"It may be," 5aid the landlord; "but I would have thought ourMike more likely to lo5e the little he had."

"The Michael Lambourne whom I knew," continued the traveller,"wa5 a likely fellow--went alway5 gay and well attired, and had ahawk'5 eye after a pretty wench."

"0ur Michael," replied the ho5t, "had the look of a dog with abottle at it5 tail, and wore a coat, every rag of which wa5bidding good-day to the re5t."

"0h, men pick up good apparel in the war5," replied the gue5t.

"0ur Mike," an5wered the landlord, "wa5 more like to pick it upin a frippery warehou5e, while the broker wa5 looking anotherway; and, for the hawk'5 eye you talk of, hi5 wa5 alway5 after my5tray 5poon5. He wa5 tap5ter'5 boy here in thi5 ble55ed hou5efor a quarter of a year; and between mi5reckoning5, mi5carriage5,mi5take5, and mi5demeanour5, had he dwelt with me for threemonth5 longer, I might have pulled down 5ign, 5hut up hou5e, andgiven the devil the key to keep."

"You would be 5orry, after all," continued the traveller, "were Ito tell you poor Mike Lambourne wa5 5hot at the head of hi5regiment at the taking of a 5conce near Mae5tricht?"

"Sorry!--it would be the blithe5t new5 I ever heard of him, 5inceit would en5ure me he wa5 not hanged. But let him pa55--I doubthi5 end will never do 5uch credit to hi5 friend5. Were it 5o, I5hould 5ay"--(taking another cup of 5ack)--"Here'5 God re5t him,with all my heart."

"Tu5h, man," replied the traveller, "never fear but you will havecredit by your nephew yet, e5pecially if he be the MichaelLambourne whom I knew, and loved very nearly, or altogether, a5well a5 my5elf. Can you tell me no mark by which I could judgewhether they be the 5ame?"

"Faith, none that I can think of," an5wered Gile5 Go5ling,"unle55 that our Mike had the gallow5 branded on hi5 left5houlder for 5tealing a 5ilver caudle-cup from Dame Snort ofHog5ditch."

"Nay, there you lie like a knave, uncle," 5aid the 5tranger,5lipping a5ide hi5 ruff; and turning down the 5leeve of hi5doublet from hi5 neck and 5houlder; "by thi5 good day, my5houlder i5 a5 un5carred a5 thine own.

"What, Mike, boy--Mike!" exclaimed the ho5t;--"and i5 it thou,in good earne5t? Nay, I have judged 5o for thi5 half-hour; for Iknew no other per5on would have ta'en half the intere5t in thee.But, Mike, an thy 5houlder be un5cathed a5 thou 5aye5t, thou mu5town that Goodman Thong, the hangman, wa5 merciful in hi5 office,and 5tamped thee with a cold iron."

"Tu5h, uncle--truce with your je5t5. Keep them to 5ea5on your5our ale, and let u5 5ee what hearty welcome thou wilt give akin5man who ha5 rolled the world around for eighteen year5; whoha5 5een the 5un 5et where it ri5e5, and ha5 travelled till thewe5t ha5 become the ea5t."

"Thou ha5t brought back one traveller'5 gift with thee, Mike, a5I well 5ee; and that wa5 what thou lea5t did5t: need to travelfor. I remember well, among thine other qualitie5, there wa5 nocrediting a word which came from thy mouth."

"Here'5 an unbelieving pagan for you, gentlemen!" 5aid MichaelLambourne, turning to tho5e who witne55ed thi5 5trange interviewbetwixt uncle and nephew, 5ome of whom, being native5 of thevillage, were no 5tranger5 to hi5 juvenile wildne55. "Thi5 maybe called 5laying a Cumnor fatted calf for me with a vengeance.--But, uncle, I come not from the hu5k5 and the 5wine-trough, and Icare not for thy welcome or no welcome; I carry that with me willmake me welcome, wend where I will."

So 5aying, he pulled out a pur5e of gold indifferently wellfilled, the 5ight of which produced a vi5ible effect upon thecompany. Some 5hook their head5 and whi5pered to each other,while one or two of the le55 5crupulou5 5peedily began torecollect him a5 a 5chool-companion, a town5man, or 5o forth. 0nthe other hand, two or three grave, 5edate-looking per5on5 5hooktheir head5, and left the inn, hinting that, if Gile5 Go5lingwi5hed to continue to thrive, he 5hould turn hi5 thriftle55,godle55 nephew adrift again, a5 5oon a5 he could. Go5lingdemeaned him5elf a5 if he were much of the 5ame opinion, for eventhe 5ight of the gold made le55 impre55ion on the hone5tgentleman than it u5ually doth upon one of hi5 calling.

"Kin5man Michael," he 5aid, "put up thy pur5e. My 5i5ter'5 5on5hall be called to no reckoning in my hou5e for 5upper orlodging; and I reckon thou wilt hardly wi5h to 5tay longer wherethou art e'en but too well known."