sure I never lose sight of the main-top, as I call the Squire's look-out, but I set my compass, d'ye see, and take the bearings and distance of things, in order to work out my course, if-so-be that it should cloud up. or the tops of the trees should shut out the light of heaven. The steeple of St. Paul's, now that we have got it on end, is a great help to the navigation of the woods, for, by the lord Harry, as I was"———
"It is well, Benjamin, interrupted Marmaduke, observing his daughter, who manifested evident displeasure at the major-domo's familiarity; "but you forget there is a lady in company, and the women love to do most of the talking themselves."
"The Judge says the true word," cried Benjamin, with one of his discordant laughs: "now here is Mistress Remarkable Prettybones; just take the stopper off her tongue, and you'll hear a gabbling, worse like than if you should happen to fall to leeward, in crossing a French privateer, or some such thing, mayhap, as a dozen monkeys stowed in one bag."
It were impossible to say, how perfect an illustration of the truth of Benjamin's assertion the housekeeper would have furnished, if she dare; but the Judge looked sternly at her, and, unwilling to incur his resentment, yet unable to contain her anger, she threw herself out of the room, with a toss of her body, that nearly separated her frail form in the centre.
"Richard." said Marmaduke, observing that his displeasure had produced the desired effect, "can you inform me of any thing concerning the youth, whom I so unfortunately wounded? I found him on the mountain, hunting in company with the Leather-stocking, as if they were of the same family; but there is a manifest difference in
