"Mrs. Margery?" said Deringham inquiringly.
"Yes," said the other. "She's not here just now, but she keeps the house for him. I help round and do the cooking."
Deringham, who could adapt himself to his surroundings, nodded. "That is what you would consider a soft job in this country?"
"Well," said the man grimly, as he pointed to the deformation of one lower limb, "I am not fond of it, but it's about all I'm good for now. That's where the axe went in, and anybody but Harry Alton might have fired me. It was my own blame foolishness, too, but when the doctor told him Harry comes to me. 'You needn't worry about one thing, anyway. There'll be a job for you just so long as you're wanting it,'" says he.
"He does that kind of thing sometimes?" said Deringham curiously.
"No, sir," said the other dryly. "He does it every time, but the devil himself wouldn't squeeze ten cents out of Harry if he didn't want to give it him. But how long are you going to be stripping that fowl?"
"As I'm afraid it would take me all night, I would prefer to give you a half-a-dollar to do it for me," said Deringham.
The man straightened himself a little, and Deringham received another surprise.
"Patent medicines and hair-growers are up?" said he.
"I don't quite understand," said Deringham quietly.