MRS. BUCKNER^S FORTUNE 9 



golden aunt, and died in her care at Ghent in 1792. 

 Next she adopted Wilham, the youngest of the five 

 nephews ; took him abroad with her — it seems as 

 if that were in the formula ; was shut up with him 

 in Paris by the Revolution ; brought him back to 

 Windsor, and got him a place in the King's Body 

 Guard, where he attracted the notice of George in. 

 by his proficiency in German. In 1797, being on 

 guard at St. James's Palace, William took a cold 

 which carried him off ; and Aunt Anne was once 

 more left heirless. Lastly, in 1805, perhaps moved 

 by the Admiral, who had a kindness for his old 

 midshipman, perhaps pleased by the good looks 

 and the good nature of the man himself, Mrs. 

 Buckner turned her eyes upon Charles Jenkin. 

 He was not only to be the heir, however ; he was to 

 be the chief hand in a somewhat wild scheme of 

 family farming. Mrs. Jenkin, the mother, con- 

 tributed 164 acres of land ; Mrs. Buckner, 570, 

 some at Northiam, some farther off ; Charles let 

 one-half of Stowting to a tenant, and threw the 

 other and various scattered parcels into the common 

 enterprise ; so that the whole farm amounted to 

 near upon a thousand acres, and was scattered 

 over thirty miles of country. The ex-seaman of 

 thirty-nine, on whose wisdom and ubiquity the 

 scheme depended, was to live in the meanwhile 

 without care or fear. He was to check himself in 

 nothing; his two extravagances, valuable horses 



