at a full mile's distance from the house. The church stood in the park,
about midway between the two residences. When I have named one more
Clavering, Captain Clavering, Captain Archibald Clavering, Sir Hugh's
brother, all when I shall have said also that both Sir Hugh and Captain
Clavering were men fond of pleasure and fond of money, I shall have said
all that I need now say about the Clavering family at large.

Julia Brabazon had indulged in some reminiscence of the romance of her
past poetic life when she talked of cousinship between her and Harry
Clavering. Her sister was the wife of Harry Clavering's first cousin,
but between her and Harry there was no relationship whatever. When old
Lord Brabazon had died at Nice she had come to Clavering Park, and had
created some astonishment among those who knew Sir Hugh by making good
her footing in his establishment. He was not the man to take up a wife's
sister, and make his house her home, out of charity or from domestic
love. Lady Clavering, who had been a handsome woman and fashionable
withal, no doubt may have had some influence; but Sir Hugh was a man
much prone to follow his own courses. It must be presumed that Julia
Brabazon had made herself agreeable in the house, and also probably
useful. She had been taken to London through two seasons, and had there
held up her head among the bravest. And she had been taken abroad--for
Sir Hugh did not love Clavering Park, except during six weeks of
partridge shooting; and she had been at Newmarket with them, and at the
house of a certain fast hunting duke with whom Sir Hugh was intimate;
and at Brighton with her sister, when it suited Sir Hugh to remain alone
at the duke's; and then again up in London, where she finally arranged
matters with Lord Ongar. It was acknowledged by all the friends of the
two families, and indeed I may say of the three families now--among the
Brabazon people, and the Clavering people, and the Courton people--Lord
Ongar's family name was Courton--that Julia Brabazon had been very