d of gift.
The whole thing had been done irregularly. The land had been only
promised, and not in truth as yet given, and the Puddlehamites, in
their hurry, had gone to work and had built upon a promise. The
Marquis, when, after the receipt of Mr. Fenwick's letter, his first
rage was over, went at once to the chambers of Messrs. Boothby, and
was forced to explain all the circumstances of the case to the senior
partner before he could show the clergyman's wicked epistle. Old Mr.
Boothby was a man of the same age as the Marquis, and, in his way,
quite as great. Only the lawyer was a clever old man, whereas the
Marquis was a stupid old man. Mr. Boothby sat, bowing his head, as
the Marquis told his story. The story was rather confused, and for
awhile Mr. Boothby could only understand that a dissenting chapel had
been built upon his client's land.

"We shall have to set it right by some scrap of a conveyance," said
the lawyer.

"But the Vicar of the parish claims it," said the Marquis.

"Claims the chapel, my lord!"

"He is a most pestilent, abominable man, Mr. Boothby. I have brought
his letter here." Mr. Boothby held out his hand to receive the
letter. From almost any client he would prefer a document to an oral
explanation, but he would do so especially from his lordship. "But
you must understand," continued the Marquis, "that he is quite unlike
any ordinary clergyman. I have the greatest respect for the church,
and am always happy to see clergymen at my own house. But this is a
litigious, quarrelsome fellow. They tell me he's an infidel, and he
keeps--! Altogether, Mr. Boothby, nothing can be worse."

"Indeed!" said the lawyer, still holding out his hand for the letter.

"He has taken the trouble to insult me continually. You heard how a
tenant of mine was murdered? He was murdered by a young man whom this
clergyman screens, because,--because,--he is the brother of,--of,--of
the young woman."

"That would be very bad, my lord."

"It is very bad. He knows all about the murder;--I am convinced he
does. He went bail for the young man. He used to associate with him
on most intimate terms. As to the sister;--there's no doubt about
that. They live on the land of a person who owns a small estate in
the parish."

"Mr. Gilmore, my lord?"

"Exactly so. This Mr. Fenwick has got Mr. Gilmore in his pocket.
You can have no idea of such a state of things as this. And now he
writes me this letter! I know his handwriting no