Guy Mannering Volume I - Chapter XII

In which Colonel Mannering inquires discreetly into the mysterious loss of Mr. Bertram's young son and the impending forced sale of the Ellangowan estate, receiving detailed local accounts and expressions of sympathy from the landlady. He pens a reflective letter to his friend recounting his own melancholy life marked by jealousy and sorrow, while discussing with Mr. Mac-Morlan the hopeful prospects of thwarting unscrupulous plans concerning the estate’s purchase.