peroration, the eyes of the Squire began to twinkle, and new
thanks were given to the veteran for his disinterested affection, and
new promises pledged him in inadequate return.

The pious Dealtry felt a little jealousy at the trust imparted to his
friend. He halted, on his return from his farm, by the spruce stile
which led to the demesne of the Corporal, and eyed the warrior somewhat
sourly, as he now, in the cool of the evening, sate without his door,
arranging his fishing-tackle and flies, in various little papers, which
he carefully labelled by the help of a stunted pen which had seen at
least as much service as himself.

"Well, neighbour Bunting," said the little landlord, leaning over the
stile, but not passing its boundary, "and when do you go?--you will have
wet weather of it (looking up to the skies)--you must take care of the
rumatiz. At your age it's no trifle, eh--hem."

"My age! should like to know--what mean by that! my age
indeed!--augh!--bother!" grunted Bunting, looking up from his
occupation. Peter chuckled inly at the Corporal's displeasure, and
continued, as in an apologetic tone,

"Oh, I ax your pardon, neighbour. I don't mean to say you are too old to
travel. Why there was Hal Whittol, eighty-two come next Michaelmas, took
a trip to Lunnun last year--

"For young and old, the stout--the poorly,--The eye of God be on them
surely."

"Bother!" said the Corporal, turning round on his seat.

"And what do you intend doing with the brindled cat? put'un up in the
saddle-bags? You won't surely have the heart to leave'un."

"As to that," quoth the Corporal, sighing, "the poor dumb animal makes
me sad to think on't." And putting down his fish-hooks, he stroked the
sides of an enormous cat, who now, with tail on end, and back bowed up,
and uttering her lenes susurros--anglicae, purr;--rubbed herself to and
fro, athwart the Corporal's legs.

"What staring there for? won't ye step in, man? Can climb the stile I
suppose?--augh!"

"No thank'ye, neighbour. I do very well here, that is, if you can hear
me; your deafness is not so troublesome as it was last win--"

"Bother!" interrupted the Corporal, in a voice that made the little
landlord start bolt upright from the easy confidence of his position.
Nothing on earth so offended the perpendicular Jacob Bunting, as any
insinuation of increasing years or growing infirmities; but at this
moment, as he meditated putting Dealtry to some use, he prudently
c