A WOULD-BE ESTATE PROPRIETOB OF TEE 
OLDEN TIME. 
it down on the table, as if to consider | but his con^ 
sideration did not last long, for, from, the same place, 
he took out another bottle, which, judging from the 
colour of its contents, must have contained either brandy 
or sherry, poured a little into a tumbler, uncorked 
the bottle of soda, sending it into the tumbler wdth a 
fizz, and suddenly drinking off the whole without 
stopping; after this, he settled himself at his desk, 
wrote a letter, took a careful copy and posted the 
former to Ceylon. 
He now became quite unsettled, could not for any 
time command his mind to the affairs of his duty ; he 
could think of nothing for any length of time. What 
always would and did crop up in his brain was seven 
thousand pounds a year for two hundred pounds. Time 
passed away, and Mr Diddler had become more com- 
posed, when he was again upset — more so than ever — 
by a reply received to that letter which he had posted 
for Ceylon. It briefly stated, that in compliance with 
his request eight hundred acres of forest had been 
applied for and purchased at the upset price of 
five shillings per acre ; the block was in a fine locality, 
and well suited for the growth of coffee, and that 
full particulars would be given at a subsequent date, 
in the letter which conveyed to him the title deeds 
of his purchase, Mr Diddler had now little heart in 
his business : his heart was in Ceylon. Dut he could 
do nothing, until the full particulars and the title 
deeds arrived. He fretted and fumed when he saw 
and heard of a number of his acquaintences taking their 
departure for the land of coffee, and of promise, in 
order to examine their purchases, arrange for opening 
out, and planting, while he was left sticking in his 
office. At last tlie happy day arrived which brought 
him a registered packet from Colombo, which on 
being torn open displayed to view the long-wished 
for deeds. He did not do much business that day, 
but kept poring over them, as a miser would over his 
heap of gold; there was attached a small plan of the 
land, with also its boundaries fully described and laid 
down. It was bounded on the north by a huge ledge 
of rock, called “ Paitan Malai ” (fool’s rock), on the 
south by a river, deep and black, with rocky sides, 
called the River of Destruction ; on the east by a high 
steep hill, called Hope, which however was always 
covered and concealed by thick mist, was never seen, 
but every one believed the hill was there; on the 
w'est was very plainly laid down a well beaten path- 
way, which was stated to be in constant use by both 
Europeans and natives — men, women and children— and 
the best of it all was, the path was so broad aud 
