Mr Titmouse. At the moment, for | plary unoffending old Dr Tatham, instance, of Mr Gammon's arrival at whom he described as battening Yatton, on the present occasion, ac- upon bigotry and extortion." Strange tions for rent, and other matters, were and melancholy to relate, this novel actually pending against fourteen of mode of procedure on the part of Mr the poorer tenants!! 'Twas all up Mudflint, for a while succeeded. In vain with them, poor wretches, as soon as did the white-haired and learned vicar the Messrs Bloodsuck had fairly fasten- preach his best sermons, and in his ed upon them. Let them be a day or two best manner-he beheld his church in arrear with their rent, a cognovit, or thinning, while the chapel of Mr Mudwarrant of attorney-for the sake of flint was filled. And, as he went about the costs it produced-was instantly the village, in the vigilant and affecproposed; and, if the expensive se- tionate discharge of his pastoral duties, curity were demurred to by the poor he perceived symptoms, now and then, souls, by that night's post went up of a grievously altered manner towards instructions to town for a writ to be him, on the part of those who had once sent down by return! hailed his approach, and his ministrations, with a kind of joyful reverence, and cordiality. Mudflint had also, in furtherance of his purpose of bitter hostility, in concert with his worthy coadjutors the Bloodsucks, stirred up two or three persons in the parish, to resist the Doctor's claim to tithe, and offer harassing obstructions to the collecting of it. In justice to the Church, and to his successors, he could not permit his rights to be thus questioned, and denied, with impunity; and thus, to his sore grief, the worthy old vicar found himself, for the first time in his life, involved in a couple of lawsuits, which he feared, even if he lived to win them, would ruin him.

If some of the more resolute questioned the propriety of a distress made upon them with cruel precipitancy, they found themselves immediately involved in a replevin suit, from whose expensive intricacies they were at length glad to escape, terrified, on any terms. Then actions of trespass, and so forth, were commenced upon the most frivolous pretexts. Old and convenient rights of way were suddenly disputed, and made the subjects of expensive lawsuits. Many of the former quiet inhabitants of the village had been forced out of it, their places being supplied by persons of quite a different description; and a bad state of It may be imagined that Mudflint's feeling, chiefly arising out of political discomfiture at the assizes was calrancour, had, for instance, just given culated to send him, like a scotched rise to three actions-two of assault snake, writhing, hissing, and snapand one of slander-from that once ping, through the village, at all that peaceful little village, and which had came in his way. It is possible that been tried at those very assizes! Poor Mr Gammon was not so fully apprised Miss Aubrey's village school, alas! had of all these doings as is now the been transmogrified into a chapel for reader; yet he saw and heard enough Mr Mudflint, where he rallied round to lead him to suspect that things were himself, every Sunday, an excited going a little too far. He took, howthrong of ignorant and disaffected ever, no steps towards effecting an people, and regaled them with sedi- abatement, or discontinuance of them. tious and blasphemous harangues. Just at present, moreover, he was pe"Twould have made your hair stand culiarly reluctant to interfere with on end to hear the language in which any of the proceedings of the Messrs he spoke of the sacred mysteries of Bloodsuck, and confined himself to the Christian religion-it would have receiving their report as to some arfilled you with disgust and indigna- rangements which he had desired tion to hear his attacks upon the them to carry into effect. In the first Church of England and its ministers, place, he did not disclose the existence and in particular upon little exem-of his heavy and newly-created rent

being assured that Gammon's return for Yatton, on the next vacancy, provided he were not incapacitated from standing, was a matter of absolute certainty. Then he gave Mr Gammon certain assurances, which flushed his cheek with delight and triumph-delight and triumph inspired by a conviction that his deeply-laid schemes, his comprehensive plans, were, despite a few minor and temporary checks and reverses, being crowned with success. It was true that his advances towards Miss Aubrey appeared to have been peremptorily and definitively rejected; but he resolved to wait till the time should have arrived for bringing other reserved forces into the field-by the aid of which he yet hoped to make an equally unexpected and decisive demonstration against the, as yet, impregnable fort of beauty.

charge, but gave them to understand | clouds slowly disappeared from the that Mr Titmouse's circumstances great man's brow; especially on his were such as to make it requisite to extract as much from the property as could possibly be obtained, by raising the rents-by effecting a further mortgage upon the property, and by a sale of all the timber that was fit for felling. It was found necessary to look out for new tenants to one or two of the largest farms on the estate, as the present ones declared themselves unable to sustain the exorbitant rents which they were called upon to pay; so orders were given to advertise for tenants, in the county and other newspapers. Then Mr Gammon went all over the estate, to view the condition of the timber, attended by the sullen and reluctant wood-bailiff, who, though he retained his situation, mortally hated his new master, and all connected with him. Very little timber was, according to his account, fit for felling! Having looked into these various matters, Mr Gammon took his departure for town, glad to escape, though for never so brief an interval, the importunities of Messrs Mudflint and Bloodsuck, on the subject of the late verdicts against them, and which he pledged himself to represent in a proper way to Mr Titmouse.

The more immediate object of his anxieties was to conceal, as far as possible, his connection with the various joint-stock speculations, into which he had entered with a wild and feverish eagerness to realise a rapid fortune. He had already withdrawn from one or two with which he had been for only a brief time, and secretly, connected-not, however, until he had realised no inconsiderable sum by his judicious but unscrupulous operations. He was also anxious, if practicable, to extricate Lord Dreddlington, at the proper conjuncture, with as little damage as possible to his lordship's fortune or character: for his lordship's countenance and good offices were becoming of greater consequence to Mr Gammon, than ever. It was true that he possessed information

On arriving in town, he lost no time in waiting upon the great man to whom he looked for that political advancement after which his soul pined. He was received with manifest coolness, evidently occasioned by the position in which he had been placed by the result of the action for bribery penalties. What that eminent personage objected to, be it understood, was not Mr Gammon's having bribed, but allowing himself to have been found out! On solemnly assuring his patron, however, that the ver--I mean that concerning Titmouse's dict was entirely against evidence, and that Sir Charles Wolstenholme was, in the next term, going to move for a rule to set aside the verdict, on that and several other grounds, and that, by such means, the cause could be, at the least, "hung up" for heaven only knew how long to come-till, in short, people had forgotten all about it-the

birth and true position — which he considered would, whenever he thought fit to avail himself of it, give him an absolute mastery over the unhappy peer for the rest of his life; but he felt that it would be a critical and dreadful experiment, and not to be attempted but in the very last resort.

He would sometimes gaze at the | titled to their deference and gratitude. unconscious Earl, and speculate, in a 'Twas, indeed, ecstasy to poor old Lord sort of reverie, upon the possible ef- Dreddlington to behold his name, from fects attending the dreaded disclosure, time to time, glittering in the vantill he would give a sort of inward himself figuring away as a chief pastart, as he realised the fearful and irre- tron -a prime mover-in some vast trievable extent to which he had com- and lucrative undertaking, which almitted himself. He shuddered also to most from the first moment of its prothink that he was, moreover, in a jection, attracted the notice and conmeasure, at the mercy of Titmouse fidence of the monied classes, and himself who, in some mad moment became productive to its originators! of drunkenness or desperation, of Many attempts were made by his pique or revenge, might disclose the brother peers, and those who once fatal secret, and precipitate upon him, had considerable influence over him, when least prepared for them, all its to open his eyes to the questionable long-dreaded consequences. The slen- nature of the concerns to which he der faculties of Lord Dreddlington had was so freely lending the sanction of been for months in a state of novel his name and personal interference; and grateful excitement, through the but his pride and obstinacy caused him occupation afforded them by his con- to turn a deaf ear to their suggestions; nection with the fashionable modes of and the skilful and delicious flatteries commercial enterprise - joint-stock of Mr Gammon and others, seconded companies; the fortunate members of by the substantial fruits of his fancied which got rich, they scarcely knew skill and energy, urged him on from how. It seemed as though certain step to step, till he became one of the persons had but to acquire a nominal most active and constant in his interinterest in some great transaction of ference with the concerns of one or this sort, to find it pouring wealth in- two great speculations, such as have to their coffers, as if by magic; and been mentioned in a former part of it was thus that Lord Dreddlington, this history, and from which he lookamongst others, found himself quietly ed forward to realising, at no distant realising large sums of money, without day, resplendent results. Never, in apparent risk or exertion-his move- fact, had one man obtained over anments being skilfully guided by Gam- other a more complete mastery, than mon, and one or two others, who, Mr Gammon over the Earl of Dredwhile they treated him as a mere in-dlington; at whose haughtily exclustrument to aid in deluding the public, yet contrived to impress him with the flattering notion, that he was, in a masterly manner, directing their course of procedure, and richly en

sive table he was a frequent guest, and thereby obtained opportunities of acquiring the good-will of one or two other persons of the Earl's intellectual status and calibre.

CHAPTER II.

THE ARTIFICIAL RAIN COMPANY EVAPORATES; AND A REMARKABLE SCENE BETWEEN MR GAMMON AND THE EARL OF DREDDLINGTON.

THE Earl of Dreddlington was sitting to do him honour, in the same sort in his library, his table covered with of flattering and reverential manner letters and papers, one morning, with which you may conceive would be exa newspaper the Morning Growl-hibited by a party of proudly obselying before him, and a certain portion quious East India directors, on the of the aforesaid newspaper he had occasion of their giving a banquet to read over several times, with exqui- a newly-appointed governor-general site satisfaction. He had, late on the of India! Covers had been laid for preceding evening, returned from his thirty-five; and the entertainment seat in Hertfordshire, whither he had was in all respects of a sumptuous been suddenly called on business early description-every way worthy of the in the morning; so that it was not entertainers, and their distinguishuntil the time at which he is now ed guest. Not far from the Earl, sat presented to the reader, that his lord- Mr Gammon. Methinks I see now ship had had an opportunity of perus- his gentlemanly figure-his dark-blue ing what was affording him such coat, white waistcoat, and simple black gratification-viz. a brief, but highly stock-his calm smile, the sarcasm flattering report of a splendid white- that occasionally flickered about his bait dinner which had been given to compressed lips,-his keen watchful him, the day before, at Blackwall, by eye, his well-developed forehead, suga party of some thirty gentlemen, who gesting to you a capability of the were, inter nos, adroit and successful highest kind of intellectual action. traders upon that inexhaustible capi- There was a subdued cheerfulness in tal, public credulity, as founders, ma- his manner, which was bland and nagers, and directors, of various po- fascinating as ever; and towards the pular joint-stock companies; and the great man of the day, he exhibited progress of which, in public estima- such a marked air of deference as tion, had been materially accelerated, was indeed, to the object of it, most by the countenance of so distinguish- delicious, and seductive. ed a nobleman, as the Right Hon. the Earl of Dreddlington, G.C.B., &c. &c. &c.*

When his lordship's carriage, containing himself, in evening dress, and wearing his red ribbon, with one or two foreign orders, and also his son-in-law, the member for Yatton, who was dressed in the highest style of fashionable elegance, drew up opposite the doorway of the hotel, his lordship was received, on alighting, by several of those who had assembled

*See APPENDIX.

The poor Earl soon mounted into the seventh heaven of delight; he had never experienced anything of this sort before; he felt GLORIFIED — -for such qualities were eloquently attributed to him, in the after-dinner speeches, as even he had not before imagined the existence of in himself. His ears were ravished with the sound of his own praises. He was infinitely more intoxicated by the magnificent compliments which he received, than by the unusual, but still not excessive,

What practical tact and judgment he felt conscious of exhibiting, while directing the experienced energies of mercantile men, and capitalists! How proud and delighted at the share he was taking in steering the commercial enterprise of the country into proper quarters, and towards proper objects! And, moreover, while he was thus benefiting his country, he was also sensibly augmenting his own private revenue. In his place in the House of Lords, also, he displayed a wonderful energy, and manifested surprising interest in all fiscal questions started there. He was, consequently, nominated one of a Com

quantity of champagne which he had half-unconsciously taken during dinner; the combined effect of all being, to produce a state of delightful excitement which he had never known before. Mr Titmouse, M.P., also came in for his share of laudation, and made said the report in the Morning Growl-a brief but spirited speech, in return for the compliment of his health being proposed. At length, it being time to think of returning to town, his lordship withdrew, Sir Sharper Bubble, the chairman, and others, attending him bareheaded to his carriage, which his lordship and Titmouse having entered, were driven off, amidst the bows and courteous in-mittee, into the appointment of which clinations of the gentlemen standing upon and around the steps. Titmouse almost immediately fell asleep, overpowered by the prodigious quantity of wine which he had swallowed; and thus left the Earl, who was himself in a much more buoyant humour than usual with him, to revel in recollections of the homage which he had been receiving. Now, this was the affair, of which a flourishing though brief | account, privately paid for by the gentleman who sent it, appeared in the Morning Growl, with a magnificent speech of his lordship's about free trade, and the expansive principles of commercial enterprise, and so forth 'Twas true, that the Earl had no recollection of having either meditated the delivery of any such speech, or actually delivered it - but he might have done so for all that, and possibly did. He read over the whole account several times, as I have already said; and at the moment of his being presented to the reader, sitting in his easychair, and with the newspaper lying before him, he was in a delightful state of feeling. He secretly owned, that he could not conceive himself entirely undeserving of the compliments which had been paid to him. Considerably advanced though he was in life, he was consciously developing energies commensurate with the exigencies which were calling for their display energies which had long lain dormant, for want of such opportunities.

he, and one or two others like him, had teased and worried their Lordships to inquire into the best mode of facilitating the formation, extending the operations, and limiting the liabilities of Joint Stock Companies; and asked at least three times as many questions of the witnesses called before them, as any other member of the Committee. He also began to feel still loftier aspirations. His lordship was not without hopes that the declining health of Sir Miserable Muddle, the president of the Board of Trade, would soon open a prospect for his lordship's accession to office, as the successor of that enlightened statesman; feeling conscious that the mercantile part of the community would look with great satisfaction upon such an appointment, and that thereby the King's government would be materially strengthened. As for matter of a more directly business character, I may mention, that his lordship was taking active measures towards organising the company which has already been alluded to, for the purchase of the Isle of Dogs, and working the invaluable mines of copper, lead, and coal which lay underneath. These and other matters fully occupied his lordship's attention, and kept him from morning to night in a pleasurable state of excitement and activity.

Still he had his drawbacks. The inexorable premier continued to turn