interfere in matters connected with the
property in the manner described, would never dictate and seldom
insist. He had said what he had got to say, and the Marquis was left
to act for himself. But the old lord had learned to feel that he was
sure to fall into some pit whenever he declined to follow his son's
advice. His son had a painful way of being right that was a great
trouble to him. And this was a question which touched him very
nearly. It was not only that he must yield to Mr. Fenwick before the
eyes of Mr. Puddleham and all the people of Bullhampton; but that he
must confess his own ignorance as to the borders of his own property,
and must abandon a bit of land which he believed to belong to the
Stowte estate. Now, if there was a point in his religion as to which
Lord Trowbridge was more staunch than another, it was as to the
removal of landmarks. He did not covet his neighbour's land; but he
was most resolute that no stranger should, during his reign, ever
possess a rood of his own.

CHAPTER XLIV.

THE MARRABLES OF DUNRIPPLE.

"If I were to go, there would be nobody left but you. You should
remember that, Walter, when you talk of going to India." This was
said to Walter Marrable at Dunripple, by his cousin Gregory, Sir
Gregory's only son.

"And if I were to die in India, as I probably shall, who will come
next?"

"There is nobody to come next for the title."

"But for the property?"

"As it stands at present, if you and I were to die before your father
and uncle John, the survivor of them would be the last in the entail.
If they, too, died, and the survivor of us all left no will, the
property would go to Mary Lowther. But that is hardly probable. When
my grandfather made the settlement, on my father's marriage, he had
four sons living."

"Should my father have the handling of it I would not give much for
anybody's chance after him," said Walter.

"If you were to marry there would, of course, be a new settlement
as to your rights. Your father could do no harm except as your
heir,--unless, indeed, he were heir to us all. My uncle John will
outlive him, probably."

"My uncle John will live for ever, I should think," said Walter
Marrable.

This conversation took place between the two cousins when Walter
had been already two or three weeks at Dunripple. He had come there
intending to stay over two or three days, and he had already accepted
an invitation to make the house his home as long a