Hannah appeared in the doorway. “I dare say--you may fetch--my cloak and bonnet. Why, if the wench hasn't got them on her arm. What, you made up your mind that I should go, then?” “That I did,” replied Hannah. “Your warm shawl is in the cart, Mrs. Meadows.” “Oh! you did, did you. Young folks are apt to be sure and certain. I was in two minds about it, so I don't see how the child could be sure,” said she, dividing her remark between vacancy and the person addressed--a grammatical privilege of old age. “Oh! but _I_ was sure, for that matter,” replied Hannah firmly. “And what made the little wench so sure, I wonder?” said the old woman, now in her black bonnet and scarlet cloak. “Why, la!” says Hannah, “because it's your son, ma'am--and you're his mother, Dame Meadows!” CHAPTER VI. JOHN MEADOWS had always been an active man, but now he was indefatigable. He was up at five every morning, and seemed ubiquitous; added a gray gelding to his black mare, and rode them both nearly off their legs. He surveyed land in half a dozen counties--he speculated in grain in half a dozen markets, and did business in shares. His plan in dealing with this ticklish speculation was simple. He listened to nothing anybody said, examined the venture himself, and, if it had a sound basis, bought when the herd was selling, and sold wherever the herd was buying. Hence, he bought cheap and sold dear. He also lent money, and contrived to solve the usurers' problem--perfect security and huge interest. He arrived at this by his own sagacity and the stupidity of mankind. Mankind are not wanting in intelligence; but, as a body, they have one intellectual defect--they are muddle-heads. Now these muddle-heads have agreed to say that land is in all cases five times a surer security for money lent than movables are. Whereas the fact is that sometimes it is and sometimes it is not. Owing to the above delusion the proprietor of land can always borrow money at four per cent, and other proprietors are often driven to give ten--twenty--thirty. So John Meadows lent mighty little upon land, but much upon oat-ricks, wagons, advantageous leases and such things, solid as land and more easily convertible into cash. Thus without risk he got his twenty per cent. Not that he appeared in these transactions--he had too many good irons in the fire to let himself be called a usurer. He worked this business as three thousand respectable men are working it in this nation. He had a human money-bag, whose strings he went behind a screen and pulled. The human money-bag of Meadows was Peter Crawley.