"Well, that is pretty plain, I fancy," returned John, who, in
consequence of being a favoured servant at head-quarters, fancied
himself a sort of cabinet minister, and had much pleasure in letting his
knowledge be seen. "The tenants on this estate wants to be landlords;
and as they can't be so, so long as Mr. Hugh lives and won't let 'em,
why they just tries all sorts of schemes and plans to frighten people
out of their property. I never go down to the village but I has a talk
with some of them, and that in a way that might do them some good, if
anything can."

"Und vhat dost you say?--und vid whom dost you talk, as might do dem
moch goot?"

"Why, you see, I talks more with one 'Squire Newcome, as they calls him,
though he's no more of a real 'squire than you be--only a sort of an
attorney, like, such as they has in this country. You come from the old
countries, I believe?"

"Ja, ja--dat ist, yes--we comes from Charmany; so you can say vhat you
bleases."

"They has queer 'squires in this part of the world, if truth must be
said. But that's neither here nor there, though I give this Mr. Seneca
Newcome as good as he sends. What is it you wants, I says to him?--you
can't all be landlords--somebody must be tenants; and if you didn't want
to be tenants, how come you to be so? Land is plenty in this country,
and cheap too; and why didn't you buy your land at first, instead of
coming to rent of Mr. Hugh; and now when you _have_ rented, to be
quarrelling about the very thing you did of your own accord?"

"Dere you didst dell 'em a goot t'ing; and vhat might der 'Squire say to
dat?"

"Oh! he was quite dumb-founded, at first; then he said that in old
times, when people first rented these lands, they didn't _know_ as much
as they do now, or they never would have done it."

"Und you could answer dat; or vast it your durn to be dum-founded?"

"I pitched it into him, as they says; I did. Says I, how's this, says
I--you are for ever boasting how much you Americans know--and how the
people knows everything that ought to be done, about politics and
religion--and you proclaim far and near that your yeomen are the salt of
the earth--and yet you don't know how to bargain for your leases! A
pretty sort of wisdom is this, says I! I had him there; for the people
round about here is only too sharp at a trade."

"Did he own dat you vast right, and dat he vast wrong, dis Herr 'Squire
Newcome?"

"Not he; he will never own anything th