AN IGNORANT ONE. 77 



difference, but Fve noticed, in more people 

 than gardeners, that when they've been 

 about London they give themselves a deal 

 of airs amongst us country-folks, and try to 

 make us believe that they're something 

 more than we value 'em at ; they'd have us 

 think we know less than they do, and they 

 expect us to believe it too. But we're rather 

 unwilling to do more than listen ; we do 

 that as well as we can, though it's rather 

 trying to one's patience. 



One day I'd just got up from dinner, 

 when the one I'm telling of came up, and 

 asked if he might have a look round. I 

 thought what kind of a man I'd got hold of; 

 so I first took him into the old garden and 

 into the old houses the ones I found when 

 I came to Birdwood, and which we used 

 just to keep bedding-out things and the 

 orange-trees in, and some late vines over- 

 head. These old-fashioned houses, with steep 

 roofs, heavy sashes, small glass, and brick 

 flues, soon set his tongue loose, and he began 

 to talk very large about my place and my 

 plants, my houses, and my every thing. He 

 used such fine words, too, that I could not 

 tell what he meant ; and he pulled first one 



