—"Since mine is the fault," answered I, "that the kettle overset; it is but justice, that mine should be the punishment to procure wood."
So saying, I ran out and got deep among the bushes in search of what I wanted. I heard my horse neigh, which was always the case when any body meddled with him. A loud and conjoint laugh of several voices ensued, from which I inferred Jago's return. In about half an hour, I had gathered with great difficulty a bundle of wood and hastening back to the cot, found Jago, with his wife sitting on his knees. The lamp, which stood on the ground before the hearth, cast its full radiance into her beautiful face, whose charms I had not till now been able to discover. The little children thronged around them, I stood quite enraptured at this scene of rural felicity,—"O God!" exclaimed Jago in a pensive mood, when the little boy interrupted him by calling out: "Here's the stranger!"
Jago now gently raised his fair burden, rose; and shaking me by the hand; "You
