in to sneer at the sacred customs of antiquity.

"I beg your pardon," the intruder began, addressing the Keeler family
with exceeding urbanity of voice and manner; "I fear that I have happened
in rather inopportunely, but I dared not of course transgress our
happy Arcadian laws by knocking at the door."

"Oh, Lordy, yis, yis, and the fewer words the better. You know our ways
by this time, fisherman," exclaimed Grandpa Keeler. "Come in! come in!
Nobody that calls me friend need knock at my door."

"Come in! come in, fisherman! Won't you set, fisherman?" hospitably
chimed in Grandma Keeler.

"Ah, thank you! may I consider your kind invitation deferred, merely,"
said the fisherman, suavely, "and excuse me if I introduce a little
matter of business with the Captain. We carelessly left our oars on the
banks yesterday, Captain Keeler, they were washed off, I have ordered
some more, but can't get them by to-morrow. I hear you have a pair laid
by, I should like to purchase."

"What, is it the old oars ye want?" interrupted Grandpa, "why, Lord a
massy! you know whar' they be, fisherman, alongside that old pile o'
rubbish on hither side o' the barn, and don't talk about purchasin'--take
'em and keep 'em as long as ye want, they ain't no account to me now."

"I am very much obliged to you, Captain," the fisherman said, "I am very
sorry to have interrupted this--a--"

"Why, no interruption, I'm sure," said Grandma Keeler, good-naturedly,
"we've kep' right along eatin'."

"Want a lantern to look for 'em eh?" inquired Grandpa Keeler, for the
fisherman lingered, hesitating, on the threshold.

"This is our teacher, fisherman," said Grandma, in her gentle,
tranquillizing tones, "and this 'ere is one of Emily's fishermen,
teacher, and may the Lord bless ye in yer acquaintance," she added with
simple fervor.

The fisherman saluted me with a bow which reflected great credit on his
former dancing-master. He murmured the polite formula in a low tone, at
the same time shooting another covertly laughing glance at me out of his
eyes. As the door closed behind him, "Ah, that's a sleek devil!" said
Grandpa Keeler, giving me a meaning glance from under his shaggy
eyebrows.

"Wall, thar' now, pa, I wouldn't blaspheme, not if I'd made the
professions you have," said Grandma, with grave reproval.

"A sleek dog," continued Grandpa Keeler; "tongue as smooth as butter, all
'how d' yer do!' and 'how d' yer do!' but I don't trust them fisher