Country life -- England; England -- Social life and customs; Gentry -- England
She had, fortunately, sufficient resolution to resist intimidation.
Whether she would have succumbed in the end we cannot say, but,
luckily for her, he was arrested for costs in the Chancery suit
against his brother, and was lodged in the prison of King's Bench,
where he remained for seven years. Bethell, afterwards Lord Westbury,
was counsel against him. Ralph Grym conducted his own case. Every now
and then he was brought from prison into court, as some fresh stage
of the case was entered upon, and then returned to his detention. One
day Bethell informed the judge that he moved for an "abatement," owing
to the death of one of the parties involved in the suit. This was the
first tidings Ralph Grym received of the decease of his brother-in-law,
who with his brother John was party in the suit. His brother now
abandoned the action, and Ralph was let out of King's Bench. He at once
returned to the neighbourhood of Grimstone, and sent a message to his
brother on the very first night of his return that he had a gun; that
he was passionately fond of shooting; that for seven or eight years he
had been debarred the pleasure; that his hand had become shaky; and
that--in all human probability, when he was out shooting, should John
come in sight, his gun would go off accidentally, and on this occasion
_not_ perforate the beaver.
John took the hint and remained indoors, whilst Ralph shot when and
what he liked over his brother's grounds. But this was a condition of
affairs so intolerable, that John deemed it expedient to come to terms
with his brother, give him five hundred pounds, and pack him off to
London.
Furnished with this sum, Ralph returned to town, and there set up
livery stables. He was himself a first-rate rider, and he taught
ladies riding, and conducted riding parties in Epping forest. He made
money by purchasing good-looking horses that were faulty in one or two
particulars, at some ten pounds or fifteen pounds, and as his horses
were well turned out, and well bred, he had the credit of mounting his
customers well. And he was not indisposed to sell some of these for
very considerable sums.
Thus passed three or four years, the happiest in his life, and he
might have continued his livery stables, had he not quarrelled with
a groom and fought him. He was thrown, and dislocated his hip. This
was badly set; it was a long job, and he was never again able to ride
comfortably. His business went back, he lost his customers, and failed.
Then, without a penny in his pocket, he returned to Devon, and to the
neighbourhood of Grimstone, and lodged with the tenants on the estate.
Utterly ruined in means and in credit, he became a burden to his hosts.
They declined to entertain him wholly and severally, so he slept in one
farmhouse, and had his meals in one or another of the neighbouring
farms. His brother refused to see him, defied his threats, and denied
him money.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account