ith her feet well apart, and
her arms akimbo, and her head thrown back to give the hinder part a
rest, and no sign of speculation in her eyes, although they certainly
were not dull. When these good people are in this frame of mind and
body, it is hard to say whether they look more wise or foolish. Mr.
Mordacks, impatient as he was, even after so fine a dinner, was not far
from catching the infection of slow thought, which spreads itself as
pleasantly as that of slow discourse.

"You are heeding me, madam; you have quick wits," he said, without any
sarcasm, for she rescued the time from waste by affording a study of the
deepest wisdom; "you are wondering how the money is to come, and whether
it brings any risk with it. No, Mistress Precious, not a particle of
risk. A little honest speaking is the one thing needed."

"The money cometh scores of times more freely fra wrong-doing."

"Your observation, madam, shows a deep acquaintance with the human race.
Too often the money does come so; and thus it becomes mere mammon. On
such occasions we should wash our hands, and not forget the charities.
But the beauty of money, fairly come by, is that we can keep it all. To
do good in getting it, and do good with it, and to feel ourselves better
in every way, and our dear children happier--this is the true way of
considering the question. I saw some pretty little dears peeping in, and
wanted to give them a token or two, for I do love superior children. But
you called them away, madam. You are too stern."

Widow Precious had plenty of sharp sense to tell her that her children
were by no means "pretty dears" to anybody but herself, and to herself
only when in a very soft state of mind; at other times they were but
three gew-mouthed lasses, and two looby loons with teeth enough for
crunching up the dripping-pan.

"Your Warship spaketh fair," she said; "a'most too fair, I'm doubting.
Wad ye say what the maning is, and what name goeth pledge for the fafty
poon, Sir?"

"Mistress Precious, my meaning always is plainer than a pikestaff; and
as to pledges, the pledge is the hard cash down upon the nail, ma'am."

"Bank-tokkins, mayhap, and I prummeese to paa, with the sign of the
Dragon, and a woman among sheeps."

"Madam, a bag of solid gold that can be weighed and counted. Fifty new
guineas from the mint of King George, in a water-proof bag just fit to
be buried at the foot of a tree, or well under the thatch, or sewn up
in the sacki