"Stop, stop, stop!" cried the Captain in great agitation; "who told you that I had L330 a year?" "Why, Bolt,--don't be angry with him." "Bolt is a blockhead. From L330 a year take L200, and the remainder is all my income, besides my half-pay." My mother opened her eyes, and so did I. "To that L130 add, if you please, L130 of your own. All that you have over, my dear sister, is yours or Austin's, or your boy's; but not a shilling can go to give luxuries to a miserly, battered old soldier. Do you understand me?" "No, Roland," said my mother; "I don't understand you at all. Does not your property bring in L330 a year?" "Yes, but it has a debt of L200 a year on it," said the Captain, gloomily and reluctantly. "Oh, Roland!" cried my mother tenderly, and approaching so near that, had my father been in the room, I am sure she would have been bold enough to kiss the stern Captain, though I never saw him look sterner and less kissable. "Oh, Roland!" cried my mother, concluding that famous Epiphonema which my uncle's Aposiopesis had before nipped in the bud, "and yet you would have made us, who are twice as rich, rob you of this little all!" "Ah!" said Roland, trying to smile, "but I should have had my own way then, and starved you shockingly. No talk then of 'little parties' and such like. But you must not now turn the tables against me, nor bring your L420 a year as a set-off to my L130." "Why," said my mother generously, "you forget the money's worth that you contribute,--all that your grounds supply, and all that we save by it. I am sure that that's worth a yearly L300 at the least." "Madam,--sister," said the Captain, "I'm sure you don't want to hurt my feelings. All I have to say is, that if you add to what I bring an equal sum,--to keep up the poor old ruin,--it is the utmost that I can allow, and the rest is not more than Pisistratus can spend." So saying, the Captain rose, bowed, and before either of us could stop him, hobbled out of the room. "Dear me, Sisty!" said my mother, wringing her hands; "I have certainly displeased him. How could I guess he had so large a debt on the property?" "Did not he pay his son's debts? Is not that the reason that--" "Ah!" interrupted my mother, almost crying, "and it was that which ruffled him; and I not to guess it! What shall I do?" "Set to work at a new calculation, dear mother, and let him have his own way." "But then," said my mother, "your uncle will mope himself to death, and your father will have no relaxation, while you see that he has lost his former object in his books. And Blanche--and you too. If we were only to contribute what dear Roland does, I do not see how, with L260 a year, we could ever bring our neighbors round us! I wonder what Austin would say! I have half a mind--No, I'll go and look over the week-books with Primmins." My mother went her way sorrowfully, and I was left alone.