rightly looked at, are no more than a sort of permanent
sunbnming ; such wrinkles heighten the stupidity of
stupid faces ; but to a person like Will, with his clear
eyes and smiling mouth, only gire another charm by
testifying to a simple and easy life. His talk was full
of wise sayings. He had a taste for other people ; and
other people had a taste for him. When the Talley was
full of tourists in the season, there were merry nights
in Will's arbour ; and his views, which seemed whimsi-
cal to his neighbours, were often enough admired by
learned people out of towns and colleges. Indeed, he
had a very noble old age, and grew daily better known ;
so that his fame was heard of in the cities of the plain ;
and young men who had, been summer travellers spoke
together in cafh of Will o' the Mill and his rough phi-
losophy. Many and many an invitation, you may be
sure, he had ; but nothing could tempt him from his
upland valley. He would shake his head and smile
over his tobacco-pipe with a deal of meaning. " You
come too late," he would answer. "I am a dead man
now : I have lived and died already. Fifty years ago
you would have brought my hearf^into my mouth ; and
now you do not even tempt me. But that is the object
of long living, that man should cease to care about
life." And again: "There is only one difference be-
tween a long life and a good dinner : that, in the din-
ner, the sweets come last." Or once more : " When
I was a boy, I was a bit puzzled, and hardly knew



■WILL O' THE MILL. 109

whether it was myself or the world that was curious and
worth looking into. Now, I know it is myself, and
stick to that."

*He never showed any symptoms of frailty, but kept
stalwart and firm to the last ; but they say he grew less
talkative towards the end, and would listen to other
people by the hour in an amused and sympathetic
silence. Only, when he did speak, it was more to the
_ point and more charged with old experience. 