“An’ how do ye find yersel’ Mr. Brown?” said she, turning to that gentleman.  “But I needna ask the question, sin’ yer looks tell ye’re amaist weel”.

Mr. Brown assented to her remark upon his health, and expressed to her his obligations for her attentions to him during his illness.

“Them’s naethin;” she replied with a conscious air of benevolence.  “‘Tis the buzziness o’ my life to tak’ care o’ sick bodies”.

“How are Mrs. Campbell’s children?” inquired Mrs. Dubois.

“All got weel, but Katy.  She’s mizerble eneugh”.

“Has she not recovered from the measles, Mrs. McNab?”

“The measles are gone, but sunthin’ has settled on her lights.  She coughs like a woodchuck.  An’ I must be a goin’, for I tole Mrs. Cawmell, I wadna stay a bit, but wad come back, immediate”.

As she rose to go, she caught a sight of several objects on the lawn below, that rooted her to the spot.

“Why ther’s Mummychog”, she exclaimed, “leading a gran’ black charger, wi’ a tall brave youth a walkin’ by his side.  Wha can he be?”

At that moment a low, clear laugh rang out upon the air, reaching the ears of the little company assembled in the parlor.

At the sound, Mr. Brown’s pale face changed to a perfectly ashen hue, then flushed to a deep crimson.  He started to his feet, and exclaimed, “John Lansdowne! brave fellow!”

It was even so.  John and Caesar had reached their destination.

CHAPTER XV.

TRAVELLING IN NEW BRUNSWICK.

The following morning, Mr. Norton, Mr. Somers, alias Mr. Brown and John Lansdowne were sitting together, talking of the route from ——­ to Miramichi.

“You must have had a tedious journey, Mr. Lansdowne”, observed the missionary.

“By no means, sir.  Never had a more glorious time in my life.  The reach through the forest was magnificent.  By the way, Ned, I shot a wolf.  I’ll tell you how it was, sometime.  But how soon shall you feel able to start for home?”

“In two or three weeks, Dr. Wright says”, replied Mr. Somers.

“You must not take the road again, young gentleman”, remarked Mr. Norton, “until we have had a fall of rain.  The country is scorched with heat beyond anything I ever knew.  Fine scenery on the St. John River, Mr. Lansdowne”.

“Wonderfully fine and varied!  Like the unfolding of a splendid panorama!  In fact, it nearly consoled me for the sleepless nights and horribly cooked dinners”.

“Ah! well—.  I’ve had some experience while passing up and down in these parts.  In some localities, the country is pretty well populated”, said Mr. Norton with a broad smile.

“I can certify to that geographical fact”, said John, laughing.  “One night, after retiring, I found that a large and active family of mice had taken previous shares in the straw cot furnished me.  A stirring time, they had, I assure you.  The following night, I was roused up from a ten horse-power slumber, by a little million of enterprising insects,—­well,—­their style of locomotion, though irregular, accomplishes remarkable results.  By the way, I doubt that story of a pair of fleas, harnessed into a tiny chariot and broken into a trot”.