农场代理人佩吉要和约翰叔叔结算费用了。他得到一些消息，约翰叔叔付过的车费和旅店费用都比别人高了很多，他也想趁机敲诈一笔。于是，他准备了两份账单，打算见机行事。佩吉的卑鄙伎俩会得逞吗？
Millville waited in agonized suspense for three days for tangible evidence that "the nabob was in their midst，"as Nib Corkins poetically expressed it；but the city folks seemed glued to the farm and no one of them had yet appeared in the village.As a matter of fact，Patsy and Uncle John were enthusiastically fishing in the Little Bill，far up in the pine woods，and having "the time of their lives"in spite of their scant success in capturing trout.Old Hucks could go out before breakfast and bring in an ample supply of speckled beauties for Mary to fry；but Uncle John's splendid out？t seemed scorned by the finny folk，and after getting her dress torn in sundry places and a hook in the ？eshy part of her arm Patsy learned to seek shelter behind a tree whenever her uncle cast his ？y.But they reveled ina the woods，and would lie on the bank for hours listening to the murmurb of the brook and the songs of the birds.
The temper of the other two girls was different.Beth De Graf had brought along an archery out？t，and she set up her target on the ample green the day following her arrival.Here she practiced persistently，shooting at sixty yards with much skill.But occasionally，when Louise tired of her novel and her cushions in the hammock，the two girls would play tennis or croquet together—Beth invariably winning.
Such delightful laziness could brook no interference for the ？rst days of their arrival，and it was not until Peggy McNuttventured over on Monday morning for a settlement with Mr.Merrick that any from the little world around them dared intrude upon the dwellers at the Wegg farm.
Although the agent had been late in starting from Millville and Nick Thorne's sorrel mare had walked every step of the way，Peggy was obliged to wait in the yard a good half hour for the "nabob"to finish his breakfast.During that time he tried to decide which of the two statements of accounts thathe had prepared he was most justified in presenting.He had learned from the liveryman at the Junction that Mr.Merrick had paid ？ve dollars for a trip that was usually made for two，and also that the extravagant man had paid seventy—？ve cents more to Lucky Todd，the hotel keeper，than his bill came to.The knowledge of such reckless expenditures had forti？ed little McNutt in "marking up"the account of the money he had received，and instead of charging two dollars a day for his own services，as he had at ？rst intended，he put them down at three dollars a day—and made the days stretch as much as possible.Also he charged a round commission on the wages of Lon Taft and Ned Long，and doubled the liveryman's bill for hauling the goods over from the Junction.Ethel Thompson had refused to accept any payment for what she had done，but Peggy bravely charged it up at good rounda ？gures.When the bill was made out and ？gured up it left him a magni？cent surplus for his private account；but at the last his heartfailed him，and he made out another bill more modest in its extortionsa.He had brought them both along，though，one in each pocket，vacillatingb between them as he thought ？rst of the Merrick millions and then of the righteous anger he might incur.By the time Uncle John came out to him，smiling and cordial，he had not thoroughly made up his mind which account to present.
"I must thank you for carrying out my orders so intelligently，"began the millionaire."Without your assistance I might have found things in bad shape，I fear."McNutt was reassured.The nabob would stand for bill No.1without a doubt.
"I tried fer to do my best，sir，"he said.
"And you did very well，"was the reply."I hope you kept your expenditures well within boundsc？"The agent's heart sank at the question and the shrewd，alert look that accompanied it.Even millionaires do not allow themselves to be swindledd，if they can help it.Bill No.2would be stiff enough；he might even have to knock a few dollars off from that.
"Most things is high in Millville，"he falterede，"an'
wages has gone up jest terr'ble.The boys don't seem to wanter do nuthin'without big pay.""That is the case everywhere，"responded Mr.Merrick，thoughtfully；"and between us，McNutt，I'm glad wages are better in these prosperous times.The man who works by the day should be well paid，for he has to pay well for his living.Adequately paid labor is the foundation of all prosperity."Peggy smiled cheerfully.He was glad he had had the forethoughta to bring Bill No.1along with him.
"Hosses is high，too，"he remarked，complacentlyb，"an'lumber an'nails is up.As fer the live—stock I bought fer ye，I found I had to pay like sixtyc for it.""I suppose they overcharged you because a city man wanted the animals.But of course you would not allow me to be robbed.""Oh，'course not，Mr.Merrick！""And that nagd in the stable is a sorry old beast."Peggy was in despair.Why in the world hadn't he charged for "the beast"？As it was now too late to add it to the bill he replied，grudginglye：
"The hoss you mention belongs to the place，sir.It went with the farm，'long o'Old Hucks an'Nora.""I'm glad you reminded me of those people，"said Uncle John，seriously."Tell me their history."Louise sauntereda from the house，at this junctureb，and sank gracefully upon the grass at her uncle's feet.She carried a book，but did not open it.
"Ain't much to tell，sir，'bout them folks，"replied theagent."Cap'n Wegg brung the Huckses with him when he settled here.Wegg were a sea—cap'n，ye see，an'when he retired he Wanted to git as far from the sea's he could.""That was strange.A sailor usually loves to be near salt water all his days，"observed Uncle John.
