genius for making money; he had made it in forty different ways, by land
and sea, tenpence at a time.

"I hae gotten the life o' Jess Rutherford till ye," said he.

"Giest then."

"I'm seeking half a crown for 't," said he.

Now, he knew he should never get half a crown, but he also knew that if
he asked a shilling, he should be beaten down to fourpence.

So half a crown was his first bode.

The enemy, with anger at her heart, called up a humorous smile, and
saying, "An' ye'll get saxpence," went about some household matter; in
reality, to let her proposal rankle in Flucker.

Flucker lighted his pipe slowly, as one who would not do a sister the
injustice to notice so trivial a proposition.

He waited fresh overtures.

They did not come.

Christie resumed her book.

Then the baddish boy fixed his eye on the fire, and said softly and
thoughtfully to the fire, "Hech, what a heap o' troubles yon woman has
come through."