But Mrs Clay was talking so eagerly with Miss Elliot, that she did not

hear the appeal.

"I have no conception whom you can mean, Shepherd; I remember no

gentleman resident at Monkford since the time of old Governor Trent."

"Bless me! how very odd! I shall forget my own name soon, I suppose.

A name that I am so very well acquainted with; knew the gentleman so

well by sight; seen him a hundred times; came to consult me once, I

remember, about a trespass of one of his neighbours; farmer's man

breaking into his orchard; wall torn down; apples stolen; caught in the

fact; and afterwards, contrary to my judgement, submitted to an

amicable compromise. Very odd indeed!"

After waiting another moment-"You mean Mr Wentworth, I suppose?" said Anne.

Mr Shepherd was all gratitude.

"Wentworth was the very name! Mr Wentworth was the very man. He had

the curacy of Monkford, you know, Sir Walter, some time back, for two

or three years. Came there about the year ---5, I take it. You

remember him, I am sure."

"Wentworth? Oh! ay,--Mr Wentworth, the curate of Monkford. You misled

me by the term gentleman. I thought you were speaking of some man of

property: Mr Wentworth was nobody, I remember; quite unconnected;

nothing to do with the Strafford family. One wonders how the names of

many of our nobility become so common."

As Mr Shepherd perceived that this connexion of the Crofts did them no

service with Sir Walter, he mentioned it no more; returning, with all

his zeal, to dwell on the circumstances more indisputably in their

favour; their age, and number, and fortune; the high idea they had

formed of Kellynch Hall, and extreme solicitude for the advantage of

renting it; making it appear as if they ranked nothing beyond the

happiness of being the tenants of Sir Walter Elliot: an extraordinary

taste, certainly, could they have been supposed in the secret of Sir

Walter's estimate of the dues of a tenant.

It succeeded, however; and though Sir Walter must ever look with an

evil eye on anyone intending to inhabit that house, and think them

infinitely too well off in being permitted to rent it on the highest

terms, he was talked into allowing Mr Shepherd to proceed in the

treaty, and authorising him to wait on Admiral Croft, who still

remained at Taunton, and fix a day for the house being seen.

Sir Walter was not very wise; but still he had experience enough of the

world to feel, that a more unobjectionable tenant, in all essentials,

than Admiral Croft bid fair to be, could hardly offer. So far went his

understanding; and his vanity supplied a little additional soothing, in

the Admiral's situation in life, which was just high enough, and not

too high. "I have let my house to Admiral Croft," would sound

extremely well; very much better than to any mere Mr--; a Mr (save,

perhaps, some half dozen in the nation,) always needs a note of

explanation. An admiral speaks his own consequence, and, at the same

time, can never make a baronet look small. In all their dealings and

intercourse, Sir Walter Elliot must ever have the precedence.




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