TWO SIDES TO ALL QUESTIONS. 115 



ter, for a basket of fruit. " These break- 

 fast-tickets," said he, "are for exhibitors and 

 helpers only ; but I will give you one : and 

 there/' said he, handing me another, " that 

 will admit you after one o'clock 5 for it is 

 not often I see so much of the country as 

 you have brought with you." He looked 

 me all over, at my knee corduroys, my 

 leather gaiters, and at my canary waistcoat 

 and long blue coat with metal buttons, and 

 then into my face, as if he'd have burnt a 

 hole in it, all the while asking me ques- 

 tions, and wetting his fingers at his lips, 

 and then running them over the cards in 

 his hand. As soon as he stopped, I lifted 

 my hat, thanked him, and bid him good 

 morning ; but not before Fd heard him re- 

 fuse tickets to two gardeners running one 

 because his plants were not all in their 

 places, or all to rights, and to the other 

 because he was so dirty and untidy. As 

 they walked away by my side, they did 

 abuse him, I tell you ; talking loud on pur- 

 pose for me to hear. But my friend soon 

 came to me ; and how he did chuckle at my 

 good luck, as he called it ! " "Well," said I, 

 "you see none of us are so bad as we're some- 



