en rose and took his
leave.

As soon as the valuation was finished, Mr. Campbell was enabled to make
an estimate of what remained to them out of the property, and found that
the whole sum amounted to between seventeen and eighteen hundred pounds.

CHAPTER III.

It may appear strange that, after having been in possession of the
estate for ten years, and considering that he had younger children to
provide for, Mr. Campbell had not laid up a larger sum; but this can be
fully explained. As I before said, the estate was in very bad order when
Mr. Campbell came into possession, and he devoted a large portion of the
income to improving it; and, secondly, he had expended a considerable
sum in building almshouses and schools, works which he would not delay,
as he considered them as religious obligations. The consequence was,
that it was not until a year before the claim was made to the estate,
that he had commenced laying by for his younger children; and as the
estate was then worth L2,000 per annum more than it was at the time
that he came into possession of it, he had resolved to put by L5,000 per
annum, and had done so for twelve months. The enormous legal expenses
had, however, swallowed up this sum, and more, as we have already
stated; and thus he was left a poorer man by some hundreds than he was
when the property fell to him. The day after the valuation, the eldest
son, Henry, made his appearance; he seemed much dejected, more so than
his parents, and those who knew him, would have supposed. It was,
however, ascribed to his feeling for his father and mother, rather than
for himself.

Many were the consultations held by Mr. and Mrs. Campbell as to their
future plans; but nothing at all feasible, or likely to prove
advantageous, suggested itself to them. With only sixteen or seventeen
hundred pounds, they scarcely knew where to go, or how to act. Return to
his profession Mr. Campbell knew that he could not, with any chance of
supporting his family. His eldest son, Henry, might obtain a situation,
but he was really fit for nothing but the bar or holy orders; and how
were they to support him till he could support himself? Alfred, who was
now a master's mate, could, it is true, support himself, but it would be
with difficulty, and there was little chance of his promotion. Then
there were the two other boys, and the two girls growing up fast; in
short, a family of eight people. To put so small a sum in the funds
wo