necessary gradually to estrange himself from their society, and
sink into what was then a very ambiguous character, a gentleman
farmer. In the midst of his schemes death claimed his tribute, and
the scanty remains of a large property descended upon Godfrey
Bertram, the present possessor, his only son.

The danger of the father's speculations was soon seen. Deprived of
Laird Lewis's personal and active superintendence, all his
undertakings miscarried, and became either abortive or perilous.
Without a single spark of energy to meet or repel these
misfortunes, Godfrey put his faith in the activity of another. He
kept neither hunters nor hounds, nor any other southern
preliminaries to ruin; but, as has been observed of his
countrymen, he kept a man of business, who answered the purpose
equally well. Under this gentleman's supervision small debts grew
into large, interests were accumulated upon capitals, movable
bonds became heritable, and law charges were heaped upon all;
though Ellangowan possessed so little the spirit of a litigant
that he was on two occasions charged to make payment of the
expenses of a long lawsuit, although he had never before heard
that he had such cases in court. Meanwhile his neighbours
predicted his final ruin. Those of the higher rank, with some
malignity, accounted him already a degraded brother. The lower
classes, seeing nothing enviable in his situation, marked his
embarrassments with more compassion. He was even a kind of
favourite with them, and upon the division of a common, or the
holding of a black-fishing or poaching court, or any similar
occasion when they conceived themselves oppressed by the gentry,
they were in the habit of saying to each other, 'Ah, if
Ellangowan, honest man, had his ain that his forbears had afore