In the meantime, we must only come as near its accomplishment as we can." "Just so, sir; we can do no more.

Remember, then, that you perform your part of this arrangement, and, with the blessing of God, I shall leave nothing undone to perform mine." Thus closed this rather extraordinary conversation, after which Sir Robert betook himself home, to reflect upon the best means of performing his part of it, with what quickness and dispatch, and with what success, our readers already know.
The old squire was one of those characters who never are so easily persuaded as when they do not fully comprehend the argument used to convince them.

Whenever the squire found himself a little at fault, or confounded by either a difficult word or a hard sentence, he always took it for granted that there was something unusually profound and clever in the matter laid before him.

Sir Robert knew this, and on that account played him off to a certain extent.

He was too cunning, however, to darken any part of the main argument so far as to prevent its drift from being fully understood, and thereby defeating his own purpose..