“Sir, I beg your pardon, you have not yet heard all my arguments,” replied Jack, who did not approve of the conclusions drawn.
“I have no time to hear more, Mr Easy: I wish you a good morning.” And the proprietor departed, leaving Jack in company with the keepers.
“I’ll trouble you for that rod, master,” said William. James was very busy stringing the fish through the gills upon a piece of osier.
“At all events you will hear reason,” said Jack. “I have arguments—”
“I never heard no good arguments in favour of poaching,” interrupted the keeper.
“You’re an insolent fellow,” replied Jack. “It is by paying such vagabonds as you that people are able to be guilty of injustice.”
“It’s by paying us that the land an’t poached—and if there be some excuse for a poor devil who is out of work, there be none for you, who call yourself a gentleman.”
“According to his ’count, as we be all equal, he be no more a gentleman than we be.”
“Silence, you blackguard, I shall not condescend to argue with such as you: if I did I could prove that you are a set of base slaves, who have just as much right to this property as your master or I have.”
“As you have, I dare say, master.”