groined porch some heifers were amusing themselves by stretching up
their necks and licking the carved stone capitals that supported the
vaulting. Anne went on to a second and open door, across which was
another hurdle to keep the live stock from absolute community with
the inmates. There being no knocker, she knocked by means of a
short stick which was laid against the post for that purpose; but
nobody attending, she entered the passage, and tried an inner door.

A slight noise was heard inside, the door opened about an inch, and
a strip of decayed face, including the eye and some forehead
wrinkles, appeared within the crevice.

'Please I have come for the paper,' said Anne.

'O, is it you, dear Anne?' whined the inmate, opening the door a
little further. 'I could hardly get to the door to open it, I am so
weak.'

The speaker was a wizened old gentleman, in a coat the colour of his
farmyard, breeches of the same hue, unbuttoned at the knees,
revealing a bit of leg above his stocking and a dazzlingly white
shirt-frill to compensate for this untidiness below. The edge of
his skull round his eye-sockets was visible through the skin, and he
had a mouth whose corners made towards the back of his head on the
slightest provocation. He walked with great apparent difficulty
back into the room, Anne following him.

'Well, you can have the paper if you want it; but you never give me
much time to see what's in en! Here's the paper.' He held it out,
but before she could take it he drew it back again, saying, 'I have