The Broad Highway

enty thousand pounds in the fervent hope that it may help hi

lay back in his chair and laughed loudly. "Gad!" he exclaimed, still chuckling, "I'd give a hundred pou

dignified and solemn, coughed a

hin the year," repeated Si

ead of complying, Mr. Grainger laid down the parchment, and removing

unacquainted with you

" he in

en passed either at school or the university, but I

coach and four down Whitehall-on sidewalk-ran away with a French marquise while but a boy of twenty, and sho

derstand

waggered down St. James's." Having said which, Sir R

r. Grainger ponderously and as though more with the intenti

ight help a man to the devil a

below his expectations and sadly ina

unfortunate,"

usy at his spectacles again, "his

nt can be made to-but continue

king up the will, slowly and almost as though unw

bequeath my blessing and the sum of ten guineas in cash, wherewith to pur

e will, and again he regarded m

an must have been mad. Ten guineas-why, it's an insult-dam

ntrary, si

dn't think even he was capable of such a despicable trick-no-curse me if I did! Why, it would have

hen one comes to think of it, mu

e in the face, but bef

began to

all be paid to either Maurice or Peter Vibart aforesaid, if either shall, within

exclaimed

e bestowed upon such charity or charities as the trustees shall select. Signed by me, this tenth da

led very loudly as he folded it precisely and laid it on the table before him. I remember also that

all?" I inq

ainger, not looking

mured Sir Richard as i

opping suddenly befor

ng his hand down upon m

done for, boy-a cruell

said I to my

aimed Sir Richard, striding

on of Cambourne!" sai

ountry, London's mad over her-she can pick and choose from all the finest gentlemen in England

o see your arg

ng round on me, "d'you think yo

y n

ee kingdoms would give his very legs to marry her-either for her beauty or her fortune?" spluttered the baronet. "And let me

myself a better man than

he nearest chair and st

nfess it; so are you, so is Mr. Grainger yonder, so are we all of us egoists in thi

me!" said

heard that she once galloped her horse

n, Peter," add

, "and is above the average height, I believe, and I have a

of your milk-and-watery, meek-mouthed misses-curse me, no! She's all fire and blood and hi

, my wife must be sweet and shy, gentle-eyed and soft of voice, instead of your bold

"hark to him-and one glance of the glorious Sefton's bright eyes-one glance onl

the future?" said Mr. Grainger at this point; "life under y

tisfaction in stepping into a dead man's shoes, but I, very foolishly, perhaps, have a hankering for shoes of my own. Surely there must be some position in life t

ir Richard; "you won th

d I; "also 'Throw

and pounds per annum

h a new and original translation of Quintilian, another of Petronius Arbiter and

have hitherto found a p

ing

Brantome, as you are probably aware this is the firs

"ha!-and in the meantime

et come to no definite co

to accept a position in my office. To be sure the remuneration would be small at first

"which is infinitely preferable to that for w

you ac

never felt the least inclination to the practice of law; where there is no interest one's work must nec

hink of a priv

s, and that I am conscious of a certain shortness of temper at times, which might result in pain to my pupil, loss of

for me, I crossed to the window and stood staring out at the evening. Everywhere were trees tinted by the rosy glow of sunset, trees that stirred sleepily in the gen

l frowning at the ceiling, "what d

r field and meadow and hedgerow, for wood and coppice and shady stream, for sequestered inns and wide, wind-swept heaths, an

a walking tour throug

thence probabl

rable ten guinea

bsurd!" retort

"the more I ponder the project,

money is all

me useful employment," said

chard, "and you a scholar-an

quency and promiscuity, habitually to drink more than is good for him, and, between whiles, to fill in his time hunting, cock-fighting, or watching entranced while two men pound each other unrecognizable in the prize ring. Occasionally he has the good taste to break his

ard feebly, while Mr. Grainger burie

plough is far nobler and higher in the Scheme of Things than any of your young

up out of his chair, st

imed at last, "the b

my shoulders, but, bef

sed, sedate and

sed tour, Mr. Peter, whe

morrow mor

a letter addressed to me at Lincoln's Inn will always find me and receive my most earnest attention

n, "Peter, you are a fool, sir, a hot-headed, self-

should think s

upon me for any sum that-that you may require for the present-friendship's sake-

his unwilling hand, "I-I thank y

g his hand away and thrusting it hurried

y unforeseen calamity happen to me, I will most gladly, most grateful

claimed S

il t

o the door, and thereafter stood with his back to the empty fireplace, his fists thrust d

plain blue coat with its high roll collar and shining silver buttons, his spotless moleskins and heavy, square-toed riding boots, he was as fair a type as might be of the English country gentleman. It is such men as he, who, fearless upon the littered quarterdecks of

said he

?" s

our father to re

ir Ric

our mo

my mo

boy-po

ew my m

e chair again, and I saw that his mouth had grown wonderfully tender. "Your

he exception of my never-to-be

ught you to ri

ver knew," said I, laying my hand upon his arm. Si

ding whip and staring at it, "you see your uncle was

n all his companions were gone on their holidays-left to his books and

Sir Richard, redde

ove over in your coach and four, and carried me off in trium

im!" added

ear wheel on th

wn fault," sa

the ditch, curs

it, no better team in the south country. You'll remember the 'off w

, at Oxfor

" said Sir Richar

vase that used to stand on t

ed Sir Richard, inten

visited me, and when I hid the vase they turn

e money-necessary-now

ch

Sir Richard's horse was waiting. Hereupon the baronet, somewhat hastily, caugh

st his toe into the stirrup, and the

r," s

chard?"

your walk

es

After saying which he swung himself into the saddle with

, sir, because my m

uineas in y

ould be ample until I can f

d Sir Richard. "How is a boy, an unsophisticated, ho

ve done it

said the

better for i

said the

to see the world from the v

your damnable Revolutionary tendencies. Let me tell you, Want is a hard mas

I shall never be

"I'm growing old-and I shall never marry-and sometimes, Peter, of an evening I get very lonely and-lonely, Peter." He stopped for a while, gazin

d; it was the hand which held his whip, and I noti

herever I go I shall treasure the

, Pe

t,

mare. Yet once he turned in his saddle to flour