owed down (indeed, there were no
more of them than just the father and the two sons) that it was possible
to break the entail and alienate a piece of land. And to this, at first
by hints, and then by open pressure, Mr. Henry was brought to consent.
He never would have done so, I am very well assured, but for the weight
of the distress under which he laboured. But for his passionate
eagerness to see his brother gone, he would not thus have broken with
his own sentiment and the traditions of his house. And even so, he sold
them his consent at a dear rate, speaking for once openly, and holding
the business up in its own shameful colours.

"You will observe," he said, "this is an injustice to my son, if ever I
have one."

"But that you are not likely to have," said my lord.

"God knows!" says Mr. Henry. "And considering the cruel falseness of the
position in which I stand to my brother, and that you, my lord, are my
father, and have the right to command me, I set my hand to this paper.
But one thing I will say first: I have been ungenerously pushed, and
when next, my lord, you are tempted to compare your sons, I call on you
to remember what I have done and what he has done. Acts are the fair
test."

My lord was the most uneasy man I ever saw; even in his old face the
blood came up. "I think this is not a very wisely chosen moment, Henry,
for complaints," said he. "This takes away from the merit of your
generosity."

"Do not deceive yourself, my lord," said Mr. Henry. "This injustice is
not done from generosity to him, but in obedience to yourself."

"Before strangers ..." begins my lord, still more unhappily affected.

"There is no one but Mackellar here," said Mr. Henry; "he is my friend.
And, my lord, as you make him no stranger to your frequent blame, it
were hard if I must keep him one to a thing so rare as my defence."

Almost I believe my lord would have rescinded his decision; but the
Master was on the watch.

"Ah! Henry, Henry," says he, "you are the best of us still. Rugged and
true! Ah! man, I wish I was as good."

And at that instance of his favourite's generosity my lord desisted from
his hesitation, and the deed was signed.

As soon as it could be brought about, the land of Ochterhall was sold
for much below its value, and the money paid over to our leech and sent
by some private carriage into France. And now here was all the man's
business brought to a successful head, and his pockets once more bu