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It seemed to Shorland that he had a distinct grievance with the decrees of Providence. In the first place, he hated the country, and could see no beauty in Borne Abbey beyond its rent-roll and as a source of income for his rapid and unwholesome pleasures. So long as the Earl remained in the present critical condition it was imperative that Shorland should remain where he was.
It came as a shock to him, too, to find that at present, at any rate, it was impossible for him to obtain any money. The first interview he had with the family solicitor convinced him of that. The lawyer in question was somewhat of an autocrat in his way, he belonged to the heredity of family attorneys, and he possessed, moreover, an unpleasant habit of speaking his mind.