’Mr. Herring,’ he said somewhat peevishly, ’I have been left a long while alone, and yet not altogether alone, I have had Shakespeare and my own thoughts to company. But alas! as Lear says, "My wits begin to turn—I will be a pattern of all patience, I will say nothing." Herring, sit down in that chair and have a talk. I wish you had known us in better days, and when my wife was living. We had more of an establishment then. Now there is only a maid-of-all-work, then we had a cook and housemaid, and a nurse for Cicely. I do not think we were the happier for having so large an establishment. I believe it killed my wife.’ ’What, sir?’ ’The servants killed her. I have puzzled my brain to know which were created first, the beasts, or the parasites on their backs; but, of course it was the beasts, for they could do without the parasites, but not the parasites without the beasts. So I believe that the common ruck of humanity was made to feed on the noble specimens of the kind. We, the aristocracy, exist not for ourselves, to enjoy our lives and follow our wills, but for our servants, to support them and be subject to their whims. That which the palmer worm hath left hath the locust eaten, and that which the locust hath left hath the canker worm eaten, and that which the canker worm hath left hath the caterpillar eaten. My dear wife always insisted that this was an Oriental and prophetical manner of describing the servant nuisance. That which the housemaid has left the cook carries off, and what the cook spares the kitchen-maid embezzles, and what the kitchen-maid leaves the charwoman whips off in her basket under her shawl. My poor dear wife fought a long battle to keep the house up, but in vain. The aristocracy I explained to her are the pigs and poultry of mankind, kept and fattened to be eaten. She succumbed at last, and when, dear soul, she was dying, almost the last words she said were, "Where I am going there will be no servants." In this hope she made a happy end.’ The old man paused and wiped his eyes. ’When the first woe was ended, then came the second.’ ’What was that?’ asked Herring. ’That was Tramplara, of course. I was pretty well in Tramplara’s web before the first woe was overpassed.’ ’May I ask the amount of your indebtedness to Mr. Train pleasure?’ ’Lord bless you!—you ask me more than I can answer. I have borrowed so often, and when I have not paid as I expected, I contracted an additional loan,—like an owl that I was. Pace, Bubones!’ the old man touched his forehead as he looked at the heraldic glass. ’However, if it be an amusement to you I give you full liberty to overhaul my desk.’ ’It would be as well if I were to get your indebtedness into shape,’ said Herring. ’If I can be of any help to you in this way, command me.’ ’I don’t see that you can help me; I am past that.’ ’It struck me, sir, that by the sale of a portion of your property you might be able to wipe off some of the debt.’