end."

"As valuable as the assistance of a cold-hearted one," thought Egremont,
who did not fancy too much the tone of this conversation.

"But there is one thing of which you must particularly beware,"
continued Lord Marney, "there is one thing worse even than getting into
difficulties--patching them up. The patching-up system is fatal; it is
sure to break down; you never get clear. Now, what I want to do for you,
Charles, is to put you right altogether. I want to see you square and
more than square, in a position which will for ever guarantee you from
any annoyance of this kind."

"He is a good fellow after all," thought Egremont.

"That thousand pounds of my mother was very a propos," said Lord Marney;
"I suppose it was a sop that will keep them all right till we have made
our arrangements."

"Oh! there is no pressure of that kind," said Egremont; "if I see my
way, and write to them, of course they will be quite satisfied."

"Excellent," said Lord Marney; "and nothing could be more convenient to
me, for, between ourselves, my balances are very low at this moment.
The awful expenditure of keeping up this place! And then such terrible
incumbrances as I came to!"

"Incumbrances, George! Why, I thought you had not any. There was not a
single mortgage."

"No mortgages; they are nothing; you find them, you get used to them,
and you calculate accordingly. You quite forget the portions for younger
children."

"Yes; but you had plenty of ready money for them."

"I had to pay them though," said Lord Marney. "Had I not, I might have
bought Grimblethorpe with the money; such an opportunity will never
occur again."

"But you talked of incumbrances," said Egremont.

"Ah! my dear fellow," said Lord Marney, "you don't know what it is to
have to keep up an estate like this; and very lucky for you. It is
not the easy life you dream of. There's buildings--I am ruined in
buildings--our poor dear father thought he left me Marney without an
incumbrance; why, there was not a barn on the whole estate that was
weather-proof; not a farm-house that was not half in ruins. What I have
spent in buildings! And draining! Though I make my own tiles, draining,
my dear fellow, is a something of which you have not the least idea!"

"Well," said Egremont, anxious to bring his brother back to the point,
"you think, then, I had better write to them and say--"

"Ah! now for your business," said Lord Marney. "Now, I will tell you
what I ca