Basingstoke

“ The temperamental needle of Edward Basingstoke followed the magnet of romance. In a gayer, if less comfortable, age he might have been a knight-errant, or, at least, the sympathetic squire of a knight-errant. Had he been born in the days when most people stayed at home and minded their own business he would have insisted on going out and minding other people's. ”

“ Basingstoke, happily, "it never happened. I fetched you as we arranged. We go on as we arranged. And Mr. Schultz is only a bad dream to which I owe ten pounds."
"And you're not angry? Then will you lend me some money to buy a hat, and then we will go straight on to London."
"Yes," said Edward, controlling Charles, who had just seen the peaches and thought they looked like something to eat. "But—if you won't think me a selfish brute I should like to say just one thing." ”

“ Never shall it be said that Edward Basingstoke [67] was deaf to the voice of a lady in distress. Lay your commands on me, and be assured that, for me, to hear is to obey."
"You are very impertinent, young man," Miss Davenant told him, "and you won't do yourself any good by talking like a book. Clear out of this to-night, and I'll give you twenty pounds. Stay, and take the consequences." ”

“ The élite left the City of the West, or if they remained, there were no public assemblies at which they might display their jewels and varied costumes.
It is needless to say that Lady Betty took her departure, as it was considered "the mode" to do so; and report said young Lord Basingstoke had made it evident that he had no serious intentions, by leaving Bath some time before the vivacious little widow deserted No. 6, North Parade. ”

“ The rebels might hold Basingstoke for a time, and lay siege to Basing House, but troops from Royalist Oxford would come and take the town and reprovision this stronghold. It was a mixed company in this palace-fortress. My lord, loyalist, soldier, amateur of the arts; reposing after the warlike{115} fatigues of the day in a bed whose gorgeous trappings made it worth £1300; witty and brave cavaliers; a company of Roman Catholic priests; men-at-arms, drinking, dicing, and fighting by turns and with equal zest ”

“ John, near Basingstoke, and on 15 Oct. 1740 was elected usher of the free school of the Holy Ghost at Basingstoke. In 1743 he became curate of Stratfield Turgis in Hampshire, and on 18 July 1743, through the influence of Lord Portsmouth with the lord chancellor, he was appointed master of the free school of the Holy Ghost by letters patent. This ancient foundation was at the time in a ruinous condition, and in 1743 Loggon had the estate surveyed, and suggested means for its improvement in a letter to John Russell, the town clerk of Basingstoke. ”

“ To complete his recovery from the small-pox, which he had taken at Chelsea, he went, in May 1746, to Chobham; and then, after officiating for a few months at Chawton and Droxford, returned to his first curacy of Basingstoke. In the next year he was presented by the Duke of Bolton to the rectory of Wynslade, by which preferment he was enabled immediately to marry a young lady in that neighbourhood, of the name of Daman, to whom he had been long attached. ”

“ Captain Basset said, a flush rising to his cheeks. "Who are the people?"
"The blacksmith and a few farm labourers," Mr. Basset answered; "I believe they meet together here every evening to discuss the war."
There was silence after that until the cab turned into the Glen grounds. Under the porch of the house Miss Basset stood waiting in company with May and Donald, a flush on her pretty old face, a tender light shining in her soft brown eyes. She ran forward as her nephew was assisted from the cab, and clasped her arms around him. ”

“ Basset, as, having read his nephew's letter, he folded it carefully, placed it in its envelope, and returned it to his sister. "Well, I suppose having Josephine here will not make much difference anyway, Ann?"
"I don't know about that," Miss Basset answered doubtfully; "it will depend upon what she is like, of course. An Indian-born child, accustomed to native servants, may not settle down comfortably in an English home. Dear me, I was saying only yesterday that we had no relative at the front, little thinking how soon our nearest and dearest would be there! Oh, dear me!" ”

“ There had been some talk of Miss Basset taking her little niece to London to see Captain Basset; but the old lady had become so nervous at the thought of zeppelins that the idea had been dropped.
Soon after Mr. Basset's return from France Mrs. Ford had spent a week-end at the Glen. Her visit had been not only a great pleasure to Josephine, but had cheered her wonderfully.
"You must keep a brave heart, my dear," she had said, "for your father will need help and encouragement. A heavy cross has been laid upon him, but many a cross brings a blessing with it, remember." ”

“ She was a trying woman to live with, for she persistently looked on the dark side of things. Thus it was that when, one chilly afternoon, she and her daughter sat taking their tea together in their cosy little parlour and she heard that Josephine Basset had received a letter from Captain Basset, from France, she shook her head mournfully and said—
"Ah, poor child, poor child! To think that that letter may be his last!"
"We won't think anything of the kind, mother," was the quick rejoinder; "it's wrong to anticipate trouble." ”

“ There were twenty—mostly women and children; they had lost everything except the clothes they were wearing, so I was told."
"Oh, how sad!" cried May pitifully.
"It must be terrible to be homeless," remarked Miss Basset; "heart-breaking, I call it."
Mr. Basset agreed. "Yet most of them appeared cheerful," he said; "that seemed marvellous to me."
"They know they've not been to blame in anyway, and that makes them brave, don't you think?" suggested Josephine. "I heard a lot about the Belgians in Exeter—you know I spent last night there with Mrs. Ford; her friends are busy making clothes for them. ”

“ And yet I know God is watching over father—that He loves him—oh, a hundred times better than I do, and knows what's best for him, but—but—oh, Uncle John, this wicked, terrible war! Why does God allow it?"
Mr. Basset shook his head. "That is a mystery which we cannot solve," he said; "perhaps it will be plain to us when we no longer see through a glass darkly, but in the clear light of the world to come. We cannot judge now what the effects of the war will be—"
He broke off suddenly as the door opened and May entered, her pretty face aglow with excitement.
"Oh, Josephine!" ”

“ I don't know him myself, but—"
"Oh!" interposed Josephine excitedly, "you mean Dick Rumbelow!"
Her father assented.
"I understand his name is in all the newspapers to-day," he said; "his mother must be proud of him."
"Oh, I wonder if she knows!" cried May.
"She does by this time if she did not before," Captain Basset answered, "for Aunt Ann has sent her niece Jane to tell her."
"Good Aunt Ann!" exclaimed Donald. "Fancy Dick Rumbelow, the scapegrace, winning the V.C.! Well, I'm glad!"
"So am I!" Captain Basset replied heartily; "I'm sure he deserves it. He must be a very brave man. ”

“ Captain Basset replied, kissing her.
"Oh, Paul, you can say that?" she whispered brokenly, the ever-ready tears filling her eyes.
"Yes, and feel it, too," he answered her, "so there's no need to cry. I thought you'd be so happy to-night."
"So I am, so I am! You mustn't mind my crying—I can't help it!"
With an effort the old lady overcame her emotion, and released her nephew from her embrace. Then May and Donald shook hands with him; after which Warner came forward, and respectfully but firmly said his master must go straight to his own room and rest after his journey. ”

“ Bassett’s disappointment was patent to the condemned man. The smart young fellow was in fact beginning to weary of his up-hill work, and to think about the bill.
So next day Tom asked Bassett whether the Noble Unknown had also abandoned hope and effort.
“Not he,” said Bassett in a half-disgusted tone. “He is moving heaven and earth; seeking private interviews with the Home Secretary, if not with the King himself. He’s quite capable of it. A wonderful man when he gets an idea into his head!” ”

“ Williams’ questions were many and pointed, and it soon became evident to Bassett what he had in his mind—that her explanation of her actions did not account for the length of time she had been on the shore. Whether she saw it or not he could not tell; checked in her story she would answer patiently, reiterating her first statement that her stunned condition had robbed her of the power of thought or motion. But he was sure Stokes had grasped the trend of the query; he drew nearer, his flexible lips working, the hand hanging at his side clenching and unclenching. ”

“ Many pictures, unrelated, came and went in Bassett’s mind as he reviewed that period of his terrible wanderings. He remembered invading another village of a dozen houses and driving all before him with his shot-gun save, for one old man, too feeble to flee, who spat at him and whined and snarled as he dug open a ground-oven and from amid the hot stones dragged forth a roasted pig that steamed its essence deliciously through its green-leaf wrappings. ”

“ Basset found her, a picture of utter dejection, when, guessing where she had hidden, he, by and by, came to seek her.
"Josephine," he said, touching her lightly on the shoulder, "get up, my dear!" Then, as she obeyed, he made her take one chair, and seated himself on the other. "God has spared your dear father's life," he continued, "and thankfulness for that ought to soften this blow—"
"Oh, Uncle John, indeed I am thankful!" Josephine interposed; "but—but—oh, think what life will be to father without sight? He has always been so active and busy in every way! ”

“ But if I was Cantine, and you ain’t goin’ to perforate Cantine on sight, what in Hades do you mean?”
“Mean?” echoed Bassett. “Your gall is sure chilled steel and case-hardened on top. Do you think as me or any other white man’s goin’ to eat, drink or sleep with or breathe the same air as you? You as broke the bond of bread and blanket, the Northland law as no man ever breaks, and lives to boast of it! Days on end I seen you sit at table with my pardner Sark under his own roof in White Pass City. ”

“ We must 'trust in Him at all times.' I read the other day these words: 'If the sun is going down look up to the stars. If the earth is dark keep your eye on heaven.' You will try to do that?"
"I will! I do! That is fighting the good fight, isn't it?"
Captain Basset assented. Before there was time for anything more to be said May appeared at the house door and beckoned them indoors to tea.
Mr. Basset, with his nephew and the two little girls, went to church in the evening, whilst his sister remained at home with Donald. ”

“ Bassett looked at his watch—nearly eight—probably two hours to wait. The best thing he could do was to get them together and keep them as quiet as he could. As he went down the path his mind collected and marshalled in order the facts he would have to present. They had all been in the house except Stokes on the balcony and Flora walking round the island. Stokes eaten into by a hopeless love, Flora on fire with jealousy and hate—passions that make for murder. ”

“ A feeling of theatrical unreality was Bassett's chief emotion during the trying time that followed. The cloaked and shrouded figure of the woman ahead, the passage through two dark and empty rooms by pass key to an unguarded corridor in the rear, the descent of the fire-escape, where they stood flattened against the wall while a man, possibly one of the posse, rode in, tied his horse and stamped in high heeled boots into the building, and always just ahead the sure movement and silent tread of the woman, kept his nerves taut and increased his feeling of the unreal. ”

“ The little girls got out and walked the hill, arriving at the top as soon as the carriage. There a halt was made for a few minutes so that Josephine should look at the view—a beautifully wooded valley in the midst of which lay the town.
"This is Tor Hill," said Miss Basset, "and that thatched house nearly at the foot of the hill is the blacksmith's—between that and the town there is only one other dwelling—Vine Cottage—"
"Oh, such a funny old woman lives there, Josephine!" May interposed; "she's called Mrs. Rumbelow, and she's bent almost two-double! She lives quite by herself, I believe." ”

“ But I fancy you’re looking so far ahead that you’re missing the next step. The row with the natives about their women is the next step. And although there’s no need to get into blue funk about it, like Bassett, it may very easily be the last step too.”
“I know,” said Sir John. “I’m going to speak to some of the men about it. I wish you’d tackle Cyril Mast.”
“Well,” said Dr Pryce, “it’s rather difficult. You see, I’m not exactly qualified for—er—er—stained-glass treatment myself, and Mast knows it. For that matter, I could tell you a true story about the amiable Bassett. ”

“ By the time the old yellow sleigh was at the door, the bread was in the oven, and Mrs. Bassett was waiting, with her camlet cloak on, and the baby done up like a small bale of blankets.
"Now, Eph, you must look after the cattle like a man, and keep up the fires, for there's a storm brewin', and neither the children nor dumb critters must suffer," said Mr. Bassett, as he turned up the collar of his rough coat and put on his blue mittens, while the old mare shook her bells as if she preferred a trip to Keene to hauling wood all day. ”