KANDY IN EARLY PLANTING DAYS. 
examining the contents of the box with a view to 
purchase. The master was responsible for it ; the 
master must pay its value. He was a poor but 
honest man, entirely dependent upon the very small 
and uncertain profits of his trade; the loss of this 
ring would ruin him. The host paid no attention 
to his plaintive wail, when he suddenly changed his 
form of attack— said he would go to the police 
office and make a charge of theft against the young 
master, upon which he was told he could please 
himself in this respect. But, while stepping out of 
the verandah, he said, ‘‘ There it is ; must have fallen 
down,” and he picked it up from behind the veran- 
dah post, and walked away ! 1 The young master 
said, ‘*How very curious, how could it have fallen 
down there ? I was sitting with my back to the 
verandah post, and the jewel merchant was standing 
with his open box right in front of me, but no 
doubt, as he stepped behind to go out of the ve- 
randah, it must have fallen out before the box was 
closed.” But the host laughed and said, ‘*Mr, 
Griffin.” 
These pedlar pests, however, if one knew how to 
treat them, were very easily settled at a private 
bungalow ; if you did not want anything, and told them 
firmly not to set down and open their boxes — it 
was just useless trouble, decidedly, you would not 
purchase anything — the probability was they would 
quietly go away. But say you just wanted a small 
trifle, just a packet of notepaper, only two shillings ^ 
worth ; half-a-dozen large tin boxes would be set 
down and a general rummage take place to find the 
paper, but no paper was forthcoming ; instead of 
which all sorts of cloth and clothing would be dis- 
played and pressed upon you ; the notepaper was for- 
gotten. All they wanted was an excuse for opening 
up their boxes and shewing the goods, and the 
notepaper answered this purpose. It would thus very 
probably happen, that if you were a little soft and 
pliable your request for only two shillings’ worth of 
notepaper would end much to your dismay in finding 
you had run up a bill for five pounds, or more I — - 
and after you had become alarmed at the extensive 
purchases made, and firmly told them to pack up and 
be gone, the notepaper would be produced I — * ‘ Master 
forgot his paper, very fine and cheap, better take 
the whole packet for ten shillings. Great saving. 
Master will gain two rupees by doing so.” But if 
“master” had his wits about him, he could easily 
get the ten shilling packet for the amount he waa 
believed or said to gain upon it, namely, the two 
rupees, out of which the sellers themselves would 
