who having completed his toilet, hastened out to greet his visiter, and announced his presence to Zachariah, by asking him how he did.

Zachariah, without turning round to look at the vicar, replied, "Pretty tolerable, Mr. Woodward, considering the pace we're come. Master is always in such a hurry! but never mind-don't hurry-lots of time-he'll keep. Just you come and look at Juggenel and Brown Bury-ain't they beautiful? ain't they earned their oats? ain't I done my duty by 'em? who-oh-you fiery rogues! I'm a coming."

Mr. Woodward pushed Zachariah on one side, and opening the door and letting down the steps of the carriage, assisted the master to dismount, while the servant, without turning his head to see if his assistance was required, quietly surveyed his favourites and assured them there was no hurry but lots of time.

I was soon summoned from the shrubbery, and introduced to the new arrival as Mr. Worthington, the rector of Rushly. My name and the object of my visit to Clearstream were made known to him. He shook me kindly by the hand, and hoped I had been successful in my sport.

Now there was nothing peculiar in this hope-it was what I might have expected; but the words were accompanied with such a peculiar wink of the left eye, that seemed to imply, "You have not caught a single fish, and are not likely to catch one.'

I replied that I had had excellent sport.

"

"Humph-haugh!-eh? not caught a cold I hope."

This again was, I doubt not, a sincere wish on his part-but the wink, which was fiercer than before, seemed to convert his meaning into, "I am sure you have a sore throat, a violent catarrh, and an incipient rheumatic fever."

I felt rather uncomfortable. I hardly knew what to be at. Was he a wag, and ought I to laugh at a joke poked, as the Yankees say, at myself, or did he mean to insult me? I looked at his face. It was so placid, calm, and benevolent-looking, that I at once dismissed the last query from my thoughts and smiled blandly as I replied that I never caught cold in fishing, as I was well protected with waterproofs.

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Exceedingly glad to hear it-humph-haugh!-eh? Capital things are waterproofs, Mr. Woodward, some persons doubt their existence, I don't," said the vicar, as he winked, as much as to say, "it's all a hum."

I watched the vicar's face to see what effect the wink would have on him. He seemed not to observe it. I then thought it possible that they were conspiring against me, to turn me into ridicule. I did not show any anger though I felt angry, but resolved to bide my time, and if I saw any decided attempt to annoy me, to express my opinion freely on their rudeness and then cut the connexion.

Just as I had made this wise resolution, I heard the noise of wheels and saw Boots coming up with the "pheayton." When he drew up near the rector's carriage, and as closely as he could to the gardengate, Zachariah, who seemed thunderstruck at his impudence, in daring to come nigh his cattle with a hack horse, who might have the glanders, or any other catchable disorder, for aught he knew, screeched out,

"Who-oh there, fellow! Take it easy-no hurry-lots of timesteady, my cherubs-gently, you fiery rogues-keep off-pull in your ringboned, spavined, glandered hack."

Boots, who knew his man, and wished to provoke him, drove his hack close up to the side of the off cherub, and gave a peculiar chuck, chuck, chuck with his tongue.

This set Juggenel and Brown Bury moving and when Zachariah ran to their heads, and cried out, "Who-oh! my cherubs-steady, you fiery rogues-lots of time," Boots, as I could plainly see, gave them a cut across their loins, which set them prancing in a manner that astonished Zachariah, who evidently "did not think it was in them."

He held on tightly by their bits and addressed them and the offending ostler at the same time.

"Steady there, Juggenel-you boot-cleaning brute-take it easy, Brown Bury-gently, my cherubs-you've earned your oats-you hack-scraping, corn-stealing, horse-teeth-greasing rascal-no hurrylots of time-you fiery rogues-ain't they beautiful?-you bagmancheating, mane-and-tail docker, how dare you hit my cherubs? Ain't we come the pace? gently there-who-oh-I'll lay my whip across your loins, get your nose in a twitch, and screw it out of your ugly face."

Boots replied with a loud laugh, and Zachariah shouted for his

master.

Mr. Worthington strutted down to the gate, and being informed by his men, that the dirty fellow in the hack-shay had almost made Juggenel and Brown Bury run off and smash the carriage to pieces, and that he himself had nearly been kicked into four quarters, in trying to prevent so melancholy a catastrophe, the rector told Boots that he was a very badly-conducted young man, and that he should tell his master, and get him removed from his situation."

Though this was seriously, nay, solemnly spoken, I thought it was all a joke, and that he was glad to see his impudent servant tormented, because the words were accompanied by the provoking winks I have men. tioned.

Boots was evidently not of my opinion; for he looked very sheepish and moved off to a respectful distance on the opposite side of the road.

"I knew I should be purtected," said Zachariah, triumphantly, and patting his now quiet steeds. "If I hadn't a been purtected, I'd have given master his discharge, and taken a fresh un-no hurry thoughlots of time."

Mr. Woodward had by this time joined us. He explained to the rector our plans for the day, and invited him to share the dinner at the vicarage.

Mr. Worthington would not listen to such an arrangement. He had a plan of his own, and thus explained it after he had sent back "the pheayton" without consulting me.

"I came over to ask you to dine with me, my friend. I have had a most beautiful turbot sent me, with two fine lobsters, one full of coral and the other of berries-fine and fresh-(a wink, which convinced me that they wanted dressing). I have a fine quarter of lamb, and the first gathering of peas out of my own garden-(another wink, which

clearly implied Covent Garden to me). These with a spring chicken and asparagus will form your dinner. I shall be proud to see your friend, Mr. Scribbler-(meaning me)-with you. I shall feel honoured by the company of a stranger, who appears so gentlemanly and agreeable a person. Haugh-humph!-eh? Mr. Woodward?"

I bowed of course, but rather stiffly, as the movement of the left eyelid, which was more prolonged than usual, gave to his words the expression of the keenest irony.

Then-humph-haugh!-eh? it is settled. The children shall not be disappointed of their ride-Mr. Scribbler shall see Winchester -beautiful building the cathedral-eh? Nice men, the dean and canons-amiable prelate the bishop-eh ?-(A wink, hinting that they were just the reverse.) Come, we are all ready-jump in-eh? Zachariah-Zachariah Bond, I say-eh? Drive to Winchester-humph! haugh!"

Zachariah, who had allowed us to take our seats without offering to assist us or even turning his head towards us, suffered the reins to slip through his hands sufficiently to enable him to reach the carriage-door. He stood still and keeping his eyes fixed on his cherubs, coolly said, "Not upon no account."

"Eh?- what?- Zachariah- Zachariah Bond - humph-haugh! what do you mean?"

"I mean that them ere fiery rogues-as has earnt their oats already, ain't a-going to go to Winchester to-day-five miles and a-half of it, and all against collar. Who-oh! my cherubs, easy does it-no hurry-lots of time-that's all I mean," said Mr. Bond.

"You are a rude, disobliging menial-you shall quit my serviceI'll-yes-eh ?—humph! haugh! I'll drive myself, and leave you to walk home-you-you very disobliging menial."

Zachariah could not have seen the motion of the eyelid which terminated this angry speech, for he was as usual eyeing his horses; but he answered as if he had, and said,

"No, you won't."

"Won't, sirrah! I will-eh? open the door."

"Gently there-easy does it-no hurry-lots of time. I ain't a-going to trust you to drive these fiery rogues-your neck's a deal too precious-you aint a-going to leave the world yet, and be made a cherubim-no hurry-lots of time-who-oh!"

"Will you drive to Winchester, or will you not? Zachariah-Zachariah Bond-humph!-haugh!-eh?" said the rector very angrily, and winking with wonderful rapidity.

"Do you want to go there? Then of course I will. But easy does it. Juggenel and Brown Bury don't start on such a journey without having a lock of hay and their mouths washed out."

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Very right, very proper; I like a man to be kind to his beasts. Zachariah Bond is a very good servant, Mr. Scribbler, an excellent servant; he does his duty, but he likes to do it in his own way. Humph! haugh! Eh! Mr. Woodward?"

I was so tickled at this remark that I believe I imitated the rector, and winked, for he looked at me, then at the bottom of the carriage, fidgetted in his seat and blushed.

Zachariah Bond, after feeding his horses with half a truss of hay,

and giving them a bucket of water between them, with a little meal stirred up in it, condescended to mount the box and drive us to Winchester, which we reached in about an hour and a half, as he got down at every little rising in the road to ease his cattle, and wanted us to do the same. He drove into the inn yard, and commenced taking out his horses, leaving us to the care of the waiters and ostlers.

After viewing the cathedral, the college, and the hospital of St. Cross, and looking at the paper in the reading-room, where we met several divines, at whom the rector winked without, to my surprise, their taking the least notice of his peculiarity, we returned to the inn. We found Zachariah sitting on a bench in an arbour in the inn yard, with a pipe in his mouth, and a jug of ale before him.

The waiter called out Mr. Worthington's carriage-put-to directly coachman."

"Gently there; easy does it; no hurry; lots of time," said Mr. Bond, turning the ashes out of his pipe. "I'm going to have nine corns more, and then Juggenel and Brown Bury will have digested their corn; they've earned their oats to-day."

"Very right, very proper. I like a man to be kind to his beasts-humph! haugh! Eh, Mr. Scribbler?" said the rector, winking, as if he knew it was of no use to hurry a man who had "lots of time" before him.

As we walked up and down before the inn, waiting the coachman's pleasure, I took the opportunity of asking the rector why it was that his carriage-horses bore such very odd names as Juggenel and Brown Bury.

He explained to me that Zachariah, in addition to holding the office of groom and coachman, was also head-gardener. His favourite pursuit was pruning fruit-trees, and of these trees his great favourites were two very large pear-trees, the one a Jargonelle, and the other a Brown Beurré, which grew against the walls of the parsonage. Zachariah had reared them from their infancy-their little pear-hood—and was so proud of his success in rearing them that he insisted on calling the new carriage-horses after their names.

This explanation being interrupted with many winks, humphs! haughs! and ehs? lasted until Juggenel and Brown Bury were driven out of the yard. We embarked again, and whether it was that the horses knew they were going to their stables, or that their driver had the "spur in his head," I knew not, but we were whirled along at the frightful pace of at least six miles in the hour, and arrived at Rushley full half an hour before dinner-time.

An aged footman came out to open the carriage-door, and as soon as the rector was down said,

"Don't stand looking at the horses, but go in and dress. You'll be late else, and Mrs. Trusty will not let you hear the last of it if the turbot's overboiled, and the lamb overroasted."

"Very right, Benjamin, very proper. I like a man that is attentive to his master-eh? Mr. Scribbler, humph! haugh! eh?" said the rector, "I'm coming, Benjamin, immediately."

"Easy does it," said Zachariah. "Gently there; no hurry, lots of time; just see, Juggenel and Brown Bury haven't turned a hair—ain't we earnt our oats-ain't we done our duties ?"

The rector seemed inclined to gratify the wishes of Zachariah, and was on the point of turning to take a closer view of the horses that had done such wonders, when a sharp shrill voice reached his ear, which made him hurry away, though he was assured that there was lots of time."

"Highty-tighty; here indeed-dinner nearly ready, and you not dressed. I must give up-I must look out-advertise-do something or other all I try to do! gracious me! well, well! Benjamin, have you told your master?"

These words proceeded from a tall, thin, upright female who stood on the hall steps and looked as if she had been inoculating crab-apples for the sours, and caught the infection during the operation.

Mr. Worthington made a most humble apology, and promised to be ready in ten minutes. He was proceeding up stairs, when Mrs. Trusty screamed out,

"Let me undo your buckles. What a thoughtless man you are! going to risk a plexy by stooping-dear me! highty-tighty. Benjamin, show these gentlemen a room, and let them know I never wait dinner. Put the children in the breakfast-parlour-they can't dine with the old ones. Iv'e only laid for four. The curate's a-coming from Mossbury, and is sure to be in time; it ain't often he smells turbot."

"Mrs. Trusty-I-that is-humph! haugh! eh? I should rather wish that the little Woodwards, eh? joined us at dinner, eh?" said the rector in timid tones, as he submitted to have his buckles removed by his housekeeper.

"Highty-tighty-gracious me! Spoil all? No, indeed, leave them to me, they shall not starve; there now, go; make haste, mind and shut the window, and call me when you want your buckles fastened. Benjamin! here, take up some hot water, and see that your master don't scald himself, dear good man! What would he do without me?"

"And me," said Benjamin, as he took up the water, and told his master to "come along."

The rector obeyed, and intimated to me on the landing that it was a great comfort to have all his little comforts attended to. He would have said more, but Benjamin had reached his bedroom door, and calling out reminded him that Mrs. Trusty would be very much put out if her dinner was not put on to the minute. This was decisive, and we parted.

When I had performed my ablutions I found I had a few minutes to spare, which I resolved to employ in taking a view from the window of my room, which overlooked the valley of the Clear. The moment I had opened it for the purpose my door was opened, and Mrs. Trusty, without saying any thing, coolly closed the window again, shook the curtains, dusted the toilet-table with her apron, and cast a glance at me as much as to say, "How dare you?"

I was about to expostulate, but the rector and my friend Woodward came into the room and led me down stairs, where I found and was duly introduced to the curate of Mossbury.

Punctually as the clock struck six, Benjamin entered and said, "Come along, dinner on the table."

Though the words as they are written may imply that Benjamin was