The Transfused Transformed

If you live in Downshire and do not mow the f f iendells oí f f iendell Court, you are unknown, indeed; the cireumstance of their name being spelt viiii two little ís. and pronounced "cndall. stamps it with a peculiar arisoeracy. Radicáis, indeed - persons vho interested themselves in roots - assert that therc was at one time no uch thing as a capital in our alphabet, and that it was indicated by the dupli:ation of the email letters. As intelipence increased, capitals were in'ented, and tlie last persons to nse hem were, of course, the most illiterte; so (luit the retention of the two mail fs is not - intellectnally speaking - a feather in the f f iendell. cap. On h e other hand, as a token of antiquity, it is iavaluable. The possession of a name that nobody can pronounce without nstruction is also obviously a great inheritance, and in this case it was the more valuable, since there is no record of a f f iendell of Downshire having been distinguished in any other way. The f amily had "flourisned" f or cenfcuriee, in the sease that an old tree is said to flourigh, and, like it, most of it was underoround. Sir Geefirey Fendall, (for we wil) take t'ie liberty of spelling his name as il ivas pronouneed, as thougji he were :n oruinary Christfari), the present tenant of the Court, was a widower, childless and stricken in years. The long line which had moved as directly as a pawu in chess for so many general ions had at last I failed, and the succession was going aslant; nav, even zigzag - like the knight's move - to a seoond cousin, young Percival Fendall, of Lincoln' 8 Inn, Damster at law. llis failier had subsistcd on a very moderate propertv, the moonM from which had been iu ño way supplemented by the head of the family, and had bequeathed it in a red'ined condition to his son. The former had dUcovered by bitter experience that the fact of hls name being speli with two fs lid. not enhance its lii i'.c at the back of a bilí; while, the latter was seriously thinking of discarding the peculiarity altogethor, üs an affeetation out of which nothing h;d ever come but ridicule, tvhen suddenly old Geoffrey, acting undcr advice, (not legal, but medical), e to the fact of his heir-presumpexistence. He wrote from Downshire with his own hand to invite Percival 'i Fendall Court Most youniT men would havo jumped al su' :■. nor was Percival himself by any meana blind to its possible advantages; bul he was a man of that disposition which, in poor peopte, is cal led obstinacy; ín persons of moderate means, Qrmnes; and iu rich people, detenninaüon of character. Thanks to nobody but himseif, Jie was surely bul slowly making his way in the world. and he was not disposed to barter his Independence, even iir the reversion ol the family state. Tliis was not entailed upon him, but it would have been eontrary to all traditions of the house with two fs that Cousin Geoffrey shouldleave it to any other than the natural lieir. The young man kueiv, in faet, 'hat unless he gave his kinsman some grave 1 of offense, he would one day reign in his stead. Would it not be better, therefore, as he had ao an idea in eomnici!i wil h the old Sqnire, that they should keep apart, so that no offec e could be given by him? Percival certainly dia aot wisn in go to Downshire. It was November, iind, since he was no sportsman, he greatly preferred London, il that easoh, to the country; just now.indeed, he preferred it at all seasons, from t he circumstance that it, contained, in Gloucester place, u yoiing lady called Mary Blake, whose name it was his intention to change to Feudal! (with one F) as Boon as bis noome had become gufñcient for him to marry upon it. Her father was a hop merchant, and no doubt given to speculation in his own line, but strongly opposetl to eontingencies iu connection with his dan gh lef's settlement in lifc. He had at first refused to take Percival's great expectationg into consideration at all; but when this invitation came from the old Baronet he visibly thawed, and even lield out a hope that he might not now insist upon sceing Percivars Icdger settinsr forth tliat he had received in fees, ote., at least L500 a year before he would give consent to bis daughter's marrii 'To O.h: yóung man himseif this relaxation of Mr. Blake's proviso gave much less satisfaction than that gentle: had anticipated. In hig own mind he was persuaded that the match would be rlisagreeable to Sir Geoffrey. and ren i expectationg even less promising than before; and this was one of the ons that made him incline tobe verv (liitiíul to bis venerable cousin at adistance, and through the medium of the postoffice. He did not like the old gentleman; he had resented the coldness he had shown to his father; and he did not appreciate the overtures now made to himseif, which he thoroughly ondergtood were not owing to any personal repu-d, but only because cireumst anees had made him the sole surviving member of the house of two fs. At the same time he was much too sensible to tlirow away the brüliant prospecta ] wkich Ind thus vmfolded themselvos to his view, if he conld retain them with ' self-rospect f"d without muoh inconI venience. Although a very unworthy j descendant of his race as regarded tlie belief in eir blue blood - wbich he looked pon either as imaginary, or i ■ a Fcrv seriona jfhysical ailment - he had inherited a stron indispositioil to be bored or troublcVl. OM 8ir Geoffrey liimself, willi his twenty thousand pounda ayear and an obedient oounty, did not dislike being "put out" moi-c than he !id. ;.ik1 u-hen he as annoyed he looi; as lililc pains as his great kinsman to oènceal it. Such men are, 8ocially speaking, the Tery salt of the earth, who among a world of snobs and todies speak the plain truth to its little tyrants, even if tney do.not succeed in teaching them liow to behave tiiemBul PercivaJ had no sense of tleship whatever. He simplyliked bis owv own way .'is muchas his botters did, and - gince his ambition was limil ed -i - ■ .. ma Bol walk, and look. and speak as if the streel belonged to him, but rathenas if In did not oare ene halfpenny (whioh wa.= the case) to whom it did belong. Moreover, his father had been'no "tenth transmitter of a foolish race," and tliis young fellow was as intelligent as he looked. He knew himself - Ft is o!i!v fools, notwithatanding what philosophers.have gaid to the oontrary, who do not - and was well aware that he would not make a favorable impre: ■ i npon the owner of Fendall Court, and that w.is another reason why he was unwilling to g-o there. That we should be alile to keep at a iistance the good people from whom we have expectations (and vet retain them) is, however, a mere drëam of tne optimist; and so Percival found it. ïo the poüte and carefiilly-worded letter, by whioh he had endeavored to evadfe tiie invitation to the home of his ancestors, he received a reply by return of poet, the tone of which necessitated liig ïmmediate appearance at Fendall Court, Ins giving np all hopes of ever seeii!ï il hia own; iu short, Sir Ge;jürey was furious. "Dear Percival, you had better go," pleaded Mary, to whom he had showed t he note, with some strong expressions of indignation. She was a beautiful oreature, with eyes like a gazelle, and a voice more persuasivo to lús ear than any in tho law courts. "But ho writes so disngreoablv," süid Percival, pulling at liis mustache; "he must be a most offensive persou." "Recolleot, ray darling, that he is an oíd man," urged Mary, meaning that allowance, as well as reverence, was due to gray hairs. "He is not so oíd as all that," mused Percival. "This sort of thing may go on - I mean one's havingto put ni with bis impertinent arrogance - for yi and years. The question is, is it worth such a tremendou8 sacrifice?" The wretch was thinking of hls own peace of mind, and if he couldkeep his temper if such thing were s:iid to him - about "respect" and "obedience"- as his kinsman had thought proper to put on paper. "Ii you frot on with yonr oousin," sfce mum ui-ed, riCli a beautiful blush, "dear i;ipa wonld, I think, be more inclined to consent- that is - perhaps he would let os nmrry a lïttle earlier." "You darling! that's true," said Percival, "and is worth going through almost anything for. I'U write and gay I will run down to Downshire in. the course of next week." "Don't write, dear - telegraph; and run down by to-night's train." "But lam to meet jou at dinner, Mary, at the Joneses, on Saturday." "Ncvcr mind; don't let me be the cause of your running any risk of inoreaging Mr. Fendall s d re. I am sure I am giving you good advice. Go fco-night." "Very good; I'll go." And Percival went accordingly. Sir Geoffrey received liim with a stately welcome, the coldness of which, however, was owing to the genera! dity of the establishment rather thaD to any annoyance at liis tardy o!ediciice to his snmmons. Dpon the wfaole, Percival's hesitation had perhaps done him good. If he had shown himsülf eagerly de-irous to accede tp his kinsman's wishes it would probably have been set down by Sir Geoffrey to anything but disinterestedness, aud might have even BUggi ted death - a subject very distas! efu'l to the head of the f f iendells. An independence of spirit which had eventually givcn way to liis wishes was not unpardonable, for it exemplified the power of Mi wil] which had guhdued ir The Baronet himself volunteered to be the young man's guide over the pieture galïery and the atables, (the horse, we may be snre, was a favored animal with hun), and gave him to understand less by wonls than by liis confidential tone that at sonio time or ano; hui', though at a date so distant that it would be absurd to allude to it, all these things might behisovvn - if he behaved himself. It was well nnderstood in Downghire that good-behavior in Sir Geoffrey's eyes was doing what Sir Geoffrey wisbed, and for three du s Perciviirg behavior was unexeeptionable. On the fourth morning, however, it bccanie iufamous. vn tho previotri evening there had been a large dinner party, composed chiefly of the magnates of' the county, who had treated the young barrister with a civility that had suftlciently indiented tlieir opinión of hisprospects; and the young huiios had Deen at least as gracious as their fathers and mothers. " Percival, did you notice that girl in blue, last nightP" inquired Sir Geoffrey, snipping offthe end of his after-breakfast cigar and proceeding to light it: "Amelia Elton, Lord Wraxall's daughter; it is my intention that you siiull marry lier." Percival lifted his gyebrows. "It can't be done, Sir Geoffrey" - here he also lit his cigar with great deliberation - " that is if I continue to live in England. Wc ahould have to go to Salt Lake City, whore bigamy is permissiblo." "What the dlckens do you mean, sirP" exclaimed the Baronet. "Have you a wife alreadyP" "No, Sir Geoffrey." Percival could not help wondering to himself what would have happened had he anawered "Yes." Would hiscousin have had au apoplectic fit (he looked very near it as it was) and gone off the hooks at once, leaving everybody happy ever afterward? or would he havo sent for his lawyer and devised ererything he had to the County Lunatic Asyluiu on the spot ? Pereival had feit that this crucial matter must erop v.p sooner or later, ' and had nerved himself for tho encounter. "Ihave no wife," he went on, "but, what is the same thing, Sir Geoffrey, so far as my future is concerncd, I am engaged to be mm-ried." "What. to that hoD-t)icker's dauo-htOr ? tbuudered the i i ■, wlKt.it i seemed, had been tuaking keener quines into PercivaTs affairs tUan he had anv idea of. "Well, sir, her íather is a hopmerchant," retraed tlir youne man, coolly, "and I daré say has machi ,;mie pretty pickings; but I don't. think he woiilit nv to i.i called a hop-jjtófcer. I . perhaps, be allowed to add that your use of the tenn is not vcry polito to me." liia face was very -n-liito, and looked all the wliilcr by comparison with his companion's, which was scarlet. Tliey were both in a frightful rage, the one at a wi.ii e heat, the other boiling. "And wlio the deuce iré ymú ex. mI Sir Geoffrey, is precisely the same tone (tho ts sucb au arist) ;v tlio butcher's boy used who, bavJDg nra the leg of lus woodcn tray nto the Duke's eve, inqaired of liim: Wbxj the deüoe hc w;is that hc should be so particular about hia eyesightP "JU. =- : i gtiuaall. sir. a man that boa.sts lirliui Mnn-fTTTPm you, ii'.;i-i!uc)i as ho can count a i;(';i"ri beyond yon." ïliis reply, tended lo be satírica!, was un inspiraion, and had quite tltecontrary effeci to whai he had expected. He had acuiilentally protected himselí as ít were hy tliis interposition oí the other's fetish, as ihourh it had been a ghieldt "By Jove, that's truc," said Sir Geoffrey, regarding h!m with undised admiration. "You'rethe eleventh of us, though not quite in t'ue direct une. I am glad yon appreciati1 the imstance at lts fuH valué. I liad been told by a misehieyous fellow that yon had been thinking oí spulling our name with a capital F." ' Tb.it would be blasphemy, indeed,'" said Percival, without movinga muscle. "Of oourse it woüld," nt in the !'Mr";i"í, eagerly. " I perceive that mj informant was a liar. Yon are wort hy of your name, and yon veré only joking - though let me observe that I don' t like sueh jokes - when youtalked oí being engaged to this Ivliss Lake." ":.r, sir, is her name," continned Percival, with nnruffled calm; " it is a very decent une, though she doesa't ii with two íittle 1)3. She is a delicate-minded, honorable gentlewomau, and I mean tomarry her. "What, without my consent P" "No, Sir Geoffrey. I hope, with your consent. Yon iiave only to see her, and I venture to think you will confesa that Miss - the young lady in blue, whom you wcre so good as to recommend to me - cannet hold a can(■!■ 1 her." "But her blood, sir? Yon, of all men, should anderstand the importanee, the necessity, the indispensability - " The Baronet supplied in expression and gesture what was wanting to hini in words. "1 do, Sir Geoffrey. Science has lately eorroborated.your opinión npon that point. ïo persons about lo marry it recommenda the microscope. Mary's blood süall be subiected to investidaÜon." ' Whett nonsense yon tnlk! As if it could possibly be blood like oi:;-:! 1(!ware fiow yon triflé - or rather how you renture beyoncl trifling with peí f this class. .. lUL'jlieon, remember. is ineradicable." " If a Fendall were to break bis word, : Sir Geoffrey, would not that be a blot 011 tiie 'scuteheon?" It was cruel of Percival to place his kinsman on the horas oí such a düerama. But there is no íetish so utteny Ulngical - and, to say truth, so sellisa and en-otistical - as thnt of blood. "Tlio promise was extracted from you by passion," answered the oíd man, ! "and is therefore invalid." Then, as if aware of the monstrosity of this tion, he went hurriedly on - asaftorone : has skimmed over thin ice - to paintthe horrors of an unequa) marriage. "Look at voung Lascelles; if he luid married as liis nncle wiahed him, he might have stood ïor the county; a man whose ancenstry is only second to our own, but wlu) ciiose to throw himself away upon a female nobody; respectable, I daré s-' , she may be - her father livcs in Baker street and is of the name of Jones. Wh.-it was Ilie result of it all? Why. young Lascelles was compelledto walk the hospitals." If he had been made to walk llie plank, it is impossible that Geoil'rey could have spoken of the Eaot with more sincere oompussion ior the young rcntn's unhappy fate. "I know Lnscelles," snid Percival, eheerfully; "he lives close to the Blakes." "Very likely," put in Sir Gcoflrey. dryly. "And has already acqufcred a good practice," continued the yonng man. "Iletold me he Is nmch happier t'.ian when he was subjooted to his unele's whinis and caprices." This was a home-tlirust. Sir Geofirey seized the bell-rope to sumroon the footman to show liis kinsmnn to the door, bul by the timo the menial entered his mast er' s passion liad cooled down. lie only said, "Mak up the lire." The fact was thenotion of that exirajroneration which Percival had boasted of had seized on what the old Baronet "oalleil his mind," and placed the young man in a position of posiLive superioril vr. "L.ok lipre, Term-al," he said. "Ju I to-ob ■ you Pil see this young woman, and if I'm dissatisfled with her you must promige me to break off your engagement." " It is mpossiblc that you should be dissatisfied with her," said Percival, Qtly, but evasively. The old geni [unan had got an idea - rather an unusual evcnt with the Fendalls- and henee it was t'ie more to be regretted that it was unworthyof them. If he found this Mary liiakeso "honorand delicate-mindod" as Percival had desciibed. lie might work apon, her feelings by representing that she was ruining the young man' a prospecta; if, on the other hand, she was mercenary, he mighi buy he off. Accordingly, in due course Sir Geoffrey carne up to Londou, and an interview was arranged between himsell and Mary, after which Percival received the following letter: My Dkati Cot'srs: Lovo hfis not blinfled you, for I irrnnt thut the young person is very good-looking-, but It h;is (lulled your senaeof o-'. Miss B. drops her hs- one h I can Bwearto; it was in "hospital." Thisisnothot fault, of oourse, but her mlpfortune. It ia in il. If you marry her- being what she is and oun't help being- you shnll nevcr have ono aore of the f f lendel] land, norunoHhilliug of tho f f iendull money. Youra fuithfullv G. ff. The old Baronet would not have dared to writc this but that hc had, as he flattered liimself, won. over poor Mary to his side. He had painted to her the splondid prospecta that awaited Percival, but which lier marriage with him would dissipote forever; and had appealed to her love itself to discard her lover. He did not effect what he had hoped, but yet succeeded only too well. The thought that she would be the cause f her Peroival's future being destroved, preyed on her mind and produced a dangerous illness. Percival wae brokeri, and had only just spirit enouo;h left to direct an etivelope to Sir Geoffrey, ineiosing a pieee of his mind. It was an ugly fragment, and thus con. cluiied: " If through your infernal pgotism rav M:iry dies, I will take out letters patenj and change t ho idiotie name of f i tendel! lo BuUock-Smithy.'! Sir Geoffrey was reduced to despair by liiis frightful raenace. In llie meantime poor Mary got weakêT and weaker, and had hmnorrhaefrom the lungs, or more probably tlielieart. The blood of the Blakes, !lioup;h an inferior fluid, was necessary to her existence, and she was rapidly sinklag. Dr. Lascelles, who was ealled in in consnltation, said: " Tlière is only on e Ihiug tliat caasave this young lady's life. We must try ." ■ otbcr ]4or - who was of the ! 1A. ahatm lils head r.s only doctora can. Dr. Laácelles understood at on, froia the great significance of the gestare, that he had never so mueh as beard of the operation. "I feitsure yon would agree wilh rneV' he said, with the sweet smile that had won his way to professional sueeess - for his practico lay chieSy among the ladies. "Tou remembor Playfair's directiong, without doubt?" And he told him what they vn-. "One of na two must suslain thia ebbing life." "1 tliink it bad better he yon," returned the other, hastily. "There'a nothing like now blood- I mean vounsr biodöT" "ïnu!; I ara young and strnn.: I can't 8ee a beautiful ci'eature like iliis slipping through our hands." And he bared iii ; arm to t]ü o! her's lam ■; . Two months afterward Sir Geoffrey received tbc following letter from Percival, written ander compulsión at his wifefs dictatioB" !:''.': Coüsin: Aotnntci by fecllngfl of pur ■ . as yours If oncojuBtly remarked, Í ■ : I . wiicn the blood of i thof fiendells 6 }' they are ap1 ■ ■■; )'■--! . i es 81 pongij : :. he last trifin e saept monotto make allowancea the tact [ am thankf ui to ay my dearest Mary ■om hor bot! of eicknoss, and rain;" but thougrh she Is aa well ;m ever, thls Ea not ;". Bhe has in i ular, thonffb ientiftc, manner beoome somebody ■' bafl underffone the operation of i trnnsfusion at the hanas - or rather thearm - of Caveadish Láscelles, whose noble blood, to E the pet, now "oouraefl li her veins." One aas so often heard hed the last drop of fheir blood for this or th:r, nnd 80 Seldom fic'ü them shed even the first drop, that you have put them down in t] m bo1T 'hosts; bilt I Baw this with my own fye, i h:!d '.'ecu pres ut at the o tii n. 1 and can swear 'o t. I owc a debt to [les which i oan aever fepay, for he brought back to 11 ■ girl I married ■ :!■■' union wlll have your approbation, since the solé objeotiotí you had to it has been removcl- t ransfusdon. By hirth, it ia tru sho is stillaBlake, but by blooil ?bc i n Laacelles. With our unitcd kind regards, I nm youn truly, PüHCIVAtj F F EBNDRUU. Poor Sir Geoffrey, thua confi-onted not only with a dilemma, luit au anomaly, was :it nis wit's end - which was at nc great distance. In thi ilted his ofacle, .tn an ièfal nurae, who had dwelt in the honsehold iitmi ■ rui ■■'■■- scouted ■. ' ■'■ ■ id who beltered in the f f ienr'elte iirtand Providenoe afterwards. "It's inv opinión, Sir Geoffrey," said this female sage, "as it's no use srying over spilt mi k." The Baronet himself was already partiy of thai opinión; so the reconcilialiitn was effected, and the young eouplfl wcre invücq to the Court. Tlie brille, les from interested motives than from the sease that thn old man had so much to ";rijl over" in liis welcome to lier, devoted berself to hor host and soon gurp.assed her husband in Sir Geoifrey's favor. "Yon are not. only a ff leodeü by name, my dear," lie once said to her, " but, thanks to science, have become worthy of the race by nature. You were always very nioe - in your wajr - but thore wero points before that fortúnate opera! ion - But Hiere." he added, patting her little hand, "wewill vioi apeak of them now." "Yon mean I uaed to say 'Oipital' for 'hospita,!,'" she answered, "nanging her beantiful had," like the roso immortalized by Cowper. " But I yas alwa3's taught to do that, and also to say 'unible' for ' humble.' " "My dear," he said, quite gravely, "you used to drop all your hs dreadfully." (She spoke as purely as Lindlej' Murray). "But transfusión has picked them up for you. Depend upon it there is nothinp; like blood." Mrs. Percival Fendall was a woman, but she knew when not to have the last word. "Whatis the use of aruinp; with people," said she to her husband, (when ne calle'd her a humbug,) "who spell