rtal
fear lest he should bring infection with him, and make him tell her
all the most frightful stories which he had picked up about the
awful spread of the disease, about the iniquities and abominations
practised by nurses and buriers, of which last there was plenty of
gossip (although probably much was set down in malice and much
exaggerated) and all the prognostications of superstitious or
profane persons as to the course the pestilence was going to take.
Eagerly did she listen to all of these stories, which Frederick
took care should be very well spiced, as it was at once his
amusement to frighten his mother and spite his sister; for Gertrude
in private implored him not to continue to alarm their mother with
his frightful tales, and also begged him for his own sake to
relinquish his evil habits of intemperance, which at such a time as
this might lead to fatal results.

The good-for-nothing youth only mocked at her, and derided his
father when he gave him the same warning. He had become perfectly
unmanageable and reckless, and nothing that he heard or saw about
him produced any impression. Although taverns and ale houses were
closely watched, and ordered to close at nine o'clock, and the
gatherings of idle and profligate youths of whatever condition of
life sternly reprobated and forbidden by the authorities, yet these
worthies found means of evading or defying the regulations, and
their revels continued as before, so that Frederick was seldom
thoroughly sober, and more reckless and careless even than of old.
In vain his father strove to bring him to a better mind; in vain he
warned him of the peril of his ways and the danger to his health of
such constant excesses. Frederick only laughed insolently;
whereupon the Master Builder, who had but just come from his
neighbour's house, and was struck afresh with the contrast
presented by the two homes, asked him if he knew how Reuben Harmer
was passing his time, and made a few bitter comparisons between his
son and those of his neighbour.

This was perhaps unfortunate, for Frederick, like most men of his
type, was both vain and spiteful. The mention of the Harmers put
him instantly in mind of his grudge against Reuben and his
suddenly-aroused admiration for rosy-cheeked Dorcas, both of which
matters had been put out of his head by recent events. He had
discovered also that Reuben generally accompanied his sister home
from Lady Scrope's house in the evening, so that it h