That, together with his half-pay, and the interest of his
wife's thousand pounds, sufficed to educate his children and keep
the wolf at a comfortable distance from his door. He himself was a
spare thin man, with quiet, lazy, literary habits. He had done the
work of life, but had so done it as to permit of his enjoying that
which was left to him. His sole remaining care was the
establishment of his children; and, as far as he could see, he had
no ground for anticipating disappointment. They were clever, good-
looking, well-disposed young people, and upon the whole it may be
said that the sun shone brightly on Thwaite Hall. Of Mrs. Garrow it
may suffice to say that she always deserved such sunshine.
For years past it had been the practice of the family to have some
sort of gathering at Thwaite Hall during Christmas. Godfrey Holmes
had been left under the guardianship of Major Garrow, and, as he had
always spent his Christmas holidays with his guardian, this,
perhaps, had given rise to the practice. Then the Coverdales were
cousins of the Garrows, and they had usually been there as children.
At the Christmas last past the custom had been broken, for young
Holmes had been abroad. Previous to that, they had all been
children, excepting him. But now that they were to meet again, they
were no longer children.
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