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Bloodsuck and Son, whose town agents were,
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Quirk, Gammon, and Snap; but _their_ names never came under the eye of the defendants! No longer could the poor villagers, and poorer tenants, reckon on their former assistance from the Hall in the hour of sickness and distress: cowslip wine, currant wine, elderberry wine, if made, were consumed in the Hall. In short, there was a discontinuance of all those innumerable little endearing courtesies, and charities, and hospitalities, which render a good old country mansion the very _heart_ of the neighborhood. The doctor in one of his letters, intimated, with a sort of agony, that he had heard it mentioned by the people at the Hall as probable, that Mr. Titmouse--the little Goth--would pull down that noble old relic, the turreted gateway; but that Mr. Gammon was vehemently opposed to such a measure; and that, if it were preserved after all, it would be entirely owing to the taste and the influence of that gentleman. Had Dr. Tatham chosen, he could have added a fact which would indeed have saddened his friends--viz. that the old sycamore, which had been preserved at the fond entreaties of Kate, and which was hallowed by so many sad and tender associations, had been long ago removed, as a sort of eyesore: Mr. Gammon had, in fact, directed it to be done; but he repeatedly expressed to Dr. Tatham, confidentially, his regret at such an act on the part of Titmouse. The doctor could also have told them that there had been a dog-fight in the village, at which Mr. Titmouse was present! Persons were beginning to make their appearance too, at Yatton, of a very different description from any who had been seen there in the time of the Aubreys--persons, now and then, of loose, and wild, and reckless characters. Mr. Titmouse would often get up a fight in the village, and reward the victor with five or ten shillings! Then the snug and quiet little
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Aubrey Arms was metamorphosed into the
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Titmouse Arms and another set up in opposition to it, and called
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The Toper's Arms; and it was really painful to see the increasing trade driven by each of them. They were both full every night, and often during the day also; and the vigilant, and affectionate, and grieved eye of the good vicar noticed several seats in the church, which had formerly been occupied every Sunday morning and afternoon, to be--empty! In his letters, he considerately sank the grosser features of Titmouse's conduct, which would have only uselessly grieved and disgusted his beloved correspondents. He informed them, however, from time to time, of the different visitors at the Hall, particularly of the arrival and movements of their magnificent kinsfolk, the Earl of Dreddlington and Lady Cecilia, the Marquis Gants-Jaunes de Millefleurs and Mr. Tuft--the novel state and ceremony which had been suddenly introduced there--at which they all ceased reading for a moment, and laughed, well knowing the character of Lord Dreddlington. At length, some considerable time after Mr. Titmouse's grand visitors had been at the Hall, there came a letter from Dr. Tatham, sent by a private hand, and not reaching Vivian Street till the evening, when they were sitting together, after dinner, as usual, and which contained intelligence that was received in sudden silence, and with looks of astonishment; viz. _that Mr. Titmouse had become the acknowledged suitor of the Lady Cecilia_!! Mr. Aubrey, after a moment's pause, laughed more heartily than they had heard him laugh for many months--getting up, at the same time, and walking once or twice across the room--Mrs. Aubrey and Miss Aubrey gazed at each other for a few moments, without speaking a word; and you could not have told whether their fair countenances showed more of amusement or of disgust at the intelligence.
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Well! it is as I have often told you, Kate, commenced Mr. Aubrey, after a while resuming his seat, and addressing his sister with an air of good-humored raillery;
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Indeed, Charles, quoth Kate, earnestly,
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I do think it's too painful a subject for a joke.
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Why, Kate!--You must bear it as well
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Pho, pho--nonsense, Charles! To be serious--did you ever hear anything so shocking as
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Do you mean to tell me, Kate, commenced her brother, assuming suddenly such a serious air as for a moment imposed on his sister,
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For an instant, Kate looked as if she would have made, in the eye of the statuary, an exquisite model of beautiful disdain--provoked by the bare idea even, and put forward, as she knew, in raillery only.
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You know, Charles, said she at length, calmly, her features relaxing into a smile,
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--she shuddered--
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Ah, Kate, Kate! exclaimed her brother, with a look of infinite pride and fondness.
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Even supposing for a moment that you had no prev
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Come, Charles, no more nonsense,
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I say, that even if
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Only fancy, interrupted Kate,
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--she paused, and added laughingly,
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What! said Mrs. Aubrey, with a sly smile, first at her husband, and then at Kate,
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Nonsense, nonsense, Agnes!--what a provoking humor you are both in this evening, interrupted Kate, with a slight pettishness;
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I suppose that about the same time that Lady Cecilia Titmouse goes to court, said her brother,
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If you choose to tease me, Charles, of course I cannot help it,
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Mrs. De
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Have done, Charles!
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Mrs. De--Dela--Delamere,
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I will finish it for you, Charles, said Mrs. Aubrey,
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What! do _you_ turn against me too?
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I wonder what her stately Ladyship's feelings were, said Aubrey, after a pause,
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Eugh!
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I dare say poor old Lord Dreddlington's notion is, that this will be a fine opportunity for bringing about his favorite scheme of _reuniting the families_--Heaven save the mark!