“'Ay! but the head without a roof over it will hold itself higher than your own, old man. The good faculties and good health God has given me are worth all your title-deeds twice told. If I walk out of this town as poor as the day I came into it, I 'll go with the calm certainty that I can earn my bread,—a process that would be very difficult for you when you could not lend out money on interest.'
“'Give me your arm, sir, back to the town,' said the old Baronet to me; I feel myself too ill to go all alone.'
“'Get him to step into the house and take something,' whispered Whalley in my ear, as he turned away and left us. But I was afraid to propose it; indeed, if I had, I believe the old man would have had a fit on the spot, for he trembled from head to foot, and drew long sighs, as if recovering out of a faint.
“'Is there an inn near this,' asked he, where I can stop? and have you a doctor here?'
“'You can have both, Sir Elkanah,' said I.
“'You know me, then?—you know who I am?' said he, hastily, as I called him by his name.
“'That I do, sir, and I hold my place under you; my name is Shore.'
“'Yes, I remember,' said he, vaguely, as he moved away. When we came to the gate on the road he turned around full and looked at the house, overgrown with that rich red creeper that was so much admired. 'Mark my words, my good man,' said he,—mark them well, and as sure as I live, I 'll not leave one stone on another of that dwelling there.'”
“He was promising more than he could perform,” said the attorney.
“I don't know that,” sighed the meek man; “there's very little that money can't do in this life.”