d had many a beating from his termagant of a foster-mother), were
now in the occupation of quite a different family; and it was with
difficulty that he could learn in the village what had come of
Pastoureau's widow and children. The clerk of the parish recollected
her--the old man was scarce altered in the fourteen years that had
passed since last Esmond set eyes on him. It appeared she had pretty
soon consoled herself after the death of her old husband, whom she ruled
over, by taking a new one younger than herself, who spent her money
and ill-treated her and her children. The girl died; one of the boys
'listed; the other had gone apprentice. Old Mr. Rogers, the clerk, said
he had heard that Mrs. Pastoureau was dead too. She and her husband had
left Ealing this seven year; and so Mr. Esmond's hopes of gaining any
information regarding his parentage from this family were brought to an
end. He gave the old clerk a crown-piece for his news, smiling to think
of the time when he and his little playfellows had slunk out of the
churchyard or hidden behind the gravestones, at the approach of this
awful authority.

Who was his mother? What had her name been? When did she die? Esmond
longed to find some one who could answer these questions to him, and
thought even of putting them to his aunt the Viscountess, who had
innocently taken the name which belonged of right to Henry's mother.
But she knew nothing, or chose to know nothing, on this subject, nor,
indeed, could Mr. Esmond press her much to speak on it. Father Holt was
the only man who could enlighten him, and Esmond felt he must wait until
some fresh chance or new intrigue might put him face to face with his
old friend, or bring that restless indefatigable spirit back to England
again.

The appointment to his ensigncy, and the preparations necessary for the
campaign, presently gave the young gentleman other matters to think of.
His new patroness treated him very kindly and liberally; she promised
to make interest and pay money, too, to get him a company speedily; she
bade him procure a handsome outfit, both of clothes and of arms, and
was pleased to admire him when he made his first appearance in his laced
scarlet coat, and to permit him to salute her on the occasion of this
interesting investiture. "Red," says she, tossing up her old head, "hath
always been the color worn by the Esmonds." And so her ladyship wore
it on her own cheeks very faithfully to the last. She would