But
alas----!" Here his argument was stopped by the consciousness that Lady
Ashton was not always reasonable, in his sense of the word. "To prefer
some clownish Merse laird to the gallant young nobleman, and to the
secure possession of Ravenswood upon terms of easy compromise--it would
be the act of a madwoman!"
Thus pondered the veteran politician, until they reached Bittlebrains
House, where it had been previously settled they were to dine and repose
themselves, and prosecute their journey in the afternoon.
They were received with an excess of hospitality; and the most marked
attention was offered to the Master of Ravenswood, in particular, by
their noble entertainers. The truth was, that Lord Bittlebrains had
obtained his peerage by a good deal of plausibility, an art of building
up a character for wisdom upon a very trite style of commonplace
eloquence, a steady observation of the changes of the times, and the
power of rendering certain political services to those who could best
reward them. His lady and he, not feeling quite easy under their new
honours, to which use had not adapted their feelings, were very desirous
to procure the fraternal countenance of those who were born denizens of
the regions into which they had been exalted from a lower sphere.
Pages:
319
320
321
322
323
324
325
326
327
328
329
330
331
332
333
334
335
336
337
338
339
340
341
342
343