he was weak,
dolefully weak; took all this folly with a long countenance; and one
day--by your leave!--resigned the lady. She was no such fool, however;
it's from her you must inherit your excellent good sense; and she
refused to be bandied from one to another. Both got upon their knees to
her; and the upshot of the matter for that while was that she showed
both of them the door. That was in August; dear me! the same year I came
from college. The scene must have been highly farcical."

I thought myself it was a silly business, but I could not forget my
father had a hand in it. "Surely, sir, it had some note of tragedy,"
said I.

"Why, no, sir, not at all," returned the lawyer. "For tragedy implies
some ponderable matter in dispute, some _dignus vindice nodus_; and this
piece of work was all about the petulance of a young ass that had been
spoiled, and wanted nothing so much as to be tied up and soundly belted.
However, that was not your father's view; and the end of it was, that
from concession to concession on your father's part, and from one height
to another of squalling, sentimental selfishness upon your uncle's, they
came at last to drive a sort of bargain, from whose ill results you have
recently been smarting. The one man took the lady, the other the estate.
Now, Mr. David, they talk a great deal of charity and generosity; but
in this disputable state of life I often think the happiest consequences
seem to flow when a gentleman consults his lawyer, and takes all the law
allows him. Anyhow, this piece of Quixotry on your father's part, as it
was unjust in itself, has brought forth a monstrous family of
injustices. Your father and mother lived and died poor folk; you were
poorly reared; and in the meanwhile, what a time it has been for the
tenants on the estate of Shaws! And I might add (if it was a matter I
cared much about), what a time for Mr. Ebenezer!"

"And yet that is certainly the strangest part of all," said I, "that a
man's nature should thus change."

"True," said Mr. Rankeillor. "And yet I imagine it was natural enough.
He could not think that he had played a handsome part. Those who knew
the story gave him the cold shoulder; those who knew it not, seeing one
brother disappear, and the other succeed in the estate, raised a cry of
murder; so that upon all sides he found himself evited. Money was all he
got by his bargain; well, he came to think the more of money. He was
selfish when he was young, he