8 WILD SPORTS OF THE WEST. 



A scene, a disgusting scene, ensued ; the attorney, 

 when certified of his client's death, seized my hand and 

 coarsely congratulated me on my good fortune. The 

 doctor abandoned the corpse to join the solicitor in his 

 compliments and between them the truth transpired. 

 I had, indeed, been luckily expeditious in my journey, 

 and the old man's phrase of touch and go was fully 

 explained. The preceding day he had signed a testa- 

 ment conveying his entire property to a variety of 

 charitable institutions ; and the will which had been 

 originally made in my favour, and been kept over by 

 this singular relative, would have remained imperfect, 

 had I not so providentially arrived the evening of his 

 death. 



We left the room while the body was being laid out 

 preparatory to interment. What a turn one hour had 

 given to my fortunes ! I entered Lalworth Park at four 

 o'clock, a poor, miserable dependant ; at five, I was 

 master of all around me, possessed of twelve thousand 

 pounds a year, owner of a borough, with fifty thousand 

 in the funds and twenty at my banker's. Such a mingled 

 yarn is the web of human life. 



The obsequies of my uncle were duly performed, 

 and for many days I was engaged in examining papers, 

 and taking possession of the plate and valuables of 

 Lalworth Park. The house was sadly out of repair, 

 and the grounds and gardens utterly neglected. The 

 old man had limited the fuel for the mansion to such 

 fallen wood as could be collected throughout the domain ; 

 and the few domestics he employed were scarcely 

 sufficient to ventilate, without attempting to keep in 

 order, the numerous and once splendid apartments. 

 For some time I was busily occupied ; I hired addi- 



