appen to want _all_ his Money; he
might, by filing a Bankruptcy against you, seize upon your Nets and
everything else you have to pay his Debt.

"As to your supposing that _I_ should use the Bill of Sale except in
the last necessity (which I do not calculate upon), you prove that you
can have but little remembrance of what I have hitherto done for you
and am still willing to do for your Family's sake quite as much as for
your own.

"The Nets were included in the Valuation which Mr. Balls made of the
whole Property; which valuation (as you ought to remember) I reduced
even lower than Mr. Balls' Valuation; which you yourself thought too
low at the time. Therefore (however much the Nets, &c. may have been
added to since) surely _I_ have the first claim on them in Justice, if
not by the Mortgage. I repeat, however, that I proposed the Bill of
Sale quite as much as a Protection to yourself and yours as to myself.

"If you cannot see all this on reflection, there is no use my talking
or writing more about it. You may ask Mr. Barnard, if you please, or
any such competent person, if _they_ object to the Bill of Sale, I
shall not insist. But you had better let me know what you decide on
before the end of the week when I shall be going home, that I may
arrange accordingly.

"EDWARD FITZGERALD."

Mr. Barnard was a Lowestoft lawyer for whom Posh had no great love. It
is hardly necessary to say that he did not "ask" him. He still raises
his voice and gets excited when he discusses the grievances of which he
made complaint in the winter of 1873. "He wouldn't leave me alone," says
Posh. "It was 'yew must ax yar faa'er this, an' yew must let yar mother
that, and yew mustn't dew this here, nor yit that theer.' At last I up
an' says, 'Theer! I ha' paid ivery farden o' debts. Look a here. Here
be the receipts. Now I'll ha'e no more on it.' And I slammed my fist
down like this here."

(Posh's fist came down on my Remington's table till the bell jangled!)

"'Oh dear! oh dear, Posh!' says he. 'That it should ever come ta this!
And hev yew anything left oover?'

"'Yes,' I say. 'I've got a matter of a hunnerd an' four pound clear
arter payin' ivery farden owin', an' the stock an' nets an' gear and tew
boots {184} an' all wha'ss mortgaged ta yew. Now I'll ha'e no more on't.
Ayther I'm master or I ha' done wi't.'

"'Oh dear! oh dear! Posh,' he say, 'I din'