with her till the agent came,
and how, when his knock sounded upon the door, she nearly started out of
her skin--at least that's as it was told me. Netty promptly went to the
door.

'"I am sorry, sir," she says, under her breath; "my uncle is not so well
to-night, and I'm afraid he can't see you."

'"H'm!--that's a pretty tale," says the steward. "So I've come all this
way about this trumpery little job for nothing!"

'"O no, sir--I hope not," says Netty. "I suppose the business of
granting the new deed can be done just the same?"

'"Done? Certainly not. He must pay the renewal money, and sign the
parchment in my presence."

'She looked dubious. "Uncle is so dreadful nervous about law business,"
says she, "that, as you know, he's put it off and put it off for years;
and now to-day really I've feared it would verily drive him out of his
mind. His poor three teeth quite chattered when I said to him that you
would be here soon with the parchment writing. He always was afraid of
agents, and folks that come for rent, and such-like."

'"Poor old fellow--I'm sorry for him. Well, the thing can't be done
unless I see him and witness his signature."

'"Suppose, sir, that you see him sign, and he don't see you looking at
him? I'd soothe his nerves by saying you weren't strict about the form
of witnessing, and didn't wish to come in. So that it was done in your
bare presence it would be sufficient, would it not? As he's such an old,
shrinking, shivering man, it would be a great considerateness on your
part if that would do?"

'"In my bare presence would do, of course--that's all I come for. But
how can I be a witness without his seeing me?"

'"Why, in this way, sir; if you'll oblige me by just stepping here." She
conducted him a few yards to the left, till they were opposite the
parlour window. The blind had been left up purposely, and the candle-
light shone out upon the garden bushes. Within the agent could see, at
the other end of the room, the back and side of the old man's head, and
his shoulders and arm, sitting with the book and candle before him, and
his spectacles on his nose, as she had placed him.

'"He's reading his Bible, as you see, sir," she says, quite in her
meekest way.

'"Yes. I thought he was a careless sort of man in matters of religion?"

'"He always was fond of his Bible," Netty assured him. "Though I think
he's nodding over it just at this moment However, that's natural in an