No; John and Frederick Massingbird were conveniently deaf; they had grown addicted to field-sports, to a life of leisure, and they did not feel inclined to quit it for one of obligation or of labour.

So they had stayed on at Verner's Pride in the enjoyment of their comfortable quarters, of the well-spread table, of their horses, their dogs.

All these sources of expense were provided without any cost or concern of theirs, their own private expenditure alone coming out of their private purses.

How it was with their clothes, they and Mrs.Verner best knew; Mr.Verner did not.

Whether these were furnished at their own cost, or whether their mother allowed them to draw for such on her, or, indeed, whether they were scoring up long bills on account, Mr.Verner made it no concern of his to inquire.
John--who was naturally of a roving nature, and who, but for the desirable home he was allowed to call his, would probably have been all over the world before he was his present age, working in his shirt sleeves for bread one day, exalted to some transient luck the next--had latterly taken a fancy in his head to emigrate to Australia.