mewhere to obtain a
leave of absence for his son, and First Lieutenant Onslow, vice Ridgway
promoted, was suffered to amuse himself howsoever and wheresoever he
pleased.

The "exchange," and the reasons for which it was effected, were both
unpleasant subjects of reflection to George; and as he had few others,
these continued to haunt him, till at last he fancied that every one was
full of the circumstance, each muttering as he passed, "That 's Onslow,
that was in the Coldstreams." Lady Hester, indeed, did not always
leave the matter purely imaginary, but threw out occasional hints about
soldiers who never served, except at St. James's or Windsor, and who
were kept for the wonderment and admiration of foreign sovereigns when
visiting England, just as Suffolk breeders exhibit a "punch," or a
Berkshire farmer will show a hog, for the delectation of swine fanciers.
Where children show toys, kings show soldiers, and ours are considered
very creditable productions of the kind; but Lady Hester averred, with
more of truth than she believed, that a man of spirit would prefer a
somewhat different career. These currents, coming as they did in season
and out of season, did not add to the inducements for keeping the house,
and so George usually left home each day, and rarely returned to it
before nightfall.

It is true he might have associated with Haggerstone, who, on being
introduced, made the most courteous advances to his intimacy; but George
Onslow was bred in a school whose first lesson is a sensitive shrinking
from acquaintance, and whose chief characteristic is distrust. Now he
either had heard, or fancied he had heard, something about Haggerstone.
"The Colonel was n't all right," somehow or other. There was a story
about him, or somebody of his set, and, in fact, it was as well to be
cautious; and so the young Guardsman, who would have ventured his
neck in a steeplechase, or his fortune on a "Derby," exhibited all
the deliberative wisdom of a judge as to the formation of a passing
acquaintance.

If we have been somewhat prolix in explaining the reasons of the young
gentleman's solitude, our excuse is, that he had thereby conveyed, not
alone all that we know, but all that is necessary to be known, of his
character. He was one of a class so large in the world that few people
could not count some half-dozen, at least, similar amongst their
acquaintance; and all of whom would be currently set down as incapables,
if it were