174 BIRDS' NESTS. 



I believe, do anything wrong, if he thought 

 about it beforehand, he is giddy, and likely to 

 be led astray before he well knows what he is 

 about. I have often told him to have as little 

 as possible to do with Johnson, and he tells 

 me he had not spoken to him for a fortnight 

 before the day you caught them in your 

 orchard. Johnson joined him that day as he 

 was walking along the road, and persuaded 

 him first, to look for nests in the fields, and 

 then in Mr. Long's rookery, and at last they 

 came to your ground ; but I hope they did not 

 get into any mischief. He has been here once 

 since that ; but Joe would not go with him, 

 even if I had allowed him. Some one, they 

 tell me, has been stealing pheasants' eggs, and 

 selling them. The keepers are looking out 

 sharply, and I heard to-day that Johnson is 

 suspected of being the thief." 



" I trust," said Mr. Miller, " that he has not 

 committed any act of decided dishonesty; 

 though, as I tried to convince him, the habit 



