ustom
was with most of his friends, whom he was always eager to welcome and
unwilling to lose; but contented himself, when his lordship's horses
were announced, and their owner appeared, booted for his journey, to
take a courteous leave of the ladies of Castlewood, by following the
Lord Mohun down stairs to his horses, and by bowing and wishing him
a good-day, in the court-yard. "I shall see you in London before very
long, Mohun," my lord said, with a smile, "when we will settle our
accounts together."

"Do not let them trouble you, Frank," said the other good-naturedly, and
holding out his hand, looked rather surprised at the grim and stately
manner in which his host received his parting salutation; and so,
followed by his people, he rode away.

Harry Esmond was witness of the departure. It was very different to my
lord's coming, for which great preparation had been made (the old house
putting on its best appearance to welcome its guest), and there was
a sadness and constraint about all persons that day, which filled Mr.
Esmond with gloomy forebodings, and sad indefinite apprehensions. Lord
Castlewood stood at the door watching his guest and his people as they
went out under the arch of the outer gate. When he was there, Lord Mohun
turned once more, my Lord Viscount slowly raised his beaver and bowed.
His face wore a peculiar livid look, Harry thought. He cursed and kicked
away his dogs, which came jumping about him--then he walked up to the
fountain in the centre of the court, and leaned against a pillar and
looked into the basin. As Esmond crossed over to his own room, late the
chaplain's, on the other side of the court, and turned to enter in at
the low door, he saw Lady Castlewood looking through the curtains of
the great window of the drawing-room overhead, at my lord as he stood
regarding the fountain. There was in the court a peculiar silence
somehow; and the scene remained long in Esmond's memory:--the sky bright
overhead; the buttresses of the building and the sun-dial casting shadow
over the gilt memento mori inscribed underneath; the two dogs, a black
greyhound and a spaniel nearly white, the one with his face up to the
sun, and the other snuffing amongst the grass and stones, and my lord
leaning over the fountain, which was bubbling audibly. 'Tis strange how
that scene, and the sound of that fountain, remain fixed on the memory
of a man who has beheld a hundred sights of splendor, and danger too, of
which