"I'll tell thee what, Hallam, thou hed better give him what he asks.
If thou doesn't, he'll get Hallam into bad hands. He has thought o'
them, or he would nivver hev spoke o' them; and he'll go to them,
rather than not hev his own way. Even if he didn't, just as soon as he
was squire, he'd manage it. The Norfolk Hallams, who are next to him,
are a poor shiftless crowd, that he'd buy for a song. Now dost thou
want to keep Hallam i' thy own flesh and blood? If ta does, I'll tell
thee what to do."
"That is the dearest, strongest wish I hev; and thou knows it, Whaley."
"Then go thy ways home and tell Antony Hallam he can hev L50,000, if
he gives up to thee every possible claim on Hallam, and every possible
assistance in putting it free in thy hands to sell, or to leave as
thou wishes."
"He'll do that fast enough."
"Then thou choose a proper husband for thy daughter and settle it upon
her. Her husband must take the name o' Hallam; and thy grandchildren
by Elizabeth will be as near to thee as they would be by Antony."
"Elizabeth has chosen her husband. He is a son of my aunt, Martha
Hallam; the daughter of Sibbald Hallam."
"What does ta want better? That's famous!"
"But he's an American."
"Then we must mak' an Englishman o' him. T' Hallams must be kept up.
What's his name?"
"Fontaine.
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