e, Willet, true,' said his visitor, turning again towards the
landlord with his accustomed serenity of face. 'My good friend, what
about him?'

It has been reported that Mr Willet, previously to making answer,
winked. But as he was never known to be guilty of such lightness of
conduct either before or afterwards, this may be looked upon as
a malicious invention of his enemies--founded, perhaps, upon the
undisputed circumstance of his taking his guest by the third breast
button of his coat, counting downwards from the chin, and pouring his
reply into his ear:

'Sir,' whispered John, with dignity, 'I know my duty. We want no
love-making here, sir, unbeknown to parents. I respect a certain young
gentleman, taking him in the light of a young gentleman; I respect a
certain young lady, taking her in the light of a young lady; but of the
two as a couple, I have no knowledge, sir, none whatever. My son, sir,
is upon his patrole.'

'I thought I saw him looking through the corner window but this moment,'
said Mr Chester, who naturally thought that being on patrole, implied
walking about somewhere.

'No doubt you did, sir,' returned John. 'He is upon his patrole of
honour, sir, not to leave the premises. Me and some friends of mine that
use the Maypole of an evening, sir, considered what was best to be done
with him, to prevent his doing anything unpleasant in opposing your
desires; and we've put him on his patrole. And what's more, sir, he
won't be off his patrole for a pretty long time to come, I can tell you
that.'

When he had communicated this bright idea, which had its origin in the
perusal by the village cronies of a newspaper, containing, among other
matters, an account of how some officer pending the sentence of some
court-martial had been enlarged on parole, Mr Willet drew back from his
guest's ear, and without any visible alteration of feature, chuckled
thrice audibly. This nearest approach to a laugh in which he ever
indulged (and that but seldom and only on extreme occasions), never even
curled his lip or effected the smallest change in--no, not so much as a
slight wagging of--his great, fat, double chin, which at these times, as
at all others, remained a perfect desert in the broad map of his face;
one changeless, dull, tremendous blank.

Lest it should be matter of surprise to any, that Mr Willet adopted this
bold course in opposition to one whom he had often entertained, and who
had always paid his way at t