126 History of Gutta-Percha Willie.
—he’s a clever boy Sandy; but he’s a genius
Willie—what they can do by themselves, and that’s
not a little, is nothing tome. And if you’ll have
the goodness, when I give you the honest time, at
fourpence ha’penny an hour, just to strike that much
off my bill, 171] be more obliged to you than I am
now. Only I fear I must make you pay for the
material—not a farthing more than it costs me at
the saw-mills, up at the Grange, for the carriage ’ll
come in with other lots I #zust have.”

“It’s a generous offer, Spelman,” said the doc-
tor, “and Iaccept it heartily, though you are turn-
ing the tables of obligation upon me. You'll have
done far more for me than I ever did for you.”

“ T wish that were like to be true, sir, but it isn’t.
My wife’s not a giantess yet, for all you’ve done
for her,”

Spelman set to work at once. New joists were
inserted in the old walls, boarded over, and covered,
after the advice of Mortimer, with some cunning
mixture to keep out the water. Then a pipe was
put through the wall to carry it off—which pipe,
if it was not masked with an awful head, as the
remains of more than one on the Priory showed it
would have been in the days of the monks, yet did
it work as faithfully without it.

When it came to the plastering of the walls, Mr
Spelman, after giving them full directions, left the
two boys to do that between them. Although there