
 claimed, in high glee, that the Squire would 
 not he last at all events. Again we lost sight 
 of them, and listened eagerly to what was said 
 in the Stand. Every body cried, " What a 
 capital race ! " and several horses were alter- 
 nately said to be winning. Again the bell 
 announced that they were round the corner, 
 and the betting was loud and rapid. The 
 course was cleared ; ever}^ neck stretched, 
 and every eye strained. Some shouted " Rat-
 
 RAFF HALL. 39 
 
 tier ! " some swore by Spinning Jenny, and 
 others cried " Beelzebub ! hollow ! " When 
 they appeared they were all three of a row, 
 with the rest close behind. In a stride or 
 two Spinning Jenny dropped back, and Rat- 
 tler began to flag. Then was the time for 
 Beelzebub, who suddenly feeling his rein 
 slackened, and his sides touched with the 
 spur, dashed through the applauding throng 
 like his namesake on his nine days' journey, 
 and won by half a length. 
 
 '' Capital ! Famous ! *' was the general cry ; 
 and the steward demanded who was the jockey. 
 I could forbear no longer, and called out in 
 the pride of my heart that the jockey was my 
 cousin Jack. 
 
 As soon as he had power to pull up, he Avas 
 led back, the picture of death, to the weighing 
 machine, to prove that he had not ridden too 
 light. Here was another tremor for us. Miss 
 Sally declared that all his hopes lay in the 
 saddle and bridle, for the ^Squire weighed no-
 
 40 RAFF HALL. 
 
 thing at all ; and Miss Polly, who had a high 
 situation, and could peep over the inclosure, 
 vowed, when they placed him in the scale, that 
 he looked for all the world like a bundle of 
 matches. But we soon found our fears were 
 vain, for, with the help of a large stable key, he 
 had not only made himself full weight, but had 
 more than an ounce to spare. 
 
 I will say nothing of the congratulations he 
 received when he appeared at the carriage, 
 bearing the silver cup in his hands. How the 
 two Miss Pollys, who were well read, called 
 his jiink and yellow cap the cap of Fortunatus, 
 which had transported him at a wish to the 
 jail of his hopes ; nor how Bob Buttercup filled 
 the prize with brown stout, and made us all 
 take a drop to good luck in future. I was so full 
 of the race that my mind could find no room 
 to store up any thing that happened after it. 
 
 Alas ! when I ook back to the period of 
 which I have been talking, my heart thrills with 
 compunctioi- h? ever beat with triumph.
 
 RAFF HALL. 4 
 
 •». 
 
 Had Beelzebub but bolted and run away a 
 thousand miles, it had been the luckiest event 
 that could have happened. My cousin's suc- 
 cess brought him in collision with a race of 
 vagabonds infinitely more dangerous than those 
 whom he had left as a legacy to me, because 
 their better education made them more seduc- 
 tive, and their calling was more connected witli 
 the operations of the mind. Wherever there 
 was any sport at which he could be cheated, 
 thither he was sure to be tempted. His calcu- 
 lations upon the chances of horses were fol- 
 lowed up, as he became more experienced, by 
 calculations upon the honesty of their owners, 
 trainers, and riders. The same style of study 
 was necessary for the ruffian of the ring and 
 the patron who produced him ; nor was it 
 much more out of place when applied to the 
 crack pigeon shot or any other wonder of the 
 world, whose funds were supplied by the va- 
 nity, want of skill, or inferior judgment of his 
 neighbours. My cousin, by this contaminating
 
 42 RAFF HALL. 
 
 necessity, was early habituated to the contem- 
 plation of the worst sides of nature, and if he 
 did not turn knave himself he ceased to be 
 shocked or surprised at the profession o£ 
 knavery in others. He believed that all men 
 had their ends to be answered in whatever 
 they did, could not imagine that there was 
 any thing disinterested in the world, and, in 
 proportion to his mistrust, became cold in 
 feeling and confirmed in selfishness. 
 
 The least pardonable instance of this pro- 
 pensity was the little regard which he evinced 
 for the comfort of his mother. He knew that 
 the often repeated assurance of his being her 
 only happiness was nothing more than simple 
 fact f yet, in spite of his great professions of 
 aifection (which were repeated when he wanted 
 cash, till he mistook them for Gospel), he did 
 not hesitate to wring her heart with uneasiness 
 whenever it was inconvenient to be more con- 
 siderate. She felt that all his habits were 
 fraught with peril for a lad of his years and
 
 RAFF HALL. 43 
 
 adventurous spirit, yet he never gladdened her 
 by the sacrifice of any one of them for a single 
 day. She had learnt that the friends he made 
 were, one half likely to ruin his health ■\\-ith 
 early dissipation, and the other half prepared 
 to cut his throat for his purse ; 3'et I never 
 knew his circle diminished, excepting by a sen- 
 tence of transportation. 
 
 With these fears constantly hovering about 
 her, my aunt had often to bear with his ab- 
 sence from home till late at night. She used 
 to endeavour to forget the time by coming to 
 the side of my little bed, and telling me chil- 
 dren's stories ; then, as the hours advanced, 
 she would keep me awake by questions as to 
 whether I thought any accident had happened 
 — whether it was too dark to see the road — 
 and whether there were any gypsies about. 
 Then the clock over the stable would strike 
 midnight. All the serA'ants were gone to bed 
 excepting the one who sat up for him, and he 
 was asleep. The stillness of the rambling old
 
 44 RAFF HALL. 
 
 mansion was no less awful than the whistlins: 
 of the blast without. By degrees her anxiety 
 became an agony which she could support no 
 longer; she determined to steal silently out 
 upon the wild common to listen for the distant 
 hoof of his horse, and I threw on my clothes 
 to be her companion. The wind was biting ; 
 the light of the fitful moon showed nothing 
 but gliding shadows, which appalled us. We 
 listened between the gusts, and heard nothing 
 but the cry of the owl. Thus backwards and 
 forwards did we pace, exhausting every chance 
 which might have detained him, and exclaim- 
 ing, 'Hark!' and 'Listen!' 'till the words were 
 synonymous for disappointment and despair. At 
 last, a light sound came down the wind, which 
 might have been a horse, or might have been 
 the beating of my poor aunt's bosom. It was 
 sharp, like the click of a stricken flint ; it was 
 hollow, like a stride upon the wooden bridge ; 
 it v/as still, like the approach of some one by 
 the short cut through the furze. Suddenly a
 
 RAFF HALL. 45 
 
 voice cried from the shade, " Mother ! is that 
 you !" and, in a moment, all the reproach 
 which she had been prepared to heap upon 
 upon him, was superseded by ejaculations of 
 transport, and postponed to the next distract- 
 ing occasion.
 
 46 RAFF HALL. 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 I HAD now been six years at my uncle's, 
 and have said nothing upon the subject of 
 education, excepting such as prepared me to 
 be a warning to others. In fact, I have Kttle 
 more to speak of; though I must do my guar- 
 dian the justice to bear witness to his paying a 
 large salary to a private tutor. To this indivi- 
 dual I must now introduce my reader, who 
 will judge for himself whether I misused my 
 opportunities, and grew up a dunce wilfully. 
 
 A few years antecedent to this part of my 
 history, and about the time when my uncle's 
 fevered opinions were at the hottest, the literary 
 world of London was, perhaps, more peopled
 
 RAFF HALL. 47 
 
 than at any other period. The proud flight of 
 a greater number of geniuses than had ever 
 been known to soar in the same age, inspired a 
 corresponding flock of small birds to flutter, 
 chirping at their tails ; and it was rather a dis- 
 tinction for a person of reasonable education 
 and abilities to be able to say that he had 
 never tried his wings. To accommodate these 
 clouds of aspirants with due space for their 
 evolutions, there was scarcely a bibliopolist of 
 any note who did not start his periodical pul5- 
 lication, wherein those who could not write 
 tales in poetry might manufacture them in 
 prose ; and those who could do neither might 
 review their betters. Some of this vast tribe 
 built their hopes of distinction upon being very 
 like their great tempters, and some upon being 
 very different from them ; and the latter, for 
 the most part, succeeded to admiration, for 
 they bore no resemblance to genius of any 
 kind whatever. Yet, in spite of this originalitv, 
 the world has been as ungrateful to these as to
 
 48 PvAFF HALL. 
 
 the others. Their wings of wax melted in the 
 first gleam of their sunshine, and, as they 
 shared the daring flight of Icarus, they shared 
 his unbroken fall. The tender scion of cockney 
 poesy, with all his talent for hinting beauties 
 too subtle for expression, lies equally without 
 his requiem beside the pilferer of the lion's 
 skin. The purveyor of intense tales to the 
 passions has burned himself to the socket, and 
 left nothing but a bad odour behind him. The 
 dealer in dogma and paradox, who would raise 
 his temple to the stars, has stopped short, like 
 the Avorkmen of Babel, and only left a monu- 
 ment of his wit's confusion. 
 
 Of this ephemeral galaxy my uncle was a 
 first-rate brilliant, a polemical pamphleteer, 
 who echoed the Hebrew in the last days of 
 Jerusalem, and denounced nothing but " Woe !" 
 His style was greatly admired by that nume- 
 rous class of critics whose vision is bounded by 
 the first full stop ; for his words were strong, 
 his grammar faultless, and his ideas as fresh as
 
 RAFF HALL. 49 
 
 if they had just been gathered from the Moon. 
 Those who thought two sentences ought to be 
 linked together used certainly to cavil at the 
 joining; and those who were unreasonable 
 enough to expect a man to be in the same 
 story through a whole page, seldom troubled 
 themselves to turn over a second. The world 
 was thus pretty equally divided respecting his 
 merits, and the various packs of reviewers 
 found him a pleasant bone of contention, over 
 which to growl their ancient ^rudues. 
 
 Among his champions there was one who 
 had tried every possible road to fame, and had 
 found them all too steep for his stamina. The 
 sacred fane M'^as not to be scaled singly. He 
 had joined friendly societies who agreed to lend 
 each other a hand, and some above him pulled, 
 and some beneath him pushed behind, but the 
 moment they stopped to take breath, down he 
 roUed, and was no more heard of. He had <rot 
 himself invited to the tea parties of several lite- 
 rary ladies ; but the water was not from Ca.staly, 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 50 RAFF HALL. 
 
 and they soon found that, if he were indeed a 
 rara avis, it was not a swan, however it might, 
 at first sight, be mistaken for one. Indeed, 
 some went so far as to declare that his mind 
 was nothing but an endless waste, with here 
 and there a wild goose. The name of this un- 
 lucky gentleman was Mr. John Block. He was 
 an exceedingly well-meaning man, as far as his 
 meaning went, and ere he took to scrambling 
 after reputation, had been highly respected as 
 a clerk in a merchant's counting-house. 
 
 My uncle, who, if he could not always com- 
 mand a right view of a case, never failed in 
 taking a generous one, felt himself obliged to 
 Mr. Block, and considered his abilities under- 
 rated and ill rewarded. "At all events," thought 
 lie, " he has understood my writings, and that 
 is more than they who abuse him have had 
 brains to do.'^ At that very moment Mr. Block 
 had the good fortune to be called a ' downright 
 jack-ass,' and, without more ado, my uncle con- 
 futed the assertion by requesting him to under-
 
 RAFF HALL. 51 
 
 take the tuition of his only son. The offer was 
 accepted with great pride^ and the new profes- 
 sor made his triumphal departure for the uni- 
 versity of Raff Hallj about five or six years 
 previous to my matriculation. 
 
 My uncle's principles of independence by no 
 means allowing him to make a fellow-genius 
 subservient to his hours and habits of life, Mr. 
 Block was pro\'ided with a neat cottage on the 
 estate, at a mile distance. The only restriction 
 laid upon him was, that my cousin should only 
 be exercised in those studies for which he felt 
 an inclination, which, as a matter of course, 
 would be those for which nature had best qua- 
 lified him, and those in which he would attain 
 the greatest degree of perfection. ^* To turn a 
 stream," said my uncle, " l)e it ever so pure, 
 from its natural course, is the sure means to ren- 
 der it muddy and unwholesome." ]Mr. Block 
 saw the justice of the argument, and admired the 
 aptness of the illustration. With all deference 
 to my uncle, he ventured to propose a rider 
 
 E 2
 
 52 RAFF HALL. 
 
 upon the foregoing regulation, which was, that 
 
 his pupil should only study at such times as he 
 
 felt the inclination, which would insure his 
 
 falling-to with a sound digestion. Even he 
 
 himself was sensible of moments when his 
 
 mind was too opake to he enlightened. " There 
 
 are caverns,'^ he added, " in which a flambeau 
 will be extinguished as soon as you introduce 
 
 it." My uncle returned the compliment both 
 to the argument and illustration of Mr. Block, 
 and congratulated his son upon its depending 
 entirely upon himself to become an ornament 
 to his country. 
 
 It will easily be supposed that the tranquil- 
 lity of Mr. Block's life was very little disturbed 
 by the cares of office. The change of air wa.s 
 beneficial to his health, and tlie change of scene 
 was invigorating to his genius. His short square 
 figure, with the hands tucked under the skirts 
 of a long-waisted coat, displayed its plump 
 profile wherever the rustic character was to be 
 studied, and the knitting of his bushy brows
 
 RAFF HALL. ^S- 
 
 in the arrangement of his gleanings^ persuaded 
 the country folks that his bottle nose could 
 s^mell a rat with the best of them. He made 
 friends in every direction — read the girls' love- 
 letters to them, and wrote the answers, and, in 
 return, was enabled to furnish a cookery-book 
 with the best receipts for clouted cream and 
 hog's puddings. He, moreover, often gladdened 
 the farmer's fire-side with a radical journal, en- 
 tertained him with the prospect of his speedy 
 ruin, and was heartily pledged to the downfal 
 of the Constitution iii the best ale the cellar 
 afforded. In short, Mr. Block was a popular 
 man all over the country. What was more 
 important, he increased in popularity with my 
 uncle also. He criticised his works in MS., 
 often suggested a happy substitution of one 
 word for another, and was exceedingly flattered 
 to be employed as amanuensis. He was, be- 
 sides, a capital echo at the further end of his 
 dinner table, got all his stray opinions by heart, 
 and sported them as his own, when he thought
 
 54 RAFF HALL. 
 
 they were forgotten. He was no less happy 
 than he was popular. 
 
 On my arrival my cousin's education was 
 considered finished. Mr. Block had pronoun- 
 ced him incapable of learning whatever he him- 
 seK was unable to teach, and my uncle con" 
 soled himseK with the reflection that it Avas 
 rarely a gifted father could boast of a son wor- 
 thy of him. It never struck either of them 
 that their system could be faulty, and conse- 
 quently they adopted the same mth respect to 
 me, concluding, upon the doctrine of chances, 
 that it was the more likely to succeed in the 
 second instance, because it had failed in the 
 first. 
 
 I have already shown how my six first years 
 were chiefly spent, but still I did pay my tutor 
 a visit occasionally. He had heard it said of a 
 great man, that he never found any indi\adual 
 so insignificant but he could learn something 
 useful from him, and upon this principle he 
 used to talk to me much more upon an equality
 
 RAFF HALL. 55 
 
 than other people did. I felt flattered at being 
 made a little man, and ha\ing my opinion asked 
 and argued upon ; still more so, when, after the 
 example of Moliere and his cook, he read me 
 some lucubration for a magazine or pocket-book. 
 When my other friends were called away to ^ 
 fair, or the quarter-sessions, I had no better 
 amusement than to wander down and spend an 
 hour or two with him, and if I gained no pre- 
 cise knowledge, I at all events acquired a habit 
 of calhng my mind into action, of endeavouring 
 to form a judgment, and of making my thoughts 
 intelhgible. So far as this, Mr. Block's treat- 
 ment was judicious enough, though he was not 
 aware of it. My ambition was put upon its 
 mettle; and, had his mind gone deeper, I think 
 I might have dived with him till I had orna- 
 mented my head with as many pearls as there 
 were hairs. 
 
 By the intentional part of his system I pro - 
 fited less. I was to choose what I would learn, 
 and I could fix upon nothing but the history of
 
 56 RAFF HALL.. 
 
 birds and beasts. My tutor saw no reason wby 
 I should not turn out another BufFon, and, in 
 my leisure liours, I commenced climbing the 
 tree of knowledge in pursuit of the monkey. 
 Other branches were occasionally added; but 
 they were too small to help me to the top ; 
 consisting merely of the lighter articles from 
 magazines, ghost stories, and the Newgate Ca- 
 lendar. Sometimes, too, I hunted out choice 
 bits from Lempriere's Dictionary, from whence 
 Mr. Block culled the classical allusions for his 
 periodicals, and had impressed my uncle with 
 the respect which he entertained for his learning. 
 The Latin grammar, however, was a conquest 
 which I believe he had never attempted. The 
 battery presented by the five declensions and 
 the four conjugations, would probably have 
 beaten him out of his seven senses. Religion 
 also was a subject upon which I received no 
 instruction. My tutor, like my uncle, being 
 a great abominator of ancient prejudices. 
 Thus, at fourteen years old, my acquirements.
 
 RAFF HALL. 5/ 
 
 though various enough, were none of them cal- 
 culated to do much honour to either of us : yet 
 Mr. Block thouglit diiFerently. I knew pretty 
 nearly as much as himself, and it had been un- 
 reasonable had he not been contented with me. 
 He reported me to any uncle as very apt and 
 tractable and well-disposed, and a proof that 
 their joint system had not failed in the case of 
 my cousin from any fault in itself. Tlieir de- 
 ductions were not over just, for two or three 
 circumstances which had operated in my favour 
 were entirely overlooked. My early education 
 in my own home, had taught me, at all events, 
 to tell the truth, and consequently I had al- 
 ways shrunk from doing what I was ashamed 
 to confess. Again, generous as I invariably 
 found my uncle and aunt, it will naturally be 
 supposed that some favour, however involun- 
 tary, was shewn to my cousin in the command 
 of money, particularly as he had not been 
 taught to be very fastidious in making out ur- 
 gent cases of necessity. In addition to my
 
 58 KAFF HALL. 
 
 want of these ready means of running riot^ my 
 cousin, by his superior age and rather domi- 
 neering character, would eifectually have kept 
 down any rising ambition in one who must 
 have been his rival, and have stood in his way. 
 I was too well used to be considered a confi- 
 dential fag, to harbour even a M-ish for any ad- 
 ventures of a class beyond that which I have 
 already described. 
 
 What alteration might have taken place as I 
 grew older, I will not pretend to guess, for, 
 circumstances, just at this period, were about 
 to undergo a total and most unexpected change.
 
 RAFF HALL. 59 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 The first indications of this convulsion were 
 risible in the altered looks of my uncle, whose 
 heretofore bold flight of spirits was frequently 
 interrupted by fits of absence and depression. 
 His favourite themes of discussion had lost 
 their excitement, and he cast upon his de- 
 pendants an eye of interest for which he had 
 never before found leisure, and which was now 
 witnessed with regret. They had been used 
 to him and loved him in the high dictatorial 
 style, which had always borne a rather ludi- 
 crous contrast to his popular professions ; and 
 his descending to notice them seemed a break 
 down of pride which must have cost him griev-
 
 no RAFF HALL. 
 
 ously. There was not a servant on the pre- 
 mises who would not, just then, have been 
 better pleased with a spurn than a smile. 
 
 At other times his character would be more 
 proud, positive, and captious than ever. One 
 could scarcely look at him without being 
 thought to pry into his privacy, or deride him 
 with a grin of impertinence. His opinions be- 
 came laws, which it was mortal to question, 
 and the opinions' of other people were bela- 
 boured home again like rogues and vagabonds. 
 The choice of his society was more daring than 
 ever in its defiance of all around him, and his 
 entertainments were more in the character of 
 a prince. 
 
 At last the secret came out. I was sitting 
 one day with my aunt, who had fretted herself 
 into a degree of nervous irritability, requiring 
 company and consolation unceasingly, when, to 
 my surprise, we were joined by my uncle. He 
 looked thoughtful and melancholy, and his 
 voice was subdued to a tone of compassion.
 
 RAFF HALL. 6^1 
 
 " I am sorry, madam," he began, " to un- 
 derstand that you have not been well." 
 
 " I thought. Sir Hector, that you had known 
 it for several years. I am much obliged to you 
 for the concern you express." 
 
 " It is unfortunate, madam, that the habits 
 of life which we have found it necessary to 
 adopt, have given us but little opportunity of 
 making observations. Pray do not mistake me. 
 I come for a very different purpose than to 
 offer reproaches." 
 
 " Sir Hector!" exclaimed my aunt, startled 
 into an electrical tremor. " You have some- 
 thing to say of my son ! He has met with an 
 accident ! " 
 
 " Calm yourself. Lady Maltravers ; I know 
 nothing about him. I was in hopes I might 
 have found him here. I am afraid he does not 
 pay you the attention which you have a rigiit 
 to expect from him." 
 
 " Alas ! poor fellow ! What right have I to
 
 62 RAFF HALL. 
 
 expect that he should not profit by the example 
 of his father?" 
 
 " I am in a mood, madam, to bear with any 
 thing. Stay — ^}'^our nephew must not leave the 
 room, for what I have to say concerns him no 
 less than your son." 
 
 My aunt's atteiition became more fixed when 
 she found he had really something of import- 
 ance to communicate. He continued, 
 
 " We have now, I believe, been married 
 nineteen years — during more than eighteen of 
 which, vv-e have inhabited different sides of the 
 house." 
 
 " And probably you now think that different 
 houses would be better than different sides ? 
 Is it not so. Sir Hector ?" 
 
 " Not better;, madam. I merely allude to 
 the past, to show how little regret you ought 
 to feel from your correct anticipation of the 
 future.'^ 
 
 " I am to be separated from my son, then ! '' 
 Mj aunt seemed frozen with despair.
 
 RAFF HALL. 63 
 
 " Not, Lady Maltravers, unless it is your 
 choice/^ 
 
 " Then, Sir Hector, you may proceed to 
 what you have to say, without further prepara- 
 tion ; for having no other source of happiness 
 I can feel no other deprivation. And yet, to 
 be sent abroad where we have never been as- 
 sisted in making friends. To be olDliged to 
 seek a forlorn dwelling amongst those who will 
 exult in our l^anishment, because we were 
 taught to despise them in our prosperity — to be 
 objects on which malevolence may invent its 
 probable tales of slander. Sir Hector, your 
 house is large, we need be no intrusion upon 
 you." 
 
 " God forbid, that you should believe me 
 capable of turning you out of it ! Its walls, 
 since I have l^een master of them, have never 
 been witness to what is unmanly, ungenerous, 
 or unjust. On the contrary, they wiU retain 
 as long as they stand the character of having 
 afforded a home to all who were in need of one.
 
 €4 . RAFF HALL. 
 
 The exiled patriot and the persecuted sage have 
 hallowed them to a posterity that will form a 
 fairer estimate of their some time master. No, 
 Madam, when I propose to you to think of 
 some other abode, I would have you know that 
 it is not till I am about to seek one myself ; a 
 uecessity which I contemplate with pride, for 
 the fortune bequeathed me by my ancestors has 
 been spent to their honour in the encourage- 
 ment of virtue and wisdom." 
 
 " Your fortune spent ! Heavens, Sir Hector ! 
 and where have been your own virtue and wis- 
 dom ! Has there been no recollection of do- 
 mestic obligations to encourage them? Have 
 we become beggars by feasting robbers and run- 
 aways ? " 
 
 " You know not the persons whom you so 
 designate ; but it is unnecessary to fatigue you 
 by further allusion to them. I am more anxious 
 to dissipate your apprehensions of distress ; for, 
 excepting that you will not live in the same
 
 RAFF HALL. 65 
 
 house, I do not know that your comforts need 
 suffer the smallest diminution.'^ 
 
 " It would be hard if they did. This apart- 
 ment and a bed-chamber form all the state that 
 I have demanded for many years. Your equi- 
 pages and troops of servants I have left to the 
 undisturbed possession of your visitors, and am 
 not likely to miss them when they are gone. But 
 for my son, I own I should feel l:)itterly to see 
 him curtailed of the enjoyments to which he 
 has been habituated from his cliildhood." 
 
 " I have been informed, Lady Maltravers, 
 that those enjoyments were the cause of much 
 uneasiness to you ; and that it is, in fact, chiefiy 
 to them that you may trace the debilitated state 
 of nerves under which you are now suffering." 
 
 " Perhaps so, perhaps : but I had rather 
 suffer much more than see him deprived of 
 them." 
 
 " If such is your feeling, be assured that I 
 will do my best to gratify it. My estates will 
 
 VOL. I. F
 
 66 RAFF HALL. 
 
 be put in the hands of trustees, Avho, while 
 they farm them out for the benefit of my cre- 
 ditors, will allow me a reasonable income. 
 This income will be given entirely to your 
 hands, and you will be able to indulge your 
 son to what extent you may think proper." 
 
 " And what," Sir Hector, " is to become of 
 you, under these circumstances ? " 
 
 '' Do not let that trouble you. My reading 
 has shewn me that the character of man, be he 
 statesman, warrior, or philosopher, has seldom 
 received its most valuable qualities but from 
 the hand of adversity ; and I am not sorry, as far 
 as I am concerned individually, to be placed in 
 u situation where I may have occasion to emu- 
 late the virtues of more virtuous days. There 
 are persons whose resuscitated fortunes have 
 removed them from my table, at which they 
 sat for sanctuary, to the higher places in king- 
 doms and republics where they administer 
 laws. They will, perhaps, not refuse honour- 
 able occupation to him who gave them bread y
 
 RAFF HALL. 6/ 
 
 if they do, I am not unknown in the world of 
 letters, and I am not too proud to turn to joro- 
 fit a profession which I have hitherto followed 
 gratuitously. If nature has gifted me with 
 any talent to procure a livelihood, it is a sinful 
 monopoly to depend iipon other means." 
 
 " No ! " said my aunt with emotion, " my 
 son and I would rather beg than see you be- 
 come the suitor of those whom your bounty 
 fed, or depend for subsistance upon daily toil. 
 You have mistaken me ; I am not ungener- 
 ous. This income allowed by the trustees may 
 be sufficient for the comforts of all, if not di- 
 vided." 
 
 '' I understand you, madam. You would 
 do violence to long-continued habits of thought 
 and feeling, and in addition to the inconveni- 
 ence of straitened means encounter the so- 
 ciety of one who was distasteful to you even 
 under the genial influence of prosperity. Tlie 
 motive does honour to xovl, and it would te 
 hard if you were made to suffer by it. No, my 
 
 F 2
 
 68 RAFF HALL. 
 
 mind is made up. To remain in this country, 
 to be derided by those whose vices and folhes 
 have given them good cause to rejoice in my 
 difficulties, is not to be thought of. I have 
 only to add the request that you will be kind 
 enough to take charge of my nephew till he 
 is of age to embark in some profession, and 
 tliat you v.'ill likewise meet the change of cir- 
 stances with a confidence that they need in no 
 wise circumscribe your wishes. As an adviser 
 in all cases where you may be in doubt hoAV to 
 act, I strongly recommend our excellent and 
 sagacious friend, Mr. Block.^' 
 
 '■ Are you then come to take leave of me^ 
 Sir Hector ? " 
 
 '' The creditors do not take possession for 
 three months, Madam ; consequently there is no 
 immediate need of preparing more than your 
 mind for the event. Good morning, my dear 
 Lady Maltravers. I earnestly trust you will 
 take care of vour health." 
 
 He tooiv the hand of my aunt, vrhose other
 
 RAFF HALL. 69 
 
 hand concealed her face^, and pressed it with an 
 agitation which showed that he felt deeply. As 
 he left the room he shook hands with me like- 
 wise, and, with an emphatic benediction, closed 
 the door. 
 
 The next morning it Avas announced that my 
 uncle had left the house at day-break with post- 
 horses. He had taken no servant; and all 
 his baggage consisted of a jiortmanteau ; yet a 
 short note of instructions and farewell to my 
 tutor informed us that his departure was final. 
 He was gone, he said, to join the numerous 
 pursuers of Fortune, and had stripjjed himself 
 of all unnecessary incumbrance for the race. 
 If he did well, we should learn his success, as 
 well as his field of action, from Fame. If he 
 did otherwise, it was needless that his friends 
 should have the pain of tracing him through 
 his disasters. Therefore, whither he went, and 
 what were his intentions, were matters of no 
 moment to any one but himself. 
 
 Great was the astonishment at this sudden
 
 70 RAFF HALL. 
 
 extinction of the glories of Raff Hall. At first 
 the real cause of my uncle's departure was dis- 
 believed, for no one could reconcile his high 
 and haughty bearing with the feelings of a man 
 under the dominion of his creditors, and it was 
 generally supposed that he had gone on some 
 diplomatic mission- which required mystery. 
 Then it was conjectured that he had been en- 
 gaged in a conspiracy against the government, 
 and was gone down to the manufacturing dis- 
 tricts to head the rioters; a suspicion which 
 was much confirmed by the appearance of two 
 or three taciturn gentlemen, who came from 
 London, took a glance at the premises, and re- 
 turned without mentioning a word of their 
 business. Invention was at the stretch for two 
 or three weeks, when that of a dozen super- 
 numerary domestics was assisted by permis- 
 sion to look out for other situations. At the 
 same time the coach-horses and vehicles were 
 advertised to be sold; and the hangers on, 
 finding it difficult to invent pretences for their
 
 RAFF HALL. 71 
 
 seat at the board, began to decamp with such 
 other articles as the squire might no longer be 
 in need of. Then began those who had feasted 
 with my uncle and applauded his genius, to 
 show the usual gratitude of sycophants, and 
 complain that their misplaced friendship for a 
 madman, had compromised their respectability, 
 and ruined their prospects in the world. Others 
 had only favoured him with their company, be- 
 cause it was amusing to see how far his absur- 
 dities would carry him ; and others again 
 had dined with him hundreds of times, merely 
 for the considerate purpose of excluding worse 
 companions. The only individual who proved 
 himself a friend when there was nothing to be 
 got by it, was my worthy tutor, Mr. Block, who 
 knitted his brows in vain to puzzle out the 
 precise principle of philosophy which my uncle 
 was illustrating, but would have died at the 
 stake rather than admit him to have been .guilty 
 of miscalculation. 
 
 Another character which shone out upon the
 
 72 RAFF HALL. 
 
 trying occasion was that of my aunt, who made 
 her retrenchments with energy, and without 
 repining, and showed that, had her lot in Ufa 
 been cast differently, she might have proved a 
 treasure beyond price. When every thing dis- 
 posable was disposed of (excepting the stud of 
 my cousin), and three parts of tlie large and 
 scarcely inhabited mansion Avere shut up, M'hen 
 We had nothins: to do in our remote corner 
 but to count the dreary winter hours which 
 were bringing on the signal for our removal, 
 I never heard her mention my uncle excepting 
 with deep anxiety to be assured of his welfare. 
 Instead of reflecting upon his imprudence, 
 she found every excuse for it ; praised him 
 \vhenever praise would not have seemed a 
 satire, and attributed his failings to her OAvn 
 mismanagement of his disposition. It was well 
 for him that he could not hear her, and see 
 the progress of decay under wliich she was 
 sinking from the evil effects of his eccentri- 
 cities !
 
 RAFF HALL. 73- 
 
 My recollection of my cousin's conduct at 
 this time is less satisfactory. He had arrived 
 at an aoe when he should have been the com- 
 
 O 
 
 forter, the protector, and the adviser of his 
 hapless mother, hut the kindly feelings of na- 
 ture had been laid by till they were lost. She 
 might regard his person, which had shot up- 
 into manhood full of "race and beautv, M'ith a 
 mother's j^ride ; and a mother's mistaken esti- 
 mation might make her happy in the contem- 
 plation of a talent sharpened upon the race- 
 course, and a manner refined by well-bred 
 swindlers. But other satisfaction than this 
 she never derived from him. When he was 
 made acquainted Avith his father's ruin, his 
 first consolation was that the creditors could 
 not cut off" the entail ; his next that he could 
 borrow money upon it to keep his horses. My 
 aunt assured him affiectionatelv that the mea- 
 sure should not be necessary ; that she would 
 live sparingly, and supply him to the utmost 
 of her power ; and then it was that his fihal
 
 74 RAFF HALL. 
 
 concern was anxious to know what provision 
 had been made for her. She described mat- 
 ters as cheerfully as she could, for fear of 
 afflicting him, spoke of her health in a tone of 
 encouragement which was sadly contradicted 
 by her looks, and intreated him to follow his 
 amusements, and drive all disagreeable occur- 
 rences from his mind. My cousin was strongly 
 impressed with a belief in his affection for his 
 " dearest mother ! " and, rather than disobey 
 her, mounted his horse to go out hunting. 
 
 " James,^^ said he, ere he left the yard, " my 
 poor dear mother looks very ill. I am terribly 
 afraid she will not live." Here he seemed to 
 imagine that he was shedding a tear. " Go in 
 and sit with her, my dear James, for she re- 
 quires every attention. Let us have nothing 
 to reproach ourselves with. God bless you. 
 I am going a long way to covert, and shall not 
 be back before to-morrow." 
 
 With that he wiped his eyes, and touched 
 his horse with the spur.
 
 RAFF HALL. 75 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 The time which I passed during the illness 
 of my aunt, who could not long maintain the 
 affectionate deception as to her health and 
 spirits, and prospects of happiness, has left a 
 recollection full of pain and forlornness. When 
 her failing strength was insufficient to support 
 her through the dreary day, and she was reluc- 
 tantly compelled to keep her bed, no persuasions 
 could induce her to call in other assistance 
 than the apothecary of the village, because the 
 cost of a physician must have subtracted from 
 the resources of her darling son. Even the 
 certainty that the worn machinery of life must 
 speedily cease to work, and the disheartening
 
 76 RAFF HALL. 
 
 consciousness that no sympathising friend or 
 neiglibour felt an interest in its duration, never 
 once diverted her thouglits from the one en- 
 grossing subject. Had not the approach of 
 dissolution involved the a])proaching separa- 
 tion from her earthly treasure, the last days of 
 her sojourn in a world Avhich she had found a 
 world of pain, would have been the most calm 
 she had spent in it since her marriage. From 
 no other cause did she appear to regard her 
 dejiarture with the slightest reluctance ; and if 
 sometimes a melancholy, vvdiich was foreign to 
 itj assisted in depressing her Ijroken spirit, it 
 related to the situation of otliers more than to 
 her own. The fate of mv uncle, whose errors 
 she felt had been atoned for by his adversity, 
 and whom she loved to recollect more as the 
 young and admired suitor who first won her 
 heart, than as the cold and captious husband 
 who cast it aside to wither, cost her many a sad 
 hour of fruitless speculation. That he had 
 quitted England had been ascertained, but in
 
 RAFF HALL. 77 
 
 what clime his rash character was seeking fresh 
 repentance, to what dangers, to what privations 
 he subjected liimself, was not to be guessed. 
 Sometimes she woukl l)lame him for his cruelty 
 in never writing ; then again she would blame 
 herself for never having given him cause to 
 suppose he could be a subject of interest. As 
 her time shortened she became more sad for 
 me likewise. She used to make me sit h\ her 
 bed-side, and ask me what I would do when 
 she was gone. It was a hard question to an- 
 swer, for I had no otlier friend on earth upon 
 wliom I could depend, and I was too young 
 to depend upon myself. I did my best to 
 elude it l)y under-stating my apprehensions for 
 lier, but she saw the desolation of my heart in 
 my cheerless countenance, and as she thanked 
 me over and over again for the comfort which 
 my young society had been to her else un- 
 broken solitude, she would Ijid me trust con- 
 fidently in the kind feeling and ani]}le means 
 of my cousin. The recommendation was given.
 
 78 RAFF HALL. 
 
 however^ vnth. an expression of doubt and afflic- 
 tion, which showed that she was too well aware 
 of her son's self-love to feel all the confidence 
 she would inspire ; and much as I liked and 
 looked up to my cousin from long habit, I 
 could not help turning with dismay from the 
 prospect of wringing a support from him. 
 When retired to my room to rest, I used to sit 
 my fire out, and shiver through the chill of a 
 December midnight in ruminating on the ills 
 to come. The icy blast seemed to cut upon 
 my heart with the keenness of a razor, then 
 passed away with a mournful cadence, which 
 reminded me of nothing but death and lamen- 
 tation. Suddenly the creak and the flapping 
 of some distant shutter in the thinly inhabited 
 building, would make me start with a thrilling 
 apprehension that I was summoned to the sick 
 room ; that my poor aunt's last moment had 
 arrived. When the fear passed off, it left me 
 to lie down nervous, and sick at heart ; and so 
 divested of all courage, that I used to pull the
 
 RAFF HALL. 79 
 
 bed-clothes over my eyes, lest I should see the 
 curtains drawn aside by a spectre. 
 
 Several weeks passed on in this gloomy ex- 
 pectation of a change for the worse : at last the 
 medical attendant apprised us that every hour 
 might bring our apprehensions to a close. 
 Then came the calm and pathetic wandering 
 of ideas ; then the insensibility like sleep ; and 
 then the fixed, serene expression, which sorrow 
 could disturb no more. 
 
 Ujjon me the event came like the gust upon 
 a branch that was already leafless, for I had 
 discarded every hope long before j but my 
 cousin was less prepared. He had evaded the 
 contemplation of it by engaging his mind more 
 than ever in his aljsorbing pursuits, and, when 
 it arrived, it seemed to have the eifect of a 
 shock unexpected. 
 
 His natural feelings were strong and good, 
 whenever some extreme convulsion would cause 
 them to burst their baneful superstructure, and 
 for several days I thought that the death of my
 
 80 RAFF HALL. 
 
 poor aunt had really worked a change in his 
 character. His grief was uncontrollable, even 
 when nothing was to be got by it; and his 
 affection for me was redoubled, because I had 
 good reason to lament Avith him. He prayed, 
 as though religion had suddenly become a com- 
 fort, and (I admired the sentiment, though I 
 could not quite admit its foundation,) returned 
 thanks that he had always been obedient 
 and dutiful. When my poor aunt was laid 
 in the parish church, it occurred to him 
 that we had never l^een there before, and he 
 whispered to me in a voice full of contrition, 
 ^' My dear Jim, we have been d d irreli- 
 gious. You must go to church in future; 
 upon my soul you must ! " 
 
 *' And will you not come likewise ? " I re- 
 plied. 
 
 " Mind the service, my dear Jim, you must 
 be attentive. Yes, I will see about it." 
 
 Fortunately, my cousin's health was not des-
 
 RAFF HALL. 81 
 
 tined to suffer from the impetuous course of 
 his affliction, which was arrested, as all his 
 other good impulses had been, by a prominent 
 piece of self-interest. On returning from 
 church, my uncle's trustees, who had come 
 down into the country to see the funeral con- 
 ducted in a becoming manner, begged to have 
 the pleasure of a conference with him respect- 
 ing arrangements for the future. This was 
 a circumstance to divert his attention from 
 my aunt in heaven to matters nearer home, 
 and all his faculties were immediately busied 
 in surmising what in the world it could mean. 
 Not liking to face the engagement alone, he 
 insisted that I should bear him company. 
 When we entered the room, the trustees, who 
 had been my uncle's bankers, and were men of 
 the first respectability, were seated round a 
 table in consultation. They received us with 
 much feeling, and begging us to take chairs, 
 proceeded gradually to the business of the day 
 with a few common-place remarks which were 
 
 VOL. I. G
 
 82 
 
 RAFF HALL. 
 
 kindly meant to give us courage. Then there 
 was a solemn pause, which was broken by a 
 benevolent-looking old man who was the head 
 partner of the firm. 
 
 "And now, Mr. Maltravers," he said; ad- 
 dressing my cousin, " we will if you please 
 acquaint you with the result of our delibera- 
 tions respecting future allowances." 
 
 There was something in this which my 
 cousin's previous ruminations taught him to 
 understand as ominous of retrenchment, and 
 he betrayed that he was a little ruffled. 
 
 " Of course, sir," he replied, " you will make 
 me the same allowance which was made to my 
 mother. You agreed to pay this out of the 
 property, and there is now no one to receive it 
 but me."' 
 
 The partners looked at each other in some 
 surprise — and the same speaker continued. 
 
 " I apprehend, young gentleman, that you 
 rather deceive yourself.^' 
 
 " You can hardly mean," resumed John in
 
 RAFF HALL. 83 
 
 the tone of an injured person, by no means in- 
 clined to submit to oppression, " that I am to 
 provide for my cousin, I am sure he cannot 
 doubt my affection, or that it cuts me to the 
 heart to see him so ill off, and any thing that 
 I can do amongst my friends to get him into 
 some profession I shall do immediately; but 
 he can see as well as I can that I have the 
 family name to keep up ; and he knows that I 
 have engagements for money which I shall 
 hardly be able to fulfil." 
 
 My heart swelled with shame and indigna- 
 tion at the return which my devoted affection — 
 I might say servitude — had encountered; and 
 I determined that I would rather die than owe 
 my support to him. I was about to declare it, 
 when another of the partners interrupted me, 
 and their conversation with my cousin was 
 carried on by turns and with many signifi- 
 cant looks. 
 
 " No doubt, sir, your cousin is sensible of 
 your kind consideration for him, and regrets 
 
 G 2
 
 84 RAFF HALL. 
 
 that it should cost you so much pain. Your 
 interest amongst your friends will no doubt be 
 very advantageous to him, and we should feel 
 much gratified if you could oblige us by men- 
 tioning who they are." 
 
 My cousin coloured up and declined naming 
 any one. His friends, he said, might choose to 
 act under the rose — a mode of action to which 
 it appeared they were particularly partial. 
 
 " Well, sir, we do not wish to drag the good 
 deeds of your friends to light, for some that we 
 have heard of are certainly very careful to keep 
 them in the shade. But if you would inform 
 us how you propose fulfilling your obligation 
 to sustain the family name, you would enable 
 us to determine how far we should l)e justified 
 in assisting you." 
 
 My cousin thought it incumbent upon him 
 to live like a gentleman. 
 
 " Tliere, sir, we perfectly agree with you, 
 and, in order to do so, it is necessary to give 
 the engagements for money, to which you have
 
 RAFF HALL. 85 
 
 alluded, a due consideration. Perhaps you 
 will be kind enough to enlighten us a little 
 upon your speculations, for all such matters are 
 interesting to us bankers, who have our specu- 
 lations and counter-speculations without end." 
 This was said with a persuasive tone of fellow 
 feeling, as if the speaker were desirous of a 
 little snug information, and my cousin returned 
 his glance from the knowing corner of his eye, 
 which showed that he felt matters were all 
 going right. He had however been taught to 
 feel his way cautiously, and would not speak 
 out till he fancied he could place his questioner 
 under an obligation. At last, on his being a 
 little more pressed, he acknowledged that he 
 certainly had it in his power to put a friend up 
 to a good thing or two. A few more mysterious 
 circumvolutions brought him to the point, and 
 then the important intelligence came forth — that 
 he was hedging all his Ijets upon Lord Little- 
 wit's kill-devil, who was strained in the back 
 sinews and would be distanced to a dead cer-
 
 86 RAFF HALL. 
 
 tainty. Observing that the trustees began to 
 smile at this lucky secret, and knowing how 
 necessary it was to keep them in good humour, 
 he suffered himself to be led from the politics 
 of the turf to those of the ring, and pronounced 
 the great match for the championship to be 
 such a hollow thing that the knowing hands 
 were laying Lombard-street to a China orange 
 upon it. Bill Breadbasket was out of con- 
 dition, and his hands were all to pieces; and, 
 in fact, a fortune was to be won. 
 
 " And pray," asked one of our friends, " do 
 you always get paid when you win ?" 
 
 '^ No ; that 's the deuce of it. There are so 
 many Levanters abroad." 
 
 '' Indeed. But what do you mean by a 
 Levanter." 
 
 " Why, a man who loses and cannot pay." 
 
 The trustees resumed their business-like 
 faces, and the elder one acquainted my cousin 
 that it was their intention to make him a Le- 
 vanter. They said that a large alloAvance would, 
 
 i
 
 RAFF HALL. 87 
 
 instead of bein^ instrumental to his sustaining 
 the family dignity and the character of a gen- 
 tleman, have quite an opposite tendency ; and 
 that the engagements for money, which dis-. 
 abled him from doing any thing for a relation 
 ■whom he saw destitute, need trouble his head 
 no longer. He might send his duns for pay- 
 ment to them, and if the vagabonds troubled 
 him about the Levant, it might perhaps be 
 possible to send them somewhat further. 
 
 My cousin, finding that he was caught in a 
 trap, and that there was an intention of cur- 
 tailing his finances, was first confounded and 
 then indignant. From disputing their right of 
 retrenchment, he contended for his claims to the 
 estates themselves, alledging that his poor dear 
 father had not been heard of for nearly three 
 months, and that he was heir apparent to 
 every stick and stone. He did not know how 
 long the lavv' allowed a man to be missing 
 without being considered dead, but it was a 
 duty he owed his father to make the inquiry ;
 
 88 RAFF HALL. 
 
 % 
 
 bound as he was, by respect to his memory, to ' 
 
 live according to his rights, 
 
 The trustees acquiesced in his views of filial 
 piety, but suggested that, if his father were 
 ever forthcoming, the making such quick work 
 of him might chance to be inconvenient. 
 
 " Young man," said the ekler partner, " we 
 wish to act kindly by you, but we must also 
 act justly by your father and ourselves. The 
 income which we undertook to pay him, it was 
 his pleasure to transfer to your late mother, 
 but we received no direction to continue it to 
 you ; therefore we have not the power of doing 
 so. All that we can take upon ourselves to do, 
 is to provide for your expenses with your tutor 
 or at college, and it is earnestly to be hoped 
 that this will break oif the connexions which 
 you have formed elsewhere." 
 
 The effect of this speech was equally electri- 
 fying both upon my cousin and me. To find 
 himself in trammels now for the first time, and 
 from a quarter whence he never expected such
 
 RAFF HALL. 89 
 
 a mortification, called up an expression of rage 
 and dismay whicli made me both fear and feel 
 for him. He vowed stoutly that no power 
 upon earth should compel him to go either to 
 his tutor or to college ; uttered a rash defiance 
 to the trustees to put their threats in execution ; 
 and exclaiming loudly against their insolence, 
 strode out of the room and slammed the 
 door. 
 
 The astounding conclusion which had been 
 put to the high-mettled career of my cousin 
 was sufficient to banish all recollection of the 
 wound which he had inflicted upon my feel- 
 ings, and I flew immediately to console him as 
 well as I could under his misfortunes. It was 
 long before I could prevail upon him to 
 moderate his fury and despair ; and when he 
 was disposed to listen to me, every thing I 
 could say had the efi'ect of starting him off 
 afresh. 
 
 " Make me a Levanter ! " he exclaimed witli 
 a stamp, '" a lame duck, and be d — d to them t
 
 90 BAFF HALL. 
 
 I shall never again dare to show my face in 
 the Betting Stand as long as I live. There is 
 not a rascal of them all but would turn his 
 back upon me." 
 
 ^^ And do you think it of any importance 
 that you should have a rascal's countenance ?" 
 
 " Man alive ! it would be bad enough to be 
 looked down upon by a gentleman, but to be 
 reduced low enough to be cut by a scoundrel — 
 think of that ! To be cut by an infernal j^ick- 
 pocket — not to be recognized by a rogue in 
 his passage between the ale-house and the 
 gibbet." 
 
 " I dare say it is very mortifying, my dear 
 John, because you say so ; but I think if it v»'ere 
 my case I should be very much obliged to him. 
 Still, however, you may prevent his cutting 
 you by being beforehand with him." 
 
 " Aye, but he won^t let me ! Don't you see 
 that? He Avon't let me cut him tiU he sees I 
 am cleaned out. They '11 hunt me like a pack 
 of hungry devils ! Ferret me like a rat ! Post
 
 RAFF HALL. 91 
 
 me in their hells, and stick me in the shop 
 windows like a bad shilling ! " 
 
 " Well, but you can pay your bets this time, 
 if you wiU but sell your horses/' 
 
 " Sell my horses ! Sell the colt by Old Beel- 
 zebub out of Da%downdilly ! Let him go for 
 nothing because they know I cannot keep him ! 
 Mount a varlet to grin at me from the back of 
 my own breed ! Sell my horses ! Sell Fire- 
 away, sell Fizgig, that have carried me over 
 every gate in the county ! Do you think I 
 have no gratitude ? No natural feelings ? No 
 conscience at all ?" 
 
 " Well, well ! Don't be angry with me ; in- 
 deed I meant no harm. There is yet another 
 way to get rid of these people. If you go to 
 college, as the trustee wished, it is the last 
 place in the world where they would think of 
 seeking you." 
 
 " Go to college ! Go to coUege, from whence 
 my father was expelled ! Do you suppose I 
 could offer him such an insult? Go to be
 
 92 RAFF HALL. 
 
 badgered by a set of psalm-singing, gormandi- 
 zing, guzzling parsons, who, I have heard him 
 prove a thousand times, must all die of stag- 
 nation and go to the devil for hypocrisy ! I 
 think I should be undutiful indeed if I were to 
 go to college ? No, I '11 go to a lawyer instead. 
 They have no right to withold the estates from 
 me. My poor dear father has been missing 
 these three months — he must be dead — I 'm 
 sure of it — dead as a door nail, and spite of all 
 my affliction I'll make them do me justice." 
 
 I agreed with my cousin, as I did on all other 
 occasions, that he was very shamefully used ; 
 but ventured to suggest that, if he failed in his 
 application to the law, the trustees might be 
 so exasperated that they would alloAv him 
 nothing at all. 
 
 " I should not wonder," he replied ; " they 
 are rascals enough for any thing. — Shocking 
 rascals ! are they not, my dear Jim, abominable 
 rascals ! Ah, I see how it is ! They have 
 bribed you to call them honest fellows, and
 
 RAFF HALL. 93^ 
 
 before long tliey will make you a rascal like 
 themselves. Honest indeed! Well then, if 
 they are men of honour, they must give me sa- 
 tisfaction for the injury they have done me — 
 I'll call them out every villain of them, and 
 shoot them as I would so many carrion crows." 
 
 " Pray don't be so angry. If you call them 
 out you may depend upon it they will only 
 send you to prison for breaking the peace." 
 
 "As likely as not! Precious cowards, I'll 
 be bound for it. But what am I to do ? Here 
 I am, a Levanter ! Zounds, I must enlist for 
 a soldier ! Eli ! Hold hard ! I have it ! I 
 have hit upon a plan which will save my 
 horses, and throw out the hue and cry at once. 
 Run and ask the trustees if thev will buv me 
 a commission in the dragoons. Run, my dear 
 Jim, before they are off to London. Zounds, 
 Avhat a capital thought ! I can march al)out 
 the country till I prove my father's death, and 
 if the duns come after me I am an officer and 
 a gentleman, and have nothing more to do 
 ■with such blackguards I "
 
 94 RAFF HALL. 
 
 The errand was soon performed, and I re- 
 turned triumphant. The trustees had no ob- 
 jection to his Abashes, and undertook to gratify 
 them as soon as possible.
 
 RAFF HALL. 95 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 Thus ended the important events o£ 
 the morning. The rest of the day was 
 passed by my cousin in spelling over the 
 Army List and calculating the pay of a cor- 
 net, and by me in the mournful occupation of 
 packing up and preparing to remove our resi* 
 dence to the cottage of Mr. Block; it being 
 determined that Raif Hall should immediately 
 be advertised to be let. To tear myself from 
 it was a task of difficulty. After I had cleared 
 each room of all that we wished to take away, 
 I still lingered to look round it as upon an old 
 friend who had Ijeen the confidant of the 
 frolics and misdeeds of my childhood. It was 
 late before these farewell visits were ended. 
 Tlie last was to the drawing room, where the 
 remains of my poor aunt had lain in scanty
 
 96 RAFF HALL.. 
 
 state, and where the sable drapery still con- 
 cealed every thing hut her portrait and that of 
 xnx uncle, painted in the early days of their 
 marriage, full of spirit, hope, and beauty. As 
 I stood pensively contemplating these lifeless 
 objects, what would I not have given to ani- 
 mate them, to recommence their union witli 
 the experience of their divorce ! I could not 
 beleive that it had been their intention to per- 
 sist in Milful discomfort, till the grave had shut 
 out all prospect of mutual atonement, — and I 
 felt as if I had witnessed a drama of wliich the 
 action had Ijeen abruptly broken, and the 
 catastrophe premature. The heart was unsa- 
 tisfied, and could scarcely be reconciled to 
 the idea that it was over. Surely, thought 
 I, there must be some other scene for the con- 
 clusion of such mysteries, of wliich we are 
 doomed to witness only the pain, in order that 
 we may derive more profit from the example. 
 Even now perhaps the history, concluded tc 
 the eyes of earthly spectators, may be conti-
 
 RXl'F HALL. 97 
 
 nued elsewhere to the delight of beings more 
 faultless, and the errors of a past existence 
 may have been but a circuit in the road to 
 perfection. 
 
 This fantastic speculation was materially 
 favoured by a circumstance which, under the 
 mournful events that had taken place and the 
 nervous state in which I have described mvself, 
 was calculated to make some impression on me. 
 The break-up of the family, my aunt 's forlorn 
 pilgrimage to the grave, and the dreary eftects 
 of deep winter in a large desolate mansion, had 
 caused the two or three domestics to huddle 
 together during the long evenings Avith a 
 superstitious dread of they scarce knew what. 
 When Death had at length received his due, 
 these misgivings had been lieightened, and 
 there was not a recess of the premises where 
 they had not expected to encounter a superna- 
 tural witness. The one who had most courage 
 was my aunt 's own maid, v.'hose affection had 
 been purchased by acts of kindness and liber- 
 
 VOL. I. H
 
 ©8 RAFF HALL. 
 
 ality without end. She had determined, the 
 night before the funeral, to shed a last tear 
 upon the remains of her mistress, and, as no 
 one would bear her company, had been obliged 
 to bear the sad tribute in solitude. It appear- 
 ed that as she trod the long passages upon her 
 errand, her shadow on the wall had united 
 with the echo of her footsteps to excite her 
 imagination beyond all reason. On opening 
 the door of the room of mourning, she had 
 uttered an awful shriek, and rushing wildly 
 back to her fellow servants, had vowed that, 
 standing at the head of the coffin, and fully 
 displayed between two rows of blazing tapers, 
 she had beheld the startling figure of my uncle. 
 His pallid and sunken features had shewn be- 
 yond a doubt that he was dead, and his look of 
 deep woe was a proof that his spirit had not 
 found rest. 
 
 The story was of course considered a chimera 
 conjured up by her terrors, but as I now stood 
 in the midst of the scene, lighted only by the
 
 RAFF HALL. 99 
 
 last dim ray of the sun, I could not help recall- 
 ing it with a slight tremor. StiU I had no de- 
 sire to move. To ponder alone on the possible 
 fortmies of my last protectors had a melancho- 
 ly fascination which I had no wish to exchansie 
 for condolence on the too certain forlornness 
 of my own. I was a cypher too much in this 
 world, and it seemed my fittest occupation to 
 dream with the shadows of the next. " Why," 
 thought I, " should I fear the terrors of the 
 tomb, who can call no other place my home? 
 Why should I shrink from the equahty of the 
 dead, who have no alternative with the living 
 but a grudged dependence ? " The future 
 presented a wilderness of humiliations, from 
 which my youth, inexperience, and vague edu- 
 cation, by which little had been cultivated l)ut 
 family pride, could perceive no possibility of 
 escape j all the feelings for my own peculiar 
 situation which the excitement of late events 
 had hurried from my thoughts, came over me 
 in the silence of this deserted apartment with 
 
 II 2
 
 100 RAFF HAEL. 
 
 unmingled anguish ; and as I clasped my hands 
 in despair, I lamented aloud that my fate had 
 not removed me from a land of sorrow with 
 those who were lost to me. 
 
 At this moment, every drop of blood in my 
 veins was frozen. I felt a hand laid gently on 
 my shoulder, and, on turning round, stood face 
 to face with my uncle ! I should have cried out, 
 but my voi(-e, as in some terrible nightmare, 
 refused to pass my lips, besides which, the 
 figure placed its hand before them and motion- 
 ed me to silence. The action was gentle, and 
 the expression of the unshorn A'isage re-as- 
 suring, but my eye-balls still continued glaring 
 on the vision, as though they vrould have 
 burst. After reaardino" my consternation for 
 an instant with something like surprise, it 
 broke forth into speech ; not in the awful tone 
 which we generally consider appropriate to the 
 sepulchre, but v.ith affectionate and cheering 
 familiaritv. 
 
 •^ Wl^a^. my dear boy," it said, ^^ you surety
 
 BAFF HALL. 101 
 
 are not so silly as the poor girl who took me 
 for a ghost ! " 
 
 "And are you not ? " I gasped with choked 
 amazement. 
 
 " I see/' replied my uncle, who by degrees 
 became evidently corporeal, " that the occur- 
 rences of the last few months have rather unset- 
 tled your nerves, my poor James; and, moreover, 
 you were unprepared for my sudden re-appear- 
 ance. I must rely upon you to keep it secret, 
 as I have only revealed myself to you for an 
 especial purpose. Let us sit down and you 
 shall hear it." 
 
 He moved me, now stiff M'ith wonder, as I 
 had previously been with horror, to a chair. 
 
 **I have been a visitor to this apartment,'' he 
 resumed, "for the last three nights. Whence I 
 have come, and wherefore, it is needless to ex- 
 plain. There are circumstances in the past 
 lives of us all, which we would willingly revise 
 or atone for ; a purpose which is sometimes 
 impressed upon us too late for accomplish- 
 ment."
 
 102 RAFF HALL. 
 
 He cast liis eyes sadly on the portrait of my 
 aunt, and continued as if to himself — 
 
 " 'Tis a bitter thing — the tyranny of that in- 
 ward creditor which prefers its claim only when 
 we are bankrupt ! Exile — disappointment — 
 destitution — such are the proper tests of man's 
 superiority ; such may be endured with pride. 
 I have stood sviperior to them when they did 
 their worst ! The present and the future are 
 fair adversaries, we have them in our front — but 
 the past inflicts its Parthian arrow from a dis- 
 tance against which there is no contending, with 
 a keenness from which there is no recovery.'^ 
 
 From these and other incoherent reflections, 
 I perceived that he had been recalled from his 
 wanderings by a sense of unkind usage towards 
 my aunt, and that her death had fallen upon 
 him far more heavily than it would have done 
 had their union been haj^py. I never loved 
 my uncle so much as now, but his grief seemed 
 so reasonable that I know not who could have 
 offered him consolation.
 
 RAFF HALL. 103 
 
 " But the evening advances/' he resumed, 
 " and you may be looked for even in the haunt- 
 ed room; a few words more, and it will be dark 
 enough for me to depart vmperceived, or recog- 
 nized only in my supernatural character. I 
 am in no mood to be a spectacle, either 
 of sorrow or adversitv. Now tell me : — the 
 trustees have been here — I wish to know what 
 passed between them and my son, and the kind 
 of spirit which has been shewn towards you. 
 If I am believed to be dead, let me take advan- 
 tage of the error to see the disposition of my 
 successor." 
 
 I said that my cousin was to have a com- 
 mission. 
 
 ^' That is little ; without an allowance — too 
 little. If he was contented it does him credit 
 — shows his consideration for his father. But 
 was he contented ? " 
 
 I would have waived the question, but it was 
 pressed more earnestly, and I was obliged to 
 answer that I l)elieved not.
 
 104 BAFP HALL. 
 
 " I fear him," said my uncle. " I hope my 
 misgivings do him injustice. He was not 
 contented. What else did he demand ? You 
 do him no service by your reluctance to an- 
 swer, and will only oblige me to apply for in- 
 formation to the trustees themselves." 
 
 Such a proceeding vt'ould, I knew, do my 
 cousin much more mischief than my simple 
 replies, and though I was under small obliga- 
 tion to him. Heaven knows he was the last 
 person upon earth whom I would have been 
 instrumental to injuring. I said that he had 
 been under the mistaken idea that my aunt's 
 income would have been continued to him. 
 
 My uncle arched his eyebrows. " And 
 could he spare nothing to his father ! But I 
 am hard upon him — I see it was his affection 
 for you. He felt that he had two to provide 
 for. 
 
 I knew not what to say without being guilty 
 of a falsehood. My answer was " Perhaps." 
 
 " Perhaps ! Did he not urge it distinctly ?
 
 RAFF HALL. 105 
 
 Did he not say that you had no dependence 
 but on him? Did he not say that he must and 
 ■would have a maintenance for you i " 
 
 "He did not think of it." 
 
 "What! Did he think only of himself? 
 But no, no — I am too hasty. He has assured 
 you that the slender pay of his commission 
 would serve for both ? " 
 
 ^' He might have thought so." 
 
 " He did not say so then ? No. He thought 
 it more delicate to make a private application 
 for you. — But tell me, my dear boy! how much 
 is it ? " 
 
 My cheeks burned as I was compelled to 
 speak the truth. 
 
 " Nothing ! " cried my uncle starting up. 
 " Nothing ! He has consented to see you des- 
 titute ! Have I a son like this ! " He paused 
 — strode up and down the room, and continued, 
 — " No. I will not see him to reproach him 
 with his baseness — it would be useless — he 
 must be past all shame. Let him remain as
 
 106 RAFF HALL. 
 
 ignorant of my fate, as I will be of tlie extent 
 to which he disgraces me. — No more of him. 
 — For yourself, poor boy, fear nothing, you 
 shall be taken care of." 
 
 The scene of the morning had so disgusted 
 me with everything like dependence, that I 
 could not contemplate drawing upon my uncle's 
 resources, and thereby standing in the way 
 of my cousin's interest, AAithout horror. I 
 besought him so earnestly to think of some 
 way in which I might earn a living for my- 
 self, that he was obliged to forego his liberal 
 intentions and talk in a strain less galling. 
 He was pleased to give me credit for my sen- 
 timents, and expressed emphatic satisfaction 
 that they need afflict me no longer. 
 
 " It has always been my desire/' 'said he, 
 ^' to keep untouched till you become of age, a 
 little fortune, which has been accumulating for 
 you since the death of your father." 
 
 *' A fortune from my father !" I exclaimed. 
 The words were no less thrilling than had
 
 RAFF HALL. 10/ 
 
 been my recent belief that I gazed upon a 
 ghost. 
 
 " Yes, a fortune from your father ; certainly, 
 in the first instance, scarcely deserving that 
 name ; but, by the aid of a trusty agent, whom 
 I instructed to make the most of it, eight or 
 nine years have swelled it to a modest inde- 
 pendence. This agent shall have directions to 
 pay the interest, to your order, as soon as you 
 please ; and here," he added, writing on a leaf 
 of his pocket-book, " is the address." 
 
 As I was about to pour out my transport of 
 gratitude to my uncle for the provident care, so 
 much more conspicuous in my affairs than in 
 his own, I M'as arrested by the voice of my 
 cousin, loudly calling for me. My uncle bade 
 me go quickly, and repeating his injunctions of 
 silence as to our interview, pressed my hand 
 with a sad-sounding adieu, which was evidently 
 for a time of which he could foresee no termi- 
 nation. Ere he departed, he cast another look 
 at the portrait of my aunt, which the darkness
 
 108 RAFF HALL. 
 
 now rendered scarcely distinguisliable, and 
 disappearing into a long suite of apartments 
 which led to the garden, quitted the house so 
 like the shade of his former self, that the tre- 
 mors of superstition might for once have seemed 
 reasonable. 
 
 That night the conversation by my tutor's 
 fire-side turned exclusively upon the uncon- 
 scionable length of my visit to the haunted 
 room, and the disordered looks with which I 
 had quitted it. Both Mr. Block and my cousin 
 assailed me with a multitude of questions as to 
 Avhat I had seen and what I had been doing, 
 the former with a view to materials for the 
 completion of a magazine article on the ajipa- 
 rition of Sir Hector Maltravers ; the latter 
 for the establishment of his right to enter forth- 
 with on the patrimonial estate. My determined 
 denial of all participation in ghostly discoveries 
 with the servant maid who had so notably com- 
 menced them, availed me nothing ; my evasions 
 proved that I had not been alone, and every
 
 RAFF HALL. 109^- 
 
 Other inhabitant of the house could prove an 
 alibi. Whilst one depicted my outrage on all 
 mankind, in \Nithholding the proof positive of 
 a world to come, the other tried his hand at a 
 mode of reasoning which he felt in his own 
 case would be somewhat more persuasive ; I 
 was shown, as clear as day, that, whilst my 
 cousin had nothing to give, he could make me 
 no allowance, and that when he succeeded his 
 father his coffers Avould be overflowing, and he 
 might do as he pleased. The allusion to this 
 subject revived the recollection of the morning, 
 and my blood was again upon the rise. I ex- 
 pressed my doubts as to whether the fortune 
 would prove large enough to correspond with 
 his views of supporting the family name, and 
 begging him to lay aside all uneasiness on my 
 account, assured him that tlie means I pos- 
 sessed would at all times be suflicient for my 
 wants. My companions looked strangely at a 
 loss to guess what I meant. Tliey knew that 
 a few hours before my means were only just
 
 110 RAFF HALLi 
 
 enough to support me as long as I could bear 
 hunger, and how I had received any addition, 
 unless I had found it in digging my grave, was 
 not to be determined by mortal man. In the 
 next moment, however, the genius of Mr. Block 
 jirevailed. Tlie matter was beyond a doubt : 
 it had been known, time out of mind, that 
 spirits never >valked the earth, except to point 
 out some hidden treasure, and, as sure as death, 
 I had found convincing proofs of it. Was it 
 possiljle to conceive what a sensation would be 
 made by an article entitled '^' The Apparition of 
 Sir Hector Maltravers — how he frightened a 
 maid servant into hysterics — enriched his ne- 
 phew by the discovery of a treasure, and then 
 vanished into air : — all attested upon oath, be- 
 fore a magistrate ! " The country would be in 
 a state of electricity, and the storm at the 
 
 bookseller's doorwould would my tutor 
 
 was so inflated with his broken metaphor, that 
 I could not help concluding it with ^' burst, 
 like Mr. Block, witli a clap of thunder ! "
 
 RAFF HALL, 111 
 
 Finding that nothing was to be extracted 
 from me, my assailants began to consider my 
 treasure a fabrication. Then my calm assurance 
 that a couple of days should convince them of 
 the contrary, devoted the rest of the evening 
 to an argument as to whom it belonged. My 
 cousin maintained that any thing dug up on 
 the property should be his. My tutor was 
 more conscientious, and stood up for the inten- 
 tions of the ghost. Finally, it was reluctantly 
 agreed, that, if I had been enjoined to silence, 
 it was probable the Devil would carry me away 
 in case of disobedience, and I was permitted 
 to keep my secret with no other inconvenience 
 than that of being looked upon as a mysterious 
 personage, who had dealings with the dead.
 
 112 RAFF HALL. 
 
 CHAPTER VII. 
 
 In a few days my cousin received his com- 
 mission, and was requested to join his regi- 
 ment without delay. I went with him in his 
 round of farewell visits. The farmers' daugh- 
 ters presented him with handfuUs of redundant 
 ringlets, indulged him with promises of a libe- 
 ral supply of pot-hooks, and dismissed him 
 with smacks of the lips and hearty hopes that 
 he would not get killed in battle. The barn 
 door was loud in regrets that he had not en- 
 listed in the volunteers ; the public-house had 
 a score of throats distended for libations to his 
 success ; Bill Barleycorn declared his friendly 
 intention of coming to see him soldiering; and.
 
 RAFF HALL. 113 
 
 in the event of his being ordered to foreign 
 parts, Bob Buttercup recommended him to de- 
 sert. After all these touching manifestations 
 of interest, which my cousin received with the 
 dignity becoming an officer and a gentleman, 
 there came the fatherly exhortation of Mr. Block, 
 who knitted his bushy brows, and played Po- 
 lonius with due solemnity. He informed my 
 cousin that he was going into the army ; the 
 profession of arms had been honourable ever 
 since the Siege of Troy ; it was a profession the 
 very opposite of fox-hunting, where we fell 
 without credit; incompatible with racing, where 
 the meed was to the fastest runner; low com- 
 pany was its bane, because the first command- 
 ment of the drill was to hold up your head ; 
 good character was indispensable, because every 
 movement was to the blast of your trumpeter. 
 It is not necessary to relate the remainder of 
 my good tutor's eloquence. If it owed not 
 much to his brains, it certainly came Avarni 
 from his heart ; and as he begged his pupil to 
 
 VOL. I. I
 
 114 BAFF HALL. 
 
 listen to him for the first time in his life, his 
 feelings were visibly awakened by the possi- 
 bility that it might be the last. A similar 
 reflection had likewise its effect upon my 
 cousin, and gave him courage^ for once, to hear 
 a long sermon out. As he mounted Fire- 
 away to commence his journey, they shook 
 hands with better temper than they had ever 
 done before, and if their mutual low opinion was 
 too deeply fixed to be eradicated, it was tem- 
 pered with a considerate degree of pity for each 
 other's absurdities. The good effects which my 
 cousin had experienced from his lesson, were 
 proved by the soundness of his parting admo- 
 nition to me. " Jim," said he, " if you see 
 the apparition again, let me exhort you to ask 
 permission to reveal all that has occurred ; for, 
 be assured, that if I am unfairly kept out of 
 my inheritance, it is no other than the con- 
 trivance of the Devil. You have already had 
 dealings with him which make my hair stand 
 on end, for the Devil knows how you got your
 
 RAFF HALL. 115 
 
 fortune, and the Devil only. Get out of his 
 clutches as soon as you can, my dear Jim, 
 for your salvation is in danger, and it would 
 cut me to the heart if you were to go to hell." 
 
 With this affecting address he bade us fare- 
 well, and Mr. Block and I were left to make 
 the agreeable to each other as we best might. 
 
 I must now pass over five or six years, 
 which were remarkable only for their mono- 
 tony. My tutor was almost always occupied 
 in writing the life and opinions of Sir Hector 
 Maltravers, which, not having yet been fur- 
 nished with a catastrophe, he continued to po- 
 lish and revise into what he conceived a model 
 for style, and a monument to his fame. Un- 
 luckily, there appeared little chance of this fame 
 being otherwise than posthumous, for never 
 had the subject of his labours given any ac- 
 count of his adventures, or any indication of 
 his life or death, since the mysterious visit on 
 our loss of my aunt. Mr. Block could not 
 publish at the hazard of being some day criti- 
 
 I 2
 
 116 RAFF HALL. 
 
 cJsed by Sir Hector himself, and all the repu- 
 tation upon which he could venture to lay his 
 hand at present, was the adoption, as his just 
 legacy, of all the dognias and singularities to 
 which he had unquestionably shewn a greater 
 affection than any one else. The sort of guilty 
 look with which he had been accustomed to 
 gather a forgotten or a faded flower from my 
 uncle's ever-blooming temples, was now aban- 
 doned for the confidence suitable to the pro- 
 prietor of the whole wreath. He talked louder 
 and more sententiously ; his person became 
 more distended by conscious importance, and 
 the correctness of his entire resemblance to his 
 more colossal prototype extended even to his 
 gait and costume. 
 
 Of myself, my history is scarcely less meagre. 
 I certainly did not grow up, by any means, so 
 remarkable for personal appearance as my covi- 
 sin; but I trust I shall not be accused of into- 
 lerable vanity if I boast of having ])een well 
 received in the blooming circle which he had
 
 RAFJ- HALL. 117 
 
 forfeited by neglect and false-heartedness. The 
 young ladies considered me of middling stature ; 
 paid me the compliment of envying my black 
 hair and slender waist, and, to squeeze on my 
 shoe, would willingly have spared me a supply 
 of their roses. My mental progress exceeded but 
 little what might have been expected with the 
 progress of time. The greatest acquirements I 
 possessed, were the arts of making the most of 
 my small knowledge, and of concealing my 
 great ignorance ; for both of which I was in- 
 debted to the judicious example of Mr. Block. 
 In point of disposition, there was scarcely any 
 thing developed. My seclusion, ever since my 
 infancy, from all society of my own grade, 
 saving that of my cousin, had circumscribed 
 its action to very narrow bounds, and kept it, 
 for the most part, a mystery even to myself. 
 I had reason, however, to know that nature 
 had made it somcM'hat too sensitive: for my 
 reflections for many years on what I considered 
 the humiliation of dependence, had given my
 
 118 RAFF HALL. 
 
 spirits a fixed character of depression, and 
 robbed the most vivid season of life of its 
 brightest hues. Mr. Block thought I evinced 
 just the temperament for poesy, and tried hard 
 to embark me in a Sonnet to the Moon ; my 
 fairer friends decided that I had just the face 
 for music, and should do wonders on the fiddle. 
 At length the time arrived for this stagna- 
 tion of energies to cease. Raff Hall, which 
 had all along remained vacant, from the diffi- 
 culty of finding a suitable tenant, was let. A 
 caravan full of polished footmen and elegant 
 house-maids commenced the arrivals, receiving, 
 as they passed our cottage, a polite bow from 
 Mr. Block, who pronounced them to be folks 
 of high ton. Next came a stud of noble car- 
 riage-horses, which the same infallible judge 
 considered a strong proof of the respectability 
 and good order of the owners. They had 
 evidently never been used to exceed the pace 
 allowed by the laws, and the contrast which 
 they formed to the long-legged, clattering.
 
 RAFF HALL. 119 
 
 squeaking wild beasts of my cousin, was a 
 comfort to all the parish. A few evenings after, 
 we were summoned to the window by a melo- 
 dious peal of the village bells. It was about 
 the beginning of May, and the season w^as no 
 less lovely than its associations. Every tree 
 w'as rich with its blossoms and its odours ; the 
 thrush on the topmost bough, was wooing the 
 village-maid for the clown on the bank be- 
 neath ; and all things tended to drive common 
 sense from the field, and to prepare the heart 
 for romance. Presently the roll of wheels an- 
 nounced the approach of the ncAV residents ; 
 in another moment four posters whirled round 
 a corner with an open barouche, and our eyes 
 were busy in estimating -what hopes might be 
 entertained of future society. 
 
 Mr. Block was charmed with the appearance 
 of the old gentleman, which he pronounced to 
 be strongly characterized by dignity, benevo- 
 lence, and intellectuality. I agreed perfectly 
 in tlie opinion, though to confess the truth, I
 
 1-0 RAFF HALL. 
 
 had not seen him. My judgment was com- 
 pletely guided by the beauty of the young 
 lady by his side, who was probably his daugh- 
 ter, and would have been a confirmation of 
 much higher compliments than could emanate 
 even from the genius of Mr. Block. She was 
 about eighteen years of age, and had the fair- 
 est and purest complexion, Avith the brightest 
 and bluest eyes I had ever seen. Her features 
 were chiselled out with a delicacy which seemed 
 to indicate that nature, aware of the rare qua- 
 lity of the materials, had taken more than ordi- 
 nary pains. Their expression was meek as 
 though they had never been reflected from a 
 mirror; unconstrained, as though the heart 
 had never imagined a thought to be concealed ; 
 affectionate, as though true love, however 
 bare of worldly advantages, need never de- 
 spair of sympathy. All this was, no doubt, 
 an immense discovery to make by a glimpse 
 in a passing carriage ; but my reader must be 
 good enough to recollect that I looked through
 
 ' RAFF HALL. 121 
 
 a pair of eyes which had not yet been dimmed 
 by two-and-twenty summers^ and which might 
 therefore possibly have seen further than his 
 
 * 
 
 own. Besides, it is necessary to take into con- 
 sideration the pecuharly favourable light of an 
 exquisite afternoon in May. I could, if I 
 pleased, go further into detail, and describe the 
 simple grace with which she inclined to the 
 bobbing heads of our courteous clod-poles, 
 the delighted interest with Avhich she turned 
 from one cottage to another of her new neigh- 
 bours, (no doubt with the anticipation of filling 
 them with peace and plenty,) as well as the 
 delicate taste displayed in the spring colours, 
 that fluttered from her airy figvire : but the 
 reader would again interrupt me, and inquire 
 what I, bred up as a clown, could know of 
 grace ? — how I, who, like the birds of the air, 
 and the beasts of the field,had never been taught 
 to consider any feelings but my own, could 
 pretend to translate an expression whisking by 
 me at the tails of four post-horses ? — and, above
 
 122 RAFF HALL. 
 
 all, how I, who have established no clahns to 
 be considered as a conjuror, beyond the repu- 
 tation of having had dealings with the Devil, 
 can presume to criticise a figure which was 
 sitting down in a carriage ? Nevertheless, all 
 that I might say would be strict truth ; and if 
 my reader doubts me, I would recommend 
 that he be banished from the realms of silk 
 and satin, as a being impenetrable to their 
 inspirations, and fit only for the drudgery of 
 common sense. 
 
 The remainder of the party consisted of two 
 younger sisters, who I took it for granted were 
 paragons of promise, and a dashing governess, 
 to Avhom I will endeavour to make amends 
 hereafter for any omissions in gallantry just at 
 present. As one of the heads of the family 
 was wanting, I concluded that she had been 
 transjjlanted to a hajDpier world, as a reward 
 for the good works which she had undeniably 
 done in this. 
 
 Of course, Mr. Block and I decided upon
 
 RAFF HALL. 123 
 
 paying our respects, as soon as our interesting 
 neighbours could be supposed settled. Three 
 days, we thought, would be an ample allow- 
 ance for them; particularly since a longer 
 delay would leave the old gentleman no time 
 to return our visit, and inx-ite us to dinner on 
 Sunday. The fourth day, therefore, was fixed 
 upon for proving the correctness of our first 
 impressions. Of its three predecessors I can 
 give little account, touching myself, excepting 
 that they had their full complement of twenty- 
 four hours each ; a fact to which I can speak 
 with confidence, having heard nearly all of 
 them strike. Touching ^Ir. Block, I can only 
 say, that they found him, morning, noon, and 
 night, running over the chronicled opinions of 
 my uncle, in order to refresh his memory, and 
 establish a character at starting. 
 
 The fourth day arrived ; and, between the 
 hours of twelve and one, we pulled on our new 
 gloves, and salhed forth with the most gen- 
 tlemanly air we could assume — my tutor
 
 124 RAFF HALL. 
 
 plumped out with a mighty dogma in one 
 cheek, and a monstrous paradox in the other, 
 his hopeful pupil shrinking with apprehen- 
 sions, lest some fatal accident should betray 
 this visit to ])e his first.
 
 RAFF HALL. 125 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 Arrived at Raff Hall, the sonorous bell 
 was answered by a brace of aristocratic foot- 
 men, worthy of the high and palmy days of 
 my uncle. Mr. Rochford was at home, and 
 ournames were pronounced like the word of 
 command to another of tlieir corps in the rear, 
 who swang open the drawing-room door, and 
 in more modulated tones introduced, " Mr. 
 Block and Mr. Maltravers." 
 
 My first glance into the room alighted upon 
 the lovely being of whom I have already given 
 a somewhat minute description. The only ad- 
 dition I will make is, that, on rising at our 
 entrance, her height proved as exactly in ac- 
 cordance with the standard of grace, as Iicr
 
 126 RAFF HALL. 
 
 form and features with that of beauty. This 
 was a stolen scrutiny, whilst Mr. Block was 
 engaged in ceremony with the father, with 
 whom I took my turn, and got through the 
 business without any particular blunder. In- 
 deed, he had a manner and physiognomy which 
 made me feel at ease with him the moment 
 he spoke. His voice was familiar, and his 
 courteous smile encouraging, whilst at the 
 same time the intelligence of his handsomely 
 marked features, and the gentlemanly character 
 of his whole appearance, assured me that I 
 was in the presence of no common sort of per- 
 sonage. After expressing his obligations for 
 the honour we did him^ he presented us to 
 his daughter, whose modest acknowledge- 
 ment of our homage showed that it was far 
 from her ambition to be formidable. Having 
 taken our seats amid stands of breathing 
 exotics, musical instruments, and tables co- 
 vered with books and bijoux of taste, we first 
 discussed the weather, then the appearance of
 
 RAFF HALL. 127 
 
 the country, and then Mr. Rochford's opinion 
 of RaiF Hall, with which he expressed great 
 satisfaction, Mr. Block used the best words 
 in his Dictionary, cut out his sentences 
 clearly and rhetorically, and now and then 
 not unintelligibly; the opportunity was em- 
 ployed by me in considering the best means 
 of breaking the ice with Miss Rochford. She 
 was kind enough to help me out of my diffi- 
 culties, by breaking it herself; and oh, when 
 it was broken, what a gentle tone stole forth ! 
 She told me, she was quite enchanted with 
 their retirement, of which the only inconve- 
 nience she had been able to find was the 
 distance to the church. It was so far to walk. 
 In this opinion I fully coincided with her, and 
 in answer to her question about short cuts, 
 lamented exceedingly, that though I knew most 
 of the short cuts about the country, I had 
 never contrived to make one to the church. 
 Things were going on remarkably well, when 
 Mr. Block's anxiety for the successful debut of 
 liis pupil, caused him to turn a large red car to
 
 128 RAFF HALL. 
 
 tlie subject of conversation. I confess I longed to 
 cut it off; and when he came to my assistance, 
 I would willingly have performed the same 
 ungrateful office for his tongue. 
 
 *' Mr. Maltravers," said he, " may perhaps 
 have rather an exaggerated idea of the distance, 
 for his visit to the church was in the funeral 
 procession of his late lamented aunt, which 
 oi course moved but slowly.'^ 
 
 Here was a death-blow ! The pure, gentle, 
 and no doubt pious Miss Rochford -was to 
 understand I had never been to church but 
 once in my life ; a conclusion which I ear- 
 nestly begged she would not come to. 
 
 *' Oh, I beg pardon." Thus again did the 
 foul fiend prompt my persecutor. " I forgot 
 the wedding of Miss Phoebe Barleycorn, and 
 the christening of Mr. Robert Buttercup. 
 But then, in the first case the cavalcade broke 
 down half way ; and, in the second, you helped 
 to carry the baby; therefore, in all these the 
 time occupied by the journey was equally 
 protracted."
 
 RAFF HALL, 129 
 
 Ye gods ! The smile on the countenance 
 of both father and daughter, mingled with a 
 certain degree of comical horror, brought the 
 blood up into my visage till my ears were as 
 red as my tutor's. I felt that my reputation 
 as a Christian M'as finished, and that the 
 warmest sentiment I could ever expect from 
 the angelic creature before me, was pity for 
 being a poor unenlightened heathen. Mean- 
 time, the unconscious and imperturbable agent 
 of my evil genius, who had never taken a step 
 in his life, excepting to get into the mire, re- 
 mained as impenetrable to stings of all kinds 
 as the hide of a buffalo, and thought of no- 
 thing but how to find a mark for one of the 
 great guns of my uncle. At last the game was. 
 roused, bang went an eight-and-forty pounder,^ 
 and I had my revenge. The opinions of my 
 uncle had generally been formed, however 
 erroneously, upon deep reading, and it was 
 upon one of these that Mr. Block essayed to 
 estabUsh his fame. Mr. Rochford was delighted 
 
 VOL. I. K
 
 130 RAFF HALL. 
 
 with the opportunity of talking over the gifted 
 spirits upon which he had formed his taste, and 
 my tutor found himself all of a sudden trans- 
 planted amongst the ancient classics. It Avas 
 company which he was not prepared to encoun- 
 ten and the familiar acquaintance for which he 
 had taken credit, caused the perspiration to 
 stand upon his forehead, and proclaim him a 
 conscious impostor. By a salutation from one 
 great stranger, he was obhged to use his hand- 
 kerchief; a word or two which were expected 
 from him by another, were stopped short by a 
 fit of coughing; and just as he was going to 
 exchange ideas with a third, he unfortunately 
 dropped his stick, and scrambled out of the 
 subject. It was a warm aifair for him, and 
 when it was over Mr. Rochford politely congra- 
 tulated himself on having a neighbour by whose 
 erudition he hoped to prolit often. 
 
 During this conversation I rallied my scatter- 
 ed senses, and was again engaging the delicate 
 smile of Miss Rochford. She was enchanted
 
 RAFF HALL, 131 
 
 with the concert of nightingales, which poured 
 its stream of melody from the shnibhery on all 
 sides. 
 
 '' How much more delightful," she observed, 
 "it is to have such voices rejoicing in the free 
 air, than lamenting a cruel captivity. I cannot 
 help fancying that the person who has the 
 heart'to imprison a pet bird, would be selfish 
 in other things." 
 
 How happy I was that she knew not my 
 early propensities. 
 
 " There is another beauty," I replied, " in 
 the various notes of the songsters, not inferior 
 perhaps to their music. I mean their asso- 
 ciation with other beautiful things, which 
 have no voice to announce them. The lark 
 and the thrush teU us tales of the early violet, 
 the snow- drop, and the pure buds, unsearched 
 by the sun and unrifled by the bee. The 
 cuckoo speaks of the blue and pearly cloud, 
 with its heavy drops of sparkling odours j of 
 
 K 2
 
 152^ RAFF HALL. 
 
 the deep green elm, the first foliage of the 
 spring, and the rich meadow tinged by the 
 rainbow and overladen with sweets. 
 
 " I like the conceit,'^ said Miss Rochford, 
 " of the birds speaking of the flowers. I shall 
 love the first notes of my favourites more than 
 ever, now that you have taught me to interpret 
 them." 
 
 Mr. Block had at this moment just returned 
 from his excursion to Athens, and, catching the 
 last speech, lost no time in taking refuge 
 with us. 
 
 " If, Miss Rochford, you wish to know the 
 best seasons for bird-catching, you cannot 
 apply to a better person than Mr. Maltravers. 
 He has fairly served his apprenticeship to the 
 trade, and can decoy any bird you please into 
 his clutches.'^ 
 
 " Indeed !" said Miss Rochford, with a look 
 of surprise and disappointment. " But not to 
 harm it I "
 
 RAFF HALL, 133 
 
 (( 
 
 Not if it happened to be a cock," returned 
 tlie devil from the mouth of Mr. Block. " He 
 was always promoted to a little cage, in a row 
 that reached the whole length of the gallery up 
 stairs, where he was nicely fitted up with a 
 drawer for his prog at one end, and a small 
 hole through which he might poke his head 
 for water at the other. Then he had a jierch 
 in the middle for a hop up and a hop down, 
 and if he did not beat himself to pieces before 
 he got used to it he was a lucky fellow." 
 
 " Oh," thought I, " that I could but conjure 
 my feathered establishment, magpies, jackdaws, 
 carrion crows and all, down that unlucky 
 throat." Miss Rochford turned her reproachful 
 eyes to see if I acknowledged the truth of such 
 a tale of horror ; and her father, not a little 
 amused with my confusion, asked, " If such 
 was the fate of the cocks, what l^ecame of 
 the hens ? " 
 
 " Made puddings for half the parish," said 
 my tutor, determined that I should lose no jot
 
 134 RAFF HALL. 
 
 of my fame, " I have seen him bring home a 
 string of goldfinches as long as my stick." 
 
 Miss Rochford uttered a feeling exclamation, 
 and I would willingly have changed places 
 with the most nefarious tom-tit that ever fell 
 into my hands. It was not till I had been 
 looked upon for some moments as a regular 
 king Herod the Second that I had presence of 
 mind to declare this slaughter of the inno- 
 cents long discontinued and repented, and 
 when the conversation dropped I was as warm 
 as my tutor had been. 
 
 We were now joined by the two younger 
 sisters and the governess, who had clearly in- 
 vented a pretext for coming in from the garden, 
 that she might see what sort of folks we were. 
 She was a tall woman, somewhere upwards 
 of thirty, with good-looking masculine features, 
 an ultra-stylish tournure, which was affected, 
 and a double-dealing glance, which was natural. 
 She certainly, in my eyes, gained nothing by 
 her juxtaposition with the simple, unassuming 
 
 i
 
 RAFF HALL. 135 
 
 Miss Rochford, tliough she endeavoured to 
 imitate her gentle manner, and made a rather 
 imnecessary display of affection for her. All 
 this may be considered rather too much to con- 
 fess of a first impression which is not favour- 
 able; but I have an opinion, formed upon some 
 experience, that nature has endowed us with 
 one instinct more than we are generally aware 
 of, and this instinct is the correct appreciation 
 of others, before they have time to do us 
 mischief. The rational, the just, and the 
 liberal, may condemn this as contrary to the 
 principles of all three ; but I must take leave to 
 say that nine times out of ten, when I have 
 been tempted from my first impression, I have 
 been obliged to go back to it. Those who 
 deny my theory may answer to themselves for 
 denying the benign joro visions of nature; 
 whether it was correct in the case of the lady 
 to whom it comes apropos remains to be 
 proved. In the course of the \'isit I collected 
 that she had not been in the family long, and
 
 136 RAFF HALL. 
 
 that if she could screw her eyes into the heart 
 of Mr. Block, she did not mean to stay in it 
 long. The great literary reputation which he 
 bore amongst the cottagers had been carefully 
 preserved amongst the weapons destined to 
 bring him to her feet, and on Mr. and Miss 
 Rochford taking me to the window to tell them 
 the names of certain points in the distance, 
 the engine was set at work. 
 
 " Perhaps, Mr. Block,'^ I heard her say in 
 the background, " you will allow us to profit 
 by so good an opportunity in begging you to 
 recommend us some new publications ? " 
 
 ^' Upon my word,'* replied my tutor, in a 
 highly gratified tone, " it is rather a hazardous 
 undertaking — the opinions on new publications 
 are so much at variance that — " 
 
 " Oh but such an opinion as yours, Mr. 
 Block, must, I am sure, decide aU questions." 
 
 " Oh, Miss Lightfoot, I am sure — ! 
 
 " Indeed, Mr. Block, it would, at all events
 
 RAFF HALL. 137 
 
 witli me, for you can hardly suppose me 
 ignorant of the estimation in which your works 
 are held. Ah, if one might presume so far, 
 Mr. Block!" 
 
 " Oh, it would give me the greatest pleasure. 
 Miss Lightfoot." 
 
 My own affairs were too interesting to 
 attend to anything further. My knowledge of 
 the country, never having been circumscribed 
 by obligations to acquire knowledge of any 
 other kind, was of course very perfect. A 
 great many questions were put to me both by 
 father and daughter, and they listened to my 
 answers with an interest which flattered me 
 that the visit was not going to be so unsuc- 
 cessful as it had promised to be. They had 
 heard something of my history, and seemed to 
 think that I had a claim to more than ordinary 
 kindness from the inhabitants of my uncle's 
 mansion, a sentiment which appeared in a 
 greater degree of readiness to cultivate my
 
 138 RAFF HALL. 
 
 acquaintance than would probably have been 
 shown towards any body else. 
 
 " My daughter is a tolerable horsewoman/^ 
 said Mr. Rochford, " and we look forward with 
 a great deal of pleasure to exploring this pic- 
 turesque scenery. If you will do us the favour 
 to act occasionally as our guide, we shall feel 
 ourselves much indebted to you." 
 
 Miss Rochford enriched the compliment 
 with a sweet smile of acquiescence, and my cup 
 of contentment was so brim full, that lest Mr. 
 Block should give it another jog, I had pre- 
 sence of mind to finish my acknowledgements 
 by mistaking the crossing of that gentleman's 
 legs (which was always an arrangement for 
 another half hour) for a signal to move. Mr. 
 Rochford shook me kindly by the hand, and I 
 almost dared to fancy that, after another visit 
 or two, his daughter Avould do so likewise. 
 Mr. Block apologized to his fascinating be- 
 sieger, with pompous humility, for the slovenly
 
 RAFF HALL. 139 
 
 state in which she would find his works, which 
 consisted chiefly of sonnets cut out of news- 
 papers and pasted in a hlank book, miscellanies 
 torn out of magazines and stitched together by 
 his own handicraft, and about a hundred weight 
 of MS., M'hich he forgot to say were, for the 
 most part, articles which the liad taste of 
 editors had rejected, but he hoped she woiild 
 be good enough to recollect that he had the 
 misfortune to be a bachelor. Tlie rest of his 
 adieux Ijeing dispatched Avith an eqiially good 
 grace, we made our final bows and were shown 
 out in state, as we had entered. 
 
 " Well," said my tutor, as soon as we were 
 out of hearing, " how did it go off? " 
 
 " Very well," I replied, " at last." For to 
 have reproached him with his blunders would 
 only have been setting him to work_, on the 
 next occasion, to correct them. 
 
 " Miss Rochford is a very nice girl." 
 
 I acquiesced with a tone of indifference, lest
 
 140 RAFF HALL. 
 
 he should endeavour to do me good. " But 
 what do you think of the governess ? " The 
 question was so interesting to the propounder 
 that he was obliging enough to answer it 
 himself.
 
 RAFP HALL. 141 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 The sober, soulless biped that deforms an 
 unmeaning visage by a sneer at first-love, either 
 misapplies that term to a precose boarding 
 school sentiment for the dancing-master or the 
 dairy-maid, or else has never been sufficiently 
 human to love any one but self. It is true, 
 and more is the pity, that the warm blood of 
 youth rushes on unmindful of the flint}' barrier 
 of worldly opposition, against which it is too 
 often condemned to fret its spirit away, and 
 subside into stagnation. But this is no reason 
 why the first sympathies of the heart, too blest 
 in the present to spare a thought for the future, 
 should not form the sweetest epoch in life, and
 
 142 RAFF HALL. 
 
 their interruption inflict the keenest pang. 
 Therefore, I trust my reader will be patient 
 under the details of the first love, not only of 
 myself, but of my respected fellow in affliction, 
 the some time invulnerable Mr. Block. 
 
 The recollection of those days would, I verily 
 believe, quicken my pulse, though the current 
 that works the wlieels of life were dwindled to 
 the last frozen drop. A miracle was wrought 
 on all my senses. Things which had before 
 been indiflerent to my eyes were gifted with a 
 sudden and entrancing beauty, sounds to which 
 I had been deaf, surprised a thrilling echo in 
 my heart. All that had lain dormant in me 
 was aAvakened into exquisite life ; all that had 
 been crude was harmonised ; all that had been 
 low was exalted. Possibly there are persons 
 who would condense this description l)y the 
 established understanding in such cases, that I 
 became sentimental, and worshipped the moon 
 and the nightingale. But I write for more in- 
 telligent soulsj who will know how to appre-
 
 RAFF HALL. 143 
 
 ciate the effect of a love for one above us, and 
 have remarked how a bright sun may bleach 
 the vilest rag. 
 
 If, on the one hand, my capacity for happi- 
 ness was immeasurably extended, as much, on 
 the other hand, was I laid bare to the stings 
 of mortification and self-reproach. What qua- 
 hfication could such a blockhead as I possess, 
 which might authorize him to cherish a single 
 hope ? If I was Miss Rochford's equal in birth, 
 it only made my inferiority in acquirement the 
 more glaring and the less pardonable. Had I 
 been born in the poor-house she might have 
 imagined in me a possible ambition to rise ; as 
 it was, she could perceive nothing but a 
 strangely unattractive propensity for sinking. 
 To cause a change in such an opinion seemed 
 almost hopeless. My education was to begin 
 at the beginning ; and under what auspices was 
 it to be directed? "Alas \" thought I, " why did I 
 not, as soon as the power was aftbrded me, place 
 what capaliilities I possessed in hands that could
 
 144 RAFF HALL. 
 
 have rightly guided them ?" Still the chance of 
 success was not to be lost supinely, and my 
 reflection served in no \\ise to deaden the ener- 
 gies 'vvith which I was prepared to combat my 
 disadvantages. Of one thing I was determined, 
 and that was not to suffer my deficiencies to be 
 discovered, but to confess them manfully, and 
 obtain, at all events, the credit of being ashamed 
 of them. No doubt the kind heart of Miss 
 Rochford M'ould pity my mortification, and, if 
 there was truth in proverbs, pity was next akin 
 to what I wanted. To be sure, it was just 
 possible that the proverb in question might not 
 have included the "pity" which a man receives 
 for being a blockhead ; but I had no alternative 
 but to trv. 
 
 It may possibly be imagined that to be thus 
 abashed before a young and unpretending girl 
 who showed no disposition to repel my ac- 
 quaintance, I must have been but little gifted 
 with the spirit natural to my age; that my 
 " home-stapng youth " was characterized 
 
 I
 
 RAFF HALL. X45 
 
 strongly by the usual concomitant of a " homely 
 wit j" and that a heart worth having would have 
 been thrown away upon me. To defend my- 
 self from such imputations I must add to the 
 description which I have given of Miss Roch- 
 ford's person and manners, a word or two as to 
 what I conceived, and what a further intimacy 
 developed, of her mental qualities. As these 
 were cultivated chiefly by the society of a 
 father, to whom she was the first object in 
 life, a sketch of Mr. Rochford, witli due allow- 
 ance for the feelings peculiar to a gentler sex 
 and a different period of life, may suffice for 
 both. 
 
 In the circumstances of birth, fortune, and 
 talent, the present possessor of Raff Hall was, 
 perhaps, as nearly as possible upon an equality 
 with the late one. They were, likewise, in the 
 same degree, high-minded and warm-hearted. 
 The opposite accounts to which these advan- 
 tages had been turned, with the intervention 
 of no fortuitous circumstances whatever, forme(j( 
 
 VOL. I. L
 
 146 RAFF HALL. 
 
 a striking proof that the most mirmte differ- 
 ences in character may, hke that api^arently 
 insignificant portion of the vessel which de- 
 termines its course, either guide us through a 
 prosperous voyage, or dash us on the break- 
 ers. From whence may be deduced a rather 
 strong presumption that our happiness is com- 
 mitted to our own hands somewhat often er 
 than those who have suffered it to escape them 
 are disposed to allow; and that the greater 
 part of the charges which are brought against 
 the persecutions of Fate, might, with more pro- 
 priety, be levelled against the perversity of 
 man. In the case of my uncle, the cup of life 
 had been poisoned by the vanity of being dif- 
 ferent from others ; in that of Mr. Rochford 
 it had been sweetened by the wish to har- 
 monise with them. Thus the one stood pro- 
 minent from society by4he simple superiority 
 of intellect ; the other by the affectation of ab- 
 surdity. One formed his opinions by compa- 
 rison with others, and feehng his liability to
 
 RAFF HALIi. 147 
 
 be wrong, was generally in the right ; the other, 
 acknowledging no standard by which he might 
 measure himself, was in all his views of Hfe 
 invariably wrong. 
 
 By joining, as far as his judgment would 
 permit, in the general stream of mankind, Mr. 
 Rochford's course had been a constant accu- 
 mulation of friends ; and, being more bent upon 
 doing good than upon personal distinction, he 
 had at the same time achieved both the one 
 and the other. The parallel with my poor 
 uncle need, not be drawn. The principle of 
 never suffering his judgment to be obscured 
 by an over respect for self, which regulated 
 Mr. Rochford's relations with society, formed 
 likewise the government of matters more 
 domestic. In his marriage he had consi- 
 dered not merely whether the partner of his 
 choice was quahfied to insure his happiness ; 
 but likewise, with a humiUty unhappily too 
 rare, whether he could guarantee the security of 
 
 l2
 
 148 RAFF HALL. 
 
 her^s. Far from cherishing the vain idea that the 
 attentions of any husband, however beloved, 
 could be sufficient of themselves to attain 
 such an object, the resources and accompUsh- 
 ments which are too often thrown aside with 
 the maiden name, were encouraged by him 
 with earnest assiduity. Always feeling the ne- 
 cessity of acquiring knowledge more strongly 
 than the vanity of displaying it, he made his 
 wife the companion of his study and not his 
 dependant for opinions. The efforts to main- 
 tain such a companionship expanded her mind 
 to a full perception of her peculiarly happy 
 fortune, and their union continued to the last 
 to grow more firm by their mutual pride 
 in it. 
 
 Such were the auspices under which had 
 been formed the mind of Miss Rochford, and 
 if we contrast them with those which had pre- 
 sided over the progress of mine, it will not 
 seem very wonderful that a youthful passion
 
 RAFF HALL. 149 
 
 should have ahiiost transformed her into a 
 being of a different creation. What rendered 
 my case still more hopeless was, that the death 
 of her mother had left her sole companion to 
 her father; and, by causing her to redouble 
 her efforts to supply his loss, would probably 
 throw me every day further in the background. 
 Already I had perceived that he paid more 
 respect to her opinions than ever I had done 
 to those of Mr. Block, and that he rather con- 
 sulted than directed her. If such were the 
 estimation in which she was held by such a 
 person, my chance of creating an interest could 
 scarcely be very flattering. Her heart however 
 was young, and her eyes betrayed that it was 
 warm. Come what might, I risked nothing, 
 for I was wretched already. 
 
 Mr. Rochford and his reputation were well 
 kno\^Ti in the world, and the domestic loss 
 which had caused him to retire from its 
 affairs, clothed his character in so much ad- 
 ditional interest, that he was no sooner settled
 
 150 RAFF HALL. 
 
 at RafF Hall than his acquaintance was courted 
 far and near. All those whom the habits and 
 opinions and ill chosen companions of my 
 uncle had kept aloof, were now without excep- 
 tion, from the curate of the parish to the Lord 
 Lieutenant of the county, to be seen investing 
 the old mansion with a comparative* siege. 
 There were so many visits to return, and so 
 many invitations to accept, that for the first 
 month our ncAV neighbour and his too inter- 
 esting daughter were seldom to be seen, and 
 I began to fear that the delightful picture 
 which I had imagined of our intimate acquaint- 
 ance would prove a failure. Besides, the 
 country abounded with the elder sons of rich 
 squires, and the beauty and wealth of Eugenia 
 must beyond a doubt raise me a redoubted 
 rival wherever she went. 
 
 All this while Mr. Block took an unusual 
 quantity of snufF, walked up and down his 
 study with his hands clasped under his skirts, 
 and was buried in deep meditation. He had
 
 RAFF HALL. 151 
 
 sent his works to his interesting friend at the 
 Hall, and had received a note of thanks on 
 scented paper, sealed with a ^ forget-rae-not;' 
 and this note seemed to cost him as much time 
 in reading as a folio volume, for I never entered 
 the room, but I heard it crumpled into his 
 pocket. A.t first I thought he was suffering under 
 the anxieties of an author, to know the judg- 
 ment pronounced upon his sonnets ; but if 
 this were all, I could not account for his steal- 
 ing out of the house without asking me as 
 usual, to bear him company, and always taking 
 the direction of the bye paths of Raff Hall. He 
 had become as mysterious as I had been myself 
 after the scene with the ghost of my uncle. 
 The mystery was not, however, so well kept 
 up ; for, after returning from one of these so- 
 litary expeditions, he gave vent to his meaning, 
 by exclaiming, " How odd it was that the 
 young Rochfords seemed never to v/alk out." 
 
 Happily the bustle of settHng in a new and 
 large society at length subsided, and our
 
 152 RAFF HALL. 
 
 prospects were brightened by a request to 
 honour Mr. and Miss Rochford with our com- 
 pany at dinner. It M'as a large party, all from 
 our own county, and, what was most embar- 
 rassing, they were all unknown to me. I felt 
 that, having resided since my childhood in 
 the very midst of them, it must appear to my 
 new friends that I had done something for 
 which I had been sent to Coventry. Still I 
 was too proud to show this inward confusion, 
 and the consciousness that I was by birth the 
 equal of any one in the room, gave me an 
 exterior of equal self-possession. Both Mr. 
 and Miss Rochford, however, who in the 
 course of their visitings had heard my peculiar 
 situation much canvassed, appeared fully to 
 understand what my sensations must naturally 
 be. Tlie father received me with very marked 
 friendliness, and the daughter distinguished 
 me from two or three persons of my age, to 
 whom she merely curtsied, by a smile of 
 almost old acquaintance, and a momentary
 
 RAFF HALL. 153 
 
 hesitation, which ended in the extension of 
 her hand. Tlie rest of the company being 
 all acquainted, were too l)nsily occupied with 
 each other to interrupt our little conA-ersation 
 previous to the announcement of dinner, and 
 the tone which it took corresponded with my 
 reception. I was congratulated, with a half- 
 concealed smile, on having at last found the 
 short cut to church, where I had ].>een seen the 
 last three Sundays. This was raillery ; and I 
 returned it with the remark, that my discovery 
 was not the only miracle which the revolution 
 in Raff Hall was likely to occasion — that Mr. 
 Block likewise seemed very much disposed to 
 make a short cut to the church. On look- 
 ing up she perceived him calming his appe- 
 tite for dinner by devouring better things 
 from the mouth of the charmed and charm- 
 ing Miss Lightfoot ; and as we withdrew 
 our eyes from this interesting scene, they 
 happened to meet, with a laughing glance, 
 which carried raillery into confidence.
 
 154 RAFF HALL. 
 
 It was not my fortune to hand Eugenia to 
 table, for there were older folks who had prior 
 claims, but as they were not calculated to 
 make me jealous, I used my best endeavours 
 to aj)pear as little unused to society as the rest. 
 I was placed between the maternal heads of 
 two considerable famihes; and before the cloth 
 was removed, obtained an invitation to meet 
 Mr. and Miss Rochford — both right and left. 
 The novelty of seeing one of my name, which 
 had for so many years stood apart from those 
 of the neighbourhood, disposed most of the 
 company to show such little marks of attention 
 as the etiquette of the table chanced to afford, 
 and I soon found that the society which my 
 uncle had defied, was very different from what 
 his prejudice had described it to be. The 
 mental stagnation which he had deplored, ap- 
 peared for the most part to be merely an 
 unaptness at running away with the ideas 
 which at last proved fatal to hiinself, and in. 
 comparison with the kindly accommodation of
 
 RAFF HALL. 155 
 
 tastes and opinions which I heard so courteously- 
 circulating around me, the former guests of the 
 same table seemed to have been nothinsr but a 
 congress of hostile cannibals. The world to 
 which I was now introduced, met together to 
 shew none but their best quahties, and to put 
 every one in the best humour with his own, 
 seemed to me to he a state of existence hardly 
 susceptible of amendment, and it was difficult 
 to conceive how any one who had the power 
 of incorporating himself with the grain of so 
 goodly a tree, should choose to be an excres- 
 cence from it. How far this opinion might 
 have been established by the prospect which 
 its indulgence held out to me of being more 
 frequently blest with the smile of Eugenia, I 
 will not pretend to say; but whether it was 
 founded on serious conviction, or conjured 
 up by witchcraft, it answered my purpose. I 
 contrived to make myself a man in reqniest, 
 and the invitations of the tAVO old ladies 
 proved the nest-eggs of a great many more.
 
 156 RAFF HALL. 
 
 The popularity of Mr. Block was not quite 
 so decided. His entre had been remarkable for 
 a dignified disregard of the society which had 
 for so many years left him to the uninterrupted 
 enjoyment of his learned retirement. Their 
 apathy to the treasure they possessed had fully 
 established the estimation in which they had 
 been held by my uncle, and he looked M'ith as- 
 tonishment, as he afterwards told me, on the 
 superhuman forbearance of Mr. Rochford, 
 which could bring his genius low enough to 
 skim the ground with them, like an owl in 
 search of mice. His only consolation M'as 
 afforded by the delighted ear and intellec- 
 tual apprehension of Miss Lightfoot, whom he 
 had handed to dinner, and favoured with his 
 undi^'ided attention. From the uninterrupted 
 sail of my uncle's leviathans, it was clear 
 that she had fathomed her admirer's depth, 
 and was discreet enough to steer clear of the 
 shoals. She heard him with the rapturous 
 reverence due to an oracle; and, if he was
 
 RAFF HALL. 157 
 
 not quite so concise as his predecessor of 
 Delphos, her frequent bewilderment was a 
 proof of his being equally unintelligible. I 
 confess, the particularity of his attentions, so 
 little complimentary to the rest of the party^ 
 gave me a considerable desire to lay his 
 laurels soundly about his back ; but, upon 
 reflection, I saw that all things happened for 
 the best. Had he made himself more gene- 
 rally amiable he would have received the 
 same invitations as I had done, and shown 
 off the accomplisliments which I had at- 
 tained under his superintendence from one end 
 of the county to the other. As it was, I might 
 congratulate myself on having to canter over 
 the course with no one's weiglit Ijut my 
 own. 
 
 But Mr, Block had his amends. If he 
 was behind me in general popularity, he 
 quite outstripped me in the rapid success of 
 his courtship. The delicate hesitations which 
 may be supposed to have embarrassed the
 
 158 RAFF HALL. 
 
 sensitive heart of Miss Lightfoot had, by the 
 heavy cannonade of my uncle's great guns, 
 been completely blown away ; and she showed 
 no vain desire that the breach should look 
 like a forlorn hope. In fact, a few words 
 which passed between us after dinner seemed 
 like a surrender volunteered.
 
 RAFF HALL. 159 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 The ladies, on retiring from the dining- 
 room^ had been induced by the beauty of 
 the evening to stroll amongst the pleasure- 
 grounds, and thither the gentlemen strolled 
 after them. In making my way through the 
 fantastic turnings of the shrubbery, on far 
 different quest, I stole upon the musings of 
 the fair governess, who had separated from 
 the other groups, and appeared to be looking 
 out for better company. 
 
 " How ! Mr. Maltravers," she exclaimed, 
 " have the gentlemen left the table already ?'' 
 
 I was sensible of my injustice ; for I really 
 thought she had seen us on the lawn, and
 
 160 BAFF HALL. 
 
 had hidden herself, in the hope of being 
 found. 
 
 " However," she continued, " they could 
 not all understand, as you do, the conversa- 
 tion of Mr. Block." 
 
 I confessed that, brilliant as it was, I pre- 
 ferred that of tlie ladies. 
 
 " Oil, it was so charming ! so philosophical ! 
 so completely in the tone of one who is 
 confirmed in the superiority of his ideas ! I 
 would have given anything to be able to follow 
 him in his more exalted flights ; but it is not 
 every mind that can keep him company." 
 
 I acknowledged that the complaint was very 
 general. 
 
 " Well, Mr. Maltravers, you really are most 
 fortunate to have been educated by such a per- 
 son, for I have no doubt you feel the effects 
 of it." 
 
 Again I acquiesced most sincerely. 
 
 *' Your mind must be rarely stored ! " 
 
 Rarely I thought I ) but I kept the exclama-
 
 RAFF HALL,. 161 
 
 tion to myself; those of my fair assailant con- 
 timiing more and more emphatic. I soon found 
 that I had not only to listen to them, but was 
 likewise exj)ected to repeat them — a good office, 
 for wliich she was not backward in holding out 
 an equivalent. 
 
 " And so,^' she commenced, " you prefer the 
 conversation of the ladies even to that of Mr. 
 Block ? You mean, I presume, of one ladv in 
 particular?" This was said with a twist of the 
 eyeball, which was meant to dive under all 
 subterfuges, and proved that the usual direc- 
 tion of my own had not been misunderstood. 
 
 "Ah, there is no disguising it ! " she conti- 
 nued. " It shows your taste. Is she not 
 lovely ? '^ 
 
 " If she were any one else," I replied, " I 
 would say so ; but Miss Rochford has so many 
 (jualities beyond beauty, that it seems a sacri- 
 lege to mention it." 
 
 " I declare now, that is so prettily said that 
 I sliall certainly tell her; nay, I am determined. 
 
 VOL. I. M
 
 162 RAFF HALL. 
 
 There is notliing so delightful as repeating good 
 opinions to those you love. I am sure Mr. 
 Block must have taught you so. He is a 
 charming man !" 
 
 What my answer was I hardly recollect, for 
 at this moment we dropped upon the more in- 
 teresting object of my search. She was accom- 
 panied by another young lady, and Miss Light- 
 foot lost no time in proving her observance of 
 the confederation she had hinted^, by a pre- 
 text for removing supernumeraries. The for- 
 tune which I had most desired was accom- 
 plished. Eugenia was by my side, and none 
 were near to listen. 
 
 " Well," it may be asked by some young 
 heart which believes that I have at last reached 
 a situation of interest, " and what did you say?" 
 Alas ! whatever credit I may lose by the con- 
 fession, I am obliged to acknowledge that I 
 reminded myself strongly of a vessel beating 
 out of harbour, and that my efforts to find the 
 channel were perhaps not very unlike the
 
 RAFF HAJLti. 163 
 
 heaving of the lead. Still, to use the same 
 language, I " made way." After a few dis- 
 jointed observations, which I do not remember, 
 because I hardly knew what they were about, 
 I remarked that I was under obligations to 
 Miss Rochford and her father for introducing 
 me for the first time to the society to which I 
 was born. 
 
 " If it Avas the first time, Mr. Maltravers, no 
 one could be aware of it but yourself. The tAVO 
 goodly ladies between whom you sat, are said, 
 in all questions of the ton., to consider them- 
 selves infallible ; and I 1)elieve you are distin- 
 guished by an invitation from each of them?** 
 
 " That civility. Miss Rochford, I must con- 
 sider merely as a compliment to the house in 
 which they found me." 
 
 " And yet it was not extended to Mr. Block, 
 who had the same claim to it. But if you have 
 been so little used to society, might one ven- 
 ture to ask from whence you derive your faci- 
 lity of playing a part in it ? I heard you talking 
 
 M 2
 
 164 RAFF HALL. 
 
 upon many subjects which are not often the 
 employment of a mind unpractised amongst 
 those who appreciate them. You were speak- 
 ing with tlie enthusiastic Miss A upon the 
 
 poetry of nature, and furnished the threadbare 
 theme with so much new matter, that it seemed 
 no longer old. Then you were engaged with 
 
 the sedate Mr. B in discussing the solemn 
 
 mysteries of the game laws, the poor laws, 
 and the operation of the tread-mill, and gave 
 him hints which will make him the marvel of 
 the Quarter Sessions." 
 
 " All this, I fear, is too easily accounted for. 
 Left from my childhood to the guidance of my 
 own inclinations, I naturally sought my com- 
 panions amongst those who were the least scru- 
 pulous in contributing to my pastimes. The 
 professors who initiated me in the mysteries 
 you mention, were certainly the most capable 
 of enlightening me with views which are new 
 to other people. If, when matured years have 
 shamed me into sohtude, I have learnt to see
 
 RAFF HALL. IQ 
 
 if 
 
 more in nature than some who have been more 
 happily situated, there is little to be wondered 
 at. I was trained to study no other volume, 
 and had no resource but to take my degree 
 at the same colleoe with the kites and the 
 
 crows." 
 
 The tone of ludicrous indignation in which I 
 accounted for my accomplishments, caused a 
 smile on tlie sweet lips which had praised them, 
 but the soft eye was beaming Avith consolation. 
 
 " I know not,"' replied Miss Rochford, " that 
 you have any right to be discontented with your 
 fortune. You seem to have gained much know- 
 ledge of which others of your age are ignoraiit^ 
 and, if it really is the case, that in other re- 
 spects they have had some advantage, it merely 
 brings you to the very immaterial fact that you 
 have begun education at different ends. My 
 fatlier thinks, that, to learn the character and 
 the wants of the classes for whose comfort Tve 
 are called upon by our station to provide, is 
 one of our first duties, and the study of turning
 
 16G RAFF HALL. 
 
 that knowledge to the best account, the highest 
 exercise of wisdom. With such an opinion, I 
 should imagine that it will be much easier for 
 you to acquire the things which you envy, than 
 to be overtaken in those which you under- 
 value.'^ 
 
 This was spoken M'ith animation, for her 
 quick glance had seen the mortification within 
 me, and her feelings were too delicate to expe- 
 rience no touch of sympathy. The undefined 
 sensation of restraint with which I had com- 
 menced the conversation no longer embarrassed 
 me, and it was carried on with no less ease 
 than interest. 
 
 " Alas ! Miss Rochford, if it had been my 
 fortune to know you in time to profit by your 
 counsel, I doubt whether you would have seen 
 so much wisdom in the studies for which you 
 would now console me, or whether yoii would 
 have thought it quite so feasible a plan to begin 
 a structure at the top, and afterwards to lay the 
 foundation V
 
 RAFF HALL. 167 
 
 *' My opinion would have depended entirely 
 upon the skill of the architect. My father has 
 taught me to be rather sceptical as to impossi- 
 bilities. Dropping your metaphor^ I should say 
 that when systems of education are so various 
 and so much disputed^ and nothing seems de- 
 cided but the necessity of exploding the old 
 one, that which you have followed may be 
 entitled to as much credit as any other.*' 
 
 " Do you dignify my wayward idleness with 
 the name of a system?" 
 
 '' Why not ? You have pursued the same 
 course before you begin your book studies, 
 which most others, with less profit, pursue 
 after they are finished. You will thus, at all 
 events, have the benefit of imbibing quickly, 
 from a conviction of its necessity, that which 
 is usually sluggish and nauseating from the 
 want of such a stimulant." 
 
 " Your reasoning is so full of encom'agement 
 that I have no heart to contradict it. But, 
 admitting it to be conclusive, I know not
 
 168 RAFF HALL. 
 
 wliere to look for tlie counsel whicli can direct 
 me in retrieving the time lost. It is hard to 
 confess deficiencies where you have no pride 
 in acknowledging a superior.'' 
 
 Eugenia saw the compliment implied, and 
 coloured up with a slight appearance of con- 
 fusion. She saw however at the same time 
 that it was a genuine sentiment of the hearty, 
 which had escaped me without intention, and 
 I did not perceive that our discourse proceeded 
 the less confidentially. 
 
 " And why," she rephed, " not take counsel 
 from your own experience r It rests entirely 
 with yourself to become a welcome portion of 
 a large, and, in many instances, an intellectual 
 society. Under the same circumstances, I 
 haA-e heard my father say it was his custom to 
 observe tlie species of knowledge which the 
 course of events rendered from time to time 
 the most necessary. As often as there arose a 
 subject on which he was imperfectly informed, 
 he immediately set about making himself
 
 B.AFF HALL. 169 
 
 master of it. His reading was by these means 
 constantly varied, and always full of interest 
 and enjoyment. He moreover found that, 
 besides gaining the object in view, a fund of 
 unlooked for treasure was generally picked up 
 upon the road. But why," she continued 
 less seriously, " do you cheat me into conversa- 
 tion which is only fit for much wiser folks ? 
 Is it to amuse yourself by seeing how far the 
 vanity of woman-kind may be tempted ? I 
 heard you talking to Mr. C. about his recent 
 travels, and it was clear that you understood 
 at least half the languages of Europe. Surely 
 one Avho has never left home could not have 
 acquired them without reading ? " 
 
 " I have been peculiarly situated. The ac- 
 quirements to which you allude are as super- 
 ficial as it is possil)le for them to be, and have 
 never been turned to any account. This 
 house, when it was inhabited by my uncle^ 
 •was unhappily the rendezvous of rogues and
 
 170 RAFF HALL. 
 
 revolutionists from every part of the continent. 
 They were honoured hke patriots and feasted 
 like princes. Having no studies to occupy 
 my time^ I was made much of by this tribe, 
 whose business it was to see great virtues in 
 all that appertained to the patron upon whom 
 they lived. I had a motive even more power- 
 ful for attracting me to those personages than 
 that M'hich united me to the professors to Avhom 
 I owe my knowledge of the game laws and the 
 tread-mill. This was the gratification of child- 
 ish wonder. The tale of crime of the most 
 plebeian kind has deep interest at such an age. 
 The description of a felon swinging on a gibbet 
 is ecstasy. What then do you suppose I felt 
 at standing in the presence of a French regicide 
 or a Spanish rebel, condemned, whenever the 
 laws could catch him, to be broken on the 
 wheel ! He was a giant beyond all measure- 
 ment, and, as he was also a great braggadocio, 
 my ears were kept as wide open as my eyes
 
 RAFF HALL. l7l 
 
 and mouth. Being seldom master of more 
 than half a dozen words in English, he patched 
 up the conversation of the rambles in search 
 of our manners and customs, in which I was 
 always his willing conductor, with supphes 
 from his own language, whatever it might 
 chance to be. My cousin, who hated foreign- 
 ers because they lived on frogs and rode like 
 monkeys, left me the entire benefit of these 
 opportunities, and at the end of a few years 
 my head was stuffed with rags and tatters from 
 tongues enough for a moderate- sized Babel. 
 I have, however, never read a dozen pages of 
 any language l)ut my own, and not many 
 dozen of that.'^ 
 
 My sweet listener laughed with a glee suited 
 to her age, and in beautiful contrast with the 
 mature style of her j^revious conversation, at 
 this account of my schooling. 
 
 " You remind me,^' she said, " of a miser 
 who has his coff'ers full of gold, but has not 
 learnt the way to spend it. As I am not so
 
 172 RAFF HALL.. 
 
 rich, I am not sure but I may call upon you 
 for a loan." 
 
 The colour flitted over her transparent 
 countenance, seeming to indicate that she felt 
 herself guilty of a slight imprudence ; and she 
 turned the conversation by enquiring if my 
 uncle still persevered in his taste for such 
 company. I was obliged to answer that no 
 one had heard of him since his departure from 
 England. We walked a few steps in silence, 
 for, hoAvever I could sometimes amuse myself 
 with recollections touching my uncle, the un- 
 certainty as to the fate of one to whom so 
 much was owing, must have been a subject of 
 pain to any thing short of a monster. 
 
 '' I have asked an unfortunate question," 
 said Miss Rochford, her voice and expression 
 changing from gaiety to a tone corresponding 
 witli the soft shades of evening which were 
 gathering about us. 
 
 " By no means," I replied ; " you can ask no 
 question in which I am concerned which will
 
 RAFF HALL. 173 
 
 not give me pleasure. Tliere is no one else 
 who will condescend to take so much interest 
 in me." 
 
 " Impossible, Mr. Maltravers ! There is 
 your cousin.'"' 
 
 " I have heard from him once in the last 
 two years.^' 
 
 " But you have many other relations ? " 
 
 " Sir Hector was not on the best terms 
 with them. The old are dead ; the young never 
 saw me, and have given me reason to suppose 
 that they never wish to do so." 
 
 *' I am sorry for them/' she answered with 
 the sympathy and indignation of a gentle and 
 generous heart. " You do not tell me that 
 your only friend is Mr. Block ? " 
 
 "" Hard and sad as the case may appear, I 
 have no other." 
 
 *' Yes," she replied quickly, " you have — 
 that is to say, if you will accept a friend in my 
 father."
 
 174 RAFF HALL. 
 
 Her M'ords made the blood thrill at my 
 heart. " And his daughter ! May I not hope 
 for one in her ?" 
 
 *' I am not likely to be a great enemy to a 
 friend of my father." 
 
 However conscious I might have been in 
 more collected moments of the immeasurable 
 distance between us^ of the shortness of our 
 acquaintance, and the certain mortification 
 which must be the reward of any premature 
 presumption upon feelings which would per- 
 haps have been equally kind towards any one 
 in my situation, I know not to what length 
 my tongue might not have been tempted had 
 it not been seasonably arrested. 
 
 " Miss Rochford" — I began, she raised her 
 eyes from the ground vnth a gentleness of ex- 
 pression which I have ncA'er seen in any eyes 
 but her's. I paused a moment for nerve to 
 make the wildest declaration that would ever 
 have been heard out of Bedlam, when the
 
 RAFF HALL. 175 
 
 silence was broken by a low but rapturous ex- 
 clamation of the word " Exquisite ! " We 
 both started^ and stopped to listen, under the 
 idea that it was addressed to us ; but we were 
 mistaken. 
 
 " No ! " said the voice of my tutor, from a 
 summer house hard by. " Do you really 
 think so ? " 
 
 " I never heard any thing so exquisite in 
 my life ! '' replied Miss Lightfoot. 
 
 " Dear me, I am afraid you flatter ! " re- 
 joined Mr. Block, " But I am in hopes you 
 will think the concluding stanzas better. I 
 wrote them just after making a recent ac- 
 quaintance, when my heart was in a ^ fine 
 frenzy' and my eye still • rolling' with it." 
 
 Then followed a string of lack-a-daisical 
 doggrel, repeated with intonations that would 
 have mollified the heart of an oak. The 
 beautiful frame of my companion shook with 
 a fit of laughter which threatened to burst
 
 176 RAFF HALL. 
 
 from her lips and give his words an accom- 
 paniment from tlie spheres. Luckily the 
 driving up of a carriage made sufficient noise 
 to enable us to retreat unheard, and, without 
 further opportunity for premature adventure, 
 we mingled again with the party.
 
 RAFF HALL. 177 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 That night, when I laid my head upon a 
 pilloAv where I rather tried to compose myself 
 to reflection than to sleep, I felt for the first 
 time that my career in life was commenced — 
 that the existence which I had hitherto left to 
 the guidance of chance, called henceforth for 
 the exercise of all my care and all my faculties. 
 A possihility was opened to me of greater 
 happiness than I had ever contemplated, and 
 likcAvise of greater desolation than I had ever 
 experienced ; and I treml)led to think that 
 fortune had nearly had cause to discard me 
 from her train at the first step. I reviewed 
 the whole of Eugenia's manner towards me, 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 1/8 RAFF HALL. 
 
 and every word she had uttered, and on 
 nothing could I build a chance that the rash 
 sentence which was cut short by accident, 
 would not have banished me for ever from 
 Raff Hall as a presumptuous clown. For once, 
 my tutor's verses had indeed been well timed, 
 and I had reason to think them, with Miss 
 Lightfoot, the most exquisite I had ever heard. 
 My narrow escape determined me to resist all 
 temptations of opportunity, and to consider 
 no demonstrations of favour as encouragement 
 until I had, at all events, a right to be dis- 
 missed to disappointment without ridicule or 
 contempt. The main qualities which were 
 likely to influence a breast like that of 
 Miss Rochford — were mind and principle ; if 
 my labours to perfect these should fail to 
 attain the bright object in view, I should not 
 be the worse for having them for my consola- 
 tion. My rumination gradually waned away 
 amongst the plans which she herself had hinted 
 to me, and which had probably been the same 
 which had answered so marvellously in her
 
 RAFF HALL. l79 
 
 own case. When at last I closed my eyes, it 
 was with a conviction which has never left 
 me, that the good or evil destiny of human 
 life depends more upon the early direction of 
 its affections than upon any other species of 
 government, be it good, bad, or indifferent. 
 
 The next morning, as I sat at breakfast with 
 Mr. Block, each keeping his own secret for 
 fear of the other's pleasantry or interference, 
 I was surprised by a note from Mr. Rochford 
 which I read aloud. 
 
 « My dear Sir, 
 
 '^ Pray allow me to take advantage of the 
 fine morning, and remind you of an old engage- 
 ment to accompany my daughter and self on a 
 ride of discover)-. If it does not interfere 
 with more important matters, we shall have 
 the pleasure of expecting you about eleven 
 o'clock." 
 
 [" Um ! " said my tutor, " he knows I never 
 ride any nag but my Pegasus. Mr. Rochford 
 
 N 2
 
 180 RAFF HALL. 
 
 is a man of true polish, and studies never to 
 put people ont of their way." 
 
 " He is indeed very considerate," I replied, 
 and continued reading — ] 
 
 *' In case you should be prevented from 
 joining us, I must beg you to recollect that 
 tliere is a place in our carriage perfectly at 
 your service for the party to-morrow night." 
 
 t( 
 
 You surely have not accepted all the in- 
 vitations which I heard buzzing about yester- 
 day? Why, I should have no more hopes of 
 coming imdeteriorated out of such society 
 than a shilling in a bag of halfpence ! " 
 
 " Yes, Mr. Block ; but you k)iow I have 
 not so much to lose." 
 
 '' They know better than to ask me ! " he 
 continiTcd with a smile of exultation. " I have 
 no idea of being handed about like a tame lion 
 to give eclat to the raree-shows of old women 
 who expect one to roar for one's entertainment 
 and that of the company. No;, no, I am not 
 come to that yet ! "
 
 RAFF HALL. 181 
 
 " No, indeed ; I sliould be very sorry if 
 you were. But the case is very different be- 
 tween you and me ; and as I had not the 
 same reason to be offended, I accepted all 
 the invitations I could get." 
 
 Mr. Block shook his head with concern. 
 " You know/' said he, " my principle of edu- 
 cation is to let every body do just as he 
 pleases, therefore I will not endeavour to per- 
 suade you one way or the other. All I shall 
 say is, that I do not think you are taking the 
 right way to turn out such a man as your 
 uncle Sir Hector.'' 
 
 " I am not so am1)itious as to hope a re- 
 semblance, excepting to his warm lieart and 
 honourable principles. The likeness of his 
 genius is gone out of our family, Mr. Block, 
 and is acknowledged on all hands to have set- 
 tled in you. The same sentiments are common 
 to both, and towards both does society pre- 
 serve the same awful distance. It is the lion 
 only that dares approach the lion's den."
 
 182 RAFF HALL. 
 
 Tlie last part of my comparison had the 
 good fortune to dissipate the chagrin which 
 my monarch of the forest evidently felt at not 
 being roused from his lair, and after finishing 
 a plentiful breakfast, in which he fully proved 
 the different effects produced by the tender 
 passion upon a subject of forty-five and a 
 frame less toughened by half that period, he 
 introduced a topic of no less interest than the 
 one we had just concluded. 
 
 ^^I have been thinking/^ he began, with a 
 rising glow Avhich burnt rapidly into a furnace, 
 *' that it is time to make our little establish- 
 ment more comfortable." 
 
 " My dear sir, I assure you I know of no 
 comfort that it wants." 
 
 " I do,'^ returned my tutor, playing with his 
 cup and saucer. 
 
 " At aU events, I, for one, feel perfectly 
 comfortable." 
 
 " I don't,^' was the answer; and here he 
 balanced his tea-spoon on his finger.
 
 RAFF RALL. 183 
 
 " May I ask^ Mr. Block, what you propose 
 adding to your establisliment ?" 
 
 My tutor curled up the corners of his mouth 
 to a grotesque simper, and replied, " Mrs. 
 Block." 
 
 " What, sir ! you think of marrying ?" 
 
 « Why, yes, I did." 
 
 " And the lady of your choice is Miss 
 Lightfoot ?" 
 
 ^' Well now, how could you have found out 
 that? I thought we had been so cunning." 
 
 " And the affair is perfectly settled ?" 
 
 " Who the deuce could have told you that }" 
 
 " You did, in the last words you spoke." 
 
 " No, did I ?" 
 
 Poor Mr. Block was lost in amorous confu- 
 sion; but at last, -with a violent effort, he 
 exclaimed, "Well, there is no denying it — 
 Miss Lightfoot has consented to be mine ! — 
 A'nt I a happy man ? " 
 
 I congratulatued this happy man with the 
 Tjest face I could assume for the occasion, and
 
 1S4 RAFF HALL. 
 
 especially upon his expedition, for which I was 
 assured that the praise was entirely due to 
 the lady, who had no nonsense about her, and 
 knew completely what she was about. Of the 
 truth of the latter opinion I was fully con- 
 vinced, and the only remaining point upon 
 which I had to be informed, was the period 
 fixed for the nuptials. There again Miss 
 Lightfoot's knowledge of what she was about 
 had smoothed away all needless anxieties, and 
 it had been settled that she was to announce 
 the happy event, and prepare Mr. and Miss 
 Rochford to look out for her successor, that 
 very morning. 
 
 I will not undertake to give a diurnal ac- 
 count of the events of the next month ; for, 
 though every day was one of great interest at 
 Mount Parnassus, (tlie name which Mr. Block 
 had bestowed upon the hillock graced by his 
 abode,) the reader's patience will be less ex- 
 hausted by a summary. The portion of this 
 which belongs to my tutor may, in great
 
 RAFF HALL. 18:> 
 
 part, be imagined. The upholsterer from the 
 nearest town, announced by the tap of his 
 hammer that the village was to look for great 
 events. The tailor was lost in the mysterious 
 order of coat, waistcoat, and trowsers of the 
 newest cut ; the sempstress overhauled the 
 nether garments, and darned, in mute astonish- 
 ment. At the same time a little boy, who had 
 been eipployed to frighten the crows, was 
 caught wild from tlie lield, and washed, tamed, 
 and domiciliated under the imposing title of 
 " John the Footman." The preparation of 
 the party destined to profit by this reno- 
 vated state of affairs, were chieliy directed to 
 the getting up of a few bridal looks, and seemed 
 attended by some difficulty. Perhaps the least 
 easy of female accomplishments (where nature 
 has not bestowed a genius for it) is cutting- 
 out a cloak of delicate maiden bashfulness. 
 Miss Lightfoot's was decidedly a bad fit, whe- 
 ther she turned her head on one side or 
 the other, or looked on the ground, or hid
 
 186 RAFF HALL. 
 
 her face in her bosom. My friends (for 
 such I may now call them,) said nothing, but 
 they ■were evidently not so fervent in their 
 admiration of the lady's tremors as of Mr. 
 Block's courage. I too had my misgivings as 
 to the prospect afforded by the proposed union ; 
 but, knowing well that any advice to pause on 
 a precipice would only cause him to throw the 
 cleaner somerset, I had no alternative but to 
 leave him to chance. Chance determined that, 
 come what might, he should, at all events 
 for once in twenty years, go to church. A 
 fine morning in July beheld the catastrophe. 
 
 Leaving the happy pair to a fortnight's tour 
 in search of the picturesque, I must now speak 
 of my own fortunes, which had every day 
 been growing brighter. My rides with Mr. 
 Rochford and his daughter, and my invitations 
 to meet them at the houses of the neighbour- 
 ing families, brought us in contact nearly every 
 day in the week. I had a suspicion, which I 
 believe was well founded, that my disappear-
 
 RAFF HALL. 18/ 
 
 ance with Eugenia on the occasion of the first 
 dinner party, had induced a belief that there 
 was more between us than we chose to make 
 pubhc ; for she never received an in\4tation of 
 which I was not favoured with a duplicate. 
 Whether this was observed by the father and 
 daughter I could not tell ; but it never cooled 
 their kindness towards me. The seat in the 
 carriage still continued at my service, Eugenia 
 still lent me her ear and her smile in public or 
 in private, and I was desired not to stand upon 
 the ceremony of visiting, but to make as free 
 with the old mansion, as if it were still inhabited 
 by my own family. In addition to all these 
 triumphs of my heart, I was invited to take 
 up my residence at RafF Hall as long as my 
 tutor and his bride should be absent. 
 
 When I look back upon this period, I 
 cannot help suspecting that the penetrating 
 eye of Mr. Rochford must have seen ray deep 
 and unchangeable aifection for his daughter, 
 and that he must have considered it to coun-
 
 188 RAFF HALL. 
 
 terbalance whatever might have been told to 
 my disadvantage. Many a time have I thought 
 that a httle courage might have saved me from 
 much misery. But if it is the character of true 
 love to be lion-hearted towards its rivals, it 
 is also to be humble and fearful towards its 
 object. Thus, though the lieing that was 
 mistress of my destiny, was from day to day 
 mingling her mind with my thoughts, her 
 vision with my views, and our hearts in the 
 same enjoyments, never for a moment did I 
 think of hazarding so much happiness by an 
 infringement of my previous determination. 
 Indeed, if I may be allowed to say so good a 
 word for myself, my feeling for Eugenia was 
 of that devoted nature that self and all the 
 ills to which it might he doomed, were many a 
 time completely lost to my recollection, and I 
 rejoiced that the fearful pause in my fate left 
 her free to share in any other that might be 
 more auspicious to her happiness. It is true
 
 RAFF HALL. 189 
 
 my praise as a preux chevalier is subject to 
 some deduction, when I confess that in no 
 word or look did she ever put my fortitude to 
 the test. Slie was gentle, courteous, ingenuous 
 to all ; but there was that unpretending evi- 
 dence of superior mind in all that she said or 
 did, tliat whilst she was an irresistible attrac- 
 tion to everyone around her, there were none 
 who did not feel that the style of homage most 
 seductive to her sex, would be vain and out of 
 place. Even those whom she cast in the 
 sliade, had not a word to ruffle my tranquillity. 
 The prude had no more disposition to call her 
 forward, than the forward to call her a prude. 
 The neglected never assailed her M'ith envy, 
 because they could detect no wish to outshine 
 them ; the distinguished never feared her as 
 a rival, because she was ever the foremost 
 to admire. Who, thought I, wlio is to 
 possess this priceless gem? Who but the 
 most worthy! Again I despaired, again I
 
 190 RAFF HALL. 
 
 toiled, till already the unmeaning brow of the 
 thoughtless castaway was swelling with the 
 throes of care, and sallowed by the lamp of 
 midnight.
 
 RAFF HALL. 191 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 As soon as Mr. and Mrs. Block re-trod their 
 path of nuptial roses^ I was once more in- 
 stalled in ray little room in the cottage ; but 
 it was no longer the idler's repository of books 
 on sporting, and implements of the chase. 
 Like the rest of the house, it had undergone 
 a thorough revolution, and my tutor was as- 
 tounded to see it fortified with shelves, and 
 scowling with a garrison of sages. Our con- 
 versation upon the change was not very en- 
 couraging, inasmuch as Mr. Block declared 
 that he had never thought it worth his while 
 to read a tenth part even of the books in 
 English. As for the French, no true Briton
 
 192 RAFF HALL. 
 
 ought to condescend to study the jargon of 
 such a rascally enemy. The Italian had no 
 literature but a description of hell-fire which 
 nobody could understand, and the bulls of that 
 old bully the Pope whom nobody cared for. 
 Then, for the Spanish, it had nothing to boast 
 of but Don Quixote, which Avas quite as good 
 in the translation ; and the whole row of the 
 Classics would stand a siege like the siege of 
 Troy, if they failed to demolish my Avits at the 
 very onset. 
 
 *' What nonsense," exclaimed Mrs. Block, 
 
 with a smile of vexation ; " you^are always find- 
 
 inii fault with whatever you don't understand. 
 
 I am sure it is a great pity that you do not 
 
 join Mr. Maltravers in his studies." 
 
 " Well, well, my dear," rejoined the happy 
 husband, " now do have done. 1 am sure, 
 Avhen there is any fault, it is always you who 
 find it. You must know, James, that the foot- 
 man has squeezed Mrs. Block's new bonnet in 
 taking it out of the chaise, and that puts her 
 a little out of sorts."
 
 BAFF HALL. 193 
 
 '' The footman ! heavens, do you call that 
 dirtv little scarecrow a footman ! However, 
 there is one thing to be said for him, he cer- 
 tainly is not so bad as the lady's maid.'' 
 
 " Now don't, Mrs. Block, judge so hastily ; 
 every thing will come right with a little dril- 
 ling." 
 
 Mrs. Block again laughed with vexation. 
 She admired my study of all things ; volun- 
 teered me a promise of being a frequent visitor, 
 and left the room in fresh apprehensions for 
 the fate of her wedding wardrobe. 
 
 I did not offer any remark upon the addition 
 which mv tutor had made to his domestic com- 
 forts, nor did it occur to him to speak of it 
 himself. He seemed better pleased to divert 
 my attention by a preparation for great news. 
 My thoughts immediately reverted to my poor 
 uncle; but he shook his head, and bade me 
 guess again. 
 
 " I know no one else," I replied, " but my 
 cousin.'' 
 
 VOL. I. o
 
 194 RAFF HALL. 
 
 " Aye ; but can you guess what has hap- 
 pened to him ?" 
 
 " Heavens ! " I exclaimed, " what do you 
 mean }" and my thoughts instantly turned to 
 his habits and style of acquaintance, w^hich 
 seemed so incompatible with his profession, 
 that I could guess no event but his dismissal 
 from it. My cousin, however, had found that 
 his interests were concerned in adapting him- 
 self more to the society into which he was 
 transplanted, and my tutor dispelled my alarm, 
 which the reader will perhaps not think very 
 unreasonable, by a hearty laugh. " No," said 
 he, '• not dismissed, but promoted to a troop, 
 a twelvemonth ago, and never wrote to inform 
 us. What do you think of that ?" 
 
 " I certainly think that the least remarkable 
 part of the story, since he has given us good 
 proof, from the time he left us, that the only 
 thing which kept us in his mind was the hope 
 of hearing more respecting the ghost of his 
 father."
 
 RAFF HALL. 195 
 
 " Now there we have done him injustice, I 
 do assure you. I '11 tell you all about it. You 
 must know that Mrs. Block and I chanced in 
 our trip of pleasure to arrive at a town where 
 we found there was a regiment quartered ; so, 
 after dinner, Mrs. B. proposed taking a walk, 
 and looking at the barracks. You must know 
 Mrs. B. takes a great interest in the military. 
 It happened very fortunately to be Sunday 
 evening, and the band, with a great crowd lis- 
 tening, was playing under the mess-room win- 
 dow. All the officers were looking oiit, but, 
 as I had not my glasses Vvith me, I could dis- 
 tinguish no features. Presently, during a pause 
 in the music, I heard Mrs. B. busy in conver- 
 sation, and, turning round, I found that one of 
 the officers had very politely stepped out, and 
 introduced himself to her. He was a remark- 
 ably handsome young man ; but I really do not 
 think I should have recognised him if he had 
 not cried out in great surprise, 
 
 O 2
 
 lOG RAFF HALL. 
 
 " Hillo, Mr. Block ! How the devil came 
 you here ! " 
 
 " It was, then, my cousin himself." 
 " The very man. Mutual explanations took 
 place, and created mutual surprise. In the 
 end, he offered his arm to Mrs. B., and some 
 of his comrades were civil enough to come 
 down from the window, and press me to take 
 a o-lass of wine at the mess table, but of course 
 I was obhged to decline. Don't you think I 
 was right ? " 
 
 « Very right, Mr. Block." 
 " There, now, I said so. Mrs. B. insisted 
 that it was not polite. Biit the ' handsome 
 captain' was so truly gratified with the happi- 
 ness of his old friend, that he declared his in- 
 tention of coming to be a spectator of it as 
 soon as he could obtain leave of absence." 
 
 These communications respecting my cousin 
 were followed by o'thers of an important nature, 
 respecting a very different person. A friend 
 whom Mr. Block had made by his attention
 
 RAFF HALL, 197 
 
 to business when placed in his proper sphere 
 of a counting-house, and whom he had not 
 lost by his subsequent mal-practices with the 
 Musesj having no great idea of his resources 
 to meet the costs of matrimony, had kindly 
 seized upon a means of re-inforcing them. 
 Just at the time when he was apprised of the 
 happy event, he chanced to be consulted by 
 the relations of a young lady as to an eligible 
 family with whom she might he placed, during 
 their residence abroad. The salary was liberal, 
 and the protegee might be considered an ac- 
 quisition even Avithout it. The opportunity, 
 afforded by the recent nuptials, made Mount 
 Parnassus precisely the retreat that was wanted. 
 My tutor and his lady found the proposal in 
 every respect agreeable ; and the addition was 
 to be made to our circle as soon as the prepa- 
 rations could be completed for her reception. 
 
 " I understand," said Mrs. Block, who had 
 returned to us during this recital, " that Miss 
 Haythorn is to eclipse all the county, not even
 
 198 RAFF HALL. 
 
 excepting Miss Rochford, both in beauty and 
 accomplishments." 
 
 I rephed that I was quite sure she would, in 
 that case, find Miss Rochford the foremost of 
 her admirers. 
 
 " Really," was the dry rejoinder, " I shall 
 be very glad if it proves so ; but I am not quite 
 sure of Miss Rochford's disposition in such 
 cases." 
 
 I looked up in surprise, and the bride did 
 really, at last, colour a little. Taking her words 
 in connexion with the singular fact that she 
 had not made a single inquiry about RafF HaU, 
 she was evidently aware that her departure had 
 been no loss. 
 
 " It is of much more importance to Miss 
 Haythorn," observed my tutor, " that she 
 should be admired by the father. Who knows 
 what may happen now that the example is 
 
 set?" 
 
 " Oh, he is a cold-hearted creature," replied 
 the bride, with a tone strongly savouring of
 
 RAFF HALL. 199 
 
 spite. " If she can tempt him to matrimony 
 she can do what I am quite sure no one else 
 can." 
 
 So, thought I, the secret is out ! Mrs. Block 
 has had more speculations than one ! The dis- 
 covery that, in spite of the assumed affection 
 for Eugenia, which w'as meant to propitiate my 
 influence with Mr. Block, there was a secret 
 dislike both to her and to her father, gave me 
 great satisfaction. I had no doubt that it was 
 returned by a due proportion of contemj^t, and 
 that, therefore, there was no probability of any 
 great intimacy. 
 
 My surmise was afterwards proved to be 
 correct. An occasional visit of civility was all 
 the connexion observed Ijetween the mansion 
 and Mount Parnassus ; with the exception, of 
 course, of my own visits, which continued to 
 be paid daily, and at all hours. My poor tutor 
 seemed to regret the coolness, and to puzzle 
 liis head for the cause ; but the comfort of his 
 own estabUshment rendered it necessary to see
 
 200 RAFF HALL. 
 
 reason in all the sentiments of his wife, and he 
 never talked to me upon the subject, or made 
 the slightest allusion to my continued and close 
 intimacy at RafF Hall, for fear of being involved 
 in the discxission of his own fetters.
 
 RAFF HALL. 201 
 
 CHAPTER XIIL 
 
 It was not long before our promised acqui- 
 sition was confided to her new protectors. 
 Tlie insidious mention of her attractions, in- 
 tended to disparage those of another, whom I 
 felt to be as far beyond all rivalry as she was 
 above pretending to it, had, I confess, excited 
 in me a small degree of not very liberal preju- 
 dice against the innocent offender. Her first 
 appearance, however, disposed me to do her 
 justice. She was about two or three and 
 twenty; her complexion was of that warm- 
 tinted fairness which is a charm perhaps more 
 frequently to be found in the pictures of the 
 old masters than in the nature breathing about
 
 202 BAFF HALL. 
 
 US ; her eyes were beautiful, and dark hazel, and 
 with the rest of her features, which were full of 
 softness and symmetry, gave to her expression 
 at once grace, affection, and simplicity. When 
 she took off her bonnet, and her rich chesnut 
 hair, somewhat disordered by travelling, drop- 
 ped partially from its confinement, an amateur 
 of painting would have believed that he gazed 
 upon an animated Madonna from the hand of 
 Leonardo. Her figure was of the middle size 
 — full, but not over much so; and her step, 
 and her actions, and the tones of her voice, 
 spoke of nothing but frank-heartedness, and 
 gentleness, and joy. This may appear a ro- 
 mantic description to come from one whose 
 entire hopes had taken their direction past 
 all recall; but the innocent Mary Haythorn 
 was doomed to act a conspicuous part in my 
 histor);-, and a thovisand circumstances tend to 
 place her before me in minute distinctness. 
 
 Miss Haythorn soon found herself at home 
 with us, and fully confirmed the first favour-
 
 RAFF HALL. 203 
 
 able impression. Mrs. Block was especially 
 enchanted, and sang her praises, and sought 
 her affection so enthusiastically, that I began 
 to suspect she must have some particular end 
 to answer; for, notwithstanding her former sen- 
 sibihty to the beauties of her husband's poetry, 
 I had never much idea that the emotions of 
 Mrs. Block were disinterested in proportion to 
 their violence. Perhaps this was very ungrate- 
 ful, for I certainly came in for a large share of 
 her patronage, of which there vras only one 
 person in the establishment whose allowance 
 was limited. But the distinction was regarded 
 by this worthy individual more with philosophy 
 than surprise, particularly as it tended to com- 
 plete his likeness to my uncle. 
 
 " I cannot," said he, " I cannot make out 
 the characters of females, nor could Sir Hector.'' 
 
 With that he sat him down to woo the 
 favours of nine more, who were equally capri- 
 cious, and, with the rhyming dictionary on one 
 side and his snuif box on the other, again
 
 204 RAFF HALL. 
 
 jogged his Pegasus on the up-hill road to 
 fame. 
 
 All this time I felt, or fancied, that I had 
 cause for some uneasiness. The circumstance 
 of being under the same roof with a most at- 
 tractive creature of my own age, was enough 
 of itself to give ground to suspicions and re- 
 ports but little calculated to forward my cause 
 at Raff Hall; Ijut this was not the worst of 
 my dilemmas. Though the character of Miss 
 Haythorn was full of modesty and retirement, 
 we were, in defiance of my efforts to the con- 
 trary, for ever thrown together in a manner 
 distressingly conspicuous. Mrs. Block used 
 to bring her to my study on the plea of bor- 
 rowing books, and leave her there on the plea 
 of going after those which had been borrowed 
 before ; then she would return with the apo- 
 thecary's wife, or the attorney's daughters, who 
 had just come to pay Miss Haythorn a visit, 
 and had the satisfaction of finding us tete-a- 
 tete ; tlie one confused and the other con-
 
 RAFF HALL. 205 
 
 founded. I could see that she was dragged 
 into these situations with reluctance 3 but she 
 had seen nothing of the world^ had never been 
 accustomed to decide for herself, had been 
 easily imposed upon to consider Mrs. Block 
 all that was proper and jiraiseworthy, and with 
 her affection and confidence was fain to yield 
 likewise the guidance of her judgment. Other 
 scenes of a like nature to the above were 
 taking place constantly^ and so complete was 
 the dangerous dominion over the unsuspecting 
 girl, that I thought it a matter of conscience, 
 without entering into particulars, to offer a 
 word of caution. Before I had an opportunity 
 of doing so, an event occurred which made it 
 come full late. 
 
 This event was brought about by the long 
 looked-for appearance of my cousin. The 
 meeting would have given me sincere delight, 
 had I not suspected the motives to which I 
 owed it. I had always continued to feel for 
 him precisely the same as if lie had been my
 
 
 206 RAFF HALL. 
 
 brother ; and the warmest of my wishes, after 
 those of which the reader is already the depo- 
 sitory, was to see him one day divested of 
 those moral blemishes which had stained the 
 history of his youth. How far I was justified 
 in anticipating a disappointment will be seen 
 in our conversation after he had received his 
 flattering welcome, and was preparing for 
 dinner. 
 
 It commenced with sundry questions as to 
 the re-appearance of my uncle's ghost, and a 
 disquisition, as heretofore, on the dangers of 
 dealing with the devil. 
 
 " What a beauty," continued my cousin, 
 '^ what a beauty old Block has married !'^ i 
 
 " She has an expression,'^ I replied, " which 
 does not please me.^' 
 
 '' No ! Then you are deuced difficult to 
 please. Why, man alive, she has an eye like 
 a congreve rocket! I'll tell you what, — here 
 is amusement to be found here if we hang toge- 
 ther and play into each other's hands. Miss 
 
 J
 
 RAFF HALL. 207 
 
 Haythorn is as pretty a thing as heart can 
 desire." 
 
 ^^ Good heavens ! " I exclaimed, anticipating 
 what was to follow, " you do not think I could 
 harbour a thought so villanous?" 
 
 My cousin regarded me ^nth a laugh of in- 
 creduhty. " That is infernally good ! What^s 
 the use of shamming the Methodist with me ? 
 When did you ever know me spUt ? " 
 
 " My dear John, do not imagine tliat I mis- 
 trust you. I recollect well that I had small 
 scruple in aiding you in anything formerly, but 
 I beseech you to consider that years enough 
 have passed to teach reflection." 
 
 " Reflection ! Why, surely old Block has 
 not made a parson of you ? That's not in his 
 way. I see how it is. You are a cunning 
 rascal ; you have a speculation upon the young 
 psalm-singer yonder, at the Hall, and a devihsh 
 good one she seems to be ; but how is she pos- 
 sibly to know what we do here amongst our- 
 selves ? "
 
 208 RAFF HALL. 
 
 " If Mrs. Block represented Miss Rochford 
 in any shape deserving ridicule, it could only 
 be because she was incapable of appreciating 
 her mind and of feeling her virtues. She spoke 
 of her in a very diiferent style when she re- 
 quired my assistance to make her own attrac- 
 tions available." 
 
 " Zounds, now, there you go ! What a 
 touchy feUow you have grown up ! Mrs. Block 
 spoke of her in the highest praise, and of you 
 too. She appears to be the best and the most 
 amiable woman alive." My cousin's face 
 changed to an expression of the deepest re- 
 spect. 
 
 " Then, if such is your opinion of Mrs. Block, 
 you surely do not mean to pursue the designs 
 <it which you hinted ?" 
 
 " 1 1" (Cousin John was the picture of horror,) 
 " God bless your soul ! You did not take me 
 in earnest ? No, my dear Jim, I only tried 
 you, to see if you were reformed since old 
 times ; for, to say the truth, I had great fears
 
 RAFF HALL. 209 
 
 of you, and am cleliglited beyond every thing 
 to find I did you injustice. I hope you will 
 keep on in the same course, for depend upon 
 it there is nothing Hke religion. I send my 
 troop to church every Sunday, and, if I don't 
 go myself, it is only that I may have the better 
 opportunity of seeing who stays away." 
 
 Having, as he believed, completely re-assured 
 me by this explanation, he descended with me to 
 the rest of the party, and a certain depression, 
 which I could not shake off, gave him such 
 opportunities of shining at the expense of love- 
 lorn swains as made Mrs. Block consider his 
 wit quite equal to liis beauty, and disposed 
 that keen judge her husband to be not a Httle 
 proud of his pupil. 
 
 VOL. I. P
 
 210 RAFF HALL. 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 Whatever pleasure my cousin derived from 
 contemplating the Congreve rockets of Mrs. 
 Block, it was evidently, for the period of his 
 visit, quite equalled by that of her husband. 
 Tliis was probably from the great satisfaction 
 which he felt at the handsome captain's ap- 
 proval of his choice, and the highly augmented 
 estimation in which such a circumstance in- 
 duced him to hold it. The other parties, how- 
 ever, did not seem to understand the compli- 
 ment, for the constant conversion of their duet 
 into a trio was productive of any thing but 
 harmony. I imagine this to have escaped Mr. 
 Block's observation, for his assiduities conti-
 
 RAFF HALL. 211 
 
 nued to be unremitting, and his fears of appear- 
 ing neglectful made his spectacles sparkle like 
 the eyes of a lynx. 
 
 During the first evening and the next day no 
 opportunity occurred for apprizing Miss Hay- 
 thorn of the friendly offices expected from her. 
 The day following produced more than was 
 necessary. I know not wdiether or no my 
 cousin's powers of entertainment or patience 
 for the edifying philosophy of my tutor began 
 to be exhausted ; but he suddenly experienced 
 a very sentimental desire to stroll about the 
 neighbourhood, and look upon the long-lost 
 scenes of his childhood. The feeling was very 
 natural, and I was delighted by the expres- 
 sion of an interest which might possibly weaken 
 the force of another less laudable. I i:)ro- 
 posed first that we should go and pay our re- 
 spects to his old friends the Barleycorns and 
 the Buttercups, but this did not suit him. 
 They would be mortified if he did not meet 
 them in the same manner that had marked his 
 
 r 2
 
 212 RAFF HALL. 
 
 farewell; and his education in the fastidious 
 school of a regiment of Hussars had taught 
 him that, however a salute from the lips of 
 Miss Phoebe might be orthodox, a gripe from 
 the hands of Bob and Bill would never do. 
 Therefore I was enjoined to keep his visit 
 strictly secret till he was gone, when I might 
 rest his excuse upon his unwillingness to un- 
 dergo the pain of saying farewell a second time. 
 
 Mrs. Block declared this sentiment to be 
 charming, and Mr. Block considered it original, 
 and worth noting down for his next fugitive. 
 As we left the room, the dark pupil of cousin 
 John's eye sailed round to its outside corner, 
 and took a momentary survey over his shoulder, 
 where it chanced to encounter a similar evolu- 
 tion in a pupil not less expressive. 
 
 We soon entered the wild forest scenery, 
 where, as boys, we had climbed the old oak, 
 and torn ourselves to rags in the brambles. 
 My companion made a world of feeling re- 
 marks on recognising so many familiar objects j
 
 RAFF HALL. 213 
 
 but I did not perceive much connexion in what 
 he said. His thoughts appeared to be other- 
 wise occupied, and his eyes were looking for 
 something which was not there. Though we 
 had agreed to no particular line of march, he 
 took sundry turns as if he knew very well 
 wOiere he was going. At last we arrived at a 
 rustic bridge, where two or three pathways 
 suddenly stealhig out of the tangled woods, 
 traversed a little stream, and were lost on the 
 other side. Here my cousin's recollections 
 were so busy that he leant over the handrail, 
 and showed no disposition to go further. I 
 had my thoughts as well as he, and, keeping 
 my eye upon the pathways, soon saw what I 
 expected to see. This was Mrs. Block, who, 
 having dismissed her husband quietly to his 
 rhyming dictionary as soon as the handsome 
 captain had taken his fascinations out of the 
 way, was strolling accidentally with Miss Hay- 
 thorn to the very spot where we had happened 
 to loiter. 
 
 ^
 
 214 
 
 RAFF HALL. 
 
 The meeting caused great surprise and many 
 exclamations of " How very extraordinary !" 
 and then my cousin offered his arm to Mrs. 
 Block, and the perfectly unsuspicious Mary 
 Hay thorn was turned adrift, with an earnest 
 intreaty not to fatigue herself. Mrs. Block 
 had only a word to say in a cottage close by, 
 and was sure that Mr. Maltravers would not 
 think it a hard duty to sit down by so fair a 
 charge till her return. The interesting pair 
 were soon out of sight, and we were unex- 
 pectedly surprised into a participation in their 
 plot. My lirst thought was to rejoin and dis- 
 appoint them, but a moment's consideration as- 
 sured me, that the more dignified course, as well 
 as the plainest expression of our sentiments, 
 would be to return immediately home. Miss 
 Haythorn Avas surprised at my drawing her 
 arm through mine, and causing her to retrace 
 her steps. 
 
 " You forget," she said, " we are to wait." 
 " I will endeavour," I replied, " to give you 
 good reasons why we should not."
 
 RAFF HALL. 215 
 
 With that I related, with such comments as 
 my indignation suggested, the suspicious de- 
 tails which have already been recorded, and 
 referred her for confirmation to the testimony 
 of her own eyes. During the recital, the simple 
 girl turned crimson with shame, and pale with 
 fear. The tears stood in her eyes, and I felt 
 that if fate had given me the right of protecting 
 such a genuine sample of maiden innocence, 
 in the character of a brother, I could have been 
 worthy of the charge. The wondrous kind- 
 ness and affection which her friend had pro- 
 fessed toAvards her, for the purpose of con- 
 verting: her into a blind instrument of conve- 
 nience, had so far imposed upon a heart too 
 pure to imagine evil, that my communications 
 created infinitely more astonishment than con- 
 viction. It was impossible ! I was mistaken, 
 cruel, ungrateful ! What she had seen was 
 accidental, harmless ; at the worst, thoughtless. 
 She would mention it immediately, and was 
 sure that Mrs. Block would be the first to be 
 shocked at any thing like impropriety. This
 
 216 RAFF HALL. 
 
 resolution I opposed strongly. If Mrs. Block 
 had taken a wrong turn, she was not of an 
 age to be brought back. The only alternative 
 was to keep an attentive eye, and ascertain, 
 without placing her upon her guard, and arm- 
 ing her with fresh deceit, how far my preju- 
 dice had belied her. Thus much Miss Hay- 
 thorn admitted was her duty to herself, as well 
 as to the friends M'ho were not there to protect 
 her. But the office of a spy upon one who 
 loved her so much was so odious ; and, if she 
 saw nothing, so full of outrage, that her heart 
 sickened at it. If she discovered her friend to 
 be perfidious, the misery would be a thousand 
 times the more. Nevertheless, she gave her 
 word to be observant and silent, and formed, 
 of course, the decision of seeking a home 
 elsewhere the instant she found herself de- 
 ceived. 
 
 The provocations of the day were not yet 
 ended. When we arrived at home, our faces | 
 
 still glowing with the expression of ear- 
 
 I
 
 RAFF HALL. 21/" 
 
 nest conversation, and that of my companion 
 still exhibiting the traces of tears, we opened 
 the door of the drawing-room, which we ex- 
 pected to find empty. Much to my confusion, 
 there was Mr. Block in the act of receiving a 
 visit from IMr. and Miss Rochford. To the 
 latter our entrance caused no surprise which 
 their good-breeding suffered to be visible ; but 
 my tutor put on just such a stare as might 
 be expected from a lobster when he feels him- 
 self plunged in hot water. 
 
 " Why ! how, in the name of patience," said 
 he, " did you two come together ? I thought 
 you went out in separate parties." 
 
 I acknowledged that we had done so, and 
 explained, with a care to elude suspicion, that 
 the ladies had chanced to take the same 
 path. 
 
 " But you set out an hour before them. I 
 am afraid they must have walked very fast." 
 
 I again explained, rather discomposed, that 
 we had happened to stop.
 
 218 RAFF HALL. 
 
 " But where is Mrs. Block ?" 
 
 " She said she had business at a cottage, 
 and so we returned home." 
 
 " But what have you done with the cap- 
 tain?" 
 
 " Oh, he, I suppose, had business at the 
 cottage too.'^ 
 
 Mr. Rochford shghtly smiled, Eugenia 
 seemed a httle pensive, and Mr. Block gave 
 a twist on his chair, as if he suddenly felt the 
 protrusion of a few pins and needles. The 
 bell was rung, and John the footman bounced 
 open the door, in his usual negliyt, of cuffs up 
 and stockings down. He was directed to run 
 immediately to all the cottages in search of his 
 mistress and the captain, and tell them that 
 Mr. and Miss Rochford were waiting for them. 
 John gave a knowing tug to his top-knot, and 
 away he went. Presently we heard him bawl- 
 ing to a cart that was rattling by — " I say, 
 fishmonger, you ha' nt seen such a thing as my 
 mistress, have you ?"
 
 RAFF HALL. 219 
 
 ^' No — what's the matter ?" was the reply. 
 
 ^^ Only she 's gone out with the captain^ and 
 we can^t find her no where/' 
 
 " I 'II make inquiries," rejoined the fish- 
 monger, " I 'm going the round of the parish. 
 Here comes the butcher-boy, on horseback j 
 you had better start him t'other way.'^ 
 
 Mr. Rochford did his best to restore the 
 conversation, which Avas a little paralysed, to 
 a free circulation. He talked of my tutor's 
 literary plans, but Mr. Block's head Avas clearly 
 employed upon i-)lans of some other descrip- 
 tion. He then shifted his ground to the great 
 satisfaction he must experience, from his union 
 with one who coincided so entirely in his po- 
 etical tastes ; but my tutor observed that Mrs. 
 Block's taste for poetry appeared, somehow or 
 other, to be less fervent than it had been. 
 The only contributions which were made by 
 him to the stock of subjects for discussion, 
 were ejaculations of, " God bless me ! what
 
 220 RAFF HALL. 
 
 can have become of them ! They will be so 
 mortified at not being found at home ! Mrs. 
 Block is always so anxious that you should 
 not find her out. And there is the captain — 
 such a loss to him — so httle time to spare 
 from his regiment." 
 
 " I hope his visit to you will not be cut 
 too short, Mr. Block. You must have great 
 delight in his company." 
 
 " Oh, incalculable ! But tlien you know, 
 Mr. Rochford, he must not neglect his profes- 
 sion. I 'm afraid I must give him a hint to be 
 oiF to-morrow morning." With that he wiped 
 his spectacles, took another look out of win- 
 dow, and again ejaculated, " Very odd !" 
 
 In the mean time Eugenia conversed with 
 my partner in confusion, in a manner so gen- 
 tle, that, though her spirits were more de- 
 pressed than I had ever seen them, she 
 soon succeeded in dispelling the too visible 
 effects of our contretems. The most uncom- 
 
 i
 
 RAFF HALL. 221 
 
 fortable of the party^ after Mr. Blockj was 
 my unfortunate self; for tliougli I was con- 
 scious that I had endeavoured to do wliat 
 was right, I Avas equally conscious tliat I 
 might be suspected of having done what was 
 wrong. I was aware likewise, that my evident 
 chagrin was against me, and, at the same 
 time, that any affected spirits would be de- 
 tected. In short, I felt like a thief, and 
 looked like a fool. 
 
 But misfortunes had not yet reached their 
 climax. In some little time the door was 
 again burst open by John the footman, wiio 
 announced to the eager Mr. Block that his 
 mistress was coming down the village with 
 the young ladies from the lawyer's. 
 
 " Oh, she has been walking with them, has 
 she !" said my tutor, with a deep and com- 
 fortable respiration, " and where did you find 
 them r' 
 
 " Found them all in Love Lane, sir: looking 
 for Mr. Mallravers and Miss Ilaythorn."
 
 222 BAFF HALL. 
 
 "All together, were they! Ah, charming 
 family those Miss Loggerheads! A perfect 
 godsend to their neighbours \" 
 
 Here all the party entered; and after the 
 first compliments, the real culprits, fortified by 
 the lucky meeting with their companions, 
 which occurred immediately after they had left 
 us, turned full of raillery and reproach upon 
 those whom they called the runaways. 
 
 " My dear Mary," said Mrs. Block, " how 
 famously you play at ' Hide and Seek !' — You 
 complained of being tired ; but *! had hardly 
 turned my head, and you were off. Heaven 
 knows where !" 
 
 " Oh,*^ cried the accomplice, " I know my 
 cousin of old — I was sure he would give Miss 
 Haythorn a lesson in bird's-nesting." 
 
 Here followed a laugh, from which I could 
 only defend myself by a full explanation of the 
 motives which had caused our disappearance,, 
 and to which I was consequently obliged to 
 submit ; making a lame story, which was fol- 
 
 I
 
 RAFF HALL. 223 
 
 lowed by another peal. The gaiety was carried 
 on for some time with increasing animation ; 
 for the persecutors saw they had the best of it, 
 and were gratifying their spite whilst they 
 were establishing their innocence. Even Mr. 
 Block, of whose interests I had been so care- 
 ful, gave vent to his mental relief, by firing a 
 clumsy joke at our heads; and all the M'hile 
 I was too confused, and indeed too much en- 
 raged to return even such a blank cartridge 
 as his. Not knowing where to turn my eyes, 
 they accidentally fell upon the burning cheek 
 of Miss Haythorn. I saw that she was in a 
 nervous tremor from head to foot, and that in 
 a moment more she would again burst into 
 tears. My resolution was taken instantly. I 
 vowed in my heart, that another joke, or ano- 
 ther allusion to the subject, should bring down, 
 be the consequence what it might, the entire 
 history of our reasons for the movement in 
 discussion. 
 
 " Come,^' I said, addressing ray cousin with
 
 224 RAFF HALL. 
 
 a look which was intended to apprise him that 
 my patience had reached its limits, " this 
 joke is now so complete, that I am afraid ano- 
 ther word may chance to spoil it. We will 
 leave it as it is; and it will make a worthy 
 second chapter to the series commenced on 
 your arrival." With that I turned to the 
 rest of the company, with a smile which had 
 sufficient meaning for my cousin, and, as it 
 seemed, for Mrs. Block likewise — " Captain 
 Maltravers," I continued, " has not seen me 
 for a long time, and makes trials to ascertain 
 how far I am improved." 
 
 The speech had its effect. — " Ah,'^ exclaimed 
 my cousin, with a peace-making face, " I hope 
 you will not make trials of me, — for the results 
 will not be half so satisfactory. We heroes of 
 country-quarters study nothing but how to 
 give others as bad a reputation as our own." 
 
 " That 's what I have been thinking all the 
 while," responded Mrs. Block, " But, to speak 
 seriously, that wood is such a maze, that I
 
 RAFF HALL. 225 
 
 don't wonder at one's being lost in it. Bat 
 then it is so beautiful, and so full of birds and 
 wild flowers ! By the bye, M iss Rochford 
 I have not inquired after your favourite 
 flower-beds. I know you are such an enthu- 
 siast." 
 
 And thus the conversation passed away from 
 its victims; leaving us, however, in conse- 
 quence of the excitement we had shown, look- 
 ing more guilty than ever. For the first time 
 in my life, I felt a relief when Mr. and Miss 
 Rochford rose to take leave. They had lis- 
 tened to the witticisms of the rest without 
 joining in them, and without appearing much 
 amused. Indeed, there was in the look of 
 the father an expression something like vex- 
 ation or disappointment. It was so slight, 
 that, though I afterwards puzzled myself 
 very painfully, I could not assign it any 
 satisfactory character. Eugenia gave me her 
 hand as she always had done, frankly, and 
 warmly, — and, at the same time a corres- 
 
 VOL. I. Q
 
 226 RAFF HALL. 
 
 ponding glance of her deep blue eye ; but it 
 had not the light sparkle which it had shown 
 at other times. Her adieu to Miss Haythorn 
 was marked with all the usual kindness of her 
 manner, and, as I thought, with something 
 more than an ordinary degree of interest.
 
 RAFF HALL. 227 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 As soon as they were gone, I shut myself 
 up in my study to compose my thoughts, and 
 sum up the damage I had received. At first I 
 thought my hopes entirely ruined — then I 
 inquired how far they might he retrieved, by 
 going to the Hall, and giving a full explana- 
 tion ; afterwards I examined Avhether such an 
 explanation, unsupported by any thing Uke 
 proof, might not be looked upon as an atro- 
 cious invention, and make me worse oft than 
 I was already. By degrees, I came to doubt 
 whether the intensity of my feehngs, whenever 
 Eugenia was concerned, might not cause mc to 
 magnify every circumstance tliat was not ac- 
 
 q2
 
 228 RAFF HALL. 
 
 tually calculated to forward me. Worst come 
 to the worst, I had only taken a walk with a 
 young lady ; and had Eugenia ever given me 
 reason to suppose her so devoid of liberality 
 as to construe a walk into a proof of attach- 
 ment ? Besides, could she be so blind as 
 never to have perceived how wholly and solely 
 I was devoted to her ; and \nth all her clear 
 judgment, could she think herself so easily sup- 
 planted ? I decided upon doing what I thought 
 right, and letting every thing else take its course. 
 When I was summoned to dinner, my in- 
 dignation, though under better government, 
 was just as strong as ever. I was in a mood 
 of defiance, and singled out Miss Haythorn for 
 conversation, as if on purpose to dare the rest 
 to remark upon it. No remarks, however, 
 were made. On the contrary, there were vast 
 efforts to heal whatever soreness might remain 
 from the events of the morning. Mrs. Block 
 fondled Miss Haythorn with all the superla- 
 tives she could bring together, and my cousin
 
 RAFF HALL. 229 
 
 was all respect and attention. For my own 
 part, whatever I said was admirable, and by no 
 means like the growl of a tiger. None of 
 us were a bit like ourselves, excepting my 
 tutor, who, with reverence be it spoken, was 
 as great a genius as ever. 
 
 These scientific manoeuvres, however, could 
 neither propitiate nor deceive me. Indeed, 
 they rather served to put me more upon my 
 metal, from the very questionable comphment 
 which they paid to my understanding. I 
 could see that both the confederates owed 
 me no good will, and, as far as the lady was 
 concerned, it caused me no great mortifica- 
 tion. But to find the companion of my child- 
 hood — the companion in whose adventurous 
 achievements I had taken such pride ; whose 
 secrets I Vovdd have kept at the peril of every 
 bone in my skin — whose praises I had sounded 
 as though he had been the wonder of the 
 world — whose service, with all its dangers, toils, 
 and troubles, all its misdeeds, deceits, lyings.
 
 230 RAFF HALL. 
 
 and stealings, I had embraced with the ardour 
 of a worshipper — to find this cherished com- 
 panion forgetting the days gone by — discarding 
 the faint remains of his boasted affection, at 
 the instigation of the Devil and Mrs. Block — 
 and playing the part of a cold, heartless hy- 
 pocrite : all this was indeed an affliction which 
 I felt most bitterly. 
 
 But in proportion as I felt myself deserted 
 by my blood, I resolved to make friends with 
 my conscience. Not that I fancied any mischief 
 could be prevented in the case of those who 
 had determined upon it, or in that of Mr. 
 Block, who might have foreseen his fate ; but 
 Miss Haythorn was, in a manner, throvtai upon 
 my protection, and I considered myself ac- 
 countable for her reputation, over which I was 
 bound to watch, be the consequences what 
 they might. 
 
 The next morning, after my cousin's reluc- 
 tant departure, she acquainted me that she had 
 been calmly considering the occurrences of the
 
 BAFF HALL. 231 
 
 preceding day, and was sensible of the ne- 
 cessity for seeking another home; but knew 
 not where to look. Her relations were not in 
 England, and she had no advisers near. 
 
 With this understanding, we commenced our 
 deliberations upon the course to be pursued. 
 My first recommendation would have been to 
 refer the matter to my friends at Raff Hall, 
 but, as ill-fortune would have it, they had set 
 out that very morning on a tour by the sea 
 side, which was likely to occupy them for some 
 time. My second thought was to apply to 
 the rector of the parish, with whom I had es- 
 tablished a friendship from the time when the 
 hope of improving myself in the eyes of Eu- 
 genia first taught me the way to church. He 
 was an excellent man ; and when he found his 
 flock increased by a stray sheep from a family 
 which had for so many years defied his calling, 
 he seemed to take a Hking to me, proportionate 
 to the prejudices which had stood in my way. 
 The partner of his simple life, had, like him-
 
 232 RAFF HALL. 
 
 self, a disposition to kind acts, whenever she" 
 found the opportunity of exerting them, and 
 though the obstinate philosophy of Mr. Block 
 had kept him proudly aloof from such society 
 ever since his arrival in the neighbourhood, 
 the occasion of his marriage had produced the 
 visit of courtesy usually paid to new comers. 
 The acquaintance had not been A^ery gratifying 
 to either party ; but the arrival of Miss Hay- 
 thorn had determined the rector and his lady 
 upon keeping it up, and they were not long in 
 discovering her to possess quahties which de- 
 served to have been placed under better guar- 
 dianship. 
 
 To the Rectory, therefore, I proposed that 
 she should be transferred ; not by any sudden 
 declaration against her present residence, 
 which might call forth the mahce of Mrs. 
 Block and the comments of the neighbour- 
 hood ; but ostensibly by a visit for a day or 
 two, which might be prolonged, on various 
 pretexts, till it was discovered that the change
 
 RAFF HALL. 233 
 
 of situation was more conducive to her health, 
 or convenience. By such a plan no provoca- 
 tion would be offered, and Mrs. Block might 
 think it advisable not to begin first. 
 
 Miss Haythorn was charmed with the pro- 
 posal, and I lost no time in laying the case 
 before our friends at the Rectory, upon whose 
 good-will I soon found I had not over-calcu- 
 lated. They undertook to call and carry off 
 their destined protegee the same morning ; and 
 the feat was performed Avithout awakening the 
 slightest suspicion. 
 
 Mrs. Block indeed acceded to her dearest 
 Mary's departure, with a jealous reluctance, 
 and my tutor wondered what could l)e the use 
 of paying more than a morning or a dinner 
 visit, when the distance was only three miles; 
 but they were l)oth aware that the last few 
 days had not passed A'cry agreeably, and 
 thought it best to be accommodating. 
 
 It was a source of real triumph to me, inde- 
 pendent of any unwortliy gratification of spleen
 
 234 
 
 RAFF HALL, 
 
 against Mrs. Block, to see the spotless Mary 
 Haythoru safely out of our contaminated at- 
 mosphere. At the same time her absence 
 was a sad blow to my comforts in the way 
 of societ)-. She had been the only person in 
 the cottage with whom there could be any 
 thing like interchange of mind ; the only one 
 who had any pretension to what was genuine 
 in feeling. There was no resource left from the 
 far-sighted mischief, and purblind suspicion of 
 those who remained to me, but to shut my- 
 self up Avith my books, and work double tides. 
 Things were so changed in the abode, that I 
 determined to hasten my selection of a pursuit 
 in life, that I might so much the sooner have 
 a fair excuse for my departure. The excuse, 
 however, M'as found for me, and that with 
 small loss of time. 
 
 As soon as Miss Haythorn and her new 
 friends had time to deliberate on the best 
 means of making her resolution known at 
 Mount Parnassus, a letter was transmitted
 
 RAFF HALL. 235 
 
 from the former to Mrs. Block. It was penned 
 with the greatest deUcacy and care to inflict 
 no unnecessary wound; and though there was 
 no subterfuge adopted, the reasons were suffi 
 cient for the step announced, without con 
 veying anything that could be justly consi- 
 dered grounds for offence or complaint. But 
 Mrs. Block was not very apt to consider the 
 justice of her grounds for anything — least of 
 all Avhen her anger was excited ; and on the 
 present occasion there was an arching and 
 contracting of her brows, and a twirling and 
 a flashing of her eyes, and a contortion of her 
 mouth, and a grinding of her teeth, which 
 would have made any one believe her to be pos- 
 sessed of an e\dl spirit. 
 
 " So, Mr. Maltravers !" she exclaimed, 
 crunching the letter violently in both hands, as 
 if it had been my unlucky throat. *' So, sir, 
 this is your doing 1" 
 
 I was taken unexpectedly by this sudden at- 
 tack ; but I had notliing to embarrass me in my
 
 236 
 
 RAFF HALL. 
 
 answer. '^ If it is, Mrs. Block/' I replied, " I 
 am glad you are sensible that I had cause for 
 my agency." 
 
 " There ! Mr. Block !" squealed the fury, 
 " Do you hear that ?" Do you stand tamely by, 
 and hear that ? I am told that I am not fit for 
 the charge of Miss Haythorn. My character 
 attacked ! There is a conspiracy against me ! 
 — and there you sit staring and saying no- 
 thing. You are one of the party. You are 
 one of them ! Oh ! oh ! Ah ! ah !" And 
 here the lady flung herself upon the sofa, 
 in a lit. 
 
 Poor Mr. Block glared through his specta- 
 cles in speechless horror. The first words 
 he could find were to ask what it all meant ? 
 
 " My dear sir," said I, " Mrs. Block must 
 make her own exj>lanation." And away went 
 Mrs. Block in another fit of hysterics — kick- 
 ing like a pasteboard Columbine, and tossing 
 her long black ringlets about her -visage, till 
 we seemed to gaze upon the head of Medusa
 
 RAFF HALL. 237 
 
 herself. Between these acts of the ballet, the 
 speaking part was broken, but exceedino;ly 
 energetic, and abounded in accusations of in- 
 solence, falsehood and treachery, with all the 
 epithets and comments which the mention of 
 such virtues is likely to inspire. My tutor, not 
 knowing what was the best restorative for a 
 lady in fits, capered about till he was out of 
 breath, and could only ejaculate, " Well, I 
 can-wo^ understand women — nor could Sir 
 Hector." 
 
 " Perhaps, Mr. Block," I rephed calmly, '• I 
 may understand Mrs. Block's case better than 
 you do. I will take my leave, and all will, no 
 doubt, go right." With that I shook him 
 by the hand, and leaving him the undisputed 
 possession of all his domestic comforts, flung 
 the saddle on my horse, and not knowing 
 w^here to go at that time of night, galloped off 
 to the Rectory.
 
 238 RAFF HALL. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 My arrival created some consternation ; for 
 it was naturally connected with the letter 
 announcing the dissolution of partnership. I 
 explained that I had found Mount Par- 
 nassus untenajble ; and that I came, like 
 Coriolanus, to seek a refuge from the " ca- 
 nopy of the kites and crows." Nothing could 
 be warmer than the welcome, nor kinder than 
 the consolation afforded me. In my turn I 
 was ohhged to console Miss Haythorn, whose 
 distress at having been the innocent cause of 
 turning me out of house and home, was ex- 
 treme. Having convinced her that I was not at 
 all to he pitied, we amused ourselves with con- 

 
 RAFF HALL. 239 
 
 jecturiiig what would be Mrs. Block's plan of 
 proceeding, when she recovered her senses. 
 Miss Haythorn, whose perfect woman's heart 
 was always causing her to imagine other folks 
 as good and forgiving as herself, was certain 
 that her late unfortunate protectress would see 
 the injustice of her conduct, and intreat me to 
 return. The rector and his lady had not much 
 hope in that quarter ; l)ut Avere equally certain 
 that my tutor would not permit our long friend- 
 ship to be broken off in such a manner: and 
 that he would insist on my being recalled, as 
 emphatically as I had been dismissed. My 
 own opinion v/as different. The idea of Mr. 
 Block insisting where the obedience was to be 
 extracted from the personage whom I had left 
 lucking on the sofa, was so fraught with peril 
 to his ears, that I hoped and trusted he would 
 be prudent. The expectations which I formed 
 were rather ludicrously verified the next 
 morning. 
 
 We had no sooner descended from our bed-
 
 240 RAFF HALL. 
 
 roomsj than a cart was heard to rumble into the 
 back-yard, and presently a letter and large 
 packet were delivered to Miss Haythorn. The 
 letter contained a concentrated abridgment, 
 (and it was still rather voluminous,) of all 
 Mrs. Block's distinguished powers of reproach 
 and invective. She washed her hands for ever 
 of all acquaintance with a person who was so 
 stained with ingratitude, and, at the same time, 
 of all responsibility as to her future fate, and 
 as to the construction which might be jiut 
 upon her conduct by a virtuous and well- 
 judging neighbourhood. Furthermore, she pe~ 
 remptorily declined every sort of acquaintance 
 with the persons who had encouraged such un- 
 heard-of desertion of those to whom she had 
 been confided, and desired that Mr. Maltra- 
 vers might be made acquainted, in terms 
 something similar to those used in an act of 
 excommunication, that he was under sentence 
 of banishment for the term of his natural life. 
 In addition, Miss Haythorn was informed that
 
 RAFF HALL. 241 
 
 the packet contained all the presents which 
 she had made to the said Mrs. Block, — draw- 
 ings, workbags, copies of music, purses, pin- 
 cushions, pen-wipers, and all articles of what 
 nature soever, from the view of Mount Par- 
 nassus, down to the sticking-plaister profile 
 of Mr. Block. Finally, that John the foot- 
 man had brought in the cart every trunk, bon- 
 net-box, and bundle to which Miss Haythorn 
 could lay claim ; and that the aforesaid cart 
 was likewise laden with all the baggage, books, 
 fowling-pieces, fishing-rods, old bird-cages, 
 and other moveables of Mr. Maltravers, late 
 of Mount Parnassus. 
 
 However sore I felt at the catastrophe 
 whicli I had been obliged to bring about, 
 the pains-taking spite with which every rag 
 and rattletrap that could possibly mortify or 
 enrage me, had been raked out of holes and 
 corners, set me off in a fit of laughter, whicli was 
 catching to all the party, and even awakened 
 the scarecrow notes of John the footman. This 
 
 VOL. I. R
 
 242 RAFF HALL. 
 
 warlike ambassador from tlie enemy had thrust 
 his head into the parlour to ask for an answer, 
 and informed us that Captain Maltravers had 
 arrived at the cottage just after I had left it, 
 and that he had heard him say he was come on 
 fresh leave for a month. 
 
 " The Captain told me, sir, if I happened to 
 see you, I was to say, with his compliments, 
 that you had best come back and beg mis- 
 tress's pardon, or else there was no sort of 
 doubt but that you would certainly go to — 
 
 go to—" 
 
 " I understand you, John. You may give 
 my compliments in return, and tell the Captain 
 that I am sorry I must run the chance. And 
 here, John, is something for the carriage of my 
 goods and chattels." 
 
 John pocketed the money, and gave me a 
 knowing nod of acknowledgment. " If you 
 please, sir," said he, " I advise you to mind 
 what you 're at ; for I heard the captain tell 
 mistress, when master was out of the way.
 
 RAFF HALL. 243 
 
 that he'd show her how to he the ruin of 
 you." 
 
 " Never mind, John ! Tell him you heard 
 me say, that I hope he will not show her how 
 to be the ruin of folks nearer home." 
 
 " Yes, sir," said John ; and tugging his lank 
 hair, and giving the carpet a scrape with his 
 nailed shoe, he was soon heard ruml)ling oflf 
 with his empt)' cart. 
 
 My friend the rector would not hear of my 
 leaving his hospitable home until my future 
 plans were finally arranged; nor Mould he 
 suffer matters of such importance to be de- 
 cided upon without due deliberation. As, 
 however, my old habits had now undergone 
 a thorough revolution, and I was completely 
 roused from the torpid existence in which I 
 had grown up, I was determined to indulge in 
 no delay but such as prudence rendered ne- 
 cessary. I stayed at the Rectory but one week, 
 which was busily employed in consulting with 
 my good friend the Rector on the subject of 
 
 R 2
 
 244 RAFF HALL. 
 
 my intended profession; and I never went 
 from home till the last day of it, in the hope 
 that my cousin might yet reflect that he was 
 was treating me unworthily, and come over 
 to see me. But he never came. On the last 
 day I mounted my horse, and rode round to 
 all the families who had shown me civihty, 
 to pay my farewell visits. Some were not at 
 home, some bade me adieu with regret, and 
 some, as I fancied, showed less cordiality than 
 usual. This troubled me exceedingly, for it 
 was amongst those M^ho were the particular 
 favourites of Eugenia. I set it down for mis- 
 taken zeal in the cause of Mrs. Block, who 
 having been a part of the establishment at RafF 
 Hall, might still be supposed an object of Miss 
 Kochford's patronage ; and had no doubt that 
 my conduct had been represented in colours 
 which a little time would prove false. StiU I 
 was hurt, and regretted that the arrangement 
 of my plans obliged me to leave the country 
 without an explanation.
 
 RAFF HALL. 245 
 
 And whither was I going? And what 
 was the profession upon which my friend and 
 I had ultimately resolved? The first that 
 we had considered, was that to vrhich he did 
 so much credit himself; but I felt the church 
 to be a calling in which the gaieties and vani- 
 ties of youth, which I had no disposition to 
 lay aside, would be out of place, and liable to 
 censure. It would never do to be of ques- 
 tionable merit in whatever community I en- 
 rolled myself, for I certainly had stored up no 
 spare material to patch future holes in my 
 coat. To the army I was equally disinclined, 
 for there was little chance of distinction in 
 time of profound peace, and little pleasure in 
 tramping through the gutters under military 
 despotism, for one who had never known any 
 rule but his own. Medicine and merchandize 
 produced but a limited fame, the first amongst 
 elderly ladies, and the second amongst rapa- 
 cious old gentlemen ; and, notwithstanding my 
 respect for these venerated societies, it was
 
 246 BAFF HALL. 
 
 my business just now to shine in other eyes. 
 The fairest opportunities were afforded by the 
 bar. Here there was nothing to cramp my 
 abihties, if I had any. I might branch off to 
 literature or politics, or any whim that seized 
 me, without being accountable to archbishop 
 or commander-in-chief; without being exa- 
 mined by the College of Physicians, or having 
 my books overhauled for the income-tax. I 
 should defy molestation like a porcupine, and at 
 the same time be able to discharge a quill in any 
 direction I pleased. Besides, what an extended 
 reputation did tne aw afford ! To have my 
 speeches reported in the newspapers, and can- 
 vassed all over the country ! Fancy depicted 
 the bright eyes of Eugenia dropping tears over 
 my pathos, and her lovely mouth wreathmg 
 smiles over my wit. The law was my choice. 
 My friend gave me a letter of introduction to a 
 special pleader in the Temple, and I turned 
 my back upon the scene of all my joys, hopes, 
 and fears, like a bird from the wild woods, 
 
 (I
 
 RAFF HALL. 247 
 
 seeking to be encaged in a city from devotion 
 to the mate of his bosom. 
 
 Oh^ Avhat a desolate world is London to the 
 stranger ! At least, so was I made to feel by 
 my country education, so little conducive of 
 tact to turn changes to advantage. On the 
 frozen Alp, I thought, or the pathless Prairie, 
 I could have found myself comparatively at 
 home. I could have filled my heart with the 
 contemplation of nature, and felt myself under 
 the protection of its guardian spirits. But in 
 the hurrj-ing crowd, and clouded atmosphere 
 of the city, there was no possibility of imagin- 
 ing any influence but that of man ; no leisure 
 to make acquaintance with even your own sen- 
 sations, and no chance of attracting a thought 
 from Ijeings who appeared to have scarcely 
 enough for tliemselves. A situation like mine, 
 however, has been often described l)y Ijetter 
 hands. I will only add to it, that the chill on 
 my heart was soon dispelled by the recollection 
 of my chief impulse to encounter it. I found
 
 248 RAFF HALL. 
 
 my way to the special pleader, who undertook 
 to put me in the right way to fame ; paddled 
 up the green but not fresh alleys of the 
 Temple, to a den of tattered parchments, where 
 I paid the fees, and took apartments up a 
 quarter of a mile of narrow, dark, triangular 
 stairs, with a fine prospect of dead wall abreast 
 of me, and the varied odours of a sink beneath. 
 Alas, for the captive steed, transferred from 
 his noble wilderness to the stall, the halter, 
 and the manger! Alas, for the drooping 
 songster, whose leafy groves, and glittering 
 sprigs, give place to the naked wires, the wooden 
 trough, and the stinted cistern of lead ! I 
 could now enter into their feeUngs ; but they 
 were both better off than I. Tliey had a master 
 or a mistress to pamper and be proud of them, 
 but I was a captive that excited neither pride 
 nor sympathy. This was a sad trial to my 
 energies ; but I knew that glory was not to be 
 had cheaply. 
 
 In a few days I was surrounded by as many
 
 RAFF HALL. 249 
 
 musty mysteries of my calling as would have 
 made the reputation of a wizard. Heaven 
 forfend that I should reward the patient rea- 
 der, who has accompanied me thus far, by a 
 catalogue of all the laws, with their progeny 
 of conflicting interpretations, which formed my 
 rampart of parchment and calf^s-skin, against 
 the pomps and vanities of the world ! Deeply 
 would he groan in spirit to find justice so 
 buried from human ken, that her fair propor- 
 tions can only be seen by the labour of the 
 Augean stables. I myself groaned ; but as 
 the work was to be done, my gloomy field of 
 action offered little inducement to be long 
 about it. Mine Avas no capricious attack, like 
 an hurra of Cossacks — a tremendous bustle, and 
 then a flying retreat. I sat down before the 
 strong holds of learning, and stormed them, 
 chapter by chapter, with a spirit that deserved 
 to conquer. My wits eat their way, like a 
 hoard of white ants, through all opposing diffi- 
 culties, and would have found their rich prey
 
 250 RAFF HALL. 
 
 though it had been cased up in heart of oak. 
 The old woman, whom I entertained as my 
 honourable housekeeper, because she had 
 sprung up amid the dust of learned tomes, 
 iised to dread that my midnight vigils would 
 set the Temple on fire ; and the special pleader 
 with whom I spent the day, found it enough 
 to do to give me work. 
 
 At last the long vacation was over, and my 
 solitude was somewhat l^roken by the neces- 
 isity of dining " in Hall" to keep my first term. 
 I was introduced to an old sharp-eyed attor- 
 ney, who looked like a starved cormorant, as 
 a sort of protector and master of the ceremo- 
 nies on the occasion. At four o'clock the 
 black-robed tenants of these mazy passages 
 were seen darting round the corners, like evil 
 spirits amongst the catacombs. They were all 
 going to dinner; and my guide hurried me 
 along to get a good place. A tap at something 
 like the door of a chapel gained us admission 
 to a passage, at a table in which stood an un-
 
 RAFF HALL. 251 
 
 dertaker-like man, before a book which would 
 have held the sins of the world from the time 
 of Adam. Tliis book I found contained 
 nothing but the names of lawyers; a sad 
 indication that the profession had good need 
 to make work for one-another. A cross 
 was put against my name, as a voucher that 
 I was at all events one dinner towards the 
 conclusion of my noviciate. My unlearned 
 garments, as well as those of the cormorant, 
 were then enveloped in a sable robe, and we 
 entered the Hall for our share in " the feast 
 of reason." 
 
 The walls were lofty, arched like a chapel, 
 and abundantly enriched with simply carved 
 oak, in M'hich was inserted the arms of the 
 numberless worthies who had there eaten their 
 way to the Bench. There was a long table on 
 each side ; one for the students, and all below 
 the bar, and the other for the barristers ; at 
 the upper end was a cross-table for the elders, 
 who being better judges, took good care to
 
 252 RAFF HALL. 
 
 get a better dinner. When we had all taken 
 our places, there was a loud smack at the upper 
 table, like the crack of a hunting whip, and 
 I found this to be the signal for grace, which 
 was said or read by one in a black gown, just 
 as if he was pleading to the judge for his life, 
 with the rope already round his neck. It 
 appeared to me that he need not have been 
 in such a hurry, for he was only an under- 
 strapper, who was to get no dinner for his 
 pains. When he had done his long story, of 
 which I never could catch a single word, he 
 raised a large book which he held in his hands 
 and gave the table another smack, by way of 
 signal to fall to. 
 
 My friend informed me that our long double 
 row was divided into messes of four persons 
 each, the first of whom had the first cut, then 
 came the turn of the knife and fork opposite ; 
 afterwards the maltreated joint re-crossed the 
 table diagonally, and then again, as at first, 
 the bones were passed direct. Altogether it 
 
 1
 
 RAFF HALL. 253 
 
 was something like a country-dance, where 
 the person who stands last has the worst 
 sport. That last person happened to be 
 the luckless stranger, and the first was my 
 experienced guide, whose black drapery and 
 bloated visage, crowned by an upright top- 
 knot of grey hair, gave him very much the 
 appearance of a Poland cock. The first dish 
 that ran the gauntlet, was a raw leg of mut- 
 ton, which, being stripped of the eatable 
 parts by my three predecessors, could have 
 tempted nothing short of a cannibal. The 
 wine that Avashed down this treat, and en- 
 livened my considerate friends for the rest 
 of the day, and some part of the night, was 
 furnished as a footing, by the victim who got 
 none of it. The second course was a roasted 
 chanticleer, whose drum-sticks stuck out long 
 and strong as the shafts of a tilbury, and who 
 seemed to cut up as tough as if he had roused 
 his neighbourhood for the last dozen years. My 
 cormorant had here also the first cut, and gave
 
 254 RAFF HALL. 
 
 liimseK a wing and all that side of the breast ; 
 his opposite neighbour did the same j and by 
 the time the poor old pride of the farm-yard 
 had " changed sides and back again/' he had 
 but one leg to stand upon. This was all I 
 got; and as I tugged away at his sinews, I 
 thought he would have clawed my eyes out. 
 Tlie repast finished with an apple-tart, which 
 I have no doubt, was exceedingly good, for 
 those who could crack the crust ; but for my 
 own part, I was afraid of my teeth. Before 
 it was quite discussed I saw the personage who 
 had gabbled grace, consulting one of the 
 judges with the large book which had been 
 used to smack the table. I had the curiosity 
 to ask what was the matter, and my messmates 
 informed me that the old gentleman was order- 
 ing dinner for the next day. This, when his 
 mouth was still full, was cruelly trying to the 
 feelings of one who had obtained nothing but 
 an ineffectual bite ; l)ut I thought it was the 
 way to learn the law, and hoped for better
 
 RAFF HALL. 255 
 
 things to-morrow. Another smack, and ano- 
 ther gabble, gave us notice to quit as soon as 
 we pleased ; and, leaving my mess to the en- 
 joyment of bad wine and worse jokes, both at 
 my expense, I returned to my gloom with 
 something very like disgust.
 
 256 RAFF HALL. 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 About midnight I heard my httle attorney, 
 M'ho lived on the same stair-case, coming up 
 to bed, not merely elevated Avith the perqui- 
 sites of my initiation, but, in unsophisticated 
 phrase, outrageously drunk. 
 
 " My dear fellow," said he to another of the 
 mess, who was in the same happy state, and 
 had undertaken to see him to bed, " I won't 
 go a bit beyond this landing-place, so do be 
 advised, and don't push me any further — 
 now don't — you know you are excessively 
 tipsy, and in common politeness, I am bound 
 to see you home.'^ 
 
 " Now do excuse me, Mr. Sharp," replied 
 the other, " I won't yield in politeness to 
 any man. Pon my life I wo'n't — and so if 
 you wo'n't go quietly to bed; you drunken old
 
 RAFF HALL. 257 
 
 dog, I mean to carry you on my back." Here 
 followed a great scuffle of politeness, each pro- 
 testing that it was no trouble at all ; and I be- 
 lieve Mr. Sharp was at last fairly horsed, for 
 down came both parties rolling against my door. 
 " There now," exclaimed iVIr. Sharp, '' you 
 see what a thing it is to be intoxicated. Really 
 now, it is not good in law to lay your sins at 
 the door of Mr. ^laltravers.'^ 
 
 " Is that Mr. Maltraver's door ? I '11 do 
 myself the honour of calling iipon him. It 
 would not be well bred, nor friendly either, 
 to omit paying our respects. But mind you 
 pretend to be sober now, because Mr. Mal- 
 travers is very sober; and you know he is 
 going to the bar, and may have a cause against 
 you some day for drunkenness and disorderly 
 conduct. There now, if you ^11 just lean over 
 the banister and look like a criminal, as you 
 are, these old blind stairs will do for the 
 gentlemen of the jur)', and that lying lamp 
 that shows every thing double, shall be witness 
 
 VOL. I. S
 
 258 RAFF HALL. 
 
 for you; because you know you have no 
 chance of acquittal^ unless your merits are 
 multiphed, you old fox, you/' 
 
 " Now this won^t do at all," stammered 
 Mr. Sharp, who entered seriously into the 
 proceedings. " I appeal against the legality 
 of the court, and I shaU remove the trial by 
 certiorari, because, you see, there is no judge." 
 
 " That I overrule, you prevaricating old 
 sinner. The judge is asleep, all according to 
 law ; but if you want another you may call the 
 old woman who makes your bed. And of 
 course you have pleaded not guilty, because 
 yovi are given to lying. So here goes Mr. 
 Maltravers, Gentlemen of the Jury, you will 
 please to direct your eyes towards that shrunk- 
 shanked, brandy-faced varlet at the bar, for I 
 need hardly call any witness against him but 
 his own looks. He \vas bred to the green bag, 
 but has always been such a rogue that nobody 
 ever gave him a job in his life. He gets drunk 
 every day upon the footing of new comers.
 
 RAFF HALL. 259 
 
 and he ^11 get hanged at last without any foot- 
 ing at all/' 
 
 " My Lord/' interrupted Mr. Sharp, "^ I 
 beg with all submission to object to the course 
 which my learned friend is adopting. It is 
 highly irregular to foretel what may be the 
 verdict of the jury." 
 
 Here a legal altercation took place; then the 
 pleadings were continued ; and then the lamp, 
 the witness of the accused, was examined and 
 cross examined, and finally admitted that he 
 had lighted Mr. Sharp home every night for 
 the last forty 3'ears, but had never seen him 
 sober. He was accordingly found guilty, and 
 sentenced to be put to bed. But I doubt, after 
 all, whether the sentence could have been 
 carried into effect, if I had not gone out as 
 assistant executioner. 
 
 This scene had the effect of establishing an 
 intimacy between Mr. Sharp and me, which 
 would perhaps have never otherwise taken 
 place. He considered himself bound in a sort 
 
 s 2
 
 260 RAFF HALL. 
 
 of Freemasonry to one who had been intro- 
 duced to his faihngs so intimately ; and turned 
 outj with some httle foibles, a very amusing 
 and sometimes rather useful acquaintance. 
 He told me, when he was sober, that I need 
 only dine twice more in the Hall, and be 
 " marked in'^ a third time, to secure my Term, 
 and that in order to relieve me from entire 
 solitude, he would every now and then have 
 the pleasure of dining with me in my cham- 
 bers. In this, he was obliging enough to keep 
 his word, and as he took no offence at being 
 turned out when I was tired of him, his com- 
 pany was certainly better than nothing. He 
 likewise informed me when any trial of par- 
 ticular interest or utility to my studies was to 
 take place, and accompanied me to the student's 
 box. I observed he was exceedingly anxious on 
 eveiy occasion that the prisoner should be ac- 
 quitted, and I gave him great credit for 
 humanity, but found I had mistaken ^^his, 
 motive.
 
 RAFF HALL. 261 
 
 " You are a young lawyer^'* said he, " to 
 hope that our rogues may be transported. 
 We can expect no sjDort if we send the game 
 out of the preser\-e. Your rogue convicted 
 is hke a tiger that has tasted blood. If he 
 ^ets loose it is ten chances to one but he 
 is brought up again and again for other of- 
 fences. There are some characters in town who 
 are a regular income to their attorney and 
 counsel, and very meritorious we are bound to 
 think them." 
 
 I give this little sentiment of Mr. Sharp, 
 because it was the worst I heard him profess. 
 He was a bat that never flitted from the som- 
 bre purlieus of the Temple and the Courts of 
 Law, and was quite ignorant of all sorts of vices 
 which prevailed beyond them; so that his 
 companions (the tyros of the Hall, for the old 
 stagers thought him infra dig.) had small evil 
 to apprehend from his example, beyond an 
 atrocious propensity for bad wine and pro- 
 fessional jokes.
 
 262 RAFF HALL. 
 
 After I had been in close combat with my 
 folios for two months, I thought, or perhaps 
 tried to think, my health wovild be benefited 
 by a short trip to the country. Mr. and Miss 
 Rochford were about this time to return to 
 RafF Hall, and my longing desire to see them 
 and receive their commendations for the de- 
 cision and perseverance which I had shown in 
 shaking off my life of sloth, began to disturb 
 my sleep and interfere with my studies. I 
 had determined to take my place in the mail, 
 when my heart was set beating by the sight of 
 a letter from my friend the rector. I broke it 
 open full of eagerness for his news, and \^ith a 
 tremor of undefinable apprehension, for I had 
 no interest "reposed in any other spot on the 
 globe. It began with anxiety to hear from 
 me, and with hopes that I was not doing more 
 than was consistent with my health. Then 
 came a paragraph beginning with " I am sorry 
 to inform you," and my breath came shorter. 
 
 " I am sorry to inform you, that since your 
 
 I
 
 RAFF HALL. 1:63 
 
 departure, events have taken place here which 
 are calculated to cause you some pam. About 
 a week ago, we were surprised by a visit from 
 Miss Haythorn's guardian, who informed us, 
 without entering into any reasons for such a 
 step, that he had travelled from the continent 
 for the purpose of taking her away. She 
 was compelled to leave us at a moment's 
 warning, to our great mortification, and this 
 feeling was much increased by a suspicion 
 that the poor girl had incurred high displea- 
 sure. Whither she is gone we have no idea, 
 for no hint of her future arrangements was 
 given either to us or to her. 
 
 " This extraordinary circumstance, of course, 
 nduced an inquiry as to what could possibly 
 have caused it. The enemies you had both 
 made at Mr. Block's, with the vengeance said 
 to have been breathed against you, afforded me 
 some '(Amq to proceed on, and the result of 
 my week's work is the discovery tbat you 
 have been the victim of much misrepresen-
 
 264 RAFF HALL. 
 
 tation. It is unnecessary to repeat all the 
 tales in circulation, l)ut one of them describes 
 the quarrel with Mrs. Block to have been 
 occasioned by her expostulations on your con- 
 duct with her late charge, and is backed by an 
 alleged confession on your part that she had 
 clianged her^ residence at your desire. So fair 
 a theme could not stop there, and many go 
 so far as to say that your behaviour has been 
 marked by falsehood and ingratitude toM'ards 
 Miss Rochford ; that you were for months 
 received as a suitor to whom her attachment 
 was as firm as it was flattering, and this at the 
 very time that the affair was going on at the 
 cottage. Mr. and Miss Rochford have not re- 
 turned, therefore I cannot say how far they 
 join in the prevalent opinion." 
 
 The rest of the letter went on to assure me 
 what care should be taken to defend my 
 character, esj^ecially at the Hall, and that I 
 should be immediately informed if any thing 
 new transpired.
 
 RAFF HALL. 265 
 
 This then was the encouragement Avhich 
 
 fortune gave to my first attempts at doing 
 
 good ! This then was the distinction at which 
 
 I was to arrive after all my pains and toils ! 
 
 To be considered a contemptible villain by the 
 
 only being for whom life was Avorth possessing ! 
 
 I beheve I had stood staring at the letter, and 
 
 wondering if I had rightly understood it, for 
 
 about a quarter of an hour, when my old 
 
 woman knocked at the door and introduced a 
 
 gentlemanly young man who was a stranger to 
 
 me. 
 
 " I have to apologize," he began, " for in- 
 truding upon you at an early hour, but my 
 business is not of a nature to wait. I am sent 
 on the part of Mr. Fleetwood, Lieutenant of his 
 
 Majesty's frigate, the ." 
 
 The name was new to me and I conceived there 
 must be a mistake, but it was shortly explained 
 that Mr. Fleetwood had been for some time 
 the accepted admirer of Miss Haythorn, though
 
 266 RAFF HALL. 
 
 certain family objections might have prevented 
 any allusion to him. 
 
 I now saw that the plot of my history \Mas 
 thickening, for there could be little doubt as to 
 what was to follow this beginning, and I re- 
 garded him with the cool attention of a bull 
 preparing to be baited. 
 
 ^' You probably anticipate, sir," he con- 
 tinued, "the unpleasant errand which has 
 been imposed upon me ? Mr. Fleetwood has 
 lately arrived from a foreign station, and, 
 having heard that the young lady was under 
 the protection of Mr. and Mrs. Block, lost no 
 time in seeking her at their residence, from 
 which it was found that you had been the 
 means of removing her.'' 
 
 I replied that I was fully aware of the slan- 
 ders which were added to this information, and 
 was sorry that Mr. Fleetwood seemed inchned 
 fo prove himself unworthy of Miss Haythorn's 
 affection by giving credit to them. The ill
 
 RAFF HALL. 267 
 
 return wliicli I received for having risked, I 
 could scarcely estimate how much in deserving 
 his gratitude, disposed me but little to the offer 
 of explanations which were not asked ; but still, 
 indignant as I was and had a right to be, I was 
 not without wit to perceive that the omission 
 of any endeavour to dispel the misunderstand- 
 ing would make me guilty of all the evils it 
 might occasion. My first attempt, however, 
 was arrested by a polite expression of regret 
 that it was unnecessary, and that my visitor's 
 instructions left him no discretionary powers 
 respecting the course to be pursued. After 
 this, he could have no further business than to 
 request the name of some friend with whom 
 he might confer. 
 
 For a moment, I felt at a loss, for I had not 
 an acquaintance in all London whom I con- 
 sidered produciljle on such an occasion, but 
 necessity reconciles us to strange make-shifts. 
 
 I left the room and tapped at the door of 
 Mr. Sharp. He was still in bed, with his
 
 268 RAFF HALL. 
 
 usual morning head-ache, and, from the 
 tumbled state of the covering from which he 
 protruded his illuminated lantern jaws, ap- 
 peared to have had a restless night. The 
 news, however, that I had business of import- 
 ance for him was a very effectual restorative, 
 and he sprang up with alacrity to listen what 
 was the matter. I begged him to perform his 
 toilet, which was very soon accomplished, for 
 he was not over particular, and during the 
 operation I communicated to him the disagree- 
 able situation in which I Avas placed ; with no 
 more of the particulars, however, than were 
 absolutely necessary. 
 
 Mr. Sharp considered for a keen instant. 
 " It is not exactly in the way of business to 
 break the law ourselves ; but hang the attorney 
 who cannot supply his employer with anything 
 in the world — short of a conscience. A friend 
 you shall have, but it cannot be me, you know, 
 because I must be attorney for the defence in 
 case you kill your adversary, Avhich I hope and
 
 RAFF HALL. 269 
 
 trust you will." "With that, he called to our 
 mutual old woman and bade her step to a 
 young Irish student whom he named, and who 
 made his appearance, undertook the business, 
 and was introduced to my stranger, all in five 
 minutes. 
 
 I returned, during their conference, to Mr. 
 Sharp, Avho was clearing decks for action ; tliat 
 is to say, he was SAveeping a space on his rub- 
 bish table for a large sheet of foolscap, which 
 I found was to contain my last Avill and tes- 
 tament. 
 
 " You know, my dear boy ! every bodv 
 ought to be prepared against accidents, and I 
 shall only charge you as a friend. By the bye, 
 I M'onder if the enemy would like to make his 
 will too." 
 
 My friend's eagerness for employment would 
 have been highly amusing at any other time, 
 but the astounding news which had brought 
 with it an event certain of giving it general 
 publicity, threw me into absolute despair.
 
 270 RAFF HALL. 
 
 Even if Mr. and Miss Rochford should be 
 generous enough to believe me blameless^ the 
 notoriety of a duel in such a cause would array- 
 public opinion against me so strongly that they 
 never after could listen to me without flying 
 directly in its face. My prospects seemed un- 
 done, and I cared for nothing further in the 
 world. I replied to Mr. Sharp that he need 
 not trouble himseK, for I had no heir who had 
 a better claim than the king. The pen Avas 
 laid aside with reluctance, but the ever active 
 mind of Mr. Sharp was immediately employed 
 upon a new subject. 
 
 " The doctor ! God bless me, I had well 
 nigh forgotten the doctor ! I know a young 
 man just beginning to walk the hospitals, who 
 promises to be a wonder ; performs an amputa- 
 tion with such nerve as never was seen, and 
 will be glad to do it worth the money." 
 
 It was impossible to help a bitter sort of 
 smile at this serious recommendation. '^ Do 
 you not think," I replied, " that you might
 
 RAFF HALL. 27l 
 
 pick up one who wonld answer the purpose in 
 Fleet Market ? " 
 
 " No, no, now you are in joke, but I ^11 take 
 care the lad shall be in readiness — and then, 
 and then, let 's see what else I have to pro- 
 vide." 
 
 ^' You have not yet mentioned the under- 
 taker," I suggested ; " is there no rising man 
 that you would patronize in that line ? " 
 
 " No, my dear fellow, but there are plenty 
 of raising men mIio make the thing worth con- 
 sideration. But I hope it will not come to 
 that. We will rather take lodgings for you in 
 the King's Bench on a verdict of manslaugh- 
 ter. I know the folks there well. You may 
 leave all that to me." 
 
 I afterM'ards heard that Mr. Sharp was a 
 great recommender, and was supposed to 
 raise a little per centage upon his good 
 offices, but lie had not time to offer more be- 
 fore Ave were joined by my new friend, who 
 turned the conversation by informing me that
 
 272 RAFF HALL. 
 
 in order to accommodate the other party, 
 whose ship was lying in the Thames, my next 
 scene of distinction was to take place the sam.e 
 night (being moonlight) on the banks of that 
 river, and in the neighbourhood of the first 
 gibbet.
 
 RAFF HALL. 273 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 I CAN hardly tell how the remainder of the 
 day passed. I only know it was the idlest I 
 had spent for some months, as I felt there was 
 little use in storing my mind when I was per- 
 haps just ahout having a hullet through my 
 body. If, when my first surprise had subsided, 
 my feelings assumed something of a vindictive 
 character, the peculiar hardness of my case 
 will, perhaps, plead my excuse. My resent- 
 ment was certainly first due to my cousin and 
 Mrs. Block, but they had conducted them- 
 selves with such contemptible baseness that I 
 scarcely gave them a thought. Against the 
 neighbourhood, which had been guilty of no 
 
 VOL. I. T
 
 274 RAFF HALL. 
 
 oiFence, except believing a tale which had no 
 doubt been made exceedingly probable, I felt 
 a degree of anger which was both unjust and 
 ungrateful j but against my intended adver- 
 sary, who, from the nature of his feelings, was 
 more liable to delusion, and really more par- 
 donable than all the rest, I was so exasperated 
 as to long for the moment of our meeting. 
 That he should not have had faith in his Mary 
 superior to all assault, even though his frequent 
 and long absence at sea precluded him from 
 forming any judgment of her beyond her at- 
 tractions, proA^ed him clearly an insensible 
 monster. That he should sacrifice her reputa- 
 tion to his wounded vanity, stigmatised him as 
 a selfish, inhuman slanderer. It seemed to me 
 that I had not only my own cause to defend, 
 but that of the injured girl also, and I deter- 
 mined that if he carried through his outrage 
 successfully, it should not be for want of my 
 good will to prevent him. 
 
 As the long day drew towards the Temple
 
 RAFF HALL. 275 
 
 dinner-time, the busy steps beneath my window 
 kept me in constant apprehension that my en- 
 gagement might have got wind, and that officers 
 were in search of me to bind me over to the 
 peace. The chance of such an event brought 
 the blood into my cheek with shame. It would 
 brand me with the charge of having myself 
 contrived the interruption ; it would make my 
 opponent triumph in ha\'ing dared me in vain ; 
 it would present me before the averted eyes of 
 Eugenia as a craven, whose timely falsehood 
 had, perhaps, saved her from a disgraceful at- 
 tachment. At last, however, the hour arrived 
 without any occurrence to prevent the exploit 
 for which it had been destined, and I stole 
 forth to the spot at which it had been arranged 
 that I should meet my companion. From 
 hence we made our way to the river, where we 
 hired a boat, and dropped with the tide towards 
 the scene of action. 
 
 It was a cold November evening, with a 
 frosty haze, which made the various craft in 
 
 T 2
 
 276 RAFF HALL. 
 
 our passage look twice the size of reality, and 
 woiild have given them, to a fanciful mind, an 
 air somewhat spectral. The scene was dreary 
 as my thoughts, but my heart was too busy to 
 feel the chill ; my friend too, as the moment 
 approached for business, became more sensible 
 of his serious undertaking, and we went on in 
 silence ; the first words that broke it were from 
 one of the boatmen, after he had passed the 
 East India Docks, and sounded, in our present 
 circumstances, rather ominous. 
 
 " There gentlemen," said he, pointing to an 
 object which cleft the pale horizon from the 
 low bank of the river, " you will soon come to 
 the gallows now." 
 
 It was not far from this fatal tree, which was 
 still graced with the dried and dwindled figures 
 of three or four malefactors, that our voyage 
 came to an end. 
 
 We walked to a spot from whence we could 
 not be descried by our boatmen, and looked 
 down the river for the other party. The moon
 
 RAFF HALL. 2/7 
 
 had now risen^ but for some time showed us 
 nothing but the discouraging prospect of the 
 gibbet. The note of a few noisy herons, which 
 Avere stalking and flapping about the mud in 
 its neighbourhood, seemed like cries from the 
 poor manacled skeletons, and I should hardly 
 have been surprised to see our work of death 
 witnessed by such a band of the un1:)uried as 
 are said to wander by a river which might just 
 then have been very like the Thames. I had 
 worked m^'self up into a state of horrid ro- 
 mance, and talked lightly of being, in the 
 course of a few minutes, a ghost myself. When 
 considerately reminded by my friend that I 
 might have some last commands in case of ac- 
 cidents, I told him that I had nothing to leave 
 but a few curses, which I might, perhaps, have 
 the pleasure of delivering in person. 
 
 A distant clock now struck eight, which was 
 the time appointed, and at the same moment 
 we perceived a speck approaching up the river. 
 It was not long in reaching the spot where wc
 
 278 RAFF HALL. 
 
 stood, and proved to be, what we expected, the 
 boat of a man-of-war. Two persons stepped 
 ashore, and one of them, Avhom I recognized 
 by his voice to be the visitor whom I had re- 
 ceived in the morning, desired the crew to drop 
 down the tide, but remain within hail. My 
 companion then stepped forward, and received 
 a pohte apology from the same voice for having 
 kept us waiting. The two then retired to 
 settle preliminaries, and I remained contem- 
 plating the man who had given the last and 
 most aggravating addition to my provocations, 
 and had thought fit to abide the concentrated 
 result of them all. He stood with his arms 
 folded, and looking on the water, but I was 
 unable to distinguish more than his figure, 
 which was manly and not unworthy of the 
 taste of her on whose account we met. I 
 fancied that his attitude did not show quite so 
 much of the hot-headed, hectoring character as 
 I expected ; indeed, I was not quite sure that 
 it was not desponding and bending under heavy
 
 RAFF HALL. 2/9 
 
 affliction. This last idea^ however, was ba- 
 nished by the determined calmness with which 
 he raised his head on the return of his second, 
 and obeyed the direction to strip. Again I 
 was interested, by seeing him deliver a letter. 
 The imperfect light deceived him as to my 
 proximity, and I heard a few words of his con- 
 versation. 
 
 " Give it to her own hand," he said. " No 
 reproach — she will feel enough." The rest was 
 spoken too low to reach me; but I had dis- 
 tinguished enough to conjure up a picture 
 which shook my nerves strangely. Poor Mary 
 Haythorn ! I had never in the tumult of more 
 selfish feeUngs, given a thought to what her 
 suiferings might be if the lover of her innocent 
 heart were dismissed beyond the power of re- 
 turn. But there was now no time for reflection. 
 My coat, waistcoat, and hat, had already been 
 cast upon the ground, and we were led without 
 delay to the spot which had been measured at a 
 short distance from us. We were told the signal
 
 280 RAFF HALL. 
 
 for firing, and our friends retired a few paces 
 out of the line. At this moment my adver- 
 sary called out, " Stop a moment." My heart 
 swelled with a hope that he was going to offer 
 some accommodation, for what I had heard 
 had dispelled much of its bitterness. But I 
 was disappointed, 
 
 " Mr. Maltravers," he continued, " is stand- 
 ing in full relief against the moon. I wish for 
 no unfair advantage." 
 
 These words, and the unhappy tone in which 
 they were uttered, did much more towards 
 making me a respecter of the law than did 
 the miserable victims hung up for a warning 
 upon the gibbet. I changed my position with- 
 out speaking, and found that by doing so, I 
 had placed my adversary in one which was 
 exactly similar, the vivid reflection of the moon 
 on the water being just behind him. There 
 was, however, no necessity to return his admo- 
 nition. The signal was given, and in the same 
 instant I felt myself struck in the side ; but I
 
 RAFF HALL. 281 
 
 stood long enough to show that I could have 
 fired steadily, had I been so disposed. I then 
 discharged my pistol in the air, and fell back 
 with a full conviction that my troubles had 
 come to a close. 
 
 I had no sooner fallen than my antagonist, 
 who ran up to me in, apparently, great emo- 
 tion, to ascertain how far I was hurt, was hur- 
 ried away by his friend, and in a moment or 
 two my companion was assisted in his charge 
 of me by the young surgeon who, as is usual on 
 such occasions, had happened to be jDassing 
 close by. They were both of them, as I have 
 already described, young stvidents in their pro- 
 fessions, and I had very soon good reason to 
 regret it ; for, though one was a surgeon and 
 the other an Irishman, I could perceive that 
 the perilous turn of affairs had frightened them 
 almost out of their senses. They were a pair 
 of those inconsidcrates who, never having had 
 occasion to learn the exact measure of their 
 courage, are a great deal more ready for bold
 
 282 RAFF HALL. 
 
 undertakings than folks more experienced ; but 
 the hero of the dissecting-table who would 
 have volunteered to trim the splinters of a 
 prostrate regiment had no more nerve to offi- 
 ciate on a living subject than had his colleague, 
 who had heard of nothing all his life but mur- 
 ther and bloodshed, to decide what to do with 
 a dying one. Instead of looking for my wound, 
 which neither of them dared to uncover, they 
 kept dancing round me with their hair stand- 
 ing on end, as though I had been a crippled 
 tiger; and vrhilst I was expecting to be told 
 whether I was hurt mortally, the necessary 
 information on that head was equally expected 
 to proceed from myself. 
 
 " Och, thunder ! " exclaimed my second. 
 '^ Who would have thought of such a divil of 
 an accident as this ?" 
 
 " Good Lord !" responded my surgeon, ** if 
 he 'd only say where he is hit, we might guess 
 what to do." 
 
 " Ouns, Doctor ! He's killed, is n't he ?"
 
 RAFF HALL. 283 
 
 " Should n 't wonder^ 'pon my soul ! How 
 are you, Mr. Maltravers ? How do you feel 
 yourself ? " 
 
 " He can n ^t speak, Doctor ! An't that a 
 bad sign ? " 
 
 " 'Pon my life, I should say it was, de- 
 cidedly." 
 
 I had made several struggles to raise myself 
 up, each of which was pronounced to be my 
 last, before they summoned courage to support 
 me — when they did so, and found me already 
 much stained with blood, and so faint that my 
 head fell Hke a dead weight upon my shoulder, 
 they exclaimed at once that it was all over, 
 and, dropping me in a panic, took manfully to 
 their heels.
 
 284 RAFF HALL. 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 The chillness of the air was not long in 
 restoring me to a consciousness of my situa- 
 tion, and, had I been incUned to doubt the 
 fatal effects of my wound, the prospect of sur- 
 viving those of a night in such a desolate and 
 swampy region was certainly not over cheering. 
 Indeed, considering my inability to call out 
 and the little likelihood of being heard if I did, 
 together with the extreme loneliness of the 
 spot, the most that 1 could hope was to be 
 found in the hay-making season, next year; 
 when I might possibly be raked up to furnish 
 an attractive paragraph for a newspaper, under 
 the head of " Horrible Discovery." The free-
 
 RAFF HALL. 285 
 
 doms which I had taken with my neighbours 
 on the gibbet in cutting braggadocio jokes 
 upon them, smote my conscience with some- 
 thing bordering on a superstitious dread, and I 
 almost exjDected them to come and claim my 
 engagement to join the world of ghosts. My 
 fears were carried a little further by one of the 
 herons before noticed, which came flapping 
 towards me, and then sheered off with an 
 eldritch scream of alarm. I had not presence 
 of mind to recall whether or no he had the 
 same propensities as the vulture and the cra-- 
 rion crow, but all things appeared to increasa 
 my need for a timely rescue. About ten 
 minutes had elapsed since the desertion of my 
 friends, when my indistinct and filmy vision 
 was attracted by the approach of tvro figures, 
 of which I could not distinguish the outline 
 nor any thing else excepting a double, perpen- 
 dicular, row of large white eyes. Presently 
 they seperated and prowled about in different 
 directions, my reeling imagination giving tlieni
 
 286 RAFF HALL. 
 
 other appendages quite as monstrous as their 
 organs of sight. How shall I describe the 
 horror with which I shrunk when one of them 
 turned his course directly towards me, and 
 made a dead pause of discovery within a few 
 yards ? The next moment he cried out with 
 such notes of comfort as I shall never forget. 
 
 ^' I say, Dannel Rullocks," were the Avords, 
 " if here an't one of them, I 'm blow'd ! " 
 
 The white eyes turned out to be the broad 
 metal buttons on the jackets of my watermen, 
 who had been all this time awaiting their fare ; 
 my surgeon and second having scampered 
 across the fields as the most secure means of 
 escape. Happily, these men were gifted with 
 better nerves, and if they could not afford the 
 best medical advice in the world, they, at least, 
 knew that the most necessary step towards a 
 cure was to take me home. 
 
 " Lord Gimini," observed Daniel, as they 
 lifted me between them, and bore me towards 
 the boat, " if Ave had n 't heard the crack o' the
 
 BAFF HALL. 287 
 
 pistols what would ha' become of you, Master, 
 the Deuce only knoAvs.'^ 
 
 " Aye," said the other, " and I 'm blest if 
 it an't a baddish job as it is ; for set in case 
 the gen'leman dies in our hands, and can't 
 give no e\'idence in our favour, I 'm blow'd 
 if they won't say it 's us as has put an end to 
 him. I knowM a chap once as was cotcht in 
 just the same manner to a nicety, excepting it 
 was a httle different, seeing as he had picked 
 up a body one night as was drown ded, and 
 was a pulling up the river for a doctor, when 
 what sliould come a'ter him but the Cus- 
 tom House boat to see what he had a-board ; 
 so he says, says he, ' Blow me but this won't 
 do ; for, if they catches me and finds a dead 
 man, I shall be pulled up for it, and there 's 
 no saying how high, and so here goes ;' and 
 away he pulled like a good un, but it was all 
 of no use for t'other was a four-oar, and in 
 they ran upon him. ' Hullo, my hearty,' 
 says one on 'um, "^ you 're a pretty tightish
 
 288 RAFF HALL. 
 
 puller ; so just let us see what you 're in such 
 a hurry for;' so he puts his hands into the 
 wherry, and the first thing he catches hold on 
 is a pair of long legs, as stiff as a pair of 
 tongues. They says no more, hut they whips 
 a pair of darbies on him, and has him away to 
 quod for all he could say." 
 
 " You don't say so ! " replied Daniel, who 
 was assisting to lay their jackets in the bottom 
 of the boat and to tie a handkerchief over my 
 hurt; ^' and what became of him at last ? " 
 
 " Why, a'ter a time, he gets loose again, 
 sure enough, but a narrow escape he had, and 
 when I sees him a'terwards, I says, says I, now 
 mind what I says, for you 're but a young 
 chap, as the saying is, and when you has a 
 body as is dead, or so far gone as he can't give 
 no account of himself, and the Custom House 
 comes a'ter you, why you just take the ballast 
 of your wherry and tie it round the neck of 
 the fare and sink un just as you would a keg 
 of spirits. — I say, sir, how be you noAV ? "
 
 RAFF HALL. 289 
 
 It is not to be doubted that, after the fore- 
 going conversation, I made a point of appear- 
 ing as well as I could ; and, with the under- 
 standing of a liberal reward for their trouble, 
 my sinewy trustworthies commenced re-trac- 
 ing their course to the Temple. Whether I 
 was ever to get there appeared to depend 
 so mainly upon my not becoming contraband, 
 that I took pains to attend to all that passed, 
 in order, as occasion required, to give tokens 
 of vitahty. 
 
 " Weiy said Daniel, resuming the conversa- 
 tion as soon as we were fairly afloat, " and I 
 suppose there was a Crowner's Inquest upon 
 the body ; and, after examining a score or two 
 of witnesses, and sitting boxed up for a week, 
 they just finds a werdict of ^ Found Drownded,' 
 ■which every body knowed from the first, as 
 they thought; and yet, mayhap, they was 
 wrong a'ter all." Daniel then proceeded in a 
 lower and more mysterious tone : " There 's 
 chaps here, as is no doubt on, who, when they 
 
 VOL. I, U
 
 290 E.AFF HALL. 
 
 gets a fare as is a little overtaken with regard to 
 liquor^ or such like, can take the gold watch 
 out of his pocket, and shove a pewter one in 
 the place of it, and the notes out of his purse 
 and leave the silver, and make him look as 
 like a haccidentally drownded as if he had 
 jumped in of his own accord." Here I gave a 
 slight cough, and the man proceeded : " But, 
 speaking of a body as is found, and who has 
 the best right to it, my sentiments is these — 
 If so be it is alive, why it naturally belongs to 
 itself, and nobody can^t dispute it ; but if it 
 s dead, why then it ought to be the perquisites 
 of the waterman as fishes it out, for a good 
 body as has n't been in the water too long is 
 worth a matter of five pound or more, accordin 
 as it happens. There ^s a young doctor chap, 
 what's a scholar of St. Bartlemy's Hos- 
 pital, as asked me scores of times to look out 
 for un down tide, and says if I'll hook un out 
 a subject he '11 make it worth ten jjound to me, 
 by sharing it with five or six more of 'em
 
 RAFF HALL. 291 
 
 One night I carries heme a parcel for un, and 
 he says, says he, "^ Dannel, if you comes into 
 my workshop Til show you summut/ and what 
 was it but an atomy as danced about upon the 
 walls, for all the Avorld like them long gaffer 
 long legs, and all the veins was filled with 
 sealing-wax, and stuck out as stiff as the horns 
 of a boiled lobster. I say, master, you b'ant 
 no worser, be you ?" 
 
 " Oh, no ! " I rephed, in the voice of a 
 dying man, " I am getting better and better 
 every moment/^ 
 
 Such was the agreeable style of converse 
 which enlivened my return from the field of 
 battle; but, however exciting the situations 
 which it ])rought before me, I preferred them 
 infinitely to the occasional moments of silence 
 which left me in the dark respecting the exact 
 occupation of my companions' thoughts. There 
 were grounds for very reasonable doubts upon, 
 the result of them, and though I really had 
 small hopes of lasting many hours, I had no sort 
 
 u 2
 
 292 RAFF HALL. 
 
 fancy for any abridgment of them. In fact, I 
 experienced strongly that which has, I suspect, 
 been experienced by every one else who has lain 
 in expectation of a sudden leave-taking, and 
 considered my moments very much the more 
 precious in proportion to their fewness. It 
 was a bitter reflection that I was perhaps cut 
 off before I had done a single thing in the 
 world which could make me worth the trouble 
 I had cost in rearing to man's estate ; that I 
 was making my exit without leaving the slight- 
 est trace that I had ever made my entry ; that 
 I could only be recollected as having been in- 
 ferior to thousands who had proved that my 
 years at least had been sufficient to achieve a 
 better monument ; and that Eugenia (and this 
 was the keenest pang of all) would be obliged 
 to acknowledge that I had not fulfilled her pre- 
 dictions. Til oughts like these made me afraid 
 of death, not for death's sake, but because a 
 little more life was necessary to my pride. 
 At last my boatmen lay upon their oars ; and
 
 RAFF HALL. 293 
 
 Daniel, who was nearest to me, leant his head 
 over his shoulder in a consultation of whispers. 
 Lying, as I did, in the bottom of the boat, and 
 unable to move, I could not, of course, see 
 anything beyond the planks, and my breath 
 came short with the expectation of being pre- 
 sently called upon to croAvn my enterprises 
 by an expedition to the bottom of the Thames, 
 with the facilitating appendage of a baliast- 
 bag. 
 
 " If we could do it without waking of him," 
 said Daniel, a little louder, " it would be all 
 the better." 
 
 "Good Heavens !" inquired my heart, " can 
 they really be such villains ?" 
 
 " I'm blest if I thinks there's any fear of 
 waking of him," replied the other, ^' for he 
 ha'n't spoke this quarter of an hour. I'm 
 much more afeard of somebody's seeing us." 
 
 " In the name of Heaven," I articulated, 
 " what are you going to do with me ? " 
 
 Why, master," was the answer, " we can- 
 
 ti
 
 294 RAFF HALL. 
 
 not exactly tell. We was a thinking of put- 
 ting you ashore, and leaving somebody else as 
 is bettei' judges to do the rest. We can't 
 just tell, you see, how far the law may say we 
 have a hand in this business, seeing that we 
 took you to the place, and stood by whilst you 
 was a' breaking the peace." 
 
 Finding the matter to be no worse, and that 
 we really had arrived at the Temple, I soon 
 mustered wits enough to overcome their hesi- 
 tation, and procure their assistance to my 
 chambers. It was very late, and we encoun- 
 tered not a soul until the door was opened to 
 us by my wondering old woman, to whom it 
 was explained that I had met with an accident, 
 and required to be laid on my bed. Having 
 safely deposited their burthen, my bearers took 
 their leave, and I was not sorry to get rid of 
 them. They were not actual cut-throats, as 
 was proved in their resistance to the tempta- 
 tion afibrded by myself, but they seemed so 
 ready to take advantage of circumstances, that
 
 RAFF HALL. 295 
 
 it was hard to believe they were in no danger 
 of sometimes doing so prematurely. A man 
 who was already three parts dead required so 
 little to finish him, that they no doubt con- 
 sidered they deserved credit for having stood 
 ■upon so much delicacy. The old woman hav- 
 ing followed them down stairs in quest of a 
 doctor, I was once more left to ache in soli- 
 tude, and wonder how it would all end. 
 
 I had not been alone more than a few mi- 
 nutes Avhen I heard the door open, and two or 
 three people enter. At first I apprehended 
 that my friends of the boat had come back for 
 a few last words, for the curtains had been 
 drawn close round me. I was soon undeceiA'^ed ; 
 and knowing from the tone of the voices that 
 I was not likely to be any great gainer by 
 claiming their attention, I lay quite stiU, and 
 with as much curiosity as could be felt in such 
 a situation, to hear what they had to say for 
 themselves. 
 
 The speakers were a trio, two of them stoutly
 
 296 RAFP HALL. 
 
 exculpating themselves from the accusations 
 of the third, who spoke in a high querulous 
 note, not very unlike an enraged parrot. 
 
 *' As I hope to be saved/^ he cried, " this 
 will be the very worst case that ever was brought 
 into a criminal court, and whether you are 
 both hanged or not, 'pon my soul I don't care. 
 It 's a hundred to one against you, I can tell 
 you that ; and as for the attorney for the de- 
 fence, find him where you can. He wasn't 
 killed; — I'm sure he wasn't. People never 
 are killed outright in duels ; hit 'em where you 
 will they always furnish half a dozen bulletins 
 for the newspapers; and here you have run 
 away and left him to the crows, and spoilt your 
 own surgeon's bill, and deprived his heirs and 
 assignees of the benefit of his last will and 
 testament. Poor Maltravers ! God bless my 
 soul, not to have made his will ! But there 's 
 one comfort still — yes, there is one comfort, 
 for you '11 both be hanged for it. The verdict 
 must be wilful murder against all the parties ;
 
 RAFF HALL. 297 
 
 and if the jury recommend you to mercy they 
 will deserve to be hanijed as well." 
 
 *" Zounds, Mr. Sharp ! " Tlius did the other 
 two yoke their ideas in response ; " What 
 was the use of bringing home a dead body, ex- 
 cept to let every body know how much we 
 were concerned in the affair, and to help you 
 into the mess as well as ourselves ? For you 
 don't suppose we are going to be tried for our 
 lives without showing who was first to blame 
 in finding second and surgeon, and doing all 
 he could to get up the duel, in the hope of 
 making a little job for himself. Let us be 
 tried and hanged as soon as you please, but if 
 we don't make you one of the party never 
 trust us." 
 
 The young gentlemen had worked them- 
 selves up into a fit of indignation as well as 
 terror, and poured down such a shower of re- 
 proach and menace upon poor Mr. Sharp that 
 he was fain to implore a more moderate tone 
 of voice and a little more patience, declaring
 
 298 RAFF HALL. 
 
 that all he had said was owing entirely to his 
 sreat orrief for his friend Maltravers, and his 
 "unwillingness to believe that he was actually- 
 dead. If, however, the ball had gone clean 
 throvigh his heart, as they had stated, there 
 could be no sort of doubt that he was to all 
 intents and purposes defunct. And the only 
 thing now to be considered, was, whether it 
 could by any means be discovered by what 
 hands deceased had come to his death, and 
 whether it would be advisable, as in ordinary 
 cases, to seal up his effects ? to which purpose, 
 I should say, I was now indebted to Mr. 
 Sharp's appearance. A little cool and friendly 
 consultation caused this intention to be changed 
 and brought out the legal acumen of Mr. 
 Sharp as brilliantly as did every other trans- 
 action in which he happened to be engaged, 
 drawing forth the profound opinion, that if de- 
 ceased's effects were sealed iip, it would pro- 
 bably raise a question as to how his friends 
 chanced to know of his death. This was con-
 
 RAFF HALL. 299 
 
 elusive reasoning for leaving the said eifects 
 alone and minding their own business ; and, in 
 accordance with this highly professional advice, 
 all the parties agreed to adjourn to Mr. Sharp's 
 chambers, and consult upon the best course to 
 be pursued with respect to the late lamented 
 Mr. Maltravers's remains. Hearing them 
 about to depart, and being unwilling to cause 
 them more trouble than was necessary, I made 
 an effort to raise myself upon my elbow, and, 
 just as they were taking a melancholy survey 
 of the chamber, introduced through the bed 
 curtains, my pale and suffering visage, marked 
 Avith deep stripes by the occasional application 
 of my blood-stained fingers. Mr. Sharp flung 
 doAvn the candle with a cry of panic ; the other 
 two, whose nerves were in no condition to sus- 
 tain any fresh accumulation of horrors, tumbled 
 over the table in the dark, and rolled shouting 
 upon the floor. 
 
 '^ What did you see ? " Gasped out Mr. 
 Sharp, " What did you see ? "
 
 300 RAFF HALL. 
 
 ^•' Oh, thunder ! " repUed my second ; " It 
 was himself, every bit of him ! " 
 
 '^ The door ! " added the young surgeon : 
 " Find the door, and let us be off as fast as we 
 can ! " 
 
 '' Good Lord ! " shuddered one, " who would 
 have believed such a thing ? " 
 
 " His ghost, upon my soul ! " added a 
 second. 
 
 " I hope you will believe noiv that we did 
 not leave him till he was dead ? " concluded a 
 third ; and at this juncture the door was opened 
 from without, and my old woman entered, 
 lighting in the first apothecary she had been 
 able to knock up. 
 
 " Hey day,'^ screamed my worthy house- 
 keeper, " what's all this kicking and sprawling 
 about in my poor young master^s sick room ; 
 as if he was only dead drunk like the rest of 
 you ? You ought to be ashamed of yourself, 
 Mr. Sharp, to be a' setting of the young gen- 
 tlemen such a good-for-nothing example at
 
 RAFF HALL. 301 
 
 your time of life, and teaching them to roll 
 about in' the gutters as often as you can get 
 them to stand treat. It 's a shame, that 's 
 what it is ! and the end of it will be that you 
 will break your neck, or be run over by a 
 hackney coach. I have told you so for this last 
 thirty years, and if you don 't go along to bed 
 and get sober, I '11 call the watchman to take 
 you, that 's what I will ! " The old lady went 
 on with a deal more excellent morahty before 
 she could be convinced that, for once in his 
 life, Mr. Sliarp really had given no provocation 
 for it ; but as I am bound to believe that the 
 reader who has persevered thus far, in a work 
 of such grave precept and example, has no sort 
 of need for it, I shall content myself with re- 
 cording the foregoing sample. 
 
 The eclaircissement which followed was 
 made to the very great satisfaction of the 
 parties most concerned, who expressed their 
 joy, and explained their conduct, in a style of 
 vehemence which made me glad to assure
 
 302 BAEF HALL. 
 
 them that every thing was quite satisfactory. 
 Happily, the medical assistance more recently 
 provided for me was of a more practical 
 character than that afforded by the young 
 student ; the strange gentleman having attracted 
 a great deal of notice in the neighbourhood of 
 Temple Bar by the nightly exhibition of certain 
 large globular bottles, which showed the passers 
 by in all the ghostly and demoniac colours of 
 a potentate, whose name I have too often taken 
 in vain. A sign so blazing gaA^^e him, of course, 
 all the street accident practice as far as the 
 next turning which shut him out of sight ; and 
 to such favourable auspices I could have no 
 hesitation in submitting the care of my re- 
 covery. The surgeon, encouraged by the pre- 
 sence of another able practitioner, was all of a 
 sudden too adroit by half, and pulled out his 
 pocket instruments to cut for the bullet, Avith 
 as much confidence as he would have shown 
 had my carcase been as dead as he had de- 
 scribed it. Whilst the two operated, the rest
 
 RAFF HALL. 303 
 
 held the candles, and aiForded the various cries 
 to my various contortions^ and considering (I 
 suppose) under these encouraging circum- 
 stances that I had no longer need for my own 
 senses, I really felt a very great relief in resign- 
 ing them, and going off into a quiet fit of 
 dehrium. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 J. B. Nichols and Son, 25, Parliament Street.
 
 Los Angeles 
 This book is DUE on the last date stamped below. 
 
 1 L9- 
 
 -15?)i-10,'48(B1039)444 
 
 ■'\7_:.. ..r^ij,-f*sr 
 
 f" A 
 
 ^Y 
 
 TnVTTVl^.' 
 
 iWnflB^.TW A
 
 i- t y jy *■ L>.n I I ixn I.J « 
 
 V.l 
 
 )00 3b/55b a