274 THE FLORIST. 



A PACKET OF SEEDS SAVED BY AN OLD GARDENER. 



[Concluded.] 



I DID not see the squire for some time after I got back, for the 

 family went away the next day ; but when he came home, and into 

 the garden, I was nailing some trees, and he came beside me before 

 I was 'ware of it, and looking very slily and kindly, he said, " Is that 

 you, Gregory ?" 



"Yes, sir," said I ; " and very much obliged to you I am for all 

 favours." 



"You will have nothing to thank me for," said he, "if you do 

 what I wish ; and if I tell you to cut off half the trees' heads in the 

 orchard, I'll have it done, though I'll hear all you've got to say 

 against it ; and I'll not blame you if I do wrong. If you gardeners 

 don't take care, you'll sicken half the masters in the country, and 

 they'll employ labourers instead ; for I'd rather plough my place up 

 than have a man in my service that thinks himself too great to do 

 what he's told and when he's told. If I want my land cropped to 

 my fancy, do you think my bailiff is to do as he pleases ? No ; he's 

 too much good sense for that ; but half of you gardeners mustn't 

 be interfered with; and that makes gentlemen care so little about 

 changing a gardener." 



He then walked away ; but I soon heard his voice again, and I 

 thought he si)oke as if he was angry, and I am sure my foreman 

 was, for it was he the squire was talking to ; but as I didn't see him 

 before the men left work, I didn't hear what it was about just then. 



In the evening, after tea, in comes the foreman into my cottage, 

 looking as red as a turkey-cock, and as stupid as an owl, and the 

 king's English had got so hard to him all of a hurry, that he couldn't 

 get some of his words out. "I won't stand it, that I won't," he kept 

 stammering out; "and you may tell him so to-night, when you go 

 up to the house. I'm as good a man as he is, though he is so rich ; 

 but I don't care ; no, that I don't. I do my work ; and what business 

 are my clothes to him ? his money didn't pay for 'em ; and if they are 

 patched, that's no business of his. You tell him I won't stop ; no, 

 that I won't. I don't care ; no, that 1 don't," — and so he went on. 



I saw in a minute what the squire had scolded him about ; but 

 I let him go on without saying any thing, for talking to a tipsy man 

 is like putting dry leaves on a bonfire, it only makes it blaze the 

 more. " Come," says I, " just go with me, will you, and let's see 

 if any of those boys are in the upper garden, stealing the potatoes 

 out of the pits; you take that lantern, and I'll take my own;" and 

 he grew so maudlin to me ; and then he'd abuse the squire, and tell 

 me to be sure and mind that he wouldn't stop, no, that he wouldn't, 

 if he'd go down on his bended knees to him. When we'd got out 

 of doors it was raining finely, which I knew well enough ; and he 

 asked me to lend him something to put over his shoulders. " Never 

 mind a drop of rain," says I ; " come on ; you don't care for a little 

 wet, do you ?" I took him the worst road and the longest way, 



