CAPTAIN JENKIN 219 



who had seen him tried in some ' counter-revolu- 

 tion ' in 1845, wrote to the consul of his ' able 

 and decided measures,' ' his cool, steady judgment 

 and discernment,' with admiration ; and of him- 

 self, as ' a credit and an ornament to H.M, Naval 

 Service.' It is plain he must have sunk in all 

 his powers, during the years when he was only 

 a figure, and often a dumb figure, in his wife's 

 drawing-room ; but with this new term of service, 

 he brightened visibly. He showed tact and even 

 invention in managing his wife, guiding or restrain- 

 ing her by the touch, holding family worship so 

 arranged that she could follow and take part in 

 it. He took (to the world's surprise) to reading 

 — ^voyages, biographies, Blair's Sermons, even (for 

 her letters' sake) a work of Vernon Lee's, which 

 proved however more than he was quite prepared 

 for. He shone more, in his remarkable way, in 

 society ; and twice he had a little holiday to 

 Glenmorven, where, as may be fancied, he was 

 the delight of the Highlanders, One of his last 

 pleasures was to arrange his dining-room. Many 

 and many a room (in their wandering and thrift- 

 less existence) had he seen his wife furnish ' with 

 exquisite taste ' and perhaps with ' considerable 

 luxury ' : now it was his turn to be the decorator. 

 On the wall he had an engraving of Lord Rodney's 

 action, showing the Prothke, his father's ship, 

 if the reader recollects ; on either side of this on 



