The Doctor smiled, dropping his eyelids in a very sagacious way. “He _does_ seem drawn a little our way, I must confess to thee,” he said, “but we can't always tell how much is meant. Perhaps thee knows his mind better than I do?” “Mayhap I do--know what it will be, if _I_ choose! But I don't begrudge sayin' that he likes your girl, and I shouldn't wonder if he'd showed it.” “Then thee sees, Friend Barton,” Dr. Deane continued, “that the case is precisely like the one I supposed; and what I would consider right for Friend Paxson, would even be right for myself. I've no doubt thee could do more for Alfred than I can do for Martha, and without wrong to thy other children,--Elisha, as I said, being independent, and Ann not requiring a great deal,--and the two properties joined together would be a credit to us, and to the neighborhood. Only, thee knows, there must be some legal assurance beforehand. There is nothing certain,--even thy mind is liable to change,--ah, the mind of man is an unstable thing!” The Doctor delivered these words in his most impressive manner, uplifting both eyes and hands. The old man, however, seemed to pay but little attention to it. Turning his head on one side, he said, in a quick, sharp voice: “Time enough for that when we come to it How's the girl inclined? Is the money hers, anyhow, at twenty-five,--how old now? Sure to be a couple, hey?--settle that first!” Dr. Deane crossed his legs carefully, so as not to crease the cloth too much, laid his cane upon them, and leaned back a little in his chair. “Of course I've not spoken to Martha,” he presently said; “I can only say that she hasn't set her mind upon anybody else, and that is the main thing. She has followed my will in all, except as to joining the Friends, and there I felt that I couldn't rightly command, where the Spirit had not spoken. Yes, the money will be hers at twenty-five,--she is twenty-one now,--but I hardly think it necessary to take that into consideration. If thee can answer for Alfred, I think I can answer for her.” “The boy's close about _his_ money,” broke in the old man, with a sly, husky chuckle. “What he has, Doctor, you understand, goes toward balancin' what she has, afore you come onto me, at all. Yes, yes, I know what I'm about. A good deal, off and on, has been got out o' this farm, and it hasn't all gone into _my_ pockets. I've a trifle put out, but you can't expect me to strip myself naked, in my old days. But I'll do what's fair--I'll do what's fair!” “There's only this,” the Doctor added, meditatively, “and I want thee to understand, since we've, somehow or other, come to mention the matter, that we'd better have another talk, after we've had more time to think of it. Thee can make up thy mind, and let me know _about_ what thee'll do; and I the same. Thee _has_ a starting-point on my side, knowing the amount of Martha's fortune--_that_, of course, thee must come up to first, and then we'll see about the rest!”