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SIR PETER CHILLINGLY, of Exmundham, Baronet, F.R.S. and F.A.S., wasthe representative of an ancient family, and a landed proprietor ofsome importance. He had married young; not from any ardentinclination for the connubial state, but in compliance with therequest of his parents. They took the pains to select his bride; andif they might have chosen better, they might have chosen worse, whichis more than can be said for many men who choose wives for themselves.Miss Caroline Brotherton was in all respects a suitable connection.She had a pretty fortune, which was of much use in buying a couple offarms, long desiderated by the Chillinglys as necessary for therounding of their property into a ring-fence. She was highlyconnected, and brought into the county that experience of fashionablelife acquired by a young lady who has attended a course of balls forthree seasons, and gone out in matrimonial honours, with credit toherself and her chaperon. She was handsome enough to satisfy ahusband's pride, but not so handsome as to keep perpetually on the/qui vive/ a husband's jealousy. She was considered highlyaccomplished; that is, she played upon the pianoforte so that anymusician would say she "was very well taught;" but no musician wouldgo out of his way to hear her a second time. She painted inwater-colours—well enough to amuse herself. She knew French andItalian with an elegance so lady-like that, without having read morethan selected extracts from authors in those languages, she spoke themboth with an accent more correct than we have any reason to attributeto Rousseau or Ariosto. What else a young lady may acquire in orderto be styled highly accomplished I do not pretend to know; but I amsure that the young lady in question fulfilled that requirement in theopinion of the best masters. It was not only an eligible match forSir Peter Chillingly,—it was a brilliant match. It was also a veryunexceptionable match for Miss Caroline Brotherton. This excellentcouple got on together as most excellent couples do. A short timeafter marriage, Sir Peter, by the death of his parents—who, havingmarried their heir, had nothing left in life worth the trouble ofliving for—succeeded to the hereditary estates; he lived for ninemonths of the year at Exmundham, going to town for the other threemonths. Lady Chillingly and himself were both very glad to go totown, being bored at Exmundham; and very glad to go back to Exmundham,being bored in town. With one exception it was an exceedingly happymarriage, as marriages go. Lady Chillingly had her way in smallthings; Sir Peter his way in great. Small things happen every day;great things once in three years. Once in three years Lady Chillinglygave way to Sir Peter; households so managed go on regularly. Theexception to their connubial happiness was, after all, but of anegative description. Their affection was such that they sighed for apledge of it; fourteen years had he and Lady Chillingly remainedunvisited by the little stranger.
Now, in default of male issue, Sir Peter's estates passed to a distantcousin as heir-at-law; and during the last four years this heir-at-lawhad evinced his belief that practically speaking he was alreadyheir-apparent; and (