"Your lordship's dinner is served," announced the groom of the chambersto Lord de Mowbray; and the noble lord led out Lady Marney. The restfollowed. Egremont found himself seated next to Lady Maud Fitz-Warene,the younger daughter of the earl. Nearly opposite to him was Lady Joan.
The ladies Fitz-Warene were sandy girls, somewhat tall, with rather goodfigures and a grand air; the eldest very ugly, the second rather pretty;and yet both very much alike. They had both great conversationalpowers, though in different ways. Lady Joan was doctrinal; Lady Maudinquisitive: the first often imparted information which you did notpreviously possess; the other suggested ideas which were often beforein your own mind, but lay tranquil and unobserved, till called intolife and notice by her fanciful and vivacious tongue. Both of them wereendowed with a very remarkable self-possession but Lady Joan wantedsoftness, and Lady Maud repose.
This was the result of the rapid observation of Egremont, who washowever experienced in the world and quick in his detection of mannerand of character.
The dinner was stately, as becomes the high nobility. There were manyguests, yet the table seemed only a gorgeous spot in the capaciouschamber. The side tables were laden with silver vases and golden shieldsarranged on shelves of crimson velvet. The walls were covered withFitz-Warenes, De Mowbrays, and De Veres. The attendants glided aboutwithout noise, and with the precision of military discipline. Theywatched your wants, they anticipated your wishes, and they supplied allyou desired with a lofty air of pompous devotion.
"You came by the railroad?" enquired Lord de Mowbray mournfully, of LadyMarney.
"From Marham; about ten miles from us," replied her ladyship.
"A great revolution!"
"Isn't it?"
"I fear it has a very dangerous tendency to equality," said his lordshipshaking his head; "I suppose Lord Marney gives them all the oppositionin his power."
"There is nobody so violent against railroads as George," said LadyMarney; "I cannot tell you what he does not do! He organized the wholeof our division against the Marham line!"
"I rather counted on him," said Lord de Mowbray, "to assist me inresisting this joint branch here; but I was surprised to learn he hadconsented."
"Not until the compensation was settled," innocently remarked LadyMarney; "George never opposes them after that. He gave up all oppositionto the Marham line when they agreed to his terms."
"And yet," said Lord de Mowbray, "I think if Lord Marney would take adifferent view of the case and look to the moral consequences, he wouldhesitate. Equality, Lady Marney, equality is not our metier. If wenobles do not make a stand against the levelling spirit of the age, Iam at a loss to know who will fight the battle. You many depend upon itthat these railroads are very dangerous things."
"I have no doubt of it. I suppose you have heard of Lady Vanilla's tripfrom Birmingham? Have you not, indeed! She came up with Lady Laura, andtwo of the most gentlemanlike men sitting opposite her; never met, shesays, two more intelligent men. She begged one of them at Wolverhamptonto change seats with her, and he was most politely willing to complywith her wishes, only it was necessary that his companion should moveat the same time, for they were chained together! Two of the swell mob,sent to town for picking a pocket at Shrewsbury races."
"A countess and a felon! So much for public conveyances," saidLord Mowbray. "But Lady Vanilla is one of those who will talk witheverybody."
"She is very amusing though," said Lady Marney.
"I dare say she is," said Lord de Mowbray; "but believe me, my dear LadyMarney, in these times especially, a countess has something else to dothan be amusing."
"You think as property has its duties as well as its rights, rank hasits bores as well as its pleasures."
Lord Mowbray mused.
"How do you do, Mr Jermyn?" said a lively little lady with sparklingbeady black eyes, and a very yellow complexion, though with goodfeatures; "when did you arrive in the North? I have been fighting yourbattles finely since I saw you," she added shaking her head, rather withan expression of admonition than of sympathy.
"You are always fighting one's battles Lady Firebrace; it is very kindof you. If it were not for you, we should none of us know how much weare all abused," replied Mr Jermyn, a young M.P.
"They say you gave the most radical pledges," said Lady Firebraceeagerly, and not without malice. "I heard Lord Muddlebrains say that ifhe had had the least idea of your principles, you would not have had hisinfluence."
"Muddlebrains can't command a single vote," said Mr Jermyn. "He is apolitical humbug, the greatest of all humbugs; a man who swaggers aboutLondon clubs and consults solemnly about his influence, and in thecountry is a nonentity."
"Well, that can't be said of Lord Clarinel," rejoined Lady Firebrace.
"And have you been defending me against Lord Clarinel's attacks?"inquired Mr Jermyn.
"No; but I am going to Wemsbury, and then I have no doubt I shall havethe opportunity."
"I am going to Wemsbury myself," said Mr Jermyn.
"And what does Lord Clarinel think of your pledge about the pensionlist?" said Lady Firebrace daunted but malignant.
"He never told me," said Mr Jermyn.
"I believe you did not pledge yourself to the ballot?" inquired LadyFirebrace with an affected air of inquisitiveness.
"It is a subject that requires some reflection," said Mr Jermyn. "I mustconsult some profound politician like Lady Firebrace. By the bye, youtold my mother that the conservatives would have a majority of fifteen.Do you think they will have as much?" said Mr Jermyn with an innocentair, it now being notorious that the whig administration had a majorityof double that amount.
"I said Mr Tadpole gave us a majority of fifteen," said Lady Firebrace."I knew he was in error; because I had happened to see Lord Melbourne'sown list, made up to the last hour; and which gave the government amajority of sixty. It was only shown to three members of the cabinet,"she added in a tone of triumphant mystery.
Lady Firebrace, a great stateswoman among the tories, was proud ofan admirer who was a member of the whig cabinet. She was rather anagreeable guest in a country-house, with her extensive correspondence,and her bulletins from both sides. Tadpole flattered by her notice, andcharmed with female society that talked his own slang, and entered withaffected enthusiasm into all his dirty plots and barren machinations,was vigilant in his communications; while her whig cavalier, aneasy individual who always made love by talking or writing politics,abandoned himself without reserve, and instructed Lady Firebraceregularly after every council. Taper looked grave at this connectionbetween Tadpole and Lady Firebrace; and whenever an election waslost, or a division stuck in the mud, he gave the cue with a nod and amonosyllable, and the conservative pack that infests clubs, chatteringon subjects of which it is impossible they can know anything, instantlybegan barking and yelping, denouncing traitors, and wondering how theleaders could be so led by the nose, and not see that which was flagrantto the whole world. If, on the other hand, the advantage seemed to gowith the Canton Club, or the opposition benches, then it was the whigand liberal hounds who howled and moaned, explaining everything bythe indiscretion, infatuation, treason, of Lord Viscount Masque, andappealing to the initiated world of idiots around them, whether anyparty could ever succeed, hampered by such men, and influenced by suchmeans.
The best of the joke was, that all this time Lord Masque and Tadpolewere two old foxes, neither of whom conveyed to Lady Firebrace a singlecircumstance but with the wish, intention, and malice aforethought, thatit should be communicated to his rival.
"I must get you to interest Lord de Mowbray in our cause," said SirVavasour Firebrace, in an insinuating voice to his neighbour, Lady Joan;"I have sent him a large packet of documents. You know, he is one of us;still one of us. Once a baronet, always a baronet. The dignity merges,but does not cease; and happy as I am to see one covered with highhonours, who is in every way so worthy of them, still I confess to youit is not so much as Earl de Mowbray that your worthy father inter
estsme, as in his undoubted character and capacity of Sir AltamontFitz-Warene, baronet."
"You have the data on which you move I suppose well digested," said LadyJoan, attentive but not interested.
"The case is clear; as far as equity is concerned, irresistible; indeedthe late king pledged himself to a certain point. But if you would do methe favour of reading our memorial."
"The proposition is not one adapted to our present civilisation," saidLady Joan. "A baronetcy has become the distinction of the middle class;a physician, our physician for example, is a baronet; and I dare saysome of our tradesmen; brewers, of people of that class. An attempt toelevate them into an order of nobility, however inferior, would partakein some degree of the ridiculous."
"And has the duke escaped his gout this year?" enquired Lord Marney ofLady de Mowbray.
"A very slight touch; I never knew my father so well. I expect you willmeet him here. We look for him daily."
"I shall be delighted; I hope he will come to Marney in October. I keepthe blue ribbon cover for him."
"What you suggest is very just," said Egremont to Lady Maud. "If we onlyin our own spheres made the exertion, the general effect would be great.Marney Abbey, for instance, I believe one of the finest of our monasticremains,--that indeed is not disputed--diminished yearly to repairbarns; the cattle browsing in the nave; all this might be prevented, Ifmy brother would not consent to preserve or to restore, still any memberof the family, even I, without expense, only with a little zeal as yousay, might prevent mischief, might stop at least demolition."
"If this movement in the church had only revived a taste for Christianarchitecture," said Lady Maud, "it would not have been barren, and ithas done so much more! But I am surprised that old families can be sodead to our national art; so full of our ancestors, their exploits,their mind. Indeed you and I have no excuse for such indifference MrEgremont."
"And I do not think I shall ever again be justly accused of it," repliedEgremont, "you plead its cause so effectively. But to tell you thetruth, I have been thinking of late about these things; monasteriesand so on the influence of the old church system on the happiness andcomfort of the People."
"And on the tone of the Nobles--do not you think so?" said Lady Maud. "Iknow it is the fashion to deride the crusades, but do not you thinkthey had their origin in a great impulse, and in a certain sense, ledto great results? Pardon me, if I speak with emphasis, but I never canforget I am a daughter of the first crusaders."
"The tone of society is certainly lower than of yore," said Egremont."It is easy to say we view the past through a fallacious medium. We havehowever ample evidence that men feel less deeply than of old andact with less devotion. But how far is this occasioned by the modernposition of our church? That is the question."
"You must speak to Mr St Lys about that," said Lady Maud. "Do you knowhim?" she added in a lowered tone.
"No; is he here?"
"Next to mamma."
And looking in that direction, on the left hand of Lady Mowbray,Egremont beheld a gentleman in the last year of his youth, if youthaccording to the scale of Hippocrates cease at thirty-five. He wasdistinguished by that beauty of the noble English blood, of which inthese days few types remain; the Norman tempered by the Saxon the fireof conquest softened by integrity; and a serene, though inflexible habitof mind. The chains of convention, an external life grown out ofall proportion with that of the heart and mind, have destroyed thisdignified beauty. There is no longer in fact an aristocracy in England,for the superiority of the animal man is an essential quality ofaristocracy. But that it once existed, any collection of portraits fromthe sixteenth century will show.
Aubrey St Lys was a younger son of the most ancient Norman family inEngland. The Conqueror had given them the moderate estate on which theynow lived, and which, in spite of so many civil conflicts and religiouschanges, they had handed down to each other, from generation togeneration, for eight centuries. Aubrey St Lys was the vicar of Mowbray.He had been the college tutor of the late Lord Fitz-Warene, whose mindhe had formed, whose bright abilities he had cultivated, who adored him.To that connection he owed the slight preferment which he possessed, butwhich was all he desired. A bishopric would not have tempted him fromhis peculiar charge.
In the centre of the town of Mowbray teeming with its toiling thousands,there rose a building which might vie with many of the cathedrals ofour land. Beautiful its solemn towers, its sculptured western front;beautiful its columned aisles and lofty nave; its sparkling shrineand delicate chantry; most beautiful the streaming glories of its vastorient light!
This magnificent temple, built by the monks of Mowbray, and onceconnected with their famous house of which not a trace now remained, hadin time become the parish church of an obscure village, whosepopulation could not have filled one of its side chapels. These strangevicissitudes of ecclesiastical buildings are not singular in the northof England.
Mowbray Church remained for centuries the wonder of passing peasants,and the glory of county histories. But there is a magic in beautifulbuildings which exercises an irresistible influence over the mind ofman. One of the reasons urged for the destruction of the monasteriesafter the dispersion of their inhabitants, was the pernicious influenceof their solemn and stately forms on the memories and imagination ofthose that beheld them. It was impossible to connect systematic crimewith the creators of such divine fabrics. And so it was with MowbrayChurch. When manufactures were introduced into this district, whichabounded with all the qualities which were necessary for theirsuccessful pursuit, Mowbray offering equal though not superioradvantages to other positions, was accorded the preference, "because itpossessed such a beautiful church." The lingering genius of the monks ofMowbray hovered round the spot which they had adorned, and sanctified,and loved; and thus they had indirectly become the authors of itspresent greatness and prosperity.
Unhappily for a long season the vicars of Mowbray had been littleconscious of their mission. An immense population gathered round thesacred citadel and gradually spread on all sides of it for miles. Butthe parish church for a long time remained the only one at Mowbray whenthe population of the town exceeded that of some European capitals. Andeven in the parish church the frigid spell of Erastian self-complacencyfatally prevailed. A scanty congregation gathered together for form, andas much influenced by party as higher sentiments. Going to church washeld more genteel than going to meeting. The principal tradesmen ofthe neighbouring great houses deemed it more "aristocratic;" usinga favourite and hackneyed epithet which only expressed their ownservility. About the time the Church Commission issued, the congregationof Mowbray was approaching zero. There was an idea afloat for a time ofmaking it the seat of a new bishopric; the cathedral was ready; anotherinstance of the influence of fine art. But there was no residence forthe projected prelate, and a jobbing bishop on the commission was afraidthat he might have to contribute to building one. So the idea died away;and the living having become vacant at this moment, instead of a bishop,Mowbray received a humble vicar in the shape of Aubrey St Lys, who cameamong a hundred thousand heathens to preach "the Unknown God."
Book 2 Chapter 12