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Reade, Charles, 1814-1884

"A Terrible Temptation A Story of To-Day"

Moss. He said, 'I wish I had your head-piece, my lady.'
I could have told him Love sharpens a woman's wits; but I reserved that
little adage for you."
"It's all mighty fine, fair lady, but you have told me a fib. You said
it was to be all for yourself, and got a hundred pounds out of me."
"And so it was for myself, you silly thing. Are you not myself? and the
part of myself I love the best?" And her supple wrist was round his
neck in a moment.
They rode home together, like lovers, and comforted each other.

Richard Bassett, with Wheeler's assistance, had borrowed money on
Highmore to buy "Splatchett's"; he now borrowed money on
"Splatchett's," and bought Dean's Wood--a wood, with patches of grass,
that lay on the east of Sir Charles's boundary. He gave seventeen
hundred pounds for it, and sold two thousand pounds' worth of timber
off it the first year. This sounds incredible; but, owing to the custom
of felling only ripe trees, landed proprietors had no sure clew to the
value of all the timber on an acre. Richard Bassett had found this out,
and bought Dean's Wood upon the above terms--_i.e.,_ the vender gave
him the soil and three hundred pounds gratis. He grubbed the roots and
sold them for fuel, and planted larches to catch the overflow of Sir
Charles's game.


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