?' sais I.

"'Oh, is that all?' sais she, (I suppose, she thort I wanted her to
get up and get breakfast for me,) 'it's the first on the right, and she
fixed her cap agin' and laid down, and I took the first on the right and
off like a blowed out candle. There was the staircase. I walked down,
took my hat, onbolted the outer door, and what a beautiful day was
there. I lit my cigar, I breathed freely, and I strolled down the
avenue.

"The bushes glistened, and the grass glistened, and the air was sweet,
and the birds sung, and there was natur' once more. I walked to the
lodge; they had breakfasted had the old folks, so I chatted away with
them for a considerable of a spell about matters and things in general,
and then turned towards the house agin'. 'Hallo!' sais I, 'what's this?
warn't that a drop of rain?' I looks up, it was another shower by Gosh.
I pulls foot for dear life: it was tall walking you may depend, but the
shower wins, (comprehens_ive_ as my legs be), and down it comes, as hard
as all possest. 'Take it easy, Sam,' sais I, 'your flint is fixed; you
are wet thro'--runnin' won't dry you,' and I settled down to a careless
walk, quite desperate.

"'Nothin' in natur', unless it is an Ingin, is so treacherous as the
climate here. It jist clears up on purpose I do believe, to tempt you
out without your umbreller, and jist as sure as you trust it and leave
it to home, it clouds right up, and sarves you out for it--it does
indeed. What a sight of new clothes I've spilte here, for the rain has a
sort of dye in it. It stains so, it alters the colour of the cloth, for
the smoke is filled with gas and all sorts of chemicals. Well, back I
goes to my room agin' to the rooks, chimbly swallers, and all, leavin'
a great endurin' streak of wet arter me all the way, like a cracked
pitcher that leaks; onriggs, and puts on dry clothes from head to foot.

"By this time breakfast is ready; but the English don't do nothin' like
other folks; I don't know whether it's affectation, or bein' wrong in
the head--a little of both I guess. Now where do you suppose the solid
part of breakfast is, Squire? Why, it's on the side-board--I hope I may
be shot if it ain't--well, the tea and coffee are on the table, to make
it as onconvenient as possible.

"Says I, to the lady of the house, as I got up to help myself, for I was
hungry enough to make beef ache I know. 'Aunty,' sais I, 'you'll excuse
me, but why don't you put the eatables on the