THE SQUIRE'S BROAD HINT. 27 



thought I should never get like him, and 

 kill myself with it as he'd done. But now 

 I think I should soon have been just such 

 another poor slave to drink, only one morn- 

 ing the squire pulled me up short with, 

 " Well, gardener, you and the King's Head 

 are too well acquainted to please me." At 

 first, I was for making some excuse ; but he 

 stopped that very short, and said, " You can 

 do as you like, and I can do the same. You 

 may choose the public-house for your even- 

 ings, and I can choose a man that spends his 

 time at home ; but let me tell you, whether 

 with me or in another place, you'll find bad 

 habits like your flower-pots, you may break 

 'em, but you'll never wear 'em out;", and 

 then he left me. 



My eye was opened, and I turned over 

 a new leaf, and left the King's Head alto- 

 gether; for which I got called a few hard 

 names, but they spoil no meat. I must say, 

 that at first I used to sneak off if I saw any 

 of my old companions ; for somehow or other 

 I couldn't stand being twitted with, " He's 

 afraid of his master," and the like. Before 

 I took the place, the old gardener always 

 paid the quarterly bills ; but now they were 



