John Deane of Nottingham | Page 9

varied expanse of country, with
the silvery Trent winding through the valley, and round many a bold
and thickly wooded promontory; while the hills of Derbyshire and
Leicestershire formed a beautiful background to the peaceful and
smiling landscape.
Kate and Polly Deane, with Alethea Harwood, after taking a turn or
two, sat down on one of the stone benches on the terrace. This was the
first moment that they had had the opportunity of speaking together on
the subject of Jack's determination to leave home, though neither
Alethea nor Kate could believe he really purposed following the calling
of a drover. Polly, who knew him better, was not so sure on the subject.
He had often described to her in glowing language the life which he
proposed to lead, and she could not help sympathising with him in that
as in most other matters in which he took an interest.
"But surely he is formed for better things than that," observed Alethea,
and Polly thought she saw a slight blush rise on the cheek of her friend.
"He would never consent to associate with the rude, rough men which
drovers surely must be, even though he might meet occasionally with
the adventures you describe," she exclaimed.
"Oh! but he intends not only to be a drover, but a grazier; and that, he
tells me, is a sure road to wealth and independence," observed Polly.

"Here he comes to answer for himself," said Kate, and the young ladies,
looking up, saw Jack advancing towards them, and presenting a very
becoming appearance in his grey suit, with his hair brushed as
smoothly back from his smooth open forehead as its curly nature would
admit of, and his hat in his hand, a fashion he gladly adopted, to avoid
the necessity of constantly removing it as he passed his numerous
acquaintances.
Polly's affectionate little heart bounded at seeing many friendly glances
thrown at him, and she whispered to Kate, in a tone which Alethea
overheard, "He does not look as if we need ever be ashamed of him,
after all."
"If he follows the life he proposes, he will never wear a sword like a
gentleman," observed Kate.
"He is tolerably well able, I should say, to defend himself without one,"
observed Alethea, "from the specimen he gave us of his prowess this
afternoon," and she described the scene which had occurred on their
entering the town, when Jack had so bravely taken the part of the poor
widow's cow.
While she was speaking, Jack himself came up to them. The sisters
immediately attacked him on the subject, and Alethea inquired whether
he had driven back the animal to Widow Pitt's paddock.
"Oh, yes!" he answered; "but I should have had a far better appetite for
dinner, had I been able to find the fellows who had been so cruelly
baiting her. However, they will not manage to escape me altogether, I'll
warrant; but, as you know, I do not expect to remain here much longer,
now that I have finished my course at the Grammar School. They will
be for sending me to college if I do, and that I could never brook. But
before I go, I must come and pay you a visit at Harwood Grange,
Mistress Alethea."
"We shall always be glad to see you," said the young lady, looking up
with a bright glance at Jack's honest countenance. "Here comes my
father to say the same."

"Yes, indeed we shall, Jack," said Mr Harwood, who came up at that
moment. "I may be able to give you some useful introductions, when I
hear where you are going. I have many friends scattered about the
country, north and south."
"And you will not mind introducing me," asked Jack with kindling eye,
"though I follow the calling of what Kate calls a poor, miserable
drover?"
"Oh, no, no!" answered the Squire, "not if you always show the spirit
you did this afternoon, and that I am sure you will wherever you go, or
whatever calling you follow."
Here he took Jack's hand, and pressed it kindly in presence of the
various people of fashion who were walking up and down the terrace.
Mrs Deane observed the action, and seemed well pleased with the
attention paid her younger son. Taking somewhat after herself, he was,
it must be confessed, her favourite.
The sun was now sinking over the distant hills, and as the mist began to
rise from the river below, the parties on the terrace gradually dispersed,
the Deane family and their friends returning to their mansion, where
they assembled once more round their well-spread board, at eight
o'clock precisely, the fashionable hour for supper. Jack, in better spirits
than he had been in the afternoon, joined the family party. Songs were