dy, with a laugh of cruel bitterness said, "I suppose the person
at Hexton has been ill, or has scolded him" (for my lord's infatuation
about Mrs. Marwood was known only too well). Young Esmond feared for his
money affairs, into the condition of which he had been initiated; and
that the expenses, always greater than his revenue, had caused Lord
Castlewood disquiet.

One of the causes why my Lord Viscount had taken young Esmond into his
special favor was a trivial one, that hath not before been mentioned,
though it was a very lucky accident in Henry Esmond's life. A very few
months after my lord's coming to Castlewood, in the winter time--the
little boy, being a child in a petticoat, trotting about--it happened
that little Frank was with his father after dinner, who fell asleep over
his wine, heedless of the child, who crawled to the fire; and, as good
fortune would have it, Esmond was sent by his mistress for the boy just
as the poor little screaming urchin's coat was set on fire by a log;
when Esmond, rushing forward, tore the dress off the infant, so that his
own hands were burned more than the child's, who was frightened rather
than hurt by this accident. But certainly 'twas providential that a
resolute person should have come in at that instant, or the child had
been burned to death probably, my lord sleeping very heavily after
drinking, and not waking so cool as a man should who had a danger to
face.

Ever after this the father, loud in his expressions of remorse and
humility for being a tipsy good-for-nothing, and of admiration for Harry
Esmond, whom his lordship would style a hero for doing a very trifling
service, had the tenderest regard for his son's preserver, and Harry
became quite as one of the family. His burns were tended with the
greatest care by his kind mistress, who said that heaven had sent him
to be the guardian of her children, and that she would love him all her
life.

And it was after this, and from the very great love and tenderness which
had grown up in this little household, rather than from the exhortations
of Dean Armstrong (though these had no small weight with him), that
Harry came to be quite of the religion of his house and his dear
mistress, of which he has ever since been a professing member. As for
Dr. Tusher's boasts that he was the cause of this conversion--even in
these young days Mr. Esmond had such a contempt for the Doctor, that had
Tusher bade him believe anything (which he