"A bargain!" echoed the peddler, in surprise. "I thought the bargain
already made."
"Nothing is a bargain," said the purchaser, with a chuckle, "until
papers are delivered, and the money paid in hand."
"You have the paper."
"Aye, and will keep it, if you will excuse the money. Come, say one
hundred and fifty, and I won't be hard; here--here is just the money."
The peddler looked from the window, and saw with dismay that the evening
was fast advancing, and knew well that he endangered his life by
remaining in the dwelling after dark; yet he could not tolerate the idea
of being defrauded in this manner, in a bargain that had already been
fairly made; he hesitated.
"Well," said the purchaser, rising, "mayhap you can find another man to
trade with between this and morning, but if you don't, your title won't
be worth much afterwards."
"Take it, Harvey," said Katy, who felt it impossible to resist a tender
like the one before her; for the purchase money was in English guineas.
Her voice roused the peddler, and a new idea seemed to strike him.
"I agree to the price," he said; and, turning to the spinster, he placed
part of the money in her hand, as he continued, "Had I other means to
pay you, I would have lost all, rather than suffer myself to be
defrauded of part.
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