Staunton

“ On my first arriving in England, I informed Mr. Staunton that my stakes would be forthcoming the moment he desired, and I was therefore utterly at a loss to account for so unwarrantable a statement being made in reference to me, unless with the intention of compromising my position before the public. And I would ask your lordship's attention to the terms of the suppressed paragraph, couched in such language as to avoid all insinuation of animus, and affording Mr. Staunton the amplest opportunity for explaining away the difficulty. ”

“ John Ferrers sat up in his chair abruptly. "What the deuce are you talking about?"
"The three cases you were speaking of," returned Hugh, imperturbably. "What manner of man is this Staunton, if things pass the dallying stage and come to a head?"
"Oh!" His brother-in-law sat back, relieved. "I can't tell you more than that Mr. James Staunton does not strike me as the type who would ever face the music. While he can take his pleasure with other men's wives, I don't think he has any intention of providing himself with one of his own." ”

“ A night may, however, be more agreeably spent than on a hard plank, up an African river, with a prospect of being sent to feed the alligators in the morning, and the certainty of a long separation from one’s friends and country, not to speak of the nine hundred and ninety-nine chances out of a thousand of one’s losing one’s health, if not one’s life, by the insatiable yellow-fever.
The reflections of Captain Staunton were most bitter. He thought not of himself, but of her he had loved so long and faithfully; she would believe him dead, and he knew how poignant would be her grief. ”

“ Howard Staunton's name is certainly not second to any, however illustrious, ever known in chess, he will ever be remembered as the greatest chess-player of his day; and was the most vigorous and entertaining of chess writers. ”

“ Sherlock Holmes was a past-master in the art of putting a humble witness at his ease, and very soon, in the privacy of Godfrey Staunton’s abandoned room, he had extracted all that the porter had to tell. The visitor of the night before was not a gentleman, neither was he a workingman. He was simply what the porter described as a “medium-looking chap,” a man of fifty, beard grizzled, pale face, quietly dressed. He seemed himself to be agitated. The porter had observed his hand trembling when he had held out the note. Godfrey Staunton had crammed the note into his pocket. ”

“ Captain Staunton and his companions were not allowed to remain long at liberty; for as soon as the lady had retired, at a sign from Daggerfeldt, the slaver’s crew again attempted to lash their arms behind them, not, however, without some resistance on the part of Hopkins and Short. The most zealous in this work was the negro Mauro, who contrived, as he was passing a rope round Captain Staunton’s arm, to whisper in his ear, “Make no resistance, señor, it is useless. You have friends near you. Tell your followers to keep quiet. They can do themselves no good.” ”

“ Staunton, Pete Obrey, and Hoover were the men of infamous notoriety, who did more lashing of our soldiers at Andersonville than any others. Staunton was chief of police: the few picks and spades within the stockade were under his control; Newman asked permission to use one, to repair his sleeping-pit; instead [Pg 106] of a reply, was felled with it to the earth; when consciousness returned, he dare not complain; suffering with the blow, and ill as he was, could only crawl away to his ditch, thankful to escape with life. The two first named were at Annapolis while we were there ”

“ Staunton had with him a couple of guns of the Madras Artillery, with twenty-six English gunners, 500 of the 2nd (now 102nd) Grenadiers, and 250 of what was then known as the Reformed Horse (now the 34th Prince Albert Victor's Own Poona Horse) . Staunton moved off on receiving Colonel Burr's orders, but on nearing Corygaum found himself in the presence of the main body of the Peishwa's army, estimated at 18,000 men, with thirty-six guns. The village lent itself to defence, though the position was much cramped, especially for the large number of horses attached to his little force. ”

“ His wife rose quickly, and stood in front of him, "I'll come East with you, Hugh—anyway, for a time. It's only fair."
"Quite," agreed Staunton. "It's only fair."
"Not at all," remarked Massingham, decidedly. "I wouldn't dream of accepting such a sacrifice. It's a totally different matter if I win it at cards: then I shall hold you to it. Otherwise I go East alone. I have, I think, a certain say in the matter, and my mind is made up."
He turned to Staunton, who was staring at him open-mouthed: then he glanced at Delia, and she, for the first time, was looking at Jimmy Staunton. ”

“ It seemed to have the likeness of Daggerfeldt. Staunton seized the rifle to fire—he was too late. Ere he had drawn the trigger, a flash was seen, and Juanetta, with a wild shriek, fell forward into the canoe. Staunton fired; the man who had sent the fatal shot stood unharmed, but the oar of one fell from his grasp, and got entangled with those of the others. This would have enabled the canoe to recover her lost ground, had not Mauro, on seeing his beloved mistress fall, thrown up his paddle, exclaiming that he wished to die with her. ”

“ I was dangerous to hint to John Derrick any suspicions with regard to Gerald Staunton, but Lady Gower ventured to remonstrate with her niece on the subject of his visits.
"I did not want him to come, aunt," said Eveline sharply, "but Mr. Derrick insisted on it. It was his doing, not mine."
"You never told him of his imprudent and absurd conduct at Gower's Court?"
"No, indeed," said Lady Eveline, "he is quite disposed enough to be jealous without any cause. He cannot live without society and he finds Mr. Staunton agreeable. ”

“ Staunton of Wolverton, in this county, settled there in the eighteenth of Elizabeth; extinct in the last century.
See Dugdale's Warwickshire, vol. ii. p. 665; Thoroton's Nottinghamshire, p. 157; and for the poetical pedigree of this house, Ib. p. 159; the monuments at p. 164; see also "Memoirs of the Life and Family of the late Sir G. L. Staunton, Bart." pr. pr. 8vo. 1833.
Arms.—Argent, two chevrons within a border engrailed sable. Founded on the coat of Albany Lord of Belvoir, who bore, Or, two chevrons and a border gules. The elder line of Staunton sometimes omitted the border ”

“ But after the arrival of little Amy Staunton, and the kindness shown to her by the family, George seemed, as Hugh Lindsay said, to take hold of his place, and to work with more than eye-service. He was clever too, and handy, and in a roving life of ten years over the colonies, the intelligent young Englishman had learned things which neither the versatile Pa nor the solid Donald were ever likely to learn in all their lives; and instead of sending him out with sheep or cattle, as had been the first intention, he was kept as the man on the farm, and was always within call. ”

“ Carlton's society when it was less improving than he does now, that it is become really valuable; yet he often visits us. Miss Stanley now and then indulges me with her company for a day or two. In these visits Lord Staunton happened to meet her two or three times. He was enchanted with her person and manners, and exerted every art and faculty of pleasing, which it must be owned he possesses. ”

“ Allan had written to him now and then with his father's wishes and orders, and everybody desired to be kindly remembered to him. Amy Staunton sometimes had a message—indeed Allan was fond of bringing her name into his letters at all times; but there was no special mention of Jessie or any message or letter from her though George had written to her twice.
Had he not been rash and foolish in thus in a measure binding himself without any particular affection for her; nothing stronger than esteem and a wish to feel love? ”

“ Staunton became desperate. “Allerton is a stern man,” she said, with an air that forbade the idea that mere vulgar curiosity was moving her. “He has the notion that Cecilia [170] was not polite to you—you know, she gives way to strange moods. And he is so irritated against her that he is treating her harshly.”
Frothingham looked astonished. “Really!” he said. “How extraordinary. I can’t conceive how he happened to wander off into that. Nothing could be farther from the truth.”
“I confess,” Mrs. Staunton went on, “I’m much disappointed. ”

“ Amasa Staunton, is prosperous and strong. It was his primary intention to have journeyed to the land of his birth and early ministerial success in New England, when the sacred ties of his domestic life were broken; but a sudden misfortune, which deprived him of his intended method of conveyance, caused him to employ the time in visiting those places in eastern New York, spoken of in the latter pages of this chapter. On his return, whilst at Brutus, he received a message from Mr. ”

“ On Captain Staunton’s turning his head, on which the light from the lantern fell strongly, Antonio believed it was the signal that he was prepared,—“Hoist away!” he shouted, in Spanish; but at that instant a light female form rushed forth from the cabin, and seizing the whip, held it forcibly down with one hand while she disengaged the noose from the captain’s neck.
“Oh, Juan! have you not murders enough on your head already that you must commit another in cold blood?” she exclaimed, turning to Daggerfeldt, “and that other on one who saved your life at the risk of his own. ”

“ In due time the royal pardon is sent to Edinburgh, Effie is released, and marries her seducer, now Sir George Staunton; but some years after the marriage Sir George is shot by a gypsy boy, who is in reality his illegitimate son. On the death of her husband, Lady Staunton retires to a convent on the continent. Jeanie marries Reuben Butler, the Presbyterian minister. The novel opens with the Porteous riots. ”

“ Lady Eveline, I grieve to say, was far from truthful, and this Mr. Staunton was a very questionable person. My dear Anthony, you may be disappointed and deceived."
"My dear aunt," said Anthony, in determination with the opposition he met with, "do you not see that it is of the greatest consequence that my sister should be taken away from the undoubtedly vulgar people with whom she is living? At her age she cannot yet have imbibed much mischief; but every month's delay is dangerous now. ”

“ Gerald Staunton took the advice of his hostess, and left Gower's Court at once, and Eveline knew that he had given up all hope of her, but believed that he loved her still. People who have once loved must love for ever, and though nothing would happen to break off her engagement, her dislike to it was as strong as ever. Lady Gower had determined on declaring it, and invited John Derrick to Gower's Court, where he had the pleasure of seeing his present worn, and his choice justified ”

“ Luflon was elated that he had this opportunity of introducing Miss Staunton to his best friend, and of showing the young lady the better society that he could introduce her into. Mrs. Troubridge had been an Adelaide belle some ten years before the date of this story, the liveliest of the lively, a most determined and successful flirt. Why, after five or six years of skirmishing with a dozen of hearts, she had finally married a grave middle-aged man like Mr. Troubridge, had been a wonder to all her acquaintances, and especially to all her old admirers. ”

“ Without attempting to defend myself, I would say to Mr. Staunton: "I can reconcile it with my sense of honor and honesty, to impute to you a wilful suppression of the paragraph so frequently referred to. Had you given that paragraph, you would, per force, have been obliged to give your reasons for the assertion therein contained. And I would remind you, sir, that, in all this discussion, you have never touched the real point at issue—never apologized for the misstatement of which Mr. ”

“ Staunton played chess from an early age, and soon acquired a skill in the game which has not been equalled by any British-born player. Alexander Macdonnell (1798–1835) [q. v.] , who could alone be regarded as his rival, is now regarded as his inferior by competent critics. For some twenty years a great part of Staunton's time was spent in playing the game and in writing upon it. From 1836 he frequented the Divan, Huttmann's, and other public chess resorts. Four years later he first became known as a player of distinction, and between 1840 and 1851 he made his reputation. ”

“ The fifth decade of the 19th century is marked by the fact that the leadership passed from the French school to the English. After the death of la Bourdonnais, Fournié de Saint-Amant became the leading player in France; he visited England in the early part of 1843, and successfully met the best English players, including Howard Staunton (q.v.) ; but the latter soon took his revenge, for in November and December 1843 a great match between Staunton and Saint-Amant took place in Paris, the English champion winning by 11 games to 6 with 4 draws. ”

“ Staunton's services to chess literature were very great, and the game in England owes much of its later popularity to him, while for thirty years he was the best player in England, perhaps in the world. For his important works on the subject see Chess. ”

“ Frothingham thought Ridgie Staunton “a harmless sort, a bit loud and noisy,” but well-meaning, and good enough except when he had his occasional brief spasmodic fits of remembering his early training, and feeling that his mode of life was all wrong. He was, in his wife’s opinion, a perfect husband, except that he hung about so much.
“What do your English women do with their husbands, Lord Frothingham?” she said. “It’s a horrible nuisance, having a man—a husband—round all day long with nothing to do. I try to drive Ridgie out to work. But he’s a lazy dog. ”