“Oh, oh!” said the old gentleman, “indeed! I am very happy to hear it. But I should be glad to know what it is that makes you look so serious.”
“I have been thinking,” said his lordship, with great formality of manner and expression…
“It is high time you should think,” responded the old gentleman; “and what has your lordship been thinking about?”
“I have been thinking,” continued the Earl, “that it will be prudent for me, at least for the present, to give up my establishment in town, and retire, with your permission, to Trimmerstone, where I may be out of the way of temptation. If you still continue in the same mind with respect to Trimmerstone Hall, I think it might be put into tenantable repair at a small expense.”
“Very good, very good, young man;--I beg pardon--I mean my lord.”
“Nay, sir, I beg that you will not use such taunting expressions. My title, you know, was not of my seeking.”
His lordship uttered this last sentence in a tone of such humility and submissiveness that the old gentleman was touched, and he saw that his relative felt a strong impression of humiliation, and therefore he felt more compassionately, and replied in tones rather more conciliating.
“Yes, yes, very true; it was my fault. I am sorry for it. I don’t know which was the greatest fool of the two; you for accepting the title, or I for obtaining it for you. Now if your poor father had not been smitten with the ambition of rank, and had you continued in your profession, you might at this time have been in the enjoyment of a handsome and honorable competency. But now you are a nobleman, you can do nothing to help yourself. I am sorry for you. But if you wish to reside at Trimmerstone, I will put the house in repair for you, and make any alterations or additions you please. Your wife, too, is to be consulted in this matter. Are you not apprehensive of some opposition to your schemes from that quarter?”
“Some objection was expressed when I made the proposal, but of course I must overrule every thing of that kind.”
“Ay, ay, there again you have been unfortunate. With your views you should never have married such a woman as that. You see it has not answered your purpose after all, even in a pecuniary point of view. You have made a bad business of it altogether. I am sorry for you; but I cannot see what is to be done for you.”