nly a crust o' bread and a' onion; for I am that leery that I
can feel my stomach rubbing against my backbone."

'"I think we had better get it done," said the bride, a bit anxious in
manner; "since we are all here convenient, too!"

'Andrey gave way about the victuals, and the clerk called in a second
witness who wouldn't be likely to gossip about it, and soon the knot was
tied, and the bride looked smiling and calm forthwith, and Andrey limper
than ever.

'"Now," said Pa'son Toogood, "you two must come to my house, and have a
good lining put to your insides before you go a step further."

'They were very glad of the offer, and went out of the churchyard by one
path while the pa'son and clerk went out by the other, and so did not
attract notice, it being still early. They entered the rectory as if
they'd just come back from their trip to Port Bredy; and then they
knocked in the victuals and drink till they could hold no more.

'It was a long while before the story of what they had gone through was
known, but it was talked of in time, and they themselves laugh over it
now; though what Jane got for her pains was no great bargain after all.
'Tis true she saved her name.'

* * * * *

'Was that the same Andrey who went to the squire's house as one of the
Christmas fiddlers?' asked the seedsman.

'No, no,' replied Mr. Profitt, the schoolmaster. 'It was his father did
that. Ay, it was all owing to his being such a man for eating and
drinking.' Finding that he had the ear of the audience, the schoolmaster
continued without delay:--

OLD ANDREY'S EXPERIENCE AS A MUSICIAN

'I was one of the choir-boys at that time, and we and the players were to
appear at the manor-house as usual that Christmas week, to play and sing
in the hall to the squire's people and visitors (among 'em being the
archdeacon, Lord and Lady Baxby, and I don't know who); afterwards going,
as we always did, to have a good supper in the servants' hall. Andrew
knew this was the custom, and meeting us when we were starting to go, he
said to us: "Lord, how I should like to join in that meal of beef, and
turkey, and plum-pudding, and ale, that you happy ones be going to just
now! One more or less will make no difference to the squire. I am too
old to pass as a singing boy, and too bearded to pass as a singing girl;
can ye lend me a fiddle, neighbours, that I may come with ye as a
bandsman?"

'Well, we didn't like to be hard upon him, and le