tion to
poor me. Besides, it gives me fresh vigor to replunge into Mendacity;
and that's the thing that pays."

With this simple and satisfactory explanation he rolled away.

Leaving, for the present, matters not essential to this vein of
incident, I jump to what occurred toward evening.

Just after dinner the servant who waited told Dr. Suaby that a man had
walked all the way from Huntercombe to see Sir Charles Bassett.

"Poor fellow!" said Dr. Suaby; "I should like to see him. Would you
mind receiving him here?"

"Oh, no."

"On second thoughts, James, you had better light a candle in the next
room--in case."

A heavy clatter was heard, and the burly figure of Moses Moss entered
the room. Being bareheaded, he saluted the company by pulling his head,
and it bobbed. He was a little dazzled by the lights at first, but soon
distinguished Sir Charles, and his large countenance beamed with simple
and affectionate satisfaction.

"How d'ye do, Moss?" said Sir Charles.

"Pretty well, thank ye, sir, in my body, but uneasy in my mind. There
be a trifle too many rogues afoot to please me. However, I told my
mistress this morning, says I, 'Before I puts up with this here any
longer, I must go over there and see him; for here's so many lies
a-cutting about,' says I, 'I'm fairly mazed.' So, if you please, Sir
Charles, will you be so good as to tell me out of your own mouth, and
then I shall know: be you crazy or hain't you--ay or no?"

Suaby and Rolfe had much ado not to laugh right out; but Sir Charles
said, gravely, he was not crazy. "Do I look crazy, Moss?"

"That ye doan't; you look twice the man you did. Why, your cheeks did
use to be so pasty like; now you've got a color--but mayhap" (casting
an eye on the decanters) "ye're flustered a bit wi' drink."

"No, no," said Rolfe, "we have not commenced our nightly debauch yet;
only just done dinner."

"Then there goes another. This will be good news to home. Dall'd if I
would not ha' come them there thirty miles on all-fours for't. But,
sir, if so be you are not crazy, please think about coming home, for
things ain't as they should be in our parts. My lady she is away for
her groaning, and partly for fear of this very Richard Bassett; and him
and his lawyer they have put it about as you are dead in law; that is
the word: and so the servants they don't know what to think; and the
village folk are skeared with his clapping four brace on 'em in jail:
and Joe and I, we w