“Now, what mischief’s he up to now?” he grumbled; and he set to and watched the boy while making believe to be busy cutting the dead leaves and flowers off certain plants.
He soon became aware of the fact that Dexter was searching for him, and this altered the case, for he changed his tactics, and kept on moving here and there, so as to avoid the boy.
“Here! Hi! Mr Copestake!” cried Dexter; but the old man had been suddenly smitten with that worst form of deafness peculiar to those who will not hear; and it was not until Dexter had pursued him round three or four beds, during which he seemed to be blind as well as deaf, that the old man was able to see him.
“Eh!” he said. “Master want me?”
“No. I’m going fishing; and, please, I want some worms.”
“Wums? Did you say wums!” said Dan’l, affecting deafness, and holding his hand to his ear.
“Yes.”
“Ay, you’re right; they are,” grumbled Dan’l. “Deal o’ trouble, wums. Gets inter the flower-pots, and makes wum castesses all over the lawn, and they all has to be swept up.”
“Yes; but I want some for fishing.”
“’Ficient? Quite right, not sufficient help to get ’em swep’ away.”