The young ladies found it so difficult to ar-
range which should take the first part in the
duet, that that point was given up, and Miss
Laura sang, with an indifferent accent and not
much taste, " Portrait Charmant ;" and Miss
Rosa got through " Auld lang syne ;" during
which performance Mrs. Buckle nodded her
head out of time, and said to Mr. Lovaine,
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 115
" My little warbler is the songstress of nature —
I was afraid of her losing her natural talent, if
she was taught."
The songstress of art, however, as well as
of nature, soon exhausted, like a hand-organ,
all the airs to which their barrels could be set,
and then Mrs. Buckle, by asking Mr. Lovaine
why his nephew did not sing, reminded him
that he did so formerly, and that he might as
well do so now ; — consequently, Herbert was
requested from more quarters than one at the
same moment, to favour them. He strenuously
denied all power of complying with this re-
quest, and that in such a manner, as would
have led any stranger to suppose that (to use
Sir Gilbert's expression) he had never turned a
tune in his life. The continuance, however, of
any such error, was entirely prevented, by Mr.
Lovaine calling out :
116 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
" Come Herbert ! v/hat's the use of your
having had a singing-master if you cannot sing
when you are asked ?"
Nothing could be more unpleasant than this
reproof from his uncle, for it not only savoured
of authority, but it reminded himself, and in-
formed some of the company, that he had
formerly been so prodigal of his time and
talents as to waste them upon the cultivation
of an accomplishment which he now despised,
and would fain disown; he therefore again
coldly declined, saying he had given up music.
Mr. Lovaine was a good deal displeased, and
turning to Mrs. Buckle said,
" I cannot conceive what the deuce has hap-
pened to that boy,heisnot like the same person."
" Ah ! Mr. Lovaine ! we old ones forget
' the little god !' but you know young people
will be young people."
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. IIT
The latter was undoubtedly a most incon-
trovertible fact ; but as it had never befor-^
struck Mr. Lovaine that his adopted son had
fallen in love, his attention was wholly fixed
upon the first part of her reply.
" Why, surely Mrs. Buckle, he would hardly
have allowed any preference of the nature to
which you allude to exist, without, I might
almost say, my leave ; but certainly not with-
out informing me of it," said Mr. Lovaine,
senior, " one of whose many unpardonable
faults in the eyes of Mr. Lovaine, junior, was,
that he never could be clearly made to com-
prehend, that Herbert was old enough and
wise enough to be his own master."
" Do you know,** he continued, " who is
supposed to have wrought all this change in
him ?"
118 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
" No, my dear sir, you must excuse me ; if
you do not know, I will not tell tales : indeed
it is a very sad gossiping world in which we
live."
" Has he said any thing to you upon the
subject, Mrs. Buckle ?"
" Nothing, I assure you; indeed when I
began to quiz him a little at dinner to-day, he
quite denied the report."
This was some relief to the mind of Mr.
Lovaine; not that he objected to Herbert's
falling in love, but that he objected to his
doing so without his leave. He determined
in his own mind to speak to him upon the
subject the very first opportunity, and the
conversation dropped. Lord Blaney, who was
always ready to devote himself to the amuse-
ment of others, had only to be asked once,
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 119
and immediately sang, without accompani-
ment, but with a degree of spirit nearly
amounting to buffoonery, one of Mathews's
most popular songs, " Four and twenty Alder-
men all of a row."
All his auditors laughed heartily, some be-
cause " My Lord" sang ; others because they
really understood the jokes, or were afraid of
not appearing to do so; and Lady Blaney
was amused because it was her dear Lord
Blaney who sang. Herbert alone shewed no
pleasure at his Lordship's performance; he
retired gradually to a far corner in the room,
turned over the leaves of a folio volume, and
remained perfectly silent till the party broke
up, and each retired to their apartment for
the night. Most of them slept without the
aid of any unpleasant reflections to assist
120 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
" nature's soft nurse ;" but Herbert ruminated
with disgust over all the opinions, manners,
and conversation of all the visitors, before he
could effect the desirable object of steeping
his senses in dull foro^etfulness.
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 121
CHAPTER VI.
The following morning Herbert arose early,
to endeavour to make up for the loss of time
which the guests had occasioned him on the
preceding evening. He declined accompany-
ing Sir Gilbert and Lord Blaney to the stables,
whither those two worthies repaired immediately
after breakfast, to sit upon the corn-bin, and
filHp oats at the horses ; each trying, his skill
in taking successful aim at the ears or else-
where, though neither uttered a word upon the
subject, for even they would have been ashamed
of owning to the amusement of so puerile a
diversion, by making any comment on their
success or failure.
VOL. I. G
122 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
Herbert found himself engaged in conversa-
tion with Mr. Buckle ; and, unfortunately,
also found himself under the necessity of prov-
ing to him that the clergy were overpaid, and
that the exaction of tithes was an unjust and
grievous tax upon the industry of the poor.
The Rev. Richard Buckle was ready to ex-
pire at such heresy ; buc the more he talked
the more he excited the contempt of his anta-
gonist, till they parted at last in mutual dis-
gust — the Reformer at the prejudices of the
Parson, and the Parson at the innovating
spirit of the Reformer.
But we will not detain our readers by giving
them a regular journal of all the intellectual
contests which Herbert maintained with all
the members of the party, as well as with his
uncle; or by pointing out how invariably he
admired his own sagacity and learning, and
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 123
pitied the ignorance of his opponents. Suffice
it to say, that he shocked Lady Blaney beyond
description, by broaching the Malthusian
opinions upon our overstocked population ;
for her Ladyship not only considered that no
married woman fulfilled her vocation who had
not more sweet pledges than she and her hus-
band could possibly maintain, but also thought
it a duty in a public point of view — as the pro-
duction of a numerous family was the only way
in which she could " do the state some service."
He provoked Lord Blaney by not admiring
Liston — despising a comic song — having a con-
tempt for a harlequin farce — and last, though
not least, by not seeing the fun of his Lord-
ship's own jokes. He angered Mr. Dyer by
defending the conduct of the "operatives.'*
He affronted the Misses Laura and Rosa, by
not saying any of those soft things to which
G 2
124 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
they were entitled by their sex and age. He
vexed Sir Gilbert by his degenerate habits of
reading and talking of books, instead of sport-
ing. He horror-struck both Mr. and Mrs.
Buckle, by descanting on the necessity of reli-
gious liberty, and expatiating on the iniquity
of the Test and Corporation Acts, the Catholic
Disabilities, &c. &c. ; and greatly annoyed his
uncle by producing such feelings in the minds
of his neighbours and guests.
And was Herbert pleased with himself for
having been so unpleasing to others, our
readers will naturally inquire, and the question
may be difficult to answer. But as we are
always disposed to blame others rather than
ourselves, he took care to attribute his present
feelings towards those w^om he had once
viewed with kindness and toleration, rather to
a falling-ofF on their part, than to any increased
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 125
fastidiousness on his own. He rejoiced at their
departure, and yet he was not happy. There
was an absence of that self-com^acency which
is tlie invariable concomitant on the exercise of
benevolence, and which had formerly so often
given him pleasure. He thought he had done
his duty by the promulgation of enlightened and
incontestable opinions ; but he did not derive
the inward satisfaction usually produced by the
performance of a duty. He felt depressed at
finding so much ignorance and pretension in
others, and forgot that untimely contradiction,
and supercilious contempt, were not the best
means of producing diffidence, or of imparting
knowledge.
When Mr. Lovaine and his nephew again
found themselves tete-a-tete^ it was with no
increased love or respect for each other. Mr.
Lovaine was exceedingly surprised, and rather
126 THE SCHOOL OF FASHIOX.
angr}', that Herbert had not been amused
when he had intended he should have been so —
and Herbert was provoked at his uncle for
hinting to him, more than once, that solely for
his amusement he had invited people who
could not possibly suit a man like him. Xor
was the suggestion of Mrs. Buckle, as to the
cause of the youth's alteration, without its
effect on the temper of Mr. Lovaine ; who,
goaded by continual contradictions, and con-
stant annoyance at the change in Herbert's
manners and habits, determined, one day, upon
asking him an explanation of the reports which
he imderstood were in circulation, respecting
an attachment that he had formed to some
vouno[ ladv, of whose name he was still ic;-
norant.
Herbert was much vexed at these interroga-
tories, and not the less so from the tone in
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 127
which they were made— and rather moodily
asked, to what his uncle alluded.
" I have been informed," returned Mr.
Lovaine, "that during the spring, in London,
vou fixed your affections upon some foolish
girl, who I suppose wants to be thought a blue
stocking, and that all this sudden freak for
improving yourself, as you call it, is in com-
pliance with her wishes; but if she desired
you, at the same time, to be always setting
those right, who are old enough to be your
father, I can tell both you and her, that she
may rue the day when she first made a fool of
you."
There was in this reproof all that was most
calculated to rouse the angry and rebellious
spirit of Herbert. To suppose that he should
lose his time in dangling after any girl, was
some offence— but to suppose that be should
128 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
be capable of being led by a foolish girl, and
that his love of learning and reform did not
emanate from his own wisdom and patriotism,
was quite unbearable, and he haughtily re-
plied: —
" Pardon me. Sir, but I am surprised that
you should not know me better than to sup-
pose I should allow myself to be under the
rule and guidance of any woman, still less to
be schooled by a foolish one ; but if an en-
deavour to advance the cause of liberty and
truth is displeasing to you, I am very sorry,
inasmuch as it is the undoubted duty of every
individual, to act as though he were a commu-
nity; I should be wanting in my duty were I,
by silence, to imply assent to those opinions
from which I entirely dissent."
" I by no means doubt the importance
which you attach to your assent or dissent to
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 129
things of which you know nothing, but you
have shirked replying to my question ; and I
wish to know, whether or not I am to expect,
that, without being previously consulted on the
subject, I am to be informed, suddenly, that
your election is made, or your marriage over,
or your eldest son born, or that any other folly
has happened."
Herbert reddened with anger; but, luckily
for him, he remembered that it did not become
a philosopher to be too much in a passion : at
least that was the reason he assigned to him-
self, for not retorting more warmly; although
those who knew him formerly, would have at-
tributed such forbearance to his aifection for
his uncle, and deference to his age.
" Nothing," he replied, " could be less
suited to my present views than matrimony,
and I have, therefore, no wish or intention to
g5
130 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION".
marry ;" then availing himself of the silence
which followed this declaration, he withdrew.
Mr. Lovaine, who was too fully impressed
with the idea that the change in Herbert had
been wrought by a woman, to abandon that
idea upon such a laconic explanation, mut-
tered between his teeth, " I am glad, at least,
that he don't want to marry the blue-stocking
devil. I wonder what good ever came of edu-
cating girls as if they were men — nothing now-
a-days is thought of but education ! We shall
soon have nobody to look after the domestic
concerns — wdves won't take care of the house,
or wait on their husbands — mothers won't take
care of their children. No! no! he never
shall have my consent to marry a learned
lady."
Thus broke up an interview in which each had
displayed their foibles, and from which neither
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 131
had derived the slightest satisfaction, beyond
that which Mr. Lovaine experienced at hearing
that Herbert did not want to bring a pedantic
niece down to Beechwood Park immediately.
He still believed that some such person was
the guilty cause of his nephew's alteration, but
he rejoiced in the reprieve of not being obliged
to take any positive step to avert such a cala-
mity for a time.
The evening was spent in gloomy silence ; — -
both felt embarrassed by the recollection of
what had passed in the morning, and each was
afraid of compromising his dignity, by making
the first advances to that sort of tacit recon-
ciliation, which so often takes place between
two people who have entered into an angry
discussion, without the wish or intention of
having a positive quarrel. Time, however,
did that, which they found difficulty in doing
132 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
immediately for themselves, and to all appear-
ance, they were on their usual friendly terms :
but constant difference of opinion, openly
avowed, and pertinaciously maintained, greatly
diminished the mutual regret with which they
had in former times looked forward to a sepa-
ration ; and when Herbert returned to the
counsels and instructions of Messrs. Benson
and Co., Mr. Lovaine felt his loss rather as
the absence of a living being, than that of an
agreeable or useful companion.
Soon after young Lovaine's arrival in Lon-
don, he accidentally heard that the young
lady whom his uncle so erroneously accused
of having perverted his nephev*', but who was,
in fact, the first and greatest sufferer by that
perversion, had arrived in town nearly at the
same moment as himself, and had departed
with her family for the Continent the very
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 133
morning on which this intelligence reached
his ear.
We fear it is impossible to deny, that Her-
bert was not quite so great a philosopher in
practice as in theory, and his annoyance at
the information was far greater than he would
have liked to confess ; though he could not
conceal from his own mind that he was an-
noyed. " It is not," he said to himself, " that
I intended to waste my time in following her
about every where, but I should have been
glad, if the opportunity had offered, to try the
experiment of how far an intelligent woman
has power to comprehend the enlarged views
of enlightened men : but now that she is gone
abroad, that is quite out of the question. I
am sorry too not to see her, because, from her
not understanding the motives of my conduct
towards her, she perhaps does me injustice:
134 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION,
and, little as I care for the opinion of any
body, it is a pity, for her own sake, that she
should be so bUnded by prejudice as to make
her unjust."
Had these thoughts been expressed aloud to
some who pretend to know the world, they
would probably have interpreted them into
Herbert's feeling piqued and vexed, that one
who interested him so much should liave jjone
away with a bad impression of him, and that
he had lost his opportunity of doing away with
that impression.
Certain it is that he was in very low spirits
for some few days, and had it not been for the
constant presence of his " Utilitarian " friends,
who knows but that he might again have be-
come a mere sentimentalist !
THE SCHOOL OP FASHION. 135
CHAPTER VII.
Having resettled our hero in London, it is
time we should return to Mrs. and Miss Lo-
vaiiie, who, with the exception of six weeks
spent at Naples, wintered at Rome.
Mrs. Lovaine had acquired by fatal experi-
ence a degree of prudence, that had nearly led
her into the mistake of not visiting a Princess,
over whose frailties death has now drawn the
veil, bat at whose shrine it was the fashion for
English ladies to forget those rules which they
so strictly, perhaps almost severely, exercise
towards a OTice erring sister at home; and to
pay a homage due to some higher merit than
i-ank, riches, or fashion. — Mrs. Lovaine lucki-
135 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
]y discovered this in time not to commit so
gross an error as to express to any one the
least doubt as to herself and Elinor visiting the
said Princess ; and when a prudish old Eng-
lish acquaintance rather reproached her for so
doing, she applied the old adage literally to
herself, by answering, " Lorsqu'on est a Rome^
on fait ce qu on fait a Rome J*
It had been Mrs. Lovaine's intention to have
returned to England for the London spring —
but Elinor was not seventeen till the end of
June, and then London would be nearly over :
— and after all, it was a pity to bring a girl
out too soon. Perhaps, too, she had hardly
reaped all the advantages that were to be ga-
thered from her travels; and she was very sure
that Mr. Lovaine would never consent to their
going abroad again. Therefore, having duly
considered all these weighty points, she signi-
THE SCHOOL OF FASHIOX. 1^
fied to her husband her intention of remaining
a short time longer on the Continent. To this
Mr. Lovaine acceded the more readily, as it
was accompanied by the ^surance, that if
their leave of absence was then extended, it
would prevent the necessity of another excur-
sion abroad.
When the time arrived of its being thought
expedient to leave Rome on account of the
"ma/-«na," Mrs. Lovaine determined on a
tour in the north of Italy, (carefully, however,
avoiding Florence,) and intended finishing her
travels, and giving Elinor all the advantages
of Parisian dress and "towrwwre," by a sejour
at Paris ; but all her plans were altered by the
unforeseen circumstance of Elinor being taken
ill at Venice.
Miss Lovaine was natumlly of rather a deli-
cate frame; her growth had been rapid — and
138 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
the warm climate of Italy had caused for some
time a degree of languor, which her over-
anxious mother had construed into too great
an indifference to improvement or admiration,
— She had, therefore, taken all possible pains
to overcome it, by constantly expressing a de-
sire for greater progress than she . made with
her masters, and by urging her more into so-
ciety than was either necessary or agreeable
to Elinor : — consequently when she was tired,
and would have preferred resting, she dared
not decline another partner, because she per-
ceived that her mother was always best pleas-
ed when she danced most; and she forced
herself to rise in the morning, long ere she
was rested from the fatigues of the preceding
evening, lest she should appear backward in
complying with her mother's wishes for the
advancement of her education.
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 139
Our readers must not, however, imagine
that there was one particle of the essence of
Mrs, Brownrigg in Mrs. Lovaine's composi-
tion ; on the contrarj^ no mother could be
more affectionate ; but she unfortunately mis-
took her daughter's character, and thought
it her duty to prevent her from doing herself
injustice in the world, by too great an in-
difference to the advantages that might be
derived from its good opinion.
This unlucky mistake respecting the disposi-
tion of her child had nearly proved of serious,
if noL of fatal consequences. The exertion of
travelling, added to the fatigue and over-
excitement which we have already mentioned,
brought on such an attack of fever, as caused
Mrs. Lovaine greater real unhappiness than
she had perhaps ever before experienced in her
life — though she was free from the additional
140 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
misery of thinking how accessary to the illness
she had herself really been. Where " igno-
rance is bhss," it is indeed great " folly to be '
wise."
Mrs. Lovaine always meaned to do what was
best for Elinor ; and the idea that she had not
done what she had intended, never once crossed
her mind. She watched over her daughter
with an anxiety, which, if not more maternal,
was certainly more agreeable to its object, than
that with which she generally did watch her.
The remedies which were applied were severe,
but successful; and it was with heartfelt joy
that Mrs. Lovaine was able to write to her
husband, telling him that their beloved child
was pronounced convalescent.
It was some time before they could again
venture to travel ; but when Miss Lovaine was
sufficiently recovered to be able to move, it was
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 141
SO decidedly the opinion of Dr. Lucas (an En-
glish physician, long established at Venice) that
Spa would be of the greatest service towards
completing the restoration of her health and
strength, that Mr. Lovaine consented without
a murmur to forego the pleasure of their socie-
ty, for as much further time as could be deem-
ed necessary to effect so desirable an object.
It did certainly occur to him, that Tunbridge,
or Bath, or Buxton, or Leamington, or Chel-
tenham, or even Islington, w^ould be better for
her than Spa ; but as it was the advice of an
English physician, he did not impart this con-
trary opinion to any one. So great, indeed,
was his paternal love, that it was much be-
lieved by his neighbours, that had he not re-
ceived an improved account at the moment
that he did so, he would have sufficiently over-
142 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
come his prejudices to set out for Venice im-
mediately.
By easy journies Mrs. and Miss Lovaine
arrived, via the Tyrol, at Munich ; from thence
they proceeded to Frankfort, where they again
halted a short time for Elinor to repose ; at
Coblentz they were to cross the Rhine, and
arrived there towards the close of the da}-.
Elinor, being now nearly recovered, (saving a
slight diminution of beauty, from the loss of
colour,) accompanied her mother to the Fort
of Ehrenbreitstein, that she might see the sun
shedding its last refulgent rays on the junction
of the Moselle with the Rhine : it was a beau-
teous sight, and one to which Elinor was not
insensible: for though she was destitute of either
taste or talent to appreciate or execute works
of art, she was of too pious, too contemplative
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 143
a disposition, to be insensible to those of na-
ture ; and while she could behold, with the
cold indifference of tasteless ignorance, the
clief-d^ (Rwcre of man, tears of pleasure and gra-
titude would often start into her eyes, when
she viewed the works of that Being, in " whose
hand are all the corners of the earth," and in
whom " is the strength of the hills."
They arrived at Spa in due time, without
one romantic adventure; and if we have ab-
stained from describing every fine view between
Venice and Spa, it has been solety from the
impression that, to do justice to those beauties,
which we would fain describe, requires the pen
of more ready and more able writers than our-
selves ; and that the wonders of art and nature
run less risk of beinoj under-valued, bv leaving
them to the imagination of some, and the (per-
haps imperfect) recollection of others, than by
144 THE SCHOOL OF FASHION.
assuring our readers, over and over again, that
the view from every height was panoramic —
that every vale was sequestered — that every
town was picturesque — that every lake was
serene — every mountain towering — every
water-fall rushing, with unheard-of violence,
down never-ending precipices — every field ver-
dant — every stream purling — and that every
peasant was carolling a national song.
THE SCHOOL OF FASHION. 145
CHAPTER VIII.
Those who have heard much of the beauties
of Spa, and whose expectations, therefore, have