SWAMP HALL. 293 



of the family, who promised to remonstrate with Mr. P. He, however, 

 as will appear in the sequel, took a more certain mode of eradicating 

 (for such was his word) the " abuse." 



Mrs. Penny was doatingly fond of flowers. A Chiswick fete was, to 

 her, " an opening scene of Paradise." Mr. Bearsfoot was a great 

 amateur florist, and, besides, was a near neighbour of the Pennys. Two 

 or three times Mr. Penny insisted on eight but certainly they were 

 not more than five Mr. Bearsfoot had walked with Mrs. Penny in the 

 gardens at Kew. Now, as Mrs. Penny could not disguise her wonder 

 that her husband should always wish to compare opinions with Mrs. 

 Bluesoul on the appearance of every new novel, so neither could Mr. 

 Penny repress his astonishment, that his wife could not enjoy auriculas, 

 or a newly-blown aloe, without oral illustrations of their beauties by 

 Mr. Bearsfoot. Mr. Solon, as the friend of the family, promised to 

 remedy this second " abuse." 



The Hon. Frederick Rustington continued to come among the Pennys, 

 and poor Mary continued to grow paler and paler. Edmund Wilkins no 

 longer visited the family ; but, in his daily rides to and from town, 

 would, checking his horse to a snail's pace, gaze at the windows and 

 walls of the house; and then, as his steed bore him on, watch the smoke 

 curling above the garden elms. Mary's doom was sealed she was 

 inevitably to become Mrs. Rustington : her wedding-dress was made 

 the day arrived. The Hon. Mr. Rustington and his mustachios were 

 never more exuberant was in attendance and, in short, poor Mary, 

 pale as a ghost, the redness of her lips transferred to her eyes, received 

 the congratulations of her friends, as the Hon. Mrs. Rustington. A 

 post-chaise and four was at the door, and the " happy couple" were 

 about to start, to spend the honeymoon at the Lakes. 



Some people have a vindictive pleasure in shattering the happiness of 

 their neighbours : they have, besides, a malicious instinct, as to fitness 

 of time for their attack : else how, above all other days, all other hours, 

 could Mr. Bluesoul and Mrs. Bearsfoot, almost simultaneously, rush 

 into the family circle of the Pennys, just as it had received the " crown- 

 ing rose" to its domestic wreath, in the shape of a son-in-law an 

 " honourable !" However, there they were both hot " hissing hot " 

 with jealousy; the monster looking greenly from their eyes, and storming 

 in their tongues. When the company had somewhat recovered themselves 

 from the first surprise, they learned, and, all of them respectable persons, 

 were dreadfully shocked at the insinuations, that Mr. and Mrs. Penny 

 had severally caused the most fatal dissensions at the fire-sides of the 

 Bluesouls and the Bearsfoots. The literary visits and the walks in 

 Kew Gardens were touched upon by Mr. Bluesoul and Mrs. Bearsfoot 

 in no measured phrase and, in evidence of the gross imprudence (to use 

 a lighter term than was adopted) of Mr. and Mrs. Penny, each party 

 held forth a letter, warning them of the intimacy of either helpmate, 

 and predicting, unless an end were put to the intercourse, the most 

 fatal results. Mr. and Mrs. Penny were thunderstruck. That such an 

 imputation should be made, was dreadful but at such a time, when her 

 daughter had just undertaken the delicate, yet arduous duties of a wife 

 to be suspected, vilified " who who could be the slanderer ?" 

 This question was loudly put, both by husband and wife, and more 

 loudly echoed by every visitor. On this, Mr. Bluesoul and Mrs. Bears- 

 foot placed the letters in the hands of Mr. and Mrs. Penny. The mys- 



