CHAPTER III.

getAdmiralBaldwin.Ineversawquitesowretchedanexampleofwhatasea-faringlifecandobuttoadegree,Iknowitisthesamewiththemall:theyareallknockedabout,andexposedtoeveryclimate,andeveryweather,tilltheyarenotfittobeseen.Itisapitytheyarenotknockedontheheadatonce,beforetheyreachAdmiralBaldwin’sage.” “Nay,SirWalter,”criedMrsClay,“thisisbeingsevereindeed.Havealittlemercyonthepoormen.Wearenotallborntobehandsome.Theseaisnobeautifier,certainlysailorsdogrowoldbetimesIhaveobservedittheysoonlosethelookofyouth.Butthen,isnotitthesamewithmanyotherprofessions,perhapsmostother?Soldiers,inactiveservice,arenotatallbetteroff:andeveninthequieterprofessions,thereisatoilandalabourofthemind,ifnotofthebody,whichseldomleavesaman’slookstothenaturaleffectoftime.Thelawyerplods,quitecare-wornthephysicianisupatallhours,andtravellinginallweatherandeventheclergyman—”shestoptamomenttoconsiderwhatmightdofortheclergyman—“andeventheclergyman,youknowisobligedtogointoinfectedrooms,andexposehishealthandlookstoalltheinjuryofapoisonousatmosphere.Infact,asIhavelongbeenconvinced,thougheveryprofessionisnecessaryandhonourableinitsturn,itisonlythelotofthosewhoarenotobligedtofollowany,whocanliveinaregularway,inthecountry,choosingtheirownhours,followingtheirownpursuits,andlivingontheirownproperty,withoutthetormentoftryingformoreitisonlytheirlot,Isay,toholdtheblessingsofhealthandagoodappearancetotheutmost:Iknownoothersetofmenbutwhatlosesomethingoftheirpersonablenesswhentheyceasetobequiteyoung.” ItseemedasifMrShepherd,inthisanxietytobespeakSirWalter’sgoodwilltowardsanavalofficerastenant,hadbeengiftedwithforesightfortheveryfirstapplicationforthehousewasfromanAdmiralCroft,withwhomheshortlyafterwardsfellintocompanyinattendingthequartersessionsatTauntonandindeed,hehadreceivedahintoftheAdmiralfromaLondoncorrespondent.BythereportwhichhehastenedovertoKellynchtomake,AdmiralCroftwasanativeofSomersetshire,whohavingacquiredaveryhandsomefortune,waswishingtosettleinhisowncountry,andhadcomedowntoTauntoninordertolookatsomeadvertisedplacesinthatimmediateneighbourhood,which,however,hadnotsuitedhimthataccidentallyhearing—(itwasjustashehadforetold,MrShepherdobserved,SirWalter’sconcernscouldnotbekeptasecret,)—accidentallyhearingofthepossibilityofKellynchHallbeingtolet,andunderstandinghis(MrShepherd’s)connectionwiththeowner,hehadintroducedhimselftohiminordertomakeparticularinquiries,andhad,inthecourseofaprettylongconference,expressedasstronganinclinationfortheplaceasamanwhoknewitonlybydescriptioncouldfeelandgivenMrShepherd,inhisexplicitaccountofhimself,everyproofofhisbeingamostresponsible,eligiblete