'He comes to tell you! Nay, never say he has no resolution! Such debts as those, what are they compared with other young men's, of which they do not tell their fathers?' 'If he were like other youths, I should know how to deal with him. But you agree with me, he is not fit to have a larger sum in his hands.' 'Perhaps not; he is too impulsive and inexperienced. If you were to ask me how to make it conduce to his happiness, I should say, lay out more on the estate, so as to employ more men, and make improvements in which he would take interest.' 'I cannot make him care for the estate. Last winter, when he came of age, I tried to explain the state of affairs; but he was utterly indifferent--would not trouble himself to understand the papers he was to sign, and made me quite ashamed of such an exhibition before Richardson.' 'I wish I could defend him! And yet--you will think me unreasonable, but I do believe that if he had thought the welfare of others was concerned, he would have attended more.' 'Umph!' 'I am not sure that it is not his good qualities that make him so hard to deal with. The want of selfishness and vanity seem to take away two common springs of action, but I do believe that patience will bring out something much higher when you have found the way to reach it.' 'That I certainly have not, if it be there!' 'To cultivate his sympathies with you,' said Mrs. Ponsonby, hesitating, and not venturing to look into his face. 'Enough, Mary,' he said, hastily. You said the like to me once before.' 'But,' said Mrs. Ponsonby, firmly, '_here_ there is a foundation to work on. There are affections that only need to be drawn out to make you happy, and him--not, perhaps, what you now wish, but better than you wish.' His face had become hard as he answered, 'Thank you, Mary; you have always meant the best. You have always been kind to me, and to all belonging to me.' Her heart ached for the father and son, understanding each other so little, and paining each other so much, and she feared that the Earl's mind had been too much cramped, and his feelings too much chilled, for such softening on his part as could alone, as it seemed, prevent Louis from being estranged, and left to his naturally fickle and indolent disposition.