five. Of course it
don't signify to him not a halfpenny, the College must pay him his
salary all the same, and he don't know no more about farming, nor
land, nor northing, than my old mare yinder. Well, and what comes of
it? Of course every tinant on the place hears that those College lands
be going for five shillings an acre, and they prick up their ears and
say they must have their land at the same figger, and it's all owing
to that Boston varmint, who ought to be kicked through every holl on
the place and then drowned to dead in a dyke."

"Yes, you're right there, George, that silly man is a public enemy,
and ought to be treated as such, but the times are very bad, with corn
down to twenty-nine, very bad."

"I'm not a-saying that they ain't bad, Squire," said his retainer, his
long face lighting up; "they are bad, cruel bad, bad for iverybody.
And I'm not denying that they is bad for the tinants, but if they is
bad for the tinants they is wus for the landlord. It all comes on his
shoulders in the long run. If men find they can get land at five
shillings an acre that's worth twenty, why it isn't in human natur to
pay twenty, and if they find that the landlord must go as they drive
him, of course they'll lay on the whip. Why, bless you, sir, when a
tinant comes and says that he is very sorry but he finds he can't pay
his rent, in nine cases out of ten, you'd find that the bank was paid,
the tradesmen were paid, the doctor's paid, iverybody's paid before he
thinks about his rent. Let the landlord suffer, because he can't help
hisself; but Lord bless us, if a hundred pounds were overdue to the
bank it would have the innards out of him in no time, and he knows it.
Now as for that varmint, Janter, to tell me that he can't pay fifteen
shillings an acre for the Moat Farm, is nonsense. I only wish I had
the capital to take it at the price, that I du."

"Well, George," said the Squire, "I think that if it can be managed I
shall borrow the money and take the farm on hand. I am not going to
let Janter have it at five shillings an acre."

"Ah, sir, that's the best way. Bad as times be, it will go hard if I
can't make the interest and the rent out of it too. Besides, Squire,
if you give way about this here farm, all the others will come down on
you. I'm not saying a word agin your tinants, but where there's money
to be made you can't trust not no man."

"Well, well," said the Squire, "perhaps you are right and perhaps you
ai