their fathers were hedgers and ditchers, and
their grandfathers inhabitants of the poor-
house, it is always consolatory to their pride
to reflect that the family was as old as ever ;
that extravagance, politics, tyranny, had
reduced it to that low condition ; and that it
was left for them to restore the ancient name
to its former glory, and to re -knit in the reign
of George or William the line that was
ruthlessly broken on Bosworth field. Lord
Warleigh it was stated in one of the invaluable
records of hereditary descent, (for which
subscriptions were respectfully solicited by
the distinguished editor, Slaver Lick, Esquire)
was lineally descended from one of the
peerages which became extinct in the
unhappy wars of Stephen and Matilda. It is a
remarkable fact, that in a previous edition,
when he was only a baronet, with a reputed
income of fifteen or twenty thousand pounds,
the genealogy had stuck at James the First.
But whether his ancestry was so distinguished
or not, the fact of his immense wealth and
influence was undoubted. He had for some
years given up the personal superintendence
of his works. Instead of extracting dull ore
from the earth, he had sent up dull members
to the House of Commons, got dull
magistrates put upon the bench, and exercised as
much sovereign sway and masterdom over all
the district, as if he had been elected dictator
with unlimited power. But there is always
a compensation in human affairs ; and the
malevolence natural to all people of proper
spirit lying in the shade of so preponderating
a magnate, was considerably gratified by
what was whispered of the deprest condition
of his lordship's spirits. Even the clergyman's
wife— who was a perfect model of that
exemplary character— looked mysteriously,
and said that his lordship never smiled,—
that a housemaid who had at one time been
engaged in the rectory, had told her
extraordinary things about his lordship's habits ;—
about talks she had heard— the housemaid—
late at night, in his lordship's library, when
she— the housemaid— was mortally certain
there could be no person in the room but his
lordship's self; how she— the housemaid—
had been told by Thomas the footman, that
his lordship, when dining quite alone,
frequently spoke as if to some person sitting
beside him; when he— Thomas— had sworn to
her— the housemaid— that there was no
person whatever at table with his lordship,
no, not the cat ; and then, she— the clergyman's
wife— added, as of her own knowledge,
that at church his lordship never listened to
the sermon ; but after apparently thinking
deeply of other things, hid himself from her
observation, and pretended to fall asleep.
How sorry she was to say this, she needn't
remark, for if there was a thing she hated it
was tittle-tattle, and she never suffered a
servant to bring her any of the rumours of
the place ; it was so unlady-like ; and his
lordship had been such an excellent friend to
the church —for he had made an exchange of
the wretched old glebe, and given a very nice
farm for it in the vale of Hawsleigh, and had
built a new parsonage-house where the old
manor-house stood, and was always most
liberal in his donations to all the charities ;
but it WAS odd, wasn't it ? that he never saw
any company— and who could he be speaking
to in the library, or at dinner ? Dr. Drowes
can't make it out : he was never asked to the
castle in his life ; and tells me he has read of
people, for the sake of getting rich, selling
their souls to the—— Isn't it dreadful to
think of ? His lordship is very rich, to be
sure ; but as to selling his soul to—— ! O !
it's a horrid supposition, and I wonder Dr.
Drowes can utter so terrible a thought.

But Dr. Drowes had no great opportunity
of continuing his awful inuendos, for he was
shortly appointed to another living of Lord
Warleigh's in the northern part of the county,
and was requested to appoint a curate to
Warleigh in the prime of life, who would be
attentive and useful to the sick and poor.
To hear, was to obey —and the head of his
College in Oxford, recommended a young
man in whom he had the greatest confidence;
and Mr. Henry Benford soon made his
appearance and occupied the parsonage-house.
He was still under thirty years of age, with
the finest and most delicately cut features
consistent with a style of masculine beauty
which was very striking. He was one of the
men—delicate and refined in expression, with
clear, light complexion and beautiful soft
eyes—of whom people say it is a pity he is
not a girl. And this feminine kind of look
was accompanied in Henry Benford by a
certain effeminacy of mind. Modest he was,
and what the world calls shy, for he would
blush on being presented to a stranger, and
scarcely ventured to speak in miscellaneous
company; but perfectly conscientious in what
he considered the discharge of a duty; active
and energetic in his parish, and with a sweetness
of disposition which nothing could
overthrow. He had a wife and two children at this
time, and a pleasant sight it was amid the
begrimed and hardened features of the population
of Combe- Warleigh to see the fresh faces
and clear complexions of the new-comers.

A great change speedily took place in the
relations existing between pastor and flock.
Schools were instituted—the sick were visited—
a weekly report was sent to the Castle,
with accurate statements of the requirements
of every applicant. Little descriptions
were added to the causes of the distress
of some of the workmen—excuses made for
their behaviour—means pointed out by which
the more deserving could be helped, without
hurting their self-respect by treating them
as objects of charity; and, in a short time,
the great man in the Castle knew the position
the habits, the necessities of every one
of his neighbours. Nothing pleased him
more than the opportunity now afforded him