Burke would have told of them.

There would have been old country houses filled with portraits, and garrulous old housekeepers learned in the traditions of the past.

There would have been mouldering tombs and tarnished brasses in quiet country churches, with descriptive epitaphs, and many escutcheons.

There would have been crumbling parchments recording the prowess of Sir Reginald, knight, or the learning of Sir Rupert, counsellor and judge.

The Haygarths were a race of provincial tradesmen, and had left no better record of their jog-trot journey through this world than the registry of births, marriages, and deaths in obscure churches, or an occasional entry in the fly-leaf of a family Bible.
At present Mr.Sheldon was only at the beginning of his work.