nd, indeed, from the
whole aspect of the man, you might guess him a century old, were it
not for the nimbleness of his gestures and his eyes, which were grey,
alert, and keen as needles.

I acknowledged his salutation as he ranged up beside me.

"Will my company, sir, offend you? By your coat I suspect your
trade: _venatorem sapit_--hey?"

His voice exactly fitted his eyes. Both were sharp and charged with
expression; yet both carried also a hint that their owner had lived
long in privacy. Somehow they lacked touch.

"I am riding homewards," I answered.

"Hey? Where is that?"

The familiarity lay rather in the words than the manner; and I did
not resent it.

"At Bleakirk."

His eyes had wandered for a moment to the road ahead; but now he
turned abruptly, and looked at me, as I thought, with some suspicion.
He seemed about to speak, but restrained himself, fumbled in his
waistcoat pocket, and producing a massive snuff-box, offered me a
pinch. On my declining, he helped himself copiously; and then,
letting the reins hang loose upon his arm, fell to tapping the box.

"To me this form of the herb _nicotiana_ commends itself by its
cheapness: the sense is tickled, the purse consenting--like the
complaisant husband in Juvenal: you take me? I am well acquainted
with Bleakirk-_super-sabulum_. By the way, how is Squire Cartwright
of the Hall?"

"If," said I, "you mean my father, Angus Cartwright, he is dead these
twelve years."

"Hey?" cried the old gentleman, and added after a moment, "Ah, to be
sure, time flies--_quo dives Tullus et_--Angus, eh? And yet a hearty
man, to all seeming. So you are his son." He took another pinch.
"It is very sustaining," he said.

"The snuff?"

"You have construed me, sir. Since I set out, just thirteen hours
since, it has been my sole viaticum." As he spoke he put his hand
nervously to his forehead, and withdrew it.

"Then," thought I, "you must have started in the middle of the
night," for it was now little past noon. But looking at his face, I
saw clearly that it was drawn and pinched with fasting. Whereupon I
remembered my flask and sandwich-box, and pulling them out, assured
him, with some apology for the offer, that they were at his service.
His joy was childish. Again he whipped off his hat, and clapping it
to his heart, swore my conduct did honour to my dead father; "and
with Angus Cartwright," said he, "kindness was intuitive. Being a
habit, it outran r