was making arrangements to engage his somewhat restless and active mind in mercantile pursuits, and when he arrived he was owner of "all that messuage or tenement known as Blank Hall."
The mourning at the Hall was not prolonged. John Blankman had not been necessary to the existence of his father any more than his father was indispensable to his. He had hunted with him, and watched him get drunk afterwards; he had talked country politics with him, and they had generally differed. Beyond this there had been little community and less sympathy. It is for the companions of our minds, for the intimates of our heart, the sharers of our sympathies, that we mourn, not for our mere physical associates. And so it fell out that, as soon as a decent time had elapsed, the "new Squire" sought that interview with "the profession" (as represented by Mr. Twaddle) which ultimately induced him to inflict the "blow" to which attention was in the first place directed.
"Good morning, Mr. Twaddle. How's Twist? Oh! there you are, Twist. How d'ye do? I want just to have a little talk with Mr. Twaddle—family matters—so—perhapsAh! thank you;" and Mr. Twist was bowed out into the clerks' office just to air his curiosity.
"Now, Mr. Twaddle, I am aware that you enjoyed my late father's confidence to a considerable extent, and I am of course desirous that you should continue on my behalf those good offices which"
"My dear sir," interrupted Mr. Twaddle, taking Mr. John's hand with great display of feeling, "I have so long been connected with the Blankman estates, that I shall feel, apart from mere business considerations, a deep interest in assisting you in your views. I am sure your late lamented father would have been pleased to know that you were thus indorsing the good opinion which I believe, in fact, I know, he entertained of myself and"—added the lawyer at a judicious conversational distance—"and partner."
"I am quite aware of the estimation in which you were held," rejoined Mr. John our Blankman.
"A friendship, sir, having for its basis, mutual and unshaken respect." "And," he might have added, "a few pretty heavy bills of costs." But he didn't.
"Well," said Blankman, "my time is rather short, for I am going to London by the express, so I will at once say what I have to say. In the first place, my mother and sister would like to remain at the Hall; and, therefore, I don't intend to sell the property."
Mr. Twaddle elevated his eyebrows, and I trusted not.
"But I am going into business in London, and therefore want to raise as much money as I can get, after paying off the mortgages which already exist."
Mr. Twaddle's eyebrows plainly said that the last-named course was by far the most preferable.
"And therefore I wish to know exactly in what condition the title is at present. I think you have all the deeds."
Mr. Twaddle had. In the last mortgage transaction he had acted for both parties. The money, in fact, was found by his London agents—Messrs. Fiddle and Faddle, of Lincoln's Inn. And, by-the-way, the late lamented had not paid the last bill of costs. Amount? Oh! trifling; under two hundred pounds. Oh! not pressing. By no means. We will carry it on to the next transaction. No doubt Fiddle and Faddle would oblige the present owner; but, you see, the title would have to be gone into again. Yes. You see, between ourselves, F. and F. advanced more on the strength of T. and T.'s acting in the matter than anything. The sum was small, andOh! yes, there was a deed, of course; but in raising full value, you see, it would be different. The title is intricate—been dealt with by mortgage before late lamented purchased, and of course a good many deeds. Oh! title good enough, no doubt.
"By George!" said Blankman, at last, "what a devil of a nuisance these titles are. A fellow can never feel that his property's his own. Whenever he wants to do anything with it everybody seems to look suspiciously at him, and begins to think that he stole it. Confound it."
Twaddle smiled, and suggested that "Nothing could be more complete or more equitable than the law relating to real property. Ahem!"
"By-the-way," resumed Blankman, without appearing to notice the lawyer's remark, "what is this new method of registering titles we have heard so much about? Would it suit case at all?"
"We have heard so little about, I suppose you mean. Land Transfer Act—dead letter. One of the most fallacious ideas, my dear young friend, that was ever propagated. No, no; we are not quite so far gone as that, I hope—not quite, I hope."
"But I thought that when a title was once registered at the Land Registry Office it was good against the world. That surely must be a benefit."
"In the first place, my good sir, I am not