housekeeper pets him, calls him Mr., asks
him if he has heard from Sir Philip lately, hintin' that he is of gentle
blood, only the wrong side of the blanket, and that pleases him. They
are both well to do in the world. Vails count up in time, and they talk
big sometimes, when alone together, and hint at warnin' off the old
knight, marryin', and settin' up a tripe shop, some o' these days; don't
that hint about wedlock bring him a nice little hot supper that night,
and don't that little supper bring her a tumbler of nice mulled wine,
and don't both on 'em look as knowin' as a boiled codfish, and a shelled
oyster, that's all.

"He once got warned himself, did old Thomas, so said he, 'Where do you
intend to go master?' 'Me,' said the old man, scratchin' his head, and
lookin' puzzled 'nowhere.' 'Oh, I thought _you_ intend to leave, said
Thomas for _I_ don't.' 'Very good that, Thomas, come I like that.' The
old knight's got an anecdote by that, and nanny-goats aint picked
up every day in the country. He tells that to every stranger, every
stranger larfs, and the two parsons larf, and the old 'Sir' larfs so, he
wakes up an old sleepin' cough that most breaks his ribs, and Thomas is
set up for a character.

"Well, arter servants is gone, and women folks made themselves scarce,
we haul up closer to the table, have more room for legs, and then comes
the most interestin' part. Poor rates, quarter sessions, turnpikes,
corn-laws, next assizes, rail-roads and parish matters, with a touch
of the horse and dog between primo and secondo genitur, for variety. If
politics turn up, you can read who host is in a gineral way with half an
eye. If he is an ante-corn-lawer, then he is a manufacturer that wants
to grind the poor instead of grain. He is a _new man_ and reformer. If
he goes up to the bob for corn-law, then he wants to live and let live,
is _of an old family_, and a tory. Talk of test oaths bein' done away
with. Why Lord love you, they are in full force here yet. See what a
feller swears by--that's his test, and no mistake.

"Well, you wouldn't guess now there was so much to talk of, would you?
But hear 'em over and over every day, the same everlastin' round, and
you would think the topics not so many arter all, I can tell you. It
soon runs out, and when it does, you must wait till the next rain, for
another freshet to float these heavy logs on.

"Coffee comes, and then it's up and jine the ladies. Well, then talk
is tried ag