a mull of it, Liz. Your infernal temper
always gets the better of you. Revenge and spite are very good things
in their way, but I don't see that they pay. I think you would be very
mad to give up so much a year for the pleasure of vexing Phillips and
Betsy; and as for the Melville girls, how are you to get at them? There
is not shot in the locker to take you to England, and letters are very
risky things to write. You're sure to let out more than is safe, and if
you let out too little the girls will see no advantage in it."

"I hate letters," said Mrs. Peck, moodily; "but I would like to get at
the girls by word of mouth."

As this interesting pair were engaged in conversation, a traveller of a
very different description alighted at the door of the inn, and
requested lodgings for the night. He was well-dressed and
respectable-looking; he was probably as old as either of them, but his
face and air gave tokens of a quieter life and a calmer temper. His
horse was knocked up, so that he could not go on to a larger and
better-appointed inn than this, which was five miles nearer town; but
when he saw the name over the door and the host and hostess, he was
reconciled to the inferior accommodation. But he rather objected to the
company that he found in the inn parlour, and did not seem pleased with
the proposal that he should take supper with them.

"Oh, Mr. Dempster," said the host, "I fancy you have got nice since you
were in England. These people are decent enough, I reckon, though
rather down in their luck, like some others of us. I wish I had such a
house to receive you in as that I built on the--Road. I had plenty
rooms there; but you see it was not licensed, and I was ruined--at
least brought down to this."

"Well, Frankland, I suppose I must submit," said Mr. Dempster, "as you
say you have no other place for me; but I never would have thought
these were particularly decent people."

Whether from spiritual influences or not, Mr. Dempster felt a great
repugnance to this man and woman. The influence might have been partly
spirituous, for there was a considerable fragrance of strong liquor
about them both.

In spite of the unpromising appearance of the house, the hostess
produced a very tempting-looking supper for hungry people. She sat down
herself to make tea for the company, and was delighted to see Mr.
Dempster, and to have a little talk with him about old colonists and
old times. She was a very old colonist hers