HURST AND BLACKETT, PUBLISHERS, 1856. 249.0.225. RANK AND BEAUTY. CHAPTER I. Ir had never annoyed Mr. Windham that his only child was a daughter. Mrs. Windham thought a son would have been better; but he always pleased himself with the notion, that the ancient barony of Umfraville went in the female line; and though he was really grieved at the death of the mother, he never lost sight of the hope that the daughter would be Baroness of Umfraville. He had been himself the younger son of a large family; and having been bred to the diplomatic line, had served some years as secretary to an embassy abroad, VOL. I. B and had afterwards held some small place in the Government, which, on the death of his elder brother, he gave up and retired to his countryseat, Enmore, in Somersetshire, where he made an excellent library in the heraldic line, and spent his leisure hours playing the violoncello. He kept up but little society with his country neighbours; for though he had seen too much of the world not to be fully aware of how little value sixteen quarterings are in the art of getting on, yet in his private arrangements he considered himself at liberty to select his society only from those whose names, at least, were in the rolls of chivalry. His daughter, Evelyn, was now grown up; she was beautiful and accomplished, especially in music, in which Mr. Windham himself excelled. She had a fine figure, and that air of high birth which had distinguished her mother, and which was worthy of the ancient house of Umfraville; and he was extremely averse to allowing any one to be in her company who was not, or whose son, brother, or nephew, was not fit to aspire to the hand of the heiress of Enmorea respectable though not grand property, and the possible successor to a title, bearing date the 12th Henry III. On the death of old Lord Umfraville, who was Mrs. Windham's second cousin once removed, and the accession of his son, a fine young man, who would marry and have sons. and grandsons past counting, Mr. Windham almost despaired. His daughter was twenty, and he began seriously to look about for a bon parti for her, but he knew that her personal merits, and her small heiress-ship, could hope for nothing very sublime. The only neighbour, whose rights in that way he acknowledged, were Lord and Lady Amery-the younger sons were happily children, and could do no harm, but he looked forward to the return of the eldest from his travels; the name, Vernon, spoke for itself; and though the Amerys were what are called serious people, and Prior Vernon himself was reported to have been distributing tracts in Syria, he was disposed to overlook these defects in favour of his coat of arms, and of the Amery estate, which marched with that of Enmore. The melancholy intelligence-from autho |