a famous shot--a capital horseman--knew the ways of all animals, fishes,
and birds; I verily believe he could have coaxed a pug-dog to point, and
an owl to sing. Void of all malice, up to all fun. Imagine how much
people would court, and how little they would do for, a Willy of that
sort. Do I bore you?"

"On the contrary, I am greatly interested."

"One thing a Willy, if a Willy could be wise, ought to do for himself--
keep single. A wedded Willy is in a false position. My Willy wedded--
for love too--an amiable girl, I believe (I never saw her; it was long
afterwards that I knew Willy)--but as poor as himself. The friends and
relatives then said: 'This is serious: something--must be done for
Willy.' It was easy to say, 'something must be done,' and monstrous
difficult to do it. While the relations were consulting, his half-
sister, the Baronet's lawful daughter, died, unmarried; and though she
had ignored him in life, left him L2,000. 'I have hit it now, 'cried one
of the cousins; 'Willy is fond of a country life. I will let him have a
farm on a nominal rent, his L2,000 will stock it; and his farm, which is
surrounded by woods, will be a capital hunting-meet. As long as I live,
Willy shall be mounted.'

"Willy took the farm, and astonished his friends by attending to it. It
was just beginning to answer when his wife died, leaving him only one
child--a boy; and her death made him so melancholy that he could no
longer attend to his farm. He threw it up, invested the proceeds as a
capital, and lived on the interest as a gentleman at large. He travelled
over Europe for some time--chiefly on foot--came back, having recovered
his spirits--resumed his old desultory purposeless life at different
country-houses, and at one of those houses I and Charles Haughton met