Nevertheless, he began to be impatient,
after having unsuccessfully consulted all the money brokers and
conveyancers about town, and resolved to try the expedient of a
public advertisement. But he was persuaded by my lord to postpone
that experiment, until every other method should have failed, because
it would attract the attention of all the pettifoggers in London,
who, though they might not be able to overreach, would infallibly
harass and tease him out of all tranquility.
It was on the back of this conversation that Peregrine, chancing to
meet the steward near his lord's house, stopped him in the street,
to give him an account of his bad luck; at which the other expressed
some concern, and rubbing his chin with his hand, in a musing
posture, told Pickle, there was a thought just come into his head,
pointing out one way of doing his business effectually. The youth,
upon this intimation, begged he would accompany him to the next
coffee-house, in which having chosen a private situation, this grave
manager gave him to understand, that a part of my lord's estate was
mortgaged, in consequence of a debt contracted by his grandfather,
for provision to the younger children of the family; and that the
equity of redemption would be foreclosed in a few months, unless
the burden could be discharged.
Pages:
1170
1171
1172
1173
1174
1175
1176
1177
1178
1179
1180
1181
1182
1183
1184
1185
1186
1187
1188
1189
1190
1191
1192
1193
1194