'Fine! Education is a rare advantage if you have money to back it up; money without education is a halting horse; but education without money is one foundered in all four legs. What will you be? Not a fisherman. Your education is thrown away for that.' 'I intend to sell the house.' 'Sell the house!' echoed Dench, and lifted his hands in astonishment. 'I must do so. If I had a little income I might live here in it, and idle. I should not relish that. As I have no income I cannot occupy it. I must look out for a situation, and not being a snail I cannot travel with my house on my back.' 'You have the cutter.' 'That cutter is of no use to me unless I know how to employ her.' 'Oh! there is employment easy found.' 'Yes, but not such as I care to undertake. I know what you mean. Besides, my education is so much capital invested. I must see if I cannot make it render interest.' 'But the house――――' 'It holds me here, and just here no work suitable for me is to be found.' 'Darn me!' said Olver, looking musingly at his hands, 'I'd not sell the house till I had torn down every stone, and had sifted every peck of dust.' 'And found nothing, and thrown away what little value the cottage possessed when standing.' 'I do not see,' said the ferryman, 'that this is a house that will fetch a price. There is no field or paddock attached to it. There are just four walls and nothing further. If you were to take to the sea and carry on your father's business, then the place is well enough. And yet, after this late affair, it is a little blown upon. And then Jane Marley's cottage has gone to pieces. These cliffs are not sure; you cannot say what may happen next. Purchasers might argue that it was an unsafe tenure, not worth much because so insecure in its foundations. It might last a hundred years, or it might go to-morrow. I am shot if I would sell.' 'I have thought it well over,' said Jack; 'no other course is open to me.' 'You may let the cottage.' 'Who would take it? It is fit only for a labourer in Bindon, and their hands are all provided for in Axminster. Besides, I am in want of money.' 'You will sell furniture and all.' 'Yes, everything.' 'Then, take my advice, and dispose of the house first. You are separated by the mouth of the Axe from Seaton, and Seaton folk will not come here to get furniture; but if the house be sold, then the purchaser may bid well for what is in it, that he may have the whole bag of tricks together, and not be put to the extra trouble and cost in new rigging.' 'There is something in what you say. The sooner it is done the better. I shall speak to the auctioneer, and have the crier sent about.' 'Well, if it must be, I say so as well.' The young man walked away to go to Beer, where he had been in lodgings up to his father's death. He had matters to arrange there.