CHAPTER V.
_Sweeping Changes_
THE morning after the initiatory dinner the young Duke drove toHauteville House, his family mansion, situated in his family square. HisGrace particularly prided himself on his knowledge of the arts; a tastefor which, among other things, he intended to introduce into England.Nothing could exceed the horror with which he witnessed the exterior ofhis mansion, except the agony with which he paced through the interior.
'Is this a palace?' thought the young Duke; 'this hospital a palace!'
He entered. The marble hall, the broad and lofty double staircasepainted in fresco, were not unpromising, in spite of the dingy gilding;but with what a mixed feeling of wonder and disgust did the Duke roamthrough clusters of those queer chambers which in England are calleddrawing-rooms!
'Where are the galleries, where the symmetrical saloons, where thelengthened suite, where the collateral cabinets, sacred to the statue ofa nymph or the mistress of a painter, in which I have been customed toreside? What page would condescend to lounge in this ante-chamber? Andis this gloomy vault, that you call a dining-room, to be my hall ofApollo? Order my carriage.'
The Duke sent immediately for Sir Carte Blanche, the successor, inEngland, of Sir Christopher Wren. His Grace communicated at the sametime his misery and his grand views. Sir Carte was astonished with hisGrace's knowledge, and sympathised with his Grace's feelings. He offeredconsolation and promised estimates. They came in due time. HautevilleHouse, in the drawing of the worthy Knight, might have been mistaken forthe Louvre. Some adjoining mansions were, by some magical process forwhich Sir Carte was famous, to be cleared of their present occupiers,and the whole side of the square was in future to be the site ofHauteville House. The difficulty was great, but the object was greater.The expense, though the estimate made a bold assault on the halfmillion, was a mere trifle, 'considering.' The Duke was delighted. Hecondescended to make a slight alteration in Sir Carte's drawing, whichSir Carte affirmed to be a great improvement. Now it was Sir Carte'sturn to be delighted. The Duke was excited by his architect'sadmiration, and gave him a dissertation on Schoenbrunn.
Although Mr. Dacre had been disappointed in his hope of exercising apersonal influence over the education of his ward, he had been morefortunate in his plans for the management of his ward's property.Perhaps there never was an instance of the opportunities afforded bya long minority having been used to greater advantage. The estates hadbeen increased and greatly improved, all and very heavy mortgages hadbeen paid off, and the rents been fairly apportioned. Mr. Dacre, by hisconstant exertions and able dispositions since his return to England,also made up for the neglect with which an important point had been alittle treated; and at no period had the parliamentary influence of thehouse of Hauteville been so extensive, so decided, and so well bottomedas when our hero became its chief.
In spite of his proverbial pride, it seemed that Mr. Dacre wasdetermined not to be offended by the conduct of his ward. The Duke hadnot yet announced his arrival in England to his guardian; but about amonth after that event he received a letter of congratulation from Mr.Dacre, who at the same time expressed a desire to resign a trust intohis Grace's hand which, he believed, had not been abused. The Duke,who rather dreaded an interview, wrote in return that he intended veryshortly to visit Yorkshire, when he should have the pleasure of availinghimself of the kind invitation to Castle Dacre; and having thus, as hethought, dexterously got rid of the old gentleman for the present, hetook a ride with Lady Caroline St. Maurice.