w days at the latter. This was the more easily done, as his
brother was a widower, and his conversation was all of one sort,--the
state of the nation and the agricultural interest. Mr. Merton was upon
very friendly terms with his brother, looked after the property in
the absence of Sir John, kept up the family interest, was an excellent
electioneerer, a good speaker at a pinch, an able magistrate,--a man, in
short, most useful in the county; on the whole, he was more popular than
his brother, and almost as much looked up to--perhaps, because he was
much less ostentatious. He had very good taste, had the Rev. Charles
Merton!--his table plentiful, but plain--his manners affable to the low,
though agreeably sycophantic to the high; and there was nothing about
him that ever wounded self-love. To add to the attractions of his house,
his wife, simple and good-tempered, could talk with anybody, take off
the bores, and leave people to be comfortable in their own way: while
he had a large family of fine children of all ages, that had long given
easy and constant excuse under the name of "little children's parties,"
for getting up an impromptu dance or a gypsy dinner,--enlivening the
neighbourhood, in short. Caroline was the eldest; then came a son,
attached to a foreign ministry, and another, who, though only nineteen,
was a private secretary to one of our Indian satraps. The acquaintance
of these young gentlemen, thus engaged, it was therefore Evelyn's
misfortune to lose the advantage of cultivating,--a loss which both Mr.
and Mrs. Merton assured her was very much to be regretted. But to make
up to her for such a privation there were two lovely little girls, one
ten, and the other seven years old, who fell in love with Evelyn at
first sight. Caroline was one of the beauties of the county, clever
and conversable, "drew young men," and set the fashion to young
ladies, especially when she returned from spending the season with Lady
Elizabeth.

It was a delightful family!

In person, Mr. Merton was of the middle height; fair, and inclined to
stoutness, with small features, beautiful teeth, and great suavity of
address. Mindful still of the time when he had been "about town," he
was very particular in his dress: his black coat, neatly relieved in the
evening by a white underwaistcoat, and a shirt-front admirably plaited,
with plain studs of dark enamel, his well-cut trousers, and elaborately
polished shoes--he was good-humouredly v