in the yard of a third-rate inn, in a large market town of one of the midland counties, stood a carrier's cart, ready to start for home. in large letters on its side was painted 'john sparks, carrier to parker's due and stoney gates.' some of the passengers were seated; others were busy arranging their goods ready for transit; some were resting on their empty baskets, till the carrier appeared, talking over the events of the market, and comparing prices. the landlord was in and out perpetually, with a glass for one and a joke for another, looking with anxious (and, of course, benevolent) solicitude around, lest a customer should escape through want of care.

'will john sparks go to-night?' asked an old woman peevishly. her question was not addressed to any one in particular; but the ostler, who was passing, answered, 'he's not in the best company for making haste at this present,' and nodded to a group of men standing at the entrance of the yard, to which group the busy landlord had made frequent visits, never going empty-handed.

a general murmur arose as this speech circulated among the passengers. 'go and tell him to come, granny,' said one; 'he'll mind you; if he stays drinking there, we shall be upset, depend upon it.'

'and what's the use of my telling him?' replied the old woman. 'it's hard work i have to make him mind when he's sober; he'll only sauce me now he's the worse for liquor.'

'you should get him to take the pledge,' said the ostler; 'carriers' work is full of temptations, 'specially if a man's got a taste that way.'

while granny sparks was considering how to get john away from his companions, the thing was done by the arrival of a fish-basket, followed by a smart-looking maid-servant.

'oh, not gone! that's well. where's mr. sparks? i was kept so long, i was quite afraid of being too late. put the fish in under that seat. things there? oh, they must come out then; the fish must go in safe. where's mr. sparks, i say? i should think the fish for the hall is to have the proper place.'

it was soon made known to the speaker that mr. sparks was not far off, and, almost as soon, he was seen hurrying from his companions, with a somewhat blustering manner, which people are apt to put on when they expect a deserved rebuke, and want to get out of it.

'we'd a' ought to a' been on the road this half-hour, john,' muttered his granny.

'we're all right, mr. sparks,' cried those from inside. 'you may do what you like with my basket,' said several, who would not attempt to arrange themselves till the maid from the hall had chosen her seat. 'i hope you will start at once,' said that damsel, who looked with superiority on those around; 'the fish is for dinner, and we are never later than eight.'

'off at once, miss, when you're seated,' said john in as sober a tone as he could assume, and looking a thundering look at his granny, who imprudently kept up a low grumbling remonstrance on his behaviour. the luggage was soon settled, in defiance of all opposition, so that the fish had honourable stowage; and the hall maiden, declaring, as she stepped jauntily up, that she could not abide the van, but it was a great convenience, took the seat at the front, and all was ready.

sparks, a little steadied, was mounting, and the horse, which through the whole hurried scene had stood motionless, his head hanging down, as if dreaming of his own particular interests and affairs, awoke up and prepared to step forward. but patience was to be tried that day. in the entrance of the yard appeared a tall thin individual, dressed in sober and somewhat shabby clothes. he had his arms full of packages of all sorts and sizes, and an urchin followed, bearing a large basket.

'deary me!' said sparks, dropping the reins; 'if there isn't shady eggs. well, to think of his being so late! folks ought to be more considerate.'

'how excessive troublesome!' said the hall servant, who had herself wasted so much time in the town that she had lost the early carrier, and run the risk of being too late with the fish for the second.

meantime, 'shady eggs' advanced. 'i rejoice, mr. sparks, that you are yet here; be so good as to accommodate these articles. young man,' he continued, to the boy with the basket, 'you can return; there is a small remuneration for your trouble.' the lad grinned, pocketed the remuneration, and the basket, etc., were with some difficulty placed in the van. miss from the hall kept up a continual series of shruggings: her dress was invaded in some way by every package that was put in, and there was as much vinegar in her expression as beer in that of sparks.

'if you'd a' knowed of coming, mr. eggs, it's a pity you wasn't more for'ard,' she said tartly.

'it is a pity—i sit corrected,' he replied meekly, trying to put his long legs into the least inconvenient place.

'nobody never quarrels with mr. eggs,' said the carrier good-humouredly. the maid looked scornful; but shady acknowledged the courtesy by a bland smile. they had cleared the town, and were advancing at a reasonable pace up the road, pleasant hedges on either side, and green fields around and before them, when again they were brought to a halt. a traveller, who, sitting on a milestone, was apparently awaiting their arrival, stood up as they advanced, and cried out, 'room?'

sparks looked dubious; the maid said 'no;' but shady eggs, with a complacent look, suggested that with management room might be found. all the company, except the one objector, seemed willing to accommodate; they took their packages on their knees, and sat closer.

'how excessive awk'ard!' said the angry servant; 'i really cannot carry more than this; i must have room for this parcel on the seat.'

'allow me to convey it for you, ma'am,' said the imperturbable shady; and, taking it from her as gently as if it had been a baby, he placed it on his knees and encompassed it with his arms. it was indeed a fragile thing—enveloped in paper, like a light-brown cloud, and bearing a printed declaration that it came from mrs. davy's fashionable millinery establishment.

'it's our cook's bonnet,' condescended the maid, not vouchsafing to thank shady any further. shady looked affectionately at his delicate burden, as if the whole van should perish before it should come to grief, and the stranger was installed a passenger.

it was not very hard to read the characters of his fellow-passengers. on faces worn by labour and bronzed by exposure might be chiefly read family cares—questionings of mind, perchance, as to whether the 'second-handed shoes' would fit tommy, or whether eliza would like her new place. some were enjoying the opportunity of canvassing village matters, and others slept through all the joggings of the van. such as they were, he scrutinized all, and then fixed his keen grey eyes on shady. an amused expression passed over his face as he noticed the grave care he bestowed on his charge. turning to the driver, he began to question him as to the surrounding objects. not a building escaped; he would know everything, and john was as communicative as any questioner could wish.

'that building in the distance, among trees,' said the stranger; 'it looks well—what is it?'

'what! you?' said sparks. 'why, that's the jew, sir; we shall pass it—it's one of my places i stop at.'

'the jew?' said the stranger.

'the dew, sir,' interposed shady, with a look of benevolent pity for sparks' ignorance,—'parker's dew, as it is commonly, but erroneously called.' this was added with solemn importance.

'and what is the proper name?' asked the stranger.

shady, with a conscious look round the van, that betrayed his self-satisfaction, replied, rather pompously, 'par grâce de dieu, sir, which, if, as i suppose, you are a french scholar' (another glance at the passengers), 'you are aware means, "by the grace of god."' the stranger nodded. 'originally, sir,' continued shady, drawing up his back to its full length, 'it was given by the norman william to the founder of the family of de la mark, in whose possession it has ever since continued. there were strange ideas of right in those days, as you, sir, if a student of history, must know, and that which men got by the violence of the sword they considered to be theirs by the grace of god. but whether the name was invented by the conqueror, or given to the place by mark de la mark, the first lord of the manor, and founder of the distinguished line, i have not been able to discover.'

'what! have you ever tried?' said the stranger, laughing. the laugh was infectious; sparks laughed, the hall maid laughed, with something like scorn, and all the van grinned, though those at the back had not heard the conversation. shady's equanimity was not broken; he surveyed all with a surprised—perhaps a little injured—but forgiving air, and was silent.

but the stranger had no wish to silence him. he plied him with numerous questions as to the place, its owner, etc., to all of which shady replied with perfect good temper, but more reserve.

'you seem to know much about it; you live there, do you?'

'i have the honour to be a retainer of the family,' said shady, with much dignity.

'in what capacity?' said the stranger, looking at the milliner's address on the package he carried. for the first time an answer was difficult, for many were the posts combined in one that shady occupied.

'librarian,' he would have said, or 'secretary,' for these he was; but he feared the van,—for he was well known to be also serving-man in chief, and figured at different times as tutor, valet, butler,—and at length he replied with calmness, 'i execute any commission i may be honoured with: i superintend the library, arrange the steward's books, etc.; sometimes i have the honour of assisting in the studies of my young lady.'

'and you does a bit of dressing for sir valary sometimes, doesn't you, shady?' asked sparks, who thought he might get up a good laugh at him with impunity, and so obtain the lead in the conversation, which he was impatient at shady's engrossing.

the colour rose to the pale face, and an emotion of pain and reproach agitated it for a moment; but, soon recovering himself, he replied gently, 'yes, i am sometimes so far favoured by sir valary, i am proud to say.'

'a sort of man of all work,' said the maid, with a sneer.

'ah, i see,' cried the stranger at the same time; 'you are sir valary's right hand—not many either willing or able to fill so onerous a post. i congratulate you on being both.'

gratitude danced in shady's eyes; he said nothing, and the stranger now turned to sparks. he inquired if he could obtain a lodging at stoney gates. sparks told him it was only a village, with no house fit for any but a poor man to live in except the hall.

'a lodging fit for a poor man will suit me,' said the stranger, 'if i can get it.'

'well, sir,' said sparks, 'then maybe granny might let you have the parlour; it's got a very handsome chest o' drawers as makes into a bed. eh, granny?'

mrs. sparks demurred—she was afraid it wouldn't suit.

'take me in to-night,' said the stranger; 'to-morrow i will tell you about it.' and so it was agreed. after which the maid from the hall looked with ineffable contempt on him.

the branch road leading to parker's dew now came in sight, and shady prepared to alight. he placed the bonnet tenderly on his vacant seat, and gathered his many goods from their various hiding-places. 'you can't carry them all,' said sparks.

'i expected robinson to be here,' replied the librarian.

'i'm here, please,' said a little lad, springing up from under the hedge.

'that is well, robinson,' said he, with dignity; and, having nearly covered him with parcels, he took the basket, and, bowing courteously to the stranger, with a somewhat patronizing nod to sparks, he took his way to 'the jew.'

'isn't he a speciment?' said sparks to the stranger.

'a most benevolent spirit,' replied the stranger. and at the same time biddy sparks, who now sat next her grandson, administered a cautioning nudge.

'what are ye poking me for, granny?' he cried out. 'i suppose there's no purtickler harm in that; he is a speciment, and i maintains it.'

as if in defiance of her, he immediately began a long description of shady's life and occupations, to which the stranger listened with interest.

'is sir valary poor, then, that his man is so variously employed?' he asked.

'there it is,' replied sparks; 'there's a deal of talk about it; he 'adn't a' ought to be poor; but what becomes of his money there's nobody knows. there's some as thinks—i tell 'ee what, granny, if you goes on for to poke me at that rate, you may just drive the van yourself. why, how can i help folks talking? i'm sure i never said no harm of sir val'ry. you know, sir,' turning to the stranger, 'when people has queer ways they're bound to be called over; and there's a many as says'—

'john sparks,' cried his grandmother, 'are you out of your senses to go and talk of sir val'ry in this way, and him the squire's own brother!' this was accompanied with a glance at the hall maiden, intended to strengthen the warning.

'i meant no offence to the squire,' grumbled he; 'he's a gentleman, and no mistake; there's nobody about him but looks the better for it, is there, miss?' the hall servant did not deign to reply, except with a faint smile. 'there's nobody at brimble hall as looks as if they'd breakfasted on tin-tacks, is there, miss? i knows as the squire has his vally, and his butler, and everything else in proper style, hasn't he, miss? and he haven't got steward bloodworth to rack the tenants, and pocket the rents neither,' said sparks, who had now in this back-handed way delivered himself of the substance of what his granny had tried to make him keep in.

'bloodworth!' said the stranger; 'what a very unpleasant name!'

'him as 'as got it's a deal unpleasanter—i'm sure you'll hold wi' that, granny. why, we had as pretty a bit of land, belonging to the jew, as you'd wish to see, sir; and if that man didn't turn us out without why or wherefore, just because'—

'never mind that,' said biddy; 'forget and forgive.'

'how can i forget it, when i pass the land every time i goes to the jew? and as to forgiving him, he haven't asked me. why, sir,' turning to the stranger, 'if it hadn't 'a been that the squire—long life to him—took pity on us, and set me up in this van, and gave granny the cottage and garden we live in, she must 'a gone to the union; we couldn't get a yard of land, and the stock went at ruin's price; so we had only enough to pay up rent and our little debts.'

'then this steward has full power over the estates? i mean sir valary doesn't interfere?'

'you'll excuse me making so bold, sir,' said biddy, 'but it ain't becoming of john to make free with anything about sir valary. poor folks like us had best leave the quality alone; and in the van too,' she once more whispered to sparks. the carrier whistled, laid his whip over his horse's back, and little more was said in the front of the van till a pair of handsome bronzed gates opening on a broad avenue appeared.

'brimble hall, sir,' said sparks. 'now, miss, will you please to unlight here, or go round?'

'miss' would go round, for there was not even 'a robinson' to help her, and she preferred going in at the kitchen entrance to carrying the fish.

sparks now spent all his eloquence on the beauty of the hall, and the benevolence of squire brimble, who was, as he said, the very pattern of a squire—such a landlord, such a master! there wasn't a man or woman in the neighbourhood but would run at his call. the remaining passengers, who chiefly lived at stoney gates and around, left the van; and the stranger and miss, with spark and his granny, were alone.

sparks pointed out the stables with great pride to the stranger, telling him the squire was the man for a horse. 'it's well worth getting up early to see him start for the hunt. he's as good a sight as sunrise,' was his concluding speech as he turned in the direction of the back premises, and brought the van to the servants' door. here he was encountered by the cook.

'a pretty time of night, john sparks!' she cried. 'where's the fish? i thought you'd broke down on the road.'

'why ever didn't you come by the other van?' she cried to the maid, who had now dismounted; 'i'm sure you hadn't so much to do but what you might; and madam has been wondering at you ever so, for the young ladies wanted their things; and i'm sure i don't know what the squire'll say at waiting all this time for dinner.'

'it's a rale love of a beauty,' said the maid, handing the bonnet to the angry cook; 'i had to wait while they finished it.'

'ah,' said she in a mollified tone, 'those shopkeepers are so troublesome. i told phipps to put it to madam that you were sure to be kept for something;' and, calling the scullery maid to fetch the fish, she carried off the bonnet that had wrought so happy a change in her disposition.

no one noticed the stranger, who, however, quietly saw and heard everything, and who only left the van to take possession of his humble lodging at biddy sparks. a shabby portmanteau and a large portfolio made up his luggage, and, having seen what appliances biddy could afford, he speedily dismissed her to procure any supper at hand, and arranged them himself in somewhat military order, and, throwing open the window, told her not to be alarmed if she heard him early in the morning, for it was his custom to rise with the dawn.