They all four shook hands round with the same heartiness as if it had been a legal ceremony necessary to the completion of the partnership.  The old men’s faces were bright with smiles; the eyes of the young ones sparkled with hope.

‘But, after all,’ said Jeremiah, ’we’ve not told you particulars.  Yo’re thanking us for a pig in a poke; but we had more forethought, and we put all down on a piece o’ paper.’

He took down a folded piece of paper from the mantel-shelf, put on his horn spectacles, and began to read aloud, occasionally peering over his glasses to note the effect on the countenances of the young men.  The only thing he was in the habit of reading aloud was a chapter in the Bible daily to his housekeeper servant; and, like many, he reserved a peculiar tone for that solemn occupation—­a tone which he unconsciously employed for the present enumeration of pounds, shillings, and pence.

’Average returns of the last three years, one hundred and twenty-seven pounds, three shillings, and seven penny and one-sixth a week.  Profits thereupon thirty-four per cent.—­as near as may be.  Clear profits of the concern, after deducting all expenses except rent—­for t’ house is our own—­one thousand two hundred and two pound a year.’

This was far more than either Hepburn or Coulson had imagined it to be; and a look of surprise, almost amounting to dismay, crept over their faces, in spite of their endeavour to keep simply motionless and attentive.

’It’s a deal of money, lads, and the Lord give you grace to guide it,’ said Jeremiah, putting down his paper for a minute.

‘Amen,’ said John, shaking his head to give effect to his word.

‘Now what we propose is this,’ continued Jeremiah, beginning afresh to refer to his paper:  ‘We will call t’ value of stock and fixtures two thousand one hundred and fifty.  You may have John Holden, appraiser and auctioneer, in to set a price on them if yo’ will; or yo’ may look over books and bills; or, better still, do both, and so check one again t’other; but for t’ sake o’ making the ground o’ the bargain, I state the sum as above; and I reckon it so much capital left in yo’r hands for the use o’ which yo’re bound to pay us five per cent. quarterly—­that’s one hundred and seven pound ten per annum at least for t’ first year; and after it will be reduced by the gradual payment on our money, which must be at the rate of twenty per cent., thus paying us our principal back in five years.  And the rent, including all back yards, right of wharfage, warehouse, and premises, is reckoned by us to be sixty-five pound per annum.  So yo’ will have to pay us, John and Jeremiah Foster, brothers, six hundred and twelve pound ten out of the profits of the first year, leaving, at the present rate of profits, about five hundred and eighty-nine pound ten, for the share to be divided between yo’.’