and honesty,
hath continued him in the office of Postmaster. He is a gentleman of a
sweet, easy, affable disposition--a handsome man, of middle stature,
towards forty years old." This was written in 1713. Sir Thomas died in
1726, of the smallpox, having issue (by his one wife, who survived him
but a few years) seven sons and three daughters.

1. Thomas, the third Baronet: of whom anon.

2. William, who became a Senior Student of Christ Church, Oxford, a
page to Queen Mary, and a Fellow of the Royal Society. A memoir
of the time preserves him for us as "a tall sanguineman, with a
merry eye and talkative in his cups." He married a Walpole, but his
children died young.

3. John, who, going on a diplomatic mission to Hamburg, took a fever
and died there, unmarried.

4. Henry, the father of our Collector. He married Jane, second
daughter of the Marquis of Lomond; increased his wealth in Bengal as
governor of the East India Company's Factory, and while yet
increasing it, died at Calcutta in 1728. His children were two
sons, Oliver and Henry, with both of whom our story deals.

5. Algernon, who went to Jesus College, Cambridge, became a Fellow
there, practised severe parsimony, and dying unmarried in 1742, had
his eyes closed by his college gyp and weighted with two penny
pieces--the only coins found in his breeches pocket. He left his
very considerable savings to young Oliver, whom he had never
seen.

6. Frederick Penwarne, barrister-at-law. We shall have something to do
with him.

7. Roger, who traded at Calcutta and making an expedition to the
Persian Gulf, was killed there in a chance affray with some Arabs.

8. Anne, who married Sackville.

9. Frances Elizabeth, who married Pelham.

10. Arabella, whose affections went astray upon a young Cornish yeoman.
Her family interfering, the match was broken off and she died
unmarried.

Oliver and Henry, born at Calcutta, were for their health's sake sent
home together--he one aged four, the other three--to be nurtured at
Carwithiel. Here under the care of their grandparents, Sir Thomas and
Lady Vyell (the Protector's grand-daughter), they received instruction
at the hands--often very literally at the hands--of the Rev. Isaac
Toplady, Curate in Charge of Carwithiel, a dry scholar, a wet
fly-fisher, and something of a toad-eater. They had for sole playmate
and companion their