’Six half-crowns I sed, and if you won’t buy her of me for yourself, and give me the money in silver, I’ll fetch her home to the Table, and I’ll scatt every bone in her body, I will, glory rallaluley! You ain’t a going to take everything from me, and give nothing in return.’ ’There!’ exclaimed Herring, angrily; ’take that.’ He drew his purse from his pocket, and dashed it at the old man. It struck him on the chest, and Grizzly had his hand on it in a moment. ’I can catch,’ said he. ’The men chucks me bits of their pasties, and I can snap like a dog. I never lets mun drop.’ ’Take that and torment Joyce no more. You will find ample in that purse to supply you with tobacco, and drink too, if you will have it. Take it, you despicable scoundrel, and leave the poor girl alone.’ ’A sale be a sale,’ said Grizzly. ’If you’ve a bought her, you have her and I’ve nort more to say to her. I sed seven half-crowns. Dash my brains out if I sed a penny less.’ Cobbledick opened the purse and peeped in. ’Oh, rallaluley! them be guineas! golden guineas! they be worth more than eight half-crowns, the price I axed for Joyce, I reckon. Shan’t I only smoke backie and get drunk. Glory! glory!’ ’Do as you will. Some men cannot be helped. One must let them go to the devil their own way. You are one, and the sooner you go the better.’ ’I be going. I be going as fast as I can,’ exclaimed the old man, misunderstanding him. ’Then go, and do not trouble Joyce any more.’ ’Oh no. I’ve a sold her to you. Don’t’y come and try to cry off the bargain, and want your guineas back. This be scores better deal than that of the man with his wife in Okehampton market. Now, what about the linney?’ ’You may not sleep there, not on any account, if you are bent on getting drunk and smoking. I’ll send you down some straw with which to litter the Giant’s Table.’ ’Oh, rallaluley! this be fine games.’ And the old savage dashed off over the moor. Thus ended Herring’s attempt at reformation of Grizzly Cobbledick. He had gone forth that morning resolved to check the old man in his downward career by cutting off the occasion of drinking, and he had supplied the man with the means of drinking himself to death. However, he went his way, relieved in mind, to West Wyke. He had saved Joyce from further unpleasantness from her father. Cicely met him in the porch. ’You have been a long time out,’ she said. ’My father has been calling for you all day. He is very feeble; you will notice how different he is from what you saw him last night. The excitement of your return stimulated him, and now has come the relapse. Hark! I hear him calling.’ Herring went in, with her. ’Papa has only come down this afternoon. I persuaded him to lie in bed during the morning, but when he thought you would be returning from Upaver he insisted on being dressed and descending to meet you.’ ’John, is that you?’ called the old Squire from his chair by the fire.