he added looking under the table and about the floor sharpest and cunningest of all the sharp and cunning ones wheres he in barnabys room rejoined the widow with a faint smile


ah


hes a knowing blade said varden shaking his head


i should be sorry to talk secrets before him


oh i hes a deep customer


ive no doubt he can read and write and cast accounts if he chooses


what was thathim tapping at the door


no returned the widow


it was in the street i think


hark


yes


there again


tis some one knocking softly at the shutter


who can it be


they had been speaking in a low tone for the invalid lay overhead and the walls and ceilings being thin pad poorly built the sound of their voices might otherwise have disturbed his slumber


the party without whoever it was could have stood clots to the shutter without hearing anything spoken and seeing the light through the chinks and finding all so quiet might have been persuaded that only one person was there


some thief or ruffian maybe said the lock smith


give me the light


no no site returned hastily


such visitors have never come to this poor dwelling


do you stop here


youre within call at the worst


i would rather go myselfalone


why said tihe locksmith unwillingly relin quishing the candle he had caught up from the table


becausei dont know whybecause the wish is strong upon me she rejoined


there again do not detain me i beg of you i gabriel looked at her in great surprise to see one who was usually so mild and quiet thus agitated and with so little cause


site left the room and closed the door behind her


she stood for a mo moent as if hesitating with her hand upon the lock


in this short interral the knocking came again and a voice close to the windowa voice the locksmith seemed to recollect and to have some disagreeable association withwhispered make haste


the words were uttered in that low distinct voice which finds its way so readily to sleepers ears and wakes them in a fright


for a moment it startled even the locksmith who involuntarily drew back from the window and listened


the wind rumbling in the chimney made it dii cult to hear what passed but he could rell that the door was opened that there was the tread of a man upon the creaking boards and then a moments silencebroken by a suppressed something which was not a shriek or groan or cry for help and yet might have been either or all three and the words my god i uttered in a voice it chilled him to hear


lie rushed out upon the instant


there at last was that dreadful lookthe very one lie seemed to know so well and yet had never seen beforeupon her face


there she stood frozen to the ground gazing with starting eyes and livid cheeks and every feature fixed and ghastly upon the man he had encountered in the dark last night


his eyes met those of the locksmith


it was but a flash an instant a breath upon a polished glass and he was gone


the locksmith was upon himhad the skirts of his streaming garment almost in his graspwhen his arms were tightly clutched and the widow flung herself upon the ground before him


the other way the other way she cried


lie went the other way


turn turn


the other way i see him now rejoined the locksmith pointing yondertherethere is his shadow passing by that light


whatwho is this


let me go


come back come back


exclaimed the wo man wrestling with and clasping him


do not touch him on your life


i charge you come back


he carries other lives besides his own


come back i


what does this mean cried the locksmith


no matter what it means dont ask dont speak dont think about it


lie is not to be followed checked or stopped


come back i the old man looked at her in wonder as she writhed and clung about him and borne down by her passion suffered her to drag him into the house


it was not until she had chained and double locked the door fastened every bolt and bar with the heat and fury of a maniac and drawn him back into the room that she turned upon him once again that stony look of horror and sinking down into a chair covered her face and shuddered as though the hand of death were upon her


to be continued


mtmtpi the sfoby of a feather sjj jsffulad cfrnlf


a toryfrom punch chapter xxi


continued from our lost


mrs


crumpet and pattycramp the cardmaker


my first introduction to patty had made me acquainted with the gloom and wretchedness of a london garret


i was never theless startled by the extremo misery about me


the room was rather a nook a hole for useless lumber than a place for a human being


the landlady a little woman could scarcely so nil upright beneath the slanting roof the gusty wind shook the small latticed window and entered through broken panes defying the rags and paper thrust therein to keep it out


in a corner on the bare floor was the bed or mat and there be neath a web of a blanket lay patty butler


poor thing


after my first surprise i took a sad pleasure from her wasted face heard sweet music from her feeble voice


they are chang ing thought happily changing


a few more heavy days tome few restless fevered nights and that poor creature dowered with the gentlest purest spirit will smile down upon the injustice and iniquities of a world that now casts her like a uselessweed into its foulest places


as i continued to gaze upon her i felt a strange curiosity to know her history since we last met


there was something more than the pain of sickness in her face


was it shame asked and immediately felt mean for the suspicion


had her directions been snared by heartless deviceor had she secretly nurtured a love that in its very hopelessness consumed her


yearning for sympathy where the world would sneer and mock at the desire had she in dumbness suffered that inward bleed ing of the heart whereof more die than coroners dream of


there was a sad story in that shrunken face


the history of the world is made of battlesconqueststhe accessions and the deaths of beingsthe doings of statesmen and the tricks of law


this makes the vulgar story of the external world


its deeper history is of the hearts even of its lowest dwellers of the ennobling impulses that swell themof the uncon querable spirit of meekness which looks calmly upon terror and turns even agony to patience


a london alley might produce a more glorifying heraldryif emotions could be quarteredthan poictiers or blenheim


how many a man whose only history is written in a baptismal register and under takers account has conquered suffering stronger in its onset than a squadron


if true magnanimity awarded knighthood how many nho want even shoeleather have won their spurs i with these thoughts passing in me i continued to contem plate the poor girl before me


she lay wholly exhausted by the effort of striking the light whilst mrs crumpet with characteristic consideration for the weakness of her lodger attempted not to disturb her but with due selfpreservation fortified her own system with a glass of winenilli another and another


this done she spoke


well im sure my dear if youd only have let me known that you had such a friend about you do you think id ever have put you in this room


bless you


child what do you think im made of


you might have staid in the other apart ment this i afterwards found was only the next garret but then the casement was whole the bed was of decent flock it had more than one blanket and had the elevation of a truckle i thank you this will do very well replied patty withan eflbrt very wellfor my time


as im a christian you shant sleep here another night answered mrs crumpet with vivacity


no i promised the gentleman to do all i could for you and my words my bond


well if you dont remind me of my dear lost child maria here the landlady wiped probably a tear frsm her vye and again lifted the glass


what gentleman do you speak of asked patty with a concerned look


there i nowif i havnt blabbed and i promised never to say a word about it


but he is a gentlemana real one nothing sham in him my dear and more than all youve only to get welland ha


i ha


i why you look better while talk to you and youve a colour in your face that a duchess might give her cars lor


well as i was saying youve only to get well to be made a lady of


pray tell mepray do


of what gentleman do you speak


know no oneno one who and excited by the manner of her landlady patty lay incapable of further speech and her heart was sure of itfluttered like a bird


come child cried the gossip youre faintonly a little faint


ive brought you some nine a glassone little glass will make you alive again


i thank younonenone said patty feebly


but you must ray love you shall my darling exclaimed mrs crumpet and she stooped towards the bed with the hot


tie and glass


there she cried filling and if i stay here all night you shall my angel drink it


patty cast a helpless look towards the landlady and then resigning herself to the necessity raised herself in bed


she stretched her hand towards the glass and already had the liquor at her lips


ha chuckled mrs crumpet if the gentle man who brought that wine for you could only see you now


patty instantly withdrew the glass and in a faint yet deter mined voice said i will not taste a single drop


but you must my cherub cried mrs crumpet with renewed vigour


not a drop repeated patty until you let me know to whom i am to owe it


fiddlesticks i exclaimed the landlady that you ml know some day and that shortly if you only make yourself well and hearty


come drink the wine child


no said patty with calm purpose and she placed the glass upon the floor


again and again mrs crumpet tried to prevail but putty was obdurate she would not taste the wine until informed of the donor


this know ledge mrs crumpet refused to com municate let mc however do the poor woman justice


i verily believe she would have hesitated not a second to gratify her tenant but for one circumstance she had not the means


she was as ignorant of the benefactor who had left the wine and money as was patty herself


she therefore with the cun ning of an experienced gossip thought she might guess the person of the stranger could she only know her lodgers pre vious history


this she had often endeavoured but in vain to learn


in the present instance she determined to make an indirect jevy upon pattys gratitude and therefore resolved to impart to her the history of mrs cramp in advance for pattys own


to this politic end she bent her discourse


well my dear dont know if you arnt right


hut whod have thought that anybody so young should have such caution ha if my good friend mrs cramp hod been like you youve seen mrs cramp my dear


i have heard you speak of her said patty whose thoughts were plainly far away from the subject talk of her landlady


to be sure id forgotyou never have


well he was here tonight


shes been to a rout of some sort and so she was obliged to come here to dress


to dress said patty languidly


bles you yes i keep all her fine things for her


you see shes married to a man forty years older than she and though everybody thought ho was dying when she had him hes only dying now


well although hes as rich as king solomon he wont let his wife have a decent rag upon her


and so poor soul


theres nothing left to her hut to cheat her husband right and left


cheat himher husband asked patty


and as luck would have it hes bedrid why its cheating made quite easy my dear


the worst of it is for poor mrs cramp although shes heaps of fine things she mustnt wear them in her own house


there she must look no better than


cinderwench or else the old villain might go out of the world with malice in bis heart peril his own precious soul and cut the wife of his bosom out of bis will


well my dear that would be dreadful wouldnt it asked mrs crumpet in a tone that peremptorily called for an answer


yee replied patty almost unconsciously


and so to hinder that whenever mrs cramp goes out she comes here to dress and then comes bock and shifts her finery for her old clothes to go home in


thats tricking the miser isnt it cried the landlady with a laugh


doubtuii niwered patty


now heros this beautiful feather and mrs crumpet took me up shes bought it quite a bargain


but do you think she might show it to old cramp


bless you she might as soon take n crocodilo into the house


well thank good ness the old villain has his reward


bless you his conscience must be as full of holes as a cullender


the devils always at his bedside thats one comfort


what do you mean


what crimes has the poor man com mitted asked patty


why no crimes in particular as you and i should think em only you see he made all his money by making packs of cards


now in his old age hes turned so shocking religious youd never believe it but ho thinks hes haunted by all the kings and queens he ever passed across his counter


he vovvs they all peep in and gnash their teeth at him through tho bedcurtains and onceyoud ha died a laughing to hear him for twas nothing but the fleas my dearonce he swore he was bitten all over by the jack of clubs


poor man i said patty


ha


if poor urs


cramp had only known him afore she married


and that brings mu back to what was going to say that it was so proper in you not to tuke the wine afore you knew who sent it


then you will tell me asked patty


to be sure i will when you tell mu how it was that you with such friends should ever have wanted anything


how was it that you carne in such a pickle lo me


without a farthingwithout a ny story is not worth the tellingis nothing said patty


lal cried mrs crumpet unconscious of the truth she uttered theres nobody as hasnt a story if they knew how to tell it


you must have had comforts about you


i have found friendsdear kind friends in my worst of afflictions answered patty


when my mother died and i was left homeless found a home and why did you leave itasked the landlady afore you found a better because feared i caused unhapplncss where i would have given my life to have given joy


oh so good a manso kindwith such a gentle heart towards everything i was he a married man my dear asked the landlady


he was answered patty wherepon mrs crumpet looked suddenly very sagacious as though by inspiration she had solved the problem


i see said she you and the wife couldnt agree


the woman was kindexcellentmost kind cried patty uli animation but weak and passionate


and jealous of course added mrs crumpet


i saw that my presence gave pain to her and i left her house determined whatever might be my portion lo keep my hidingplace a secret from herself and husband


but he has found you out said mrs crumpet


mr lintley cried patty


and has brought wine anti left money for you for mrs crumpet immediately concluded that the stranger must be the apothecary


what say you to that child asked the lady


putty could say nothing


she was silent und in tears


to lie continued


aer tl


p ep


goc


i personal adventures o f m stier humphreyr let moralists


and philosophers


say what they may it is veryquestionable wbeheta guilty man would have felthalf as much misery that iight asn kit did being innocenit the whw


d inge in thev constant commission of vast quantities ofinjusice is alittle too apt to comfort itself with the idea that if the victim of its falsehood and nialice have a clear conscience he cannot fail to be sustained under his trials and somehow or other to come right at last in which case


say they who have hunted him down though we certainly dont expect itnobody will be better pleased than we


whereas the world would do ivell to reflect that injustice is ii itself to every generous and proper constituted mind an injury of all others the


most insufferable the most tortiring and mosti hard to bear and that many clear consciences have gone to their accouint elsewhere and many sound hearts have broken


because of this very reason the knowledge of their


own deserts only aggravating their sufferings and rendering them the less endurable


the world however was not in fault in kit s case


but kit was innocent rand knowing this


and feeling thathis best friends deemed him guiltyi that


mr and mrs garland would look upjonl him as a monster of ingratitudethat barbara wouildi


associate him with all that was bad and criminal that the pony would consider himself forsakcen and that even his own mother might perhaps yield to the strong appearances against him and believe i him to be the wretch he seemedknowing and feel ing all this he experienced at first an agony ofi mind which no words can describe and walked up and down the little cell in which he was locked up


for the night almost beside himself with grief


even when the violence of these emotions hadis


s some degree subsided and he was beginning to grow more calm there came into hismind a new thoughtthe anguish of which was scarcely less


the childthe brightstar of the simple fellotw alifee she who always came back upon him like ai beautiful


dreamalio had made the poorest part of his exi st eoce thehappiest and bestwho had


ever beenii so gentle and considerate and goodif she were ever to hear of this what would she think


as tis i ea occurred to him the walls ofthe prison seeined oi


melt away and the old place to reveal itself in tleir stead as it was wont to


be on winter nightsthe fireside the little supper table the old inanshat and coat and stickthe halfopened door leading to her little roomthey were all there


and nell herself was there


and


he


botkhlauahino


hdpank tris they had often done and when he had got as far as this kit could go no farther but flung himself upon hispoor bedstead and wept it was


a long night thatseemed as thouglih it would have no end but he slepttoo and dreamed always of being at liberty androving about nowl with one person and now with another but ever with a vague dread of being recalled to prison


not


that prison but onewhichwas initself a dim idea not of a place but ofa care and sorrow of someni thing oppressive and always present and yet impos sible to define at last the morning dawnedand there was the jail itselfcold blaeck and dreary and very real indeed


he was left to himself however and there was comfort in that


he had libertyto wllk ini a sall


paved yard at a certain hour and learni fro the turnkey who came to unlock his cell and lshowohimi where to wash that there was a regular timel for visiting every day and that if iny of hiiefridends came to see him he would be fetched downh to the grate


when he had given him this information and a tin porringer containing his breakfast the an y m locked him up again and went clattering along tlie stone passage opening and shutting a great manyl other doors


and raising numberless loud echoes


which resounded through the building or a long time as if they were in prison too and unable to


get out


this turnkey had given htm to understand that ho was lodged like some few others in the jail apart from the mass of prisoners because he was


not sup posed to be utterly depraved and irreclaimableand had never occupied apartments in thatmansion before


kit was thankful for this indulgenceiind sat reading


the church catechism veiry atieniively though he had known it by heart from a little child until hle heard the key in the lock and the man entered again


snow then he said come on l


where to sir asked kit the man contented himself ly briefldy eplyin wisilors and taking him by thle arm in exactly the same manner as tlse constable bhad done the day


before led


him


through several winding ways aid stronggatesinto a paissage where he placed hini a a grating andturned upon his heel


beyon thi


grating at the distance of about four orfive feeti dras another exactly like it


in the space between dat a turnkey reading a newspaper and outside thei iurtherrailing kit saw with a rpalpitatig healt hisi tother with the bhby ili her arms m barbara inother with


ier neverfailing umbrella d pn or oe little jacob staring in wiih all his miglht is thoiugh he were looking for the bird ora the wild bea it


ad


housght the men were mere acceidents with who he bars could have no possible conerni


i but directly little jacob saw hisi ther and thrustlng his arni between thle rails to hui hiinm found that he came io nearer but still stood afar off with his head resting oni the arm lby whlel ie held to one of the bars hoe bgan t o cryr most pitieyously vhereupon kits nmother andbarbarasmhntehb


r ad restrained theimselvesas mulsas poisibhhersi bu tsobbin ind weeping afresh poor kit ul not help joining tahm ind not one of them could speak a wdrd i


during tiis melancholy pause the turkieiyadl his newspaper with a waggish losk lie hadevintll y


ot among die facetious paiagraphs until hspjien tugto take iis leyes offitfor an instantas iftoge


by dint of contemplation a the very mairrow f saome joke of a deeipe r sort ihan ts rest ait apea ieto occu to him for the frst ltmo dllatrsomebody was


now ladies ladi us lsaid iookiing ound wili surpribe d advise you not to w aitatim like ic his


its allowanced here you know


you mustnt et that child make that noise either


its against ll rules


im his poor mother sir sobbed mrs nubbles curtseying humbly and this is his brother sir


oh dear dear me i


well i replied the turnkey foldinghis paper on his knee so as to get with greater convenience at the top of the next column


it cant be helped you know


he ant the only one in the same fix


you mustnt make a noiseabout it


withthat he went on reading


the man was not naturally cruel or hard hearted


he had come to look upon felony as a kind of disorder like the scarlet fever or erysipelas some people had it some hadnt just as it might be


sohl my darling kitsaid his mother whom


barbara a mother had charitably relieved of the baby that i should see my poor boyhere


i you dont believe i did what they accuse me of mother dear cried kit in a choking voice


i believe it i exclaimed the poor woman


i that neverknew you to tell a lie or do a bad action from your cradle that have never had a moments sorrow on your account except it was for the poor meals thatyou have taken with such goodhumour and content that i orgot how little there was when i thought how kind and thoughtful you were though you were but a child


i believe it of the son thats been a comfort to me from the hour of his birth to this time and that i never laid down one night in anger with i i believe it ofyou


kit i why then thank god i said kit clutching thebars with an earnestness that shook them and i can bear it mother


come what may i shall always have one drop of happiness in my heart when ai think that you said that


at this the poor woman fell a crying again and barbaras mother too


and little jacob whose disjointed thoughts had by this time resolved them selves into a pretty distinct impression that kit couldnt go out for a walk if he wanted and that there were no birds lionis tigers or other natural curiosities behind those barsnothing indeed but a caged brotheradded his tears to theirs with as little noise as possible


kitsrmother drying her eyes and moistening them poor soul more than she dried them now took


from the ground a small basket and submis rively addressed herself to the turnkey saying would he please to listen to herfor a moment


the turnkey being in the very crisis and passion of a joke motioned to her with his hand to keep silent one minute longer forherlife


nor did he remove hishand into its former posture but kept it in the same warning attitude until he had finished the paragraph when he paused for a few seconds with a smile upon his face as who should say this editor is a comical bladea funny dog and then asked her what she wanted


si have brought him a little something to eat said the good woman


if you please sir might he have it


i


yes he may have it


theres no rule against that


give it to me when you go and ill take care he has it


no but if you please air dont be angry with me sir i am his mother and you had a mother once if i might only see him eat a little bit i should go away so much more satisfied that he was all comfortable


and again the tears of kits mother burst forth andof barbaras mother and of little jacob


as to the baby it was crowing and laughing with all its might under the idea apparently that the whole snma aooinasnted


andeotunnfor its particular


satisfaction


the turnkey looked as if he thought the request a strange one and rather out of ibe common way but nevertheless he laid down his paper and coming round to where kits mother stood took the basket from her and after inspecting its con tents handed it to kit and went back to his place it may be easily conceived that the prisoner had no great appetite but he sat down upon the ground and ate as hard as he could while at every morsel heput into his mouth his mother sobbed and wept arresh thogh with a softened grief that bespoke the satisfaction the sight afforded her


while he was thus engaged


kit made some anxious inquiries about his employers and whether they had expressed any opinion about him but all hecould


learn


was that mr abel had himself broken theintelligence to his motherwith great kindness and delicacy late on the previous night but had


himself expressed no opinion of his inno cence or guilt


kit was on the point of mustering courage to ask barbaras mother about barbara when the turnkey who had conducted him reappeared a second turnkey appeared behind his visitors and the third turnkey with the newspaper cried times up


adding in the same breath now for the next party and then plunging deep into his news


paper again


kit was taken off in an instant with a blessing from his mother and a scream from little jacob ringing in his ears


as he was crossing the next yard with the basket in his hand under the guidance of his former conductor another offeer called to them to stop and came up with a pnlot pot of porter in hiis hand


this is christopher nubbles isnt it that come in last night for felony said the man


his comrade replied that this was the chicken in question


then heres your beer said the otherman to christopher what are you looking at


there an t a discharge in it


i beg your pardon said kit


who sent it me


swhy your friend replied the man


youre to have it every day he says


and so you will if he paysfor it


so l m friend repeated kit


youre all abroad seemingly returned the otheri man


theres hisletter


take hold


kit took it and when ihe was locked up again read as follows


dlrink of this cup


youll fiod theres a spell in its every drop galnst the ills of mortality


talk of the cordial that sparkled for hielen hers cup was afiction but this is reality barclay and cos


if they ever send it ina flat state complain to the governor


yours r s itr saiold kit after somoe considersation


it must be mr richard swiveller


well its very indof himand


i thank him heartilyl to be ontinued


eftlttoi


the stoey of a feather y oflujjia cttalb a story from ponch chaptek xxvii


continued from our last


i am again taken abroadthe widow loses her lover and myself


it may be supposed that mrs cramp was justly offended at the ruthless sacrifico of her capone of the few tokens by which she remembered her departed husband which whenever she passed the lookingglass convinced her she was a widow


to say the truth she had a liking for the cap there was a significant prettinesi about it that pleased her mightily


hence she was majestically indignant with edward


he was a brutea rutilan and then her passion suffering a sweet diminuendo he was finally a very foolish fellow


she would not take a glass of wine with him she would not even touch the liquid well she would touch it and no more


she was not the foolish weak woman he thought her but if he was very good she might go to the play with him on tuesday


should she ever see his mother she would tell her what a lenpegrace son she hadthat she would


and thus wfth the prettiest affectation of remorse on the pm t of the highwayman and with a coy wayward pettishncss on the side of the widow who never having been wooed by mt


cramp promised herself an enjoyment of courtship in all its dear distracting variety thus till eleven oclock they sat unseen cupids hovering about them snuffing the candles


i will pass the separation of the lovers which mr abraham vowedand he ratified the oath with a bumper of brandy tore the very heart out of his bosom


then he burst into the snatch of an amorous ditty whilst mrs cramp begged him to remember the neighbours


to this appeal lie made answer by singing the louder and vowing if he were hanged he didnt care he couldnt die at a happier moment


and then mrs cramp wondered what nonsense was in the mans head about hanging and finally she and becky coaxed him to the door and hushhushed him into the street


quite a gentleman mem said becky left alone with ber mistress who sat silently looking at her fingers


you dido see his hands mem never saw veal whiter mem always tell a true gentleman by his hands mem


cant be a london gentleman memhas a country look


ha i


thats the place mem for my money


i could live among pigs mem and then for poultryfor breeding goslings memi may say without presumption mem i was bom for it mem


beckys avowal of her love for an arcadian life convinced mc that the parlourdoor was not without a keyhole


lawks cried becky getting no answer from her mis tress heres the feather i couldnt take it for never mind said mrs cramp and she took me from the mantelpiece never mind well talk about dyeing it another time


well it would have been a pity and a shame mem besides you wont be in nasty black a yearim


sure you cant mem


t ive such a headache becky sighed mrs cramp


ill go to bed


and the widow carrying me with her and sighing very heavily crept slowly up stairs to her bedroom followed by her maid


laying me carefully aside she sank into a chair


taking up her pocket handkerchief she sat mutely squeezing it between her palms and then she slightly brushed the ian n across herejes and then her lips movedas with some dolorous soliloquy


at length the widow cried this ii lonesome becky


might as well be buried alive mem i couldnt sleep here ulone mem for the world mem


and then theres that pictur of master memand becky glanced at a daub par trait of the late cardmaker hanging over the chimneypiece its shamefully like him mem isnt it


dont talk so becky you dont know how you distress me


shall i turn bim to the wall mem and becky with the word had mounted a chair to rive a lurnto the cardmaker


by no means said the widow what harm can the poor


mans picture do mc


i dont know mem but if i was you i should think he was always looking at me mem and then theres that big silver watch of his at the head of the bed


well i how you can sleep with that mem i cant tell


i should think it was his tperrit tick ticking away all night and shouldnt wink for him


silly creature said mrs cramp with a very faint smile


why do you ind it up mem cried becky


habit becky i always did hen the poor man was olive


but it is loud tonight and my head is i think going to pieces put the watch under the mattress becky


yes mem and in a trice the cardmakers chronometer lias crammed away


shall turn the pictur too mem cried becky


im afraid you should touch it tis in such a wretched state so wormeaten and i dont know whatremind me that i send it away tomorrow to be revived


and becky as i see foolish girl you are a little frightened you shall sleep n til me tonight


and mistress and maid slept


the widow for the told her vision when she awoke dreamt that she was carried to the lands end through the air drawn by a team of pouter pigeons whilst becky who was also favoured with a vision declared that she had hatched a couple of dosen of gooseeggs with twin goslings in every one of them


days passed on and every day gave new brightness to the widow


she sang louder laughed louder trod her chamber with lighter step and would lie and giggle in bed becky giggling in concert with her mistress


one morning the widow observed to her confidential friend this black becky


it sad hypocrisy


to be sure mem it is but then mem we cant be respectable without it


and then people stare so if they see one in weeds with a gentleman especially if one smiles or a wicked world mem think people ought to have their aperrlts in mourning as well as their backs


i should like to know what mourning was made for if it wasnt to carry it all off


ill not go out in black tomorrow said the widow after a pause


well mem i honours you for the resolution cried becky


at the same time the neighbours neednt know it observed mrs cramp


why should they mem


ah them neighbours


i theyre the cuss of ones life mem


how happy all the world might be mem if all the world hadnt neighbours mem


i can wrap a cloak about me and sneak into a coach becky said airs


cramp


and not a mouse be the wiser said her maid


the morrow came the widow flung aside her black and burst into colours


more as an excelling bit of beauty she took rae


i was placed in her head and i was delighted to find as she looked and looked in the glass that sha fully appreciated the value of my presence


a beautiful feather isnt it becky


ill tell you the worlds truth mem cried becky putting together her extended palms and flinging them from her as she spoke ive seen the queen mem and she isnt fit to see you to bed mem


thus irreverently did becky speak of btr anointed majesty queen charlotte of rappee memory


jt was evening a coach was called


mrs crimp as cau tiously as a midnight cat would cross a gutter put ber foot into the street and for an instant looked hurriedly about her the next moment the was in the coach


the action was so rapidbut i thought i saw two or three figures on the oppo site side of the ii ay watching the progress of innocent mrs cramp


tbe coach drove on


at length it stopped at the corner of a street


ah right said a voice to the coachman and immediately the door was opened and edward wasseated beside mrs cramp


r


my angel i he cried why wouldnt you let me take you up


the nebjbbours edwardthe neighbours said the widow


tbe fellow knows where to drive to asked the highway saan


le told bimhe cant mistake said mrs cramp


the coach rolled on nu surely cant be the way cried the thief


he canh be wrongi was to particular edward replied the widow


i hope we shall be in time for the beginning


oh i see i all right said abrain glancing through the window


at this moment the coach stopt


this isnt drury lane cried the highwayman


mo said a man who presented himself at the coachdoor and whom i instantly recognised as hardmoutli the police officer no but its bowstreet


instantaneously the highwayman turned round and grasping the widows hand and looking like a demon in her face he asked did you do this


what i what i cried the widow


nothing nothing my dear said abram assured by the womans look of innocence


never mind twill nil be right


hardmoutli take care of the lady cried the highwayman jumping nimbly out of the coach and immediately disappear ing amidst a crowd of constables


edward edward i exclaimed the widow


lies in a bit of trouble mum said one of the officers


trouble cried the widow and with the word she stood upon the pavement


highway robbery mum snid the same functionary


a robber exclaimed the woman fainting in the arms of the constable who carried her into the office


it cant bo his wife tim said a man as lie brought water to restore the sufferer


one of em perhaps was the answer


in a few minutes the poor boul became conscious of all about her


she was told that cllckly abramher edward was a known highwaymanthat a poor girl was in newgate upon his accounta girl sacrificed to his safety


a watch he lind stolen upon the highway fiom a sailor bad been found in her bed what was that to him


hed hang twenty women and laugh at em afterwards


such were the nets such the character in brief of the prisoner


ino widow of course would not believe u word of the scandal


she insisted upon seeing her edwurd and care less of all beside she begged entreated that the officers would conduct her into the office


the officers subdued by an influence which the widow had in her pocket granted her request


she rushed forward to seek her edward


in her agitation i fell from her head and tor some minutes lay n the passage


and then a rough coarselooking man took me up and twirling me over and over and grunting a sort of approbation of my beauty put mc under his waistcoat


to be continued


the newcomesno


chapter


viii


mrs newcomb at home a small family party


to push on in the crowd every male or female struggler must use his shoulders


if a better place thtn yours presents itself just beyond your neighbour elbow him and take it


look how a steadilypur posed man or woman at court at a ball or exhibition wherever there is a competition or a squeeze gets the best place the near est the sovereign if bent on kissing the royal hand the closest to the grand stand if minded to go to ascot the best view and hear ing of the rev mr thumpington when all the town is rushing to hear that exciting divine the largest quantity of ice champagne and seltzer cold pt or other his or her favourite fleshpot if gluttonously minded at a supper whence hundreds of people come ftmpty away


a woman of the world will marry her daughter and have done with her get her carriage and be at home and asleep in bed whilst a timid mamma has still her girl in the nursery or is beseeching tho servants in the cloakroom to look for her shawls with which some one else has whisked away an hour ago


what a man has to do in society is to assert himself


is there a g ood place at table


take it


at the treasury or the home office


ask for it


do you want to go to a party to which you dre not in


vited


ask to be asked


ask a ask b ask mrs c ask every body you know you will bethought a bore but you will have your way


what matters if you are considered obtrusive provided that you obtrude


by pushing steadily nine hundred and nine tynine people in a thousand will yield to you


only command persons and you may be pretty sure that a good number will obey


how well your shilling will have been laid out o gentle reader who purchase this and taking the maxim to heart follow it through life


you may be sure of success


if your neigh bours foot obstructs you stamp on it and do you suppose he wont take it awaj


the proofs of the correctness of the above remarks i show in various members of the newcome family


here was a vulgar little woman not clever nor pretty especially meeting mr new come casually she ordered him to marry her aud he obeyed as he obeyed her in everything else which she chose to order through life


meeting colonel newcome on the steps of her house she j orders him to como to her evening party and though he has not been to an evening party for fiveandthirty yearsthough he has not been to bed the night beforethough he has no mufticoat ex cept one sent out by messrs stultz to india in the year he never thinks of disobeying mrs newcomes order but is actually at her door at five minutes past ten having arrayed himself to the wonderment of clive and left the boy to talk with his friend and fellowpassenger mr binnie who has just arrived from ports


mouth who has dined with him and who by previous arrange ment has taken up his quarters at the same hotel


j


this stultz coat a blue swallow tail with yellow buttons now wearing a tinge of their native copper a very high velvet collar on a level with the tips of the captains ears with a high waist indicated by two lapelles and a pair of buttons high up in the wearers back a white waistcoat and scarlet underwaistcoat and a pair of the neverfailing dark trousers complete thomas new comes costume along with the white hat in which we have seen him in the morning and which was one of two dozen purchased by him some years since at public outcry burrumtollah


we have called him captain purposely while speaking of his coat for he held that rank when the garment came out to him and having been in the habit of considering it a splendid coat for twelve years i past he has not the least idea of changing his opinion i doctor mac guffog professor bodger count poski and all th j lions present at mrs newcomes reunion that evening were com i pletely eclipsed by


colonel newcome


the worthy soul who cared not the least about adorning himself had a handsome brooch of the year given him by poor jack cutler who was knocked j over by his side at argaum and wore this ornament in his desk for a thousand days and nights at a time in his shirt frill on such paradeevenings as he considered mrs newcomes to be


the splendour of this jewel and of his flashing buttons caused all eyes to turn on him


there were many pairs of mustachios present those of professor schnurr a very corpulent martyr just escaped from spandau and of maximilian tranchard french exile and apostle of liberty were the only whiskers in the room capable of vying iu interest with colonel newcomes


polish chieftains were at this time so common in london that nobody except one noble member for marylebone and once a year the lord mayor took any interest in them


the general opinion was that the stranger was the wallachian boyar whose arrival at mivarts the morning post had just announced


mrs miles whose delicious every other wednesdays in montague square are supposed by some to be rival entertainments to mrs newcomes alternate thursdays in bryanstone square pinched her daughter mira engaged in a polyglot conversation with herr schnurr signor carabossi the guitarist and monsieur pivier the celebrated french chessplayer to point out the boyar


mira miles wished she knew a little mol davian not sp much that she might speak it but that she might be heard to speak it


mrs miles who had not had the educational advantages of her daughter simpered up with madame new come pas icivotre excellence nouvellement arriveavez vous fait ung bonj voyage


jej reois chez moi mercredi prochaing lonnure de vous voirmadamaselle miles ma fille and mira now reinforcing her mamma poured in a glib little oration in french somewhat to the astonishment of the colonel who began to think however that perhaps french was the language of the polite world into which he was now making his very first entre


mrs newcome had left her place at the door of her drawing room to walk through her rooms with rummun loll the cele brated indian merchant otherwise


his excellency


rummun loll the chief proprietor of the diamond mines in golconda with a claim of three millions and a half upon the east india company who smoked his hookah after dinner when the ladies were gone and in whose honour for his servants always brought a couple or more of hookahs with them


many english gentlemen made them selves sick while trying to emulate the same practice


mr new come had been obliged to go to bed himself in consequence of the uncontrollable nausea produced by the chillum


and dr mac guffog in hopes of converting his highness had puffed his till he was black in the face as the interesting indianand now hav ing hung on his armalways in the dirty gloves flirting a fan while his excellency consumed betel out of a silver box and having promenaded him and ms turban and his shawls and his kincab pelisse and his lacquered moustache and keen brown face andopal eyeballs through her rooms thehostess came back to her station at the drawingroom door


as soon as his excellency saw the colonel whom he perfectly well knew his highnesss princely air was exchanged for one of the deepest humility


he bowed his head and put his two hands bfore his eyes and came creeping towards him submissively to the wonderment of mrs miles who was yet more astonished when the moldavian magnate exclaimed in perfectly good english what rummun you here


the rummun still bending and holding his hands before him uttered a number of sentences in the hindustani language which colonel newcome received twirling his mustachios with much hau teur


he turned on his heel rather abruptly and began to speak to mrs newcome who smiled and thanked him for comingon his first night after his return


tlie colonl said to whose house should he first come but to his brothers


how mrs newcome wished she could have had room for him at dinner


and there was room after all for mr shaloony was detained at the house


the most interesting con versation


the indian prince was so intelligent the indian what asks colonel newcome


the heathen gentleman had gone off and was seated by one of the handsomest young women in the room whose fair face was turned towards him whose blond ringlets touched his shoulder and who was lis tening to him as eagerly as desdemona listened tb othello


the colonels rage was excited as he saw the indians behaviour


he curled his mustachios up to his eyes in his wrath


you


dont mean that that man calls himself a prince i that a fellow who wouldnt sit down in an officers presence is how do you do mr honeyman eh bong soir monsieur you are very late mr pressly


what barnes


is it possible that you do me the honour to come all the way from may fair to marylebone


i thought you young men of


fashion never crossed oxford street


colonel newcome this is your nephew


how do you do sir says barnes surveying the colonels costume with inward wonder but without the least outward mani festation of surprise


i suppose you dined here to meet the black prince


i came to ask iii m and my uncle to meet you at diuner on wednesday


wheres my uncle maam


your uncle is gone to bed ill


he smoked one of those hookahs which the prince brings and it has made him very unwell indeed barnes


how is lady anne


is lord kew in london


is your sister better for brighton air


i see your cousin is ap pointed secretary of legation


have you good accounts of your aunt lady fanny lady fanny is as well as can be expected and the baby is going on perfectly well thank you barnes said drily and his aunt obstinately gracious with him turned away to some other new comet


its interesting isnt it sir says barnes turning to the colonel to see such union in families


whenever i come here my aunt trots out all my relations and i send a man round in the morning to ask how they all are


so uncle hobson is gone to bed sick with a hookah


i know there was a deuce of a row made i when i smoked at marblehead


you are promised to us for wed


nesday please


is there nobody you would like to meet


not


our friend the rummun


how the girls crowd round him


by j gad


a fellow whos rich in london may have the pick of any galnot herenot in this sort of thing i mean in society you know says barnes confidentially


ive seen the old dowagers crowdin round that fellow and the girls snugglin up to that india rubber face


hes known to have two wives already in india but by gad


for a settlement i believe some of em here would marryi mean of the girls in society


but isnt this society


askhd the colonel


oh of course


its very good society and that sort of thing hut its not you knowyou understand


i give you my honour there are not three people in the room one meets anywhere except the rummun


what is he at home sir


i know he aint a prince you know any more than i am


i believe he is a rich man now said the colonel


he began from very low beginnings and odd stories are told about the origin of his fortune


that may be says the youngman of course as business men thats not our affair


but has he got the fortune


he keeps a large account with us and i think wants to have larger dealings with us still


as one of the family we may ask you to stand by us and tell us anything you know


my father has asked him down to newcome and we have taken him up wisely or not i cant say


i think otherwise but im quite young in the house and of course the elders have the chief superintendence


the young man of business had dropped his drawl or his kilgour and was speaking quite unaffectedly goodnaturedly and selfishly


had you talked to him for a week yoii could not have made him understand the scorn and loathing with which the colonel re garded him


here was a young fellow as keen as the oldest cur mudgeon a lad with scarce a beard to his chin that would pursue iiis bond as rigidly as shylock


if he is like this at twenty what will he be at fifty


groaned the colonel


id rather clive were dead than have him such a heartless worldling as this


and yet the young man was not ungenerous not untruthtelling not un serviceable


he thought his life was good enough


it was as good as that of other folks he had lived with


you dont suppose he had any misgivings provided he was in the city carly enough in the morning j or slept badly unless ho indulged too freely over night or twinges of conscience that his life was mispent


he thought his life a most lucky and reputable one


he had a share in a good business and felt that he could increase it


some day he would marry a good match with a good fortune meanwhile he could take his pleasure decorously and sow his wild oats as some of the yoting londoners sow them not broadcast after the fashion of careless scatterbrained youth but trimly and neatty in quiet places where the crop can come up unobserved and be taken in without bustle or scandal


barnes newcome never missed going to church or dressing for dinner


he never kept a tradesman waiting for his money


he never drank too much except when other fellows did and in good company


he never was late for business or huddled over his toilet however brief liad been his sleep or severe his headache


in a word he was as scrupulously whited as any sepulchre in the whole bills of mortality


whilst young barnes and his uncle were thus holding parley a slim gentle mm of bland aspect with a roomy forehead or what his female admirers called noble brow and a neat white neck cloth tied with clerical skill was surreying colonel newcome through his shining spectacles and waiting for an opportunity to address him


the colonel remarked the eagerness with which the gentleman in black regarded him and asked mr barnes who was the padre


mr barnes turned his eyeglass towards the specta cles and said he didt know any more than the dead he didnt know two people in the room


the spectacles nevertheless made the eyeglass a how of which the


latter took no sort of cognizance


the spectacles advanced mr newcome fell back with a peevish exclamation of confound the fellow what is he coming to speak to me for


he did not choose to be addressed by all sorts of persons in all houses


but he of the spectacles with an expression of delight in his pale blue eyes and smiles dimpling his countenance pressed on wards with outstretched hands and it was towards the colonel he turned these smiles and friendly salutations


did i hear aright sir from mrs miles he said and have i the honour of speak ing to colonel newcome


the same sir says the colonel at which the other tearing off a glove of lavendercoloured kid uttered the words charles honeyman and seized the hand of his brotherinlaw


my poor sisters husband


he continued my own benefactor clives father


how strange are these meetings in the mighty world


how i rejoice to see you and know you


you are charles are you cries the other


i am very glad indeed to shakg you by the hand honeyman


clive and i should have beat up your quarters today but we were busy until dinnertime


you put me in mind of poor emma charles he added sadly


emma had not been a good wife to him a flighty silly little woman who had caused him when alive many a night ui yam mu utiy oi anxiety


poor poor emma


exclaimed the ecclesiastic casting his eyes towards the chandelier and passing a white cambric pocket handkerchief gracefully before them


no man in london under stood the ring business or the pockethandkeichief business better or smothered his emotion more beautifully


in the gayest mo ments in the giddiest throng of fashion the thoughts of the past will rise the departed will be among us still


but this is not the strain wherewith to greet the friend newly arrived on our shores


how it rejoices me to behold you in old england


how you must have joyed to see clive


dthe humbug muttered barnes who knew him per fectly well


the fellow is always in the pulpit


the incumbent of lady whittleseas chapel smiled and bowed to him


you do not recognise nie sir i have had the honour of seeing you in your public capacity in the city when i have called at the bank the bearer of my brotherinlaws gene rous never mind that honeyman


cried the colonel


but i do mind my dear colonel answers mrs honeyman


i should be a very bad man and a very ungrateful brother if i mer forgot your kindness


n for gods sake leave my kindness alone


hell never leave it alone as long as he can use it muttered mr barnes in his teeth and turnintr to his uncle


may i take you home sir


my cab is at the door and t shall be glad to drive you


but the colonel said he must talk to his brotherin law for a while and mr barnes bowing very respectfully to him slipped under a dowagers arm in the doorway and retreated si lently down stairs


newcome was now thrown entirely upon the clergyman and the latter described the personages present to the strainer who was curious to know how the party was composed


mrs newcome herself would have been pleased had she heard honeymans dis course regarding her guests and herself


charles honeyman so poke of most persons that you might fancy they were listening over his shoulder


such an assemblage of learning genius and virtue might well delight and astonish a stranger


that lady in the red turban with the handsome daughters is lady budge wife of the eminent judge of that nameeverybody was astonished that he was not made chief justice and elevated to the peeragethe enly objection as i have heard confidentially was on the part of a late sovereign who said he neer could consent to have a peer of the mme of budge


her ladyship was of humble i have heard eren menial station originally but becomes her present rank dis


penses the most elegant hospitality at her mansion in connaught and is a pattern as a wife and a mother


the young man talking to her daughter is a young barrister already becoming celebrated as a contributor to some of our principal reviews


who is that cavalry officer in a white waistcoat talking to the jew with the beard asks the colonel


hehe


that cavalry officer is another literary man of cele brity and by profession an attorney


but he has quitted the law for the muses and it would appear that the nine are never wooed except by gentlemen with mustachios never wrote a verse in my life says the colonel laughing and strokingphis own


for i remark so many literary gentlemen with that decoration


the


jew with the beard as you call him ls


herr von lungen the eminent hautboyplayer


the three next gentlemen are mr smee of the royal academy who is shaved as you perceive and mr moyes and mr cropper who are both very hairy about the chin


at the piano singing accompanied by mademoiselle le


brun is signor mezzocaldo the great barytone from rome


pro fessor quartz and baron hammerstein celebrated geologists from germany are talkimr with their illustrious confrre sir robert craxton in the door


do you see yonder that stoutgentleman with snuff on his shirt


the eloquent dr mac guffog of edin burgh talking to dr ettore who lately escaped from the inqui sition at rome in the disguise of a washerwoman after undergoing the question several times the rack and the thumbscrew


they say that he was to have been burned in the grand square the next morning but between ourselves my dear colonel i mistrust these stories of converts and martyrs


did you ever see a more jollylooking man than professor schnurr who was locked up in spielberg and got up a chimney and through a window


had he waited a few months there are very few windows he could have passed through


that splendid man in the red fez is kurbash pashaanother renegade i deeply lament to saya hairdresser from marseilles by uame monsieur fevchaud who passed into egypt and laid aside the tongs for the turban


he is talking to mr palmer one of our most delightful young poets and with desmond otara son of the late revered bishop of ballinafad who has lately quitted ours for the errors of the chursh of rome


let me whisper to you that your kinswoman is rather a searcher after what we call here notabilities


i heard talk of one i knew in better daysof one who was the comrade of my youth and the de light of oxfordpoor pidge of brasenose who got the newdegate in my third year and who under his present name of father bar tolo was to have been here in his capuchin dress with a beard and bare feet but i presume he could not getjermission from his superior


that is mi


huff the political economist talking with macdui the member for glenlivat


that is the coroner for mid dlesex conversing with the great surgeon sir cutler sharp and that pretty little laughing girl talking with them is no other than the celebrated miss pennifer whose novel of ralph the resur rectionist created such a sensation after it was abused in the tri mestrial review


it was a little bold certainlyi just looked at it at my clubafter hours devoted to parish duty a clergyman is sometimes allowed you know desipere in locothere are descrip tions in it certainly startlingideas about marriage not exactly orthodoxbut the poor child actually wrote it in the nursery and all england was ringing with it before dr pennifer her father knew who was the author


this is the doctor asleep in the corner by miss rudge


he american authoress who i daresay is explain ing to him the difference between the two governments


my dear mrs newcome i am giving my brotherinlaw a little sketch of some of the celebrities who are crowding your saloon tonight


what a delightful evening you have given us


i try to do my best colonel newcome says the lady of the house


i hope many a night we may see you here and as i said this morning clive when he is of an age to appreciate this kind of entertainment


fashion i do not worship


you may niect


that amongst other branches of our family but genius and talent i do reverence


and if i can he the meansthe humble means to bring men of genins tocrethermind to associate wih mind


men of all nations to mingle in friendly unisoni shall not have lived altogether in vain


they call us women of the world frivo lous colonel newcome


so some may be i do not say there ave not in our own family persons who worship mere worldly rank and think but of fashion and gaiety but such i trust will never be the objects in life of me and my children


we are but mer chants we seek to be no more


s if i can look around me and see as i do she waves her fan round and points to the illustrations scintillating round the room and see as i do now


a poski whose name is ever connected with polish historyan ettore who has exchanged a tonsure and a rack for our own free countrya hammerstein and a quartz a miss rudge our transatlantic sister who i trust will not mention this modest saloon in her forth coming work on europe and miss pennifcr whose genius i ac knowledge though i deplore her opinions if i can gather to gether travellers poets and painters princes and distinguished soldiers from the east and clergymen remarkable for their elo quence my humble aim is attained and maria newcome is not altogether useless in her generation


will you take a little refreshment


allow your sister to go down to the diningroom supported by your gallant arm


she looked round to the admi ring congregation whereof honeyman as it were acted as clerk and flirting her fan and flinging up her little head consummate virtue walked down on


the arin of the colonel


the refreshment was rather meagre


the foreign artists gene rally dashed down stairsand absorbed all the ices creams c


to those coming late there were chieken hones tablecloths pud dled with melted ice glasses hazy with sherry anet broken bits of bread


th s colonel said he never supped and he and honeyman walked away together the former to bed the latter i am sorry to


say to his club for he was a dainty feeder and loved lobster and talk late at night and a comfortable little glass of something wherewith to conclude the day


he agreed to come to breakfast with the colonel who named eight or nine for the meal


nine mr honeyman agreed to with a sigh


the incumbent of lady whittlseas chpel seldom rose before eleven


for to tell the truth no french abbe of louis xv was more lazy and luxurious and effeminate than our polite bachelor preacher


to be continued


it is a noteworthy fact that carpets are going out and tiles and polished oak and inlaid floors are coming in fashionamerican courier


aberdeen v palmerstonit is the fashion at all the clubs to al lude to lord aberdeen always as the injudicious bottleholder of the porte


mpunch


charles dickens is a great favourite with miss couttsso much so that it is said he has ayear fixed on him for life by miss coutts to guard against the vicissitudes of literature as a means of living


literary treasury


bush life in australia


the following sketches originally appear ed in the pages of the month when the names of the localities were disguised


they are now correctly given and as the chief in cidents were of actual occurrence our readers will probably feel an interest in matters so closely relating to the northern districts


the romance of our history has yet to be written but as the sketches now commenced are from a pen well known years ago in these columns and which now weekly greets the reader they may not be unwelcome in the meantime


chapter i


it is now more than seventeen years since on a bright november morning the smart little cutter mary bearing me and my for tunes opened the wide estuary of the cla rence riverone of the finest streams on the east coast of australia


we had been boat ing against a steady headwind which most obligingly shifted more to the eastward as we passed the beautiful green knoll that forms the south head


our skippera rude but careful northumbriansped up the rat lines and perching himself at the topmast head scanned with practised eyes the dark streak of comparatively still water that marked the channel through the surf on the bar


with our long boom eased away and the wind nearly dead aft we rose and fell with the undulating rollers which seemed as it were to catch the little vessel under the cutwater toss her gently over their heads and then run away hissing astern


to me the sensation was delightful


seasickness is a misery unknown to me and there is an hereditary tincture of the old salt in my blood that stirs with the swell of the sea


even crossing the clarence bar had some ex citement in it


the breeze had not been strong enough to raise up much of a bubble though there was a streaky appearance out to windward that betokened something stiffer during the afternoon and when an easterly gale has been long blowing there is such a break and foam upon this shifting sandbank that no channel can be seen nor would a prudent seaman seek one


but although we had luckily forestalled this state of things by some hours and were coming in with the early flood the man in the quarter gave us frequent notice of what might have been ex pected with an ebb tide and an extra hand at the bellows


with a whirl and a swing the lead flies forward and as the line is slowly gathered in three fathom is the proclamation


another castquarterless three


againandahalf two


port port shouts the skipper from his perch steady


steady repeats the matea goodhumored young swede who as soon as we took the bar had seized the helm for the little hooker was steered in the old fash ioned way and a rope with a round turn on the tiller gave the steersman some of the ad vantages of a wheel


fifteen feet of water with the rise and fall of the sea was quite little enough for safety so after listening nervously to this andahalf two more than once again it was gratifying to see our skipper slowly and contentedly descending the rigginga certain sign that we were over the bar


hauling up a little more to the northward we stood up the broad estuary for the mouth of the river


if the reader does me the honor to inquire why i charles wotton at the interesting age of twentyone found myself sailing up the clarence in the wellknown fast sailing clipper cutter mary of sixty tons register that laudable curiosity shall be promptly sa tisfied


i had an uncle who attributed all the misfortunes of his life to bile


my com plaintan amplification of this family dis orderwas billiards


the board of green cloth had greater attraction for me than my desk in a merchants countinghouse


i could manufacture a tolerable cannon for the thirteeninch lancaster was not then heard of and when i ought to have been quietly making up my quarterly balance i was larcenously pocketing the red


this weakness of mine fostered by the sage counsel and countenance of my trusty and wellbeloved fel lowsinner henry eastgatemy junior in the office but my senior in yearsgot me into many a serious scrape with the governor


by this title i do not mean to indicate the astute sir george gipps who at that time ruled the rost in sydney but the worthy old gentleman now in his honored grave who had undertaken the quixotic adventure of making me a man of business


mr drum mond was nearly related to my mother and had besides taken an unaccountable fancy to me but human patience has its limits and though my life was far from dissolute i had certainly many a bet that he was called upon to pay for


i won all before me at halfcrown fifties and shilling pool but directly we came to sovereigns and fivepound notes


my luck changed


at length a more heavy demand than ordinary preceded by a lengthened ab sence from the office and supplemented by a little transaction in muslin on the part of my friend harry another intended merchant spoilt in the making determined the gover nor to get rid of us both


mr drummond had several stock establishments but he had also his own reasons for not sending us to any of them


there was great talk at that time of the clarence river though it was but little known


an old bush servant of mr drummonds rejoicing in the startling sobriquet of terrible dick had paid a visit to this river some twelve months pre


viously and as his report was on the whole favorable i and my brother quilldriver were packed off thither to seek our fortunes with something very like a roving commission


our party consisted of myself generalissimo and commanderinchief henry murray east gate esquire richard booth yeoman vul garly known as terrible dick and two other men of whom more hereafter


i was furnished with an ample supply of provisions and all other kinds of bush stores including drays harness firearms galore and lots of ammunition


my instructions were if a fair opening offered to establish a house of busi ness on the river in connexion with the sydney firm


if not i was to proceed in search of a good sheep and cattle run take possession and wait for further advices as to stocking it


harry eastgate was second in command


terrible dick was overseer and councillorgeneral and being a thorough bushmanequally great in splitting fenc ing building stockkeeping and shearing in choosing a run hunting a kangaroo or fight ing the blackshe was my head and my right arm


it is only requisite to add that i was empowered to draw for all necessary ex pences including the purchasing of horses and bullocks if they could be had


so here we were entering the river mouth with a fair windi full of spirits at the novelty of the scenes around me poor harry laid up in his bunk with a combined attack of love and seasickness


he had had a short and rapid run in london while i was yet a boy but for all that he was very far from being the blase individual he sometimes affected and it was plain that some very tender thoughts mingled with his recollections of sydney and that little drapery business to which i have before delicately alluded


it is about seven miles from the bar to the entrance of the river which is so well con cealed by nature that before the newcomer is aware of if the view of the sea is shut out and he suddenly finds himself between the banks of the clarence


the scenery pre sented to the eye on this picturesque stream is well worthy of attention from our colonial artists


a few miles up on the starboard hand the magnificent broadwater opens out like a large lake backed up by lofty ridges


small islands clothed with dense brush stud the bosom of the river


the banks on either side are heaped up with foilage of the dark est green the clustering wild vines hanging in festoons from the treetops and forming a close covert from which occasionally a padamallon or brush wallaby would peep out at us then hop away into his bower again with a valedictory wave of his lumbering tail


far above the bowery mass of dark leaves rose the gigantic figtree with hundreds of pigeonsthe browncrested wulka and the gorgeous green and purple wompoorustling amongst its paler foilage and scattering its plenteous stores of fruit to the ground


add to all this the longdrawn whistle and sharp smack of the coachwip the silvery tink ling of the diminutive bellbirds and the mu sical but melancholly call of the wonga wonga and the reader may form some idea of my first introduction to savage life in australia


my great gun terrible dick having scrambled up from his quarters in the fore castle was now hanging over the port bow with his gaze very earnestly directed towards a large island about a mile ahead between which and the main land there was a long and narrow water passage


well dick said i as i walked forward to his side did you leave a black wife on that island when you were here last


the devil take the black thieves replied richard the terrible they were dd near leaving me there amongst them


do you see that passage sirthat one in there like a creek atween the land and the island


without questioning the propriety of dicks distinction i gave an affirmative nod


well sir that theres the south arm


this piece of geographical information was delivered with an air of mysterious tri umph evidently intended to impress me with the profoundest awe but this intention utterly failed i knowing about as much of the political and social history of the clar ence as of the classical literature of upper zambezi


but as dick stood for a few se conds glaring at me with doubleoptic force through a solitary eye and with his right arm stretched out towards the locality in question i may as well avail myself of the opportu nity to sketch his portraithe being a personage of some importance in this his tory


he was not more than five feet six inches high but broadchested and muscular


his face burnt to the color of a brick was adorned with an enormous pair of black whiskers meeting under his chin and mingling on his cheeks and behind his ears with a fine crop of the same kind of produce which he wore on his head


at that time the moustache had not been adopted by footmen and police men and neither did dick affect that kind of thing


his right eye was goneirremedi ably shut up and retired from business owing to some encounter of which the readers may possibly learn more hereafter and the bridge of his nose had been broken by a blow from a padamallonstick


his enormous mouthwearing a good humoured expres sion at ordinary timeswas drawn into a hundred puckers and wrinkles in his serious moods as at present


put upon this figure an opencollared regatta shirt with a loose black silk neckcloth a blue worsted frock gathered round the middle with a nar row belt at the back of which was slung a small cartridge box stout moleskin trousers well strapped for riding on his bowlegs an antiquated cabbagetree with a most ex travagant superfluity of black ribbon on his headand you have before you the counter feit presentment of terrible dick who at length condescended once more to give tongue


that theres the place sir where we fought the blasted darkies for near two hours and had to carry our ship out of water to get away from em


well dick all this is double dutch to me but come aft and have a glass of grog


theres mr eastgate coming on deck so well get you to give us the yarn as we go up the river


to be continued


it maybe well to observe that an austrian regiment of the line when on a war footing consists of mencorrespondence of the times


a bad tempera bad temper is a curse to the possessor and its influence is most deadly wherever it is found


to hear one eternal round of complaint and murmuring to have every pleasant thought scared away is a sore trial


the purest and sweetest atmosphere is contaminated into a poisonous miasma wherever the evil genius prevails


it has been said truly that while we ought not to let the bad temper of others influence us it would be as unreasonable to spread a blister upon the skin and not expect it to draw as to think of a family not suffering because of the bad temper of one of its inmates


one string out of tune will destroy the music of an instrument otherwise perfect so if all the members of a family do not cultivate a kind and affectionate temper there will be discord and every evil work


barnabiy rudge


o chalpter xliit


next morning brought no satisfaction to the locksmitths thoughts nor next day nor the next nor many others


often after nightfall he entered the street and turned his eyes towards the well known house and as surely as he did so there was the solitary light still gleaming through the crevices of the window shutter while all within was motionless noiseless cheerless as a grave


un willing to hazard mr haredalea favour by disobeying his strict injunction he never ventured to knock at the door or to make his presence known in any way


but whenever strong interest and curiosity attracted him to the spot which was not seldom the light wait always there


if hecould have known what passed within the knowledgewquld have yielded him no clue to this mysterious vigil


at twilight mr haredale


shut himself up and at daybreak he came forth


he nevermissed a night always came and went alone and never varied his proceedings in the least degree


the manner of his watch was this


at dusk he entered the hoisse in the same way as when the locksmith bore him company kindled a light went through the rooms and narrowly examined them


that done he returned to the chamber on the ground floor and laying his sword and pistols on the table sat by it until morning


lif usually had a book with him and often tried to read but never fixed his eyes or thoughts upon it for five minutes together


the slightest noise without doors caught his ear a step upon the pavement seemed to make his heart leap


tie was not without some refreshment during the long lonely hours generally carrying in his pocket a sandwich of bread and meat and a small flask of wine


the latter diluted with large quantities of water he drank in a heated feverish way as though his throat were dried up but he scarcely ever broke lis fast by so much as a crumb of bread


ifthis voluntary sacrifice of sleep and comfort had its origin as the locksmith on consideration was disposed to think in any superstitious expec tation of the fulfilment of a dream or vision con nected with the event on which hie had brooded for so manytyears and if he waited for some ghostly visitor who walked abroad when men lay sleeping in their beds le showed no trace of fear or wavering


his stern features expressed the most inflexible resolution his brows were puckered and hils lips compressed with deep and settled purpose and when he started at a noise and listened it was not with the start of fear but hope and catching up his sword as though the hour had come at last lihe ivould clutch it in his tight clenched hand and listen withi sparkling eyes and eager looks until it died away


these disappointments were numerous for they ensued on almost every sound but his constancy was not shaken


still every night he was at his post


the same stern sleepless sentinel and still night passed and morning dawned and he must watch again


this went on for weeks lie had taken a lodging at vauxhall in which to pass the day andrest hiimself and from this place when the tide served he usually came to london bridge from west minster by water in order that he might avoid the i busy streets


one evening shortly before twilight lie came his accustomed


road upon the riversbank intending to pass through westminster hall into palace yard


and there take boat to london bridge as usual there was a pretty large concourse of people assem bledr round the house of parliament looking at the members


s they entered and departed and giving vent torather noisy demonstrations of approval or dislike accordiig totheir known opinions


as he made his way among the throng he heard once or twice the nopopery cry which was


then becoming pretty familiar to the ears of most ien


but holding it in very slight regard and observing that the idlers were of the lowest grade he neither thouight nor cired about it but made his way along with perfect indifference


thierewere many little knots and groups of per sons i westminster hail some few looking upward atit pnoble ceiling and at the rays of evening light tinted by the setting sun which streamed in aslant thought its small windows and growing dimmer by degrees were qeuenched in theigathering gloom below some


noisy passengers mechanics going home from work anid otherwise who hurried quickly through waking the echoes with their voices and soon darkening the small door in the distance as s they pissed inio tlio street beyond some in busy r conference together on political or private matters a pacing slowly up and down with eyes that sought i the ground and seeming by their attitudes to listen n earnestly from head to foot


here a dozen squab


bling urchins made a very babel inothit air there a solita


man half cleik half mendicant paced up and down with hungry dejession in his look and gait athis elbow passed an errandlad swinging his basket round and round and with his shrill i whistle rising the very timbers of the roof while a more observant schoolboy halfway throuighl pock eted iis ball and eyed the distant beadle as tie came i looming on


it was that time of evening when if you shut your eyes and open them again the dark


i ness of an lhour appears to have gatlhered in a second


the smoothworn pavement dusty with footsteps still called upon the lofty wall to reiterate the shuffle and the tread of feet unceasingly save when the closing of some heavy door resounded through the building like a clap of ihunder and drowned all other noises in its rolling sound


mr lartedalo glancing only at such of these t grotupisas ie paised rearest to add then in a manner betokening that his thoughts were elsewhere had t nearly traveired the hall whein two persons before t himcauglit his attention


one of these a gentle


i ma iatn elegant attire carried in his hand a cane which lhe twirled in a jaunty manner as he loltered or uthootlier an obsequious crouching fawning r figure listened to what hie said at times thlrowing i sin an humble wvordlhimselfand with his shoulders sshrugged up to his ears rubbed his hands eubmis


sively or answered at intervals by an inellositon of the head halfway between n nod of acquiescence r


and a bow of most profound respect


sin the abstract there was nothinjo very remark


ablein tieic pair for servility waiting oi a handsome suitof clothes and a cane not to speak ofgold and silver stcleks or wands of office is common enough


hiut there wapi that about tihe welldressed man yes annd about the other likewise which struck mr lalredale with no pleasant feeling


he hesitated stopped and would have stepped aside and turned i nout of hiis path but at the moment the other two fa red about quickly and stumbled upon him before hiie could avoid them


the gentleman with tlh cane lifted his hiat and had begun to tender an apology which ir hsrel


datle had begun as hastily to acknowledge and walk


i sw ay whent heilstopped short and cried harednslo i gad bless me this is strange indeed h r


i it is he returned imnpatietly yesa my dear friend cried the other detaining him why such great speed


one minute hlaredale for the sake of old acquaintance


i am in haste he said


neither of us has sought this meeting


let it be a brief one


good night


fie fie i replied sir john for it was hg how very churlish


we were speaking of you


your name was on my lipsperhaps you heard me mention it no i am sorry for that


i am really sorry


you know our friend here tlaredale


this is really a most remarkable meeting i tile friend plainly very ill at ease had made bold to press sir johns arm and to give him other signi


ficant hints that he was desirous of avoiding this introduction


as it did not suit sir johns purpose however that it should be evaded he appeared quite unconscious of these silent remon strances and inclined his hand towards him as he spoke to call attention to him more particularly


the friend therefore had nothing for it but to muster up the pleasantest smile he could and to make a conciliatory bow as mr iharedale turned


his eyes upon him


seeing that he was recognised he put out his hand in an awkward and embarrassed manner whicw as not mended by its contemptuous rejection


mr gashford i said haredale coldly


it is as i have heard then


you have left the dark ness for the light sir and hate those whose opinions you formerly held with all the bitterness of a renegade


you are an honour sir to any cause i wish the one you espouse at present much joy of the acquisition it has made


the secretary rubbed his hands and bowed as though he would disarm his adversary by humbling himself before him


sir john chester again ex claimed with an air of great gaiety new really this is a most remarkable meeting l and took a pinch of snuff with his usual selfpossession


i mr iharedale said gashford stealthily raising his eyes and letting them drop again when they met the others steady gaze


is too conscientious too honourable too manly i am sure to attach un worthy motives to an honest change of opinions even though it implies a doubt of those he holds himself


mr haredale is too just too generous too clearsighted in his moral vision to yes sit


he rejoined with a sarcastic smile finding that the secretary stopped


you were saying gashford meekly shrugged his shoulders and looking on the ground again was silent


no but let us really interposed sir john at this juncture let us really for a moment contem plate the very remarkable character of this meeting


haredale my dear friend pardon me if i think you are not sufflciently impressed with its singularity


here we stand by no previoup appointment or arrangement three old schoolfellows in west minster hall r three old boarders in a remarkably dull and shady seminary at saint omers where you being catholics asd of necessity educated out of i england were brought up and where i being a promising young protestant at that time was sent to learn the french tongue from a native of paris


i add to the singularity sir john said mr haredale that some of you protestants of promise are at this moment leagued in yonder building to prevent our having the surpassing and unheard of privilege of teaching our children to read and write here in this land where thousands of us enter your service every year and to preserve the freedom of which we die onibloody at is abrad in lieaps and that oth s nuber of sme thousands as i learn are led on to look on all men of my creed as wolves and beasts of prey by this man gashford


add to it besides the bare fact ihatt this man lives in society ivalks the streets i broad day i was about to say he holds up his head but that he does not and it will bestrange and very strange i grant you


oh i you are hard upon our friend replied sir john with an engaging smile


you are really very hard upon our friend i let him go on sir john said gashford fumbling with his gloves


let him go on i i can make allowasiices sir john


i am honoured t with your goodopinion and i can dispense with mr haredales


mr haredale is a sufferer from the penal laws and i cant expect his favour


you have so much of my favour sir retorted mr haredale with a bitter glance at the third party in their conversation that i am glad to see you in such goodipt pany


you are the essence of your great assocoiiin yourselves


now there youtrnistake said sir john in his most benignant way


therewhich is a most remarkable circumstance for a mant of your punctu


i ality and exactness my dear haredaleyou fall p into an error


i dont belong to the body i have an immense respect for its members but i dont belongto it although i am it is certainly true the conscientious opponent of your being relieved


ifeel it my duty to be so it is a most unfortunate necessity and cost me a bitter struggle


will you i try this box


if you dont object to a trifling e infusion of a very chlaste scent youll find its flavour exquisite


i ask your pardon sir john said mr haredale declining the proffer with a motion of his hand for havidg ranked you among the humble i instruments who are obvious in all mens sight


i c shouldhave done more jitsiice to your genius


men r of your capacity plot in secrecy and safety add leave exposed postsato the duller wits


i dont apologise for ihe world replied sir a john sweetly old friends like you and i may be d allowed somefreedoms or the deuce is in it b gashford who had been very restless all this time but hlid not once looked upinp urned to sir b john and ventarired to mutter something to the effect i that he must go or my loid would perhaps be wai


ii ting


dont distress yoursejf good sir said mr i haredalo ill take my leave and put you at your a ease which hie was about to do without further i ceremony when he was stayed by n buszz and mur mur at the upper end of the hall apd looking in d thai direction saw lord george gordon coming t on with a crowd of people round him


there was a lurking look of triumph though very c differently expressed in the faces of his two compa


t nions wlhich made it a natural impulse on mr haredales past not to gvlye way before this leader but to stand there while iepassed


he drew him


a self up at full height and clasping his hands behlind


him looked on with a proud and scornful aspect i while loid george slowly advanced for the press was greatabout him towards thespot wlhere they were standing


lie had left the house of commons but ihat mo


i ment and had come straigit down the hall bringing with him as his cutstomb wa intelligence of what had been said that night in reference to ihe papists and what petitions had been presenteid in their favour and who had supported them and when thie bill wasto be bioiught in and when it would be advisable to present their own great protestant paedl tion


all this he told the persons about hlmina a loud vokce and with great abundanice of ungainly gesture


those who were nearest him made cim ments to each olther and vented threats and mur murings those who were outside the crowd cried silence and stand back or closed in upon the rest endeavouring to make a forcible exchange of places and so they came driving on in a very disorderly way as it is the manner of a crowd to do


when they were very near to where the secretary sir john and mr haredale stood lord george turned round and making a few remarks of a sufficiently violent and incoherent kind concluded with the usual sentiment and called for three cheers to bi it


while these were in the act of being given with great energy he extricated himself from the press and steppedup to gashfords side


both he and sir john being well known to the populace they fell back a little and left the four standing together


mr haredale lord george said sir john chester seeing that the nobleman regarded him with an inquisitive look


a catholic gentleman unrortunal most unhappily a catholic but an osteeme iiiaintanco of mine and once of mr gashfords


my dear haredale this is lord george gordon


i should have known that had i been ignorant of his lordships person said mr haredale


i hope there is but one gentleman in england who addressing an ignorant and excited throng would speak of a large body of his fellowrsubjects in such injurious language as i heard this moment


for shame my lord for shame


i cannot talk to you sir replied lord george in a loud voice and waving his hand in a disturbed and agitated manner we have nothing in corn mon


we have much in commonmany thingsall that the almighty gave us said mr ifaredale and common charity my lord not to say common sense and common decency should teach you to re frain from these proceedings


if every one of these men had arms in their hands at this moment as they have them in their heads i would not leave this place without telling you that you disgrace your station


i dont hear you sir he replied in the same manner as before i cant hear you


it is indif


ferent to me what you say


dont retort gashford for the secretary had made a show of wishing to do so i can hold no communication with the wor shippers of idols


as he said this he glanced at sir john who lifted his hands and eyebrows as if deploring the intemperate conduct of mr ilaredale and smiled in admiration of the crowd and of their leader


he retort i cried haredale


look you here my lord


do you know this man


lord george replied by laying his hand upon the shoulder of his cringing secretary and viewing him with a smile of confidence


this man said mr haredale eyeing him from top to toe who in his boyhood was a thief and has been from that time to this a servile false and truckling knave this man who has crawled and crept through life wounding tile hands he licked and biting those lie fawned upon this sycophant who never knew what honour truth or courage meant who robbedhis benefactors daugh


ter of her virtue and married her to break her heart and did it with stripes and cruelty this creature who has whined at kitchen windows for the broken food and begged for halfpence at our chapel doors this apostl eije faith whose tender conscience cannot bear the altars where his vicious l ife waastpublicly denoinceddo you know this r ohi really you are very very hard upon our friend iexclaimed sirjohn


let mr hfaredale go on said gashford upon whose dnvholeiame face the perspiration had broken out during this speech inblotches of wet i dont mind him sir john its quite as indifferent to me what he says as it is to my lord


if he reviles my lord as you have heard sir john how can i hope to escape is it not enough my lord mr haredale con tinued that i as good a gentleman as you must hold my property such as it is by a trick at which the state connives because of these hard laws and that we may not teach our youth in schools the common principles of rightband wrong but must we be denounced and ridden by such men as this


here is a man to head your nopopery cry my lord


for shame for shame i the infatuated nobleman had glanced morethan once at sir john chester as if to inquire whether there was any truth in these statements concerning gashford and sir john had as often plainly an swered by a shrug or look


oh dear mel no


henow said in the same loud key and in the same strange manner as before i have nothing to say sir in reply and no desire to hear anything more


i beg you wont obtrude your conversation or these personal attacks upon me any further


i shall not be deterred from doing my duty to my country and my countrymen by any suclh attempts whether they proceed fiom emissaries of the pope or not i assure you


come gashford


they had walked on afew paces while speaking


and were now atthe hall door through whichl they passed together


mr haredale without any leave taking turned away to the river stairs which were close at hand iand ihailed the only boatman who remained there


but the throng of peoplethe foremost of whom had heard every wbrd that lord george gordon said and among all of whom the rumour bad been rapidly dispersed that the stranger was a papist who was bearding him for his advocacy of the popular cause came pouring out pellmell and forcingther no bloman hlisa seeretary and sir john chester oni before them so that they appeared to be at their head crowded to tihe top of thie stairs where mr haredale waited until ite boat was ready and ther stood still leaving him on a liittle clearl space by himself


they were not silentihowever though inactive


at first some indistinct mutterings arose among them which were followed by a hilss or two and these swelled by degrees into a perfect storm


then one voice said down with the lapista


and there was a pretty general cheer but nothing sore


alter a lull of a few moments one man cried out stone him i anothler duck him another in a stentorian voice no popery


this favourite cry the rest reechoed and thie mob which might have beeni two hundred strong joined in a general shout


mr uiardalehad stood calmly on the brink of the stepbuntill they made this demonstration when he


looked round contemptuously and walked at a slow pace down the stais


s


he was pretty ptear the boi when gashford as if without intention turned sboht sd directly afterwards a great stone was throwin by siome ihand


their crowd which struck him on ilrt head and made hlm stagger like a drunken man


the blood sprding freely from the wound and trickled downiis coat


heturned directly and ritritdnag up the steps wth a boldness and passion which made them all fall back demanded r who did that i show me the man wlho hit mel not a soul moved except some in the rear who slunk off and escaping to the other side of the way looked on like indifferent spectators


who did that


he repeated


show me the man who did it


dog was it you


it was your deed if not your handl know you


he threw himself oh gashford as he said the woids and hurled him to the ground


there was a sudden motion in the crowd and some laid hands upon him but his sword was out and they fell off again


my lordsir john he cried dray


one of you you are responsible for this outrage and i look to you


draw if you are gentlemen


with that he struck sir john upon the breast with the fiat if his weapon and with a burning face and flashing eyes stood upon his guard alone before them all


for an instantfor the briefest space of time the mind can reaidily conceivethere was a change in sir johns smooth face such as no man ever saw there


the next moment he stepped forward and laid one hand on mr haredales arm while with the other he endeavoured to appease the crowd


my dear friend my good haredale you are blinded with passionits very natural extremely naturalbut you dont know friends from foes


i know them all sir i can distinguish well he retorted almost mad with rage


sir john my lord do you hear me


are you cowards


never mind sir said a man forcing his way between and pushing him towards the stairs with friendly violence never mind asking that


for gods sake get away


what can you do against this number i


and


there areas many more in the next street wholl be round directlyindeed they began to pour in as he said the words youd be giddy from the cut in the first heat of a scuffle


now do retire sir or take my word for it youll be worse used than you would be if every man in the crowd was a woman and that woman bloody mary come sir make haste as quickas you can


mr haredale who began to turn faint and sick felt how sensible this advice was and descended the steps with his unknown friends assistance


john grueby for john it was helped him into the boat and giving her a shabove off which sent her thirty feet into the tide bade the waterman pull away like a briton and walked up again as composedly as if he had just landed


there was at first a slight dispositon on the part of the mob to resent this interference but john looking particularly strong and cool and wearing besides lord georges livery they thought better of it and contented themselves with sending a shower of small missiles after the boat which splashed harmlessly


in the water for she had by this time cleared the bridge and was darting down the centre of the stream


from this amusement they proceeded to giving protestant knocks at the doors of private houses breaking a few lamps and assaulting some stray con stables


but it being whispered that a detachment of life guards had been sent for they took to their heels with great expedition and left the street quite clear


to reoutlgued


to arrive at porfootion a man shoult have very sincere friends or very inveterate enemies because he would be made sensible of his good or ill conduct either by the censures of the one or the admonitions of the otherdiogenes


ibalnaby rudge


o chaptier lv


john willet left alone in his dismantled bar scontinued to sit staring about him awake as to his eyes certainly but with all its powers of reason and reflection in a sound and dreamless sleep


he looked round upon the room which had been for years and was within an hour ago the pride of his heart and not a muscle of his face was moved


the night withoutlooked black and cold through the dreary gaps in the casement the precious liquids now nearly leaked away dripped with a hollow sound upon the floor the maypole peered ruefully in through the broken window like the bowsprit of a wrecked ship the ground might have been the bottom of the sea it was so strewn with precious fragments


currents of air rushed in as tile old doors jarred and creaked upon their hinges the candles flickered and guttered down and made long windingsheets the cheery deepred curtains flapped and fluttered idly in the road even the stout dutch kegs overthrown and lying empty in dark corners seemed the mere husks of good fellows whose jollity had departed and who could kindle with a friendly glow no more


john saw this desolation and yet saw it not


he was pefectly contented to sit there staring at it and felt no more indignation or discomfort in his bonds than if they had been robes of honour


so far as he was personally concerned old time lay snoring and the world stood still


save for the dripping of the barrels the rustling of such light fragments of destruction as the wind affected and tile dull creaking of tihe open doors all was profoundly quiet r indeed these sounds like the ticking of the deathwatch in the night only made the silence they invaded deeper and more appa rent


but quiet or noisy it was all one to john


if a train of heavy artillery could have come up and commenced ball practice outside the window it would have been all the same to him


he was a long way beyond surprise


a ghost couldnt have overtaken him