The stingy hankerer after what Corny called four inches of dirt was his father.

Mr.Chipperton came up to us and talked about the matter, and it was all as plain as daylight.

When he found that Mr.Colbert was the father of Rectus, Mr.Chipperton was very much surprised, and he called no more names, although I am sure he had been giving old Colbert a pretty disagreeable sort of a record.

But he sat down by Rectus, and talked to him as if the boy were his own father instead of himself, and proved to him, by every law of property in English, Latin, or Sanscrit, that the four inches of ground were legally, lawfully, and without any manner of doubt, his own, and that it would have been utterly and absolutely impossible for him to have built his house one inch outside of his own land.

I whispered to Rectus that the house might have swelled, but he didn't get a chance to put in the suggestion.
Rectus had to agree to all Mr.Chipperton said--or, at least, he couldn't differ with him,--for he didn't know anything on earth about the matter, and I guess he was glad enough when he got through.