to do my best for you.

angry, Sir."

You mustn't be

"Oh! not at all," said More, "I'm not the least angry; only when a man is all but ruined, you know, Mr. Bellerby, it's deucedly annoying to fancy people don't sufficiently consider one's misfortunes. You must forgive me," he continued, softening down as he spoke, "if I used rather strong language; but the fact is, I have a particular weakness about the house I was born and brought up in. If I felt inclined to sell it at all, I would as soon let you have it as anybody else; whether it is family pride or what I don't know, but talking of selling Moreton Hall always gravels me more than anything in the world."

Well, Sir," said the attorney, smiling and holding out his hand, "we'll say no more about it."

Pierce accepted the proffered hand, and, as he shook it, chanced to catch such a

disagreeable expression in Mr. Bellerby's face that he could hardly refrain from the shudder a sudden feeling of mistrust brought over him.

The day after this little quarrel, the attorney proposed to take Pierce over to Moreton. The drive was considered one of the prettiest in the neighbourhood; and as Miss Bellerby had never seen the Hall, she was easily persuaded to accompany her father and his young client. The vehicle, in which they were to make the excursion was a small four-wheel carriage, with places for two on the box, and two inside. This carriage never appeared in public except on very rare or important occasions. The attorney himself, whensoever business called him from home, or when he sent little Mobbs abroad to collect the rents of the several estates of which he was the receiver, made use of a gig that had been lined, painted, and repaired, until -as physiologists pretend is the case with

He

the human body every seven years-hardly particle of the original matter remained. This gig was drawn by a lean and leggy animal, which Mr. Bellerby boasted to have driven for a quarter of a century. always allowed it to go its own pace, the peculiarities of which are common to all the venerable of its faithful race; they consist in a slovenly clicking of the fore and hind feet, and a periodical and ponderous nodding of the head, marking time, as it were, to the somniferous music of the heels.

The only other horse in the establishment was Miss Bellerby's hack, in every respect the opposite to its companion. When, therefore, the four-wheel carriage was drawn out, Miss Bellerby's riding-horse had to undergo the degradation of the collar, and take his place in the yoke by the side of the ancient poster.

The young lady never failed to remonstrate with her papa at such a shameful abuse of

what she considered to be her private property, and invariably got his promise in the end to buy a pair of carriage-horses more suitable and better matched than the two he always used. But so seldom was Mossbank Cottage honoured with the presence of guests whom Mr. Bellerby thought worthy of the distinguished privilege of a drive in the fourwheel, that the promise was forgotten, or, at all events, the purchase was postponed till the never-coming day, when, as Mr. Bellerby told his daughter, he hoped better to afford the extravagance of such an investment.

Mary was in some measure appeased for the cruel treatment her pet was made to suffer, by the humane style of coachmanship practised by her father. The fact was, Mr. Bellerby's only male-servant, the gardener, combined, with his out-door labour, the multifarious avocations of groom or stableman, brewer, shoeblack, knife-cleaner, &c., not to mention sweetheart to the cook and maid

VOL. II.

N

servant, and all the variety of small duties which pertain to a useful and willing man. This polyonomous being, therefore, could not be spared from the premises. Besides, Mr. Bellerby had his fears lest the universal turn of his gardener's propensities might possibly cause him to upset the four-wheel, if the reins were ever intrusted to his hands.

It was impossible to go very fast with a couple of animals so ill-assorted; and, what with flogging the one, and holding in the other, Mr. Bellerby had as much as he could do to keep clear of the Scyllas and Charybdises, or rather banks and ruts, of the narrow little lanes through which their road to Moreton lay.

The warmth of the weather, the fragrance of the atmosphere, the beauty of the scenery, acted soothingly on Pierce's spirits: it rendered him. almost too lazy to think; and neither he nor his companion exchanged thoughts until they had driven some seven or eight miles. Gradually