ng his gaze, he quickened his pace,
and soon reached a small farmhouse on the summit of the hill rising from
Kensal Green. Determined to seek a temporary asylum here for Amabel, he
opened a gate, and, riding into the yard, fortunately met with owner of
the house, a worthy farmer, named Wingfield, to whom he explained her
situation. The man at first hesitated, but, on receiving Leonard's
solemn assurance that she was free from the plague, consented to receive
the whole party.

Assisting Amabel to dismount, Wingfield conveyed her in his arms into
the house, and delivered her to his wife, bidding her take care of her.
The injunction was scarcely needed. The good dame, who was a middle-aged
woman, with pleasing features, which lost none of their interest from
being stamped with profound melancholy, gazed at her for a moment
fixedly, and then observed in an under-tone, but with much emotion, to
her husband, "Ah! Robert, how much this sweet creature resembles our
poor Sarah!"

"Hush! hush! dame," rejoined her husband, hastily brushing away the
moisture that sprang to his eyes; "take her to your chamber, and see
that she wants nothing. There is another young woman outside, whom I
will send to you."

So saying, he returned to the yard. Meantime, the others had dismounted,
and Wingfield, bidding Nizza Macascree go in, led the way to the barn,
where the horses were tied up, and fodder placed before them. This done,
he conducted his guests to the house, and placing cold meat, bread, and
a jug of ale before them, desired them to fall to--an injunction which
Blaize, notwithstanding his previous repast of roasted figs and pickled
walnuts, very readily complied with. While they were thus employed, Dame
Wingfield made her appearance. She said that the poor creature (meaning
Amabel) was too ill to proceed on her journey that day, and begged her
husband to allow her to stop till the next morning, when she hoped she
would be able to undertake it.

"To-morrow morning, say you dame?" cried Wingfield; "she may stop till
the day after, and the day after that, if you desire it, or she wishes
it. Go tell her so."

And as his wife withdrew, well pleased at having obtained her request,
Wingfield addressed himself to Leonard, and inquired the cause of
Amabel's illness; and as the apprentice saw no necessity for secresy,
and felt exceedingly grateful for the kind treatment he had experienced,
he acquainted him with the chief particulars of he