he influence, whatever it is," said
Tom. "But you'll go back to the drawing-room?"

"No; I don't feel up to it. But don't you remain. I'm feeling shaky, but
I shan't mind a bit if you'll let Simon remain with me."

And so Tom left me with Simon. "Do you feel shaky and shivery, Simon?" I
asked.

"Not a bit on it, sir," was the reply. "Never felt better. But 'tween
you and me and the gatepost, yon hinfidel hain't a served me like he hev
you. I don't like the look o' things, yer honour."

"Why, Simon?"

"Why, sir, 'tain't me as ought to tell, and yet I don't feel
comfortable. I wish I could 'a had a confabulation with yer afore this
performance come off. I hain't got no doubts in my mind but that
hinfidel and his dootiful brother hev got dealin's with the devil."

Simon rose and went to the door, opened it, and peered cautiously
around. "That Egyptian is a watcher," he said grimly, "and I don't like
either of 'em."

"What's the matter, Simon?"

"Why, this yer morning, I wur exchangin' a few pleasant remarks with one
of the maid-servants, when I hears the Egyptian say, 'It's gwine
beautiful.' 'How?' says t'other. 'He'll nibble like hanything,' was the
answer, and then I hearn a nasty sort o' laugh. Soon after, I see you
with a bootiful young lady, and I see that hinfidel a-watchin' yer, with
a snaky look in his eyes. And so I kep on watchin', and scuse me, yer
honour, but I can guess as 'ow things be, and I'm fear'd as 'ow this
waccination dodge is a trick o' this 'ere willain."

"Explain yourself, Simon."

"Well, sir, I knows as 'ow you've only bin yer one day, but I could see
in a minit as 'ow you was a smitten with a certain young lady, and I can
see, too, as 'ow that white-eyed willain is smitten in the same quarter,
and he sees 'ow things be, and he means business."

It was by no means pleasant to hear my affairs talked of in this way,
and it was a marvel to me how Simon could have learnt so much, but I
have found that a certain class of English servant seems to find out
everything about the house with which they are connected, and I am
afraid I was very careless as to who saw the state of my feelings. At
any rate, Simon guessed how things were, and, more than that, he
believed that Voltaire had some sinister design against me.

"What do you mean by what you call the vaccination dodge?" I asked,
after a second's silence.

"Scuse me, yer honour, but since that doctor waccinated me and nearly
killed me b