Orley Farm: Part I and II

A QUESTION OF PROPERTY He'd been a mayor, a merchant, a knight and an alderman. When Sir Joseph Mason, aged seventy, married a woman forty five years younger than him, he became a father again. Sir Joseph was also the owner of a large estate named Groby Park in Yorkshire. This he entrusted to the son of his first marriage, Joseph Mason, Esq.With his clever and bright young wife, Sir Joseph lived a quiet life at Orley Farm. But then, suddenly, he died.The will was read.To his chagrin, Joseph Mason Esq. discovers that the will has a codicil, in Lady Mason's handwriting, bequeathing Orley Farm to his infant son.Joseph Mason, Esquire, -- a base and greedy fellow -- insists that Orley Farm should rightfully be his -- and he sues.The Orley Farm Case is the result.With a delightful cast of characters, a complex plot, and a satisfying climax, "Orley Farm" is surely one of the best novels written by a Victorian.