"About what?"
"The turn out of the Dutch and Irish people the day after tomorrow, sir."
"Hum!" growled Mr. Rushton, "we'll see about that! The authorities of
Winchester are performing their duty after a pretty fashion, truly—to
permit these villainous plots to be hatched tinder their very noses.
What did you hear, sir?"
"They were whispering almost, sir, and if I had'nt been a hunter I could'nt have heard. They were saying that there would be knives as well as shillalies," said Verty.
"Hum! indeed! This must be looked to! Will we! The wretches. We are in a fine way when the public peace is to be sacrificed to the whim of some outlandish wretches."
"Anan?" said Verty.
"Sir?" asked Mr. Rushton.
"I do not know exactly what outlandish means," Verty replied, with a smile.
A grim smile came to the lips of the lawyer also.
"It means a variety of things," he said, looking at Verty; "some people would say that you, sir, were outlandish."