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 I ^'^/^'-^/ra/.r/ «.////r; ?J7i Stanley ThorHT 
 
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 ^ _Ben llev. 1841 
 
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 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 BY 
 
 HENRY COCKTON, ESQ. 
 
 AUTHOR OF " VALENTINE VOX, THE VENTRILOQUIST," &c. 
 
 WITH ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 
 RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET. 
 1841.
 
 & 
 
 L O ND O M : 
 PRJXTED BT SCHULZE AND CO., 13, POLA\D STREET.
 
 v'l ILLUSTRATIONS. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 Page 
 
 llie Elopement. . . .To face the title. 
 
 One of the earliest characteristics of Stanley 
 3 developed. . . . . . .12 
 
 g Stanley Thorn after a jovial party. . .173 
 M The Discovery. 228 
 
 VOL. IL ,i 
 
 Mr. Bouncewell and his colleagues trying it 
 
 on To face the title. . ^ 
 
 Bob makes up his book for the Derby. . 14 *,v 
 
 ' The presentation of the pearls. 
 Stanley plays Sir William's game. 
 Canvassing. .... 
 
 "X 
 
 Chairing the Member. 
 
 116 
 170 
 236 
 
 282 
 
 VOL m 
 
 ," Sir William WormMrell receives satisfaction. 
 
 : To face the title. 
 
 Stanley and his mother going into their ac- 
 counts. ...... 37 
 
 The Earl and the professional gentlemen. . 153 
 
 Captain Filcher explains how the aristocracy 
 7 behave. 223 
 
 Chastisement of Sir WilHam by Ameha's 
 
 brother. 
 
 274 

 
 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PORTRAYS, WITH OTHER FEATURES OF IMPORTANCE 
 THE EARLY CHARACTERISTICS OF OUR HERO. 
 
 To those who had not the honour of being 
 extremely intimate with Alderman Thorn, it 
 will be necessary to explain that he was a man 
 of considerable wealth, derived chiefly from a 
 series of successful speculations in hops ; that 
 he married very early, with the immediate view 
 of procuring the means of entering into those 
 speculations ; that at the expiration of fifteen 
 years from the date of his marriage certificate 
 he was generously and formally presented with 
 an heir, whom he caused to be baptized in the 
 name of Stanley, in honour of an aristocratic 
 friend of that name ; that he lived in purely 
 
 VOL. I. B
 
 2 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 aldermanic style until he arrived at the age of 
 fifty-four, when he utterly repudiated not only 
 all intoxicating liquors, but all animal food save 
 that which existed invisibly in vegetables and 
 water ; that such total change of diet at his age 
 brought on an almost perpetual shivering, which, 
 however, failed to induce him to forego his high 
 resolve, but which gradually killed him ; that 
 while some held a minute 2:fOst mortem examina- 
 tion to be essential to the promotion of the 
 science of pathology, others held it to be es- 
 sential by no means, it being clear that his 
 living had caused his death, or, in other words, 
 that his alimentary canal had been completely 
 frozen over ; and finally, that he was buried 
 with appropriate pomp, without the ice being 
 thus sacrilegiously broken. 
 
 Having performed the pleasing duty of placing 
 these afflicting details upon record to the per- 
 fect satisfaction, it is to be hoped, even of those 
 by whom this worthy individual was held in 
 high esteem, it now becomes strictly proper to 
 state, that at the period of the lamentable dis- 
 solution of the alderman, Stanley had just 
 completed his fifteenth year, and that he
 
 ojn:. 
 
 STANLEY TKORN. 
 
 hands, that, instead of regretting Bob's ab- 
 sence, as at first, he began to like it rather 
 than not. 
 
 The gentle Joanna had heard much of the 
 venerable gentleman from Bob. She had heard 
 of his high-toned gentleman-like bearing, of 
 his honourable and strictly virtuous principles, 
 of his brilliant conversational qualities, and of 
 the general generosity of his heart. She had, 
 moreover, heard that he possessed some con- 
 siderable property, which, in her gentle judg- 
 ment, imparted an additional lustre to the 
 whole. She had, therefore, been powerfully 
 prepossessed in his favour before she had the 
 honour of an introduction ; and his conduct in 
 her presence was so perfectly correct, that she 
 felt a strong conviction that the high and 
 noble qualities of his heart and mind had 
 been to some considerable extent understat- 
 ed. It is true he was rather an elderly gen- 
 tleman; but it is also true that he was, in 
 her opinion, an exceedingly nice-looking, el- 
 derly gentleman, who, although in reality 
 sixty, might pass very well for forty- six or 
 
 b2
 
 4 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 forty-seven, considering that the hair even of 
 young men will sometimes turn grey ! 
 
 There was, however, one consideration which 
 — as she confidentially consulted her friend, the 
 pillow, night after night — caused her to reflect 
 deeply upon the solemn and irrevocable step 
 she contemplated. This consideration was a 
 high one, — it being no other than that of what 
 the world would say, — and therefore one which 
 induced her to pause, and very naturally, see- 
 ing that she was known, not only to the whole 
 of her fellow servants, but to the milkman, 
 the laundress, the baker's man, and the but- 
 cher. It was hence in her view of the deep- 
 est importance that due deference should be 
 paid in this matter to the opinion of the world, 
 knowing well, as she did know, that nothing 
 on earth tends to promote human happiness 
 more than the consciousness of being by the 
 world looked up to and respected. For some 
 time this objection appeared to be insuperable. 
 She could not get over it. Many restless days 
 and sleepless nights did she pass in deep re- 
 flection. She even went to the most eminent
 
 STANLEY THORN. 5 
 
 astrologer of the age for the purpose of having 
 her nativity cast, and was greatly relieved when 
 that profoundly learned person informed her 
 that she would have two husbands, and be 
 with both extremely prosperous and happy : 
 it seemed to be so very conclusive. Still the 
 question of what the world would say was con- 
 tinually upon her lips while she zealously 
 racked her imagination to conceive a sound and 
 sufficient answer to that question; for she 
 imagined, and very correctly, that, if the 
 world should be up in arms in consequence of 
 her marrying an elderly gentleman, it might to 
 some extent interfere with her connubial bliss. 
 
 At length, however, having considered the 
 matter in all its parts and bearings, she safely 
 arrived at this conclusion, that it would not by 
 any means become her to fly in the teeth of 
 fate, and that, feeling quite sure that the ve- 
 nerable gentleman had been distinctly destined 
 to be her first, it was her duty to surrender 
 herself meekly to circumstances over which she 
 could not be supposed to have control. 
 
 She therefore made a dead set at him at
 
 6 STANLEY THORN- 
 
 once, and called into action all her artillery, 
 with the view of attacking his susceptible heart. 
 She established in his presence one perpetual 
 smile — which was indeed a very sweet one of 
 the sort — sighed occasionally with very great 
 effect, and glanced at him with constancy, and 
 corresponding bashfulness, and frequently 
 while playing removed the wrong peg, at the 
 same time protesting that she actually didn't 
 know what she was about — she didn't actually. 
 At the commencement of these affectionate 
 proceedings the venerable gentleman rallied 
 her gaily, and whenever he did so she felt her- 
 self bound to become so confused that she 
 couldn't play at all, she couldn't count, she 
 couldn't help pegging backwards, and the con- 
 sequence was that she couldn't win a game ; 
 but, albeit these little manoeuvres were for 
 some time regarded by the experienced eye of 
 her venerable partner with suspicion, her emo- 
 tion was so deep, and so strong, and so strik- 
 ingly developed, that while he still enter- 
 tained the belief that as a general thing love 
 was a gross imposition, he eventually could not
 
 STANLEY THORN. 7 
 
 but feel that in the gentle Joanna he had dis- 
 covered the exception that established the 
 rule. He was sure that she loved him — fondly, 
 passionately loved him ; she couldn't help 
 showing it ! In his view a man must be blind 
 who couldn't see it : the thing was so palpa- 
 ble : nothing could be clearer ; and to be be- 
 loved at his age, and that, too, by a finely- 
 built, cherry-cheeked, nicely-behaved, comfort- 
 able-looking creature nearly thirty years 
 younger than himself, was an idea which flat- 
 tered the venerable gentleman : he felt it very 
 deeply, and thought of it constantly ; and as 
 he experienced a variety of sweet feelings which 
 were altogether new to him, he resolved to be, 
 if possible, more killing than ever, as the first 
 grand preliminary to his seeing precisely what 
 could be done. He accordingly became more 
 refined in his language, and dressed with more 
 care, and displayed more agility ; and not only 
 related the feats he had performed, but dwelt 
 upon those which he was able with ease to per- 
 form then : in short, having the most tender 
 aspirations by which a lover could be prompted.
 
 8 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 he felt that his success as a lover was essential 
 to the maintenance of his reputation as a man : 
 although he knew that when two devoted per- 
 sons try to win each other's hearts, they seldom, 
 indeed, try in vain. He became much more 
 constant in his visits, and was delighted when 
 Bob was absent, which frequently happened, 
 as he went with his master down to the House, 
 and occasionally waited there for hours. 
 
 On one of these occasions, when the lovers 
 had been playing at their -favourite game for 
 some time without the slightest interruption, 
 the venerable gentleman, conscious of the high 
 estimation in which wealth is held by ladies in 
 general, and how greatly it assists the imagi- 
 nation in all matters of love, embraced a fine 
 opportunity, which the fact of his having won 
 ninepence afforded, for making the following 
 remarkable observation : 
 
 " Wot a hexcellent thing lots o' money is, 
 ain't it ?' 
 
 Joanna blushed deeply, and felt extremely 
 tremulous ; but, conceiving it to be her duty 
 to say something, she faintly replied,
 
 STANLEY THORN. 9 
 
 " Why, it certingly is an excessively excel- 
 lent thing ; but happiness for me, Mr. Joseph, 
 before all the money. Happiness isn't to be 
 bought, for there's no shop in life where it's 
 sold.'^ 
 
 '^That's hall werry reg'lar,'^ rejoined the 
 venerable gentleman. " You're quite correctly 
 right in that air : still money's a hout and 
 hout thing ! on'y go for to look at the ad wan- 
 tages on it ! — on'y see ^ow hindependent they 
 are, them as does persess lots ; vile them as 
 don't, is in a wuss state of slavery than the 
 black popplation there out by the North Pole. 
 They're never theirselves, them as ain't got no 
 money. They can't hold their heads up : it's 
 clean against natur'. Jist p'int out to me a 
 hindiwidual a-vendin' his vay along the streets, 
 on'y jist let me look at him full in the face, 
 and if I don't tell you vether he's got any 
 money or not, I'll be bound to be blessed ; cos 
 he as hasn't, alius looks werry petickler down 
 his nose ; vile he as has, takes about as much 
 notice of that horgan as if he hadn't got one. 
 He can't look right straight at yer, him wot's 
 
 b3
 
 10 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 got all his pockets empty ; he can't ketch yer 
 hearty and vorm by the hand ; he can't speak 
 like a hinnercent man : his woice shivers and 
 shakes jist for all the vorld as if it vos ashamed 
 of itself; and he mumbles, and trembles, and 
 wobbles, vile the corners of his mouth drops 
 right away down in the rottenest manner alive ; 
 verehas, the man vich has got plenty in his 
 pocket can look at yer fierce. He can take yer 
 hand with henergy, and speak up as if he owed 
 yer nothink, and vornt a bit afeared on yer, 
 vich makes great hodds ! Ven I meets a 
 friend, now, vich ain't got no money, I don't 
 like to see him, — I can't say I do, — not a bit 
 acQs I'm spungy, or anythink o'that ; but I'd 
 rayther not see him. I some'ow or nother 
 don't like it. I pities him ; and, as pity 
 wounds the feelings, it ain't consequentially 
 pleasant. If a friend in them there circum- 
 stantials ses to me, ' Have yer got sich a thing 
 as a couple o' shilHn's, it cuts me to the quick ; 
 not acos I at all objects to lend it, nor cos I 
 don't hand him over double wot he arsts for, 
 and never expects to vitness agin the colour of
 
 STANLEY THORN. 11 
 
 the money, but it^s cos it hurts my sentiments 
 to see him, and wounds me to think wot his 
 feehngs must be. That's the p'int, you know ! 
 that^s vere he feels it !" 
 
 " Exactly/^ returned Joanna : " you're ex- 
 cessively correct ; but that warn't by no man- 
 ner of means what I meant. I didn't by any 
 means mean to mean that money was no ob- 
 ject, or that it wasn't an excessive advantage : 
 no, if I thought that, I should not have put 
 by for a rainy day, as I have done. I shouldn't 
 have thought of having such an amount as I 
 have in the saving's banks at the present 
 period of time. All I meant was, that money 
 wasn't all ; that money alone couldn't purchase 
 happiness, and therefore that happiness was to 
 be preferred.'' 
 
 "And in the long run I agrees vith yer. 
 'Appiness, in course, his the thing — the great 
 thing : ve can't git through the vorld at all 
 comfortable vithout it ; but though it is to be 
 found in hevery spere of society, from Vest- 
 mister to Vopping, vere can it be found without 
 money ? I don't mean to say that they're un-
 
 12 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 seperateable, — that is to say, that verever 
 there's money there must be 'appiness conse- 
 quentially also ; but I do mean to say, that 
 verever there's 'appiness, there there must like- 
 vise be money. There can't be no 'appiness 
 vithout it. It stands to reason ; it ain't nat'ral ! 
 Look at them vich is in debt : 'ow can they be 
 'appy?" I'll defy 'em to do it! It's out of 
 natur' for 'em to be 'appy, from the highest 
 spere down to the werry lowest, — from him 
 vich owes his banker arf a million, to him as 
 owes his chandley-shop-keeper arf-a-crown. 
 It's onpossible ! Look at me o'ny jist for 
 instance. I've got seven houses vich brings 
 me in fifty pound a: ear, all let to respectable 
 tenants, substantial men of family vich never 
 shoots the moon, and the writings is at home. 
 Werry v/ell. Now vot, — s'pose I should be 
 throwed out o' place, — vot should I care, vith 
 them to fall back upon r Nothink. But 
 s'pose I hadn't them, and then vos to be 
 throwed out vithout the prospect of gettin' 
 another, vere abouts vood be the price of my 
 'appiness then ? Voodn't it be out of all
 
 STANLEY THORX. 13 
 
 character for me to be 'appy ? In course : 
 vere poverty is, there ^appiness can't be. They 
 never agree together ; they^re hallvays a-fightin', 
 and poverty's safe to be wictorious." 
 
 "I admire your mode of argument/* ob- 
 served Joanna, gently ; ^' it's excessively intel- 
 lectual and correct ; but have you never, in the 
 course of your extensive experience, found 
 those that are poor as happy as those that are 
 rich ?" 
 
 *^Vy,'' replied the venerable gentleman, 
 knitting his brows thoughtfully, " that is a 
 p'int vich requires to be explained. You see, 
 the poor is sometimes richer than the rich ; 
 and, on the tother side 'o the pictur', the rich 
 is sometimes poorer than the poor. I don't 
 call him poor, however poor he may be, vich 
 has got enough to keep him respectable in his 
 spere ; nor I don't call him rich, however rich 
 he may be, vich hasn't got enough to keep him 
 respectable .in hisn. A rich man maybe werry 
 rich, and a poor man may be werry poor, and 
 between them a werry great distinction may 
 be drawed 3 but the poor man, vich has but
 
 14 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 twelve shillin's a veek, and vith that can supply- 
 all his vonts, is richer than him vith ten thou- 
 sand a-ear, hif vith that he's enable to make 
 both ends meet. That's the p'int ! So^ you 
 see, I don't call the poor reg'lar poor vich has 
 enough to make 'em comfor' ble and tidy in 
 their vay ; but ven a poor man is poor, vy he's 
 werry poor indeed, cos he can't get no wittles ; 
 and, as 'appiness vont stay vere there's no 
 vidttles, the whole p'int dissolves jist to this, 
 that the rich rich is 'appier than the poor rich, 
 mind yer, — and the rich poor is 'appier than 
 the werry poor poor, vich ain't got no wittles 
 to eat." 
 
 " I understand you perfectly," said Joanna ; 
 ^'^it's excessively clear, and precisely what I 
 meant. I meant I'd rather be in a poor 
 sphere of life, with sufficient to make me ex- 
 cessively happy, than in a high sphere, roUing 
 in riches, without having happiness with it.'^ 
 '^ Thafs all reg'lar 1" exclaimed the venera- 
 ble gentleman : ^^ ve're a-balancin' the werry 
 same pole ! 'Appiness, in course, is the 
 uniwersal thing, and consequentially ve're
 
 STANLEY THORN. 15 
 
 hallvaj^s a-yarnin^ arter that vich ve think vill 
 percure it, and vich is nayther more nor less 
 than money ; for, although vot you say is 
 werry true, that there's no shop in natur^ vere 
 ^appiness, like any other harticle, is ticketed 
 and sold, there is thousands of shops vere it is, 
 in a hindirect manner, to be bought ; as, for 
 hinstance, if I vos werry ungry, and unger vos 
 the on'y sore place I had about me, a crust of 
 bread and cheese and a pint of arf-and-arf vood 
 make me ^appy ; but, if I hadn't got no money 
 to buy that bread and cheese and arf-and-arf, I 
 shood be werry onappy indeed. So, you see, 
 it hall depends upon vether you can git vot 
 yer vont : if yer can, in course yer 'appy : 
 if yer can't, in course you ain't. For hin- 
 stance, now I vont a vife. If I could get one 
 — a reg'lar good un — I should then be all 
 right ; but as I can't, 'ow can I be happy ?" 
 
 Joanna blushed deeply as she observed, 
 with a most expressive smile, 
 
 " Now, Mr. Joseph, you are joking." 
 " Not a bit," rejoined the venerable gentle- 
 man : " no, upon my honer."
 
 16 STANLEY THORX. 
 
 ^' Did you ever try ?" 
 
 " Vy, I can't sconscientiously say I ever 
 did/' 
 
 "Then how can you know? You cannot 
 know until you try." 
 
 " But I'm gettin' rayther a hold feller now^ 
 yer know, inclinin', as the poet says, ' into the 
 wale of ears' ; so that nobody '11 'ave me." 
 
 "Nobody would have you !'' echoed Joanna, 
 with an expression of playful incredulity. 
 
 " Veil, who vood now ? That's the i^'int at 
 hissue. Vood you ?" 
 
 The ardent and affectionate heart of Joanna 
 now violently throbbed ; but, as she felt it to 
 be her duty to blush and remain silent, she 
 made no reply. 
 
 " Veil, p'raps," continued the venerable 
 gentleman, as Joanna glanced most expressively 
 at him, — " p'raps I put the p'int rayther too 
 close, as yer werry perliteness vont let you 
 say no." 
 
 " Oh ! it isn't for that," observed Joanna, 
 very tremulously. 
 
 " Veil, then, I'll tell you vot I'll do vith you.
 
 STANLEY THORN. Ij 
 
 Come, now, 1^11 bet you a pair of gloves that 
 you can't, sconscientiously, mind yer, say yes." 
 
 " What a funny man you are '/' said Joanna. 
 
 " It vood, I know, be a robbery. I know I 
 shood vin." 
 
 " Do you think so ?" 
 
 " Safe ! Come, I '11 make it two to one, — 
 there, and put the money j^down : they shall be 
 arf-crowners, double-stitched Frenchmen. Vill 
 you take them ere hodds ?" 
 
 " You 'd lose/' said Joanna, with archness, 
 — " you 'd be certain to lose." 
 
 ^^ I don't think it, nor von't till I have lost. 
 Now, then, vill you bet ?" 
 
 " Why really ! — Mr. Joseph! — I never knew! 
 — it 's such a very droll way of doing busi- 
 ness !" 
 
 " Vot 's the hodds, so that business is 
 done ?" 
 
 '^ But indeed — depend upon it — you M 
 lose." 
 
 '^ Werry well. If I do, I shall have to stand 
 the Frenchmen, that 's all. Come, put the 
 money down, — or I '11 trust yer. Now, then,"
 
 18 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 continued the venerable gentleman, kneeling 
 upon the footstool beside her, and placing his 
 ear quite close to her lips, " come, visper, and 
 then nayther the kittles nor the sarcepans vont 
 ear. Now mark ! Vood you 'ave me }'* 
 
 The venerable gentleman patiently paused 
 some considerable time for a reply; but at 
 length Joanna did sigh and say " Now — real- 
 ly !^' 
 
 '^ Only visper the word 1^' 
 
 " Upon my conscience I feel so flustrated ; 
 indeed so excessively confused, that I cannot 
 for the life of me.'^ 
 
 " Oh, but come — now then — vonce more. 
 Vood you ave me }" 
 
 With a faltering voice, and a fluttering heart, 
 the gentle creature, in a tone which scarcely 
 violated silence, said — " Yes.'' 
 
 ^' You vood 1^^ exclaimed the venerable gen- 
 tleman, — " sconscientiously 1" 
 
 He drew back a trifle ; and, having gazed in 
 a state of rapture at her lustrous eyes for a 
 moment, threw his arm round her beautiful 
 swan-like neck and clandestinely kissed her.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 19 
 
 *^ Nay, you wicked man/' said the blushing 
 Joanna, " that 's excessively naughty/' 
 
 " Veil, give it me back ! If you don't like to 
 'ave it, return it to the lips from vence it 
 came." 
 
 " No, that I am sure I ^11 not do." 
 
 " Oh, nonsence !" cried the venerable gen- 
 tleman, throwing his arm again round her 
 elegant neck, " I must test your sinceri- 
 ty r 
 
 " Don't, Mr. Joseph : you '11 rumple my 
 collar : indeed, Mr. Joseph, indeed, indeed you 
 will!" 
 
 Joanna struggled very correctly; but the 
 venerable gentleman's ardour increased; and, 
 just as he had succeeded in drawing her sweet 
 lips to his. Bob, who had entered the kit- 
 chen during the struggle unperceived, cried 
 " Hemr 
 
 Had there been a trap-door beneath the 
 gentle Joanna, through which she could at 
 once have disappeared, her disappearance 
 would certainly have been instantaneous, she
 
 20 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 felt at the moment so dreadfully alarmed ; but 
 as there happened to be no such a piece of 
 theatrical machinery near her, she summoned 
 all her courage, and turning promptly to Bob, 
 said, " Isn't it too bad, Robert ? Here, just 
 because I happen to have won five shillings of 
 Mr. Joseph, he vows he '11 have a kiss, which 
 is very unfair, Robert, isn^t it now 7" 
 
 Bob looked at her fiercely, and said in an- 
 swer to this strong appeal, " It ain't nothing 
 to me." He also looked fiercely at his ve- 
 nerable friend, and added, " I 'm a-intrud- 
 ing/' 
 
 These indeed were very cutting observations, 
 and they had a very powerful effect. The 
 lovers wished he had been at that moment 
 drinking with Pharaoh and all his host; but 
 as they gave no expression to that wish, he 
 gloomily seated himself near the fire, and 
 looked into it with a most ferocious aspect. 
 
 As the venerable gentleman could not of 
 course feel exactly comfortable then, he soon 
 prepared to depart: he took Bob's passive hand.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 21 
 
 and having bade him good night, Joanna saw 
 him to the door, where he kissed her again, 
 and, singularly enough, she returned it then 
 without any struggling at all.
 
 22 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 CHAPTER II. 
 
 THE PETITION ; ITS PROGRESS AND RESULT. 
 
 Stanley had been nearly a fortnight in the 
 House without having on any occasion risen to 
 . speak. During that time he had heard many 
 excellent speeches^ and many more which, 
 although delivered in an execrable style, read 
 and told well in the papers. His ambition 
 had therefore been constantly strengthened, 
 and as most men, who feel that they possess 
 the power to shine in the particular circle in 
 which they move, are desirous of cultivating 
 those accomplishments, whatever they may be, 
 by which applause is obtained in that circle^ 
 it is not singular that he, possessing the ne- 
 cessary confidence, panted to distinguish him-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 23 
 
 self in that centre from which celebrity radiates 
 throughout the world. 
 
 Having studied one important subject deep- 
 ly, and made himself conversant with all its 
 ramifications, he went down to the House on 
 the fourteenth day of his being a member, 
 with the view of startling the nerves of all par- 
 ties by the development of what he had in 
 him. Previously, however, to the commence- 
 ment of the debate in which he intended to 
 take a conspicuous part, an honourable mem- 
 ber on the opposite side presented a petition 
 against his return ! 
 
 At the moment Stanley could, with great 
 pleasure, have kicked him. He felt in a rage 
 with that man. He might have been, for 
 aught he knew or cared, a virtuous person ; 
 but as he returned to his seat with a calm but 
 triumphant smile, having performed what he 
 conceived to be his duty, — Stanley looked at 
 him ! — in one word, he certainly would have 
 knocked him down, if the forms .of the House 
 had allowed it. 
 
 It is, perhaps, amazing that the strongest
 
 24 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 minds are capable of being upset in an instant. 
 A man may have a perfect command over his 
 features ; he may have an equally perfect com- 
 mand over his nerves ; but he cannot have a 
 perfect command, nor anything like a perfect 
 command, over his mind. He may be able to 
 stand and walk erect; he may be able to main- 
 tain the steadiness of his eye and the firmness 
 of his voice ; he may be able to suppress every 
 show of emotion, but he cannot suppress the 
 emotion itself. He may have in full bloom 
 what is technically termed ^' moral courage,'^ — 
 for technical the terra may be said to be, see- 
 ing that physical courage is hard to be defined ; 
 — he may be extremely calm and collected; 
 he may conceal effectually his feelings from 
 others, but from himself they will not be con- 
 cealed. Within his own breast they are in full 
 operation : their influence may rack him, al- 
 though the effect be unseen ; and precisely thus 
 stood Stanley. He scorned to betray his feel- 
 ings when the hateful petition was presented, 
 but they were acute notwithstanding : indeed, 
 so acute that they prompted him to withhold
 
 STANLEY THORN. 25 
 
 hat brilliant speech with which he intended to 
 astonish the House. The thing came upon 
 him so unexpectedly, he was not prepared for 
 the blow. He knew of course that the op- 
 posing party had been zealous in their efforts 
 to get up a petition, but he had been led by 
 his agents to believe that those efforts had 
 utterly failed ; when, however, he actually saw 
 the unblest document, he could no longer lay 
 the flattering unction to his soul which those 
 agents had been firom the first prescribing. 
 
 " I have been grossly deceived,^' said he, ad- 
 dressing Sir William, who sat by his side. 
 '^ Those fellows assured me that the idea of a 
 petition was, under the circumstances, absurd.^' 
 " Oh, it may come to nothing now,^^ re- 
 turned the Baronet. " This is the last day on 
 which it could be presented. The prosecution 
 of a petition does not of necessity follow its 
 presentation. The chances are that it will yet 
 be abandoned.^' 
 
 " I fear not,^^ said Stanley. 
 
 ^' Why fear V' 
 
 " Because the grounds upon which they 
 
 VOL. III. c
 
 26 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 stand are too tenable to justify a hope that the 
 thing will be relinquished.'^ 
 
 " The grounds !^^ exclaimed Sir WiUiam. 
 '' The grounds have little indeed to do with the 
 matter. It depends upon the committee. If 
 you get a majority, — and, of course, we must 
 have a whip for it, — you are safe : you need not 
 care then a single straw about the grounds. '' 
 
 Stanley appreciated this remark very high- 
 ly. He knew that, although in strictly barba- 
 rous states the system of trying the merits of 
 petitions by a directly responsible tribunal 
 might obtain, it would be in a country so eii- 
 lightened as this repudiated, not only as ridi- 
 culous but dangerous, inasmuch as the prac- 
 tice established was of such surpassing excel- 
 lence that it rendered the operation of party 
 bias and factious influence almost impossible, 
 and particularly in cases in which parties are 
 so nicely balanced that the loss of a vote on 
 either side is of very great importance : he knew 
 also that every member was at that happy 
 period an honourable man, and so strictly pure 
 in principle that he w^ould rather see his own
 
 STANLEY THORN. 2? 
 
 party go to the dogs than sacrifice or even 
 slightly tamper with his conscience : he more- 
 over knew that^ albeit certain signally uncivi- 
 lized persons had attempted to upset the just 
 and most salutary system established, their 
 attempts had utterly and of course most de- 
 servedly failed ; still, with all this knowledge, 
 he felt apprehensive that, whether he obtained 
 a majority or not, his seat would be lost, and 
 was therefore at first indisposed to defend 
 it. 
 
 Sir William, however, powerfully painted to 
 iiim the almost unprecedented folly of yielding, 
 and as most men are guided by the opinions of 
 others — if even they conceive their own judg- 
 ment to be superior — provided always that 
 their vanity is flattered, so Stanley, although 
 he knew that the allegations contained in the 
 petition were true, and that therefore, under 
 the system proposed by the unconstitutional 
 innovators referred to, he would have had no 
 chance at all of retaining his seat, — surrendered 
 his 9wn judgment to that of Sir William, in 
 
 c 2
 
 28 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 the full and lively hope of being able to whip 
 in a just and one-sided committee. 
 
 This hope, however, although it sustained 
 him for a time, was not realised. The com- 
 mittee was moved for ; the whip was used on 
 oth sides with great effect, and the result was 
 seven to four against him. The great point of 
 Sir William was thus at once destroyed, and 
 Stanley again felt disposed to retire ; but Sir 
 WilUam, knowing well what the expenses of 
 defending a seat under the circumstances usu- 
 ally were, and being still sincerely anxious to 
 reduce him to a state of destitution, shifted 
 his ground, and not only ridiculed the idea of 
 giving in, but contended for self- conviction in 
 such a case being comparable only with suicide ; 
 and in this he was ably seconded by the 
 Widow. 
 
 '^ It would be, you know, such an extremely 
 shocking thing,^' said that lady, when her opi- 
 nion of the matter had been demanded ; " it 
 would be absolutely dreadful — dear me, it 
 would be an eternal disgrace — to retire from
 
 STANLEY THORN. 29 
 
 the field without a struggle, you know, my 
 dear!" 
 
 " Mother,'' said Stanley, " look at the ex- 
 pense/' 
 
 " A fig for the expense, my love ! we are not 
 poor ! I look at the thing in the abstract !" 
 
 " You do, without reference to the cost. 
 Look at that in the abstract 1 I confess that 
 I have an imperfect knowledge of the expense 
 of these things ; but I know it to be something 
 very very considerable." 
 
 " Well, my love ! let it be considerable. 
 Thank Heaven we are not beggars ! But we 
 are not beaten yet ! Where is your philosophy, 
 my dear ? Should we make ourselves wretched 
 to-day because it happens to be possible for 
 us to be wretched to-morrow ? Oh, dear me 
 no ! defend the seat by all means." 
 
 '^ Mother," rejoined Stanley, " you know 
 me, I think, too well to believe that I would 
 not do so if I saw the slightest prospect of 
 success." 
 
 " My dearest boy, I know that you would 
 not ; I am perfectly certain of that ; but then, 
 although you cannot see this prospect, others
 
 30 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 can ! Good gracious me ! what does Sir Wil- 
 liam say ? — does he not say that these things 
 are all a lottery V 
 
 " But how can we reasonably hope to suc- 
 ceed, when we know nearly all with which we 
 are charged to be true }'' 
 
 " True ! — my dear ! Has not Sir William 
 again and again said, that a thousand things 
 may be true which cannot be proved }'' 
 
 " I have of course no inclination to resign, 
 which you know : if I conceived it to be pro- 
 bable that my seat could be retained, I would 
 defend it with all the means in my power ; but 
 as the case stands at present I cannot perceive 
 a chance/^ 
 
 " Oh, there are a thousand chances; rely 
 on it, my love, there are ten thousand chances, 
 although you do not perceive them. Besides, 
 if even the worst should come to the worst, we 
 are surely, my love, as capable of bearing our 
 share of the expenses as the Swansdown faction 
 are of bearing theirs ?' 
 
 " But that may not be the worst. Suppose 
 we are fixed with all the costs r'^ 
 " Oh, but you know, Sir WiUiam says that
 
 STANLEY THORN. 31 
 
 an instance of that kind has not occurred within 
 his recollection ?' 
 
 " But the thing is not impossible : it may 
 occur in our case, and if it should, can it be 
 borne without sensibly affecting your for- 
 tune r 
 
 " Of course ! Dear me, my love, what a 
 ridiculous question !^* 
 
 '' Oh, I know nothing about your affairs : 
 you have always most studiously kept them 
 from me 1" 
 
 '^ Fear nothing on that score; by all means 
 oppose this horrible petition." 
 
 " Very w^ell : but understand, that if opposed 
 at all it must be opposed with spirit ; no ex- 
 pense must be spared; there must be no 
 stopping short ; the thing once begun must be 
 carried on boldly to the end !'* 
 
 " That is precisely my feeling. Never mind 
 the expense ; do not dream about that. Have 
 everything that may be deemed essential to 
 success. We shall beat them ! I am sure 
 that we shall beat them. It would be such 
 a truly dreadful thing, you know, my love, to 
 give up all without an effort to retain it. It
 
 32 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 would look so cowardly and would be so dis- 
 graceful, as Sir William says.' I should go 
 mad ! I am sure of it. I never could be 
 happy again. Therefore, oppose them, my 
 love, by all means ; oppose them with all your 
 power. Engage the highest talent available. 
 Stanley, my dearest love ! let me prevail upon 
 you : will you oppose them ?'^ 
 
 Stanley consented. He had of course no 
 desire to relinquish his seat : he never had ; 
 but knowing well that his election must have 
 qost something very considerable, althoug 
 the amount had been concealed from him, he 
 felt, being ignorant of the Widow's resources, 
 that the expense of opposing the petition — if 
 the opposition should be reported " frivolous 
 and vexatious," might involve them all in ruin: 
 When, however, he heard that the worst could 
 be borne without any material or permanent 
 injury, he resolved to go on with the opposi- 
 tion boldly : he would not yield an inch ; he 
 defied them to prove their allegations, although 
 he knew them to be true, declaring that his 
 seat should be defended till the last. The 
 battle then commenced. The opening speeches
 
 STANLEY THORN. 33 
 
 were made. Coach-loads ^ of witnesses were 
 brought up to town, and among them Stanley 
 reeognised many, whom, during the election, 
 he had treated with the utmost kindness and 
 liberality. On ascertaining the quarters of 
 these people, he sent an agent to remonstrate 
 with them ; but they viewed the affair as a 
 mere matter of business declaring that they had 
 no private feeling either way; that the franchise 
 was a property of which they had a clear and 
 indisputable right to make the most, that every 
 contingency increased its value, and that if 
 Stanley wanted them, why he might have them 
 even then. The dgent spoke of gratitude, 
 of course, and enlarged on its brightness and 
 beauty; and they agreed with him; they 
 thought it an excellent thing, and they said so, 
 and contended that its value should be com- 
 mensurate with its excellence, and at the same 
 time declared that they had plenty to sell, and 
 should be glad to dispose of their whole stock 
 at a price. As, however, it was deemed inex- 
 pedient under the circumstances to purchase 
 this inestimable commodity of them — the in- 
 
 c 3
 
 34 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 vestment not being quite safe — there was no 
 business done ; the agent left them in posses- 
 sion of their gratitude, which, if all had been 
 taken at their own valuation, would have made 
 a man wealthy indeed. 
 
 There was, however, another class of wit- 
 nesses of a far more formidable character, in- 
 asmuch.^as they were actuated by feelings of 
 revenge, and had a certain amount of social 
 respectability about them which imparted a 
 nominal purity to their testimony, and thereby 
 gave it an additional weight. These were the 
 tradesmen whom the chairman of Stanley's 
 committee had insulted by his shabby and un- 
 constitutional refusal to meet their prescriptive 
 demands. The rest of the witnesses against 
 him cared nothing about the result ; they had 
 no vindictive feeling to gratify; their object 
 was to make all the money they coald, and it 
 mattered not a straw to them which party tri- 
 umphed ; but these men had set their noble 
 souls upon his defeat ; they had firmly resolved 
 to do all in their power to ensure his pohtical 
 destruction; he had robbed them — for it is
 
 STANLEY THORN. 35 
 
 a real robbery, when the thing is properly 
 looked atj to refuse to pay respectable men 
 what is regular — and, therefore, they had one 
 and all determined to stick at nothing which 
 could tend to promote the accomplishment of 
 the just and legitimate object in view. 
 
 The committee sat daily ; but their progress 
 was but slow. The counsel on both sides dis- 
 played all the eloquence, zeal, and ingenuity 
 they had in them, and bullied each other with 
 admirable ferocity. On one point, however, 
 they seemed to be agreed, and that was to 
 make the thing last as long as possible. It 
 seldom indeed happens in ordinary cases, that 
 opposing counsel agree at all; but it is an ex- 
 traordinary fact, that in this case they were on 
 that great point perfectly unanimous. During 
 the examination of witnesses an objection was 
 started at every third question with the utmost 
 regularity and tact, and the speeches which 
 succeeded those objections respectively were 
 remarkable as well for their length as for the 
 sound deliberation with which they were de- 
 livered.
 
 36 STANLEY THOR?^. 
 
 After a week or two the honourable members 
 of the committee became naturally tired of the 
 business ; but the witnesses in the aggregate 
 were by no means impatient : they cared not 
 how long the thing lasted ; it met their views 
 precisely ; nothing on earth could have suited 
 them better; they were not only living like 
 Aldermen in town, but really beginning to get 
 into flesh. 
 
 At length, when all concerned save counsel 
 and these philosophic witnesses, were weary, 
 the labours of the committee were brought to 
 an end, and the result was, that they reported 
 the opposition to the petition '^frivolous and 
 veooatioiis,'' and thus fixed Stanley with the 
 whole of the costs, which were enormous I 
 
 This to him and his immediate friends was 
 indeed a heavy blow -, but poor Amelia felt it 
 most deeply. Her anguish was poignant in 
 the extreme, and while she tried to soothe her 
 Stanley, whose high hopes had thus been 
 blasted, she would hang upon his neck and 
 sob as if her heart were breaking. 
 
 To Sir William and his associates, Stanley
 
 /y arj/yy"
 
 STANLEY THORN. 37 
 
 wished it to appear that he was comparatively 
 indifferent about the matter, but when in the 
 presence of the Widow alone, his rage could 
 not be calmed. 
 
 " You see/' he exclaimed, when the result 
 became known, '^you see the position to which 
 you have reduced me ?' 
 
 '' I, my love ?'* 
 
 *^ Yes, mother, you !'* 
 
 " Gracious heavens ! what can you mean V 
 
 " Did you not prompt me to pursue this 
 mad course ? Should I have opposed this in- 
 fernal petition had it not been for you ?^' 
 
 *^ My love ! you know that I advised you 
 for the best !'' 
 
 '^ You advised me for the worst ! You 
 itnagined, I suppose, that it would tame me. 
 I was a fool to follow your advice ; a wretched, 
 a consummate fool P' 
 
 " Stanley ! Stanley !" exclaimed the Widow, 
 bursting into tears, as he fiercely paced the 
 room. " Oh ! this is cruel — very cruel ! You 
 ought not to be unkind, indeed, indeed, you
 
 38 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 ought not to afflict me thus ! You should 
 consider that 1 have feelings, Stanley." 
 
 " Mother, you do not consider that / have 
 feelings !^' 
 
 ^^ I do : I do, indeed ! I know that my poor 
 boy must feel it most deeply : but do not, 
 pray do not, add gall to this calamity; do not 
 increase our affliction by attributing motives 
 which you must know could never have ac- 
 tuated me. But, my dearest love, can we not 
 appeal }" 
 
 " Appeal ! No, there is no appeal." 
 
 " But the decision was corrupt, my love ; 
 grossly corrupt. The committee were guided 
 by factious views solely, and while the counsel 
 against us were demons, our own counsel ought 
 to be ashamed of themselves for having suffered 
 the fiends to go on so. Now, under these cir- 
 cumstances, you know, my love, it strikes 
 me—" 
 
 " Again I tell you, there is no appeal ! And 
 if there were ; if even I could appeal, I would 
 not. I know that these monstrous expenses
 
 STANLEY THORN. 39 
 
 must materially affect our fortunes. I am sure 
 of it, quite sure, although you conceal the fact 
 from me/' 
 
 " They are indeed heavy; very heavy in- 
 deed.'^ 
 
 " You admit, then/* demanded Stanley 
 fiercely, " you admit that they have involved 
 us?" 
 
 " No, my love ; no, no ; they have not in- 
 volved us. I said that they were heavy ! — I 
 merely said that. But come, my love, all will 
 be well. Come, be calm and kind ; you are 
 my only joy; I cannot be happy if you are 
 not kind.'* 
 
 The Widow again burst into tears and buried 
 her face in his bosom. She knew that that 
 which Stanley suspected was true ; she was 
 conscious that these enormous costs, imme- 
 diately following the expenses of the election, 
 had involved her, and although she had yet but 
 an imperfect knowledge of the extent, she 
 knew well, that her position would be sensibly 
 affected. 
 
 And Sir Vv'illiam knew it too, and was glad.
 
 40 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 The destruction of Amelia's virtue being his 
 object, he now felt more than ever sure that 
 that object would, at no remote period, be at- 
 tained.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 41 
 
 CHAPTER IIL 
 
 IN WHICH A HIGHLY-IMPORTANT SECRET IS 
 DISCLOSED. 
 
 Notwithstanding the earnest anxiety of 
 the Widow to disguise the real state of the 
 case, her true position soon appeared. Persons 
 may with success conceal their thoughts, their 
 emotions, or even their wealth ; but their 
 poverty will not be concealed : it will out ; it 
 will make itself manifest ; the more energetic 
 may be the efforts to keep it from view, the 
 more boldly will it rear its hateful head to 
 proclaim its existence to the world. 
 
 If the Widow, when she found herself em- 
 barrassed had immediately retrenched, all would 
 have been so far well as that she might have 
 been able, with economy, to maintain some-
 
 42 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 thing bearing the semblance of her customary- 
 style ; but as, instead of acting promptly upon 
 the principle of retrenchment, she not only 
 lived as before, but incurred those additional 
 expenses which are invariably consequent on 
 an ardent desire to preserve a reputation for 
 wealth when the means have departed, the 
 necessity in her case for selling out became 
 so constant that in a short time she possessed 
 but little stock, indeed, to sell. 
 
 This she concealed as long as possible from 
 Stanley. She trembled at the thought of its 
 becoming known to him ; the idea was, in her 
 judgment, dreadful. 
 
 " Oh V she would exclaim in tones of 
 agony, when alone, " what on earth would he 
 say he if knew it ! He must not be told : he 
 would go raving mad ! and yet, how can I now 
 keep it from him ? What am I to do ? How 
 — how can I act ? I cannot— I dare not go on 
 longer thus : he will be reduced to beggary ! 
 Oh ! my poor boy ! It is terrible — very, very 
 terrible ! The thouirht of it will drive me to 
 distraction !'^
 
 STANLEY THORN. 43 
 
 But even this was not all. Had Stanley- 
 alone been concerned in the impending dis- 
 closure, it might have been borne: nay, she 
 would then have summoned sufficient courage 
 to impart the dreadful secret to him at once, 
 for her emDai.'^-ssments were daily becoming 
 deeper and deeper still ; but the thought of 
 what Sir William v/ould say, of what he would 
 think of it, and how he would act, tortured 
 her so cruelly that, although in his presence 
 she wore a constant smile, and expressed the 
 highest pleasure, her heart was in reality full of 
 affliction. 
 
 And oh ! how she then sighed and panted 
 to hear him propose 1 She had been for many 
 months in the liveliest anticipation of being 
 blessed by receiving a proposal in due form, 
 ^ and yet, albeit in her view, the question had 
 been twenty times all but put, it had never 
 been proposed with sufficient distinctness to 
 warrant a formal consent. This was very dis- 
 tressing : it was indeed very. If he had but 
 proposed to her then, — all might have been 
 well, — all, at least, might have been without
 
 44 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 sorrow endured ; but, although he still visited 
 with all his wonted constancy, although he still 
 conversed with his usual warmth and eloquence, 
 she cpuld not tempt him to come to the 
 point. 
 
 At length, having waited for this important 
 question until she began to despair, her diffi- 
 culties became too palpable to escape even the 
 tardy observation of Stanley. He had pre- 
 viously entertained suspicions on the subject ; 
 but, as he hated to enter into matters of a 
 pecuniary character, those suspicions had not 
 taken root : indeed could he have got from 
 time to time the sums of money he required, 
 things might have gone on and on for years, 
 without his troubling himself to give the 
 matter another thought. When, however, he 
 experienced a difficulty in getting what he 
 wanted, his previous suspicions were re- 
 awakened, and he resolved to have them either 
 removed or confirmed. 
 
 '' Mother," said he, " yesterday I asked 
 you for money. You put me off : you were 
 anxious not to draw too close : I should have
 
 STANLEY THORN. 45 
 
 som3 soon ; in a day or so ; to-morrow, per- 
 haps ! Why is this ? Why have you not plenty 
 at your bankers ? The time is come, mother, 
 when I cannot but deem it necessary that I 
 hould know the cause." 
 
 The widow, without answering, burst into 
 tears. 
 
 " Why, what is the meaning of this ?'^ de- 
 manded Stanley, having regarded her intently 
 for a moment. " There is something — some- 
 thing which you have hitherto concealed, but 
 which must be concealed from me no longer.** 
 
 " My poor boy !" sobbed the widow. " The 
 dreadful secret must be told ! I have struggled 
 — Heaven knows how I have struggled — to 
 keep it from you.'^ 
 
 " What is it ?" cried Stanley, with impatience. 
 
 " You will never be able to bear it : I am 
 sure you never will.'* W- 
 
 " Whatever it be, mother, let me know at 
 once, that I may at once guard against its effect.'* 
 
 *^ Those dreadful expenses^ my Stanley ! — 
 those terrible expenses !'*
 
 46 STANLEY THORN. r' 
 
 *^ Have ruined us \" 
 
 " No — no — no — no — ! • not ruined — oh ! 
 Heaven forbid 1" 
 
 " What am I to understand, then ?" cried 
 Stanley. " If they have not ruined us, what 
 have they done }'' 
 
 " So embarrassed us, my Stanley, that you 
 must — oh, how it afflicts me to tell you ! — you 
 must, at least for a time, manage to live upon 
 the estate w^hich was purchased for your quali- 
 fication." 
 
 '' Impossible ! How can I live on a pitiful 
 three or four hundred a ^^ear ? How can 
 I entertain* those friends whom I have been 
 in the habit of entertaining ? how can I meet 
 them ? how can I even show my face ? Mo- 
 ther !"— 
 
 " Stanley, do not be rash : pray do not be 
 impetuous ! You will break my heart ! indeed, 
 my love, indeed it was all done for you. Come, 
 come ! You will be calm, dear Stanley ? You 
 will be calm ? You will not make this wound 
 deeper than it is, or cause it to rankle, dear
 
 y STANLEY THORN. 4/ 
 
 Stanley ? Heaven knows I would have given 
 worlds if this dreadful disclosure could by any 
 earthly means have been avoided/^ 
 
 " Why did you not tell me before ? Why 
 buoy me up with the hope — nay with the abso- 
 lute belief that our fortunes had not been mate- 
 rially affected ? Why did you not explain to 
 me at once that we were ruined, beggared, com- 
 paratively beggared !" 
 
 " I dared not ; indeed, my love, I dared not 
 do it. I dreaded nothing on earth more. But, 
 believe me, dear, I ^11 make every sacrifice in 
 my power to promote your happiness still." 
 
 " Sacrifice ! What sacrifice ha^e you now 
 the power to make }" 
 
 " Fll reduce my establishment ; Pll put 
 down my carriage ; I'll do anything in the 
 world to diminish my expenditure ; indeed, 
 dear, I will ; I'll live retired — quite retired. I 
 shall be happy — I feel I shall be happy — very 
 happy, if you are but so." 
 
 " Don^t talk to me of happiness, mother. 
 How can you, or I, or any one be happy when 
 fallen ? The idea is monstrous ! You now
 
 48 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 perceive the consequence, I hope, of endea- 
 vouring to conceal everything from me/^ 
 
 " Believe me, dear Stanley, I did all for the 
 best/' 
 
 '^ But do you think that if I had known 
 what I ought to have known, I would have 
 opposed that petition ? Do you think that I 
 would have been guilty of an act of madness so 
 palpable, so glaring ? Why was the thing kept 
 from me?" 
 
 " My love, you know that I am at all times 
 unwilling to annoy you. You know that if it 
 were possible to prevent it, I would not have 
 your mind distressed for the world." 
 
 '' Well !" cried Stanley, still pacing the 
 room with violence. " The thing is done. 
 The die is cast. . W^e are ruined. Now, I sup- 
 pose, 1 may know something of your affairs l^' 
 
 '* My dear Stanley, all shall be explained." 
 
 " I insist upon having all explained." 
 
 ^^ You shall have it, my dear : yes, believe 
 me, you shall. But, although very terrible, 
 it is not so bad as you imagine — it is not, in- 
 deed."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 49 
 
 " I do not imagine that we are reduced to 
 actual destitution; but I do imagine that 
 henceforth our position will be sufficiently- 
 mean to cause society to shun us. I can't 
 live on three or four hundred a year." 
 
 " I know — I know you cannot; nor will 
 there be any necessity for you to endeavour to 
 do so : I feel perfectly sure that there will 
 not. No — no, my dear, things may yet be 
 better than you suppose — much better. Let 
 us hope for the best. I am sure I do not 
 know myself yet how we stand. But my 
 affairs shall be immediately adjusted — yes, Pll 
 have them all investigated properly, and at 
 once ; and then we shall see, dear Stanley — we 
 shall see.^' 
 
 Stanley was sullenly silent. A dreary pros- 
 pect opened to his view. And in the whole 
 social scale, there is, perhaps, no position so 
 annoying, so perpetually painful, or so preg- 
 nant with temptation to dishonour, as that of a 
 young and ardent spirit, who — being without 
 influential family connections, and, at the same 
 time, without a profession — finds himself sud- 
 
 VOL. Ill, D
 
 50 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 denly thrown upon his own resources, or placed 
 below the sphere — be that sphere what it may 
 — in which he had theretofore moved. The 
 uncontrollable nature of circumstances renders 
 the folly — it may be termed, the thoughtless 
 cruelty — of teaching young men to depend 
 solely upon the wealth of relatives, instead of 
 giving them a profession upon which to fall 
 back in case of need, so conspicuous, that it is, 
 in truth, amazing, when reverses of fortune so 
 constantly occur, that the paltry pride of 
 parents, on this great point, should be suffered 
 to supersede their manifest duty. 
 
 This darkly appeared to Stanley then ; and 
 the more darkly, seeing that he had no direct 
 knowledge of the position to which he had 
 been reduced ; but the widow, being far more 
 sanguine, scarcely gave this a thought : her 
 strongest apprehension was that of losing Sir 
 William ; it was that which, in reality, afflicted 
 her most, and, being almost unable to endure 
 the thought of the discontinuance of his visits, 
 she would have gone on as usual, in the lively 
 anticipation of a formal proposal being made.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 51 
 
 had not Stanley, being impatient to know the 
 worst, insisted upon an immediate investigation 
 of affairs, which accordingly commenced with- 
 out further delay. 
 
 "fen.of.a.«o.
 
 52 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 CHAPTER IV. 
 
 SHOWS HOW A RECONCILIATION TOOK PLACE 
 BETWEEN BOB AND HIS VENERABLE FRIEND. 
 
 When the reduction of an establishment is 
 about to take place, and more especially if the 
 establishment be an old one, whatever may be 
 the tact with which it is managed, whatever 
 may be the secrecy with which you proceed, it 
 is perfectly sure to be generally known : indeed, 
 any attempt at secrecy does but increase the 
 evil, inasmuch as it establishes a mystery, and 
 .mysteries are invariably pregnant with conjec- 
 tures, which are certain to make the thing 
 worse than it is. 
 
 Now this is, of course, a remarkable fact, 
 and one, moreover, ascril^able solely to one's 
 utter inability to get rid of servants, under the
 
 STANLEY THORN. 53 
 
 circumstances, with any degree of quietude or 
 comfort. When these useful people have long 
 been in the habit of giving " good satisfaction," 
 they well know that they would not be dis- 
 charged without a cause, and you cannot — no 
 act of caprice can — deprive them of the addi- 
 tional knowledge of whether their conduct, in 
 reality, constitutes that cause or not. If it do, 
 why there, of course, is an end of the matter ; 
 but if it do not, they watch events narrowly, 
 and if none be engaged in their places, they see 
 how it is, and never fail to report what they 
 see ; in fact, they deem it their duty to do so 
 in their own justification, and that they ought 
 to be justified, is strictly correct. 
 
 Now in this particular case, the afflicted 
 widow no sooner found it to be necessary for 
 her to relinquish her carriage, and in conse- 
 quence, to discharge her old coachman, and 
 several other servants, than the news flew with 
 such unexampled rapidity, that on the evening 
 of the memorable day in which the servants 
 had notice. Bob received the following letter 
 from his venerable friend :
 
 54 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 Genal Johnsones Stables. 
 " Deer robered, 
 
 " allrow i aint Seed nothink on yu fore A 
 werry konsidderbell peerid off thyme sirkum- 
 stanhalls Is cum toe mi nollege witch korses 
 Me fore to feel werry fiUisofFocle about yu kors 
 hive A inkellinashun fore toe think frum wot 
 hive eared yule bee throwed out off plaice if so 
 and yule kum and pig we me hit sharnt kost 
 yer a apney for nothink wile yer out and I des 
 say i kan get yu into somethink as soon As i 
 kan for beein out is onkommon heckspensyve 
 an noboddy dont git fat at It speshly as thymes 
 is werry rotten but wy Dont yu Do me the 
 onner off a korl hay kum there Aint no malliss 
 kum an letts ave a Drain toogether As we 
 yoused korse yu hare a goodd sort an i never 
 took yu fore nothink ellse so No more at pres- 
 sent from yure Werry pertickeller frend Joseph 
 Goggles.'^ 
 
 The immediate effect of this generous and 
 gentlemanly epistle was to throw the whole of 
 Bob's mental faculties into a state of confusion.
 
 STANLEY THORN, 55 
 
 He read it again and again, with a view to 
 understand not only the words, but the feelings 
 by which they were prompted. It was the first 
 formal letter he had ever received, and while it 
 tended to raise him in his ovvn estimation as a 
 person of importance, it amazed him, for he 
 had really entertained no suspicion of that 
 which the venerable gentleman had intimated 
 with so much distinctness. What could be the 
 meaning of it ? What had he done ? He was 
 sure that he had been particularly attentive of 
 late. Besides, he had heard no complaint. 
 Had any pernicious person succeeded in secretly 
 subverting his fair reputation? Could it be 
 possible ? 
 
 As he sat in silent solitude, upon half a truss 
 of hay, in the stall which invariably formed his 
 studio, he weighed with the utmost nicety, the 
 bearings of each conjecture as it arose ; but 
 having been thus engaged for some time, with- 
 out being able to arrive at any really satisfac- 
 tory conclusion, he started up with the full 
 determination to ascertain what it meant, from 
 the lips of his venerable friend. 
 
 It is true, very true, that in saluting Joanna,
 
 56 STANLEY THORN'. 
 
 the venerable gentleman had annoyed him, and 
 yet, on serious reflection, why should he feel 
 annoyed ? What was Joanna to him ? She 
 had been kind, she had been friendly, she 
 had made suet dumplings exclusively for 
 him, and had prepared hot suppers al- 
 most every night during his master's parlia- 
 mentary career, which was certainly very 
 affectionate ; but then, had he ever proposed to 
 Joanna ? Had he ever even led her to believe 
 that he wished to propose ? Nay, had he that 
 wish ? Decidedly not ! at least, not that he 
 knew of. Why then should he feel thus an- 
 noyed ? He had no right to entertain any such 
 feeling. He would be annoyed no longer ! 
 He made up his mind at once not to be an- 
 noyed, and having done so, he started off" to 
 have this deep mystery solved. 
 
 On reaching the General's stables, he beheld 
 in one corner, his venerable friend, sitting stu- 
 diously upon a basket, duly turned upside 
 down, with a pen in his right hand, and the 
 forefinger of his left upon his temple, labouring 
 to turn a bright conception into shape, with 
 an expression of the most intense thought.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 5/ 
 
 The very instant, however, he became conscious 
 of Bob's presence, he reUnquished his pen, and 
 greeted him in his usual affectionate style, by 
 striking a pugilistic attitude, of a character ex- 
 tremely scientific and picturesque. 
 
 Having squared at each other with great 
 ability for some time, they simultaneously 
 seized each other's hand, which they shook 
 with remarkable fierceness and affection ; and 
 when these, and other equally indispensable 
 preliminaries had been, to their mutual satisfac- 
 tion accomplished, the venerable gentleman 
 broke silence by expressing, with all his cha- 
 racteristic eloquence, the unexampled gladness 
 of his heart. 
 
 " But Bobby, my Briton," he added, " wot's 
 the matter at ween us ? Friends vich is friends, 
 shood never be onfriendly !" 
 
 " Pm not unfriendly 1'^ said Bob. 
 ^^ There you are ! the hold business hover 
 agin ! the sum totle mounts ony to a 
 misonderstandin, and cert'ny misonderstan- 
 din's is the rummest things alive. Vy, 
 wot dVer think the hold General did the 
 
 D 3
 
 58 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 other day, now ? I'll tell yer : two friends of 
 hisn had a sort of a misonderstandin^ about 
 nothink : they wos werry cold, and coodn't ha' 
 told vy, if they'd bin arst. Werry well, w^ot 
 does he do, but he goes to the basket, and 
 picks out their cards, and then sends 'em to 
 each other's houses as if they wos sent by 
 theirselves ! Wot wos the scon sequence ? Vy 
 they at once returned wot they both took to be 
 the compliment, boney fido, and as each flat- 
 tered hisself that the other had made the fust 
 adwances, and wos willin' for to meet him arf 
 vay, they met, in course, for all the vorld as if 
 nothink had happened, and a reconcilementa- 
 tion took place/^ 
 
 " Well, that wasn't a bad move, mind yer,^' 
 said Bob, 
 
 ^' It wos hexcellent, cos they on'y wanted 
 for to be brought together to be all right agin. 
 And that's the case with all these here mis- 
 onderstandin's atween friends. But it's all 
 reg'lar now atween us ? Eh ? Give us yer 'and ! 
 Let's go over to the tap, and say nothink 
 more about it."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 59 
 
 To the tap they accordingly went, and after 
 touching slightly upon the state of the nation, 
 and two or three important political points 
 which were just then at issue. Bob being im- 
 patient to have explained to him the various 
 intimations containe d in the venerable gentle- 
 man's epistle, produced that mysterious docu- 
 ment, and having read it with due emphasis, 
 begged to know what it all meant. 
 
 "Wot does it mean! '^ cried the venerable 
 gentleman, elevating his eyebrows in a state of 
 amazement. " Wot ain't you then seed your 
 old missus's coachman ?" 
 
 " No," repHed Bob, " not lately.'^ 
 
 " Veil, but do you mean to say you don't 
 know there's a screw werry loose ?" 
 
 " Haven't heard nothing of it.^' 
 
 " Veil, send I may live ! Vy, the 'stablish- 
 ment's going to be broke up reg'lar 1" 
 
 " You don't mean that T' 
 
 " But I do, and nothink but ! Coachman 
 was ere last night as ever wos, to explain the 
 ole business, and the peticklers cert'ny looks 
 werry queer. He's got vornin'; they've
 
 60 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 almost hall on ^em got vornin/ and from wot 
 I can learn things is goin' hall to smash 1^' 
 
 '^ You don't say so V cried Bob, whose 
 countenance developed the utmost astonish- 
 ment. " You stagger me regular. I thought 
 they had a mint." 
 
 " And so they had ; but coachman tells me 
 thish ere parleymentry business ^as kicked it 
 all down.'^ 
 
 " Ar, I thought they was going too fast.^' 
 
 " And so did I/^ rejoined the venerable 
 gentleman ; and it really is amazing how prone 
 men in general are to anticipate things when 
 they have actually taken place, and how fully 
 their conjectures then are borne out by facts. 
 " It struck me frequent," he continued, " that 
 they never cood stand them air evey expenses. 
 But I'm werry sorry for it ; cos, from what I 
 'ear, your master's got nothink but wot he ^as 
 from the old lady ; so if she goes, he must go 
 vith her." 
 
 " Safe 1" returned Bob. ^' And it hurts my 
 sentiments very acute, ^cause he is a trump, 
 and there can^t be two opinions about it.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 61 
 
 But what I look at most is missis, 'cause ' she is 
 a regular good un, and I*d go to the bottom of 
 the sea to serve her. What must her feelinsrs 
 be, mind you, eh ? I don^t think she knows a 
 bit about it as yet ; but when she comes for to 
 be told, eh ? Safe to break her heart." 
 
 " I don' know," said the venerable gentle* 
 man. " Vimmin genelly bears these rewerses 
 much better than men. And it likevise makes 
 'em more dewoted. I've seen it frequent. Ven 
 all goes on prosperous, they've plenty of scope 
 to make theirselves onhappy about nothink, 
 and feels theirselves at liberty to pitch into 
 their husbands, cos, as they don't vont for 
 nothink, they don' know wot they vont ; but 
 on'y let their husbands have a rewerse, and 
 they're at once, all affection. Vot is it they 
 voodn't do then if they cood ! And if they 
 can't get 'em over it, they'll kiss 'em, and make 
 it seem better than it is, and try to persuade 
 'em not to mind it, and get 'em to bear up 
 against it like men. That's the pint ! Vimmin 
 is rum swells to deal with."
 
 62 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " I agree with you there,'^ rejoined Bob. 
 " But I say ! ain't your principles on this here 
 particular p'int a leetle changed^ eh ? Didn't 
 you used to tell me^ that when things went 
 wrong, they'd pitch into you the more ?" 
 
 " Ar/' replied the venerable gentleman, 
 whom the question had slightly confused, 
 " that's ven they're reg'lar hout an' hout 
 "wdxens." 
 
 Bob shook his head. He perceived at a 
 glance the inconsistency of his venerable friend, 
 and being anxious to know the extent to which 
 his opinions upon the matter had changed, he 
 took occasion to intimate gently that he had 
 an idea that the views which he had once en- 
 tertained on the subject of matrimony were not 
 precisely those which he entertained then. 
 
 " It strikes me forcible," he added, " that 
 they're, in pint of fact, particularly different ; 
 'cause I, somehow or another, have a sort of a 
 notion, that you and our cook is a managing of 
 matters, do you know." 
 
 At this moment the venerable gentleman
 
 STANLEY THORN. 6'3 
 
 blushed — ay, actually blushed ! — but on re- 
 covering himself a trifle, he smiled, and said, 
 " Vy, Bobby, vot makes you think so ?" 
 
 '' 'Cause she's a continually sighing and 
 talking about you, and looking arter the post- 
 man, and receiving of letters, which is writ in a 
 fis t wery simular to yourn.'^ 
 
 Again the venerable gentleman looked ex- 
 tremely red. He saw at once that, in sending 
 a letter to Bob in an undisguised hand, he had 
 not acted with his customary caution. 
 
 " You write a decent stick, though,^' con- 
 tinued Bob, playfully. " The i's is all dotted, 
 and the hizzards is wery respectable.^^ 
 
 ^^ I see," said the venerable gentleman, shak- 
 ing his head with great significance, '*' I see 
 I've let the cat out of the bag. But it ain^t 
 of much odds, cos I don't 'spose I'm puttin' 
 your nose out of j'int ?" 
 
 " Not a bit of it ! Oh ! it ain't no odds to 
 me, you know. Only all I look at is this, — . 
 she's a cook, you know, and cooks is all war- 
 mant, eh ? — don't you recollect ?"
 
 64 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " And so they are,'^ returned the venerable 
 gentleman, — " so they are, in common course 
 of natur' -, but Joanna is one in fifty million ! 
 That^s the p'int ! I'll be bound to say you 
 don't find another sich a cook in a day's 
 march P' 
 
 " She's a good 'un of the sort/' observed Bob^ 
 cavalierly. 
 
 " A good un ! I believe yer. There's no 
 mistake about her 1" 
 
 " But however you come to be caught after 
 all your experience, is a thing which gets quite 
 over me. I can't at all understand it. \ 
 deader mystery I never come across." 
 
 " Vy, look ear," said the venerable gentle- 
 man, with a philosophic aspect. " Did you 
 ever 'appen to see an unexperienced young 
 greyhound a-playing with a leveret, a-roUing of 
 it over and over, and a-pawing it, and licking it, 
 and not exactly knowin' vot to do with it ?" 
 
 " Can't say I ever did." 
 
 " Did yer ever see a kitten a-playing vith a 
 mouse, a-purring and singing to it reg'lar, a-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 65 
 
 letting of it run, and springing arter it agin, 
 vile the little onfort'nate wictim is arf dead 
 vith fright ?'* 
 
 " Yes, that I have seen." 
 
 " Werry well, then, wot do they play vith 
 'em for ? Ain't it cos they know nothink about 
 'em r Ain't it cos they never tasted the blood 
 of them there animals, and don't know wot it 
 is ? Vy, in course. But let 'em jist valk 
 their teeth into one, — let them have but one 
 taste, and they're alvays then a-hankerin' and 
 yarnin' arter 'em wiolent. And that's the case 
 vith me. I never loved reg'lar afore : I never 
 knowed wot it was to love ; but now that I've 
 tasted it, and knows wot it is, and finds it 
 nat'ral to like it, I carn't never be 'appy vith- 
 out the object of that love, vich is her as I 
 know loves me. That's the p'int." 
 
 " Well," said Bob, " I hope she'll turn out 
 a regular good un" 
 
 " Safe to be a good un ! Safe to be 'appy ! 
 She's the kindest and comfortablest creature 
 in life. I never see her feller, and I've seed
 
 66 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 above a few on 'em in my time^ you know. 
 She's cert'ny hout-an'-hout.^' 
 
 " Well, all I can say, you know is, may she 
 never be anything but. They do, mind you, 
 sometimes turn out queer." 
 
 " But you donH s'pose I've lived all these 
 here 'ears for nothink ! No, no, Bobby ; hold 
 birds ain't ketched vith chaff. I shood be 
 blind if I couldn't tell wot a voman wos. I can 
 see right clean through ^em in a hinstant. 
 No — come, we ain' a-going to be done exactly 
 arterall this 'ere experience_, nayther !'^ 
 
 '^ Well, well," said Bob, '^ you ought to 
 know a little about it.'^ 
 
 ^' I flatter myself,^' returned his venerable 
 friend, " I just do.'^ 
 
 " Well, and when do you think about doing 
 the trick." 
 
 " Vy, that depends a little upon circum- 
 stantials. If your 'stablishment's broke up, 
 yer know, as veil as the old lady^s, vy, it 
 von't be vuth vile for her to take another 
 place."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 67 
 
 '' No more it won%" observed Bob. " But 
 don't it strike you as very strange that I ain't 
 heard nothing about it ?" 
 
 " The most singularest thirig*aHve !" returned 
 the venerable gentleman. " They ought^ at 
 least, to 'ave named it, if they did nothink 
 helse." 
 
 *' But do you know, now, I don't think it '11 
 be so after all." 
 
 The venerable gentleman admitted that such 
 a thought as that might be entertained, but 
 strongly advised him, nevertheless, to prepare. 
 He then repeated those generous offers which 
 his gentlemanly letter contained; and when 
 Bob had acknowledged, in grateful terms, the 
 friendly feeling by which those offers were 
 characterised, they pressed each other's hands, 
 had another pot, and parted.
 
 68 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 IN WHICH STANLEY RESOLVES TO RETRIEVE HIS 
 FORTUNE. 
 
 Although the news of the reduction of 
 the widow^s establishment travelled fast from 
 Bob's venerable friend to the GeneraFs cook, 
 from the cook to the lady's maid, from the 
 maid to Miss Johnson, and from that young 
 lady to the General, both he and Captain 
 JolifFe, whom he subsequently told, deemed 
 it a point of too much delicacy to justify any 
 direct inquiry into the matter. 
 
 The first object of Stanley — when he found 
 that all he had to depend upon was the estate, 
 which yielded barely three hundred a-year — 
 was to conceal the altered state of affairs from 
 Amelia; and when he had taken steps to ac-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 69 
 
 complish this, at least for a time, he devoted 
 all his energies with the view of retrieving their 
 fortunes. 
 
 But then how was this to be done ? Should 
 he enter the army ? No ; that would not do. 
 Should he endeavour to obtain some colonial 
 appointment ? He had not the shghtest wish 
 to leave England ; and even if he had, where 
 was his political influence? He thought of 
 a hundred things by which his position might 
 be improved, but not one which was, under 
 the circumstances, practicable. 
 
 At length Sir William — who had never 
 allowed a syllable having reference to these 
 embarrassments to escape him — became ac- 
 quainted with a project by which he fondly 
 hoped that Stanley might be involved in utter 
 ruin. At that time several men of high con- 
 nections — one of whom was by courtesy an 
 Earl — having lost on various occasions im- 
 mense sums at play, and being experienced 
 and highly accomplished gamesters, conceived 
 the idea of taking a house themselves, and 
 putting down sub rosa a bank of their own.
 
 70 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 This they fancied would be a most profitable 
 speculation; and as the aid of Sir WiUiam, 
 by whom they were all perfectly well known, 
 had been solicited, he held it to be an ex- 
 cellent opportunity for sinking the remnant of 
 Stanley^s fortune, by inducing him to join them. 
 
 He accordingly lost no time in com- 
 municating with Stanley on the subject, but 
 took especial care to jDroceed with the utmost 
 caution. At first he mentioned it as a mere 
 matter of news ; but when he found that 
 Stanley caught at the project, he gradually 
 entered into the most minute explanations, 
 and made the success of the scheme appear 
 certain. 
 
 " Well," said Stanley, when the matter had 
 been explained, " why don't you join them ?" 
 
 ^^ Why, you see, I have at present so much 
 on my hands, and the probabihty is that it 
 would divert my attention from matters which 
 require a deal of thought. Besides, you know, 
 I'm not a very speculative man; and these 
 things, to succeed, must be entered into boldly."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 71 
 
 " Of course nothing but strict honour is 
 intended }'' 
 
 " Why, the character of those who are 
 engaged in the scheme would alone, one would 
 think, be a sufficient guarantee against dis- 
 honourable practices.'^ 
 
 " Of course 1 But is it not singular that 
 men of their character and standing in society- 
 should descend to enter into a speculation of 
 the kind ?^' 
 
 " Why, the descent of itself is not very 
 tremendous. The difference between playing 
 against a bank and playing with one — except 
 in so far as the profits are concerned — is but 
 slight. They would not, of course, like it to 
 be generally known that .they were engaged 
 in a speculation of this sort ; nor would they, 
 in fact, like it to be generally known that they 
 frequented houses of that description at all ; but 
 in the abstract it certainly is as honourable to 
 put down the bank as it is to play against it.^* 
 
 " It merely struck me at the moment as 
 being rather singular.^'
 
 72 STANLEY THORX. 
 
 " And so it is. If it were usual, it would 
 be thought nothing of/' 
 
 " Well,'' said Stanley, " the idea is cer- 
 tainly novel. I should really like to join 
 them/' 
 
 " I should recommend you not/' 
 
 ^' Why ?'' inquired Stanley. 
 
 " Merely because I think that it might occu- 
 py too much of your time. Besides, Thorn, 
 when you play, it is solely for pleasure : now 
 their sole object is profit. There is another 
 thing ; they have of late lost considerable sums 
 of money, which they are resolved to regain, and 
 it is moreover necessary that they should do 
 so ; but you are not in that position." 
 
 " Perhaps not/' rejoined Stanley, whom 
 the reason assigned urged on the more. " But 
 when Ave play, as you say, for pleasure, is not 
 profit invariably the chief object we have in 
 view ? Are not the pleasures of play derived 
 from winning, coupled with the hope of 
 winning more ? Are losses productive of 
 pleasure ?" 
 
 " It certainly is not very pleasurable to lose ;
 
 STANLEY THORN. 73 
 
 but that is an altogether different thing. Here 
 we have a direct and well- organized speculation^ 
 the object of the speculators being to regain 
 a certain sum. That their object will be ac- 
 complished there can be but little doubt ; but 
 then look at the anxiety ! — what can repay 
 them for that?" 
 
 " The attainment of their object ! Now 
 it appears to me to be the very kind of specu- 
 lation into which I should like to enter.'' 
 
 " Well, —but that which I look at is the 
 necessity which exists in their case, and not 
 in yours. Of course I'll introduce you with 
 pleasure, and I am sure that they would like 
 you to join them exceedingly; but if you do, 
 you must expect to be annoyed — ^at least I 
 know that the constant settlements, the divi- 
 sion of the profits, and all that sort of thing, 
 would annoy meP 
 
 " Very likely. But I have not, you know, 
 so much to attend to as you have, which 
 makes all the difference. When shall I see 
 them r 
 
 " Oh ! we'll go when you please — this 
 
 VOL. III. E
 
 74 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 evening, if you like ; but I should advise 
 you, before we go, to think the matter over.^' 
 
 " Yes ; that of course I'll do. Well, shall 
 we say this evening ?" 
 
 " Oh yes ! I'll call for you. At what 
 hour ?" 
 
 " You may as well dine with me, and then 
 we can start from here direct." 
 
 " Very well ; be it so. I have a few little 
 matters to attend to this morning, and while 
 I am about them you can be turning the thing 
 over in your mind ; but still, if I were you, 
 I should say it would be scarcely worth my 
 while to trouble my head about it. However, 
 it is for you to decide. We shall again see 
 each other at seven." 
 
 Sir William then left, and as he entered 
 his cab — " Every man," thought Stanley, 
 " knows his own business best. He has no 
 idea of my real position. His advice, there- 
 fore, goes for nothing. He still thinks that I 
 am wealthy. He has not the slightest notion 
 that my necessities are as great as the neces- 
 sities of those whom I shall join. It is hence
 
 STANLEY THORN. JS 
 
 that he conceives that I shall deem the con- 
 stant division of the profits an annoyance !" 
 
 Stanley smiled at this idea, and then pro- 
 ceeded to calculate what the profits of such 
 a speculation were likely to be ; and while he 
 was thus engaged, — with the gain of tens of 
 thousands floating upon the current of his rich 
 imagination, — Sir William, who was by no 
 means so ignorant of the matter as Stanley 
 supposed, was conversing with the projectors 
 of the scheme, and representing Stanley as 
 being a young fellow who had brilliant expecta- 
 tions, and would be an unquestionable acquisi- 
 tion, if they could but secure him. 
 
 " But is he likely to be caught ?^' inquired 
 the noble Earl. " Will he come in }" 
 
 " That I must leave entirely to you. He is 
 to be managed." 
 
 " Has he much stuff in hand ?" 
 
 '^ Why, it matters but httle, you know, 
 whether he has or not." 
 
 " His paper is good, of course ?^' interposed 
 " Captain" Filcher, who had engaged to be 
 the nominal proprietor of the concern. 
 
 E 2
 
 76 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " Safe as the bank/' replied Sir William. 
 
 " Then of course/' rejoined Filcher, " it's 
 regular." 
 
 And so it was in his view, and also in that 
 of the noble Earl, who expressed an anxiety to 
 see Stanley, and begged of Sir William to 
 bring him that evening, in order that he might 
 at once be fixed, which Sir William promptly 
 promised to do ; and they parted. 
 
 During dinner, although no word was spoken 
 on the subject which Amelia could understand. 
 Sir William perceived that Stanley's views 
 were unaltered. He was therefore in high 
 spirits, and conversed with unusual animation, 
 and studiously applauded every sentiment which 
 Ameha advanced. His marked attention to 
 her would, in the mind of a stranger, have 
 excited suspicion ; but his freedom of manner 
 and of speech had been so cautiously, so 
 gradually assumed, that its progress had been 
 to them imperceptible. 
 
 " I wish your mamma were here, Stanley," 
 said Amelia, on the table being cleared. 
 
 " Yes/' replied Stanley, " she would have 
 been company. for you while we are absent."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 77 
 
 ^^ Then are you naughty people going to leave 
 me ?'' 
 
 " Business, my love, business. I shall not 
 be late/' 
 
 " Oh ! I anticipated quite a delightful even- 
 ing." 
 
 " For my part,'' said the wily baronet, look- 
 ing at Stanley, " I think we had better remain 
 where we are/' 
 
 " There's a good creature !" cried Amelia. 
 " You ought to be recognised generally as the 
 champion of the ladies. Is it of importance, 
 dear Stanley?'' 
 
 " It is, my love. I must go ; but I shall 
 return very early." 
 
 ^^ Well, do not let me interfere with business. 
 But how long shall I give you ? Shall I say 
 twelve o'clock ?" 
 
 " Do not name any time, because I like to 
 be punctual ; and if we say twelve o'clock, I 
 may stop till that time, when otherwise I might 
 be home earlier." 
 
 " Very well ; but return as soon as you can 
 — there's a dear."
 
 78 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 ^^You really are an admirable wife/' said 
 Sir William^ to whom the gentle aiFection dis- 
 played by Amelia was wormwood. 
 
 " Now you are pleased to flatter/^ she re- 
 turned, with a smile. 
 
 " No, upon my honour." 
 
 "Well, I appreciate your good opinion," 
 rejoined Amelia, gaily. " Stanley ought in due 
 form to acknowledge the compliment, seeing 
 that he has made me what I am. We must 
 ascribe all the merit to him. Admirable hus- 
 bands make admirable wives — is it not so ?" 
 
 " It is amiable on the part of those admirable 
 wives to think so.'' 
 
 " Nay, but is it not so in reality ?'' 
 
 '• The belief, I fear, is not universally enter- 
 tained.^' 
 
 " I should say not," interposed Stanley. 
 "The most brutal husbands have the most 
 gentle wives ; and, as you see in my case, the 
 more mild and affectionate a man is, the more 
 advantage his wife takes of that mildness and 
 affection, the more she will tyrannise over him, 
 and make him feel her power."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 7^ 
 
 Amelia smiled, and was about to concede 
 that, with the thoughtless and the vulgar, it 
 sometimes happened that both husbands and 
 wives took advantage of amiability and devo- 
 tion ; but as Stanley at the moment gave the 
 signal, they rose ; and on taking leave. Sir 
 William pressed the hand of Amelia with so 
 much warmth, that although she attributed it 
 to nothing but the purest friendship, she felt 
 an almost involuntary inclination to withdraw 
 it. The effect, however, was but instan- 
 taneous ; she bade him adieu with her wonted 
 smile, and then embraced Stanley with the 
 fondest affection. 
 
 Having entered the cab, Stanley, being 
 impatient, started off with so much swiftness, 
 that Bob — who had anticipated nothing of the 
 sort, and who had to run like lightning for 
 five hundred yards before he could catch the 
 cab to get up behind — very naturally conceived 
 that there was something additional amiss. 
 
 " Another blessed screw loose !" said he 
 very privately to himself. ^^ I^m glad he's got 
 somebody with him ; although as it is, I must
 
 80 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 mind what Fm at. In this here tickUsh state 
 of transactions, masters ain't very particular 
 about gratitude ; and there's something a little 
 extra o'clock to-night, I know 1^' 
 
 The expediency of looking out with an 
 eagle's eye having thus appeared clear to his 
 view, he leaped from behind with such amazing 
 alacrity when Stanley pulled up, that he was 
 at the head of the horse in an instant. 
 
 " Another blessed four o'clock business,'' 
 said he, muttering with great caution, as Stanley 
 and Sir William entered a brilliantly illumined 
 club-house. " When every individual mnder's 
 in a blaze they pints to four or half-past, safe I 
 WoTit you stand still ?'' he added aloud, ad- 
 dressing his horse, " or am I to go for to make 
 you ? Don't you think I've enough to put up 
 with ? Ain't it ten times worse than listing 
 for a soger ? As true as I'm alive masters 
 now-a-days ain't got no bowels for servants at 
 all !" 
 
 Whereupon he stepped leisurely into the 
 cab, and having driven a short distance from 
 the door, he adjusted himself snugly in the off
 
 STANLEY THORN. 81 
 
 corner of the vehicle, with the view of having 
 a few hours' soft repose. 
 
 On entering one of the private rooms of the 
 club, Stanley was formally presented to the 
 noble Earl, Captain Filcher, and two other 
 dashing persons, who appeared to be highly 
 pleased to see him. They had evidently been 
 entering into certain calculations having refer- 
 ence to the scheme, the result of which had 
 put them in great spirits ; but no allusion 
 whatever was made to the project for some 
 considerable time. 
 
 At length, having freely conversed on the 
 various topics of the day, and become thereby 
 better acquainted with each other, the noble 
 Earl opened the subject of the speculation, 
 the success of which he described as being 
 perfectly certain ; and having dwelt upon the 
 brilliant character of the anticipated profits, 
 and proved in theory all that it was necessary 
 to prove, Stanley became so satisfied that he 
 entered at once into his views, and expressed 
 himself anxious to join them. 
 
 E 3
 
 82 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 The noble Earl of course explained how 
 happy he should be to have him as a partner in 
 the speculation, and as his title, independently 
 of his gentlemanlike bearing, had great weight 
 with Stanley, he felt highly honoured. 
 
 " And what will it be necessary" for us to put 
 down ?" he inquired.- ' 
 
 " Why, according to our calculation,'' .replied 
 the noble Earl, '^ a capital of ten thousand" 
 will in all probability realise a hundred thou- 
 sand pounds in three months. Bat we need 
 not put it all down at once. Let me see ; 
 there are five of us. Of course, we must ex- 
 
 • " ' ft! 
 
 pect to lose a trifle at first — it will in fact be 
 expedient to do so. Now, I think that if we 
 each of us put down five hundred to begin 
 with, it will do ; but, of course, it will be well, 
 in order to make all sure, for each to be pre- 
 pared with two thousand.^' 
 
 This proposition was made to all concerned, 
 and agreed to, and when the agreement had 
 been drawn up and signed, they set aside all 
 qusiness, made an appointment to meet the
 
 STANLEY THORN. 83 
 
 next morning at the house which Captain 
 Filcher had partly engaged, and spent a jovial 
 evening together. 
 
 On the following morning they accordingly 
 met, and were all much pleased with the 
 house; and as Filcher had had some experi- 
 ence in fitting up " clubs," he undertook to 
 prepare it with all possible expedition. But 
 Stanley was in limine puzzled. How was he 
 to raise his share of the sum required ? He 
 could no longer draw money of the widow. 
 Should he mortgage his estate ? As this ap- 
 peared to be the .only way in which it could be 
 managed^ he resolved at once to do it ; but as 
 on the day in which this resolution was formed 
 he happened to call at the club, to see what 
 progress had been made, and found Filcher 
 alone, his views on the subject were changed. 
 
 Filcher, who had received certain hints from 
 Sir William, regarded this call as auspicious. 
 He was therefore unusually anxious to win 
 Stanley's confidence, and after showing him 
 the furniture he had hired, and the tables he. 
 had purchased, and explaining certain mysteries
 
 84 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 of play, he got him over a bottle of wine, 
 and became excessively communicative and 
 friendly. 
 
 " I don't know, of course, how you are situ- 
 ated,^^ said he, when he fancied that Stanley 
 had been sufficiently warmed, " but men who 
 have the power to command a mint of money 
 are not at all times flush. I merely allude to 
 this in order to intimate that if you should at any 
 time happen to be short, I have already so much 
 confidence in you— and one can always tell 
 pretty well what a man is — that I shall be 
 happy to lend you my acceptance. But, mind, 
 this is strictly between ourselves. I do not 
 wish it to go farther, because in the present 
 state of the world there are few men indeed 
 whom I would do it for on any account ; but 
 for you I should be proud to do it, if such a 
 thing should ever be required, to the extent of 
 a thousand or so.'^ 
 
 " Well," said Stanley, who was struck with 
 the friendly feeling displayed by Captain 
 Filcher, "I certainly feel flattered; and it 
 strangely enough happens that I was just about
 
 STANLEY THORN. 85 
 
 to raise a sum of money by way of mort- 
 gage." 
 
 "Bills are much more convenient. They 
 save a world of trouble. They have but to be 
 drawn to command the sum required, and 
 when met at maturity the thing is at an end. 
 What sum do you want to raise ?" 
 
 " I thought of two thousand." 
 
 " Well ! — I shall be happy to lend you my 
 acceptance for that amount.^' 
 
 " But what security shall I give ?'^ 
 
 " Your honour, Mr. Thorn, will be a suffi- 
 cient security for me," 
 
 " But I think that every man ought to have 
 some more tangible security than that.'^ 
 
 " Oh, nonsense ! — not among friends !" 
 
 " I should feel more satisfied.^' 
 
 " Well, if that be the case, give me your ac- 
 ceptance for the same amount, I positively 
 refuse to take any other security from you'^ 
 
 This was kind, very kind, on the part of 
 Captain Filcher. Stanley at least strongly felt 
 it to be so, and inquired when the bills should 
 be drawn.
 
 S6 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " When you please/^ returned the Captain. 
 " It may as well be done now as at any other 
 time. Let me see — instead of having one bill 
 for two thousand, you had better have four, 
 you know, for five hundred each. You will 
 find them more negotiable." 
 
 " I must be guided by you," observed Stan- 
 ley, who at the same moment drew out his 
 purse. '^ Can we send for the stamps ?" 
 
 '^ By the by,^' cried the Captain, drawing 
 forth his pocket-book, '^it strikes me I've a lot 
 of stamps here !'^ And it singularlj^ enough 
 did happen that he found just eight of the 
 very stamps required. 
 
 " Well,^' said he, '^ this is extraordinary ! I 
 knew that I had some, but I had no idea of 
 what they were. They will save us the trouble 
 of sending out for them, at all events.*" 
 
 Stanley agreed with him perfectly in this, 
 and offered to pay for them ; but the Captain 
 refused to receive a single shilling. " No," 
 said he, " I am not a dealer in stamps. They 
 are of no use whatever to me, and may as well 
 be filled up for this purpose as not."
 
 STANLEY THORN. , 8/ 
 
 The bills were then drawn at two months. 
 At the suggestion of the Captain, the dates were 
 slightly varied. He drew four^ and four were 
 drawn by Stanley ; and, when each had ac- 
 cepted those which the other had drawn, they 
 exchanged acceptances as a mere matter of 
 mutual security. 
 
 " Have you any channel open ?" inquired 
 the Captain, when the exchange had been 
 made. " I mean,'* he added perceiving that 
 he was not understood, ^^ do you know any 
 one who will discount those bills }" 
 
 " Upon my honour, I do not. I never had 
 occasion to draw one before. But I suppose 
 there will be no difficulty at all about that ?" 
 
 '^ Oh ! not the least in life. I'll undertake 
 to get them cashed for you at once." 
 
 ^^I don't like to trouble you," said Stanley; 
 " but at the same time I really wish you 
 would." 
 
 " My dear fellow, don't name the trouble !" 
 cried the Captain. " I'll do it with infinite 
 pleasure. You shall have the cheque in the 
 morning."
 
 88 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 Whereupon Stanley returned him his own 
 acceptances for the purpose of discount^ and 
 having warmly acknowledged this additional 
 obligation^ left him in possession of the whole 
 of the bills. 
 
 The next morning he called for the promised 
 cheque, and found the Captain excessively 
 busy with the workmen, who were engaged, 
 under his superintendence, in decorating the 
 principal drawing-room, apparently for some 
 immediate purpose. 
 
 " My dear fellow," said he, as Stanley en- 
 tered, "those things cannot possibly be done 
 until to-morrow." 
 
 " That will do quite as well,'^ replied Stanley. 
 
 " I thought that it would make no difference 
 to you ?^' 
 
 " Oh dear me, no, not the slightest. But 
 what room is this intended for ? You appear to 
 have been very expeditious in fitting it up." 
 
 The Captain smiled, and drew Stanley aside. 
 " You have heard nothing of it, then ?" said 
 he, sotto voce. "This room is being adorned 
 to give eclat to a private marriage. It will take
 
 STANLEY THORN 89 
 
 place this evening by special licence. Will you 
 join us ? — it will be delicious sport." 
 
 ^^ But who are the parties ?"' 
 
 " I am bound not to tell that ; but you know 
 the bridegroom. Say you will be here. It will 
 come oif precisely at eight.^' 
 
 " But will my presence be agreeable to those 
 most concerned ?^' 
 
 '^ Agreeable ! My dear fellow, they will 
 all be delighted. You positively must be 
 here !" 
 
 " Well," returned Stanley, " in that case 
 I'll come. But I should like to know who the 
 parties are." 
 
 "All in good time, my dear fellow," cried 
 the Captain. " But the thing must positively 
 be kept a profound secret until the job's done." 
 
 " Oh ho ! I comprehend !" said Stanley. 
 " PapaJs in the way." 
 
 " Out, my boy ! — for once in your life out ! 
 There's no papa in the case ; and what is more, 
 my dear fellow, mamma will be here ! At half- 
 past seven, recollect, you will have the felicity
 
 90 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 of being presented to her and the beautiful 
 bride. You will not therefore on any account 
 fail ?'^ 
 
 " I will not. But don't let me interrupt you 
 another moment. For the present, adieu. '^ 
 
 "Adieu, my dear fellow ! Remember the 
 time ! When you know all, my boy, you'll say 
 it's delicious !" 
 
 "This is strange !" thought Stanley, on leav- 
 ing the house. " And I know the bridegroom ! 
 Who on earth can it be ? Can it be Wormwell ? 
 Very likely: and yet he surely would have 
 named it to me at least ! Well, it is useless to 
 conjecture.'^ 
 
 And so in reality it was ; but his imagination 
 was fraught with conjectures nevertheless. 
 There was a mystery in the matter, by which 
 his curiosity had been strongly excited, and 
 that excitement continued throughout the 
 morning unsubdued. 
 
 He was therefore, as a matter of coursa, 
 punctual ; indeed he was there somewhat be- 
 fore the appointed time, and found the bride-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 91 
 
 groom to be his new friend the noble earl, who 
 presented him at once to the bride. 
 
 Well, as far as the bridegroom was concern- 
 ed, of course the mystery was solved ; but in 
 his view there was something mysterious still. 
 The bride ! — true, she was rather a beautiful 
 girl, but she was evidently not a lady, while 
 
 her mamma Stanley couldn't understand it! 
 
 He tried to converse with the bride ; but "Yes, 
 sir," — "No, sir,'^ and "Very, sir,^^ appeared 
 to be about the only original sentences she had 
 the ability to utter. Her mamma, however, 
 made up for all, by announcing it loudly to be 
 her settled conviction that special licences were 
 far more respectable than banns. 
 
 " Why, I say,'' cried the Captain, when the 
 hour had arrived, ^' whereas the reverend swell ? 
 Time's up 1" 
 
 "Oh, he'll be here shortly," returned the 
 noble Earl. 
 
 " He is safe to come, I suppose ?" 
 
 At this moment a carriage drove up to the 
 door, and almost immediately afterwards he.
 
 92 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 by whom the ceremony had to be performed, 
 walked solemnly into the room. As he en- 
 tered, he bowed profoundly to all around ; and 
 as the bridegroom promptly asked him to take 
 a glass of wine, he as promptly filled a bumper, 
 and winked at the bridegroom, which Stanley 
 conceived to be particularly odd. He remained, 
 however, siient; they clearly understood it, 
 although he did not ; and- the ceremony, with- 
 out the smallest loss of time, commenced. 
 
 " Dearly beloved, said the reverend gentle- 
 man, ^' we are gathered together here for the 
 purpose of joining this man and this woman. 
 Wilt thou have this woman ? Wilt thou love 
 her, comfort her, and keep her ?" 
 
 The noble earl answered, " I will." 
 
 " Wilt thou have this man ? Wilt thou obey 
 him, love, honour, and serve him ?" 
 
 The bride tremblingly faltered out, ^^ I 
 will.'^ 
 
 " Who giveth this woman to this man ? 
 
 The Captain took the hand of the bride, and 
 gave it to the reverend gentleman, and when
 
 STANLEY THORN, 93 
 
 he had transferred it to the noble earl, the ring 
 was put on, and the ceremony ended ! 
 
 Stanley stood amazed, and the bride's mam- 
 ma observed that the ceremony, she fancied, 
 was rather short, but suggested that it was in 
 all probability unfashionable to have it longer, 
 when performed by special licence. She was 
 therefore quite satisfied : and having taken just 
 sufficient champagne ^to cause her to be content 
 with almost anything, she began to extol, with 
 surpassing volubility, the prominent virtues of 
 " my daughter the Countess, and my dear son- 
 in-law the noble Earl/* 
 
 The Captain then called for a bumper, and 
 all charged. 
 
 " I give you," said he, '^ Health to the Bride 
 and Bridegroom ! I propose it thus early, be- 
 cause I know that as they have to travel some 
 distance to-night, we shall soon be deprived of 
 their charming society. The health of the 
 bride and bridegroom ! — the bridegroom and 
 the bride V 
 
 The toast was duly honoured, and the noble
 
 y4 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 Earl in an eloquent speech returned thanks ; 
 shortly after which he, his trembling bride, 
 and her delighted mamma, took leave and 
 started in a carriage and four. 
 
 The very moment they had left, the reve- 
 rend gentleman threw aside his surplice amidst 
 loud roars of laughter. 
 
 " What is the meaning of this ? inquired 
 Stanley of the Captain. 
 
 " What I don^t you understand it ? 
 
 " Upon my honour, I do not.^^ 
 
 " Then it's" no longer surprising the old wo- 
 man was deceived. Don't you think it was 
 done admirably, considering our parson is not 
 in orders ?" 
 
 '' You do not mean to say that this has been 
 a mock marriage V' 
 
 " Why, of course ! It was the only way in 
 which that girl could be had ! Mild and gentle 
 as she appears, he has been trying in vain to 
 seduce her in the regular way for the last six 
 months.^' 
 
 Stanley was so indignant on receiving this
 
 STANLEY THORN. 95 
 
 intelligence, so incensed at being thus made a 
 party to a proceeding so vile, that he rose on 
 the instant, and quitted the house with a feel- 
 ing of ineffable disgust.
 
 96 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE COMMENCEMENT OF STANLEY'S SPECULATION. 
 
 To those who have been accustomed to view 
 only the unamiable portions of the female cha- 
 racter, as developed on the one hand by the 
 restless scheming creature of the world, and on 
 the other by the designing hollow-hearted cour- 
 tezan, the mean, cowardly practice of defraud- 
 ing a woman is sport; but by married men, 
 who have studied the character deeply, and 
 who appreciate those beautiful feelings by which 
 it is essentially distinguished, that practice is 
 happily held in abhorrence. Marriage induces a 
 higher estimation of female virtue : it inspires 
 men with a chivalrous, gallant spirit, of which 
 the peculiar promptings are to those who never 
 experienced the blessings which spring from
 
 STANLEY THORN. 9? 
 
 the gentle characteristics of an amiable wife, 
 
 altogether unknown; and hence Stanley — he 
 
 being the only married man present during the 
 
 performance of the disgraceful, cruel mockery 
 
 detailed in the preceding chapter — was the only 
 
 man by whom it was not viewed as a jest. But 
 
 although he was thoroughly disgusted with the 
 
 heartless conduct of his new associates, he felt 
 
 bound to fulfil the engagement into which he 
 
 had entered, but from which he would then 
 
 most gladly have withdrawn. He had no Ion- 
 
 - «. 
 ger the slightest confidence in the men ; he 
 
 conceived it to be almost impossible for them 
 
 to be actuated by any correct feeling, — still, 
 
 having entered into the speculation, so far, he 
 
 was unable to see how he could with honour 
 
 retire. 
 
 Having reflected upon the matter for some 
 
 time, vainly hoping for something to suggest 
 
 itself whereby the speculation might with grace 
 
 be abandoned, he named the subject to Sir 
 
 WiUiam, in order that he might, if possible, 
 
 point out the means by which an honourable 
 
 retreat could be accomplished. 
 
 VOL. III. F
 
 98 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " 1 feel so indignant/' said he, after explain- 
 ing the manner in which the mock marriage 
 had been conducted, " at having, although un- 
 consciously, been made a party to so disrepu- 
 table a proceeding, that I declare to you I 
 would almost as soon forfeit the money I have 
 engaged to put down, than have any farther 
 connection with the men/' 
 
 '' Had you taken my advice," said Sir Wil- 
 liam, *■' you would not have entered into it at 
 all; but I don't see how you can call off 
 now." 
 
 ^' Nor do I ; and yet one might imagine that 
 conduct like that which I have described would 
 form a sufficient pretext for withdrawing ?'' 
 
 '' Oh ! you must not think for a moment of 
 making that a pretext. Were you to do so, 
 you would only get laughed at." 
 
 " But do you not deem it disgraceful ?" 
 
 " Why, I must say that, strictly speaking, 
 it isn't the thing ; but in the circle, my dear 
 fellow, in which they move, an affair of the 
 kind is really thought but little of. Had he 
 married the girl in reality, the case would have
 
 STANLEY THORN. 99 
 
 been widely different — it would then have been 
 considered disgraceful indeed; but as it is, being 
 merely a nominal marriage, which may at any 
 moment be dissolved, why, his family are free 
 from the stain of a low alliance, and his friends 
 look upon him of course as before/' 
 
 " Notwithstanding, he has utterly destroyed 
 that poor girl by blasting her happiness for ever.'* 
 
 "The conduct of men of high connexions 
 must not, my good fellow, be scrutinised too 
 closely. You must consider the peculiarity of 
 their position. Suppose, for instance, now, 
 that this had been an absolute marriage, what 
 must of necessity followed ? Why, his family, 
 who would have considered themselves thereby 
 eternally disgraced, would have cut him, of 
 course, dead ; while his friends would have 
 spurned him for being a fool.'' 
 
 " But this is no justification — " 
 
 " Justification ! I grant you. But a family 
 of this description would rather there should 
 be five hundred mock marriages than a real 
 one with a creature of plebeian origin, unless, 
 indeed, she possess a mine of wealth. The 
 
 F 2
 
 100 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 influence of affection or love in such a case is 
 never allowed ; they ^11 not hear it. Rank or 
 wealth, Thorn, — rank or wealth. No other 
 influence can possibly be recognised by them. 
 And perhaps it is as well that it is so. Conceive, 
 for example, the absurdity of such an announce- 
 ment as this : — " Marriage in High Life. 
 — We have authority to state, that the Earl 
 of Clarendale will shortly lead to the hyme- 
 neal altar Miss Sophonisba Gills, the lovely 
 daughter of the late Mr. Timothy Gills, for 
 many years the confidential carman of the 
 celebrated Jonas Carp, Esq. the distingue fish- 
 monger of Billingsgate Market.^^ — Why it 
 would throw every member of the noble family 
 into fits, while the bridegroom himself would 
 become the legitimate laughing-stock of the 
 w^orld. And then look at the position of the 
 girl. Would it not be one of perpetual misery ? 
 Even suppose she were received by the family 
 in question, their very courtesy would make 
 her wretched, if even their sarcasms failed to 
 break her heart. The absurdity of persons 
 "wishing to form alliances in a sphere far above
 
 STANLEY THORN. 101 
 
 that in which they have been accustomed to 
 move is really monstrous. As far as happiness 
 is concerned, the ambition is fatal if the ob- 
 ject be attained. They cannot be happy. 
 Even their servants will sneer at the meanness 
 of their birth. In a word. Thorn, the belief 
 that anything but bitter mortification on either 
 side can spring from a marriage of this cha- 
 racter, is based upon ignorance the most 
 gross.^' 
 
 " All this I admit to be correct,'' rejoined 
 Stanley. " In an essentially artificial state of 
 society it invariably is so ; and none but 
 densely ignorant persons would dream of form- 
 ing such a connection. But that is not the 
 point — '* 
 
 " Why, it proves that this girl, for example, 
 as far as regards her happiness, is not in a 
 worse position than she would have been had 
 the Earl really married her.'' 
 
 " But it does not prove the conduct of the 
 Earl to be a whit the less disgraceful !" 
 
 " Granted ! — as far as that goes 5 but it
 
 102 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 does not by any means follow, that because 
 men of his caste delude a lot of ignorant girls, 
 whom they consider fair game, they should 
 therefore be incapable of acting in all other 
 respects with strict honour. As I said before. 
 Thorn, I regret that you ever entered this 
 speculation ; not because this affair has occur- 
 red, for that is too paltry to be considered for 
 a moment, but because I conceive that the 
 profits, whatever they may be, will never be 
 commensurate with the trouble it may occasion. 
 As, however, you are in it, I cannot see how 
 you can well call off.^' 
 
 Nor could Stanley. The disgust with which 
 the heartless proceeding had inspired him was 
 not in the slightest degree diminished ; his con- 
 fidence in the honour of his new associates 
 had not by the arguments of Sir William been 
 to any extent increased ; still, jealous of his 
 reputation as a man of si3irit, anxious to be 
 deemed by all a high-toned fellow, and there- 
 fore dreading the possiblity of being suspected 
 of meanness, or even of irresolution, he deter-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 103 
 
 mined at once to go on with the speculation 
 precisely as if nothing of a disreputable cha- 
 racter had occurred. 
 
 In pursuance of this determination, he in 
 the course of the day called upon Captain 
 Filcher, whom he found most appropriately 
 engaged in the honourable occupation of fixing 
 an entirely new roulette table, the secret springs 
 of which had been constructed with surpassing 
 ingenuity. 
 
 " My dear fellow !" exclaimed the gallant Cap- 
 tain, as Stanley entered, " I am positively too 
 glad to see you. I feared that something queer 
 had occurred, you cut away so abruptly. You 
 should have stopped. Oh ! I ^d have given 
 the world if you had remained. We kept it 
 up till daylight ; and such sport ! I thought 
 I should have died. But how came you to 
 leave us so early ?" 
 
 *^ I was anxious to get away,^' replied Stanley, 
 " and I always find that the safest course to 
 adopt in such a case is that of leaving without 
 giving even the slightest intimation.'^ 
 
 ^' And so it is ; but I am nevertheless sorry
 
 304 STANLEY THORX. 
 
 you started." Which was perfectly true. The 
 sorrow expressed was entertained very sin- 
 cerely, and moreover very affectionately, con- 
 sidering that he and a bosom friend had laid a 
 well-conceived plan for fleecing Stanley to a 
 highly respectable extent. " But I say, my 
 dear fellow/' he continued, " those bills, now — 
 I haven't the cash for them yet. It seems 
 strange, but the money market is in such a 
 state. I've been about them this morning. 
 Four-and-twenty bills returned in three days ! 
 — that tells a little tale ! However, I left 
 them ; but if you have any channel, I '11 get 
 them out of his hands." 
 
 " I can do nothing with them," replied Stan- 
 ley. 
 
 " Oh 1 well, then, a day or two probably will 
 be of no importance ?" 
 
 " None whatever." 
 
 '^ I always like these things to be done at 
 once ; but to-morrow, or the next day, I shall 
 be able, no doubt, to get a cheque for the 
 amount." 
 
 " That will do quite as well," replied Stan-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 105 
 
 ley. " But when do we commence opera- 
 tions V 
 
 " Why, I should say this day week. As far 
 as the play is concerned, you see everything 
 now is nearly ready ; but there are rooms to 
 be fitted up for the Coimtess.'' 
 
 " Will she reside here ?^' 
 
 " Oh ! yes ; and mamma is to be the comp- 
 troller of the household.^' 
 
 ^^ Indeed ! When do they return ?^^ 
 
 " To-morrow, I hear ; and some excellent 
 sport we shall have. Did you ever see any- 
 thing more admirably managed ? Oh ! the 
 whole thing was capital !" 
 
 Stanley made no observation upon this, but 
 directed his attention to the arrangement of 
 the tables, more with view of changing the 
 subject than of ascertaining what had been 
 done. The Captain, however, entered into a 
 variety of minute explanations having refe- 
 rence to the course they intended to pur- 
 sue ; and when he had explained all he wished 
 him to know, Stanley left, with the understand- 
 
 F 3
 
 106 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 ing that he was to call the next morning for 
 the cheque. 
 
 On the following day, he accordingly went ; 
 but the Captain had been still unsuccessful. 
 He was to have it the next day ; and he called 
 the next day, and the next ; in short, he con- 
 tinued to call day after day, until the time had 
 been fixed for putting down the first five hun- 
 dred each, as per agreement, when he mort- 
 gaged his estate for the two thousand pounds, 
 and regretted that he had not pursued this 
 course at once, without exposing his poverty to 
 the Captain. 
 
 Having effected this mortgage, he at once 
 expressed his sorrow to that gallant person 
 that he should have given him so much trouble, 
 and stated, that as he had then sufficient 
 money in his possession, he no longer required 
 the bills to be done. 
 
 '^ I'm glad to hear it,'^ said the Captain, on 
 receiving this intelligence, "although I gave 
 them this morning to a friend of mine, who 
 promised to bring me the cash in the course of 
 the day. But as it is, why, they had better be
 
 STANLEY THORN. 10? 
 
 destroyed. I regret exceedingly that I should 
 have been unable to get the thing done without 
 delay ; but you know what bill discounters 
 are." 
 
 " IVe never had anything to do with them,'^ 
 said Stanley ; " but I believe they are not 
 angels/' 
 
 ^' Angels ! — -devils, sir — absolute devils. 
 However, I'll get the bills together, and see 
 that they are destroyed." 
 
 Stanley thanked him, and was satisfied. 
 Scarcely knowing the nature of bills, it never 
 struck him that he himself ought to see them 
 destroyed; and if it had, he possessed too 
 much delicacy to hint that he deemed it essen- 
 tial. That, in his view, would have been a 
 direct imputation upon the honour of the 
 Captain, which he would not have cast, even if 
 he had thought of the possibility of the bills 
 getting into circulation ; but the fact is, as the 
 Captain undertook to destroy them, he thought 
 nothing more about the matter. 
 
 The time now arrived for making up the 
 first bank to commence with, and they met at
 
 108 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 their own club, which they had named the 
 European, and put down five hundred pounds 
 each. The Earl and his friends^ however, 
 manifested no inconsiderable surprise at the 
 unaccustomed promptitude of the Ca2:)tain in 
 this particular. They evidently anticipated 
 nothing more substantial from him than an 
 I. O. U., and, therefore, looked at each other 
 with great significance when, on drawing forth 
 his pocket-book, he put down ten fifties with 
 the air of a man having the power to produce 
 fifty more of the same sort at a moment^s 
 notice. It was held to be mysterious ob- 
 viously by them all, although nothing was said 
 on the subject at the time. They money was 
 taken, the bank was formed^ and the " Euro- 
 pean" opened the following night.
 
 STANLEY THORN. l09 
 
 CHAPTER YII. 
 
 IS ONE WHICH THE LADIES WILL APPRECIATE 
 HIGHLY. 
 
 " No w, my precious," observed Mrs. Gills, 
 addressing the ^' Countess/' the morning after 
 the speculation had commenced, " now your 
 sperits is a little bit tranquil, you know, you 
 must begin to look about you as a lady of title 
 ought, and take care you're not imposed upon, 
 or anything of that 5 because now you are a 
 Countess, my dear, you must do, of course, 
 as Countesses does, and keep up a proper 
 sperit and dignity." 
 
 ^' Yes, ma,^' mildly rephed the Countess. 
 
 ^^ Nor you musn't be put off neither, my 
 dear. You must have your own way, as all
 
 110 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 Countesses has. Insist upon having all you 
 want, and you'll get \tP 
 
 '^ But I have all I want, ma, already/' 
 
 " Nonsense, child ! — truly ridiculous ! Oh ! 
 don't tell me ! You ought to have a separate 
 carridge, and a box at the opperer, and give a 
 splendid serious of parties, and all that, and 
 have all the new novels, and harps, and 
 pianers — ^' 
 
 "But you know, ma, I never learned to 
 play." 
 
 " What of that ? The whole world needn't 
 know it. When you give a soree, you know, 
 or any thing of that, engage them to play, my 
 love, as gets their living by it. Countesses 
 never plays in public. Don't you know, my 
 dear, that that's beneath their dignity ? Never 
 try to play, and then nobody ^11 know you 
 can^t. There's no occasion to tell the world 
 what you don't know.^' 
 
 '^ No, ma, nor more their isn't." 
 
 " Very well, then, my dear, then you don^t 
 ought to do it.'^
 
 STANLEY THORN. Ill 
 
 " I won't, ma ; I'll always make believe that 
 I can play." 
 
 " In course. And mind, never suffer them 
 stuck up things of servants to address you as 
 anything but *my lady/ or 'your ladyship.' 
 ' Did your ladyship please to ring for me, my 
 lady ?' — ' May it please your ladyship/ and so 
 on. I^ra not sure it don^t ought to be ' your 
 grace' ; but ' your ladyship' will do for the 
 present. Be sure and make 'em stick to that ; 
 if they don't, ask 'em who they are speaking to 
 with their imperence. Mind that particular. 
 Always keep them gals at a respectable dis- 
 tance: they are sure to take liberties where 
 they can. If you give 'em an inch, they'll 
 take an ell, and you don't ought to do it. 
 Always know what is due to your dignity, my 
 precious, and make 'em conduct theirselves in 
 a way as becomes 'em. Look at that low 
 vulgar feller, the porter. The ideor of bringing 
 up the baker's bill in his naked hand, for all 
 the world as if there warnt a piece of plate 
 upon the premises. And then look at that 
 imperent thing, Susan. She's always a-giggling
 
 112 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 and going on. / see her, although she thinks 
 I don't. What does she mean, I should like 
 to know ? Perhaps she thinks the situation 
 ain't good enough for her. I'd give her a 
 month^s warning : she don't know her place. 
 I don't think she's much better than she 
 should be, my dear. Look at her curls ! 
 What business has a low common housemaid 
 with all them there curls ? Twelve pound 
 a-year, my love, won't support that. Besides, 
 she don't treat me with proper respect ; and 
 I'd have her to know, that although I'm not a 
 Countess myself, I'm the mother of a Coun- 
 tess, and that, too, of as good a Countess as 
 any in the kingdom. What does she mean by 
 laughing, and sneering, and opening her igno- 
 rant eyes to the other servants, when I'm 
 giving 'em the necessary orders ? Does she 
 think I'll put up with her low-bred ways ? 
 The insolence of such dressed-up things is 
 exclusive. Either she or me must quit." 
 
 " Dear ma," observed the Countess, " don't 
 drop yourself down to the level of her." 
 
 " / drop myself down to her level ! No, my
 
 STANLEY THORN. 113 
 
 love; I think I do know myself better than 
 that comes to. Her level ! I don't think Td 
 go quite so low as that, neither !" 
 
 " Well, never mind, ma, I'll give her warn- 
 ing." 
 
 " In course. And very proper. I shall 
 make a woman of sperit of you yet. But 
 that, my darling, isn't all. You musn't let the 
 noble Earl take no advantage of your inner- 
 cence ; for Earls is but men, and all men, in 
 this regard, is alike ; they'll all impose where 
 they can ; and you don't ought to suffer him 
 to do it. Assume enough, my precious. Be- 
 gin as you mean to go on. There's nothing 
 like striking the iron while it's hot. It saves 
 a world of trouble, my dear. If you wait till 
 a man gets cool, you'll find him very difficult 
 to bend to your own shape; but if you tell 
 him at first what you mean, you 'stablish your 
 dignity, and when he knows what he has to 
 expect, why, he ain't after that disapp'inted. 
 You take my advice, my love, and insist upon 
 doing what you please ; there's nothing like it. 
 A woman ain't a woman of sperit as don't, and
 
 114 STANLEY THORN* 
 
 ^specially a Countess. You must go out 
 a-patternizing people^ particular them foreigners 
 as sings 5 and give blankets away to the poor 
 in cold weather : it all tells, my love, to make 
 a noise in the world. And when you go 
 a-shopping, make 'em bring the goods out to 
 the carridge, instead of going in ; and when 
 you don't want your carridge, have a footman 
 behind you with a long stick, with a large gold 
 nob at the top. Nothing on earth, my dear, 
 looks so respectable as that; and the taller 
 the footman, and the longer the stick is, the 
 better. Besides, you haven't been to court yet ; 
 nor I haven't seen your name a single once in 
 the papers ! And another thing, the Earl 
 hasn't once introduced you to his family T' 
 
 ^^ Oh ! ma !" exclaimed the Countess, " I 
 should tremble lilje anything, I know, if he 
 was." 
 
 " Tremble ! Fiddlededee ! Why should you 
 
 tremble ? You're as good as them any day in 
 
 the week." 
 
 . '^ Oh dear, ma ! I shiver at the very thought. 
 
 What I should do when I saw 'em I can't think.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 115 
 
 Fm sure I should turn as pale as I don't know 
 what/^ 
 
 *' Pale, my precious ! What do that sig- 
 nifies ? Paint — all Countesses paints — and 
 then nobody'll know whether you turn pale or 
 not.'^ 
 
 '^ Oh ! but I should feel so queer, I know I 
 should." 
 
 " Rubbish, my love ! What's to make you 
 feel queer ? Always look upon people as being 
 beneath you ; there's nothing on earth gives 
 such confidence as that. If you look up to 
 /Aem, they'll look down upon you; that's the 
 way people gets over people, my precious. 
 And then there's another thing : where is your 
 cards ? I never heard of such a thing as a Coun- 
 tess without cards ! We'll go and order 'em 
 this blessed morning, my love, and have your 
 court of arms upon 'em, you know, and all 
 that. Nothing can be done, without cards. 
 And then Pll tell you what we'll do while 
 we're about it. Dear me ! now, how strange 
 it never struck me before ! — it will be the 
 very thing — my love, we'll order a whole lot of
 
 116 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 invitation cards at the same time. And then 
 we'll get up a party, and invite all the other 
 nobility in town ; all the Duchesses, and all 
 the Marquisses, and all the Earls, and all the 
 foreign ambassadors and their suits. Oh 1 
 we'll have such a jolly night of it, my pre- 
 cious !" 
 
 " But will my lord like it ?'^ 
 
 ^' There's not the least occasion, my love, to 
 let him know anything about it until they 
 all come, and then, oh ! won't it be an 
 agreeable surprise ! But let 's see — who can 
 we get now to manage it all for us ? It must 
 be somebody that knows all about it, you 
 know. There 's the Captain ; but I don^t like 
 that Captain : he 's always a-sneering, and 
 smirking, and going on so, as if we warn't as 
 good as him, and a precious sight better. I 
 can't a-bear such ways 1" 
 
 " There 's Mr. Thorn, ma !" suggested the 
 Countess. 
 
 " Ah ! he 's a mce gentleman. He M be the 
 one. He knows how to behave hisself. No- 
 body can conduct theirselves more gentleman-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 117 
 
 lier than him. He ^11 manage it for us. I 
 know he will, if I ask him.'* 
 
 At this moment Stanley was dashing down 
 the street in his cab, with the view of ascertain- 
 ing the result of the previous night's play; 
 but as, on pulling up, he happened to see a 
 person in livery at the door of the European, 
 he laid the whip into Marmion with so much 
 effect, that the animal, darting off in an instant, 
 left Bob, who had got down with all his 
 wonted alacrity, a considerable distance in 
 the rear, before he had time to recover his 
 faculties, the whole of which had been 
 thus unceremoniously upset. Feeling, how- 
 ever, that he had not a single moment to 
 lose, and being moreover extremely swift of 
 foot, he, by virtue of making a desperate rush, 
 soon overtook the cab, and remounted. 
 
 " Well," he exclaimed, " I should on'y just 
 like to know what 's o'clock now 1 There 's 
 something in the weather-glass, safe ! As true 
 as I 'm alive, I don't know what 's come to all 
 the masters. It 's my belief they 're all a-going 
 stark naked mad. Here 's a mess — here 's 
 a pickle !" — he added, taking a retrospective
 
 118 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 view of his clothes, — " splashed up to the very 
 eyes! — a full hour and arPs brushing; it ain't 
 to be done under. I 'm blessed if it ain't 
 enough to aggrawate a bishop. If he didn't 
 mean to stop there at all, what did he make 
 believe to pull up for ?" 
 
 That was the point; and while Bob was 
 thus occupied in giving expression to his own 
 private feelings upon it, Stanley's rage was 
 unbounded ; for as Venerable Joe was the 
 person whom he saw,^ — but whom Bob in his 
 desperate haste failed to see, — he leaped at 
 once to the conclusion that the General, having 
 heard of the speculation into which he had 
 entered, had planted him there as a spy. 
 
 Such was, however, by no means the fact ; 
 and, in order to prove that it was not, it will 
 be highly correct to accompany the venerable 
 gentleman, who, after laughing very heartily at 
 Bob's rapid movements, and wondering very 
 naturally what it all meant, tvas admitted 
 between the outer doors of the " European," 
 when he sent up his name to Mrs. Gills, whom 
 he had had the honour of knowing for a series 
 of years.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 119 
 
 Mrs. Gills, on the name being announced, 
 blushed deeply as she repeated it again and 
 again, marvelling who, in the name of aU that 
 was gracious, it could be, and bit her lips with 
 due violence as she protested that the singular 
 cognomen of the individual lived not in her 
 memory ; still she thought somehow she had 
 heard the name somewhere — but where ? 
 Eventually by a miracle she recollected that 
 there was a sort of person of that name in the 
 service of General Johnson, a very intimate 
 friend of hers, from whom, she had no doubt 
 on earth, this person had brought some strictly 
 confidential communication. She therefore 
 directed the servant to show the person into 
 the parlour ; and, after having explained most 
 lucidly to the Countess how essential to the 
 preservation of dignity it was to repudiate all 
 low connections, descended from the drawing- 
 room with all the severity of aspect and state- 
 liness of deportment at her command. 
 
 On entering the room in which the venerable 
 gentleman stood, marvelling greatly at the fact 
 of his being shown into a parlour, Mrs. Gills
 
 120 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 reared her chin, and bowed with such surpass- 
 ing grace, that in an instant he felt friendship 
 freezing. He nevertheless approached, and 
 was about to take her hand, which, however, 
 she with a truly icy elegance waved towards 
 a chair, and with an expression of sublimity 
 desired him to be seated. 
 
 *^ Your manners is very cold, Mrs. Gills,^' 
 observed the venerable gentleman, who could 
 not but deem all this deeply mysterious. 
 " Have I offended you in anythink ?" 
 
 '^ Oh, dear me, no V replied the lady, 
 tossing her head with a most superb air.^^ 
 
 " Oh ! I thought p'raps I had," rejoined 
 the venerable gentleman, " as you seems to be 
 werry much changed. I shouldn't a-called, 
 on'y I ^appened to 'ear that Sophy was 
 married.'' 
 
 " My daughter, sir, the Countess of Claren- 
 dale, is married," returned Mrs. Gills, with 
 great dignity. 
 
 The venerable gentleman looked amazed. 
 Could he believe it? Could he believe that 
 the same individual Sophy, whoni Mrs. Gills
 
 STANLEY THORN. ]21 
 
 tried so extremely hard to plant upon him was 
 a Countess ? He was about to take a compre- 
 hensive view of the matter, in order to ascer- 
 tain whether he could really believe it or not ; 
 but Mrs. Gills interposed at the moment an 
 observation, which rendered his imaginative 
 faculties subservient to the influence of straight- 
 forward facts. 
 
 " As circumstances is so much changed/' — 
 this was the memorable observation, — " and 
 as you must in course be aware that there 's 
 now a propriety as is proper to be observed, 
 may I inquire your object in honnering us with 
 this visit r^' 
 
 " Oh ! I on'y merely thought I 'd look in 
 to give Sophy — I mean the Countess — joy.'' 
 
 "Sir,^^ said the lady, apparently quite 
 shocked at the vulgar idea, " I'd have you 
 understand that my son-in-law, the noble 
 Earl, ain't a mechanic." 
 
 " I din't s'pose he vos. There's wery few 
 noble Hurls as is. But can't I see the 
 Countess ? I should hke to see her.^* 
 
 " Impossible. It ain't because Pm proud, 
 
 VOL. III. G
 
 122 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 no ; but what would the noble Earl say ? 
 Why, heM think it a disgrace to his 'scut- 
 cheon." 
 
 " It strikes me forcible/' said the venerable 
 gentleman, who felt rather piqued, " that 
 half vot you know about ^scutcheons ain't 
 much." 
 
 " Well, I'm sure ! I'd have you to know 
 I don't tolerate no insolence, and so you 
 needn^t come it.'^ 
 
 "Oh! werry well, mum. But I must say, 
 as a hold friend, I didn't expect to be treated 
 in this 'ear upish vay." 
 
 " You may think yourself honnered that 
 I saw you at all. I know I didn't ought to 
 do it ; but I beg, sir, that in future we mayn't 
 be troubled by your calling any more." 
 
 " Oh ! that you may take your hoath on. 
 But as I remember there's a little trifle atween 
 us of seventeen and sixpence, p'raps it von't 
 be hinconvenient for you to settle vithout 
 my summonsing on you to the court of 
 requests ?" 
 
 " What do you mean to insiniwate ?" cried
 
 STANLEY THORN. 123 
 
 the lady^ — " seventeen and sixpence, or seven- 
 teen hundred pound seventeen and sixpence ; 
 it's all one to me ! I'll discharge the paltry 
 sum, sir, immediate ! what do you mean ?'* 
 
 Mrs. Gills, being highly indignant, was about 
 to bounce out of the room for her purse, when 
 the folding-doors opened, and the Countess, 
 who had been listening in the adjoining room, 
 appeared. 
 
 " Dear ma !" she exclaimed, " here's a 
 purse : but don't be angry with Mr. Joseph. 
 You know he has always been kind to us, 
 ma.'* And she extended her hand to the 
 venerable gentleman, [who was about to receive 
 it with the utmost respect, when Mrs. Gills 
 promptly interposed her person exclaiming, 
 
 " My precious ! What would the noble 
 Earl say ? — what would he think were he to 
 see you shaking hands with a person in livery? 
 Fie ! my love, fie ! I'm putrified to think 
 that you haven't more respect for your dig- 
 nity." 
 
 " Well, ma, I'm sure there's no harm in 
 shaking hands." 
 
 G 2
 
 124 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 ^' There is harm^ my love ! Gracious ! what 
 would the world say ? What would be thought 
 of you in high life ? Why, you wouldn't be 
 received in good society ! Consider !" 
 
 " My lady/^ said the venerable gentleman, 
 — for though it seems werry rum, I am still 
 glad to call you my lady — I vornt at all avare 
 as you'd married a Hurl, or I shoodn't a- 
 come; no, I know my place better; but I 
 s'pose they vos bavin' a game vi' me rayther 
 ven they guv me your address, and said they 
 thought I ought to call. Howsever, I'm glad 
 to ^ear of your good fortun, and give you joy, 
 and 'ope you'll alvays be ^appy ; but I must 
 say your mother aint treated me veil; cos 
 under the circumstantials, knowin' her so veil 
 as I have done so long, and bein' alvays werry 
 glad to do all I could to serve her ven she vos 
 but a servant like myself, I do think that if 
 heven you'd become the Queen of Hingland, 
 she oughtn^t to be so stuck up." 
 
 During the dehvery of this eloquent 
 speech, Mrs. Gills, with excessive hauteur was 
 counting out the seventeen and sixpence, and
 
 STANLEY THORN. 125 
 
 having done so, in due form tendered the 
 amount. But the venerable gentleman dis- 
 dained to receive it. 
 
 " I'll not touch it !'^ he exclaimed with 
 magnanimity. ^' No ; it aint that as I care 
 for ; twenty times the sum don't make no hods 
 to me ?' 
 
 " But I insist !" cried the lady. 
 
 " So you may, mum : but I M jist as soon 
 touch a dose of pison.'^ 
 
 '' But you shall have it, sir 1'^ 
 
 ^^ Not a penny on it ; no ; I vish you a 
 werry good day, mum. I don^t/' he continued, 
 addressing the Countess, " mean any disrespect 
 to your ladyship. I voodn't offend you for 
 the vorld ; but it's a hold sayin' an' a true un 
 about the beggar on ossback.'^ And here- 
 upon, feeling much better in consequence 
 of having made this observation, he quitted the 
 house. 
 
 " The low-bred creature l'^ exclaimed Mrs. 
 Gills as the venerable gentleman departed. 
 
 " But you shouldn't go on so, ma," said 
 the Countess. " People dont like it.'^
 
 ^^ 
 
 126 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " Of what importance is it to us, child, 
 what such people like, or what they don't like ? 
 You must know what is due to your own 
 dignity, my love, or you'll never be fit to be 
 a countess. I declare I'm in such a flustra- 
 tion I don't know how to contain myself. 
 Oh, I only wish for his sake Td been a 
 man.'' 
 
 Before the nerves of this amiable lady had 
 become tranquil, Stanley having taken an 
 impetuous sweep round the Park, returned 
 with the full determination to enter the club, 
 no matter who might be on the watch. Bob, 
 however, allowed him to make a dead stop 
 before he attempted again to alight, for he felt, 
 and very naturally, that he had had enough run- 
 ning for one day at least. 
 
 ^^ You look like a scavenger," said Stanley, 
 as Bob approached Marmion's head. " Where 
 did you pick up that mud ?" 
 
 " A pelting arter you, sir, when you made 
 believe to stop here afore,'' replied Bob. 
 
 Stanley smiled as he entered the house, 
 and Bob thought that his reply was particu-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 12? 
 
 larly pointed and severe, and he winked con- 
 fidentially at Marmion on the door being 
 closed, with the view of intimating to that 
 sagacious animal that that really was his un- 
 biassed opinion. " It strikes me I shut up 
 his shop, then/' he observed. " There^s 
 nothing like getting the best of a master. 
 Directly they find out they're wrong, they 
 cuts their sticks with their tails atween their 
 legs, dead beat.'^ 
 
 On entering the principal play-room, 
 Stanley ascertained from one of the attendants 
 that the bank had been on the previous night 
 well nigh broken. He was also informed that 
 the persons who had won, had signified their 
 intention of playing that night, when, doubt- 
 less, the luck would be changed ; and that it 
 was deemed by the highest authorities politic 
 to let a bank lose at first, in order not only to 
 stimulate players, but to inspire due confidence 
 by virtue of its stability being tested. 
 
 To this fellow's description of the extraor- 
 dinary '^ run of luck" which had characterised 
 the play, Stanley listened with the most
 
 128 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 marked attention. The prospect seemed cheer- 
 less. Two thousand five hundred pounds lost 
 in one night. His high hopes were depressed. 
 It was a " Bear'^ account with him : and yet, 
 why should he despair ? Had not the Earl 
 himself told him, before they commenced, that 
 they ought as a matter of course to lose at first ? . 
 Why then should he feel disappointed? He 
 tried to revive his hopes by looking upon their 
 depression under the circumstances as the mere 
 result of folly, and having learned that his 
 partners in the speculation had appointed to 
 meet at eight, for the purpose of replenishing 
 the bank, he was about to take leave, when he 
 was formally summoned by the Countess and 
 her mamma. 
 
 On entering the drawing-room, he was re- 
 ceived with unusual parade. Mrs. Gills was 
 particularly fussy, and hoped that he was well, 
 and rang for the cake and wine, and most elo- 
 quently laboured to convey to him an idea of 
 the delight she was sure she should derive from 
 an early introduction to Mrs. Thorn. " Oh ! 
 do bring her with you, some day,^' she con-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 129 
 
 tinued, '^ and let us have a quiet cup of tea. 
 It will be so delightful, you can't think. I'm 
 sure she's a dear nice lady ; I am sure of it, 
 judging from you." 
 
 Stanley smiled, and acknowledged the com- 
 pliment profoundly, and said all that was neces- 
 sary to convince Mrs. Gills that he thought her 
 extremely polite. 
 
 " And now, Mr. Thorn, I've a secret,'' she 
 continued, — " a secret which I don't want any- 
 body to know on but you. I know I can trust 
 you, and I'm sure you'll assist us. The fact is, 
 my daughter, the Countess, and me, is a-think- 
 ing of getting up a party, for we finds it very 
 lonely a-mumping here alone. Now, in course 
 you know all about the other nobility, the 
 Dukes, Lords, Wisecounts, Ambassadors, and 
 such like ; and, as we have never yet given a 
 jollification, all we want is, for you just to put 
 us in the way of it." 
 
 " I should think," returned Stanley, " that 
 the Earl would be the more proper person to 
 apply to." 
 
 " Oh 1 but we want to do it unbeknown to 
 
 G 3
 
 130 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 him ! We want to surprise him ! to show him 
 just what we can do. Oh, it will be so glo- 
 rious ! You and Mrs. Thorn must come and 
 meet all the nobility. Oh ! we shall have such 
 a frolic V' 
 
 Stanley could not help laughing. He thought 
 the conception excessively rich, and one which 
 ought to be carried into immediate execution. 
 Feeling, however, that he was not in a position to 
 enter into the spirit of the thing himself, he 
 advised them to apply to Captain Filcher, whom 
 he described as being perfectly conversant with 
 matters of that description, and who, he doubt- 
 ed not, would be but too happy to aid 
 them. 
 
 " But does he know all about the invitation- 
 cards, the etiquettes, and all that V inquired 
 Mrs. Gills, anxiously. 
 
 " My firm impression is,^' replied Stanley, 
 " that in a case of this peculiar character, 
 you cannot have the aid of a more useful 
 man." 
 
 " Oh, well, then, I'm sure I'll apply to him. 
 I'm certain he won't refuse. But do you think 
 he'll keep the thing a secret ?"
 
 STANLEY THORN. 131 
 
 " I have not the slightest doubt of it/' said 
 Stanley. Nor had he. He believed him to be 
 the very man to carry out the idea to perfec- 
 tion; and, having explained to them how 
 strongly he felt that the Captain would be 
 delighted to serve them in such a merry 
 cause, he received their warmest thanks, and 
 departed.
 
 132 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 CHAPTER VIIL 
 
 IS ONE WHICH GENTLEMEN WILL NOT CONDEMN. 
 
 As the bank was impoverished every night, 
 notwithstanding immense sums of money were 
 lost by the majority of the players, Stanley 
 soon began to view the speculation as a failure. 
 He thought it strange, that with the chances in 
 favour of the table, and with experienced men 
 for managers, the bank should so constantly 
 lose ; and that he did think it strange was not 
 extraordinary, seeing that he was perfectly un- 
 conscious of the fact that the projectors of the 
 scheme, through the instrumentality of confe- 
 derates, were realising fortunes. He knew 
 nothing of the villanous system pursued : he 
 had no idea of knaves being deputed nightly by 
 the two persons with whom the speculation
 
 STANLEY THORN. 133 
 
 originated, to fleece the fair players, and to 
 plunder the bank. He thought that, of course, 
 all was square as far as they were concerned, 
 and yet it struck him as being singular that 
 their spirits should be raised after each night's 
 loss. Instead, however, of thinking of confe- 
 deracy, false dice, " despatching," and " secur- 
 ing," and thereby attributing all to the true 
 cause, he imbibed the pernicious, soul-enslaving 
 doctrine of Destiny, and madly ascribed all his 
 losses to Fate. 
 
 This made him wretched, irascible, and occa- 
 sionally, although perhaps involuntarily, brutal. 
 He was satisfied with nothing : everything 
 displeased him : trifles, at which before he 
 would have smiled, now inspired him with rage ; 
 in his sleep he would constantly start and talk 
 wildly, and when awake, he would fitfully pace 
 the room, with pursed lips and overhanging 
 brows. 
 
 This change poor Amelia perceived with 
 alarm. To her gentle spirit it was a source of 
 deep affliction : it filled her heart with sorrow, 
 and her eyes with scalding tears. She wept
 
 134 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 bitterly, but in secret ; before him she assumed 
 a soft gaiety, and laboured to cheer him ; and 
 when she perceived upon his brow a more than 
 usually dark cloud, she in silence caressed him 
 the more. 
 
 Days of misery passed ; and whenever he 
 returned, she would watch his clouded counte- 
 nance anxiously, in the fond hope of finding his 
 spirit soothed, but in vain ; still, fearing it 
 might vex him, she never breathed a syllable 
 having reference to his depression, until, find- 
 ing her caresses repulsed as an annoyance, she 
 became apprehensive that she herself might be, 
 although unconsciously, the cause. 
 
 At first the bare thought of this being pos- 
 sible, dreadfully distressed her ; but on reflec- 
 tion, being unable to recollect any single act of 
 hers at all likely to have excited his displeasure, 
 she began to hope that something she had either 
 said or done, had been by him misconstrued, 
 feeling convinced that if that were all, she 
 should be able, by removing the misconception, 
 to restore his tranquillity. 
 
 Having dwelt upon this for some time, to
 
 STANLEY THORN. 135 
 
 the exclusion of all other considerations, she 
 resolved on alluding to the subject, and blamed 
 herself for having permitted a mere misappre- 
 hension — for that she felt sure it was then — to 
 continue in existence so long. 
 
 When this resolution was formed, Stanley 
 was absent from home ; he had left to meet 
 his partners by appointment, with the view of 
 putting down the fourth and last five hundred 
 each ; and as he had then made up his mind 
 that the whole was irrevocably lost, he returned 
 more sullen and peevish than ever. 
 
 As he entered, Amelia flew, as usual, to meet 
 him, and when he had passively received her 
 fond welcome, he sunk into a chair in the most 
 listless style, and with a countenance enveloped 
 in gloom. 
 
 " I have something, dear, to say to you,'^ 
 she observed, with a gaiety of expression which 
 contrasted strongly with his dismal aspect, — 
 " something, my love, of importance. It is a 
 question, and one which must be answered dis- 
 tinctly, too.'^
 
 136 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " A question ?" cried Stanley, peevishly. 
 "Well, what is it?'' 
 
 " Nay, do not be cross, dear Stanley. And 
 yet, perhaps, I must allow you to be so until 
 you have answered my question, and I have 
 replied.'' She then threw her arms round his 
 neck, and while gazing earnestly in his face, 
 said, in tones of surpassing sweetness, '^^ Have 
 I displeased you ?" 
 
 " Displeased me ? Nonsense ; no.'' 
 
 " Pray, Stanley, tell me. I fear that I 
 have." 
 
 " I do tell you that you have not. Don't 
 annoy me." 
 
 '• Dear Stanley, do not be unkind ! You 
 have been for some time very sad, dear; my 
 heart bleeds to see you. I cannot be happy if 
 you are not so. Indeed, my dearest love, if I 
 have in any way offended you — " 
 
 " I tell you again that you have not 1" 
 
 " Then what is the cause of your sadness ? 
 Pray let me know all ? I can bear it, my love ; 
 let it be what it may, I can bear it. Beheve
 
 STANLEY THORN. 13? 
 
 me, I can endure with more fortitude the know- 
 ledge of the very worst calamity that could 
 befall us, than ignorance of the cause of that 
 affliction, which is unhappily so apparent. Do, 
 dear, pray tell me all. Do not keep me longer 
 in suspense. You kindly, fondly let me share 
 your joys, — am I not bound to share your sor- 
 rows ? Believe me, dear Stanley, it will to me be 
 an additional joy to know that your confidence 
 in me is unbounded.^^ 
 
 As a rebellious tear glistened in his eye, 
 Stanley kissed her, and pressed her to his 
 heart, 
 
 *^ Bless you !" she continued, as she wiped 
 the tear away. " But I must not see that : 
 anything but that I can bear. But you will 
 tell me, dear, will you not ?'* 
 
 " My good girl, what have I to tell 
 you ?" 
 
 " Do not allow me to be tortured by conjec- 
 tures. They afflict me, Stanley, far more than 
 a knowledge of the real cause can, let it be what 
 it may." 
 
 " Ameha, rest satisfied with this, that that
 
 138 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 which vexes me is not of any permanent 
 importance/^ 
 
 " I thank Heaven for that ! And yet if it 
 be not, why do you allow it to torment you 
 thus? Come, be cheerful, dear Stanley; it 
 will be such a delight to me to see you smile 
 again ! But I cannot be content with this 
 assurance. If I had,'* she continued archly, 
 ^' sufficient influence over you, I would insist 
 upon knowing more : but as I have not, I 
 must, of course, in the tone of a suppliant, beg 
 of you to tell me all about it. Come, dear, as a 
 favour ? I may be able to assist you. Be- 
 sides, have I not a right to know ? Upon my 
 word, I am anything but sure that I have not. 
 It strikes me that there should be no secrets 
 between us. I may be wrong ; but I incline, 
 nevertheless, to the belief that a wife absolutely 
 ought to know all that pertains to her husband." 
 
 " But even assuming that she ought, would 
 it be wise, would it be kind on the part of a 
 man to suffer his wife to be annoyed by the 
 knowledge of every difficulty he has to en- 
 couiiter ?'*
 
 STANLEY THORN. 139 
 
 " He frequently, I apprehend, annoys her 
 far more by withholding that knowledge. When 
 we see you depressed, — and that we can see, 
 my love, in an instant, however much you may 
 endeavour to conceal it, — the conjectures 
 which arise, in most cases, create far more pain 
 than would be induced by an actual knowledge 
 of the facts. When you good creatures keep 
 us thus in darkness, that we may not be afflict- 
 ed by the troubles you endure, you little think 
 that the kind generous object you have in view 
 is not thereby attained. We are troubled by 
 seeing that you are troubled -, the very fact of 
 your spirits being depressed, depresses ours ; 
 and although we endeavour to cheer you when 
 dull, the gaiety we assume is but assumed, dear 
 Stanley, and the assumption of itself costs 
 many a latent pang. But, come, let me pre- 
 vail upon you. What is the matter? It is 
 is true my reputation for ingenuity is not yet 
 established, but a thousand things might be 
 suggested even by me. Stanley, is there any- 
 thing papa can do for you ? If there be, let 
 me know, there^s a dear / Nothing could de-
 
 140 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 light him more than to have it in his power to 
 render you assistance. It would give him, be- 
 lieve me, the purest joy a man can experience. 
 Tell me, dear — do pray tell me if he can in any 
 way aid you. You know not how he would 
 rejoice in the opportunity ; indeed you do not ; 
 but be sure that he would serve you with all 
 his soul. Let me name it to him, dear. What 
 is it ? Do tell me.'' 
 
 " Amelia," said Stanley, regarding her in- 
 tently, " let us change the subject. Let it be 
 sufficient for you to know, that I have felt, 
 perhaps, far more annoyed than I ought to have 
 felt. The aiFair will soon be over, and you 
 will then find me as cheerful as ever ; but if 
 you do not wish to annoy me, and I cannot 
 think you do, you will not in any way allude to 
 it again.'* 
 
 Amelia's lips were thus sealed, and the sub- 
 ject therefore dropped.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 141 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 I 
 
 THE COUNTESS OF CLARENDALE'S SOIREE 
 MUSICALE. 
 
 Having explained to Captain Filcher pre- 
 cisely what she wanted, Mrs. Gills had the 
 heartfelt felicity to find that he was prepared 
 to meet her views to a hair. He was in fact, 
 as Stanley had intimated, the very man to carry 
 her conception fully out. He was in raptures with 
 it. Nothing could have delighted him more ; 
 and so heartily did he enter into the spirit of 
 the thing, and so promptly did he settle the 
 preliminaries, feeling well convinced that before 
 many days had expired the club would be 
 completely broken up, and the glorious oppor- 
 tunity thereby lost, that he got cards engraved 
 expressly for the occasion with the Earl's arms
 
 142 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 thereon emblazoned, and all his plans laid down 
 to absolute perfection, in a space of time al- 
 most incredible in point of shortness. 
 
 It became, however, essential to the due 
 execution of these plans that the Earl should 
 be temporarily absent ; and it hiappened most 
 conveniently that, having put down his share 
 of the bank, which was doomed to be the last, 
 and just as the Captain had arranged to get 
 him down to Newmarket, he announced his 
 intention of going to Brighton for a day or two, 
 ostensibly in order to pay a long-promised 
 visit. 
 
 For Brighton he therefore started, and no 
 sooner had he left than, the gallant Captain 
 issued the cards. He sent them to all the 
 Ministers, to all the peers and peeresses in 
 town, to all the ambassadors, to all the members 
 of the House of Commons without distinction, 
 to all the Judges and chief members of the 
 Bar and their ladies, to the principal literary 
 men of the day, to the Lord Mayor and the 
 whole Court of Aldermen ; in short, he pro- 
 ceeded in such an exemplary spirit, that no
 
 STANLEY THORN. 143 
 
 person of distinction in town could complain 
 of being slighted. 
 
 It was to be a soiree musicale ; and as such 
 was the case, he patronised the two most fa- 
 shionable bands, and engaged not only the chief 
 Italian singers, but all the native talent avail- 
 able. His views in that, as indeed in all other 
 respects, were extremely comprehensive ; in a 
 word, he was firmly determined to do the 
 whole thing on a scale of magnificence not to 
 be surpassed. 
 
 " Now, my dear madam," said he, having 
 settled this necessary part of the business to 
 the entire satisfaction of Mrs. Gills, " pray 
 \that do you intend to give them ?" 
 
 " Oh ! they shall have such a capital hot 
 supper,^^ replied the lady, *^ and just as much 
 wine, rum, brandy, and gin as they like to lay 
 into. There shall be no stint of nothing. And 
 then we'll have some punch ; the punch alley 
 Roman, I hear, is the nicest ; they shall have 
 some of that. And Fll tell you what jints I 
 mean to have. First, for instance, there shall 
 be a tremendious biled round of beef at the
 
 144 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 top, and another sirline at the bottom ; a large 
 plum-pudding in the middle, two saddles of 
 mutton near that, a line of pork, a fillet of veal 
 and ham, a turkey and sassages, lots of mince 
 pies, a goose and apple sarce, carrots, turnips, 
 taters, sparrowgrass, and every other delicacy 
 in season ; and if they can't manage to make 
 a decent supper off that, why, it will be a 
 strange thing to me/' 
 
 " It will be strange,^' observed the Captain. 
 ^^ I should say that they have not had such 
 a supper lately." 
 
 "Is there anything else besides that you 
 think we ought to have ? Because if there is, 
 you know, Captain, we'll have it." 
 
 " No i I am really unable to suggest any 
 thing else. Your arrangements appear to be 
 excellent. You must have enough porter.'^ 
 
 " Oh ! they shall have lots of that. But 
 what time do you think they'll be here ?" 
 
 Why, I should say that they'll begin to ar- 
 rive about nine." 
 
 " That will do nicely. Oh ! won't the 
 Earl be surprised ! But you'll excuse me, I
 
 STANLEY THORN. 145 
 
 know, for I've got a world of business in hand ; 
 but if you should think of anything more in 
 the mean time, please tell me.'' 
 
 The Captain promised faithfully to do so, 
 and Mrs Gills went about her business. 
 
 In less than an hour after that, however, 
 certain of the noble Earl's family called, and 
 on being informed that he was then out of 
 town, the Marchioness, being resolved to have 
 the matter explained, sent the card at once up 
 to the Countess. 
 
 On receiving this card, the Countess almost 
 fainted. " Oh, ma !" she cried, tremulously, 
 ^' I never can go down ; I should drop." 
 
 " Rubbish, my precious 1" exclaimed her 
 mamma. " Why, what have you to fear ? She 
 won't eat you. Besides, you're every bit as 
 good as her.'' 
 
 " Oh ! I saw her get out of her carriage. 
 The very look of her was enough. She's such 
 a lady !— oh !" 
 
 " Well, my love, and ain't you a lady ? And 
 can't you get out of your carridge? I'll go 
 down myself and see her." 
 
 VOL. III. H
 
 146 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " Do, ma, pray do/^ 
 
 " Oh ! if she thinks to come any of her 
 stuck-up fine ways over me, she'll find I can 
 give her as good as she sends. / ain't to be 
 frightened — don't think it/^ 
 
 Whereupon she adjusted her comprehensive 
 cap, which was richly embelHshed with roses 
 and lilies, and having completely satisfied her- 
 self that she could look fiercely if occasion 
 should demand a look of fierceness, she tossed 
 her head proudly, and descended. 
 
 " The Countess of Clarendale," observed 
 the Marchioness, who was certainly a most 
 majestic woman, '^ is the lady whom I am 
 anxious to see.'^ 
 
 " The Countess," returned Mrs. Gills, who 
 tried very laudably to look as tall as possible. 
 " The Countess is rather poorly ; but I am 
 her mother 1" 
 
 This announcement had the effect of almost 
 stunning the Marchioness, who drew back a 
 trifle, and looked at Mrs. Gills with the most 
 intense earnestness, while two of her sons, by 
 whom she was accompanied, . seemed ready to
 
 STANLEY THORN. 14? 
 
 burst into a roar, they enjoyed the thing so 
 highly. 
 
 " It is really very strange/' said the Marchio- 
 ness, on recovering herself somewhat, " that I 
 should not have even heard of my son's mar- 
 riage until this morning." 
 
 " Well, it is odd he didn't let you know.'^ 
 
 " At what church were they married ?" 
 
 " Oh ! it was done here by special licence 1" 
 
 " Indeed ! Can I not have the pleasure of 
 seeing the Countess ?" 
 
 " Oh, yes ; I'll go and fetch her ; but she's 
 such a timid thing, you don't know.'^ 
 
 " Well, this is a start ?' exclaimed one of 
 the sons, as Mrs. Gills quitted the room. 
 
 " He's not married 1^^ cried the other. " He^s 
 not such a fool.'^ 
 
 " I only hope to Heaven that he is not !" 
 exclaimed the Marchioness. " But you hear 
 what she says !^' 
 
 " Oh, I don't care what she says. Depend 
 upon it they are not married. But I long to 
 see what sort of creature she is. If she be 
 anything like her mamma, she's a beauty !'* 
 H 2
 
 148 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 While they were thus engaged Mrs. Gills 
 was endeavouring to prevail upon her precious 
 to *' come down, and make no bones at all 
 about the matter ;'^ but the Countess was still 
 extremely tremulous. 
 
 " Oh ! ma/' she cried, " I'm fit to faint." 
 « The ideor 1" exclaimed Mrs. Gills. " As 
 if you expected she'd gobble you up ! I never 
 see such a thing ! Pluck up your sperits, and 
 bemean yourself like a Countess, as you are.'' 
 " Oh ! but I feel so frightened, ma." 
 " What are you got to be frightened on ? 
 I'm shocked at you. Why ain't I frightened ? 
 A mere common paltry servant would have 
 more sperit. You don't look as if you be- 
 longed to the nobility at all!" 
 "But I can't help it, ma." 
 "Exorbitant ! — don't tell me ? You should 
 have a little more aristocracy about you ! 
 Come, come, my precious ; come, take them 
 there knots out of your hankecher, and come 
 down without any more affected ways." 
 " I can't, ma : no, indeed, I can't." 
 " You pervoke me ! I shall never make
 
 STANLEY THORN. 149 
 
 anything on you. What is she any more than 
 you are ? She's only a lady of title Uke your- 
 self! I never heered tell of such a thing ! I'm 
 ashamed of you, reely." 
 
 And having delivered herself to this effect 
 she again, with due boldness, descended alone. 
 
 " My daughter, the Countess, says as you 
 must excuse her,'' she observed as she hastily 
 re-entered the room. '^ She don't feel at all 
 the thing this morning. At any other time 
 you like to come, she'd be happy." 
 
 Well ! The Marchioness could do no more. 
 She could not insist upon seeing her, certainly, 
 although she much wished to arrive at the 
 truth, and therefore feeling it to be useless to 
 press the point then, she rose, and without 
 any unnecessary ceremony, left the house, in- 
 timating that she was not by any means 
 satisfied, and that she felt herself bound to see 
 into the matter further. 
 
 As the soiree had been fixed to come off on 
 the morrow, the Captain wrote to the Earl by 
 that night's post, to inform that his presence 
 in town at a certain hour was indispensable ;
 
 150 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 and, as he made it appear that his special 
 command had been prompted by something 
 connected with the speculation, that noble 
 person duly arrived, and found his partners 
 pretending— in order that there might appear 
 to be a sufficient excuse for the summons — to 
 be deeply engaged in a discussion having re- 
 ference to the propriety of continuing the 
 scheme. 
 
 Into this debate the noble Earl entered with 
 spirit, with the view of proving the advantages 
 which would as a matter of necessity spring 
 from the very fact of putting down ten thou- 
 sand pounds more ; and as it was then but 
 eight o'clock, the discussion was kept up with 
 warmth until nine, at which hour the company 
 began to arrive. 
 
 The professional people came first, and were 
 received by the Countess and her mamma with 
 unexampled condescension ; but as the rattling 
 of carriages continued, the Earl suddenly in- 
 quired if they knew what it meant ? 
 
 " Oh ! yes," repUed the Captain. '' The 
 Countess gives a soiree musicale !''
 
 STANLEY THORN. 151 
 
 '^ A soiree devil P* exclaimed the noble Earl : 
 and starting up in a rage, he rushed from the 
 room amidst loud peals of laughter. 
 
 ••' What is the meaning of this ?" he demanded 
 on reaching the brilliantly illumined salon, in 
 which the Countess and Mrs. Gills — dressed 
 in all conceivable colours, and further em- 
 belhshed, in order to look sweetly pretty, with 
 a greater variety of artificial flowers than ever 
 adorned the active person of a sweep on May- 
 day — were entertaining the professional people 
 with characteristic dignity and grace, — " what, 
 I ask, is the meaning of it all ?" 
 
 " My noble lord," replied the Countess. 
 " We are only going to have a little party P' 
 
 " A little party ! Are you mad ?" 
 
 " But it's the Countess's own party 1'^ inter- 
 posed Mrs. Gills. 
 
 " rU have no parties !" thundered forth the 
 Earl. " Why did you not let me know of it, 
 madam ?" 
 
 " We thought it would be an agreeable sur- 
 prise !*' 
 
 " Tom 1" cried the Earl, calling loudly to
 
 3 52 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 the porter. " Do you hear ? Lock that door ! 
 Open it to no one ! Not another soul shall 
 enter to-night. What persons are these }" he 
 added, turning to the Countess with a look 
 which made her tremble. 
 
 " They are the singers, my lord.^' 
 
 " Dismiss them ! I'll not have them here : 
 they're not wanted." 
 
 Whereupon he returned to his associates^ 
 who were all extremely merry, and demanded 
 of them why they had not informed him of 
 the issue of the cards for this soiree musicale ? 
 
 '' We thought it by far too good a joke,'^ 
 was the reply. 
 
 " A joke '/' exclaimed the Earl. " It may 
 be a joke to you, gentlemen ; but look at the 
 position in which it places me! Tom !'' 
 he added, calling again to the porter as the 
 knocking at the door became tremendous. 
 '' Never mind their knocking ! If you let an- 
 other creature in, I'll strangle you. Are those 
 people gone ?" 
 
 " No, my lord." 
 
 " Turn them out ? Why do they remain ?"
 
 Qy'r>/?/>T_- '~<i.^j^jt^ 
 
 ^//■c///>fA^yy^/u/.4y U^^-n
 
 STANLEY THORN. 153 
 
 The reason soon appeared. They had re- 
 solved not to leave the house without being 
 paid ; and no sooner was the Earl informed of 
 this than he rushed fiercely up to them again^ 
 with a forcible ejectment in view. 
 
 " 1^11 hear nothing of your demands,'^ said 
 he, *^ to-night. I insist upon your leaving 
 instantly. If you remain another moment you 
 will draw upon yourselves consequences which 
 may not be pleasing.^' 
 
 Several of the professional gentlemen here 
 endeavoured to reason with him on the subject, 
 but he would not hear a word, and exhibited 
 such excessive violence that they eventually 
 deemed it expedient to depart. 
 
 He saw them out, while Tom kept on guard, 
 and then closed the door upon them himself. 
 But the knocking still continued, for the street 
 was full of carriages, and the ^^ hole neighbour- 
 hood seemed to be in a state of commotion. 
 
 " Wrench off that knocker," he cried, " and 
 then write upon the door.^^ 
 
 " What, my lord }" 
 
 H 3
 
 154 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " Gone to the devil ! — to let ! — anything ! — 
 run' away ! — no matter what !" 
 
 Tom mixed up some whitening with great 
 expedition, and while the enraged Earl himself 
 kept guard, he wrenched off the knocker, and 
 marked upon the door in legible characters, 
 "To LET. Gone away.'' 
 
 " Now," said the Earl, " let them thunder 
 if they can. Snap that bell-wire ! — snap it at 
 once ! I charge you, Tom, not to let another 
 soul in to-night." And having given this 
 charge with violent emphasis, he quitted the 
 house, leaving the Countess and her mamma 
 sobbing over each other like children, while 
 the Captain and his band were enjoying them- 
 selves highly, and making a soiree musicale 
 of it, occasionally looking out upon the long 
 line of carriages which continued to arrive and 
 to depart with their loads until past one o'clock 
 in the morning.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 155 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 THE COUNTESS OF CLARENDALE RECEIVES ANOTHER 
 LESSON. 
 
 The Earl did not return to the Countess 
 that night : but on the following day about 
 noon he went to the door of the ^' European," 
 at which he thundered as well as he could, — 
 the knocker being off, and the bell- wire broken 
 — until he became so enraged, that he 
 sent his stick clean through the drawing-room 
 window. 
 
 The Countess and her mamma were in the 
 drawing-room at the time, and were dreadfully 
 alarmed by the crash ; but they knew the EarFs 
 stick in an instant; and while Mrs. Gills 
 rushed in a fright to the window, the Countess 
 mechanically flew to the door.
 
 156 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " You have kept me here long enough, I 
 hope/^ said the Earl, glancing fiercely at the 
 Countess, as he passed her. " Are you 
 deaf?'^ 
 
 The Countess, being too much alarmed then 
 to speak, tremblingly followed her noble lord 
 in silence. 
 
 " Weli,'^ said he, on entering the drawing- 
 room, and throwing himself carelessly upon a 
 couch, " a pretty mess you have got me into ! 
 — don't you think you have ?'' 
 
 *^ Fm sorry we've offended you, my lord," 
 replied the Countess, 
 
 " For my part," observed her mamma, who 
 had by this time recovered all her faculties, 
 " I don't see much to be sorry about ! 
 Other Countesses has jollifications, and why 
 shouldn't you r" 
 
 " Jollifications !" echoed the noble Earl, sar- 
 castically. *' Fll have no jollifications. Look 
 at the position in which you have placed me 
 by making fools of all those people.'' 
 
 " Well, you know, my lord, you know that 
 was all your own fault, and nobody else's !
 
 STANLEY THORN. 15/ 
 
 Why disapp'int the company ? Why didn^t 
 you let "em come in ? I am sure there was 
 everything nice pervided. It warn't as though 
 we^d only a leg of mutton and trimmings 1" 
 
 " Don't talk to me about legs of mutton 
 and trimmings ! Leave the room — both of 
 you. I want to be here alone.'' 
 
 " Please don't be angry, my lord/' said the 
 Countess. " Indeed, we'll not do so again.'' 
 
 " No, I don't expect you will. I'll take care 
 you do not." 
 
 " Upon my word and honour, my lord, I 
 didn't know that we were doing any harm." 
 
 " Did I not tell you that I wished to be 
 alone? Don't stand there chattering — be ofFT 
 The Countess as she left the room wept ; 
 but her mamma, whose bosom swelled with 
 indignation, looked at him, as she followed, 
 with an expression of contempt the most 
 supreme, and, in order to convey to him an 
 additional idea of what she felt, she slammed 
 the door after her as if she meant to spht it. 
 
 " He's a brute!— an exorbitant monster 1" 
 she exclaimed, on entering the chamber to
 
 158 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 which the Countess had retired. " But it 
 serves you justly right for not having more 
 sperit. 1 don't know who you take after, that's 
 the real truth. You don't take after me ! Do 
 you 'magine if he was a husband of mine I'd 
 put up with it ? No : I'd see him blessed first ! 
 I wouldn't take it from the best man that ever 
 stepped in shoe-leather. I told you how it 
 would be. I told you from the first how he'd 
 serve you, if you didn't stand up for your 
 rights. I've no patience with you, I haven't. 
 You pervoke me to such a degree, I don't 
 know how to contain myself." 
 
 " What am I to do, ma ? — what can I do ?'' 
 
 " What can you do ? Why, up and tell him 
 at once what you mean. Fly into a passion. 
 Theideor ! I only just wish he was a husband 
 of mine, I'd let him know what's what, I'll 
 w'arrant. Do you think that Pd fret, and 
 stew, and go on so ? No ! nor tjou don't 
 ought to do it." 
 
 " But how can I help it, ma ?" 
 
 " How can you help it ? Don't tell mei 
 Presume a proper dignity and sperit. He'll
 
 STANLEY THORN. 159 
 
 tread upon you as if you was dirt, as they all 
 will^ if you let ^em ; but you don't ought to 
 suffer him to do it. And then the ideor ! — did 
 you ever in all your born days hear tell of such 
 a thing as a husband being out all the whole 
 blessed night, without even so much as men- 
 tioning on it ! A pretty thing, indeed ! — as if 
 you had no right to know where he had been ! 
 — as if you didn't ought to insist upon knowing 
 where he'd been ! Do you think Fd let him 
 have a minute's peace till he told me ? How do 
 you know where he was ? And not a word 
 of exclamation ! — the ideor ! But I see how it 
 is : he don't think that we're good enough for 
 him ; but Fd have him to know that your're 
 as good as him any hour in the day, if he comes 
 to that. Aint you a Countess ? and aint you 
 consequentially bound to act as Countesses 
 does ? What does he mean ? A very pretty 
 thing ! There ! if I was you, Fll tell you what 
 I'd go and do at once. I'd go to him, and I'd 
 say, ^ Now, I tell you what it is, — I'm not 
 going to stand it, and so you needn't think it^ 
 and that's all about it. I'm 'solved to stand
 
 160 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 up for my dignity as a Countess ; and if I 
 can't live peaceable with you, Fll have a 
 separate maintainance, and do what I like.' 
 That's the way to bring him to his senses, my 
 precious ! Whenever a woman talks about a 
 separate maintainance, a man thinks she's in 
 earnest, and draws in his horns. It's the only 
 way, to up and tell 'em what you mean at once. 
 Now, you take my advice 3 you go down and 
 look fierce, and tell him bold you won't 
 have it.'' 
 
 " What, now, ma ? 
 
 '' Yes, now. Make hay while the sun shines 
 — strike while the iron is hot." 
 
 ^^ I'm a good mind, but " 
 
 " Do it ! Men is cowards when a woman's 
 blood's up. If you cringe to 'em, they 
 trample upon you ; but if you presume a proper 
 dignity, they'll come down to you. Therefore 
 do it, and make no bones about the matter." 
 
 " But I'm afeared, ma." 
 
 " Afeared ! Don't tell me about being 
 afeared. What have you to be afeared on ? 
 Give it him at once. Make believe to be in
 
 STANLEY THORN* 161 
 
 a tremendious passion. Speak loud, my 
 precious : there's nothing like that : they^re 
 sure to get over them as doesn't speak loud. 
 When you speak loud, men is quite safe to 
 speak soft; in fact, they seems then to be 
 almost afeared to speak at all. Throughout 
 life, my love, there's nothing like giving it to 
 'em loud." 
 
 '^ But what am I to say, ma,'^ whined the 
 Countess. 
 
 ^^ What are you to say !" echoed her anxious 
 mamma, in despair. " Why, aint I told you 
 what to say ? Give it to him well. Tell him 
 you won't have it at no price, and so he need'nt 
 think it. As true as I'm alive, there aint a bit 
 of the Countess in you.'' 
 
 " Well, ma, I can't help it." 
 
 " Can't help it ! Rubbish ! I've no pa- 
 tience with such ways. Don't tell me you 
 can't help it !— it's enough to make one sick to 
 see so much affectation. Go to him at once, 
 and tell him flat that you're 'solved to stick up 
 for your rights." 
 
 " Well, ma, I ivill go," said the Countess. 
 " I'm determined I will. I'll tell him it's un-
 
 162 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 bearable, I will; and he needn't think I'm going 
 to put up with it/^ 
 
 " Do, my precious. Be a woman of sperit. Its 
 the only way in the world to get over the men. 
 And don^t forget the separate maintainance.^' 
 
 '^ I won't, ma. I'll tell him plump ; see if I 
 don't." 
 
 ^^ That's right, my darling, give it him home ! 
 And don't forget to give him an 'int about stop- 
 ping out all the blessed night, neither. Hit 
 him hard upon that p'int; and if you don't 
 frighten him out of his wits, it'll be very strange 
 to me. Therefore don't forget that.'' 
 
 '^ I won't ma. I'll tell him he treats me 
 very cruel, and that I don't care a single bit 
 about him." 
 
 " And very proper neither. I shall make a 
 woman of dignity of you yet." 
 
 Thus encouraged, the Countess boldly de- 
 scended ; but on entering the drawing-room in 
 which the Earl sat, she was seized with so 
 violent a palpitation of the heart, that she was 
 perfectly unable to give utterance to a word. 
 
 " Well 1" said the Earl, frowning ferociously 
 at her, " what do you want hsre ?"
 
 STANLEY THORN. 163 
 
 The Countess tried to say that she felt that 
 she was treated very cruelly; but as she 
 could'nt, she burst into tears and left the room. 
 
 " Why, what^s the matter now ?" cried her 
 mamma, on her return. " Has the monster been 
 at it again ? What does he say for himself ?^' 
 
 " He asked me what I wanted there/' re- 
 plied the Countess, sobbing bitterly — " what I 
 wanted there \" 
 
 " Well, I never ! And did'nt you up and 
 tell him r' 
 
 '' I — could'nt — speak : — he looked — as if — 
 he'd eat — me!" 
 
 " And what if he did ? Why did't you look 
 as if you'd eat him, and then go ding dong at 
 it with dignity ? But I'll soon settle this — 
 I'll soon let him know a piece of my mind, I'll 
 warrant. He don't quite so easily, get over 
 mel" 
 
 " Oh 1 pray, ma, don't go : he looks, oh ! 
 so fierce 1" 
 
 "Fierce! — the ideor! Do you think I'm 
 afeared of a man ! The ridiculousness of it 
 pervokes me 1"
 
 164 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 Whereupon she bounced out of the chamber, 
 and the next moment stood before the Earl. 
 
 " Now, I tell you what it is now, plump, my 
 Lord,'^ she observed, with a dignified air ; " if 
 this here's the way you're a-going to treat the 
 Countess, my daughter, it won't do, my Lord, 
 I can tell you : we aint a-going to stand it !" 
 
 " Am I to be under the necessity of turning 
 you out of the house, Mrs. Gills ?" said the 
 Earl, with perfect calmness. 
 
 " Turn me out of the house! Well, Pm 
 sure !'' 
 
 " You will compel me to do so, if you do not 
 conduct yourself with greater propriety." 
 
 " Fd have you to know that I'm not to be 
 ^timidated, my Lord. Where the Countess, 
 my daughter is, there will I be.'' 
 
 " You had better be silent. I believe that I 
 contracted no marriage with you." 
 
 " No ,• I only just wish that you had !" 
 
 " Heaven forbid !" exclaimed the Earl. 
 
 " You'd have had a very different person to 
 deal with, I can tell you." 
 
 " I know it. I do not require to be told."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 165 
 
 " /wouldn't have put up with one twentieth 
 part of the treatment that she has put up with, 
 poor thing/' 
 
 " It is of no importance to me, Mrs Gills, 
 what proportion you would have put up with/' 
 
 " But is it proper treatment ? Let me ask 
 you that/' 
 
 " Will you do me the favour to leave the 
 room, Mrs. Gills }" 
 
 " If she ain't treated better, she shall sue for 
 a separate maintainance/' 
 
 " Leave the room, madam !" cried the Earl, 
 starting up, and pointing fiercely to the door. 
 " If I hear another word, I'll have you in- 
 stantly turned out of the house !'' 
 
 At this particular moment, it struck Mrs. 
 Gills with great force, that, as she was not the 
 absolute mistress of that house, he had the 
 power to carry his threat into execution ; and 
 as she felt it to be, therefore, inexpedient to 
 provoke the tyrannical exercise of that power, 
 she most reluctantly held her peace, and left 
 the room, as she subsequently expressed it, " fit 
 to bust."
 
 166 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " Well, ma" cried the Countess, who was 
 naturally anxious to know the result, '* how did 
 you get. on ? What on earth did he say V 
 
 " He^s a brute ! I'm putrified, my precious 1 
 I never in all my days heared of such a mon- 
 ster ! Would you believe it ?— why, he threat- 
 ened to turn me out of the house, he did ! — 
 actually neck and crop out of the house !" 
 
 " Lor, ma ! you don't say so !*' 
 
 " It's a fact ! But I'd have him to know 
 that I'm as good as him, if he comes to that, 
 and ain't a-going to tolerate such ways with im- 
 punity." 
 
 ^' But how did it come about, ma ?" 
 
 " I'll tell you — but I feel so wild, I scarce 
 know how to contain myself. Turn me out of 
 the house, indeed ! — a very fine ideor! 'In 
 the first place,' says I, ' my Lord, this is all 
 about it : the Countess, my daughter,' says I, 
 ' aint a-going to stand any more of your non- 
 sense, and so,' says I, ' you needn't try it on.' '* 
 '' Lor, ma ! reely you shouldn't have said that." 
 
 ^' Oh ! there's nothing like giving 'em as 
 good as they send. I aint lived all these years
 
 STANLEY THORN. 167 
 
 without knowing what Pm about. Howsever, 
 says he, ' What do you mean,' says he. ^ What 
 do I mean ? ' says I, ' I'll tell you what I mean : 
 I mean what I say/ says I, neither better nor 
 worse. ^ Am I to kick you head first out of 
 the house ?' says he. ^ Kick me out of the 
 house !' says I, ^ How many on you ? I 
 should only like to see you,' says I, ^ a-kicking 
 me out of the house. I'd cure you of kicking 
 for the rest of your days,' says I." 
 
 " Lor ! you didn't ought to have gone on so.'* 
 " Oh ! don't tell me. It showed him, at any 
 rate, I wasn't afeared. ^ Kick me out,^ says I, 
 ' will you ? You 're a nice man, I don't think, 
 to talk about kicking.' ' I '11 do it,' says he, ^ if 
 you don't hold your noise.' ^ You will,' says I, 
 ' will you ? Do it — at your perel !' ' I didn't 
 marry you,' says he. ' No,' says I ; ^ I only 
 just wish,' says I, 'for your sake, you had. 
 I '11 warrant,' says I, ' I 'd let you a-knowed 
 the difference !' So with that we went right 
 at it, hammer and tongs. But I soon cowed 
 him down — I soon gave him to know that / 
 warn't to be frightened."
 
 168 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " Oh dear ! I 'm very sorry you said any- 
 thing to him." 
 
 " Oh ! rubbish about being sorry. There's 
 nothing like telhng 'em plump what you mean. 
 Is he to treat you in this here scandalous way 
 without having a syllable said to him ? His 
 lawful wife too, and a Countess ! You ought 
 to go in. / don't ought to do it. You ought 
 to up and tell him right flat you won't have it, 
 and let him talk about turning you out, if he 
 dare. A pretty thing, indeed ! Why, what 
 did you marry him for ?" 
 
 " I wish I never married him at all, ma, that 
 I do. Pm very unhappy." 
 
 " And likely to remain unhappy, too, unless 
 you show a proper sperit. Do you think, if I 
 was a Countess, I wouldn't act different ? I M 
 give him to know I 'd do just what I liked, and 
 give just what jollifications I liked. Does 
 he imagine that you're to be moped up 
 here without displaying no dignity ? Does 
 he suppose that you're to have no company, 
 no parties, no frolics ? Why, had you married 
 a common tradesman, you 'd been better off.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 169 
 
 Stick up for your rights, my precious, and 
 don't be imposed upon by no])ody. That's the 
 only way. It 's out of all character that you 
 should be muddled up here, and have no sort 
 of pleasure, no sort of society, nor nothing of 
 that. It 's enough to drive any woman stark 
 staring mad ! What 's the good of being a 
 Countess, if you don't do as countesses does ? 
 What's the good of having a title, if you 
 don't keep up your dignity ? That 's my sen- 
 timents. It astonishes my intellects to see you 
 submit to be treated like the common scum of 
 the earth. It 's incredulous to me that you 
 should suffer yourself to be put upon like 
 that. Why, if I was you, I M turn the house 
 out of the windows. / 'd see who was misses, 
 I '11 warrant. And depend upon it, that's the 
 only way. You haven't half enough of sperit, 
 you don't ought to let him keep you thus 
 under his thumb. If you do it now, what '11 
 it be by and by ? That 's the point : that ^s 
 what you ought to consider. I never in all 
 my days beared of such a thing as a Countess 
 being treated like you. Where 's your pride ? 
 
 VOL. III. I
 
 170 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 You don't seem to have got a mite in you. I 
 don't understand it. It gets over me altogether. 
 I Ve no patience with you : I haven't, as true 
 as I 'm alive !" 
 
 While the Countess was being thus lectured 
 by her mamma, who was earnestly anxious 
 to inspire her soul with due dignity, the 
 Earl and Captain Filcher — of whose arrival 
 the ladies knew nothing — were dividing the 
 profits of their late speculation, and arrang- 
 ing the preliminaries of a certain transfer, 
 the character of which will be duly explained 
 anon.
 
 STANLEY THORN. l?! 
 
 CHAPTER XI. 
 
 Stanley's pecuniary embarrassments 
 commence. 
 
 The two thousand pounds for which Stanley 
 had mortgaged his estate being lost, his actual 
 income was reduced to something less than 
 two hundred a-year ; and as he continued to 
 live at the rate of a thousand, he soon of 
 course found himself embarrassed. 
 
 Still the tradesmen whom he patronised did 
 not for some time annoy him : they believed 
 him to be rich, and were therefore with infinite 
 pleasure prepared to give him credit to any 
 amount, notwithstanding their regular bills 
 were unpaid. 
 
 This did not, however, last long. In less than 
 two months they began to be importunate. 
 One had a very heavy bill to take up on a certain 
 
 I 2
 
 1/2 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 day; another happened at the time to be dread- 
 fully pressed ; a third remembered by a miracle 
 that his commodities bore only a ready-money 
 profit ; a fourth became suddenly so circum- 
 stanced, that he every day expected a man to be 
 put in possession ; while a fifth had decidedly 
 a couple of executions in his house at that par- 
 ticular crisis ; and thus they went on, invent- 
 ing fresh falsehoods daily, and making it appear 
 that they were then in such terrible trouble, 
 that their commercial salvation depended upon 
 Stanley, inasmuch as that, unless these identi- 
 cal " little bills" were immediately settled, tlie 
 Gazette would be the inevitable portion of them 
 all. 
 
 To Stanley these annoyances were galling in 
 the extreme. He felt deeply humiliated. His 
 inability to pay sums so paltry mortified him 
 more than if the total had been twenty times 
 doubled in one amount. The thing was al- 
 together new to him. He knew not how to 
 act. Had he been, as many thousands are, ac- 
 customed to these petty perplexities, the neces- 
 sity for either bearing up against them, or
 
 STANLEY THORN. l/S 
 
 exerting himself with the view of getting rid 
 of them at once, would have appeared to be 
 absolute ; but as he had never been in any way 
 pressed before, his spirit seemed broken, and 
 he became irresolute and inactive. 
 
 Poor Amelia — from whom the widow's em- 
 barrassments had been so effectually concealed, 
 that she knew only that the carriage had been 
 dispensed with^ — could not understand this 
 altered state of things at all. At that period 
 she had had no money from Stanley for a 
 month 5 but having taken care of a small sum 
 she possessed at the time of her marriage, she 
 had been able to pay for those articles for 
 which immediate payment was required, while 
 perceiving how much the importunities of those 
 tradesmen who had given them credit annoyed 
 him, she endeavoured, as much as possible, to 
 withhold from him all knowledge of the abrupt 
 and threatening manner in which they made 
 their demands. When, however, the whole of 
 her money had been expended, and the credi- 
 tors, who had previously displayed the most 
 cringing servility, had become not only cla-
 
 174 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 morous but insolent, she felt it to be her 
 duty to mention the subject to him that she 
 might know the real cause of their not being 
 paid. 
 
 " Stanley," she observed, taking advantage 
 of a moment in which he appeared to be some- 
 what more tranquil than usual, " those persons 
 are beginning to get very impatient." 
 
 " What persons ?" demanded Stanley. 
 
 " Those tradesmen, dear, who have sent in 
 their bills. They called again this morn- 
 ing." 
 
 " Let them call. They must wait." 
 
 ^' But they say that they will not wait, my 
 love !" 
 
 " But I say they must / What do they 
 mean ? Are they afraid of losing their 
 money ?" 
 
 " Why, it would seem that they were, for 
 the tone they have assumed of late is really very 
 harsh and insulting.'^ 
 
 " Insulting 1" echoed Stanley. " Fll kick 
 them to the devil !" 
 
 " Do not be rash, dear Stanley. They are
 
 STANLEY THORN. 175 
 
 perhaps, very poor. But why do you not pay 
 them at once ?'' 
 
 " They shall wait now for their insolence." 
 
 " But were it not better, dear, to settle 
 their accounts, and then to show them that you 
 are displeased with their want of confidence in 
 you by dealing with them no more ?" 
 
 " I shall do so when I find it quite conve- 
 nient ; but certainly not until then.'^ 
 
 " But the fact of its being at present incon- 
 venient is a matter of the slightest possible 
 importance ! I can easily get sufficient money 
 to pay them 1" 
 
 "Of whom?'' 
 
 " Oh ! I can get it of mamma 1" 
 
 " Have you ever,'' demanded Stanley regard- 
 ing her with sternness, — "have you ever 
 named the subject to her ?^^ 
 
 " Never, Stanley ! No dear, never 1" re- 
 plied Amelia; "I would not do so for the 
 world, my love, without your permission." 
 
 " Very well. In that quarter never let it be 
 named."
 
 I'JG STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " But what possible objection can you have, 
 clear. I really can see none myself.'^ 
 
 " I have an objection — a very great objec- 
 tion ; one which is perfectly insurmount- 
 able." 
 
 " Of course, my love, you are the best 
 judge ; but do you know, my impression is, that 
 you are far too delicate, Stanley !'* 
 
 " I would not have it known that I am short 
 down at Richmond, for ten thousand pounds P' 
 
 " Oh ! you proud creature V^ exclaimed 
 Amelia, with a smile» '^And yet are you 
 proud, Stanley ? Let me bring you to the 
 test, that we may see if that really be pride 
 which looks so very much like it. Stanley V' she 
 continued, with much earnestness, " the ser- 
 vants — our servants ! It cannot be kept from 
 them.'' 
 
 " 111 discharge the first that dares to hold 
 the slightest communication with these peo- 
 ple.'^ 
 
 " It cannot be prevented, my love. They 
 will talk : they will canvass matters of this
 
 STANLEY THORN. l77 
 
 description; they will form their own con- 
 jectures; they will swell the lightest word into 
 an affair of vast importance. Believe me, I 
 tremble whenever I hear a single knock at the 
 door, — I do indeed, my dear, and would answer 
 all such knocks myself, were it not for very 
 shame/' 
 
 " I wish to heaven you would not trouble 
 yourself about such things at all/^ 
 
 " I cannot help it : indeed I cannot help it. 
 Did you but know what I suffer, when I hear 
 those persons in the hall asking the servants 
 the most impertinent questions, and leaving 
 messages of the most insolent and menacing 
 character, you would pity me.'^ 
 
 " Why did you not tell me of all this 
 before ?'* 
 
 "Because I well knew, my love, that it 
 would vex you ; and as I fully expected that 
 you would very soon be able to meet their de- 
 mands, T have concealed it from you, hoping 
 that the annoyance would cease without caus- 
 ing you any additional mortification. But, be 
 assured, dear Stanley, that I do not speak thus 
 
 i3
 
 178 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 for myself. Although it afflicts me deeply to hear 
 you spoken of by those persons in terms so 
 unwarrantable and harsh, I am not anxious for 
 the immediate discharge of these debts merely 
 as a matter of comfort as far as I am concerned ; 
 my chief object in bringing the subject for- 
 ward, is to put it to you whether it would not 
 be in every point of view far better to allow 
 me to get — say to borrow — a certain sum of 
 money of mamma, than to promote the circu- 
 lation of those rumours which absolutely strike 
 at the purity of your motives ?" 
 
 " Oh, let them circulate what rumours they 
 please ! they cannot injure me." 
 
 " But, Stanley dear, would it not be better to 
 allow me to do at once that which I propose, 
 than to suffer your importance to be diminished, 
 not only in the estimation of those tradesmen, 
 but also in the eyes of our servants ? Consider, 
 my love. What if mamma should know that 
 you are at present somewhat pressed ? Nay, if 
 even my father were informed of the fact, of 
 what possible consequence could it be ? But 
 he need not know anything about it.'^ 
 
 " It shall not be known to either."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 179 
 
 " Well, then,'^ continued Amelia, " let me 
 suggest another course. But you will not be 
 angry with me ? Promise that you will not be 
 angry if I offer another suggestion ?^' 
 " Well, I do promise : what is it }'' 
 " Have you not heard, dear, of persons — 
 persons, too, moving in high society, who, 
 whenever they need temporary loans, can obtain 
 them by depositing articles of value as security 
 for repayment ?" 
 
 " I have," replied Stanley. 
 ^' Well, dear, then why cannot we do the 
 same ? Those jewels of mine (you know 1 very 
 seldom wear them) ; I have no idea how much 
 they cost, but I should say they are worth five 
 times the sum we require to pay all these tire- 
 some people. Why not deposit them ?'' 
 
 " You are a good girV' said Stanley : " but 
 there will be no necessity for anything of the 
 kind." 
 
 " Take them, dear Stanley V continued 
 Amelia. "Do let me prevail upon you to take 
 them ; or tell me where to go, and I will take 
 them myself. I should not be ashamed, dear ;
 
 180 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 indeed I should not be ashamed !" But as she 
 spoke, the tears trickled down her beautiful 
 cheeks ; which, however, she tried to con- 
 ceal. 
 
 "Oh, that will not be required," repHed 
 Stanley. 
 
 ^* But Lady Dashwell always went herself. 
 She took hers to a goldsmith in Oxford Street, 
 I have heard. Come, dear, let me take mine, 
 and then all these annoyances will be at an 
 end." 
 
 " Why, Amelia, I am not a beggar ! I ^11 
 go and get the money of my mother at once. 
 I can do so; but the necessity for it never 
 before appeared to be so pressing.^' 
 
 " Then you forgive me, dear Stanley V^ 
 
 " Forgive you !" 
 
 He embraced her, and left her comparatively 
 happy. She did not expect that he would have 
 been so calm, although it was manifest, even to 
 her, that his naturally impetuous spirit was 
 being by some process gradually subdued. 
 
 On reaching the widow's residence, Stanley 
 found her sitting in solitude at the drawing-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 181 
 
 room window, envying the owner of every 
 carriage that passed, and conceiving it to be 
 by far the greatest luxury under heaven. She 
 had no carriage ; and the thought of this formed 
 her chief affliction. She felt that she could 
 with fortitude have endured the loss of any- 
 thing but that ; which was certainly nothing but 
 natural, seeing that the things which we have 
 will appear very poor when compared with the 
 things we have not. 
 
 " Mother/^ said Stanley as he took a seat 
 beside her, " have you any money at your 
 banker's ?" 
 
 This question amazed the widow much. The 
 tone was so excessively novel. It had thereto- 
 fore been invariably, '^ Mother ! I want some 
 money, and must have it ; and if you haven^t 
 got it, you must get it ?' Her amazement may 
 hence be understood. 
 
 ^* Why, my love,^^ she replied, on recover- 
 ing herself somewhat, '^ I have a little.^^ 
 
 '*■ I wish you M lend me some for a short 
 time,^^ said Stanley. *^ You shall have it 
 again. '^
 
 182 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " Certainly, my dear. How much do you 
 want ?" 
 
 " How much can you spare ?'' 
 
 " Why, I scarcely know, my love. Will 
 twenty or thirty pounds be enough V' 
 
 " I wish you could let me have a hundred.'^ 
 
 " A hundred pounds, my dear, is a large 
 sum to me now ?' 
 
 " I know it, mother : I know it. You need 
 not remind me of that. The question is, can 
 you let me have it ? I am pestered to death by 
 a parcel of petty people, whom I am anxious to 
 
 pay." 
 
 " Well — well, you shall have it. But be 
 cautious, my Stanley, — for Heaven's sake be 
 cautious, there 's a dear ! I dare say, my love, 
 that you do the best you can ; and I know it to 
 be very distressing to retrench ; but the neces- 
 sity for living within your income, limited as 
 it is, dear, must not be overlooked.'^ 
 
 " I know, mother — I know all about it. 
 Just give me a cheque.'^ 
 
 " I have been thinking, dear," continued 
 the widow, as she very slowly opened her desk.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 183 
 
 " I have been thinking — and it 's strange that 
 it never struck me till this morning — that if we 
 were to live together, dear, in one house, you 
 know, so that we should have to support but 
 one establishment, we should be able to live in 
 better style, besides being " 
 
 " Yes — yes," interposed Stanley, with im- 
 patience. " We '11 talk about that another 
 time. I'll see about it. Let me have the 
 cheque. 
 
 The cheque was accordingly drawn, and 
 when he had taken leave hastily, although with 
 somewhat more affection than usual, he pro- 
 ceeded to the banker's without delay.
 
 184 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 CHAPTER XII. 
 
 IN WHICH THE VENERABLE GENTLEMAN APPEARS 
 JUST ON THE VERGE. 
 
 As Amelia had conjectured, the constant 
 applications of the tradesmen for the settle- 
 ment of their accounts formed the principal 
 topic of conversation among the servants. 
 They felt perfectly sure that the establishment 
 was about to be broken up ; and as the gentle 
 Joanna conceived it to be her duty to relate all 
 the particulars to her venerable friend, the day 
 was named for the consummation of their bliss 
 exactly three hours after Stanley had made the 
 heart of poor Amelia glad by placing the entire 
 hundred pounds in her hand to be appropriated 
 to the purposes for which it was obtained. 
 
 It may also be stated as a remarkable coin- 
 cidence, that Bob — whose spirits were governed 
 by Ameha as absolutely as the thermometer is
 
 STANLEY THORN. 185 
 
 governed by the air, was on that very evening 
 unusually gay. He had been to the banker's 
 with his master ; he had seen his mistress on 
 his return ; he had seen her twice, and vrell 
 knew, by the joyful expression of her counte- 
 nance, that a favourable change had taken 
 place. 
 
 When, therefore, he entered the kitchen in 
 which the blooming Joanna and her venerable 
 friend were sitting t^te-a-t^te with very great 
 affection, he exclaimed in the joy of his heart, 
 '^ Now I don't care a dump ! It 's all right ! 
 I know it is by missis ! Blest if I mind stand- 
 ing a couple of pots of arf and-arf !" 
 
 ^' Vot ! 'ave you got yer vages ?^' inquired the 
 venerable gentleman. 
 
 " No ; but I shall get 'em, safe. But that 
 ain't what I look at. I warn't even thinking of 
 them. I know it 's all right now v/ith master ; 
 that 's all I care for. I know it by missises 
 looks. I '11 bet ten to one on it, brandies and 
 waters. She can't deceive me." 
 
 " Looks is werry deceptive,'^ observed the 
 venerable gentleman. '^ It ^s a werry old
 
 186 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 sayin', and a true un, that you mustn't take 
 people by their looks." 
 
 ^^ Oh, but missis is one which can't be mis- 
 taken. Let me look in her face, and I know 
 what 's o'clock. I can tell in an instant. 
 There ain't a ha'p'orth of any mistake about 
 her J' 
 
 " But ain't you got nothink else in this case 
 to go by ?" 
 
 " Yes ; but that, and nothing else, would be 
 plenty for me. But there is something else. 
 We went out about four o'clock all in a hurry, 
 and drove to old missis's house. Well, master 
 went in with his tail very low — I never see a 
 man much more downer in the mouth ; but he 
 hadn't been there long before he came out, and 
 pelted right down to the banker's. Well, I 
 knew there was something rayther extra in the 
 wind, so I watched him ; and when he came 
 out, pYaps he warn't a little altered ! I never 
 see such a change in a man in my life ! Well, 
 he got in, and cut back ; and when he pulled 
 up at the door missis was on the quivy^ as the 
 French says, at the wmdow ; and the minit she
 
 STANLEY THORN. 18? 
 
 see him I knew how it was. I could tell, I'd 
 oath it. And when I went up just now, the 
 whole thing was as clear to me as chrystial." 
 
 " Well, I only hope your words may come 
 true," said Joanna. 
 
 "I'm right for a miUion. I'll lay any odds. 
 It's the Monument to a molehill.^' 
 
 " I knowed a young ooman," observed the 
 venerable gentleman, assuming that profoundly 
 philosophical expression which he invariably 
 wore when about to illustrate any particular 
 point by analogy, — " I knowed a young ooman 
 — and a werry nice young ooman she vos — vich 
 vos in a decline. Werry well. For a matter 
 of more than three 'ear she vos a-goin', and a- 
 goin', and a-goin' gradual ', but she never for 
 all that beheved she vos a-goin', although she 
 vos terrible thin, and looked as pale as any 
 sheet of vite paper. She voodn't believe it, 
 cos she alvays had a appetite, and vood alvays 
 be a-eatin^ from mornin^ till night in the most 
 onsatisfyin' manner you ever 'eared tell on. 
 Werry well. Now, ven her flesh vos vasted 
 nigh hall ofi* her bones, and she looked like a
 
 188 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 skeleton kivered vith kid, and hevery soul as 
 looked at her thought that go she must, she 
 all at vunce had the most beautifullest colour 
 as ever vos seen upon a peach ! She looked 
 like a angel as she sit all in vite ; and as her 
 little tiny fingers vos a-playin^ vith her curls, 
 she vos a-smilin' as sweetly as if her little 
 sisters in heaven vos a-visperin^ to her softly, 
 * Hope—still hope !* And I remember,^' con- 
 tinued the venerable gentleman, as he wiped 
 away a tear, which the vivid recollection of this 
 scene had called forth, — " I remember one 
 sanguine friend, vich loved her, exclaiming ven 
 he seed this ^ere colour in her cheeks, ^ Notv 
 she's all right ! vot a favourable change ! Bless- 
 ed be God, she'll get over it now ! But vot 
 vos it ? Natur' blushing to part so pure a soul 
 from a body so fair : nothing else ! In an hour 
 after that exclamation vos uttered, she died. 
 Werry well. Now this seems to me to be a 
 case werry similar : the pockets of your master 
 is got the same complaint; havin' overrun the 
 constable, his means has been long in a decline ; 
 and although he may jist now be suddenly
 
 STANLEY THORN. 189 
 
 flush, and you may, in sconseqvence, vishin^ 
 him veil, feel yourself justifiable in ofFerin^ to 
 bet any hods it's all right, it strikes me forcible 
 that this here flush is on^y a sign that the whole 
 Establishment 's jist on the p'int of goin' to pot. 
 That's my sentiments. I hope I may be wrong; 
 but that's jist vot strikes me. I shall be werry 
 sorry, mind yer, to ^ear it, cos I do think 
 your master's a trump ; vile your missis, accor- 
 din' to all accounts, is a werry good sort." 
 
 " She is a regular, good ^un 1^' cried Bob. 
 " A out-and-outer ! / never see her feller yet ; 
 and nothing would hurt my sentiments so much 
 as to see your blessed words come true; for 
 l^m sure that if anything rotten was to go for 
 to occur, she'd break her heart.^' 
 
 " Veil, I hope I may be wrong. But I 'spose 
 you know Joanna^s a-goin' to give vornin' ?" 
 
 '^ Well, she may if she likes, in course ; but 
 I won't : Fd stop with ^em if it wos on^y for 
 my vittles.EE 
 
 '^ She is not," rejoined the venerable gen- 
 tleman, " a-goiu' to give vornin' cos she don't
 
 190 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 git her vages, but in sconseqvence of other cir- 
 cumstantials !'^ 
 
 " Oh, that there's the day o' the month, is 
 it }" cried Bob, who saw Joanna blush at the 
 moment, and look very archly, while the ve- 
 nerable gentleman chuckled, and drove his 
 fingers into Bob's ribs, and rubbed his hands 
 with great glee. " I see ! Well, I wish you 
 joy with all my heart. In course / stand god- 
 father to the first ?" 
 
 '* Robert!" cried Joanna, with a most 
 roguish look. " Lor ! how can you go on so ?" 
 
 " Oh ! but I expect it ; and if it^s a heir, Fll 
 make him a present of a hat to begin life with. 
 But when is it to be ?'^ 
 
 " Vy, as a mutual friend to both," replied 
 the venerable gentleman, " ve don't mind tell- 
 ing of you, cos ve vant you to give avay the 
 bride — hif you'll do us the honner ?" 
 
 " In course 1 Oh, yes ! You do me proud. 
 Well?" 
 
 " Well, then, Joanna gives vornin' to-mor- 
 row; ve shall be arkst for the fust time in
 
 STANLEY THORN. 191 
 
 church next Sunday ; and as she vill leave on 
 the ninth of next month, the job's to be jobbed 
 on the tenth." 
 
 " Bravo !" cried Bob. " The time's drawin' 
 very near ! How do you mean to pass the 
 day?'' 
 
 " Vy, ve don't think it's vuth vile to make 
 much fuss : ve think that that, under all cir- 
 cumstantials, may be dispensed vith; but ve 
 mean to enjoy ourselves, you know. Ve mean 
 to be jolly. No expense shall be spared. Ve'll 
 'ave everythink comfortable and reg'lar." 
 
 " Well, all I can say is, I hope you'll be 
 happy." 
 
 " Safe !" replied the venerable gentleman 
 with much ardour; when, turning to his be- 
 trothed, he added, " Can there be hany doubt 
 about it ?" 
 
 " Not the least, dear," replied Joanna, with 
 a most winning smile. ^* I am sure we shall 
 be happy." 
 
 " I should think so 1" cried the venerable 
 gentleman. " Vot is there to per went it ? I 
 don't mean to say I'm so young as I vos p'raps
 
 192 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 twenty 'ear ago, but vot o' that ? The consti- 
 tution's the p^int ! If that's sound and regular, 
 vy vot's the hods ?'' 
 
 " But you don't look old in my eye, by no 
 means/' observed the affectionate Joanna. 
 
 " Don't 1 ?" returned the venerable gentle- 
 man, with one of his most fascinating smiles. 
 " You're a rogue ! — I know you're a rogue, 
 and there's no mistake of any sort a])0ut you. 
 Howsever,'' he added, " looks isn't the pint : 
 the great and grand thing is, the glorious con- 
 stitution ; and, as mine's as sound as a apple, 
 it makes no hods about the hage." 
 
 Joanna agreed with him perfectly of course ; 
 and, as he shortly after this took leave of his 
 beloved. Bob accompanied him to the nearest 
 pitiblic-house, with the view of talking matters 
 ovet in private. 
 
 Here Stanley's affairs were again freely can- 
 vassed ; but, although JBob endeavoured to 
 make things appear as bright as possible, his 
 venerable friend adhered still to the opinion he 
 had expressed — an opinion, the perfect correct- 
 ness of which was on the following morning, 
 by an act of consummate villany, proved.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 193 
 
 CHAPTER XIII. 
 
 THE BILLS OF EXCHANGE. 
 
 While Amelia was occupied in settling the 
 accounts of those tradesmen who had been so 
 importunate, Stanley received two letters, of 
 which the contents were to the effect that two 
 bills drawn by him, and accepted by Filcher, 
 each for five hundred pounds, due the pre- 
 vious day, had been dishonoured, and that un- 
 less the amounts were immediately paid, pro- 
 ceedings would be forthwith commenced. 
 
 On receiving these letters, which were 
 brought by the same post, Stanley's blood be- 
 came hot ; and having resolved to demand an 
 explanation of Filcher, who had promised to 
 destroy these bills, he ordered his C£ib to be 
 brought to the door with all possible despatch. 
 
 VOL. III. K
 
 194 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 Before, however^ this could be accomplish- 
 edj a banker's clerk called, and on producing a 
 pocket-book to which a chain was attached for 
 security, presented another five hundred pound 
 bill — one of Stanley's own acceptances — for 
 payment, which was certainly unfortunate : 
 that is to say, an unfortunate time for such a 
 bill to be presented, albeit the circumstance of 
 bills being brought at the very time they are 
 not wanted, is one which will, in all probability, 
 excite in the minds of men less and less sur- 
 prise as they gradually approach the perfection 
 of civilization. 
 
 But, although it was in one point of view an 
 unfortunate time for this bill to be presented, 
 in another it was fortunate, inasmuch as Ame- 
 lia was from home, while the clerk was one of 
 those extremely pleasant persons who deem it 
 correct to fright one's house from its propriety 
 by explaining the nature of such business at the 
 door. In this particular case it was stated with 
 great minuteness to the servant, who, as in 
 duty bound, delivered the message to his mas- 
 ter as correctly as he could.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 195 
 
 " Gentleman/' said he, " called — five hun- 
 dred pound, sir — bill, sir/' 
 " What !" exclaimed Stanley. 
 
 " Gentleman, sir — five hundred pound " 
 
 " Show him up." 
 
 The clerk — who evidently prided himself 
 upon his picturesque personal appearance, 
 having rings on his fingers and pins in his 
 stock, while a dazzling watch-guard was laced 
 over his waistcoat with surpassing ingenuity — 
 was accordingly introduced. 
 
 "Now, sir,* what is the meaning of this?" 
 cried Stanley, darting a look of fury at him. 
 "Come, sir, explain!'' 
 
 This rather astonished the faculties of the 
 clerk, for he really had nothing to explain, and 
 he said so : he had merely to present a bill for 
 j)ayment, and that was all he either knew or 
 cared about the matter. 
 
 "Let me tell you," said Stanley, who being 
 unacquainted with the straightforward functions 
 of his visiter, viewed him as one of the Cap- 
 tain's swindhng confederates ; " let me tell you 
 that this is a most villanous transaction 1" 
 
 k2
 
 196 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 "It may be," said the clerk. " 1 know 
 nothing of it." 
 
 "Don't tell me, sir, you know nothing of it ! 
 Where did you come from ? Who sent you ?" 
 
 " I came in the regular course of business !" 
 
 " Who sent you ? — but why do I ask ? You 
 may tell Captain Filcher from me — but Fll tell 
 him myself." 
 
 " Then I'd better leave a notice ?" 
 
 " I'll have nothing left ! Quit the house ! — ^ 
 instantly, or I'll kick you to the devil.'' 
 
 The clerk would have smiled, but as the 
 fierce look and violent action of Stanley inspir- 
 ed him at once with an idea that at that parti- 
 cular moment it would be hardly safe to smile, 
 he withdrew with a deep sense of the indignity 
 he had suffered, and left the notice with the 
 servant below. 
 
 The cab was now announced, and Stanley, 
 trembling with passion, descended; but he 
 had no sooner got to the door than another 
 banker's clerk came with another bill for five 
 hundred pounds, which so enraged him, that, 
 holding him as he did to be another confede-r
 
 STANLEY THORN. ]97 
 
 rate, he knocked him down violently, stepped 
 into the cab, and drove off without uttering a 
 word. 
 
 " Well \" said Bob privately as he mounted 
 behind, "that^s the tidiest done thing I ever 
 did see ! I wonder what's the state of the bless- 
 ed stocks now? Something smokes — safe! I 
 wouldn't have had that there straightforrard 
 hit, at a gift ! that's my candid opinion/' 
 
 " Stop him ! stop him 1'^ shouted the clerk, 
 on recovering in some slight degree those sen- 
 ses of which he had been for a moment de- 
 prived ; " stop him ! stop the cab, there ! po- 
 lice ! police 1" 
 
 Stanley heeded him not ; he in fact scarcely 
 heard him : certainly the impetuosity with 
 which he drove was not ascribable to any ap- 
 prehension on his part of being overtaken. But 
 the clerk thought otherwise ; his firm convic- 
 tion was, that his assailant was dreadfully 
 alarmed ; he therefore put on the steam, and 
 ran with wonderful velocity; and it is really 
 amazing how fast men will run when they be- 
 lieve that they are feared by those whom they 
 pursue.
 
 198 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " It's of no use, my leetle swell,'^ said Bob 
 with great caution, as he turned to view the 
 strenuous physical efforts of the clerk, — '*• It 
 ain't a ha'porth of use ; and it's well for you it 
 ain't ; for if you wos to come up with us now, 
 I'd take your odds that when you shaved your- 
 self in the morning you wouldn't know your 
 own mug. I don't pertend to understand the 
 merits of the case ; but masters ain't very par- 
 ticular; you'd on'y get victimized more; so 
 you'd better give it up, because^ try all you 
 
 ^ Imotv, you wouldn't catch us in a fortnight !" 
 And this, after a hard run of five hundred 
 yards, seemed to be the opinion of the clerk^ 
 for, having exerted himself to that extent with 
 the most exemplary spirit, he pulled up to 
 pant, and then returned to the house, with his 
 noble bosom swelling with vengeance. He'd 
 teach him the difference ! He'd let him see ! 
 He'd make him pay dearly ! He*d serve him out 
 sweetly when he caught him 1 In short, he 
 didn't exactly know what he wouldn't do, and 
 that was a positive fact. 
 
 ^ Stanley, who had continued to drive at a 
 slapping pace, soon arrived at the door of the
 
 STANLEY THORN. 199 
 
 European, when Bob, who considered it expe- 
 dient to look out with unexampled sharpness, 
 flew to the iiead of the horse like a fairy. 
 
 The door of the European was open, but 
 nearly the whole of the windows were closed ; 
 and as Stanley alighted, the porter, who had 
 been packing up a box in the hall, and who 
 was then the only person in the house, bowed 
 respectfully, but with an expression which 
 seemed to indicate that nothing was to be got 
 out of him. And this proved to be the case : 
 he knew nothing. He believed, but couldn't 
 tell. He thought, but didn^t know. It was 
 possible that the Captain was living somewhere, 
 but he couldn't tell where ; nor could he tell 
 whether the Earl was or was not in town : he 
 might be, or he might not ; perhaps he was, 
 but he couldn't say. 
 
 The manifestly gross equivocation of this fel- 
 low tended to confirm Stanley's fears, and hav- 
 ing left him with the conviction that he had 
 been instructed to know nothing, he called 
 upon all whom he knew to have been the asso- 
 ciates of Filcher, including Sir William and
 
 200 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 the Earl ; but as from them he was unable to 
 obtain the slightest information having refe- 
 rence to the scoundrers retreat, he returned 
 home in a state of mind bordering upon mad- 
 ness. 
 
 Amelia — who, as she fondly conceived,, had 
 been removing every cause of annoyance by 
 paying the bills of her tradesmen, the whole of 
 whom had not only expressed their sorrow at 
 having been compelled to be so pressing, but 
 had earnestly solicited a continuance of that 
 patronage, which they, of course, declared it 
 would be their study to deserve — received him 
 on his return with a smile of joy. She had 
 heard nothing of the presentation of the bills ; 
 nor had she — by a miracle — heard a word 
 about the assault which during her absence had 
 been committed at the door : her happiness 
 was therefore undisturbed until she perceived 
 that Stanley, on receiving her embrace, looked 
 haggard and wild, when the delight she had 
 experienced instantly vanished, and her mind 
 again teemed with the most painful apprehen- 
 sions.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 201 
 
 " Dear Stanley, are you not well ?" she in- 
 qnired with an expression of fond affection, 
 mingled with sadness. 
 
 " I am not,'^ replied Stanley, in tones which 
 seemed to indicate a broken spirit. " I am 
 not. It will soon pass off.^' 
 
 ^^ I am very sorry that you are not well, 
 dear. What is the matter ?" 
 
 '^ Nothing — nothing. I shall soon recover. 
 Leave me — leave me.^^ 
 
 " Will you not " 
 
 " Leave me V cried Stanley, in a furious tone. 
 '^ Why do you delight in tormenting me thus?^' 
 
 Amelia looked at him steadfastly for an 
 instant, and then burst into tears; which 
 Stanley no sooner perceived than he embraced 
 and kissed her fondly. 
 
 <f Forgive me,^' said he ; "^ 1 did not mean 
 to speak harshly. You are a dear, good girl. 
 Believe me, I would not afflict you, Amelia, 
 for the world. But I have been much an- 
 noyed, my love — very much annoyed. I know 
 that it was cruel ' to speak to you thus ; but 
 indeed I scarcely knew what I said." 
 
 k3
 
 202 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 Far less than this would have been sufficient 
 for Amelia, who instantly tried to look joyous 
 and gay. 
 
 " I know, my dear Stanley," she observed, 
 " that you never intend to speak unkindly to 
 me ; of that I am perfectly sure, and I am 
 therefore a weak simple creature to attach so 
 much importance to an unkind word ; but, my 
 Stanley, I have been so accustomed to associate 
 you with all that is generous, forgiving, and 
 kind, that the slightest reproof from you 
 pierces my heart. Bless you !" she added, 
 kissing him passionately, " you are a dear good 
 soul. I '11 not stay another moment to tease 
 you ; but do look on the bright side, dear 
 Stanley ! hope — still hope for the best. You 
 do not know, dear, how happy I am when you 
 are cheerful. Pray — pray do not be dull 1'' 
 
 " I will not," replied Stanley, as he led her 
 to the door. '^ I '11 endeavour, at least, to be 
 calm." And when he had once more em- 
 braced her, she left the room, apparently gay, 
 although in reality her heart was filled with 
 sadness.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 203 
 
 " Well !" exclaimed Stanley, on being left 
 alone, '^ what is to be done ? What can be 
 done ? Fool ! — fool 1 — consummate, wretched 
 fool! And yet, who could have conceived it 
 to be possible ! How am I to act ? How can 
 I act ? What can I do ? Nothing ! I cannot 
 expose that villain without exposing myself! 
 For my own sake the matter must not be made 
 pubhc. If the object for which I gave him 
 these bills were to be known, my reputation 
 would be for ever blasted. But surely they ^11 
 not attempt to enforce payment ! they ^11 not 
 dare to proceed farther ! It is, after all, proba- 
 bly done but to alarm me. Doubtless Claren- 
 dale suggested the thing in return for the part 
 I took in that soiree, I wish now that I *d not 
 made any stir at all in the matter. However, 
 I must take no more notice of it now. I 
 was a fool not to see through the whole trick 
 before."' 
 
 Had Stanley been a man of the world, he 
 would have known that bills of exchange were 
 not playthings, and had he known that, he 
 would have known also how to proceed ; but.
 
 204 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 being utterly ignorant of the nature of bills, he, 
 following the advice of Amelia, by looking on 
 the bright side only, buoyed himself up with 
 the idea of their presentation being neither 
 more nor less than a joke. He therefore 
 became quite gay, and during dinner gladdened 
 the heart of Amelia by playfully explaining 
 that he saw clearly then that he had been 
 but the victim of an excellent jest. 
 
 Immediately after dinner, however, the ser- 
 vant informed him that a person had brought 
 a private letter, with instructions to deliver it 
 only into the hands of Mr. Thorn, which Stan- 
 ley thought strange ; but, conceiving it to be a 
 communication from either Clarendale or Fil- 
 cher, he desired his servant to show the mes- 
 senger in. A person who had evidently seen 
 better days was accordingly ushered into the 
 room ; but, on finding that Stanley was not as 
 he had expected, alone, he hesitated, bowed, 
 and looked very mysterious. 
 
 ^' Can I speak with you, sir, in private ?" he 
 inquired. 
 
 " You have a letter for me, I understand }''
 
 STANLEY THORN. 205 
 
 " I have, sir, if Fve the pleasure to address 
 Mr. Thorn/' 
 
 " That is my name. Where does it come 
 from?'^ 
 
 " Vd rather deliver it to you, sir, in private.'^ 
 
 " Oh ! we are sufficiently private 1 Here, 
 what is it all about?" 
 
 The messenger, although with evident reluct- 
 ance, handed him the "letter," which was 
 neither directed nor sealed, and which was 
 found to contain nothing — but a writ ! 
 
 Stanley's countenance instantly fell. The 
 very moment he saw what it was, the idea of 
 its being a jest vanished, and he became again 
 enraged. 
 
 " Why, you impudent scoundrel,'^ he ex- 
 claimed, " what do you mean by bringing this 
 to me under false pretences ?" 
 
 ^' It's an unpleasant duty, sir : still but my 
 duty." 
 
 " Leave the room !" shouted Stanley, start- 
 ing up fiercely, and pointing to the door. 
 
 " My dearest love !" cried Amelia, throwing 
 her arms round his neck, in a dreadful state of
 
 206 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 trepidation, " my Stanley ! — pray be calm — ■ 
 pray, pray, dear, be calm. Do leave," she 
 added, turning to the messenger, " do, for my 
 sake — pray leave the room." 
 
 The messenger accordingly did leave the 
 room ; but he thought it very hard, neverthe- 
 less, that, after doing the thing as delicately 
 as possible, he should be so unhandsomely 
 treated. 
 
 " What on earth is it?" cried Amelia, when 
 this person had left. 
 
 ^' An insult 1'^ replied Stanley, burning with 
 rage. 
 
 " Pray do not resent it ! But it may be but 
 part of that jest of which you were speaking, 
 after all.'' 
 
 Stanley thrust the writ into his pocket, and 
 drank off several glasses of wine ; while Ame- 
 lia, who perceived that it would be inexpedient 
 then to pursue the subject farther, was silent. 
 
 Scarcely five minutes, however, had elapsed, 
 when the servant again entered to announce 
 the arrival of another mysterious messenger, 
 who had to make a communication of the
 
 STANLEY THORN. 20? 
 
 /■ 
 
 utmost importance, and of a character so strictly 
 confidential, that to deliver it to any one but 
 Stanley himself, seemed to be something bear- 
 ing the semblance of high treason. 
 
 " Bring him in !'^ cried Stanley, with a reck- 
 less air. " If he comes with a legion of devils 
 at his back, bring him in ?" 
 
 The servant stared as he bowed, for he 
 couldn't tell exactly what to make of it. He 
 evidently held it to be a sort of thing rather 
 unusual, but he nevertheless managed to back 
 out with grace ; and having accomplished this 
 feat, he introduced the child of mystery, who 
 stood six feet and some odd inches high. 
 
 " Well ! what do you want ?" said Stanley, 
 as this long individual entered. 
 
 " Mr. Thorn, have I the honour to ad- 
 dress?'' 
 
 *^ You have that honour'^ 
 
 " I have a document here," said the long 
 person, gravely, and producing a writ, he pre- 
 sented it in form. 
 
 " Oh !" said Stanley, " that's it. Will you 
 have a glass of wine ?"
 
 208 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 The long man bowed, and looked as amiable 
 as if he thought that he really nes^er met with 
 so pleasant a fellow in the whole course of his 
 life. 
 
 '' You shall have one/' said Stanley. 
 
 ^' I feel much obliged/' 
 
 Stanley filled a bumper, and dashed it in his 
 face. 
 
 " Will you have another ?'^ he inquired. 
 
 The tall individual shook his head, for he 
 really felt very uncomfortable. 
 
 " Will you have another }'' repeated Stanley. 
 
 " No, ril not.'' 
 
 ^' Then be off, or I'll kick you out of the 
 house." 
 
 " Kick me, and I'll give you a little law. I 
 should only just like to see you do it. Now 
 then ! — here I am ! — kick me !" 
 
 '^ Stanley, Stanley !" cried Amelia, restrain- 
 ing him, as he was about to make a furious 
 rush, " dea?^ Stanley ! — do you wish to see me 
 fall dead at your feet ? Go sir," she added, 
 addressing the stranger, " go, if you are a man ! 
 — leave us, or blood will be shed !"
 
 STANLEY THORN. 209 
 
 This intimation startled the stranger, who 
 being by no means valiant, retreated ; but in 
 his retreat, he amazingly blustered about what 
 he would have done had he only been kicked. 
 
 " You will break my heart, Stanley ,^^ cried 
 Amelia, when the tall man had left, '^ I am 
 sure you will : I cannot endure it/^ 
 
 " Oh ! nonsense ! — nonsense !^' said Stan- 
 ley, who, having taken too much wine, assumed 
 an air of reckless jolity. ^' Ha ! ha ! ha ! ha ! 
 he looked like a drowned devil. I suppose we 
 shall have a few more of them here by and by. 
 But don't be alarmed ! — there's nothing to be 
 alarmed at ! — nothing — nothing — nothing 1" 
 
 Amelia, who was convinced by the scowl 
 which accompanied the slow utterance of the 
 last word, that there was something to be ap- 
 prehended, left the room, with the view of 
 instructing the servant to state, if any other 
 person called, that his master was indisposed, 
 and therefore could not be seen ; and having 
 delivered this instruction, she was about to 
 return to Stanley, when a single knock in- 
 duced her to remain in the hall.
 
 210 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 The door was opened. It was a policeman : 
 he had called to serve an assault warrant ; and 
 Amelia, whose heart sank at the intelligence, 
 tremblingly begged of him to leave it with her, 
 and assured him that it should have due atten- 
 tion. The policeman consented; and as he 
 was leaving, a notary's clerk came with one of 
 the bills which had been presented in the 
 morning. This also Amelia, who could scarce- 
 ly sustain herself, wished to have left ; but as 
 the clerk declined, on the ground of its being 
 rather unusual, she assured him that it should 
 be attended to, and he seemed to be content. 
 Before, however, the door had been closed, 
 another notary's clerk called with the other 
 dishonoured bill, which made Amelia tremble 
 with increased violence. She did, however, 
 manage to falter out the same assurance as that 
 which she had previously given; but, having 
 done so, she instantly fainted, 
 
 Stanley was of course unconscious of all 
 this : he was, in fact, unconscious of almost 
 everything, then ; for having during Amelia's 
 absence, proposed to himself innumerable
 
 STANLEY THORX. 211 
 
 toasts and sentiments, — such, for example, as, 
 '' Confusion to Filcher, and all of that kidney," 
 — the whole of which he, of course, drank in 
 bumpers, — he got on swimmingly in more 
 senses than one j but although, while propos- 
 ing these toasts, and returning thanks for the 
 persons thus honoured, he appeared to repu- 
 diate all thought of care, the recollection of his 
 real position stung him to the soul, and at 
 intervals goaded him almost to madness. 
 
 Amelia, notwithstanding restoratives were 
 applied with sufficient promptitude and zeal, 
 was for a long time insensible ; and when she 
 recovered, it was but to be tortured by those 
 dreadful feelings, which can be understood and 
 appreciated only by those who are capable of 
 conceiving the agony experienced by a fond, 
 gentle, amiable wife, who perceives ruin rapidly 
 approaching her home. 
 
 Resolved, however, not to sink before the 
 blow had been struck, she rallied; and, on 
 finding herself sufficiently composed, returned 
 to the dining-room, as Stanley was in the act of 
 returning thanks in his sleep, for the ladies, at
 
 212 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 the head of whom he placed his Ameha, whose 
 virtues he highly and eloquently extolled. 
 
 She tried to arouse him ; but as every effort 
 failed, she placed a cushion beneath his head, 
 and wept over him, and prayed to Heaven, 
 with irrepressible fervour, that he might be 
 blessed, and preserved from all perils, and 
 continued to watch him anxiously till midnight, 
 when he awoke. 
 
 His sleep had refreshed him ; but the effects 
 of the wine were still apparent. He was pale 
 and confused, and while his full eyes glared 
 with an unnatural lustre, his language was 
 strangely incoherent and wild. 
 
 Amelia ordered coffee, of which he partook, 
 and they almost immediately afterwards retired ; 
 but, while he slept even more soundly than 
 usual, her apprehensions lashed repose from 
 her. 
 
 What hours, what miserable hours are those 
 which are passed by the afflicted between mid- 
 night and dawn, when the soul is tortured, and 
 the mind is on the rack, teeming with imagi- 
 nary calamities, which appear in shapes more
 
 STANLEY THORN. 213 
 
 appalling than if they were real, — when all our 
 thoughts conspire to afflict us, — when we are 
 able to contemplate nothing but that which 
 gives us pain, and when everything in nature 
 seems reposing but our spirit, to which the 
 power of endurance only appears to be allied. 
 Even when the mind is comparatively tranquil, 
 they are the most weary hours that are spent ; 
 but when tortured by the conception of im- 
 pending ruin, they are pregnant with agony. 
 And in agony Amelia passed these wretched 
 hours, of which the silence was broken only 
 by her sighs, while she pressed Stanley closely 
 to her heart, as if to be sure that she was not 
 alone. 
 
 When the hour at which they usually rose 
 had arrived, Stanley, who had some recollec- 
 tion of what had occurred the previous even- 
 ing, made his customary apology, which was 
 never on any occasion very elaborate, or drawQ 
 out to any great length ; but, although brief, 
 Amelia received it, and sealed her forgiveness, 
 as usual, with a kiss. The intelligence, how- 
 ever, having reference to the warrant, she did 
 not communicate then : that she deferred till
 
 214 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 after breakfast, when she placed the imperative 
 document into his hands, and explained to 
 him the manner in which it had been left. 
 
 Having perused it, Stanley smiled, and as- 
 sured her that it was a thing of no importance. 
 
 " But have you committed an assault?'^ she 
 inquired. 
 
 " I knocked a fellow down at the door. 
 They call that an assault, I suppose.'^ 
 
 " How can you be so rash, dear ? Really 
 you will get into all sorts of trouble." 
 
 " Oh I I'll soon settle that. It's a matter 
 of no moment whatever.'' 
 
 " But what could have induced you to 
 do it ?" 
 
 " Oh ! he came here boring about a bill, or 
 something of that sort." 
 
 *^ Then he called again last evening. Two 
 persons called about bills !" 
 
 ^' Two ! What did they say ?" 
 
 " They washed to know if I thought they 
 would be attended to, and I told them that 
 they would. Did I do right?" 
 
 " Oh ! yes ; quite right — quite right — they 
 shall be attended to with a vengeance !"
 
 STANLEY THORN. 215 
 
 Being summoned to appear before the 
 magistrate at eleven, he then ordered his cab, 
 and, on its being brought, drove to the corner 
 of Argyll Place, where he alighted, and 
 walked to the police-office, at the door of 
 which he was accosted by an officer, who in- 
 formed him that the complainant had no de- 
 sire to press the charge, provided he made him 
 some slight compensation. 
 
 ^•' Fll not give him a shilling ?^ said Stanley. 
 '' Let the thing take its course. I have reason 
 to believe that he is connected with a gang 
 of swindlers, into whose hands, it appears, 
 certain bills of mine have fallen.'^ 
 
 The policeman at once beckoned to the com- 
 plainant, who approached with a pair of re- 
 markably ugly black eyes, Stanley having 
 struck him faithfully between them, and, in 
 reply to a question touching the respectability 
 of his connections, stated that he had been in 
 the employ of the bankers for several years, 
 and that all he had to do with the bill was to 
 present it for payment in the regular course of 
 business.
 
 216 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " Then," said Stanley, " do you mean to say 
 that you know nothing of the parties ?" 
 
 " Nothing whatever, sir, I assure you. I 
 cannot be supposed to know the parties whose 
 names are on the bills which come into my 
 possession. I had fifty other bills in my book 
 at the time, and I have on the average fifty 
 every morning. 
 
 Stanley now perceived that he had made a 
 mistake, and apologised for being so impe- 
 tuous. 
 
 " I am sorry it occurred," said he. " My 
 only excuse is, my utter ignorance of matters 
 of business. What would the magistrate 
 have fined me, had the case been brought 
 before him !*" 
 
 " Not less than three pound," replied the 
 policeman. " The blow was tre-mendiousl'^ 
 
 " It was rather severe, I perceive/^ rejoined 
 Stanley. " How much of that fine would have 
 been yours ?'^ 
 
 " Oh ! nothing," returned the policeman. 
 " Fines always go to the crown." 
 
 Stanley immediately gave the victim five
 
 STANLEY THORN. 21? 
 
 sovereigns^ and one to the policeman for con- 
 ducting the negociation ; and, when they had 
 expressed themselves perfectly satisfied, he 
 returned to his cab, and drove home. 
 
 During his absence Amelia had had addi- 
 tional cause for alarm. Two other five hun- 
 dred pound bills had been presented ; and the 
 notices, with two " forthwitV^ letters, — for 
 it really would appear to be illegal for an 
 attorney to send a letter without forthwith in 
 it, — announcing the dishonour of two of Fil- 
 cher's acceptances, were placed into his hands 
 on his return. 
 
 This appeared to complete his prostration. 
 Nothing seemed to be needed then either to 
 subdue his spirit or to render his misery per- 
 fect. Raving was useless. He knew not how 
 to act. The whole of the bills — eight for five 
 hundred each — had been presented, and on 
 the following day he had writs for them all. 
 
 VOL. III.
 
 218 STANLEY THORN, 
 
 CHAPTER XIV. 
 
 THE ELOPEMENT. 
 
 It having been stated that a certain transfer 
 was about to be arranged between Filcher and 
 the Earl, it will now be correct to explain that 
 the object proposed to be transferred was the 
 Countess. 
 
 Clarendale — the minds of whose family he 
 greatly relieved by convincing them that his 
 was a mock marriage only — had been so rallied 
 since the soi7'ee affair, that, being at the same 
 time naturally apprehensive of another ridicu- 
 lous display of dignity, he resolved to get rid 
 of the annoyance if possible, without a public 
 expose being consequent thereon. 
 
 The difficulty of accomplishing this at first 
 appeared to be insurmountable. He felt quite
 
 )\ 
 
 
 oyi-^—^-i^-^ 

 
 STANLEY THORN. 219 
 
 sure that if he explained to his victim the atro- 
 cious deception he had practised, its immediate 
 proclamation to the world would be inevitable, 
 if even he were to offer a conditional annuity, 
 to cease if the secret were revealed ; and being 
 unable to devise any other means by which 
 the object in view was ever likely to be at- 
 tained, he applied to his friend Filcher, who 
 at once undertook to carry her off, and thus to 
 render whatever claim she might have upon 
 him void. 
 
 For Clarendale this was, of course, the very 
 thing. He applauded the notion highly, and 
 having sufficiently fla ^'^red the vanity of his 
 friend, by declaring that he believed him to be 
 the only man who had the power to execute 
 the design, he offered to give him five hundred 
 pounds immediately after the elopement. 
 
 Filcher, knowing that he had to deal with as 
 great a villain as himself, insisted upon having 
 the money down before he started ; and, when 
 this had been agreed to, he laid out his plans. 
 At first he proceeded with caution; but 
 having touched the right chord, he spoke with 
 
 L 2
 
 220 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 due indignation of the Earl's manifest indif- 
 ference, — denounced him bitterly for neglect- 
 ing one so amiable, so lovely, and so young, — 
 and explained how she ought to be treated, 
 what she ought to do and to have, and what 
 every other Countess in the kingdom would 
 demand! — without failing to describe how he 
 would have indulged her had she been allied 
 to him ', and as all this won the approbation of 
 her mamma, whom he viewed as an admirable 
 auxiliar, she soon became perfectly wretched. 
 . Having succeeded thus far, he imagined all 
 secure ; and, being anxious to be out of the 
 way when Stanley's bills became due, he ar- 
 ranged all he had to arrange in town, and, not- 
 withstanding he felt well convinced that any 
 open attack even then would be repulsed, fixed 
 the day for their departure. 
 
 At his suggestion, the Earl had been absent 
 during three successive nights, and when he 
 made his usual call the day before that on which 
 he had decided upon starting, he listened to 
 an afflicting recital of the fact with due gravity 
 and attention.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 221 
 
 " I am amazed,'^ said he, when this had 
 been indignantly dwelt upon by the Countess 
 and her mamma, with whom he had managed 
 to become an immense favourite, " I am per- 
 fectly amazed that a lady of spirit like the 
 Countess should tolerate such horrible conduct. 
 It really appears to me to be monstrous.^' 
 
 '^ Monstrous P' exclaimed her mamma. " It's 
 abominable ! / wouldn't put up with it from 
 any man, not if even he was a bishop ! Not 
 I ; nor would she, if she was me.'' 
 
 " But how can I help it, ma ? What can I 
 do ?" cried the Countess. 
 
 " Do ! Support your dignity ! That^s what 
 do 1 Really you don^t seem to me to have a 
 mite of nobiUty about you. It^s very well he 
 hasn't me to deal with. Do you think that 
 Vd be mumped up here in this perdicament ; 
 never going nowhere, nor nothing : no balls, 
 no parties, no operers, nor nothing of that ?" 
 
 " But what am I to do, ma, if he won^t let 
 me go?" 
 
 " Won't let you go 1 It's a pity you throwed 
 yourself away upon him : that's my beHef.
 
 222 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 But 1 would go ! I'd go, if it was only out of 
 spite ?' 
 
 " Upon my honour/' said Filcher, address- 
 ing the Countess, " I really must say that you 
 are to be blamed. You make no stir at all in 
 the world ! You have rank, amiability, and 
 beauty, with many other qualities calculated to 
 enable you to shine forth with lustre in the 
 most briUiant sphere, and yet with all these, 
 by heavens 1 you are scarcely known ! I speak 
 now with the warmth of a friend. I should 
 not be a friend were I to conceal the fact from 
 you. Who knows the Countess of Clarendale? 
 Whom does she visit ? Who visits her ? In 
 what fashionable circle does she move ? Where 
 is she ever met with ? Where is she ever 
 seen ? These are questions which the 
 world will ask, and who in the world is to 
 answer ?" 
 
 " Haven't I said the same thing over and 
 over, and over again !" interposed Mrs. Gills. 
 " Haven't I been dinging it into her ears daily 1^' 
 
 *^ The aristocracy of this country," pursued 
 Filcher, " is composed of the most agreeable
 
 STANLEY THORN. 223 
 
 people under heaven ; and why you, having so 
 many advantages, should deprive yourself thus 
 of their society, in which you would not only 
 impart, but derive supreme delight, I really 
 cannot at all understand.'' 
 
 "• Will you tell me,'' said the Countess, ear- 
 nestly, ^^ what I am to do ?" 
 
 ^^ Why," replied Filch er, " it may be deemed 
 presumptuous in me to offer you advice ; but 
 I should certainly say that you ought to do 
 that which is done by other ladies of title.'' 
 
 " But how do they do? That is what I 
 want to know ! Suppose yourself now in my 
 position, and then tell me how you would 
 act." 
 
 " Have you ever been on the Continent ?" 
 rejoined Filcher. 
 
 " Never. I was once going as ladies' — " 
 
 " My precious !" exclaimed her mamma. 
 
 The Countess blushed and then resumed. 
 " Yes, I was once going in company with some 
 ladies, but — I didn't go — I never went at 
 all." 
 
 " Then, if I were you," said Filcher, •' I
 
 224 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 should in the very first place take a continental 
 tour/' 
 
 " But how am I to get him to go with 
 me?'' 
 
 " It is on that very point you err. You 
 expect him to do everything for you, when in 
 reality you ought to do everything for your- 
 self/^ 
 
 " That's it !" exclaimed her mamma. " The 
 very thing I've been a-harping upon till I'm 
 sick." 
 
 " Well, but hoiv am I to go, if so be he 
 won't take me?'' 
 
 " Is it absolutely necessary," observed 
 Filcher, " that he should accompany you 
 every where ?" 
 
 " Certainly not;' said Mrs. Gills. " The 
 less a man is tied to a woman's apron-string 
 the better." 
 
 " But do you mean to tell me now,'' re- 
 joined the Countess, " that I can take a con- 
 tinental tower alone ?" 
 
 " Alone !" returned Filcher. " No ; that 
 would be entirely out of the question. No lady
 
 STANLEY THORN. 225 
 
 of title ever travels alone. Your mamma 
 would accompany you, of course.'^ 
 
 " But ma can't talk French, you know, any 
 more than me." 
 
 " Oh ! that would not be of the slightest 
 importance. Of course you would have with 
 you some gentleman who could ?'' 
 
 "Ah! — well, I thought you couldn't mean 
 that ma and me should go and run about the 
 Continent alone. But what gentleman could 
 we get to go with us ?" 
 
 " Oh ! hundreds would be delighted to ac- 
 company you, or any other lady of title. For 
 instance, I think myself of starting for Calais 
 to-morrow, and from thence I shall go to Paris, 
 thence to Italy, Switzerland, and so on ; and 
 I am sure you may in any way command my 
 services." 
 
 *^ But you don't mean to say that you are 
 going off to-morrow ?" 
 
 " I am, if nothing of importance should 
 occur to prevent me." 
 
 " Oh ! how dearly I should like to go too !" 
 
 '* You would, I am sure, be deUghted. Be- 
 
 L 3
 
 226 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 sides, it would be highly advantageous. You 
 know,'^ he added, addressing her mamma, 
 ^^ what an extremely elegant tone a continental 
 trip gives to a woman of fashion." 
 
 " In course 1 — there's nothing like it !'' re- 
 turned Mrs. Gills. 
 
 " Oh !" exclaimed the Countess, " I should 
 love to go dearly !" 
 
 " Why not, then, make up your mind to go 
 at once ?" 
 
 "Well, I really have a great mind to ask 
 him to let me." 
 
 "The old error !" said Filcher. " Why ask 
 his permission ? You are not his servant." 
 
 " That's just what I tell her," observed her 
 mamma. " If she was only a mere housemaid_, 
 she couldn't do more." 
 
 " It should always be remembered," said 
 Filcher, ^' that you are now your own mis- 
 tress, and that the exalted position you occupy 
 entitles you to have in all matters a will of 
 your own." 
 
 " But would it be correct for me to go 
 without asking his leave, or saying a word to 
 him on the subject?"
 
 STANLEY THORN. 227 
 
 " Of course ! Decidedly ! It is done by 
 all ladies of title. It forms one of their chief 
 characteristics. It is, in a word, that very 
 independence which distinguishes them from 
 people of no importance.'^ 
 
 "That's it!" said Mrs. Gills. "Indepen- 
 dence is the thing ! That's what I have alw^ays 
 stuck up for.^' 
 
 " If, indeed/' resumed Filcher, " you were 
 to make up your mind, you might say, if you 
 happened to see him, ^ I am going for a short 
 tour on the Continent wit^h mamma and Cap- 
 tain Filcher ;' but should you not see him, 
 why, all you need do then would be to write a 
 note to that effect, and desire your servant to 
 give it to him on his return. But probably 
 you have no desire to travel ?'^ 
 
 " Oh ! I should love it above all things ! 
 Shouldn't you, ma ?'* 
 
 " Certinly, my love : I have always longed 
 to see foreign parts ; and I'm sure, as the Cap- 
 tain says, in your present position, it would do 
 you all the good in the w^orld.'* 
 
 "Besides," observed Filcher, "the advan-
 
 228 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 tages to be derived from it at this particular 
 time are incalculable ; for, independently of the 
 continental tone which the Countess would 
 acquire, and which is of itself an extremely 
 valuable acquisition, her absence from Claren- 
 dale just now would have the effect of raising 
 her in his estimation ; for it appears to be 
 very clear to me that he does not sufficiently 
 appreciate her value." 
 
 " That's very true/' said Mrs. Gills ; " no 
 more he doesn't. He don't know what a 
 treasure he's got. I'll say it, although she's 
 my daughter." 
 
 " So that you see," resumed Filcher, " that 
 while sustaining her dignity, and deriving all 
 the brilUant advantages of foreign travel, she 
 would be laying the foundation of her impor- 
 tance at home, and extending her influence, as 
 a lady of title ought.'' 
 
 " To be sure she would. It's my notion, 
 percisely.'' 
 
 " But lor though if we were to go !" ex- 
 claimed the Countess. " My patience me, 
 though, what ivould he say ?"
 
 STANLEY THORN. 229 
 
 " Why, that you were what every lady of 
 title ought to be, — a woman of spirit/' replied 
 Filch er. "He would be pleased, I am sure of 
 it, and would have a higher opinion of you 
 than ever. But I heg you'll not allow me to 
 persuade you against your own inclinations." 
 
 " Oh, dear me, no ! I should, I am sure, be 
 delighted !" 
 
 " I merely throw out the hint as a friend, in 
 the full conviction of its being the only way to 
 bring him to a sense of what is due to you ; 
 and, as I am going, it will not of course put me 
 at all out of the way ; and I am quite sure that 
 Clarendale, when he hears that I am with you, 
 will feel perfectly satisfied of your being well 
 protected.'' 
 
 " But won't it be very expensive ?" inquired 
 Mrs. Gills. 
 
 " Oh ! not at all. You can live on the Con- 
 tinent, you know, for a mere trifle. But Fll 
 manage that. I should like you to go, because 
 I think you would be so enchanted.'' 
 
 "Well, what do you think, ma? Shall
 
 230 STANLEY THORN,. 
 
 «« Why it's an opportunity that certinly 
 don't ought to be lost, my love, that's what I 
 look at. But then, you see, the mischief of it 
 is, there's no time to prepare." 
 
 ^' The notice is very short/' added the 
 Countess. 
 
 '' So much the better," cried Filcher. " It 
 will show that you are not only a woman of 
 spirit, but a creature of impulse ! — which is 
 highly important.'' 
 
 " But I think," said Mrs. Gills, " it would 
 be just as well, you know, to name the subject 
 to him." 
 
 '^ Oh ! Fd name it to him, by all means, if 
 he came home ; but if not, why, it's a thing 
 which in high life is never expected. Look 
 among the fashionable arrivals and departures 
 in any of the daily papers, and you will see 
 that the Duchess of So-and-so started for the 
 lakes. Where's the Duke? Why, in town! 
 That the Countess of Grogram, for example, 
 has just arrived from the Continent. Where 
 is the Earl ? Why, over there. Among the 
 aristocracy, these things are understood. They
 
 STANLEY THORN. 231 
 
 are not like common people : they are per- 
 fectly independent of each other." 
 
 " Oh ! I see the distinction," observed Mrs. 
 GiUs ; " and a very good distinction it is, in 
 my mind. It is nothing but proper that 
 people of quality should conduct theirselves 
 distinct from the mere common scum." 
 
 " Well, ma, shall we go ?" 
 
 '^ Oh, I'm quite agreeable, my love ; and I 
 think we ought to be much obleedged to the 
 Captain into the bargain." 
 
 ^^Not at all," cried Filcher. "Oh, dear 
 me, no — not at all. I shall feel highly ho- 
 noured.^' 
 
 " Won't it be nice, ma ? Won't it be beau- 
 tiful when we return, to say we've been to 
 Paris, and we've been to Germany, and we've 
 been to Italy, and seen this and that ! My 
 gracious me, though, won't it be delicious ! I 
 shall be in such a fidget until we are off !" 
 
 '^ I thought of starting at ten to-morrow 
 morning ; but if that be too early for you, why 
 we'll say eleven." 
 
 " Oh ! ten o'clock will do," said the Coun-
 
 232 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 tess. ^^ Ma and me can be both of us ready by- 
 ten/' 
 
 " Well, then, let me see/' said Filch er. 
 ^' There will be you, your mamma, and my- 
 self, —that will be three; my servant and 
 yours will make five altogether. Yes, that will 
 do well.'' 
 
 " Oh ! then, I'm to take a servant with me ?'' 
 
 " By all means, I should say. You will 
 find it more convenient." 
 
 " Very well. We'll be ready. You'll be 
 sure not to be later than ten ?" 
 
 " At ten precisely the carriage shall be at 
 the door," replied Filcher, who then took 
 leave, and went direct to the hotel at which he 
 knew the Earl was waiting to hear the result. 
 
 " What a nice man P' observed Mrs. Gills, 
 when he had left. " I shouldn't a bit mind 
 marrying such a man as that ! He's such a 
 gentleman !" 
 
 " That he is, is'nt he, ma ?" cried the 
 Countess. 
 
 ^' And understands the ways of the nobility 
 so well.''
 
 STANLEY THORN. 233 
 
 " And such a dear, too, to offer so kindly 
 to 'scort us. I wonder though what my lord 
 ^11 say !" 
 
 " Oh, it'll bring him to his senses. It'll 
 show him you aint' the poor speritless thing 
 he takes you for. He'll treat you all the 
 better. As the Captain says, there's nothing 
 in the world like supporting your indepen- 
 dence and dignity. It's just what I've al- 
 ways stuck up for. You know I've told you, 
 times out of number, that you'd only to show 
 that you had a little proper aristocracy about 
 you to get yourself respected in your spere. 
 But come, my precious 1 we've no time to 
 lose !" 
 
 " Well, I hope he'll come home, though, so 
 that we may tell him !" 
 
 " Don't bother your head about that. If he 
 comes home we'll tell him : if he don't he don't- 
 ought to be told. We'll just leave a note, and 
 then start. All ladies of quality does it, and 
 that's quite enough." 
 
 Of course the Earl took especial care not to 
 return. Nor would he even leave the hotel,
 
 234 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 lest they should^ by any accident, see him. 
 He and the Captain dined together, and hav- 
 ing passed a jovial evening, separated with 
 feelings of mutual satisfaction. 
 
 Punctually at ten on the following morning 
 the Captain arrived in a carriage and four, 
 and was much pleased to find that their minds 
 were unchanged : indeed, they appeared to be 
 more anxious than ever to go — a fact which 
 was chiefly ascribable to the circumstance of 
 Clarendale having been again out all night. 
 Everything was in readiness. They were already 
 dressed ; the trunks were packed, and placed 
 in the hall, while the servants were waiting to 
 attach them to the carriage, and w^hen this 
 had been accomplished they started for Dover, 
 without a moment's unnecessary delay. 
 
 As the Captain had engaged to take the 
 carriage four stages, they proceeded in the 
 most agreeable manner over Shooter's Hill, 
 through Welling, Gravesend, Dartford and 
 Rochester, to Sittingbourne. Here they 
 stopped to take refreshment, and here it was 
 that the Caf)tain resolved to execute his de-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 235 
 
 sign of escaping from the lively society of 
 Mrs. Gills. 
 
 Having conducted the ladies into the inn, 
 and given the necessary orders, he left them, 
 and went into the yard, where he engaged two 
 chaises for Canterbury, and called aside one 
 of the post-boys, whose countenance he for 
 some time scrutinized in the most mysterious 
 manner. 
 
 ^' I think," said he at length, — " I think that 
 I may trust you !" 
 
 The fellow opened his mouth, and scratched 
 his head, and looked as if he didn't under- 
 stand it : nor did he. 
 
 " I do not believe that I am mistaken," 
 pursued Filcher. '^ I can generally tell by the 
 look of a man what he is -, and if I am not 
 deceived, I shall put five pounds at once into 
 your pocket, and make you a handsome pre- 
 sent on my return." 
 
 The man stared, and looked extremely con- 
 cerned ! his amazement was unspeakable ! he 
 couldn't make it out! Still, in the midst of 
 his consternation he gracefully caught hold of 
 a tuft of ragged hair upon his forehead, with
 
 236 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 the view of conveying the idea of a most res- 
 pectful bow. 
 
 " l^m sure I may trust you/^ continued 
 Filcher gravely. " I'll therefore explain. I 
 have two ladies with me — one young and lovely, 
 the other old, and very disagreeable. Now 
 the young one — to come to the point at once — 
 I want to run away with, and as with your 
 assistance I can manage it with ease, the only 
 question is, will you aid me ?^^ 
 
 Postboys are known, by all men of ex- 
 perience, to be the most chivalrous dogs upon 
 the road, — the best fellows under heaven to 
 assist in an elopement, — and as this was really 
 one of the true breed, he without hesitation 
 consented. 
 
 ^' Boot,^' said he, " how be it to be doon ? 
 I marn't go the wrong rood 1" 
 
 " Can^t you pull the chaise into some dry 
 ditch ?'^ suggested Filcher, " and there stick 
 for an hour or so ?'' 
 
 " To be sure I can ! That's capital, be gum ! 
 I never thoot o' that now tiU you did. I'll 
 do't." 
 
 " I may depend upon you ?'^
 
 STANLEY THORN. 237 
 
 "Oh! rudo't!— rudo^tr 
 
 " Very well. Then let your chaise stand 
 first at the door — there must be no mistake 
 about that, — and when you get about half way 
 between this and Canterbury, why there let 
 us pass yoUj and then — you understand ? — 
 
 " Oh ! 1^11 do't handy, sir ; never fear that." 
 
 The Captain then gave him five pounds and 
 returned to the ladies. 
 
 " 1 am sorry," said he, on entering the 
 room, ^^ that we must separate until we get to 
 Canterbury. The carriage in which we came 
 must go back, and I can get nothing here but 
 a couple of chaises, neither of which will carry 
 more than two." 
 
 " Oh ! we shall be able to manage V cried 
 the Countess. 
 
 '^ Vm at a loss to guess how ! You see these 
 machines have no seats outside. It is true, 
 my servant can sit upon the bar; but then, 
 what^s to become of yours ?" 
 
 " Oh ! let her ride inside with me !" said 
 Mrs. Gills. "I don^t mind, you know! — 
 nobody won't see us !"
 
 2^8 
 
 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 This act of condescension was appreciated 
 by the Captain, who, in return, however, sim- 
 ply said, " Well, as you please/' 
 
 Accordingly, having concluded their repast, 
 the Captain handed Mrs. Gills and the maid 
 into the first chaise with unexampled grace, 
 and when the Countess and himself were duly 
 seated in the other, — to which all the trunks 
 had been attached by his direction, their jour- 
 ney was resumed. 
 
 Entertaining in the extreme was the Captain, 
 while the Countess was delighted as well with 
 him as with herself, and thus they proceeded 
 steadily, until they got to Faversham, where 
 they passed the other chaise, which stopped 
 ostensibly in order that one of the bridles 
 might be slightly re-adjusted. 
 
 The Countess waved her hand as she passed, 
 of course, and was recognized by her mamma, 
 to whom the Captain mentally bade adieu, 
 feeling convinced then that all was secure. 
 
 Nor was he deceived. On remounting, the 
 postboy, who drove Mrs. Gills, followed with 
 great care for nearly two miles, when all at
 
 STANLEY THORN. 239 
 
 once his horses began to kick, and plunge, 
 and snort, in the most miraculous manner pos- 
 sible. 
 
 " Be careful, there's a good man ;'^ cried 
 Mrs. Gills, thrusting her head out of one of 
 the front windows. 
 
 " Blarm yer ! wo !'^ cried the postboy, back- 
 ing his horses violently. " Wo ! D'yer want 
 to get into the dike ?'' 
 
 And in an instant — in the twinkling of an 
 eye — and with all the ingenuity at his com- 
 mand, he pulled the chaise into a ditch, which 
 contained, instead of water, black mud, thickly 
 coated with chick-weed. 
 
 " Oh ! we shall be drownded !'' shrieked 
 Mrs. Gills, and that shriek was duly echoed 
 by the maid, who entertained the same opi- 
 nion. 
 
 " I thought what you was up to !^' cried the 
 postboy, who was somewhat of a wag in his 
 way. "I knowed you was arter suffin'. What 
 d'yer mean, hay ? Ain't the rood wide enow 
 for yer ? Blarm yer carcasses ! couldn't yer be 
 satisfied arout gettin' into the dike ?''
 
 240 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " We shall be killed !— we shall be killed '/' 
 exclaimed Mrs, Gills frantically. " Oh ! my 
 good man ! my dear — dear good man ! — pray 
 get us out — pray do ?' 
 
 " Don't be alarmed, mum ! — oh ! don^t be 
 alarmed ! there's nothin' bruk ! It'll be all 
 right ag'in in a little while, blarm 'em ! They 
 must get into the dike ! I knowed what they 
 was arter ! They're about the most warmentest 
 cattle as is. If they ever take anythin' into 
 their heads — " 
 
 " Weil — well — well ! get us out ! pray — 
 pray get us out ! Oh dear ! I am ready to die.'' 
 
 The fellow then opened the door, and with 
 his aid they managed to alight in perfect safety, 
 when he begged of them both as a favour not 
 to be frightened, and set to work with the ap- 
 parent view of getting the chaise out of the 
 ditch. 
 
 And his efforts were desperate ! They were 
 almost indeed superhuman. He reasoned with 
 his horses, and lashed and pulled, while the 
 wheels sank deeper and deeper, until at length, 
 having dexterously backed into two good feet
 
 STANLEY THORN. 241 
 
 of consistent mud, he gave the thing up in 
 despair. 
 
 " It's o' no use," said he, in a state of steam- 
 ing perspiration. " It bean^t a single ha'p^orth 
 o' use ! I canH get un out !" 
 
 " What on earth are we to do, then ?" ex- 
 claimed Mrs. Gills. 
 
 An idea seemed to strike him. " I have it !'' 
 said he ; and he had. " Just walk aboot a 
 little bit, ladies, and I'll just gallop off for 
 soom help." 
 
 This was held by Mrs. Gills to be an admi- 
 rable thought, and he immediately took his 
 horses out, tied the head of the ofF-one to the 
 wheel, mounted the other, and started back to 
 Faversham for assistance, while the ladies pro- 
 menaded in front of the chaise, in a horrible 
 state of alarm. 
 
 Now, although the fellow went at a slapping 
 pace until he had got out of sight, truth 
 prompts the admission that he was, after that, 
 in no hurry at all. He did, however, manage 
 by dint of perseverance to do the last mile in 
 about fifty minutes ; and, having accomplished 
 
 VOL. III. M
 
 242 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 that extraordinary feat, engaged three stout 
 men, with whom, after having four pots of ale, 
 he hastened back at the rate of full three miles 
 an hour, until they came in sight of the chaise, 
 when he started off again at full gallop, while 
 the men commenced running as if from a fiend. 
 
 By this time the patience of both Mrs. Gills 
 and the maid was as nearly as possible ex- 
 hausted. To them the man appeared to have 
 been gone a whole day 1 His re-appearance, 
 however, cheered their weary hearts ; and when 
 he and his men came up breathless and hot, 
 he received great applause for his noble ex- 
 ertions. 
 
 They then commenced work, and after hav- 
 ing ingeniously experimentalized for about 
 twenty minutes, they happily succeeded in 
 getting the chaise out ; and when Mrs. Gills 
 had rewarded the men, and begged of the 
 postboy to drive with all the speed that might 
 indeed be consistent with their safety, they 
 started once more. 
 
 The postboy, who then seemed most anxious 
 to prove that his chief characteristic was cau-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 243 
 
 tion, got his horses fairly into a legitimate jog 
 and explained to them at length what he 
 thought of their conduct with due indignation 
 and point. 
 
 Having finished this lecture to his own sa- 
 tisfaction, he began to sing with nearly all the 
 voice he had in him ; and thus did he amuse 
 himself, quite at his ease, until he arrived 
 within half a mile of Canterbury, when, in 
 order to finish his work with eclat, he treated 
 his horses to a fair full trot, and dashed in 
 style into the town. 
 
 Here immediate inquiries were made for the 
 Countess and her companion ; but, instead of 
 finding them there, as she expected, Mrs. Gills 
 ascertained that after waiting some time they 
 had gone on. She therefore instantly ordered a 
 fresh chaise, and followed them to Dover with 
 all possible speed, but her search there was 
 equally fruitless ; for the Captain, on his arri- 
 val, having learned that a packet would start 
 in an hour for Calais, instructed his servant 
 to take all the luggage on board, which being 
 effected, the Countess, of course, felt com- 
 
 M 2
 
 244 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 pelled in a measure, to go on board too. This, 
 however, was not done without great reluct- 
 ance. She naturally wanted to wait for her 
 mamma. What on earth could have become 
 of her? What could she do on her arrival, 
 when she found that they were gone ? 
 
 The Captain calmed her fears by explaining 
 that her mamma had in all probability been taken 
 " the longest way round ;^' that, of course, 
 she would be certain to find them at Calais ; 
 and that his servant, — to whom he had given 
 private instructions — should remain to attend 
 to her when she arrived; and having thus 
 overruled her objections, they went on board 
 the packet, which left Dover nearly two hours 
 before Mrs. Gills reached the Royal Hotel,
 
 STANLEY THORN. 245 
 
 CHAPTER XV. 
 
 THE ARREST — THE PROPOSAL — THE DUEL AND 
 ITS RESULT. 
 
 Being totally unacquainted with the impe- 
 rative character of the legal instruments he 
 had then in his possession, Stanley knew not 
 what course to pursue, but as Sir WilHam had 
 been from the first cognisant of the specula- 
 tion into which he had entered, he eventually 
 decided on soliciting his advice under the cir- 
 cumstances, conceiving that this might be done 
 without his poverty being exposed. 
 
 He accordingly lost no time in laying the 
 whole matter before him, and when the case 
 had been fully explained, Sir William ap- 
 peared to be, not only greatly surprised, but 
 extremely indignant. 
 
 " However," said he, " the thing is too
 
 246 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 gross to succeed. Take no sort of notice of 
 these writs, treat them with contempt." 
 
 '^ I should not care,'' said Stanley, " if it 
 were a bona fide debt." 
 
 " Of course not ; of course not ; youM 
 settle it at once. But this is a fraud ! a posi- 
 tive fraud ! It is all very well for them thus 
 to try it on ; but it is sure to come to nothing 
 unless, indeed, you are disposed to be fright- 
 ened out of your money !'' 
 
 " The/11 not frighten me," replied Stanley. 
 " That's quite out of the question. If that be 
 their object, they'll fail." 
 
 " Then let them pursue their own course ; 
 let them cut their own throats. You will 
 receive other papers in a few days, doubtless- 
 burn them ! When they find that you set 
 them at defiance, they'll very soon relinquish 
 their swindling scheme. It would indeed be 
 monstrous if, in a country like this, a fraud so 
 glaring and direct could succeed." 
 
 Acting upon this advice, which was of 
 course the very worst that could have l^een 
 given, Stanley troubled himself no more about
 
 STANLEY THORN. 247 
 
 the matter. The declarations came, then the 
 order to tax; but no notice whatever was 
 taken until one of the parties had obtained 
 final judgment. 
 
 Unconscious of the nature of the position in 
 which he stood, having no more knowledge than 
 a child of the fact that he might, at any hour, 
 be arrested. Stanley continued to go about as 
 usual; but the day after that on which the 
 party had entered up judgment, he was ac- 
 costed near the Albany by a person, who 
 having approached him with an air of great 
 mystery, touched his arm and said in an in- 
 teresting whisper, " Mr. Thorn, will you walk 
 on? rilfoUow you.'' 
 
 " What do you mean ?'' inquired Stanley, 
 who had not the most distant idea of the 
 fellow's object. " Walk on ?" 
 
 " Yes ; and then no notice will be taken. 
 I wouldn't have seen you myself but you 
 have just been pointed out to me.'' 
 
 *^ What do you mean ?" 
 
 The man smiled, and although he felt sure 
 that his meaning was well understood, ex-
 
 218 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 pressed himself quietly to the effect that the 
 thing, in all probability, had not been ex- 
 pected. 
 
 " Will yoUj" said Stanley, " explain your- 
 self at once ?" 
 
 ^^ Don't you know a sheriff's officer when 
 you see him V inquired the man, who really 
 thought it a capital joke. " But, perhaps, 
 you have never been taken before }'' 
 
 Stanley now clearly perceived how it was, 
 and the truth no sooner struck him than he 
 became extremely tremulous and turned very 
 pale. " Step this way with me," said he, " I 
 wish to consult a friend on this subject." 
 
 " Anything to oblige,^' returned the officer, 
 who followed him at once to Sir Wilham's 
 chambers. 
 
 " It appears that I am arrested,^' said 
 Stanley as he entered. 
 
 " Arrested ?' echoed Sir Wilham. « What, 
 at the suit of those swindlers ? Impossible V 
 
 " Here is the officer ! It does not appear to 
 be impossible !" 
 
 " Well, I am amazed. The impudent
 
 STANLEY THORN. 249 
 
 scoundrels ! However, we'll soon settle this. 
 You must go of course now; but I'll walk 
 down with you, and ascertain what can be 
 done. I'll work the rascals. I — leave them to 
 me." 
 
 Stanley with a feehng of gratitude .consent- 
 ed ; and perhaps there are no conceivable cir- 
 cumstances under which a man appreciates the 
 kind offices of a friend more highly than when 
 situated as he was then. We are generally in- 
 clined, despite the cold-blooded doctrines of 
 the hypocondriacal, to view the bright side of 
 human nature, to confide in the faith of our 
 fellow-men, to believe that there is infinite 
 goodness in them, to repudiate the thought 
 that " friends are always friends except when 
 friends are needed," and, to reverse the un- 
 amiable precept which would prompt us to 
 look upon every man as a rogue until we have 
 absolutely proved him to be an honest man ; 
 but more strongly than ever do we incline to 
 the belief — a belief perhaps partially based upon 
 hope, that in the human heart kindness predo- 
 minates when in periods of difficulty men come 
 
 M 3
 
 250 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 forward with the ostensible view of rendering 
 all possible assistance : it is then that we 
 are most credulous on the subject of friend- 
 ship ; it is then that faith generates feelings 
 of pride ; it is then that we flatter ourselves 
 with the assurance that we have friends — 
 true friends — friends prepared to make any 
 sacrifice to serve us ; it is then that we are 
 most blinded by professions of friendship, and 
 therefore most easily deceived. 
 
 Stanley felt that Sir WilHam was his friend 
 more strongly than ever ; he was, indeed, 
 anxious, to be guided by him solely, 
 while tlie promptitude with which he under- 
 took to " see him through it^' inspired him 
 with far more gratitude than his pride would 
 allow him to express. 
 
 Having accompanied him to one of those 
 establishments, in which respectable debtors 
 usually receive their first impressions on the 
 subject of the deprivation of social liberty. 
 Sir WilUam reassured him that he would 
 immediately call upon the attornies and that 
 nothing that could be done should be left 
 undone by him.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 251 
 
 ^^ But Amelia/' said Stanley, " how are we 
 to conceal it from her ?" 
 
 ^^ Oh, I'll manage that. You have been 
 unexpectedly called into the country, or some- 
 thing of that sort.^^ 
 
 " No," said Stanley, " no — no — that will 
 not do : suspicion would at once be excited ; 
 she would never believe that anything could 
 induce me to go out of town without taking 
 leave of her. No ; perhaps, as it appears that 
 there is not much chance of my getting out 
 of this place to-day, it would be better to 
 explain it to her — gradually .'' 
 
 '^ Well ; you know her best ; let it be so. 
 Will you write then, or shall I prepare her 
 to receive the intelUgence, and then bring it 
 out in the course of conversation ^ 
 
 " Why, you can explain it in that way with 
 greater effect than I can in a letter. You can 
 say, you know, of course that the thing has 
 been done to annoy me, and so on." 
 
 " I'll manage it. But I shall see you again 
 before then : I'll return directly after I have 
 seen the attornies, in order that you may 
 know the result."
 
 252 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 Stanley thanked him warmly and he left, 
 not however with the shohtest intention of 
 calling upon the attornies, but solely in order 
 to perfect that scheme which he conceived 
 might be then carried into execution. With 
 this view he went to a neighbouring tavern 
 and having sufficiently^ in his judgment, dwelt 
 upon the course to be pursued, and weighed 
 each particular point with great minuteness, 
 he returned to Stanley, to whom he stated, 
 with an expression of disappointment, that 
 the attornies in question could not be seen 
 until the following morning when promising 
 to be with them very early and to come direct 
 from them to him he left, ostensibly, in or- 
 der to explain to Amelia the nature of Stan- 
 ley's position. 
 
 Amelia, whose happiness had daily increas- 
 ed since Stanley had become less impetuous, 
 and who fondly conceived that that happiness 
 would be permanent, as his passion for the 
 gaieties of life had been materially subdued, 
 was expecting him home when Sir William 
 arrived. She was alone ; the widow had just 
 before left her; but when Sir William had
 
 STANLEY THORN. 253 
 
 been announced, he was shown into the draw- 
 ing-room and received as a much valued 
 friend. 
 
 " I expect Stanley every moment/' she ob- 
 served. " He is sure not to be long.^' 
 
 " Has he not been home within the last 
 hour or two ?" 
 
 " No ; he has been out the whole of the 
 morning.'' 
 
 " Then you are probably not aware that I 
 am to have the honour of dining with you 
 to-day }'' 
 
 " The honour will be ours," returned Ame- 
 lia with a smile, which was highly appreciated 
 by Sir William, who bowed, and then entered 
 into the various topics of the day, which were 
 discussed on both sides with great spirit. 
 
 At length, however, Amelia began to get 
 impatient. " How tiresome,^' she exclaimed, 
 " it is more than half an hour past the time ! 
 But you gentlemen are all very tiresome crea- 
 tures.^' 
 
 '' AU, did you say ?" 
 
 " I said all, certainly ; but Sir William, on
 
 254 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 this occasion, must of course be excepted. It 
 will, I perceive, be more safe to say the 
 majority, in future." 
 
 This led to a playful debate, which occupied 
 another half hour, when Amelia exclaimed : 
 " Well, now really, this is indeed very vexa- 
 tious. I cannot conceive what on earth can 
 detain him!" 
 
 " I begin to fear now," observed Sir Wil- 
 liam, " that we shall not have the pleasure of . 
 dining with him to-day." 
 
 " Oh, dear yes, I hope so ! However, we'll 
 give him one quarter of an hour longer ; we'll 
 give him no more. If he should not return by 
 that time he must have, when he does return, 
 a very severe scolding." 
 
 The next quarter of an hour was passed in 
 most lively conversation, and the next, when 
 as Stanley of course did not make his appear- 
 ance Amelia, with great reluctance, rang the 
 bell and having given the necessary instruc- 
 tions, was led by Sir William into the dining 
 room with an expression of disappointment 
 which she could not conceal, although feeling,
 
 STANLEY THORN. 255 
 
 as a matter of courtesy, bound to be, if pos- 
 sible, gay. 
 
 During dinner, politeness the most refined 
 alone characterized the conduct of Sir William, 
 but that ceremony ended, he called all his 
 brilliant conversational powers into play. As 
 a man of the world in the common acceptation 
 of that term, he had too much tact to permit 
 precipitation in any case to weaken the chances 
 of conquest, and while he knew that any di- 
 rect attack upon virtue forms virtue^s most 
 invulnerable panoply, he attached due weight 
 to the fact that wit and irony, highly tempered, 
 are the most potent weapons that can be 
 used, when the object in view is virtue's 
 gradual subversion. He therefore sought to 
 assail it imperceptibly at first, and then to 
 proceed to an analysis of its nature, and 
 having opened the subject of marriage he 
 pursued it in a most lively strain, dwelling 
 playfully upon its varied characteristics, and 
 ironically darting at married persons, in the 
 aggregate, the most highly polished shafts of 
 ridicule.
 
 256 STANLEY THORN. . 
 
 Into all this Amelia entered, defending with 
 spirit every point he asserted, and contrasting 
 the most delightful features of married life 
 with those which he portrayed and which were 
 of course the most unamiable, without en- 
 tertaining the most remote idea that he had 
 any other object in view than that of whetting 
 the dulness which, in her judgment, during 
 Stanley's absence invariably characterized time. 
 
 At length, conceiving that he had made an 
 excellent beginning, he approached nearer 
 home, and having dwelt upon the creduhty 
 of married ladies in general on the subject 
 of their husband's fidelity, and adduced a 
 variety of instances to illustrate the strength 
 of the position he had assumed, he spoke of 
 Stanley, and after alluding to his personal at- 
 tractions, observed, " Now, I should not be 
 at all surprised if you, even you, were to re- 
 pudiate the idea of his being unfaithful/' 
 
 '* Why, it would not be very surprising," 
 returned Amelia, ' " if I did ; and I certainly 
 should, if it were possible for such an idea to 
 be entertained.''
 
 STANLEY THORN. 257 
 
 " Just as I expected ! You would not be- 
 lieve it ! — No, not for the world !'* 
 
 " I would not believe it for the world, 
 without cause, nor would I, for the whole 
 world, have cause to believe it." 
 
 " Of course you would not ! I knew that ! 
 Nor would you hold anything to be a sufficient 
 cause.'^ 
 
 " Why— yes— that I might do." 
 
 " Impossible ! — surely V 
 
 '^ Why/' rejoined Amelia smiling, " the cir- 
 cumstances certainly would have to be very 
 strong !'^ 
 
 " But what conceivable circumstances could 
 be strong enough ?'^ 
 
 " Nay, that I cannot tell ! But do you not 
 think that a man of Stanley's principle, strength 
 of mind and delicacy of feeling would be ut- 
 terly incapable of any act, involving the sa- 
 crifice of honour ?'^ 
 
 Sir William smiled. 
 
 " But, tell me,'^ interrupted Amelia, re- 
 solved to adhere to that point; " do you 
 imagine that such a man would thus wantonly
 
 258 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 blight his own happiness and that of those 
 with whom he is connected }'' 
 
 " Certainly he ought not ; but it does not 
 follow, that because a man is faithless, the 
 happiness of his home must be blighted !'^ 
 
 ^^ Indeed?" 
 
 " If it did, I fear that happiness among 
 married persons would have but an imaginary 
 existence." 
 
 " Nay ; now you are too severe !" 
 
 " No ; not at all.'' 
 
 ^^ But you surely do not mean to say that 
 such a man as Stanley would be unfaithful ?" 
 
 " Why, I don't know that he is so much 
 unlike the rest.'' 
 
 " I have not so unworthy an opinion of the 
 rest.'' 
 
 " Which proves the amiability of your cha- 
 racter." 
 
 " Nor have you, I feel convinced, seriously." 
 
 " I cannot be serious on a subject of this 
 kind; I cannot be tranquil," cried Sir Wil- 
 liam with a smile, " I feel much too indig- 
 nant ! But men are clever creatures — I allude
 
 STANLEY THORN. 259 
 
 more especially to married men — who certainly 
 do inspire with confidence those whom they 
 constantly deceive, to an extent that is per- 
 fectly amazing. Let them remain out the 
 whole day or even all night, it's a matter of no 
 importance ; the most absolute impunity awaits 
 them. Let them keep as many mistresses as 
 fancy may prompt them to keep, neglecting 
 those whom they vowed to honour and 
 cherish, they have but to invent certain plau- 
 sible tales, and, as you silly people believe 
 them, they are of course all right with their 
 consciences and you.^^ 
 
 " Not, I apprehend, with their consciences ?' 
 " Conscience sleeps while pleasure reigns !" 
 " To sting with ten-fold force when awaken- 
 ed. But you are speaking of men without 
 principle — profligate men \'* 
 
 '' I speak of them all — all married men do 
 it, more or less.^' 
 
 " Nay, nay ; that I cannot believe.^^ 
 " I did not for a moment expect that you 
 would ! As far as our dazzling friend Stanley 
 is concerned, you would not believe anything
 
 260 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 prejudicial to his reputation, were you even to 
 know where he is, where he has been the 
 whole of the day, and where moreover he is 
 likely to be the whole of the night." 
 
 Amelia's countenance instantly changed. 
 " Are you serious ?^' she inquired with an ex- 
 pression of the most intense earnestness. 
 " Have you the shghtest knowledge of where 
 he is now ?'^ 
 
 " It is manifest, by his continued absence, 
 that he is in most attractive company." 
 " But do you know where he is }'' 
 " Why I could give a pretty shrewd guess '/' 
 " Where then do you imagine him to be ?" 
 " Nay, that is a question which I must not 
 answer. It would not be exactly fair between 
 man and man. No, although his treatment 
 of me to-day in remaining there when he had 
 invited me here has not been, perhaps, pre- 
 cisely the thing, I am not at all disposed to 
 retaliate in that way. If, indeed — '' 
 
 " Sir William," interrupted Amelia, " I 
 would submit that this is a subject which 
 ought not to be pursued."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 261 
 
 " Why not, my dear madam }" 
 
 ^^ Because, setting all ideas having reference 
 to your friendship for Stanley aside, it may 
 lead us beyond the strict bounds of delicacy.'^ 
 
 " Oh, but these things in society are thought 
 but little of. They happen daily — they are, in 
 fact, occurrences for which every married lady 
 ought to be prepared.^' 
 
 " I am not ; nor do I wish to be prepared. 
 But we must not dwell upon this subject any 
 longer, for you jest so earnestly, that were I 
 not secure in Stanley's honour, you would po- 
 sitively make me quite jealous.*^ 
 
 " Oh you ladies ! you ladies ! We have but 
 returned to the point from which we started ; 
 we have but proved your credulity on this sub- 
 ject to be unbounded." 
 
 A pause ensued ; during which Amelia dwelt 
 with unenviable feelings upon the various in- 
 timations she had received. Why — why did 
 not Stanley return ? Were there any sufficient 
 grounds for suspicion ? Where was he ? In 
 whose society? What could have detained 
 him ? It was strange ! very strange ! — Surely
 
 262 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 he had not been seduced into the vortex of 
 vice! His honour surely had preserved him 1 
 He was faithful and virtuous still ! And yet, 
 why — why did he not return ? 
 
 Sir William, who watched with delight the 
 development of those feelings which these un- 
 happy thoughts had induced, and who exhi- 
 bited every disposition to remain, although he 
 saw that Amelia was most anxious for him to 
 leave, suffered silence to prevail for some con- 
 siderable time ; but^ at length, he exclaimed : 
 ^' Well ! you see, he does not return — nor will 
 he to-night V 
 
 " Oh do not say so ; I hope, nay I feel quite 
 sure that he will." 
 
 " I can bear this no longer 1" cried Sir Wil- 
 liam with a gesture which was intended to con- 
 vey the idea that his feelings had been wound 
 up to the very highest pitch of endurance. 
 " Entertaining, as I do, the most exalted res- 
 pect for your character, knowing as 1 do the 
 confiding gentleness and unexampled amiabi- 
 lity of your disposition, I feel myself bound 
 by every principle of manliness, friendship and
 
 STANLEY THORN. 26S 
 
 justice^ to conceal no longer the fact of his 
 being utterly unworthy of you/' 
 
 " Sir \" exclaimed Amelia fixing her eyes 
 upon him with a flash of indignation. 
 
 " Do not misinterpret my object/^ he ob- 
 served. 
 
 " What is your object?'^ 
 
 " To rescue an amiable creature from one 
 who is as vain as he is heartless^ one who can 
 neither appreciate her admirable qualities nor 
 love her.'^ 
 
 Amelia, darting a look of contempt at him, 
 instantly rose and rang the bell ; but although 
 this prompt proceeding in some slight degree 
 amazed him, he, instead of appearing discon- 
 certed, smiled, and remained silent until the 
 servant entered. 
 
 "Is Sir William's carriage at the door ?" 
 inquired Amelia. 
 
 " I believe not, ma'am," replied the servant. 
 
 " Let me know when it arrives,'' said Sir 
 William with perfect coolness, and as the ser- 
 vant immediately bowed and retired, he added 
 *' Why, my dear madam, why will you not 
 hear me? I know that these truths are unpalata-
 
 264 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 able, yet they are truths nevertheless — truths 
 of which you ought not to remain in igno- 
 rance/^ 
 
 ^^ Sir William Wormwell," said Amelia firm- 
 ly, '^ I have, up to this hour, regarded you as 
 a most sincere friend, but I now look upon 
 you as a most specious, treacherous enemy. '^ 
 
 " My dear creature, do not apply such harsh, 
 cruel terms to him who adores you !" 
 
 " Leave me, sir, instantly !" 
 
 '' Amelia !" 
 
 " Sir — how dare you thus address me ? 
 What have you ever perceived in my conduct 
 to lead you to imagine that this insult would 
 be endured ?'* 
 
 " My dear creature, since you will not allow 
 me to call you Amelia — loving you better than 
 all the world, I would not for the whole world 
 insult you.^^ 
 
 '^ But you have, sir, insulted me grossly." 
 
 "Then on my knee I beg pardon — and 
 while on my knee — since love is no crime 
 < — let me entreat you to listen to me but for a 
 moment." 
 
 " Rise, sir, and leave me 1'^
 
 STANLEY THORX. 265 
 
 " I will not until I have, at least, declared 
 that ardent passion, whose fire consumes my 
 very soul/^ 
 
 Again Amelia rose and seized the bell rope, 
 but her hand was arrested by Sir William, who 
 exclaimed " For heaven's sake, for the sake 
 of your own reputation, which 1 prize far more 
 highly than life, do not ring that bell again. 
 Amelia ! I must call you so — if you cannot 
 look upon me with affection, at least consider 
 that you have made me what I am — that your 
 beauty has inspired me with love which I never 
 had for any living creature before — that your 
 gentle, amiable disposition has caused me to 
 centre every hope I have in you -, consider this, 
 dear, lovely Amelia — consider, also, that you 
 are the slave — the devoted slave of one who is 
 now, at this very hour, wantonly, heartlessly, 
 brutally ridiculing the patient love of her whom 
 he solemnly swore at the altar to cherish 3 and 
 having thus considered, you will not, and I 
 feel that you will not, spurn him who adores 
 you. Amelia — my soul's idol — you are the 
 only one on earth — " 
 
 VOL. III. N
 
 266 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " Will you leave me ?' 
 
 " Yes ; when I have laid bare my heart.'^ 
 
 " Already I perceive it — I perceive that it 
 swells with baseness." 
 
 " No — upon my honour P^ 
 
 " Honour !— honour and treachery cannot 
 co-exist ; therefore leave me ?' 
 
 " Nay Hsten to me but for a moment. What 
 have you to fear ?" 
 
 " Nothing ! strong in the affection of him 
 whom you have basely defamed, and deriving ad- 
 ditional strength from a due appreciation of my 
 own honour, I have nothing to /e^r, but I will 
 not, in silence, tolerate an insult.^^ 
 
 ^^ My dear soul, again let me beg of you to 
 believe that I would not insult you for the 
 world.^' 
 
 " Again let me remind you that I have been 
 insulted. I will not, therefore, hear another 
 syllable. So thoroughly disgusted am I with 
 your conduct, that unless you leave instantly, 
 I will cause you to be so far degraded as to 
 be forced by my servants from the house. 
 I now ring the bell again," she added, suiting
 
 STANLEY THORN. 26? 
 
 the action to the word. " It is therefore for 
 you to decide." 
 
 ^^ Is Robert below?" she inquired when the 
 servant had made his appearance. 
 
 " He is, ma'am." 
 
 " Desire him to come up. You perceive, 
 she continued addressing Sir William, " that 
 I am resolved." 
 
 ^' My dear soul, the servants could never 
 force me from the house ; were they to make 
 the attempt, I should convert them into foot- 
 balls for sport ; but having too much respect 
 for you, to cause any disturbance, I will, as 
 you wish it, at once take my leave ; but in the 
 perfect conviction that before many hours have 
 passed, you will have ample reason to believe 
 that all I have stated with reference to him, by 
 whom you are thus heartlessly neglected, is 
 true." 
 
 " Robert," said Amelia, as Bob at this mo- 
 ment entered ; " show Sir William out." 
 
 Bob bowed, and looked precisely as if a 
 slight explanation would have been very agree- 
 able, for he did not pretend to understand it. 
 
 N 2
 
 268 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 Collecting his faculties, however, he vanished, 
 and Sir William, having offered his hand to 
 Amelia, by whom it was proudly rejected, 
 slowly followed him to the door. 
 
 " Well," thought Bob, having performed 
 the great duty thus imposed, with appropriate 
 grace, '^ of all I ever heard of since Great 
 Britain was a little un, this breaks the bank. 
 It's a regular queer go. Why should I haA-e 
 been appointed ? It isn^t as if he w^ished to 
 make me a present, because he didn't ! nor is 
 it as if he wanted to do me the honour to 
 make me believe that he liked me to let him 
 out better than any one else, because he 
 looked blessed cross ! I'd give a little trifle to 
 get at -the bottom of it: something's a fluc- 
 tuating, safe ! It's so mysterious ! But mys- 
 teries is queer, any day in the week." 
 
 Although the firmness of Amelia never for- 
 sook her for an instant, while in the presence 
 of Sir Wilham, although her eyes flashed in- 
 dignantly as she repulsed him, while her lip 
 curled with withering contempt 5 the very 
 moment he had left her she burst into tears.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 269 
 
 " Stanley !'' she convulsively exclaimed. 
 " Dear Stanley ! why, do you not return 
 to me ! — ^why by your absence thus seem to 
 confirm the suspicions awakened by that vile 
 man ! Where are you, Stanley ? Can it be — 
 No! I'll not believe it !'^ 
 
 Tortured by apprehensions which could not 
 be calmed — racked by the recollection of those 
 dreadful intimations upon which she could not 
 for one moment cease to dwell ; she paced the 
 room in a state of mind bordering on dis- 
 traction until midnight, when in piercing 
 tones, she fervently ejaculated : " God ! grant 
 me patience P' 
 
 The agony, the excruciating agony, she en- 
 dured between midnight and dawn may be 
 conceived. Every hour teemed with fresh 
 apprehensions, every hour was fraught with 
 additional confirmation of those suspicions 
 which she zealously laboured to banish from 
 her mind. Nor when the time, which after 
 a weary lonely night usually brings with it 
 some consolation, had arrived, when the glo- 
 rious sun had mounted and shedding his lustre 
 upon the earth, seemed designed by a benefi-
 
 270 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 cent God to inspire every creature with hap- 
 piness — was she less sad : indeed, as the day 
 advanced her anguish increased, for she knew 
 not what to think, nor how to act. She had, on 
 a former occasion, sent round to his friends and 
 had thereby incurred his displeasure; she 
 therefore dared not send to them in this in- 
 stance, nor did she feel, judging from what she 
 had heard, that inquiries among his friends 
 would be otherwise than useless. She could 
 therefore do nothing but sigh, and sob, and 
 weep, and pray for patience. 
 
 Sir William, whose vanity the repulse he 
 experienced the previous evening had seriously 
 wounded ; conceiving that the spirit of Amelia 
 would be subdued by the continued absence 
 of Stanley, resolved about noon to renew the 
 attack. He therefore returned to the charge 
 with this infamous object in view, and feeling 
 persuaded that unless he had recourse to a 
 ruse of some sort, Amelia would not see him, 
 he sent up his card, with an intimation that 
 he had a message from Stanley which he was 
 anxious to deliver without delay. 
 
 The first impulse of Amelia on receiving this
 
 STANLEY THORN. 271 
 
 card was to cause herself at once to be denied; 
 but, on reflection, being naturally anxious 
 to hear in any shape from Stanley, she di- 
 rected the servant to show him up. 
 
 With apparent humility and penitence, 
 the miscreant thereupon entered while Amelia 
 stood firmly and proudly, although impatient 
 to receive the communication he had to make. 
 
 '•' My dear madam,'^ said he bowing pro- 
 foundly, *^ I have to offer ten thousand apo- 
 logies for my conduct last evening which may 
 have appeared — " 
 
 " Sir,'^ interrupted Amelia, " I require no 
 apology. You have, I am informed, a message 
 from my husband.'^ 
 
 " I have ; but before I deliver that message 
 I must beg of you to pardon those ardent ex- 
 pressions which may have appeared prima 
 facie unwarrantable if not indelicate, but which, 
 let me assure you, were prompted by that 
 inextinguishable affection with which your sur- 
 passing amiability and beauty have inspired 
 my soul, and which nothing on earth, not even 
 your scorn, intolerable, as it is — ^^
 
 272 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " I presume/^ said Amelia with dignified 
 firmness, " that your object in obtaining this 
 interview with me, is that which you an- 
 nounced." 
 
 " It is. But why treat with this cruel cool- 
 ness, one who has your happiness so nearly 
 at heart ; one whose every hope is centred in 
 your smile, and whose highest aspirations — "' 
 
 " If, sir, your object be that which I have 
 been led to presume, it is — " 
 
 ^' Nay, why so relentless ? why so impa- 
 tient?'' 
 
 " Have you a communication from my hus- 
 band, or have you not ?'* 
 
 " Beautiful Ameha ! On my knee while 
 worshipping the idol of my soul, I implore 
 you—" 
 
 " Albert !" exclaimed Amelia, rushing to- 
 wards her brother, who at this moment entered 
 the room. 
 
 " Hallo ! I say ! well ? what's the row ?'' 
 cried Albert as Amelia clung to him convul- 
 sively. " Any thing broke ? That's a pretty 
 position for a man to be diskivered in ! But,
 
 STANLEY THORN. 273 
 
 Meley, you don't mean to say you've been 
 insulted ?" 
 
 " Grossly, Albert, grossly !'^ 
 
 " You have !" exclaimed Albert, leading her 
 to a couch. " Well, I say, old boy I" he added 
 turning to Sir William. " What do you mean?" 
 
 " What is it to you ?" cried Sir William 
 indignantly. 
 
 « What is it to me ? Oh ! that's it, is it ? Ah ; 
 well, I'll soon explain to you what it is to me. 
 Do you ever do anything in this way, old 
 fellow ?" he added striking him fairly to the 
 ground. "^ I say, Meley, my girl, who is this 
 snob ?" 
 
 " Your card, sir, your card ?" demanded 
 Sir William. ^' I shall not make a blackguard 
 of myself, but I insist upon having your card !" 
 
 " Don't trouble yourself, old fellow, to in- 
 sist ! I'll leave it exactly between the eyes ;" 
 and planting a tremendous blow in that pre- 
 cise spot, he added : " now you'll not forget 
 the address." 
 
 " Who are you?" cried Sir William bleed- 
 ing profusely as he rose. 
 
 N S
 
 274 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " Now where's your handkerchief? 'Don't 
 spoil the carpet '/' 
 
 '^ Who are you, sir ?'' 
 
 « Snooks!'' 
 
 '^ I insist upon knowing who you are \" 
 
 " Timothy Snooks, Esquire, I tell you ; 
 number two and a half at the top of the 
 monument. At home every day, except Sun,- 
 days. Isn't that sufficiently explicit ? But I 
 say, old girl, where's Stanley ?" 
 
 " I don't know, Albert dear ; he knows, but 
 he will not tell me." 
 
 " I say, old fellow, I'll bet you ten to one, 
 that if Stanley were here you wouldn't have an 
 eye to look out of! Where is he ? I'll give 
 you my card — at least I'll chalk my address 
 upon the crown of your hat, and bet you fifty 
 pounds to sixpence that I'll lick you to a 
 mummy if you'll tell me now where Stanley 
 is?" 
 
 " Your card, sir, is all that I require." 
 
 " Is that all ?" said Albert ringing the bell. 
 " Well let's have your hat. I should like to 
 give you every possible chance, because you
 
 JtUy,^ 
 
 iSfe
 
 STANLEY THORN. 275 
 
 sport a respectable pair of moustachios. I say 
 you, Jem," he added coolly, when the servant 
 appeared, " send Bob up with this fellow's hat. 
 But, Meley, what's the matter ? You look very 
 pale ! Where the devil is Stanley ?" 
 
 " I'd give the world to know," returned 
 Amelia. 
 
 " Now then," said Albert as Bob entered, 
 " have you got this fellow's hat ?'* 
 
 " I've got Sir William's hat, sir," replied 
 Bob. 
 
 " Sir William's ! what, this fellow's?" 
 " Yes, sir." 
 
 " Then get us a bit of chalk." 
 Bob, ever prepared to enter into the spirit 
 of a scene of the kind darted off for the chalk, 
 and while Sir William was endeavouring to 
 staunch the blood, which still streamed from 
 his nostrils, Albert led Amelia from the room, 
 and assured her that phlebotomy, as a means 
 of subduing the passions, was the finest thing 
 in life. 
 
 " Now then," said he on returning to the 
 room, just as Bob reappeared, '' have you 
 got that chalk, Bob ?"
 
 276 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " No, sir; but here's a bit of whitening/' 
 
 " That will do. Write my address upon the 
 crown of that hat." 
 
 '^ Touch it," cried Sir WiUiam, "and I'll 
 strike you to the earth 1" 
 
 " I can do it, sir, very respectable !" said 
 Bob as he .commenced operations. " I went 
 to the very first national school in nature." 
 
 Sir William rushed at him furiously, and in 
 an instant Bob measured his length on the 
 floor. 
 
 '^ Now I tell you what it is. Bob," said Al- 
 bert, '^ if you don't thrash this fellow, I shall 
 never have a decent opinion of you again." 
 
 " Oh, I'll have a turn with him," said Bob, 
 because he ain't no gentleman which strikes 
 another gentleman unawares." 
 
 "Keep off!" cried Sir William. "It is 
 you," he added turning to Albert, " you, sir, 
 with whom I have to deal." 
 
 " Oh, very well ; let Bob and you decide 
 this little affair, and then you and I can come 
 to some settlement." 
 " Who are you, sir ?" 
 " Snooks !'*
 
 STANLEY THORN. 277 
 
 " Who is this person ?" cried Sir William, 
 addressing Bob. 
 
 « Am I to tell, sir ?'" 
 
 " Of course." 
 
 " Mr. Albert, Sir, misseses brother.'* 
 
 " Here is my card.'* 
 
 "Oh, if thaf s what you mean^'^ said Al- 
 bert, " here, old fellow, I'll accommodate 
 you in any way ; here you are — now then — 
 here's mine. But I say. Bob, are you going 
 to let him off so ?" 
 
 *' Why you see, sir, although I don't like to 
 be hit for nothing, Sir William's a particular 
 friend of master's, that's the point. Had it 
 been any body else, I should have gone in 
 regular, but it don't seem to agree with my 
 digestion to strike a gentleman which master 
 respects." 
 
 " Oh, very well ; now, do you want anything 
 else of me ?" 
 
 " Sir," rephed Sir William, " you shall hear 
 from me again !" 
 
 " Well, let it be soon ! But before you go, 
 just let me explain to you, quietly. Sir William,
 
 278 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 that you are a most degraded coward, a most 
 contemptible poltroon, a treacherous blackguard, 
 and a consummate villain/' 
 
 " That^s sufficient,^' cried Sir William, as he 
 left the room in haste. 
 
 "Well, I had an idea," rejoined Albert, 
 " that it ivould be pretty nearly enough. I 
 shall be here,'^ he added, shouting at the top 
 of the stairs — " I shall be here for the next 
 three hours !^' 
 
 Sir William heard him distinctly, but made 
 no reply, and when he had left, Albert returned 
 to Amelia, who explained to him in confidence 
 all that had happened, and whom he did all in 
 his power to soothe. 
 
 It had been the intention of Sir William 
 to solicit the forgiveness of Amelia in the 
 event of his being convinced of the impossi- 
 bility of attaining his object, and to beg of her 
 to keep the affair a secret, having, of course, no 
 desire that it should reach Stanley's ears ; but 
 as he now felt that concealment was entirely 
 out of the question — that the thing must, to 
 Stanley, in its worst shape, be known, — he re-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 279 
 
 solved to meet it boldly, and at once, and with 
 so much promptitude did he act, that in less than 
 an hour after having left the house a note arrived 
 from Colonel Coleraine, in which he called 
 upon Albert to refer him to a friend, with a 
 view to settle the preliminaries of a" meeting. 
 
 This somewhat puzzled Albert at first, for, 
 at the moment, he knew not whom to refer to, 
 feeling sure that General Johnson would not 
 take upon himself the responsibility of allow- 
 ing him to go out. At length, however, it 
 occurred to him that Villiers, a Cambridge man, 
 who had twice been a principal in an affair of 
 the kind, was then in town : and to him he, 
 therefore, at once referred Colonel Coleraine, 
 and dispatched Bob with a letter, advising him 
 of the fact of his having done so, and explain- 
 ing the circumstances by which it had been 
 induced. 
 
 Villiers undertook with alacrity to act on the 
 part of Albert, and was soon after waited upon 
 by Colonel Coleraine, when, as every thing hke 
 an amicable arrangement of the matter was 
 utterly out of the question, a meeting was
 
 280 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 appointed to take place that evening at Worm- 
 wood Scrubs. 
 
 Of this Albert was duly advised, and he pre- 
 pared himself accordingly, but remained with 
 Amelia — whom he, of course, kept in ignorance 
 of the affair — until Villiers called for him in his 
 cab, and drove him to the place appointed. 
 
 On their arrival they found Sir William 
 already on the ground, and he certainly looked 
 like a man who had been cruelly ill-used. He 
 and Albert, however, took no notice of each 
 other, but paced the field with folded arms. 
 
 The seconds consulted. The weapons were 
 examined, and prepared. The ground was 
 measured^ and the principals were placed. 
 
 " Now,^^ said Villiers, " understand, when 
 I drop this handkerchief, fire !'^ 
 
 Sir William took a cold-blooded aim : he was 
 evidently bent upon mischief, while, as Albert 
 stood, not a muscle moved : he was pale, in- 
 deed, and thoughtful, but firm as a rock. 
 
 " Are you ready ?" cried ViUiers. " Now i 
 — One — two — three 1" 
 
 The signal was given. Both at the same
 
 STANLEY THORN* 281 
 
 instant fired ! — and the next. Sir William 
 fell. 
 
 The surgeons — for two had been engaged — 
 rushed at once to the aid of the fallen man, 
 and it was evident that the pain he endured 
 was excruciating, for, as he writhed and rolled 
 about the ground, he groaned dreadfully. 
 
 The wound was discovered promptly, and 
 examined ; and the result of that examination 
 was, that the patella of the right knee was 
 found to have been shot clean away, and that 
 Sir William had been thus lamed for life.
 
 282 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 tN WHICH AN OLD FRIEND RE-APPEARS. 
 
 Stanley, who was, of course, quite un- 
 conscious of all this, and who had been through- 
 out the day anxiously expecting Sir William — 
 in the evening dispatched a messenger with the 
 following note : — 
 
 '^ Dear Amelia, 
 
 " Why do you not either come or send to 
 me ? I am tortured with impatience. Worm- 
 well, who has, of course, explained all, has not 
 been near me the whole of the day. Send a 
 note by the bearer. All will soon be well ; but 
 do not neglect 
 
 " Your own, 
 
 « Stanley." 
 
 This note Amelia read again and again with-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 283 
 
 out being able to understand what it meant. 
 Certainly Sir William had stated that he knew 
 where Stanley was, but then he had endea- 
 voured to induce the belief that he was in 
 disreputable society, and yet Stanley himself 
 evidently thought it strange that she had neither 
 gone nor sent to him. 
 
 While dwelling upon these conflicting fea- 
 tures of the mystery, and before she had had 
 time to solve any one of them, Albert returned 
 with a smile of triumph, and having kissed her 
 with unusual warmth, for which she could not 
 pretend to account — the note was placed into 
 his hands. 
 
 " There has been,^^ said he, having read it, 
 " some treachery here.'' 
 
 '*' But where is he ?" 
 
 " Oh, that we can soon ascertain from the 
 fellow below. Pll inquire.'^ 
 
 He did so : and, on being informed, sent his 
 card back by the messenger, and desired him 
 to tell Stanley that he would immediately be 
 with him. 
 
 " 1 see how it is," said he, on returning to
 
 284 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 Amelia, " I see through it all. That scoundrel 
 was sent by Stanley yesterday to tell you 
 where he was ?^' 
 
 " Is he safe?'^ 
 
 " Oh, he^s safe enough ! that's beyond all 
 doubt. He never, I should say, was more safe 
 in his life. He is at present residing in the 
 house of a sheriff's officer.'^ 
 
 Now it is a remarkable fact that on hearing 
 this, Amelia exclaimed " Thank Heaven 1'^ not 
 precisely because the house in which he had 
 been detained was that of a sheriiFs officer 
 — for under any other circumstances that 
 would have been held to be a dreadful cala- 
 mity — but because she had been led to appre- 
 hend that the house at which he had been 
 staying was of a much worse character: so 
 amazingly do all great troubles diminish when 
 they come in lieu of those which we have been 
 led to anticipate, and which are in our view 
 greater. " But," she added, " I hope that it is 
 not of much importance." 
 
 " Oh, no 1" rephed Albert, " he has been 
 treating with contempt some indignant tailor,
 
 STANLEY THORN. 285 
 
 who conceiving himself to be an entire man, 
 and therefore having the insolence to imagine 
 that he ought to be attended to, has placed his 
 bill in ' my solicitor's hands ' as a matter of 
 revenge, or something of that sort. However, 
 I'll go to him and. then I shall hear all 
 about it/^ 
 
 " Do, Albert, do, dear ; and tell him that 
 indeed I had no idea of where he was. But 
 had I not better go with you ?" 
 
 " No, no ; you remain here and make your- 
 self happy. He'd prefer it, I know." 
 " You will not be long, dear ?" 
 " I'll not. I'll return as soon as possible." 
 He then started off, and on reaching the 
 house threw Stanley into a state of the most 
 intense astonishment, by relating to him all 
 that had occurred. He concealed nothing from 
 him: the design upon Amelia's honour, the 
 falsehoods by which the miscreant sought to 
 further that design, the thrashing he received, 
 the duel and its result were all minutely 
 explained, while Stanley developed a greater 
 variety of passions than were ever perhaps
 
 28G STANLEY THORN. " 
 
 experienced within the same period by any one 
 man. 
 
 His affection for Amelia was, however, in 
 the ascendant. He felt then that he loved her 
 more fondly than ever, and when the first burst 
 of just indignation, inspired by the execrable 
 baseness of Sir William had subsided, he 
 smiled at the idea of her virtue being as- 
 sailed, and marvelled that the villain should 
 have been so great a fool as to attempt 
 that which he might have been sure was im- 
 possible. 
 
 Having sufficiently dwelt upon this, he pro- 
 ceeded to explain to Albert why he was there, 
 and this, of course, very naturally led to the 
 consideration of the means by which his release 
 might be obtained. 
 
 '' Now ril tell you what it is old fellow,'' 
 said Albert, " I'd better go at once to the 
 governor." 
 
 " Not for the world !'* exclaimed Stanley. 
 " I would not let him know of it for twenty 
 times the amount. '' 
 
 " Well, what do you think then of the old
 
 STANLEY THORN. 28? 
 
 General. " He knows a trick or two, it strikes 
 me. Shall I go and tell him." 
 
 " No, that will not do ; the rest would know 
 of it immediately.^' 
 
 ^^ Well, then, shall I go and explain it to 
 your mother ?" 
 
 " What could she do in the matter ?" 
 
 ^^ Well, who the devil shall I go and tell ? 
 I must go and tell somebody ! — somebody 
 must know of it ! — something must be done P' 
 
 " Will you call upon this attorney V^ 
 
 " I'll tell you what, old fellow, I'd dig, if I 
 could, right clean through from us to our 
 antipodes to serve you, but I will not call upon 
 this artful varment because I'd bet a million I 
 should only make a mess of it, and thus do 
 you more harm than good. What could I say 
 to him ?" 
 
 " You could ask him, at all events, what he 
 means to do.'^ 
 
 " So I can ; but just look at the result. I 
 go and I say to him, ' Now, old fellow, what 
 do you mean to do in this business ?' His 
 answer will be, ^ I mean to keep him in cus- 
 tody, of course, until the amount claimed be
 
 288 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 paid/ ' But it^s a swindle/ ' I know nothing 
 about that : I am employed to get the money 
 and the money I must have/ * But we'll bring 
 it to trial.' ^ You can't : you have already suf- 
 fered judgment by default.' ' Then I'll tell you 
 what it is, old fellow, w^e'll indict the whole 
 gang for conspiracy 1' His reply would be 
 ^ Do so ; but let me strongly recommend you 
 in the first place to find out the men.' / should 
 never be able to get over such a fellow as that. 
 You must send some venerable old swell, one 
 who knows how to manage him. However, as 
 nothing can be done in the matter to-night let 
 us dream about it. Something will have sug- 
 gested itself, doubtless, by the time I come 
 down in the morning. You'll be at home when 
 I call, I suppose ?" 
 
 Stanley smiled. 
 
 " Well come, old fellow, give us a glass of 
 wine, and I'll be off." 
 
 Stanley rang the bell, and in due time an 
 attendant appeared. 
 
 " I say, old boy," said Albert, " give my 
 love to Mrs. Moses — " 
 
 " Isaacs," said Stanley, " Isaacs."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 289 
 
 " Oh, Isaacs is it ?" Well it's all the same. 
 Give my love to Mrs. Isaacs, and tell her to 
 send up a bottle of her most superb port ; tell 
 her to let it be nisheP 
 
 The attendant vanished, and when the wine 
 had been produced, Albert took a couple of 
 glasses, pronounced it to be very good of the 
 sort, although the sort was rather queer ; and 
 having promised to be with Stanley very early 
 in the morning, left with a strong recommen- 
 dation which touched immediately upon the 
 wisdom involved in the act of a man keeping 
 up his spirits. 
 
 On his return to AmeUa, Albert explained to 
 her all that he imagined a woman ought, under 
 the circumstances to know, and which singu- 
 larly enough was very little : indeed, seeing that 
 it will not take up much space here, it may as 
 well be stated in full : — " Well, old girl — seen 
 him — sends — his love and so on — right as a 
 rook — happy — comfortable — slap rooms — wine 
 — everything regular — soon be home — Uttle 
 mess — settled in no time. But," he added, 
 " as I shall sleep here to-night let's you and I 
 
 VOL. III. o
 
 290 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 talk about business. In the first place we want 
 some experienced old file just to take this little 
 matter in hand. Question is, who can we 
 get?" 
 
 " Why I should say/' replied Amelia, " that 
 papa would be the most proper person to 
 apply to, and I am quite sure that no one 
 would undertake the task with more pleasure." 
 
 " But Stanley won^t have it. He wants it 
 to be kept dark at home. Do you think now 
 his mother knows, any old boy V 
 " I should say so." 
 
 " Does the old girl go to bed early ?" 
 
 " Not very.'" 
 
 "Is she in bed now, think you ?'^ 
 
 « Oh ! no." 
 
 " Well, then, suppose we go and call upon 
 her at once," 
 
 " Would Stanley approve of it ?'^ 
 
 " Oh, we mus^nt be too squeamish. He has 
 got himself into a mess, and we must now get 
 him out of it. She may know some one who 
 can do the trick at once. Go and put on your 
 things, and I'll send for a coach. You can
 
 STANLEY THORN. 291 
 
 explain it to her, because you know all about 
 it. I can put in a word or two, you know, 
 here and there/' 
 
 Although apprehensive that Stanley would 
 be displeased when he heard of the step they 
 were about to take, Amelia, believing that it 
 ought to be taken, followed Albert's instruc- 
 tions with all possible dispatch, and they 
 started. 
 
 Finding, on their arrival, that the Widow 
 had not retired, they sent the servant up to 
 announce them, with an intimation that they 
 had just called to ascertain whether they might 
 appear at that most unseasonable hour, without 
 a scolding, or not. 
 
 Although this was done that the Widow 
 might not be startled, she was startled, never- 
 theless. 
 
 " Gracious !" she exclaimed, as she met them 
 at the drawing-room door. " What has hap- 
 pened ? Is there anything the matter ?" 
 
 " I knew that our appearance would surprise 
 you," returned Amelia, " but for this you must 
 scold Albert, not me. I have, however, to 
 
 o 2
 
 292 STANLEY THOR^". 
 
 propose that we leave him here, while we have 
 a little conversation in private/' 
 
 " Oh, as you please/' cried Albert. '^ You 
 treat me just as you like, ar.d being a patient 
 animal I endure it.'' 
 
 The ladies then retired, and Amelia pro- 
 ceeded to relate what had occurred, with all 
 possible calmness ; but when the perfidy of 
 Sir William had been duly explained, in addi- 
 tion to Stanley's arrest, the Widow became so 
 bewildered, that she confessed, with great can- 
 dour, that she really didn't know exactly whe- 
 ther she was at that particular period asleep or 
 awake. 
 
 " Man, man !" she exclaimed. " Man, man ! 
 They are all alike — all ! But I could not have 
 believed it of him. He never attempted — he 
 never hinted — he never appeared even to think 
 of such a thing while with me ! But then 
 whom do you know ? — whom can you know ? 
 Positively, no one ! While I live, dear, I'll 
 never put faith in man again ! But what are 
 we to do for poor Stanley? We must not 
 allow him to remain where he is. What can 
 be done? How are we to act?"
 
 STANLEY THOKi\. 293 
 
 " Albert has something to propose/' rephed 
 Ameha. " Perhaps, as you are now in posses- 
 sion of the facts, we had better return to him/' 
 
 " By all means, my love. But who would 
 have thought that Sir Wilham, above all other 
 men in the world, would prove himself to 
 be such a monster ? Well ! — so much for 
 man V' 
 
 " Albert," said Amelia, on their return to the 
 drawing-room, " you have something to sug- 
 gest." 
 
 " Why, yes," returned Albert. " You see,'' 
 he added, addressing the widow, " I don't know 
 how to manage this business myself, and as I 
 won't make a mess of it, I won't interfere." 
 
 *"^ Very correct," observed the Widow ; ,'^ ex- 
 tremely correct !" 
 
 " Now, I was thinking," pursued Albert, 
 " that as Stanley objects to the interference of 
 the Governor, you might know some artful, 
 experienced, old, venerable-looking individual, 
 who would'nt mind taking the matter in hand . 
 Do you know such a one ?" 
 
 " Why — let me see," replied the Widow,
 
 294 STANLEY TtlORN. 
 
 considering. " I do know a gentleman — a 
 perfect man of business — ^' 
 
 " The very thing ! — ^just the very fellow we 
 want/' 
 
 '' But,*' continued the widow, ^' I don't see 
 — really — how I can — now — with any degree of 
 propriety — send to him/' 
 
 " Does he know Stanley V' 
 
 " Oh, yes, perfectly. He has known him 
 from childhood.'' 
 
 "Then he'd do it— oh, he'd do it ! Shall I 
 go and see him ? What's his name ?" 
 
 " Why — his name," replied the widow, " is 
 Ripstone." And as she pronounced that name 
 she slightly blushed. 
 
 " Ripstone ; ah ! well," said Albert, " I never 
 heard of him ; but where does he live ? I'd 
 better call upon him the first thing in the 
 morning." 
 
 « Why— I'm thinking of its propriety ! — 
 And yet — I don't know — Stanley, it is true, 
 might not like it." 
 
 " Oh, he'll not be very particular now. He 
 wants to get out, and somebody must get him
 
 STANLEY THORN. 295 
 
 out, that's quite clear. Application ought, 
 therefore, to be made to the best man. Do 
 you think he would do it ?" 
 
 ^' Oh, I'm sure he would, with pleasure 1" 
 " Well, then, why not apply to him at once ?" 
 '^ Well — I don't know — perhaps it is very 
 ridiculous for me to hesitate. I think that I 
 might." 
 
 " Oh, yes ! — do it at once. Let me call ; 
 or you send for him. Write a note now, and 
 ril take it myself.'' 
 
 " Do you think that I had better ?*' 
 " Decidedly ! I'll take care that he has it 
 early enough in the morning." 
 
 The Widow, whose pulse was then more 
 than a hundred, hesitated again ; but at length, 
 calling up all the courage at her command, she 
 opened her desk, with the view of writing to 
 Ripstone. 
 
 She had, however, scarcely dipped her pen in 
 the ink, when she became impressed deeply with 
 the difficulties which surrounded the task she 
 proposed to perform. How could she address 
 Mr. Ripstone ? In her judgment " Sir" would
 
 296 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 be much too cold — *• My dear Sir'' somewhat 
 too warm ; and while " My dear Friend '^ would 
 be warmer stilly ^' Mrs. Thorn presents her 
 compliments to Mr. Ripstone '^ would be, under 
 the circumstances, out of character altogether. 
 
 Perceiving her embarrassment, although 
 quite unconscious of the real cause, Albert, 
 after waiting for some time, suggested that the 
 better plan would be for him to call upon Mr. 
 Ripstone, and to explain to him that she was 
 anxious to have the benefit of his advice, and 
 as this suggestion met the widow's views, for 
 she found it impossible to get on with her pen, 
 she gave Albert the address, with a variety of 
 instructions, when he and Amelia left her, to 
 collect those faculties of hers which had been 
 so completely upset. 
 
 Early on the following morning, Albert 
 waited upon Mr. Ripstone, and that gentleman 
 received him with marked politeness, and as- 
 sured him that Mrs. Thorn was a lady whom 
 he highly esteemed, and that there was no soul 
 on earth whom it would give him greater plea- 
 sure to serve.
 
 STANLEY THORN. 29? 
 
 " I suppose, Mr. Joliffe," he added, " it^s 
 something — something — " 
 
 " Yes, it is,'^ replied Albert. "In fact, I may 
 as well explain it all to you now.'^ 
 
 " If you please," said Mr. Ripstone, who 
 knew that it would save him a world of trou- 
 ble, by rendering the creation of a host of con- 
 jectures unnecessary. " I should be glad if you 
 would.'' 
 
 Albert did so : he explained, at least, all that 
 had immediate reference to Stanley, and having 
 finished that explanation, Mr. Ripstone accom- 
 panied him to the residence of the Widow. 
 
 It is in all probability unnecessary to state, 
 that Mr. Ripstone was expected, and equally 
 unnecessary is it, apparently, to explain that as 
 he was expected, the widow was somewhat 
 longer than usual at her toilet, and looked, 
 when he arrived, as sweetly as possible. These 
 were facts which all persons who appreciate the 
 blessings of ci\dlization will readily conceive, 
 and as such is the case, it will be quite suf- 
 ficient to state that fascination is a fool of a 
 word to use, when the object is to convey a 
 
 o3
 
 298 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 correct idea of the imposing effect of her general 
 appearance. 
 
 " My dear madam/' said Mr. Ripstone, as 
 he entered;, and approaching her he pressed her 
 hand with all his wonted warmth. " I am 
 happy^ most happy, to see you looking so 
 well." 
 
 The widow smiled, and bowed in acknow- 
 ledgment of the compliment, which really at 
 the time met the approbation of her own heart, 
 but she felt notwithstanding very tremulous. 
 
 " It is some time,^' she observed in faltering 
 accents, '^ since I last had the pleasure — ^' 
 
 '^ It is," said Mr. Ripstone, with considerate 
 promptitude ; " but we will not, my dear ma- 
 dam, dwell upon that. Mr. Joliffe has ex- 
 plained to me all that has reference to the 
 matter upon which you would have my advice ; 
 and, although I cannot sufficiently express to 
 you how highly honoured I feel in having been 
 thus applied to, I would submit, that the best 
 advice I can offer, under the circumstances, is, 
 that you will consent to leave the management 
 of the whole affair to me."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 299 
 
 " You are a kind, good creature/^ observed 
 the Widow, " I know not how to thank you.'' 
 
 " Then, my dear madam, don't attempt to 
 do it. With your sanction, I will call upon 
 Stanley at once. I have no doubt that the 
 matter will soon be arranged : at all events, it 
 shall be if I can arrange it." 
 
 *^ Of that I am sure, my dear friend, very 
 sure ; but I am quite ashamed to give you so 
 much trouble." 
 
 " Believe me," rejoined Mr. Ripstone, " no- 
 thing ever gave me more real pleasure than this 
 opportunity of serving one from whom I have 
 experienced such high consideration." 
 
 The Widow blushed deeply, and felt extremely 
 droll, and when Ripstone had explained that 
 he should do himself the honour of calling, 
 from time to time, in order to report progress, 
 he again pressed her hand, and with an expres- 
 sion of profound respect, left her inspired with 
 some of the oddest feelings that were ever 
 experienced by a lady in either ancient or 
 modern times. 
 
 On his arrival at the lock-up house Stanley
 
 300 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 was somewhat startled by his appearance, but 
 when his object had been explained, and the 
 character of his motives developed, he treated 
 him with all possible courtesy, and conversed 
 with him on the subject in the most friendly 
 spirit ; and that he really appreciated his kind- 
 ness, was a fact which he did not attempt to 
 conceal. 
 
 Having obtained from Stanley all the in- 
 formation he had the power to impart, Rip- 
 s tone set to work, and by virtue of indefatigable 
 zeal, he, with the aid of his solicitor, who was 
 also one of his oldest and most esteemed 
 friends, succeeded, in three days from that 
 time, in buying up the whole of the bills, and 
 thus setting Stanley free ! 
 
 From that auspicious period, Mr. Ripstone 
 became a great favourite of Stanley's, and while 
 Amelia held him in high respect, he was securely 
 reinstated in the Widow's ardent heart. He 
 dined with her constantly : indeed, scarcely a 
 day passed on which she was not visited by 
 Mr. Ripstone. 
 
 And thus things went on for a month, during
 
 STANLEY THORN. 301 
 
 which the Widow frequently felt — indeed she 
 could not but feel — that he might as well come 
 to the point at once 5 but although he had per- 
 fectly made up his mind, although he had again 
 and again resolved to take, without any further 
 delay the contemplated step, he had never been 
 able to screw his courage sufficiently up. 
 
 One evening, however, — this tiresome month 
 having expired — when he and the Widow had 
 been sitting for some time in silence, he gave a 
 most resolute sigh. 
 
 " WelV thought the Widow whose heart 
 that sigh flattered, " it's coming at last.^^ She 
 spoke not, however, nor, had she not felt it to 
 be a duty incumbent upon her to echo that 
 sigh as a matter of strict justice to herself, 
 would she have broken the silence by which it 
 was succeeded for worlds. 
 
 A pause ensued — a long, a painful, a most 
 provoking pause — during which Ripstone zea- 
 lously twirled his bunch of seals at the rate of 
 three thousand turns per minute, while the 
 Widow was apparently lost in admiration of the 
 pattern of the lace with which her handkerchief 
 was bordered.
 
 302 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 At length Ripstone spoke, and as he did so, 
 the Widow^s susceptible heart put on the steam, 
 and its action was, in consequence, indicative 
 of the highest possible pressure. 
 
 " i recollect, my dear madam," said he, 
 ^* that when I was comparatively poor,^^ — and 
 here it will be highly correct to state, that since 
 that period an extremely ancient uncle of his 
 had departed this life and left him the whole of 
 his wealth—" I recollect that a certain lady 
 whom I held, and still hold in high esteem, on 
 one occasion solicited my advice on a certain 
 — dehcate — subject." 
 
 " I see, I see,^' thought the Widow, " I see.'^ 
 And she prayed that Ripstone might not break 
 down. 
 
 " Now,'^ pursued Mr. Ripstone, deliberately 
 weighing every word, and dwelling upon its 
 import and probable effect. ^' Now, as that 
 lady — that is to say as the question — I mean the 
 subject — or rather the advice which that lady 
 solicited was somewhat — at least she considered 
 it to be somewhat — delicate, do you think— *I 
 merely put it to you, whether, you think — that
 
 STANLEY THORN. 303 
 
 I could, without any impropriety, , solicit the 
 advice of that lady on a subject, perhaps, 
 equally delicate ?'^ 
 
 The widow looked archly, and smiled, con- 
 ceiving that her playfulness might inspire him 
 with a little more courage ; but Ripstone whose 
 countenance then was as rigidly solemn as 
 before, added, " What do you think ?'' 
 
 '^ Why,^' repUed the Widow, " the question 
 is one which appears to be surrounded by dif- 
 ficulties ; still I do seriously think that you 
 might !" 
 
 " Well now, do you know, the same thing has 
 struck me two or three times, of late, and as 
 your views and mine upon that point coincide, 
 I think I Willi'' ^ 
 
 '' Oh, I would by all means ! There cannot 
 be any impropriety in it." 
 
 " Then, of course, you understand — I mean, 
 
 yoii guess — the subject upon which " 
 
 " Nay, how is thsft* possible ?'' 
 The expressive countenance of Mr. Ripstone 
 was screwed into one of the most fascinating 
 smiles ever beheld, as he observed in winning 
 accents \ " It strikes me you do/'
 
 304 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " How is it — how can it be possible ? You 
 have not explained/' 
 
 ^' Do you really require any additional expla- 
 nation ?'' 
 
 ^^ What a very droll creature you are ;'^ ob- 
 served the Widow ; and as she made that re- 
 markable observation, she smiled with so much 
 sweetness, and looked with so much archness, 
 while her brilliant eyes beaming in liquid de- 
 light, shone with such sparkling lustre, that she 
 absolutely dazzled Ripstone's faculties to an 
 extent which rendered them perfectly chaotic. 
 '^ When,'^ she added, conceiving it to be highly 
 inexpedient to suffer any moral confusion to 
 induce irresolution and consequent delay, 
 " when I ventured to express an opinion that 
 there could not be any impropriety in adopting 
 the course you propose, I did so in the perfect 
 conviction that you could propose to adopt no 
 course in which there was the slightest impro- 
 priety." ♦• 
 
 " You are polite enough to say so,^' ob- 
 served Mr. Ripstone, who felt a little better ; 
 " but I nevertheless do want a little advice."
 
 STANLEY THORN. 305 
 
 " What do you mean, you funny man ?'* 
 
 " Fll tell you/^ cried Ripstone with despe- 
 rate nerve, for he felt that unless it were forced 
 out, it would not come out at all — " I'll tell you 
 at once : I want to marry : I want to marry a 
 lady — a certain lady ! Very well. Now I want 
 to know how l^m to go to work/^ 
 
 " Well — it may appear presumptuous in me, 
 certainly — but I think that I might give yoii 
 a little advice upon that point ! Do I know 
 the lady r 
 
 '' Oh yes,'* replied Ripstone chuckling at the 
 idea of that state of astonishment into which he 
 conceived the widow was about to be thrown, 
 *' you know her perfectly ! no one, in fact, can 
 pretend to know her better than you P' 
 
 " Oh 1 well, then the difficulty will not be 
 great ! Has she any idea of your inten- 
 tions ?" 
 
 " I think she has :'' repHed Ripstone, smil- 
 ing with singular significance, " I think so ! 
 at all events, it strikes me she has/' 
 
 " Well then, all you have to do is — but you 
 know much better than I can P'
 
 306 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 '^ No, no : upon my honour : I have had no 
 experience in that matter : you have/' 
 
 " Well, I can only say what I should do if I 
 were in your situation/^ 
 
 *^ Exactly : yes — that's the very point/' 
 " Well, Pd go to her and say at once some- 
 thing to this effect : ^ 1 have been thinking 
 that marriage, being a state from which springs 
 every species of social felicity — is one into 
 which those, by whom social felicity is appre- 
 ciated, ought to enter : I have also been thinking 
 that — as you and I have known each other long 
 enough to know that our views and feehngs 
 upon every point of importance coincide — if 
 we were to marry our happiness would be 
 increased ; so certain am I that, even taking but 
 a common-sense view of the matter, we should 
 be one of the most comfortable couples in exis- 
 tence/ '' 
 
 '^ Well, my dear madam ? — and then ?" 
 " Why then you would have but to say, 
 ^ What do you think ?' or in order to bring the 
 thing at once to the point, ^ In a word, will 
 you have me ?' ''
 
 STANLEY THORN. 307 
 
 " Very good — and then her answer ?'' 
 " Oh, I cannot tell what that would be." 
 " Can you not tell what your answer would 
 be?" 
 
 ^' Mine ! — Under the same circumstances ?" 
 " Precisely. Conceive that all you advised 
 me to say to her I have said to you : for you 
 are the lady ! — the only one on earth whom I 
 would thus address. Now, what would be 
 your answer ? Nay what is your answer ? 
 Will you have me ?'^ 
 
 The Widow blushed— that she felt herself 
 bound to do of course — and was silent ; but 
 E-ipstone, as she prudently fixed her eyes upon 
 the carpet seized her unresisting hand, and 
 having kissed it very correctly — pressed it to 
 his heart, exclaiming, " Yes ! — I will answer 
 for you — Yes ! — You will be mine." 
 
 " You are a kind, good creature," said the 
 Widow, having sufficiently paused, " one whom 
 I would not for the world deceive.'^ 
 
 " Of that I am convinced 1— I know that you 
 would not !" 
 
 " My dear good friend, I feel it to be my
 
 308 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 duty then to state to you^ that in a pecuniary 
 point of view, I am unfortunately not in the 
 same position as that in which I once stood." 
 
 " I know it I — I know in fact more on that 
 subject than you imagine ; but what of that? 
 I have sufficient; much more than sufficient to 
 enable us to live in the style to which you have 
 been accustomed : therefore let us not sa:y 
 another word about that. There is^by the bye 
 in connection with this subject, one favour I 
 have to ask, in fact one stipulation I have to 
 make : it is this, that the whole of the proper- 
 ty you now possess, be settled at once upon 
 Stanley.^' 
 
 " Kind, generous, good soull'^ exclaimed the 
 Widow. 
 
 " Then to this you consent V 
 
 " With feelings of mingled gratitude and es- 
 teem to which I cannot give expression,'' re- 
 plied the Widow, and the tears sprang from her 
 eyes, as she reflected upon Ripstone's consi- 
 deration for Stanley — " I do.'' 
 
 The compact was then, in the usual manner, 
 sealed — indeed, they sealed it in the usual
 
 STANLEY THORN. 309 
 
 manner many times in the course of that truly 
 happy evening — and so fully did they enter 
 into each other's views, and so perfect was the 
 understanding which existed between them, 
 that within a week — everything having been 
 arranged to the entire satisfaction of all con- 
 cerned, including Stanley — they stood at the 
 altar, and with feelings of joy — in the cheering 
 presence of their most highly valued friends — 
 were united.
 
 310 STANLEY THORN, 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 BRINGS THIS HISTORY TO A CLOSE. 
 
 By virtue of a little finessing on the part of 
 Mr. Ripstone^ who privately assigned more 
 stock;, than his lady at the period of their mar- 
 riage possessed, Stanley's income was raised to 
 a thousand a year ; and having by this time 
 purchased sufficient experience not only to 
 guard him against the designs of dashing 
 knaves, but to inspire him with an utter con- 
 tempt for those fashionable follies, in which 
 there is neither manliness, justice, nor reason, 
 he resolved to enjoy those substantial delights 
 of which honour and love are the germs. 
 
 Had he previously to his marriage seen more 
 of what is denominated " life ;'^ had he entered 
 into the senseless frivolities of that " life" — for
 
 STANLEY THORN. 311 
 
 which the appetite soon palls and which, in re- 
 flecting minds soon create disgust — before he 
 undertook the duties of a husband, his heart, 
 which was of a manly generous caste, would 
 never have permitted him to treat with neglect 
 one so amiable, so gentle, as Amelia. He now, 
 however, saw that that neglect — although it 
 proceeded in his case solely from thoughtless- 
 ness and irresolution — was unmanly, if not 
 indeed brutal ; and having proved what a god 
 a man is in the judgment of a patient affectio- 
 nate wife, he became one of the most attentive 
 and considerate husbands that ever charmed a 
 gentle spirit with joy. Then, indeed, did 
 Amelia deem herself blessed. His whole soul 
 seemed centered in her. He appreciated fully 
 her innumerable virtues, and that appreciation 
 alone was the source of pure happiness to both. 
 Sir William he never again met by any acci- 
 dent : indeed, since his affair with Albert, the 
 old associates of that honourable person had 
 spurned him ; not in consequence of that affair 
 nor of the villany which induced it; but be- 
 cause a dissolution of Parliament having oc-
 
 312 STANLEY THORN, 
 
 curred at that period, he lost his seat to which 
 he was not re-elected, when his creditors 
 pounced upon and forced him into the Bench, 
 within the Rules of which he lived and died, 
 rather than give up the miserable wreck of his 
 fortune. 
 
 Nor did Stanley ever again meet, with 
 " Captain^' Filcher; but a circumstance oc- 
 curred about twelve months after the bills 
 became due, which put him in possession of 
 certain facts having reference to that gallant 
 gentleman, and which it will be therefore cor- 
 rect to explain. 
 
 Passing on that occasion with Stanley 
 through Burlington Arcade, Amelia stopped at 
 one of the windows to admire a box of ex- 
 tremely delicate French gloves, and, being 
 desirous of making a purchase, she entered the 
 shop, which was well-stocked and fitted up 
 with infinite taste. The very moment, how- 
 ever, she had entered with Stanley, the young 
 person in attendance sighed deeply and almost 
 fainted. 
 
 " My precious !" exclaimed a more elderly
 
 STANLEY THORN. 313 
 
 person, rushing forward at the moment. " My 
 precious !'' and turning round she almost 
 fainted too, as Stanley recognised in them the 
 " Countess " and her mamma. 
 
 Of course Amelia thought this rather 
 strange, and looked somewhat seriously at 
 Stanley. 
 
 " Do you know these persons ?'^ she in- 
 quired. 
 
 Stanley who had previously related the 
 whole of the circumstances, privately explained 
 who they were, when turning to Mrs. Gills, he 
 observed that he was happy to see them in a 
 position of so much comfort. 
 
 "Oh, Mr. Thorn!" cried that lady: "my 
 poor deluded daughter P' she added, as the 
 tears gushed from her eyes. " You know, sir, 
 how she was deluded." 
 
 " I do/' replied Stanley ; " but I hope that 
 she is now more happy." 
 
 " It was not wickedness on her part. That 
 is the only consolation I have. I know, sir, 
 how you were deceived too by that second 
 monster.^' 
 
 VOL. III. P
 
 314 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 " What has become of him ? where is he 
 now V 
 
 " He has his reward, sir : oh, yes ! he has 
 his reward. But if you and your lady w ould 
 condescend to step this way, sir, I shall be 
 happy to explain all.^^ 
 
 Being anxious to know something about the 
 scoundrel, Stanley at once accepted the invi- 
 tation, and he and Amelia were led into a neat 
 little room immediately over the shop, when 
 Mrs. Gills, with due eloquence and spirit, related 
 all that had occurred since the elopement ; of 
 which the substance was, that on her arrival at 
 Calais, Filcher explained to the " Countess'^ the 
 real nature of her social position — that he pro- 
 mised to marry her himself — that he never 
 performed that promise — that in three months 
 from the time it was made, he deserted her, and 
 that in less than a month after that he was 
 duly apprehended for swindhng, and as a con- 
 viction followed, he had been in a French 
 prison ever since : that on the return of the 
 Countess to England, an application was made 
 to the Earl; that in consequence of that appli-
 
 STANLEY THORN. 315 
 
 cation having been treated with contempt, an 
 expose was threatened, and that eventually in 
 order to avoid that, he consented to pay a 
 certain sum down to enable her to get into 
 business, and to allow her an annuity of fifty 
 pounds for life. 
 
 Amelia having listened with the utmost 
 attention to the relation of these circum- 
 stances which occupied nearly two hours, felt 
 an amiable interest in the welfare of the 
 " Countess'^ and promised to do all in her 
 power to promote it. This promise she faith- 
 fully kept, as well by direct patronage as by 
 recommendation, and in order to give an ear- 
 nest of her intention, she purchased that morn- 
 ing to the amount of twenty pounds. 
 
 It appeared, however, that during the whole 
 of their difficulties, Mrs. Gills and her daugh- 
 ter had one firm friend, and that that friend 
 was Mr. Joseph Goggles ; and as it may be in 
 all probability remembered that during the 
 progress of this history, that venerable gen- 
 tleman — "Venerable Joe'^ — has been alluded 
 to before, it will not perhaps, to some be unin- 
 
 p 2
 
 316 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 teresting to state that he faithfully married the 
 gentle Joanna — that she wore what he termed 
 the " oh-no-we-never-mentionables ^^ strictly — 
 that she naturally considered them to be an 
 excellent fit, and very comfortable things too 
 she found them — that he went to smoke his 
 pipe every evening at the sign of the " Cat and 
 Constitution" — a house kept by his valued 
 friend Bob, to whom Stanley lent nominally, 
 but actually gave, a sufficient sum of money to 
 take it ; and that the venerable gentleman was 
 the oracle of the parlour, the frequenters of 
 which were at all times delighted with his 
 profoundly philosophical dissertations. 
 
 And as to Bob ! Bob was a great man ! 
 For independently of the profits which the 
 retail business of the Cat and Constitution 
 daily yielded, he derived an immense emo- 
 lument from the fact of his being Stanley's 
 " right hand," his Master of the Horse, and 
 Purveyor-general of Wines and Spirits not only 
 to him, but to the whole of his family and con- 
 nections. 
 
 For some considerable time, however, after
 
 STANLEY THORN. SlJ 
 
 this, Bob remained single, for having made up 
 his mind not to marry until he met with the 
 counterpart of Amelia whom he had always 
 much admired, he could not so soon, as many 
 might have expected, see one in his sphere 
 possessing those points of resemblance which 
 he deemed essential; but as at length, a favourite 
 niece of his venerable friend arrived in town, 
 a mild, quiet, amiable girl, one indeed who met 
 his views to a shade, the consequence was that 
 they soon became enamoured of each other, 
 and having married, they were exceedingly 
 affectionate and happy, and had in due time a 
 very fair family of children. 
 
 But in the height of his prosperity, and he 
 certainly was very prosperous. Bob never 
 ceased to look upon Stanley as the best friend 
 he had. There was nothing a man could do 
 that Bob would not with pleasure have done to 
 serve him. Indeed Stanley was an universal 
 favourite. The General prided himself upon 
 having laid the first stone of that which he cau- 
 tiously termed his reformation, and while the 
 Captain, in common with the whole of his
 
 318 STANLEY THORN. 
 
 friends, highly admired his character, it scarcely 
 need be added that Amelia was proud of him as 
 a husband, and that the ci-devant Widow, who 
 had settled down with Ripstone to the tranquil 
 enjoyment of life, was beyond all conception 
 proud of him as a son. 
 
 THE END. 
 
 L O V D o N : 
 ?RIVTED BY SCHUI.ZE AN'U CO., 13, POLAND STREET.
 
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