'Why did you tell me such an infernal-, I
would say lie, only perhaps you mightn't like it.'
'I told you no lie,' said Gerald.
'You've only missed two birds all the morning, and you have shot
forty-two. That's uncommonly good sport.'
'What have you done?'
'Only forty,' and Mr Dobbes seemed for the moment to be gratified
by his own inferiority. 'You are a deuced sight better than your
brother.'
'Gerald's about the best shot I know,' said Silverbridge.
'Why didn't he tell?'
'Because you were angry when we said the place was ugly.'
'I see all about it,' said Dobbes. 'Nevertheless when a fellow
comes to shoot he shouldn't complain because a place isn't pretty.
What you want is a decent house as near as you can have it to your
ground. If there is anything in Scotland to beat Crummie-Toddie I
don't know where to find it. Shooting is shooting you know, and
touring is touring.'
Upon that he took very kindly to Lord Gerald, who, even after the
arrival of the other men, was second only in skill to Dobbes
himself. With Nidderdale, who was an old companion, he got on very
well.
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