so
every door was open to him; and, indeed, his late hermit life had
stimulated some curiosity. This he soon turned to sympathy, by telling
them that he was proud but poor. Robbed of the vast estates that
belonged to him by birth, he had been unwilling to take a lower
position. However, Heaven had prospered him; the wrongful heir was
childless; he was the heir at law, and felt he owed it to the estate,
which must return to his line, to assume a little more public
importance than he had done.

Wherever he was received he was sure to enlarge upon his wrongs; and he
was believed; for he was notoriously the direct heir to Bassett and
Huntercombe, but the family arrangement by which his father had been
bought out was known only to a few. He readily obtained sympathy, and
many persons were disgusted at Sir Charles's illiberality in not making
him some compensation. To use the homely expression of Govett, a small
proprietor, the baronet might as well have given him back one pig out
of his own farrow--_i.e.,_ one of the many farms comprised in that
large estate.

Sir Charles learned that Richard was undermining him in the county, but
was too proud to interfere; he told Lady Bassett he should say nothing
until some _gentleman_ should indorse Mr. Bassett's falsehoods.

One day Sir Charles and Lady Bassett were invited to dine and sleep at
Mr. Hardwicke's, distance fifteen miles; they went, and found Richard
Bassett dining there, by Mrs. Hardwicke's invitation, who was one of
those ninnies that fling guests together with no discrimination.

Richard had expected this to happen sooner or later, so he was
comparatively prepared, and bowed stiffly to Sir Charles. Sir Charles
stared at him in return. This was observed. People were uncomfortable,
especially Mrs. Hardwicke, whose thoughtlessness was to blame for it
all.

At a very early hour Sir Charles ordered his carriage, and drove home,
instead of staying all night.

Mrs. Hardwicke, being a fool, must make a little more mischief. She
blubbered to her husband, and he wrote Sir Charles a remonstrance.

Sir Charles replied that he was the only person aggrieved; Mr.
Hardwicke ought not to have invited a blackguard to meet _him._

Mr. Hardwicke replied that he had never heard a Bassett called a
blackguard before, and had seen nothing in Mr. Bassett to justify an
epithet so unusual among gentlemen. "And, to be frank with you, Sir
Charles," said he, "I think this bitterness again