The Hallam Succession

no man shall set on

xviii

th thee, and I will c

rcy-seat." E

te sunshine glorifying every thing, there was the whisper of sorrow as well as the whisper of love. The homely life of the village

h; for Lord Eltham had not unnaturally judged Ben Craven upon the apparent evidence, and was inclined to think his position, whether he was innocent or guilty, one of great danger. Hallam would not see things in any such light. He had lived only in the m

hand striking the other; "and it 'ud be a varry queer thing if ri

our mind that Craven is right-right or wrong-and la

h i' all his life, if he nobbut hed t' time to make up a lie. As for Bingley, I wish I hed sent h

aven in his working clothes running over t' moor just about t' time Cl

lass between 'em now-wh

think it out, it'

e, Craven is as innocent as thee or me; and though t' devil and t' lawyers hev all t' evidence on

ce with the greatest admiration, smiled confidently bac

s right, sinc

the day

would be

r would

answered: "My dear young lady, that settles the question, here. I wish with a' my heart it d

evil and unjust things. But come thy ways, Eltham, and let's hev a bit of a walk through t' park. I hear t' cuckoos telling

e clover, or the plaintive minor of the cuckoo in the thick groves. Eltham and the squire talked earnestly of the coming election. Phyllis, leaning on Antony's arm, was full of thought, and Richard and Elizabeth fell gradually a little behind them. In that soft light her white garments and her fair loveliness had a peculiar charm. Sh

h! Dear E

h other, then he drew her to his breast and kissed her. The sweetest strongest words of love were never written. They are not translatable in earthly language. Richard was dumb with happiness, and Elizabeth understood the silence. As they ro

e of the open southern windows, and the wind, which gently moved the snowy curtains, brought in with it the scent of bleaching clover. There was no light but that shadow of t

zabeth; and

rd tol

to speak of it to-night. But when one loves, one understands natu

hills me. You know that I am neither imaginative nor sentimental; but I a

ls that give us the sorest and most useless sorrow. Th

se intangible griefs are very

bts.' He told me that they usually vanished as he mustered them. Elizabeth, there are more than sixty admonitions against fear or unnecessary anxiety in the Bible, and these are so various, and

will be mistress. I might, for father's sake, take a lower place, but it would be hard. Father did not marry until

e will object to your

ade me notice now strongly Richard resembled Colonel Alfred Hallam, wh

ny thing to

thi

g with

ove nor my hope can cross. I find that I cannot follow out any dream or plan which includes Richard; my soul s

by a way that they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I

d, I have reason, for I never dreamed of a lover like Richard-and he s

ing to Europe, and as he spoke we received a letter saying the rooms which we had always occupied were not to be had, and the Bishop said, 'Go with me to Europe,' and so, in five minutes we had decided to do so. Richard will dislike to retu

y marries is out of the question. I could not leave father until

king that when Richard had you, he could better spare me, and that John

father needs me, my

e to the end

. My soul shrinks back from the thought. A goo

position. The still assured face partially uplifted, and the large whi

e pink rose in her hair had made a kind of glow in the corner of the wide window where she had sat. "How beautiful she is!" The words sprang spontaneously to Elizabeth's lips

r a long walk in the park. When he next met his daughter he looked at her steadily with eyes full of tears, and she went to him,

lizabeth. She had, indeed, no knowledge of their intentions, which were on a mercenary basis, but this did not prevent Antony from feeling that Richard had in some degree frustrated his plans. But

to Eltham. The Hon. George was in his apartments reading "Blac

Antony, indicating the laughing gro

s lieutenant. Last night I spoke to Lord Eltham concerning our intentions.

u, George, that Elizab

ement is formally m

It is a great disa

advised you to speak to

o her. I felt abashed if I tried to compliment her, and she alw

is too l

that? When Mr. Fo

let me tell you that. Elizabeth will be true to him,

to be don

king of Sel

she is not p

let such things as

is older

every thing. It is entirely at her own disposal also. Your brother-in-law is fa

succ

l equal to yours. What did my

ment, and he is sure to allow us to enter his house. We shall have every facility there for acquiring a rapid practical knowle

turns, George. When you and I have i

ary. Of mere rank he was not envious. He had lived among noble men, and familiarity had bred its usual consequence. But he did want money. He fully recognized that gold entered every earthly gate, and he felt within himself the capacity for its acquirement. He had also precedents for this determination which seemed to justify it. The Duke of Norham's younger son had a share in an immense

rovincial title to which he was born, and the hall, with all its sweet gray antiquity, was only a dull prison. He compared its mediaeval strength, its long narrow lattices, its low rambling rooms, its Saxon simplicity, with the grand mansions of modern date in which

e told himself that the Hallams ought to have built upon it generations ago. He almost despised his ancestors for the simple lives they had led. He could not endure to think of himself sitting

were not foolish enough to think they could succeed without some preliminary initiation, and this they proposed to acquire in the great banking house of Sir Thomas Harrington. M.P. Lord Eltham had approved the plan. It now remained to secure th

ve it his undivided attention. Personally he had no ill-feeling toward Ben Craven, but he was annoyed at the intrusion of so vulgar an object of sympathy into his home. The squire's advocacy at Eltham had irritated him. He w

smiling positiveness which is so aggravating: "I am very

then with anger, and asked, "When did ta lose

Swale to-day, and

a bigger old cheat than he is? I'll put my heart

and a clever lawyer against hi

too; but if he'd nobbut God and his mother to plead for him,

father, what Swal

tax on lying. My word, if there was

hat makes you trouble yourse

thful service given cheerfully for three hundred years. Why-a la

for the service. Any ho

thine, too. Ben may live to do th

st angrily, "There's things more unlikely; look here, my lad

prophetic way some speeches take, and they made an unpleasant impression on both father and son; just

air hearing. But every thing was against him, and at the end of the second day's trial, the squire came home in sincere trouble; Ben had been found guilty, bu

ad told upon her before the trial, and she had lost her cheerfulness somewhat. But

or woman now, be 't queen's sen; and I hev put my whole trust i' God. Such like goings on a

to come befor

's council-chamber-there's no key on that door, and there's no fe

e as far wrong as we think they are-may not b

im." "I understand what you mean, Martha-'as a thief in the night.' He breaks all bars and bursts all doors closed against him when he

t were Ben who shot him; and t' case were half done when that were said. Then Bingley were sworn, and he said, as he were coming ovver t' moor, about half past six, he heard a shot, and saw Ben Craven come from behind a whin

coming from t

ge, and was going across t' moor

ock swear

I noticed one thing, and I think the jury saw it, too-when Laycock were asked, 'if he were sure it was Ben that passed him,' he turned white to the varry lips, and could sca

Laycock swo

e swore t

en's working-suit ha

o light; see

poke f

it's chapel time; and so thou be ready to go wi' me.' Before I went out I looked into Ben's room, and he'd dressed himsen up i' his Sunday clothes, and were sitting studying i' a book called 'Mechanics;' and I said, 'Why, Ben! Whatever hes ta put thy best clot

cock swore that Ben had

ey swar

into deep wa

And good-night to you, dearies, now; for I want to be alone wi' him. He isn't far off; you can tak'

thstone, and Phyllis saw her glance upward at the four words, t

their good opinion, that it strikes me as singular," said Elizabeth, "that she seems to have forgott

at things upon their own level-the

walked with Phyllis and Elizabeth toward the park. He was a little man, with an unworldly air, and very clear truthful eyes. People came to their

arth, nodding her head wisely, "wha

ixon. He's on his way to a class-meet

n! What doe

lam and that American

They're in var

avens, depend on't. They say M

worrit, and better worrit; as if worritting wer' thy trade, and thou hed to work

n, I'm no

lk about there, and thou'lt not be tempted to say thin

o think o' this being t' first murder as iver was i' Hallam! a

out it; but go and talk i' thy class-meeting wi' Josiah Banks looking i

'll not

ll disappoint t

n the rector's proceedings. He was actually crossin

that, Ezra? Whativer's

going on

he didn't feel for poor Martha as well as ivery other kind he

obbut a Church o

hat t' rector is cut on

Christian, Peggy, eve

nciples, and I'm not a

s the park gates, talking of Martha and her great sorrow and great faith. Then the preacher turned back,

has," said the rector, as they walked thou

that clear far-off look with habitually gazing into eternity. It is a great privil

you are a Dissent

not. I am

s what

he same. I am quite su

has been well define

s bright thoughtful face, and said: "Do young

itual faith is built. I have found every side study of Methodism very interes

u sure

Dissent was convinced that Episcopacy was wrong; Methodism sprang from a sense of personal guilt. Dissent discussed schemes of church government, as if the salvation of the world depended upon certain forms; Methodism had

reasoning, Mi

to speak upon such matters. But ought not a young lady to know as mu

ght. What do you

history of my Church. I am ashame

John Wesley, as a man, has always possessed a great

he was really a very High-Churchman. He was even prejudiced against Presbyterians; and a very careless reader of his works must see that he was deeply impressed with the importance of Epis

nced field-preaching and reli

rch? Don't you think the Sermon on the Mount a

logical sequence. Here come Mr. Fontaine and the squire. I hop

ctor. "A 'good-evening,' parson. Thou thought I

, and that it would be sad for

urned round with the party; as he did so, drawing the rector's attention

if that is the

o. But about poor Mart

hes to b

sure I don't know wh

queen will

sn't any better than its called, I'll be bound; but if I was B

t be proved innocent. His m

r. You can't make 'em unde

tor. "Mother-love a

she saw a miracle of salvation. So did the Shunammite mother, and the Syro-phoenician mother, and millions of moth

can pray against t'

im, uncle. When you prayed for fine weather to get the hay in, did you expect it in spite of all the

t' wind kept i' such a contrary quarter; and it's like enough to rain to-night again, and heigh,

shelter the ladies' dresses were wet through, and there was so many evidences of a storm that the rector determined to stay all night with his frien

it o' raspberry tart, and some clouted cream, if there's owt o' t' sort in t' b

-apart sentences of "tithes," and, as the subject did not interest her, she let her eyes wander about the old room, noting its oaken walls, richly carved and almost black with age, and its heavy oaken furniture, the whole brightened up with many-colored rugs, and the gleaming silver and crystal on the high sideboard, and the gay geraniums and roses in the deep ba

and the fire were full of love, and sweet, reasonable contentment. When supper was over Richard and Elizabeth went quietly into the great entrance hall, where there was always a little fire burning. They had their own hopes and joys, in which no heart

t which fitted in comfortably to the pauses in a long pipe. But when he had finished his "thimbleful" of tob

that your niece thi

Churc

Episcopacy. He would suffer none to lay unconsecrated hands upon the sacra

ore the Reformation he might have founded an

e; but it would not have been one shut up behind walls. It would have been a preaching order, seve

le hand, which was upon hi

son, what does

very good description

hey began their cr

, also; but braver than all, wiser than all, was my grandfather Fontaine, who went into the wilderness of Tennessee an apostle of Methodism, with

itual heroes, Miss Fontaine; men,

nds of civilization-among the savages of the Pacific isles, and the barbarians of Asia and Africa; voices crying in the wilderness, 'God so loved the world, that he gave

heard it, M

e, let him hev it. I'se warrant

ing young preachers, he never said any thing else to them. 'Observe,' charged Wesley, 'it is not your busine

e, lift t' candle and both o' you come wi

to give a pleasant surprise. He led them to a large room above those in the east wing which

candle toward a picture over the fire

ley," sai

My great grandfather, Squire Gregory Hallam, was a Methodist-one o' t' first o' them-a

erful countenance," he said; "take a look at it, Miss Fontaine, and

is the face of a refined, thorough-bred ec

indeed, from th

arly-chiseled face-the face o

at. I have seen pictures of grand inqui

of Richelieu and Loyola, as uniting the calm iron will and acute eye of the one with the inventive genius and habitual devotion o

! Thou'lt be makkin' a

idea afore there was

onger. Thanks be! It's

to sleep in thi

aired bed-clothes is a' it wants. Thou's sure to sleep

ftly humming a tune to himself, and watching the pigeons promenade with little, timid, rapid steps, making their necks change like opals with ever

r hand in the rector's, and let him lead her to the end of the ter

p well in Wes

lifted another book upon the stand. It was 'The Pilgrim's Progress;' and this was the passage I lighted upon: 'The Pilgrim they laid in a large upper chamber facing the sunrisi

under

, child! I am