CHAPTER XXXVI.

O nuncle, court holy-water in a dry house is better than this rain-water out o' door. In, nuncle, in.-King Lear.

THERE was no clock in Mrs. Hopper's house to strike the hour, but stillness did the work as well, and said that it was very late; past midnight, the stars would have added, had they been visible. But it was raining heavily, though with little wind: the rain came straight down from the clouds, and dripped straight down in double measure from the trees. One little stream of light shot out into the damp air from an upper window of the house, but below all was dark and shut up and silent; and even the old house-dog, who early in the evening had howled a little for low spirits, now indulged in a sounder sleep than usual, lulled by the badness of the weather. But as he lay stretched at length in the little back porch-which was indeed a small shed-there worked into his dreams a pattering that seemed not wholly of rain-water. And Trouncer first raised his head, and then uttered a short gruff "Ough!"-after which he got up and walked to the shed door to take an observation.

There was not much to be seen. Night's curtains were all let down, with a fringe of mist and a thick lining of rain-water. And in that steady pour one would have said there was little else to hear; but Trouncer clearly perceived that horses' feet were coming along the road, and soon caught the glimmer of sparks from their iron shoes; and again he growled and pointed his ears and bristled up. But when the horses stopped just before him be stood absolutely still, with only that same smothered and gruff ejaculation. He seemed to have made up his mind that a beggar on horseback did not exist in real life, and that thieves would be more wary; therefore, when two dark figures presented themselves at the entrance, Trouncer did not fly at them, but merely gave the closest personal attendance. And bestowing an honest sort of pat upon the dog's head, one of the strangers passed

TWO MEN IN THE RAIN.

281

through the porch and knocked at the inner door,-a single rap, not loud, but given with great distinctness. The knock aroused Mrs. Hopper; and immediately her window went up and her nightcap went into the rain. "Who's there in the shed ?"

“Two men in the rain," said a comfortable voice-a little disturbed withal; though its owner was stamping softly about the shed and whistling until disturbed by the question.

"Well, they'll have to stay there till morning," said Mrs. Hopper. "Night's the time for folks to sleep in." "This aint the place," said the voice. "Therefore let's in." Then as if to some one else-"Thou'dst shun a bear, but if thy flight lay toward the raging sea, thou'dst meet the bear i' the mouth.' To her again."

"Friends for Mr. Clyde," said another voice from the darkness, going back to Mrs. Hopper's question and answering it anew.

"Friends for Mr. Clyde," she repeated; "well, I dare say he wants 'em bad enough. Who are they?"

"Come, come!" said the first voice,"open your doors. It's damp here, good woman. In such a night to shut me out!'" Mrs. Hopper closed the window.

"Jerushy!" she said, "start right up and clap somethin' on to ye-here's visitors at the door; and afore I open it do you hide in the passage, and if they get the upper hand o' me, you kin rouse the house. Hope they won't rouse it themselves, knocking."

The strangers, however, seemed as cautious as she could desire, and stood in patient silence while she raked open the bed of coals on the kitchen hearth, and tried to light a candle. But either the coals were poor, or the dampness of the night had found its way down chimney; for though Mrs. Hopper picked up one coal after another with the tongs, and presenting her candlewick blew till she saw unknown colours in the darkness, nothing came of it but a shower of sparks, and they fired nothing but her patience. "Of all nights in the three hundred and sixty-seven!" she said, throwing down the tongs, as a second knock made itself heard, but softly as before. "Fetch the gun, Jerushy."

"Mother," said a half-stifled voice from the passage, are you there ?"

Where on the face of the airth should I be ?" said Mrs. Hopper. "Fetch the gun!"

"Aint you scared, mother ?"

"I do believe you'd shy at your shadder, if there was light enough!" was the reply. And marching past her daughter with as swift and steady a step as though it were noonday, Mrs. Hopper soon returned with the gun, and kneeling down in the faint glimmer which the dying embers sent forth, she as soon had out the flint and therewith struck a light. That done she opened the door.

The strangers entered with no leave asked, without even throwing off their dripping cloaks; though indeed it had been difficult to bestow them in the outside darkness. Mrs. Hopper the while scanned them earnestly with her light, and was not long in finding out that she had seen one of them before, though, as she afterwards told Jerusha, "she couldn't tell when nor where, if her life was to pay." He repeated the inquiry for Mr. Clyde. "Of course he's home," said Mrs. Hopper; "most folks is, this time o' night and weather. Who shall I say wants him ?"

"Don't say anything to anybody till we have a fire,” said the other stranger. 'It's a cold world in every office but thine, good Curtis, therefore fire.'"

Mrs. Hopper gave him a look which certainly implied that her name was not Curtis, but she set down the candle, and applied such stimulants and remedies to the fire that in a few minutes it blazed to the chimney-top.

"Ah! that's worth while," said the last speaker, drawing near the fire and spreading himself out before it to dry, as it were. "Friend Henry-' when the mind's free the body's delicate,''the tempest in thy mind doth surely from thy senses take all feeling else, save what beats there!' Art thou insensible to fire as well as to water?-a salamander as well as a merman ?"

His companion came forward at this remark, but as if the fire were matter of very second-rate importance; and the flickering light which played upon his face awoke no gleam of recognition and enjoyment.

"You want Mr. Clyde woke up then ?" said Mrs. Hopper.

No,

"Not on guard-" soliloquized the older man. don't wake him if he's asleep-which I know he isn't. Give us two shakedowns here on the floor, and no more about it till morning."

"Likeliest shakedowns you'll get in this house'll be your two selves," said Mrs. Hopper. "There's the floor, but where the beds are I don't know. "Taint particularly hard, for a floor, I have heard them say as have tried it." "Hum-don't think I'll qualify myself for an indorsement," said her questioner. "And so Mr. Clyde is asleep. And how's his sister ?"

"Little to boast of, except her good looks," said Mrs. Hopper. "They stick by her yet."

"Is she no better?" said the other stranger, turning round.

"Can't be much better'n she is, to my thinking," said Mrs. Hopper. "The fever's strong yet, and she isn'tif that's what you mean. Come to, I believe they did have some hopes of her to-day, though."

"Wake Mr. Clyde at once, will you, my good lady?" said the older man in a different tone; drawing forth his snuff-box the while, and taking an immense pinch, as he roused himself up into an attitude of more business and

ye,

less enjoyment. "And hark don't let the grass grow under your feet; it's too late in the season for that."

And for a moment the two stood alone in the light blaze of the fire. But Thornton was not asleep, and came down instantly. The greeting was silently earnest. The Doctor then had recourse to his snuff-box, but the two younger men stood with hands yet clasped.

66

"I must see her at once," said the Doctor, laying his hand upon Thornton's shoulder. Come, leave him to take care of himself-always does."

And as with quiet steps they left the room, Mrs. Hopper returned, and advanced to mend the fire and improve its light as a medium of observation. But for such an object the medium mattered little. Mr. Raynor was impenetrable. Standing there with one shoulder braced against the tall wooden mantelpiece, he had watched

the two gentlemen as they quitted the room; and when the door alone met his gaze in that direction he still looked, as if his thought had gone further and the eye but tarried where it must. There was nothing to be read in that look, however, or if there were, it was writ in a 1 language unknown to Mrs. Hopper; and he answered all her questions, and refused all offers of supper, with such clearness and self-possession, that she could not suppose him to be "taking an abstraction of anything. She left him to his thoughts at length, and with them he held deep discourse; with but the rain and the rising wind for a refrain.

Meanwhile Thornton had prepared Rosalie for the sight of her kind physician and friend; and the Doctor walked in and took his seat at her bedside, forbidding her to speak by a peremptory motion of his finger.

"Now why couldn't you get sick in town, like a Christian ?" said Doctor Buffem, as he took Rosalie's hand in his, and examined her countenance with his practised eyes. Sending for me into the backwoods at this time of year! it's unendurable. Yes, it was very good of me to come, and all that sort of thing; of course it was. And you didn't send for me, certainly not. I'll tell you what, my young lady, there aren't many people could play the magnet with me this fashion. This was such a desired and pet job of mine, and one of my assistants was so very pressing-pet of his too. Couldn't well refuse to come when he offered to show me the way. Hum-eyes haven't lost much of their brightness. Just put that light a little more out of sight, Mr. Clyde. Now how do you feel yourself, Miss Rosalie ?-well and happy ?”

66

Happy, sir-not quite well."

"Cart before the horse," said the Doctor,-"no right to feel happy."

"Not much right," said Rosalie, with a little smile; "that is true."

"Just as bad as ever, I see," said Doctor Buffem. "Won't own it, neither."

He made some further inquiries, left with Miss Arnet both directions and medicine, and taking Thornton's arm walked across the hall into his room. There the Doctor