Vera Nevill

Vera Nevill

The Project Gutenberg EBook of Vera Nevill, by Mrs. H. Lovett
Cameron This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and
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Title: Vera Nevill Poor Wisdom's Chance
Author: Mrs. H. Lovett Cameron
Release Date: May 14, 2006 [EBook #18385]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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NEVILL ***

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VERA NEVILL;
OR, POOR WISDOM'S CHANCE.
A NOVEL.

BY MRS. H. LOVETT CAMERON
Author of "Pure Gold," "In a Grass Country," etc., etc.
PHILADELPHIA: J. B. LIPPINCOTT COMPANY. 1893.

"No. Vain, alas! th' endeavour From bonds so sweet to sever. Poor
Wisdom's Chance Against a glance Is now as weak as ever."
Moore's Melodies.

CONTENTS.
CHAPTER I.
The Vicar's Family
CHAPTER II.
Kynaston Hall
CHAPTER III.
Fanning Dead Ashes
CHAPTER IV.
The Lay Rector
CHAPTER V.
"Little Pitchers"
CHAPTER VI.

A Soirée at Walpole Lodge
CHAPTER VII.
Evening Reveries
CHAPTER VIII.
The Member for Meadowshire
CHAPTER IX.
Engaged
CHAPTER X.
A Meeting on the Stairs
CHAPTER XI.
An Idle Morning
CHAPTER XII.
The Meet at Shadonake
CHAPTER XIII.
Peacock's Feathers
CHAPTER XIV.
Her Wedding Dress
CHAPTER XV.
Vera's Message

CHAPTER XVI.
"Poor Wisdom"
CHAPTER XVII.
An Unlucky Love-Letter
CHAPTER XVIII.
Lady Kynaston's Plans
CHAPTER XIX.
What She Waited For
CHAPTER XX.
A Morning Walk
CHAPTER XXI.
Maurice's Intercession
CHAPTER XXII.
Mr. Pryme's Visitors
CHAPTER XXIII.
A White Sunshade
CHAPTER XXIV.
Her Son's Secret
CHAPTER XXV.

St. Paul's, Knightsbridge
CHAPTER XXVI.
The Russia-Leather Case
CHAPTER XXVII.
Dinner at Ranelagh
CHAPTER XXVIII.
Mrs. Hazeldine's "Long Eliza"
CHAPTER XXIX.
A Wedding Tour
CHAPTER XXX.
"If I could Die!"
CHAPTER XXXI.
An Eventful Drive
CHAPTER XXXII.
By the Vicarage Gate
CHAPTER XXXIII.
Denis Wilde's Love
CHAPTER XXXIV.
A Garden Party

CHAPTER XXXV.
Shadonake Bath
CHAPTER XXXVI.
At Peace

VERA NEVILL
OR
POOR WISDOM'S CHANCE.
CHAPTER I.
THE VICAR'S FAMILY.
With that regal indolent air she had So confident of her charm.
Owen Meredith.
Beauty too rich for use, for earth too dear.
Shakespeare.
Amongst the divers domestic complications into which short-sighted
man is prone to fall there is none which has been more conclusively
proved to be an utter and egregious failure than that family arrangement
which, for lack of a better name, I will call a "composite household."
No one could have spoken upon this subject with greater warmth of
feeling, nor out of the depths of a more painful experience, than could
the Rev. Eustace Daintree, sometime vicar of the parish of
Sutton-in-the-Wold.
Mr. Daintree's family circle consisted of himself, his mother, his wife,

and his wife's sister, and I should like to know how a man could expect
to lead a life of peace and tranquillity with such a combination of
inharmonious feminine elements!
There were two children also, who were a fruitful source of discord and
disunion. It is certain that, had he chosen to do so, the Rev. Eustace
might have made many heart-rending and harrowing revelations
concerning the private life and customs of the inhabitants of his
vicarage. It is equally certain, however, that he would not have chosen
to do so, for he was emphatically a man of peace and gentleness, kind
hearted and given to good works; and was, moreover, sincerely anxious
to do his duty impartially to those whom Providence or fate, or a
combination of chances and changes, had somehow contrived to bring
together under his roof.
Things had not always been thus with him. In the early days of their
married life Eustace Daintree and Marion his wife had had their home
to themselves, and right well had they enjoyed it. A fairly good living
backed up by independent means, a small rural parish, a pleasant
neighbourhood, a pretty and comfortable vicarage-house--what more
can the hearts of a clergyman of the Church of England and his wife
desire? Mr. and Mrs. Daintree, at all events, had wished for nothing
better. But this blissful state of things was not destined to last; it was,
perhaps, hardly to be expected that it should, seeing that man is born to
trouble, and that happiness is known to be as fleeting as time or beauty
or any other good thing.
When Eustace Daintree had been married five years, his father died,
and his mother, accepting his warmly tendered invitation to come to
Sutton-in-the-Wold upon a long visit, took up her abode in the pleasant
vicarage-house.
Her visit was long indeed. In a weak moment her son consented to her
urgent request to be allowed to subscribe her quota to the household
expenses--this was