, "A little weaker in his knees, a little crookeder in his
back--and the readmittance not applied for: ha! ha! I shall be able to
make a complete clearing of that corner of the manor some day!"

''Twas extraordinary, now we look back upon it, that old Sargent should
have been so dilatory; yet some people are like it; and he put off
calling at the Squire's agent's office with the fine week after week,
saying to himself, "I shall have more time next market-day than I have
now." One unfortunate hindrance was that he didn't very well like Jasper
Cliff; and as Jasper kept urging Netty, and Netty on that account kept
urging her uncle, the old man was inclined to postpone the re-liveing as
long as he could, to spite the selfish young lover. At last old Mr.
Sargent fell ill, and then Jasper could bear it no longer: he produced
the fine-money himself, and handed it to Netty, and spoke to her plainly.

'"You and your uncle ought to know better. You should press him more.
There's the money. If you let the house and ground slip between ye, I
won't marry; hang me if I will! For folks won't deserve a husband that
can do such things."

'The worried girl took the money and went home, and told her uncle that
it was no house no husband for her. Old Mr. Sargent pooh-poohed the
money, for the amount was not worth consideration, but he did now bestir
himself; for he saw she was bent upon marrying Jasper, and he did not
wish to make her unhappy, since she was so determined. It was much to
the Squire's annoyance that he found Sargent had moved in the matter at
last; but he could not gainsay it, and the documents were prepared (for
on this manor the copy-holders had writings with their holdings, though
on some manors they had none). Old Sargent being now too feeble to go to
the agent's house, the deed was to be brought to his house signed, and
handed over as a receipt for the money; the counterpart to be signed by
Sargent, and sent back to the Squire.

'The agent had promised to call on old Sargent for this purpose at five
o'clock, and Netty put the money into her desk to have it close at hand.
While doing this she heard a slight cry from her uncle, and turning
round, saw that he had fallen forward in his chair. She went and lifted
him, but he was unconscious; and unconscious he remained. Neither
medicine nor stimulants would bring him to himself. She had been told
that he might possibly go off in that way, and it seemed as if th