"'Through no fault of my husband's he had to borrow a hundred and fifty pounds nearly twelve months ago. The man he had it from was a money-lender, a Mr. Gavity; he charged a high rate of interest, and brought the cost up to about thirty pounds; but we have no reason to think he wished to act un--unfar--unfairly by us. He required security--which I suppose was only reasonable. The Reverend Mr. Lockett offered himself; but Gavity said parsons were slippers.'" "Good gracious!" said Mrs. Todhetley. "The word's slippery, I expect," cried the Squire with a frown. "One would think she had emptied the water-bottle into the inkpot." "'Gavity said parsons were slippery; meaning that they were often worth no more than their word. He took, as security, a bill of sale on the furnace. Stay,--furniture. Our school was quite prosperous; there was not the slightest doubt that in a short time the whole of the debt could be cleared off; so we had no hesitation in letting him have the bill of sale. And no harm would have come of it, but for one dreadful misfortune, which (as it seems) was a necessary part of the attendant proceedings. My husband got put into _Jer--Jer--Jerry's Gazelle_.'" "_Jerry's Gazelle?_" "_Jerry's Gazette_," corrected the Squire. "_Jerry's Gazette?_" We all spoke at once. He stared at the letters and then at us. We stared back again. "It _is_ _Jerry's Gazette_--as I think. Come and see, Joe." Tod looked over the Squire's shoulder. It certainly looked like "_Jerry's Gazette_," he said; but the ink was pale. "'_Jerry's Gazette._' Go on, father. Perhaps you'll find an explanation further on." "'This _Jerry's Gazette_, it appears, is circulated chiefly (and I think privately) amongst comical men--commercial men; merchants, and tradespeople. When they read its list of names, they know at once who is in difficulties. Of course they saw my husband's name there, Pyefinch Blair; unfortunately a name so peculiar as not to admit of any doubt. I did not see the _Gazette_, but I believe the amount of the debt was stated, and that Gavity (but I don't know whether he was mentioned by name) had a bill of sale on our household furniture.'" "What the dickens is _Jerry's Gazette_?" burst forth the Squire, giving the letter a passionate flick. "I know but of one _Gazette_, into which men of all conditions go, whether they are made lords or bankrupts. What's this other thing?" He put up his spectacles, and stared at us all again, as if expecting an answer. But he might as well have asked it of the moon. Mrs. Todhetley sat with the most hopeless look you ever saw on her face. So he went on reading again.