The Sun.
London, England, 1833-12-06 00:00:00

DILEMMAS OF PRIDE'.

A novel in three volumes by the author of
,‘ First Love." The object of this work is a good
one, but is pursued in too inartificial a manner,
and withal, somewhat inconsistently. Various
are the dilemmas of 'Aide, but that upon which
the writer has thrown himself with the most
acharnement, is the pride which beggars a whole
family that one may be splendidly provided for.
All the younger brothers introduced, are, there-
fore, made patterns of heroes, whilst their
unlucky elder brothers, are, of course, fools, or
deformed. At the same time we are bound to
say that there is much in the three volumes
before us that will amuse a large class of readers.
The character of Aunt Dorothea, an old maid
with her endless lodging-house troubles, must
certainly have been drawn from nature. We give
the following as a specimen of the style :

4, We have already said it was near midnight : the day
had been spent in festivities, held to celebrate the coming
of age of Sir Willoughby Arden, now (his father having
been sometime dead) the head of the ancient family to
whom the property belonged,"
• • •
•

" In—about an hour after this all was still, save the
solitary voice of a distant waterfall. Every light was
quenched, and dying embers, which from time to time as
they fell together lashed for an instant, were all that re-
mained of the scattered bonfires. The merry crowd had
sought their respective homes, and the inhabitants of the
mansion had retired to rest, with the exception of Lady
Arden, who sat at an open window, taking leave, as it
were, of familiar scenes which, when the light of morn-
ing next dawned upon them, would no longer be her home.
" In marrying the late Sir Alfred, the then head of the
family, in obedience to the wishes of her parents, she had
sacrificed an early attachment to his youngest brother.
" Sir Alfred had, however,. proved a very pulite hus-
band, and she had for years been the mistress, nay, the
very princess of a princely mansion, a splendid establish-
ment, and a magnificent demesne ; she had possessed
every luxury that art and wealth could procure, and at the
same time had been surrounded by all the beauties of
nature on the moat extensive scale.

" All had now passed away It was to her son's, 'tis
true, and he was dutiful and affectionate, and would always,
she had no doubt, make her welcome, hut of course as a
visiter ; and whenever her son should marry (which she
certainly wished him to do), a stranger would be mistress
of all; and to the courtesy of that stranger she must owe per-
mission to cross the threshold of her long-accustomed home.
She did not tuean absolutely to murmur; but theta
was something pensive, at least, if not melancholy, in
such thoughts.

" While her son was a minor, Arden Park had still
been hers, at least the right of living there; but to-morrow
she was to set out for town ; she was to take ber daughters
from under the shelter of their father's roof, to become
wanderers, as it were, on the world's wide wilderness.
She would have a house in town, 'tis true : a short season
of each year would be spent there, and the remainder in
temporary and probably agreeable homes in the various
watering-places. But she felt a painful consciousness,
that, of the adventitious rank which the mere prejudices
of society bestow, herself and daughters would now lose
many steps ; and that the latter must, whenever she
should die, if they were not married, lose many more ;
nay, be probably reduced, at last, by the insufficiency of
their portions as younger children, to the state of poor
aunt Dorothea, whom she had herself often held up to them
as a warning of the miseries attendant on remaining single.
" Aunt Dorothea's afflictions were not always of the
tragic order, and the remembrance of some of them called
up, at the moment, despite her solemn reflections, a faint
smile on the countenance of Lady Arden ; followed, how-
ever, by a sigh, for the subject now came house to her
feelings in a manner it had never done before.
" So absorbing had been her reflections, that she bad

•
' not noticed the gathering clouds which had gradalif
extinguished every star, and darkened the heavens, till 'a
on which she still looked out had become one black s°
formless mass. At the instant, a vivid flash of lightef
gave to her view, with the most minute distinctness °
outline, not only the grand features of the landscape
generally, but, prominent above all, the ruins of the cwt's
the rocky eminence on which they stood, the river at 1,
foot, and the trees that surrounded its base. Thunse,
and violent rain followed, and the wind rose to a burr:.
cane. There existed a superstitious belief among !el
country people that a tremendous tempest always preco 0
or accompanied any event fatal to a member of the Ard,l„
family. A remembrance of this crossed the mind of VT(
Arden at the moment, hut was of course rejected as si'„
to a degree. Besides, she added mentally, if an ides e
absurd required refutation, the present occasion being
of rejoicing, would be quite sufficient to satisfy any re.ll,
sonable mind. She retired to rest, however, with ss',
dened feelings, while the castle, crowning its rocky 6`te;
as already described, floated before her eyes, even si:,.t,
,:
their lids were closed ; and when she slept, the „
still blended with her dreams, as did the forms of the
baron and his two sons, described in the legend of tbi
castle, and all strangely mixed up with the festivities °
the previous day, and the forms of her own hsilY
blooming
• • • • • •
" When Lady Arden arose in the morning all was es°
and sunshine.
" The storm of the night might have seemed a dreamt I'll:
for the still visible traces of its ravages. The river 'e‘f
greatly swollen, and several of the largest and finest 0
a range of magnificent old trees, which had grown °-
the brow of a sloping bank, forming a beautiful festal
in the landscape, now lay on the ground, literally uproot',
by the violence of the tempest. Their fate, however, vi3j-
soon forgotten in that of two young oaks, which bst
been planted beside each other on the lawn, on the ;cod
birth-day of her two sons. The lightning had shatters
both : Lady Arden viewed them for the moment with
shuddering sensation of superstitious dread, the influence
of which it required all her good sense to resist.
" Geoffery Arden, the only nephew of the late Si:
Alfred, was standing on the grass, with his arms foldew
and looking rather askance than directly at the rernairis
of the blasted trees, while his eyebtows were drawn si
contemptuously, and a somewhat scornful smile curled
lip, as he marked blind Lewin, the harper, his couple'
nance full of woe, feeling, with visibly trembling 1413'14
each shattered branch of the uprooted oaks, while tbe
large tears were falling from his sightless eyes.
" The brothers, Willoughby and Alfred, and their these
sisters, all seemingly attracted by the same object, iss°`;
one by one from the open glass door of the breakfast
I
room, and gathered round the spot ; each looked playftil',7
dismal for a moment, and the next uttered some laugh)
remark. They were soon joined by their mother ;
the group would have formed a striking family picturcei
Lady Arden was still a very fine woman : from her
temper the sweetness of her countenance was yet unisij-
paired, while the expression of maternal tenderness,---15
this, from the late tenor of her thoughts, was uncon;
sciously mingled with something of solicitude,—With
which she viewed her children, her sons now especially
and Alfred in particular, her favourite eon, gave additions'
interest to her appeal &ace.
" Alfred's sparkling eye and blooming cheek did Of'
however, seem to justify much anxiety on his account;
brother too, though be had always been more delicate, sea°,
at present in excellent health and spirits, while the three 116'
ters were young, handsome, and happy looking. Geeill
Arden still stood apart, as though there were but little le'
lowship of feeling between him and the rest of the grout'.
" He was a lad of eighteen or nineteen before the 13,1
riage of his uncle, the late Sir Alfre I ; and from a Chi'
had been in the habit of bearing his father and motherr
and such of their particular friends as sought to flatter
their secret wishes, speculate on the possibility of to
uncle's never marrying, and his being consequently heir la
the Arden estates, which were strictly entailed in the ma ;
line. Nay, his very nursemaid's usual threat was, Shd
if he cried when his face was being washed, he shcit:
never be Sir Geoffery. At school, all the boys at P„111,,'
hours had somehow or other acquired the habit of eitl?
him Sir Geoffery ; and at college his companions, partite
cularly those who wished to flatter him into idle extravil;
fiance, constantly joked and complimented him about
great expectations. Thus had those expectations, unju9l.,
founded as they were, grown with his growth did
strengthened with his strength ; till, when his uncle
marry, he could scarcely help thinking himself an injured'
robbed, and very ill-treated person. Hope however revived
.
a little, on the first three children chancing to be &WV',
ters, and his mother began again to say, be might has,. thl
Arden estates yet:—stranger things had happened. '`
you might marry one of the girls, you know, GeofferYt
she would continue,—" it would be souse compensation to
poor Sir Alfred for having no son.

" Indeed I should do no such thing,' he would replY'
I should please myself. It's not to oblige me, I suppose'
that my uncle has no son.' "

THE MARKETS.-(THIS DAY.)

CORN EXCHANGE.
The arrivals of most kinds of Grain this week are Moderrit
The Wheat trade remains dull at Monday's prices Bather
Beans, and Pease, without alteration. Oats are dull, and ra
cheaper. In the Flour trade there is not much doing. t.c

ARRIVALS.
Wheat. Barley. Oats. Flottr•o
English 3,890 qrs. 7,580 qrs. 3,090 qrs. 4,220,3 e
Irish - - 5,370 ~.....---
Foreign B6O 970 120 I ...---0_,...

SMITHFIELD MARKET.
This day's supply of Beasts, Sheep, Calves, and Porkers,_,Vil
limited, and chiefly of indifferent quality. The trade withriior
kind f prime meat was somewhat brisk; with the; o,too
kinds very dull, at barely Monday's quotations. Milch
were in steady demand at last week's prices, a useful Short-ll°r
with her small Calf, producing from 18/. to 201.
PRICES PER STONE OF SUBS. TO SINK THE OFFALS..d.
s. d. to s. d. s.
Inferior Beasts 26 2 8 Large Lambs 00 0 0
Second quality ditto 210 3 4 Prime small ditto 0 0 4 4
Prime large Oxen... 4 2 4 4 Large coarse Calves 3 2 c 4
Prime Scots, &c..... 4 4 440 Prime small ditto 410 :3' io
Inferior Sheep 2 6 3 0 Large Hogs ...... 3 0 4 4
Second quality ditto 3 6 4 0 Small Porkers 3lO h
Coarse_woolled ditto 4 4 4 8 Suckling Calves 10i. to 2EO•e'ecii;
SouthdownWethers 410 5 0 Quarter oloP.gs 125.t0
SUPPLY, AS PER CLERK'S STATEMENT.
Beasts. I Sheep. Calves. I Fig&
I 440 2,460 140

NEWGATE AND LEADENHALL MARKETS.
At per stone, by the Carcass. d.
s. d. to s. a. d.l° lU
Seel, inferior 222 4 I Mutton, inferior... 26 5 4
- middling 2 4 2 6 - middling.. 3 0 4 ri
- prime large 3 2 3 6 - prime 3 8 51/
- prime small... 3 4 3 8 Pork, large .1
2 4
Veal 3 8 5 0 small 4

THE FUNDS.-(THIS DAY.)

CITY, TWELVE O'CLOCK
A Halifax mail has arrived (sailed on the 19th of
vember), after a passage of only fifteen dam by orb'
Halifax papers to the 19th Nov. have been received a,"
North and South American Coffee-house ; also r",
Brunswick and Prince Edward Island papers, to the Is'
Nov., but these papers chiefly contain English news, $
no local information of consequence.
The only arrival this morning of any consequence
express from Paris, according to which it appears that
Carlist insurrection in Spaia is drawing towards an eou
THE FUNDS. 9t
Consols opened at the price they left off yesterday,
for the Account, since which the Market has been I°°
animated, and they are at present 88k 89 for the J4''
count. We have no other arrivals, this morning,
the express from Paris. Although it does not bring '-
the
decisive information from Spain, it is favourable to
cause of the Queen.

Spanish 241 ; Portuguese 561 57.
HALF-PAST 0101,
We hear that the Leeds steamer has arrived at Pdb'l:
after a passage of four days from Oporto. The itifortli--

tion she brings has not as yet transpired. 0, 00
There is a belief in the City that an armistice will
take place in Portugal. for
Consols, which were during the morning at Su3n
Account, alternately buyers and sellers, have,
short period, been done at 88i ; Reduced, 871. ese,
In the Foreign Market, Spanish, 23i ; Portugu
56i 57 ; Dutch, 49i 50e ; Brazil, 66 to
THREE 0* CL 0 C%.
Consols for the Account, 813 i

MARCH OF BIGOTRY.—A scene----11id11t
the solemnity of the occasion forbids our styling ludier°6l,,
but which we feel at a loss for another epithet to de '4_,o,
;,)it by—occurred on Sunday at the interment of a gentle
I tte of this city, (whose death was announced in oar; go.
in the church-yard at Three Castles. A numb r° d the
inm Catholics were in attendmce, but no Sooner " than
officiating clergyman commenced the funeral sereic,e2o
they all (with the exception of the apothecary Wieot of
tended the deceased and a steward in the emploYf° doou ~,less
his brother) fled with the utmost precipitation, rd °-
f
conceiving it would be more heinous to hear one -°to get
prayer from the lips of an heretical divine, tiofidij, on
intoxicated on the Sabbath Day, as many of
ii'
their return.—Yet this is the age of liberality
1'
le e tiny Moderator.