with broken gablets and round dormers stuck deep into
the thatch. A burial ground lay in front of both edifices, and looked
dreary and chilling now, with the snow covering its many mounds and
dripping from the warm wood of its rude old crosses.

"This will be the minister's house," said Ralph.

They drew up in front and knocked at the door of a deep porch. An old
man opened it and looked closely at his visitors through sharp,
watchful eyes. He wore a close jerkin of thick blue homespun, and his
broad-topped boots were strapped round his short pantaloons.

"Does the priest live here?" said Ralph, from the road, where he held
the mare's head.

"No priest lives here," said the old man, somewhat curtly.

"Does the minister?"

"No, nor a minister."

The changes of ecclesiastical administration had been so frequent of
late that it was impossible to say what formula was now in the
ascendent. Ralph understood the old man's laconic answers to imply a
remonstrance, and he tried again.

"Do you preach in this church?"

"_I_ preach? No; I practise."

It transpired after much wordy fencing, which was at least as
irritating as amusing to a man in Ralph's present temper, that there
was no minister now in possession of the benefice, and that the church
had for some months been closed, the spiritual welfare of the
parishioners being consequently in a state of temporary suspension.
The old man who replied to Ralph's interrogations proved to be the
parish clerk, and whether his duties were also suspended--whether the
parishioners did not die, and did not require to be buried--during the
period in which the parish was deprived of a parson, was a question of
more consequence to Ralph than the cause of the religious bankruptcy
which the old man described.

Ralph explained in a few words the occasion of his visit, and begged
the clerk to dig a grave at once.

"I fear it will scarce conform to the articles," the clerk said with a
grave shake of his old head; "I'm sore afraid I'll suffer a penalty if
it's known."

Ralph passed some coins into the old man's hand with as little
ostentation as possible; whereupon the clerk, much mollified,
continued,--

"But it's not for me to deny to any Christian a Christian burial--that
is to say, as much of it as stands in no need of the book. Sir, I'll
be with you in a crack. Go round, sir, to the gate."

Ralph and his companion did as they were bidden, and in a few minutes
the old clerk