Framley Parsonage

y Lufton herself enough, perhaps, has been written to introduce her to my readers. The Framley property belonged to her son; but as Lufton Park - an ancient ramsha

. The widow would fain have seen more of him than he allowed her to do. He had a shooting lodge in Scotland, and apartments in London, and a string of horses in Leicestershire - much to the disgust of the country gentry around him, who

nd the gardens were trim and neat beyond all others in the county. Indeed, it was for its gardens only that Framley Court was celebrated. Village there was none, properly speaking. The high road went winding about through the Framley paddocks, shrubberies, and wood-skirted home fields, for a mile and a half, not two hundred yards of which ran in a straight line; and

ade to be mean and ugly; nor was it large enough for the congregation, some of whom were thus driven to the dissenting chapels, the Sions and Ebenezers, which had got themselves established on each side of the parish, in putting down which Lady Lufton

name, and they were great favourites with her ladyship, both having been servants up at the house. And here the road took a sudden turn to the left, turning, as it were, away from Framley Court; and just beyond the turn was the vicarage, so that there was a little garden path running from the back of the vicarage

with moderate means, and none of those expensive superfluities which immoderate gentlemen demand, or which themselves demand immoderate means. And then the gardens and paddocks were exactly suited to i

er from Framley Court, standing on that cross-road which runs from Framley Cross in a direction away from the mansion. This gentleman, the Rev Evan Jones, might from his age, have been the vicar's father; but he had been for many years curate at Framley; and though he was personally disliked by Lady Lufton, as being Low Church in his principles, and unsightly in his appearance, nevertheless,

Framley, outside the bounds of Framley Court, except those of fa

cultural virtue in all its purity? But among these backsliders, I regret to say, that men now reckon Lord Lufton. Not that he is a violent Whig, or perhaps that is a Whig at all. But he jeers and sneers at the old county doings; declares, when solicited on the subject, that, as far as he is concerned, Mr Bright may sit for the county, if he

y was a Whig, and was seated in Parliament mainly by that great Whig autocrat the Duke of Omnium, whose residence was more dangerous even than that of Mr Sowerby, and whom Lady Lufton regarded as an impersonation of Lucifer upon earth. Mr Sowerby, too, was unmarried - as indeed, also, was Lord Lufton, much to his mother's grief. Mr Sowerby, it is true, was fifty, whereas the young lord was as yet only twenty-five, but, nevertheless, her ladyship was becoming anxious on the subject. In her mind every man was bound to marry as soon as he could maintain a wife; and she held an idea - a quite private tenet, of which she was herself but imperfectly conscious - that men in general were inclined to neglect this duty for their own selfish gratifications, that the wicked ones encouraged the more innocent in this neglect, and that many would not marry at all, were not unseen exercised against them by t

ight be beaten - but not by the French, to the exclusion of the English, as had seemed to her to be too much the case; and hardly by the English under the dictatorship of Lord Palmerston. Indeed, she had had but little faith in that war after Lord Aberdeen had been expelled. If, indeed, Lord Derby could have come in! But now as to this Chaldicotes set. After all, there was nothing so very dangerous about them; for it was in London, not in the country, that Mr Sowerby indulged, if he did so indulge, his bachelor malpractices. Speaking of them as a set, the chief offender was Mr Harold Smith, or perhaps his wife. He also was a member of Parliament, and, as many thought, a rising man. His father had been for many years a debater in the House, and had held high office. Harold, in early life, had intended himself for the Cabinet; and if working hard at his trade could ensure success, h

ll-informed, nor perhaps altogether honest - what woman ever understood the necessity or recognised the advantage of political honesty? But then she was neither dull nor pompous, and if she was conceited, she did not show it. She

udie and Mrs Harold Smith were firm friends of four or five years standing - ever since the Proudies came into the diocese for the bishop was usually taken to Chaldicotes whenever Mrs Smith paid her brother a visit. Now Bishop Proudie was by no means a High Church dignitary, and Lady Lufton had never forgiven him for coming into that diocese. She had, instinctively, a high respect for the episcopal office; but of Bishop Proudie himself she hardly thought bet

he ministry, not anticipating much salvation from Mr Supplehouse, but willing as they usually are, to have the Jupiter at their back, did send for that gentleman, and gave him some footing among them. But how can a man to save a nation, and to lead a people, be content to fill the chair of an under-secretary? Supplehouse was not content, and soon gave it to be understood that his place was much higher than any yet tendered to him. The seals of high office, or war to the knife, was the alternative which he offered to a much-belaboured Head of Affairs - nothing doubting that the Head of Affairs would recognize the claimant's value, and would have before his eyes a wholesome fear of the Jupiter. But the H

owing morning. He was to start after lunch on that day, driving himself in his ow

ot. What good

; partly, perhaps, to show her that, as I had det

myself the disagreeable things she will say. Besides, I have not time. I must walk up and see Jones

s curate, and in speaking to him on the matter he could talk as though it were quite the proper thing for a vicar to meet his bishop at the house of a county member. And one would be inclined to say it was proper: only why co

e went to her school as usual, and made one or two calls among the farmers' wives, but put no foot within the Framley Court grounds. She was braver than her husband, but even she d

e so unfortunate to miss Mr

romised Mr Sowerby before he heard you were coming. Pray

ry to keep him from so m

to Chaldicotes, because he likes it better than Framley Court; but

nd's waist. 'Don't lose your eloquence in defending him

arts, showing by her countenance how eage

thinks so very highly of the vicar of Framley, that she

he bishop will be

ght to be very proud, I know, to find that he is so much thought of. But come, Fanny, I want you

Robarts made her friend promise that she would stand by he

nto the hall. Lady Meredith immediately knew what her friend meant, and decided that the evil day should not be

s opened, and there was Lad

bishop, and under those circumstances, perhaps, he could not refuse.' This was a stretch on the part of Lady Meredith - put in with

course we are very sorry not to have Mr Robarts; more especially as he was not here the last Sunday that Sir George was with us. I do like

r Robarts was so sorry that he had accepted this invitation to

as great attractions which we

Poor Fanny was only making it worse. Had she been worldly wise, she would have accepted

d any man refuse to join a party, graced both by Mrs Harold Smith an

, ma

for it has not been my fortune to meet her since her marriage. It may be conceited; but to own the truth, I think that Mr Robarts wou

owever, was too good a wife to hear these things said without some anger within her bosom. She could bla

then, Lady Lufton, people can't always go exactly whe

dy Lufton kissed her. 'As it is,' and she affected a low whisper between the two young wives 'as it is, we

enough at heart to like Mrs Robarts all th