tion of Dashmore and Egerton. I have little left of it, and I never
give it but to old friends like,--for, I think, Sir, though you be grown
stout, and look more grand, I may say that I've had the pleasure of
seeing you before."

"That's true, I dare say, though I fear I was never a very good
customer."

"Ah, it is Mr. Dale, then! I thought so when you came into the hall. I
hope your lady is quite well, and the squire too; fine pleasant-spoken
gentleman; no fault of his if Mr. Egerton went wrong. Well, we have
never seen him--I mean Mr. Egerton--since that time. I don't wonder he
stays away; but my Lord's son, who was brought up here, it an't nat'ral
like that he should turn his back on us!"

Mr. Dale made no reply, and the landlord was about to retire, when the
parson, pouring out another glass of the port, said, "There must be
great changes in the parish. Is Mr. Morgan, the medical man, still
here?"

"No, indeed! he took out his 'ploma after you left, and became a real
doctor; and a pretty practice he had too, when he took, all of a
sudden, to some new-fangled way of physicking,--I think they calls it
homy-something."

"Homoeopathy?"

"That's it; something against all reason: and so he lost his practice
here and went up to Lunnun. I've not heard of him since."

"Do the Avenels still reside in their old house?"

"Oh, yes!--and are pretty well off, I hear say. John is always poorly,
though he still goes now and then to the Odd Fellows, and takes his
glass; but his wife comes and fetches him away before he can do himself
any harm."

"Mrs. Avenel is the same as ever?"

"She holds her head higher, I think," said the landlord, smiling. "She
was always--not exactly proud like, but what I calls Bumptious."

"I never heard that word before," said the parson, laying down his
knife and fork. "Bumptious indeed, though I believe it is not in the
dictionary, has crept into familiar parlance, especially amongst young
folks at school and college."

"Bumptious is bumptious, and gumptious is Bumptious," said the landlord,
delighted to puzzle a parson. "Now the town beadle is bumptious, and
Mrs. Avenel is Bumptious."

"She is a very respectable woman," said Mr. Dale, somewhat rebukingly.

"In course, sir, all gumptious folks are; they value themselves on their
respectability, and looks down on their neighbours."

PARSON (still philologically occupied).--"Gumptious--gumptious. I think
I remember the substantive at sch