men of mark from such conditions,
Mr. Carvel. Tell me," he adds contemptuously, "is genius honoured among
you?"

"Faith, it is honoured, your Reverence," said my grandfather, "but never
encouraged."

This answer so pleased the Dean that he bade Mr. Carvel dine with him
next day at Button's Coffee House, where they drank mulled wine and old
sack, for which young Mr. Carvel paid. On which occasion his Reverence
endeavoured to persuade the young man to remain in England, and even
went so far as to promise his influence to obtain him preferment. But
Mr. Carvel chose rather (wisely or not, who can judge?) to come back to
Carvel Hall and to the lands of which he was to be master, and to play
the country squire and provincial magnate rather than follow the varying
fortunes of a political party at home. And he was a man much looked up
to in the province before the Revolution, and sat at the council board
of his Excellency the Governor, as his father had done before him,
and represented the crown in more matters than one when the French and
savages were upon our frontiers.

Although a lover of good cheer, Mr. Carvel was never intemperate. To the
end of his days he enjoyed his bottle after dinner, nay, could scarce
get along without it; and mixed a punch or a posset as well as any in
our colony. He chose a good London-brewed ale or porter, and his ships
brought Madeira from that island by the pipe, and sack from Spain and
Portugal, and red wine from France when there was peace. And puncheons
of rum from Jamaica and the Indies for his people, holding that no
gentleman ever drank rum in the raw, though fairly supportable as punch.

Mr. Carvel's house stands in Marlborough Street, a dreary mansion
enough. Praised be Heaven that those who inherit it are not obliged to
live there on the memory of what was in days gone by. The heavy green
shutters are closed; the high steps, though stoutly built, are shaky
after these years of disuse; the host of faithful servants who kept its
state are nearly all laid side by side at Carvel Hall. Harvey and
Chess and Scipio are no more. The kitchen, whither a boyish hunger oft
directed my eyes at twilight, shines not with the welcoming gleam
of yore. Chess no longer prepares the dainties which astonished Mr.
Carvel's guests, and which he alone could cook. The coach still
stands in the stables where Harvey left it, a lumbering relic of those
lumbering times when methinks there was more of goodwill