isals.

The other gentlemen concerned were strangers to Mr. Brock, who felt
little inclined to trust either of them upon such a message, or with
such a large sum to bring back. They had, strange to say, a similar
mistrust on their side; but Mr. Brock lugged out five guineas, which he
placed in the landlady's hand as security for his comrade's return; and
Ensign Macshane, being mounted on poor Hayes's own horse, set off to
visit the parents of that unhappy young man. It was a gallant sight to
behold our thieves' ambassador, in a faded sky-blue suit with orange
facings, in a pair of huge jack-boots unconscious of blacking, with
a mighty basket-hilted sword by his side, and a little shabby beaver
cocked over a large tow-periwig, ride out from the inn of the "Three
Rooks" on his mission to Hayes's paternal village.

It was eighteen miles distant from Worcester; but Mr. Macshane performed
the distance in safety, and in sobriety moreover (for such had been his
instructions), and had no difficulty in discovering the house of old
Hayes: towards which, indeed, John's horse trotted incontinently. Mrs.
Hayes, who was knitting at the house-door, was not a little surprised
at the appearance of the well-known grey gelding, and of the stranger
mounted upon it.

Flinging himself off the steed with much agility, Mr. Macshane, as soon
as his feet reached the ground, brought them rapidly together, in order
to make a profound and elegant bow to Mrs. Hayes; and slapping his
greasy beaver against his heart, and poking his periwig almost into the
nose of the old lady, demanded whether he had the "shooprame honour of
adthressing Misthriss Hees?"

Having been answered in the affirmative, he then proceeded to ask
whether there was a blackguard boy in the house who would take "the
horse to the steeble;" whether "he could have a dthrink of small-beer
or buthermilk, being, faith, uncommon dthry;" and whether, finally, "he
could be feevored with a few minutes' private conversation with her
and Mr. Hees, on a matther of consitherable impartance." All these
preliminaries were to be complied with before Mr. Macshane would enter
at all into the subject of his visit. The horse and man were cared for;
Mr. Hayes was called in; and not a little anxious did Mrs. Hayes grow,
in the meanwhile, with regard to the fate of her darling son. "Where is
he? How is he? Is he dead?" said the old lady. "Oh yes, I'm sure he's
dead!"

"Indeed, madam, and you're mist