Because, you
see, the crafty toad had bargained for interest running, and Jonas, not
understanding these things and guessing such matters was always five per
centum and no more, had agreed to pay it. But this is where William got
the better of him, for White went to a friend of his at Dartmouth and
between them they figured up a very clever scheme which caused Jonas a lot
of inconvenience.
They explained to him the wonderful ways of compound interest, and though
he couldn't see 'em, he had to feel 'em, and he found, as time passed,
that far from paying off William's five hundred, do what he might the
money still piled up against him. There was complications, too, for of
course he had no other secret than this from his wife, and Milly read him
like a book, and after they was wed four years, Jo reached a pitch when he
couldn't conceal his anguish. For presently, puzzling over the figures for
the hundredth time, he came to the fearful conclusion that he'd already
paid William over five hundred pounds, and yet, if White was to be
trusted, there was three figures of money still owing to him by compound
interest.
He had it out with William the next time he got him alone; but the
horseman declared himself as a good bit surprised that a little thing like
cash should fret such a happy and prosperous creature as Jonas Bird.
"Good powers!" he said, "haven't you found out that Milly was worth all
the money in the Bank of England? And then to grouse because you bain't
out of debt for her! Hell!" said William White, "you needn't think I
wouldn't be off the bargain to-morrow and gladly pay you all the money
twice over for Milly back again!"
Because, you see, his Daisy, though a nice girl up to a point, was very
human in some things and had failed, both as a wife and a mother, owing to
her fatal fondness for liquid refreshment.
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