the spur."

"Cospetto!" said Riccabocca; "you contrive to put every experience of
yours to some use--even your journey on Mr. Hazeldean's pad. And I see
now why, in this little world of a village, you have picked up so
general an acquaintance with life."

"Did you ever read White's _Natural History of Selborne?_"

"No."

"Do so, and you will find that you need not go far to learn the habits
of birds, and know the difference between a swallow and a swift.--Learn
the difference in a village, and you know the difference wherever
swallows and swifts skim the air."

"Swallows and swifts!--true; but men--"

"Are with us all the year round--which is more than we can say of
swallows and swifts."

"Mr. Dale," said Riccabocca, taking off his hat, with great formality,
"if ever again I find myself in a dilemma, I will come to you instead of
to Machiavelli."

"Ah!" cried the Parson, "if I could but have a calm hour's talk with you
on the errors of the Papal relig--"

Riccabocca was off like a shot.

CHAPTER XXII.

The next day, Mr. Dale had a long conversation with Mrs. Fairfield. At
first, he found some difficulty in getting over her pride, and inducing
her to accept overtures from parents who had so long slighted both
Leonard and herself. And it would have been in vain to have put before
the good woman the worldly advantages which such overtures implied. But
when Mr. Dale said, almost sternly, "Your parents are old, your father
infirm; their least wish should be as binding to you as their command,"
the widow bowed her head and said,

"God bless, them, sir, I was very sinful--'Honor your father and
mother.' I'm no scollard, but I know the Commandments. Let Lenny go. But
he'll soon forget me, and mayhap he'll learn to be ashamed of me."

"There I will trust him," said the Parson; and he contrived easily to
re-assure and soothe her.

It was not till all this was settled that Mr. Dale drew forth an
unsealed letter, which Mr. Richard Avenel, taking his hint, had given to
him, as from Leonard's grandparents, and said, "This is for you, and it
contains an inclosure of some value."

"Will you read it, sir? As I said before, I'm no scollard."

"But Leonard is, and he will read it to you."

When Leonard returned home that evening, Mrs. Fairfield showed him the
letter. It ran thus:

"DEAR JANE--Mr. Dale will tell you that we wish Leonard to come
to us. We are glad to hear you are well. We forward, by Mr.