nothing till morning, when they were awakened by the old man’s suppressed laughter.  When they opened their eyes, the wife was already up and away to her outdoor tasks; and a well-built, good-looking young fellow of the farmer type was staring in astonishment at the two strangers in his bed.  The more he stared, the more the father laughed.  “There’s not a home nor a place for you, Rufus, with you kapin’ such onsaysonable hours.  It’s a sesayder you’ll be becoming yourself, running after Annerew Hislop’s pretty daughter, and dancing the toes out of your stockings till broad daylight.  So, if you’re going to sesayde, your mother and me, we’re going to take in lodgers.”

“What are they selling?” asked the Baby.

“Whisht!  Rufus, whisht! come here now; it’s not that they are at all, but gentlemen from the city on a pedestrian tower,” the father replied in an audible whisper.

“What do they want testering the beds for!  Is that some new crank got into the guvment?”

“Rufus, Rufus, you’ll be the death of your poor old father yet with your ignorance.  Who said anything about testing the beds?  It’s a pedestrian tower, a holiday walking journey for the good of their healths, the gentlemen are taking.  Whisht, now, they’re waking up.  Good morning to you, sirs; did I wake you up laughing at the Baby?”

The roused sleepers returned the salutation, and greeted the new comer, apologizing for depriving him of his comfortable bed.  Rufus replied civilly, with a frank, open manner that won their respect, and, when they had hastily dressed, led them to the pump, where he placed a tin basin, soap and towels, at their disposal.  After ablutions, they questioned him as to the events of last evening, and were soon in nominal acquaintance with all the country side.  He was indignant at the free and easy conduct of a self-invited guest called Rodden, who wanted to dance with all the prettiest girls and to play cards.  “But when he said cards, Annerew, that’s a sesayder, told him to clare, although it was only four in the morning, and he had to clare, and is on his way to Flanders now.”

“I suppose you did not hear him make any enquiries regarding us?” asked the dominie.

“But I did, and it was only when he hard that you hadn’t been past the meetin’-house, that he stopped and said ’ee’d ’ave a lark.  Do you know him?”

“Yes,” said Coristine, “he is the Grinstun man,” whereat they all laughed; and the old lady, coming in with her milking, expressed her pleasure at seeing them such good friends.

After prayers and breakfast, the pedestrians prepared to leave, much to the regret of the household.

“Where are you bound for now?” asked Mr. Hill, to which Wilkinson replied, with the air of a guide-book, “for the Beaver River.”  The Baby, nothing the worse of last night’s wakefulness, volunteered to show them the way by a shorter and pleasanter route than the main road, and they gladly availed themselves of his services.  As the party walked on, the guide said to Coristine, “I hard fayther say that you were a lawyer, is that true?” Coristine answered that he was.