--it is awful!"

"Steepish!" admitted Adam, "pretty steepish for a old sideboard, I'll
allow, Miss Anthea,--but you see it were a personal matter betwixt
Grimes an' Mr. Belloo. I began to think as they never would ha' left off
biddin', an' by George!--I don't believe as Mr. Belloo ever would have
left off biddin'. Ye see, there's summat about Mr. Belloo,--whether it
be his voice, or his eye, or his chin,--I don't know,--but there be
summat about him as says, very distinct that if so be 'e should 'appen
to set 'is mind on a thing,--why 'e's a-going to get it, an' 'e ain't
a-going to give in till 'e do get it. Ye see, Miss Anthea, 'e's so very
quiet in 'is ways, an' speaks so soft, an' gentle,--p'raps that's it.
Say, for instance, 'e were to ax you for summat, an' you said
'No'--well, 'e wouldn't make no fuss about it,--not 'im,--he'd
jest--take it, that's what he'd do. As for that there sideboard he'd a
sat there a bidding and a bidding all night I do believe."

"But, Adam, why did he do it! Why did he buy--all that furniture?"

"Well,--to keep it from being took away, p'raps!"

"Oh, Adam!--what am I to do?"

"Do, Miss Anthea?"

"The mortgage must be paid off--dreadfully soon--you know that, and--I
can't--Oh, I can't give the money back--"

"Why--give it back!--No, a course not, Miss Anthea!"

"But I--can't--keep it!"

"Can't keep it, Miss Anthea mam,--an' why not?"

"Because I'm very sure he doesn't want all those things,--the idea is
quite--absurd! And yet,--even if the hops do well, the money they bring
will hardly be enough by itself, and so--I was selling my furniture to
make it up, and--now--Oh! what am I to do?" and she leaned her head
wearily upon her hand.

Now, seeing her distress, Adam all sturdy loyalty that he was, must
needs sigh in sympathy, and fell, once more, to twisting his hat until
he had fairly wrung it out of all semblance to its kind, twisting and
screwing it between his strong hands as though he would fain wring out
of it some solution to the problem that so perplexed his mistress. Then,
all at once, the frown vanished from his brow, his grip loosened upon
his unfortunate hat, and his eye brightened with a sudden gleam.

"Miss Anthea," said he, drawing a step nearer, and lowering his voice
mysteriously, "supposing as I was to tell you that 'e did want that
furnitur',--ah! an' wanted it bad?"

"Now how can he, Adam? It isn't as though he lived in England," said
Anthea, shaking her