Peveril of the Peak | Page 3

the less
acrimony, that, during the Civil War, Sir Geoffrey was almost
constantly in the field, following the vacillating and unhappy fortunes
of his master; while Major Bridgenorth, who soon renounced active
military service, resided chiefly in London, and only occasionally
visited the Hall.
Upon these visits, it was with great pleasure he received the
intelligence, that Lady Peveril had shown much kindness to Mrs.
Bridgenorth, and had actually given her and her family shelter in
Martindale Castle, when Moultrassie Hall was threatened with pillage
by a body of Prince Rupert's ill-disciplined Cavaliers. This
acquaintance had been matured by frequent walks together, which the
vicinity of their places of residence suffered the Lady Peveril to have
with Mrs. Bridgenorth, who deemed herself much honoured in being
thus admitted into the society of so distinguished a lady. Major
Bridgenorth heard of this growing intimacy with great pleasure, and he
determined to repay the obligation, as far as he could without much
hurt to himself, by interfering with all his influence, in behalf of her
unfortunate husband. It was chiefly owing to Major Bridgenorth's
mediation, that Sir Geoffrey's life was saved after the battle of
Worcester. He obtained him permission to compound for his estate on
easier terms than many who had been less obstinate in malignancy; and,
finally, when, in order to raise the money to the composition, the
Knight was obliged to sell a considerable portion of his patrimony,
Major Bridgenorth became the purchaser, and that at a larger price than
had been paid to any Cavalier under such circumstances, by a member
of the Committee for Sequestrations. It is true, the prudent
committeeman did not, by any means, lose sight of his own interest in
the transaction, for the price was, after all, very moderate, and the
property lay adjacent to Moultrassie Hall, the value of which was at
least trebled by the acquisition. But then it was also true, that the
unfortunate owner must have submitted to much worse conditions, had
the committeeman used, as others did, the full advantages which his
situation gave him; and Bridgenorth took credit to himself, and
received it from others, for having, on this occasion, fairly sacrificed

his interest to his liberality.
Sir Geoffrey Peveril was of the same opinion, and the rather that Mr.
Bridgenorth seemed to bear his exaltation with great moderation, and
was disposed to show him personally the same deference in his present
sunshine of prosperity, which he had exhibited formerly in their early
acquaintance. It is but justice to Major Bridgenorth to observe, that in
this conduct he paid respect as much to the misfortunes as to the
pretensions of his far-descended neighbour, and that, with the frank
generosity of a blunt Englishman, he conceded points of ceremony,
about which he himself was indifferent, merely because he saw that his
doing so gave pleasure to Sir Geoffrey.
Peveril of the Peak did justice to his neighbour's delicacy, in
consideration of which he forgot many things. He forgot that Major
Bridgenorth was already in possession of a fair third of his estate, and
had various pecuniary claims affecting the remainder, to the extent of
one-third more. He endeavoured even to forget, what it was still more
difficult not to remember, the altered situation in which they and their
mansions now stood to each other.
Before the Civil War, the superb battlements and turrets of Martindale
Castle looked down on the red brick-built Hall, as it stole out from the
green plantations, just as an oak in Martindale Chase would have
looked beside one of the stunted and formal young beech-trees with
which Bridgenorth had graced his avenue; but after the siege which we
have commemorated, the enlarged and augmented Hall was as much
predominant in the landscape over the shattered and blackened ruins of
the Castle, of which only one wing was left habitable, as the youthful
beech, in all its vigour of shoot and bud, would appear to the same aged
oak stripped of its boughs, and rifted by lightning, one-half laid in
shivers on the ground, and the other remaining a blackened and
ungraceful trunk, rent and splintered, and without either life or leaves.
Sir Geoffrey could not but feel, that the situation and prospects were
exchanged as disadvantageously for himself as the appearance of their
mansions; and that though the authority of the man in office under the
Parliament, the sequestrator, and the committeeman, had been only

exerted for the protection of the Cavalier and the malignant, they would
have been as effectual if applied to procure his utter ruin; and that he
was become a client, while his neighbour was elevated into a patron.
There were two considerations, besides the necessity of the case and
the constant advice of his lady, which enabled Peveril of the