e had been. But now all was his own, and he was in truth
Newton of Newton, with no embarrassments of any kind which could
impose a feather's weight upon his back.

CHAPTER XXXV.

"SHE'LL ACCEPT YOU, OF COURSE."

We will pass over the solemn sadness of the funeral at Newton and
the subsequent reading of the old Squire's will. As to the latter,
the will was as it had been made some six or seven years ago. The
Squire had simply left all that he possessed to his illegitimate
son Ralph Newton. There was no difficulty about the will. Nor was
there any difficulty about the estate. The two lawyers came down to
the funeral. Sir Thomas Underwood would have come but that he was
prevented by the state of his arm. A statement showing all that had
been done in the matter was prepared for him, but it was agreed on
all sides that the sale had not been made, and that the legitimate
heir must succeed to the property. No one was disposed to dispute the
decision. The Squire's son had never for a moment supposed that he
could claim the estate. Nor did Ralph the heir suppose for a moment
that he could surrender it after the explanation which he had
received from the lawyer in London.

The funeral was over, and the will had been read, and at the end
of November the three young men were still living together in the
great house at Newton. The heir had gone up to London once or twice,
instigated by the necessity of the now not difficult task of raising
a little ready money. He must at once pay off all his debts. He
must especially pay that which he owed to Mr. Neefit; and he must
do so with many expressions of his gratitude,--perhaps with some
expressions of polite regret at the hardness of Polly's heart towards
him. But he must do so certainly without any further entreaty that
Polly's heart might be softened. Ah,--with what marvellous good
fortune had he escaped from that pitfall! For how much had he not to
be thankful to some favouring goddess who must surely have watched
over him from his birth! From what shipwrecks had he not escaped! And
now he was Squire of Newton, with wealth and all luxuries at command,
hampered with no wife, oppressed by no debts, free from all cares. As
he thought of his perfect freedom in these respects, he remembered
his former resolution as to Mary Bonner. That resolution he would
carry out. It would be well for him now to marry a wife, and of
all the women he had ever seen Mary Bonner was certainly the