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PEER
- You're surely not meaning to melt me up,
- with Dick, Tom, and Harry, into something new?
THE BUTTON-MOULDER
- That's just what I do mean, and nothing else.
- We've done it already to plenty of folks.
- At Kongsberg they do just the same with money
- that's been current so long that its stamp's worn away.
PEER
- But this is the wretchedest miserliness!
- My dear good friend, let me get off free;-
- a loopless button, a worn out farthing,-
- what is that to a man in your Master's position?
THE BUTTON-MOULDER
- Oh, so long, and inasmuch as, the spirit's in one,
- one always has value as so much metal.
PEER
- No, I say! No! With both teeth and claws
- I'll fight against this! Sooner anything else!
THE BUTTON-MOULDER
- But what else? Come now, be reasonable.
- You know you're not airy enough for heaven-
PEER
- I'm not hard to content; I don't aim so high;-
- but I won't be deprived of one doit of my Sel
