“How long have you been in town, Fothergill?” said Sowerby, still standing with his back against the chimney. He had resolved on only one thing—that nothing should induce him to touch, look at, or listen to any of those papers. He knew well enough that no good would come of that. He also had his own lawyer, to see that he was pilfered according to rule. “How long? Since the day before yesterday. I never was so busy in my life. The duke, as usual, wants to have everything done at once.” “If he wants to have all that I owe him paid at once, he is like to be out in his reckoning.” “Ah, well; I’m glad you are ready to come quickly to business, because it’s always best. Won’t you come and sit down here?” “No, thank you; I’ll stand.” “But we shall have to go through these figures, you know.” “Not a figure, Fothergill. What good would it do? None to me, and none to you either, as I take it; if there is anything wrong, Potter’s fellows will find it out. What is it the duke wants?” “Well; to tell the truth, he wants his money.” “In one sense, and that the main sense, he has got it. He gets his interest regularly, does not he?” “Pretty well for that, seeing how times are. But, Sowerby, that’s nonsense. You understand the duke as well as I do, and you know very well what he wants. He has given you time, and if you had taken any steps towards getting the money, you might have saved the property.” “A hundred and eighty thousand pounds! What steps could I take to get that? Fly a bill, and let Tozer have it to get cash on it in the City!” “We hoped you were going to marry.” “That’s all off.” “Then I don’t think you can blame the duke for looking for his own. It does not suit him to have so large a sum standing out any longer. You see, he wants land, and will have it. Had you paid off what you owed him, he would have purchased the Crown property; and now, it seems, young Gresham has bid against him, and is to have it. This has riled him, and I may as well tell you fairly, that he is determined to have either money or marbles.” “You mean that I am to be dispossessed.” “Well, yes; if you choose to call it so. My instructions are to foreclose at once.” “Then I must say the duke is treating me most uncommonly ill.” “Well, Sowerby, I can’t see it.” “I can, though. He has his money like clock-work; and he has bought up these debts from persons who would have never disturbed me as long as they got their interest.” “Haven’t you had the seat?” “The seat! and is it expected that I am to pay for that?” “I don’t see that any one is asking you to pay for it. You are like a great many other people that I know. You want to eat your cake and have it. You have been eating it for the last twenty years, and now you think yourself very ill-used because the duke wants to have his turn.”