hadaletterfrommyLordHollingford—whereisit？’pullingoutagreatblackleathernreceptacleforallmannerofpapers。Andputtingonhisspectacles，hereadaloudtheirheadings。’\"Measurementoftimber，newrailings，\"\"drenchforcows，fromFarmerHayes，\"
\"Dobson’saccounts，\"—’um’um—hereitis。Nowreadthatletter，’handingittoMrGibson。Itwasamanly，feeling，sensibleletter，explainingtotheoldfatherinverysimplelanguagetheserviceswhichweredemandedbythetermsofthewilltowhichheandtwoorthreeothersweretrustees；theliberalallowanceforexpenses，thestillmoreliberalrewardforperformance，whichhadtemptedseveralmenofconsiderablerenowntoofferthemselvesascandidatesfortheappointment。LordHollingfordthenwentontosaythat，havingseenagooddealofRogerlately，sincethepublicationofhisarticleinreplytotheFrenchosteologist，hehadhadreasontothinkthatinhimthetrusteeswouldfindunitedthevariousqualitiesrequiredinagreatermeasurethaninanyoftheapplicantswhohadatthattimepresentedthemselves。Rogerhaddeepinterestinthesubject；muchacquiredknowledge，andatthesametime，greatnaturalpowersofcomparison，andclassificationoffacts；hehadshown’himselftobeanobserverofafineandaccuratekind，hewasoftherightage，intheveryprimeofhealthandstrength，andunshackledbyanyfamilyties。HereMrGibsonpausedforconsideration。Hehardlycaredtoascertainbywhatstepstheresulthadbeenarrivedat—healreadyknewwhatthatresultwas；buthismindwasagainarrestedashiseyecaughtontheremunerationoffered，whichwasindeedmostliberal；andthenhereadwithattentionthehighpraisebestowedonthesoninthislettertothefather。ThesquirehadbeenwatchingMrGibson—waitingtillhecametothispart—andherubbedhishandstogetherashesaid，—’Ay！you’vecometoitatlast。It’sthebestpartofthewhole，isitnot？Godblesstheboy！andfromaWhig，mindyou，whichmakesitthemorehandsome。Andthere’smoretocomestill。Isay，Gibson，Ithinkmyluckisturningatlast，’passinghimonyetanotherlettertoread。’Thatonlycamethismorning；butI’veactedonitalready，Isentfortheforemanofthedrainageworksatonce，Idid；andto—morrow，pleaseGod，they’llbeatworkagain。’MrGibsonreadthesecondletter，fromRoger。ToacertaindegreeitwasamodestrepetitionofwhatLordHollingfordhadsaid，withanexplanationofhowhehadcometotakesodecidedastepinlifewithoutconsultinghisfather。Hedidnotwishhimtobeinsuspenseforonereason。Anotherwasthathefelt，asnooneelsecouldfeelforhim，thatbyacceptingthisoffer，heentereduponthekindoflifeforwhichheknewhimselftobethemostfitted。Andthenhemergedthewholeintobusiness。Hesaidthatheknewwellthesufferinghisfatherhadgonethroughwhenhehadhadtogiveuphisdrainageworksforwantofmoney；thathe，Roger，hadbeenenabledatoncetoraisemoneyupontheremunerationhewastoreceiveontheaccomplishmentofhistwoyears’work；andthathehadinsuredhislifeatonce，inordertoprovidefortherepaymentofthemoneyhehadraised，incasehedidnotlivetoreturntoEngland。Hesaidthatthesumhehadborrowedonthissecuritywouldatoncebeforwardedtohisfather。MrGibsonlaiddowntheletterwithoutspeakingawordforsometime；thenhesaid，—’He’llhavetopayaprettysumforinsuringhislifebeyondseas。’’HehasgothisFellowshipmoney，’saidthesquire，alittledepressedatMrGibson’sremark。’Yes；that’strue。Andhe’sastrongyoungfellow，asIknow。’’IwishIcouldtellhismother，’saidthesquireinanunder—tone。’Itseemsallsettlednow，’saidMrGibson，moreinreplytohisownthoughtsthantothesquire’sremark。’Yes！’saidthesquire；’andthey’renotgoingtoletthegrassgrowunderhisfeet。He’stobeoffassoonashecangethisscientifictrapsready。
Ialmostwishhewasn’ttogo。Youdon’tseemquitetolikeit，doctor？’’YesIdo，’saidMrGibsoninamorecheerfultonethanbefore。’Itcan’tbehelpednowwithoutdoingamischief，’thoughthetohimself。’Why，squire，Ithinkit’sagreathonourtohavesuchason。Ienvyyou，that’swhatIdo。Here’saladofthreeorfourandtwentydistinguishinghimselfinmorewaysthanone，andassimpleandaffectionateathomeasanyfellowneedtobe—notabitsetup。’’Ay，ay；he’stwiceasmuchasontomeasOsborne，whohasbeenallhislifesetuponnothingatall，asonemaysay。’Come，squire，ImustnothearanythingagainstOsborne；wemaypraiseone，withouthittingattheother。OsbornehasnothadthestronghealthwhichhasenabledRogertoworkashehasdone。ImetamanwhoknewhistutoratTrinitytheotherday，andofcoursewebegancrackingaboutRoger—it’snoteverydaythatonecanreckonaseniorwrangleramongstone’sfriends，andI’mnearlyasproudoftheladasyouare。ThisMrMasontoldmethetutorsaidthatonlyhalfofRoger’ssuccesswasowingtohismentalpowers；theotherhalfwasowingtohisperfecthealth，whichenabledhimtoworkharderandmorecontinuouslythanmostmenwithoutsuffering。Hesaidthatinallhisexperiencehehadneverknownanyonewithanequalcapacityformentallabour；andthathecouldcomeagainwithafreshappetitetohisstudiesaftershorterintervalsofrestthanmost。NowI，beingadoctor，traceagooddealofhissuperioritytothematerialcauseofathoroughlygoodconstitution，whichOsbornehasnotgot。’’Osbornemighthaveifhegotouto’doorsmore，’saidthesquire，moodily；
’butexceptwhenhecanloafintoHollingfordhedoesnotcaretogooutatall。Ihope，’hecontinued，withaglanceofsuddensuspicionatMrGibson，’he’snotafteroneofyourgirls？Idon’tmeananyoffence，youknow；buthe’llhavetheestate，anditwon’tbefree，andhemustmarrymoney。Idon’tthinkIcouldallowitinRoger；butOsborneistheeldestson，youknow。’MrGibsonreddened；hewasoffendedforamoment。Thenthepartialtruthofwhatthesquiresaidwaspresentedtohismind，andherememberedtheiroldfriendship，sohespokequietly，ifshortly。’Idon’tbelievethere’sanythingofthekindgoingon。I’mnotmuchathome，youknow；butI’veneverheardorseenanythingthatshouldmakemesupposethatthereis。WhenIdo，I’llletyouknow。’’Now，Gibson，don’tgoandbeoffended。Iamgladfortheboystohaveapleasanthousetogoto，andIthankyouandMrsGibsonformakingitpleasant。Onlykeepofflove；itcancometonogood。That’sall。Idon’tbelieveOsbornewilleverearnafarthingtokeepawifeduringmylife，andifIweretodieto—morrow，shewouldhavetobringsomemoneytocleartheestate。AndifIdospeakasIshouldnothavedoneformerly—alittlesharporso—why，it’sbecauseI’vebeenworriedbymanyacarenooneknowsanythingof。’’I’mnotgoingtotakeoffence，’saidMrGibson，’butletusunderstandeachotherclearly。Ifyoudon’twantyoursonstocomeasmuchtomyhouseastheydo，tellthemsoyourself。Ilikethelads，andamgladtoseethem；butiftheydocome，youmusttaketheconsequences，whatevertheyare，andnotblameme，orthemeither，forwhatmayhappenfromthefrequentintercoursebetweentwoyoungmenandtwoyoungwomen；andwhatismore，though，asIsaid，Iseenothingwhateverofthekindyoufearatpresent，andhavepromisedtotellyouofthefirstsymptomsIdosee，yetfartherthanthatIwon’tgo。Ifthereisanattachmentatanyfuturetime，Iwon’tinterfere。’’IshouldnotsomuchmindifRogerfellinlovewithyourMolly。Hecanfightforhimself，yousee，andshe’sanuncommonnicegirl。Mypoorwifewassofondofher，’answeredthesquire。’It’sOsborneandtheestateI’mthinkingof！’’Well，then，tellhimnottocomenearus。Ishallbesorry，butyouwillbesafe。’’I’llthinkaboutit；buthe’sdifficulttomanage。I’vealwaystogetmybloodwellupbeforeIcanspeakmymindtohim。’MrGibsonwasleavingtheroom，butatthesewordsheturnedandlaidhishandonthesquire’sarm。’Takemyadvice，squire。AsIsaid，thereisnoharmdoneasyet，asfarasIknow。Preventionisbetterthancure。Speakout，butspeakgentlytoOsborne，anddoitatonce。Ishallunderstandhowitisifhedoesnotshowhisfaceforsomemonthsinmyhouse。Ifyouspeakgentlytohim，he’lltaketheadviceasfromafriend。Ifhecanassureyouthere’snodanger，ofcoursehe’llcomejustasusual，whenhelikes。’Itwasallveryfinegivingthesquirethisgoodadvice；butasOsbornehadalreadyformedtheverykindofmarriagehisfathermostdeprecated，itdidnotactquiteaswellasMrGibsonhadhoped。Thesquirebegantheconversationwithunusualself—control；buthegrewirritatedwhenOsbornedeniedhisfather’srighttointerfereinanymarriagehemightcontemplate；
denieditwithacertaindegreeofdoggednessandwearinessofthesubjectthatdrovethesquireintooneofhispassions；andalthoughonafterreflectionherememberedthathehadhisson’spromiseandsolemnwordnottothinkofeitherCynthiaorMollyforhiswife，yetthefatherandsonhadpassedthroughoneofthosealtercationswhichhelptoestrangemenforlife。