I saw before me—at the foot of a moderate
elevation, but which I afterwards found was
called the mountain—a scattered hamlet of
twenty or thirty houses built irregularly along
the course of a little stream. There were
hedge-rows and apple-trees as far as the eye
could reach; a glorious sun was shining upon
the scene, and glanced from the windows of
the different villas, and basked upon their
roofs, and turned the thin wreaths of smoke
that went upward from the kitchen chimneys
into many-coloured ribbons losing themselves
in the clear blue of the sky. And I confessed
at once that it was a beautiful prospect, and
a very fitting residence for the saints and
sages who had here set up their rest. But
what could be the reason of so many of the
élite of the earth establishing themselves
here? or was it the fact of coming here that
gave them all their wonderful abilities? Could
Mr. Bangles have invented a gig if he had
lived in London? Could Mr. Mudd have
produced a three-quart bottle looking like a
pint, if his lines had been cast in Yorkshire?
"Thank you, sir," said the voice, in the midst
of these reflections; "the luggage is off now,
and it's all right. I'm so much obliged to you
for bringing me in your fly. Drive on to
the Queeker Arms. I have recommended the
house to the gentleman. The gentleman will
pay." And before I had time to turn myself
fairly round on the driving-seat, my
communicative companion had disappeared within
the porch of the Castle, and left me to pursue
my way to the hotel.

"What is that lady's name?" I inquired of
the driver.

"Gawker, sir. Her and her mother carries
on their trade in that 'ere house."

"What trade? What do they do?"

"They skins flints," replied the driver, in a
very bitter tone;" and sweats spoons when
they can catch 'em."

I didn't carry on any further conversation
with the man, who had accompanied his last
observation with a look of disdain at me, and
the thumb of his right hand applied to the
point of his nose, the usual place of the
projected little finger being supplied by the whip.
I silently paid him his demand, and stood
expectant on the step of the Queeker Arms.

"House, ho!" I cried, looking in vain
for a waiter, or a bell to summon one.
"House, ho! Are you all asleep?"

No answer caine for a long time. At last a
sort of chambermaid, a stout woman with a
slop-pail, crossed the hall, and I renewed my
thumpings and hallooings. The glass door at
the top of the stair continued closed; and the
woman putting her hand to her lips, as if to
enjoin silence, passed on in chambermaiden
meditation, fancy free. I at last got angry,
and became very emphatic in my kicks and
bumps against the inhospitable door. "Such a
place pretending to be the chosen habitation
of the wise and good! and such a miserable
locked up old barrack pretending to be an
inn! I'll try if I can't force my way in, in spite
of bolts and bars." But I had not succeeded
in more than damaging one of the panels and
twisting off the handle of the lock, when a
voice from the area commanded me to desist
and go my ways for a housebreaker, or they
would let loose the dog. And on looking
through the rails, I saw a tatterdemallion
stableboy seated on an empty barrel, where
he had perched himself to enjoy the sun and
had evidently fallen asleep.

"You insolent ragamuffin," I exclaimed;
"if you don't tell some one to open the door
instantly, I'll have the landlord before a
magistrate for refusing accommodation to a
traveller on his lawful occasions."

"We don't care for bagmen here," rejoined
the strapper on the barrel, "nor about their
aweful occasions either. The gentlefolks are
busy and won't be disturbed."

"Won't they?" I cried, again applying a
thundering kick to the door, that shook one
of the panes into the passage with a crash
that echoed through the house like an
avalanche of glass. "We shall see that: house,
ho!" A door at the farther end of the
hall was cautiously opened, and four or five
heads were pushed inquiringly forth; after
looking at me for a minute or two, the
possessors of the aforesaid heads put their fingers
to their lips like the witches in Macbeth, and
in the same careful manner as they had
opened the door, closed it again.

"Oh, that's your plan, is it?" I vociferated,
now fairly in a rage. "You have no right to
keep me out of a house of public entertainment
so here goes."

And stepping back a yard or two to
gain impetus for the blow, I rushed at the
door with all my might—hands, feet, and
shoulders—and in an instant I found myself
lying in the passage among the fragments of
wood and glass, like the picture of Samson
among the ruins of Dagon's Temple. The
resemblance was immediately made more
complete by the rushing forward of all the
Philistines, male and female, who were
within hearing of the noise. They clustered
round me with terror depicted on their faces,
and exclamations of surprise and horror
escaping from their lips. "Housebreaker—
Irishman—madman "— were among the
gentlest of the names by which they saluted
my appearance among them.

"Where is the landlord?" I said,
endeavouring to restrain my wrath; "I'll punish
him severely for his behaviour."

"What has he been doing, sir?" inquired
a very tall and very gentleman-like man. "If
you come here to revenge yourself for some
real or imagined wrong, allow me to tell you
that personal violence is not the way to
attain your object. The tribunals of this great
and happy country are open to the meanest
as well as to the loftiest of its sons. Can't
you apply to an attorney?"

A murmur of applause ran round the