it is hardly ne cessaty to say that m dllarville carried with him to the tomb the mysterious secret of this voluntary death which he had me ditated with as much sang froid as gene rosity so that no one could have the slightest suspicion of the true cause of this suicide


as to his resolutionan incurable despair had dictated it


my death alone can dissolve these ties it must bei shall kill myself


and this is the reason why


dlharvillo had accomplished this melincholy sacrifice


chapter xviii


la ooualeusz in prison


the prison of saint lazare is specially appropriated to female offenders


it is daily visited by ladies whose ciharitieo and social position command the respect of all


those ladies who with good reason are classed among the most elevated in society come every week to pass long hours with the miserable prisoners of saint lazare


when they observe in these degraded beings the least aspiration after virtue or regret for a past crime they encourage re pentance and by the powerful magic of these wordsduty honor virtue some times rescue from the depths of degrada tion many of these abandoned despised ruined beings


ignorant of the terrible drama that was passing at home madame dharville had gone to this prison


she was received with kindness by the director and by seve ral lady inspectresses


madame armand the inspectress who had remained alone with madame dhar ville possessed to an extreme degree an insight into the character of the pri soners her judgment was of paramount authority in the house


she said to clemence since you have been kind enoughto request me to point out those of our inmates who merit your interest i believe i can recommend an un fortunate whom i think more unhappy than culpable for i donot think i deceive myself in affirming that it is not yet too late to save this young girl a poor child of seventeen years at most


sand for what has she been confined she is guilty of being found in the champs elysees in the evening


the in spectors of police recognized her as a person who went by the name of la goualeuse and who lived ii a tapis franc in the citd from which she was absent for two or three months


i t


but perhaps she left paris tb endeavour to reinstate herself


i think so madame


i felt at once in terested in her


i interrogated her as to the past i asked if she came from tihe country telling her to be of good cheer if as i hoped she wished to return to the paths of virtue


swhat did she reply lifting on me her large blue niclancloly eyes full of tears she said in a tone of an gelic sweetness i thank you madiime for you kindness but i cannot speak of the past i have been arrestedi was wrong i do not complain


i enquired where she had been but she only replied i entreat you madame do not interrogate me i cannot answer you


notwithstanding the extreme sweetness of her voice and look there is at times in her accent in her atti tude a kind of sorrowful pride which con founds me


i should almost think that this pride shows a soul conscious of its eleva tion


some further conversation took place respecting la goualeuse at the close of which madame armand said another girl i would recommend to your notice is one who arrived this morning accused of theft


never have i heard anything more touching


the father of the poor unfortu nate is become insane from grief on learn ing the shame of his child


it appears that nothing could be more frightful than the poverty of his family who liveo in a wretched garret in the rue du temple


the rue du temple cried madame dharville astonished


what is the name of the family morel


her name is louise morel


this poor family has been recommended to me said clemence but i was far from expecting to hear such terrible news


before we give the conversation between la goualeuse and mnadame d harville we will relate that during her confinement marie had by her gentle manners and be coming conversation succeeded in bringing a fellow prisoner named la louve to a sense of the degraded condition ini which she was placed this would not have been considered of so much importance but that la louve was generally acknowledged to be one of the most ferocious and desperate characters confined in st lazare


marie was conversing with this girl when ma dame armand told her that a lady wished to speak with her


the inspectress entered with la goua


leuse the room where clemence was the pale cheeks of the young girl were slightly flushed


spleased with the excellent account i have given of you said the inspectress sthis lady desires to see you and perhaps will obtain permission for you to leave here before the expiration of your time


clemence was struck with the beautifil features of her protegee and her graceful and modest bearing


my child said clemence in praising much the sweetness of your disposition and exemplary propriety of conduct madame armand complains of yourwant of confi


dence in her


marie held down her head without re plying


the marchioness continued i have no right to your confidence my poor child i wish to ask you no improper questions only i am assured that if i ask your re lease from prison it will be granted


la goualeuse was affected to tears


she said after a moments thought you deign madame to show yourself so benevolent that i ought perhaps to break the silence which i have


preserved as to the past i have sworn to conceal from justice anid the persons employed in this prison in what manner i have been


brought here yet if you will madame make me a pro niseto keep my secret i can relieve some respectable people who doubtless are very uneasy about me


count on my discretion i will only tell what you authorise me to say oh


thank you madame i feared that my silence towards my benefactress would look like ingratitude


the sweet tears of marie her chosen language struck madame dharville with renewed astonishment


i cannot conceal from you said she that your bearing your words all astonish me much


how with an education such as you appear to have had how could y ou


fall so lowp said la goualeuse bitterly it is but a short time since i received it


i owe it to a generous protector who like you madame without knowing me with out ever having the favorable accounts they have given you here of me took and sent me to a farm in the country


but how haveyou abandoned this farmp alas it was not voluntarily madame


one night a short time since i went to the pnrsouage of the village when a wicked woman who had treated me cruelly in my childhood and a man her accomplice threw theoiiselves upon me wrapped me up and carried me off in a carriage


and lor what purpose


do not know madame


my waylayers were acting i think under the orders of some powerful persons


swhat then ensued


hardly had the vehicle moved than the bad woman whose name was la chouette cried have got some vitriol i am going to wash the face of la goualeuse to disfigure her


low horrid unfortunate child i and what saved you from this danger


the accomplice of this woman a blind man called the maitre decole


he defended you


i


yes madame on this occasion and on another


this time a struggle ensued be tween him and la chouette


availing himself of his strength he forced her to throw out of the window the bottle which contained the vitriol


the night was very dark


in an hour and a half the carriage stopped


a man on horseback was waiting for us well said he have you got her at last


yes we have her answered la chouette


if you wish to get rid of her i will stretch her on the roaddrive the wheels of the carriage over her headshe will look as if she was run over by acci dent


dno


this is frightfull salas


madame la chouette was well capable of doing what she said


happily the man on horseback saidthat he did not wish to harm me that it was only neces sary to keep me shut up for two months in some place where i could neither get out nor irite to any one


then la chouette proposed to take me to a man called bras rouge who kept a tavern with several sub terranean chambers one of them la chon ette said could answer for my prison the man on horseback accepted this proposi tion


i we continued our route towards paris


a short time before we arrived at the gates the maitre decole said to la chouette you wish to shut up la goua leuse in one of the cellars of brasrouge you know very well that these cellars in winter are always inundated


do you wish then to drown her i


yes answered la chouette


the maitre decolo answered i i will not have her drowned


but what do you mean to do with her tlen


cried la chonette


since she mustbe put out of the way for two months


there is a way said the maitre decole we are going to the champs elysees we will stop the car riage near the guardhouse you will go to brasrouge at his tavernit is midnight you will find him there bring him with you he will take la goualeuse to the police station and declare she is a vagrant whom we found in the


champs elysees


she will be sent to saint lazare where she will be as well concealed as in the cellar of brasrouge


but replied la chouette she will tell all she will de nounce us


no answered the maitre decole she must swear that she will not denounce us she owes this to me but if after having sworn she should denounce us we will put the farm at boqueval to fire and blood


and you have sworn alas


yes madame


and you lent yourself to the designs of these monsters


yes madame i was so much alarmed


la chouette went to seek brasrouge he took me to the guardhouse saying he found me roving about his inn i did not deny it i was brought here


but your friends at the farm must be very much alarmed


alast madame in myfright i didnrot reflect that my oath would prevent me from informing them now it gives me much pain but i believe that without breaking my oath i can beg you to write to madame georges to have no uneasiness about me without telling her where iam


i my child these precautions will become useless if at my recommendation you are pardoned tomorrow you shall return to the farm without having broken your oath


smon dieul madame how can i have merited so much kindness on your part


how can i show my gratitude


sby continuing to conduct yourself as you have done


madame armand entered suddenly with an alarmed air


madame am grieved at the message i have to deliver to you


the due de lu cenay is belowhe comes from your house madame


smon


dieu


i you frighten me what is it


i am ignorant madame m de luce nay learned from his wife that you were here and he came in all hasle


oh i in mercy take me to m de lu cenay cried madame dharville going out quite bewildered and followed by madame armand


chapter xxi


mode amltnican experiences


martin takbs


a lalltneit


and makes a pdk ciak some account of lidkn


as it appeared on iamn


also of the ilkitish lion


also of the kind of sympathy professbd akd enter tained


hy the watehtoabt


associa


tion of united sympathizers


the knocking at mr pecksniffs door thougli loud enough bore no resemblance whatever to the noise of an american railway train at full speed


it may bewell o begin the present clmpwr with this frank admission lest the reader should imagine that the souuds now deafening this historys ears have any con nection with the knocker on mr pecksniffs door or with tho great amount of agitation pretty equally divided between uiat worthy man and mr pinch of which its strong er formauce was the cause


mr pecksniffs house ib more than a thousand leagues away and again this happy chronicle faab liberty and moral sensibility for its high companions


again it breathes the blessed air of independence again it con templates with pious ave that moral sense which renders unto cajsar nothing thai is his again inhnles that sacred atmosphere which was the life of him oh noble patriot with many followers i who dreamed pf freedom in a slaves embrace and waking sold her offspring and his own in public markets


how the wheels clank and rattle and the tramroad shakes as the train rushes on i


and now the engine yells as it were lashed and tortured like a living labourer and writhed in agony


a poor fancy for steel and iron are ol infinitely greater account in this common wealth than flesh and blood


if the cunning work of man be urged beyond its power of en durance it has within it the elements of its own revenge whereas he wretched mechan ism of the divine hand is dangerous with no such properly but may be tampered with and crushed and broken at the drivers pleasure


look at that engine i it shall cost a man more dollars in the way of penalty and up and satisfaction of the outraged law to deface in wantonness that senseless mass of metal than to take the lives of twenty human creatures


thus the stars wink upon the bloody stripes and liberty pulls down her cap upon her eyes and ownb oppression in its vilest aspect for her sister


the enginedriver of the train whose noise awoke us to the present chapter vae certainly troubled with no such reflections as these nor is it very probable that his mind was disturbed by any reflections at all


he leaned with bided arms and crossed legs against i lie side of the carriage smoking and except when he expressed by a grunt as short as his pipe his approval of some particularly dexterous aim on the part of his colleague the fireman who beguiled his leisure by throwing logs of wood from the tender at the numerous stray cattle on the line he preserved a composure so immovable and nn indifference so complete that if the locomotive had been a suckingpig he could not have been more perfectly indifferent to its doings


notwithstanding the tranquil state of this officer and his unbroken peace of mind the train was proceeding with tolerable rapidity and the rails being but poorly laid the jolts and bumps it met with


ill its progress were neither slight uor few


there were three great caravans or enrs at tached


the ladies car the gentlemens car nnd tlie car for negroes the latter painted black as an appropriate compliment to its company


martinaud taploy were in the first as it was the most comfortable and being far from full received other gentlemen who like them were unblessed by the society of ladies if their own


thev wire fipntpi


side bv side unit were engaged in earnest conversation


and so mark said martin looking at him with an anxious expression and so vou are glad we have left new york far behind us are you v yes sir said mark


i am


precious glad


were you not jolly there asked martin


on the contrary sir returned mark


the jolliest week as ever i spent in my life was that there week at pawkinss


what do you think of our prospects


on quired martin with an air that plainly said he bad avoided the question for some time


uncommon bright sir returned mark


impossible for a place to have a better name sir than the walley of eden


no man couldnt think of settling in a better place than the wallcy of eden


and im told added mark after a pause as theres lots of ser pents there so we shall come out quite com plete and reglar


so far from dwelling upon this agreeable piece of information with the least dismay marks face grew radiant as he called it to mind so very radiart that a stranger might have supposed that he liad all his life ieen yearning for the society of serpents and now bailed with delight the approaching consumma tion of his fondest wishes


who luld you that asked martin very sternly


a military officer s id mark


confound you for a ridiculous fellow


cried martin laughing heartily in spite of himself


what military officer


you know lliey spring up in eery fieu as thick as scarecrows in england sir interposed mark which is a bort of militia themselves being entirely coat and wescoat with a stick inside


ha ha dont mind me its my way sometimes


i cant help being jolly


why it was one of them in wading con querors at pawkinss as told me


am i rightly informed he says not exactly through his nose but as if hed got a stoppage in it very high up that youre a going to the walley of eden


i heard some talk on it says i oh


says he if you should ever hnppcn to go to bed there you vuiy be says


in course of time as civilisation progresses dont forget to take an axe with you


i looks athini tolerable hard


fleas


says i and more says he


musquitoes perhaps


what more


says i snakes more says he rattlesnakes


youre right to a certain extent stranger there air some catawampous chauers in the small way too as graze upon a luman pretty strong but dont mind tliem theyre com pany


its snakes he says as youll object to ami whenever you wake and see one in a upright poster on your bed he says like a corkscrew with the bundle off a siltin on its bottom ring cut him down for he means wenom


why didnt you tell me this before


cried martin with an expression of face which set off the cheerfulness of marks visage to great advantage


never thought on it sir said mark


it come in at one ear and went out at the other


but lord love us he was one of another com pany i dare say and only made up the story tbnt we might go to his btlcn and not the theres some probability in that observed martin


can honestly say that i hope so with all my heart


ive no doubt about it sir returned mark whe full of the inspiriting influence of tht anecdote upon himself had for the moment forgotten its probable effect upon his master anyhow we must live you know sir


live cried martin


yes its easy to say live hut if we should happen not to wake when rattlesnakes are making corkscrews of thumsclvcb upon our beds it may not be so easy to do it


and thats a fact said a voice eo close in his ear thai it tickled him


thats dreadful true


martin looked round and found that a gen tleman on the seat behind had thrust his head between himself and mark and sat with liis chin resting on the tack rail of their little bench entertaining himself with their conver sation


he was as languid and listless in his looks as most of the gentlemen they had seen his cheeks were so hallow that he seemed to be always sucking them in and the sun had burnt him not n wholesome red or brown but dirty yellow


he had bright dark eyes which he kept imlf closed only peeping out of the corners and even then with a glance that seemed to say now you wont overreach me you want to but you wont


his arms rested carelessly on his knees as he leant for ward in the palm of his left hand as english rustics have their slice of cheese be hud a cake of tobacco in his right a penknife


he struck into the dialogue with as little reserve as if he had been specially called in days before to hear the argument on both sidesand favour them with hib opinion and he no more contemplated or cared for the possibility of their not desiring the honour of iub acquaint ance or interference in their private affairs than if he had been a bear or a buffuio


that he repeated nodding condescend ingly to slurtin as to an outer barbarian and foreigner is dreadful true


dam all manner of vermin


martin could not help frowningfora moment as if tie were disposed to insinuate tliat the gentleman bad unconsciously darned him self


but remembering the wisdom of doing at home as ilomnns do lie smiled with tlie plensnntest expression lie could assume upon so snort a notice


their new friend said no more just then being busily employed in cutting a quid or plug from his cake of tobacco and whistling softly to bimself the while


when he had shaped it to his liking he took out his old plug and deposited the same on the back of the seat between mark and martin while tie thrust tlie new one into the hollow of his cheek where it looked like a large walnut or tolerable pippin


finding it quite satisfactory he struck the point of his knife into the old plug and hold ing it out for their inspection remarked with the air of a man who had not lived in vain that it was used up considerable


then he tossed it away put his knife into one pocket and his tobacco into another rested his chin upon the nil ns before and approving of the pattern of martins waistcoat reached out his land to feel the texture of that garment


to be eontinucd


i


the


mysteries of paris


continued


rodolphestunned by the blow fell almost iifelrss at the foot of the staircase


the maitre decolo dragged him to the en trance of a second and still deeper cellar pushed him in and closed the door


which was very thick and studded with iron he then rejoined la chouctte to go with her to commit the robbery by themselves in the allee des veuves


an hour elapsed before rodolphe came to himself and found that


he was lying upon the ground amid profound darkness on stretching out his arms he felt the stone steps and finding his feet cold and wet he moved them and perceived that they were immersed in water


he slowly recovered from his fainting fit and found that happily none of his limbs were frac tured


hie listened


nothing could be heard but the sound of water gurgling and dripping around him


the water increased until it covered his ankles


his fears were awakened


he comprehended at length his situation


the seine was swelling from the late rains and this cellar was beneath the level of the river


his danger recalled birr to himself


he mounted the damp staircase and arrived at the top threw him self against the door


in vain he tried to break it open imnimoveable and firm with is bars of iron his efforts were fruitless


the terrible thought now burst upon him that the maitre decole and la chouette had gone alone to the house in the allee des veuves his own house


where the pretended robbery was to have been com mitted and might have already assas sinated his household including his old friend


sir walter murphy the thought was frenzy


the water continued to rise


standing near the door his head touched the top of the vault he could calculate how long his agony would last and how slow silent and frightful would be his death


the rats driven by the water had fled from step to step in vain attempts to es cape


finding it difficult to hold on by the walls they clung to the garments of ito dolphe


when he felt them swarming about him his disgust was inexpressible


he tried to drive them away but their cold and sharp bitescovered his hands with blood


pure air began to fail the first symptoms of suffocation attacked him the arteries of his temples began to beat with violence his head swamlie was on the brink of death


he raised one last prayer to god ere his consciousness closed


the water boiled around his ears the last ray of reason was about leaving him for ever when hurried steps resounded above the door of the cellar


hope ani mated his ding strength and he could just hear these words the last he could comprehend you see therois nobody here thunder


i it is true answered sadly the voice of the chourineur and the footsteps retreated


rodolphe felt as if he were annihilated he could sustain himself no longer and slipped from the staircase


suddenly the door of the cellar was openedfrom without the water flowed out as if from a sluice and the chourineur could just seize the two arms of rodolphe who half drowned had convulsively clung to the sill ot the doorway


snitched from acertain death and carried to hlis own house rodolphe was placed in bed


e


a negro of middling size with a white woolly hend clothed with great neatness stood at


his bedside and held in his hand a gold minute watch which he seemed to consult as he counted the pulse of ro dolphe sad and pensive he regarded his patient with the most profound solicitude the chlourineur stood at the foot of the bed with his arms crossed his red shaggy beard was dripping with water and his hard and bronzed features wore an un wonted expression of pity and interest


e watched the contemplative attitude of the doctor and seemed to draw from it an ill omen he enquired in a low tone will it be long before he recovers his strength doctor


thunderl i wish he could beatis convalescence on my back it would do tim good wouldnt it doctort after some time rodolphe slightly moved his hands


good


i good


he is aroused from his torpor said the doctor he will soon be out of danger


saved bravol vive la chartel cried the chourineur in the explosion of his joy


b


but you must be quiet


yes doctor


the pulse improves wonderfully


thunder


when he knows silence


sbut doctor


stake a seat


you worry me and dis turb the patient in the name of heaven remain quiet said the doctor in a tone of impatience


and seating himself in an arm chair he leaned his head on his hands


the chourineur less on account of fatigue than to obey the doctor todk hold of a chair with the greatest precaution and turned it upside down with a perfectly assured air intending to seat himself mou defstly on the hack so as to soil nothing


unfortunately qulte unacquainted with the laws of gravity as he sat down the chair overturned and stretching out his hand he pulled over a stand on which was a salveri with cups and saucers


at this formidable noise the black sprang from his chair and ltodolphe also startedt up in bed looked round with anxiety and enquired where is sir walter murphyvl


ly lord he is now sleening it would be dangerous to disturb him


aih i you deceive me he is deadl


my lord knoits that i am incapable of telling a falsehood


i affirm that he is livingbadly wrounded it is true but his cure is almost certain


but how did all this happen said ro lolphe interrupting him


who took me rom the cellar where i was drowning p i have a confused recollection of having heard the voice of the chourineur was i snictaken i


no the brave man is here and can tell you all about it my lord


llut where is hie


lthe doctor looked around for the awk ard nurse wvho confused at his fall ihad hidden himself behind the curtain of the bed


theree e is


cried the doctor looking quite confused


come here my good friend said ro dolphe stretching out his hand to his pro esver


conio sit down and tell me all


lhds did you discover thue cellar


ilut first what of the maitre decole


r


he is here in safety said the blark physician


he and la lhouettetied like two bunches of tobacco


from the pretty faces they make they must cordially hate each other just now


but how did you arrive in time my good fellow t said rodolphe to the chou rineur


if you wish monsieur rodolphe i will begin at the beginning


i listen


the chourineur recounted the various interviews he had with the maitre decole and his partner and stated that he had zone to the scene of the pretended rob bery in order to come to rodolphes assist ance in case he should be needed


i looked oit for my hiding place


said the chourineur a little tavern only ten steps from the door of your house


i took possession of the lower floor and seated myself near a window


i ordered some nuts and some drink saying that i expected some friends a humpback and a tall wo man


i had a complete view of your door


it rained trem ndously no one passed night came


i was nt the window crack ing my nuts and drinking my wine when through the fog


whom should i see but la chouette with that little imp tortillard


good thinks i it begins to grow warm


tortillard hid himself right opposite the door as if he was getting shelter from the rain he was on the watch


i reflected a minute


from seeing tor tillard i concluded that you and the maitre decole were at brasrouges


la chouette i thought had come to spy and i said to myself the affair willthen come off to night


rodolphe thinks it will take place to mor row


he is then kept in the dak


he is done for


i must go to brasrouges


yes but if during this time the maitre decole should come


ill go and warn monsieur murphy


yes but that little vermin tortillard is on the look out hell give la chouette warning


that will spoil all


and besides perhaps rodolphe has arranged for tonight


thunder my brain whirled with these conjectures i was confounded


i knew not what to do


i went out the fresh air cooled me


i tookoff my blouse and cravat and went straight to the burrow of tortil lard


i took the imp by the neck he kicked and scratched and squalled


i tell you


i wrapped him in my blouse making a bag of it by tying the sleeves and fasten ing the whole with my cravat just leaving room enough to breathe


seeing a sort of garden surrounded by a low wall i threw tortillard into the middle of a flowerbed


he grunted like a pig but at two steps off he could not be heard


i climbed one of the large trees opposite your door


ten minutes afterwards i heard steps approach ing all the time it was raining cats and dogs and so dark that the devil would have trodeon his own tail


i listened it was la chouette


tortillard i todillard i whispered she


it rains and he has got tired of waiting said the maitre decole swearing


give me she pincers and the cold chisel it was then my blood began to boil


just as the maitre had forced the door i jumped from the tree and pounced upon lla chouette


silenced her with a blow


she fell without a whimper


i ran into the garden thunder it was too late


poor murphy


i hearing the noise at the door he had come out of the vestibule and clos ing with the housebreaker they rolled to gether down the steps


although wounded he kept himself firm and did not cry for help


ipitched right into the affray catch ing hold of the maitre by one leg


vive la chartel i cried it is i the chourinier


room for two


murphy enquired what had become of rodolphe


ilknew nothing about him i answered


this scoundrel perhaps has killed him


and i hugged the maitre decole tighter for he was trying to stick me with his skewer but i was lying with my breast on his arm i called to murphy


since we have got him we must keep him here thunder


go and seek for assistance i will try to hold him


make haste ill wait for you


i remained alone with the maitre decole


we were half on the ground half on the last step of the porch


ihad my arms around his nedkcheek against cheeki could hear his teeth grind


it was dark and raining but the lamp in the vestibule gave us a faint light


i had one of his legs between mine


notwithstanding his muscles were so strong that be would raise us both a foot from the ground


he tried to bite but he could not


never did i feel so strong


thunder


my heart beat but in the right place


i recollected what you had said about courage and honour


i felt it was true


was just thinking so when i aw la chouette on the step with her round eye and her red shawl


i thought i had the nightmare


the maitre decole called to her i have dropped my knife pick it upthereunder him and strike


after searching some time she saw the poniard and sprang to get it


i was lying lat on my breast and fetched her such a kick with my heel that unset her but she soon raised herself ard fell upon me


i could do no more


i clung still to the neck of the maitre decole but i began to be faint when i saw three or four fine fellows well armed running down the steps


they seized my two antagonists and secured them


that was not all


i recollected you monsieur rodolphe


iremembered also thie tooth of poor gonaleuse


i jumped on lachouette and catching hold of her arm gave it a twist sayingwhere is riodolphep


she would not speak


at the second twist she cried at brasrouges in the cellar of the bleeding heart good


in passing i stopped to pick up tortillard from his bed it was all in my road


i lookedthere was nothing left but my blouse he had gnawed it with his teeth


i reached the bleeding heart and jumped at the throat ofi brasrouge


where is the young man who came here tonight with the maitre decole


dont squeece so hard and wiill tell you


they wanted to play a trick on hinm and shut him in my cellar we will go and let him out


we descendedno one there


lie must have gone out when my bacl was turned said brasrouge you see thelre is no one there j was about going sadly away when by ithe light of thie lantern i saw another door


si ran and opened it and received a famous jet deau right in my fiae


i saw your teo arms in tie air


fished you out and brought you here on my back as there was no one to go aiid call a coach


thats all monsieur rodolphe and i can say


with nut boastlig that i am most proudly con tent


owe you my life said rodolphe it is a debt and i will pay it be assured in many ways


a fashionable novel


in three chapters chapter i the horrible suspicion a year ago i was walking in green wich park


it was on a sunday


but then had been dining at the trafalgar the preceding day with the ministers and was still suffering from the whitebait and wellingtons inexhaustible humour


i was going up the hill and involuntarily agreeing with thepoet bunn how hard it is to climb when i saw in the distance the form of lady seraphina podgkinson


but might i not be mistaken


might not the whitebait of which i had partaken so largely still affect my vision


i recon noitered still closer


yes


it was her chan tilly veil and swanlike neckher cambric handkerchief with sp and a rose bud worked in hair in the cornerher lace mantilla and classic shouldersher cin derellalike footstep and silk stockings her very self


but no


i would not be lieve my eyes


she who was the toast of every messroom the fashionable frontis piece of every book of beauty the laura of every keepsake petrarch the thou of every sonnet the heroine of every bet and songshe whose stall at a fancy fair took more money in a day than the pan theon does in a weekshe of whom sir jeremiah snobs said that when she was absent from hydepark the ring had lost its brightest jewelshe the proud beauty who had made a favour of going to al macks and never went to the opera ex cepting on a tuesday to be seen in green wich park on a dimanche


she who never appeared in public without halfadozen of the very best blues one to cary her pockethandkerchief another her vinaigrette another her poodle and so on till each captain had a something which lie might dangie and cherishto be discovered walking by herself amongst the nursery maids and the sunday swans and edgars of the metropolis


impossible


the ab surdity was too intense for belief i would not credit such an improbability for a moment on the part of one who had pre sented me only on my last birthday with a magnificent pair of bead braces


but what did i see


by all that was false and jilting in woman she had on the very mousseline de laine i had brought her from paris


it was the very same sprigthe identical heartsease lacerated with thorns a pattern too indicative alas of my own unhappiness


i needed no further corroboration


my brain polkaed backwards and forwards and then waltzed giddily round and i felt vastly like one who had lost all his money at cards and is conscious for the first time what a fool he has been


i rushed madly away but could not help taking a farewell glance before i turned my back upon her forever


would i had been blind for then i should not have witnessed with my burning eyes the perfidious aristocratic seraphina giving her arm to a sixfoot ser jeant and taking an orange from his berlin fingers


oh


chafteb iithe


terrible accusation


i had burnt my braces


i had t deavoured to purchase forgetfulness of seraphinas falseness in a box of fullflavoured havannnhs


i had smoked them every one


but no


i could not get those six feet of military anatomy out of my head nor wipe away from be


fore my eyes that sylphlike form of mous seline de iine


i was a miserable man i got fatallowed my hair to grow as it likedneglected my once dear mustachios drank beerlet my whiskers run riot went about actually without strapsin fact did not care what became of me


my friends left me one by one ministers even went to greenwich without me


i cried like a pump as i was


but this agony could not last long


i managed at length after several attempts to go down to brighton


seraphina was there


i called upon her


i dont know why but it was an uncontrollable impulse that carried me to kemp town made me lift the lions head and give a footmans vulgar rattattat that must have been heard on the chainpier


the lovely creature evidently did not know me is that you


she said show ing her beautiful white teeth i thought you had gone into the spanish legion


i could not say n word for i noticed that she had on the very mousseline de laine which had never left my side since our fatal meeting in greenwich park


she talked as usual and played a little sang a little gave two or three shtchis to a red worsted turk fed her canary wa tered her hyacinths till at last losing all patience she turned round to me more like a meg merrilees than anything else and said with a stinging voice the very essence of pins and needles pray sir what is the matter with you this morning


you are as lively as a prize comedy


one word with you lady sera phina i said without betraying more emotion than i could help i am un happy more unhappy than i would dare trust my lips to reveal


the wretched ness i have lately known may it never be your lot to experience


there is a secret i burn to unbosom to you


it has poisoned the spring of my whole exist ance turning that which was more than nectar to my thirsting heart into the bitterest gall


but how can i lay hare my breast to you


your looks how ever encourage me


tell me lady podgkinson tell me dearest seraphina as you value the adoration of a captive heartand i fell on my trembling kneestell me i implore youwith these tears i beseech yon were you not two months ano in greenwich park walking with a sergeant of the guards


never shall i forget the indignant look


but not a word escaped her quivering lip


she simply rang the bell and as the pom pous flunkey swam into the room quietly said will you see if lieutenant dum mies cab is at the door


i rose from my knees and for the first time in my life felt ashamed of myself ah


ah chapter iii


the mysterious dis covery


i was killing a month at ramsgate till my hair had resumed its rowlandlike luxuriance and having nothing to do in despair i took up the newspaper


good gracious what did i see


a police report in which the name of my wellbeloved serpphina was mentioned


i involuntarily ground my teeth as i thought of her per fidy but still i could not control myself against unconsciously reading the follow ing bow streetmary huggins a washer woman was charged with having on several occasions worn the dresses of her customers


it was proved that she had worn at greenwich on two distinct occasions a handsome mousse lina de laine of the lovely lady podgkinson of alfredstreet may fair


several gentlemen came forward and complained warmly of the indignity and the very great annoyance their families had been subjected to in consequence of the innumerable contretemps that had arisen from mrs duggins wearing their daughters dresses at such places as little chelsea rosh erville the white conduit and battersea tea gardens


the cases wore clearly established and the prisoner was c c c


i started up like a madman


so then the figure i had seen on sunday in greenwich park was not my seraphina but morely the mockery of her elegant selfthe mere inanimate clothes that helped to adorn her poetical person


how i laughed at myself


to mistake a wash erwoman for her who had not her equal on the earth


not to distinguish the native dignity of a lady podgkinson from the innate soapsuds of a mary duggins


oh jealousy


what nincompoops you make of the wisest men


the following day i was in the arms of my dearest seraphina


she quizzed me dreadfully scolded me inquired how many bumpers of prussic acid i had drank and the following day sent me a curious little packet which con tained halfadozen of the genuine bears grease imported from the north pole by sir john ross


could i mistake such undeniable proofs of affection


i should have been a malthus a martineau a stone a mummy a dummy if i had not made lady podgkinson the partner of my joys and lieutenants pay


i have now a snug little box near black heath and whenever i want a hearty laugh i stiroll into greenwich park and show my wife the identical spot where i saw her dividing the orange with the i ife guardsman


she smiles and taps me play fully with her pink parasol what a funny world we live in if people would only think so


hi


il tfis st o a feather


jbuiittf mnrt


a story from posch


chapter xii lu continued from our last


the countess blushrose and her babe slavery of st


jamessgarricks bromeo


beg jouladyshipspardonbut will your ladyships good nets allow a word with your ladyship


v


thus spoke mrs pillow the housekeeper following the countess from the apartment and her ladyship by a motion of thehead implied consent io the petition


shall never forgive myself never till my dying day said mrs pillow immediately she found herself closeted with the countess


what has happened now pillow asked her ladyship listlessly


matter your ladyship i well was there ever such a kind forgiving mistress i


im sure my lady


but here the grow ing emotion of the housekeeper broke forth in short quick sobs


another robbery i suppose said the countess with affected resignation


by no means my lady answered mrs pillow


now susans gonenot that she shall leave the house my linly before her boxes are well tumbledid answer with my life for the honesty of all us well


snid the countess in n fretful tone and imme diately the housekeeper knew she must be brief


but your ladyshipand here the tears trickled down mrs pillows face like raindrops down a windowpane when think of my own assurancemymymy morse than that in busting in as i did before your ladyship and my lord well well see tis not repeated


i suppose it was your zeal for thats it your ladyship thats it


i thought if that hussy saving your presenceonly had the first word for first words with a braten face go io farshe might deceive your ladyship and like her impudence he would come to youbut then what do such trollops know hnt providence really madeem for


then i followed her your ladyshipand there she would stand in the hall your ladyship trying to cry and aggravating me past christian flesh and blood with her assurance


and then


ioh my lady characters such a jewel and makes us forget whats proper io ourselves and our betters


and mrs pillow concluded this fragmentary sentence with a new supply of rolling teardrops


that will dono morethat will do said the countess and her lips almost broke into a forgiving smile


magical was their effort upon the housekeeper for mrs pillow wiped her face which on the instant was smooth passionless and glossy as a fabe of ornamental china


air


inglewood leaves us said the countess


i am not surprised at that my lady if susan goes


her ladyship turning quickly round bent a haughtily inquiring gaze upon her servant


mrs lillow felt she had been too abrupt


that is i dont think susan would have stayed long after him


his reverence once gave the girl a prayerbook my lady well would your ladyship believe it the wench was always a reading that book


i always thought it strange my lady still i hoped it was nothing but religion


hut when people turn thieves and rob such a sweet babyoh your lady ship what a darling darling lamb his lordship is i so quiet too


i im the worst of sinners if he doesnt cut his teetli like any blessed spirit


this energetic praise of ibe baby seemed to touch the maternal instincts of the countess for suddenly remembering that she had a child she said let his lordship be brought to me i would fuin pass over the emotion of such a mother


the hiihonas btoilkht the mother kissed her childkissed it as a she was about to return it into its nurses arms when the fretful i creatureit seemed wasting and pining an offering prepared for deaththrew out lu tiny band ena fined ha ongera in its mothers bair whining and pulling willi all its little strength


take him way cried the countess with a slight laugh


i thethe little rebel


and as the babe was borne to the nursery the mother turned quickly to a mirror and arranged a few disordered raven threads delicately tenderly as though they were vital as her heartstrings


what knew such a mother of ber child


she had heard its first nilthat inconvenience she could not avoid


it was trdm that moment divorced from her cures


it grew not beneath her eye taking its hourly life from her she never knew that sweet communion when nature touches every nerve to tenderest music still drawing forth new love repaid by love increasing by dawning consciousness by looks of brightening knowledge by fitful broken murmuring deep with a sense of brooding joy by all that interchange of mother love and baby happiness and more by all those pulses of the soul which in the thrilling present assure the blissful future


the coun tcss saw her child but at stated intervals she knew she was a mother only by the clock


her sole offspring was her beauty that sbe nursed that she watched that she tended that with every furtive glance she with deep affection worshipped


for her child that was entombed in her face


it was this that to my thought made her hideously lovelythat threw the cankerous aspect of the witch upon the features of a goddess


of all i have known the court s stood apart


whilst in the possession of her ladyship i saw all to bo seen


of the high world


drawingroomsassembliesballsthe opraall the shifting scenes all the beautiful and brilliant things that make what is called society


i have seen true nobility of heart add lustre to the jewel ou its breast i have seen the man of birth whose great ancestors were to bim as continually present whose memories were as protecting angels denying aught of mean or low or selfish to approach the sane i urary of his soul men with hearts and minds sneetened and purified by that everlasting fragrance breathing from good and great mens graves


and i have seen the caitiff whose stars and trinkeis like blazoned coffinplates glittered on nothing biitcorruption men with souls dead and noisome in moving carcases with indignation did i first behold them with scorn and a fierce hatred


i called fortune filthy names and arraigned directing fate of gross venality


this was the passion of very ignorance


since i have seen the world in its many inequali ties hav known and seen how much the selfish lose in what they deem intensity of gain i have looked upon them with compassionwith a deep mute pity


poor small things infinitely small in their imagined greatness men who like the maggot in a nut feed and grow gross in darkness unwitting of the world of light and beauty without that petty shell of self that circles them


i bave seen too woman in her sweetest noblest aspect a thing of highest thoughts and deepest tenderness still elevated made softer still by ministering tastes almost refined aivay from eartha creature priceless and unpurchaseable as the angels


i yet have i seen her soldbartered paid for with golden guineaswith tinkling titlewith flashing coronet i have heard something of the slavemarkets of cairoof alex andria tales of snowskinned georgians and circassiansof fairest victims ended by avarice to lust


tile tales were touchingvery very touching


but hearing them


i have smiled attbe wilful ignorance the smug selfcomplacency of vritonsi have smiled and remembered me of the slave markets of saint jamess what i cries the reader and his lip turns slightly purple with indignation st jamess i yes sir saint jamess i


i have seen blue eyes pink cheeks scarlet lipssolday as you would sell a nosegayfathers and


mothers luring on the customer but having by a bishop who ball bless the bargain


there is this difference between the rgwand the british merchandisea smalt circle bf gold j win about it no moro


h ave


i not seen creatures with sirspbfc looksbeings tw in real loveliness of form ni


aspect in living harmony of gesturehate almost made the tmagtniitlijn btjren bve i not seen them sold to some para ltc plutussome halfpalsied earl


nonot sold they


rare married


their parents made for them good matches they were married in a churchmarried with all the honours


thetirlti tijot a mery peallook at the bride ber colour j oiertipssihd her lip shakes like a rdseleaf in thewirid


ffiabrhjlifriyet and at ibe steps from the carriage the j earth whirls about her


is that the churchdoor


surely it j entmtiofatoibb


she ghuwith closlllpsrntttely in ber ewttung ocirt


ww raises hr ywsb


strs her fathers stony face glittering with a trnhva ttatne in the sun beholds her mothers simperher weight of great con tent she jurnsmore horrible than alland catche then the look of him in some brief minutes to be made her owner he smiles and her heart dies at his panlike leer


well they are married t


the bargain is completedthe receipt a marriage certificate is duly passed


the happy couple start for his lord ships hall


an ox is roastedbutts of ale are tappedall is joy and rioting among his lordships happy people happy too i the happiest of the happiest is his lordships self


i


what an excellent match for the bride


how many praise the wisdom the policyof her parents i how nobly they have done their duty by her


is it not proved by after years


does not her ladyship make an immaculate wife


is she not chaste as iceland snows


can even midnight drunkenness dare to pass a jest upon her


is she not a pattern of all the choice proprie ties


truevery true


her father and mother are proud of the matchproud of the spotless virtue of their daughter


and she is virtuous


she may with most serene defiance think of westminster hull but what has her prudent father to answer what her most politic mother to reply to that harlotry of soul they have forced upon herto that inevitable daily falsehood hich they have made her actto that constant liethat agonizing ulcer eating in her heart most eating when a smile is flickering at her lips


is she not a white slavea christian slavea bondwoman bodght in a st jamess drawingroom albeit wedded after at st jamess church


have heard of omen slaves toiling in ricegrounds heard of the planters whip winding like whetted steel around poor womans form of these things have heard


but i have seen white slaves in carriageshave known the agonies inflicted on them by the scourge of their own mind by the worm preying in their hollowing temples by the very quietude of their despair


these scene i mingled inthese things i saw whilst in the possession of lady blushrose


have however trespassed by a long digressionhave again committed my usual fault of wandering from the direct line of my story


let me hasten to return to it


some three months after i uns stolenno taken is the word from the palace the earls infunt the heir of his house fell ill very


am somewhat uneasy about edward said the earl to his wife who as drest for the theatre im sure hes looking a great deal bettera great deal answered the countess pressing her little finger to li beauty patch which threatened to full from her chin


but if you think it necessary why not send lor doctor wilson


madam and the earl slightly coloured alter your con duct to the doctor this morning i really have not tho courage to send for bim


conduct was not the man insolent did he not accuse me of i fear madam his great offence washe told the truth answered the earl


doctor wilson is doubtless a man of the worlda shrewd man and passes off brutality of manner thal some people may mistake it for the independence of genius


for my part i have no very high opinion of bim


did ho not say that i should kill the child


the wretch kill itbecause i had not nursed it myself


has the mau no feeling


did not all my friends say that i should bring myself to the grave if did nurse it


and you yourself know my constitution


yes madam answered the enrl gravely i have often ondered at its excellenceoften too after the labours of the cardtable at four in the morning


now do not let us quarrel


you shall not spoil my even ingthat i um determined


have made a party with lady dinah to see garricks borneo have not yet seen it and really one might as well be out of the world


you might have accompanied me


i know the time


and the countoss acted s little pouting smilethat to have seen romeo and juliet with meha


well well marriage turns the poetry of hope into the very prose of reality


and you golosee girricks romeo


asked his lordship sadly


im told its delicious so full of fueling


answered the countess lordship with a soraphic smile


tne nari raised lit yen to his wife


still sha smtlad and i held forth a fairy palm


the earl sighed and taking his wifes hand as he would have taken a thistle led her to the carriage


j to bo continued


how i stood fob the dreep daily burghs


from blackwood edinburgh magasine


hateb


theoeil morning whilst dressing i beard a blithe voice carolling on the stair


as the orison of margaret hinkie as he descended lo the break fastrooin


i listened and caught the following verses o iiaud away frae me she said


i pray you let me be i hae you the shares yu held my lord what time ye courted me


tis womans weird to luve and pine and mans is to forget hold you the shares lord james she said or hae ye sold them yet


my york extensions bought at par i i sold at seven pund prem


and o my heart is sair to think i had nae mair of them i that is really a remarkable girl thought i ns


i stropped my raaor


such geuiussuch anima tion aod such a thorough knowledge of the market


f


she would make a aplendid wife for a rail way director come away mr dunsbunnersaid the provosl as i entered the parlour


i hope ye are yaup for ye have a lang days vrurfc before ye


i amsure it would be an agreeable one sir if accompanied with such sweet music as i heard this morning


pardon me


miss binkie but you really are u perfect sappho


you are too good i nat sure mr duusliuuiier


will you take tea or coffee


maggie stiid the provost i maun put a stop to that skirlingits well eneuch for the night bul the morning is the lime for business


mr dun bunuer ive been thinking over this job of ours and hare isabil lillie of the maisl influential persons io dreepdaily that you must positeevely see this day


they wad be affronted if they kenned ye tere here without calling on them noo mark me i dinna just say that ouy o them is the folk


ye ken o but its no ava unlikely sue ye mann even use yerain discretion


tuk an auld mans word for it and aye pul your best fit foremost


acquiesced in the justice of the suggestion although i was really unconscious which foot deserved the precedence


the piovostcontinued just ae word mair


promising isa cheap thing and ye needoa be very sparing of it


ifonybody peaks to je about a guagerahip or a place iu the customs or the postotlice just gie ye a bit wink lak out your notebook and make a mark wi the keeluvine pen


it nye looks weet anti gangs as far as a downright promise


deny or refuse nuebody


let them think that ye can do everything wi the ministry und if lhere should happen to be u whaup in the rape let them even find it out theirsells


tell them that ye stund up for dreepdaily and its auld charier and the whig constitution and liberal principles


maisl feck o them disua ken tv lint liberal principles is bul they like the word


i whiles think that liberal principles means saying mackie and doing naething bul you ueediia tell them that


the whigs are langheaded chiels and they line had the sense to cluini a the liberality to themsellit ever since the days o the reform bill


such and suihlike were the valuable tnuniuis which provost binkie instilled into my mind during the progress of breakfast


i inusfsay they made a i strong impression upon me and any candidate who may hereafter come forward for the representation of a scottish burgh on principles similar to my own would do well to peruse aud remember them


at length i rose to go


do


i carry your good wishes along with me miss binkif on roy cauvass


most cordially mr dunshunner i shall be perfectly miserable until i learn your success i can assure you of ray supper and earnestly niall i was an elector


enviable would be the member of parliament who could represent so charming a constituency i oh mr dunshunner


directed bj the provosts lia i set forth in search of my constituency


the first elector whose shop i entered was a draper of the name of mauslao i found bim in the midst of his tartans


mr mauslan i presume ay was the curl response


allow ne to introduce myself sir


my natue is dunshunner


oh


you are probably aware sir flint i am a candi


i date for the representation of these burghs


ay i hope and irust mr mauslan that my principles are such as meei with your approbation


majbe


i am a friend sir to civil and religious liberty to dreepdaily and its charterto the old whig constitution of and to the true interests of the people


weel


confound the fellow thought i was there ever such an insensate block


i must bring him to the point at once


mr mauslan i continued in a very iusinualiog tone such being my sen timents may i teoture to calculate on your support


theres twa words to that bargain replied mauslan departing from monosyllables


any further explanation thal may be required j am sure will readily


its nae use


how said i a good deal alarmed


is it possible you are already pledged


no


tbeu what objection


i made naue


i see ye dinoa


ken us here


the pears no ripe yet what peart asked i astonished at this horti cultural allusion


hark ye said mauslan looking stealthily around bim and for the first time exhibiting some marks of intelligente in his features hark je hae ye teen toddy tam jet


mr gills


not yet


i am just going to wail upon bim but provost binkie has promised me his apport


wha cares for provobt binkie


gang to toddy tam


not one other word could i extract from the oracular mauslan so like a pilgrim i turned my face towards mecca and sallied forth in qurt of ihisallimportant personage


on my way however i entered the bouse of another voter one shank a member of the town council from whom i received equally unsatisfactory replies


he like matmlan pointed steadily towards toddy tam


now who and what was the individual who by the common consent of his townsmen bad earned so honourable an epithet


mr thomas gills had at one time been a clerk in the office of the departed linklater


his function was not strictly legal nor eniifiurd to the copying of processes it had a broader und wider scope and waa exercised in a more congenial manner


lu short mr gills was a kind of provider for the establishment


his duties were to hunt out busi ness which he achieved lo a miracle by frequenting every possible publicbouse and wringing from ibem amidst their cup the siorieb of the wrongs of his computalors


wo to the wight who sale down for an afternoons conviviality with toddy tam


before the mixing ofthe fourth tumbler lite ingenious gills was sure to elicit some hardship or grievance for which benignant themis could give redress and rare indeed was the occurrence of the evening on which be did not capture some additional clients


he would even go the length of treating his victim when inordinately shy amil the fatal mandate was given and retraction utterly impossible


such decided business talents of course were not overlooked by the sagacious laurence linkluter


gilla enjoyed a large salary the greater moiety of which he consumed in alcoholic experiments and shortly before the decease of his patron he was pro moted lo the lucrative and easy office of some county registrarsliip


he now began to cultivate con viviality for its own especial sake


it was no longer dangerous to drink with bim for though from habil he continued to poke into grievances he never on the following morning pursued the subject further


bul what was most remarkable about toddy tam was his independence


he never truckled to dictation from any quarter but whilst biakie and the rest were in fear and terror of the clique ha openly defied that body and dared them to do their worst


he waa the only maa in dreep daily who ventured to say that tom grilla was right j


oiloo he bad made aod he further added that ifhelaoas gills had bean in the town pmocii the worthy and patriotic baker should not have wanted a seconder


tal waa considered a vary daring speeeb ad oa likely lo draw dona the vengeance ofthe unrelenting junta but lim thunder slept in the cloud and mr gills enjoyed himself us before


i found him in his buck parlour in company with a very rosy individual


although it was not et noon a case bottle omi glasses were onlhe table and the whole uparlmeut stuuk abo minably with the fumes of whisky


sit in mr dunsbuuner sit in said toddy tam in a lone of great cordiality after i had effected my introduction


yell no hue had your morning yet


lass bring in a clean glass for the gentleman


i hope you will excuse me mr guis


i really never do


hootsnonsense i ye maun be neighbourlike ye henwe a expect it at dieepduily


and so saying toddy tam poured me out a full glass of spirits


i had as lie ve have swallowed iuk but i was forced lo constrain myself and bolt it


j


av and so ye are coming round to us as a can didate ure je


what de think othat


mr tbamson hae ye read mr dunshuiiuei address f the rubicund individual chuckled leeietl and rose tu go bul toddy turn laid a heavy baud upou hin shoulder


sit ye down man he said ive naelhing to say to mr duimhunner that the hail warld may uot bear nor him to me neither i hope


certainly liol suid i and i really should feel it as a great obligation if mr thomson would be kind enough to remain


thats right lad i shouted gills


nae hole andcorner work for me a fair und nhuue board and ihe dell fly away with the clique


i hid thomson been an ordinary man be probably would have pi own pale ut this duthie objurgation us ii wuf he fidgetted in his chair and his fuco became a shade more a


weel no continued toddy tam let us hear what mr dnnshunuer has got to say for hiiniel


theres naelhing like hearing opinions before we put ony questions


y thus adjured i wnt through the whole of m political confessiou of faith laying of course du stress upon hie great and glorioua revolution of ig and my devotion lo the cause of liberality


toddy tam and his cumpuuion heard tue to be end without interruption


gudesae fur gude mr dunidiunner said gills i see little lo ohjetk to in your general principles but for a thal im no going lo pledge inysel until i ken mair o ye


i hopesir thal yere using nae underbuild influencethal there has been nae communing willi the clique a body that i perfeckly abominate


dreepdaily shall never be made a pucket burrow solong as thomas gills has un influence in it


i assured mr gills what wns the naked truth that i had no knowledge whatever of the clique


ye set mr duiisbuimer continued toddy tam we ure a gey and independent sort of people here and we want lo be independently represented


my gude friend mr thnmaon here can tell you that have bud a suir fecht against seel et influence and i um umuist feared that some men like the provost owe me n grudge for ii


hes a pawkie looa the provost and kens brawly how to play his cards


hes a that ejaculated thomson


but i dinna care a snuff of tobacco for the baili of the town council or the clique


gnu me a mun of perfeck independence und ill support him


i voted fur the last member air against my con science for he was pul up by the clique and never caine near us but i hope better things i rae you mr duusliuiiner if jon bliould happen to be returned


mind i dont say that i am going to support yei niauu think about it but if yu uro a good mau and a true und no ii nominee i dare say that both my gude frcend thumson and tuysrll will no ohjeck lo lend you a helpinghand


this was ull i could extruct from toddy tam and though favourable it was fur from being sali factory


there was a want from some cause or uuother of that cordial support which i had been led lo anticipate und i almost fell lialf inclined lo abandon the emu prise altogether


however after having issued my address this would have looked like couurdice


i therefore diligently prosecuted my canvass and contrived in the course of the day to eucouuter a great portion of the eleclots


very few pledged themselves


some surly independents


lefused puiiitblnnk alleging that they did not intend to vote al nil others declined lo promise uotil they should know how toddy tam and other magnates were likely to go


my only pledges were from the sworn retainers of the provost


well mr dunahunner what success cried miss margaret binkie as i relumed rather jaded from my circuit


i hope you have found all the dreepdaily people quite favunrahle


why no


miss liuikie not quite so much


so us i could desire


your townsmen here seem uncom monly slow la muking up their minds to any thing


oh that is always their way


i have heard papa say illili the same thing look place at last election ami thal nobody declared for mr whistle ligg amil the very evening before the nomination


so you nee you must not i use heart


if my visit to dreepdaily should have no other result miss minkie i shall always enteern it one of ihe most fortunate passages of my life since it has given me the privilege of your acquaintance


oh mr diinshuiiner i how can yon speak so


i nm ufruid


you are a great flatterer i replied miss binkie pulling al the same time a sprig of geranium to pieces


but you look tiredpray luke a glass of wine


ity nu means miss binkle


a word from you is a siiflicient cordial


happy geranium i said i picking up the petals


now i know very well that all this sort of ihing is wrong mid that a niau ha no business to begin flirtations if he cannot see itis


way to the end of them


at the sume lime i hold the individual who dislikes fliituilotib lo be a fool and sometimes lliey are utterly irresistible


no mr dunbhiinner i do beg yon wont


pray sit down on the ufa fnr i am sure you ure tired and if you like lo lisien i shall sing you a little ballad


i have composed today


i would rallier hear you siug than an angel said i but pray do not debar me the privilege of standing by your side


just hs you please and margaret began to rattle away on the harpsichord


o nhatir hae ye been augustus my son whaur hae ye been my winsome young man


hae been to the votersinitiier muk my bed soon for im weary wi canvassing and lain wad lay me doun


o whaur are your plumpers augustus my son


o whaur aro your split votes my winsome young man


they are sold to the cliquemilder muk my bed soon for im weary wi canvassing and fain wsd lay me doun


ol fear ye are cheated augustus my son o i fear ve are dune for my winsome young man i


i hae been to my true love i could stand this no longer


channing cruel girl i cried i dropping on one kneewhy will you thus sport with my feelings r where else


should i seek for roy true love but here


i dont know what might have been the sequel of the scene lind not my good genius in the ahupe of mysie the servant girl at this moment burst into the apartment


alisa binkie with great pre sence or mind dropped her handkerchief which afforded me an excellent excuse for recovering my erect pobition


mtie was the hearer of a billet addressed lo myself and marked private aud particular


i opened iiund read us follows sirsome of those who are well disposed towards you have arranged lo weet this night aud are


desirous of h private interviewal which full and mutual explanations may be given


it may he


right lo mention to you that the question of the currency will form the babis of any political ar rangement and it is expected thal you will then be


prepared io stale explicitly your views with regard to bullion


something more than pledges upon this subject will be required


as this meeting will be a strictly private one the utmost secrecy must be observed


be ou tbe bridge at eleven oclock this night and you will be conducted lo ihe appointed place


do uot fail as you value your own interest


yours etc


shell out


who brought this leller mysie said i cou


siderably flustered at ita contents


a laddie


he said ibera was nae answer and ran awa


no bad news i hope mr duoshunoer said mageret timidly


i looked ai misa binkle


her eye was lill sparkling and her cheek flushed


she evidently waa annoyed at the interruption and expected a renewal of the conversation


but i felt that i had ion qnite far cooaga if mi a little beyond the lins of prudence


it is easy lo make a declaration but remarkably difficult to back out of it and i began to think that upon the whole i had been a little loo precipitate


on the plea therefore of business i emerged iuto the open air and during a walk ui a couple of miles held secret commun ing with ujvaelf


here you are again dunshunner my fine iel low pulling your foot into it as usual i


if it had not been for the arrival of the servunl you would have been an engaged mun ut this moment and auddled willi a fatherinlaw in the shape of a veider of roolubses


besides it is my private opinion thut


yon tloiit care sixpence about the girl


but it is the old story


this is the third lime silice christmas thal you have been on the point of cuniraitling miitrimony and if you dont look sharp ufler yourself jou will be sold an especial bar gain i now frankly and fuirl do you no uukoov ledge yourself lo be nu idiot


did


men ure generally very candid and open in their confessions to themselves bud hie glaring absurdity of my conduct was admitted without any hesitation i resulted to mend my waytac cordingly mid to eschew for the future nil lte lles willi the loo fasciuuting maggie binkie


thut poiut disposed of i relumed lo the myslerious inibsive


to say the truth i did not uiuih like it


hud these beeu the das of burking i should have ctileitained sume slight personal apprehension bul us there was no such danger i regarded it either ami hoax or as some electioneering tuse the pur pose of which i fjuuld no fathom


however as it is never wise tu throw uway auy chance i de termined to keep the uppointment und if a metung really were held to give the beat expla nations in my power lo my euriespoiidetii mr shell out uutl hu filends


in this mood of mind i returned lo the provosts dwelling


the duiner ihutduy wus not mo joyous b before


old binkie questioned me very closely as to the lesult of my visits and seemed chagrined tint toddy tam had uot beeu more definite in his promises of support


ye iiiuuii hae tam said lite provost


he disnaliko the clique hope naehodys listening nor the clique him but he stands weel withe inde pendent and the seceders will go wi him lo a man


we cunna afford to lose gills


ill send owr for


bim and see if we cannu talk him inio reason


haiih though well need mair whiskey for tam r quires un nuco deal of slockeniug i tam however proved to be from home and therefore the provost and i were left io our accus tomed duet


ho complained grievously of my abstemiousness which for divers reasons i thought it prudent to observe


an extra tumbler might again have made miss hin uie u cherub


iu my eyes


i am afraid that hie joung lutly thought me ii very changeable person


when the provost fell asleep she allowed the conversation to languish until it reached that uwlul degree of pause which usually precedes the popping of the question


bul ibis lime nug ou my guard and held out willi heroic stubbornness


i did not even launch out upon the bubjiut of poetry which maggie rallier cleverly introduced for there is a decided aflinily beivveen the gay science und tlie tender passion and it is difficult lo preserve indiffrieiice when quoting from the loves of the aunis


thought it sufei lo try metaphysics


it is not easy tu extract an amorous avowal even by implication from a discourse upon the theory of consciousness and halter rujoelf that kuti if lie could hate heard me thut evening would hiive returned home with some novel lights upon the subject


miss binkie seemed lo think that might have selected a more congenial theme for she presently exhi bited symptoms of peliishiiess took up ii book und applied herself diligently to the perusal of ti popular treatise upon knittiug


shorlly nlterntirds lim provost awoke and his daughter look oecusion to retiic


she held out her hand lo nie with rather a reproachful look bul though sorely templed i did not indulge ia a squeeze


thiits a line lassiea very fine lassie


re maiked the provost as he severed a welch rabbit into twiiiu


ye are no a family mau yet mr dunshunner ami ye ina be canna comprehend what u connon she has been to me


im auld nuw and a lliuclu failing bul ii is a great relief tome to keu thut when i am in my gi ave maggie winna be lucherless


iv laid up a braw nestegg for herower at ihe bunk yonder


i of course coincided in the praise of miss binkie but aliened so little curiosity as to the cumenib of the indicated egg that the provom thought proper io enlighten nie and hinled at eight thousand pounds


it in my positive belief that the worthy mun expected an immediate pro posai if so lie was pretty egregioiisly mistaken


could uot however afford at this particular crisif to offend him und accordingly stuck t generals


as ihe hour of meeting was approaching thought it necessary to acquaint him with the message had received in order lo account for my exit al so unseasonable a time


its verra oddmil the provosl very odd i a dreepdaily should be in their beds by this time ami i cunna think lliete could be a meeting without me hearing of it


its just the reverse o constitutional to keep folk trailing ubool the fun at this lime onicgbt und the brig is a queer place for a tiyst


you du not surely apprehend mr binkie that lhere is any danger


no just that but youll no be the waur o a rung


ooy gail ill send to saunders caup the tnuiioflicer to be on the lookout


if ooy b dy offers lo harm ye be sure ye cry out and saunders will be up in a ciutk


hes as stieve as steel und un auld waterloo man


as a considerable o u ni her of years has elapsed birnie the last great european conflict i confess that my confidence in the capabilities of air


caup as in ally was inferior lo my belief in his prowess


i i therefore declined the proposal but iiecepled the weapon ami after a valedictory tumbler with my host emerged into the durkened street


chapter iv


in our next


j


mlaster plumtnbegs ioitac personal adventures of master


humphrey tub old curiosity isocuapter lk


when they reached the notarys which tbey were not long in doing for they had encountered the dwarf in a bye street at a very little distance from the house mr brass dismounted and opening the coach door with a melancholy visage requested his sister to accompany him into the office with the view of preparing the good people within for the mournful intelligence that awaited them


miss sally complying he desired mr swiveller to ac company them


so into the office they went mr sampson and his sister arminarm and mr swi yeller following alone


the notary was standing before the fire lin the outer office talking to air


abel and the elder mr garlandwhile mr chuckster sat writing at the desk picking up such crumbs of their conversation as happened to fall in his way


this posture of affairs mfr brass observeci through the glass doer as


he was turning the handle and seeing that the notary recognised him he began to shake his head and sigh deeply while that partition yet divided them


sir said sampson taking off his hat and kissing the two forefingers of his right hand beaver glove my name is brassbrass of bevis marks sir


i have had the honour and pleasure sir of being concerned against you in some little testament ary matters


how do you do sir


my clerk will attend to any business you may have come upon mr brass said the notary turn


ing away


thank you sir said brass thank you i am sure


allow me sir to introduce my sisterquite one of us sir although of the weaker sexof great use in my business sir i assure you


mr richard


air have the goodness to come forward if you please


no really said brass stepping between the notary and his private office towards which he had begun to retreat and speaking in the tone of an injured man really sir i must under favour request a


word or two with you indeed


to mr brass said the other in a decided tone i am engaged


you see that i am occepied with these gentlemen


if you willcommunicate your business to mr chuckster yonder you wtill receive every attention


gentlemen said brass laying his right hand


on his waistcoat and looking towards the father and son with a smooth smile gentlemen i appeal td you really gentlemen consider i bleg of you


i am of the law


i am styled gentleman


by act of parliament


i maintain the title by the annual pay ment of twelve pounds sterling


for a certificate i am not one of your players of music stage actors writers of books or painters of pictures who assume


a station that the laws of their country dont recog nise


i am none of your strollers or vagabondsi if any man brings his action against me he must de scribe me as a gentleman or his action is null and void appeal to you is this quite respectfult really gentlemen


well will you have the goodness to state your business then mr brass said the notary


sir rejoined brass i will


ahmr


with erden i you little know thebut i will not be tempted to travel from the point sir


i believe the name of and of these gentlemen is garland


of both sail the notary


indeed rejoined brass cringing excessively but i might have known that from the uncommon likeness


extremely happy i am sure to have the honour of an introductions to two such gentlemene although the occasion is a most painful one


one of you gentlemen has a servant called kitit both replied the notary


is two kits i said brass smiling


dear me i one kit sir returned mr witherdenangrsly who is employed by both gentlemen


wihatof him


this of him sir rejoined brass dropping hi voice impressively


that young man sir that i havefelt unbounded and unlimited confidence in and always behaved to as if he was my equalthat young man has this morning committed a robbery fa my office and been taken almost i the fact


this must be some falsehood


cried the notary sit is not possible said mr abel


ill not believe one word of it exclaimed the old gentleman eu lir


brass looked mildly sound upon them and rejoined


mr witherdensir your words are actionable and if i was a man of low and mean standing wh couldnt afford to be slandered


i should proceed for damages


howsever sir being what i am i merely scorn such expressions


the hones warmth of the olier gentlemen i respect and i mtruly sorry to be the messenger of such unpleasant news


shoisldnt haveput myself in this painful positioni i assure youbut that the lad himiself desired to be brought hire ho the first instance and i yieldesliu his prayers


mr chuckater sir will you have lbs goodness to tap at cthe wlunow


for the constable thats svaiting in the coach te threo gentleman looked at eacr


other willh blank faces vvlen these words wero uttered


tq


mr cliuckater


dolng as lie way desired and


leapiognce his stool with stimsethtng of the etcitetmentof a inspired prophet whose foretellings had in thieftall nasa of time been realised


hield the door oesionfor the entrance of the wrotelhed captive


suet a scene as there was svhirn kit time in and buratitng into slit rude eloquence with which truth at angth insplred hincalled lheasen to witness that he wasttnocent and that how the property came to be found upon him he knew not


such a confusion of tongues before the circumstauces were related and the pioofs disclosed


such a dead silence whein all was told and his three friends exchanged looks of doubt and amazement


is it not possible said mr witherden after a long pause that this note may have found its way into the list by some accident such as the removal of papers on the desk for instance


i


but this was clearly shown to be quite impossible mr swiveller though an unwilling witness could not help proving to demonstration from the position in which it was found that it must have been designedly secreted


its very distressing


said brass immensely distressing i am sure


when lie comes to be tried i shall be very happy to recopnmenitl dim to mercy on account of his previous good character


i did lose money before certainly but it doesnt quite follow that he took it


the presumptions against him strongly against him but were christians i hope


l i suppose said the constable looking round o that no gentleman here can give evidence as to whether hes been flush of money of late


do you happen to know sir t


he has had money from time to time certainly returned mr garland to whom the man had put the question


but that as he always told see was given him by mr brass himself


yesto be sure said kit eagerly


you can bear me out in that air


eli t cried brass looking from face to face with an expression of stupid amazement


the money you know the half crowns that you gave mefrom the lodger said kit


o dear me i cried brass shaking his head and frowning heavily


this is a bad case i find a very bad case indeed


what did you give him no money on account of anybody sir asked mr garland with great anxiety


i give him money sir returned sampson


oh come you know this is too barefaced


constable my good fellow we had better be going


what shrieked kit


does lie deny that he did


ask him somebody pray


ask him to tell you whether he did or not did you sir asked the notary


i tell you what gentlemen replied brass in a verygrave manner hell not serve his case this way and really if you feel any interest in him you had better advise him to go upon some other tack


did i sir


of course i never did


gentlemen cried kit on whom a light broke suddenly master mr abel mr witherden every one of youlie did it


what i have done to offend him i dont know but this is a plot to ruin me


mind gentlemen its a plot and whatever comes of it i will say with my dying breath that he put that note in my hat himself


look at him gen tlemen


see how lie changes colour


which of us looks the guilty person he or i


you hear him gentlemen said brass smiling


you hear him


now does this case strike you as assuming rather a black complexion or does it not


is it at all a treacherous case do you think or is it one of mere ordinary guilt


perhaps gentle


men if lie had not said this in your presence and i had reported it youd have held this to be impossible likewise eh


with such pacifc and bantering remarks did mr brass refute the foul aspersion on his character but the virtuous sarah moved by stronger feelings and having perhaps a more jealous regard for the honor of her family flew from her brothers side without sany previous intimation of her design and darted at the prisoner with the utmost fury


it would undoubtedly have gone hard with kits face but that the wary constable foreseeing her design drew trim aside at the critical moment and thus placed air


chuckster in circumstances of some jeopardy for that gentleman


happening to be next the object of miss brasss wrath and rage being like love and fortune blind was pounced upon by the fair en slaver and hada false collar plucked up by the roots and his hair very much dishevelled before the exertions of the company could make her sensible of her mistake


the constable taking warning by this desperate attack cod thinking perhaps that it would be more satisfactory to the ends of justice if the prisoner was taken before a magistrate whole rather than in small pieces led him back to the hackneycoach without more ado and further insisted on miss brass becom


ing ass outside passenger to which proposal the charming creature after a little angry discussion yielded her consent and so took her brother samp


sons place upon the box mr brass with some reluctance agreeing to occupy her place inside


these arrangements perfected they drove to the justice roiom with alt speed


folloived by the notary and his tiwo friends in another coach


mr chuckater alono was left behind greatly to his indignation for he jmeld the evidence he could have given relative to kits returning to vvork out she shilling en be so very material as bearing upun his ifypocaitiral and designing character that be considered isa auppres


sion little better than a conapromise of felony


at she justice room they found the single gentle


man who had gone straight there and was expecting them wvith desperate impatience


bus not fifty single genlehemen rolled into one coald hase helped poor kit who in half an hour afterwards was committed fos trial ansi sas assured by a friendly otlicer on his wvay to prisons that there was no occasion to be case down for she sessions isould soon be on and he would in all likelihood get his little efiair di


posed of and be comfortably transported in less than a fortnight


ito ye comstssinne


chapter vi


im very lonely now maxy


for the poor make no newfriends and therefore do we better love the few our father sends


farewell


to the ieish emiobaht


time passed on bringing little varia


tion to the monotony of kates life


in her eyes the prospect from their win dows became daily more desolate as the tall foresttrees were felled and their branches piled np ia heaps for burning where the work of clearing was farther advanced the blackened stumps and scorched grass looked dismal enough by day at night they blazed brightly for winter was approaching and it was safe to begin burning off


fanny was interested an her husbands plans for improving his farm


her gentle selfishness had suffered most of the annoyances of housekeeping to de volve upon kate


she was a careful and affectionate mother and found em ployment and anxiety in her nursery


kate felt the want of companionship more even than she had anticipated


an invitation to spend the day at the par sonage was gladly welcomed by her


hr


cresner was an enthusiast in his favourite pursuits and though his dis course might sometimes wander into regions beyond the comprehension of his hearers his zeal and earnestness made much of it highly interesting


he liked kate


she admired bis geological spe cimens listened to his lectures and pro mised to read his book when be should find time to write it


it was determined that the excursion should be made by water as the par sonage was like aylmers cottage on the banks of the mar uah but on the opposite side


the day passed plea santly but mr cresner had so much to shewhis vineyards his olives his wil low walk the view from one hill the remarkable roex embedded in another j that the ladies were already very tired when the time came for their return


kate was sorry to hear from mr


cresner ot the increasing poverty of the grahams


it seemed lie new supported his wife and family by teaching the children of some of the neighbouring settlers


met trim the other day said mr cresner bending under the weight of a flack of flour which he had been obliged to take from a rich farmer as payment j of the small sum he had so hardly earned


j


his sad to see a man with the manners and bearing of a perfect gentleman


reduced to such a situation


f to h continuai


a


i


ufkltole the story of a feather


auoia crroth


a story from pcnch


chapteit xxiv


continued from our lost


i am removed to cramps house


death of the old cardmaker


now


sir said hardmouth putting his head into the room


now if you please


youll never take her to the roundhouse sobbed mrs crumpet forcing past him


you havnt the heart know you havnt and the landlady raised her voice to a scream and wrung her hands


be patient good woman said lintlcy


he then turned to the officer


this mistake will soon be cleared


let one of your men call a coach wc will go where you please


come


patty and the apothecary with a comforting smile gave his arm to the girl and led her palo and trembling from the room


in a few minutes a coach drove to the door and again whirled away


the neighbours departed and mrs crumpet was left solitary in her silent house


she came into the room looked wanderingly about her cried if i should hang her oh


i shall never know what sleep is again i


and then she went to bed and lay till late next morning


in the afternoon becky mrs cramps maid arrived with speed in her looks and i was tuleen from tim mnnietpiuco and placed in a bundle of dollies to bo carried from the house


and the cardmakers very bad this time asked mrs crum pet


quite in earnest now said becky missus says its a moral impossible he enn live


well i say nothing mrs crumpet but if sho should have a bit of luck sho wont be long a widdcr


mrs crumpet nodded assent to this belief and becky strengthened in her opinion departed the land lady having uttered no syllabic bearing upon the events of the past night


i was soon in the houso of the old cardmaker soon heard the chirruping voice of his young wife


youve got all the things i hope becky


every thread mero and do you know mem i think were in luck to get em


thats a wicked old woman that mrs crumpet mem said becky


perhaps she is becky answered the charitable mistress but whilst the worlds what it is wicked people are sometimes useful


pretty goings on in her house mem said becky with a knowing look for it seems she had heard a very imaginative version of the affair of the highwayman and patty from mrs


crumpets communicative neighbours


perhaps mem you didnt know that she lodges highwaymen and their wives or worse than that for what i know mem


highwaymen becky cried mrs cramp willi a shudder and then she added with deeper disgust and their wires


the mans gol offjust like em mem andleft his wife or whatever she may be to be hanged in his place said becky


but thats like the whole sect mem


the truth is becky in the most unhandsome way revenged her own inimitable ugliness upon the characters of men generally they had never said they never could say a civil word to her and it was her especial pleasure to malign them


yes mem crept out at the chimney and left the poor girl mem with the watch under her bolster such a feller as that memwhy id hang him mem by the toes mem


mrs cramp with an exquisite sense of thanksgiving merely observed its a blessing ive got back my satin and this dear feather


quito right mem and as master cant last much longer why should you go out to dress when you want to go to church i or to ltalennghwhen you can make yourself comfortable at home


i


youre quite right becky i wont be the poor trodon thing i have beenill show a womans spirit to be sure mem and as master has made his will as he ought to do why mem twill be your fault if you let any other nasty lawyer come near him again mem


it was evident that mrs cramp was suddenly become very independent of the ire of her husband for in the course of m the day she carried her forbidden finery of which i was no small part into the sick mans bedroom


the patient was fast asleep


airs


cramp softly approached the bedside peep ing between the curtains and thus as she still held mc in her hand i had a full view of the old cardmaker


his face was sharp and withered and his nightcap half removed from his head showed a few short white hairs like goosedown


i could see at once that airs


cramp and her mate had been chained by a golden manacle made at the mint


the old mans face had in it nothing venerable it was mere old agemere decay without that sweet serene light which sometimes gives to years a halo of holiness


the young wile looked at her sleep ing mate in silence and then a deep deep sigh broke from her almost unconsciously


she retreated from the bedside as the man woke


whos there


devils again cried the sick man in a hoarse trembling voice


the wife made no answer but laying mc and her other tren tures upon the table she walked on tiptoe out of the room


whos there again cried the cardmaker und then lie mumbleddevilsdevilsmore devils


and i sholl go among emi must go among emno help


no help for an hour and more the old man raved groaned and mut tered to himielf


he had as heard committed no peculiar wickedness in life but his imagination had caught a disease from a spiritual counsellor who in the anxiety of his soul for the dying man felt it a duty to convince him that that soul must be lost


he had dealt in cards he had made gold by the devils tools and there as no help for him the devil must have him


this comfortable assurance mr uriah cloudy conceived it his christian duty to pour once a day at least into the cars of the departing tradesman who had such confidence in the authority of the muggletonianfor cloudy was said to be of that enlightened sectthat he gave himself up to inevitable perdition


hence to his crazed perceptions his chamber as beset with devils male and female all of them wearing the faces forms and habits of the kings queens and knaveb of cards all of them by such masquerade tortur ing the remorseful spirit of the dying dealer


oh ugh he groaned and there peeping between the curtainstheres that cat the queen of diamonds then he tat bolt upright in his bed and throwing his nightcap into the room he screamed jack of clubs my times not up t


i defy i you


j at this moment becky entered the room


heres mr cloudy come to see you


the name seemed to awaken new terror in the cardmaker for he fell back in hit bed and howled like a wolf


in an instant the muggletonian was at tho bedside


why man thats right howl bowl it will do you good poor doomed wretch if anything will do you good


ha


thats sweet musicsweet as the sackbut and timbrel said the selfcomplacent mr cloudy as old cramp jelled in a higher pitch


this spiritual comfoiter was a fat squab man of great breadth of back huge legs and arms and a big head thatched with short black hair sunk between his shoulders


he had urge rolling black ejes a flattened nose and wide dropping mouth with the complexion of antiquarian parchment


and to youve sufferedpoor wretched worm eh asked mr cloudy comfortably seating himself in an arm choir by the bedside


ugh


i have suffered cried the cardmaker


its a blessed thing suid the muggletonian forhavnt yon lived upon perdition


how many lost sheep have you tiht before you


but then my deor friend i was ctrdmaker to the court and that may go for something eh


may nt itmay nt it eiclaimed cramp despairingly


dont hope it quite lost if you nope answered cloudy


wretched old man htvnt you put snares into the hands of the wicked


havnt you sold beggary and robbery and self arder


truetruetrue screamed the ctrdmakerno hope no


hope and then be fell back and groaned


in a moment he jumped up again in bed aud with auch new terror in hit face that he made hit spiritual comforter leap up too


with an uneasy look mr cloudy pulled the bell which wa imme diately answered by becky


she uo sooner threw glance at her muter than the hurried down stairs and almost imme diately returned with her miitreit


if you please raem i heard say upon the stairs if you please mem hes going mad again


mrs cramp entered the room and to my amazement burst into tears


dear mr cloudy sho cried is it come so near


is he really going


i have seen many things of the sort said the tranquil cloudy and i should say teally going


mrs cramp wiped her eyes and approaching the bed asked joseph dont you know me


old cramp looked at his pretty young wife and with a smile of imbecility answered youre the queen of hearts


poor wretch groaned cloudy how hes wandering im goingim goingsee how theyre all about


mel why the counterpanes all tens of diamonds


and there there at my bedsidedont you sec him


theres the king of spades digging my gravedigging my grave


and now now theres two of them on the quilt and the cardmaker roared and his face became hideously contracted


theres nobody on the bed joseph nobody at all dear said mrs cramp feeling that she ought to say something


there they are cried cramp two of em


two upon the quilthero right upon my knees playing cribbage for my precious soul hush i thats the jack of clubs the devil i know himcant be mistaken in him


and there thats tho king of heartsbless his sweet face


i thats my good spirit


ha ha


he may winhe may win a dreadful sight mrs cramp said cloudy but now hes going


comfort yourselfhe cant last now


hush hush


i


theyre at it


the king of hearts has first crib


ha i


ha i the devil losesthe devil loses


for more than an hour cramp in his madness watched the progress of a game of cribbage played by his good and bad angel and with intense anxiety looked over the cards talking loudly of the fortune of the game


now he advised his good angel io the laying out of his crib and tho playing of his cards


now he rejoiced and chuckled at his successes and now spat and gnashed his teeth at the prosperity of his devil antagonist


at length the gnme approached its close and cramp sat with lils eyes glaring and riveted upon the counter pane resting his chin upon his hands and in the agony of his expectation scarcely seeming to breathe


hush lie cried there is but one hole a piece to play only one hole and with luck i may be an angel yet


silence say not n wordnot a syllable


yes yes that will do never mind the crib now cried crump still counselling the play of his good angel


you only want one hole and you must get ityou must get it


silence its you to cutits you towhat the jack of spades i one for his nob


the devil peas i and with these nords the cardmaker sank back in his bed and died


to be continued


fitaeteor iiuuntpfjsrtesu lock personal


adventures of


aiastel tlumphrey


thei old curiosity shopicifaptiit lxix


kit was no sluggard next morning but springing


from his bed some time before day began to prepare for his welcome expedition


the hurry of spirits consequent upon the events of yesterday and


the unexpected intelligence he had heard at night had troubled his sleep through


the longdark hours and summoned such uneasy dreams about his pillow tlat it was rest to rise but


had it been the beginning of some great labour withthe same endin view had it been the com


mencement of a long journey to be performed on foot in that inclement season of the year to be pur saed under every privation and d fliculty and to be achieved only with great distress fatigue and suf fering had it been the dawn of some painful enter prise certain to task his utmost


powers of resolution and endurance and to need his utmost fortitude but only likely to end if happily achieved in good for tune and delight to nell kits cheerful zeal would have been as highly roused kits ardour and im patience would have been at least the same


nor was he alone excited and eager


beforehe had been up a quarter of an hour the whole bouso were astir and busy


everybody hurried to do some thing towards facilitating


the preparations