India Office.

He had at least been very honest in the description he had given of his
own circumstances to the lady whom he intended to marry. He had told her
the exact truth; and though she, with all her cleverness, had not been
able to realise the facts when related to her so suddenly, still enough
had been said to make it quite clear that, when details of business should
hereafter be discussed in a less hurried manner, he would be able to say
that he had explained all his circumstances before he had made his offer.
And he had been careful, too, as to her affairs. He had ascertained that
her late husband had certainly settled upon her for life an estate worth
four thousand a year. He knew, also, that eight thousand pounds had been
left her, but of that he took no account. It might be probable that she
would have spent it. If any of it were left, it would be a godsend. Lord
Fawn thought a great deal about money. Being a poor man, filling a place
fit only for rich men, he had been driven to think of money, and had
become self-denying and parsimonious, perhaps we may say hungry and close-
fisted. Such a condition of character is the natural consequence of such a
position. There is, probably, no man who becomes naturally so hard in
regard to money as he who is bound to live among rich men, who is not rich
himself, and who is yet honest. The weight of the work of life in these
circumstances is so crushing, requires such continued thought, and makes
itself so continually felt, that the mind of the sufferer is never free
from the contamination of sixpences. Of such a one it is not fair to judge
as of other men with similar incomes. Lord Fawn had declared to his future
bride that he had half five thousand a year to spend, or the half, rather,
of such actual income as might be got in from an estate presumed to give
five thousand a year, and it may be said that an unmarried gentleman ought
not to be poor with such an income. But Lord Fawn unfortunately was a
lord, unfortunately was a landlord, unfortunately was an Irish landlord.