“Yes, Sir James. I will try, Sir James. But you see you have been a good master to us, and now it comes to the point, though we settled it all right together, it don’t seem quite fair just now for us to give you warning.”
“No,” said Sir James, “it does not. But if I take your warning, as you call it, how are you going to get back?”
“Well, sir, Peter thought that we might go back with the soldiers.”
“I don’t think it would be possible,” said the doctor, interposing, “and you must not forsake us now.”
“Oh, no, sir; not forsake you, sir. We want to give a month’s notice to leave; and we thought that would be quite right. You see, sir, as I said to Peter here, black game don’t seem in our way—didn’t I, Peter?”
“That’s a true word, Bob,” said the elder keeper; “and you said, lad, it was all right with pheasants and partridges and a hare now and then—”
“Yes, Sir James and Dr Robertson, and I says to my mate, if I had ’listed, I says, and it was my duty to, I’d pot the niggers as free as anyone, but being only a gamekeeper it don’t seem quite the thing.”
“Well, doctor,” said Sir James, “you hear what these men say. Now I should like to hear your opinion.”
“Well, Sir James, I will give it you plainly. As a man with a great love for research I should go away from this ancient place with a feeling of extreme regret—but I must own that we are buying our curios at too dear a rate.”
“Thank you, doctor,” said Sir James. “Now, boys, what have you to say. Don’t both speak at once.”