entleman in one generation: somebody says, it takes three."
"What a moderate man that somebody was!" said Lady Mabel; "I thought
that the gentry of a country were like its timber, the slow growth of
centuries, and that the beginning of nobility must be lost in the dark
ages, unless you can find some great statesman, warrior, or freebooter
of later date to start from."
"But," said L'Isle, laughing, "we find men whose pedigree fulfills
your requisitions, who are not gentlemen in their own persons. The son
of a gentleman is too often one only in name."
"I think," said Lady Mabel, reflecting, "I have myself met with more
than one gentleman rogue."
"That is impossible," said L'Isle, "for a gentleman is a
superstructure which can be built on only one foundation--an honest
man."
"We had better stop defining the gentleman," said Lady Mabel, "lest
between us we narrow down the class, until there are not enough left
to officer a regiment, or for any other useful purpose."
"This is a fine old building," said Mrs. Shortridge, peeping into the
church, "and it will be a convenient time to look at it, for it seems
quite empty."
"It is not much worth seeing," said L'Isle, "but there is something
beyond it which I would like to show you."
They walked into it; but Moodie at first hung back, and hesitated to
enter this idolatrous temple, until, luckily remembering the prophet's
permission to Naaman the Syrian to accompany his master to the house
of Rimmon, he swallowed his scruples, and followed Lady Mabel.
Passing through the church, they came to an archway, over which was
inscribed--
Nos os ossos que aqui estamos
Pelos vossos esperamos.
Passing through it, they found themselves in a huge vault, its arched
ceiling supported by large square piers, which, with the walls, were
covered with human skulls, set in a hard cement. By the dim light they
saw on all sides thousands of ghastly human heads, grinning at them in
death; the only signs of life being a few crouching devotees,
prostrate before an illuminated shrine at the extremity of this
Golgotha.
Both ladies paused, awe-stricken. Lady Mabel turned pale, and
Mrs. Shortridge, after gazing round her for a moment, uttered a little
shriek, and covered her face with her hands. To face these objects was
painful enough, but to have them grinning on her, as in mockery,
behind her back, was more than she could stand. So seizing old Moodie
by the arm, he being besid
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