her in bursts of silvery-toned cachinnations. She
talked and chatted away the time, asking questions of her brother
respecting the Smitherses and the Rainsfields, and requesting him to
draw comparisons between the two families and that which they had lately
left. This task William professed himself unable to accomplish, and
unwilling to attempt; remarking that "comparisons were odious," and that
his sister would be able to judge for herself if she would exercise a
little patience.

The road was quickly travelled over; and our friends comfortably
completed that day's stage, and found themselves at Brompton before
dark. They were welcomed by Mr. and Mrs. Smithers in as friendly a
manner as William had anticipated; but upon Kate and Mr. Wigton being
introduced as strangers to Bob, he muttered some unintelligible
sentence, turned on his heel, and left the room. Such extraordinary
conduct rather surprised the Fergusons, especially William; who, when
last he had seen him, parted from him in perfect good feeling. The
proprietor of the station and his wife were not only astonished, but
exceedingly chagrined to think that their visitors should have received
so gross an insult from a member of their family. Without entering into
any vituperations on Bob's conduct, they apologised to their friends for
his inexplicable behaviour, stating their inability to assign any reason
for it beyond his extraordinary temper, and expressing many regrets for
its occurrence.

The Fergusons professed to think nothing of it, and begged their friends
to take no heed of the circumstance, as it gave them, personally, no
concern; being convinced that it could not have been the intention of
Mr. Smithers' brother to have meditated any insult. Notwithstanding all
their assurances that they in no way felt annoyed, they could not
remove from the minds of their hosts the impression that they had
received an unwarrantable insult; and the culprit not "entering an
appearance" again, and no explanation being forthcoming, the evening
passed very heavily, and a general relief was experienced by the party
when they separated for the night.

On the following morning the Fergusons and Mr. Wigton resumed their
journey, and the spirit of their travelling contrasted greatly with that
of the previous day. They had parted from the Smitherses on very good
terms; but Bob had continued to absent himself, and there was a gloom
thrown over the parting in consequence.

"W