212520_The_Adve ... _Way_Through_The_World.pdf - OUDL Home

542 THE ADVENTURES OF PHILIP
of Mrs. Brandon's door ; and a lady within the chariot delivered
three cards to the tall menial, who transferred them to Betsy.
And Betsy persisted in saying that the lady in the carriage admired
baby very much, and asked its age, at which baby's mamma was
not in the least surprised. In due course, an invitation to dinner
followed, and our friends became acquainted with their kinsfolk.
If you have a good memory for pedigrees—and in my youthful
time every man de bonne maison studied genealogies, and had his
English families in his memory—you know that this Sir John
Ringwood, who succeeded to the principal portion of the estates,
but not to the titles of the late Earl, was descended from a mutual
ancestor, a Sir John, whose elder son was ennobled (temp. Geo. I.),
whilst the second son, following the legal profession, became a
judge, and had a son, who became a baronet, and who begat that
present Sir John who has just been shaking hands with Philip
across Trail's back. Thus the two men were cousins ; and in right
of the heiress, his poor mother, Philip might quarter the Ringwood
arms on his carriage, whenever he drove out. These, you know,
are, argent, a dexter sinople on a fesse wavy of the first—or pick
out, my dear friend, any coat you like out of the whole heraldic
wardrobe, and accommodate it to our friend Firmin.*
Copied, by permission of P. Firmin, Esq., from the Genealogical Tree in his
possession.