Lawrence hesitated.  He had no claims on the hospitality of these people, but he wished very much to have an opportunity to speak to Mrs Null.  “Thank you,” he said, “but I am staying down here at the village, and it is but a short ride.”  “Staying at Hewlett’s?” exclaimed Mrs Keswick.  “At which hotel, may I ask?”

Lawrence laughed.  “I am stopping with the storekeeper,” he said.

“That settles it!” said the old lady, giving her umbrella a jab into the ground.  “Tom Peckett’s accommodations may be good enough for pedlers and travelling agents, but they are not fit for gentlemen, especially one of my nephew’s friends.  You must stay with us, sir, as long as you are in this neighborhood.  I insist upon it.”  Junius was very much astonished at his aunt’s speech and manner.  The old lady was not at all inhospitable; so far was it otherwise the case, that, rather than deprive an objectionable visitor of the shelter of her roof, she would go from under it herself; but he had never known her to “gush” in this manner upon a stranger.  He now felt at liberty, however, to obey his own impulses, and urged Mr Croft to stay with them.

“You are very kind, indeed,” said Lawrence, “and I shall be glad to defer for the present my return to my ‘hotel.’  This will give me the additional pleasure of renewing my acquaintance with Mrs Null.”

“What!” exclaimed Mrs Keswick, “do you know her, too?  And to think of you stopping at Peckett’s!  Your home, sir, while you stay in these parts, is here.”

Before the three reached the house, Mrs Keswick had inquired how long Mr Croft had known her niece; and had discovered, much to her disappointment, that he had never met Mr Null.  Shortly after the arrival at the house of the gentleman on horseback little Plez ran into the kitchen, where Letty was engaged in preparing vegetables for dinner.

“Who d’ye think is done come?” he exclaimed.  “Miss Annie’s husband!  Jes’ rid up to de house.”

“Dat so?” cried Letty, dropping into her lap the knife and the potato she was peeling.  “Well, truly, when things does happen in dis worl’ dey comes all in a lump.  None ob de fam’ly been nigh de house for ebber so long; an’ den, ‘long comes Mahs’ Junius hisse’f, an’ Miss Annie dat’s been away sence she was a chile, an’ ole Mr Brandon, wot Uncle Isham say ain’t been h’yar fur years and years, an’ now Miss Annie’s husband comes kitin’ up!  An’ dar’s ole Aun’ Patsy wot says dat if dat gemman ebber come h’yar she want to know it fus’ thing.  She was dreffle p’inted about dat.  An’ now, look h’yar, you Plez, jus’ you cut round to your Aun’ Patsy’s, an’ tell her Miss Annie’s husband’s done come.”

“Whar ole Miss?” inquired Plez.  “She ’sleep?”

“No, she mighty wide awake,” said Letty.  “But you take dem knives an’ dat board an’ brick, an’ run down to de branch to clean ’em.  An’, when you gits dar, you jus’ slip along, ’hind de bushes, till you’s got ter de cohn fiel’, an’ den you cut ‘cross dar to Aun’ Patsy’s.  An’ don’ you stop no time dar, fur if ole Miss finds you’s done gone, she’ll chop you up wid dem knives.”