dress was idling about, apparently persuading
himself that he was doing something with a spade and a wheel-barrow. We
may remark, in this place, that we have scarcely ever seen a groom near
a stable, in his lazy moments, who has not been, to a greater or less
extent, the victim of this singular delusion.

Sam thought he might as well talk to this groom as to any one else,
especially as he was very tired with walking, and there was a good large
stone just opposite the wheel-barrow; so he strolled down the lane, and,
seating himself on the stone, opened a conversation with the ease and
freedom for which he was remarkable.

'Mornin', old friend,' said Sam.

'Arternoon, you mean,' replied the groom, casting a surly look at Sam.

'You're wery right, old friend,' said Sam; 'I DO mean arternoon. How are
you?'

'Why, I don't find myself much the better for seeing of you,' replied
the ill-tempered groom.

'That's wery odd--that is,' said Sam, 'for you look so uncommon
cheerful, and seem altogether so lively, that it does vun's heart good
to see you.'

The surly groom looked surlier still at this, but not sufficiently so
to produce any effect upon Sam, who immediately inquired, with a
countenance of great anxiety, whether his master's name was not Walker.

'No, it ain't,' said the groom.

'Nor Brown, I s'pose?' said Sam.

'No, it ain't.'

'Nor Vilson?'

'No; nor that @ither,' said the groom.

'Vell,' replied Sam, 'then I'm mistaken, and he hasn't got the honour
o' my acquaintance, which I thought he had. Don't wait here out o'
compliment to me,' said Sam, as the groom wheeled in the barrow, and
prepared to shut the gate. 'Ease afore ceremony, old boy; I'll excuse
you.'

'I'd knock your head off for half-a-crown,' said the surly groom,
bolting one half of the gate.

'Couldn't afford to have it done on those terms,' rejoined Sam. 'It
'ud be worth a life's board wages at least, to you, and 'ud be cheap at
that. Make my compliments indoors. Tell 'em not to vait dinner for me,
and say they needn't mind puttin' any by, for it'll be cold afore I come
in.'

In reply to this, the groom waxing very wroth, muttered a desire to
damage somebody's person; but disappeared without carrying it into
execution, slamming the door angrily after him, and wholly unheeding
Sam's affectionate request, that he would leave him a lock of his hair
before he went.

Sam continued to sit on the large stone, meditating upon what was best