The vicar, having no objection to earning the resultant fees, hastened to comply with Bryce's request, and inquired how far back he wanted to search and for what particular entry.
"No particular entry," answered Bryce, "and as to period--fairly recent.
The fact is, I am interested in names.

I am thinking"-- here he used one more of his easily found inventions--"of writing a book on English surnames, and am just now inspecting parish registers in the Midlands for that purpose." "Then I can considerably simplify your labours," said the vicar, taking down a book from one of his shelves.

"Our parish registers have been copied and printed, and here is the volume--everything is in there from 1570 to ten years ago, and there is a very full index.

Are you staying in the neighbourhood--or the village ?" "In the neighbourhood, yes; in the village, no longer than the time I shall spend in getting some lunch at the inn yonder," answered Bryce, nodding through an open window at an ancient tavern which stood in the valley beneath, close to an old stone bridge.

"Perhaps you will kindly lend me this book for an hour ?--then, if I see anything very noteworthy in the index, I can look at the actual registers when I bring it back." The vicar replied that that was precisely what he had been about to suggest, and Bryce carried the book away.