“I hope I see you well, sir,” said the Senator putting out his hand as Goarly came up dragging a dung-fork behind him.
Goarly rubbed his hand on his breeches before he gave it to be shaken and declared himself to be “pretty tidy, considering.”
“I was present the other day, Mr. Goarly, when that dead fox was exposed to view.”
“Was you, sir?”
“I was given to understand that you had destroyed the brute.”
“Don’t you believe a word on it then,” said the woman interposing. “He didn’t do nothing of the kind. Who ever seed him a’ buying of red herrings and p’ison?”
“Hold your jaw,” said Goarly—familiarly. “Let ’em prove it. I don’t know who you are, sir; but let ’em prove it.”
“My name, Mr. Goarly, is Elias Gotobed. I am an American citizen, and Senator for the State of Mickewa.” Mr. and Mrs. Goarly shook their heads at every separate item of information tendered to them. “I am on a visit to this country and am at present staying at the house of my friend, Mr. John Morton.”
“He’s the gentl’man from Bragton, Dan.”
“Hold your jaw, can’t you?” said the husband. Then he touched his hat to the Senator intending to signify that the Senator might, if he pleased, continue his narrative.
“If you did kill that fox, Mr. Goarly, I think you were quite right to kill him.” Then Goarly winked at him. “I cannot imagine that even the laws of England could justify a man in perpetuating a breed of wild animals that are destructive to his neighbours’ property.”
“I could shoot ’un; not a doubt about that, Mister. I could shoot ’un;—and I wull.”
“Have a care, Dan,” whispered Mrs. Goarly.
“Hold your jaw—will ye? I could shoot ’un, Mister. I don’t rightly know about p’ison.”
“That fox we saw was poisoned I suppose,” said the Senator, carelessly.
“Have a care, Dan;—have a care!” whispered the wife.
“Allow me to assure both of you,” said the Senator, “that you need fear nothing from me. I have come quite as a friend.”
“Thank ’ee, sir,” said Goarly again touching his hat.
“It seems to me,” said the Senator, “that in this matter a great many men are leagued together against you.”
“You may say that, sir. I didn’t just catch your name, sir.”
“My name is Gotobed;—Gotobed; Elias Gotobed, Senator from the State of Mickewa to the United States Congress.” Mrs. Goarly who understood nothing of all these titles, and who had all along doubted, dropped a suspicious curtsey. Goarly, who understood a little now, took his hat altogether off. He was very much puzzled but inclined to think that if he managed matters rightly, profit might be got out of this very strange meeting. “In my country, Mr. Goarly, all men are free and equal.”
“That’s a fine thing, sir.”
“It is a fine thing, my friend, if properly understood and properly used. Coming from such a country I was shocked to see so many rich men banded together against one who I suppose is not rich.”
“Very far from it,” said the woman.
“It’s my own land, you know,” said Goarly who was proud of his position as a landowner. “No one can’t touch me on it, as long as the rates is paid. I’m as good a man here,”—and he stamped his foot on the ground—“as his Lordship is in that there wood.”
This was the first word spoken by the Goarlys that had pleased the Senator, and this set him off again. “Just so;—and I admire a man that will stand up for his own rights. I am told that you have found his Lordship’s pheasants destructive to your corn.”
“Didn’t leave him hardly a grain last August,” said Mrs. Goarly.
“Will you hold your jaw, woman, or will you not?” said the man, turning round fiercely at her. “I’m going to have the law of his Lordship, sir. What’s seven and six an acre? There’s that quantity of pheasants in that wood as’d eat up any mortal thing as ever was growed. Seven and six!”
“Didn’t you propose arbitration?”
“I never didn’t propose nothin’. I’ve axed two pound, and my lawyer says as how I’ll get it. What I sold come off that other bit of ground down there. Wonderful crop! And this ’d’ve been the same. His Lordship ain’t nothin’ to me, Mr. Gotobed.”
“You don’t approve of hunting, Mr. Goarly?”
“Oh, I approves if they’d pay a poor man for what harm they does him. Look at that there goose.” Mr. Gotobed did look at the goose. “There’s nine and twenty they’ve tuk from me, and only left un that.” Now Mrs. Goarly’s goose was well known in those parts. It was declared that she was more than a match for any fox in the county, but that Mrs. Goarly for the last two years had never owned any goose but this one.
“The foxes have eaten them all?” asked the Senator.
“Every mortal one.”
“And the gentlemen of the hunt have paid you nothing.”
“I had four half-crowns once,” said the woman.
“If you don’t send the heads you don’t get it,” said the man, “and then they’ll keep you waiting months and months, just for their pleasures. Who’s a going to put up with that? I ain’t.”
“And now you’re going to law?”
“I am—like a man. His Lordship ain’t nothin’ to me. I ain’t afeard of his Lordship.”
“Will it cost you much?”
“That’s just what it will do, sir,” said the woman.
“Didn’t I tell you, hold your jaw?”
“The gentl’man was going to offer to help us a little, Dan.”
“I was going to say that I am interested in the case, and that you have all my good wishes. I do not like to offer pecuniary help.”
“You’re very good, sir; very good. This bit of land is mine; not a doubt of it;—but we’re poor, sir.”
“Indeed we is,” said the
