children by reversion upon her death.  What she herself possessed she bequeathed to them in reversion likewise to their children.  Thus at your maternal grandmother’s death, your mother and your aunt inherited money to use as their own, and the interest of money tied fast in reversion to their children (in case of marriage) after their death.  Your grandfather, as your natural guardian, has left the annual interest of your money to accumulate, and now you are of age he hands it to you, as you see, without much delay.  Thus you become this day the possessor of seventy thousand pounds, respecting the disposal of which I am here to take your orders.  Ahem!—­as to the remaining property of your mother’s—­ the sum held by her for her own use, I mean, it devolved to her husband, your father, who, it is probable, will furnish you an account of it—­ah! —­at his leisure—­ah! um!  And now, in addition, Mr. Harry, I have the squire’s commands to speak to you as a man of business, on what may be deemed a delicate subject, though from the business point of view no peculiar delicacy should pertain to it.  Your grandfather will settle on you estates and money to the value of twenty thousand pounds per annum on the day of your union with a young lady in this district, Miss Janet Ilchester.  He undertakes likewise to provide her pin-money.  Also, let me observe, that it is his request—­but he makes no stipulation of it that you will ultimately assume the name of Beltham, subscribing yourself Harry Lepel Richmond Beltham; or, if it pleases you, Richmond-Beltham, with the junction hyphen.  Needless to say, he leaves it to your decision.  And now, Mr. Harry, I have done, and may most cordially congratulate you on the blessings it has pleased a kind and discerning Providence to shower on your head.’

None so grimly ironical as the obsequious!  I thought of Burgin’s ‘discerning’ providence (he spoke with all professional sincerity) in after days.

On the occasion I thought of nothing but the squire’s straight-forwardness, and grieved to have to wound him.  Janet helped me.  She hinted with a bashfulness, quite new to her, that I must go through some ceremony.  Guessing what it was, I saluted her on the cheek.  The squire observed that a kiss of that sort might as well have been planted on her back hair.  ‘But,’ said he, and wisely, ’I’d rather have the girl worth ten of you, than you be more than her match.  Girls like my girl here are precious.’  Owing to her intercession, he winked at my departure after I had done duty among the tenants; he barely betrayed his vexation, and it must have been excessive.

Heriot and I rode over to Dipwell.  Next night we rode back by moonlight with matter for a year of laughter, singing like two Arabian poets praises of dark and fair, challengeing one to rival the other.  Kiomi!  Mabel! we shouted separately.  We had just seen the dregs of the last of the birthday Burgundy.