the　Campbells　of　Auchenbreck。　　Her　father　Colin；　a　merchant　in
  Greenock；　is　said　to　have　been　the　heir　to　both　the　estate　and　the
  baronetcy；　he　claimed　neither；　which　casts　a　doubt　upon　the　fact；
  but　he　had　pride　enough　himself；　and　taught　enough　pride　to　his
  family；　for　any　station　or　descent　in　Christendom。　　He　had　four
  daughters。　　One　married　an　Edinburgh　writer；　as　I　have　it　on　a
  first　account　…　a　minister；　according　to　another　…　a　man　at　least
  of　reasonable　station；　but　not　good　enough　for　the　Campbells　of
  Auchenbreck；　and　the　erring　one　was　instantly　discarded。　　Another
  married　an　actor　of　the　name　of　Adcock；　whom　（as　I　receive　the
  tale）　she　had　seen　acting　in　a　barn；　but　the　phrase　should　perhaps
  be　regarded　rather　as　a　measure　of　the　family　annoyance；　than　a
  mirror　of　the　facts。　　The　marriage　was　not　in　itself　unhappy；
  Adcock　was　a　gentleman　by　birth　and　made　a　good　husband；　the　family
  reasonably　prospered；　and　one　of　the　daughters　married　no　less　a
  man　than　Clarkson　Stanfield。　　But　by　the　father；　and　the　two
  remaining　Miss　Campbells；　people　of　fierce　passions　and　a　truly
  Highland　pride；　the　derogation　was　bitterly　resented。　　For　long　the
  sisters　lived　estranged　then；　Mrs。　Jackson　and　Mrs。　Adcock　were
  reconciled　for　a　moment；　only　to　quarrel　the　more　fiercely；　the
  name　of　Mrs。　Adcock　was　proscribed；　nor　did　it　again　pass　her
  sister's　lips；　until　the　morning　when　she　announced：　　'Mary　Adcock
  is　dead；　I　saw　her　in　her　shroud　last　night。'　　Second　sight　was
  hereditary　in　the　house；　and　sure　enough；　as　I　have　it　reported；　on
  that　very　night　Mrs。　Adcock　had　passed　away。　　Thus；　of　the　four
  daughters；　two　had；　according　to　the　idiotic　notions　of　their
  friends；　disgraced　themselves　in　marriage；　the　others　supported　the
  honour　of　the　family　with　a　better　grace；　and　married　West　Indian
  magnates　of　whom；　I　believe；　the　world　has　never　heard　and　would
  not　care　to　hear：　　So　strange　a　thing　is　this　hereditary　pride。　　Of
  Mr。　Jackson；　beyond　the　fact　that　he　was　Fleeming's　grandfather；　I
  know　naught。　　His　wife；　as　I　have　said；　was　a　woman　of　fierce
  passions；　she　would　tie　her　house　slaves　to　the　bed　and　lash　them
  with　her　own　hand；　and　her　conduct　to　her　wild　and　down…going　sons；
  was　a　mixture　of　almost　insane　self…sacrifice　and　wholly　insane
  violence　of　temper。　　She　had　three　sons　and　one　daughter。　　Two　of
  the　sons　went　utterly　to　ruin；　and　reduced　their　mother　to　poverty。
  The　third　went　to　India；　a　slim；　delicate　lad；　and　passed　so　wholly
  from　the　knowledge　of　his　relatives　that　he　was　thought　to　be　long
  dead。　　Years　later；　when　his　sister　was　living　in　Genoa；　a　red…
  bearded　man　of　great　strength　and　stature；　tanned　by　years　in
  India；　and　his　hands　covered　with　barbaric　gems；　entered　the　room
  unannounced；　as　she　was　playing　the　piano；　lifted　her　from　her
  seat；　and　kissed　her。　　It　was　her　brother；　suddenly　returned　out　of
  a　past　that　was　never　very　clearly　understood；　with　the　rank　of
  general；　many　strange　gems；　many　cloudy　stories　of　adventure；　and
  next　his　heart；　the　daguerreotype　of　an　Indian　prince　with　whom　he
  had　mixed　blood。
  The　last　of　this　wild　family；　the　daughter；　Henrietta　Camilla；
  became　the　wife　of　the　midshipman　Charles；　and　the　mother　of　the
  subject　of　this　notice；　Fleeming　Jenkin。　　She　was　a　woman　of　parts
  and　courage。　　Not　beautiful；　she　had　a　far　higher　gift；　the　art　of
  seeming　so；　played　the　part　of　a　belle　in　society；　while　far
  lovelier　women　were　left　unattended；　and　up　to　old　age　had　much　of
  both　the　exigency　and　the　charm　that　mark　that　character。　　She　drew
  naturally；　for　she　had　no　training；　with　unusual　skill；　and　it　was
  from　her；　and　not　from　the　two　naval　artists；　that　Fleeming
  inherited　his　eye　and　hand。　　She　played　on　the　harp　and　sang　with
  something　beyond　the　talent　of　an　amateur。　　At　the　age　of
  seventeen；　she　heard　Pasta　in　Paris；　flew　up　in　a　fire　of　youthful
  enthusiasm；　and　the　next　morning；　all　alone　and　without
  introduction；　found　her　way　into　the　presence　of　the　PRIMA　DONNA
  and　begged　for　lessons。　　Pasta　made　her　sing；　kissed　her　when　she
  had　done；　and　though　she　refused　to　be　her　mistress；　placed　her　in
  the　hands　of　a　friend。　　Nor　was　this　all；　for　when　Pasta　returned
  to　Paris；　she　sent　for　the　girl　（once　at　least）　to　test　her
  progress。　　But　Mrs。　Jenkin's　talents　were　not　so　remarkable　as　her
  fortitude　and　strength　of　will；　and　it　was　in　an　art　for　which　she
  had　no　natural　taste　（the　art　of　literature）　that　she　appeared
  before　the　public。　　Her　novels；　though　they　attained　and　merited　a
  certain　popularity　both　in　France　and　England；　are　a　measure　only
  of　her　courage。　　They　were　a　task；　not　a　beloved　task；　they　were
  written　for　money　in　days　of　poverty；　and　they　served　their　end。
  In　the　least　thing　as　well　as　in　the　greatest；　in　every　province　of
  life　as　well　as　in　her　novels；　she　displayed　the　same　capacity　of
  taking　infinite　pains；　which　descended　to　her　son。　　When　she　was
  about　forty　（as　near　as　her　age　was　known）　she　lost　her　voice；　set
  herself　at　once　to　learn　the　piano；　working　eight　hours　a　day；　and
  attained　to　such　proficiency　that　her　collaboration　in　chamber
  music　was　courted　by　professionals。　　And　more　than　twenty　years
  later；　the　old　lady　might　have　been　seen　dauntlessly　beginning　the
  study　of　Hebrew。　　This　is　the　more　ethereal　part　of　courage；　nor
  was　she　wanting　in　the　more　material。　　Once　when　a　neighbouring
  groom；　a　married　man；　had　seduced　her　maid；　Mrs。　Jenkin　mounted　her
  horse；　rode　over　to　the　stable　entrance　and　horsewhipped　the　man
  with　her　own　hand。
  How　a　match　came　about　between　this　talented　and　spirited　girl　and
  the　young　midshipman；　is　not　very　I　easy　to　conceive。　　Charles
  Jenkin　was　one　of　the　finest　creatures　breathing；　loyalty；
  devotion；　simple　natural　piety；　boyish　cheerfulness；　tender　and
  manly　sentiment　in　the　old　sailor　fashion；　were　in　him　inherent　and
  inextinguishable　either　by　age；　suffering；　or　injustice。　　He
  looked；　as　he　was；　every　inch　a　gentleman；　he　must　have　been
  everywhere　notable；　even　among　handsome　men；　both　for　his　face　and
  his　gallant　bearing；　not　so　much　that　of　a　sailor；　you　would　have
  said；　as　like　one　of　those　gentle　and　graceful　soldiers　that；　to
  this　day；　are　the　most　pleasant　of　Englishmen　to　see。　　But　though
  he　was　in　these　ways　noble；　the　dunce　scholar　of　Northiam　was　to
  the　end　no　genius。　　Upon　all　points　that　a　man　must　understand　to
  be　a　gentleman；　to　be　upright；　gallant；　affectionate　and　dead　to
  self；　Captain　Jenkin　was　more　knowing　than　one　among　a　thousand；
  outside　of　that；　his　mind　was　very　largely　blank。　　He　had　indeed　a
  simplicity　that　came　near　to　vacancy；　and　in　the　first　forty　years
  of　his　married　life；　this　want　grew　more　accentuated。　　In　both
  families　imprudent　marriages　had　been　the　rule；　but　neither　Jenkin
  nor　Campbell　had　ever　entered　into　a　more　unequal　union。　　It　was
  the　captain's　good　looks；　we　may　suppose；　that　gained　for　him　this
  elevation；　and　in　some　ways　and　for　many　years　of　his　life；　he　had
  to　pay　the　penalty。　　His　wife；　impatient　of　his　incapacity　and
  surrounded　by　brilliant　friends；　used　him　with　a　certain　contempt。
  She　was　the　managing　partner；　the　life　was　hers；　not　his；　after　his
  retirement　they　lived　much　abroad；　where　the　poor　captain；　who
  could　never　learn　any　language　but　his　own；　sat　in　the　corner
  mumchance；　and　even　his　son；　carried　away　by　his　bright　mother；　did
  not　recognise　for　long　the　treasures　of　simple　chivalry　that　lay
  buried　in　the　heart　of　his　father。　　Yet　it　would　be　an　error　to
  regard　this　marriage　as　unfortunate。　　It　not　only　lasted　long
  enough　to　justify　itself　in　a　beautiful　and　touching　epilogue；　but
  it　gave　to　the　world　the　scientific　work　and　what　（while　time　was）
  were　of　far　greater　value；　the　delightful　qualities　of　Fleeming
  Jenkin。　　The　Kentish…Welsh　family；　facile；　extravagant；　generous　to
  a　fault　and　far　from　brilliant；　had　given　the　father；　an　extreme
  example　of　its　humble　virtues。　　On　the　other　side；　the　wild；　cruel；
  proud；　and　somewhat　blackguard　stock　of　the　Scotch　Campbell…
  Jacksons；　had　put　forth；　in　the　person　of　the　mother　all　its　force
  and　courage。
  The　marriage　fell　in　evil　days。　　In　1823；　the　bubble　of　the　Golden
  Aunt's　inheritance　had　burst。　　She　died　holding　the　hand　of　the
  nephew　she　had　so　wantonly　deceived；　at　the　last　she　drew　him　down
  and　seemed　to　bless　him；　surely　with　some　remorseful　feeling；　for
  when　the　will　was　opened；　there　was　not　found　so　much　as　the
  mention　of　his　name。　　He　was　deeply　in　debt；　in　debt　even　to　the
  estate　of　his　deceiver；　so　that　he　had　to　sell　a　piece　of　land　to
  clear　himself。　　'My　dear　boy；'　he　said　to　Charles；　'there　will　be
  nothing　left　for　you。　　I　am　a　ruined　man。'　　And　here　follows　for　me
  the　strangest　part　of　this　story。　　From　the　death　of　the
  treacherous　aunt；　Charles　Jenkin；　senior；　had　still　some