the wound healed. Now it was all over, the squire felt very much raised
in his own conceit; and when he was in a humour more than ordinarily
fierce, that perilous event became a favourite allusion with him.

He considered, moreover, that his brother had incurred at his hand the
most lasting obligations; and that, having procured Audley's return to
parliament, and defended his interests at risk of his own life, he had an
absolute right to dictate to that gentleman how to vote,--upon all
matters, at least, connected with the landed interest. And when, not
very long after Audley took his seat in parliament (which he did not do
for some months), he thought proper both to vote and to speak in a manner
wholly belying the promises the squire had made on his behalf, Mr.
Hazeldean wrote him such a trimmer that it could not but produce an
unconciliatory reply. Shortly afterwards the squire's exasperation
reached the culminating point; for, having to pass through Lansmere on a
market-day, he was hooted by the very farmers whom he had induced to vote
for his brother; and, justly imputing the disgrace to Audley, he never
heard the name of that traitor to the land mentioned without a heightened
colour and an indignant expletive. M. de Ruqueville--who was the
greatest wit of his day--had, like the squire, a half-brother, with whom
he was not on the best of terms, and of whom he always spoke as his
"frere de loin!" Audley Egerton was thus Squire Hazeldean's "distant-
brother"!

Enough of these explanatory antecedents,--let us return to the stocks.




CHAPTER XI.