rt
to get a ghostly impression of the large, bare room in which they were
sitting,--the high ceilings, the black-looking floors fading away into
grewsome corners, the spindle-legged furniture that had no idea of
accommodating itself to a lolling, mannerless generation, and loomed up
in some occasional piece in a threatening sort of way,--solid, massive,
dignified furniture, conscious of its obligations to society and ready
to fulfil them to the very end, however little a frivolous and
degenerate world might be worthy of such accessories. More than once in
the pauses of the game Sir Robert's eyes wandered to the pictures, of
which there were a number, all portraits, two being half discernible,--a
young matron in ruby velvet and pearls, with hair dressed in a pyramid,
a coach-and-six in court-plaster stuck on a snowy forehead, and eyes
that would have laughed anybody into a good humor; and, opposite, a
gentleman of the pursiest, puffiest, most prosperous description, the
husband of the young matron, and so evidently high-tempered, dull, and
obstinate, that he must have brought many a tear into the laughing eyes.

"A handsome woman, that," he said, after one of these moments of
inattention, "and a good picture."

"It is an ancestress of ours on the distaff side,--Lady Philippa
Vane,--and is accounted a Lely.--Brother Gregory, if you will have the
kindness to cut the cards we can proceed with our game.--The other is
her husband and cousin, a man of rank and large property but incurably
vicious propensities, to whom we are rather fond of attributing certain
follies and weaknesses in his descendants, and who we could wish had
laid to heart the maxim, '_Nobilitatis virtus non stemma character_.'
They were of the Vanes of Huddlesford," said Mr. Aglonby.

"Ah," said Sir Robert, "you suppose yourself to have some connection
with the Huddlesford Vanes?"

Mr. Aglonby's white tufted brows arched themselves in surprise above his
dark eyes at the question, and there was a little more dignified reserve
than before in his voice and manner as he said, "Descent and alliance
are not matters of _supposition_ in Virginia, but of record.--Anne
Buller, I beg your forgiveness for having inadvertently revoked. My
memory is really growing too treacherous to permit of my long enjoying
this diversion, however great the horrors of an old age without cards
may be."

The deferential courtesy paid to Miss Aglonby by her brothers was the
most rema