Winterbones, not a whit offended, again hid his cup under his coat-tail and vanished.
"Sit down, Thorne, sit down," said the contractor, speaking quite in a different manner from any that he had yet assumed.

"I know you're in a hurry, but you must give me half an hour.

I may be dead before you can give me another; who knows ?" The doctor of course declared that he hoped to have many a half-hour's chat with him for many a year to come.
"Well, that's as may be.

You must stop now, at any rate.

You can make the cob pay for it, you know." The doctor took a chair and sat down.