"What is that?"
"I got Drew to make me a plough-colter, more than a year ago, and found the iron. There was a piece left, a bar about a foot long."
"If I could heat it, and contrive any way to cut it, I could make a link of it."
"I will leave the chain, and send Andrew over with the bar, and if you find that you can't do anything with the bar, why, cut a link and make the chain shorter, for I am determined you shall mend that chain."
Mr. Montague and his wife now took their leave, and in the course of an hour Andrew Montague brought over the bar of iron.
It was the wife's turn to be discouraged now.
"William," she said, "you never can cut that great bar of iron. Why, it's almost as thick as my press-board, and you haven't one single tool to do it with. I'm sorry, but you will certainly have to shorten the chain."
"No, I won't shorten the chain, and I'll find some way to split it and forge a link out of it, if it takes from now till' next spring: that is, if you'll help me. Montague hates to have the chain shortened. It's the first job of work, and I'll do it as he wants it."
"I'll do anything I can; anything in the world, to get bread for the children."