"Well, I'll tell you now how it is," said the stranger, "if you'll permit me. You and your a cousin come in and do us the pleasure of taking some refreshment. I know my sister 'll have her table set out by this time and I'll do myself the honour of introducing you to a these strange roads, afterwards."
"Thank you, Sir, but that trouble is unnecessary cannot you direct us?"
"No trouble indeed, Sir, I assure you, I should esteem it a favour very highly. I I am Dr. Quackenboss, Sir; you may have heard "
"Thank you, Dr. Quackenboss, but we have no time this afternoon we are very anxious to reach home as soon as possible, if you would be so good as to put us in the way."
"I really, Sir, I am afraid to a person ignorant of the various localities you will lose no time I will just hitch your horse here, and I'll have mine ready by the time this young lady has rested. Miss a wont you join with me? I assure you I will not put you to the expense of a minute. Thank you, Mr. Harden! just clap the saddle on to Lollypop, and have him up here in three seconds. Thank you! My dear Miss a wont you take my arm? I am gratified, I assure you."
Yielding to the apparent impossibility of getting anything out of Dr. Quackenboss, except civility, and to the real difficulty of disappointing such very earnest good will, Fleda and Hugh did what older persons would not have done alighted and walked up to the house.
"This is quite a fortuitous occurrence," the doctor went on. "I have often had the pleasure of seeing Mr. Rossitur's family in church in the little church at Queechy Run and that enabled me to recognise your cousin, as soon as I saw him in the wagon. Perhaps, Miss a you may have possibly heard of my name? Quackenboss I don't know that you understood "
"I have heard it, Sir."
"My Irishmen, Miss a my Irish labourers, can't get hold of but one end of it they call me Boss ha, ha, ha!"
Fleda hoped his patients did not get hold of the other end of it, and trembled, visibly.