The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Manxman, by Hall Caine

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Title: The Manxman
A Novel - 1895

Author: Hall Caine

Release Date: May 23, 2008 [EBook #25570]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE MANXMAN ***

Produced by David Widger

THE MANXMAN

A NOVEL

By Hall Caine

SECOND EDITION

APPLETON AND COMPANY - 1894

THE MANXMAN.

PART I. BOYS TOGETHER.

I.

Old Deemster Christian of Ballawhaine was a hard man--hard on the
outside, at all events. They called him Iron Christian, and people said,
"Don't turn that iron hand against you." Yet his character was stamped
with nobleness as well as strength. He was not a man of icy nature, but
he loved to gather icicles about him. There was fire enough underneath,
at which he warmed his old heart when alone, but he liked the air to
be congealed about his face. He was a man of a closed soul. One had to
wrench open the dark chamber where he kept his feelings; but the man who
had done that had uncovered his nakedness, and he cut him off for ever.
That was how it happened with his son, the father of Philip.

He had two sons; the elder was an impetuous creature, a fiery spirit,
one of the masterful souls who want the restraint of the curb if they
are not to hurry headlong into the abyss. Old Deemster Christian had
called this boy Thomas Wilson, after the serene saint who had once
been Bishop of Man. He was intended, however, for the law, not for
the Church. The office of Deemster never has been and never can be
hereditary; yet the Christians of Ballawhaine had been Deemsters through
six generations, and old Iron Christian expected that Thomas Wilson
Christian would succeed him. But there was enough uncertainty about the
succession to make merit of more value than precedent in the selection,
and so the old man had brought up his son to the English bar, and
afterwards called him to practise in the Manx one. The young fellow had
not altogether rewarded his father's endeavours. During his residence
in England, he had acquired certain modern doctrines which were highly
obnoxious to the old Deemster. New views on property,