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The Project Gutenberg EBook of Stories By English Authors: Italy, by Various This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org Title: Stories By English Authors: Italy Author: Various Release Date: April 3, 2006 [EBook #2457] Language: English Character set encoding: ASCII *** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK STORIES BY ENGLISH AUTHORS: ITALY *** Produced by Dagny; John Bickers STORIES BY ENGLISH AUTHORS ITALY CONTENTS A FAITHFUL RETAINER James Payn BIANCA W. E. Norris GONERIL A. Mary F. Robinson THE BRIGAND'S BRIDE Laurence Oliphant MRS. GENERAL TALBOYS Anthony Trollope A FAITHFUL RETAINER, By James Payn When I lived in the country,--which was a long time ago,--our nearest neighbours were the Luscombes. They were very great personages in the country indeed, and the family were greatly "respected"; though not, so far as I could discern, for any particular reason, except from their having been there for several generations. People are supposed to improve, like wine, from keeping--even if they are rather "ordinary" at starting; and the Luscombes, at the time I knew them, were considered quite a "vintage" family. They had begun in Charles II.'s time, and dated their descent from greatness in the female line. That they had managed to keep a great estate not very much impaired so long was certainly a proof of great cleverness, since there had been many spend-thrifts among them; but fortunately there had been a miser or two, who had restored the average, and their fortunes. Mr. Roger Luscombe, the present proprietor, was neither the one nor the other, but he was inclined to frugality, and no wonder; a burnt child dreads the fire, even though he may have had nothing to do with lighting it himself, and his father had kicked down a good many thousands with the help of "the bones" (as dice were called in his day) and "the devil's books" (which was the name for cards with those that disapproved of them) and race-horses; there was plenty left, but it made the old gentleman careful and especially solicitous to keep it. There was no stint, however, of any kind at the Court, which to me,
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