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alert, and her dress escape dust, off she tripped to the mill, which lay close adjoining.

"A dainty dame, and dangerous, is the miller's wife," said the stranger, looking at Peveril. " Is not that old Chaucer's phrase?"

"I-I believe so," said Peveril, not much read in Chaucer, who was then even more neglected than at present; and much surprised at a literary quotation from one of the mean appearance exhibited by the person before him.

"Yes," answered the stranger, "I see that you, like other young gentlemen of the time, are better acquainted with Cowley and Waller, than with the well of English undefiled.' I can not help - differing. There are touches of nature about the old bard of Woodstock, that, to me, are worth all the turns of laborious wit in Cowley, and all the ornate and artificial simplicity of his courtly competitor. The description, for instance, of his country coquette,

Wincing she was, as is a wanton colt,

Sweet as a flower, and upright as a bolt."

Then again, for pathos, where will you mend the dying scene of Arcite?

Alas, my heartis queen! alas my wife!

Giver at once, and ender of my life.

What is this world? What axen men to have?
Now with his love-now in his cold grave

Alone, withouten other company.'

But I tire you, sir; and do injustice to the poet, whom I remember but by halves."

"On the contrary, sir,” replied Peveril, “you make him more intelligible to me in your recitation, than I have found him when I have tried to peruse him myself.".

"You were only frightened by the antiquated spelling, and the letters black,"" said his com

panion. "It is many a scholar's case, who mistakes a nut, which he could crack with a little exertion, for a bullet, which he must needs break his teeth on; but yours are better employed.-Shall I offer you some of this fish?”

"Not so, sir,” replied Julian, willing to show himself a man of reading in his turn; "I hold with old Caius, and profess a fine judgment, to fight where I can not chuse, and to eat no fish."

The stranger cast a startled look around him at this observation, which Julian had thrown out, on purpose to ascertain, if possible, the quality of his companion, whose present language was so different from the character he had assumed at Bridlesley's. His countenance, too, although the features were of an ordinary, not to say mean cast, had that character of intelligence which education gives to the most homely face; and his manners were so easy and disembarrassed, as plainly showed a complete acquaintance with society, as well as the habit of mingling with it in the higher stages. The alarm which he had evidently showed at Peveril's answer, was but momentary; for he almost instantly replied, with a smile, "I promise you, sir, that you are in no dangerous company; for notwithstanding my fish dinner, I am much disposed to trifle with some of your savoury mess, if you will indulge me so far.”

Peveril accordingly reinforced the stranger's trencher with what remained of the bacon and eggs, and saw him swallow a mouthful or two with apparent relish; but presently after, began to dally with his knife and fork, like one whose 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 can not 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 dustand 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.

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

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Nought, sir, I hears on nought, except this

plot, as they call it, that they are pursuing the Pa-pishers 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 spigot 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 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 can not 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."

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"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. 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 a thousand 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."

Peveril, on his part, also demanded a reckoning, and discharged it so liberally, that the miller flourished his hat as he bowed, and the hostess curtsied down to the ground.

The horses of both guests were brought forth; and they mounted in order to depart in company.

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