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XXXVI. Wealth in Jeopardy—The Revel

           Thewheatwhenthreshedwouldaverageaboutthirtyquarterstoeachstack;thebarley,atleastforty.TheirvaluetoBathsheba,andindeedtoanybody,Oakmentallyestimatedbythefollowingsimplecalculation:

           5×30=150quarters=500L.

           3×40=120quarters=250L.

           ––––

           Total..750L.

           Sevenhundredandfiftypoundsinthedivinestformthatmoneycanwearthatofnecessaryfoodformanandbeast:shouldtheriskberunofdeterioratingthisbulkofcorntolessthanhalfitsvalue,becauseoftheinstabilityofawoman?"Never,ifIcanpreventit!"saidGabriel.

           SuchwastheargumentthatOaksetoutwardlybeforehim.Butman,eventohimself,isapalimpsest,havinganostensiblewriting,andanotherbeneaththelines.Itispossiblethattherewasthisgoldenlegendundertheutilitarianone:"IwillhelptomylasteffortthewomanIhavelovedsodearly."

           Hewentbacktothebarntoendeavourtoobtainassistanceforcoveringthericksthatverynight.Allwassilentwithin,andhewouldhavepassedoninthebeliefthatthepartyhadbrokenup,hadnotadimlight,yellowassaffronbycontrastwiththegreenishwhitenessoutside,streamedthroughaknot-holeinthefoldingdoors.

           Gabriellookedin.Anunusualpicturemethiseye.

           Thecandlessuspendedamongtheevergreenshadburntdowntotheirsockets,andinsomecasestheleavestiedaboutthemwerescorched.Manyofthelightshadquitegoneout,otherssmokedandstank,greasedroppingfromthemuponthefloor.

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