"Bless my soul! Bless my soul! Glad to see ye. Missed your face. How're
ye gettin' on? Gone into your house? How's your mother? I'll come see you,
if you're settled. Don't go to see anybody,--never go! never go! People
are all wolves, wolves, wolves; but I'll come an' see you. Like your
face,--good face, good face. What're you lookin' at? What're you lookin'
at? Ain't goin' to buy any thin' out o' that winder, be ye? Trash, trash,
trash! People are all cheats, cheats," said the old man, breathlessly.

"I'm afraid I'll have to, sir," replied Mercy, vainly trying to keep the
muscles of her face quiet. "I must buy a clock. Our clock got broken on
the way."

"Broken? Clock broken? Mend it, mend it, child. I'll show you a good man,
not this feller in here,--he's only good for outsides. Holler sham, holler
sham! What kind o' clock was it?"

"Oh, that's the worst of it. It was an old clock my grandfather brought
from Holland. It reached up to the ceiling, and had beautiful carved work
on it. But it's in five hundred pieces, I do believe. A heavy box crushed
it. Even the brass work inside is all jammed and twisted. Our things came
by sea," replied Mercy.

"Bless my soul! Bless my soul! Come on, come on! I'll show you," exclaimed
the eccentric old man, starting off at a quick pace. Mercy did not stir.
Presently, he looked back, wheeled, and came again so near that he nearly
trod on her gown.

"Bless my soul! Didn't tell her,--bad habit, bad habit. Never do make
people understand. Come on, child,--come on! I've got a clock like yours.
Don't want it. Never use it. Run down twenty years ago. Guess we can find