It would be an additional
misfortune if he became a fanatical Evangelical light, and he was
just the character to be worked upon.
My father held that she might be thankful for any good influence or
safe resort for a young man in lodgings in London, and he merely
bade Clarence never resort to any variety of dissenting preacher.
We were of the school called--a little later--high and dry, but were
strictly orthodox according to our lights, and held it a prime duty
to attend our parish church, whatever it might be; nor, indeed, had
Clarence swerved from these traditions.
Poor Mrs. Sophia was baulked of the game at whist, which she viewed
as a legitimate part of the Christmas pleasures; and after we had
eaten our turkey, we found the evening long, except that Martyn
escaped to snapdragon with the servants; and, by and by, Chapman,
magnificent in patronage, ushered in the church singers into the
hall, and clarionet, bassoon, and fiddle astonished our ears.
CHAPTER XIV--THE MULLION CHAMBER
'A lady with a lamp I see,
Pass through the glimmering gloom,
And flit from room to room.'
LONGFELLOW.
For want of being able to take exercise, the first part of the night
had always been sleepless with me, though my dear mother thought it
wrong to recognise the habit or allow me a lamp. A fire, however, I
had, and by its light, on the second night after Christmas, I saw my
door noiselessly opened, and Clarence creeping in half-dressed and
barefooted.
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