“My dear young Kinsman,--Ever since I had the pleasure of making your acquaintance, and learning the very sensible views you hold on all topics, political and religious--views which agree so remarkably with my own--I have been turning in my mind how best I may assist you, and have come to the conclusion that I cannot better discharge my duty as a patron of ecclesiastical preferment, than by offering you my living of Ashburn, now vacant. The parish contains from six hundred to six hundred and fifty souls, and the living is worth eight hundred per annum, with a parsonage-house and glebe attached; you will thus be rendered independent of any pecuniary difficulties, and able to apply your mind entirely to that deeply interesting subject, the religious and social improvement of the labouring classes. I have only two provisos to make:--one is, that if you approve of the position I offer you, you will signify your acceptance of it by return of post (my reason for this I will explain satisfactorily when we meet); the other, that you promise to urge your claim upon the estate of the late incumbent for dilapidations in the house and glebe. I am sure you will agree with me, that the Church is bound, in this latitudinarian age, to protect her property; and I can bestow’ my living upon no one who will not give me a distinct pledge upon this point. “I remain, my dear young kinsman, “Your affectionate friend and relative, “Thomas Crawley, K.C.B.” Poor Ernest! The revulsion of feeling was almost too much for him, and in his contrition for the hard thoughts he had entertained of Sir Thomas Crawley, he dashed off a hasty letter, full of generous feeling and overflowing with gratitude, in which he thankfully accepted the living, and pledged himself to see full justice done to the interests of the Church as embodied in the Ashburn Rectory dilapidations: he was sorry for it afterwards, when---- but we must not anticipate. CHAPTER XII.--THE ROSEBUD SKETCHES FROM MEMORY.