Lady Thetford

“ The book had no interest—her thoughts would stray in spite of her to Thetford Towers.
"She is very pretty," Miss Jocyln thought, "with that pink and white wax-doll sort of prettiness that some people admire. I never thought he could, with his artistic nature; but I suppose I was mistaken. They call her fascinating; I believe that rather hoydenish manner of hers, all those dashing airs, and that 'loud' style of dress and doings, take some men by storm. I presume I was mistaken in Sir Rupert; I dare say pretty, penniless May will be Lady Thetford before long." ”

“ Little May must learn to be good."
Little May put one rosy finger in her mouth, and set her head on one side like a defiant canary. She was one of the prettiest little fairies imaginable, with her pale flaxen curls, sparkling light-gray eyes, and apple-blossom complexion; but she was evidently as much spoiled as small Sir Rupert Thetford himself.
Lady Thetford sat in the long drawing-room, after her solitary dinner, and little Sir Rupert played with his rocking-horse, and a pile of picture-books in a remote corner. ”

“ The years had gone by like a slow dream; life was stagnant enough in St. Gosport, doubly stagnant at Thetford Towers, whose mistress rarely went abroad beyond her own gates, save when she took her little son out for an airing in the pony phaeton.
She had taken him out for one of those airings on a July afternoon, when he had nearly accomplished his seventh year. They had driven seaward some miles from the manor-house, and Lady Thetford and her little boy had got out, and were strolling leisurely up and down the hot, white stands, while the groom waited with the pony-phaeton just within sight. ”

“ You have paid Miss Jocyln such attentions as no honorable gentleman should pay any lady, save the one he means to make his wife."
Lady Thetford's son rose abruptly, and stood leaning against the mantle, looking into the fire.
"Rupert, tell me truly, if May Everard had not come here, would you not ere this have asked Aileen to be your wife?"
"Yes—no—I don't know! Mother!" the young man cried, impatiently, "what has May Everard done that you should treat her like this?"
"Nothing; and I love her dearly, and you know it. But she is not suited to you—she is not the woman you should marry." ”

“ Weymore sat crying incessantly. I couldn't see what occasion there was for the governess and the painter there in that room of death—and I said so to Miss Everard. There's something mysterious in the matter, for her face flushed, and she stammered something about startling family secrets that had come to light, the over-excitement of which had hastened Lady Thetford's end. I don't like the look of things, and I'm altogether in the dark. That painter resembles the Thetfords a great deal too closely for the mere work of chance ”

“ Both Rupert and May are spoiled—May particularly is perfectly unmanageable. A young girl as governess for her would never do."
Mr. Knight departed with these instructions and the following week started for the great metropolis. An advertisement was at once inserted in the Times newspaper, stating all Lady Thetford's requirements, and desiring immediate application. Another week later, and Lady Thetford received the following communication:
"Dear Lady Thetford—I have been fairly besieged with applications for the past week—all widows, and all professing to be thoroughly competent. ”

“ If destiny has decreed it, I shall know, sooner or later; if destiny has not, then my puny efforts will be of no avail. But if presentiments mean anything, I shall one day know; and I have no doubt, if I searched Devonshire, I should find Madam Ada."
May Everard started up with a cry, for Lady Thetford had fallen back in one of those sudden spasms to which she had lately become subject. In the universal consternation, Guy Legard and his story were forgotten. ”

“ Come here, my pet, and kiss your new mamma."
She bent over the little one, kissing the pink cheek and rosy lips.
"She is fair and tiny—a very fairy; but she resembles you, nevertheless, Captain Everard."
"In temper—yes," said the captain. "You will find her spoiled, and wilful, cross, and capricious, and no end of trouble. Won't she, May?"
"She will be the better match for Rupert on that account," Lady Thetford said, smiling, and unfastening little Miss Everard's wraps with her own fair fingers. "Come here, Rupert, and welcome your new sister." ”

“ Lady Thetford said, kissing him fondly. "I can hardly ask for more than that."
Late in the afternoon of that eventful wedding-eve, the ex-governess sought out Guy Legard, for the first time of her own accord. She found him in the young baronet's studio, with May, putting the finishing touches to that young lady's portrait. He started up at sight of his visitor, vividly interested. Mrs. Weymore was paler even than usual, but with a look of deep, quiet determination on her face no one had ever seen there before.
"You have come to keep your promise," the young man cried—"to tell me who I am?" ”

“ Mayn't she come!"
"That must be as mamma says."
"Oh, fetch her!" cried Lady Thetford, "it will be so nice for May and Rupert. Only I hope little May won't quarrel with her; she does quarrel with her playmates a good deal, I am sorry to say."
"I won't if she's nice," said May; "it's all their fault. Oh, Rupert! there's Mrs. Weymore on the lawn, and I want her to come and see the rabbits. There's five little rabbits this morning, mamma—mayn't I go and show them to Mrs. Weymore?"
Lady Thetford nodded smiling acquiescence; and away ran little May and Rupert to show the rabbits to the governess. ”

“ I fear I am putting you to a great deal of trouble; but May's nurse insists on being taken back to London to-night."
"It will be of no consequence," replied Lady Thetford, "Rupert's nurse will take charge of her. I intend to advertise for a nursery governess in a few days. Rupert's health has always been so extremely delicate, that he has not even began a pretext of learning yet, and it is quite time. ”

“ I always do fraternize with those sort of fellows, you know; and I left him in Rome, and he promised, if he ever returned to England—which he wasn't so sure of—he would run down to Devonshire to see me and my painted ancestors, whom he resembles so strongly. That is all; and now, young ladies, if you will take your places we will commence on the Rosamond and Eleanor. Mother, sit here by this window if you want to play propriety, and don't talk."
But Lady Thetford chose to go to her own room, and her son gave her his arm thither and left her lying back amongst her cushions in front of the fire. ”

“ Knight suit you?"
Mrs. Weymore bowed. Lady Thetford rose to close the interview.
"You must need refreshment and rest after your journey. I will not detain you longer. To-morrow your duties will commence."
She rang the bell—directed the servant who came to show the governess to the east parlor and see to her wants, and then to send nurse for the children. Fifteen minutes after she drove away in the pony-phaeton, whilst the new governess stood by the window of the east parlor and watched her vanish in the amber haze of the August sunset. ”

“ I must be a fascinating little thing, to be sure, and I feel for him, beyond everything; at the same time Beauty," said the young lady, addressing the ugliest of the poodles with a confidential little nod, "they might all spare themselves the trouble of being tormented on the subject; because, you see, my dear little doggy, I wouldn't marry Sir Rupert Thetford if he were heir to the throne of England, much less Thetford Towers. He's a very nice young man, and a very amiable young man, and a very good-looking young man, I have no doubt ”

“ Destined to be the head of a family that unites with princely possessions and a historical name a keen though honourable ambition for political power, Lord Thetford has been care fully educated, especially in the new ideas of his time. His father, though a man of no ordinary talents, has never taken a prominent part in public life. ”

“ In 1476, Roger Swan was buried in this churchyard, and was a benefactor to the house.
In 1511, Robert Love, burgess, who was mayor in 1506, was buried in this church, and gave to the Prior for his labour and sepulture 20l. to every monk being a priest, 20s. and to every novice 10s.; to the repair of Milleford-Bridge, 10 marks; he gave eight acres in the Field, to repair the gild-hall, and Nuns'-Bridges; viz. to the gild 20d. and to each bridge 20d. "Also yf the town of Thetford, can find means to purchase of the King's grace, to have the town customyd free, within the space of v. ”

“ Withis tells us the church of the Dominicans at Thetford was 36 paces long; it was granted to Sir Richard Fulmerston, by the name of the site of the friars preachers, formerly called the Hospital-House of God in Thetford, who was to hold it in capite of the Queen, by the service of the 20th part of a fee, and 5d. ob. per annum rent. He left it to his heiress, and it descended to Sir Edward Clere, who sold it with the Canons farm, to which it now [1738] belongs.
Weaver tells us these persons of distinction were buried here, viz. Arfast Bishop of Thetford, Sir John Bret, Knt. ”

“ Sir Roger Bygod Earl of Norfolk, Sir Ralf Bigod, Sir William de Hengham, Sir Osbert de Caily, and others, being witnesses to it; she died in 1247, so that the deed must be made before that time. In 1286, Sir Peter de Melding, Knt. gave to God and the nuns of St. George in Thetford, a yearly rent of 5s. out of his tenements in Norwich, for the health of his soul, and the soul of Joan his wife. In 1359 there was a change made between the Prioress and Prior of the monks of Thetford, whereby divers lands in Rougham were settled on the nunnery, and other lands and a mill on the prior. ”

“ Offa takes possession of the inheritance of the murdered king, laying the country of the East-Angles to his own dominions; but this vineyard, as it was bloodily obtained, lasted not long in him or his posterity, the Danes breaking in like wild boars, laying it waste not long after. And now Thetford began to decline in its grandeur ”

“ In 1359, the advowson was settled by fine, to pass with the dominion of Thetford. In 1370, they had purchased all the houses between their convent and the street, and had license from the King to enlarge their house, and pull down those they had purchased, and now their monastery became spacious and open, there being nothing but a court between the street and cloister, for the old hospital-house of Domus Dei, which stood at the very corner, by the river, did not hinder their view, and could the monks have done this, it is to be presumed they would never have removed hence. ”

“ William Galsagus, whose right sirname was de Bello-Fago, or Beaufo, who was nominated by the King to the see of Thetford, on Christmas day, 1085, and was consecrated at Canterbury in 1086; he did all he could to adorn and enrich his see, both in buildings and possessions, being a very wealthy man, and a person of much worth for his learning and conduct ”

“ Hatch; it is turned into a barn, the steeple (if there was one) being quite down, and a new gable in its place.
19. St. Helen's Church, at the Conqueror's survey, was endowed with a carucate of land, and one villein, and as much land as might make another carucate; it then belonged to the King's manor of Methwold, which had also belonging to it another half carucate of land in Thetford, and five bordars, in the Confessor's time, which were reduced to three, and two void mansions, with one church ”

“ In the face of cases like these it is difficult not to suspect that unscrupulous persons took advantage of the temporary difficulties of the nuns and of their lack of business acumen. There is comedy, though not for the unhappy Convent, in the history of a corrody which, in 1526, was said to have been granted by Thetford to “a certain Foster.” Six years later there was a great to-do at the visitation. ”

“ In 1331, there was a dispute between the Prior of Bromehill, and the mayor, burgesses, tenants, merchants, and inhabitants of Thetford, who had the toll of the fair, by grant from the lord of the dominion, concerning the jurisdiction of the mayor there, and the toll, picage, and stallage of the fair, who recovered against the Prior, by shewing that they held it of the dominion of Thetford, as belonging to the dutchy of Lancaster, by grant of a former lord thereof, and that Henry Earl of Lancaster was in possession of it in 1327. ”

“ It plainly appears, by comparing historians with this record, that Thetford had always flourished and increased, from the time that the Danes had quiet possession of it, to the Confessor's days. But from his time it decreased much, for the 943 burgesses that were then in the burgh were now declined to 720, there being no less than 224 mansion-houses empty or down. The earldom was now in the King's hands, who, after Stigand the Archbishop's disgrace, seized the church of St. Mary, with the churches of St. Peter, St. ”

“ Another is of a woman in Thetford, who became dumb by a disease in her throat, upon which account, many gave her money to enable her to go and make her offering to the image of the Holy Virgin at Wulpit in Suffolk, and pray for her recovery, but the woman made signs that she would go to the image in the new chapel of the monks, which being consented to, she was restored, the woman affirming the Blessed Virgin appeared to her, and pulled her tongue up from her throat, which cured her, wherefore she vowed to keep a candle burning before the image during her life. ”