methods an abomination to you. I don't approve, you know, of reading and writing; but as you seem to think they may be of use to you, by all means exercise those arts. Silvia, when do you mean to begin?" 66 'Well, Papa," she said, “I am rather lazy.” "Laziness," said the Squire, “is an excellent thing when it prevents one from learning what is not worth knowing: excellent also when it prevents one from slipping into ponds and being locked up in mysterious towers. Don't you think so, Louisa?" Louisa came up smiling: Silvester was about to take her home. CHAPTER XVI. THE JESSY AND HER MASTER AT SEA. Neque ullius natantis impetum trabis HE Squire, on a suggestion of Simonet's TH sent for the puritanic Sexton, who was a small tenant of his, in order to ascertain how it was that the Reverend J. J. had become occupant of the ancient tower. Mr. Silchester had ordered his steward, when he let the little farm to Sexton as yearly tenant, to insist on his leaving the tower entirely alone. In the muniment room at Silchester were old black-letter documents about the Palace that once existed at Silchester Leigh; and the Squire, a cordial 13 VOL. II. lover of antiquity, desired to keep the place in unaltered condition, as a relic of the past. It appeared to him quite manifest that the tower could not have been occupied without Sexton's express permission, so he sent for the pious grocer, who, however, was not at home when the messenger arrived. The day between nomination and election is not favourable to grocery or any other business in a small borough town: the only business Sexton did that day was to receive from a mysterious emissary of Wanklin's a certain sum of money to repay him for the exertion of voting for Claverton on the following day, and from a mysterious emissary of Pinniger's a rather larger sum for the exertion of voting for Matthews. Sexton deemed bribery iniquitous, and felt it his duty to make it as expensive as possible. Having transacted all the business that he could, Sexton thought he would visit his hermit. The gate was locked. Donald, when he came away in triumph with Miss Saint Osyth, had locked the door of the tower and the gate in the wall, and brought the keys to the Squire, who highly approved the notion. Sexton shouted to the tenant of the Palace till no breath remained in his somewhat puffy body. Then he tried to climb the wall, and after several failures succeeded; but descended on the other side rather faster than he wished into the middle of some singularly stingative nettles. Urticated to unwonted indignation, it is thought he swore-slightly; but this cannot be believed of so excellent a man. He made his way to the tower, and found no admission. He shouted again, but echo was his only reply. Just then Donald came through the gateway, having been sent by the Squire on the failure of his former messenger to find Sexton. He walked up to the immaculate grocer, who felt some slight alarm. "Do you want to get into the tower?" said Donald. "I've the key if you do." 'How did you get the key?" asked Sexton, in amaze. "That's no affair of yours. Shall we go in? We might find some treasures there, or a corpse. Have you killed anybody, and hidden him there?" Poor Sexton began to think the Highlander mad, and feared to enter the tower in his company. Donald saw, and was amused. 66 Well," he said, "we'll leave the tower alone this time. But you must come with me to Silchester: the Squire wants to see you. "The Squire !" "Yes. I suppose you won't dispute his commands." When he reached Silchester, Sexton was carefully questioned as to his knowledge of Joyce, but it soon appeared that he was a mere foolish fanatic, whose weakness Joyce had played upon. He did not even suspect the existence of Laura Bronté. The Squire thoroughly scolded him for venturing to allow |