s to
take a peep at me, and then "going off," as they say, again.

In the midst of this hilarity there sounded suddenly a jangling and
creaking of wires in the neighborhood of the ceiling, followed by a
clang.

"Measter's bell!" cried Susan, and, smoothing her apron, and
settling her countenance to a wonderful demureness and sobriety,
the little rascal tripped away. She was back in a minute.

"Measter wants to see tha," she said.

I got up and followed her from the room and up the stairs,
comfortable in body and mind, for sure, I thought, such
cheerfulness was of good augury: the master of such happy servants
could not be a very terrible man. Susan showed me into a large and
well-furnished room, where, though it was summer time, a big fire
was crackling merrily in the grate. On one side of it sat the
master in a deep chair, smoking a pipe of tobacco; on the other the
kind mistress was knitting. She smiled at me as I approached, and I
knew that she was not thinking of my strange garb. The master
hummed and hawed, as if in embarrassment how to address me; then,
in a jovial tone intended to set me at my ease he said:

"Had a good breakfast?"

I assured him that I had never made such a meal in my life.

"That's right. Now, we want you to tell us your story in your own
way; but mind, no beating about the bush."

I had already resolved to tell just so much as was necessary,
without naming names, so I began:

"I was on my way to Bristowe, sir, and two nights ago, being
overtaken by the rain, I sought shelter in a decayed barn near the
roadside, and slept among some hay. Before morning three men came
in whom I soon discovered from their speech to be poachers. They
found me, robbed me of my money--not a vast sum--and forced me to
exchange garments with them."

Here the flicker of a smile crossed the gentleman's face.

"They left me tied hand and foot, and when I released myself I was
in such a taking at the scarecrow figure I must cut that I shunned
the sight of men, and kept to the fields. But I had not eaten since
noon of the day of my misadventure, and, being desperately hungry,
I entered your gate to beg a meal, purposing to pay for it by some
service for you."

"Hum! What then of this crown piece which you confessed was yours?
Why need ye starve with that in your pocket?"

"To that, sir, I have no answer, save that I would not spend it
till the last extremity."

"Hum! How old are you?"

"Somewhat past