ing the method of
its performance, though the performance itself is far enough from our
purpose. The amusement is not without its danger,--and to the Squire
of Newton had so far been injurious that it had tended to foster his
hatred. He would, however, do nothing that was dishonest,--nothing
that the world would condemn,--nothing that would not bear the light.
The argument to which he mainly trusted was this,--that if Ralph
Newton, the heir, had anything to sell and was pleased to sell it,
it was as open to him to buy it as to any other. If the reversion of
the estate of Newton Priory was in the market, why should he not buy
it?--the reversion or any part of the reversion? If such were the
case he certainly would buy it.

CHAPTER XII.

MRS. BROWNLOW.

There was a certain old Mrs. Brownlow, who inhabited a large
old-fashioned house on the Fulham Road, just beyond the fashionable
confines of Brompton, but nearer to town than the decidedly rural
district of Walham Green and Parson's Green. She was deeply
interested in the welfare of the Underwood girls, having been a first
cousin of their paternal grandmother, and was very unhappy because
their father would not go home and take care of them. She was an
excellent old woman, affectionate, charitable, and religious; but
she was rather behindhand in general matters, and did not clearly
understand much about anything in these latter days. She had heard
that Sir Thomas was accustomed to live away from his daughters, and
thought it very shocking;--but she knew that Sir Thomas either was
or had been in Parliament, and that he was a great lawyer and a
very clever man, and therefore she made excuses. She did not quite
understand it all, but she thought it expedient to befriend the young
ladies. She had heard, too, that Ralph Newton, who had been entrusted
to the care of Sir Thomas, was heir to an enormous property; and she
thought that the young man ought to marry one of the young ladies.
Consequently, whenever she would ask her cousins to tea, she would
also ask Mr. Ralph Newton. Sometimes he would come. More frequently
he would express his deep regret that a previous engagement prevented
him from having the pleasure of accepting Mrs. Brownlow's kind
invitation. On all these occasions Mrs. Brownlow invited Sir
Thomas;--but Sir Thomas never came. It could hardly have been
expected of him that he should do so. Bolsover House was the
old-fashioned name of Mrs. Brownlow's