28
WYLDER'S HAJVJ}.
singularly unpleasant, and greatly resembled those of
some not amiable animal — was it a rat, or a serpent?
I might be all in the wrong — and was, no doubt, un-
reasonable — for he bore a high character, and passed for
a very gentlemanlike man among the villagers. He was
also something of a religious light, and had for a time con-
formed to Methodism, but returned to the Church. He
had a liking for long sermons, and a sad abhorrence of
amusements, and sat out the morning and the evening ser-
vices regularly — and kept up his dissenting connection
too, and gave them money — and appeared in print, in all
charitable lists — and mourned over other men's back-
slidings and calamities in a lofty and christian way, shak-
ing his tall, bald head, and turning up his pink eyes
mildly.
Notwitstanding all which he was somehow unlovely iu
my eyes, and in an indistinct way, formidable. It was
not a pleasant misgiving about a gentleman of Larkin's
species, the family lawyer, who become viscera magna-
rum domvm.
CHAPTER VI.
IN WHICH DORCAS BRANDON SPEAKS.
In answer to " the roaring shiver of the gong" we all
trooped away to luncheon. Lady Chelford and Dorcas
and Chelford had nearly ended that irregular repast when
we entered. My chair was beside Miss Brandon; she
had breakfasted with old Lady Chelford that morning, and
this was my first meeting that day. It was not very en-
couraging.