chapter 5.

sweeping changes

the morning after the initiatory dinner the young duke drove to hauteville house, his family mansion, situated in his family square. his grace particularly prided himself on his knowledge of the arts; a taste for which, among other things, he intended to introduce into england. nothing could exceed the horror with which he witnessed the exterior of his mansion, except the agony with which he paced through the interior.

‘is this a palace?’ thought the young duke; ‘this hospital a palace!’

he entered. the marble hall, the broad and lofty double staircase painted in fresco, were not unpromising, in spite of the dingy gilding; but with what a mixed feeling of wonder and disgust did the duke roam through clusters of those queer chambers which in england are called drawing-rooms!

‘where are the galleries, where the symmetrical saloons, where the lengthened suite, where the collateral cabinets, sacred to the statue of a nymph or the mistress of a painter, in which i have been customed to reside? what page would condescend to lounge in this ante-chamber? and is this gloomy vault, that you call a dining-room, to be my hall of apollo? order my carriage.’

the duke sent immediately for sir carte blanche, the successor, in england, of sir christopher wren. his grace communicated at the same time his misery and his grand views. sir carte was astonished with his grace’s knowledge, and sympathised with his grace’s feelings. he offered consolation and promised estimates. they came in due time. hauteville house, in the drawing of the worthy knight, might have been mistaken for the louvre. some adjoining mansions were, by some magical process for which sir carte was famous, to be cleared of their present occupiers, and the whole side of the square was in future to be the site of hauteville house. the difficulty was great, but the object was greater. the expense, though the estimate made a bold assault on the half million, was a mere trifle, ‘considering.’ the duke was delighted. he condescended to make a slight alteration in sir carte’s drawing, which sir carte affirmed to be a great improvement. now it was sir carte’s turn to be delighted. the duke was excited by his architect’s admiration, and gave him a dissertation on sch?nbrunn.

although mr. dacre had been disappointed in his hope of exercising a personal influence over the education of his ward, he had been more fortunate in his plans for the management of his ward’s property. perhaps there never was an instance of the opportunities afforded by a long minority having been used to greater advantage. the estates had been increased and greatly improved, all and very heavy mortgages had been paid off, and the rents been fairly apportioned. mr. dacre, by his constant exertions and able dispositions since his return to england, also made up for the neglect with which an important point had been a little treated; and at no period had the parliamentary influence of the house of hauteville been so extensive, so decided, and so well bottomed as when our hero became its chief.

in spite of his proverbial pride, it seemed that mr. dacre was determined not to be offended by the conduct of his ward. the duke had not yet announced his arrival in england to his guardian; but about a month after that event he received a letter of congratulation from mr. dacre, who at the same time expressed a desire to resign a trust into his grace’s hand which, he believed, had not been abused. the duke, who rather dreaded an interview, wrote in return that he intended very shortly to visit yorkshire, when he should have the pleasure of availing himself of the kind invitation to castle dacre; and having thus, as he thought, dexterously got rid of the old gentleman for the present, he took a ride with lady caroline st. maurice.