As he came to a branch in the lane he saw a man
there, and he called out "Good-night" He then
stood still a moment, to consider which lane he
should take. Both led to his rectory, but one was
somewhat shorter than the other. The shorter
was, however, stony and very wet. He chose the
longer way, and turned to the right. Thirty years
after he was speaking with a parishioner who was
ill, when the man said to him suddenly, " Do you
remember such and such a night, when you came
to the Y? You had been with Nankevill, who was
dying."
"Yes, I do recall something about it."
"Do you remember you said ' Good - night ' to me?"
"I remember that someone was there; I did not know it was you."
"And you turned right, instead of left?"
"I dare say."
"If you had taken the left-hand road you would never have seen next morning."
"Why so?"
"There was a large cargo of 'run' goods being transported that night, and you would have met it."
"What of that?"
"What of that? You would have been chucked over the cliffs."
"But how could they suppose I would peach?"
"Sir! They 'd ha' took good care you shouldn't a' had the chance!"
I was sitting in a little seaport tavern in Cornwall one winter's evening, over a great fire, with a com-
