Bevill

“ But at three o'clock, we, having been for the sixth time beaten back, were panting under cover of a hedge, and Sir John Berkeley, near by, was writing on a drumhead some message to the camp, when there comes a young man on horseback, his face smear'd with dirt and dust, and rides up to him and Sir Bevill. ”

“ Hawker’s reference to Stowe having been turned into an academy for all the young men of family in the county is correct. He is quoting from George Granville’s (Lord Lansdowne) letter to his nephew, who tells us that Sir Bevill—
“provided the best masters for all kinds of education, and the children of his neighbours shared the advantage with his own. ”

“ Another time he strode along the path from Kilkhampton village to Stowe with a bacon-hog of three hundredweight thrown across his shoulders, and merely because a taunting butcher had doubted his strength for the feat. Among the excellences of Sir Beville’s Giant, it is told of him that he was by no means clumsy or uncouth, as men of unusual size sometimes are, but as nimble and elastic, and as capable of swift and dexterous movement, as a light and muscular man. ”

“ If his lot had fallen in later days, he might have been hired by some wonder-monger to astonish the provincial mind, or the intellect of cities, as the Cornish Chang. But in good, old, honest, simple-hearted England, they utilised their giants, and deemed that when a cubit was added to the stature of a man, it was for some wise good end, and they looked upon their loftier brother with added honour and respect.
So for many years Payne continued to fulfil his various duties as Sir Beville’s chief retainer at Stowe. He it was who was the leader and the authority in every masculine sport. ”

“ Catch Begil Bey while he is lying in his bed. Bind his hands, cut off his beautiful head and spill his red blood upon the earth. Plunder his tribe and his camp, and capture both his daughters and his daughters-in-law."
It happened that Begil also had a spy in the area. He sent word to Begil, saying: "Prepare for battle! The enemy is coming."
Begil looked up and said: "The heavens are deep and far away, and the earth is hard." He called his son to his side and spoke to him. ”

“ He never thinks of himself, his whole life has been given to the noblest work. His writings, I am told, though they're too learned for my old head, have made him a name far and wide. And all this he has done in spite of delicate health and frequent suffering. He seems older than his years, and Sir Bevil is in hopes that before long he may persuade his cousin to give up his hard London parish and make his regular home where he is so longed for, in Treluan itself, as our vicar, and indeed I pray that it may be so while I am still here to see it. ”

“ With his distaste for town life and his strong love for the country—for its scenery changing with every season, for its living forms of animal and plant life, for all, in short, that incessantly appealed to a wonderful artistic instinct, Bewick was451 easily persuaded by his old master, Beilby, to return to Newcastle, and enter into partnership with him—his brother John becoming their joint apprentice. The publication of the illustrations to “Gay’s Fables,” and the “Select Fables,” by the brothers, spread their reputation far and wide, and placed them far above competition in the art. ”

“ Bellew laughed, and shook his head.
"Such things aren't necessary—here in Arcadia, John,—besides, I have my stick. So good-bye, for the present, you'll stay at the 'King's Head,'—remember."
"Good-night, Master George, sir, goodnight! and good fortune go with you."
"Thank you!" said Bellew, and reached out his hand, "I think we'll shake on that, John!"
So they clasped hands, and Bellew turned, and set off along the grassy lane. And, presently, as he went, he heard the hum of the car grow rapidly fainter and fainter until it was lost in the quiet of the evening. ”

“ He said thou wast bad, and call'd theo a lad,
And a baffled man by thee I be:
He said thou wast bad, and call'd thee a lad,
And bully to his son cannot be,
For his son Bewick can both write and read,
And sure I cannot say that of thee.
I put theo to school, but thou wouldst not learn,
I bought thee books, but thou wouldst not read,
But my blessing thou shalt never have,
Till with Bowick thou canst save thy head.
O! pray forbear, my father doar,
That ever such a thing should be,
Shall I venture my body in field to fight
With a man that's faith and troth to me. ”

“ And yet it was of none of these he was thinking as he paused under the shadow of "King Arthur,"—nor of Small Porges, nor of any one or anything in this world but only of the sudden, light touch of a warm, soft hand upon his. "Be that you, sir?" Bellew started and now he found that he had been sitting, all this while, with an empty pipe between his teeth, yet content therewith; wherefore he shook his head, and wondered.
"Be that you, Mr. Beloo, sir?"
"Yes Adam, it is I."
"Ah! an' how might you be feelin' now—arter your exercise wi' the pitch-fork, sir?" ”

“ Wherefore Bellew, unobserved, as yet in "King Arthur's" shadow, watching the proud head with its wayward curls, (for the sunbonnet had been tossed back upon her shoulders) , watching the quick, passionate caress of those slender, brown hands, and listening to the thrilling tenderness of that low, soft voice, felt, all at once, strangely lonely, and friendless, and out of place, very rough and awkward, and very much aware of his dusty person,—felt, indeed, as any other ordinary human might, who had tumbled unexpectedly into Arcadia ”

“ Now as their eyes met, it seemed to Bellew as though he had lived all his life in expectation of this moment, and he knew that all his life he should never forget this moment. But now, even while he looked at her, he saw her cheeks flush painfully, and her dark eyes grow troubled.
"I beg your pardon!" said she again, "I—I thought—Mr. Cassilis gave me to understand that you were—"
"A very dusty, hungry-looking fellow, perhaps," smiled Bellew, "and he was quite right, you know; the dust you can see for yourself, but the hunger you must take my word for. ”

“ They rested on the fair young singer with delight and admiration, and when she had finished there was no applause like the susceptible American's.
When Miss Bewlay's brother had gradually worked his way to the back of the room, he found the American in an ecstasy.
"She's great," he said. "Say, would it be too much to ask you to introduce me?"
"Not at all," said the brother, who was as pleased at his sister's success as though it were his own.
*****
The American did not return to his own country the next day, nor for many days after; and when he did he was engaged to Miss Gladys Bewlay. ”

“ ALFRED of Beverley (fl. 1143) , chronicler, was a priest of Beverley, and is described in the preface to his book as ‘treasurer of the church of Beverley’ and ‘Master Alfred, sacrist of the church of Beverley.’ He speaks of himself as contemporary with the removal of the Flemings from the north of England to Ross in Herefordshire in 1112, and writes that he compiled his chronicle ‘when the church was silent, owing to the number of persons excommunicated under the decree of the council of London,’ an apparent reference to the council held at Mid-Lent, 1143. ”

“ Try! Think! Shall I tickle you?”
“It wants magic,” said Bevis. “I ought to have studied magic more; only there are no magic books now.”
“But you can think, I know. Now, think hard—hard.”
“First,” said Bevis slowly, tracing out the proceedings in his imagination; “first we must bring all our things—the gun and powder, and provisions, and great-coats, and the astrolabe, and spears, and leave them all here.”
“Pan ought to come,” said Mark, “to watch the hut.”
“So he did; he shall come, and besides, if we shoot a wild duck he can swim out and fetch it.” ”

“ Abel implored; “and, O Gearge! let I tell mother about the word. Maybe she’ve heard tell of it. Let I show her the letter, Gearge. She’ll read it for ’ee. She’s a scholard, is mother.”
There was no mistaking now the wrath in George’s face. The fury that is fed by fear blazes pretty strongly at all times.
“Look ’ee, Abel, my boy,” said he, pinching Abel’s shoulder till he turned red and white with pain. “If thee ever speaks of that letter and that word to any mortal soul, I’ll tell Master Lake thee plays moocher, and I’ll half kill thee myself. Thee shall rue the day ever thee was born!” ”

“ You need not have asked the result, you true daughter of Eve; every one of you understand wheedling. Those two mischievous imps of mine are almost as great adepts as their mother. Hey, Beulah, no whispering there! You look as wise as an owl. What am I to do next? Paper the walls and fresco the ceilings? Out with it."
"I want to ask, sir, how much rent your conscience will allow you to demand for this pigeon-box of a house?"
"Well, I had an idea of asking two hundred dollars for it. Cheap enough at that. You may have it for two hundred," said he, with a good-humored nod toward Beulah. ”

“ She knew not that though, in accordance with his recently-acquired wealth and position, his own tastes, and the wishes of friends, Bevil had started a drag and joined the Four-in-Hand Club, he had been baffled resolutely more than once in his efforts to trace her by the well-meaning vicar of Chilcote, and that he was in perpetual anxiety to discover her, and was trusting to hope that her father's death on one hand and his own ample means had removed the barrier that the former had raised between them.
It is the fate of true love apparently never to run like a railway. ”

“ So long as Beverly is open and frank and true to himself—and he has always been that—I mean to let him alone. I am sure that I found a good deal better way for myself than my father had marked out for me. Perhaps Beverly will. Suppose we trust him. He has been such a good son—such a frank fellow; don't let us make a pretender of him. Let him read what he does openly. You may be very sure if it looks wrong to him he won't want to be open with it. I don't want to hurt Beverly as my father, dear soul, hurt me—intending it for my own good, of course; but—but—can't you trust Beverly, Katherine? ”

“ Nearly blinded by tears of indignation and mortification, Beulah turned from her, but the delicate white hand arrested her, and pressed heavily on her shoulder. She drew herself up, and tried to shake off the hold; but firm as iron was the grasp of the snowy fingers, and calm and cold as an Arctic night was the tone which said:
"Pshaw, girl, are you mad? You have sense enough to know that you are one too many in this house; but if you only desire to be educated, as you profess, why, I am perfectly willing that you should remain here. ”

“ Breathed by Earth to listening sky."
Now, all at once, upon this quietude there rose a voice up-raised in fervent supplication; wherefore, treading very softly, Bellew came, and peeping round the hay-rick, beheld Small Porges upon his knees. He was equipped for travel and the perils of the road, for beside him lay a stick, and tied to this stick was a bundle that bulged with his most cherished possessions. ”

“ Newt, good-by!”
CHAPTER LXXIII. — THE BELCH PLATFORM.
“My dear Newt, as a friend who has the highest respect for you, and the firmest faith in your future, I am sure you will allow me to say one thing.”
“Oh! certainly, my dear Belch; say two,” replied Abel, with the utmost suavity, as he sat at table with General Belch.
“I have no peculiar ability, I know,” continued the other, “but I have, perhaps, a little more experience than you. We old men, you know, always plume ourselves upon experience, which we make do duty for all the virtues and talents.” ”

“ The monastery of Beverley was founded, or at all events much frequented in the [214] eighth century, by a certain Archbishop of York, who retired hither "out of a pious aversion to this world," and has been known ever since as St. John of Beverley. Bede's account of this saint is well worth reading. He was a man of many miracles, of much kindliness, of some sharpness of tongue. Never was there a saint of so much commonsense, mingled with the compelling power that works miracles in every age. ”

“ At dusk she returned home, spent an hour at the piano, and now walked up and down the study, wrapt in thought. The room had a cozy, comfortable aspect; the fire burned brightly; the lamplight silvered the paintings and statues; and on the rug before the grate lay a huge black dog of the St. Bernard order, his shaggy head thrust between his paws. The large, intelligent eyes followed Beulah as she paced to and fro, and seemed mutely to question her restlessness. His earnest scrutiny attracted her notice, and she held out her hand, saying musingly:
"Poor Charon; you too miss your master. ”

“ In an instant a thousand arms were raised against the stranger who had dared to insult the majesty of their idol, and, though Bevis drew his short sword and defended himself bravely, he could not have held out against such numbers had not the palace gates been close behind. Still fighting, Bevis entered the gates, and drawing the letter from his tunic ordered the guards to take him at once into the presence of the king. ”

“ Beulah rang the bell for a cup of coffee, and, taking down a book, drew her chair near the lamp.
"What! studying already?" cried Clara impatiently.
"And why not? Life is short at best, and rarely allows time to master all departments of knowledge. Why should I not seize every spare moment?"
"Oh, Beulah! though you are so much younger, you awe me. I told your guardian to-day that you were studying yourself into a mere shadow. He smiled, and said you were too willful to be advised. You talk to me about not looking well! ”