"'There is your hoss,' sais I.

"'Where?' sais he.

"'Why on the bridge,' sais I; "he has got his head down and is a-lookin'
atween his fore-legs to see where his tail is, for he is so cold, I do
suppose he can't feel it.'

"Well, as soon as we could, we started; but afore we left, sais the
Judge to me, 'Mr. Slick,' sais he, 'here is a plaister,' taking out
a pound note, 'a plaister for the skin the pig rubbed off of the old
woman. Give it to her, I hope it is big enough to cover it.' And he fell
back on the bed, and larfed and coughed, and coughed and larfed, till
the tears ran down his cheeks.

"Yes," said Mr. Slick, "yes, Squire, this is a pretty cottage of Marm
Hodgins; but we have cottages quite as pretty as this, our side of the
water, arter all. They are not all like Obi Rafuses, the immigrant. The
natives have different guess places, where you might eat off the floor
a'most, all's so clean. P'raps we hante the hedges, and flowers, and
vines and fixin's, and what-nots."

"Which, alone," I said, "make a most important difference. No, Mr.
Slick', there is nothing to be compared to this little cottage.

"I perfectly agree with you, Squire," said Mr. Hopewell, "it is quite
unique. There is not only nothing equal to it, but nothing of its kind
at all like--_an English cottage_."

CHAPTER XII. STEALING THE HEARTS OF THE PEOPLE.

Shortly after our return to the inn, a carriage drove up to the door,
and the cards of Mr. Merton, and the Reverend Mr. Homily, which
were presented by the servant, were soon followed by the gentlemen
themselves.

Mr. Merton said he had been informed by Mrs. Hodgins of our visit to her
cottage, and from her account of our conversation and persons, he was
convinced we could be no other than the party described in the "Sayings
and Doings of Mr. Samuel Slick," as about to visit England with the
Attache. He expressed great pleasure in having the opportunity of making
our acquaintance, and entreated us to spend a few days with him at the
Priory. This invitation we were unfortunately compelled to decline, in
consequence of urgent business in London, where our immediate presence
was indispensable.

The rector then pressed Mr. Hopewell to preach for him, on the following
day at the parish church, which he also declined. He said, that he
had no sermons with him, and that he had very great objections to
extemporaneous preaching, which he thought should never be resorted to
except in ca