There will now be a general election, said Exham positively.
To be sure, answered the Squire. And it is to be hoped we may get together a few men that will take the Bull of Reform by the horns, and put a stop to that nonsense forever in England.
Before they do that, said Mrs. Atheling, they will have to consider the swarms of people they have brought up in dirt, and rags, and misery. For if they dont, they will bring ruin to the nation that owns them.
King William is a fighter. He will back the Law with bayonets, if he thinks it right, said the Squire.
Mrs. Atheling looked at him indignantly. Then, putting her cup down with unmistakable emphasis, she exclaimed, The Lord forgive thee, John Atheling! Ill say one thing, and Ill say it now, and forever, it isnt law backed with bayonets that has saved England so far; it is the bit of religion in every mans heart, and his trust that somehow God will see him righted. If it wasnt for that it would have been all up with our set long ago.
That is just the way women talk politics, said the Squire, with some contempt. If there was nothing else in this Reform business to make a man sick, the way they have given in to women, and got them to form clubs and make speeches, is enough to set any sensible person against Reform; and if there is no way of talking people into doing what is rightthen they must be made to do right; and thats all there is about it.
Very well, John; but there are two sides to play at making other people do right. Ill tell you one thing, the Government will have to take a lot of things into consideration before they put their trust in backing law with bayonets. It wont work! Let them start doing it, and we shall all find ourselves in a wrong box.
I think there is much good sense in what Mrs. Atheling believes, said Lord Exham.
And as for the Reformers getting round the women of the country, she continued, that is as it should be. Men have done all the governing for six thousand years; and, in the main, they have made a very bad job of it. Happen, a few kind-hearted women would help things forwarder. There is going to be some alterations, you may depend upon it, John.
Father, said Kate, you had better not argue with mother. She knows a deal more about the country than you think she does; and mother is always right.
To be sure, Kate. To hear mother talk, she knows a lot; but if she would take my advice, she would forget a lot, and try and learn something better. Then touching his wifes hand, he continued, Maude, I always did believe thou wert in favour of the land, and the law, and the King.
I dont know that I ever said such a thing, John; but thou mayst have believed it. What I thought, was another matter. And I am beginning to think aloud now, that makes all the difference.
Such divided opinions were in every household; and yet, upon the whole, the death of the selfish, intolerant George was a hopeful event. When people are desperate, any change is a promise; and William had a reputation not only for good nature, but also for that love of fair play which is the first article of an Englishmans personal creed. He came to the throne on the twenty-sixth of June; and on the twenty-ninth Parliament resumed its sittings. Mr. Brougham led the opposition, and violent debates and unmeasured language distinguished the short session. The Duke of Wellington, representing the Government, was prominently bitter against Reform of every kind; and Mr. Brougham boldly declared that any Minister now hoping to rule either by royal favour or military power would be overwhelmed. In less than a month the King prorogued Parliament in person, and in so doing, congratulated his country on the tranquillity of Europe. Forty-eight hours afterwards, France was insurgent, and Paris in arms. Three days of most determined fighting followed; and then Charles the Tenth was driven from his throne, and the white flag of the Bourbon tyranny gave place to the Tri-colour of Liberty.
Now if there had been a direct electric or magnetic current between England and the Continent, the effect could not have been more sympathetically startling; and these three memorable Days of July in Paris impelled forward, with an irresistible impetus, the cause of freedom in England. The nobility and the landed gentry were gravely aware of this effect; and the great middle class, and the working men in every county, were stirred to more hopeful and united action. Far and wide the people began anew to express, in various ways, their determination to have the Tory Ministers dismissed, and a Liberal Government in favour of Reform inaugurated.
For the first time the Squire was anxious. For the first time he saw and felt positive symptoms of insubordination among his own people. Pickerings barns were burnt one night; and a few nights afterwards, Rudbys hay-ricks. Squire Atheling was a man of prompt action; one well disposed to do in his own manor what he expected the Government to do in the country,take the Reform bull by the horns. He sent for all his labourers to meet him in the farm court at Atheling; and when they were gathered there, he stood up on the stone wall which enclosed one side of it and said in his strong, resonant voice,
Now, men of Atheling manor and village, you have been sulky and ugly for two or three weeks. You arent sulky and ugly without knowing why you are so. If you are Yorkshiremen worth your bread and bacon, you will out with your grievancewhatever it is. Tom Gisburn, what is it?
We cant starve any longer, Squire. We want two shillings a week more wages. Me and mine would hev been in t churchyard if thy Missis hed been as hard-hearted as thysen.
I will give you all one shilling a week more.
Nay, but a shilling wont do. Thy Missis is good, and Miss Kate is good; but we want our rights; and we hev made up our minds that two shillings a week more wage will nobbut barely cover them. We are varry poor, Squire! Varry poor indeed!
The man spoke sadly and respectfully; and the Squire looked at him, and at the stolid, anxious faces around with an angry pity. Ill tell you what, men, he continued; everything in England is going to the devil. Englishmen are getting as ill to do with as a lot of grumbling, contrary, bombastic Frenchers. If youll promise me to stand by the King, and the land, and the laws, and give these trouble-making Reformers a dip in the horse-pond if any of them come to Atheling againwhy, then, I will give you allevery one of youtwo shillings a week more wage.
Nay, Squire, well not sell oursens for two shillings a week; not one of useh, men? and Gisburn looked at his fellows interrogatively.
Sell oursens! replied the Squires blacksmith, a big, hungry-looking fellow in a leather apron; no! no, Squire! Thou oughtest to know us better. Sell oursens! Not for all the gold guineas in Yorkshire! Well sell thee our labour for two shilling a week more wage, and thankful; but our will, and our good-will, thou cant buy for any money.
There was a subdued cheer at these words from the men, and the Squires face suddenly lightened. His best self put his lower self behind him. Sawley, he answered, thou art well nicknamed Straight-up! and I dont know but what Im very proud of such an independent, honourable lot of men. Such as you wont let the land suffer. Remember, you were all born on it, and youll like enough be buried in it. Stand by the land then; and if two shillings a week more wage will make you happy, you shall have it,if I sell the gold buttons off my coat to pay it. Are we friends now?
A hearty shout answered the question, and the Squire continued, Then go into the barn, and eat and drink your fill. Youll find a barrel of old ale, and some roast beef, and wheat bread there.
In this way he turned the popular discontent from Atheling, and doubtless saved his barns and hay-ricks; but he went into his house angry at the men, and angry at his wife and daughter. They had evidently been aiding and succouring these discontents and their families; andas he took care to point out to Kateevil and not good had been the result. I have to give now as a right, he said, what thee and thy mother have been giving as a kindness! And his temper was not improved by hearing from the barn the noisy huzzas with which the name of the young Squire was received, and his health drank.
Wife, and son, and daughter! all of them against me! I wonder what I have done to be served in such a way? he exclaimed sorrowfully. And then Kate forgot everything about politics. She said all kinds of consoling words without any regard for the Reform Bill, and, with the sweetest kisses, promised her father whatever she thought would make him happy. It is an unreasonable, delightful way that belongs to loving women; and God help both men and women when they are too wise for such sweet deceptions!
Yet the Squire carried a hot, restless heart to the Dukes meeting that night; and he was not pleased to find that the tactics he had used with his labourers met with general and great disapproval. Those men who had already suffered loss, and those who knew that they had gone beyond a conciliating policy, said some ugly words about knuckling down, and it required all the Dukes wisdom and influence to represent it as a wise temporary concession, to be recalled as soon as the election was over, and the Tory Government safely reinstalled.
Upon the whole, then, Squire Atheling had not much satisfaction in his position; and every day brought some new tale of thrilling interest. All England was living a romance; and people got so used to continual excitement that they set the homeliest experiences of life to great historical events. During the six weeks following the death of King George the Fourth occurred the new Kings coronation, the dissolution of Parliament, the Three Days of July, and the landing of the exiled French King in England; all of these things being accompanied by agrarian outrages in the farming districts, the destruction of machinery in the manufacturing towns, and constant political tumults wherever men congregated.
The next six weeks were even more restless and excited. The French King was a constant subject of interest to the Reformers; for was he not a stupendous example of the triumph of Liberal principles? He was reported first at Lulworth Castle in Devonshire. Then he went to Holyrood Palace in Edinburgh. The Scotch Reformers resented his presence, and perpetually insulted him, until Sir Walter Scott made a manly appeal for the fallen tyrant. And while the Bourbon sat in Holyrood, a sign and a text for all lovers of Freedom, England was in the direst storm and stress of a general election. The men of the Fen Country were rising. The Universities were arming their students. There was rioting in this city and that city. The Tories were gaining. The Reformers were gaining. Both sides were calling passionately on the women of the country to come to their help, without it seeming to occur to either that if women had political influence, they had also political rights.
But the end was just what all these events predicated. When the election was over, the Tory Government had lost fifty votes in the House of Commons; but Piers Exham was Member of Parliament for the borough of Gaythorne, and Squire Atheling was the Representative of the Twenty-two Tory citizens of the village of Asketh.
CHAPTER FIFTH
ANNABEL VYNER
The first chapter of Kates and Piers love-story was told to these stirring events. They were like a trumpet obligato in the distance thrilling their hearts with a keener zest and a wider sympathy. True, the sympathy was not always in unison, for Piers was an inflexible partisan of his own order, yet in some directions Kates feelings were in perfect accord. For instance, at Exham Hall and at Atheling Manor-house, there was the same terror of the mobs firebrand, and the same constant watch for its prevention. These buildings were not only the cherished homes of families; they were houses of national pride and record. Yet many such had perished in the unreasoning anger of multitudes mad with suffering and a sense of wrong; and the Squire and the Lord alike kept an unceasing watch over their habitations. On this subject, all were unanimous; and the fears, and frights, and suspicions relating to it drew the families into much closer sympathy.
After the election was over, there was a rapid subsidence of public feeling; the people had taken the first step triumphantly; and they were willing to wait for its results. Then the Richmoor family began to consider an immediate removal to London, and, as a preparatory courtesy, gave a large dinner party at the Castle. As Kate was not yet in society, she had no invitation; but the Squire and Mrs. Atheling were specially honoured guests.
The Squire has been of immense service to me, said Richmoor to his Duchess. A man so sincere and candid I have seldom met. He has spoken well for us, simply and to the point, and I wish you to pay marked attention to Mrs. Atheling.
Of course, if you desire it, I will do so. Who was Mrs. Atheling? Is she likely to be detrimental in town or troublesome?
She is the daughter of the late Thomas Hardwicke, of Hardwickeas you know, a very ancient county family. She had a good fortune; in fact, she brought the Squire the Manor of Belward.
In appearance, is she presentable?
She was very handsome some years ago. I have not seen her for a long time.
I dare say she has grown stout and red; and she will probably wear blue satin in honour of her husbands Tory principles. These county dames always think it necessary to wear their party colours. I counted eleven blue satin dresses at our last election dinner.
Even if she does wear blue satin, I should like you to be exceedingly civil to her.
I suppose you know that Piers has been at Atheling a great deal. I heard in some way thatin fact, Duke, that Piers and Miss Atheling were generally considered lovers.
The Duke laughed. I think I understand Piers, he said. These incendiary terrors have drawn people together; and there has also been the election business as well. Many perfectly necessary natural causes have taken Piers to Atheling.
Miss Atheling, for instance!
Oh, perhaps so! Why not? When I was a young man, I thought it both necessary and natural to have a pretty girl to ride and walk with. But riding and walking with a lovely girl is one thing; marrying her is another. Piers knows that he is expected to marry Annabel Vyner; he knows that for many reasons it will be well for him to do so. And above all other considerations, Piers puts his family and his caste.
The Dukes absolute confidence in his son satisfied the Duchess. She looked upon her husband as a man of wonderful penetration and invincible wisdom. If he was not uneasy about Piers and Miss Atheling, there was no necessity for her to carry an anxious thought on the subject; and she was glad to be fully released from it. Yet she had more than a passing curiosity about Kates mother. The Squire she had frequently seen, both in the pink of the hunting-field and in the quieter dress of the dinner-table. But it so happened that she had never met Mrs. Atheling; and, on entering the great drawing-room, her eyes sought the only lady present who was a stranger to her.