likewise so harsh, that they all heard it with sudden curiosity.  Nor did this abate when the cloak was removed, and his hat laid aside.  A tall, athletic, red-haired man, of the middle age, was then made manifest.  He had on a red frock coat, a red vest, and a red neckcloth; nay, his gloves were red!  What was more extraordinary, when the overalls which covered his thighs were unbuttoned, it was discovered that his small-clothes were red likewise.  ‘All red!’ ejaculated the parson almost involuntarily.  ‘As you say, the gentleman is all red!’ added the schoolmaster, with his characteristic flippancy.  He was checked by a look from the landlady.  His remark, however, caught the stranger’s ear, and he turned round upon him with a penetrating glance.  The schoolmaster tried to smoke it off bravely.  It would not do:  he felt the power of that look, and was reduced to almost immediate silence.

“‘Now, bring me your boot-jack,’ said the horseman.  The boot-jack was brought, and the boots pulled off.  To the astonishment of the company, a pair of red stockings were brought into view.  The landlord shrugged his shoulders, the exciseman did the same, the landlady shook her head, the parson exclaimed, ‘All red!’ as before, and the schoolmaster would have repeated it, but he had not yet recovered from the rebuke.  ’Faith, this is odd!’ observed the host.  ‘Rather odd,’ said the stranger, seating himself between the parson and the exciseman.  The landlord was confounded, and did not know what to think of the matter.  After sitting for a few moments, the new-comer requested the host to hand him a night-cap, which he would find in his hat.  He did so:  it was a red worsted one; and he put it upon his head.  Here the exciseman broke silence, by ejaculating, ‘Red again!’ The landlady gave him an admonitory knock on the elbow:  it was too late.  The stranger heard his remark, and regarded him with one of those piercing glances for which his fiery eye seemed so remarkable.  ‘All red!’ murmured the parson once more.  ‘Yes, Doctor Poundtext, the gentleman, as you say, is all red,’ re-echoed the schoolmaster, who by this time had recovered his self-possession.  He would have gone on, but the landlady gave him a fresh admonition, by trampling upon his toes; and her husband winked in token of silence.

“As in the case of the exciseman, the warnings were too late.  ’Now, landlord,’ said the stranger, after he had been seated a minute, ’may I trouble you to get me a pipe and a can of your best Burton?  But, first of all, open my portmanteau, and give me out my slippers.’  The host did as he was desired, and produced a pair of red morocco slippers.  Here an involuntary exclamation broke out from the company.  It began with the parson, and was taken up by the schoolmaster, the exciseman, the landlady, and the landlord, in succession.  ‘More red!’ proceeded from every lip, with different degrees of loudness.  The landlord’s was the least loud, the schoolmaster’s the loudest