THE SQUIRE AMONG HIS NEIGHBOURS. 181 



many years, and lived in a cottage with land 

 attached, on the Willey side of the Shirlot, being 

 the most clamorous. She set out one night with 

 the intention of shooting the Squire, but was un- 

 nerved by her favourite monkey, who had stealthily 

 gone on before, and jumped unobserved on her 

 shoulder as she opened a gate. On another occasion 

 she succeeded in surprising the Squire by forcing 

 her way into his room and pointing a loaded pistol 

 at him across the table, vowing she would shoot 

 him unless he promised to make the sum left for her 

 maintenance equal to that of Miss Cal — t. He 

 had his children educated ; they frequently visited 

 at the Hall, and some married well. He speaks of 

 them as his children and grandchildren in his letters, 

 and manifested the greatest anxiety that everything 

 should be done that could be done, by provisions in 

 his will for those he was about to leave behind him. 

 Indeed the same characteristics which gave a colour- 

 ing to his life distinguished him to the last ; and 

 .if the old fires burnt less brightly, the same inner 

 sense and outward manifestations were evident in all 

 he did. 



One thing which troubled him was the chancel of 

 Barrow Church, as will be seen by the following 



