ion of your own strange whims." "I am very fond of having
my own way," said I, "but utterly selfish I am not, as I dare say I shall
frequently prove to you. You will often find the kettle boiling when you
come home." "Not heated by you," said Isopel, with a sigh. "By whom
else?" said I; "surely you are not thinking of driving me away?" "You
have as much right here as myself," said Isopel, "as I have told you
before; but I must be going myself." "Well," said I, "we can go
together; to tell you the truth, I am rather tired of this place." "Our
paths must be separate," said Belle. "Separate," said I, "what do you
mean? I shan't let you go alone, I shall go with you; and you know the
road is as free to me as to you; besides, you can't think of parting
company with me, considering how much you would lose by doing so;
remember that you scarcely know anything of the Armenian language; now,
to learn Armenian from me would take you twenty years."

Belle faintly smiled. "Come," said I, "take another cup of tea." Belle
took another cup of tea, and yet another; we had some indifferent
conversation, after which I arose and gave her donkey a considerable feed
of corn. Belle thanked me, shook me by the hand, and then went to her
own tabernacle, and I returned to mine.

CHAPTER XIII.

VISIT TO THE LANDLORD--HIS MORTIFICATIONS--HUNTER AND HIS
CLAN--RESOLUTION.

On the following morning, after breakfasting with Belle, who was silent
and melancholy, I left her in the dingle, and took a stroll among the
neighbouring lanes. After some time I thought I would pay a visit to the
landlord of the public-house, whom I had not seen since the day when he
communicated to me his intention of changing his religion. I therefore
directed my steps to the house, and on entering it found the landlord
standing in the kitchen. Just then two mean-looking fellows, who had
been drinking at one of the tables, and who appeared to be the only
customers in the house, got up, brushed past the landlord, and saying in
a surly tone "We shall pay you some time or other," took their departure.
"That's the way they serve me now," said the landlord, with a sigh. "Do
you know those fellows," I demanded, "since you let them go away in your
debt?" "I know nothing about them," said the landlord, "save that they
are a couple of scamps." "Then why did you let them go away without
paying you?" said I. "I had not the heart to stop them," said the
lan