CONCLUSION.
It is now only necessary that we should collect together the few loose
threads of our story which require to be tied lest the pieces should
become unravelled in the wear. Of our hero, Lord Popenjoy, it need only
be said that when we last heard of him he was a very healthy and rather
mischievous boy of five years old, who tyrannised over his two little
sisters,--the Lady Mary and the Lady Sarah. Those, however, who look
most closely to his character think that they can see the germs of that
future success which his grandfather so earnestly desires for him. His
mother is quite sure that he will live to be Prime Minister, and has
already begun to train him for that office. The house in Munster Court
has of course been left, and the Marchioness was on one occasion roused
into avowing that the family mansion is preferable. But then the family
mansion has been so changed that no Germain of a former generation
would know it. The old Dowager who still lives at Manor Cross has never
seen the change, but Lady Sarah, who always spends a month or two in
town, pretends to disbelieve that it is the same house. One of the
events in Mary's life which astonishes her most is the perfect
friendship which exists between her and her eldest sister-in-law. She
corresponds regularly with Lady Sarah, and is quite content to have her
letters filled with the many ailments and scanty comforts of the poor
people on the estate. Lady Sarah is more than content to be able to
love the mother of the heir, and she does love her, and the boy too,
with all her heart. Now that there is a Popenjoy,--a coming Brotherton,
of whom she can be proud, she finds nothing in her own life with which
she ought to quarrel. The Ladies Susanna and Amelia also come up to
town every year, very greatly to their satisfaction, and are most
devoted to the young Marchioness. But the one guest who is honoured
above all others in St. James' Square, for whose comfort everything is
made to give way, whom not to treat with loving respect is to secure a
banishment from the house, whom all the servants are made to regard as
a second master, is the Dean. His lines have certainly fallen to him in
pleasant places. No woman in London is more courted and more popular
than the Marchioness of Brotherton, and consequently the Dean spends
his two months in London very comfortably. But perhaps the happiest
period of his life is the return visit which his daughter always makes
to him for a fortnight during the winter. At this period the Marquis
will generally pass a couple of days at the deanery, but for the
greater part of the time the father and daughter are alone together.
Then he almost worships her. Up in London he allows himself to be
worshipped with an exquisite grace. To Mrs. Houghton the Marchioness
has never spoken, and on that subject she is inexorable. Friends have
interceded, but such intercession has only made matters worse. Of what
nature must the woman be who could speak to any friend of such an
offence as she had committed? The Marchioness, in refusing to be
reconciled, has never alluded to the cause of her anger, but has shown
her anger plainly and has persistently refused to abandon it.
The Marquis has become a model member of the House of Lords. He is
present at all their sittings, and is indefatigably patient on
Committees,--but very rarely speaks. In this way he is gradually
gaining weight in the country, and when his hair is quite grey and his
step less firm than at present, he will be an authority in Parliament.
He is also a pattern landlord, listening to all complaints, and
endeavouring in everything to do justice between himself and those who
are dependent on him. He is also a pattern father, expecting great
things from Popenjoy, and resolving that the child shall be subjected
to proper discipline as soon as he is transferred from feminine to
virile teaching. In the meantime the Marchioness reigns supreme in the
nursery,--as it is proper that she should do.
The husband now never feels himself called upon to remind his wife to
support her dignity. Since the dancing of the Kappa-kappa she has never
danced, except when on grand occasions she has walked through a
quadrille with some selected partner of special rank; and this she does
simply as a duty. Nevertheless, in society she is very gay and very
joyous. But dancing has been a peril to her, and she avoids it
altogether, pleading to such friends as Mrs. Jones that a woman with a
lot of babies is out of place capering about a room. Mrs. Jones
remembers the Kappa-kappa and says little or nothing on the subject,
but she heartily dissents from her friend, and still hopes that there
may be a good time coming. The Marquis remembers it all, too, and is
thoroughly thankful to his wife, showing his gratitude every now and
then by suggesting that Captain and Mrs. De Baron may be asked to
dinner. He knows that there is much for which he has to be grateful.
Though the name of Mrs. Houghton is never on his tongue, he has not
forgotten the way in which he went astray in Berkeley Square,--nor the
sweet reticence of his wife, who has never thrown his fault in his
teeth since that day on which, at his bidding, she took the letter from
his pocket and read it. No man in London is better satisfied with his
wife than the Marquis, and perhaps no man in London has better cause to
be satisfied.
Yes! Captain De Baron--and his wife--do occasionally dine together in
St. James' Square. Whether it was that Mrs. Montacute Jones was
successful in her efforts, or that Guss was enabled to found arguments
on Jack's wealth which Jack was unable to oppose, or that a sense of
what was due to the lady prevailed with him at last, he did marry her
about a twelvemonth after the reading of the will. When the Marchioness
came to town,--before Popenjoy was born,--he called, and was allowed to
see her. Nothing could be more respectful than was his demeanour then,
nor than it had been ever since; and when he announced to his friend,
as he did in person, that he was about to be married to Miss Mildmay,
she congratulated him with warmth, not saying a word as to past
occurrences. But she determined that she would ever be his friend, and
for his sake she has become friendly also to his wife. She never really
liked poor Guss,--nor perhaps does the Captain. But there have been no
quarrels, at any rate, no public quarrels, and Jack has done his duty
in a manner that rather surprised his old acquaintances. But he is a
much altered man, and is growing fat, and has taken to playing whist at
his club before dinner for shilling points. I have always thought that
in his heart of hearts he regrets the legacy.
Whether to spite his son, or at the urgent entreaty of his wife and
doctors, Lord Gossling has of late been so careful, that the gout has
not had a chance of getting into his stomach. Lord Giblet professes
himself to be perfectly satisfied with things as they are. He has
already four children. He lives in a small house in Green Street, and
is a member of the Entomological Society. He is so strict in his
attendance that it is thought that he will some day be president. But
the old lord does not like this turn in his son's life, and says that
the family of De Geese must be going to the dogs when the heir has
nothing better to do than to attend to insects.
Mrs. Montacute Jones gives as many parties as ever in Grosvenor Place,
and is never so well pleased as when she can get the Marchioness of
Brotherton to her house. She is still engaged in matrimonial pursuits,
and is at the present moment full of an idea that the minister from
Saxony, who is a fine old gentleman of sixty, but a bachelor, may be
got to marry Lady Amelia Germain. Mary assures her that there isn't the
least chance,--that Amelia would certainly not accept him,--and that an
old German of sixty, used to diplomacy all his life, is the last man in
the world to be led into difficulties. But Mrs. Jones never gives way
in such matters, and has already made the plans for a campaign at
Killancodlem next August.
I regret to state that Messrs. Snape and Cashett have persecuted the
poor Baroness most cruelly. They have contrived to show that the lady
has not only got into their debt, but has also swindled them,--swindled
them according to law,--and consequently they have been able to set all
the police of the continent on her track. She had no sooner shown her
face back in Germany, than they were upon her. For a while she
escaped, rushing from one country to another, but at last she was
arrested on a platform in Oregon, and is soon about to stand her trial
in an English Court. As a good deal of sympathy has been expressed in
her favour, and as Mr. Philogunac Coelebs has taken upon himself the
expense of her defence, it is confidently hoped in many quarters that
no jury will convict her. In the meantime, Dr. Fleabody has, I am told,
married a store-keeper in New York, and has settled down into a good
mother of a family.
At Manor Cross during the greater portion of the year things go on very
much as they used. The Marchioness is still living, and interests
herself chiefly in the children of her daughter-in-law,--born, and to
be born. But the great days of her life are those in which Popenjoy is
brought to her. The young scapegrace will never stay above five minutes
with his grandmother, but the old lady is sure that she is regarded by
him with a love passing the love of children. At Christmas time, and
for a week or two before, and a month or two afterwards, the house is
full of company and bright with unaccustomed lights. Lady Sarah puts on
her newest silk, and the Marchioness allows herself to be brought into
the drawing-room after dinner. But at the end of February the young
family flits to town, and then the Manor Cross is as Manor Cross so
long has been.
Mr. Price still hunts, and is as popular in the country as ever. He
often boasts that although he was married much after the Marquis, the
youngest of his three children is older than Lady Mary. But when he
does this at home, his ears are always boxed for him.
Of Mr. Groschut it is only necessary to say that he is still at Pugsty,
vexing the souls of his parishioners by Sabbatical denunciations.
THE END.
BRADBURY, AGNEW, & CO., PRINTERS, WHITEFRIARS.
ANTHONY TROLLOPE'S WORKS
CHEAP EDITIONS.
_3s. cloth, 2s. Picture Boards._
DOCTOR THORNE.
THE MACDERMOTS.
RACHEL RAY.
THE KELLYS.
TALES OF ALL COUNTRIES.
CASTLE RICHMOND.
THE BERTRAMS.
MISS MACKENZIE.
THE BELTON ESTATE.
LOTTA SCHMIDT.
AN EDITOR'S TALES.
LA VENDEE.
LADY ANNA.
VICAR OF BULLHAMPTON.
_2s. 6d. Vols., Picture Boards._
ORLEY FARM.
CAN YOU FORGIVE HER?
PHINEAS FINN.
HE KNEW HE WAS RIGHT.
RALPH THE HEIR.
EUSTACE DIAMONDS.
PHINEAS REDUX.
THE PRIME MINISTER.
AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND.
_Now ready, PEOPLE'S EDITION, in 2s. Volumes._
NEW ZEALAND.
VICTORIA AND TASMANIA.
SOUTH AND WEST AUSTRALIA.
N. S. WALES AND QUEENSLAND.
THE
SELECT LIBRARY OF FICTION EDITION
OF
CHARLES LEVER'S WORKS.
_Two Shilling Vols._
JACK HINTON.
HARRY LORREQUER.
THE O'DONOGHUE.
FORTUNES OF GLENCORE.
ONE OF THEM.
SIR JASPER CAREW.
A DAY'S RIDE.
MAURICE TIERNAY.
BARRINGTON.
LUTTRELL OF ARRAN.
A RENT IN A CLOUD.
SIR BROOK FOSSBROOKE.
BRAMLEIGHS OF BISHOP'S FOLLY.
TONY BUTLER.
THAT BOY OF NORCOTT'S.
LORD KILGOBBIN.
CORNELIUS O'DOWD.
NUTS AND NUTCRACKERS.
_Half-Crown Vols._
CHARLES O'MALLEY.
THE DALTONS.
KNIGHT OF GWYNNE.
DODD FAMILY ABROAD.
TOM BURKE OF "OURS."
DAVENPORT DUNN.
ROLAND CASHEL.
MARTINS OF CRO' MARTIN.
LONDON: CHAPMAN & HALL, 193, PICCADILLY.
* * * * *
Transcriber's note:
Inconsistent hyphenation "a-head" / "ahead", "farm-house" / "farmhouse",
"fire-place" / "fireplace", "grand-daughter" / "granddaughter",
"high-spirited" / "highspirited", "ill-natured" / "illnatured",
"note-paper" / "notepaper", "play-fellow" / "playfellow",
"half-a-dozen" / "half a dozen", and "cock-and-bull" / "cock and bull"
has been retained. Inconsistent capitalization of "Marchioness"
has also been retained as has the use of "grey" and "gray".
The following minor typographical corrections were made:
- Changed single quote to double after "MINISTER" on cover page.
- Capitalized "he" in "He is thirty" on page 8.
- Changed period to comma after "said" on page 16.
- "Sarahs" changed to "Sarah" on page 25.
- End quote added after "Italy" on page 28.
- Original reads "ill-dawn" instead of "ill-drawn" on page 29.
- Quotation mark added before "when Brotherton came of age" on page 29.
- Original reads "andj" instead of "and" on page 33.
- Comma changed to period here after "closely" on page 48.
- Period added after "family" on page 46.
- Second "made" removed on page 60.
- End quote added after "quarrel" on page 64.
- End quote added after "cousin" on page 74.
- End quote added after "once" on page 82.
- End quote added after "boy" on page 83.
- Quotation mark added before "She would draw" on page 107.
- Removed second "was" on page 116.
- Double quote added before "We have been" on page 131.
- Original reads "de" instead of "he" on page 134.
- End quote added after "Sarah Germain" on page 135.
- Single quote changed to double after "duties." on page 137.
- Second "a" deleted on page 141.
- Original reads "intercouse" instead of "intercourse" on page 142.
- Original reads "musn't" instead of "mustn't" on page 149.
- Comma removed after "Lord George" on page 154.
- Single quote changed to double before "Ah" on page 187.
- Quotation added before "I feel like" on page 192.
- Comma changed to period after "undone" on page 193.
- End quote added after "George," on page 193.
- Period changed to a comma after "it" on page 199.
- End quote added after "matter?" on page 218.
- End quote added after "ball." On page 223.
- On page 237, I have used blockquoted text similar to that used
elsewhere in the text for correspondence.
- New paragraph added before "B" on page 237.
- Period added after "herself" on page 253.
- Original reads "Dont" instead of "Don't" on page 258.
- Quotation mark removed from before "What" on page 293.
- End quote added after "happy." On page 295.
- Double quotes changed to single around "B." on page 301.
- Quotation mark added before "and unsay" on page 311.
- Comma changed to period after "Lord" on page 334.
- Original reads "dul" instead of "dull" on page 343.
- Period added after "out" on page 348.
- Original shows "s" instead of "is" on page 359.
- End quote added after "parish," on page 375.
- Quotation mark removed from before "It had been" on page 376.
- New paragraph added before "He had never" on page 416.