Guy Mannering Volume I - Chapter XIV

In which the melancholy shadow of bereavement falls upon Ellangowan, bringing forth an outpouring of reluctant sympathy and the uneasy stirrings of local gentry, while Colonel Mannering offers discreet assistance to the bereaved family before departing on a brief journey. Yet despite earnest hopes, a grievous delay and unfortunate neglect foil the timely rescue of the ancestral estate from an unscrupulous purchaser, leaving a bitter sense of loss to prevail.