THE ‘'BOY’» AND THE “YISITOE.” 
and blow up the boy for putting a wet towel on the 
rack. He will walk about the room and verandah 
barefooted, and when his feet get cold go into your 
bedroom, and put on your slippers. Now, all this 
sort of thing would be thought nothing of in a casual 
visitor for a few days, just once in a way, but it be- 
comes tiresome when it gets the rule. Your servant 
will have no love for your visitor on the staff, because 
he has double trouble and work, in attending to an 
extra bedroom, extra cooking, and service in general, 
and he k ows very well, when he takes his departure, 
if ever he is going to do so, two rupees will not tinkle 
into the palm of his hand, because there are none to 
tinkle. The boy knows very well all the circumstances 
of the staff officer’s case, a great deal better than his 
master, for all the ‘‘outs and ins” of the affair have 
been duly retailed and discussed in the kitchen, all 
the little facts, both sides of the subject, whereas 
“the master” has only as yet had his visitor’s re- 
port on the matter. But your servant will make up 
in some other way for all his extra trouble. Sup- 
posing the staff officer feels low^ which no doubt he 
often does, what more natural than to open the side- 
board and take a small nip from the black bottle, just 
a thimbleful? The boy is in the back pantry and 
sees him : in fact the action is very probably just 
what he has been watching for ; he is all right, so, 
watching his opportunity, when unobserved, he makes' 
a dart at the side-board, takes the brandy bottle into 
the pantry, and pours out a good quantity into a tea- ' 
cup for his own personal use, either at present, or 
after hours. Again, watching a fitting time, he makes 
another dart and replaces the bottle. When the mas- 
ter comes in from work, in the afternoon, he goes to 
the sideboard for a little refreshment, and, to his as- 
tonishment, the brandy bottle, which had only had 
one glass taken out, the evening before, is now three- 
fourths empty ; he is indignant, and at once steps out 
into the back verandah, to have some conversation 
with the boy on the subject. The boy had fully 
expected this, and was quite prepared, and he at once 
states, “Master’s friend had drunk the brandy; he 
had seen him.” So the mast'T, in an off-hand sort 
of way, just says to his visitor : — “ 1 s ometimes sus- 
pect my servant of taking my liquor. Now I don’t 
jnean any offence, far from it, but I would just like 
to know if you took any brandy to-day in my ab- 
sence.’^ His visitor would say that he had just taken 
a nip. So his host would say nothing, but be under the 
idea that he had teken a rather large one, and would 
watch him narrowly for some time, but could see no 
reflects of liquor, “ Ho must have a strong head to 
