it was left at our house tids afternoonsolad mrs ui tremblng b a boy who said he didnt know frnom w om he came but that it was givbiiti f hin to leave aid thlat he was told to say it must be laouglton to you


dirctlcdy for it was of the very greatest consequerice


but please she added as her husband stretched out his hand for it splease let me iti you dont know how wet and ecld itini ort hoi many titist


ive lbsi iny y in coming lieretliroul thisthicls fog


let me dry myself at the fire for five minutes


ill goawioty directfly au tell me tb uilp


u uponsi woi il lher amiqblo lusband hsitaatedtora few moments but betlinkidg himself that itl ietteu migli reqluire some snkr of whkciisl coiilde th tegrer closed the aindoi open te oor and bade her enter


rs


qujlp


obeyed right willingly and kneelingdown beforg thereto warm heb hads


im glad youre wet saild qullpanatching it aotl q ltingasther


ifm glad yourse


coldiuiiimn glad youve lost your way


m gladyournoyes are red ivithcrying


it does my heart goaod totsee your little nose so pinchled and frosty


oh qnilp lsobbed his wife


how cruelt it is o f y ou s d


did she thionk iwas dead


said quilp wrlnkling his face into a most extraordinary series ofgrimaces


did she think she was going to have all the moneo and to marry somebody tshe liked i ha ha ha i did she i these tauntselicited no replyfrom thepoor little woman who remained on her knees warming her hands and sobbing to mr quilpsgreat delight


but as he was contemplatingher and chucklingex


cessively he happened to observd that lomscott was delighted too wherefore thatche might have no presumptuous partnerion his gleeji the dwarf jo stantly collred himdragged him tothedoor and after asliort souffe kickedhini itobthe yard


in return for this mark of attention tom immediately walked upon his hands to the window and if the expression be allowable looked in withhis shoes besides rattling his feet upon the glass like a banshee upside down


asa matter of course mr quilp lost eo time


in resorting to the infallible poker with which after some dodging and lying in ambushbe paid


his young friend one or two such unequivocal compliments that he vanished


precipitately and left him in quiet possession of the field


sso


i that little job being disposed of said the dwarf


coolly


ill read myletter


humph ihe muttered lookat the direction


i oughtto know


this writing


beautiful sally i


opening it he read insa fair round legal band as follows


a sammy has been practised upon and has broken


confidence


it has all come opt


you had better not be in the way for strangers are goingtoeall upon you


they have been very quietas yetbecauie theymean tosurprise you


dont lose time


ididnt


i am not to be found anywhere


if i was you i wouldnt be either s b late of b m to describe the changes that passed over quilps face as he read this letter halfadozen times would require some new language such for power of ex pression as was never written read or spoken


for a long time he did not utter oneword


but after a considerable interval during which mrs quilpwas almost paralysed with the alarm his looks engendered he contrived to gasp out e if i had him here


if i only had him here oh quilp said his wife whats the matter


who are you angry with


i should drown him said


the dwarf not heeding her


too easy a death too short too quickbut the river runs close at hand obhi


if ihad himi here i just to take him to the brink coaxipgly and pleasantly holding him by the buttonhole joking


with him and with a sudden push to send him splashing down


drowning men cometo the sur face three times they say


ah


to see him those three times and mock him as his face came bobbing up oh what a rich treat that wouldbe


quilp i stammered his wife venturing at the same time to touch him on the shpulder


what


hlas go wrong


she was so terrified by the relish with which he pictured this pleasure to himself that she couldn scarcely make herself intelligible


such a bloodless curl said quilp


rubbinghis hands very slowly and pressing them tight together


i thought ihis cowardiceand servility were the best guarantee for his keeping silence oh


brass brass my dear good affectionate faithful charmlig friend if i only had you herel his wife who had etreated lstas eshould seen to listen to these mutterings ventured toapproach him again and was about to speak wheni he hurried to the door and called tom scott who remembering his late gentle admonition deemed itprudent to appear immediately


therel said the dwarf pulling him in


take her home


dont come here tomorrow for this place will be shut up


comeback


no moretill you hear from me or see me


do you mind


tom nodded sulkily and beckouedmrs quilp to lead the way


as for you said the dwarf addressing himself to her aisk no questions about me make nosearch for me say nothig oncerinug me


i shall not be dead iistress and thtlco mi fort you


hellake care of you


but quilp what is the matteri where are you golig i do say something more


ill say that said the dwarf seizing herby the ar and do that too which undone and unsaid would bebest for you unees you go directly


has anything happeued cried his wife oh do


tell mne that


es snarled the dwarf


noo what matter which


i have told you what to do


woe betide you if you fait to do it or disobey met bya staira breadth i you go


i am going ill go directly but faltered his wife answer me one queslion first


has this letr any connection with dear little nell must ikoua that i must indeed quilp


you cannot think what days and nights of sorrow i have had througlh haivi once deceived that child


dont know what harm i may have brought abot bt great or ittle did it for you quilp nycs n scence misgave me when tdid iit


do answer me chqu


quesiton i t you psleait timh eaiperated dwafi returned no answer ut turnid riound and cauight iup bhlis usual weapon will suehemence thi


ici thi


rom i v


i a a iimailforce and aslya


appeared to thlcken eer y mome t it will be aguodnilghtfor travelling anooy mousay he said as he returue dslowly beiop p jery well is twith his run


sty we mey look bltie


her ahis leo


liosptable r and free i b by a great ekaiertion ofatength


he elosed the ctid old igaesn w l


e


iel iui eh t wchte e iiiin hehookha mattedhalrfrom aboeut hie eyesend triedithdmtrodg and fastt


know hie road iveitor fiodnitlo this lotely place tonight i need fear


no nvwl viborsolfe wlijq tlis


last i thilk almost reduced to the necessity ofgroping his way with his hands it had grqwn sodark and the b foghd so much increased he returned to hisilair and ftlee using for some timeover the fire bustied r himelf in preparations for a speedy departure


vlwhile he was collecting a few necessaries and b cramming them into his pockets he never oncei ceased communing with himself in a low voice or


unclenched his teeth which he had ground together on finishing miss brasss note


ol sampsonl he muttered good worthy creature if i couldbut hugyou


i if i could only fold you i my arms and squeeze your ribs


as i rodd siqsieeze thiem if i once had you tight shiat a meeting thire would be between us i


if we ever do cross each other again sampson well have a greet ing not easily to be forgotten trust me


this time sampson this moment when all had gone on so well was so nicely chosenl it was so thoughtful difyou so rpenitent so good


oh if we were face toface in thisroom againmywhitelivered man of lawhow well contented one of us would be


there he stopped abruptly and raising the bowl of punch to his lips drank a long deep draught as if it were fair water and cooling to isis parched mouth


settingit down abruptly and resuming his preparations he went on with his soliloquy


theres sally he said with flashing eyes the woman has spirit determination purposewas she asleep or petrified


she could have stabbed him poisoned him safely


she might have seen this coming on


why does she gise me notice when its


todlatel when he sat thereyonder there over therewith his white face and red head and sickly smile why didnt i know what was passing in his


heart iteshould have stopped beating that night if i had been in his secret or there are no drugs to lull a man to sleep and no fire to burn himl another draught from the bowl and cowering over the fire with a ferocious aspect he muttered to himself again


and this like every other trouble and anxiety i have had of late times springs fromnthat old dotard and his darling child two wretched feeble wanderers


ill be their evil genius yet


and you sweet kit honeft kit virtuous innocent kit look to yourself


vtzere ilhate


i bite


i bate you my darling fellow with good cause and proud as you are tonight ill have my turnwhats that


i a knocking at the gate he had biosed


aloud and violent knocking


thenapaust as if those who knocked had stoppedtolisten


then the noise again more clamorous and importunatethan before


so soon i raid the dwarf


and o eager


i am afraid ishall disappoint you


its well im quite prepared


sally ithankyod l as he spoke he extinguished the candle


in his impetuous attempts tosubduethe brightness of the fire he overset the stoveswhich came tumbling for ward and fell with a crash upon the burning embers it had shot forth in its descent leaving the room in pitchy darkness


the noise at the gate still conti nuing lhe felt his way tobthe door andstepped into theopen air


at that moment the knocking ceased


it was about eight aclock but the dead of the darkest night would have been as noonday in comparison with the thick cloud which then rested upon the earth and shrouded everything from view


he darted forward for a few paces as if into the mouth of some dim yawning cavern then thinking he had gone wrong changed the direction of his steps then stood still not knowing where to turn


if they would kiock again said quilp trying to peer into the gloom by which he was surrounded the sound might guide me


comebatter the gate once more


he stoodlistening intently bit the noise was not renewed nothing was to be heard in that deserted place but at intervals the distant barking of dogs


the sound was far awaynow in one quarter nov answered in another nor was it any guide for it often came from shipboard as he knew


if i could finsd a wall or fence said the dwarf stretching out his arms and walking slowly on should know which way to turn


a good black devils night this to have smy dear friend here


if i had butthatwish it might for anything i cared nbverbe dayagain


as the word passed


ihis lips he staggered and felland next moment was fighting with the cold dark water


for all its bubbling up ahd rushing in his ears he could hear the knocking at the gate againcould hear a shout that followed itcould recognise the voice


for all his struggling and plashing he could udderstand that theyhad lost their way and had wandered backto the pointfrom which they started i that they were all but looking on while he was drowned that they were close at hand but could not make an effort to save him that he himself had shut and barred them out


he answered the shout with a yell wlhich seemed to make the hundred fires tlhat danced beforeshi eyes tremble and flicker as it a gust of wind had stirred them


it was of no avail


the strong tide filled his throat and bore him on upon its rapid current


anothermortial struggleand he was up again beating the water with his lianlis end looking out with wil atd rlariggreyes thit showed him some black olject hewas drifting cloae upon


the hull of a shipl he could touch ini smooth and slippery sdirface with his hand


dieeloed cry nowbut the resistless water bore him down before he could give lietbterance and driving him under it carried away a corpse


it toyed and sported with its ghastly freight now bruising it against the elimy piles now hiding it in nud or jong grass now dragging it heavily over fough stboes andgravel now feigning to yield it to itsomv eleneht and in the same action luring it aayudtill tired of the uglyplaything it flung it on a swampr isml placewbere pirates had sw ug in chamis tlhrough


may awintry nightand amd ibere italay alone


the sky wasredvith ilamertnfthe water that bore it there had been tinged with tbhe sullen lighthas it flowed along


the place the deserted carcase had left so recently a liiog mian was now a blazig ruin


there was soimet


i g of the glare upan itt face


the hair itirred by e d mre played in a kid of oakery of deathsubh a mockery as the dea man himself wopld have velid in wrhen alloabout its ihead and its dress fiitteere idly in the n t ptstrai o sa o fnioeisnchi in ka gay dispjosltisou love oetoty eplise agpltay


fulness in onversation no eahiraisteise them


lthey seek evpry opportusaisy of disolnguishiongthemselves and make war against all cares


with joklg itsidli ngeatitg atsddrihklsng


prone however as verslyhirhs frechilove their eountrylarid their countrymen


heyeensurevilh rigour the faultsof other qnations but spreada pr opmortinblyslothse veil jeriisiiwn adefecttc abe fpetrarch


i


r i


e ga


l l l io n


i e p a n a r d s


ofthseirdrn redlrltets


spealkisg f icils black eyeszaysr


theylwere in mournindfor thle mut


drst dey ltadeomrmeltd


lltastwr uitlipbrelj otloc


personal adventures of master humphrey


trt old curiobtty ropcuaptor lyvi


mr swiveller and his partner played several rubbers with varying success until the loss or three sixpences the gradual sinking of the purl and the striking of ten oclock combined to tender that gintleman mindful of the flight of time and the expediency of withdrawing before mr sampson and miss sally brass returned


with which object in view marchioness said mr swviveller gravely i shall ask your lidyships permission to put the board in my pocket and to retire from the presencewhen i have finished thi tankard merely observing marchioness that since life like a river is flowing i care not how fast it rolls on maam on while such purl on the bank still is growing and such eyes light the waves as they run


marchioness


your health


you will excuse my wearing my hat but the palace is damp and the marble floor is if i may be allowed the expression sloppy


as a precaution against this latter inconvenience mr swiveller had been sitting for some time with his feet on the bob in which attitude be now gave utterance to these apologetic observations and slowly sipped the last choice drops of negtar


the baron sampsono brasso and his fair sister are you tell me at the play said mr swiveller leaning his left arm heavily upon the table and raising his voice and his right leg after the manner of a theatrical bandit


the marchioness nodded


ha i said mr swiveller with a portentous frown


tis well


marchioness ibut no inatter


some wine there ho


i he illustratedthese melo


dramatic morsels by handing the tankard to himself with great humility receiving it haughtily drinking from it thirstily and smacking his lips fiercely


the small servant who was not so well acquainted with theatrical conventionalities as mr swiveller having indeed never seen a play or heard one spoken of except by chance through chinks or doors and in other forbidden places was rather alarmed by demonstrations so novel in their nature and showed her concern so plainly in her looks that mr swiveller felt it necessary to discharge his brigand manner for one more suitable to privatelife as he asked do they often go whereglory waits em and leave you here oh yes i believe you they do returned the small servant


miss sallys such a oneer for that she is


such a what said dick


such a oneer returned the marchioness


after a moments reflection mr swiveller deter mined to forego his responsible duty of setting her right and to siffer her to talk on as it was evident that her tongue was loosened by the purl sod her opportunities for conversation were not so frequent as to render a momentary check of little consequence


they sometimes go to see mlr


quilp said the small servant with a shrewd look they go to a many places bless you


is mr brass a wunnort said dick


not half what miss sally is he isnt replied the small servant shaking her head


bless you hed never do anything without her


oh i he wouldnt wouldnt heisaid dick


miss sally keeps him in such order said the small servant he always asksher advice he does and lie caiches it sometimes


bless you you wouldnt believe how much he catches it


i suppose said dick that they consult together a good deal and talk about a great many people about me for instance sometimes oh mar chioness


the marchioness nodded amazingly


complimentary said r


swiveller


the marchioness changed the motion of her head which had not yet left off inodding and suddenly began to shake it from side to side with a vehemence which threatened to dislocate herneck


humph i dick muttered


would it be any breach of confidence marchioness to relate what they say of the humble individual who has now the honourto


miss sally says youre a funny chap replied his friend


e


well marchionesssaid mr swiveller thats not uncomplimentary


merriment marchioness is not a bad or degrading quality


old king cole was himselfa merry old soul if we may put any faith in the pages of history


but she says pursued his companion that youre not to be trusted


why really marchioness said mr swi yeller thoughtfully several ladies and gentlemen not exactly professional persons but tradespeopleo maam tradespeoplehave made theesamo remnark


the obscure citizen who keeps the hotel over the way tnclined strongly to that opinion tonight when i ordered him to lirepare the banquet


it a a popular prejudice marchioneas aod


yet i am sure i doni know why for


i have been trusted in my time to a conaiderable amount and i can safely say i naver forsook my trust until it deserted me never mr lbsaisis of the sarne opinion isupposet his friend nodded again with a cuoinihg look which seemed to hint that mr brass held stronger opinions on the stibject than his sister and seeming to recollect herself added implorisgly but dont you ever tell eipon me on shall be beat to death


maichioneassaid mtswiveller rising the word ofa gentleman lsass good ats liii bonidsome


times better as in tho present cane where hits bond tmight prove buta doubtful sort of security iamn your friend end


i hope weshsll plsy man mnore rubbers together in this same saloon but lhthr chlosess added itichard stopping in his way to the doer and wvhaellng alowvly round upon tlne small servant who wasi followhig with the cadde it occurs to me that you muat be in the constants haibit of siring your eye at keyholes to know all tlsias i only wanted replied the trembiling mlar chioness to know where the key of the safe was hid thst was all and i woulddai hta v t bh huniger


q


youdildnt find it then said dick bujf courie you didnt or youd be plumper


good night marchioneri fate thee well and if for ever then forever fare thee well and put up the chain mar ehionessin case of accidents


with this parting injunction mr swiveller emerged from the house and feeling that he had by this time taken quite as much to drink as pro mised to be good for his constitution purl being a rather strong anst heady compound wisely resolved to betake himself to his lodgings and to bed at once


homeward he went therefore and his apart


ments for he still retained the plural fiction being at no great distance from the office he was soon seated in his own bedchamber where having pulled off one boot and forgotten the other he fell into deep cogitation


this marchioness said mr swiveller folding his arms is a very extraordinary person surrounded by mysteries ignorant of the taste of beer unac


quainted with her own name which is less remark able and taking a limited view of society through the keyholes of doors


can these things be her destiny or has some unknown person started an opposition to the decrees of fate it is a most in scrutable and unmitigated staggerer


i when his meditations had attained this satisfac tory point he became aware of his remaining boot of which with unimpaired solemnity he proceeded to divest himself shaking his head with exceeding gravity all the time andsighing deeply


these rubbers said mr swiveller putting on his nightcap in exactly the same style as he wore his hat remind me of the matrimonial fireside


cheggss wife plays cribbage allfours likewise


she rings the changes on em now


from sport to sport they hurry her to banish her regrets and when they twin a smile from her they think that she forgets


but


she dont


by this time i should say added richard getting his left cheek into profile and looking complacently atthe reflection of a very llttle scrap of whisker in the lookingglass by this time i should say the iron has entered into her soul


it serves her right


melting from the stern and obdurate into the tender and pathetic mood mr swiveller groaned a little walked wildly up and down and even made a show of tearing his hair which however he thought better of and wrenched the tassel from his night cap instead


at last undressing himself with a gloomy resolution he got into bed


some men in his blighted position would have taken to drinking but as mr swiveller had taken to that before ire only took on receiving the news that sophy wvackles was lost to him for ever to playlng the flute thinking after mature consideration that it was a good sound dismal occupation not only in unison with his own sad thoughts but cal culated to awaken a fellow feeling in the bosoms of his neighbours


in pursuance of this resolution he now drew a little table to his bedside and arranging tthe light and a small oblong musicbook to the best advantage took his flute from its box and began to play most mournfully


the air was away with melancholy a compo


sition which when it is played very slowly on the flute in bed with the further disadvantage of being performed bya gentleman but imperfectly acquainted with the instrument who repeats one note a great many times before he can find the next has not a lively effect


yet for half the night or more mr swiveller lying sometimes on his back with his eyes upon the ceiling and sometimes half out of bed to correct himself by the book played this unhappy tune over and over again pever leaving off save for one minute or two at a time to take breath and soliloquize about the marchioness and then begin ning again with renewed vigour


it was not until he had quite eahausted his several subjects of medi tation and had breathed into the flute the whole sentiment of the purl down to its very dregs and had nearly maddened the people of the house and at both the next doors and over the way that he i shut up the musicbook extinguished the candle and


finding himself greatly lightened and relieved in his mind turned round and fell asleep


to besaontinturt


chapter atlast tesolviaar forward still to fare till that some way they find or in or out that path they look which beaten seemed most bare and like to lead the labyrinth about


the fabry queene


i have staid too long for my own happiness thought st quentin too long if i am to forego the hope of contri buting to hers


thus be pondered throughout the morning towards noon the real object of his mission resumed its wonted place in his thoughts but a tjrilliant sunset recalled the last evening spent at breeza and he fell into a dreamy mood very imprudent for a stranger travelling with some vague hope of finding a supper and a bed in the bush of australia


following implicitly as he thought the direction he had received he entered one of those impracticable scrubs dread ed and avoided in all australian travell ing


an unlimited i number of acres covered with an old quickset hedge not absolutely impervious but to be penetra ed only with danger and discomfort such seemed a tea tree scrub


st quen tin followed a track worn by cattle into some semblance of a path but the passages opened by the animals are not higher than their own heads and the branches are often strongly twined to gether so that a man on horseback finds some difficulty in forcing his way through them


st quentin had separated the interlaced boughs of the two low trees which hung across his path when one of the prickly branches swung back and startled his horse which plunged for ward


the stirrup leather one that had seen service gave way and when st quentin had succeeded in quieting his horse it was evident that to seek for the stirrup iron would be useless


malcontent and full of heaviness st quentin proceeded on his way which he j now had full certainty was not that which he had believed himself to be travelling


but a road must lead some where or ought to do so anywhere hut in this land of contradictions


i suppose the end will be that i must tie up my horse and enjoy an autumntal night al fresco


the sound of horses feet approaching was a relief till he remembered the possibility of bushrangers and thought of his own folly in travelling with a large sum in his pocketbook


but the appearance of the stranger and that of the highboned wellworn animal which he bestrode were sufficiently pacific


it was indeed our old friend mr wragsby


good evening sir


i believe i have strayed from the sydney road


can you direct me


better than most could sir but you wont get far on it tonight so if you take my advice youll just do as i am going to thats stop at a place a bit on where we shall be sure of a nights rest whatever else


dont spare nancy sir shes more in her than she looks to have and i should guess by his face that yours could do another twenty miles easy


why i have lost my stirrup and on this ground


lost a stirrup sir


how very for tunate singular circumstance sir but


a little while ago i happened to come into possession of an extra stirrup iron in a very curious way and thought i to myself this will come in handy some day and now you see its just in my power to do you a service


st quentin gladly paid the price of a new pair for a single rusty stirrup iron


now sir have on with you and well give nancy a breathing half an hours smart rid ing brought them to the door of a weatherboard cottage


here mr wragsby chcckinghis horse and calling for harryet a stout bare footed damsel appeared with a candle in her hand to take charge of the horses


here let us pause again to remind our readers that the events of our story took place before the year


this is the way quoth mr wragsby and various turns and windings brought them into a diity little room furnished with a brokendown sofa a highly ornate sideboard two long stemmed wine glases certain eccentric orangegourds a long table and a brief window curtain


now sir what do you saywhat shall we have


they might have a mutton chop but not likely


at any rate therell be beef and damper


harryet whose duties seemed to be many again appeared


missis has just been killing and shes cutting up and she says she cant spare master


no how so youre to tell me what you want


well were just in luck then for a dish of fry said wragsby


thats o what i told missis but you must wait till i get the horses fed for i have nt had time


never you mind harryet set on the fry and ill see to nancy


it was evident that unless st quentin followed the example of his more ex perience fellowtraveller his horse might remain unfed


when they returned from the stable they found supper prepared


its my principle sir not to let the fry get cold so ill leave you to help yourself mr i really do nt know by what name to call you


my name is st quentin


and mine sir is mr wragsby well known through this part of the colony


heres to your good health mr st quen tin and i hope it not saying too much to hope youll always have the same good luck you have had today of finding a person to accommqate you as i had the pleasure of


its my failing sir im only too ready to oblige persons


to be continued


jw


istoodforthe dkeep daily burghs


from blackwoods edinburgh magasine


chapter iv


francis osbalilislone when he encountered hie famous rob roy by night wua in all probability i uolwilbslandio sir walter atterion to the cou trary io a very tolerable tafe of trpidation


at lean i know that i was a ueared lo bridge of dreepduily


it wat a natty night of ind and rain ud not a tool was ttirring lu the treeihie surface of which did lillie credit to the industry of the paving department judging from hie number of dub in which i fouud involuntary accommodation


at i floundered along through the mire i breathed any thing but benedictions on the mysterious shell out who wat the caute of my midnight wandering


jutl at i reached the bridge beneath wbicb


hie river wat roaring rather uncomfortably a ragged looking figure ttarted out from un entry


a solitary lamp tutpeuded from above gave me a full view of hilt personage who resembled an animated scarecrow


he stared ne full in the face and liieu muttered with a wink und u leer wat ye seekin for noy body the nicht


ili wow mau but iltcaold i


who may you he my friend said i edgiug off from my unproinisiog acquaintance


wha may i be replied the other that a gudeanef goth dye no ken me


a uni geordie dowie the town bauld thats us weol kent at ihe provost hitsell


to tay the truth geordie wat a very truculent looking character to be an innocent


however bauld les are usually iiurmlets


and what have you gol io tay to me geordie


if yere the man i think ye are and yere name begins wi a d just tai ye tao yer aoople shanks


and tramp alang wi me


quavered the idiot who like many others hud a uutural lum for poetry


and where are we going lo


geordie my roan


aid


i in a toothing voice


yell find that wheo we get there replied hie bauldy


hey the bonnie gillstoup i ho the bonnie gillstoup


gie me wallh o barley bree and leexe me on the gillstoup i


but you can at leatt tell me who sent you here geordie said i anxious fur further information before intrusting myself to such erratic guidance


he of the gillbloups lifted up bit voice uud ang cam ya by tweedside or cam ye by flodden


met ye the deil on the braet ocolloden


three imps odarknett i saw in a neuk riving the redcoats and roasting the deuk


quo ane o them geordie gae down to the brig im yaup for my tupper and fetch ut a whig


ha i


bu i hoo dye like that my man


queer frernd yeve gotten uooand yell need a lang spuue to sup


kui


wi lhere


but come awa


i canua land here the baili


nicht lisenme lo your havers


although the bim conveyed by mr dow its ingenious verses us rather of au alarming nature made up my mind at once lo run all risks and


follow lum


geardiestrodeonselectingnpparenlly ibe most unfrequented lanes and making as i anx iously observed for a remote puit of the suburbs nor was his voice silent during our progress for he kept regaling me with a series of snatches which being for the most part of a supernatural and diabolical tendency did not much contribute towards the restoration of my equanimity


at length he paused before a small house hie ulcess to which was by a downward flight of steps


ayeibis is the piuco


hi muttered


i ken it weel


it no just bud the whusky that they sell but they needuapul sae iiiuikle water luiili


so saying he descended the lair


i followed


there wat no light in the passage hut the bauldy went forward stumbling and groping in the dark


saw a bright ray streaming through a crevice aud three distinct knocks were given


come in whaeter


e


aro i enid a bluff voice and entered a low upurtuieiit in which the candles looluid yellow tueouguw fog o lultiwau ainuke


three mea were seated at a deal table covered with the implements of national conviviality und lo my intense astonishment none of the three were strangers to me


at once recognised the features of the taciturn mauslaii the wary bunks uud the independent mr thomas gills


there the man ye wanted said gtordie dowie slapping me famili irly ou the shoulder


wbaurs the dram ye promised me


in campbelltown my luve wot born her mither in glen lum ti but ferintosh is the place for me for thats the strangest speerit hand yer clavering tongue ye comtnou village


aid taddy tam


wad ye bring in the neebuur bood on us


mauslun gie the body bis dram and then tee him oui ol the door


we manua be interfered wi in our ciackt


mauslan obeyed


a large glass of alcohol was given lo my guide who swallowed it with a sigh of pleasure


eh nant that gnde and frang


its no ilka whusky thatll muk geordie dowie pech


fair fu yer face my bonny mauslan


i cuuld you no just gie usaoilher


pit bim out


aid lite remorseless gill


its juit extraordinr bow food the creature is odrink nd


geordie was forcibly ejected after an ineffectual clutch at the bottle


sit ye down mr donsbunner said toddy tara addressing himself to me sit ye down and mia yourseia tumbler


i daresay now yo was a lillie surprised at the note ye got ibis morning eli


why certainly mr gills i did oot anticipate tb pleasure ay kenne j ye wad wonder at il


but ilka place has its am way odoing busiuest and ibis is ouraquiet and cosy ye see


ise wurrum too ye thocbt mauslan a queer ane because be wadna peak


oui


i laughed dubiously towards mauslan who responded wilb hi autteretl of possible grins


and shanks loo contiuued toddy tam sbauk wadna speak out neither


theyre auid farrant hand baitb othem mr dunshunner and ihey didna like to promise ony thing without me


we three aye gang ibegiiber


i hope then mr gills lhat i muy calculate upon our support and lhat of your ii lends


my views upon the currency ay thats speaking out at ance


hoomuckle


ay i boo muckle interposed matisun with a glistening eye i really o oot understand yon gentlemen


troth then yere slow al ibe uplak remarked gills after a meaning pause


i see we maun be clear and conceese


hark je mr dunshunner whn do ye think we are three most respectable gentlemen for whom i iiuve the highest possible regard


hooltnonseotel dye do ken no was my puzzled response


weel then said toddy tam advancing his ups to my ear aad pouring forth au alcoholic whis per


we three can do muir than ye think oits bus that is the cuauel i recoiled in perfect amazement and gated in uccessiod


opon the countenances of the three com patriots


yesthere could be no doubt ubout it j was in ibe pretence of the tremendous junta of preepdaily ibe veil of isis had been lifted up and hie principal figure upon the pedestal n as hie mag nanimous and independent gills


always a wor shipper of genius i begau to entertain a feeling little hort of veneraliou towards toddy tam


the admirable manner in which he had contrived lo eooceal hu


real power from the publichit assumed indignation and horror of ibe cliqueand his hold over all claise of tbe electors demonstrated bim at once to be a consummate master of the political arl


mucbiavelli could not have devised a subtler stratagem


iban gill


thats just ibe plain truth o hie matter observed shank who bad bilberto remained sileni


we ibree is the clique and we bae the repre


entation o ibe borrow in our bands


now to peak to the point if we pul our names down on yonrcosamittee you carry ibe election aud were iff come lot dndertfandiog upon fair aud liberal greands


ami we did com lo an understanding upon grounds wbicb might be justly characterised a fair ou tb on sideband certainly liberal on ibe other


rw on laile discussion as tp tbe lengths i wasespecled to go in financial mailers and it rai even hinted that with regard lohullion the honourable mr poczlethwaite might possibly entertain aa enlarged views us myself


however we fortunately eucceeded in adjusting all our dif ferences


i not only promised to give the weight of my name lo a bill but exhibited upon the spot a draft which met with the cordial approbation of my friends aud which indeed was so satisfactory that they ii


id not offer to return it


thats a right then said toddy tara inserting ihe lastmeutioned document io a greasy pocket book


our names go down on your coiumiity and the election is as gude as won


an eldritch laugh al a lillie window which com municated with ibe street nt this moment electrified ibe speaker


there waa a glimpse of u human face seen through the dingy pane


a loud oalb bunt from the lips of toddy thomas


some deevil bus bren watching us


he cried


rio imaiislan rio for your life and grip bim afore he can urn the corner


i i wad no for a thousand puud that ibis nicbls wark were to get vi nd


i mauslan rushed as desired but all his efforts were ineffectual


the fugitive whoever be wiif lind very prudently dived into thedurkuess nod ibu draper returned without his victim


what in lo be done said i it strikes me gentlemen that ibis may turn out to be a very unpleasant business


i nao fearsnae fears i said toddy tam look ing however the reverse of comfortable


it will hue been some callum trying lo dey us thats a


du tuiud jeao a word o this lo nny living humau being otidaboon ato prorosl binkie


ive keepit lum for four tears in the dark and it never wad do lo show the cat the rond to the kim


i acquiesced in the precautionary arrangement and we purled toddy tain und his friends having by this lime disposed of all the surplus fluid


ii was very lute


befoie i reuched the provosts dwelling


i suppose thal next morning i bad overslept my


self for when i uwoke i heard miss binkie in full operation at the piano


this time however she was not singing uloue for a male voice wus uudible in conjunction willi heis


it would be au umatsing consotiiiion lo me if somebody would curry off ibal girl


thought j us i proceeded willi my toilet


i mud


a deuced fool of myself to her yesterday und io uy the truth i dont very well know how to look her in the face


howe cr there was no help for it sol proceeded down blairs


the first individual i recognised in i ibe breakfast parlour was mcorkindule


he rat engaged iu singing ulong with miss binkie some idioticul caleb about a couple of albino mice


bob cried i my dear boh lam delighted to iee you what on eui lb has brought you here


a gig and a fouudered mare replied the matteroffact mcorkindale


the fact is that i was aniious lo hear about your canvas and its there wus nothing lo do in glasgowhy the way dudshunuer the bunks have pul ou the screw againi resolved lo sdtisfy my own curiosity in person


i urriied ibis morning anil miss binkie has been kind enough lo ask nin to stay brcakfusi


i am sure both papa und i are always huppy to see mr mcorkindalesaid margaretimpressively


i am ufrniil enid i thal i have interrupted your music i did not know mcoikiudale lliut you were so eminent a performer


i bold willi aiisiotle replied bob modestly that inuio und political economy are ut the bend of ali the sciences


bul it is very seldom thal one can meet with so aocumplisbed


u pm tuer us miss binkie


i oh bo


thought i


but here the entrance of ihe provost diverted the cniiveraatiuu und we ull sat down to breakfast


old binkie wus evidently dying to know the result of my interview on the previous evening hut i hub determined to keep bim i hie dink


bob fed like au ogre and made prodigious efforts lo be polite


after breakfast ou the pretext of business we went out for a walk


the economist lighted hit cigar


snug quarters these dunshunner at the provobid


very


but bob things are looking rather well here


i had a negotiation last night which has as good as settled tbe business


lum very glad to hear itnice girl miss binkie very pretty eyesand a good fool aud ankle


an unexceptionable instep


what da you think fi have actually discoered ihe clio


t lust


you dont say so i do you think old binkie bus saved money f i um sure he has


i look upon dreepduily as pretty safe now and i propose guingover this after noon to droulhielaw


what would you recommend


think you are quite righi but somebody should stay here to look after your interests


there is no depending upon these fellows


im u ou whatwhile you ure at droiithielaw i shall remain here and occupy your quarters


the committee ill require some man of bubiuess to drill them jrj und dont cure if i spare you the lime


i highly applauded this generous resolution at the same lime i was not altogether blind lu the motive


bob though an excellent fellow in the main did liol usually sacrifice himself to his friends and i began lo suspect tliut muggie binkiewith whuoi by the way he bud some previous ucqiiaiol ancewus somehow or other connected with hi enthusiasm


as mutters stood i of course enter tained no objection on the contrary i thought it


no bieacb of confidence lo repeat the history of ibe nestegg


bob pricked up his ears


indeed i suid be that is a fair figure as times go and to judge from uppearances the slock iu trade must be valuable


cargoes of sugar said i oceans of rum and uo ead whatever of molasses i


a very creditable chairman indeed for your committee dunshunner replied bob


then i presumeou agree that i should slay here whilst you prosecute your canvass


i assented and we returned to the house


ia


ibe course of the foreuoon


ihe list of ray committee was published and to the great joy of the provost lh names of thomas gill alexander mauslan and


smiuu shauk appeared


he could not for the life of him understand bow they bad all come forward so readily


a meeting of my friends was afterwards held at which i deliered u short haraugoe upon tbo constitution of which seemed to give general satisfaction and before i left the room i had the pleasure of seeing the com millee organised with bob officiating as secretiuy


it was the opinion of every one that pozelelhwaile had not u chance


i then partook of u light lunch eon and after bidding furewell la miss binkie who on hie whole seemed to take matters very coolly i drove off for drouthielaw


i need not relate my adventures in that respectable burgh


they were devoid of any tiling like interest and not quite so satisfactory in their result as i could have wished


however the name of gills was knonn even at thal distance and his views had considerable weight willi


some of the religious dnominations


so far as i was concerned i bad no sinecure or it


it cost me three nightshard drinking to conciliate the leaders of hie anabaptists and at least three more before the chiefs of the anlinomiaa would sur


render


as to hie old light gentry i gave them up in despair fur i could not hope to have survived ibe consequences of so serious a conflict


the concluding chapter in our next


j


captain thingamy


by percy d st john


continued from our last


allatt cried most of the persons in the case


and what mayest thou captain continued cauchard


that the excellent cayenne cannot and will not perform the part which requires a bolder and more experienced act i ess


dost hear the aristocv cried marcus with fury


he thinks the young lady too delicate to do honor to the republic


not to serve the republic as a good daughter and an excellent wife but too delicate to be made the subject of a coffeehouse quarrel


and the captain quietly left the place


two hours later he was arrested under the terrible accusation of being a suspected person which in most cases was equivalent to condemnation to death


marcus brutus cauchard was a member of the terrible tribunal which at brest decided on the fitness of its inhabitants for the guillotine or for liberty and the very next morning the naval captain was brought before the bench of judges the denouncer sitting apart to guide the process


the captain was calm and firm though pale with having passed a sleepless night


his colour soon came however when he saw his beloved lucrezia her father and mother among the dense crowd which filled the large hall


the judges were seven and sat at a green baize table marcus being behind them


the public accuser stood at one and the prisoner at the other


a dozen gendarmes kept order


prisoner said one of the judges thou art accused of being an exnoble the son of a duke and duchess


citizen president i didnt choose my father and mother


the audience laughed


the captain was a clever man he knew very well that in that time of popular omnipo tence he must speak to the populace they were his real judges


thy observation is correct citizen but except retaining they pay as an offer cer what proof of cism and devotion to the republic hast thou given v i have offered my sword to my country and to prove my contempt for the rank you make a crime i was yesterday accepted as the husband of lucretia lombard the lovely daughter of an honest hardworking citizen


the audience murmured their applause marcus ground his teeth and the judges looked puzzled


very proper abnegation of pride continued the judge after being re freshed by marcus


but thou wilt not deny that thou art called le tiny louis de st cyr


certainly not


ah had said the president with a look of triumph while many of the crowd grow led forth their dislike thou insulted the nation by such a name


i i didnt give myself these names


but thou will not deny prisoner that the nation having abolished the rule le roy old spelling of le roi thou are guilty of insult in preserving it in thy name


citoyen the truth of thy observa tion is as plain as thy wisdom


hence forth i suppress the king


the audience grinned goodhumouredly


the judges looked angry but citizen and i recommend thee to be respectfulif thou abolishes the king thou preserves the hated name of louis abhorred by all french men why hands said the captain smothering his indignation for he respected the misfortunes of louis xvi


while adhering to the government of his enemies


why hated thundered the delighted judge because it is the name of a tyrant now being tried for his crimes


thou speakest of the citoyen capet observed the naval officer adopting the popular style


still cried the president annoyed by another general grin it is the name he once went by


let us then consider it suppressed


le roy louis gone i remain with an easier name


prisoner continued the judge again prompted by marcus thou art next called de st cyr now due is an aristocratic adjunct


we wont quarrel about particles citizen president i suppress the de


applause greeted this sally


but the st cyr v cried the judge


are not saints abolished also v afa for


i dont know replied the captain not having the honour of these gentlemens acquaintance except it he st barbe the powder magazine


but i cut off the st and remain the citizen cyr


not so screamed the enraged but indefatigable


judge cyr is an epithet of royalty


cyr and sire are pronounced the same in french


let us then abolish the cyr said the officer quietly and i remain captain nothing orstayi must have a name and doesnt think of borrowing one


henceforth citizen president i take and assume the name of captain close


roars of laughter inextinguishable tumultuous greeted this assumption of the name of captain thingamy or thing number the only translation of captain close in english and the judges saw unit the populace had given their verdict which they dared not impugn


still tin mine and vindictive marcus determined on one last effort and the president became his organ


prisoner certainly the name of captain close the affianced husband of the citoyenne boutard is civic enough but i have one more crime to accuse thee of thou art the captain of a fine frigate a christened by the satellites of the monarchy the venus


why hast thou not adopted some more patriotic epithet v citizen president i found my frigate with this name and with a figurehead representing the celebrated lady in question


but i bow to thy objection citizen president and taking into consideration the wants of the times and the peculiar habiliments of the socalled goddess i give notice that captain chose is henceforth commander of the sansculottes


the delight of the crowd was intense


vive le capitaine chose


vive le republique


vive la belle samson letters roared the hoarse voices of the people and in five minutes more the naval officer was carried away in triumph


the sailors joke about venuss want of pantaloons and the happy application of the popular epithet assumed by all extra warm patriots excited frenzied enthusiasm and the chairing only ended at the townhall where the despotic but good humoured populace insisted the marriage should take place that day and at once


the escape of the cool and selfpossessed captain was too rare and happy an occurrence not to silence all scruples and in two hours more the marriage was celebrated being secretly performed over again by a priest


the minister of ma j rifle informed of the event sent a brevet of commanderequal to our postcaptain i believeto captain close and the name remained


under the empire the naval officer retired to the wreck of his estates with his wife while at the restoration offended at remarks made about the original rank of his spouse he never resumed his titles


he proudly preserved his name legalised under the republic and which though not very common is yet frequently to he found


a happy marriage marcus cauchard made that day and all brest long remembered captain thingamy of the sans culottes


clrcumnaugatlnq a poll card nal maury did not allow you to advance far


he was fond of telling anecdotes but he loved to select his subject and to choose his terms


memory well managed can furnish a tolerable share of the wit and spirit of conversation and he was in this respect the most capital manoeuvres i ever met


as he had been absent from paris for fourteen years he had a great deal to tell


every one therefore listened to his stones with pleasure himself among the first


even at the dinnertable he permitted himself a vast quantity of spanish snuff which he generally shared with his neighbours distributing a large portion on their plates which rather spoiled the pleasure of those who had the good fortune to be sealed next to him as it once happened to me as madame du roures


while singing the praises of his beautiful villa at montefiascone he frequently drew from his pocket an enormous snuffbox the contents of which were most liberally showered down upon the company placed near him and between two pinches he informed us that he had formerly the pretension of taking the very best stuff in france


he prepared it with his own hands and spared no pains in the important proceeding


m then he emigrated to rome secured with him two i jars of the precious iiuk are


the future destiny of the abbe maury was dependant on the pope and the pope was a great snuff taker i presented myself several times i quote his own expressions before his holiness and took great care never to omit the playing my stuffs x which opened and shut several times during the interview making as loud a noise as possible of his was all i dared do respect forbade are making any advances towards his holiness by offering him directly a taste of the mixture in which i was so justly proud at length my perseverance met with its reward


one day i managed skilfully to place the snuff box beneath his hand and in the heat of argument he opened it mechanically and took a pinch of snuff therefrom


it was an awful moment as you may imagine


i observed him with the greatest attention and immediately remarked the expression of satisfaction and surprise which overspread his features as he stretched forth his fingers to take a second pinch donde vi vieue questo maraviglioso tobacco


i told him that alone possessed the mixture and that i only had two jars left or rather that i had no more as of course they now belonged to his holi ness


i am inclined to believe that this present was agreeable to him as it was useful to me


after the story the cardinal boasted to us of the extraordinary frankness of his character


he had shown more of this than he had intended in the tale he had been telling


sottventn de france et d italia dans les armies


et


the total annual product of the soil of france does not amount to two mil liards of france or eighty millions sterling ayear including the rent of buildings whilst the returns of schedule a under the british incometax indicate an annual rental exceeding millions sterling


last week a climbing boy was sent up a chimney at nottingham where he remained for some time and was ultimately extracted in a state of in sensibility


he died soon afterwards in the hospital


abolition of the viceroyalty the evening herald says


this with the departure of lord clarendon the viceroyalty of ireland shall stay and determine there is not now the shadow of a doubt


in the london military circles the departure of the guards for dublin is regarded as a matter long since arranged this step being a preliminary to the periodical visitations of her majesty and a sojourn in her irish capital of some weeks duration every summer


the withdrawal of sir edward blakeney iron the chief command in this country will also it is said form part of the contemplated arrangementsthat popular and distinguished veteran to be succeeded by prince george of cambridge she will be assisted by a general officer of experience and long standing in the ietj vice


sundry squadrons of the oxford v blues will it is thought accompany tv guards to dublin


the metropolitan police


sir charles rowan having resigned his place as one of the commissioners of the metropolitan police mr richard


mayne becomes chief commissioner as his room g and captain william hay the assistant commissioner succeeds to the place of commissioner rendered vacant by sir charles rowans resigned tion


a list of subscribers to mr sidney herberts emigration fund has been published


among the subscribers an the queen and prince albert who contribute and in doing so express their approval of mr herberts


practical measure for the assistance of the working classes


mr herbert and the marquis of westminster also contribute


each


nonest exertion


a downeast spendthrift recently said five years ago i was not worth a cent in the world now see where i am through my exertions farewell where are you


wh


i owe more than does


jti tucky moderator


it is confidently hoped by many fathers and mothers of families that parliament will not separate this year before the fall of the leaf consequent upon the reduction of the duty on tea


punch


the great chess match of one game between l union and amsterdam cr guineas has just terminated in favour of lindonthe dutch resigning at the r fiftieth move


nearly two years have elapsed since the game was commenced favourable accounts have been received from algeria


since the destruction of zdittcha the natives have been peaceful and have shown alacrity in paying the tribute


the whole of that country is now perfectly tranquil


wise oiueuvatiobwhen


our neighbours house is on fire it cannot be amiss for the engines to play a little or our own


bitter be despised for too anxious apprehensions than ruined by too confident security


why is a policeman like a rainbow


because he always makes his appearance when the storm is over


why is a new periodical like the blood of a healthy man because it very much depends on it circulation


he story of a feather flttglsrt jtrtaln


a story from punch chapter xin icomlnued from our lost drury lane theatrea broken


hearted womanthe


countess is summoned homean old acquaintance


the countess was in raptures with garrick


her friend lady dinah tooa widow of fourandthirty whose chief favourite in this life was her own broken heartwas softened to the extreme of tenderness by the passion the energy the


enthusiasm of the little man


i have said itlady dinah had a broken heart


happy woman that it was so for that shattered organ stood to her in the place of a parrot a spaniel a precious pet to be fondled and fed upon the choicest morsels


it was this attention to the craving appetite of her broken heart that brought lady dinah to romeo and juliet


sym pathy was a necessity of her naturebut then it must be sympathy with the wants and woes of love


at eighteen she hod been married to a nobleman of large estate sixty years old and a pair of crutches


the daughter of a foxhunting squire she had been legally sold to his lordshipvended to the intor stricken peer like any peach in january she had been a widow only four years her husband willi a stubborness often peculiar to the ailing determining not to cancel the contract a single day before


and so my dear that is how my heart waa broken


this waa the constant theme of lady dinah who would continually show her broken heart to her friends and acquaintances as other women would show their china


it was indeed her only solaceher only comfort


her face had in it frank good temper j her eyes were swimming in laughter lier lips ever curling with smilesshe was alto gether a ripe plump piece offrolic nature yet to her five jiundred bosom friends she insisted upon being known as a blighted thing indeed a disappointed woman with a broken heart


and then she would bint at the mystery of an early passionof what in her girlhood she bad suffered fora first love


this mystery was never cleared for i give no credence to the vulgar gossip of her nurse who as heard declared that her ladyship before marriage had never loved anything that signified except green gooseberries


the play proceeded and with every scene the admiration of lady blushrose the emotion of lady dinah increased


tis very nice said lady blushrose ata part of the balcony scene


nice my dear


i its delicious cried lady dinah and for a moment spreading her fan before her face she sighed deeply


very different were the feelings of the two ladies


the one sat as a patroness of the poet and the actornow and then graciously according an approving smile the other was in the cene was indeedor assuredly tried to think sojuliet herself


its very foolish said lady dinah and witli an attempt at vivacity she brushed her handkerchief across lier eyes i do verily believe thinking there was at least one tear in each of them


dost thoulove mo


i know iou wilt anyay and i will take uiy word


thus spoke juliet and


immediately lady dinah in a whisper to her friend exclaimed just like me when quite a girl


good nlglit good night


parting is such sweet sorrow that i shall say good night till it he morrow


here juliet disappeared from the balcony and lady dinah throwing herself back in her seat slowly shook her head observing f it doesnt take me quite to my fathers orchard


my dear cwild said lady blushrose looking round the house you distress me you do indeed to find you thus give way to your feelings


you knowits only a play


very true know thatbut memory memory my dear


in this life wearnt they the clevelands opposite


lud


no im getting blind


i thinkin this life woman has but one heart and when that is broken to be sure


why theres that wretch huntingtopper cried lady blushrose who whilst sympathising with her friend had carefully surveyed ute boxes


he musnt come into the boxpositively ho musnt come into thehoxlunuia mmk him


u u where is he


lady blushrose immediately pointed out to her brokenhearted friend the situation of his lordship who on the instant recognising the ladies kissed his hand to them and left the box


hell never come to us cried lady dinah ns though she expected a reply


no doubt he willand why not asked lady blushrose


oh my deari quite loathe the man said lady dinah


hes very handsome said lady blushrose believing in that she had said everything


but then his sentiments my dear so coarseso little respectful of sympathyso utterly ignorant or careless of the motions of the heart


a knock at the boxdoor and immediately enter his lordship


he seemed a man of about twoandthirty


his features were handsomevery handsome in point of regularity faultless


a wellformed a wellpainted lamp but with no light in it


as i shortly discovered his lordship was the veritable hunt ingtopper the lordly master of mr curlwell whose generosity towards the little featherdresser was so touchingly displayed in st martins watchhouse


well ladies how do you like it


garrick wants a little of the dash of a giant for my notions of a lover


hes mean plaguy mean said huntingtopper plunging at once into the play


does your lordship measure hearts by a footrule asked lady blushrose


not exactlybut then one wants a sort of style in these thingswhen we talk of heroic poetry of course we want people of heroic look to utter itotherwise its nonsense quite nonsense


thus spoke the lordly critic


but altogether what does your lordship think of romeo and juliet inquired lady dinah with a downcast look and in the gentlest tone of voiceyea almost in the accents of a sufferer


theres some good things in it cant deny thatvery decent things in it but then theres a good deal of stuff


now all that weve listened to about the fairys coachcan any reasonable person make it clear


come heres the book and his lordship read in a loud tone


her waggonspokes made of long pinners legs


the cover of tie wings of grasshoppers her traces of the smallest spiders web her collars of the moonshine s watery silence in that box i roared


voice from the gallery and j looking upward i recognised my old honest friend loka knuckle mr flamingos porter


luke otherwise a peace able fellow was too much interested in the fate of the lovers to pay any deference to anybody in any box and therefore almost unconsciously rebuked the talker


his lordship cast a contemptuous look towards the audience as though one of the dearest prerogatives of high box companynamely to talk loud at a play to the annoyance of actors and auditorshad been most impudently interfered with


so indignant was his j lordship yet withal so defying of vulgar opinion that he was bout to continue the quotation when a hurried knock struck at the boxdoor


it was opened when one of the earls ser vants delivered a letter to her ladyship


its impossible i said her ladyship with slight agitation having read the note


then turning to lady dinah be aaid


my dear you must excuse mei am summoned home


what has happened cried lady dinah


oh nothing that if nothing but his lordships groundless fear will be back in a short time


pray dont miss the tombscene urged lady dinah but whatwhat is the matter


tis only to frighten me i knowit cant be otherwise but his lordship writes that dear little edward is dying


but iteant behe was so much better this morning


i shall be able to come back im sur


tobe ure you will said lady dinah with a comforting manner and very willing to be so comforted lady blushrose ubre faenelf to fee handed to her carriage by tard hunting


vauti baw no catii to remain at home i trust said his iordtin m andtill you return ulk shakspeate to the thokmliarted widow


a hi lordship with a peculiar smite utured ttmm words lady blushrom raised her freflngcr in ptoyful nprodofffuntingtoppers intention


era however hit cootd reptyto this tiwi carriage rolled away


arriving at hi lordships mansion th door was already open asulttt already watching tb coming of their mistress


trewvsitttoqkox na irioiioeu in a or two fact in others worn as a part ofthe earls livery for the occasion a look that convinced mc death was in tho house


mrs pillow was on the staircase having descended at thesound of the car


riugewheels


she stood with clasped hands pursing her mouth dndstriving to look smitten to the heart


all she said was oh my lady so sweet a babyl the countess slightly trembled at the aspect of the matron then rapidly passed her


j


in a minute she was in the room wherelay the dying child


the earl sat at the bedside


never shall i forgot the look i with which he met his wifethe mother of his infant


there was no reproof in itnonebut the very eloquence of pity


the countess was running to the bed when the carl rose and j folding her in his arms led her aside


hes not illnot so very ill cried the countess hysteri colly


j patience margaret patience said the earl with apparent calmness


he may be betterbut he is i fear so at least much changed


i


my deardear child screamed her ladyship


he will be spared us let us hope it let us pray for it said the carl still we must be patient


he then led his wife to the bedside and instantly the grief and cries of the countess were redoubled


she threw herself upon the bed and called heaven to witness how she loved her child


a letter my lord from dr wilson said a servant pre senting a note to the earl


wherewhere is the doctor exclaimed the countess


be calm my love i sent for himhe sends this letter answered the earl


a letter why does ho not come a letter cried the countess


he will not come said the earl


listen


his lord ship then read the note of the physician


my lordit is with unaffected pain that i cannot feel it due to my professional character to attend your summons


after what fell oom her ladyship this morning i should forfeit all sense of selfrespect were i again to do so


her ladyship expressed a total want of confidence in my skill i i never meant ithe knew never meant it i cried the countess in a rage of grief


permit me however to recommend to your lordship the gentleman who is the bearer of this


have frequently met him in the course of my professional experience and have great pleasure in herewith testifying to his high ability


i know no man to whose skill i would so readily entrust the health of my own children


i remain your obedient humble servant charles wilson conduct the gentleman here said the karl


is he a physician asked the countess


the doctor does not tell me but i have all faith in wilson let the gentleman be who he may


as the earl spoke this the servant ushered in an old acquaintance of the readers no other than apothecary lintley


the countess glanced at his plain outsidefor in the days whereof i write the physician had a more marked exterior than in these onecoated times and loudly whispered to her husband im sure hes not a physician


lintley overhearing this observed no madam i am not


doctor wilson has however informed me of the case it is one i have treated a thousand times among the poor


at the word poor the countess looked toward her husband as though of course he would instantly resent the insult


the earl however immediately addressing himself to lintley said i am happy sir that my child will have the benefit of so much experience


lintley then approached the little patient in an instant i saw in the eye of the apothecary the fate ofthe babe


he is not so very ill sir asked the countess


he is very ill madam answered lintley


but not dangerousnothing dangerousyou will answer for his recoveryof course with your experience you can answer cried the countess


lintley did not speak but glanced at the earl


the father saw there was no hope and endeavoured to soothe the mother whose extravagant grief burst forth in the wildest expressions


she hung about the child and vowed she would never survire itno she would be buried with it


she who had lored it so she who had so treasured her dear blessed darling t at these words the earl hid his brow in his hands and groaned bitterly


is mere naming auctortuuniuu timvni save mm r enea the countess


lintley still evaded an answer still the mother asked


at length the apothecary replied nothing madamnom


oh know what you would saydoctor wilsou has said so but it was impossible


how could i nurse ithow could i blessed dear babe that


it


isbut how could i nurse it


patience patience


margaret said the earl taking his wifes hand


and so for hours they sat


as the clock struck six the child died


and then again and again the countess mother vowed she would be buried with it


to be continued


hard times


the new serial by charles dickens


chapter i now what i want is facts


teach these boys and girls nothing but facts


facts alone are wanted in life


plant nothing else and root out everything else


you can only form the minds of reasoning animals upon facts nothing else will ever be of any service to them


this is the prinoiple on which i bring up my own children and this is the principle on which i bring up these childron


stick to facts sir


the scene was a plain bare monotonous vault of a schoolroom and the speakers square forefinger emphasised his observations by underscoring overy sentence with a line on the schoolmasters sleeve


the emphasis was helped by the speakers square wall of a fore head which had his eyebrows for its base while his eyes found commodious cellarage in two dark caves overshadowed bv the wall


the emphasis was helped by the speakers mouth which was wide thin and hard set


the emphasis was helped by the speakers voice which was inflexible dry and dictato rial


the emphasis was helped by the speak ers hair which bristled on the skirts of his bald head a plantation of firs to keep the wind from its shining surfice all covered with knobs like the crust of a plumpie as if the head had scarcely warehouse room for the hard facts stored insid


the speakers obstinate carriage square coat square legs square shouldersnay his very neckcloth trained to take him by the throat with an unaccommo dating grasp like a stubborn fact as it was all helped the emphasis


in this life we want nothing but facts sir nothing but facts


the speaker and the schoolmaster and the third grown person present all backed a little and swept with their eyes the inclined plane of little vessels then and there arranged in order ready to have imperial gallons of facts poured into them until they were full to the brim


chapter ii


thomas gradgrind sir


a man of realities


a man of facts and calculations


a man who proceeds upon the principle that two and two are four and nothing over and who is not to be talked into allowing for anything over


thomas gradgrind sirperemptorily thomas thomas gradgrind


with a rule and a pair of scales and the multiplicationtable always in his pocket sir ready to weigh and measure any parcel of human natureo and tell you exactly what it comes to


it is a mere question of figures a case of simple arithmetic


you might hope to get some other nonsensical belief into the head of george gradgrind or augustus gradgrind or john gradgrind or joseph gradgrind all suppositious non existent persons but into the head of thomas gradgrindno sir


in such terms mr gradgrind always men tally introduced himself whether to his pri vate circle of acquaintance or to the public in general


in such terms no doubt substitu ting the words boys and girls for sir thomas gradgrind now presented thomas gradgrind to the little pilchers before him who were to be filled so full of facts


indeed as he eagerly sparkled at them from the cellarage before mentioned he seemed a kind of cannon loaded to the muzzle with facts and prepared to blow them clean out of the ragions of childhood at one discharge


he seemed a galvanising apparatus too charged with a grim mechanical subititute for the tender young imaginations that were to be stormed away


girl number twenty said mr gradgrind squarely pointing with his square fore finger i dont know that girl


who is that girl


sissy jupe sir explained number twenty blushing standing up and curtsey ing


sissy is not a name said mr gradgrind


dont call yourself sissy


call yourself cecilia


its father as calls me sissy sir returned the young girl in a trembiing voice and with another curtsey


then he has no business to do it said mr gradgrind


tell him he mustnt cecilia jupa


let me see


what is your father


he belongs to the horseriding if you please sir


mr gradgrind frowned and waived off the objectionable calling with his hand


we dont want to know anything about that here


you mustnt tell us about that here


your father breaks horses dont he


if you please sir when they can got any to break they do break horses in the ring sir


you musnt tell us about the ring hero


very well then


describe your father as a horsebreaker


he doctors sick horses i dare say


oh yes sir


he is a veterinary surgeon a farrier and horsebreakor


give me your definition of a horse sissy jupe thrown into the greatest alarm by this demand girl number twenty unable to define a horse said mr gradgrind for the general behoof of all the little pitchers


girl number twenty possessed of no facts in reference to one of the commonest of animals


some boys definition of a horse


bitzer yours


the square finger movlng here and there lighted suddenly on bitzer perhaps because he chanced to sit in the same ray of sunlight which darting in at one of the bare windows of the intenselywhitewashed room irradiated sissy


for the boys and girls sat on the face of the inclined plane in two compact bodies divided up the centre by a narrow interval and sissy being at the corner of a row on the sunny side came in for the beginning of a sunbeam of which bitzer being at the corner of a row on the other side a few rows in advance caught the end


but whereas the girl was so darkeyed and dark haired that she seemed to receive a deeper and more lustrous color from the sun when it shone upon her he was so lighteyed and light haired that the self same rays appeared to draw out of him what little color he ever possessed


his cold eyes would hardly have been eyes but for the short ends of lashes which by bringing them into immediato contrast with something paler than themselves expressed their form


his shortcropped hair might have been a mere continuation of the sandy freckles on his fore head and face


his skin was so unwhole somely deficient in the natural tinge that he looked as though if he were cut he would bleed whlte


bitzer said thomas gradgrlnd your definition of a horse


quadruped


graminivorous


forty teeth namely twentyfour grinders four eyetooth and twelve incisive


sheds ooat in the spring in marshy countries sheds hoofs too


hoofs hard but requiring to be shod with iron


age known by marks in the mouth


thus and much more bitzer now girl number twenty said mr gradgrlnd you know what a horse is


she curtseyed again and would have blush ed deeper if she could have blushed deeper than she had blushed all this tims blitzer after rapidly blinking at thomas gradgrind with both eyes at once and so catching the light upon his quivering ends of lashes that thuy looked like the antenna of busy insects


put his knuckles to his freckled forehead and sat down again


the third gentleman now stepped forth


a mighty man at cutting and drying he was a government officer in his way and in most other peoples too a professed pugilist always in training always with a system to force down the general throat like a bolus always to be heard of at the bar of his little public office ready to fight all england to con tinue in little phraseology he had a genius for coming up to the scratch wherever and whatever it was and proving himself an ugly customer


he would go in and damage any subject whatever with his right fol low up with his left stop exchange coun ter bore his opponent he always fought all england to the ropes and fall upon him neatly


he was certain to knock the wind out of common sense and render that unlucky adversary deaf to the call of time


and he had it in charge from high authority to bring about the great public office mlllenium vvhen commissioners should reign upon earth


very well said this gentleman briskly smiling and folding his arms


thats a horse


now let me ask you girls and boys would you paper a room with representations of horses


after a pause one half of the children cried in chorus yes sir


upon which the other half seeing in the gentlemans face that yes was wrong cried out in chorus no sir


as the custom is in these examinations


of course no


why wouldnt you


a pause


one corpulent slow boy with a wheezy manner of breathing ventured the answer because he wouldnt paper a room at all but would paint it


you must paper it said the gentleman rather warmly


you must paper it said thomas grad grlnd whether you like it or not


dont tell us you wouldnt paper it


what do you mean boy


ill explaln to you then said the gentle man after another and a dismal pause why you wouldnt paper a room with representations of horses


do you ever see horses walking up and down the sides of rooms in realityin fact


do you


yes sir from one half


no sirl from the other


of course no said the gentleman with an indignant look at the wrong half


why then you are not to see anywhere what you dont see in fact you are not to have any where what you dont have in fact


what is called taste is only another name for fact


thomas gradgrind nodded his approbation


this is a now principle a discovery a great discovery said the gentleman


now ill try you again


suppose you were going to carpet a room


would you use a carpet having a representation of flowers upon it


there being a general conviction by this time that no sir was always the right answer to this gentleman the chorus of no was very strong


only a few feeble stragglers said yes among them sissy jupe


girl number twenty said the gentle man smiling in the calm strength of know ledge


sissy blushed and stood up


so you would carpet your roomor your husbands room if you were a grown woman and had a husbandwith representations of flowers would you said the gentleman


why would yon


if you please sir i am very fond of flowers returned the girl


and is that why you would put tables and chairs upon them and have people walking over them with heavy boots it wouldnt hurt them sir


they wouldnt crush and wither if you please sir


they would be the pictures of what was very pretty and pleasant and i would fancy ay ay ay


but you mustnt fancy cried the gentleman quite elated by coming so happily to his point


thats it


you are never to fancy


you are not mary jupe thomas grad grind solemnly repeated to do anything of that kind


fact fact fact said the gentleman


and fact fact fact repeated thomas gradgrind


you are to be in all things regulated and governed said the gentleman by fact


we hope to have before long a board of fact composed of commissioners of fact who will force the people to be a people of fact and of nothing but fact


you must discard the word fancy altogether


you have nothing to do with it


you are not to have in any object of use or ornament what would be a contradic tion in fact you cannot be allowed to walk upon flowers in carpets


you dont find that foreign birds and butterflies come and perch upon your crockery you cannot be permitted to paint foreign birds and butterflies upon your crockery


you never meet with quadru peds going up and down walls you must not have quadrupeds represented upon walls


you must use said the gentleman for all these purposes combinations and modifications in primary colors of mathematical figures which are susceptible of proof and demonstration this is the new discovery


this is fact


this s taste


the girl curteysed and sat down


she was very young and she looked as if she were frightened by the matteroffact prospect the world afforded


now if mr mcchoakumchild said the gentleman will proceed to give his first les son here mr gradgrind i shall be happy at your request to observe his mode of pro cedure


mr gradgrind was much obliged


mr mcchoakumchild we only wait for you


so mr mcchoakumchild began in his best manner


he and some one hundred and forty other schoolmasters had been lately turned at the same time in the same factory on the same principles like so many pianoforte legs


he had been put through an immense variety of paces and had answered volumes of headbreaking questions


orthegraphy etymology syntax and prosody biography astronomy geography and general cosmo graphy the sciences of compound proportion algebra land surveying and levelling vocal music and drawing from models were all the ends of his ten chilled fingers


ha had worked his stoney way into her majestys most honorable privy councils schedule b and had taken the bloom off the higher branches of mathematics and physical science french german latin and greek


he knew all about the water sheds of all the world whatever they are and all the histories of all the peoples and all the names of all the rivers and moun tains and all the productions manuers and customs of all the countries and all their boundaries and bearing on the two and thirty points of the compass


ah rather overdone mcchoakumchild


if he had only learnt a little less how infinitely better he might have taught much more


he went to work in this preparatory lesson not unlike morgiana in the forty thieves looking into all the vessels ranged before him one after another to see what they contained


say good mcchoakumchild when from thy boiling store thou shalt fill each jar brim full by and by dest thou think that thou wilt al ways kill onttight the robber fancy lurking withinor sometimes only maim him and distort him


ciiapter iii


mr gradgrlnd walked homeward from the school in a state of considerable satisfactlon


it was his school and he intended it to be a model


he intended every child in it to be a modeljust as the young gradgrinds were oil models


there were five young gradgrinds and they were models every one


they had been lec tured at from their tenderest years coursed like little hares


almost as soon as they could run alone they had been made to run to the lecture room


the first ohject with which they had an association or of which they had a remembrance was a large black board with a dry ogre chalking ghastly white figures upon it


not that they knew by name or nature anything about an ogre


fact forbid


i only use the word to express a monster in a lecturing castle with heaven knows how many heads manipulated into one taking childhood captive and dragging it into gloomy statistlcal dens by the hair


no little gradgrlnd had ever seen a face in the moon it was up in the moon before it could speak distinctly


no little gradgrlnd had ever learnt the silly gingle twinkle twinkle little star how i wonder what you are it had never known wonder on the subject having at five years old dissected the great bear like a professor owen and driven charless wain like a locomotlve engine driver


no little gradgrind had ever as sociated a cow in a field with that famous cow with the crumpled horn who tossed the dog who worried the cat who killed the rat who ate the malt or with that yet more famous cow who swallowed tom thumb it had never heard of these celebrities and had only been introduced to a cow as a gramlnlvorous ruminating quadruped with several stomachs


to this matteroffact home which was called stone lodge mr gradgrind directed his steps


he had virtually retired from the wholesale hardware trade before he built ston lodge and was now lookiug about for a suit able opportunity of making an arithmetical figure in parliament


stone lodge was situ ated on a moor within a mile or two of a great towncalled coketown in the present faithful guidebook


a very regular feature on the face of the country stone lodge was


not the least dis guise toned down or shaded off that uncom promising fact in the landscape


a great square house with a heavy portico darkening the principal windows as its masters heavy brows overshadowed his eyes


a calculated castup balanced and proved house


six windows on this side of the door six on that side a total of twelve in this wing a total of twelve in the other wing fourandtwenty carried over to the back


a lawn and garden and an infant avenue all ruled straight like a botanical accountbook


gas and ventilations drainage and waterservlce all of the primest quality


iron clumps and girders fireproof from top to bottom mechanical lifts for the housemaids with all their brushes and brooms everything that heart could desire


everything


well i suppose so


the little gradgrinds had cabinets in various de partments of science too


they had a little conchological cabinet and a metallurgical ca binet and a little mineralogical cabinet and the specimens were all arranged and labelled and the bits of stone and ore looked as though they might have been broken from their parent substances by those tremendously hard instruments their own names and to para phrase the idle legend of peter piper who had never found his way into their nursery if the little greedy gradgrinds grasped at more than this what was it for good gracious good ness sake that the greedy iittle gradgrinds grasped at


their father walked on in a hopeful and satisfied frame of mind


he was an affectionate father after his manner but he would pro bably have described himself if he had been put like sissy jupe upon a definition as an eminently practical father


he had a parti cular pride in the phrase eminently practical which was considered to have a special appli cation to him


whatsoever the public meet ing held in coketown and whatsoever the subject of such meeting some coketowner was sure to make the occasion of alluding to his eminentlypractical friend gradgrind


this always pleased the eminentlypractical friend


he knew it to be his due but his due was ac ceptable


he had reached the neutral ground upon the outskirts of the town which was neither town nor country and yet was either spoiled when his ears were invaded by the sound of music


the clashing and banging band attached to the horseriding establidhment which had there set up its rest in a wooden pavilion was in full bray


a flag floating from the summit of the temple proclaimed to mankind that it was slearys horseriding which claimed their suffrages


sleary himself a stout modern statue with a moneybox at its elbow in an ecclesiastical niche of early gothic architecture took the money


miss josephine sleary as some very long and some very narrow strips of printed bills announced was then inaugurating tho entertainments with her graceful equestrian tyrolean flower act


among the other pleasing but always strictly moral wonders which must be seen to be believed signer jupe was that afternoon to elucidate the diverting accomplishment of his highlytrained performing dog merry legs


he was also to exhibit his astound ing feat of throwing seventyfive hundred weights in rapid succession backhanded over his head thus forming a mountain of solid iron in mid air a feat never before attempted in this or any other country and which hav ing elicited such rapturous plaudits from enthusiaslic throngs it cannot be withdrawn


the same signor jupe was to enliven the varied performance at frequent intervals with his chaste shaksperean quips and retorts


lastly he was to wind them up by appearing in his favorite character of mr william button of tooley street in the highly novel and laughable hippo commedietta of the tailors journey to brentford thomas gradgrind took no heed of these trivialities of course but passed on as a prac tical man ought to pass on either brushing the noisy insects from his thoughts or con signing them to the house of correction


but the turning of the road took him by the back of the booth and at the back of the booth a number of children were congregated in a number of stealthy attitudes striving to peep in at the hidden glories of the place


this brought him to a stop


now to think of these vagabonds said he attract


ing the young rabble from a model school


a spice of stunted grass and dry rubbish being between him and the young rabble he took his eyeglass out of his waistcoat to look for any child he knew by name and might order off


phenomenon almost incredible though distinctly seen


what did he then be


hold but his own metallurgical louisa peeping with all her might through a hole in a deal board and his own mathematical thomas abasing himself on the ground to catch but a hoof of the graceful equestrian tyrolean flower act


dumb with amazement mr gradgrind crossed to the spot where his family was thus disgraced laid his hand upon each erring child and said louisa


thomas


both rose red and disconcerted


but louisa looked at her father with mere boldness than thomas did


indeed thomas did not look at him but gave himself up to be taken home like a machine


in the name of wonder idleness and folly said mr gradgrind leading each away by a hand what do you do here


wanted to see what it was like returned louisa shortly


what it was like yes father


there was an air of jaded sullenness in them both and particularly in the girl yet struggling through the dissatisfaction of her face there was a light with nothing to rest upon a fire with nothing to burn a starved imagination keeping life in itself somehow which brightened its expression


not with the brightness natural to cheerful youth but with uncertain eager doubtful flashes which had something painful in them analogous to the changes on a blind face groping its way


she was a child now of fifteen or sixteen but at no distant day would seem to become a woman all at once


her father thought so as he looked at her


she was pretty


would have been selfwilled he thought in his emi nently practical way but for her bringingup


thomas though i have the fact before me i find it difficult to believe that you with your education and resources should have brought your sister to a scene like this


i brought him father said louisa quickly


i asked him to come


i am sorry to hear it


i am very sorry indeed to hear it


it makes thomas no better and it makes you worse louisa


she looked at her father again but no tear fell down her cheek


you


thomas and you to whom the circle of the sciences is open thomas and you who may be said to be replete with facts thomas and you who have been trained to mathematical exactnesi thomas and you here cried mr gradgrlnd in this de graded position


i am amazed


i was tired father


i have been tired a long time sald louisa


tired


of what asked the astonished father


i dont know of whatof everything i think


say not another word returned mr gradgrind


you are childlsh


i will hear no more he did not speak again until they had walked some half a mile in silence when he gravely broke out with what would your best friends say louisa


do you attach no value to their good opinion


what would mr bounderby say


at the mention of this name his daughter stole a look at him remarkable for its intense and searching character


he saw nothing of it for before he looked at her she had again cast down her eyes


what he repeated presently would mr bounderby say


all the way to stone lodge as with grave indignation he led the two delinquents home he repented at inter vals what would mr bounderby say


as if mr bounderby had been mrs grundy


to be continued


tuhe mysteries of paris


chapter xxiv


deatih op jaques ferrand


it will be remembered by the reader that rodolphe sent for cecily the creole wife of david the negro physician with the view of placing her in the service of m ferrand after the arrest of louise morel in order that she might obtain certain in formation respecting matters of importance to rodolphe and especially to obtain proofs of the innocence of franuois ger main son of the maitre decolo and ma dame georges


we will conduct the reader again to the office of the notary jaques ferrand


sthanks to the loquacity of the clerks we shall thus learn the events which occurred since the accomplishment of her mission by cecily


one hundred sous againstten if the present state of his health continues be fore a month the governor will be as dead as a musket


sthe fact is that since the last servant left the house he has nothing but skin on his bones


and what kind of skin


ah cal he was then in love with this girl for it is since her departure that he has shrivelled up so t she in love


what nonsense on the contrary he is more austere than ever and the curd of the parish says that m ferrand is the beau ideal of charity and generosity


syes i heard him


s


then i cant understand it at all


m ferrand generous


he who would skin an egg


yes but


well i speak then


sit is a secret


so much the more reason for telling it


well the governor is about selling his business


ahbah silence


some one opens the doorit is the priest


and all the clerks bending over their desks began to scratch away with appa rent industry making their pens pass rapidly over the paper


hearing some one speaking with vehe meuce in the cabinet of the notary the abbd knocked at the door


scome in said a voice with an italian accent and the priest found himself face to face with jaques ferrand and polidori


it would seem that the clerks were not wrong when they prophecied the death of their patron at no distant day


the notary was hardly to he recognised


although his visage was of a frightfal thinness and of cadaverous hue a hectic flush colored his hollow cheeks a nervous shivering except when interrupted by convulsive spasms agitated his frame con tinually his bony hands were dry and burning his large green spectacles con cealed his blood shot eyes which sparkled with the fire of a consuming fever


it must be explained that rodophe had obtained possession of proofs of many of the crimes of jaques ferraud which would have subjected that wretch to an ignomi nious death but itodolphe bold and un scrupulous in blending together justice and tyrannyresolved upon a more charac teristic punishment


this punishment was that jaques ferrand should give up to charitable purposes the whole of his ill gotten wealth hence the rumours of the generosity of the miser


sthe abb who knew not the origin of this change was delighted


there are very few said he who like you dispos sess themselves of so much of their earthly wealth to employ it during their lifetime in a manner so christianlike


do you still persist in selling your business in order to devote yourself more entirely to the prac tice of religion


since yesterday my business is sold lmonsieur abb the sum realised added to others will enable me to found the in stitution of which i have spoken


very few persons unite like jaques ferrand riches to piety intelligence to charity said polidori with an ironical smile


at this sarcastic eulogium the notary cast from under his spectacles a look of deadly hatred on polidori


a man less simple than the abbd would have remarked during the conversation the notarys unwilling manner


constrain ing with a sigh of rage his most violent feelings jaques ferrand submitted to the yoke which hlie could not break while poli dori seemed to take delight in torturing his victim as is said vulgarly by pricks of a pin


after alengthened consultation polidori read a plan of an institution about to be founded by jaques ferrand for the relief of unemployed artisans which he was to en dow with a revenue of twelve thousand francs and a further revenue of ten thou sand for the expenses and administration of the affairs


francois germain was ap pointed perpetual director with a salary of four thousand francs


the institution to be established at rue du temple the porter and keeper to be the present porter of the house ill


pipelet


he also informed the abb that an an nuity of two thousand francs had been set tled on the morel fiamily


hardly had the abb gone when jaques ferrand uttered a terrible imprecation


his despair and rage so long restrained burst forth with fury breathless his face convulsed his eyes rolling in their sockets he walked up and down the room like a wild beast confined by a chain thunder


cried jaques in a voice choked with rage my fortune entirely swallowed up in these stupid good works i who despise and execrate men i who have only lived to deceive and despoil them i found philanthropic establish ments


having worked himself into a deliriim of rage he turned his wrath against his not less culpable accomplice


fearful was the hatred which followed their mutual taunts and recriminations


am en


the illness of jaques ferrand daily in creased


fits of delirium seized him during which some one particular sense was preternaturally excited


at one time he would start fromthe fall of a pin as if it were thunder and at others he felt as if the feeble rays of a candle were streams of red hot lava pouring into his eyes


in these fits of delirium also the image of the creole beauty was mixed up with the most frightful phantoms


the creole had in leaving the notarys house left behind a poniard which had been dipoed in one of the deadly poisons of her native land by an obeah woman


in one of his paroxysms jaques ferrand had obtained possession of this poniard


polidori attempted to wrest it from his grasp and in so doing scratched his own hands as well as those of the notary


the result may be imagined


oh i muttered polidori my arm stif


fensa mortal coldness seizes memy blood thickens in my veinsmy head turns


help help


i die


and he sunk under his own weight upon the flodr


the crash of a glass door opened with so much violence that several panes were broken to pieces the resounding voice of rodolphe and the noise of hasty footsteps seemed to respond to polidoris cry of an guish


at the same moment threatening and formidable as the genius of vengeance the prince entered the room


he had just come from his interview with helen seyton


monster cried he advancing towards jaques ferrand it is my daughter whom you have killed


you shall


the prince did not filish he recoiled alarmed while jaques ferrand placing both his hands before his eyes fell with his face to the floor


uttering a cry that was anything but human


he never rose again


schapter xxv


tne


lost one fo nd


in themeantime marie was fast recover ing from the effects of hersubmersion by the saniguinary nicolas the unremitting attentions of la louve and the judicious treatment of her physician combined were effecting her convalescence


it happened that madame dharville in returning from her visit to her lather whom she had succeeded in saving from the ma chinations of polidori and madame dor bigny had occasion to make a short stay in the neighbourhood of asnieres where walking in the public garden she met la goualeuse leaning on the arm of la louve a few moments put her in possession of recent events and in the height of her joy she embraced both marie and la louve telling the latter that her bravery would meet with its reward


an hour afterwards madame dharville and la goualeuso were on the roid to paris


rodolphe was arranging with sir walter murphy to leave paris on the following day the place having become insupportable to him when a servant entered and deli vered a note to the latter it was from ma dame dharville who was in an adjoining room having just arrived in her carriage


ignornnt that the unfortunate marie was the daughter of the prince madame dharvillo in her joy at bringing back his protegee had thought she would be able to present her to him without any previous preparation she had left her in the car riage at the door as she did not know whether the prince was willing to make himself known to the young girl and re ceive her in his own house