Chapter X.

The first carriages that rolled over the lawn to Bolton parsonage, on the succeeding day, were those of the baronet and his sister--the latter in advance.

"There, Francis," cried Emily, as she impatiently waited his removing some slight obstruction to her alighting, "thank you, thank you, that will do," and in the next moment she was in the extended arms of Clara; after pressing each other to their bosoms for a few moments in silence, Emily looked up, with a tear glistening in her eye, and first noticed the form of Denbigh, modestly withdrawing, as if unwilling to intrude on such pure and domestic feelings as the sisters exposed, unconscious of a witness-- her aunt and Jane, followed by Miss Chatterton, now entered, and cordial salutes and greetings flowed upon Clara from her various friends.

The baronet's coach had reached the door; in it were himself and wife, Mr. Benfield, and Lady Chatterton--Clara stood on the portico of the building ready to receive them, her face all smiles, and tears, and blushes, and her arm locked in that of Emily.

"I wish you joy of your new abode, Mrs. Francis"---Lady Mosely forgot her form, andbursting into tears, pressed her with ardour to her bosom.

"Clara, my love," said the baronet, hastily wiping his eyes, and succeeding his wife in the embrace of their child--he kissed her and pressing Francis by the hand, walked into the house in silence.

"Well--well," cried the dowager, as she saluted her cousin, "all looks comfortable and genteel here, upon my word Mrs. Ives; grapery--hot-houses--every thing in good order too, and Sir Edward tells me the living is worth a good five hundred a-year."

"So, girl, I suppose you expect a kiss," said Mr. Benfield, as he ascended the steps slowly, to the entrance--"kissing has gone much out of fashion lately; I remember, on the marriage of my friend, Lord Gosford, in the year fifty-eight, that all the maids and attendants were properly saluted in order. The lady Juliana was quite young then, not more than fifteen, it was there I got my first salute from her--but so--kiss me," and he continued as they went into the house, "marrying in that day was a serious business;

you might visit a lady a dozen times, before you could get a sight of her naked hand--who's that?" stopping short, and looking earnestly at Denbigh, who now approached them.

"Mr. Denbigh, sir," said Clara, and turning, she observed to Denbigh,

"my uncle, Mr. Benfield."

"Did you ever know, sir, a gentleman of your name, who sat in the parliament of this realm in the year sixty?" said Mr. Benfield; and then, turning an inquiring look on the figure of the young man, he added, "you don't look much like him."

"That is rather before my day, sir," said Denbigh, with a smile, and respectfully offering to relieve Clara, who supported him on one side, while Emily held his arm on the other. The old gentleman was particularly averse to strangers, and Emily was in terror, lest he should say something rude--but after examining Denbigh again, from head to foot, he took the offered arm, and replied by saying--

"True, true, that was sixty years ago; you can hardly recollect so long--

ah! Mr. Denbigh, times are sadly altered since my youth: people who were then glad to ride on a pillion, now drive their coaches; men who thought ale a luxury, now drink their port; aye! and those who went bare-foot, must have their shoes and stockings too. Luxury, sir, and the love of ease, will ruin this mighty empire; corruption has taken hold of every thing; the ministry buy the members, the members buy the ministry---every thing is bought and sold; now, sir, in the parliament I had a seat, there was a knot of us, as upright as posts, sir; my Lord Gosford was one,and General Denbigh was another, although I can't say I always liked his ways; how was he related to you, sir?"

"He was my grandfather," replied Denbigh, with a benevolent smile, and looking at Emily. Had the old man continued his speech an hour longer, Denbigh would not have complained; he had stopped while talking, and thus confronted him with the beautiful figure that supported his left arm.

Denbigh had contemplated in admiration, the varying countenance, which now blushed with apprehension, and now smiled in affection, or with an archer expression, as her uncle proceeded in his harangue on the times; but all felicity in this world has an end as well as misery; Denbigh retained the recollection of that speech, long after Mr. Benfield was comfortably seated in the parlour, though for his life he could not recollect a word he had said.

The Haughtons, the Jarvises, and a few others of their intimate acquaintances, now arrived, and the parsonage had the air of a busy scene; but John, who had undertaken to drive Grace Chatterton in his own phaeton, was yet absent; some little anxiety had begun to be manifested; when he appeared, dashing through the gates at a great rate, and with the skill of a member of the four-inhand.

Lady Chatterton had begun to be seriously uneasy, and was about to speak to her son togo in quest of them, as they came in sight; but now her fears vanished, and she could only suppose, that a desire to have Grace alone, could keep him so late, whose horses were so evidently fleet; accordingly she met them in great spirits, with--

"Upon my word, Mr. Moseley, I began to think you had taken the road to Scotland with my daughter, you staid so long."

"Your daughter, my Lady Chatterton," said John, cooly, "would neither go to Scotland with me, or any other man, or I am deceived in her character--Clara, my sister, how do you do," and he saluted the bride with great warmth.

"But what detained you, Moseley?" inquired his mother.

"One of the horses was restive, and broke the harness, and I stopped in the village while it was mended."

"And how did Grace behave?" asked Emily, laughing.

"Oh, a thousand times better than you would, sister; and as she always does, like an angel," said John, with fervour.

The only point in dispute between Emily and her brother, was her want of faith in his driving; while poor Grace, naturally timid, and unwilling to oppose, particularly the gentleman who then held the reins, had governed herself sufficiently to be silent and motionless; indeed, she could hardly do otherwise had she wished it; and John felt flattered toa degree, that, aided by the merit, the beauty, and the delicacy of the young lady herself, might have led to the very results her mother so anxiously wished to produce. But managers too often overdo their work. "Grace is a good girl," said her mother; "and you found her very valiant, Mr. Moseley?" "Oh, as brave as Cæsar," answered John, carelessly, and in a way that proved he was ironical. Grace, whose burning cheeks showed but too plainly, that praise from John Moseley was an incense too powerful for her resistance, now sunk back behind some of the company, endeavouring to conceal the tears that almost gushed from her eyes; as Denbigh, who had been a silent

spectator of the whole scene, observed, that he had seen an improvement which would obviate the difficulty Mr. Moseley had experienced; John turned to the speaker, and was about to reply, for he had heard of his being at the rectory the day before, as the tilbury of Colonel Egerton drove to the door, containing himself and his friend the captain.

The bride undoubtedly received congratulations on that day, more sincere than what were now offered, but none were delivered in a more graceful and insinuating manner than those from Colonel Egerton; he passed round the room, speaking to his acquaintances, until he arrived at the chair of Jane, who was seated next her aunt; here he stopped, and glancing his eye round, and saluting with bows and smiles the remainder of the party, appeared fixed at the centre of all attraction to him. "There is a gentleman I have never seen before," he observed to Mrs. Wilson, casting his eyes on Denbigh, whose back was towards him in discourse with Mr. Benfield.

"Yes, it is Mr. Denbigh, of whom you heard us speak," replied Mrs.

Wilson; and while she spoke, Denbigh faced them--Egerton started as he caught a view of his face, and seemed to gaze on the countenance, which was open to his inspection, with an earnestness that showed an interest of some kind, but such as was inexplicable to Mrs. Wilson, the only observer of this singular recognition, for such it evidently was; all was natural in the colonel--for the moment, his colour sensibly changed, and there was a peculiar expression in his face; it might be fear, it might be horror, it might be a strong aversion---it clearly was not love; Emily sat by her aunt, and Denbigh approached them, making a cheerful remark; it was impossible for the colonel and him to avoid each other, had they wished it; and Mrs.

Wilson thought she would try the experiment of an introduction--"Colonel Egerton--Mr. Denbigh;" both gentlemen bowed, but nothing striking was seen in the deportment of either, when the colonel, who was not exactly at ease, said hastily,

"Mr. Denbigh is, or has been, in the army too, I believe."

Denbigh now started in his turn; he cast a look on Egerton of fixed and settled meaning; and said carelessly, but still as if requiring an answer,

"I am, sir, yet; but do not recollect having the pleasure of seeing Colonel Egerton in the service."

"Your countenance is familiar, sir," replied the colonel, carelessly, "but at this moment, I cannot tax my memory with the place of our meeting,"

and he changed the discourse. It was some time, however, before either

gentleman recovered his ease, and many days elapsed ere any thing like intercourse passed between them; the colonel attached himself during this visit to Jane, with occasional notices of the Miss Jarvises, who began to manifest symptoms of uneasiness, at the decided preference he showed to a lady they now chose to look upon, in some measure, as a rival.

Mrs. Wilson and her charge were, on the other hand, entertained by the conversations of Chatterton and Denbigh, with occasional sallies from the lively John. There was something in the person and manner of Denbigh, that insensibly attracted towards him those whom fortune threw in his way.

His face was not strikingly handsome, but it was noble; and when he smiled, or was much animated with any emotion, it did not fail invariablyto communicate a spark of his own enthusiasm to the beholder; his figure was faultless--his air and manner, if less easy than that of Colonel Egerton, was more sincere and ingenuous, his breeding clearly high, and his respect rather bordering on the old school; but in his voice there existed a charm, which would make him, when he spoke of love that he felt, to a female ear, almost resistless; it was soft, deep, melodious.

"Baronet," said the rector, with a smile on his son and daughter-in-law,

"I love to see my children happy, and Mrs. Ives threatens a divorce, if I go on in the manner I have commenced; she says I desert her for Bolton."

"Why, doctor, if our wives conspire against us, and prevent our enjoying a comfortable dish of tea with Clara, or a glass of wine with Frank, we must call in the higher authorities as umpires--what say you, sister; is a parent to desert his child in any case?"

"My opinion is," said Mrs. Wilson, with a smile, yet speaking with emphasis, "that a parent is not to desert a child, in any case, or in any manner."

"Do you hear that, my Lady Moseley," cried the baronet, good humouredly.

"Do you hear that, my Lady Chatterton," cried John, who had just taken a seat by Grace, as her mother approached them.

"I hear it, but do not see the application, Mr. Moseley."

"No, my lady! why there is the honourable Miss Chatterton, almost dying to play a game of her favourite chess with Mr. Denbigh; she has beat us all but him, you know."

And as Denbigh politely offered to meet the challenge, the board was produced; and the lady attended, with a view, however, to prevent any of

those consequences she was generally fond of seeing result from this amusement; every measure taken by this prudent mother, being literally governed by judicious calculation--"Well," thought John, as he viewed the players, while listening with pleasure to the opinions of Grace, who had recovered her composure and spirits; "Kate has played one game without using her feet."