"
"I haven't taken to farming," said Johnny, with an attempt at a
smile.
"Ha, ha, ha,--quite right. No, don't take to farming. Unless you
learn it, you know, you might just as well take to shoemaking;--just
the same. You haven't got into trouble, then; eh?"
"No, my lord, not particularly."
"Not particularly! I know very well that young men do get into
trouble when they get up to London. If you want any--any advice, or
that sort of thing, you may come to me; for I knew your father well.
Do you like shooting?"
"I never did shoot anything."
"Well, perhaps better not. To tell the truth, I'm not very fond of
young men who take to shooting without having anything to shoot at.
By-the-by, now I think of it, I'll send your mother some game." It
may, however, here be fair to mention that game very often came
from Guestwick Manor to Mrs Eames. "And look here, cold pheasant
for breakfast is the best thing I know of. Pheasants at dinner are
rubbish,--mere rubbish. Here we are at the house. Will you come in
and have a glass of wine?"
But this John Eames declined, pleasing the earl better by doing
so than he would have done by accepting it.
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