“And, besides, did we not hear that the new squire does not intend to reside in England for some years to come? Did not some one say that he was only coming here to make a sort of triumphal entry upon his paternal land, and then, after liberally treating all his tenants and the villagers, he was to leave on extended travels?” “Oh, yes! yes! I believe we did hear something of the sort. I suppose the fellow thinks he can safely come here with his bride to gratify his pride and vanity, by exhibiting her and himself in a triumphal entry, after the manner of royal personages! I dare say he thinks himself secure in doing that. But he does not know the Nemesis that is waiting for him! He does not dream that he will exchange triumph for shame, luxury for torture, and Haymore Hall and fox-hunting for Portsmouth Isle and penal servitude!” exclaimed the curate. Then rising, he said: “I must go and write my sermon. And this has given me some new ideas for it.” And when he left the room Hetty and Jennie both knew that the sermon in question would be likely to deal more with the terrors of the law than with the mercies of the Lord. CHAPTER XIV COMING EVENTS The autumn days passed calmly at the parsonage of Haymore. The curate had his own care, but he kept it to himself. On that morning succeeding Jennie’s arrival, when Hetty had observed traces of unusual disturbance on the brow of her Jimmy and had ascribed it to the effect of some distressing deathbed scene of some parishioner and therefore had forborne to question him, the cause of the curate’s uneasiness was just this: He had, by that morning’s mail, received a letter from his rector at Cannes, speaking hopelessly of his own illness and predicting an early and fatal issue. James Campbell would not disturb his wife and daughter with this news, though it troubled him deeply and for more reasons than one. In the first place, he felt a warm affection for the venerable rector who had been his father’s classmate at Oxford, and who had remembered him when he could do him a service and put him into his present position. In the second place, should the rector die soon, his successor would be appointed by the Squire of Haymore and would naturally dismiss him, James Campbell, from his curacy. And he and his family would have to go forth in the world, homeless, moneyless and almost friendless, in midwinter. What prospect lay before the three but destitution and indebtedness—practically, first, to go into the cheapest lodgings they could find; then to go into debt for their daily food as long as he might be able to get credit. And after that—what? He did not know.