“Yes, it is. Look at him—makes lots o’ money, and he cheats people and tells more lies in a day than I’ve told in all my life.”
“Nonsense!”
“Tain’t. He’s a regular bad ’un. Back in five minutes! Why he won’t come till it’s time to go, and then he’ll keep us waiting so as to get all the work he can out of us.”
But that time Esau was wrong, for in about five minutes the outer door was opened, and our employer thrust in his head.
“There’s a letter on my table to post, Gordon,” he said. “Be sure it goes.”
“Yes, sir,” I said, and as the door closed again I looked at Esau and laughed.
“Oh, I don’t mind,” he said. “That wasn’t coming back. He only looked in to see if we were at work. I shan’t stop here; I shall ’list.”
“No, you will not,” I said, as I went on writing quietly.
“Oh, yes, I shall. You can go on lodging with the old woman, for you won’t be the chap to come with me.”
“You won’t go,” I said.