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Miss Mitford was born Dec. 16, 1787, at Alresford, Hampshire, England, the daughter of a foolish spendthrift father, to whom she was pathetically devoted, and lived in her native county almost throughout her life. In her later years she received a Civil List pension. She died on January 10, 1855.
"I have to walk back to Alresford, and must see Mr Whittlestaff early in the morning. According to your view of the case I shan't do much with him. And if it be so, I shall be off to the diamond-fields again by the first mail." "You don't say so!" "That is to be my lot in life. I am very glad to have come across you once again, and am delighted to find you so happy in your prospects.
Wharton carelessly replied that he did not know whether he would be able to put in an appearance at the Mastertons'. He might be going out of town. Mrs. Lane looked at him and said, "Oh, really!" with a little laugh. Lady Masterton was the wife of the Colonial Secretary, and her grand mansion in Grosvenor Square was the principal rival to Alresford House in the hospitalities of the party.
When all the guests had gone but Wharton, and Lord Alresford, duly placed for the sake of propriety in his accustomed chair, was safely asleep, Lady Selina asked what was the matter. "Oh, the usual thing!" he said, as he leant against the mantelpiece beside her. "The world's a poor place, and my doll's stuffed with sawdust. Did you ever know any doll that wasn't?"
For, no doubt, he might have married her and her fortune had he so chosen. As it was, why didn't she find some needy boy to take pity on her? There were plenty going, and she must have abundance of money. Old Alresford, too, was fast doddering off the stage, and then where would she be without Alresford House, or Busbridge, or those various other pedestals which had hitherto held her aloft?
Take my word for it, sir, don't." But Mr Whittlestaff only snubbed her, and nothing more was said about the journey at the moment. In the course of the afternoon visitors came. Miss Evelina Hall with Miss Forrester had been driven into Alresford, and now called in company with Mr Blake.
Alresford! the narrowest and niggardliest tyrant alive, so far as his own servants and estate were concerned. And as to Lady Selina, it was well known to the Winterbourne cousinship that she could never get a maid to stay with her six months. "What did you think of Mr. Wharton's speech the other night?" said Lady Selina, bending suavely across the tea-table to Marcella.
Mary did know who Mr Harbottle was, or had been. Mr Harbottle had been the vicar at Little Alresford, for whose death Mr Blake was waiting, in order that he might enter in together upon the good things of matrimony and the living.
If you saw the Revolution coming to-morrow into the garden of Alresford House, would you go to the balcony and argue?" "I devoutly hope there would be somebody ready to do something more to the point," said Lady Selina, hastily. "But of course we have enthusiasms too." "What, the Flag and the Throne that kind of thing?"
Going into the parsonage gate he was overtaken by Blake, and of course introduced himself. "Don't you remember Gordon at Exeter?" "John Gordon! Gracious me! Of course I do. What a good fellow you are to come and look a fellow up! Where have you come from, and where are you going to, and what brings you to Alresford, beyond the charitable intention of dining with me?
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