ain
in Mr. Rook's house for the night, and proposed to resume his walking
tour the next day.

Excepting the case of supper, which could be easily provided, the
landlord had no choice but to disappoint both his guests. In his small
way of business, none of his customers wanted to hire a carriage--even
if he could have afforded to keep one. As for beds, the few rooms which
the inn contained were all engaged; including even the room occupied by
himself and his wife. An exhibition of agricultural implements had
been opened in the neighborhood, only two days since; and a public
competition between rival machines was to be decided on the coming
Monday. Not only was the Hand-in-Hand inn crowded, but even the
accommodation offered by the nearest town had proved barely sufficient
to meet the public demand.

The gentlemen looked at each other and agreed that there was no help for
it but to hurry the supper, and walk to the railway station--a distance
of between five and six miles--in time to catch the last train.

While the meal was being prepared, the rain held off for a while. The
dark man asked his way to the post-office and went out by himself.

He came back in about ten minutes, and sat down afterward to supper with
his companion. Neither the landlord, nor any other person in the public
room, noticed any change in him on his return. He was a grave, quiet
sort of person, and (unlike the other one) not much of a talker.

As the darkness came on, the rain fell again heavily; and the heavens
were black.

A flash of lightning startled the gentlemen when they went to the window
to look out: the thunderstorm began. It was simply impossible that
two strangers to the neighborhood could find their way to the station,
through storm and darkness, in time to catch the train. With or without
bedrooms, they must remain at the inn for the night. Having already
given up their own room to their lodgers, the landlord and landlady had
no other place to sleep in than the kitchen. Next to the kitchen, and
communicating with it by a door, was an outhouse; used, partly as a
scullery, partly as a lumber-room. There was an old truckle-bed among
the lumber, on which one of the gentlemen might rest. A mattress on the
floor could be provided for the other. After adding a table and a basin,
for the purposes of the toilet, the accommodation which Mr. Rook was
able to offer came to an end.

The travelers agreed to occupy this makeshift bed-chamber.