son
into the high-road, and nearly opposite the Casino.

Here, sitting on the gate which led to his abode, and shaded by his
umbrella, he beheld Dr. Riccabocca.

The Italian lifted his eyes from the book he was reading, and stared
hard at the Parson; and he--not venturing to withdraw his whole
attention from the pad, (who, indeed, set up both her ears at the
apparition of Riccabocca, and evinced symptoms of that surprise and
superstitious repugnance at unknown objects which goes by the name of
"shying,")--looked askance at Riccabocca.

"Don't stir, please," said the Parson, "or I fear you will alarm this
creature; it seems a nervous, timid thing;--soho--gently--gently."

And he fell to patting the mare with great unction.

The pad, thus encouraged, overcame her first natural astonishment at the
sight of Riccabocca and the red umbrella; and having before been at the
Casino on sundry occasions, and sagaciously preferring places within the
range of her experience to bournes neither cognate nor conjecturable,
she moved gravely up toward the gate on which the Italian sate; and,
after eyeing him a moment--as much as to say "I wish you would get
off"--came to a dead lock.

"Well," said Riccabocca, "since your horse seems more disposed to be
polite than yourself, Mr. Dale, I take the opportunity of your present
involuntary pause to congratulate you on your elevation in life, and to
breathe a friendly prayer that pride may not have a fall!"

"Tut," said the Parson, affecting an easy air, though still
contemplating the pad, who appeared to have fallen into a quiet doze,
"it is true that I have not ridden much of late years, and the Squire's
horses are very high fed and spirited; but there is no more harm in them
than their master when one once knows their ways."

"Chi va piano, va sano,
E chi va sano va lontano,"

said Riccabocca, pointing to the saddle-bags. "You go slowly, therefore
safely; and he who goes safely may go far. You seem prepared for a
journey?"

"I am," said the Parson; "and on a matter that concerns you a little."

"Me!" exclaimed Riccabocca--"concerns me!"

"Yes, so far as the chance of depriving you of a servant whom you like
and esteem affects you."

"Oh," said Riccabocca, "I understand you: you have hinted to me very
often that I or Knowledge, or both together, have unfitted Leonard
Fairfield for service."

"I did not say that exactly; I said that you have fitted him for
something h