MILKING 171 



two new granaries, and everything within my green 

 sitting-room, but especially the oiled and polished 

 floor. Indeed I felt as though the mountain had at 

 last approached Mahomet when Mrs. Creegan asked 

 me if I would tell her by what process I obtained 

 such excellent result, and I think this was the only 

 occasion on which I have been asked for a hint 

 concerning any detail in housekeeping. Meantime 

 another member of the party who accompanied 

 them had been introduced to me as Mr. Rossiter, 

 a fellow traveller of the Creegans, who had just 

 returned from a visit to England. He was in 

 search of a job ; he thought as manager of a 

 farm. 



He had been in the merchant service, and with 

 one's usual habit of taking a great deal for granted, 

 I reminded him that a sailor, of course, was always 

 at home in any kind of work, and he acquiesced 

 without any token of the embarrassment of 

 modesty. 



He told me that he had no actual knowledge of 

 farming or farm implements, but it would be simply 

 a matter of watching another do it, and he would 

 be quite all right. 



" We thought perhaps you would be able to 

 offer Mr. Rossiter an opening," said Mrs. Creegan, 

 " and that if you liked his work, he and Mrs. 

 Rossiter would be so useful to you here." 



" I am sorry," I answered. " But the Canadian 

 who is working the land for me suits me so well, 

 because he knows everything and I know nothing. 

 I want a chore-boy. But chores, of course, are 

 worse than tiresome : milking, stable-cleaning, wood- 

 bucking, water-carrying, and stoning the land on 



