her. He smiled very
complacently at such times, but rather as if he were satisfied with
himself than with anything else: and so went riding on, upon his
chestnut cob, as pleasant to look upon as his own horse, and probably
far less sensitive to the many cheerful influences by which he was
surrounded.

In the course of time, the Maypole's massive chimneys rose upon his
view: but he quickened not his pace one jot, and with the same cool
gravity rode up to the tavern porch. John Willet, who was toasting
his red face before a great fire in the bar, and who, with surpassing
foresight and quickness of apprehension, had been thinking, as he looked
at the blue sky, that if that state of things lasted much longer, it
might ultimately become necessary to leave off fires and throw the
windows open, issued forth to hold his stirrup; calling lustily for
Hugh.

'Oh, you're here, are you, sir?' said John, rather surprised by the
quickness with which he appeared. 'Take this here valuable animal into
the stable, and have more than particular care of him if you want to
keep your place. A mortal lazy fellow, sir; he needs a deal of looking
after.'

'But you have a son,' returned Mr Chester, giving his bridle to Hugh as
he dismounted, and acknowledging his salute by a careless motion of his
hand towards his hat. 'Why don't you make HIM useful?'

'Why, the truth is, sir,' replied John with great importance, 'that my
son--what, you're a-listening are you, villain?'

'Who's listening?' returned Hugh angrily. 'A treat, indeed, to hear YOU
speak! Would you have me take him in till he's cool?'

'Walk him up and down further off then, sir,' cried old John, 'and when
you see me and a noble gentleman entertaining ourselves with talk, keep
your distance. If you don't know your distance, sir,' added Mr Willet,
after an enormously long pause, during which he fixed his great dull
eyes on Hugh, and waited with exemplary patience for any little property
in the way of ideas that might come to him, 'we'll find a way to teach
you, pretty soon.'

Hugh shrugged his shoulders scornfully, and in his reckless swaggering
way, crossed to the other side of the little green, and there, with
the bridle slung loosely over his shoulder, led the horse to and fro,
glancing at his master every now and then from under his bushy eyebrows,
with as sinister an aspect as one would desire to see.

Mr Chester, who, without appearing to do so, had eyed him attentively