Cranford ... With sixteen illustrations by H. M. Brock

Front matter

CRANFORD Cofyftght, Service & Paton. 1S9S. Page 4&* CRANFORD BY MRS. GASKELL IVirH SIXTEEN ILLUSTRATIONS BY H. M. BROCK iLonUon SERVICE & PATON 5 HENRIETTA STREET COVENT GARDEN Tbi Illustrations in this Volume are the copyright of Seraice & Paton, London CONTENTS CHAP. PAGE I. OUR SOCIETY . . . . . . .11 II. THE CAPTAIN ....... 29 III. A LOVE AFFAIR OF LONG AGO . . . .51 IV. A VISIT TO AN OLD BACHELOR .... 67 V. OLD LETTERS ....... 85 VI. POOR PETER ....... 103 VII. VISITING . . • • • • • .123 VIII. "your ladyship" ...... 141 IX. SIGNOR brunoni . . . ■ • .163 X. THE PANIC . . . . • ■ .179 XI. SAMUEL BROWN . . . . . • .201 XII. ENGAGED TO BE MARRIED ..... 221 XIII. STOPPED PAYMENT ...... 235 XIV. FRIENDS IN NEED . . . ■ • ■ 253 XV. A HAPPY RETURN . . . . . .281 XVI. PEACE TO CRANFORD . . . . . .301 LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS By H. M. BROCK "come in — come to my sister at once " Frontispiece PAGE TO DISCOVER THE CAUSE OF A SMOKING CHIMNEY . . 18 WITH HIS ARM ROUND MISS JESSIe's WAIST ! ... 49 MR. HOLBROOK APPEARED AT THE DOOR . . . .70 MISS JENKYNS'S LETTERS ....... 98 HE AVALKED SLOWER, THAT THEY MIGHT HAVE MORE TIME TO ADMIRE ........ 109 "HUSH LADIES!

IF YOU PLEASE, HUSH ! " .... 136 " JENNY AND I PUT PUSSY IN " . . . . . 159 " TO TAKE CARE OF US INTO THE TOAVN " ... 185 STOPPED TO INQUIRE AT A LITTLE AVAYSIDE PUBLIC-HOUSE . 204 HE WISHED TO CONDOLE WITH MISS MATTY . . . 248 " AND PLEASE, Ma'am, HE WANTS TO MARRY ME OFF-HAND " 264 UEH? EH? IT'S AS CLEAR AS DAYLIGHT. WHAT'S YOUR OBJECTION?" ........ 275 ABSORBED IN CONTEMPLATION ...... 293 IN A MOMENT HE AVAS ROUND THE TABLE AND HAD HER IN HIS ARMS ......... 295 MRS. JAMIESON SLOWLY COMMENTED ON THE ELEGANCE AND CONVENIENCE OF THE ATTITUDE ..... 304 i^

CHAPTER I Our Society CRANFORD

CHAPTER I OUR SOCIETY TN

the first place, Cranford is in possession of the Amazons ; all the holders of houses above a certain rent are Avomen. If a married couple come to settle in the town, somehow the gentleman disappears ; he is either fairly frightened to death by being the only man in the Cranford evening parties, or he is accounted for by being Avith his regiment, his ship, or closely engaged in business all the week in the great neigh bouring commercial toAvn of Drumble, distant only twenty miles on a railroad. In short, Avhatever does become of the gentlemen, they are not at Cranford. What could they do if they Avere there ? The surgeon has his round of thirty miles, and sleeps at Cranford ; but every man cannot be a surgeon. For keeping the trim gardens full of choice floAvers without a weed to speck them ; for frightening aAvay little boys Avho look wistfully at the said flowers through the railings; for rushing out at the geese that occasionally venture into the gardens if the gates are left open ; for deciding all CRANFORD questions of literature and politics Avithout troubling themselves Avith unnecessary reasons or arguments ; for obtaining clear and correct knoAvledge of everybody's affairs in the parish; for keeping their neat maid servants in admirable order ; for kindness (someAvhat dictatorial) to the poor, and real tender good offices to each other whenever they are in distress, the ladies of Cranford are quite sufficient.

" A man," as one of them observed to me once, " is so in the way in the house ! " Although the ladies of Cranford know all each other's proceedings, they are exceedingly indif ferent to each other's opinions. Indeed, as each has her own individuality, not to say eccentricity, pretty strongly developed, nothing is so easy as verbal retalia tion ; but, somehow, goodwill reigns among them to a considerable degree. The Cranford ladies have only an occasional little quarrel, spirted out in a few peppery words and angry jerks of the head ; just enough to prevent the even tenor of their lives from becoming too flat. Their dress is veiy independent of fashion ; as they observe, " What does it signify how we dress here at Cranford, where everybody knows us ? " And if they go from home, their reason is equally cogent, " What does it signify how we dress here, Avhere nobody knows us ? ,1 The materials of their clothes are, in general, good and plain, and most of them are nearly as scrupulous as Miss Tyler, of cleanly memory ; but I will ansAver for it, the last gigot, the last tight and scanty petticoat in wear in England, was seen in Cranford — and seen without a smile.

I can testify to a magnificent family red silk umbrella, under Avhich a gentle little spinster, left alone of many brothers and sisters, used to patter to church on rainy days. Have you any red silk umbrellas in London ? We had a tradition of the first that had ever been seen in Cranford ; and the little boys mobbed it, and called it "a stick in petticoats." It might have been the very red silk one I have described, held by a strong father over a troop of little ones ; the poor little lady — the survivor of all — could scarcely carry it. Then there were rules and regulations for visiting and calls ; and they were announced to any young people Avho might be staying in the town, with all the solemnity with Avhich the old Manx laws Avere read once a year on the Tinwald Mount. " Our friends have sent to inquire how you are after your journey to-night, my dear" (fifteen miles in a gentleman's carriage).

" They will give you some rest to-morroAv ; but the next day, I have no doubt, they Avill call ; so be at liberty after tAvelve — from tAvelve to three are our calling hours." Then, after they had called — " It is the third day ; I dare say your mamma has told you, my dear, never to let more than three days elapse betAveen receiving a call and returning it ; and also, that you are never to stay longer than a quarter of an hour." " Rut am I to look at my watch ? How am I to find out Avhen a quarter of an hour has passed ? " " You must keep thinking about the time, my dear, and not allow yourself to forget it in conversation." As everybody had this rule in their minds, Avhether they received or paid a call, of course no absorbing CRANFORD 16 subject was ever spoken about. We kept ourselves to short sentences of small talk, and Avere punctual to our time.

I imagine that a few of the gentlefolks of Cranford Avere poor, and had some difficulty in making both ends meet ; but they were like the Spartans, and concealed their smart under a smiling face. We none of us spoke of money, because that subject savoured of commerce and trade, and though some might be poor, we Avere all aristocratic. The Cranfordians had that kindly esprit de corps which made them overlook all deficiencies in success when some among them tried to conceal their poverty. When Mrs. Forrester, for instance, gave a party in her baby-house of a dAvelling, and the little maiden disturbed the ladies on the sofa by a request that she might get the tea-tray out from underneath, every one took this novel proceeding as the most natural thing in the world, and talked on about house hold forms and ceremonies as if we all believed that our hostess had a regular servants1 hall, second table, Avith housekeeper and steward, instead of the one little charity-school maiden, Avhose short ruddy arms could never have been strong enough to carry the tray up stairs, if she had not been assisted in private by her mistress, who now sat in state, pretending not to knoAv Avhat cakes were sent up, though she kneAv, and we knew, and she knew that Ave kneAv, and Ave knew that she knew that we knew, she had been busy all the morning making tea-bread and sponge-cakes.

There were one or two consequences arising from this general but unacknowledged poverty, and this very much acknoAvledged gentility, which Avere not amiss, and which might be introduced into many circles of society to their great improvement. For instance, the inhabitants of Cranford kept early hours and clattered home in their pattens, under the guidance of a lantern-bearer, about nine o'clock at night; and the whole toAvn Avas abed and asleep by half-past ten. Moreover, it was considered "vulgar" (a tremendous word in Cranford) to give anything expensive, in the Avay of eatable or drinkable, at the evening entertain ments. Wafer bread-and-butter and sponge-biscuits Avere all that the Honourable Mrs. Jamieson gave ; and she was sister-in-laAv to the late Earl of Glenmire, although she did practise such " elegant economy."

" Elegant economy ! " Hoav naturally one falls back into the phraseology of Cranford ! There, economy Avas always "elegant," and moneyspending always "vulgar and ostentatious"; a sort of sour-grapeism Avhich made us very peaceful and satisfied. I never shall forget the dismay felt Avhen a certain Captain RroAvn came to live at Cranford, and openly spoke about his being poor — not in a whisper to an intimate friend, the doors and Avindows being previously closed, but in the public street ! in a loud military voice ! alleging his poverty as a reason for not taking a par ticular house. The ladies of Cranford were already rather moaning over the invasion of their territories by a man and a gentleman. He was a half-pay captain, and had obtained some situation on a neighbouring railroad, which had been vehemently petitioned against by the little toAvn ; and if, in addition to his masculine gender, and his connection Avith the obnoxious railroad, he was so brazen as to talk of being poor — Avhy, then, 1!

CRANFORD indeed, he must be sent to Coventry. Death Avas as true and as common as poverty ; yet people never spoke about that, loud out in the streets. It Avas a word not to be mentioned to ears polite. We had tacitly agreed to ignore that any Avith Avhom we asso ciated on terms of visiting equality could ever be pre vented by poverty from doing anything that they Avished. If he Avalked to or from a party, it was because the night Avas so fine, or the air so refreshing, not because sedan-chairs were exjDensive. If Ave Avore prints, instead of summer silks, it Avas because we preferred a Avashing material ; and so on, till Ave blinded ourselves to the vulgar fact that Ave Avere, all of us, people of very moderate means. Of course, then, avc did not knoAv Avhat to make of a man who could speak of poverty as if it was not a disgrace.

Yet, somehoAv, Captain BroAvn made himself respected in Cranford, and Avas called upon, in spite of all resolutions to the contrary. I Avas surprised to hear his opinions quoted as authority at a visit Avhich I paid to Cranford about a year after he had settled in the toAvn. My oavii friends had been among the bitterest opponents of any proposal to visit the Captain and his daughters, only tAvelve months before ; and now he was even admitted in the tabooed hours before twelve. True, it was to discover the cause of a smoking chimney, before the fire Avas lighted ; but still Captain BroAvn Avalked up stairs, nothing daunted, spoke in a voice too large for the room, and joked quite in the Avay of a tame man about the house. He had been blind to all the small slights, and omissions of trivial ceremonies, Avith Avhich he had been received.

He had been friendly, though Copyright, Sa via &■ Pawn. iSo*i the Cranford ladies had been cool; he had answered small sarcastic compliments in good faith; and Avith his manly frankness had overpoAvei'ed all the shrinking Avhich met him as a man who was not ashamed to be poor. And, at last, his excellent masculine common sense, and his facility in devising expedients to over come domestic dilemmas, had gained him an extra ordinary place as authority among the Cranford ladies. He himself Avent on in his course, as unaAvare of his popularity as he had been of the reverse; and I am sure he Avas startled one day Avhen he found his advice so highly esteemed as to make some counsel Avhich he had given in jest to be taken in sober, serious earnest. It Avas on this subject : An old lady had an Alderney cow, which she looked upon as a daughter.

You could not pay the short quarter of an hour call Avithout being told of the wonderful milk or Avonderful intelligence of this animal. The Avhole toAvn kneAv and kindly regarded Miss Betsy Barker's Alderney ; therefore great was the sympathy and regret when, in an unguarded moment, the poor cow tumbled into a lime-pit. She moaned so loudly that she was soon heard and rescued ; but meanAvhile the poor beast had lost most of her hair, and came out looking naked, cold, and miserable, in a bare skin. Everybody pitied the animal, though a feAv could not restrain their smiles at her droll appearance. Miss Betsy Barker absolutely cried Avith sorrow and dismay ; and it Avas said she thought of trying a bath of oil. This remedy, perhaps, was recommended by some one of the number whose advice she asked ; but the proposal, if ever it Avas made, was knocked on the head by Captain Brown's decided " Get her a flannel CRANFORD Avaistcoat and flannel drawers, ma'am, if you wish to keep her alive.

But my advice is, kill the poor creature at once." Miss Betsy Barker dried her eyes, and thanked the Captain heartily ; she set to Avork, and by-and-by all the toAvn turned out to see the Alderney meekly going to her pasture, clad in dark grey flannel. I have watched her myself many a time. Do you ever see coavs dressed in grey flannel in London ? Captain Brown had taken a small house on the outskirts of the toAvn, Avhere he lived Avith his two daughters. He must have been upwards of sixty at the time of the first visit I paid to Cranford after I had left it as a residence. But he had a Aviry, Avell trained, elastic figure, a stiff military throAv-back of his head, and a springing step, which made him appear much younger than he Avas. His eldest daughter looked almost as old as himself, and betrayed the fact that his real Avas more than his apparent age.

Miss BroAvn must have been forty ; she had a sickly, pained, careAvorn expression on her face, and looked as if the gaiety of youth had long faded out of sight. Even Avhen young she must have been plain and hard featured. Miss Jessie BroAvn was ten years younger than her sister, and tAventy shades prettier. Her face was round and dimpled. Miss Jenkyns once said, in a passion against Captain BroAvn (the cause of Avhich I will tell you presently), "that she thought it was time for Miss Jessie to leave off her dimples, and not ahA*ays to be trying to look like a child." It Avas true there was something childlike in her face; and there Avill be, I think, till she dies, though she should live to a hundred. Her eyes were large blue Avondering eyes, looking straight at you; her nose Avas unformed and snub, and her lips Avere red and deAvy; she Avore her hair, too, in little rows of curls, Avhich heightened this appearance.

I do not knoAv Avhether she Avas pretty or not ; but I liked her face, and so did every body, and I do not think she could help her dimples. She had something of her father's jauntiness of gait and manner; and any female observer might detect a slight difference in the attire of the tAvo sisters — that of Miss Jessie being about tAvo pounds per annum more expensive than Miss Brown's. Tavo pounds Avas a large sum in Captain Brown's annual disbursements. Such was the impression made upon me by the BroAvn family when I first saw them all together in Cranford Church. The Captain I had met before — on the occasion of the smoky chimney, which he had cured by some simple alteration in the flue. In church, he held his double eye-glass to his eyes during the Morning Hymn, and then lifted up his head erect and sang out loud and joyfully.

He made the responses louder than the clerk — an old man Avith a piping feeble voice, Avho, I think, felt aggrieved at the Captain's sonorous bass, and quavered higher and higher in consequence. On coming out of church, the brisk Captain paid the most gallant attention to his two daughters. He nodded and smiled to his acquaintances ; but he shook hands Avith none until he had helped Miss BroAvn to unfurl her umbrella, had relieved her of her prayer book, and had Avaited patiently till she, with trembling CRANFORD 22 nervous hands, had taken up her goAvn to walk through the Avet roads. I wondered Avhat the Cranford ladies did Avith Captain Brown at their parties. We had often rejoiced, in former days, that there Avas no gentleman to be at tended to, and to find conversation for, at the card parties.

We had congratulated ourselves upon the snugness of the evenings; and, in our love for gentility, and distaste of mankind, Ave had almost persuaded ourselves that to be a man Avas to be " vulgar " ; so that Avhen I found my friend and hostess, Miss Jenkyns, was going to have a party in my honour, and that Captain and the Miss BroAvns Avere invited, I Avondered much Avhat Avould be the course of the evening. Card-tables, Avith green baize tops, were set out by daylight, just as usual ; it was the third week in November, so the evenings closed in about four. Candles and clean packs of cards were arranged on each table. The fire was made up ; the neat maid-servant had received her last directions ; and there we stood, dressed in our best, each Avith a candle-lighter in our hands, ready to dart at the candles as soon as the first knock came.

Parties in Cranford were solemn festivities, making the ladies feel gravely elated as they sat together in their best dresses. As soon as three had arrived, Ave sat down to "Preference," I being the unlucky fourth. The next four comers were put down immediately to another table; and presently the tea-trays, which I had seen set out in the store-room as I passed in the morning, Avere placed each on the middle of a card-table. The china was delicate egg-shell ; the old-fashioned silver glittered Avith polishing ; but the eatables were of the slightest description. While the trays Avere yet on the tables, Captain and the Miss Browns came in ; and I could see that, somehow or other, the Captain was a favourite with all the ladies present. Ruffled broAvs were smoothed, sharp voices lowered at his approach.

Miss Brown looked ill, and depressed almost to gloom. Miss Jessie smiled as usual, and seemed nearly as popular as her father. He immediately and quietly assumed the man's place in the room ; attended to every one's wants, lessened the pretty maid-servant's labour by waiting on empty cups and bread-and-butterless ladies ; and yet did it all in so easy and dignified a manner, and so much as if it Avere a matter of course for the strong to attend to the weak, that he was a true man throughout. He played for threepenny points Avith as grave an interest as if they had been pounds ; and yet in all his atten tion to strangers, he had an eye on his suffering daughter — for suffering I was sure she was, though to many eyes she might only appear to be irritable. Miss Jessie could not play cards; but she talked to the sitters-out, Avho, before her coming, had been rather inclined to be cross.

She sang, too, to an old cracked piano, Avhich I think had been a spinet in its youth. Miss Jessie sang " Jock of Hazeldean " a little out of tune; but Ave were none of us musical, though Miss Jenkyns beat time, out of time, by AA'ay of appearing to be so. It was very good of Miss Jenkyns to do this ; for I had seen that, a little before, she had been a good deal annoyed by Miss Jessie BroAvn's unguarded ad mission (a propos of Shetland avooI) that she had an CRANFORD uncle, her mother's brother, Avho was a shopkeeper in Edinburgh. Miss Jenkyns tried to drown this con fession by a terrible cough — for the Honourable Mrs. Jamieson Avas sitting at the card-table nearest Miss Jessie, and Avhat Avould she say or think if she found out she Avas in the same room with a shopkeeper's niece ! But Miss Jessie Brown (who had no tact, as we all agreed the next morning) would repeat the informa tion, and assure Miss Pole she could easily get her the identical Shetland avooI required, " through my uncle, who has the best assortment of Shetland goods of any one in Edinbro'."

It Avas to take the taste of this out of our mouths, and the sound of this out of our ears, that Miss Jenkyns proposed music ; so I say again, it was very good of her to beat time to the song. When the trays reappeared with biscuits and wine, punctually at a quarter to nine, there Avas conversation, comparing of cards, and talking over tricks ; but by and-by Captain BroAvn sported a bit of literature. "Have you seen any numbers of 'The Pickwick Papers' ? " said he. (They were then publishing in parts.) " Capital thing ! " Now Miss Jenkyns Avas daughter of a deceased rector of Cranford ; and, on the strength of a number of manuscript sermons, and a pretty good library of divinity, considered herself literary, and looked upon any conversation about books as a challenge to her. So she answered and said, " Yes, she had seen them ; indeed, she might say she had read them."

" And Avhat do you think of them ? " exclaimed Captain Brown. " Aren't they famously good ? " So urged, Miss Jenkyns could not but speak. "I must say, I don't think they are by any means equal to Dr. Johnson. Still, perhaps, the author is young. Let him persevere, and Avho knoAvs what he may become if he will take the great Doctor for his model?" This Avas evidently too much for Captain Brown to take placidly ; and I saw the words on the tip of his tongue before Miss Jenkyns had finished her sentence. "It is quite a different sort of thing, my dear madam," he began. " I am quite aAA7are of that," returned she. " And I make alloAvances, Captain BroAvn." " Just allow me to read you a scene out of this month's number," pleaded he. "I had it only this morning, and I don't think the company can have read it yet."

" As you please," said she, settling herself Avith an air of resignation. He read the account of the " SAvarry " which Sam Weller gave at Bath. Some of us laughed heartily. / did not dare, because I Avas staying in the house. Miss Jenkyns sat in patient gravity. When it was ended, she turned to me, and said Avith mild dignity — " Fetch me ' Rasselas,1 my dear, out of the bookroom." When I brought it to her, she turned to Captain Brown — " Noav allow me to read you a scene, and then the present company can judge betAveen your favourite, Mr. Boz, and Dr. Johnson." She read one of the conversations between Rasselas CRANFORD and Imlac, in a high-pitched majestic voice ; and Avhen she had ended, she said, " I imagine I am noAv justified in my preference of Dr. Johnson as a writer of fiction." The Captain screwed his lips up, and drummed on the table, but he did not speak.

She thought she Avould give a finishing bloAv or tAvo. "I consider it vulgar, and beloAv the dignity of literature, to publish in numbers." " Hoav was the Rambler published, ma'am ? " asked Captain BroAvn in a Ioav voice, Avhich I think Miss Jenkyns could not have heard. " Dr. Johnson's style is a model for young beginners. My father recommended it to me Avhen I began to Avrite letters — I have formed my own style upon it ; I recommend it to your favourite." " I should be very sorry for him to exchange his style for any such pompous Avriting," said Captain Brown. Miss Jenkyns felt this as a personal affront, in a Avay of Avhich the Captain had not dreamed. Epistolary writing she and her friends considered as her forte. Many a copy of many a letter have I seen Avritten and corrected on the slate, before she " seized the half-hour just previous to post-time to assure " her friends of this or of that ; and Dr. Johnson was, as she said, her model in these compositions.

She drew herself up Avith dignity, and only replied to Captain BroAvn's last remark by saying, Avith marked emphasis on every syllable, " I prefer Dr. Johnson to Mr. Boz." It is said — I won't vouch for the fact — that Captain Bro\A7n Avas heard to say, sotto voce, " D — n Dr. John son ! " If he did, he was penitent afterwards, as he showed by going to stand near Miss Jenkyns's arm chair, and endeavouring to beguile her into conversation on some more pleasing subject. But she was inexorable. The next day she made the remark I have mentioned about Miss Jessie's dimples.

CHAPTER II The Captain

CHAPTER II THE CAPTAIN TT

Avas impossible to live a month at Cranford and not knoAv the daily habits of each resident ; and long before my visit was ended I knew much concerning the whole BroAvn trio. There Avas nothing neAv to be discovered respecting their poverty ; for they had spoken simply and openly about that from the very first. They made no mystery of the necessity for their being economical. All that remained to be discovered was the Captain's infinite kindness of heart, and the various modes in Avhich, unconsciously to himself, he manifested it. Some little anecdotes were talked about for some time after they occurred. As Ave did not read much, and as all the ladies were pretty well suited Avith servants, there was a dearth of subjects for conversation. We therefore discussed the circumstance of the Captain taking a poor old Avoman's dinner out of her hands one veiy slippery Sunday.

He had met her returning from the bakehouse as he came from church, and noticed her precarious footing ; and, with the CRANFORD grave dignity Avith Avhich he did everything, he re lieved her of her burden, and steered along the street by her side, carrying her baked mutton and potatoes safely home. This was thought very eccentric; and it Avas rather expected that he Avould pay a round of calls, on the Monday morning, to explain and apologise to the Cranford sense of propriety : but he did no such thing : and then it Avas decided that he Avas ashamed, and Avas keeping out of sight. In a kindly pity for him, Ave began to say, " After all, the Sunday morning's occurrence showed great goodness of heart," and it was resolved that he should be comforted on his next appearance amongst us ; but, lo ! he came doAvn upon us, untouched by any sense of shame, speaking loud and bass as ever, his head throAvn back, his wig as jaunty and well-curled as usual, and Ave were obliged to conclude he had forgotten all about Sunday.

Miss Pole and Miss Jessie BroAvn had set up a kind of intimacy on the strength of the Shetland avooI and the new knitting stitches ; so it happened that Avhen I went to visit Miss Pole I saAv more of the Browns than I had done Avhile staying with Miss Jenkyns, who had never got over what she called Captain Brown's dis paraging remarks upon Dr. Johnson as a writer of light and agreeable fiction. I found that Miss BroAvn was seriously ill of some lingering, incurable complaint, the pain occasioned by which gave the uneasy expression to her face that I had taken for unmitigated crossness. Cross, too, she was at times, when the nervous irritability occasioned by her disease became past endurance. Miss Jessie bore with her at these times, even more patiently than she did with the bitter self-upbraidings by Avhich they Avere invariably succeeded.

Miss BroAvn used to accuse herself, not merely of hasty and irritable temper, but also of being the cause Avhy her father and sister were obliged to pinch, in order to alloAv her the small luxuries which were necessaries in her condition. She Avould so fain have made sacrifices for them, and have lightened their cares, that the original generosity of her disposition added acerbity to her temper. All this was borne by Miss Jessie and her father Avith more than placidity — Avith absolute tenderness. I forgave Miss Jessie her singing out of tune, and her juvenility of dress, Avhen I saw her at home. I came to perceive that Captain Brown's dark Brutus Avig and padded coat (alas ! too often threadbare) were remnants of the military smart ness of his youth, Avhich he noAv Avore unconsciously. He Avas a man of infinite resources, gained in his barrack experience.