"No buts about it, Mr. Bennington. I don't want to talk all day about nothing. You can't pay; that's enough;" and the squire moved towards the door, followed by Jones, who desired to pay his note.
"Squire Wormbury," called the landlord, "one word."
The usurer walked back to the counter, determined, however, not to prolong the argument. Mr. Bennington took a well-filled pocket-book from the iron safe, from which he counted out the amount due the squire.
"I thought you said you couldn't pay it," growled Squire Moses, whose heart sank within him when he saw the bottom drop out of the nice little plan—a very stupid one, by the way—which he had arranged with Ethan.
"I didn't say so. I only asked if you would wait till next week," laughed the landlord.
"Fooling with me—were you?" snapped the squire.
"I understood a while ago that the Sea Cliff House was to have a new landlord about the first of July, and I wanted to see how you felt about it to-day."
"Who said so?"
"Well, you and Ethan talked it over together. You were to take possession, if I didn't pay the interest, turn me out and put your son Ethan in."
"Who said I did?"