advancing quietly old differences settling down and being fast forgotten public feeling and private ente prise alike in a sound and wholesome stale nothing of flush or fever in its system but health and vigour throbbing in its steady pulse it is full of hope and promise


to mewho had been accustomed to think of it as something left behind in the strides of advancing society as something ne glected and forgotten slumbering and wasting in its sleepthe demand for la bour and the rates of wages the busy quays of montreal the vessels taking in then cargoes and discharging them the amount of shipping in the different ports the commerce roads and public works all made to last the respectability and character of the public journals and the amount of rational comfort and happiness which honest industry may earn were very great surprises


the steamboats on the lakes in their conveniences cleanliness and safety in the gentlemanly character and bearing of their captains and in the politeness and perfect comfort of then so cial regulations are unsurpassed even by the famous scotch vessels deservedly so much esteemed at home


the inns are usually bad because the custom of board ing at hotels is not so general here as in the states and the british officers who form a large portion of the society of every town live chiefly at the regimental messes but in every other respect the traveller in canada will find as good provision for his comfort as in any place i know


there is one american boatthe vessel which carried us on lake champlain from st johns to whitehallwhich i praise very highly but no more than it deserves when i say that it is superior even to that in which we went from queenston to to ronto r to that in which we travelled from the latter place to kingston or i have no doubt i may add to any other in the world


this steamboat which is called the burlington is a perfectly exqui site achievement of neatness elegance and order


the decks are drawings rooms the cabins are boudoirs choicely furnished and adorned with prints pictures and musical instruments every nook and corner in the vessel is a perfect curiosity of graceful comfort and beautiful contri vance


captain sherman her commander to whose ingenuity and excellent taste these results are solely attributable has bravely and worthily distinguished himself on more than one trying occasion not least among them in having the moral courage to carry british troops at a time during the canadian rebellion when no other conveyance was open to them


he and his vessel are held in universal res pect both by his own countrymen and ours and no man every enjoyed the popular esteem who in his sphere of action won and wore it better than this gentleman


by means of this floating palace we were soon in the united states again and called that evening at burlington a pretty town where we lay an hour or so


we reached whitehall where we were to disembark at six next morning and might have done so earlier but that these steamboats lie by for some hours in the night in consequence of the lake becoming very narrow at that part of the journey and difficult of naviga tion in the dark


its width is so conducted at one point indeed that they are obliged to warp round by means of a rope


after breakfasting at whitehall we took the stagecoach for albany a large and busy town where we arrived between five and six oclock that afternoon after a very hot days journey for we were now in the height of summer again


at seven we started for new york on board a great north river steamboat which was so crowded with passengers that the upper deck was like the box lobby of a theatre between the pieces and the lower one like tottenham court road on a saturday night


but we slept soundly notwith standing and soon after five oclock next morning reached new york


tarrying here only that day and night to recruit after our late fatigues we started off once more upon our last journey in ame rica


we had yet five days to spare be


fore embarking for england and i had a great desire to see the shaker village which is peopled by a religious sect from whom it takes its name


to this end we went up the north river again as far as the town of hud son and there hired an extra to carry us to lebanon thirty miles distant and of course another and a different lebanon from that village where i slept on the night of the prairie trip


the country through which the road meandered was rich and beautiful the weather very fine and for many miles the kaatskill mountains where rip van winkle and the ghastly dutchmen played at ninepins one memorable gusty after noon towered in the blue distance like stately clouds


at one point as we ascended a steep hill athwart whose base a railroad yet constructing took its course we came upon an irish colony


with means at hand of building decent cabins it was wonderful to see how clumsy rough and wretched its hovels were


the best were poor protection from the weather the worst let in the wind and rain through wide breaches in the roofs of sodden grass and in the walls of mud some had neither door nor window some had nearly fallen down and were imper fectly propped up by stakes and poles all were ruinous and filthy


hideously ugly old women and very buxom young ones pigs dogs men children babies pots kettles dunghills vile refuse rank straw and standing water all wallowing together in an inseparable heap com posed the furniture of every dark and dirty hut


between nine and ten oclock at night we arrived at lebanon which is renowned for its warm baths and for a great hotel well adapted i have no doubt to the gre garious taste of those seekers after health or pleasure who repair here but inexpres sibly comfortless to me


we were shown into an immense appartment lighted by two dim candles called the drawingroom from which there was a descent by a flight of steps to another vast desert called the diningroom our bedchambers were among certain long rows of little white washed cells which opened from either side of a dreary passage and were so like rooms in a prison that i half expected to be locked up when i went to bed and listened involuntarily for the turning of the key on the outside


there need be baths somewhere in the neighbourhood for the other washing arrangements were on as limited a scale as i ever saw even in america indeed these bedrooms were so very bare of even such common luxuries as chairs that i should say they were not provided with enough of anything but that i bethink myself of our having been most bountifully bitten all night


the house is very pleasantly situated however and we had a good breakfast


that done we went to visit our place of destination which was some two miles off and the way to which was soon indicated by a fingerpost whereon was painted to the shaker village


as we rode along we passed a party of shakers who were at work upon the road who wore the broadest of all broadbrim med hats and were in all visible respects such very wooden men that i felt about as much sympathy for them and as much interest in them as if they had been so many figureheads of ships


presently we came to the beginning of the village and alighting at the door of a house where the shaker manufactures are sold and which is the headquarters of the elders requested permission to see the shaker worship


pending the conveyance of this request to some person in authority we walked into a grim room where several grim hats were hanging on grim pegs and the time was grimly told by a grim clock which uttered every tick with a kind of struggle as if it broke the grim silence reluctantly and under protest


ranged against the wall were six or eight stiff highbacked chairs and they partook so strongly of the general grimness that one would much rather have sat on the floor than inclined the smallest obligation to any of them


presently there stalked into this apart ment a grim old shaker with eyes as hard and dull and cold as the great round metal buttons on his coal and waistcoat a sort of calm goblin


being informed of our desire he produced a newspaper wherein the body of elders whereof he was a member had advertised but a few days before that in consequence of certain unseemly interruptions which their wor ship had received from strangers their chapel was closed to the public for the space of one year


as nothing was to be urged in opposition to this reasonable arrangement we reques ted leave to make some trifling purchases of shaker goods which was grimly conce


ded


we accordingly repaired to a store in the same house and on the opposite side of the passage where the stock was presided over by some thing alive in a russet case which the elder said was a woman and which suppose was a woman though i should not have suspected it


on the opposite side of the road was their place of worshipa cool clean edifice of wood with large windows and green blinds like a spacious summerhouse


as there was no getting into this place and nothing was to be done but walk up and down and look at it and the other build ings in the village which were chiefly of wood painted a dark red like english barns and composed of many stories like english factories i have nothing to com municate to the reader beyond the scanty results i gleaned the while our purchases were making


these people are called shakers from their peculiar form of adoration which consists of a dance performed by the men and women of all ages who arrange them selves for that purpose in opposite parties the men first divesting themselves of their hats and coats which they gravely hang against the wall before they begin and tying a ribbon round their shirtsleeves as though they were going to be bled


they accompany themselves with a droning humming noise and dance until they are quite exhausted alternately advancing and retiring in a preposterous sort of trot


the effect is said to be unspeakably absurd and if i may judge from a print of this ceremony which i have in my possession and which i am informed by those who have visited the chapel is perfectly accurate it must be infinitely grotesque


they are governed by a woman and her rule is understood to be absolute though she has the assistance of a council of elders


she lives it is said in strict seclusion in certain rooms above the chapel and is never shown to profane eyes


if she at all resemble the lady who presided over the store it is a great charity to keep her as close as possible and i cannot too strongly express my perfect concurrence in this benevolent proceeding


all the possessions and revenues of the settlement are thrown into a common stock which is managed by the elders


as they have made converts among people who were well to do in the world and are frugal and thrifty it is understood that this fund prospers the more especially as they have made large purchases of land


nor is this at lebanon the only shaker settlement there are i think at least three others


they are good farmers and all their produce is eagerly purchased and highly esteemed


shaker seeds shaker herbs and shaker distilled waters are commonly announced for sale in the shops of towns and cities


they are good breeders of cattle and are kind and merciful to the brute creation


consequently shaker beasts seldom fail to find a ready market


they eat and drink together after the spartan model at a great public table


there is no union of the sexes and every shaker male and female is devoted to a life of celibacy


rumour has been busy upon this theme but here again i must refer to the lady of the store and say that if many of the sister shakers resemble her i treat all such slander as bearing on its face the strongest marks of wild improbability


but that they take as proselytes persons so young that they can not possess much strength of resolution in this or any other respect i can assert from my own observation of the extreme juvenility of certain youthful shakers whom i saw at work among the party on the road


they are said to be good drivers of bargains but to be honest and just in their transactions and even in horsedealing to resist those thievish tendencies which would seem for some undiscovered reason to be almost inseparable from that branch of traffic


in all matters they hold their own course quietly live in their gloomy silent commonwealth and show little desire to interfere with other people


this is well enough but nevertheless i cannot i confess incline towards the shakers view them with much favour or extend towards them any very lenient construction


i so abhor and from my soul detest that bad spirit no matter by what class or sect it may be entertained which would strip life of its healthful graces rob youth of its innocent pleasures pluck from maturity and age their pleasant ornaments and make existence but a narrow path towards the grave that odious spirit which if it could have had full scope and sway upon the earth must have blasted and made barren the imaginations of the greatest men and left them in their power of raising up enduring images before their fellow creatures yet unborn no better than the beasts that in these very broad brimmed hats and very sombre coatsin stiffnecked solemnvisaged piety in short no matter what its garb whether it have cropped hair as in a shaker village or long nails as in a hindoo templei re cognise the worst among the enemies of heaven and earth who turn the water at the marriage feasts of this poor world not into wine but gall


and if there must be people vowed to crush the harmless fancies and the love of innocent delights and gaieties which are a part of human nature as much a part of it as any other love or hope that is our common portion let them for me stand openly revealed among the ribald and licentious the very idiots know that they are not on the immortal road and will despise them and avoid them readily


leaving the shaker village with a hearty dislike of the old shakers and a hearty pity for the young ones tempered by the strong probability of their running away as they grow older and wiser which they not uncommonly do we returned to lebanon and so to hudson by the way we had come upon the previous day


there we took steamboat down the north river towards new york but stopped some four hours journey short of it at west point where we remained that night and all next day and next night too


in this beautiful place the fairest among the fair and lovely highlands of the north river shut in by deep green heights and ruined forts and looking down upon the distant town of newburgh along a glittering path of sunlit water with here and there a skiff whose white sail often bends on some new tack as sud den flaws of wind come down upon her from the gullies in the hills hemmed in besides all round with memories of wash ington and events of the revolutionary war is the military school of america


it could not stand on more appropriate ground and any ground more beautiful can hardly be


the course of education is severe but welldevised and manly


through june july and august the young men encamp upon the spacious plain whereon the college stands and all the year their military exercises are per formed there daily


the term of study at this institution which the state requires from all cadets is four years but whether it be from the rigid nature of the discipline or the national impatience of restraint or both causes combined not more than half the number who begin their studies here ever remain to finish them


the number of cadets being about equal to that of the members of congress one is sent here from every congressional dis


trict


its member influencing the selection


commissions in the service are distributed on the same principle


the dwellings of the various professors are beautifully situated and there is a most excellent hotel for strangers though it has the two drawbacks of being a total abstinence house wines and spirits being forbidden to the students and of serving the public meals at rather uncomfortable hours to wit breakfast at seven dinner at one and supper at sunset


the beauty and freshness of this calm retreat in the very dawn and greenness of summerit was then the beginning of junewere exquisite indeed


leaving it upon the sixth and returning to new york to embark for england on the suc ceeding day i was glad to think that among the last memorable beauties which had glided past us and softened in the blight perspective were those whose pic tures traced by no common hand are fresh in most mens minds not easily to glow old or fade beneath the dust of time the kaatskill mountains sleepy hollow and the tappaan zee


new tale nemesis


from household words


in four chapters


clfaptell


i my father was n gentleman of high respectability whoso family had been seated for many generations near a town that i willcull battcnhain in north devon


coming early into his patrimony ho nevertheless lived a very retired lifo for one who had a stake in the county to the upholding or preservation of which he waswoll fitted


his soilseclusion was not the cflect of misan thropy or a refugo for pride for with his equals lie maintained the most friendly relations and he was de servedly beloved by his poorer neighbors and do pendents


but ho was a man whose delicacy of health was just so much of a realitv as sulliced to plead apology for declining to enter into society and as served for an excuse to himself for shutting himself in his library where year by year the habit of study grew stronger upon him while his plea to tlie world for keopng out of it likewise became more valid


summoned on urgent business to london where ho tarried or was detained soveral mouths tho good folks of battenliam and the country around had something to talk about when it was mado known to them that squire westwood had on his return brought home a wife with him


their surprise had ho witnessed it and their comments if he had overheard them would havo recalled his own state of feelings immediately after he had proposed and been accepted


the truth is the young lady recently become his wife was the daughter of an old friend after whom during his stay in london my father had instituted anxious inquiries nnd whom he had at last discovered iu one of tho suburbs dying of a broken heart tho consequence of a bankruptcy


the poor gentleman having mado his peace with god had now but one earthly solicitude to disturb his few remaining days tho future of his only child


this was apparent in every look he cast upon her in tho tone of every word he addressed to her


my father of tho mature age of fortyfive would willingly have instituted himself tho girls guardian


it was his first impulse to offer her tho protection of his home until some situa tion such as a lady might acccpt should present itself


but a warmer if not a moro tender sen timent than compassion soon made itself known in liis breast


if it is not always that men who live retired aro not so sensible of the approaches of ago as those who are constantly seeing their own and their friends chil dren grow up about them it is at least certain that tho hearts of tho recluse and the man of tho world count after a different chronology


my father offered his hand and was accepted


mr grayson died happy in the conviction that his daughter would henceforth live happily his misfortunes perhaps having taught him with whatever degreo of wisdom that happiness is only to be found with competence


possibly his daugh ter married in the same conviction founded on a like belief


her adversity though of short duration had sorely tried her


i must add in justice to licr that sho was impressed with a due sense of tho noble quali ties of the man whoso name had been given to her at the altar


my father was not one of those men whoso strength of will is chichy discernible in the resolute determina tion with which they carry out the promptings of their own selfishness


he saw at once that tho course of life to which ho had been so long accustomed must for tho sake of the change ho had taken upon himself undergo a very material alteration


his wifo was gentle and of a yielding and an oblig ing disposition but she was young nnd fond of those pleasures from tho indulgence of which the aged seldom withdraw themselves


she liked society and could bring her share of innocent vivacity into it


it was woll that a prodilcction so natural and reasonable should be gratified


accordingly theirs was a gay life botttm town and country for several years the last two of which i can very well remember


i was eight years of ago when my father died


this was an event for which my mother was quite unprepared although lior husbands health had ever been variable and his death was not altogether sudden


she could scarcely withstand the first shock of her be reavement


to whom could she now look tov counsel in difficulty or consolation iu trouble


she remem bered that during his life she had known neither that his tenderness had rendered consolation needless and that his indulgence would have made his coup sei an implied reproach


she was thankful lor this last suggestion it reminded her that she had never given him cause for displeasure


that was clearly proved by the will which iu terms animated by tho most entire confidence and affection left a considerable portion of the testators property at his widows absoluto disposal


a solicitor of battonliaui named meredith a friend of my late father was sole executor aud had been appointed my guardian


at this gentbinans instance i was sent to exeter a few mouths aftor my fathers death to bo educated nrivatelv bv a clerervman of that city and my mother departed for the metropo lis whero licr earlier lifo had been passed


she went there so she persuaded herself to escape from hoi sorrows possibly there was a latent wish to reenter the world and onee more to partake of its pleasures


i had been about a twelvemonth under the care of mr oatway my tutor when he informed mo that my return home for the ensuing vacation to which i had boen lookiug forward with boyish oigerness was now out of the question for tlntmy mither had married a second time and that she and her husband liail gone on a continental tour tho duration of which was un certain


ho added that i was to remain with him until ho received further instructions respecting me


young as i was and well knowing mr oatways kindness of heart and his affection for me i could nevertheless detect in liis face whilst ho was making this communication to nic a seriousness far moro grave than any sympathy which my childish disap pointment could have wrought upon it


he disap proved this marriage


i learned afterwards from my guardian and as soon as that plainspoken man ima gined


i could heartily respond to his own feelings on the matter that it had been universally disapproved


your mother made a sad fool of herself arthur said he by exchanging the honored name of west wood for that of garston


sho lost castc in tho county by it my boy and almost character


a woman of seveuandthirty to throw herself away upon a young fellow of fiveandtwenty because he happened to bo tho nephew of a peer and


like popes curio to havo a taste for pictures statues and the ruins of the past


its inexcusable its monstrous


i was disposed to encourage a like opinion


i well recollect the grief whwh renewed tho anguish i hud felt ut my fathers death and heightened it by tho suspicion that my mothers grief had been feigned


this suspicion did her injustice and i believe that al theugh she had found a congenial spirit in tho dilet tante mr garston it was a fear of encountering the friends and neighbors of her lato husband at least as strong as any love of the monuments of art and genius to be seen there that detained her so many years in italy


i was in my eighteenth year and still an inmate of mr oatways house at exeter when i received a letter from my mother enclosed in ono from my guardian which informed me that she hud at length returned to england and that sho was now with mr garston at westwood iiouso


she had boen long in very bad health sho told me and had come back lo the homo she had ever loved so woll most probably to die


sho wished that the two months to elapse beforo i proceeded to tho university should be spent with her for that sho had many things to say to me in relation to my future plans and prospects


this like tlio many otlir letters had received from her from time to time during the seven years of our separa tion was worded with affectionate tenderness but


l


i hon t lnl taught myself to expect from her and an allusion to my father which could not have been written with dry eyes since it brought tears into mine


the accompanying letter from mr meredith ran pretty nearly as follows and so your mother has come back to us arthur and t is my firm belief i do not wish to alarm you that she is not long to remain with us


i have taken the liberty of catechising her as closely as a gruff old fellow who claims the privilege of ancient friendship aud executorship may and if i am to givo credit to her statement her money has not ricochettod as i supposed


tho nephew of the peer has not been able to prevail upon her to touch the principal which is moro than had hoped seeing that ho is one of your virtuosi a tribe detest


impatient to revisit a home to which had been so long a stranger i forthwith began to make the ncccssary preparations and on the following morning was on my way to battenliam


arrived at that town there were but threo miles to walk and my luggage would bo sent for


having reached tho point at which the coach came to its journeys end i alighted and entered tho new foundland inn on the quay where i directed that somo refreshment should be brought mo to tho bench outside


it was a lovely evening and the place was worthy of it a place endeared to me by many recol lections of infancy which aro always dear wherevor and whatever be the spot to which they may have been ordained to fasten themselves


on my right was the old bridge with its feurand twenty arches on my left was tlie expanded river soon to be lost in the severn sea at its confluence with the atlantic


beforo mo on tho other side of tho river roso a gently rounded hill over which tho topmost rim of the harvest moon was just lifting itself


i watched its slow ascent and its effect


not long before was set far down in the water a pillar of softened fire and somo after there seemed to issue from a hollow in the bank first timidly and then with less restraint myriads of golden and silver sparkles active fermenting swarming thronging in a straight line until at length so it seemed


their tail was completed and they laid before my feet their perfected and burnished path


i accepted tlio omen and tho evil forebodings which had obtruded upon mo when i shook hands with mr oatway nearly dispersed by my exhilarating ride of nearly fifty miles vanished before the tranquiliring influence of the scene and gave place to cheerful anticipations


it wa rather lato when i reached home but my coming had not been altogether unexpected and i was conducted straight to the drawingroom


my mother although ovidently very unwell arose hastily on my en trance


i could see that sho blushed as she did so that when i advanced she as suddenly grew pale


how like his father


i hoard her say as she braccd me


sho then presented me to her liusbanc who offered mo llis hand with a grace i had never seen equalled and a conversation ensued of which i liavo forgotten the substance


i only remember that it was somowliat constrained


i was young unaccustomed lo novel subjects of discourse such as tho currcnt topics of tho day of which i knew nothing nnd i was unused to strange faces


my mothers had grown strange to me and i thought the constraint was not of my making alone


what a chango had taken place in the face nnd figure of the richly but negligently attired lady whom my memory at length reluctantly consented to identify as my mother


i remembered her in my fathers life time frank joyous unembarrassed natural in every look spontaneous in every gesture


i had seen her in tho days of her sorrow aud bereavement a holy calm possessed her then


grief liad not smitten licr but had laid his sauctifying hand upon her


now traces of beauty re mained but no one out of those traces could liavo imaged tho beauty that onco was hers


sickness pro bably had dono much to change licr but marks of present caro and anxiety were on her face which i remember awolco in mo speculation rather than sympathy


when i could bring my scrutiny to boar unobserved upon mr garston my surprise was of a different cha racter


i had expected i know not why to havo seen a resemblance of my father n tall commanding presence and a long oal visage such a face as wo see in the pictures of raleigh from whoso family in deed on the maternal sido my father claimed descent


but mr garston was diminutive but though slender well proportioned


his features were variable and somewhat irregular and he was beardless an unu sual quantity of fair hair falling in heavy curls on his shoulders


boy as i was i could detect that he was vain from the protrusion of his wellturned foot from tho nice conduct of his delicately white hand which with a lax wrist hung from tho arm of his chair and from his habit of tossing the hair from hi brow with ono demonstrative sweep of the head


ho was a very accomplished man


and how soft and gontlo in his tone and manner


how deferential


too much so indeed to a lad like myself


how tenderly respectful in his atten tions to my mother who received his polite and solici tous courtcsics rather ungr ously sometimes although dear phillip had been otten too forward on her lips to be recalled


all this and thoughts and fancies that grew out of it passed through my brain before i went to sleep that night


it was neccssary that i should devote certain hours of cach day to my studies that i might prepare myself for college


accordingly just so much of my tiaio was occupied as prevented tho remainder from becoming tedious


tho stnte of my mothers health forbade the reception of much company but two or three dinners were given in honor of my arrival nnd to introduce mo as the heir of westwood


my claim to that titlo was of course never doubted but it was clearly the desiro of my mother to impress upon the minds of tlie gentry of our division of the county that my interests had been duly cared for and that mr garston and herself were not in tho slightest degree beholden to mo for the maintenance of tho position they occupied


it was after ono cf theso dinners that mr meredith took an opportunity of drawing me aside to ask me my opinion of my stepfather


i answered that so far as i was competont to judge he was a man of varied and minute knowledge on many points in which the world in general took little interest and towards which i hud not as yet detected in myself any strong bias but that per haps such people were useful in the world as depositories ifnot sometimes as directors of tho public taste


i added that ho appeared to be extremely aminblo and well suited to my mother who was of a gentle nature nnd who could sympathise if she could not go along with his enthusiasm on matters of archaeology and art


ah thero it is said meredith ho is a man of taste and thats why i dont like him


an undue portion often the whole of tho minds of those people is devoted to virtu to the entire neglect of nil tho duties and obligations that lie before them in daily lifo


why sir that young peer meaning byron who had not long published his fourth canto childo harold lias turned so many heads that i dont know how canova has manured or will manage to make them to look liko rational beings in marblo


every lady and gentleman frcol from home and flo rence torments you with tho apollo blviderc


twang goes the longbow in raptures concerning him


mean while who cares for niobc and her children


actuaj want that monstrous boaconstrictor whose convolu tions torture so many worthy families is an unheeded agency because nn actual one


but jnny mark with wonder and admiration how well the venomous asp does his work iu stone upon poor old luocoun and his boys


as to tho dying gladiator i am one of those goths who would willingly glut my ire upon tho fools who gape at him


mr garston


that gentleman heard the call and approached willi noiseless grace


my dear sir


ho held meredith in h i jjli rcspcct


a plain question mr garston


arthur aud i have been talking of art


now what would not you givo moro for a mutilated trunk a torso i think you call it of that worthy fellow who fiddled while rome was burning neio than would render easy for life two or threo poor old fellows who are at present pen sioners of tho society for decaycd musicians


mr garston smiled but with a shrug and an ap pealing look at me


heaven forbid said lie that a love of art should extinguish our sympathies


a possession of tho memo rials of genius is ill acquired when it involves a ncglcct of the claims of merit in distress


it is all very well observed meredith when mr garston left us which was after a few minutes talk but novcr yet knew an enthusiast who wns not selfish and coldheartcd


garston may not be so and if he is he certainly takes pains to appear otherwise which carries a sort of merit along with it


but what puzzles me is tho extraordinary footing on which your mother and ho seem to stand iu relation to each other


his assiduities would be comical if they did not set one upon striving to guess as to the motivo of them which is not altogether one of polite ness or respect


yet although these constant and un varied i find a groat diversity in her manner of accept ing them


he seems to be playing a well studied part whilst she has not yet made up her mind to assume one nor decided about what part it will be that she is to play


she must settle that point quickly or people will begin to suspect something and exchange suspi cions


observe them now


i did so


but i had often observed them before and my suspicions hud been already awakened


thence forth i watched more narrowly and i was at last confirmed in my belief that tho cause of my mothers strange behavior towards her husband which to tho casual and indifferent spectator must liavo appeared like caprice or affectation or illtemper was partly to bo referred to a young girl who waited upon her in the capacity of a ladys maid


this girl was of italian birth and had boen brought from ituly by my mother who having taken a liking to her when a child had reared her in her own house hold may almost be said to have adopted her


this girl her name was anna was not even pretty and making every allowance for the indulgence with which sho had been so long treated and the familiarity which had almost been conceded by such indulgence tho boldness of her carriage and the measuring tho scrutinising glance of her eyes whenever she deigned to cast them upon mo argued an audacity that ought not to have been tolerated


sho was from tho first no favorite of mine


sho was however intelligent of a high spirit aud of a candid generous and affectionate nature


ouo merit she possessed in my eyes or rather in my ears her own lovely language fell from her lips with singular grace and sweetness


i did not fail to notice that whenever anna came into tho room aud mr garston chanced to bo present a suspension of employment on his part was tho immediate consequence


if he was talking to me as few words were used as were absolutely required to complete the sentence and theso ivere poor and tame and sometimes incoherent


if he was reading ho would steal liu eyes from the voluite and regard the girl with a startled look next transferring them to his wife as though he would read iu lier counteumce what effect was produced by annas whispered words


my mother i perceivcd detected all this


on these occasions there was an impatient irrita tion of mauuer whilst she listened or gave directions to the girl


sho would sometimes angrily dismiss her to recall her presently when the same scene would bo acted over aain


i was old enough to draw conclusions from what passed and from what on cach succeeding occasion i saw with a more sharpened vigilance yet strange to say my mother aud mr garoton were quite unaware that i found for mysclfunv such occupation regarding me as a lubberly boy without eyesight or understand ing


i conjectured sbmetimes that each was so anx ious to conceal from the other what feelings were in operation that they never onco thought of my presence or if they did that no suspicion ever crossed thom that i was a deeply interested lookeron


having accustomed myself to objerve evory act every word and ovcry look of my mother and mr garston and to lay them ou the rack of ingenuity that i might extract from them materials towards filling up the outline of what had prcconcoivcd i succeeded at last iu elaborating such a picture as i could not gaze upon without pain and mortification


i conceived something very like a loathing of mr garston and i was deeply distressed for my mother whose health and spirits were rapidly wasting away


that ho was the causo of this i felt convinced


and i hated him for it


the second mrs garston indeed


westwood house was hardly tho place for settling the preliminaries of such a contract


anna had au equal share of ray hatred


one day mr garston had gone to a town a few miles distant to attend a sale of the furnitme and effects of a gentleman lately deceased nnd who had been long celebrated for his tasto in sculpture and painting and whoso gallery contained several famous works of art


he had been very unwilling to go although his attendance there had been an understood thing for some weeks previously


my mothor urged his departure with an earnestnoss that her ove of art nay more than that the love she knew her husband bore towards it by no means served to make intel ligible


it was curious that tho moro strongly she urged his departure the more reasons he produced for staying at home until these becoming frivolous and ti ast futile he acquiesced


coming out of my room intonding a walk aftor threo hours desultory reading


saw anna seated in a recess of ono of the windows in tho gallery


sho was weep ing bitterly and my hoart a littlo relented towards licr


i would have asked the causo of her distress but look ing up and perceiving mo she hastily fled


i saw nothing of my mother during the dayt sho excused herself from coming down to dinner on the plea of a violent licadacho and this message was deli vered to me by one of the maidscrvants and not by anna who was probably in close attendance upon her mistress


towards oveniug however my mother made licr appearance


sho too had been weeping and was now in such a state of nervous oxcitcmcnt ns i had never before witnessed


i was surprised ut licr manner of pacing the room


years past and in her full health she had never been accustomed to move so rapidly


x became alarmed and begged her to sit down


it is very cold she said the wind is sharp enough to cut one in pieces


my dear mother i said you must bo very ill


it is a mild and beautiful evening


let mo ring for a shawl for you


anna shall bring one


anna


anna is gone


gone


where


no matter


what is tho time


i could just discern tho hands of the clock on tho mantelpiece


it is nearly eight


phillip mr garston i mean should have been homo long beforo this and sho began to weep


i endeavored to sootlio and console her but for a long while in vain


there is such a weight upon my heart arthur she said as i never felt before


it is your illness dear mother


perhaps so


she fell into a fit of musing during which it ap peared from words that dropped from her at intervals a succession of circumstances were passing before her mind


suddenly a loud shriek burst from nor


what is that


what


i saw a face a frightful face glaring through tho window


wo must not be left alono


call in the ser vants


hark


i hear nothing


her terror causeless though it was began to seize me


hush


yes it is so


it is my husbands step


thank god


sho wns right


tho door opeued and garston en tered tho room


cjlapteil ir


when mr garston opened tho door and admittod himself he closed it after him in tho manner of ono who fears that somebody is pursuing him


whether by accident or design i know not but he shot the small bolt under the loek


ho then mado a few paces into the room and stood still


i could seo through tho deepening twilight his whito hands at his breast re volving round oach other


at length ho took a seat


thero was a silenco which appeared to mo unusually protracted although perhaps two minutes could not have passed beforo i broko it


and so sir you have roturned from the salo i observed


he mado no answer


i was perplexed


did you make any purchases


still no reply although a sound proceeded from his lips which i can find no word for


astonished and a little frightened i arose rang the bell for candles drew a chair and sat down by the side of garston


i tduched him gently on the arm


heseizedmy hnnd and held it tightly but in a minute it was need ful that i should disengage myself for the servant could not enter the room tho door being fastened


fore seeing something although i knew not what i took tho candles from tho man and bade him retire


the light i brought with me fell upon garston


my mother checked u scream


that face at tho window


look ntliim


he is ill


go to liiin arthur


i it wns with no readiness that i did my mothers bid ding


that lace might have stayed tho impulse of his dearest friend to fly to his assistance


it was not dis turbed but the look was unalterably fixod as though all tho human emotions joy grief anger compassion and the rest wore never again to find a placo there


what is tho matter


exclaimed


and what ill the name of heaven has happened very ill wine some wine


ho gasped point ing to tho sideboaid


it did not occur to mo until aftor i had poured two glasses down his throat that lio never drank wiue


this however did him good and awakened him to a consciousness of his condition


he rubbed or rather chafed his hands and endeavored to bring a smile to his lips


loolish absurd


lie said


i havo terrified your mother arthur and really without a cause no cause whatever i assuro you


there must bo some cause for so much agitation said my mother with assumed coldnoss you would not frighten us heedlessly


tho cause having passed away he replied i heed it not save as it has given rise to alarm on my account wliieh i regret


this is oxcellent wine


it may be that unaccustomod to stimulants i exaggerate it ex cellence


ho now began to speak of the sale and to enlarge upon some incidents that had occurred there with a rapidity and a flippancy that surprised my mother who secretly motionotl mo to withdraw the decanter


as i leaned forward to do this ho laid his hand upon mine


nay said ho


forgive me i replied laughing


i was about to obey iny mother who evidently suspects that the praise you wero just now bestowing upon tho wine was a tribute to its excellence as compared with a bottlo or two of sonic other vintuge recently tasted


come now confess mrgarstonthat youhave for onco been betrayed into a slight excess


your lato appearance and manner ere now explained


had i noticed tho disorder of your cravat when you camo in i should have needed no further proof


ho hastened to arrange that portion of his dress but with trembling hands


ilis faco blanched before he had completed tho task


you have found me out mr arthur ho said with a ghastly leer intended to pass for an arch glance


not that i havo sinned to any great extent


but delicately organised as i am anything liko a scene de ranges my nerves


there was a dispute at the sale between mo and a gentloman as ardent as myself


wc were both in the wrong


in the fracas which ensued of course i camo off tho worst


i the fracas


exclaimod my mother


you were not hurt


shaken a littlo


no further consequents aro likely to arise


none whatever


ah proper explanations wero given on both sides


we parted very good friends


it was impossible not to perceive whilst my mother questioned him concerning all tho particulars of the rencontre how she loved tho man


it was equally clear that there was something op her mind in relation to liim something she was afraid to communicate or that she wished should bo withheld from him


i do not bolievo however that garston noticed this


he seemed too intent upon keeping wateli upon the motions of his own mind answering everything that was de manded of him as if he were upon oatli


on my part i begin to see how the case stood


anna was gone


had she beon dismissed or had sho parted of her own accord


in either event garston was the causo of her leaving


probably he anticipated some disclosure lie now dreaded a scene iu which una ware that she had left tho houso


ho imagined anna might bear a part


i wns confirmed in this suspicion when on rising to retire for tho night i caught his ap


pealing look nnd was induced at liis entreaty to re sumo my seat for a further halfhour


my mother rang the bell


i at least must leave you


i havo oxceeded my usual hour


tell martha to the servant who approached tell martha to wait for me in my room


she will attend mo for tho future


as sho said this sho fixed her eyes on garston


iio mado no comment and showed no surprise


a slight hush of indignation rose to her brow but she trembled


aro you aware phillip that anna has left mo


she said


aware


how could that be


imposible


true the child is dear to me and have done for the best


she gave me reasons which i deemed suffi cient and i have studied her wolfaro


and now mr garston not another word of this


i thought to have spokon to you alone but it is as woll as it is


good night


so saying my mother aroso


mr garston did not as i his wont spring to tho door nor luavo his wife till she was in tho hands of her maid


that was my task this evening


mr garston looks very ill she said ns sho en tered her cliarabcr


prevail upon him to retire at once


sho sighed heavily when she kissed me


un my return to tho parlor i found that garstoa had emptied the decanter


ho was leaning against tho wall his hands pressed against his head


on seeing mo he said with unnatural quickness i would have you to believa that thero is nothing whatever tho matter with mo


trifles sometimes strike upon tho de licate fibres of tho mind and make thom give forth plaintive memories


the tone of your mothers voice overcame mo a minute since


sho is an angel of good ness of benefieonce past expression


in spito of my distrust of garston i was touched


she is mofjt kind affectionate and gentle i ob served


words that belong to many he replied


let them wear such praise as may be woven out of them


they apply not to her save with a meagre and detract ing insufficiency


love


i shall not profane my soul by supposing that such a passion could issue from it to bo offered to her


mine is worship adoration


the tones of his voice wero in ill accordance with th words to which they gave such singular expression


his notions were no lossinappiopriate


ifsomobody had put him upon selfjustification ho could not have been more vehement


i tell you what arthur he said taking a chair by my side and lowering his voice after looking round the room suspiciously as if he were fearful of being overheard


i was not surprised not at all when i j our mother told mo that anna is gone


i havo been j expecting this a long timo


wo shall probably nover hear of her again


why should you suspect this


ungrateful sir ungrateful and malignant


sho has long been endeavoring to create disunion between your mother and mysolf


no doubt sho did so today nnd was dismissed accordingly this rekindled my curiosity


i can hardly think that i remarked


my mo ther was very fond of anna


he was silont for some moments


at length ho said abruptly it was my fear lest your mothor should bo discom posed by this ovent that was partly tho causo of my illness


indeed


before you know it


he turned vory pale


i had long expected it ho answered quickly i told you so


did you not hoar mo


but conic let us to bed


i wish her no ill far from it


may sho be happy


we tcok our caudles and went together up stairs


as wo stood at his chamber door i could not help ro marking upon his cxtremo illness


it will pass off he said


i havo a cordial hero which will set all to rights


you get to bed


you will soon be nslecp


good night


he entered his chamber and closed tho door


as ho walked to tho further end of the room i licardhim ejaculate something passionately


when in my bedroom i felt no disposition to sloop


i sat down thoroforo and turned ovor in my mind tho extraordinary scene that had passed before mo during tho last few hours


on a review of tho whole and of


the inferences i had attempted to draw from ovcry word ever gesture every chango of countenance of the chief actor i was compelled to abandon tlio con clusion at which i had previously arrived without ob taining any ground on which to build another what doubts anil suspicions aroso in my mind although i romombor thom woll it is neodloss to relate sinco they were wide of the truth


a considerable timo must have olapsed since i had first given way to my reflections for wlion a senso of chill ness awoko me out of them i discovered that my candle had burnt out


thero was however abundanco of light


the moon had sketched the shadow of tho window across the floor and on the wall and looking on my watch i saw distinctly that it was past two


tho silence was of an intensity which imposis itself upon your every movement


i walked softly towards tho bed


what noise is that


my heart beat


i listened


surely mr garstons door is beiug opened with a care and caution that means moro than an anxiety less tho roposo of tho in mates of the house should bo disturbed


certainly there is the tiptoe tread of shoeless feet along the pas sage


with a like caro and caution i opened my own door


garstons was closed


no


i could not bo mistaken


the desire to follow him was strong within mo though i never asked myself why it should be so


indeed i gave myself no timo for balancing reasons but hastened along tho passage


leaning over the balustrado of tho gallery i saw garston below in tho liall in the act of placing his shoes on tho pave ment


ho put them on and proceeded to the door which ho unlocked and unbolted so noiselessly that it seemed to open of itself


ho stood irresolutely for somo minutes nnd then gently drew the door aftor him leaving it ajar


by this time i had descended to the lowest flight and on his disappearance i has tened into tho hall crossed it drew back the door and looked abroad on cither sido


ho had emerged from the deep shadow of tho house and was making his way towards tho stables


hero ho was lost to mo for somo minutes but as there was no egress iu that direction i awaited his roappearanco with a rapt anti cipation that forbade impatience


at length ho re appeared


as he camo moro into tho light i saw that he was carrying something in his hand


it was n spade


ho proceeded to a gate got over it and on tercd a highhedged lane some two miles in length


what was tho meaning of this


where was garston going


what was ho about to do


i was drawn on after him to the gato by insatiable cuiiuiity


i mounted it but with no intention of fol lowing in garstons wake


from its topmost bar i climbed up a bank and crept through a gap into nn clorated field


a narrow path skirted the lofty hedge and through this could at intervals discern tlio lonely man sometimes halting sometimes hastening i knew not whither the spado grasped with both hands nnd pressed closely ngninst ins bosom


twico ho turnod about suddenly and made a motion aa though ho would return but no it must not bo his ungrateful errand must bo accomplished he must go onward


his notion said this plainly


he was now about to enter tho vale


it is narrow nnd of some length tho hills on cither side being clothed to tho very top with soft aud undulating ver dure


at ono extremity stands a mansion untenanted at that timo ut tho other is tho high road


for a minuto or two i kept garston in my eye from the asecnt on which i stood but it wai needful if i would witness the issue of this strango excursion that i should mako my way through tho wood down to its edge


i had effected this when i saw garston ascending directly towards mo


alarmed i retraced iny steps with all speed and all silence


it was somo minutes beforo


i durst venturo to descend to my fomer position and when i did garston had struck into the wood and was lost to mo


what was now to be doue


curiosity unslaked just when it is about to be satisfied is accompanied by a feeling of disappointment and chagrin to which youth especially cannot very readily submit


reluctant to depart yet began to be fearful of remaining


i must liavo been vibrating in this state of hesitation a full quarter of an hour i found by what followed that it was so when a sound of parting branches fell on my ears from a distaneo


i approaclicd


twigs and fallen leaves crashed and nutled under rapid liuman foot stops and what seemed to be a white figure shot past me so near that i might havo almost touched it and rushed into tho level swarded space before it where it stood motionless its shadow marking tho ground blackly


it was garston


iio no longer carried the pade und had divested himself of his coat and waistcoat


ho dropped down upon his knees his expanded hands raised towards heaven to which with quivering lips ho offered an agonised prayer for i heard the word mercy many times repeated


at length he rose passing his hands over his limbs smartly but lightly us though thorcby ho swept off what hung loosely about his person


he then stamped as if to extinguish it nnd turning away ascended to the wood and entered it nearly at the point from which he had issued murmuring as lie passed the tree behind which i stood sad sad a lifetime of unutterablo misery earned in one short mad moment


avhilst the foregoing scene was enacting i neither stirred hand nor foot hold to the spot by terror and amazement


but now i prepared to follow garstoii still more closely


i held lliin in view till ho had attained the top of tho hill when it behoved mo so to dispose myself that ho should not see mo


this was easily done


nature had not been left entirely to her own will at this spot


a circular space had boon planted with shrubs which had jjrown to a considerable height


thero was an opening at which a door had probably at ono timo toen placed


in the ccntro were tho ruins of au old summor house


after some delay garston entered at the open ing


i watched him through tho foliage now thinned by tho autumn


tho spado was standing in the ground a few paces from tho decaying entranco to the onco gailypaiuted pavilion


he took tlio spado in his hand and began to dig


now i know that ho was making a grave and that tho body which was to occupy it was not far away


i turned vory faint and sick woll knowing what i had next to seo i had no heart left in mo to prepare myself against it and wlion garston having rusliod into tho summerhouso came forth bearing tho body of anna tho closo prox imity of the two faces the one all ghastly doatli the other all active and convulscd life i shrieked aloud aud i becamo insensible


i could not have long lain in this stato for garston was still within the enclosure filling up tho grave


i looked no more in that direction but got upon my feet as well as i was uble descended tho woodo hill into the vale and at last reached tho high road


it was a further way back than i hud conic but garston could not get home before me


there was something for him yet to do i had seen that


what thoughts occupied mo as i pursued my way i cannot distinctly recall


i remember once hurrying along at headlong spood having boen seized with panic which brought a senso that somo ono garston himself was pursuing me but approaching tho village my selfpossession returned to mo


i remember tho small


windows of tho cottagcs with their diamondshaped panos shining in tho opening mornings light


a cock crowed in tho distance but this was the only sound


not a human being was astir


tho indoscribablo qui etude of tlio placo filled mo with awe nnd i glided along like a criminal


found the door of the house as i had loft it and crept to my own room


onco again in my chamber i felt myself securc


tlio ticking of my watch on tha drawers called my attention to it


could it bo that littlo more than two hours had comprised all that i had witnessed


i walked to the glass but instantly drew back from what it disclosed to me


why that face that look of horror and of guilt


what had dono that i must carry the curse of cain upon my brow


i bathed my face and hands in tho cool water smoothed my hair and then sat down to think to think resolutely and manfully and to decide at onco what was best to be dono in a case to which i was stopped short by reflecting thero was no parallel in anything i had heard or read


what was indeed to bo dono


i wrung iny lnfcds in despair


mr oatway had often impressed upon me that our peace of mind is ever in our own power that all tho vicissitudes and afflictions of life may be borno patiently joyfully so long as wo fear god and obey his commandments


vet what could melt out of my memory a scene which must for ever abide there and torment me a feeno of which was a witness in the crowning horror of which i was almost a partaker


but why should i bear an others sin


let the wretch carry his own burden until ho should fling it from him at tho foot of tho gallows


i was interrupted


tho near and nearer approach of soft footsteps tho nice and crafty turning of the handle of the door its closing save to my quickened souse inaudible


garston had returned


marie antoinette on the chevalier of the red house


chapter it


continued from our last j mauricecalled his domestic


the true pa triots ne er rang because attending the hell was considered a sign of ancient servility besides euch an arrangement us generally made a con dition of service


maurices domestic was baptised about thirty years previous in the nnme of john j but in by his own authority entertaining principles re pudiating the aristocracy he had himself named soaerola


scovola asked maurice do you know anything of this letter no citjzen


who gave it to you the porter


who gave it to him


some errandboy no doubt go down and request the porter tp come up


the porter came only because mnurice de ird it tie being much beloved by those about himc at ihe same timehe declared that he would not have done so for wy other lodger


the porter was named aristide


i matmwtmfertorateirhimhedid not know ihe beater of tte letter


t wasbroght about t eiglit odockutithe morning the young man t ftdoubld hill questions mid put them in every


bhjpebut the porterknew noihing more


maurice begged him te accept ten francs and directed him in the event of the same person returning to follow him as if accidentally and discover where he went


o


we hasten to state that to the great satisfac tion of aristide who felt a litle humiliated at the proposition the man never returned


mauricewhen alone crumpled up theletter in spite pulled the ring from his finger and


placing both on the nighttable turned his face to the wall with the vam intention of going to sleep again


in about an iiour maurice reco vered his good humour reread the letter and kissed the ring which was beautiful sapphire whilst maurice was thus emaged the dour opened


the ring was restored to the unger and the letter concealed under the bolster either from modesty or incipient love or from patriotic shame which would teach him to conceal bis relations with parties who could write and seal a letter that bore so many marks of an aristocratic origin


the person who entered was young and dressed in the extreme elegance of the patriotic stylefine cloth coshmei e and silk


he car


ried two pistols in his belt of the exroyal manufacture of versailles and a short straight sword


what said the stranger is brutus asleep and the country in danger for shume


no lorin replied maurice laughing i am not asleep i am dreaming


ah


i understand


well dont


bah of whom do you speak


why ofthat woman


what woman


the woman of the street st honoithe woman of the patrolthe unknown for whom both of us risked our heads last night


ah yes said maurice who knew per fectly well what his friend was driving at but pretended he did not understand him


yes the unknown well who was she


i dont know


was she pretty


phew motioned maurice with pretended disdain


some poor woman neglected by her lover at the rendezvous


it is possible murmured maurice to whom such an idea was very repugnant then and who preferred considering her ka conspirator rather than an amorous person


where does she live


comecomeyoudontknowimpossible


why so you accompanied her home


but she escaped from me at the bridge marie


escape from you i cried lorin bursting into a loud laugh a woman escape you


that will not do


can the pigeon eer escape from the vultures tjrant grasp or the gazelle lorin lorin interrupted maurice do not accustom yourself to talk like the rest of the world


you set ones nerves on edge with your atrocious poetry


what i speak like the rest of the world


i think i speak more properly than any of tbem


i speak like the citizen demoustier whether in prose or verse


as for my poesy i know a certain emilie v ho does not think it so bad


let us return to your own


my poesy


no


your emilie


have i one come come j she has been a perfect tiger and you are amorous but angry


i amorous said maurice dropping his head


yes certainly


make no longer any mystery of the love for your cythery


lorin said maurice seizing a whistle which iny on his table positively every time you are guilty of perpetrating a verse i shall sound this call


well then let us talk of politics besides i caine here for that purpose


have you heard the news


i know that widow capet wished to escape


bah is that all said lorin


what else has happened


the celebrated chevalier of the red house is in paris


truly exclaimed maurice starting up


himself in person when did he arrive


last night


how so disguised as a chasseur of the national guard


a woman who was supposed to be an aristocrat although shabbily dressed carried him the disguise to the barrier


a moment afterwards they returned urm in arm


it was only after thty ere admitted through the gate that the sentinel entertained any suspicion


he saw the woman pass out with a bundle and return with a sort of a militarylooking person


he gave the alarm and they were pursued they disappeared in an hotel of the rue st honor the door of which opened as if by en chantment


the hotel had a second entrance on the champs elyfes


the chevalier and his companion vanishedbade the pursuers good night


the hotel will be demolished and the proprietor gdillotincd but that will not prevent the chevalier from making another attempt although the first failed four mouths ago and the second last night


and he is nut arrested arrest proteus my dear fellow


let us return to the chevalier said maurice


well he is it must be admitted a brav fellow


in fact to undertake such things a vast amount of courage is wanted


or a great umount of love said lorin


do you believe then that he loves the queen


i not only believe it i assert it as well as all paris


has she not made others amorous


is it at all astonishing that she could seduce him after bernave which is well known


in that case the chevalier has some com munications with the temple


possibly said lorin


love nepr by locks or gates was hound it laughs lorin j ah ltrue


so you believe like others said maurice


whynot because according to your statement the queen must have had two hundredlovers


she is beautiful enough for that although i dont say she loved them


they loved her


all the world sees the sun although it does not notice everybody


so then asked maurice you state that the chevalier is tracked at this moment and if he escapes to the limits of the republic he will be a cun ning fox


and what does the commune amidst all this asked maurice


the commune ordains that every house j shall have on its front a list of its inhabitants it is like the dream of the ancients that euch miinshould have a window in his breast to show whattpasses within


capital idea i exclaimed maurice


to put a window in every mans breast


no but a list at every mans door


in fact maurice imagined it would be the means of discovering the utiknow or of afford ngome trace by which he might und out her residence


noises were distinguished in the street at at first at a distance then approaching nearer with nil the turmoil of the gnrale


what is that


asked maurice


it is the proclamation of the decree of the commune


i shall hasten then to the section cried maurice leaping from bed and summoning ins domestic


as for me said lorin i shall go to bed


i have only slept two hours thanks to the fu rious volunteers


if theres only a little fight ing going on you will let me sleep


if there is much of it come and arouse me


how does irhappen you are so handsomely dressed


because in coming here i mut pass the street bethisyand on the third floor a window always open when i pass


are you not afraid of being mistaken for an aristocrat


me


i am too well known as a sans culotte


adieu my dear friend


lorin cordially shook hands with the young secretary and departed humming one of his favourite airs


chaftkb in


whilst maurice lindey dresses himself and repairs to the section of the street lepelletier of which he is the secretary we shall endeavour to trace briefly the ancestry of this man who found himself thrown on the scene of action by one of those impulses of the heart so familiar to strong and generous natures


the young man stated the whole truth when in answer to the unknown he said his name was maurice lindey and that he resided in the rue du roule


he might have added that he was the child ofthat half aristocratic class the gentli men of the long robe


his father the excellent lindey spent the chief part of his life in denouncing despotism when on the th of july the bastille fell into the hands of the people


he perished through the shock he experienced on beholding despotism replaced hy a militant liberty leaving his only son inde pendent in fortune and republican in senti ment the revolution which followed that great event found maurice possessed of that vigour and maturity of intellect w hich enabled him to enter the lists


his rebnhlican educa tion was confirmed hy his assiduous attention to the proceedings of the clubs and by reading all the pamphlets of the day


in a moral point of view maurice lindey entertained a profound contempt for a hierarchy an absolute negation of nobility that was not personal and impaitial appreciation of the past ardour for new ideas sympathy for the people


in a physical point of view lindey was in stature five feet eight inches more than six feet english


ile was between twentyfive and twentysix years of age muscular as hercules and beautiful of the french style of beautythat is to say a fair brow blue ejes curling chesnut coloured hair rosy cheeks and teeth as white as ivory


after the portrait of the tuan wo shall allude to his pasition as a citizen


maurice if not rich was at least independent


his name was respected and popular


maurice well known on account of his liberal education and his principles more liberal still was placed at the head of all the young patriotic citizens


among the sansculolte he might be considered a little lukewarm and amongst the sectionanes a species of perfumed patriot


but the former pardoned his supposed lukewarm spirit when be snapped like a reed their knotty cudgels as the hitter forgave his elegance when with a blow of his fist betwen the eyes he sent an op ponent twenty paces from him provided those eyes regarded maurice in a manner not agree able to him


now for physical mural and civic powers combinedmaurice had assisted at the taking of the bastille he had been in the expedition


o versailles he fought like n lion on the th of august and during that memorable day it is only justice to state that he killed as many patriots as swiss because he could no more endure an assasin under the nntional than an enemy to the republic under the royal uniform


it was he who to en courage the defenders of the cheuteau to submit and thereby prevent the shedding of blood threw himself beforethe mouth of a cannon to which a parsian artilleryman was applying the match


it as he who entered first by a window of the louvre m spite of the fire of fifty swiss and as many gentlemen in amhush


previous to the signals of capitulation being thrown out his terrible sabre had already cut down more than ten uniforms then perceiving his party massacring at their ease those prisoners who had thrown down their arms and were begiig their lives with outstretched hands he as furiously assailed his friendsan event which was worthy of the high reputation of ancient greece and home


war once de clared maurice enrolled himself and marched for the frontier as lieutenant with the first volunteers sent against the invaders and who were each day followed by more


in the first engagement that is to say the battle of jemmappes he received a ball through the muscles of his shoulder which settled in the bone


the representative of the people knew maurice and sent him to pans to be cured


during a whole month maurice de voured by fever tossed himself on a bed of suffering


january found him again on foot and commandant if not in fact at least of the club of thermopyle thal is to say of young of the parisian middle class armed to oppose any attempt in favour of the tyrant capet


more than that maurice his brow contracted by a melancholy wrath his face pale and his heart oppressed a singular combination of moral hatred and physical pity assisted sabre in hand during the execution of the king and was perhaps the only one amidst the crowd who remained silent when the head of the son of st louis fell


when the head however did fall he raised on high his sabre and all his friends exclaimed liberty for ever iwithout re marking that on this occasion his voice wanot mingled with theirs


such was the man who on the morning of the llth of march proceeded towards the rue lepelletier and whom our history will throw into relief whilst describing the details of a life more stormy than that which is passed in the present epoch


about ten oclock maurice reached the sec tion of which he was the secretary


the com motion was immense


the question was to vote an address to the convention to suppress the plotting of the girondinsmaurice was impa tiently expected


the question considered was the return of the chevalier of the red house and the audacity with which this desperate conspirator had a second time visited paris where he knew well his head had a price set upon it


tbey compared with his return the attempt made during thp night in the temple and each expressed his haired and indignation against the aristocracy


concerning the gene ral attempt maurice was dull and silent he drew up the proclamation in an able manner and in three hours terminated his business


i


he asked if the sitting was terminated and rel reiving an answer in the affirmativelie took i his hat went out and proceeded tewards the i rue st honor


onre arrived there paris j seemed to hiin entirely changed


he examined i the corner of the rue du coq where during the night the fair unknown first presented her self sti uggling in the itandsof the hands of the soldiers


he next proceeded from the rue du


coq


as far as the bridge marie by the same route he had pursued with her at his side re peating in each place the dialogue which they had exchanged only it was one oclock in the day and the sun which illuminated the streets rendered at eaohstep the recollections of thd night more vivid


maurice crossed the bridges and shortly entered the street victor as it waa then termed


i poor womanmurmured maurice shej did not reflect that the night wnly lasts twelve hourb and that her secret will not last longorj imal probability than the night


in daylight will discover the gate by which she disiipi peared andwho know


but i may discoverher at omeiofithe windows


i het then entered the old street st jacques and placed himself aa the unknown had done the previous night


he closed his eyes an instant believing no doubt poor fool that the kiss would a second time burn on his lips


he only experienced the remembrance and it is true that that was burning still


maurice opened his eyes and perceived the lanes on the right and left


they were mirery badly paved having barriers and were intersected with bridges crossing a rill


there were door ways formed of horizontal beams with nooks and twenty rickety rotten gates


the locality seemed to belong to hard labour in its misery for misery presented itself there in all its ugliness


here and there was a garden protected at one place by a hedge at another by cross paisades and in some places by walls


skins were hanging to dry in sheds spreading abroad the abominable stench of a tannery


maurice examined and compared during the space of two hours but discovered nothing


ten times he dived in the labyrinth and as often he returned to consider where he was


all his attempts were however uselessall his researches fruitless


every trace of the young woman seemed to have been effaced by by the storm and the rain


come said maurice i have dreamed this filthy place could never have served for the retreat of the beautiful fairy of that night


adieu mysterious fair one you have treated me as a child or a fool


in fact wnuld she have brought me here had she inhabited such a place


no she has only passed here like a swan over an infected marsh and like the passage of a bird in the air her truck is iii visible


to be continued


the streets of sydney with some account of the houses thereof and the people who dwell therein


by hooke


y walker a very extensive traveller


chapter


v a


ramble in sussexstreet during which i make the acquaintance of dumpy shavy the barber who descants upon the merits of a dumb animal enlightens me about the ways of the world and offers revo lutionary opinions on the policeoffice and affairs in general


i do not confine my walks to any particular portion of the city nor do i restrict my observa tions to one class of society only


no i en deavour to read the whole volume of human nature rather than select a few of those pages which possess the greatest attraction and allure ment for the thoughtless who are equally inca pable of perceiving vice under its spangles and virtue beneath its rags


in the worlds mirror they see but the reflection of wealth its attendant cares fever frettings wastings and weariness the dark pall thrown over living vanitiesare hid beneath the meteoric blaze of transient splen dour


they bow down and worship the image unconscious of its frail and sandy base and like the lydian king only learn their instability when the idol lies shattered in the dust


at that hour the scales fall from their eyes and the words of the sage ring in their ears like trumpet notes shrill sonorous startlingbut the warning comes too late and the ghosts of the spurned despised trodden on whirl around them echoing too latetoo late


had they looked upon all men as brothers what ages of anguish would have been spared them


these thoughts passed through my mind as i turned from one of the loathsome dens of misery with which unhappily sydney abounds into sussexstreet and i am free to confess that my mood was somewhat melancholic


could it be otherwise when i had just emerged from a region of suffering and struggling poverty mingled with shame vice mad riot pestilence and death


men of australia who pine for rank the tinkling sound of an empty titleenter this field and earn a guerdon which shall ennoble your selves and your posterity


strive for the world wide and enduring honours of john howard


let the grass on your graves be moistened with tears of unfeigned sorrow and your epitaph here lie the friends of mankind


a wreath so won will be ever green while the gilded coronet is lustreless and decayed


civic rulers who meet to broil and battle cease your unchris tianlike feuds unite to raise misery from its despondency and reclaim vice from its dark and tortuous ways so shall you exchange the con tempt and scorn of your fellow citizens for their confidence and esteem


this train of reflections was abruptly termi nated by an admonitory voice take care of the bullock sir


it was a friendly and well timed warning


on turning round i saw an in furiated ox which had escaped from some slaughterhouse yard within a few paces of me and i had barely time to rush into the first house when the animal darted on closely pursued by a troup of men boys and dogs whose shouts yells and barkings accelerated its pace


lucky escape sir them mad bullocks ant to say over and above polite to folks as come in their way continued the same voice which proceeded from the mouth of the owner of the shop in which i had taken refuge


the speaker was a diminutive man distorted in figure but his countenance was intelligent and a pair of keen sparkling eyes gave his face the animation which sunbeams shed over a land scape


the room was upon the same small scale as its master and its dimensions were narrowed by divers cupboards and shelves crowded with a curious miscellany of articles bespeaking an ex tremely varied taste


every spare nook and corner was plastered with rude prints the sub jects of which were not in good keeping


her majesty the queen was supported on the right hand by a gigantic black in a pugilistic attitude and her sinistral companion was a celebrated prize pig wearing an almost incredible number of score pounds


the royal children incurred imminent danger of being run over by the win ner of the derby passing the post prince albert in a field marshals uniform apparently manifested a strong inclination to embark in noahs ark which by a fanciful conceit of the artist was a vermilion coloured building rising from a skyblue boat


napoleon was prancing on his charger in the direction of st pauls ca thedral whilst the iron duke turned his back upon the field of waterloo


the little man mis took my astonishment at these anomalies for admiration and was evidently pleased at it


youre a judge of them sort of things i see sir


i reckons em uncommon plummy but some of my customers as calls theirselves crickets finds fault with em


its the way of the world folks always runs down what they dont understand


not that dumpy shavy cares for such as they


you cant make a silky puss out of a sows ear you know


there is much philosophy in the remark i rejoined


yours is a strange name my friend


not regularly chrissened so done in a lark they seed i


wosnt as tall as the moniment that stood for dumpy they found i wos a sharp barber so accordingly shavy follered it


many people would have kicked at it i didnt


gennelmen says i if you gives me a title you are bound to support it with your custom


they could not do less i said


no he rejoined somewhat thoughtfully but some of em did more they went upon tick and bolted before pay day


its the way of the world


ingratitude is human natur cept in dawgs


you see that there dawg brindle with a white spot over his left eye he never them nothink let alone from me


he wos a nonparrel he wos a beauty he wos


he pointed to a picture on the wall which certainly did not convey any great idea of beauty


yet where fidelity is the kernel the husk is of consequence


he saved my life many a time from the blacks when i was a shepherdin in the wild bush without a friend in the world but him i and him wos as one we wos


i used to tell him all my troubles from hard masters and cruel over seers and he knowd every word i said as true as youre alive


it wos a merrakel to hear him growl and bark as much as to saylet me get at em and down they go


he wos unlucky at last said the little man with a sigh


there was so much grief in the tone in which he spoke that my sympathy was excited and i en quired further into the history of his dumb companion


he wos pisened


cried mr shavy energe tically


reglarly pisoned


liver and arsenic done him up


who could commit so barbaric an act


an old oman in the next street


that dawg was not fit for a town he wosnt partial to cats


she missed her tabby one day and rewenged herself upon him


its the way of the world sir


give a dog a bad name and pison him


there wosnt no evidence against him he wosnt tried accordin to law


i took her to the policeoffice upon that identical pint but it wos time and money away


surely you obtained justice


i said


wos you ever there


he exclaimed eyeing me significantly


i never was mr shavy


then take my adwicedont go


them as sees the inside of that place is sure to get the worst of it


ill tell you how they sarved me


when the case was called on as they call it my loryer wosnt there so they put it off for him


next her loryer wosnt there so they put it off for him


third day there was a pick quick party or somethink of the sort so they put it off for that


fourth day there was a doctors stificate for the old oman so they put it off for it


fifth day there was a pretty seshuns and lisinsin meetin so they put it off for them


sixth day we wos all ready magestrets loryers wit nesses i and the old oman and we went at it seeminly wonderful


there wos two gennelmen on the bench one of them wos a little old fashioned chap with a very brown complecshun who kept reading a book half the time and starin at me tother half through a pair of tortshell specs


tother was more sharp faced and he looked right through me with his specs


four pair of eyes at one time wos rayther too much not to say as im nervidge in a right cause cos i never wos go on says the little brown gen nelman your case is a wagrancy


beg your pardon says i but youre out altogether im a respectful tradesman


how dare you con tradict the bench sir says he and he warmed up amazin considerin his size


do you know the law as well as i sir


no sir says i but i knows more about dawgs than you do and i make bold to say theres astonishin difference in breedin


then the sharp faced gennelman smiled and the loryers laughed outright which made the little brownfaced gennelman browner and he shouted silence sir


now considerin i wos there to tell all concerning of the matter i thought that was a queer way to come to the rights of it and i wos about to give a pinion on the pint when the sharpfaced gennelman said proceed witness my time is too pre cious to be wasted in this manner


i have a mountain of labour for the public on my hands and very badly i am paid for removing it


i pitied this poor gennelman and wos about to offer him an easy sitivation in my shop with good wages and comforble board and lodgin but the little brownfaced gennelman gave a snort and a humph quite wiolent as much as to say some people does a deal of business without no payment and never talks about it


so i kept my pinion quiet and waited for further orders cos you see sir what between the go on of one and stop of tother i wos in a reglar fix i wos


it was as bad as shavin a charcoal burn ers beard contrarywise with a blunt razur


did not your lawyer assist you under such peculiarly unpleasant circumstances mr shavy


he sist me out of the mud


he


worse and worse


he helped me into the watchus replied mr shavy with extraordinary vehe mence


indeed


i said with surprise


its not wonderful when you come to know em


loryers is very good in some things i dessay so is lobsters if you keep out of their claws


if you will wenture there my word theyre nippers


you never shook hands with a loryer did you sir


i answered the interrogatory by a negative


lucky indervidgel replied the diminutive tonsor


now take my adwice upon the pint


if ever you should be axed to perform such an ewentful operashun keep your hands in your pockets and dont be gammoned to drore em out


through fear of finding theirs inserted i insinuated


purcisely


guess again and youll be wrong


you was axin how my loryer sarved me


he hadnt been a takin any partikler notis about me cos you see he wos engaged in ritin bits of fun on scraps of paper for general inspecshun which in coorse was of more consequens than my case


howsover somebody whispered some think to him and up he jumped like a parched pea and made a queer speech which was all forrin langvidge to me though the two mages trets seemed to understand it pretty tidy


the little brown un ordered me to stand down


not by no means says i till youve heerd me out


you wont says he and his wisage looked like a stuffed monkeys by torchlight


you wont hey ill be d if i do


says i for my monkey was got up


the little brown gennelman let a screech out of him quite alarmin


an oath says he in a court of justice


con tempt


obscene language


vagrant act


watchhouse


fine


there was a deal of bustle and pullin and hawlin and strugglin but the upshot of it wos that i found myself in the watchus with half a coat and oncommon sore ribs


its the way of the world sir folks is always ready to take advantage of innicent weakness


of course you were not deserted in your hour of need mr shavy


quite different sir my loryer soon paid me a visit


things have turned out capitally says he lookin as proud as if he had got a in wite to guvment house


has they says i certainly says he an action for false im prisonment violent assault defamation of cha racter heavy damages ive got em


then keep em says i and good luck to your bar gain ive had enough of this scrape


pooh says he quite pleasantly barbers are used to scrapes


well bring em before the judges


have you got any money lots


says i and i intend what


says he rubbing his hands together as if they wos itchin after it


to keep it says i he dropped it at this and walked off looking as savage as a tarrier dawg arter missin a rat


and how did your case terminate mr shavy


the finish of it sir


why the two mages trets wos not agreebel so they brought in a verdick of drawn battle and told me to try an other pair


i thanked em for their bligin orfer and hoped they wouldnt move from where they wos till i trubbled em again


and for all i know they took my adwice on the pint cos i never went there to see


id go through fire and water in respex to the memry of the brindle dawg but i couldnt face that firy furniss that bilin kittle again if it was ever so


mr shavy paused heaved a heavy sigh and relapsed into rumination


i watched him nar


rowly the angry glow gradually softened into an expression of kindlier feeling and like a dissolving view the harshness of men disap peared before the shining qualities of the de parted dog


the minds eye of this rough piece of human nature was full of them his vision had no other ken


mr shavy said i wishing to withdraw him from sorrowful reminiscences and anxious also to cull other flowers from his philosophic garden will you tell me the original of that portrait in the corner


that porterage sir is meant for to represent mollyknucks the black who fought tom cribb the british lion


they wos both game uns they wos both alike cept as to the colour of the skin and whats that


where the hearts equally right a white man is only a black clean shaved in his sunday clothes replied mr shavy


you misunderstood me this is the print i meant


at the same time i placed my finger upon the pictorial representation to which i had previously alluded


beg ten thousing pardons sir for the mis take


thats billy whinfell in his australian dress fits him better a good deal than the one he has just ordered


sich things is well enough for fancy bawls but they wont stand ware and tare they gets shredded like shepe by the bram bels and thorns


that cabbagetree hat is worth more than a crown in any country


it sticks to the native head as natteral as waxwork as young dennymyeye son of old dennymyeye the tater man tells us at our pollhitakall club


that young uns the nineteenth vonder of the vorld


he comes out surprisin strong mustard polltises is lipsarve compared to him


some folks undervally his talons but the nashional det of ingland couldnt buy him at his own price


his nus told me in confidinx that he spelt pap afore he smelt it and when he was in long clothes pelted his father with taters cos he didnt know his mother tung


our club thinks continued mr shavy mysteriously he was born a hunded years ago and has been in trainin for a guvnor ever since in some place which nobody ever heerd of


i should be delighted to see this extraordi nary specimen of the human race i said with deep interest


see him


you must open your eyes pretty wide for that he s so remarkable small


he trots through the streets like tom thumb so very few people notis him


he wouldnt do for a fingerpost anyhow


hes a reglar worrit to mr whinfell and snaps at him when he gets a chance as the dawg turk did at womvells lion


our chareman mr brummagem the pa per riter calls him the progidy of the empire


the what


i exclaimed for mr shavys vernacular was of an order to which i was un accustomed


a progidy like miss biffin or dannel lam butt or the calf with three tungs and five legs you know


i gathered from this illustration that the youthful orator was looked upon as a prodigy by mr brummagem the great politician who notwithstanding his name is known to have a soul above buttons


the opinion of such a brilliant luminary had its due weight with me and i was ready to believe mr dennymyeye junior was brobdignagian in intellect though lilliputian in frame


he only wants one thing to make him com plete remarked mr shavy after a long pause


indeed


its gorspel truth


only one thing sir


and that is a beard answered the little barber with much solemnity


it is ordained that no man shall be faultless


alas for mr dennymyeye junior


his staunch friend his ardent admirer his club associate discovers a speck in his mirror


he has no beard


perhaps some democratic dentist will find out that he has not cut his wisdom teeth or some oculist a chartist chum that he is shortsighted


perchance each loud laudator of the present day will espy a separate speck until the polished surface of the dennymyeye mirror be blurred and blotted dimmed and defaced


my unexpected interview with mr dumpy shavy supplied me with much food for reflec tion and at parting i thanked him cordially for the assistance he had afforded me


dont mention it mr


cant say as i know your name


walker


i replied


he echoed in a somewhat sus picious tone


but instantaneously recovering himself he continued in his wonted manner


i should have done the same for anybody man oman or child though it ant exactly the way of the world


and if ever youre hard pushed again by a mad bullock pop in here and youll be welkim as flowers in may


it is a friendly offer i replied and i ac cept it as a friend


friend cried the little man with much emotion


i never had but onethe poor brindle dawg


to be continued


marie antoinette on the chevalier of the red house


continuedfrom colonial times april chapter xxi


it has already been stated that the news of this event was spread in a few hours all over paris


in fact the indiscretions of the governme t of that period may be easily understood when it is recollected that its policy was unfolded and discus sed in the streets


the rumour had reached in a terrible and menacing form the old street st jacques for within two horns after maurices arrest they were acquainted with it


thanks to simons activity the details of the conspiracy had soon started forth from the temple only as each person adorned the talc in his own way the truth had been perverted a little before it arrived at tho master tanners house


it concerned said they a poisoned flower which was transferred to the queen and with which the austrian was to set her guards asleep with the iew of escaping from the temple


independent of these rumours certain suspicions were spread derogatory to the fidelity of the battalion dismissed by santerre so that many victims were already marked out for popular hatred


in the old street st jacques they did not de ceive themselves and for a good reason as to the nature of the event


morand and dixmer set out together leaving genevive a victim to the most violent despair


in truth if any evil reached maurice genevive was without the cause of it


she had conducted the blind young man into the cell where he was confined and which in all proba bility he would never leave except to march to the scaffold


but in any case maurice should not pay with his head the devotedncss he showed to gcncvieves caprice


if maurice was condemned genevive resolved to accuse herself before the tribune and avow all


she took all the responsi bility upon herself and be it understood at the expense of her life she determined to save maurice


geuevieve instead of shuddering at the idea of dying for maurice experienced a bitter felicity


she loved the young man and loved him deeper than was consistent with her condition thotlovc was become a medium of worship in which her soul was offered to god as pure as she had leceived it


on leaving the house morand and dixmer separated


diuner proceeded to the rue de la cordcrie and morand hastened to the street des nonandleres on reaching the end of the pont marie the latter perceived a crowd of idlers and curious persons who assembled in paris during and after evei y impoi tant occurrence and remained stationary ou the spot like avcns on a field of battle


at this sight morand suddenly paused his limbs failed him and he was obliged to lean against the parapet of the bridge


then after a few seconds he resumed that marvellous power which he on important occasions retained over himself


he inked with the groups questioned them and ascertained that only ten minutes pre


viously they had carried off from des nonan dieres a young woman guilty of the crime of which she was accused as they discovered her pre paring her luggage to depart


morand also ascertained the club in which she would be interrogated and proceeded thither


the club was crowded to excess


however by the aid of elbows and fists morand got iuto a seat


the firt thing he saw was the lofty and noble figure of maurice standing with disdainful look before his accusers and withering simon who was speaking


yes citizen shouted simon yes the citisen tison accuses citizens lindey and lorin


the citizen lindey speaks of a flowergirl upon whom he throws the crime but i inform you in the outset that she will not be discovcied


it is a conspiracy formed by a society of aristocrats who bowl into each others hands like cowards as they are


besides have you not observed that the citizen lorin has decamped nor will he be fouud any more than the flowergirl


you arc a liar simon said a furious voice


he will be found for he is here


lorin rushed into the chamber


make room for rae


said he pushing aside the crowd make room and in nn instant he stood beside maurice


this entrance of lorin made quite naturally and without study with all the inherent frankness and vigour of his character produced the greatest effect and elicited the bra vocs of the assembly


maurice smiled and held his hand to his friend as if he meant to say i was sure i should not long stand at the bar alone


the spectators regarded with visible interest these two fino young mon whom the dirty cobbler accused as if he was a demon jealous of youth and beauty


he at once pereeived the bad impression which began to press upon him and resolved to strike another blow


citizens thundered he i demand that the excellent citizen tison be heard


i demand that she may speak and that she may accuse


citizens said lorin i demand that in the first place the young flowergirl who has been ar rested and whom they no doubt are about to bring before you may be heard


no said simon it is some other false wit ness and partisan of the aristocracy


besidesthe citizen tison burns with a desire to assist justice


during this time lorin spoke in a low voice to maurice


yes exclaimed the crowd in the galleries yes the deposition of the woman tison yes yes let her depose


is the citizen tison in the hall asked the president


doubtless she is cried simon


citizen tison say if you aro here


here i am president but if i depose will they not restore to mc my daughter


your daughter has nothing to do said the president with the affair in which we are now engaged


depose first then address yourself to the commune and demand your child


do you hear


cried simon the citizen orders you to depose immediately


stay a moment said the president turning towards maurice astonished at the calmness of a man so commonly fiery stay a moment


citizen municipal have you nothing to say


no citizen president except that before calling a man like me a traitor and a coward he should have wuited until he was better instructed


you say


so i you say so said simon in that ridiculous accent peculiar to the parisian rabble


i say simon resumed maurice more in sad ness than in anger that you will shortly be most cruelly punished when you see what is about to occur


and pray what is about to happen asked simon


citizen prcsideat continued maurice with out answering his hideous accuser i along with my friend loria request that the young girl who has been arrested may be heard previous to the deposition of this poor woman whose evidence no doubt has been prepared for her


do you hear citizen exclaimed simon do you hear they say you are a false witness


me a false witness said the woman tison


ah you shall soon sec


i wait


wait i citizen for mercys sake bid this unfortunate creature bo silent


ah cried simon you are afraid you are afraid citizen president i insist upon the de position of the citizen tison


yes yes the deposition was shouted from the galleries


silencei cried the president here is the commune returned


at this momcat they heard a carriage without amidst howls and clashing of arms


simon turned uneasily towards the door


leave the tribune or rostrum said the pre sident to him you are no longer entitled to speak


simon sulkily descended


at this moment the gensdarmes eatercd accom banied hy a crottd of curious persons who pressed forward a womau towards the judgmentscat


is it her asked maurice from lorin