▁to ▁be ▁fr ustr ated , ▁for ▁though ▁the ▁village ▁could ▁easily ▁be ▁survey ed ▁at ▁a ▁glance , ▁such ▁a ▁c ott age ▁as ▁that ▁del ine ated ▁in ▁the ▁' M inst rel ', ▁with ▁more ▁regard ▁to ▁the ▁ideal ▁than ▁the ▁real , ▁was ▁now here ▁to ▁be ▁seen . ▁In ▁his ▁per plex ity , ▁Mr . ▁Cha un ce y ▁H are ▁Town send ▁in quired ▁of ▁a ▁passer - by ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁Cla re ' s ▁house . ▁The ▁individual ▁whom ▁he ▁addressed ▁was ▁a ▁short , ▁thick - set ▁man , ▁and , ▁as ▁Mr . ▁H are ▁Town send ▁thought , ▁decided ly ▁f ero cious - looking ; ▁he ▁was ▁bes p atter ed ▁with ▁mud ▁all ▁over , ▁and ▁a ▁thick ▁kn otted ▁stick , ▁which ▁he ▁carried ▁in ▁his ▁hands , ▁gave ▁him ▁something ▁of ▁the ▁air ▁of ▁a ▁highway man . ▁To ▁the ▁inten se ▁surprise ▁of ▁Mr . ▁Cha un ce y ▁H are ▁Town send , ▁this ▁very ▁vul gar ▁person , ▁when ▁addressed , ▁declared ▁that ▁he ▁himself ▁was ▁John ▁Cla re , ▁and ▁offered ▁to ▁show ▁the ▁way ▁to ▁his ▁house . ▁Of ▁course , ▁the ▁gentleman ▁from ▁London ▁was ▁too ▁sh rew d ▁to ▁be ▁taken ▁in ▁by ▁such ▁a ▁pal p able ▁device ▁for ▁being ▁ro bb ed ; ▁so ▁decl ining ▁the ▁offer ▁with ▁thanks , ▁and ▁recover ing ▁from ▁his ▁fright ▁by ▁in hal ing ▁the ▁perf ume ▁of ▁his ▁pocket ▁hand