the afternoon had worn away into a beautiful evening when they arrived at a point where the road made a sharp turn and struck across a common


on the border of this common and close to the hedge which divided it from the cultivated fields a caravan was drawn up to rest upon which by reason of its situation they came so suddenly that they could not have avoided it if they would


it was not a shabby dingy dusty cart but a smart little house upon wheels with white dimity curtains festooning the windows and window


shutters of green picked out with panels of a staring red in which happilycontrasted colours the whole concern shone brilliant


neither was it a poor caravan drawn by a single donkey or emaciated horse for a pair of horses in pretty good condition were released from the shafts and grazing on the frouzy grass


neither was it a gipsy caravan for at the open door graced with a bright brass knocker sat a christian lady stout and comfortable to look upon who wore a large bonnet trembling with bows


and that it was not an stnprovided or desttute caravan was clear from this ladys occupation which was the very pleasant and refreshing one of taking tea


the teathings including a bottle of rather suspicious character and a cold knuckle of ham were set forth upon a drum covered with a white napkin and there as if at the most convenient round table in all the world sat this roving lady taking her tea and enjoying rho prospect


it happened that at that moment the lady of the caravan had her cup which that everything about her might be of a stout and comfortable kind was a breakfast cup to her lips and that having her eyes lifted to the sky in her enjoyment of the full flavour of the tea not unmingled possibly with just the slightest dash or gleam of something out of the sus plcious bottlebut this is mere speculation and not distinct matter of historyit happened that being thus agreeably engaged she did not see the travel lers when they first came up


it was not until soe was in the act of setting down the cup and drawing a long breath after the exertion of causing its con tents to disappear that thse lady of the caravan be held an old man and a young child walking slowly by


sod glancing as her proceedings with eyes of modest but husigry admiration


heyi cried she lady of the caravan scooping the crumbs out of hser lap and swallowing the same before wiping her lips


yes to he surewho won sthe helterskelter plate child swon whsat maam asked nell


the ihelter


skelter plate at theo races child thse plate thsat was run for on the second day ott thse second day maam second day


yes second day repeated the lady siths no air of itnpatience


can a you say whso woo the helter skelter plate whsen youre naked she suession civilly sidont know ma am


dont know i repeated the lady of the cara van whsy you worn thsere


i saw you with my otwn eyes


nell was not a little alarmed to hear thsis sup


posing ihat thse lady might be intimately acquainted wth thes firm of short and codlin but what followved tsoded to reassure her


and very sorry i was said the lady of thse caravan to see you lin company witha a funcs a low practical wulgar wretch thsat people ashould scorn so leek at


i was not thsere by choice returned the chsild we didnt know our way and thse two men were very kind to us and let us travel witls thsem do youdo you know them


maam know em chilid i cried thse lady of the ca ravan in a sort of shriek know thetms


but youre young and inexperienced and thats your excuse for askieng such a qtteation


do i look as if i knowd emdoes the caravan look as if it knowd em


no maam no said tlse chsild fearing alan land committed some grievous fault


ibeg your pardon


it was granted immediately thsough sthe lady still appeared much ruffled and discomposed by the de grading supposition


theo child thsen explained that ahoy had left the races on thse first day and wvore travelling to she nest town on thsat road where they perposed to spend the night


as the countenance of thse stosst lady began to clear tsp site ventured to inuire how far it was


trie repywhsichs thse stout ldysid not cosne to until she iss thosroughly ex paned that she went to the races on tise first day in o gig and as an expedition of opleasure and tiat her presence there had no cennexio wills any matters of business or profitwas tlsat the town was eight miles oil


rhis discouraging information n little dashsed sthe child whso could scarcely repress a tear as she glanced along tire darkening road


her grandfatlser made no complaint but hto sighted heavily as hse leaned upons isis staff and vainly tried to pierce the dusky dtstance


lie hotly of thse caravan avas in thse ant of gathenring hser tea equpipsge togeuther preparatory to clearing kthe table but noting the childs anxious manner she hesitated and stopped


the child curtseyed thanked her for her information and giving her hand to the old man had already got some fifty yards or so away when the lady of the caravan called to her to return


come nearernearer still said she beckoning to her to ascend the steps


are you hungry child not very but we are tired and itsit is a long way


well hungry or not you had better have some tea rejoined her new acquaintance


i suppose you are agreeable to that old gentleman the grandfather humbly pulled off his hat and thanked her


the lady of the caravan then bade him come up the steps likewise but the drum proving an inconvenient table for two they descended again and sat upon the grass where she handed down to them the teatray the bread and butter the knuckle of ham and in short everything of which she had partaken herself except the bottle which she had already embraced an opportunity of slipping into her pocket


set em out near the hind wheels child thats the best placesaid their friend superintending the arrangements from above


now hand up the teapot for a little more hot water and a pinch of fresh tea and then both of you eat and drink as much as youcan and dont spare anything thats all i ask of yoe


they might perhaps have carried out the ladys wish if it had been less freely expressed or even if it had not been expressed at all but as this direc tion relieved them from any shadow of delicacy or uneasiness they made a hearty meal and enjoyed it to the utmost


while they were thus engagell the lady of the caravan alighted on the earth and with her hands clasped behind her and her large bonnet trembling excessively walked up and down in a measured tread and very stately manner surveying the caravan from time to time with an air of calm delight and deriving particular gratification from the red panels and the brass knocker


when she had taken this gentle exercise for some time she sat down upon the steps and called george whereupon a man in a carters frock who had been so shrouded in a hedge up to this time as to see everything that passed without being seen himself parted the twigs that concealed him and appeared in a sitting atti tude supporting on his legs a baking dish and a half gallon stone bottle and bearing tn his right hand a knife and in his left a fork


yes missussaid george


how did you find the cold pie george


it warnt amiss mum


and the beer said the lady of the caravan with an appearance of being more interested in this question than the last is it passable george i its more flatterer than it might be george re turned but it ant so bad for all that


to set the mind of his mistress at rest ire took a sip amounting in quantity to a pint or thereabouts from the stone bottle and then smacked his lips winked his eye and nodded his head


no doubt with the same amiable desire he immediately re sumed his knife and fork as a practical assurance that the beer had wrought no bad effect upon his appetite


tire lady of the caravan looked on approvingly for some time and then said have you nearly finished l wery nigh mum


and indeed after scraping the dish all round with his knife and carrying the choice brown morsels to his mouth and after taking such a scientific pull at the stone bottle that by degrees almost imperceptible to the sight ihis head went further and further back until he lay nearly at lhis full length upon the ground this gentleman de clared himself quite disengaged and came forth from his retreat


i hope i havent hurried you george said his mistress who appeared to have a great sympathy with his late pursuit


if you have returned the follower wisely reserving himself for any favourable contingency that might occur we must make up for it next time thats all


we are not a heavy load george ithats always what the ladies say replied the man looking a long way round as if he were ap


pealing to nature in general against such monstrous propositions


if you see a woman a driving youll always perceive that she never will keep her whip still the horse cant go fast enough for her


if cattle have got their proper load you never can persuade a woman that theyll not hear something more


what is the cause of this here would these two travellers make much differ ference to the horses if we took them with us asked his mistress offering no reply to the philoso phical inquiry and pointing to nell and the old man who were painfully preparing to resume their journey on foot


theyd make a difference in course said george doggedly


would they make much difference repeated his mistress


they cant be very heavy


the weight othe pair mum said george eye ing them with the look of a man who was calcula


ting within half an ounce or so would be a trifle under that of oliver cromwell


nell was very much surprised that the man should be so accurately acquainted with the weight of one whom sire had read of in books as having lived con siderably before their time but speedily forgot the subject in the joy of hearing that they were to go forward in the caravan for which sire thanked its lady with unaffected earnestness


she helped with great readiness and alacrity to put away the tea things and other matters that were lying about and the horses being by that time harnessed mounted into the vehicle followed by her delighted grand father


their patroness then shut the door and sat herself down by her drum at an open window and the steps being struck bygeorge and stowed under the carriage away they went with a great noise of flapping and creaking and straining and the bright brass knocker which nobody ever knocked at knocking one perpetual double knock ef its own ac cord as they jolted heavily along


to be eotnuedil a tale o oretmiperiancewo en tered ens day say mr and mrs s c hail in tire first part of their work on ireland a cotrage in a suburb of cork a woman was knitting stockings at the door it was as neat and comfortable as any in the meat prosperous district of england


we tell her brief story in her own words as nearly as we can recall them my husband is a wheelwright and always earned his guinea a week ire was a good workman and neither a bad man nor a bad hsssband but the love for the drink was strong in him and it wasnt often ire brought me home more than five shillings out of his onepoundone on a saturday night and it broke my heart to see tire poor clrildre too ragged to send to school to say nothing of tire starved look they had out ef tire little i could give ithren


well bed be praised ire took tire pledge and tle next saturday ho laid twentyone shilling upon tire chair you sit upon


oh i didnt igiv thanks on my hended knees that night i still i svas ferirful it wouldnt last and i spent no more than the five shililings i was used to saying to myself lilaybe the money will be more wanted than it is now


wuell tire next week ire brought me tire same and the next and the next until eight weeks passed and glory be to god i there was no change for tire bad in my husband and all the while ho never asked me wvhy there was nothing better for rim out of my hard earnings so i felt there was no fear of him and tire ninth week when he came home to me i had this table bought and these air clainis one for himself four for the children and one for myself


and i was dressed in a new gown and tire children all had neiw clothes and siroex and stock logs and upon iris own chair i put a bran new suit and upon ihis plate i put the bill and resate for them allusth gh sieenshililings they cost that id ave outof isvages not knowing what might happen and that always bafore went for drink


and ire cried good lady and good gentleman ire cried like a babybut ewas wvrrh thanks to god


and now wheres tire irealtirier man thtan my husband in the county cork or a happier wife than myself or daceneer or better fed children than our own four


it is most unlikely that such a famiiy will again sink into poverty and wretchedness


national diibtin like reign or kings and in a period of years tire liritishs nation spent millions being somewhat more than one million a yesr and owed millions


in tire single reign of iris late majesty george iii durig a erio ofonly years thre nation spent the inchredbesumn of millions being thiree rumes thre value of tire kingdom and is owed nearly millions of public debt vhrich is a greater suit than tire value uf nil tire land in england if every acro scare told at twerityfive years purchase on sirs annual rent


fie debt is nose under millhions


lpltzset fittttcett uioli


o personal adyventures of master humphrey


tier old curiosity iiopchiaprt xli


kit made his way throuigh tthe crowdedstreets dividing the stream of people dashing across the busy roadways diving into lanes and allys anid stopping or turning aside for nothing untl


he came in front of the old cujiosity shop whein he ame to a siand partly from habit and pirly fronablieng out of breath


a it was a gloomy aitumn eveningand e htiought


the old place had never looked so dismalasin its dreary twilight


the windows brokeis the fustyy sashes rattling in their frames the deserted louse


a dull barrier dsvidingthe glaringlights sidiistlf the street into two longlins and staidinkg i oi midst cold dak c and tihmpl psesntid a clheefis specitacle which mindsleahishly witis the t ight prospects the boy hadbeehbiildingup for its late somates and came like a disalppoitment oi sfor


tune


kit would have had a good fire roaring up the empty chimtieys


lights sparkling and a shining through the windows people movig briskly toi id fro voices in cheerful diversation somthing n unison with the new hopes tihat wereastir


he had not expected that the houswivuld ear any different aspecthad known indeed thit it could not biti coming upon him it theiidat of eager thobtgs and expectations it checked the current in its flow ond darkened it with a mournful shadow


kit however fortunately for himself was not learned enough or contemplative enough to be trou bled with presages of evil afar of and having no mental spectacles to assist his vision ii this rispeqt saw nothing but the dull house which jarred dn comfortably upoi hisprevioss tlibug hts s almoribst wishing that he had not passed it though hardly knowing why he hurried on again making up by his increased speed for the few moments he had lost


now if she should be out thought kit asi he approached the poor dwelling of oliother antid not able to fiuid her this impatient gentleiman would be in a pretty taking


and sure enoigh theres no light and the doorsfiast


now od forgive me for saying so butif this is little bethels doing wish little bethel waswas farthlier of said kit checking himself and kuockitig at the door


a second knock brought no replyfrom withinjihe house but caused a woman ovie the ivayl ook dut and inquire who that was wanting mrs


uilibles


r mle said kit


shes atat littleibetheli suppose getting out the naine of the obnoxious conventicle with some reluctance and laying a spiteful emphasis upon the words


the neighbour nodded assent


then pray tell me where it is said kit for i have come on a pressihg matter and nusttfeichlser out even if she was in the pulpit


it was not very easy to procure a direction to the fold in question as none of the neighbours were of the flock that resorted thither aid few kniew arn thing more of it than the name


at last agosstp of mrs nubbless who had accompanied herito chapel on one or two occasions rwhen a oiifrtable cup of tea had preceded her devotions furnuihed the needful information which kit hia no sooner ob tained than le started off again


little bethel might have been nearer and might have been in a straighter road though in that case the reverend gentleman who presided oyer its con gregation would have lost his favoiite alusibon to the crooked ways by which it wvas appioached and which enabled him to liken ii to paradise iiself in contradistinction to the parish chibih and tlie broad thoroughfare leading thereto


kit found itat last after some trouble and pausing at thedoor totafe breath that he might enter with becoming decency passed into the chapel it was not badly named in one respect being in truth a particularly little bethel ai bethel of thli smallest dimensions with a small numberof ssmall pews and a small pulpit in which a small ge tlejnan by trade a shoemaker and by calling a divine was delivering in a by no means small voice a byino means small sermon judging of its dimelnsions by the condition of the audience wliich if their ross amount were but small comprised a stii lsmaller number of hearers as the majority werdbmbring among these was kitis moiher wsi fidiidh it matter of extreme difficultyijo keep her ee oien after the fatigues of last night and feelid her inclination to close strongly backed and seindedby the arguments of the preacher had yielded to ilje drowsiness that overpowered her and failetd nslep though not eosoundly but tat site could friin time to time utter a slight and almost inaudibile groau as if in recognition of the orators doctrites


the baby in her arms was as fast asleep as site and little jacob whose youth prevented hii frmrecognisipg in this prolonged spiritual nourishment anytljing half as interesting as oysters was slerrtirlyery fast asleep and very wide awake as ia nclination to slumber or his terror of being personialjy alluded to in the discourse gained thie masterj bver him


and now im here ihouiht kit gliding into the nearest empty pew which was


oposite lits mothers and on the other side he little aisle how am ever to get at her or persuade liher to come out i i might as well be twentymies off


shell never wake till its all over and there godeslise clock againl if he would iuti leave d ffl for a minute or if theyd only sing i


but there was little encouragement o ielievo that either event would happen for a coupile of huirs to come


the preacher went on telling theni what he meant to convince them of before he had done anod it was clearthit if he onlykeptto one


half f his promises


and forgot the other he was godfor that time at least


in his desperation and resildaihness kt it ht is eyes about the chapel and liapei i tng e letthge fall upon a little seat in fiohtoit of cli dealk could scarcely believe them when thby s vedhim quilp


i he rubbed them twice or thrice but still they insisted that quilp was there and there indeed he was sitting with his hands upon his kniees andhis hat between them on a little wcedei brslket with the accustomed grin upon his dirgyl face and his eyes fixed upon the ceiling


he ceraihly di dnot glance at kit or at his mother and appeaed utterly unconscious of their presence ostill it toild not help feelitig directly that


the i sllittle fiid was fastened upon them and upon notlnag lel


i but astounded as hie was by the ppaeiition of the dwarf among the little bethelites and ni frome a misgiving that it was a forerunner of some triible or annoyance hie was compelled to subdue his wonder and to takeacinctivee mtastres for the with drawal of his parent as itho evenipg was now creeping on and the matter grew serios iieeforo the next time litle jacob wvoke tf set limislfto attract ils wandering attenlion and votbeig a viry ifficlt task ons


nstsesreleicdsi lie ign d to him to rouse is mohier


tii js li llluck would have ihve a a v r lq lie predasiher in a forciblbe expoiitioioi qpolieadol his ldicourse leanhed bver pon


tliespulpitlesksotiat little smore of liim tilimn hls leg r ima iel in u a while iemadiog iheet gtures wll


rlght had andah eld on wlt eite or seemed to stare straight itoitotlejc s yes treatenlng him by hil sicainidalobok atitde j tlipiared to the childthit if he asomiuiclh asmp asnusele he ihe plreacheir would bb literally and out figura tively down uponh him that instalt


in this fearful state of things disracted by


thii sudden ap pearoane of kit and fascinated


bytiidlystiof the preacher the miserable jacob sat blt upright wholly incapable of motibonstrongly diosled


to cry but afraid to do so and roturning hi spastors gaze until his inufant eyes seemed starting fomi their oif i must do it openl i mus tiebu l kit with that he walked softly out of li


pw snod into his niothers aind as mr swiveller wvoud hvye observeid


if he had been present iiobllited tis baby without speaking a word


hush mother whispered kit


come along wvith me ive got something to tell you


where nam i p said mlrs nubbles


in this blessed little bethel returned her son peevishly


siblessed indeed i cried mrs nubbles catching at the word


oh christopher how have i been edified this night


i yes yes i know said kit hastily but come along mother everybodys looking at us


dont make a noisebring jacobthats right


stay satan stay


cried the preacher as kit was moving off


the centleman says youre to stay christopller whispered his mother


stay satan stay i roared the preacher again


tempt not the woman that doth incline her ear to thee but hearken to the voice of him that calleth


he batll a lamb from the fold i cried the preacher raising his voice still higher and pointing to the baby


he beareth off a lamb a precious lamb


he goeth about like a wolf in the night season and inveigleth the tender lambs kit was the best tempered fellow in the world but considering this strong language and heing somewhat excited


by the circumstances in which lie was placed he faced round to the pulpit wilth the baby in his arms and replied aloud


no i dont


hes my brother


fes my brother cried the preacher


he isnt said kit indignantly


how can you say such a thing and dont call me names if you pleaqe what harm have done shouldnt have come to take em away unless i was obliged youmay depend upon that and i wanted to do it very quiet but you wouldnt let me


now you have the goodness to abuse satan and them as much as you like sir and to let me alone if you please


so saying


kit marched out of the chapel followed by his mother and little jacob and found himself in the open air with an indistinct recollection of having seen the people wake up and look surprised and of quilp having remained throughout the interruption in his old attitude without moving his eyes from the ceiling or appearing to take the smallest notice of anything that passed


oh kit i said his mother with her handker


chief to her eyes what have you done i never can go there againnever i im glad of it mother


what was there in the little bli of pleasure you took last night that made it necessary for you to be lowspirited and sorrowful tonight


thats the way you do if youre happy or merry ever you come here to say along with that chap that youre sorry for it


more shame for you mother i was going to say


hush dear said mrs nubbles you dont mean what you say i know but youre talking sin fulness


dont mean it


but i do mean it


retorted kit


i dont believe mother that harmless cheerfulness and goodhumour are thought greater sins in heaven tlian shirt collars are and that ibose chaps are just about as right and sensible in putting down the one as in leaving off the other thats my belief


but i wont say anything more about it if youll promise not to cry thats all and you take the baby thats a lighter weight and give me little jacob and as we go along which we must do pretty quick


ill tell you the news i bring which will surprise you a little i can tell you


thereihats right


now you look as if youd never seen little bethel in all your life as i hope you never will again and heres the balby and little jacob you get atop of my back and catch hold of me tight round the neck and whenever a little bethel parson calls you a precious lamb or says your brothers one you tell him its the truest thing hes said for a twelvemonth and that if hed got a little more of the lamb himself and less of the mintsaucenot being quite so sour and sharp over iti should like him all the better


thats what youve got to say to him jacob


talking on in this way half in jest and half in earnest and cheering up his mother the children and himself by the one simple process of determining to be in a good humour kit led them briskly for ward and on the road home related what had passed at the notarys house and the purpose with which he had intruded on the solemnities of little bethel


his mother was not a little startled on learning what service was required of her and presently fell into a confusion of ideas of which the most promi nent were thatit was a great honour and dignity to ride in a postchaise and that it was a moral im possibility to leave the children behind


ibut this objection and a great many others founded upon certain articles of dress being at the wash and cer tain other articles having no existence in the wardrobe of mrs nubbles were overcome by kit who opposed to each and esery of them the pleasure of recovering nell and the delight it would be to bring her back in triumph


theres only ten minutes now mother said kit when they reached home


theres a band box


throw in what you want and well be off directly


to tell how kit then hustled all sorts of things into the box which could by no remote contingency be wanted and how he left out everything likely to be of the smallest use how a neighbour was per


suaded to come and stop with the children and how the children all at first cried dismally and then laughedl heartily on being promised all kinds of impossible and unheardof toys how kits mother wouldnt leave off kissing them and how kit couldnt make up his mind to be vexed with her for doing it would take more time and room than we can spare


so passing over all such matters it is sufficient to say that within a few minutes after the two hours had expired kit and his mother arrived at the notarys door where a postchaise was already waiting


vith four horses i declare said kit quite aghast at the preparations


well you are going to do it mother


here she is sirheres my mother


shes quite ready sir


thats well returned the gentleman


now dont be in a flutter maam youll be taken great care ofl


wheres the box with the new clothing sod necessaries for them


here it is said the notary


in with it christopher


all right sir replied kit


quite ready now sir then come along said the single gentleman


and thereupon he gave his arm to kits mother handed her into ithe carriage as politely as you please and tookilis seat beside her


up went the steps barig went the door round whirled the wheels and off they rattled with kits mother hlasging out at one window waving a damp pockethlandkerchief atnd screaming out a great many messages to little jacob and the baby of which nobody heard a word


kit stood in the middle of the road and looked after them with tears in his eyesnot brought there by the departure he witnessed but by the return to which lhe lodked forward


they went away lie thought on foot with nobody to speak to them or say a kind word at parting and theyll come back drawn by four horses wvit this rich gentleman for thieir frierd and all their troubles overi


shell forget that she taught me to write whatever kit thought about after this took some tilne to thirik of for lie stood gazing up the lines of shining lamps long after the dhaise had disappeared and did not return into the house until the notary nd plr


abel who had themselves lingered outside till the iound of the wheels was po longer distin guishabli had several times wondered what could possibly detain him


to be contitued


curious iiblera in thb iritisht musuivuunder the superintendence of our learned countryman alcuin one of the few eminent literary characters who adorned the eighth century and wentt to france in at the invitation of chorle magne a manuscript of thie bible was made for that renowned monardh which is supposed upon fair evidence to be inow lodged in the britishl museum having been purchased from a foreign collector at the comparaively low price of


it is of the largeat olio size measuring twenty inches in height byfifteen in width and conttaining leaves of veryfine vellum writtep in choracter remarkable for its distinct thouoh mihjite beauty


rhis ms is illldinolited with manny large initial letters of less elegance and richness however than distinguish correspondihg works of even an earlier period and its pictorial illustrations which are only four in number though marked by considerable merits of both design and colouring are inferior to other spe


cimens that could be cited of contemporary art llis sanored relic has still been hailed with just admiration in the chief capitals of europe and we may congratulate our own upon so splendid an addi tion to its antique and domestic treasures


a falsehinootl once received front a foanod writer becomes traditional to poaterltydrydn


tour of mr latrobe over the hunting grounds of the osage and pawnee indians in the far west on the bor ders of mexico


by washing ton irving


chapter ix


october


at the signal note of the bugle the sentinels and patrols marched in from their stations around the camp and were dismissed


the rangers were roused from their nights repose and soon


a bustling scene took place


while some cut wood made fires and prepared the mornings meals others struck their foulweather shelters of blankets and made every preparation for de parture while others dashed about through bush and brake catching the horses and leading or driving them into camp


during all this bustle the forest rang with whoops and shouts and peals of laughter


when all had breakfasted packed up their campequipage and loaded the pack horses the bugle sounded to saddle and mount


by eight oclock the whole troop set off in a long straggling line with whoop and halloo inter mingled with many an oath at the loitering packhorses and in a little while the forest which for several days had been the scene of such un wonted bustle and uproar relapsed into its primeval solitude and silence


it was a bright sunny morning with that transparent atmosphere that seems to bathe the very heart with gladness


our march cntinued parallel to the arkansas through a rich and varied country


sometimes we had to break our way through the alluvial bottoms matted with re dundant vegetation where the gi gantic trees were entangled with grapevines hanging like cordage from their branches


sometimes we coasted along shuggish brooks whose feebly trickling current just served to link together a succession of glassy pools embedded like mirrors on the quiet bosom of the forest reflecting its autumnal foliage and patches of the clear blue sky


sometimes we scrambled up broken and rocky hills from the summits of which we had wide views stretchingr on one side over distant prairies


diversified by groves and forests and on the other ranging along a line of blue and shadowy hills beyond the waters of the arkansas


the appearance of our troop was suited to the country stretching along in a line of upwards of half a mile in length winding among brakes and bushes and up and down the defiles declines of the hills the men in every variety of uncouth garb with long rifles on their shoulders and mounted on horses of every colour


the packhorses too would incessantly wander from the line of march to crop the surrounding herbage and were banged and beaten back by tonish and his halfbreede compeers with volleys of mongrel oaths


every now and then the notes of the bugle from the head of the columns would echo through the woodlands and along the hollow glens summoning up stragglers and announcing the line of march


the whole scene reminded me of the description given of bands of buccaneers penetrating the wilds of south america in their plundering expeditions against the spanish settlements


at one time we passed through a luxuriant bottom or meadow bor dered by thickets where the tall grass was pressed dlown into numerous deer beds where those animals had couched the preceding night


some oak trees also bore signs of having been clambered by bears in quest of acorns the marks oftheir claws being visible in the bark


as we opened a glade of this sheltered meadow we beheld several deer bounding away in wild affright until having gained some distance they would stop and gaze back with the curiosity common to this animal at the strange intruders into their soli tudes


there was immediately a sharp report of rifles in every direc tion from the young huntsmen of the troop but they were too eager to aim surely and the deer unharmed bounded away into the depths of the forest


in the course of our march we struck the arkansas but found our selves still below the red fork and as the river made deep bends we again left its banks and continued through the woods until nearly three oclock when we encamped in a beautiful basin bordered by a fine stream and shaded by clumps of lofty oaks


the horses were now hobbled that is to say their forelegs were fettered with cords or leathern straps so as to impede their movements and prevent their wandering far frcm the camp they were then turned loose to graze


a number of rangers prime hunters started off in different directions in search of game


there was no whooping or laughing about the camp as in the morning all were either busy about the fires preparing the evenings repast or reposing upon the grass


shots were soon heard in various directions


after a time a huntsman rode into the camp with the carcass of a fine buck hang ing across his horse


shortly after came in a couple of stripling hunters on foot one of whom bore on his shoulders the body of a doe


he was evidently proud of his spoil being probably one of his first achieve ments though he and his companion were much bantered by their com rades as young beginners who hunted inpartnership


just as the night set in there was a great shouting at one end of the camp and immediately afterwards a body of young rangers came parading round the various fires bearing one of their comrades in triumph on their shoulders


he had shot an elk for the first time in his life and it was the first animal of the kind that had been killed on this expedition


the young huntsman whose name was mlellan was thl hero of the camp for the night and was thefather of the feast into the bargain for portions of his elk were soon roasting at every fire


the other hunters returned without success


the captain had observed the tracks of a buffalo which must have passed within a few days and had tracked a bear for some distance until the foot prints disappeared


he had seen an elk too on the banks of the arkansas which walked out on a sandbar of the river but before he could steal round through the bushes to get a shot it had re entered the woods


our own hunter beattie returned silent and sulky from an unsuccessful hunt


as yet he had brought us in nothing and we had depended for our supplies of venison upon the captains lodge


beatte was evidently mortified for he looked iown with contempt upon the rangers as raw and inexperienced woodmen but little skilled in hunt ing lore


they on the other hand regarded beattie with no very com placent eye as one of an evil breed and always spoke of him as the indian


our little frenchman tonish also by his incessant boasting and chat tering and gasconading in his bal derdashed dialect had drawn upon himself the ridicule of many of the wags of the troop who amused them selves at his expense in a vein of raillery by no means remarkable for its delicacy but the little varlet was so completely fortified by vanity and selfconceit that he was invulnerable to every joke i must confess how ever that i felt a little mortified at the sorry figure our retainers were making among the mosstroopers of the frontier


even our very equip ments came in for a share of unpopu larity and i heard many sneers at the doublebarrelled guns with which we were provided against smaller game the lads of the west holding shotguns as they call them in great contempt thinking grouse partridges and even wild turkeys as beneath their serious attention and the rifle the only


firearn worthy of a hunter


i was awakened before day break the next morning by the mournful howling of a wolf which was skulking about the purlieus of the camp at tracted by the scent of venison


scarcely had the first grey streak of dawn appeared when a youngster at one of the distant lodges shaking off his sleep crowed in imitation of a cock with a loud clear note and pro longed cadence that would have done credit to the most veteran chanticleer


he was immediately answered from another quarter as if from a rival rooster


the chant was echoed from lodge to lodge and followed by the cackling of hens quacking of ducks gobbling of turkeys and grunting of swine until we seemed to have been transported into the midst of a farm yard with all its inmates in full con cert around us


after riding a short distance this morning we came upon a wellworn lndian track and following it scrambled to the summit of a hill from whence we had a wide prospect over a country diversifed by rocky ridges and waving lines of upland and enriched by groves and clumps of trees of varied tints and foliage


at a distance to the west to our great satisfaction we beheld the red fork rolling its ruddy current to the arkansas and found that we were above the junction


we now descended and pushed forward with much difficulty through the low grounds that border the arkansas


here the trees were interwoven with enormous grapevines forming a kind of cordage from trunk to trunk and from limb to limb


there was a thick undergrowth also of bush and bramble


and such an abundance of hops fit for gathering that it was difficult for our horses to force their way through


the soil was im printed in many places with the tracks of deer and the claws of bears were to be traced on various trees


every one was on the lookout in the hope of starting some game when suddenly there was a bustle and a clamour of voices in a distant part of the line


a bear


a bear was the cry


we all pressed forward to be present at the sport when to my infinite though whim


sisal chagrin i found it to be our worthies beattie and tonish perpe trating a foul murder on a polecat or skunk


the animal had en sconced itself beneath the trunk of a fallen tree from whence it kept up a vigorous defence in its peculiar style until the surrounding forest was in a high state of fragrance gibes and jeers now broke out on all sidles at the expense of the indian hunter and he was advised to wear the scalp of the skunk as the only trophy of his prowess


when they found however that he and tonish wore absolutely bent upon bearing off the carcass as a peculiar dainty there was a universal expression of disgust and they were regarded as little better than cannibals


mortified at this ignominious debut of our hunters i insisted upon their abandoning their prize and resuming their march


beattie complied with a dogged discontented air and lagged behind muttering to himself


tonish however with his usual buoyancy consoled himself by vociferous eulo gies on the richness and delicacy of a roasted polecat which he swore was considered the daintiest of dishes by all experienced indian gourmands


a frenchmans vivacity however if repressed in one way will break out in anothor and tonish eased oef his spleen


by bedstowing volleys of oaths and blows on the packhorses


i was


likely to be no gainer in the end by my opposition to the humours of these varlets for after a time beattie who had lagged behind rode up to the head of the line to resume his station as a guide and i had the vexation to see the carcass of his prize stripped of his skin and looking like a fat suckling pig dangling behind his saddle


i made a solemn vow however in secret that our fire should not be disgraced by the cooking of that pole cat


chapter x


we had nowv arrived at tile river about a quarter of a mile above the junction of the red fork but the banks were steep and crumbling and the current was deep and rapid


it was impossible therefore to cross at this place and we resumed our painful course through the forest despatching beattie ahead in search of a fording place


we had pro ceeded about a mile further when he rejoined us bringing intelligence of a place hard by where the river for a great part of its breadth was rendered fordable by sandbars and the remainder might easily be swam by the horses


here then we made a halt


some of the rangers set to work vigorously with their axes felling trees on the edge of the river wherewith to form rafts for the transportation of the baggage and camp equipage others patrolled the banks of the river farther up in hopes of finding a better fording place being unwilling to risk their horses in the deep channel


it was now that our worthies beattie and tonish had an opportunity of displaying their indian adroitness and resource


at the osage village which we had passed a day or two before they had procured a dried buffalo skin


this was now produced cords were passed through a number of small eylet holes with which it was bordered and it was drawn up until it formed a kind of deep trough


sticks were then placed athwart it on the inside to keep it in shape our camp equipage and a part of our baggage were placed within and the singular bark was carried down the bank and set afloat


a cord was at tached to the prow which beattie took between his teeth and throwing himself into the water went ahead towing the bark after him while tonish followed behind to keep it steady and to propel it


part of the way they had foothold and were enabled to wade but in the main cur rent they were obliged to swim


the whole way they whooped and yelled in the indian style until they landed safely on the opposite shore


the commissioner and myself were so well pleased with this indian mode of ferriage that we determined to trust ourselves in the buffalo hide


our companions the count and mr la trobe had proceeded with the horses along the river bank in search of a ford which some of the rangers had discovered about a mile and a half distant


while we were wait ing for the return of our ferryman i happened to cast my eyes upon a heap of luggage under a bush and descried the sleek carcase of the polecat snugly trussed up and ready for roasting before the evening fire


i could not resist the tempta tion to plump it into the river where it sank to the bottom like a lump of lead and thus our lodge was re lieved the bad odour this savoury viand had threatened to bring upon it


our men having recrossed with their cockle shell bark it was drawn on shore half filled with saddles saddle bags and other luggage amounting to at least a hundred weight and being again placed in the water i was invited to take my seat


it appeared to me pretty much like the embarkation of the wise men of gotham who went to sea in a bowl i stepped in however without hesitation though as cautiously as possible and sat down on the top of the luggage the margin of the hide sinking to within a hands breadth of the waters edge


rifles fowling pieces and other articles of small bulk were then handed in until i protested against receiving any more freight


we then launched forth upon the stream the bark being towed and propelled as before


it was with a sensation half serious half comic that i found myself thus afloat on the skin of a bnffaloo in the midst of a wild river surrounded by wilderness and towed along by a half savage whooping and yelling like a devil incarnate


to please the vanity of little tonish i discharged the doublebarrelled gun to the right and left when in the cen tre of the stream


the report echoed along the woody shores and was answered by shouts from some of the rangers to the great exultation of the little frenchman who took to himself the whole glory of this indian mode of navigation


our voyage was accomplished happily the commissioner was ferried across with equal success and all our effects were brought over in the same manner


nothing could equal the vainglorious vapouring of little tonish as he strutted about the shore and exulted in his superior skill and knowledge to the rangers


beattie however kept his proud saturnine look without a smile


he had a vast contempt for the ignorance of the rangers and felt that he had been undervalued by them


his only observation was dey now see de indian good for someting any how


the broad sandy shore where we had landed was intersected by in numerable tracks of elk deer bears racoons turkeys and waterfowl


the river scenery at this place was beautifully diversified presenting long shining reaches bordered by willows and cottonwood trees rich bottoms with lofty forests among which towered enormous planetrees and the distance was closed in by embowered promontories


the fo liage had a yellow autumnal tint which gave to the sunny landscape the golden tone of one of the land scapes of claude lorraine


there was animation given to the scene by a raft of logs and branches on which the captain and his prime com panion the doctor were ferrying their effects across the stream and by a long line of rangers on horseback fording the river obliquely along a series of sandbars about a mile and a half distant


the fiction fields of australia


the gold finders


chapter ii


he mangle was bought


following the example of alexander dumas ptre etfils of george sand the countess de chabrillan mr g w m reynolds and other eminent writers mr punch dedicates an entire line to record thefact


the mangle was bought


violets shining hair was sacrificed to the pitiless shears of fate symbolized by a barbarous barber who sold that which had cost him but two hundred guineas to a manufacturer of fishing tackle for the purpose of being converted into hair lines for ten thousand pounds


such instances of sudden fortune were very frequent in those days and the barber took his passage in the following week for england where be entered the british house of commons and has subsequently become the celebrated


and the mangle was taken home


the draymen who were entrusted with its delivery were nearly crushed by its weight when they lifted it from the vehicle


as well they might for they were little used to strenuous toil


the one had been professor of sanscrit at haileybury college and the other was the eldest son of the imaun of muscat and both were impelled by the spirit of adventure to exchange the languor of civilization for the hardy enterprise and exuberant freedom of the golden land


staggering beneath the weight of the ponderous machine and uttering maledictions upon its weight in choicest persian thejbore it into the dwelling and depositing it upon the floor stood rooted to the spot in admiration of the beautiful violet whose loveliness had been enhanced rather than impaired by the privation of her long and flowing locks


what remained of her hair was arranged madonnawise and imparted a fresh charm to her constantly varying beauty


the rapture of the draymen expressed itself in arabic verse and that rapture grew to wonder when the object of it employing the same tongue mildly rebuked thfir poetic phrase and praise


to fall in love with her at the same instant to feel an earthquake of jealousy heaving at their hearts to be conscious of a murderous impulse deep deadly and invincible to draw their bowie knives from their girdles and to fall upon each other in stern and desperate conflictall this was the work of a moment in fact considerably less


thrice did the persian thrust his adversary his colleague and his rival through and through the heart before the professor showed any signs of pain or weariness


nine times did the knife of the gallant englishman plunge into the brain of his opponent and still the contest raged without abatement


at length both combatants flung away their weapons and grappled in a close embrace


each clutched the others throat and in a few seconds both lay strangled on the floor


violet had escaped to her boudoir where she immediately composed an exquisite poem upon this thrilling incident and was only aroused from her abstracted condition by st jones returning home from a game at skittles with the governor and two or three of the judges and nearly falling over the sanguinary corpses of the combatants


such occurrences were very common in those days and st jones having deposited both the bodies in a neighbors waterbutt by way of retaliation upon that individual for having poured a keg of brandy by no means a into his own rt urned to the chamber of his beautiful domestic


in sooth he murmured soft and low


im queer and know not why im so


ive only drank of eau de vie three bottles and ahalf you see and yet my head spins round and round the grounds the roof the roofs the ground two violets before rue now each beautiful as you i vow but whether you are her or no or she is you i do


not know


i think that neithers both and yet i cant say which is violet


the walls spin round as they were mad


i now this is pon my life too bad


there goes the doorthe window too


well surely i can catch up you


and then he sank upon the floor and then his nose gave forth a snoreit may be two or three or more


jerome my beloved master my guide my counsellor and friend stellar illuminator of my terrestrial path what magician hath laid his evil spell upon thee murmured the maiden bending foddly over him and loosening the emerald fastenings of his collar


kneeling down she pillowed his drowsy head upon her alabaster arm chafed his hot temples with her lily hand and ehaunted in a low and silvery tone a moorish melody such as the fair boadicea must have often listened to from the lips of blondel in the generalife


to the winning accents of violet the recumbent sufferer only replied in broken and mysterious words which startled her by their wildness


she was conversant with at least a score of languages but knew not this in which he now expressed himself


there was a distraction moreover in his manner which appalled her even more than the mystic utterances of his parched lips


something of delirium of preternatural rapture and exultation was apparent in his voice and language


could it be that the talismanic word which had imposed a spell on him was unconsciously syllabled by her master to her own enthralment


light of my eyes and pulse of my heart exclaimed the terrified girl what hath befallen thee


speak i conjure thee


he only answered in mysterious phrase lurlurliety


she recoiled from him with indescribable terror and covering her eyes with her hands as if to shut out some frightful vision remained for hours it may be days in a state of stupor and bewildered grief from which she was only aroused by the violent agitation of her master who was pacing up and down the apartment with titanic strides and vowing vengeance against some unarmed foe


now by the sangrail and by my honor as a knight by the bones of my ancestors and the blood of all our race i swear to mill that rascal tapsters glare


brandy


by the rood it was vitriol and burnt sugar


missiles wench bring me missiles


quick despatch


my lord theres not a cube of bluestone in the public streets


ha sayst thou so fair violet


then here is that shall serve my purpose stern perchance shall make my name eterne


so saying he seized upon an iron bar domestically applied to the uses of a poker and advanced towards the mangle


he paused arrested by the imploring glances of the maiden


but no his purpose was taknhis inexorable purpose must be fulfilled


the missiles he required would certainly be found immured within the wooden walls of this machine and with them he would wreak his vengeance on the transparent media which admitted light into the hostelry of the adulterative vintner


with a mighty wrench he lifted up the mangle lid and its contents revealed themselves to sight


it was filled with diamonds


varying in size from a ducks egg to a large teachest and all of the purest water


aye diamonds


fate on a threelegged stool


i continued from our last


i chapter iii


months crept on and slowly enough to the saddenedghi who sat at work in a room on the third story of a mansion in dover street


the wilmots were only in town for a short period prioi


to returning to their seat in yorkshire


the season was over and the heat of a genial september had driven all who could leave town to the seaside or country


mary dalton sat at the window her head bent over her work and the busy thoughts working harder than the quick fingers


she is no longer the handsome country girl who used to milk black madge some might admire her more but the paleness of her cheek and the thinness of her figure could never equal the rosy brightness and rounded beauty she once possessed


there she sat dreaming of home and hodge and conjuring around her those fond memories so dear when we hope to see them realities once more


mary had not failed to attract the notice of more than one suitor


amongst them was a man of mature agesome fifty wintersa grocer in good business


vainly he urged upon her his wealth and the independence she would enjoy servants to a servantthat great temptation to so many


mary shook her head and thought of poor hodge


not for a moment did her womans weakness waverno finery no luxury urged one faithless thought


she counted her savings and her eye lit up with plea


surethey were for her parents her youth and strong loving heart for hodgeher sole dower


mrs wilmot was a kind mistressnothing more


why in truth should she be


of mary she only knew her worth in the care she took of her eustace beyond what sympathy could the woman of fashion have with the country girl


miss selby when in town spoke kindly to her but of home she only heard from hodgeher mother could not writeand those anxiously looked for letters said so little except about his love his regret and then a sadder talehis health


he had left farmer notts more than a month he felt weak and ill and could not work much now she was not there to cheer him


mistress notts would fain have kept him on buthishomly pride forbade his receiving wages not earned so he was staying with old isaac his father at the lodge occasionally helping in the lighter work of a keeper


before mr woods the grocer had spoken of love or marriage to mary his steady age had so completely thrown her oifher guardthen too her love for hodge blinded her to what she otherwise might have seenconsequently often of a sunday afternoon she had accepted iiis escort in her walk and in the can dour of her young heart told him all her unmomentous history


father mother all passed before her eyes and while she saw a friend he in imagination looked on a wife


thus tilings stood on the day we have once more seen mary sewing and thinking at her window


if we only could read the histories which have been stitched with each thread into garments we wear so lightly what sad talestoo often sadmight we not peruse


an oftspoken thoughtbut truth bears repetition


slave auction and sale of young children


winter was fast approaching mary h egan to feel that natural desire to revisit her home which she had quitted for the first time but a few months


simpson the head nurse undertook toaskper jnission for her before the departure of the family for yorkshire and with some little difficulty she obtained itmrs wilmot


fearing almost to allow her to go lest she should not return her gentleness and good conduct had made her a valuable acquisition in that sphere of life where there are so few truly faithful to their employers


mary was doubly anxious to return home hot having received any letter from hodge for a monthtwo of hers remaining unan swered


when the permission was granted she stepped with joyous steps into the train without having given any previous in timation of her intentionwith that expectation too often disap pointed of procuring an agreeable surprise for those we love


station after station passed


how slowly moved the train the last two or three


at length she arrived at the end of her journey


and walked quickly onwards towards her fathers humble cottage


she had two miles before her and the twilight of an october eveningwas fading fast into the deeper shade of night


she knew hodge was at his fathers lodge but even before her love there i was a duty andchildlike she reserved the greater pleasure for the lastthe one of seeing him


on she moved almost running not a familiar face met her gazedown the lane she turned towards the cottage


a chill came over herthe night was grow ing cold she wrapped her shawl closely and ran suddenly she stoppednot a light shone to cheer her she lookedwhere was the cottage


gone but


how


she approacheda mass of blackened ruins met


her gazefire in all its horror had been there


and were where theythe inhabitants


not another cot tage stood near


she shuddered and sinking down on a hank op posite gazed with a vacant stare at the desolate spot


as she sat tims half in thought halfstupified something touched her hand she stoopedit was a dog rover


she whispered almost startled by her own voice


the dog raised itself with its forepaws on her knees and after the first rejoicing oi meeting an old friend began to whine piteously


rover


she whispered again where be feyther and mother


it was a question she had often asked the dumb brute which she had reared from a pup a gift of hodges


the dog pricked up its ears and looking around gave a low howland then escaping from her hand ran a few steps forward then returned


maryrose


poor rover


she said thee beest thin hast no master now


and with a step of fear and resolution mingled she walked after the animal which ran before and then returning seemed to invite her to hurry forward


across several fields she mechanically followed him feeling assured the poor brute would lead her to their home she did not even think of hodge so absorbed was she by her amaze ment


the fields were passed then came a long lane leading to a common


rover ran on beforethe darkness was fast setting in her eyes were bent on the ground to avoid the pools of water made by the recent rains


at last rover stopped then running back jumped up in joy and licked her hand


mary raised her eyes


a large staring brick building stood before her her gaze became fascinated it was the workhouse


there stood that refuge of wretchedness and separationtoo often made doubly so by the inhumanity of those in temporary power as if the miseryjof such a fate were not enough without the harshness of man to make the hard fare more unsavoury stll


leave hope behind should indeed be the motto over the gate where even the old and infirm are forced asunder


why make poverty a sin and the workhouse a place of punishment and dread


and chiefly owing too often to the brutality of its overseers


in nearly all cases of frightful murder of children or wife with suicide afterwards when a man has rushed madly into the presence of his maker he has previously expressed a dread of coming to that abode of horror and preferred death with the chance of a re union to those he loved in a kindlier home above to the cold cer tainty of uncheered toiltoo often oppressionand the separation of a workhouse


every muscle in marys frame quivered as she surveyed the house she stared aghastat it where it stood out between the earth and sky on that bleak treeless commonfitting spot for it


not there rover


she cried at last as the dog ran from the gate to her side thee doesnt mean there


and the cold tears stole almost frozen with terror down her cheek


at that moment the gate creaked or its hinges it opened and a stout robust man looked forth


get back with thee whining he shouted to the dog raising a large stick as lie spoke i wish theyd brain thee thou good fornothing thief


mary sprang forward as he was closing the gate


stop


she cried almost breathless with emotion stop is is her voice failed her


oh we cant take in no strangers at this hour


exclaimed the man attempting to close the gate


i dont want assistance


answered she more resolutely


but do ee tell me measter in kindness ififye have william dalton and his wife here


dalton replied he looking out ay thats the old drunkard as was wellnigh burnt to death


sarve him right if he had been too


feytherpoor feylher


whispered she leaning against the doorpost almost unable to stand


and mother sir


she asked


why who be ee cried the overseertwas hecoming near


what


mary dalton as used to live at


farmer notts


thee went away with squire wilmots lady to be a fine


lunn un madin


i think ye might have done smnmut for


the old folks and not send them here


weve plenty without them


oh sir


she cried sobbing i know nothing of it


i never knew till tonight they had been in trouble


rover our old dog led me here


ye doiitsay so gasped the man astonished


well just step inside the gate and ill tell ee all about it


chapter tenth


th


i le ction


the important morning at length ar rived and as ilooked from my bedroom window at daybreak the crowd of cr iingeseof all sorts and shapes decorated with banners and placardsthe incessant bustle the hurrying hither and thither flib ciheering as eachnew detachiriet of voters came up mounted on


jaunting cars or on horses whose whole capa rison consisted in a straw rope for a bridle and a saddle of the same frail platerialall informed me that the elec ssion day was comie


i lost no further tiie but proceeded to dress with all pos sible despatch


when appeared in the bretkfst


roomt itt was already filled with some severity or eighty persohs of all nks


and ages mingled cohfisfedly together and enjoying the hospitable fari f my uncls house while they ijieussed all thedetails and prospects of iti election


in the hall the library the large drawing room too similar parties wverealso assembled and as new comners arrived the servants were busy in pre paring tables before the door andup the natge


terrace that ran the entire length bf he building


nothing could be


more iilnising lthant the incongruous mitture ef the guests hbo with every variett of eatable that chance or inclittation spkdvtdd were thus thrown into close oantaet having only this in common ihed siccess of thd causel they were en giiged


in


helte was the old galay eqire wib an anceeitry that realibed to oab sittingsidebyside with thepoor cdttier whosee whole earthly possessiuu iaas wht in tih phirase ia called a potntoe grdenr meaning tte titictif smallest possible patiliof grondout of which i very landianrubber donsciencd ilda presume to vtit here siltttie oisimpleminded farmerlike mill in uljse


conversation with a little white foreheaded keen eyed personage in a bik coeit and eyeglass a flashattorney om


duiblitilearised in the laiws ofthe ristry and deep in thei subtleiies


f election law


there was an athlone horse dealer whose habitual daily iirdc tlesiu


imposing the halt the lame andti tblid blind upon the unsuspectitig for i astsof blood arid mettle well qualified abimsfor the iriekery of a county conrtest


then there were scores of squireen gen ty eeasily recognised on common occa onso by a green coat brass hbuttone ditycords aund dirtier top bhtits a lash whip andd half


breidfoxhounrdi buiow rheatrhshed for the day they presented


eiathing of the appearance of a swell bio adjisted toithe utieridiauis of galwiay ta mss of fribebcoated firo dti taeeil ijui thbeadeed peapantry flijng up ithis itge sjpacesdotted here and there witha sleep rb bilheyed priest or some low elee i t


i f


agenltdetailing forttbeamtne rejent ofhfie county sose dif ihoseledr einogpractices of former times wlicbh vif known


tothe proper authorities would in all likelihood cause the talented nar tpa tbeio iroviingthe soiliof sydney sflshing on ithbe badls


dfbthe swaii riiveor while at toot of each table


sat abmeiperonaril


triendof my uncle whlose ity tonniue


and still readier pistol made him a personage of eime ceonse i ata t iroie to his bwnpeopdi thti to


the enimjy


while of eisch mnaeriel clchi the heeoompnnythefare before


them was no less vrjcd tere


ome rubicund ire was dp in ah iqaitstid the astcpts of a venison pasty with sonae of sneyds oldest claret his neighbour e sst aabitions and lesd erudite in such


tswtwase devoi ring rasliers bf bacon bibrs taitibtisf pteeni somee ils ced ecitio of theldw with alf


uastoftbe


for couresta i riei thruiat d sipping his


humble beverage of rtribt abeside four sturdy cattle dealers t rtihn ia e vebwho wefe dibsutding shieyprinch anisspoteaisi boiled beefat the veryprimltive hour of eigbit isbetmornin amidthe clank of de gg deic la h of hnives and platees


t


i rlashsbt sieiduluier and oso th h ge s jird


ntid iibly iim eteitsing bad the viarious qudes oa rd nine a buck


anglic substisitir a oe or iting a tiadier wcr talked irb all siitdea wbile tte price of a yea cif


oa vofidh ws disputed irith all the energy f delbate


itiercbahfrley ertidd a voice i was very familiar fii herese place ive been lceepini for you


ah sir harry how do you do i any of that groudepie to spare


abundance my boy but im cfraid i cant say as much for the liquor i have been shouting tor claret this half hour in vaindo get us some nutriment down here


atid the


lord will reward you


swhat a pity it is he added in a lower tone to his neighbour what a pity a quart bottle wont hold a quart but ill bringitbefore the house one of these days


that he kept


his word in this respect a motion on the books of the honourable house will bear me wit


ness


is this it


said he turning towards a farmer like old man who had put some question to him across the table is it the applepie youll have


manythalks to your honourid like it av it was wholesome


and why shotldat it be wholesome saidsir harry


troth then myself does not know but mny fatheri ieerd tell died of an apple plexy and mafeerd of it


i


at length found considineand learned that as a very gdd account of bodkin had arrived


there was no reason why i should not proceed to the hustings but i was secretly charged not to take any proaminent pait in thedays proceedings


my uncle i only paw for aninstanthe begged me to be careful avoid all scrapes and not to quit considine


it was past ten oclock vhen our formidable proces sion got under way and headed towards the town of galway


t he road was for miles crowded with our followers


ban ners flying and music playing we pre sented something of the spectacle ef


very raggedarmy on its march


at every cross road a mountainpath reinforcenientri awaited us arid as we wended along our numbers were mnomentarily increasing here and therealong the line some ener getic and not over sober adherent was regaling


his auditory with a speech in laudation of the omaleys since the days of moses and rore than one priest was beard ihreatening the terrors of his church in aid ofa cause to whose success hie was pledged and bound


i rode beside the


crunt who surrounded by a gioup of choice spirits recountedthe various happy inventions by which he had on divers occasion substituted a personal quarirel for a contest


i boylealso con tribihted his shtireof election anecdote and one incident he related ihich ji remember amused me much at the time


do you remember billy cdivert that caine down to contest kilkenny in quired sir harry


wvhat


ever forget him


suld consi dine with his well powdered wig and hils hessians


there neverwas his equal for liace ruflles and rings


you niever heard may be bowhe lpost the election


he resigned believe or sotething of thatsort


sno no said another b h never canme forwaurd at ll teersestsme secrestird it


for tom butler i twaselected without a conteit


jatek


tell you how it happened


i finished my own business and just car riedthe day not without a push for it


wvhen weeachedlady mary was with mewhen we reached kilkennty the night before the election was not ten hinutds ti townii till butler heard of it iand sent off express to see me


i was at my dinner when the messenger came audspromised to go over when id done but faith tomn didnt wait but came rushing up stairs himself and dashed into the room in the greatest hurry


sharry says he im doiine for the cor poration of free smiths that were always aboise iribery having voted for myself and


my father before for four pourid en a man wont comne forward under six guineas andwhiskey


colvert has the money they know itthe devil a farthing we havei and weve been paying all our tellows that cant read in hennesys nbtes


and you know thie banks broke this three weeks


on he went giving me a most dis astrous picture of tis case anndi con cluidet by a aking i if i coild suggest any thing under the circumstances


you couldit get a decent mob and clear the poll iair i fraid not said be despondingly


theii doiit se whats to be donbeo if you cant pick aiht iuvihli hindiselfill lord knows


theysay hes so afraid of that tlhat it hasprevented him couing down till the very day but he is arrived nw he came in the eening nd is esopping at


waltig in patrickstreet


then ill


see what can be done said j i that canertstheitlemanthat b lies ihen the ladyiiehtenant speakds to him


said lady mary


ther very man


wtoqld itbe of any use you if be eqould not come onri the hstsig to


inoir row


said she again


lwould gain un the day half the rviteresdont believe hes here at all anti hischief agent cheated all the people ob the lat electiori nnod if calvert didnt appear he wouldnt have ten votes to rgister


but thy do yoiu ask liy that if ypd like ill tet you a pair of dianond


earrings ihe shant show


done said butler and i promise a necklace into the bargain if ou win but im uifirl


i yoire ohly quizzing me


erea nr y hand oin it i


i


d she


and now lets talk tuisornetbing else


as il ny pyte asied lry assis tance and as irtew she wasvery able topirtortio


vwiitevur she tindertouk you may be sure i gave


myself very litile trouble about the whlle affir and when theycame i went off to breakfast with toii cboinpittee not knowing anything lthit wvas totbe done


to be called at eight oclock aendl a few mninutes before that time a gentle i knock came to the door


come in said iti thinkintgit ia the waiter and cover inghimselfup in the clothes for he was the most bashful creature everwas seen


come in


the door opened and what was his horror to find that a lady entered in her dressinggownher hair on her shoulders very much tossed and dishevelled


the moment she came in sheclosed the door and locked it and then sat leisurely down upon a chair


billys teeth chattered and his limbs trembled for this was an adventure of a very novel kind for him


at last he took courage to speak tam afraid madam said


he thatyou are under some unhappy mistake and that you suppose this cham ber is


mr calverts anid the lady with a solemn voice is it not


yes madam i am that person


thankgod said the lady with a very


impressive tone herel ain safe


billy grew very much puzzed at these words but hoping that by his silence the lady would proceed to some expla nation he said no more


she however seemedto think that nothing further was necessary and sat still and motionless with her hands before her and her eyes fixed on billy


you seem to forget me sir said she with a faint smile


i do indeed madam the half light the novelty of your costume and the strange ness of the circumstancealtogether must plead for meif i appear rude enough


ci am lady mary boyle said she


i do rememberyou adam but may i ask


es yesi know what you would ask you wouldtlsay why are youhere how comes it that you have so far outstepped the propriety o which your whole life is an example that alone at such a time you appear in the chamber of a man


whose character for gallantry oh indeedindeed my lady aotbiog of the kind


ah alas


bow poor defeneeless women learn too latehow consisantly associated is the retiring modesty which denies with your pleasing powers which ensures success


here she sobbed billy blushed and the clock struck nine may


then beg madam yes yes iou


ahall hear it all hut my poor scattered faculties will not be the clearert by yourhurrying me


you know perhapscontinued she that my maiden name was rogers


he of the blaniketsi bowed and she resumed


it is now


eighteen years since that a young uat suspecting fond creature reared in all the care and fondness of doting parents tempted lieifirst step in life and trusted


her fate to anothers keejling


g i asp that unhappy person the oh rtuht nmonsterin human guise that smiled but to betray that won but to ruin and des


troy is he whom you know as sir har boyle here she sobbed for some min utes wiped her eyes and resumed her narirative be ttiuing at the perioid of lier niarrinag detailed a number of irutn stances


in which poor calvert


in all


his atrxiety to come nau findatmtitteraibnuld never perceise b re upon the qslestion in any way but


as she recounted them aill with greait force and precsio


entreatingi hima to bear in mind certain circumnstatpees to which shbe should recurby andbyj his attention was keptonthe stretch and it was only when the clckid strnutk ten that he was fully aware how his mnorning i as passing


and what surmisce his absence might originate


may i interrupt you for a momenit dear madam


was it nineor tin tile ck which struck last how should i know said ishe franti cally what are hours and minutes to her who has passed long years of misery


very true verytrtle replied lietiiiily and rather feaiing fourthe biteilectigf his fair companion


she continued


the narrative howevert so far from becomning clearer grewv gradbually more confused and intricate andi as frequient references were made by the lady to aoml previous statement calvert was more than once rebuked for forgetfulness and inattention where in reality nriothing less than shorthiand could have bohn him through


was it in ninetybthree i said sir harry left me at tuam upon my life madam i anm


afraid toaver


i but it strikes me sgtiacious powersi andhia is he whom i fondly trusted to make the depository bf my woescruel cruel man


itere he sobbed considedrably ior rseveral mianutes and spoke inot


a loud cheer of butler for ever from the niob


wiithout now bhauirstupon their hearing and recalling poor calvert at once to thethoughtttlit the hours were speeding fast and no prospect of the everlasting tale coming toanend


i am deeply most deeply grieved my dear madam saidthe


little man sitting up in a pyramid of blankets bht hours minutee are most precious to me this morning


i am about to be proposed as member for kilkeniny


at these words the lady straightened her figuire out threw hei arms at either aide and burst into a fit of laughter which poor calvert knew atonceto be hysterics


here was a pretty situation the bell rope lay against the opposite wall and even if it did not would he be exactly warranted in pulling it


may the devil and il his angels take sir harryv boyle andhis whole connec tion to the fifit generptio washis sin eere prayer as hte sit likea chinese jugggler under his canopy


at length the violence of the paryam seemed to subside the sobs became less frequent tbhe kicks lesa forcible and the ladys eyes efnsed aiid ase appeared to have fallen asleep


nowis themoment said billy if icould onlyget as far as i my dressing gown


so saying he worked himself down noiselessly to the toot of his bed looked fixedly at the fallen lids of thesleeping lady and essayed one leg from the blankets


now or never said he


pushing aside the curtain and pre paring for a springone more look he


cast at his companfion and then leaped forth


but just as he lit upon the floor stieagain aroused herself screamingwith horror


billy fell upon the bed and rolling himself in the bedclothes vowed never to rise again tillshe was out of the viiblehorizn


wvhat is all this what do you mean sir


said the lady redden ing with indignation


nothing upon my soul madam it was only my dressing gown


your dressing gown said she with an emphasis worthy of siddons a likely story for sir harry to believe sir fie fie sir


this last allusion eetped a settler for the luckless calvert heaved a pro found sigh and sank dlown as if all hope ha l left him


butler for ever roared the mob calvert for ever cried a boys voice from without three groans for the runaway answered this announce ment and a very tender enquiry of where is be was raised by some hun dred mouths


madam said the almost frantic listener madam i must get up i must dress i beg of you to permit me


i have nothing to refuse sir disdain


has long been my only portion


get up if you will


but said the astonished man who was well nigh deranged atlhe coolness of this reply but how am i to do so if you sit there sorry for any inconvenience i may causqeyu but inthe crowded state of the hotel ihope yu see the impropriety


of my walking about the passages inthis costume


and greatgod


madam whydid you come out init


a cheer from the mob prevented her reply being audible


one oclock tolled out from the great bell of the cathedral


theres one oclock as i live


i heard it said the lady


the shouts are increasing


what is that i hear


butler is i


gracious


mercy is the election over


the lady stepped to the window drew aside the curtain and said indeed it wouildappear


so the mob are chairing mrbutler


a deafening about burst from the street


perhaps youd like to see the fun so ill not detain you any longer


so goodbye mr calvert and as your breakfast will be cold in all lkelihood come down to no for sir ai strrs a late man and will be glad to cce ou


mb


caudles breakfast talk


from punch january chapter ihow mr


caudle married mibs prettvman and


how he nagold her to j death


when harry prettyman saw the very suporb funeral of mrs caudleprettyman attended as mourner and was particularly jolly on the coach he observed that the disconsolate widower showed that above all men he knew how to make the best of a bad bargain tho remark as the dear deceased would havo said was unmanly brutal but quite uko that prettyman


the samo scoffer when caudle declared he should never cease to weep replied he was very sorry to hear it for it must raise the price of onions


it was not enough to help to break tho heart of a wife no the savage must joke over its precious pieces


tho funeral we repeat was remarkably hand


some in prettymans words nothing could be more satisfactory


caudle spoke of a monument


wheronpon prettyman suggested death gather ing a nettle


caudletjio act did equal honour to his brain and his bosomrojected it


mr caudle attended by many of his friends returned to his widowed homo in tolerable spirits


prettyman said jocosely poking his two angers in caudles ribs that in a week hed look quito a tulip


cuudlo merely repliedho could hardly hope it


prettymans mirth however communicated it self to tho company and in a very little time the meeting took the air of a very pleasant party


somehow miss prettyman presided at the tea table


there was in her manner a charming mixture of grace dignity and confidencea beautiful black swan


prettyman by the way whispered to a friend that thore was just this difference between mrs caudlo arid his sister mrs caudle was a great goose whereas saiah was a little duck


we will not swoar thut caudle did not overhear the words for as he resignedly stirred his tea ho looked at the lady at the head of the tabte smiled and sighed


it waa odd but women are so apt miss prettyman seemed as familiar with caudles silver teapot as with her own silver thimble


with a smile upon bur facelike tho butter on the muffinsshe handed caudlo his teacup


caudle would now and then abstractedly oast his jo above the mantelpiece


thore was mrs caudles portrait


whereupon miss prettyman would say you must take comfort mr caudle indeed you must


at length mr caudlo re plied i will miss prettyman what then passed through caudles brain wo know not but this we know in a twelvemonth and a week from that day sarah prettyman was caudles second wife


sirs


caudle number two


poor thing chapter iihow


mr caudle begins to show something or the fiend thats in him


it is rather extraordinary mrs caudle that we have now been married four weeksi dont exactly soo what you havo to sigh aboutand jet you cant make mo a proper cup of tea


however i dont know how i should expeot it


there never was but one oman ho could make tua to my taste and she is now in heaven


now mrs caudle let me hear no crying


im not one of the people to bo melted by tho tears of a woman for you can all cryall of youat a minutes notice


the waters always luid on and down it comes if a man only holds up his finger


you didt think i could be so brutal


thats it


let a mau only speak und hes brutal


its a womans first duty to make a decent cup of tea


what do you think i married you for


its all very well with your tambourwork and such trumpery


you can make butterflies on kettle holders but can you make a pudding maam


ill be bound not


of course as usual youve given me tho cornerroll because you know i hate a corner roll


i did think you must havo seen that ldid hope i should not be obliged to speak on so paltry a subject


but its no use to hope to be mila with you


i see thats hopeless


and what a herring


i


and you call it a bloater i suppose


ha


there was a woman ho had an eye for a bloater butsainted croa ture ishos hero no longer


you wish she was


oh i understand that


im sure if anybody should wish her back itsbut she was too good for me


when im gone caudle she used to saythen youll know tho wife i was to you


and now i do know it


heres the eggs boiled to a stono again


do you think mrs caudle im a canary bird to be fed upon hard eggs


dont tell me about the servant


a wife is ansucrablo to her husband for her servauts


its her business to hire proper people if she doesnt shes not fit to be a wife


i find the money mrs caudlo and i expect you to find the cookery


there you aro with your pockethandkerchief again the old flag of truce but it doesnt trick me


a pretty honeymoon


honeymoon non sense people cant have two honeymoons in their lives


i here are feelingsi find it now that we cant have twice in our existence


theres no making honey a second time


no i think ivo put up with your neglect long enough and theres nothing like beginning as we intend to go on


therefore mrs caudle if my toa isnt mado a little moro lo


my liking to


morrowand if you insult me with a tetring like thatand boil my eggs that you might fileem out of gunswhy perhaps mrs caudle you may seo a mau in a passion


it takes a good deal to rouse mo but when i am upi say when i am upthats all


where did i put my gloves


you dont know


of course not you know nothing


mj


lmarib antoinette on tiilfchevalier of the red house


continued from our lau


chaptkk


v at the bottom of the corridor a confused noise of voices was heard the deliberation had degenerated into a discussion


maurice coulijl not catoh the thread of debate


however several words reached him


and amongst them as if expressly he heard spy


poignard death


maurice redoubled his attention


a door opened and he heard more distinctly


yes said one of the voices yes he is a spy


hq has discovered something and he is decidedly sent to find out our secrets


by set


ting him free we run a strong chance of being denounced


but his word of honour remarked ano ther


he will give it and then bet tay us


is he a gentleman that his word can bu trusted


maurice ground his teeth at the idea that some people still entertain that a man must be a gentleman to keep his promise


but does he know us to be able to de nounce us certainly not


he does not know what we are doing hut he knows our address and he will return much better accompanied than he is now th arcument seemed to be decisive


well said a voice which had already several times struck maurice as belonging to


the chief is it then decided


yes yes a hundred times yes


i do not eomprehndynur magnanimity my dear fellow


if the committee of public safety only had us you would soon see whether they uould stand upon much ceremony


so t en tlemen you persist in your decision undoubtedly and trust you will not op pose it


i hate hut one voice gentlemenit is to set him free you have six and all decide for death


be it so


the perspiration on maurices brow grew cold


he will perhaps shout aloud said a voice


have you removed madame dixmer


she suspects nothing she is in the pavi lion in front


madame dixmer murmured maurice i now understand


i am in a tanners house in that mans house w ho spoke to me in the rue saint jacques and who retired laughing at me because i did not know my friends name


what possible interest could a master tanner have in assissinating me


maurice looked around him and perceived an ash stake pointed with iron a dibble


at least said he before i am assassinated i shall kill more than one of them


he sprang to the instrument so inoffensive in other hands save his own


he then weht behind the door so that on opening it would cover him


his heart heat violently and audi bly


all at once maurice shuddered from head to foot as a voice remarked if you take my advice you will gently break a pane of glass and shoot him through the bars


no no no said another voice the ex plosion would betray us


ah i dixmer you are there


well hat about jour wife


r i looked through the blinds she is reading without suspecting anythin


dixmer you will decide it


are you in favour of the musket or the poniard


by all means the poniardno fire arms


be it so


come along


come on repeated five or six voices


maurice was a child of the revolution he possessed a heart of bronze and was tainted with the theological scepticisms of the age but at the expression come on used behind the dour which separated him fioin death he remembered the sign of the cross which his mother had taught him when a child at his evening prayers


the footsteps drew nearer then they stopped


the key rattled in the lock and the door opened slowly


during this fleeting minute maurice said in his own mind


if i lose a moment in striking lam lost


by throwing mjself on my assas sinsi shall surprise them i shall gain the garden then the lane and escape


instantly boundjug up like a lion and utter ing a savage cry in which there was more of menacethan terror he overthrew the two first men who believed him still manacled and bandaged and were far from expecting such an aggression evaded the others and sprang along the corridor where he saw a door opened wide into the garden


he leaped on with sinews of steel gained the garden and ran as well us hccould imagine in the direction of the door


the door was closed locked and bo


ted maurice drew the bolts and tried the lock but the key was gone


those who pursued him reached the steps of the pavilion door and at once perceived him


there he is fire dixmer fire kill bim kill him maurice uttered a terrible cry


he wa con finedto the garden


he measured with his eye the height of the walls they were at least ten feet high


all this passed in a minute


the assassins rushed iii pursuit maprice tras thirty paces in advance of them


he looked around with the air of a condemned person seeking for the least shadow of chance that could be converted into areality


he perceived the pavilion the blinds and the light


he bounded towards it seized the blinds tore them down dashed through the window and alighted in a chamber where a woman was seated reading hy the fire


the woman started up in alarm and called for i h el p draw


back genipvijve


move aside ex claimed dixmer that i may lcijl him maurice saw within ten paces of him the barrel of a musket


the woman had scarcely looked at him when she uttered a violent scream and instead of moving aside asher husliand had ordereii she flunji herself between maurice and the weapon


this movement concentrtd the whole of maurices attention upon the generous creature whiiso first impulse as to save him in turu he uttered an ext tarnation


it was tho unknown for whom he had searched


youl is it you exclaimed he


silence said she


then turning towards thp assassins who with different arms in their handsj had approached the window she cried olh you tniiit notkill him


he is a spy exclaimed dixmer whose soft and placid countenance had assumed an ex pression of unalterable resolution


he is a spy and must die


he a spy he a spy


come near me dix mer i have only one word to say to convince you


tjiatjou are strangely deceived


pixmer stood closer to the windpw


gene vive leaned towards him and whispered some wordsin hisear


the master tanner quickly lifyedhis head


is it he r himself answered genevive


aryou quite sure


the young woman did not reply but turning toward maurice she exfended her hand dixmer s features then assumed an inexpres sible gentleness and calmness as he put the butt ai d of his weapon


oh the ground


that is a different affair remarked he making a sign to his companions to follow him he drew them aside muttered a few words and all riisappeared


conceal that ring murmured genevive every one knows it here


maurice quickly removed the ring from his finger and slid it into his waistcoat pocket


an instant afterwards the door of the pavilion opened and dixraer unarmed advanced to wards


maurice


pardon me citizen i was ignorant of the extent of ni obligations toyou


but my wife who mentioned the service you rendered her on the night of the th of march forgot to stale your name


we were


therefore entirely igno rant of the person with whpm we were dealing


had it not been so believe me we should not for a moment have suspected your honour or intentions


once more i ask pardon


maurice was stupefied


it was a miracle that he stood up during the recital


he felt his head whirling round and ivas ready to sink


he supported himself against the mantelpiece


why then said he did you wish to kill me therein citizen lies the secret and i con fide it to your honour


i am as you already know a master tanner


the principal part of the cids i use in the preparation of my skins are prohibited


but the smugglers w horn i employ heard of an information having been laid before the general council


seeing you making inquiries i wns alarmed our smugglers were still more so at the sight of your cap of liberty and air of decision nor will i deny that your death was decided upon


i know that well enough exclaimed maurice that is no news to me


i over heard your deliberations and i saw your weapon


i have already asked pardon continued dixmer with an inexpressible air of good nature


you must understand that thanks to the present disorderly times my nssociate m morand and myself are in a fair way to realise an immense fortune


we supply the army with or military sacks per day


thanks to the fortunate state of affairs the municipality has no time to lerify our ac counts


i must admit that we fish in troubled waters and as i stated the preparative materials are smuggled so that we can gain two hundred per cent


the duce i that seems a sufficient benefit and now i compi ehend your terror of a denun ciation from me


now hoiyever that you know me you are more confident


ib it not so


now i do not even ask your promise said he


placing his hand on maurices shoulder and looking upon him with a smile


let me see said he now that ne are in committee and amongst friends i may inquire young man what brought you here


be it understood added the master tanner that if you wish it to be secret you are at perfect liberty to let it remain so


i believe i told you stammered maurice


yes concerning a woman


i know it re lated to that


good citizen pardon me


i am aware that i owe you an explanation


well i was seeking for a n oman who ihe other evening under a mask told me she lu ed here


i dont know her name condition or dwelling only i know that i am madly in love with her and that she is little


genevive was tall


that she is fair and has a lively appearance


genvive was dark with large pensive eyes


in short a grisette continued maurice and to please her i assumed this popul ir dress


that explains all said dixmer with a most evangelical faith without betrajing the least disbelief


genevive blushed and


feeling it turned round


poor citizen lindey remarked dixmer laughing what a wretclud time you hive made us endure and you are the last to whom i should wish any evil to befall


such a good p ttriotbrother hut in fact i believed some evil designer had uurpel your name


let us say no more about it observed maurice who saw that it was time for him to retire


put me in my way home and let us forget it


put j ou in your way cried dixmer you wouldleave usnot at all


my partner and myself are giving this evening a supper to the holiest fellows who a shorty time ago were ready to cut your throat


i calculate on your supping with tbem so that you may have an opportunity of knowing that they are not such devils as they seem to be


but said maurice delighted at the pros pect of remaining some hours besirje genevive hiirdl know whether i ought to accept what


vthethtr you ought to accept


i knotv


different these tnen are as good patriots as yourself bpudsjs i could not believe that you had pardoned me if you did not break bread amongst us


genevive said not a word


maurice was in torture in fict stammered the young man i am afraid to incommode vonthis costumemy disordered appearance genevive limited timidly at him we ofrtr it said she with sincerity i accept then citizen answered maurice bowing very well


i shall go and relieve the anxiety of my companion said the master tanner wirm yourself my dear friend whilst you are waiting


he went out and left genevive andimaurice together


ah i said the young woman m an accent to which she riinly ende ivoured to vive a tone of reproach you hove broken jour promise you have been very indistreet


mhat


midim exclmned maurice have i compromised


ou


ah i in that case pardon me i shall retire ind for ever heavens


cried sh starting up you are wounded in the breast your linen is stained with blood


in fact on the breast of maurice s fine white shirt which mide a contrast with his humble garments a laige stain of blood had dried


oh i don ti be uneasi madam one of the smugglers pricked me with his poniard genevive turned pale and taking his hand murmurtd


parrjpn me the evil they had done you


you have s


wed my life


and i was about to become the cause of your losing your own am i not well recompensed in once more meeting juu


for you could not mistake for a moment but that you were the person i sought


come with me interrupted genevive i will procure jou linen oui guests must mot see you in this condition it would bl a terrible reproach to them i constrain you do i not said maurice iwith a sigh


not at illi accomplish a duty and she added i shall do it wjth gre it


pleaspre


genevive then conducted maurice towards a dressingropni furnished with elegance and taste such as he lite expected to find in the hi use of a master tanner it is true this master seemed to he worth a million


jhe opened the presses


fake anything ap if you were at home and she retired when maurice returned he found djxmer present i come along said she we only wait your company at table


to b continued


chapter ii


our street


i have not selected our street for a com mencement on account of its superior claims through birth age or gentility for to tell the honest truth it is far beneath many others in these respects but because i feel most at home in the subject and am more familiar with what my next door neighbour mrs papley the monthly nurse terms the goings on of the folks about it


and while mentioning this venerable lady it may be as well to record that she has furnished me with many interesting particulars of these goings on which otherwise would have been a sealed volume to me who can neither lay claim to the power of asmodeus nor the wonderful gift of second sight


lifting roofs from houses or looking through brick walls are far above me whilst peeping through windows and listening at keyholes i always consider quite beneath me


but i have acquired a fashion from long habit of keeping my ears open to the narratives of gar rulous communicators and watching the various effects sweeping over their recitals as they are alternately swayed by this or that passion


mrs papley i use her own phraseology is a free outspeaking woman who never minces her words but says what she thinks about people without favor or fection


she looks upon herself as spe cially appointed the correctress of abuses and maintains that right is right all the world over she is in fact a female quixote who uses her tongue for a lance and a sharp one it really is against the dissenters from her creedbut she is womanly and full of loving kindness towards the suffering neglected and oppressed the poor dear martyers of the world as she terms them


from this slight sketch of her character it will be seen that mrs papley has to encounter many troubles and not the least amongst them is nus sin in lodgins


nussin in lodgins she remarked to me em phatically is worse than being in a nigger plantation


mr walker


you are a gentleman as has seen a deal of life and moreover with a bald headmrs


p is not complimentary


and yet it is quite impossible for you to know the illconveniencies of it


i unhesitatingly pleaded ignorance of such matters not forgetting to express sympathy for her sorrows in those troublous times and sug gesting her retirement from that unpleasant branch of the profession


lors heart alive


it is her favorite expres sion


do you think id undertake the job un less i was kidnapped into it


no not if it was ever so a walley of dimonds shouldnt tempt me


i ventured an enquiry as to the extent and nature of the disagreeables


everythink replied the old lady in a tone which disarranged my nervous system


land lords landladies servant gals wood water coals cooking dust diet and a thousand other ceterers


everythink she continued with in creasing vehemence is onbearable