so after telling mr swiveller how they had not lost sight of kits mother and the children how they had never once even lostsight of kit himself but had been unoremitting in their endeavours to procure a mitigation of his sentence how they had been perfectly distracted between the strong proofs of his guilt and their own fading hopes of his innocence and how he richardswi veller might keep his mind at rest for everything should be happily adjusted between that time and night after telling him all this and adding agreat many kind and cordial expressions personal to him self which it is unnecessary to recite mr garland the notary and the single gentlenian took their leaves at a very critical time or richard swiveller must assuredly have been driven intoanother fever whereof the results might have beeri fatal


mr abel remained behind very often looking at his watch and at the room door until mr swiveller was roused from a short nap by the setting down on the landing place outside as from the shoulders of a porter of some giant load which seemed to shake the house and make the little physic bottles on the mantelshelf ring again


directly this souind reached his ears mr abel started up and hobbled to the door and opened it and behold


there stood a strong


man with a mighty hamper which being hauled into the room and presently unpacked dis gorged such treasures of tea and coffee and wine and ruskc and oranges and grapes and fowls ready trussed for boiling and calves foot jelly and arrow


root and sago and other delicate restoratives that the small servant who had never thought it possible that such things couldbe except in chops stood rooted to the spot in her one she wit her biniimouth and eyes watering in unison and her power dof speech quite gone


but not so air


abel othe strong man who emptied the hamper big asit was in a twinkling and not so the nice old lady who appeared so suddenly that she might have come itt of the hamper too it was quite large enough and who bustling about on tiptoe and without noise now here now there now everywhere at once began to fill out the jelly in teacups and to make chicken broth in small saucepansi and to peel oranges for the sick man and to cut them up in little pieces and to ply the small servant with glasses of wine and choice bits of everything until more substantial meat could be prepared for her refreshment


the whole ofwhich appearances aere so unexpected and bewildering that mir


swiveller when he had taken twooranges and a little jelly andhad seen the strongman walk off with the empty basket plainly leaving all thatabundance for his use and benefit was fain to lie down and fall asleep


again from sheer inability to entertain such wonders inhis mind


meanwhile the single gentleman the notary and mr garland repaired to a certain coffeehouse and from that place indited and sent a letter to miss sally brass requesting her in terms myterious and brief to favour an unknown friend whowished to consult her with her companythere as speedily aspossible


thecommunication performed its errand so well that within ten minutes of the messengers return and report of its delivery miss brass herself was announced


prayamaamsald the single gentleman whom she found alone in the room take a chair


miasbrass sat herselt down lina very stiff and frigid shate and leemed as indeed she was not a little astqniahed to find that the lodger and her mys


terious correspondent were o and the same person


you did not expect to sqe me lsaid ths alngle gentleman


i didnt think much about it


returned the beauty i supposed it was hbusiness of some kind or other


lf itasboutthe apartments of course youll givesmy brother regular notice you know or money


hats very easily settled


youre a re sponsible party and in suchsa case lawfulmoney and lawful notice arepretty much the same i am obliged toyoufor your good opinioure torted tlheaigle


gtleoan


a nd


quite concur in those sentiaments


dutthat is not tie subject eon which i waish to speakwithkyou


oh masldsally then just state lthes particu lars will you


i uppose its professional basinessl sh hlt is connecledwith the law certainly


sarywell returned miss brass


mlybrother apd lat eejust the same i can take any instructions or give you any ad vice


astherearol othler parties interelsted besides myself said the single gentlemat rising indopening the door of an inner room we had better confer together


aliss brass is here gentlemen mr garland and the notary walked in leoking very grave and drawing up two chairs one on each side of the single gentleman formed a kind of fence round the gentle sarah and lenned her into a corner


her brother sampson


under such circum stances would certainly have evinced some confusion or anxiety but she all composure pulled out the tin box and calmly took a pinch of snuff


miss brass said the notary taking the word at this crisis we professional people understand each other aqd when we choose can say what we


have to say in very few words


you advertised a runaway servant the other day well returnea miss sally with a sudden ush overspreading her features what of that she ismfound maam said the notary pulling out his pockethandkerchief with a flourish


she is found


who found her demanded sarah hastily


we did maamwe ithree


only last night or you would have heard from us before


and now ihave seard from you said miss brass folding her aims resolutely as though she were about to deny something to the death what haveyou got to say


something you have got into your heads about her of course


prove ii will you ihats all prove it tyouhave found her you say


i can tell youif you dont know it that you have found the most aitful lying pilfering and devilish little minx thaiwa ever born


have you got her here she added looking sharply round


no site is niot here at present returned the notary


but she is quite safe


ha i cried sally twitching a pinch of snuff out of her box is spitefully as if she were in the very act of wrenching off the small servants nose she shall be safe enough from this time i warrant you


i hope so replied the notary


did it occur to you for the first time when you found she had run away that there were two keys to your kitchen door i bliss sally took another pinch and putting her head on one side looked at her questioner with a curious kind of spasm aeiout her mouth but with a cunning aspect of immense expression


two keys repeated the notary one of which gave her the opportunities of roaming tthrough the houserat nights when you supposed her fast locked up and of overhearing confidential consultations among others that particular conference to be de acribed today before a justice which you will have an opportunity of hearing her relate that conference which you and mr brass held together onthe night before that most unfortunate and innocent young nman was accused of robbery by a horrible device of which i will only say that it may be characterised by the epithets you have applied to this wretched little witness and by a few stronger ones besides


sally took another pinch


although her face was wonderfully conmposed it was apparent that she was wholly taken bysurprise and that what she had ex pectedto be taxedwith in connexion with her small servant was something very different from this


come come bliss brass said the notary you have great command of feature but you feel i see that by a chance which never entered your imagination this base design is revealed and two of its plotters must be brought to justice


now you know the pains and penalties you are liable to and so ineed not dilate upon them but i have a pro posal to make to you


you have the honour of being sister to one of the greatest scoundrels unhung and if


i may venture to say so to a lady you are in every respect quite worthy of him


but connected with you is a third party a villain of the name of quilp the prime moverof the whole diabolical device who i believe to be worse than either


for his sake miss brass do us the favour to reveal the whole history of this affair


let me remind you that your doing so at our instance will place you in a safe and comfortable positionyour present one is not desirableand cannot injure your brother for against him and you we havequite suffi cient evidence as you hear already


i will not say to you that we suggest this course in mercy for to tell the truth we do not entertain any regard for you but it is a necessity to which we are reduced and i recommend it to you as a matteroof the very best policy


time said mir


witherden pulling out his watch in a business like this is exceed inglyprecious


favour us withl your decision as speedly as possible maam


witha smile upon her face and looking at each of the hree by turns miss brass took two or three nmone pinches of snuff and having by thistime very little left travelled round and round the box with her forefinger and thumb scraping up another


having disposed of this likewise and put the box carefully in her pocket she said i am to accept or reject at once am l yes said mr witherden


the charming


creature was opening her lips to speak in reply when the door was hastily opened too and the head of sampson brass was thrust into the roam excuse


me said that gentleman hastily


wait a bit


so saying and quite indifferent to the astonish ment


his presence occasioned hie creptlin shut the door kissed his greasyglove as servilely as if it were the dust and made a most abject bow


sarah said brasshold


your tongue if you please and let me speak


gentlemen ificould express thepleasure it gives me to see three such men in a happy unity of feeling and concord of sen timent


ithink youwould


hiardly believoe me


but though iam unfortunate nay gentlelnen criminal ifrwe are to use harsh expressions in a company like this still i have iny feelings like otha men


i have heard ofa poetwho


resarked that feelings were the commonlot of all


if he could have been a pig gentlemen andhave utttered that sentiment he would still itave been immortal


if youre not an idiot said missbrass harshly hold your peace


sarah my dear retunned her brotlrerthank you buti know wltat i am about my loveand will take the liberty of expressing myself accord


ingly


mr witherden air your handkerchief is hanging out of your pocket would you allow me to ai mrl


brass advanced toremedy this accident the iotary hlrunk fromhim with an air of disgust


brass vvhloovercand ahoe his usual prepossessing qualities ihad ascratched face a green shlade over one eye anda hat grievously crushed stopped short and looked round with a pitiful smile


he shuns nie saidsanmpson even when i would as i maysay heap coals of lire upon his head


well i h


i


but i am a falling house and the rats if imay he alidwed the expression in reference to a gentlematthat i respect and love beyond everythlng fly fiom me


gentlemen re garding ybur conversation


justns i happened to see my sister onlerway iere nnd wondering where she could hbe goinglto and being may iventure to say naturally of a suspicious turn followed liher


since then i have been listeiiog


ifyouronot mad itlerposed miss sally stop there andmayno more


sarah my dear rejoined brass with unsdimin


ished politeness i thank you kindly but will still proceed


mr witherden sir as we have the honor to be members of the same profession to say nothing of that other gentleman having been my lodger and having partaken as one may say of the hospitality of my roof i think you might have given me the refusal of this offer in the first instance


i do indeed


now my dear sir cried brass seeing that the notary was about to interrupt him suffer me to speak i beg


mr witherden was silent and brass went on


if you will do me the favour he said holding up the green shade and revealing an eye most hor ribly discoloured to look at this you will naturally inquire in your own minds how did i get it t if you look from that to my face you will wonder what could have been the cause of all these scratches


and if from them to my hat how it came into the state in which you see it


gentlemen said brass striking the hat fiercely with hisclenched hand to all these questions answerquilp


the three gentlemen looked at each other but said nothing


i say pursued brass glancing aside at his sister as though lie were talking for herinformation and speaking with a snarling malignity in violent contrast to his usual smoothness that i answer to all these questionsquilpquilp who deludes me into his infernal den and takes a delight in looking on and chuckling while i scorch and burn and bruise and maim myself quilp who never once no never once in all our communications together has treated me otherwise than as a dog quilp whom i have always hated with my whole heart but never so much as lately


lie gives me the cold shoulder on this very matter as if he had had nothing to do with it instead of being the first to propose it


i cant trust him


in one of his howl


ing raving blazing humours i believe hed let it out if it was murder and never think of himself so long as he could terrify me


now said brass picking up his hat again replacing the shade over his eye and actually crouching down in the excess of his servility whatdoes all this lead me to


what should you say it led me to gentlemen could you guess at all near the mark


nobody spoke


brass stood smirking for a little while as if he had propounded some choice conum


drum and then said to be short with you then it leads me to this


if the truth has come out as it plainly has in a manner that theres no standing up againstand a very sublime and grand thing is truth gentlemen in its way though like other sublime and grand things such as thunder storms and that were not always over and above glad to see iti had better turn upon this man than let this man turn upon me


its clear to me that i am done for


therefore if anybody is to split id better be the person and have the advantage of it


sarah my dear com paratively speaking youre safe


i relate these circumstances for my own profit


with that mr brass in a great hurry revealed the whole story bearing as heavily as possible on his amiable employer and making himself out to be rather a saintlike and holy character though subject he acknowledged to human weaknesses


lie concluded thus now gentlemen i am not a man who does things by halves


being in for a penny i ant ready as the saying is to be in for a pound


you must do with me what you please and take me where you please


if you wish to have this in writing well reduce it into manuscript immediately


you will be tender with me i am sure


i am quite confident you will be tender with me


you are men of honour and have feeling hearts


i yielded from necessity to quilp for though necessity has no law she has her lawyers


i yield to you from necessity too from policy besides and because of feelings that have been a pretty long time working within me


punish quilp gentlemen


weigh heavily upon him


grind him down


tread him under foot


he has done as much by me for many and many a day


having now arrived at the conclusion of his dis course sampson checked the current of his wrath kissed his glove again and smiled as only parasites and cowards can


and this said miss brass raising her head with which she had hitherto sat resting on her hands and surveying him from head to foot with a bitter sneer this is my brother is it


this is my brother that i have worked and toiled for and believed to have had somethingof the man in him


sarah my dear returned sampson rubbing his hands feebly you disturb our friends


besides youyoure disappointed sarah and not knowing what you say expose yourself


yes you pitiful dastard retorted the lovely damsel i understand you


you feared that i should be beforehand with you


but do you think that i would have been enticed to say a word


i id have scorned it if theyd tried and tenmpted me for twenty years


hie hie simpered brass who in his deep debase ment really seemed to have changed sexes with hiis sister and to have made over to her any spark of manliness he might have possessed


yoiu think so sarah you think so perhaps but you would have acted quite different my good fellow


you will not have forgotten that it was a maxim with foxeyour revered father gentlemen always suspect everybody


thats the maxim to go thlrough life with i if you were not actually about to pur chase your own safety when i lshowed myself i suspect youd have done it by this time


and therefore ive done it myself and spared you the trouble as well as the shame


the shame gentle men added brass sallowing himself to be slightly overcome if there is any is mine


its better that a female should be spared it


with deference to the better opinion of mr brass and more particulirly to tihe authority of


his great ancestor it may be doubted with humility whether theelevating principle laid down by the latter gen tleman and acted upon by his descendant is always a prudent one or attended in practice with the desired results


this is beyodd question a bold and presumptuous doubt inasmuch as many dis tinguished characters called smen of the world longheaded customers knowing dogs shlrewd fel lows capital hiands at business and the like have made and do daily make this axiom their polar star and compass


still the doubt may be gently insinuated


an in illustration it may be observed that if mr brass not being over suspicious hiad withont prying and listening left his sister to manage the conference on thieir joint behalf or prying and listening had not been in such a mighty hurry to anticipate her which he would not hiave been but fo his distrust and jealousy ihe would probably have found hilmself much better off in tlhe end


thus it will always happen tisat these men of the world whto go through it in arsiour defend sthemselves from quite ass much good as evil to say nothing of the inconvenience and alisurdthij


oh modiating


guard vith a itiericrcope at idl times and of wearing a coat of mail on lthe most innocent oeicasions


the three gentlemen spoke together apart for a few moments


at the end of their consultation which was very brief the notary pointed to the writing materialson the table and informed mr brass that if he wished to make any statement in writing he had the opportunity of doing so


at the same time they felt bound to tell him that they would require his attendance presently before a justice of the peace and that in what he did or said ihe was guided entirely by his own discretion


gentlemen said brass drawing off ihis gloves and crawling in spirit upon the ground before them i will justify


the tenderness with which i know i shall be treated and as without tenderness i should now that this discovery has been made stand in the worst position of the three you may depend upon it i will make a clean breast


mlr


witherden sir a kind of faintness is upon my spirits if you would do me the favour to ring the bell and order up a glass of something warm and spicy i shall notwithstanding what has passed have a melancholy pleasure in drinking your good ealtlr


i had hoped said brass looking round with a mournful smile to have seen you three gentlemen one day or an other with your legs under the mahogany in my humble parlour in the marks


but hopes are fleet ing


dear me


mr brass found himself so exceedingly affected at this point that he could say or do nothing more until some refreshment arrived


having partaken of it pretty freely for one in his agitated state he sat down to write


the lovely sarah now with her arms folded and now with her hands clasped behind her paced the room with manly strides while her brother was thus employed and sometimes stopped to pull out her snucf box and bile the lid


site continued to pace up and down until site was quite tired and then fell asleep on a chair near the door


it has been since supposed with some reason that this slumber was a sham or feint as she contrived to slip away unobserved in the dusk of the afternoon


whether this was an intentional and waking de parture or a somnambulastic leavetaking and walk


ing in her sleep may remain a subject of contention but on one point and indeed the main one all parties are agreed


in whatever state she walked away she certainly did not walk back again


mention having been made of the dusk of the afternoon it will be inferred that mr brasss task occupied some time in the completion


it was not finished until evening but being done at last that worthy person and the three friends adjourned in a hackneycoach to the private office of a justice who giving mr brass a warm reception and detaining him in a secure place that ihe might ensure to him self the pleasure of seeing him on the morrow dismissed the others with the cheering assurance that a warrant could not fail to be granted next day for the apprehension of mr quilp and that a proper application and statement of all the circumstances to the secretary of state who was fortunately in town would no doubt procure kits free pardon and liberation without delay


and now indeed it seemed that quilps malignant career was drawing to a close and that retribution which often travels slowly especially when heaviest had tracked ihis footsteps with a sure and certain scent and was gaining on him fast


unmindful of her stealthy tread tier victim holds his course in fancied triumph


still at his heels she comes and once afoot is never turned aside


their business ended the three gentlemen has tened back to the lodgings of mlr


swiveller whom they found progressing so favourably in his recovery as to have been able to sit up for half an hour and to have conversed with cheerfulness


mrs garland had gone home some time since but mr abel was still sitting with hint


after telling him all they had done the two mr garlands and the single gen tleman as if by some previous understanding took their leaves for the night leaving the invalid alone with the notary and the small servant


as you are so much better said mr wither


den sitting down at the bedside i may venture to communicate to you a piece of news which has come to me professionally


the idea of any professional intelligence from a gentleman connected with legal matters appeared to afford richard anything but a pleasing anticipation


perhaps lie connected it in his own mind with one or two outstanding accounts in reference to which he had already received divers threatening letters


his countenance fell as he replied certainly air


i hope its not anything of a very disagreeable nature though


if i thought it so i should choose some better time for communicating it replied the notary


let me tell you first that my friends who have been here today know nothing of it and that their kindness to you has been quite spontaneous and with no hope of return


it may do a thoughtless careless man good to know that


dick thanked him and said ihe hoped it would


i have been making some inquiries about you said mr witherden little thinking that i should find you under such circumstances as those which have brought us together


you are the nephew of rebecca swiveller spinster deceased of chesel bourne in dorsetasbire


deceased i cried dick


deceased


if you had been anothler sort of nephew you would have come into possession so says the will and i see no reason to doubt it of fiveandtwenty tlhousand pounds


as it is you have fallen into an annuity of one hundred and fifty pounds a year but i think i may congratulate you even upon that


sir said dick sobbing and laughing together you may for please god well make a scholar of the poor marchtioness


yet


i


and she shall walk in silk attire and siller have to spare or may i never rise from this bed again i to be contilnuedl


luthbr


v teitotalism ltheo fol lowing is an extract from a curious letter of luther written to ilieronymus weller in o you may feel sure that this temptation of yours is of the devil and that you are thus vexed because you have faith in christ for you see how secure and joyous he leaves some who are the most isveterate enemies of the gospel as eck for instance zwingle and others


it is absolutely necessary thlat all we who are christians altould hiave the devil for our adver sary and foe


this devil is conquered by trifling with hiim and contemning ilhim not by re slstance and dispute


you must thlerefore joke and sport with my wife and withl others


when i first entered tlhe monastery it fell out that i was always sad and melancholy nor could i cast off that sadness


whlerefore i consulted dr staupitz and unfolded to him what dreadful and horrible thouglhts i had


l thlou knowest not martin hiow useful is that temptation to thee and how necessary


as often then as the devil shlall afflict you with those thoughts fy at once to society or drink more than usual or jest and trifle or perform some othler act of chleerfulness


for it is occasion ally proper to drink abundantly to jest and trifle and so commit some sin or oilier in ihatred and contempt of the devil and that we may leave no opening to make us over scrupulous about matters absolutely insignificant


wherefore if the devil should say to you dont drink a drop do you take care and answer him nay for that very reason because you prohibit it will drink dlentt flly ay in thmo an of christ jesus wil drink copiously


mtemto the stoey of feather y oousltt setroi


a story from punch chapter x continuetmrom our last


i am carried off from the palace


the countess blushuose and her chaplain


few and brief were my days of glory in the palace


long ere the prince of wales cut his first toothwhat a chapter might be written on the teeth of princes i was removed from my high intoxicating place of stateplucked from the coronet


nevertheless a splendour still hung about me was still enriched by the recollections of the past


i had waved above the slumbers and the waking smiles of the prince of wales i had been a type of state and honouri had been glorified by positionand was therefore a relic dear to the associations of those who trod the carpet of a palace as though they walked the odorous turf of eden


it was to this love this veneration that i am convinced i owed my speedy removal from st jamess


had the countess blushrose felt less devo tion towards the prince of wales i might for years have remained in the palace it may be thrown aside to pass into the stomachs of palace moths


was however doomed to a more various destiny


the countess blushrosc refined away the vulgarity of mere honesty by the excess of loyalty


a phi losopher orii he were duly hired for the coarse wordan old bailey practitioner would say the countess stole me


well in hard iron pliruse she did so but surely the spirit that prompted the felony made the theft a divine one even the accusing angel must have put his finger lo his lip and inwardly laid mum i as the countess in a flutter of triumph bore me from the palace


how her heart beatfor snugly con cealed under her short satin cloak i felt the throbbing organ beat as the beautiful robber entered her carriage


i doubt not there are simple folks who will marvel at this storynay it may be give no belief to it


they may ask what i a countess filch a feather when a word in the proper place would doubtless have made it her lawful chattel such petty pilfering might have been looked for at the hands of mrs


scott the princes wet nurseof jane simpson or catherine johnson rockersbut from countess blushrose i confess it in my inexperience of the world such were the very thoughts that oppressed me now it is otherwise


not without melancholy own it but i have found that with some natures it would pain and perplex their moral anatomy to move direct to an object like snakes they seemed formed to take pleasure in indirect motion with them the true line of moral beauty is a curve


had queen charlotte herself bestowed me upon the countess the free gift i am sure of it had not con veyed so much pleasure as the pilfered acticle


borne from the palace i speedily arrived at the mansion of the countess insquare


a curious adventure met me i may ay at the threshold


asher ladyship passed through the hall she was met by a mild gentlemanly locking person


there was a certain meaning in his looka something significant of dis quietude softened and controlled by constlttiiionil calmness


may i speak some words with your ladyship


he asked


certainly air


inglevvooinnswered the countess and turn ing into an apartment she let her clonk drop from her shoulders cast me upon the table and then with the voluptuous majesty of juno sank upon a chair


have you heard how the dear bishop is today she inquired and then without waiting for an answer she continued poor man


what hes made of i cant thinkmere flesh and blood had never lasted till now


his lordship has been a great sufferer replied air


ingle wood but today lie is better


but theres no hopeimpossible


he mends and he mends bnt then he breaks and he breaks


that cough of his ought to have killed anybody


well mr inglewoodand here the countess lifting me from the table and now idly fun


ning her cheek with me and now breathing upon me and smiling as at her breath i trembled well mr


inglewood be said i suppose we must all die


thank god i was the answer


really now asked her ladyship still waving me lo and fro in her white hand dont you think this world would be a i much prettier place if death never showed his wicked features in it


mr inglewood gravely shook his head and then with a gentle mile asked ought we to say wicked madam


i cant tellperhaps not you as a clergyman are hound you know to have other opinions


and yet added her lady thip condescending to glance with brilliant archness at the reverend manand yet i dare say death though at times he may be thought a tolerable sort of thing by a curate is ugly tnoughoh a perfect frightto a bishop


i hope not madam answered the private chaplain of the countess


you have no notion asked her ladyship who will have the vacant mitre


very good mr inglewood by that look of humility i can perceive that mitres make no part of your dreams


you arc above such vanities


in truth your ladyship though im not of worse sturt than bishops are sometimes made of certainly not interrupted the countess quickly i dont tee why you should despair


there is the bishop of he was only chaplain and taughtwhat is itaie hce to the children


you are certainly as good as heand then you can swim so well how lucky it was that you brought his lord ships nephew out of the isis i how very lucky for your pros pectsthough i doubt if the younger brother will ever thank you for it


how strange now if some day it should prove that you fished a mitre from a river thus spuke her ladyship to the dependant parsonspoke in a cold icy tone of banter that i could see itmade the man wince as he listened


madamsaid inglewood i have no such hope i will add no such wish


contentment to be sure cried her ladyshipcontentment is the pret tiest thing in the world


oh it saves people such a deal of trouble


tis an excellent thinga beautiful invention for the i lower orders and then its so easy for them to obtaineasy as their own bacon milk and eggs


very often madam replied inglewood with some em phasis nay too often quite as easy


but with us who arc constantly troubled with n thousand things contentment would be out of place as a gipsy in a court suit


i think if ever in my life i was to feel perfectly nd truly content should expire on the instant


we pray against sudden death said inglewood solemnly


m lud cried the countess startled by her chaplains tone dont name it ido most heartily


dont talk of itid forgotyou had something to say mr inglewood will you forgive me madam said the chaplain if pre suming on my function i interfere with matters in this house j


i bave been told not within my duties


mr inglewood cried the countess with some surprise throwing me upon the table pray go on sir as a clergyman othing sir should be below your interference that thutaftects the peace of mindthe happiness of a fellow creature added inglewood


very right sir very right as o christian minister of the established church nothing less should be expected of you


huve the greatest opinion of your morals mr inglewood the greatest


only hope that the earlfor i can perceive by your manner that it is of his lordship you are about to peak


indeed madami the interruption was in vain


the countess with increas ing rapidity of speechaccompanied with gestures that left nothing for the chaplain to do save to wait with resignation the silence of the talkercontinued to repeat her sentiments of confidence in the judgment vigilance and devotion of the wine together with hints and suspicions directed at the con nubial loyalty of his lordship towards whom her vanity took the place of love


it was her instant and fixed belief that her chaplainthe man of peacewas about to vindicate his func tions by becoming


domestic telltale that he was about to prove himself her faithful friend by making her the most wretched of women


at lengthfor even the tongue of a vain and jealous woman will stop an invincible proof of the ending of all mortal thingsat length the countess was silent and throwing her self back in her chair with the deepest devotion of a domestic heroine was prepared for the worst


she had always felt thac shs was reserved by fate for something dreadful and the mc mm was arrived


the earl wat a fickle false and selftb man and shesweet martyr to the marriage serviceshe alas


was his wife


madam said inglewood somewhat abashed and con founded by the energy of the countess were base enough but


noand the chaplain stammered and his face for a minute flushed i have no word to speak of the earl


yere there that to say of him which your ladyships fears most groundless fears i am sure would listen to


it would little suit my place or nature madam to utter it


what does the man mean asked the countess


did you not say that you had to speak of something that affected happiness and peace of mindand all that


true madam answered inglewood


well thenand to hose happiness to whose peace of mind could you possibly allude if will your ladyship hear me


i will be very brief said the chaplain with an inward twingea rising of the heartat the inborn ingrained selfishness of the beautiful creature be


fore him


oh say what you likei suppose i must hear you an swered the countess again taking me from the table and pettishly waving me about her


a person in your ladyships household bas committed a fault of course said the countess such creatures do nothing else


she has proved not trustworthy in the duty confided lo her


i hear of nothing else cried the countess waving me more violently


let her be turned away immediately


you will pardon me madam she was about to be cast from the housecast out brokenhearted and with a blighted namewhen i took it on myself to stand between her nnil for what i know destruction and to plead her cause before you


the countess looked at the chaplain impatientlyangrily and then suid mr inglewood i am sorry for it


i vishyou would contine yourself to your duties


and what may it please your ladyshipwhat are they asked the clergyman with calm voice and fixed look


trust sir you knov themto say prayers and to make or read a sermon answered the countess


and nothing more madam inquired inglewood


surely not


what else cried her ladyship tvitli raised voice and vondcring eyes


at lease madam tu strive to practise what i pray and preach answered the cliuplain


mr inglewood his lordship out of esteem for you placed you here you were lucky enough to save n relatives life and perhaps it was righti dont say it wasnttei tcktiowledgo


the intention nevertheless i wilt have no monkish papistical principles put forward in this house


if you eau comport yourself with respect and decency as a chaplain ought lo do remain where you are if noti say if not sirbut you of course know what must follow


perfectly well madam


i am either to remain a salaried mockoryan inward apostatea blaspheming thing of outward observance i beg sir cried the countess impatiently i beg you will use bettet language


a creature wealing the skindeep livery of truth con tinued inglewood his face glowing and his eye flashing ns lie spokefoul and leprous withina hideous mountebank owing the daily bieatl of daily hypocrisy to an adroit juggling vith words i tun to io this tu lake the place ol the fool of other times in his lordships household or am to quit it


his lordship muelum but m this moment earl dhishrose entered the apartment


to lie continued


biilrivay iiudge


chapter xxiit it was a fine bright night and for all her lowneasof spirits dolly kept looking up at the stars in a manner so bewitching and she knew it i that joe was clean out of his senses and plainly showed that if over a man werenot to say over head and ears but over the monument and the top of saint pauls in love that man as himself


thello road was a very good one and yet dolly held the side of the chaise with one little hand all the way


if there had been an executioner behind him with an uplifted axe ready to chop off his head if he touched that hand joe couldnt have helped doing it


from putting his own hand upon it as if by chance and taking it away aain after a minute or so lie got to ride along without taking it off at all as if he the escort were bound to do that as an important part of his dutyand had come out for that purpose


the most curious circumstance about this little incident was that dolly didnt seem to know of it


she looked so innocent and unconscious when she turned her eyes on joethat it was quite provoking


she talked though talked about her fright and about jces coming up


to rescue her and about hier gratitude and about her fear that she might not have thanked him enough and about their always being friends from that time forthand about all that sort of thing


and when joe said not friends he hoped dolly was quite surprised and said not enemies she hoped and when joe said couldnt they be something much better than either dolly all of a sudden found out a star which was brighter than all the other stars and begged to rall his attention to the same and was ten thousand times more innocent and unconscious than ever


in this mainer they travelled along talking very little above a whisper and wishing the road could be stretched out some dozen times its natural length at least that was joes desirewhen as they were getting clear of the forest and emerging on the more frequented toad they heard behind them the sound of a horses feet at a round trot which growing rapidly louder as it drew nearer elicited a scream from mrs varden and the cry a friend i from the rider who now carne panting up and checked his horse beside them


this man again i cried dolly shuddering


hugh said joe


what errand are you upon


i come to ride back with you he answered glancing covertly at the locksmiths daughter


he sent me


amy father said poor joe adding under his breath with a very unfilial apostrophe will he never think me man enough to take care of myself


ay returned hugh to the first part of the inquiry


the roads are not safe just now ire says and vond better have a companion


ride on then said joe


im not going to turn yet


hugh complied and they went on again


it was his whim or humour to ride immediately before the chaise and from this posirion he constantly turned his head and looked back


dolly felt that he looked at her but she averted her eyes and feared to raise them once so great was the dread with which lie had inspired her


this interruption and the constant wakefulness of mrs varden who had been nodding in her sleep up to this point except for a minute or two at a time when she rose to scold the locksmith for audaciously taking hold of her to prevent her nodding herself out of the chaise put a restraint upon the whispered conversation and made it difficult of resumption


indeed before they had gone another nmle


gabriel stopped at his wifes desire and that good lady protested sithe would not hear of joes going a step further on any account whatever


it was in vain for joe to protest on the other hand that be was by ro means tired and would turn back presently and would see them safely past such and such a point and so forth


mrs varden was obdutate and being so was not to be overcome by mortal agency


good nightif i must say it said joe sor rowfully


good night said dully


she would have added take care of that man and pray dont trust him but he had turned his horses head and was standing close to them


she had therefore nothing for it but to suffer joe to give her hand a gentle squeeze and when the chaise had gone on for some distance to look back and wave it as ie still lin gered on the spot where they had parted with the talldark figure of hugh beside him


what sire thought about going home and whethther the coachmaker held as favourable a place in her meditations as he had occupied in the morning is unknown


they reached home at lastat last for for it was a long way made none the shorter by mrs vardens grumbling


aliggs heating the sound of wheels was at the door immediately


here they are simmun


here they are cried mliggs clapping her hands and issuing forth to help her mistress to alight bring a chair


simmun


now ant you the better for it mim dont you feel more yourself than you would have done if youd have stopped at homel


oh gracious


how cold you are i goodness me sir shes a per fect heap of ice


i cant help it my good girl


you had better take her in to the fire said the locksmith


master sounds unfeeling mim said miggs in a tone of commiseration but such is not his inten tions im sure


after what lie has seen of you this day i never will believe but that he has a deal more affection in his heart than to speak unkind


come in and sit yourself down by the fire theres a good deardo


mrs varden complied


the locksmith followed with his hands in his pockets and mr tappertit trundled oil with the chaise to a neighbouring stable


martha my dear said the locksmith when they reached the parlour if youll look to dolly yourself or let somnebody else do it perhaps it will be only kind and reasonable


she has been fright enrd you know and is not at all well tonight


in fact dolly had thrown herself upon the sofa quite regardless of all the little finery of which she had been so proud in the morning and with her face buried in her hands was crying very mluch


at fiet sighlt of this phenomenon for dolly was by no means accustomed to displays of this sort rather learning from her mothers example to avoid them as miuclh as possible


mrs varden expressed her belief that never was any woman so beset as she that her life was a continued scene of trial that whtenever she was disposed to be well and cheerful so sure wvere thie people around her to throw by some means or other a damp upon her spirits and that as she ihad enjoyed herself that day and heaven knew it was very seldom shite did enjoy herself so she was now to pay the penalty


to all such pro positions miggs assented freely


poor dolly how ever grew none the better for these restoratives but rather worse indeed and seeing that sire was really ill both mrs varden and miggs were moved to compassion and tended her in earnest


hut even then their very kindness shaped itself into their usual course of policy and though dolly was in a swoon it was rendered clear to the meanest capacity


that mlrs


varden was thie sufferer


thus when dolly began to get a little better and passed into that stage in w hich matrons hold that remon strance and argument may be successfully applied her mother represented to her with tears in her eyes that if sire had been flurried end worried that day she must remembhe it was thie common lot of ihuma nity and in especial of womankind who through the whole of their existence must expect no less and were bound to make up their minds to meek endurance and patient resignation


mrs varden entreated her to remember that one of these days she would in all probability have to do violence to her feelings so far as to be married and that marriage as she might see every day of her life arid tiuly sire did was a stare requiring great fortilude and for bearance


she represented to ir inlively colours that if site mrs v had not in steeini her course through this vale of tears been supportled by a strong priociple of duty whichl alone upheld and prevento her from drooping she must iave been if her grave many years ago in which case she desired to know what would have become of that erraht ipirit mean ing the locksmith of whose eye shewas the very apple and in wthose path shie was as it were a shing light and guiding star i miss liggs also put in her word tdoihe samu effect


he said tihat lodeed and indeied miss dolly might take pattern by herblessed mother wlio she always had said and always would sty thdutigh she were to be hbiged diain and quartered for it next minute was thie mildet arisiablist foirgiiigitiisririted longestasufferingest female as ever she could isave behteved thetrnere narration of whoseitnicehlencee had worked such a wliolesome change in ihe minti of her own sisterinlaw that whereas before soi


and her husband lived like cat and dog and ivers in the haiit of eabhaqgingbrass candlesticksi ph


lids flatirons and other such strong resentmeonts l l


they were now tug happiest and offectionuteat couple upon earth as could be proved any day onapplication at golden lion court number twentysivin second bellhandle on the right hand post


after glancing atlherself as a com paratively worthless vessel but still as one of some desert she esought her to bhear in mind that her aforesaid dear and only mother was of a weakly constitution and excitable temperament who had constantly to sustain afflictions in domestic life compared with which thieves and robbers were as nothing and het never sunk down or gave way to despair cr wrath but in prizefighting phrase ology always came up to time with a cheerful countenance and went in to win as if nothing had happened


when mliiggs had finished her solo her mistress struck in again and the two together per


formed a duet to tihe same purpose the burden being that mrs vorden was persecuted perfection


and tlr


varden as the representation of mankind in that apartment a creature of vicious and brutal habits utterly insensible to the blessings he enjoyed


of so refised a character indeed was their talent of assault under the mask of sympathy that when olly recoveslig embraced her father tenderly as in vindication of his goodness mrs varden ex pressed her solemn hope that this would be a lesson to him for the remainder of his life and that he would do some little justice to a womans nature ever afterwardsin which aspiration miss miggs by divers sniffs and coughs more significant than tile longest oration expressed her entire concur rence


but the great joy of miggss heart was that she not only picked up a full account of what had bop


pened but had the oxquisito delight of conveyino it to mlr


tapperit for his jealousy and torture


for that gentleman on account of dollys indisposition had been requested to take his supper in tihe work


shop and it was conveyed thither by miss miggss own fair hands


oh simmun said the young lady such goings on today i oh gracious me simmun


mr tappertit who was not in the best of humours and who disliked miss miggs more when she laid iher hand on her heart and panted for breath titan at any other time as her deficiency of outline was most apparent under such circumstances eyed her over in his loftiest style and deigned to express no curiosity whatever


i never heard the like nor nobody else pur


auied miggs


the idea of interfering with her


whiat people can see in her to make it worth their while to do so thats the jokeihe he ite


i finding there was a lady in tihe case mr tappertit hiaughtily requested his lair friend to be more explicit and demanded to know what she meant by her


why that dolly said miggs with an ex tremely sharp emphasis on tile name


but olh upon my word and honour young joseph willet is a brave one and he do deserve iher that he do


woman said mr tappertit jumping off the counter on which he was seated beware i my stars simmun i cried miggs in affected astonishment


you frighten me to death i w hats the matter there are strings said mr tappertit flourish


ing his breadandcheese knife in the air in the human heart that had better not be wibrated


thats whats the matter


oh very wellif youre in a huff cried rliggs turning away


sfluff or no huff said mr tappertit detaining her by the wrist


what do you mean jezebel


what were you going to say


answer me


notwithstanding this uncivil exhortation miggs gladly did as she was required and told him ihowv that their young mistress being alone in the meas dows aler dark had been attacked by three or four tall men who would certainly have borne her away and perhaps murdered her but for the timely arrival of joseph willet who with his own single hand put them all to flight and rescued her to the lasting admiration of his fellowcreatures generally and to the eternal love and gratitude of dolly varden


very good said mr tappertit fetching a long breath when the tale was told and rubbing his hair up till it stood stiff and straight on end all over hii head


his days are numbered


oh simmun i i tell you said the prentice isis days are numbered


leave me


get along with yout


mliggs departed at ihis bidding but less because of his bidding than because she desired to chuckle in secret


ien


she had given vent to lier satisfac tion she returned to the parlour where the lock


smith stimulated by quietness and toby hlad become talkative and was disposed to take a cheer ful review of the occurrences of the day


but mrs varden whose practical religion as is not uncom moin was usually of the retrospective order cut him short by declaiming on the sinfulness of such junkettings and holding that it was high time to go to bed


to bed therefore she withdrew with an aspect as grim and gloomy as that of the maypoles own state couch and to bed the rest of the esta


blishment soon afterwards repaired


how i stood fob the dreep daily burghs


cbafrcn i fiom blackwood s edvitiui gh magazine


my dear duiisliutiner suid my friend it dieri mcorlundjie us


he entered my iipnrlments one fine morning in june last do you happen to huve seen the share liai


things ure looking in liverpool as black as thunder


the bullion is all guille out of the country and the banks ure refusing lo dis count


bob mont hilldale might very safely have kept his information to himself


i whs id say the trulli most painfully annie of the fuels which he un feelingly tihlruded upon my notice


six weeks before in he full confidence that the panic was subsiding i lind recklessly invested my whole capital in llie shares of ti certain ruilwu company which for the present shall be nuinilesa mid each successive circular from my broker couvejed the doleful intelligence that the stock was going down to erebus


under these circumstances certainly felt very far from being comfortable i could not sell out except ul a ruinous loss and i could nut nell afford lo hold on fur any length of lime unless lhere wau


a reasonable prospect of a speedy amend ment of the market


let me ctitifes iii had of late come out rather too ulrong


when a man has made money easily he is somewhat prone lo launch into expense and to presume too largely upon his credit


i had been idiot enough io make ni debut in the sporting worldbud stat ted a couple of horses upon the verdant thrf of paisley and as amatterof course was remorselessly old by my advisers


these ml ioine other minor iimusenipiils had pre j ed deliterlouuly upon my pmse


in fact iliad nut the ready and as every iiadesnian throughout glasgow wau quaking in his shoes at ihe panic und inconveniently eager to realise i began to feel the reverse of comfortable and was hy of showing my self in buchananstreet


several documents of ii suspicious appearanceowing lo the beastly prac tice of wafering which is still adhered lo by a certain class of correspondentswere lying upon my table tit ihe moment when bob entered


icoold see that the illain comprehended their nature il a glance bul lhere was no ure in attempting tu mya


lify him


the political economist hs


i was nell aware in very much the same predicament us myself


to tell you the truth mcorkindale i iinve not opened a sharelist for a fek


the face of some of our friends are quite long enough lu serte as a tolerableexponentof the market undi saw grnhbie pnss about live minutes ago with a yard of misery io his visage


bul what the news


every thing that is had i tutu stoppage ex peeled in a weck und the mil s already pul upou short lime


you donl say so i ii is a fact


outisliunner this infernal tamper ing with the currency will be lie ruin of every mother son of us iand here bob


in a fit of indig nan


enthusiasm commenced a vi id harangue upon ihe principles of contraction and expansion bullion the melnllic standard and the bank rserver which no doubt was extremely sound but which i shall not recapitulate to the reader


thnis all very well bob said i very good io theory but we shall confine ourselves at present to practice


the main question seems to me lo be this


how are we to gel out of our present fix


i presume you are not ni present afflicted with n remarkable plelhory of cash


every farthing i bate m the world is locked up in a falling line


any debts not many but quite enough lo make me medtale a temporary retirement to boulogne


i believe you ore better off than i am


i not only owe money bul am terribly bothered about some bills


thats awkward


would it not be advisable lo boll


i dont think so


you used lo tell me bob that credit was the next best thing to raphal


now i dont despair of redeeming my capital yet if i can only keep np my credit


right undoubtedly as ynu generally are


do you know duusliunner you deserve credit for your notions on political economy


but how is that lo be dune


everybody is realising the banks wont discount and when your bills become due ihey will bo to a dead cerlainty protested


wellntl what then


sqnalor careen etcetera


hum an unpleasant alternative certainly


cunie boh i pat your wits to work


you used to be a capital hand for devices and there must be some way or other of steering clear


timo is all we waul


ay to be surelime is the great thing


it would be very unpleasant lo look out on he world tironeh a grating during the summer months


i perspire lit ihe bare idea


i no a soul in townall your friends away in the highland boating or fulling or shooting grouse and yon pent up in a si fling apartment of righi feet square with nobody to talk lo save the turnkey und no prospect from the wintlow except u deserted gooseberry stall


o bob dont talk in that way i you make me perfectly uiiscruhle


and all this fur ti ministerial currency crotchet


pon my mini its lou bad


i i wibii those fellows in parliament


well gonn


by jove


i o an iden at last


you dont say so


i


my dear bobmil with it


duiishuiinvr ure you a mun of pluck


i should think i uni


and ready to go the whole hog if required


the enlire animal


then ill tell you what it isthe elections will be on immediatelyund hy si andrew well put you up for parliament


mel yon


why no


there ure hundreds of men there quite as haid up und not hulf so clever ob yourself


anti what good would thal do me


donl you see


you need not cure n farthing about your debts then fur the peisonal liberty of a member of ihe house of commons is sacred


you can fire away right and left at the currency and ho knows if jon play joiir cards well but you may gel u co ni foi table place


well you are a genius bob


but then what snrl of principles should i profess


that is a mutter which requires consideration


wliul ure your nu freliugs on ihe subject


perfect indifference


i mu pledged lo


no party anti um fieu to exercise my independent judgment


of course of cuuise i we shall lake cure lo stick all thai into the address but you must pugi lively come forward with sume kind of langihle political views


the currency will do for one point bul as lu the olliers


i see a difficulty


suppose i were to stall as ii peelile


suiuelliing may be said in favour of thal jew hut on the whole should rather say not


that parly may no look np for sume little lime and then the cuirency is a stumblingblock in ide way


no diiiishunner i do not ihink upon my honour dial it would he wise for you lu commit yuurselt in that quarter


al the present moment


suppose iry the prolecliuiiist dodge


one might come it very strong against the foreigners ami in favour of native industry


eh bob


what do you say to ihut


it is au advantage to act willi gentlemen


true bul at the same time i see many ohjer liuns


the principlesuftin country party nie nut yet thoroughly umleislood by the people und i should like to have you sturt with at least popularity on your side


itudical then what do you ihink of annual par i in me n is universal suffrage vole by ballot mid sepcrnliou of chinch anil slate i am clear against thal


these views are not popular willi ihn electors und von the mob would enieilain a strung suspicion thal you were humbug ging lliiui


what then on earth am i lo du


i ill tell you


cunie out as a pure anil trans patent whig


ia hie present position of parlies ii is al leiul


a safe course to pursue and ti is always ihe rendieni step to the possession of the loaves und llie uslien boh i dont liku the whigs


no more wo i tiiey ure ti had lol but they are iiiand that is everything


yes augustos cnntimii d bob solemnly there is nothing else fur ii


you must start as a pure whig upon hie revo lution principles of


i it would be a great relief to my mimi bob if you would eil me what those principles really are i have not the remotest idea but we have plenty lime lo look hiern up


then i suppose i must swallow ihe dutchman und the massacre of glencoe yes mid the duien business into hie hurgain


these ure the principles of your parly and of cuurse tun are bound lu subscribe


well you know best but id rallier do any ihlng eine


pooh never fear you and whiggery will agree remarkably well


thal mutter then we may consider as settled


the next poiut to be thought of is the constituency


ay lo be suie


what place am i to start for


i hnvii got no interest mu


if i had uuy lhere nie no nomination burgh in scotland


arent lhere


thats all you know my fine felton i hark je dunshuiiuer more hau half uf


ihe scottish but glin ure at this moment held by iiuminees


i you amaze me bub


tito thing is impossible


the reform bill ihut great charter of our liberties bravo


there spoke the whig


the reform bill you think put an end to nomination


it did nothing of ihe kind it merely transferred it


did you ever hear of such things us cliques


i have bul they ure tremendously unpopular


nevertheless ihey huid ihe reluming power


there is a clique in almost every town llirougliout scotland which leads the electors quietly bul as aurel as the blindmun is conducted hy his dug


these are modelled on the true venetian principles of secresy and and terrorism


they control the wlole constituency put in the member und in rellim monopolise iliewliole palionageof the place


if ou huve the clique willi you you ure almost sure of your election if nut except in the larger lonna you liive nut a shadow ol success


now what i want to impress upon you is this ihut wherever jon go be sure i hu


i you communicate willi llie clique


but how hui i to find it uni


thal is nnt always un ens maller for nobody will acknowledge thtil hey belong to it


how ever iii thing ia nut impossible und we shall certainly make llie experiment


come then i suppose you agree willi me thal it is hopeless to attempt ihe larger tow ns


clearly


so far as i see ihey are all provided already with candidates


and ou may mid cliquesdunshunner well hen let us search among he smaller places


what would you lliiuk of ti dash at ibu stirling district of buighai


i i


why lhere ureul least half a dozen candidates in the field


true ihut would nalnrnlly lessen your chanco


depend upon ii some one of them lins already found the key to the clique


but theres the dreepdaily district with nobody standing for it except the honorable paul puzzlethwaite and question hellier he knows himself ihe nature or the texture of his politics


reully duusliunner thats the very place for yon and if ne look sharp afler it i bel the long odds thal you will carry it in a canter


do yon really think so


i du indeed and the sooner you start the belter


let me ace


i know provost biukie of dreepdaily


he is a railway bird was un original glenniiilclikin shaiebolder and fortunately auld otu ni a premium


he is a capital mun to begin with und i think will be favourable lo


you besides dreepdaily is an old wing borough


i am not so sure of keilleweeni


ii is a shade more respectable than dreepdaily and has always been rather conservative


the third burgh drouthielaw i a nest of radicalism but i think it may be won over if we open the publichouses


but about expentes bobwont it be a serious maller


why you must lay your nccnnnl with spending some five or six hundred pounds upon the nail and i advise you lo sell stock lo that amount at least


the lemuinder should it cost you more can stand over


bobfive or six hundred pounds is a very seri ous sum i grantedbul then look nt the honour and lie immunity you will enjoy


recollect that yours is au awkward predicamentif you dont get into parliament i see nothing for it bul a stoppage


thats true enough


wellbang it then i will sun i theres a bravt fellow


i should not in ihe least wonder to m


you ni he cabinet yet


the sooner you set ubotil preparing your address the belter what i without seeing provost binkie to be sure


what is ibn use of wailing when you can plunge at once into deep water i besides let me tell you that you are u great deal more likely to gtt credit when it is understood that you are un actual candidate


there is something in that too


but i any bobyou really must help me willi the uddress


i am h bad hand ut these tilinga ami hull never be able to tickle up the electors without jour assist mu p i ii do all i can


just ring fora little sherry and wuli r an i well el to woi k


i make no doubt thal between us we can polish olf a plausible placard two hours afterwards i forwarded through the pot offne a missive ml ii k sued lo the editor of the dreppduily painui willi


i lie following document em tosed


i am rather pi ou ti of it as a manifesto of my poliiicnl principle


to the rtl olons of jhf tjnitrj disiniotof burghs or diielpdaily drouuiei aw and kill li wi em gentli meni am induced by a requisition to which art uppt tided the signalling of a i irge m a j i rity of youi influential mid patriotic body to lir


in j si if na ti candidate for the high honour of your repri senliitiun


lu


ihe ensuing session of parliament had i consulted my own inclination i should have preferred the leisure of retirement and the pursuit of those studies so congenial to my taste to the more stormy and agitating arena of politics


but a deep sense of public duty compels me to respond to your call


my views upon most hulijecls are go well known lo ninny of you that ii lengthened explanation of them would probably be superfluous still how evei it may be righi und pioper for mc to explain gem mil


what hey am my principies arohiisid upon the great and glorious ki toliilinn settlement of c whit h hy abolishing ii ut feast superseding hereditary rielit intrust


i i lit guardianship of ihe rrtmn


lo an eulighti ned oligarchy for ihe prolectim of nu unpin imputing people thal oligarchy is notv must utily rejmst tiled by her mitjestva prctnt munal


t lo who ii unliesituingl mid une un promising except upon a very few mailers i give in my ailhesiun so long as they hull cuulituie in ollice opposed to faction and nn enemy lo misrule i am yet nundi


lo many changes of u sweeping and organic eli iracier


without reluxingthc tit a which ut piespnt bind lnelhei


burch and stale lu li ii ino mons c oiililion nut union i would grail na


i


h ron fistule the lev nues of the oue for the iiititusiug net earndell of he other


i m ver would bicorne u party lo an allai k upon the house of peeis so lungus


remains subservient to ihewill of the commons nor would i aller or extend the franchise except fruin caiisshown and the declared mid universal wish of ihe nonelectors i highly approve of the policy which has bet i pursued toward ireland ntl of nilli rcotici ssioris lo ii diep rooted system of agitation i approve of increased endowments to that much niglecled cotintiy and i applaud dial generosity nindi relieves it fiom all parncipn ion in tile common hurd na of tin stale bin h ti line of pnltcj cannot fail to clewile tin moral tone and lo di velnp


the internal resources of ireland mid i never wish to see the day lieu the siolsmin and llu iusbnitui inav in so far us taxation is tom el ned be pi iced upon an i quid fouling


it appears to me a inglih equitable adjustment


ibal ihe savings of i lie iii st should be appropi idled


foi i ho wants of the m ion i i um in favour of ihe cenlnlisiiig xistein which by drafting away the wen i ill und talent of iii piuvineet must imminent the importance of london


am strongly opposed to the marni nance of tin toral or scottish institution which can aurel si ne to fustera spirit ol decay d n illniiulity mi i i am til opn ion unit all boa ni s


and i diet s


should he lidusferred


lo


i noland nilli the exn plion of iiom i wuk eled willi he drei pduily district ii inch


it is the hoiiiitlcii duly of the legislature lo protect und ptencre


i um ti friend tn tile sprent of education bul hostile to mi syslim b nunns of which leligiuii esp ci tlty ir ti stanlisui niny be nuicht muli auppuilei


o id te trade in all


it hi nulles


i i cannot big any re ison foi lie piolection of ti due imliihli mil um re idy to support uny fun il a in ntul ineiisiiie in nu ans of inch an it les ol foreign mitti


facture ni n be nought to compete in lie linne mailvhi wilb oui own without leslnction und willi uni let i rotilv


it h is always appeared lo me thal


oin imports ire of fin gteiter iiiiportuuce than our txpoita


i think th it any lowering of price which may ho the result of snell it commercial polity will he more limn adequately compensated b a merci vi measure wini li hii ill eonipi i the artisan to a uguie


n i


ihe pc lind of his labour lam against uny short boina lull in d um of opinion thal infant labour should be stringently and universal i eui reed


with regard to he currency i feel hat i may tmlely le ive lb ii mill tt r in ihe hinds ol her m ijesiyb picacnl ministers who hast never shown any nillup binon to oppose llu


um h es lo ihe popular w isli


i bese gentlemen are my sentiments and i think that upon consideration jon will gnd them sin li as may enfuie me to your cordial auppoit


i need no sty how highly shall value the trust or how i iilousl


i li


ill ende


ivour lo promote your local uiu rests


these prohubii eau bo best ad vaticed b u cautious reg in lo my own


on any other topic i shall he happy lo give you the lullest and most sutialuctoiy cxpl inuliot


i shall inerel add a a summary of my opinion that while leady on the one hand lo coi ree labour so as to annul tie intern ii industry to the minosi and lo udd largely to the amount of our popul ilion j aril upon ihe other friend lu ihe li lit hy of ihe bulyee and lo the pr motion of such gtnial und aiuiilmv measures as suit ihe tendency of our enlightened age the diffusion of universal philan thropy and the spread of popular opinion


i reiiiuiii gtntlt men nilli the deepest lespect your very obedient and bombit s min augustus iveoinalo dunshunstr


st mirrcn s house


june the editor of tin dreepd ill pntriol wisi ly con sideimg thal tlni ailvt riit nu lil was hie mere pre


lude lo many moie was kind enough lo dedicate a leading ntido lo an exposition of m past sert ires um nulli tain man so thal iahall no hete reprint the paniyti pissed upon tnjbik ir the ovation wini


h my filend foresaw


indeed i am bo fbr fruin tut thal i nail betan to think bile perusing the col min of the p itnot thal i had somewhat foolishly shut my eje


hitherto lo


ihe gnaines of thal talent and the bnlliaiicy of those pin is which nero non pioclnmel lo tin world


yes it was quite tlear that i had hitherto been concealing my caudle under a bindii ithat i was cut out i y iibittia lir ii lenisliilor


and thal i was the verj min foi the dieepdiuly lectors under this con viction i mailed upon my tanviihs niuniininliil with letters of introduction fruin mcoikindiili who much against his inclinaliuii was compelled to leiuaiu al hume


chap ii vi otu next j


literature


the ministers wooing


a tale op new uvgland by mrs e b stmoe continued fron the jjgeof aufutt


chapter x thb test of theology


the dfioor weot imrnedlutely to his study and put his bust coat at d bis wicr


and biirm uuliitg them by bis cekod hut walked manfully out of the hoiiso with hi koldhcertad cane in his hand


hure


he goi a said mrs scudder looking re gretfully ftfinr him


he is such gond man


iiu bo bits not the least idea hw get alon


in tbe woild


he never thinks of anything but what ia rue be hasnt a particle of management about him seems to me said mary ifiat is like nn apostle


you know mother st paul bays in simplicity and godly kincirity


not with fleshly wis dom but ly th gruce of god we have had our converbutioii in the world to be bute hat is just the doctor aid mra souddr thats as liko bim as if it hd baen written lor him


but that kind of way pomehow dontfeom to do in our times it wont unswer wilh simeon brown


i know the min


i know just as well now how it will all seem lo him and what will be tbe upshot of this talk if the ioctor grb there


it wont do any good if it would i woulel be willing i feel ab


much deira to have this horrid trade in slaves stopped as anybody your faihur im pure said enough about it in his time but then i know its no use trying


just as if simeon brown when he is making his hnndrrds of thousands in it is going to be persuaded to give it up


he wont hell only turn neainst the doctor and wont pay his part of the salary and will use hi influence to get up a party against him aud our burch will be broken up and tbe drctur dtiven away th its all that will come of it and all lln god that ho is now doing to these poor negroeh will be overthrown


and they never did have so good a friend


if he would stay here and work gradually and pt his system of theology printed and simeon brown would help at that and only drop words in ecason here and here fill people are brought along with him why by andby something might be done but now its just the moat imprudent thing a man could undertake


but mother if it ratlly i sin to trade in sliveb nnd hold them i dont seo how be can help bimself


i quife agree with him


i dont see how he came to let it go so loi as lie has


well said mrs scudder if worst comes to worst end he will do it i for ono shall stand by him to the last


and i for another said mary


i would like him to talk wilh cousin zebcdee


about i said mrs scudder


ivben we are np there this afternoon we will introduce the conver sation


he ia n good sound man and the docior thinks much of bim and perhaps he may shed some light upon this matter


meanwhile the doctor was making the best of his wny ia the strength of his purposa to test the or thodoxy of simeon brown


honest old granite boulder that he was no sooner did he perccive a truth than he rolled after it with all the massive gravitation of bis lieinr inconsiderate as to what might lie in his way from which it is to be inferred fbat with all hi intellect


and goodness he would have been a very clumv and troublesome inmate of the modern american church how miny societies boards colleges and other good institutions have reason to congratulate themselyes tlat ha has long been among the saints


with him logic was every ihing and to perceive a truth and not act in logical pequfiuce fmm it a thinftso incredible that he had not yet enlarged hiscatmoitv to take it in as a possibility


that a man shonh refuse to hear truth he could under staud


in fact he had good reason to think tha mnjirity of his townsmen htd no leisure to


give to lhat purpose


tbit men hearing truth should dispute it and argue stoutly against ii he coulel also undersiand hut that a man could aelmita truth and not admit the plain jraclico re sulting from it was to him a thing incoppreliensi ble


therefore spite of mra katy srodders dis couraging observations our good doctor walked stoutly aud with a trusting heart


at the moment when the docior jlh a silent uplifting of his soul to his invieihlfe sovereign passed out of his study on this erratjjl where was tbe disciple whom he went fo seek


iu a small dirty room down by the wharf the windows veiled by cobwebs and dingy with the aci cumulated dust of ages he sat iu a greasy leathern chair by a rickety office table on which wero a great pewter inksland an account booi and divers papers tied ib red tape


opposite to him was scaled a squarebuilt indi vidual a man of about forty whose rouud headt shaggy eyebrows sm u keen eyes broad cheat and iithty muscles showed a preponderance of the animal and brutal over the intellectual and spi ritual


th wab mr scro gs tbe agtnt of a rice plantation who bad come on bringing unorder for a nw relay of negroes to guppy the deficit oc casioned by ft vor dyfeutery and other causes in tbeir lait yeatv stock


tbe hot w siid smon


this last shipload wasnt us good a one as usual we lost more than a third cf it so we cant afford to put them a penny lower


ay siid


ihe other nbut then there are so many womeu well siid simeon women anfc so strong perhaps to start with bat then tbey pan it out perhaps in the long run better theyre more patient some of ihese wn he manditigoes par ticularly are pretty troublesome to mnage


we lost a splendid fellow coming over on this very voyage


let em ou deck for uir and this fellow managed to get himself loose and fought like u dragon


he settled one of our men with his fist and another wilh a marlinespibe that he caught


and in fact they had to fhoot him down


youll have his wife theres bis son too fino fellow fifteen year old by his leeui


what


that lame one


oh he at lame


its nothing bat the cramps from stowinsr


you know of course they aro more or lass stiff


hes as sound as a nut


dont much like to buy relations on account of tbeir hatching hp mischief together said mr scroggs ub thats all humbug


you must keep em from coming together anyway


its about as broad os tis long


therell be wives and husbands and children among ein before long start em as you will


and then this woman will work better for hitvinj lie bny shes kinder net oil bim iho


j ibbevs lots of lingo to him qay aad light too muib i doubt siid the overseer with v pbli


well well ill tell you said simeon rising ive got a few errands up town aud you jiut step over with matlock and look over the stock just eet aside any that you want and when i see em all together ill tell you just whit you shall have era lor


ill be back in an hour or two


and so sayinr simton brown called an under ling from bb adjoining room and committing bis cuptomcr to his care took bis way up town in a eerene frame of mind like a man who comea from tbe calm performance f duty


jut us


he cama upon tho street where was situated hi own largo nod somewhat prelentiouf m msiou the tall figure of the doctor loomed in eight sailing majestically down upon bim making a eigmil fo attract his attention


good morning doctor gaid simeon


g fid morning mr brown said the doctor


j wat looking for you


i did cot quite fimh the sufjuci we were talking ubout at mrs


rcndders table last night


i thought should iikc to go on with it a little


with a my heart doctor said simeon not a little flittered


turn right in


mrs brown will he rhoat ber house business and we will have the keepingroom all to ourselves


come right in


ihe keepingroom of mr simeon browns hoosa was an intermediate apartment between tbe intffable glories of ihe front parlour and that court of the gentiles the kitcben for tbe presence of a large train of negro servants made the latter apartment an altogether different ir


ftilution from tbe throneroom of mrs katy scudder


this keepingroom was a lowstudded apartment finished with ihe heavy oaken beams of the wall left full in sight boarded over and painted


t windows looked out on tbo street md another into a fort of court yrd where three black wenches each wiih a bro ira pretended to be aweepiug but wf re iu fact laughiug and chattering like so many crows


on one side of the room stood a heavy mahogany sideboard covered with deennterf labelled gin brandy rum o for simon was held to b a pro vider of none but the hest in bis housekeeping


tiavy mahogany chairs with crewel coveriugs stood feittry ubout the room and the fireplace was flanked by


two broad armchairs covered with stamped leather


ou ushering the doctor info this apartmenl simou courteously ltd him to the mdeboml


w muaiitmake our discussions too dry doc tor he said what will you lake


thank yon sir said the doctor with a wave cf hia hatd


nothing this morning


aud depositing his cocked bat in a chair he oltid liiutf elf into oue of ihc leathern easy ohairs


anil dropping his hands upon his knoos looked lixdly before him jike a mm who is studying how to enter upon an iuwmdly aieorbiag sub ject


vcep doctor said simeon seating himself opposite tipping comfortably at a gissa of rum


id wiiter our views appear to be making a noise ia th


world


evrytbirig is preparing lor your volumes and heu they appear tho battle of new divinity i think may faiily be considered a von


lot us consider that though j woman may for get ber fist boru yet a man cannot forget his own ystem of theology because therein if he be s true man is the very elixir and essence of nil that is valuable and hopeful to the uni verse and considering this let ui appreciate the settled ourpose of our friend whom even this tempting bait did not swerve from the end which lie htd iu view


mr browd he said all our theology is as a drop in tbe ocean of gods majesty to whobe glory we must be ready to make any and every eacri fiee


certainly


baid mr brown not exactly com prehending the turn the dociora thoughts weie taking


and the glory of god consisteth in the happi ness of all bis rational universe each in his pro portion according to his separate amount of being so that when we devote ourselves to gods glory it h the same a saying that we devote our selves lo the highest happiuess of hia creattd uuivere


thats clear sir said simeon rubbing his hands nod taking out his watcli to see the time


the doctor hitherto had spoken in a laborious manner like a nnn who is slowly lifting a heavy bucket of thcugbt out of an internal well


i am glad to find your mind fo clear on this all important point mr brown the more so as i feel that wo must immediately proceed to apply our principles at whatever sacrifice of worldly goods and i trust sir that you are one who at the call of your muster would not hesitate even to lay down all your worldly possessions for the greater good of the universe


i trust so sir said simeon rather uneasily and without tho mot distant idea what could be coming next in the mind of his reverend friend


did it ever occur to you my friend


said th doctor that the enslaving of ihe african race ia a clear violation of the great law which com manis us to love our neighbor as ourselves and a dishonor upon the obii tian rtligion m ire par ticularly in us americana whom the lord hath so insrvellouidy protected ia our recent struggle for our own liberty


simeon started at the first worda of this address much as if some one had dashed a buoket of water on bis head and after that rose uneasily walk ing the room and playing with the seals of hi t watch


i i never regarded itin this light he aaid


possibly not my friend siid the dootor


so much doth established custom bina the minds of the best of men


but since i have given more particular at ention to the case of the poor negroes here in newpirt tbe thought has more and more labored iu my mind more especially as our own stiugyljb for liberly have turned my atteniion to the tights which every human creature hath before so that i find much in my former blindness aud tbe comparative dumbnefb i have heretofore maintained on this subject wherewith to reproacu myseif fur though i have borne somewhat of a t f uroony i have not given it that force which so important a eubjct required


i amfcurobled before gkd for iny neglect and eovcd now by hs grace to leave stone unturned till this iniquity ba purged away from our zion


well doctor said simeon you are certainly touching on a very dark and difficult buhject and one in which it is hard to had out the path of duty


ivrhaps it will be well to bear it in mind and by looking at it prayerfully somo lights may arise


there are such great obstacles in the way th it i do not sue ot present what can be done do you doctor i intend to preach on the subject next sunday and herefer devoe my bet energies in the moat public way to ibis great work said the doctor


you dootor and uow immediately ft why it


appears to me you cannot do it


you are jhs most unfit man possible


whosoeverlufy it may ba it does not seem to me to be yours


you already have more on your shoulders thau you can carry you ore hardly able to keep your ground now wih ail the odium f this new theology upon you stth an effort would brsuk up your church destroy the chance you have to do good here prevent the publication of your system


if its nobodys system but miip tti


world wont lose much if it never be published but


it


it be gods system nothing canj btnder


its appearing


besides mr brown i ought not to be one man alone


i count ou your help


i hold it as a npecial providence mr brovn that in our own church ntf oppor tunity will be given to teify to ihe reality of disinterested benevolence


how glorious thu opportunity for a man to come out and testify by sacrificing his wordly living and business


if you mr brown will at onoe at whatever sacrifice quit all connection with this detestable and diabolical slave trade you will exhibit a spectacle over which angels will rejoice and which will strengthen and encourage me to preach and write and testify


mr simeon browns usual demeanor was that of the moit leathery imperturbability


in calm theolo gical reasoniug he could demonstrate in tbe dry est tone that if the eternal torment of six bodies and souls were absolutely tho neessary means for prestirviug the eternal blessedness of thirtysix benevolence would require us to rijoicd in it not in itself considered but in view of greater good


and when lie spoke not a nerve quivered the great mysterious borrow wilh which the creation groaueth aud travaileth tbe sorrow from which angelb veil tlieir faces never hud touched ono vibrating chord either of body or soul and ho laid down the obligations of man to unconditional submistion in a style which would have affected a person ol delicivte sensibility much like being meutully sawa in bander


bene volence when simeon brown poke of it seemed the grimmest aud iinloveliest of gorgons for his miud beeinyd to resemble those fouutaius which ptrify everything hat falls into them


bui tho hard istelielled auhnuls have a vital and sensitive pirt though only so large as th point ot a needle and tbe docivs inaoounl propor tion lo simeon to ubaudou bis whole worldly estate for his principles touched this spot


when benevoleuce required but the acquiescence in certain possible things which might be supposed tog happen to his soul which alter all be was comfortably oertain never would happei


or t arqaiesceoce


in certain suppositious sacrifices foe the good of that most intangible of all abtaciioj being in general it was a dry calm fulyvit


h


wheu it concerned the immediate jiving up of hu slaveships and a transfer of business ailenutd


ih all ibat confusion and loss which ho foreav at a glance then he fet and fjlt


tco mich to bee clearly


hi swarthy face flushed hiu iittle blue eye kindled be walked up to th


or and began speaking in the hort ene ic


c oces of a mm thoroughly awake to what he is talking about


doctor youre too fast you are not a prac tical ran doctor


you are goid in jo ir palpi nobody better


your theology is ciejr no body can nrgue better


but come to practical matter why business has is laws


doctor


minis ters are the most unfit men in the world to talk on such tubjects its departing from their sphere they talk about what they dont understand


be sides you take too much for granted


im not sure that this trade is an evil


i want to be convinced of it


im sure its a favor to these poor creatures to bring them to a christian land


they aro thousand times better off


here they can fceur the gospel and have some cbmee of salvation


if we want to gel


the gopel to the africans said jhe doctor why not send whole ship loads of missionaries to them and carry civilisation and the arts and christianity to africa instead of stir ring up wars ternoting them to raviga cacli others territories that wo may get ihe booty think of the numbers killed in the wars of all that die on the passage


is there eny need of killing ninetynino men to give the hundredth ono the gospel when we could give the gosjiu to them all


ab mr brown what if all the money spent in fitting out ships to bring the poor negroes here so prejudiced against christi anity that tbey regard it with fear and aversion bad been spent in seuding it to them atricawonkl have beep covered with towns and villager rejoic ing in civilisation and christianity


dootor you are a dreamer replied simeon an unpractical man


your situation prevuuts your knowing anything of real life


amen


the lord bo praised therefor


said the doctor with a slowlyincre tsing fluh mounting to bis cheek showing the burning brand of a smoul dering fire of indign ition


now let me just talk commonsense doctor which ha its timo nnd place just eb much as theology and if you h we the mot theo logy i flatter myirctf


i have the inrst common euse a business man mut b ve it noiv jiift look at your situation heiw you stand


youve got a mist important work to do


in order to do it you mui keep yoir pulpit you must keep our church togeilwr


we are tbw and weak wo are u minority


now theres not an iufiaeiitial mm in your society tht dout either hold slaves or engago ii the trade aud if you open upon this subject ai you are going to do joull jost divido aud de stroy the church


all men are not like you men re men and will be till they are thoroughly sanctified which never hippens in this life bnl there will be nn instaut and most unfavorable agitation


minds will be turned off from the iiacussion of the great saviog doctrines of the gos il to a side issue


you will bo turned out and you know docior you are not appreciated asyou ought to be and it wont be evy for you to get a new settlement and then sub scriptions will all drop off from your book and you wont be able lo get that oat aiid all this good will be lost to the world just for the want of common sense


there is a kind of wisdom in what you siy mr brown replied the dootor naively but i fear much that it is the wisdom spoken in jdtnu iii which descendeth not from above but is earthly sensual devilish


you avoid the very point of the argament which is is this a sin against god


that it is i am solemnly con vinced and shall i use lightness


or the things that i purpose do i purpose according to the flesh that with mo there should be yea yea nnd nay nay


no mr brown immediate repentance unconditional submission these are what i must preach as long as god gives me a pulpit to stand iu whether men will hear or whether they will forbear


well doctor said simeon shortly you cau do as you like but i give you fair warning that i for one shall stop my subscription and go to dr stiless church


mr brown said the doctor solemnly rising and drawing his tall figure to its full height while a vivid light gleamed from his blue eye as to that you can do as you like but i think it my duty as your pastor to war a you taat i have perceived in my couversa


tion with you this morning sich a want of true spiritual illumination and discernment as leads me tj believe that you are yet in the flish blinded by that carnal mind which is not hutjecs to the law of god neither indeed can be


i much fear you have no part nor lot in this matter aud that you have need seriously to set yourself to search into the foundations of your i ope for you may be like him of whom it is written isaiah xliv


he feedeih on ashes a deceived heart hath turned him aside that he cannot deliver his soul nor say is there not a lie in my right hand


the doctor delivered this address to his man of influence wilh the calmness of an ambassador charged with a message from a sovereign tor which he i no otherwhe responsible than to speak it in the mot ineligible manner and thi t iking up his hat and cae he bjd him good morn ing leaving simeon brown iu a tumult of excite ment whioh no previous theological disoassiou had ever raisod in him


the social evil in japan


at a small bridge thrown over a canal or creek which we crossed the suburbs of the yedo commenced the boundary being merely conventional for there was no change in the number of hovtses or street


indeed of shops every house and they were quite of the better order was a plac j of entertainment teahouse and restaurant


suc ceeded one another in endless numbers and up the streets which branched off all seemed of tliis same character


we were not long in dis covering that this was the particular quarter in which all the courtezans of yedo aro by law obliged to reside not as a mark of disgrace or because they are considered outcasts for far otherwise the law ac knowledges this course of life as tho legitimate resource of the penniless


they aro said to be the best educated and most polished women in japan and some of them have ob tained historical eminence for their beauty and talents


marriages are constantly made from amongst them and it is the generally received opinion amongst the japanese men that they make the best housekeepers and their society is not shunned by any one whether ladies or gentlemen


the social orrors of japan and else where in the south seas it is however unad visable to dilate upon in english publications but it is unjust to measure their morality by the codes of christian nations


suffice it that inti delity on the part of married women in japan i s almost unknown but that polygamy concubin age and prostitution are the custom of the people blackwood


the sex of egos


the academic des sciences publishes in its comtes


ken d


us


the title of a note addressed to it by m geniu who thinks he has discovered the clue to the secret whether the contents of an egg be male or fe male


m genin sums np his proposition thus


there are two classes of poultry traders first those who want female eggs only to rear lions for the sake of their eggs and secondly those who want male eggs only to produce cocks and capons to eat


now if these eggs are not a priori distinguishable the natural results of hatching must be accepted as a matter of ne cessity whence there arises a dead loss for each of these classes of poultry breeders


with out any view to trading profit i have long at tempted the solution of a problem which profes sional poulterers pronounce insoluble


long have i remained in incertitude


at last i dis covered my way by starting from the fact that the bones of women are smoother and cleaner in their


texture than those of men as may be seen from a comparative examination of the skeletons of the two sexes


applying at the outset this point of comparison am able after three years study to state with assurance that all eggs containing the germs ot males have wrinkles their smaller end while female eggs are equally smooth at both extremities


suck is m genins conclusion


at this season of the year it would be very easy to ascertain by expe riment whether the test has any foundation in fact or no k s din aqricuuuralgaztttf


life and adventuhes of ualttin chuzzlewit


b t c


d i me k s e s q chapter xxxvi


tom itkoh depaiits to ser


k his foh tune


what he pkds at stahting


on what a different town salisbury was in tom pinchs eyes to be sure when the sub stantial pecksniff of his lieart melted away into an idle dream


he possessed tlic same in the wonderful shops the same intensified appreciation of the mystery and wickedness of the place made the same exalted estimate ofiu wealth population and resources and vet it was not the old city nor anything like it


he walked into the market while tliev wen getting breakfast ready for him at the inn and though it was the same market as of old crowded by the same buyers and sellers brisk with the same business noisy with the sanc confusion of tongues and cluttering of fouls in coops fair with the sume display of rolls and butter newly made set forth in iinen cloths of dazzling whiteness green with the same fresh bhow of dewy vegetables dainty with the same array in higlers baskets of small shaving glasses laces brace trouserstraps and hard ware savoury with the same unstinted show of delicate pigs feet and pies made precious by the pork that had once walked upon them still it was strangely changed to tom


for in the centre of the marketplace he missed a statue he had set up there as in all other places of his personal resort and it looked cold and bare without that ornament


the change lay no deeper than this for tom was far from being sage enough to know that having been disappointed in one man it would have been a strictly rational and emi nently wise proceeding to have revensrfid him self upon mankind in general by mistrusting them one and all


indeed this piece ol justice though it is upheld by the authority of divers profound poets and honourable men bears a nearer resemblance to he justice of that good vizier iu the thousandandone nights who issues orders for the destruction of all the porters in bagdad because one of that unfor tunate fraternity is supposed to have miscon ducted himself than to any logical not to say christian system of conduct knowu to the world in later times


tom had so long been used to steep the pecksniff of his fancy iu his tea and spread him out upon his toast and take him as a relish with his beer that he made but a poor breakfast on the first morning after llis ex pulsion


nor did he much improve his appetite for dinner by seriously considering his own aftuirs and taking counsel thereon with his friend the organists assistant


tile organists assistant gave it as his de cided opinion that whatever tom did he must pro to london for there was no place like it


which may he true in the main though hardly perhaps in itself a sufficient reason for toms going there


but tom had thought of london before and had coupled with it thoughts of his sister and of his old friend johu westlock whose advice he naturally felt disposed to seek in this important crisis ot his forluaes


to london therefore he resolved to go and lie went away to the coachofhee at ance to ecure his place


the coach being already full he was obliged to postpone his departure until the next night but even this circumstance had its bright side as well as its dark one for though it threatened to reduce his poor purse with unexpected countrycharges it afforded him an opportunity of writing to mrs lupin and ap uointine his box to be brouerht to the old fingerpost at tlie old time which would enable him to lake that treasure with him to the metropolis and save the expense of its carriage


so said tom comforting him self its very nearly as broad as its long


and it cannot be denied that when he bad made up his mind to even this extent he felt au unaccustomed sense of freedom a vague and indistinct impression of holidaymaking which was very luxurious


he had his mo ments of depression and anxiety and they were with good reason pretty numerous hut still it was wonderfully pleasant to reflect tlmt he was his own master and could plan nnd scheme for himself it wasstailliug thrilling vast difficult to understand it was a stupen dous truth teeming with responsibility and selfdittrust hut in spite of all his cares it gave a curious relish to the viands at the inn and interposed a dreamy haze between him and his prospects in which they sometimes showed to magical advantage


in this unsettled state of mind tom went once more to bed in the low fourposter to the same immoveable surprise of the effigies of the former landlord and the fat ox and in this condition passed the whole of tile succeeding day


when the coach came round at last with loudon blazoned in letters of gold upon the boot it gave tom such a turn that he was half disposed to run away


but he didnt do it for lie took his seat upon the box instead aud looking doivn upon the four grays felt as if he were another gray himself or at all events a part of the turnout and was quite confused by the novelty and splendour of his situation


and really it might have confused a less modest man than tom to find himself sitting next that coachman for of all the swells that ever flourished a whip professionally be inigbl have been elected emperor


he didnt handle nis gloves like another man but put them on even when he was standing on the pave ment quite detached from the coach as if the four grays were somehow or other at the ends of the fingers


it was the same with his hat


he did things with his hat which nothing but an unlimited knowledge of horses and the wildest freedom of the road could ever have made him perfect in


valuable little parcels were brought to him with particular instruc tions and he pitched them into his hat and stuck it on again as if the laws of gravity did not admitof such an event as iu being knocked oil or blown off and nothing like au accident could befal it


the guard too


seventy breezy miles aday were written iu ins very whiskers


his manners were a canter his conversation a round trot


he was a fast coach upon a downhill turnpike road he was all pace


a waggon couldnt have moved slowly with that guard and his keybugle on the ton of it


these were all foreshadowings of london tom thought as he sal upon the box and looked about him