A TALE OF man LIFE. 105 



knew all that had occurred until within a short time, that it 

 was long before we could at all understand the news about it. 

 As you are probably equally ignorant, I will tell you the tale 

 connectedly, as we finally got it. 



It had been the property of Sir T , who occupied the 



hall in it until his death, a year or two ago, and had been in 

 his family many hundred years. The estate included several 

 villages the whole of them, every house and shop, even the 

 churches and was valued at 800,000 ($4,000,000). On the 

 death of Sir T., Sir W., his son, inherited his title and estate. 

 But Sir W. was a sporting man, and had previously gambled 

 himself in debt to Jews in London 600,000. He came to 

 the hall, however, and remained there some time, keeping 

 two packs of hounds. He was a good landlord, and the 

 family were beloved. Lady M. had established and main 

 tained a national (church) school ; and in the winter was in 

 the habit of serving out a large quantity of soup every day 

 to the poor of the estate. But-at length the bailiffs came, and 

 Sir W. went to France, and his family dispersed among their 

 relatives all over the kingdom. Lady M. last winter had 

 been very ill, and nothing ailed her, the physicians said, but 

 sorrow. 



And now they were going to sell it they did not know 

 how they could but they showed us a considerable volume, 

 illustrated with maps and lithographs, of&quot; plans and particu 

 lars&quot; of the estate, on the first page of which, &quot; Messrs. 



had the honour to announce that they had been instructed by 

 the honourable proprietor, to sell at auction, on a certain six 

 days, upwards of fifteen hundred acres of very fine rich land, 

 let to an old and respectable tenantry, including the whole 



of the town of , together with several manors and 



manorial rights, which have been commuted at 500 per an 

 num&quot; They showed us also another volume, containing in 



