Page:Henry Northcote (IA henrynorthcote00snairich).pdf/368

 "Tell me, by what means did you learn that?"

"I walked over to the Hall and borrowed the Age of Sir John."

"The Age!" said her son, in a tone that had a thrill of horror in it. "Why walk all that distance to the Hall to get a look at the Age when Parson Nugent would have been only too pleased to lend you his Banner?"

"The reason is this, my dear boy," said his mother impressively. "All my life I have been accustomed to look upon the Age as the first English newspaper."

"I expect you are right, you dear old Amazon," said her son, strangling a groan.

"No, Henry, I am not right. I am prepared to believe there was a time when the Age was the first English newspaper, but in my opinion it is so no longer. I shall never place my trust in the Age again."

"A heavy blow for Printing Press Square," said Northcote, laughing to restrain his tears.

"I consider that leading article it had about the trial, and the terms in which it referred to you, my boy, to be a disgrace to English journalism. In fact, I wrote to the editor to say so."

"What did you find to say to the editor?" asked Northcote feebly.

"I said it was contemptible that a newspaper of such a widespread influence as the Age should lend itself to a faction whose aim was to suppress young men of talent."

"And what had the editor to say to that?"

"Very wisely he did not reply. Perhaps I was somewhat severe in my letter, but I felt very