Lord Marney; "I suppose it was a sop that will keep them all
right till we have made our arrangements."

"Oh! there is no pressure of that kind," said Egremont; "if I
see my way, and write to them, of course they will be quite
satisfied."

"Excellent," said Lord Marney; "and nothing could be more
convenient to me, for, between ourselves, my balances are very
low at this moment. The awful expenditure of keeping up this
place! And then such terrible incumbrances as I came to!"

"Incumbrances, George! Why, I thought you had not any. There
was not a single mortgage."

"No mortgages; they are nothing; you find them, you get used
to them, and you calculate accordingly. You quite forget the
portions for younger children."

"Yes; but you had plenty of ready money for them."

"I had to pay them though," said Lord Marney. "Had I not, I
might have bought Grimblethorpe with the money; such an
opportunity will never occur again."

"But you talked of incumbrances," said Egremont.

"Ah! my dear fellow," said Lord Marney, " you don't know what
it is to have to keep up an estate like this; and very lucky
for you. It is not the easy life you dream of. There's