"Why, she's your own--" "H-h-sh, Aby. There's that confounded long-eared fellow at the keyhole, as sure as my name's Matthew; and if he hears you, the game's all up with a vengeance." "Lord bless you, what could he hear? Besides, talking as we are now, he wouldn't catch a word even if he were in the room itself. And now I'll tell you what it is; do you go down yourself, and make your way into the hold gentleman's room. Just send your own name in boldly. Nobody will know what that means, except himself." "I did that once before; and I never shall forget it." "Yes, you did it once before, and you have had a steady income to live on ever since; not such an income as you might have had. Not such an income as will do for you and me, now that we both know so well what a fine property we have under our thumbs. But, nevertheless, that little visit has been worth something to you." "Upon my word, Aby, I never suffered so much as I did that day. I didn't know till then that I had a soft heart." "Soft heart! Oh, bother. Such stuff as that always makes me sick. If I 'ate anything, it's maudlin. Your former visit down there did very well, and now you must make another, or else, by the holy poker! I'll make it for you." "And what would you have me say to him if I did manage to see him?" "Perhaps I'd better go--" "That's out of the question. He wouldn't see you, or understand who you were. And then you'd make a row, and it would all come out, and the fat would be in the fire." "Well, I guess I should not take it quite quiet if they didn't treat me as a gentleman should be treated. I ain't always over-quiet if I'm put upon." "If you go near that house at all I'll have done with it. I'll give up the game." "Well, do you go, at any rate first. Perhaps it may be well that I should follow after with a reminder. Do you go down, and just tell him this, quite coolly, remember--" "Oh, I shall be cool enough." "That, considering hall things, you think he and you ought to--" "Well?" "Just divide it between you; share and share alike. Say it's fourteen thousand--and it's more than that--that would be seven for him and seven for you. Tell him you'll agree to that, but you won't take one farthing less." "Aby!" said the father, almost overcome by the grandeur of his son's ideas. "Well; and what of Haby? What's the matter now?" "Expect him to shell out seven thousand pounds a year!" "And why not? He'll do a deal more than that, I expect, if he were quite sure that it would make all things serene. But it won't; and therefore you must make him another hoffer." "Another offer!" "Yes. He'll know well enough that you'll be thinking of his death. And for all they do say he might pop off any day." "He's a younger man than me, Aby, by full ten years." "What of that? You may pop off any day too, mayn't you? I believe you old fellows don't think of dying nigh as hoften as we young ones."