agree about terms."

"What does your lordship expect for it--at a rough estimate?"

"For particulars I must refer you to my men of business, Warburton &
Ware. Not less than seventy thousand pounds."

"Too much, my lord," cried Mr. Carlyle, decisively.

"And that's not its value," returned the earl.

"These forced sales never do fetch their value," answered the
plain-speaking lawyer. "Until this hint was given me by Beauchamp, I had
thought East Lynne was settled upon your lordship's daughter."

"There's nothing settled on her," rejoined the earl, the contraction
on his brow standing out more plainly. "That comes of your thoughtless
runaway marriages. I fell in love with General Conway's daughter, and
she ran away with me, like a fool; that is, we were both fools together
for our pains. The general objected to me and said I must sow my wild
oats before he would give me Mary; so I took her to Gretna Green, and
she became Countess of Mount Severn, without a settlement. It was an
unfortunate affair, taking one thing with another. When her elopement
was made known to the general, it killed him."

"Killed him!" interrupted Mr. Carlyle.

"It did. He had disease of the heart, and the excitement brought on the
crisis. My poor wife never was happy from that hour; she blamed herself
for her father's death, and I believe it led to her own. She was ill for