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 



