Dr. West had not lived
in ignorance of what was going on in Deerham; he had one or two private
correspondents there; besides the open ones, his daughters and Jan; and
he had learned how popular Jan had grown with all classes. Yes, it was
decidedly politic on Dr. West's part to offer Jan terms of purchase. And
Jan closed with them.
"I couldn't have done it six months ago, you know, Lionel," he said to
his brother. "But now that you have come in again to Verner's Pride, you
won't care to have my earnings any longer."
"What I shall care for now, Jan, will be to repay you so far as I can.
The money can be repaid: the kindness never."
"Law!" cried Jan, "that's nothing. Wouldn't you have done as much for
me? To go back to old West: I shall be able to complete the purchase in
little more than a year, taking it out of the profits. The expenses will
be something considerable. There'll be the house, and the horses, for I
must have two, and I shall take a qualified assistant as soon as Cheese
leaves, which will be in autumn; but there'll be a margin of six or
seven hundred a year profit left me then.
Pages:
1199
1200
1201
1202
1203
1204
1205
1206
1207
1208
1209
1210
1211
1212
1213
1214
1215
1216
1217
1218
1219
1220
1221
1222
1223