ed in the affirmative, but added, I was totally inexperienced.

'Perhaps if you reside here for some days,' he said, 'we may meet again,
and I may have the chance of giving you a lesson.'

Ere I could express either thanks or assent, he turned short round with
a wave of his hand by way of adieu, and rode back to the verge of the
dell from which we had emerged together; and as he remained standing
upon the banks, I could long hear his voice while he shouted down to
those within its recesses.

Meanwhile the Quaker and I proceeded on our journey for some time in
silence; he restraining his sober-minded steed to a pace which might
have suited a much less active walker than myself, and looking on
me from time to time with an expression of curiosity, mingled with
benignity. For my part, I cared not to speak first. It happened I had
never before been in company with one of this particular sect, and,
afraid that in addressing him I might unwittingly infringe upon some
of their prejudices or peculiarities, I patiently remained silent. At
length he asked me, whether I had been long in the service of the laird,
as men called him.

I repeated the words 'in his service?' with such an accent of surprise,
as induced him to say, 'Nay, but, friend, I mean no offence; perhaps I
should have said in his society--an inmate, I mean, in his house?'

'I am totally unknown to the person from whom we have just parted,' said
I, 'and our connexion is only temporary. He had the charity to give me
his guidance from the Sands, and a night's harbourage from the tempest.
So our acquaintance began, and there it is likely to end; for you may
observe that our friend is by no means apt to encourage familiarity.'

'So little so,' answered my companion, 'that thy case is, I think, the
first in which I ever heard of his receiving any one into his house;
that is, if thou hast really spent the night there.'

'Why should you doubt it?' replied I; 'there is no motive I can have to
deceive you, nor is the object worth it.'

'Be not angry with me,' said the Quaker; 'but thou knowest that thine
own people do not, as we humbly endeavour to do, confine themselves
within the simplicity of truth, but employ the language of falsehood,
not only for profit, but for compliment, and sometimes for mere
diversion. I have heard various stories of my neighbour; of most of
which I only believe a small part, and even then they are difficult to
reconcile with each other. Bu