letter, sacred or heathen--not so much as would tell us the way to
the great fireplace--ever I should sin to say it! Either the moss and
mildew have eat away the words, or we have arrived in a land where the
natyves have lost the art o' writing, and should ha' brought our compass
like Christopher Columbus.'

'Let us take the straightest road,' said Darton placidly; 'I shan't be
sorry to get there--'tis a tiresome ride. I would have driven if I had
known.'

'Nor I neither, sir,' said Enoch. 'These straps plough my shoulder like
a zull. If 'tis much further to your lady's home, Maister Darton, I
shall ask to be let carry half of these good things in my innerds--hee,
hee!'

'Don't you be such a reforming radical, Enoch,' said Johns sternly.
'Here, I'll take the turkey.'

This being done, they went forward by the right-hand lane, which ascended
a hill, the left winding away under a plantation. The pit-a-pat of their
horses' hoofs lessened up the slope; and the ironical directing-post
stood in solitude as before, holding out its blank arms to the raw
breeze, which brought a snore from the wood as if Skrymir the Giant were
sleeping there.

CHAPTER II

Three miles to the left of the travellers, along the road they had not
followed, rose an old house with mullioned windows of Ham-hill stone, and
chimneys of lavish solidity. It stood at the top of a slope beside
King's-Hintock village-street; and immediately in front of it grew a
large sycamore-tree, whose bared roots formed a convenient staircase from
the road below to the front door of the dwelling. Its situation gave the
house what little distinctive name it possessed, namely, 'The Knap.' Some
forty yards off a brook dribbled past, which, for its size, made a great
deal of noise. At the back was a dairy barton, accessible for vehicles
and live-stock by a side 'drong.' Thus much only of the character of the
homestead could be divined out of doors at this shady evening-time.

But within there was plenty of light to see by, as plenty was construed
at Hintock. Beside a Tudor fireplace, whose moulded four-centred arch
was nearly hidden by a figured blue-cloth blower, were seated two
women--mother and daughter--Mrs. Hall, and Sarah, or Sally; for this was
a part of the world where the latter modification had not as yet been
effaced as a vulgarity by the march of intellect. The owner of the name
was the young woman by whose means Mr. Darton proposed to put