him who I was, you know."

"I guess he understood that quite well."

"And then I said things weren't going exactly well with me."

"You shouldn't have said that at all. What matters that to him? What
you hask for you hask for because you're able to demand it. That's
the ground for hus to take, and by ---- I'll take it too. There shall
be no 'alf-measures with me."

"And then I told him--just what we were agreed, you know."

"That we'd go snacks in the whole concern?"

"I didn't exactly say that."

"Then what the devil did you say?"

"Why, I told him that, looking at what the property was, twelve
hundred pounds wasn't much."

"I should think not either."

"And that if his son was to be allowed to have it all--"

"A bastard, you know, keeping it away from the proper heir." It may
almost be doubted whether, in so speaking, Aby did not almost think
that he himself had a legitimate right to inherit the property at
Castle Richmond.

"He must look to pay up handsome."

"But did you say what 'andsome meant?"

"Well, I didn't--not then. He fell about upon the table like, and I
wasn't quite sure he wouldn't make a die of it; and then heaven knows
what might have happened to me."

"Psha; you 'as no pluck, governor."

"I'll tell you what it is, Aby, I ain't so sure you'd have such an
uncommon deal of pluck yourself."

"Well, I'll try, at any rate."

"It isn't such a pleasant thing to see an old gentleman in that
state. And what would happen if he chose to ring the bell and order
the police to take me? Have you ever thought of that?"

"Gammon."

"But it isn't gammon. A word from him would put me into quod, and
there I should be for the rest of my days. But what would you care
for that?" And poor Mr. Mollett senior shook under the bedclothes
as his attention became turned to this very dreary aspect of his
affairs. "Pluck, indeed! I'll tell you what it is, Aby, I often
wonder at my own pluck."

"Psha! Wouldn't a word from you split upon him, and upon her, and
upon the young 'un, and ruin 'em? Or a word from me either, for the
matter of that?"

Mr. Mollett senior shook again. He repented now, as he had already
done twenty times, that he had taken that son of his into his
confidence.

"And what on hearth did you say to him?" continued Aby.

"Well, not much more then; at least, not very much more. There was
a good deal of words, but they didn't seem to lead to much, except
this, just to make him underst