LI B RARY 
 
 OF THE 
 
 UN IVLR5ITY 
 
 or ILLINOIS 
 
 ^73 
 VA41SI
 
 Digitized by tine Internet Archive 
 
 in 2009 witii funding from 
 
 University of.lllinois Urbana-Cinampaign 
 
 Iittp://www.arcliive.org/details/langlitonpriory01meek
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY, 
 
 A NOVEL. 
 
 Lane, Darling and Co. Leadenhall-Street.
 
 X.ANGHTON PKIOMY. 
 
 A NOVEL. 
 
 IN FOUR VOLUMES* 
 
 BY 
 
 GABRIELLI, 
 
 jtVTHOR OF 
 
 31YSTERI0XJS WIFE, MYSTERIOUS HUSBAND, S^C, SfC, 
 
 What though Religion's guardians taint her tide ! 
 tvre is the fountain, though the stream flows wide ! 
 T«o oft her erring guides her cause betray : 
 Tet Rage jrows impious when it bars her way. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 PRINTED AT THE 
 
 FOR LANE, NEWMAN, AND CO, 
 LEADENHALL-STREET. 
 
 1809.
 
 8cL5 • 
 
 ILANGHTOM FMIOmY* 
 
 CHAP. I. 
 
 JlN the last week in June, 1801, the Earl 
 
 of Algernon, and his son. Lord Dunluce, 
 
 arrived at Plymouth. They were making 
 
 the tour of England, as the situation of af- 
 
 , fairs upon the Continent had efTectually 
 
 V precluded the younger peer from makings 
 
 v^hat was generally styled the grand tour. 
 
 ^ He might, it is true, have visited the nor- 
 
 Sthern courts; but as the Earl did not wish 
 
 3 him to study for the diplomatic line, he 
 
 > had preferred his travelling at home, and 
 
 ^in his company, to sending him into Swe- 
 
 ^ den, Denmark, and Russia, with a travel- 
 
 " VOL. I, B ling
 
 2 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 ling tutor; since, though there is much to 
 gratify the curiosity of the scientific tra- 
 veller in, those northern regions, there is 
 little to be learned by the more juvenile 
 tourist. Still the Earl was half inclined to 
 accompany his son to Petersburgh the en- 
 suing summer, as the efforts of Peter the 
 Great to civilize his countrymen, and the 
 stupendous monuments of his genius, were 
 extremely well calculated to inspire the 
 youthful mind with emulation ; but he 
 -very properly chose -he should take a cur- 
 sory view of England and Scotland, before 
 he crossed the sea. 
 
 Now, be it Icnown to our readers, that 
 Lord Dunluce, who had just left college, 
 though he had but just entered his twenti- 
 eth year, had much rather have remained 
 stationary at Brighton or Weymouth, as, 
 at either of those places, he should have 
 enjoyed the society of many of his fellow- 
 collegians, who, like himself, considered 
 pleasure as the sole business of their Iives» 
 The Earl of Algernon, though he had not 
 
 forgotten
 
 tANGHtON PRIORV* 3 
 
 forgfotten that he had once entertained a 
 similar idea, wished, by gentle means, to 
 detach his even more volatile heir from 
 the dissipated set with whom he had be- 
 come intimate at Cambridge ; and, in con- 
 sequence, having sent the Countess to 
 Weymouth with a party of agreeable 
 friends, he left I.ondon in his curricle^ 
 with his son, immediately after the birth- 
 day, meaning, in the first place, to visit 
 every place of note upon the southern 
 coast ; beginning with Portsmouth, from 
 whence they crossed to the Isle of Wight, 
 and having explored all the beauties of 
 that small but favoured spot, they sailed 
 for Southampton. 
 
 As we are writing a novel, and not the 
 tour of England, we shall not tire our 
 readers with describing what every guide 
 to the different water-drinking places, and 
 every tourist, has already done to our 
 hands, as we are not fond of quoting the 
 words of others, or of displaying our own 
 lack of talents in the descriptive line ; 
 B 2 suffic*
 
 4 LANGHTON PKIORY. 
 
 suffice it, therefore, to say, that the tra- 
 vellers reached Plymouth on the 28th 
 of June, in time for a fashionable dinner. 
 
 Lord Dunluce, whose versatility of dis- 
 position was seriously deplored by his fa- 
 ther^, had long^ been petitioning the Earl 
 to allow him to purchase into the Guards; 
 but being, by sad experience, (his younger 
 brother having held a commission in that 
 corps) fully acquainted with the incessant 
 dissipation in wiiich those officers indulge, 
 he had put a decided negative upon the 
 Viscount's martial wish; though, by way 
 of gratifying his predilection in favour of 
 a red-coat, he had given him a commission 
 in the Woodville (the name of his princi- 
 pal seat) Volunteers; and. he was obliged 
 to content himself with the certainty of 
 being called into action, should the Corsi- 
 can First Consul ever attempt to invade 
 our shores; and. probably he would have 
 felt perfectly satisfied, if he had not had a 
 near relation then abroad v^ith the army, 
 and whose rank in life^, though superior to 
 
 his
 
 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 5 
 
 his o.wn^ had not doomed him to a state 
 of inactivity. This he frequently alledged 
 to his father, who merely said in reply, 
 that his cousin's life, being thus exposed 
 by the duties of his profession, was an ad- 
 ditional reason for his refusing to comply 
 ^yith his wishes; as he did 'not wish his 
 titl.e and estates should center in a Catho- 
 lic, which they might do, were he, as well 
 as the young Highlander,, to adopt the 
 profession of arms, since no one could 
 be answerable for la fortune cle la guerre. 
 
 At Portsmouth the Viscount's nihHtary 
 ardour greatly abated, and he openly de- 
 clared his preference to the naval service, 
 protesting that his father had spoiled an 
 excellent sailor, by having kept him at 
 home. 
 
 The Earl laughed at this change in his 
 sentiments, observing that, had he been a 
 French noble during the ancient regime, 
 he would certainly have styled his versatile 
 son Zephirin de St. Leger, Marquis de 
 Volant, as he seldom remained in the same 
 E 3 mind
 
 6 XANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 mind for twelve hours at a time; and 
 gravely assuring him, that perseverance, 
 patience, and prudence, were quite as ne- 
 cessary as courage, in the composition of 
 either a soldier or a sailor; and that he 
 would have felt disgusted with either, had 
 iie been called into actual service, before 
 he would have had time to gather any lau- 
 rels. But having been informed that the 
 frigate Vi^as then lying off that port, wait- 
 ing for a fair wind to carry her down the 
 Channel, as he was intimately acquainted 
 with her captain, who was the younger son 
 of a nobleman, he told his son they would 
 seize the opportunity to pay his friend a 
 visit; and as Lord Dunluce had never been 
 at sea, if we except his short trip to and 
 from the Isle of Wight, he was delighted 
 with the proposal, anticipating great plea- 
 sure from being on board so fine a frigate. 
 A boat was, -therefore, engaged for the 
 next morning ; and, after an hour's plea- 
 sant sailing, the father and son came along- 
 side the — J and, having ascended the 
 
 'wooden
 
 LA.NCHTON PRIOUY. 7 
 
 toooden walls, were very cordially received 
 by Captain Newburgh, who was extremely 
 pleased to see the Earl, to whose Lady he 
 claimed a distant relationship, and from 
 whom he had received many marks of real 
 friendship. He, therefore, pointed out to 
 the young landsman every thing worthy 
 notice on board, and led him below into 
 all the different births, explaining to whom 
 each was appropriated ; and the Viscount 
 was honest enough to agree, that the 
 young M/^s were not quite so commodi- 
 ously lodged as he liked to be : the state 
 cabin was, however, a very comfortable 
 apartment, he conceived ; and he fancied 
 fie should enjoy sleeping in a cot, it must 
 be so somniferous a motion — enquiring 
 whither the frigate was bound ? 
 
 " To Gibraltar and Malta,'' was the re- 
 ply ; " and we shall weigh anchor as soon 
 as the wind will suffer us to sail ; and there 
 seems a probability of its being rather 
 more favourable to-morrow^ though it 
 now blows right in our teeth/* 
 
 e4: "I wish
 
 8 LANGHTON PRIOKY; 
 
 *' I wish you would take me with you/' 
 rejoined the young Peer; "lam sure a 
 sea voyage would be of infinite service to 
 me, the sea air is so bracing.'* 
 
 '' I shall be very happy to oblige you, 
 if the Earl has no objection ; though I am 
 fearful you would soon find time hang 
 heavy upon your hands." 
 
 " In pity to you both, I shall not give 
 my consent/' rejoined the Earl^ '' as I am 
 sure Henry would be a very tiresome com- 
 panion ; and you could not very easily 
 get rid of him, once out at sea, though I 
 am convinced you would leave him at the 
 first place you touched at." 
 
 The Viscount was certain that he should 
 feel perfectly happy, were he suffered to 
 visit Malta, since there he should probably 
 meet his cousin. 
 
 ''^ Whom you have never yet seen ; 
 therefore, I tliink you may as well wait his 
 return to England, to introduce yourself 
 to his notice; and as he is certainly now 
 in Egyptj or, at all events^ lying off there, 
 
 vou
 
 tANGHTON PRIOKY. 9' 
 
 you would not find him at Malta; nor, 
 were you to follow him to Egypt^ would 
 he have much leisure to bid you wel- 
 eome/' 
 
 *' Very true, my Lord/' rejoined Cap- 
 tain Newburgh ; '' as I am convinced that: 
 both officers and men will have many hard- 
 ships to endure, and many sharp encoun- 
 ters with the enemy, before they make- 
 good their footing there; therefore I 
 would advise Lord Dunluce to postpone 
 visiting his relation :'* and as the already 
 stiff breeze had rather encreased since they 
 came on board, the motion of the frigate 
 soon convinced the person he addressed, 
 that he was, as yet, a mere fresh- water 
 sailor, to the no small amtisement of the 
 Earl and the Captain, since the sickness. 
 he felt soon damped his wish to visit the^ 
 catacombs of Egypt ; not that he chose to 
 acknowledge his rising dislike to the briny 
 flood, affirming, on the contrary, that he- 
 was not so faint-hearted as they supposed, 
 since he was merely paying the penalty, 
 B 5 mosti
 
 10 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 most landsmen did during their first voy- 
 age; but he was convinced he should only 
 have the better appetite to his dinner. 
 
 The Captain was rejoiced to hear him 
 say soj as he hoped the Earl meant to take 
 that meal with him on board : to which 
 his Lordship very readily consented;, con- 
 ceiving thatj before evening, his son would 
 no longer wish to increase th-e number of 
 the naval heroes of Great Britain ; andj not 
 feeling the same inconvenience from the 
 motion of the frigate which the young 
 Peer could not entirely shake off, orders 
 were, therefore, given for an early dinner 
 — on his account, the (Captain gaily told 
 him ; promising to go on shore v/ith them 
 afterwards, as there was no chance of his 
 being able to sail before noon the next 
 day, allowing the wind to favour his inr 
 tention. 
 
 The morning, however, soon slipped 
 away, but Lord Dunluce was not able to 
 do honour to a very good dinner, which 
 they had scarcely finished, when the Cap- 
 tain
 
 LAKGIITON PRIORY. 11 
 
 lain was informed there was a vessel hove 
 in sight, coming in under a press of sail. 
 
 *' What is she ?'' demanded the Captain. 
 
 She was still at too great a distance for 
 them to resolve his question ; but as the 
 wind sat, and at the rate she came, they 
 should soon be able to inform him — she 
 was certainly a king's ship. 
 
 The Earl proposed going upon deck, 
 which they did, after drinking a few glasses 
 of wine ; the Captain taking his glass, by 
 the help of which he was soon enabled to 
 pronounce her to be a frigate, and doubt- 
 less from Malta or Egypt. 
 
 " Then we shall probably learn some 
 news from thence," cried the Earl, " as 
 we have, for some time, been in expecta- 
 tion of some intelligence from that quar- 
 ter — God send it may be of favourable 
 import!" 
 
 '* Amjsn !" rejoined the Captain, taking 
 another glance at the vessel coming in,, 
 which convinced him that she was either 
 from Malta or from before Alexandria. 
 
 B 6 '' Then
 
 1:2 LANGHTON PRIORY, 
 
 " Then I hope/' resumed the Earl, " the 
 British arms have been victorious, though 
 you were not with your cousin, Henry/' 
 
 The person he addressed took his raillery 
 in very good part, declaring he ^e\t ex- 
 tremciy anxious to learn whether they 
 were to rejoice or grieve. 
 
 '' Oh, of course we shall have Plymouth 
 illuminated," said the Captain — '' But let 
 lis return to the cabin, and drink success 
 once more to the British arms both by sea 
 and Iknd, and then we will endeavour to 
 gratify our very natural curiosity : she will 
 probably drop her anchor at no great dis- 
 t2incc from us, when I can send a boat to 
 learn what intelligence she has brought/' 
 
 *^ I think we had better go on shore," 
 replied the Earl, **" then we shall certainly 
 be among the first to learn all we wish to 
 know." 
 
 " That will be much the best plan," 
 cried Lord Dunluce, whose dinner did not 
 seem to agree with him. 
 
 His father and the Captain laughed at 
 3 his
 
 - LANGHTON PRIORY. 15 
 
 his eagerness ; but, to his great joy, the 
 latter promised to conform to his wishes, 
 giving orders for his boat to be made 
 ready, as he proposed rowing alongside 
 the vessel which was coming in. when she 
 dropped anchor; and as I,ord Dunluce 
 preferred remaining upon deck, to enjoy 
 the sight of a ship in full sail, he said, he 
 promised to give the Captain timely no- 
 tice of her lying to. 
 
 '' Of coui^se, you may release the usual 
 watch," observed' the Earl, '^ since so ex^ 
 perienced a sailor has undertaken to supply 
 their place.'* 
 
 The officers upon deck w^ere, however, 
 polite enough to suffer the young lands- 
 man to give the Captain notice that it was 
 time for him to start, if he wished to go 
 alongside the newly-arrived frigate ; and 
 he, in addition to this communication, said, 
 that some of those gentlemen had observ- 
 ed, that she was certainly the bearer of 
 good news, as she came as if old Davy was 
 kicking her along, and with more sail set 
 
 than
 
 14i LANGIITON rRIORY.. 
 
 than prudence warranted, considering the' 
 stiff breeze. . - 
 
 The Captain agreed to the justice of the 
 remark, '' but it was the characteristic of 
 a British seaman to be something more 
 than prudent;'' returning upon deck with 
 his guests, in hopes that she might pass 
 sufficiently near for him to hail them with 
 his speaking-trumpet. They were, how- 
 ever, disappointed ; for as she drew less 
 water, and had brought over dispatches of 
 the utmost importance, she ran much 
 nearer in shore. 
 
 Aware of the intention of her sailing- 
 inaster, Captain Newburgh hurried his 
 men, making no doubt of coming along- 
 side her before the bearer of the dispatches 
 left her: he was, however, disappointed 
 in his expectations, as they saw her boat 
 push off a few minutes before they came 
 up with her. The Captain swore his men 
 were a set of lubberly dogs, vowing, if 
 they did not bring him alongside the other 
 "boat before she reached the harbour, they 
 
 should
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 15 
 
 should have reason to repent their lazi- 
 ness. 
 
 The Earl laughed at his friend's impa- 
 tience^ and the men knew they had no- 
 thing to fear ; but the love they bore their 
 brave conwna.nder, induced them to strain 
 every nerve to oblige him; and he kept 
 encouraging them^ observing, the other 
 sailors seemed resolved to keep them to if, 
 for the honour of old England — "" All hearts 
 of oak, like yourselves, my brave boys \" 
 But being acquainted with the Captain of 
 the other frigate, who was sitting at the 
 stern of his boat, he hailed him the mo- 
 ment they were sufficiently near; and the 
 person he addressed having called out 
 nearly at the same moment;, his men rested 
 upon their oars till his friend came along- 
 side; and, after a cordial shake of the 
 hand. Captain Newburgh eagerly demand- 
 ed, " What news?'* adding, " the Earl of 
 Algernon, his son, as well as myself, are 
 all impatience to hear that the French are 
 
 beaten.
 
 15 z;anghton phioky. 
 
 beaten, as we presume you are from 
 
 Egypt." 
 
 " We are ; and I have the satisfaction io 
 inform you,, that the British forces have 
 obtained a most glorious victory over our 
 natural enemies ; but it has cost us dear, 
 as Sir Ralph Abercrombv was mortally 
 wounded in the action, and is since dead ; 
 but, like the immortal Wolfe, he lived 
 long enough to know that the grand ob- 
 ject of his mission was accomplished.'* 
 
 ^*^ Well/ God's will be done!*' resumed 
 Captain Newburgh — ^' a British officer can 
 hardly regret any one who has fallen in 
 the service of his country : his memoiy 
 will be recorded in its annals, and sacred 
 to every soldier, therefore I am half temp- 
 ted to envy him such a death. That gen- 
 tleman, I suppose, has brought over the 
 dispatches/' looking at a very fine young 
 fellow in the Highland regimentals and 
 tartan cap or bonnet^ who was sitting next 
 the Captain.
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 17 
 
 ^' He is ; and I feel proud at having been 
 selected to bring his Lordship and such 
 glorious news to England, as the Marquis 
 of Endermay fully shared in the honour 
 and peril of the victory/' 
 
 The young Highlander had been rather 
 stedfastly considering Lord Algernon and 
 his son, from the moment he had heard 
 their names ; and his seemed to have still 
 more surprised them, since, owing to the 
 position in which he sat, and to the Cap- 
 tain's having leaned forward to address his 
 friend, they had caught but an imperfect 
 view of his features, and had merely^ upon 
 their first coming up, exchanged a silent 
 bow with the young hero, whom they had 
 presumed was an officer of rank, and the 
 bearer of the dispatches. 
 
 As all parties were very anxious to reach 
 the shore, the boats proceeded thither. 
 
 Captain detailing to his friend all 
 
 he had learned respecting the engagement 
 from 'the Marquis, during their voyage; 
 
 and
 
 18 , LANGHTON PBIORY. 
 
 and as our readers have long since read a 
 similar detail in every newspaper, we shall 
 not tire them with a repetition of what 
 was, at the time, grateful to the heart of 
 every British subject; suffice it to say, 
 that the two parties landed nearly at the 
 same time, when the Earl instantly step- 
 ping forward, ofT'ered his hand to the 
 young soldier, saying, ** As you have 
 heard my name, I fancy I need not add, 
 that I have an uncle's claim to your regard, 
 my dear nephew/' 
 
 " Your Lordship does me honour," was 
 the reply — '' I little expected to have been 
 so fortunate as to have met you at Fly- 
 mouth. You probably know, that I did 
 hope to have made myself an interest in 
 your favour, before I left England/* 
 
 " I was more than usually angry with 
 the gout for detaining me in Cheshire, but 
 I do hope we shall no longer be estranged 
 from each other; though, believe me, I 
 sincerely regretted the demise of your late 
 
 grandfather;
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 19 
 
 grandfather; and would to Heaven he had 
 been spared to hail the return of his be- 
 loved Malcolm !" 
 
 Perceiving that he had strongly roused 
 the feelings of his youthful auditor^ he 
 . hastily changed the subject, reverting to 
 the gallant Abercromby, and rejoicing that 
 Lord Endermay had escaped unhurt in 
 such a conflict. 
 
 The young hero having rather recovered 
 himself, raised his cap, and displaying a 
 black ribbon that crossed the upper part 
 of his forehead, said, " I am fortunate 
 enough to bear some marks of French po* 
 liteness, though the thickness of my peri- 
 cranium prevented the broad-sword, from 
 which I received this salute, from doing^ 
 me any material injury. But pray do me 
 the favour to introduce me to my cousin,, 
 though I shall hardly have time to ex- 
 change three words with him, as I hare 
 not even an hour to spare to devote ta 
 your society — but I trust we shall sooix 
 
 meet again. 
 
 I shall
 
 20 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 " I shall make a point of our doing so/" 
 was the reply, introducing him to Lord 
 Dunluce;, who certainly, though what might 
 be deemed a very fine young man, did 
 not appear to advantage by the side of the 
 young soldier, who was much taller, and 
 who looked as if he durst do any thing m 
 defence of his country. The cousins, ne- 
 vertheless, shook hands very cordially. 
 Lord Dunluce declaring, that he had been 
 so impatient to seek his acquaintance, he 
 had been petitioning his father that very 
 morning, to allow him to seek him ii> 
 Egypt; acknowledging that he was quite 
 as well pleased he had been saved the voy- 
 age, as he had since discovered that he was 
 not so good a sailor as the Marquis ap- 
 peared to be. 
 
 The Earl explained in a fev/ words, add- 
 ing, '' Henry's next wish will be to be 
 enrolled in your regiment, as I perceive 
 he is very much struck with your cos- 
 tume." 
 
 The young soldier gaily observed— 
 
 « hi&.
 
 LAXGHTON PPJORY. 21 
 
 *' his cousin was not a jScotchman, there- 
 fore would certainly prefer being incorpo- 
 rated into an English regiment;" asking 
 after Lady Algernon, and his paternal 
 grandfather, the Marquis of Derwent ? 
 
 '' They were both very well," the Earl 
 replied ; Lord Dunluce archly adding, " I 
 am fearful the latter will not rejoice when 
 he learns your return, cousin— you un- 
 derstand me ?" 
 
 "Surely his Lordship has forgotten my 
 excess of politeness towards his dure amie/* 
 was the answer. 
 
 Their arrival at the inn gave a turn to 
 the conversation, as the Marquis ordered 
 a chaise-and-four to be got ready immedi- 
 ately ; desiring one of his servants to ride 
 forward the first stage, that he might not 
 be detained, and to dispatch a postillion 
 from thence, to prevent any future delay: 
 he should take his valet in the chaise with 
 him. 
 
 The Earl understanding he had not 
 dined when he landed, insisted upon his 
 
 taking
 
 §2 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 taking some refreshment^ and upon his 
 making use of the post-chaise he had in 
 his suite, as he^ of course, did not mean to 
 stop to sleep upon the road ; enquiring, 
 while he was making a very hasty repast, 
 whether he proposed making any stay in 
 London, after he had delivered his cre- 
 dentials? 
 
 '' Not more than a couple of days, I 
 hope, as I am very anxious to revisit Mon- 
 trose Castle, where my presence has long 
 been expected. May I hope to see you 
 and my cousin there this summer ? If you 
 have never visited Scotland, I think you 
 have a treat in store/" 
 
 " You may depend upon seeing us 
 there, my dear nephew. From hence I 
 propose proceeding to the Land's End, and 
 shall ftieir join Lady Algernon at Malvern, 
 whither she is going from Weymouth, 
 from whence we propose making the tour 
 of the lakes; and we will then proceed 
 into Scotland before we return home, as 
 I shall be highly gratified by visiting the 
 
 , Highlands,
 
 LANGIITON PRIORY. !23 
 
 Highlands, independent of the pleasure I 
 ^hall feel in being your guest/' 
 
 Lord Dunluce spoke to the same effect, 
 though he had hoped they should have 
 joined his mother at Weymouth : however, 
 as that was not to be, he was not sorry 
 they had so opportunely met his cousin, 
 who having asked his uncle whether he 
 had lately seen his brother and sister ? and 
 being assured that he never yet had had 
 that satisfaction, stepped into the Earl's 
 post-chaise, which he was to send down 
 to Bristol to meet his Lordship there, and 
 proceeded to London, to disseminate the 
 glorious news he had been chosen to im- 
 part to the Ministry. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 S4 LANGHTbN PRIORYc 
 
 CHAP. II. 
 
 For the present, we will leave the Marquis 
 of Endermay to pursue his hasty journey 
 to London^ as we wish to enter into some 
 antecedent details respecting his family, 
 which it is necessary our readers should 
 be made acquainted with, before we pro- 
 ceed any farther with our tale. 
 
 Henry Albany, Marquis of Denvent, his 
 paternal grandfather, had three sons, by 
 Laura his wife, the only daughter and 
 heiress to the title and estates of Sidney, 
 Earl of Algernon ; and v/e believe his rank- 
 ing one degree above her father in the 
 peerage, was Lady Laura's greatest induce- 
 ment
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 25 
 
 tnent to honour him with her hand ; since, 
 had a Duke become his rival, his Grace 
 would indubitably have borne away the 
 prize : and as her Ladyship's rank in ex*- 
 -pectancy, and the large possessions to 
 which she was entitled, were her chief re- 
 commendations in the Marquis of Der- 
 went's eyes, they were, as might have been 
 supposed, (with such motives for marry- 
 ing) a very fashionable, if not a very 
 happy couple; and in due time the Mar- 
 chioness presented her Lord with a son 
 z^d heir, the following year she gave birth 
 to a second son, and, early in the fourth 
 year, she became the mother of a third ; 
 and, to the Marquis's great joy, she did 
 not again encrease his family, as he merely 
 wished to have their joint honours handed 
 down to posterity by one of their immedi- 
 ate descendants, but not to be burthened 
 with many younger branches, whom he^ 
 looked upon as a sort of dead weight upon 
 men of fashion. .:. 
 
 A life of incessant dissipation did not, 
 VOL. !♦ c however,
 
 ^6 XAKGIITON PRIORY. 
 
 however, suit the constitution of the Mar- 
 chioness, who, after vainly trying every 
 mineral spring in Europe, paid the clcbt- 
 of nature at Naples, in the thirty-first year 
 of her age ; since neither a warmer cli- 
 inate, nor the first medical advice, could 
 check the progress of a complaint upon 
 her lungs, which finally terminated her 
 existence. 
 
 Her father and husband had accompa- 
 nied her abroad, and the former did not 
 survive her many years, though no man 
 took greater pains to prolong the termr of 
 liis existence, as he constantly spent his 
 w inter in Italy or the south of France, and 
 always had a medical man in his suite. 
 Nevertheless, soon after his eldest grand- 
 ^son had entered his twelfth year, he was 
 consigned to the tomb of his ancestors; 
 and Henry, Lord Albany, the eldest son 
 V of his deceased daughter, inherited his title 
 and entailed estates. To his other two 
 grandsons he bequeathed his personals, 
 amounting to upwards of sixty thousand 
 
 pounds^
 
 LANGHTON PRIOrY. 27' 
 
 pounds^ which the Marquis thought a very 
 ampk provision for younger children, in 
 addition to the forty thousand pounds 
 which were secured to them by the maV- 
 riage-settlements ; and as he had no inten- 
 tion of marrying again, he took a cele- 
 brated dancer into keeping, and gave more 
 than ever into all the pleasures of the day, 
 among which he ranked gaming and the 
 free use of the bottle, having constant re- 
 course to the latter when a run of ill luck 
 had depressed his spirits : and as he rather 
 gloried in his excesses, and in being rank- 
 ed among the men of spirit of the times, 
 his sons, who were at Eton when their mo- 
 ther died, soon learned how profitably 
 their father spent his time, as, in every 
 newspaper, they read inuendoes respect- 
 ing his fashionable propensities, and knew 
 that he kept the best-appointed equipages^ 
 drove the finest horses, and supported the 
 most dashing foreigner then upon the 
 opera stage ; not to mention his racing- 
 stud, as he was a constant attendant at all 
 >c 3 the
 
 S8 LANGHTON I>RI011Y. 
 
 the Newmarket meetings, znd, of course^ 
 belonged to the Jockey Club. 
 
 That these boys should, therefore, inl* 
 bibe a wish to be equally celebrated in the 
 annals of fashion, was not very surprising^ 
 as they presumed that the Marquis, who 
 was avowedly a pupil of pleasure, was 
 much happier than any of those moral 
 good sort of men could be^ whom they 
 sometimes heard mentioned with respect 
 by their private tutor ; and, in conse- 
 quence of this supposition, they early gave 
 proofs of their having reaped great benefit 
 from the dissolute example their father 
 continued to set them, who being, of 
 course, informed of their petty excesses^ 
 which he deemed inexcusable, and under- 
 standing that they rather encouraged each 
 other in the pursuit of mischief, he thought 
 it most prudent to separate them. 
 
 Lord Algernon, now in his fourteenth 
 year, was, therefore, doomed to remain at 
 Eton, while Lord Albertus Albany, his ser 
 cond brother, whom the Marquis always 
 
 considered
 
 LANCHTON PRIORY. 29 
 
 considered as the flower of his family^ was 
 removed to Westminster; and Lord Wil- 
 liam, the youngest and wildest of the 
 three, was sent to Winchester : and, for a 
 time, their separation had the desired ef- 
 fect of rendering them more attentive to 
 their studies, though they all continued 
 resolved to tread closely in their father*s 
 steps, as soon as they were their own mas*- 
 ters ; and as Lord Algernon had a very 
 liberal allowance, he never suffered his 
 less fortunate brothers to want for money; 
 and when he was removed to Cambridge,^ 
 he soon found means of procuring addi- 
 tional supplies, when required. 
 
 Lord Albertus was removed, at the same 
 time, to Oxford ; and we must acknow- 
 ledge, the Marquis gave him some very 
 good advfce when he sent him thither,, 
 observing, that the law and the church 
 were both open to him, and, ample as was 
 the provision his grandfather had made for 
 him, it was necessary he should adopt some 
 liberal profession. 
 
 c 3 Lord
 
 30 L^GHTON PRIORY. 
 
 Lord Albertus, whom Nature seemed to 
 have intended for an orator, after due de- 
 liberation, resolved to add tL D. to his 
 name, and to aspire to the woolsack. The 
 Marquis applauded his choice, hinting that 
 it might pave the way to his admission 
 into the Ministry, the inferior places be- 
 ing generally filled by younger brothers 
 of family ; and as Lord Albertus was not, 
 at this period, either deficient in parts or 
 of ambition, he conceived that he might, 
 in time, aspire to the post of Premier. 
 
 Lord WiHiam having expressed a wish 
 to enter the army, after spending a year 
 at Cambridge, whither he had gone when 
 Lord Algernon went upon his travels, was, 
 with the Marquis's full concurrence, ad^ 
 mitted into the Guards — a very unlikely 
 school to work a reformation in his way 
 of tliinking, or in his estimation of the 
 pleasures of life: therefore, before he be- 
 came of age, he was initiated into every 
 vice and folly likely to ruin his health, 
 morals, and fortune. 
 
 The
 
 LANSHTON PRIORY. 31 
 
 The Earl of Algernon having formed a 
 tender connexion in Italy, and being 
 fully able to gratify all his ruling passions 
 abroad^ was in no haste to return to Eng- 
 land. Having dismissed his travelling- 
 tutor as soon as he became of age, he en- 
 tered upon the same career his father had 
 so long pursued ; and was -.oon cited as a 
 model of extravagance and folly, in many 
 of the capital cities in Europe. 
 
 Lord Albertus, who was infinitely the 
 most sordid of the three, though not the 
 less dissipated, had greatly disappointed 
 the Marquis's sanguine hopes that he 
 would make his way as an orator, having 
 addicted himself to every degrading vice 
 during his residence at Oxford, and con- 
 nected himself with a set of low fellows, 
 \vho were perverting his principles, even 
 more effectually than had he associated 
 with the high-bred rakes, who were the 
 companions of his brothers ; since, if his 
 pleasures were not so expensive as theirs^ 
 the consequences of his excesses were not 
 c 4 likely
 
 S2 LANGHTON PEIORY. 
 
 likely to prove less ruinous ; as he became 
 so devoted to the bottle, that he was fre- 
 quently fleeced and duped in the most 
 shameful manner, by the men he suffered 
 to treat him as their equal. 
 
 When he came of age, he took cham- 
 bers in the Temple, and the Marquis pro- 
 mised, if he broke with his low associates, 
 to bring him into Parliament, which might 
 lead to his obtaining some sinecure place 
 under Government : but even these hopes 
 could not induce him to give up attend- 
 ing every boxing-match he heard of, nor 
 incline him to relinquish the superlative 
 pleasure of driving a stage-coach, at the 
 risk of the passengers' necks, when more 
 than three parts tipsy ; and as he was the 
 occasion of numerous accidents, he not 
 un frequently paid pretty dearly for this 
 display of his dexterity ; and being, be- 
 sides, paymaster-general among the set 
 he had at his beck and call, he was, like his 
 younger brother, though infinitely more 
 slowly, pursuing the road to ruin. As for 
 
 Lord
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 35 
 
 Lord William^ as he had maintained an 
 establishment nearly as elegant as his fa- 
 ther's, from the time he became of age, 
 and was, besides, very fond of a box and 
 dice, before he was two-and-twenty, his 
 thousands were so shrunk, that he began to 
 fear, nothing but a sudden turn oi luck 
 could enable him to support the extrava- 
 gant style in which he had set out in life. 
 
 His elder brother having contrived to 
 involve himself very seriously by this time, 
 returned to England to settle his affairs, 
 well awajre that his father would not ad- 
 vance him a shilling more than his mo- 
 therms jointure, which he was compelled 
 to allow him, and which, in addition to 
 the large income he had derived from his 
 grandfather, certainly ought to have suf- 
 ficed for all his wants; and he was candid 
 enough to condemn his own want of pru- 
 dence, and to regret his inability to assist 
 Lord William, except by his advice, as he 
 with difficulty raised money enoug-b ( his. 
 c 5 estates
 
 34 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 estates being entailed) to enable him to 
 liquidate his own debts. 
 
 Lord AlbertiTs had so frequently dis- 
 graced his name and connexions, by his 
 propensity to low fun, and by continuing 
 to associate with his college-connexions, 
 that the ]\rarquis had ceased to notice him y 
 and Lord William had been very much 
 estranged from him; nor was the Earl in- 
 clined to make any attempt to reclaim 
 him, rather rejoicing that his father's prog- 
 nostics concerning him had been so com- 
 
 • pletely disappointed : had it been in his 
 power, he would certainly have assisted 
 his favo'iifite brother to retrieve his affairs;. 
 but his own extravagance having rendered 
 that impossible, he could only advise him 
 to look out for a rich wife; obsei'\ing, 
 that many women of fortune would like, 
 if even by courtesy, to be styled My Lady;:, 
 and certainly, in point of figure. Lord. 
 William might be said to stand almost un- 
 
 - pivalied' in England : his manners were no 
 
 less
 
 LANGHTON PRIOISY. S5* 
 
 less captivating, which, added to his red 
 coat, would render him irresistible among 
 the city belles, the Earl told him ; ad- 
 vising him to stipulate for a plum at leasts 
 which would set him handsomely afloat 
 again ; hinting, that no time was to be 
 lost, as he could not much longer main- 
 tain his present appearance, without in- 
 curring debts which might subject' him to 
 many inconveniences, though he promised 
 to bring him into Parliament for a bo- 
 rough of his own, at the next general 
 election; but, till then, he must be upon 
 his guard, as greater men than him had 
 ion g 1 a n g u i sh ed i n p ri son.. 
 
 Lord William was well aware of the pre- 
 cipice upon which he stood, and that he- 
 must either, as the Earl proposed, reduce 
 his expences, by immediately becoming 
 his inmate, or look out for a rich. wife ; 
 and he did not much relish the idea of 
 marrying ^^merely for money, since he- 
 thought Love a more agreeable guest than- 
 Plutus, in the temple of Hymen. Had he- 
 c6 sooner.;
 
 S6 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 sooner thought of taking unto himself a 
 wife, he might have chosen among the 
 first-rate stars of fashion; he/ therefore, 
 could not resolve to give his hand to a 
 rich woman, for whom he should ever 
 after have to blush ; yet to part with his 
 liberty, except for an ample equivalent, 
 situated as he was, would be only en- 
 creasing his present difficulties ; and few 
 women to whom he might pretend, were 
 likely to have more than ten or fifteen 
 thousand pounds, and their parents or 
 guardians -would require adequate settle- 
 ments being made upon them, which 
 would by no means suit his purpose, even 
 Jhad they much larger fortunes ; and as for 
 the rich citizens, among whose daughters 
 his brother wished him to make his choice, 
 they would, he feared, be still worse to 
 deal with, as he knew that even his elder 
 brother's title would not prevent some of 
 them from driving a hard bargain, when 
 disposing of their daughters ; and, should 
 he steal a match with any of their heiresses^ 
 
 ten
 
 LANCIITON PRIORY. 37 
 
 ten to one but they would either disinherit 
 his wife, or settle their money upon their 
 children, and he did not relish running 
 such a risk. 
 
 fl-. While, however, he was thus undecided, 
 and had indeed nearly resolved to give up 
 housekeeping, a young lady made her first 
 appearance in the world of fashion, for 
 whom he soon felt the most tender regard, 
 though he assured his brother that he was 
 not so very insane as to aspire to the hand 
 of Lady Zara Montrose, who was the only 
 daughter of the then Marquis of Ender- 
 may, and sole heiress to his title and 
 estates; in addition to which, she had 
 eighty thousand pounds, the bequest of 
 her maternal uncle, entirely at her own 
 disposal. She was, at this period, in her 
 eighteenth year^ and had been this spring 
 consigned by her fond father (her mother 
 was no more), to the care of a lady of 
 the first rank and fashion, under whosa 
 auspices she made her entree into the great 
 world. The Marquis did not accompany 
 
 her
 
 58 LANGHTON PRIOJTf. 
 
 her to London^ but promised to come in 
 search of her before the summer birth- 
 day, as he meant to accompany her to 
 Court upon that national fete. 
 
 As Lord William continued to move in 
 the first circles, he was early introduced to 
 this fascinating young Scotchwoman, whose 
 superior attractions and national vivacity 
 soon convinced him that he was bond Jide 
 in love, and that he must be miserable 
 with any other woman. 
 
 We have already said that he was equally 
 formed to captivate ; and Lady Zara soon, 
 learned from the daughter of her protec- 
 tress, that Lord William Albany was the 
 idol of all the belles of fashion^ and that 
 he was allowed to be one of the handsom- 
 est and most amiable men in England. — 
 Her Ladyship did not wish to be singular, 
 we must suppose; she^ therefore^ soon 
 disposed of her heart in favour of this 
 much-admired mortal, whose family and 
 connexions were certainly unexception- 
 .^ble. Therefore^ though she was soon 
 
 surrounded
 
 LAS^GHTON PRIORY. 39 
 
 surrounded with admirers. Lord William 
 had the triumph of perceiving, that she 
 listened to him with far greater compla- 
 cency than to his less fortunate rivals^, and 
 that his silent homage had effectually won. 
 her esteem. 
 
 Frequent meetings, either in public or 
 private parties, soon rendered them more 
 familiar ; and though the sincerity of Lord 
 William's passion rendered him unusually 
 timid, he, at last, ventured to dare his 
 fate, by opening his heart to his fair en- 
 slavrr; and as he spoke in the impassion- 
 ed language of real love, his suit was not 
 absolutely forbidden ; and he had- the far- 
 ther satisfaction of perceiving, that he was- 
 nothing less than indifferent to the fair 
 Scotch lassie. But this was not sufficient ; 
 he mu&t endeavour to prevail upon her to 
 consent to a private marriage, as he durst 
 jiot flatter himself that her father v/ould 
 approve of her marrying a man so much 
 her inferior in point of rank and fortune, 
 as he had been told that Lord Endermay 
 3 fully
 
 40 LANGHTON PRIOHY. 
 
 fully expected his daughter would marry 
 a Duke : and would Lady Zara's regard 
 for him induce her to take the rash step he 
 meant to propose ? This was very dubious^, 
 he conceived, as he did not, though per- 
 fectly conscious of his personal attractions-, 
 fancy himself irresistible. 
 
 It was now, hov/ever, the beginning of 
 May, and the Marquis was expected in 
 town by the end of the month ; he must,, 
 therefore, attempt to bring Lady Zara in*- 
 to his plans, if he hoped to become her 
 husband ; and as Dame Fortune was in^- 
 clined to favour him, Lady de Vallency, 
 her cicerone, fancying the air of London 
 disagreed with her, though, in fact, it was 
 the late hours she kept, borrowed the villa 
 of a friend at Knightsbridge, whither she 
 removed with her daughter and guest, the 
 second week in May, which enabled the 
 young ladies frequently to take early walks 
 in Kensington Gardens, Miss de Vallency 
 being in all her friend's secrets ; and there 
 they always met Lord William;, who could 
 
 not
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 41 
 
 not bring himself, to propose a private 
 union to his adored Zara, till she one 
 morning informed him, rather abruptly, 
 that her father was expected in town the 
 succeeding week, when she should remove 
 into Arlington-street, where he had a 
 house, though she did not suppose he 
 would remain more than a fortnight in 
 London. 
 
 Though prepared to expect the arrival 
 of Lord Endermay, Lord William, now 
 rendered sensible of his own imprudence, 
 in not sooner making his wishes known to 
 Lady Zara, seemed ready to sink at her 
 feet, and was, for some seconds, unable 
 to articulate a word. 
 
 Lady Zara, who perfectly comprehend- 
 ' ed in what his distress originated, feeling, 
 like himself, assured that Lord Endermay 
 would never willingly consent to her form- 
 ing such a connexion, was scarcely less 
 agitated, as she had, by her friend's ad- 
 vice, imparted this distressing intelligence 
 to her lover, on purpose to hasten his de- 
 
 ^ termination ;
 
 i2 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 termination ; and it certainly had the de* 
 sired eiiect^ as he candidly confessed that 
 he durst not apply to the Marquis, and 
 Lady Zara would not encourage him to 
 do so. 
 
 It was therefore, after a long explana- 
 tory debate, settled. Miss de Vallency act- 
 ing as adviser, that the lovers should be 
 asked at Kensington church, under their 
 own names, by which means the ceremony 
 might be performed there on the ensuing 
 Monday fortnight ; and her Ladyship was 
 convinced her father would not think of 
 leaving town before; and she was also sure 
 that he would not object to her devoting the 
 chief part of her time to Lady de Vallency^ 
 who was certainly far from well, and who 
 did not propose returning to London be- 
 fore the 3d of June : Lord William was 
 to take a lodging at Brompton, equally 
 in that parish ; and Miss de Vallency was 
 convinced that no one would forbid the 
 banns between William Albany and Sarah 
 Montrose, as she knew the clergyman 
 
 would
 
 LANSHTON PBIORY. 43 
 
 would ^tyle her friend. Suffice it to say, 
 that she proved a true prophet, as the 
 Marquis readily consented to his daugh- 
 ter's remaining at Knightsbridge till the 
 birth-day; and as none of the friends of 
 either party ever frequented Kensington 
 churchy no suspicions were entertained of 
 the lovers* intentions: and Lady Zara 
 having spent Sunday with Lady de Val- 
 lenpy, who had returned to Knightsbridge 
 on the 5th of June, slept with her friend, 
 who, in return, accompanied her, the next 
 morning, to' the altar, where she plighted 
 her faith to her adoring lover, who left 
 her at Lady de Vallency's door, with whom 
 she was to remain, while he sent his bro- 
 ther, who was not in any of his secrets, to 
 inform Lord Endermay of the steps he had 
 7 taken. If he refused to receive and forgive 
 them, she was to remove immediately to 
 Lord William's elegant mansion in Wey- 
 mouth-street; but if he extended the olive 
 branch, they resolved to be entirely guided 
 by hi§ advice. 
 
 The
 
 44 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 The' Earl of Algernon, though very 
 much pleased in one sense, hardly relish- 
 ed the idea of waiting upon the Marquis 
 of Endermay with such unexpected, if not 
 unpleasant, intelligence; but as he was 
 sincerely attached to his brother, he gave 
 him a very sincere proof of his regard, by 
 becoming his ambassador upon this impor- 
 tant occasion. 
 
 The Marquis was just going to set out 
 in search of his daughter, who was to dine 
 in Arlington-street, when the Earl was an^ 
 nounced. As they were not even ac- 
 quainted with each other, except by sight, 
 the Marquis was astonished, not having 
 even surmised that Lord William Albany 
 had been noticed by his daughter. Kis 
 Lordship was, of course, shewn in, and, 
 with due deference to the feelings of his 
 auditor, he briefly related why he had thus 
 intruded upon him. 
 
 The Marquis was both hurt and disap- 
 pointed ; but as Lord Algernon's simple, 
 but concise tale, had convinced him that 
 
 he
 
 t,AN€HTON J>RTORY. 45 
 
 he had not been in the bridegroom *s se- 
 crets, he acknowledged himself obliged 
 to the young Pe^r, for having undertaken 
 what, he was convinced, must liave been a 
 very unpleasant task ; and as his daughter 
 was married, he very prudently put a very 
 good faie upon the matter, since the Der- 
 went and Algernon families ranked high in 
 the British peerage : and though he enter- 
 tained no very great r^'spect for the father 
 of his son-in-law, and had heard that his 
 =sons very closely trod in his steps, his re- 
 gard for his daughter induced him to de- 
 clare he freely forgave the young couple; 
 desirins: Lord Aloernon would send the 
 bridegi;oom in search of his bride, as he 
 felt anxious to see and embrace his daugh- 
 ter^ and to give them both his blessing ; 
 not feeling inclined to proceed himself to 
 Knightsbridge^ as he was much less pleased 
 with Lady de Vallency than with the young 
 couple, who soon arrived in Arlington- 
 street, being even more eager to receive 
 than he was to bestow his blessing : and as 
 
 Lord
 
 46 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 Lord William made a very favourable im* 
 pression upon him^ and he soon perceived 
 that he was seriously in love with his 
 daughter, he felt perfectly reconciled to 
 the nnatch before he retired for the tiight ; 
 having ^insisted upon the new-married 
 couple remaining his guests for the pre- 
 sent, and making a point of their return* 
 ing with him into Scotland the follov;ing 
 week. 
 
 Lord William assured him that he meant 
 henceforth to be entirely guided by his 
 advice; and the following morning, while 
 his bride was receiving a congratulatory 
 visit from her bride-maid, he candidly ac- 
 knowledged to his father-in-law how much 
 he had impaired his fortune, but seemed 
 so Sensible of his errors, that, not wishing 
 he should be a dependant upon his wife, 
 he put him into immediate possession of 
 the eighty thousand pounds she had placed 
 1^ his disposal, taking upon himself to 
 tnakc his daughter a very liberal allowance 
 for pin^-nioney ; and as his est«ites were 
 
 entailed
 
 LANGHTON PRrORY. 47 
 
 entailed upon her or her heirs, thefr joint 
 savings, he gaily told Lord William, must 
 be appropriated to the younger children. 
 
 The Marquis of Derwent had rejoiced at 
 first, when he learned what an excellent 
 match his youngest son had made 7 but 
 had iinally blamed himself for not having 
 endeavoured to rival him in the affections 
 of his bride, since, less modest than his 
 handsomer son, he still fancied himself ir- 
 resistible ; of course, he visited the new- 
 married pair, but made them no nuptial 
 present, as he was much too selfish to de- 
 vote his money to the use of his children ; 
 as he fully gave the Marquis of Endermay 
 to understand, that he should do nothing 
 more for Lord William while he lived ; 
 when he died, he might come in for a 
 share of his personals, if he altered his 
 mode of life. 
 
 Lord Endermay could have retorted up^ 
 on his brother Peer, but did not think it 
 worth his while; and by way of keeping 
 his soB-in-law out of the way of tempta- 
 tion.
 
 4S LANfeHTON !»RrOIlY» 
 
 tion, having advised him to give up his 
 house in Weyrtiouth-street, he took him 
 and his daughter down to Montrose Castle; 
 and as Lord William had feally married for 
 love, and had^ as the Mat*quis had foreseen, 
 iio temptation to go astray in Scotland, he 
 \vas soon more than reconciled, as he was 
 even rejoiced at the step his daughter had 
 taken, and even proud of her husband, who 
 was a most agreeable companion, and who 
 Was soon not only noticed but courted by 
 5all Lord Endermay's friends. 
 
 The Castle was^ therefore, a constant 
 scene of festivity during the summer; and 
 as Lady Zara was in the family-way, the 
 Marquis chose to spend the winter there, 
 itot absolutely in conformity to Lord Wil- 
 liam's wishes or expectations; but his con- 
 tinued regard for his wife, whose name he 
 had assumed in compliance with her fa- 
 ther's request, induced him to agree to his 
 ^proposal with much apparent chearfulness; 
 and as he was fond of shooting, and did 
 not want for society^, the winter^soon slip- 
 ped
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 4?^ 
 
 peel away. The Earl of Algernon had paid 
 him a flying visit during the summer, but 
 as he was not yet a reformed man^ the 
 Marquis did not press his stay, rather wish- 
 ing to keep the brothers asunder for the 
 present ; and to his great joy, the heir to 
 his title and estates^ whom w^e have already 
 introduced to the notice of our readers, 
 was ushered into the world under his roof^ 
 the 29th of April. ? 
 
 Lord William sincerely participated irr 
 his satisfaction ; but unfortunately their 
 fejoicings were of short duration^ since, 
 on the tenth day after the birth of her 
 child. Lady Zara was a corpse. Sincerely 
 was she mourned by both father and hus- 
 band, as her son, though the idol of both> 
 by no means consoled them for their loss ; 
 and as every room in the castle recalled 
 her to their memory, the Marquis was the 
 first to advise Lord William should visit his 
 relations in England, from all of whom. 
 Lord Albertus excepted, he had received 
 letters of condolence ; and the Earl of Al- 
 /VOL. 1. D gernon
 
 50 LANGHTON PRIOnY» 
 
 gernon had strongly pressed him to join 
 him in London, or offered to give him the 
 meeting at Woodville, his seat in Cheshire, 
 or at any water-drinking place he might 
 like to visit. His paternal aunt, a maiden 
 sister of Lord Derwent's, with whom he 
 had n^ver been upon a footing of inti- 
 macy, also sent him a very pressing invi- 
 tation to become her guest during his first 
 mourning. Therefore, having seen his son 
 christened Malcolm Albany Montrose, he 
 tQok an affectionate leave of the Marquis, 
 who meant to visit Ireland during his ab- 
 sence, as he presiamed Lord William would 
 winter with^ hirA in Scotland, and pro*- 
 ceeded to London, where he met with a 
 most cordial reception from Lord Alger- 
 non ; but as he could not appear in pub- 
 lic during his close mourning for his wife, 
 nor even join many gay parties, as he still 
 sincerely deplored her loss, he resolved to 
 seize the opportunity to visit Lady Wini- 
 fred Albany, conceiving that the solitude 
 of Highwood would be more congenial 
 
 to
 
 liANGHtON PRIORY. 5i 
 
 to ihis feelings at this time, than eveil the 
 gay rattle of his good-humoured brother. 
 
 The Marquis of Derwent had just left 
 London for Spa, when Lord William ar- 
 rived in Portland-place, as he was even 
 more eager thafi heretofore in the pursuit 
 of pleasure, appearing to think that every 
 moment that he devoted to any other pur- 
 pose was mere lost time ; and having writ- 
 ten a well-worded letter of condolence to 
 his son and the Marquis of Endermay, up- 
 on the late melancholy occasion, he con* 
 ceived that he had done all which etiquette 
 required ; and as he had an innate dislike 
 to mourning, since it always reminded him 
 of dying, he had purposely left Englanc^ 
 to avoid meeting his son while in the -dis- 
 mals, he said ; and as Lord William had 
 never felt any great degree of affection 
 for him, he was by no means hurt at being 
 prevented from paying his respects to him. 
 Therefore, having written Lord Endermay 
 word whither he was goings he left town 
 D 2 for 
 
 UNIVERSITY OF 
 ILUMOiS LIBRARY
 
 B2 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 for Highv;ood, rather more resigned to his 
 loss than when he quitted Scotland, 
 
 CHAP. Ill, 
 
 Lady Winifred Albany was five years the 
 Marquis of Derwent's senior, and had^ for 
 the last fifteen;, resided eiitirely at her seat 
 in Lancashire, having long been entirely 
 estranged from her brother, whose con- 
 duct, since his wife's death, she had so 
 strongly reprobated, they had never been 
 upon good terms since the demise of the 
 Marchioness ; not that that lady had rank- 
 led among her favourites, but, while she 
 lived, the Marquis had not given into 
 those shameful excesses he had indulged 
 
 in
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. BS 
 
 in without scruple since. Besides the for- 
 tune she had inherited from her father, 
 she had, by the will of a maiden-sister of 
 her mother's, become possessed of her 
 seat in Lancashire, and all her aunt's per- 
 sonals, which were very considerable ; and, 
 possibly out of gratitude to this maiden 
 lady,, or rather because she had never had 
 an offer from a man of equal rank to her 
 brother, she was^ at this period of our 
 story, though in her forty-seventh year, 
 still unmarried; 
 
 Having lived so long apart from her fa- 
 mily, her nephews had been hitherto mere- 
 ly known to her by name ; and as she did not 
 wish to appear to countenance their pro- 
 pensity to dissipation, she had never in- 
 vited any of them to Highwood. But hav- 
 ing been extremely rejoiced when she 
 learned the prudent match her younger 
 nephew had made, she thought proper to 
 address him a letter of congratulation up- 
 on the occasion^ in which, for his edjlica-' 
 tion, she traced the genealogy of the fa-^ 
 D 3 niily
 
 54t lANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 mily of Endermay from so remote a pe- 
 riod, that the Marquis, to whom Lord 
 William imparted her letter, declared she 
 seemed better versed in the origin of his 
 family than he had ever been. Being, 
 however, sensible of her intended com- 
 pliment, he had, in concert with his daugh- 
 ter, invited her into Scotland; and she 
 had intended visiting the Highlands during 
 the ensuing summer ; therefore sincerely 
 did she grieve for the deceased Lady Zara, 
 though she was very happy her son had 
 survived her, as she could not bear the 
 idea of such ancient titles falling to very 
 distant branches ; and her nephew's deter- 
 mination to spend at least a couple of 
 months with her, was such a proof of his 
 reformation, and of his attention to deco- 
 rum, that most gracious was the reception 
 she gave him, declaring that he was the 
 very image of her deceased father, and 
 infinitely handsomer than ever her brother 
 had been : and as he did not wish to mix 
 in society for the present. Lady Winifred's- 
 
 mode
 
 LANGHTON PRiailY. 55 
 
 mode of life exactly suited his taste, as she 
 moved by rule, and saw very little com* 
 pany, owing to her adherence to the f^t- 
 shions of past times, and to her firm reso- 
 lution only to associate with people of 
 family. 
 
 During the first month. Lord William 
 seldom left home, never except to take a 
 short airing; and his innate politeness 
 taught him to listen very politely to her 
 prolix dissertations respecting the Der- 
 went family, though she did acknowledge 
 that the Endermays were of still older date : 
 and as this was her favourite subject^ her 
 nephew was repeatedly doomed to listen 
 to the various intermarriages which had 
 taken place in each,, from the most remote 
 up to the present times ; and as he never 
 absolutely yawned in her face, she made 
 no doubt of having inspired him with pro- 
 per respect for his and his late wife's illus- 
 trious ancestors. 
 
 A month having thus elapsed, which had' 
 
 barely sufHced for her Ladyship's recapi-- 
 
 D 4 tulation
 
 Afi lANGHTON PRIOEY. 
 
 filiation of the brave deeds of her ances- 
 tors, her nephew's natural vivacity rather 
 revived, as her tales of past times had cer- 
 tainly had the good effect of banishing the 
 present from his mind; and as he had left 
 off his v^eepers, she strongly encouraged 
 h.is visiting among the neighbouring gen- 
 try, though she seldom left home herself; 
 and as the rides and walks round High- 
 v^ood were very pleasant, the three months 
 he had resolved to devote to retirement 
 soon slipped away, and he began to wish 
 for more society. The Earl of Algernon 
 had joined a party at Brighton, and he Mt 
 half inclined to have followed him thither; 
 but as he had a great respect for Lord En- 
 dermay, he was fearful it might wound his 
 feelings, were he to appear to have so 
 soon forgotten his idolized daughter; and 
 surely were he, as yet, to join in the gaie- 
 ties of Brighton, ke might suppose he had 
 not paid sufficient respect to her memory. 
 He, therefore, heroically resolved to re- 
 main where he was till his brother came 
 
 ijita
 
 ■ L'ANGHTON PRIORT; Of 
 
 into Cheshire^ with whom he could spend 
 the shooting season: he might then pay 
 Montrose Castle a short visit; but as for 
 spending another winter there, the Mar- 
 quis must excuse him^ though he should 
 have no objection to making it his future 
 summer residence ; still, as he was now 
 never likely to do the honours of it, since, 
 upon the Marquis's demise, it would de- 
 volve to his son, he felt much less partial 
 to a place where he should merely, in fu- 
 ture, be deemed a visitor. Had his wife 
 lived, he might; in time, have shone in the 
 enviable lustre of a Scottish chieftain; but 
 now, those honours would fall 1o the share 
 of her son, and he must content himself 
 with the portion he had received with her, 
 upon the interest, of which, he was con- 
 vinced, he could make a; very genteeL 
 figure. He had^ to be sure, sold out of 
 the Guards, to oblige Lady Zara— but he 
 could again become a member of that 
 corps : this was, however, a future consi- 
 deration — he should consult with his bro- 
 D 5 ther: —
 
 58 LANGRTON PRIORY. 
 
 Iher — perhaps, after a time, he might make 
 a second choice : and, soon after he had 
 admitted the possibility of his giving his 
 once beloved Lady Zara a successor, he 
 rather unexpectedly met a very beautiful 
 girl at a gentleman's house, where he call- 
 ed en passant during his morning's ride ; 
 and having frequently heard her spokea 
 of before in terms of the greatest admira- 
 tion, he paid her particular attention, and 
 thought her to the full as handsome as his 
 late wife ; and, if report was to be depend- 
 ed upon, though not the heiress to a title 
 and to Montrose Castle, and five-and-forty 
 thousand a-year, she would^ first and last, 
 have no despicable fortune — no small re- 
 commendation, in his opinion, as he should 
 reap no farther benefit from his union with 
 the Scotch heiress, except, indeed, the 
 Marquis soon departed this life for a bet' 
 ter, and left him the sole guardianship of 
 his son ; but this he was very far from ex- 
 pecting, therefore thought he had better 
 look out in time for another rich wife : 
 
 but
 
 lANGHTON PRIORY. £^' 
 
 biit then, again, there were still greater 
 obstacles likely to intervene in this case,, 
 than he had met with during his former 
 courtship, since this young lady's father 
 was a rigid Catholic, and, as such, certainly 
 much less likely than the Marcjuis of En- 
 derm ay to favour his suit.. 
 
 Hitherto he had paid, very little atten- 
 tion to what he had heard concerning this, 
 family ; but no sooner had he seen Catha- 
 rine Langhton, than he became very anxi- 
 ous to be perfectly au fait of her family 
 history, as he might then frame his plans.- 
 with some likelihood of success; his va- 
 nity (which had not decreased of late) 
 leading him to think, that having persuad- 
 ed the elegant, sensible, and accomplished 
 Zara Montrose, who might have had even 
 Dukes among her admirers, to accompany 
 him privately to the altar, he should not 
 fmd it a more difficult task to prevail upon 
 the more juvenile Catharine Langhton to 
 accompany him to Gretna Green, as he 
 understood she was but just returned from. 
 D G Italy,.
 
 50 LAIS' GIITON PRIORY. 
 
 Italy, where she had been educated in a 
 very strict convent. Therefore, though 
 he was delighted with her beauty, he en- 
 tertained rather a contemptible opinion of 
 her understanding: : but having resolved 
 to make himself acquainted with every 
 particular likely to facilitate his schemes, 
 he mentioned his morning rencontre to 
 Lady Winifred, during tea. 
 
 Her Ladyship had not seen Miss Langh- 
 tbn, she told him, since her return from 
 Italy, where she had spent the last six 
 years; adding, " she was a beautiful child^ 
 when she left England.*' 
 
 *■* And she is now a- very handsome 
 young woman,"' said Lord William, '' but 
 appears shy and uninformed.'* 
 
 " Educated as she has been, that does 
 not surprise me/' rejoined Lady Winifred, 
 " for nuns are, in ray opinion, very unfit- 
 ted for the task of instructresses. She may 
 be a good Catholic, but I am convincect 
 she is very defective in point of accom- 
 plishments; indeed, no enlightened mind 
 3 could
 
 lAKGHTON PRIORY. 61 
 
 could conform to the absurd and supersti- 
 tious tenets which that religion holds forth 
 to its votaries. I have often grieved that 
 so ancient a family should still persist in 
 their errors, for the Langhtons are lineally 
 descended from a family of that name, that 
 flourished during the Saxon Heptarchy; 
 but their continuing Catholics consigns 
 them almost to oblivion^ and prevents 
 them from shining in the senate^, or seek- 
 ing glory in the field; indeed, the present 
 Jvfr. Langhton is even bigotted in his at- 
 tachment to the creed of his ancestors^ 
 ov/ing perhaps to his having, early in life, 
 been secluded in a monastery : he, there- 
 fure^ seldom mixes with his neighbours, 
 and sees much less company than I do ;. 
 though we are by no means actuated by 
 the same motives, since I only exclude my 
 inferiors from my table — he excludes every 
 one who is not of his way of thinking up- 
 on religious subjects^ which is extremely 
 impolitic, as it may prevent his daughter 
 from forming a respectable alliance, as she 
 
 might
 
 G«9 LArNGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 might pretend even to nobilily, were she 
 sufiered to mix more in society/* 
 
 Lord William was happy to find he 
 should not mortally offend his aunt, were 
 he to introduce this pretty Catholic into 
 the family, and even Lord Endermay must 
 think -he had made a prudent choice; but 
 not choosing to give the good Lady any 
 suspicion of his intentions, he asked her 
 when theLanghton family had first settled 
 in Lancashire ? 
 
 This was setting her upon her favourite 
 hobby-horse; therefore, after taking a 
 pinch of snuff, she thus resumed :■ — '' The 
 head of that family, in the reign of Rich- 
 ard the First, founded a monastery of Au- 
 gustine monks in this county, which is 
 now (having been abolished during the 
 reign of Henry the Eighth,) the seat of the 
 present Mr. La a gh ton, his ancestors hav- 
 ing, either by grant or purchase, come 
 into possession of it at that period, since 
 when it has been denominated Langhton 
 Priory. A vow he made? in Palestine, in- 
 
 duced
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY* 63 
 
 duced Reginald de Langhton to erect the 
 monastery, of which he was nominated 
 abbot. Thd chapel still retains every mark 
 of primeval grandeur; and the glorious 
 feats of Reginald de Langhton in the Holy 
 Land, are emblazoned upon three large 
 windows towards the inner court ; nay,, 
 the house itself has undergone very little 
 alteration since the friars who inhabited if 
 were suppressed. Some of the last ab- 
 bot's furniture is still preserved, and hia 
 monument is really worthy admiration ; 
 but, of bte years, few people have been 
 allowed to visit the chapel, or to traverse 
 the ancient Gothic cloisters, which are still 
 in excellent preservation; and I know it 
 is reckoned a very gloomy pile by many 
 of the neighbouring families; but I revere 
 it for its antiquity ; and, should you wish 
 it, I am convinced Mr. Langhton will not 
 object to your visiting every thing worthy 
 notice at the Priory, though he might not 
 choose to introduce you to his daughter, 
 as he w^auld be extremely avetse to her 
 
 marrying
 
 &i' LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 marrying a Protestant. You would un- 
 doubtedly have the same objection to a 
 Catholic, even were you, at any future pe- 
 riod, inclined to make a second choice ; 
 therefore, for Miss Langhton's sake, I 
 hope YOU will meet no more during your 
 stay in tb.ese parts.*' 
 
 Lord William was prevented from mak- 
 ing any reply, by the entrance of his. 
 aunt's humble companion, who had been 
 to Preston to make some purchases ; and, 
 presuming she might wish to display her 
 economy and her taste tele-d-tcte- vihh her 
 Ladyship, he withdrew, and proceeded 
 into the library, where he found the grey- 
 headed house-steward arran2;in<]: the fire. 
 Lord William had frequently addressed the 
 old man, and had thought him both clever 
 and intelligent. Wishing, therefore, to. 
 hear his opinion of the Langhtons^ which, 
 he was convinced, would be infinitely more 
 correct than his aunt's^ he said, " I wish 
 Mrs. Mason had not returned so soon, as 
 she broke in upon my aunt's discourse, 
 
 who
 
 LAN€HTON PRIORY^ 65 
 
 who was describing Langhton Priory to 
 me ; and even, by her aceount, the inha- 
 bitants are a strange set/' 
 
 '' Indeed they are, my Lord ; I only 
 'wish yoii could see them all assembled at 
 chapel; to judge, by their m^elancholy looks 
 and deep groans, they have all been great 
 sinners ; ii>deed mirth has long been ba- 
 nished those walls ; even the servants are 
 afraid to laugh, but in secret. However^ 
 I know they are not all such saints as they 
 wish to appear, as I am intimate with the 
 steward, and he, for one, loves a drop of 
 good wine to his soul, and often makes 
 out, on fast days, for abstaining from eat-- 
 ins: as much as he could wish : as for Mr. 
 Langhton, he, I dare say, thinks he is in 
 the high road to Heaven ; and if praying 
 from morning to night, and sometimes al! 
 night, fasting, and self-mortification, will 
 procure him a seat thei:e, he may make 
 sure of one. Tis a thousand pities, as his 
 steward says, that he ever left the monas- 
 tery where he had taken the vows, for he 
 
 is
 
 66 lANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 is Still a monk in his heart, since he nei- 
 ther enjoys his large income himself, nor 
 suffers any one else to benefit by his 
 riches." 
 
 '' Was he ever professed then .?" en- 
 quired Lord William. 
 
 " He was a friar, my Lord, when he be- 
 came heir to the Priorv.'* 
 
 '' Take a chair, Gordon, and give me 
 the history of this pious race : I am anxi- 
 ous to know a little more about them, 
 since I never understood monks could 
 marry." 
 
 The highly-flattered steward seated him- 
 self at a respectable distance, and thus 
 began. 
 
 *' Money, ray Lord, can make the Pope 
 as supple as a glove, my informant Ash- 
 ton, the steward, tells me ; and yet Mr. 
 Langhton believes his Holiness to be inr- 
 fallible, and that he holds the keys of Hea- 
 ven, and can even absolve murderers, 
 much more monks, from their vows : but 
 the father of the present Mr. Langhtorn 
 
 like
 
 LAKGHTON PRIORT. 67 
 
 like his father before him^ dedicated all his 
 children, his eldest son excepted, to God ; 
 and his heir caught his death in histwenty-» 
 seventh year, by remaining a whole winter 
 night upon his knees, in the cold damp 
 chapel. This misfortune induced the old 
 gentleman to apply to the Pope, to have 
 his other son released from his vows ; and 
 the holy Father, as Ashton calls him, rea- 
 dily agreed to his wishes, not liking that 
 the Langhton estates should devolve to 
 a very distant branch of that family, who 
 are Protestants : and so, my Lord, Mr. 
 Basil Langhton having returned to Eng- 
 land much against his will (if Ashton may 
 be believed) was next ordered by his fa- 
 ther to marry, to perpetuate the family 
 name : a Catholic young lady was selected 
 for him, and he became a husband. Soon 
 after which the old gentleman died, and 
 by his lady, who did not long survive her 
 father-in-law, Mr. Langhton has only one 
 daughter, a very fine girl, who has been 
 shut up in a nunnery abroad, for the last 
 
 sevea
 
 68 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 seven years ; and had she had a brother, 
 there she would have been fixed for life ; 
 but as she is sole heiress to her father*s 
 riches, I suppose she will soon be married, 
 though Ashton tells me Father Benedetto 
 (an Italian monk, who was professed in 
 the same convent where Mr. Langhton 
 made his vows), the confessor and regula- 
 tor of the household, does not approve 
 of early marriages; and as his will is law. 
 Miss Langhton will not change her name 
 yet a while, though her mother's fortune 
 of thirty thousand pounds is settled upon 
 her, independent of her father, and will 
 be at her own disposal when she is of age, 
 which may, as Ashton says, insure Miss 
 Langhton a greater match, and, in some 
 respects, freedom of choice, though, of 
 course, she must marry a Catholic/' 
 
 ^' No doubt/* rejoined Lord William ; 
 "and I fancy her mode of education would 
 not render her a very desirable companion 
 to a man oi any other persuasion. ,But 
 positively, Gordon, you have rendered 
 
 me
 
 LA-NGHTON PR10JRY» 69 
 
 tae very curious to see this old mansion : 
 I wish I could contrive to walk over if, 
 without undergoing the penance of being 
 introduced to the monkish owner. Could 
 not you smuggle me in as a friend of 
 your's, who, never having seen a monas- 
 tery, is very anxious to walk over the 
 gloomy abodes? we may seize an oppor- 
 tunity when the old friar is at his devo- 
 tions, as I am not so anxious to see the 
 chapel, as to walk over the cloisters and 
 grounds, and that part'of the house which 
 was formerly appropriated to the holy 
 monks for whom it was built." 
 
 '' I shall feel myself greatly honoured 
 by being allowed to smuggle your Lord- 
 ship, as you are pleased to term it, into 
 the old monastery ; and I think I can ven- 
 ture to insure your walking all over it, 
 without fear of detection. Mr. Langhton 
 always dines at one, and ifiever remains 
 above half an hour at table ; ^and from that 
 time till three he spends in close confer*- 
 
 ence
 
 7Q LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 ence wifh his confessor, in his oratory : at 
 three he goes to chapel, to some service 
 or other — vespers, I suppose ; and as Ash- 
 ton often absents himself from afternoon 
 duty, we may remain till four with great 
 safety, and may walk over every uninha- 
 bited room, and through all the old clois* 
 ters, unseen ; and, should chance bring 
 Miss Langhton in our way, whom I have> 
 more than once, met in the grounds, she 
 will not peach, Ashton has assured me; 
 pay, I should not wonder if she was to 
 fancy your curiosity to see her, instead of 
 the old house, had drawn you thither. As 
 she can't fail remarking the elegance of 
 your figure, so you may trust to her vanity 
 for keeping the secret/* 
 
 Lord William smiled at the conclusion 
 the old man had drawn, declaring, that he 
 should be very sorry were Miss Langhton 
 to be suspected of being privy to his prb-^ 
 posed visit, since there was no knowing 
 to what lengths the bigotry of her father 
 
 might
 
 might carry him, to prevent her farming 
 any intimacy with a heretic. ** But has 
 she no female companion ?" he enquired, 
 
 '' She has a sort of governess, my Lord^ 
 ?.s Mr. Langhton now styles her former 
 nursery-maid — a poor> weak-brained^, su- 
 perstitious soul, as ever breathed : she was 
 with her in the nunnery at Bologna, and 
 is returned a compleat devotee, Ashton 
 tells me; but you have nothing to fear 
 from her, my Lord, as she is so near-sight- 
 ed^ she cannot see an inch beyond her 
 nose; and when she does walk about the 
 house, by way of saving time, I suppose, 
 she is always telling her beads; besides, 
 she seldom accompanies Miss Langhton in 
 her rambles in the grounds: she thinks 
 the bird is Securely caged ; and, faith, it 
 would not be a very easy task for the 
 young lady to take flight from thence, for 
 the surrounding walls are nearly as high 
 as those of the county prison, and I dare 
 say she is never suffered to walk in the 
 outer courts : but I will take care to keep 
 
 a good
 
 LANGIITON PRIORY, 
 
 a good look-out for Dame Stewart, if your 
 Lordship will deign to pass for my friend.** 
 Lord William, therefore, suffered him- 
 self to be persuaded to take the first step 
 towards accomplishing the desiga he had 
 in view ; hinting to Gordon, that Lady 
 Winifred must be kept in ignorance of 
 this private expedition, as he knew she 
 would highly disapprove of his conde- 
 scending to appear as her steward's friend, 
 ^y way of gratifying his curiosity, parti- 
 cularly after she had promised to solicit 
 Mr. Langhton's leave for his visiting his 
 dreary secluded abode. 
 
 CHAP,
 
 LANCHTON PRIOPvY. 
 
 CHx\P. IV. 
 
 The more Lord William pondered upon 
 %vhat he had learned from Gordon, the 
 more convinced he became, that he should 
 act very prudently in choosing Catharine 
 Langhton for his future partner for life, 
 since it would eflTectually secure his refor- 
 mation ; as a married man, he might again 
 associate with his former companions, with- 
 out falling into any of his former errors : 
 the interest of his late wife's private for- 
 tune, in addition to the wreck of his own, 
 would enable him to maintain a very ele- 
 gant establishment, though not to keep up 
 the same appearance he had done, as the 
 VOL, I. E hi'^l nnd
 
 74 LANGUTON TKICRY. 
 
 husband of Lady Zara Montrose ; but v.ben 
 Miss Langhton came of age^ her fortune 
 v/ould make a very pretty addition to Iiis 
 income: and as he had renounced gam- 
 ins:, and was resolved to live within 
 bounds, he was convinced that he should 
 be able to vie with most young men of 
 fashion in point of expenditure; and as 
 he was resolved to suffer the fair Catharine 
 to persevere in the tenets of her own reli- 
 gion^ he made no doubt of soon depre- 
 cating the anger of Mr. Langhton^ who 
 must, whether he forgave them or not, 
 leave his estates to his only daughter; 
 though probably, should he continue to 
 resent her having married a Protestant, 
 Father Benedetto might secure his per- 
 sonals : but the Marquis of Endermay had 
 set Mr. Langhton so excellent an example, 
 he was convinced that he would equally 
 extend the olive branch, after a few formal 
 concessions "had been made, and he had 
 tied himself dovvn to allow his wife, and 
 any daughters she might have^ the free 
 
 exercise
 
 LANGIITON PRlOKY. 7o 
 
 exercise of the Catholic religion; nay, 
 Avere the old bigot to make a point of it, 
 even his sons should be educated in that 
 persuasion. Such were his private reflec- 
 tions after he had dismissed Gordon ; and, 
 \vhen he joined Lady Winifred at supper, 
 he cautiously avoided recurring to the 
 Langhton family, even hinting an inten- 
 tion of speedily visiting Woodville, where 
 his brother was expected early in Septem- 
 ber, and this v/as the 26ih of August. 
 
 Her Ladyship saw .so little company, 
 that she did not relish the idea of parting 
 with hirn, as he was a most })leasant guest, 
 now he had perfectly recovered his wont- 
 ed spirits ; then he played extremely well 
 at piquet, and 'was teaching her chess : she, 
 therefore, felt very anxious to detain him 
 at Highwood, till he proposed returning 
 to Montrose Castle; hinting, that there 
 would doubtless be a very gay, if not a 
 very riotous party, at Woodville; and as 
 he was not yet out of mourning, she 
 hardly conceived it would be decorous for 
 E ^2 hini
 
 7G LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 him to join such a set; and though sh^ 
 made no doubt of his having entirely for- 
 sworn gaming and racing, she thought 
 that the longer he kept out of the way of 
 temptation, the less likely he was to break 
 the excellent resolutions he had formed ; 
 and as Lord William had purposely led her 
 to believe he wished to leave Lancashire, 
 with affected deference to her judicious 
 advice, he promised to remain at least an- 
 other month at Highwood, during which 
 period he conceived he should have an 
 opportunity of judging whether Catharine 
 Langhton was inclined to follow the ex- 
 ample of her predecessor ; while the flat- 
 tered Lady Wii^ifred attributed his remain- 
 ing her inmate^ to the ascendancy she had 
 obtained over his mind, which led her to 
 censure her brother with greater severity 
 than ever, since to his bad example alone 
 did she now attribute the follies and errors 
 of his sons. 
 
 The ensuing four days were devoted, by 
 Lord William, to forming and rejecting 
 
 plans
 
 LANCHTON PRIORY. 77 
 
 plans respecting Miss Langbton ; and^ on 
 the fifth, having informed his aunt that he 
 should dine from home, he met Gordon, 
 as had been agreed upon, at the entrance 
 of Chedvvorth, at the other extremity of 
 which stood Langhton Priory ; and, hav-' 
 inff been admitted throuo^h the massive 
 gates by the porter, his companion usher- 
 ed him into Mr. Ashton's apartments, ^vhich 
 opened into the outer court, and intro- 
 duced him to his friend as a relation, who 
 was come down from London to see him, 
 and who was very anxious to see the in- 
 side of Langhton Priory. 
 
 Ashton, who frequently regaled at Gor- 
 don's expence, readily agreed to lead the 
 young man over all the apartments unoc- 
 cupied by the family, as Mr. Langhton 
 was safe in his oratory. 
 
 Lord William paid very little attention 
 to the boasted inner cloisters, painted 
 windows, and gloomy apartments, as he 
 had not imbibed his aunt's veneration for 
 every thing that savoured of antiquity, and 
 E 3 was
 
 78 lANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 %vas merely anxious to catch a glimpse of 
 the fair form %vhich was inclosed withih 
 this dreary prison ; but not a single female 
 crossed their path. Therefore, when they 
 returned from their survey of this once 
 celebrated pile, his Lordship said he would 
 take a stroll in the grounds, while the two 
 friends emptied their bottle, as it would 
 be no treat to either, to walk over the 
 paths they had often before trod together. 
 
 Ashton made no objection to his doing 
 so ; merely saying,- '' should you meet any 
 of the family, young man, only bow in 
 silence : I will account for your being 
 within our holy precincts, even to the sa- 
 tisfaction of Father Benedetto/* 
 
 Lord William promised to conform to 
 his instructions; and Ashton having un- 
 locked a small door leading into the 
 grounds, he found himself at liberty to 
 range wherever he pleased within the walls. 
 The grounds, or rather gardens, were laid 
 out as he presumed they had originally 
 been, when the pious Reginald superin- 
 tended
 
 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 79 
 
 tended the planners of them ; and they 
 were, on every side, surrounded with walls 
 at least twelve feet high. The long strait 
 walkS;, shaded with immense horse-chesnut 
 trees, or elms, of very ancient growth, 
 which effectually excluded the sun, and 
 almost the light, were, he presumed, ap- 
 propriated to private meditation by the 
 inhabitants of the Priory. At the farther 
 extremitv of the center avenue, was a rude 
 chapel of Gothic architecture, which had 
 evidently been coeval with the origin?il 
 structure ; and as the Langhtons were not 
 fond of ruins, and had, besides, a great re- 
 verence for every part of the ancient 
 building, it had been, like the mansion, 
 repaired, we will not say beautified, by 
 every "succeeding inhabitant of the mo- 
 nastic domains; and was still (having been 
 dedicated to the Virgin) resorted to by 
 the family, upon particular holidays, and 
 during the feasts, or jubilees, formerly so 
 strictly observed in the monasteries in all 
 Catholic countries. 
 
 « 4 Wishing
 
 80 LANCHTON PKIORY. 
 
 Wishing to examine the inside of this 
 holy structure, Lofd William ascended the 
 steps leading into the interior^ which, not 
 being decorated as it was upon the grand 
 occasions heretofore mentioned, appeared 
 to him damp, dark, and gloomy, as the 
 ;mind of its present owner. He, therefore, 
 hastily quitted the dismal place, and once 
 more walked round the gardens; pro- 
 posing thoroughly to reconnoitre the 
 walls, as he wished to fix upon the most 
 likely place to scale them, should he be 
 obliged to have recourse to such a mea- 
 sure, though he began to fear he should 
 not see the divinity who had brought him 
 thither ; and he had his doubts whether he 
 should ever meet with such another oppor- 
 tunity, during his stay in Lancashire. As 
 for addressing her in writing, that was next 
 to impossible, since all the servants, male 
 and female, were, he understood, under 
 the immediate direction of Father Bene- 
 detto, whom he de^^paired of bribing to 
 second his plans, as he felt that it v/a^ 
 
 much
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 81 
 
 much more to the monk*s interest, that 
 Miss Langhton should remain single. He 
 was, therefore, reluctantly returning to- 
 wards the door by which he had entered 
 the garden, when he perceived a female 
 descending from a stone terrace, which 
 ran all along the back front of the hpuse : 
 she made for one of the shady walks, the 
 sun being very powerful : his heart beat 
 high, as he was convinced, from her figure 
 and light step, though she was still at too 
 great a distance to distinguish her features, 
 that it must be Miss Langhton : he, there- 
 fore, remained stationary, convinced^ in 
 his own mind, that she had seen him from 
 one of the windows^ and was come to take 
 a nearer survey of him. He, however, 
 thought it most prudent to retreat as she 
 advanced, till she seated herself under a 
 spreading mountain-ash, entirely out of 
 sight of the house. This made him hastily 
 resolve to make his immediate vicinity 
 known to her, as he was well aware that 
 he might never again have a similar op- 
 £ 5 portunity
 
 82 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 portunity of declaring his regard for her; 
 and, though certainly not so much in love 
 as he had been, even at first sight, with 
 Lady Zara Montrose, he sincerely hoped 
 that she would incline a favourable ear to 
 his suit. Therefore, taking every precau- 
 tion not to alarm her, he presented him- 
 self before her, candidly acknowledging 
 hew and why he had gained admittance 
 into her sequestered abode, and the pre- 
 sumptive hope which now led him to tres- 
 pass upon her solitary haunts, since he 
 durst not hope that his suit would be sanc- 
 tioned by her father; making use of every 
 likely argument to induce her to receive 
 his vows : and as he was perfectly sincere 
 in his professions of regard, and could be 
 Tery eloquent in his own behalf, his 
 speeches had their due effect upon a young 
 girl, who, having been educated in total 
 seclusion, was, for the first time in her 
 life, addressed by an elegant fascinating 
 young man, for whom she already felt a 
 sentiment of preference. His being, as 
 4 she
 
 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 83 
 
 'she supposed, a Protestant, "was of little 
 moment, in iier opinion, since she under- 
 stood that nine-tenths of her countrymen 
 professed the reformed religion ; still she 
 felt extremely embarrassed, and stammer- 
 ed out a few incoherent words, which Vera 
 not, however, likely to drive her lover to 
 despair. Eut, as even moments were pre- 
 cious. Lord William again urged his suit 
 in the most insinuating terms; requesting 
 permission to address her in writing, since 
 his agitation absolutely prevented him 
 from doing justice to his cause, and peti- 
 tioning for a few lines in return. 
 
 The much- more -agitated Catharine plead- 
 ed the impossibility of either writing or 
 receiving letters, unknown to her father 
 and confessor. 
 
 Lord William was not easilv discou- 
 raged : he could be very eloquent when 
 his heart was set upon any point ; and he, 
 at last, succeeded in obtaining her pro- 
 mise to keep their intended correspon- 
 E 6 dence
 
 84? LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 dence a secret, even from the monk : 
 pointing out where he could, by means of 
 a string, contrive to let down his letters, 
 and, by the same conveyance, receive her's 
 in return ; assuring her, that he should find 
 no difficulty in scaling the walls without 
 side. 
 
 They were still debating this point, and 
 she was imploring him never to venture 
 into the garden after dark, as there were 
 spring-guns and men-traps always set at 
 Plight, when, to the no small alarm of 
 both, they perceived Mrs. Stewart at the 
 other end of the walk. 
 
 '' Remain where you are/* cried Catha- 
 rine, shoving him among the trees-^" she 
 ^cannot see to this distance. I will give 
 her the meeting, and return with her into 
 the house — she is only coming in search 
 of me ;" darting forward, but not before 
 his Lerdship had pressed her trembling 
 hand to his lips, and repeated, '' Remem- 
 ber the shrubbejy-corner — At this hour 
 
 to-morrow.
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. So 
 
 to-morrow, you shall find a letter there 
 from mc ; and, the next da}% I flatter my- 
 self you will favour me with an answer." \ 
 She merely looked an affirmative ; and, 
 resuming her book, gave the old woman 
 the meeting, with whom she returned into 
 ihe house; while his Lordship, taking a 
 more private path, hastened towards the 
 door by which he had entered the garden, 
 and found Ashton and Gordon enjoying 
 themselves over their bottle. The former 
 asked his Lordship how he liked the gar- 
 dens? He spoke his real opinion of them 
 very freely, but did not, it may be sup- 
 posed, mention his rencontre with Miss 
 Langhton ; and a look he gave Gordon, 
 made the old man declare they must be 
 going. They, therefore, almost immedi- 
 ately departed; Gordon proceeded to 
 Highwood, and his Lordship walked to a 
 neighbouring village, where he had left 
 his horses and servant, and where he dined, 
 wishing to devote some hours to reflec- 
 tion ; and, upon mature deliberation, he 
 
 wa'i
 
 86 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 was. convinced that the success of his plan 
 entirely depended upon the promptitude 
 and secrecy of his measures : he, therefore, 
 resolved not to put any one into his con- 
 fidence; but, not to excite his aunt's cu- 
 riosity, he returned home in time for her 
 tea ; and, when he retired for the night, 
 he sat down to address the fair Catharine, 
 in terms likely to render her as anxious 
 for emancipation, as he was to liberate her 
 from her present state of bondage; ai^d as 
 few men were more competent to the 
 task, his letter was exactly calculated to 
 produce the desired effect, and to give 
 her every hope of being received with the 
 greatest cordiality by all his relatives ; 
 hinting that, though the difference in their 
 religious principles obliged him to address 
 her thus privately, yet, should she deign 
 to place her happiness in his keeping, he 
 meant to allow her full liberty pf con- 
 science, even to her retaining a confessor 
 in the house, if she thought it would con- 
 tribute to her felicity. We shall not, 
 
 howeverj
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 87 
 
 however, detail how he contrived to carry 
 on his epistolary correspondence ; suffice 
 it to say, that, in less than six weeks after 
 their fii-st meeting, he succeeded in quieting 
 all her scruples; and as the life she led at 
 the Priory was even more irksome than 
 that she had led during her abode in the 
 nunnery at Bologna, where she enjoyed 
 the society of young peo})le of her own 
 age, she consented, without much persua- 
 sion, to accompany the young widower to 
 Gretna Green ; and they were already so 
 far north, that his Lordship was convinced 
 six hours advance (even admitting they 
 were pursued) would suffice to distance 
 any one who might undertake to follow 
 them ; but, to render his success more cer- 
 tain, after fixing the evening for their 
 elopementj Lord William left Highwood, 
 under pretence of visiting a friend who 
 resided in the vicinity, and at whose house, 
 he informed his aunt, he proposed sleep- 
 ing a couple of nights; instead of which, 
 he hastened^ merely accompanied by his 
 
 valet.
 
 88 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 valet, to the Green, to enjrao^e the reve- 
 rend forger of matrimonial fetters to be in 
 readiness; and^ having calculated his stages, 
 he ordered horses to be in waiting: at a cer- 
 tain time, at the various inns at which he 
 purposely stopped on his return. 
 
 Miss Langhton slept in a room adjoin- 
 ing that of her purblind governess; but 
 as it was upon the first floor, she agreed 
 that there would be no difficulty in de- 
 scending into the garden from her win- 
 dow, by the help of a ladder, which would 
 also serve to facilitate her scaling the high 
 walls which surrounded her gloomy prison ; 
 and so dextrously did Lord William ma- 
 nage matters, that it was not till some time 
 after Catharine had been missed, i-t was 
 discovered how she had made her escape ; 
 and when it was ascertained that she had 
 risked her neck to obtain her freedom, no 
 one could divine with whom she was gone 
 — a favoured lover, it was supposed ; but 
 then, how had they contrived to com>- 
 meiice or to carry on a correspondence ? 
 
 Mr.
 
 lANGHTON PRIORY. 89 
 
 Mr. Langhton and Father Benedetto 
 maintained, that some of the domestics 
 must have been in the secret ; while they, 
 one and all, declared their total ignorance 
 of her intentions; offering to affirm, even 
 upon oath, that they had neither connived 
 at any meetings between her and her lover, 
 nor at their supposed intercourse by letter: 
 and as they were all nearly as bigottcd to 
 their religious tenets as their master, and 
 in full as much awe of Father Benedetto^ 
 both him and Mr. Langhton were inclined 
 to believe they spoke the truth. Mrs. 
 Stewart declared, they had never met with 
 any gentleman twice, during the few visits 
 they had paid in the neighbourhood. 
 
 " Then she must have gone off with 
 some foreigner who has followed her to 
 England," exclaimed Mr. Langhton, *' and 
 they have taken the road to some of the 
 southern ports, meaning to embark for 
 Italy." 
 
 At last, however, the fresh track of the 
 wheels of a carriage were traced in a bye- 
 lane
 
 90 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 lane leading towards the main north road ; 
 and, at the first post-town, the servant, 
 who had proceeded thither, learned whi- 
 ther the fugitives had bent their steps, and 
 the hour at which thev wept through : this 
 was all the intelligence he could obtain, 
 if we except that he was assured the gen- 
 tleman was an Englishman, and a very fine 
 young fellow. 
 
 This certainty by no means deprecated 
 Mr. Langhton's resentment, as he was now 
 convinced that her companion was not a 
 Catholic — no young man of that persua- 
 sion would have acted so basely ; besides, 
 they would not, in that case, have taken 
 the road to Scotland. Mrs. Stewart fully 
 participated in his anger against his daugh- 
 ter, as she must have been very easily 
 duped, he observed, if she had not, as he 
 suspected, facilitated their elopement ; and 
 as there were no hopes of overtaking the 
 runaway, all idea of pursuit was given up. 
 Therefore, during three days, they remain- 
 ed in their uneasy state of suspense, when 
 
 a letter
 
 LANGHTON PRIOIIY, ^l 
 
 a.- letter from Lady William Albany (her 
 husband having chosen to resume his own 
 name, never having borne that of Mon- 
 trose but through courtesy^ and well aware 
 that the Marquis of Endermay w^ould not 
 approve of its descending to any but his 
 own grandchildren; informed her father 
 upon whom she had bestowed her hand 
 and fortune ; dwelling very foi-'cibly upon 
 her Lord's promises, respecting her being 
 allowed the free exercise of her religion, 
 and urging every likely plea to reconcile 
 him to their stolen match. 
 
 Mr. Langhton was pleased to find she 
 had married a man of rank and family, and 
 of large fortune ; yet he did not choose ta 
 pronounce her pardon, at least at present; 
 and Father Benedetto, who felt it was to 
 his interest to widen the breach (since, 
 though the estates must devolve to Lady 
 William Albany and her children, he knew 
 the personals would afford very pretty 
 picking to the members of the church), 
 certainly helped to inflame his resentment; 
 
 artfully
 
 92 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 artfully hinting, that, by withholding the 
 olive branch, he might perhaps induce 
 Lord William to enter the holy pale of the 
 mother-church. 
 
 Avery cool letter was, therefore, written 
 by the wily monk, in Mr. Langhton's 
 name, importing that, except his Lordsliip 
 embraced the Catholic faith, he should 
 ever henceforth consider them as aliens to 
 his blood, which was returned by the mes- 
 senger who had brought the bride's epistle 
 to the Priorys By the same conveyance, 
 the bridegroom had written to Lady Wini- 
 fred, who thus learned Miss Langhton's 
 recent elopement, which had been kept a 
 profound secret by the young lady's fa- 
 mily ; and she was very much puzzled to 
 conceive how her nephew had managed 
 matters: still, as Lady William's con- 
 nexions were very honourable, and she 
 bid fair, in time, to be mistress of one of 
 the most ancient seats in England, and 
 might renounce the erroneous tenets in 
 which she had been educated, had her ne- 
 phew
 
 I.ANGHTON PRIORY. 93 
 
 phew been out of mourning for his late 
 wife, she would not have felt herself of- 
 fended by his recent marriage ; but, as 
 she was not deficient in point of feeling, 
 she sympathized too sincerely with the 
 Marquis of Endermay, to admit of her 
 congratulating the bride and bridegroom ; 
 and as she was not in the habit of forbear- 
 ing to speak her sentim^nts^ she wrote very 
 freely to her nephew, highly blaming him 
 for his precipitancy, and strongly repro- 
 bating his having married a Catholic, whom 
 he had, in consequence, probably entirely 
 alienated from her father. 
 
 The bridegroom was rather hurt when 
 he received her answer, as he had fiattered 
 himself that she would have mediated be- 
 tween him and Mr. Langhton : he made, 
 however, very light of her disapprobation 
 to his wife, whom he soon consoled under 
 her father's avowxd displeasure ; and as 
 Lord Algernon, to whom he had also 
 written, had given them a very cordial in- 
 vitation to Woodville, thither they pro' 
 
 ceeded
 
 94 LANGIITON PRIORY. 
 
 ceecled upon receipt of his letter, as Lord 
 William had no country-house, and Lon- 
 don was too empty to. make him wish to 
 return thither ; and they were so kindly 
 received by the Earl, that the bride was 
 soon reconciled to being forbid the Priory, 
 as she felt assured that Lord William would 
 have been very awkwardly situated there, 
 had Mr. Langhton been inclined to admit 
 him ; and his Lordship, upon serious re- 
 flection, rather rejoiced at the old man's 
 obstinacy, as he was well convinced that 
 their minds would never assimilate, and 
 that he should probably, had he become 
 his inmate, have incurred the everlasting 
 displeasure of the old bigot, by treating 
 some of his superstitious notions ^vith the 
 contempt they deserved : as for the Mar- 
 quis of Derwent, as he had no farther ex- 
 pectations from him, and knew that he was 
 even more deficient in paternal affection 
 than Mr. Langhton had ever shewn himself 
 (who had certainly always been actuated 
 by a wish to insure his daughter's happi- 
 '■ ness
 
 LAKGIITON PRIORY. 95 
 
 tiess in the next world, admitting that he 
 had not seemed inclined to adopt the 
 likely means of rendering her so in this), 
 he set his displeasure at nought; but he 
 did feel a few qualms of conscience, while 
 addressing the Marquis of Endermay upon 
 the subject, as he felt convinced that he 
 wo.uld, and with justice, think he had not 
 paid sufficient respect to the memory of 
 his late wife, as he had not been seven 
 months a widower when he carried off Ca- 
 tliarine Langhton ; and the Marquis had 
 acted so liberally by him, that he half 
 blamed himself, now it was too late, for 
 not having previously consulted him, as 
 he fancied he could have given him unan- 
 swerable reasons for hastening his intend- 
 ed marriage. As for the young Douglas^ 
 Malcolm, he felt assured that he would 
 never have reason to repent his having so 
 speedily made a second choice, since it 
 •would probably only endear him the more 
 to his grandfather; and, if he lived, he 
 would be most amply provided for, both 
 
 during
 
 96 LANCHTON PRIORY.. 
 
 during the Marquis of Endermay's life, 
 and after his decease, \vhen he would rank 
 much higher in the scale of society than 
 he (Lord Vv'illiam) probably ever should. 
 However, if his father-in-law resented the 
 sort of slight he had paid the memory of 
 Lady Zara, he must give up visiting at 
 Montrose Castle, at least for the present, 
 and trust to time to soften his displeasure. 
 
 CHAP. V. 
 
 There was a large party assembled at Wood- 
 ville when the bride and bridegroom ar- 
 rived, among whom were some ladies of 
 rank and fashion, to whose notice Lord 
 Algernon particularly recommended the 
 
 youthful
 
 LAS'CHTON PRIORY. 97 
 
 vouthful Ladv William, whose unaiTected 
 simpiiclfv, reiil naivete, ar.d sv/eetness of 
 temper, soon rendered them her friends; 
 and from them she soon learned to deco- 
 tate her elegant figure iii the most becom- 
 ing style, and, in a Very short time, to 
 enact the woman of fashion d merveille. 
 Lord William was, therefore, proud of his 
 choice, and looked forward with delight 
 to introducing her at St. James's, and into 
 the routine of fashionable life, which he 
 proposed resuming when he returned to 
 London. 
 
 As he had foreseen, the Marquis of En> 
 dermay had been more than hurt — he had 
 been extremely shocked, when he learned 
 that his son-in-law had so speedily made a se- 
 cond choicfe; nay had, while he supposed him 
 still sincerely grieving for his irreparable 
 loss, been carrying on a clandestine cor- 
 respondence with another heiress, with 
 whom he had finally eloped. His answer 
 to his letter was, therefore, so cool, and 
 so expressive of his displeasure, that Lord 
 
 VOL, I, F William
 
 i)8 L.A.NGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 William resolved never again, uninvited, 
 to visit his eld castle ; he might educate 
 his son as he pleased — he should never in- 
 terfere with his arrangements, nor seek ta 
 rival him in the boy's regard, as he was 
 now^ resolved to make himself amends for 
 his late life of seclusion; indeed he thought 
 it but justiceto make his beloved Catha- 
 rine ample amends for her father*s want 
 of feeling towards her^ and was convinced 
 that he could not do it more effectually, 
 than by introducing her into the beau 
 T/icmde, and suffering her to enjoy all the 
 diversions London afforded. Ke^ there- 
 fore^ resolved to take her to town the first 
 week in January ; proposing again to asto- 
 nish the high world, by the elegance of his 
 equipages, and the taste he meant to dis- 
 play in furnishing his house ; as the for- 
 tune he had received with his late wife, 
 in addition to the small remains of his 
 own, would enable him, he conceived, 
 again to launch out into every fashionable 
 extravagance ; and, when his wife came of 
 
 age.
 
 - LAKGHTON PRIORY. 99 
 
 ^ge, he sliould be enabled to demand thirty 
 thousand pounds more of Mr. Langhtoii, 
 who was neither immortal nor very young ; 
 and at least eigiit thousand a-year must 
 devolve to his wife in time. His children 
 by her would^ of course, at her death, 
 share the entailed estates ; and, during 
 their joint lives, he would give them house- 
 room, and, if they were boys, afford them 
 an opportunity of rising in the army or 
 navy, as Mr. Langhton did not seem in- 
 clined to stipulate any of them should be 
 brought up Catholics, or devoted to God. 
 The girls, if he had any, must trust to their 
 beauty for getting husbands, or to becom- 
 ing fayourites with aunt Winifred> who 
 would certainly descend from her altitudes 
 sooner or later; and she had no inconsi- 
 derable fortune to leave behind her. 
 
 Such were the resolves of the still im- 
 prudent Lord William, whose father having 
 returned from Spa, kindly congratulated 
 him upon his talent for managing love- 
 affairs^ since few young men of his age 
 F ^ could
 
 ^00 lANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 could boast of having obtained the hands 
 of two very rich heiresses, within the short 
 space of two years; and he particularly 
 approved of his late match, as he justly 
 conceived that it had greatly mortified 
 Lord Endermay, who had, more than once, 
 taken the liberty to criticise the conduct 
 of his brother Marquis, particularly after 
 his daughter had married into the family, 
 and this Lord Derwent had never forgiven: 
 he, therefore, resolved to mortify him, by 
 taking the greatest notice of the present 
 Lady William Albany! he, however,' failed 
 in the atte4Tipt, since the Marquis of En- 
 dermay despised him too cordially, to feel 
 offended at any thing he either said or did. 
 The Earl of Algernon was not actuated 
 by his father's vindictive motives, wheti 
 he had expressed his satisfaction at his fa- 
 vourite brother's having again entered the 
 holy, pale, as he conceived that he had 
 taken a very prudent step, sinee he had 
 now lost all chance of becoming evert a 
 tenant for life at Montrose Castle ; and, 
 
 had
 
 2LANGHT0N PRIORY^ 101 
 
 had Lord William acted in conformity to 
 the resolutions he had once formed^ even 
 Lord Endermay migRt;, in time^ have for- 
 given the slight he had shewti his daugh- 
 ter: but he was no sooner settled in a verv 
 handsome house in Dover-street, which he 
 had fitted up in the first style of fashion, 
 ere he was again surrounded by all his 
 former dissipated friends; and Lady Wil- 
 liam dashed into fashfonable life, with full 
 as much avidity as he did, her recluse life 
 having giveft her a greater zest for plea- 
 sure anS company ; and as she was posi- 
 tively ignorant of the value of money, and 
 of the necessary expences attending house- 
 keeping upon such a scale, she had no 
 idea that they were living beyond their 
 income, when they were spending ten 
 thousand a-year, as they merely appeared 
 to be living like other folks who moved in 
 the same circle. Her evening parties were, 
 therefore, very brilliant ; and, for the first 
 three months, she might be said \o live in 
 • constant crowd, either at home or abroad. 
 J. 3 Lord.
 
 102 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 Lord Algernon was of most of their par^ 
 tics; but, when he undrrstood that his 
 brother was again a member of several 
 gaming-chibs, and heard of his serious 
 losses at hazard^ he did venture to hint ta 
 hlm^ that old Langhton might prove tough, 
 and that he might not, like the generous 
 Marquis of Endermay, put him in posses- 
 sion of his wife's fortune, when she did 
 come of age, except he attacked him in 
 law, as he feared the confessor would not 
 be inclined to favour him, and that he 
 w^ould secure all the ready money when he 
 died. 
 
 Lord William merely laughed at his bro- 
 ther's croaking, as he styled it ; affirming 
 that a lucky run of the dice would always 
 keep him afloat: besides, his father had 
 promised to procure him a diplomatic si- 
 tuation, as he did not feel inclined to re- 
 purchase into the Guards. 
 
 Lord Algernon said no more, though he 
 placed but little'faith in the Marquis's pro- 
 mises^ with whom he merely continued 
 
 upon
 
 . 3LAMGHT0N PRIORY* 303 
 
 Upon Speaking-terms, as he had long been 
 a rival too near the Throne, to be a fa 
 Yoiirite with Lord Derweiit. Willing, how- 
 ever^ to contribute all in his power to 
 Lord William's advancement, he brought 
 him into Parliament, in the spring, for his 
 own borough, which, as he had expected, 
 paved the way to his obtaining a very lu- 
 crative post under Government, which in- 
 duced Lord William to see himself, in iiiia- 
 gination, one of the future Secretaries of 
 State. He had not answered the Marquis 
 of Endermay's last letter, of course, all 
 correspondence had ceased between that 
 nobleman and him ; though he frequently 
 heard of his son, through the medium of 
 some of his Scotch friends, and was in- 
 formed that he throve apace, and was^ as 
 he had foreseen, his grandfather's idol. 
 
 Six months spent in a continual round 
 of dissipation, almost satiated Lady Wil- 
 liam, who, being in the family-way, wish- 
 ed to have left town immediately after the 
 summer birth-day; but, as her dissipated 
 F 4 busbattd
 
 101 LANGHTON PKIDRY. 
 
 husband still had a ver3y' great regard for 
 hdk, be would not consent to her remov- 
 ing farther than Richmond, where he hired 
 a very pleasant villa, which was always 
 cipen to ; all his gay companions; and 
 there^, early in August^ he became the fa- 
 ther of a fine girl, who was named Rosalie, 
 after her ' Ladyship's mother^, and out of 
 compliment to her father, who had made 
 several vows^ in former times, at the shrine 
 of St. Rosalia. She did not, of course, 
 suckle i'viQ child ; and as soon as she was 
 sufficiently recovered, she accompanied 
 Lord William to Bath, from whence they 
 proceeded to Derwent- House in Hereford- 
 shire, where, by special invitation from its 
 owner, they spent their Christmas holi- 
 days; but returned to London early in Ja- 
 nuary, w^here they again resumed their 
 usual style of living : therefore, by the end 
 of April, his Lordship began to find that 
 he had verified Lord Algernon's prognos- 
 tics, having lost what might be deemed an 
 immense sum among his gambling associ- 
 ates;
 
 LANGHTON PRiORY. J 05 
 
 ates; and he was well aware that the in- 
 come he derived from his place^ in addic- 
 tion to his shattered fortune, would not 
 enable him much longer to support his 
 present extravaganJ: style of living: old 
 Langhton did not, it should appear, break 
 very fast ; Father Benedetto still kept his 
 anger alive ; and he feared it might prove 
 a difficult matter to raise money upon 
 Lady William's expectations, since the 
 birth of her da^ighter had lessened her own 
 claims upon the old Priory. She was, be- 
 sides, again in a likely way to encrease his 
 family, and, of course, his expences; he 
 must, therefore, devise some scheme to 
 ward off the approach of poverty, when be 
 recollected that he had a remarkable fleet 
 horse, of whose powers he conceived none 
 of the knowing ones were aware : he had 
 twice obliged him to exert his speed v;hen 
 alone, therefore resolved to seize the first 
 favourable opportunity, when his gay com- 
 panions were in the humour, to offer to . 
 ride him a given distance against time. 
 
 f5 The
 
 106 LANG ETON PRIORY. 
 
 Tlie first hint he gave of his intentions 
 was joyfully hailed by his dissipated asso- 
 ciates ; and it was finally settled, that he 
 should ride this said animal (which he re- 
 presented to be, and which was in reality, 
 a common roadster) from Tyburn Turn- 
 pike to Watford, and back again, within 
 an hour and ten irrinutes, for a bet of five 
 hundred guineas; and it was also agreed, 
 that the wager should be decided within 
 the four-and'twenty hours : to which he 
 very readily acceded, as the horse had 
 been, in some respects, in training for 
 this very purpose ; as he hoped to make 
 the hundreds thousands, if he did no more, 
 by his private bets; and certainly, in that 
 respect, he was even more successful than 
 he had expected ; and made no doubt, as 
 the weatiier was very fine, and the roads 
 remarkably good, that he shouldwin v^ith 
 ease. 
 
 Therefore, at six the following evening, 
 he started in excellent spirits,- anticipating 
 his triumphant return. A very large sum 
 
 wa.^
 
 XAKCHTON PRIORY. JOT 
 
 was now pending upon his success; and it 
 was generally believed that he would have 
 won his v/ager, \f, in coming down rather 
 a steep descent near Kilburn Wells, not 
 being sufficiently upon his guard, his horse 
 had not fallen, and thrown him to a consi- 
 derable distance; in consequence of which 
 he was taken up to all appearance lifeless, 
 and was, in that state, conveyed to a gen- 
 tleman's house in sight, when the first sur- 
 geons in London were summoned to his 
 assistance, who did succeed in restoring 
 hin) to his senses, but gave no hopes of 
 his recovering from the dreadful eflfects of 
 his fall. 
 
 Lord Algernon, who had been amongst 
 the betters upon this melancholy occasion, 
 was extremely shocked when he learned 
 what had befallen his favourite brother; 
 and severely did he reproach himself for 
 having countenanced (he had not encou- 
 raged) his making such a hazardous at- 
 tempt to obtain a fresh supply of cash* 
 F 6 He
 
 lOS rANdHTON PRIORY. 
 
 He had flown to his assistance; the inoment 
 he was informed of his accident, and rc- 
 iTiained with him till he recovered his 
 senses. Having previously heard the sur* 
 geon's opinion respecting the injuries he 
 had sustained^ he reluctantly imdertook to 
 impart the distressing intelligence to Lady 
 William, i>ow in the sixth month of her 
 second pregnancy ; and^^ in consequence; 
 proceeded into Dover-street ; and, with 
 due caution and genuine feeling, he in- 
 formed her that his brother had been 
 thrown from his horse, and was certainly 
 very much hurt; but the surgeons whon» 
 he had leh with him, could not, at present^ 
 ascertain how far his life might be endanr- 
 gered from the bruises he had received. 
 
 Though he had:, of late^ rather neglected 
 his wife, and she had learned that he was 
 in the habit of risking what she deemed 
 immense sums at hazard, which must, she 
 conceived, ultimately prove their ruin, she 
 still felt the wannest affection for her im- 
 
 prudeM
 
 I.ANGHTON PRIOTRY. 10^ 
 
 prudent hiisbandj and deeply regretted his 
 having met with such a misfortune; ex- 
 pressing the greatest wish to see him. 
 
 The Earl hoped she might be permitted 
 to visit him in the course of a few days ; 
 at present, she must not thinly- of such a 
 thing, as absolute solitude and quiet had; 
 been expressly ordered by the surgeons-, 
 and would, of course, be strictly enforced 
 by his attendants ; besides, in her present 
 situation, even Lord William would object 
 to her leaving town. 
 
 As she had a very high opinion of her 
 brother-in-law, she reluctantly agreed to 
 postpone visiting her husband ; though 
 she was well convinced, she told him, that 
 he was in great danger, admitting that he 
 still lived, which she rather doubted : and 
 as the Earl was aware that she must soon 
 learn her surmises were but too just, he 
 endeavourcd, to prepare her for the worst 
 that could happen ; and, after prom.ising 
 to see her again early in the morning, he 
 returned to his dying brother, who closed 
 
 his
 
 110 LANGHTON PRIORY.- 
 
 his worldly career on the fourth morning 
 after his, accident ; and sincerely was he 
 regretted by his disconsolate wife^ and af- 
 fectionate brother^ who seriously resolved 
 upon reforming his own conduct, as he 
 considered Lord William's untimely death 
 as a very serious warning, by which he 
 ought to profit. 
 
 The Marquis of Derwent had, of course, 
 heard of his son's fall, and the likely con- 
 sequences; but as he had a very great 
 dread of death, and could not bear to oe 
 reminded that he was himself rrorta], he 
 did not choose to Tisit him, alledging that 
 he could not have borne the shock the 
 sight of him would ha^e occasioned him ; 
 and as for the> widow and child, and her 
 unborn infant, he presumed Lord V/illiam 
 had "made a wrll ; affecting to suppose they 
 must, in consequence, be extremely well 
 provided for : at all events, her Ladyship 
 had thirty thousand pounds in reserve, and 
 Mr. Langhtons, estates were secured to 
 them. It v;ould^ therefore^ merely have 
 
 been
 
 LAKGHTON PRIOHT, 111 
 
 been a compliment, he told some of his 
 acquaintance;, were he to pay the widow a 
 visit of condolence, and could only en- 
 crease her and his own grief for their joint 
 loss. 
 
 The Earl of Algernon was not blessed 
 ivith such refined feelings: his brother cer- 
 tainly had made a will, in which he had 
 equally divided the small remains of the 
 noble fortune he had received with Lady 
 Zara Montrose, between his widow, his son 
 by his former wife, the little Rosalie^, and 
 her unborn brother; and Lady William's 
 own fortune of thirty thousand pounds, he 
 left wholly at her own disposal ; particu- 
 larly recommicnding her to the protection 
 of itie Earl, who had sworn to consider her 
 henceforth as a beloved sister. To the 
 Marquis of Endermay, he had ]eh a hun- 
 dred guineas for a ring; and, in a letter 
 addressed to that nobleman, which he had 
 dictated to his brother the day before he 
 diedj he had very severely condemned his 
 
 owii
 
 irS LANGHTON VRIORY. 
 
 * 
 
 own late conduct^ and lamented his inabr- 
 iity to make a more suitable provision for 
 his eldest child, since he had thought it his 
 duty to bequeath at least an equal sh^are of 
 his remaining property to Lady William, 
 her daughter, and his unborn infant, as' 
 Mr. Langhton -would very probably never 
 be reconciled to her, and might not feel 
 inclined, previous to her becoming of age, 
 (and she was but nineteen), to cojitribute, 
 in the smallest degree, towards her pecu- 
 niary wants. 
 
 Lord Algernon dispatched this letter, and 
 a copy of his will, express to the Marquis, 
 the very day his brother died, who had 
 nominated him sole executor; and most 
 h'onourably did he acquit himself of the 
 task, as he even offered to settle all Lord 
 William's debt^ of honour respecting the 
 rac^e himself, rather than farther diminish 
 the comparative small sum he had left be- 
 hind him. Eut the gay companions of 
 the deceased^ resolving not to be outdone 
 
 in
 
 LANGHTON PRIOftY. 113 
 
 in generosity, absolutely refused to receive 
 a farthing, unanimously declaring the bets 
 void. 
 
 The Marquis of Derwent, to whom Lord 
 William had bequeathed a ring, when told 
 of this circumstance, gave them great cre- 
 dit for their generosity ; though he could 
 not suppose, he said, that their receiving 
 so small a sum would have materially in- 
 jured the widow or children : but as he 
 had neither been consulted respecting the 
 will, nor appointed joint executor with 
 Lord Algernon, he did not conceive he 
 had any right to make any enquiries into 
 the affairs of the deceased. 
 
 Not so did the Marquis of Endermay 
 reason, as he answered Lord Algernon's: 
 explanatory letter, which accompanied his 
 packet, in person ; choosing to follow his 
 son-in-law to the grave, as he no longer 
 remembered his haviiig offended him, he 
 said;- he merely recollected that he was 
 the father of his iDeloved grandson, and, 
 as such, entitled to every mark of his re- 
 spect:
 
 114 LANGHTOtNT PRIORY. 
 
 spect : nor would he (as he foi.ind> by 
 Lord William's will, that his widow would 
 be but sieiulerly provided for, should her 
 father reinain inexorable) suffer Lord Al- 
 gernon to make over the stock his brother 
 bad beqiejcthed his eldest son, insisting 
 upon presenting it to the little Rosalie ; 
 declaring his intention of placing an equal 
 sum in the Funds for the youthful Mal- 
 colm, by v/ay of fuliiliing his father's in- 
 tentions; though, as he was his heir, he 
 should certainly make him an adequate al- 
 lowance to his future expectations, whea 
 he became acquainted with the real value^ 
 of money : and, as a further proof of his 
 generous regard for Lady William Albany, 
 he insisted upon her removing into Arling- 
 ton-street the moment he arrived in town, 
 thinking she would be more I'etired than 
 she could bie in Rortland-place with her 
 brother-in-law, and would, besides, have 
 nothing to remind her of her husband, 
 since she Irad never visited the Marquis 
 during, his life-time; and in his house he 
 
 v,as
 
 •LANGHTON PRIGltY. lib 
 
 Vas resolved she should remain as long a^ 
 she found it convenient, or met with a 
 smaller abode, either in London or else- 
 where, where she fancied she might be 
 more comfortable ; and, had she been his 
 own daughter, he could not have given 
 her, under similar circumstances, a kinder 
 reception : and, immediately after the fa- 
 iieral, in conjunction with the Earl, to 
 whom he proved a very able coadjutor, he 
 employed himself in settling Lord Wil- 
 liam's aflairs, whose town-house, furniture^ 
 and carriages, one only being reserved Iof 
 the use of the widow, were all disposed of 
 as speedily as circumstances admitted, and 
 with as little loss as could have been ex- 
 pected ; and fortunate it was that Lady- 
 William had two such staunch friends, as 
 she was almost immediately deserted by all 
 her fashionable acquaintance, who soon 
 learned that she was not left in sufficiently 
 good circumstances, to enable her to k^ep 
 up her late style of living ; indeed it was 
 reported that Lord William's fortune had 
 
 alL
 
 lis LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 all devolved to his son by his first wife; of 
 course^ it was supposed that her Ladyship 
 was entirely at the mercy of the Marquis 
 of Endermav^ who was the most unfa- 
 shionable cynic of his age, to be found in 
 the Peerage: and as for visiting Lady 
 William at his house^, that was impossible ; 
 indeed their Jine feelings, like Lord Der- 
 went's, would have prevented them from 
 attempting to console her under this sud- 
 den reverse of fortune, even had she re- 
 moved into Portland-place ; and thus was 
 She, at a very early period, taught to ap- 
 preciate the advantage of having moved in- 
 what was deemed the higher circles : and 
 as she now severely condemned herself for 
 having led so dissipated a life, she could 
 not help, at times, fancying that she had 
 been deservedly punished for her disobe- 
 dience towards her father, and for having 
 married a heretic ; as she had frequently, 
 been assured, that the vengeance of Hea- 
 ven never failed to overtake those who 
 v/ere guilty of so heinous a sin : and as 
 
 sha
 
 lANGitTON PRIORV. IIT 
 
 ^lie soon felt the sincerest regard for the 
 Marquis of Enderniay/ she did not scruple 
 to acknowledge to him> that slie felt very 
 anxious to receive her father's forgiveness, 
 previous to her fixing upon her future 
 plan of life ; expressing a wish to address 
 him, in writing, to that effect. 
 
 The Marquis, though he severely con- 
 demned the unfeeling bigot, as he deemed 
 Mr. Langhton, wishing, nevet'theless, to 
 set the mind of the young widow at ease^ 
 offered to address her father in her behalf, 
 aS she v^as in too low spirits to do justice 
 to her feelings; nor did|he <i:hoose to read 
 to her ,what he wrote to Mr. Langhton^ 
 whose feelings he' very severely probed, 
 though he addressed him very politely ; 
 merely requesting he would pronounce 
 the young widow's forgiveness, since she 
 required no more at his hards; for, though 
 Lord William had not left her in affluence, 
 she had made herself many friends (amotig 
 whom he ranked himself, not to mention 
 the Earl of Algernon,, who had behaved in 
 
 the
 
 118 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 the most liberal manner upon the late me^ 
 lancholy occasion), who would provide 
 for all her wants, cheri^jh her as ihey would 
 a daughter, and firmly assert her rights, 
 both now and hereafter, to the utmost of 
 their power. 
 
 Such was the purport of the letter, which 
 the Marquis purposely sent, by a special 
 messenger, to the Priory, with orders to 
 deliver it into the hands of Mr. Langhton, 
 ^nd to wait for his answer. 
 
 aiAP. VL 
 
 Mr. Langhton had, it may be supposed, 
 
 learned Lord William's death, and had sur- 
 
 i^ised, from the hints the editors of the 
 
 S newspapers
 
 XA"NGHTQN PRIDRY. Il9t 
 
 newspapers Ivacl inserted/ tbat he had not 
 died very rich; still he had not_feIt in- 
 clined to address his widowed daughter in 
 the language of condolement^ as, he was. 
 by no means sorry to hear, her vile seducer 
 from the path of duty, had expiated his 
 crime with his life'; and it may be sup- 
 posed. Father Benedetto attributed Lord 
 William^s accident to the divine wraths and 
 by no means endeavoured to soften Mr.. 
 Langhton in behalf of his daughter ; v/hen,„ 
 to the infinite surprise of both, the Mar- 
 quis of Endermay's letter arrived at the 
 Pxiory ; and, as his Lordship had hoped 
 aind expected, the contents roused both 
 Mr. Langhton's pride and his long dormant 
 regard for his only child. The monk was. 
 present when he received it^ aiTd felt both 
 anxious and uneasy while his patron was 
 perusing it, never having seen him so 
 much agitated before. 
 
 Having twice read the impressive misT'; 
 sive, he handed it tQ the confessor, say-- 
 ing, " What line of conduct ought 1 toi 
 
 pursue.
 
 120 LANCHtON iPRiORY. 
 
 pursue. Father ? — The messenger waits for 
 an answer, and I think we must convince 
 this proud titled heretic," that Catholics 
 understand their duty to the full as well as 
 he does.'* 
 
 The monk bowed his head in silence, 
 and deliberately perused the well-worded 
 epistle. That Mr. Langhton was favour- 
 ably inclined towards the young widow, it 
 did not require his intuitive penetration 
 to discover ; and, were he to endeavour to 
 withhold the solicited pardon, he should 
 be working against the stream. Wolsey> 
 he reflected, had governed Henry the 
 Eighth, till he ventured to contradict hitti 
 in a favourite point, and the Reformation 
 had been the consequence of his folly ; 
 nor did he himself approve of Lady Wil- 
 liam Albany's remaining under the protec* 
 tion of Lord Endermay, who, he had heard, 
 bore a most excellent character, and, what 
 was more to the purpose, was a man of 
 exalted rank, and in possession of a prince- 
 ly fortune ; and as he v/as an English Baron 
 
 iu
 
 in right of Ills grandmother^ he had an he- 
 reditary seat in the British House of Peers; 
 therefore^ should Mr. Langhton die while 
 his daughter remained estranged from him, 
 such a man, acting in conjunction with the 
 Earl of Algernon, might set aside any will 
 he might make inimical to his daughter's 
 interest : the Marquis was, besides, too 
 nearly connected with the widow (as her 
 daughter was sister to his grandson ), not 
 to render it absolutely necessary that she 
 should be removed from under his care. 
 He therefore, with his usual deep art, af- 
 fected to be extremely moved by the 
 strong picture the Marquis had drawn of 
 Lady William Albany's state of mind ; add- 
 ing, '' Indeed, my dear Sir, you must be 
 thoroughly reconciled to our beloved stray 
 sheep ; she must be again received into 
 our own fiock; we must not suffer the sal- 
 vation of her precious babe to be endan- 
 gered, nor suffer her unborn infant to 
 open its eyes among heretics. The Mar- 
 quis of Endermay is an honour to his 
 VOL, I. G country ;
 
 12^ LANGHTON PRIORY. . 
 
 country ; had he been a Catholic^ I should 
 have pronounced him a saint : therefore, 
 his own religious principles will teach him 
 to endeavour to persuade our beloved 
 Lady William to abjure what he deems her 
 errors; or, at all events, he will insist up- 
 on her next child's, should it prove a boy, 
 being brought up a Protestant; and, should 
 she consent, the sin will fall upon our 
 heads, for suffering her to remain exposed 
 to temptation. She must be recalled to 
 the Priory, since I am sure you would wish 
 your grandson should be born within these 
 holy w^alls, and since w^ho knows but her 
 present, or unborn child, may be the means 
 of converting their unbelieving brother/' 
 
 These arguments were so exactly calcu- 
 lated to meet the approbation of the per- 
 son to whom they were addressed, who 
 could not bear the idea of his daughter 
 being under any obligation to a heretic, 
 even of the highest rank, that he resolved 
 to address both the Marquis and his daugh- 
 ter;, and to request that she would imme- 
 diately
 
 LANGIITON PRIORY. 123 
 
 diately return to the Fricry, the gates of 
 ^vhich had merely been closed against her 
 dissipated husband, but would ever have 
 been opened to her, he assured her, had she, 
 during his lifetime, sought his presence r 
 and as the monk was fearful his patron 
 might not succeed in persuading the still 
 youthful widow to bi.ry herself once more 
 in seclusion, he also thought proper to 
 address her ; and as he had often preached 
 successfully to the passions, he no less art- 
 fully, in his epistle, assailed all Lady Wil- 
 liam's softer feelings; assuring her that, 
 should she refuse to accede to Mr. Lanoh- 
 ton's wish to return immediately to the 
 Priory, she would very probably shorten 
 his days, as his health -had been in a de- 
 clining state ever since her departure, and 
 henceforward she would be at liberty to 
 receive her own friends there, and to visit 
 whom she pleased ; concluding by hinting, 
 that it would be greatly to her children's 
 interest, and particularly to that she soon 
 G 2 expected
 
 124 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 expected to bring into the world, were it 
 to be born under her father*s roof. 
 
 This well-worded epistle, with those 
 from Mr. Langhton, were returned by the 
 Marquis's messenger; and his Lordship 
 was half tempted, upon receipt of his, to 
 accuse himself of having wronged Mr. 
 Langhton> whom he now considered as a 
 very fond, if a very mistaken parent. Lady 
 William was also much affected by her fa- 
 ther's letter ; and the monk's had also its 
 due effect, as she declared her intention 
 of immediately proceeding with her child 
 into Lancashire; and^ it was not in Lord 
 Endermay's principles to raise any objec- 
 tions to her design, as he thought so young 
 and beautiful a woman would be much 
 more reputably situated in her father's 
 house, than in any other abode she could 
 choose. He, however, deemed it neces- 
 sary to consult Lord Algernon, though he 
 was well convinced that his Lordship would 
 approve of her plan ; nor was he mistaken, 
 
 as
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY^ 125 
 
 as th^ Earl was extremely happy to learn 
 that she had received so kind an invitatioii 
 from her father; merely requesting that 
 his sister-in-law would always consider him 
 as one of her sincerest friends, promising 
 to remit her the interest of the money he 
 had placed in the Funds for her use, which 
 wonld amount, thanks to Lord Endermay's 
 generosity, to between seven and eight 
 hundred a-year : therefore should she, after 
 a time, find herself uncomfortably situated 
 at the Priory, she might remove to a more 
 pleasant abode; sin-ce, whether she remain- 
 ed his inmate or not, her father must^ 
 •when she became of age, put her in pos- 
 session of her mother's fortune; assnring 
 her that, wherever she resided, he should 
 always consider her in some deoree under 
 his protection; and even Father Benedetto 
 should not again confine her against her 
 
 It having thus been settled nem. con, 
 
 that she should conform to Mr. Lanshton's 
 
 wishes/ she wrote to him in consequence, 
 
 G 3 requesting*
 
 126 1AKG31T0N PRIORY, 
 
 requesting that her old friend Mrs. Stewart 
 ,(as she meant to wean her daughter, well 
 aware that her heretic nurse would not be 
 a welcome guest at the Priory), and Gor- 
 don, might come up for her, having re- 
 solved to discharge all her servants in 
 town ; and she could not think of availing 
 herself of Lord Algernon's kind offer of 
 travelling down with her, as she feared he 
 would not meet with a very cordial wel- 
 come from her father ; and as he conceived 
 he should rather be a restraint upon her 
 feelings when she reached home, he did 
 not press the matter. 
 
 Lady Winifred Albany had never abso- 
 lutely forgiven her late nephew, for having 
 put such a slight upon the memory of 
 Lady Zara Montrose ; and his mode of life, 
 after his second marriage, was not likely to 
 conciliate her favour, as she had foreseen 
 that even Mr. Langhton's income w^ould 
 not suffice to cover their expences ; and 
 as she was rather fond of money, she was 
 by no means inclined, as Lord William had 
 
 hoped.
 
 LANGHtON priory; 1^7 
 
 hoped, to descend from her altitudes, for 
 fear he might request her to assist hitn 
 with her purse. The same motive prevent- 
 ed her from addressing a letter of con- 
 dolence to the widow, whom she even 
 blamed for having placed herself under 
 the protection of the Marquis of Ender- 
 may, as she thought, notwithstanding his 
 Lordship's age, it might give room for 
 scandal ; at all events, it was too convin- 
 cing a proof of her poverty, to render her 
 at ajl anxious to interfere in her behalf; 
 besides, she could not think of having a 
 nursery at Highwood, nor of being plagued 
 with children, at her time of life; and as 
 Lady William had not sought her friend- 
 ship while she was in prosperity, she saw 
 no reason for seeking her's, now she was 
 in adversity : she therefore contented her- 
 self with hoping, that she would never 
 have reason to repent having, in her opi- 
 nion, acted very imprudently, since her 
 husband's death. 
 
 Mr. Langhtan and his confessor were 
 G 4 both
 
 >28 LANCnTON PRIORY. 
 
 both extremely pleased with Lady William, 
 for having so readily complied with iheir 
 "wisheSj and for having requested that Mrs. 
 Stewart should join her in London, as they 
 highly approved of her intention of dis- 
 charging all her present servants before she 
 left town. Her former governess was, 
 therefore, ordered to hold herself in rea- 
 diness to leave the Priory the following 
 morning, Gordon and another male atten- 
 dant being appointed her guards : and as 
 Mrs. Stewart, though a very great bigot, 
 and consequently very narrow-minded, 
 was sincerely attached to her former pupil, 
 her speedy arrival gave Lady William great 
 satisfaction, who, having taken a very re- 
 spectful leave of the Marquis of Ender- 
 may, and a very affectionate one of Lord 
 Algernon, from both of whom she receiv- 
 ed some very valuable presents, both for 
 her own and her daughter's use, she de- 
 parted, with the youthful Rosalie, for Lan- 
 cashire. 
 
 Lord Algernon had made her the bearer 
 
 of
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 129 
 
 of a very polite letter to Mr. Langhton, in 
 which he hinted^, that, though his late bro- 
 ther had appointed him the guardian of 
 his daughter; and of the infant that would 
 now probably be born in his house, he did 
 not mean to interfere between the chil- 
 dren and theij- nearer relations, except 
 called upon to do so ; and this, he trusted, 
 would never be the case, since Mr. Langh- 
 ton was so cordially inclined towards *his 
 daughter. 
 
 The Marquis of Endermay, who left 
 London on the same day his guest took 
 her departure, had not thought it neces- 
 sary to answer Mr. Langhton *s letter, as 
 he felt no wish to be upon terms of inti- 
 macy with a man who never ought to have 
 emerged from a cloister : he had, besides, 
 a sort of inherent dislike to Catholics, par- 
 ticularly of Italian growth, as the loyalty 
 of his clan had always shone conspicuous, 
 during the few weak attempts the Pre- 
 tender had made to obtain a footing in 
 Scotland: and as he presumed Lady Wi- 
 G 5 • Ham's
 
 ISO ^ LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 Kam'S children would now be brought up 
 in what their- grandfather deemed the true 
 faith, he was resolved to prevent any inti* 
 inacy between his grandson and them, and 
 never to consent, during his youth, to his 
 beloved Malcolms visiting Lancashire, 
 where Lady William arrived in perfect 
 safety, on the fourth evening after she left 
 London. 
 
 Eosalie, of whom Mrs. Stewart was grown 
 amazingly fond, had borne her journey 
 "vvonderfully well, and seemed quite re- 
 conciled to her new nurse ; still her mo^ 
 ther felt her spirits sick, as she drove 
 through the Gothic portal, it so forcibly 
 reminded her of her recent loss. She was, 
 however, most affectionately received by 
 her father; and the monk pronounced a 
 fervent blessing upon her, and returned 
 thanks to Heaven for having permitted her 
 to return within those holy walls. Mrs. 
 Stewart was no less rejoiced, and extremely 
 proud of her young charge, of whom Mr, 
 Langhton soon grew very fond: and as 
 
 her
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 131 
 
 her Ladyship rather enjoyed the secluded 
 life she led^ she wrote very chearful letters 
 to the Marquis of Endermay and Lord Al- 
 gernon, declaring herself to be in a much 
 happier frame of mind, since she had en- 
 joyed the advantage of Father Benedetto's 
 consolatory advice, and the benefit of his 
 fervent prayers. 
 
 The Marquis rejoiced she had returned 
 to her paternal home, as he conceived that 
 she would certainly be happier among Ca- 
 tholics, during her approaching confine- 
 ment. Not wishing, however, to interfere 
 any more in her affairs, ar to keep up any 
 correspondence, situated as she now was, 
 he wrote her a polite answer, hinting that 
 he should always rejoice to hear of her fu- 
 ture welfare, through the medium of Lord 
 Algernon : and as Lady William perfectly 
 appreciated his motives for thus declining 
 all future intercourse with her, she felt less 
 hurt than she would otherwise have done. 
 
 Lord Algernon wajs no less pleased, up- 
 on receipt of her first letter; and resolved, 
 G G if
 
 132 lakghton priory. 
 
 if old Langhton and the monk continued 
 to render the Priory an agreeable abode 
 to his sister-in-]^w^ never to interfere be- 
 tween them, much less to dictate respect- 
 ing. his wards. 
 
 Within the month after her return into 
 Lancashire, Lady William was delivered of 
 a son, who was immediately baptized by 
 Father Benedetto, by the names of, Alger- 
 non Langhton Albany. Her Ladyship had 
 been in so low a way previous to his birth, 
 and remained so weak afterwards, that she 
 was unable, as she had proposed, to suckle 
 her infant ; but, as this had been foreseen, 
 a v/et-nurse had been previously provided 
 —a Catholic, it may be presumed (as Mr, 
 Langhton would strongly have objected to 
 the child's sucking a heretic), who for- 
 tunately laid in only a few days before her 
 Ladyship ; and to her milk the young Al- 
 gernon was indebted for a vl^ry excellent 
 constitution, and a very docile temper^ 
 said Father Benedetto, who early gave hflii 
 the preference to his sister ; not so Mrs, 
 
 Stewart—
 
 LANCHTON PRIORY. 133 
 
 Stewart — she continued the staunch friend 
 of Rosalie^ who was also a great favourite 
 of her mother's, as she soon found that her 
 son ranked foremost in her father's af- 
 fections. 
 
 The Earl of Algernon had been duly 
 apprized, by the monk, of the birth of his 
 nephew, and of his iiaving been named 
 after him, which had been, in «ome mea- 
 sure, at the instigation of the friar, in 
 consequence of a hint Lady William had 
 expressed previous to her confinement. 
 His Lordship was also informed, that he 
 would be educated in the Catholic faith, 
 since the boy was next heir to Langhton 
 Priory : and as the late Lord William had 
 not expressly stipulated that he should be 
 brought up a Protestant^, Lord Algernon 
 acquiesced in the determination. 
 
 The Marquis of Derwxnt, when informed 
 of this encrease of his family, declared his 
 entire approbation of old Langhton "s con- 
 duct ; protesting that he should not inter- 
 fere to prevent him^ were he to devote 
 5 both
 
 1S4 LA-NGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 both the brats to the service of God, as he 
 foresaw the name of Albany would not be 
 extinct^ were he so inclined ; nor^ in fact^, 
 would he have cared if it had at his demise, 
 as he did not wish any one to benefit by 
 that event; and he could not help think- 
 ing that heirs were always looking anxi- 
 ously forward to coming into possession. 
 
 A formal letter had also been dispatched 
 to Montrose Castle, by the confessor's ad- 
 vice, and an equally formal one of con- 
 gratulation, addressed to Mr. Langhton, 
 had been returned by the Marquis, who 
 felt hurt when he understood the young 
 heir was to perpetuate the errors of the 
 Langhton family : but he did not think 
 himself authorised to debate the point, 
 either with his mother or Lord Algernon ; 
 contenting himself with resolving, that 
 there should be no intercourse between 
 the brothers, at least before they were 
 both of age. 
 
 Lady Winifred had, of course, learned 
 Lady William's return to the Priory, and 
 
 agreed
 
 " LAKGHTON PRiaRY. 13j 
 
 agreed that she had acted more prudently 
 than she should have expected ; and as she 
 was no longer afraid of being obliged to 
 open her purse-strings^ she thought it ne- 
 cessary^ since the Marquis of Endermay 
 had set her the example of noticing the 
 young widow, to pay her a lying-in visit ; 
 andj we are sorry to say, was obliged to 
 declare that she was far more actuated by 
 curiosity than by regard, or feeling, to- 
 wards Lady William and her children. 
 
 As she had foreseen, she was received 
 with all due deference by the Langhton 
 family ; but as neither Mr. Langhton nor 
 Father Benedetto wished her to be a fre- 
 quent guest, they gave her no encourage- 
 ment to repeat her visits; and as Lady 
 William had never before been noticed by 
 her, and had thought she had been very 
 deficient in point of attention, when she 
 was really in need of a friend, she was not 
 inclined to give her a very cordial wel- 
 come, which induced the stately spinster 
 to resolve never again to enter the gloomy 
 
 abode ;
 
 13G LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 abode ; assuring every one to whom she 
 descanted upon her great condescension, 
 that the lying-in-room had given her a fit 
 of the horrors, it was so dark and dismal, 
 and so wretchedly furnished ; affecting to 
 pity the poor young creature, whom her 
 nephew's fojly had doomed to pine away 
 her cheerless existence in such a dismal 
 dungeon, and to associate with such a set 
 of superstitious bigots, who certainly, as 
 she prognosticated, soon contrived to 
 estrange the unsuspecting Lady William 
 from her sincere well-wisher, Lord Alger- 
 non, by intercepting the letters of both, 
 till they each ceased writing, after vainly 
 expecting answers to their last epistles : 
 and about six months after the birth of his 
 nephew. Lord Algernon, who had been a 
 reformed' man from the period of his fa- 
 vourite brother's death, gave his hand to a 
 jady of rank, fashion, and fortune, and 
 >vho stood so high in the public estima- 
 tion, that even the Marquis of Derwent 
 reluctantly acknowledged^ Algernon bad 
 
 made
 
 LAN<;HTOil PRIORY. 137 
 
 niade a very prudent choice ; and the ami- 
 able disposition of his wife, added to the 
 wish the Earl now entertained of setting a 
 proper example to his still-dissipated fa- 
 ther, induced him to forswear dice and 
 cards, except for amusement, and all his 
 former immoral pursuits : therefore, from 
 the time he married, he became an honour 
 to his mnk, and a very valuable member of 
 society ; and in due time, to his infinite 
 satisfaction, the father of a fine boy. 
 
 Lord Albertus Albany, whom v/e hope 
 our readers have not entirely forgotten, as 
 the Marquis of Derwent had once hoped 
 to have seen him Lord High Chancellor, 
 had been almost entirely estranged from 
 his family, from the time he took chambers 
 in the Temple, as he continued to associ- 
 ate with the same low set with whom he 
 had early connected himself; and when 
 Lord William married the second time, he 
 was as renowned for his pugilistic know- 
 ledge, dextrous driving, and low fun, as 
 his two brothers were for their superior 
 
 eleaance
 
 138 LANCHTON PRIORY. 
 
 elegance of manners^, and strict adherence 
 to the ruling fashions : and as he would 
 have scorned to have heen taken for a 
 gentleman, he soon gave up his chambers; 
 preferring a coffee-house or a hotel to any 
 regular abode, not choosing to be restrict- 
 ed respecting hours; besides, at those 
 places he was sure to be surrounded by all 
 th^ low bucks in London ; till having, like 
 
 the late Lord B , nearly ruined him« 
 
 self, by supporting any and every low 
 character who could contribute to his 
 amusement, he resolved, soon after he en- 
 tered his eight-and-twentieth year, like his 
 deceased brother, to make a '^ bold stroke 
 for a wife/* 
 
 Lord William had been dead three years, 
 when he came to this resolution ; and he 
 never, during that period, except by 
 chance, met either the Marquis or Lord 
 Algernon, as they had both, though from 
 very different motives, resolved entirely to 
 cut with him; of course, he was convinced 
 that it would be useless for him to seek a 
 
 bride-
 
 LAKGHTON PRIORY; 139 
 
 bride among the fashionable ladies of the 
 age : but being, at this period, very inti- 
 mate with the son of a rich Jew merchant, 
 who was greatly in his debt^ not having 
 been a match for him at cock-fighting, 
 &c. he desired this descendant of Abraham 
 to look out for a rich wife for him among 
 his own tribe; swearing he did not care 
 whether he married a Jew, Gentile, Maho- 
 metan, or Christian, so long as he did but 
 linger plenty of the ready. 
 
 Manasseh Samuels was by no means in- 
 clined to acknowledge that he was of Jew- 
 ish extraction, thoiioh he ao^reed that some 
 of his family frequented the synagogue ; 
 and, wishing to cancel his debts of honour, 
 he told Lord Albertus that he had a rela- 
 tion, an avowed Jewess, who might feel 
 inclined to exchange her plum and a half 
 for a title ; offering to introduce him to 
 Hannah Nizam, who, he vowed, would 
 make him a very good, if not a very fa- 
 shionable wife ; though she was a girl of 
 
 spirit^
 
 140 LANGHTON PRIOR V^ 
 
 spirit, and even now set the Ian in St, 
 Mary Axe. " 
 
 Lord Albertus having convinced himself 
 that Miss Hannah had as large a fortune 
 as Manasseh affirmed, with his assistance, 
 concerted the most probable means of at- 
 tacking the rich Israelite with any hopes of 
 success. She was not absolutely plain ; 
 and, as her cousin had foreseen, very rea- 
 dily fell into the snare which had been 
 spread for her : and having, in conformity 
 to her dear Lord's wishes, declared herself 
 a convert to his religious principles, she 
 forsook the synagogue, and was, in due, 
 form, baptized and married at the same 
 time. 
 
 Had not Lord Albertus been insensible 
 of shame, he might have blushed for the 
 origin of the mother of his future chil- 
 dren ; as old Ephraim Nizam., the father of 
 his fair bride, had risen from the lowest 
 order of society ; having been first merely 
 porter to a Jew merchant, then an itine- . 
 
 rant
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 141 
 
 raiit old cloathsman, and dealer in hare- 
 skins ; he was next a warehouseman in 
 Ilonndsditch, when, having married the 
 widow of a rich broker, he soon became 
 one of the most substantial followers of 
 the law of Moses ; yet he never could be 
 prevailed upon to have Hannah, his only- 
 child, educated in a manner suitable to the 
 fortune she must one day inherit, his wife 
 not having long survived her second mar- 
 riage ; of course. Miss Nizam was not cal- 
 culated to do great honour to an exalted 
 station when he died, leaving her sole 
 heiress of his immense wealth. But Lord 
 Albertus had resolved she should never ap- 
 pear at Court, and he was convinced that 
 she would not be shocked by the gross 
 vulgarity of the set with whom he asso- 
 ciated; and she fancied it must greatly 
 add to her happiness, being styled, '' My 
 Lady" — a distinction she had long co- 
 veted, and which, we may safely affirm, 
 was the sole advantage she derived from 
 her precipitate union with an Albany, as 
 
 she
 
 142 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 she was not, it may be supposed, noticed 
 by any one branch of that family. 
 
 At the expiration of a twelvemonth, she 
 presented him with a daughter, who was 
 named Hannah, after herself; and, as a 
 mother, she appeared to some degree of 
 advantage : and as she never ventured to 
 contradict her, in many respects, brutal 
 husband (since continual drinking, and 
 the counsels and example of his low com- 
 panions, had been as hurtful to his temper 
 as inimical to his morals), she was not 
 compleatly miserable, as she had her hours 
 of relaxation when her lord and master 
 was from home; and, when his daughter 
 was about a year old, his sapient Lordship 
 left London early one morning, to be pre- 
 sent at a pitched battle between two noted 
 pugilists, which was to be fought about 
 thirty miles from town. During the sa- 
 vage contest, high words arose among the 
 friends of the respective champions, re- 
 specting a blow which the man his Lord- 
 shhp had backed to a .considerable amount 
 
 received^
 
 I^NGHTON PRIORY. 143 
 
 received, as he, and all those \vho had 
 betted on that side, declared it was not 
 fair, which was, of course, as obstinately 
 pronounced to be so by the other party. 
 The man was, however, beaten, and the 
 majority of those present declared, very 
 fairly, which so provoked the already half 
 drunk, and ahvays when opposed savage 
 Lord Albertus, that, in the heat of his pas- 
 sion, he struck a low fellow, who instantly 
 challenged him to fight it out ,\ declaring 
 himself, in true slang language, to be a 
 better man than he was, or ever would be. 
 His Lordship had, therefore, no alternative, 
 but to make excuses for the provocation 
 he had given, or, as his challenger had 
 proposed, to have recourse to his fists ; 
 and as he fancied that he was perfect mas- 
 ter of the science of boxing, he fought it 
 out upon the spot ; and, to his honour be 
 it recorded, after a most desperate battle, 
 he beat his man; but unfortunately he re- 
 ceived so many severe inward bruises, and 
 his blood was in so bad a state, that he de- 
 
 pai ted
 
 144 LAKOHTON PRIORY. 
 
 parted this life on the sixteenth day after 
 he had achieved his dear-bought triumph, 
 very much lamented by all his low compa- 
 nions, who certainly lost, in him, a very 
 
 staunch friend. 
 
 CHAP. vir. 
 
 When the early death of Lord Albertus xM- 
 bany was canvassed among the higher 
 circles, they unanimously declared he had 
 only met with his desevts ; nay, even the 
 Earl of Algernon did not deem it incum- 
 bent upon him to condole with his widow, 
 or to enquire in what circumstances she 
 was left, understanding that his brother 
 was reputed to have died rich ; and he was 
 
 confirmed
 
 LANciiTON vRionr, lis 
 
 eolifirmed in this opinion, by learning that, 
 when conscious of his approaching disso- 
 lution, he had made a will, in which, strange 
 to relate, he had appointed Lady Winifred 
 Albany the guardian of his infant daugh- 
 ter's person, and the Marquis of Derwent 
 the guardian of her fortune, amounting to 
 one hundred thousand pounds. The other 
 fifty thousand, which he had received with 
 Hannah Nizam, he had been- half tricked 
 into settling upon herself. Over that he 
 had, of course, no power ; and, out of re- 
 venge, though upon his:death-bed, here- 
 solved to exclude her from benefiting by 
 her daughter's minority, or from holding 
 any authority over her. 
 
 The Marquis, who grew fonder of money 
 as he advanced in years, though still as 
 dissipated as ever, gave his deceased son 
 infinite credit for the prudence he had dis- 
 played in the making of his will, and 
 strongly enforced the wish he expressed; 
 that Lady Winifred would immediately 
 take charge of the infant heiress, who 
 ' 'VOL. I. H could
 
 146 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 could not be too soon removed from the 
 care of her low-born mother; offering to 
 make her any allowance she might deem 
 adequate to the trouble and expence such 
 an inmate would occasion her. 
 
 Her Ladyship, who felt flattered at being 
 considered of consequence, and of being 
 appointed guardian to the infant female, 
 readily acceded to her brother's politely* 
 ^vordcd request, feeling not a little stimu- 
 lated by the thousand a-year it was settled 
 she should receive for the child's board. Sec, 
 
 Miss Albany was, therefore, demanded 
 in form ; and her mother was reluctantly 
 obliged to deliver her into the hands of 
 her grandfather, who immediately sent her 
 down to Highwood. 
 
 Lady Winifred was shocked, upon her 
 arrival, to perceive that her complexion, 
 and various other indications, proclaimed 
 her to be a descendant from one of the 
 ten tribes; but hoped, in time, to see her 
 engrafted into some noble family, who 
 might overlook her being the grandchild 
 
 of
 
 of EphlaiiTi Nizam, in ooiisideratioA of hef 
 fortune, which, she feared, would be het 
 chief attraction — Meanwhile Malcolm Mon- 
 trose, the hero of our talc, grew a very 
 fine boy, and was idolized by his grand- 
 father, and all the household at the Castle. 
 The Earl of Algernon had intended to 
 have visited Scotland the summer he ifiar- 
 lied ; but as he, in consequence of that 
 event, spent three months with his bride's 
 father, he gave up the idea ; and^ soon 
 after the birth of his second son, within a 
 nvonth after Lord Albertus's death, he was 
 nominated ambassador to the Court of 
 Spain, Lady Algernon's father being in 
 the Ministry, which, for a time, totally 
 estranged him from his family. Lady Wil- 
 liam Albany having ceased to correspond 
 with him, even before he married, lie, of 
 course, felt much less interested in her fate • 
 and as all her money-concerns were now 
 settled by her father's steward, he conceiv- 
 ed himself to be exonerated from the guar- 
 dianship of her children ; therefore did not 
 II 2 think
 
 T48 LAKCTHTON PRIORY. 
 
 think it necessary to inform her, that he 
 was going to leave England, probably for 
 some years ; merely requesting his aunt. 
 Lady Winifred, with whom he was in high 
 favour, and of whom he took a very polite 
 leave in writing, would let him knov\^, 
 should any material occurrence take place 
 at the Priory during his absence ; since, 
 though he knew she was as much a stranger 
 as himself to what was passing within its 
 w^alls, should either Mr. Langhton or his 
 daughter die, or either of the children, he 
 presumed it would not be kept a secret ; 
 and he should wish to have the earliest in- 
 telligence, should any thing of moment 
 transpire. 
 
 Her Ladyship answered his letter very 
 speedily, promising to write him to Ma- 
 drid, whenever she learned any thing wor- 
 thy his notice ; requesting to be remem- 
 bered to the Countess and the dear chil- 
 dren, who, she understood, were to accom- 
 pany him to Spain. 
 
 The Earl also wrote to Lord Endermay, 
 
 and
 
 LANGiiTON priory; HD 
 
 and sent several very elegant and expen-^ 
 sive presents to his elder nephew, now in 
 his seventh year ; expressing a hope that 
 Lord Endermay would have no objection 
 to his children's cultivating an acquaint- 
 ance with their cousin^ when he returned 
 from Spain. 
 
 The Marquis sent him a very polite 
 answer^ expressive of his sincere good 
 wishes towards every individual of his fa- 
 mily ; and, through the medium of a friend 
 in London, he, in his grandson's name, 
 made some very suitable presents to Lord 
 Dunluce and his infant brother, who, during 
 the following week, embarked for Lisbon 
 with their parents, as they proposed pro- 
 ceeding from thence to Madrid. 
 
 During the first twelvemonth after his 
 absence. Lady Winifred found full occu- 
 pation in superintending the nursery of 
 her ward, whose mother, being deprived 
 of that pleasure, and having little to attach 
 her to her Lord's memory, made a second 
 choice, long before etiquette sanctioned 
 H 3 such
 
 ibO TANG WTO N yaiORY, 
 
 *Mch % prQce^i\lf)g ; and gves^t v/as Lady 
 "Winifred's disinay, upon readin^;, in the 
 luorning papers, that Lady Albertus Al- 
 bany had bestowed her reserved fifty thou- 
 sand pounds, and her fair self, upon a rich 
 Jew merchant, of the name of Salvadore, 
 ivho resided in Bury-street, St. Mary Axe, 
 4nd whose villa Vv^as at Hackney. " What 
 fcetter could be expected from such a wo- 
 ia?n ?" her Ladyship wisely observed. — 
 Though she rejoiced to hear that this apos- 
 tate to the true faith, and to all decency, 
 had had the grace to drop her title, yet she 
 greatly feared that her avowed return to 
 the law of Moses, w^ould prove an effectual 
 bar to the Honourable Miss Albany's 
 irsaking a decent match, notwithstanding 
 she never suffered her ward to be called 
 by her vulgar mother's name of Hannah, 
 which she had softened down to Anna : 
 and it may be supposed that the second 
 marriage of Mrs. Salyadore was also seri^ 
 ously canvassed at the Priory, Father Be* 
 nedetto rejoicing that his dear daughter.
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 151 
 
 as Re styled Lady William^, had dropped all 
 connexion ^vith such a worldly-minded set 
 as the Albany family evidently were ; kind- 
 ly hinting, that he was convinced a judg- 
 ment had gone forth against them — in- 
 stancing the untimely deaths of Lord Wil- 
 liam and Lord Albertus; the one, having 
 seduced a Catholic from her duty, had/ of 
 course, incurred the resentment of Omni- 
 potence ; and the other having, contrary 
 to every ordinance, human or divine, in- 
 termarried with an avowed unbeliever in 
 Christ, had, of course, dared the vengeance 
 which had so speedily overtaken him. The 
 Earl of Algernon was, he agreed, the flower 
 ©f the family, and had acted very honour- 
 ably, in not attempting to interfere in the 
 education of the young Algernon and Ro- 
 salie, who ought never to be suffered to 
 associate with Protestants of any degree ; 
 of course, not with their brother and cou- 
 sins,* since, admitting that the former did 
 turn out well, he would doubtless be a 
 staunch Protestant ; and, if he bore any 
 H 4 resemblance
 
 152 LANGHTON PRiORi', 
 
 resemblance to his late f:ither in point of 
 disposition, he would indubitably hurt the 
 morals of Algernon, were any intercourse 
 suffered between them. 
 
 Lady William reluctantly assented to 
 -what she by no means approved of; bur, 
 to oppose the confessor with any hopes of 
 success, she knew, would prove a vain at- 
 tempt ; she, therefore, suffered her chil- 
 dren to be brought up in almost monastic 
 seclusion, though she was well aware that 
 this was not likely to enable them to ap- 
 pear with eclat, whenever they w^ere re- 
 leased from their present state of bondage. 
 
 Very different was the education bestow- 
 ed upon their brother, as Lord Endermay 
 had early resolved to spare neither pains 
 nor expence upon the heir to his family- 
 honours and vast estate, as he was ex- 
 tremely anxious to prevent him from dis^ 
 gracing the high rank which he was born 
 to fill in society, which he thought his pa- 
 ternal grandfather had long done : he also 
 wished him to avoid falling into his late 
 
 : father's
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 153 
 
 father's errors; and this, he conceived, 
 could only be done by paying the greatest 
 attention to his principles, morals, and 
 early habits. He, therefore, engaged a 
 very worthy clergyman to superintend his^ 
 juvenile studies, and to form his mind to 
 an early love of virtue ; since, without 
 hoping or expecting that he would prove 
 either a phoenix or a faultless monster, he 
 wished him to be a good as well as a fa^ 
 shionable member of societv. He, there- 
 fore, made a point of spending his winters 
 in Edinburgh, after his grandson had at- 
 tained his tenth year, that he might enjoy 
 the benefit of the best masters that capital 
 afforded ; and was undecided, as he grew 
 up, whether he should send him to one of 
 the Scotch, or suffer him to be entered at 
 one of the English Universities. The de- 
 cided preference Malcolm gave to the pro- 
 fession of arms, rendered it needless to 
 come to anv decision upon that point, as 
 a soldier was not required to have his edu- 
 cation finished at the University; and as 
 H 5 ^11
 
 154 iANGHTON rraoRY. 
 
 all the sans of the house of 'Endermay had 
 beeu renowned for theix loyalty and bra- 
 very, he did not oppose his wish to be in- 
 corporated into a 'Highland regiment ; 
 merely observing to him^ that^ though he 
 had, for some tiine> been studying tactics 
 iiknd. fortifications, he had yet much military 
 Jinowledge to acquire, notwithstanding the 
 present French army was often led on by 
 ci'dQvajit monks and barbers, some of 
 ^«hom might, be agreed, have been en- 
 dowed with great natural talents, which, 
 ^dcd to enthusiasm, and a contempt of 
 ^eath, had rendered them great generals ; 
 ^)d being in constant employ was infinite- 
 ly more likely to render a. man a good 
 soldier,, than all the theoretical knowledge 
 ^hich can be obtained, from books or 
 study. 
 
 Malcolm bad scarcely received the co- 
 lours with which he was entrusted, ere he 
 ]panted to be called into action, that b^ 
 might have an opportunity of convincing 
 ys grandfather, that h^ should not tarnish 
 
 the
 
 LANGHTON BHIORT. 15-5 
 
 the fame of his family : biit^ as he was not 
 more than sixteen when he entered the 
 army, and of a most lively, though a most 
 excellent disposition, the Marquis did not 
 choose he should spend much time with 
 his regiment, as he had still many things to 
 learn, besides military manoeuvres; and Dr. 
 Campbell, his worthy tutor, seconded his 
 Lordship so ably, that, though volatile to 
 a degree, he never neglected his studies, 
 as he resolved not to remain in ignorance 
 of any thing his grandfather thought it ne- 
 cessary he should be acquainted with. The 
 Marquis generally accompanied him, when 
 he did suffer him to join the regiment; 
 and as he was still a very gay companion, 
 aiid strove to render himself very agree- 
 able to all the officers, they were always 
 extremely happy to see him and the young 
 Ensign, who was a general favourite witb 
 the whole corps. 
 
 Lord Endermay had, at a proper period^ 
 
 entered into every necessary detail re- 
 
 sj^ctixxg, hi& father's family, with which he 
 
 b6 had
 
 156 LANGHTON PPJIORY. 
 
 had had no direct communication since 
 Lord Algernon had been abroad; having 
 long since dropped all correspondence 
 with Lady William Albany, and never 
 having renewed that which Lady Winifred 
 had begun during his daughter's lifetime. 
 Through the medium of the newspapers, 
 he often gained intelligence of the Mar- 
 quis of Derwcnt, who was now styled the 
 evergreen of the fashionable world ; and, 
 if report was to be credited, which cer- 
 tainly merely did him justice, he was stilj 
 as dissipated and dissolute as he had been 
 at one-and-twenty. Lord Endermay was, 
 therefore, very happy that his grandson 
 had never been noticed by this jitvenile old 
 man, to whose baneful example, like Lady 
 Winifred, he, in a great measure, attri- 
 buted the errors of his youngest sons. 
 
 His grandson had just entered his eigh- 
 teenth year, when his uncle. Lord Alger* 
 non, returned to England from his Spanish 
 embassy. He had had a third son born in 
 Spain ; but his eldest^ Lord "DuBliu:e, was 
 
 the
 
 lANGHTON PRIORY. 15 7 
 
 the only survivor when he returned to 
 England, and he was four years Malcohn's 
 junior, and had spent the last three at 
 Eton, having preceded his father home, 
 who had been led to suppose, by the loss 
 of his other sons, that the air of Spain was 
 not congenial to children. His maternal 
 uncle had undertaken the care of him, and 
 with him he had always spent his holidays; 
 but sincerely did he rejoice when the Earl 
 and Countess returned to England, as he 
 knev/, from his mother, he should meet 
 with many more indulgences than had of 
 late fallen to his share, as he had, previous 
 to his leaving Spain, felt the baneful ef- 
 fects of being an only child. The Mar- 
 quis of Derwent had, .once or twice, in- 
 vited him to his town-house, and had -boast- 
 ed much of his hospitality, in having had 
 him for a fortnight, during one summer 
 vacation, at his seat in Staffordshire; but^ 
 as he presumed his father provided for all 
 his wants, he did not think it incumbent 
 upon him to make him any pecuniary or 
 
 other
 
 158 LANGHTON PRIOKY. 
 
 Other presents, not feeling at all cordially 
 inclined towards the future Marquis of 
 Dervvent, who, it may be supposed, w^as 
 still more flighty and undecided at twelve 
 and thirteen, than he was at twenty : and 
 when his father arrived in England, he 
 soon learned that Lord Dunluce was one 
 of the most lively, the most dissipated, and 
 most mischievous boys at Eton, though 
 perfectly good-tempered ; and even his 
 pranks bore no traits of malice; indeed, 
 they were indiscriminately played off* upon 
 friends or foes : and as the Earl had borne 
 a very similar character at the same semi- 
 nary, he was the more ready to forgive his 
 son's love of frolic ; though he seriously 
 cautioned him against suffering it to dege- 
 nerate into low fun, or mischievous sport 
 Not having corresponded with Lord En.- 
 dermay during his residence abroad, he 
 was undecided whether he should pay bim a 
 visit, uninvited, at Montrose Castle ; tillr he 
 reflected that, ere long, his nephew would 
 probably be presented atCourt, andtheMar- 
 
 quis
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 159 
 
 quis might not wish to introduce him to 
 bis father's family before ; and at present 
 he mighty with justice^ think that Dunluce 
 was too young, and him (Lord Algernon) 
 too old, to be fit companions for the young 
 soldier, of whom he heard a most excel- 
 lent character from the Colonel of his re- 
 giment, whom he met at a dinner one of 
 the Ministers gave soon after his return 
 from Spain, and with whom he entered in- 
 to conversation respecting his nephew, 
 who stood very high in the Coloners 
 esteem ; and from him he learned, that 
 though he greatly resembled his father in 
 point of figure, his features and com- 
 plexion were those of his mother, who, 
 like all her countrywomen, was extremely 
 fair. " He has also inherited her golden 
 .locks," continued the Colonel; *' there- 
 fore, were you to see him in his regimen- 
 tals, you would swear he was a Scotchman.; 
 and 'faith he is not only the finest youjag 
 fellow of his age I have ever seen, but he 
 is also one of the most aceam.plished ; 
 5 though.
 
 160 LANGHTON PPJORV. 
 
 though, don't mistake me, he is not with- 
 out his faults; but they only serve to ren- 
 der his virtues the more conspicuous : in- 
 deed, he is generally beloved by both great 
 and poor, and the doting-piece of his 
 fond grandfather ; still, he has never spoil- 
 ed him, nor would, he encourage him in 
 extravagance, though he makes him a most 
 liberal allowance, and wishes him to be 
 generous, but not lavish, of fortune's fa- 
 vours/* 
 
 " I only wish I had not sent my son to 
 Eton," resum.ed Lord Algernon ; '' but, as 
 I was aware of my own deficiencies, and 
 afraid to trust entirely to a private tutor, I 
 thought I was acting very wisely in so do- 
 ing : but I am now fearful he will not turn 
 out so well as his cousin, who has certainly 
 had many advantages which Henry could* 
 not have had, even had^I kept him under 
 my own eye, as I cannot compare myself 
 to the Marquis of Endermay, who, I have 
 been assured, is one of the first scholars 
 this island can boast/' 
 
 '* You 
 
 \
 
 ftjfNGHTON PRIORY. 16 £ 
 
 ^^ You have not been misinformed, my 
 Lord ; and he has had a most able assistant 
 in Dr. Campbell : but I believe, nay, I 
 have heard him say, that he is more anxi- 
 ous to have his grandson spoken of as a 
 good man, than to hear him mentioned as 
 a prodigy of learning ; and, hitherto, the 
 youth has been every thing that he could 
 "wish ; but, as he justly says, he is yet like 
 an unfledged bird, and has never been 
 from under his eye : but I do hope that he 
 will never fall into any very gross errors, 
 when he does make his entrance into the 
 world, as he is by no means fond of the 
 bottle, nor is he to be either rallied or 
 persuaded into drinking more than he 
 likes; and he excuses himself with so much 
 good-humoured pleasantry, and is so gay 
 a companion, that he is now suffered to do 
 as he likes, as he frequently declares that, 
 though born in the Highlands, he does not 
 require much of the juice of the grape to 
 raise his spirits above par. But I should 
 tire you, were I to dwell much longer up^ 
 
 oa
 
 on this subject, or I should induce yen to 
 accuse me of partiality, as^ in my opinion, 
 your nephew will do the utmost honour t© 
 the noble race from whence he sprung.'' 
 
 The Earl was extremely happy to hear 
 him say so ; observing that, had his bro- 
 ther been equally well educated, he was 
 convinced he would have been a very dif^ 
 ferent character, and might now have been 
 living, an example to his sons, and blessed 
 with a great share of conjugal felicity ; 
 and these reflections did not tend to ren- 
 der him more indulgent to his father's fol- 
 lies, with whom he had not corresponded 
 more than once a-y ear during his resi- 
 dence abroad ; but, upon bis return home, 
 as he had chosen to notice his son, he 
 thought it incumbent upon him to pay an 
 early visit at Derwent House. 
 
 The Marquis affected to be very happy 
 to see him, and in due time returned the 
 compliment, and even invited his son to a 
 ceremonious dinner, before he left town 
 for the summer, as he found he w^as in 
 
 great
 
 lan<;hton fhidry. 163 
 
 great favour with the Ministers; and 
 chance brought them again together at 
 Brighton, during the autumn. Lady Alger- 
 non having been ordered sea-bathing ; 
 and as it had also been recommended to 
 Lord Dunluee, who grew very fast^ he ac- 
 companied them thither. The Marquis 
 had taken a gort of liking to the youth, in 
 consequence of his being reckoned ex- 
 tremely like him ; and, though the most 
 volatile amons: his schoolfellows, he was 
 certainly not deficient in point of parts ; 
 but he was so averse to application, and so 
 eager in his pursuit of novelty, that his 
 father with justice feared he would never 
 be deemed a good scholar ; since, though 
 anxious to learn every thing, he was soon 
 discouraged when he came to encounter 
 tlie necessary difficulties w:hieh impeded 
 his rapid progress. 
 
 As the Marquis's amours^ and other fol- 
 lies, still continued to afford paragraphs 
 for the morning papers, he had frequently 
 been highly amused at liis grandfather's 
 
 expence^
 
 1G4 LANCHTON PRIORY. 
 
 ex pence, though it may be supposed tha? 
 his respect for the old gentleman was by 
 no means encreased ; and he had soon 
 learned that he had never been upon very 
 cordial terms with, his father, and that the 
 follies of his deceased uncles were, in a 
 great measure^ attributed to the dissolute 
 example he had always set them. There- 
 fore, without appearing to intend it, he 
 frequently gave the Marquis to under- 
 stand, that he was more an fait than he 
 W'ished, respecting his mode of life; and 
 as his Lordship could not entirely divest 
 himself of the manicres de la rielle cour, 
 though he scrupulously adhered to the 
 reigning fashion, and concealed his grey 
 hairs under a fashionable Brutus, Lord 
 Diiniuce often amused himself with mi- 
 micing the old beau, as he styled him, to 
 some of his young companions. Unfor- 
 tunately his Lordship caught' him in the 
 very act jone day upon the Steine, which 
 so provoked him, that he made a most se- 
 rious complaint to his son, declaring that 
 
 he
 
 LANGHTON PRIOKY. 165 
 
 he should liave supposed the boy had re- 
 ceived his early education in France in- 
 stead of Spain, as he $eenied to have form- 
 ed his manners upon tho^ of the rising 
 generation in that miserable country, from 
 whence the present ruling demagogues 
 had effectually banished good manners^ 
 and all respect for persons. 
 
 The Earl, not having been present when 
 his son had thus offended against the laws 
 of good ]>reeding, could only hope that 
 Henry was not so culpable as he seemed to 
 make him out, as he must be aware that 
 he should be as much offended at his hold- 
 ing up those he ought to respect to ridi- 
 cule, as he (the Marquis) could feel him- 
 self. 
 
 These vague concessions were by no 
 means sufficient to satisfy the old Peer, 
 who now chose to blame the Earl for hav- 
 ing sent his son to Eton, where he was 
 likely to be encouraged, by his lawless 
 companions, in all his evil propensities. 
 
 This Lord Algernon was by no means 
 
 inclined
 
 166 LANCHTON PKIORl. 
 
 inclined to allow, therefore warmly de- 
 fended that celebrated college, within 
 whose walls some of the first characters in 
 Great Britain had received their education; 
 adding, "I should not have supposed your 
 Lordship would have objected to a semi- 
 nary, at which you placed all your own 
 sons.** 
 
 " I should have supposed you, my Lord, 
 would have taken warning from my im- 
 prudence. You did reform the bad habits 
 you acquired there, after time and expe- 
 rience had taught you what must have 
 been the consequence, had you persevered 
 in your mad career ; but I am ready to 
 prognosticate, that your son will tread in 
 the steps of his uncles, since he is already 
 as impertinently satirical as William was at 
 his age, and as fond of low fun as Albertus 
 always appeared. Lord Endermay has pur- 
 sued a very different method with his grand- 
 son, I have been assured ; and by him, 1 
 make no doubt, I shall always be treated 
 with the respect so much my due from a 
 
 grandchild;
 
 LA^GHTON PRIORY. 167 
 
 grandchild; nay, even the young Catholic 
 "would never have dared to have insulted 
 me so grossly as Lord Dunluce has, doubt- 
 less, frequently done." 
 
 *' I am rejoiced to find your Lordship so 
 ready to do justice to my nephews, even 
 at the expence of my son.'* 
 
 *' I hope I shall always be just. Lord 
 Algernon ; and my regard for truth forces 
 me to declare, that your son will never do 
 equal honour to his family.'* 
 
 The Earl had wished to have concih'ated 
 matters^ being seriously displeased with his 
 son ; but these spiteful prognostics respect- 
 ing his only child, added to the ill-timed 
 praise the Marquis had chosen to bestow 
 upon his cousins, whom he had never seen, 
 and of whose dispositions he could, of 
 course, be no judge, quite provoked him; 
 he therefore replied, that he was astonish- 
 ed the Marquis should feel himselFso grie- 
 vously oflended at his son's conduct, since 
 he ought to reflect that his conduct through 
 life had not been calculated to render him 
 
 respectable
 
 1-6^ LANGHTON PRIORY, 
 
 respectable in the eyes of his grahdchil- 
 dren, who could not be kept in ignorance 
 of his follies, not to give his actions a 
 harsher name. 
 
 These home truths had the desired ef- 
 fect of silencing the Marquis, who, in- 
 stantly snatching up his hat, left the house, 
 resolving never again to hold converse 
 with this most undutiful of all children, 
 since he evidently encouraged his son to 
 laugh in his face, and to hold him up to 
 ridicule. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 tANGIITON PRIORY. 16^ 
 
 CHAP. VIII. 
 
 In consequence of the heroic resolution 
 Lord Dervvent had so instantaneously form- 
 ed, upon being, for once in his life, ad- 
 dressed in the language of truth, he set 
 out, the following morning, for Weymouth, 
 not wishing either to see or hear of his 
 insolent son for some months to come 
 
 The Earl, when he heard of his depar- 
 ture, presumed he had now sinned beyond 
 forgiveness. This did not prevent him 
 from giving his son a very severe lecture ; 
 judiciously observing, that even those who 
 were amused by his impertinent behaviour 
 to his grandfather, must despise him in 
 
 VOL. I. I their
 
 170 LAKGHTON Pr.IORY. 
 
 their hearts. Be that as it might, he ex- 
 pected, as a mark of respect to himself, 
 that he woukl, in future, treat the Marquis 
 with the deference and respect due to his 
 age and rank. 
 
 Lord Dunluce readily acknowledged his 
 error, and offered to address his grandfather 
 in writing, in extenuation of his late con- 
 duct. 
 
 The Earl did not approve of the idea, 
 well aware that any concessions merely 
 added fuel to the flame, with his irascible, 
 selfish parent, who having had time for re- 
 flection during his journey, wished he had 
 not been so precipitate in his movements, 
 ere he reached Weymouth, as his son was 
 in such favour with the higher powers, that 
 he thought it would be very impolitic to 
 come to an open rupture with him, be- 
 cause his son was an impertinent puppy ; 
 since he could not accuse him of having 
 set the boy the example, as he always 
 treated him with politeness, and an ap- 
 pearance of respect. It was certainly tak- 
 ing;
 
 LANGIITON PRIORY. 171 
 
 ino; a very improper libert}^ to venture to 
 criticise his mode of life; but as he was 
 obliged to acknowledge that he had, in a 
 manner, provoked him to do so, he wished 
 himself back at Brighton, even before he 
 reached Weymouth ; and soon recollected 
 something he wished to impart to his son> 
 which enabled him so to make up matters; 
 that they continued upon their usual terms,' 
 since no real cordiality had ever marked 
 their mutual intercourse. 
 
 They met again in London, and, by 
 chance, in Pali-Mall, each walking with a 
 friend, which induced the Marquis to ad- 
 dress his son with much apparent satisfac- 
 tion ; he even enquired after Lady Alger- 
 non, but did not mention Lord Dunluce. 
 The Enrl was, therefore, convinced that his 
 son was not included in the sort of amnesty 
 which had - been agreed upon between 
 them ; nor was he mistaken, as the Mar- 
 quis assured all his friends, that the boy 
 would turn out a mere dissipated man of 
 fashion ; and certainly, when entered a 
 I 2 fellow-
 
 172 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 fellow-^commoner at Cambridge, he bid 
 very fair to verify his kind prognostics, as 
 he seemed to fancy he was sent thither in 
 pursuit of pleasure, instead of knowledge. 
 The hero of our tale had continued to 
 reside in Scotland; and chiefly with his 
 grandfather, till he became of age ; soon 
 after which he was advanced to the rank of 
 Captain ; and the Marquis had it in con- 
 templation to spend the ensuing winter in 
 London, as he thought it proper that his 
 heir, who was now in his twenty-second 
 year, should be introduced to his Sove- 
 reign, and to his father's family; and sin- 
 cerely did he hope that he would not dis- 
 grace the excellent education he had re- 
 ceived, when removed, as he must nov/ be, 
 from under the eye of his two Mentors ; 
 "when, to his infinite dismay, though he 
 had for some time secretly dreaded such an 
 event taking place, his grandson's regi- 
 ment was ordered abroad ; and he durst 
 not even express a hope that he would re- 
 main behind, as he was as jealous of his 
 
 honour.
 
 LAKCHTON PRIORV. 
 
 i)^ 
 
 lionour, and as anxious for his promotion, 
 as the young soldier himself could feel. 
 Though he as sincerely regretted the ne^ 
 cessary separation from his grandfather aS 
 the old gentleman himself did, both Avere, 
 however, resolved to enact ihQ hero upon 
 this trying occasion ; though the Marquis 
 found it much the most difficult, since he 
 iTiight never again see the living image of 
 his deceased daughter, whom, he had hoped, 
 would have been the solace of his old age. 
 In vain did Malcolm assure him that, for 
 his sake, - he would take care of himself; 
 and that probably he should soon return, 
 and, he hoped, covered with laurels, since 
 every British officer must feel anxious to 
 do even more than his duty, during the 
 present contest with France. 
 
 The Marquis agreed to the justice of his 
 remark, merely hinting, that rashness was 
 no proof of courage ; though he acknow- 
 ledged that he would rather follow him to 
 the grave, than hear his conduct as an offi- 
 cer impeached ; observing that he must be 
 I 3 introduced
 
 174 LANGIITON .PRIORY. 
 
 introduced to their Majesties before he 
 left England ; and he should take the same 
 opportunity of introducing him to his fa- 
 ther's family. Therefore when his regi- 
 inent, which was then in Scotland, was or- 
 dered to set out on their march to Ply- 
 mouthy he left the Castle, with his grand- 
 father, for London ; and, had it not been 
 for the parting from Lord Endermay, he 
 "would have felt compleatly happy at hav- 
 ing his name enrolled among the defen- 
 ders of his country. 
 
 It may be presumed, that both the Mar- 
 quis and himself met with a very gracious 
 reception at St. James's ; our hero in par- 
 ticular, who looked to very great advan- 
 tage in regimentals, attracted very general 
 notice, and received some very flattering 
 compliments from many branches of the 
 royal family; and within the week, in con- 
 sequence of various resignations on ac- 
 count of ill health, &c. he was promoted 
 to the rank of Major, by purchase; and 
 was to kiss hands upon the occasion, and 
 
 take
 
 A LA^'GHTON PRIORY. 175 
 
 take leave the following week, previous to 
 his leaving London for Plymouth ; but/in 
 consequence of the resolutions entered in- 
 to at Montrose Castle^ the Marquis accom- 
 panied him to Derwent House, the morn- 
 ing after Ive had made his first appearance 
 at Court. Lord Derwent was not at home;, 
 therefore, after leaving cards, they pro- 
 ceeded to the Earl of Algernon's, who still 
 resided in Portland-place, where they 
 learned that -his- Lordship, having gone 
 down to his seat in Cheshire for the Easter* 
 holidays, had been confined there ever 
 since by the gout; and as the summer v;as 
 so far advanced, it was doubtful whether 
 he would return to London before Christ- 
 mas. 
 
 The Marquis felt disappointed, as he 
 had long wished to introduce his grandson 
 to his only surviving uncle; but as Mal- 
 colm had never seen him, he thought it of 
 little consequence whether they met now 
 or after his return to England, as he felt 
 no doubt of doing so some time or other: 
 I 4 indeed.
 
 176 LAKGHTON PRIORY, 
 
 indeed, he was much more curious to see 
 his brother and sister, than any other 
 branch of his family ; but^ as they never 
 emerged from the precincts of the old 
 Priory, and he had never been invited to 
 •visit the sancta casa, he thought it very 
 probable they might never meet, at least 
 during the lives of their respective grand- 
 fathers. 
 
 The Marquis of Derwent soon returned 
 the visit he had received, by dropping a 
 card in Arlington-street; but did not seem 
 inclined to form any acquaintance with 
 the young soldier, possibly that he might 
 not share in Lord Endermay's grief when 
 he left England. Be that as it may, Mal- 
 colm had so many places to visit in Lon- 
 don, and so many Scotch, and other friends 
 of his maternal grandfather, were so anxi- 
 ous to see him, and to make his time pass 
 agreeably, that he was by no means sen- 
 sible of Lord Derwent's evident neglect of 
 the common forms of good breeding, in 
 not inviting him to pass one evening, 
 
 during
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 177 
 
 during his limited stay in town, in SU 
 James 's-sqiiare. The fact was, he had such 
 a rooted dislike to the Marquis of Ender- 
 may, that it had descended to this their 
 joint grandson ; who being at the opera, 
 on the first Saturday after his arrival in 
 town, with a party of officers, who were, 
 like himself, upon the wing for Plymouth, 
 he, for the first time in his life, saw the 
 gallant gay Lothario^ as the Marquis of 
 Derwent still wished to appear, in one of 
 the private boxes, with a party of equal 
 rank. One of his companions pointed him 
 out to him, asking him if he did not wear 
 well ? though he believed, that, like Lord 
 Ogleby, he would require some making up, 
 ere he appeared in public. 
 
 Malcolm agreed he was still a very fine 
 figure ; and as he looked much younger 
 than Lord Endermay, who was not many- 
 years his senior, he presurried he was more 
 ail fait at repairing the ravages of time : 
 of course, he mentioned having seer the 
 still-blooming evergreen to his much less 
 I 5 youthful
 
 178 LANGIITON PRIOHY. 
 
 youthful grandfather, who was fearful, he 
 said, that Lord Derwent would never lay 
 aside his taste for pleasure. 
 
 On the Sunday, all the officers belong- 
 ing to our hero's regiment, who were in 
 town, among whom was his worthy Colo- 
 nel, dined in Arlington-street, by special 
 invitation ; and the Marquis took an op- 
 portunity of privately recommending him, 
 in the strongest terms, to that gentleman, 
 that, in the event of his being wounded, 
 all possible care might be taken of him ; 
 acknowledging that he feared he should 
 Kever see him again, as he felt himself de- 
 clining daily. ^ 
 
 Colonel gave him every assur- 
 ance likely to raise his spirits, and to en- 
 able him to bear up against the approach- 
 ing separation ; declaring, that there was 
 not a man in the regiment who would not 
 willing^y sacrifice his own life to save that 
 of Major Montrose, who was most sincere- 
 ly and deservedly beloved by the whole re- 
 giment. ' 
 
 The
 
 LANGHTON PniORY. 179 
 
 The Marquis promised to exert all his 
 fortitude upon the trying occasion ; and, 
 not wishing to afford himself time for re- 
 flection, he was the constant companion of 
 his grandson, whether at home or abroad, 
 during the ensuing three days. 
 
 On the Thursday, they were invited to 
 dine with a Scotch Peer, the elder brother 
 of Colonel . The Marquis had ac- 
 companied his grandson to Court again on 
 the Wednesday, to pay his parting devoirs; 
 but was so unwell on the Thursday, owing 
 to the racketing life he had led, of late, to 
 banish reflection, and to his encreasing 
 anxiety of mind, that he declared his ina- 
 bility of proceeding into Portland-place, 
 when they left the drawing-room, where it 
 had also been necessary our hero should 
 shew himself; who, in consequence, rather 
 reluctantly, after setting him down in Ar- 
 lington-street, proceeded to join the party 
 with whom he had engaged to dine. But 
 the Marquis had made a point of his doing 
 so, assuring him, that he was merely under 
 16 the
 
 J 80 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 the unpleasant influence of a violent head- 
 ache^ for which quiet and repose were the 
 only remedies ; and as he meant to retire 
 immediately, he insisted upon his not re- 
 turning home a moment sooner upon his 
 account, as he should not see him till they 
 met at breakfast the next morning ; and as 
 fhis was a sort of farewell-dinner which 
 the Peer gave his brother, and many of his 
 brother-officers were present, the bottles 
 were pushed about so briskly, that our 
 young Major found it impossible not to 
 break through his general rule of rising 
 perfectly sober from table ; not that he 
 was at all disordered, but certainly in un- 
 usual good spirits, when he drove from 
 the door, between ten and eleven. His 
 coachman had also been making rather 
 free with some of his brother whips, who 
 had, like himself, been in waiting; therefore 
 dashed off full speed, meaning to set his 
 master down in Arlington-street, very 
 speedily, we must suppose. Unfortunate- 
 ly, the night was rather dark, and his head 
 
 was
 
 LANCHTON PRIORY. 181 
 
 was not very clear ; he, therefore, took a 
 wrong turning, and, in whisking round the 
 corner of Edward-street, to turn into Ca- 
 vendish-square, our hero felt so severe a 
 jolt, that he was surprised the carriage had 
 not been overturned by the shock it had 
 sustained; presuming, in the first instance, 
 that his coachman had run upon the post 
 at the corner, till he recollected the jolt 
 seemed to have proceeded from some ob- 
 struction on the other side ; and, upon 
 looking out to discover with what he had 
 come in such close contact, he heard 
 screams. 
 
 His man, having merely been checked 
 in his mad career^ conscious of the mis- 
 chief he had done, was driving forward 
 with encreasing speed, till his more hu- 
 mane master called out, in a peremptory 
 tone, ordering him to turn round, and 
 drive to the spot from whence he conti- 
 nued to hear the screams of females. Very 
 reluctantly, the man obeyed : it was near 
 eleven, and there was hardly a person in 
 
 the
 
 182 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 the streets ; but^ having returned to the 
 corner of Edward-street, he perceived, by 
 the light of a lamp, a handsome chariot 
 lying'upon its side, and the coachman as- 
 sisting two ladies out through the upper 
 door. Springing out of his own carriage, 
 Malcolm flew to their assistance, enquiring 
 how the accident had happened? 
 
 '^ Through the rashness of your coach- 
 man. Sir,'' was the reply — " he tore off 
 one of my hind wheels." 
 
 Little more passed between them, till 
 they had succeeded in extricating two very 
 handsome young women from their un- 
 pleasant situation, whom, it soon appeared, 
 had fortunately been more alarmed than 
 hurt. 
 
 Malcolm requested they would allow 
 liim to see them home, feeling anxious to 
 make every reparation in his power for his 
 coachman's carelessness. This considerate 
 offer was readily accepted ; and having 
 handed the ladies into his carriage, he 
 
 ordeied it to N©. , Portman-street, 
 
 Portmau-
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 183 
 
 Port man-square^ where, they told him, 
 they resided ; and, during their drive, he 
 had no reason to complain of their shy- 
 ness or taciturnity ; and they pressed him 
 so politely to alight, when they reached 
 their abode, which appeared to be a hand- 
 some private house, that he made no scru- 
 ple of obliging them ; rather presuming 
 that they ranked among the first class of 
 Cyprian beauties, as they had gaily ex- 
 pressed a great wish to see a little more of 
 him ; and he felt conscious that a nearer 
 survey must turn out to his advantage. 
 Therefore, having handed them out, he 
 ordered his carriage and servants home, as 
 he meant to walk, he told them, that he 
 might not again endanger his neck. 
 
 His coachman endeavoured to excuse 
 himself, urging that he was perfectly 
 sober. 
 
 " Then you were the more to blame," 
 was the reply; "but, as I am of a differ- 
 ent opinion, you will drive 'home empty/' 
 
 The man, who was shocked at having 
 5 incurred
 
 lS4t LANGHTON PKIOEY. 
 
 incurred his displeasure, said no more, 
 hoping that he would be more inclined to 
 overlook his fault in the morning. The 
 footmen, however, knowing that their 
 master was a perfect stranger in town, ad- 
 vised his waiting at a little distance till the 
 Major came out again, as they did not re- 
 lish the idea of returning home without 
 him. 
 
 During their debate, the young soldier 
 followed the fair nymphs he had so cour- 
 teously rescued from their dangerous situ- 
 ation, into a very elegant drawing-roora, 
 where they renewed their thanks for the 
 timely assistance he had aflbrded them : 
 still they v/ere so familiar, and paid him 
 so many free compliments, that he was 
 more and more confirmed in his conjee- 
 tures respecting their calling, as, having 
 made him take a seat, they insisted upon 
 his pledging them in a glass of wine, as 
 they found it absolutely necessary to take 
 something to raise their spirits, after their 
 recent alarm. 
 
 Now
 
 langhton priory. 185 
 
 Now he felt, and was convinced, that 
 they must perceive he was in no want of a 
 cordial; still he was too gallant to object 
 to their proposal. A sandwich-tray, and 
 a bottle of Madeira, were therefore order- 
 ed, and immediately brought in; and he 
 "Was easily induced to partake of their j?e^/^ 
 soiiper. The lady who seemed to play the 
 hostess, was a fine shewy young woman, 
 of six-and-twenty : her friend was by no 
 means so good a figure, but had a more 
 regular set of features, and appeared ra- 
 ther older. 
 
 Having finished their repast, and con- 
 vinced him that they were infinitely more 
 partial to wine than he was, the tray was 
 removed ; and as there was a very hand- 
 some piano in the room, Malcolm request- 
 ed to be favoured Vv ith a specimen of their 
 skill. The youngest instantly sat down to 
 the instrument, and soon convinced him 
 that she played and sang in a very superior 
 style : her companion, not being equally 
 harmoniously inclined, withdrew, and the 
 
 fair
 
 ISG LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 fair syren was singing a second papular 
 •ballad, with infinite taste and pathos, when 
 she suddenly paused, exclaiming, 'V ^as 
 iK)t that a knock at the door ?/' 
 
 " I cannot satisfy you/' was the reply; 
 " though, I give you my honour, I was all 
 ear/' 
 
 She smiled, and resumed her song; but 
 had scarcely done so, ere her compjtnion, 
 in evident alarm, rushed into the room, 
 saying, in an audible whisper, *^ The Mar- 
 quis is at my heels ;** whisking the lights 
 off' the piano while she spoke, and placing 
 them upon the table, upon which remain- 
 ed a decanter of Madeira and three glasses; 
 while the singer, hastily rising, exclaimed, 
 in a peevish tone, '' And what then ? This 
 gentleman merely saw us home after our 
 accident ; surely no one can misconstrue 
 so simple an action ;" remaining standing 
 near the instrument, running her fingers 
 over the keys to conceal her perturbation, 
 and giving her visitor a look, which he 
 construed into, '^ only confirm what I may 
 
 advance/*
 
 tANGHTON PRIORY. 187 
 
 advance/* as he was not so much overtaken 
 not to understand her meaning, and also 
 to feel himself very awkwardly situated. 
 Not wishing, however, to injure the fair 
 songstress in the estimation of her patron, 
 he caught up his cap or helmet, and re- 
 treated towards the chimney, wishing to 
 seem as if he was upon the point of depar- 
 ture, when, to his infinite astonishment,, 
 the Marquis of Derwent, unannounced, 
 therefore evidently a frequent and familiar 
 guest, stalked into the room, exclaiming, 
 ** I do not suppose you expected me to- 
 night, Serena; but I got away from my 
 party much sooner than I expected, so I 
 resolved to occasion you an agreeable sur- 
 prise — I heard you warbling before I 
 knocked." 
 
 At that moment, as the fair Serena had 
 hitherto screened him from his view, he 
 caught sight of the handsome young High- 
 lander, who had perhaps seldom appeared 
 to more advantage : his costume was pe- 
 culiarly appropriate to his fine manly 
 
 figure.
 
 188 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 figure, and particularly advantageous lo 
 his complexion, which was the counter- 
 part of his mother's ; and his golden, or 
 bright auburn hair, which waved in the 
 most becoming manner over his fine arch- 
 ed forehead, gave great animation to his 
 dark-blue eyes. In point of features, he 
 resembled his father ; he had also the same 
 intrepid look, blended with all Lady Zara*s 
 sweetness. He had, of course, instantly 
 recognised his paternal grandfather in the 
 unwelcome intruder; and, had the Mar- 
 quis been equally acquainted with his per- 
 son, probably he would have acted very 
 differently. As it was, he actually started 
 back, a prey to all the direst pangs of jea- 
 lousy ; appearing undecided whether he 
 should not instantly leave the house, never 
 to return : but Serena having seized hold 
 of him, said, with a forced laugh, " Do 
 not be alarmed, my dear Marquis ; though 
 I do not wonder at your being surprised 
 at finding me in company with a stranger: 
 but I am convinced that you will add your 
 
 thanks
 
 LANGHTON PRIOBY. 189 
 
 thanks ta ours, when you learn how kindly 
 attentive he has shewn himself to Charlotte 
 and me; since, but for his humane inter- 
 ference, it is very possible that you might 
 have found us both under the hands of a 
 surgeon, had we been so fortunate as to 
 have escaped with life/' 
 
 '' Considering you have been in such 
 imminent danger, I wonder you have so 
 soon recovered your spirits,*' coldly replied 
 the angry Marquis, *' since you were ex- 
 erting your vocal powers for your pre- 
 server's amusement, I presume, when I 
 knocked at your door. But pray, let me 
 hear what dreadful misfortune had like to 
 have befallen you, and who this stranger 
 is to whom you are indebted for your ex- 
 istence?** 
 
 ''' Your last question I cannot resolve, 
 my Lord; therefore I must refer you to 
 him: but, light as you seem to make of 
 my past danger, I shall ever consider my- 
 self as greatly his debtor." 
 
 *Mhen pray inform me what has oc- 
 curred.
 
 190 LANGHTON PRIORV. 
 
 ciirred, and why I found you in such com- 
 pany, at so unseasonable an hour ; and let 
 me advise you to come to the point at 
 once, and not to trifle with me any longer." 
 
 '' Trifle with you, my Lord ! I scorn 
 your words. For my own sake, not for 
 yours, I shall condescend to be as explicit 
 as you wish;** relating very much in detail 
 what it would be useless to repeat, merely 
 attributing rather more merit than was his 
 due to the young soldier; declaring that 
 the coachman had had enough to do to 
 prevent the horses from moving ; there- 
 fore, but for the timely assistance of the 
 strano^er, there was no knowing: what mi^ht 
 have proved the consequence of such an 
 accident. 
 
 The friend confirmed all she said, add- 
 ing, that as the gentleman's coachman was 
 evidently very much in liquor, he had 
 thought it most prudent to send him home; 
 which had induced them to ask hrm in till 
 a hackney-coach could be procured ; for- 
 getting to mention, as well as her friend, 
 
 that
 
 Kanghton priory. 191 
 
 that they had also asked him to supper, 
 and that they had taken that meal to- 
 gether. 
 
 The Marquis listened^ with visible in- 
 credulity^ to their prolfx detail, having, 
 more than once, caught them furllvelv 
 glancing at the young Scot, seeming to 
 request he would affirm what they ad- 
 vanced. To judge from appearances, he 
 was a man of some rank, and certainly a 
 most dangerous rival ; there was, besides, an 
 ironical smile so frequently visible playing 
 round his mouth, that Lord Derwent felt 
 half inclined to call him to a very severe 
 account; little supposing that his dreaded 
 rival v-zith difficulty avoided laughing out, 
 upon finding himself so ludicrously situ- 
 ated ; though he had resolved not to con- 
 tradict Serena's trAcj which was certainly 
 true in the aggregate, though rather em- 
 bellished by fiction. '' And have you sent 
 your servant for a hackney-coach ?" asked 
 the provoked Marquis, in answer to Miss 
 Charlotte's last assertion. 
 
 '' I had
 
 192 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 '' I had just left the room to give the 
 order, my Lord, when you knocked/' was 
 the reply. 
 
 " And you were singing to the gentle- 
 man, to beguile time, I presume, Miss 
 Alton," resumed the Peer, in a stern ac- 
 cent. 
 
 ^' The piano-forte was standing open, 
 my Lord, which led to this gentleman's 
 requesting that I would favour him with — 
 * She died for love, and he for glory;* and 
 I was raising my voice, and running over 
 the symphony.'* 
 
 *' When I unfortunately interrupted 
 you," rejoined the Peer. Now pray. Sir,'* 
 he went on, advancing towards his amused 
 grandson, '^^ have I been listening to a true 
 or to a fictitious tale ? As a soldier, and a 
 man of honour, I request you will be sin- 
 cere. I do not know whom I am address- 
 ing, and these ladies affect to be equally 
 ignorant; therefore will you satisfy ray 
 very natural curiosity ?'* 
 
 ^^ I can have no objection, my Lord ; 
 
 but
 
 LANGHTON PRIOItY. 193 
 
 but first give me leave to assure you^ upon 
 the word of a soldier, which is a synony- 
 mous term for a man of honour, that those 
 ladies are^ as they have declared, utter 
 strangers to me, sirice w^ never met bey 
 fore. But, not to keep you in suspense, 
 my name is Malcolm Albany Montrose: 
 my dress has doubtless informed you, that 
 I am a Major in the Highland re- 
 giment, now under sailing orders for 
 Malta/' . 
 
 The Marquis's countenance, at this mo- 
 ment, baffles all description — astonishment, 
 confusion, and chagrin, were equally le- 
 gible upon his curled brow : he even re- ' 
 treated a few paces, while he contemplated 
 the elegant youth, whose eyes were now 
 fixed upon his cap, which he continued 
 holding, and who durst not trust himself 
 to look up, for fear of giving way to a 
 shout of mirth. 
 
 The ladies participated in the old Peer's 
 surprise, but not in his consternation, not 
 having any idea of the near relationship 
 
 VOL. I. K subsisting
 
 I 94 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 subsisting between their guests ; though it 
 v/as very evident that the officer did not 
 stand in any awe of the great Marquis of 
 Derwentj Vv^hich afforded them infinite sa- 
 tisfactioUj as it was all in their favour, they 
 conceived : indeed, the disconcerted Peer 
 had never been more at a loss; and sin- 
 eerelv did he wish that he had been rather 
 more polite to this hitherto unknown 
 5j,iandson, since he no longer doubted the 
 veracity of his fair mistress, as it was im- 
 possible this could have been a concerted 
 meeting with the Major^ considering the 
 very short time he had been in town : 
 yet he felt offended at the levity his sul- 
 tana had displayed, in asking so fine a 
 young fellow in at so improper an hour ; 
 and the more so, since she had exposed 
 him to so very unexpected and mortifying 
 a rencontre. But as this was not a very 
 proper time to devote to reflection, put- 
 ting a good face upon the matter, he ap- 
 proached our hero, saying, " I sincerely 
 wish I had been at home. Major, when you 
 
 did
 
 LANGHTON PraORY. 195 
 
 did me the favour of calling at Derwent 
 House ; in which case we should have been 
 better acquainted^ and I should not for a 
 moment have doubted the truth of Miss 
 Alton's account of your rencontre; but 
 positively, unprepared as I was to meet a 
 military Adonis in her apartment at so 
 late an hour, I think I deserve great credit 
 for the command of temper I displayed," 
 
 This was said in a-very gay tone, while 
 he seized our hero's hand, which he af- 
 fected to shake very cordially. 
 
 *''I am rejoiced your Lordship is now con- 
 vinced that accident, not design, led me 
 into the company of these ladies, who 
 might, as they have informed you, have 
 been very great sufferers, through my^ 
 coachman's rashness. Their carriage has 
 sustained very great injury — I had intend- 
 ed to have insisted upon having it repair- 
 ed, at my expencc." 
 
 " Say no more about what could not be 
 
 avoided, I dare say, and receive rny thanks 
 
 for the assistance you afforded the girls. 
 
 K 2' But,
 
 196 LANGHTON PRIOKY. 
 
 Biit^ to have done %vith the silly subject, 
 may I hope you will spend a day with me 
 before you leave London ? How is the 
 Marquis of Endermay ?" 
 
 '' He was not w^ell enough to accompany 
 me into Portland-place, where I dined 
 
 with Lord ■ — ; and from whence I 
 
 was returning home, when I, so unfor- 
 tunately for these ladies, came in contact 
 with their carriage. I am sorry it will not 
 Be in my power to avail myself of your 
 Lordship's polite invitation, since 1 leave 
 town for Plymouth on Saturday, and ex- 
 pect to sail for Malta as soon as I arrive 
 there/' 
 
 '' May you all speedily return, covered 
 with glory \" was the reply, " as 1 look 
 forward wuth impatience to our being bet- 
 ter acquainted/' 
 
 Our hero bowed, and made a motion to 
 depart. 
 
 " Do not be in a hurry; I am in no 
 haste to get rid of you now, so sit you 
 down and drink a glass with me, while Se- 
 rena
 
 LANGIITON PrvIORY. 197 
 
 rena finishes the song which I prevented 
 her from concluding/' 
 
 " Your Lordship must excuse me; I 
 have already drank more than I am in the 
 habit of doings which led me into trespass- 
 ing upon these ladies' politeness. Allow 
 me to wish you a very good night." 
 
 *' Well, I will not detain you against 
 your will, as the Marquis of Endermay 
 may be uneasy, should you makeitjate. 
 My good wishes will accompany you, 
 wherever you go ; so adieu, till we meet 
 again." 
 
 Malcolm bowed his return to this kind 
 speech ; and having again shaken hands 
 ^ith the Marquis, and bowed to the ladies, 
 he left the room. Miss Charlotte following 
 him out, when, having reached the street- 
 door, she whispered, " Thank God, the 
 storm has blown over ! though, I dare say,^ 
 we shall have a lecture of an hour Jong : 
 but I feared there w^ould have been an im- 
 mediate separation of bed and board. Are 
 ycu related to the old quiz above?" 
 
 K 3 Not
 
 I OS lANGFITON PRIORY, 
 
 Not having heard his grandfather close 
 the door after him, the Major thought it 
 very possible he might be upon the listen ; 
 he^ therefore^ merely pressed his compa- 
 nion's proffered hand, and, with a signifi- 
 cant look, wished her a very good night. 
 , She opened the street-door with an em- 
 phatic shake of the head, and he was not 
 sorry to find his footmen in waiting within 
 cally who hoped their master would not be 
 offended at their having detained the cha- 
 not, contrary to his orders ; but they fear- 
 ed it might have created some alarm, had 
 it returned without him. 
 
 He gave them credit for their prudence^ 
 hoping that the mischief he had occasion- 
 ed would prove a warning to the coach- 
 man, stepping into the carriage ; and, in 
 a very short time, he was safely housed in 
 Arlington-street. He immediately retired, 
 and the extra quantity of wine he had 
 drank acting as an opiate, he soon forgot 
 the occurrences of tlie evening, in a sound 
 sleep. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 LANGIiTON PRIORY. 199 
 
 CHAP. IX. 
 
 When he woke in the morning, his thoughts 
 naturally reverted to the overnight's curi- 
 ous adventure; and he was now convinced 
 that the Marquis of Derv^^ent fully deserv- 
 ed the reputation he bore. He was cer- 
 tainly still a very fine figure, and he look- 
 ed at least ten years younger than he really 
 Was; still it was very evident that he was 
 the dupe of his sultana and her confidante ,*^ 
 and he deserved to be so, in his opinion, 
 since his money must be his chief attrac- 
 tion in their eyes. Would their mortify- 
 ing rencontre produce a reformation in his^ 
 conductj. he wondered ; he feared not, as 
 K 4 he
 
 200 LAXGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 he did not seem to think he was at all cen- 
 surable for keeping a mistress; nay_, per- 
 haps he gloried in follies that he might 
 fancy made him appear young, though 
 they must render him the scorn of every 
 man of sense. 
 
 The Marquis seemed much better, when 
 he joined him at breakfast ; and by way 
 of amusing him, he candidly related his 
 unexpected rencontre with Lord Derwent, 
 which he did in so ludicrous a manner, 
 that he succeeded in making the Marquis 
 laugh very heartily, declaring that he 
 should have enjoyed being present when 
 he declared his name ; observing, there 
 must be a greater difference in his and the 
 Marquis of Dervvent's constitution, than 
 there was in their age, as he was not more 
 than three years his senior, and he had 
 been in almost constant want of, a nurse 
 for the last seven years; while Lord Der- 
 went kept a youthful mistress, at sixty- 
 seven. Weil might the present race of 
 young men be said to glory in folly and 
 
 vice.
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 201 
 
 \ice, with such examples daily before their 
 eyes ! not sorry at having so favourable- 
 an opportunity to renew his counsels to 
 his beloved heir, wiio felt by no means in- 
 clined^ he assured him, to shine the poly- 
 graph of the amorous Marquis; and as he 
 was well convinced that it was generally 
 known Lord Derwcnt kept a lady in a very 
 high style, he did not scruple to mention 
 his rencontre with the frail fair one, and 
 subsequent meeting with his grandfather, 
 to many of his brother officers; of course,, 
 the circumstance soon found its way into 
 the daily prints, to the great mortification 
 of the evergreen Marquis. Fortunately, 
 as he conceived, the young soldier left 
 town on the Saturday, with Lord Ender- 
 may ; and we cannot say that he was fol- 
 lowed, according to promise, by his good 
 wishes, since he continually cursed his 
 of^iciousness ; and he grew so jealous and 
 suspicious of his mistress, that their daily 
 quarrels foreboded a speedy separation. 
 Lord Endermay accompanied his be- 
 K 5 loved
 
 '202' LAKGIITON FRIORY. 
 
 loved AfalcoiiTi to Plymouth, ^Yhere he re- 
 inained till he sailed for Malta, Avb.en he 
 returned into Scotland, more distressed in 
 mind than when he had lost his only 
 daughter ; and the Castle so forcibly re- 
 called to his mind the happy hours he had 
 spent there with his grandson, that he re- 
 solved once more to visit Ireland, in hopes 
 of shaking off the depression of spirits he 
 laboured under, wLich, he trusted that 
 change of scene, and Ma-lcolm's letters^ 
 would, after a time, remove. 
 
 The Marquis of Derwent had hoped, 
 when his grandson ]ext London, that their 
 712 al-d-pi^ op OS rencontre in Portman-street 
 would have been forgotten, and that the 
 public would have started some new game : 
 but, ere the Major had sailed for Malta-, 
 he had the additional mortification of see- 
 ing himself caricatured in all the print- 
 shops. Presuming that this fresh insult 
 originated in the young soldier, he set so 
 many engines at work to ascertain the fact, 
 that he at last discovered he was indebted 
 
 to
 
 LANGIITON- PRIOFvY. 203 
 
 to Lord Dunluce for. this favour; still, as 
 he could not absolutely bring the charge 
 home against this young imp of the d-v-l, 
 who was still at Cambridge, he thought it 
 most prudent not ,to make any stir in the 
 business, since he thought it by no ineans 
 impossible the boy would be encouraged 
 by his father ; and, after a time, some 
 newer scandalous tale consigned the one 
 to which he had given rise, to oblivion. 
 
 Lady V/inifred Albany, who continued 
 to reside at Highwood, had been shocked, 
 when she learned that her brother, now a 
 grandfather, and the guardian of her ward, 
 still kept a mistress; and had, if some of 
 the newspapers were to be believed, in 
 consequence, challenged his grandson. — 
 Now, thotigh she had felt herself very 
 much hurt at Lord Endermay's not having 
 brought his heir to Highwood, previous to 
 his going abroad, she perfectly exonerated- 
 the )oung man from blame, with respect 
 io his suspected wish to rival Lord Der- 
 went ; nay, she even found excuses for 
 K 6 Lord.
 
 *204 lAKGHTON PRlOPvY. 
 
 Lord Endennav's want of respect towards 
 her, as she thought it very possible he 
 might not approve of the heir to all his 
 honours marrying her ward, as she was 
 obliged to acknowledge that she had not 
 improved in point of features, as she grew 
 up; nor did she seem likely, by her ac- 
 complishments or literary acquirements, to 
 compensate for her deficiency in point of 
 elegance and grace : and, though there 
 certainly are many very amiable people of 
 the Jewish persuasion, there are also many 
 whose features, complexion, and language, 
 proclaim their extraction ; and Miss Al- 
 bany unfortunately ranked among the 
 number, since, notwithstanding the pains 
 her governess and Lady Winifred had taken 
 to correct her pronunciation, it vash still 
 Jewish ; and her dark-blue eyes, and high 
 cheek-bones, rather rendered the sallow 
 hue she had inherited from her mother, 
 more striking : she was, besides, a bad 
 figure ; and as her Ladyship's style of dress 
 was in the fashion of the year 1760, when 
 
 she 
 6
 
 LANGIITON PrvIORY. 205 
 
 tihe shone a brilliant star in the heau monde, 
 she would not allow her ward to conform, 
 as she could have wished, to the reijrnin"- 
 fashions; obliging her, in general, to -assi- 
 milate with her formal ideas of propriety ; 
 not that we are advocates for transparent 
 adhesive drapery ; still, the formal mode 
 of dress in which Lady Winifred perse- 
 vered, if less repugnant to decency, was 
 by no means calculated to display even a. 
 handsome lace and figure to advantage ; 
 and her manners being equally precise, 
 her elervi was stiff and ungraceful, and the 
 exact reverse of the belles of fashion, said 
 the Marquis of Derwent, who had twice 
 visited Highwood after hi^ ward was grow- 
 ing into womanhood, who had always con- 
 cluded by advising his sister to bring the 
 girl to London, where she might place her 
 under the tuition of a good dancing-mas- 
 ter, and have her new-dressed by some of 
 the first milliners, as she now reminded 
 him of a faded wax figure of Queen Anne 
 which he ha<l once seen, whose staring 
 
 glass.
 
 2(^0 LANGiiTON rraoRY. 
 
 glass eyes gave her a ghastly appearance,, 
 and the resemblance of a corpse dressed in 
 a suit of stiff' brocade. 
 
 Lady \¥inifred retorted, thnt^ had he set 
 his sons- a better example, there would 
 never have been a Jewess oL the name of 
 Albany. The girl was not deficient in 
 proper pride, and would not disgrace the- 
 family, by forming an imiproper con- 
 nexion : she had had both precept and 
 example ; and, when she was in her twen- 
 tieth year, she meant to take her to Lon- 
 don. She had no notion of bringing out 
 children in leading strings : in that re- 
 spect, she coincided with Mr. Langhton ; 
 desiring the Marquis to remember, that 
 Rosalie Langhton, who was three years her 
 ward's senior, had never yet mixed with 
 the world. 
 
 '' Nor probably never would," was the 
 reply ; but that was no reason why hia 
 ward should be immured in the country, 
 where there was no chance of her ever 
 having a decent offer; and indeed she did 
 
 nor
 
 LANGIITON PRIORY. 207 
 
 not stand much chance of making a good 
 match in London. Some ruined rake, like 
 her father, might overlook her dialect, and 
 other deficiencies; but no man of rank 
 would ever lower himseH', by such an al- 
 liance. 
 
 These strictures did not meet the appro- 
 bation of Lady Winifred, therefore the 
 brother and sister seldom parted friends ; 
 and her Ladyship did not fail to write him 
 her sentiments pretty freely, when she 
 learned'that he kept a favourite sultana, at 
 sixfy-seven. 
 
 The Earl of Algernon had several times 
 visited the old Lady, since his return from 
 Madrid, and had, of course, introduced his 
 son to her notice, who had, more than 
 once, told his mother, boy as he was, that 
 she did well to immure Miss Hannah as she 
 did, as he should blush to acknowledge 
 their relationship any where but at High- 
 wood : and, much as Lady Winifred was 
 prepossessed in favour of her nephew, she 
 found much to condemn in his son, whom, 
 
 she
 
 208 LANGHTON PRIOR !f. "^ v 
 
 she seriously feared, bore a much greater 
 resemblance to his grandfather than to his 
 father. Lord Algernon was, therefore, a 
 more welcome guest, when he did not 
 bring Lord Dunluce with him ; and the 
 Earl's chief inducement for spending a 
 few days with her Ladyship during the 
 summer, was his wish to obtain some in- 
 telligence respecting his Catholic nephew 
 and niece; but they were so seldom seen 
 without the walls of their 4i*eary abode, 
 never during his residence in the vicinity, 
 that he merely learned from general re- 
 port, and from old Gordon, that Algernon 
 Albany was a fine young fellow, and hi$ 
 sister the very image of hi^ mother — from 
 Ashton, the old house-steward, had learned 
 that the boy was the greatest favourite 
 with Mr. Langhton, who grew more se- 
 vere in his religious notions, and more 
 strict in the observance of the Catholic 
 fasts and festivals, as he advanced in years; 
 and he was upwards of seventy, having 
 been near twenty years a professed monk, 
 
 and
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. ^ 209 
 
 and had never been five miles from the 
 Priory since he returned to England; and 
 as he deemed a life of seclusion extremely 
 meritorious^ he strongly enforced the ne- 
 cessity of living for God, not for man, to 
 his descendants. 
 
 Ashton believed Lady William Albany 
 did not absolutely approve of the retired 
 life they led ; but Father Benedetto was 
 always at hand to silence her objections, 
 by reminding her that she had married a 
 heretic, to enable her to partake of the- 
 sinful pleasures of the world ; and Mr. 
 Langhton frequently declared, he should 
 never survive either of his grandchildren 
 following her example, though he often 
 expressed a wish to see them united to 
 good Catholics : and as he had some very 
 distant relations, on his mother's side, of 
 that persuasion, in Ireland, he sometimes 
 talked of sending his grandson and his tu- 
 tor, an English Catholic priest, thither, in 
 search of a wife ; but not till the young 
 man was of age, which he did not conceive 
 
 he
 
 210 LANGHTON PrJORY. 
 
 he would be before he was five-and- 
 twent3^ 
 
 The Earl listened to these vague details 
 with great attention, having conceived, 
 upon mature reflection, that Lady William 
 rniL>ht, very irnocently on her part, have 
 been led to drop his correspondence ; still 
 he did not choose, unauthorised by her, to 
 interfere' respecting her children, as there 
 was no likelihood of their succeeding to 
 the family-honours and estates. He had 
 greatly regretted not having seen their 
 elder brother, previous to his leaving Eng- 
 land, as he thought it possible he might 
 not be permitted to return ; as he was 
 convinced, from the character he bore, 
 that he would '"■ be first in the throng," 
 whenever he -came face to face with the 
 enemy. 
 
 Little of moment occurred during the 
 first twelvemonth that our hero spent at 
 Malta : he regularly corresponded v/ith 
 Lord -Endermay, from whom he continued 
 to receive the most salutary ^!dvice re- 
 specting
 
 LANGHTON ri:iOR\. f> 1 I 
 
 spectiiig his future conduct, given in so 
 afTectioncite a manner, that it had all the 
 efiect he wished or desh'ed ; and as he also 
 corresponded with his tutor, and several of 
 his Scotch friends, he was perfectly an fait 
 of what was going forward in England, 
 and at Montrose Castle. But, early in the 
 second year, the Marquis's letters became 
 much shorter, and were so expressive of 
 dejection, that he began to fear his health 
 was not so good as when he left England ; 
 and, when he communicated his apprehen- 
 sions to Dr. Campbell, his tutor, he was 
 obliged to acknowledge, in reply, that he 
 feared the Marquis was breaking faster 
 than, considering his age, might have been 
 expected ; though he still hoped he would 
 live to welcom.e the return of his dear 
 grandson to the Castle ; W'ho, could he 
 have done so with honour^ would have 
 answered this letter in person ; but that 
 was impossible, as there was every reason 
 to suppose that his regiment, with several 
 more then at MaUa, would be sent upon 
 
 an
 
 '2 IS LANGfiTON ?RI0RY. 
 
 an expedition to Egypt, it was surmised, 
 very speedily: indeed the Marquis was so 
 fearful that he might express a wish to re- 
 turn home, that he never touched upon 
 his encreasing indisposition^ always endea- 
 vouring to shake off his despondency^ 
 when addressing h"m ; and would have 
 been very angry^ had he known that Dr. 
 Campbell had thought it necessary to be 
 more explicit^ as he conceived it right to 
 prepare his pupiPs mind against the worst 
 that might happen. 
 
 Malcolm felt his kind intentions, and 
 nobly resisted the anxious wish he felt to 
 see his beloved grandfather once more; 
 since, till he had tried the temper of his 
 sword against the boasted legions of Bo- 
 naparte, he could not think of returning 
 home; indeed, he w^as well aware that the 
 Marquis would be the first to blame him 
 for doing so, at so critical a juncture, since 
 every preparation was making for the 
 speedy embarkation of the troops : he was, 
 therefore, obliged to content himself with 
 
 writing
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 213 
 
 writing to the Marquis and the Doctor, 
 endeavouring to cheer the spirits of the 
 first, by prognosticating that he should 
 soon return, to announce their victory 
 over the French, to whose plunder and ra- 
 pine, he was convinced, the British would 
 put an efFectual check, when once they 
 came face to face with them ; and intreat- 
 ing the Doctor would write to him by 
 every packet, as his letters would follow 
 him wherever he w^nt. 
 
 Before, however, he left Malta, fortu- 
 nately during the hurry and bustle neces- 
 sary attendant upon the embarking men 
 and horses for distant service, he received 
 the melancholy intelligence of his grand- 
 father's demise, and his consequent acces- 
 sion to his title and estates. At any other 
 time, the shock he sustained would have 
 been infinitely more severe, as he was 
 now prevented from giving way to his 
 heart-felt grief, being obliged to exert his 
 spirits, for fear the cause of his melan- 
 choly should have been mistaken. This 
 
 enabled
 
 214 LANGIITON PRIORY. 
 
 enabled bim^ in appearance, to bear his 
 loss with manly fortitude; and the conso- 
 latory tendency of Dr. Campbell's letter 
 had also its due effect upon a well-regu* 
 lated mindj which had not been enervated 
 by dissipation : and as his Colonel, and all 
 his friends, united their efforts to prevent 
 him from giving way to unavailing regret, 
 by the time they w^ere under way, his first 
 burst of grief had subsided into, a more 
 calm resignation to those decrees to which 
 we ought to bow in silenee. Fortunately, 
 in his opinion, his regiment was among 
 the first that were landed upon the coast 
 of Egypt, and one of the first engaged 
 with the enemy, during the memorable 
 battle of Aboukir. We need not add, that 
 the British arms proved victorious, though 
 the death of their brave Commander was 
 sincerely lamented by his brother officers, 
 and the nation at large ; and every rising 
 generation v/iil be taught to respect his 
 name, which^ like many more brave men, 
 he has rendered immortal. 
 
 We
 
 LANGIITOX rRIORY. SI 5 
 
 We shall not enter into any details re- 
 specting what has been so frequently re- 
 lated, nor recapitulate the number of ofB- 
 cers who suffered in the national cause : 
 our hero merely received a slight cut 
 across the forehead from a broad-sword, 
 which might have proved of more serious 
 consequence, had not his opponent been 
 laid at his feet, nearly at the same moment, 
 by the bayonet of one of his own men^ 
 which, of course, weakened the well-aimed 
 blow; indeed he would scarcely have been 
 conscious of having received any injury, 
 had it not been for the blood which flowed 
 from the wound over his eyes; but. as one 
 of his brother officers observed, when all 
 was over, he could not tell whether it had 
 not rather impeded his sight, but he seem- 
 ed to feel his way very dexterously, since 
 nothing stopped his progress. 
 
 As it was, however, known that his pre- 
 sence was required in England, he was, as 
 we have already related, sent over with 
 the dispatches ; and^ to his great surprise, 
 
 met
 
 216 lANGHTON PRtORY. 
 
 met his uncle and cousin, upon his land- 
 ing at Plymouth, from whom, our readers 
 know, he almost immediately parted, be- 
 ing extfemely anxious to reach London, 
 where it may be supposed that he was 
 m6st graciously received, and that he met 
 with his full meed of praise from the great 
 men in power, and was assured that his 
 name should stand conspicuous in the next 
 list of promotions : and as he found that 
 the Commander-in-Chief was very anxious 
 to reward merit, and that his recommenda- 
 tion would certainly be attended to, he 
 ventured to point out several inferior offi- 
 cers, who had particularly distinguished 
 themselves as w^orthy notice, and was so- 
 lemnly assured, that they should not be 
 forgotten nor overlooked. But as he was 
 very anxious to be upon the road to Scot- 
 land, he was not sorry the town was so 
 very empty ; therefore, having finished all 
 his business at the war-office, and paid his 
 devoirs to all those who were entitled to 
 such marks of his notice, at the expiration 
 
 of
 
 LA^fGHtON IPRIORY. S17 
 
 oF a fortnight, he set out for Montrose 
 Castle, having exchanged his regimentals 
 Tor a suit of mourning, having resolved to 
 pay every respect to the memory of his 
 beloved grandfather, who, he could not 
 help regretting, had not been spared to 
 ^velcome his return, as he should doubly 
 have prized the laurels he had won, had 
 he been suffered to lay them at his feet. 
 
 Upon his arrival at the Castle, he found 
 ^vcry thing in the most exact order, and 
 Dr. Campbell still in possession, who hail- 
 ed his return by every demonstration of 
 affection, and who had regulated his house- 
 hold during his absence. The Marquis 
 had made him sole heir, not only to all 
 his estates, some of which were not entail- 
 ed, but also to all his personals, which 
 were very considerable ; though he had 
 provided very handsomely for gll the old 
 servants, to most of whom he had be- 
 queathed annuities for life ; aixl to Dr. 
 Campbell he had left a small estate, upon 
 
 VOL, I. L which
 
 ^2 I 8 LANGIITON PKIOHY. 
 
 which there was a very good house, and 
 three hundred a-year ; but he readily pro- 
 mised his beloved pupil, to remain at the 
 Castle till he married. Malcolm wished 
 him to have engaged for life; but he gaily 
 observed, that a young lady might object 
 to having an old man for an inmate. This 
 point was not^ however, finally settled at 
 this time, as our hero declared, he would 
 never marry a woman who w^ould consider 
 his friends as troublesome guests. But, 
 having looked into his affairs, and given 
 orders to have all his grandfather's chari- 
 table institutions kept up in their accus- 
 tomed style, €ven desiring some might be 
 enlarged, he resolved to erect a superb 
 monument to his memory ; and, in conse- 
 quence, wrote to the celebrated Mr. N , 
 
 requesting he would send him' some ap- 
 propriate designs; assuring Dr. Campbell, 
 nevertheless, that he conceived the highest 
 compliment which he could pay the de- 
 ceased, would be to make his life his ex- 
 ample;
 
 LANGIITON PRtORY. 2l9 
 
 2\lYiple ; since^ if he did but emulate his 
 virtues, he trusted they should surely meet 
 again, ^' in another and a better world.** 
 
 CHAP. X. 
 
 During his very short stay in London, Lord 
 Enderm^»y called once at Derwent House^ 
 merely in conformity to the rules of eti-^ 
 quette ; he was, therefore, not sorry when 
 he learned his grandfather was not in 
 town : but ^s his having left a card in St. 
 James's-square was, of course, made known 
 to the Marquis, he resolved to be no less 
 c<^urteous ; and wishing, besides, to be 
 upon good terms with this youthful fa- 
 vourite of fortune, his Lordship addpessed 
 L 2 him.
 
 220 LANGHTON PPvIORY. 
 
 him, iu the most flattering tprms^ from the 
 Isle of Wightj where he was when he 
 learned his return to Great Britain. 
 
 Our hero found his polite epistle at the 
 Castle, whither the Marquis had presumed 
 he would immediately bend his steps. — 
 Though few men stood lower in his esteem 
 than the writer, he was obliged to answer 
 him in the same courtly style ; wishing he 
 durst enquire whether Miss Alton still 
 maintained her post of favourite sultana, 
 though he thought it most likely the house 
 in Portman-street had another fair tenant. 
 
 Scarcely, however, had he dispatched his 
 missive, ere, to bis encreasing surprise, he 
 received a very formal, though extremely 
 polite letter, from Lady Winifred Albany, 
 who began by condoling with him upon 
 the irreparable loss he had so lately sus- 
 tained; bestowing some very just encomi- 
 ums upon the late Lord Endermay. She 
 next congratulated him upon his safe re- 
 turn, and upon having participated in the 
 glorious victory which the British had 
 
 gained
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. S2 I 
 
 gained over their natural enemies ; and 
 concluded by intreating that he would fa- 
 ronr her with a visit at Highwood, as soon 
 as he could make it convenient, as she was 
 extremely anxious to see the elder son of 
 her favowrite nephew, for whom she had 
 always felt the sincerest regard. 
 
 As Malcolm had also long wished to see 
 every individual belonging' to his father's 
 family, he was gratified by her polite invi- 
 tation, which he could not attribute to in- 
 terested motives ; though he thought it 
 might originate in curiosity, or more pos- 
 sibly, she entertained a hope that he might 
 dispose of his heart in favour of her ward; 
 in which case, he feared, she vv^uld be dis- 
 appointed, since Miss Albany must be al- 
 most a faultless monster, to induce him to 
 overlook her Jev;ish origin. Before, How- 
 ever, he had answered her Ladyship, to his 
 encreasing astonishment, he received a let- 
 ter from Langhton Priory, actually written 
 by the owner of that ancient abode, which 
 certainly did not lessen his surprise, as he- 
 I- 3 couldl
 
 223 lANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 / 
 
 could hardly have supposed that he would 
 have dared to have addressed a heretic : 
 but as he had, even from childhood, felt 
 very anxious to become acquainted with 
 his unknown brother and sister, he was 
 extremely gratified at being addressed by 
 their grandfather, as it led him to hope 
 that the first wish of his heart might be 
 gratified. Now we also think it very pro- 
 bable, that Mr. Langhton might not have 
 felt inclined to have addressed a herttic, 
 and in a style of courtesy, if he had not 
 been not only influenced, but urged to do 
 SQ, by Father Benedetto, whose motives 
 for being thus earnest in his wish to si- 
 lence his patron's scruples, we do not 
 think; it necessary, at present, to detail; 
 but he had, to the infinite satisfaction of 
 Lady William Albany, declared that it 
 would be right that the brothers and sisters 
 should be introduced to each other. The 
 present Marquis of Endermay, though a 
 Protest^ant, was, like his grandfather, an 
 houpur to his rank; and Mr. Langhton 
 
 would
 
 LAK^riTON PRIORY. 92^' 
 
 would be deservedly censured, were he (o 
 object to his grandchildren being upon 
 good terms with so near a relation ; since 
 their principles, at least Algernon's, were 
 now so fixcdj that there could be no fear 
 of their changing their religion, or, as it 
 was falselv termed by Protestant divines, 
 abjuring their errors: and as the confessor 
 was warmly seconded by Lady William, 
 who felt herself greatly obliged to him, 
 Mr. Langhton was persuaded to address 
 our hero, whose answer would enable them 
 to deciSe whether it v/ould be proper to 
 give him an invitation to visit the Priory; 
 as he contented himself, in this first letter, 
 with lamenting the demise of Lord Ender- 
 may, whom he could have wished had been 
 spared, to glory in the fiwae which his 
 Lordship had acquired at Aboukir, which 
 he sincerely rejoiced at, having been at 
 the expence of so little bloodshed. 
 
 Altogether, Malcolm was infinitely more 
 pleased with this letter than with those froni< 
 I. 4 Lovdi
 
 224 LAJJGHTOJT TEIORY, 
 
 Lord Derv/ent and Lady Winifred; thoiigfi 
 he answered her Ladyship's very speedily^ 
 and promised to avail himself of her polite 
 invitation^ during the ensuing autumn.— 
 To Mr. Langhton he wrote at greater 
 length ; candidly acknowledging the im- 
 patience he had long felt to be, at least, 
 personally acquainted with his brother and 
 sister; and requesting that Mr. Langhton, 
 Lady William, and the young people, would 
 favour him with their company, during the 
 summer, at the Castle, where, as his regi- 
 ment would probably soon return to Eng- 
 land, he proposed remaining at least some 
 months; politely hinting, that Father Be- 
 nedetto would be a no less welcome guest; 
 and concluding by a most affectionate ad*- 
 dress to Algernon and Rosalie, for whom 
 he already felt a sort of intuitive regard. 
 
 So polite an answer, and which was dis- 
 patched by return of post, was extremely 
 flatiering to the Langhton famil} ; and, 
 had the young people been allowed to 
 
 follow
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. S^S 
 
 follow the bent of their inclinations^ they 
 would certainly have proceeded immedi- 
 ately into Scotland. 
 
 Father Benedetto did not^ however, ap- 
 prove of such precipitate measures, though 
 extremely gratified by the marked notice 
 which had been taken of him; but the 
 Marquis of Endermay's politeness Was not 
 to make them forget what was due to him 
 or themselves ; and Mr. Lang^hton was very 
 unequal to the fatigue of such a journey, 
 even had he not resolved never to sleep 
 from home while he lived : but some, 
 means should be devised to gratify tneir 
 very natural wish, without inconvenience 
 to their grandfather, or trespassing upon 
 Lord Endermay's hospitality; and with:this 
 assurance the young folks were obliged- to 
 be satisfied. 
 
 The Earl of Algernon, who was stifl 
 more anxious to renew his acquaintance 
 with the young Highlander, as he conceived 
 that the intimacy would be of service to 
 his son, and who had received a very presa- 
 L 5 inff:
 
 226 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 ing invitation to join him in Scotlanc?, 
 when his nephew sent his post-chaise to 
 Bristol, resolved to shorten his tour, that 
 he might spend at least a month at Mon- 
 trose Castle. Therefore, having joined the 
 Countess at Malvern, who, fancying she 
 should feel herself rather awkwardly situ- 
 ated in the house of a young bachelor, de- 
 clined accompanying them thither; though 
 she had, of course, been included in the 
 invitation they had received. But, as she 
 was under an engagement to spend a short 
 time with her brother, whose seat was in 
 V/orcestershire, she proceeded thither, 
 when her husband and son set out for 
 Scotland ; promising to give them the 
 meeting at Highwood, when they return- 
 ed ; where they stood engaged to spend a 
 fortnight, before they proceeded toWood- 
 ville ; where, as usual, they meant to spend 
 their Christmas. 
 
 Lord Dunluce finding that it was in vain 
 to hope he should be suffered to lounge 
 jiway a month at some of the fashionable 
 
 water-
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 227 
 
 "water-drinking places; rejoiced at the idea 
 of visiting Scotland, as he had heard Mon- 
 trose Castle was a very fine seat ; and he 
 was convinced that his cousin would be a 
 most agreeable companion, he had seen so 
 much of the world, and yet seemed so un- 
 affected, and so good tempered. 
 
 The Earl hoped he had not made a less 
 favourable impression upon Lord Ender- 
 may;, and that he would endeavour to ren- 
 der himself agreeable to him, while they 
 staid at the Castle, as it would be infinitely 
 to his credit to be upon friendly terms 
 with the young soldier. 
 
 Lord Dunluce prognosticated they -should 
 be sv/orn friends in a month. 
 
 The Earl wished they might; observing, 
 that though Lord Endermay's head was un- 
 mellowed, bis judgment was ripe ; and he 
 was fearful he would not make a friend of 
 so fickle a mortal as he knew him (Lord 
 Dunluce) to be* prognosticating that he 
 would be tired of Scotland in a week. 
 
 This Lord Dunluce vehemently denied ; 
 L 6 observing^
 
 228 LANGiTTON PRIOHY. 
 
 observing, that he had purchased Thorn- 
 ton's Sporting Tour, and, by following 
 that gentleman's method of killing time^ 
 he should indubitably guard against ennui. 
 
 The Earl wished he might succeed ; and, 
 after a very pleasant journey, they reached 
 the Castle, the last week in August. 
 
 We do not mean to entertain our read- 
 ers with a prolix description of this noble 
 seat ; suffice it to say, that it did honour 
 to the taste of the person who erected it, 
 and that it was a fit abode for a Scottish, 
 chieftain. Nature had rendered the sur- 
 rounding park very beautiful, and it had 
 also been highly cultivated by art : the 
 prospect on all skies was sublime; and the 
 interior of this noble mansion fully corre- 
 sponded with its nobb appearance. The- 
 library was immense, and vory elegantly 
 fitted up; and a room adjoining was ap- 
 propriated to experiments in natural phi- 
 losophy. The grand apartments were fitted 
 up in a very superior style, magnificence 
 3^ot having'exckided comforti 
 
 Lord:
 
 lANCHTON PRIORY. 229 
 
 Lord Dunluce was in raptures, from the 
 moment he caught a glimpse of the man- 
 sion ; declaring that it gave him an idea 
 of a baronial residence, which neither 
 Woodville nor Derwent Park had ever 
 done; much -less Highwood, which, in his 
 opinion, greatly resembled a citizen's villa, 
 at Hackney. 
 
 The Earl was rejoiced to find he had so 
 true a relish for the beauties of nature ; 
 adding, perhaps he might be able to pre- 
 vail upon his cousin to suffer him to 
 spend his winter in Scotland, as, he pre- 
 sumed. Lord Endermay meant to spend his • 
 in London ; and as Dr. Campbell, who had 
 been his tutor, was still a resident at the 
 Castle, it would be extremely conducive 
 to his advantage. 
 
 His son took this raillery all in good 
 part, and was in ecstacies when the car- 
 riage stopped at a noble flight of steps 
 leading into the house, upon which stood 
 the owner of the Castle, whose fcordial 
 welcome was extremely flattering to both, 
 
 father;
 
 230 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 father and son. In the saloon they were 
 introduced to Dr. Campbell^ who, being 
 extremely gay for his years^ was soon a 
 great favonrite with the young Viscount, 
 as he by no means resembled the pedantic 
 professor, who had been his private tutor 
 at Cambridge ; and, for the first week, he 
 certainly found Montrose Castle a most 
 delightful residence, his cousin having in- 
 troduced him to some of his juvenile 
 neighbours, with whom he went a-fishing, 
 upon some of the neighbouring lakes; 
 while his father and cousin explored the 
 environs oF the Castle, in various direc- 
 tions, on foot, or on horseback. 
 
 When they met at dinner, Loi*d Dunluce 
 declared, he highly approved of Colonel 
 Thornton's plan of life in the Highlands; 
 though he should prefer a cottage, upon 
 the borders of one of the lakes, to his tent, 
 for a temporary habitation ; protesting 
 that he should never again relish fish, but 
 of his own catching. But, at the expira- 
 tion. of ten days, he began to think shoot- 
 ing
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 231 
 
 ing was the preferable amusement; since,, 
 unfortunately, in endeavouring to emulate 
 Colonel Thornton, he fell over the side of 
 the boat, while trying to recover one of 
 his fox-hounds, as that gentleman styles. 
 some of his fishing-tackle ; and the com- 
 pleat ducking he, in consequence, receiv- 
 ed, induced him to forswear so laborious 
 an occupation : and as the shooting-season 
 was begun^ he now resolved to devote his 
 mornings to that sport; lamenting that his 
 cousin did not keep hawks or falcons, as 
 they would have varied the amusement. 
 
 Our hero promised to procure some 
 against another season ; and as Lord Dun- 
 luce boasted of being an excellent shot, he 
 hoped he would, for the present, make 
 iihift without them; offering to accompany. 
 him a-shooting, the next morning: the 
 Earl also chose to be of the party, as there 
 were plenty of dogs. Therefore, after an 
 early breakfast, they started. 
 
 The day being very fine, the Viscount 
 prognosticated that they should have ex- 
 cellent
 
 232 LANGKTON PRIORT. 
 
 cellent sport ; but he was spon distanced 
 by his more active cousin, who having 
 been accustomed, from a boy, to climb his 
 native mountains, and being, besides, a 
 keen sportsman, made himself ample 
 amends for having spent the last two sea- 
 sons at Malta : he was, in consequence, 
 much the most successful of the three, be- 
 ing a most excellent marksman. 
 
 Lord Dunluce, who was extremely fa- 
 tigued when he reached home, vowed he 
 was out of practice, but made no doubt of 
 soon bringing hrs hand in. He declined, 
 however, accompanying the Marquis in 
 future, preferring a ramble nearer home^ 
 with the under game-keeper; though he 
 felt a very great regard for his cousin, not- 
 withstanding he was so very much his su- 
 perior; and Lord Algernon, more than 
 once, wished he had borne more resem- 
 blance to him, since, though our hero was 
 certainly not deficient in point of vivacity, 
 and, at times, displayed traits of what 
 might be deemed the cha^'acteristical levity
 
 LANGIITON PRIORY. 233 
 
 of his father's family^ he possessed a vigo- 
 rous understanding, and more knowledge 
 of the world, owing to his having so early 
 embraced a military life, than he should 
 have supposed ; still he appeared formed 
 for domestic enjoyments, and to have in- 
 herited an innate love of virtue, dressed in 
 its most pleasing form, from his maternal 
 grandfather. His edtication had been ex.- 
 tremely liberal, though he was certainly 
 not so deep read as the !ate Marquis ; but 
 he had more than a sufficient share of 
 learning to secure him from the censure 
 of the literati, and had, besides^ a decided 
 taste for the fine arts; while the gaiety and 
 sportiveness of his conversation inspired 
 every one with a favourable opinion of his 
 temper, and genuine goodness of heart. 
 Sincerely, therefore, did the Earl hope he 
 would work a reformation in the manners 
 and opinions of his son, as he had never 
 been blind, though sometimes rather too 
 indulgent, to his failings. 
 
 At the expiration of the third week, 
 
 shooting
 
 234 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 shooting was become, in the Viscount's 
 opinion, as tiresome as fishing; and as the 
 season was rather wet, he ceased to ramble 
 in the environs ; preferring billiards, in a 
 warm room, to getting wet, in the pursuit 
 of game. 
 
 Dr. Campbell endeavoured to amuse 
 him, by displaying various curious expe- 
 riments in natural philosophy ; presuming 
 he had been grounded in most of the sci- 
 ences, at college; bnt was surprised to 
 find, considering where he had been 
 brought up, that he had merely skimmed 
 the cup of learning, and was, in fact, in- 
 competent to argue with Lord Eadermay, 
 upon any subject. 
 
 Lord Algernon saw, and lamented his 
 deficiences ; but knew not how to remedy 
 the evil, owing to the instability of his. 
 disposition : and as the evenings began to 
 lengthen, he became as anxious to leave, 
 as he had been to reach, Scotland; fancy- 
 ing that he should find more amusement at 
 Highwood, if it was only in quizzing his 
 
 prim.
 
 lANGHTON PRIORY. 235 
 
 prim maiden aunt, and her delectable 
 "ward : yet he did not choose to complain 
 o^ ennui to his father, as his cousin certain- 
 ly did every thing to render the Castle a 
 pleasant abode to him, having introduced 
 him, as vve have already said, to several 
 young Scotch nobles, of his own age, who 
 were his frequent visitors, and at the houses 
 of whose parents he had, more than once, 
 an opportunity of seeing Highland reels 
 danced in perfection, and of joining in 
 the amusement, as ,the Marquis did not 
 choose to give any fetes or balls, while he 
 was in mourning, which he proposed leav- 
 ing off in October, not wishing to affect 
 singularity, though he was anxious to pay 
 every respect to the deceased. 
 
 Octobei;^ having commenced. Lord Dun^ 
 luce began to think his father was resolved 
 to remain at the Castle till Christmas; and 
 had even ventured to hint, during their 
 tite-d'tites, that they had extended their 
 visit to an unmerciful length— -they should 
 
 tire
 
 236 LANGIITON PRIORY. 
 
 tire his cousin out; besides, Lady Winifred 
 would feel herself offended, if they re- 
 mained much longer in Scotland. 
 
 The Earl was sorry he did not enjoy his 
 eousin^'s society, which, to him^ was a real 
 treat, as he had never met with a more 
 agreeable companion. 
 
 Lord DunUice was ready to subscribe to 
 the truth of all this; but could not help 
 saying, that he should enjoy his cousin's 
 gay conversation more in London, where, 
 he hoped, they should frequently meet. 
 
 The Earl knew it was in vain to argue 
 with him, as he had already noticed his ill- 
 concealed ennui, and had resolved to leave 
 the Castle the ensuing week. He was, 
 therefore, going to mention his intention 
 to his nephew, while sitting round the 
 bottle after dinner, when he was prevent j 
 ed, by the entrance of one of the servants 
 out of livery, who informed the Marquis, 
 that a gentleman of the name of Belthorpe, 
 who was just arrived in a post-chaise, re- 
 quested
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 237 
 
 quested to be favoured with a few minutes 
 audience; adding^ '' he has been shewn 
 into the library/' 
 
 " Very well, I will join him immediate- 
 ly ; though, I presume, he means to put 
 my hospitality to the test, by the hour he 
 has chosen for his visit,'' rising while 
 speaking : and as his guests and Dr. Camp- 
 bell had drank as much as they chose, they 
 adjourned, at the same time, into the 
 saloon. 
 
 A short stout man, about five-and- forty, 
 whose dress resembled the general clerical 
 costume, was standing near the fire, when 
 our hero entered the library, to whom he 
 bowed very profoundly, presuming, he 
 said, he was addressing the Marquis of En- 
 dermay ? 
 
 Malcolm bowed an affirmative io his 
 question ; and his unexpected guest, after 
 apologising for his intrusion at such an 
 unseasonable hour, which was entirely ow- 
 ing to his having been delayed upon the 
 
 road.
 
 SS8 tANGHTON PtllORY. ' 
 
 roai by various trivial accidents, &c. &c. 
 proceeded to inform his silent auditor, that 
 he came ambassador from Langhton Priory, 
 and was the bearer of letters to his Lord- 
 ship, from his patron, its owner, and Lady 
 William Albany, who would certainly have 
 availed themselves of his polite invitation 
 to visit Scotland, had not Mr. Langhton 's 
 great age precluded the possibility of his 
 taking so 'long a journey; and Lady Wil- 
 liam hoped he would excuse her feeling 
 averse to leave her father alone, even to 
 seek the acquaintance of the Marquis of 
 Endermay, anxious as she felt to be intro- 
 duced to him, which induced her to hope 
 that he would favour her with a visit in 
 Lancashire, " But those letters, my Lord," 
 he continued, '' will perfectly explain the 
 nature of my errand hither, as I was mere- 
 ly to enforce the request they contain ; 
 and I trust you will not put a negative up- 
 on what they so earnestly desire, since I 
 positively believe Mr. Langhton will not 
 
 meet
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 939 
 
 meet death v;ith the same composure^ if 
 he is prevented from introducing his grand- 
 children to your notice/' 
 
 Having suffered this self-created ambas- 
 sador to bring his prolix harangue to a 
 conclusion, the Marquis requested he 
 would take a seat, assuring him, that any 
 friend of Mr. Langhton's must be a wel- 
 come guest at Montrose Castle; acknow- 
 ledging that he had hoped, when he said 
 he came from the Priory, that the family 
 from thence were upon the road, hoping 
 he had left them all well ; adding, ^' I find 
 I must, like Mahomet, go to the mountain, 
 since that will not come to me, as I am no 
 less anxious than they can be, to see Al- 
 gernon and Rosalie. But you have dis- 
 missed your chaise, I hope. Sir, as 1 shall 
 certainly make you my prisoner, while you 
 remain in Scotland. Have you dined?" 
 
 Belthorpe assured him that he had, being 
 accustomed to very early hours; acknow- 
 ledging that he had not dismissed his 
 
 chaise.
 
 S40 lAKGHTON PRIORY* 
 
 chaise, having proposed sleeping at the 
 next stage. 
 
 The Marquis instantly rung the bell, and 
 gave the necessary orders; and, when the 
 servant had retired, he broke the seal of 
 Mr. Langhton's better, which was, like his 
 fii-st, extremely polite ; and his excuses for 
 not having accepted his Lordship's invita- 
 tion, ^vere perfectly satisfactory ; conclud- 
 ing by hoping, the person he was address- 
 ing would favour him with- a visit, at the 
 Priory, before the winter set in. 
 
 Our hero instantly resolved to oblige 
 him; and Lady William's letter,, which he^ 
 read next, would have removed all his 
 scruples, had he been less inclined to visit 
 the Scmcta Casa, as he felt that her request 
 to see him proceeded from the heart ; and 
 she was so earnest in her entreaties, and 
 expressed such anxiety to introduce her 
 children to his notice, that, had it not been 
 for his guests, he should have felt half in- 
 clined to have answ^r^d her letter in per- 
 son :
 
 LANCHrON PKlOHYo 24l 
 
 son : but, as he had also perceived that hi?? 
 cousin was heartily weary of Scotland, 
 therefore did not suppose his uncle would 
 remain much longer at the Castle, he 
 thou2:ht he mioht venture to tell Mr. Bel- 
 thorpe, that he would set out for Lanca- 
 shire, as soon as his present guests bent 
 their steps thither; mentioning who they 
 were, and that they meant to proceed to 
 Highwood, from the Castle; adding, "pos- 
 sibly you can spend a few days with me, 
 Mr. Belthorpe, at the expiration of which, 
 I dare say, I shall be able to fix a time for 
 visiting the Priory." 
 
 " Your Lordship certainly holds out a 
 very flattering inducement to incline me 
 to postpone my departure; and, were I 
 absolutely my own master, I should need 
 no pressing to become your guests till you 
 were quite tired of me : but I cannot spend 
 more than a couple of days at the Castle, 
 during which time you may probably be 
 able to decide when we may hope to see 
 you in Lancashire, where your arrival will 
 
 VOL. I. M be
 
 242 LANGIITON PRIORY. 
 
 be impatiently expected, from the moment 
 I return. We place no faith in the pre- 
 sent Pope; but even the last would not 
 have been, a more welcome guest within 
 its walls.*' 
 
 The Marquis smiled at the far-fetched 
 compliment ; but, wishing to know some- 
 thing more of his visitor, before he intro- 
 duced him to Lord Algernon, neither Mr. 
 Langhton nor Lady William having en- 
 tered into any explanation concerning 
 him, he said, '^^ You reside there, I pre- 
 sume.^'* 
 
 " I have done so for the last eight years, 
 my Lord Marquis, in the capacity of pri- 
 vate tutor to the honourable Mr. Albany ; 
 and I might also add, as deputy to the 
 head chaplain. Father Benedetto, of whom 
 you have doubtless already heard, as he 
 has resided there ever since Clement the 
 Fourteenth abolished the Order of Jesus, 
 of which he was member. Mr. Langhton 
 was professed in the same convent; of 
 course, they have been sworn friends, from 
 
 th^ir
 
 LANGIITON PRIORY. S^4i. 
 
 their youth; and I believe there is not 
 more than a twelvemonth's difference in 
 their age : and Mr. Lann^hton, though a 
 grandfather, is still a monk at heart ; and 
 as a monk continues to have the guidance 
 of his conscience, I despair of ever seeing 
 him more liberal-minded." 
 
 These were doubts our hero could not 
 resolve ; and as he did not choose to ap- 
 pear curious, he forbore making any en- 
 quiries respecting the family, but pro- 
 posed joining his guests in the saloon, and 
 introducing the stranger to them and Dr. 
 Campbell. 
 
 Mr. Belthorpe made no objection ; sin- 
 cerely wishing that he could change situa- 
 tions with the latter gentleman, whom, he 
 understood, held the same post at Mon- 
 trose Castle, which Father Benedetto did 
 tit the Priory ; and, could his abjuring his 
 Popish errors have procured him such a 
 snug birth, he would have made no scruple 
 of doing so immediately, as he bore no 
 M 9 small
 
 9^i LANGHTON PPJORY. 
 
 small resemblance to the celebrated vicar 
 of Bray, and could be all in all with all 
 
 jmen. 
 
 CHAP* XL 
 
 loRD Endermay introduced his guests lil 
 due form, to the gentlemen in the saloon ; 
 mentioning, of course, from whence he 
 came, and upon what errand ; adding, 
 *' and I mean, in consequence, to put Mr. 
 Langhton's hospitality to the test, between 
 this and Christmas." 
 
 '' Then I must request you will allow 
 Henry to remain in possession here," said 
 Lord Algernon, *' as he is very anxious to 
 spend his winter at the Castle. I will ac- 
 company
 
 LANGMTON PRIORY, / 245 
 
 company you southward, as soon as you 
 please." 
 
 This was said in a very gay tone ; and 
 Lord Dunluce declared, that he would 
 €\en forego his own wish to remain in 
 Scotland, to enjoy their company ; there- 
 fore, he did not care how soon they were 
 upon the road. 
 
 *' I give you credit for the conclusion 
 of your speech,'* rejoined the Earl ; 
 " though I believe you are as partial to 
 Lord Eudermay, as it is in your fickle na- 
 ture to be to any one : yet, I am well con- 
 vinced, so anxious are you to change the 
 scene, that you would leave us both be- 
 hind, rather than spend another month 
 here; though I know you will find your'- 
 self infinitely more dull at Highwood; and 
 there I shall certainly remain at least a 
 month, if not six weeks, as I wish to pay 
 my aunt proper respect. However, as I 
 had resolved, before Mr. Belihorpe's arri- 
 val, to leave Scotland early in the next 
 week, and as I now hope you will bear us 
 M 3 company.
 
 'i46 I.AKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 company. Marquis^ suppose we start on 
 Tuesday ?" 
 
 " I must petition for another week, ray 
 dear uncle, even at the risk of incurring 
 my cousin's anger, as I cannot conveni- 
 ently leave home before; and I shall not 
 Avillingly forego the advantage of travel- 
 ling with you. My very near relationship 
 to some part of the Langhton family, must 
 plead my excuse to Lady Winifred, for 
 taking up my abode first at the Priory ; 
 though I shall certainly, if she can give 
 me house-room, spend a few days with her 
 before I leave Lancashire." 
 
 " She will keep you to your word,*' re- 
 joined the Earl, '' as she could accommo- 
 date a much larger party than we shall be, 
 though her house is not quite upon so 
 large a scale as Montrose Castle; and she, 
 as well as I, shall expect to see you very 
 often, while you reside at the Priory, 
 which is not more than three miles distant 
 from her seat, I need not add, as Dr. 
 Campbell has promised to be your repre- 
 sentative
 
 L^NGHTON PRIORY. '247 
 
 sentative here during that festive season, 
 that you stand engaged to spend your 
 Christmas at Woodville ; and as I shall 
 wish* to be there early in December, you 
 must not engage to spend more than a 
 fortnight, or three weeks, at the^Prioiy, 
 since I know you will be obliged to devote 
 at least ten days to Lady Winifred : how- 
 ever, if you come into my plans, I will 
 into yours, else I am off to-morrow morn- 
 ing, fasting.'* 
 
 Lord Dunluce, though really attached to 
 his cousin, could have wished they might; 
 but as the Marquis cheerfully acceded to 
 all his, uncle's wishes, he was fain to have 
 recourse to patience. 
 
 The entrance of the servants with tea 
 and coffee, broke in upon the discourse; 
 and, after they had retired, Mr. Belthorpe^ 
 in reply to a question of the Earl of Al- 
 gernon's, gave the gentlemen a short ab- 
 stract of his life. He was born in Eng- 
 land, and of English parents, he said, but 
 did not mention where, nor his father's 
 M 4 rank
 
 24^ LANGHTON rKlORY. 
 
 ijank in life ; and had been educated at 
 Povsai, in the ci-ckvant French Flanders, 
 from whence he had been removed to a 
 stricter seminary, in the interior of France, 
 to study theology ; relating when and 
 ^vhere he had been ordained : soon after 
 which/ by the interest of kind friends, he 
 had been appointed confessor to a convent 
 of English nuns, at Pontoise, neav Paris; 
 " and in that enviable situation/' he added, 
 with an ironical smile, '* I continued, till 
 the French Revolution obliged Mesdames 
 the Benedictines y and myself, to se^k our 
 safety in flight. I shall not tire you, gen- 
 tlemen, with enumerating the various 
 hardships I underwent, before I was safely 
 landed in Great Britain : fortunately I was 
 very soon recommended to the notice of 
 Mr. Langhton, who wanted a preceptor 
 for his grandson ; and as my education had 
 fitted me for the post, and he was rather 
 pleased to find I had scarcely ever emerged 
 from the solitude of a cloister, I was soon 
 installed at the Priory, where I have re- 
 sided
 
 LANGHTON PRIORT. 
 
 249 
 
 sided for the last six years, which, I hope,^ 
 have not been very unprofitably spent by 
 my pupil, whom Mr. Langhton will not 
 allow to have yet attained the years of dis- 
 cretion ; though 1 hope. Lord Endermay, 
 you will find him better informed, and less 
 rustic, than you may, nay must expect/* 
 
 The person whom he addressed assured 
 him he was prepared to regard him as a 
 brother, and made no doubt of finding him 
 a very amiable, if not a very fashionable, 
 member of society. 
 
 Lord Algernon spoke highly in praise of 
 Lady William ; enquiring whether her 
 children greatly resembled her f^ 
 
 " Miss Albany is her very image, my 
 Lord ; therefore, I need not add, very 
 handsome. My pupil is a fine young man^ 
 not very tall, and rather stout, owing to 
 his not taking sufficient exercise, in my 
 opinion : Mr. Langhton thinks him very 
 like his deceased brother, Reginald : Father 
 Benedetto declares, he strongly reminds 
 him of the late Lord William^ wham he 
 M 5 once
 
 250 LANGHTON PRIORY^ 
 
 once saw% previous to his marriage. Her 
 Ladyship is not of the same opinion^ as 
 she sides .with Mr. Langhton. I am no 
 judge; though^ I own^ he does not, in 
 my opinion, greatly resemble the portrait 
 of his uncle.*' 
 
 *' Nor does he, I should suppose, bear 
 any great resemblance to Lord Endermay,'*- 
 resumed the Earl, '' as he is infinitely more 
 like his mother. Lady Zara Montrose, than 
 his father, who had dark eyes and hair.** 
 
 " I cannot say I have discovered any 
 family -liken ess between the brothers, my 
 Lord ; but, from what you have said, I 
 should suppose Mr. Albany is rather like 
 Lord William, as he has dark eyes and hair: 
 but there certainly is a something in the 
 expression of the Marquis*s countenance, 
 which has, more than once, reminded me 
 of Miss Albany.** 
 
 " I am glad to hear you say so,** re^ 
 joined our hero ; '' but you shall see my 
 father's picture in the morning, and I do 
 hope you will pronounce it like my bro- 
 ther.
 
 LAKCHTON PRIORY, 251 
 
 ther, as I should wish his features^ which 
 are extremely handsome, and very expres- 
 sive, might distinguish one of his chil- 
 dren." 
 
 The conversation now took a more ge- 
 neral turn ; and, during supper, Mr. Bel- 
 thorpe convinced his host, and all those 
 present, that, however he might, in ap- 
 pearance, conform to the rigid notions of 
 Mr. Langhton, he was by no means averse 
 to participating in the pleasures of the 
 table, nor by no means scrupulous with 
 regard to drinking : and, at their usual 
 hour, the party separated for the night, 
 the groom of the chambers having been 
 summoned to conduct the new-comer to 
 the apartment allotted him. 
 
 Lord Dunluce, ever eager in the pursuit 
 of novelty, chose to accompany his cousin 
 into his dressing-room, which was conti- 
 guous to his own ; when, having given his. 
 opinion very freely of Belthorpe, he saidy 
 " I wish old Langhton had included me iix, 
 the invitation you have received to- visit 
 M 6 the
 
 £62f lANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 the Priory ; I should have enjoyed accom- 
 panying you there^ in preference to going 
 to aunt Win's^ who^ entre nous, has been 
 my aversion, time out of mind; and I am 
 no favourite of the prim spinster's, sin^e 
 I cannot avoid quizzing her now and then; 
 and her ward, whom she has modelled ex- 
 actly after herself, always sits with her 
 hands before her, and as upright as a dart ; 
 and never speaks but when spoken to, and 
 then in monosyllables — ' Yes, Ma'am' — 
 ^ No, my Lord ;' or now and then, when 
 answering her oracle, ' As you please. 
 Ma'am/ As for calling me cousin, or 
 Henry, she would be shocked at so inde- 
 corous a proceeding ; so I am my Lorded 
 ^ver^ till I am sick of the very sound of 
 my title.'' 
 
 '' I see nothiit;^ reprehensible in our 
 cousin's conduct, my dear Dunluce— it 
 may not be fashionable, but surely it i» 
 very inoffensive; and she may have a 
 good understanding, and great parts, for 
 ^y thing you know to the contrary." 
 
 5 '^tell
 
 lANGHTON PKIORY. Q53 
 
 " I tell you, she is a mere automaton ; 
 moves by rule, and utters, parrot-like, the 
 routine of pretty speeches she has been 
 taught. I am continually upon the point 
 of calling her Pretty Poll, and scratching 
 her poll, while she is ringing her usual 
 changes in my ears, about Lady Winifred's 
 goodness. Lady Winifred's sense of pro- 
 priety. Lady Winifred's attention to deco- 
 rum, &c. &c." 
 
 " All meant for your good, and to im- 
 press you with due respect for your aunt,'" 
 gaily replied our hero. 
 
 " Then she will never succeed. Now, I 
 dare say, Algernon and Rosalie Albany are 
 true children of nature : I positively long 
 to be introduced to them — they must be 
 amiable, if they resemble you ; and I am 
 sure you will procure me an invitation to 
 the Priory, which I have always longed to 
 visit, when I have been at Highwood." 
 
 " I will certainly do my endeavour to 
 oblige you, as I hope you will not take 
 the opportunity either to quiz or carica- 
 ture
 
 §54 lANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 ture Mr. Langhton. But there is another 
 matter also to be. taken into consideration. 
 Belthorpe, you know, says Rosalie is very 
 handsome : now, I do not suppose she will 
 be permitted to marry a Protestant ; there- 
 fore, had not you better avoid temptation ? 
 besides, you might unintentionally rob her 
 of her heart. Therefore, all things consi- 
 dered, I fear I must decline being your 
 master of the ceremonies upon the occa- 
 sion/* 
 
 " I know you are quizzing me now. 
 Marquis, since you cannot suppose that I 
 would endeavour clandestinely ta obtain 
 the affections of your sister; and I have 
 not the vanity to suppose that she would 
 find any thing to admire in me; though, 
 very possibly, she might think there was 
 much to condemn : so I know you will 
 oblige me, as I shall indubitably die of 
 ennui at Highwood, if you refuse to gratify 
 my wishes/' 
 
 *' Then, to enable you to sleep in peace, 
 I promise to do so, if Mr. Langhton does 
 
 not
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. ^55 
 
 not absolutely prohibit the visits of young 
 unmarried Protestants — no unlikely thing. 
 But, as my uncle wishes to renew his inti- 
 macy with Lady William^ who is equally 
 anxious to be again upon good terms with 
 him, I dare say he will bring you with him 
 to the Priory." 
 
 *' That is not so certain : I depend more 
 upon you than my father, as there will be 
 many forms to go through, before the Earl 
 is upon an intimate footing with your mo- 
 ther-inrlaw ; and, even when they are, I 
 know he will object to my visiting the 
 holy abode/ for fear I should unwittingly 
 offend any of its inmates. But positively 
 I v;ill scale the w^alls, rather than be disap- 
 pointed; I should so enjoy seeing those 
 old men upon their knees in the cold cha- 
 pel, at four o'clock in the morning, at this 
 season, when their teeth must chatter in 
 their head." 
 
 " Then positively I will not put it in 
 your power to ridicule or caricature any 
 set of people^ while at their devotions, and 
 
 performing
 
 256 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 performing what they consider as a sacred 
 duty/' 
 
 " You must excuse my levity, my dear 
 cousin — it is constitutional, and I often 
 speak without reflection ; since, believe 
 me, I shall always respect the Langhtons 
 as your relations. The old confessor would 
 be fair game — you would not object to 
 my quizzing him." 
 
 •^ It would be rather a dangerous pas- 
 time; therefore you must give me your 
 honour not to give way to this absurd 
 propensity, ere I introduce you to the 
 fa^mily." 
 
 '* I will enter into any engagements you 
 may require, if you will but gratify my 
 longing wish to see this curious family : so 
 only promise to oblige me, and 1 am off." 
 
 The Marquis did as he desired, with the 
 proviso, that he gave him no reason to re- 
 call his word ad interim ; and, when left to 
 himself, our hero wondered what this rest- 
 less, changeable, mad-brained cousin of his 
 would turn out in the end» His father was 
 
 one
 
 LAKGHTON PEIORY, S^ 
 
 one of the most amiable men he had ever 
 met with, and he was evidently in constant 
 dread of his son's giving into every fa- 
 shionable folly ; and was, therefore, taking 
 every precaution to keep him out of temp- 
 tation, and at a distance from his dissipated 
 friends: but as he must, ere long, be, in 
 many respects, his own master, he feared 
 that he would then dash at once into life, 
 as he called it, and thus overturn all Lord 
 Algernon's plans for his future welfare and 
 establishment, and occasion both him and 
 the Countess many uneasy hours. This 
 train of thought brought his own father to 
 his recollection : he might have been re- 
 claimed^ Lord Endermay had always main*- 
 tained, had he been properly taken, or had 
 his first wife lived. His errors had, how- 
 ever, been so judiciously pointed out to 
 him by his grandfather, and their conse- 
 quences so strongly impressed upon his 
 mind, that he had, though with some diffi- 
 culty, persevered in his resolution, never 
 to drink more than did him good, nor 
 
 ever
 
 258 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 ever to ioixch either a card or a dice-box^ 
 when in company with known gamesters, 
 even of any rank; and he had also deter- 
 mined never to keep a mistress, for fear 
 she should prove a second Miss Alton, 
 who, he understood from his cousin, had 
 long since been dismissed by her antiquat- 
 ed admirer, who had had a succession of 
 frail fair ones in keeping since ; and re- 
 port said, that he had recently brought out 
 a beautiful rustic, whom he had met with 
 at some obscure village, and who was now 
 •the envy of the sisterhood, he maintained 
 her in such a style, having taken her to 
 various water-drinking places, and finally 
 settled her in an elegant habitation, near 
 London. " The old man had, therefore, a 
 spirit," Lord Dunluce had observed, ap- 
 pearing more inclined to applaud than to 
 condemn what he ( Lord Endermay ) thought 
 the climax of folly. 
 
 Belthorpe, who was an early riser, had 
 rambled about the home-grounds and gar- 
 dens^ before the family met at breakfast, 
 
 whea
 
 lANGHTON PRIOHY. 959 
 
 when he mentioned where he had bc«n, 
 bestowing some very just encomiums iipt 
 on the arrangements of both; presuming 
 that Montrose Castle was a very ancient 
 structure. 
 
 " I believe it may rank with Langhton 
 Priory, in that respect/* was the reply. 
 
 " To which do you give the preference. 
 Sir?" enquired Lord Dunluqe. 
 
 " To the Castle, without a doubts my 
 Lord. Here we may enjoy every comfort, 
 and every luxury this world can afford — 
 at the Priory, we merely seek to prepare 
 ourselves for the future; and I am afraid 
 we consider self-mortification to be more 
 efficacious than charity, which is, I under- 
 stand, indiscriminately distributed, by the 
 owner of this noble seat, to people of 
 every persuasion : probably Mr Langhton 
 may be no less renowned for his piety ; 
 but that is certainly a mere seh'ish virtue, 
 and of less utility to the community in 
 general. Lady William Albany is both 
 pious and charitable-^I wish I could say 
 
 the
 
 SCO LANGIITON PRIORY. 
 
 the same of her father; but, except to 
 Catholics, he is not inclined to part witb 
 even his superfluities." 
 
 Breakfast being, however, over. Lord 
 Endermay, according to promise, led his 
 guest into the picture-gallery^ and pointed 
 out a fine whole- length portrait of his fa- 
 ther, which had been done when he mar- 
 ried, by Sir Joshua Reynolds ; adding, 
 '' my mother hangs on the other side of 
 my grandfather: but, can you trace any 
 resemblance of my brother, in the counte- 
 jaance of Lord William Albany }'* 
 
 '' I positively cannot, my Lord Marquis: 
 he is certainly more like his great-uncle 
 than his father — ^^her Ladyship often says 
 so: hitherto I have been undecided in my 
 opinion, as I never could discern the great 
 resemblance Mr. Langhton sees between 
 him and a picture of the late Mr. Reginald, 
 his brother; but now I agree he is in th^ 
 right, since in no respect does he resemble 
 Lord William Albany. Your Lordship is 
 certainly more like your mother, sfill you 
 
 have
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 261 
 
 have yaur father's features, and seem the 
 very counterpart of him, in point of figure; 
 and yaur sister has his mouth, and, at times, 
 the expression of her countenance greatly 
 resembles this picture.'* 
 
 *' As a baby, I thought her rather like 
 her /ather,*' ijaid the Earl — '' however, I 
 do hope I shall soon have an opportunity 
 of renewing my acquaintance with her and 
 her mother: I am also very anxious to see 
 her brother: so, as a preliminary step, 
 Mr. Belthorpe, make my best compliments 
 to Lady William Albany, and tell her, I 
 shall no longer content myself with hear- 
 ing of her welfare, except she forbids my 
 intended visit." 
 
 Belthorpe was sure she would be more 
 inclined to hasten than to forego such a 
 pleasure; and, by way of shewing him 
 some of the lions in the environs, the gen- 
 tlemen took a long ride with him ; but 
 little more of moment occurred during his 
 stay ; and, on the third morning, he was 
 
 reluctantly
 
 S63 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 reluctantly obliged to depart, having been 
 highly gratified by the polite reception he 
 had met with, and greatly prepossessed in 
 favour of our hero, who made him the 
 bearer of two letters in answer to those he 
 had brought, and two others to his brother 
 and sister, whom he addressed in the most 
 affectionate manner, and in terms certainly 
 calculated to insure their regard. 
 
 When he drove from the door. Lord Al- 
 gernon said, he was fearful he was not so 
 comfortably situated at the Priory as he had 
 been at Pontoise, as he had always under- 
 stood the directors of nuns* consciences 
 were very much envied. 
 
 " He is not a man of family, I should 
 suppose," resumed Malcolm, '' he passed 
 so lightly over his birth.*' 
 
 *' Probably the natural son of some dig- 
 nified Catholic priest,'* replied the Earl, 
 '' who devoted him to the church, by way 
 of obtaining remission for his own sins.'* 
 
 " Now, had I ventured to broach such 
 
 a surmise/*
 
 LANCHTON PRIORV. 263 
 
 3 surmise/* said Lord Dunluce, " you 
 "vvould have condemned my want of cha- 
 rity. Sir/' 
 
 *' Very probably ; and I have nothing 
 to offer in extenuation of mine.** 
 
 " Be that as it may, I am equally repre- 
 hensible/* observed Dr. Campbell, " as I 
 am perfectly of your opinion, my Lord. 
 He is not, however, an unpleasant compa- 
 nion, and I dare say he is a very good 
 scholar.'* 
 
 '' That I very much doubt. Doctor,** re- 
 joined Lord Algernon, ^' since I never yet 
 met with a very learned Catholic priest ; 
 and I perceived how adroitly he evaded 
 entering the lists with you. His religion 
 was, I dare say, his greatest recommenda- 
 tion, in Mr. Langhton's eyes.*' 
 
 The Doctor said no rnore; and the per- 
 son who had given ,ri*se tp. this debate, 
 having met with no delays upon his return, 
 reached the Priory within the given time; 
 and met with a very cordial welcome, in 
 consequence of his having succeeded in 
 
 engaging
 
 ^64 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 engaging Lord Endermay to visit the holy 
 pile^ in whose praise he was certainly very 
 eloquent ;andj had his minute description 
 of Montrose Castle been taken in short- 
 hand, we might have gratified our readers 
 with entering into the same details he did 
 to his attentive auditors; and it maybe 
 supposed that he did not forget to men- 
 tion that the Marquis kept a most excel- 
 lent table, that his ponds abounded with 
 fish, and his manors with game ; then, such 
 a herd of deer were sheltered in the parks, 
 he had never eat finer venison. His Lord- 
 ship's hot-houses afforded him a succession 
 of all the rarest fruits; and his conservatory, 
 or winter-garden, could only be compared 
 to the one annexed to the Taurida Palace 
 at Petersburgh. 
 
 Algernon Albany thought his brother 
 must be the happiest of men ; and more 
 than once told his tutor, during their 
 tete-d'tetes, that he wished they could 
 change places — *' Then, how we should 
 
 live, B ! However, I do hope we 
 
 shall
 
 LANGHTON PRtORY. 265 
 
 shall enjoy a little of life by-and-by ; 
 though, I suppose, my mother will not 
 give up much while she lives : but, if I do 
 but come in for the old man's personals 
 at his death, I won't be moped up here 
 much longer.** 
 
 Belthorpe applauded his spirit; but as 
 we do not wish to introduce him furtively 
 or prematurely to our readers, we will, for 
 the present, return to Scotland, where no 
 event occurred, after his departure, wor- 
 thy recording in our story. Therefore, 
 at the appointed time, leaving Dr. Camp- 
 bell to represent him in his absence, after 
 making him promise to join him in Lon- 
 don in the spring, our hero left the Castle, 
 with his uncle and cousin, choosing to tra- 
 vel, as they did, with his own horses; and 
 when they preferred the curricle to a close 
 carriage, he rode on horseback : and as the 
 roads were good, and the weather fine, 
 they did not 'hiijTy, though they never 
 stopped more than a day any where; and, 
 on the 27th of October, thev reached Pres- 
 
 VOL. I. N ton.
 
 ^66 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 ton, between one and two ; where, after 
 taking an early dinner, they had resolved 
 to separate. 
 
 During their repast. Lord Algernon as- 
 sured our hero, that he was convinced Lady 
 Winifred would be all impatience to see 
 him; and if he entertained any hopes of 
 figuring in her will, he must devote at least 
 a fortnight to her, as he knew she was all 
 anxiety to have him for her inmate, as she 
 had a very great predilection in favour of 
 titled men. 
 
 " And then the Endermays are such an 
 ancient family," obtruded Lord Dunluce — 
 *' If you are not perfectly au fait of your 
 genealogy, she will put you right, cousin ; 
 since even I, from having heard them de- 
 scribed so often, was as well acquainted 
 with your family-arms before I saw them 
 emblazoned upon your library-windows, 
 as you ever were ; I also knew how you 
 quartered those of our family with those 
 of Endermay, upon your carriages : aunt 
 Win is certainly, in that respect, as useful 
 
 as
 
 LANCHTON PRiORY. ^67 
 
 ^s a good edition of the Peerage. But re- 
 member your promise to introduce me at 
 th6 Priory, if it is merely out of compas- 
 sion to my eyes ; since, after having been 
 seated vis-d-Tis Miss Albany for a few times, 
 it will be a great relief to them to be in- 
 <iu]ged with a sight of your lovely sister/*^^ 
 ^' If I am received at the Priory," inter- 
 rupted Lord Algernon, " I may, as a mat-, 
 ter of form, take you there ; but I must 
 request your cousin would not receive 
 you, should you ever take it into your 
 head to go thither alone. I trust and hope 
 that Rosalie Albany will make a good 
 match; but, even were you a Catholic or 
 she a Protestant, I should not wish her 
 election should fall upon you ; therefore, 
 do not fancy I shall ever suffer you to visit 
 the Priory, but en ceremonie, I am thus 
 explicit, as I wish to convince you that I 
 am perfectly serious : your cousin can ap- 
 preciate my motives for being so; and he 
 is aware, if you are not, that Mr. Langh- 
 ton will never more than tolerate a Protes- 
 N 2 tartt
 
 268 JLANGHTON PSIORY. 
 
 tant of your age^, while Rosalie remain! 
 unmarried/' 
 
 Our hero did not choose to interfere 
 between the father and son, though he 
 highly approved of all his uncle had said, 
 as he felt he should have been in a very 
 awkward predicament, had he introduced 
 his cousin to his sister, and had they be- 
 come attached to each other; and the very 
 difficulties that would have intervened, 
 would have fanned his cousin's flame, who 
 was obliged to content himself with his 
 father's promise to take him once to the 
 priory, were he admitted there himself, 
 which would be quite sufficient to gratify 
 his curiosity to see the inside of the vene- 
 -rable fabric; and, between four and five 
 o'clock, the three gentlemen stepped into 
 their respective post-chaises, after taking 
 a very kind leave of each other: Lord Al- 
 gernon and his son proceeded to High- 
 wood, while our hero took the route to 
 the Priory. 
 
 CHAP.
 
 iANCHTON PRIORY. 269 
 
 CHAP. XII. 
 
 Lord Endermay had sent his courier for- 
 ward from Preston, to announce his ap- 
 proach; and to bespeak stabling, &c. for 
 his horses, at Chedworth, having deter- 
 mined that none of his servants, his valet 
 excepted, should take up their abode with- 
 in the holy pile ; feeling convinced that 
 its owner would feel much more at his 
 ease, when he found that his Catholic house- 
 hold would not be obliged to hold con- 
 verse with such a set of heretics. Donald, 
 his valet, who had lived with him from a 
 child, would, he knew, like himself, avoid 
 religious disputes, and was too well be- 
 haved to give offence to this sober set. 
 
 k3 It
 
 S70 ■ LANCHTON PRIORY. 
 
 It was nine miles from Preston to th€ 
 Priory ; and as the evening closed in very 
 dark, Malcolm was unable to reconnoitre 
 the very handsome Gothic portal at which 
 the carriage stopped. The attending ser- 
 vants having rung at the bell, an elderly 
 female, in a brown serge gown, who 
 strongly reminded him of the touriere, or 
 portress, of a nunnery, having unbolted 
 and unlocked. the massive gates, the pos- 
 tillions drove into a larjre Daved court, sur- 
 rounded by cloisters, which still exhibited 
 ?;ome beautiful specimens of Gothic carv- 
 ing_, as the oak-impannelled roof, or ceil- 
 ing, was still in excellent preservation; 
 and, upon a nearer inspection, our hero 
 thought it far exceeded many of the kind 
 he had seen abroad, having more than once 
 visited Italy, while at Malta. 
 
 The carriage having drawn up to the 
 grand entrance, Mr. Ashton, who was still 
 major-domo at the Priory, advanced to 
 cpen the door; but the courier who was 
 in waiting being far more alert, prevented 
 
 him
 
 1.ANGHT0N PRIORY* 271 
 
 'him from displaying his dexterity, and 
 Malcolm jumped out, repeating his former 
 orders to Donald, to send the carriage to 
 Chedworth as soon as he had taken out the 
 baggage. 
 
 Mr. Belthorpe was hastening through 
 the hall, as his Lordship entered the man- 
 sion, and immediately called out, bowing 
 as he advanced, ^^ Welcome to Langhton 
 Priory, my Lord Marquis — I hope you 
 had a pleasant journey ;" while old Ash- 
 ton, who had been silently gazing at the 
 young soldier, as he lightly ascended the 
 steps leading into the house, muttered to 
 himself, " This looks like a son of Lord 
 William Albany's — he was just such a 
 figure;" forgetting that he had never be- 
 fore acknowledged having seen this said 
 Lord William. 
 
 Malcolm took no notice, being anxi- 
 ously looking round him: but the lanthorn, 
 which was suspended in the middle of the 
 immense hall, once the refectory of its 
 holy inmates, merely, in his opinion, ren- 
 N 4 dered
 
 :272 LA^^GHTON PRIORY. 
 
 dered the darkness more visible ; and, even 
 by daylight, he conceived the high arched 
 windows scarcely admitted light enough 
 to distinguish objects at the farther end. 
 
 Having returned Mr. Belthorpe's com- 
 pliments, his Lordship followed him, across 
 a long passage, into a parlour, of nearly 
 the same dimensions as the entrance-hall, 
 the door of which had been previously 
 thrown open ; and Belthorpe, acting :: 
 groom of the chambers, though several 
 ancient domestics stood in the background, 
 announced the Marquis of Endermay, who 
 was met, almost at the entrance, by a very 
 tall elderly man, whose monastic stoop, 
 downcast eyes, and dark-brown suit, led 
 him to suppose was Mr. Langhton ; nor 
 was he mistaken, as Belthorpe announced 
 him as*such; and never, our hero thought, 
 had he seen melancholy superstition so le- 
 gibly written upon the countenance of 
 any one. He, however, paid his compli- 
 ments very politely to the young Peer, 
 and welcomed him very cordially to the 
 
 Priory ;
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 273 
 
 Priory ; and finally introduced him, first 
 to his daughter, who, though in her forty- 
 first-year, still displayed traits of her 
 youthful beauty; and, though she was not 
 dressed in the reigning fashion, she had, 
 in the highest degree, the appearance of a 
 gentlewoman, but appeared to have im- 
 bibed a small share of her father's melan- 
 choly. 
 
 Her reception of our hero was exactly 
 calculated to improve the very high opi- 
 nion he had formed of her ; and she felt 
 an intuitive regard for him, from the mo- 
 ment of his entrance, as he recalled his 
 father so forcibly to her memory, that she 
 could not disguise the starting tears, while 
 repeatedly bidding him welcome. She 
 then introduced him to her children ; and 
 he felt almost instantly a fraternal regard 
 for the lovely Rosalie, who v^as the living 
 image of her mother, and who, at two-and- 
 twenty, seemed to possess all the naivete 
 and simplicity of sixteen, and to be wholly 
 unconscious that she was a brilliant of the 
 N 5 first
 
 274 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 first water, since she might almost h^ve 
 disputed the palm of beauty with his late 
 mother. 
 
 Rosalie was no less struck with the fine 
 manly figure and handsome countenance, 
 which bore a decided character of courtly 
 ease and politeness^ of this hitherto un- 
 known elder brother, to whom Algernon 
 Albany was certainly a very good foil ; 
 and our hero did not wonder at his being 
 the favourite of Mr. Langhton, as he fan- 
 cied he was much more like that gentle- 
 man than Lady "William, or Rosalie, had 
 ever been ; and certainly bore no resem- 
 blance to his deceased father, as his coun- 
 tenance, though what is termed a dark 
 man, was very deficient in point of ex- 
 pression ; and, as he was very stout, he 
 looked shorter than he really was; and, 
 never having learned dancing, he appear- 
 ed Extremely awkward, and very rustic 
 and uncoutli in his manners. He was, how- 
 ever, very happy to see the Marquis, who;, 
 en his side, gav-e him no reason to sup- 
 5 pose
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 275 
 
 pose he was deficient in natural affectioia ; 
 and Algernon was not sparing of his wel- 
 comes, to which his hearty shake of the 
 hand added strength. 
 
 Mr. Langhton broke in upon his dis- 
 course, by requesting to introduce Father 
 Benedetto, one of the best and worthiest 
 of men, to the Marquis of Endermay, who, 
 not having a very great predilection in fa- 
 vour of Catholic priests, or monks> of any 
 denomination, merely bowed in reply to 
 the friar's panegyrist, as he fancied he 
 discerned great art in the demeanour of 
 this specious director of Mr. Langhton's 
 conscience, though it was concealed under 
 an appearance of primitive simplicity ; and 
 he seemed among the most rejoiced to see 
 the young Peer in Lancashire. 
 
 Lady William now requested their guest 
 would take possession of an arm-chair near 
 the lire, as she feared their large rooiiis 
 were not so warm as those he had been, 
 accustomed to. 
 
 '' Your Ladyship forgets that I am a 
 
 Highlander, and a soldier ; therefore, ought 
 
 N 6 la
 
 ^76 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 to be inured to cold ; though I think that 
 cheerful word ^fire, must banish the sensa- 
 tion from this apartment/' seating himself 
 where she, desired, while Mr. Lan^hton 
 politely enquired whether he had dined ? 
 as he had understood, from Mr. Belthorpe, 
 he never did so before six, at Montrose 
 Castle. 
 
 Malcolm told him that he had taken that 
 repast with his uncle and cousin, which 
 led to enquiries after their health, while 
 Lady William ordered tea and coffee, which 
 was soon brought in; and a sort of desul- 
 tory conversation ensued, respecting his 
 Lordship's journey, the state of the roads, 
 travelling abroad. Sec. which led to en- 
 quiries respecting the battle of Aboukir, 
 and to our hero's doing ample justice to 
 the merit and bravery of the immortal 
 Abercrombie, who had communicated a 
 portion of his courage and spirit to those 
 under his con^mand. 
 
 ^' You were wounded, we understood," 
 said Lady William. 
 
 *' So slightly, that I am fearful my ho- 
 nourable
 
 LANCHTON PRIORY. 277 
 
 nourable scar will soon be imperceptible/* 
 raising his hair, to shew her Ladyship 
 where he had been hurt. 
 
 '' How fortunate you escaped so well !" 
 exclaimed Rosalie ; " though I am con- 
 vinced you will never lose that memento 
 of French ferocity." 
 
 '^ Nay, my dear girl, I should have 
 been equally ferocious in defence of my 
 country/' 
 
 Father Benedetto assured him, in reply, 
 that he should not have scrupled to have 
 bleiised the British arms, upon such an oc- 
 casion ; declaring that^-Bonaparte appear- 
 ed to him to be the Antichrist, quoting 
 various scriptural authorities in support of 
 his opinion. 
 
 The Marquis did not choose to enter 
 the lists with him, as he seemed to be both 
 a shrewd and subtle disputant ; smooth and 
 insinuating in his manners, and bearing, in 
 his opinion, strong traits of resemblance 
 to the disciples of Ignatius Loyola. Had 
 he not previously resolved, neither to ap- 
 pear
 
 278 LANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 pear curious, nor to seem surprised at ajiy 
 thing that might strike him as extraordi- 
 nary, during his stay at the Priory, he 
 would have enquired whether the family 
 had already taken tea, as it was now pre- 
 pared evidently for him alone ; and, 
 scarcely had the tea-equipage been re- 
 moved, ere he was rather startled by the 
 unexpected ringing of a large bell, in the 
 immediate vicinity of the apartment. 
 
 '' There is our summons to vespers, "^ 
 said Mr. Langhton — " I shall not pay your 
 Lordship so poor a compliment, as to 
 break through our established rules, out of 
 mere ceremony. Lady William Albany 
 will remain with you, while we adjourn 
 to chapel. This is the eve of St. Simon 
 and St. Jude, which our religion enjoins 
 us to keep holy.'* 
 
 " I should be extremely hurt. Sir, were 
 you to treat me as a ceremonious guest, "^ 
 was the reply. 
 
 Father Benedetto, therefore, instantly 
 rose, and, followed by Mr. Langhton and 
 
 his
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. §79 
 
 his grandchildren, Belthorpe bringing up 
 the rear, left the room : and no sooner 
 was the door closed upon them, than Lady 
 William requested leave of absence for a 
 few minutes ; adding, '' our servants are 
 so unused to company, that I must repeat 
 some of my former orders to them, as I 
 wish to render your Lordship's abode here 
 as comfortable as circumstances will ad- 
 mit ; and, without waiting for an answer, 
 she hastened out by a door opposite the 
 one by which the rest of the family had 
 just made their exit. ' 
 
 Being thus left alone, our hero rose 
 from his arm-chair, to take a survey of the 
 spacious apartment in which he had been 
 so hospitably received. As far as he couM 
 judge, when he had measured it with his 
 eye, it was about forty-two feet in length, 
 and twenty-eight in width; a very good 
 wood fire was burning in an immense 
 chimney, surmounted by some rich old 
 oak carving ; the wainscot was of the same 
 wood, divided into Gothic pannels, and 
 
 the
 
 280 LAXGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 the ceiling of equal ancient date^ and of 
 the same materials: six long narrow win- 
 dows ran on one side of this diminutive 
 apartment, which looked, he presumed, 
 into the garden, and over which were now 
 drawn a set of faded green damask curtains, 
 which appeared to have descended from 
 generation to generation, to the present 
 ov.^ner: a carpet, which covered about 
 one-half of the apartment, was extended 
 in the middle, and appeared to be of the 
 same date as the curtains : heavy oak-tables 
 stood between the piers, and a very large 
 mahogany ditto at the farther end, oppo- 
 site the fire : about a dozen high cane- 
 backed chairs, and two curiously carved 
 ebony armed ones, from one of which he 
 had risen, and which bore the date of 1574, 
 was all the furniture the room contained ; 
 though in each gloomy pannel hung a 
 whole-length portrait of some dignitary of 
 the Romish church, some in papal, others 
 in cardinals' and bishops' robes ; and over 
 the chimney was a very fmt picture, by an 
 
 Italian
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 281 
 
 Italian master, of the Descent from the 
 Cross ; but of this he had a very imperfect 
 view, by the feeble glimmer which two 
 wax-lights, in gilt sconces, at either extre- 
 mity of the immense chimney, afforded 
 him ; and a pair more, which were upon a 
 claw-table, in the centre of the apartment, 
 scarcely allowed him to distinguish the 
 costume of the different portraits, one of 
 which, he fancied, bore some resemblance 
 to Mr. Langhton. As they had all been 
 done in Italy, they were by no means bad 
 paintings; and he rather presumed, the 
 one that reminded him of the master of 
 the house, had been done for him while a 
 monk. 
 
 He continued, however, to pace this 
 immense room, reflecting upon its present 
 and former inhabitants, till Lady William 
 again joined him, declaring she was shock- 
 ed at having left him so long alone. 
 
 ''If I put you at all out of your way. 
 
 Lady William, I shall feel myself compelled 
 
 .to shorten my visit. I came hither to see 
 
 you
 
 282 LANCHTON PRIORY. 
 
 you and my brother and sister, bat not as 
 a ceremonious visitor ; therefore, to con- 
 vince me that you consider me as one of 
 the family, do not let me detain you from 
 vespers. You can provide me with a 
 book, or pen and ink, and my Scotch 
 friends will be anxious to hear of my safe 
 arrival in Lancashire/* 
 
 " Of that I make no doubt ; but I hope 
 to-morrow will be soon enough to address 
 them, as I cannot forego the pleasure of 
 your company ihi^ evening ; indedd, I 
 very seldom attend vespers at this time of 
 year, as my health will not suffer me to 
 remain with impunity, either before sun- 
 rise or after sunset, in our damp chapel. 
 Indeed, I only wonder my father, at his 
 advanced age, can brave the cold as he 
 does: he is a very good man, perhaps ra- 
 ther too rigid in his notions; and as he 
 has an excellent conatitution himself, he 
 is apt to suppose that others cannot suffer 
 in following his example. But this is not 
 the subject I wished to discuss with your 
 
 Lordship^
 
 LANGHTON PRIOIY. S€S 
 
 Lordship, as I meant to seize this oppor- 
 t unity to express my sense of the obliga- 
 tion you have conferred upon me and my 
 children, by accepting my father's invita- 
 tion to visit the Priory ; though I am fear- 
 ful you will repent having been so com- 
 plaisant, before you have been four-and- 
 twenty hours mir inmate, as Mr. Langhton 
 conforms so exactly to the mode of life 
 which he led while a professed monk, that, 
 with the best intentions in the world, he 
 cannot render himself an agreeable com- 
 panion to a man of the world; and, though 
 my children are not, I trust, wholly unin- 
 formed, they have kd so recluse a life, 
 that they are extremely deficient, in many 
 respects.'* 
 
 The Marquis seized this opportunity to 
 bestow a very warm eulogium upon his 
 sister, protesting that be was ready to as- 
 sert the superiority of her beauty, &c. Sec, 
 against any discourteous knight, who gave 
 the preference to a mere belle of fashion. 
 
 Lady William was both flattered and 
 
 amused
 
 fS4 lANGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 amused by his vehemence ; observing, that 
 the Priory had no doubt reminded him of 
 the ancient castles, in which peerless dam- 
 sels were formerly confined by cruel giants, 
 or wicked magicians. 
 
 Malcolm could have compared Father 
 Benedetto to the latter, but did not feel at 
 liberty to censure so grave a personage ; 
 and Lady William, aware perhaps that she 
 had spoken rather too plain, reverted, in 
 the most flattering terms, to the late Mar- 
 quis of Endermay, who had taken her un- 
 der his protection, when she was in a man- 
 ner friendless, and a sort of solitary out- 
 cast, and had been the ultimate means of 
 bringing about a reconciliation between 
 her and her father. Nor did she do less 
 justice to the Earl of Algernon ; adding, 
 " whether I wrote last to him, or he to me, 
 I cannot say. 1 fear it was wished to wean 
 me from my heretic friends. To his Lord- 
 ship only I permit you to whisper my sus- 
 picions ; he will appreciate my motive for 
 being thus explicit, as I feel very anxious 
 
 to
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 285 
 
 Co be, once more, upon friendly terms with 
 my excellent brother-in-law; and the kind 
 message he sent me by Belthorpe, has in- 
 duced me to hope he will not be averse to 
 a renewal of our intimacy : so now give 
 me your opinion of the Countess/' 
 
 '' Suffer me to see her first, my dear 
 Madam, as I have never yet been intro- 
 duced to her; but expect to be so ere 
 long, as well as to Lady Winifred Albany 
 and her ward." 
 
 " I once saw your gi^^at-aunt — she paid 
 me a lying-in visit soon after n^y return to 
 the Priory : but as she had certainly slight- 
 ed me, when I fancied I stood most in need 
 of her assistance, I have never felt very 
 cordially inclined towards her; though for 
 my children's, more especially my daugh- 
 ter's sake, I should wish to be upon rather 
 a more intimate footing with so near a re- 
 lation of her late father's, as, in the event of 
 my death, I should wish her to have some 
 female protectress/' 
 
 'J I trust you will live to sec her happy, 
 
 in
 
 ^80 lANCHTON PRIORY. 
 
 in the protection of an excellent husband," 
 was the reply. • 
 
 '^ May your words be prophetic, my 
 Lord ! — My son is a much greater favour-*^ 
 ite with his grandfather, because Father 
 Benedetto gives him the preference; I 
 cannot give you a better reason, as I think 
 the secluded life he has led has depressed 
 all the nobler energies of his mind When- 
 ever my father dies, he will probably be 
 emancipated from what he frequently 
 terms a state of bondage ; and I am fearful 
 he will then endeavour to make himself 
 ample amends for his present privations, 
 since Father Benedetto, notwithstanding 
 his avowed partiality for him, seems infi- 
 nitely more anxious to render him a fit 
 inhabitant for a monastery, than to appear 
 with eclat in the world. I perceived you 
 were surprised that none of us drank tea 
 with vou : but we alwavs, on the eve of 
 St. Simon and St. Jude, and on those of 
 many other holidays, observe a strict fast ; 
 and, were even a monarch to honour the 
 
 Priory
 
 LANGHTON PRIORY. 287 
 
 Priory with his presence, my father would 
 not break through a single monastic rule 
 during his stay. Indeed I sometimes fear 
 that we are more attentive to forms than 
 to essentials; and if religion does not pro- 
 ceed from the heart, such a strict observal 
 of the fasts and festivals, is more likely to 
 render young people hypocrites than good 
 Catholics : and I griev e to acknowledge, 
 that my son is^ like my father, credulously 
 superstitious, and fancies, like him, that a 
 confessor can absolve him from any crime, 
 'Tis a dangerous belief, in my opinion ; 
 but what I condemn in Algernon, has 
 greatly endeared him to his grandfather. I 
 should not be thus explicit to any one less- 
 nearly connected with him, but I am re- 
 solved not to have any reserves with your 
 Lordship. Belthorpe you have seen much 
 more ofl^ his guard, I dare say, than he ever 
 is at the Priory, as I have long feared that 
 he does not strictly act up to what he pro- 
 fesses : but I am obliged to affect igno- 
 rance of many things, since it is rather a 
 
 hazardous
 
 ^88 LAKGHTON PRIOeY. 
 
 hazardous experiment, to prefer a com- 
 plaint against a Catholic priest. He was 
 highly recommended to my father ; and I 
 hope I am not too fastidious in my notions^ 
 since, in my opinion, a man of his profes- 
 sion must be either a saint or a hypocrite." 
 
 Malcolm, who had not chosen to inter- 
 rupt her, now said that he perfectly agreed 
 with her, '^ince a Catholic priest was re- 
 quired be more than mortal. 
 
 Lady William now reverted to her daugh- 
 ter, when, suddenly stopping, she exclaim- 
 ed, " That is my father's step! — Good 
 Heavens ! how soon this evening has slip- 
 ped away !" and, before our hero could 
 reply, the party came in from chapel ; 
 Belthorpe saying, *' I am glad you did not 
 accompany us. Lady William, for it is a 
 verv cold evening." 
 
 '' I am never sensible of either heat or 
 cold, when addressing my Creator," grave- 
 ly resumed Mr. Langhton, not appearing 
 to approve of the remark; while our hero 
 drew' his sister near the fire, as the icy 
 
 feel
 
 lANGHTOK PRIORY. 2S§ 
 
 feel of her hand was a convincing proof 
 that she was not such an enthusiast : and, 
 before they had resumed their seats, sup- 
 per was announced, which was served in 
 another parlour, of nearly the same di- 
 mensions as the reteption-room ; at one 
 end of which was a large Gothic bow-win- 
 dow, which Mr. Langhton styled the oriel; 
 informing his guest, that, while the Priory 
 was inhabited by a religious community, 
 one of them always read at that window, 
 during the abbot's dinner and suppers- 
 adding, " I have made no stranger of your 
 Lordship. This being a fast-day, no ani* 
 mal food ever appears at my table. I hope 
 you have no dislike to fish and eggs.'* 
 
 'Malcolm assured him he was very partial 
 to both, and that he seldom eat meat 
 suppers. 
 
 They were not, how^ever, permitted to 
 fall to, till Father Benedetto had audibly 
 pronounced a long Latin heneclicite upon 
 the repast, which was much better than our 
 hero had expected; though he made no 
 
 ■VOL. I, o doubt
 
 ^90 LANGIITON PRIORY. 
 
 cloubt of Lady William's having given very 
 particular orders and instructions to the 
 cook, since Mr. Langhton and the friar 
 merely ate a few walnuts and some bread, 
 -which they washed down with a glass of 
 "water, so strictly did they observe the fast. 
 The rest of the party were not so scrupu- 
 lous, though they ate very sparingly. 
 
 While the servants were clearing the 
 table, Mr. Langhton desired that proper 
 attention might be paid to those in the 
 Marquis of Endermay's suite ; and appear- 
 ed shocked and surprised, when informed 
 that his Lordship's valet was the only one 
 who had remained at the Priory; the others, 
 with the carriage and horses, having all 
 gone to the Nag's Head in the village, as 
 he was fearful, he said, they would be very 
 badly accommodated at suchl a* mere coun- 
 try town ; though, in fact, he was very 
 happy his own grey-headed attendants 
 would not be compelled to mix with so 
 worldly a set : and, soon after ten, he rose 
 to retire, requesting the Marquis would 
 
 consider
 
 lANGHTON I^RIORY. 291 
 
 consider himself at home, as his age 
 obliged him to keep very good hours, 
 and he was in the habit of rising, very 
 early; leaving the room with Father Bene- 
 detto, who bestowed a devout blessing up- 
 on the remaining party. 
 
 Our hero made a motion to follow their 
 example; but Lady William requested Tie" 
 would keep his seat, as she knew, from 
 Mr. Belthorpe's acconnt, that he was not 
 in the habit of retiring so early ; assuring 
 him that she seldom went to bed before 
 eleven, as her health did not permit her 
 to attend matins, which Mr. Langhton. 
 made a rule of doing, at four o'clock ia 
 the morning, both summer and winter; 
 though she generally accompanied him to 
 mass, at seven. '^ Vespers,'' she proceed- 
 ed, " are always sung at the same hour m 
 the evening ; and, on holy days, we are re- 
 quired to hear sext at noon, and tierce 
 and none at three in the afternoon.'* 
 
 Malcolm listened in silence to this reca- 
 pitulation; but his countenaiice evincing 
 2 \a^
 
 ^92 lANGHTON PKIORY. 
 
 his astonishment^ Algernon exclaimed, " I 
 do not think our monkish rules would suit 
 you, brother — you would not have time 
 enough to sleep and to fight ; besides, 
 since, were you to follow our example, 
 you might be taken unawares at prayers. 
 But positively, my grandfather used to 
 spend twelve hours out of the four-and- 
 twenty upon his knees^ while he was a 
 member of the society of Jesus_, at Milan ; 
 and I believe he would never have for- 
 given himself for having broken his vows, 
 if Pope Clement the Fourteenth had not 
 soon after abolished the Order of Jesuits." 
 
 Lady William gently hinted, that such 
 details were not likely to amuse his bro- 
 ther, who, fearing he deranged them, soon 
 pleaded fatigue, as an excuse for retiring. 
 
 Algernon offered to shew him to his 
 room, while Belthorpe rang for his valet ; 
 and, having wished Lady -William and his 
 sister a good repose, he followed his bro- 
 ther up an amazing wide staircase, and 
 down a long arched passage, till they 
 
 reached
 
 -lANGHTON PRIORY. 293' 
 
 reached a room nearly the size of the one 
 they had supped in, and which was equally 
 embellished by a Gothic oriel window. A 
 very large fire was blazing in the chimney;: 
 and, by way of convincing him how much 
 he was honoured, Algernon informed him 
 that several crowned heads had slept in-, 
 this room, in days of yore. 
 
 Belthorpe soon made his appearance 
 
 - with the valet, for whom an adjoining 
 apartment had been prepared; and, after 
 wishing the young Peer a good repose, he 
 retired with his pupil, who, as well as him- 
 
 ^self, was obliged to attend matins. 
 
 Our hero now looked refund his cheerless 
 apartment. A bed of faded silk, in which 
 he thought it very possible bloody Mary 
 might have reposed, stood at the farther 
 extremity ; some high-backed stuff chairs, 
 covered with silk of the same manufactory, 
 were thinly scattered here and there; a 
 toilet of more modern date, and which, he 
 made no doubt, had been removed out of 
 lady William^s room, stood near the fire, 
 o 3^ as
 
 29-1 LAKGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 as did a very comfortable arm-chair ; and 
 upon the hearth was a rng.of her or Ro- 
 salie's working, he presumed: stilly, every 
 surrounding object looked dreary and un- 
 comfortable ; and as a gust of wind shook 
 the crazy casement of the oriel, while the 
 great clock heavily tolled eleven, he could 
 not help thinking that the Priory was well 
 suited for a second edition of the exploits 
 of Sir Bertrand, or that it "would form an 
 appropriate academy for the spectre-loving 
 pupils of the German school. 
 
 During these reflections, he had been 
 examining his couch, and w^ as pleased to 
 see that the sheets and covers looked re- 
 markably clean — Lady William had assured 
 him, the bed had been well aired. Not- 
 choosing, however, to make any remarks, 
 he was returning te wards Vae fire, when he 
 met the eyes of Donald^, who looked so 
 discontented, he could not restrain a smile. 
 
 " I am fearful your Lordship will never 
 be able to sleep in this uncomfortable 
 room; What with the"^ rattling of the case- 
 
 meat.
 
 LA-NOHTON PRIORY. S<35 
 
 Tnent, the roaring of the wind in the chim- 
 neVj and its howling in these endless pas- 
 sages, -j^ou will certainly never forget your- 
 self/' " 
 
 " I shall only have to reflect how much 
 more noisy the wind was, during the storm 
 we weathered coming home, Donald, and 
 how much better my present accommoda- 
 tions are, than those I met with on board 
 the frigate, to ensure me a sound repose." 
 "^ Why certainly, my 'Lord, even such 
 an apnrtment as this is preferable to a 
 state-cabin on board ship ; and I have been 
 assured the bed has been thoroughly aired, 
 therefore I hope you will" not catch cold. 
 But the family here seem so bent upon 
 securing good places in Heaven, that they 
 do not care how they fare while upon 
 earth." 
 
 '' Then they are less worldly-minded 
 than we are," was the reply, holding out 
 his leg to have his boot drawn off^ — '• But; 
 I hope you have had no reason to com- 
 plain.
 
 296 LAVGHTON PRIORY. 
 
 plain^ as I heard Mr. Langhton recommend 
 you to the butler's notice." 
 
 " Oh, I have fared very well^ my Lord : 
 indeed I am very fond of fish, and Mr. 
 Ashton treated me with some famous old 
 wine. But pray, my Lord, may I be so 
 bold as to enquire whether Mr. Langhton 
 was ever a professed Jesuit ?'' 
 
 '' He certainly was, many years ago, 
 which has rendered him very rigid in his 
 notions, and rather gloomy in his habits." 
 
 '' Oh, his having been a monk accounts' 
 for all his strange customs, .and sometimes 
 spending the whole night at prayers; for, 
 according to the steward's account, he*- 
 does not preach what he does not prac- 
 tise. However, I would not lead such a 
 life, even to enjoy his fortune — I had ra- 
 ther be a common soMier." 
 
 " But surelv his voluntary privations are 
 very meritorious, Donald." 
 
 " But if they originate in avarice, my 
 Lord, surely that alters the case; and, ac- 
 cording
 
 , LANGHTON PRlORYi 297 
 
 cording to Ashton's account^ he is a most 
 abominable miser, since, though he does 
 not- live up to half his income^ no poor 
 are ever relieved at these gates. Father 
 Benedetto is almoner, and, as the steward 
 says, he thinks charity begins at home : 
 indeed, no one likes the Italian, though 
 they all seem to fear him. Mr. Belthorpe 
 is now confessor to most of the household, 
 and they do not care how soon it pleases 
 God to call Father Benedetto to himself." 
 
 *' Very possibly — but, as I am undressed, 
 you may retire. • Remember and call me 
 before nine, as the family breakfast at that 
 hour, I understand," 
 
 " Your Lordship may depend upon my 
 punctuality. But I wish you would allow 
 me to bring my bed in here — I could sleep 
 very comfortably upon the floor ; and tea 
 to one whether that bell v/ill ring, should 
 you want any thing in the night.** 
 
 '' I am of opinion, Donald,** said the 
 smiling Peer, " that you fancy this old 
 mansion is haunted," 
 
 « I ara
 
 99 S LANGHTON PRIORY, 
 
 " I am sure I would not take upon me 
 to swear it is not, my Lord — the servants 
 tell strange stories respecting this very 
 room ; and as this was once a convent, 
 there is no knowing what wicked deeds 
 may have been committed within these 
 walls." 
 
 '' But as neither of us were coficerhed 
 in these said iniquitous proceedings, I 
 think we may venture to sleep in peace; 
 so 2:ood-nio;ht/* 
 
 The valet said no more, aware that this 
 was the signal for his departure. There- 
 fore, having secured the fire, and, placed a 
 lamp upon the chimney-piece^ he reluc- 
 tantly withdrew; but lingered some time 
 near the door, so fearful was he that some 
 of the ghosts, whom, the servants had hint- 
 ed, sometimes visited that room, should 
 disturb his beloved master: not that he 
 was by any means a coward, and he was. 
 well convinced that it must indeed be 
 something more than mortal to occasion 
 the Marquis^y degree of alarm; still he 
 
 could
 
 tANGHTON PRIORY. ^9^ 
 
 could not help dreading that some evil 
 awaited his master, in this gloomy habi- 
 tation. - 
 
 The great clock striking the half hour, 
 made him resolve to seek his room ; but 
 he could not refrain from first peeping 
 through the key-hole, to see if his lord 
 was in bed, and saw him rising from his 
 knees, having just finished his evening ori- 
 sons to his Creator. *' Surely he will come 
 to no harm !** he mentally ejaculated — 
 " He, God bless him ! prays in good ear- 
 nest, and without so much fuss as 'these 
 Catholics," turning into his own apart- 
 ment, where we shall leave him to forget, 
 in a sound sleep, the fears he entertained 
 for his master's safety. 
 
 END OP vbt, I. 
 
 Lane, DarliBg, and Co. LeadenhaU'Street.
 
 WORKS 
 
 " fVith the Reviewers' Opinion, 
 
 THE ENGLISH-WOxMAN, 
 
 A NOVEL, 
 
 BY MISS BYRON, 
 5 vols. ^ 5S4 
 " This Novel is far superior to the general run of such 
 pronuctions. Th^ 1 ingnage is aniir.a'ed and correct ; the 
 characters are happily diversified, and delineated with skill ; 
 and although tiit itory is spun out to the extent of five vo- 
 lumes, the aiteniion is never tired by unntcellary circumk)- 
 tion, or impetiiient digrefiion. The scenes depictured evince 
 th -r the fair Authoress is ro stranger ro high life, nor an un-i 
 profitable observer of its preJun.inating tollies. On the 
 wiiole, we can safely venturt- to recommend the Englsh- 
 VV^oman as a Hovei from the perusal i-f which the reader may 
 derive both amusement and instruction.'" 
 
 Lad/i Monthly Museum, December i ?68, 
 
 BERTRAND, 
 
 OR, c 
 
 MEMOIRS OF A NORTHUMBRIAN NOBLEMAN. 
 ^ Tale of the Seventeenth Century. 
 3 vols, price 15s. 
 
 «« This work, contains an unusual degree of interest> and 
 is very different in its construction -from the gej^eial run of 
 ^lovels, as there is not a single love adventure ibr ughout the 
 whole 5 yet the author has ingeniously contrived to awaktn 
 attention, ?.nd keep his reader in suspense to the last n: ge» 
 The fate of Beitrand is lather of a souibre cast, and some of 
 his adventures horder too much on he marvellous : we can, 
 nevertheltss, venture to recommend it as an amusing and un- 
 exceptionable novel, and one with which every reader of taste 
 and sensibility must he highly gratifivd,." 
 
 Laiifi ^lo?ithlj Musiujn, January 1809,