been starving," said the lady.

"And what right had a fellow to be starving with a crown piece in
his pocket?" said the gentleman behind.

"He will explain by and by," replied the lady. "He must not be
vexed tonight, James. I have made up a bed in the loft, and Martha
is preparing some food.

"Can you walk, my poor boy?" she asked me.

"I am quite well, ma'am," I said, staggering to my feet. "I don't
know what came over me."

She told me that I had fainted, which surprised me mightily, though
when I came to reflect it was not much to be wondered at, seeing
that never in my life before had I been for more than four hours
without food.

"The gentleman asked me to explain--" I began, remembering what had
preceded my fall.

"Never mind about that now," said the lady. "You will go to bed,
and when you have had some food you will sleep, and you can tell my
husband all about it in the morning."

And then she directed the two stablemen who were standing at the
door to help me up the ladder into the loft of the coach house. A
bed, spread with linen as good as ever I lay on, was arranged at
one end; and, dropping on to this, I was asleep immediately. They
told me next morning that the mistress had herself brought up the
posset which her servant had prepared; but, finding me in such deep
slumber, had carried it away again, saying that sleep was as good
as food to me then.

The sunlight, streaming in at the little window above my bed,
wakened me early. I was at first perplexed at my unfamiliar
surroundings, but, recollecting at length the happenings of the
previous day, I got up and descended the stairs. At the door of the
coach house one of the men I had already seen was swilling the
wheel of a big coach with pails of water, whistling the while. He
grinned when he saw me, and said:

"Mistress said you was to go straight to kitchen when you waked,
and fill your stomick."

"I am mighty hungry, to be sure, but I should like to wash first,"
I replied.

"Why, you do look 'mazing grimy," he said with another grin. "Do ye
feel better this marnin'? You went into a faint like as I never did
see--a real female faint it was. I reckon as how you be overgrowed,
young man."

"Where shall I find the pump?" I asked, restive under this
reference to my unhappy attire.

"Ho, Giles!" he called, "take the young man to the poomp."

At this cry, Giles, in whom I recognized the second man whose skull
I had threatened to crack, app