am sorry to be obliged to confess, that though Parley was allowed
every refreshment, and all the needful rest which the nature of his
place permitted, yet he thought it very hard to be forced to be so
constantly on duty.

"Nothing but watching," said Parley; "I have, to be sure, many
pleasures, and meat sufficient; and plenty of chat in virtue of my
office; and I pick up a good deal of news of the comers and goers by
day; but it is hard that at night I must watch as narrowly as a
housedog, and yet let in no company without orders, only because there
are said to be a few straggling robbers here in the wilderness, with
whom my master does not care to let us be acquainted. He pretends to
make us vigilant through fear of the robbers, but I suspect it is only
to make us mope alone. A merry companion, and a mug of beer, would
make the night pass cheerfully."

Parley, however, kept all these thoughts to himself, or uttered them
only when no one heard--for talk he must. He began to listen to the
nightly whistling of the robbers under the windows with rather less
alarm than formerly; and he was sometimes so tired of watching, that
he thought it was even better to run the risk of being robbed once,
than to live always in fear of robbers.

There were certain bounds in which the gentleman allowed his servants
to walk and divert themselves at all proper seasons. A pleasant garden
surrounded the castle, and a thick hedge separated it from the
wilderness, which was infested by the robbers. In this garden they
were permitted to amuse themselves. The master advised them always to
keep within these bounds. "While you observe this rule," said he, "you
will be safe and well; and you will consult your own safety, as well
as show your love to me, by not venturing even to the extremity of
your bounds. He who goes as far as he dares, always shows a wish to go
farther than he ought, and commonly does so."

It was remarkable, that the nearer these servants kept to the castle,
and the farther from the hedge, the more ugly the wilderness appeared.
And the nearer they approached the forbidden bounds, their own home
appeared more dull, and the wilderness more delightful. And this the
master knew when he gave his orders, for he never either did or said
any thing without a good reason. And when his servants sometimes
desired an explanation of the reason, he used to tell them they would
understand it when they came to _the other house_; for it was