ve up to his own hall-door.

CHAPTER XXVI.

THE TURNOVER CORRESPONDENCE.

It is hoped that the reader will remember that the Marquis of
Trowbridge was subjected to very great insolence from Mr. Fenwick
during the discussion which took place in poor old farmer Trumbull's
parlour respecting the murder. Our friend, the Vicar, did not content
himself with personal invective, but made allusion to the Marquis's
daughters. The Marquis, as he was driven home in his carriage, came
to sundry conclusions about Mr. Fenwick. That the man was an infidel
he had now no matter of doubt whatever; and if an infidel, then also
a hypocrite, and a liar, and a traitor, and a thief. Was he not
robbing the parish of the tithes, and all the while entrapping the
souls of men and women? Was it not to be expected that with such a
pastor there should be such as Sam Brattle and Carry Brattle in the
parish? It was true that as yet this full blown iniquity had spread
itself only among the comparatively small number of tenants belonging
to the objectionable "person," who unfortunately owned a small number
of acres in his lordship's parish;--but his lordship's tenant had
been murdered! And with such a pastor in the parish, and such an
objectionable person, owning acres, to back the pastor, might it not
be expected that all his tenants would be murdered? Many applications
had already been made to the Marquis for the Church Farm; but as it
happened that the applicant whom the Marquis intended to favour, had
declared that he did not wish to live in the house because of the
murder, the Marquis felt himself justified in concluding that if
everything about the parish were not changed very shortly, no decent
person would be found willing to live in any of his houses. And now,
when they had been talking of murderers, and worse than murderers,
as the Marquis said to himself, shaking his head with horror in the
carriage as he thought of such iniquity, this infidel clergyman had
dared to allude to his lordship's daughters! Such a man had no right
even to think of women so exalted. The existence of the Ladies Stowte
must no doubt be known to such men, and among themselves probably
some allusion in the way of faint guesses might be made as to their
modes of life, as men guess at kings and queens, and even at gods and
goddesses. But to have an illustration, and a very base illustration,
drawn from his own daughters in his own presence, made with the
object