erley Novels: there they
were--all included--from the great original to _Castle Dangerous_. As my
father's retiring habits prevented me from knowing a human being in the
neighbourhood, I made up to my heart's content for the want of living
friends, by forming the most enthusiastic attachments to Dandie Dinmont,
and Henry Morton, and Jonathan Oldbuck; not forgetting the excessive
love I entertained for Rose Bradwardine, Di Vernon, and a few others; so
that altogether, I think I may say, that no young man of my age was ever
blessed with such a large and enchanting circle of "friends and
sweethearts." In the mean time the external world was moving on,
troubling itself, in all likelihood, as little about me as I did about
it. We had a newspaper once a-week; but I never saw it. I knew that our
gracious sovereign lady, Queen Victoria, had just succeeded to our
gracious sovereign lord, King William--but to that great and important
fact in constitutional history my knowledge of temporary politics was
limited. What did I care about Peels or Melbournes, when I could enter
the council-chamber of Louis the Eleventh, or pass a pleasant morning
with Queen Elizabeth at Kenilworth Castle? My father lay--like a snake
surrounded by fire--in the centre of what had once been his family
estate; with purchasers gathering closer and closer round, till, like
the snake of the above similitude, he was inclined to sting himself to
death to avoid the increasing horror of his situation. From strange
muttered growls and deep imprecations when we met, I gathered that the
last fagot had been lighted, in the shape of a proposition by some
Eastern nabob, that he should sell the remaining portion of the land.
He, Rayleigh of Rayleigh Court--to sell to a stranger the park, the
fields, the house! He would have died first. And the reason for wishing
to buy, which was assigned by the intending purchaser, was worst of all;
that he had already made himself owner of every other farm which had
once belonged to the Rayleigh manors, and desired the family mansion to
make the estate complete--and his name was Jeeks--Jeeks of Rayleigh
Court! My father would have shot him if he had come within his reach;
but as Mr Jeeks kept at a respectable distance, the over-charge of
indignation was poured forth upon me; and the opinion, so obligingly
given of my abilities and probable success in life by the Master of St
John's, was never for an hour forgotten. It was very evident t