THE 'STEAM-CULTIVATOR.' 189 



This was far from being the case. He had heard, 

 I suspect, and interpreted too, after his own fashion, 

 every word I had said and read to him. For, after 

 our late-described interviews, his ' trespasses/ as he 

 called them, on my Farm became more and more fre- 

 quent. Whether it was that he thought the demerits 

 and deficiencies of the plough were more strikingly to 

 be seen and freely studied upon my soil than on his 

 own, or whether he reckoned upon the chance of hear- 

 ing them more boldly outspoken, I will not attempt to 

 decide : but for some reason or other I soon found 

 him a frequent, and by degrees a more (if I may 

 venture such an expression) long-winded listener. 

 Not a week had elapsed after our last conversation, 

 when a rainy day drove him into my den for shelter, 

 and as ready a prey as any beast that ever roamed 

 the wilds of agricultural theory could desire. 



" I 'm afeard," he began, after ensconcing himself 

 in the very same chair, with one of the very same 

 cigars, opposite the same fireplace, and in precisely 

 the same attitude " I 'm afeard it won't leave off for 

 some time. I should like to hear you out, Sir, about 

 that Steam-ploughing I beg pardon steam not- 

 ploughing ' cultivation ' anything you like to call 

 it, that you was on about the other day. I don't 



