on estates on her and the children she might bear
to him. The smaller Darrell property had already been entailed on his
son by his first marriage. This is how the family came to split. Old
Darrell had children by his second wife; the eldest of those children
took the Haughton name and inherited the Haughton property. The son by
the first marriage had nothing but Fawley and the scanty domain round
it. You descend from the second marriage, Mr. Darrell from the first.
You understand now, my dear young sir?" "Yes, a little; but I should
very much like to know where those fine Haughton estates are now?"

"Where they are now? I can't say. They were once in Middlesex. Probably
much of the land, as it was sold piecemeal, fell into small allotments,
constantly changing hands. But the last relics of the property were, I
know, bought on speculation by Cox the distiller; for, when we were in
London, by Mr. Darrell's desire I went to look after them, and inquire
if they could be repurchased. And I found that so rapid in a few years
has been the prosperity of this great commercial country, that if one
did buy them back, one would buy twelve villas, several streets, two
squares, and a paragon! But as that symptom of national advancement,
though a proud thought in itself, may not have any pleasing interest
for you, I return to the Darrells. From the time in which the Haughton
estate had parted from them, they settled back in their old house of
Fawley. But they could never again hold up their heads with the noblemen
and great squires in the county. As much as they could do to live at all
upon the little patrimony; still the reminiscence of what they had been
made them maintain it jealously and entail it rigidly. The eldest son
would never have thought of any profession or business; the younger
sons generally became soldiers, and being always a venturesome race, and
having nothing particular to make them value their existence, were no
less generally killed off betimes. The family became thoroughly obscure,
slipped out of place in the county, seldom rose to be even justices
of the peace, never contrived to marry heiresses again, but only the
daughters of some neighbouring parson or squire as poor as themselves,
but always of gentle blood. Oh, they were as proud as Spaniards in
that respect! So from father to son, each generation grew obscurer and
poorer; for, entail the estate as they might, still some settlements
on it were necessary, and