tors,
George, round these walls! Haven't the Esmonds always fought for their
country and king? Is there one of us that, when the moment arrives,
ain't ready to show that he's an Esmond and a nobleman? If my eldest son
was to show the white feather, 'My Lord Esmond!' I would say to him (for
that's the second title in our family), 'I disown your lordship!'" And
so saying, the intrepid little woman looked round at her ancestors,
whose effigies, depicted by Lely and Kneller, figured round the walls of
her drawing-room at Castlewood.

Over that apartment, and the whole house, domain, and village, the
new Countess speedily began to rule with an unlimited sway. It was
surprising how quickly she learned the ways of command; and, if she
did not adopt those methods of precedence usual in England among great
ladies, invented regulations for herself, and promulgated them, and made
others submit. Having been bred a Dissenter, and not being over-familiar
with the Established Church service, Mr. Warrington remarked that she
made a blunder or two during the office (not knowing, for example,
when she was to turn her face towards the east, a custom not adopted, I
believe, in other Reforming churches besides the English); but between
Warrington's first bridal visit to Castlewood and his second, my lady
had got to be quite perfect in that part of her duty, and sailed into
chapel on her cousin's arm, her two footmen bearing her ladyship's great
Prayer-book behind her, as demurely as that delightful old devotee with
her lackey, in Mr. Hogarth's famous picture of "Morning," and as if
my Lady Lydia had been accustomed to have a chaplain all her life. She
seemed to patronise not only the new chaplain, but the service and the
church itself, as if she had never in her own country heard a Ranter in
a barn. She made the oldest established families in the country--grave
baronets and their wives--worthy squires of twenty descents, who rode
over to Castlewood to pay the bride and bridegroom honour--know their
distance, as the phrase is, and give her the pas. She got an old
heraldry book; and a surprising old maiden lady from Winton, learned in
politeness and genealogies, from whom she learned the court etiquette
(as the old Winton lady had known it in Queen Anne's time); and ere long
she jabbered gules and sables, bends and saltires, not with correctness
always, but with a wonderful volubility and perseverance. She made
little progresses to the neighb