still three miles to Boscobel, and that there was slight prospect of getting lodgings there for the night, we concluded that a bird in hand was worth two in the bush, and were glad to turn into "The Bell," the only inn the pair of Tongs have between them; for there are two villages of that name adjoining each other. We found it a very comfortable house, and the host intelligent and ready and able to give interesting information on many subjects of inquiry. Then, although it was a prim two-story brick building in front, it had been set to an unique old cottage house, which perhaps did the state some service in the day and extremity of Charles II, when he was in this neighbourhood. We had the parlour of this little cottage section of the establishment all to ourselves. It had but one window, but that was bowed around the whole of the west end of the room. Then there was a genuine brick pavement for the floor, and the broad beam overhead was but nine inches above the mantel-shelf at the chimney end. On it stood a platoon of well-polished brass candlesticks on each side of their colour-sergeant, which was an old-fashioned crimping machine, or a candlestick of the same height, with its conical extinguisher brought to a right angle with the upright tube, like the top joint of a Thames steamer passing under a bridge. I never saw one before of the kind, and thought it a very simple and admirable
