preciated make up one class they who receive adulation and flattery knowing their own worthless


ness compose the other


be sure that the coldest hearted misanthropes are ever of this last order


amr


chester sat up in bed next morning sipping his coffee and remembering with a kind of con temptuous satisfaction how he had shone last night and how he had been caressed and courted when his servant brought in a very small scrap of dirty paper tightly sealed in two places on the inside whereof was inscribed in pretty large text these words


a friend


desiring of a conference


im mediate


private


burn it when youve read it


where in the name of the gunpowder plot did you pick up this p said his master


it was given him by a person then waiting at the door theman replied


with a cloak and dagger said mr chester


with nothing more threatening about him it ap peared than a leather apron and a dirty face


let him come in


in he camemr tappertit with his hair still on end and a great lock in his hand which he put down on the floor in the middle of the chamber as if he were aboirt to go through some performances in which it was a necessary agent


sir said mrtappertit with a low bow i thank you for this condescension and am glad to see you


pardon the menial office in which i am engaged sir and extend your sympathies to one who humble as his appearance is has innard work ings far above his station


mr chester held the bed curtain farther back and looked at him with a vague impression that he was some maniac who had not only broken open the door of his place of confinement but had brought away the lock


mr tappertit bowed again and displayed his legs to the best advantage


you have heard sirsaid hlr


tappertit laying his hand upon his breast of g varden locksmith and bell hanger and repairs neatly executed in town and country clerkenwell london


what then asked mr chester


i am his prentice sir


what then


ahem i said mr tappertit


would you permit me to shut the door sir and will you further sir give me your honour bright that what passes between us is in the strictest confidence mr chester laid himself calmly down in bed again and turning a perfectly undisturbed face towards the strange apparition which had by this time closed the door begged him to speak out and to be as rational as he could without putting himself to any very great personal inconvenience


in the first place sir said mr tappertit pro ducing a small pockethandkerchief and shaking it out of the folds as i have not a card about me for the envy of masters debases us below that level allow me to offer the best substitute that circum stances will admit of


if you will take that in your own hand sir and cast your eye on the right hand corner said mr tappertit offering it with a grace ful air you will meet with my credentials


thank you answered mr chester politely accepting it and turning to some blood red characters at one end


four


simon tappertit


one


is that the ltieho mnwhecr oi


in j s ay r replied the prentice


lthey are merely intended as directions to the washerwoman and have no connection with myself or family


your name sir said mrappertit looking very hard at his nightcap is chester i suppose


you neednt pull it off sir thank you


i observe e c from here


we will tase tire rest for granted


pray mr tappertit said mr chester has that complicated piece of ironmongery which you have done me the favour to bring with you any immediate connexion with the business we are to discuss p it has not sir rejoined the prentice


its going to be fitted on a wareus door in thames


street


perhaps as that is the case said mr chester and as it has a stronger flavour of oil than i usu ally refresh my bedroom with you will oblige me so far as to put it outside the door


by all means sir said mr tappertit suiting the action to the word


youll excuse my mentioning it i hope


dont apologise sir i beg


and now if you please to business


during the whole of this dialogue mr chester had suffered nothing but his smile of unvarying serenity and politeness to appear upon his face


sim tappertit who had far too good an opinion of himself to suspect that anybody could be playing upon him thought within himself that thts was something like the respect to which he was entitled and drew a comparison from this courteous demea stour of a stranger by no means favourable to the worthy locksmith


from what passes in our house said mr tappertit i am aware sir that your son keeps company with a young lady against your inclinations


glir yourson has not used roe well


mr tappertit said the other you grieve me beyaond description


thankl you sir replied the prentice im glad to hiear you say so


hes very proudsir is your don very haughty


i am afraid he is haughty said mr chester


do you know i was really afraid of that before and you donflsm rne


ro recount the menial offices ive had to do for our son sir said mr tappertit the chairs ive ad to hand hini the coaches ive had to call for him the numerous degrading duties wholly uncon


nected with my indenters that ive had to do for him would fill a family bible


besides which sir he is but a young man himself and i do not consider sthankee sim a proper form of address on thoie occasions mr tapfertit your wisdom is beyond your years


pray go on


i thank yeai for your good opinion lir said sim much gratified and will enileavour to do sob


now sir on thib i aecountand perhaps foranother iason or two ihich i neednt go into


i amoe youriside


and what i tllyou is this that as iobsss our eople go backwards and forwards to ttdfro tip and down to that there jolly old may


spole lettering and inessaging ahd fetching insd arrhiighyoh couldnt help your son keepid ecok ulndedight oand dae by sall the hotsrnl add eiifriish of them in the very fullest unform


i bmr tipaiertit stopped to take breath after thl and then started fresh agiin now sir i am a coming to the pointl


ydu wililiri uire of me how is this to be prevented il tell yol ihow


if an hitonest civil smiling gentlenian like you mt tappptiireally no no im serious rejoined the prentice i am upon my soul


if an honest civil smiling gentleman like you was to talk but tenminutes to our old woana thats mrs vrden aind flatter her up ablt youd gain herover for ever


then theres this loint got that her daughter dolly hltesea flush cante over mr taippertits fee iwohldnt be alloived to tibe a gobetween fromthat time foriward tdd till that liitnts got theres snotling ever will lreent her mind that


mr tapperilt your knowledge of human na ture


wait a mlbute saidbim folding his arms with i dreadfuil lslmness now i omeio to rtn potit


sir therie lis a villiin at that maypole a monster in humah shape a vagabondof the deepest detliat bnlrdssyosi get rid of and hitve klddapied ind carkildbff atthevery leastnbthingless i will dowill marry your sort to that young woman as certainly and surely as if he was the archbishop of canterbury himself


he will sir for the hatred and malice that be bears to you let alone the pleasure of doing a bad action vhich to him is its own reward


if you knew how this chap this joseph willetthats his nariecomnes backwards aiid forwards to our house libelling and denouncing and threatening you and how i shudder when i hear him youd hate him worse than i do worse than i do sair said mr tappertit wildly putting his hair up straighter and making a crunching noise with his teeth if sich a thing is possible


a little private vengeance in this mir


tap


pertit


i private vengeance sir or public sentiment or both combineddestroy him said mr tappertit


miggs says so too


miggs and me both say so


we cant bear the plotting and undermining that takes place our souls recoil from it


barnaby rudge and mrs rudge are in it likewise but the villain joseph willet is the ringleader


their plottings and schemes are known to me and miggs


if you want information of em apply to us


put joseph willet down sir


destroy himcrush him and be happy


witli these words mr tappetit who seemed to expect no reply and to hold it as a necessary con sequence of his eloquence that his hearer should be utterly stunned dumbfoundered and overwhelmed folded his arms so that the palm of each hand rested on the opposite shoulder and disappeared after the manner of those mysterious warners of whom he had read in cheap story books


that fellow said mlr


chester relaxing his face when he was fairly gone is good practice


i have some command of my features beyond all doubt


he fully confirms w hat i suspected though and blunt tools are ibmetimes found of use where sharper instruments would fail


i fear i may be obliged to make great havoc among these worthy people


a troublesome necessity


i quite feel for them


with that he fell into a quiet slumber subsided into such a gentle pleasant sleep that it was quite infantine


to be continued


riots at romba horrible tumult with great loss of life took place at rome on the th july


an execution is an unusual thing in that city


three criminals of the name of ritcozzi were executed on that day being a man and his sister and their nephew


they had got into the house of a rich watchmaker of the piazza colonna and had murdered his wife and daughter and then robbed the house


the gazette des tribunaux gives the following account of the execution an immense crowd was assembled at eight oclock in the morning but there was no symptom of dis turbance during the execution of two of the crimi nals


when the third however was brought upon the scaffold he uttered the most hornble imprecations against the crowd and pointing to it said to the executioner oh if i were but amongst them how i would punish them


i regret life only on that account


as if his words had found an echo in the crowd no sooner had his head fallen than horrible cries were heard and thousands struck with terror but scarcely knowing why sought safety in flight


a set of wretches immediately took advantage of the flight and disorder and fell upon the fugitives tear ing the rings out of the ears of the women and openly snatching the watches of the men


in vain did the thieves attempt to interfere


the thieves and their victims were involved in a general pole mele with dragoons and infantry and cries of savage ferocity were mingled with those of distress whilst the tolling of the church bells drowned the voice of the commanders of the troops who were endeavour ing to rally their men


the tumult was so great and at one time so alarming that at the castle of st angelo the guns were loaded and the gunners stood with their matches lighted in their hands


the panic spread to both banks of the tiber the piazza del popolo and the capitol where persons were running about crying for aid


the crowd increased at every instant and several dragoons were so pressed by it as to fall from their horses and be compelled to use their arms in their defence


at length however the crowd dispersed and bodies were seen lying in the streets as upon a field of battle


at one oclock in the afternoon the number of persons killed was ascertained to be twelve and two hundred wounded fifty of them severely


the wounded were imme diately conveyed to the hospitals


more than three hundred persons had been arrested by the police and troopsthe


augsburg gazette has a letter from jnn of the nd ult which states the numher of persons killed to be nine and adds that several threw themselves from the balustrades of the bridge into the tiber and were drowned


this letter adds that some persons ascribe the commencement of the tumult to the throwing of stones at the heads of the criminals which were stuck upon pikes others say that the populace attempted to get possession of the bodies to drag them through the streetsthe diaro of rome says that it has been proved that the panic was caused by premeditated design to create a tumult in the midst of which robbers might reap a harvest


the same paper adds it will not reply to reports that attribute the event to political or disaffected motives


iotemtore the story oe


a feather


mtfliajj ervofr


chapter ii


therk was a pause of some two or three minutes


jack lipscomb fully apprehending the purpose of shadrach jacobs yet at the ssme time feeling somewhat humiliated hy the con sciousness of hit inferiority to the jew


thus had jack in his innermost heart crowed and triumphed at the hard bargain which had made me hit property


with what profound con tempt had he contemplated the intellectual degradation of the kaffer who sold me tricked cheated as the poor savage had been by the mixed lying and bullying of the sailor


such had been jacks emotions but as he sat and silently chewing gazed at the jew he halfseemed to himself to change his con dition with the barbarian he had gulledhe felt in its fullest force the supremacy of the jewhe shrank beneath the influence of a subtler nature


thus jack lipscomb remained doggedly silentand thus the jew was at length compelled to be a talker


i tells you jack feathers is


nothin


if now youve a little bag of golddust or any nicknack of that sortveil you tiavnt


veil veilmores the pity jackmores the pity mr lipscomb


then we shant deal oh asked jack sulkily and throw ing a significant glance towards the door


well theres barney aaron yetthata one comfort


veil didnt think it of you jack to threaten me with that larpentthat disgrace to the synagogue


vot if feathers ii a drus do you think mrlipscombthat


id let you be


i


hiwsaid jack


ih


perhaps you arnt the worst of the sharks


i vish i vosyes mr lipscomb vish i vos said the jew earnestly for then i shouldnt be the beggar vot i am


ha this is a vorldl veil veil we must take it as it is till the better one comes


in course responded jack philosophically and then counting my companions and myself before the jew he asked how much for the lot


i dont know vot to do vith em answered shadrach despondingly looking down upon us and sighing deeply


as im an honest man i shall only keep era for the moths


vot money have you in your pocket jack


something within hail of five pounds replied the sailor


veil let me seevon two threeyes fourteen feathers seventeen you griffin growled jack


veil veili didnt see ven youve looked upon the vickedness of the vorld as long at i have mr lipscomb youll have some feelin for an old mans eyes


let me sec sixno yesseventeenveil seventeen feathers and youve got seven pound in your pocket four pound sis halfcrowns said jack in correction


now shall i tell you vot


ive long thought of mr lips comb


ive often said to myself vot a pity it vos that a man like you mr lipscomb didnt think more of yourself that you didnt show the face you ought to the vorld


what do you mean mr jacobs asked jack very seriously


vy you see continued the jew in his blandest manner smiling upon the sailoras an epicure smiles upon a dish he purposes very pleasantly to incorporate in his systemvy you tee vot does it go for if youre the best sailor as ever swum the honstese jovialest goodlookingest young man as ever von the vink of a wirtuout young vornanvot does all your good ness go for vith the vorld if you dont vear a votch


jack liptcomb with increasing gravity sawed the back of his hand across his chin and looking upon the floor seemed as if the interrogative of the jew had awakened a dormant feeling of vanityhad in a moment solved to his entire satisfaction n great social mystery


i dont know if you arnt right said jack after a pause


as the vorld goesfor its made of wanlty jacka mans nothin vithout a votch


there may be something in it agreed the sailor


im an old man my tear friend and know the vorld vith all its crooked bits and natty blots and i ulk to you jack like my own flesh and blood


come avast there exclaimed jack suddenly none o thatim a christian and loves pork


to be sure vy not answered the jew in no way discon certed he then returned to the charge


i ulk to you as id talk to my own son and if it vas the last vords i had to speak id say jack lipscomb do justice to yourself and get a votch


advice is plentiful as sprats said the sailor


any fool can say set a watch hut he isnt such a fool who shows how


its to be done


my tear friend said the jew vait a minute


shadrach then unlocked a drawer and taking from it a larpe yellow metal watch exposed it with a light laugh to the sailor


its a big un said jack lipscomb gravely


its a beauty exclaimed the jew but you hasnt seen half jack look here


shadrach then wound up the watch and the picture of a ship fixed in the dialplate was set in motion rocking very regularly over grassgreen billows under which was written the legend such is life


she carries a good deal of canvas for such a sea said the sailor glancing at the toy with a purely professional eye


to be surevonts notliin answered the jew casting his gleaming looks in the weatherbeaten face of the doomed pur ehsser


humph


i wonder how long them studdingsail booms would stand in a trough of the sea like that


theyd snap like claypipes if they wouldnt im never mind my tear friend cried the jew quickly six pence vill paint it out


yell rot do you say to that jack asked shadrach now holding the watch to the sailor eyes now with drawing it and now turning it in his hand as though he held magic mirror to dazzle and confound the lookers senses


vot do you say to that


jack


jack spoke to the jews understanding a whole volume albeit he really uttered not a word


for ha slowly wiped his lipa with the cuff of his jacket the while he gazed at the chronometer again he wiped away what to the jew seemed the water titling to the sailors mouth brought thither by strong desire of making that watch his own


for six pound with them feathers and here the jew threw an affected look of contempt upon myself and companions prostrate at his feet the votch shall be journ


is it gold asked jack


vot velll exclaimed the jew and he advanced two in dignant steps towards the drawer as if about to consign the watch for ever to ita keepingthen paused and looking sor rowfully up into the face of jack lipscomb asked him in most pathetic tones vot he thought of him


no offence i hope said jack lipscomb deferentially


as if id sell my best friend anything but the best gold


hal mr lipscomb you dont know meno you dont youve cut me clean to the heart but to show you i bears no malice ill take all the money you have for the votch without the feathers


asked the sailor


no my tear friend with the feathers though theyre of no use to mequite none still for principle my tear friend must have the feathers


jack turned hit tobacco in his mouth looked at the watch i the camlon flues ally ere with its long thread of a tongue he consigns it to its jawsthen throwing forth his right hand seized the timepiece almost immediately emptying his pocket of four pounds fifteen shillings


youve a bargain mr lipscombyouve aveil bless my heart dont gosaid the jew as the knocker smote the street door its only an old acquaintance of yourn my daughter miriam


saying this the jew quitted the chamber and in two minutes from his departure miriam a more than plump jewess with vast black eyes a profusion of block hair very net for sailors heart large rosy lips showing every one of her brilliant white teeth and her massive face polished ever with smiles warn into the room


poor jack lipscomb


i this may be a proper place to observa that


sentimental affection bad for the duration of three past voyages grown up between jack lipscomb and miriam jacobs


if however it wat not strictly between them twas all the tamejack thought it waa


there waa unfortunately what at first promised to be an inseparable bar to the happiness of matrimonynamely the religion of miriam jack sticking for it most lustily that ms wife must be lia himself every inch a christian


ha i miriam what a pity it


it


youre a jew this was wont to be the frequent complaint of the orthodox jack and at length miriam worked upon by her lovers affectionfor sure we are his many presents had nothing to do with itpro mised after a fair exercise of thought on the subject to give up the synagogue


miriam jacobs and jack lipscomb are together


shall i betray th language of lovers


i will not


i will content myself and i trust the reader too by suting that miriam having seen the watch promised to become a christian wife in a weeks time in token of which promise she received the said watch as a gift of her expectant husband


jack lipscomb nothing the better tor the alcohol sold in the minories quitted the house of jacobs penniless leaving me and my companionswhom he had all but stolen from a barbarian only to be tricked in his turnas the property of the jew


as jack reeled his way towards his ship miriam consigning her jetty locks to the close imprisonment of paper glanced at the rocking ship on the watch and for a moment ceasing to hum a tune read such is life


to bo continued


uflemtom


the story of a feather


y bouia errata


a story from punch chapter viii


a funeralst


jamess palacethe prince of wales


continued ft oni our last


we give ihte hearty thanks far that it bath pleased thee to deliver this our sister out of the miseries of this sinful world thu in measured metallic note spoke the curate of st mnrtiosinthefieldswhilst the daughter putty could have screamed in anguish at the thanksgiving


a few more words another and another lookyet anothernow


the piling earth lius hidden alland the forlorn creature stands alone in the world


the last few moments have struck apart the last link that still held her to a beloved objectand novv indeed she feels it is in eternity


two or three women press about her turn her from the graveand garrulously kind preach to her deaf ears that allis for the best and that to mourn is a folly


all this i gathered from the gossips who brought back patty lo ber dreary empty home


there after brief and common consolation they quitted herand there for a time the reader must leave the stricken meekhearted featherdresser


early the next morning i found myself in the bands of mr flamingo


i he slight disorderin truth more imaginary than reali had suffered in the roundhouse had in the eyes of the tradesman been amply remedied by putty and my owner turned ne reverently between his thumb and fingerand gazed and gai


me as though for his especial prout only i had dropt filil the wing of an angel


great was the stir throughout the household of flamingo and great the cause thereof lie had received an order from the palace of st jamess his very soul was plumedfor be should get off his feathers


tills i heard and saw andi confess itwith the trepidation of expectant vanity beheld the feathermerchant make selection from bis stock


at length with melting looks and a short selfcomplacent sigh he placed mci was sure of itas the crowning glory the feather of feathers among my kind


i was to wave my snowy purity in st jamess


and for this thought was drcstprepared by the lean fingers of want in an unwholesome garret i


alas have since feltay a thousand timesthat if dimeyed vanity would but use the spectacles of truth she would see blood on her sutins blood on her brocadesblood on her laceon every rich and glistening thread that hangs about berblood


she would see herself a grim idol worshipped by the worlds unjust necessities and so beholding would feel a quicker throb of heart a larger compassion for her forced idolaters


to the palace cried flamingo to the hackneycoachman summoned to bear myself and companions on our glorious mission


to the palace cried the feathermerchant with new lustre in his eyes harmony in his voice and a delicious tingling of every nerve that filled his whole anatomy with music


to the palace were really the words uttered by flamingo yet in very truth he believed he snid to paradise


not thot st jamess was terra incognita to mr flamingo a marco polos domain filled with golden dreams


certainly not mr flamingo knew exactly the number of steps composing that private way to heaven the backstaircase


he had smiled and trembled and boned and wriggled nnd smirked and cringed his way to the patronage of queen char lotte of blessed memory


this exalting truth mr flamingo bad several times tested and that in a matter peculiarly flat tering to himself


for instance a very fine cockatoo had been thrown in to the tradesman among a lot of foreign feathers this cockatoo mr flamingo submitted to the inspection of her majesty who was graciously pleased to say to it pretty poll on another occasion flamingo took a java torntit to the palace which bird was graciously permitted by the queen to perch upon her little gngcr her majesty still further con descending to cry sweeect these circumstances were at the time totally overlooked by the court historian but they ure recorded written in very fine roundhand in the fla mingo papers i liad scarcely been an hour in the palace ere my memory began to fail me


yes all the previous scenes of my existence th it an hour before lived mot vividly in my recollection began to fade anti grow dim and take the mingled extravagance and obscurity of a dream


was it possible thit i had ever been a thing of barter between a savage and a suilor for pigtail


could i have ever known n jack lipscombe


had i crossed the seas in the dungeon of a ship


was it possible that i could detect the odour of bilgewater


was there such a haunt for human kind as the miones


and that old jewsurely be was a spectrea part of a nightmare


his largelipped globeeyed daughter too shewith all her plumpnesswas no more substantial


and then that dim garret in the alleythe death and enduring innocencethe heaviness und misery of human daysthe suffering that made of mortal breath a weary ing diseaseall the worst penalty of lifehad i known and witnessed it


could it be possible


and was there really a patty butler looking with meek face upon a frowning world and smiling down misfortune into pity


i confess thathaving delighted in the atmosphere of a palace for scarcely an hourall these realities seemed waning into visions of a fevered sleep


it was only by a strong effort hy a determination to analyse my past emotionsthat i could convince myself of the existence of a world of wretchedness withoutof want nnd suffering and all the sad and wicked inequalities of human life


sudden prosperity ever mingles lethe in its nectar


i pass by moments of tumultuous anxietyof hope painful in its sweet intensityof the delirium of assured aggrandise ment


it is now the remnant of my former self that speaks and therefore be the utterance calm and philosophic


it was my fate to be chosen one of the three plumesbe it remembered the middle and the noblest oneto nod above the baby prince of wales all royally slumbering in his royal cradle


it was my destiny in lo commemorate the conquest and bloodshed of to represent an ancestral plume whereof poor john of bohemia was plucked that he of the black mail might be nobly feathered yes it was my happy duty to wave above ich dien in


ich dien i serve


such is ibe prince of wnless motlo


nnd looking down upon the prlncelets faceupon his velvet eheek brought into the world for the worlds incenseviewing the fleshy idol in its weak babyhoodi repeated for it i serve i and then in the spirit of ttic future askedwhat


bacchusvenusor what nobler deity


the prince of walesa six weeks younglingsleeps and ceremony with stinted breath waits at the cradle flow glo rious that yoting ones destiny i how moulded and marked expressly fashioned for the high delights of earththe chosen one of millions for millions homage t


the terrible beauty of a crown shall clasp those baby templesthat rosebud mouth shall speak the iron lawthat little pulpy hand shall bold the sceptre and the ball


but now asleep in the sweet mjstery of babyhood the little brain already busy with the things that meet us at the vestibule of lifefor even then we arc not alone but surely have about us the bum and echo of the coming worldbut now thus and now upon a giddying throne what grandeurwhat intensity of blisswhat an almighty heritage lobe born toto be sent upon this earth accompanied by invisible angels to take possession oft the baby king cooes in his sleep whilst a thousand spirits meet upon the palace floorsport in the palace airhover about the cradleand with looks divine and loving as those that watched the bulrush ark tossed on the wave of egypt gaze upon the bright newcomeron him that shall be the lords anointed


i what purifying blessings purge the atmosphere of all earthly taint i what a halo of moral glory beams around that baby beadthat meek vicegerent of the king of king wisdom will nune him on ber kneespity and goodness be his playfellowshumility and gentleness his close compa nionsand late for all men a monitor constant as the pulses of bis heart


arid will it indsed be to


poor little childhapless crea turemost unfortunate in the fortune of a prince i are such indeed the taffuencesaboutyour cradlewill such in very truth be your teaching


will you indeed be taught a one of earth a thing of common wants and common affection


will you be schooled in tbe open pages of humanityor taught by rot tbe commoncant of kings


will you not with tbe first lira glimmerings of human pride see yourself a thing aloof from alla piece of costly selfishnessan idol formed only for the knees of mena superhuman creature yea a wingless deity


will not this be the teaching of the courtthis the lesson that shall prate pure nature from your heart and place therein a swelling arrogance divorcing you from all and wor shipping self in its most tyrannous desires in its deepest abo minations


will you remain among the brotherhood of men or will you be set apart only to snuff their incense and to hear their proyers


splendid solitude of statemost desolate privi lege of princes


with this thought i felt n stange compassion for the prince of wales


au the glories of the palace seemed to vunish from ubout mc and i looked down upon the sleeping creature whom was there to honour with n deep pity a sorrow for the rough and trying fortune ho was born to


to he continued


barnaby rudge


o chapter


in the year there stood upon the borders of epping forest at a distance of about twelve miles from londonmeasuring from the standard in cornhill or rather from the spot on or near to which the standard used to be in days of yorea house of public entertainment called the maypole which fact was designated to all such travellers as could neither read nor write and sixtysix years ago a vast number both of travellers and stayathomes were in this condition by the emblem reared on the roadside over against the house which if not of those goodly proportions that maypoles were wont to present in olden times was a fair young ash thirty feet in height and straight as any arrow that ever english yeoman drew


the maypoleby which term from henceforth is meant the house and not its signthe maypole was an old building with more gable ends than a lazy man would care to count on a sunny day huge zigzag chimneys out of which it seemed as though even smoke could not choose but come in more than naturally fantastic shapes imparted to it in its tor tuous progress and vast stables gloomy ruinous and empty


the place was said to have been built in the days of king henry the eighth and there was a legend not only that queen elizabeth had slept there one night while upon a hunting excur sion to wit in a certain oak panelled room with a deep bay window but that next morning while standing on a mountingblock before the door with one foot in the stirrup the virgin monarch had then and there boxed and cuffed an unlucky page for some neglect of duty


the matter of fact and doubtful folks of whom there were a few among the maypole customers as unluckily there always are in every little community were inclined to look upon this tradition as rather apocryphal but whenever the landlord of that ancient hostelry ap pealed to the mountingblock itself as evidence and triumphantly pointed out that there it stood in the same place to that very day the doubters never failed to be put down by a large majority and all true believers exulted as in a victory


whether these and many other stories of the like nature were true or untrue the maypole was really an old house a very old house perhaps as old as it claimed to be and perhaps order which will some times happen with houses of an uncertain as with ladies of a certain age


its windows were old diamond pane lattices its floors were sunken and uneven its ceilings blackened by the hand of time and heavy with massive beams


over the doorway was an ancient porch quaintly and grotesquely carved and here on summer evenings the more favored customers smoked and drank aye and sung many a good song too sometimes reposing on two grimlooking high backed settles which like the twin dragons of some fairy tale guarded the entrance to the mansion


in the chimneys of the disused rooms swallows had built their nests for many a long year and from earliest spring to latest autumn whole colonies of sparrows chirped and twittered in the eaves


there were more pigeons about the dreary stable yard and outbuildings than anybody but the landlord could reckon up


the wheeling and circling flights of runts fantails tumblers and pouters were perhaps not quite consistent with the grave and sober character of the building but the monotonous cooing which never ceased to be raised by some among them all day long suited it exactly and seemed to lull it to rest


with its overhanging stories drowsy little panes of glass and front bulging out and projecting over the pathway the old house looked as if it were nodding in its sleep


indeed it needed no very great stretch of fancy to detect in it other resemblances to humanity


the bricks of which it was built had originally been a deep dark red but had grown yellow and discolored like an old mans skin the sturdy timbers had decayed like teeth and here and there the ivy like a warm garment to comfort it in its age wrapt its green leaves closely round the tin e worn walls


it was a hale and hearty age though still and in the summer or autumn evenings when the glow of the setting sun fell upon the oak and chestnut trees of the adjacent forest the old house partaking of its lustre seemed their fit companion and to have many good years of life in him yet


the evening with which we have to do was neither a summer nor an autumn one but the twi light of a day in march when the wind howled abismally among the bare branches of the


rumbling in the wide chimneys and driving the rain against the windows of the maypole inn gave such of its frequenters as chanced to be there at the mo ment an undeniable reason for prolonging their stay and caused the landlord to prophesy that the night would certainly clear at eleven oclock pre


cisely which by a remarkable coincidence was the hour at which he always closed his house


the name of him upon whom the spirit of pro phesy thus descended was john willet a burley large headed man with a fat face which betokened profound obstinacy and slowness of apprehension combined with a very strong reliance upon his own merits


it was john willets ordinary boast in his more placid moods that it he was slow he was sure which assertion could in one sense at least be by no means gainsaid seeing that he was in everything unquestionably the reverse of fast and withal one of the most dogged and positive fellows in existence always sure that what he thought or said or did was right and holding it as a thing quite settled and ordained by the laws of nature and providence that anybody who said or did or thought otherwise must be inevtiably and of necessity wrong


mr willet walked slowly up to the window flattened his fat nose against the cold glass and shading his eyes that his sight might not be affected by the ruddyglow of the fire looked abroad


then he walkedslowly back to his old seat in the chimney corner and composing himself in it with a slight shiver such asaman might give way to and so acquire an additional relish for the warnsblaze said looking round pponshis guests


itll clear at eleven oclock


no sooner and no later


not beforeand not afterwards


how do you makeout that said a little man in the opposite corner


the moon is past the full aiid she risesat nine


johin looked sedately and solemnly at his ques tioner until he had brought his mind to bear upon the whole of his ubservationand then madeanswer in a tone which seemed to imply that the moon was peculiarly hisi business and nobody elses never you mind about the moon dont you trouble yourself about her you let the moon alone and ill letyou alone


no offence i hope said the little man


againjohn waited leisurely until the observation hadthoroughly penetrated to his brain and then replying no offence as


et applied a light to his pipe and smoked jn placid silence now and then castiogsideloog look at a man wrapped in a loose riding coat with huge cdfils ornamented with tarnished silver lace and large metal buttons who sat apart fromn the regular frequenters of the house and wearing a hat flapped over his lace which was still further shaded by the handon whichhis fore head rested looked unsociable enough


there was another guest who sat booted and spurred at some distance from the fire also and whose thoughts to judge fromhis folded arms and knitted brows and from the untaste


liquor before him were occupied


with other matters than the topics under discussion or the persons who discussed them


this was a young man of about eightand twenty rather above the nmiddle height and though ofa somewhat slight figure gracefully and strongly made


he wore his own dark hair and was ac coutred in a riding ldress which together with his large boots resembling in shqpe and


fashion those worn by our life guardsmen at the present day showed


indisputable traces of the badcondition of theroads


but travel stained though he was he was well and even richly attired and without beinog overdreassed looked a gallant ountleman


slyingupon the table beside him as he had care iessly thrown them down were a heavy riding whip ma slouchedhat the latter worn no doubt as eing tbest suiited to the inclemency of theweather


thtre too were a pair of pisios in a holster case and a short riding cloak


little


of his face rwas vilsible except the long dark lashes which concealed his downcast eyesbutan air


of carelets ease and natiural gracefulnesp of demneanour pervaded the blgure tnddseemed to compreleiid even these slight accsories which were all bandsomn and inhgoud i awsrdai thi ns jentman tlh s eye of mr wilet wandered hut once nd then asif inmute iquidry whhether he had otiserved hiasilent neigh bbur


itwas plain that john anid the young gen tleman had often met before


filoding that his look was not eiurned or indeed bbserved bythe person to who it l ais addressed johdi giaduallj concen trated the whole ldwer orfhis eyes into pne rfois and brodtit i tobhar upon the nan iii the flapped tsar t vbvm ie came to stare in course of time with an intensity so remarkable that it affected his fireside cronies who all as witli one accord took their pipes from their lips and stared with open mouths at the stranger likewise


the sturdy landlord had alarge pair of dull fish like eyes and the little man who had hazarded the remark about the moon and who was the parish clerk and bellringer of chigwell a village hard by had little round black shiny eyes like beads more


over this little man wore at the knees of his rusty black breeches and on his rusty black coat and all down his long flapped waistcoat little queer buttons like nothing except his eyes but so like them that as they twinkled and glistened in the light of the fire which shone too in his bright shoebuckles he seemed all eyes from head to foot and to be gazing with every one of them at the unknown customer


no wonder that a man should grow restless under such an inspection as this to say nothing of the eyes belonging to short tom cobb the general chandler and post oflice keeper and long phil parkes the ranger both of whom infected by the example of their companions regarded him of the flapped hat no less attentively


the stranger became restless perhaps from being exposed to this raking fire of eyes perhaps from the nature of his previous meditations most probably from thle latter cause for as he changed his position and looked hastily round he started to find himself the object of such keenl regard and darted an angry and suspicious glance at tie fireside group


it had tile effect of immediately diverting all eyes to the chimney except those of john willet who finding himself as it were caught in the fact and not being as has been already observed of a ready nature re mained staring at his guest in a particularly awkward and disconcerted manner


well t said the stranger


well


there was not much in well


it was not a long speech


i thought you gave an order said the landlord after a pause of two or three minutes for consideration


the stranger took off his hat and disclosed the hard features of a man of sixty or thereabouts much weatherbeaten and worn by time and the naturally harsh expression of which was not improved by a dark handkerchief which was bound tightly round his head and while it served the purpose of a wig shaded his forehead and almost hid his eyebrows


if it were intended to conceal or divert attention from a deep gash now healed into an ugly seam which when it was first inflicted must have laid bare his cheekbone the object was but indifferently attained for it could scarcely fail to be noted at a glance


his complexion was of a cadaverous hue and he had a grizly jagged beard of some three weeks date


such was the figure very meanly and poorly clad that now rose from the seat and stalking across the room sat down in a corner of the chimney which the politeness or fears of the little clerk very readily assigned to him


a highwayman i whispered tom cobb to parkes the ranger


do you suppose highwaymen dont dress hand somer than that replied parkes


itaabetter business than you think for tom and highwaymen dont needor useto be shabby take my word for it


meanwhile the subject of theirspeculations had donedue honour to the house by calling for some drink which was promptly supplied by the landlords son joe a broadshouldered strapping young fellow of twenty whom it pleased his father still to con sider a little boy and to treat accordingly


stretch


ing out his hands to warm them by the blazing fire the man turned his head towards the company and after running his eye sharply over them said in a voice well suited to his appearance what house is that which stands a mile or so from here public house said the landlord with his usual deliberation


pubioehouse father exclaimed joe wheres the public house within a mile or so of the maypolel he means the great house the warren naturally and of course


the old red brick house sir that stands in its own grounds ay said the stranger


and that fifteen or twenty years ago stood in a park five times as broad which with other and richer property has bit by bit changed hands and dwindled awaymores the pity


pursued the young man


mlaybe was the reply


but my question related to the owner


what it has been i dont care to know and what it is i can see for myself


tha her apr x


r his finger on nlsjps and glancing at tile young gentle


man already noticed who had changed his attitude when the house was first mentioned replied in a lower tone the owners name is haredale mr geoffrey haredale andagain he glanced in the same direc


tion as before and a worthy gentleman toohem


i paying as little regard to this admonitory cough as to the significant gesture that had preceded it the stranger pursued his questioning


turned out of my way coming here and took the footpath that crosses the grounds


who was the young lady that i saw entering a carriage


his daughter why how should i know honest man replied joe contriving in the course of some arrangements about the hearth to advance close to his questioner and pluck him by the aseeve i didnt see the young lady you know


whew i theres the wind again and rain well it is a night l rough weather indeedl observed the strange man


youre used to it said joe catching at any


thing which seemed to promise a diversion of the subject


pretty well returned the other


about the young ladyhas mr haredale a daughter


no no said the young fellow fretfully hes a single gentlemanhesbe quiet cant you man


dont you see this talk is not relished yonder


regardless of this whispered remonstrance and affecting not to hear it his tormentor provokingly continued single men have had daughters before now


perhaps sihe may be his daughter though lie is not married


what do you meant said joe adding in an under tone as he approached him again youll come in for it presently i know you will


i mean no harm returned the traveller boldly and have said none that i know of


i ask a few questionsas any stranger may and not unna


turallyabnut the inmates of a remarkable house in a neighbourhood which is new to me and you are as aghast and disturbed as if i were talking treason against king geotge


perhaps you can tell me why sir for as i say


i am a stranger and this is greek to me the latter observation was addressed to the obvious cause of joe willets discomposure who had risen and was adjusting his riding cloak prepa ratory to sallying abroad


brefly replying thiat he could give him no information the young man beckoned to joe and handing him a piece of money in payment of his reckoning hurried out attended by young willer himself who taking up a candle followed to light him to the house door


while joe was absent on this errand the elder willer and his three companons continued to smoke with profound gravity and in a deep silence each iaving his eyes fixed on a huge copper boiler that was suspended over the fire


after some time joe willet slowly shook his head and thereupon his friends slowly shook theirs but no man withdrew his eyea from the boiler or altered the solemo expression of his countenance inthe slighest degree


at length joe returned very talkative and conci liatory as though with a strong presentimeut that he was going to be found fault with


such a thing as love is i he said drawing a chair near the fire and looking rsund for sympathly


he has set off to walk to londonall the way to london


his nag gone lame is riding out here this blessed afternoon and comfortably littered down in our stable at this minute and he giving up a good hot supper and our best bed because miss hare dale has gone to a masquerade up in town and he hlas set hisheart upon seeing her


i i dont think i could persuade myself to do that beautiful as she


isabut then im not in love at least i dont think i am and thats the wholelo difference


iela i in love then said the stranger


rathler replied joe


hell never be more in lovn and may very easily be less


silence sir l cried hi father


what achapiyou are joe said long pahkei


such a inconsiderate lad murmered rom cobb putting himself forward and wvriiglqg the very nio off hlts owri fathbrs fcarel exclaimed the i parish cleirkriietaphorically


whathause


i done reasoned joe


shletce sit li returned


his father whlat do you meano by talkidg whean yousee people that are more thi two or three times your age sitting still and silebt andnot ereaming of saying a word s why thats the proper time for me to talk isnt it said joe rebelliously


the proper time air retorted his father i the proper times no time


the proper times no time sir repeated john willet when i was your age i never talked i never wanted to talk i listened and improved my self thats what i did


and youd find your father rather a tough cus tomer in argeyment joe if anybody was to try and tackle him said parkes


for the matter o that phil observed mr willet blowing a long thin spiral cloud of smoke out of the corner of his mouth and staring at it ab stractedly as it floated away for the matter o that phil argeyment is a gift of natur


if natur has gifed a man with powers of argeyment a man has a right to make the best of em and has not a right to stand on false delicacy and deny that he is so gifted for that is a turning of his back on natur a tloughtiog of her a alighting of her precious caskets and a proving of ones self to be a swine that isnt worth iher scattering pearls before


the landlord pausing here for a very long time mr parkes naturally concluded that he had brought his discourse to an end and therefore turning to the young man with some austerity exclaimed you hear what your father says


joe you wouldnt much like to tackle him in argeyment im thinking sir


ir said john willet turning his eyes from the ceiling to the face of hiis interrupter and uttering the monosyllable in capitals to apprise him that lhe had put in his oar as the vulgar say with unbe


comnag and irreverent haste if sir natur has fixed upon me the gift of argeyment why should i not own to it and rather glory in the same


yes sir i am a tough customer that way


you are right sir


mly toughness has been proved sir in this room many and many a time as i think you know and if you dont know added john putting his pipe in his mouth again so much the better for ant proud and am not a going to tell you


a general murmur from lhis three cronies and a general shaking of heads at the copper boiler as


sured john willet that they had had good experi


ence of his powers and needed no further evidence to assure them of his superiority


john smoked with a little more dignity and surveyed them in silence


its all very fine talking muttered joe who had been fidgetting in his chair with divers uneasy gestures


but if you mean to tell me that im never to open my lips silence sir roared his father


no you never are


when your opinions wanted you give it


wvhen youre spoke to you speak


when your opinions not wanted and youre not spoke to dorit you give an opinion and dont you speak


the worlds undergone a nice alteration since my time certainly


my belief is that there ant any boys left that there isnt such a thing as a boy that theres nothing now between a male baby and a man and that all the boys went out with his blessed majesty king george the second


thats a very true observation


always except


ing the young princes said the parish clerk wlho as the representative of church and state in that company held himself bound to the nicest loyalty


if its godly and righteous for boys being of the ages of boys to behave themselves like boys the the young princes must be boys and cannot be other


wise


did you ever hear tell of mermaids sir said mr willet


certainly i have replied the clerk


very good said air willet


according to the constitution of mermaids so much of a mermaid as is not a woman must be a fish


according to the constitution of young princes so much of a young prince if anything as is not actually an angel must be godly and righteous


therefore if its be coming and godly and tighteous in the young princes as it is at their ages that they should be boys they are and must be boys and cannot by possibility be anything else


this elucidation of a knotty point being received with such marks of approval as to put john willet into a good humour he contented himself with repeating to hias son his command of silence and addressing the stranger said if you had asked your questions of a grownup person of me or any of these gendlemeq youd have had some satisfaction and wouldnt have wasted a


l ji al a oroy halnat niece


is her father alive said the man carelessly


no rejoined the landlord he is not alive and he is not dead


not dead


cried the other


not dead in a common sort of way said the landlord


the cronies nodded to each other and mr parkes remarked in an under tone shaking his head mean while as who should say let no man contradsct me for i wont believe him that john willet was in amazing force tonight and fit to tackle a chief justice


the stranger suffered a short pause to elapse and then asked abruptly what do you mean more than you think for friend returned john willet


perhaps theres more meaning in them words than you suspect


perhaps there is said the strange man graffly but what the devil do you speak in such mysteries for


you tell me first that a man is not alive nor yet dead then that hes not dead in a common sort of way then that you mean a great deal more than i think for


to tell you the truth you may do that easily for so far as i can make out you mean nothing


what do you mean i ask again


that returned the landlord a little brough down from his dignity by the strangers surliness is a maypole story and has been any time these four and twenty years


that story as solomon daisys story it belongs to the house and nobody but solomon daisy has ever told it under this roof or ever shall thats more


the man glanced at the parish clerk whose air of consciousness and importance plainly betokened him to be the person referred to and observing that he had taken his pipe from his lips after a very long whliffto keep it alight and was evidently about to tell his story without further sohlcitation gathered his large coat about him end shrinking further back was almost lost in the gloom of the spacious chimney corner except when the flame struggling from under a great faggot whose weight almost crushed it for the time shot upward with a strong and suddeo glare and illumining his figure for a moment seemed afterwards to cast it into deeper obscurity than before


by this flickering light which made the old room with its heavy timbers and panelld walls look as if it were built of polished ebonythe wind roaring and howling without now rattling the latch and creaking thle hlinges of the stoot oaken door and now driving at the casement as though it would beat it inby this light and under circumstances anso aus picious solomon diaisy began his tale a it was mr reuben haredale bmr geoffreys elder brother


here he came to a dead stop and made so long a pause that even john willet grew impatient and asked why he dad not proceed


cob said solomon daisy dropping his voice and appealing to thle post office keeper what day of the month is this the nineteenth


of march said the clerk beading forward the nineteenth of march thats very strange is a low voice they all acquiesced and solomon went on itwas mr reuben haredalo mr geoffreys elder brothler that twentytwo years ago was the owner of the warren which as joe has saidnot that you remember it joe for a boy like you cant do that but because you have often heard me say asowas then a much larger and better place and much more valuable property than it is now


his lady was lately dead and he was left with one child the miss haredileyou have been inquiriog about who was then scarcely a year old


although the speaker addressed himself to the man who had shewn so much curiosity about this same family and made a pause here as lf expecting some exclatmation of surprise or encouragement the latter made no remark nor gave any indication that he hieard or vwasinterested in what was said


solo


mon therefore turned to his old compansons whose noses were brightly iluminated by the deep red glow from the bowlsof thlir pipesd assured by long experietce of their atteration and resolved to shaw his sense of such indecent behlaviour


mr haedanie said bolomon turninghis back upon tlie strange man lefitliss place when his lady died feeling it lonelylike and went up to london where heo stopped some months buait find


ing that place as lonely as this as suppose and have always heard say he suddenly came back again withl its little girl to the warren bringing withhim besides that day only two women servants and his steward and a gardener


mr daisy stopped to take a whiff at his pipe which was going out and then proceededat first in a snuffling tone occasioned by keen enjoyment of the tobacco and strong pulling at the pipe and afterwards with increasing distinctness s bringing with him two women servants and his steward and his gardener


the rest stopped behind up in london and were to follow the next day


it happened that that night on old gentleman who lived atchigwellrow and had long been poorly deceased and an order came at hall after twelve oclock at night to go and toll the passingbell


there was a movement in the litto group of listeners sufficiently indicative of the strong repug nance any one of them would have felt to have turned out at such a time upon such an errand


the clerk felt and understood it and pursued his theme accordingly


it toas a dreary thing especially as the grave digger was laid up in his bed from long working in a damp soil and sitting down to take his dinner on cold tombstones and i was conseqtuently tinder obligation to go alone for it was too late to hope to get any other companion


hlowever i wasnt unpre


pared for it as the old gentleman had often made it a request that the bell should be tolled as soon as possible after the blrcath was out of his body and he had been expected to go for some days


i put as good a face upon it as i could and muffling myself up for tt was mortal cold started out with a lighted lantern in one hand and the key of the church in the other


at this point of the narrative the dress of the strange man rustled as if he had turned himself to hear more distinctly


slightly pointing over his shoulder solomon elevated his eyebrows and nodded a silent inquiry to joe whether this was the case


joe shaded his eyes with his hand and peered into the corner but could make out nothing and so shook his head


it was just such a night as this blowing a hurricane raining heavily and very darki often think now darker than ever saw it before or since that may be my fancy but the houses were all close shut and the folks indoors and perhaps there is only one other man who knows how dark it really was


i got into the church chained the door back so that it should keep ajaffor to tell the truth i didnt like to be shut in there aloneand putting my lantern on the stone seat in the little corner where the bellrope is sat down beside it to trim the candle


i sat down to trim the candle and when i had done so i could not persuade myself to get up again and go about my work


i dont know how it was but i thought of all the ghost stories i had ever heard even those that i had heard when i was a boy at school and had forgotten long ago and they didnt come into my mind one after another but all crowding at once like


i recollected one story there was in the village how thaton a certain night in the year it might be that very night for anything i knew all the dead people came out of the ground and sat at the heads of theirown graves till morning


this made me think how many people i had known were buried between the church door and the church yard gate and what a dreadful thing it would be to have to pass among them and know them again so earthy and unlike themselves


i had known all the niches and arches in the church from a child still i couldnt persuade myself that those were heir natural shadows which i saw on the pavement but felt sure there were some ugly figures hiding among em and peeping out


thinking on in this way i began to think of the old gentleman who was just dead and i could have sworn as i looked up the dark chancel that i saw him in his usual place wrapping his shroud about him and shivering as if he felt it cold


all this time i sat listening and listening and hardly dared to breathe


at length i started up and took the bell rope in my hands


at that minute there rangnot that bell for i had hardly touched the ropebut anotlherl heard the ringing of another bell and a deep bell too plainly


it was only for an instant and even then the wind carried the sound away but i heard it


i listened for a long time but it rang no more


i had heard of corpse candles and at last i persuaded myself that this must be a corpse bell tolling of itself at midnight for the dead


i tolled my bell how or how long i dont know and ran home to bed as fast as i could touch tihe ground


i was up early next morning after a restless night and told the story to my neighbours


some were serious and some made light of it i dont rnmlnrnyaidy believed it real


iut that morning mr reuben lharesate a


nound murdered in his bedchamber and in his hand was a piece of the cord attached to an alarm bell outside the roof which hung in his room and had been cut asunder no doubt by the murderer when he seized it


that was the bell i heard


a bureau was found opened and a cashbox which mlr


haredalo had brought down that day and was supposed to contain a large sum of money was gone


the steward and gardener were both missing and both suspected for a long time but they were never found though hunted far and wide


and far enough they might have looked for poor mlr


itudge the steward whose body scarcely to be recognised but by his clothes and the watch and ring he worewas found months afterwards at the bottom of a piece of water in the grounds with a deep gash in the breast where he had been stabbed wsth a knife


lie was only partly dressed r and people all agreed that he had been sitting up reading in his own room where there were many traces of bloid and was suddenly fallen upon and killed before his master


everybody now knew that the gardener must be the murderer and though he has never been heard of from that time to this he will be mark my words


the crime was committed this day two and twenty yearson the nineteenth of march one thousand seven hundred and fitty three


on the nineteenth of march in some year no matter wheni know it i am sure of it for we have always in some strange way or other been brought back to the subject otn that day ever sinceon the nineteenth of march in some year sooner or later that man will be dis covered


to be continued


tmbmmmwl the story oe


a feather


sjj banalit serrlo


a story from punch chapter xiv


continued ft oin our last


i am pubchased by madame spanneu


n illustration of human motives


the countess being placed in mourningsuch is the gentle tender phrase that indicates the call of death in high housesi was cast aside


indeed again and again before the countess quitted london for canaan hallthe family countryscat heard her vow that she would leave the world for ever


ex istence had lost its only value ta her what was life without her darling child


most vociferous was her grief whilst the earl with calm deep sorrow would gaze at her as i thought with doubting looks


however the day after the death of her child her ladyship departed to feed her misery in solitude


she vould henceforth employ herself among her husbands tenantry she would visit the sick the widowed and the fatherless again and again did she assure her husband that she would be quite a blessing to the poor hearing this and finding myself cast carelessly by i concluded that i too was doomed to a long retirement from the bustling world


in little less than a week i found it other ise


one afternoon found myself in the hands of mrs pillow who declared me to be with other mattersgowns and gloves and cloaks and shoesher lawful property by gift from the countess


this declaration was made by the housekeeper to a short thin flaunlilydressed little woman ho evidently gazed at myself and my companions with the depreciating looks of a purchaser


there madame spanneu cried mrs pillow holding me daintily between her thumb and finger call that n beauty


its a bit of wirgin snow and never been in my ladys head hut once


la roy dear said madame in a most affectionate tone feathers fetch nothing


indeed im the greatest sinner olive if all business isnt quite gone to the dogs


talking about dogs madame spanneu hows your hus band


thus spoke mrs pillow and though the reader may feel that the inquiry dictated by a thought of the canine race was scarcely complimentary to monsieur spanneu it was never theless the result of association of ideas in the brain of the housekeeper for as i afterwards discovered monsieur span neu parisian born was an enthusiast in poodles


they were to him as his own flesh and blood


ile was their guide philosopher and friend though truth compels me to admit that he never hesitated to sell his pupils when he could obtain a purchaser


his fame indeed was widely spread throughout the fashionable world and many were the declining maidens who owed the prime consolation of their lives to the delicate tending of mons


spanneu


indeed its i once heard liitn declare all his dogs were dogs of sentiment


how is monsieur again inquired mrs pillow


bless your heart my dear answered the partner of his soul nothing ever ails the brute


ha my dear it serves me righti would try to leam french and im rightly served for it


that satin my dear is stained in three placesand madame spannen pointed to the spots on a rosecoloured gown


well i alwajs thought it odd as how you could marry a frenchman said the housekeeper sinking the spots of a gar ment n the blemishes of a husband


i didnt think its doing the right thing by ones own country


my dear i had my scruples but then he said he was a count


what shall i give you for the lot and again madame jumped from thoughts conjugal to matters of business


why you shall give mebut well talk of that down stairs ive a little something and such a glass of madeira


i saying this the housekeeper hurried madame spanneu from the apart ment


an hour at least had elapsed and i with the other perqui sites was carried to the housekeepers room where i could not but acknuwledge the evidecce of the potency of the madeira


mrs pillows face was luminous madame spanneus eyes twinkled anda gentleman whom i at once recognised as atcmimuuw uwh m tilt r i tfhirh thrtfl were chloes eyes and chloes lips and chlocsbalmy kisses


well my love cried madame spanncu for vine had en larged her heart and deepened her ordinary terms of affection well my love if ive any weakness in the world its music


thats me nil over said mrs pillow with a slight titter and as i thought an oblique halflook at air


curlwell


whe herit was so or not that gentleman took a deep respiration and again burst forth in praise of chloe


and when does lady hlushrosc come back my love


in quired madame spanneu between one of curlells pauses


bless your heart nobody knows shes a going to bury herself from the hole world


poor dear thing


ihu sym pathised mrs pillow


mr curlwell leaning back in his chair and putting his thumbs in his waistcoat roared over his neckcloth shell be at ranelagh in a fortnight


la how can you talk so


and with that dear child upon her mind i to be sure she knew as how it wouldnt live if she didnt nurse it


well its in heaven cried mrs pillow with an air of satisfaction by no means lessened by another glass of madeira


i dont know how t is between ourselves people havent the hearts they used to have when i was a girl


madame spanneu was about to press her lips to the glass struck by this melancholy verity she paused an instant then shaking her head with deep significance at the housekeeper she cried they havent and tossed off the madeira


the worlds a getting still wickeder


was the opinion of mr curlwell nubody now can trust nobody


i never thought much of the countess


some people says shes handsome but shes not my beauty


here the tratet looked dead in the face of mrs pillow whowith the corners of her mouth slightly curlingsaid youre so partielar


poor thing


still you know my dear cried madame now the babys gone the countess must have something to like


try a poodle said curlwell for my part i bate a house with babbies


well what a man you are exclaimed mrs pillow smil ing


hut after all people with the money of the countess cant feel grief like us as are poor


they havent the hearts eried the valet in a loud voice expanding his chest


with a good deal of money folks can bear u deal of trouble und be none the worse for it said the housekeeper


trouble does em goodteaches em whos master voci ferated the valet and again he drank the earls madeira


still my love said madame spanncu i pity the ear terbody says my dear hes so much feeling


not a atom exclaimed curlwell his charity towards his superiors fast vanishing with his sobriety


indeed have no doubt that the valets firm belief was that all human goodness had for ever quitted the drawingrooms of the great and set up ti everlasting rest in the butler pantry


thus he con tinued the euri feel


pooh i crocodiles maamcro codiles


but really air curlwell said airs


pillow what motives as ne may say should his lordship have how do we know


motives


who knows anything about cm


i dont trust to anything or anybody if the euri was to give me five hundred a year tomorrow should i thank him for it in my heart


no j and hy not


why because i should be certain he had some motive in it


nobody does no thing without thinking of something


such was st once the simple and enlarged philosophy of lord iluntingfoppers valet


my dear mr curlwell i do think youre right


im sorry to say it but something happened only yesterday at our house that makes me suspect everybody yessaid madame spanueu with emphasiseverybody


cant do better maam cried curlwell again quaffing the madeira


what wai it


way you know my dear mrs pillow we lost our darling it three week ago


dear toe cried the sympathising housekeeper h


well my dear about the middle of last week a womana very tidy civil sort of body comes to our house and says to nie aayt shemarm do you want a cat


why my dear says i quite forgetting who i was talking toi do


well them aya tb woman heres


sweet little cretur and with that the dorno more than take a black kitten out of her basket as she had narr htr cloak


there said hethere a little rose in juna for you black mi coal nuam rea t all over for i wish i may die if theres a white hair in it


well my dear im not superstitious no i should hope not still i know theres luck in a black cat


so i says to tbe woman youre very kind ill take the cat with pleasure its very good of you to have brought it


dont name it maam says the woman who would take no thanks at all for the matter


well took in the cat and the woman goes away


youd see nothing in that would you my dear nothing at all said mrs pillow


cat was mad no doubt cried the charitable curlwell


not at all as sensible and as wellbehaved a cat as ever entered a house averred madame spanneu


but what do you think my dear


yesterday conies the very woman to me again


marm says she i hope you like the cat


very much my dear says i youll find it a beautiful mouser marm for i know its family


ive no doubt of it at all says i


well then says the woman since you like the cal so much we can now come to business


what business


says i why marm says the woman us i brought you the cat you couldnt do less than let me serve it


serve itserve it with what


says i why with catsmeat says the woman


couldnt think of such a thing says i and i always feed my cat front my ou n table


then you should have heard her impudence


why says she calling me everything but a lady i could have got the kitten u place in a respectable family yes a place in a squareand you never could be such a fool yes my love those were her wordsyou never could be such a foolcould never know so little of life as lo suppose id give you a cat if it wasnt that i was to serve her with meat


like all the world says mr curlwell mid here ended madame spanneu s chapter on human motives


to lie continued


asatrer iutmprrs cloit n


persoval adyentures of maseit huimphiiey


tllt old curiosity ashopciiaptei itll


nell was stirring early in the morning and b having discharged her household tasks and put every thing in order for the good schoolmaster though e sorely against his will for he would have spared her the pains took down from its nail by the fireside a little bundle of keys with which the bachelor had formally invested her on the previous day and went out alone to visit the old church


the sky was serene and bright the air clear per fumed with the fresh scent of newlyfalleu leaves and grateful to every sense


the neighbouring stream sparkled and rolled onward with a tuneful sound the dew glistened on the green mounds like tears shed by good spirits over the dead


some young children sported among the tombs and hid from each other with laughing faces


they had an infant with them and had laid it down asleep upon a childs grave in a little bed of leaves


it was a new grave the resting place perhaps of some little creature who meek and patient in its illness had often sat and watched them and now seemed to their minds scarcely changed


she drew near and asked one of them whose grave it was


the child answered that that was not its name it was a garden his brothers


it was greener he said thlan all the other gardens and the birds loved it better because he used to feed them


when he had done speaking he lookedat her with a smile and kneeling down and nestling for a moment with ihis cheek against the turf bounded merrily away


she passed the church gazing upward at its old tower went through the wicket gate and so into the village


tle old sexton leaning on a crutch was taking the air at isis cottage door and gave her good morrow


you are better i said the child stopping to speak with him


aye surely returned the old man


im thankful to say much better


you will be quite well soon


with ileavens leave and a little patience


but come in


the old man limped on before and warning her of the downward step which he achieved himself with no small difficulty led the way into ihis little cottage


it is but one room you see


there is another up above but the stair has got harder to climb o late years and i never use it


im thinking of taking to it again next summer though


the child wondered how a grayheaded man like himone of his trade toocould talk of time so easily


lie saw her eyes wandering to the tools that hung upon the wall and smiled


i warrant nowhe said that you think all those are used in making graves


indeed i wondered that you wanted so many


and well you might


i am a gardener


i dig the ground and plant things that are to live and grow


my works dont all moulder away and rot in the earth


you see that spade in the centre


the very old oneso noched and worn


yes


thats the sextons spade and its a wellused one as you see


were healthy people here but it has done a power of work


if it could speak now


that spade it would tell you of many an unexpected job that it


and i have done together but i forget em for my memorys a poor one


thats nothing new lie added hastily it always was


there are flowers and shrubs to speak to your other work said the child


oh yes


and tall trees


but they are not so separated from the sextons labours as you think


no not in my mind and recollectionsuch as it is said the old man


indeed they often help it


for say that i planted such a tree for such a man there it stands to remind me that ire died


when i look at its broad shadow and remember what it was in his time it helps me to the age of my other work and i can tell you pretty nearly when i made his grave


but it may remind you of one who is still alive said the child


of twenty that are dead in connexion with that oqo who lives then rejoined the old man wife husband parents brothers sisters children friends a score at least


so it happens that the sextltols spade gets worn and battered


i shall need a new onenext summer


the child looked quickly towards him thinking that he jested with his age and infirmity a but the unconscious sexton was quite in earnest


alh i lie said after a brief silence people never learn they never learn its only we wvho urn up the ground where nothing grows and esery thing decays who think of such things as these who think of them properly i mean


you have been into the church i am going there row the child replied


theres an old well there said the sexton right underneath the belfry a deep dark echoing well


fory year ago you had only to let down the bucket till the first knot in the rope was free of tlhe windlass and you heard it splashing in the cold dull water


by little and little the water fell away so that in ten year after that a second knot was made and you must unwind so much rope or the hucket swung tight ard empty at the end


in ten years time the water fell again and a third knot was made


in ten years more the well dried up and now if you lower the bucket till your arms are tired and let out nearly all tile cord youll hear it of a sudden clanking and rattling on the ground below with a sound of being so deep and so far down that your heart leaps into your mouth and you start away as if you were falling in


a dreadful place to come on in the dark exclaimed the child who had followed the old mans looks and words until she seemed to stand upon its brink


hat is it but a grave i said the sexton


what else i and which of our old folks knowing all this thought as the spring subsided of their own failing strength and lessening life


not one i are you very old yourself asked the child involuntarily


shall be seventyninenext summer


you still work when you are well work to be sure


you shall see my gardens hereabout


look at the window there


i made and have kept that plot of ground entirely with my own hands


by this time next year i shall hardly see the sky the boughs will have grown so thick


i have my winter work at night besides


he opened as he spoke a cupboard close to where he sat and produced some miniature boxes carved in a homely manner and made of old wood


some gentlefolks who are fond of ancient days and what belongs to them he said like to buy these keepsakes from our church and ruins


some times i make them of scraps of oak that turn up here and there sometimes of bits of coffins which the vaults have long preserved


see herethis is a little chest of the last kind clasped at the edges with fragments of brass plates that had writing on em once though it would be hard to read it now


i havent many by me at this time of year but these shelves will be fullnext summer


the child admired and praised his work and shortly afterwards departed thinking as she went how strange it was that this old man drawing from his pursuits and everything around him one stern moral never contemplated its application to himself and while he dwelt upon the uncertainty of human life seemed both in word and deed to deem himself immortal


but her musings did not stop here for she was wise enough to think that by a good and merciful adjustment this must be human nature and that the old sexton with his plans for next summer was but a type of all mankind


full of these meditations she reached the church


it was easy to find the key belonging tothe outer door for each was labelled on a scrap of yellow parchment


its very turning in the lock awoke a hollow sound and when she entered with a faltering step the echoes that it railed in closing made her start


everything in our lives whether of good or evil affects us most by contrast


if the peace of thd simple village had moved the child more strongly because of the dark and troubled ways that lay beyond and through which she had journeyed with such failing feet what was the deep impression of finding herself alone in that solemn building where the very light coning through sunken windows seemed old and grey and the air redolent of earth and mould seemed laden with decay purified by time of all its grosser particles and sighed through arch and aisle and clustered pillars like the breath of ages gone here was the broken pavement worn so long ago by pious feet that time stealing on the pilgrims steps had trodden out their track and left but crumbling stones


here were the rotten beam the sinking arch the sapped and mouldering wall the lowly tomb of earth the stately tomb on which no epitaph remained allmarble stone iron wood and dustone common monument of ruin


the best work and the worst the plainest and the richest the stateliest and the least imposing both of heavens work and mansall found one common level here and told one common tale


some part of the edifice had been a baronial chapel and here were effigies of warriors stretched upon their beds of stone with folded hands cross legged those who had fought in the holy wars girded with their swords and cased in armour as they had lived


some of these knights had their own weapons helmets coats of mail tanging upon the walls hard by and dangling from rusty hooks


broken and dilapidated as they were they yet retained their ancient formn and something of their encient aspect


ihus violent deeds live after men upon the earth and traces of wvar and bloodshed will survive in mouruful shapes long after those who worked the desolation are but atoms of earth themselves


the child sat down in this old silent place among the stark figures on the tombsthey made it more quiet there than eleewlhere to her fancyand gazing round with a feeling of awe tempered wvith a calm delhight felt that now she was happy and at rest


she took a bible from the shelf and read then laying it downo thought of thie summer slays and the bhight springtime that would comeof the rays of sun that vwould fall in nslant upon the sleeping formsof the leaves thlat would flutter at the win dow and play in glistening ashadows on the pave mentof the songs of birds and growth of buds and blossoms out of doorsof tile swveet air that would steal in and gently wave the tottered banners overhead


what if thle spot awakened thoughts of death i die who would it would still remain the sane these sights and sounds would still go on as happily as ever


it would be no pain to sleep amidst them


she left theehapelveryslowly and often turning back to gaze againand coming to a low door which plainly led into the tower opened it and climbed the winding stair in darkness save where she looked down through narrow loophloles on tihe place she had left or caught a glimmering vision of the dusty bells


at length she gained the end of the ascent and stood upon the turret top


oh i the glory of the sudden bturst of light the freshness of the fields and woods stretching away on every side and meeting the bright blue sky tihe cattle grazing in the pasturage the smoke that coming from among the trees seemed to rise upward from the green earth the children yet at their gam


bols dowvn helow all overything so beautiful and happy


it was like passing from death to life it was drawing nearer heaven


ho children were gone by the time she emergedt toe the porch and locked the door


as she passed the slol houtse she could hear ilte busy hum of voices


her friend lad begun his labours only that day


fhe noise grew louder and looking back she sawthe boys come trooping out and disperse them selves with merry shouts and play its a good thing thought the child am very glad they pass the church


and then she stopped to fancy how the noise would sound inside and how gently it would seemt to die away upon the ear


again that dayyes twice againshe stole back to the old chapel and in her former seat read from the same book or indulged the same quiet train of thought


even when it had grown dusk and the shadows of coming night made it more solemn still the child remained like one rooted to the spot and had uo fear or thought of stirring


they fotund her there at last and took her home


she looked pale but very happy until they separated for the night and then as the poor schoolmaster stooped down to kiss her cheek he thought he felt a tear upon his face


to be continued


tlitcrature


the mysteries of paris


continued


chapter vi


the fari of ioqueval


the farm to vhich rodolphe brotiht fleurrde marie wassituated near the vil lage of boqueval a little solitary parish about two leagues distant from ecouen


the carriagewasled down asteep hbill into a long avenue bordered with apple and cherry trees and the wheels rolled without noise on a carpet of short green turf


at the end of a few moments the vehiclepassed the door of the farmyard and continuing alonga iliick hedge stopped before a little rustic door half concealed by a thick vine with its autumn purple leaves


here we are arrived fleur de marie said rodolphe


are you now pleased


yes monsieur rodolphe yet i feel ashamed to appear before the farmers wife


i shall not dare to look at her


and why not my child


you are right monsieur rodolphe she does not know me said marie choak


ing down a sigh


they had no doubt been watching the arrival of rodolphe for as the coachman openedthe gate a woman of about fifty years of age with a face at once of a sweet and sad expression appeared at the porch and came to meet rodolphe eagerly but with much respect


la goualeuse became purple with shame and descended from the carriage after a moments hesitation


good day my good madame georges saidrodolphe you see i am punctual then turning tothe coachman and putting some money in his hands he said you can return to paris


fleur de marie approached with a trou bled air and whispered to him so as riot to beheard by madame georges


monsieur rodolphe pardon me


you have sent away the carriagebut alas


i must return to the ogresse tonight for she till think me athief my clothes belong to heriand i owe be comforted my child it is for me to ask your pardon


my pardon for what for not having told you sooner that you can ttale off these miserable clothes for others t tit madame georges will furnish fleur de marie thought she was in a dreamshe looked alternately at itodolphe and maliilame georges and could scarcely believe what she had heard


howesaid she her voice trembling with emotion shailli no more return to paris


shall


i remain here


will madame allow it


can it be possible


i this is my castle in the air realised already


no no it is too muchtoo much happiness


one can never have too much happiness marie


a painfulidea seemed to cross maries mind for she exclaimed


ah for pitys sake mosisieur rodolphe do not deceive meit would kill me


my dear child lielieve me said ro dolphe in an affectiosiate tone but with an accent of dignity which he had not before assumed yes you can from this day if you wish pass with madamejgeorges that peaceful life of which the picturejust now so much enchanted you


madam georges will have for you when you know her the most tender interest you will pass for her niece with the people of thefarm this little deception will renderyour situation more agreeable


fleur de marie answered not a word but she approached rodolphe and bending her knees took his handwhich she carried re spectfully to her lips with a movement filled with modesty arid grace she then fol lowed madame georges who appeared to regard her with great interest


rodolphe turned his steps towards the farmyard were he foutid the tall man who on the previous evening had attended him disguised as charbonnier


sir


walteir murphy was about fifty years of age some white hair silvered the two little tufts which curled on one side of his bald head his face large and rubicund


was completely shaved except the whiskers of deep red which adorned his fat cheeks


notwithstanding his age and corpulency murphy was active and robust


his tem perament although phlegmatic was at the ssame time benevolent and resolute


he wore a whitecravat a large waistcoat and a black coat with long skirts his small


clothes of drab were of the same material as


his


gaiters with their pearl buttons these vere rather shortleaving visible his stockings of unbleached wool


ihis dress and manly bearing were altogether a per fect picture of what theenglishcall a gen tleman lirmer


at the moment rodolphe entered the court murphy put into the pocket of a small travelling carriage a pair of pistols which hle had just cleaned ah i what are you doing with your pistols said rodolphe to him


sthat is my affaiir my lord said mur phy getting down from the steps


at what hour did you order thebhorses


according to your ordersjust at night fall


you have arrived this morning


at eightoclock


madame georges had ample time to get all ready


syou appear to be out of humour have you anyfault to find with me


have but too much ey lord too much oneday iiith another in theiziean time the danger is your life


ifi were to let you aloie


you would run all hazard


and when you can do good without risking your life why should you risk it my lord


where would be the pleasure of that mur phy


spleasure


i said he shrugging his shoul ders qri suchtaverns


ohlthetre you are


john bull with your aristocratic scruplesl believing your great lords to be a cast ofsuperior beings


if you were english you would compre hend this my lord they give honor to whom honor is due


besides i should he worse than a turk not to wairn you that you are wrong in thus exposing yourself


last night in that abominable street in going to dig out that infernal brasrouge it was only the fear of offending you that prevent ed me from giving you my aid in the con iict with the ruffian you mot in that horrid alley


that is to say sir walter that you had ssome doubt of my strength and courage


i no no you have given


me reason a hundred times to doubt neither the one nor he other


cribbttaught you to box and lacour the use of the cane and the foot and for curiosity the vulgar tongue the famous bertrand instructed you in fencing and in your trials with these professors you have often had the advantage you can kill a swallow on thewing with your pistol you have muscles like steel and you can beat me as easily as a race horse can a dray horseno doubt of that


rodolphe complacently listened to this enumeration of his gladiatorial qualities he answered smiling well and what do you fear then


i maintain my lord that it is not suit able you should take by the collar the first blackguard you meet i do not say this on account of the inconvenience it puts a certain honorable gentleman of my ac quaintance to in blacking his face with charcoal and looking like the devil


not withstanding my gray hairs my corpulency and my gravity ill disguise myself like a ropedancer if it will serve you but yet i must say


oh i know it well old murphy


when an idea is fixed on your ironskull when affection is planted in your excellent heart the devil must use his teeth and nails to draw them out


you flatter me my lord you medi tate some dont alarm yourself


some folly my lord


my poor mtirphy you choose a wrong time to lecture me


swhy


i am now in one of my moments of pride and happiness i am here


in a place where you have done good l it is a place of refuge from your homi lies at any rate


if it is where then do you wish should take you my lord


sir walter you flatter me you wish to prevent some new folly


my lord thereare some for which i am very indulgent


those ofmoney


syes for after all with two millions of revennue


one is often in want my poor murphy


to whom do you say this my lord


yes there are so many pleasures so pure so profound which cost so little


i what is there comparable to that which i enjoyed just now when this unfortunate creature found herself in security here and in her gratitude kissed my hand


this is not all my happiness has a long future day after day i can think with delight of the joys of this poor child in this tranquil retreat awakening each morning near madame georges who will love her ten derly for misfortune has always sympathy with misfortune


oh as for madame georges never were benefits better bestowed


but as for the new protegee hold we wont talk about her my lord


why not murphy smy lord you do what pleases your self


i do whatis just said rodolphe with ashade of impatience


that which is just according to your opinion


o hat which is just before god and my conscience answered rodolphe severely


my lord we will talk no more about it we shall not agree


si command you to speak said ro dolphe haughtily while across his brow a dark cloud seemed to pass


this shade of temuer was his evil genius


i have never so exposed myself that my lord has commanded me to be silent i hope he will not command me to speak answered murphy proudly


youknow sir that i like no conceal ment


itis convenientfor me to keep my own secrets said murphy roughly


learn sir that if i descend to familiarity with you it is on condition that you raise yourself to equal me in candour


it is im possible to describe the hautear withlwhich rodolphe pronounced these words


my lord i am fifty years of age i am a


gentlemanyou ought not to speak thus to me


ssilence


my lord


it is unworthy of you to force a man of sensibility to recal the services he has rendered


your servicesand have not i paid them in every way


rodolphe did not intendto attach the meaning to these cruel words which placed murphy in the light of a mercenary un fortunately he interpreted them in this manner


he became purple with shame struck his clenched fists on his bald head with an expression of mournful indignation then suddenly casting a look on rodolphe whose whole frame shook with passion he said with a voice of commiseration my lord return to yourself youare no longer reasonable


these words gave thelast stroke to the rage of rodolphe his eyes sparkled his lips became white and advancing with a threatening gesture he cried and do you dare


m lurphy retreated a step and said as if in spite of himself my lord my lord i re member the effects of your passion on the fatal day these words prodced an instantaneous effect on rodolphe he cast down his head and after a moments silence said ah


sicyou are cruel


i thought otherwise anld you againyou his voice died away and he concealed his face with his hands


s


my lord cried sir vilter my good lord pardon me piardon your old faithful murphy i was fearing not for myself but for you the consequences of your passion


who ought to know your character if i doilt who have not left you since your infancy


hrodolphe raised his hend and said to his companion with a soft and sad voice


eiough my old friend i thankl you for having stopped with one word this foolish quarrel


i will make no excuses for what i have said you know that it is a long way from the heart to the lips


rodolphe soon afterwards informed mur phy of his intentions respecting fleur de marie adding you know my ideas as to what good a mun can do


to assist hono rable unfortunates who ask assistanceis well


to search after those who struggle with honorto prevent in time wanrt or temptation which might lead to crimeis better


to reinstate them in their own eyes to rescue those who have preserved somegood qualities amid all the misery that surrounded them the want that threat ened them the scorn aud contempt that withered themis better still


to pursue with vengeance vice infamy crime whether it wallows in the mud or reposes on velvet is justicehbut blindly to succourlmeritcd misery to degrade charityto prostitute these pious consolations of my wounded heartto prostitute themin favour of the unworthy and infamous would be degrad ing myself


m lord i did not intend to any thart the objects ofyour benefactions were un worthy


sone word more my old friend ma dame georges and the poor girl i have confided to her have set out fromn two es tremes to fall into one comnion abyss misfortune


you are right mylordto see such un fertunates succoured


it is by assisting them we honor god i acknowledge nothing more celestial than virtue calm and holy nothing is more worthy than a woman like madame georges who educated by


a pious and good mother in a dilligentf observance of every duty has never failed in them and has valiantly passed through the most frightful trials


but is it not also honour ing god in that which is most holy to drag from the mire one of those rare beings which he is pleased to endow


does she not also merit our pity and respect


the poor child who left to her own instinct who tortured imprisoned degraded has in a holy manner preserved at


the bottom of her heart the germs that god himself has planted


if you had heard this poor creature at the first friendly word she had ever heard display the most charming instinct the purest tastes


the most delicate and poetic thoughts all awakenedin heringenuous mindjust as when in spring the thousand wild flowers of the meadows unfold their blossoms at the least ray of the sun without knowing why


during one hours conversation discovered treasures of goodness grace and wisdomyes wisdom my old murphy


and when i reflect that this child has a rich and honored mother as they say who has shamefully abandoned heri


oh


if this be so i will know it oh


if it be so


wo wo to that women


she will have a terrible expiation to make


never have i felt such sensations of hatred as when i think of this woman whom i know not


you know there are certain vengeances dear to mecertain sufferings most pre ciousi have thirst for certain tears


alas


my lord said murphy i know it those who merit your compassion and interest often say of you he is an angel from heaven i while they who deserve your contempt and hatred curse you in their despair and mutter he is the devill shlush


here is madame gearges and marie


prepare for our departure we must be at paris early


chapter xi


we start in a tarantascontradictary reports


our supply of provisionsmr


maberlybad weatherthe russian samovar


its usefulnesstea in glass tumblerscross


the river bougnikolaiev dockyardrussian squadron in the boug the russian and dutch flagshotel de londres manner of washing


mr sharman and myself occupied the interior of the carriage whilst my servant sat outside with the coachman


this vehicle called a tarantas had been purchased by the government expressly for the purpose of taking us to moscow from which place it had only just arrived


it consisted of a coupe to hold two people and a box in front for the driver and servant


these vehicles are strongly built and not hung on springs this being considered to render them less liable to accidents


unfortunately ours was much wor and as will be seen broke down more than once before we reached our destination


this springlcss barouche is drawn by three horses abreast which are changed on the road the length of the stages varying from ten to eighteen miles


the poor creatures are small and as the french would say ne paient pas de nine but we found them as john bull would say good ones to go


i must here stop to remark on the very contradictory statements that were made to me when endeavouring at odessa before my departure to obtain information regarding the necessary arrangements for my voyage that too by people who declared that they had just performed the very same journey