adside railway station at the end of their journey,
and they were already joyous and alert. They and their belongings were
bundled into the "trap" (how many misfits are covered by the word!) and
driven through a tree-arched lane. M. could extract something even
from the autumnal seediness of the hedgerows, affirming that they were
for all the world like a theatre when the holland coverings are on. S.
exclaimed with surprise as a squirrel ran across the track, telling M.
that this proved how really they were in the country, squirrels being
seldom seen, as weasels are, crossing a road. The driver, who was in
fact the keeper, found his opportunity in the uprising from a field of
two magpies chattering a welcome. "I think you'll have luck,
genl'men," he said. "'Tis allus a good sign to see two mags at once.
See one 'tis bad luck; see two it be fun or good luck; see three 'tis a
wedding; see four and cuss me if it bain't death."

A rustic cottage, approached between solid hedges of yew, was the
bespoken lodging, and M. and S. were quickly out of the cart, and
roaming the garden among fruit trees, autumn flowers, and beehives.
Thence they were summoned to the little front room, the oaken
window-sill bright with fuchsias and geraniums, the walls adorned with
an old eight-day clock, a copper warming-pan and antique trays, while
over the mantel-piece was a small fowling piece, years ago reduced from
flint to percussion. Upon the rafters there were half a side of bacon,
bunches of dried sweet herbs, and the traditional strings of onions.
The pictures consisted of four highly coloured prints of celebrated
race-horses, long ago buried and forgotten. It was in this cottage
that the young men remained, and very comfortable they were, for the
bedrooms were fitted up with the queerest of four-posters, made in the
last century, while the walls were covered with prints from sundry
illustrated papers, and illuminated texts. Serton had sojourned in
this humble dwelling-place before, and expatiated upon its manifold
merits to his friend, who prided himself upon being practical, and said
'twould do, but a five-pound note, he supposed, would buy the lot. "No
doubt," replied S., "but to me 'tis a cosy nest for anglers."

The fishing, however, was the first consideration, and with a sense of
satisfaction induced by good quarters out went the anglers, across
meadows, by the banks of a river. It was fine fun to help the
lock-keeper wi