The Channings

Ϥ"The Channings: A Story [with accents]

The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Channings, by Mrs. Henry Wood Copyright laws are changing all over the world. Be sure to check the copyright laws for your country before downloading or redistributing this or any other Project Gutenberg eBook.
This header should be the first thing seen when viewing this Project Gutenberg file. Please do not remove it. Do not change or edit the header without written permission.
Please read the "legal small print," and other information about the eBook and Project Gutenberg at the bottom of this file. Included is important information about your specific rights and restrictions in how the file may be used. You can also find out about how to make a donation to Project Gutenberg, and how to get involved.
**Welcome To The World of Free Plain Vanilla Electronic Texts**
**eBooks Readable By Both Humans and By Computers, Since 1971**
*****These eBooks Were Prepared By Thousands of Volunteers!*****
Title: The Channings
Author: Mrs. Henry Wood
Release Date: October, 2005 [EBook #9192] [This file was first posted on September 14, 2003]
Edition: 10
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK, THE CHANNINGS ***

E-text prepared by Jonathan Ingram, Charlie Kirschner, and the Project Gutenberg Online Distributed Proofreading Team

THE CHANNINGS
A STORY
BY
MRS. HENRY WOOD
AUthor of "East Lynne," "Johnny Ludlow," etc.

TWO HUNDRED AND TENTH THOUSAND 1901

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER
I. THE INKED SURPLICE II. BAD NEWS III. CONSTANCE CHANNING IV. NO HOLIDAY TO-DAY V. ROLAND YORKE VI. LADY AUGUSTA YORKE AT HOME VII. MR. KETCH VIII. THE ASSISTANT-ORGANIST IX. HAMISH'S CANDLES X. A FALSE ALARM XI. THE CLOISTER KEYS XII. A MISHAP TO THE BISHOP XIII. MAD NANCE XIV. KEEPING OFFICE XV. A SPLASH IN THE RIVER XVI. MUCH TO ALTER XVII. SUNDAY MORNING AT MR. CHANNING'S, AND AT LADY AUGUSTA'S XVIII. MR. JENKINS ALIVE AGAIN XIX. THE LOSS XX. THE LOOMING OF AN AWFUL FEAR XXI. MR. BUTTERBY XXII. AN INTERRUPTED DINNER XXIII. AN ESCORT TO THE GUILDHALL XXIV. THE EXAMINATION XXV. A MORNING CALL XXVI. CHECKMATED XXVII. A PIECE OF PREFERMENT XXVIII. AN APPEAL TO THE DEAN XXIX. A TASTE OF "TAN" XXX. THE DEPARTURE XXXI. ABROAD XXXII. AN OMINOUS COUGH XXXIII. NO SENIORSHIP FOR TOM CHANNING XXXIV. GERALD YORKE MADE INTO A "BLOCK" XXXV. THE EARL OF CARRICK XXXVI. ELLEN HUNTLEY XXXVII. THE CONSPIRATORS XXXVIII. THE DECISION XXXIX. THE GHOST XL. MR. KETCH'S EVENING VISIT XLI. THE SEARCH XLII. AN OFFICIAL CEREMONY INTERRUPTED XLIII. DRAGGING THE RIVER XLIV. MR. JENKINS IN A DILEMMA XLV. A NEW SUSPICION XLVI. A LETTER FOR MR. GALLOWAY XLVII. DARK CLOUDS XLVIII. MUFFINS FOR TEA XLIX. A CH?TEAU EN ESPAGNE L. REALLY GONE! LI. AN ARRIVAL IN A FLY LII. A RELIC FROM THE BURIAL-GROUND LIII. THE RETURN HOME LIV. "THE SHIP'S DROWNED" LV. NEWS FROM ROLAND LVI. THE BROKEN PHIAL LVII. A GHOST AGAIN LVIII. BYWATER'S DANCE LIX. READY LX. IN WHAT DOES IT LIE?
I remember the gleams and glooms that dart Across the schoolboy's brain; The song and the silence in the heart, That in part are prophecies, and in part Are longings wild and vain. And the voice of that fitful song Sings on and is never still: "A boy's will is the wind's will, And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."
Strange to me now are the forms I meet When I visit the dear old town; But the native air is pure and sweet, And the trees that o'ershadow each well-known street, As they balance up and down, Are singing the beautiful song, Are sighing and whispering still: "A boy's will is the wind's will, And the thoughts of youth are long, long thoughts."

CHAPTER I
.
THE INKED SURPLICE.
The sweet bells of Helstonleigh Cathedral were ringing out in the summer's afternoon. Groups of people lined the streets, in greater number than the ordinary business of the day would have brought forth; some pacing with idle steps, some halting to talk with one another, some looking in silence towards a certain point, as far as the eye could reach; all waiting in expectation.
It was the first day of Helstonleigh Assizes; that is, the day on which the courts of law began their sittings. Generally speaking, the commission was opened at Helstonleigh on a Saturday; but for some convenience in the arrangements of the circuit, it was fixed this time for Wednesday; and when those cathedral bells burst forth, they gave signal that the judges had arrived and were entering the sheriff's carriage, which had gone out to meet them.
A fine sight, carrying in it much of majesty, was the procession, as it passed through the streets with its slow and stately steps; and although Helstonleigh saw it twice a year, it looked at it with gratified eyes still, and made the day into a sort of holiday. The trumpeters rode first, blowing the proud note of advance, and the long line of well-mounted