r amiable
desire to serve two of his young parishioners, Will Somers and Jessie
Wiles, and of your generous offer to pay the money Mrs. Bawtrey demands
for the transfer of her lease. To that negotiation my consent is
necessary, and that consent I cannot give. Shall I tell you why?"

"Pray do. Your reasons may admit of argument."

"Every reason admits of argument," said Mr. Travers, amused at the calm
assurance of a youthful stranger in anticipating argument with a skilful
proprietor on the management of his own property. "I do not, however,
tell you my reasons for the sake of argument, but in vindication of my
seeming want of courtesy towards yourself. I have had a very hard and a
very difficult task to perform in bringing the rental of my estate up
to its proper value. In doing so, I have been compelled to adopt one
uniform system, equally applied to my largest and my pettiest holdings.
That system consists in securing the best and safest tenants I can,
at the rents computed by a valuer in whom I have confidence. To this
system, universally adopted on my estate, though it incurred much
unpopularity at first, I have at length succeeded in reconciling the
public opinion of my neighbourhood. People began by saying I was
hard; they now acknowledge I am just. If I once give way to favour or
sentiment, I unhinge my whole system. Every day I am subjected to moving
solicitations. Lord Twostars, a keen politician, begs me to give a
vacant farm to a tenant because he is an excellent canvasser, and has
always voted straight with the party. Mrs. Fourstars, a most benevolent
woman, entreats me not to dismiss another tenant, because he is in
distressed circumstances and has a large family; very good reasons
perhaps for my excusing him an arrear, or allowing him a retiring
pension, but the worst reasons in the world for letting him continue to
ruin himself and my land. Now, Mrs. Bawtrey has a small holding on lease
at the inadequate rent of L8 a year. She asks L45 for its transfer, but
she can't transfer the lease without my consent; and I can get L12 a
year as a moderate rental from a large choice of competent tenants. It
will better answer me to pay her the L45 myself, which I have no doubt
the incoming tenant would pay me back, at least in part; and if he did
not, the additional rent would be good interest for my expenditure.
Now, you happen to take a sentimental interest, as you pass through the
village, in the loves of a needy