"Quite."

"Travelling on business, or for pleasure?"

"Pleasure."

"A delightful season this, to travel in, sir; neither too warm, nor too

cold. And the country never looks so rich and beautiful as in its autumn

foliage."

"True," answered the stranger, briefly, and then he added, "I didn't ask

you to come here to catechize me, my good friend; but to submit to be

catechized yourself, and to amuse me with the gossip of the

neighborhood."

Again nothing but the consciousness of a heavy fee would have induced

the host of the "Antlers" to put up with this traveller's "nonsense," as

he termed his general assumption of superiority.

"What would you like to hear about, then, sir?" growled the landlord.

"First, what important families have you in this part of the country?"

"Well, sir, the most principlest is the Bernerses of Black Hall, which

have returned from their bridal tour about a month ago and taken up

their abode there in the old ancestral home."

"The Berners! Who are they?" inquired the traveller, carelessly trifling

with the wing of a pheasant.

"You must be a stranger indeed, sir, not to know the Bernerses of Black

Hall," said the landlord, with an expression of strong disapprobation.

"Well, as I don't know them, and as they seem to be persons of the

highest distinction, perhaps you will tell me all about them," said the

traveller.

And the landlord not unwillingly gave the guest the full history of the

Berners of Black Hall, down to the marriage of the last heiress, at

which the bridegroom took the name of the bride's family. And then he

described the situation of the Hall and the way in which it might be

reached, and ended by saying: "And if you think of making any stay in this neighborhood, sir, and

will send your card to Mr. and Mrs. Berners, they will be sure to call

on you and show you every attention in their power, sir; invite you to

their house, introduce you to the neighbors, make parties for you, and

make you generally welcome among us."

"They are very hospitable, then?"

"Hospitable! Why, sir, even when they were on their bridal tour, they

fell in with a lovely lady in distress, and what do they do but pay her

bills at the hotel, and fetch her and her child and her servant, all,

bag and baggage, home with themselves, to stay at Black Hall as long as

ever she likes?"

"Indeed! That was a very unusual stretch of hospitality. And this lady

is still with them?" inquired the stranger.

"She is that, sir; although the word do go around that it would be well

if she was to go away."

"Ah! why so?"

"Well, sir--but, lord, it is all servants' gossip, and there may be

nothing in it; but they do say that the master of the house is too fond

of the visitor, and likewise she of him; and that this do make the

mistress of the house very unhappy."




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