say?"

"I say--done, and thank you very much!"

So, without further parley, the Sergeant saluted divers of the little
crowd, and, wheeling sharply, strode along beside Bellew, rather more
stiff in the back, and fixed of eye than was his wont, and jingling his
imaginary spurs rather more loudly than usual.

"You will be wondering at the tantrums of the man Grimes, sir,--of his
ordering me and my comrade Peterday out of his cottage. Sir--I'll tell
you--in two words. It's all owing to the sale--up at the Farm, sir. You
see, Grimes is a great hand at buying things uncommonly cheap, and
selling 'em--uncommonly dear. To-day it seems--he was disappointed--"

"Ah?" said Bellew.

"At exactly--twenty-three minutes to six, sir," said the Sergeant,
consulting his large silver watch, "I were sitting in my usual
corner--beside the chimley, sir,--when in comes Grimes--like a
thunder-cloud.--Calls for a pint of ale--in a tankard. Tom draws
pint--which Tom is the landlord, sir. 'Buy anything at the sale, Mr.
Grimes?' says Tom,--'Sale!' says Grimes, 'sale indeed!' and falls a
cursing--folk up at the Farm--shocking--outrageous. Ends by threatening
to foreclose mortgage--within the month. Upon which--I raise a
protest--upon which he grows abusive,--upon which I was forced to pour
his ale over him,--after which I ran him out into the road--and there it
is, you see."

"And--he threatened to foreclose the mortgage on Dapplemere Farm, did
he, Sergeant!"

"Within the month, sir!--upon which I warned him--inn parlour no
place--lady's private money troubles--gaping crowd--dammit!"

"And so he is turning you out of his cottage?"

"Within the week, sir,--but then--beer down the neck--is rather
unpleasant!" and here the Sergeant uttered a short laugh, and was
immediately grave again. "It isn't," he went on, "it isn't as _I_ mind
the inconvenience of moving, sir--though I shall be mighty sorry to
leave the old place, still, it isn't that so much as the small corner
cup-board, and my bookshelf by the chimley. There never was such a
cup-board,--no sir,--there never was a cup-board so well calculated to
hold a pair o' jack boots, not to mention spurs, highlows, burnishers,
shoulder-chains, polishing brushes, and--a boot-jack, as that same small
corner cup-board. As for the book-shelf beside the chimley,
sir--exactly three foot three,--sunk in a recess--height, the third
button o' my coat,--capacity, fourteen books. You couldn't get another