George Tomkyns Chesney

“ Peevor's turn to be sleepy; Mrs. Peevor was languid and silent; Miss Maria evidently posed as the confirmed invalid, from whom no share in entertaining company was to be expected; the young ladies, in awe of their visitor, the first colonel they had ever met, were shy, and did not volunteer to lead in the conversation. But Yorke was too modest to put down the silence to this cause; the young ladies he had been accustomed to meet were mostly talkative, not to say fast, and he put their reserve down to indifference or gaucherie. ”

“ Miss Maria, the eldest, it appeared from the brief replies extracted, did not care about anything in particular, although she liked taking a walk after breakfast if the weather was fine; but on her father observing that they were seldom in the country at this season when the leaves were falling — falling leaves were so very unhealthy — Miss Catherine, taking courage, observed that this was how they always missed the hunting.
"Then you are fond of hunting?" said Yorke, turning to her with more interest in his manner than he had been able as yet to assume. ”

“ Peevor following up the idea, it was arranged that one of the stable-men should drive over in the tax-cart the first thing in the morning, with instructions for a horse to be sent for him to the meet, whither Miss Lucy would drive him in her pony-carriage, while Mrs. Peevor was to take Catherine in the landau. The matter was indeed arranged almost before Yorke could say anything, and not without misgivings on his part; for although it would be pleasant enough to escort Miss Catherine, he did not much fancy making his first appearance on an untried hack. ”

“ Peevor, "to be there well before the time — a good ten minutes, I said — to make sure, so that you might not be kept waiting a moment; one is so apt to catch cold these chilly evenings waiting on the platform;" and Yorke was assuring him for the second time that Rundall had executed the order faithfully — regardless (he could not help thinking) of the risk incurred by himself of catching that dangerous complaint — when conversation was suspended by the sound of the dinner dressing-bell; whereupon the party rose, and the host conducted him to his bedroom. ”

“ Peevor himself, although careful to explain that the table was of a peculiar construction made to special order, turned out to be an indifferent player, the game was rather one-sided. But it did not last long; for as breakfast was ordered for nine o'clock the next morning on account of the hunting, Mr. Peevor soon became fidgety about his daughters not being up in time, and hurried them off to bed; and then before wishing his guest good-night at his room-door, gave a last order to the butler for the despatch of the tax-cart to Castleroyal the first thing in the morning ”

“ Peevor, apologetically, "for little purchases of this sort; it improves the look of the house, you know, and gives one occupation." The pictures Colonel Yorke must look at to-morrow, in better light: he made a point of buying four or five pictures a year; it was a man's duty to encourage art, and then it made the visits to the Royal Academy so interesting if you went there with an object. Yorke thereon observed that his host was to be envied his life passed so usefully and agreeably, and surrounded by the comforts of such a happy home ”

“ Does he want to get rid of one of his daughters before the impending smash takes place? Surely, if he is really the man of substance he appears to be, it would not be necessary to seek out a stranger like myself, a mere soldier of fortune, in order to get a husband for presentable, well-portioned daughters. ”

“ But whether it was that he had scowled so at them on previous occasions, or that matters had so far advanced that their visits could no longer be made with ease in his presence, at any rate on his arrival there was a general abstention of male visitors from their customary attentions, and his mother was evidently so ill at ease from the cessation of the mild pleasures which made up the business of her life, that her son felt that it would be only kind to shorten his stay ”