Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: unresistingly into the country, fortified against fate by his usual philosophy, Durum, sed levius fit patientia Quicqnid corrigere est nefas, ? a 'master-hand was busy with his destinies. CHAPTER V. Peace I have sought it where it should be found; And in its stead, a heaviness of heart, A weakness of the spirit, ?listless days, And nights inexorable to sweet sleep, Have come upon me. Bteon-. To return to Eden Castle after an absence trebling that of their ordinary residence in London, during which their eldest son had been led into captivity, and their eldest daughter promoted to a marquisate, was a mighty event to the Askhams. Prepared to greet the neighbourhood with unwonted affability, they anticipated a considerable flow of sympathy in return. But they had gained little by allowing Edenbourne to discover that its prosperity was unabated, though, for eighteen months, no flag had been flying at the castle ?The little borough felt somewhat aggrieved that the marriage of Miss Aekham had not been solemnized in its parish church, and was secretly wounded in its feelings at being still represented in parliament by a dumby, a treasury hack, a mere warming-pan for the Honourable Percy Askham; who, as a prisoner at Verdun, ought at least to be replaced by the Honourable Philip. With an able-bodied and able-minded son at their service, Lord Askham had no right to demand their allegiance for a man of straw The borough knew better, however, than to grumble audibly; and no sooner had it transpired on what day the family coach would make its appearance, than orders were issued by Dr. Hacket for a rattling peal of bells as it passed through the town;?while, at the toll-bar, an attempt was made at a triumphal arch. All the laurels in the town were laid under contri.