WVLDE1VS HAjVD.
383
as "wholly nugatory, illusory, and chimerical; " told him
he had spoken on the subject, yesterday evening, to the
young lady, who now saw plainly that there really was
nothing in it, and that she was not in a position to carry
out that part of her proposition, which contemplated a
residence in the Vicar's family.
This portion of his discourse he dismissed rather slight-
ly and mysteriously; but he contrived to leave upon the
Vicar's mind a very painful and awful sort of uncertainty
respecting the young lady of whom he spoke.
Then he became eloquent on the madness of further in-
decision in a state of things so fearfully menacing, freely
admitting that it would have been incomparably better for
the Vicar never to have moved in the matter, than, hav-
ing put his hand to the plough, to look back as he had
been doing. If he decline his advice, there was no more
to be said, but to bow his head to the storm, and that
ponderous execution would descend in wreck and desola-
tion.
So the Vicar, very much flushed, in panic and perplex-
ity, and trusting wildly to his protesting lawyer's guid-
ance, submitted. Buggs and the bilious youngster en-
tered with the deed, and the articles were duly executed;
and the Vicar signed also a receipt for the fanciful part
of the consideration, and upon it and the deed he endorsed
a solemn promise, that he would never take any step to
question, set aside, or disturb the purchase, or any mat-
ter connected therewith.
Then the attorney, congratulated the poor Vicar on his
emancipation from his difficulties; and " now that it was
all done and over, told him, what he had never told him
before, that, considering the nature of the purchase, he
had got a splendid price for it."
The good man had also his agreement from Lake to sell
Five Oaks.