Aunt Deborah | Page 6

composed of those gems of flowers, the scarlet pimpernel, and
the blue anagallis, the rosy star of the wild geranium, with its aromatic
crimson-tipped leaves, the snowy star of the white ochil, and that third
starry flower the yellow loose-strife, the milk vetch, purple, or pink, or
cream coloured, backed by moss-like leaves and lilac blossoms of the
lousewort, and overhung by the fragrant bells and cool green leaves of
the lily of the valley.

* Few flowers, (and almost all look best when arranged each sort in its
separate vase,)--few look so well together as the four sorts of double
wallflowers. The common dark, (the old bloody warrior)--I have a love
for those graphic names-- words which paint the common dark, the
common yellow, the newer and more intensely coloured dark, and that
new gold colour still so rare, which is in tint, form, growth, hardiness,
and profusion, one of the most valuable acquisitions to the flower
garden. When placed together in ajar, the brighter blossoms seem to
stand out from those of deeper hue, with exactly the sort of relief, the
harmonious combination of light and shade, that one sometimes sees in
the rich gilt carving of an old flower-wreathed picture- frame, or, better
still, it might seem a pot of flowers chased in gold, by Benvenuto
Cellini, in which the workmanship outvalued the metal. Many beaupots
are gayer, many sweeter, but this is the richest, both for scent and
colour, that I have ever seen.
It would puzzle a gardener to surpass the elegance and delicacy of such
a nosegay.
Offerings like these did our miller's maiden delight to bring at all
seasons, and under all circumstances, whether of peace or war between
the heads of the two opposite houses; and whenever there chanced to be
a lull in the storm, she availed herself of the opportunity to add to her
simple tribute a dish of eels from the mill-stream, or perch from the
river. That the thought of Edward ("dear Edward," as she always called
him,) might not add somewhat of alacrity to her attentions to his
wayward aunt, I will not venture to deny, but she would have done the
same if Edward had not been in existence, from the mere effect of her
own peacemaking spirit, and a generosity of nature which found more
pleasure in giving than in possessing. A sweet and happy creature was
Cicely; it was difficult even for Mrs. Deborah to resist her gentle voice
and artless smiles.
Affairs were in this posture between the belligerents, sometimes war to
the knife, sometimes a truce under favour of Cissy's white flag, when
one October evening, John Stokes entered the dwelling of his
kinswoman to inform her that Edward's apprenticeship had been some

time at an end, that he had come of age about a month ago, and that his
master, for whom he had continued to work, was so satisfied of his
talents, industry, and integrity, that he had offered to take him into
partnership for a sum incredibly moderate, considering the advantages
which such a connexion would ensure.
"You have more than the money wanted in the Belford Bank, money
that ought to have been his," quoth John Stokes, "besides all your
property in land and houses and the funds; and if you did advance this
sum, which all the world knows is only a small part of what should
have belonged to him in right of his father, it would be as safe as if it
was in the Bank of England, and the interest paid half-yearly. You
ought to give it him out and out; but of course you won't even lend it,"
pursued this judicious negotiator; "you keep all your money for that
precious chap, Mr. 'Dolphus, to make ducks and drakes with after you
are dead; a fine jig he'll dance over your grave. You know, I suppose,
that we've got the fellow in a cleft stick about that petition the other day?
He persuaded old Jacob, who's as deaf as a post, to put his mark to it,
and when he was gone, Jacob came to me (I'm the only man in the
parish who can make him hear) to ask what it was about. So upon my
explaining the matter, Jacob found he had got into the wrong box. But
as the chap had taken away his petition, and Jacob could not scratch out
his name, what does he do but set his mark to ours o' t'other side; and
we've wrote all about it to Sir Robert to explain to the Parliament, lest
seeing Jacob's name both ways like, they should think 'twas he, poor
fellow, that meant to humbug 'em. A pretty figure Mr. 'Dolphus 'll cut
when the story comes to be told