New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1882-10-29
THE GRAY DOUBLET.
A KENTISH TRAGEDY.

,orat NOT look 10 come within my doors again.
COUSIN George. be not dlscouraseu v ~ I'M and
for - vour father will not receive you WILL anu
ION Shall be welcome to stay as long as You pe'So'
Tie speakers were brother ana sister ahu my
confronted one another, pale with passion anu Ie
to,mi,,ation The man was sir George Sondes-the
woman Mistress Lucy de Laune Inc scene was
the narior of the Grange at Lingsted. an ahcleh':
IL Lcnt dIlapidated mansion, long since pulled
Town then the property OF Henry &c l-auhe tGuini
tbrftless country gentleman, whom the Rlc"' Git
War had left almost beggaI Br0tuer anu ST.
s,nd fcc To face in the centre of the room, WINE
side by side in the bow window hahg'ls nj ~
heads like two culprlts caught Ieu1 az ttv and
girl of nineteen-the cousins George eohoo' anu
Anne de Laune. ,, hi.or os he tnrned
nnon his sister hercely with an exclamation -.
: Hal this is right, Now YOU nave lull9 us
covered yourself TO be what nave an aioH th '"'
pected yOu-the main promoter OF lniS n"'I -
have done Come, George, II you WiIl go nomo
with me well and good If not take what coines
of "a, ,, chm and rho
elder without another word left the house.
Sir Gecrge Sondes was man of great note in
Kent where he held large estates. lie had been
created knight OF the Bath by his Majesty Charles
/ and was High Sheriff OF the county IN the lhen1
lille vear ItIS when the obstinate and infatuated
kIng committed the fatal blunder OF levyng snip
money throughout his domlnlons. In MS eaPacdI
of High sheriff Sir GCrege SOndes was ,ihtLusle9
with the raising OF that unpopular tax In hehl anu
he discharged the delicate and dlsagreeaDle duty
with such tact moderation ana Justice a. :" WIN
o on0 ~ the Utmost When at last the nation
was goaded into civil war Charles had no more ue-
voted follower than Sir George. The hentlsh
Knlobt was no faT-weather lOyalist, but was as
staunch and true TO the cause when an lts hopes
seemed uuenched III blood on the ScaHOiu al W nIle-
hall as when the Royal hand had conferred upon
him his knghthUOd That 30 prominent anu 'u-
1uential Cavalier should suffer TOT his lhleAlDle
adherence to his tenets when the IeRicIueS peca,ne
masters Of the realm was only what was 10 ne eA-
pected Sir George marked down as DANGER,
Gus malignant and subjected to the most crnel ana
relentless persecution 1hree times De was llhPIls-
oned, twice Oh land aud oncc on Doaru coHNIo'
hulk, or what answered that purpose ID those days
The rents of his estates were Sequestraleu' us
country mansions, ITOwley ana Lees COuI' WHY
numbered and finally after he had been roDped Oh
more than 10000, he was graclously prrlhtleu 10
con pound aud live in comparative peace OH pay
inent of a fine of 81 500. M
Misfortune and persecution had soured SIT
Georges nature. and at the time nj whlch our sloIy
onens six wears after the execution OF CnarIes l.,
he Was generally regarded as harsh, alsieIe man
an inbospt neIghbOr ana naIsu Iahuloid'
who though he made pretence oil being IeIpIouS'
practlsed those secret vices when are not uucon-
monty found under the cloak OF religion; At tne
DeriOd With which are concerned ne hau Deeh
Tor many years a widower, and his sole surviving
rbildreu were two sons &c esce and Freeman, the
latter so named after his mother, VINO was the
IoupItrr OF Sir Ralph Freeman, OF Aspeden III
Ierfs sometime Lord Mayor of London George
inc cider was undoubtedly his fathers faYorlte
hut the knight. who prdei himself on ms strict
sense of justice stTOye 10 conceal DIS pailaiS from
himself and the world by OstentatlOusy treating
both sons alike. There was but Il year between
their ages. and both were sent to Camoriaee 10 th9
same college, Sidney Sussex Both had the pesV
masters IN fencing, dancing and singing lAat Lon
don could supply. W to certain leI'Ou OF .tn1ir
lives no one could detect much difference In the
fathers treatment Of the two sons; bnt when the
time came for them TO select theI paths III ne inc
difference in theiI positions became appaItht.
George was to travel and be gent al ease
Freeman WAS to enter one OF tie inns OF Court anu
earn his living as lawyer. AgalI 81 TINS deGlsoh
the younger son rebelled lie Had aTays ht.Glo
lived on an exact equality with ms eIGer orotLeI
and ne bad no mind to be sent TO the drudSefy OF
the law : while George enjoying himself. Ahu
80 Freeman and his father quaIIelled FROM lnaJ
IUomeut Sir George contracted dislike for his
Younger son Which he was at little pans 10 conceal
Freeman was made to feel that ne WAS noU we noII,
and that he must after his fathers death occupy
very smi ordinate position. Sir George purpOsely
Kent HIM SO sparey supplied with money that Inc
lad elt Inundated IN the presehce o. o.eI &oILns
men of his rank, whose fathers, though lar TESS
wealthy than his, were infinitely more generous 10
their sons III the matter o. p9chet-honeS liner
such treatment Freeman Sondes. who was natur'
aIly "A high-spirIted and sensitive yOuth, became
sullen and morose, a marked contrast to ms gay
and CHEEKY brother, of whom the hhSAt gre"
every day mere pasSlonately jOnd' -
To Lls fathers partial eye George SohdeS was rs
near perfection as a young man could he expected
10 bc. TIue he WAS not exactly a seIlous-ihn4eu
yOuth-bc loved sport ana brave a,sIc ana OtIcf 81
worldly vluItieS and hated the snuNllh2 cant OF
the C0nventicleIs with proper CaNaiieI hd.ieu.
But then lie handsome and Joyous eaIlaht
youth a dutlful and ateCtiondte son. ana though
piety was now part of the regime al Lees OOurl
ana each of the in turn was expected 10 READ
oIoud cLapter from the Bile Tor the benefit OF the
assembled servants every night ana morning, yelJt
NAV be doubted whether Sir George plety, we're
NOT more a matter of eXpedency than ch0lce.
The Puritan was then master III the Iand. an gov
crmeut was III the hands OF cody mCn' rely
was as ncedful for officer IN the army ioI
magistrate for petty constable. as Tor minister
OF religion. If a gentleman were deSlroua Oh H'IhS
at peace free from the Intrusion oil crop-eHeu,
psa singing inquistOrs he must 20 through AT
jeast The form Of quoting on the old man. And so
Masters George and Freeman Sondes-fresh from
the cockpit or the card tablehad 10 SIT down ana
hair
Scripture iOl the edlicaon OF the family ald steh
TO Il long -winded prayer from their father George,
TO do him justice, was always at his post, put
Freeman Was frequently an absentee from evening
devOtionS. not returning TIL close upon midnight
when be found his father sitting up Tor mn fehay
with stem hOnily iulerspersed with cruel tauhts
which sent freeman 10 bed it'll his face more lark
and Sowing than ever.
Scarcely a happy family this. Rather one in
which The elements vi dlsc0rd were SUouldcrlng
ready to burst into blaze in moment. But Sir
tieOTge apparently blind to all Indications OF
unplcasantness and thought only oi handing down
splendid Inheritance TO Ills heir. lie han already
spent immense sam upon the mansion OF Lees
Court. situated between Ashford and Faycrsham,
which his father SIR Richard SOndes, OF lrowley,
had purchased from SIT Thomas Norton, OF North
wood vi Ose family had owned the place for up
ward of two hundred years, and who was collateral
lydescended from the original grantee OF the manGI,
Sampson Atte-Lese one OF the valiant knights
If Edward Longshanks Sir George had pulled
down he old thirteenth century manor house and
erected on its site far more magnificent and
ambitious cdilce, with an Imposing front. Tor
which lingo Jones haG suipeG, 'hc uosisu' al ms
stately residence when ~ sun one OF the SHOW
place s of Kent. the Knight lived his lonely LIE,
Under "a Government Which he abLoired, among
enemies ever watcbful to catch him tripping, win
scarce friend to whom 70 look for s1 InPathy OF
cheer. his only consolation the hope of restoration
of the Old regime when. thanks TO his prudence anu
ECONOMY, his favOrito son would be able 10 hoid MS
Lead as high as the proudest Cavalier OF them all;
That son had yet crossed hls wishes OF caused
him moments serious dlsquletude. Bat IL was
MOI ALWAYS to be 80. In the autumn of 1904 Sr
George received from his brother HugnsJn a letter
which filed him with alarm ana dsmay.
Young George Sondes had of late shown great
affection for his uncle Hugips0n. and was con-
stantly at the atters house at Ashford Sir George
viewed the intimacy with pleasure, for liuginson