spoken hosts!" said Wayland, unable longer to suppress his mortification and uneasiness. "Had the false loon, Giles Gosling, but told me plainly two days since, that I was to reckon nought upon him, I had shifted better for myself. But they have such a custom of promising whatever is called for, that it is not till the steed is to be shod you find they are out of iron. Had I but known, I could have made twenty shifts; nay, for that matter, and in so good a cause, I would have thought little to have prigged a prancer from the next common-it had but been sending back the brute to the Headborough. The farcy and the founders confound every horse in the stables of the Black Bear !" y=

The lady endeavoured to comfort her guide, observing, that the dawn would enable him to make more speed.

"True, madam," replied he; "but then it will enable other folks to take note of us, and that may prove an ill beginning of our journey. I had not cared a spark from anvil about the matter, had we been farther advanced on our way. But this Berkshire has been notoriously haunted e'er since I knew the country, with that sort of mali

cious elves, who sit up late and rise early, for no other purpose than to pry into other folks affairs. I have been endangered by them ere now. But do not fear," he added, "good madam; for wit, meeting with opportunity, will not miss to find a salve for every sore." bur Gasp nog dier The alarms of her guide made more impression on the Countess's mind than the comfort which he judged fit to administer along with it. She looked anxiously around her, and as the shadows withdrew from the landscape, and the heightening glow of the eastern sky promised the speedy rise of the sun, expected at every turn that the increasing light would expose them to the view of the vengeful pursuers, or present some dangerous and insurmountable obstacle to the prosecution of their journey. Wayland Smith perceived her uneasiness, and, displeased with himself for having given her cause of alarm, strode on with affected alacrity, now talking to the horse as one expert in the language of the stable, now whistling to himself low and interrupted snatches of tunes, and now assuring the lady there was no danger, while at the same time he looked sharp

ly around to see that there was nothing in sight, which might give the lie to his words while they were issuing from his mouth. Thus did they journey on, until an unexpected incident gave 'them the means of continuing their pilgrimage with more speed and convenience.

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CHAPTER XII.

J Richard, A horse!—a horse !—my kingdom for a horse lol: -My lord, I'll help you to a horse.

Catesby.

OUR travellers were in the act of passing a small thicket of trees close by the road-side, when the first living being presented himself whom they had seen since their departure from CumnorPlace. This was a stupid lout, seemingly a farmer's boy, in a grey jerkin, with his head bare, his hose about his heels, and huge startups upon his feet. He held by the bridle what of all things they most wanted, a palfrey, namely, with a side-saddle, and all other garniture for a woman's mounting; and he hailed Wayland Smith with, "Zur, be ye zure the party ?"

"Ay, that I be, my lad," answered Wayland, without an instant's hesitation; and it must be

owned that consciences, trained in a stricter school of morality, might have given way to an occasion so tempting. While he spoke he caught the rein out of the boy's hand, and almost at the same time helped down the Countess from his own horse, and aided her to mount on that which horse, and aided her chance had thus presented for her acceptance. Indeedy so naturally did the whole take place, that the Countess, as it afterwards appeared, never suspected but what the horse had been placed there to meet them by the precaution of the guide or some of his friends.

The lad, however, who was thus hastily dispossessed of his charge, began to stare hard, and scratch his head, as if seized with some qualms of conscience for delivering up the animal on such brief explanation." I be right zure thou be'st the party," said he, muttering to himself, "but thou shouldst ha zaid Beans, thou knaw'st."

Ay, ay," said Wayland, speaking at a venture; and thou Bacon, thou know'st.”, 201 "Noa, noa," said the lad; "bide ye bide ye Lit it was Pease ye should ha said."A"