Bailiff scratches his name, and Mr. Clerk
scratches again to witness Mr. Bailiff's name, and then Mr. Bailiff takes
from his mails a little shagreen case, and out from the case comes
sealing-wax and the travelling seal of the Duchy.
There was my aunt's best winter-candle still burning away in the
daylight, for no one had taken any thought to put it out; and Mr. Bailiff
melts the wax at it, till a drop of sealing-wax falls into the grease and
makes a gutter down one side, and then there is a sweating of the
parchment under the hot wax, and at last on goes the seal. 'Signed,
sealed, and delivered,' says Mr. Clerk, rolling up the sheet and handing
it to Maskew; and Maskew takes and thrusts it into his bosom underneath
his waistcoat front--all cheek by jowl with that silver-hafted pistol,
whose butt I had seen before.
The postchaise stood before the door, the horses were stamping on the
cobble-stones, and the harness jingled. Mr. Clerk had carried out his
mails, but Mr. Bailiff stopped for a moment as he flung the travelling
cloak about his shoulders to say to Elzevir, 'Tut, man, take things not
too hardly. Thou shalt have the Mermaid at 20 a year, which will be
worth ten times as much to thee as this dreary place; and canst send thy
son to Bryson's school, where they will make a scholar of him, for he is
a brave lad'; and he touched my shoulder, and gave me a kindly look as
he passed.
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