ill dinner-time, for it
rains so there is no stirrin' out?--Waiter, where is eldest son?--he and
I will have a game of billiards, I guess.'

"'He is laying down, sir.'

"'Shows his sense,' sais I, 'I see, he is not the fool I took him to be.
If I could sleep in the day, I'de turn in too. Where is second son?'

"'Left this mornin' in the close carriage, sir.'

"'Oh cuss him, it was him then was it?'

"'What, Sir?'

"'That woke them confounded rooks up, out o' their fust nap, and kick't
up such a bobbery. Where is the Parson?'

"'Which one, Sir?'

"'The one that's so fond of fishing.'

"'Ain't up yet, Sir.'

"'Well, the old boy, that wore breeches.'

"Out on a sick visit to one of the cottages, Sir.'

"When he comes in, send him to me, I'm shockin' sick.'

"With that I goes to look arter the two pretty galls in the drawin'
room; and there was the ladies a chatterin' away like any thing. The
moment I came in it was as dumb as a quaker's meetin'. They all hauled
up at once, like a stage-coach to an inn-door, from a hand-gallop to a
stock still stand. I seed men warn't wanted there, it warn't the custom
so airly, so I polled out o' that creek, starn first. They don't like
men in the mornin', in England, do the ladies; they think 'em in the
way.

"'What on airth, shall I do?' says I, 'it's nothin' but rain, rain,
rain--here in this awful dismal country. Nobody smokes, nobody talks,
nobody plays cards, nobody fires at a mark, and nobody trades; only
let me get thro' this juicy day, and I am done: let me get out of this
scrape, and if I am caught agin, I'll give you leave to tell me of
it, in meetin'. It tante pretty, I do suppose to be a jawin' with
the butler, but I'll make an excuse for a talk, for talk comes kinder
nateral to me, like suction to a snipe.'

"'Waiter?'

"'Sir.'

"'Galls don't like to be tree'd here of a mornin' do they?'

"'Sir.'

"'It's usual for the ladies,' sais I, 'to be together in the airly part
of the forenoon here, ain't it, afore the gentlemen jine them?'

"'Yes, Sir.'

"'It puts me in mind,' sais I, 'of the old seals down to Sable
Island--you know where Sable Isle is, don't you?'

"'Yes, Sir, it's in the cathedral down here.'

"'No, no, not that, it's an island on the coast of Nova Scotia. You know
where that is sartainly.'

"'I never heard of it, Sir.'

"'Well, Lord love you! you know what an old seal is?'

"'Oh, yes, sir, I'll get you my master's in a moment.'