Part 36 (2/2)
”Na, na, sir. The young leddy hasna seen him yet, nor hasna been in the gerden for the last week.”
”Why, confound it, Malcomson, that fellow's more like a beggarman than a gardener.”
”Saul, but he's a capital hand for a' that. Your honor's no' to tak the beuk by the cover. To be sure he's awfully vulgar, but, ma faith, he has a richt gude knowledgeable apprehension o' b.u.t.tany and gerdening in generhal.”
The squire then approached our under-gardener, and accosted him,
”Well, my good fellow, so you understand gardening?”
”A little, your haner,” replied the other, respectfully touching his hat, or caubeen rather.
”Are you a native of this neighborhood?”
”No, your haner. I'm fwaither up--from Westport, your haner.”
”Who were you engaged with last?”
”I wasn't engaged, s.h.i.+r--it was only job-work I was able to do--the health wasn't gud wid me.”
”Have you no better clothes than these?”
”You see all that I have on me, s.h.i.+r.”
”Well, come, I'll give you the price of a suit rather than see such a scarecrow in my garden.”
”I couldn't take it, s.h.i.+r.”
”The devil you couldn't! Why not, man?”
”Bekaise, s.h.i.+r, I'm under pinance.”
”Well, why don't you shave?”
”I can't, s.h.i.+r, for de same raison.”
”Pooh, pooh! what the devil did you do that they put such a penance on you.”
”Why, I runned away wit' a young woman, s.h.i.+r.”
”Upon my soul you're a devilish likely fellow to run away with a young woman, and a capital taste she must have had to go with you; but perhaps you took her away by violence, eh?”
”No, slur; she was willin' enough to come; but her fadher wouldn't consint, and so we made off wit' ourselves.”
This was a topic on which the squire, for obvious reasons, did not like to press him. It was in fact a sore subject, and, accordingly, he changed it.
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