that I am writing to you, and knows
what my feelings are. It is not he that is so anxious for
the purchase. Pray write and tell me what is to be done.

Most affectionately yours,

GREGORY NEWTON.

I wouldn't lose a day in doing anything you might direct
about the Holborn property.

Ralph received this at his club, and afterwards dined alone,
considering it. Before the evening was over he thought that he had
made up his mind that he would not, under any circumstances, give up
his reversionary right. "They couldn't make me do it, even though I
went to prison," he said to himself. Let him starve till he died, and
then the property would go to Gregory! What did it matter? The thing
that did matter was this,--that the estate should not be allowed to
depart out of the true line of the Newton family. He sat thinking of
it half the night, and before he left the club he wrote the following
note to his brother;--

September 9th, 186--.

DEAR GREG.,--

Be sure of this,--that I will not part with my interest in
the property. I do not think that I can be forced, and I
will never do it willingly. It may be that I may be driven
to take advantage of your liberality and prudence. If so,
I can only say that you shall share the property with me
when it comes.

Yours always,

R. N.

This he gave to the porter of the club as he passed out; and then, as
he went home, he acknowledged to himself that it was tantamount to a
decision on his part that he would forthwith marry Polly Neefit.

CHAPTER XVIII.

WE WON'T SELL BROWNRIGGS.

On the 10th of September the Squire was informed that Ralph Newton
demanded another ten days for his decision, and that he had
undertaken to communicate it by letter on the 20th. The Squire
had growled, thinking that his nephew was unconscionable, and had
threatened to withdraw his offer. The lawyer, with a smile, assured
him that the matter really was progressing very quickly, that things
of that kind could rarely be carried on so expeditiously; and that,
in short, Mr. Newton had no fair ground of complaint. "When a man
pays through the nose for his whistle, he ought to get it!" said the
Squire, plainly showing that his idea as to the price fixed was very
different from that entertained by his nephew. But he did not retract
his offer. He was too anxious to accomplish the purchase to do that.
He would go home, he said, and wait till the