“‘Wants berryin’ p’raps?’ says the chap.

“‘I reckon he’ll hold on a bit longer.’

“‘Next parish, likely?’

“‘Why, iss,’ says Sam, ‘or next arter that.’

“‘Ah, what et es to be rich!’ says the man, kind o’ envious-like.

“’What do ‘ee mean by that?’ Sam axes.

“‘Niver mind,’ answers the man. ‘’Twarn’t no bus’ness o’ mines.  Wud ‘ee kindly hand me the fees for this parish?’

“Well, Sam argeys the matter agen, but i’ the end he pays up:  ‘Tho’,’ says he, ‘I’d a notion travellin’ were costly afore this, but darn me! you’ve got to be dead afore you sizes et.  I’ve heerd as a man can’t take nuthin’ out o’ this world, but blest ef I iver got the grip o’ that tex’ till I travelled i’ Spain.’

“Well, sir, purty soon the same thing happened agen, an’, to shorten the yarn, ivery time they got into a new parish an’ pulled up, in walked a chap wi’ a tellygram an’ axed for berryin’-fees.  Luckily, there was money to pay mun, for the Commodore had left a bravish sum for travellin’ expenses, and by-’m-by Sam begins to take a sort o’ pride in pullin’ out hes purse.

“’Talk ‘bout fun’rals!’ says he, ‘I reckon this es suthin’ like.  Adm’ral Nelson! why, Adm’ral Nelson didn’ cost ha’f so much!  An’ you ain’t but a Commodore,’ says he.  ‘Devil fly away wi’ ’ee, maaster, but so long as the coin lasts Sam won’t cry ‘Woa!’’

“The words warn’t fairly out o’ hes mouth, sir, when the train draws up, an’ in steps another man.  He comed in so quiet that Sam didn’ see ‘un at first; but when he turned roun’, there was the man standin’ an’ starin’ at ’un.  ’Twas a strange-looking party, dressed i’ black—­a better-most body, like.

“‘Aw, good eveling!’ says Sam.

“‘Good eveling,’ says the man i’ black, an’ nods t’wards the chest.  ‘How’s deceased?’

“‘Gettin’ a bit costly,’ answers Sam, ‘but doin’ purty well, consederin’.  You’m wantin’ more fees, I reckon’; an’ wi’ that he dives hes hand into hes trowsy-pocket.

“‘I don’t want no fees,’ says the man.

“Sam was knacked ‘pon a heap wi’ this.

“‘Well, then, you’m the fust man I’ve a-met in Spain as doesn’,’ he says.

“That ain’t onlikely,’ says the man; and Sam noticed for the fust time that he’d a-been speakin’ English all along.  ’I be a-travellin’, same as you,’ he adds.

“’You’ll ‘scuse me, sir, but this compartment es resarved.’

“‘That’s a pity,’ says the stranger, ‘’cos the train’s a-started.’

“So ‘twas.  Sam hadn’ a-noticed et, but they was movin’ on.  Hows’ever, he detarmined to make the best o’t; so he ups and says, perlite-like—­

“‘Terrable hot weather this, ain’t et, sir?’ Somehow et seemed to Sam as ef et had got hotter sence the stranger comed in.

“‘I don’t feel so mighty hot,’ says the man.  ’But there, I’ve a-been a gude deal in hot countries.  How’s deceased takin’ the journey?’ says he.