At the moment when I first began to listen attentively they seemed to
be in heated dispute concerning the personal property of a certain Mr.
Christian, who was either dead or had inexplicably disappeared. Mr.
Obstinate, I gathered, had taken as his right this Christian's
"easy-chair"; a gentleman named Smoothman most of his other goods for
a debt; while a Parson Decorum had appropriated as heretical his
books and various peculiar MSS.
But there now remained in question a trifling sum of money which a Mr.
Liar loudly demanded in payment of an "affair of honour." This,
however, he seemed little likely to obtain, seeing that an elderly
uncle by marriage of Christian's, whose name was Office, was as eager
and affable and frank about the sum as he was bent on keeping it; and
rattled the contents of his breeches' pocket in sheer bravado of his
means to go to law for it.
"He left a bare pittance, the merest pittance," he said. "What could
there be of any account? Christian despised money, professed to
despise it. That alone would prove my wretched nephew queer in the
head--despised _money_!
"Tush, friend!" cried Obstinate from his corner.
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