very moment, to take
my farewell look at all that remains--that last remaining portion so
sacred to my feelings and to yours."

So saying, L---- started from his seat just as Celia entered, followed
by her little handmaiden (an orphan relation of her husband's, the
adopted child of the worthy couple), and placed on the shining round
table a collation of dairy luxuries and fresh-gathered strawberries,
hastily arranged with a degree of simple good taste, too nearly
approaching elegance to have been acquired by one accustomed only to
provide for poor men's tables.

Our kind hostess was in no present mood "_gaily_ to press and _smile_,"
but she did press us to partake of her rustic dainties, with such
earnest yet modest importunity, that it would have been worse than
churlish to have slighted her invitation, if even my parched and thirsty
palate had not made the sight of the creaming milk-bowl, and a second of
clear whey, irresistibly tempting. While I did ample justice to the
merits of those refreshing fluids, and my friend partook more sparingly,
he endeavoured to persuade Hallings from accompanying us, as the old
man prepared to do, to a scene, the recollection of which affected him
so painfully. But the remonstrance was fruitless.

"I have not taken _my own last_ look, sir," was the touching and
unanswerable reply; "and that I was minded, please God, to take, when
all the workmen had left the place, and I could stand and look my fill
at the crumbling wall, without being distracted by their noises, or
scoffed at belike for giving way to an old man's weakness. But my
master's friend will make allowance for his old servant, and it will do
me good to go with you, sir."

We both felt that he was right; that, as he expressed it, it _would do
him good_ to take that "last look," accompanied by one who could so
fully sympathise in all his feelings, and to whom he could pour out his
full heart with the garrulous simplicity of age, and of a sorrow,
heart-seated truly, but _not_ "too deep for tears." So he was allowed to
secure our steeds in an adjoining cowshed, while we talked with Celia on
the subject that day uppermost in her thoughts also; and having
calculated with her that the nearly full moon would be up by our return,
to light us on our homeward way, we left her standing on the threshold
of the back door of her cottage, and followed her husband down the
garden path which opened into a small orchard (a portion of his li