rney throwing the note to
Egremont. "Her quadrille will never take place, which is a pity, as it
is to consist only of beauties and eldest sons. I suppose I must send
her a line," and she wrote:

"My dearest Lady St Julians,

"How good of you to write to me, and send me such cheering
news! I have no doubt you are right: you always are: I
know he had the hay fever last year. How fortunate for your
quadrille, and how charming it will be! Let me know if
you hear anything further from your unmentionable quarter.

"Ever your affectionate
"C.M."

Book 1 Chapter 5

Lord Marney left several children; his heir was five years older than
the next son Charles who at the period of his father's death was
at Christchurch and had just entered the last year of his minority.
Attaining that age, he received the sum of fifteen thousand pounds,
his portion, a third of which amount his expenditure had then already
anticipated. Egremont had been brought up in the enjoyment of every
comfort and every luxury that refinement could devise and wealth
furnish. He was a favourite child. His parents emulated each other in
pampering and indulging him. Every freak was pardoned, every whim was
gratified. He might ride what horses he liked, and if he broke their
knees, what in another would have been deemed a flagrant sin, was in
him held only a proof of reckless spirit. If he were not a thoroughly
selfish and altogether wilful person, but very much the reverse, it was
not the fault of his parents, but rather the operation of a benignant
nature that had bestowed on him a generous spirit and a tender heart,
though accompanied with a dangerous susceptibility that made him the
child and creature of impulse, and seemed to set at defiance even the
course of time to engraft on his nature any quality of prudence. The
tone of Eton during the days of Charles Egremont was not of the high
character which at present distinguishes that community. It was the
unforeseen eve of the great change, that, whatever was its purpose or
have been its immediate results, at least gave the first shock to the
pseudo-aristocracy of this country. Then all was blooming; sunshine and
odour; not a breeze disturbing the meridian splendour. Then the world
was not only made for a few, but a very few. One could almost tell upon
one's fingers the happy families who could do anything, and might have
everything. A school-boy's ideas of th