"My relations live at Marchmain," said Colonel Sutherland, who had still the "Army List" in his hand--"I want to find out if the Sir John Armitage of this neighbourhood is an old friend of mine--Captain Armitage of the 59th--do you happen to know?" "The very same," said the Rector; "he succeeded six or seven years ago, but he has not been at the Park for a year back. Bad health, I believe, an unsettled mind--he has never taken kindly to his new position; he thinks it is his duty to marry, and is extremely nervous about it. I thought it proper to pay him a good deal of attention when he was here. Poor man, his anxiety about the young ladies of the neighbourhood, and his terror of them, is something ludicrous to see." "You are so fortunate as to have daughters of your own," said the Colonel, without perceiving the inference, which the other, possibly from a little disagreeable consciousness, applied instantly. "My daughters were very young at that time," said the Rector, quickly--"almost children; besides, there are many points in which, though I think it right to show him attention, I do not approve of Sir John. His opinions are not what could be desired, and the father of daughters requires to be very careful whom he commits them to, as perhaps you are aware, Colonel Sutherland." Colonel Sutherland bowed very gravely; the appeal touched on griefs too profound to be exposed to the compassion of a stranger. "He was a very good fellow when I knew him," said the Colonel; "I hear he was on terms of very intimate friendship with a Mr. Musgrave--he who died lately--is that true?" "Ah, Mr. Musgrave?--yes, I knew him very well; an unfortunate, imprudent man, lavish and foolish," said the Rector. "He had a very good fortune to begin with, but lived with the most entire recklessness, like a man of three times his means. He brought up a young man, a sort of distant relative, as his heir. Poor man, when the affairs were examined it turned out that the heir had nothing but debt to enter upon; a very sad business altogether. Ah, yes, to be sure, Sir John, now that I recollect, had been to school with him, or something--there _was_ a friendship between them." "And does no one in the neighbourhood feel disposed to do anything for the young man?" asked the Colonel. "For--Roger? Well, it is a very difficult question," said the bland Rector; "men with families of their own are so circumscribed in that way. There are no very wealthy men in our neighbourhood; and really, no one has felt warranted in incurring so great a responsibility. Sir John, indeed, might have done something for him; but then he is abroad, and of course no private individual likes to step forward, and perhaps excite expectations which could never be realized; besides, he has, no doubt, relatives of his own." "And so, I presume, there is an end of him, poor fellow," said the Colonel, with the least outbreak of impatience; "is there anything known against the young man?"