unmanageable on the
road from Guildford, and his behavior served to work the temper of
Jonas to the extremity of irritability.

The horse, on approaching Godalming, began to limp. Bideabout
descended, and examined each hoof. He could see no stone there,
nothing to account for the lameness of old Clutch, which, however,
became so pronounced as he entered the street of the little town
that he was obliged to stable the beast, and rest it.

Then he went direct to the offices of a small attorney of the name
of Barelegs, who had been engaged on his business.

As he entered the office, Mr. Barelegs looked up from a deed he
was reading, turned his head, and contemplated his client.

There was something in his manner that angered Jonas, already
excited and inclined to be annoyed at trifles, and he said
irritably,--

"You look at me. Mister Barelegs, just as does old Clutch when I
come into the stable, expectin' a feed of corn, he does."

"And no doubt he deserves it."

"He thinks he does, but he don't."

"And no doubt he gets his feed."

"There is doubt about it. He gets it when I choose to give it,
not when he glowers at me--that way, he's wonderful artificial is
old Clutch."

"I dare be sworn, Mr. Kink, if he has served you well, he expects
to be paid for it."

"He's an owdacious old Radical," observed Jonas. "Just now he's
shamming lame, becos I rode him into Guildford, and he likes the
inn here. There's an old broken-winded, galled gray mare, I reckon
he's set his fancy on in the same yard, and I'm pretty sure this
lameness means nothin' more nor less than that he wants to be
a-courtin'. To see them two hosses, when they meet, rubbin' heads,
is enough to make a fellow sick. And Clutch, at his age too--when
he ort to be thinkin' of his latter end!"

"We've all our little weaknesses, Mr. Kink, man and beast alike.
You courted--not so long ago."

"I never courted in the ridic'lous fashion of other folks. I'd
none of your yardin', and aiblen' to aiblen', and waistin'."

"What do you mean, Mr. Kink?"

"Don't you know the three stages o' courtin here? Fust o' all,
the young pair walks each other about a yard apart--that's yardin'.
Then they gits more familiar, and takes each other's arms. That's
wot we calls in these parts aiblen' to aiblen', and last, when
they curls their arms round each other, won'erful familiar, that's
called waistin'. No, I never went through none o' them courses in
my courtship. I were