Dear reader, shall you like to have a silver plate? For myself, a little one of Britannia metal, with “_Peccavi_” engraved upon it, will suit me well enough; but then I am only a poor author, and if any of my works should happen to survive me in morocco covers, I shall care little what sort of boards the hand that traced them lies bound in. During the time Ernest was in Germany, the Rosebud was decidedly out of spirits, restless, and anxious; and when the news of Sir Thomas Crawley’s death arrived, she became so nervous and dejected, that Mrs. Colville grew quite uneasy about her. One fine morning Mrs. Selby paid them a visit, evidently full of news. It soon came out,--she had heard from Mr. Selby; he and Mr. Carrington would be home the next day; and--would Mrs. Colville believe it?--poor dear Sir Thomas had died without signing his last will and testament; so all the property would go, under a former one, to his heir, Mr. Peter Crawley--a very fine young man, in a large way of business in Manchester, though of course he’d give up all that sort of thing now. She, Mrs. Selby, was only sorry on one account, he had never been able to get it out of Mr. Selby, he was so ridiculously close, but she was almost certain Sir Thomas had left £20,000 to Mr. Carrington in his last will, and he would have spent the money so well, it certainly was a thousand pities; but Mr. Peter Crawley would benefit, and he was such a very fine young man; a fortunate family the Crawleys were, certainly. That day at dinner, Mrs. Colville remarked her daughter’s appetite was returning, and that she began to look like herself again; which she attributed to a certain quinine mixture wherewith the Rosebud had been victimised, and which she canonised accordingly. Ernest and Mr. Selby arrived when due, and the legend of Mr. Peter Crawley’s heirship remained uncontradicted--nay, was confirmed, by that very fine young man’s arrival, in high health and spirits, to enact the part of chief mourner. Ernest was much occupied by parish affairs, and by the arrangements for the approaching funeral (in regard to which Mr. Selby appeared resolved to consult him much more than he wished, or Mr. Peter Crawley seemed to relish); but all his leisure moments he spent at the cottage, and had no reason to complain of the reception he met with from either mother or daughter.