ladies of the family did not find it so; they wept passionately--so did
many of the congregation, but the two sons, though their hands might
plainly be seen to tremble, maintained a deep, distressed immobility,
and because it was neither right to upbraid them to their faces, nor to
judge them publicly, a piece of the sermon which concerned Madam
Melcombe's sorrow, caused by their desertion, was mercifully left out.

That was the last the people saw of the brothers; they went away almost
before it was light on Monday morning, and for a long time after, their
faces, their words, and their every attitude, remained the talk of the
place.

In the meantime, John Mortimer and Valentine had a very pleasant little
excursion. As soon as they were out of the presence of their fathers,
they naturally threw off any unusual gravity of demeanour, for though
suitable to a solemn funeral, this might well pass away with it, as
their grandmother had been a total stranger to them.

John hired horses, and they rode about the country together to see the
rosy apple orchards; they inspected an old Roman town, then they went
and looked at some fine ruins, and otherwise they enjoyed themselves for
three days; for John had plenty of money, and Valentine was far from
suspecting that not many months before his own father had dispossessed
him, with himself, of an ample fortune and a good inheritance. He had
always been brought up to understand that his father was not well off,
and that he would have to work for his place in the world. John's place
was made already--lucky for him! Lucky for Valentine, too, for John was
very liberal to his young relative, and had taken him about with him
more than once before.