you again, and to hear that you are long interview with Mr Parkinson, well!' from whom he had learned the wretch"Yes, sir!-if you please, sir!-ed life of persecution which the poor thank you, sir!"-stammered Betty, curtsying repeatedly, and standing, with the kettle in her hand, as if she did not intend to come in with it.

"That will do, Betty," quoth the Doctor, looking delighted at Lord Drelincourt's good-natured greeting of his faithful old servant; "bring it in! And Thomas is quite well, too," | he added, turning to Lord Drelincourt- Thomas being Betty's husband, both of whom had lived with the Doctor for some eighteen or twenty years:-Thomas's business having been to look after the Doctor's nag, while he kept one, and now to do odd jobs about the little garden and paddock. After one or two kind inquiries about him, "I must join you, Doctor if you please,' said Lord Drelincourt, as Betty put the kettle on the fire; "you'll give me a cup of

tea

Doctor had led for the last two years

listening to it with the keenest indignation. The Doctor himself softened down matters a good deal, in the account which he gave Lord Drelincourt-but his lordship saw at once that the case had not been in the least overstated by Mr Parkinson; and, without intimating his intentions to the Doctor, resolved upon forthwith taking certain steps which, if known to two conspicuous persons in the village, would have made them shake in their shoes.

"What's that, Doctor ?" suddenly inquired Lord Drelincourt, hearing a noise as of shouting outside. Now, the fact was, that the appearance of Lord Drelincourt, and Lord De la Zouch, and their two grooms, as they galloped down the village on their way to the Hall (from which Lord Drelincourt, as I have stated, had "A cup of tea? Ay, to be sure! walked to the vicarage, whither he Betty! here," said he, beckoning her to was to be followed by Lord De la him, and whispering to her to bring Zouch), had created a huge sensation out the best tea-things, and to run in the neighbourhood; for Lord Dreout into the village for a couple of lincourt, rapidly as he rode in, was tea-cakes, an ounce of the best green soon recognised by those who were tea, and some eggs and butter, and about, and the news spread like wildhalf a pound of lump sugar-for the fire that "my lord the squire" had Doctor was bent upon doing the thing come back, and was then at Yattonsplendidly, on so great an occasion; a fact which seemed to be anything but Lord Drelincourt, who overheard but gratifying to Messrs Bloodsuck him, and had asked to take tea with him and Mudflint, who were talking toonly that he might not delay the Doc-gether, at the moment when Lord tor's doing so for Lord Drelincourt had not yet dined-interposed, declaring that if anything of the sort were done, he would leave immediately; adding, that he expected his horses at the door every moment, and also that Lord De la Zouch, who had come over with him from Fotheringham, and had come down to the Hall, would presently call, to join him on his way home. This secured Lord Drelincourt's wishes-and you might, within a few minutes' time, have seen him partaking of the Doctor's humble beverage, while they continued in eager and earnest conversation. Lord Drelincourt had that morning had a

Drelincourt asked the question of Dr Tatham, at the door of Mr Mudflint; whose face seemed to have got several degrees sallower within a quarter of an hour, while Mr Bloodsuck looked quite white. There was a continually increasing crowd about the front of the vicarage; and as they got more and more assured of the fact that Lord Drelincourt was at that moment with Doctor Tatham, they began to shout "hurrah! So

"What's that?" inquired Lord Drelincourt.

"Ah!-I know!" cried the Doctor, with not a little excitement;

they've found you out, bless them! | on his enemies. The next morning -hark!-I have not heard such a Lord De la Zouch wrote up to town, thing I don't know how long-I won- directing instructions to be given to der they don't set the bells a-ringing! Mr Winnington, who had conducted -Why, bless me ! there's a couple of the proceedings in the actions of Wighundred people before the door!" ley v. Mudflint, and Wigley v. Bloodexclaimed he, after having stepped suck, to issue execution forthwith. into the front room, and reconnoitered Lord Drelincourt also did his part. through the window. Though the Almost every house in the village gloom of evening was rapidly deepen- was his property, and he instructed ing, Lord Drelincourt also perceived Mr Parkinson immediately to take the great number that had collected steps towards summarily ejecting the together, and his eye having caught two aforesaid worthies from the prethe approaching figure of Lord De la mises they were respectively occupyZouch, for whom, and the grooms, the ing-convinced that by so doing he crowd made way, he prepared to was removing two principal sources leave. Lord De la Zouch dismounted, of moral filth and mischief, from the and, entering the vicarage, shook village and neighbourhood; for they hands with the utmost cordiality with were the founders and most active the Doctor, whom he invited to dine members of a sort of spouting-club, for and sleep at Fotheringham on the radical and infidel speechifying, and morrow, promising to send the car- their presence and influence alone riage for him. The little Doctor kept the pestilent club together. scarce knew whether he stood on his Early the next morning Lord Drehead or his heels, in the flurry of the lincourt returned to the Hall, having moment; and when he and Lord appointed several persons to meet him Drelincourt appeared at the door, and there, on business principally relating a great shout burst from those pre- to the restoration of the Hall to its sent, it was with difficulty that he former state, as far as was practicable; could resist his inclination to join in at all events, to render it fit for the it. It was growing late, however, reception of the family, within as short and they had a long ride before them: a period as possible. According to an so Lord Drelincourt, having stood for arrangement he had made before quitsome moments bareheaded and bow-ting town, he found, on reaching the ing to all around, and shaking hands Hall, a gentleman from London, of with those who pressed nearest, fol- taste and experience, to whose hands lowing the example of Lord De la was intrusted the entire superintenZouch, mounted his horse, and waiv-dence of the contemplated reparaing his hand affectionately to Drtions and restorations, both internal Tatham, rode off amidst the renewed and external, regard being had to the cheers of the crowd. From that mo- antique and peculiar character of the ment worthy Dr Tatham had regained mansion-it being his lordship's anxall his former ascendancy at Yatton! ious wish that Lady Drelincourt and As the two peers sat together over Miss Aubrey, on their return, should their claret that evening, the fate of see it, as nearly as might be, in the the Rev. Mr Mudflint, and Barnabas condition in which they had left it. Bloodsuck, junior, "gentleman, &c.," Fortunately, the little Vandal who was sealed. The more that they talked had just been expelled, had done little together about the wanton and bitter in- or no permanent or substantial injury. sult and persecution which those wor- There was the same great irregular thies had so long inflicted, upon one, mass of old brickwork,-with its huge surely, of the most inoffensive, peace- stacks of chimneys, and clock-turret able, and benevolent beings upon the and vane surmounting the old square earth, Dr Tatham, the higher rose their tower, just as they had ever known indignation, the sterner their determi-it,-only requiring a little pointing. nation to inflict condign punishment | That fine old relic, the castellated

the heart to sigh for-guided, moreover, as all his movements would be, by those who were so deeply interested in their success.

gateway, clad in ivy, with its grey, | being left except the beautiful antique crumbling, stone-capped battlements, mantelpieces of inlaid oak, and the and escutcheon over the point of the oak-panelling of the different apartarch, had suffered no change; even the ments, which, as a part of the freequaint, weatherbeaten sundial stood in hold, could not be seized as the perthe centre of the grass-plot, within the sonal property of Mr Titmouse. His court-yard, as they had left it. The creditors had swept off, from time to yew-trees still lined the high walls, time, everything that had belonged surrounding the court-yard; and the to him. The hall, the dining-room, fine old clump of cedars of Lebanon breakfast-room, drawing-rooms, the was there-green, stately, and solemn, library, the bed-rooms, dressing-rooms, as in days of yore. The moment, how- boudoirs of Mrs Aubrey and his sister, ever, that you passed the threshold the long galleries, the rooms in which of the Hall, you sighed at the change Charles and Agnes used to romp and that had taken place. Where were play about-were all now bare and now the armed figures, the pikes, desolate, and the echoes of the footbows, guns, spears, swords, and bat- falls and voices of himself and his attle-axes, and the quaint old pictures tendants, in passing through them, of the early ancestors of the family of struck Lord Drelincourt's heart with the Aubreys? Not a trace was to be sadness. But all this was to be easily seen of them!—and it gave Lord Dre- and quickly remedied; for a carte lincourt a pang, as his eye travelled blanche was given to the man of renoround the bare walls. But the case vation at his elbow, who undertook was not desperate. All the aforesaid within two, or at most three months' pictures still lay rolled up in the lum-time, to leave nothing for the eye or ber-room, where they had continued, as articles utterly valueless, ever since Mr Titmouse had ordered them to be taken down. They had been brought from their obscurity, and now lay on On reaching the two rooms in the the floor, having been carefully un- north-eastern extremities of the buildrolled, and examined by the man of ing, the windows of which commandtaste, who undertook quickly to re-ed a view of nearly three-fourths of move the incipient ravage of mould the estate, he gazed around him in and dirt at present visible, and to silence. There was nothing to shock have them suspended in their former the eye or pain the heart; for as Mr position, in such a state as that only Titmouse had been restrained from the closest scrutiny could detect any cutting timber, behold! what a sight difference between their present and would be seen when, in the approachformer condition. The other relics of ing spring, the groves and forests, antiquity-viz. the armour-had been stretching far and wide before him, purchased by the late Lady Stratton at should have put on all their bravery! one of the sales of Titmouse's effects, occasioned by an execution against him, and were still at her late residence, and of course at Lord Drelincourt's disposal, as her ladyship's administrator. These, on his seeing them, the man of taste pronounced to be fine and valuable specimens, and undertook to have them also in their old places, and in a far better condition, even than before. Lord Drelincourt sighed repeatedly, as he went over every one of the bare and deserted rooms in the mansion-nothing

And he found on inquiry, and going over a portion of the grounds, that Mr Waters and Dickons had kept pretty sharp eyes about them, and maintained everything in infinitely better condition than could have been expected. Mr Tonson had, moreover, looked keenly after the game; and Pumpkin undertook, by spring-time, to make his gardens and greenhouses a sight delightful to behold. Mr Griffiths was desired to re-engage as many of the former servants of Mr Aubrey, as he could; and informed Lord Drelincourt

of two, in particular, who had signified | restoration to the former happy and their anxious wish to him on the sub- contented state of things which preject-viz. Mrs Jackson, the house- vailed at Yatton, before the usurpation keeper, who had lived in that capa- of Mr Titmouse, Lord Drelincourt recity with a brother of hers at York, turned to town; but first left a hunon quitting the service of Mrs Aubrey. dred pounds in Dr Tatham's hands, She was, of course, to be immediately to be distributed as he thought proreinstated in her old place. The other per amongst the poorer villagers and was Harriet, Miss Aubrey's maid, who, neighbours on Christmas-eve; and it may be recollected, was so disconso- also insisted on the Doctor's acceptlate at being left behind by Miss Au-ance, himself, of fifty pounds in adbrey, who had secured her a place at vance, on account of his salary, a the late Lady Stratton's, at whose hundred a-year, as chaplain to Lord house she still lived, with several of Drelincourt; which appointment the the other servants, the establishment Doctor received from his lordship's not having been yet finally broken up. The poor girl nearly went wild with joy on receiving, a short time afterwards, an intimation, that as soon as she could conveniently do so, she might set off for town, and resume her duties as ladies'-maid to Miss Aubrey. Finding, on inquiry, that there was not a tenant upon the estate, whose rent had not been raised above that which had been paid in his time, Lord Drelincourt ordered the rent of all to be reduced to their former amount, and inquiries to be made after several respectable tenants, whom the extortion of Mr Titmouse and his agents had driven from their farms, with a view of restoring them, in lieu of their questionable successors. Having thus set everything in train for a

own hands, and with not a little delight and pride. His lordship, moreover, desired Mr Parkinson to hold him responsible for any little demand which might be due from the poor Doctor, in respect of the litigation in which he had been so shamefully involved; and thus Dr Tatham was made a free man of again, with no further question about his right to tithes, or that interruption of the sources of his little income, to which he had lately been subjected; and with fifty pounds, moreover, as we have seen, at his absolute disposal. The Doctor made his appearance on Christmas day in a very fine suit of black, new hat and all, and had a large attendance at church, and, moreover, a more attentive one than he had seen since the old times!

CHAPTER V.

MUDFLINT, WOODLOUSE, AND BLOODSUCK IN A BAD WAY; AND SIR
HARKAWAY'S AWKWARD POSITION.

A DAY or two after Lord Drelincourt's | English, they were both taken in exereturn to town, Messrs Mudflint and Bloodsuck received a pressing invitation to York Castle, whose hospitable owners, as in the case of Mr Yahoo, would receive no refusal. In plain

VOL. II.

cution on the same day, by virtue of two writs of capias ad satisfaciendum, for the damages and costs due to Mr Wigley-viz. £2960, 16s. 4d. from Smirk Mudflint, and £2760, 19s. from