pass my life in easy, quiet obscurity, with her whom
I loved. I was disappointed in my wish; she was removed, who constituted
my only felicity in this life; desolation came to my heart, and misery to
my head. To escape from the latter I had recourse to Chinese. By
degrees the misery left my head, but the desolation of the heart yet
remains."

"Be of good cheer," said I; "through the instrumentality of this
affliction you have learnt Chinese, and, in so doing, learnt to practise
the duties of hospitality. Who but a man who could read Runes on a
teapot, would have received an unfortunate wayfarer as you have received
me?"

"Well," said the old man, "let us hope that all is for the best. I am by
nature indolent, and, but for this affliction, should, perhaps, have
hardly taken the trouble to do my duty to my fellow-creatures. I am
very, very indolent," said he, slightly glancing towards the clock;
"therefore let us hope that all is for the best; but, oh! these trials,
they are very hard to bear."

CHAPTER XXXV

The Leave-taking--Spirit of the Hearth--What's o'Clock?

The next morning, having breakfasted with my old friend, I went into the
stable to make the necessary preparations for my departure; there, with
the assistance of a stable lad, I cleaned and caparisoned my horse, and
then, returning into the house, I made the old female attendant such a
present as I deemed would be some compensation for the trouble I had
caused. Hearing that the old gentleman was in his study, I repaired to
him. "I am come to take leave of you," said I, "and to thank you for all
the hospitality which I have received at your hands." The eyes of the
old man were fixed steadfastly on the inscription which I had found him
studying on a former occasion. "At length," he murmured to himself, "I
have it--I think I have it;" and then, looking at me, he said, "So you
are about to depart?"

"Yes," said I, "my horse will be at the front door in a few minutes; I am
glad, however, before I go, to find that you have mastered the
inscription."

"Yes," said the old man, "I believe I have mastered it; it seems to
consist of some verses relating to the worship of the Spirit of the
Hearth."

"What is the Spirit of the Hearth?" said I.

"One of the many demons which the Chinese worship," said the old man;
"they do not worship one God, but many." And then the old man told me a
great many highly-interesting particulars respecting the de