o hoar iceiinasldeeps heereoied wivtvhyidely openedeyes


there liave been gietifacescord ing and oing close to niy facek ainid then a mile away owpca to creep hrough whetierouild or no ig


he s to i all hj lown f o strange creatures rowdd dtiptogelider neck and heels to sit upon the bid thats sleep eh


i r dreamsbarnaby dreams said the locksmith


dreams he echoed softlydrwling closer to nllm


those are not dreams


what areeplied the locksmith if they are rl dreamed said barnaby pauing his arm through vsrens and peering close into his face as he answered in a whisper i dreamedjust nw that somethleg it wasi idithe shape of a man followedmecakne softly after me wouldnt let ine bebut was always hiding and crouching like a cat in dark corners waitiog tlll abould pass when it crept puit d cameaofty after me


did you ever see smanya time you know


vu neverkt l runos


idldlin thl dream


tilllfins t iipg bn to otiie nelier aiehbarbd i


fastdr leid s ptiudong eti bdlstadd to the window and theitis the stieet bdbwlwtilbst hlilswaiiingi for its iollch dtniosi ag


wiu ithe street belpw dear obarba


saido vs jt gttolig alh he traced some ceuqefion ibetween this vision and what had actually occurred


biarnaby looked into hlis face muttered inco herently waved the light above his head again laughed and drawing the


locksmiths arm more tightly through his own led him up the stairs in silene


ithey entered a homely bedchamber garnished in a scanty way with chairs whose spindle shanks bespoke lheir age and otherfurniture of very little wptthi but clean apd neatly kept


riecliing in an easy chair before the fire pale and weak from waste of blood was edward chester the young gentleman who had been the first to quit the maypole on the previous night who extending his band to the locksmith welcomed him as his preserver and friend


say no more sir say no more saidgabriel


i hope i would have done at least as much for any man in such a strait and most of all for you sir


a certain young lady he added with some hesitation has done us many a kipd turn and we niaturally feeli hope i give you no offence in saying this sir the young man smiled and shobo his head at the iame time moving in his chair as if in pain


its no great matter he said in answer to the locksmiths sympathising look a mere uneasiness arising at least as much from being cooped up here as from the slight wound i have or from the loss of blood


be seated mr varden


if i may make so bold mr edward as to lean upon your chair returned the locksmith accom modating his action to his speech and bending over him ill stand here for the convenience of speaking low


barnaby is not in his quietest hu mour tonight and at such times talking never does him good


they both glanced at the subject of this remark who hd taken a seat onthe other side of the fire and smiling vacantly was making puzzles on his fingers with a skein of string


pray tell me sir said varden dropping his voice still lower exactly what happened last night i have my reason for enquiring


you left the maypole alone p and walked homeward alone until i had nearly reached the place wlhere you found me when i heard thb gallop of a horse


behind you said the locksmith


indeed yes behind me


it was a single rider who soon overtook me andchecking his horse iqiired the way to london


you were on the alert sir knowing how many highwaymen there are scouring the roads in all directiposl said varden


i was but i had only a stick having impru dently left my pistols in their holster case with the landlords son


i directed him as he desired be forethe words had passed my lips he rode upon me furiously as if bent on trampling me down beneath his hoises hoofs


in stirting aside i slipped and fell you found rtie with this stab and an ugly bruise oi two and without my purse in which he found little enough for his pains


and now mr varden he added shaking the locksmith by the hand sav ing theextest of my gratitudeto you you know as much as i except said gabriel bending down yet more and looking cautiously towards their silent neigh bour except in respect of the robber himself


what like was he sirl speak low if you please


barnaby meais no harm but i have watched him oftener than you and i know little as you would think it that hes listening now


it required a strong confidence in the locksmiths veracity to lead any one to this belief for every sense and faculty that barnaby possessed seemed to be fixed upon hblsgame to the exclusion of all other things


something in the young mans face ex pressed this opinion for gabriel repeated ihait he had just said more earnestly than before and with another glance towards barnaby again asked what like the man was


the night was so dark said edward the attack so sudden and he so wrapped and muffled up thati cans hardly say


it seems that dont mention his namne air returned the lock


smith following his look towards barnaby i know he saw him


i want to know what you saw


all i remember is said edward that as he checked his horse his bat was blown off


he caught it and replaced it on his head which i observed was bound with a dark handkerchief


a stranger en tered the maypole while l was there whom i had not seenfor i sat apart for reasons of myown and when i rose to leave the room and glanced round he was in the shadow of the chimney and hidden from my sight


but if he and the robber were two dif ferent persons their voices were strangely and most remarkably alike for directly the man addressed me in the road i recognised his speech again


it is as i feared


the very man was here to night thought the locksmith changing colour


what dark history is this


halloal cried a hoarse voice in his ear


halloa halloa halloa


i bow


wow wow


whats the matter here


hallon i the speaker who made the locksmith start as if he had been some supernatural agent was a large raven who had perched upon the easychair un seen by him and edward and listened with a polite attention and a most extraordinary appearance of


cominprehending every word to all they had said up to this point turning his head from one to the other as if his ofice were to judge between them and it were of the very last importance that he should not lose a word


look at him saidvarden divided between admiration of the bird aitifkind of fear of him


was there ever such i knoing inmp as that


oh hes a dreadful fellow l the raven with his head very much on one side and his bright eye shining like a diimond preserved a thoughtful silence for a few seconds and then re plied in a voice so hoarse and distant that it seemed to come through his thick feathers rather than out of his mouth


halloa halloa halloal whats the matter here i keep up your spiris


neversay die


bow


im a devil im adevil im a devil


hurrah


and thed as if exulting in his in fernal character he began to whistle


i more than half believe he speaks the truth


upon my word i do said varden


do you see how he looks at me as if he knew what i was saying


to which the bird balancing himself on tiptoe as it were and moving his body up anid down in a sort of grave dance rejoined im a devil im a devil im a devil and flapped his wings against his sides asif he were bursting with laughter


barnaby clapped his hands and fairly rolled upon the ground soin an ecstary of delight


strange companions sirsaid the locksmith shaking his head and lookiing from one to the ohiber


the bird has all the wit


strange indeed said edward holdiih out his foreinger to theraven who iltacknowledgmat of the attention made a dive at itimmediatelywitb his iron bill


is he old


a mere boy sir replied the locksmith


a hundred and twenty or thereabouts


call him down barnaby my man


all him i echoed barnsby sitting upright on the floor and staring vacantly at gabriel as he thrust his hair back from his fsce


o btt who can make him come he calls meeand makes me go where he will


he goes on before i folldw


hes themraster and im the man


is that tbhe truth gripl the raven gave a short comfortable confidential kind of croak a moatexpressiie crosk which seemed to say you neednt let these fellows into our secrets


we understand each other


its all right


iiakte him come cried ibarnaby pointing to the bird i hiim who never goei to sleep or so much as winks


i why any time of night youmay see hiseyesain my dark room shining like two spiarks


and every night and all night tbo hes broad awake talking to himself thinking what he shall do to morrow where we shall go and what he shall steal and hide and bury


i make him come i ha ha ha


i


on second thoughts the bird appeared disposed to come bf himself


after a short survey of the ground and a few sidelong looks at the ceiling and at everybody present in turn he fluttered to the floor and went to blarnabynot in a hop or walk or ruu but io a pace like that of a very particular gentleman withexceedingly tight boots on trying to walk fast over loose pebbles


then stepping into his ex tended hand and condescending to be held out at arms leoglh he gavovent to asuccession of sounds not iunlikdl he drawing of some eiiht or ten doren of long curksliandaialiin


iserted his brimstone birth and parentage withgireattdistitneis


lthe locksmith shook his bead perhaps in some doubt of the ceaturea being really nothing but a bird perhasps in pity for baroaby


who bylthistime had bhim in his arms andti wasrolling aboutlwithhim on the ground


as he raised his eyes from the poor fellow he esicotiatered those oflhis mother who had entered thb room and was looking on in silence


she was quite white in the face even to her lips but had wholly subdued her emotion and wore her usual quiet look


varden fancied as he glanced at her that she shrunk from his eye and that she busied herself about the wounded gentleman to avoid him the better


it was time le went to bed she said


he was to be removed to his own room on the morrow and he had already exceeded his time for sitting up by a full hour


acting on this hint the locksmith pre pared to take his leave


by the bye said edward as he shook him by the hand and looked from him to mrs rudge and back again what noise was that below


i heard your voice in the midst of it and should have in quired before but our other conversation drove it from my memory


what was it


the locksmith looked towards her and bit his lip


she leant against the chair and bent her eyes upon the ground


barnaby


toohe was listening


some mad or drunken fellow air varden at length made answer looking steadly at the widow as he spoke


he mistook the house and tried to force an entrance


she breathed more freely but stood quite motion


less


as the locksmith said good night and barnaby caught up the candle to light him down the stairs she took it from him and charged him with more haste and earnestness than so slight an occasion appeared to warrantnot to stir


the raven followed them to satisfy himself that all was right below and when they reached the street door stood on the bottom stair drawing corks out of number


with a trembling hand she unfastened the chain and bolts and turned the key


as she had her hand upon the latch the locksmith said in a low voice i have told a lie to night foryour sake mary and for the sake bf bygone times and old scupint


ances when i would acorn to do so for my own


i hope i may have done no harm or led to noie


i cant help the suspicions you have forced upon me and i am loath i tell you plainly to leave lmr


edward here


take care he comes to no hurt


i doubt the safetyo this roof and am glad he leaves it so soon


now let me go


for a moment she hid her face in her hands and wept but resisting the strong impulse which evi


dearly moved her to reply opened the doorno wider than was sufficient for the passage of his body and motioned him away


as the locksmith stood upoq the step it was chained and locked behind him and the raven in furtherance of these precautions barked like a lusty housedog


in league with that illlooking fgure that might have fallen from a gibbethe listening and hiding heebarsnaby first upon the spot last nightcan she who has always borne so fair a name be guilty of such crimes in secret said the locksmith musing


heaven forgive me if i am wrong and send me just thoughts but she is poor the tempta tion may be great and we daily hear of things as strange


ay bark away my friend


if theres any wickedness going on that ravens in it jl be sworn


chiapter xxi


it was for the moment an inexpressiblerelief to dolly to recognise in the person who forced himself into the path so abruptly and now stood directly in her way hugh of the maypole whose name she uttered in a tone of delighted surprise that came from her heart


was it you


she said how glad i am to see you


and how could you terrify me so


in answer to which he said nothing at all but stood quite still looking at her


did you come to meet me asked dolly


hugh nodded and muttered something to the effect that he had been waiting for her and had expected her sooner


i thought it likely they would sendsaid dolly greatly reassured by this


nobody sent me was his sullen answer


i came of my own accord


the rough beating of this fellow and his wild uncouth appearance had often filled the girl with a vagne apprehension even when other people were by and had occasioned her to shrink from him involuntarily


the having him for an unbidden companion in so solitary a place with the darkness fast gathering about them renewed and even in creased the alarm she had felt at first


if his manner had been merely dogged and pas sively fierce as usual she would have had no greater dislike to his company than she always felt perltape indeed would have been rather glad to have had himi at hand


but there was something of coarse bold admiration in his look which terrified her very much


she glanced timidly towards him uncertain whether to go forward or retreat and he stood gazing at her like a handsome satyr and so they remained for some short time without stirring or breaking silence at length dolly took courage shot past him and hurried on


why do you spend so much breath in avoiding me said hugh accommodating his pace to hers and keeping close to her side


i wishl to get back as quickly as i can and you walk too near me answered dolly


too near said hugh stooping over her so that she could feel his breath upon her forehead


why too near


youre always proud to me mistress


i am proud to no one


you mistake me answered dolly


fall back if you please or go on


she released herself and clenching ier little hand struck him with right good till


at this lmaypole hugh burst into a roar of laughter and passing his arm about her waist held her in his strong grasp as easily as if she bad been a bird


ha ha hal ell done mistress strike again


you shall beat my


face and tear my hair and pluck may beard tip by the roots and welcome for the sake of your bright eyes


strike again mis tress


do


ha


ha hal i like it


let mne go she cried endeavouring with both her hands to push him off


let me go this mo ment


you had as good be kinder to me sweetlips said hugh


you had indeed


come


tell me now why are you always so proud


i dont quarrel with you for it


i love you when youre proud


ha ha ha i you cant hide your beauty from a poor fellow thats a comfoltl


she gave him no answer but as lie had not yet checked her progress continued to press forward as rapidly as she could


at length between the hurry she had made her terror and the tightness of his embrace her strength failed her and she could go no further


hugl cried the panting gill good ilugh if you will leave me i will give you anythiolg everything i haveand never tell one word of this to any living creature


you had bst not he answered


lharkye little dove you had best not


all about here know me and what i dare do if i have a mind


if ever you are going to tell stop when the words are on your lips and think of the mischief youll bring if you do upon somne innocent heads that you wouldnt wish to hurt a hair of


bring troubtle on me and ill bring trouble and something more on them in return


i care no more for them than for so many dogs not so muchwhy should id sooner kill a man than a doe any day


ive never been sorry for a mans death in all tmry life and i have for a dogs


there was something so thoroughly savage in the manner of these expressions and the looks and ges tures by which they were accompanied that her great fear of him gave her new strength and enabled her by a sudden effort to extricate herself and run fleetly from him


but lnugh was as nimble strong ahd swift of foot as any man in broad england and it was but a fruitless expenditure of energy for he had her in hlis encircling arms again before she had gone a hundred yards


ssoftly darlinggentlywould you fly from rough hugh that loves you as well as any drawing room gallant would she answered struggling to free her self again


will


help i a fine for crying out said hlugh


ha ha ha i a fie petty one fiti ydir lips


i pay myself i ilaha ha helplplelji help i ad sth shrieked with the tlmnot vlolcheheshe could exet a shoui was heard in answer and another and another


thank heaven i cried the girl in an an ecstacy


sjoe dear joe this way


ilelp i hier assailant paused and stood irresolute for a moment but the shoutts drawing nearer and coming quick upon them forced him to a speedy decision


lie released her whispered with a menacing look ltell him and see what follows i and leaping the hedge was gone in an instant


dolly darted off and fairly ran into joe willets open arms


what is the matter


ate you hurti what was it


who was it


where is ihe what was he like with a great many encouraging expressions and assurances of safety were the first words joe poured forth


but poor little dolly was so breathless and terrified that for some time shite was quite unable to answer him anid hung upon his shoulder sobbing and crying as if her healt would break


joe had not the smallest objection to have her hanging on his shoulder no not the least though it crushed the cherrycoloured ribbons sadly and put the smart little bat out of all shape


but lie coildnt bear to see her cry it went to his very heart lie tried to console her bent over her whispered to her some say iissed her but thats a fable


at anv rate he said all the kind and tender things he could think of and dolly let him go on and didnt inter


rupt him once and it was a good ten miniittes before she was able to raise her head and thank hits


what was it that frightened you p said joe


a man whose person was unknown to her had followed her she answered he began by begging and went on to threats of robberry ihich lie was on the point of carrying into exectiiin and would have executed but for joes timely aid


the hesitation and confusion with which she said this joe atttlbutel to the fright she had sustained and no suspicion of the truth occurred to him for a momenut


stop when the words are on your lips


a hundred times that night and very often afterwards when tile disclosure was rising to her tongue dolly thought of that and repressed it


a deeply rooted dread of the man the conviction that hils letocious nature once roused would stop at nothing and the strong iassuraneo that if sthe impeached him the lull ineasureof his wrath and vengeance would be wreaked on joe who had preserved her these were consi derations sihe had not the courage to overcome and inducements to secrecy too powerful for her to sur niotitit


joe for his part was a great deal too happy to inquire very curiously into the nmatter and dolly being yet too tremulous to walk without assistance they went forward very slowly and in his mtind very pleasantly until the maypole lights were near at hand twinkling their checrful welcome when dolly stopped suddenly and with a half scream exclaimed the letter


what letter cried joe


that i was carryingi had it in my hand


imy bracelet too she said clasping her wrist


have lost them both


do you mean just now said jce


either i dropped them then or they were taken from me answered dolly vainly searching her pocket and rustling her dress


they are gone both gone


what an unhappy girl i am


l with these isords poor dolly who to do her justice was quite as sorry for the loss of the letter as for her bracelet fell a cryig again and bemoaned her fate most movingly


joe tried to comfort her with the assurance that directly he had housed her safely in the maypole lie would return to the spot with a lantern for it was now quite dai k and make strict search for tile missing articles which there was great probability of has finding as it was not likely that any body had passed that way since and shie was not conscious ol their having been forcibly taken from her


dolly thanked him very heartily for this offer though with no great hope of his quest being successful and so with many lamentations on her side and many hopeful words on his and much weakness on the part of dolly and much tender supporting on the part of joe they reached the maypole bar at last where tihe locksmith and his wife and old john were yet keeping high festival


mlr


willet received the intelligence of dollys trouble with that surprising presence of mind and readiness of speech for which lie was so eminently distinguished above all other men


mirs


varden expiessed her sympathy for her daughters distress by scolding her roundly for being so late and the honest irceksmath divided himsell between condoling with and kissing doully and shaking hands heartily with joe whom lie could not suflielently praise or thank


in reference to this latter point old jolhn was far from agreeing with iris friend for besides that lie by no means approved of art adventurous spirit in the abstract it occurred to inin that if his son and heir had been seriously damaged in a scuffle the con sequences would assuredly have been expensive atnd inconvenient and might perhaps have proved de trtmental to tihe mlaypole business


vhierlore and because lie loosed with no favourable eye upon young girls but rather considered that they and the whole female sex swere a kind of nonsensical mistake on the part of nature lie took occasion to retire and shake his head in private at the boiler inspired by which silent oracle he was moved to give joe vari ous stealthy nudges with his elbow as a parental reproof and gentle admonition to mind his own business and not make a fool of himself


joe however took clown the ianstern and lighted it and armning himself with a stout stick asked whether hugh was in the stable


hes lying asleep before the kitchen fire sir said mr villet


what do yoi want with him i want him to come with mne to look after this bracelet and letter answered joe


halloa there


hugh l dolly turned pale as death and felt as if site must faint forthwith


after a few moments liuglt came staggering in stretching himself and yawning ac cording to custom and presenting every appearance of having been roused from a sound sleep


lere sleepyhead said ljoe giving him the lantern


carry this and bring the dog and that small cudgel of yours


and woe betide the fellow if we come upon him


what fellow growled hugh rubbing his eyes and shaking himself


what fellow returned joe who was in a state of great valour and bustle a fellow you ought to know of and be more alive about


its well for the like of you lazy giant that you are to be snoring your time away in chimney corners when honest mnens daughters cant cross even our quiet mieadows at nightfall without being set upon by fonotpads and frigheted out of their precious lives


they never rob me cried lughl withl a laugh


i have got nothing to lose


blut id as lief knack them at head as any other men


how many are there only one said dolly faintly for everybody looked at tir


and wllat was hie like mistress said hlugh withl a glance at young wvillet so slight and momentary that tile scowl it conveyed was lost on all but hier


about my height notnot so tall dolly replied scarce knowing what she said


his dress said hugh looking at her keenly likelike any of ours iowl i know all the people heteabouts and maybe could give a guess at the man if i had anythling to guide me


dolly faltered and turned paler yet then an swered that ihe was wrapped in a loose coat and had his face hiidden by a handkerchief and that she could give no other description bf him


you wouldnt know him if you saw him then belike said hlughi with a malicians grin


should not answered doily burstitng into tears again


i dont wish to see him


i cant bear to thlink of him


i cant talk about him any more


dont go to look for these thlings mr joe pray dont


i entreat you not to go with that man


snot to go with me i cried tlughl


im too rough for them all


theyre all afraid of me


why bless you mistress ive the tenderest heart slive


i love all the ladies maam said iiugh turning to the locksmiths wife


mrsi


varden opined that if he did he ouglht to boishanimed ofhiself sucsh aentiments being more consistdfit as she argued vwilh a benighted mua silnan or wild islander than with a stach pro testanf


arguing frdom this imperfert state of hiis niorals mrs varlen furtlher opined that ihe had never studied the mhanal


thiugh admitting that ihe never had and inoreover ilthat he cotdldnt read mrs varden declared with much severity that ite ought to be even more ashamed of himsinself than befosse and stroudgly recommended hisn to sivo up liis pocketmoney for thl psrchasse of otilse asind fuirther to teah himself the otlentsla with all con vsnlent diligenceh


she


wasstillpursuiig llthis trali of dlisconrse wlletl iiughl somen hilt urieremoqi


oeslysand ireeristly followed hil youilg tsuatl


olh dntd lift hdr to edify thill tet of the cotipany


irhi shie rtededlo db anrid lfindlil mhir


wslledi ejes


wee fixeit uponi ller wihll an appriarance iii dleepi lenatiritg riddially iddlresiddtlie whlole of hei discourse to ilim whom sile entertained wvithia inural and thsuloaicl lectlurte of consalderablo length i tie o t l


n conviletior


ihat gret wvorkings were taking place in hirispirit


the sinple trothwk however that mr willetalthough his eyes were wide opdneand he saw a woman before him whose head by long and steady looking at seemed to grow bigger and bigger until it filled the whole bar was to all other intents and purposes fast asleep and so sat leaning back in his chair with his hands in hiis pockets until his sons return caused him to wake up with a deep sigh and a faint impression that he hlau been dreaming about pickled pork and greensa vision of his slumbers whtich was no doubt referable to the circumstance of mis vardens having frequently pronounced the word grace with much emphasis which word entering the portals of mr willets brain as they stood ajar and coupling itself with the words iefore meat which were there ranging about did in time suggest a particular kind of meat together with thiat decription of vegetable which is i usually its compiianion


the scarah was wholly unsuccessful


joe had groped along the path a dozen times and nmong the grss and in the dry ditch and inl the hedge but all in vain


dolly who was quite inconsolable for ther loss wrote u note to mliss i dredale giving her the sanme account of it that she had given at the mlaypole which joe undertook to deliver as soon as


the family was stirring next day


that done ihey sat down to tea in tihe bar where there was an uan


common display of buttered toast and


in order that they might not crow taint for want of suste


nance slid might hlve a decent haltingplace or half way house between dinner and supper a few savoury irilthis in the shape of great rashers of bralled ham which being well cured done to a turn and smoking hot sent forth a tempting and delicions fragrance


mrs vrden was seldom very protestant at meals aunless it happened that they were underdone or overdone or indeed that anything occurred to put her out of humour


lter spirits rose considerably on beholding these goodly preparations and from thie nothingness of good warts she passed to tihe some


thinogess of iham ani toast with great cheerfulness


nay under the influence of these wholesome stimu lants she sharply reproved her daughter for being low and despondent whichl sihe considered an unt acceptable frame of mind and remarked as she held her own plate for a fresh supply that it would be well for dolly who pined over the loss of a toy and a sheet of paper if she would reflect upon the voluntary sacrifices of the missionaries in foreign parts who hvtd chielly on saddles


ithe proceedings of such a day occasion various fluctuatiois in the human thermometer and especi ally in instruments so sensitively and delicately con


structed as mrs varden


thus at dinner mrs v stood at summer heat genial smiling and delight


fail


after dinner in the sunshine of the wine she went up at least halfaduzen degrees and was perfectly enchasnting


as its effects subsided she rapidly went to sleep for an hour or so at tempe


rate and woke at something helnw freezing


now she was at summer heat again in the shade and when tea was over and old john producing a bottle of cordial from one of the oaken cases insisted on her sipping two glasses thereof irn slow sucrcession she stood steadily at nrinety for one hour and a quarter


profisang by experience the locksmith took advantage of this genial weather to smoke his pine in the porch and in consequence of this prudent management lie was fully prepared when the glass went down again to start ahomnewards directly


the horse was accordingly put in and the chaise brought round to the door


joe who would on no account be dissuaded from escortiang thern until they had passed the most dreary and solitary part of the road led out the grey mare at the same time and having helped dolly into her seat more happiness


sprung gailyinto the saddle


then after many good nights and admonitions to wrap up and glancing of lights and handing in of cloaks and shawls the chaise rolled away and joe trutted beside iton dollys side no doubt and pretty close to the wheel too


to be continued german mannertlllho english race root and branch are what with their natural shyness their conventional reserves and their radical uscourteousness


cold and repelling


the politeness of the french is conventional


it seems in part the result of their personal grace and in part of a selfish calculationof making the most of what costs nothing and partly no doubt it is the spontaneous ellffect of a vivacious nature


there is a deeply seated humanity ti the courtesy of the germans


they alwaysseent to be feeling a gentle pressure from a cord that intrerlaces them with theit species


they do not wait


as schiiler says till you freely invite to friendly stretch you a hand but the hanld is instinctively stretched out and the kind deed ready to follow it


thlis suavity is not limited to any rank or condston


it extends all the way dovwn from the prince to the poorest peasant


some of our party driving out in a hackney coach yesterday met some german ladies in a coach with four horses postilions footmin in lihery and other marks of sank and wealth


vhat would americans have done in a similar position


prthably looked away anad seeted unconscious


and english ladies would have done the same or as i have seen them in ilyde park have leaned back in their cairiages and stared sillh an air of ainagled indifference and insolence through their eye glasses as if thseir ilferiors ins condlion could bear to he staled at


i hc german ladies bowed most courteously to the humble strangers in the hackney coachims bedgsics


mfelttor the sioey of a feather


fluslajs jctrottt


a storyfrom punch chapter xxviii


continued vom our lost


a am taken to newgatethe turnkey and his wife


i soon discovered that my new owner was a tenant of new


i kate


official business of some kind bad for a time drawn


him from his home to the policeoffice


i cannot clearly tell the purpose of his errand but believe it was to ipeak to new evidence which had come out against some thief committed for trial and that duty fulfilled my possessor had nought to do but straightway seek his home in the old bailey


neverthe less he lingered about the office whiling away the pleasant minutes in sessional discourse with old acquaintance


hang i ig must be the end of this said he to an emissary of justice


click cant get off this time


lord love you no mr traply was the answer


he may get measured for his coffin the first minute he has to spare


hes a fine fellow and wont disgrace tyburn said my new master


ha tomits a pity for the time folks have to live that they cant scrimiuate as to what belongs to em and wbat dont


i dont know its all right and proper to say so but if they did what would become of us


thats true loo


well it takes all sorts to make a arid nd with this wom adage my new possessor prepared himself to depart when clickly abram was brought into the hal in the custody of a couple of officers poor mrs cramp with stream ing eyes and ashy face following him and declaring between her sobs that they should never tear him from her


tell you wbat it is mum said traply gently taking the woman aside


im turnkey in newgate and if you like to come there you may be as happy as the day is long with bim


heaven bless you


cried the widow


nor did the excess of her gratitude make her forgetful of the surer means of touching mr traplys sympathy


i can have a coach said the highwayman looking about bira with regal dignity


to be sure you can captaincried traply and more than that ill ride with you


the coach was speedily procured and mr abram as quickly invited to enter it


we shall be happy yet cried mrs cramp throwing her self into the high wa mans arms


as turtles my darling said abram and then in a lower voice dont forget the money


mrs cramp answered hysterically she would die first and then gain and again embracing the thief she was at length separated from him fainting in the arms of an officer


all right i newgate cried a linkman with a laugh having just picked up a shilling thrown to him by the culprit at the coach was about to drive away


its not so bad i hope sir said traply who had seated himself beside abram


a bagatelle answered the thief


thought so cried the turnkey and thats not capital


rapidly the moments passed and we stopt at newgate


i shall never forget that dead halt


ere the prisondoor vu opened it seemed to me a pause between life and deathand then what a terrible transition now and the man albeit a prisoner had outdoor life about him saw the worldly work ing of men saw free faces beheld the passersby carrying on the business of life some were going to their homes some as perhaps the prisoner fashioned to himself going to merry meetings


and yet hehewas as unthought of as unac knowledged as though he had never been


still lie felt him self a part of the world he saw its people and he was of them another uutnuuie prisondoor had closed upon him and the outward world was to him a dream i between this and that side of a prison threshold may there not be grey hairs


my possessor mr traply was a privileged man in newgate i and therefore as others might say he was permitted to have bis greatest comforts about lum


mrs traply was permitted if she couldto turu a gaol to paradise by her presence


i fear however that the opportunity was rarely improved upon by the good woman whose first principle was to teach her hus band the virtue of humility by constantly showing to her mate how very much she was above bim


jtwas late when i arrived in newgatevery late mr traply doubtless to cheat the misanthropy of prison life had harmonised himself with an extra allowance of liquor


that good intention was by no means applauded by the partner of his fate


here you ere again like a beast mr traply cried the wife from between the bedclothes as the turnkey entered his den of a bedroom


well i if my father tho lawyer had ever thought i should come to this


where could he think you would come to when he brought you up mrs traply eh


where maam but to newgate asked the bacchanal and brutal husband


youre a villain cried mrs traply


thats my affair charlotte said tbe turnkey


never theless my pet lamb look here


dont lamb me


ha


i


i wish my dear father was only hireh more shame for you if he was hed be hanged you know for coming back afore his time


now look here charlotte


i wont look at nothing cried mrs traply who then added what is it mr traply approached the bedside and with a candle in one hand and me in the other presented himself to the spark ling eyes of his placable wife


what a beautiful feather mike


where did you get it cried mrs traply


get it


im always a buying something for you aid the turnkey


it it a dear


but whats feathers in newgate sighed the wife


well weil we shant always be here charlotte


whats the news


anything happened ince i went out


mrs traply taking me in her hand and carefully examining me by the candle whilst her husband prepared himself for bed began la a changed voice to narrate the events passing in her husbands absence


for once i felt i had been a peacemaker between man and wife for the late complaining shrewish mrs traply spoke in accents ot connubial sweetness tltai gentleman has been here again


what


mr curlwell cried traply


well it seems what they say in books quite a passion with the man


but he says hell give anything if we can only tell him how to get the girl off


i


and what says fatty asked the turnkey by this time in bed


at the word i trembled for i knew they spoke of the helpless innocent creature then with shame and misery upon her a captive in newgate


she ays she doesnt want him to meddle nor make with the bus


ness answered the turnkeys wife


what then she doesnt buckle to him yet asked traply


she quite shivers and turns while when you talk of him


and for all i had her up here to tea tonight and tried to talk reason to her she said shed rather die before shed have him


well then she must die said traply


la i mike


cried the woman you dont mean it


that is you see we must make her believe that mr curl well can get evidence enough about herright or wrong no blatterto hang her if she wont have him


well do you know mike i think shed die first said mrs traply


youre fool wife answered the turnkey and know nothing of natur


au that we have to do is to keep from her to news that click abrams taken


and is he taken asked mrs traply


it be taken


whenever i go out of newgate i dont go for nothing j think i always bring my bird home with me


yes we have him


its


comfort to think we have him stup ing as sweet m any bobby under the same roof with us


the caption of u highwayman ii plainly too high an achieve ment for traply not to put in som claim to it


hes rare to bo hanged sold the turnkey yawning


you dont wy so cried the turnkey wife slightly yawning too


well for my part mikeafter all youre not so badthat is a pretty feather youve bought mefor my part i dont thinkno i wouldnt hang nobody


you wouldnt bang nobody


i youre a fool wife and dont know what morals is cried traply


well and now youve bought mc that feather whats the use of it asked mrs traply with a quick jump from death to adornment


feathers is of no use in newgate mike


you dont think im always agoing to bury myself as a turnkey do you asked traply


i should think not said his spouse suppose now the governor should die


and what then asked traply


why you might get his place


i say you might get his place


for you cant think what civil things alderman ruby says of you


there if you was governor suppose i should dress a little different to what i do now


well cried traply in a halfsnore


and then i suppose we should see and be seen weil said the turnkey in a fainter voice


and then i suppose wo should go and dine with the lord mayor humph grunted traply


and i suppose if we was to ask him tho lord mayor would come and dine with us


the turnkey was asleep


i say mike and airs


traply plied her elbow in her husbands side i say suppose the lord mayormike


i you dont hear what i say say suppose traply snored deeplymost profoundly


mrs traply having fallen into a waking dream of ambition would not dismiss it


she therefore again moved her connu bial elbow


i say traplymy dear traply i say suppose the turnkey jumped up in the bed exclaiming with most perfect emphasis mrs traply i have to go to tyburn to morrow morning and suppose you go to sleep that you may get up time enough to mend them holes in my stockings


to be continued


chapter


iv


we sit together with the skies the steadfast skies above ns we lookinto each others eyes and how long will you love us


th eyes grew dim with prophecy the voices low and breathless how long


till deathoh words to be our best for love the deathless j miss babbxt


the beams of departing day gilded tower and tree stream and forest glade the possessions of the ancient family of strathdean


there is something sadly sweet it the last rays of autumnal sun


the scene and hour remind us of the impending shadows closing over the day and year and with the unfailing elo quence tff nature speak to the soul of man of those deeper shadows which as surely though it may be more slowly await him in the tomb


fondly the light seemed to linger on the landscape still gleaming on turret and battlement and pouring with softened radiance through a gothic case ment on the western front of the castle


the sunlight fell on the portrait of a young lady well placed above the ar morial bearing


carved on the oaken panel and faintly lit up forms almost more shadowy than the picture


the heir of that wide domain lay dying and his mother hent over him with all the agony of a mothers love hoping against hope


in his noble features clear dark well defined eye brows and thoughtful eye might be traced a resemblance to that fair portrait but long and wasting sickness had sad dened and softened lineaments once proudly beautiful as her own


lord gerald had raised himself on his couch and spoke earnestly mother do not deceive yourself


i go hence and on this earth you shall see my face no more


and when the mothers eyes rested on the thin trans parent hand which had fallen on her arm she knew that hope was vain in deed


do not grieve for me mother


weep not for the dead neither bemoan


weep sore for those who are gone away who may return no more nor see their native country


how


strange he continued fixing his eyes on the picture wealth and power and fondest love lavished on one who can scarce feel their value while she blest perhaps with hope and health and warm affections is pining for the want of wealth to me a weary unprofit able burden longing for the love which will soon be wasted on my grave alienat edexiled theirs must be bitterness worse than death and in his old age that her father should die alone bereft of both his children estranged from her once so dearly loved


lady strathdean tried to speak but tears choked her utterance


oh mother it may not be


he will take her back to his heart


he will turn to their childhis representativehis own direct descendant i with such a hope i am content to die thankful that i die alone that i have lve without earthly love that no child of mine should stand between edith and her fathers heart


i have no hope to give you i dare not gerald


he never will relent


the last hues of day had died away


the autumnal wind moaned round the old oats sweeping their fallen leaves into fantastic eddies


it is fit thought the mourning mother that the sere and yellow leaf should be borne away by the blast but that the blight should have fallen on two such fair branches oh it is hard


the light had passed from the picture and it lay in deep shadow


geralds eye


sought it once more


the night when none can work is near at hand for me i must see my father alone


i must speak once more for her and then earthly duties earthly cares are at an end for ever


pray for the living mother and pray for the dying


he added god bless you


to be continued


mtfimtok


the stv of a feather


jj aublass aetrol


a storyom punch chapter xxii


coiitluutil from our last an intrudera stolen watchpatty


in new affliction


ip it doesnt delight my heart to see you cry said mrs crumpet twill do you good my lambit always did me t good when i was young


ha they dont make the bottles as they used to do


she added perceiving that all the wine was gonea discovery uhich the wine she had already drunk scarcely enabled her to compass


thats mr abram she cried as a loud knock at the streetdoor rang through the home


hes always in such a hurry


goodnight my darlinggo to sleep and dream yourself a lady


saying this the landlady managed to pick her steps from the room in her vinous forgetfulness leaving me behind


heavily the hours passed i poor patty


i heard her lips moveheard her turn restlessly in bedmoan and sigh as though her little henri was vainly struggling with its sorrow


twill soon be overi then heard her murmur in a sweet resigned voice very soon and then she slept


how i wished myself in the hand of some good fairy some beneficent sprite piteos of human rang and human suffering


then i thought should this dark dim garret pass away


then should rise n small quiet nook of a place nestled among trees and carpeted with green around


and there n brook should murmur with a voice of outdoor happinessand a little garden brimming over with flowers should mark the days and weeks and months with bud and blossom and the worst inju ries of time be fallen leaves


i and there health in balm should come about her path and her mind be as a part of every fra grant thing that shone and grew around her


and thus poor wearied creature


ishe should draw her daily gentle breath till ripe for heaven


had fallen into a delicious lull with these thoughts when i was startled by a sudden uproar proceeding from the lower part of the house


there were loud blaspheming voicesthe shrill cries of a womanand in the folln ing instant the garret door was burst open and a man rushed in


as he did so his head struck against the law roof and he fell willi a heavy weight upon the rotten floor swearing and cursing witli halfsmothered passion which it cost him a hard effort to control


whats that


whos there


exclaimed the terrified patty


nobodysilencewheres the window replied a voice gaspingly


the window was in n second opened and the in truder i could perceive endeavoured to escape by it


the aperture was too small for his big burly anatomy and there for a brief space he remained with his shoulders wedged in the narrow space swearing and groaningand then on the sudden he was silent and again and again i heard his hard breathing and felt the garret shake as he strove to effect his purpose


the noise increased below and coming steps and voices convinced me that the fellow was closely pressed


vor a moment he paused as to collect and intensify his energies for one last dreadful effortfur one gigantic struggle another instant and he had cleared the window


as he did so i thought i heard a heavy substance fall upon the floor


almost immediately upon the escape of the intruder the garret was filled with watchmen and others carrying lanterns mrs crumpet upon whom sleep and surprise had induced a beneficial sobriety now bustling through them with a loud voice declaratory of the wondrous honesty of her habitation and of all the lodgers therein dwelling


everybody paused at the window


abrams gonetho birds flown said a man who i imagined was in higher authority than his followers


tis impossible mr hardmouth said a watchman


a morul impossible out of this winder


why it is nt no bigger than a rathole


ha snigs dont you yet know what a man will do with jack ketch at his heels answered mr hardmouth


well i better luck nest time said the philosophic functionary


but j tell you what mrs crumpet the parish of bloomsbury will give you a taste of bridewell if you dont keep decanter people about you


mr hardmouth


im a peaceable woman and never troubles my head with my neighbours


im a woman as pays my churchrates and can look the queen herself in her face


my husband could have bought and sold you allevery jack of youbut hes in heaven


and mrs crumpet continued to spin off this old homespun sort of yarn with practical volu bility at the same time as i observed that she carefully covered a watch which had fallen from mr abram in the hurry of his departure aud which lay beneath the window


this operation she very adroitly effected and then continued her selfassertion of punctilious honesty the while with her foot she pushed and slid the watch close to pattys bed


and whos here cried hardmouth taking the lantern from a watchman and holding it towards patty who cowered and trembled with blushes in her face that seemed to scorch her


for the first time i saw within her eyes a look of scorn of passion


her hands shook together as she appealed to the landlady will not these men go to be sure they willnever fear em my love cried mrs crumpet seating herself upon the edge of the bed


and if they wont ill never leave you never my darling


and so this is mrs abram is it asked hardmouth


poor thing i well with all her husbands luck upon the road he might house her better


she is no missus abram nor nothing of tho sort


dont cry child theyre brutes a waking honest people in their beds


i should like to know when youre going asked mrs crumpet of her intruders


when weve done a little more business


off othot bother crumpet you and i are old friends and ceremonys lost atween us


saying this mr hardmouthif justice be a woman she ought specially to protect her sexseized mrs crumpet by the arm and swung her from her seat on the bed


now my dear wheres the traps asked the officer with most familiar insolence


i know not what you meannot a word but leave me only a few minutes whilst rise and dress


thus spoke patty and for a time she seemed to vanquish sickness by the strong sense ot her offended modesty


there was a look of command in her facea look in which were lost the care and feebleness of an hour since


i begi desire that you leave mo to be sureleave us exclaimed mrs crumpet in treble notes and imitating though with shrewish awkwardness the imperative manner of patty


how can we dress with men in the roora


are you lost to natur you brutes cried the landlady


mrs abram can dress alone said hardmouth and so saying he twirled mrs crumpet from the attic that lady loudly denouncing the brutality of all men


nor was she content with this for as she stood outside the door she called loudly to patty telling her to show her spirit and conjuring her upon her true womanhood not to rise for the best man as tver walked upon shoeleather


patty however regardless of such conjuration dressed her self with her best speed nor did the multiplicity or cumbrous ness of her garments very much retard the operation


her offended feelings of maidenly tharne gave her strength and energy of purpose


sickness seemed banished from her cheek and in its place there was a look of sorrowful dignitya mingling of grief and elevated patience


come missus abram youre not dressing for the lord mayors show called out hardmouth


you may come in said patty and she sank upon the one chair


the officer and watchmen again entered the garret and again with quickened looks did mrs crumpet press forward jmongst them watching with feline eagerness the motions of hardmouth


i thought at much cried that wary servant ef police as he kicked aside the bedding and discovered a watch


mrs crumpet in the vigour and confusion of her wrath nearly bit through her thumb for her thumbnail the watchman laughed and chuckled knowingly whilst for patty sue sat unmoved and seemingly careless of all that passed around her


the very watch as we bad information of said hard mouth


i can swear to the marks


but this cant be the nly egg in the nest and with ibis wise saw hardmouth imttf


trm


pnimiut ii lh hue abusing him and asking him if he knew would gowhere he lo


she then nodded to patty and whispered never mind my darling for this little mishapyour friend will see youl righted


i what friend inquired patty almost unconscious of the j words


what friend


why you havnt forgot the wine and the guinea told you of


these words brought to the mind of patty the kind benevolent lintley


the recollection was i again too much for her


she looked about herat the faces hurrying around her and smitten by the remembrance of her past sufferingsby her belief in future miseryshe hid her face in her handi and wept bitterly


its a bad job missus abrams said hardmouth but if people were only to think of being found out aforo they be


un why we might turn newgate into another playhouse and turnkeys might go a begging


come he added you must go along with us for this


patty aghast with terrorworn with sicknesslooked silently iii the mans face


shu tried to answer him but the words choked her


what do you mean cried mrs crumpet in a screech and suddenly trembling all over


mean i why my meaning is plain ns tyburn


this watch is stolen and that girlmrs abrnm if she is mrs abram and if she isnt why she ought to hehy she knows all about it


know nothingnothing said patty with a voice les sened to hlspering hy terror


i


if you dont man and wife is one flesh all the world over and as it was your husbands bed


i i have no husband screamed the girl


well thats your business i cant help that said hard mouth


no oneno onei am alone in this cruel cruel world alone with none but god to help mc here patty as again convulsed in tears whilst mrs crumpet infected by thesoirow continued to weep and cry if i had only known it had come to this to be continued


the newcomesno


chapter xethel and her relations


just at the ending of that old time lord kew life began that kindly middleaged gentleman whom his county knows that good landlord and friend of all his tenantry round about that builder of churches and indefatigable visitor of schools that wri ter of letters to the farmers of his shire so full of sense and bene volence who wins prizes at agricultural shows and even lectures at county town institutes in his modest pleasant way was the wild young lord kew of a quarter of a century back who kept race horses patronised boxers fought a duel thrashed a life guards man gambled furiously at crockfords and did who knows what besides


his mother a devout lady nursed her son and hi property care fully during the young gentlemans minority keeping him and his younger brother away from all mischief under the eyes of th most careful pastors and masters


she learnt latin with the boys she taught them to play on the piano she enraged old lady kew the childrens grandmother who prophesied that her daughterin law would make milksops of her sons to whom the old lady was never reconciled until after my lords entry at christchurch where he began to distinguish himself very soon after his first terra


he drove tandems kept hunters gay dinners scandalised the dean screwed up the tutors door and agonised his mother at home by his lawless proceedings


he quitted the university after a very brief sojourn at that seat of learning


it may be the oxford au thorities requested his lordship to retire letbyegones be byegones


his youthful son the present lord wal ham is now at christchurch reading with the greatest assiduity


let us not be too particular in narrating his fathers unedifying frolics of a quarter of a century ago


old lady kew who in conjunction with mrs newcome had made the marriage between mr brian newcome and her daughter always despised her sonin law and being a frank open person uttering her mind always took little pains to conceal her opinions regarding him or any other individual


sir brian newcome she would say is one of the most stupid and respectable of men ann is clever but hasnot a grain of common sense


they make a very wellassorted couple


her flightiness would have driven any man crazy who had an opinion of his own


she would have ruined any poor man of her own rank as it is i have given her a husband exactly suited for her


he pays the bills does not see how absurd she is keeps order in th establishment andchecks her follies


she wanted to marry her cousin tom poyntz when they were both very young and proposed to die of a broken heart when i arranged her match with mr newcome


a broken fiddlestick


she would have ruined tom poyntz in a year and has no more idea of th cost of a leg of mutton than i have of algebra


the countess of kew loved brighton and preferred living there even at the season when londoners find such especial charms in their own city


london after easter the old lady said was intolerable


pleasure becomes a business then so oppressive that all good company is destroyed by it


half the men are sick with the feasts which they eat day after day the women are thinking of the half dozen parties they have to go to in the course of the night


the young girls are thinking of their partners and their toilettes


intimacy becomes impossible and quiet enjoyment of life


on the other hand the crowd of bourgeois has not invaded brighton


the drive is not blocked up by flies fulvj of stockbrokers wives and children and you can take the air in your chair upon the chainpier without being stifled by the cigars of the odious shopboys from london


so lady kews name was usually amongst the earliest which the brighton newspapers recorded amongst the arrivals


her only unmarried daughter lady julia lived with her lady iship


poor lady julia had suffered e arly from a spine disease which had kept her for many years to her couch


being always at home and under her mothers eyes she was the old ladys victim her pincushion into which lady kew plunged a hundred little points of sarcasm daily


as children are sometimes brought before magistrates and their poor little backs and shoulders laid bare covered with bruises and lashes which brutal parents have inflicted so i dare say if there had been any tribunal or judge before whom this poor patient lady s could have been exposed it would have been found scarred all over with numberless ancient wounds and bleed from yesterdays castigation


old lady kews tongue was a dreadful thong which made numbers of people wince


she was not altogether cruel but she knew the dexterity with which she wielded her lash and she liked to exercise lt poor lady julia was always at jiand when her mother was mindeel to try her powers


lady kew had just made herself comfortable at brighton when


her little grandsons illness brought lady ann newcome and her family down to the sea


lad kew was almost scared back to london again or blown over the water to dieppe


she had never had the measles


wiry did not ann carry the child to some other place


julia you will on no account go and see that little pesti ferous swarm of newcomes unless you want to send me out of the worldwhich i daresay you do for i am a dreadful plague to you i know and my death would be a release to you


you see doctor h who visits the child every day cries poor pincushion you are not afraid when he comes


doctor h


doctor h comes to cure me or to tell me the news or to flatter me or to feel my pulse and to pretend to prescribe or to take his guinea of course doctor h must go to see all sorts of people in all sorts of diseases


you would not have me be such a brute as to orelcr him not to attend my own grandson


forbid yon to go to anns house


you will send one of the men every day to inquire


let the groom goyes charleshe will not go into the house


he will ring the bell and wait outside


he had better ring the bell at the areai suppose there is an areaand speak to the servants through the bars and bring us word how alfred is


poor pincushion felt fresh compunctions she had met the children and kissed the baby and held kind ethels hand in hers that day as she was out in her chair


there was no use however to make this confession


is she theoiily good woman or man of whom do mestic tyranny has made a hypocrite


charles the groom brings back perfectly favourable reports of master alfreds health that day which doctor h in the course of his visit confirms


the child is getting well rapidly eating like a little ogre


his cousin lord kew has been to see him


he is the kindest of men lord kew he brought the little man tom and jerry with thc pictures


the boy is delighted with the pictures


why has not kew come to see me


when did he come


write him a note and send for him instantly julia


did you know he was here


julia says that she had but that moment read in the brighton papers the arrival of the earl of kew and the honourable j bei size at the albion


i am sure they are here for some mischief cries the old lady delighted


whenever george and john belsize are together i know there is some wickedness planning


what do you know doctor


i see by your face you know something


do tell it me that i may write it to his odious psalmsinging mother doctor hs face does indeed wear a knowing look


he simpe and says i did see lord kew driving this morning first with tl honourable mr belsize and afterwards here he glances towan lady julia as if to say before an unmarried lady i do not lil to tell your ladyship with whom i saw lord kew driving after had left thehonourable mr belize who went to play a match wit


captain huxtahle at tennis


are yon afraid to speak before julia cries the elder lad why bless my soul she is forty years old and has heard ever thing that can be heard


tell me about kew this instant doctor h


the doctor blandly acknowledges that lord kew had bee driving madame pozzoprofondo the famous contralto of the italia opera in his phaeton for two hours in the face of all brighton


yes doctor interposes lady julia blushing but signe pozzoprofondo was in the carriage tooaasitting behind wit the groom


he was indeed mamma


julia vous ntes quune ganache says lady kew shruggin her shoulders and looking at her daughter from under her bush black eyebrows


her ladyship a sister of the late lamented mai quis of steyne possessed no small share of the wit and intelligenci and a considerable resemblance to the features of that distingishe nobleman


lady kew bids her daughter take a pen and write


monsieu le mauvais sujet


gentlemen who wish to take the sea air in privati or tc iivoid their relations had best po to other places than brightoi where their names are printed in the newspapers


if you are n drowned in a pozzo


mamma interposes the secretary


in a pozzoprofondo you will please come to dine with tw old women at halfpast seven


you may bring mr belsize an must tell us a hundred stories


yours c l kew


julia wrote all the lef ter as ber mother had dictated it save onl ne sentence and the note was sealed and despatched to my lor kew who came to dinner with jack belsize


jack belsize liked t dine with lady kew


he said she was an old dear and th wickedest old woman in all england and he liked to dine wit lady julia who was a poor suffering dear and the best woma in all england


jack belsize liked every one and every on liked him


two evenings afterwards the young men repeated their visit t lady kew arid this time lord kew was loud in praises of hi cousins of the house of newcome


not of the eldest barnes surely my dear


cries lady kev no confonnd him


not barnes


no dr it not barnes


i beg your pardon lady julia broke in jack belsize


i can get on with most men j but tin little barney is too odious a little snob


a little whatmr belize


a little snob maam


i have no other word though he is you grandson


i never heard him say a good word of any mortal sou or do a kind action


thank you mr belsize says the lady


but the others are capital


there is that little chap who ha just had the measleshes a dear little brick


and as for mis ethel ethel is a trump maam says lord kew slapping his ham on his knee


ethel ris a brick and alfred is a trump i think you say remarks lady kew nodding approval and barnes is a snob this is very satisfactory to know


we met the children out today cries the enthusiastic kew as i was driving jack in the drag and i got out and talkec to em


governess an uncommonly nice womanoldish buti be your pardon lady julia cries the inopportune jack belsize am always putting my foot in it


putting your foot into what


go on kew


well we met the whole posse of children and the little fellov wanted a drive and i said i would drive him and ethel too if sh would come


upon my word she is as pretty a girl as you can se on a summers day


and the governess said no of course


go vernesses always do


but i said i was her uncle and jack paie such a fine compliment that the young woman was mollified anc the children took their seats beside me and jack went behind


where monsieur pozzoprofondo sits bon we drove on to the downs and we were nearly coming to grief my horses are young and when they get on the grass they are ai if they were mad


it was very wrong i know it was


dd rash interposes jack


he had nearly broken all oui necks


and my brother frank would have been lord kew con tinued the young earl with a quiet smile


what an escape foi him


the horses ran awayever so farand i thought the car riage must upset


the poor little boy who has lost his pluck in the fever began to cry but that young girl though she was as white as a sheet never gave np for a moment and sate in hei place like a man


we met nothing luckily and i pulled thc horses in after a mile or two and i drove em into brighton as quiet as


if i had been driving a hearse


and that little trump ol an ethel what do you think she said


she said i was nol frightened but you must not tell mamma


my aunt it appears was in a dreadful commotioni ought to have thought of that


lady aun isa ridiculous old dear


i beg your pardon lady kew here breaks in jack the apologiser


there is a brother ofsirbrian newcomes staying with them lord kew proceeds an east india colonela very fine looking old boy


smokes awfully row about it in the hotel


go on kew beg your this gentleman was on the lookout for us it appears for when we came in sight he despatched a boy who was with him running like a lamplighter back to my aunt to say all was well


and he t ok little alfred out of the carriage and then helped out ethel and said my dear you are too pretty to scold but you have given us all a bolle peur


and then he made me and jack a low bow and stalked into the lodgings


i think you do deserve to be wlffyped both of you cries lady kew


wc went up and made our peace with my aunt and were pre sented in form to the colonel and his youthful cub


as fine a fellow as ever i saw and as fine aboy as everi saw cries jack belsize


the young chap is a great hand at drawingupon my life the best drawings i ever saw


and he was making a picture for little whatdyoucallem


and miss newcome was looking over them


and lady ann pointed out the group to mc and said how pretty it was


she is uncommonly sentimental you know lady ann


my daughter ann is the greatest fool in the three kingdoms cried lady kew looking fiercely over her spectacles


and julia was instructed to write that night to her sister and desire that ethel should be sent to see ber grandmother ethel who re belled against her grandmother and always loughton her aunt j ullas side when the weaker was oppressed by the older and stronger lady


ipaumpsest


recovered and decyphered from the original syriac by professor punch


chapter i vision of noman the son of nihil who was the son of bosh


behold i wanflered one day through the great city of mammon that lietb in the land of the south even the golden land and a i passed on behold i came nigh to the river yarn that runneth to the sea


and i turned behind the spot where the old sea king dwelleth who maketh merry in his soul


and whose ships pass over the great waters even to the city which is called pivot


and lo i came nigh to the mount of manbat where there is a strong tower full of fire and brimstone with which the men of war smite the enemies of mammon hip and thigh


then my legs got wearied even my understandings aud i sat me down beneath one of the cedars that spreadeth its boughs on the mount and behold my heart felt sick and squeamish and i knew not what to do


then i remembered the words of one who was a man of belial even a publican


when he gave me a gourd saying when thou feelest queer and thy heart faileth thee drink thou of this gourd and thou wilt recover


i then i put my hand into my garment and drew forth the gourd and i drank and verily it opened my eyep and i saw stars


and i returned the gourd to the place from whence it came but lo my hand refused to let it stay until that which it contained was gone then i threw the gourd away


then methought the earth began to move so that i could not stand and there ame a strong wind which blew me from side to side bo that i could not walk straight


then i knew that i was possessed with evil spirits even blue devils


ii


and i turned my head to the earth and lifted my feet towards the sky whereupon the evil spirits escaped from my mouth and i lay down exhausted


and as i lay behold i fell into a deep sleep yea into a snooze and while i slept i saw this vision and i send it to you and your wise men fpr the interpretation thereof


behold


i dreamed that i saw a mighty ship filled with all manner of unclean things and some of them bore the likeness of men and walked about on two legs


lejeaw the great skip come unto the sea of hobson that lletii riignto the city of mammon and they cast their anchor in lie sea unclean things came on shore


and i went down to see the ship and the things that came out ofitandas


ipabsedtoand fro i saw


a man who a book in his hand and he took down the numbers of tue unclean things as they passed out


aud


i said unto him what manner of things are these and from what country come they for behold they look exceeding dirty


and tliemanjiras exceetos jrptfe and said verily thou art a greenhorn elpe thou wquidpt know whats wliat they are called newchums and they come from afar off even from the antipodes


and while i looked behold i saw one of the things even a newchum and he was exceeding tall and his limbs were as the limbs ofa giant and his fingers were exceeding long so that he might take nothing which was out of his reach and his face slione like a furnace and when i looked at it behold it was made of brass


and when the giant came on shore lie leaped off the ground three times crying buroo huroo phiialoo which being interpreted meaneth i am a great man intirely


and my heart felt curious about him that had the likeness of a giant and methought in my dream that i followed him until he passed into the great city even mammon


and i lookc behold he took his abode up in the great highway that leadeth tu tiie cities of the north and to mount ararat


and he became a fashioner of garments and sold much jjlops


then methought as i watched him he grew rich and prospered until his heart was swollen with pride


and he east away the garments wherein he had dealt and said behold i will work no more for am not i a great man and decended from a king even from the great boru


the ho gathered together his friends and those who were prophets in their own country but had no honour and so were sent out of it


and he promised them many things if they would succour him saying help me in this straight and when i am a ruler t forget you


n


and they believed him and they gathere d togefher all their followers even from the uttermost parts of the land and i lierrd a great noise and much shouting nd there were many evil spi rits about that day


ci ha pter xxxoir


one wintry evening early in the year of our lord one thousand


seven hundred and eighty a keen north wind arose as it grew dark and night came on with black and dismal looks


a bitter storm of t sleet sharp dense and icy cold swept the wet streets and rattled on the trembling windows


signboards shaken past endurance in their creaking frames fell crashing on the pavement old tottering chimneysreeled and staggered in the blast and many a steeple rocked again that night as though the earth were troubled


it was not a time for those who could by any means get light and warmth to brave the fury of the weather


in coffeehouses ofthe better sort guests crowded round the fire forgot to be political and r told each other with a secret gladness that the blast grew fiercer every minute


each humble tavern by the waterside had its group of uncouth figures round the hearth who talked of vessels foundering at sea and all hands lost related many a tale of shipwreck and drowned men and hoped that some they knew were safe and shook their heads in doubt in r private dwellings children clustered near the blaze h listening with timid pleasure to tales of ghosts and goblins and tall figuresclad in white standing by bedsides and people who had gone to sleep in old churches and being overlooked had found themselves alone there at the dead hour of the night until they shuddered at the thought of the dark rooms upstairs yet loved to hear the wind moan too and hoped it would continue bravely


from time to time these happy indoor people stopped to listen or one held up his finger and cried hark and then above the rumbling in the chimney and the fast pattering on the glass was heard a wailing rushing sound which shook the walls as though a giants hand were on them then a hoarse roar as if the sea had risen then such a whirl and tumult that the air seemed mad and then with a lengthened howl the waves of wind swept on and left a moments interval of rest


cheerily though there were none abroad to see it shone the maypole light that evening


blessings on the reddeep ruby glowisg redold curtain of the window blending into one rich stream of bright


ness fire and candle meat drink and company and gleaming like a jovial eye upon the bleak waste out of doors


within what carpet like its crunching sand what music merry as its crackling logs what perfume like its kitchens dainty tbreath what weather genial as its hearty warmth i blessings on the old house how sturdily itstood i how did the vexed wind chafe and roar about its stalwart roof how did it pant and strive with its wide lhimneys which still poured forth from their hospitable throats great clouds of smoke and puffed defiance in its face how above all did it drive and rattle at the case ment emulous to extinguish that cheerful glow which would not lie put down and seemed he brighteror the conflict


the profusion too the rich and lavish bounty of that goodly tavern i it was not enough that one fire roared and sparkled on its spacious hearth in the tiles which paved and compassed it five hundred flickering fires burnt brightly also


it was not enough that one red curtain shut the wild night out and shed its cheerful influence on the room


in every saucepan lid and candlestick and vessel of copper brass or tin that hung upon the walls were countless ruddy hangings flashing and gleaming with every motion of the blaze and offering let the eye wander where it might interminable vistas of the same rich colour


the old oak wainscoting the beams the chairs the seats reflected it in a deep dull glimmer


there were fires and red curtains in the very eyes of the drinkers in their buttons in their liquor in the pipes they smoked


mar


willet sat in what had been his accustomed place five years before with his eyes on the eternal boiler and liad sat there since the clock struck eight giving no other signs of life than breathing with a loud and constant snore though he was wide awake and front time to time putting his glass to his lips or knocking the ashes out of his pipe and filling it anew


it was now halfpast ten


ilr


cobb and long phil parkes were his companions as of old and for two mortal hours and a half none of the company had pronounced one word


whether people by dint of sitting together in the same place and the same relative positions and doing exactly the same things for a great many years acquire a sixth sense or some unknown power of influencing each other which serves them in its sead is a question for philosophy to settle


but certain it is that old john willet mlr


parkes end mr cobb were one and all firmly of opinion that they were very jolly companionsrather choice spirits than otherwise that they looked at each other every now and then as if there were a perpe tual interchange of ideas goingon among them that no man considered himselfor his neighbour by any means silgnt and that each of them nodded occa sionally when he caught the eye of another as if he would say you have expressed yourself ex tremely well sir in relation to that sentiment and t quite agree with you


the room was very warm the tobacco sotsry good the fire so very soothing that mr willeubs degrees began to doze but as lihe had pesll acquired by dint of long habit the art ofsmbineib in his sleep and as his breathing was pretty miiuac the same awake or asleep saving that in the latterf case he had sometimes experienced a slight difll


culty in respiration such as a capenter meets when he is planing and comes to a knot neither of his companions was aware of the circumstance untilhe had met with one of these impediments and was obliged to try again


johnnys dropped off said mr parkes in a whisper


s fast as a top said mr cobb


neither of them said any moere until mr willg came to another knot one of surpassing obdiracdy which bade fair to throw him into convulsions buit which he got over at lait without waking by an effort quite superhumaan


he sleeps uncommon hard said mr cobb


mr parkeswho was possibly a hard sleeper himself replied with some disdain not a bit on it and directed his eyes towards a handbill pasted over the chimneypiece which was decorated at the top with a woodcutrepresenting a youth of tender years running away very fast with a bundle over his shoulder at the end of a stick and to carry out the idea a fingerpost and a milestone beside him


mr cobb likewise turned his eyes in the same direction and surveyed the placard as if that were the first time he had ever beheld it


now this was a document which bar


willet had himself indited onthe disappearance of his son joseph acquainting the nobility and gentry and the public in general with the circumstances of his having left his home describing his dress and appearance and offering a reward of five pounds to any person or persons who would pack him up and return him safely to the maypole at chigwell or lodge him in any of his majestys jails until such time as his father should come and claim him


in this advertisement mr willet had obstinately persisted despite the advice and entreaties of his friends in describing his son as a young boy and furtyermore as being from eighteen inches to a couple of feet shorter than he really was two circumstances which perhaps accounted in some degree for its never having been productive of any other effect than the transmission to chigwell at various times and at a vast expense of some fiveandforty runaways varying from six years old to twelve


mr cobb and mr parkes looked mysteriously at this composition at each other andsat old john


from the time he had pasted it up with his own hands mr willet had never by word or sign alluded to the subject or encouraged any one else to do so


nobody had the least notion what his thoughts or opinions were connected with it whether he remembered it or forgot it whether he had any idea that such an event had ever taken place


therefore even while he slept no one ventured to refer to it in his presence and for such sufficient reasons these his chosen friends were silent now


mr willet had got by


this timeinto such a complication of knots that it was perfectly clear he must wake or die


he chose the former alternative and opened his eyes


if he dont come in five minutes said john i shall have supper without him


the antecedent of this pronoun had been mentioned for the last time at eight oclock


messrs parkes and cobb being used to this style of conversation replied without difficulty that to be sure solomon was very late and they wondered what had happened to detain him


he ant blown away i suppose said parkes


its enough to carry a man of his figure off his legs and easy too


do you hear it


it blows great guns indeed therell be many a crash in the forest tonight i reckon and many a broken branch upon the ground tomorrow


it wont break anythingiln the maypole i take it air returned pid john


et it try


i give it leavewhats th t


the wind cried parkes


its howling like a christian and has been all night long


did you ever air asked john after a minutes contemplation hear the wind say maypole why what man ever did said parkes


nor aloy perhaps added john


no


nor that neither


very good sir said mr willet perfectly un moved then if that was the wind just now and youll waita little time without speaking youll hear it say both words very plain


mr willet was right


after listening for a few moments they could clearly hear above the roar and tumult out of doors this shout repeated and that with a shrillness and energy which denoted that it came from some person in great distress or terror


they looked at each other turned pale and held their breath


no man sttrred


it was in this emergency that mr willet displayed something of that strength of mind and plenitude of mental resource which rendered him the admiration of all his friends and neighbours


after looking at messrs parkes andcobb for some time in silence lie clapped his two hands to his cheeks and sent forth a roar which made the glasses dance and rafters ringa longsustained discordant bellow that rolled onward with the wind and startling every echo made the night a hundred times more boisterousa deep loud dismal bray that sounded like a human gong


then with every vein in his head and face swolo with the great exertion and his countenance suffused with a lively purple he drew a little nearer to the fire and turning his back upon it said with dignity if thats any comfort to anybody theyre welcome to it


if it ant im sorry for em


ifeither of you two gentlemen likes to go out and see whats the matter you can


im not curious myself


while he spoke the cry drew nearer and nearer footsteps passed the window the latch of the door was raised it opened was violently shut again and solomon daisy with a lighted lantern in his hand and the rain streaming from his disordered dress dashed into the room


a more complete picture of terror than the little man presented it would be difficult to imagine


the perspiration stood in beads upon his face his knees knocked together his every limb trembled the power of articulation was quite gone and there he stood panting for breath gazing on them with such livid ashy looks that they were infected with his fear though ignorant of its occasion and reflecting his dismayed and horridstricken visage stared back again without venturing to question him until old john wtllet in a fit of temporary insanity made a dive at his cravat and seiztng him by that portion of his dress shook him to and fro until his very teeth appeared to rattle in his head


tell us whats the matter sir said john or ill kill you


tell us whats the matter sir or in another second ill have your head under the biler


how dare you look like that


is anybody a ful lowing of you


what do you mean


say some thing or ill be the death of you i will


mr willet in his frenzy was so near keepidg his word to the very letter solomon daisys eyes already beginning to roll in an alarming manner and certain guttural sounds as of a choking man to issue from his throat that the two bystanders recovering in some degree plucked him off has vic tim by main force and placed tile little clerk of chigwell in a chair


directing a fearful gaze all round the room he implored them in a faint voice to give him some drink and above all to luck the housedoor and close and bar the shutters ofthe room without a moments loss of time


the latter request did not tend to reassure his hearers or to fill them with the most comfortable sensations they complied with it however with the greatest expedition and having handed him a bumper of brandyandwater nearly boiling hot waited to hear what he might have to tell them


oh johnny said solomon shaking him by the hand


oh parkes


oh tommy cobb


why did i leavethis house tonight


i


on the nine teenth of marchof all the nights in the year on the nineteenth of march l they all drew closer to the fire


parkes who was nearest to the door started and looked over his shoulder


mr willet witli great indignation in


quired what the devil he meant by thatand then said god forgive me and glanced over his owvn i shoulder and came a little nearer


when i left here tonight said solomon daisy i little thougilt what day of the month it i was


i have never gone alone into the church after dark on this day for sevenandtwenty years


i have heard it said that as we keep our birthdays when we are alive so the ghosts of dead people who are not easy in their graves keep the day they died uponholow the wind roars


nobody spoke


all eyes were fastened on solo mon


i might have known he said what night it was by the fouliweather


theres no such night in the whole year round as this is always


i never sleep quiietly in my bed on the nneteenth of march


go on said tom cobb ina low voice


nor i neither ssolomon


daisy raised his glass to his lips put it down upon the floor with such a trembling hand that the spoon tinkled in it like alittle beli and continued thus have i ever said tiat we are always brought back to this subject in some strange way when te nineteenth of this month comes round do you suppose it was by accident i forgot to wind up the church clockl inever forgot it at any other time though its such a clumsy thing that it has to be wound up every day


why shlould it escape my memory on this day of all others


i made as much hastedown there as i could when i went from here but i had to go home first for the keys andthle wind and rain being dead against me all the way it was pretty well as much as i could do at times to keep my legs


i got there at last opened the church door and went in


i had not met a soulall the way and you may judge whether it was dull or not


neither of you would bear me company


if you could have known what was to come youd have been in the right


the wind was so strong that it was as much as i could do to shut the church door by putting my whole weight against it and even as it was it burst wide open twice with such strength that any qfyou would have sworn if you had been leaning against it as i was that somebody was pushing on the other side


however got the key turned went into the belfry and wound up the clock which was very near run down and would have steeood stockstill in half an hour


as i took up my lantern again to leave the church it came upon me all at once that this was the nineteenth of march


it came upon me with a kind of shock as if a hand had struck the thought upon my forehead at the very same moment i iaeid a voice outside the tower rising from among the graves


hrlere old john peocipitately interrupted bthe speaker


anti begged tlhat if mir parkes who was seated opposite to him and was staring directly over his head saw anything he would have the goodness to mention it


mr parkes apologised and remarked that he was only listening to which mr willet angrily retorted that his listening with that kind of expressioo in his face was not agreeable and that if he couldnt look like other people he had better put his pockethandkerchief over his face


msr


parkes with great submission pledged himself todo so if again required and john willet turnino to solomon desired him to proceed


after waiting until a violent gust of wind and rain which seemedto shake that sturdy house to its foundation had passed away the little man complied


never tell me that it was my fancy or that it was any other sound which i mistook for that i tell you of


i heard the wind whistle through thl arches of the church


i heard the steeple strain and creak


i heard the rain as it came driving against the walls


i felt the bells shake


i saw the ropes sway to and fro


and i heard that voice


what did it say i asked tom cobb


i dont know what i dont know that it spoke


it gave a kind of cry as any one of us might do if something dreadful followed us in a dream and came upon us unawares and then it died off seem ing to pass quite round the church


i dont see much in that said john drawing a long breath and looking round him like a man who telt relieved


perhaps not returned his friend but thats not all


what more do you mean to say sir is to come asked john pausing in the act of wiping his face upon his apron


what are you going to tell us of next saw


echoed all three bending forward


when i opened the churchdoor to come out said the little man with an expression of face which bore ample testimony to the sincerity of his convic tion when i opened the churchdoor to come out which i did suddenly for wanted to get it shut again before another gust of wind came up there crossed meso close that by stretching out my finger i could have touched itsomething in the likeness of a man


it was bareheaded to the storm


it turned its face without stopping and fixed its eyes on mine


it was a ghosta spirit


whosel they all three cried together


in the excess of his emotion for he fell back trembling in his chair and waved his hand as if entreating themto question him no further


his answer was lost on all but old jolsn willet who happened to be seated close beside him


who i cried parkes and tom cobb looking eagerly by turns at solomon daisy and at mlr


willet


who was it gentlemen said mr willet after a long pauese you neednt ask


the likeness of a mur dered man


this is the nineteenth of mlarch


a profound silence ensued


if youll take my advice said john we had better one and all keep this a secret


such tales would not be liked at the warren


let us keep it to ourselves for the present time at all events or we may get into trouble and solomon may lose his place


whether it was really as he says or whe


thler it wasnt is no matter


right or wrong nobody will believe him


as to the probabilities i dont myself think said


mr willer eyeing the corners of the room in a manner which allshowed that like some other philosophers he was not quite easy in his theory that a ghost as had been a man of sense in his lifetime would be out awalking in such weatheri only know that i wouldnt if i was one but this heretical doctrine was strongly opposed by the other three who quoted a great many pre cedents to show that bad weather was the very time for such appearances and mr parkes who had had a ghost in his family by the msothers aide argued the matter with so much ingenuity and force of illustration that john was only saved from having to retract his opinion by the opportune appearance of supper to which they applied them


selves with a dreadful relish


even solomon daisy himself by dint of the elevating influences of fire lights brandy and good company so far recovered as to handle his knife and fork in a highly creditable manner and to display a capacity both of eating and drinking such as banished all fear of his having sustained any lasting injury from this fright


supper done they crowded round the fire again and as is common on such occasions propounded all manner of leading questions calculated to sur round the story with new horrors and surmises


but solomon daisy notwithstanding these tempta


tions adhered so steadily to hiis original account and repeated it so often with such slight variations and with such solemn asseverations of its truth and reality that his bearers were with good reason more astonished than at first


as lie took john wvillets view of the matter in regard to the pro


priety of not bruiting the tale abroad unless the spirit should appear to him again in which case it would be necessary to take immediate counsel with the clergyman it was solemnly resolved that it should be hushed up and kept quiet


and as most men like to have a secret to tell which may exalt tlieir own importance they arrived at this conclusion with perfect unanimity


as it was by this time growing late and was long past their usual hour of separating the cronies parted for the night


solomon daisy with a fresh canidle in his lantern repaired homewards under the escort of long phil parkes and mcr


cobb who were rather more nervous than himself


mr willet after seeing them to the door returned to collect his thoughts with the assistance of the boiler and to listen to the storm of wind and rain which had not yet abated one jot of its fury


to be continued


more about the randwick pig amd the first chapter of the book of simeon


tho winged pegasus of apollo tho bucephalus of ctc ear the wonderful mare which bore tho prophet to para dise tho white elephant of siam the famous dan cow slain by guy of warwick the great dmgoa of wantloyi to lay nothing of the alligator so boldly ridden by winter dun in his wanderings and tho iguana which ran up a gumtro with our friend mr charles huberts hav all con tributed to render fnruqus tho persons and


places with which they wero connected


why then should not rand wick bimeou and the doctor go down to aa admiring posterity ua thehack of a pigf home was saved from destruction by a goose and why uut kandwick from obli vion bjr a grunter


j pits have hean famous in all ages and pince


of the world although history has seldom dono thant jiilice


la not yorkshire cc elirated for itb hams wiltshire forits haem and sussex fir its hogs


is not the rast wonder fulwork in the most wonderful city of the world is not thu litanies tunnel a great bore


is hot bacon one of tho moat celebrated harnea in the english annals


docs not scotland boat of its hog


and what would paddy and tho childer do without tho slip of a pigtho cray i ur


probably it ls on account of hisliking for pork that paddy is so often in a pickle


that our ancestors thought moro of the pig than we


do i is evident from the frequent allusions to it in ancient do cuments on monuments and signboards


many of the ltiur indeed have come down to our degenerate days


have wu not the hog in armour the pig and whittle thoboars head tho hine boar with a host of others still figuring in all their tilery in front of ancient hos telries


more than all this did not the hog dynasty once reign in england


verily if we tire to believe history


is not tho distich which proves it oiie of the best authenticated and bebt remembered portions of our schoolboy readings


did not


the cat therat and lovel the dog


ltule all england under a hog now long the porcine dynasty lasted andwhat were tho great events which t bk place tinder it history has tailed to tell us but niott probably it histed for a very long m riod as allusions to the hog in its various statesalive ur leadform no inconsiderable portion of our household words


are not tho knglish peasantry chawbacona


is not tho mun who has made a mistake said thave got


the wrongpighy the oar


and one who has purclnsed a thing ho knew nothing about said to have bought a pig in a poke


are not those who have luckily escaped from loss said to hoo saved their bacon


ls not


a hothead one of our most common i ij ii iii measures


ls not tho dunmow hitch the recognisedemblem of connu bial felicity


not a boars head a d sh for royalty it sell


la not a hows ear the antithesis of a silk purse


ls not a stupid follow said tb be pighead d


and


a oroesgrairicd one as stubborn bs a pig


flut more than all this is not a large portion of tho human taco said tobe the descendants of i um


seeing then the gioat part the pig bas played in the worlds history abd thodeop


dobt of


gratitude duo ta him by the liandwickitei is it to be wondered atthai they should have fixed on him as tho chief supporter of their corporate coatof anns


bolides that a wild boar ram pant is luito a reapectablo heraldic emblem there are many reasonswhythe kniidwickitea shonm wish to exaltthe


pig


into tho first placo in iheir corporate urections


woo ever heard of kandwick until the advent of the doctors wonderfulfat pig


pamonvas randwick now is where is the mau who had eyer visaed it


belora ho wont toseo tho pijt


true tho boro of tho pig was not exalted there until thu


handwickitus had fanedio obtain ri doiikey but what of that


heir gratitude tb tho pig should


be nono the iccsdid he not rescue them and


their possessions from oblivion or whiit was worse from thu disagreeable inotoriuty connected with the production of nothing but snakes and geebuugeis not the pig the only living thii


onwhich the bite of tho fearful dfeath ador is harmless


who ever heard or a plg suffering from tho bite if a snake


i


whether snakes aro verso to pork or whether


piggy ia too much for the snake philusbpheta have iot yet do torruined


it is ore of thu important points in natural history on which doctors differ


we aro glad to learn however that doctor dickson himiulf has determined to set the question foruver at rest


ile hus just cunojuded a most elaborate series of experiments on triemijctu la bour of lore with bira no doubt and a labour which will still further tend to immortalise his name la connexion with the wonderful pig


did not herodotus immortalise himself as tho historian of the greiks


did hot boswell gain everlasting fame as the biographer of


johnson dd iy


barry omoara hopo to live to all time corning on the strength of


his letters about napoleon


why thon should not thu worthy


doctor hopo for tho enthusiastic npplaiiso of an admiring world and the eternal gratitude of posterity in return for his researches and memoird in connexion with his famous pig


we had written thus far about pigs in general and tho doctors wonderful pig in particular when overcome by the arduous nature of


our laboursand tho heat of the weather we are almost ashamed to say we dropped asleep and of course dreamt about thu pig there was high re velry nt kandwickour friend simeon had instituted gamesafter tho classic model of the olimpio games nu doubtin celebration of his election to


tho mayurality


above all tho other sports tho chasingof a pig with a greasy tail was the most popular


the mr bad so mixed


himself up in our waking recollections with bo pig that hy some extraordinary hallucination e fucciud that he was the pig himself and was running with the boys in full chase for dear lifo screaming grease my tail


groase my tail


wu were in the act of