58 FORESTRY IN EASTERN RUSSIA. 



his man a mining engineer, a cur of a fellow, who had 

 bothered him a good deal at the mines, and who was then 

 writhing under chagrin and envy at Major's prosperity. 

 He called in his old housekeeper. "Now," says he, "can 

 I confide in your faithfully carrying out a scheme I have 

 in my head ? " " Well, I have been with you so many years. 

 What do you mean ? what is it ? " " Well, upon pain of 

 instant dismissal, and deprivation of your expected pension 

 if you divulge my secret, I will tell you." " Agreed ; out 

 with it ! " " Very well. Take now this old shoe ; wash 

 it and clean it ; and then chop it up into very fine powder. 

 Let not a particle be lost." " And what then ? " " You 

 shall learn that by and by. I am going to give a grand 

 dinner party, and intend to invite everybody, so you must 

 excel even yourself, especially in pies and puddings." The 

 Russians always rave about English roast-beef and plum- 

 puddings, and in keeping with this were these instructions 

 given. The dinner went off gloriously. Everybody was 

 delighted, but not a word had been spoken about the shoe 

 till towards the end of the feast, the suspected man called 

 out from the bottom of the table, " I say, Major, did you not 

 receive recently a valuable present ? What was it ? an 

 order ? or the conveyance of another estate as a further 

 reward for your past valuable services ? It's not fair, you 

 know, to keep it from us ; you ought to tell us." There 

 was a giggle, and a twitter went round, as evidently a good 

 many of the guests were cognisant of the trick, and they 

 were waiting for some fun at the expense of Major. But 

 they had reckoned without their host. For once the 

 Englishman was more than a match for them all ; and he 

 very quietly replied, " Before I answer your question, allow 

 me to ask of you, How did you like it ? " " Why ? how ? 

 What do you mean, Mr Major ? " " Well, you ought to 

 know best. You seem to have liked it ; and you have all 

 swallowed your fair share of it to-day, as my old cook, 

 after chopping it up into mince-meat, has mixed a portion 

 of your dirty old shoe in every pie, pudding, and sauce, 

 you have now eaten at my table ! " 



