after having sung through his nose as uunl


a part of the deed in a voice almost unintellicible he articulated clearly the last words unlfortuunately too significant for the rtie tribunal condemns the sieur jerome morel to pay to the sieur jacques ferrand by all lawful means and even by his body the sum of thirteen hundred francs with interest from the date of protest he also to pay the costs


and my daughter louise then cried morel almost wild where is she


has she left the notary since he wishes to im prison me


who is louise said bourdin


ah said malicorne brutally dont you see he is fooling you


come and he drew near to morel come march i want some fresh air it is poisonous here


morel dont go


defend yourself cried madeleine wildly


solely absorbed in his own thoughts


morel heard nothing that was said around him


suddenly an expression of bitter joy illumined his fatce he cried louise has left the house of the notary i will go to prison cheerfully


but casting a look around him he said and my wifeand her motherand my other childrenwho will feed them


it is then our deaththe death of all of us


that the notary desires


at this unaccustomed scene at the sight of the men whom she did not know the idiot began to howl pressing against the wall


a horrible episoderenders this scene still more frightful


the eldest of the little girls who had remained in the straw bed with her sick sister suddenly cried out mamma i dont know what is the mat ter with adelesie is all cold


i she looks at me but she dont breathe


the poor child had just expired without a groan her eyes still fixed on her sister whom she loved tenderly


it is impossible to describe the cry that was uttered by the wife of the artisan at this revelation for she comprehended all


it was one of those convulsive heavingr cries torn from the very bowels of a mother


smy sister looks as if she was dead


oh i am afraid


cried the child rushing out of the bed and running to throw herself into the arms of her mother


she forget ting that her almost paralyzed limbs could not sustain her made a violent effort to go to her dead child but her strength failed her


and she fell on the floor uttering a last cry of despair


this found an echo in the heart of morel


he aroused himself from his stupor with a bound he was at the bedside and caught up his child


he found her dead


the officers for a moment overcome by the scene stun recovered their usual bru tality of manner


ah now


come comrade said mali


come your child is dead it is a misfor tune we are all mortal we can do nothing


neither can you


you must follow us morel did not hear this man


com pletely lost in thought he muttered the coffin i who will trust us


oh a coffin so small l a child


i it ought not to be dear and it can he taken under the arm


alh ah ah i added he with a shout of fearful laughter how happy i am


she might have died at eighteen and they would not have given me credit for a large coffin


alah now


this fellow is capable of going crazed said bourdin to malicorne and the old idiot howling with hunger


what a family


i


yet we must make a finish al though the arrest of this beggar is only tariffed at francs


let us finish this tie him lie shall weep on the road


is it our fault if the little one is dead


such folks ought not to have children come come comrade added he striking morel on the shoulder we cant wait no longer since you cant payto prison i to prison morel i cried a young and sweet voice and a youthful girl a bru nette fresh and rosy entered quickly into the garret


ah mademoiselle rigolette said one of the children you are so good i save papa they wish to take him to prison and our little sister is dead


morel arose lie was about to follow the bailiff when these words resounded on the staircase my father i my father


louise cried the artisan lifting his hands towards heaven i can then embrace her before i go i lthanks mtn dieu


i i arrive in time said the voice drawing nearer and


nearer


and one could hear the young girl ascend ing the staircase


be tranquil my dear said a third voice sharp brokenwinded puffing and blowing coming from a place lower d twn ill hide myself if it is necessary in the alley us three my broom and my old darling and if they dont walk out of this after you have spoken to them the beggars


tihe reader has doubtless recognised madame pipelet who less active than louise followed her slowly


in a few moments the daughter of the artisan was in the arms of her lather


is it you louise mydear louise


said morel weeping but how pale you are i what is the matter


nothiugnuothingh i have run so fastl here is the money


you are free i said the young girl giving a roleiau of gold to malicorne


but this money louise


this money


you shall know all he calm cedme and pacify my mother


i but this money


correct said malicorne


tihe note is for thirteen hundred francs godd here is the note paid but the costs aire already eleven hundred and forty francs


oh mon dthu cried louise i thought thirteen hundred francs was enough


but wait a little longer and we will paty you thle rest


very well bring the money to the gaol and we will let your fathier go come march


mercy mercy i cried louise


at the same moment itodolplhe appeared at the door of a little room from whlichhe had witnessed thie scene we have just de scribed


ihe wias pale and highly affected


at this sudden apparition the bailiffs fell back


morel and his daughter regarded the prince with astonishment


taking from the pocket of his waistcoat a package of bank bills rodolphe drew out three and presenting them to malicorne said there are twentyfive hundred francs return to this young girl the gold she gave you


still more astonished thie officer tootk the notes in a hesitating manner and pocketed them


then recoveriug his impudence he measured rodolplhe with a look and said are they good


how came you by such a sum


rodolphe was very plainly dressed and covered with dust owing to his conceal ment in the storeroom


i told you to give back the gold to this young girl answered he in a short and rough tone


and how do you dare to speak to me thus p cried the bailiff


the gold i the gold said the prince seizing and pressing his arm so tightly that under his iron grasp the bailiff was glad to cry out here is the gold but dont be so fa miliar


thats true who are you that you give yourself such airs said bourdin standing behind his confederate who are you


who is he


impudence


he is my lodger the prince of lodgers foulmouth as you are cried madame pipelet who at last ap peared quite out of breath


what does this old weasel want said bourdin


if you make any remarks about me cried madame pipelet my lodger my prince of lodgers will pitch you from the top to the bottom of the stairs and ill sweep you out with my broom like dirty rubbish as you are


this old woman is capable of raising the house against us let us go


there are your papers said he throwing the docu ments feet of morel


mlalicorne shaking his clenched hand at rodolphe with one bound descended several steps followed by his accomplice who looked behind rather alarmed


madame pipelet prepared herself for re venge and looking at a saucepan with an inspired air she leant on the railing aind emptied the contents on the backs of the two bailiffs who had reached at this mo ment the first story


get out then i added the purtress


ah


they are nicely soused


malicorne inundated with the culinary preparation of madame pipelet crid v will you look out above there old hell cat


i alfred i shouted madame pipelet screeching in a sharp piercing voice loud enough to make a deal man hear alfred fetch them a kick old darling


i they are two blackguardsclip em behind with the broom


hleu


you


scat


scat thieves i murder


hss sss i asss


brrrrrr


i bow how i kick em behind old darling


and by way of a finish to these ejaculations she accompanied them with most ferocious stamping of the feet and carried away by the intoxication of victory pitched from the top to the bottom of the stairs her earthern saucepan which broke with a terrible noise


anld get out then l cried anastasia shouting with laughter and crossing her arms in a triumphal attitude


while madame iipelet pursued the bailiffs with her shouts and insults morel cast himself at the feet of iodalplie


ahl monsieur you have saved our lives i to whom do we owe this unlooked for succour


to god you see he has always pity on honest people


the misery of the morels were not yet at an end hardly had the little group com posed themselves ere a confused noise which announced the arrival of a crowd resounded in the street a great tumult was heard and the sound of muskets rang on the pavement at the door


it was a police guard commissioned to apprehend louise morel for theftl the scene that ensued was even more heartrending than that which had just closed


louise was carried off and her fathers reason staggered beneath the blow he became mad i from the brief explanations elicited by rodolphe it appeared that at the time louise went into the service of ferrand the notary her father had mysteriously lost a diamond


bound to make good the loss the workman would have been ruined had not ferrand with hypocritical gene rosity advanced the value of the jewel with the view in reality of ingratiating himself into the good graces of louise


she however repelled his advances and hence his thirst for vengeance against the family


francois germain the son of the maitre decole was one of the clerks employed in the office of the notary and having during his residence in the rue du temple interested himself much in the affairs of the morels informed louise of the intended arrest of her father and furnished to her the gold which she had brought for his release


how germain had become pos sessed of the gold was not known


f


these revelations closed the thoughts o


rodolphe turned with bitter hatred against the wretch jacques ferrand by whom all these miseries had been inflicted


bush life in australia


an onioinal tale


cliapteb vii


on the night of thursday the th june said major dounic i was quartered in brussels being then a comet in the th hussard


having been bent on some mili tary duty to quarters of colonel lo a french royalist he had very politely in vited me to dinner and as i was never very backward when a good dinner or good com pany carno in the way i quite as politely accepted the invitation so its just at his labiothat


i was on that night


now you are probably not aware gentlemen that i havethe honor to be an irishman


harry and i expressed the utmost as tonishment and gratification at this impor tant revelation


it is a fact i assure you


well i hap pened at dinner to sit next a devilish hand


some young fellow the count de chcvrieux captain in the army of his majesty king a ljuis the eighteenth and a queer army it was at that time by the lord seeing that ninetynine out of every hundred were in the field under bonaparte but no matter for that


the count was mighty polite to me and after dinner wo got into a long discourse about the past glories of france under the monarchy and the great services of the irish brigado at fontenoy


now i must tell you that although an irishman to the hearts core i could never understand the fun of pitting the irishman against the englishmanunless indeed it was fun for the enemies of both


harry and i burst out with a boisterous hear hear hear and there was a tremen dous rapping on the table by the whole strength of the company but as the grave countenance of the major assured us that our approbation waa of small importance to him we apologised for the interruption and he proceeded the count threw out a great many sneers against the english which seeing that they as well as myself had just left home and everything dearest to risk their lives for him and the like of bim i thought dd ungrateful to say the least


i bore it pretty well though for a long time


at last when ho shook hands and wished me good night adding with all a frenchmans emphasis i love and honor the irish people but as a secret i hate the english by the piper i could stand it no longer so before i let go his right hand i put my left upon his shoulder and looking him steadily in the eyes count said i you havo told me a secret and now ill tell you another if youll keep it to yourself


he was all attention in a moment


you say you hate the english said i and what i have to tell you is thisby my soul theres no love lost between ye


if yed only seen the look he gave me as he turned and walked away without a word


sure it was no more than he deserved and there was nothing very insulting in it that i knew but i hadnt gone many steps from the house when a young frenchman overtook me with a polite request that i would refer him to a friend


was bothered enough at the thought of going out for such a trifle in those stirring times but what could i do


i pencilled down the address of an old trinity chum in the enniskillens and we parted


now you see this was just what i meant when i told you i was offered a choice of the way id uko to be killed


here was bony and his i party on one bide making a bid for me and on the other an officer of king louis willing to run me through


but it was not to be for at ten oclock the trumpets of my troop were ringing out a call that no soldier may disobey nnd long before morning i was in tho saddle and far on the way to quatre bras


as for the poor count i never saw bim again


he was killed on the th and his loves and his hatreds ended with him


were you wounded in the battle sir asked thomas


devil a wound then though i was in the thick of it too and sawlord uxbridge hit


at this moment a loud rapping was heard at the door which immediately afterwards was thrown wide open displaying the corpo ral of the police steadying himself upon the threshold and with tho back of his right hand firmly fixed to his cap in salute as he addressed his commander beg parn sir sawyrs want troas i blafta


what shouted the major rising in a moment as sober as a judge why youre drunk sir no sir not drung sir ony sawyrs want troast blafolla


why what the devil docs the drunken rascal moan


stand out of the way


oh you shall pay for this my man


out rushed the commissioner with harry closo at his heels and i and tho others not far behind


the scone outside was a vivid representation of pandemonium


the saw yers maddened by copious libations of rum after long abstinouco had made au enormous lire within thirty yards of the house between us and tho spot where the captive aboriginal had been chained to the nearest tree suitable for tho purpose


around this fire and beyond it about thirty sawyers and sailors were dancing plunging fighting and yelling now and then dashing into the fire somo of the rum that they wore drinking from pan nikins and quartpots and thus raising a momentary flash of bluo flame that greatly aided tho devilish expression of their dis torted faces


unfortunately dick had gono up the river in a boat to visit some old acquaintance so that no chock whatever was opposed to this wild orgie


all the police were more or less intoxicated and wo stumbled over our own two men lying beastly drunk in the path as we mado our way down to the fire


though the night was moonless the firelight onabledus to seo at a glance what the tipsy corporal had tried to explain


the sawyors had taken a mad fancy into their heads to put the blackfellow on the fire and several of them wero now struggling with tho police and tim better disposed of the sailors in order to carry out their resolve


at another time it would have boon good sport to havo seen the major cleaving his way through the bacchanalian crew and dashing them from right to left with his long arms while harry more scientifically hit straight beforo him knocking not a fow of his opponents into tho fire and raising up a diminutive vesuvius of sparks from every fall


a charge uko this supported as it was by the skipper thomas and myself was ir resistible by tho staggering crowd through which wo plunged and we wore soon by the side of the soberest of the policemen the only one who had kept possession of his sword with the point of which ho was now keeping his assailants back from tho tree


just at this moment dick and his boating companion came running up almost breath less to our assistance having returned in the nick of timo


woll done payne cried tho major to ihe policeman ill remember you for this


is the prisoner all right


a ri sir replied the man with that economy of consonants which is the dis tinguishing characteristic of too much tipple


for gods sake dick said i keep back those men if yon can


they want to murder tho poor wrotcb


to burn him alive


f


why sir said dick turning his keen t ono eye from tbo tree to mo so far


as ee i theres no poor wretch to burn


theres no blackfellow here where is he


a question easier asked than answered


wo all rushed up to the tree and there was the chain to which the black had boon fast ened but the captive was free


nothing could equal the astonishment and consterna tion of his halfdrunken sentinel and indeed the escape had been so ingeniously managed during the confusion that a soberer man might well have been at fault


dick had torn some bark from a neighboring log and thrusting it into the fire made a blazing torch with which he narrowly scanned the spot where the native had been chained


his sagacity and experience soon detected the mode by which the evasion had been effected and it was so remarkable that if this were a romaneo the incident might be considered overdrawn but the reader must not forget that i am recording facts


it will bo remembered that i described the aboriginal as a youth of slight figure


so small were his ancles that the fetters used to fasten them to the chain were steel spring handcuffs ordinarily used by the police to confine the wrists of prisoners


with a smaller pair his wrists also were secured at night but they had not yet been put on this evening as his guardians had just given him apiece of kangaroo to eat when the sawyers commenced their attack


the wily native must have taken particular notice of the manner in which the police unscrewed the handcuffs from his wrists each morning for in a similar way he had released himself from the chain using a small bone of the kangaroo as a key to unscrew the fetters


this bone marked all round with tho worm of the screw in the fetters was found on the spot by dick and exhibited to us all


it was somewhat remarkable that instead of removing the clasps from his ankles he had unscrewed those parts that were attached to the chain and so gone off with two pairs of her majestys handcuff on his legs


these however would cause him but little difficulty as they were not attached together and a friendly stone in a quiet spot would soon en able him to get rid of them


at all events he was gone as quietly as a cat without noise or alarm of any kind


the major was in a towering passion but the greatest weight of his wrath fell upon the corporal whom ho immediately placed under arrest


as to the sawyers their drunken thoughts took a new turn and in a few mi nutes the echoes of their guns were heard reverberating through all parts of the forest as they scattered themselves about in the forlorn hope of stopping their lightheeled friend by means of a random shot in the darkness a proje ctabout as hopeful to use dicks simile as throwing a needle at a mos quito


in the meantime that worthy who had returned so opportunely to our aid took instant advantage of the absence of his rum drinking acquaintances and observing that the spirit cask stood on tho top of a slope falling towards tho river and away from the fire adroitly upset and rolled it down the hill thus putting an effectual stop to the de bauch for that night


not even dicks popu larity would have saved him from the conse quences of this trick if he had been detected for the imprecations of the sawyers on their return and their furious rage at being thus deprived of their drink betokened no good to anybody whom they might suspect of be ing the cause


it was evident however that they attributed it to accident and dick like others who do good by stealth wisely ab stained from claiming credit for the act


one by one the roystering bacchanals dropped off to sleepsome by the lire some under sheets of bark and some on board the cutter


not withstanding the mock watch that was kept t am afraid that if our young friend with the handcuffs had come down like a wolf on the fold that night he and his brothers in arms would have found an easy victory but in all probability he was not sufficiently sa tisfied with his treatment to come back again if ho could help it


harry and i were both fatigued with the excitement of the doy and as the major was taciturn we wished him good night and ad


journed to the cabin of the mary where i fell asleep wonderiug how anything but a frog with the influenza could make such a frightful noise as my dear friend was sound ing with trombone force through his hand some noso


my dreams formed a most he terogeneous mixture of incidents


i fancied that i saw the major engaged in single com bat with napoleon bonaparte on tho banks of tho clarence and that the marquis of anglesea was cutting a french count in two on a sawpit while terrible dick was haul ing me off to a bonfire with the benevolent object of making a grand carbonado


on rising next morning i found a message from the major stating his desire to see mc and harry at breakfast


we found the old soldier very grave and grim and the corporal outside looking very penitent and forlorn under the charge of an armed policeman


mr wotton said the commissioner to me during breakfast i havo some serious business to attend to this morning and all the more for this most unfortunate escape which may turn out a bad piece of business yet


hero he knit his brows and shot an angry glance towards the corporal outside


what i havo to do he continued is very far from being agreeable to myself and would be still less so to you and your friend so as mr thomas wants to go over the river in search of some spars for his vessel ive been thinking that ye might go with him and take a stroll for a few hours as yell find the country worth looking at


we grasped at the suggestion at once and were soon ready for the journey


wo had already adopted dicks hint of the previous morning and liad discarded the broadcloth of civilization for tho serge shirts leather leggings and cabbagetree hats of savage life


of course dick was to form one of our party


we found him soundly rating our two men who with the rest of the disorder lies of the previous night looked as if they were afraid of tho sunshine and longed to get out of it


if over a man seems less a man than during a nights dobnuch it is on the morning afterwards


taking our guns shotbelts powderfiasks and a supply of ballcartridges in case of need the four of us embarked on what to harry and me was the first exploring trip


having already attempted to describe a summer morning on this beautiful river i shall not linger over it now


ouo thing however struck mo particularly as tho boat shot across the clear smooth surface of the stream it was tho strange kind of attraction existing in one thin column of smoke when it appears on a small clearing in a broad reach


it looks ko uko home in comparison with the simple wildness of nature all around


in after years i havo often observed a similar effect on a largo plain


in a mountainous country it is not so perceptible as tho viow is limited in tho valleys and from the tops of tho ranges the signal fires of the blacks alono are usually soen winch it is needless to say havo a very different effeot upon the mind


it is the senso of friendliness there and loneliness everywhere else in the visible vastness around that gives such deep interest to that little spire of smoko


i pretend to no new discoveryno new thought in this


mino is a simple history and i only state what i felt as we left tho primitive settlement of tho claronce


the north banks of the river were clothed with thick brush aud jumping ashore found myself for the first time within those wild bowery retreats that i had admired so much from the deck of tlio cutten scarcely jj had we advanced halfadozen yards when a whirring sound sharper than the flutter of tho patridge prrrrt prrt prtivas heard


in a moment dick who was lead ing halied heckoned to us to keep back and while harry and i gazed bowilderedly upon nothing levelled his gun at a mas of leaves above


bang goes dick and down tumbles his prize a fine plump wonga wonga or blue groundpigeon which dicks sharp eye had detected the moment it flew for shelter


here i was in the heart of such a cover as many a wealthy englishman would like to have attached to his estate


now sir said dick if youve a mind for sport theres plenty ahead


dont you hear the figs tumbling down there


a few yards before us was an enormous figtree with its great roots monopolising all the land within grasp of their multifold shoots and ramifications while the thick un derwood and rich vines which in their more humble way flourished so gloriously by themselves were here compelled to keep at a respectful distance


i could see that this tree was an aristocrata lord of the brush but viewing his noble proportions and the splendour of his lofty and umbrageous branches i was obliged to confess that he was a very creditable part of the affair


the head of this great tree was agitated with a perfect swarm of pigeonsprodigal and ex travagant fellows who were wasting as much as they ate sending the ripe wild figs pat tering down to the ground like hailstones against a window


oh ye gerards and cummings who chase lions spar with tigers ride on rhinoceroses and angle for seaserpents scoff not at me when i confess that i trembled with excitement at being within such easy shot of these beauties of the woods


it is a cowardly thing i know to shoot birds sitting on a branch but then they were a long way off which is some justification aud they fly so high that nobody can ever shoot them then which is more


we felt no compunction as one after another we banged away and saw the beautiful wompoos come tumbling from their lofty perches whirling over and over through the foliage and falling with a heavy thud to the ground


a flock of knowing wulkas with sharp red eyes and fierce vigilant looking topknots made off after the fir t shot leaving two killed but the green pigeons wero not so timid and gave us such fair play that in half au hour we were all feathered round the belts with doveheaded greenbacked orangewinged purplebreasted trophies suspended therefrom in pairs


at last a truco was proclaimed and i suggested the propriety of moving off for fear that the naked lords of the manor might interfere with our poaching


they wont come here i think said dick gravely but wed better be moving


do you see that little hill sir added he when we had proceeded somewhat further into the scrub thats where poor billy brown is buried


the trees all around were partly barked and a cross with the initials wb had been rudely cut upon one with a tomahawk


i thought of the talc of murder and revenge connected with this lonely memorial as dick continued i told you before sir that the scrub was not so dull and awful in the morning as about sundown


poor jem


i think i see him sitting there now


the other two are buried a littlo further down the river


but come along gentlemen lets get out of this place


we followed him gladly enough and after a quarter of an hours toiling and dodging and twisting through vines and underwood now starting a wongawonga now fright ening the wits out of a padamallon and now half losing our own by sudden proximity to a black snake baskiug in a patch of sun shine or moro dangerous still a long green whipsnake running up the vines over our headswe at length emerged into the forest ground


the only apparent occupant of the green amphitheatre upon which we entered was a doe kangaroo which after giving us one suspicious glance and waiting for a sportive youngster near to jump into her pouch made off with her pet in a series of light but leisurely springs and was soon lost to view


to the left of us up the river was the dark green fringe of a creek running into the clarence wnilo below and before us we saw scrub in the distance forming a sort of crescent and joining with that from which wc had just emerged


it will be necessary to bear these features in mind in order to understand what followed


to he continued


another fkencii plot is thus described by the paris correspondent of the daily netos


all the french newspapers state that the princess mathilde accompanied by se veral mombers of her household paid a visit to the prefect of police a day or two since to inspect some old records which are kept at the prefecture


i have reason to think that the object of her visit was very different from the one alleged


about ten days ago as i was informed on good authority a person who appeared to bo a domestic servant and was elad in the imperial livery presented himself at onei do not know whichof the railway stations and asked for three boxes which the princess expected by a train that had just come in and which would be directed to be left till called for


he was told that two boxes only had arrived and after repeating that he had expected three he took the two away


the next day the missing box bearing the same direction arrived


the railway clerks at once sent it off to the princess mathildas residence in the rue de courcelles


the hall porter on being told the story tho uther two boxes said he knew nothing about them


the princess being informed of the message from the railway carno down herself into the hall the box wis opened in her presence and was found to contain a quantity of bombs rather smaller than thoso used by orsini but of precisely the same character


the utmost alarm was naturally felt at the reflection that the other two boxes containing similar mur derous materials must bo concealed in paris and in the hands of daring conspirators


i am not sure whether it was on that evening or the next that the emperor went to the opera comique


it was observed by a cor respondent of one of your contemporaries that most extraordinary precautions were taken on this occasion


i now hear that two squadrons of cavalry a force quito unpre cedented as a guard of honor for an ordinary visit to a theatre wero stationed on the boulevards and that all the approaches to the theatre were kept clear to an extent altogether unusual


the reason for these precautions is now evident


there can scarcely bo a doubt that tho princess ma thildo went to the policooflice for reasons connected with tho alarming discovery above alluded to


it is to bo hoped tkough i havo no information as to this that she and hor household may havo been colled upon to identify tho two missing boxes which it is possiblo may have been seized


an imperfect version of the abovo narrative cited by some english journals from tho opinione of turin speaks of a box of explosivo shells having beon sent to the princess clotilde


i have scarcely any doubt that the correct story is the one which i havo just told


the magnificent theatre of tho sultan at constantinople was lately inaugurated in presenco of his majesty his family and the principal diguitarieb of tho empire


g


chapter liv


gives the autnok great conceiin


for it is th


last in the book


tougers was in high feather and mighty preparations fur a tale breukfnst were astir in its commercial bowers


the blissful morning had arrived when miss pecksniff was to be united in holy matrimony to augustus


mis pecksniff was in a frame of mind equally becoming to herself and the occa sion


she was full of clemency and con ciliation


she had laid in several chaldrons of live coals and was prepared to heap them on the heads of her enemies


she bore no spite or malice in her heart


not the least


quarrels miss pecksniff said were dreadful things in families and though she never could forgive her dear papn she was willing to receive her other relations


they had been separated she observed too long


it was enough to coll down a judg ment upon the family


she believed the death of jonas teas a judgment on them for their internal dissensions


anil miss peck sniff wns confirmed in this belief by the lightness with which the visitation had fallen on herself


by way of doing sacrifice not in any triumph not of course in triumph but in humiliation of spirit this amiable young person wrote therefore to her kinsruiin of the strong mind and informed her that her nuptials would take place on such a day


that she had been much hurt by the unnatural conduct of herself and daughters and hoped they might not have suffered in heir consciences


that being desirous to forgive her enemies end make her peace with the world before entering into the most solemn of covenants with the most devoted of men she now held out the hand of friendship


that if the strongminded woman took that band in the temper in which it was extended to her she miss pecksoiff did invite her to be present at the ceremony of her marriage and did furthermore invite the three rednosed spinsters her daughters but hiss peck sniff did not particularise their noses to attend as bridesmaids


the strongminded woman returned for answer that herself and daughters were as regarded their consiences in the enjoy ment of robust health which she knew miss pecksniff would be glad to hear


that she had received miss pecksniffs note with unalloyed delight because nhe never had attached the least importance to the paltry and insignificant jealousies with which herself and circle had been assailed otherwise than as she found them in the contemplation a harmless source of inno cent mirth


that she would joyfully attend miss pecksniffs bridal and that her three daughters would lie happy to assist on so interesting and so very unexpected which the strongminded womun underlined so very unexpected an occasion


ou the receipt of this gracious reply miss pecksniff extended her forgiveness and her invitation to mr and mrs spot tletoe to jlr


george cliuzzleivit the bachelor cousin


to the solitary female who usually had the toothache and to the hairy young gentleman with the outline of a face surviving remnants of the party that had once assembled iu mr pecksniffs parlour


after which miss pecksniff remarked that there was a sweetness in doing our duty which neutralised the bitter in our cups


the wedding guests had not yet assem bled and indeed it was so early that miss pecksniff herself was in the act of dressing at her leisure when a carriage stopped near the monument and mark dismounting from the remble assisted mr chuzzlenit to alight


the carriage remained in wait ing eo did mr tapley


mr cbuzzlewil betook himself to todgerss


he was shown by the degenerate suc cessor of mr bailey into the dining parlour where for his visit was expected mrs todgers immediately appeared


you are dressed i see for the wedding he said


mrs todgers who was greatly flurried by the preparations replied in the affinna it goes against my wishes to have it in progress just now assure you sir said mrs todgers j but miss pecksniffs raiurt was set upon it and it really is lime that miss pecksniff was married


that cannot be denied sir


no said mr chuzzlewit assuredly not


her sister lakes no part in the pro ceedings


oh dear no sir


poor thing said mrs todgers shaking her head and drop ping her voice


since she has known the worst she has never left my room the nest room is she prepared to see me


he inquired


quite prepared sir


then let us lose no time


mrs todgers conducted him into the little back chamber commanding the pros pect of the cibtern and there sadly differ ent from when it had first been her lodging sat poor merry in mourning weeds


the room looked very dark and sorrowful and so did she but she bad one friend beside her faithful to the last


old chufley


when mr chujzlewit sat down at her side she took his hand and put it to her lips


she was in great grief


he too was agitated for he had not seen her since their parting in the churchyard


judged you hastily he said in a low voice


i fear i judged you cruelly


let me know that i have your forgiveness


she kissed his baud again and retaining it in hers thanked him in a broken voice for all his kindness to her since


tom pinch said martin has faithfully related to me all that you desired him to convey at a time when he deemed it very improbable that he would ever have an opportunity of delivering your message


believe me that if i ever deal again with an illadvised and unawakened nature hiding the strength it thinks its weakness i will have long and merciful consideration for it


you had for me even for me she answered


i quite believe it


i said the words you have repeated when my distress was very sharp and hard to bear i say them now for others but i cannot urge them for myself


you bpoke to me after you had seen and watched me day by day


here was great consideration iu that


you might have spoken perhaps more kindly you might have tried to invite my confi dence by greater gentleness but the end would have been the same


he shook his head in doubt and not without some inward selfreproach


to be continued


life and adventues of martin chuzzlewit


bt c dickens esq


chapter xxxiii


secret ervie


in walking from tue city with his sentimental friend tom pinch bad looked into tile face and brushed against the threadbare sleeve of mr nadgett man of mystery to the anglo benealee disinterested loan and life iiibu rance company


mr nadgett naturally passed away from toms remembrance as le passed out of his view for he didut know him and bad never beard bis name


as there are a vast number of people in the buge metropolis of england who rise up every morning not knowing where their heads will rest at night so there are a multitude who shooting arrows over bouses as their daily business never know on whom they fall mr nadgett might have passed tom pinch ten thousand limes might even have hern quile familiar with bis face his name pursuits and character yet never once have dreamed that tom bad an intereotin any act or mystery of bis


tom might have done the like by him of course


but the same private man out of all the men alive was in the mind of each at the same moment was prominently connected though in a different manner villi the days adventures of both and formed when they passed each other iu the street the one ab sorbing topic of their thoughts


why tom had jonas chuzzlewit iu his mind requires no explanation


why mr nadgett should have bad jonas chuzzlewit in his is quile another thing


but somehow or other that amiable and worthy orphan had become a part of the mys tery of mr nadgetts existence


mr nadgett took an interest in bis lightest proceedings and it never nagged or wavered


he watched him iu and out of ihe insurance office where he was now formally installed as a director lie dogged his footsteps in the streets be stood listening when lie talked he sat in coffee rooms entering his name in the great pocket book over and over again he wrote letters to himself about him constantly and when he found them in bis pocket put them in the fire with such distrust and caution that he would bend down to watch the crumpled tinder while it floated upward as if bis mind misgave him tliat the mystery it had contained might come out at the chimneypot


and yet all this was quite a secret


mr nadgelt kept it to himself and kept it close


jonas had no more idea that mr nadgetts eyes were fixed on him than he had that be was living under the daily inspection and re port of a whole order of jesuits


indeed mr nadgetts eyes were seldom fixed on any other objects than the ground the clock or the fire but every button on bis coat might have been an eye he saw so much


the secret manner of the man disarmed suspicion in ibis wise suggesting not that be was watching any one but that he thought come otber man was watching him


he went about so stealthily and kept himself so wrapt up in himself that the whole object of bis life appeared lo be to avoid notice and preserve his own mystery


jonas sometimes saw him in the street hovering in the outer office waiting at the door for the man who never came or slinking offwitb his immoveable face and drooping bead and the one beaver glove dangling before him but he would as soon have thought of the cross upon the top of st pauls cathedral taking note of what be did or slowly winding a great net about bis feet as of nadgetts being engaged in such an occupation


sir


nadgett made a mysterious change about this time in his mysterious life for whereas he bad until now been first seen every morning coming down cornhill so exactly like the nadgelt of the day before as to occasion a popular belief that he never went to bed or took bis clothes off he was now first seen in holborn coming out of kiugsgate street and it was soon discovered that be actually went every morning to a barbers shop in that street to get shaved and that the barbers iiame was sweedlepipe


he seemed to make appointments witb ibe man who never came to meet him at this barbers for he would frequently lake long spells of wailing iu the shop and would ask for pen and ink and pull out his pocketbook and he very busy over it for au hour at a time


mrs gamp and mr sweedlepipe bad many deep discoursings on the subject of this mysterious customer but they usually agreed that he had speculated too much and was keeping out of ihe way


he must have appointed the man who never kept his word to meet him at another new place too for one day he was found for the first time by the waiter at the mourning coachhorse the houseofcall for under takers down in the city there making figures with a pipestem in the sawdust of a clean spittoon and declined to call for anything on the ground of expecting a geutleman presently


as the gentleman was not honourable enough to keep his engagement he came again next day with bis pocketbook in such a state of distention that lie was regarded in the bar as a man of large property


after that he repeated bis visits every day and had so much writing to do that he made nothing of emptying a capacious leaden inkstand in two sittings


although he never talked much still by being there among the regular customers be made their acquaintance aud in the course of time became quite intimate with mr tacker mr moulds foreman and even with mr mould himself who openly said he was a longheaded man a dry one a salt fish a deep file a rasper and made him the subject of many other flat tering encomiums


at the same time too he told the people at the insurance office in his own mysterious way that there was something wrong secretly wrong of course in bis liver and that he feared he must put himself under the doctors bands


he was delivered over to johling upon this representation and though jobling could not find out where his liver was wrong wrong mr nadgett said it was observing that it was his own liver and he hoped be ought to know


accordingly he became mrjohlings patient and detailing bis symptoms in his slow and secret way was in aud out of that geullemaub room a dozen times aday


it was on the morning of this very day on which so much had happened to tom pinch that nadgett suddenly appeared before mr montagues house in pall mall he always made his appearance as if he had that moment come up a trap when the clocks were striking nine


he rang the bel in a covert under handed way as though it were a treasonable act and passed in at the door the moment it was opened wide enough to receive bis body


that done lie shut it immediately with his own hands


mr bailey taking up his name without delay returned with a request that he would follow him into his masters chamber


the chairman of the anglobengalee disinterested loan and life insurance board was dressing and received him as a business person who was often backwards and forwards and was received at all times for his business sake


well mrnedgettl mr nbdgett put his hat upon the ground and coughed


the boj having withdrawn and shut the door be went to it softly examined the handle and returned to within a pace or two of the chair in which mr montague sat


any news mr nadgett


i think we have some pews at last sir


i am happy to hear it


i began to fear you were off the scent mr nadgett


no sir


it grows cold occasionally


it will sometimes


we cant help that


you are truth itself mr nadgett


do you report a great success t that depends upon your judgment and contraction of it was bis answer ab he put on his spectacles


what do you think of it yourself


dave you pleased yourself f mr nadgett rubbed bis bands slowly stroked his chin looked round the room and said yes yes think its a goad case


will you go into it at once


by all means


mr nadgett picked out a certain chair from among the rest and having plunted it in a par ticular spot as if be bad been going to vault over it placed another chair in front of it leaving room for his own legs between them


he then sat down in chair number two and laid his pocketbook very carefully on chair number one


he then untied the pocketbook and bung the btring over the hack of chair number one


he then drew both the chairs a little nearer mr montague and opening the pocketbook spread out its contents


finally be selected a certain memorandum from the rest and held it out to his employer who during the whole of these preliminary cere monies bad been making violent efforts to conceal his impatience


i wish you wouldnt be so fond of making notes my excellent friend said tigrg mon tague witb a ghastly smile


i wish you would consent to give me their purport by word of mouth


i dont like word of mouth said mr nadgett gravely


we never know whos listening


mr montague was going to retort when nadgett banded him the paper and said witb quiet exultation in bis tone well begin at tlie beginning and take that one first if you the chairman cast his eyes upon it coldly and with a smile which did not render any great homage to the slow and methodical habits of his spy


but he had not read half adozen lines when the expression of his face began to change and before he had finished the perusal of the paper it was full of grave and serious attention


number two said mr nadgett handing him another and receiving back tbe first


head number two sir if you please


there is more interest as you go on


tigg montague leaned backward in his chair and cast upon bis emissary such a look of vacant wonder not unmingled witb alarm that mr nadgett considered it necessary to repeat the request he bad already twice pre ferred with a view of recalling bis attention to the point in hand


profiting by the hint sir


montague went on with number two and afterwards with numbers three and four and five and so on


these documents were all in mr nadgetts writing and were apparently a series of me moianthi jolted down from time lo time upon the backs of old letters or any scrap of paper that came first to hand


loose straggling scrawls they were and of very uuinviting ex terior but they bad weighty purpose in them if tbe chairmans face were any index to the character of their contents


the progress of mr nadgetts satisfaction arising out of the effect they made kept pace wiili the emotions of the reader


at first mr nadgelt sat with his spectacles low down upon his nose looking over them at bis employer and nervously rubbing his bands


after a litlle while he changed his posture in bis chair for one of greater ease and leisurely perused the next document he held ready as if an occasional glance at his employers face were now enough and all occasion for anxiety or doubt were gone


and finally be rose and looked out of the window where he stood with a triumphant air until tigg montague hud finished


and this is tbe last mr nadgelt i said that gentleman drawing a long breath


that sir is tbe last


you are a wonderful man mr nadgett


i think it is a pretty good case be re turned as lie gathered up his papers


it cost some trouble sir


the trouble shall be well rewarded mr nadgett


nadgett bowed


there is a deeper impression of somebodys hoof here than i had expected mr nadgett


i may congratulate myself upon your being such a good hand at a secret


oh i nothing has an interest to me thats not a secret replied nadgett as he tied the string about his pocketpook and put it up


it almost takes away any pleasure i may have had in this inquiry even to make it knu wn to you


a most invaluable constitution tigg re torted


a great gift for a geutleman employed as you are mr nadgelt


much belter than discretion though you possess that quality also in an eminent degree


i think heard a double knock


will you put your head out of tbe window and tell me whether there is anybody at the door


mr nadgett softly raised tbe sash and peered out from the very corner as a man might who was looking down into a street from whence a brisk discharge of musketry might be expected at any moment


drawing in his head with equal caution he observed not altering his voice or manner mr jonas chuzzlewit


i thought so tigg retorted


shall i go


i think you had better


stay though i


no i remain here mr nadgett if you please


it was remarkable bow pale and flurried be had become iu an instant


there was nothing to account for it


his eye had fallen on bis razors but what of them i mr chuzzlewit was announced show him up directly nadgett


dont you leave us alone together


mind you dont now


by the lurd he added in a whisper to himself we dont know what may happen


saying this he hurriedly took up a couple of hairbrushes and began to exercise them on his own head as if his toilet bad not been interrupted


mr nadgett withdrew to the stove in which there was a small fire for tbe convenience of heating curling irons aud taking advantage of so favourable an oppor tunity for drving his pockethandkerchief produced it without loss of time


there be stood during the whole interview holding it before the bars and sometimes but noteften rlancing over his snouiaer


my dear chuzzlewit i cried montague as jonas entered you rise witb the lark


though you go to bed with tbe nightingale you rise with the lark


you have superhuman energy


my dear chuzzlewit i


ecod said jonas with an air of languor and illhumour as he took a chair should be very glad not lo get up with the lark if i could help it


but i am ft light sleeper and its better to be up than lying awake counting the dismal old churchclocks in bed


a light sleeper cried his friend


now what is a light sleeper


i often hear the ex pression but upon my life i have not the least conception what a light sleeper is


hallo i said jonas whos that


oh old wbaishisname looking as usual as if he wauted to skulk up the chimney


ha ha i i have no doubt he does


well


hes not wauted here i suppose


he may go maynt he i ob let him stby let him stay said tigg


hes a mere piece of furniture


he has been making his report and ii nailing for further orders


he has been told said tigg raising his voice not to lose sight of certain friends of ours or to think that be has done with them by any means


he understands his business


he need replied jonai for of all tbe recious old dummies in appearance that ever sawhes afraid of roe i think


its my belief


said tigg that you are poison to him


nadgettl give me that towel i he bad as little occasion fora towel as jonas bad for a start


but nadgeit brought it quickly and having lingered for a moment tell back upon his old post by the fire


you see my dear fellow resumed tigg you are ton


whats the matter with your lips


how white the are i


i took some vinegar just now said jonab i bad oysters for my breakfast


where are they white


be added muttering an oath and rubbing them upon his handkerchief


i dout believe they are white


now i look again they are not rephe bis friend


they are coming right again


say what you were going to soy cried jonab angrily nd let my face bel at long as i can shew my teeth when i want to and i can do that pretty well the colour of my lips is not material quite true said tigg


i was only going to say that you are too quick and active for our friend


he is too shy to cope with such a man as you but does hi duty well


oh very well


i


but what is a light sleeper t hang a light sleeper exclaimed jonas metlishly


no no interrupted tigg


no


well not do that


a light sleeper aint a heavy one boid jonas in bis sulky way dont sleep much and dont sleep well and dont sleep sound


and dreams said tigfr and cries out in an ugly manner and when tbe candle burns down in tbe night is iu an agony and all ihntsort of thing


i seel


they were silent for a little time


then jonas spoke now weve done with childs talk i want to have a word witb you


i want to have a word with you before we meet up yonder to day


i am not satisfied with the state of affairs


not satisfied cried tigg


the money comes in well


tbe money comes in well enough retorted jonas but it dont come out well enough


it cant be got at easily enough


i havent sufficient power its all in your hands


ecod i what witb one of your byelaws and another of your byelaws and your votes in this capa city and your votes in that capacity nnd your official rights and your individual rights and other peoples rights who are only you again there are no rights left for me


everybody eues rights are my wrongs


whats the use of my having a voice if its always drowneil


i might as well be dumb and it would be much less aggravating


im not going to stand that no


said tigg in an insinuating tone


no i returned jonas im not indeed


til play old gooseberry with tbe office and make you glad to buy me out at a good high figure if you try any of your tricks with me


i give you my honor montague began


oil i confound your honor interrupted jonas who became more coarse and quarrel some as tbe other remonstrated which may have been a part of mr montagues intention i want a little more control over the money


you may have all the honor if you like ill never bring you to bouk for that


but im not agoing lo sland it as it is now


if you should take it into your honorable head to go abroad with the bank i dont see much to pre vent you


well that wont do


ive had bome very good dinners here but theyd come too dear on such terms and therefore that wont do


i am unfortunate to find you in ibis hu mour said tigg with a remarkable kind of smile for i wns going to propose to you for your own advantage solely lor your own advantage that you should venture a little more with us


was you by g said jonas with a short laugh


yes


and to suggest pursued montague that surely you have friends indeed know you have who would answer our purpose ad mirably and whom we should be delighted to receive


how kind of you


youd be delighted to receive era would you said jonas bantering i give you my sacred honor quile traus ported


as your friends observe i exactly said jonas as my friends of course


youll be very much delighted when you get em i have no doubt


and itll be all lo my advantage wont it


it will be very much to your advantage answered montague poising a brush iu each hand and looking steadily upon him


it will be very much lo your advantage assure you


and you can tell me how said jonas cant you


shall i teil you howl returned the other


i think you had better said jonas


strange things have been done in the iusur auce way before now by strange sorts of men and i mean to take care of myself


chuzzlewit replied montague leaning forward with his arms upon his knees and looking full into his face


strange thiugs hove been done and are done every day not only in oiirway but in avariety of other ways aud no one suspects them


but ours as you say my good irieud is a strange way and we strangely happen sometimes to come into the knowledge of verv strange events


he beckoned to jonas to bring his chair nearer and looking slightly round as if to remind him of tbe presence of nadgett wbis sered iu his ear


from red lo white from white to red again from red to yellow then to a cold dull awful sweatbedabbled blue


in that short whisper all these changes fell upon tbe face of jonas chuzzlewit and when at last he laid his hand upon the whisperers mouth appalled lest any syllable uf what lie said should reach the ears of the third person present it was as bloodless and as heavy as the hand of death


he drew his chair away and sat a spectacle of terror misery aud rage


he was afraid to speak or look or move or sit still


abject crouching and miserable be was a greater degradation to tbe form he bore than if he had been a loathsome wound from bead to heel


his companion leisurely resumed bis dress ing and completed it glancing sometimes with a smile at the transformation he had effected but never speaking once


youll not object he said wlien lie was quite equipped to venture further with us chuzzlewit my friend


his pale lips faintly stammered out a no


well said i thais like yourself


do you know i was thinking yesterday that your fatherinlaw relying on your advice as a man of great sagacity in money matters as no doubt you are would join us


if the thing were well presented to him


he has money


yes he has money


shall i leave mr pecksniff to you f


will you undertake for mr pecksniff


i ii try


i


ml do ray best


a thousand thanks replied the other clapping him upon the shoulder


shall we walk down stairs


mr nadgett i follow us if you please


they went down in that order svnatever jonas felt in reference to montague whatever sense he had of being caged and barred and trapped and having fallen into a pit of deepest ruin whatever thoughts came crowding on bis mind even at that early time of one terri ble chance of escape of one red glimmer in a sky of blackness he no more thought that tl slinking figure half a dozen stairs behind him was his pursuing fate than that the other figure at his side was his good angel


to be continued


o personal adventures of master hi umpiii y thi old curiosty iioptcsiaper xtx


supper was not yet over when there arrived at the jolly sandboys two more travellers bound for the same haven as the rest who had been walking in the rain for some houts and came in shining and heavy with water


one of these was the proprietor of a giant and a i ttle lady without legs or arms who had jogged forward in a van i the other a silent gentleman who earned his living by showing tricks upon the cards and who had rather deranged the natulral expression of his countenance by putting small leaden lozenges into his eyes and bringing them out at his mouth which was one of his pro fessional accomplishments


the name of the first of these new comers was vulin the other proba


bly as a pleasant satire upon his ugliness was called sweet williani


to render them as comfortable as he could the landlord bestirred himself nimbly and in a very short time both gentlemen were perfectly at their ease hows the giant v said short when they all sat smoking round the fire


rather weak upon his legs returned mr vuf fin


i begin to be afraid lihes going at the knees


thats a bad lookout said short


aye bad indeed replied mr vumn con templating the fire with a sigh


once get a giant shaky on his legs and the public care no more about him than they do for a dead cabbage stalk


what becomes of the old giants said short turning to him again after a little reflection


theyre usually kept in carawans to wait upon the dwarfs said mr vuffin


the maintaining of em must come expensive when they cant be shown el remarked short eyeing him doubtfully


its better that than letting em go upon the the parish or about the streets said mr vumn


once make a giant common and giants will never draw again


look at wooden legs


if there was only one man with a wooden leg what a property hed be


so he would i observed the landlord and short both together


thats very true


instead of which pursued mr vuffin if you was to advertise shakspeare played entirely by wooden legs its my belief you wouldnt draw a sixpence


i dont sulpose you would said short


and the landlord said so too


this shows you see said mr vuffin waving his pipe with an argumentative air this shows the policy of keeping the usedup giants still in the cara wans where they get food and lodging for nothing all their lives and in general very glad they ale to stop there


there was one giantablack unas left his carawan some year ago and took to carrying coachbills about london making himself as cheap as crossingsweepers


ile died


i make no in sinuation against anybody in particular said mr vumlin looking solemnly round but he was ruin ing the trade and he died


the landlord drew his breath hard and looked at the owner of the dogs who nodded and said gruffly that lie remembered


i know you do jerry said mr vuffn with profound meaning


i know you remember it jerry and the universal opinion was that it served him night


why i remember the time when old mlaunders has had threeandtwenty wansi re member the time when old maunders had in his cottage in spafields in the winter time when the season was over eight male and female dwarfs set ting down to dinner every day who was waited on by eight old giants in green coats red smalls blue cotton stockings and highlows and there was one dwarf as had grown elderly and vicious and who whenever his giant wasnt quick enough to please him used to stick pins in his legs not being able to reach up any higher


i know thats a fact for maunders told it me himself


what about the dwarfs when they got old inquired the landlord


the older a dwarf is the better worth lie is returned mr vuffln a greyheaded dwarf well wrinkled is beyond all suspicion


but a giant weak in the legs and not standing upright keep him in the carawan but never show him never show him for any persuasion that cast be offered


while mr vuffmn and his two friends smoked their pipes and beguiled the time with such conver sation as this the silent gentleman sat in a warm corner swallowing or seeming to swallow sixpenny worth of halfpence for practice balancing a feather upon his nose and rehearsing other feats of dex terityof this kind without paying any regard what ever to the company who in their turn left him utterly unnoticed


at length the weary child pre vailed upon her grandfather to retire and they withdrew leaving the company yet seated round the fire and the dogs fast asleep at a humble distance


after bidding the old man good night nell retired to her poor garret but had scarcely closed the door when it was gently tapped at


she opened it directly and was a little startled by the sight of mr thomas icodlin whom she had left to all appearance fast asleep down stairs


what is the matter said the child


nothings the matter my dear returned her visitor


im your friend


perhaps you havent thought so but its me thats your friendnot him


not who thie child inquired


short my dear


i tell you what said codlin for all his having a kind of way with hiim that youd be very apt to like im the real openhearted man


i maynt look it but i am indeed


the child began to be alarmed considering that the ale had taken effect upon mr codlin and that this commendation of himself was the consequence


shlorts very well and seems kind resumed the misanthrope but he overdoes it


now dont


certainly if tere were any fault in mr codlius usual deportment it was that hlie rather underdid his kindness to those about him than overdid it


but the child was puzzled and could not tell what to say


take my advice said codlin dont ask me why but take it


as long as you travel with usi keep as near me as you can


dont offer to leave usnot on any accountbut always stick to me and say that im your friend


will you bear that in mind my dear and always say that it was mre that was your friend a say so whereand when inquired the child innocently


oh nowhere in particular replied codlin a little put out as it seemed by the question im only anxious that you should thlrink me so and do me justice


you cant think what an interest i have in you


why didnt you tell me your little historythat about you and the poor old gentleman


im the best adviser that ever was and so interested in youso much more interested than short


i think theyre breaking up down stairs you neednt tell short you know that weve had this little talk together


god bless you


recollect the friend


codlins the friend not short


shforts vory well as far as ihe goes but the real friend is codlinnot short


eking out these professions with a number of be


nevolent and protecting looks and great fervour of manner thomas codlin stole away on tiptoe leaving the child in a state of extreme surprise


she sswas still ruminating upon his curious behaviour when the floor of the crazy stairs and landing cracked beneath the tread of the other travellers who were passing to their beds


when they had all passed and the sound of their footsteps bad died away one of them returned and after a little hesi tation and rustling in the passage as if ihe were doubtful what door to knock at knocked at hers


yes said the child from within


its me short a voice called through the key hole i only wanted to say that we nmust be off early tomorrow morning miy dear because unless we get the start of the dogs and the conjuror the villages wont be worth a penny


youll be sure to be stirring early and go with us


i ill call you


the child answered in the affirmative and re turt ing his good night heard him creep away


she felt some uneasiness at the anxiety of these men increased by the recollection of their whispering together down stairs and their slight confusion when she awoke nor was she quite free from a misgiving that they were not the fittest companions she could have stumbled on


her uneasiness however was nothing weighed against her fatigue and she soon forgot it in sleep


t very early next morning short fulfilled his pro smise and knocking softly at her door entreated that she would get up directly as the proprietor of the dogs was still snoring and if they lost no time they might get a good deal in advance both of him and the conjuror who was talking in his sleep and from what hie could be heard to say appeared to be balancing a donkey in his dreams


she started from her bed without delay and roused the old man with so much expedition that they were both ready as soon as short himself to that gentlemans unspeaka ble gratification and relief


after a very unceremonious and scrambling break fast of which the staple commodities were bacon and bread and beer they took leave of the landlord and issued from the door of the jolly sandboys


the morning was fine and warm the ground cool to the feet after the late rain the hedges gayer and more green the air clear and everything fresh and healthful


surrounded by these influences they walked on pleasantly enough


they had not gone very far when the child was again struck by the altered behaviour of mr thomas codlin who instead of plodding on sulkily by himself as lie had theretofore done kept close to her and when he had an opportunity of looking at her unseen by his companion wsvrned her by certain wry faces and jerks of the head not to put any trust in short but to reserve all confidence for codlin


neither did he confine himself to looks and gestures for when she and her giandfather were walking on beside the aforesaid short and that littleman was talking with his accustomed cheerfulness on a variety of in different subjects thomas codlin testified his jea lousy and distrust by following close at her heels and occasionally admonishing her ancles with the legs of the theatre in a very abrupt and painful man ner


all these proceedings naturally made the child more watchful and suspicious and she soon ob served that whenever they halted to perform outside a village alehouse or other place mr codlin while he went through his share of the entertainments kept his eye steadily upon her and the old man or with a show of great friendship and consideration invited the latter to lean upon his arm and so held him tight until the representation was over and they again went forward


even short seemed to change in this respect and to mingle with his goodnature something of a desire to keep them in safe custody


this increased the childs misgivings and made her yet more anxious and uneasy


meanwhile they were drawing near the town where the races were to begin net day for from passing numerous companies of gipsies and trampers on the road wending their way towards it and straggling out from every byway and crosscountry lane they gradually fell into a stream of people some walking by the side of covered carts others with horses others with donkeysothers toiling on with heavy loads upon their backs but all tending to the same point


he publichouses by the way


side fiom


being empty and noiseless as those in the remoter parts had been now sent out boisterous shouts and clouds of smoke and from the misty windows clusters of broad red faces looked down upon the road


on every piece of waste orcommon ground some small gambler drove his noisy trade and bellowed to the idle passersby to stop and try their chance the crowd grew thicker and more noisy gilt gingerbread in blanket stalls exposed its glories to the dust and often a fourhorse carriage dashing by obscured all objects in the gritty cloud it raised and left them stunned and blinded far behind


it was dark before they reached the town itself and long indeed the few last miles had been


hlere all was tumult and confusion theim streets were filled with throngs of peoplemany strangers were there it seemed by thelooks they cast aboutthe church bells rang out their noisy peals and flags streamed from windows and house tops


in the large inn yards wvaiters flitted to and fro and ran against each other horses clattered on the uneven stones carriage steps fell rattling down and sicken ing smells from many dinners came in a heavy lukewarm breath upon the sense


in the smaller publichouses fiddles with all their might and main were squeaking out the tune to staggering feet drunken men oblivious of the burden of their song jrned in a senseless howl which drowned the link


ling of the feeble bell and made them savage for their drink vagabond groups assembled round the doors to see the stroller wonien dance and add their uproar to the shrill flasgeolet and the deafening drum


through this delirious scene the child friglhtened and repelled by all she saw led on her bewildered charge clinging close to her conductor and trem


bling lest in the press she should be separated from him and left to find her way alone


quickening their steps to get clear of all theoar and riot they at length passed through the town and made for the racecourse which was upon no open heath situated upon an eminence a full mile distant from its furthest bounds


although there were many people here none of the best favoured or best clad busily erecting tents and driving stakes into the ground and hurrying to and fro with dusty feet and many a grumbled oath although there were tired children cradled on heaps of straw between the wlheela of carts crying themselves to sleepand poor lean horses and donkeys just turned loose grazing among the men and women and pots and kettles and halflighted fires and ends of candles flaring and wasting in the airfor all this the child felt it an escape from the town and drew her breath more freely


alter a scanty supper the purchase of which reduced her little stoak so low that shte had only a few halfpence with which to buy a breakfast on the morrow she and the old man lay down to rest in a corner of a tent and slept despite the busy preparations that ere going on around them all night long


and sow they had come to the time when they must beg their bread


soon after sunrise in the morning she stole out from the tent and rambling into some fields at a short distance plucked a few wild roses and such humble flowers purposing to make them into little nosegays and offer them to the ladies in the carriages when the company ar rived


ller thoughts were not idle while she was thus employed when she returned and was seated beside the old man in one corner of the tent tying her flowers together while the two men lay dozing in another corner she plucked him by the sleeve and slightly glancing towards them said in a low voice grandfather dont itok at those i talk of and dont seem as if i spoke of anything but what i am about


what was that you told me before we left the old house


that if they knew what we were going to do they would say that you were mad and part us the old man turned to her with an aspect of wild terror but she checked him by a look and bidding him hold some flowers w btile site tied them up and so bringing her lips closer to his ear said i know that was what you told me


you neednt speak dear


i recollect it very well


it was not likely that i should forget it


grandfather these naen suspect that we have secretly left our friends and mean to carry us before some gentle man and have us taken care of and sent back


if you let your hand tremble so we can never get away from them but if youre only quiet now we shall do so easily


hlow i muttered the old man


dear nelly how l they will shut me up in a stone room dark and cold and chain me up to the wall nellflog me with whips and never let me see thee more i youre trembling again said the child


keep close to me all day


never mind them dont look at them but me


i shall find a time wihen we can steal away


when i do mind you come with me and do not stop or speak a word


hush


i thats all


halloa i what are you up to my dear said mr codlin raising his head and yawning


then observing that his companion was fast asleep he added in an earnest whisper codlins the friend remembernot short


making some nosegays the child replied the child i am going to try and sell some these three days of the races


will you have oneas a present i mean i mr codlin would have risen to receive it but the child hurried to him and placed it in his hand


lie stuck it in his buttonhole with an air of ineffable complacency for a misanthrope and leering exult ingly at the nrconscious short muttered as ire laid himself down again tom codlins the friend by g i as the morning wore on the tents assumed a gayer and more brilliant appearance and long lines of carriages came rolling softly on the turf


men who had lounged about all night in smockfrocks and leather leggings came out in silken vests and hats and plumes as jugglers and mountebanks or in gorgeous liveries as soft spoken servants at gambling booths or in sturdy yeoman dress as decoys at unlawful games


lackeyed gipsy girls hooded in showy handkerchiefs sallied forth to tell fortuats and pale slender women with consumptive faces lingered upon the footsteps of ventriloquists and conjurers and counted the sixpences with anx ious eyes long before they were gained


as many of the children as could be kept within bounds were stowed away with all the other signs of dirt and poverty among the donkeys carts and horses and as many as could not be thus disposed of ran in and out in all intricate spots ciept between peoples legs and carriage wheels and came forth unharmed from under horses hoofs


the dancing dogs the stilts the little lady and the tall man and all the other attractions with organs out of number and bands innumerable emerged from the holes and corners in which they ihad passed the night and flourished boldly in the sun


along the uncleared course short led his party sounding the brazen trumpet and revelling in the voice of punch and at his heels went thomas cod lin bearing the show as usual and keeping his eye on nelly and her grandfather as they rather lingered in the rear


the child bore upon her arm the little basket with her flowers and sometimes stopped with timid and modest looks to offer them at some gay carriage but alas


there were many bolder beggars there gipsies who promised husbands and other adepts in their trade and although some ladies smiled gently as they shook their heads and others cried to the gentlemen beside them see what a pretty face


they let the pretty face pass on and never thought that it looked tired or hungry


there was but one lady who seemed to under stand the child and she was one who sat alone in a handsome carriage while two young men in dashing clothes who had just dismounted from it talked and laughed loudly at a little distance appearing to for get her quite


there were many ladies all around but they turned their backs or looked another way or at the twoyoung men notunfavourably at them and left hier to herself


she motioned away a gipsy woman urgentto tell her fortune saying thlat it wvas told already and had been for some years but called the chill towards her and taking her tlowers put money into her trembling hand and bade her go home and keep at home for gods sake


mlany a time they went up and down those long long lines seeing everything but tire hrorses and the race when thire hell rung to clear thre course going back to rest amnong the carts and donkeys and not conring out again until the hieat was over


tlany a timnre too was punch displayed in thire full zenith of hris humour but all this while thire eye of thomas codlin was upon them and to escape withlout notice was impracticable


at length late in the day mr codlin pitched his show in a convenient spot and thire spectators were soon in the very triumph of thre scene


thie child sitting down with the old man close behind it had been thinking how strange it was that hiorses who were such fine hlonest creatures should seem to make vagabonds of all the men they drew about them when a loud laughr at some extemporaneous witti cism of mr shorts having allusion to thire circum


stances of the day roused her from her meditation and caused her to look around


if they were ever to get away unseen that was the very moment


short was plying the quarter staves vigorously and knocking the characters in the fury of the combat against thie sides of the show the people were looking on with laughling faces and imr


codlin had relaxed into a grim smile as his roving eye detected hiands going into waistcoat pockets and gropirg secretly for sixpences


they seized it and fled


tlhey made


a path thlrough the booths and car riages and thrrongs of people and never once stopped to ltuk behiiid


the bell was ringing and the course was cleared by the time they reached tile ropes but they dashed across it insensible to the shouts and screeching that assailed them for break


ing in upon its sanctity and creeping under the brow of a hill at a quick pace made for the open fields


to be continued


a s emm m r lmm


a chapter from charles omalley the irish dragoon


there was once a great banker in london who had a very fine house in portlandplace and a very dirty house in the city and if the latter looked the image of business and riches the former looked the picture of luxury and display


he himself was a mild man whose ostentation was of a quiet but not the less of an active kind


his movements were always calm and tranquil and his clothes plain but the former were stately the latter were in the best fashion


holditch was his coachmaker in those days udes first cousin was his cook his servants walked upstairs to announce a visitor to the tune of the dead march in saul and opened both halves of the folding doors at once with a grace that could only be acquired by long practice


every thing seemed to nitivo in this house by rule and nothing was overseen lu go wrong


all the lackeys wore powder and the women errauts bad heir caps prescribed lo them


hi wife was the daughter of a country gen tleman of very old race a wonjan ot good manners and a warm heat


though there were two carriages always at her special command she sometimes walked on her feet even in london and would not suffer an account of her parties to find its way into the morning post


the banker and his wife had but one child a daughter and a very pretty and very a sweet girl sho as as ever my eyes saw


she ti was not very tall though very beautifully w formed and exquisitely graceful


sho was ti the lonst nflecled person that ever wits seen ti for accustomed from her earliest days to ti perfoct case in everyrcspectdenied nothing c that was virtuous anti righitaught hy her b mother to ostimato iiighqnalitiestoo much li habituated to wealth to regard it as an object p nnd too frequently brought in contact with ti rank lo estimate it above ils valueshe had s nothing to covet and nothing lo assume


her li faeo was sweet and thoughtful though the li thoughts were evidently cheerful ones and i her voice was full of melody and gentleness lier amo was alice herbert and sho was soon tho admired of all admirers


people looked for her at the opera and the park declared hor beautiful adorable divine she bicauio the wonder the rage tho fashion and evorybody added hen they spoke ab tit her that she would have half a million at the least


now mr horbert himself was not at all anxious that his daughter should marry any of the men that first presented themselves because none of them were above the rank of ia baron nor was mrs herbert anxious cither because she did not wish to part with lier daughter nor was alico herselfi do i not well know whyperhaps sho thought that a part ol the men who surrounded her wore fops aud as manywere libertines and the risl were fuels and alico dill not feel more inclined to choose out of those three classes than her father did out of the tiireo inferior grades of our nobility


there was i indeed a young man in the guards distantly connecled with her mothers family who was neither fop libertine nor fooln gentleman an accomplished man and a man of good feeling ho was often at mr herberts house but father mother and daughter all tliouglu him quite out of the question the father be cat se he was nota duke ier mother b causo he was a soldier the daughter because he had never giren her the slightest reason to beiioio that he either admiiod or loved her


as ho hadisonio two thousand a year ho might have boen a go jil ni tch


for a clergymans daughter but could not pretend to mia herbert


alice certainly liked him bolter than any mau she had ever seen and once she found his ojes fixed upon her from the other side of a ball room with an expression that male her forget what her partner was saying to her


the color came up ino her check loo and that seemed lo give henry ashton courage to como up and ask her to dance


she danced with bim on tho follow ing night too and mr herbert who re marked the fact judged that it would be but right to givo henry ashtou a hint


two days after as alices father as just about to go out the young guardsman himself was ushered into his libary and the banker pre pared to give his hint and give it plainly too he was saved the trouble however for ash tons first speech was have como lo bid you farewell mr herbert


we are ordered to cinada to put down the evil spirit there set out in an hour lo take leave of my mother in staffordshire and then embark with all speed


v t mr herbert economised his hint and wished his jounu friend all success


liy ihe way ho added mrs herbert may like lowritoa few lines by you to her brother ho made a sad business of it what willi build ing and planting and farming and such things


so got lim au appointment in canada just that he niightrclreive


you wilfind her up stairs


must go out myself


good fortune attond you


good fortune did attend him for he found alico herbert alone in the very first room he entered


there was a table before her and she was leaning over it as if very busy but when henry ashtou approached her ho found thal she lind been carelessly dinning wild leaves on a scrap of paper while her thoughts were far away


sho colored when she saw him and was evidently agitated bul she was still more so vhen he repeated what he told her father


it is all in vain ho said to himself


i know her father too well and he rose asking where he should find her mother


alice answered in a faint voice in the little room beyond the back drawing room


henry paused a moment longer the temp tation was too great to be resisted he took the sweet girls hand passed it lo his lips and said farewell miss herbert farewell


know i shall never seo any one uko j ou again but at least it is a blessing to hare known you though it bo but to regret thal fortune has not favoured mc still farther


farewell


henry ashton sailed for canada and saw some service lluro


ho distinguished himself as au officer and his name was in several de spatches


a remnant of the old chivalrous spirits made him often think when ho was atlarkingajortificd village or charging a body of insurgents alico herbert ill hearol this i but often loo he would ank himself i wonder if she bo married yet and his


companions used lojest willi him upon always looking first alllio wonienspart of the news thebirths marriages atil deaths


his fearsif we can tenture to call thom such were tain


alico did not marry though about year


aller henry ashton had quitted litigliiiiii her father descended a lillie from his ambition nnd hinted ihni if she thought iii she might listen lo


ihe young eail of


alice wus not inclined i ti listen and gavo the earl plainly lo understand that sho was no inclined to become his countess


tho earl however persevered and mr ueibort now i bedail to add his inllueicc but alico was i obdurate and reminded her falherof a pronrse hemade never to press her marriage with anyone


mr herbert seemed more annoyed than alice expected walked up and down the room in silence end on hearing it shut him self up with mrs herbert for nearly an hour


what took place alice tlid not know but mrs herbert from that moment looked grave and iitimous mr herbert insisted that he bari hoiilil still be received al tho house as a j fnend hough he urged his daughter no more and balls and pirlies succeeded each other d so rapidly thal ibu quieter inhabitants of portland place wished lim banker omi his family where alico herself wished lo boin cinada


in the mean time alico liena in o alarmed for her niothrr whoso health was evidently suffering i ruin some cause but mrs lorbert would consult uo physcian ai d her d husband seemed net or lo purtcite tho state ol weakness and depression into which she was sinking


alice resolved to call the matter to her fathers notice and as he now went out every morning at an early hour she rose one day earlier than usual nnd knocked at the door of his dressing mom


there was no answer and opening ihe door sbo tanked in to sec if he were already gone


the curtains wore still drawn but through them some of tho morning bonni found their way and by the dim sickly light aline beheldun object that rhadehertrciiihle violently


her fathers chair beforo the dressing tibicavas vacant but hesido it lay upon ho floor soinethng like to ligure of a man asleep


alico ap


proached with herhoarthealingbo violently that she could hear it and lhere v as noolhcr souud in tho room


she knelt down beside j him it was het lather


she could not hoar him breathe and she drew hack the curtains


ho was as palo as marble anti his eyeswere open but fixed


she uttered not a sound but ith willi pyes stared round the room think ing of what she should do


her motherwas in tho cliambrr at the side of the dressing room but aico feared lo call her and rang tho bell for her fathers valet


the man came and raised his master hut mr herbert had evidently bren dead some hours


poor alice wept tenibly but when she thought of her mother she made no noise and the valet was silent loo for in lifting tho dead body to ihe sofa lie had lound asniall vial and was gazing it it intently


i had better put this away hesaid at length in a low voice


alice gazed at the vial with her tearful eyes


it was marked prussic acid


poison


this was but the commencement of many sorrows


though the coroners jury pro nounced that mr herbert had died a natural death yet every one declared ho had poisoned himsilf especially when it was found thal he had died utterly insolvent thal nil his last great speculations had failed and that the news of his absolutoheggary lud reached bim on the night preceding his decease


then caine all tho horrors of such circumstances lo poor alice and her mother the funeral the examination of the papers the sale of the house in and furniture the tiger daws ol thoa law rending open the house in all its dearest asso ciations the commiseration of friends tho taunts and scoffs ol thoo who had envied and hated in silence


then for poor alice her self cniiio thelast worse blow the sieknoss ami death bed of a mother sickness and death in piverty


the last scene was jusl over iho earth was just laid upon the collin of mr herbert and alice sat withher eyes dropping fast ihinkine of tho said what next when a letter was giren to her and she saw the hnnd writing of her tinelo in cunada


sho had written to him on her fathers death and now ho answered full of tenderness aud affection begging his sister and niece in stantly to join him in the now land which lie had made his country


all the topics of consolation which philosophy ever discovered or deemed to soothe man under the manifold sorrows and cares of life are uot worth a blade of rye grass in comparison with one word of trtio affection


it was the only halm that alice herberts heart could have received and tlktiuh it did nut heal tho wound it tran quilized its aching


mrs herbert thcugh not rich lind not boen altogether portionless and her small fortune was all that alice now condescended to call her own


there had been indeed a considerable jointure but that alice re nounced with feelings that you will under stand


economy however was now a neces sity and after taking a passage in one of the cheapest vessels sho could lind boundr for quebeca vessel that nil tho world has heard of named tho st liwrenueshe set out for the good city of biislol here sho arrived in safety on tho loth day of may ibu


i must now however turn to tho history of henry ashton


it was just after the business in canada was settled thal he entered a room in quebec where several of the offcers of his regiment wereassembled in various occupationsoue writing a letter to go by the packet which was just about to sail two looking out of the window at the nothing which was doing in the streets and one reading the newspaper


there were three or four other journals on the table and ashton took up one of thom


as usual he turned to the records of the three great things in life and readfirst the mar riages then the death and as he did so he saw suddenly at his home in portland place william anthony herbert lsq


tho paper did not drop from his baud although he was much tnoved and surprised but his sensations were very mixed and al though bo it said liuly he gave his first thoughts and they wero sorrowful to the dead the socond were given to alice herbert and he asked hinisell is it possible that she can ever be uiiue


sho was certainly much agitated when left her heres a had business


cried tho maft who was rending the other newspaperthe herberts are all gone lo smash anti i had six hundred pounds thcro


you are in for it too ashton


look thcro


they talk of ihreo shillings in the pound


henry ashton look the paper and read hie account ol all that had oceuircd in london and ho hen took his hat and walked to head quarters


whit he said or did ihoro is no bodys business but his own but certain itis thal bj the beginning of the very uoxt week ho was in the gulph of st laurence


fair winds wafted him soon to england hut in st georges channel all went contrary and the ship was knocked about for three days with out making much way


a fit of impatence had como upon henry ashton and when ho thought of alico herbert and all sho must have suflore


j his heart beat strangely


one of thosu little incidents occurred about this it lime that make or mar mens destinies


a coasting boat from swansea to wiston came within hail and ashton tired of the other vessel put a portmanteau a servant anifhim self into the lillie skimmer of tho seas and was ia ti few houis landed safely al the pleasant watering place of wiston supermare


ii wanted yet an hour or two of night and there fore a post chaise was soon rolling the young officer his servant and his portmanteau to wards bristol on their way to london


ho a i arrived ata reasonable hour but jet some one jof the many things that lill inni had hap rpened in bristol that day and henry drove


f j to the bush to the falcon and the fiuntain and several others beforo he could got a place of rest


at lengdi ho found two comfortable rooms in a small htcl noar the port and had sat down to his supper by a warm fire when in irish sailor pul his headinto the room and asked it he were the lady that was lo go down to the si lawrence tho next tliy


henry ashton informed him that he was not a lady and that as he had just come from the st lawrence he was not going back again upon which the man withdrew to seek further


ten eleven twelve oclock struck and henry ashton pulled off his boots and went to bed


at two oclock ho awoke feeling heated and fevurish and to cool himself he began to think of alice hsrbert


he found ii by no means a good plan for he felt warmer than before aud soon a suffocatingfeelingcamo over him and he thought he smelt a strong smell of burning wood


his bed room was one of those unfortunate inn rooms that aro placed under the immediate oare


and protec tion of a sittingroom which ltko it spanish duenna will let nobody in who does not pass by their door lie put on his dressinggown therefore and issued out into the si hingroom anti there the smell was stronger there was a considerable crackling and roaring loo which had something alarming in it


anti be consrqnoutly opened the outer door


all he could now sec was a thick smoko tilling the corridor through which caine a red glare from the direction of the staircase but ho heard those sounds of burning wood which aro not to bo mistaken and in a minute after loud knocking at door ringing ot bells and shouts of firej fire


showod that the cala mity had become apparent to the people in the street


he saw all the rushing forth of naked men and women which generally follows such a catastrophe and the opening all the doors of the house as if for the express purpose of blowing the fire into a flame


there wore hallooing and shoutingsthere were screani ings anti tearsand what between tho rushing sound of the devouring clement and the voiceof human suffi ring or fear the noise was enough to wake the dead


henry ashtou thought of his portmanteau and wondered where his servant was but seeing by a number of peoplo driven back fr m the great staircases by lmes that there was no time to be lost he made his way down by a smaller one and in a minute or two reached the street


the engines by this time had arrived an immense crowd was gathering ing together the terrified tenants of the inn were rushing forth and in the midst henry ashton remarked one young woman wringing her hands and exclaiming oh my poor young mistress


my poor young lady


vilioreis she my good girl demanded theyoung soldier


lu number eleven cried the girl


in number eleven


her bedroom is within the sitingrooin und she will never hear the noise


thoro she is cried one of tho bye siaudcrs who overheard lhere she is daresay


ashton looked up towards the house through the lower windows of which the flames were pouring forth and across the casement which secinod next to the very room he him self had occupied he saw the figure of a woman in her nightdress pass rapidly


a ladder ho cried a ladder for gods sake


no ladder could be got and henry ash ton looked round in vain


the back slaircasois of stone he cried


she may be saved that way


ay but the corridor is on firo said one of the waiters youd better not try sir it cannot be done


henry ashton darted away into the inn and up the stair case but the corridor was onfire as the man bad said and


the flames rushing np to the very doors ofthe rooms he had lately tenanted


he rushed on however recollecting that he had seen a side door out of his own sit tingroom


he dashed in caught ihe handle of the lock of the side door and shook it violently f i will open it


cried a voice from within that sounded strangely farmiliar to his ear


the lock turdedthe door oponedand henry ashton and alice herbert stood face to face


god of heaven lie exclaimed catching her in his arms


but he gave no time for explanation and hurried back with her towards the door of his own room


the coridor however was impossible


you will be lost


he exclaimed holding her to his heart


and you have thrown away your own life to save mine said alice


i will die with you at leasti replied henry ashton that is some consolation


but no


thank god they have got a ladder they are raising it up my dear girl you are saved


he felt alice lie heavy on his bosom and when he looked down whether it was fear or the effect of the stifling heat or hearing such words fiom his lips he found thut she had fainted


it is as well he said and as soon as the ladder was raised he bore her out


holding her firmly yet tenderly to his bosom


there was a deathlike stillness below


the ladder shook under hi feet the flimes came forth and licked the rounds on which his steps were placed but steadily firmly calmly the young soldier pur sued his way


he bore al that he valued on earth in his arms and it was no moment to give one thought to fear


when his last footstep touched the ground an universal shout buist from hie crowd and even reached the ear of alice hersell but ere she could recovor completely she was in the comfoi table drawing rot m ol a good merchants house some way further down the same street


the st lawrence sailed on the following day for quebec and you well know went down in the terrible hurricane which swept the atlantic in the summer of that year bearing with her to the depths of ocean everything thal she had carried out from england


bul on the day that she weighed anchor alice sat in the drawing room of the merchants house with her hands clasped in that of henry ashton and ere many months were over the tears for those dear btings she had lost were chassed by happier drops as she gave her hand to the man she loved with all the depth of first affection but whom she would never have seen again had it not been for the fire


hard workers