62 TROLLING IN STAFFORDSHIRE. 



informed me that poor Mary had once been a great 

 favourite with his aunts, who had brought her up 

 with great care and tenderness, and would probably 

 have amply provided for her, had she not displeased 

 them by placing her affections on the son of the 

 school-master of the village. His father had given 

 him a good education, but he had little besides 

 his handsome face> his good temper, and excelling 

 all others in country sports, to recommend him, as 

 he was a sort of pickle in the neighbourhood, and 

 was for ever getting into some scrape or other, 

 sometimes shooting or fishing in forbidden places, 

 quizzing old Andrew, which the latter duly reported 

 to his mistress, or playing tricks on the peaceable 

 inhabitants of the village. He was even detected 

 in getting over the park-wall, and prowling round 

 the old house on a moonlight night, to get a sight 

 of Mary. These and other misdemeanours, so 

 prejudiced the worthy ladies against him, that it 

 was intimated to him that if he persisted in his 

 attentions to Mary, his father would be turned out 

 of his school. George had too much good feeling 

 to bring this ruin upon his father ; he enlisted into 

 a regiment of dragoons, which soon afterwards was 

 sent to the East Indies, and nothing had since 

 that time been heard of him. Mary took his 

 departure so much to heart, that she absented 

 herself from the hall, and nothing could induce 

 her to renew her attendance on her former mistress. 



