Lord Verney

“ Of course, the first result would be a peremptory order on which Lord Verney had spoken last night. The only safety for the young man, it will be concluded, is to marry him suitably forthwith.
And—by Jove!—a flash of light! He had it! The whole thing was clear now. Yes; he was to be married to Caroline Oldys, because Mr. Larkin was the professional right hand of that family, and so the attorney would glide ultimately into the absolute command of the House of Verney!
To think of that indescribably vulgar rogue's actually shaping the fortunes and meting out the tortures of Cleve Verney. ”

“ Oh, Heaven have pity on us!"
"Where are you going?" cried Kitty, and shook her once more.
"I was going to Lord Verney to plead for my husband's life," said Lady Standish, and the tears streamed down her face like the storm-rain upon lily flowers.
"The Lord keep you," cried Mistress Bellairs with feelings too deep for anger; "I believe you are no better than an idiot!"
The most heroic resolves are often the work of a second! "Now go back home again, you silly thing," said Kitty. "'Tis I—yes, Lady Standish, you do not deserve it of me—but I will sacrifice myself! ”

“ And when the viscount relented, he would make him a visit to quiet his mind, and show him that friendly relations were re-established; and the minister would say, "Here comes that d——d Verney; I suppose I must give him half-an-hour!" and when the peer departed, thinking he had made the minister happy, the minister was seriously debating whether Lord Verney's boroughs were worth the price of Lord Verney's society.
His lordship was now in that sacred apartment, his library; where not even Cleve had a right to disturb him uninvited. Preliminaries, however, were now arranged ”

“ His grandfather had been a cabinet minister, respectable and silent; and was not he wiser, brighter, and more learned than his grandfather? "Why on earth should not he?" His influence commanded two boroughs, and virtually two counties. The minister, therefore, treated him with distinction; and spoke of him confidentially as horribly [Pg 183] foolish, impracticable, and at times positively impertinent.
Lord Verney was subject to small pets and huffs, and sometimes was affronted with the Premier for four or five weeks together, although the fact escaped his notice. ”

“ His eldest son, Sir John Verney, married Margaret, heiress of Sir Robert Whittingham of Penley, and the fourth Sir Ralph Verney married in 1525 Elizabeth, one of the six co-heiresses of John, Lord Braye. Sir Edmund Verney of Penley (d. 1600) left two sons, half-brothers, Sir Francis Verney (1584–1615) , who became a soldier of fortune and a buccaneer, and died at Messina in hospital in extreme poverty, and Sir Edmund Verney (1500–1642) of Middle Claydon, Bucks. ”

“ The Verneys who hold the barony of Willoughby de Broke descend from the Rev. Robert Barnard, prebendary of Winchester, who married in 1793 the Hon. Louisa Verney Peyto, daughter of John Peyto, 14th Baron Willoughby de Broke, and co-heiress of her brother Henry, 16th baron. The Peytos inherited the Verney estates in Warwickshire through Margaret Greville (d. 1631) , sister and heiress of Fulke Greville, Lord Brooke (q.v.) , who married Sir Richard Verney of Compton Murdac, Warwickshire. ”

“ Verney also left the Count’s rich sable at the feet of the twins.
“We shall be gone half an hour, boys,” said Verney. “Had we not better call a corporal from the fire yonder to stand by the horses?”
“Lord, man,” said Grimstone, “they would stand till night. They are dead tired. Won’t you want the map?”
“No,” said Verney; “I know it by heart.”
About a hundred yards distant was a great campfire and just ahead of them an outlying picket of two soldiers, one on each side above the road. Tom sat on the front seat, the reins in his hand. ”

“ He suspects nothing, he fears nothing, he takes no precautions, he imagines all mankind to be his friend.’ Burke had reason to know this. In 1769 Edmund and Richard Burke owed Lord Verney 25,000l. between them. In 1784, in a schedule of sums due to him are the entries, ‘Rt. Hon. Ed. Burke 11,000l., Wm. Burke, esq., 20,000l., do., no security except honour 40,000l.’ Lord Verney's West India property fell heavily in value, his transactions in East India stocks proved disastrous, blow after blow fell upon him. In 1783 he sued Edmund Burke in chancery for a sum of 6,000l. ”

“ You saw him, Sir Henry. Only fancy his being my son and his father's!"
"He is certainly not like either of you," was Sir Henry's reply. "Your other son was like both. Very like his father."
"Ah! he is a son!" spoke Lady Verner, in her enthusiasm. "A son worth having; a son that his father would be proud of, were he alive. Handsome, good, noble;—there are few like Lionel Verner. I spoke in praise of Lord Garle, but he is not as Lionel. A good husband, a good son, a good man. ”

“ His looks are prepossessing; his qualities of head and heart are admirable; he enjoys the respect of all. Not a young lady for miles round but—I will use a vulgar phrase, Sir Henry, but it is expressive of the facts—would jump at him. Lucy refused him."
"Indeed," replied Sir Henry, gazing at Lucy's glowing face, at the smile that hovered round her lips.
Lady Verner resumed—
"She refused him in the most decidedly positive manner that you can imagine. She has refused also one or two others. They were not so desirable in position as Lord Garle; but they were very well. ”

“ The description of the deserted towns and grass-grown streets of London is impressive. The fortunes of the family, to whom the last man, Lionel Verney, belongs, are traced through their varying phases, as one by one the dire plague assails them, and Verney, the only man who recovers from the disease, becomes the leader of the remnant of the English nation. This small handful of humanity leaves England, and wanders through France on its way to the favoured southern countries where human aid, now so scarce, was less needed. ”

“ Lionel rose, Lucy rose; Lord Garle and Decima came forward, and Sibylla sprang towards him with a cry. Lady Verner was the only one who retained entire calmness.
"Papa! it cannot be you! When did you come?"
Dr. West kissed her, and turned to Lady Verner with some courtly words. Dr. West was an adept at such. Not the courtly words that spring genuinely from a kindly and refined nature; but those that are put on to hide a false one. All people, true-hearted ones, too, cannot distinguish between them; the false and the real. Next, the doctor grasped the hand of Lionel. ”

“ And my father is very fond of Sir Harry Verney, which is the next best thing. He is old and rich, which is a disadvantage. He is active, has a will of his own and four children ready-made, which is an advantage. ”

“ Verner?" responded Sir Henry doubtingly.
"Not Mr. Verner. I'm only Jan. You must have forgotten me long ago, Sir Henry."
Sir Henry Tempest held out his hand, "I have not forgotten what you were as a boy; but I should not have known you as a man. And yet—it is the same face."
"Of course it is," said Jan, "Ugly faces, such as mine, don't alter. I will walk with you to my mother's: it is close by. Have you any luggage?"
"Only a portmanteau. My servant is looking after it. Here he is."
A very dark man came up—an Indian—nearly as old as his master. Jan recognised him. ”

“ Spoiled her rest! Ay, for many a day and night to come. Lionel disinherited! Verner's Pride gone from them for ever! A cry went forth from Lady Verner's heart. It had been the moment of hope which she had looked forward to for years; and, now that it was come, what had it brought?
"My own troubles make me selfish," said Lionel, turning back when he was half out at the door. "I forgot to tell you that Jan and Decima inherit five hundred pounds each."
"Five hundred pounds!" slightingly returned Lady Verner. "It is but of at piece with the rest." ”

“ Verner is not sixty, and he thinks that age is young for the disorder that has fastened on him. It is no hurried disorder; he may live for years yet; but the end, when it does come, will be tolerably sudden: and that he knows. It is water on the chest. He is a little man with light eyes; very much like what his father was before him: but not in the least like his late brother Sir Lionel, who was a very fine and handsome man. He has a mild, pleasing countenance: but there arises a slight scowl to his brow as he turns hastily round at a noisy interruption. ”

“ Sir Henry clasped Lucy's sweet face to his own bronzed one, pushing back her white bonnet to take his kiss from it. Then followed Lady Verner, then Decima, then Mary Elmsley. Lucy shook herself free, and laughed.
"I don't like so many kisses all at once," said she.
Lionel was everywhere. Shaking hands with old Mr. Bitterworth, with the Misses West, with Sir Edmund Hautley, with Lord Garle, with the Countess of Elmsley, with all that came in his way. Next he looked round upon a poorer class; and the first hand taken in his was Robin Frost's. By and by he encountered Jan. ”

“ Other financial ventures turned out badly; he lost money in the Earl of Bedford's scheme for draining the fens, and he was forced to surrender a valuable patent for inspecting tobacco, as Lord Goring and some other courtiers started a fresh company to enrich themselves with this revenue ”

“ His sugar is sand, and his tea is leaves dried over again, while his eggs is rotten, and his coals is flint."
"Allowing that, it is no good reason for your smashing his windows," said Lionel. "It is utterly impossible that that can be tolerated."
"Why do he palm his bad things off upon us, then?" retorted the crowd. "He makes us pay half as much again as we do in the other shops; and when we gets them home, we can't eat 'em. Sir, you be Mr. Verner now; you ought to see as we be protected."
"I am Mr. Verner; but I have no power. My power has been taken from me, as you know. ”

“ Tom, always on easy terms with Verney, went on eagerly asking intelligent questions.
“It is time, my son, you went to bed,” said the mother. “If George Washington, Count, could make no more of that tangle of lines than I, you might safely make him a Christmas gift of it.”
“Let him come and get it,” laughed Verney.
“They are pretty poor with their Continental rag [161] money,” growled Grimstone, “but I suppose that map would easily fetch——”
“Fetch!” broke in the Count, still less relishing the talk. ”

“ Verner kept it no secret that his nephew Lionel was to be his heir; and, as such, Lionel was universally regarded on the estate. "Always provided that you merit it," Mr. Verner would say to Lionel in private; and so he had said to him from the very first. "Be what you ought to be—what I fondly believe my brother Lionel was: a man of goodness, of honour, of Christian integrity; a gentleman in the highest acceptation of the term—and Verner's Pride shall undoubtedly be yours. But if I find you forget your fair conduct, and forfeit the esteem of good men, so surely will I leave it away from you." ”

“ Dingwell, very tartly, and with an unpleasant laugh. "Arthur Verney was always changing his quarters—was never in the light. He went by different nicknames. There were in all Constantinople but two men, except myself, the Consul, and the stockbroker, who cashed the money-orders for him, who could identify him, or who knew his name. He lived in the dark, and not very cleanly—you'll excuse the simile—like one of your sewer-rats. He died suddenly and oddly, sir, like a candle on which has fallen a drop of water, with a splutter and a flash, in a moment—one of your Verney deaths, sir. ”

“ I begin to think I have not. I believe that the world generally will think I have not. It may be that a Higher Power, to whom alone I am responsible, will judge I have not. There's no denying that he will make a more fitting master of it than would Frederick Massingbird; and for myself I shall die the easier knowing that a Verner will succeed me. Mr. Matiss, be so kind as read over the deed."
The lawyer produced a parchment from one of his ample pockets, unfolded, and proceeded to read it aloud. It was the codicil, drawn up with all due form, bequeathing Verner's Pride to Lionel Verner. ”

“ And I say, Vernon, you've no idea what a delightful evening I spent after I'd tuck'd you in for the night. I never in my life met so entertaining a man before—a mere glimpse of his good-natured face is sufficient to drive away a very legion of blue-devils, although, by the by, those are fiends that never haunt me ”

“ It would require a good-sized volume to relate the causes which had changed the once happy Vernon into the most woful mourner that ever clung to the outer trappings of grief, as slight though cherished symbols of the wretchedness within. Henry was the only child of Sir Peter Vernon, and as much spoiled by his father’s idolatry as the old baronet’s violent and tyrannical temper would permit. A young orphan was educated in his father’s house, who in the same way was treated with generosity and kindness, and yet who lived in deep awe of Sir Peter’s authority, who was a widower ”

“ Verner is not of a covetous nature; she is not unjust, and I believe that she would wish the estate willed to Lionel, rather than to her sons. She knows no good reason why it should not be willed to him. And for those sons—do you suppose either of them would have gone out to Australia, had he been cognisant that he was heir to Verner's Pride? ”

“ A half-smile flitted for a moment over Lionel's face; he was recalling Lucy's whispered words to him that very afternoon.
"Yes," he answered, "her heart is bound up in me: I may almost say her life. If ever love served out its apprenticeship, Sir Henry, ours has. It is stronger than time and change."
"Well, I suppose you must have her," conceded Sir Henry. "But for your own marriage, I should have looked on this as a natural result. What about the revenues of Verner's Pride?" ”