ROUND THE SOFA.
BY THE AUTHOR OF
“Mary Barton,” “Life of Charlotte Bronte,” &c. &c.
TWO VOLUMES.
VOL. II.
LONDON:
SAMPSON LOW, SON & CO., 47 LUDGATE HILL.
1859.
LONDON: PRINTED BY WILLIAM CLOWES AND SONS, STAMFORD STREET.
CONTENTS OF VOL. II.
| PAGE | |
| The Accursed Race | 3 |
| The Doom of the Griffiths | 32 |
| Half a Life-Time ago | 97 |
| The Poor Clare | 179 |
| The Half-Brothers | 277 |
ROUND THE SOFA.
Mr. Dawson had often come in and out of the room during the time thathis sister had been telling us about Lady Ludlow. He would stop, andlisten a little, and smile or sigh as the case might be. The Mondayafter the dear old lady had wound up her tale (if tale it could becalled), we felt rather at a loss what to talk about, we had grown soaccustomed to listen to Mrs. Dawson. I remember I was saying, “Oh, dear!I wish some one would tell us another story!” when her brother said, asif in answer to my speech, that he had drawn up a paper all ready forthe Philosophical Society, and that perhaps we might care to hear itbefore it was sent off: it was in a great measure compiled from aFrench book, published by one of the Academies, and rather dry initself; but to which Mr. Dawson’s attention had been directed, after atour he had made in England during the past year, in which he hadnoticed small walled-up doors in unusual parts of some old parishchurches, and had been told that they had formerly been appropriated tothe use of some half-heathen race, who, before the days of gipsies, heldthe same outcast pariah position in most of the countries of westernEurope. Mr. Dawson had been recommended to the French book which henamed, as containing the fullest and most authentic account of thismysterious race, the Cagots. I did not think I should like hearing thispaper as much as a story; but, of course, as he meant it kindly, we werebound to submit, and I found it, on the whole, more interesting than Ianticipated.
AN ACCURSED RACE.
We have our prejudices in England. Or, if that assertion offends any ofmy readers, I will modify it: we have had our prejudices in England. Wehave tortured Jews; we have burnt Catholics and Protestants, to saynothing of a few witches and wizards. We have satirised Puritans, and wehave dressed-up Guys. But, after all, I do not think we