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They had reached the outskirts of the village Manston insisted upon the flask being emptied before they proceeded further This was done, and they approached the church, the vicarage, and the far

The postht of his lantern some half-dozen letters, and tried to sort them He could not perform the task

'We be crippled disciples a b'lieve,' he said, with a sigh and a stagger

'Not drunk, but market-merry,' said Manston cheerfully

'Well done! If I baint so weak that I can't see the clouds--much less letters Guide eneral of h Parliah-treasoned--as safe as houses--and be fined, and who'll pay for a poor martel! O, 'tis a world!' 'Trust in the Lord--he'll pay' 'He pay a b'lieve! why should he when he didn't drink the drink? He pay a b'lieve! D'ye think theyour feelings--but hoas I to know you were so sensitive?' 'True--you were not to knoas so sensitive Here's a caddle wi' these letters! Guide my soul, ill Billy do!' Manston offered his services

'They are to be divided,' the e, to be carried on into it: any for the vicarage or vicarage farate-post just here There's none for the vicarage-house this mornen, but I sahen I started there was one for the clerk o' works at the new church This is it, isn't it?' He held up a large envelope, directed in Edward Springrove's handwriting:-'MR O GRAYE, CLERK OF WORKS, TOLCHURCH, NEAR ANGLEBURY' The letter-box was scooped in an oak gate-post about a foot square

There was no slit for inserting the letters, by reason of the opportunity such a lonely spot would have afforded e had such been the case; but at the side was a small iron door, kept close by an iron reversible strap locked across it One side of this strap was painted black, the other white, and white or black outwards implied respectively that there were letters inside, or none

The post to insert it in the keyhole of the box He touched one side, the other, above, below, but never ht hit