s mother which made any further
doubt impossible, and he was resolved that he would ask Rachel to be
his wife. He had spoken to Mrs. Ray of his intention in that respect
as though he thought that such an offer on his part might probably be
rejected, and in so speaking had at the time spoken the truth; but he
was eager, sanguine, and self-confident by nature, and though he was
by no means disposed to regard himself as a conquering hero by whom
any young lady would only be too happy to find herself beloved, he
did not at the present moment look forward to his future fate with
despair. He walked quickly home along the dusty road, picturing to
himself a happy prosperous future in Baslehurst, with Rachel as his
wife, and the Tappitts living in some neighbouring villa on an income
paid to old Tappitt by him out of the proceeds of the brewery. That
was his present solution of the brewery difficulty. Tappitt was
growing old, and it might be quite as well not only for himself, but
for the cause of humanity in Devonshire, that he should pass the
remainder of his life in that dignity which comfortable retirement
from business affords. He did not desire Tappitt for a partner any
more than Tappitt desired him. Nevertheless he was determined to brew
beer, and was anxious to do so if possible on the spot where his
great-uncle Bungall had commenced operations in that line.

It may be well to explain here that Rowan was not without good
standing-ground in his dispute with Tappitt. Old Bungall's will had
somewhat confused matters, as it is in the nature of wills to do;
but it had been Bungall's desire that his full share in the brewery
should go to his nephew after his widow's death, should he on dying
leave a widow. Now it had happened that he had left a widow, and
that the widow had contrived to live longer than the nephew. She had
drawn an income of five hundred a year from the concern, by agreement
between her and her lawyer and Tappitt and his lawyer; and Tappitt,
when the elder Rowan, Bungall's nephew, died, had taught himself
to believe that all the affairs of the brewery must now remain for
ever in his own hands, unless he himself might choose to make other
provision. He knew that some property in the concern would pass away
from him when the old lady died, but he had not acknowledged to
himself that young Rowan would inherit from his father all the rights
which old Rowan would have possessed had he lived. Luke's father had
gone