“We’re keeping them waiting,” said I, slipping my Hand from his Arm, “and you’ve left your Papers all blowing about in the Summer-house.” And so, ran off to the House.
Fain would I not have gone straight to Breakfast, but there was no Help for it; and the Squire kept loading my Plate, and yet saying I ate Nothing. He and his Lady were wondrous sorry to hear Master Blower say he must return to Town the next Day; and looked rather askance at me for having brought down any Tidings that should summon him thither. After Breakfast, however, he took his Brother aside to explain to him how needful was his Return to his Parish; and Mistress Blower, bringing forth an immense Quantity of Patchwork of very intricate Contrivance, said, “Now, you and I will do a good Morning’s Work:”—and told me it was a Fancy of hers to furnish a little Bed-chamber with Patchery, lined with Pink, and fringed with White. However, Master Blower put a Check to all this, as far as my Help went, by coming in and saying that as this was to be his last Day in the Country, he wanted to take a long Walk with me, and shew me the finest View in the County. Mistress Blower made one or two Objections, which he summarily over-ruled; so, in a very few Minutes, off we were walking together. And first, without any Reference to what had been said before Breakfast, he took me round the Village Green, and into the Church and Churchyard; and made me look over the Parsonage Gate. I said, “Dear me, if I were you, Sir, how much sooner I would be Parson here than in Whitechapel!”
“Would you?” cries he. “Oh, but this is a very poor Living!”
I said, “I did not know you cared much for Money.”
“Well,” he said, “not to spend on myself, but as a Means of Usefulness. And, oh Cherry! there is so much Wretchedness in London, that one cannot, after all, relieve!—I’ll tell you what I do,” continues he, turning down a green Lane with me, “as a general Rule I give away half. That was Zaccheus’ Measure, you know. But, as a single Man, I have found the other Half a great deal too much for me, so I give away all I can of it in Casualties ... just to please myself, as it were. But I don’t consider this Sub-division imperative; therefore, when you and I commence Housekeeping together, which I hope will be in a very little While, we will spend the full Half. Will that suffice you?”
“No indeed, Sir,” said I, “I shall be very sorry indeed if I add to your Expenses so much as that. I would rather give the Poor another Mouthful than deprive them of one; and as I shall only cost you just what I eat and wear, I hope it won’t make much Difference.”
“You’re a comical Girl,” says he. “But, Cherry, I’m sorry to say, that rambling old House of mine is now so completely out of Repair, as to be unfit for a Lady’s Occupation. We must paint it and point it, and mend the Roof.”
“Well, but,” said I, “my Father has left me six hundred Pounds, which will do all that very well.”
“Six hundred Pounds!” says he, opening his Eyes very wide, and then laughing. “Why, you’ve a Fortune, Cherry! How could the dear, good Man have saved it? I thought his Business seemed quite dwindled away.”
“He had some Money with my Mother, Sir,” said I. “And an Uncle left him a Legacy. Besides this Money, which Master Benskin and Master Braidfoot pay Interest for, the House is mine for a long Term; and Mark means to buy the Business; so that I hope I shall not be very expensive to you.”