to pecuniary matters:
the idea of compensation to a very distant relative for the loss of
expectations he had no right to form, is too absurd, for me at least,
ever to entertain."

"But I am absurd enough to entertain it, though you express yourself in
a very high-minded way. To come to the point, Kenelm is of age, and we
have cut off the entail. The estate of course remains absolutely with
Kenelm to dispose of, as it did before, and we must take it for granted
that he will marry; at all events he cannot fall into your poor father's
error: but whatever Kenelm hereafter does with his property, it is
nothing to you, and is not to be counted upon. Even the title dies with
Kenelm if he has no son. On resettling the estate, however, sums
of money have been realized which, as I stated before, enable me to
discharge the debt which Kenelm heartily agrees with me is due to
you. L20,000 are now lying at my bankers' to be transferred to yours;
meanwhile, if you will call on my solicitor, Mr. Vining, Lincoln's-inn,
you can see the new deed and give to him your receipt for the L20,000,
for which he holds my cheque. Stop! stop! stop! I will not hear a. word:
no thanks; they are not due."

Here Gordon, who had during this speech uttered various brief
exclamations, which Sir Peter did not heed, caught hold of his kinsman's
hand, and, despite of all struggles, pressed his lips on it. "I must
thank you; I must give some vent to my emotions," cried Gordon. "This
sum, great in itself, is far more to me than you can imagine: it opens
my career; it assures my future."

"So Kenelm tells me; he said that sum would be more use to you now than
ten times the amount twenty years hence."

"So it will,--it will. And Kenelm consents to this sacrifice?"

"Consents! urges it."

Gordon turned away his face, and Sir Peter resumed: "You want to get
into Parliament; very natural ambition for a clever young fellow. I
don't presume to dictate politics to you. I hear you are what is called
a Liberal; a man may be a Liberal, I suppose, without being a Jacobin."

"I hope so, indeed. For my part I am anything but a violent man."

"Violent, no! Who ever heard of a violent Chillingly? But I was reading
in the newspaper to-day a speech addressed to some popular audience,
in which the orator was for dividing all the lands and all the capital
belonging to other people among the working class, calmly and quietly,
without any violence, and deprecating violence