Rhoda Fleming -- Volume 2

district, where Dibdin was still thundered in the ale-house, and manhood in a great degree measured by the capacity to take liquor on board, as a ship takes ballast. There was a pr

h his clasp-knife Harry Boulby, son of the landlady of the Pilot Inn; thrashed him publicly, to the comfort of all Warbeach. He had rescued old Dame Garble from her burning cottage, and made his father house the old creature, and worked at farming, though he hated it, to pay for her subsistence. He vindicated

he'll settle to farming, and follow his rare old father's ways, and be back a

a Scandinavian gullet; and if, in addition to his being a powerful drinker, he is pleasant in his cups, and can sing, and forgive, b

the greatness of his soul, a king of swine; after which his way of walking off, without a word to anybody, hoisting his whole stature, while others were staggering, or roaring foul rhymes, or feeling consciously mor

darkly-luminous relationship. Young Nic loved also to steep his spirit in the bowl; but, in addition to his never paying for his luxury, he drank as i

d ceased to show the marks of Robert's vengeance upon him; but blood-shedding, even on a small scale, is so detested by Englishmen, that Nic never got back to his ri

housekeeper's money. For he was of those evil fellows who disconcert all righteous prophecy, and it was vain for M

ould, as was proved by evidence, make himself pleasing to women. "The truth of it is," said Mrs. Boulby, at a l

irty-five was making purchases in his name; she made tea, and the evening brew for such friends as he could collect, and apparently paid his rent for him, after a time; the distress was not in the house three days. It seemed to War

ro of the people can be got from the common popular stock, he is doubly dear. A gentleman, however gallant and familiar, will hardly ever be as much beloved, until he dies to inform a legend or a ballad: seeing that death only can remove the peculiar distinct

nder the influence of ale or brandy, and by a few in default of that material aid; and they had a family pride in him. The pride was mixed with fear, which threw over it a tender light, like a mother's dream of her child. The people, I have said, ar

nd the belief that man should set his little traps for the liberal hand of his God, if he wishes to prosper, rather than strive to be merel

Pilot last night, reported that he had quitted the army, he was hearkened to dolefully, and the

im in the mud, calling him scoundrel and challenging him either to yield his secret or to fight; and that he followed him, and was out after him publicly, and matched himself against that gentleman, who had all the other gentlemen, and the earl, and the law to back him, the little place

tations; nor did she imprudently discourage them; but the woman at last overcame the landlady within her, and she wailed: "He won't come because of the drink. Oh! why was I made to sell liquor, which he says sends him to the devil, poor blessed boy? and I can't

to visit her bar and parlour, and he b

the Warbeach farm-house, all excepting Sedgett, who related that every night on his return, she read a chapter from the Bible to Robert, sitting up for him pati

was a combination of the gentlemen against Robert, whose behaviour none could absolutely app

Stephen Bilton's authority, that Robert's errand was the defence of a girl who had been wronged, and whose whereabout, that she might be restored to her parents, was all he wanted to know. This story passed from mouth to mouth, receiving much ornament in the passage. The girl in question became a lady; for it is required of a mere common girl that she should display remarkable

been willing to listen till she perceived him to be but a man of fiction,

name," said Sedgett, placably. "He's a Mr. Algernon Blanco

mingled with a desire to show that she was under no obligation for the news. "All t' other's a tale of your own, and yo

've got witnesses enough it crassed chann'l. Aha! Don't bri

, Mr. Sedgett, t

teach 'em. Dashed if they won't run the Pilot on a

u drink my brandy and find the conse

you do, Mis

orted; "I won't send you home to your wife;" w

ssis, it's for your sak

en he had recove

ise, Mr. Sedgett; it, be

weak point, it

ould stiffen your

t want no stiffening w

t inte

er. Is it your son, Nic Sedgett, thinks to inform against me, as once he swore to, and to get his wage that he may step out of a second bankruptcy? and he a farmer! Y

ad by his endurance of blows at home. "Bob Eccles, he's got his hands full, and he, mayb

bout like a cracked bell-clapper, or men's the biggest gossips of all, which I believe; for

tattler screwed himself up to the widow insinuatingly, as if her understanding could only be seized at close quarters, "I make that observation, because poor Dick Boulby, your lamented husband-eh! poor Dick! You see, Missis,

. Sedgett?" said t

't angry

I knock you over with the flat

treated from the bar. At a safe distance, he called: "Bad

her, "Don't "woman-and-dog-and-walnut-tree" me! Some of you men 'd be the better for a drubbing ever

s at fever heat concerning Robert, and this assertion that he had swallowed a blow, produced

airly were on horseback, talking to Farmer Eccles at his garden gate. Affairs were waxing hot. The gentlemen had only to threaten Farmer Eccles, to make him side with his son, r

r modesty; and acted as if no excitement

" said one, to

ob, to-day?"

d not share the popular view of Robert. He declined to understand who was meant by "Bob.

Bob Eccles? There, that's sum

houted W

aid Mrs. Boulby,

doctors 'd bring him in I ain't speaking my ideas alone. It's written like the capital letters in a newsp

, Steeve?" asked a

xes, and got away home on the cliff." Stephen thumped his kne

to have put ye out

verybody's enemy when at large; and Robert's behaviour looked extremely like it. It had already been as a black shadow haunting enthusi

o you make o

poke; but with none of

y clapped both elbo

. He glanced over them in turn, and com

grudge of e'er a kind

ot

glass to Stephen, and, retreat

u for to think

the heights dominatin

like a grunt. This time

ike manner. If you don't judge a man by his actions, you've got no means of

that prove?" said j

der, a liver-complexioned c

pmite was found with his head in the mixedpickle jar? It pr

ad been struck by the image of the infatuated young naval officer, were going over to the enemy. The stamp of madness upon Robert's acts c

And he may have had harm done to him. In that case, let him fi

ar!" crie

serves to be treated as such. My objection's personal. I don't like any man who spoils sport, and ne'er a rascally

a curtsey to the glass; and so soft with him that foolish fell

oo season. But," he performed a circle with his pipe stem, and darted it as from the centre thereof toward Stephen's breast, with the poser, "do we s'pport thieves at public expense for them to keep thievin'-black, white, or

r Wainsby's remarks were held to be un-English, though he was

," said Stephen, taking succour

be, do we,"

great-grandfather's your younge

your chil'ern 'll hunt, Mr. Steev

table, "were what you'd make of it, ha

ed in support of the Conservati

flesh and bloo

at do we do? We give 'em a fair field-a fair field and no favour! We let 'em trust to the instincts Nature, she's given 'em; and don't the old woman know best? If they cap, get away, they win the day. All's open, and honest, and aboveboard. Kill your rats an

," sneered

usly, had he not reached his sounding period without knowing it,

te a field without a woman in it; don't you? and you? and you? And you, too, Mrs.

farmer meditated thickly over the ruin of his argument from that fatal effort at fortifying

ch a neat way of speaking. But there, acting's the thing, and his behaviour's beastly bad! You can't call it no other. There's two Mr. Blancoves up at Fairly, relations of Mrs. Lovell's-whom I'll take the liberty of calling My Beauty, and no offence meant: and it's before her that Bob only yesterday rode up-one of

in of disappointment that made th

n?" said Mrs. Boulby, moving

re the best hostess

her guests-some asking whether he ca

was in the wrong! I haven't got a oath to swear how mad I was. Fancy yourselves in my place. I love old Bob. I've drunk with him; I owe him obligations from since I was a boy up'ard; I don't know a better than Bob in all England. And there he was: and says to

's," Stephen

ye-the cousin. And rig

ade my blo

ip expressed the sentiments of

wallow

son, and settle matters. All Mrs. Lovell could do was hardly enough to hold back Mr. Edward from laying out at Bob. He was like a white devil, and speaking calm and polite all the time. Says Bob, 'I'm willing to take one when I've done with the other;' and the squire began talking to his son, Mrs. Lovell to Mr. Edward, and the rest of the gentlemen all round poor dear old Bob, rather bullying-like for my blood; till Bob couldn't help being nettled, and cried out, 'Gentlemen, I hold him in my p

om of it," the farmer retur

lad?" said Butcher Billing, i

f, with sugar at the bottom. And I don't see this, so glad as I sa

by a surrounding eagerness of his listeners-too exciting for imaginative effort. In particular, he dwelt on Robert's dropping the reins and riding with his heels at Algernon, when Mrs. Lovell put

his to me: I will meet you.' I'll swear to them exact words, though there was more, and a 'where' in the bargain, and that I didn't hear. Aha! by George! thinks I, old Bob, you're

a yacht up

s and she

my wild m

're a hem'd fool if you don't. I never could sing; wish I co

lling sang out sharp. "Life wants watering. Here's a health to Robert Eccles, wheresoever and w

of the purity of the brandy followed the grand roa

one remarked with a grin broad enough to m

w and then a ebb

keg I plant

come! and I'll h

d to scatter his concluding rhymes in prose, as "something about;" whereat jolly Butcher Billing, a reader of song-b

f all you G

kegs of the g

rt of cracker of irrelevant rhymes had ceased to explode; "I'm

nk, if e'er a man did," said the boatbuilder, whose ey

rned the jolly butcher: "whi

your hostess here concerning of her brandy? Here it

appealed to her, and pointed a

s interest to encourage the delusion which imaged her brandy thus arising straight from the very source, without villanous contact with excisemen and corrupting dealers; and as, p

u're satisfied, Mr.

" said the jolly butcher; upon which the boatbuilder heightened the laugh by saying he was not satisfied at all; and to escape from the execrati

promising cricketer of Hampshire, cried, "Mr. Moody, my hear

er young vagabond; for which the company, feeling the ominous truth contained in Dic

aptains have wal

you see me qu

rt, however, a storm of contempt was hurled at him; some said he was like old Sedgett

blue devils, oh

tune of "The Camp

fist, "is that to be borne? Didn't you," he addres

to hear how yo

u d

Mrs. Boulby's brandy look ashamed of itself

as proved that Moody had been seen with Nic Sedgett; and then three or four began to say that Nic Sedgett was thick with some of the gentlemen up at Fairl

's mischief in a state of fermentation. Did

Moody rose, apparently to commence an engagement, for which the company quietly prepared, by putting cha

There never was a man built for the chair like Bob Eccles I say! Our evening's broke up

Dick Curtis and the bilious boatbuilder, foot to foot, snowball in hand. A bout of the smart exercise ma

r when I should have got to my bed, Goodness only can t