appetite was satiated; then took a long draught of the black jack, and handed his platter to the large mastiff dog, who, attracted by the smell of the dinner, had sate before him for some time, licking his chops, and following with his eye every morsel which the guest raised to his head.

"Here, my poor fellow," said he, "thou hast had no fish, and needest this supernumerary trencher-load more than I do. I cannot withstand thy mute supplication any longer.'

The dog answered these courtesies by a civil shake of the tail, while he gobbled up what was assigned him by the stranger's benevolence, in the greater haste, that he heard his mistress's voice at the door.

"Here is the canary, gentlemen,” said the landlady;" and the goodman has set off the mill, to come to wait on you himself. He always does so, when company drink wine."

"That he may come in for the host's, that is, for the lion's share," said the stranger, looking at Peveril.

"The shot is mine," said Julian; " and if

mine host will share it, I will willingly bestow another quart on him, and on you, sir. I never break old customs."

These sounds caught the ear of Gaffer Whitecraft, who had entered the room, a strapping specimen of his robust trade, prepared to play the civil, or the surly host, as his company should be acceptable or otherwise. At Julian's invitation, he doffed his dusty bonnet-brushed from his sleeve the looser particles of his professional dust-and sitting down on the end of a bench, about a yard from the table, filled a glass of canary, and drank to his guests, and " especially to this noble gentleman,” indicating Peveril, who had ordered the canary.

Julian returned the courtesy by drinking his health, and asking what news were about in the country.

Nought, sir, I hears on nought, except this plot, as they call it, that they are pursuing the Papishers about; but it brings water to my mill, as the saying is. Between expresses hurrying hither and thither, and guards and prisoners riding to and again, and the custom of the

neighbours, that come to speak over the news of an evening, nightly I may say, instead of once a-week, why the spiggot is in use, gentlemen, and your landlord thrives; and then I, serving as constable, and being a known Protestant, I have tapped, I may venture to say, it may be ten stands of ale extraordinary, besides a reasonable sale of wine for a country corner. Heaven make us thankful, and keep all good Protestants from plot and Popery !"}

"I can easily conceive, my friend," said Julian, "that curiosity is a passion which runs naturally to the alehouse; and that anger, and jealousy, and fear, are all of them thirsty passions, and great consumers of home-brewed. But I am a perfect stranger in these parts; and I would willingly learn, from a sensible man like you, a little of this same plot, of which men speak so much, and appear to know so little."

"Learn a little of it? Why, it is the most horrible the most damnable blood-thirsty beast of a plot-But hold, hold, my good master; I hope, in the first place, you believe there is a

1

plot? for, otherwise, the Justice must have a word with you, so sure as my name is John Whitecraft."

"It shall not need," said Peveril; " for I assure you, mine host, I believe in the plot as freely and fully as a man can believe in any thing he cannot understand."

"God forbid that any body should pretend to understand it," said the implicit constable; "for his worship the Justice says it is a mile beyond him; and he be as deep as most of them. >But men may believe, though they do not understand; and that is what the Romanists say themselves. But this I am sure of, it makes a rare stirring time for justices, and witnesses, and constables.So here's to your health again, gentlemen, in a cup of neat canary."

"Come, come, John Whitecraft," said his wife," do not you demean yourself by naming witnesses along with justices and constables. All the world knows how they come by their money." "Ay, but all the world knows that they do come by it, dame; and that is a great comfort.

They rustle in their canonical silks, and swagger in their buff and scarlet, who but they ?— Ay, ay, the cursed fox thrives-and not so cursed neither. Is there not Doctor Titus Oates, the saviour of the nation-does he not live at Whitehall, and eat off plate, and have a pension of thousands a-year, for what I know ? and is he not to be Bishop of Litchfield, so soon as Doctor Doddrum dies ?",

"Then I hope Doctor Doddrum's reverence will live these twenty years; and I dare say I am the first that ever wished such a wish," said the hostess. "I do not understand these doings, not I; and if a hundred Jesuits came to hold a consult at my house, as they did at the White Horse Tavern, I should think it quite out of the line of business to bear witness against them, provided they drank well, and paid their score." Very true, dame," said her elder guest; "that is what I call keeping a good publican conscience; and so I will pay score presently, and be jogging on my way."

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Peveril, on his part, also demanded a reckoning, and discharged it so liberally, that the mill