Page:The Ladies' Cabinet of Fashion, Music & Romance 1832.pdf/92

Rh or what he thought of, I am unable to say, as I dined that day with Mrs. Atherton, and spent the afternoon in assisting her lovely daughter to draw patterns, a fact which will account for my intimate knowledge of the events of the morning.

It was nearly night, when Johnny, who was trotting briskly homewards, overtook a stranger within a mile or two of the village. He was a tall, slim man, mounted on a high, strong, bony horse ; but he was so muffled up, from top to toe, that our hero could not tell whether he was old or young, gentle or simple. His horse was covered with mud, and evidently tired. His own appearance was way-worn, and weather-beaten. He seemed to have travelled far, and faced many a storm. Before him were a pair of large holster pistols ; behind him, a roll containing his surtout and umbrella ; and across the saddle, a pair of immense saddle-bags, fastened with a brass padlock. Johnny, who had all the fiddler's wonted love of company, and was particularly averse to riding alone in the dark, trotted up alongside of the stranger, and accosted him with a cheerful "Good evening."

The traveller nodded stiffly, without deigning to turn his head. Johnny gazed wistfully at the jaded rider, and the tired nag, and wondered who this could be, that was so strangely accoutred, and was too proud to return a civil salutation. Determined to satisfy his curiosity, he tried to commence a conversation, by making some commonplace remark about the weather ; but, as this elicited no other reply than a cold monosyllable, he resolved to make a bold push, and come to the point at once. "You seem to be travelling, mister," said he. " You have guessed right," replied the traveller. " Have you travelled far, if it's a fair question ?" " Tolerably." Now this reply seemed to our hero most perplexingly inexplicit. 66 Tolerably" might comprise ten miles, or twenty, or a hundred, but it could not apply to a long journey. He took another look at the pistols, and, edging up to the stranger, thought he would try it again. " Well, mister," said he, " if I mought make so bold, where did you come from ?" " From London ," was the laconic reply. " Well, I'm glad on't. I am almost out of breath in finding it out. I don't know how you stood it to travel so far. How far66is it, sir, if it's a fair question ?" Something over two hundred miles. And now," said the