't deny that. And three Percycross doctors are
three more misfortunes. I must get home as soon as I can."

"You mustn't be rash, papa, even to escape from Percycross. But, oh,
papa; we are so happy and so proud. It is such an excellent thing
that you should be in Parliament again."

"I don't know that, my dear."

"We feel it so,--Clary and I,--and so does Mary. I can't tell you
the sort of anxiety we were in all day yesterday. First we got the
telegram about your arm,--and then Stemm came down at eight and told
us that you were returned. Stemm was quite humane on the occasion."

"Poor Stemm!--I don't know what he'll have to do."

"It won't matter to him, papa;--will it? And then he told me another
piece of news."

"What is it?"

"You won't like it, papa. We didn't like it at all."

"What is it, my dear?"

"Stemm says that Ralph has sold all the Newton Priory estate to his
uncle."

"It is the best thing he could do."

"Really, papa?"

"I think so. He must have done that or made some disreputable
marriage."

"I don't think he would have done that," said Patience.

"But he was going to do it. He had half-engaged himself to some
tailor's daughter. Indeed, up to the moment of your telling me this I
thought he would marry her." Poor Clary! So Patience said to herself
as she heard this. "He had got himself into such a mess that the best
thing he could do was to sell his interest to his uncle. The estate
will go to a better fellow, though out of the proper line."

Then Patience told her father that she had brought a letter for him
which had been given to her that morning by Stemm, who had met her at
the station.

"I think," she said, "that it comes from some of the Newton family
because of the crest and the Basingstoke postmark." Then the letter
was brought;--and as it concerns much the thread of our story, it
shall be given to the reader;--

Newton Priory, October 17, 186--.

MY DEAR SIR THOMAS UNDERWOOD,--

I write to you with the sanction, or rather at the
instigation, of my father to ask your permission to become
a suitor to your niece, Miss Bonner. You will probably
have heard, or at least will hear, that my father has made
arrangements with his nephew Ralph, by which the reversion
of the Newton property will belong to my father. It is his
intention to leave the estate to me, and he permits me to
tell you that he will consent to any such settlement in
the case