"my dear" and "my love" as heretofore; but the man
is himself, and the woman herself: that dream of love is over, as
everything else is over in life; as flowers and fury, and griefs and
pleasures, are over.

Very likely the Lady Castlewood had ceased to adore her husband herself
long before she got off her knees, or would allow her household to
discontinue worshipping him. To do him justice, my lord never exacted this
subservience: he laughed and joked, and drank his bottle, and swore when
he was angry, much too familiarly for any one pretending to sublimity; and
did his best to destroy the ceremonial with which his wife chose to
surround him. And it required no great conceit on young Esmond's part to
see that his own brains were better than his patron's, who, indeed, never
assumed any airs of superiority over the lad, or over any dependant of
his, save when he was displeased, in which case he would express his mind,
in oaths, very freely; and who, on the contrary, perhaps, spoiled "Parson
Harry", as he called young Esmond, by constantly praising his parts, and
admiring his boyish stock of learning.

It may seem ungracious in one who has received a hundred favours from his
patron to speak in any but a reverential manner of his elders; but the
present writer has had descendants of his own, whom he has brought up with
as little as possible of the servility at present exacted by parents from
children (under which mask of duty there often lurks indifference,
contempt, or rebellion): and as he would have his grandsons believe or
represent him to be not an inch taller than Nature has made him: so, with
regard to his past acquaintances, he would speak without anger, but with
truth, as far as he knows it, neither extenuating nor setting down aught
in malice.

So long, then, as the world moved according to Lord Castlewood's wishes,
he was good-humoured enough; of a temper naturally sprightly and easy,
liking to joke, especially with his inferiors, and charmed to receive the
tribute of their laughter. All exercises of the body he could perform to
perfection--shooting at a mark and flying, breaking horses, riding at the
ring, pitching the quoit, playing at all games with great skill. And not
only did he do these things well, but he thought he did them to
perfection; hence he was often tricked about horses, which he pretended to
know better than any jockey; was made to play at ball and billiards by
sharpers who took his money; an