the master who had only heard his foot upon the ground and had not taken the trouble to turn round to look at him shut his book and pursued the train of ideas his entrance had disturbed


if time were money he said handling his snuff box i would compound with my creditors and give them let me see how much a day


theres my nap after dinneran hour theyreextremely welcome to that and to make the most of it


in the morning between my breakfast and the paper could spare a then another hour in the evening before dinner c say another


three hours a day


they might pay themsoelves in calls with interest in twelve months


i i think i shall propose it to them


ahi my cen


i taur are you there ilere i am replied liuah striding in followed i by a dog as rough and sullen as himself


and trouble enough i have had to get here


what do you ask me to come for and keep me out when i do come


my good fellow returned the other raising hlis iead a little from the cushion and carelessly surveying him from top to toe i am delighted to see ou and to have in your being here tihe very best proof that you are not kept out


hlow are you


im well enough said hugh impatiently


you look a perfect marvel of health


sit down


d rather stand said llugh


please yourself my good fellow returned mr chester rising slowly pulling off the loose robe he wore and sitting down before the dressingglass


please yourself by all means


having said this in the politest and blandest tone possible lihe went on dressing and took no further notice of his guest wlho stood in the same spot as uncertain what to do next eyeing him sulkily from time to time


are you going to speak to me master


he said after a long silence


my worthy creature returned mr chester you are a little ruffled and out of humour


ill wait till youre quite yourself again


i am in no hurry


tlhis behaviour had its intended effect


it hum bled and abashed the man and made him still more irresolute and uncertain


hard words he could have returned violence lihe would have repaid with interest but this cool complacent contemptuous selfpossessed reception caused him to feel his in


feriority more completely than the most elaborate arguments


everything contributed to this effect


lis own rough speech contrasted with the soft per suasive accents of tihe other his rude bearing and lir


chesters polished manner the disorder and negligence of his ragged dress and the elegant attire


ine saw before him with all the unaccustomed luxuries and comforts of the room and the silence that gave him leisure to observe these things and feel how ill at ease they made him all these in


fluences which have too often some effect on tutored minds and become of almost resistless power when brought to bear on such a mind as his quelled ilugh completely


he moved by httle and little nearer to mr chesters chair and glancing over his shoulder at the reflection of his fare in the glass as if seeking for some encouragement in its expression said at length with a rough attempt at conciliation are you going to speak to me master or am i to go an ay speak you said mr chester speak you good fellow


i have spoken have i not


l am waiting for you


whv lookee sir returned hughl with in


creased embarrassment am i the man that you privately left your whip with before you rode away from the maypole and told to bring it back when ever lie might want to see you on a certain subject


no doubt the same or yo have a twin bro ther said amr


chester glancing at the reflection of his anxious face which is not probable i should say


then i have come sir said hugh and i have brought it back and something else along witlh it


a letter sir it is that i took from the person who had charge of it


as he spoke he laid upon the table dollys lost epistle the very letter that had cost her so much trouble


did you obtain this by force my good fellow said mlr


chester casting his eye upon it without the least perceptible surprise or pleasure


not quite said hugh


partly


who was the messenger from whom you took it a woman


one vardens daughter


oh indeed i said mr chester gaily


what else did you take from her


what else yes said the other in a drawling manner for lie was fixing a very small patch of stickingplaster on a very small pimple near the corner of his mouth


what else


wella kiss replied hugh after some hesita


tion


and what else nothing


i think said amr


chester in the same easy tone and smiling twice or thrice to try if the patch adhered i think there was something else


i have heard a trifle of jewellery spoken of a mere trifle a thing of such little value indeed that you may have forgotten it


do you remember anything of the kindsuch as a bracelet now for instance hugh with a muttered oath thrust his hand into his breast and drawing the bracelet forth wrapped in a scrap of hay was about to lay it upon the table likewise when his patron stopped his hiand and bade hiim put it up again


you took that for yourself my excellent friend ie said and may keep it


i am neither a thief nor a receiver


dlont show it to me


you had better hide it again andlose no time


dont let me see where you put it either he added turning away his head


youre not a receiver i said hugh bluntly de spite the increasing awe in which he held hiim


svwhat do you call that master


striking the letter with his heavy hand


i call that quite another thing said mr ches ter coolly


shall prove it presently as you will see


you are thirsty i suppose htghl drew his sleeve across his lips and gruffly answered yea


step to that closet and bring me a bottle you will see there and a glass


he obeyed


his patron followed him with his eyes and when lis back was turnted smiled as ie had never done wlhen he stood beside the mnirror


on iis return he filled the glass and bade him drink


that dram despatched hie filled hiim out another and another


how many can you bear


he said filling the glass again


as many as you like to give me


pour on


fill high


a bumper with a bead in the middle i give me enough of this he added as he tossed it down his hairy throat and ill do murder if you ask me i as i dont mean to ask you and you might possibly do it without being invited if you went on much further said mr chester withl great com


posure we will stop if agreeable to you my good iriend at the next glass


you were drinking before you came hiere


i always am when i can get it cried hugh bolsterously waving tihe empty glass above iis ihead and throwing himself into a rude dancing attitude


i always am


why not ha ha ha


i


whats so good to me as this


what ever has been


what else has kept away the cold on bitter nights and driven bunoger offin starving times wlhat else has given me the strength and courage of a tnan when men would hiave left me to die a puny chtild


i should never have had a mnans heart but for this


i should l have died in a ditch


whleres he who when i was a weak and sickly wretch withi trembling legs and fading sight bade me cheer up as this did


i never knew him not


i drink to thei drink master


ha ha hat va


you are an exceedingly cheerful young man said mr chestr pulsing on his cravat with great deliberation and sllgltly moving his head from side to side to settle his chin in its proper place


quite a boon companion


do you eelhics band masier said hugh and this arm baring thie brawny limb to the elbow


it wasoice aere skin and hone and would have been dust in some poor churchyard by this time but for the drink


you may cover it said mr chester it is sufficiently real in your sleeve


should never have been spirited up to take a kiss from the proud little beauty master but for the drink cried hugh


ila i ra iha


it was a good one


as sweet as honevsuckle i warrant you


i thank the drink for it


ill drink to the drink again master


fill me one more


come


one more


you ore such a promising fellow said his patron putting on his waistcoat with great nicety and taking no heed of this request that i must caution you against having too many impulses from the drink and getting hung before your time


whats your age


i dont know


at any rate said mr chester you are young enough to escape what i may call a natural death for some years to come


ilow can you trust your


self in my hands on so short an acquaintance with a halter round your neck


what a confiding nature yours must be


hugh fell track a pace or two and surveyed him with a look of mingled terror indignation and sur prise


regarding himself in the glass with the same complacency as before and speaking as smoothly as if ire were discussing some pleasant chit chat of the town ihis patron went on


robbery on the kings hirghway my young friend is a very dangerous and ticklish occupation


it is pleasant i have no doubt while it lasts but like many other pleasures in this transitory world it seldom lasts long


and really if in the ingenu ousness of youth you open your heart so readily on the subject i am afraid your career will be an ex tremely short one


shilows this said hugh


what do you talk of master who was it set me on


who said mr chester iwheeling sharply round and looking full at him for the first lime


i didnt hear you


who was it hugh faltered and muttered something which was not audible


who was it


i am curious to know said mr chester with surpassing affability


some rustic beauty perhaps r


but be cautious my good friend


they are not always to be trusted


do take my advice now and be careful of youmself


with thlese words lie turned to the glass again and went on with his toilet


hugh would have answered irim that ihe the ques tioner himself had set him on but the words stuck in his throat


the consummate art with which his patron had led him to this point and managed the whole conversation perfectly baffled him


he did not doubt that if he had made the retort which was on his lips when mr chester turned round and questioned him so keenly ire would straightway have given him into custody and hbad him dragged before a justice with the stolen property upon him in which case it was as certain ire would have been hung as it was that he had been born


the ascend ancy which it was tihe purpose of the man of tire world to establish over this savage instrument was gained from that time


llughs submission was complete


lie dreaded him beyond description and felt that accident and artifice had spun a web about him which at a touch from such a master hand as his would bind him to tire gallows


with these thoughlts passing through his mind and yet wondering at tihe very same time how he who came there rioting in the confidence of this man as he thought should be so soon and so tho roughly subdued hugh stood cowering before him regarding him uneasily from time to time while he finished dressing


wvhen ire had done so he took up the letter broke tihe seal and throwing himself back in his chair read it leisurely through


very neatly worded upon my life


quite a womans letter full of what people call tenderness and disinterestedness and heart and all that sort of tiring


as lie spoke ire twisted it up and glancing lazily round at hugh as though he would say you see this held it in the flame of tihe candle


when it was in a full blaze he tossed it into the grate and there it smouldered away


it was directed to my son he said turning to hugh and you did quite right to bring it here


i opened it on my own responsibility and you see what i have done with it


take this for your trouble


hugh stepped forward to receive the piece of money he held out to him


as ihe put it in his hand he added if you should happen to find anything else of this sort or pick up any information you may think i would like to have bring it here will you my good fellow


this was said with a smile which impliedor ilugh tllought it did fail to do so at your peril


he answered that he would


and dont said his patron with an air of the very kindest patronage dont be at all downvcast or uneasy respecting tnat little rashness we have been speaking of


your neck is as safe in my hands my good fellow as though a babys fingers clasped it i assure you


take another glass


you are quieter now


hlugh accepted it from his hand and looking stealthily at his smiling face drank the contents in silence


dont youha hadont you drink to the drink any more said mr chester in his most sinning manner


to you sir was the sullen answer with something approaching to a bow i drink to you


thank you


god bless you


by thie bye what is your name my good soul


you are called ilugh i know of courseyour other name i have no other name


a very strange fellow


do you mean that you never knew one or that you dont choose to tell it


which id tell it if i could said hugh quickly


i cant


i have been always called hugh nothing more


i never knew nor saw nor thought about a father and i was a boy of sixthats not very old


when they hung my mother up at tyburo for a couple of thlousand men to stare at


they roight have let her live sire was poor enough


how very sad i exclaimed his patron with a condescending smile


i have no doubt she was an exceedingly fine woman


you see that dog of mine said hugh abruptly


faithful i dare say rejoined his patron looking at hrim through isis glass and immensely clever


virtuous and gsfted animals whether man or beast always are so very hideous


such a dog as that and one of tire same breed was the only living thing except me that howled that day said ihugh


out of the two thousand oddthere was a larger crowd tor its being a woman thre dog and i alone had any pity


if ie had been a man hed have been glad to be quit of her for she had been forced to keep him lean and half starved but being a dog and not hraving a mans sense iea was sorry


it was dull of tire brute certainly said mr chester and very like a brute


hiughl made no rejoinder but whlristling to his dog who sprung up at thie sound and came jumping and sporting about him bade isis sympathiasiog friendr good night


good nilht he returned


remember youre safe wthlr mequite safe


so long as you deserve it my good fellow as i hope you always will you have a friend in me on whose silence you may rely


now do be careful of yosrself pray do and consider what jeopardy you might have stood in


good night i bless yon


i hugh truckled before thre hidden meaning of tlhese words as much as such a being could and crept out of the door so submissively and subser


viently with an air in short so different from thrat with which he hiad entered that his patron on being left alone smiled more than ever


and yet hie said us ire took a pinch of snuff i do eot like their having ilanged hiis mother


the fellow hias a fine eye and i am sure she was handsome


but very probably saie was coarse red nosed perhaps and had clumsy feet


aye it was all fur the best no doubt


wvitl this comforting reflection ihe put on his coat took a farewell glance at the glass and sumnmoned iis man who promptly attended followed by a chair and its two bearers


foh i said air


chester tire very at mosphlere that centaur ias breathlled seems tainted with trhe cart and ladder


lhere peak


bring some scent and sprinkle tire floor and take away the chair he sat upon and air it and dash a little of tlhat mixtnure upon me


am stifled i the man obeyed and the room and its master being both purified notlling remained for mr schester but to demand his lhat to fold it jauntily sunder his arm totake his seat in the chair and be carried off humming a fashionable tune


to tbe oonutuln


laster plartttpbrelu lfocft personal adventures of mster humphrey


tire old curiosity ahopchapter


jxiv


tossing to and fro upon his hot uneasy be tormented by a fierce thirst which nothing could appease unable to find i any change of posture a moments peace or ease and rambling for ever through deserts of thought where there was no resting place


no sight or sound suggestive of rel freshment or repose nothing but a dull eiernal weariness with no change but the restless shiftings of his miserable body and the weary wanderings of his mind constantstill to one ever present anxiety to a sense of something left undone of some fearful obstacle to be iurmountedl of some carking care that would not be driven away and haunted the dii tempered brain now in this form now in that always shadowy and dim but recoguizable for the same phantom in every shape it took darkening every vision like an evil conscience ard making slumber horrible in these slow tortures of his dread disease the unfortunate richard lay wasting and consuming inch by inch until at last when


he seemed to fight and struggle to rise up and to be held down by devils he sulnk into a deep sleep and dreamed no more


he awoke and with a sensation of most blissful rest better than sleep itself began gradually to remember something of these sufferings and to think what a long night it had been and whether he had not been delirious twiceor thrice


hap penisg in the midst of these cogitations to raise his hand he was astonished to find how heavy it seemed and yet how thin and light itreally was


still he felt indifferent and happy and having no curiosity to pursue the subject remainedl in te same waking slumber until his aitention was at tracted by a cough


this made him doubt whethert he had locked his door last night aldfeel


a little surprised at having a compadion in the room


still he lacked energy to follow up ithis trai of thought and unconsciously fell in a luury of repose to staring at some green stripes pon the bed furniture and associating themstrangely with patches of fresh turf while the yellow ground between made gravel walks and so lieilpdout a long perspective of trim gardens


he was rambling in imagination upon ihese terraces and had quite lost himself among them indeedwhen


he heard tife cough once more


he walks shrunik into siripes again at the sonudancl raising himself alittle in the bed and holding the curtain open with one hand he looked out


the same room ceriainly and still by candle


light but with what unbounded astonlshnient did be see all those bottles and basins and artiles of linen airing by the fire and such like furniture of a sick chamberall very clean and neat but all quite different from anything he had left there when he went to bed


i the atmosphere too filled with a cool smell of herbs and vinegar the floor newly sprinkled thethe wht


thi lmaichioness


i


yes playing cribbage with herself at the talle


there she satiitetitipon her game coiughig now


and then in a subdue mrianner as if sliefeared to disturb himshuffling the cards cuttingdealing playing counting pegging going thiough all the mysteries of cribbage as though she hadbeen in full practice fiom her cradle


mir


swiveller conterniplated these things for a short time and suffering tieccritain to fall initoits


former position laid his head upon the ilvlo again


imi dreaming thought uichaid thats eldar


when i went to bed my hands were nsot made of egg shells and now i cain almost see througrsem


if this is hot a dreai ihavewoke uipby mistakein an arabianniglitindtieadltfa londonone


buiit


have no douibt im asleep


notthee least


here the small servant had another caugh


very reinatkable l thought mrt swiveller


i never dreamt huh a real cough as that before


dont kioiv indeed tliti ever dreamt either


couigh ofa sneeze


perhsps its part of the phi


loosphy of dreams thitt one nevir does


lhierha another and anothert say ii dreaiting rather


for the purpose of testing lhlieal conditiorii


swiviller lifter some reflectidonpisched himseli in the arm


queerer still i he thobght


iecame to bed rather plump thanlotherwisesnd now theres nothing to layihold of


illitake another siurvey


the resultof this furtherh inspectionlivasa to con mince mrswiveller that the objectibjr whichhe was surrounded were realp and that he saw them leyond till queitlon with his wakingeyes


l


its an arabian bightdthatswhat


it is aid ieohard


im nin daiiadeius ir grand cuirhi the


hmarchioness isl agente andhaving had s ager with another genieaboutwhdois theahind somest young man alive and the worthiest to be the husband of the princess of china has brought me away room and all to compare s together


per haps said mr swiveller turning languidly round upon his pillow and looking on that side of his bed which was next the wall the princess may be still no shes gone


not feeling quite satisfied with this explanation as even taking it to be the correct one it still involved a little mystery and doubt mr swiveller raised the curtain again determined to take the first favourable opportunity of addressionghis companion


an occasion soon presented itself


the mar chlonessdealt turned up a knave and omitted to take the usual advantage upon which mr swi veller called out as loud as he could two for his heels


the marchioness jumped up quickly and clapped herbands


arabian night certainly thought mr swiveller theyalways clap their hands in stead of ringing the bell


now for the two thousand black slaves with jars of jewels on their heads


it appeared however that she hal only clapped for joy for directly afterwards she began to laugh and then to cry declaring not in choice arabic but in familiar english that she was so glad she didnt know what to do


marchioness said mrswiveller thoughtfully sbe pleased to draw nearer


first of all will you have the goodness to inform me where i shall find my voice and secondly what has become of my flesh


the marchioness only shook her head mournfully and cried again whereupon mr swiveller being very weak fell his own eyes affected likewise


begin to infer from your manner and these appearances marchioness said richard after a pause and smiling with a trembling lip that i have been ill


you just have t replied the small servant wiping her eyes


and havent you been a talk ing nonsense i oh i said dick


very ill marchioness have i been dead all but replied the small servant


i never thought youd get better


thank heaven you have i mr swiveller was silent for a long while


bye


and bye he began to talk again enquiring how long he had been there


three weeks tomorrow replied the small servant


three what said dick


weeks returned the marchioness emphatically three long slow weeks


the bare thought of having been in such ex tremity caused richard to fall into another silence and to lie flat down again at his full length


the marchioness having arranged the bed clothes more comfortably and felt that his hands and forehead were quite coola discovery that filled her with delightcried a little more and then applied herself to getting tea ready and making some thin dry toast


while she was thus engaged mr swiveller looked on with a grateful heart very much astonished to see how thoroughly at home she made herself and attributing this attention in its origin to sally brass whom in his own mind he could not thank enough


when


he marchioness had finished her toasting she spread a clean cloth on a tray and brought him some crisp slices and a great bason of weak tea with which she said the doctor had left word he might refresh himself when he awoke


she propped himup with pillows if notas skilfully as if she had been a professional nurse all her life at least as tenderly and looked on with unutterable satis


faction while the patient stopping every now and then to shake her by the hand took his poor meal with an appetite and relish which the greatest dain ties of the earth under any other circumstances would have failed to provoke


having cleared away and disposed everything comfortably about him again she sat down at the table to take her own tea


marchioness said mr swiveller hows sally


the small servant screwed her face into an expres sion of the very uttermost entanglement of slyness and shook her head


what havent you seen her lately said dick


seen her i cried the small servant


bless you ive run away


mr swiveller immediately laid himself down again quite flat and so remained for about five mi nutes


by slow degrees he resumed his sitting posture after that lapse of time and inquired and where do you live marchioness live


cried the small servant


here i r ohl said mr swiveller


and with that he fell down flat again as suddenly as if he had been shot


thushe remained motionless and bereft of speech until she had fnished her meal put everything in itsdplace and swept the hearth when he motioned her to bring a chair to the bedside and being propped up again opened a further conversation


and so said dick you have run away yes said the marchioness and thleyve been a tizing of me


beeni beg your pardon said dick what have they been doing been a rizing of me tizing you know in the newspapers rejoined the marchioness


aye aye said dick advertising


the small servant nodded and winked


lher eyes were so red with waking and crying that the tragic muse might have winked with greater consis tency


and so dick felt


tell me said he how it was that you thought of rcoming here


why you see returned the marchioness when you was gone i hadnt any friend at all because the lodger he never come back and i didnt know where either him or you was to be found you know


but one morning when i was was near a keyhole suggested mr swiveller observing that she faltered


well then said the small servant nodding when i was near the office keyhole asyou see me through you know i heard somebody saying that she lived here and was the lady whose house you lodged at and that you was took very bad and wouldnt nobody come and take care of you


mr brass hesays its no business of mine and miss sally she says hes a fusony chap but its no business of mine and the lady went away and slammed the door to whea sthe went out i can till you


so i run away that night and come here and told em you was my brother and they believed me ood ive been here ever since


tthls poor little marchioness has been wearing herself to death i criedl dick


no i havent she returned not a bit of it


dont youmind abouf me


i like sittipg up


and ive often had a sleep bless you in one of them chairs


lutifyeu conuldhave seen howyou tried to jump out o winder and if you could have heard how you


used to keep on singing and making speeches you vwouldnt have believed it


im so glad youre better mr liverer liverer indeed said dick


thoughltfully


its well i am a liverer


srlongly suspect i should ave died lareltloness but foryou


at tl ispoint mr swivollertook thoesmall ser vants hand in his again and being as we have seen but poorly might in struggling to express his thanks have made his eyes as red as hers but that


shlequickly changed the theme by making him lie down and urging him to keep very quiet


the doctor she told him said you was to be kept quite still and there was to be no noise nor nothing


now take a rest and then well talk again


ill sit by you you know


if you shut your eyes perhaps youll goto sleep


youll be all the better for it if you do


the marchioness in saying these words brought a little table to the bedside took her seat at it and began to work away at the concoction of some cooling drink with the address of a score of chemists


richard swiveller being indeed fatigued fell into a slumber and waking in about half an hour in quired what time it was


just gone half after sixreplied his small friend helping him to sit up again


lmrchiooess said richard passing his hand over his forehead and turning suddenly round as though the subject but that moment flashed upon him what has become of kit


he had been sentenced to transportation for a great many years she said


has he gonev asked dick


hils mother how is shewhat has become of her t his nurse shook her head and answered that she knew nothing about them


but if i thought said she very slowly that youd keep quiet and not put yourself into another fever i could tell you but i wont now


yes do said dick


it will amuse me


oh i would it


though rejoined the small ser vant with a horrified look


i know better than that


wait till youre better and then iil tell you


dick looked very earnestly at his little friend and his eyes being large and hollow from illness assisted the expression so much that she was quite frightened and besought him not to think any more about it


what had already fallen from her how ever had not only piqued his curiosity but seriously alarmed him wherefore he urged her to tell him the worst at once


oh i theres no worst in it said the small servant


it hasnt anything to do with you


has it anything to do withtis it anything you heard through chinks or keyholes and that you were not intended to hearl asked dick in a breathless state


yes replied the small servant


inin bevis marks pursued dick hastily


conversations between brass and sally


yes cried the small servant again


richard swiveller thrust his lank arm outof bed and griping her by the wrist and drawing her close to him bade her out with it and freely too or he would not answer for the consequences being wholly unable to endure that state of excitement and ex pectation


she seeing that he was greatly agitated and that the effects of postponing her revelation might be much more injurious than any that were likely to ensue from its being made at once pro mised compliance on condition that the patient kept himself perfectly quiet and abstained from starting up or tossing about


but if you begin to do that said the small servant ill leave off and so i teoll you


you cant leave off till you have gcne on said dick


and do go on theres a darling


speak sister speak


pretty polly say


oh tell me when and tell me where pray marchioness i beseech you


unable to resist these fervent adjurations which richard swiveller poured out as passionately as if they had been of the most solemn and tremendous nature his companion spoke thus well i before i run away i used to sleep in the kitchen where we played cards you know


mliss sally used to keep the key of the kitchen door in her pocket and she always come down at night to take away the candle and rake out the fire


when she had done that she left me to go to bed in the dark locked the door on the outside put the key in her pocket again and kept me locked up till she come down in the morning very early i can tell you and let me out


i was terribly afraid of being kept like this because if there was a fire i thought they might forget me and only take care of themselves you know


so whenever i see an old rusty key any


where i picked it up and tried if it would fit the door and at last i found in the dust cellar a key that did fit it


here mr swiveller made a violent demonstration with his legs


but the small servant immediately pausing in her talk he subsided again and pleading a momentary forgetfulness of their compact entreated her to proceed


they kept me very short said the small ser vant


oh you cant think how short they kept me


so i used to come out at night after theyd gone to bed and feel about in the dark for bits of biscuit or saogwitches that youd left in the office or even pieces of orange peel to put into cold water and make believe it was wine


did you ever taste orange peel and water mlr


swiveller replied thlat he had never tasted that ardent liquor and once more urged his friend to resume the thread of her narrative


if you make believe very much its quite nice said the hlttle servant but if you dont you know it seems as if it would bear a little more seasoning certainly


well sometimes i used to come out after theyd gone to bed and sometimes before you know and one or two nights before there was all that pre cious noise in the office when the young man was took i mean i come up stairs while mir


brass and miss sally was a sittin at the office fire and ll tell you the truth that i come to listen again about the key of the safe


mr swiveller gathered up his knees so as to make a great cone of the bed clothes andconveyed into his countenance an expression of the utmostconcero


but the small servant pausing and holding up her finger the cone gently disappeared though the look of concern did not


there was him and her said the small servant a sittin by the fire and talking very solftly toges ther


mr brass says to miss sally upon my word he says its a dangerous thing and it might get us into a world of trouble and i dont half like it


she saysyou know lher waytshe says youre the chickenest hearted feeblest faintest man i ever see and i think she says that ought to have been the brother and you the sister


isnt quilp


she says our principal support


i he eertainly is says mr brass


and ant we she says constantly ruining somebody or other in the way of business


ve certainly are says mr brass


then does it signify she saysabout ruining thltis kit when quilp desires it


it cer tainly does not signify says brass


then they whispeted and laughed a long time about there being no danger if it was well done and then mr brass pulls out his pocketbook and says well hie says here it is quilps own fivepound note


weoll agree that way then he says


kits coming to morrow morning i know


while hles up stairs youll get out of the way and ill clear off mr richard


llaving kit alone ill hold him in con


versation and put his property in his hat


ill manage so besides he says tihat mr iticlhard shall find it there and be the evidence


and if thatont get christopher out of mlr


quilps way and satisfy mr quilps grudges he says the devils in


it


mliss sally laughed and said that was the plan and as they seemed to be moving away and i was afraid to stop any longer i went down stairs agaiothere


i the small servant had gradually worked herself nto as much agitation as blr


swiveller and there fore made no effort to restrain him when he sat up in bed and hastily demanded whether this story had been told to anybody


flow could it be replied his nurse


i was almost afraid to think about it and hoped the young man would be let off


when i heard em say they had found him guilty of what lie didnt do you was gone and so was the lodger though i think i should have been frightened to tell him even if hed been there ever since i come here youve been out of your senses and what would have been the good of telling you then


maichioness said mr swiveller plucking off his nightcap and flinging it to the other end of the room if youll do me the favour to retire for a few minutes arld see what sort of a night it is ill get up


you mustnt think of such a thing cried his nurse


i must indeed said the patient looking round the room


whereabouts are my clothes oh im so glad you havent got any replied the marchioness


blaam said mr swiveller in great astonish ment


ive been obliged to sell them every one to get the things that was ordered for you


but dont take on about that urged the marchioness as dick fell back upon his pillow


youre too weak to stand indeed


i am afraid said richard dolefully that youre right


what ought i to do


what is to be done


i it naturally occurred to him upon very little re flection that the first step to take would be to com municate with one of the mr garlands instantly


it was very possible that mr abel had not yet left the office


in as little time as it takes to tell it the small servant had the address in pencil on a piece of paper a verbal description of father and son which would enable her to recognise either without difficulty and a special caution to be shy of mr chucketer in consequence of that gentlemans known antipathy to kit


armed with these slender powers she hurried away commissioned to bring either old mr garland or mr abel bodily to the apartment


i suppose said dick as she closed the door slowly and peeped into the room again to make sure that le was comfortable i suppose theres nothing left not so much as a waistcoat even


no nothing


its embarrassing said mr swiveller in case of fire even an umbrella would be something but you did quite right dear marchioness


i should have died without you


to be continued


chapter yl


returning home with nothing but the name


rogers


the topmost turret of the castle of strathdean displayed once more the an cient banner of its lords


a triumphal arch hung with flowers and evergreens was erected by the village artificers to grace the return of their long wishedfor chieftain


bonfires were prepared and the tenants formed in procession to greet his lordship


well neebor said the owner of the village shop to the busy little tailor weel maister trimmins will the coun tess hersel be here the day


hout woman heard ye nae the led dys deadcauld in her grave puir thing


be gude to us ye dinna say it and here was maister knox the steward ordering articles for the feast in her name ist o the auld leddy ye speak


and wha


but she


though shes no that auld maister trimmins


its no o the auld leddy i spake


heard no word o a young leddy


was the earl married


in sooth was he mistress dalwith but ye are as it were strange to these parts and it may be that ye eould hae chanced on none more acquent than i with the family history


but for the sake of all thats guje neebor let me on to your counter an ye will hear the tale and so saying the active little crafts man skipped on to the narrow counter and being supplied with silk by his obliging neighbour resumed his occu pation of making button holes and com menced


weel as i said ye ken neebor that the auld earls dead


do i ken


was na i


and ye ken that the rightful heir lord gerald diedit may be a year syne


the bodys a fule murmured mrs dalwith


hae ye may tell the tale yer ainsel rejoined the irate tailor gathering up his legs to descend from his altitude


wow man sit still trimmins


peace was restored with some difficulty and the tailor again began i doubtna ye may have heard that the auld earl had a dochter the like of whom for beauty was never set eyes on this was long ere your gudeman now at rest broclit ye down amang us but as ye


may ken she suld hae married sir cassel cary


aweel the puir lassie had set her heart gentles hae hearts as well as sim pies whiles and here the poor tailor sighed deeply


she had set her heart on j a far awa cousin o her ain captain wil liam lennox but when they asked the auld earls consent they had gotton the goodwill of the leddy they say the earl was like one distract and they do say lowering his voice that he said to the puir young leddy then and theresuner than gie ye to a lennox of craillie i wad bestow ye on tam hailes


this was a wild slip of the auld earls brother a neer do weel he was who was sent be yond seas for his misdeeds


the young leddys eye glaumed like fire


father she said ye have lost yer dochter


they made a moonlight flitting and her father cast her off


mony an hour did the leddy spend on her knees before the earl praying him to forgive her


but he was a dour maji


he would die and all his ere the past should be forgiven


the year was na weel out ere the auld earls brother died then the elder brother of captain lennoxs father and so with all and they were mony that suld have come before him to the title


last of all lord gerald himsel the ae creature his father loved he fell sick and died also and the auld earls heart was broken


yet ere he died he took the lawyers opinion if he couldna cut off captain william even then but they said it mightna be


they sent for him frae foreign parts and the leddy had gude hope to see again her dochter and the bairn for by some means they had got ten to know that there was a bonny lad bairn to the fore


lang it was here they got tidings o the new earl but at last the leddy got news that he had come sauf to hand and an auld lawyer pit him in possession like and took him to wait on the auld leddy his motherinlaw


when he en tered the inner chaumer her woman thats first cousin to wife and telled me the tale said that she gie a screech wad hae riven a heart of stane


wheres my child


tell me where is my child my dochter and her bonny bairn


then the new earl took out his handkerchief and buried his face quiet like for the sorrow wasna new on him


dead he sobbed outand her child alsoand they say he was as white as a sheet


here a tremendous shout made the lit tle tailor bound from his high station to the floor


to be continued


ftleactr lultptbregs lock


person


l adventures of miasteil humphirey


time old curiosity shopciapttrti liv


the bachelor among his various occupations


found in the old church a constant aoutce of interest and amusement


taking that pride in it which men conceive for the wonders of their own little world he had made its history his study and many a summer day within its walls and many a winters night beside the parsonage fire had found the bachelor still poring over and adding to his goodly store of tale and legend


as he was not one of those rough spirits who would strip fair truth of every little shadowy vest moet in which time and teeming fancies love to array iher and some of which become her pleasantly enough serving like the waters of her well to add new graces to the charms they half conceal and half suggest and to awaken interest and puranit rather than languor and indifferenceas unlike this stern and obdurate class he loved to see tlhe goddess crowned with those garlands of wild flowers which tradition wreathes for her gentle wearing and which are often freshest iu their homeliest shapeshe tro with a light step and bore with a light hand upon the dust of centuries unwilling to demolish any of the airy shrines that had been raised above it if one good feeling or affection of the human heart were hiding thereabouts


thus in the case of an ancient coffin of rough stone supposed for many generations to contain the bones of a certain baron who after ravaging with cut and thrust and plunder in foreign lands came back with a penitent and sorrowing heass t to die at home but which had been lately shown by learned antiquaries to be no such thing as the baton in question so they contended had died hard in battle gnashing his teeth and cursing with his latest breath the bachelor stoutly maintained that the old tale was the true one that the baron repenting him of the evil had done great charities and meekly given up the ghost and that if ever baron went to heaven that baron was then at peace


in like manner when the aforesaid antiquaries did argue and contend that a certain secret vault was not the tomb of a grey haired lady who had been hanged and drawn and quartered by glorious queen bess for succouring a wretched priest who fainted of thirst and hunger at her door the bachelor did so lemnly maintain against all comers that the church was hallowed by the said poor ladys ashes that her remains had been collected in the night front four of the citys gates and thither in secret brought and there deposited and the bachelor did further being highly excited at such times deny the glory of queen bess and assert the immeasurably greater glory of the meanest woman in her realm who had that the flat stone near the door was not theigraver of the miser who had disowned his only child and left a sum of money to the church to buy a peal of bells the bachelor did readily admit the same and that the place had given birth to no such man


in a word he would have had every stone and plate of brass the monument only of deeds whose memory should survive


all others he was willing to forget


they might be buried in consecrated ground but hbe would have had them buried deep and never brought to light again


it was from the lips of such a tutor that thechild learnt her easy task


already impressed beyond all telling by the silent building and the peaceful beauty of the spot on which it stoodmajestic age sur rounded by perpetual youthit seemed to her when she heard these things sacred to all goodness and virtue


it was another world where sin and sorrow never came a tranquil place of rest where nothing evil entered


when the bachelor had given her in connection with almost every tomb and flat gravestone some history of its own he took her down into the old


crypt now a mere dull vault and showed her how it had been lighted up in the time of the monks and how amid lamps depending from the roof and swinging censers exhaling scented odours and habits glittering with gold and silver and pictures and precious stuffs and jewels all flashing and glittering through the low arches the chaunt of aged voices had been many a time heard there at midnight itn old days while hooded figures knelt and prayed around and told their rosaries of beads


thence he took her above ground again and showed her high up in the old walls small galleries where the nuns had been wont to glide along dimly seen in their dark dresses so far off or to pause like gloomy shadows listening to the prayers


lie showed her too how the warriors whose figures rested on the tombs had worn those rotting scraps of armour up above how this had been a helmet and that a shield and that a gauntlet and how they had wielded the great twohanded swords and beaten men down with yonder iron mace


all that lie told the child she treasured in her mind and sometimes when site woke at night from dreams of those old times and rising from hier bed looked out at the dark church she almost hoped to see the windows lighted up and hlear the organs swell and sound of voices on the rushing wind


the old sexton soon got better and was about again


from him the child learnt many othler things though of a different kind


he was not able to work but one day there was a grave to be made and ihe came to overlook the man who dug it


he was in a talkative mood and the child at first standing by itis side and afterwards sitting on the grass at hiis feet with hier thloughtful face raised towards itis began to converse with him


now the man who did the sextous duty war a little older titan hie thoughl much more active


but ihe was deaf and when the sexton who parad


venture on a pinch might hiave walked a mile with great dioiculty it half a dozen hours exchanged a remark lithl him about itis work the child could not help noticing that lie did so withl an inpatieent kind of pity for his infirmity as if he were himself the strongest and heartiest man alive


im sorry to see there is this to do said the child wlhen she approached


iheatd of no one having died she lived in another samletl my deai re turned the sexton


three miles away


was shte unag y yeyes said the sexton oot more than ixtyfour i think


david was she more than iixtyfour


david who was digging hard heard nothing of the question


the sexton as he could not reach to touch him with his crutch and was too infirm to rise without assistance called his attention by throwing a little mould upon his red nightcap


whats the matter now said david looking up


h flow old was becky morgan said the sexton


becky morgan r repeated david


yes replied the sexton adding in a half compassionate half irritable tone which the old man couldnt hear youre getting very deaf davy very deaf to be sure


the old man stopped in his work anadcleansing his spade with a bit of slate he had by him for the purposeand scraping off in the process the essence of heaven knows how many becky mor


gansset himself to consider the subject


let me think quoth he


i saw last night what they had put upon the coffinwas it seventy nine no no said the sexton


ah yes it was though returned the old man with a sigh


for i remember thinking she was very near our age


yes it was seventynine


are you sure you didnt mistake a figure davy asked the sexton with signs of some emotion


what said the old man


say that again


hes very deaf


hes very deaf indeed cried the sexton petulantly are you sure youre right about the figures oh quite replied the old man


why not les exceedingly deaf muttered the sexton to himself


i think hes getting foolish


the child rather wondered what had led him to this belief as to say the truth the old man seemed quite as sharp as he and wasinfinitely more robust


as the sexton said nothing more just then however she forgot it for the time and spoke again


you were telling me she said about your gardening


do you ever plant things here


in the churchyard returned the sexton not i i have seen some flowers and little shrubs about the child rejoined


there are some over there you see


i thought they were of your rearing


though indeed they grow but poorly


they grow as heaven wills said the old man and it kindly ordains that they shall never flourish here


i do not underptand you


why this it is said the sexton


they mark the graves of those who had very tender loving friends


i was sure they did i the child exclaimed


i am very glad to know they do


aye returned the old man but stay


look at them


see how they hang their heads and droop and wither


do you guess the reason n o the child replied


because the memory of those who lie below passes away so soon


at first they tend them morn lng noon and night they soon begin to come less frequentlyfrom once a day to once a week from once a week to once a month then at long and uncertain intervals then not at all


such tokens seldom flourish long


i have known the briefest summer flowers outlive them


i grieve to hear it said the child


ah t so say the gentlefolks who come down here to look about them returned the old man shaking his head but i say otherwise


its a pretty custom you have in this part of the country they say to me sometimes to plant the graves but its melancholy to see these things all withering or s take tit tis a good sign for the happineiof tihe living


and so it is


its nature


perhaps the mourners learn to look to the blue sky by day and to the stars hy night and to think that the dead are there and not in graves said the child in an earnest voice


perhaps so replied the old man doubtfully


it may be


whether it be as i believe it is or no thought the child within herself ill make this place my garden


it will be no harm at least to work here day by day and pleasant thoughts will come of it i am sure


her glowing cheek and moistened eye passed unnoticed by the sexton who turned towards old david and called him by his name


it was plain that becky ilorgans ago still troubled him though why the child could scarcely understand


the second or third repetition of his name at tracted the old mans attention


pausing fom his work he leant upon his spade and put his hand to hids dull ear


did you call he said


i have been thinking davy replied the sexton that she he pointed to the grave must have been a deal older than you or me


seventynine answered the old man with a sorrowftil shake of the head i tell you that i law it


ssaw it replied the sexton eye but davy womendont always tell the truth about their age


thats true indeed said the other old man with a sudden sparkle in his eye


she might have been older


lm sure she must hiave been


why only think how old she looked


you


and i seemed but boys to her


she did look old rejoined david


youre right


she did look old


callto mind how old she looked for many a long long year and say if she could be but seventy


nine at lastonly our age said the sexton


five year older at the very least cried tihe other


five i retorted the sextoo


ten


good eightynine


i call to mind the time iher daughter died


she was eightynine if shewas a day and tiled to pass upon us now for ten years younger


oh i human vanity i the other old man was not behind hand with some moral reflections on this fruitful theme and both adduced a mass of evidence of such weight as a to render it doubtful not whether the deceased was of the age suggested but whlether she lhad not i almost reached the patriarchal term of a hundred


when they had settled this question to their mutual satisfaction the sexton with his friends assistance i rose to go


its chilly asting here and i must be careful till the summer he said as he prepared to limp away


what i asked old david hes very deaf poor fellow


i cried the sextona good bye


ah i saidold david looking after him


lies falling very fast


he ages every day


p


and so they partedr each persuaded that the g other had less life in him than himself and botl s greatly consoled and comforted by the little fiaction a they bad agreed upon respecting bpecky mlorganu a whose decease was no longer a precedent of uncom e fotrble application and would be no business of i heirs for hialf a score of years to come


b the child remained for some minutes watching the deaf old man as he threw out the earth with his shovel and often stoppitig to cough and fetch his breath still muttered to himself with a kind of sober chuckle that the sexlon was wearing fast at length she turned away and walking thoughtfully through the churchyard came unexpectedly upon the school master who was sitting on a green grave in the sun reading


nell here he said cheerfully as he closed his book


it does me good to see you in the air and light


i feared you were again in the church where you so often are


feared i replied the child sitting down beside him


is it not a good place yes yes said the schoolmaster


but you must be gay sometimes nay dent shake your head and smile so very sadly


not sadly if you knew my heart


do not look at me as if you thought me sorrowful


there is not a happier creature on the earth than i am now


full of grateful tenderness the child took his hand and folded it between her own


its gods will


she said when they had been silent for some time


what


all this she rejoined all this about us


but which of us is sad now


you see that i am gmiliog


and so am i said the schoolmaster smiling to think how often we shall laugh in this same place


were you not talking yonder yes the child rejoined


of something that has made you sorrowful t there was a ng pause


what was it said the schoolmaster tenderly


come tell me what it was


i rather grievei do rather grieve to think said the child bursting into tears that those who die about us are so soon forgotten


and do you think said the schoolmaster marking the glance she had thrown around that an unvisited grave a withered tree a faded flower or two are tokens of forgetfulness and cold neglect


do you think there are no deeds far away from here in which these dead may be best remembered


nell nell there may be people busy in the world at this instant in whose good actions and good thoughts these very gravesneglected as they look to usare the chief instruments


tell me no more said the child quickly


tell me no more


i feel i know it


how could i be unmindful of it when i thought of you there is nothing cried her friend no nothing innocent or good that dies and is forgotten


let us hold to that faith or none


an infant a prattling child dying in its cradle will live again in the better thoughts of those who loved it and play its part through them in the redeeming actions of the world though its body be burnt to ashes or drowned in the deepest sea


there is not an angel added to the host of heaven but does its blessed work on earth in those that loved it here


forgotten


oh if the good deeds of human creatures could be traced to their source how beautifully would even death appear for how much charity mercy and purified affection would be seen to have their growth in dusty graves


yes said the child it is the truth i know it is


who should feel its force so much as i in whom your little scholar lives again


i dear dear good friend if you knew the comfort you have given me


the poor schoolmaster made her no answer but bent over her in silence for his heart was full


they were yet seated in the same place when the grandfather approached


before they had spoken many words together the church clock struck the hour of school and their friend withdrew


o


him a kind man


surely he will never harm us nell


we are safe here at lastehb we will never go away from here the child shook her head and smiled


she needs rest said the old man patting her cheek too paletoo pale


she is not like what she was when p asked the child


ha said the old man to be surewhen i flow many weeks ago


could i count them on my fingers t let them rest though theyre better gone


much better dear replied the child


we will forget them or if we ever call them to mind it shall be only as some uneasy dream that ihas passed away


hush said the old man motioning hastily to her with his hand and looking over his shoulder no more talk of the dream and all the miseries it brought


there are no dreams here


tis a quiet place and they keep away


let us neverwthink about them lest they should pursue us again


sun ken eyes and hollow cheeks wet cold and famine and horrors before them all that were even worse we must forget such things if we wvould be tran quil here


thank heaven i inwardly exclaimed the child for this most happy change i i will be patient said the old man humble very thankful and obedient if you will let me stay


but do not hide fromn me do not steal away alone let me keep beside you


indeed i will be very true and faithful nell


i steal away alone i why that replied the child with assumed gaiety would be a pleasant jest indeed


see here dear grandfather well make this place our gardenwhy not


it is a very good one and tomorrow well begin and work together side by side


it is a brave thought i cried her grandfather


lind darlingwe begin tomorrow


i who so delighted as the old man when they next day began their labour


who so unconsciosi of all associations connected with the spot as hal thley plucked the long glass and nettles from the tombs thinned the poor shrubs and roots made the tuif smooth and cleared it of the leaves and weeds


they were yet in the ardour of their work when the child raising her head from the ground over which she bent observed that the bachelor was sit ting on the stile close by watchling them in silence


a kind office said the little gentleman nod ding to nell as she curtseyed to him


have you done all that this morning


it is very little sir returned the child with downcast eyes to what we mean to do


good work good work said the bachelor


but do you only labour at the graves of children and young people


we shall come to the others in good time sir replied nell turning her head aside and speaking softly


it was a slight accident and might have been de sign or accident or the childs unconscious sym pathy with youth but itseemed to strike upon her grandfather though he had not noticed it before


he looked in a hurried manner at the graves then anxiously at the child then pressed her to his side and bade her stop to rest


something he had long forgotten appeared to struggle faintly in his mind


it did not pass away as weightier things had done but came uppermost again and yet again and many i limes that day and often afterwards


once while theoy were yet at work the child seeing that he often turned and looked uneasily at her as though lie were trying to resolve some painful doubs or collect some scattered thoughts urged him to tell the rea son


but he said it was nothingnothingond laying her head upon his arm patted her fair check with his hand and muttered that she grew stronger every day and would be a woman soon


to be continued


the newcomesno


chapter xiat mrs ridleys saint peter of alcantara as i have read in a life of saint the resa informed that devout lady that he had passed forty years of his life sleeping only an hour and a half each day his cell was but four feet and a half long so that he never lay down f


his pillow was a wooden log in the stone wall he ate but once in three days he was forthree years in a convent of his order without knowing any one of his brethren except by the sound of their voices for he i never during this period took his eyes oft the ground he always j walked barefoot and was but skin and bone when he died


the eating only once in three days so he told his sister saint was by no means impossible if you began the regimen in your youth


to conquer sleep was the hardest of all austerities which he practised i fancy the pious individual so employed day after day night after night on his knees or standing up in devout meditation in the cupboardhis dwelling place bareheaded and barefooted walking over rocks briars mud sharp stones picking out the very worst places let us trust with his downcast eyes under the bitter snow or the drifting rain or the scorching sunshinei fancy saint peter of alcantara and contrast him with such a personage asthe incumbent of lady whittleseas chapel may pair


his hermitage is situated in walpole street let us say on the second floor of a quiet mansion let out to hermits by a noblemans butler whose wife takes care of the lodgings


his cells consist of a refectory a dormitory and an adjacent oratory where he keeps his shower bath and bootsthe pretty boots trimly stretched on boottrees and blacked to a nicety not varnished by the boy who waits on him


the barefooted business may suit superstitious ages and gentlemen of alcantara but does not become may fair and the nineteenth century


if st pedro walked the earth now with his eyes to the ground he would know fashionable divines by the way in which they were shod


charles iioneymans is a sweet foot


i have no doubt as delicate and plump and rosy as the white hand with its two rings which he passes in


impassioned moments through his slender flaxen hair


a sweet odour pervades his sleeping apartmentnot that pecu liar and delicious fragrance with which the saints of the roman church are said to gratify the neighbourhood where they repose butoils redolent of the richest perfumes of macassar essences from truefitts or delcroixs into which a thousand flowers have expressed their sweetest breath await his meek beadon ming and infuse the pockethandkerchief with which hedries and draws so many tears


for he cries a good deal in his sermons to which


the ladies about him contribute showers of sympathy


i by his bedside are slippers lined with blue silk and worked of an ecclesiastical pattern by some of the faithful who sit at his feet


they come to him in anonymous parcels they come tohim in silver paper boys in buttons pages who minister to female grace


leave them at the door for the rev c


honeyman and slip away without a word


purses are sent to himpenwipersa portfolio with the honeyman armsyea braces have been known to reach him by tho post in his days of popularity and flowers and grapes and jelly when he was ill and throat comforters and lozenges for his dear bronchitis


in one of his drawers is the rich silk cassock presented to him by his congregation at leatherhead when the young curate quitted that parish for london duty and


on his breakfasttable the silver teapot once filled with sovereigns and presented by the same devotees


the devoteapot he has but the sovereigns where are thev


what a different life this is from our honest friend of alcantara who eats once in three days


at one time if honeyman could have drunk tea three times in


an evening he might have had it


the glass on his chimneypiece is crowded with invitations not merely cards f ceremony of which there are plenty but dear little confidential notes from sweet friends of his congregation


o dear mr honeyman writes blanche what a sermon that was


i cannot go to bed tonight without thanking you for it


do do dear mr honeyman writes beatrice lend me that de lightful sermon


and can you come to tea with me and selina and my aunt


papa and mamma dine out but you know i am always your faithfulchesterfield street


and so on


he has all the domestic accomplishments he plays on


the violoncello he sings a dblicious second not only in sacred but in secular music


he has a thousand anecdotes laughable riddles droll stories of the utmost correctness you understand with which he entertains females of all ages suiting his conversation to stately matrons deaf old dowagers who can hear his clear voice better than the loudest roar of the stupid sonsinlaw mature spinsters young beauties dancing through the season even rosy little slips out ol the nursery who cluster round his beloved feet


societies fight fos him to preach their charity sermon


you read iu the papers


the wappmg hospital for woodenlegged seamen


on sun day the rd sermons will be preached in behalf of this charity by the lord bi sn or of tobago in the morning in the afternoon by tlie rev


c honeyman


a m incumbent of sic


cler gymans grandmothers fund


sermons in aid of this admirable institution willbe preached on sunday th may by the veiy rev the dean of pimlico and the rev c honeyman a m when t he dean of pimlico has his illness many people think honeyman will have the deanery that he ought to luve it a hundred female voices vow and declare though it is said that a right reverend head at headquarters shakes dubiously when his name is mentioned for preferment


his name is spread wide and not only women but men come to hear liiiu memberso parliament aven cabinet


ministers sit under him lord dozeley of course is seen in a front i pew where was a public meeting without lord dozeley


the men come away from his sermons and say its very pleasant but i dont know what the deuce makes you women crowd so to hear the man


o charles


if you would but go oftener


sighs the lady anna maria


cant you speak to the home secretary


cant yon do something for him


we can ask him to dinner next wednesday if you like says charles


they say hes a pleasant fellow out of the wood


besides there is no use in doing anything for him charles goes on


he cant make less than a thousand a year out of his chapel and that is better than anything any one can give hima tlwusand a year besides the rent of the winevaults below the chapel


dont charles says his wife with a solemn look


dont ridicule things in that way


confound it


there are winevaults under the chapel


answers the downright charles


i saw the name sherrick cb offices a green door and a brass plate


its better to sit over vaults with wine in thm than coffins


i wonder if its the sherrick with whom kew and jack belsize had that ugly row


what ugly row


dont say ugly raw


it isnot a nice word to hear the children use


go on my darlings


what was the dis pute of lord kew and mr belsize and this mr sherrick


it was all about pictures and about horses and about money and about one other subject which enters into every row that i ever heard of


and what is that dear asks the innocent lady hanging om her husbands arm and quite pleased to have led him to church and brought him thence


and what is it that enters into every row as you call it charles


a looman my love answers the gentleman behind whom we have been in imagination walking out from charles honeymans church on a sunday in june as the whole pavement blooms with artificial flowers and fresh bonnets as there is a buzz and cackle all around regarding the sermon as carriages drive off as lady dowagers walk home


as prayerbooks and footmens sticks gleam in the sun as little boys with baked mutton and potatoes pass from the courts as children issue from the public houses with pots of beer as the reverend charles itoneyman who has been draw ing tears in the sermon and has seen not without complacent throbs a secretary of state in the pew beneath him divests him self of his rich silk cassock in the vestry before he walks away to his neighbouring hermitagewhere have we placed it


in wal polestreet


i wish st pedro of alcantara could have some of that shoulder of mutton with the baked potatoes and a drink of that frothing beer


see yonder trots little lord dozeley who ha been asleep for an hour with his head against the wood like st pedro of alcantara


an east indian gentleman and his son wait until the whole chapel is clear and survey lady whittleseas monument at their leisure and other hideous slabs erected in memory of defunct fre quenters of the chapel


whose was that face which colonel new come thought he recognisedthat of astout manwho came down from the organ gallery


could it be broff the basssinger who delivered the redcross knight with euch applause at the cave of melody and who has been singing in this place


there are some chapels inlondon where the function over onc almost expects to see the sextons put brown hollands over the pews and galleries as


they do at the theatre royal covent garden


the writer of these veracious pages was once walking through a splendid english p alace standing amidst parks and gardens than which none more magnificent has been seen since the days of j aladdin in company with a melancholy friend who viewed all things darkly through his gloomy eyes


the housekeeper patter i ing on before from chamber to chamber was expatiating upon the magnificence of this picture the beauty of that statue the mar


vellous richness of these hangings and carpets the admirable i likeness of the late marquis by sirthomas of his father the fifth earl by sir joshua and so on when in the very richest room of i the whole castle hickssuch was my melancholy companions namestopped the cicerone in her prattle saying in a hollow voice and now madam will you show us the closet where the skeleton is


the scared functionary pausedinthe midst of htr harangue that article was not inserted in the catalogue which she daily utters


to visitors for their halfcrowns


hickss question brought a dark ness down upon the hall where we were standing


we did not see the room and yet i have nodoubt there is such an one and ever after when


i have thought of the splendid castle towering in the midst of shady trees under which the dappled deer are browsing of the terraces gleaming with statues and bright with a hundred thousand flowers


of the bridges and shining fountains and rivers wherein the castle windows reflect their festive gleams when the halls are filled with happy feasters and over the darkling woods comes the sound of music always i say when think of castle bluebeardit is tothink of that dark little closet which i know isthere aud which the lordly owner opens shudderingafter mid nightwhen heis sleepless and must gounlockit when the palace is husheu when beauties are


sleeping around him unconscious and


revellers are at rest


o mrs housekeeper allthe other keys hast thou but that key


thou hast not


have we not all such closets my jolly friend as well as the noble marquis of carabas


at night when all the house is asleep but you dont you get up andpeep into yours


when you in your turn are slumbering up gets mrs brown from your side steals downstairs like amina to her ghoul clicks open the secret door and looks into her dark depository


did she tell you of that little affair with smithloug


before she knew you


psha


who knows any one save himself alone


who in showing his house to the closest and dearest doesnt keep back the key of a closet or two


i think of a lovely reader laying down the page and looking over at her unconscious husband asleep perhaps after dinner


yes madam a closet he hath and you who pry into everything shall never have the key of it


i think of some honest othello pausing over this very sentence in arailroad carnage and stealthily gazing at desdemona opposite to him innocently administering sandwiches to their little boyi am trying to turn off


the sentence with a joke you seei feel it is growing too dreadful too serious


and to what pray do these serious these disagreeable these almost personal observations tend


to


this simply that


charles honeyman the beloved and popular preacher tiie elegant divine to whom miss blanche writes sonnets and whom miss


beatrice invites to tea


who comes with smiles on his lip gentle sympathy in his tones innocent gaiety in his accent who melts rouses ter rifies in the pulpit who charms over the teaurn and the


bland breadandbutter charles honeyman has


one ortwoskeleton closets in his lodgings walpole street may fair


and


many a wakeful night whilst mrs ridley his landlady andher tired husband the noblemans majordomo whilst the lodger on the firstfloor whilst the cook and housemaid and weary little boot boy are at rest mind you they have all got their closets which they open with their skeletonkeys he wakes up and looks at the ghastly occupant of his receptacle


one of the reverend charles honeymans grizzly nighthaunters isbut stop let us give a little account of the lodgings and of some of the people frequent ing tlie same


the stoiiy of the campaign


continued


written in a tent from the crimea


from blathcaoat hlagatim


pam


chapter


attack of the malakoff and icednn


the cannonade subsided wilh tho cap ture of the mfttnmelon and quarries and trenches were pushed out from these works towards the malakoff aud redan


from the quarries zigzags led to a trench sixly ot seventy yards in advance where riflemen incessantly exchanged shots with tho garrison of the kedrn while a bat tery for guns and mortars was constructed ciubc in rear of it


when this was nrineil he guns swept o completely one of i c communications of ihc malakoff that the euemy could scarcely use it and the eight inch tmirars dropjxd their flielli into tho redan with great accuracy


but neither the advanced trend the quarries them selves nor tho communications to front and rear were by any menus secure cither ugainbt tho eanuon or riflemen of the uedan and its flauking batteries and many i casualties occurred there every day inso


i much that except securing tho favourable position for the battery the possession of i tho quarries did not seem to bestow any i advantage adequate to the loss buffered in their capture and occupation


but it is probable that when the french resolved i to attack tho mammelon wo considered i ourselves bound to make some correspond i ing advance without nicely balancing the i advantages to be gained


such is one of the difficulties attending tho combined i operations of an allied army


on the th the cannonade recom menced


for three hours the fire was warmly returned and then tho russian batteries grew almost bilont


several causes might exist for this their guns might be disabled by our fire or the losses in tho batteries might be so great i that the enemy could no longer man them


but this slackening of their fire from whatever cause seemed favourable to the success of another assault which had been planned to take placo on the following day as follows j after two or three hours cannonade the preach were to assault he malakoff


that work carried the english were imme diately to assail the redau wliich would not be tenable by us unless the malakoff were first captured


three columus of four hundred men each were to be ready in tho quarries and advanced work with etrong supports in the trenches and ftp


preaches close behind


at the signal they were to rush out tho one on tbe right was to attack the angle at the left face and flank of the redan the one on tbe left the angle of tho right shoulder of the work and the centre column was to advance on iho snlien and make a lodgment there


twenty artillery under an ofliccr were to accompany each column to epikc tle guns or turn i hem on the enemy and parlies c sailors were to carry the scalingladders


tho right nnd left columns uniting in rear of the redan were to drive the gar rison towards the water and to attack tbe barrack battery should the enemy make a stand there in which operations they were to be assisted by a brigade under denerai eyre which was to descend the great ravine towards the inner harbour and when their first attempt had succeeded effect a junction with them


this plan was changed at the instance of the french on the evening of the ill when it was resolved that the assault should be made at daybreak without previous cannonade


the other arrange ments remained ihc same


this change was regretted by the english artillery oflicers who were very confident of ren dering the russian baiterics nearly harm less in a fire of three hours


notwith standing this alteration of the plan which mode at the eleventh hour seemed to be token indecision confidence was at a high pitch in the allied camp


a i length we were lo close with the enemy the dreary vigils in the trenches ihe wearisome life on the heights were to be at an end and with tho assured capture of the city a new era would dawn for us and for europe


at two oclock on iho morning of the th we rode towards the lines


it was very dark thu camps welt still silent as we clattered through there and we were near the trenches before a faintglimmcr of daylight tinged the gloom


a point in an advanced treacli which commanded a near view both of the redan and malakoff had been selected as lord raglans post of ob servation and he was already there


day broke rapidly and wo could see our troops destined for tho assault in the qunrry and advanced trenchei while the supports occupied the lines in the rear


the interval of suspense was short before the rattle of musketry showed thu french to be assaulting


it continued increased and seemed to encompass the malakoff though we could not ecc the actors in whose success we were bo deeply in terested


after a fer minutes the guns of the mnahoff deepened the din and covered the ground with the spray of their grape tho steadiness of their ore showing that the work was not yet en tered in force by the french


however their success seems o have been considered sufficient to warrant the giving of the signal to attack the redan


the party of rifles and d who were to lead the stormers on the right at once quitted their cover a d gallantly led by tbe engineers and their own oflicers ran across the smooth grassy slope between the quarries and redan till reaching the abattis which surrounds the latter at a few yards in front of the lit li they lay down there and fired on the embrasures which now began to pour forth grape


probably on the previous day the guns had been run behind the parapet for tecurity from our firo wbich they could not effectually re turn and were thus preserved from its effects for warned by the attack on tbe malakoff they were already run our and openod on our men with a violence that nothing coum withstand


in vain the offi cers stood up amid the iron shower and waved their swords in vain the engineers returned to bring up the supports the men could not be induced to quit tho para pets in body


small parties of halfa dozen or half a score ran out only to add to tho slaughter


the party of artillery men whose business it was to follow this column and spike the guns sallied forth led by their officer and of the twenty only nine returned unwounded find the sailors who carried the scalingladders and the naval officers who led them also suffered very severe loss


sir john camp bell culling to the nearest troops to follow the trench led the way to the abattis ami was shot dead under it


the men drawn up behind tho quarry suffered almost as severely as those who had advanced and the remainder of these latter after con tinuing for nearly a quarter of an lour cinder this tremendous fire on the ground beforo the abattis ran back to the trenches


the point where lord raglan etood ivas tho focus of the firo of the malakoff ind redan and bucii a storm of ail kinds mine over and through the parapet which was low und una as rendered it a very indifferent post of observation


first a soldier was wounded by a grapeshot another struck general jones on tbo fore head ploughing the skin then a ehot entering a neighbouring ambrasure car ried off the head of an artilleryman killed a sapper and struck oft tho right arm of captain brown of the th and tho fire rather increasing his lordship was recommended to exchange hib position for one iu the first parallel


file musketry still continued to rattle around the malakoff and from tho eight gun buttery in our third parallel wliich now began to fire i saw several hundreds df the french clinging to scarped spots in the ground before the malakoff and firing oti tho parapetb which were lined with russians


the french guns in tho murri melou where general laboussiniere of the artillery had been killed were silent whiln our artillery novv openod both on the liednn and malakoff principally on the litter


the practico was admirable


the kuasiir speedily left their parapets whero whole sections of them must have been swept away nnd our shells bursting just after grazing tho edge ot the work must hnvo been most destructive to the troops drawn up iu its defence


a couplo of the guns nf tho malnkoff were directed ou the french still clinging to the hill and the rapc rattling among them put them to flight but


iho vigour of our ar tillery fire enabled them lo retreat aith but little loss from iho enemys guns wliich in their own defence were non directed on our batteries


when it was known that tho french did not menu to repeat the nssault tho greatest disappointment prevailed


on our part the disnstcr was rather a blunder than a repulse for an attack so feeble nganst such a work as the liednn could not be called an nssauit


probably its garrisons of thousands never beheld from their ramparts more than three hundred enemies advancing upon them and they must hnvc been puzzled to account for kuci a futile attempt taking id perhaps for an illconcerted feint


the french attack though made iu greater numbers was no better managed than our own


the huiineb of the siormera was to iobo ni time in reaching the ditch of the enemys work and collecting there in euf ficient numbers to swarm over the ram parts instead of this they appear to hive lain down and commenced firing their pieces at the embrasures and parapets and the supporting coimnds ot course stopped also instead of pressing into the work nnd driving out its defenders with the bayomt


it is doubtful whether any french soldiers got inside tho malakoff though two battnlious nro said to have held tlieir ground iu it for a short time but had that been the case the guns of the work could scarcely have fired bo un remittingly as they did


it ws not till tho afternoan nud while ire felt tho firut bareness of disappoint ment that it became at all generally known that eyres brigade consisting of men of the th th th tl and kh reyimonts which as before said was to proceed dotvu the great ravine to wards the dockyard creek had actually advanced iuto tho buburbs and had been nil day hotly engaged with tho enemy


turning a corner of the defile just in ad vance of the allied works the head of the column came on a small cemetery occupied by russian sharpshooters whom they drove out and pushing on occupied tho houses which ekirt the course of the ra vine


a little further on the woronzoff ravine joins this one and a broad flat piece of ground extends to tho water near tho edge of wliich is a long low buttery sweeping the approach


at tho junction of tho two ravinos and resting against the slope of the high ground which separates them arc a number of houses sufficient to rank us a small town some mere hovels some of belter appearance aud these were taken possession of while tho advanced parlies extended in front of the lour bat tery and scaling a hill on their loft reached a battery for three guns on a shoulder of tbe clifflike sido of the ra vine from whence they saw no obstacle to their advance on the town which stands ou a rounded hill bouuding the dockyard creek


they had now reached a point from which they could operate on either side of this dockyard creek or inner harbour


if the attack against the redan were successful they could by scaling the cliff of tho woronzoff ravino on their right effect a junction with the etormers or had the krcnch penetrated iuto the works covering the town they would have received powerful help from eyres brig ade


this latter contingency however there was no reason to provide for as it was never contemplated and it is one of the most unaccountable features of those operations that wilh our immense forces no diversion far less any real assault wag mnde on this point


even the arlilkry of the french lines beforo tbe town was silent


to meet eyres force the russians is suing from the garden batteries which crown the left cliff of tho ravine des cended some distance to a long low breast work from whence they began to pick off our men


growing excited tbey stood upright on the parapet and exchanged vollies with our troops who poured ou them so destructive a lire as iu hallau hour forced them agnin to have recourse to the helcr of their work


the gunb in the garden butteries above sent round aud grape eliot through the houses aud low wiills of tbe gardens aud enclosures the stones from which as well rs from the tombstones in iho cemetery flying in all directions caused a great number of casu alties


a shot however illdirected sel dom failed to dislodge stones enough to give it all the effect of a shell and nono of the walls were thick enough to resist the heavy missiles which riddled them through and through so that the wounded laid in housos for shelter wore covered with dust and fragments and sometimes killed


the riflemen who occupied the ground injfront of the barrack battery desceuded towards the ravine to oppose our people tberpand the fire thus almost surrounding the as sailants searched through them with deadly effect


geueral eyre was wounded in the head early in the action withdrew into a house where he got iub wound dressed and returned to his post


the brigade was dispersed iu small parties where cover was to be obtained the regi mouts were mixed and all unity of action was lost as indeed no attainable object remained to strive for iu front was the low battery beforo the creek some guns from which luckily it was not fully armed swept along the course of the ravine on their left the garden batte ries whose shot plunged into them ex tended towards the bastion du mat which appeared far in rear and on the right rose the cliff by ascending which they might iudend communicate with our works before the redau but tbe whole interven ing space wnn swept by the formidable barrack battery as well as by tbe flank ing firo of the garden batteries across tho ravine


nothing could be finer than tho sgiirit displayed by the troops under these circumslnncer ignorant of the for tunes of the day at other poiuts of the line they probably imagined they were destined to carry tbe town and their eagerness to attempt it was so great that they were with difficulty restrained from pressing forward boyond a point from whence extrication would have been im possible


all day the fight continued and whatever tho french whoso parapets to the right of the bastion du mat looked down upon tho arena may have thought of ihe prudence of the movement the munuer in which our troops maintained themselves throughout the day in bo des perate a position must have excited great respect or their gallantry


unelieered by any hope of solid achievement or suc cess tho brigade held its ground and at nightfall withdrew unmolested with a loss of six hundred killed and wounded


we continued to bold the cemetery and thus the contest was not entirely barren of result whilo the valour of the troops eu gaged brought some consolation for the loss aud rendered this the least painful to dvell an among the unhappy mistakes of the day


to be continued


barnaby rudge ciiapter xxxviii


the


secretary put his hand before his eyes to shade them from the glaro of the lamp and for soame moments looked at hugh with a frowning brow as i if he remembered to have seen him lately but could noi call to mind where or on what occasion his uncertainty wais very brief for before hugh had spoken a word he said as his countenance cleared up


ay ay i recollect its quite tight


john you neednt wait


dont go dennis


your servant master said hugh an gruieby disappeared


yours friend returned the secretay inis smoothest manner


whhat brings you here


we left nothingi behind us ihopez


hugh gave a shoft laugh and thrusting his hand into his iraiii snccel one of btittaadihl soiled and dirtyfrom lyingoutof doorsallntghtw which lie laid upon the secretarya desk after flat


tening it upon his kneeo andsmoothing out ithe i wriikles with his heavy pialm


nothing but that master


it fell into good hands you see


what i this said asbford turning itoi oer


with an air of perfectly natural spris


wher did you getlitfrom


my goodi fellowi what ddoesit mean


i dont iunoderstand this at all


a hliitt disconcerted by this reception hugh looked fro the secreiary to


dennis who had riseii and waasta ding atthe table too


observireltg tte stranger by stealth and seeming to deriveithe utmosti ima satisfaction from his manners and


appearance considering himself silently appealed to by th action mr dennisshook his head thrice ais iift say of gashford no


he dont know ainythingi ati all about it i know he dont


ill take m oath he dont and hiding his profile from hugh with one long end of his frowzy neckerchief nodded and chuckled behind this screen in extreme approval of the secretarys proceedings


it tells the man


that finds it to conme here


dont it asked hugh


im no scholar myself but i showed it to a friend and he said it did


it certainly does said gashford opening his eyes to their utmost width


really this is the most remarkable circumstance i have ever knowin


how did you comen by tiiis piece of paper


my good friend muster gashford wheezed the hangman under his breath agin all newgate whether


hugh heard him or iaw by his manner that he was being


playld upon or perceived the secretarys drift of himself lhe came in his blunt way to the point at once here i he said stretching out his liand ad taking it back never mind the bill orwhatit says or what it dont sayyoui


dont kniow anything about it master no more do i nomore does he glancing at dennies none of us kniow what it means or where it comes from there a a end of that now i want to make one againses hetj catholics im a no popery man and ready to bi


sworn in


thatas what ye coarie hero fora put him down on the roll muster gas iford said dennijkiapprovingly ithats the way to got to work right to the end at onceand no palaver whaist ilie use of shooting wide of the mark ehi old boy i criedhugl


i ai i my sentiments all over rejoined the hangmani this is


the sort of chap for my division


l muter


t gashford


down with him air put him on tho roll id stand godfather to him ifhlie wasto be christened in a bonfire made of the ruine of the of hi bank of england with these and other expressions of confidence of the like flattering kind mr dennis gave him hearty slap on the back which hughl was not aslowir t to return no popery brother cried the hangmanii sno property brother i responided hugh i


popery popery said the secretary wlith ifsi usual mildness


iits all the same i cried dennis


its all right


down with him muster gashford


down with everybody down with everyithing i hurrah


i for the protestant religion


thats the time of day i muster gaashford i the secretary regarded thiem both with a very favourable expreasion of countenance whlile they gave loose to these and otherdemonstralions of theari patriotic purpose iand wasabaut toimake sm remark alioud when denistepping up to him and shading his mon iihis mouth


nd said ld in a hoarse wilser as he iinudged him with his elbow


ddnt split upo ia constitiutioniaol oocer as pro feasion muster gaihlford there are popular pre judices you know and he milghtnt like it wait till lie comes to be more intimate wiith mo h a flinebuilt chap


ant he a powerful fellow indeed i sdid you ever mustergashford whispered dennis with a ihorrible kind of admliraion uich as


thatwith which a cannibal mighi regard his iiimateiiii friend w oen hungiry did you everi aid here hge drew siill closer to his ear and fenced hisn mao it with both ilis open hands see such a athloia t a his


do but cast your eye upon it


there a neck for stretching muster gashferd i


the secretary assented to this proposition with th t biestgrace he could assume it is difficult to feign a true professional relish which is eccentric some times and after asking the candidate a few unimportant questions proceeded to onrol hima member of the great protestant association of england


if anything could have exceeded mr denniss joy on the hlappy conclusion of this ceremony it would have been the rapture wlith which lie received the announcement that the new nmemnhercoultl


neiter read nor write those two arts being as mr dennis swore


the greatest pose sible ciure a civilised colnmlunity could know and militating more ogainst the professional emoluments and usefulness of the great consiilutional office he had the honouir to hold ithain any adverrose circum stances that could present themselves to his imnagl nation


the enrolment lielng completed and hugh having been informedi by gashford in his peculiar manner of thie peaceful and strictly lawful oljects contem pilated by the body to which he now bolouged during whlich recital mr donnis nudged him very mnuch with his elbow and made divers remarkable faces the secretary gave then both to understand that he desired to be alone


i herefore they took their leaves without delay and came out of the house together


are you walking brother said dennis


ay l returned h ugh


where you will thats social said his new friend


which way shall we take


shall we go and have a look atdoors that we shall make a pretty good clattering at before long eh brother


lugh answering in the affirmative they went slowly down to westminster where both houses of parliament were then sitting


mingling in the crowd of carriages horses servants chairmen linkboys porters and idlers of all kinds they lounged about while hughs new friend pointed out to him signifiaintly the weak parts of the building how easy it was to get into the lobby and so to the very door of the house of commons and how plainly when they marched down there in sgrand array their roars and shouts would be heard by the members inside with a greatdeal more to the same purpose all of which hugh received with omanoifest delight


lie told him too who some of the lords and commons were by name as they came in and out whether they were friendly to the papists or other


wise and bade him take notice of their liveries and equipages that he might be sure of them in case of need


sometimes he drew him close to the win


dows of a passing carriage that he might see its


masters face by the light of the lamps and both in respect of people and localities heshowed so much acquaintance with everything around that it was plain lie had often studied there before as indeed when they grew a little more confidential he confessed he had


prlhpsthere most striking part of all this was the number of people never in groups of more than two or three together who seemed to be skulking about the crowd for the same purpose


to the greater part of these a slight nod or a look from ilughs companion was suffielent greeting but now and then some man would come and stand beside him in the tlrong and without turning his head or appearing to communicate with him would say a word ortwo in a low voice which he would answer in the same cautious manner then they would part like strangers


some of these men often reappeared again unexpectedly in the crowd close to hughand as they passed by pressed his hand or looked him sternly in the face but they never spoke to hlim nor he to them no not a word


it was remarkable too that whenever they hap


pened to standwhere there was any press of people and


hugh chanced to be looking downward he was sure to see an arm stretched out under his own perhaps or perhaps across him which thrust some paper into the hand or pocketof a bystander and was so suddenly withdrawn that it was impossible to tell from whom it came nor could he see in any face on glancing quicklyround the least confusion or surprise


they often trod upon a paper like the one hecarried in his breast but his companion whias


pered him not to touch it ortake it


up not even to look towards it so there they let them lie


and passed on


whenthey had paraded the street and all the avenues of the building in this manner for neartwo hours they turned away and hlis friend asked him what he tlhoughtof whathe had seen and whether ho was prepared for a goodhot piece of work if it should come to that


the hotter the better said ilughlm prepared for anything


so am t said hisfriend and so are many of us and they shookhands upon it with a great oath and with many terrible imprecations on thepapists


as they were thirsty by this time dennis proposed that they should repair together to the boot where there was good company and strong liquor


hugh yieldingta ready assent they bent their steps that way with no loss of time


this boot was a lone house of public entertain ment situated in the fields at the back of the foundling hospital


a very solitary spot at that period and quite deserted after darki the tavern stood at some distance from any hligl road and was approachable only by a dark and narrow lane so that hugh was much surprised tofind several people drinking there and great merriment going on


he was still more surprised to find among them almost every face that had caught his attention in


the crowd but his companion having whispered him outside the door that it wasnot considered good manners at the boot to ppear at all curious about the company he kept his own counsel and made no show of recognition


before putting his lips to the liquor which was brought for them dennis drank in a loud voice the health of lord george gordon president of the great protestant association which toast hugh pledged likewise with corresponding enthu


siasm


a fiddler who was present and who ap


peared to act as the appointed minstrel of tiire company forthwith struck up a seotwlh feel and thatiin tones so invigorating that hugh and his friends who hiad both been drinking before rose from their seats as by previous concert and to the great admiration of the assembled guests performed an extemporaneous n


popery dance


tobe continued


p a l i m p s e st


iteoovekbd and decyphkeed


jpeom the original byeiac by feopesde rcncil


chapteb ii


he vision of neman the son of nihil who was the son of bosli who lived nigh to the great river yarra in the city of sin which is called mammon


and lo and behold after i had heard the great noise even the crying and shouting of those who had gathered together from the ends of the earth to help the newchum who had the limbs of a giant and whose face was of brass


said to myself behold i will see whence all this noise cometh and from what manner of animal those yells proceed and i followed a crowd of horsemen and men in chariots and men who rode upon asses and asses with no men on their backs