descend to her two
companions, perceived that they were in conversation with a stranger,
she hesitated, and in a moment withdrew. Then the elder of the
travellers, exchanging a glance with his friend, bid good even to
Egremont.

"Our way perhaps lies the same," said Egremont.

"I should deem not," said the stranger, "nor are we alone."

"And we must be stirring, for we have far to go," said he who was
dressed in black.

"My journey is very brief," said Egremont, making a desperate effort to
invite communication; "and I am on horseback!"

"And we on foot," said the elder; "nor shall we stop till we reach
Mowbray;" and with a slight salute, they left Egremont alone. There
was something in the manner of the elder stranger which repressed the
possibility of Egremont following him. Leaving then the cloister garden
in another direction, he speculated on meeting them outside the abbey.
He passed through the Lady's chapel. The beautiful Religious was not
there. He gained the west front; no one was visible. He took a rapid
survey of each side of the abbey; not a being to be recognized. He
fancied they must have advanced towards the Abbey Farm; yet they might
have proceeded further on in the dale. Perplexed, he lost time. Finally
he proceeded towards the farm, but did not overtake them; reached it,
but learned nothing of them; and arrived at his brother's full of a
strange yet sweet perplexity.

Book 2 Chapter 7

In a commercial country like England, every half century developes some
new and vast source of public wealth, which brings into national notice
a new and powerful class. A couple of centuries ago, a Turkey merchant
was the great creator of wealth; the West Indian Planter followed him.
In the middle of the last century appeared the Nabob. These characters
in their zenith in turn merged in the land, and became English
aristocrats; while the Levant decaying, the West Indies exhausted, and
Hindostan plundered, the breeds died away, and now exist only in our
English comedies from Wycherly and Congreve to Cumberland and Morton.
The expenditure of the revolutionary war produced the Loanmonger,
who succeeded the Nabob; and the application of science to industry
developed the Manufacturer, who in turn aspires to be "large-acred,"
and always will, as long as we have a territorial constitution; a better
security for the preponderance of the landed interest than any corn law,
fixed or fluctuating.

Of all these