-when we have the power
to sell. It'll fetch thirty years' purchase. I'd give thirty years'
purchase for it, at the present rent myself, if I had the money.
Lord Fitzadam shall have it, if he pleases, of course. There's four
hundred acres of it."

"Four hundred and nine," said Ralph.

"And it's worth over twelve thousand pounds. It would have gone
against the grain with me to part with any of the land in Bostock;
but I think we can squeeze through without that."

"Is it arranged, sir?" asked the son at last.

"Well;--no; I can't say it is. He is to give me his answer on the
20th. But I cannot see that he has any alternative. He must pay his
debts, and he has no other way of paying them. He must live, and he
has nothing else to live on. A fellow like that will have money,
if he can lay his hands on it, and he can't lay his hands on it
elsewhere. Of course he could get money; but he couldn't get it on
such terms as I have offered him. He is to have down thirty thousand
pounds, and then,--after that,--I am to pay him whatever more than
that they may think the thing is worth to him. Under no circumstances
is he to have less. It's a large sum of money, Ralph."

"Yes, indeed;--though not so much as you had expected, sir."

"Well,--no; but then there are drawbacks. However, I shall only be
too glad to have it settled. I don't think, Ralph, you have ever
realised what it has been for me not to be able to lay out a shilling
on the property, as to which I was not satisfied that I should see it
back again in a year or two."

"And yet, sir, I have thought much about it."

"Thought! By heavens, I have thought of nothing else. As I stand
here, the place has hardly been worth the having to me, because of
such thinking. Your uncle, from the very first, was determined to
make it bitter enough. I shall never forget his coming to me when I
cut down the first tree. Was I going to build houses for a man's son
who begrudged me the timber I wanted about the place?"

"He couldn't stop you there."

"But he said he could,--and he tried. And if I wanted to change a
thing here or there, was it pleasant, do you think, to have to go to
him? And what pleasure could there be in doing anything when another
was to have it all? But you have never understood it, Ralph. Well;--I
hope you'll understand it some day. If this goes right, nobody shall
ever stop you in cutting a tree. You shall be free to do what you
please with every sod, and every