Part 27 (2/2)
”James!” I called to my head-gardener.
”What is it now?” he grumbled.
”Are there no daffodils, to take the winds of March with beauty?”
”There's these eleven croc----”
”But there should be daffodils, too. Is not this March?”
”It may be March, but 'tisn't the time for daffodils--not on three s.h.i.+llings a week.”
”Do you only get three s.h.i.+llings a week? I thought it was three s.h.i.+llings an hour.”
”Likely an hour!”
”Ah well, I knew it was three s.h.i.+llings. Do you know, James, in the Scilly Islands there are fields and fields and fields of nodding daffodils out now.”
”Lor'!” said James.
”Did you say 'lor'' or 'liar'?” I asked suspiciously.
”To think of that now,” said James cautiously.
He wandered off to the tapioca grove, leant against it in thought for a moment, and came back to me.
”What's wrong with this little bit of garden--this here park,” he began, ”is the soil. It's no soil for daffodils. Now what daffodils like is clay.”
”Then for heaven's sake get them some clay. Spare no expense. Get them anything they fancy.”
”It's too alloovial--that's what's the matter. Too alloovial. Now crocuses like a bit of alloovial. That's where you have it.”
The matter with James is that he hasn't enough work to do. The rest of the staff is so busily employed that it is hardly ever visible. William, for instance, is occupied entirely with what I might call the poultry; it is his duty, in fact, to see that there are always enough ants' eggs for the gold-fish. All these prize Leghorns you hear about are the merest novices compared with William's _protegees_. Then John looks after the staggery; Henry works the coloured fountain; and Peter paints the peac.o.c.ks' tails. This keeps them all busy, but James is for ever hanging about.
”Almost seems as if they were yooman,” he said, as we stood and listened to the rooks.
”Oh, are you there, James? It's a beautiful day. Who said that first? I believe you did.”
”Them there rooks always make a place seem so home-like. Rooks and crocuses I say; and you don't want anything more.”
”Yes; well, if the rooks want to build in the raspberry canes this year, let them, James. Don't be inhospitable.”
”Course, some do like to see primroses, I don't say. But----”
”Primroses--I knew there was something. Where are they?”
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