“Oh, Adam!”

“Lord love you, Miss Anthea!—­that weren’t nothing,—­that were only a flea-bite, as you might say,—­he give more—­ah! nigh double as much as that for the side-board.”

“Nonsense, Adam!”

“It be gospel true, Miss Anthea.  That there sideboard were the plum o’ the sale, so to speak, an’ old Grimes had set ’is ’eart on it, d’ye see.  Well, it were bid up to eighty-six pound, an’ then Old Grimes ’e goes twenty more, making it a hundred an’ six.  Then—­jest as I thought it were all over, an’ jest as that there Old Grimes were beginning to swell hisself up wi’ triumph, an’ get that red in the face as ’e were a sight to behold,—­Mr. Belloo, who’d been lightin’ ’is pipe all this time, up and sez,—­’Fifty up!’ ‘e sez in his quiet way, making it a hundred an’ fifty-six pound, Miss Anthea,—­which were too much for Grimes,—­Lord!  I thought as that there man were going to burst, Miss Anthea!” and Adam gave vent to his great laugh at the mere recollection.  But Anthea was grave enough, and the troubled look in her eyes quickly sobered him.

“A hundred and fifty-six pounds!” she repeated in an awed voice, “but it—­it is awful!”

“Steepish!” admitted Adam, “pretty steepish for a old sideboard, I’ll allow, Miss Anthea,—­but you see it were a personal matter betwixt Grimes an’ Mr. Belloo.  I began to think as they never would ha’ left off biddin’, an’ by George!—­I don’t believe as Mr. Belloo ever would have left off biddin’.  Ye see, there’s summat about Mr. Belloo,—­whether it be his voice, or his eye, or his chin,—­I don’t know,—­but there be summat about him as says, very distinct that if so be ’e should ’appen to set ’is mind on a thing,—­why ‘e’s a-going to get it, an’ ’e ain’t a-going to give in till ’e do get it.  Ye see, Miss Anthea, ’e’s so very quiet in ‘is ways, an’ speaks so soft, an’ gentle,—­p’raps that’s it.  Say, for instance, ‘e were to ax you for summat, an’ you said ’No’—­well, ’e wouldn’t make no fuss about it,—­not ’im,—­he’d jest—­take it, that’s what he’d do.  As for that there sideboard he’d a sat there a bidding and a bidding all night I do believe.”

“But, Adam, why did he do it!  Why did he buy—­all that furniture?”

“Well,—­to keep it from being took away, p’raps!”

“Oh, Adam!—­what am I to do?”

“Do, Miss Anthea?”

“The mortgage must be paid off—­dreadfully soon—­you know that, and—­I can’t—­Oh, I can’t give the money back—­”

“Why—­give it back!—­No, a course not, Miss Anthea!”

“But I—­can’t—­keep it!”

“Can’t keep it, Miss Anthea mam,—­an’ why not?”

“Because I’m very sure he doesn’t want all those things,—­the idea is quite—­absurd!  And yet,—­even if the hops do well, the money they bring will hardly be enough by itself, and so—­I was selling my furniture to make it up, and—­now—­Oh! what am I to do?” and she leaned her head wearily upon her hand.