DECEMBER. 275 



and it pouring hard all the time. He soon left off talking about not 

 standing it ; and his voice got clearer, and he said, such a night as 

 that no boys would be out stealing taters. " We'd better be sure," 

 said I ; " and you take the outside the garden-wall, and Fll go in ; 

 and be sure you catch 'em if I halloo." 



When I thought he was downright well soaked, I called to him 

 over the wall, and said there was nobody about ; and we'd go home 

 again, if he'd go back to the gate. How he shivered and shook, to 

 be sure, when we met ; he was as clear-spoken too as I was ; and 

 when I asked him if he was wet, then he said he was, for his clothes 

 were old, and he'd got some holes in them. " I suppose, then," 

 said I, " the squire was telling you of them holes." " Yes," said 

 he, " and angry enough he was." *' Well," said I, " you get home 

 as quick as you can, and shift yourself; it's no use your going 

 to my cottage; the sooner you're dry the better; so, good night." 

 " Good night," said he ; " but perhaps you'd better not say any 

 thing to the squire to-night." " Ah, but," says I, " suppose he 

 says something to me, and says you're to go." " That'll be a bad 

 job," said he ; " and perhaps you'll say a word for me." " Well, 

 good night," said 1; " get home as soon as you can, and I'll see you 

 to-morrow." 



I shifted myself when I got in, and then went up to the house ; 

 and after I'd given in my book, and got all settled, just as I exj)ected, 

 the squire began. " Gregory," said he, " that man David must be 

 sent about his business — a ragged fellow ; surely he earns enough 

 to keep decent clothes about him. I'm afraid he drinks too much ; 

 there's a something about him I don't like ; he never looks comfort- 

 able ; and when I happen to drop upon him unawares, he always 

 seems to wake up and move faster at what he's about ; and that's a 

 thing I never like to see, for it tells plainly that he's only an eye- 

 servant, and an eye-servant I will not have. I like a man to feel 

 as much pleasure in earning his wages as I have in paying them. 

 Come," said he, " Gregory, tell me how you account for it ; can he 

 afford better clothes or can he not.''" " I ask your pardon, sir," 

 said I, " and mean no offence; but if you'll let me tell you all I've 

 thought about it, may be I shall do no harm, and you'd be better 

 pleased than if I held my tongue." " Go on," said he. " Well, 

 sir," said I, " you see he's all you say, — he's ragged and he drinks, 

 and he does no more work than he can help ; and all shews that he's 

 got no respect for himself, so 'tisn't likely he'll have much for other 

 people ; if he had, he wouldn't have spoke to you as he did. He 

 was a decent lad when he first came ; but I thought he didn't get 

 much better before I left, and I used to tell him he went out too 

 much of nights. Since I've been back, I went up one evening to 

 his room, to talk to him about getting to the King's Head, and stop- 

 ping out so late. He wouldn't say it was wrong ; but he said, * Look 

 here, who's to spend his time always in this place .'' Look at the 

 walls, how damp they are.' And so he went on, finding fault with 

 every thing. 1 told him the other two men had just the same 

 lodgings, and they found no fault. ' Not to you,' said he, ' but 



