o Lord Turntippet's dismay than to his surprise, although
he affected to feel more of the latter than the former, the Marquis
received his gift very drily, and observed, that his lordship's
restitution, if he expected it to be received by the Master of
Ravenswood and his friends, must comprehend a pretty large farm, which,
having been mortgaged to Turntippet for a very inadequate sum, he had
contrived, during the confusion of the family affairs, and by means
well understood by the lawyers of that period, to acquire to himself in
absolute property.

The old time-serving lord winced excessively under the requisition,
protesting to God, that he saw no occasion the lad could have for the
instant possession of the land, seeing he would doubtless now recover
the bulk of his estate from Sir William Ashton, to which he was ready to
contribute by every means in his power, as was just and reasonable; and
finally declaring, that he was willing to settle the land on the young
gentleman after his own natural demise.

But all these excuses availed nothing, and he was compelled to disgorge
the property, on receiving back the sum for which it had been mortgaged.
Having no other means of making peace with the higher powers, he
returned home sorrowful and malcontent, complaining to his confidants,
"That every mutation or change in the state had hitherto been productive
of some sma' advantage to him in his ain quiet affairs; but that the
present had--pize upon it!--cost him one of the best penfeathers o' his
wing."

Similar measures were threatened against others who had profited by
the wreck of the fortune of Ravenswood; and Sir William Ashton, in
particular, was menaced with an appeal to the House of Peers, a court
of equity, against the judicial sentences, proceeding upon a strict and
severe construction of the letter of the law, under which he held the
castle and barony of Ravenswood. With him, however, the Master, as well
for Lucy's sake as on account of the hospitality he had received from
him, felt himself under the necessity of proceeding with great candor.
He wrote to the late Lord Keeper, for he no longer held that office,
stating frankly the engagement which existed between him and Miss
Ashton, requesting his permission for their union, and assuring him of
his willingness to put the settlement of all matters between them upon
such a footing as Sir William himself should think favourable.

The same messenger was charged with