his natural capacity and taste were excellent but education had not done much to aid the one and the limits of a small provincial town had held but little to improve the latter still by seekingmiddleaged as he was knowledge in matters connected with his work in all such directions as it was likely to be found his progress was most satisfactoryeven to mr stopp


thus happy and fortunate in relation to those duties which brought bread norman had several reasons for great mental disquietude which increased as time wore on


amongst these was his wifes failing health


never robust its decline had commenced before they left the country and his hope that it might improve amidst the more varied scenes of london life was as he soon found falla cious


naturally indolent and lymphatic she gave way more and more to this vague sense of indisposition


it frequently happened that norman leaving her u and pretty well when he went to woglin the morning would when he camrjoine at noon find herin bed ttie


ijter uncooked and many things in re little household bespeaking the need of aa active mistress


finding her husband did not like thistender and indulgent as he wasmrs norman deferred her siesta till the afternoon then as soon as her husband was safe at work she lay down on bed or sofa there remaining till the time of his return drew near


she would then hurry up prepare tea and make it appear as though she had been the most busy of housewives during his absence


no doubt the chief cause of this indolence was referable to disease though habit and indulgenceboth of whieh might have been striven against increased it


for i believe that disease physical malformation and disproportion of parts in organization arhhe causes of ninetenths of human crime idleness intemperance and moral perversion and that byandbye as enlightenment of the highest kind increases we shall both in cases of prevention as well as of cure much more largely refer to the physician and psychologist than to the judge and prison


added to this and quite con trary to the general rule which finds indolence and contentment in alliance liddys mother soon grew tired of lon don


to be continued


jff


and advlintuues


ol mautn chuzzlswt y c


d c k e is s csd


chaftek xxviii


tiikiie were man powerful reasons for jonas chuzzlenit being strongly prepossessed in favour of the bcheme which its great originator bad boldly laid open to him but three among them stood prominently forward


firstly there was money to be made tiy it


secondly the noney had the peculiar charm of beius sazaciouslv ohiained at other peoples cost


thirdly it involved much outward show of homage and distinction a board beinjr nu awful institution in its own sphere and n director a mighty mill


to male a swinge ing profit have a lot uf chaps to order about aud get into regular good society by one and the same means and them so easy to ones hand aint uch a bad lookout thought jonas


tlie latter considerations were only second to hia avarice for conscious that there was nothing in his person conduct character or accomplishments to command respect he was greedy of power and was in his heart as much a tyrant as any laurelled conqueror on record


but he determined to proceed with cunning and caution and to be very keen in his obser vation of the gentility of mr montagues pri vate establishment


for it no more occurred to this shallow knave that montague wanted him to be so or he wouldnt hare invited him while liis decision was yet in abeyance than the possibility of that genius being able to overreach him in any way pierced through his selfconceit by the inlet of a needles point lie had snid in the outset that jonas was too sharp for him and jonas who would have veen sharp enough to believe him in nothing else though he had solemnly sworn it believed him in that instantly


it was with a faultering hand and yet with an imbecile attempt at a swagger that he knocked at his neiv friends door in pall mall when the appointed hour arrived


mr bailey quickly answered to the summons


he was not proud and was kindly disposed to take notice of jonas but jonas had forgotten him


mr montague at home


should hope he wos at home and waiting dinner too said bailey with the ease of an old acquaintance


will you take your lat up along with you or leave it here


mr jonas preferred leaving it there


the hold name i suppose said bailey with a grin


mr jonasstared at him in mute indignation


what dont you remember hold mother todgcrss v said mr bailey with lis favourite action of the knees and boots


dont you remember my taking your name up to the young ladies when you come a courtinc there


a rcglar scaly old shop warnt it


times is changed aint they


i say how youve growed without pausing for any acknowledgment of this compliment he ushered the visitor up etairs and having announced him retired with a private wink


the lower story of the house was occuiiel liy a wealthy tradesman but mr moumgue had all the upper portion and splendid lodgni


it was


the room in which he received jonas was a spacious and elegant apartment fur nished with oxlreiue magnificence decorated with picturps copies from the antique in alabaster and marble chiya vases tody mir rors crimson hangings of the richest silk gilded carvings luxurious couches glistening cabinets inlaid with precious woods costly toys of every sort in negligent abundance


the only guests besides jonas were the doctor the resident director and two other gentlemen whom montague presented in due form


my dear friend i ain dcliehted to see you


joblin you know i believe


i think so said the doctor pleasantly rs he stepped out of the circle to shake hands


i trust i have that honour


hope so


my dear sir sec you well


quite well


thats welll


mr wolf said montague as soon as the doctor would allow him tu introduce the two others mr chuzzlewit


mr tip


mr cbuzziewit


both gentlemen wore exceedingly happy to have the honour of making mr chuazlewiis acquaintance


the doctor drew jonns a little apart and whispered behind his hand men of the world my dear sir men of the world


hem i mr wolf literary cha racter you neednt mention it remarkably clever weekly paper


oh remarkably clever


i mr pip tlcatricil wan capital niun to know oh capital man i


well i said wolf fodinr his arms and resuming a conversation which the arrival ot jonas had interrupted


aud what did lord noblcy say to that


why returned lip with an oath he didnt know what to say


damme sir if he wasnt as mute as a poker


but you know what a good fellow nobley is i


the best fellow in the world cried wolf


it was only iat week that notiley said to me by gad wolf ive got a living to bestow and if you had but been brought up at the university strike me blind if i wouldnt have made a parson of you


just like him said pip with another oath


and lie d have done it


not a doubt of it said wolf


but you were going to tell us oh yes


cried pip


to be bure


sol was


at first he was dumb sewn up dead sir but after a minute he said to the duke heres pip


ask pip


pips our mutual friend


he knows


damme i said the duke i appeal to pip then


come tip


bandy or not bandy


speak out


bandy your grace by the lord harry i said i ha ha i laughed the duke


to lie sure she is


bravo lip


well said pip i wish i may die if you re not a trump pip


pop me down among your fashionable visitors when ever i m in town pip


and so i do to this day


the conclusion oi this story gave immense satisfaction which was in no degree lessened by the announcement of dinner


jonas re paired to the diningroom along with his dis tinguished host and took his seat at the board between that individual and his friend the doctor


the rest fell into their places like men who were well accustomed to the house and diuner was done full justice to by all parties


jt was ob good a one as money or credit no matter which could produce


the dishes wines and fruits were of the choicest kind


everything was elegantly served


the plate was gorgeous


mr jonas was in the midst of n calculation of the value of this item alone when his host disturbed him


a glass of wine


oh i said jonas who had had several glasses already


as much of that as you fike s too good to refu se


well said mr chuzzlewit i cried wolf


tom gag upon my soul said pip


positivelyyou know thats ha ha iia i observed the doctor laying down his knife and fork for one instant and then going to woik again pellmell thats epigranmtic quite


you re tolerably comfortable i hope f said tigg apart to jonas


oh y uu need nt trouble your head about me he replied


famous i


i thought it best not to have a party said tigg


you feel that


why what do you coll this retorted jonas


you dont mean to say you do this every day do you


my dear fellow said montague shrug ging his shoulders every day of my lire when i dine at home


this is my common style


it was of no use having anything uncommon for you


you d have seen through it


you ii have a party v said criinple


no i wont i said lie shall take us in the rough


i


and pretty smooth too ecod said jonas glancing round the table


this dont cost a tribe


why to be candid with you it does not returned the oilier


but i like tins sort of thing


its the way i spend my money


jonas thrust his tongue into his cheek and snid


was it


when you join us you wont get vid of your share of the profits in the same way t said tigg


quite different retorted jonns


well and youre right said tigg with friendly canduur


you neednt


it a not necessary


one of a company must do it to huld the connexion together but as i take a pleasure in it thats my department


you dont mind dining expensively at another niaus expense i hope


not a bit said jouas


then i hope youll often dine with me ah


i said jonas dont mind


on the contrary


aud i never attempt to talk business to you over wine i take my rath said tigp


oh deep deep deep of you this morning must tell vm that


jhiiirc the very men to enjoy it


pip my good fellow ive a splendid little trait to tell you of my friend cbuzzlewit who is the deepest dug i know give you my snercd word of honour he is the deepest dog i know pip pip swore a frightful oath that be was sure of it already and the anecdote being told was received with loul applause as an incon testable proof of mr jonnsa greatness


pip in a natural spirit of emulation then related some instances of his own depth and wolf not to be left behiudhaud recited the leading points of oue or two vastly humorous articles lie was then preparing


these lucubrations beinj of what he called a warm complexion were highly approved and all the company agreed that they were full of poiut


men of the world my dear sir jobling whispered to jonns thorough men of the world


to a profession


person like myself its quite refreshing to tunic iuto this kind of society


its not only agreeable and nothing can he more agreeable


but its philosophically improving


its character my dear sir character i


it is so pleasant to find real merit appre ciated whatever its particular walk in life may be that the general harmony of the company was doubtless much promoted by their knowing that the two men of the world were held in great esteem liy the upper classes of society and by the gallant defenders of their country in the army ami navy but particularly the former


the least ol their stories had a colonel in it lords wen as plentiful as oaths and even the blood itoyal ran in the muddy channel of their personal iwnllectiou


mr chnzzhit didnt know him im afraid said wolf in reference o a certain personage of il lustrous descent who lad pre viously figured in a reminiscence


no said tiiisr


iiut we must bring him into contact with this sort of fellows


he was very fond of literature observed wolf


was he said tigg


oh yes lie took my paper regularly for mniiy years


do you know he said some good tilings now aud then


he asked a certain vis count whos a friend of mine pip knows him whats the editors name whats the editors name v wolf wolf oh v


sharp biter wclf


we must keep the wolf from the dcor as the proverb says it was very well


aud being complimentary i printed it


but tlic viscounts the boy i cried pip who invented a new oath for everything he said


the viscounts the boy


he came into our place one night to take her home rather slued but not much aud said wheres pip


i want to see pip


produce pip


whats the row my lord


shakspoares an infernal bumbujr pip


whats the good of shakspeare pin


i never read him


what the devil is it all about pip


theies a lot of feet in shak sjieares verse but there aut legs worth men tioning in sbak ski i ee plays are there pip


j uliet desdemons lady macbeth and all the rest of em whatever their names are might as well have no less ni all for anything the audience knows aumt ii pip


why in that respect theyre all miss biffins to the audience pip


ill till you what it is


what the people call dramatic poetry is a collection of sermons


do i go to the theatre to be lectured


no pip


if i wanted that id go to church


whats tjie legitimate object of uie drama pip human nature


what are legs


human nature


then let us have plenty of leg pieces pip and ill stand by you my buck


and


i am proud to say added pip


that he did stand by me handsomely


the conversation iioiv becoming general mr jouass opinion was requested on this subject and as it was in full accordance with the sentiments of mr pip that gentleman was extremely gratified


indeed both himself and wolf had so much in common with jouns that they became very amicable and between their increasing friendship aud the fumes of wine jonas grew talkative


it does not follow in the case of such a person that the wore talkative he becomes the more agreeable he is on the contrary his merits show to most advantage perhaps in silence


having no means as he thought of putting himself on an equality with the rest but by the assertion of that depth and sharpness on which he had been complimented jonas exhibited that faculty to the utmost and was so deep and so sharp that he lost himself in liis own profundity aud cut his fingers with his own edgetools


it was especially in his way and character to exhibit his quality at his entertainers expense aud while he drank of the sparkling wines and partook of his monstrous profusion to ridicule the extravagance which had set such costly fare before him


even at such a wanton board and in such more than doubtful com pany this might huve proved a disagreeable experiment but tif itixl crimple studying to understand their man thoroughly gave him what license he choe knowing that the more he took the better for their purpuse


aud thus while the blundering cheat gull that he was fur all his cunniiik thought himself rolled un hedgehog fashion with his sharpest points towards them he was in fact betraying all his vulnerable purts to their unwinking watch fulness


whether the two gentlemen who contributed so much to the doctors philosophical know ledge by the way the doctor slipped off quietly after swallowing bisusual amount of wine had had their cue distinctly from the host or took it ram what they saw and heard they acted their iiaits very well


they solicited the honor of jouass better acquaintance trusted that they should have the pleasure ot introducing him into that elevated society in which he was so well qualified to shine and informed him in the most friendly manner that the advantages of their respective estab lishments were entirely at his control


in a word they said be one of us


and jonas said he ivas infinitely obliged to them and he would be adding within himself that so long as they stood treat there was nothing he would like better


after coffee which was served in the draw ingroom there was a short interval mainly sustained by pip and wolf of conversation rather highly spiced and strongly seasoned


when it flagged jonas took it up and showed considerable humour in appraising the fur niture enquiring whether such an article was paid for what itnad originally ost and the like


in all this he wos as he considered desperately hard on montagu and very de monstrative of liis own brilliant parts


some chbmuagne punch gave a new though temporary fillip to the entertainments of the evening


for after leading to some noisy pro ceedings which were not all intelligible it ended in the unsteady departure of the trvo gentlemen of the world and the slumber of mr jonas upon one of the sofas


as he could not be made to understand where lie was mr bailey received orders to call a hackneycoach and take him home which that young gentleman roused himself from an uneasy sleep in the hall to do


it facing now almost three oclock in the morning


is he hooked do you think whispered crimple is himself and partner stood in a distant part of the room observing as he lay


aye i snid tigg iu the same tone


with a strong iron perhaps


has nadgettt been here tonight


yes


i weut out to him


hearing you had company he went away


why did he do that


he said he would come back early in the morning before you were out of bed


tell them to be sure and send him up to my bedside


hush


i heres the boy now mr bailev take this gentleman home and see him safely in


hallo here i why chuzzlcwit halloa


they got him upright with ome difficulty and assisted him down stairs where they put his hat upon his head and tumbled him into the coach


mr bailey having shut him in mounted the box with an air of particular satisfaction the undertaking iu which he was engaged having a free and sporting character about it which was quite congenial to liis taste


arrivine iu due lime nt the house in the city mr bailey jumped down and expressed the lively nature of his feelings in a knock tile like of which had probably not been heard in that quarter since the great fire of london


going out into the road to observe the effect of this feat he saw that a dim light previously visible at an upper window had been already removed and was travelling downstairs


to obtain a foreknowledge of the bearer of this taper mr bailey skipped back to the door again and put his eye to the keyhole


it was the merry one herself


but sadly strangely altered i so careworn and dejected so faultering and full of fear so fallen hum bled broken that to have seen her quiet in her coffin would hnvebecn a less surprise


she set the light upon a bracket in the hall and laid her hand upon her heart upon her on towards the door with such a wild mid hurried step that mr bailey lost his selfpos session and still had his eye where the key hole had been when she opened it


aha said mr bailey with an effort


there you are are you


whats the matter


aint you well though


iu the midst of her astonishment as she re ccgnised him in his altered dress so much of her old smile came back to her face that bailey was glad


but next moment he was sorry again for he saw tears standing in her poor dim eyes


dont be frightened said bailey


there aint nothing the matter


ive brought home mr chuzzlewit


he aint ill


lies only a little swipey jou know


mr bailey reeled iu iiis boots to express intoxication


have you come from mrs todgerss


asked merry trembling


todgers bless youl no


cried mr bailey


i havent got nothing to do with todgers


cut that connexion long ago


hes been a dining with my governor ut the westend


didnt you know he was a coniiu to see us


no she said faintly


oh yes i were heavy swells too and so i tell you


dout you come out a catching cold in your head


til wake him


and mr bailey expressing in his demeanour a perfect confidence that he could carry him iu with ease if necessary opened the coachdoor let down the sters


and giving jonas a shake cried weve got home my flower i tumble up then he was bo far recovered as to be able to respond to this appeal and to come stumbling out of the coach m a heap to the great hazard of mr baileys person


when he got upon the pavement mr bailey first butted at him in front and then dexteriously propped him up behind and having steadied him by these means he assisted him iuto the house


you go up first with the light said bailey to mrs jouas and well foller


dont trem ble so


he wont hurt you


when ve iiad a drop too much im full of good natur myself


she weut on before and her husband and bailey by dint of tumbling over encu other and knocking themselves about got at last iuto the sittingroom above stairs where jouas staggered into a sent


there i said mr bailey


hes all right now


you aint got nothing to cry for bless youl hes righter than a tnvetl the illfavoured brute with dress awry and sodden face and rumpled hair sat blinking aud drooping and rolling his idiotic eyes about until becoming conscious by degrees he recog nised his wife aud shook his fist at her


ah cried mr bailey squarriiig his arms with a sudden emotion what youre wicious are you


would you though


youd better not i pray go away said meriy


bailey my good boy go home


jonas she said timidly laying her hand upon his shoulder aud bending her head down over him jonas


i look at her


cried jonas pushing her off with his extended arm


look here i look at her


heres a bargain for a maul


dear jonas


dear devil i he replied with a fierce ges ture


youre a pretty clog to be tied to a man for life you mewling whitefaced cat


get out of my sight


i know you dont mean it jonas


you wouldnt say it if you were sober


with affected gaiety she gave bailey a piece of money and again implored him to be gone


her entreaty was so earnest that the hoy bad not the heart to stay there


but he stopped at the bottom of the stairs and listened


i wouldnt say it if i was sober retorted jonas


you know better


have i never said it when i was sober


often indeed she answered through her tears


hark ye cried jonas stamping liis foot upon the ground


you made me bear your pretty humours once and ecod ijl make you bear mine now


always promised myself i would


i married you that i might


ill know whos master and whos slave


heaven knows i am obedient


taid the bobbins irirl


much more eo than i ever thought to be jonas laughed iu his drunken exultation


what


youre finding it out are you


patience nod you will in time griffins have claws my girl


theres not n pretty slight you ever put upon me nor a pretty trick you ever played me nor a pretty insolence you ever showed me that wont pay back a hun dred fold


what else did i marry you for


you too i he said with coarse contempt


it might have softened him indeed it might to hear her turn a little fragment of a song he used to say he liked trying with a heart full to win him back


ohol he said youre deaf are you


you dont hear me eh


so much the better for you


hate you


i hale myself for hav ing been fool enough to strap a pack upon my back for the pleasure of treading on it when ever i choose


why things have opened to me now so that i might marry almost where i liked


but i wouldnt id keep single


i ought to be single among the friends know


instead of that hero lam tied like a log to you


pah


i why do you show your pale face when come lioine


am i never to forget yout


how late it is i she said cheerfully


opening the shutter afteran interval of silence


broad day j onus broad day or black night what do care


i was the kiud rejoinder


the night passed quickly too i dont mind sitting up at all


sit up for me again if you dare i growled jonas


i was reading she proceeded all night long


i began when you went out


and read till you came home again


the strangest story jonas and true tbe book lays


ill tell it you tomorrow


true was it f said jonas doggtdly


so the hook saya


was there anything in


it about a mans wing determined to conquer his wife break her spirit bend her temper crush all her jiumours like so many nutshells kill her for aught i know


aaid jouas


no


not a word she answered quickly


ah


he returned


thatll lie a true story though before long for nil the book says nothing about it


its a lying hook i see a fit book for a lying reader


but youre deaf


i forgot that


there was another interval of silence and the boy was stealing away when lie heard her footstep on the floor and stopped


she went up to him as it seemed and spoke lovingly saying that she would defer to him in every thing and would consult his wishes and obey them and they might be very loppy if he would be gentle with her


he answered with an imprecation and not with a blow f


yes


stern truth against the basesouled vilhiin with a blow


no angry cries no loud reproaches


even her weeping and her sobs were stifled by her clinging round him


she only said repeating it in agony of heart how could he could he could he and lost utterance in tears


oh woman god beloved in old jerusalem the best among us need deal lightly with thy faults if only for the punishment thy nature will endure in bearing heavy evidence against us on the day of judgment


calfri milt ifcrfrjjts ivixliikr vu


florence obrien


an iri s ii tale


the years which closed the eighteenth and opened the nineteenth century will ever he remarkable in irish annals as oue of the darkest periods in the history of a country


in which disorder or fierce disturbance has seldom had long remission


many periods have been troubled enough but these are still emphatically named the years of trouble


yet strange to say or those who do not reflect many fancy it strange the ordinary business of life went on much in the usual routine or more gaily than ever


even then there were dinners and balls hunting matches and drinkingbouts wooings


flirtations and abductions


marrying and being given in marriage much as usual


there was even something in the broken state of the


public peace which gave a fresh impetus to existance and a vilder zest to troubled enjoyments snatched like a soldiers revel upon


the eve of battle


the town which for the purpose of thisstory


we shall take leave toname portmullina had never been so gay


as inv that winter when every other night brought an alarm


to


the worthy protestant magistracy that the rubbles were either in full march down


squire joyces mountain or had advanced to the bridge and for this among other good reasons that many of the gentry of the neighbouringcountries had sent their families into the town for protection and that a newlyraised barrack and a frigate stationed in the bay


furnished sucb ai leady supply of lounging


gallants and serviceable ladies men as had never before been


heard of or imagined in this remote quarter


there were more posting oil the roads more business in the hotels more money circulating among the shopkeepers and farmers and with violent party jars a more animated spirit of reckless gaity


the blood was beginning to circulate j with greater rapidity in the sluggish veins of the hitherto


dormant country arid portmullina was fast undergoing


that


process of change which from a favourably situated dull poor and proud ancient irish town has converted it into a thriving aud rapidly


prosperous modern commercial place


let us look back upon it as itstoodvahut ten yearsbe fore ourstory fairly opens


the principal inhabitants at that peripnd were thejrotestant


and


catholic clergymen with thein respective curates the postmaster a gentle


niaubonvt


thei officers of the customhouse and stamp office all true men to the protestant ascendency one


oiv wo better sort of shopkeepers all gentlemen an in fihatety of maiden and vvidbw ladies driven by narrow circumstaineesinto this the frontier town of three counties ami every one of tliem connected with the provincial axis tqcracyn a few


sporting or longing


younger sons aged irom eighteen to fifi y far too genteel or highborn to labourlu not too proud to


be dependent


these


with two medical practitioners one devoted to


the catholic the oilier to the protestant ailments of the community formed the higherordersi


portmullina stood we may as well


say stands at the head of a picturesque landlocked bay as it were the biightieye of a


naturally rich


though it iseven to this date but a poorly cultivated country


the town is sur rounded by sloping pastures and corn fields


which were a that time into innumerable small farms and patches and cottierholdings and is screened in by a rarfgeof hillsor moderate elevation which are termed the mountains it stands too in


that once admired


irish position witli its iack towanlbbiiftin its face to tio wfc i andv with its pier its gueat old chapel and m all neat ehurcir land the farming and fishing hamlets scattered around the bay then formed a very pleasing scene and june vhcti he natives never forgot wherever fortune might kdiior drive thenu


in those days when the country was still poor and ihappy when agriculture and rents were at a very low ebb though the labourers had always plenty of potatoes


and often kitchen to them one of


the principal resident landowners in the neighbourhood was squire joyce or squire pearce as he was familiarly termed a


catholic gentleman of high and mighty descent and unblemished gentry


we ought to state that the town we have taken leave for the purposes of our taler to christen


portmullina lies away from the proper joyce country but as one may stumble upon a gower in sutherland or a


campbell in cornwall so the law of entail or some other accident had sent a joyce hither and accordingly here a joyce had reigned for many generations ten years at least before the troubles the reigning squire joyce upon the death of the old surgeon of the dis trict invited his tenth cousin surgeon obrien to try his fortunes in this neighbourhood


and as the doctors for tunes had never stood more in


need of repair the invita ition was gladly accepted


mr surgeon obrien was accordingly stationed ina small dowager sort of farmhouse belonging to the squire and with the numerous wild acres which he rented on plain and mountain at an easy rate his halfpay as an assistantsurgeon of


dragoons aud professional practice he hoped to gain a tolerable living for himself and


his sole charge his young daughter


florence


surgeon or dr obrien as he was as often named was at this time a widower but still considerably under forty


his daughter was about five years of age when suddenly emancipated from the rigid confinement of a catholic female seminary in cork her soul first kindled and lived in joy


amidst the boundless freedom of the beautiful scenery of this genial spot and among the kiud


hearted and simple people to whom her spirit hep childish beauty and engaging inno cence with the peculiarities of her condition


greatly endeared miss flory the jewel


in stead of finding the protection and tenderness due by a father to a mother less child florence obrien from her tenderest years was compelled to act and so far asshe was capable to think for her father as well as herself


the surgeon was one of those popular characters then so frequently found an ireland who are


so commonly if erroneously described as being the enemy of noone but themselves


if inciden tal good fortune could ever justify a dereliction of the plainest dictates of duty the particular instance of florence obrien might somewhat palliate the neglect of her father as from


his failure in duty eoneurring with great original strength of character sprung that mental energy and those habits of selfcomrnand and selfreliance which at the early age of fifteen enabled florence to act on ali emergencies with the ripened understanding of mature womanhood


with her early experience came a cor responding firmness of decision


not frequently pushed to the length of wilfulness and obstinacy


while reluctance to expose the weakness ot her father gave the habit of taking council where her judgement was at fault only ot her pride


this was a quality which florence obrien possessed or was possessed by to the most extreme degree though in her pride took its noblest form of loye of in dependence and the assertion of inherent and indefeasible personal dignity superior to all


adventitious distinctions and conventional laws


and long before florence could have analyzed her feelings reasoned upon


their origin and modes she spontaneously acted upon the inborn conviction of what was due to herself as a lofty and selfdepending being whom nothing mean oiv base might dare to approach much less to taint


if the character of lies pride was at all understood by florence it was from being embodied in the phrase i disdain to


do this or i despise


that iscse ifeel and think asa gentlewoman a phrase or mighty significance in her acceptation


with this large basis of pride there were many who never would have de tected what they imagine this quality in the character of bearing of florence at all


to those who were her inferiors in station or in nature it was rarely shewn m any form


on the contrary the surgeons child was almost at


popular with the peasantry as himself and regarded as the kindest the frankest the most cheerful and dutiful of young gentlewomen and the most affectionate of daughters


a long continued struggle with poverty and privation could not have influenced


florences character for of the rude plenty of the country she had her liberal share and there was in this neighbourhood at that period little of the rivalry or emulation of vulgar wealth


a man might then have lived in ahome little better than a black cabin worn the garb of a peasant dressedshis own horse aultivated his own garden


laboured in his own field and still been a gentleman unimpeached in the highest attributes ofthe character


but there were other things which he might do for which florence obrien had less admiration even in her own father


in the might or the right of his birth education


and necessities take it which way you


choose he might hang on unblamed from year to year ini the halls of the neighbouring squires sharing their illomened hospitalities a fellow yet scarce an equal


a person whosei services were required and yet were not considered to imply any


obligation on the part of his patron


he might in brief be that most degraded


of all


beings a dependent boon companion


into this character surgeon obrien had gradually sunk after settling at porcmullina jlis


chief patron being squire pearce joyce the father of squire jack whom


we have not yet introduced to the


ieader


whether from natural jand habitual carelessness of a feeling that


the blood of the obriens might be polluted by ministering medically to all the illpaying churls of


the district the surgeon soonjlostthe few patients he originally obtained


the catholic gentry themselves deserted him at last in favour of surgeon harrison a welshman who had settled


in portinulliiia as an humble apothecary and obrien was soon reduced to the squires family in which unfortunately there were neither nerves gout nor dyspep sia with those hordes of peasants who before mass on sundays and holidays assembled in front of his door t be bled blistered and cordialedr for the love of god r


and because surgeon obrien was a countryman and the best hearted noble gentleman in the barony barring ol


squire pearce and young


squire jack these customary gatherings in


which the surgeon took


some pride gave


his daughter an early and extensive acquaintance among tho poor


and if thanks blessings and sometimes a pair of starved chickens or a basket of bog berries had been golden fees the doctor might have left his daughter a ricii heiress so abundantly were


they poured in unci


with such appareut grutitdae


if


surgeon harrison the protestant


english prig r carried off all the paying cases the catholic surgeon re ceivedat least ten times as many invitations to dinner while the number of his appearances at fox and hare hunts


boatingpartiesjand steepe chases


was only limited by his incapacity of universal attendance


in her early years the motherlees florence was often the companion of her father in


long christmas visits to families where there were ladies and children and she continued to be well


received in


the houses of all the neighbouring gentry or wherever a lively agreeable and


very handsome girl was considered an acquisition


to the social circle until her


ripening judgment or increasing


pride dictated a more


scrupulous selection of friends or acceptance of invitations and greatersclusion


the carelessness of her father had


made


vigilance in all prudential matters more incumbent upon florence


here were


now the cares of the farm as


well as of the garden


the dairy and the manufacture of cloth


stockings u c then practiced in every irish country household


it was foriunate


that these active duties gave florence little time to repine


ana


also that they were not of so long continuance as to give her minii prematurely a worldly twist


at castle joyce while under fourteen florence had been a frequent and favourite visitor


there she acquired some knowledge of the french language and of arithmetic from


father mike the priest


and practiceddancing


under the tuition of


the piper along with young squire jack and


miss honor joyce the only son and daughter of the family


these young people were indeed her chief companions


squire jack was the bashful boygallant and the gentle honor the bosom friend


from infancy honor


joyce had


been


destinedto a foreign


convent because her brother requiredall the fortune in the family to support his rank


and her father would not allow her to marry either a protestant nor any man however wealthy under what he imagined his own


degree in birth


florence


obrien who was remarkably tall and graceful for her years who discovered great spirit and talent and who sung irish songs and danced irish jigs to admiration had been a great favourite with the old


squire


nor did he like her the less when father mike one day after dinner and after the emptying ofv sundry cans of potent whisky punch of


his own concoction took the courage becoming a friend of


the house to say when the squire touched upoiithe frequent topic of jacks marriage we must have a care of surgeon


obriens


galloping madcap daughter squire iif we wish


our


squire jack to do the thing he ought


no the squire did not like florence the less for he was a man of candid feelings and of some


judgment butr although he replied poh poh father


mike what nonsense will greep into your bald cranium man


lie drained his can in silence andwhenflorence


next pleaded domestic business in bar


of a promised visit to castle joyce he gave mrs joycea hint which she im proved like a prudent wife and mother


though florence now rarely found her way


to castle joyce and seldom met the ladies of


the family save at chapel which by the way the squire and his son good catholics as they were rarely attended squire jack had not lost the road to dames court which the surgeons house originally built for a dowager mrs joyce was called hardly a day


passed in which jack did dot find or contrive some business with his guide


philosopher and friend the


doctor whose conversation as a man of birth aud one accordingly who knew life fashion dublin city the curragh


and the world possessed many attractions for jack independentlyaltogether of the budding charms and facinations of his beautiful daughter


one of the first points uponwhioh floreoce obriens pride discovered its indomitable height was hei behaviour to young


squire jck whom changing at once from the kind and free familarity of asister


she began to treat with the hautines of a spoiled and insolent beauty when


she could not a void seeing him altogether


medical practice had not declined and so many rent days come round without leaving surgeon obrien con siderably in arrears with his landlord easy as his rent wau and faithfully and diligently as his old housekeeper


judith gallagher


and hisdaughter had turnedto account every article of farm produce so far as the low markets of


portmullina in


those days admitted lightly as tliis seerned to sit upon the burgeon he eould not at all


times forget what so often eluded the brow of his high


spirited and mortified daughter


and which at last became visible in the dry or


variable manners of the old squire


thoiight this hospitable gentleman would have missed obrien from his table andhis


harejiunts he did not fail to notice his absence on rent day and the surgeon began to feel that his jokes which wont to set the table in


a roar


now some times missed fire or flashed


in the pan


he hiid


an


obscure notion that father mike the conscienoekeeper and prime minister of ths sqnire


was not his friend and that from


being originally jealous of his influence the priest was now undermining him with their mutual patron


these things told uponthe surgeon but the only change


visible was fits of peevishness and illtemper


and that where lie had formerly swallowed three cans at castle


joyce from


social conviviality he now drank six at damek


courtbyway of private consolation


v


v itbfi continued


bush life in austbalia


an original tale


chapter vi


now mr wotton said the commissioner touching your affairs


in the first place your project of opening a store here is alto gether out of the question


i believe mr thomas finds the business not a bit too large for himself


i explained that from what dick had told mr drummond we expected to have found pastoral stations established and that i should not only have got a good market for merchandise but also an opening as a future woolbuyer


ah


my dear sir replied the major that day is to come


at present owing to the broken country towards the table land and the devilry of the black rascals in that direction we have no sheep stations on the clarence though i expect a mr kennedy here every daythat is when i say here i mean on the other side of the river


and now my boy ill tell you what you had best do


all the goods you cant sell or dont want to part with store here with mr thomas


see kennedy when he comes downi will give you an introduction if i leave before he arrivesand buy a team of bullocks and some horses from him for he will have them to spare


then set off in the direction i shall give you a hint of and if youre not killed by the blacks or lost in the bush or starved to death or drowned by the floods youll have a good chance of sitting down upon a paradisea slice of country that will enable you this day ten years to draw such a thumping cheque as would smash some of the sydney banks at the present moment


well major your advice is clear and practical and i must say that the prospect held out if at a somewhat remote distance of time is rather tempting


errors and omissions expected added harry


good heaven


only think of me residing for ten years amongst such associates as dicks familiars who so warmly welcomed us this morning and cultivating visiting terms with the family of our unsophisticated friend in the fetters outside


nevertheless mr thomas and the captain assured us that the commissioners advice was sound and our own observation and reason endorsed his judgment


major dounie told us that he was the more desirous of attending so far as he could to our busi ness that evening as he expected to be hotly engaged with the sawyers on the morrow


ye must get your party organised and in travelling order as soon as possible said he and at present yeve got rather a one sided squadtwo men and three officers if i understand you aright


what sort of fellows are the men


i told him that i knew nothing of them and relied entirely on terrible dick


dick has a great name on this river sir said thomas and the sawyers would do anything for him ho was here about a year ago just before i came and many a time ive heard of the battle they had at the south arm and how they got jammed up between two bars by the ebbing of the tide


so you see master harry said i the story is true after all


but did you ever hear of a black that was taken prisoner on that occasion


yes i have heard of him and that is all as i have told the commissioner here who has been examining me on the subject


the story is that they cut the blackfellow in two with a pit saw but whether it is true or not god alone knows besides those con cerned


the thing occurred before i came on the river


do you think that that dick of yours knows anything of this terrible affair said the commissioner with a penetrating look


before i could reply mr thomas had spared me the trouble


i am sure ho does not sir said he only from hearsay and suspiciou


every man i have heard speak ing about it said that dick booth suspected what they were going to do and tried hard to persuade them otherwise but they told hin it was all nonsense and took the black fellow right away up the river there just about a mile above that island on the other side


it was exactly opposite this house across the river that the three sawyers were murdered just before the fight at the south arm


i have made every enquiry into this matter that was possible since my arrival remarked the major for we heard of it over at the mleay but nothing can be made of it only hearsay


thia james brown one of the parties said to have been concerned has long since left the river and though every sawyer can describe the way in which the thing was done nobody knows anything of his own knowledge


and how could they possibly contrive such a piece of barbarism said i with an involuntary shudder


oh for that matter replied thomas they explain it easily enough by showing how a man might be so served


take a twoinch plank they say and lay it length wise along the top of the pit sawing it up nearly to the middle then stretch anothor plank across this in the centre and make the blackfellow fast to it with pegs and cords pegging the cross plank to the under one


then go on with the sawing of the middle plank and dont let the crossplank or the blackfellow stop you


thats the way in which i have heard the possibility of the thing explained with many a wink and grin but all say they dont know how it was really done


we all looked at each other for an instant and i am sure that the same thought was in the mind of eachthe thought of the man in tho pit at this ghastly work with the blood streaming upon him at each rend of the long saw


a thrill shot like lightning through evory breast and the subject was dis missed by tacit consent


how do you intend to dispose of the black outside sir said i faith i must send him down in the cutter to sydney for trial and a pretty piece of humbug it is


i have had an examina tion and committed him but although i know perfectly well that the rascal and his friends wanted to murder me and all my men i can really prove very little against him


my corporal identifies him as one present at the attack on the camp and that is something but when the fellow gets to sydney he will have a hundred legal and technical excuses found for him


how can we prove that the vagabonds wanted to kill us since they only speared a horse


can we swear that they were not aiming at a kangaroo somewhere on tho other side of the range


will he make affidavit that we were not trespassing on their hunting grounds


all these quibbles will be started by the gentlemen in the black gowns and white wigs and so after myself and several of my men have gone to sydney at great expense and inconvenience the chances are that the nimble devils i took such trouble to catch will be sent back in the mary fat and saucy with a new blanket a suit of slops and a tomahawk


let us have him in and hold a court martial on him suggested harry


to speak candidly then mighty glad id be to do that same but not to talk of instructions which i always make a point of obeying i have no particular desire that the representative of the dountes should go out of the world at the end of a rope


if history and tradition are to be relied upon some of my glorious ancestors had a narrow escape of that distinction but they did escape it and i hope to have the same good luck


his excellency sir george has some very fine theories about the aboriginal tribes with an able adviser to back him and between them andjack ketch and the devil that is yell observe said the major checking himself i say nothing of other peoples opinions which theyre quite at liberty to enjoy do you understand but my belief is that these are cases for martial law sir martial law do you understand


it was evident by this time that her ma jestys representative on the clarence was getting slightly corned which considering the quantity of sherry that he had put under his belt was not particularly to bo wondered at


wo gathered from mr thomas the nature of the commissioners expected dis pute with the sawyers


they had brought down a large quantity of cedar in rafts to ship by the mary to sydney but the major whose instructions were imperative on the point intended to seize it all next day as forfeit to the crown having been cut without license


from the rude and almost lawless character of the sawyers and the determined spirit of the men they had to deal with mr thomas confessed to me that he anticipated unpleasant consequences and the drunken shouts and roars which now became dis agreeably audible from those who were holding their orgies round the rum keg out side by no means diminishing such appre hensions


there was a sound of devilry by night said harry as the uproar without grew louder


best description ever given of the scene said the major at least in poetry so dont you make a parody of it for upon my con science you know nothing at all about it


and you do i suppose said harry reddening


and i do sir for i was there


at the duchess of richmonds ball no not exactly at the ball but in brussels at a dinner party that night and there by the way i received a most liberal offer of selection as to the way in which id like to be shot


we fancied that the major having by this time abandoned tho sherry and gone into brandy and water was in the clouds


did i understand you to say sir that you were in the battle of waterloo


i in quired


i dont know what you understood sir replied the commissioner sitting bolt up right and looking straight over my head but i was in the battle of waterloo as you phrase it and whats better isi came out of it which is a great deal more than many a better man can say


the old soldier was evidently inclined to be captious in his cups so we mollified him as well as we could and indeed that was a task of no great difficulty for thorough good fellowship was at the bottom of all his eccentricity


in a few seconds therefore with a fresh jorum before him he proceeded to enlighten us on tho point to which he had alluded


to be continued


hollowats ointmentbad breasts and cancer the scourges of all climes are infallibly removed by the application of this powerful heal ing antidote to cutaneous and glandular diseases the knife hath no greater superseder than this reat substitute for surgical operations


there are many living who have escaped becoming tho viotim of the latter by its timely use


rifi and adviatiumv ormmcn ciuzzlicwit


n y c nickiss em


cinititiwil jrom tuj air


ciialtfk ix


ciiv orhunilci in the wnld such i smiular mil ir i pl


tc is tudircras


anl snrly ii la juiljtc frin iliiii pnrt


f il vhicli hemmed toisifrss inuml mill hustled il and slnck its brickiinilmrlir elbows into i iij stood iicrprtiiallv between il tin lilit was worthy of toleist ami qualified lo on nis or clee relationship and alliance viilli hundreds n thousands uf ic odd family vliirhtiiiliissbilunil


you eralilin walk nlnuil in toilmrss niiiili ii i you could ill any oilier nciulilwiir hood


you groped your wuy for an lionr through lone nnti byeways and courlvrtrjs street a kind of rcsbted jisirjcrion


mc ovit the stranger as bo trod those iuviis mazes mid riving himself up lor losi it i wns studied ly an iron railing and felt hl the means of escape minlil possibly jtosenl themselves in their own irooj lime bul tliat to anticipate them washnploss


iiistinr uer known of icope who tuins risked dine ni iiugiioa imiu iiiiiiiivii iiuiiu


nuou attainment had tone liujue iiain wuli a lliilic melancholy their fiirils


iruuquil ri un compluiiiiiur


nibmly had ever found tod plvs on a tcrbil direction thoihi biven ranis from scotland or the north of ijidind liad been known reach il safely by iiiiirssii


chariivboy nn bred anil brinni liin along vuthliiem or by clinliiigtiiiaiiuly lo mid only went prove the rule tbat tnoeras was in a inhyrinth whereof the invskrv was kuuwn but lu a chiscn lew


several ruillrutcis liad their marls near tinveivs and one of uie first impressions oforanai iihlluiiinur crabiis on in cellars


am iiv ion a stream of poits troni te whrvcs iirside ilcriveroiiilibcaiinr on liig back n hurtling client of oraniresj poured lowly through the iiuriw pussaues while underneath the arehwav hv the puiilic liuuse ibe knols of thosi who rested and iv raled within wire piled jroui moruiiir nutil jiait in biinl alleys anil tapiiifuanipanv nilli ireladders ibrre were clinivlies also by jiraens with many a gbwilj bill


churchyard as springs ui sponaneouily irni damp and craves and rubbish


ill some i ibesc dinsry ivitinulilaces wluvh lijre much tile siimc aualilv to jtrera chuichvards us the pots of eurlhibr niiniojiihlte aiid willlluwer in the windows ovei luoliiiigr them dil to rustic ar dens there were tries tall tiers still put ting lortli tueir leaves in caiu succeeding year ivilh such a laiiutlishin


remeiihnince of their kind so one liiigbl finey imkiiia on tbeir eickly houghs as birds inuacps have of theirs


here iiaralysed old walchaieii guarded the builiea of llic deiil at nisbi year nfter year


until nt last they jiiiod ibal sulnnn brother hood and saving that ihry slept below the ground a sounder bleep ihiin even they had ever known above il mul we sliut up in another kind of bux their cmnliiion can hardlv be snil to have underline mij malerial cbaiie iviien duty in turn kck nvtiiiel themselves


among the narrow llioruiiirli liirs at band tbere lingered liere and lln an ancient doorway of carved oak from ivlnvli uf old tile but now these inansinup unu used fur store houses were dark and dull inul liciii filled witb woul and collon and ihu likesueli heavy iiitrcliiiiilisu us ttufs sou ml nud stoits the throat of echo had an air of nlablc dcal nees about them ulnrh uddel lo their sikuce and desertion marie ilium very rim


lii like manner there were gloomy cnurtvalils in these parts into wbicli few but whitid way ftrere ever strayed and wliitu vast his and packs of goods upward or dcvviniard bound were for ever dangling bclwin iicbvmi and earth from infly cianos


jim were mure trucks near toilgerss than you ivnuld ipose but a vagabond raw lor mr uuaumg in he narrow luiicu befure their nnibler doors and stepping up the pass so that when a strav livened ibe whole neighbourhood and made tile very bells in tlic next clurclitower vibrate again


in the llmals and matvs ol ihrk hi thoroughfares neartujunss imliviiliial vviie incrcblills ami wholesale dealers in grucciv ware hal perfect liule towns of their mn aij deiji omong the very fiinilalions of ii liuil inge the grouud was underinired nd bur rowed cut into stables where carlburbe troubled by ruts might he heard quint sunday rattling llnir haluta as jiilurbnl spirits in tales of haunled houses are snid to clank their chains


to tell of half ib queer old taverns that


h id a drowsy and secret existence near tudgtov would nil a goodly book wjiiie n second volume less capacious night be devuteil to au ac couiitiiriliequainl old guests who finiueiilij their dimlylighted imiiuuis ihee ii general ancient iiilibilnnts of that icioii burn nnl bred there iron boyhood h


hid become uhcezy and astlnmllicil mill slioit of brealh excpjii in the art of story telling in which rcspicl they were still marvellously lon winded


tin


gentry were much iipped iu bteain and nil newfiuigled ways nud helj balloouin to he einful and deplored tlic de gencrary ol the times which that particular member of each liule club who kpt the keys of the nearest church professionally ahavs attributed to ibe prevaleuci


of dissent and religion though the major part of the com jiany inclined to the belief that virlun we


nut with liairiiowhr and that old englands jtentnots bail decayed amain wilh barbers


at tuilgeiti ilseli jealing ol it only as a house in hat neighbourhood and making bnaritiug establishment it was worthy stand where it did


tbere was staircase wiudoiv in it at the side of the house on the grounddoor whirli tradition euid had not been opened for i hundred years nt icnsl and which abutting on nn nlwnys dirty lane uua to hrgriined and conlcd with centurvs mud ml one naue of glass could possibly fall out thouirh nil were cracked and broken iwnity jimes


jjnt the grand inyslciy if by ithth lik dwraisusflirratiilg wbich cillanic milhiu the memory of iimn liad had nn miiikxinii wilh the house bul had nlways been iho freelinld properly of somebody else and was reported lu bo lull of wcalili though in what sluijic wilelher in silver brnsa gold luilts o wine cr casks of guiiiivottwns uialll of profound uncertainty and supreme iiidiffreiice todeirs


nd all its inmales


tlie of ihe house was worlliy of notice


there was n sort of terrace on the roof wiili pisis and fragments of rotten lines once in tendril to dry clothes upon and there were iwo cir three leachosts out there full of earth wilh forgotten plains in them like old walking si luiir


imui


chin utu u lii o uusii viiitji


was stunned at first from having knocked his head against ibe hllle door in coming out and after that was fur the moment choked from having looked ier furce straight down the kitrheii chimney bul


these two slagvs over there wen things gaze at from the top of todcrss well worlh your seeing too


tr first omi fiireiuosl if the ijay were brig


iar nwilv a long dark path the suidow of the monuipeiri nud liiriilii round llie tall origi nal wia close braide you wilh every hair erect ujiuii bis golden heiid as if the doings of the hips a veiy frrest gables iinusctopb smoke ondnoisc enoujju for all the worktnt after the first glinrrn there were slight features in llic midst of tliis crowd of objects which spriinn out from ibe mass without any icason as fl were and tiok bold of the atten tion wlicllierlliosiectalor would orno


thus ibe revolving chiinncyjiois on one great stick of buildings sceinod to be turning gravelv to each other every now and tben and whisper ing the result uf their separate observation of what was going on below


others of crook backed shape appeared to be maliciously bold hig tlemsolves askew that they might shut iho prospect out and balle todgers


the man in the scenvandmade njiaiikiiiit riclics lously ilisproportionatc in its extent wlieu be retired


jlie gambols of a niece of clotb on a iyers lc had far more interest for the mo ment than oil the changing motion of the cranii


vet even while lira louleron felt aniry with himself for this and wondered bow it ivas the tumult swelled inta a roar the hosl of objects sihincl to liickn mid espaud a huudrcdfold and after ciinir round liim much moro lapidly than lie came uul aiislen to one be told toilsrrs iifiitwards that if he hadnt done so he would certainly have come into the street by tlie sbunost cut that is to say lieadforomosl


so said the two mits recksnids when they retired with mrs todiwrs from this place of epiil leaving the juuibful porter to close the if a idavful tcinlieranicut and culluinnlatiug with a deliglit peculiar to bis ses and lime of life any cbance uf dashing himself into small fragments lingered behind to walk uuou the parapet


it being the second day of their stay id ioiilou mi iu sa cchsums anu r


lougers were by this time highly conrideniial inasmuch that the laslnanieillady had already communi cated the parlieukirs of three early disappoint ments of a tender nature and had further more possessed her youiigfrieiidbwitliagenoral summary of the liie conduct and character oi m r tolgers who it seemed liad cut hia nilwatiranv lishiu himself iii foreign countries as a bucbelor


your pa was once a little particular in his attentions my dears said mis todgers but tu lia vour hili vis loo uiucli iiatipi ness denied me


yrnim hardly know who this wns done forpliajs irlie ealled their attention to an oval minia ture like a lillle blislr which was tacked up over ibe kinle bolder and ill which there was a dreamy ulitidoiviiikiuilb of her own visage


iis a speaking likcuess


cried the iwo as lcrksiliilw it was consilercl so once said ltrs


m tudgers


warming herself in a gentlemanly maiiiier at lie ire but i hardly thought you would have knoivn it my loves


they would have known it anywhere


if they could have met with it in ibe street or seen it ill a shopwindow tbev would bavc cried good gracious


mrs todgcrsl


presidiug over an establishment like this makes sad havoc with the features my dear miss pecksniffs said mrs todgers


the gravy alone is enough to add tweuty years iot cried thwo miss pccksaiffs


tlic anxiety of that one item my dears said mrs todgers keeps the mind continu ally upon the stretch


there is such pas ainong commercial men


its nothing to say a joint wont yiold lie amount of gravy tliey expecl each day at dinner mid what have undergone in consequence one would be just like pinch merry p said charity we have always noticed it in him you rc


yes my dear gicrglrd merry but we have never given it hini you know


you my dears having deal wilh your pas pupilsj who cant help themselves are able to lake your own wav said mrs todgers hut in a commercial establishment where any gentleman may say any saturday even ing mrs todgers his day week we part in preserve a pleasant understanding


your pa vjs kind enough lo invite me to take a ride itli villl tnllv mid tiiinl lii ninntinnnri itnl you were going call upon hiss pinch


any relation to ilia gentlciimu you wei spcakiug ot juht now v for goodness sake interposed the lively mcny doiitcall jiim a gentleman


cherry pinch a gentleman i


the idea what a wicked girl you are cried mrs todgers


embracing her with great affection


youre quite a qui


ilo declare i my dear charity what a happiness vur sisters spirits must be lo your pa and self


hes tlie niosl hideous goggledeyed crea jlerry quilt un ogre


the ugliest liwk wardust friglilfullest being in exislence


this ia his sisler so leave you to suppose what she is


i shall be obliged lo laugh outright know i shall cried ihc charming girl i never hall be able to keep my countenance


the notion of a miss pinch presumiuc to csidt at all is sufficient to kill one but to sec


her oliinyfiarsj mrstodirers laughed immensely at the dear loves humour and declared she was quite afraid of her ibat she mis


she ivas o very severe wbo is severe i ciicd a voice at the door


lucre s no tucli luiii as severity in our family i hope


and tben jlr


pecksniff peeued smilingly into ibe room aiid said may i come in mrs tohgersf mrs tuilgors almost screamed for ibe little the inner otic being wide opea there was a full disclosure of ilie sola bedstead in all its mon strous impropriety


hut


she bad the presence of mind to close this portal in ibe twinkling of un eye and having done so sail


oh yes tlr


picksninvou can come in if you please


how are vie todny said mr pecksniff jocosely and what are nur plaun


are we roady to go and sou ton


pinchs sister


ha ha tul poor thomas lumb


arc we ready returned mrs todgers nodding her bead wilh mysterious intelligence to scud a favourable reply to mr jiiikinss roundrobin


thats the first question mr pecksnifl


why mr jinkinss robin my dear madamj asked mr pecksniff pulling one arm round blercy and the other round mrs todgers whom he eecmed in the abstraction of the moment to mistake for charity


why mr jinkinss


decnuse be bngan to get it up nud indeed always takes the lead in the bouse said mrs todgers plnvfullv


thais why sir


jiiikins is a man of superior talents ob served mr pecksuiir


have conceived a ivpird ibr jinkins


i fciko jiuliiius desire to pav polite attention


lo my d ughters as an additional prorf of the friendly ming of jin iins jlrs todgers


well now returned that lady having said so much you lmibt


sy the rest mr pecksniff so tell the dear young indies nil about it


witb these words she gently eluded mr pecksniffs grasp and took miss clarity in her own embrace though whether sue was impelled to this proceeding solely by hie irre pressible affection sh


had conceived for that young lady or whe ihcr it bad any reference to a lowering not to sav diftinctlv spiteful expres sion which bad been visible in her face fur somo moments has never been exactly ascer tained lie this as it may mr pecksniff went on lo inform his daughters of the purport and history of ihe rouildroliin aforesaid which was in brief ihat ih commercial gentlemen who lifted lo make up thn turn and substance called tniacisi desire heir presence at tlie ttcneriil laiile so ion as they remained in the house and besuushl tint they would grace tile b mi t dilllipiitmc lieu dav tlic kimn bir sui


jay iic hinlicr said thai mrs todgers helfitbeiti ihat h might wrihlhis gracious iiusv


r tlu


while they armed iheiuselvos with tlieir litst liniinets for the litter defeat and overthrow uf miss pinch


tom pinchs sisler was governess in a fa nuiv a liiliv family perhaps the wealthiest bra ard coiiiier foundry known lo mankind


they lived at camberwell in a bouse so big midfiercl thalils mere outside like the outside of a hunts castle struck lenor into vulgar minds nod made bold persons quail


there was a real front gale with a great bell whoso handle was in itself a note of admiration and a great lodge which being close to the house nuher uill lbs lookout certainly but made the lnkiii tremendous


at this entry a porter kept cmant walrh and ward and when he gave tin visitor high leave to pass he rang a second meat bell responsive to whose note a great liftman appeared hi due time at ibe great kalidoor with such great lags upon his liveryied shoulder that he was perpetually eu rsuiiu


nad hckinir himself among ibe chairs and inbles ami ivd a life of lorniilit which ii uld scarcely hive bceu surpassed if he had ken a ulucbiuie in a world of cob webs


t iis maiisiunmrpccksiin accompanied by his durhlers and irs


todgers drove gul nioni having been all iierf


rmed they were ushckl ino the bouse and so by degrees they gut at last iuto a small room witb books in it wbeie mr piuchs sutcr was at thai moment instructing her eldest pupil to wit a prciiniurc liule woman of thirteen years old wbo bad already nrrivul at such a pitch oi whalebone and education that she had nothing girlish about her which was a source of great rcjiraii


lo all bor relations and friends


visitors for m iss pinch said the footman


for lie tiij it very cleverly with anice discri mination between the cold respect with which be would have announced visitfsto the family and the warm personal interest with which lie would iilvc aniiouiicud visiturti to the cook vuiiors for miss pinch


i mits pinch rose hastily wilh such tokens of agitation as plainly declared that her list of the lule liuiiil became akirminuly upriirbt ai


j prepared herself to take mental notes of all ihai might be said and done


tor the lady of history of the animal called governess and encouraged her daughters to report thereon fernce to all parlica concerned very laudable is a melancholy fact but it must be re lated that mr pinchs sisler was not at all ugly


on he cuutriirv she had a good face a very mild and prepossessing face and a pretty little figure slight and short but re markable fur its nmluess


there xrns some look of limid liutlfuluesb but she was so far


irom being a frirbt or a dowdv or a horror or anything else predicled by the two miss pecksniffs that those young ladies naturally regarded her wiih great indignation feeling that ibis was by no ineaus what they had come miss mercy as bavins the larger share of gaiety bore up best against ibis dibappoint meut and carried it off in oulward show al least with a tiller bul her sister not caring to hide ber disdaiu


espresscd il pretty openly iu her looks


as to m rs


totlgers she icoued on kir


pecksniffs arm and preserved a kind yf geulee grinmess suitable lo any state of mind and iuvulviug anv shade of opinion


donl be alarmed miss pinch said mr ecksniff taking her band condescendingly in one of his and palling it wilh ihc other


have called lo see ou iu pursuance of a promise given to vour brother tiiomas pinch


my name compose yourself miss pinch is pecksniff


the good man emphasized these words as young person ihe benefactorof your race the brother who is fed wiili inaiiua daily from my table and in right of whom there is a consi derable balance m my favour at present stand ing in the books beyond the sky


ut have no pride for i can afford lo do without it


i to be continued


nemesis


a tale in focit chapters


from household words


tho presont chapter concludes this stirring talo


tho preceding three chapters will bo found in recent num bers of the age


chapter iv and last


after garston left wcstwood house i was confined to my bed by low fever for several weeks


tho privi lege resorted to mo of independent thought having such material to feed upon as tho past few weeks had supplied was more than i could cxcrcisc and i well nigh broke down under it


garston removed from mo no longer requiring my care or taxing my forbearance my mind was at leisure to go over minutely tho dread ful circumstance to which i had mado myself a party


i removed as soon as i could bear the fatiguo of a fifty miles journey to mr oatways houso at lixoter wncrc an that tho most tender anxiety tor my health and peace of mind could suggest wa put into operation by his daughter clara whom in her infancy and girlhood i had regarded as a sister bnt who moro recently i had hoped would one day consent to bccomo my wife


hero i remained nearly a twelvemonth


but in proportion as my bodily health improved my mental malady increased


mr oatway concluded that


my mothers death was tho causo of the depression that weighed mo down but when he found that neither time nor the influences of religion availed to assuage tho anguish and bitterness of my spirit ho was some times betrayed into impatient surprise


at cambridge where i went i was accounted a strangely miserable man


few sought my acquain tance and fewer still were tempted to cultivate it


neither did i distinguish myself


i was a diligen


student indeed but not ofbooks that lead to tho acquit sition of university honors


gavo my alma mater no reason to be proud of mo


shortly after my departure from wcstwood houbo for exeter i had received a letter from garston who was then iu italy


thoro were two pieces of intelligence contained in it that a fleeted and ngitated mo


he informed mo that ho had given instructions to his solicitor to causo the property my mother had left him to be turned into money and to pay it over to me so soon as i came of ago


for he continued i do not wish mr meredith to havo any part in this affair


he insulted me onco or twice very coarsely during your mothers last illness and i do not valuo tho man highly enough to wish to regain nny good opinion he may once have entertained of me and which i never justly for feited


lie then told mo that ho had commissioned an artist jut risen into famo being second only to canova among italian sculptors to execute a tablet in memory of mjr mother which he desired should be placed in the church of battenliam


this memorial will be all that a fervid poetical genius chastened by religion can make it ho wrote


about a year afterwards meredith and i woro stand ing before this tablet in tho hall of wcstwood house


it had just arrived from italy


with no ample space for tho cxcrciso of tasto or the exhibition of genius the sculptor had displayed both with uncommon skill and effect


wo admired tlio composition meredith as truly as i although grudgingly and he was greatly pleased and a littlo surprised when i observed that it was not my intention to have it placed in the church


i thought you had taken a fancy to the man he remarked you were so constantly with him


and i have found my account in it said i how so


i could not resist telling him of garstons gift which he most undoubtedly considered as an act of noble generosity


the lawyer was lost in thought for several minutes


that garston loved your mother most deeply and sincerely there was a dash of adoration in his love by thebye most unusual


i firmly believe


i took care to assure myself of that but


in short the man is crazy he looked and acted like a man whose wits are leaving him


this is somo impulse


ho will think twice about it and tho two thoughts will twine into ono humbug


i shall bo curious to see your bankers book a year andahalf hence two years and a half passed away and had meredith inspected that book he would havo seen no such sum as he sought for entered to my credit


i was not greatly surprised at this


if garstons gift had not been duly appreciated by mo at the time the withholding of it when i was older and came to feel tho potency of those artificial needs which mon create for themselves was no cause of astonishment to me


i had hoard during my lato visit to london that he played deeply and that ever since my mothers death ho had been pursuing a reckless and extrava gant course that his eldor brother was dead and that ho cxpected from month to month to succeed to his unclos peerage


my infor mant onn of his earliest and most intimate friends deplored tho vices to whieli ho had abandoned himself saying that his early life gavo promise of worthier things which afteryears had fulfilled


your mother he added was exactly suited to him and i believe she never had occasion to pull the checkstring which in her ease would have been a silken one


a lovo of dissipation is no part of his na tural character


wo all have great hopes from a second marriage which between ourselves ho meditates


wo think it may rcclaim him


he thinks it may


two years afterwards i was again in london for tho season ou my return from my wedding tour


clara oatway had bccomo my wife


one evening i was at drury lane theatre


the play was over the ap plause had ceased aud tho audience were subsiding into their seats when i was tapped on tho shoulder


turning round i beheld garston


arthur a word or two witli you said he if the littlo mans spell bo not yet upon you


the elder icean had been playing overreach


arc you aloue


i explained that my wife was dining with an old friend of my mother and that i was going to join lier congratulating him on his accession to a title


he was now lord walford


it came too late ho said and theroforo had no charm for me


what it brought with it was however welcome not tho least so because i can now soon redeem a promise i made you


not a word that must bo


tho tablet


has it yet been placed in the church


it has not


he looked displeased tho first timo ho had ever so looked to me


may i ask tho reason


the reason i could offer would not satisfy you


of course a boyish one


avo will talk definitely about it when i see you in devonshire


you are going there then


and uninvited by you


yes in the autumn


you havo not seen mrs hescldine and her nioco mies mansell i have not


true


mrs heseldino has bought tho hall in the vale


you will bo near neighbors


she may amuse you


she has picked up a great deal in tho world and prizing it always carries it about with her


somo may doubt whether itis worth the carriage


and her nicco


i asked my curiosity a littlo excited


is ono to increase that doubt


when you got back to wcstwood houso look at tho portrait of your mother the early one by jackson


alice mansolls likeness to it is believe mo remarkable


after some further talk ho left me


thero was something in garstons general bearing and iu the tone of his voice that grated upon me


he was not happy but ho did not uespair of happiness


on the contrary ho was devising means to attain it


time had wrought in him a conviction that his sin would never stand revealed to the eyes of men


ho knew not that thero was already ono who ot a word could givo him up to infamy and death


i nover before was so appalled at contemplating the power that had been placed in my hands


to make use of it while my mother lived was out of the question


since her death it would have appeared vindictive


it would hwo displayed an ostentation of alove of abstract justice that would have brought tlie contempt even of good men upon me


hut now


here was an amiable and gentle girl a counterpart of my mother in her youth who by that resemblance of poi son and it might bo of mind and manner had engaged garstons sympathies and perhaps inspiied his love


i almost wonder that this circumstauco had not softened my heart towards him but ho had sharpened recollections that often visited him in sleep and sometimes haunted me by day


i became greatly interested auout miss mansell


he must not marry her


in due time my wife and i woro sottled at west wood iiousc


mrs iloseldino had entered upon pos session of the hall and was resolved to celebrate that event by gaieties to which all the neighboring gentry were invited


i found that lord watfords compendious description of hor was accurate


she was a slave to tho usages of what lier class tho world and a servile retailor of tho opinions and sentiments by which those usages aro maintained


mrs heseldino took a liking to my wife and inc


w e were young recently married aud with ductile minds as she bcliovod that might easily b j mado to rcccivo impressions which would fit us for society


i en courage this friendly feeling to tlie extent of assuring her that her labor of love was not likely to bo thrown away


i was the moro readily induced to this from perceiving that ray wife and miss slansell had become j greatly attached to each other


nor was it long before i put in my claims to a share of the girls good opinion


i her likeness to my mother was remarkable but the softness of hor manners her gentleness and pensivo ncss touched my foelings and made me tho more strongly opposed to the contemplated marriage


this event was soon to take place


miss mausell had imparted the expectation to my wife


that my niece has been thought worthy to replace your estimablo mother said mrs ilcseldine to me is an honor she may well be proud of although per haps she deserves it


i forbore offering such felicitations as i could pcrccivo mrs ilcseldine expected


i ought to have known tint any attempt to break off the match by hints and inuen does would be a ridiculous waste of time yet i per sisted in them


thoy came with a bad grace from mo because of my former connection with the subject of thom


mrs heseldino listened to mo with impatience perhaps with contempt


has lord walford over injured you


he asked tho last timo wo over spoke of him


i was silent


your looks say that ho has if so ho has injured himself moro than you for i am sure lio would not willingly injure anybody


you arc seeking to injure him but you harm yourself tho most


i reaily havo no patience with you


i was about to say something


sho interrupted me


for shame


sho resumed


lord walfoul has always spoken of you with tho utmost respect and affec tion


i can only wonder at it


when wo havo done for tho best and in vain wo may somo sometimes feel ashamed of our intcrfcrcnco for a good end


felt so in this instance but feigned to be deeply oftendcd with mrs ilcstldino and much to my wifes concern forbade further visits to the hall


the marriage must tave its course


i had only to pray that it might be well with tho poor girl


my wife bogan to fear that there was something between lord walford and me that i durst not divulgo


meanwhile the preparations for the approaching marriage went on


on tho evening preceding tho marriage i wa seated alone in tho drawingroom my wile having retired early to rest


lord walford was announced


ho wns discomposed but sat down and regarded mo in silence for somo minutes


arthur lie said at length i little thought that i should ever havo cause to utter words of reproach to tho son of harriet westwood


i must remombcr that it is her son to whom i speak


you havo sought to wrong mc


a wrong from you was tho last thing i had expected next to your manner of inflicting it


you have heard then


i began


i have heard all this evening


i had hoped that alice and i would see you and your wile at our mar riago


your conduct has been mean and dishonorable


what have i done that you should treat me thus


what have you dono


i replied greatly excitod


garston you ask mo this


i hesitated


i would have prevented your marriage by every means in my power


for worlds i would not seo you tho husband of that pure and innocent creature


ono as pure and innocent was once my wife


sho was but she is gone


forgot her


do you think that any memorial of hor should exist raised by your hand


ho stared at mo


my vohomenco was strange to him


ho shook his head and waved his hand


i went on


the girl anna left our houso ono day


you camo homo lato that night agitated


wo parted at your chamber door


you slept not that night


thoro was one likewise that did not sleep


you left ycur room


you loft tho house


he followed


along tho lane into tho valotlw digging of tho grave the body of anna tho interment all


he saw it all


i saw it all


truo it is that thoro was horror on garstons facc when tlicso works woro shaken from mo


but this was almost at onco displaced by astonishment simple as tonishment and then gratitude


iio sank upon his knees and clasped his hands towards heaven


i thank thee


ho exclaimed


i have sinned


thou hast mado my penitcnce chastise me


thy mercy enduretli for ever lam saved


his head was bowed down to tho floor


ho wept and sobbed unrestrainedly


i stood aloof unablo to speak


i was not prepared for this


it was moro frightful to mo than what i had anticipated


iio nre at length and camo towards mo


and you know this


yet you trusted me you nursed mo liko a brother or a son


you took my hand you spoko kindly to mo you consoled mo


you saved mo from myself


surely you see tho hand of god in this


he would not suffer mo to perish


you were his chosen instru ment to preserve me


do not speak


let mo go on


you saw it all


but the all that goes on hero in this bosom ever boing restored over beginning anow


you know not tho provocation tho violence that was nothing tho taunts which did not spare oven your mother


i knew not what i did i who never before lifted my hand to human being struck her on tho tcmplo and she fell dead


when i fled away on that night from her faco that in tho glimmering moonlight seemed to move


ho sank into a chair breathless and covered his faco with his hands


i entreated him to bo com posed


o that i had told all sooner whatever had bcfal leu


i hesitated and the occasion was lost


what if anything was now to bo dono


garston guessed the tenor of my thoughts for ho exclaimed suddenly arthur you would not no you could not take from me my sole chance of happiness in this world and of salvation in tho next


i lovo alice mansell bo causo she is liko your mother and will sustain mo in tho else dcsolato futuro


your dear mother speaks in her and through hor


could i resist this and moro much moro of still more earnest pleading


i could not


lie did not exact it


but i swore that never should tho secret between us pass my lip


and i bade him bogoue in neace


i did not know whether i had actod rightly or wrongly


that was soon shown to mo


it is so his ways arc not our ways


tho marriage ceremony was over


i walked to bat tenham to call upon meredith who uninvited as i knew to take part in tho festivities at tlio hall would most likely bo found at homo


but ho was out he had been summoned tho clerk told me on urgent business


there was somctliing in tho mans look that excited my curiosity


i was bidden to toll nobody nobody for the pro sent mr westwood he said reading my thoughts


i turned away and began to retrace my steps


i had reached tho middle of the bridge when


a sccno had been enacting at the hall whilst i was resting in merediths ofiicc and talking to his clerk


meredith appeared amongst the gajr assemblage wishing to seo lord walford on particular business


his lord ship stepped forward


you are welcome meredith


on a day liko this i at least should forget


let u shake hands


but you look grave


what is it


is arthur ill


he led the way to a private room meredith following with slow stops and a heavy heart


now what is it


it is most painful my lord


i come hero as a magis trate and i come attended


what do you mean


some london thieves among us


they conic far to littlo purpose when so vigilant a justico as mr meredith has his eyes upon them


not so


i have to speak of a crime not discovered by mo


a temporary orchostra was being erected in mrs ileseldines grounds for the marriago festivities


i was not awaro of it


well


to complcto it thero was a necessity of taldngdown a ruinous summerhouse


walford started nnd turned deathlike


a summerhouse on the hill


while making tho foundation of tho now building tho body of a young woman was discovered


when last night


what is this to mo


exclaimod walford retreat ing several paccs


had he rehearsed this scone many times baforo that coining upon him now so suddenly it


did not kill him


an antique brooch your property was found clenched in the womans hand


you had no clue to this walford cried arthur wcstwood has told all and betrayed mo


my blood is upon his head


he ran out of tho room rusliod through the assem bled guests sprang upon ono of tho many horses at tho halldoor and was gone


i had reached as i havo said tho middle of the bridge when i saw a horseman nt full speed making to wards me


as he approached and caught sight of mc lie checked tho horse suddenly and witli great violenco raiscil himself in tho stirrups and cricd in two wild bhrieks perjured perjured


tho horse sprang forward on to the footway of the bridge and was over in a moment


i looked ovor tho sido


walford had sunk


he had struck his head against ono of tho buttresses


his body was found two days aftewards


it was washed on shore at norland


an economical hint for an imprudent reportkr


a reporter from liverpool who had gono to london to see the entry of the guards had been paying too deep a devotion to the jully god and in consequence became incapable of taking caro of hmself


he was taken to tho police office and from thence on tho following day before a magistrate


tho young nmu said lie liad not drunk very much and could not tell how lie became so incapable unless there was something peculiar in london air which had affected him


magistrate


dear mo ono would think a drunken reporter to be a rara avis indeed a perfect lasus natural


laughter


an irrepressible titter was board to emanate from certain gentlemen iu the re porters box


well i shall fine you five shillings and ill tell you how you can repay yourself


prisoner


how your worship


magistrate report your own case and send it to tho morning papers


roars f laughter


gatesliaid observer


advertisement


advice gratis


dr l l smith legally qualified medical practitioner member of the medical board melbourne gives advice gratis before i eleven oclock in the morning and between six and nine i at night


bourko street east


dr l l smiths vegetable pills sold by all chemist and storekeeper throughout tho colonies j


pere jean or the jesuit missionary


a catholic story founded on facts


chapter xi


the wreath of wild flowcrt


ahasistari and his foes were struggling the combat was fierce but one by one the mohawks were overpowered or slain and the hurons were left undisputed masters of the village


the noise of battle bad ceased only the moan of pain broke the stillness of the scene


few hut the wounded and the dead were there besides themselves


their chief looked around in vain for the jesuit and the novice


he called out their names they did not answer


they searched the village none were there but the feeble and those who were unable to fly


they turned in sorrow to the fires of torture


bound to his stake supported almost upright by his bands like life but for the crushed and bleeding brow was the dead body of the gentle novice


softly they loosened the cords j softly as if even in death they would not ruffle the placid slumber of those pale and delicate features


they layed him down upon the turf and sought again for the jesuit


he was not there


catching up a burning brand ahasistari examined the edge of the forest suddenly he uttered a low exclamation and darted into its depths


the glare of the torch as its flame tossed wildly in his swift course flitting past the dark trunks of trees looked like a meteor in its course


the hurons silently gathered their dead from the field and laid them down by the body of the young novice


then they stood around them solemnly


a few moments passed thus in stem meditation j when gliding noiselessly into the group and pressing aside the rest two figures approached close beside the body of the novice


a low but joy


fnl exclamation welcomed them


father laval heeded it not


the steel axe which ahasistari bore was yet dripping with warm blood it told the hurons the story of the rescue


one by one came back the scattered warriors from the pursuit and last of all le loup and daring scout


father laval knelt beside the body of his young com panion j tears dimmed his eyes and the voice of prayer which arose from his lips for the departed spirit came broken with sighs and indistinct with grief lorches of blazing pine placsd by the silent hurons at the head and feet of tho dead were sending up their bright flame capped with dark clouds of smoke fit emblem of the life of man


around knelt the christian warriors ming ling their prayers with those of the priest of god


the countenances


of the huron braves were stern and bolemn no other mark of grief appeared upon them


kneeling at the feet of the departed were le ipup and watook and behind them the stern scout


as he looked upon the pale features of the novice a tear stole silently down his hard and weatherbeaten face and clung amid the scarred wrinkles until it mingled with the air and arose to heaven carrying with it like perfume to the skies the unspoken prayer of the melting heart


lespion hardi was thinking of the gallant son whom he had thus buried in the forest


a hand touched him lightly upon the shoulder when he looked up ahasistari stood beside him and beckoned him to follow him


after they had gone some distance from the spot the chief paused and pointing to the group said lespion hardiis of the race of the pale face


it becomes him to look to the burial of his dead


see


the good blackgown is wrapt in sorrow i the words of the chief would disturb his spirit


the braves will bury their brothers


huron i am but a rude forester


i have lived in the woods till i am like the indian rather than my own blood and race


good


said the chief nodding his head ap provingly daring scout is the brother of the huron


chief continued pierre the youth must be buried like a christian white man


the hurons are christians said the indian slowly


true replied the scout your brothers must not be turned into the earth like the heathen mohawk


the indian assented and the scout continued we must bury them side by side with the youth


huron and pale face all the same in the ground all the same before god


said the chief earnestly


not the same here on the earth though i said tile scout clinging to the idea of the superiority of his race


no indian tell truth


indian dont steal he loves god and prays to him what more pale face


for a moment the scout was silent at length he said true huron hut the pale face is richer and strongor he builds splendid cities makes fine houses wears rich clothes drinks costly wines


the scout ceased as he caught the meaning glance of the hurons eye


but that look passed away in a moment and ahasistari said solemnly what good all thatthere and there as he pointed to the earth and then to the sky


the scout was silent and tho chief turning away said let us go


yes it is time to dig their graves and the two entered the forests


it shall be said ahasistari whore the foot of the mohawk shall not tread upon them


selecting a suitable spot the hurons and the frenchmen turned up tho sod with their hatchots and in a short time had scooped a resting place for the dead


then they retraced their steps to the village and joined the group


rude biers wero made of the branches of trees otrewed with the softest foliage that the lifeless corpse might repose gently there


in one of tho lodges had been found the sacks in which slung upon their shoulders the missionaries carried their vestments and the sacred vessels in their journeys through the boundless forests


in his white surplice they robed the gentle novice in that pure garment in which ho had bo often served at the holy sacrifice they wrapped him for the burial


his hands were meekly crossed upon his breast


they raised him sadly and laid him on his bier they lifted it and strode forward


at that instant a slight female figure pierced through the group and gazed for a moment on the face of the dead


then she placed a wreath of wild flowers upon his brow and starting away the wail of the indian girl arose for the departed


bearing torches in their hands the procession wound solemnly into the forest and paused beside the new made grave


slowly and carefully they laid him in his silent resting place while the light of the torches beamed upon his angelic face and reflected from the glowing colors of the wild flowers on his brow his cheek seemed to bloom with a tinge of life


he had passed into death suddenly in the midst of prayer its heavenly radiance still hovered around the chiselled features


beautiful in death crowned with the wreath of flowers and robed in unspotted white the young martyr lay a halo of unearthly glory seeming to the wrapt beholders already to glow around his brow


by the side of the gentle novice they stretched tbe scarred forms of the two huron warrior


in silence their brothers laid them down to mingle their dust with one of another race yet one in faith and hope and charity one by the bond of that chxirch which gathers alike all souls within her fold


de profundis clamavi ad te domine arose in tbe deep voice of the priest and the hurons res ponded


o


how solemn was the burial ceremony there in tbe hour of midnight by the wild gleam of torches under the forest ttees with the dusky forms of the hurons grouped around the grave


it was dons


upon the cold bosom of the dead fell the clodded earth which was to be the dwelling place and home of the body until its mouldering dust should mingle with it


carefully they replaced each sod and above the whole strewed the fallen leaves again so skilfully that it might never more be found save by those who now looked upon it


as they finished a figure flitted from the spot the indian maiden had been gazing on the scene


in silence they wended their way back to the village ahiisistari and le loup in the rear covering every footstep and removing every trace of their passage


when they had reached the centre of the village the chief addressed the priest father there is little tinie to spare the routed mohawks may reach the nearest villages of their tribe by daybreak and we hare many days march before us


i am ready my son said the jesuit sadly for the death of his young companion weighed heavily upon him


as he spoke morning flower stood be fore liim anil in a idw tone mentioucd the name of kiskepila and pointed to his lodge


tho jesuit followed her thither while the hurons made their preparations for departure gathering all the arms at the village and destroying them and loading them selves with a supply of corn for the march


father laval found the young indian stretched upon his couch his face covered with his hands


my son he said be not cast down


the indian looked up proudly but the glow of spirit passed in a moment from his cheek and he said the home of kiskepila is destroyed his people are slain and he must die upon his bed helpless as a woman


bid the hurons come kiskepila would die


at this moment ahasistari entered and stood behind the jesuit all was ready tor departure ana time was pressing but he waited patiently till father laval should conclude his conversation


as soon as tho mohawk saw him he raised himself and with a look of proud defiance said kiskepila is tho young eagle of his tribe


the triumph of the hurou is but little without his scalp


ahasistari did not move but the jesuit replied my son do not entertain such thoughts the huron does not desire to shed your blood


it is our sincerest wish to bo your friends and tbe friends of all men rather than foes


the huron chief as sented


after a pause tho mohawk continued my people ate routed but they fled not fcom the living but from the dead


the blackgown called the groat white warrior from the spirit land to rescue him


father laval listened in wonder and replied my son this is some wild mistake


champlain i said the other kiskepila heard the cry and saw the warriors of his tribe turn like women from the face of the white man


who could fight the dead iu a moment the whole matter became apparent to the mind of the jesuit


the division of opinion in the village in regard to the policy of condemning so great a medicine as they considered father laval had made the taunt of kiohba remembered and when they heard the cry champlain


and saw the assault led on by a white man they believed that the challenge of kiohba had been accepted and that the great frenchman had arisen from tho tomb to the rescue


avhilst thu priest was endoavouring to explain this to the mohawk ahasistari left the lodge and in a few moments returned with pierre


ttccininii ttimll


he said


the mohawk looked upon the scout for a moment then hiding his head in his hands remained in imperturbable silence


yes


lespion hardi said the scout thats the name the hurons call me and if i had not been delayed in the swamp ground in getting to my tution according to the plun of the chief or if he had held his fire a little longer until gave the signal not a mohawk would have escaped


it is well said the chief


but lespion hardi was delayed in tho forest too


ah your huron nearly misted the trail but we came in time