340 THE HOME OF A NATURALIST. 



earth could be so suitable for him, and he immediately 

 instituted inquiries regarding its proprietor. 



He found that the minister's wife and her sister 

 were the joint possessors, and that both were in 

 straitened circumstances; therefore it seemed reason- 

 able to suppose that they would gladly exchange the 

 ancient and almost ruined mansion, with its mere strip 

 of land, for ready cash. 



The eccentric stranger was liberal with his money, 

 and was willing to give rather more for the place than 

 the place was worth ; but he had a great objection to 

 treating directly with ladies upon any subject whatever. 



He therefore opened negotiations with the minister, 

 whose wife very willingly agreed to Mr. Nemo's 

 proposal. Orgert was no good to her, she said, and 

 if Ingath would consent, the manse should be her 

 home. 



Married ladies, whose elder unwedded sisters are 

 forgetful at times of the altered position of both parties, 

 will understand what a sacrifice of domestic sovereignty 

 Mrs. Nicolson was prepared to make when she offered 

 her sister a home. But a vision of "ready money" 

 had risen before the anxious matron's eyes, and blotted 

 out all other considerations. 



With eager haste she informed Ingath of Mr. Nemo's 

 liberal offer, and great was Osla's wrath to find that 

 her sister would by no means agree to the sale of 

 Orgert. Miss Halcro talked largely of the shame 

 that had befallen their old name in that it was lost 

 in themselves. The hereditary acres had vanished 



