L I B RA FLY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 U N IVLRSITY 
 
 Of ILLI NOIS 

 
 %\
 
 ME. AND MS. A'SflETON. 
 
 THE AUTHOR OF 
 
 MARGARET AND HER BRIDESMAIDS, 
 "THE LADY OF GLYNNE," &c. 
 
 " Be satisfied; 
 Something thou hast to bear through womanhood — 
 Peculiar suffering answering to the sin ; 
 Some pang paid down for each new human life ; 
 Some weariness in guarding such a life — 
 Some coldness from the guarded ; some mistrust 
 From those thou hast too well served ; from those beloved 
 Too loyally, some treason ; feebleness 
 Within thy heart, and cnielty without ; 
 And pressures of an alien tyranny, 
 With its dynastic reasons of larger bones 
 And stronger sinews. But go to!— thy love 
 Shall chant itself its own beatitudes, 
 After its own life-working. A child's kiss 
 Set on thy sighing lips, shall make thee glad ; 
 A poor man served by thee, shaU make thee rich ; 
 An old man helped by thee, shall make thee strong. 
 Thou shalt be served thyself, by every sense 
 Of service which thou renderest."— jE. B. Barrett. 
 
 m THREE VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, 
 SUCCESSORS TO HENRY COLBURN, 
 
 13, GREAT MARLBOROUGH STREET. 
 1860. 
 
 Ihe right oj Translation is reserved.
 
 LONDON : 
 
 printed by r. born, gloucester street, 
 regent's park.
 
 
 o 
 t 
 
 ^ 
 
 ^ 
 
 €\ih fale, 
 
 IS DEDICATED TO 
 
 THE THREE CHILDREN, 
 
 WHO MADE SUNLIGHT FOR THEIR MOTHER, 
 
 ON THE DARKEST DAY.
 
 Digitized by the Internet Archive 
 
 in 2010 with funding from 
 
 University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign 
 
 http://www.archive.org/details/mrmrsasheton01stre
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 THE MOST DIFFICULT FOR THE AUTHOE TO WRITE, STILL 
 MORE SO FOE THE READER TO UNDERSTAND. 
 
 *^And yet it is a despicable world." 
 
 These words came, as it were involunta- 
 rily, from the lips of one whose appearance 
 indicated little reason for so saying. He bore 
 about him none of the marks that might 
 betoken him to be an ill-used denizen of 
 this anomalous world. On the contrary, he 
 was well gifted with the exterior advan- 
 VOL. I. B
 
 2 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 tages of health, strength, and comeliness; 
 while his dress had that air of quiet ele- 
 gance that belongs to the highly-born and 
 wealthy aristocracy of England. His air 
 — his demeanour — bore the impress of per- 
 fectness — save the expression of his face 
 — that told its own tale. As his eyes wan- 
 dered over a landscape in which a sea, 
 a beach, masses of rocks blended with 
 woodlands, an undulatory verdure of meadows, 
 with ripening corn-fields, all alike gilded 
 and brightened by a summer's sun, an in- 
 voluntary admiration gave to his face a 
 charm, the only one it lacked. But as he 
 drank in one lovely scene after another, it 
 clouded over. The sight of human beings 
 evidently destroyed to him the beauty of 
 the landscape ; and not even the pictur- 
 esque forms of the fishermen, busy about 
 their herring-cobles, found favour in his 
 sight.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 3 
 
 •^ So beautiful, so fair a world, yet so 
 barbarous a race to inhabit it." 
 
 If he said not these words, his face ex- 
 pressed them all too plainly. Each fresh 
 group of the last and greatest work of the 
 Almighty but increased his disdain of them. 
 
 And yet, if he had been asked he could 
 not have reasonably declared that one of 
 these despised beings had ever seriously in- 
 jured him. They merely clashed against an 
 over-fastidious mind, that fretted itself into 
 an habitual discontent from an habitual war- 
 fare against them. 
 
 All that he could see around him — 
 the earth teeming with riches, the rose- 
 bedecked cottages embosomed in greenest 
 foliage, the lordly mansion holding high 
 guardianship over wood, field, and dwelling — 
 all that he could see on land was his, or, 
 rather, would be his, in virtue of heirship ; 
 nothing but sea and sky, that was within 
 
 B 2
 
 4 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 compass of his vision, owned other sway 
 than his own. For though his father was 
 yet living, such was the confidence placed 
 in this the only son, that the elder 
 Mr. Asheton ruled but through the 
 wishes of that son, and issued no other 
 commands than those which were already 
 desired by the younger. 
 
 Born with every advantage that the most 
 favoured son of Fortune could desire, few 
 were so truly unfortunate in the results. 
 His wealth but fed the morbid exclusiveness 
 of his feelings — his position helped to pre- 
 vent that collision with the world which a 
 profession would have forced upon him. 
 And his family heaped up stone upon stone 
 of pride and prejudice, until he was walled 
 m behind a mass of habits, rules, and cere- 
 monies, that destroyed every chance of his 
 being happy himself, or making others so. 
 
 Yet was he gifted from birth with kindly
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 5 
 
 dispositions, a generous heart, a frank nature ; 
 in the school of over-refinement and fastidious 
 notions he had not yet discovered the use of 
 such good qualities. He was clever, but his 
 talents were useless, being entangled in a net 
 of prejudices. He felt that yearning or va- 
 cancy of brain and heart, which a really good 
 and fine disposition will experience when its 
 possessor leads an idle and useless life, but he 
 had not the slightest conception how to rid him- 
 self of it. Had he been advised to mix with his 
 fellow mortals, and partake of their duties 
 and pleasures, he would have shuddered as 
 children do at nauseous physic, and turned 
 from the adviser with gentlemanly and 
 courteous disgust. For, let him be ever 
 so bored — let him have a sudden and 
 unexpected encoimter with loud, healthy, 
 and irrepressible vulgarity, he always 
 acted with the utmost refinement of polite- 
 ness. Though sufiering tortures mentally,
 
 6 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 he, fortunately born an Asheton, never for- 
 got it. They were not without the idea 
 (which, though unspoken, was, neverthe- 
 less, an accredited notion among them) that 
 Ashetons had been created, and born among^ 
 and lived with the rest of the world, 
 as shining lights for the purpose of showing 
 what it ought to contain, and that, but for 
 these Ashetons, it would sink at once into a 
 receptacle for clods of the very earth from 
 which they came; an immense bore to the 
 Ashetons, and a grievance that put a mark 
 upon all their countenances, sealing them 
 with the unmistakable stamp of elevated 
 noses and declining mouths. And it was 
 in reference to the perpetuating the race of 
 Asheton, a gift so necessary to the world, 
 that was putting young Mr. Asheton into 
 an extra state of pettishness and disgust 
 this lovely July morning. 
 
 Only the evening before had his parents
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 7 
 
 been delicately insinuating how they longed 
 to see him married. It was against the 
 rules of the Ashetons to discuss so delicate 
 a matter openly. Yet, ever since his birth, 
 no other thought had occupied the minds of 
 his adoring parents, than who could, or 
 would, prove a fitting mate for one so 
 faultless as their Godfrey. The peerage had 
 been consulted, royal princesses glanced at, 
 noble and illustrious commoners by no means 
 ■ neglected. As in the case of the superiority 
 of the Asheton race being a sort of family fact, 
 felt, but not mentioned, so was the mar- 
 riage of the young heir of Asheton Court 
 always the uppermost thought in the minds 
 of those most interested in him, yet never 
 openly discussed. But he was now twenty- 
 seven years old. How it had come to pass 
 that none of those little ladies born in the 
 same fortunate year, and whose ducal 
 fathers, or countess mothers, had so negli-
 
 8 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 gently married them to anyone, without 
 coming to seek for the peerless Godfrey, 
 they could not explain. 
 
 To ordinary mortals, it was obvious 
 that, unless they ventured out into the world 
 themselves to show their wares, the buying 
 and selling in their matrimonial market would 
 be on a very limited scale. No princess 
 came within the horizon of their hemi- 
 sphere. Even one of their own stamp, a 
 wealthy and ancient house, unennobled but 
 by their own deeds, was a scarce article 
 in their visiting-list; and it was not with- 
 out a species of wondering regret that 
 Mr. and Mrs. Asheton, in counting up the 
 number of families to whom they might 
 deign to ally themselves, started to find 
 how exclusiveness, and all the train of 
 dulness that follows, had diminished the 
 list. No one came in state to demand 
 their Godfrey. It never occurred to them
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 9 
 
 to go into the world they so much de- 
 spised, and seek some stray pearl fitted for 
 him. They waited at home in royal state 
 and expectation, buoying themselves up 
 with imaginary hopes and somewhat extra- 
 vagant expectations. No one came. Their 
 Godfrey was still unwedded. 
 
 At first they were inclined to murmur 
 that heaven had been so unkind as not 
 to produce a feminine counterpart of their 
 Godfrey. Again, as years went on, they 
 ceased to murmur over an impossibility, and 
 began to question a probability, namely, 
 that — 
 
 *' Some of those they rejected before 
 Might now do vastly well." 
 
 They realised the truth of an old song. 
 In fact their anxiety was becoming un- 
 bearable; and provided Godfrey married 
 anyone of good birth, unquestionable beauty,
 
 10 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 and faultless manners, they would over- 
 look every other disadvantage. Then they 
 would require nothing further of heaven 
 than to permit them to see that the es- 
 sential race of Asheton was not likely to 
 become extinct. Like the more common 
 atoms of mortality, they would betake 
 themselves to dust and ashes, trusting their 
 souls to the general heaven foip- all, which 
 was so far amiable in them, because, from 
 the manner in which they kept aloof from 
 their fellow mortals on earth, it might 
 have been expected that they would de- 
 mand a peculiar abode for Ashetons in 
 heaven. They were not wholly unreason- 
 able. In fact, if an impartial judge had 
 to pronounce an opinion upon them, he would 
 have said, '^They were good sort of people 
 in their way, and no one's enemy but 
 their own.'* 
 
 They were in ignorance of the fact that
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 11 
 
 they owed it wholly to themselves, they had 
 not yet discovered how full of hidden beauty 
 and modest virtue is this much-abused world 
 of ours. What they lost by their exclu- 
 siveness ; what they missed by their over- 
 sensitiveness ; what they never saw by the 
 fear of seeing too much ; what was unknown 
 to them, because they were enclosed in a 
 fog of Asheton scruples, everyone knew 
 but themselves. Upon the whole, narrow 
 as they had made their circle, and straight- 
 ened as was the horizon of their experience, 
 they were people of enlarged and generous 
 views. They were also, as people of that 
 peculiar bent are, open to any amount of 
 " gullism," which, when their natural good 
 common sense penetrated it, only increased 
 their family disgust of the human race. 
 Models of truth and honour, they turned 
 aside a subterfuge, and swept away an ar- 
 tifice, with unsparing rectitude. Thus they
 
 12 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 were highly respected and entirely dis- 
 liked. 
 
 However, we must return to young Mr. 
 Asheton. He knew his parents wished him 
 to marry, and he certainly desired to oblige 
 them. As one mode of doing so, he wan- 
 dered by the sea, recalling to mind all the 
 young ladies whom he had ever known, as a 
 means of selecting one, and the result, sad to 
 say, was expressed in those memorable words 
 with which we began this chapter. 
 
 Diving, as novelists have the privilege to 
 do, still deeper into the heart of Mr. Ashe- 
 ton, we shall there discover that, much as 
 he had reason to be disgusted with the 
 male sex, he thought humanely of them in 
 comparison of the other. 
 
 " Why, why did not heaven grant my 
 father and mother the reasonable number of 
 sons that other less gifted families than ours 
 possess? I should then have been able to
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 18 
 
 devote my life to their society and comfort, 
 rejoicing in their companionship alone, while 
 my brothers could have perpetuated our 
 honoured name. Why was I bom so ex- 
 clusively an Asheton? What injustice to 
 me, of Fate, of Nature, of Education, to 
 make women so peculiarly obnoxious, so 
 utterly unfeminine, so unwomanly in their 
 ways — so unlovely." 
 
 " Sir, pray help us ! " 
 
 Godfrey started. Upon his arm lay a 
 little hand, whose fingers looked like, and 
 touched him as if they were, flakes of 
 snow. 
 
 A fresh girlish face, innocent and lovely 
 as the visions in a child ^s dream, looked up 
 earnestly to his. 
 
 " My cousin is afraid. See ! she sits 
 there, and the tide has risen ; she fears to 
 be drowned ; you did not listen to her calls 
 so I have come to ask your aid."
 
 14 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Godfrey's ideas were running upon his last 
 words, ^' unfeminine, unlovely." He had to 
 recall them both on the spot, though she 
 was dripping with wet, and the spray hang- 
 ing on her disordered curls. 
 
 " Sir, pray help us," she repeated. 
 
 "Willingly," he answered at last, "but 
 how?" 
 
 " You must go up to that rock, and carry 
 her down. I have baen twice, but she is 
 afraid to trust me." 
 
 He looked at her wet garments, and then 
 glanced at his own faultless and dry con- 
 tinuations. 
 
 "Yes," said she, as if in answer, "they 
 will get very wet ; but if you will go and 
 comfort her, I will run for one of the fisher- 
 men." 
 
 "Not on any account/' answered he, cour- 
 teously; "why should I fear wetting any 
 more than yourself? "
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 15 
 
 A quick little sort of comical look glanced 
 up from her eyes to his, then she became 
 demure, as if to make up for even the wish 
 to laugh. 
 
 ^' Your cousin is, I see. Miss Flower. 
 She ought to have known the rapid 
 movements of the tide on this shore, 
 surely." 
 
 **It seems she did not," answered the 
 little grave maiden. 
 
 " And you ? — did not you know ? " he 
 asked. 
 
 "No; I have feeen here but a short 
 time." 
 
 "I thought so; I do not remember to 
 have seen you before." 
 
 The shrieks of the lady on the rock 
 now rose loud and shrill, caused by the 
 somewhat rude embrace of a white-crested 
 wave. The little maiden looked up doubt- 
 ingly into Mr. Asheton's face. He smiled.
 
 16 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 She did not then know how rare such a 
 smile was, but she was fully alive to the 
 beauty of it. He waited to see if she 
 meant to speak, but she appeared instinct- 
 ively to know he would do what he 
 could, without an order from her. 
 
 Pleased either with this silent mark of 
 confidence, or her prettiness, he waded 
 through the impatient hurrying waves, 
 regardless of the utter destruction of his 
 faultless boots, forgetting the cause of his 
 unwonted situation in the novelty of feel- 
 ing an interest about a female barbarian. 
 But that sensation vanished as he felt 
 himself suddenly clasped tightly round the 
 neck by a screaming woman, who implored 
 him to save her, in terms more energetic 
 than elegant. His slow and dignified 
 movements by no means kept pace with 
 her fears, and he longed to drop her 
 into the water, as she shrieked in his ear : —
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 17 
 
 "Oh! my goodness me, make haste, 
 make haste, will you ? I'll be drowned, 
 I know 111 be drowned ! " 
 
 One of the peculiar sensitivenesses of 
 the Ashetons was a weakness for good 
 grammar. It was with a great feeling of 
 relief that he deposited this desperate 
 violator of so many grammatical rules on 
 the sands, hoping to be rid of her. But still 
 in a high state of nervous agitation, she clung 
 the closer, the more he tried to release her. 
 
 The little maiden came to his rescue, 
 and, interposing her figure, gradually trans- 
 ferred the clutch of fear from his neck to 
 her own. 
 
 "Thank you very much, Mr. Asheton," 
 said she, and she glanced at his wet gar- 
 ments, as much as to say, "you will do 
 well to go home now, and change." 
 
 "You, also, ought to do the same," 
 answered he, aloud. 
 
 VOL. I. C
 
 18 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 ^^ Dear, dear, dear ! but am I saved ? 
 My goodness, what a fright I was in. I 
 thought I'd be drowned. I am sure I'll 
 never go there again — that I won't, and I 
 am so much obliged to you, Mr. Asheton." 
 
 "Nay, do not thank me. Miss Flower; 
 your little cousin deserves your greatest 
 thanks." 
 
 "That she does, a little stupid thing, as 
 if I would let her try to carry me ! We 
 should both have been drowned then, and 
 what a thing that would have been." 
 
 The innocent eyes of th'e little maiden 
 laughed, though she said nothing. Godfrey 
 actually convicted himself with the wish 
 that she would speak. He apologised to 
 himself by mentally saying she had a soft, 
 low voice, musical withal. 
 
 "Suppose we make a move homewards," 
 said he, graciously. 
 
 That is, he alone felt his manner was
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 19 
 
 urbane for him, because Miss Flower was 
 evidently yet absorbed in her own escape, 
 and the little Miss Flower was apparently 
 unaware of the peculiar gift of Ashetons, 
 and could therefore make no comparisons. 
 
 "Your cousin has not been with you 
 long, Miss Flower?" 
 
 " No, she has not ; that is, she came last 
 Wednesday week — I do not know, Friday — 
 was it Friday, or Wednesday? It couldn't 
 be Friday, that's such an unlucky day." 
 
 " It was Wednesday," interposed the little 
 cousin. 
 
 " Are you superstitious ? " asked Mr. 
 Asheton, turning to her. 
 
 " I think not. I take life as it comes ; 
 there is enough in every day, of good and 
 evil, without anticipating." 
 
 Godfrey was pleased. Beyond Miss 
 Flower's constant ejaculations of thanks and 
 bewailments, nothing more was said, but as 
 
 c 2
 
 20 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 he raised his hat to bid them adieu at his 
 own gate, the exceeding courtesy and defer- 
 ence with which he did it, drew a blush to 
 the cheek of the little unknown, while her 
 cousin said, "What a polite man he is."
 
 21 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 IN WHICH THE AUTHOR BEING WELL SETTLED IN THE 
 SADDLE, THE READER MAY SAFELY FOLLOW. 
 
 Mr. Godfrey Asheton was dressing for 
 dinner. His valet, apparently born for the 
 express purpose of waiting upon an 
 Asheton, betrayed not the most remote 
 symptom of astonishment at the unwonted 
 condition of his master's garments, A 
 spectator might have imagined it was the 
 daily routine of Mr. Asheton to wade 
 through sea-water, come home to dress,
 
 22 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 merely saying, as a matter of course, 
 "I no longer require that suit of 
 clothes." Not that his coat was much the 
 worse, but it shared the fate of the rest of the 
 suit. In consequence, it might strongly be 
 suspected, of the few tears that poor nervous 
 Miss Flower had shed upon it in her brief 
 possession of a citadel no other female had 
 ever stormed and taken. 
 
 Had these drops been of pure sea-water, 
 Mr. Asheton might have held them innocuous ; 
 but being human, of the race barbarian, of the 
 genus feminine, the coat was condemned at 
 once. 
 
 Mr Godfi-ey Asheton went down to dinner, 
 as faultlessly arrayed as if to dine with Her 
 Majesty. But that was only due to his 
 family. Any person ennobled by title, or 
 without the necessary quantity of limbs, 
 laying them down as useless appendages in 
 the service of his country), or a notable
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 23 
 
 inventor of patents, or a wonderful performer 
 on anything in any way, could dine with 
 Her Majesty. But to dine en famille with the 
 Ashetons was the privilege of none but an 
 Asheton. The dinner passed off nearly as 
 usual. A nervous young footman rattled two 
 plates together, which caused Mr. Godfrey 
 Asheton to remark to the butler : — 
 
 " That must not occur again." 
 
 "It shall not, Mr. Godfrey," was his 
 reply. 
 
 " Quite right, my dear son," said his father 
 
 " Unpardonable," murmured his mother. 
 
 Which remarks reduced the object of them 
 to a state of mental imbecility. Luckily his 
 services were not missed, two brother 
 footmen being at hand. 
 
 The repast ended, the desert arranged, the 
 wine poured out, Mr. Payne, the butler, took 
 one glance to see that- everything was as it 
 ought to be, and then, with a profound
 
 24 3IR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 reverence, retired. Had we been there, the 
 picture would have tempted us to linger 
 over the scene. 
 
 A large lofty room, on whose walls hung 
 pictures of stately dames and noble warriors ; 
 though life-size, scarce looked they so in 
 that spacious apartment. A bronzed chande- 
 lier, burnished with a golden edge, bore on 
 its many branches tinted crystallised globes, 
 that cast a lively glow on the table beneath, 
 while they were reflected back in miniature 
 gleams, and wreathless numbers — a whole 
 cluster in the rich chalice that held the sugar ; 
 a sparkling rosy lot, seen in the ruby wine, 
 one stamped on each purple grape, then, 
 large, full, and golden, on the yellow oranges, 
 until it was impossible to say where they were 
 not, the whole deeply coloured and enriched 
 by the reflection of crimson velvet curtains ; 
 while they, as most befitted, were enlivened 
 with broad golden borders, and heavy silken
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 25 
 
 fringe, tasselled with balls and cords of 
 bullion. 
 
 An ancient sideboard, deeply carved and 
 inlaid with mirrors, reached the ceiling, 
 reflecting back the pictures in various and 
 ever-changing forms. 
 
 Ordinary mortals might, perhaps, on that 
 summer evening, have drawn back the heavy 
 curtains, let in the soft summer night, and 
 feasted in the sweet twihght. But Ashetons 
 always dined by lamp-light ; and spite of the 
 cool loveliness without, the pictiu*e was beau- 
 tiful within. Neither did the magnificence of 
 the pictures at all detract from the appearance 
 of the living objects in the room. They were 
 all three worthy specimens of the race from 
 which they sprung; old age looking as lovely as 
 youth in the persons of Mr. and Mrs. Asheton. 
 
 It was not until Godfrey had critically 
 drank his first glass of wine that he spoke of 
 his adventure.
 
 26 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 " My dear mother, are you aware that 
 a third Miss Flower has come to the 
 Rectory ? " 
 
 Struck, as by an electric shock, that her 
 Godfrey should mention a young lady at 
 all, Mrs. Asheton was too truly an Ashe- 
 ton to exhibit the least emotion. 
 
 "No, my dear son, I never even heard 
 of another daughter.'' 
 
 " She is not a daughter— she is a cousin." 
 
 Mr. Asheton, (aroused like his wife): — 
 " Have you seen her, Godfrey ? " 
 
 Godfrey. "I saw her to-day, under 
 peculiar circumstances. She acted well." 
 
 A deep pause, during which Mrs. Ashe- 
 ton's thoughts, after the manner of femi- 
 nine thoughts, jumped to a thousand 
 conclusions, and galloped over an incredible 
 quantity of circumstances. Mr. Asheton, 
 being a man, and, therefore, less imagina- 
 tive, recovered soonest.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 27 
 
 Mr, Asheton, " May we ask, how, my 
 dear son." 
 
 To this question he graciously responded, 
 giving a short account of his adventure, 
 saying, in conclusion:- — 
 
 "There was a great contrast in the con- 
 duct of the two young ladies : one, quiet 
 and lady -like, the other — as she always 
 is." 
 
 Mr. Asheton. " True, my dear Godfrey ; 
 poor Priscilla Flower is much to be pitied 
 for a total lack of anything refined. It 
 is marvellous to me that her beautiful sis- 
 ter has not imparted to her some of her 
 grace and ease." 
 
 Mr. Asheton and his wife both east side- 
 long glances at their son. The eldest Miss 
 Flower was one of those whom, formerly 
 rejecting, they would now gladly accept as 
 a daughter-in-law. 
 
 If Godfrey saw these furtive glances, he
 
 28 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 paid no heed to them, but remarked with 
 quiet imperturbability : — 
 
 " An amalgamation would be quite im- 
 possible. The beauty and grace that Miss 
 Flower inherits from her Italian mother, 
 could never be grafted on the child of 
 the present Mrs. Flower." 
 
 N.B., and aside. Mrs. Flower was the 
 hete noir of the whole Asheton race. 
 
 Godfrey (continuing). ^^ And yet it is 
 strange that Miss Flower should not have 
 inherited, what I have always been told is 
 a peculiar mark of the Italian race, small 
 hands and feet." 
 
 Mr. Asheton (hurriedly). ^^Has Miss, — 
 has the new Miss Flower, the cousin, small 
 hands and feet ? " 
 
 Godfrey (dryly, as if speaking of a mummy.) 
 "Eemarkably so." 
 
 Mr. Asheton exchanged glances again 
 with his wife, whose ideas again flew off.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 29 
 
 She soon recovered, though, brought back 
 by the emergency of the case. 
 
 Mrs. Asheton, "It is about the usual 
 time that I call at Wood Head. Shall you 
 accompany me, my dear Mr. Asheton ? " 
 
 Mr, Asheton, " I shall be glad to do 
 so. It is some time, too, since we had 
 the Flowers to dinner." 
 
 Mrs, Asheton, " I will look in my 
 visiting-book. I think with you, Mr. Ashe- 
 ton, that the time is approaching when, 
 according to custom, they may be expect- 
 ing an invitation to dinner." 
 
 Godfrey, " How shall yoni go to-morrow." 
 
 Amazement kept both parents silent. 
 
 " If you use the chariot, I can ride ; 
 otherwise, my dear mother, with a groom 
 as outrider, I can drive you and my father 
 in the pony-carriage." 
 
 Mr, Asheton. "An excellent arrange- 
 ment."
 
 30 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Mrs. Asheton (her thoughts jumping far 
 into the future, so that, regarding this 
 visit as one of ceremony to a future Mrs. 
 Asheton, it ought to be performed en grande 
 tenue) "I rather think the chariot will 
 be the most proper. The new young lady 
 might take umbrage." 
 
 Godfrey (smiling in spite of himself). 
 ^^ Pardon me, dear mother; she appears 
 but a child. I scarely think she would 
 consider the visit to herself" 
 
 A little dismay entered the hearts of 
 both parents. Whatever castles they had 
 been building must now be pulled down. 
 She was only a child. 
 
 Meantime, another dinner was also 
 being served and eaten, about the same 
 hour, at which we again recognize Miss 
 Flower and her cousin. No graceful pic- 
 tures hang upon these walls, for in truth 
 the room is but low-roofed, and, though
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 31 
 
 spacious, has no look of lofty grandeur 
 as portrayed in the one we have just left. 
 There are three windows in it, all open 
 too — letting in the sweet scents and 
 sounds of a flower-garden. But the third 
 is oriel built, and hangs over the sea, 
 until it became no great stretch of fancy 
 to imagine oneself within the deck cabin 
 of one of Her Majesty's largest ships. 
 Well worn was the carpet within the 
 window space; rarely was the low seat 
 that surrounded it unoccupied; it seized 
 a stranger's fancy at once, irresistibly im- 
 pelling him to sit therein, while to the 
 occupiers of that house, what stores of 
 thoughts, feelings, words could not that 
 oriel window divulge? To what breathings 
 of conflicting emotions had it not been 
 privy? And what everlasting changing pic- 
 ture did it not give back in return, each 
 most lovely of their kind?
 
 32 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 No velvet curtains, with embroidered 
 border, clung lovingly around this beau- 
 tiful window, but those of well glazed 
 chintz, gorgeous with cabbage roses, and 
 banded with green trellis-work, as if to 
 make believe that roses grew out of the 
 waves. "Within the room, the last rays 
 of the sun reflected back no images of 
 himself in burnished silver or golden fruit, 
 but, on the contrary, glanced provokingly 
 upon the round, good-tempered face of the 
 young lady of the morning's adventures. 
 In vain she moved her chair, called the 
 sun names, and finally jumped up ener- 
 getically, and drew down the blind, ex- 
 claiming : — 
 
 " What a tiresome thing the sun is ! " 
 
 "Oh, cousin!" 
 
 Low was this said by her little com- 
 panion of the morning, and heard by 
 none other. And she noticed it no fur-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 33 
 
 ther than putting on a certain expression 
 of countenance that said '^ stuff." 
 
 The room was not tidy, the appoint- 
 ments of the dinner-table were meagre and 
 common-place. The cloth was not straight, 
 the dishes ill-arranged, yet the sumptuous 
 adornments of Asheton Court, faded before 
 the fresh fair face of the young stranger. 
 
 It was no particular beauty of feature 
 or complexion, but the expression was so 
 innocent and confiding, the lips so freshly 
 red, the eyes so healthily bright and in- 
 telligent, and the figure so lithesome. 
 And yet, near her, in strong contrast, 
 such as few could have borne without 
 suffering in comparison, sat a young girl 
 in the fullest bloom of Italian beauty, 
 blended in a remarkable manner with the 
 Saxon ; much above the common stature, 
 with a faultless figure and that beauti- 
 fully-shaped throat and head that give 
 
 VOL. I. D
 
 34 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 a regal air to even faulty dimensions — dark 
 hair shading off into many rays of sunny gold, 
 with darker eyes and a fair complexion, Beatrice 
 Flower was an unusual type of beauty, and she 
 knew it, and so did all her family. And she 
 and they may all be forgiven for thinking 
 Asheton Court was no more than a fit- 
 ting offering to lay at her feet. And it is 
 astonishing that Mr. Godjfrey Asheton did not 
 think so too, despite her hands and feet being 
 larger than he deemed proper. In fact, it 
 is extremely probable that eventually, over- 
 come by relentless time, and no worthier ob- 
 ject presenting herself, Beatrice would have had 
 the vacant throne offered for her acceptance. 
 At the bottom of the table sat a fine aristo- 
 cratic looking man, with the fair fresh com- 
 plexion so common to England. His head 
 was picturesque, almost bald, with rings 
 of fine, fair, now rather white hair, curl- 
 ing all round it. Blue eyes, large and well
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 35 
 
 developed, with scarcely a mark of the 
 "crows' feet." Life had evidently been 
 pleasant to him. You saw it in the calm, 
 satisfied expression of his face, in the 
 manner that he leant back in his chair, 
 in the very mode of crossing his legs. 
 
 There was one little line on his fore- 
 head, caused by an episode in early life, 
 of which we will give a history in due 
 course. But he never turned towards his 
 present wife, that this wrinkle did not 
 somehow disappear. Like many another 
 besides himself, Mr. Flower's personal ap- 
 pearance always charmed at first sight — 
 but by degrees, as the acquaintance ripened, 
 and interchange of opinions, sentiments, 
 might be expected, Mr. Flower lost ground. 
 He was good to look at, but heavy to en- 
 tertain, and this appeared the greater marvel 
 as he was known to have been in his youth 
 a gay and jovial companion. The change 
 
 d2
 
 36 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 in his character was noticed after the inflic- 
 tion of the wrinkle. 
 
 But Miss Flower is speaking, her beau- 
 tiful cheek flushed with annoyance. 
 
 Miss Flower, '^ I knew, Priscilla, that 
 you were utterly deficient in mere common 
 sense, but that you should have outraged 
 all propriety, besides proving yourself most 
 ridiculous, to such a man as Mr. Asheton, 
 is peculiarly annoying — to me.'^ 
 
 Mrs. Floiver (mouth and eyes wide 
 open). "Dear, dear.'^ 
 
 Prissy. "Well, 'tis no use being angry, 
 because it's done. I might have not done 
 it, but as I did do it, why it's done." 
 
 Beatrice. " Poor consolation for me. 
 Mr. Asheton will, I know, think over this 
 scene for months, and shun our society as 
 long as he remembers it." 
 
 Prissy (stoutly). "Then he will take a 
 great deal of trouble for nothing."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 37 
 
 ^^ I am sure I have almost forgotten it 
 already." 
 
 Miss Flower (disgusted and turning to 
 her cousin). '^And you, child, have you 
 never learnt that under no possible circum- 
 stance ought a young lady to address a 
 gentleman as you appear to have assaulted 
 Mr. Asheton." 
 
 Mrs. Flower. ^*Dear, dear." 
 
 Prissy. ^^ She is a very good little thing, 
 and she never assaulted him at all. He 
 was doing something or another, rhapso- 
 dizing, or some such nonsense, and never 
 heeding itfe at all, though I called him by 
 his name, and she just touched him on his 
 arm like that, and I defy any one to say 
 that's an assault. And if he says it's an 
 assault — why — " 
 
 Miss Flower. " Cease, Priscilla ; when 
 shall I ever teach you to take things less 
 literally? It is not that I so much care
 
 38 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 as to whether Mr. Asheton is offended or 
 not, but our little cousin is sent to us for 
 guidance and protection. You will allow 
 you are utterly unfitted for the charge, and 
 therefore it devolves on me." 
 
 The little cousin stole her hand into 
 Prissy's with a smile. 
 
 Pnssy, " Oh, nonsense 1 you must not 
 mind me, but da as Beatrice says. Mustn't 
 she, mamma ? " 
 
 Mrs. Flower (recovering). " True, my 
 dear. Of course Beatrice knows what is 
 most best, does she not, my dear Con- 
 stant?" 
 
 Mr. Flower bowed in assent. It was 
 only in the reading-desk and pulpit that 
 his voice was ever heard, for he was a cler- 
 gyman. Then, indeed, he made up for his 
 silence during the week, and justified his 
 wife's fond belief that the sermons of her 
 Constant were a panacea for all ills.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 39 
 
 Prissy's rejection of her cousin^s demon- 
 stration in her favour had no eflfect. 
 
 The little thing (not so little either) rose 
 from her chair, kissed Prissy, and then 
 drawing herself up after the manner of 
 Beatrice when in a lofty mood, said in the 
 low clear voice for which she was remark- 
 able : — 
 
 " I should do as I did to-day, again 
 to-morrow, if Prissy wished it."
 
 40 
 
 CHAPTER III. 
 
 THE AUTHOR RELATES THE HISTORY OP HIS PUPPETS 
 ERE HE PUTS THEM IN MOTION. 
 
 Mr. Constantine Flower was the second 
 son of a general officer, who, early widowed, 
 had to leave his two children to be cared 
 for and educated by any relation who 
 would undertake the charge, he, mean- 
 while, fighting his country's battles where- 
 ever needed. 
 
 It is astonishing how such children 
 thrive. How, bandied about from one set
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 41 
 
 of people to another, they contrive to make 
 themselves perfectly at home with all; 
 picking up experience and information as 
 chickens pick up crumbs, and becoming far 
 more valuable members of society than 
 the expensively-educated, the fondly-cared 
 for, and devotedly-loved children of adoring 
 parents. 
 
 Captain, Major, Colonel, and General 
 Flower, as he became in course of time, 
 and the favourite of the Horse Guards, heard 
 but one character of his sons from all 
 quarters, and when the eldest joined him 
 as junior ensign in his own regiment, he 
 was quite of opinion that nothing had 
 been said too much. Popular as the 
 Colonel was himself, his son soon surpassed 
 him. Never had the regiment possessed so 
 handsome, so gallant, so true a gentleman 
 and soldier as Osman Flower. And he 
 completed the measure of their content-
 
 42 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 ment by falling in love with, and obtaining 
 the hand of, one they truly considered as 
 the '^Daughter of the Eegiment." 
 
 She had been born in the regiment, and 
 was the child of the then second in com- 
 mand, Major Aubray. The fairest, smallest 
 myth of a thing to be called mortal. It 
 was, therefore, but right she should fall 
 into the hands of one so tender, so true, 
 as valiant in deeds, as he was powerful to 
 perform. They followed the fortunes of the 
 regiment wherever it went, alike the orna- 
 ment, boast, and pride of it. Their first 
 child they had been compelled to send to 
 England, while they were quartered in India, 
 to the care of old Mrs. Aubray, who could 
 form some idea of her unknown son-in-law, 
 from the lovely features of his child. She 
 bid fair to be a feminine type of him. It 
 was not until eight years after her birth, 
 that another daughter was granted them.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 43 
 
 And then, as if to indemnify themselves for 
 the sacrifice they had made in giving up the 
 one, also being quartered in a more healthy- 
 climate, and this little thing being a species 
 of elfin mortal, like her mother, they could 
 not find it in their hearts to part with her. 
 
 No matter where they went, how they 
 travelled, there was always some one 
 ready to carry the baby. And the rougher 
 their life, the more she appeared to thrive. 
 It would seem incredible to relate the various 
 adventures, the strange life, the difierent 
 nurses, the odd playfellows, that fell to the 
 lot of this little creature. No one ever 
 taught her anything, yet she learned 
 by intuition. Evil passed over and by her, 
 as rain drops on crystal globes. Sickness 
 assailed all around her, she ever remained 
 beaming and bright ; and when, at last, 
 her little fairy mother began to feel that 
 the rest and quiet she had never had,
 
 44 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 could now alone keep her frail life within 
 her, then did her father bless the day she 
 was born, and thank God for the gift 
 of her presence. She was to her mother 
 as dew to thirsty ground, as liberty to pri- 
 soners, as light to the blind ; and all this 
 from a loving, natural gaiety of heart, 
 and a perception of what was most fitting 
 to be done. Better gifts than learning or 
 physic, in some cases. But a little time 
 more, and the fond, proud old grandfather, 
 the pride of the regiment, his handsome 
 son, with the little ailing mother, and the 
 darling of all their hearts, were to leave 
 the beloved regiment, and join for good 
 the long separated one, who would not. take 
 to herself the love of another heart, until 
 her vows were sanctioned by their pre- 
 sence. In that short space a battle was fought ; 
 two lay side by side on that battle field, 
 dead ; and ere the weeping soldiers had time
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 45 
 
 to prepare their graves, room had to be 
 made for a third. She took but little space, 
 the "daughter of the regiment.'' 
 
 While the darling of them all has just 
 avowed herself the champion of the amiable 
 but nervous Prissy; and having been ac- 
 customed to love so much, is now pouring 
 out the treasure of her affections upon 
 every thing that will permit her to do 
 so. At present, Prissy and the wild 
 pigeons on the sea cliffs have it all — 
 for Beatrice is cold. Beatrice has hither- 
 to been Miss Flower. To give way to 
 a little uneducated, untamed childish child 
 of seventeen, is hard. Mrs. Flower is 
 always so excessively busy with every- 
 body's concerns, is so much interested about 
 Betty James's husband having gone off, 
 and Susan Smears's children having every 
 symptom of the measles, that she has 
 not time to attend to anything her little
 
 46 MR, AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 niece has to say — while Mr. Flower kissed 
 her, said she was welcome, and has 
 never spoken to her since. But she is 
 not unhappy. She has seen too much of 
 life, of people, of changes, for all they 
 think she is a mere child, to do other- 
 wise than to make the best of everything 
 as it comes. She is infinitely amused at, 
 and charmed with. Prissy. And could she 
 but dismiss from her dreams that one 
 week of terrible anguish, followed by the 
 long voyage of such desolate woe — could 
 she recall the exquisite happiness of being 
 met and claimed by her sister, who 
 more than realized all she had heard of 
 her, all she had dreamed of her, and yet 
 not fail to remember how, by slow de- 
 grees, some fatal shadow had fallen between 
 her and the husband she loved so well, 
 darkening their house with some coming 
 ill, that made the elder sister hurriedly re-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 47 
 
 move the younger one from beneath its 
 dread influence — could she forget all this 
 and yet be happy? She could, for she 
 had a wonderfully buoyant spirit. She 
 had satisfied herself that her absence was 
 expedient, and as she had always acted by 
 her mother, so she did by her sister, cheer- 
 fully obeying her. Her winning, tender 
 letters, full of girlish glee, she felt, rather 
 than knew, would be her sister^s best cordial 
 under a separation that both felt now much 
 more than they would have done had they 
 never met. 
 
 Whether her presence was particularly 
 welcome or not to her unknown relations, 
 she did not think it wise to inquire. For 
 theirs was her only home at present, 
 until her sister could receive her again. And 
 that hope was, like all other hopes, clouded 
 with fear. She did not doubt that they 
 would love her; she could love so well in
 
 48 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 return. If she was a little disappointed at 
 first in her aunt and uncle, she quickly 
 understood their characters, and took what 
 love they had to give, as the best they 
 had to bestow. But it is time to relate 
 the younger brother's history, and how he 
 became marked with that one wrinkle. 
 
 Constantine Flower had, as well as his 
 elder brother, the ofier of a commission in 
 the army, but his tastes did not incline 
 that way. Colonel Flower could afford to 
 let him wander about the world for a few- 
 years, that he might see what it was 
 like, ere he settled down for life, and 
 rather encouraged his wish to do so. If 
 he was to become a clergyman, he would 
 be none the worse for acting layman a few 
 years, and getting rid of a certain narrow- 
 ness of opinions and ways, that is apt to 
 clog the best intentions of those who live 
 in one habitual life and routine.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 49 
 
 He visited his father and brother. He 
 went over to America and saw Niagara, but 
 it is supposed he was not astonished, as he 
 never talked about it. He loved Italy well, 
 and wandered about in it with a true relish for 
 its clear skies, picturesque children, wonder- 
 ful artistic beauties, and dolce-far-niente ways. 
 He carried this liking so far, that he fell in 
 love with an Italian girl of a noble family in 
 Eome. To a man of Mr. Flower's tempera- 
 ment, falling in love was a regular disease. 
 When quiet men take the infection, they have 
 it to the very heart. He rushed over to 
 Spain in the only violent fit of excitement in 
 which he was ever seen, his father being quar- 
 tered there. This worthy man, feeling that 
 as a father he had been prevented fulfilling 
 a father's duties towards his children, was the 
 more willing to grant them all their desires, if 
 it were in his power ; especially with sons old 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 50 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 enough to judge for themselves. He con- 
 tented himself with saying : — 
 
 '*That as long as there was an English 
 girl to love him, he would never have asked a 
 foreigner to be the wife of his bosom, but 
 that his son might please himself, and take 
 his father's blessing into the bargain. '' 
 
 Constantine was well content, more espe- 
 cially as his poor ignorant father had never 
 seen the adored object, and little knew of 
 whom he was speaking in such disparaging 
 terms. But his father did more. He made 
 over to him such money as was eventually 
 to be his. Therefore, the course of his love 
 run so smooth that he was enabled to be 
 married within a month of his return to 
 Rome. 
 
 But, old proverbs perversely making them- 
 selves heard, as it were, or rather felt, Mr. 
 Flower was to experience his misfortunes after 
 marriage, instead of before. He was a quiet.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 51 
 
 amiable, domestic man, guileless and warm- 
 hearted as most Englishmen are, when they 
 break through the fog of reserve. 
 
 He was gregarious, and liked to enjoy life, 
 with smiling faces round him, and happy 
 voices, in a genial hum, buzzing on all 
 sides. 
 
 He enjoyed comfortable little tea-parties, 
 with games of proverbs, forfeits, and such 
 like as adjuncts. He was charmed to dc 
 a service for anyone, old woman or young 
 one, it was the same to him — though perhaps 
 he chatted and laughed rather more with the 
 latter than the former. 
 
 And this happy-hearted fellow had allied 
 himself in holy matrimony to a dark-browed 
 reserved Italian girl, whose manners were 
 deep and mysterious as the colour of her 
 black fathomless eyes. Within six months 
 Mr. Flower had well-nigh wished himself 
 safely tied to the ugliest Englishwoman he 
 
 E 2 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 liUmiS LIBRARY
 
 b2 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 had ever seen, provided she was not 
 jealous. 
 
 It was all very well to be loved in 
 this frantic manner for a short time. But 
 never to have one moment's peace; not to 
 be able to look out of a window ; not to 
 dare to speak to a woman ; not to eat, 
 drink, sleep, without scenes that rendered 
 the first unnecessary, the second but too 
 necessary, and the third a hopeless attempt — 
 all these things combined, changed the hila- 
 rious young Englishman into a pale, melan- 
 choly ghost of himself. 
 
 In vain he gave way, until he laughed 
 at himself for his folly. The more he suc- 
 cumbed, the more exacting became his beau- 
 tiful, adored Magdelena. 
 
 Perhaps she was an exaggerated type of 
 her race ; perhaps she had heard that English- 
 men are inconstant as butterflies. Perhaps 
 Mr. Flower was to have a practical lesson.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 53 
 
 for despising and laughing at his father's 
 preference for an English wife. But what- 
 ever might have been the cause, about a 
 year after his marriage, he was seen rush- 
 ing from his own house, without his hat, 
 and evidently bent upon doing something 
 very violent — as many Englishmen do when 
 in a passion — and no one heard any tidings 
 of him for three days. Even then he might 
 not have discovered his retreat, but for start- 
 ling events at home, which rumour spread 
 far and wide enough to reach his ears. 
 
 His Magdelena, taking advantage of her 
 interesting situation, had been more than 
 usually provoking and violent on that day 
 on which he was seen to leave the house, 
 and feeling unable to command his temper, 
 he had left her mistress of the field. 
 
 He had done so before, for a few hours, 
 and returned always calm and in as happy 
 a mood as circumstances would permit.
 
 54 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 But when the whole day passed, then a 
 night, and another day, remorse and horror 
 seized on the soul of the passionate Magde- 
 lena. She became as frantic from fear, as 
 she had been before from jealousy ; and was 
 firmly persuaded that her husband had de- 
 stroyed himself, rather than incur her anger 
 again. Judging of him by herself, she pic- 
 tured him throwing himself down from the 
 topmost ruin of the Colosseum ; or uncon- 
 cerned, in the hot distemper of his soul, as 
 to whether he drowned himself in clean or 
 dirty water, had flung himself into the 
 muddy yellow Tiber. 
 
 Probably she would have been more dis- 
 gusted at seeing him calmly discussing a 
 quiet dinner in a distant village, looking more 
 happy and contented than she, or any other 
 person, had seen him for some time, than if 
 she had herself discovered his mangled re- 
 mains, or fished up his drowned body with
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 56 
 
 her own hand. Mr. Flower knew his fate 
 was a very bad one, with every prospect 
 that it would be worse, yet to make away 
 with himself, as the best means of escaping 
 it, was about the last idea to enter his unso- 
 phisticated mind. But the two fits, jealousy 
 and fear, proved too strong for even an 
 Italian frame to bear. The beautiful Mag- 
 delena raved herself into a premature con- 
 finement ; and though she was told her child 
 not only lived, but was likely to do so, she 
 deemed it no more than just that as the soul 
 of the father had already reached purgatory, 
 the mother ought to go and see how it fared 
 there. 
 
 She resolutely refused food, or the com- 
 monest precaution, and died a victim to her 
 temper and passions just one hour before 
 Mr. Flower entered the door of his house 
 again, in full bodily presence. 
 
 He was too good and tender-hearted not to
 
 5Q MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 mourn her sincerely ; and after burying her 
 with all honour and solemnity, he bid adieu 
 to her family with abundance of tears, 
 leaving at their request his little motherless 
 daughter to their care ; and after various 
 adventures suitable to such a character, he 
 finally took orders, and became a quiet, easy, 
 contented parson, with nothing to remind him 
 of his Italian episode but a yearning sort 
 of paternal feeling. 
 
 This he could only indulge in — namely, 
 the presence of his child — on one condition, 
 said her relations. He must provide her with 
 a suitable mother. 
 
 With many misgivings he at last accom- 
 plished the matter. 
 
 That the second Mrs. Flower should be an 
 exact contrast to the first, every reader must 
 expect. Indeed, she was so very much the 
 reverse, Mr. Flower was quite remorseful, not 
 to say fearful, lest the shade of Magdelena
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 57 
 
 might resent such an insult. Fair, blue-ejed, 
 and rosy, Mrs. Flower was a good specimen of 
 an English girl, and Colonel Flower could say 
 nothing against his son's choice this time, if 
 that was the only quality he required. But 
 Mr. Flower, as we have noticed, had been 
 very wary in his choice, and his English 
 wife was chiefly remarkable for the most 
 invariable good-humour, and a habit of being 
 pleased with everything, no matter of what 
 order or kind. 
 
 Now this description of person is in 
 general much despised by the wiser, more 
 censorious world, who think that those 
 *^ charmed" with everything are so because 
 they have not wits sufficient to judge 
 otherwise, and yet (granting them to be 
 somewhat deficient, though sometimes happy 
 in the category of " where ignorance is bliss, 
 'tis folly to be wise ") how blest is that neigh- 
 bourhood in which such a character resides.
 
 58 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Alike despised, yet alike in constant 
 request, the good-natured, ever-charmed 
 fool, be it he or she, is welcome everywhere, 
 and acts upon a dull and selfish lot of people 
 as a warm fire on the benighted and half- 
 frozen. True, they may sometimes be very 
 provoking, and praise the wrong thing at a 
 perversely wrong time ; and, also, they may 
 be too officious, offering their services at an 
 inappropriate and inappreciable time, though 
 the week before, these had been patronisingly 
 demanded, and unconsciously drawn upon. 
 
 Nevertheless, it is all the same to the 
 good-tempered fool, whether snubbed or 
 appreciated, turned out or sent for, scolded 
 or thanked, that invariable sweet temper 
 carries him over, above, through all ; and 
 at last, when he is dead, and the heavy 
 soil of earth, twelve feet in depth above 
 him, separating him so effectually from 
 the world that despised and laughed at
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 59 
 
 him, everybody takes out his handker- 
 chiefs, weeps and mourns as if he had 
 lost his dearest, best friend; and in nine 
 cases out of ten, feel that it is so — truly. 
 
 Mr. Flower selected Mrs. Flower from a 
 host of eligible good-natured young ladies, 
 because he had overheard one old nurse re- 
 mark to another " that never was it known, 
 all her mortal days, that Miss Sophy had 
 ever been seen out of temper, let ^em aggra- 
 vate her ever so." 
 
 "And now, after eighteen years of matri- 
 mony, he was able to corroborate the above 
 testimony ; and under the benign auspices 
 of such a temper, had grown into a sleek, 
 happy, corpulent gentleman, enjoying life 
 to the full. He had been so miserable 
 that one year of the Italian episode, it was 
 but reasonable to suppose he had had his 
 share of this world's ills. 
 
 Among other qualities that Mrs. Flower
 
 60 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 possessed was .an unbounded admiration for 
 all her husband said and did. So far from 
 anything like jealousy, she only thought — 
 
 ^^Ah! how lucky So-and-so is, Constant 
 is talking to her." 
 
 If he went off to visit some friend, and 
 demurred at leaving her alone — 
 
 "Never care for that," says she, "think 
 how happy they will be to have you ! " 
 
 So much sweet content might have palled 
 upon Mr. Flower, but he thought of Mag- 
 delena, and turned to his Sophy with in- 
 creased affection. Indeed, her true motherly 
 love for his little Italian girl would have 
 bound a harsher heart than his to such 
 a fond stepmother. 
 
 She was proud of her beauty and accom- 
 plishments, unwearied in her motherly love 
 and care, and none had the shadow of the 
 least suspicion to say that the step-child 
 was less loved than her own child.
 
 61 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 IN WHICH SOME OF THE PUPPETS BEGIN TO ACT. 
 
 Mr. Godfrey Asheton had been guilty of 
 passing his night much after the habit of 
 an insignificant barbarian. He had dreamt 
 a good part of it. 
 
 Three several times had he, in imagina- 
 tion, carried a shadowy Miss Prissy Flower 
 through imperceptible waves, and thought 
 himself well rewarded (this was the most 
 wonderful and incomprehensible part of his 
 dream) by the supposed glance of a pair
 
 62 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 of clear and sweet eyes, that looked out 
 upon him from what might have been 
 meant for a cloud. In vain he endeavoured 
 to penetrate through this veil, Miss Prissy 
 affectionately clinging to him ; he put aside 
 and sought — he imagined himself putting 
 aside and seeking for hours, no figure could 
 he see — nothing but eyes. 
 
 As he thought over his dream in the 
 morning, he solved it, by remembering 
 that the little Miss Flower, who had be- 
 sought his succour for her cousin, had 
 beautiful eyes. The sort of eyes he liked — 
 clear and frank. This being satisfactorily 
 settled, he remembered the call that was 
 intended to be made that day ; and having 
 more of his mother than his father in 
 him, or his dream influencing him, he de- 
 cided that his mother's suggestion of the 
 manner of the call should be carried out 
 rather than his own. It is astonishing
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 63 
 
 how people, whose wealth and position 
 prevent their occupying themselves, as the 
 curse pronounced on the sons of Adam 
 dooms them, make for themselves work 
 out of nothing. Here was a sensible, 
 well-educated man troubling his brains 
 about the fashion of a call upon people, 
 one of whom he thoroughly disliked, and 
 the others he thought little about, not 
 even allowing to himself that a young 
 girl, hardly yet introduced into society, 
 was the real cause of this visit — and 
 further debating upon what he should 
 wear ! Fortunately, that wonderful valet, 
 who seemed to read into the innermost 
 recesses of his master's most secret wishes, 
 had put out the very suit. Auguring 
 from this that the coming day was about 
 to be a fortunate one, Mr. Godfrey 
 Asheton descended to breakfast in a bland 
 and satisfactory mood. In fact, the un-
 
 64 MR. AND MRS. ASHETOX. 
 
 lucky, nervous young footman might have 
 rattled the plates this day with impunity. 
 It is probable Mr. Godfrey Asheton would 
 not have heard them. Who has not felt 
 the influence of an unlucky day, and all 
 the train of annoyances it brings? How, 
 as one vexation after another arises, be- 
 ginning with the moment one steps out 
 of bed, until one has to go into it again, 
 irresistibly comes to the memory that 
 nursery adage, ^' If you do not spend 
 Sunday well, Monday will be very un- 
 lucky, and all the days following in 
 crescendo, until you come to Sunday 
 again." Mr. Godfrey Asheton spent his 
 days so uniformly the same, that it is 
 hardly to be supposed he owed his un- 
 lucky days to the non-observance of the 
 Sabbath, when he had them. And his 
 lucky days were equally inexplicable. 
 Not having time, however, to follow him
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 65 
 
 through it all, we will advance at once 
 to five o'clock, where we find him in a 
 lane, on horseback, listening for the sound 
 of carriage-wheels. Wonderful to relate, 
 he is three minutes before his time. His 
 watch must be in fault. Ere he can de- 
 cide to whom he shall trust it, to be 
 regulated, the Asheton chariot rolls into 
 sight, and altogether they pass through 
 the gate that leads to the Wood-head. 
 For the rectory, meant for the rector to 
 live in, which rector was Mr. Flower, has 
 been abandoned to the use of curates. 
 Its dimensions were of the smallest, its 
 situation within the village, and its state 
 of repair but so-so. Therefore, Mr. 
 Flower was justified in dwelling in a 
 larger, more commodious mansion. There 
 is singing to night at the village school, 
 preparatory for Sunday, whereat Mrs. 
 Flower always presides ; smilingly uncon- 
 
 VOL. I. F
 
 66 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 scious of having gift neither of tune nor 
 time. But this obliges them to dine 
 at four o'clock, and the repast is just 
 finished as the Asheton Court chariot 
 dashes up to the door, and simultaneously 
 the door-bell rings. Though the Ashe- 
 tons have known the Flowers all their 
 lives, they are in ignorance as to their 
 ever dining at four o'clock. And the 
 whiff of dinner that greets their nostrils, as 
 the house door opens, appears to them as 
 the dinner to be, rather than the dinner 
 done. Mrs. Flower was now and then taken 
 with a myth that the servants^ had too much 
 to do, therefore, during the prevalence of 
 this idea, they used but one sitting-room. 
 Into it the Asheton Court party were ushered 
 by the maiden, who, stolid at all times, had 
 her wits completely scared by the bewilder- 
 ing manners of the Asheton Court footman, as 
 he parleyed with her regarding the "at home"
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 67 
 
 of her mistress. She would have said " yes " 
 under any circumstances, so that it was just 
 as well the dinner was over. The chairs 
 were in amiable confusion, the room redolent 
 of rather woolly mutton, and no one in it 
 but Mrs. Flower, who was lacing her boots, 
 preparatory to parochial callings. Not one 
 whit dismayed was she. Everybody ate 
 dinners, and dinners would leave their traces 
 behind. Everybody wore boots, and though 
 some liked buttoned boots, she always pre- 
 ferred hers laced. The chairs were soon put 
 into a formal circle, and Miss Beatrice was 
 sent for — a host in herself. Under these 
 circumstances, what was there to annoy 
 Mrs. Flower? She looked upon this 
 visit as one of the greatest friendliness, 
 rushed headlong into family matters, as 
 if these alone had brought Mrs. Asheton 
 to see her. Worthy people those, who 
 think everyone is as much interested about 
 
 f2
 
 68 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 their affairs as the parties themselves — but 
 weak. 
 
 The Wood-head House was curiously situ- 
 ated on a cliff overlooking the sea. The 
 situation was more singular and picturesque 
 than convenient, for necessarily they were 
 much cramped for room. Boundless as the 
 view was from the oriel window, that was the 
 sole space they had. Either to avoid the sight 
 of Mrs. Flower, who offended his sensitive 
 refinement in a thousand ways, or to inhale 
 a little fresh air, or to look out upon a view, 
 worth the infliction of Mrs. Flower's society 
 for an hour, Godfrey soon took his seat 
 within the oriel window, leaving his father 
 to be entertained by Miss Beatrice, who had 
 
 made her appearance. 
 
 For a short time she divided his attention 
 
 with the view. She entered a room well. 
 
 she walked well, she greeted people with 
 
 a quiet self possession he liked, and she was
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 69 
 
 undeniably beautiful. How well she looked 
 in flowing circles, as he thought (which were 
 nothing but flounces, good reader), of black 
 silk, the body of which sat so tight to her 
 little waist and sloping shoulders. How 
 much the dark colour set off the rich creamy 
 hue of her skin, and how infinitely her coun- 
 tenance was lighted up by most expressive 
 eyes, that matched beautifully with her hair, 
 now black as ebony, in that low-roofed, sha- 
 dow-burdened room. But those hands — 
 he turns away — also, as she smiles upon 
 his father, surely she is not altogether fault- 
 less about the teeth. There is one too many, 
 or one too few, or one too small, or the 
 whole are not quite even, something just 
 hits a sensitive nerve, but ere he can decide, 
 a name strikes his ear — Mrs. Flower is 
 telling his mother what he would wish to 
 know. 
 
 " Dear little Puss, just about a fortnight,
 
 70 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 quite an orphan — pretty child — but not like 
 our Beatrice.^' 
 
 What more he might have heard is un- 
 known ; his attention is distracted by voices 
 outside the window. Looking up, he saw 
 what excited much surprise, for great in- 
 terest took possession of his features, and 
 ere long, he moved cautiously from the 
 window, and, approaching his mother, said 
 to Mrs. Flower: — 
 
 ^^Pray, pardon me, madam, for interrupt- 
 ing your interesting story ; I beg, my dear 
 mother, you will give me a few minutes 
 to show you a very pretty picture.^' 
 
 They all followed him to the window, 
 and looking up, saw a young girl perched 
 upon a ledge of the rock. A little be- 
 neath her was another, who seemed oppressed 
 with an idea that she must squeeze herself 
 into nothing, and say ^' hush " all the time. 
 
 " Hush '^ was expressed in every atti-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 71 
 
 tude; for above, around, far and near, flew 
 flocks of pigeons. 
 
 As they wheeled in circles, round and 
 round, gradually they drew nearer and 
 nearer to the younger girl, who called to 
 them in sweet clear voice ; by degrees 
 they settled on the cliff, at her feet, above 
 her head, all round her, nay, upon her, 
 fluttering, cooing, and gurgling in many 
 stages of delight. In a few minutes they 
 were eating out of her hand, struggling 
 for a place in her little white apron, full 
 of corn, kissing, cooing, coaxing her. 
 
 "It is my little childish cousin," re- 
 marked Beatrice, as they all gazed in 
 silence ; " she has some Indian method of 
 taming birds, especially pigeons, with which 
 Priscilla is much taken." 
 
 " How pretty she is," whispered Mrs. 
 Asheton, as if she feared her voice would 
 startle the group.
 
 72 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 *^Yes; is she not?" answered Mrs. 
 Flower. "I'll liave her down, for you to 
 see. Here, Prissy, Prissy, May, come down 
 and see Mrs. Asheton." 
 
 The mischief was done ere they could 
 stop her. 
 
 The pigeons darkened the air in their 
 startled flight, hardly less surprised than 
 May herself Mr. Asheton exclaimed at 
 the pretty sight, as he saw her stand 
 motionless for a moment, like a listening 
 nymph, and then, light as snow-flakes, leap 
 down from point to point, until at last 
 she stood before them all, encircled like 
 a picture in the window-frame. She smiled 
 when she saw Mr. Godfrey Asheton, but, 
 beyond the heightened colour caused by her 
 speed, showed no other emotion. 
 
 " Come in, my dear, come in, and be 
 introduced to Mrs. Asheton, who is very 
 kind in wishing to see you."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 73 
 
 ^^I will help Prissy, and return in a 
 moment." 
 
 Some laboured puffings and stifled ejacu- 
 lations betokened Prissy's near advent. 
 
 " My goodness, gracious me ! I'll never 
 go there again. I thought I should have 
 had to stay there all my life, and so I 
 should, if you hadn't come to help me." 
 
 These words heralded their entrance. 
 
 Marion's beauty was essentially fresh and 
 fragrant as roses, while the innocent guile- 
 lessness of her expression made the gazer 
 think of Eve just placed in Paradise. 
 
 At first you would be persuaded she 
 was yet a child, and speak to her as such, 
 but ere long the strange anomaly of staid and 
 womanly remarks, with perfect self-pos- 
 session of manner, struck the beholder as 
 something out of the common, coming from 
 a mere girl. She was quaintly dressed, 
 too, like an old picture; in the unbleached
 
 74 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 muslin of the Indies, that will take no shape 
 but that of the wearer. Gathered round her 
 slender waist with a blue ribbon, it was 
 drawn together at the throat in a similar 
 manner, in most childish fashion, but it 
 became her wonderfully. Rich, long, disor- 
 dered curls fell from beneath her white straw 
 hat, having evidently escaped from the hold 
 of some more blue ribbons that mingled, 
 half untied, with her fair hair. 
 
 The three Ashetons, occupied with 
 their own ideas, forgot all about etiquette 
 and the length of their visit. And as Marion, 
 her heart smitten with a sudden love for old 
 Mr. Asheton, as reminding her of the dearest, 
 fondest grandfather, allowed this feeling to 
 emanate from her eyes and play round her 
 mouth, Mr. Asheton fairly forgot him- 
 self 
 
 " Pray, my dear Mrs. Asheton,^' said he, 
 taking Marion's little hands in his, and
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 75 
 
 drawing her towards his wife, "cannot you 
 persuade this dear, pretty — I mean, would 
 you ask Mrs. Flower to name an early day, 
 waving ceremony, and come and dine with 
 us ? — Will you come, my dear young 
 lady?'' 
 
 Old men, when they see extreme youth 
 and prettiness, are apt to worship them then 
 and there. It may be that they behold once 
 more the images of their earliest youth, 
 or perhaps feel that they are about to leave 
 such lovely visions for ever. 
 
 " My dear Mr. Asheton/' said his lady in 
 high stateliness, " I will write to Mrs. Flower. 
 I could not think of such informality." 
 
 " Oh ! pray don't ; the letter might get 
 lost ; and, besides, 1 should have to answer it. 
 Most happy to accept at once, I assure you, 
 any day, all the same, I am sure." 
 
 So it was settled for that day week. 
 
 As they went home together in their
 
 76 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 chariot, a touch of genuine nature rose to 
 Mrs. Asheton's eyes. 
 
 ^^If she should prove all we could wish, 
 my dear husband ? '^ 
 
 " She will, she will — the lovely little 
 thing.'' 
 
 As for Mr. Godfrey A she ton, though he 
 had conversed the whole time with Miss 
 Beatrice, and not addressed one syllable to 
 Miss Flower, he thought he should not 
 dislike helping Prissy again in a difficulty.
 
 77 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 IN WHICH SOME OF THE PUPPETS BEGIN TO SHOW 
 THEY HAVE STRONGER FRAMES THAN OTHERS, BE- 
 TOKENING HARD AND UNPLEASANT WORK. 
 
 Ere the Asheton Court party had reached 
 their home, some three miles inland, Mrs. 
 Flower was stumping about the village in her 
 laced boots, Marion and Prissy had returned 
 to their pigeons, and Beatrice sat brooding. 
 
 Inheriting her mother's character, the 
 jealousy prominent in it, alone told Beatrice 
 that this visit of the Ashetons, out of
 
 78 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 their usual course, had a purpose in it. And 
 she read as clearly as if she saw into their 
 hearts, what was passing in each. They 
 came to see Marion, and for nothing else. 
 In addition to this fact, Mr. Godfrey Ashe- 
 ton's accidental encounter with the girls 
 the day before, was the reason they wished to 
 see her. Now, of all the people who ever 
 visited Asheton Court, none had ever pene- 
 trated so far into the arena of its exclu- 
 siveness, as Beatrice. She was handsome, 
 agreeable, and accomplished, therefore not 
 only always an acceptable guest, but a very 
 necessary ingredient at the Asheton Court 
 parties, where it need hardly be said dull- 
 ness and ceremony waited as handmaids 
 upon every guest. 
 
 By very imperceptible degrees, she had 
 won her way up to a considerable perch in 
 Mrs. Asheton's favour, prudently eschewing 
 all attempts on Godfrey's, and by this wise
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 79 
 
 conduct, she had indeed "great method in 
 her madness/^ when she thought it would be 
 her own fault if she did not succeed in be- 
 coming Mrs. Asheton the second. No other 
 young lady, far or near, had such a favour- 
 able position, or brought such powerful 
 claims for their consideration, and, as re- 
 marked before, it did seem very strange 
 that Mr. Godfrey had not already suc- 
 cumbed. We fear the demur had something 
 to do with the worthy but insufferable step- 
 mama, or the disproportionate hands and 
 feet, or probably most true of all, that she 
 would be there ready, even at the last 
 moment, if none other better than she came 
 within the vista of their horizon, to accept 
 that gift of incalculable value, Mr. Godfrey 
 Asheton's hand. Nobody could swear as to 
 his heart, because it was a maxim of the 
 family, to love according to the manner in 
 which the object of it succumbed and bent
 
 80 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 to Ashetons' likes and dislikes, and therefore 
 a heart was an unnecessary appendage in 
 their love affairs. 
 
 And now, behold, a vision had risen up, 
 — an object had presented itself, so imme- 
 diately remarked and sought after, that 
 they had absolutely broken through their 
 own stately rules and whims, to pursue it. 
 Bitterly did Beatrice allow to herself, that 
 this very act showed how desperately anxious 
 they were becoming to attain the object 
 of their wishes ; and how nearly the prize 
 was within her own grasp. Disliking the 
 little stranger before, not only because she 
 was of a nature wholly unsuited to her own, 
 but she displaced her from a fancied pedes- 
 tal of rank, as elder maiden, though not 
 in years, of the family, she now felt justified 
 in hating her. 
 
 After satisfying herself during their visit 
 that she was right in her suspicions, she in-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 81 
 
 stantly acted upon the defensive. But, alas! as 
 she thought over the expression of Mr. Godfrey 
 Asheton's countenance, when she told him how 
 young, childish, uneducated, was her little cou- 
 sin, undoubtedly he seemed rather pleased than 
 otherwise, and in endeavouring to decipher 
 the reason of this pleasure, she obtained a 
 clue to her own want of success. Of course, 
 her young cousin having no character of her 
 own, he could the more readily mould her 
 to suit his ; undoubtedly, knowing so little, 
 she would the more easily learn nothing but 
 what he would wish, whereas Beatrice was 
 ready-made to his hand. 
 
 The result of Miss Beatrice Flower's 
 meditations was very unpleasant. She felt 
 convinced the mischief was done; she was 
 powerless to prevent it, and yet she deter- 
 mined to do it, or die ; and, as the com- 
 mencement of her plans, sat down and 
 
 VOL. I. G
 
 82 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 wrote a long letter, evidently intended for 
 "foreign parts.'' 
 
 The reader will think she was vexinor 
 
 o 
 
 herself very unnecessarily — and so do I. For 
 there has as yet appeared nothing to make 
 Mr. Godfrey Asheton remarked as likely to 
 be a desirable or an affectionate husband. 
 
 The ancient and noble family of " Rami- 
 ano," from whom the mother of Beatrice 
 was descended, did not think the connexion- 
 ship with a plain English family at all in- 
 compatible with their high blood. For that, 
 through successive generations, had become 
 rather poor. On the contrary, they set a 
 full value upon the (to them) incalculable 
 advantages of a comfortable English home, 
 and a certain yearly income in the safe 
 English funds. They had, therefore, always 
 kept up an affectionate intercourse with their 
 (so short time) son-in-law, Mr. Flower, 
 besides having to reside with them one
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 83 
 
 year in every three — the little Beatrice. On 
 her journeys to and fro, Beatrice was gene- 
 rally accompanied by some one of her Italian 
 relatives, who gladly seized every opportu- 
 nity of judging for themselves how good 
 " roast beef" is. Among the number was 
 her cousin. Count Giulio, or, as his English 
 connexions named him, Julian de Eamiano, 
 and now the head of the house. He loved 
 England, England's ways, and, above all, 
 English girls, to "an adoration." Among 
 a family remarkable for beauty, he ranked 
 pre-eminent; and having travelled much, 
 besides living half his time in England, his 
 mind was more enlarged than was usual 
 among his countrymen. The letter of 
 Beatrice, when finished, bore his name and 
 direction. 
 
 Meantime our story lags. 
 
 During that week intervening between 
 the visit and the dinner, besides the return 
 
 g2
 
 84 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 visit being made, Mr. Godfrey Asheton had 
 contrived (that is, he considered it pure 
 accident) to meet the Misses Flower several 
 times, and also (we presume accidentally) 
 he always joined them. Thus, he was be- 
 coming more intimate with Marion ; out of 
 this intimacy he gathered that she was 
 indifferent to dress and appearance, which 
 troubled him. 
 
 Suppose she should come to dinner inap- 
 propriately dressed, over-dressed, or childishly, 
 or unbecomingly dressed. He could not dis- 
 cover that she ever thought seriously on 
 the matter, and of course there were other 
 people asked to the dinner. He worried 
 himself with the notion, just as if he had 
 already asked her to be his wife, she had 
 consented, and he was to introduce her as 
 his intended bride; whereas, clearly at pres- 
 ent, he had no sort of business to discom- 
 pose himself about it.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 85 
 
 Fortunately (for him, as he would not have 
 enjoyed his evening ; we can scarcely yet say, 
 for her) she was prettily dressed. Still in 
 Indian muslin, spotted with white spots. 
 Some natural ivy placed in her hair, nothing 
 out of the common, nothing peculiar, but her 
 own beaming countenance. Whereas Beatrice 
 looked beautiful, her dress, a miracle of 
 success, consisting, as the gentleman spec- 
 tators thought (the ladies knew it was 
 only tulle), of clouds of fine lace. They (the 
 ladies) thought it an absurd dress for 
 a dinner party, but, in fact, it was in 
 very good taste, because it was perfectly 
 simple, adorned with nothing but a few 
 natural roses in her hair, and on her bosom. 
 As for Prissy, she had evidently been the 
 object of somebody's kind taste. She sat, 
 consciously blushing out the fact that she 
 looked very nice, and was more than tidily 
 dressed. No pins showed themselves any-
 
 86 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 where, her chemisette was not high over one 
 shoulder and utterly lost to sight on the 
 other. She had gloves to match, and a 
 pocket-handkerchief bordered with lace. It 
 was a notion of Prissy's, that if your pocket- 
 handkerchief was clean, what mattered it if 
 it was one of the old common set for 
 everyday use ? But, above all, she had the 
 prettiest wreath of real fern on her head 
 that ever was seen, made so artistically, 
 placed so becomingly, and looking so fresh, 
 that she was complimented on all 
 sides. 
 
 ''Oh! but I didn't— it was'nt me— May 
 did it all ; and there wasn't time to do 
 two, or fern enough, or we should both 
 have been alike." 
 
 '' Then remember, my dear Miss Pris- 
 cilla," said old Mr. Asheton, " always to 
 send here for as much fern as you like ; I 
 place it all at your disposal."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 87 
 
 " Thank jou; how nice," answered 
 Prissy. 
 
 Godfrey looked at his father with much 
 approbation ; and altogether he was highly 
 satisfied at the appearance of all the 
 Flower party. Mr. Flower was always 
 exceedingly pleasant to look at — so fresh, 
 handsome, and dehonnaire. Moreover, he 
 was animated this evening, as if he meant to 
 talk and make himself agreeable. In fact, 
 a dinner party was his one pleasure ; excel- 
 lent as his Sophy was, she was rather too 
 easy tempered to have very good servants. 
 If they came to her perfect in their kind, 
 they were sure to deteriorate ; therefore, he 
 seldom had a good, tidy, or well-served 
 dinner at home. Consequently, he enjoyed 
 them all the more abroad. Mrs. Flower 
 also looked less objectionable than usual. 
 Beatrice knew the value of making the best 
 of her, and so had superintended her toilet.
 
 88 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Added to which, Betty James's husband 
 had never turned up, and she was so occu- 
 pied in thinking of the best means to discover 
 the truant, picturing to herself the delight of 
 restoring and reconciling them to each other 
 (her favourite amusement), that really, to 
 use her own expression in conjugal talk 
 behind the matrimonial curtains that night, 
 " she had . not a word to throw at a 
 dog." 
 
 Marion had but one gift, for accomplish- 
 ment it could not be termed, as she was 
 not taught it. The power to warble forth 
 little musical gushes of strange eirie-like 
 melodies. But as this could not be called 
 into action at a dinner-party, of course her 
 possession of it was unknown, and Beatrice's 
 beautiful voice and excellent performance, 
 as usual, entertained the company. It was 
 then, at that moment, for the first and 
 last time, that Godfrey drew a comparison
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 89 
 
 between the cousins, and wavered in his 
 decision. Unlucky Beatrice ! as she sang, 
 flushed with excitement and the rapturous 
 applause, she opened her mouth too widely 
 to please him. Down she went, below 
 zero, in the thermometer of Godfrey's 
 heart. She might sing like Grisi — Jenny 
 Lind — better than either — yet if it was 
 necessary to put on a temporary resem- 
 blance to a fro«:, every time she sang, 
 she should never sing herself into becom- 
 ing Mrs. Godfrey Asheton. 
 
 He turned to the other, as if to tender 
 his undivided homage, and again, unluckily 
 for Beatrice, was confirmed in his choice 
 by the picture that presented itself to 
 him. 
 
 His father was speaking to Marion, who 
 stood with shy, yet happy look, listening, 
 her attitude the prettiest conceivable, the 
 little head just bent forward, one long curl
 
 90 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 having escaped from the wreath of ivy 
 that kept it within bounds. Godfrey 
 mentally settled that some time or other 
 he would have a statue made exactly 
 in that attitude. 
 
 Mr, and Mrs. Asheton permitted them- 
 selves that evening to open their hearts 
 to each other unreservedly. 
 
 ^' My dear wife, will you forgive your old 
 husband losing his heart to that little 
 lovely maiden, so innocent in her simpli- 
 city? y^t so wise in pretty ways ? " 
 
 " My dear Mr. Asheton, forgive you ! 
 Indeed, I should be tempted to upbraid 
 you, had it been otherwise. I know not 
 what charm there is about her — she is 
 certainly not so beautiful as Beatrice, but 
 she has a manner so refined, yet so be- 
 witching, that if indeed I have her not for 
 my daughter, I shall be sadly disappointed 
 for my own sake."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 91 
 
 " I doubt it not, my love ; there is a 
 grace in all she does. Did you notice our 
 son?'' 
 
 "Yes, I did, indeed, I never saw him 
 before regard any girl so intently." 
 
 "He told me, when out riding to-day, 
 that her cousin had informed him she was 
 totally uneducated, could barely read and 
 write, had been brought up in Barracks 
 all her life, and scarcely knew the common 
 courtesies of society." 
 
 " You amaze me, Mr. Asheton ; surely 
 it is not true ; did Godfrey remark upon 
 such information ? " 
 
 " Yes ; he said, ' that if, under so many 
 disadvantages, she was so superior to most of 
 the young ladies he knew, what might she 
 not become in good society?'" 
 
 " Perfectly true ; a most just remark on 
 the part of Godfrey. I have but one wish 
 now, that EUinor would see her. Her ex-
 
 92 MR. AND MRS. ASIIETON. 
 
 cellent judgment would at once decide 
 me.'^ 
 
 "Ah, my dear wife, we have waited so 
 long for this happy chance, let us leave 
 Godfrey to his own free decision. If he 
 chooses this fair little thing, I shall not 
 find it in my heart to allow anyone to 
 make the least objection." 
 
 Though Godfrey was an only son, he 
 was not an only child. He had two sisters, 
 both older than himself, and both mar- 
 ried. How it came to pass that the daugh- 
 ters of the family were so much more 
 easily mated than the son, may, perhaps, 
 be explained by the fact that they could 
 be sought, whereas it was their brother's 
 duty to go and seek, which we have already 
 intimated he would not do. 
 
 They were handsome women, and being 
 well portioned, were not likely to remain 
 unsought. And Cecilia, the eldest, was
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 93 
 
 by a freak of fortune the possessor of an 
 estate, under certain conditions. 
 
 A maternal ancestor marrying into their 
 family, not wishing his estates and name 
 to be swallowed up in that of the Ashe- 
 tons, had willed both to be borne always 
 by the second son of the then reigning 
 Mr. Asheton. Failing a second son, the 
 eldest daughter was to stand in the place 
 of one, and enjoy the estates, without 
 adopting the name. She had power to 
 make a settlement on it for another life, 
 either husband or child, as she pleased. 
 But in defiance of all settlements, all wills, 
 nay, actual enjoyment of the estates, the 
 moment a second son was born, she ceased 
 to be the possessor, as much as if death 
 had intervened between her and them. A 
 certain Sir Eobert Fane, a true follower 
 of the world, and devotee to race-courses, 
 a well known man on the turf, had not
 
 94 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 been able to pursue these pleasures with- 
 out considerably diminishing his patrimony. 
 Now that he was older, wiser, and more 
 experienced, he could enjoy all the ex- 
 citement of this sort of life without paying 
 so dearly for it. Yet, it was necessary 
 for him to make a good marriage, in 
 order to keep it up at all. The terms 
 on which the eldest Miss Asheton enjoyed 
 a fortune of 4,000Z. a year rather took 
 his fancy. It was so like a racing specu- 
 lation, as to the length of time she 
 might enjoy it ; he quite loved her for 
 the excitement it gave him. And, in- 
 deed, it is supposed that he attempted to 
 make a good book in betting on the pros 
 and cons. Perhaps, he might not have 
 entered so speedily into a courtship for 
 the heiress, if he had not dived pretty 
 deeply into his intended brother-in-law's 
 feelings, and could guess even better than
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 95 
 
 Godfrey himself, that his extreme fas- 
 tidiousness would keep him unwedded a 
 number of years. 
 
 That one so unsuited in every way 
 should have gained admittance as a lover 
 into the exclusive house of Asheton may 
 excite surprise. But Sir Robert was a 
 perfect gentleman, indeed, a courtier in 
 his way, which is often the case with the 
 wicked ones of the world. Besides, the 
 poor Ashetons were utterly ignorant of the 
 sort of world he lived in. He was emi- 
 nently agreeable and clever, seemed on 
 familiar terms with a duke, a marquis, 
 two or three earls, and a host of titled 
 people. It reached even Asheton Court 
 that a Lady Somebody Something had died 
 of love for him. Though people acquainted 
 with Lady Somethings know that they 
 are just as silly, and die just as foolishly 
 of love, as plain Miss Nobodies. He
 
 96 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 gained his point, and married Miss Asheton, 
 and they were a very happy couple. She 
 was gentle and sweet-tempered, highly 
 charmed that Sir Eobert always appeared so 
 truly sensible of his good fortune in gaining 
 an Asheton, while he willingly pandered 
 to this little weakness, in return for the 
 means she had brought him for indulging 
 his whims. That his real character was 
 not even discovered by the Ashetons may 
 be partly accounted for by the fact that 
 your true man of the world always ac- 
 commodates himself to the company he is 
 in. With the Ashetons he was an agree- 
 able, lively Asheton, always most wel- 
 comed, always greatly missed and regretted. 
 But, to say truth, he did not trouble them 
 with much of his company. Important 
 business with the duke, pressing letters from 
 the earl, a summons down to Sir Harry's, 
 sounded very well and proper, and he
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 97 
 
 echoed his wife's gentle ^' how tiresome," 
 with " yes," ^^ terrible bore," and went. 
 
 They had one boy, the spoiling of whom 
 was his mother's sole employment and amuse- 
 ment. She had never been strong since his 
 bh-th. But as long as there was no second 
 son at Asheton Court, Sir Robert did not 
 disquiet himself much. He had a rever- 
 sionary interest. 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 98 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 A NEW PUPPET, WHO PERFORMS THE PART OF LADY 
 MACBETH ON THE SHORTEST NOTICE. 
 
 How Mr. Trevor ever crossed Mrs. Trevor^s 
 path is unknown even to himself. Fate ac- 
 complished it. Miss Ellinor Asheton being 
 neither the son and heir, nor the daughter 
 and heiress, was, between them, likely to 
 have passed for a mere nobody, but for 
 her own individual character and energy. 
 If she had been born Cecilia, she would 
 have acted like Cecilia, and rested quiet
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 99 
 
 under her position as an heiress. If she had 
 been Godfrey, she would have done the 
 same, but being neither, she must distinguish 
 herself in the family circle. From her earliest 
 childhood she reasoned and argued, no matter 
 about what, until she had fairly established 
 for herself the character of being remarkably 
 clever. This the family not only gladly 
 allowed, but greatly prided themselves upon. 
 As long as she remained at home, nobody 
 gave an opinion until Ellinor had spoken 
 hers. All plans were organised and settled 
 by her. She ruled the whole house. She 
 had certainly sufficient wit always to make 
 her opinions coincide. with her brother's, and 
 managed so adroitly as to make his always 
 appear to be exactly the counterpart of hers. 
 And it must be allowed that Godfrey, not 
 having much to love, poured out, of the 
 supply of affections bestowed on him at his 
 birth, the larger half on his sister Ellinor. 
 
 h2
 
 100 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 As Sir Robert was successful in making 
 the Ashetons believe he was one of them- 
 selves in opinions as well as actions, so was 
 Ellinor equally happy in her endeavours to 
 be considered the '' clever " one in the family. 
 It was a case of '^ guUism " in both parties, 
 with this difference. Sir Robert "gulled" 
 designedly, Mrs. Trevor "gulled" herself as 
 well as the others ; she was not clever enough 
 to discover that, departing from the dull, 
 but truly refined, character of the Ashetons, 
 she, in reality, was nothing more than 
 another sort of Mrs. Flower, without her 
 good temper. 
 
 Mr. Trevor was a tall, pale, aristocratic- 
 looking man, with a small estate in Corn- 
 wall, that was all one vast mine. There 
 fore he ranked among men as the owner 
 and squire of half a county. He had one 
 defect in person, namely his legs, which 
 were weak, and imparted a sort of doubt-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 101 
 
 ful, deprecatory look to bis whole person. 
 And he had one mental imperfection — he 
 was hopelessly dull. If he ever gave him- 
 self the trouble of thinking up an idea, 
 and the still greater trouble of enunciating 
 it, it was generally most inappropriate, or 
 singularly ill-timed. 
 
 It is supposed, with much foundation of 
 truth, that Miss Asheton proposed to him, 
 for the following reason : — Notwithstanding 
 his wealth and gentlemanly appearance, Mr. 
 Trevor was so intolerably stupid, he was 
 shunned and avoided as something too heavy 
 for the strongest-minded to take in hand. 
 Now this was just a case wherein Miss 
 Asheton could show forth to the world her 
 superior intelligence. She pronounced him 
 a clever man, in defiance of all the world ; 
 in fact, so clever, that it was no surprise 
 to her that the world could not understand 
 him. The generality of the world did not
 
 102 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 understand her. But she could talk to Mr. 
 Trevor. Nobody denied this, for all she 
 required was a good listener. There are 
 several species of good talkers in the world. 
 Those who are eloquent, those who are witty, 
 those who are earnest, but the largest pro- 
 portion belong to those who are good 
 listeners. For though they do not talk, 
 they gain the credit of it. People are 
 always so pleased to be able to say all 
 their say out, that they willingly give 
 credit to the listener for having been ^^most 
 agreeable and entertaining." 
 
 So that, by degrees, Mr. Trevor really 
 suited Miss Ellincr Asheton. At all events, 
 having declared herself his champion, she 
 could do no less than prove her words by her 
 deeds. But as to which of them proposed, 
 history is silent. It is probable, knowing 
 Mr. Trevor's habits, he might have inferred 
 the wish. But they married, there was no
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 103 
 
 doubt about that, and were the happy parents 
 of two little slim girls, pale and meek, who 
 were being brought up by their excellent and 
 clever mamma on the homoeopathic system, 
 both as regarded food, physic, and clothing. 
 Therefore all the winter through, they were 
 little patient suflferers from chilblains, and all 
 the summer they were victims to a perpetual 
 avoidance of sunshine and fresh air. For 
 that great blazing, brazen disrespecter of 
 persons, the sun, tanned and freckled the 
 little white Miss Trevors with as impudent a 
 touch as if they had been common maidens. 
 Winter and summer, the little Miss Trevors 
 gave one the idea of being thoroughly 
 chilled through, and it became a sort of irre- 
 sistible madness, the desire to present them 
 with a hot cup of tea, just to see the effect 
 it would have upon them. 
 
 Ellinor's marriage was a great blow to 
 Godfrey ; but having given him to under-
 
 104 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Stand it was quite a duty on her part, he 
 admired and loved her all the more, con- 
 sulted her as much as heretofore, spent 
 a great part of his time with her, 
 and began to think with her that Mr. 
 Trevor was a clever man. Silence is one of 
 the greatest marks of wisdom. No wonder, 
 therefore, that Mr. Trevor's reputation 
 rose. 
 
 Ellinor was more in Godfrey's confidence 
 than any other person. To her he had con- 
 fided how unutterably disagreeable it was to 
 him, the idea of matrimony, and yet at the 
 same time how peremptory was the necessity, 
 having no brother. Pitying his very proper 
 and truly just feelings upon such a subject, 
 Ellinor suggested that he might make an 
 eldest son of her and her children, answering 
 for it on the spot that Mr. Trevor would only 
 too gladly exchange his ancient name for 
 one so honoured as Asheton. Godfrey
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 105 
 
 thanked her warmly for the generous sacrifice 
 she would make, but hinted how earnestly 
 his father and mother desired his marriage, 
 and how lonely the Court was now without 
 either her or Cecilia. She hinted, in 
 return, that there was nothing to prevent 
 the Trevors taking up their abode alto- 
 gether with the Ashetons. But apparently 
 he heeded not this further sacrifice. Never- 
 theless, from this conversation the thought 
 arose in Mrs. Trevor's mind, that the in- 
 justice of her being nothing peculiar at her 
 birth in the family, would eventually be 
 atoned for. She would become Mrs. Trevor 
 Asheton, of Asheton Court. And this idea 
 strengthened itself every time she thought of 
 it, until, after the manner of weak brains, it 
 became a settled fact. It will now be seen 
 that, desirable as it was, Mr. Godfrey Asheton 
 should marry ; nervously anxious as his 
 parents were to forward all schemes to that
 
 106 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 effect, there were no less than three parties 
 who would think themselves grievously out- 
 raged if he did so. 
 
 Miss Beatrice Flower, because he would 
 probably marry the wrong person. 
 
 Sir Robert Fane, lest a second son should 
 be born. 
 
 Mrs. Trevor, because where would be 
 Mrs. Trevor Asheton ? 
 
 According to the laws of Ashetons, it 
 was a high crime, worthy of the only 
 great law they had in their own hands, 
 namely, " instant dismissal/' if any of their 
 servants proved guilty of gossip. 
 
 Thus matters were going on, in an affair 
 of such vast importance, and not a word 
 was buzzed about it in any quarter. Mr. 
 Godfrey Asheton rode, and walked, and 
 talked, and studied botany with all three 
 Miss Flowers, and rumour was silent. 
 
 The more he saw of the little unsophisti-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 107 
 
 cated, artless Marion, the more he decided she 
 should have the privilege of the ^^ throw- 
 ing of his matrimonial handkerchief^' But 
 there was clearly no hurry about it. No 
 one was likely to be coming, wooing that 
 way, and even if they did, what chance 
 had they against Mr. Godfrey Asheton? — 
 this idea though gave him an ugly twinge. 
 He was not to be put into the list 
 against any other mortal — that would 
 destroy every pleasure in the matter. But 
 it was not likely, she was so young, 
 utterly unconscious of lovers, or her own 
 attractions, and he must wait until 
 September, when, according to annual cus- 
 tom, the Trevors would be at Asheton 
 Court. Ellinor must see Marion before he 
 proposed — he must have her approbation ere 
 he took the final leap. 
 
 These were his thoughts, as, apparently 
 negligent of there being any other inhabitant
 
 108 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 of the world than himself, he was leisurely 
 parading np and down a small modicum 
 of sand, that the sea was complacently 
 leaving, for, apparently, his sole benefit. 
 He persuaded himself this was always the 
 soonest dry, and the firmest piece on the 
 sea-shore, when the tide was receding ; also 
 it commanded the cliffs, down which a 
 rocky path led from the Wood-head to the 
 sea. There, if anyone was inclined for a 
 walk at Wood-head, they must come by this 
 path to the village, or the sea. If to the 
 former, they passed by the upper way ; if 
 to the latter, the road lay straight to that 
 particular piece of dry firm sand. 
 
 He was aware they would now be 
 coming soon. The wild pigeons had been 
 to pay their court to their pretty little 
 tamer, and were wheeling home in various 
 flocks. After the third turn to and fro, 
 he descried them coming down. As they
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 109 
 
 approached, taking the lower path, he dis- 
 cerned four figures instead of three, and 
 one was a male, Mr. Flower probably. 
 
 On the contrary, it proved improbably. 
 Mr. Flower's large and portly frame, with 
 measured stately step, was very unlike the 
 lithe, slight, and active figure, the spring- 
 ing step of their companion. 
 
 *' The count," exclaimed Godfrey, as 
 they approached nearer. "When could he 
 have arrived ? " 
 
 And a remembrance of his great per- 
 sonal beauty would flit across his brain, 
 liked he it or not. 
 
 It was the Count di Kamiano, who 
 greeted Mr. Asheton with all the fervour 
 of his race, in the prettiest broken English, 
 and with a face and figure that Godfrey 
 allowed at once, were handsomer than ever. 
 
 " Oh ! he was in such exties to arrive 
 at England; it was as so much beautiful
 
 110 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 as ever it was, but that it was not of 
 reason of him to think beauty of the 
 country, when he was in presence of such 
 much more beauty of the signorinas," and he 
 bowed to Marion in the most marked way, 
 who only just saved Godfrey from a fit 
 of utter disgust by not appearing to re- 
 gard what the count was saying. In truth, 
 Marion's life had been so full of real startling 
 events, that the rhapsodies and flights of 
 romantic natures were not understood 
 by her. 
 
 ^^Have you been here long?" asked 
 Godfrey. 
 
 ^^ I arrive at three days long. I pay 
 my respects to the Signora Asheton, now, 
 presto, for my mail, le mie robe were 
 loosed, I get them but this day ; I not be 
 seen in my costume of travel ; I keep pro- 
 found my arrive to all but my dear amicos 
 at the Woodlow."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. Ill 
 
 Beatrice's quick woman's wit had de- 
 vised a most excellent scheme to stay the 
 intended wooing of Mr. Asheton for her 
 little cousin. 
 
 From her knowledge of the excitable nature 
 of the young count, she knew he could not be 
 twenty-four hours in the company of Marion 
 without being violently in love with her. She 
 was just the style of beauty he most admired, 
 and he had been confiding to Beatrice that 
 morning that he had never realised what 
 angels could be like, until he had seen 
 that Signorina bellissima, Marion. Being 
 extremely demonstrative, he had already 
 amazed Marion, if not alarmed her, by a 
 vehemence of admiration she neither liked 
 nor could appreciate, and which she would 
 have repelled, but for a remark of 
 Prissy's. 
 
 " 0, never mind what JuHan says ; he 
 was once in love with me, when there
 
 112 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 was nobody here but me and the cat. He's 
 just foolish, you know, that's all.'' 
 
 But Beatrice saw with a secret pleasure 
 that coloured her cheeks and brightened her 
 eyes, how on the instant the sensitive nature 
 of Godfrey Asheton took the alarm. The 
 count discovered his feelings in every word 
 he spoke — in every gesture. He coloured if 
 Marion's dress touched him, he gazed in 
 rapture if she spoke to him, he saw nothing 
 but her. Even Beatrice, accustomed to his 
 enamoured fits, had never seen him so com- 
 pletely absorbed. 
 
 By degrees Godfrey's manner grew colder 
 and more distant. Beatrice had placed 
 herself by his side, the others walking behind 
 with the count. Ever and anon she saw Mr. 
 Asheton glance behind; each time his look 
 became more stern, and finally, as Marion's 
 soft laugh came fluttering by his ear, he 
 abruptly wished Beatrice good morning,
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 113 
 
 scarcely doing more than raise his hat to the 
 others as he departed. For a week he 
 sulked, and nothing but the evident anxiety 
 of his father and mother roused him at last 
 to a demeanour more becoming an Asheton. 
 They had not, however, been privy to his 
 thoughts on the sands, or the shock that so 
 immediate a contradiction to his settled 
 opinion had given him. 
 
 Hearing from his father and mother that 
 the two younger girls had been at Asheton 
 Court that day, claiming Mr. Asheton's 
 promise of some ferns, he so far lowered 
 himself in his own estimation as to say : — 
 
 "And not accompanied by the count, 
 Miss Flower's cavalier e servante ? " 
 
 " Oh ! no, by no means ; to tell you the 
 truth, I do not think he is a favourite with 
 them. I gained from Priscilla the reason of 
 their taking this long walk unescorted, was 
 their desire to escape from the count. 
 
 VOL I. I
 
 114 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Probably he and Beatrice are betrothed, 
 and therefore not such agreeable company as 
 might be.'' 
 
 "Your pardon, dear mother, I was but a 
 short time in their society, one day last week, 
 and Count Julian could see nothing and no 
 one but Marion." 
 
 A thrill of pleasure shot through the 
 hearts of both parents, and made them turn 
 their eyes in almost undisguised delight upon 
 each other. The obdurate (though not too 
 much so, considering) heart of their Godfrey 
 was touched, and the slightest possible degree 
 of vexation was in his voice, and never 
 before had he ever called any woman by her 
 Christian name, who was not related to 
 him. 
 
 Mr. AsJieton. " My dear Godfrey, I never 
 made a bet in my life, or stated anything on 
 the word of another, but that my pretty 
 little May -Flower, as I cannot help calling
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 115 
 
 her, with her innocent eyes and artless ways, 
 should marry that half-mad young count, 
 never ! I have said it, never ! ! never ! ! ! '' 
 
 Mrs. Asheton (astonished). "My dear Mr. 
 Asheton, pray, pray, not so loud — you 
 astonish me ; I never saw you so excited." 
 
 Mr. Asheton, (unheeding his wife). 
 " Godfrey, you should have seen her to-day, 
 running about the conservatory like a bird, 
 picking out all the rare ferns, and telling me 
 their names with that sweet soft voice of hers, 
 and looking up so prettily into my face. 
 
 " ' My dear young lady,' said I to her, 
 ^ you will make me forget my manners, and 
 I shall find myself calling you all sorts of 
 pet names.' 
 
 " * Ah, sir,' said she, ' pray do. I have 
 had no one to call me pet names since I lost 
 my grandfather, and I shall love you just as I 
 did him.' 
 
 "And the tears came like large crystal 
 
 I 2
 
 116 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 drops, and I could not but put my hand on 
 her head, and call her ^My little May 
 Flower.' Then her smiles chased away her 
 tears ; and as for marrying Count Julian, 
 never 1 never ! " 
 
 Mrs. Asheton. " I agree with your father, 
 Godfrey. Her manners to-day were as free 
 from anything like a love affair as mine might 
 be. She played with my white kittens as 
 any child might do. She made old Turk 
 follow her about as if he had known her 
 all his life, and she coaxed your chestnut 
 mare, Bessie, not only to eat out of her 
 hand, but to let her fondle the little colt. I 
 never saw anyone so fond of animals, or so 
 fearless. I sent them home in the carriage, 
 they remained so long, for we were as 
 reluctant to part with them as they were to 
 go. If Priscilla did not resemble Mrs. 
 Flower, I think I should like her. She is so 
 very honest and downright."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETOF. 117 
 
 Godfrey. " I will call to-morrow on the 
 count ; I ought to have done it before. Tis 
 useless asking him to come here for a day's 
 shooting, these foreigners are so ignorant of 
 real sport, and a day on the moors would 
 probably lay him up for a week.'^ 
 
 Godfrey made up his mind that night 
 that he would allow the young count a free 
 course. If Marion accepted him, there was 
 an end of the matter; it would not take 
 him as many days to forget her, as he had 
 already been weeks in thinking about her. 
 
 If she did not accept him, why, then, he 
 must confess she lost nothing in his favour, 
 but rather gained. It was not every girl, 
 young as Marion, brought up so carelessly, 
 with no one to love but a cousin Prissy, 
 and nothing to pet but pigeons, who could 
 refuse to be the idol and loadstar of a 
 youth, handsome as imagination (which is 
 a wonderful artist) could paint, and who
 
 118 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 would make her from a little nobody, an 
 orphan and homeless, into a countess. On 
 the morrow he thought still more strongly 
 on the subject, and went in amiable and 
 pleasant mood to call upon Count Julian.
 
 119 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 IN WHICH A PROPOSAL IS INTENDED, AND ANOTHER 
 PROPOSAL MADE. 
 
 As Mr. Godfrey Asheton leisurely walked 
 up the cliff path to the Wood-head, he 
 became aware of a figure on .a dangerous 
 point of the cliff, gesticulating, and throw- 
 ing himself about in an alarming manner. 
 Feeling uncertain as to the sanity of the indi- 
 vidual, Mr. Asheton dropped his leisurely 
 step, and was up the steep cliff, and down
 
 120 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 upon the unfortunate, before many people 
 would have decided what to do. 
 
 To his surprise, this supposed maniac 
 proved to be the very person upon whom 
 he was about to call. At first the count 
 was enraged at this intrusion ; then he 
 changed like a flash of lightning, and burst 
 into a flood of tears. Finally, he embraced 
 Mr. Asheton fervently, spite of all his eflbrts ; 
 and making him sit down by him, declared 
 he was, of all people far and near, the one 
 he prayed of the good God to see. ^'He 
 was in miserere, in fires, in groans, in much 
 great trouble. If the good Asheton would 
 advise of him, he would be his servante, 
 his devoted. He was scorched with his 
 pain of heart, and if it burnt more, there 
 would be of him — nothing ! " 
 
 Godfrey promised his best, and, as a pre- 
 liminary, listened for a length of time to 
 rhapsodies that could not fail to be ridicu-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 121 
 
 lous to the common sense of an English 
 gentleman, even if they had not been equally 
 absurd from the count's feelings, obscuring 
 what he did know of the English language. 
 The substance of it all amounted to nothing 
 more than that he was madly in love with 
 ^^ La bellissima Marion," " Mariana mia/' 
 as he said, with an expression and pathos 
 that really touched Godfrey, though he 
 winced at it. 
 
 "Mariana mia!" wherefore, then, this 
 exhibition of misery ? 
 
 "Ah, perche, questo e il perche, Mr. 
 Ashe ton. I not ask her, I try, I supplica, 
 that is my reason, can you not see? I 
 mad, I have this scorch in my heart, for 
 she smile, she not care, she not give a 
 moment of space of time to say one word." 
 
 " Oh, you wish to propose to her, and 
 she has not yet given you the opportu- 
 nity."
 
 122 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Count Julian embraced Godfrey so sud- 
 denly, as a mark of joy at being at last 
 understood, that he had not time to es- 
 cape it. But to avoid a repetition, he re- 
 moved some little space from him. 
 
 ^^ It is quite impossible that I can assist 
 you. If the young lady will not give you 
 the opportunity, I do not see how 1 am 
 to interfere." 
 
 " Ah, ah ! " began the count, his whole 
 frame convulsed with a sudden passion, 
 and throwing himself upon Godfrey with 
 the wildest rage, "you love her; you die." 
 
 Fortunately Godfrey's strong frame and 
 active habits made him much more than 
 a match for a youth so slight as the 
 count, though his excited passion gave him 
 a temporary strength. 
 
 It took but a few moments, not only 
 to render him powerless, but to bear him 
 some distance from the conspicuous and
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 123 
 
 dangerous spot on which this conference 
 had been held. 
 
 As Mr. Asheton threw down his bur- 
 den on the greensward that foruied part 
 of a broad terrace, still panting with his 
 exertions, and flushed with anger, he said, 
 
 '^ Give me your reason for such an 
 assertion ? " 
 
 Sullen and discomforted, the count uttered 
 but one word in answer, " Beatrice." 
 
 "Excuse me," answered Godfrey haughtily, 
 ''I place that faith in your cousin, as a 
 woman and a lady, she could not have 
 asserted what she never heard from me. 
 Go, sir, as a man of honour, to the 
 young lady's uncle and protector, which 
 you should have done before, considering 
 her youth and innocence. Go ; it will be 
 time enough for me to express my feel- 
 ings towards her, when you have had her 
 answer." And so saying, he stalked away
 
 124 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 on the highest stilts of indignation, hardly 
 knowing what made him so — whether the 
 folly of the youth, the discovery of his 
 secret, or the unkindness of Fate dragging 
 him, Mr. Godfrey Asheton, into a ridicu- 
 lous quarrel about a young lady he had 
 barely known two months. But his ad- 
 ventures were not yet over. 
 
 He was fuming still, having scarcely 
 got as far as the Asheton grounds, to 
 which there was a path running from 
 the sea, up a secluded little dingle that 
 shortened the distance almost half, when he 
 heard sobs, and looking before him, seated 
 on one of the numerous little rustic seats 
 that were scattered along the pathway, he 
 recognised Miss Priscilla Flower. It was 
 quite impossible now to escape her notice, 
 and equally impossible that he should see 
 her in such, distress, and not tender his 
 services.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 125 
 
 At first his polite offers only caused 
 fresh tears. 
 
 "My mother — could my mother be of 
 any assistance ? " 
 
 " Well, I don't know ; perhaps she might. 
 It's all Julian's fault." 
 
 " Surely," thought Mr. Asheton, " she is 
 not in love with the count." 
 
 Prissy, having found her tongue, pro- 
 ceeded pretty glibly — 
 
 "He is, — yes, he is, nothing but a 
 fellow." 
 
 To Prissy's innocent mind, this was the 
 very worst character she could give him; 
 but Mr. Asheton, not knowing that her 
 vocabulary of vituperative epithets was 
 limited, did not understand the intense 
 degradation she thus heaped upon the 
 count. 
 
 " He's breaking my heart, that he is." 
 
 Mr. Asheton was ready to laugh aloud
 
 126 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 in very scorn, at the position he was in. 
 The confidante of Miss Prissy Flower in a 
 disappointed love affair ! 
 
 *^ I am afraid I can be of little use." 
 
 *^ Perhaps Mrs. Asheton would hide May 
 for a little in that big house. 
 
 " May — Marion, you mean — Miss Flower/' 
 and Godfrey sat down beside her, deter- 
 mined patiently to hear the whole affair. 
 
 *^ Yes, he'll never find her there. She 
 says she will go away if that fellow bothers 
 her so ; she will leave me, and I love her 
 so much. And it is so wicked of him, 
 because he knows she has nowhere to 
 go. Her sister could not keep her any 
 longer, though she loves her dearly. You 
 should see her letters; — I think, only May 
 won't let me say such a thing, it is all 
 owing to Sir Alan. Men are so disagree- 
 able — are they not, Mr. Asheton ? See this 
 horrid Julian — but I'm never going to call
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 127 
 
 him Julian again. He isn't really any cousin 
 of mine or May's, that we are to care for 
 him — a fellow ! " 
 
 Here the pause occasioned by the em- 
 phasis Prissy used in this word, enabled 
 Mr. Asheton to put in a question. 
 
 " The count annoys Miss Flower, then ? " 
 
 "To be sure he does ; and who wouldn't 
 be annoyed ? doinoj such a ridiculous thinsj 
 as asking her to marry him only a week 
 after he saw her, and then going half mad 
 because she refused him. And then, is it 
 what a gentleman should do, I should like 
 to know, asking her again and again, and 
 me there, as if people that were real 
 lovers ever proposed when anyone else 
 was by ? Such a fellow ! Only, to be sure, 
 he could not have spoken to her at all, 
 for she wouldn't be alone, trust her for 
 that." 
 
 " I have just parted from the count ;
 
 128 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 he asked my advice regarding an intended 
 proposal to Miss Flower, but never allowed 
 he had done it." 
 
 " Done it, he's always doing it, and 
 Beatrice encourages him, and mamma does, 
 and papa can't be interrupted in his sermon, 
 and Marion says she will go away, and that's 
 why I am crying. Marion has just run up to 
 see the old woman of the lodge, and I was 
 keeping watch lest he should follow us, 
 and I was to w^histle to warn her , and 
 just after she was gone I recollected that 
 I could not whistle, and I thought, if he 
 was to come, what should we do, and that 
 put me upon thinking more, and how 
 if she was to leave us ; and then I heard 
 steps, and I was ready to scream, but it 
 was you, and to think of my being in such 
 misery, all through such a fellow." 
 
 " Then, my dear Miss Priscilla, dry your 
 eyes and grieve no more. I will beg my
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON, 129 
 
 mother to call upon Mrs. Flower to-mor- 
 row, and ask the favour of yours and 
 Miss Flower's company for a few days, or 
 until the count returns to his own 
 country." 
 
 " Oh ! how good you are, and so kind. 
 Nobody shall ever dare to say to me again 
 that you are proud and disagreeable. See, 
 here is May coming ; now does she not look 
 pretty ? " 
 
 Mr. Asheton was glad of anything to 
 divert his companion from seeing the sur- 
 prise, not to say annoyance, which her 
 naive confessions had excited in his coun- 
 tenance, and he could heartily respond to 
 her last remark. They saw her coming 
 leisurely through the trees, a basket in one 
 hand, and her hat in the other. She was 
 flushed, for the air in that narrow, densely- 
 wooded dingle was hot. She swayed her 
 hat to and fro to the tune of an Indian 
 
 VOL I. K
 
 130 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 melody she was singing, and the slight 
 disorder of her curls but added to her 
 beauty, even in Godfrey's eyes. Suddenly 
 she stopped both singing and walking, and 
 stooped down. 
 
 "Now, that's to save some poor worm 
 or beetle,'^ whisperedt he delighted Prissy; 
 "she does not mind one bit touching those 
 nasty creatures, if they are in danger of 
 being trodden upon." 
 
 "Do not tell her of our little scheme, if 
 you can help it," whispered he also, hurriedly. 
 
 " No, that I won't ; perhaps she wouldn't 
 come, you know." 
 
 Godfrey felt that Prissy's powers of 
 keeping a secret were very small, but, forti- 
 fied by this idea, there might be some chance. 
 If circumstances had not already made 
 Marion such an object of interest to Mr. 
 Asheton, she would have become so now, 
 from her manner as she met him.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 131 
 
 He concluded, from all he had heard, that 
 she would of course be somewhat confused, 
 not to say nervous, or shyly abashed — he 
 could not say why he thought so. But he 
 would forgive her, she was so young. There 
 was no necessity for any forgiveness or 
 thought on the matter. She was her natural 
 self As far as she was concerned, the count 
 was a myth. Godfrey saw them safe into 
 their own house, and coming home, made up 
 his mind to do one thing that very evening. 
 
 k2
 
 132 
 
 CHAPTER VIII. 
 
 IN WHICH THE PROPOSAL IS ACCEPTED, BUT NOT BT 
 THE RIGHT PARTY. 
 
 Scene. — After Dinner at Asheton Court. 
 
 Dramatis Personce. — Mr. and Mrs. Asheton, 
 
 AND Mr. Godfrey Asheton. 
 
 Godfrey. *^My dearest mother, my kind 
 father, in asking of you both a boon — an 
 inestimable one — I am that fortunate son 
 who knows beforehand he cannot demand 
 of such parents a favour they might hesi- 
 tate to accord him j because, emulating
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 133 
 
 their example, he will ask nothing but 
 what they themselves desire ; — I demand 
 your consent to my marriage. 
 
 Mr. Asheton, '^ My little May-Flower ! " 
 
 Mrs. Asheton. " That sweet Marion ! '^ 
 
 Godfrey. " Even so." 
 
 Here Mr. and Mrs. Asheton, regardless 
 of their dignity, their exclusiveness, their 
 freedom from all human weaknesses, fell 
 into each other's arms, weeping, embracing, 
 and blessing themselves, all for very joy : 
 totally oblivious that many a Mr. and Mrs. 
 Snooks in the world would act, and had 
 acted, in no other way. 
 
 They then embraced their son with so 
 much tearful joy, so many protestations of 
 delight, such thanks and congratulations, 
 that it might have been supposed Mr. 
 Godfrey Asheton had given up the only 
 female he ever could have loved, to marry 
 another of their particular choice. If ever
 
 134 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 an unselfish, tender emotion entered Godfrey's 
 heart, it was at that moment, for, touched by 
 the natural and over-flowing joy of his 
 parents, a sight most unusual in Asheton 
 conclave, he mentally resolved the first 
 lesson he would teach his Marion would be 
 to love and honour them. 
 
 Mr. Asheton. *^My dear, dear son, me- 
 thought only the other day how dull the 
 house looked, when her bright face left it. 
 And she plays at backgammon, too ; she did 
 so always with that fine old soldier, her 
 grandfather, the General." 
 
 Mrs. Asheton. " And with all her attrac- 
 tions we have the satisfaction of knowing 
 her family is almost as old as our own, 
 besides being limited. I consider it a great 
 advantage that she stands almost alone, 
 with no tribes of brothers or sisters." 
 
 Godfrey. ^'Pardon me, she has one sister, 
 married to Sir Alan Gordon. You remember,
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 135 
 
 perhaps, my dear mother, the sensation a 
 Miss Flower created one season in London, 
 by her beauty and manners." 
 
 Mrs. Asheton. '^ And did you know her, 
 Godfrey ? Perhaps she was superior — " 
 
 Mr. Asheton (hastily.) "That she could 
 not be." 
 
 Godfrey. "At all events, she was much 
 more fortunate in her education. She was 
 sent from India as a child, and brought up by 
 Mrs. Aubrey, in as favoured and happy a 
 manner as my own sisters." 
 
 Mrs. Asheton. "I would you had seen 
 her, Godfrey." 
 
 Godfrey. " Not so, mother ; I prefer my 
 little wild maiden. Lady Gordon, from all 
 accounts, might have had, and would be 
 justified to have, fixed tastes and opinions, 
 that, unobjectionable to most persons, yet 
 altogether would not have suited the spoilt 
 son you have rendered so difficult to
 
 136 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 please. Now, Marion we can mould to be 
 an Asheton, heart and soul, or I am very 
 much mistaken. '* 
 
 Mr. Asheton. " Don't let her alter ; I will 
 not have her changed, my innocent little 
 May-Flower. And now, my son, about 
 settlements. In all things, as if you had 
 no father, please yourself. It is the least 
 I can do towards one who never caused 
 his parents a pang." 
 
 Godfrey. "My dearest, most honoured 
 father, do not overwhelm me too much. 
 What debts of gratitude do I not already 
 owe you ? " 
 
 Mr. Asheton. "You have repaid all, you 
 owe me nothing, giving me such a daughter. 
 As my father did by me, so will I do by 
 you, and your loved mother's settlement 
 shall be the pattern of your wife's." 
 
 Godfrey. "Nothing could please me bet- 
 ter, I return you most grateful thanks.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 137 
 
 But in one thing I would have them altered. 
 My mother has spoilt me ; I could not hope 
 to gain for my wife, one in whom you could 
 place such unutterable confidence, as you 
 were able to do in her. I would wish, 
 in case of disagreement, untoward circum- 
 stances, a disappointment in her character 
 (we have known her so short a time), 
 that even before my death, I might have 
 power to accord my wife her widow's 
 dower, on removing myself from her 
 society." 
 
 Mrs. Asheton (astonished). "How, my son?" 
 Godfrey. "Mother, I cannot marry, feel- 
 ing myself bound to remain and live with 
 a person who might outrage my sensitive- 
 ness in a thousand unforseen ways. I 
 must have the power to free myself, and 
 yet not be unjust." 
 
 Mrs. Asheton. " But your marriage vows ? 
 — ^the pledge you give."
 
 138 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Godfrey. *^ Are doubtless stringent. But 
 that peculiar fastidiousness of the Asheton 
 family which I inherit — I fear I must say- 
 to an unfortunate degree — renders such a 
 clause necessary, for my perfect content." 
 
 Mr. Asheton, " Say no more, my dear 
 wife, this is but a bugbear in reality. 
 My sweet May-Flower will be able to 
 laugh with us all, ere many years are over, 
 at our son's apprehensions." 
 
 Godfrey. " She shall have equal freedom. 
 I demand it not for myself only." 
 
 Mrs. Asheton (wishing to change the sub- 
 ject). "Now, we must write as soon as 
 possible to tell the joyful news. I know not 
 which of your sisters will rejoice the most." 
 
 Godfrey. " My dear mother, in deference 
 to you and my father, I have asked your 
 consent first. It would be as well to say 
 nothing to my sisters, until I have gained 
 that of the young lady."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 139 
 
 Mr, Asheton. " Oh ! my dear son, how 
 much you have disappointed me. You 
 might have known our consent was only 
 too ready. I thought I would go to the 
 Wood-head the earliest moment of pro- 
 priety, to kiss and welcome her into the 
 family, and to bid her call me grand- 
 father. I seem to long to hear her call 
 me so, since she has talked so much of 
 my old friend, the General. And it will 
 be a more endearing name than papa, will 
 it not, my love ? '' 
 
 Mrs. Asheton. '' You are enthusiastic about 
 her, my dear husband, and make me 
 smile; but of course you will ask her to- 
 morrow, Godfrey ? " 
 
 Godfrey. *' I had not intended making 
 known my hopes to her until next month, 
 after Ellinor had seen her. But the mad 
 conduct of that young count, and the 
 extreme stupidity of her relations, have
 
 140 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 placed her in a situation that, even if I 
 had no interest in her, would prompt me 
 to do all I could to free her from it. 
 
 Godfrey here detailed all the events of 
 the day, winding up with some severe re- 
 marks on Count Julian's conduct, in not 
 acknowledging to him that he had already 
 proposed and been refused. And further 
 stating it was his intention to seek him 
 the first thing in the morning, extort the 
 truth from him, and in return confess to 
 him that it was his intention to beseech 
 Miss Flower to accept him as her hus- 
 band. 
 
 "By this means," continued Godfrey, 
 " if she accepts me — " 
 
 " Of which there is no doubt," inter- 
 rupted his mother." 
 
 Godfrey, to his honour be it spoken, 
 shook his head, though he smiled. The 
 smile did not express that he would be
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 141 
 
 refused, but the shake of the head signi- 
 fied that he might have to fight against 
 some girlish scruples. 
 
 "If she accepts me, the count has no 
 alternative, he must leave the country, 
 and she will be no longer subjected to 
 his wild wooing. If she does not accept 
 me—" 
 
 Mr. Asheton (vehemently). " Then I 
 shall take her under my protection. I 
 constitute myself her grandfather at once.'' 
 
 Godfrey. " Thank you, my dear sir, 
 for I shall tell her of your offer first ; 
 then, if I am accepted, I shall know it 
 is wholly for myself, and that I am in 
 the enviable position of successful rival 
 against, I must allow, the handsomest man 
 I ever saw." 
 
 The conversation noAv took a pleasant 
 turn, not to say joyful, and Mr. Godfrey 
 Asheton went to bed that night with quite
 
 142 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 a lover-like impatience for the morrow. 
 He longed to see how Marion would look 
 when he asked her to be his wife. He 
 was to go to the Wood-head the first thing 
 after breakfast, and Mrs. Asheton was to 
 follow in the carriage after luncheon, with 
 the double intention of receiving Marion 
 as her daughter, and bringing the two 
 girls home with her. 
 
 While matters were so delightfully ar- 
 ranged at Asheton Court, the Wood-head 
 was in a state of extreme discomfort. 
 
 Mr. Flower's sermon was completely 
 spoilt, through losing the thread of it no 
 less than three times, the count having 
 burst into his sanctum thus often to pom- 
 out his wishes and hopes, and to beseech 
 Mr. Flower's interference. His frantic man- 
 ner, his absurd jealousy, his feminine 
 beauty, all reminded Mr. Flower so strongly 
 of his one year of misery, that he became
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 143 
 
 stupefied. The count's passionate appeals 
 opened his eyes and mouth in painful as- 
 tonishment, but nothing more. And even 
 when Marion ran for refuge to him, he 
 only shook his head, and, as she could 
 perceive, was incapable of affording her the 
 least assistance. Mrs. Flower, between her 
 distress at the spoiling of the sermon, meant 
 on purpose for that " prodigal son " just 
 returned — Betty James's recreant spouse — 
 her sorrow for the misery of that dear Julian, 
 her grief for the vexation of that darling 
 Marion, her desire to do all she could to 
 further the match, according to the advice 
 of Beatrice, and her endeavours to break 
 it all off, in accordance with Prissy 's in- 
 dignant remonstrances, was in a pitiable 
 state. 
 
 Beatrice herself was anything but com- 
 fortable. She had not calculated upon 
 Marion^s having such determination of pur-
 
 144 ME. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 pose and decision of character ; neither did 
 she imagine her cousin would have per- 
 mitted his passion to outstep every boun- 
 dary of sense and courtesy. She had often 
 seen him in love before, but never to the 
 extent he was now, and while she preached 
 patience and time to him as the only 
 means to gain Marion, she could not but 
 wonder that so young a girl should have 
 the firmness to resist such passionate de- 
 votion. 
 
 While Marion wept tears of indignation 
 at the desolate situation in which she 
 found herself, Prissy wiped them away, ve- 
 hemently disgusted '^that she should shed 
 them for such a fellow."
 
 145 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 IN WHICH THE PROPOSAL REMAINS STILL UNACCEPTED. 
 
 The morning dawned calmly. The count 
 had made up his mind to appeal once 
 more to Marion, not for any immediate 
 answer, but to give him hopes for the 
 future. The vows he would make to 
 please her, the time he would wait to 
 oblige her, the agony he would endure 
 in silence, to gain her affection at last, 
 were all put into proper English by Bea- 
 trice, that they might lose none of their 
 VOL I. L
 
 146 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 effect from Marion's ignorance of the Italian 
 language. Mr. Flower gave hopes, if he 
 was left alone, that he might find the 
 thread of his discourse ; Mrs. Flower, en- 
 chanted to hear this, devoted her energies 
 to keeping guard over him, oblivious of 
 Julian's despair and Beatrice's orders. May 
 and Prissy were discovered to have gone 
 forth very early in the morning, leaving 
 a message that they did not intend to re- 
 turn to breakfast. Fortunately they had 
 made no secret of their plan, otherwise 
 all Count Julian's good resolutions would 
 have been thrown to the winds. Though 
 the servants did not know for what even- 
 tual purpose they had engaged old Hugh, 
 the fisherman, to take them across the bay 
 in his boat, they knew that breakfasting 
 with Mrs. Ford, the doctor's wife, was 
 part of the plan ; walking home round the 
 bay afterwards, another.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 147 
 
 The secret intention of the girls was to 
 ask Mrs. Ford to take Marion into her 
 house and under her care, until the Wood- 
 head was rid of the presence of the count, 
 Prissy remaining rigidly silent regarding 
 the Asheton Court invitation. 
 
 Having arranged with Beatrice that she 
 should go to meet them, and under some 
 slight pretence, detach and detain the too 
 faithful Prissy, Julian took up his most 
 impatient watch upon a point of the cliffs, 
 that commanded a full view of the bay, 
 while the confluence of the many path- 
 ways, mentioned in this veracious history, 
 met close by. 
 
 It was, indeed, no idle or transient love 
 that possessed the poor Julian. He had 
 admired and flirted with many girls, but, 
 though anxious to marry, not one had 
 really excited his feelings to the extent of 
 love. 
 
 l2
 
 148 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Now, as if touched by a Promethean 
 flame, the first sight of Marion had, as 
 even in the case of the cold-blooded, 
 haughty Godfrey Asheton, made a lasting 
 impression. Her peculiar girlish beauty, 
 the innocent sweetness as well as frank- 
 ness of her manners, the grace of every move- 
 ment, the redundant beauty of her hair, 
 so rich in sunny shades, her girlish gaiety, 
 yet womanly composure, made her alto- 
 gether the most attractive creature imagina- 
 tion could picture. 
 
 Fearful lest his vehemence was the real 
 cause of her evident dislike, Julian spent 
 the tedious time of her coming in school- 
 ing his beating heart to the persuasive 
 eloquence his own language could so well 
 express. And ere she reached the spot in- 
 tended for the rendezvous, unattended by 
 Prissy, he felt he could die at her feet, 
 murmuring out his passionate love in melt-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 149 
 
 ing tones, rather than startle her with its 
 violence. 
 
 Marion's colour rose, but nothing more, 
 as he stood in the pathway before her. 
 
 Dropping on one knee, and clasping 
 her dress, he began his last appeal. 
 
 Marion listened as he poured out his 
 whole heart before her, the tones of his 
 voice assuming the melody of music, and 
 his gentleness giving a pathos to all he 
 said, entirely different from his former vio- 
 lence. As he finished by murmuring, if 
 he had not her love, he should die — die — 
 she trembled, it seemed so true. 
 
 Some one else trembled also, who had 
 arrived, at this unlucky moment, at the 
 conjuction of the paths. 
 
 With utter disgust at his position, yet, 
 under the circumstances, equally unable to 
 withdraw until he heard Marion's answer, 
 Godfrey stood. Had he been guilty of
 
 150 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 using out-of-the-way language, 'tis probable 
 he would have cursed his unlucky stars. 
 
 Very low and trembling was her voice 
 at first, but it cleared and strengthened as 
 she proceeded : — 
 
 "I like you very much for my cousin, 
 Julian. I am too young, as I told you 
 before, to think of love." 
 
 " Ah, no — ah, no,'' he answered ; ^^ pity 
 me, pity my poor life without your love." 
 
 "Then if you think I can love, and you 
 will have an answer, is it not best that 
 you should know 1 never can love you?" 
 
 ^'Ah, Marianna, mia Marianna, kill me 
 not." 
 
 "It is true, Julian — it appears to me im- 
 possible. Never can I think to be your 
 wife." 
 
 "Ah, ah," he began, his face becoming 
 livid. " Have care, tempt me not, the 
 curses of my heart are very deep. I will
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 151 
 
 have your love : one day you shall be my 
 wife.'' 
 
 As he uttered these words, with all the 
 concentrated feeling of a love turning to 
 bitterness, Marion bent forward, her form 
 dilated, her eyes grew darker; from a girl 
 she appeared to become an earnest woman. 
 Lightly touching his arm with her fore- 
 finger, to enforce his attention, she said : — 
 
 "You do not know how to ]ove. When 
 I love, he whom I love shall know it, by 
 the silent deeds of my life. What he wished 
 I would wish — what he thought I would 
 divine. If he loved me not, I would dis- 
 cover her whom he did love, and serve 
 her. When I love, it will be after such 
 fashion that I would drive it out of my 
 heart sooner than trouble him as you do 
 me. You love yourself best; if you loved 
 me, I should not be thus waylaid and 
 tormented."
 
 152 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Stung to the heart, Julian sprang to 
 nis feet, and she shrank in fear, but Mr. 
 Asheton stood between them. 
 
 ^^ Pray forgive my intrusion," he half 
 whispered. " I came to speak both to 
 yourself and Count Julian, that I am 
 thus early. You will wish to go. Fly 
 then, I will guard your retreat.'' 
 
 She was gone as he spoke. 
 
 "And now, Count Julian, you owe it 
 only to your being a foreigner, that I do 
 not at once call upon you to answer for 
 thus forgetting the courtesy and respect 
 due to a lady. Have you no manliness 
 in you, that you can thus torment her 
 to give what she cannot bestow ? " 
 
 " I will have her ; — she shall be my 
 wife." 
 
 "Never, if I can prevent it. I take 
 some blame to myself that I did not 
 acknowledge to you I loved her. I only
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 153 
 
 refrained from doing so because you told 
 me you meant to ask her to be your wife, 
 and I would not interfere with your prior 
 claims. But you deceived me ; you have 
 been refused again and again. Selfish and 
 discourteous, you have not the manly firm- 
 ness to take your rejection as a gentle- 
 man should do. Know, then, that if Miss 
 Flower gives me the permission, the right 
 to act as her devoted servant and in- 
 tended husband, it will be my business to 
 soften your disappointment, to be to you 
 as a tender elder brother, until time shall 
 have soothed you, and other claims com- 
 forted you. But if she does not, if she 
 rejects me as well as yourself, I will yet 
 take care that, unmolested by me and my 
 vain regrets, you also shall have no further 
 power to insult her more with the offer of 
 a love she favours not. Go at once to 
 Asheton Court, and remain there with my
 
 154 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 father, until I return. It is the only 
 thing you can now do to make repara- 
 tion to Miss Flower." 
 
 Awed, if not cowed, by the high 
 command, his disdain yet courtesy, his 
 frankness and the fine honour of his 
 words, the count shrunk back, mortified 
 and ashamed, yet, like a weak woman, he 
 was ready to shriek with disappointment 
 and anger. 
 
 " I go not. I wait at this place." 
 
 "On your honour, then." 
 
 But though he received no reply, God- 
 frey judged him by himself, and trusted 
 his better feelings would come to his aid; 
 and, being impatient to settle his afiairs 
 with Marion, he turned, and rapidly fol- 
 lowed her. 
 
 Now the count had no such feelings — 
 he did not understand them, and he would 
 have followed him, but his agitation was
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 155 
 
 SO great, his knees smote together, his 
 legs failed him, and he sank upon the 
 ground utterly overcome, and here he was 
 found by Beatrice and Prissy. 
 
 Meantime Godfrey soon overtook Marion, 
 who had lingered, looking wistfully behind. 
 In answer to her appealing look, he 
 said : — 
 
 ^* No harm is done, Miss Flower, and 
 none is likely to occur, when the count 
 can bear his fate like a man. But even 
 if he does not, I am the bearer of a 
 message from my mother, to beg that 
 you and your younger cousin will take 
 refuge with her at the Court. 
 
 " She is kind — most kind. Mrs. Ford 
 has agreed to take me after this week." 
 
 ^' I will go over there this evening. 
 Miss Flower, and tell her not to ex- 
 pect you." 
 
 ^' Thank you ; my sister is in grief; be-
 
 153 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 sides, I could not tell her, she would not 
 understand, Julian unknown to her, and I 
 should but add to her distress." 
 
 ^* Say no more, pray. Do you think 
 we are not of the same race and feelings 
 as yourself, that we can bear and see you 
 thus tormented, and withhold assistance? 
 No, no ; suffer me to support your steps ; 
 nay, take my arm, I have not delivered 
 all my messages, I have one from my 
 father. He desired me to say that you 
 are to command his protection and care, 
 on the condition that you call him grand- 
 father, and love him as such." 
 
 '* A condition only too precious to me. 
 I had so many to love once, and now 
 so few." 
 
 " Then you accept his proposal ? " 
 
 "Will you say, if he is to be my grand- 
 father, he must let me be a real grand- 
 child. I used to do so many things for
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 157 
 
 my own grandpapa — read to him; sing to 
 him— ^^ 
 
 " And play backgammon with him, I have 
 heard of that." 
 
 ^^ Ah ! then he will make me too happy. 
 We begin this evening.'' 
 
 And the soft sadness that had troubled 
 her fair face vanished under the influ- 
 ence of happy thoughts. 
 
 " I have given my mother's message 
 and my father's, and you have kindly as- 
 sented to each. But there is yet another 
 petition to be laid at your feet, and the 
 petitioner is myself. I fear, sweet Marion, 
 that the name of love has lately been so 
 outraged in your eyes, you will hardly 
 have patience to hear it again. And, in 
 justice to myself, I must acknowledge that 
 deep as was the impression your first ap- 
 pearance made upon me, and strengthened 
 as it has been ever since, I should have
 
 158 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 hesitated to offer my hand to you until a 
 more intimate knowledge of my family and 
 myself could lead me to hope you would 
 look favourably upon us. But Count Julian 
 has not only extorted that secret from me 
 which ought to have been yours first and 
 only, but has rendered a protector in some 
 measure necessary for you. Let this 
 plead my pardon, if I have chosen an 
 unpropitious moment for urging my 
 suit." 
 
 Godfrey had no reason to be displeased 
 with the various emotions that flitted over 
 Marion's downcast, but expressive face, as 
 he slowly poured forth this harangue. 
 
 One start, one look of uncontrolled sur- 
 prise, revealed also pleasure, yet it was 
 the pleasure of a gratified self-respect 
 rather than love. Having been the victim 
 of a violent and selfish love, he read as 
 plainly as possible how her wounded wo-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 159 
 
 man's pride appreciated his mode of ad- 
 dressing her. And he admired her all the 
 more for the proper value she placed upon 
 herself. Not that she was at all insensible 
 to his affection. Her hand trembled, her 
 cheek flushed, the pulse of her heart beat 
 against his arm, and do what she would to 
 prevent it, a smile of happiness fluttered 
 round her mouth — a very different appear- 
 ance to the aggrieved woman throwing 
 from her the love of the count. 
 
 " You are silent, Marion — say, am I to 
 be refused as well as Count Julian ? " 
 
 "No — no — not as Count Julian." 
 
 " But I am not to be so favoured as 
 my father and mother? My petition is to 
 be refused, tell me, dearest Marion ? " 
 
 " It is so sudden ; it is — it is — my life 
 you ask of me.'' 
 
 "True, and not to be idly given. I but 
 admire you the more for this hesitation.
 
 160 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Yet if I could have some hope, some tan- 
 gible reason to give Count Julian — " 
 
 Marion suddenly placed her hand in his, 
 the rosy blushes ceased to rise, the clear 
 eyes were raised to his in modest frank- 
 ness. 
 
 ^' If Count Julian knows of this — if — if 
 you have said that to him of me which you 
 now say, he will guess — he will be sure. 
 Mr. Asheton, who could love Count Julian 
 when you — if you — I mean, Mr. Asheton 
 and Count Julian cannot be ranked to- 
 gether in the estimation of an English 
 girl." 
 
 That most beautiful of all smiles, the 
 smile of happiness in the heart of a proud 
 reserved nature, flooded Godfrey's eyes 
 with joy, and gave an inexpressible charm 
 to his countenance. 
 
 " That is," said he, modulating his voice 
 to the softest tone of tenderness, yet archly
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 161 
 
 smiling, " I may tell the count my chance 
 is better than his.'' 
 
 " Yes, yes," whispered Marion, blushing 
 again with deepest dyes, while her heart 
 fluttered and throbbed. 
 
 '^ But I am not to arrogate to myself 
 any greater favour ? " he whispered still 
 lower, enjoying her confusion. 
 
 Large tears began to fall — one by one. 
 
 " Forgive me, I will urge no more ; " 
 and after kissing her hand, he would have 
 withdrawn, but a gentle pressure from 
 Marion's arm stayed him. 
 
 '' Sir," she said, looking up with her 
 innocent heart in her eyes, ^' there are 
 but two of us — my sister and I ; she is 
 married, and not happy. I should like to 
 ask her if she thinks I am capable of 
 making — if I am fitted to be — a wife ; 
 the wife of one whom I might love with 
 a love that angels would weep in pity to 
 
 VOL I M
 
 162 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 see, did I lose his. I should like to ask 
 her, if staking all my happiness in this 
 world upon another, it might chance to be 
 wrecked as hers is ; because then he that 
 would be my husband, also, would suffer 
 as he does, that she has married. I can bear 
 my own misery, but I fear, I know, I could not 
 see — could not feel — he was so, and live.'' 
 
 It was as much as Godfrey could do, 
 to prevent himself clasping her to his 
 heart. Kissing her hand with the deepest 
 devotion, his whole face glowing with the 
 tenderest love and admiration, his voice 
 broken with emotion, he thus replied : — 
 
 *' Write to your sister, beg her to come 
 here, to see us — to know us. I will pay 
 to her the homage that shall he wholly 
 yours, when you will permit me the hap- 
 piness of considering it your right. But 
 remember, if you and she decide against 
 me, bitter as the pang may be, hear now
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 163 
 
 ^vhat I shall never suffer you to hear or 
 feel again, that you are the first, and will 
 be the only woman I ever loved." 
 
 He paused for a few moments. Then 
 clearing his voice, and speaking in his 
 usual calm tones — 
 
 ^* Until your sister comes, or you hear 
 from her, we are to each other as dear 
 friends; that you never can refuse me, 
 having consented to be my father's grand- 
 daughter. We shall meet this evening ; 
 to my mother and father, I must confess 
 my state of probation, and to the count 
 who awaits my fate, not even so much, 
 but sufficient to prove to him that my 
 position is more favourable than his. Fare- 
 well for a time." 
 
 They parted, she evidently struggling to 
 express her sense of all he said, but unable 
 to do so. 
 
 If the count had been in a condition to see 
 
 M 2
 
 164 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Godfrey's elastic springing steps, he would at 
 once have conjectured he was the fortunate 
 possessor of Miss Flower's heart, and was 
 coming towards him with the mien and steps 
 of a conqueror. But Godfrey's elation of 
 spirits arose from his delight and gratifica- 
 tion at discovering that his perception of 
 Marion's character had been so true. 
 Though not an accepted lover, her womanly 
 hesitation, her sudden exposure of the ten- 
 der nature of her heart, undazzled by the 
 brilliancy of such an ofier, all made him 
 love her yet more than if she had at once 
 accepted him. 
 
 Meantime^ no count was to be found. 
 Upon inquiry he discovered that, alarmed at 
 the state in which she found him, Beatrice 
 had had him conveyed to the nearest house, 
 one that was used for lodgings in the 
 bathing season; and had, moreover, sent for 
 Dr. Ford. Godfrey spoke to him for five
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 165 
 
 minutes alone, but the stupor of a coming 
 brain fever prevented his comprehending 
 anything but the words '^not accepted." 
 These he repeated again and again; at one 
 moment with joyful rapidity, the next with 
 the utmost anguish, plainly showing that 
 he was incapable of distinguishing their exact 
 sense. 
 
 Finding he had time to reach Asheton 
 Court ere his mother left, and being of no 
 present assistance to his unfortunate rival, 
 Godfrey hurriedly departed. Promising 
 Beatrice, however, to return in two hours, 
 as much to learn the doctor's opinion as to 
 offer his services, should they be required. 
 
 He found his father and mother sitting 
 in a state of fidget that was most anti- 
 Ashetonish. Without being as perfectly satis 
 fied with Marion (after hearing all he had 
 to say) as he appeared to be (Mrs. Ashe- 
 ton, in particular, was amazed at her hesi-
 
 166 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 tation, — they were delighted with him. 
 Never had they seen him so animated, so 
 happy, so handsome. And apparently he 
 must have been somewhat mistaken in his 
 report, that he was by no means an ac- 
 cepted lover, for the words " My Marion,'* 
 slipped out more than once, as he detailed 
 all she said and did. And in truth, spite 
 of that humble and deferential air with 
 which he had addressed Miss Flower, he 
 had no doubt in his own mind that she 
 would be his. Not so much through her 
 selection, but because, something like the 
 count, he was determined to have her for 
 his wife. Never was there seen any mortal 
 not born an Asheton, who could charm him 
 as she had done. 
 
 Notwithstanding his excitement and un- 
 wonted happiness, he was feelingly alive to 
 the sad condition of the young count ; and 
 it was no more than a true finale to the
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 167 
 
 satisfaction of a day such as he had never ex- 
 perienced before, that he heard from Dr. Ford 
 himself, every bad symptom was abating un- 
 der the influence of prompt measures. Bea- 
 trice, too, was in a better mood to muse 
 and watch over her cousin, as she gathered 
 from his incoherent lips enough to satisfy 
 her that Marion had rejected Mr. Asheton, 
 in the same unaccountable manner as she 
 had done the handsome and devoted 
 Julian. 
 
 Godfrey was very happy that evening at 
 Asheton Court, though only listening to 
 Prissy, relating to Mrs. Asheton all 
 she thought and felt when she first saw 
 May, but he was watching that May talk- 
 ing to, and playing at backgammon with, 
 her adopted grandfather. And strange to 
 say, much as he had admired her self-pos- 
 session, and the manner in which she 
 seemed to ignore being the object of Count
 
 168 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Julian's love, he doted on, and could not 
 resist exciting, the blush that rose so 
 vividly to her cheek when he approached 
 their table — the sort of start or tremor that 
 beset her whenever he spoke. And the 
 knowledge that, happen what would, nothing 
 could induce her to look at him with clear 
 and unconcerned eyes. 
 
 Mr, Asheton. "Little May Flower, you 
 play very well ; you are as good an antag- 
 onist as Godfrey." 
 
 May Flower (looking down). "Yes — no." 
 
 Mr. Asheion. "Now, would you not like 
 a game with him?" 
 
 May Flower. "No, no — oh, no." 
 
 Mr. Asheton (beseechingly). " You will 
 like it so much." 
 
 May Flower. " I am tired ; — I think I can 
 play no more." 
 
 Thus Mr. Asheton's first attempt at 
 match-making was nipped in the bud.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 169 
 
 As for the innocent and unsuspecting 
 Prissy, she no more conjectured that her 
 darling May had escaped from Julian's 
 clutches only to fall into much more dan- 
 gerous ones, than she could have thought 
 her mother would have burnt one of her 
 father's sermons. 
 
 "I am sure," said she, "it is very kind 
 of you, getting us out of the way. Julian 
 — but I'm never going to call him Julian 
 again — the count was most aggravating 
 with his nonsense. Of course May is much 
 too young to marry. Time enough to 
 think of that in ten years — isn't it, Mr. 
 Asheton ? " 
 
 She wondered a little at May's sitting up 
 that night to write a long letter to her sister. 
 
 "Take my advice, and put off all dis- 
 agreeable letters until the morning." 
 
 With which advice on her lips, Prissy 
 fell asleep.
 
 170 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 IN WHICH PRISSY GIVES HER OPINION OF LOVE MATTERS, 
 COMMENCING UNFAVOURABLY, BUT ENDING BY AC- 
 CEPTING " THE PROPOSAL." 
 
 There was on the cliiFs a small natural 
 terrace of the greenest sward and the 
 smallest dimensions. Like a natural throne 
 gemmed with Nature's jewels, placed in a 
 grand amphitheatre of Nature's building, 
 this terrace contained a rocky seat, of which 
 the green sward was the carpet of emerald 
 velvet. It was duly canopied as a throne 
 should be, but no perishable materials were
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 171 
 
 employed in erecting it. A grand and 
 beetling crag bent itself over the throne, 
 and long tendrils of ivy, brioiiy, and peri- 
 winkle festooned it. No chandelier was ne- 
 cessary to light up and ornament it, for 
 all day long, as if the sun had no other 
 pleasure or employment, he shone upon 
 this spot, beginning from early morning, 
 and circling all round to dewy evening. 
 Boisterous and rude winds, scared by the 
 frowning appearance of the great beetling 
 canopy, fled whisperingly by, and then, as 
 if smitten with the beauty of the place, 
 would steal in at the other corner, making 
 believe to be soft zephyrs. There they 
 lingered, playing with feathering ferns, 
 hunting about in the greenest moss, and 
 throwing the scent of violets all round. 
 Displacing large velvet leaves, and disclo- 
 sing the earliest, fairest primrose, until, hear- 
 ing the moans and groans of their wild
 
 172 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 playfellows seeking them, they fled out to 
 relate the wonders they had seen, and as 
 silence fell upon their departure, the rip- 
 pling sound of dropping water beat time to 
 the everlasting boom of the ocean. 
 
 The throne was occupied now by a 
 queen ; Marion sat thereon, reading her 
 sister's letter in answer to hers, settling the 
 question of her life. 
 
 It was Marion's favourite seat. Here 
 none could be molested without ample warn- 
 ing, for by the path beneath the coming 
 visitor could be seen, and from the path 
 above rolled pebbles and stones, ever moved 
 by the lightest foot. These fell with a 
 warning sound, pattering like heavy rain- 
 drops on the broad ivy leaves, No one 
 saw Marion's letter to her sister, save that 
 sister, so it is lost to posterity ; but old 
 Mr. Asheton long preserved the answer, 
 and it is therefore here transcribed : —
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 173 
 
 " God love and bless my sister in this 
 the most important decision of her life. 
 Dearest, I will answer your questions (so 
 modestly, yet so wisely put) with the one 
 purpose of counselling you, as if I was 
 before the throne of our God. All the 
 more earnest to do it, because in nothing 
 else am I able to show my love for you. 
 
 " You seem to think, my May, that so 
 young, so indifferently educated, you are 
 scarcely fitted to be the wife of one as 
 highly placed in the world's ranks as Mr. 
 Asheton. To this I answer, if you are de- 
 ficient in some things, you more than atone 
 in others. During that brief, that most 
 happy time which we spent together, I was 
 struck with the quiet good sense, the quick 
 perception, the modest self-possession of 
 your character. You know, May, I had 
 to regard my sister as a stranger at first, 
 never having met before. These qualities
 
 174 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 are not to be learnt so much by education, 
 as tliey are gifts, and of incalculable value. 
 Is there any home in the world where 
 talent promotes the welfare of it, unless 
 guided by good sense ? Your family, your 
 birth, both entitle you to mate as highly 
 as you please. And in hearing that you 
 were loved by an Asheton, I recalled to 
 mind all I had heard of them, for our 
 family and theirs have neighboured together, 
 as you know, for more than one generation. 
 As I summed up the catalogue of their 
 character as a family, how honourable, so 
 that the word of an Asheton was never 
 doubted ; how virtuous, for no shade of 
 even a hasty wrong rests on their name ; 
 how charitable, I could not but thank 
 God that my sister, so young, almost alone, 
 almost worse than alone, with a sister who 
 was no sister, should have gained the love 
 of one to whom the most anxious parent
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 175 
 
 would gladly entrust her. You say that 
 as yet it were easy to forget the honour 
 Mr. Asheton has done you, for it is not in 
 your nature to love suddenly and at once, 
 and that you were unaware he regarded 
 you at all until he asked you to be his 
 wife; but that if time and the permission 
 to think of him as your future husband 
 were given you, you doubted not your 
 whole heart would be his. Then, my May, 
 in most innocent unconsciousness you pro- 
 ceed to say, ^ that indeed, after having had 
 the offer of Mr. Asheton's love, though 
 you refrain from accepting it through a 
 doubtful scruple as to your power to make 
 him happy, yet you now can never accept 
 or marry any other person,' let me whis- 
 per, dearest, that you love him already. 
 Lastly, Marion, beloved sister, a passing al- 
 lusion (ask me no more) to that one ques- 
 tion, regarding my own happiness. Did I
 
 176 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 not say you were discreet and wise beyond 
 most girls of your age, few would have 
 put a question of so delicate a nature in 
 words so sweetly upbraiding, You say 
 that if a blight, such as that on me and 
 my Alan, should occur to you and the 
 husband you might choose, you could not 
 but fear that it were impossible for you to 
 bear it as I do. Sister, many a time and 
 oft we read of strange fortunes befalling 
 one, singular and fatal accidents another, 
 wonderful and rare afflictions a third ; we 
 read of them, and as they touch us not, 
 they pass from our memory. One of these 
 strange fates has fallen upon me, and I 
 would bear it as becomes a Christian wo- 
 man, yet know, one of my worst pangs was 
 the necessity of a separation from you. 
 But mark me. May, it was for your own 
 good. Again, remember my position will 
 never be yours. I thank God, my sister,
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 177 
 
 the reason for which you ask me the ques- 
 tion does not hold good. You and your 
 husband will never be called upon to endure 
 my fate and that of my husband. It is 
 but a small drop in my cup of affliction to 
 know that I cannot obey the kind request 
 f^r my presence, yet it is a very bitter one 
 on your account, love, as I know you long 
 for me. But with the greatest joy, with 
 earnest thanks to God Almighty, that if, as 
 your only and nearest relative — if, as a 
 mother-sister, you ask my consent to your 
 marriage, I give it. And in accepting Mr. 
 Asheton, you remove, as regards yourself, 
 doubt, remorse, and care from the heart of 
 your true sister, 
 
 " Kythe Gordon." 
 
 " My goodness me. May, what are you 
 hiding away up here for? Me and Mr. 
 Asheton have been watching you ever so 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 178 MR. AND MRS. ASH ETON. 
 
 long on the sands, and at last I said, 
 * Well, she must have gone to sleep, I'd 
 better go and wake her.' So he said, 
 ^ Do, but first steal her letter from her, and 
 bring it to me ; ' but I said there was no 
 need for that, as I dare say you would 
 let him see the letter if he wanted.'' 
 
 *^ It is from Kythe, my sister." 
 
 "Then of course he ought'nt to want to 
 see it — a private letter indeed ! " 
 
 *^But I think I shall show it to Mrs. 
 Asheton, Prissy." 
 
 " Well, it's your letter, not mine ; so of 
 course you have a right to do as you 
 like." 
 
 " It's about something particular, Prissy ; 
 I should like to show it to you." 
 
 "Very well; only I am not particularly 
 interested about Lady Gordon." 
 
 "But it is about me." 
 
 " Oh, oh, read away then — I will listen."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 179 
 
 "It is about — it is all of love, and that 
 sort of thing, Prissy." 
 
 " The stupidest sort of thing in the 
 world ; I should have thought you would 
 have been sickened of that, without telling 
 your sister about Ju — about that fellow." 
 
 " It is not about Julian. It is some one 
 else." 
 
 " Then take my advice, and don't listen 
 to them. Nothing is so nonsensical as love 
 affairs. I dare say now your sister wants 
 you to marry a Scotch laird." 
 
 "No." 
 
 "Then a Scotch baronet?" 
 
 "No." . 
 
 " Then a common Scotchman ? " 
 
 "No; he is down there on the sands, 
 you can see him." 
 
 " I see nobody but Mr. Asheton and 
 two fishermen." 
 
 " It is neither of the fishermen." 
 
 n2
 
 180 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 " Oh, my goodness me, May, Mr. Ashe- 
 ton? Who says you are to marry Mr. 
 Asheton ? '' 
 
 '' He does." 
 
 *^ Oh, May ! — oh ! — my dear, darling, lovely 
 May — marry Mr. Asheton ? Oh, goodness 
 gracious, how nice ! " 
 
 "• I thought love affairs were silly, 
 Prissy ? " 
 
 '^ Now don't. May, darling May ; be 
 serious." 
 
 ^^I wish to be serious. I want to ask 
 your advice." 
 
 "My advice? My goodness, how nice! 
 Of course I say — " 
 
 " Now don't be in a hurry, Prissy ; 
 listen to me. Here am I, a young, inex- 
 perienced girl — " 
 
 " You are Marion." 
 
 "I can read and write, having taught 
 myself — "
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 181 
 
 " You are Marion." 
 
 *^I shall have three hundred pounds a 
 year in riches — " 
 
 " You are Marion." 
 
 " Now he is clever, of an experienced age — " 
 
 *'But not Marion." 
 
 " Highly educated, accomplished, and re- 
 fined—" 
 
 ^^But not Marion." 
 
 "Wonderfully rich, and gifted in every 
 way — " 
 
 "But not Marion, so none of these 
 things are worth that." 
 
 " Then, Prissy, you think I may accept 
 him, and not fear that he is too good and 
 great for me." 
 
 " Accept him, indeed — accept him at once, 
 it is you that are too good for him. Oh, 
 how very nice ! " 
 
 "Then, Prissy, will you go down? But 
 I don^t see him now."
 
 182 MR. AND MRS. ASIIETON. 
 
 ^^ I dare say he is only sitting below, 
 waiting. I'll not be a minute running 
 down.'' 
 
 ^^And tell him—" 
 
 ''Yes, and tell him—" 
 
 " That I have gone home." 
 
 ''Indeed, I'll do no such thing. A 
 pretty sort of love message, that ! " 
 
 " Well, what would you say ? " 
 
 " I should run down and say, ' Mr. 
 Asheton, please to come up.' " 
 
 " Oh, Prissy, and I to wait here to 
 receive him ! " 
 
 " Why not ? If I had a lover, which 
 I had for a week — Julian, you know — 
 though I did not like him, so of course 
 I can't exactly tell, but I wouldn't 
 shilly-shally with him." 
 
 " I don't understand you — shilly- 
 shally." 
 
 "Yes, if he is your lover, and going
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 183 
 
 to be your husband — but stop ; what 
 sort of a letter is your sister's? — does 
 she consent ? " 
 
 " Yes ; she seems very glad — joyful ! " 
 
 "Then I think very much better of her 
 than I did. Of course, then, I must 
 send Mr. Asheton up here ; then you can 
 hold out the letter to him, which will 
 save you speaking ; then he will say 
 to me, ' Miss Priscilla, I beg you'll re- 
 tire,' in his grand — " 
 
 " Miss Priscilla, I beg you will re- 
 tire." 
 
 Prissy shrieked aloud. There he stood, 
 smiling. 
 
 " My kind messenger appeared to me 
 to have fallen asleep also," said he to 
 Marion, bowing, with his hat off. "I 
 thought you would see me coming 
 up." 
 
 "She has got a letter," gasped out
 
 184 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Prissy, still breathless with her fright, but 
 alive to seeing that Marion, covered with 
 confusion, was secreting it. 
 
 '^May I take it, do you think, Priscilla, 
 as she will not hold it out to me ? " 
 
 So saying, with gentle force, he took 
 the letter from her ; but as he did so, 
 Marion turned and ran up the upper 
 path, and before Prissy and Mr. Asheton 
 could recover their surprise, the pattering 
 down of little pebbles showed she was 
 beyond catching. 
 
 " Good gracious ! it was me who was 
 to go." 
 
 *' Probably she wished not to see me 
 read her letter." 
 
 "Just so, you may be sure it's that." 
 
 "Then, my kind Priscilla — soon I hope 
 to call cousin — perhaps you can follow her, 
 and so arrange that I may see her alone, 
 to return her her letter."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 185 
 
 ^^To be sure, so I will; and, Mr. 
 Asheton, pray accept my congratulations. 
 I don't think there is anybody in the 
 world like May ; but if she is to be 
 married, I am very glad it is to you.''
 
 186 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 IN WHICH, SPITE OF PRISSY's APPROBATION, THE BANS 
 ARE NEARLY FORBIDDEN. 
 
 Before that day was over, Beatrice learnt 
 that her scheme had failed. Also, before 
 that day was over, letters, conveying the 
 important news, were written and de- 
 spatched to various quarters. Meanwhile, 
 Marion had been kissed and blessed as 
 their daughter by old Mr. and Mrs. 
 Asheton, to whom she whispered, *^You 
 must tell me — you must teach me — to be
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETOX. 187 
 
 worthy of him, because I cannot think so 
 yet." 
 
 " Pretty little modest creature," said 
 the old gentleman to Mrs. Asheton, as 
 they sat talking over the whole affair, ^^I 
 almost think she is — " 
 
 "I can readily believe she will be so 
 before long, my dear Mr. Asheton," 
 answered the lady, ^^for I can only find 
 one fault with her, and that is, a dispo- 
 sition to consider her inferiors as her 
 equals. You remember the day we over- 
 took her, carrying old Margaret Jones's 
 faggot of sticks ? " 
 
 ^^Yes, I thought how pretty she looked, 
 carrying it so deftly on her head. She 
 tells me she learnt to balance herself thus 
 in India, and I dare say, my dear wife, it 
 is the reason she carries herself so well." 
 
 " Perhaps so, but what may be pretty in 
 Miss Flower is not to be tolerated in Mrs»
 
 188 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Asheton. She must be taught to keep her 
 station intact. Now I noticed she is as 
 attentive to Mrs. Kearn as to Mrs. Ford, 
 which is not correct, the former being an 
 agent's wife.'' 
 
 ^^ Godfrey will soon set all that to rights. 
 How happy he looks ! " 
 
 **Yes, and how well his happiness be- 
 comes him. But this sad desire of his 
 about the marriage — I fear the country will 
 think it so wonderfully strange — no rejoic- 
 ings, no grand fete^ no one asked to it." 
 
 "We gave very grand fetes at our 
 daughters' marriages, my dear wife." 
 
 " That is the very reason it will be ex- 
 pected of us to celebrate our son's mar- 
 riage with still greater edaU^ 
 
 " But if he forbids it, we must not gain- 
 say him, though I would have all the 
 world rejoice." 
 
 " It is certainly true, Mr. Asheton, that
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 189 
 
 the marriage festivities generally proceed 
 from the bride's family, and we cannot ex- 
 pect the Flowers to bear such an expense, 
 and in fact they have not the experience 
 to do it. But still I fear lest people 
 should say, when they hear of this mar- 
 riage, celebrated in so private a manner, 
 there is some latent cause for it — that we 
 are not perfectly satisfied — the marriage 
 is beneath our son." 
 
 " My love, 'tis useless to distress your- 
 self If the Flowers were capable of cele- 
 brating the marriage in the most sump- 
 tuous manner, Godfrey would not suffer it. 
 He told me himself at his sisters' mar- 
 riages, that he never would undergo such 
 an ordeal at his own. The little May 
 Flower seems even better pleased than him- 
 self, that it should be perfectly private ; 
 and so that he is married, what more can 
 we desire ? "
 
 190 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 ** I will try to console myself as you do, 
 Mr. Asheton ; there is one thing in our 
 power, and that is to celebrate Marion's in- 
 troduction to the world, as Mrs. Godfrey 
 Asheton, by a series of fetes upon their 
 return from the honeymoon." 
 
 ^* An excellent plan ; we may defy the ill 
 opinion of the world then. Dear little 
 thing, how I shall love to see her acting 
 the great lady, as I know she will do, per- 
 fectly to our satisfaction. And remember, 
 my dear wife, I present her with all her 
 dresses. You will take care that they are 
 as pretty as she is herself, and don't spare 
 my purse." 
 
 ^^She will, I know, feel your kindness, 
 though probably she cannot at her age 
 lament, as I do, over the degeneracy of the 
 world. It is but too true that good blood 
 and the highest breeding are scarcely so 
 much regarded as richness of dress."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 191 
 
 "Well, good night, my love; by this 
 time Ellin or, at all events, knows the 
 charming news, and how she is rejoicing 
 over it ! " 
 
 Mr. and Mrs. Trevor rented a house 
 within thirty miles of Asheton Court; for 
 in Cornwall, whatever might be the riches 
 under the surface, the upper part of Mr. 
 Trevor's estate was very poor indeed, and 
 boasted nothing like a mansion upon it. 
 Mrs. Trevor was always talking of the 
 house they were to build, or rather castle, 
 for she spoke of Trevor castle as an abode 
 in such complete existence, that she delud- 
 ed some of her friends into proposing paying 
 her visits, whereas not a stone of it was laid, 
 — not the site even chosen. But of late years 
 since that charming cognomen of Mrs. 
 Trevor Asheton had become so familiar to 
 her mind, she had of course reasoned with 
 herself that it was absurd to build Trevor
 
 192 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 castle, when they would eventually be 
 settled at Asheton Court; consequently, they 
 rented a house called Mannering Hall, 
 which name, some folks said, only required 
 a G in it, to be very appropriately named. 
 
 Thus a purpose messenger was sent over 
 to Mannering Hall, with the important 
 news of Mr. Godfrey Asheton's intended 
 marriage. As Sir Kobert Fane did not 
 hear of it until the following day, through 
 the ordinary medium of the post, we will 
 treat of Mrs. Trevor's ''delight" first. 
 
 Has no one of my readers experienced 
 a day of unwonted satisfaction, or a time 
 of high self-sufficiency. When all that has 
 passed throughout the day has been pleas- 
 ant, and that pleasantness has been owing 
 entirely to yourself — your wisdom, your 
 forethought, your superior judgment. Mrs. 
 Trevor was in one of these moods on this 
 particular day; she had begun it by
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 193 
 
 bullying Mr. Trevor's mining agent, who 
 had come over on business, and so satis- 
 factorily, that she had made him confess 
 '^ Mrs. Trevor surprised him." What a 
 delightful homage to her judgment ! She 
 ^'surprised" that wonderful man, the mining 
 agent, who was not supposed to know what 
 being ^' surprised " was. 
 
 "I should not at all wonder," said she 
 to Mr. Trevor, ^^if you now obtain your 
 just and proper income for the future; the 
 man will be afraid of me." 
 
 Also she had gained a notable victory 
 over that remarkably clever woman. Miss 
 Pratt, her daughters' governess. 
 
 Miss Pratt had declared a new plant to 
 be of the genus " cheirostemon," because 
 the calyx was sparsely stellate-pubescent 
 outside, and densely villeis within. 
 Mrs. Trevor said "no such thing." 
 Miss Pratt, upon investigation, had to 
 VOL. I.
 
 194 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 acknowledge herself mistaken, but she hesi- 
 tated in according to Mrs. Trevor superior 
 knowledge; and she was certainly not mis- 
 taken in that, for Mrs. Trevor had only 
 contradicted her for contradiction's sake. 
 
 Finally, she had, accompanied by her hus- 
 band, attended a dinner party in the neigh- 
 bourhood, where she made herself, as she 
 considered, peculiarly agreeable. 
 
 " I took care to show my lord, though 
 I was a woman, I was perfectly capable of 
 giving an opinion on the whole, and he 
 soon perceived it. I must do him the jus- 
 tice to say, that he did not utter a word 
 after that.'' 
 
 "Of course, dear Ellinor." 
 
 " In fact, the neighbourhood is becoming 
 now pretty well aware that there is no de- 
 ceiving me. It is astonishing the silence 
 and respect with which they listen to me. 
 I look forward to a time, Trevor (Mr.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 195 
 
 Trevor's name was Thomas, which was the 
 only thing Mrs. Trevor did not like about 
 him), when, our girls grown up, we alto- 
 gether, with my brother, shall introduce a 
 marked change in society. It will be a 
 work of time, but it shall be done.'' 
 
 "No doubt, dear Ellinor." 
 
 " Asheton Court will of course be the 
 arena on which the first phases of it shall 
 appear, diffusing all around brilliant rays 
 of genius, which will attract the wise 
 and noble of other countries besides our 
 own. During my father's and mother's 
 life-time, I can expect to do little ; they 
 are wedded to the customs of their father 
 and mother, without apparently the least 
 ambition to improve them. Ah ! we are 
 at home ; how quickly time flies when 
 absorbed in intellectual conversation ; our 
 drive of four miles has appeared to me 
 but one.'' 
 
 2
 
 196 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 ^'Most true, dear Ellinor." 
 
 ^^A purpose messenger from Asheton 
 Court," exclaimed Mrs. Trevor, the butler 
 officiously handing her the important mis- 
 sive, as she stepped out of the carriage ; 
 '' lights immediately." 
 
 It might have occurred to the anxious 
 daughter of a barbarian to say to the ser- • 
 vant, "No bad news, I trust." Not so to 
 Mrs. Trevor ; of what use was the letter, if 
 she was to learn the news of it from a ser- 
 vant? 
 
 Preparing herself for any event, she as- 
 sumed the countenance proper for some 
 shock; but as she read, the news was too 
 painful to be endured in any other manner 
 than genuinely. She did not say she could 
 have borne to read of the sudden death of 
 either father or mother better, but it was 
 perfectly plain to any one who might choose 
 to interpret her countenance, that Godfrey's
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 197 
 
 intended marriage was a much more bitter 
 blow. 
 
 Pale and aghast, she threw the letter 
 from her, exclaiming, ^^ We must stop it.'' 
 Then instantly snatching it up again, *^Too 
 late, too late," she muttered in real anguish. 
 
 For the first time in his life, an idea 
 rose to Mr. Trevor's mind, the effort of 
 but a few seconds. 
 
 " She must be going mad." 
 
 However, he had not courage to enun- 
 ciate it. 
 
 Mrs. Trevor's night was very much the 
 reverse of her pleasant day. Her reflec- 
 tions were all the more bitter, because she 
 felt herself powerless. The common every- 
 day cunning of a small mind instinctively 
 told her it was her next policy to be " de- 
 lighted" with news that gave her, for the 
 first time in her life, the experience of 
 real grief.
 
 198 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 She absolutely wept, to Mr. Trevor's 
 manifest horror and alarm ; such instances 
 of weakness being almost unknown in his 
 adored and talented Ellinor. 
 
 Many people have a knack of talking 
 away their anger or disappointment. But 
 words only fed hers, and she arose in the 
 morning even more irritated than she went 
 to bed at night. Yet the messenger was 
 waiting to go. 
 
 ^' Shall I send to say you are ill, my 
 loved one," murmured Mr. Trevor, becom- 
 ing quite inspired by the urgency of the 
 case. 
 
 '' No, no ; it is necessary that I should 
 send them my opinion. My brother, of 
 course, will be anxious for my approba- 
 tion. I may, perhaps, be able to put in 
 a little word, a remonstrance by which we 
 can delay matters for a time, until we are 
 certain that this young lady is fitted to
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 199 
 
 be Godfrey's wife. / have not seen her 
 yet, you know ; and I cannot but feel as- 
 tonished that my brother should have gone 
 so far, without previously sending for me 
 — we think so exactly alike." 
 
 " Most true, dear Ellinor.'' 
 
 "He certainly says something about his 
 intentions having been precipitated by un- 
 wonted events ; but as for Mr. and Mrs. 
 Asheton, they appear to me to have ut- 
 terly forgotton everything due to themselves 
 or their son." 
 
 " Ah, indeed, my love.'' 
 
 " Do you not perceive how much more 
 they say of the young lady than my bro- 
 ther? I know he wishes for me. I think 
 'twould be as well if I went, instead of 
 wrote, Trevor ? " 
 
 " Better, far better, my excellent El- 
 linor." 
 
 "And yet I shall feel too much."
 
 200 MR. AND MliS. ASIIKTON. 
 
 ^' Fmt, fjir too inuoli, my poor EUinor." 
 "■ TIkmi lt';ive mc ior a tiino. I require 
 total solitude to write the sort of letter 
 that oui;ht to g:iiu iulhience in such a 
 matter/' 
 
 Ordinary mortals would have thought 
 the missive thus composed remarkably ill- 
 judged, not to say impertinent. But it 
 wjis larded with so many protestations of 
 the ** deepest love," '' the anxious fears," 
 '' the moi'e than ordiiuiry solicitude neces- 
 sary for the nnirrying of an Asheton — and 
 such an Asheton " — with other truly mon- 
 strous ^' sops " of family conceit and exclu- 
 siveness, that none of the three readers of 
 it found any I'ault with it. There was one 
 little hit in it, regarding *' her brother 
 deigning to look upon a Flower, and that 
 she trusted early measures would be taken 
 to remind the rest of that marvellously 
 lucky family they were not to presume to
 
 MR. AND Ml; A f(l/JO,V. 
 
 201 
 
 ' \r,:'/<-r<:'\ OD <>U<:/' v/fjjfjj ju^t fi(;t,t,l<-/J Mr. 
 
 \i<- :\)<-<<\\\y (•/>!>. ■■()\<:(\ hjrrii'.f-jf, ;uj'J f-7J:\\.<:<\ 
 her, by Haying : — 
 
 '■'■ P>ut, irifift<:fJ, f)Oor FJIIrior. .[i<-, h?).-. not 
 y(!t H(;f;n our May l"low^j\"
 
 202 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 NOTWITHSTANDING MORE " NOES," ALL ENDS IN AN 
 " AT." 
 
 Sir Robert Fane came in to dress for a 
 seven o'clock dinner, hot and tired with a 
 day's shooting on the moors. He was dis- 
 posed — very rare for him — to be in a bad 
 humour, and was not put into a better one 
 by finding his toilette-table in a state of 
 utter confusion. 
 
 It evidently arose from no fault of his 
 valet, for it appeared as if imps of mischief
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 203 
 
 had been at work. All the brushes were 
 in every place but the right one, and all 
 daubed with some odious compound. The 
 scent bottles were upset, and their contents 
 evaporating all over the table. The combs 
 were non est, the soap in his boots, and his 
 slippers under the grate. 
 
 ^' Confound that young imp, this is too 
 much of a good thing. I'll have him pun- 
 ished." 
 
 And he strode into his wife's boudoir 
 with a step uncommon to him. 
 
 A fair -haired, pretty boy, with sharp 
 mischievous eyes, shrunk instinctively within 
 the voluminous folds of his mother's dress, 
 as the angry father appeared. 
 
 Ere Sir Eobert could say a word, Lady 
 Fane exclaimed, in a most animated voice 
 for her : — 
 
 " Oh, Eobert, I am so delighted to see 
 you ! Such charming news ! I thought of
 
 204 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 sending an express messenger to meet and 
 tell you, but I wished so much to see your 
 surprise and delight. Our dear Godfrey is 
 going to marry a very pretty little charm- 
 ing girl — a Miss Flower." 
 
 " The devil ! " exclaimed Sir Eobert, and 
 had just sufficient presence of mind left to 
 bolt out of the room. There we had better 
 leave him for the present, and meet him 
 again at dinner. 
 
 By this time, as became a man of the 
 world whose fortunes fluctuate between 
 morning and evening, he was quite com- 
 posed, and enabled to tell Master Fane, 
 with the courtesy of a polite father, that 
 if he caught him in his dressing-room again 
 he should think it necessary to make him 
 acquainted with the merits of a horse- 
 whip. 
 
 " Why, what has the poor child done ? '^ 
 asked his mother.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 205 
 
 Sir Robert gave a historiette of his toil- 
 ette sufferings during the process of dressing. 
 
 " You know he has so little to amuse 
 him/' pleaded Lady Fane. 
 
 " Then allow him to take us in turns, 
 ray dear Cecilia. You can arrange your 
 Mother's toilette to-morrow, my boy.'' 
 
 " Was it this trifling annoyance, my 
 dear Sir Robert, that made you use that 
 extraordinary word ? " asked his lady. 
 
 '^A word — pray what word?" 
 
 '^ But being unable to pronounce it, and 
 their guests entering, no more was said. 
 
 A good dinner softens down a multitude 
 of woes. Generous wines disperse the va- 
 pours of ill-temper, as the sun drinks up 
 mists. By the time dinner was over, Sir 
 Robert was nearly himself; before he went 
 into coffee, he was perfectly resigned, and 
 had even succeeded among his guests in 
 making a very good book, upon the chance
 
 206 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 of Mr. Godfrey Asheton having no second 
 son. 
 
 At all events he had three more years' 
 certain enjoyment of the Rollinston Es- 
 tates ; and he had that opinion of the 
 softness (query, greenness) of Mr Godfrey 
 Asheton's nature, as to build some hopes 
 upon a small allowance, perhaps a thousand 
 a year, being accorded to Lady Fane, as 
 compensation for deposing her from the 
 position of an heiress ; therefore among all the 
 congratulatory letters that poured in upon 
 Mr. Godfrey Asheton, none pleased them 
 so much as Sir Robert's. There was a 
 frankness, a heartiness, quite delightful in 
 it, and not a single allusion to what 
 might be a very serious loss to him. He 
 was a proof among many, how true was 
 the maxim of the ^^Inspired Book" — ^'The 
 children of this world are wiser in their 
 generation than the children of light.''
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 207 
 
 He knew the Asheton family were gen- 
 erous in the largest sense of the word, and he 
 took the best means in his power to command 
 their affection and sympathy. Thus we 
 see Sir Robert resigned himself to his 
 fate without a struggle. Mrs. Trevor 
 made a few feeble remonstrances that all 
 died of weakness ; Miss Beatrice Flower 
 failed altogether. 
 
 Fate decided that a purpose of marriage 
 should be fulfilled between Godfrey Ashe- 
 ton and Marion Flower, and was gallop- 
 ing rapidly towards fulfilment of it. 
 
 In " Union is strength." It is hardly 
 possible to tell if, at this early period, 
 any idea entered into the head of Bea- 
 trice to make use of the peculiar sins of 
 the respective parties now about to be 
 joined together in holy matrimony, with 
 the amiable purpose of eventually procuring 
 a divorce between them, according to the
 
 208 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 various modes now allowed by Parlia- 
 ment. 
 
 Or if, at the same time, Mrs. Trevor 
 vowed to herself she would make the new 
 Mrs. Asheton understand that she was 
 " the clever one " of the family ; and if 
 she would not permit her, as her due, 
 to rule pre-eminent still at Asheton Court, 
 war would be declared between them, and 
 then of course Mrs. Godfrey would have 
 to succumb. 
 
 Or, that Sir Kobert might say to him- 
 self, *^ These Ashetons are as peculiar as 
 somebody down below. There can be no 
 harm in my taking any little advantage of 
 such whims, it being no fault of mine, 
 their indulging in them." 
 
 Philosophers teach us that illimitable space 
 is filled with invisible matter, divided into 
 infinitesimal fractions, which remain floating 
 in ambient atmosphere, until meeting with
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 209 
 
 the corresponding particle destined for such 
 purpose, they are instantly called into life, 
 and fulfil the purpose for which they were 
 created. 
 
 As with matter, so it may be with mind. 
 Various ideas, countless thoughts, and ever- 
 changing feelings fill the human brain with 
 endless particles. These rise and die 
 daily. But if they meet with a corre- 
 sponding particle in another mind, so far 
 from dying, they spring into active life, 
 and become the actions by which human 
 beings are governed. It remains to be 
 seen if these thoughts, inimical to the 
 happiness of the intended bride and bride- 
 groom, rising in three different brains, and 
 innocuous while floating singly, ever met, 
 and became, in consequence of union and 
 sympathy, a living and acting principle. 
 
 But we have not married them yet. 
 
 Godfrey found (as who has not ?) that the 
 
 VOL. I. P
 
 210 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 amber-tinted days of courtship were now 
 and then rather clouded. Marion did not 
 appear, on the whole, so entirely happy 
 and delighted with her high fortune as he 
 could have wished. 
 
 Her gay sweet laughter was no longer 
 heard. Her clear eyes had that inde- 
 scribable touch of sadness in them, that a 
 young girl might be excused feeling when 
 she changes a life of unconcerned maiden- 
 hood for that of wifedom. 
 
 She was nervous and timid. She had 
 tears in her eyes when they spoke of 
 Julian and his hapless state, and altogether 
 she was thinking less of being alUed to the 
 Ashetons than she ought to have done. 
 
 But her demeanour was nothing in com 
 parison to the annoyance occasioned by Mrs. 
 Flower. That good lady, in the warmth of 
 her large heart, took in the whole family of 
 Asheton Court at once. They were all
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASIIETON. 211 
 
 ^^ dears" and ^'darlings." She confided to 
 them all her family concerns, and was 
 caught running all over Asheton like a tame 
 cat. She had been heard in the village to 
 talk of ^^my nephew Godfrey," and was in 
 every respect rendering herself peculiarly 
 obnoxious, without being in the least aware 
 of it. 
 
 The state of Count Julian bordered so 
 decidedly upon the ridiculous whims and 
 caprices of a spoilt school-boy, that few gave 
 him credit for real feeling ; yet it was so 
 only he had no more manly mode of ex- 
 pressing it. One of his relations had been 
 sent for, and he was removed before the 
 preparations for the marriage became very 
 marked. Beatrice had at one time an in- 
 clination to accompany them to her Italian 
 home ; but that peculiar state of a diseased 
 mind, morbidness, induced her to remain 
 until the deed was really done. Even 
 
 V'2
 
 212 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 going so far as to assist at it, in the shape 
 of one of the bridesmaids. She might 
 have had some sort of idea that a loop- 
 hole would occur, of which she would take 
 immediate advantage. Besides, it was not 
 so much her heart that was hurt, as 
 her ambition and vanity. Had she been in 
 love with Mr. Asheton, she must have fled 
 like the county but being enamoured of 
 Asheton Court, she was fully able to remain, 
 with all her senses on the alert, and seize 
 upon any forlorn hope Fate might be tempted 
 to hold out to her. 
 
 A most ^* forlorn hope," she allowed, but 
 until they were married, she must indulge 
 this hope ; afterwards, she would content 
 herself with hating the unconscious Marion, 
 and doing her all the mischief she was 
 able, by way of reprisal. Mrs. Trevor 
 having taken a week to soften down any 
 little asperities, was now at Asheton Court,
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 213 
 
 High Priestess of everything. To say that 
 she was struck with Marion's prettiness 
 and grace, expresses very little. She ac- 
 knowleged at once, though only to herself, 
 that Godfrey's " infatuation '^ (as she was 
 pleased to call a most measured and dis- 
 passionate love) was reasonable, while her 
 father and mother also were excused being 
 a little tete montee. But the feeling of ad- 
 miration brought with it no corresponding 
 eflfbrts at sisterly affection. On the con- 
 trary, as she felt glad and self-laudatory, that 
 such singular beauty should belong to the 
 Ashetons, so did she experience the ne- 
 cessity of keeping down (what barbarians 
 call " snubbing '' ) the possessor of such 
 influential powers. She meant to love her 
 as a sister, only if she proved meek, quiet, 
 and capable of ruling her actions solely to 
 the nod of Mrs. Trevor's " clever " head. 
 Marion was awed by her intended sister-
 
 214 MR. AXD MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 in-law's manner, though grateful for the 
 patronizing attention she paid her. Accord- 
 ing to her usual habit, she made the best 
 of everything, and Prissy backed her up, 
 in admiration of Mrs. Trevor's sense and 
 cleverness. For it had been coeval with 
 Prissy's knowledge of A. B. C, an awe 
 of, and deference for, that superior lady. 
 
 ^^ Lady Fane's the prettiest, you know. 
 May, but, my goodness, Mrs. Trevor's be- 
 yond everything. In fact, I don't know 
 what she isn't. And if she is pleased with 
 you — and she wouldn't be a sensible wo- 
 man, if she wasn't — then, May, there's no 
 more to be said." 
 
 Gathering as much comfort as she could 
 out of Prissy's somewhat vague opinions, 
 Marion prepared for her marriage with 
 feelings utterly undeefinable to the Ashetons 
 themselves. 
 
 The vicissitudes of her young life, the
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 215 
 
 small experience she had had of the quiet 
 monotony of home duties, the prompt en- 
 ergy that was often needed to save life 
 itself, the never-ending changes and fears 
 of those connected with an army in active 
 service, had given Marion a faith and 
 trust in One alone, that became as ne- 
 cessary to her as the air she breathed. 
 
 It was with the most profound feelings 
 of love and hope, that she besought the 
 only "Father" she now possessed to fit 
 her for the new station in which she was 
 about to enter. The very simplicity of 
 her nature made her the more earnest in 
 prayer. As she hoped much, she loved 
 more ; the enthusiasm which lay concealed 
 under so much elasticity of youth and 
 spirits, imparted for the time being an 
 elevation of heart and soul that almost ap- 
 peared to keep her at the footstool of the 
 Almighty. And at a time when other girls
 
 216 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 would have had no eyes but for their 
 lover, no thoughts but about their trous- 
 seaux, or, at best, but a wonderful mix- 
 ture of all sorts of feelings connected with 
 this most important period, our innocent 
 little half-educated Marion sat hour by 
 hour in the natural throne, canopied by 
 the beetling crag, beseeching God's bless- 
 ing on her endeavours to be a good and 
 loving wife. 
 
 Let whoever among her own or intended 
 relations that cavilled at, or complained of, 
 her apathy and indifference to happiness 
 and joy beyond the usual lot of brides, all 
 was forgotten as, attended by Beatrice, the 
 faithful Prissy, and the two little white 
 Miss Trevors, all as bridesmaids, with a 
 limited number of relations, Marion gave 
 her hand to Godfrey Asheton, with the 
 earnestness, the devotion, the and love of the 
 angels she so much resembled.
 
 21 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 TREATS HOW RUMOUR CAN CHANGE A FAIR BRIDE INTO 
 A BLACK WOMAN. 
 
 To the world at large, and their neigh- 
 bourhood in particular, the Ashetons were 
 not rated so high in value as their own esti- 
 mation of themselves warranted. They were 
 good for a certain number of dull entertain- 
 ments, which everyone voted as nuisances, 
 yet to which everyone scrupulously went, as 
 the only outward mark that the Ashetons
 
 218 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 gave of an affinity with barbarians. They 
 were acknowledged to be sufficiently high prin- 
 cipled never to ask anyone to dinner without 
 giving him an excellent one, immaculately dress- 
 ed and served. Also once a year they gave 
 a ball, which was not so highly regarded, as, 
 taking high example, they would close this 
 ball just as fast yon^.g ladies and dancing- 
 mad officers considered ^'the fun" to be- 
 gin. Very decorous balls they were, though 
 the best champagne flowed freely. But 
 the very fact of being inspirited by such 
 a renovator (rather unusual at balls, where 
 hot rooms and unbearable thirst will make 
 dancers swallow anything) made it the 
 harder to be so summarily dismissed. 
 
 Thus, their balls did not add much to 
 their popularity. According to the measure 
 of their neighbourly qualities, they per- 
 formed some of theii *luties well, but might 
 do them a ffreat Jeal better. A faint
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 219 
 
 show of rising popularity, and desire to 
 make much of them, attended the coming 
 out of the Miss Ashetons, with that eli- 
 gible "parti," their only brother, in the 
 background. But if the old Ashetons had 
 been reserved and proud, the young ones 
 were doubly so. The early marriage of 
 the only sweet tempered one, Lady Fane, 
 the disdainful bearing of Miss Ellinor, and 
 the hauteur and exclusiveness of the young 
 heir, banished them all back to the land 
 of Tabooism — a land they had hedged in 
 themselves. 
 
 The mothers of England bear a some- 
 what indifferent character as regards the 
 pertinacity with which they first hunt up, 
 and then hunt down, an elder son. But 
 they are much maligned. In fact, we have 
 already shown that Mr. Godfrey Asheton 
 was quite at a loss where to look for a 
 wife. And it may fairly be inferred that
 
 220 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 the matrons belonging to his country were 
 unanimously averse to bestowing their dear, 
 merry girls upon a man who had the look 
 of a Lucifer, or, in other words, went about 
 the world as if remarkably displeased with 
 everything within it. 
 
 Thus, while the rest of the county feasted, 
 laughed, talked, married, and quarrelled to- 
 gether, the Ashetons not only held aloof, 
 but were kept aloof, and could not be said 
 to have advanced one step towards socia- 
 bility and intercourse with any of their 
 neighbours for the last fifty years. 
 
 They were apparently forgotten until their 
 turn for dinner giving came. Mr. Godfrey 
 Asheton was as a thing of nought, because 
 he held himself invulnerable. 
 
 But when it began to be bruited around 
 that Mr. Godfrey Asheton was going to be 
 married, an electric shock ran through the 
 county. To whom? — who was she? — a
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 221 
 
 lady in her own right? — a young dowager 
 duchess? — a German princess? — or some 
 little unearthly being out of a star created 
 on purpose for him? 
 
 Before it could be settled — all had been 
 kept so quiet — the deed was done, he was 
 married. The demand for the county news- 
 paper was so great, to see if it was really 
 true, that the first edition sold off in half 
 an hour, and more than one carriage was 
 seen patiently waiting at the office-door for 
 the first impression of the second edition. 
 
 And yet how disappointingly meagre was 
 the news ! — 
 
 " On the 6th of November, by the Rev. 
 Constantine Flower, Godfrey Asheton, only 
 son of Eupert Asheton, Esq., of Asheton 
 Court, of Marion, second daughter of the 
 late Colonel Flower, A.D.C. to General 
 Aubrey, E.I.C. Artillery." 
 
 " The idea," remarked one young lady,
 
 222 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 *^ of one of those proud Ashetons being 
 married, and only by one clergyman. I 
 thought they would be assisted by two or 
 three at the least." 
 
 ^'Nay," said another, "to think, after all 
 his airs, he has only married a plain Miss, 
 and she seems to have belonged to some 
 Colonel in an Indian Regiment, perhaps the 
 daughter of a black woman." 
 
 " Ah ! that's just it," answered the other ; 
 "' she probably is the offspring of some 
 Begum, or native princess, whom those 
 stupid Ashetons, knowing no better, think 
 of high rank. I hope mamma will go and 
 call; I am dying of curiosity." 
 
 "So am I ; the more so as I always 
 thought that Italian girl meant to have 
 him. Why, I gave him up on her account, 
 not only because she was so much hand- 
 somer than I am, but had so many favour- 
 able advantages to prosecute her claims."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASIIETON. 223 
 
 " Ha, ha, well — she seems foiled as much 
 as yourself. It would be rather good fun 
 to ride over there to-day, as if we knew 
 nothing about the matter. We can pump 
 it all out of the young one, she is so im- 
 mensely innocent." 
 
 '^ Do — I have been wanting a breath of 
 sea-air for some time." 
 
 They acted accordingly, took their canter 
 on the sands, and then drew up at the 
 Wood-head, ostensibly to ask for a biscuit 
 and glass of wine. 
 
 Mrs. Flower was emerging, boots laced, 
 shawled, and bonneted, out of the door, 
 with a purpose of "doing" the parish, when 
 they reined up. 
 
 '* Nothing was so fortunate as her not 
 having started." 
 
 " Nothing would distress them so much 
 if she did not start." 
 
 Thus they banded civilities, perfectly sin-
 
 224 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 cere on good Mrs. Flower's side, and in- 
 deed equally sincere on theirs, for to be 
 closeted with Mrs. Flower, and have their 
 justifiable efforts at information smothered in 
 parish details was more than they could 
 endure. 
 
 '' The Miss Flowers are at home, surely." 
 '' Oh, yes ; both my daughters are, I 
 believe." 
 
 ^^ Then they will take care of us." 
 And with many regrets on Mrs. Flower's 
 part, with assurances that she would re- 
 main, if they wished it, she departed. 
 Prissy only was in the room when they 
 entered, and as they asked for biscuits 
 and sherry, rung for that and no more, 
 for she always said what she thought, and 
 supposed every one did the same. 
 
 Beatrice, meeting the servant, ordered 
 luncheon instead, but it did not seem that 
 this civility on her part benefited the
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 225 
 
 two young ladies, regarding their thirst 
 for knowledge more than Prissy's milder 
 order of biscuits and sherry. At last, as 
 if suddenly smitten by the lightening up of 
 an idea, Prissy said — 
 
 " Oh ! the cake ; — they must have some 
 cake, you know, Beatrice.'' 
 
 ''I have ordered luncheon," answered 
 Beatrice, coldly. 
 
 " Oh," said Prissy, shut up. 
 
 " Cake — what cake ? " asked No. 1 young 
 lady. 
 
 " The bride cake, of course," returned 
 Prissy with alacrity. 
 
 " A bride cake ! really — who has been 
 married ? " 
 
 " Our Marion." 
 
 "I beg your pardon, I have not the 
 honour of knowing your Marion." 
 
 '^ Our cousin Marion." 
 
 " And whom did she marry ? " 
 
 VOL. I. Q
 
 226 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 ^* Oh ! Mr. Godfrey Asheton — he is a 
 much nicer person than people think." 
 
 "Priscilla, go and see if luncheon is 
 ready/' said her sister — whose delicate 
 cheek became flushed like the sunny side 
 of a peach. 
 
 "Yes, that I will," said the obedient 
 Prissy. 
 
 "You know, of course, by the papers, of 
 my cousin's marriage," said Beatrice haugh- 
 tily, and with an air, as much as to say. 
 Ask no more questions. "Mr. Asheton is 
 not likely to marry, without all the world 
 knowing it. Do you like the new opera- 
 house ? " 
 
 Half an hour after this, having had 
 their luncheon, tasted the cake, ordered 
 their horses, mounted, and set off home, 
 the two young ladies reckoned up their 
 budget of news. 
 
 No. 1. "I could extract nothing further
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 227 
 
 from that Italian girl. I wonder if she is 
 disappointed — she put me in mind of a 
 summer^s day, with a heavy thunder cloud 
 overhead, ready to burst upon one at a 
 minute's notice." 
 
 No. 2. "Neither could I make much 
 out of the other. I suspect she is very 
 deep." 
 
 (Dear innocent Prissy, whose spring was 
 so shallow, she was pumped out in a min- 
 ute.) 
 
 *' I asked her if she liked her cousin's 
 marriage, and she said, ^ Oh ! of course, 
 far better than the other one.' When I 
 said I knew nothing about the other one, 
 she answered, ^ No more you ought to — 
 Marion will be very angry with me.' 
 * Marion, as you call her,' said I, * must 
 be a great beauty, handsomer than your 
 sister.' * Oh ! there never was any one so 
 handsome as Beatrice,' (Prissy had early 
 
 Q2
 
 228 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 imbibed that idea, and never lost it) — but 
 Marion is such a darling.' ' Has she lived 
 with you long ? ' ' Very nearly all the 
 time since she came from India.' ^ Her mother 
 was born in India, I suppose V ' Oh, of 
 course ; but, indeed, I never asked.' ^ A 
 great lady ? ' ^ No ; I think she was 
 a very little woman.' Now don't you 
 see from these answers, Julia, that she in- 
 tended purposely to mislead me." 
 
 No. 1. ^' I rather agree with you, Maria ; 
 little wretch, I should like to shake her ! " 
 
 No. 2. " Evidently they have got hold 
 of the poor young man, who, not used to 
 the society of real gentlewomen, has been 
 taken in by this fancied princess." 
 
 No. 1. ^'However, we know more than 
 anyone, and shall have plenty to tell to- 
 night." 
 
 No. 2. " Yes ; let us canter on, that no 
 one may be beforehand."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 229 
 
 Thus the world of shire became 
 
 violently agitated with the startling news 
 that Mr. Godfrey Asheton had married a 
 black woman, because she was a princess. 
 That Miss Beatrice Flower had been sacri- 
 ficed, he having been positively engaged to 
 her. That the princess had many lacs of 
 rupees in a trunk, and was married in 
 yellow satin, broidered in pearls, with a 
 chain of diamonds round her throat, rudely 
 set, but of incalculable value, three yards 
 long. And that the marriage was kept 
 secret until the last moment, for fear there 
 should be any public demonstration caused 
 by the dusky hue of the lovely bride. 
 
 When people will hold themselves aloof 
 from the rest of the world, they must be 
 prepared to submit to any amount of 
 stories circulated about them. And during 
 the visits that were paid at Asheton Court, 
 in compliment to the interesting event, that
 
 230 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 indifference to the world's opinion, whicli 
 characterised them, rather added to the 
 mystery of the unknown bride, than simpli- 
 fied it. They would have been amazed 
 had they been told one half of what the 
 county said, losing all sense of the ridicu_ 
 lousness of the reports in the much greater 
 presumption of anyone daring to dictate to 
 an Asheton whom he was to marry. 
 
 Thus the winter passed away, and the 
 excitement abated nothing, but rather 
 increased. Parliament met, and people went 
 to town, where they spread the news still 
 further. Lent came, but no one appeared 
 to think that, because you were enjoined 
 to fast in one way, your tongue might not 
 go all the faster in another. 
 
 Easter brought country people to their 
 country homes for a brief holiday, during 
 which they plucked violets, wore primrose- 
 wreaths, and talked of the bore of returning
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 231 
 
 to town, and the great mystery yet un- 
 fathomed. 
 
 But, no ; rumour was satisfied, reality 
 should give place to conjecture. On many 
 tables lay the large, embossed, well-known 
 Asheton invitation- card. So many for 
 dinner one day, so many for another, the 
 whole to wind up with a ball to all the 
 county. Astonishing ! The Ashetons could 
 not be ashamed of the black princess ; or, 
 presuming upon their position, they intended 
 to show they would not be ashamed of her. 
 She would probably be made fair with 
 pearls, or sparkling with diamonds. At all 
 events, no one was so mad as to prefer 
 their spring delights to this attempt at 
 town gaiety. Fresh toilets were ordered 
 from the London milliners; and, curious as 
 the ladies had been, it yet was not un- 
 worthy of note to remark that, whenever 
 two or three grey-headed, sage, political old
 
 232 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 gentlemen met together, they were sure to 
 be heard saying, "Going to the Ashetons?" 
 "Ah, of course we must all go to see 
 the Black Princess 1 "
 
 233 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 HOW LITTLE IT TAKES TO PLEASE PEOPLE WHEN 
 
 THEY ARE IN THE HUMOUR. 
 
 Godfrey and Marion were returning from 
 their wedding tour, which, at that un- 
 toward season of the year, had, at their 
 own wish, been confined to Welsh and 
 English scenery. 
 
 " I have lived abroad, '' pleaded she, 
 "until I long for England only." 
 
 "A great pity, my dear Godfrey," re-
 
 234 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 marked Mrs. Trevor ; *^ it shows such a 
 want of refined and intellectual taste." 
 
 While all the rest of the family were occu- 
 pied in the arrangements for the fitting in- 
 troduction of their new relative into the 
 Asheton world, old Mr. Asheton alone 
 thought of nothing but his delight at the 
 prospect of seeing his little " May Flower 
 once more." 
 
 '^ I cannot help calling her so, little dear 
 thing, though happily she is May Flower no 
 longer." 
 
 ^^ I do not at all understand my father's in- 
 fatuation," again remarked Mrs. Trevor, 
 who appeared to hear everything, whether 
 it concerned her or not. 
 
 "Your father took a great fancy to her 
 from the first. And Godfrey's wife must ever 
 be an object of the deepest interest to him. 
 I hardly ever, my dear EUinor, experienced 
 so many acceptances to our dinner parties.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 235 
 
 I followed the usual rule of asking one 
 third more than our table will hold, to make 
 up for any probable refusals." 
 
 *^ The two girls from the Wood-head 
 must come in the evening, I presume, if we 
 are too many.'^ 
 
 Lady Fane and Sir Robert had not yet 
 been introduced to their new sister. That 
 delicacy of health, mentioned before, necessi- 
 tated Lady Fane's confinement to one atmo- 
 sphere during the winter, and Sir Eobert 
 was not sufficiently stoical to go and witness 
 the deed that might deprive him of four 
 thousand a year. So he had excused 
 himself. But they were both expected in 
 the evening of this day, when Marion, but 
 three days returned, sat by her father-in-law's 
 chair, relating to him the history of her 
 travels. In all other parts of the house were 
 the bustle and confusion attendant upon the 
 large party expected that evening.
 
 236 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 ^^ And mj May Flower is now happy, 
 certain that she is a worthy little wife to 
 my Godfrey. 
 
 Marion smiled, as if she felt it might 
 be so, yet dared not yet say it." 
 
 *^And are you pleased, dear, with your 
 dresses ? " 
 
 '* How kind you have been, dear grand, 
 father. I have heard of them — not seen them." 
 
 "Dear, dear, how was that? Don't you 
 try such things on? I told Ellinor to be 
 sure about that." 
 
 " Godfrey has seen them, and he was 
 pleased." 
 
 "Well, well, I hope they are all right. 
 You know, my love, we are very anxious 
 you should look your very best to-night. 
 I want my May Flower to please all the 
 world." 
 
 "And she wishes to please Godfrey, and 
 those who love him."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 237 
 
 " True, my dear, very prettily said. But 
 still, T must have you look nice, to do 
 justice to Godfrey's taste. Now, there is 
 your pretty cousin." 
 
 " Yes, she is beautiful. Why did not 
 Godfrey choose her? I never saw anything 
 like her — did you, grandfather." 
 
 '^ Not so handsome, certainly ; — but you 
 look serious, dear little one." 
 
 ^^ It is nothing; but I shall be glad 
 when a year is over. By that time I 
 shall know — shall feel — if I am likely to be 
 all that Godfrey wishes." 
 
 " You are wrong. May Flower — very 
 wrong — you ought to have no mistrust in 
 Godfrey." 
 
 "I do not mistrust him — it is myself." 
 
 Ere Marion could say more, the door 
 opened, and Mrs. Asheton entered, saying 
 that Lady Fane had arrived, and wishes to 
 know when she can see her father.
 
 238 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 " Surely now — at once," exclaimed the 
 old gentleman; "my children ought not to 
 use ceremony with me.'' 
 
 But little mysterious ceremonies were the 
 only characteristic possessed by Lady Fane. 
 She entered with a pretty rustle of import- 
 ance, clasped her father rather theatrically 
 round the neck, presenting her cheek to 
 be kissed, then withdrew, as if to look at 
 him. Finally, turning towards Marion, said 
 in a soft, sweet voice : — 
 
 "My new sister." 
 
 Marion saw that she might obey the dic- 
 tates of her tender heart towards Lady 
 Fane, though she could not towards Mrs. 
 Trevor. Coming forward at once, she kissed 
 with her healthy red lips the hectic cheek 
 of Lady Fane, who instantly kissed her 
 again, saying, " Dear little thing," but 
 Marion had nearly fallen over something 
 concealed in the folds of Lady Fane's dress.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 239 
 
 To her surprise, a little fair face, with a 
 very old, wizard-like look, peeped out. 
 
 ^' My darling, speak to grandpapa.'' 
 
 Instantly the face disappeared, and the 
 dress was violently agitated. 
 
 "Hush, then, hush — no one shall speak 
 to you. Excuse him, dear father, he is so 
 sadly shy." 
 
 " So are my little granddaughters, and 
 yet you, my children, always ran to me 
 in love." 
 
 "He is far from strong, father ; his 
 nerves are as delicate as his frame. Sir 
 Robert is on his way. The carriage which 
 you so kindly sent only held us, with Ed- 
 ward's and my maid, so he follows in a fly 
 with the luggage. My new sister is some- 
 what pale, I think." 
 
 "No," said Mrs. Trevor, just entering, 
 "she has a remarkably high colour. My 
 dear sister, how are you ? "
 
 240 MR AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 " Quite well, thank you, love." 
 "You don't look so. Indeed, you look 
 very ill; you have not brought Edward, I see." 
 "Oh, yes; here he is, as usual, quite 
 close to mamma." 
 
 "Dear me ! still tied to your apron- 
 strings — so big a boy! Edward, I am 
 ashamed of you. But, Marion, you ought 
 — you must go and dress ; you have but 
 an hour and a half to do so." 
 
 "I will go out first to get some violets 
 for Lady Fane," answered Marion, glad to 
 depart. 
 
 She divined, as she gathered her violets, 
 that the sisters were very like other sisters, 
 not always on the best of terms. 
 
 Marion's toilette would have proceeded 
 very well but for the constant interruption 
 of either Mrs. Asheton or Mrs. Trevor, — 
 they were so nervously anxious she should 
 look well.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 241 
 
 " Dear heart alive ! ^' exclaimed Pinner, 
 the maid, as she was ordered by Mrs. 
 Trevor to undo a thick Grecian plait, just 
 executed with the utmost care ; ^Mt will 
 take me an hour to do it up again — you 
 will never be dressed in time, ma'am." 
 
 ^^Lock the door, then. Pinner, and we 
 will do my hair after our own fashion- 
 there is a carriage driving up now." 
 
 Few people ever give a dinner-party, 
 that some contre-temps does not occur. 
 With the Ashetons 'twas as well nothing 
 worse happened than that Marion, who was 
 to have been dressed first, in order to be 
 regularly introduced as each party arrived, 
 appeared about the last. 
 
 Sir Robert Fane, notwithstanding she had 
 such a momentous fiat upon his affairs, was 
 but little interested in an introduction. It 
 was enough that she might deprive him of 
 four thousand a year. Were she as pretty 
 
 VOL. I. R
 
 242 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 as an angel, she would look ugly to him. 
 He had heard the rumour about the black 
 princess, and had contented himself with 
 laughing at it without contradicting it. 
 If he had taken the trouble of thinking 
 about her at all, he imagined from his idea 
 of Godfrey's taste, that she was a tall sort 
 of statue-like girl, with faultless features, a 
 cold stony manner, and general freeziness 
 of appearance. 
 
 He was rather surprised not to find her 
 in the drawing-room; and sheltering within 
 the ample folds of a window-curtain, he 
 there occupied himself in his favourite amuse- 
 ment, namely, speculating upon the private 
 characters of all the different parties ushered 
 into the room, as they arrived — drawing 
 inferences from their appearances, and the 
 various modes in which they entered, and 
 paid their compliments. He considered 
 it by no means unpleasant amusement, but
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 243 
 
 rather savouring of his favourite game of 
 chance, to calculate the future fate of those 
 to whom he was introduced. Whether they 
 ended ill or well, did not so much concern 
 him, as that he should be found right in his, 
 first judgment. 
 
 His amusement, however, appeared not 
 likely to be great this evening, which we 
 shall discover if we follow the flight of his 
 thoughts. 
 
 ^' The old hum-drum lot, not a single 
 new face, save those beardless noodles from 
 the barracks. My fair sister-in-law, as usual, 
 disturbing everyone, and most properly in- 
 dignant with Mrs. Flower for taking the .seat 
 meant, of course, for the Duchess. She will 
 succeed in dislodging her ; pray Heaven she 
 comes not my w^ay. Ha! my dear wife, 
 and of course, that little imp of mischief 
 (Sir Kobert's bump of philoprogenitiveness 
 was small), who ought to be in bed. Miss 
 
 r2
 
 244 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Flower is looking my way, and appears 
 handsomer than ever. I'll beckon her over 
 here, and for lack of other amusement, 
 gaze into her lustrous eyes. How Godfrey 
 could withstand placing so beautiful a crea- 
 ture at the top of his table, I know 
 not." 
 
 Then aloud, "Thank you, Miss Flower; 
 I assure you I was so dull, until I caught 
 a glimpse of you. I was driven to bet 
 my right hand against my left, as to what 
 old friend would appear next. They don't 
 seem to me ever to have any new people 
 to dinner here." 
 
 "No; it is against Asheton rules, to 
 make new acquaintances." 
 
 "But where is the bride? I am all 
 anxiety to see her." 
 
 "I presume she is making a very elab- 
 orate toilette ; and it is your own fault 
 you have not seen her before."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 245 
 
 "True ; but does she require much 
 dressing up ? " 
 
 "Eather, to make her look like a great 
 lady, for she is a mere girl." 
 
 Here, a particle of thought floating about 
 in the brain of Sir Eobert, hit an idea 
 running in the head of Beatrice, and gave 
 birth at once to an active principle, of 
 which at present neither knew or felt the 
 existence. 
 
 " I always hoped you would be the 
 chief ornament of this house, Miss Flower. 
 It requires a strong attraction, both men- 
 tally and physically, to redeem it from 
 intolerable dulness." 
 
 A gleam of sudden anger shot from Miss 
 Flower's dark eyes, which rewarded Sir 
 Eobert for his speech, revealing to him 
 what he had strongly suspected. 
 
 " I have always understood," answered 
 she bitterly, "that Sir Eobert Fane had
 
 246 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 too deep an interest another way, to wish 
 to see anyone in the position he so cour- 
 teously assigns me." 
 
 "Pardon me, when one's fate is inevi- 
 table, grant a poor wretch a faint hope 
 of making the best of it. You were an 
 old friend. I have heard nothing of this 
 bride.'' 
 
 " Doubtless, when you see her, you will 
 follow the world." 
 
 " Is she so lovely, then ? '^ 
 " No woman can be a judge of what a 
 man admires. A pretty girlish face sets 
 one of your sex raving, so that he cannot 
 see what species of innocent may be 
 behind it." 
 
 " It will be happier for your cousin if 
 she is such as you lead me to infer ; she 
 will suffer less in running counter — " 
 " Yes, Sir Robert ; you pause — " 
 He still remained silent, and on looking
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 247 
 
 up, she saw his eyes absorbed in watching 
 the entrance of some fresh arrivals. 
 
 " Say, who is that but now entered, a 
 vision in white ? Hush ! what a silence ! 
 you need not tell me ; I see it is your 
 cousin." 
 
 " What a preposterous dress for a dinner- 
 party,'^ murmured Beatrice. 
 
 It was of white silk, glistening with 
 silver threads ; a few leaves of silver lay 
 on her hair, rippled in dark and light shades, 
 and from these leaves fell long waving grass, 
 half green, half silver. She was a little 
 flushed, and this background of green and 
 white had a beautiful effect. A single row 
 of pearls round her throat gave a regal air 
 to it, and beyond her blushing cheek, there 
 was nothing of shyness about her. She was 
 as self-possessed as if indeed a queen. 
 
 Not having heard the buzz of universal 
 small talk that pervaded ere they entered
 
 248 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 the room, she leant lightly on Godfrey's arm, 
 quite unaware of the sudden and entire 
 silence that followed their appearance. God- 
 frey had expressed himself as satisfied with 
 her dress and looks — and both being unen- 
 lightened regarding the black princess, they 
 were, of course, unable to judge of the 
 effect her eiiiree occasioned. 
 
 She went through her various introduc- 
 tions with that simplicity which gives both 
 ease and grace, and before she arrived at 
 Sir Eobert — on whom, secretly, Godfrey 
 wished her to make a good impression — 
 he had been able to speculate upon her 
 character, and back his right hand against 
 the left as to her future. 
 
 Miss Flower was right in her saying 
 that most men are more struck with sim- 
 plicity, and innocency of expression, than 
 with beauty. And though Marion looked 
 lovely, the charm of her ingenuous coun-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 249 
 
 tenance and manner won Sir Robert's ad- 
 miration at once. Indeed, he was so ab- 
 sorbed watching her, that Miss Flower's 
 remarks were unheeded. 
 
 "Lucky dog, Godfrey," was his inward 
 thought. "Why is it that Fortune is so 
 bountiful in her favours to some, and such 
 a sorry jade to others ? This girl appears 
 created on purpose for him, for not even an 
 Asheton can cavil at her face or manners. 
 Yet, she must have some fault, some ble- 
 mish ; she is not weak in character — her 
 chin is too well defined ; her eyes too clear, 
 too frank to be afraid of any one. Should 
 she run counter — Ha ! she will kiss that 
 round-faced cousin of hers, and talk to her 
 aunt, he chafes, and she does not see it. — 
 She will do what she considers right, let 
 Asheton will rise like mountains in her 
 path. Poor girl, she has that rare thing, 
 a fine heart; will it become ossified by
 
 250 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Asheton pride ? I can only judge of women 
 as they do of race-horses, and I'll back my 
 right hand against my left for a thousand 
 guineas she turns restive, and either con- 
 quers or dies. I beg your pardon, Miss 
 Flower, but I, as well as the rest of this 
 august company, am amazed at the fair 
 vision of Mrs. Godfrey Asheton. I was 
 credibly informed that she was the daugh- 
 ter of a dark and woolly-headed princess 
 of Oude. Allow for a poor man being so 
 suddenly undeceived.'' 
 
 ^* I can allow for some, but not for Sir 
 Robert Fane, Avhom I considered too much 
 a man of the world to be surprised at 
 anything." 
 
 " Do you see how expressive her counte- 
 nance is ? I can read her thoughts at once." 
 
 " Yes ; there is no difficulty in diving to 
 the bottom of her character; you can un- 
 derstand it all in five minutes."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 251 
 
 Meantime Prissy, who was beaming with 
 ielight at Marion's looking so pretty, 
 was undergoing a cross-questioning from 
 J^os. 1 and 2 young ladies, who had ori- 
 ginally been the spreaders of those reports 
 about the bride that were now so abruptly 
 contradicted. 
 
 " Miss Flower, I thought you told us 
 that Mrs. Godfrey Asheton's mother was 
 an Indian Princess." 
 
 '^ Me ! — me say that ! No, that I did'nt 
 Why, its no such thing ; so how could I say 
 it?" 
 
 No. 2. " We certainly inferred from you 
 that she was born in India." 
 
 Prissy, " Well ! that does'nt make her an 
 Indian Princess any how. She was a Miss 
 Aubrey." 
 
 No. 1. " You did not tell us how lovely 
 she is." 
 
 Prissy. " Well ! because she looks so well
 
 252 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 to-night — I never saw her look better ; and 
 besides, I don't care much about beauty. 
 I like nice people." 
 
 No, 2. "You see every one is much as- 
 tonished. They all thought Mrs. Godfrey 
 Asheton was a very dark — would be al- 
 most a black woman." 
 
 Prissy (aghast). "My goodness! what a 
 shame. I wonder what Mr. Asheton would 
 say ? " 
 
 No. 1. " Pray don't mention this idea now, 
 it will do no good; only tell me, is she 
 likely to be nice and good tempered?" 
 
 Prissy (angry). "Goodness gracious! now 
 that's a greater shame. Of course, there 
 never was any one so nice and good tem- 
 pered."
 
 253 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 AND HOW DIFFICULT IT IS WHEN THEY ARE NOT. 
 
 All the fetes passed off remarkably well, 
 and the introduction of Mrs. Godfrey Asheton 
 to the world was un fait accompli. 
 
 Marion conducted herself admirably, that 
 is, she was natural, and people forgave 
 her for not being black. For they were 
 disappointed. It is so pleasant to have 
 something to say against those who think 
 themselves superior to the rest of the world ; 
 and the introduction of a black woman
 
 254 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 (princess or not) into so exclusive a family 
 was a charming handle against them. 
 
 As the tide turned, it appeared likely to 
 flow in the full flood of praise towards the 
 bride, for, young as she was, the dawnings 
 of different feelings from those of the Ashe- 
 tons showed themselves in her. 
 
 And though she might not be able to 
 effect much, during the life-time of the old 
 people, great things would be expected of 
 her afterwards, judging by her sweet coun- 
 tenance. 
 
 Sir Eobert, upon further acquaintance, 
 was rather inclined to hedge his bet, for 
 the sake of his right hand, and compromise 
 for five hundred guineas, instead of a thou- 
 sand. For her total want of education, 
 her submissive gentleness, made that express- 
 ive chin of no effect. She might have 
 strength of character, but the odds now 
 were, whether she would discover her own
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 255 
 
 powers or not. Yet he liked her very 
 much, spite of the injury she had done 
 him in marrying Godfrey Asheton — liked 
 her sufficiently to have no engagement with 
 either the Duke or Earl for full ten days. 
 He was a great admirer of pretty women, 
 but as yet they had principally been of 
 the handsome, stylish sort who could bandy 
 a few witticisms with him, rather at the 
 expense of his good opinion of them. 
 
 But Marion's unaffected, not to say art- 
 less, conversation was new to him. 
 
 And in this world what charms like 
 novelty? Lady Fane pronounced her " de- 
 lightful — the dearest little thing in the 
 world." And Master Fane seemed to think 
 his parents' example worthy of imitation, for 
 he had, on more than one occasion, 
 emerged voluntarily from the folds of his 
 mother's dress, to listen to Marion's tales of 
 foreign birds and flowers, rewarding her for
 
 256 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 this effort at amusing him by various little 
 tokens of his approbation, pulling out the 
 comb that fastened up her long curls, stealing 
 her gloves, and tying her handkerchief into 
 knots. All of which undesirable marks of 
 affection were pronounced by his mother 
 " as delightful traits in her darling." 
 
 Mrs. Trevor found reason to think that 
 her first idea of Marion^s unfitness to be made 
 into an Asheton would be discovered as 
 another positive proof of her superior fore- 
 thought and wisdom. She did not improve 
 in the estimation of her sister-in-law as 
 the days went by. 
 
 Beginning with an early determination 
 never to like the person who should stand 
 between her and the coveted name and 
 position she was so truly fitted for, she 
 was further inclined to be indignant at the 
 high place she had gained in the love of 
 old Mr. Asheton.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 257 
 
 " He was positively infatuated by her," 
 as she remarked to her mother, " who, she 
 was glad to perceive, was not run away with 
 by merely the prettiness of a face." 
 
 In addition, having always deemed it 
 her duty to dictate to and look down upon 
 her eldest sister, to prevent her, as an 
 heiress, from being thoroughly spoilt, the 
 knowledge that she highly approved of 
 young Mrs. Asheton, had kissed and greeted 
 her as a sister (^^ which," again remarked 
 Mrs. Trevor, ^^I intend to do, when she has 
 proved herself worthy to be so"), was enough 
 of itself to point out to Mrs. Trevor how 
 she must act. ^' Cecilia, having forgotten what 
 was due to herself as well as her brother, 
 should be able to take Mrs. Trevor as her 
 example, in whose character she would find 
 nothing weak or injudicious." 
 
 For a little time these feelings smothered 
 in Mrs. Trevor's bosom for want of a fitting 
 
 VOL. I. s
 
 258 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 confidante, but an accidental speech of Sir 
 Robert's, regarding Miss Beatrice Flower's 
 not having that cousinly regard for Mrs. 
 Godfrey Asheton that her half-sister pos- 
 sessed, supplied her with this necessary 
 article. 
 
 "I have a great opinion of Beatrice, my 
 dear Robert; you may be sure she has good 
 reason for withholding her regard." 
 
 **Very good, indeed," answered Sir 
 Robert, drily ; " she had decided to be Mrs. 
 Godfrey Asheton herself" 
 
 " Not at all ; I know, and who can know 
 better, that no such thought ever entered 
 her head. In fact, she said to me in con- 
 fidence, more than once, she never could 
 think of even the presumption of accepting 
 Godfrey." 
 
 " Humph ! that looks very like as if 
 such a thought had entered her head very 
 often."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 259 
 
 " Very, very much the reverse, Robert ; 
 she knew, she felt that it must be an un- 
 equal, if not an unhappy match, that united 
 an Asheton to the Flower family. But I 
 shall make it my business to discover upon 
 what grounds she places her indifferent 
 opinion of her cousin. It will be my duty 
 to discover what her faults are, that at all 
 events one member of the family (not in- 
 fatuated) may be prepared to cope with, and 
 eradicate them if possible."' 
 
 "Pray do, and let me know what they 
 are; at present, I acknowledge that when- 
 ever I look into her face, I quite forget 
 the injury she is likely to do me." 
 
 " So like men, at least some men ; fortu- 
 nately Trevor is of precisely the same 
 opinion that I am ; her beauty is nothing to 
 that of Beatrice." 
 
 " True, fair sister, true ; yet there is 
 something of the kingdom above in the blue 
 
 s 2
 
 260 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 eyes of the one, and a good deal of the 
 world below in the dark orbs of the 
 other. They rather remind me, sitting side 
 by side, of the impersonification of the good 
 and bad angels that attend at our birth ; 
 and faith, I don't so much wonder we un- 
 happy mortals are so often drawn astray. 
 One cannot think one is going to perdition 
 in the company of a being beautiful as 
 Beatrice." 
 
 ^^Pray, Sir Eobert, remember to whom 
 you are speaking, and of whom — a 
 particular friend of mine. I am unable 
 to comprehend to what your remarks 
 allude." 
 
 "Then oblige me by not attempting, my 
 dear EUinor; it is not at all worth your 
 while." 
 
 "It is worth everyone's while to gain 
 information." 
 
 "Then you will find the full explana-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 261 
 
 tion of my remarks in a book of eastern 
 fables. At present, farewell.'' 
 
 Mrs. Trevor ^'talked over" Mrs. God- 
 frey Asheton with her cousin Beatrice to 
 her heart's content, and was amazingly 
 alarmed when she discovered that she knew 
 not a word of French, was ignorant of 
 Italian, and incapable of playing one bar 
 of music. 
 
 " Good heavens ! — oh, good heavens! And 
 of coarse, my brother is ignorant of this 
 terrible fact? " 
 
 ^^Not at all. I took the earliest op- 
 portunity of informing him, not only of 
 that, but that she had been, the whole of 
 her life, brought up in barracks." 
 
 " Gracious heavens ! and if the world 
 should ever discover this ? " 
 
 '^ I think it is pretty well known already. 
 Marion, I know, never denies it; in fact, 
 tells it without reserve or confusion."
 
 262 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 *^A proof — a positive proof of her ne- 
 glected education. My dear Beatrice, why 
 did you not write to warn me ? " 
 
 "My dear madam, how could I con- 
 ceive that your brother, so singularly sen- 
 sitive, would think of her for a moment? 
 But I imagine he was led into making 
 an offer sooner than he intended, that is, 
 if he intended making her one at all, by 
 the conduct of my cousin Julian." 
 
 Here Miss Beatrice gave a highly coloured 
 narrative of the whole of that interesting 
 affair, not disguising that she was the original 
 cause of his being sent for, with the praise- 
 worthy object of removing Marion entirely 
 from the notice of Mr. Asheton. 
 
 " Oh, my dear Beatrice, why — why did 
 you not insist upon her marrying Count 
 Julian? We should then have been spared 
 this disgrace." 
 
 Even Beatrice winced at this remark,
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 263 
 
 and her cheek coloured high ; but people 
 who take evil spirits into their bosoms, 
 are compelled to swallow nauseous morsels 
 now and then, so she gulphed it down, 
 and answered calmly: — 
 
 "I did everything. I urged Julian to 
 propose again and again. T persuaded him 
 it was nothing but that silly girlism, so 
 conspicuous in Marion ; in fact, I have 
 ruined his happiness for ever, I fear, and 
 did no good towards effecting the separation 
 — perhaps, indeed, hastening it." 
 
 "Do you mean to say that the Count 
 di Kamiano still loves her ? " 
 
 " To so violent a degree, they feai 
 his reason is materially injured. He cannot 
 be trusted anywhere alone ; in fact, I will 
 acknowledge to you, he is in the hands 
 and care of a keeper for the insane." 
 
 " Good heavens ! and she so heartless ! 
 But does she know all this ? ''
 
 264 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 ^' Of course; I have told her every- 
 thing ; and, I must do her the justice to say, 
 she feels it deeply. I can make her un- 
 happy for the day, if I mention his 
 name." 
 
 " Really ! Now I consider that remarkably 
 strange in her; I hardly think it quite 
 right she should feel so much, being Mrs. 
 Godfrey Asheton." 
 
 '* She is very childish, you know — all 
 her feelings are spontaneous." 
 
 ^^ Do you think she repents having re- 
 duced him to this state ? " 
 
 "I suppose so." 
 
 Here a little mad particle in Mrs. Trevor's 
 brain came in contact with a very wicked 
 one in that of Beatrice ; both started into 
 life and took root.
 
 265 
 
 CHAPTER XYI. 
 
 RELATES HOW MR. TREVOR, HITHERTO MERELY AN 
 APPENDAGE OF MRS. TREVOR'S, CAUSES A DOMESTIC 
 EARTHQUAKE. 
 
 It was out of all reason to suppose that 
 Mrs. Trevor was capable of keeping her 
 tongue silent upon such an important mat- 
 ter as Marion's deficient education. 
 
 She rather feared attacking her father; 
 but, apparently unconscious that very few 
 barbarians would have resorted to the little-
 
 266 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 ness that she, an Asheton Trevor, was 
 indulging, conceived it to be an admirable 
 stroke of policy to question Marion of her 
 former life, before her father-in-law. 
 
 Mrs. Trevor. "Marion, have you read 
 this last little work, sent to me by a 
 friend for my approbation, before it is 
 given to the world ? " 
 
 Mr. Asheton, " How could my little 
 May see it, then, my dear Ellinor ? " 
 
 Mrs. Trevor. " I brought it here, my 
 dear father, with me, and I thought that 
 naturally the title would excite her curi- 
 osity — ^ France et Angleterre, Etude Sociale 
 et Politique ^ — a matter of such vital im- 
 portance." 
 
 Mr. Asheton. "Of no use to May 
 Flower ; she does not understand French. 
 
 Mrs. Trevor. " Then you know it, my 
 dear father. What is to be done ? " 
 
 Marion. " Godfrey intends becoming my
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 267 
 
 tutor. I shall learn ; ah ! with more quick- 
 ness than any other girl, I know, taught 
 by such a master." 
 
 Mrs, Trevor. "I beg your pardon, 
 French is not to be learned grammatically 
 and profoundly, except from the nursery. 
 How long did our French governess remain 
 with us, my dear father ? " 
 
 Mr. Asheton. *^Many years, my child ; 
 perhaps ten." 
 
 Mrs, Trevor. ^^ There, you hear ; and 
 except that I have made a point of con- 
 tinuing my education, ever since I had a 
 daughter, and thus may be an exception 
 to the general rule, I am persuaded that 
 Cecilia, as well as most other girls, after 
 ten years incessant study, know it only 
 superficially." 
 
 Mr. Asheton. '^Very sad for you, my 
 little May ; but I know you will be very 
 apt. My dear Cecilia was the sweetest
 
 268 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 tempered child, I know, but she had not 
 your quickness, my EUinor." 
 
 Mrs, Trevor. " 1 class her among the 
 generality, my dear father. And though 
 Marion, under Godfrey's tuition, may, in a 
 manner, learn French sufficiently to deceive 
 others, less fortunate than myself, I fear it 
 will never do away with the sad effect of 
 her having lived and been brought up in 
 — barracks!'' 
 
 Mr. Asheton (startled). " My dear! " 
 
 Marion. "My mother always accom- 
 panied her father and mother, and after- 
 wards her husband, and they were with 
 their regiments almost entirely." 
 
 Mrs. Trevor. " But we never saw your 
 mother." 
 
 Marion. "Ah, if any of you had seen 
 my mother, no one would have thought of 
 me. I never saw anyone so fair — never 
 knew anyone so good."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 269 
 
 Mrs. Trevor. ^^ It is right a daughter 
 should think well of her mother." 
 
 Marion (indignantly). '^ Think well of my 
 mother ! People did not stay at thinking 
 well of her! She was idolised. The 
 Commander-in-chief had hot tears running 
 down his face, when they told him that 
 he had lost two officers he loved so well — 
 General and Colonel Flower — found side by 
 side on that terrible battle-field. But he 
 shut himself up when he knew that the 
 good angel of the regiment was gone; and 
 all men mourned her as if they had lost 
 the dearest thing on earth to them — and 
 so she was.'' 
 
 Mrs. Trevor was, figuratively speaking, 
 "shut up." Astonished at Marion's excite- 
 ment, amazed that a person bred and born 
 in a regiment, should be mourned as 
 only Ashetons ought to be ; — vanquished 
 as regarded any knowledge of what a
 
 270 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 regimental life really was, she remained 
 silent. 
 
 Mr, Ashetoii (tenderly, with his hand 
 upon her drooping head). ^'My poor May 
 Flower.'^ 
 
 Marion, "But God is good to her, not 
 only in giving her another grandfather, a 
 Godfrey, a home like this ; but — but — I 
 shall see them all again — we shall meet to 
 part no more." 
 
 Mrs. Trevor could as little understand 
 the feelings that imparted such a glow to 
 Marion's countenance, as the indignation 
 she had shown before. Nothing but a 
 vague species of insignificance filled her 
 mind, a most unusual sensation for her, 
 and so uncomfortable that she was the 
 more inclined to dislike Marion than ever. 
 " k little foolish enthusiast," thought she, 
 " with a perfectly unregulated mind. Poor, 
 poor Godfrey ; but he will find me ever
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 271 
 
 the same." She quietly left the room, and 
 meeting Sir Eobert, thought proper to in- 
 form him of Miss Flower's account of her 
 cousin's education. 
 
 " Knows nothing ! " Then I would advise 
 you to waste no more money on the edu- 
 cation of your daughters. Brought up in 
 barracks ! You had better get Trevor into a 
 militia regiment, and try what it is 
 like." 
 
 Her mother listened with due attention 
 to the remarks of her favourite daughter, 
 and agreed with her upon the whole; but 
 knowing the fact already, she had so far 
 got over any distress she might have upon 
 the subject, that Mrs. Trevor was more 
 inclined to mourn over her composure, 
 than any of the others. 
 
 Lastly, she sounded Godfrey, and was 
 quickly silenced, to her inward indignation, 
 by his answers.
 
 272 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 "My dear Ellinor, it was for that igno- 
 rance I married her. It will now be my 
 own fault if she learns what is not com- 
 patible with my ideas of female educa- 
 tion." 
 
 Thus Mrs. Trevor was reduced to a state 
 that either might break out in open war 
 against the new Mrs. Asheton, or induce 
 her to leave the field at once, and yield 
 up the sway at Asheton Court for good. 
 Fate held the balance even for a time, 
 when Mr. Trevor unwittingly sent up one 
 scale to the very beam, and it was on this 
 wise that he affected it. 
 
 One morning, as Marion was feeding 
 her numerous pets, at an hour when both 
 hosts and guests were hardly risen, she unex- 
 pectedly encountered Mr. Trevor, peering 
 about, apparently in an unhappy perplexity. 
 
 "Can I do anything for you, Mr. Tre- 
 vor ? Have you lost anything ? "
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 273 
 
 "No, no, I thank you; nothing. I was 
 merely looking, casually, by the way." 
 
 " Lost your way ? " asked Marion as he 
 paused. 
 
 " Yes — no — a little, perhaps. So excellent 
 a young lady — kind heart, sweet counte- 
 nance — I was looking for a little new 
 milk." 
 
 " New milk here ; — among the ever- 
 greens ? " 
 
 " No, no, I mean, of course — 'tis the 
 dairy I was looking for. I think — I re- 
 member me, it was near here." 
 
 " I will show it to you, Mr. Trevor ; 
 but would it not be as well to ring and 
 order — " 
 
 " No, no ; oh, no, no — thank you, my ex- 
 cellent Ellinor, admirable mother, she does 
 not affect new milk, and my little girls, cer- 
 tainly, excellent constitutions, yet, 1 think, 
 
 VOL. I. T
 
 274 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 a little pale — they do so love a little new 
 milk.'' 
 
 " 1 understand now, Mr. Trevor, you 
 wish for some milk for my little nieces." 
 
 " Excellent creature — just so — they will 
 be with me shortly, at eight o'clock. They 
 remain with me the spare time their nurse 
 wishes for her breakfast, and — and they expect 
 me to give them some little thing — not 
 much, no, for my fond Ellinor, ever ten- 
 der for their health, restricts their too 
 ardent appetites ; yet they grow, little dears, 
 and their fondness for milk is very, very 
 great. A doctor — whom I just consulted 
 promiscuously — rather thin I fancied they 
 looked, he ordered new milk." 
 
 "Pray, say no more, Mr. Trevor, I 
 am sure they may have as much as they 
 choose." 
 
 " Not so ; excellent young lady, highly 
 principled, truly; I give them just a little
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 275 
 
 at this early hour, their nurse being 
 absent." 
 
 " You wish no one to know they 
 have it?" 
 
 ^' Ah ! yes ; just so, exactly. The doc- 
 tor told me they were full young to 
 be on the Homoeopathic system for food." 
 
 " Will you come with me ; or shall I 
 bring a little milk to you, where you re- 
 ceive your children ? " 
 
 " Admirable, truly admirable ; at eight 
 o^clock, in the small library, we shall be 
 waiting. Will you be so kind as to tender 
 this to the dairy-maid ? " 
 
 "No; I cannot do that, you must do 
 it yourself; besides, I had better take the 
 milk as for myself, it appearing you do 
 not wish it known that the little girls are 
 to have it." 
 
 " Most true, excellent thought — admirable 
 young lady." 
 
 t2
 
 276 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Marion left him, still bowing and apos- 
 trophising her. She had imbibed no great 
 interest for him before, and now he 
 appeared in her eyes as most con- 
 temptible. 
 
 Nevertheless, she went to the dairy, 
 begged for a bowl of the beautiful fresh 
 milk, not long brought in, asked for some 
 thick slices of bread and butter, or two 
 rolls, and requesting that this primitive re- 
 fection might be prepared every morning, 
 and placed in the small library by eight 
 o'clock, she bore off her prize to the expec- 
 tant Mr. Trevor. 
 
 His gratitude and delight were equally 
 revolting to Marion's simple nature; and she 
 was about to retire, when they heard the 
 pattering of little feet, and anon, a knock 
 at the door. Mr. Trevor hastily threw the 
 newspaper he was reading over the tray, 
 so as to conceal it, and then, in a voice
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 277 
 
 most ludicrously different from that in which 
 he had addressed Marion, said — 
 
 "Come in." 
 
 A stout, forbidding-looking woman ushered 
 in the two meek Miss Trevors, who each 
 made a profound curtsey. 
 
 '^ Thank you, my good nurse. I trust 
 the young ladies have been all you could 
 wish?" 
 
 " Pretty good, sir," answered she, in a 
 short, sharp voice, indicative of a temper 
 to match. " Where's your curtsey to young 
 Madam Asheton ? " she whispered angrily 
 to the children, giving them each a 
 push. 
 
 The two little girls executed a curtsey 
 to Marion. 
 
 "I shall not like them to curtsey to 
 me, nurse, for the future," said Marion, 
 coming forward, " they must greet me 
 thus — " and she kissed them both, they
 
 278 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 looking vastly more alarmed than so sim- 
 ple an act might have warranted. 
 
 " You are very good, madam;" and with 
 a parting shove, and injunction to ^* mind 
 their manners," the nurse withdrew. 
 
 When it was really certain she was gone, 
 both the little gMs turned suddenly round 
 and bolted the door, by the joint efforts of 
 their little weak fingers. They then ran 
 to their father. 
 
 ^^ Papa, papa, what have you got for us — 
 make haste, we are so hungry. Emma had 
 no tea last night, because she was naughty, 
 and I had to hide some of my bread for 
 her." 
 
 During this speech they were rummaging 
 their father's pockets, and drew from them 
 pieces of bread, evidently taken from the 
 dinner table, some cheese, biscuits, and a 
 small bunch of raisins, none of which were 
 improved by having been shut up in Mr.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 279 
 
 Trevor's pockets. But they devoured them 
 ravenously. 
 
 " My darlings — my loves," said he, kissing 
 them as if he was still half afraid Mrs. 
 Trevor might be peeping through the key- 
 hole. " See, see what I have got for you ! " 
 and he withdrew the newspaper. 
 
 Their cry of delight was smothered, as 
 they suddenly remembered Marion. 
 
 '' She will tell— she will tell," they mur- 
 mured. 
 
 'No, no, be sure I won't," said Marion, 
 quite content to bear her share in the 
 deceit. *' And every morning you shall 
 have the same." 
 
 Her pity for them and her contempt for 
 their father grew every moment stronger as 
 she saw their delight and witnessed their 
 excessive enjoyment of so much wholesome 
 food. Moreover, uninteresting little things 
 as they were, it was very pretty to see
 
 280 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 their fondness for each other; and though 
 drinking out of the same bowl, and eating 
 of the same bread and butter, they yet kept 
 saying to each other: — 
 
 '' Emma, do taste now, it's nicer than 
 ever." 
 
 "Etta, you must eat a bit of my slice 
 — I am sure yours cannot be so good." 
 
 And they would watch the effect of each 
 recommendation with the highest delight. 
 
 Their father kept on a buzzing murmur 
 of— 
 
 " Little darlings — poor loves — angelic 
 young lady — everlasting gratitude," and the 
 like. 
 
 But all Marion's pleasure in regarding 
 them vanished when, having drank the last 
 drop, and eaten up the last crumb, they 
 changed at once into the little formal Miss 
 Trevors, Emma saying, " Etta, can you see 
 anything ? " and Etta in answer, rubbing all
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 281 
 
 traces of milk from her sister's lips, who 
 did the same for her. 
 
 ^^Oh, Mr. Trevor," exclaimed Marion, 
 tears filling her eyes at such practised 
 deceit in little things so young, and though 
 she said no more, her eyes reproached him, 
 until he reddened up to the small thin 
 hairs that crowned his head. 
 
 But he answered nothing; at all times 
 he was rather deficient in speech, and 
 rightly interpreting his look of confusion, 
 Marion withdrew, sad to think what sort of 
 beings the Miss Trevors would become, 
 under the different courses pursued by 
 their father and mother. 
 
 ¥ow this secret, only known to Mrs. 
 Godfrey Asheton, Mr. and the Miss Trevors, 
 and partially the dairy-maid, became a 
 blazing fact to the whole world, through 
 the maladroitness of Sir Eobert Fane. 
 
 Feelingly alive to the pale looks of Mrs.
 
 282 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Godfrey Asheton and her somewhat saddened 
 spirits, Sir Eobert one morning, after urg- 
 ing her to partake of various delicacies 
 at breakfast, remarked : — 
 
 " But I know it is useless — you, my dear 
 sister, have your breakfast at a more healthy 
 hour than we do, and of more wholesome 
 viands. I think, Cecilia, it would benefit 
 you to adopt your new sister's habit, and 
 breakfast at eight o^clock, on a bowl of 
 new milk and a piece of brown bread.'' 
 
 Marion blushed deeply, and glanced at 
 Mr. Trevor, while Mrs. Trevor exclaimed : — 
 
 " Absurd, quite absurd to affect such 
 diet, but it shows from whence these tastes 
 arise. I mean, in fact, that milk and 
 brown bread are now quite exploded articles 
 of diet in any abode but farm-houses or 
 low cottages. You can trace their effect 
 upon the blowsy complexions and thick 
 skins of girls brought up on this food ; I
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 283 
 
 never permit my girls to touch either. Tea, 
 weak, with one teaspoonful of the richest 
 cream, is all I allow, and you see them — 
 no complexions can be clearer. Cream 
 is—" 
 
 Here Mrs. Trevor proceeded to explain 
 the properties of cream, and why it was 
 more wholesome than milk in it, during 
 which Marion recovered her complexion. 
 Mr Trevor had not evinced the slightest 
 emotion from the first, and looked now per- 
 fectly wooden. 
 
 Thus the danger might have been warded 
 off, had not Mrs. Trevor wound up her per- 
 oration by saying : — 
 
 *^ But why on earth Marion is not able 
 to eat her breakfast with us, of the things 
 provided for us, I am quite unable to de- 
 fine." 
 
 ^' Precisely the remark I was about to 
 make, my dear Ellinor," said Godfrey.
 
 284 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 "I take no breakfast until I take it 
 here, with you," remarked Marion, again 
 sending an appealing look to Mr. Trevor. 
 He only looked more wooden. 
 
 Godfrey rang the bell, and desired the 
 servant, when he appeared, to ask who had 
 milk and bread for breakfast in the morn- 
 ing, and by whose orders. 
 
 ^^Mine are the orders," said Marion, as 
 the servant withdrew. 
 
 Sir Robert had seen the appealing look 
 to Mr. Trevor. 
 
 "And Emma and Etta have what is 
 brought," said he. 
 
 " Impossible ! " exclaimed Mrs. Trevor, 
 " absurd ! — allow me to ring, my dear mo- 
 ther; you shall hear from their own lips 
 how untrue this assertion is." 
 
 Alas for the morals of the poor little 
 girls ! Emma said she did not know the 
 taste of new milk.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 285 
 
 Etta declared pretty much the same, and 
 both put on countenances as imperturbable 
 as their father's. 
 
 Marion looked from one to the other in dis- 
 may, and as Mrs. Trevor broke out in hasty, 
 indignant upbraidings, and Godfi-ey looked 
 at her as he had never done before, aston- 
 ished and stern, she felt a strange choking 
 sensation, a fluttering at her heart. She 
 suddenly put an end to all further remarks, 
 by fainting away.
 
 286 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 FULL OF MORAL REFLECTIONS, WHICH END IN EVERY- 
 DAY FACTS. 
 
 Insignificant, not to say childish, as such 
 scenes described in the last chapter are, 
 yet of such are half the ills of human 
 tempers made up. These little beginnings 
 form the nucleus of wicked deeds, that 
 appal one half mankind, and shock the 
 other. It is to them we owe hatred, envy, 
 malice. From them proceed violence, pas- 
 sion, murder. Let us not think lightly of
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 287 
 
 the first beginnings of ill-will : it takes but 
 a little matter to turn it into hatred. 
 
 People full of themselves, their own rules, 
 their indomitable wishes, are always slow 
 in action. Thus Marion had fainted and 
 been caught in the arms of Sir Kobert 
 (who privately thought it the wisest thing 
 she could do), while Godfrey was yet conjec- 
 turing how he should deport himself towards 
 her regarding this affair of the Miss Trevors, 
 and their supposed early breakfast. 
 
 His father was hanging over his darling 
 May Flower, calling upon her in moving 
 terms, before he realised that Mrs. Godfrey 
 Asheton had really, without notice, with- 
 out giving him any preparation, fainted 
 away. 
 
 But as the perception dawned on him, 
 there was no lack of tenderness then. 
 Taking her up in his own arms, with his 
 face as white as hers, whispering soft words
 
 288 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 of love in her ear/ he bore her up to her 
 chamber, and sternly bidding Mrs. Trevor 
 stay where she was (she, of course, fussing 
 after them), he permitted no one to attend 
 to her but himself 
 
 "My Marion," said he fondly, as he saw 
 her colour returning, and the tears begin- 
 ning to flow, "no one is here but myself; 
 take courage, love, and let me look into 
 your sweet eyes." 
 
 " What has happened to me, Godfrey ? " 
 she whispered. 
 
 " I know not, love ; but that you fainted, 
 and why, you must tell me yourself" 
 
 " It was those little girls. Oh, Godfrey, 
 such deceit ! " 
 
 "Nay, love, you were moved by 
 some other cause; besides, EUinor can- 
 not be mistaken." 
 
 And these latter words caused the 
 pallid hue again to spread over Marion^s
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 289 
 
 brow. There was in bis voice, if not in 
 bis manner, an unyielding solidity. Who- 
 ever might be wrong in this case, it could 
 not be one born an Asheton. 
 
 '^ You are pale again, Marion ; are you 
 sure you are well ? " 
 
 " No ; I am ill. I have felt ill for some 
 time. I am not habituated to such late 
 hours. My dresses are so heavy, I feel 
 faint in them. That is your mother's step, 
 it is she who is knocking at the door." 
 
 " Godfrey, I must speak to you imme- 
 diately,'' said Mrs. Asheton, outside the 
 door. 
 
 *^ Come in, my dear mother, Marion is 
 better." 
 
 *^Not on any account; I must speak to 
 you alone." 
 
 As Marion lay extended on the sofa, 
 after Godfrey had tenderly kissed and left 
 her, she heard the conversation between her 
 
 VOL. I. u
 
 290 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 husband and mother more distinctly from her 
 recumbent posture. 
 
 " No one, not a single soul. It 
 must have been that which made her 
 faint." 
 
 "Impossible, mother, why should it?" 
 Nothing could be more indignant than 
 Godfrey's voice. 
 
 "Marion tried to rise, and warn them 
 they were speaking too loudly. 
 
 " He crossed before the window at the 
 very time. She is very sensitive, you 
 know." 
 
 " Faint for him ! faint at the sight 
 of—" 
 
 Marion heard no more, for, startled by 
 her husband's voice, and the efforts she 
 made to reach the door, once more the 
 room seemed to go round with her, and as 
 she touched the handle, she fell heavily 
 against it.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 291 
 
 When she recovered her senses, she found 
 herself laid upon her own bed, partially un- 
 dressed, the room darkened. As she grew 
 accustomed to the gloom, she recognised 
 Dr. Ford, Mrs. Asheton, and Pinner near it. 
 
 ^^Am I ill?" she asked. 
 
 ** Yes, my dear young lady ; you must 
 remain quiet. Mr. Godfrey is close by — 
 within call, if it would calm you to see 
 him." 
 
 He soon came; and, though it was evi- 
 dent to the quick eye of his wife that 
 something unusual had occurred, she suffered 
 herself to be well content to lie still, 
 holding his hand. 
 
 Towards evening she was so much better, 
 she was able to sit up ; and then she was 
 told by the doctor she must guard her life 
 carefully, for the sake of one unborn. 
 
 She smiled a little soft smile of great 
 happiness, as she glanced up at Godfrey. 
 
 u2
 
 292 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 He bent his head over her, and whis- 
 pered all he had to say, and, satisfied that 
 whatever had occurred to upset his usual 
 equanimity, it was this happy intelligence, 
 she grew hourly better. Only when they 
 were all gone down to dinner, did the re- 
 membrance of the little Trevor girls return 
 to her mind. Full of strange inexplicable 
 thoughts, those thoughts that come unbidden 
 to the heart of a young and sensitive be- 
 ing, when she first learns that another life is 
 bound up in that of her own, Marion prayed 
 earnestly to God for help to do good to- 
 wards the little misguided girls. Moved 
 to do so, because she dared hardly pray for 
 that other life, as yet unknown to her, and 
 yet must she beseech God for good to 
 them in the firm hope that she might ob- 
 tain a blessing also for the unborn. 
 
 Tender and careful were they all of her ; 
 and as old Mr. Asheton was visibly the worse
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 293 
 
 for all the late dinners and gaiety, he and 
 Marion were alike treated as invalids, and 
 had early meals together. 
 
 Then did Marion beseech the kind grand- 
 father to have the little girls down to see 
 him for an hour every evening, while the 
 late dinner was being served. And as he 
 whispered in her ear his happiness at the 
 news he had heard, he besought her not 
 again to incur the dangers of fainting, 
 by over care for them. 
 
 " I like everyone under my roof to be 
 happy," said he, ^'but you are my dearest 
 and fii'st care." 
 
 ^^ They are very fond of each other, 
 grandpapa. It is their father who is to 
 blame. I think they would not be so 
 deceitful, if he was more open with Ellinor, 
 and pointed out the want of more food 
 and clothing." 
 
 ^* I should like them to be happy, poor
 
 294 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 little things," again reiterated the old gen- 
 tleman, '^ and therefore I must do what 
 their father neglects." 
 
 ^' At present, let us send for them now, 
 we can talk to them quietly. It dwells 
 on my mind — such practised deceit. And, 
 grandfather, if you ordered some chocolate 
 and cake for us all. I think, perhaps, 
 everyone would be happy then." 
 
 "Dear, sweet May, where did you learn 
 to be so thoughtful for others ? " 
 
 " Love makes every heart so. We all 
 loved each other in my first home — to that 
 point, the pleasure of the others was the 
 chief delight of the one. It was not so 
 much what we could give up, as that none 
 should think there was a sacrifice in the 
 matter. Grandpapa, my people were very 
 good, so simple and so religious ; I can 
 compare our home to the many different 
 places and homes into which I have been
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 295 
 
 since God took them, and in none have 
 I seen such faith and goodness." 
 
 " Well, love, you much teach us these 
 pleasant ways. I would fain look back 
 on my past life with satisfaction ; but, May 
 Flower, I cannot say, as I would wish to 
 do, in the presence of the Almighty, that 
 I have thought only of my God. I fear 
 me it is the other way." 
 
 **I think we are all faulty in that re- 
 spect." 
 
 Mr. Asheton shook his head, as if to 
 say that was no excuse for him. 
 
 "We will send for my little grand- 
 daughters," said he at last. 
 
 They were some time making their ap- 
 pearance, and their nurse was apparently 
 bent on remaining with them. The little 
 girls, too, rather clung to her, as if afraid 
 of the kind grandpapa. But in truth it was 
 Marion whom they feared, the very gentle-
 
 296 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 ness of her looks upbraiding them. By 
 degrees, the withdrawal of their nurse, the 
 appearance of chocolate and cake, the 
 knowledge that they were to partake of 
 luxuries that favoured more of fairy-land than 
 reality, thawed their little congealed frames. 
 
 It was with a pity almost akin to tears 
 that their grandfather watched their delight, 
 and the little traits of affection that they 
 exhibited towards each other. 
 
 "You are sure your chair is as com- 
 fortable as mine, Etta,'' whispered Emma, 
 in a sort of little old fashioned imitation 
 of her mother's manner. 
 
 "It is very comfortable, indeed; but is 
 your piece of cake as large as mine ? " 
 
 It was then that Marion, kneeling down 
 between them, asked in a low voice, " If 
 they knew the meaning of truth ? " 
 
 Blushing, hesitating, and confused, glanc- 
 ing at their grandfather, and again at
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 297 
 
 Marion, they simultaneously commenced a 
 little crying duet. 
 
 " We are not so naughty as Edward/' 
 said one. 
 
 " No, indeed ; we are much gooder,'' said 
 the other. 
 
 ^^He pinches Emma — '^ 
 
 "And he scratches Etta — " 
 
 "And he burns holes everywhere — " 
 
 "And he breaks everything — '^ 
 
 "And he tells—" 
 
 "Yes, that we—" 
 
 "Do all this mischief — " 
 
 "And it is he all the while." 
 
 It is impossible to express the ludicrous 
 manner in which the poor little maidens 
 poured out, in sing-song fashion, this cata- 
 logue of crimes, and the sort of triumph 
 with which they ended. 
 
 "But because Edward is naughty, you 
 need not be so."
 
 298 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 '^ Can we be good as you ? " 
 
 " Yes ; but then I cannot say what is 
 untrue." 
 
 "Then we cannot be like you; we said 
 so last night." 
 
 " Come, promise that you will try. Grand- 
 mama is going to give a present to the 
 one that always speaks the truth." 
 
 " I hope Emma will get it." 
 
 "No, no, Etta must have it." 
 
 " My little darlings, come, kiss your 
 grandpapa; you shall each have a present 
 for being such good little sisters. Now, tell 
 me what you would like best." 
 
 "Chocolate and cake," said both at once. 
 
 " Nay, that you shall have every 
 day." 
 
 " A muff for Emma^s hands ; she has 
 
 sad chilblains." 
 
 " But summer is coming," suggested 
 
 Marion.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETOX. 299 
 
 " Two large dolls ; fine waxen babies/' 
 suggested the old gentleman, who could 
 think of nothing else. 
 
 The little girls' eyes sparkled with de- 
 light; but they said, with the utmost 
 primness — 
 
 "The Miss Trevors are too old for 
 dolls." 
 
 Their grandfather could not but smile. 
 
 " Then," said he, " think over it, and 
 let me know to-morrow, when you come 
 for chocolate and cake."
 
 300 
 
 CHAPTER XVIII. 
 
 TREATS OF DIFFERENT TEMPERS AND FEELINGS. 
 
 Sir Robert Fane had suddenly departed — 
 a long and mysterious interview with God- 
 frey and Mrs. Asheton had preceded his 
 departure ; and, if none of the gentry in 
 Asheton Court knew it, some of the ser- 
 vants were cognizant of the fact that he 
 was not alone in the carriage as it drove 
 away from the back premises. 
 
 A hurricane can only express the storm 
 raised by Mrs. Trevor, upon receiving a
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 301 
 
 remonstrance from her father on the 
 defective morals of the faultless Miss 
 Trevors, founded on Mrs. Godfrey Asheton's 
 statements. Not only was Marion utterly 
 swamped, and borne away in a torrent of 
 invectives, but Mr. Asheton himself was 
 reduced to a state of mental bewilder- 
 ment. Persuaded out of what he had 
 seen with his own eyes, apologising for 
 false statements, that he knew to be true, 
 made to eat his own words, until he did 
 not know what he said, he was very 
 nearly driven into a severe fit of ill- 
 ness. 
 
 Mrs. Asheton upbraided him, Godfrey 
 wondered at him. Lady Fane condoled 
 with him, and Mrs. Trevor stormed on. 
 
 Fortunately, no power or persuasion of 
 hers could induce Godfrey to let her 
 speak to Marion on the subject. 
 
 Any danger to the future heir was not
 
 302 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 to be incurred for the injured honour of 
 the best Asheton among them. Thus, 
 though Marion fell in Mrs. Asheton's 
 estimation, in her husband's, even in the 
 fond love of her father-in-law, she was not 
 told of it. The old gentleman had to bear 
 the whole brunt of it ; and as that was 
 very small satisfaction to Mrs. Trevor, who 
 had made him retract and apologise, until 
 she herself was tired, and feeling that she 
 must " speak or die," to the real culprit, 
 at last she bore herself off to Mannering 
 Hall, accompanied by the unfortunate little 
 beings of the whole turmoil, and their 
 father. 
 
 So strongly was Ellinor's superiority a 
 fact in the family — so vehemently had she 
 pictured her wrongs — so guilty did Mr. 
 Asheton feel, as she painted his sudden 
 trust and faith in one so young, so lately 
 known, that he felt he could hardly do
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 303 
 
 enough for her, and was ready to blame 
 himself, as well as Marion, to the fullest 
 extent Mrs. Trevor could wish. 
 
 But he joined with Godfrey in strenuously 
 averting anything that might cause a re- 
 currence of fainting fits. The heir of the 
 Ashetons was to be no sickly puny witling. 
 After his birth, Mrs. Trevor might then 
 *^ have it out '^ with one who '' already 
 showed the meddling disposition of her 
 Aunt Flower." 
 
 That remark made a deep hole in God- 
 frey's heart, and something else besides; 
 none of Marion's sweet ways had power to 
 efface either. 
 
 Meantime, amid it all, the glow of hap- 
 piness made all other ills painless. He was 
 to be a father — he might, from the hour of 
 its birth, rear up a being who should become 
 that companion he had so long sought in 
 vain through this ungenial world to find.
 
 304 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 No longer solitary, spirit-weary, or mor- 
 bidly sad, he had now a work to do, that 
 was to benefit posterity as well as himself — 
 the world should now see a perfect spe- 
 cimen of the genus man. An Asheton 
 brought up and educated solely by an Ashe- 
 ton. 
 
 For twenty- eight years he had lived 
 without an object, been sensible of no 
 strong sensations but a desire to avoid 
 contact with the obnoxious beings by 
 whom he was surrounded. Now, like 
 the little stream suddenly meeting with 
 the great ocean, and pouring itself out 
 without hesitation, with blind confidence, 
 into the world of waters from which it 
 never returned, did Godfrey give himself 
 up, with an enthusiasm bordering on folly, 
 to the contemplation of the task before 
 him. He literally thought of nothing else, 
 otherwise he would not have been blind to
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 305 
 
 the sensitive heart of Marion suddenly shut- 
 ting itself up to him. With all their care, 
 she quickly saw the change in those around 
 her. 
 
 The fond expressions suddenly dropped 
 by Mr. Asheton, his little hasty reproofs, 
 his fears about one thing, and his hopes 
 about another, all told her of some secret 
 influence that, for the time being, had 
 closed his heart against her. 
 
 Mrs. Asheton no longer gave her the 
 place as of an honoured daughter of 
 the house, but rather treated her as a 
 little wayward child, repelling, in a man- 
 ner that ordinary mortals would have 
 thought rude, any further attempts at inti- 
 macy with the inhabitants of the Wood- 
 head. 
 
 Lady Fane, too, added to Marion's per- 
 plexity by sending Edward out of the 
 room whenever she entered, by constant 
 
 VOL. I. X
 
 306 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 remarks on her sister's injudicious manage- 
 ment, yet still more severe ones on those 
 who could dare to pass judgment on her. 
 Even her gentle nature could not forgive 
 a Flower presuming to find fault with an 
 Asheton. 
 
 That Mrs. Trevor should depart with- 
 out thinking it necessary to pay her 
 sister-in-law the common compliment of 
 taking leave, gave Marion an idea as to 
 whom she was indebted for this change 
 in the affections of her new family. The 
 accidental encounter of the little girls just 
 before they left, which they did subse- 
 quently to that of their father and mother, 
 in a hired chaise, with nursemaid and 
 packages, established the fact. 
 
 Of course Mrs. Trevor intended the 
 chaise with her daughters to leave imme- 
 diately after the carriage that contained 
 her and her husband.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 307 
 
 But servants generally have taken a 
 diploma in the art of delay. And during 
 the time they were indispensably doing 
 nothing, the little girls ran breathlessly into 
 the small study now sacred to Marion and 
 her sofa. 
 
 " Aunt May, pray forgive us," they 
 both whispered. ^'We love you better 
 and better. Pray kiss us, and remember 
 Emma and Etta. We can never be like 
 you, but we can always wish we were. 
 And though mamma says you are so naughty 
 and tell lies, we know you don't — we 
 know it is all our faults. And, Aunt 
 May, we promise we will say nothing 
 untrue, if we possibly can." 
 
 Having sung out this little duet, they 
 ran from the room as suddenly as they 
 entered it. 
 
 Marion's heart was a brave one as to 
 endurance. And though to be loved was 
 
 x2
 
 308 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 necessary to her nature, she felt no con- 
 sciousness of having deserved to lose the 
 affection of those around her. This made 
 her bear with unwavering sweetness the 
 present mood of the Asheton family. 
 But, above all, she carried in her heart 
 the hope, the knowledge, that soon she 
 should have a love all her own — that ere 
 many months had passed, the little lonely 
 orphaned girl should press to her heart 
 a living object, which, though small, would 
 fill up all the vacant places in her affec- 
 tions ; and strongly as Godfrey might feel 
 on the matter, his thoughts faded into 
 nothing, when compared with the ardent 
 feelings of one whose sympathies came 
 pure from heaven itself. 
 
 The little unborn babe appeared to her 
 a link connecting her more closely with 
 the spirits of her departed parents — a 
 present sent to her from them, in which
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 309 
 
 she would be able to trace a likeness to 
 each, and love it all the more. Neither 
 did she forget her husband. As the 
 mother of his child, she would have an 
 undoubted claim upon his affections ; no 
 longer a dubious appendage to the family, 
 an admitted member of it, but scarcely yet 
 an honoured one, as the mother of an 
 Asheton, she would become hallowed in their 
 eyes. 
 
 For all this she could wait patiently 
 until the birth of her child, not moved to 
 feel even resentment towards those now so 
 unjust to her, or Beatrice, who was cruelly 
 unkind. 
 
 Marion sat on the rock seat, having 
 walked there under the strict care of her 
 husband. She rested, while he below, 
 within her sight, walked to and fro by the 
 side of the waves. 
 
 It was a most lovely day. Earth, air,
 
 310 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 and s"ky, tinted with the hues of coming 
 summer. One of those May days that 
 begin in the morning with a touch of 
 April, and end in the evening with the full 
 warmth of June. The breath of the air was 
 balmy, the smell of the flowers was fragrant, 
 the bloom of the earth was fresh, while the 
 hue of the sky only paled as you looked 
 at the sea, and all the space of air 
 was filled with the sweet summer sounds 
 of birds, bees, and insects. 
 
 Marion could not help rejoicing in spirit 
 over so much beauty, and her heart was 
 as light with happiness as any of the 
 winged creatures about her. 
 
 She compared her fortunes to the cloud- 
 less day before her, and thanked God 
 with humility for the prospect. But as 
 if in answer to the prayer, a shadow 
 came over the fair sea. Looking up, she 
 saw a storm cloud, hanging from the heavens
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 311 
 
 like a circular curtain, born up by cloudy 
 rings, the darker folds of which stretched 
 down, even until they touched the sea, which 
 was rippled on its smooth surface with the 
 stormy rain drops. She watched it passing 
 slowly on, darkening every thing it passed over. 
 " But," she said to herself, " I can see 
 the blue sky behind, and everything looks 
 fairer than it did before. The storm cloud 
 has but brightened the day." 
 
 Hearing a footstep coming, her visionary 
 thoughts gave place to reality. 
 
 It was Beatrice. 
 
 " So the tender and devoted husband 
 has placed his treasure here, has he? I 
 saw him pacing up and down on the 
 sands, and concluded I should find you." 
 
 ^^ I am so much better, I walk nearly 
 every day now; my mother comes for me 
 in the carriage soon." 
 
 "Yes, it is like the Ashetons truly.
 
 312 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 Anything for themselves they will regard. 
 But you need not take the flattering unction 
 to your soul that it is for your sake." 
 
 ^^ I am aware that I am in disgrace." 
 
 ^^ You had judged better for yourself if 
 you had accepted Julian. With him, at 
 least you would been loved for yourself 
 only." 
 
 " You forget, Beatrice, you are speaking 
 to a wife." 
 
 " Yes, such a wife too ! A child- wife ! 
 Shortly we shall know you only as the 
 baby Asheton's mamma." 
 
 Beatrice saw that Marion was silent un- 
 der her bitter scoffing, from some motive she 
 did not understand, for there was no fear 
 in her gaze — rather a sort of pity. 
 
 " Mrs. Trevor desired me to tell you, 
 the first opportunity I had, she never 
 could forgive you." 
 
 ^' Then she is to be pitied."
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 313 
 
 " Shall I tell her so from you ? She is 
 already your enemy ; how can you cope 
 with her if she becomes an active one ? " 
 
 " I must take my chance.'' 
 
 " A poor one, let me tell you ; I shall 
 live to see you mourn the day you re- 
 fused Julian." 
 
 Again no answer. Marion's face ex- 
 pressed all too strongly for the passionate 
 Beatrice, her contempt. 
 
 "You are, and will be, to Godfrey Ashe- 
 ton nothing but the mother of his chil- 
 dren. You disbelieve me ? Why then had 
 he that clause for a separate maintenance 
 put into his marriage settlement ? " 
 
 Marion's eyes asked her what she meant, 
 though she said nothing. 
 
 "It is provided in your settlement that 
 upon either of you expressing a wish to 
 be separated, two thousand a year is to be 
 your portion. Judge if Mr. Asheton could
 
 314 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 have loved you, and yet demand such a 
 clause ? " 
 
 " He will love me, I have no fear ; " yet 
 the colour left Marion's cheek as she an- 
 swered ; then, it suddenly returning with a 
 quick rush, she rose, confronting Beatrice — 
 '' Say to Mrs. Trevor, if indeed she sent 
 me the message you now gave, that I 
 grieve to have offended her, though I 
 know not the cause. But say to Beatrice 
 Flower that her cousin Marion contemns, 
 spurns, hears not words that ought never 
 to have been spoken to Mrs. Asheton. Now, 
 I desire that you leave me. A minute 
 more, and I shall think my cousin Beatrice 
 lacks a woman's chief ornament, namely, 
 her womanly thoughts." 
 
 For a moment Beatrice was confounded. 
 
 But flushing high with anger, she an- 
 swered — 
 
 ^' If you again faint at sight of Count
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 315 
 
 Julian, you will afford Mr. Godfrey Ashe- 
 ton an opportunity of proving his inten- 
 tion to abide by that clause. Well, as 
 he restrained himself once, he will not do 
 so twice." 
 
 Marion's countenance expressed both in- 
 dignation and astonishment ; but as if dis- 
 daining to reply, she waved her hankerchief 
 to her husband as a token that she was 
 ready to join him. 
 
 "Well, as they kept their secret, they 
 are in my power, those proud Ashetons. 
 At any moment I can publish to the world 
 that their new daughter, the fastidious 
 Mr. Godfrey Asheton's wife, fainted at the 
 sight of her former lover, and bethink you 
 how they will like that." 
 
 Still no reply. Even the momentary in- 
 dignation was gone. 
 
 In her intemperate mood, hot and angry 
 flowed the words of Beatrice, furnished
 
 316 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 with stings of bitter taunting, that recoiled 
 back upon herself, for Marion's eyes still met 
 hers in fearless innocence. 
 
 She heard, too, with the quick ear 
 of love, her husband's step, and as he 
 appeared in sight, she held Beatrice by her 
 dress, for she started and turned, as if 
 about to fly. 
 
 *^ Has Count Julian di Eamiano been 
 here lately ? " she demanded of God- 
 frey. 
 
 He could not but answer her with the 
 same frankness with which she put the 
 question. 
 
 ^^ He passed the window as you fainted 
 that morning. 1 thought it was the shock 
 which caused you to do so." 
 
 *^ No ; I did not see him ; only now 
 have I learnt he has been here." 
 
 " If Miss Flower has been the means of 
 this explanation," said Godfrey, his eyes
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 317 
 
 bright and smiling, '' I thank her, for in- 
 deed, May, I was unhappy about it." 
 
 *^ Is it this that causes my mother to be 
 less kind to me ? " 
 
 '^ I think more because of my sister 
 Ellinor. Come home, love. I should like 
 to tell her we have been mistaken, in this, 
 at all events. Thank you much. Miss 
 Flower." 
 
 And that latter young lady had the 
 satisfaction of seeing Mr. Asheton escort his 
 wife down the steep path with an attention 
 and care that showed he was intent upon 
 making up to her for past injustice. And 
 she then and there experienced what many 
 of us do, ^^how unruly is that little mem- 
 ber, the tongue."
 
 318 
 
 CHAPTER XIX. 
 
 WHICH DETAILS THE THEORY OF EDUCATION, ELUCI- 
 DATED BY ONE WHO WAS NEVER EDUCATED. 
 
 In addition to teaching Marion various lit- 
 tle fragments of learning, not too tiresome 
 to worry her, Godfrey Asheton set himself 
 seriously to study the different modes of 
 education, and the rules laid down by 
 competent judges for the forming of the 
 infant mind. 
 
 Scarcely considering Marion capable of 
 giving an opinion on the matter ; aware 
 that his father, still more his mother, judged
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 319 
 
 that no education could have produced 
 better results than that pursued in his 
 case, Godfrey entered into a long corre- 
 spondence with his favourite sister, Mrs. 
 Trevor. 
 
 A theory is always admirable upon paper. 
 It is only when put into practice, that 
 it assumes that appearance of human frailty 
 attendant upon all the works of man ; — who 
 that is born of a woman can conceive, 
 execute and finish a work, and be able 
 to lay his hand on his heart and say, 
 "Behold, it is very good." 
 
 God-like may be the ideas, the thoughts, 
 that a human heart can conceive, but 
 man-like will be its execution, stamped 
 with the mildew of imperfection. 
 
 Thus, Mr. Godfrey Asheton and Mrs. 
 Trevor, between them, drew up a course 
 of training and education that was to 
 make a perfect gentleman of the unborn
 
 320 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 heir. By "gentleman," be it understood 
 they meant "the finished man." 
 
 Without giving his parents to understand 
 that they had made one great mistake in 
 educating him, it was owing to this mis- 
 take that he did not now take them into 
 his councils. For he intended no such omis- 
 sion to befall his son. Both his sister and him- 
 self agreed thoroughly on this ground, which 
 some weak-minded British father may think 
 was, that Mr. Godfrey Ashton had never 
 attended any public school, in which they 
 guessed correctly. But in fact they as- 
 sured themselves that to make a perfect, 
 a finished English gentleman, it was abso- 
 lutely necessary he should be brought up 
 abroad. 
 
 On the classic ground of Italy would 
 he become properly imbued with its glorious 
 ancient language, its flowing musical mo- 
 dern tongue. From thence, he could im-
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 321 
 
 bibe the metaphysical profundities of Ger- 
 man literature, and sun himself with the 
 light laughter-loving pleasantries of the 
 French school. Inhaling, withal, a con- 
 tempt for the beef-eating, shop-keeping 
 propensities of the English nation, standing 
 out in bold relief among them as a ^' fin- 
 ished man." 
 
 He was to be a poet, a musician, a 
 painter, a sculptor, an author — every- 
 thing but a fox-hunting, sporting, joyous 
 English squire. That is, if he did not 
 show a talent in any of these accom- 
 plishments, at least he was to know enough 
 to pass instant judgment upon any other 
 proficient. 
 
 Mrs. Trevor wrote very good letters. 
 They were to the point, and separated 
 from her didactic voice, her opinions 
 appeared less like oracles of divination. 
 Besides, she read a good deal, and she 
 
 VOL. I. y
 
 322 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 had no qualms of conscience about using 
 the remarks of authors as if they were 
 her own. It was a useless ceremony 
 putting little commas at the beginning and 
 ending of her quotations, for two reasons. 
 The putting them deranged her ideas, in the 
 first place, and of course Godfrey knew the 
 books as well as herself, in the second. 
 
 But with all these advantages, Mrs. 
 Trevor's ^^ Letters upon Education,^' lacked 
 one element. They had never been tested. 
 In every line of her persuasive, invincible 
 arguments for foreign education, you could 
 trace the interesting fact that she had never 
 been out of England in her life. 
 
 Thus, with her, it was as with idolaters. 
 She worshipped she knew not what. Her 
 very ignorance of anything continental in- 
 vested it with the charms of mystery, and 
 therefore, to her, of wonder and admira- 
 tion.
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 323 
 
 No more thoroughly English family existed 
 than the Ashetons, carrying their pride and 
 exclusiveness so far, that it could only be 
 expressed as the essence of over-refinement; 
 tormenting to themselves, as it was insulting 
 to others. 
 
 And in the small experience they had 
 had of any other society than that about 
 Asheton Court — where they ruled to the 
 full bent of their crotchets — everything had 
 tended to disgust them. 
 
 They were knocked about in London as 
 obsolete ; looked upon as country bores, 
 most considerably in the way ; and there- 
 fore, deriving no pleasure from annual visits 
 there, they had long given up their town 
 house, and were at present ignorant of 
 the state of mad progression which was pro- 
 pelling all fast people in the metropolis. 
 
 A feeling of insecurity as to what they 
 might encounter abroad, if their own 
 
 y2
 
 324 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 countrymen were so devoted to folly at 
 home, had deterred the elder Ashetons from 
 ever venturing across the Channel. God- 
 frey once went to Paris for a fortnight, 
 and was highly impressed with the polite- 
 ness and amiable frankness of the Parisians ; 
 and had he baen a better French scholar, 
 would have gone again ; but he waited to 
 learn the language more perfectly, having 
 discovered that to read, write, and construe 
 it, by no means assists you to speak it. And 
 should he have met with a young 
 Parisienne worthy of the honour, he could 
 not have thought of proposing marriage to 
 her, unless in the authorised idioms of her 
 own language. 
 
 So in writing out the programme for the 
 education of the future young Asheton, 
 neither Godfrey nor his sister had any 
 practical experience. They relied upon a 
 beautiful theory.
 
 ME. AND MRS. ASHETON. 325 
 
 This was enunciated by Mrs. Trevor in 
 truly Johnsonian periods, sounding erudite 
 and profound, driving ^' Locke on the Un- 
 derstanding," and '^ Watts on the Mind," 
 quite into the shade. 
 
 Shutting himself up in a remote sort of 
 Gothic temple, that served at one and the 
 same time as a temple for a Diana, always 
 standing in a lively attitude for hunting, 
 but never advancing further, owing, as it 
 appeared, to an elaborately carved Gothic 
 doorway arresting and shocking her Gre- 
 cian prejudices, and as a study, sacred to 
 Mr. Godfrey Asheton's private use, and as 
 an ornament to the extreme point of an 
 old-fashioned English garden, he meditated 
 and thought over a long letter received 
 that morning from his sister. 
 
 *^Yes, my Ellinor," he wrote in answer, 
 " I can now, as you say, realise your feel- 
 ings when you first became a mother. The
 
 326 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 disappointments, the annoyances, the many- 
 vexations attendant upon every fresh coali- 
 tion with so ungenial a world, are now 
 atoned for. We have in prospect a society 
 of our own, born of ourselves, reared ac- 
 cording to our tastes, refined to the utmost 
 extent of that almost unknown word — cer- 
 tainly utterly misunderstood by more than 
 half the world. 
 
 " I can enter into those sad feelings of 
 ill-construed motives that so spoilt your 
 visit to us last May, and am the more able 
 to assure you that never again shall your 
 noble views be misinterpreted. . 
 
 ^^ If, as you say, I may be disappointed 
 lest the mother of my child is not actuated 
 by the high and disinterested views that 
 actuate yourself (rather because she does 
 not understand them, Ellinor, I can assure 
 you, than the want of them) still I have 
 you always to council me. Together we
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 327 
 
 can plan arrangements for our children's 
 welfare; together we can make them all 
 that we wish. Fear nothing with regard 
 to my pretty Marion ; I know she will feel 
 but too happy to learn a mother's duties 
 from us. Ah, my dear Ellinor, the only 
 drawback to my pleasure is that my son is 
 yet unborn. How many years I shall have 
 to wait ere I see the fruition of all my 
 hopes ! But courage ! — a short time ago I 
 had not even this exquisite pleasure in 
 prospect — this hope that has already almost 
 made me in love with this world. 
 
 ^' Think of me, my dear Ellinor, when 
 I see my son — when I look into his 
 face, and foreshadow the realization of 
 all my fondest wishes — the signs, unmis- 
 takable to a parent's eyes, of how the 
 * child will be father to the man.' 
 
 Mr. Asheton no doubt believed all this, 
 and thought it very fine ; but he was
 
 328 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. ^ 
 
 roused from his three different enjoyments 
 of "anticipation/' "actual enjoyment," and 
 "after reflection/' — all of which he had brought 
 pellmell into his letter — by loud cries, a 
 general hurry skurry, and a universal shout- 
 ing of his own name. 
 
 He rushed out — he had known it was a 
 momentous time. He had been aware of 
 the advent of a stout female, a few days 
 before. Of course the momentous time was 
 come. 
 
 He was wrong — it was over. 
 " My dear, dear son ! " exclaimed his 
 father, meeting him and embracing him — 
 tears and smiles making an April day of his 
 venerable old face — "May would not have 
 you disturbed." 
 
 "Oh, my son, my darling Godfrey,'' cried 
 his mother ; " dear little good thing — so 
 patient and so delighted." 
 
 "Wish you joy, sir," said the butler,
 
 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 329 
 
 with solemn propriety, all the footmen bow- 
 ing in imitation. 
 
 "Health and happiness to the little dar- 
 ling/' cried a host of weeping, excited 
 
 maids. 
 
 " Here, here, this way, let him be the 
 
 first. Make way, now, Godfrey — now, my 
 
 dearest son.'' 
 
 And forthwith, in the arms of the afore- 
 said stout female, lay a little red mass of 
 humanity, guiltless of eyes, deficient in 
 nose, but amply gifted as regards mouth, 
 which, wide open, gave the beholder a 
 favourable view of an agonised little tongue, 
 at the same moment that another organ 
 was saluted by sounds resembling the stran- 
 gled shrieks of a cat. 
 
 Dr. Ford came forward, and while Godfrey 
 was speculating as to what quadruped, biped, 
 or other animal on the face of the globe, 
 
 VOL. I. z
 
 330 MR. AND MRS. ASHETON. 
 
 owned so extraordinary a production, said, 
 '' Congratulate you, Mr. Godfrey, the finest 
 boy I ever saw." 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 E BORN, PU^NTEK, GLOUCESTEU STREET, REGENT S PARK.
 
 UNIVERSITY OF ILUNOI9-URBANA 
 
 3 0112 055289513 
 
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