topped and faced the old
gentleman, "remember that you speak of my relative. Had you been a
younger man, sir--"

Again the youth paused abruptly.

"Go on, sir," said the old gentleman ironically, "you would have
pommelled me to a jelly with your cudgel, I suppose; is that it?--acting
somewhat in the spirit of your kinsman, that same smuggling and tippling
old scoundrel, who--"

"Enough, sir," interrupted the young man angrily; "we part company
here."

So saying, he vaulted over the wall that separated the road from the
moor, and hurried away.

"Take the first turn to the left, and keep straight on, else you'll lose
yourself aga-a-a-in," roared the old gentleman, "and my compliments to
the rascally old smugg-le-e-r-r!"

"The old scoundrel!" muttered the youth as he hurried away.

"The young puppy!" growled the old gentleman as he jogged along. "Given
to smuggling and the bottle indeed--humph! the excitable jackanapes!
But I've given him a turn in the wrong direction that will cool his
blood somewhat, and give me leisure to cool mine too, before we meet
again."

Here the old gentleman's red countenance relaxed into a broad grin, and
he chuckled a good deal, in the midst of a running commentary on the
conduct and appearance of his late companion, from the disjointed
sentences of which it might have been gathered that although his
introduction to the young doctor had been unfortunate, and the
succeeding intercourse stormy, his opinion of him was not altogether
unfavourable.

CHAPTER TWO.

SHOWS WHAT ASTONISHING RESULTS MAY FOLLOW FROM TAKING THE WRONG ROAD.

Before Oliver Trembath had advanced half a mile on his path, he had
cooled sufficiently to experience some regret at having been so quick to
take offence at one who, being evidently an eccentric character, should
not, he thought, have been broken with so summarily. Regrets, however,
had come too late, so he endeavoured to shake off the disagreeable
feelings that depressed him, and, the more effectually to accomplish
this, burst forth into a bravura song with so much emphasis as utterly
to drown, and no doubt to confound, two larks, which, up to that time,
had been pouring their melodious souls out of their little bodies in the
bright blue sky above.

Presently he came to a part of the moor where two roads diverged--one to
the right and the other to the left. Recalling the shout of advice
which the old gentleman had given him in parting, he took