“What can I do, Mary? I'm not the first that wanted to marry for love, but money came in his way and tempted him.”
“No, you are not the first. But that's neither here nor there, sir. That chalk-faced girl has bought you away from me with her money, and now I mean to have my share on't.”
“Oh, if that is all,” said Richard, “we can soon settle it. I was afraid you were going to talk about a broken heart, and all that stuff. You are a good, sensible girl; and too beautiful to want a husband long. I'll give you fifty pounds to forgive me.”
“Fifty pounds!” said Mary Wells, contemptuously. “What! when you promised me I should be your wife to-day, and lady of Huntercombe Hall by-and-by? Fifty pounds! No; not five fifties.”
“Well, I'll give you seventy-five; and if that won't do, you must go to law, and see what you can get.”
“What, han't you had your bellyful of law? Mind, it is an unked thing to forswear yourself, and that is what you done at the 'sizes. I have seen what you did swear about your letter to my sister; Sir Charles have got it all wrote down in his study: and you swore a lie to the judge, as you swore a lie to me here under heaven, you villain!” She raised her voice very loud. “Don't you gainsay me, or I'll soon have you by the heels in jail for your lies. You'll do as I bid you, and very lucky to be let off so cheap. You was to be my master, but you chose her instead: well, then, you shall be my servant. You shall come here every Saturday at eight o'clock, and bring me a sovereign, which I never could keep a lump o' money, and I have had one or two from Rhoda; so I'll take it a sovereign a week till I get a husband of my own sort, and then you'll have to come down handsome once for all.”
Bassett knitted his brows and thought hard. His natural impulse was to defy her; but it struck him that a great many things might happen in a few months; so at last he said, humbly, “I consent. I have been to blame. Only I'd rather pay you this money in some other way.”
“My way, or none.”
“Very well, then, I will bring it you as you say.”
“Mind you do, then,” said Mary Wells, and turned haughtily on her heel.