Ferrers drew his chair to the fire, and read his own production with all the satisfaction of an anonymous author. "How kind!--how considerate!--how delicately put!--a double favour! But perhaps, after all, it does not express your wishes." "In what way?" "Why--why--about myself." "/You!/--is there anything about /you/ in it?--I did not observe /that/--let me see." "Uncles never selfish!--mem. for commonplace book!" thought Ferrers. The uncle knit his brows as he re-perused the letter. This won't do, Lumley," said he very shortly, when he had done. "A seat in parliament is too much honour for a poor nephew, then, sir?" said Lumley, very bitterly, though he did not feel at all bitter; but it was the proper tone. "I have done all in my power to advance your ambition, and you will not even lend a hand to forward me one step in my career. But, forgive me, sir, I have no right to expect it." "Lumley," replied Templeton, kindly, "you mistake me. I think much more highly of you than I did--much: there is a steadiness, a sobriety about you most praiseworthy, and you shall go into parliament if you wish it; but not for C------. I will give my interest there to some other friend of the government, and in return they can give you a treasury borough! That is the same thing to you." Lumley was agreeably surprised--he pressed his uncle's hand warmly, and thanked him cordially. Mr. Templeton proceeded to explain to him that it was inconvenient and expensive sitting for places where one's family was known, and Lumley fully subscribed to all. "As for the settlement of the peerage, that is all right," said Templeton; and then he sank into a reverie, from which he broke joyously--"yes, that is all right. I have projects, objects--this may unite them all--nothing can be better--you will be the next lord--what--I say, what title shall we have?" "Oh, take a sounding one--yon have very little landed property, I think?" "Two thousand a year in ------shire, bought a bargain." "What's the name of the place?" "Grubley." "Lord Grubley!--Baron Grubley of Grubley--oh, atrocious! Who had the place before you?" "Bought it of Mr. Sheepshanks--very old family." "But surely some old Norman once had the place?" "Norman, yes! Henry the Second gave it to his barber--Bertram Courval." "That's it!--that's it! Lord de Courval--singular coincidence!--descent from the old line. Herald's College soon settle all that. Lord de Courval!--nothing can sound better. There must be a village or hamlet still called Courval about the property." "I am afraid not. There is Coddle End!" "Coddle End!--Coddle End!--the very thing, sir--the very thing--clear corruption from Courval!--Lord de Courval of Courval! Superb! Ha! ha!" "Ha! ha!" laughed Templeton, and he had hardly laughed before since he was thirty.