Reigate

“ Two days ago a somewhat curious application was made privately, by a man giving the name of John Murray, to Inspector Gunning, of the Reigate police—Redhill, I must tell you is in the Reigate police district. Murray stated that he had been a greengrocer somewhere in South London, had sold his business there, and had, with the proceeds of the sale, bought two small houses in Redhill, intending to let the one and live in the other. These houses are situated in a blind alley, known as Paved Court, a narrow turning leading off the London and Brighton coach road. ”

“ Belloc on rough high ground; but a line of yews slanting up from the picturesque village of Buckland with its church and court, a mile on in the valley, has been taken to mark its ascent to Colley Hill and the lofty park of Margery Grove. A mile farther on, it comes behind a beech wood on the brow overlooking Reigate, the view from which was dubbed by Cobbett’s dogged patriotism the finest in the world. This is now a public demesne of Reigate, a town lying just off the{136} Way, though no doubt intimately connected with it, as shown by the Chapel of St. ”

“ A signpost directs on the right to Headley and Walton, and on the left to Reigate and Redhill, and a battered milestone which no one can read stands at the foot of it. The church spire on the left is that of Kingswood.
From London to Reigate, through Sutton, is, according to Cobbett, “about as villainous a tract as England contains. The soil is a mixture of gravel and clay, with big yellow stones in it, sure sign of really bad land.” The greater part of this is, of course, now covered by the suburbs of “the Wen,” as Cobbett delighted to style London ”

“ But Tom Oliver is there with the ropes and stakes. Jackson drove by just now, and most of the ring-keepers are up."
"We have still an hour," remarked my uncle, as he drove on. "It is possible that the others may be late, since they have to come from Reigate."
"You take it like a man, Tregellis," said Craven. "We must keep a bold face and brazen it out until the last moment."
"Of course, sir," cried Belcher. "I'll never believe the betting would rise like that if somebody didn't know something. We'll hold on by our teeth and nails, Sir Charles, and see what comes of it." ”

“ No one had seen or heard anything of him, and the single cry in the night of which the ostler told us was the only indication of the tragedy which had taken place. In small parties we scoured the country as far as East Grinstead and Bletchingley, and the sun had been long over the horizon before we found ourselves back at Crawley once more with heavy hearts and tired feet. My uncle, who had driven to Reigate in the hope of gaining some intelligence, did not return until past seven o’clock, and a glance at his face gave us the same black news which he gathered from ours. ”

“ Anselm Donisemount, a French gentleman of note, formerly Counsellor of the Parliament of Paris before the French Revolution in 1789;” £500 to Mr. Richard Pooler of Reigate, formerly a seller of Mathematical Instruments in London; £200 to Mrs [Miss] Webster of Reigate, “who is constantly employed in doing good offices to her neighbours;” £200 to Francis Polhill, “my godson, second son of the late Charles Polhill, Esq., of Chipstead, Kent;” £300 to Mr. Ambrose Glover, the attorney at Reigate, for his own use, and £200 for a foot pavement in the High Street ”

“ If we complain that Jim Harrison has been crippled, they would answer that they have no official knowledge that Jim Harrison was our nominee. It's play or pay, and the villains are taking advantage of it."
My uncle's fears as to our being blocked upon the road were only too well founded, for after we passed Reigate there was such a procession of every sort of vehicle, that I believe for the whole eight miles there was not a horse whose nose was further than a few feet from the back of the curricle or barouche in front. ”

“ His estate at Reigate was granted to the Duke of York.
Monson married, first, Margaret (d. 1639) , daughter of James Stewart, earl of Murray, and widow of Charles Howard, earl of Nottingham (1536-1624) [q. v.] ; secondly, Frances, daughter of Thomas Alston of Polstead, Suffolk, by whom he left a son Alston (d. 1674 without issue) ; and thirdly, Elizabeth (d. 1695) , second daughter of Sir George Reresby, knt., of Thrybergh, Yorkshire, widow of Sir Francis Foljambe, bart., of Aldwark in the same county, and of Edward, younger son of Sir John Horner of Mells, Somerset. ”

“ John Thomas, Dorking.
McNiven, Charles, Esq., Perry's Field, Godstone. Messor, Rev. Henry Paul, Vicar of Kingston-upon-Thames.
Mellersh, Frederick, Esq., Reigate.
Mitcalfe, Stephen Wright, Esq., Coombe Lodge, Croydon.
Moline, Sparks, Esq., Godalming and Stoke Newington.
Molyneux, James More, Esq., F.S.A., Loseley Park, Guildford.
Moon, Mr. James, Kingston-upon-Thames.
Moon, John, Esq., Reigate, and Wellington-street, Southwark.
Morrison, George, Esq., Reigate.
Muggeridge, Sir Henry, Alderman, Streatham Common.
Murray, Rev. G. W., Redhill, near Reigate.
Nealds, Mr. John, Guildford. ”

“ Sir George bounded from his chair. One great ray of daylight broke in upon him.
"Ay," said Mercy, "she was right. Women do see clearer in some things than men. The pair went from my house to hers. He you call Griffith Gaunt had on a new pair of boots; and by the same token 't was I did pay for them, and there is the receipt in that cupboard: he you call Thomas Leicester went hence in hobnailed shoes. I think the body they found was the body of Thomas Leicester, the pedler. May God have mercy on his poor unprepared soul." ”

“ Sir Henry Wotton, adopting the view, cynically surmised that Leicester wished to 'bestow handsomely upon another some part of the pains, and perhaps of the envy, to which long indulgent fortune is Fuller's Tale. obnoxious.' By others, whom Scott has partly followed, the Earl of Sussex has been credited with the elevation of Ralegh, as a counterpoise to Leicester. Neither the one noble nor the other, it was supposed, could have patriotically desired to enrol in the public service the most effective of recruits. ”

“ But Monsieur Gayarre is her guardian; and if he desire you to leave, it will perhaps be wiser to do so. She may not be her own mistress entirely. Poor thing! I fear there is debt at the bottom of the mystery; and if so, she will be more a slave than any of her own people. Poor young lady!”
Reigart was right. My remaining longer might add to her embarrassments. I felt satisfied of this.
“I am desirous to go at once, doctor.”
“My barouche is at the gate, then. You can have a seat in it. I can set you down at the hotel.” ”

“ Reicht kissed her and began to whimper; and, would you believe it, the great mastiff uttered one long whine: even his glimmer of sense taught him grief was afoot.
"Oh, Reicht!" moaned the despised beauty, as soon as she could utter a word for choking, "see how he has served me;" and she showed her hands that were bleeding with falling on the stony ground. "He threw me down, he was so eager to fly from me. He took me for a devil; he said I came to tempt him. Am I the woman to tempt a man? you know me, Reicht."
"Nay, in sooth, sweet Mistress Margaret, the last i' the world." ”

“ The Hussar officer has a horse, which has been standing in a little lean-to shed, under saddle. The lugubrious dialogue has been carried on simultaneously with the bridling, and the “Good night” is said as Ryecroft springs up on his stirrup.
Then as he rides away into the darkness, and Jack Wingate stands listening to the departing hoof-stroke, at each repetition more indistinct, he feels indeed forsaken, forlorn; only one thing in the world now worth living for—but one to keep him anchored to life—his aged mother! ”

“ There is one who, more than any other, reflects upon the sad fate of her whom he had so fondly loved, and differing from the rest as to how she came to her death; this one is Captain Ryecroft. He, too, might have yielded to the popular impression of its having been accidental, but for certain circumstances that have come to his knowledge, and which he has yet kept to himself. He has not forgotten what was, at an early period, communicated to him by the waterman Wingate, about the odd-looking old house up the glen ”

“ All the other answers to the enigma may contain an ingredient of truth. Leicester would recognize his capacity, and might have been ready to use him. Sussex would perceive the danger of allowing so redoubtable a free lance to pass to a rival service. Walsingham and Burleigh were manifestly impressed with his extraordinary sagacity and strength of will. His Irish services, which had called forth the admiration of Grey himself so long as Ralegh fought under him, could not fail to be appreciated by the Queen's wise councillors. ”

“ Reggie used to call him striking and hair-curling names behind his back as a relief to his own feelings; but he never abused him to his face, because he said:—"Riley is such a frail beast that half of his loathsome conceit is due to pains in the chest."
Late one April, Riley went very sick indeed. The doctor punched him and thumped him, and told him he would be better before long. Then the doctor went to Reggie and said:—"Do you know how sick your Accountant is?" "No!" said Reggie—"The worse the better, confound him! He's a clacking nuisance when he's well. ”

“ But, nay, thou wast never so: 'tis this Thomas Leicester hath bewitched thee, and set thee against thy true lover."
"Mr. Leicester pays no suit to me," said Mercy, blushing: "he is a right civil-spoken gentleman, and you know you saved his life."
"The more fool I. I wish I had known he was going to rob me of my lass's heart, I'd have seen him die a hundred times ere I'd have interfered. But they say if you save a man's life he'll make you rue it. Mercy, my lass, you are well respected in the parish; take a thought now: better be a farrier's wife than a gentleman's mistress." ”

“ Reggie explained.
"You see it was like this, George . . . Harding. I was absolutely stony. Of course, I'd got clothes, and the run of my teeth, and so on. But I was broke to the world. Poor Clifford met me one day at Arthur's and he guessed how things were. He made me a sporting offer. He said: 'Look here, old chap, you have failed at most things. The only thing you do understand is clothes. Come and be my valet. I will give you £500 a year.' At first, I thought he was joking. But he wasn't, and he installed me in this little box of his in King Street. Only part of the house is furnished ”

“ We shall be so glad when Claude, and Maurice, and Redgie come home.’
‘Are they not very boisterous?’ said Marianne.
‘Not Maurice,’ said Phyllis.
‘No, indeed,’ said Lily, ‘Maurice is like nobody else. He takes up some scientific pursuit each time he comes home, and cares for nothing else for some time, and then quite forgets it. He is an odd-looking boy too, thick and sturdy, with light flaxen hair, and dark, overhanging eyebrows, and he makes the most extraordinary grimaces.’
‘And Reginald?’ said Alethea.
‘Oh! Redgie is a noble-looking fellow. But just eleven, and taller than Jane. ”

“ She bade Walsingham declare to Leicester, upon her honour, that the gentleman had done good offices for him in the time of her displeasure.
He could be useful to the greatest; whether only great, or great and deserving too. He had been always solicitous of Burleigh's goodwill. As a rival at Court of Leicester, he had it. Burleigh loved no Court favourites. 'Seek not to be Essex; shun to be Ralegh,' was his warning to his son. Robert Cecil, awkward and deformed, was in no danger. Favourites represented a side of the Queen's nature which continually troubled the wise Minister. ”

“ Just as he was putting on his coat, Sam arrived with a photograph of Sir Albert, and Reggie sat down to it. A plump man of middle height, rather loudly dressed; a long, heavy face, rather like a horse’s, but with protruding eyes—commonplace enough. It was only the expression which made Reggie examine the fellow more closely. Under the photographic smirk was a look of insolence and conceit of singular force. The man who owned that would never allow any creature a right against him. ”

“ The longer you stay with me you’ll be conferring the greater favour. Your old room is gaping to receive you; and Murtagh will rig up a berth for your boatman. Murt!” to the ex-Royal Irish, who, hearing the fracas, has also come forth, “take charge of Captain Ryecroft’s traps, along with Mr Wingate here, and see all safety bestowed. Now, old fellow, step inside. They’ll look after the things. You’re just in time to do dinner with me. I was about sitting down to it solus, awfully lamenting my loneliness. Well; one never knows what luck’s in the wind. ”

“ Riley was always showing Reggie how the business ought to be conducted, and Reggie had more than once to remind him that seven years' limited experience between Huddersfield and Beverly did not qualify a man to steer a big up-country business. Then Riley sulked and referred to himself as a pillar of the Bank and a cherished friend of the Directors, and Reggie tore his hair. If a man's English subordinates fail him in this country, he comes to a hard time indeed, for native help has strict limitations. ”

“ Never dropped blade quicker down from threatening thrust than that of Eustace Trevor; never was combatant more surprised by the behaviour of an adversary.
“What do you mean?” he asked, in utter astonishment.
“That I fight no more for Prince, or King. Henceforth, if they’ll have it, my sword’s at the service of the Parliament.”
“God bless me, Rej; how glad I am to hear you say that! And so near making mince-meat of one another!”
“Not of one another, Eust. You might have done that with me—may still, if you feel spiteful.”
“Good Heavens! cousin; what has come over you? ”