"I canna do wi' another heavy cowd [cold] at my time o' life, and
there's only one way for to stop it. There! That'll do, lad. Let's have
a look at thee."
Herbert perched himself on a corner of the table. The vivacity of Silas
astounded him.
"Thou looks older, nephew," said Silas, sipping at the whisky, and
smacking his lips grimly.
"Do I? Well, you look younger, uncle, anyhow. You've shaved your beard
off, for one thing."
"Yes, and a pretty cold it give me, too! I'd carried that beard for
twenty year."
"Then why did you cut it off?"
"Because I had to, lad. But never mind that. So thou'st taken possession
o' my house?"
"It isn't your house any longer, uncle," said Herbert, determined to get
the worst over at once.
"Not my house any longer! Us'll see whether it inna' my house any
longer."
"If you go and disappear for a twelvemonth and more, uncle, and leave no
address, you must take the consequence. I never knew till after you'd
gone that you'd mortgaged this house for four hundred pounds to Callear,
the fish-dealer."
"Who towd thee that?"
"Callear told me."
"Callear had no cause to be uneasy.
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