A WOULD-BE ESTATE PROPRIETOR OU Til-E 
OLDEN TIME. 
when a wild elephant is behind yon.” Bat the young man 
said, “ Come back With m^, and I will arrange a party. 
We don’t want you to shoot an elephant, not efen to carry 
a giin ; 1 will find coolies to carry the guns, and also some 
of my friends who will undert 'ke the shooting, should any 
chance turn up.” But Mr Diddler again said, “No; my 
time ’s upj I ’m off early in the morning.” And he continued, 
“I feel rather an interest in you, here is my address. 
When this coffee planting mania explodes, as it will do 
before very long, and you don’t know which hand to’ turn 
to, for your rice and curry, come across the club to me. 
I will give you something better than rice and curry, I 
wi 11 pnt you in a way in which, if you keep your health, 
you cannot fail to get on. What is the use of delay ? 
Make up your mind at once, go back, and settle up with 
your employer, and here, on this spot, now, I will arrange 
for your funds, to meet all requirements. Make up your 
mind, cohie along.” 
The young man feelingly took Mr Diddler bv the hand, 
shook it, and thanked him from his heart. But it was 
his turn now to say ho. “ No,” says he, “ I am net going to 
become a rolling stone. I have made ray choice in Ceylon, 
and with coftee 1 sink or swim. Mr Diddler was slightly 
irritated. “Well, well,” says he, “take my address at all 
events, and I quite expect, before many months are over, to 
bear you are coming, Grood bye, and when bad times come 
don’t forget old Jeremy Diddler.” He. was up very early 
next morning, and roused the whole establishment, calling for 
coffee, and his carria-e. He was very ill, had slept none 
all night, cats had been fighting under his window, the 
mosquitoes were unbearable, some horses had broken loose 
in the stables, and the cries and shouts of the horsekeepers 
were even worse than the fighting of the horses. There 
was no coffee forthcoming, for after he had roused up the 
servants they said there was no fire, and it would take 
an hour to light one j no horsekeeper was to be found, for 
after the row in the stables was settled he had gone out 
into the bazar. At last, his carriage was brought round, 
but how was he to settle his bill ? He had neglected to do 
so the previous evening. This involved the rapping up 
the host, who complained most bitterly of that act, for all 
the amount he had to receive. Mr Diddler was highly 
incensed ; he was late, he would lose the coach, his seat was 
taken out. He would lose his passage, his passage was 
taken, and paid for. The young man heard all these on- 
goings, came out of his room, and told Mr Diddler to 
make his mind easy; if he was late, he would no doubt 
meet the coach between Feradeniya and Kandy, and could 
claim his seat, which piece of information calmed him 
down, and as he turned round the sharp corner where the 
road from the rest-house enters the bazar, he once more 
turned round, and cried out, “ Mind I expect you.” But 
the young man clinched his teeth, and said, “ I’ 11 stick to 
coffee.” Before very long, many a great crash took place, 
every one who could get away went, and those who could 
not bewailed their sad fate. The young man had other 
