What's the Meaning of All This

I went steadily on collecting, for Mr Solomon said, as long as the work
was done well he would rather I did amuse myself in a sensible way.

The consequence was that I often used to go down the garden of a night,
and my collection of moths was largely increased.

I noticed about this time that Sir Francis used to talk a good deal to
Shock, and by and by I found from Ike that the boy was going regularly
to an evening-school, and altering a great deal for the better.
Unfortunately, Ike, with whom he lodged, was not improving, as I had
several opportunities of observing, and one day I took him to task about
it.

"I know the excuse you have, Ike," I said, "that habit you got into when
going backwards and forwards to the market; but when you had settled
down here in a gentleman's garden, I should have thought that you would
have given it up."

"Ah, yes," he said, as he drove in his spade. "You're a gent, you see,
and I'm only a workman."

"I'm going to be a workman too, Ike," I said.

"Ay, but not a digger like me. They don't set me to prune, and thin
grapes, and mind chyce flowers. I'm not like you."

"It does not matter what any one is, Ike," I said. "You ought to turn
over a new leaf and keep away from the public-house."

"True," he said, smashing a clod; "and I do turn over a noo leaf, but it
will turn itself back."