He commanded, however, an excellent view of all that was going on, and was by no means consoled by seeing the girl Nelly dancing with one partner after another, without even condescending to regard him with a passing glance. This, of course, was irritating to a man of his choleric temperament, but there was no help for it; he was compelled to submit with the best grace he could. There was a number of young and pretty women among the throng, and, as a matter of course, a vast deal of flirtation took place in the course of the evening. Mr. Jakyl was evidently anxious that neither his fellow-servants nor his guests should overstep the bounds of prudence. Some of the young farmers were far too demonstrative and noisy to please the discreet and prudent butler, who, to say the truth, would in all probability feel greatly relieved when the festivities of the evening were brought to a termination. Those who lived some distance from the hall now began to take their departure, and, in the course of another hour, more than half the visitors had left. Mr. Jakyl came up into the gallery and personally thanked Peace and his confederates for their services. He at the same time placed wines and other refreshments before them. He was certainly a well-behaved, considerate man, who never failed to look after the comforts of those who came within his sphere of action. The guests at the hall now began to leave rapidly and the evening’s amusements were brought to a close. The musicians were thanked once more by the butler, Henry Adolphus, and many others of the household, and our hero returned to the old “Carved Lion,” in company of its genial landlord, who had been footing it merrily for an hour or more. CHAPTER XXIV. LORD ETHALWOOD――A CHRONICLE OF PAST EVENTS――THE SHADOW ON THE HOUSE. For some four or five weeks after this Peace was busily engaged in executing the orders he had received from people of almost every denomination. It was evident enough that he did not intend to shift his quarters for some time, as orders were falling in pretty fast, and he had promised Bricket to regild his frames before he left the village. Lord Ethalwood returned to Broxbridge Hall. Before introducing him to the reader, we must, for the purpose of our history, give a brief chronicle of past events. He had the reputation of being proud and haughty to a fault. Austere and inflexible as he was in outward appearance, he was not deficient in the softer and more tender promptings of the heart; but he was proud――this fact his best friends could not deny, and therein, perhaps, lay the secret of all his trials and troubles. He was proud of his name, of his lineage, of his unsullied honour, proud of the repute in which he was held, of his high standing in the county. As a river gathers force and strength from every tributary stream, so he made every gift heaven had bestowed upon him tributary to his pride.