Beauchamp's Career -- Volume 2

uchamp strolling across the grass of the park. She dressed hurriedly and wen

ed, and appeared so, b

can't canvas

. 'Have you walked up from B

tires me,

hey stepped

passed on the line of the water to and fro; and a little mist of masts of the fishing and coasting craft by Otley village, near the river's mouth, was like a web in air. Cecilia led him to her dusky wood of firs, where she had raised a bower for a place of poetical contemplation and reading when the clear lapping salt river beneath her was at high tide. She could hail the Esperanz

hting-station in Eng

it so much. Unfortunately she added, 'I hope you w

r the country if our commerce were to fail, if distress came on them. There's always danger in disunion. That's what the rich won't see. They see simply nothing out of their own circle; and they won't take a thought of the overpowering contrast between their luxury and the way of living, that's half-starving, of the poor. They understand it when fever comes up

bower and traverse

Mount Laurels for a peace-of

t it on a stronger f

of some co

estalli

zing at the black smoke-pennon of a tower that slipped along

stly big floating barracks. I don't like to hear of everything being done for the defensive. The defensive is perilous policy in war. It's true, the English don't wake up to their work under half a year. But

them; 'but we must have big ships

of harryers and worriers known to be kept ready for immediate service; readiness for the offen

e the more difficult it is to recruit able-bodied men on the volunteering system. Yet the wealthier we are the more an army is wanted

e fire-flash in Nevil's eyes. She had no design, but hos

army to preserve order? So, then

h revolu

colonel-I have always loved him -must

he drilling of the

in his heart, and, for different reasons, I do. He

pnel hate the

e the party in power, they would not, if they knew the use of arms, move an inch

have you, Nevil! It is dreadful to hear. Oh

o the people have

not he

to you in the Hi

in a condition

be in not letting it be progressive, and there's a little danger

Shrap

prejudiced when she is a trifle jealous, and you may hear from her that he rambles, talks wildly. It may seem so. I maintain there is wisdom in him when conventional minds would think him at his wildest. Believe me, he is the hu

a bad re

that will not meet

vite him to

you did. I mean, meet him in debate and answ

ore

punish you by answ

ible of th

ther and cry down every man who appears to them to threaten the

a. I only wish your patriotism we

sing at every foot of ground they have to yield. They're always having to r

il, I am a goos

on water to give the morning kiss to her pap

m her feathers more thoroughly than this fair yo

ey Lespel's on Wednesday,' the colonel said

rmured Cecilia. 'Will

h to meet Mr. Austi

if you do meet h

was rat

s a Whig,

t court the people and you're on quicksands, and that's where the Whigs

. He dismissed politics at breakfast and grew companionable, with the c

a long sermon,'

kett smothered a yawn that w

been fif

en an hour

d, and Cecilia praised the Rev. Mr. Brisk of Urplesdon v

he dissensions of religious bodies it is wise to pat t

le-class. Those are the things he lets fly. I have heard that man say that the Church stands to show the pas

kes at Steynham, with squibs, nicknames, and jests at things

for the sins of the poor. As for the rich, they support his church; they listen to his sermon-to set an example: discipline, colonel. You discipline the tradesman, who's afraid of losing your custom, and the labourer, who might be deprived of his bread. But the people? It's put down to the wickedness of human nature that t

ed with disgust at the

t do the work they ought to be doing demagogues. The parsonry

at her father was be

hat effected its object

thout admir

lk,' Colonel Halkett said, rising. 'We're none of

heard to utt

tering the Steynham tail to that word: 'tom

It was printed in blue characters and red. 'This is what I got by the post this morning. I suppose Nevil knows about it. He wa

r with him?' Cecilia simulated vehemence i

QUEES' caug

e. And, oh! could it

mit

as bad, and worse,

, papa; so base. Ungenerous is no word for it. And how vulg

in would not

ight hold him re

king-room lot at Lespel's. I distinctly discountenance it. So

amp is very young, papa!-of

o word of honour, fee

in six words, and her

, and her sight went dancing down the column of verse,

t in love, a little

what the deuce to

rath he recommends himself to the wealthy widow Bevisham, concerning whose ch

iddy; take a draught

uriddy with your R

being for superlatives, to try the sparkling S

nonsense. But the re

s considered by Cecilia

d blows; and his uncle Everard might be right in telling her father that they were the best means of teachin

your choice of a second candid

gratulate myself,

s. Beauchamp informing m

. There would have been

p our minds to it. Thos

our secret. It will

ll be accusin

el's. And he must bear i

ned with his

ould imagine. It

ceful squib is a

I'm sorry, but there's pitch and tar

here should be,' sai

e to have wha

: I would do my utmost to

champ's occasional strokes of emphasis. 'Do your utmost to have your b

positive, uncompromising-who knows? Radicalish, perhaps, when she looked eye to eye on an evil. For a moment or so she espied within herself a gulf of po

e she was doing duty before her mirror, a

seen that a woman can feel insurgent, almost revolutionary, for a personal

claim to it. She had lived hitherto in upper air, high above the clouds of earth. Her ideal of a man was of one similarly disengaged and lofty-loftier. Nevil, she could honestly say, was not her ideal; he was only her old friend, and she was opposed to him in his present adventure. The striking at him to cure him of his mental errors and excesses was an obligation; she could descend upon him calmly with the chastening rod, pointing to the bett

, though she was compelled to admit that he had been colloquially charming antecedent to her naughty provocation; and though she was indebted to him for his patient decorum under the weary wave of the Reverend Mr. Brisk. Now what does it matter what

nted him in the endeavour to correct an error of judgement in politics-his notion of an error. The value he put upon speaking, urging his views, was really fanatical. It appeared that he canvassed the borough from early morning till n

heir way trooping to their midday meal; penetrating malodoriferous rooms of dismal ten-pound cottagers, to exhort bedraggled mothers and babes, and besotted husbands;

it was not; his friend feared that it was. Yet why? For if it was, then he could not be quite in earnest, and might be cured. Nay, but earnestness works out its own cure more surely than frenzy, and it should be preferable to think him sound of heart, sincere though mistak

es and prayers for him, if it was not possible to do so companionably? At present, in the shape of a

Cecilia said, 'Must you go to

. I rather suspect Seymour Austin will be coming on Wednesday, and that 'l

Lespel's; I hear he wavers toward a Tory

el held h

o continue his canvass of the borough on Monday morning early. He was offered a bed or a conveyance, and he declined b

clamations of pity for so goo

rough the window, said whimsically, 'He has gon

he was rather surprised to hear her father regret that Nevil Beauchamp should be losing his good looks already, owing t

as he used to dre

eeze a trim vessel, had been caught to perfection by Nevil Beauchamp, according to Cecilia. It presented him to her mind in a cheerful and a very un

little worn,'