A Dark Nights Work | Page 5

manner. A country dance
followed, in which none of the lord-lieutenant's party joined; then there
was a consultation, a request, an inspection of the dancers, a message to
the orchestra, and the band struck up a waltz; the duchess's daughters
flew off to the music, and some more young ladies seemed ready to
follow, but, alas! there was a lack of gentlemen acquainted with the
new-fashioned dance. One of the stewards bethought him of young
Wilkins, only just returned from the Continent. Edward was a beautiful
dancer, and waltzed to admiration. For his next partner he had one of
the Lady --s; for the duchess, to whom the--shire squires and their little
county politics and contempts were alike unknown, saw no reason why
her lovely Lady Sophy should not have a good partner, whatever his
pedigree might be, and begged the stewards to introduce Mr. Wilkins to
her. After this night his fortune was made with the young ladies of the
Hamley assemblies. He was not unpopular with the mammas; but the
heavy squires still looked at him askance, and the heirs (whom he had
licked at Eton) called him an upstart behind his back.
CHAPTER II.

It was not a satisfactory situation. Mr. Wilkins had given his son an
education and tastes beyond his position. He could not associate with
either profit or pleasure with the doctor or the brewer of Hamley; the
vicar was old and deaf, the curate a raw young man, half frightened at
the sound of his own voice. Then, as to matrimony--for the idea of his
marriage was hardly more present in Edward's mind than in that of his
father--he could scarcely fancy bringing home any one of the young
ladies of Hamley to the elegant mansion, so full of suggestion and

association to an educated person, so inappropriate a dwelling for an
ignorant, uncouth, ill-brought-up girl. Yet Edward was fully aware, if
his fond father was not, that of all the young ladies who were glad
enough of him as a partner at the Hamley assemblies, there was not of
them but would have considered herself affronted by an offer of
marriage from an attorney, the son and grandson of attorneys. The
young man had perhaps received many a slight and mortification pretty
quietly during these years, which yet told upon his character in after life.
Even at this very time they were having their effect. He was of too
sweet a disposition to show resentment, as many men would have done.
But nevertheless he took a secret pleasure in the power which his
father's money gave him. He would buy an expensive horse after five
minutes' conversation as to the price, about which a needy heir of one
of the proud county families had been haggling for three weeks. His
dogs were from the best kennels in England, no matter at what cost; his
guns were the newest and most improved make; and all these were
expenses on objects which were among those of daily envy to the
squires and squires' sons around. They did not much care for the
treasures of art, which report said were being accumulated in Mr.
Wilkins's house. But they did covet the horses and hounds he possessed,
and the young man knew that they coveted, and rejoiced in it.
By-and-by he formed a marriage, which went as near as marriages ever
do towards pleasing everybody. He was desperately in love with Miss
Lamotte, so he was delighted when she consented to be his wife. His
father was delighted in his delight, and, besides, was charmed to
remember that Miss Lamotte's mother had been Sir Frank Holster's
younger sister, and that, although her marriage had been disowned by
her family, as beneath her in rank, yet no one could efface her name out
of the Baronetage, where Lettice, youngest daughter of Sir Mark
Holster, born 1772, married H. Lamotte, 1799, died 1810, was duly
chronicled. She had left two children, a boy and a girl, of whom their
uncle, Sir Frank, took charge, as their father was worse than dead--an
outlaw whose name was never mentioned. Mark Lamotte was in the
army; Lettice had a dependent position in her uncle's family; not
intentionally made more dependent than was rendered necessary by
circumstances, but still dependent enough to grate on the feelings of a

sensitive girl, whose natural susceptibilty to slights was redoubled by
the constant recollection of her father's disgrace. As Mr. Wilkins well
knew, Sir Frank was considerably involved; but it was with very mixed
feelings that he listened to the suit which would provide his penniless
niece with a comfortable, not to say luxurious, home, and with a
handsome, accomplished young man of unblemished character for a
husband. He said one or two bitter and insolent