e
fire of a little brazier which they had with them.

Nor was it to be wondered at that the country folks were thus
cautious, for the contagion had spread throughout all the
surrounding districts, and every village had its tale of woe to
tell. At first the people had been kind and compassionate enough in
welcoming and harbouring apparently sound persons fleeing from the
city of destruction; but when again and again it happened that the
wayfarer died that same night of the plague in the house which had
received him, and infected many of those who had showed him
kindness, so that sometimes a whole family was swept away in two or
three days, it was no wonder that they were afraid of offering
hospitality to wayfarers, and preferred that these persons should
encamp at a distance from them, though they were willing to supply
them with the necessaries of life at reasonable charges. It must be
spoken to the credit of the country people at this time, that they
did not raise the price of provisions, as might have been expected,
seeing the risk they ran in taking them to the city. There was no
scarcity and hardly any advance in price throughout the dismal time
of visitation. This was doubtless due, in part, to the wise and
able measures taken by the magistrates and city corporations; but
it also redounds to the credit of the villagers, that they did not
strive to enrich themselves through the misfortunes of their
neighbours.

The boys were glad to purchase fruit and milk for a light
breakfast; and their fresh open faces and tender years seemed to
give them favour wherever they went. They were not shunned, as some
travellers found themselves at this time, but were admitted to
several farm houses on their way, and regaled plentifully, whilst
they told their tale to a circle of breathless listeners.

Sometimes they were stopped upon the way by the men told off to
watch the roads, and turn back any coming from the city who had not
the proper pass of health. But the boys, being duly provided with
this, were always suffered to proceed after some parley. They
began, however, to understand how difficult a thing it had now
become to escape from the infected city; and several times they saw
travellers turned back because their passes were dated a few days
back, and the guard declared it impossible to know what infection
they had encountered since.

Very sad indeed were these poor creatures at being, as it were,
sent back to their dea