Angus returned from his first voyage with the lads in safety, and in time to lay Archie’s head in the grave. This done, Ella acknowledged that no duty remained to prevent her fulfilling all her promises. She accompanied him, the next week, to Oban, and returned his wife. ---------------------------- Having illustrated the leading principles which regulate the PRODUCTION of Wealth, we proceed to consider the laws of its DISTRIBUTION. The classes concerned in production are (as we have seen) two, Labourers and Capitalists; but the latter class is usually divided into two, viz.— Those who hold in possession the natural agents of production, as Land-owners; and Those who employ these natural agents, as Farmers, or others who apply capital to land or water. Of these three classes, among whom distribution takes place, Labourers receive their share as Wages, Capitalists as Profits, Land-owners as Rent. We proceed first to Rent, for reasons which will appear when we treat of Wages and Profits; and, for the sake of clearness, shall confine our Summary to the explanation of Land-Rent. _Summary of Principles illustrated in this Volume_. The total Rent paid by a farmer includes real Rent, and much besides; viz. the profits of the capital laid out by the land-owner upon the estate. Real RENT is that which is paid to the land-owner for the use of the original, indestructible powers of the soil. Land has these powers in different degrees. The most fertile being all appropriated, and more produce wanted, the next best soil is brought into cultivation; then land of the third degree, and so on, till all is tilled that will repay tillage. An unequal produce being yielded by these different lands, the surplus return of all above the lowest goes to the land-owner in the form of Rent. The same thing happens when repeated applications of capital are made to the same land for the sake of increasing its productiveness. The produce which remains over the return to the least productive application of capital, goes to the land-owner in the form of Rent. RENT, therefore, consists of that part of the return made to the more productive portions of capital, by which it exceeds the return made to the least productive portion. New lands are not tilled, and capital is not employed for a less return, unless the produce will pay the cost of production. A rise of prices, therefore, creates, and is not created by, Rent. When more capital is employed in agriculture, new land is tilled, a further outlay is made on land already tilled; and thus also Rent arises from increase of capital. When capital is withdrawn from agriculture, inferior, _i. e._ the most expensive soils, are let out of cultivation; and thus Rent falls. A rise of Rent is, therefore, a symptom, and not a cause, of wealth.