“I'm afeared this scoundrel is but an imposthor afther all,” whispered Lanigan to the other servants; “but in ordher to make sure, we'll try him. I say—what's this your name is?”
“Solvesther M'Bethershin, shir.”
“Well, now, would you have any objection to come with me to the garden and see I the gardener? But hould, here he is. Mr. Malcomson,” continued Lanigan, “here is a poor man, who says he understands plants and flowers, and weeds of that kind.”
“Speak wi' reverence, Mr. Lanigan, o' the art o' gerdening. Dinna ye ken that the founder o' the hail human race was a gerdener?-Hout awa, moil; speak o' it wi' speck.”
“Upon my conscience,” replied Lanigan, “whether he was a good gardener or not is more than I know; but one thing I do know, that he didn't hould his situation long, and mismanaged his orchard disgracefully; and, indeed, like many more of his tribe, he got his walkin' papers in double quick—was dismissed without a characther—ay, and his wife, like many another gardener's wife, got a habit of stalin' the apples. However, I wish Mr. Malcomson, that you, who do undherstand gardenin', would thry this fellow, because I want to know whether he's an imposthor or not.”
“Weel,” replied Malcomson, “I dinna care if I do. We'll soon find that out. Come wi' me and Maisther Lanigan here, and we'll see what you ken about the sceentific profession.”
They accordingly went to the garden, and it is unnecessary to say that Reilly not only bore the examination well, but proved himself by far the better botanist of the two. He tempered his answers, however, in such a way as not to allow the gardener's vanity to be hurt, in which case he feared that he might have little chance of being engaged.
CHAPTER XV.—More of Whitecraft's Plots and Pranks
On the Sunday following, Miss Folliard, as was her usual custom, attended divine service at her parish church, accompanied by the virtuous Miss Herbert, who scarcely ever let her for a moment out of her sight, and, in fact, added grievously to the misery of her life. After service had been concluded, she waited until Mr. Brown had descended from the pulpit, when she accosted him, and expressed a wish to have some private conversation with him in the vestry-room. To this room they were about to proceed, when Miss Herbert advanced with an evident intention of accompanying them.