--some little favour, eh? Snug sinecure
for a favourite clerk, or a place in the Stamp-Office for your fat
footman--John, I think you call him? You know, my dear Douce, you may
command me."

"Oh, indeed, you are all good-good-goodness--but--but--"

Vargrave threw himself back, and shutting his eyes and pursing up
his mouth, resolutely suffered Mr. Douce to unbosom himself without
interruption. He was considerably relieved to find that the business
referred to related only to Miss Cameron.

Mr. Douce having reminded Lord Vargrave, as he had often done before,
of the wishes of his uncle, that the greater portion of the money
bequeathed to Evelyn should be invested in land, proceeded to say that a
most excellent opportunity presented itself for just such a purchase as
would have rejoiced the heart of the late lord,--a superb place, in the
style of Blickling,--deer-park six miles round, ten thousand acres of
land, bringing in a clear eight thousand pounds a year, purchase money
only two hundred and forty thousand pounds. The whole estate was,
indeed, much larger,--eighteen thousand acres; but then the more distant
farms could be sold in different lots, in order to meet the exact sum
Miss Cameron's trustees were enabled to invest.

"Well," said Vargrave, "and where is it? My poor uncle was after De
Clifford's estate, but the title was not good."

"Oh! this--is much--much--much fi-fi-finer; famous investment--but
rather far off--in--in the north, Li-Li-Lisle Court."

"Lisle Court! Why, does not that belong to Colonel Maltravers?"

"Yes. It is, indeed, quite, I may say, a secret-yes--really--a
se-se-secret--not in the market yet--not at all--soon snapped up."

"Humph! Has Colonel Maltravers been extravagant?"

"No; but he does not--I hear--or rather Lady--Julia--so I'm told, yes,
indeed--does not li-like--going so far, and so they spend the winter in
Italy instead. Yes--very odd--very fine place."

Lumley was slightly acquainted with the elder brother of his old
friend,--a man who possessed some of Ernest's faults,--very proud, and
very exacting, and very fastidious; but all these faults were developed
in the ordinary commonplace world, and were not the refined abstractions
of his younger brother.

Colonel Maltravers had continued, since he entered the Guards, to be
thoroughly the man of fashion, and nothing more. But rich and well-born,
and highly connected, and thoroughly _a la mode_ as he was, his pride
made hi