CHAPTER XIL 
Estate A cnouNTSj and how to Prepare 'them with 
Greatest Ago racy and Least Trouble s— 
The Royal ^oad to Well-kept Weekly and 
Monthly Reports. 
Mr. Brown was now left alone ; Ms new neighbours 
were not ^\his sort of people^ ” be had no community 
of sentiment ” with them. He did not associate with 
thenij nor did they make any friendly advances to» 
wards him. The reserve was mutual. The position 
and prospects of coffee became worse and worse. He 
was afraid to send in his accounts. They werealwajs 
found fault with, as being extravagant in the extreme^ 
and the idea of asking for money was only an idea* 
because it was useless putting it in practice. He had 
tried it^ had at first received a reply that his requisL 
tion would be attended to shortly^ but it was not. 
Latterly he got no reply at all. After a time several 
strange gentlemen woufd pay him a visit, walk over 
the estate, go away, and say nothing. At last one 
visitor did enter into conversation. He told him the 
estate was for sale, and he had come to inspect it, 
with a view to purchnse. He knew nothing about 
coffee planting, and so would be glad of Ms ’ opinion 
as to what the capabilities of the estate were, if it 
was properly worked, and a fair amount of money 
expended upon it. Mr. Brown shewed him the trees 
about which he and J ones had their last conversation, 
and said: — ‘^The climate and soil are both good and 
suitable for coffee^ and I have no doubt the whole 
estate could be made something like this, were it 
properly cultivated. It is merely a question of money 
in bringing the coffee trees into this state, but I can 
say nothing as to wdi ether or not it will pay the pro- 
prietor. Of course I know nothing about the present 
state and future prospects of the London markets. 
All I can say is, if you, or any one, v/ill agree to spend 
so much money, I can almost guarantee you a certain 
amount of crop.” After a long conversation the visitor 
noted down all Brownes calculations, gave him hia 
address, told him his name was Sharp, and that he 
would probably both see and hear from him before 
very long. But instead of seeing or hearing from him 
Mr. Brown heard about him, as the following letter ho 
received from Messrs. A. B. C. & Co. will explain: — 
* Andrew B.own, Esq., Peela Tottam. 
‘‘ Deah Sir, — We beg to advise you that John Sharp, 
Esq., has become the purchaser of the Peela Tottam 
coffee estate. As he takes over the property on tht 
H 
