“Mr. Alsop considered for a little. He did not know what to do. The people and the policemen were alike awaiting his decision. If he persisted, he must he conveyed, like a culprit, along with me; and he knew well that I cared little what was done, for by this time the roads to the various station-houses were getting pretty familiar. If, on the contrary, he retired from the conflict, he must do so with the ridicule of all about him. I think he chose the wisest course. He walked away amidst the derisive laughter of the crowd. “This, then, was the man whom God, and God alone, had sent to relieve me from my embarrassment. I stood in front of the house as Mr. Alsop came by, thinking what on earth I should do, but never for a moment dreaming that he was likely to be a customer. “‘What will be the amount?’ said Mr. Alsop, pausing in his walk, and looking up at the house. “I said, ‘When it is finished, and you have a good tenant, I will sell it to you for £380. It has a sixteen-feet frontage, and is twenty-six feet deep.’ “‘Who is the tenant to be?’ “‘I will be your tenant. I will take it for five or seven years.’ “‘Well, I will think of it. I will call and see thee to-morrow.’ “As usual, I made it a matter of prayer. The reader may be sure that I kept a good look-out for my customer the next day, but did not let him see that I was at all anxious about the matter. “‘Have you thought about what I said?’ “God knows I had not slept for thinking of it. “‘Yes, I have; and I will take £380 for it, and be your tenant for three, five, or seven years. I am going to leave my present house.’ “‘I will give you £330,’ he said. “‘Very well, I will take that. You know it is usual to pay a deposit?’ “‘Oh, yes; how much do you want? I have brought a bank cheque.’ “‘£150 would be enough.’ “‘You can have more—say £200.’ “‘Very well, that will do.’ “‘He filled up the cheque for the last-mentioned amount, and we parted for the time. I was in the highest spirits. My difficulties had vanished. With this cheque I could command all the remaining materials that I wanted. I went to Mr. Cubitt’s office, got the boards for the floor, and everything else, and set the carpenters to work, early and late. At last it was finished. Before this, however, I took ground for two more houses, which Mr. Alsop also bought. The first one I lived in myself for seven years. This was the very man who had given me in charge nine months before.