 gigantic, though he
stuck to his charge against the Tory party. And moreover: the Tories - and the
old Whigs, now Liberals, ranked under the heading of Tories - those Tories
possessing and representing the wealth of the country, yet had not started one
respectable journal that a lady could read through without offence to her, or a
gentleman without disgust! If there was not one English newspaper in existence
independent of circulation and advertisements, and of the tricks to win them,
the Tories were answerable for the vacancy. They, being the rich who, if they
chose, could set an example to our Press by subscribing to maintain a Journal
superior to the flattering of vile appetites - »all that nauseous matter,«
Beauchamp stretched his finger at the sheets Colonel Halkett was holding, and
which he had not read - »those Tories,« he bowed to the colonel, »I 'm afraid I
must say you, sir, are answerable for it.«
    »I am very well satisfied with my paper,« said the colonel.
    Beauchamp sighed to himself. »We choose to be satisfied« he said. His pure
and mighty DAWN was in his thoughts: the unborn light of a day denied to earth!
    One of the doctors of Bevisham, visiting a sick maid of the house, trotted
up the terrace to make his report to her master of the state of her health. He
hoped to pull her through with the aid of high feeding. He alluded cursorily to
a young girl living on the outskirts of the town, whom he had been called in to
see at the eleventh hour, and had lost, owing to the lowering of his patient
from a prescription of a vegetable diet by a certain Dr. Shrapnel.
    That ever-explosive name precipitated Beauchamp to the front rank of the
defence.
    »I happen to be staying with Dr. Shrapnel« he observed. »I don't eat meat
there because he doesn't, and I am certain I take no harm by avoiding it. I
think vegetarianism a humaner system, and hope it may be wise. I should like to
see the poor practising it, for their own sakes; and I have half an opinion that
it would be good for the rich - if we are to condemn gluttony.«
    »Ah? Captain Beauchamp!« the doctor bowed to him. »But my case was one of
poor blood requiring to be strengthened. The girl was allowed to sink so low
that stimulants were ineffective when I stepped in. There 's the point. It 's
all very well while
