CHAPTER VI.—continued.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume V, Issue 245, 11 January 1878, Page 5

CHAPTER Vl.— continued.

The familiar name struck on my ear and raised a'host of recollections. ,},' -' . ' /< ) " Ah," said one of the men of science, " I've'-,been- h dqwri there, 'lately. You know the improvement of the minestfj^puo/ef^e duke's 4 hobbies." ,'{;!' %\ r .Cj\\,7\ 4 \) ■- ' "And not merely mines, is it? " said the secis3&sfyL } 'St& .heard a good deal of his work among the people." ' ' > f - r ' ■liii^'^V^ i m '•IJust fo," replied the scientific gentleman, " ( he'3:alway«wfeSTOC-/ thingj; you know it would puzzle the calculating Ijby" to number his hobbies ; but the last thing has been the mines, and really his ideas about ventilation are very creditable." " You arc speaking, I presume, of the Duke of Leven ? " I inquirpd. „ /'Ah, yes, you would have known him, of course, before going to Australia. Curious history his has been, certainly." •' Ho is really an excellent fellow," said Sir Clinton, but not loug for this world, I fear ; I never saw a man so altered." '' Well, he \k a very good fellow, of course," said the county member ; '• but he is carrying things too far, to my mind." " How so 1 " I ventured to ask. ' " Oh, I don't know exactly ; lives the life of a hermit, which, in his position is n mistake, and docs mischief ; and then he's always sporting some social view or other ; setting himself a little against the current. One thing, you know, he's a Catholic." " Yes," observed the second man of .science, who till now had spoken but little, " it's a great pity that. Cuts a man of his standing so completely out of everything. He can't take his proper place in general society, parliament, or anywhere." ■ " Well," began the editor, of all the idiotic absurdities a man can be guilty of, I should say that was the primeht. I declare it would justify a commission of lunacy." " I'm afraid that's the real explanation of the whole thing," said the county member looking sagacious, and touching his forehead ; '• there certainly h a touch in the top story." " Touch or no touch," said Sir Clinton, "he has done wonders at Bradford, I know it by the results at the sessions." " And may I ask what he has done ? '' said the editor, with the slightest possible tone of sarcasm. " Changed the whole system of wages, shut up about twenty public-houses, and, really, I don't know how he has managed it, but they're not so brutalized by half since he's had the manor. ' " And if I am rightly informed (you'll correct me, of course, if I am in error), but I understood he had* brought over a lot of German monks and built them a monastery." "Ah, yes," said Sir Clinton, "that's at Glenlcven, on the moors, you know. Well, it's one of his crotchetc, and perhaps, not the most, sensible." The secretary shook his head, and looked disgusted " I know that we shall have to put a stop to all that sort of thing some day," he said, " and the sooner the better, in my opinion." Then the conversation, by an easy change, flowed into foreign politics, and I was left to digest all I had heard, and form my own conclusions. Was Leven really a little touched ? Was he unpopular 1 Or waa he dying ? Had his ten years of boundless means produced as their whole result an improved system of wages and mine ventilation, and the building of a monastery ? And did he fritter away his genius and his undoubted powers in a quick succession of profitless hobbies 1 I bhould go down next day to Oakham and judge for myself.