he completely broke down, and with snivels and wails besought
his "dear ole friend" to be lenient and forbearing. "I made
a mistake, squire," he pleaded; "but I allus liked yer, an' Phil
he likes yer, an' naow yer're too ginerous ter push things too
far, I knows."

"Huh!" grunted the creditor. "I said I'd make ye cry
small, ye old trimmer. So it 's no longer to your interest to
pay principal, or your principle to pay interest, eh? No, I
won't push ye too far! I'll only turn ye out of Boxely and
let ye be farmed on the town as a pauper. If I had the dealing
with ye, ye'd be in the provost prison at York awaiting
trial as a traitor. And my generosity would run to just six
feet of rope."

Of the tide of war only vague rumours came back to the
non-combatants, until at noon, a week later, Sir William,
accompanied by two aides and an escort of dragoons, came
cantering up.

"In the king's name, dinner!" he cried cheerily, as he
shook the welcoming hand of the squire. "You see, Mr.
Meredith, we've forgot neither your loyalty nor your Madeira.
No, nor your dainty lass, either; and so we are here again to
levy taxation without representation on them all. 'T is to be
hoped, Mrs. Meredith, that 't will be met more kindly than
our Parliamentary attempt at the same game. Ah, Miss
Janice, your face is a pleasant sight to look at after the bleak
banks of the Delaware, at which we've been staring and
cursing for the last five days."