Isn't this enough to make a poor man merry?
No more troubles, no more toil, no more 'humble sarvent,' no more a ragged, plodding ploughman: but a lord, daughter Grace--a great, rich, luxurious lord--isn't this enough to make a man sing out hooray ?--Thank the crock of gold for this--Oh, blessed crock!" "Hush, father, hush! that gold will be no blessing to you; Heaven send it do not bring a curse.

It will be a sore temptation, even if the rights of it are not in some one else: we know not whom it may belong to, but at any rate it cannot well be ours." "Not ours, child?
whose in life is it then ?" Mary Acton, made quite meek by a superstitious dread of having money of the murdered, stepped in to Grace's help, whom her father's fierce manner had appalled, with "Roger, it belonged to Mrs.Quarles, I'm morally sure on it--and must now be Simon Jennings's, her heir." "What ?" he almost frantically shrieked, "shall that white hell-hound rob me yet again?
No, dame--I'll hang first! the crock I found, the crock I'll keep: the money's mine, whoever did the murder." Then, changing his mad tone into one of reckless inebriate gayety--for he was more than half-seas over even then from the pot-house toastings and excitement--he added, "But come, wenches, down with your mugs, and help me to get through the jar: I never felt so dry in all my life.

Here's blessings on the crock, on him as sent it, him as has it, and on all the joy and comfort it's to bring us! Come, drink, drink--we must all drink that--but where's Tom ?" If Roger had been quite himself, he never would have asked so superfluous a question: for Tom was always in one and the same company, albeit never in one and the same place: he and his Pan-like Mentor were continually together, studying wood-craft, water-craft, and all manner of other craft connected with the antique trade of picking and stealing.
"Where's Tom ?" Grace, glad to have to answer any reasonable question, mildly answered, "Gone away with Ben, father." Alas! that little word, Ben, gave occasion to reveal a depth in Roger's fall, which few could have expected to behold so soon.

To think that the liberal friend, who only last night had frankly shared his all with him, whose honest glowing heart would freely shed its blood for him, that he in recollection should be greeted with a loathing! Ben would come, and claim some portion of his treasure--he would cry halves--or, who knows?
might want all--all: and take it by strong arm, or by threat to 'peach against him:--curse that Burke! he hated him.
Oh, Steady Acton! what has made thee drink and swear?
Oh, Honest Roger! what has planted guile, and suspicion, and malice in thy heart?
Are these the mere first-fruits of coveting and having?
Is this the earliest blessing of that luck which many long for--the finding of a crock of gold?
We would not enlarge upon the scene; a painful one at all times, when man forgets his high prerogative, and drowns his reason in the tankard: but, in a Roger Acton's case, lately so wise, temperate, and patient, peculiarly distressing.

Its chief features were these.