inquiry; so that the young gentleman was obliged to have
recourse to his own intelligence, by which he got notice of several
people of reputed credit, who offered him mortgages for the whole sum;
but when he made a report of the particulars to his noble friend, his
lordship started such doubts and objections relating to each, that he
was deterred from entering into any engagements with the proposers;
congratulating himself, in the meantime, on his good fortune, in being
favoured with the advice and direction of such a sage counsellor.
Nevertheless, he began to be impatient, after having unsuccessfully
consulted all the money brokers and conveyancers about town, and
resolved to try the expedient of a public advertisement. But he was
persuaded by my lord to postpone that experiment, until every other
method should have failed, because it would attract the attention of
all the pettifoggers in London, who, though they might not be able to
overreach, would infallibly harass and tease him out of all tranquility.

It was on the back of this conversation that Peregrine, chancing to meet
the steward near his lord's house, stopped him in the street, to give
him an account of his bad luck; at which the other expressed some
concern, and rubbing his chin with his hand, in a musing posture, told
Pickle, there was a thought just come into his head, pointing out one
way of doing his business effectually. The youth, upon this intimation,
begged he would accompany him to the next coffee-house, in which having
chosen a private situation, this grave manager gave him to understand,
that a part of my lord's estate was mortgaged, in consequence of a debt
contracted by his grandfather, for provision to the younger children of
the family; and that the equity of redemption would be foreclosed in a
few months, unless the burden could be discharged. "My lord," said he,
"has always lived in a splendid manner, and, notwithstanding his ample
fortune, together with the profits accruing from the posts he enjoys,
he saves so little money, that, upon this occasion, I know he will
be obliged to borrow ten thousand pounds to make up the sum that is
requisite to redeem the mortgage. Now, certain I am, that, when his
design comes to be known, he will be solicited on all hands by people
desirous of lending money upon such undoubted security; and 'tis
odds but he has already promised the preference to some particular
acquaintance. However, as I know he has your