oor--stopped, and suddenly bethinking himself
of his miniature ship, went back to put his model away in an empty
cupboard--led the way to the door again--stopped once more--remembered
that some of the rooms were chilly--and pottered about, swearing and
grumbling, and looking for his hat. Magdalen sat down patiently to
wait for him. She gratefully contrasted his treatment of her with the
treatment she had received from the women. Resist it as firmly,
despise it as proudly as we may, all studied unkindness--no matter how
contemptible it may be--has a stinging power in it which reaches to
the quick. Magdalen only knew how she had felt the small malice of
the female servants, by the effect which the rough kindness of the old
sailor produced on her afterward. The dumb welcome of the dogs, when the
movements in the room had roused them from their sleep, touched her more
acutely still. Brutus pushed his mighty muzzle companionably into her
hand; and Cassius laid his friendly fore-paw on her lap. Her heart
yearned over the two creatures as she patted and caressed them. It
seemed only yesterday since she and the dogs at Combe-Raven had roamed
the garden together, and had idled away the summer mornings luxuriously
on the shady lawn.

Old Mazey found his hat at last, and they started on their exploring
expedition, with the dogs after them.

Leaving the basement story of the house, which was entirely devoted to
the servants' offices, they ascended to the first floor, and entered the
long corridor, with which Magdalen's last night's experience had already
made her acquainted. "Put your back ag'in this wall," said old Mazey,
pointing to the long wall--pierced at irregular intervals with windows
looking out over a courtyard and fish-pond--which formed the right-hand
side of the corridor, as Magdalen now stood. "Put your back here,"
said the veteran, "and look straight afore you. What do you see?"--"The
opposite wall of the passage," said Magdalen.--"Ay! ay! what
else?"--"The doors leading into the rooms."--"What else?"--"I see
nothing else." Old Mazey chuckled, winked, and shook his knotty
forefinger at Magdalen, impressively. "You see one of the Pints of the
Compass, my dear. When you've got your back ag'in this wall, and when
you look straight afore you, you look Noathe. If you ever get lost
hereaway, put your back ag'in the wall, look out straight afore you, and
say to yourself: 'I look Noathe!' You do that like a good girl, and y