no ARDENMOHR. 



"All professional poachers and their resetters, 

 firmly ; but not any one about my neighbourhood, 

 unless the habit were becoming chronic.'' 



" You go with the spirit of the times, gentle 

 Abbott ; by-and-by no one will be troubled but the 

 police for interfering with the sweet liberty of the 

 subject to pin hares and talk treason." 



" It looks a little like it ; but John Bull is fond of 

 extremes, At one time old women were burnt as 

 witches, and now a certain class of old women get the 

 pick of choice berths at times." 



Ward laughed and said, "What of those times 

 when poor devils were weekly hanged in batches for 

 petty crimes, compared with the present, when the 

 most pestilent scoundrels get what is called penal 

 servitude, i.e. well-aired rooms, baths, exercise- 

 grounds, and criticized food?" 



" Yes ; and when they are brought into condition 

 by care and feeding, hoax the chaplain and inspectors, 

 and get out for fresh eccentricities; while certain 

 good people are now clamoring to give cut-throats 

 and murderers a life interest in places mightily better 

 kept than the poor houses." 



" What is treason, by the way ? " Ward asked ; " is 

 it any sort of poaching, Abbott ? " 



