life the
property would be squandered before it came into his
possession. Why should he not sell his reversion, and why
should I not buy it? I write in ignorance, but I presume
such an arrangement would be legal and honourable on my
part. The sum to be given would be named without
difficulty by an actuary. I am now fifty-five, and, I
believe, in good health. You yourself will probably know
within a few thousand pounds what would be the value of
the reversion. A proper person would, however, be of
course employed.

I have saved money, but by no means enough for such an
outlay as this. I would, however, mortgage the property or
sell one half of it, if by doing so I could redeem the
other half from Mr. Ralph Newton.

You no doubt will understand exactly the nature of my
offer, and will let me have an answer. I do not know that
I can in any other way expedite Mr. Ralph Newton's course
in life.

I am, dear sir,
Faithfully yours,

GREGORY NEWTON, Senior.

When Sir Thomas read this he was almost in greater doubt and
difficulty than before. The measure proposed by the elder Newton was
no doubt legal and honourable, but it could hardly be so carried
out as to be efficacious. Ralph could only sell his share of the
inheritance;--or rather his chance of inheriting the estate. Were he
to die without a son before his uncle, then his brother would be the
heir. The arrangement, however, if practicable, would at once make
all things comfortable for Ralph, and would give him, probably, a
large unembarrassed revenue,--so large, that the owner of it need
certainly have recourse to no discreditable marriage as the means of
extricating himself from present calamity. But then Sir Thomas had
very strong ideas about a family property. Were Ralph's affairs,
indeed, in such disorder as to make it necessary for him to abandon
the great prospect of being Newton of Newton? If the breeches-maker's
twenty thousand would suffice, surely the thing could be done on
cheaper terms than those suggested by the old Squire,--and done
without the intervention of Polly Neefit!

CHAPTER XI.

NEWTON PRIORY.

Newton Priory was at this time inhabited by two gentlemen,--old
Gregory Newton, who for miles round was known as the Squire; and his
son, Ralph Newton,--his son, but not his heir; a son, however, whom
he loved as well as though he had been born with an undoubted right
to i