Viney knew a good deal. He had not stood twisting a napkin
negligently before a plate-loaded sideboard without picking up a good many
waifs and strays in the shape of those ins and outs, those likings and
dislikings, those hatreds and jealousies, that foolish people let fall so
freely before servants, as if for all the world the servants were
sideboards themselves; and he had kept up his stock of service-gained
knowledge by a liberal, though not a dignity-compromising intercourse--for
there is no greater aristocrat than your out-of-livery servant--among the
upper servants of all the families in the neighbourhood, so that he knew to
a nicety who would pull together, and who wouldn't, whose name it would not
do to mention to this person, and who it would not do to apply to before
that.
Neither Watchorn nor Viney being sportsmen, they thought they had nothing
to do but apply to two friends who were; and after thinking over who hunted
in couples, they were unfortunate enough to select our Flat Hat friends,
Fyle and Fossick.
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