210 AN ENGLISH GAMEKEEPER. 



apiece to two of the young "town swells" who 

 joined in at the supper in the evening. That 

 leaves you nine rabbits for yourself, thirty-one 

 rabbits going to others. Now as to the tips 

 Mr. Goodman talks so glibly about, methinks 

 he has them, and not you. The man who took 

 two rabbits gives you a florin ; the one who 

 took four presents ypu with half-a-crown ; 

 another who took two, tips you a shilling, the 

 rest, including the swells, shell out a " bob " 

 each, and the landlord stands brandy and 

 water, and very kindly invites you to come 

 down to-morrow night and have a snack off the 

 fragments of the feast. That is one for you, 

 and two for himself, for he knows that you'll 

 spend half-a-crown or so in the shape of drinks, 

 beyond what he gives you to eat. The rabbits 

 you gave away were worth thirty shillings. 



Now, what good have you got from Mr. 

 Goodman's respectable party ? How much 

 have you lost pecuniarily ? How many hares 

 did you lose, both in the night and in the day- 

 time, when you were with this noble party 

 shooting and feasting ? Is that how you learn 



