I will say this for myself, that I can generally foresee what's going to happen. I'm not one of those that has to look at a newspaper to know what the weather's going to be. It was the stables first, and then it was the house, and I said at the time it would be the garden next. The governor came along to me this morning with a sort of melancholy smile on his face, and talked to me just as openly and frankly as if I'd been a gentleman like himself.
"Adam," he said, "I've lost a lot of money lately. Been swindled out of it. I daresay you heard?"
"I'd heard nothing definite, sir. I'm sure I'm very sorry to hear it now."
"Well," he said, "what I came to tell you is that you'll have to get along with one man less in the garden. I think Green will be the one to go."
"Well, sir," I said, "I don't know if I might venture on a suggestion."
"What is it?"
"I was going to say that Green's wages don't amount to very much in the year, not as compared with mine. If I might suggest, I think you might do a lot worse than to let me go and make Townes the head man here, with, say, a small rise. That'd save a lot of money, and I know you'd find Townes satisfactory."
"Does he know enough about it?"
"To speak plainly, by this time he knows as much about it as I do. He's one of the cleverest and smartest men I ever had under me, and he's a beggar to work as well. He's never done one single thing wrong since he's been here."
"What about yourself, Adam? I thought you were attached to the place. I didn't think you'd ever want to leave my service."