nerously gave up a large portion of his inheritance to his mother, to be bestowed through her upon the education and establishment of his younger brothers and sisters. He removed, however, from his house, not because that home was made uncomfortable to him, but because he had filled his room with books, and wanted more space for those which daily increased upon his hands. Another reason was that his health was suffering from want of air and exercise, and the faculty for he was alarmed and sought safety in a multitude of physicians-recommended him to take a house at Hampstead, and to walk to and fro daily.

There I found him some twenty years after we had left school, comfortably settled, with a respectable old lady as a housekeeper, and there I expected to find him for twenty years to come-he seemed so very happy-so perfectly settled down for life.

In this expectation I was deceived. Davenport Brandome, who had never spoken to a woman in his life, except to exchange those courtesies which society demands of a man, fell in love with a lady in Hampstead, with whom he met at a lecture on astronomy, and who was as book-struck and as sedentary in all her habits as himself, and knew as little of the world at large.

He proposed to her to unite their libraries and themselves. She consented, and they were married. To his great surprise, for he had made no inquiries on the subject, he found that she was worth 25,0007. in her own right. As his office took him more from home than his bride liked, and their joint fortunes produced a much larger income than their mode of living required, he resigned his appointment on a retiring pension, and bought a beautiful little place in Wiltshire, where he immediately went to reside.

CHAP. II.

ABOUT a year after Brandome was settled in his new residence, he sent me a pressing invitation to run down and see him; indeed, so pressing that I could not refuse to accept it, although I was much engaged at the time.

"Put me down," said I to the coachman by whose side I was sitting, "at the gates of Fairleigh-lodge-you know it, I presume?" "I know it well, sir; I leave no end of book parcels there."

"Do you know its owner?"

"Can't say I do, except by sight and report. He's rather a queer one to look at, and goes rather slow, but he is a good sort of man, and well spoken of by the poor."

"Among the rich, then-the country gentlemen-he is not-"

"Oh yes he is; only, you see, he never hunts, nor shoots, nor handles the ribbons, and, consequently, he ain't so much known as he might be. If I had his fortune I'd keep something like a turn-out, instead of a pair of heavy coach-horses, as look as if they'd been fed on grains, and I'd give a slap-up party now and then, instead of a dinner for four, and turn out at ten. But you're a friend of his'n, and might give him a hint how to do things as they should be done."

I smiled to think how difficult it might be to bring Davenport

Brandome's ideas of how things should be done to a par with my driver's. I said no more on the subject, however, but amused myself during the remainder of the journey by speculating upon the manner in which my friend managed to amuse himself in the country.

"Here we are, and there is your friend," said the coachman; "you must confess he looks a bit of a Guy. Just twig his tootandsemble.”

I dismounted, and while the impudent coachman was extracting my portmanteau from the hind boot, and I was shaking hands with Brandome, I examined his outward man. He certainly did look like a character, for he had endeavoured, though not successfully, to dress the country gentleman. He wore a broad-brimmed white beaver hat, a blue coat, half frock and half cutaway, a buff waistcoat, and a sea-green silk neckerchief. His nether man was clad in drab shorts, leather gaiters, and ankle boots. In his hand he carried a paddle or small hoe, instead of his usual ebony cane with a gold head, and in place of his gold eye-glass he had adopted a pair of silver-mounted spectacles. I could scarcely refrain laughing outright at my friend's personal appearance, for the coachman gave me a most smile-provoking look in exchange for my half-crown tip. I succeeded, however, in preventing his seeing my risibility, by pretending to watch the coach out of sight.

66

'Well, what think you of my taste in a country residence?" said he, as we stood together on the lawn before his house.

"Excellent," said I, "nothing could be better."

It was a beautiful spot. The house stood on the side of a hill facing the south; below it was a rich valley, down the centre of which flowed a bright and sparkling brook, abounding in trout, and turning the wheel of a picturesque-looking corn-mill. A little below the mill was seen the tower of the village church, amidst a grove of lofty elms, and still farther on were seen the village itself, and some distant farmhouses dotted about in the landscape. Over the valley the eye took in a vast extent of down-country. Ridge rose over ridge, hill over hill, until in the distance the farthest range seemed to mingle with the very clouds. Above the house, to the north and east, the hill was thickly wooded, and protected from the cold winds. The house itself was an ancient building of dark red brick, relieved at its corners by Bath stone, of which material the window-frames also and the balustrades on its top were constructed.

The interior was as comfortable as it possibly could be, and the furniture, which he had purchased of the former occupier, was ancient, and suited the style of the building.

I was introduced to Mrs. Brandome, whom we found seated in the library, which, indeed, was the room always occupied by them when they had no visiters, and as I was regarded as an old friend rather than as a mere visiter, they had not thought it requisite to alter their usual mode of living on my account.

I was much pleased with the lady, for, although she was what is usually termed rather blue, she was cheerful, talked well upon common subjects, and seemed to look upon my old friend as the greatest man of this or any other age. The feeling seemed to be reciprocal, and it was really delightful to witness the looks of respect with which they regarded each other. "So Davenport says," or "so Isabella thinks,"

appeared to be a verdict on every subject not to be set aside by any court of appeal.

A quiet hour's chat brought us to the time when it was necessary to prepare for dinner, which was announced by a huge bell, in a sort of lantern on the top of the building. As I was dressing I saw two or three carriages drive up, and when I descended to the library, I was introduced to two country gentlemen and the vicar of the parish, who had come over sans cérémonie, to meet me.

Our after dinner talk was principally on politics and sporting matters, in which Brandome took no share, for though he voted as, what was called, a tory, upon principle-or, perhaps, from old associationshe was no politician, and, as I have said before, looked upon all sorts of sporting as merely time wasted in destroying vermin. He was great however on county-rates, county-prisons, poor's-rates and turnpike trusts, for he had been put upon the roll, and was a very active magistrate,-in his own opinion. His neighbours were sensible of his services, and respected him for the zeal with which he discharged his duties in all respects but one-he never could or would see the horrible crime of poaching in its true light. He had more than once refused to send a labourer with a large family to gaol for six months, for having wired a hare, or knocked down a pheasant at perch; he had even discharged his own gamekeeper for having broken the stock of his gun over a man's head whom he had caught in ipso facto, ferreting rabbits in the warren, when the rabbits, by usage, were the keeper's perquisites! Every one of his country friends expressed his surprise that so clever a man, so efficient a magistrate in other respects, should be so dull, so slow of comprehension-that was their favourite phrase -on this one point-this most momentous matter.

After dinner, while we were taking coffee in the library, I ventured to pump out of one of the country gentlemen of whom I had made a friend, by teaching him how to sniggle for eels with a needle and lobworm, the real sentiments with which Brandome was regarded by his new associates.

"A very clever man, sir, a very clever man ; very gentlemanly and obliging; a great acquisition to us all as a neighbour and a magistrate, but-"

"But what?" said I.

"He knows nothing of sporting. Would you believe it that the stream below is full of trout, and he has not thrown a fly, spun a minnow, or tried with a worm since here he has been. He has them netted! It's a fact."

"Abominable," said I, drawling the word out to allow the gentleman time to take a huge pinch of snuff and swallow his indignation. "He even allows the miller's boy to set night lines."

"Worse and worse," said I.

"Then there is not such partridge-shooting within miles as he has got, and you would scarcely believe that he allows his tenants to shoot, and winks at lark trammeling.”

"You do not say so?"

"It's a fact.

As to pheasants, they run about like barn-door fowls, and he does not know a cock from a hen, when they are on the

wing."

"Wonderful ignorance."

"Yes, and he refuses to have his covers spiked, for fear of injuring some one or another. He won't have a head of game in two years. There will be nothing left for the foxes to feed upon."

"Are you pretty well off for foxes about here?" I inquired.

"Plenty, plenty, my good sir. The large wood above the house, Downside cover, as we call it, is a sure find. You may stand out on the lawn, in a summer's night, and see the little cubs playing about like so many kittens."

"And the poultry?"

"Impossible to keep a head; but we subscribe and pay all losses to the farmers, every one of whom hunts, and many pay to the earthstopping. It is a splendid fox cover, and to think that Mr. Brandome should not keep up game enough to feed them. However, he is an excellent man-a most worthy character-in all other respects."

From the other country gentleman, with whom I ingratiated myself by giving him a never-failing recipe for the cure of distemper in dogs, I heard a somewhat similar account-with this addition, that he had sent him over a brace of very superior terriers, as a present, and he had refused to accept of them, for fear they should chase some hares in the plantations, which had become so tame as to play about under the windows of the house.

By the vicar I was told that no man could be more respected than my friend would be, if he only consulted the feelings of his neighbours a little more, with respect to preserving game and punishing poachers; that he was kind and liberal to the poor, a good landlord to his tenants, and always studying to promote the comforts of the labourer. He subscribed liberally to all the charities in the country, supported a Sunday school, and gave away coals, blankets, and other comforts to the poor, with a most ungrudging hand.

I confess, that fond as I am of sporting "in all its branches," I thought, as I lay upon my pillow, that Brandome's virtues were such as might excuse his indulging in the vices of not preserving game and not punishing poachers. I slept upon it, and my notions were unaltered in the morning.

I stayed some few days in Wiltshire, and by attending Davenport to justice-meetings, accompanying him in his calls upon his neighbours, and his visits to the farmers' houses and labourers' cottages, was fully satisfied that no man was more respected than he was. No one had a word to say against him, except that he was no sportsman. I really envied him, for it seldom falls to the lot of any man who has passed the greater portion of his life in London to be appreciated as he was, when he undertakes the role of a country gentleman.

"What did Brandome know of farming, or gardening, or horsekeeping?" inquires some curious reader.

Nothing; but he hired a sensible bailiff, a clever horticulturalist, and a steady, experienced coachman. Qui facit per alium, facit per se. Consistently with this axiom my friend was an excellent farmer, grew the best pines in the county, and had as neat a turn-out in the way of carriages and carriage-horses as any private gentleman, who was not a sportsman, could desire.

I was rather surprised, the morning before I left Fairleigh-lodge, to hear a gun discharged under my bedroom window. I was still more surprised, when I threw up the sash, to find that the person who had

fired the gun was my friend. I shouted to him, and he held up a tomtit by one leg, in reply to my shout. I was dressed, and hurried down stairs to inquire the meaning of such an extraordinary scene.

"What?" cried I, as I reached the lawn, and saw him ramming down another charge into a bran new percussion single, "what-actually shooting? I should as soon have expected to see you mounting a hunter as loading and firing off a gun."

Davenport Brandome smiled as he told me that he had been taking lessons of his new keeper in the art of shooting, because Mrs. Brandome had complained loudly of the damage done to her seeds and flower-beds by the small birds. He owned that he really thought he should take the field next year against the partridges, as he felt that his want of knowledge in all field sports caused him to be a little looked down upon by his neighbours.

I applauded his resolution.

"Why, for fishing," said he," I have neither skill nor patience enough; for hunting, ever since that chalk-pit mishap, I have no courage; but in shooting, now that I have mounted a pair of spectacles, I think I may succeed-particularly as I have been studying the art of gunnery, and getting up the science of projectiles."

I smiled, and to give a sort of reason for my smiles, asked him if he had met with no mishaps since he had commenced gunning, as the Americans call it.

"I do not mind telling you," said he, "that I drilled a wateringpot, destroyed a cucumber-frame, and wounded the under-gardener in the leg; but then I was so intent on destroying a bum-barrelled tom-tit, a greenfinch, and a tree-creeper, that I saw nothing but them. However, I am more upon my guard now, and can shoot any thing sitting or standing still."

As the coach was expected up in a short time, I was obliged to hurry away without hearing any further explanations. I ate a hasty breakfast, took leave of my hostess after promising to run down again before very long, and accompanied by Davenport, walked over to meet the coach, from the box of which I bid him farewell.

CHAP. III.

Ir so happened that my engagements did not allow me to perform the promise which I had made to Mrs. Brandome for more than twelve months. In this interval I had heard from and written to my old schoolfellow two or three times. The only letter which is worthy of notice was the one in which he gave me a brief account of the results of his first day's partridge shooting, which, in fact, was his last. He had provided himself with a certificate, and every thing necessary for the campaign, but a pointer. This was kindly supplied by one of the country gentlemen whom I had met at Fairleigh-lodge, who sent him over a favourite old dog, being too happy to encourage any, the slightest, tendency to sporting in so good a neighbour.

Old Ponto was one of the best, if not the best, pointers in Wiltshire. "Sure and steady, and would stand for ever," as the keeper said. On the morning of the eventful first, Ponto pointed at the edge of half a land of beans, which were standing uncut on the side of a very steep bit of ground on the downs.