“No matter; the old one will do well enough for me, as it did for my father before me.” After having repeated these words in precisely the same tone several times, he went on slowly eating his supper, whilst Marvel, in detestation of his obstinate stupidity, turned his back upon him, and began to enumerate to Wright sundry of his own ingenious projects. “My dear Wright,” said he, “you are worth talking to, and you shall hear all my schemes.” “Willingly; but I do not promise to approve of them all.” “Oh! you will, you will, the moment you hear them; and I will let you have a share in some of them. In the first place, there’s that fine rabbit-warren near Clover-hill. The true silver grey rabbits--_silver sprigs_, they call them--do you know that the skins of those _silver sprigs_ are worth any money?” “Any money! what money?” “Pooh! I don’t know exactly: but I mean to buy that warren.” “Before you know what it is worth! Let us consider; each dozen of skins is worth, say, from ten to fifteen shillings.” “You need not trouble yourself to calculate now,” interrupted Marvel, “for I have determined to have the warren. With the money that I shall get for my silver sprigs, I will next year make a decoy, and supply the London market with wild-fowl. Don’t you remember the day that we met Simon Stubbs, the carrier, loaded with game and wild-fowl, he said that a decoy in Lincolnshire must be a fortune to any man. I’ll have the best decoy not only in Lincolnshire but in all England. By-the-bye, there’s another thing I must do, Wright; I’ll exchange any part of Clover-hill you please with you, for as much land in Holland Fen.” “Take him at his word, cousin Wright,” said Goodenough. “No, no,” replied Wright; “I know the value of land, and the difference between Clover-hill and Holland Fen, better than he does: I would not take him at his word, for that would be taking him in.” “I would not take anybody in,” said Goodenough; “but if another man is a fool, that’s no reason I should be one. Now, if a man offers me a good bargain, why should not I close with him, and say--Done?” “Then say done,” cried Marvel, “and you shall have the bargain, Goodenough. You have an undrained marsh of your own: I’ll exchange with you, and welcome, ten acres of the marsh for five of Clover-hill.” “Done,” said Goodenough. “Done. I shall stock it with geese, and you’ll see what the quills and feathers alone will bring me in. I’ve engaged with one already to sell them for me. But, Wright, here’s another scheme I have. Wildmore common, you know, is covered with those huge thistles, which prick the noses of the sheep so as to hinder them from feeding and fattening: I will take that common into my own hands.” “Ay,” said Goodenough; “exchange the rest of Clover-hill for it:--that’s like you!”