Algernon Herbert Vaughan Morgan

“ There is a mean and revolutionary idea becoming prevalent that men should work their way upwards; in fact, that it is better to enter the ship through the hawse-hole than by the cabin windows. It has become more difficult now for a secretary of state to reward, with a quiet two thousand a-year, the Eton chum who stood point to his bowling, or the Christchurch man who kept on the same staircase, and helped him to screw in the dean. But some five-and-thirty years ago, such an exercise of benevolence was not only possible but practicable, and occasionally practised. ”

“ How strange it is, that in a house in which there are already more than twenty people, the arrival of a little fair-haired girl of seventeen should make such a wonderful difference. Yet, after Mr. Martin’s youngest sister, Clara, had been there a week, all Frank’s ideas of departure were gone so entirely, that he could scarcely conceive he had ever entertained them.
Slopcombe is situated in rather a pretty part of Devon, and there were two or three places in the neighbourhood which it was absolutely necessary that Clara should see. ”

“ His left arm is suspended in a sling, his black hair does not quite cover the mark of a sabre-cut as well as his black beard conceals the lower part of his face—he wears five medals on his breast—but more than these he bears that which none but the brave with the brave can share, the noblest decoration the nineteenth century has seen—one beyond the reach of ordinary knights-bachelors—the Victoria Cross. ”

“ It was written of old “a great city is a great solitude;” but in city or country there is no loneliness like that of the ball-room which one enters as a stranger. I know nothing so likely to foster misanthropy in a young man as remaining long, under these circumstances, without a partner. The very beauty and light-heartedness of the women seem to assume the shape of a personal injury. ”

“ When the faithful biographer has the opportunity of selecting from many thousands the individual upon whom he shall confer immortality, he can scarcely be blamed if he chooses some one whom it is pleasant to write about, rather than not. Acting upon this principle, I will mention at once that Frank Ainslie was as clever, agreeable, and good-looking a young fellow as you could find on the fifth form at Eton ”

“ Captain James had continued the process of “edging” for the purpose of “looking at them,” till a distance of little more than a mile and a half intervened. Then the French commodore and the corvette hauled to the wind, and hove in stays to face their coming foe.
“We must fight now,” said Captain James to the first lieutenant, trying hard to suppress the delight which would show itself in his countenance. ”

“ As these young gentlemen paid nothing, and occasionally wore corduroys, we must fear that their defection was not duly regretted either by the master or the private pupils.
“Martin,” wrote Frank, in a letter to Herbert, “is a very nice fellow, good scholar, good temper, supports my authority,—is, in fact, generally jolly. The only wonder is, however he could have married Mrs. M.”
Ah, Frank! as you grow older, that constantly recurring problem of social life, “What could have induced Brown to marry that woman?” ”

“ The largest, which bore the broad pendant of a commodore, was nominally a fifty-gun ship, but, as was usual with French vessels of war at that time, she carried some half-dozen guns more than her rating, and a more numerous crew than would have been found in an English vessel of the same size. The second was a corvette, smaller than the English ship, but a beautiful craft, built on the last new model (without one alteration upon the original plan) , and with a crew almost equal in number, though not in any other respect, to that of the “tub.” ”

“ When he returned to the ball-room he found the much-maligned Johnson in bran new kids, radiant as his own, and Clara just commencing the second dance with a young man in a yeomanry uniform.
At the end of this, he asked her for the third, but she was engaged for several dances—she did not know how many. Clara was so disgusted with everything at the moment that she could not find the words she wished to soften her refusal. Frank only saw she did not mean to dance with him, and the intention of the pretended message. ”

“ Chaser’s relations with the noble lord at the head of the government were not very dissimilar in their nature to Mr. Scenter’s, as the latter gentleman now remembered.
If he had thought of it about an hour before in the High Street of Shortpond, it is possible that he would not have been so communicative on the subject of Filliter’s death.
As the two men met, the first glance they exchanged told each the other’s object.
“Of course we are bound on the same errand?” said Scenter.
“Then we may as well travel together,” said Chaser. “The winner can pay the shot.” ”

“ At this moment they were nearing the enemy rapidly, having the commodore on their weather bow, and the corvette still further to windward.
“Now, master,” said Captain James, “haul sharp up to the wind, and let us try if we cannot weather them both.”
And here the aldermanic build of the old tub stood her in good stead. She could wear and stay a great deal quicker, and in much less room, than the Great Eastern, though she could not go ahead quite so fast. ”

“ It was some trial for the nerves of a young fellow of seventeen with these prospects, when a respected uncle with a large family informed him that he had not a halfpenny in the world, and the sooner he did something to get one, the better! But Frank had the pluck which enables a man to stand up against that swift and nasty bowler, Misfortune, without much padding. ”

“ As the day broke, he gave notice of another and another, and by nine o’clock they had sighted five vessels—the largest apparently of heavy metal—and then about six miles distant, broad upon their larboard bow.
The first lieutenant was an old sailor and a Scotchman: and was imbued with the amount of caution which the combination of those two qualifications might naturally be expected to produce. He evidently did not like the aspect of affairs; and when they made out another of the ships to be a large corvette, apparently of French build, his anxiety became manifest. ”

“ Your father is dangerously ill. You are to go home directly. If, as we must hope, your father should soon recover, I hope you will return to us as soon as you can leave him, for you have been doing very well lately, especially in mathematics: Mr. Angles spoke of you to me the other day, as being one of his best pupils. But again, before I say goodbye, I must caution you to prepare yourself for the worst; it is even possible that you may not find your father alive. Do not stay to pack up anything, as the post-chaise will be here immediately. ”

“ And Chaser returned to the hotel, gave orders that he should be called at eight, and went comfortably to bed.
Mr. Scenter arose at six in the morning. To tell the truth, notwithstanding the fatigue of his journey, he had not been able to sleep. At six then he arose, and arranged himself carefully for an interview with the great man. It is strange how careful men are upon these occasions, although, upon cross-examination, they would aver that their personal appearance could make no difference to the result of their application. ”

“ Martin? something is forgotten of great importance.” And she scribbled two or three words with her pencil.
“Will you excuse me, Miss Clara,” said he, “for I think the dancing is going to commence?”
Clara bowed assent, for she was really unable to speak.
Frank made his way with some difficulty through the crowd of amateurs at the door, who were occupied in criticising the ball-dresses as they issued from the carriages, and with rapid step he hastened to the school-house, and then to Mr. Martin’s study. ”

“ A singular custom prevails in the old-fashioned town of Wirksworth, in Derbyshire, which is called tap-dressing, or sometimes well-dressing. It would appear that, in former times, the inhabitants of this town and its neighbourhood suffered much from the insufficiency of their supply of water. When a constant supply was at last insured by laying down iron pipes, the ceremony of tap-dressing was instituted to commemorate the improvement. ”

“ His uncle did not coincide with his views, and told him frankly he could give him no assistance, except in the manner he had proposed: but Frank was determined, answered the advertisement, forwarded a testimonial from Eton, which proved perfectly satisfactory, and concluded the engagement.
Then, by disposing of his watch, his studs, rings, pins, two guns, and a few other articles with which he determined to dispense, he managed to realise about eighty pounds; and with that capital he commenced the world, and started for Slopcombe. ”

“ And in so doing, these scoffers may be considered merely to imply that the craft in question does not reach their ideas of perfection. But in the year 1782 the term “tub” possessed in the British Navy a more special signification. In the vocabulary of those days a tub was a forty-four-gun ship. She carried sixteen guns on her main, sixteen on her lower, and the remainder on her quarter-deck and forecastle. ”

“ An inquiry might naturally be made, how that respected officer had been employed during the interval. When the English ship luffed and crossed his bows without tiring, he had imagined that she wished to decline the combat. ”

“ Notwithstanding the annual increase in the Civil Service Estimates, and the efforts which, we learn from “Punch,” are being made in Dean’s Yard to raise the examinations to the proper standard, the Service is not what it was. ”

“ The whole bore evidence of very good workman ship. In all the patterns the lines were carefully drawn, and the edges clearly defined. It may be doubted, whether any one who has not been a spectator could form a correct idea of the effects produced by the fragile materials which are used.
The first prize was adjudged to the representation of Moses, the difficulty of the undertaking probably having some weight in influencing the decision. ”

“ The last statement is made on feminine authority.
The cause of water-drinking has lately received a considerable impulse from the erection of drinking-fountains in many of the principal towns. Might it not aid the good cause for which these have been built, if their foundation was commemorated by some ceremony as graceful and as harmless as the tap-dressing at Wirksworth. ”

“ His recent devotion to mathematics did him good service, for he was third on the list of successful candidates. Herbert also obtained an appointment, but he was not so high up. A fortnight afterwards, and exactly one month from the night of the Slopcombe ball, he sailed for Varna.
CHAPTER V.
More than five years have elapsed since the end of our last chapter. “Many changes have we seen” in that period, not only in the great events of which the whole world takes note; but also in the fortunes of a single family. The easy-going, scholarly, good-tempered Martin is no more ”