"I've had lessons enough in boxing," I said; "I don't want to fight any
more."
"I didn't mean a lesson," said Mercer. "I want to go and tell him all
about how we got on."
I agreed that I should like to do that; and I awoke at sunrise, roused
Mercer, and, leaving the other boys sleeping, we started for the lodge.
"Oh, I say, what a lovely morning!" cried Mercer. "Look at the dew on
the leaves; it's all colours like a rainbow. When are we going fishing
again? and I want some birds to stuff; and to go rabbiting, and
collecting, and all sorts, and we seem to have done nothing lately."
"Hallo, Magglin!" I cried, as we turned a corner, and came suddenly
upon that individual, looking as if he had just come from the big yard.
"Why, what are you doing here?" said Mercer.
"No sir; on'y wish I was. Just came up to see if the gardener's about,
and he'd give me a job."
"You know he wouldn't," I said. "The Doctor will not have you about the
place again."
"And it's very hard," he whined. "Everybody's agen me, and takes
'vantage of me, even young gents as owes me money and won't pay."
"Why, who owes you money, Magg?"
"You do, sir; four shillin', which I wouldn't ask you for, but--"
"I don't, Magg; I paid you everything I owed you," cried Mercer.
"Oh no, sir; don't you go for to say that which you know aren't true.
It's four shillin', and I wouldn't have asked you, only I'm that hungry
as never was."
"But I don't owe you anything; do I, Frank?"
"No; he paid you," I said.
"Oh, sir! Master Burr junior knows as it's wicked to tell a lie. I
likes mates to stick up for one another, but it ain't right to get a
trampling down of the pore. Do pay me, Master Tom Mercer. It's four
shillin'."
"I don't owe you a penny, Magg; 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," cried Mercer.
"Going for a walk, then?"
"Only as far as here," I replied, looking at him merrily.
"Eh? What? Why, hallo!" he cried. "I didn't know. They said you were
under punishment for something, but I didn't know what. Why, yes: both
of you. Look at your eyes. You've been fighting!"