into which
he naturally fell beside her, and the ideas she imposed on him; for she
never went counter to his principles. These were the fixed principles of
a very wealthy man, who abhorred debt, and was punctilious in veracity,
scrupulous in cleanliness of mind and body, devoted to the honour of
his country, the interests of his class. She respected the high landmark
possessing such principles; and she was therefore enabled to lead
without the wish to rule. As it had been between them at the beginning,
so it was now, when they were grandparents running on three lines of
progeny from two daughters and a son: they were excellent friends.
Few couples can say more. The union was good English grey--that of a
prolonged November, to which we are reconciled by occasions for the hunt
and the gun. She was, nevertheless, an impassioned woman. The feeling
for her brother helped to satisfy her heart's fires, though as little
with her brother as with her husband was she demonstrative. Lord Ormont
disrelished the caresses of relatives.

She, for her part, had so strong a sympathy on behalf of poor gentlemen
reduced to submit to any but a young woman's hug, that when, bronzed
from India, he quitted the carriage and mounted her steps at Olmer, the
desire to fling herself on his neck and breast took form in the words:
"Here you are home again, Rowsley; glad to have you." They shook hands
firmly.

He remained three days at Olmer. His temper was mild, his frame of mind
bad as could be. Angry evaporations had left a residuum of solid scorn
for these "English," who rewarded soldierly services as though it were a
question of damaged packages of calico. He threatened to take the
first offer of a foreign State "not in insurrection." But clear sky was
overhead. He was the Rowsley of the old boyish delight in field sports,
reminiscences of prowlings and trappings in the woods, gropings along
water-banks, enjoyment of racy gossip. He spoke wrathfully of "one
of their newspapers" which steadily persisted in withholding from
publication every letter he wrote to it, after printing the first. And
if it printed one, why not the others?

Lady Charlotte put it on the quaintness of editors.

He had found in London, perhaps, reason for saying that he should
do well to be "out of this country" as early as he could; adding,
presently, that he meant to go, though "it broke his heart to keep away
from a six months' rest at Steignton," his Wiltshire estate.