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Sarah Orne Jewett - "The Country of the Pointed Firs"

John Tyndall - "Faraday As A Discoverer"

Mr. And Mrs. Haldeman Julius - "Dust"

Robert Louis Stevenson - "New Poems"

John Ingerfield and Other Stories

J >> Jerome K. Jerome >> John Ingerfield and Other Stories




"God bless the man!" cried the Canon, jumping up indignantly, "you
don't mean to say you've come to me at eleven o'clock on a Sunday
night to talk about your lease?"

"Well, not entirely, sir," answered Peters, unabashed; "there's
another little thing I wished to speak to you about, and that's
this"--saying which, he laid the Bishop's bag before the Canon and
told his story.

The Canon looked at Mr. Peters, and Mr. Peters looked at the Canon.

"There must be some mistake," said the Canon.

"There's no mistake," said the landlord. "I had my suspicions when I
first clapped eyes on him. I seed he wasn't our usual sort, and I
seed how he tried to hide his face. If he weren't the Bishop, then I
don't know a Bishop when I sees one, that's all. Besides, there's
his bag, and there's his sermon."

Mr. Peters folded his arms and waited. The Canon pondered. Such
things had been known to happen before in Church history. Why not
again?

"Does any one know of this besides yourself?" asked the Canon.

"Not a livin' soul," replied Mr. Peters, "as yet."

"I think--I think, Mr. Peters," said the Canon, "that we may be able
to extend your lease to twenty-one years."

"Thank you kindly, sir," said the landlord, and departed. Next
morning the Canon waited on the Bishop and laid the bag before him.

"Oh," said the Bishop cheerfully, "he's sent it back by you, has he?"

"He has, sir," replied the Canon; "and thankful I am that it was to
me he brought it. It is right," continued the Canon, "that I should
inform your lordship that I am aware of the circumstances under which
it left your hands."

The Canon's eye was severe, and the Bishop laughed uneasily.

"I suppose it wasn't quite the thing for me to do," he answered
apologetically; "but there, all's well that ends well," and the
Bishop laughed.

This stung the Canon. "Oh, sir," he exclaimed, with a burst of
fervour, "in Heaven's name--for the sake of our Church, let me
entreat--let me pray you never to let such a thing occur again."

The Bishop turned upon him angrily.

"Why, what a fuss you make about a little thing!" he cried; then,
seeing the look of agony upon the other's face, he paused.

"How did you get that bag?" he asked.

"The landlord of the Cross Keys brought it me," answered the Canon;
"you left it there last night."

The Bishop gave a gasp, and sat down heavily. When he recovered his
breath, he told the Canon the real history of the case; and the Canon
is still trying to believe it.

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