'Bragg, Bragg,' repeated he, without hitting him off.
'I was huntsman, sir, to my Lord Reynard, sir,' observed the stranger, with
a touch of the hat to each 'sir.' 'Thought p'r'aps you might have known his
ludship, sir. Before him, sir, I held office, sir, under the Duke of
Downeybird, sir, of Downeybird Castle, sir, in Downeybirdshire, sir.'
'Indeed!' replied Mr. Puffington, with a half-bow and a smile of
politeness.
'Hearing, sir, you had taken these Mangeysterne _dogs_, sir,' continued the
stranger, with rather a significant emphasis on the word
'_dogs_'--'hearing, sir, you had taken these Mangeysterne _dogs_, sir, it
occurred to me that possibly I might be useful to you, sir, in your new
calling, sir; and if you were of the same opinion, sir, why, sir, I should
be glad to negotiate a connexion, sir.'
'Hem!--hem!--hem!' coughed Mr. Puffington. 'In the way of a huntsman do you
mean?' afraid to talk of servitude to so fine a gentleman.
'Just so,' said Mr. Bragg, with a chuck of his head, 'just so. The fact is,
though I'm used to the grass countries, sir, and could go to the Marquis of
Maneylies, sir, to-morrow, sir, I should prefer a quiet place in a somewhat
inferior country, sir, to a five-days-a-week one in the best.
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