e tenantry; an ox was roasted whole, and such rural festivities
were observed as I dare say you have often heard described, if you have
not witnessed them.

When his birthday drew near, it was with great difficulty that the young
lord could be persuaded to adhere to the old-fashioned custom; calling it
waste, profusion, and using many other words which belong to a miser's
vocabulary.

At last, however, he yielded to his friends' advice, chiefly, it is very
probable, because they represented to him that if he made himself more
unpopular than he already was, the people on his estate might find some
serious manner of showing their dislike.

The eventful day arrived. A glorious morning dawned, which _should_ have
been ushered in by the ringing of bells, but unfortunately there was so
much difficulty in finding any one willing to perform this office in
honour of the grinding, hard-hearted young landlord, that Charles had
nearly finished a somewhat late breakfast before a feeble peal fell on
his ear. Soon afterwards he had an interview, by appointment, with his
guardians and trustees, in which they resigned all the papers connected
with the estates.

The young miser, however, had taken care long ago to make himself
acquainted with the exact state of his finances, so that he had very
little to learn, and the business was soon transacted.

How he now rejoiced that he had not yielded to the suggestions of these
gentlemen,--who within the last two or three years had thought fit to
consult the young lord on such matters,--when they had proposed lowering
the rent of a poor farmer, or remitting, it might be, some arrears when
crops had failed, or some unforeseen misfortune happened; not yet was the
time come for the recollections of such misdeeds to torture his mind with
all the writhings of remorse. Not yet, for in the morning of that day he
only revelled in thoughts of his vast wealth, and dreams of future
aggrandizement.

Presently his mother entered the room, accompanied by his cousin William;
they came to offer their congratulations, with, on Mrs. Sidney's part, a
hope that, now her son was really in the possession of enormous wealth,
some impulse of generosity and benevolence would spring up in his heart.
Accordingly she it was who took the opportunity of offering a petition:
nothing less than that he would spare a certain sum of money for his
cousin William's college expenses.

Poor William! he trembled while he li