And truly it was a fitting time for such a betrothal.  The air had been hot and sultry all day, and now the sky was overspread with dark clouds, while everything indicated an approaching storm.  While Mr. Wilmot was yet speaking, it burst upon them with great violence.  Peal after peal of thunder followed each other, in rapid succession, and just as Julia whispered a promise to be Mr. Wilmot’s forever, a blinding sheet of lightning lit up for a moment her dark features, and was instantly succeeded by a crash, which shook the whole house from its foundation, and drew from Julia a cry of terror, which brought Fanny to see what was the matter, and made Mr. Middleton swear, “Thar was noise enough from the tempest outdoors, without the ‘Tempest’ in the house raising such a devil of a fuss!”

CHAPTER IV

Dr. Lacey appears upon the scene

When Mr. Middleton was spoken to on the subject of sending Julia to Frankfort, he at first refused outright.  “No,” said he, “indeed she shan’t go!  What does she want of any more flummerdiddle notions?  What she does know is a damage to her.”

“But do you not wish to give your daughters every possible advantage?” said Mr. Wilmot.

“Who’s said anything about my daughters?” said Mr. Middleton.  “It’s nobody but Tempest, and she’s always kickin’ up some boobery.  Now if ’twas Sunshine, why, I might—­but no, neither of ’em shall go.  It’s all stuff, the whole on’t.”

So saying, he turned on his heel and walked off, while Julia burst into tears and repaired to her own room, whither she was soon followed by her mother, who tried to console her.  Said she, “Why, Julia, you don’t take the right course with your father.  Why do you not propose having your sister accompany you?  For, if you go, she will, and you know she can always coax father to do as she pleases.”

This was rather humiliating to Julia, but she concluded it was her only alternative, so she dried her eyes, and seeking out her sister, very soon talked her into a strong desire to try the mysteries of a school in Frankfort, and also drew from her a promise to try her powers of argument upon her father.  Accordingly, that evening Fanny made an attack upon him, and as her mother had predicted, she was perfectly successful.  It was settled that she and Julia should both go, and the next morning early Mr. Middleton set off for Frankfort to find “as smart a boarding place for his gals as anybody had.”  There was as yet no boarding house connected with the school, and he was obliged to find a place for them in some one of the numerous boarding houses with which Frankfort abounds.  He at last decided upon a very genteel establishment, kept by a Mrs. Crane, who at first hesitated about receiving into her family persons who possessed so rough and shabby-looking a father.

But Mr. Middleton brought her to a decision by saying, “what the deuce you waiting for?  Is it because I’ve got on cowhide stogies and a home-made coat?  Thunder and lightning!  Don’t you know I’m old Middleton, worth at least two hundred thousand?”