it is--excellent policy.'

"When he says that, you have him bagged, he may flounder and spring like
a salmon jist caught; but he can't out of the landin' net. You've got
him, and no mistake. Sais you 'what outlet have you for the colonies?'

"Well, he'll scratch his head and stare at that, for a space. He'll
hum and haw a little to get breath, for he never thought of that afore,
since he grow'd up; but he's no fool, I can tell you, and he'll out with
his mould, run an answer and be ready for you in no time. He'll say,
'They don't require none. Sir. They have no redundant population. They
are an outlet themselves.'

"Sais you, 'I wasn't talking of an outlet for population, for France or
the provinces nother. I was talking of an outlet for the clever men, for
the onquiet ones, for the fiery spirits.'

"'For that. Sir,' he will say, 'they have the local patronage.'

"'Oh!' sais you, 'I warn't aware. I beg pardon, I have been absent some
time, as long as twenty days or perhaps twenty-five, there must have
been great changes, since I left.'

"'The garrison,' sais you.

"'Is English,' sais he.

"'The armed ships in the harbour?'

"'English.'

"'The governor and his secretary?'

"'English.'

"'The principal officer of customs and principal part of his deputies?'

"'English.'

"'The commissariat and the staff?'

"'English to a man.'

"'The dockyard people?'

"'English.'

"'The postmaster giniral?'

"'English.'

"'What, English?' sais you, and look all surprise, as if you didn't
know. 'I thought he was a colonist, seein' the province pays so much for
the mails.'

"'No,' he'll say, 'not now; we have jist sent an English one over, for
we find it's a good thing that.'

"'One word more,' sais you, 'and I have done. If your army officers out
there, get leave of absence, do you stop their pay?'

"'No.'

"'Do you sarve native colonists the same way?'

"'No, we stop half their salaries.'

"'Exactly,' sais you, 'make them feel the difference. Always make a
nigger feel he is a nigger, or he'll get sassy, you may depend. As for
patronage,' sais you, 'you know as well as I do, that all that's
not worth havin', is jist left to poor colonist. He is an officer of
militia, gets no pay and finds his own fit out. Like Don Quixote's
tailor, he works for nothin' and finds thread. Any other little matters
of the same kind, that nobody wants, and nobody else will take; if
Blue-nose makes interest for, and has goo