Richard Bassett's plantation, hitherto divided from North Wood only by a boundary scarcely visible, was now shut off by a brick wall: on Sir Charles's side of that wall every stick of timber was felled and removed for a distance of fifty yards, and about twenty yards from the wall a belt of larches was planted, a little higher than cabbages.
Sir Charles looked amazed at first, but soon observed how thoroughly his enemy was defeated.

"My poor Bella," said he, "to think of your taking all this trouble about such a thing!" He stopped to kiss her very tenderly, and she shone with joy and innocent pride.

"And I never thought of this! You astonish me, Bella." "Ay," said she, in high spirits now; "and, what is more, I have astonished Mr.Moss.He said, 'I wish I had your head-piece, my lady.' I could have told him Love sharpens a woman's wits; but I reserved that little adage for you." "It's all mighty fine, fair lady, but you have told me a fib.

You said it was to be all for yourself, and got a hundred pounds out of me." "And so it was for myself, you silly thing.

Are you not myself?
and the part of myself I love the best ?" And her supple wrist was round his neck in a moment.
They rode home together, like lovers, and comforted each other.
Richard Bassett, with Wheeler's assistance, had borrowed money on Highmore to buy "Splatchett's"; he now borrowed money on "Splatchett's," and bought Dean's Wood--a wood, with patches of grass, that lay on the east of Sir Charles's boundary.