 a tone of disappointment, so
strong as to make itself felt like a damp atmosphere. »And yet I could have
sworn you were the man!«
    The Scotchman murmured another negative, and there was a silence, till
Henchard resumed: »Then I am truly and sincerely obliged to you for the few
words you wrote on that paper.«
    »It was nothing, sir.«
    »Well, it has a great importance for me just now. This row about my grown
wheat, which I declare to Heaven I didn't know to be bad till the people came
complaining, has put me to my wits' end. I've some hundreds of quarters of it on
hand; and if your renovating process will make it wholesome, why, you can see
what a quag 'twould get me out of. I saw in a moment there might be truth in it.
But I should like to have it proved; and of course you don't care to tell the
steps of the process sufficiently for me to do that, without my paying ye well
for't first.«
    The young man reflected a moment or two. »I don't know that I have any
objection,« he said. »I'm going to another country, and curing bad corn is not
the line I'll take up there. Yes, I'll tell ye the whole of it - you'll make
more out of it heere than I will in a foreign country. Just look heere a minute,
sir. I can show ye by a sample in my carpet-bag.«
    The click of a lock followed, and there was a sifting and rustling; then a
discussion about so many ounces to the bushel, and drying, and refrigerating,
and so on.
    »These few grains will be sufficient to show ye with,« came in the young
fellow's voice; and after a pause, during which some operation seemed to be
intently watched by them both, he exclaimed, »There, now, do you taste that.«
    »It's complete! - quite restored, or - well - nearly.«
    »Quite enough restored to make good seconds out of it,« said the Scotchman.
»To fetch it back entirely is impossible; Nature won't stand so much as that,
but heere you go a great way towards it. Well, sir, that's the process; I don't
value it, for it can be but of little use in countries where the weather is more
settled
