"
"Why, you are as tall as Mr. Heatherstone."
"Yes, I believe I am."
"And can't you do every thing that a man can do?"
"I really don't know; but I certainly shall always try so to do."
"Well, then, you must be a man."
"Well, Clara, if it pleases you, I will be a man."
"Here comes Mr. Heatherstone, so I know dinner is ready; is it not,
sir?"
"Yes, my child, it is," replied Mr. Heatherstone, kissing Clara, "so
let us all go in."
Mr. Heatherstone, as was usual at that time with the people to whose
party he ostensibly belonged, said a grace before meat, of
considerable length, and then they sat down to table. As soon as the
repast was over, Mr. Heatherstone returned to his study, and Edward
went out to find Oswald Partridge, with whom he remained the larger
portion of the afternoon, going to the kennel and examining the dogs,
and talking of matters connected with the chase.
"I have not two men that can stalk a deer," observed Oswald "the men
appointed here as verderers and keepers have not one of them been
brought up to the business. Most of them are men who have been in the
army, and I believe have been appointed to these situations to get rid
of them because they were troublesome; and they are any thing but good
characters: the consequence is, that we kill but few deer, for I have
so much to attend to here, as none of them know their duties, that I
can seldom take my own gun out.
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