EXPLANATION. 59 



quality, and recommended itself strongly 

 to my not very elevated taste when the 

 subject of our, or rather my, laughter 

 came in. I saw instantly that he was 

 another man ; my coolness and self- 

 possession had subdued him. Seeing me, 

 too, a welcome guest at the house of his 

 neighbour and friend, he found reason to 

 alter his tone. 



He addressed me by name, which he 

 had learned in the interim, and said he 

 was sorry he had stopped me ; adding that 

 had he known my name, or where I was 

 going to, he should not have done so ; but 

 he considered himself very unhandsomely 

 dealt with by my running against him 

 and causing his ejectment into the pur- 

 ling brook. 



I attempted an explanation, pleading 

 ignorance, and attributing the accident 

 to the effects of Rumsey fair, and the 

 excellent port of mine host of the "White 



