Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

RAVENSHOE HALL, DURING ALL THIS. 255
ing now! I was a fool to-have given it up so soon, and to have
tried waiting until he came to us. He will never come. I must
go and fetch him. Here is Cuthbert, too, good fellow, fretting
himself to death about it. Let us go and talk to him."
And John MIarston said, "Right, true heart; let us go."
Of all their acquaintances, there was only one who could have
given them any information, - Lord Welter; and he, of all
others, was the very last they dreamt of going to. You begin to
see, I dare say, that, when Charles is found, my story will nearly
be at an end. But my story is not near finished yet, I assure you.
Standing where they were on the bridge, they could look along
the village street. It was as neat a street as one ever sees in a
fishing village; that is to say, rather an untidy one, for, of all
human employments, fishing involves more lumber and mess than
any other. Everything past use was " hit," as they say in Berkshire, out into the street; and of the inorganic part of this refuse,
that is to say, tiles, bricks, potsherds, and so on, the children built
themselves shops and bazaars, and sold one another the organic
orts, that is to say, cabbage-stalks, fish-bones, and orange-peel,
which were paid for in muscle-shells. And, as Marston and
William looked along this street, as one may say, at high market
time, they saw Cuthbert come, slowly riding along among. the
children, and the dogs, and the pigs, and the herring-bones, and
brickbats.
He was riding a noble horse, and was dressed with his usual
faultless neatness and good taste, as clean as a new pin from top
to toe. As he came along, picking his way gently amiong the
children, the fishermen and their wives came out right and left
from their doors, and greeted him kindly. In older times they
would not have done this, but it had got about that he was pining
for the loss of his brother, and their hearts had warmed to him.
It did not take much to make their hearts warm to a Ravenshoe;
though they were sturdy, independent rogues enough at times. I
am a very great admirer of the old feudal feeling, when it is not
abused by either party. In parts of Australia, where it, or something near akin to it, is very strong indeed, I have seen it act onhigh and low most beneficially; giving to the one side a sense of
responsibility, and to the other a feeling of trust and reliance.
"Here's' Captain Dash,' or' Colonel Blank,' or' Mr. So-and-so,'
and he won't see me wronged, I know. I have served him and
his father for forty year, and he's a gentleman, and so were his
father before him." That is the sort of thing you will hear often
enough in Australia. And even on the diggings, with all the
leaven of Americanism and EuropeanSRadicalismn one finds there,
it is much easier for a warden to get on with the diggers if he
comes of a known colonial family, than if he is an unknown man.