I get off and have a bit of cold wild duck and a glass of sherry?

Certainly I would. So I gave my horse to the groom and went in. I had
hardly cut the first rich red slice from the breast of a fat teal, when
I heard a light step in the passage, and in walked my man Dick. You
remember him, reader. The man we saw five and twenty years ago on
Dartmoor, combining with William Lee to urge the unhappy George Hawker
on to ruin and forgery, which circumstance, remember, I knew nothing of
at this time. The same man I had picked up footsore and penniless in
the bush sixteen years ago, and who had since lived with me, a most
excellent and clever servant--the best I ever had. This man now came
into Major Buckley's parlour, hat in hand, looking a little foolish,
and when I saw him my knife and fork were paralyzed with astonishment.

"Why, what the Dickens" (I used that strong expression) "brings you
here, my lad?"

"I went up to Hipsley's about the colt," he said, "and when I got home
I found you were gone off unexpectedly; so I thought it better to come
after you and tell you all about it. He won't take less than
thirty-five."

"Man! man!" I said, "do you mean to say that you have ridden fifty
miles to tell me the price of a leggy beast like that, after I had told
you that twentyfour was my highest offer?"

He looked very silly, and I saw very well he had some other reason for
coming than that. But with a good servant I never ask too many
questions, and when I went out a short time after, and found him
leaning against a fence, and talking earnestly to our old acquaintance
William Lee, I thought, "He wanted an excuse to come up and see his old
friend Lee. That is quite just and proper, and fully accounts for it."

Lee always paid me the high compliment of touching his hat to me, for
old Devon' sake, I suppose. "How's all at Toonarbin, Lee?" I asked.

"Well and hearty, sir. How is yourself, sir?"

"Getting older, Lee. Nothing worse than that. Dick, I am going on to
Captain Brentwood's. If you like to go back to Toonarbin and stay a day
or two with Lee, you can do so."

"I would rather come on with you, sir," he said eagerly.

"Are you sure?" I said.

"Quite sure, sir." And Lee said, "You go on with Mr. Hamlyn, Dick, and
do your duty, mind."

I thought this odd; but, knowing it was useless to ask questions of an
old hand, or try to get any information which was not volunteered, I
held my tongue and departed, taking Dick