Between whiles, however, he bestowed his undivided attention upon the furniture.  He sat down suddenly and heavily, in chairs; he pummelled them with his plump, red fists,—­whereby to test their springs; he opened the doors of cabinets; he peered into drawers; he rapped upon tables, and altogether comported himself as a thoroughly knowing man should, who is not to be hocussed by veneer, or taken in by the shine, and splendour of well applied bees-wax.  Bellew, watching all this from where he sat screened from the throng by a great carved sideboard, and divers chairs, and whatnots,—­drew rather harder at his pipe, and, chancing to catch Adam’s eye, beckoned him to approach.

“Who is that round, red man, yonder, Adam?” he enquired, nodding to where the individual in question was engaged at that moment poking at something or other with a large, sausage-like finger.

“That!” replied Adam in a tone of profound disgust, “that be Mr. Grimes, o’ Cranbrook, sir.  Calls hisself a corn-chandler,—­but I calls ’im,—­well, never mind what, sir,—­only it weren’t at corn-chandling as ’e made all ’is money, sir,—­and it be him as we all work, and slave for,—­here at Dapplemere Farm.”

“What do you mean, Adam?”

“I mean as it be him as holds the mortgage on Dapplemere, sir.”

“Ah,—­and how much?”

“Over three thousand pound, Mr. Belloo sir!” sighed Adam, with a hopeless shake of the head, “an’ that be a powerful lot o’ money, sir.”

Bellew thought of the sums he had lavished upon his yacht, upon his three racing cars, and certain other extravagances.  Three thousand pounds,—­fifteen thousand dollars!  It would make her a free woman,—­independent,—­happy!  Just fifteen thousand dollars,—­and he had thrown away more than that upon a poker game, before now!

“Lord!” exclaimed Adam, “the very sight o’ that theer Grimes’s pig eyes a-starin’ at Miss Anthea’s furnitur’ do make the Old Adam rise up in me to that amazin’ extent, Mr. Belloo sir—­why, jest look at ‘im a-thumpin’ an’ a poundin’ at that theer chair!” Saying which, Adam turned, and elbowing his way to where Mr. Grimes was in the act of testing the springs of an easy chair, he promptly,—­and as though forced by a struggling mob,—­fell up against Mr. Grimes, and jostled Mr. Grimes, and trod heavily upon the toes of Mr. Grimes, and all with an expression of the most profound unconsciousness and abstraction, which, upon the indignant Corn-chandler’s loud expostulations, immediately changed to a look of innocent surprise.

“Can’t you look where you’re going?—­you clumsy fool!” fumed the irate Grimes, redder of neck than ever.

“Ax your pardon, Mr. Grimes,” said Adam solemnly, “but what wi’ people’s legs, an’ cheer legs, an’ the legs o’ tables,—­not to mention sideboards an’ cab’nets,—­which, though not ’aving no legs, ain’t to be by no manner o’ means despised therefore,—­w’ot wi’ this an’ that, an’ t’other, I am