Lady Marney had received Egremont in a manner which expressed the extreme satisfaction she experienced at finding him once more beneath his brothers roof. When he arrived indeed, he would have preferred to have been shown at once to his rooms, but a message immediately delivered expressed the wish of his sister-in-law at once to see him. She received him alone and with great warmth. She was beautiful, and soft as May; a glowing yet delicate face; rich brown hair, and large blue eyes; not yet a mother, but with something of the dignity of the matron blending with the lingering timidity of the girl.
Egremont was glad to join his sister-in-law again in the drawing-room before dinner. He seated himself by her side; and in answer to her enquiries was giving her some narrative of his travels; the Vicar who was very low church, was shaking his head at Lady Marneys young friend, who was enlarging on the excellence of Mr Pagets tales; while Captain Grouse, in a very stiff white neck-cloth, very tight pantaloons, to show his very celebrated legs, transparent stockings and polished shoes, was throwing himself into attitudes in the back ground, and with a zeal amounting almost to enthusiasm, teaching Lady Marneys spaniel to beg; when the door opened, and Lord Marney entered, but as if to make security doubly sure, not alone. He was accompanied by a neighbour and brother magistrate, Sir Vavasour Firebrace, a baronet of the earliest batch, and a gentleman of great family and great estate.
Well Charles!
How are you George?
And the brothers shook hands.
Tis the English way; and if they had been inclined to fall into each others arms, they would not probably have done more.
In a few minutes it was announced that dinner was served, and so, secured from a scene, having a fair appetite, and surrounded by dishes that could agreeably satisfy it, a kind of vague fraternal sentiment began to stir the breast of Lord Marney: he really was glad to see his brother again; remembered the days when they rode their poneys and played cricket; his voice softened, his eyes sparkled, and he at length exclaimed, Do you know, old fellow, it makes me quite happy to see you here again. Suppose we take a glass of wine.
The softer heart and more susceptible spirit of Egremont were well calculated to respond to this ebullition of feeling, however slight; and truly it was for many reasons not without considerable emotion, that he found himself once more at Marney. He sate by the side of his gentle sister-in-law, who seemed pleased by the unwonted cordiality of her husband, and anxious by many kind offices to second every indication of good feeling on his part. Captain Grouse was extremely assiduous: the vicar was of the deferential breed, agreed with Lady Marney on the importance of infant schools, but recalled his opinion when Lord Marney expressed his imperious hope that no infant schools would ever be found in his neighbourhood. Sir Vavasour was more than middle aged, comely, very gentlemanlike, but with an air occasionally of absence which hardly agreed with his frank and somewhat hearty idiosyncracy; his clear brow, florid complexion, and blue eye. But Lord Marney talked a good deal, though chiefly dogmatical or argumentative. It was rather difficult for him to find a sufficient stock of opposition, but he laid in wait and seized every opening with wonderful alacrity. Even Captain Grouse could not escape him; if driven to extremity Lord Marney would even question his principles on fly-making. Captain Grouse gave up, but not too soon; he was well aware that his noble friends passion for controversy was equal to his love of conquest. As for Lady Marney, it was evident that with no inconsiderable talents, and with an intelligence richly cultivated, the controversial genius of her husband had completely cowed her conversational charms. She never advanced a proposition that he did not immediately bristle up, and she could only evade the encounter by a graceful submission. As for the vicar, a frequent guest, he would fain have taken refuge in silence, but the earl, especially when alone, would what he called draw him out, and the game once unearthed, with so skilled a pack there was but little fear of a bad run. When all were reduced to silence, Lord Marney relinquishing controversy, assumed the positive. He eulogized the new poor law, which he declared would be the salvation of the country, provided it was carried out in the spirit in which it was developed in the Marney Union; but then he would add that there was no district except their union in which it was properly observed. He was tremendously fierce against allotments and analysed the system with merciless sarcasm, Indeed he had no inconsiderable acquaintance with the doctrines of the economists, and was rather inclined to carry them into practice in every instance, except that of the landed proprietary, which he clearly proved stood upon different grounds to that of any other interest. There was nothing he hated so much as a poacher, except a lease; though perhaps in the catalogue of his aversions, we ought to give the preference to his anti-ecclesiastical prejudice: this amounted even to acrimony. Though there was no man breathing who was possessed with such a strong repugnance to subscriptions of any kind, it delighted Lord Marney to see his name among the contributors to all sectarian institutions. The vicar of Marney, who had been presented by himself, was his model of a priest: he left every body alone. Under the influence of Lady Marney, the worthy vicar had once warmed up into some ebullition of very low church zeal; there was some talk of an evening lecture, the schools were to be remodelled, certain tracts were actually distributed. But Lord Marney soon stopped all this. No priestcraft at Marney, said this gentle proprietor of abbey lands.
I wanted very much to come and canvass for you, said Lady Marney to Egremont, but George did not like it.
The less the family interfered the better, said Lord Marney; and for my part, I was very much alarmed when I heard my mother had gone down.
Oh! my mother did wonders, said Egremont: we should have been beat without her. Indeed, to tell the truth, I quite gave up the thing the moment they started their man. Before that we were on velvet; but the instant he appeared everything was changed, and I found some of my warmest supporters, members of his committee.
You had a formidable opponent, Lord Marney told me, said Sir Vavasour. Who was he?
Oh! a dreadful man! A Scotchman, richer than Croesus, one McDruggy, fresh from Canton, with a million of opium in each pocket, denouncing corruption, and bellowing free trade.
But they do not care much for free trade in the old borough? said Lord Marney.
No, it was a mistake, said Egremont, and the cry was changed the moment my opponent was on the ground. Then all the town was placarded with Vote for McDruggy and our young Queen, as if he had coalesced with her Majesty.
My mother must have been in despair, said Lord Marney.
We issued our placard instantly of Vote for our young Queen and Egremont, which was at least more modest, and turned out more popular.
That I am sure was my mother, said Lord Marney.
No, said Egremont; it was the effusion of a far more experienced mind. My mother was in hourly communication with head quarters, and Mr Taper sent down the cry by express.
Peel, in or out, will support the Poor Law, said Lord Marney, rather audaciously, as he reseated himself after the ladies had retired. He must; and he looked at his brother, whose return had in a great degree been secured by crying that Poor Law down.
It is impossible, said Charles, fresh from the hustings, and speaking from the card of Taper, for the condition of the people was a subject of which he knew nothing.
My mother must have been in despair, said Lord Marney.
We issued our placard instantly of Vote for our young Queen and Egremont, which was at least more modest, and turned out more popular.
That I am sure was my mother, said Lord Marney.
No, said Egremont; it was the effusion of a far more experienced mind. My mother was in hourly communication with head quarters, and Mr Taper sent down the cry by express.
Peel, in or out, will support the Poor Law, said Lord Marney, rather audaciously, as he reseated himself after the ladies had retired. He must; and he looked at his brother, whose return had in a great degree been secured by crying that Poor Law down.
It is impossible, said Charles, fresh from the hustings, and speaking from the card of Taper, for the condition of the people was a subject of which he knew nothing.
He will carry it out, said Lord Marney, youll see, or the land will not support him.
I wish, said Sir Vavasour, we could manage some modification about out-door relief.
Modification! said Lord Marney; why there has been nothing but modification. What we want is stringency.
The people will never bear it, said Egremont; there must be some change.
You cannot go back to the abuses of the old system, said Captain Grouse, making, as he thought, a safe observation.
Better go back to the old system, than modify the new, said Lord Marney.
I wish the people would take to it a little more, said Sir Vavasour; they certainly do not like it in our parish.
The people are very contented here, eh Slimsey? said Lord Marney.
Very, said the vicar.
Hereupon a conversation took place, principally sustained by the earl and the baronet, which developed all the resources of the great parochial mind. Dietaries, bastardy, gaol regulations, game laws, were amply discussed; and Lord Marney wound up with a declaration of the means by which the country might be saved, and which seemed principally to consist of high prices and low church.
If the sovereign could only know her best friends, said Sir Vavasour, with a sigh.
Lord Marney seemed to get uneasy.
And avoid the fatal mistakes of her predecessor, continued the baronet.
Charles, another glass of claret, said the earl.
She might yet rally round the throne a body of men
Then we will go to the ladies, said the earl, abruptly disturbing his guest.
Book 2 Chapter 2
There was music as they re-entered the drawing-room. Sir Vavasour attached himself to Egremont.
It is a great pleasure for me to see you again, Mr Egremont; said the worthy baronet. Your father was my earliest and kindest friend. I remember you at Firebrace, a very little boy. Happy to see you again, Sir, in so eminent a position; a legislatorone of our legislators. It gave me a sincere satisfaction to observe your return.
You are very kind, Sir Vavasour.
But it is a responsible position, continued the baronet. Think you theyll stand? A majority. I suppose, they have; but, I conclude, in time; Sir Robert will have it in time? We must not be in a hurry; the more hasteyou know the rest. The country is decidedly conservative. All that we want now is a strong government, that will put all things to rights. If the poor king had lived
He would have sent these men to the right-abouts; said Egremont, a young politician, proud of his secret intelligence.
Ah! the poor king! said Sir Vavasour, shaking his head.
He was entirely with us, said Egremont.
Poor man said Sir Vavasour.
You think it was too late, then? said his companion.
You are a young man entering political life, said the baronet, taking Egremont kindly by the arm, and leading him to a sofa; everything depends on the first step. You have a great opportunity. Nothing can be done by a mere individual. The most powerful body in this country wants a champion.
But you can depend on Peel? said Egremont.
He is one of us: we ought to be able to depend on him. But I have spoken to him for an hour, and could get nothing out of him.
He is cautious; but depend upon it, he will stand or fall by the land.
I am not thinking of the land, said Sir Vavasour; of something much more important; with all the influence of the land, and a great deal more besides; of an order of men who are ready to rally round the throne, and are, indeed, if justice were done to them, its natural and hereditary champions (Egremont looked perplexity); I am speaking, added Sir Vavasour, in a solemn voice, I am speaking of the baronets.
The baronets! And what do they want?
Their rights; their long withheld rights. The poor king was with us. He has frequently expressed to me and other deputies, his determination to do us justice; but he was not a strong-minded man, said Sir Vavasour, with a sigh; and in these revolutionary and levelling times, he had a hard task perhaps. And the peers, who are our brethren, they were, I fear, against us. But in spite of the ministers, and in spite of the peers, had the poor king lived, we should at least have had the badge, added Sir Vavasour mournfully.
The badge!
It would have satisfied Sir Grosvenor le Draughte, said Sir Vavasour; and he had a strong party with him; he was for compromise, but d him, his father was only an accoucheur.
And you wanted more? inquired Egremont, with a demure look.
All, or nothing, said Sir Vavasour; principle is ever my mottono expediency. I made a speech to the order at the Clarendon; there were four hundred of us; the feeling was very strong.
A powerful party, said Egremont.
And a military order, sir, if properly understood. What could stand against us? The Reform Bill could never have passed if the baronets had been organized.
I have no doubt you could bring us in now, said Egremont.
That is exactly what I told Sir Robert. I want him to be brought in by his own order. It would be a grand thing.
There is nothing like esprit de corps, said Egremont.
And such a body! exclaimed Sir Vavasour, with animation. Picture us for a moment, to yourself going down in procession to Westminster for example to hold a chapter. Five or six hundred baronets in dark green costume,the appropriate dress of equites aurati; each not only with his badge, but with his collar of S.S.; belted and scarfed; his star glittering; his pennon flying; his hat white with a plume of white feathers; of course the sword and the gilt spurs. In our hand, the thumb ring and signet not forgotten, we hold our coronet of two balls!
Egremont stared with irrepressible astonishment at the excited being, who unconsciously pressed his companions arm, as he drew this rapid sketch of the glories so unconstitutionally withheld from him.
A magnificent spectacle! said Egremont.
Evidently the body destined to save this country, eagerly continued Sir Vavasour. Blending all sympathies: the crown of which they are the peculiar champions; the nobles of whom they are the popular branch; the people who recognize in them their natural leaders. But the picture is not complete. We should be accompanied by an equal number of gallant knights, our elder sons, who, the moment they come of age, have the right to claim knighthood of their sovereign, while their mothers and wives, no longer degraded to the nomenclature of a sheriffs lady, but resuming their legal or analogical dignities, and styled the honourable baronetess, with her coronet and robe, or the honourable knightess, with her golden collar of S.S., and chaplet or cap of dignity, may either accompany the procession, or ranged in galleries in a becoming situation, rain influence from above.