time, and then said mildy, «Has Dolly gone to bed? » "Your master speaks to you," said Mrs. Varden, looking sternly over her shoulder at Miss Miggs in waiting. No, my dear, I spoke to you, " suggested the locksmith. Did you hear me, Miggs? cried the obdurate lady, stamping her foot upon the ground. You are beginning to despise me now, are you? But this is example!» At this cruel rebuke, Miggs, whose tears were always ready, for large or small parties, on the shortest notice and the most unreasonable terms, fell a-crying violently; holding both her hands tight upon her heart meanwhile, as if nothing less would prevent its splitting into small fragments. Mrs. Varden, who likewise possessed that faculty in high perfection, wept too, against Miggs; and with such effect that Miggs gave in after a time, and, except for an occasional sob, which seemed to threaten some remote intention of breaking out again, left her mistress in possession of the field. Her superiority being thoroughly asserted, that lady soon desisted likewise, and fell into a quiet melancholy. The relief was so great, and the fatiguing occurrences of last night so completely overpowered the locksmith, that he nodded in his chair, and would doubtless have slept there all night, but for the voice of Mrs. Varden, which, after a pause of some five minutes, awoke him with a start. If I am ever, said Mrs. V.-not scolding, but in a sort of monotonous remonstrance-in spirits, if I am ever cheerful, if I am ever more than usually disposed to be talkative and comfortable, this is the way I am treated. » "Such spirits as you was in too, mim, but half an hour ago! cried Miggs. I never see such company! » " Because," said Mrs. Varden, «because I never question where anybody comes or goes; because my whole mind and soul is bent on saving where I can save, and labouring in this house; therefore, they try me as they do." « Martha,» urged the locksmith, endeavouring to look as wakeful as possible, what is it you complain of? I really came home with every wish and desire to be happy. I did, indeed. » "What do I complain of!» retorted his wife. Is it a chilling thing to have one's husband sulking and falling asleep directly he comes home-to have him freezing all one's warmheartedness, and throwing cold water over the fireside? Is it natural, when I know he went out upon a matter in which I am as much intérested as anybody can be, that I should wish to know all that has happened, or that he should tell me without my begging and praying him to do it? Is that natural, or is it not? » I am very sorry, Martha,» said the good-natured locksmith. "I was really afraid you were not disposed to talk pleasantly; I'll tell you everything; I shall only be too glad, my dear.» No, Varden, returned his wife, rising with dignity. I dare say thank you. I'm not a child to be corrected one minute and petted the next - I'm a little too old for that, Varden. Miggs, carry the light. You can be cheerful, Miggs, at least. " Miggs, who, to this moment, had been in the very depths of compassionate despondency, passed instantly into the liveliest state conceivable, and tossing her head as she glanced towards the locksmith, bore off her mistress and the light together. Now, who would think,» thought Varden, shrugging his shoulders and drawing his chair nearer to the fire, « that that woman could ever be pleasant and agreeable? And yet she can be. Well, well, all of us have our faults. I'll not be hard upon hers. We have been man and wife too long for that." He dozed again -not the less pleasantly, perhaps, for his hearty temper. While his eyes were closed, the door leading to the upper stairs was partially opened; and a head appeared, which, at sight of him, hastily drew back again. ་་ « I wish, murmured Gabriel, waking at the noise, and looking round the room, I wish somebody would marry Miggs. But that's impossible! I wonder whether there's any madman. alive, who would marry Miggs! » This was such a vast speculation that he fell into a doze again, and slept until the fire was quite burnt out. At last he roused himself; and having double-locked the street-door according to custom, and put the key in his pocket, went off to bed. He had not left the room in darkness many minutes, when the head again appeared, and Sim Tappertit entered, bearing in his hand a little lamp. " "What the devil business has he to stop up so late!» muttered Sim, passing into the workshop, and setting the lamp down upon the forge. Here's half the night gone already. There's only one good that has ever come to me, out of this cursed old rusty mechanical trade, and that's this piece of ironmongery, upon my soul! » As he spoke, he drew from the right hand, or rather right leg pocket of his smalls, a clumsy large-sized key, which he inserted cautiously in the lock his master had secured, and softly opened the door. That done, he replaced his piece of secret workmanship in his pocket; and leaving the lamp burning, and closing the door carefully and without noise, stole out into the street-as little suspected by the locksmith in his sound deep sleep, as by Barnaby himself in his phantom-haunted dreams. CHAPTER THE EIGHTH. It was on one of those mornings, common in early spring, when the year, fickle and changeable in its youth like all other created things, is undecided whether to step backward into winter or forward into summer, and in its uncertainty inclines now to the one and now to the other, and now to both at once-wooing summer in the sunshine, and lingering still with winter in the shade-it was, in short, on one of those mornings, when it is hot and cold, wet and dry, bright and lowering, sad and cheerful, withering and genial, in the compass of one short hour, that old John Willet, who was dropping asleep over the copper boiler, was roused by the sound of a horse's feet, and glancing out at window, beheld a traveller of goodly promise checking his bridle at the Maypole door. VOL. II. 3 He was not one of your flippant young fellows, who would call for a tankard of mulled ale, and make themselves as much at home as if they had ordered a hogshead of wine; none of your audacious young swaggerers, who would even penetrate into the bar-that solemn sanctuary-and, smiling old John upon the back, inquire if there was never a pretty girl in the house, and where he hid his little chambermaids, with a hundred other impertinencies of that nature; none of your free-and-easy companions, who would scrape their boots upon the fire-dogs in the common room, and be not at all particular on the subject of spittoons; none of your unconscionable blades, requiring impossible chops, and taking unheard-of pickles for granted. He was a staid, grave, placid gentleman, something past the prime of life, yet upright in his carriage, for all that, and slim as a greyhound. He was well-mounted upon a sturdy chesnut cob, and had the graceful seat of an experienced horseman; while his riding gear, though free from such fopperies as were then in vogue, was handsome and well chosen. He wore a riding-coat of a somewhat brighter green than might have been expected to suit the taste of a gentleman of his years, with a short black velvet cape, laced pocketholes and cuffs, all of a jaunty fashion; his linen, too, was of the finest kind, worked in a rich pattern at the wrists and throat, and scrupulously white. Although he seemed, judging from the mud he had picked up on the way, to have come from London, his horse was as smooth and cool as his own iron-grey periwig and pig-tail. Neither man nor beast had turned a single hair; and, saving for his soiled skirts and spatterdashes, this gentleman, with his blooming face, white teeth, exactly-ordered dress, and perfect calmness, might have come from making an elaborate and leisurely toilet, to sit for an equestrian portrait at old John Willet's gate. It must not be supposed that John observed these several characteristics by other than very slow degrees, or that he took in more than half a one at a time, or that he even made up his mind upon that, without a great deal of very serious consideration. Indeed, if he had been distracted in the first instance by questionings and orders, it would have taken him at the least a fortnight to have noted what is here set down; but it happened that the gentleman, being struck with the old house, or with the plump pigeons which were skimming and curtseying about it, or with the tall maypole, on the top of which a weathercock, which had been out of order for fifteen years, performed a perpetual waltz to the music of its own creaking, sat for some little time looking round in silence. Hence John, standing with his hand upon the horse's bridle, and his great eyes on the rider, and with nothing passing to divert his thoughts, had really got some of these little circumstances into his brain, by the time he was called upon to speak. A quaint place this, was as rich as his dress. At your service, sir, said the gentleman-and his voice "You can give my horse good stabling, can you, and me an early dinner (I am not particular what, so that it be cleanly served), and a decent room-of which there seems to be no lack in this great mansion, said the stranger, again running his eyes over the exterior. You can have, sir,» returned John, with a readiness quite surprising, anything you please. " D "It's well I am easily satisfied, returned the other with a smile, or that might prove a hardy pledge, my friend.» And saying so, he dismounted, with the aid of the block before the door, in a twinkling. 1 ་་ Halloa there! Hugh!» roared John. I ask your pardon, sir, for keeping you standing in the porch; but my son has gone to town on business, and the boy being, as I may say, of a kind of use to me, I'm rather put out when he's away. Hugh!-a dreadful idle vagrant fellow, sir-half a gypsy as I think-always sleeping in the sun in summer, and in the straw in winter time sir-Hugh! Dear Lord, to keep a gentleman a-waiting here, through him!-Hugh! I wish that chap was dead, I do indeed, » Possibly he is, returned the other. I should think if he were living he would have heard you by this time. » In his fits of laziness, he sleeps so desperate hard,» said |