n the common course of college education. This was a French
refugee-officer, who had been driven out of his native country at the
time of the Protestant persecutions there, and who came to Cambridge,
where he taught the science of the small-sword, and set up a
saloon-of-arms. Though he declared himself a Protestant, 'twas said
Mr. Moreau was a Jesuit in disguise; indeed, he brought very strong
recommendations to the Tory party, which was pretty strong in that
University, and very likely was one of the many agents whom King James
had in this country. Esmond found this gentleman's conversation very
much more agreeable and to his taste than the talk of the college
divines in the common-room; he never wearied of Moreau's stories of
the wars of Turenne and Conde, in which he had borne a part; and being
familiar with the French tongue from his youth, and in a place where
but few spoke it, his company became very agreeable to the brave old
professor of arms, whose favorite pupil he was, and who made Mr. Esmond
a very tolerable proficient in the noble science of escrime.

At the next term Esmond was to take his degree of Bachelor of Arts, and
afterwards, in proper season, to assume the cassock and bands which his
fond mistress would have him wear. Tom Tusher himself was a parson and
a fellow of his college by this time; and Harry felt that he would very
gladly cede his right to the living of Castlewood to Tom, and that his
own calling was in no way to the pulpit. But as he was bound, before
all things in the world, to his dear mistress at home, and knew that a
refusal on his part would grieve her, he determined to give her no
hint of his unwillingness to the clerical office: and it was in this
unsatisfactory mood of mind that he went to spend the last vacation he
should have at Castlewood before he took orders.

CHAPTER XI.

I COME HOME FOR A HOLIDAY TO CASTLEWOOD, AND FIND A SKELETON IN THE
HOUSE.

At his third long vacation, Esmond came as usual to Castlewood, always
feeling an eager thrill of pleasure when he found himself once more
in the house where he had passed so many years, and beheld the kind
familiar eyes of his mistress looking upon him. She and her children
(out of whose company she scarce ever saw him) came to greet him. Miss
Beatrix was grown so tall that Harry did not quite know whether he
might kiss her or no; and she blushed and held back when he offered
that salutation, though she took it, and eve