Doctor Thorne. A novel

Chapter I. Courcy

When Frank Gresham expressed to his father an opinion that Courcy Castle was dull, the squire, as may be remembered, did not pretend to differ from him. To men such as the squire, and such as the squire's son, Courcy Castle was duU. To what class of men it would not be dull the author is not prepared to say • but it may be presumed that the De Courcys found it to their liking, or they would have made it other than it was. The castle itself was a huge brick pile, built in the days of William III., Avhich, though they were grand days for the construction of the con stitution, were not very grand for architecture of a more natural description. It had, no doubt, a perfect right to be caUed a castle, as it was VOL. II. b DOCTOK THORNE. entered by a castle-gate which led into a court, the porter's lodge for which was buUt as it were into the waU ; there were attached to it also two round, stumpy adjuncts, which were, perhaps properly, caUed towers, though they did not do much in the way of towering; and, moreover, along one side of the house, over what would otherwise have been the cornice, there ran a casteUated parapet, through the assistance of which, the imagination no doubt Avas intended to supply the muzzles of defiant artillery.

But any artillery winch Avould have so presented its muzzle must have been very smaU, and it may be doubted whether even a bowman could have obtained shelter there. The grounds about the castle were not very inviting, nor, as grounds, very extensive ; though, no doubt, the entire domain was such as suited the importance of so puissant a nobleman as Earl de Courcy. What, indeed, should have been the park was divided out into various large paddocks. The surface was flat and unbroken ; and though there Avere magnificent elm-trees standing in straight Unes, Uke hedge-rows, the timber had not that beautiful, wUd, scattered look which generaUy gives the great charm to English scenery. The town of Courcy — for the place claimed to rank as a town was in many particulars Uke the COURCY. 3 castle. It was built of dingy-red brick — almost more brown than red — and was soUd, dull-looking, ugly, and comfortable.

It consisted of four streets, which were formed by two roads crossing each other, making at the point of junction a centre for the town. Here stood the Red Lion • had it been called the brown lion, the nomencla ture would have been more strictly correct ; and here, in the old days of coaching, some life had been wont to stir itself at those hours in the day and night when the Freetraders, TaUyhoes, and Royal Mails changed their horses. But now there was a railway station a mUe and a half distant, and the moving Use of the town of Courcy was confined to the Red Lion omnibus, which seemed to pass its entire time in going up and down between the town and the station, quite unem barrassed by any great weight of passengers. There were, so said the Courcyites when away from Courcy, excellent shops in the place ; but they were not the less accustomed, when at home among themselves, to complain to each other of the vUe extortion with which they were treated by their neighbours.

The ironmonger, therefore, though he loudly asserted that he could beat Bristol in the quaUty of his wares in one direc tion, and underseU Gloucester in another, bought his tea and sugar on the sly in one of those larger towns ; and the grocer, on the other hand, equally b distrusted the pots and pans of home production. Trade, therefore, at Courcy, had not thriAren since the railway had opened : and, indeed, had any patient inquirer stood at the cross through one entire day, counting the customers who entered the neighbouring shops, he might Avell have Avondered that any shops in Courcy could be kept open. And hoAV changed has been the bustle of that once noisy toAvn to the present death-like silence of its green court-y aid ! There, a lame ostler craAvls about Avith his hands thrust into the capacious pockets of his jacket, feeding on memory.

That weary pair of omnibus jades, and three sorry posters, are aU that noAv grace those stables Avhere horses used to be staUed in close contiguity by the dozen ; where twenty grains a-piece, abstracted from every feed of oats consumed during the day, would have afforded a daily quart to the lucky pUferer. Come, my friend, and discourse with me. Let us knoAv what are thy ideas of the inestimable benefits AA7hich science has conferred on us in these, our latter days. Hoav dost thou, among others, appreciate railways and the power of steam, tele graphs, telegrams, and our new expresses ? But indifferently, you say. ' Time was I've zeed vif teen pair o' osses go out of this 'ere yard in vour and-twenty hour ; and now there be'ant visteen, no, not ten, in vour-and-tAventy days ! There COURCY. 5 was the duik — not this 'un ; he be'ant no gude ; but this 'uns vather — why, when he'd come down the road, the cattle did be a-going, vour days an eend.

Here'd be the footer and the young genie men, and the governess and the young leddies, and there the servants — they'd be al'ays the grandest folk of all — and then the duik and the doochess — Lord love 'ee, zur ; the money did fly in them days ! But now — ' and the feeling of scorn and contempt which the lame ostler was enabled by his native talent to throAV into that word, ' now,' Avas quite as eloquent against the power of steam as anything that has been spoken at dinners, or written in pamphlets by the keenest admirers of latter-day lights. ' Why, luke at* this 'ere toAvn,' continued he of the seise, ' the grass be a-groAving in the very streets ; — that can't be no gude. Why, luke 'ee here, zur ; I do be a-standing at this 'ere gate way, just this way, hour arter hour, and my heyes is hopen, mostly ; — I zees avIio's a-coming and Avho's a-going.

Nobody's a-coming and no body's a-going ; — that can't be no gude. Luke at at that there homnibus ; why, darn me — ■' and now, in his eloquence at this peculiar point, my friend became more loud and powerful than ever — ' why, darn me, if maister barns enough with that there buss to put hiron on them there osses feet, I'U — be — blowed !' And as he uttered this hypothetical denunciation on himself he spoke very slowly, bringing out every word as it were separately, and lowering himseU at his knees at every sound, moving at the same time his right hand up and down. When he had finished, he fixed his eyes upon the ground, pointing downwards, as if there Avas to be the site of his doom if the curse that he had caUed down upon himself should ever come to pass : and then, waiting no further converse, he hobbled away melancholy to his deserted stables.

Oh, my friend ! my poor lame friend, it avUI avail nothing to teU thee of Liverpool and Manchester ; of the glories of Glasgow, Avith her flourishing banks ; of London, with its third miUion of inhabitants ; of the great things which commerce is doing for this nation of thine ! What is commerce to thee, unless it be a com merce in posting in that Avorn-out, aU but useless great western turnpike-road? There is nothing left for thee but to be carted away as rubbish — for thee and for many of us in these now prosper ous days ; oh, my melancholy, care-ridden friend ! Courcy Castle was certainly a duU place to look at, and Frank, in his former visits, had found that the appearance did not belie the reaUtv. He had been but Uttle there when the earl had been at Courcy ; and as he had ahvays felt from his chUdhood a peculiar distaste to the govern ance of his aunt, the countess, this perhaps may COURCY. 7 have added to his feeling of dislike.

Now, hoAv ever, the castle was to be fuller than he had ever before known it ; the earl was to be at home ; there was some talk of the Duke of Omnium coming for a day or two, though that seemed doubtful ; there Avere some faint hopes of Lord Porlock ; Mr. Moffat, intent on the coining election — and also, let us hope, on his coming bliss — Avas to be one of the guests ; and there also was to be the great Miss Dunstable. Frank, however, found that those grandees were not expected quite immediately. ' I might go back to Greshamsbury for three or four days as she is not to be here,' he said naively to his aunt, expressing, with tolerable perspicuity, his feeling, that he regarded his visit to Courcy Castle quite as a matter of business. But the countess would hear of no such arrangement. Now that she had got him, she was not going to let him faU back into the perils of Miss Thome's intrigues, or even of Miss Thome's propriety. ' It is quite essential,' she said, ' that you should be here a few days before her, so that she may see that you are at home.' Frank did not under stand the reasoning ; but he felt himself unable to rebel, and he therefore remained there, com forting himself, as best he might, with the eloquence of the Honourable George, and the sporting humours of the Honourable John.

Mr. Moffat's was the earliest arrival of any importance. Frank had not hitherto made the acquaintance of his future brother-in-law, and there was, therefore, some Uttle interest in the first intervieAv. Mr. Moffat Avas shown into the drawing-room before the ladies had gone up to dress, and it so happened that Frank Avas there also. As no one else Avas in the room but his sister and tAvo of his cousins, he had expected to see the lov7ers rush into each other's arms. But Mr. Moffat restrained his ardour, and Miss Gresham seemed contented that he should do so. He was a nice, dapper man, rather above the middle height, and good looking enough had he had a little more expression in his face. He had dark hair, very nicely brushed, small black Avhiskers, and a small black mustache. His boots were excellently-Avell made, and his hands were A7ery Avhite.

He simpered gently as he took hold of Augusta's fingers, and expressed a hope that she had been quite AveU since last he had had the pleasure of seeing her. Then he touched the hands of the Lady Rosina and the Lady Margaretta. ' Mr. Moffat, alloAV me to introduce you to my brother ?' ' Most happy, I'm sure,' said Mr. Moffat, again putting out his hand, and allowing it to slip through Frank's grasp, as he spoke in a pretty, COURCY. mincing voice i ' Lady Arabella quite well ? — and your father, and sisters ? Very warm isn't it ? — quite hot in toAvn, I do assure you.' ' I hope Augusta likes him,' said Frank to him self, arguing on the subject exactly as his father had done ; ' but for an engaged lover he seems to me to have a very queer way with him.' Frank, poor fellow, who Avas of a coarser mould, would under such circumstances have been aU for kiss ing — sometimes, indeed, eA7en under other cir cumstances.

Mr. Moffat did not do much towards improving the conviviality of the castle. He was, of course, a good deal intent upon his coming election, and spent much of his time with Mr. Nearthewinde, the celebrated parliamentary agent. It behoved him to be a good deal at Barchester, canvassing the electors and undermining, by Mr. Nearthe winde's aid, the mines for bloAving him out of his seat, which were daily being contrived by Mr. CloserstU, on behalf of Sir Roger. The battle was to be fought on the internecine principle ; no quarter being given or taken on either side, and of course this gaAre Mr. Moffat as much as he kneAV how to do. Mr. CloserstU was well known to be the sharp est man at his business in all England, unless the palm should be given to his great rival, Mr. Nearthewinde ; and in this instance he was to be assisted in the battle by a very clever young barrister, Mr. Romer, who was an admirer of Sir Roger's career in life.

Some people in Barches ter, when they saw Sir Roger, CloserstU, and Mr. Romer saunter doAvn the high street, arm in arm, declared that it was aU up with poor Moffat ; but others, in Avhose head the bump of veneration was strongly pronounced, whispered to each other that great shibbobth — the name of the Duke of Om nium* — and mUdly asserted it to be impossible that the duke's nominee should be thrown out. Our poor friend the squire did not take much interest in the matter, except in so far that he liked his son-in-law to be in parUament. Both the candidates were in his eye equaUy wrong in their opinions. He had long since recanted those errors of his early youth, which had cost him his seat for the county and had abjured the De Courcy poUtics. He was stanch enough as a Tory now that his being so would no longer be of the slight est use to him ; but the Duke of Omnium, and Lord de Courcy, and Mr. Moffat Avere aU Whigs ; Whigs, however, differing altogether in politics from Sir Roger, who belonged to the Manchester school, and whose pretensions, through some of those inscrutable twists in modern poUtics Avhich are quite uninteUigible to the minds of ordinary men outside the circle, Avere on this occasion secretly favoured by the high Conservative party.

COURCY. How Mr. Moffat, who had been brought into the political world by Lord de Courcy, obtained aU the weight of the duke's interest I never could exactly learn. For the duke and the earl did not generaUy act as twin-brothers on such occa sions. There is a great difference in Whigs. Lord de Courcy was a court Whig, following the fortunes and enjoying, when he could get it, the sunshine of the throne. He was a sojourner at Windsor, and a visitor at Balmoral. He delighted in gold sticks, and was never so happy as when holding some cap of maintenance or spur of precedence Avith due dignity and acknowledged grace in the presence of aU the court. His means had been somewhat embarrassed by early extravagance ; and, therefore, as it Avas to his taste to shine, it suited him to shine at the cost of the court rather than at his OAvn.

The Duke of Omnium was a Whig of great and different caUbre. He rarely went near the presence of majesty, and Avhen he did do so, he did it merely as a disagreeable duty incident to his position. He was very willing that the Queen should be queen so long as he was aUowed to be Duke of Omnium. Nor had he begrudged Prince Albert any of his honours till he was called Prince Consort. Then, indeed, he had, to his own inti mate friends, made some remark in three Avords not flattering to the discretion of the prime mi nister. The Queen might be queen so long as he was Duke of Omnium. Their revenues were about the same, with the exception, that the duke's were his own, and he could do Avhat he liked with them. This remembrance did not un frequently present itseU to the duke's mind. In person, he was a plain, thin man, taU, but undis tinguished in appearance, except that there was a gleam of pride in his eye which seemed every moment to be saying, ' I am the Duke of Omni um.' He was unmarried, and, if report said true, a great debauchee ■ but if so he had ahvays kept his debaucheries decently away from the eyes of the Avorld, and was not therefore open to that loud condemnation which should fall Uke a hail storm round the ears of some more open sinners.

Why these two mighty nobles put theft heads together in order that the tailor's son should represent Barchester in parliament, I cannot ex plain. Mr. Moffat was, as has been said, Lord de Courcy's friend ; and it may be that Lord de Courcy was able to repay the duke for his kindness, as touching Barchester, with some little assistance in the county representation. The next arrival was that of the Bishop of Barchester; a meek, good, worthy man, much attached to his wife, and somewhat addicted to his ease. She, apparently, Avas made in a different COURCY. mould, and by her energy and diligence atoned for any want in those qualities Avhich might be observed in the bishop himself. When asked his opinion, his lordship Avould generally reply by saying — ' Mrs. Proudie and I think so and so.' But before that opinion Avas given, Mrs. Proudie Avould take up the tale, and she, in her more concise manner, was not wont to quote the bishop as having at all assisted in the consideration of the subject.

It was AveU knoAvn in Barsetshire that no married pair consorted more closely or more tenderly together ; and the example of such conjugal affection among persons in the upper classes is worth mentioning, as it is believed by those below them, and too often Avith truth, that the SAveet bUss of connubial reciprocity is not so common as it should be among the magnates of the earth. But the arrival even of the bishop and his Avife did not make the place cheerful to Frank Gresham, and he began to long for Miss Dunstable, in order that he might have something to do. He could not get on at aU with Mr. Moffat. He had ex pected that the man Avould at once have caUed him Frank, and that he would have called the man Gustavus ; but they did not even get beyond Mr. Moffat and Mr. Gresham. 'Very hot in Barchester to-day, very,' was the nearest approach to conversation which Frank could attain with him ; and as far as he, Frank, could see, Augusta never got much beyond it.

There might be tete a-tete meetings between them, but, if so, Frank could not detect when they took place ; and so, opening his heart at last to the Honourable George, for the want of a better confidant, he expressed his opinion that his future brother-in-law was a muff. 'A muff — I beUeve you too. What do you think now ? I have been with him and Nearthe winde in Barchester these three days past, looking up the electors' AA7ives and daughters, and that kind of thing.' ' I say, if there is any fun in it you might as well take me Avith you.' ' Oh, there is not much fun ; they are mostly so slobbered and dirty. A sharp feUow is Nearthe winde, and knows what he is about weU.' 'Does he look up the wives and daughters too?' ' Oh, he goes on every tack, just as it's wanted. But there was Moffat, yesterday, in a room behind the milliner's shop near Cuthbert's gate ; I was with him.

The woman's husband is one of the choristers, and an elector, you know, and Moffat went to look for his vote. Now, there was no one there when we got there but the three young women, the wife that is, and her two girls — very pretty women they are too.' COURCY. ' I say, George, I'U go and get that chorister's vote for Moffat • I ought to do it as he's to be my brother-in-law.' ' But what do you think Moffat said to the woman ?' ' Can't guess — he didn't kiss any of them, did he?' ' Kiss any of them ! No ; but he begged to give them his positive assurance as a gentleman, that if he was returned to parliament he would vote for an extension of the franchise, and the admis sion of the Jews into parliament.' ' WeU, he is a muff!' said Frank. DOCTOR THORNF.

Chapter II. Miss Dunstable

At last the great Miss Dunstable came. Frank, when he heard that the heiress had arrived, felt some slight palpitation at his heart. He had not the remotest idea in the world of marcying her ; indeed, during the last Aveek past, absence had so heightened his love for Mary Thorne that he Avas more than ever resolved that he would never marry any one but her. He kneAV that he had made her a formal osier of his hand, and that it behoved him to keep to it, let the charms of Miss Dunstable be what they might : but, nevertheless, he was prepared to go through a certain amount of courtship, in obedience to his aunt's behests, and he felt a little nervous at being brought up in that way, face to face, to do battle Avith two hundred thousand pounds. ' Miss Dunstable has arrived,' said his aunt to him, with great complacency, on his return from an electioneering visit to the beauties of Bar chester, which he made with his cousin George on the day after the conversation which was repeated at the end of the last chapter. ' She has arrived, and is looking remarkably well ; she has quite a distingue air, and will grace any circle to which she may be introduced.

I will introduce you before dinner, and you can take her out.' ' I couldn't propose to her to-night, I suppose ?' said Frank, maliciously. ' Don't talk nonsense, Frank,' said the countess, angrily. ' I am doing Avhat I can for you, and taking an infinity of trouble to endea\7our to place you in an independent position, and now you talk nonsense to me.' Frank muttered some sort of an apology, and then went to prepare himself for the encounter. Miss Dunstable, though she had come by the train, had brought Avith her her OAvn carriage, her own horses, her own coachman and footman, and her oavii maid, of course. She had also brought with her half a score of trunks, full of wearing apparel ; some of them nearly as rich as that wonderful box which was stolen the other day from the top of a cab. But she brought all these things, not in the least because she wanted them herseft, but because she had been instructed to do so.

Frank was a little more than ordinarily careful VOL. ii. c in dressing. He spoUt a couple of white neck ties before he was satisfied, and was rather fas tidious as to the set of his hair. There w7as not much of the dandy about him in the ordinary meaning of the Avord • but he felt that it was in cumbent on him to look his best, seeing what it was expected that he should now do. He certainly did not mean to marry Miss Dunstable ; but as he was to have a flirtation with her, it was as AveU that he should do so under the best-possible auspices. When he entered the drawing-room he per ceived at once that the lady Avas there. She was seated betAveen the countess and Mrs. Proudie ; and mamma, in her person, was receiving worship from the temporalities and spiritualities of the land. He tried to look unconcerned, and re mained in the further part of the room, talking with some of his cousins ; but he could not keep his eye off the future, possible Mrs. Frank Gresham ; and it seemed as though she was as much constrained to scrutinize him as he felt to scrutinize her.

Lady de Courcy had declared that she was looking extremely AveU, and had particularly alluded to her distingue appearance. Frank at once felt that he could not altogether go along with his aunt in this opinion. Miss Dunstable might be very well • but her style of beauty was one which did not quite meet with his warmest admiration. In age she was about thirty ; but Frank, who was no great judge in such matters, and who was accustomed to have very young girls round him, at once put her down as being ten years older. She had a very high colour, very red cheeks, a large mouth, big white teeth, a broad nose, and bright, smaU, black eyes. Her hair also was black and bright, but very crisp and strong, and was combed close round her face in small crisp black ringlets. Since she had been brought out into the fashionable world some one of her instructors in fashion had given her to understand that curls were not the thing. ' They'U ahvays pass muster,' Miss Dunstable had replied, ' when they are done up with bank-notes.' It may therefore be presumed that Miss Dunstable had a wiU of her own. ' Frank,' said the countess, in the most natural and unpremeditated way, as soon as she caught her nephew's eye, ' come here.

I want to introduce you to Miss Dunstable.' The introduction was then made. ' Mrs. Proudie, would you excuse me ? I must positively go and say a feAv words to Mrs. Barlow, or the poor woman will feel herseft huffed;' and, so saying, she moved off, leaving the coast clear for Master Frank. He of course slipped into his aunt's place, and c expressed a hope that Miss Dunstable was not fatigued by her journey. 'Fatigued!' said she, in a voice rather loud, but very good-humoured, and not altogether un pleasing; ' I am not to be fatigued by such a thing as that. Why, in May Ave came through all the way from Rome to Paris without sleeping — that is, without sleeping in a bed — and we were upset three times out of the sledges coming over the Simplon. It was such fun ! Why, I wasn't to say tired even then.' ' All the way from Rome to Paris !' said Mrs. Proudie — in a tone of astonishment, meant to flatter the heiress — ' and what made you in such a hurry ?' ' Something about money matters,' said Miss Dunstable, speaking rather louder than usual. ' Something to do Avith the ointment.

I was seUing the business just then.' Mrs. Proudie bowed, and immediately changed the conversation. ' Idolatry is, I believe, more rampant than ever in Rome,' said she ; ' and I fear there is no such thing at all as Sabbath observ ances.' ' Oh, not the least,' said Miss Dunstable, Avith rather a joyous air ; ' Sundays and week-days are all the same there.' ' How very frightful !' said Mrs. Proudie. ' But it's a delicious place. I do like Rome, I must say. And as for the Pope, if he wasn't quite so fat he would be the nicest old fellow in the world. Have you been in Rome, Mrs. Proudie ?' Mrs. Proudie sighed as she repUed in the ne gative, and declared her belief that danger was to be apprehended from such visits. ' Oh ! — ah ! — the malaria — of course — yes ; if you go at the wrong time ; but nobody is such a fool as that now.' ' I was thinking of the soul, Miss Dunstable,' said the lady-bishop, in her peculiar grave tone. 'A place where there are no sabbath observances — ' ' And haAre you been at Rome, Mr. Gresham ?' said the young lady, turning almost abruptly round to Frank, and giving a someAvhat un civilly cold shoulder to Mrs. Proudie 's exhort ation.

She, poor lady, was forced to finish her speech to the Honourable George, who Avas standing near to her. He, having an idea that bishops and aU their belongings, like other things appertaining to religion, should, if possible, be avoided ; but if that were not possible, should be treated with much assumed gravity, immediately put on a long face, and remarked that — ' it was a deuced shame : for his part he always liked to see people go quiet on Sundays. The parsons had only one day out of seven, and he thought they were fully entitled to that.' Satisfied with which, or not satisfied, Mrs. Proudie had to remain sUent till dinner-time. ' No,' said Frank ; ' I never was in Rome. I was in Paris once, and that's all.' And then, feeling a not unnatural anxiety as to the present state of Miss Dunstable's worldly concerns, he took an opportunity of faUing back on that part of the conversation which Mrs. Proudie had exercised so much tact in aA7oiding. ' And was it sold ?' said he. < Sold !— what sold ?' 'You were saying about the business — that j7ou came back without going to bed because of seUing the business.' ' Oh ! — the ointment.

No ; it was not sold. After all, the affair did not come off, and I might have remained and had another roll in the snow. Wasn't it a pity ?' ' So,' said Frank to himself, ' if I should do it, I should be owner of the ointment of Lebanon : hoAv odd !' And then he gave her his arm and handed her doAvn to dinner. He certainly found that the dinner was less duU than any other he bad sat down to at Courcy Castle. He did not fancy that he should ever faU in love with Miss Dunstable ; but she certainly Avas an amiable companion. She told him of her tour, and the fun she had in her journeys ; how she took a physician with her for the benefit of her health, whom she generaUy was forced to nurse ; of the trouble it was to her to look after and wait upon her numerous servants ; of the tricks she played to bamboozle people who came to stare at her ; and, lastly, she told him of a lover who foUowed her from country to country, and was now in hot pursuit of her, having arrived in London the evening before she left. 'A lover!' said Frank, somewhat startled by the suddenness of the confidence. ' A lover — yes — Mr. Gresham ; why should I not have a lover ?' ' Oh ! — no — of course not.