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276 wonderful sense of having an appointment with Sarah. It made him feel like a young man. He could scarcely eat his dinner; and Jonas noticed his want of appetite as a new and an ominous symptom of his need of rest and recreation.

"I'll tell thee what,nephew, thou hes eat nothing at all.and when a man quarrels with his bread and meat, there's something varry far wrong with him. Thou said thou was going out to-night; don't thee do it, a man that doesn't eat his victuals isn't fit to put his head out in t' night air."

But Jonathan said he had a friend to see, and the old man made no further opposition to his night walk. He went nervously up-stairs and dressed himself, and then slowly took his way through the sweet-scented park, full of the perfume of bleaching grass and of a thousand wild flowers. There was no moon, but there was an exquisite gloaming, and myriads of bright shining stars, and the whole influence of the night was singularly sweet and tender.

Lovers outrun the clock, if they be true lovers, and Jonathan was at the tryst before nine. But he sat down at the stile, and smoked, and