PASSAGE IN THE LIFE OF MR. WATKINS TOTTLE. 131 



some four hundred times. Of course he expressed great curiosity, 

 and evinced the utmost impatience to hear the story again. Mr. 

 Gabriel Parsons forthwith attempted to proceed, in spite of the in- 

 terruptions to which, as our readers must frequently have observed, 

 the master of the house is often exposed in such cases. We will 

 attempt to give them an idea of our meaning. v 



" When I was in Suffolk," said Mr. Gabriel Parsons 



" Take off the fowls first, Martha/' said Mrs. Parsons. " I beg 

 your pardon, my dear." 



" When I was in Suffolk," resumed Mr. Parsons, with an impa- 

 tient glance at his wife, who pretended not to observe it, " which is 

 now some years ago, business led me to the town of Bury St. Ed- 

 munds. I had to stop at the principal places in my way, and there- 

 fore, for the sake of convenience, I travelled in a gig. I left Sud- 

 bury one dark night it was winter time about nine o'clock ; the 

 rain poured in torrents, the wind howled among the trees that skirted 

 the road-side, and I was obliged to proceed at a foot-pace, for I 

 could hardly see my hand before me, it was so dark " 



" John," interrupted Mrs. Parsons, in a low, hollow, voice, " don't 

 spill that gravy/' 



" Fanny," said Parsons, impatiently, " I wish you'd defer these 

 domestic reproofs to some more suitable time. Really,, my dear, these 

 constant interruptions are very annoying." 



" My dear, I didn't interrupt you," said Mrs. Parsons. 



"But, my dear, you did interrupt me," remonstrated Mr. 

 Parsons. 



"How very absurd you are, my love! I must give directions to 

 the servants ; I am quite sure that if I sat here and allowed John to 

 spill the gravy over the new carpet, you'd be the first to find fault 

 when you saw the stain to-morrow morning." 



" Well," continued Gabriel, with a resigned air, as if he knew 

 there was no getting over the point about the carpet, " I was just 

 saying, it was so dark that I could hardly see my hand before me. 

 The road was very lonely, and I assure you, Tottle (this was a device 

 to arrest the wandering attention of that individual, which was dis- 

 tracted by a confidential communication between Mrs. Parsons and 

 Martha, accompanied by the delivery of a large bunch of keys), I 

 assure you, Tottle, I became somehow impressed with a sense of the 

 loneliness of my situation " 



" Pie to your master," interrupted Mrs. Parsons, againMirecting the 

 servant. 



"Now, pray, my dear,'' remonstrated Parsons once more, very 

 pettishly. Mrs. P. turned up her hands and eyebrows, and appealed 

 in dumb show to Miss Lillerton. " As I turned a corner of the road, 

 resumed Gabriel, " the horse stopped short, and reared tremendously. 

 I pulled up, jumped out, ran to his head, and found a man lying on 

 his back, in the middle of the road, with his eyes fixed on the sky. 

 I thought he was dead ; but no, he was alive, and there appeared 

 to be nothing the matter with him. He jumped up, and putting his 

 hand to his chest, and fixing upon me the most earnest gaze you can 

 imagine, exclaimed " 



