"Stop, stop, stop!" cried the Captain in great agitation; "who told you
that I had L330 a year?"

"Why, Bolt,--don't be angry with him."

"Bolt is a blockhead. From L330 a year take L200, and the remainder is
all my income, besides my half-pay."

My mother opened her eyes, and so did I.

"To that L130 add, if you please, L130 of your own. All that you have
over, my dear sister, is yours or Austin's, or your boy's; but not a
shilling can go to give luxuries to a miserly, battered old soldier. Do
you understand me?"

"No, Roland," said my mother; "I don't understand you at all. Does not
your property bring in L330 a year?"

"Yes, but it has a debt of L200 a year on it," said the Captain,
gloomily and reluctantly.

"Oh, Roland!" cried my mother tenderly, and approaching so near that,
had my father been in the room, I am sure she would have been bold
enough to kiss the stern Captain, though I never saw him look sterner
and less kissable. "Oh, Roland!" cried my mother, concluding that famous
Epiphonema which my uncle's Aposiopesis had before nipped in the bud,
"and yet you would have made us, who are twice as rich, rob you of this
little all!"

"Ah!" said Roland, trying to smile, "but I should have had my own way
then, and starved you shockingly. No talk then of 'little parties' and
such like. But you must not now turn the tables against me, nor bring
your L420 a year as a set-off to my L130."

"Why," said my mother generously, "you forget the money's worth that you
contribute,--all that your grounds supply, and all that we save by it. I
am sure that that's worth a yearly L300 at the least."

"Madam,--sister," said the Captain, "I'm sure you don't want to hurt my
feelings. All I have to say is, that if you add to what I bring an equal
sum,--to keep up the poor old ruin,--it is the utmost that I can allow,
and the rest is not more than Pisistratus can spend."

So saying, the Captain rose, bowed, and before either of us could stop
him, hobbled out of the room.

"Dear me, Sisty!" said my mother, wringing her hands; "I have certainly
displeased him. How could I guess he had so large a debt on the
property?"

"Did not he pay his son's debts? Is not that the reason that--"

"Ah!" interrupted my mother, almost crying, "and it was that which
ruffled him; and I not to guess it! What shall I do?"

"Set to work at a new calculation, dear mother, and let him have his own
way."

"But then," said my mother, "your