n the hopes that leave me.' Queer girl she is; she was little more
than a child when you were here, and she remembers you just as if it was
yesterday."

While Mr. Blake ran on at this rate, now dilating upon my own manifold
virtues and accomplishments, now expatiating upon the more congenial
theme,--the fascinations of his fair daughters, and the various merits of
his sons,--I could not help feeling how changed our relative position was
since our last meeting; the tone of cool and vulgar patronage he then
assumed towards the unformed country lad was now converted into an air of
fawning and deferential submission, still more distasteful.

Young as I was, however, I had already seen a good deal of the world; my
soldiering had at least taught me something of men, and I had far less
difficulty in deciphering the intentions and objects of my worthy relative,
than I should have had in the enigmatical mazes of the parchment bond of
which he was the bearer. After all, to how very narrow an extent in life
are we fashioned by our own estimate of ourselves! My changed condition
affected me but little until I saw how it affected others; that the
position I occupied should seem better now that life had lost the great
stimulus of ambition, was somewhat strange; and that flattery should pay
its homage to the mourning coat which it would have refused to my soldier's
garb, somewhat surprised me. Still my bettered fortunes shone only brightly
by reflected light; for in my own heart I was sad, spiritless, and
oppressed.

Feeling somewhat ashamed at the coldness with which I treated a man so much
my elder, I gradually assumed towards Mr. Blake a manner less reserved. He
quickly availed himself of the change, and launched out into an eloquent
_expose_ of my advantages and capabilities; the only immediate effect of
which was to convince me that my property and my prospects must have been
very accurately conned over and considered by that worthy gentleman before
he could speak of the one or the other with such perfect knowledge.

"When you get rid of these little encumbrances, your rent-roll will be
close on four thousand a year. There's Bassett, sure, by only reducing his
interest from ten to five per cent, will give you a clear eight hundred per
annum; let him refuse, and I'll advance the money. And, besides, look at
Freney's farm; there's two hundred acres let for one third of the value,
and you must look to these tilings; for, you see,