as far as he could
in the way of insolence, making us pay for the refusal of the lawyers
to let him go to London with the member for the county.

I could see the blush rise crimson to Irma's neck and face after such a
performance. But by some mysterious divine law of compensation, no
sooner had she Baby in her arms, than she forgot all about the sulky
boy, sitting moping among his books in the wood parlour, looking out on
the red-boled firs of Marnhoul forest.

Israel Kinmont used to frequent us a good deal about this time. He never
preached to us, nor indeed would he talk freely of his "experiences"
amongst such Calvinists as my grandfather and grandmother.

"The gold of the kingdom doth not need the refiner's art!" he had said
once when this remissness was made a reproach to him. Since the loss of
his boat, the _Tabernacle_, he had bought first one donkey and then two
with his little savings. These he loaded with salt for Cairn Edward and
the farms on the way, and so by a natural transition, took to the trade
of itinerant voyager on land instead of on the sea, bringing back a
store of such cloths and spices as were in most request among the
goodwives of the farm-towns.

He had been so long a sailor man that he could not help it, if a certain
flavour of the brine clung to him still. Besides, there were jerseys and
great sea-boots to be worn out. Neddy and Teddy, his two fine donkeys,
were soon fitted with "steering gear," among the intricacies of which
their active heels often got "foul." They "ran aground" with alarming
frequency, scraping their pack-saddles against the walls of narrow
lanes. Their master knew no peace of mind till, having passed the
narrows, he found on some moor or common "plenty o' sea-room,"
notwithstanding the danger that "plenty o' sea-room" might induce the
too artful Teddy to "turn topsails under," or in other words indulge in
a roll upon the grass.

Finally, Neddy and Teddy were "brought to anchor" in some friendly
stable, in none oftener than in ours of Heathknowes, where cargo was
unloaded and sometimes even the ships themselves "docked" and laid up
for repairs. For this merciful Israel was merciful to his beasts, and
often went into repairing dock for a saddle gall, which another would
never have even noticed.

When the pair were browsing free in the field he would call them "to
receive cargo," and hoist the Blue Peter by a sounding, "Neddy, ahoy!
Ahoy there, Teddy!" And if, as was