and you're a cheat."

"Nay, sir, that I aren't. Well, pay me two on it, and I'll go on
trusting you the rest."

"But I'm sure I paid you everything I owed you, Magg."

"Oh no, sir. That's the way with you young gents. You forgets, that's
what you does. I've lost lots o' money through the Doctor's boys; and
it's very hard on a pore fellow who's trying his best to get a honest
living, but as every one's agen."

"Ah, that's all gammon, Magg!" cried Mercer. "See how you left us in
the lurch over our ferreting."

"I was obliged to, sir; every one's agen me so. Nobody believes in me.
Do pay me the two shillin', sir."

"I won't. It's all humbug, and you don't deserve it," cried Mercer.

"There, hark at him, Master Burr junior! Aren't he hard on a pore
fellow, who was always doing him kindnesses? Look at the times I've sat
up o' nights to ketch him rats and mice or mouldy-warps. Didn't I climb
and get you two squirls, and dig out the snake from the big bank for
you?"

"Yes; and cut his tail off with the spade," cried Mercer. "You spoiled
him."

"Well, I couldn't help that, sir; and I must go now, 'fore the gardener
comes along."

"Why, you said you wanted to see him."

"So I did, sir; but I don't think I will. Everybody's so agen me now.
Pay me the two shillin' you owe me."

"I won't. I don't owe you a penny."

"Then pay a shilling of it now, sir. I wouldn't ask you, sir, but I am
so hungry, sir."

"Let's give him a shilling, Tom," I said; "I'll be half."

"Oh, very well," cried Mercer; and as I was banker that time, I placed a
shilling in the man's very dirty hand.

"Thank-ye, sir," he said. "Then that makes three left, but I won't ask
you for them to-day."

"That's the worst of getting in debt," said Mercer, "and not keeping
account of it. I know I've bought things of him, and he has made me pay
for 'em over and over again. I wonder what he was doing about here so
soon."

We watched Magglin go off in a furtive way, with his head down and his
back bent, so that people should not see him above the hedge, and then
turned along down the path, with the gilt hands and figures of the clock
looking quite orange in the morning sun. In a few minutes after, we
could smell tobacco smoke, and found Lomax bending his stiff back over
one of the beds in his garden, which he was busily digging.

"Ah! Mornin', young gentlemen," he shouted. "Come for a quiet lesson?"

"Not this morning, Lomax," cr