“_The Nook._” Is Mr. Jupp in?
_Mrs. Jupp._ No, lady, I can’t say as he’s in just at the moment,
but I daresay I could find him. He’s very likely at “The Limes,” or
“Bellaggio,” or up at our other garden.
“_The Nook._” I want to see him very particularly. It’s about my
garden. I live at “The Nook,” you know, and I want Mr. Jupp to come to
me regularly.
_Mrs. Jupp._ Yes, lady; but I think you’d better see Jupp yourself.
I’ll go and find him if you’ll take a chair.
“_The Nook._” But I could go perfectly well. Both those houses are on
my way back.
_Mrs. Jupp._ Oh no, lady; you sit down; I’ll fetch him.
[MRS. JUPP _fetches_ JUPP _from “The Green Man.”_]
“_The Nook._” Oh! Mr. Jupp, I want you to come to my garden every
Friday. What do you charge for that?
_Mr. Jupp._ Fridays, mum, I’m engaged at “Bellyvista.”
“_The Nook._” Then Wednesdays.
_Mr. Jupp._ Wednesdays, mum, I go to “The Red Bungalow.”
“_The Nook._” All day?
_Mr. Jupp._ Yes, mum, all day. By rights I ought to be there all the
week, there’s that work to be done.
“_The Nook._” Mondays, then? Are you engaged on Mondays?
_Mr. Jupp._ Yes, mum; on Mondays I belongs to “Sans Souci.”
“_The Nook._” But this is Monday. Why aren’t you there now?
_Mr. Jupp._ I am, mum. This is my tea-time.
“_The Nook._” Couldn’t you give me your tea-times? You shall have
tea--anything you like--in the garden, and if you gave me that hour
every evening all through the week I daresay it would do.
_Mr. Jupp._ What, mum, work all through my tea-time!
“_The Nook._” I should pay you for it, of course. And really you’re
much better without tea. You’ll enjoy your supper all the more, you
know. Wouldn’t he, Mrs. Jupp?
_Mrs. Jupp._ Oh! I never interfere with Jupp’s affairs. Jupp must
answer for himself.
“_The Nook._” Well, then, Mr. Jupp, couldn’t you give me an hour in the
early morning before you start at the other houses?
_Mr. Jupp._ What about my own garden, mum? When am I going to do that?
“_The Nook._” Of course I should pay you well for coming then.
_Mr. Jupp._ What were you thinking of giving, mum?
“_The Nook._” Well, I would give you eightpence an hour--that’s four
shillings a week. Will you come? Are there no other gardeners here?
_Mr. Jupp._ No, mum, no one; and even if there was, he wouldn’t be any
use. He wouldn’t understand the soil. It’s very curious soil about
here.
“_The Nook._” Well, will you come?
_Mr. Jupp._ I’ll let you know, mum. I’ll think about it and let you
know. There’s so many after me I have to be careful, mum. But I’ll let
you know.
“_The Nook._” Can’t you decide now? I’ll give you tenpence an hour.
_Mr. Jupp._ I’ll let you know, mum.
[_Exit “The Nook”; enter “La Hacienda.”_]
“_La Hacienda._” Is Mr. Jupp in?
_Mrs. Jupp._ No, sir. I can’t say he’s in just at the moment, but he’s
not far away.
“_La Hacienda._” Where do you think he is?
_Mrs. Jupp._ Well, he might be at “Sans Souci,” and he might be at
“Bellyvista,” or up at our other garden, perhaps. You see, being the
only gardener about here, he’s so much in request. If you’ll take a
seat I’ll fetch him.
[_She fetches_ JUPP _from “The Green Man.”_]
“_La Hacienda._” Mr. Jupp, I want to arrange with you about my garden.
What day will suit you best?
_Mr. Jupp._ I don’t know, sir, as I’ve got any day.
“_La Hacienda._” You don’t mean to say you’re full up? The whole week?
_Mr. Jupp._ I might be able to squeeze in an hour here and there.
Suppose--I only say suppose, mind--I was to come for an hour every
morning before I started in regular at my day’s work, wherever it
might be--at “The Nook,” or “Bellyvista,” or “Sans Souci,” or “The Red
Bungalow,” or “The Corner House,” or wherever it was? Although, of
course, I ought to be in my own garden then, as the missus here well
knows. What would it be worth your while to give me?
“_La Hacienda._” For an hour every morning early?
_Mr. Jupp._ Yes, sir, time I ought to be giving to my own garden.
“_La Hacienda._” Well, as it’s important, and you seem to be the only
jobbing gardener about here----
_Mr. Jupp._ No, sir, there’s no other, and even if there was, he
wouldn’t be any good. He wouldn’t understand the soil. It’s very
curious soil about here. It’s a matter of a lifetime to learn it.
“_La Hacienda._” Well, I wouldn’t mind as much as a shilling an hour,
at any rate at first. Would that do?
_Mr. Jupp._ Well, I’ll think about it, and let you know, sir. I can’t
decide anything till I’ve seen the gentleman at “The Trossachs.” He has
the first claim on any of my spare time, such as it is; but I’ll let
you know.
[_Exit “La Hacienda”; enter “The Cedars,” on a similar errand._]