you, and that you wanted to dispose
of him because he was a vicious brute. You must, by all means, drop the
sling before you get to Horncastle."

For three days I kept my apartment by the advice of the surgeon. I
passed my time as I best could. Stretched on my bed, I either abandoned
myself to reflection, or listened to the voices of the birds in the
neighbouring garden. Sometimes, as I lay awake at night, I would
endeavour to catch the tick of a clock, which methought sounded from some
distant part of the house.

The old man visited me twice or thrice every day to inquire into my
state. His words were few on these occasions, and he did not stay long.
Yet his voice and his words were kind. What surprised me most in
connection with this individual was, the delicacy of conduct which he
exhibited in not letting a word proceed from his lips which could testify
curiosity respecting who I was, or whence I came. All he knew of me was,
that I had been flung from my horse on my way to a fair for the purpose
of disposing of the animal; and that I was now his guest. I might be a
common horse-dealer for what he knew, yet I was treated by him with all
the attention which I could have expected, had I been an alderman of
Boston's heir, and known to him as such. The county in which I am now,
thought I at last, must be either extraordinarily devoted to hospitality,
or this old host of mine must be an extraordinary individual. On the
evening of the fourth day, feeling tired of my confinement, I put my
clothes on in the best manner I could, and left the chamber. Descending
a flight of stairs, I reached a kind of quadrangle, from which branched
two or three passages; one of these I entered, which had a door at the
farther end, and one on each side; the one to the left standing partly
open, I entered it, and found myself in a middle-sized room with a large
window, or rather glass-door, which looked into a garden, and which stood
open. There was nothing remarkable in this room, except a large quantity
of china. There was china on the mantelpiece--china on two tables, and a
small beaufet, which stood opposite the glass-door, was covered with
china--there were cups, teapots, and vases of various forms, and on all
of them I observed characters--not a teapot, not a tea-cup, not a vase of
whatever form or size, but appeared to possess hieroglyphics on some part
or other. After surveying these articles for some time with no little