not ask me for after i all ill change my chambers


lbutwhy


explainvtnis at once


iinsist upondit


canl depend upon the discretion fo youryoung friend said


mr web ber gravely


t perfectly aid the doctor now wotund uip t tegreatest anxiety to learn the secret


and youll promise not to mer


lti i exceptt h your friends


i do said the doctcr


well then saidha in aloiv and onfident whisper its the dean


the dean said mooney with a start


therdean


why low can it be the dean


i too true said mr webber making asign of driniking too true doctor


and then the momenthe is so


he begins smashing the furniture


never was anything heard like it


as for me as lamn now becoming a reading man


mnust go elsewhere


now itso chanced that the worthy dean albeit a man of most asbte mious habitspossessed a nose which in colour and development was a most unfortunate witness to call to character and as mooney heatld wvebber narrate circumstantially the frightful excesses of the great func tionary i saw that something like conviction was stealingover him


youill of course never speak of this except to your most intimate friends said webber


ofcourse not said the doctor as he shodk his hand wainily and prepared to leave the room


omal ley i leave you here said heweb ber


and you can talk oevr your arlrangements


wvebber followed the doctor to the dooear whislpcred something in his eiar to which the other replied very well i will write bui if your father sends the money i must insist the rest was lost in protestations and professions of the most fervent kind amid which the door was shut aid


mr webber returned to theroom


short as was the interspace from the door without to the door within it was still ample enough to effect a very thorough and remarkable change in the whole external ap pearance of mr frank webber for scarcely had the oaken pannel shut out the doctor when he appeared no longer the shiy timid and silvery toned gentleman of five minutes before but dashing boldly forward he seized a keybugle that lay hid beneath a sofa cushion and blew a tremendous blast


come forth ye demons of the f lower world said he drawfing a cloth from a large table and dis i covering the figures of three young smen coiled up beneath


come forth and fear not most timorous freshman that ye are said he una r locking a paintryand liberating two r others


gentlemen let mue nitroduce to your acquaintance mr omalley


my chum gentleman


mr


omallev thisis harry nesbit who has been in collegesince the days of old per pendicular and


numbers more cau tious than any man


who ever had his name on thebool


here is my particular friend cecil cavendish the only man who could ever devil kidneys


captain power mromal ley a dashing dragoon as you sce aiddecamp to his excellency the lord lieutenant and lovemaker general to merinosquare west


these said he pointing to the late denizens of the pantry are jibs whose names are neitherknown to the proctor nor the police office i but with due regard to their educa tion and morals we dont despair


by no means said power but come let us resume our game


at these words he took a folio atlas of maps froma small table and dis played beneath a pack of cards dealt as if for whist


thetwo gen tlemen to whom i was introduced by name returned to their places the unknown two put on their box ing gloves and all resumed the hilarity which dr mooneys advent had so suddenly interrupted


wheres moore said webber as le once


moreseated himself at his breakfast


bmaking a spatchcock sir said the servant


at thesame instant a little dapper jovial looking person age appeared with the dispit ques tion


mr omalley i


mioore the gentleman


who by repeated remonstrances to the board has suc


ceeded in getting eatable food for the inhabitants of this penitentiary and has the honoured reputation of reforming the commons of college


any thing to godfrey omalley may i ask sir


said


moore


his nephew replied


which of you wiiged thegentle man the other day for notpassing the decanter or something ofthat sort


if you inean the affair with ir


lodkin it was i glorious that begad i thoughtyou were one of us


i say power itwas he piriked bodkin


ahb indeed said poweraiot turn ing his head from his game a pretty shot i heardtwo by hionoursaind hit him fairlythe odd trick


ham mersly mentioned thethingto me


oh is he in town


said i


no he sailed for portsmouth


yes


terday he is to join the lthsame i say webber youve lost the rubber double or quit and a din ner at dunleary said webber we must show omalleyconfound the mistersiminething of the place


agreed


the whist was resumed the boxers nowrelreshed by a leg of the spatchcock returnedto their gloves


m motietook tip his violin mr webber his fren lch horn and i was left the orily uncrnploydnian in the company


i say power youd better bring the drag over here for us


we can all go downtogether


i must inform you


said caven dish that thanks to your philan tlropic efforts of last night the passage


from


graftonstreet to ste phens green is impracticable


a tremendous roar of laughterifollowed this announcement and though rt the time thecause was unknown to me i may as well mention it liere as i subsequently learned it from my companions


among the many peculiar tastes which distinguished mr francis webber was an extraordinaryfancy for streetbegging he tliad over and over won large sums upon his success in that difficult walk and so pierffect were his dispraises both of dress voice and manner that he actually at one time succeeded in obtaintng charity from his very op poonent in the wager


he wrote ballads with the greatest facility and sung them with infinite pathos and humur and the old woman at thecorner of collegegreen was cer tain of an audience whent the severi ty of the night would leave all other minstrelsy deserted as these feats ofjonglrie usually terminated in ai row it was a most amusing part of the transaction to see the singers part taken by the mnob against the college men who growing impatient to carry him off to supper some where ivouild irivariably be obliged to have a fight for the booty


now it chanced that a few even ings before mr xvebber was return ing with a pockec well lined with copper from a musical reuion he had held at the corner ot york street when the idea struck him to stop at the end of graftonstreet where a huge stone grating at that time exhibited perhaps it exhibits still the descent to one of the great main sewers of the city


the light was suiining brightly from a pastry cooks shp and showed the large bars of stone be tween which the muddy waterwas srushing rapidly down and plashing ain thetorrent that ran lioisteously several feet beneath


to stop in the street of any crowded city is under any circum stances an invitation to others to do likewise which is rarely unaccepted but when in addition to this you stand fixedlyin one spot and regard with stern intensity any object near you the chances are ten to one that you have several companions in yohr curiosity before a minute expires


now webber who had at first stood still without any peculiar thought in view nosoonerperceived that he was joined by others than the idea ofmaking something out of it immediately occurred to him


what is it agra inquired an old woman very much in his own style of dress pulling at the hood of his cloak


and cant you see for yourself darlira


replied he sharply as he knelt down and looked most in tensely at the sewer


are yelong there avick inquired he of an imaginary individual below and then waiting as if for a reply said two hours blessed virgin


hes two hours in the drain


by this time the crowd had reached entirely across the street and the crushing and squeezing to get near the important spot was awful


where did he come from


who is he


how did heget there


were the questions on every side and various surmises were afloat till webber


rising from his knees said in a mys terious whisper to those nearest him hes made his escape tonight out d newgate by the big drain and lost his way he was looking for the liffey and took the wrong tarn


to un irish mob what appeal could equal this


a culprit at any time has his claim upon their sympathy but let him ibe caught in the very act


of cheating the authorities and evad ing the lawand his popularity knows no bounds


webberknew this well and as the mob thickened around him sustained an imaginary conver sation that savage andor might have envied imparting now and then such hints concerning the runaway as raised their interest to the highest pitch and fifty different versions were related on all sidesof the crime he was guiltythe sentence passed on himand theday he was to stiffer


ido


ye see the light dear said webber as someingeniously bene cvulentindividual had lowered down a candle with a string


ilo ye see the light


oh


hes fainited the creature


a cry of horror from the crowd burst forth at these words followed by an universal shout of break open thestreet


pickaxes shovels spades and croirbrs seened absolutely the walking acce mpaniments of the cro vd so suddenly did they appear pon the field of action and the work of exhumation wasbegun with a vigour that speedily covered near y half of the street with mad and parig stones parties relieved each other at the task and ere half an hour a hole capable of containing a mail coach was yawning in one of the most frequeuted thoroughfares of lublin


meanwhile as no ap pearance ofthe culprit could be had dricadful conjectures as to his fate began to gain


ground


by this time the authorities had received intimation of what was going for ward andattempted to disperse the crowd butl webber who still con tinued to conduct the prosecution calledoi them toresist the police aid save the poor crehture an now began a most terrific fray the stones forming a ready weapon were hurled at the unprepared con stableswho on their side fougt manfully but against superior num brs so that at last it was only by theaid of a military force the mob could bedispersed and a riot which had assumed a very serious charac had reached his chambers and changed his costume and was rela tingover a suppertable the narrative of his philanthropy to a very ad miring circle of his triends


such was my chum frank web ber and as this was the first anec dote i had heard of him i relate it here that my readers may be in possession of the grounds upon which my opinion of that celebrated cha racter was founded while yet our acquaintance was in its infancy


pere jean or the jesuit missionary


a catholic story pounded on facts


chapter viii


the forest to the north of the village was filled with undergrowth and was wild and rocky rising at times into hills of considerable size which swept gradually down until they melted in the gentle ascent upon which the mohawk village stood


to wards the close of the day which had been signa lized by the return of the war party a solitary indian cautiously made his way through the thick bushes replacing every leaf and branch in its position and covering each footstep as he passed


his course was turned in the direction of the wildest of the hills


as he proceeded the ground became more broken and rocky until a huge ledge rose ab ruptly in the forest jutting almost over the summits of the oaks


at the foot of the cliff he paused for a moment and surveyed the face and summit of the rock


he seemed satisfied and moved along the base of the ledge until he reached a part that was less precipitous and was covered with bushes and creepers growing out of the many crevices and spots of earth upon its sides


here he paused for a moment and having made a low signal which was answered from above began to ascend


a little distance from the summit the rock receded until it opened into something like a cave which was com pletely hidden from below by the bushes and wild vines in bloom which here clustered thick upon the side of the ascent


at the further end of the recess sat two figures silent and motionless their rifles were lying near them


the indian entered and took his seat by his companions at length he spoke pointing with his hand over his shoulder towards the village


the hurons and the blackgown are in the council lodge


no more gauntlet the warriors from the other villages have gone he snid and held up the fingers of both hands to indicate their number


so many braves at the village and he again held up his fingers till they indicated forty must wait


the hurons assented and ahasistari continued the blackgown is weak and bruised many days must pass before he can again travel to the river


the hurons must wait till they can go faster than the mohawk or they will gather from the tribes and follow on the trail


at length one of the


hurons spoke watook may cblltct the braves and behere in another sun


cluickfoor said ahasistari it is better that he should lie out with the warriors some distance in the forest


there is a little stream a days journey from the village of the mohawks we crossed it on the trail


let him hide upon its banks


if he come nearer a wandering mohawk might strike upon his trail and then all hope will be lost


we oia not attempt a rescue until the blackgowns are strong enough to journey with us


watook


and his braves will follow the trail of the mohawks quick foot must retrace it and meet him


he will bid him to remain until ahasistari commands again good said the huron and taking up his rifle wearied as he was with the elastic triad of the brave departed


the others sat still


ahasistari and his two followers had hovered around the trail of the mohawks but as the foe was very numerous about fifty warriors in all had not obtained a single opportunity of attempting the rescue of the prisoners by artifice of coutse force was out of the question


it now became necessary for the chief to delay his operations for the reasons which he gave his followers and also in the hope that the number of warriors at the village might be reduced by some new expedition and thus afford a favourable opportunity of making an assault with whatever braves watook might bring up to whom he could at any time transmit his orders by his


re maining companion


in the meantime too some chance of a successful stratagem might present itself and he determined to watch the village closely to secure if possible the escape of his friends


when the mohawks had approached the end of their journey the hurons forsook their trail and struck off through the forest to the hills among which they were now concealed having perceived them on their path from the summit of a distant elevation


the track of a fox had led them up the ledge of rocks to the cave and at the same time gave them the assurance that it was altogether un frequented by their foes


leaving his companions ahasistari then crept stealthily towards the village and reached it in time to be a witness from a neigh bouring thicket of all the soencs which followed upon the arrival of the war party and learned from a single glance the condition of the captives


his plan was formed and he returned to the rocks to carry them out


with twenty good braves he would not have hesitated to attack the village knowing the vast advantage which darkness and surprise give to even a few assailants over a large number mingled with women and children and unprepared for battle


the village too was not defended by any stockade or fortification for such was the terror of the mohawk name that few of their enemies dared to set foot upon their territory


but ahasistari deemed it move prudent to postpone the attempt judging from the departure of tho braves of tho neighbouring village without carrying with them a portion of the prisoners that for the present they were in no danger of public execution


such how ever he knew to be the passionate cruelty of tho iroquois that any one of them might be sacrificed at a moment


this danger could not be avoided


the night that fallowed was a festive ono in tho village of tho mohawks


long continued were the rejoicings of the people over the valor of the braves and it was determined in council to despatch runners to fort orange with a portion of the booty which had been large to procure firewater from tho traders for a solemn festival over the victory


in the midst of all this joy many sleepless hours had passed over the heads of the two frenchmen


sore bruised suffering intense pain unable to lie at case slumber long delayed to shroud their weariness in oblivion


at length it came


the hurons after the prayers of the night had been said soon yielded to sleep accustomed as they were to catch repose in any attitude


day broke over the village and the rays of the bright sun stole in through the chinks of the council lodge and rested in golden streaks upon the hard trodden earthen floor


as the luminary rose higher in the sky a beam playing through a narrow crevice crept slowly over the pale face of the young novice


his lips were drawn apart a fixed expression of pain dwelt upon his features and his heavy and disturbed breathing denoted the fever that raged in his veins


he slept on the joyous ray playing upon his sad features myriads of motes holding their gay revels in its beams


near him slumbered father laval


the hurons were stretched around upon the floor in deep sleep


at the door of the lodge sat the guard his head resting upon his knee and his quick eye occasionally scanning the slumberers j but for its motion he would have seemed iis rapt in sleep as they


tiine passed on the soundswithout told that the village was again all alive and one by one the hurons awoke from their long repose and stretching their cramped limbs as best they might arose to a sitting posture


a single glance of his quick eye was all the notice the guard deigned to bestow upon the movements


the two frenchmen still slept on


at length father laval awoke


for a moment he gazed around unable to tealize his situation then turning himself he en deavoured to kneel j the effort was painful but he succeeded


renu bourdoise now opened his eyes but he was unable to move


do not seek to rise my son said the jesuit you are too weak the prayer of the heart is ac ceptable to god whether you kneel or not


then father laval addressed the hurons


my chil dren from the midst of our sufferings let us cry out to heaven for mercy not for the bodies which are of earth and perishable but for the souls which are immortal undying


let us beseech our heavenly father to accept our sufferings here in atonement through the blood of his son for the sins of our past lives


let us not repine


we suffer it is for the greater glory of god


he will draw good for us out of this evil


let us pray les us join in spirit with our brethren of the mission of st mary in the holy sacrifice of the altar


the indians listened in silence and the jesuit prayed aloud


many moments passed thus in holy prayer and meditation


streams of heavenly con solation seemed to pour down upon the priest and his little flock


rapt in holy abstraction their sufferings were all forgotten and seated in heart at the foot of the saviours cross their own sorrows dwindled into nothingness in the contemplation of his infinite passion


then the stern spirit of the hurons melted and the enduring warrior became the contrite penitent


the anger of the iroquois is unsparing my father


death may be ours at any moment said le loup as the consoling prayer was ended


true my son let us prepare to meet it and the indian moving nearer to the priest began his confession


it was done and the jesuit pronounced the words of absolution in virtue of that power com mitted by christ to liis church whose sins ye shall forgive they are forgiven


go in peace


said the priest and another and another came


often before had these christian savages in their unsophisticated nature made public confession of their faults seeking to humble them selves before heaven and earth and thus to show the sincerity of their repentance and to do penance by mortifying their pride and selflove now there fore they did not heed the presence of their brethren


two there were who were yet unbaptized two neophytes longing for the redeeming waters of the purifying sacrament


in turn they knelt and con fessed themselves and besought baptism


alas


the good priest bound hand and foot without a drop of water was unable to administer the sacred rite


the pious occupation of the prisoners was at length interrupted by the entrance of a warrior who was soon followed by another


it was not long be fore a number had gathered in the lodge


one of the mohawks at length approached the jesuit and loosed the cords that bound him then he released the young novice


father laval sat still for some moments endeavouring to overcome tho stiffness of his limbs


whilst he remainod in this position an indian eotered the lodge bearing in his hand an eav of corn upon the stock which he had just plucked he threw it to the jesuit


the sunlight played upon it as it lay and see


upon its silken beard and broad blade clung little drops of dew sparkling and glistening like jewels in the light


ah


far more precious at that moment than all the diamonds of golconda


thero was enough to baptize the two captive hurons


taking it up carefully he arose zeal and joy overcoming pain and weakness and knelt above the prostrate neophytes


o my children the hand of the ever merciful is with us


kneel kneel i and in the wild forest lodge made holy by tho prayers and sufferings of his faithful children with the christian huron and wild mohawk looking on without sponsor with no lights but gods own sunlight with no incense bnt the ineffably sweet incense of humble prayer before the altar of the heart the priest admitted the rejoic ing neophytes into the fold of christ into the house hold of faith sprinkling the pure dew of heaven upon their uplifted brows


wondrously solemn was that simple baptism in tho wilderness in the midst of trials and sufferings in the face of death


no swelling organ arose over tho sacrament no swing ing bell pealed out no white robe upon the neopliyte but the stainless one of purity of heart no vestment on the priest but tho martyrs stained with blood


come sorrow come death exclaimed tho jesuit i will heed them not o godl for of thy mercy there is no end


scarcely had he finished before an indian sum moned him to follow him


father laval left the lodge


a group of boys were gathered before tho door and watchod the priest with interest as he passed through them hut did not molest him


his conductor crossing the open space around the lodge turned his steps towards a tent at the end of the village near the forest


this rude dwelling of the savage was constructed of poles sunk in the ground in a circle with their tops bent to a common point and fastened together


over this frame was stretched a canopy of buffalo skins stitched together with thread made of the tendons of tho deer


it was largo and commodious and betokened the wealth and standing of its owner


in front the two ends of the covering hung apart leaving a space for entrance which was uscally closed up by a single buffalo robe suspended from a cross piece abovc


this was of course raised to admit light and air


the tent was of far better order than the lodges around it which were rude huts covered with bark


the indian motioned father laval to enter


lying on a couch of skins the jesuit beheld the young chief whose wounds he had bound up on the field of battle


an old man sat near him it was the father of kiskepila and the chief of the village


the priest approached the couch of the wounded man to feel his pulse bu t the old man waved him away with a motion of his hand


pale face


he said in the huron tongue you are the foe of the mohawk and yet you sought to heal the wounds of kiskepila


i am the foe of no paople replied the jesuit meekly my mission is to save not to destroy


thou art the friend of the hnron v said tho old man interrogatively


dost thou see the sun


said the priest


the god who created it made it to shine alike upon tko huron and the mohawk


its beams ripen the corn in the country of the iroquois and in the lands beyond the great lakes


will the mohawk veil his eyes to the sunlight because its rays shine upon the huron too


the indian was vent and the jesuit continued the great spirit loves all his children the mohawk and the huron will the wise and brave mohawk shut his ears to the words of the great spirit because the huron has already heard them pale face the mohawk listens to the voice of owameeyo he hears it in the forest and in the waters and in the winds


the great spirit has taught us sachem to love those who hate us to love all men to let our hearts shine on all like the sun of heaven hugh exclaimed the mohawk does tho pale face speak with a forked tongue


the iro quois strikes his enemy and it is good


and he laid his hand upon his heart


father laval paused for a moment ere he answered this appeal to the natural passions of man as an argument against the truth of the christian doctrine and then pointing to the wounded man said kiskepila sought tho life of the pale face


and the pale face saved tho life of kiskepila interrupted the young brave in a tone of deep feeling


the words of the blackgown are true


the wolf kills the deer the bear the buffalo tho hawk the dove and the mohawk his wounded foe


it is only theapale face the blackgown that binds up tha wounds of his enemy


his heart is gentle as tha summer breeze


silence ensued for the indian scarcely knew how to reeeive and estimate the wonderful magnanimity of christianity


nature taught him to do good for good to return good for evil was a new thought to him yet it awoke a slumbering chord of the heart ho begati to feel tho sublimity of the precept and was silent


at this point of the conversation a squaw entered the lodge bearing several ears of young corn and a quantity of beans which had been


roasted at a fire without and placed them on a mat upon the floor


eat said the chief


father laval approached and making the sign of the cross blessed tho simple provisions which had been offered to him and then proceeded to satisfy his furnished appetite


hitherto he had been furnished with barely enough food to support his strength for it was a common mode of torture among the indians to make their prisoners pass days and nights together with barely enough food to sustain life and yet inflict an incredible amount of suffering


yet he ate moderately


a gourd of water was placed beside him he had not slaked his thirst for many hours it was grateful to his burning lips


having returned thanks to god he arose and approached the couch


the chief again spoke the pale face made a sign upon his forehead


it was the sign of tho cross replied tha jesuit


tho chief nodded his head affirmatively i thank the great spirit for his gifts


then the jesuit began to examine the wounds of kiskepila and to bind them anew all tho while ex plaining the meaning of tho holy symbol which ho had used how god had sent his son on earth after the sin of our first parents and how his chosen people had scourged and put him to death upon the cross and how ever since then his followers had used that sign to recall to their minds the recol lection of his agony and death


ugh


dogs exclaimed kiskepila as ho shook his clenched fist


the old chief listened with a look of incredulity


while the priest was speaking a figuro glided softly in at the opening of tho tent and crouchod silently in an obscure corner with the females of tho family


morning flower listened sho could un derstand but little for he spoko in tho huron dialect


in astonishment she gazed upon him as he tenderly bound up tho wounds of her lover


the passion of tho previous evening had subsided and sho rc membored with a sorrowing heart that she had tortured him in the gauntlet


hors was a gentla spirit in spite of its wild education


she arose ap proached tho priest and looked him in the face at the same moment tho young warrior pointing to the jesuit said morning flower the blackrobe saved tho life of kiskepila when the young eaglu had slain hi people tho hurons


then the heart of the woman was true and in spito of early habits and barbarous training beat thero as nature made it a gush of remorse filled ieir soul and with n loud cry she broke away from ihe tent


the two mohawkslooked at each otherin astonishment uname to comprehend the cause of so singular an exhibition of feeling and the elder ex claimed in a low tonp hugh medicine and shook his head attributing the action of the girl to some species of enchantment on the part of the priest


rut father laval well understood it he recognisrd the maiden who had so relentlessly pursued him whilst running the gauntlet yet he continued the conversation without heeding the cir cumstance farther


at length the jesuit returned to the council lodge where he busied himself in ministering to the wounded hurons


rend bourdoise released from the tight bonds which lnd been so painful began to recover a little from the weakness that had rendered him so helpless


with a totteringslep he descended to the stream and washed the blood from his face and hands and laved his swollen feet


the cool water refreshed and strengthened him calming the fever dl his veins


vie found a gourd upon the hank and filling it bore it to the famished piisoners at the lodge


the jesuit assisted the novice un heeded hy the mohawks who listlessly reclined on the grass occasionally casting a glance upon the prisoners to see that no attempt was made to looseu heir bonds


towards evening the jesuit again entered the tent ofkiodego


kiskepila was resting in a half recnm hent position supported by a pile of furs that aking might have envied


many days had passed since his wounds had been repaired for the march was long and tedious and he was now recruiting his trength


father laval again felt his pulse for he feared lest the fatigue of a long journey upon a rough litter might bring on a fever which would prove fatal


hut a skilful preparation of draughts from herbs and roots had prevented it the stroke was still calm and regular


then he entered into conversation with the young braveusing as much


as possible the


mohawk tongue earnestly seeking to becume familiar with it for the greater glory of god


in the tedious and painful route he had caught a knowledge of it from his captors and its affinity with the huron tongue which he spoko with ease and fluency enabled him to


make rapid progress


the young warrior listened to him patiently but as soon as lie paused addressed him blackgown you have taught me that the pale face loves all and forgives those who have injured him


morning flower and the young maiden springing up from a group of females in the farther part of the tent approached and stood beside the yriest morning flower when the blood of kiskepila was flowing from his veins and his heart was growing cold the hand of the pale face stopped its flow


blackgown morning flower is the des tined bride of kiskepila


the priest placed his hands upon the head of the young girl and then raising them up to heaven uttered a prayer for the wild hut gentle spirit before him o god grant that the light of thy faith may pierce the heart of this untutored girl and of all here


mary mother of the sorrowful bring these wanderers to the faith of thy son by the powerful intercession of thy prayers


and he added in the mohawk tongue daughter peace be with thee


r then father laval began to discourse again upon the subject of his mornings conversation speaking in the mohawk dialect as well as he could


kiskepila listened attentively and the maiden seated at her lovers feet gathered every word that fell from the lips of the priest


when the jesuit had departed the young warrior conversed with morning flower upon the discourse which they had heard explaining such portions as had been uttered in the huron dialect and wonder ing over that which was mysterious and difficult for it is hard to express abstract ideas in the indian language


the kindness and attention of the mis sionary had won the heart of the young iroquois and finding that he acted out in his own life what lie taught to others under the impulse of a grateful feeling he lent a willing ear to his words


kiskepila ihad


a clear head and fhe very fact that the jesuit faced so many dangers and endured so muchtoil and suffering to preach the doctrines of his religion satisfied him at once of the uprightness and sincerity of his motives


the skill and knowledge of the frenchman proved to him that he was no ordinary ikan and lie inclined to believe even the wonderful tidings he announced


yet doubts met him at every point as ne thought over the strange things he had been told


when therefore the jesuit entered the tent tlie following day he questioned him blackgown you tell me that the saviour died and was buried and that on the third day lie arose again from the dead


i have never seen the dead arise how can i believe it


my son it would have been no proof of his


divinity ifrising from the dead had been an ordinary occurrence


but he is god


he it was who made the law that all men should die and that law he could suspend or alter


as man he died as god iriari he arose


the people of thy tribe believe that the spirits of the departed do not die can not the ood who preserves the spirit preserve also the boy and give it back to life


can he not at a word bid the tomb to open and the lifeless corpse to live and breathe again f


ah my son


there are no laws to bind the omnipotent god but the laws of his own anercy and justice and eternal providence


he has been pleased to listen to the prayer of his humble followers upon this eavth and has for them wrought miracles almost equally wonderful


the blessed xavier on the shore of the far east knelt and prayed nnd the car of the almighty was inclined towards trim and when the holy priest stretched forth his hand and called upon the dead to come forth from his silent grave the lifeless sprang up into strength and health and beauty


a deep exclamation of surprise broke from the lips of the attentive indian whilst the women of the family gathered nearer to hear the words of the animated speaker


warmed with a holy zeal the jesuit continued in a clear firm voice the resurrection of the saviour from the dead was to be the final seal of salvation it was to open the way for us from the tomb to heaven


then father laval went on to tell how ages be fore his coming the mode of his birth suffering the miracles which he was to perform his passion and liis death had lieen foretold and how exactly they had been accomplished and he summed up all the idences of christianity while the young warrior listened attentively often bowing his head in token of assent


yes it must be true he said at length after the jesuit had concluded kiskepila must be ilieve


thus father laval sought every opportunity to impress upon the mind of the young warrior the truths of christianity and the relation which existed between them made the young iroquois listen with a docility unexampled among that fierce race


whatever the young man learned he was sure to communicate to morning flower who soon began to seek ocensions of conversing with the priest and listened with admiration to his accounts of the splendour of the cities of france and the number of their inhabitants things like the wonders of fairy tales to her unsophisticated imagination


witli these accounts the priest always mingled descrip tions of the splendid churches and of the gorgeous ceremonial of the sacred rites performed within them to the honour and glory of god and ex


plained them to the maiden us well as he could in ins imperfect knowledge of the language


then leaving these subjects he would converse upon the moral relations of christian society instruct her in


the duties of woman and teach her the obligations if religion the sanctity of marriage and the beauty and holiness of purity of heart and body


morning flower drank in his words and kept them in her heart


but this was the work of days


in the meanwhile the village was filled with various accounts of the conversations which the priest had held in the tent of kiodego how he had spoken of wonderful and mysterious things and how he had said that the fathers of the blackgown in times not long gone by had called the dead from their tombs


these re ports increased and distorted as they passed from mouth to mouth cast a species of awe around the priest in theeyes of many


lie began to be looked upon as a magician or medicine more powerful than their own


yet unconscious of all tins the humble jesuit pursued his labors with increasing


assiduity


to be continued


phniutii


lied and white cow off hip zy down horns years old


strawberry heifer same brand down horns


while cow speckled neck ic off hip


red cow speckled head white streak on back jf off hip


tu be sold on the th novem ber


binda


chesnut horse docked tail in low con


fillosu to be lold gn thj bth nmreiuber


some passages in the life of a beauty


from tub icrotl usb


i concluded from no


chapter vi


plytd metcorlikcup a hundred chfeki ifconmgioudy while sparkling lumps fourd forth a deluding lustic oer ibe crowd


and fliutlc


like siren weaned ihr luitt from every grovelling and cuuluiuu llioughl fnneery cine


but all was liken mak that teemed lo veil the feature of the dnmucd


for some months perciirl heard nolbing more of her and ho hud al most lost sight of one lo whom in spite of her errors he would have of


fired every comfort his purse could


fiord for he would hiuo rejoiced more over one repentant sinner than over ninety nnd nine who need it not


her image was then suddenly con i jrtred up before him by he warbling i of a song that lie had heard her sing in happier hours lercival hud been visiting one whom ho had known in better times nn industrious woman e who had been married to a man that a had broken her henrl and he was walk ing from the court where giic lived g when be passed one of those taverns technically termed nighthouses


o it was in full illumination nnd a loud bnrst of clamorous opplnnse awaked the doctor from the current of bis re flections


for a moment he listened a ebd he fet convinced it was ediths voice and in a few minutes by the payment of a few pence he was sealed amongst he motley group as sembled


to the ensual spectator the idler or the careless such a scene it would have been passed over


to if kim it was full of interest for during his pilgrimage be had learned to read j much in the countenances of men b jinil lla ftmilfl inrlnra trnm mm milivarrl l manifestations much of what was jj passing within


percivol shuddered h as be surveyed he easy path hat sin b presented lo her victims


here was a girl hardly seventeen yet her eyes were brightened with intoxication hrr obeeks bedaubed with paint and her j manners of wanton levity formed a strange contrast lo the innocence that j ought to accompany such years


probably thought he she was once a parents pride sho may now fc bis cursed child


again near him he saw a youth whose counte nance he knew bis language told him to bo a medical student nnd his dress betokened mourning for one dead it might be a parent a sister


mend and bis sorrow was such that whilst to the world be bore the outward tokens of regret to himself and to his god he showed only a bearl worthless and depraved and daily becoming more attached o the


bervating orgies of folly nnd excess


bsim feftil tfeen fiememnefei who be was and thought of bis wi dowed mother nnd his sislers who looked up to him for protection from the rebuffs of life when be consi dered all thtf and the arduous slrng


gle necessary to maintain a profes sional career he saw before him a shadowy vista of disappointed hopes nd wasted energies and be hoped bat be might be deceived in the youths identity


but thero were


other things to be learned in that school of infumy


there was a girl


mere child whose showy dress set ff a person of juvenile sweetness


close to her was on elderly bloated woman


percival read their situa tion in a moment


it was a mother uerificing her child to the passions of the heartless and dissipated


and for what


to enable her to indclge ia bahiluol intoxication at he price of


a childs prostitution who would have thought that those sounds of rerclry and riot were bat the delusive coming for scenes like this


who wonld hare thonglit that beneath the back of joy and gaiety which every thing assumed so much vice and wickedness should lie concealed


but a it was


percival knew that vain would be iy attempt of his to awaken the beauty in her career


he knew that it would be useless to exercise gene rosity or pity bat he thought of the liar when she would be laid a livid corpse without a friend to ofler her the latt rites of humanity


he shud dered as he saw the havoc time and dissipation were making on her beauty and he thought that soon she might need a paupers pittance to consign her to the grave


at her side per cival perceived one whom he re cognized os fred a partaker in sceseb me this


tearing a leaf from bit pockethook be wrote as fol lows edith a day must come when you will need a friend


i do not now i ask yon to leave this life that is killing yon for i bave often asked you in


vain hot protniso me that when misery asil privation have taken the place of these scenes of hollowhearted joy thai when the cold pity of a bcartlfbs world leaves yon to death and destruction von will send to me even then hditb i will befriend you


send to tne when you want help


scruple not to seat for me even if yon will not be toroed from a career


so wretched


he whose i am end whom i serve forbids me to forsake


you


as he folded the paper and gave it to ibvbeaoly she spoke not a word bather rising bosom and speaking eye told perciral that gratitude was not altogether lost


he deported a sad der yet wiser man


fereean or the jesuit missionary


a catnolic story founded on facts


ciiarreu vii


the return


morning flower why art thou sad


the young eagle of his tribe will soon return


kiskepila will bring back the scalps of huron warriors at his girdle he will come back adorned with eagle feathers and the women of his tribe will sing his deeds


he will bring home many spoils and will take the budding flower of morn to bloom in his own lodce


no dancing fawn the warriors of the tribe lave been gone many days on the war path


many suns have set since the appointed hour of return passed by


the voices of the night have whispered n the ear of morning flower


misfortune is on the lath of the braves


he will return no more


drooping flower said the other drawing up haughtily is not the blood of the conquering roquois in thy veins t and yet thou tremblest jeeause the braves of the tribe outlie upon the war ath a few suns longer than the appointed time rhinkest thou that the huron dogs could withstand he invincible mohawk thehurons are cowards hey have forsaken owaneego for the god of the pale face and owaneego has chilled their hearts md turned their blood to water


the hurons are logs


and the speaker tossed her hand contemp tuously towards the huron country


she was a noble looking indian girl


her black ye sparkled as she spoke and the heightened colour


f her cheek betrayed the quick passion of the un rained child of nature


the other was of gentle mood her full and liquid eye looked out softly from beneath the long and sweeping lash that shaded its light


her hair was jetty black and though straight ivas finer and softer than usual in the indian race it was braided in glossy folds around her temples and jathered in a loop behind bound up with bands of bright colored bark interwoven with beads


her iress was a mantle curiously wrought with gaily olored feathers and trimmed with tufts of elk hair lyed red thrown gracefully around her form leav ing her left arm and shoulder bare


her limbs finely moulded


below the maidens stretched a scene of great beauty


from two hills covered with heavy forest trees an open sward sloped gradually till they blended into a little plain traversed by a small stream on whose banks a group of children were playing busily now plunging into the shallow waters and now sunning themselves upon the soft luxuriant grass that bordered it


on the northern side where the descent faced full towards the south was ranged a number of indian wigwams in the centre of which stood the council lodge rising con spicuously above the rest of the village


before the doors of some of the cabins groups of old men and children were gathered while the squaws were pass ing to aud fro engaged in their domestic labours


at the edge of the forest a number of youths were practising with the bow aird arrow


the western portion of the slope was filled with young corn green and luxuriant in its growth with us white tassels and ears already blooming out


on the southern bank of the stream swept upwards a gentle ascent of beautiful green sward gaily interspersed with the gloriously tinted wild flowers that adorn the fields of america


around this little valley like a palisade stood the edge of the forest its in terminable depths stretching far away towards the horizon until like the green waters of a vast ocean its waving foliage seemed to mingle with the distant sky


the two indian maidens reclined upon the soft turf at the edge of the forest above the village and for a few moments gazed down in silence upon the valley


the thick foilage of a massive oak overhung them and shaded them from the warm rays of the sun


dancing fawn at length resumed the young girl the french warriors are terrible in battle riding fierce horses and with their breasts clad in steel perchance the braves have fallen in with them and been cut off


false mohawk girl have not the braves of our nation met the french in battle t their war ery is like the roar of unghiara the huron and the pale faces tremble at its sound


but listen morn ing flower


heard you that faint shout


sue


it has aioused the village


the young maidens arose from their recumbent position and awaited in expectation the event


the village below them now exhibited a different and more lively aspect


the youths had quitted their pastime and gathered around the council lodge where the old men of the tribe assembled


the women had left their occupations and were clamor ously joining the group


at length another yell broke from the forest far to the west and came faintly swelling to the expectant crowd


in a few moments moie a runner emerged from the forest and


looking down the hill hurried on towards the village


as he approached the assemblage opened to receive him and he paused in silence before the chief who was surrounded by a group of venerable warriors


kiodego motioned him to speak


the braves of the mohawks said the runner are mighty warriors their arms are strong and the hurons are dogs


tho french become women beforo the battleaxes of the mohawks


tho war riors bring back sculps and many prisoners they have captured tho great medicine of the french they have routed and slain many hurons


then his recounted the namos of tho wounded for of tho dead the


indian speaks not


as he mentioned the iianio of kiskepila tho son of the old chief a deep


sigh broke from the lips of ho morning flower and her head sank for a moment upon her breast


then uhe raised it up proudly and fierce determi nation ht up her beautiful features


gloom had passed away


kiodego sat unmoved evincing no concern for the misfortune of his con


as the runner finished his recital a chout broke from the assemblage which was answered from the forest by a succession ol yells whose increasing tone marked


islngarni the near approach of the conquerors it was the scalp whoop


then came another succession of yells one for each prisoner


at this signal the crowd around the council lodge dispersed to the different wigwams but soon reassembled every one armed with weapons of some kind knivos toma


hawks stones and war clubs


as soon as the runner appeared morning flower and her com panion had descended and mingled with the group before the lodge and now armed like the other women of tho


tribe they luirriedoff towards the edge of the forest


it would have been difficult to recognise the sorrowing lone lorn indian maiden with the drooping glance in the excited form that wound amid the group urging on her sister furies to greater frenzy


the gentle flower she said to dancing fawn is a mokawk maiden a thorn has pierced through her moccasin and wounded her foot


she will pluck it out and with it tear the flesh of the french man


the morning flower will avenge the wound of kiskepila


the inhabitants of the village had arranged them selves in two lines on the open space south of the little rivulet for by that side the war party having made a detour in the forest were to enter on the valley


thus the lines ran from the southwest up towatds the village


old women with staves young gentle maidens with heavy clubs youths with knivis and tomahawks and even the little naked children with sharp stones stood waiting with savage exulta tion for the coming of the prisoners


the triumphant songs of the returning warriors became every moment more distinct at length far down the shaded avenues of the forest the front of the body appeared in view a cry of wild joy broke from the expectant savages and the two lines waved and undulated along their whole length as each per son endeavoured to catch a glimpse of the triumph ant braves


on they came


the warrior stepping more firmly and erecting his head more proudly as he beheld the old men of his village at the council lodge in the distance and nearer the women and the children who would sing his gallant deeds and the youths who would learn


to emulate his fame


on they came swinging high the scalps they had


taken the bloody trophies of their victory and chaunting the story of their actions


at length they emerged from the forest and stood in the bright sun upon the beautiful green slope of verdure tho prisoners were grouped together their captors now singled them out preparing them to start upon the fearful trial which awaited them


father laval wan pale and jaded his face was scarred and hruiacd and the clotted blood still disfigured his wounded features his hands were yet bound behind him


a mohawk approached to sever the cord the flesh had so swollen around the tight band as almost to con ceal it and the knife of the savage gashed the hands of the priest


released from their confinement his arms full heavily to his side inanimate and refusing to obey the stiff and swollen muscles


the blood began to creep slowly in the veins and the sensation of numbness was succeeded by one of acute pain


the indian then loosed the band which confined the black robe of the jesuit around his body


his outer garment was next taken off and father laval stood half unrobed his shirt was stained with blood and his naked feet and legs were torn and bleeding and


festering with thorns and briers every step left its mark in blood


the work of the indian was soon done and the captives prepared to run the gauntlet


the tender frame of the young novice with the red blood in crusted upon his delicate skin and his limbs bruised and swollen and almost helpless contrasted strangely with the massive proportions of lo loup who still kept close beside him ready to aid aim in his need


strong and seemingly unwearied tha huron stood up like a mighty statue of bronze heedless of the many wounds upon his limbs and breast


my father


he said to the jesuit as they neated each other for a moment my father when le loup springs forward between the lines hasten on nnd seek to avoid the blows of the iroquois


make for the warpost by the council lodge gain it and you are safe


reng bourdoisc turned towards the spot indicated jy uc ijoupio me jusuu turn ms uuart surnnk ivithin him


a hundred yelling furies with clubs md knives were between them und the place of refuge and his limbs were faint and weary


ho raised his soul to god


fear not brother said lc loup but gather up all thy strength


i will trust in god replied the novice sadly


at length the word was given joggo


gol arid the prisoners started


the powerful huron broke away at a swinging trot which puzzled father laval to equal


le loup made for the bpening of the lines a hundred arms wore uplifted to strike knives glistened and the whole gang of furies yelled with a savage delight tho strong runner paused for a moment till the jesuit was close behind him then bounding forward he dashed uercely into tho midst of the crowd casting aside their blows and overturning many in his path


yet he did not pab scatheless and ere he had gone half the distance the blood was streaming from his wounded body


the whole rage of the whippeih was in a moment turned upon him for he had suc ceeded in baffling many of them and they were pur suing him regardless of the rest aud permitting tho two frenohmcn to escape with little tniffcriug


but there was one whose passion was not to bo led off


morning flower had scorned to wreak her vongeanco upon tho huron for she conceived


lhat


none but the frenchman could have stricken down the young eagle


her oyo was turned upn the jesuit whom sho saw passing almost unharmed in tho rear of the powerful warrior


at longlh father iiavnl cmw iicur her hastening forward at as greitt speed as hia swollen and stiffened hmb would permit


she held a heavy stick in her hand her arm was raised


the jesuit cast an imploring louk upon her but


iho heart of the girl was steeled to pity her savage nature was unyielding ainl hu struck him a heavy blow


ho staggered forward about to full al the next moment he wab raised and hurried forward by the arm of one of his huron neophytes


ulimlcd and stunned by the shower of blows which fell upon liiin he did not recover complete consciousness until


he stood safe from further harm at the warpost


a wild spectacle met his eye as he gazed over the field through which lie had just passed


the tall huron le loup heedless of blows and wounds was stiil struggling through the savage throng carrying the main body of the whippers after him and around


him


ever as he turned and doubled a portion of his tormentors would start before him to cut off his escape then like the hunted wolf he would hurst upon them with all his strength nnd break through


them only to find another bodv to receive him


a group of old squaws armed like fiends with the worst weapons they could obtain pointed and jagged stonc sharpened sticks and knives attempted to


lop his course


he dashed into the midst of them striking the first to the earth before she could aim a blow yelling horribly as she fell she clasped the warriors feet and tripped him up


with his out stretched arms he grasped several of his persecutors and they came to the ground together his pursuers close at his heels fell over them and the living pile struggled together in inextricable confusion striking anil beating each other indiscriminately


a shout jaupnrer uruke iroui uiu iviuiiawit waruurs nuv mitclied the scene with interest


winding out from the living mass that was piled up above him the huron sprang again to his feet and started off de y livered from more than half of his pursuers who still lay struggling together the upper ones be lieving that their victim was stitliu their power while the efforts made by those underneath to arise made the confusion still more dire


the huron was speeding on


halfway


to the post totterei on the pnor novic benfi bourdoise his young limbs stiff and fainting


ah


little did he think when he quitted the shores of


beautiful and gentle france of the wild scenes of suffering and terture he was to endure fur the sake of christ in the dreary wilderness of the west


the companions of his early days were wandering through the bright valleys of his native land j songs of joy were upon their lips glad mnsc ringing in their ears loving hearts and tender hands around them


in his ear ran the veil of the wild mohawk and the hand of the pitiless ravage was upon him


then he called to mind his solemn vocation and devoting himself to suffering clasped his haads to wards heaven and struggled on


grant me strength to hear my cross o god


he said


the novice had already reached the stream he had received little else but passing bljws for the strong hurons affotded better game to the human hunters


the young and the weaker who feared to grapple with the stout warriors altme putsued hm but now a party rushed towards him and in an instant the fainting youth sank beneath their blows


it was at the m rnirat that le loup approached the creek


his eye rested upon the novice as he fell among his tormenois and he dashed through their midst drawing them after him in the race


rene bourdoise arose the indians were already in anoher portion of the field and he parsed the stream aiul painfully toling up the hill touched the warpost


at length the chise bepan to flag and le loup havincf succeeded in doubling on his pursuers leaped tip the hill to the goal


the last huron soon came in


the overthrown squaws bruised and beatn gathered round the group of captives and with loud imprecations menacd the c itiss of their misfortunes with the vengeance of the tribe


ah said one wait when the huron is bound to the post and the flames are kindled around him we will torture the dog till he screams with pain


yes the mohawk women will make the huron warrior yell with the tormen and the fiends shouted in anticipation of the sacrifice


le loup looked calmly on and smiled


the prisoners were again bund and the cere monies attendant upon the return of a war party having been gone through were placed under a guard in the cmncil lodge while the warriors ds persed through the village each with his baud of friends and admirers


a portion of the war party belonged to another village


these were entertained with dances and feasting until towards evening when they took their departure for ther own homes contrary to their usual custom leaving the prisoners at the first village to be disposed of by a joint council at some future day


to be continued


chapter xix


downwards


with ned binleys recovery and the commencement of a new con tract by neds employers joe ap pleshaws fortunes at once mended


on a previous application the fore man of works liad been favourably impressed by his decent appearance and herculean frame and now with ned bingley by his side to say a good word for him he was at once taken on at wages almost fabulous compared to his earnings as a dorsetshire labourer


thus from day to day this descendant of some danish viking or some stalwart roman legionary of the old germanic races delved side by side with bingley amidst the relics of roman londonits temples its statues its streets its houses and possibly at every stroke of mattock or spade effecting that irreparable ruin which will be only adequately mourned over when general intelligence shall be higher than what it is at present and history iinderstood to be an induction from positive facts rather than the mere reweaving of monkish stories or the threads of fabulous annals


till they could a bit right them selves as nelly said the appleshaws remained in the clerkenwell lodging


dick still went to and fro to the ragged school near saffron hill and their first care was to get him some decent clothes and send him to another school as well as find one for ruth and little nell


then they had some few debts to pay nixs amongst others and a little furni ture and bedding to gather round them


it was with great pride that joe set forth one saturday evening with nelly to buy a bed a table and some chairs and to look about for the two empty rooms they proposed to hire


it was the old weary search but good luck presently favoured them


calling at the warehouse of his recent master one evening and mentioning when asked as to his progress that he was looking out for two unfurnished rooms mr grove replied that he owned some houses in somers town in whielj joe and his family would most likely find what was needed


thither there fore joe and nelly went and liking what they saw came back with a home se curednamely two chambers and a kitchen


with respect to their taking bingley as a lodger it had already been proposed to him


he liked the idea and gladly consented though confessing hon estly he did not think he should remain long as he had an idea of getting mar ried and having a home of his own


joe and nelly were surprised though too unselfish to murmur at a change that was likely to make their honest friend the happier


but i shant get married just yet said bingley and when i do itll be easy to find you a lodger among the mates


though im thinking joe your home would be best to yourself if its but a nutshell so its your own theres a comfort in it you dont find else


ay so there be replied nelly but there ye see till things get straight wi us the rents a good bit and a help to wards it be something


so it be nelly added bingley but joes wages are right good and just now a thrifty wife like you will find enough and to spare


nelly coloured and hung down her head the compliment was illdeserved for she recollected the pence that now went daily to the ginshop and the plots and shifts she put in practice to hide the secret from her husband and children


joe had however already noticed that she was less neat and cleanly in her person than formerly though still atten tive to his wants and to those of the chil dren


he attributed this change as well as the growing pallor of her comely face to the absence of so many of the means of decency and cleanliness in their miser able lodging and to its closeness and confined situation


nelly be all right again in her new home he thought to himself and so was comforted


the poor widow and her blind boy were sorry when the appleshaws went


the children had been so kind to the stricken boy that nothing consoled him for their loss but nellys promise that dick should fetch him sometimes on the sunday to spend the afternoon


relying on this he practised his lessons on the violin with fresh zeal and went led by his mother to the dark organloft of the neighbouring church with cheerful steps


not without wrestlingsmany and sorrowful ones sometimes conquered at others for days the conqueror did nelly appleshaw become a confirmed dram drinker


so earnestly at first did she strive with this sin on whose track can ome nothing but ruin disease and des pair that going alone to her new home the day before its occupation she prayed upon her bended knees that god would thenceforth put this great sin from her and that the place be never unhallowed fcy her thirst for drink


for days no wavering came


she hustled about and strove to make the lest of the place and their few posses sions


they had gone to their new home about midway in the week and now on the saturday evening she had got things pretty fairly to rights and setting forth the little teatable to the best advantage and putting on a fresh cap and tidy gown she awaited joes return


he ame in byandby with little ruth and nell who had been down the street to meet him holding him by either hand and his honest face beamed with joy when he beheld the pleasant sight and there glanced across his simple brain the recollection of the baptism of tears that had led to it


the honest creature stopped short and looked with eyes of love upon his wife


nell he said the lord bless you the lord be thanked for leading usto a decent place at last


to see you sitfcfrig thus and the teatable and the little lasses crowding round me i think i aint a trouble left but one and may be a bit n another


the last be that little jim seems ungainly like the t other and here the honest creatures voice sank to a whisper that we shall never see our little sam again


no replied nelly bursting into pas sionate tears for all the mention of little sam touched a deeper source of grief and elfreproach than her husband knew of the baby can never die to us master never


i came on his little shoes and frock today and my heart died down it wur so sorely and freshly stricken


come come missis said joe thee mustnt give way so cos its trouble to me to see thee shed a tear


i wouldnt ha said a word ont had i bethought


but you see i always seem to be missing him and live as long as i may therell always seem to be to thee and me a want o something and a want o somebody


but come dry thy eyes lass this beint a time for em this most blessed night for mony and mony a weary day


so he put his arm lovingly about his wifes neck and kissed her just as ten derly and truly as on that frosty winters night wrapped warmly in her red cloak and on her way homewards across the spangled moonlit fields she had pro mised to become his wife


then joe took off his heavy boots washed his swart face and bands combed his hair and sat down by which time nelly had made the tea dad said little lisping ruth do look at the nice seed cake mothers made i carried it to the oven and brought it home


ay father said her mother with a smile the children would have it on the table though i made it for tomor rows tea


but they deserve it nell and ruth have been right good in help ing me their reward was their fathers kiss as they all drew round the happy teatable for dick who had been out to find and fetch jim now came in with him


master asked nelly as they gos siped over their pleasant meal what night be ned coming


it was right good on him to buy tnd send a bed it be so helping like


ay ned aint got his likeness in mony places


as to coming i suppose itll be tuesday evening for ye see hes gone into kent today with his young woman rachel for there her friends be


ned didnt work long today for the fore man gave him leave to go off at eleven and at noon i went a bit to see him and rachael off by railway


a nice comely welldressed lass she is with a bit o money in the bank and a silver watch as keeps time like a church clock


its a nice lock on for ned replied nelly he got to know her whilst in the hospital didnt he


yes thats just it


in the next bed to ned was a young man from rachaela young woman knowing him well came to see him sometimes and bring him little things for indeed he was from the same farm as that where rachels brother works


the poor fellow met wi a dread ful accident last haysell so rachels father was wishing her to see now and then how he got on


so thats how bingley came to know on her


her fathers yardman at a nice farm kept by a missis newbud and her son and a rare good place he has


besides wages hes a cottage and garden stuff and milk free and then both master and missis and a young miss of a lass called kitty be about the best folks i ever heerd on


thats just such a place master as i should likethee to get said nelly with a sigh if folks when in lunnon earn a deal they spend a deal and then the temptations


she raised her hands as she spoke and sighed still more deeply


which thee and me must try to fly for the little uns sake


for the rest i say with thee nelly that lunnon beint a place after my heart like


when there be work to do i dunna much mind the place it be in but when it be done i dunna much like a close room to rest in and miss a bit o lane or common to carry the little uns up and down


but we must be content the lord in his good time may lead thy and my steps missis to some such place


and rachels nice looking and has got a good placehas she master asked nelly with true feminine curiosity


yes some lunnon relations of this missis newbud a nice old lady and gen tleman as live i th west end got it her and there theyre right proud on her and ill take it hardlike when ned has her away


that maynt be just yet for rachels a prudent lass though i dare to say this holidaymaking be making up the wedding quicker thant otherwise might be


well replied nelly kindly let ned come for a long or short time hell be welcome


hes bin a true friend to thee and me master and enough we shall never do to make amends


father said dick presently i met luigi the lad with the monkey today


he told me as well as he could that he had been very ill and that now he had got a new master as the one he had while we were at nixs had been im prisoned for beating him


his new master was better to him he said and let hirn lodge at his house instead of wandering about the streets wi some times a lodging at nixs and sometimes not


but he said he was very ill and then he cried that there would be no one to care for poor jocko if he died


oh luigi wont die said little buth tenderly though if he should wed take care o th poor little monkeythat we would their mother said they should and then she wondered if bernardo was still at nixs


dick replied that he was not that nance told him that the italian had gone to manage the business of some castmaker who kept a shop and that he was much better off


i dussay remarked nelly that its the shop we followed him to the night


we left nixs


eh


he was right kind then when it seemed that we had more r bitternesses than we could bear


dick then went on to tell his mother j that bernardo was coming to see them and to bring kuth an image for the man l tie shelf


he then added that old madge had been to see him at his new school had praised his reading and had pro mised some sunday to come and take him to see an old friend of his a second hand bookseller living in the city


joe and nelly were pleased to hear this as dick might thus get a place and be bringing in a little money


from the date of this saturday even ing weeks went by


bingley came to lodge and joes wages were very good still the appleshaws did not seem to make much progress


the weekly wages disappeared as joe soon began to think very unaccountably still for some time the real truth did not dawn upon him


nelly grew daily more slatternly her looks more pallid he would come home and find her drowsy and inactive the children unwashed the rooms disordered so bit by bit the hideous revelation came that his hard earnings were spent in the ginshop


formerly his poor garments were put ready now when he came to ask for a clean shixt some excuse or other was always ready


what dost thee never wash nowa days missis


he on one occasion asked i bring hortie good wages and bingley pays thee yet we seem nigher poverty than we ever war


nelly hung down her head made some excuse thus for a time the matter passed off another time needing unexpectedly some outer garment it could not be found


oh


i recollect said his wife pre sently the missis below borrowed it to make her husbands by


but she aint in now and i cant get it


hast thee much to say to her missis asked joe hope not shes a gossip ing illtongued woman and bingley saw her coming out of a ginshop close by one night


know nothin o that replied nelly a little angrily


shes civil tome and thats all i care for


in this way the seeds of strife were sown


upon reaching home one satur day evening joe found the rooms all in disorder the two youngest children playing in the street and nelly crouched dn a soddened sleep in a corner


this aspect of the place and the condition of his wife astonished him and he ques tioned little buth


dont know father replied the child mothers often that now


she went out with thy new shoes afore din ner and came back about an hour ago staggered all about the room hit us right and left and then fell down i th place ye see


we spoke but she dont answer for we aint had nayther dinner nor tea and there be all saturdays things to do


the frightful truth was now clear to joe


what did she do with th shoes he masked fiercely did she bring them back again t


no father


she often takes out things she doesnt bring back again


nelly and me have no sunday frocks nor dick his boots


joe strode to the place where his wife crouched shook her roughly and tried to rouse her


in a few minutes be suc ceeded in some degree and raised iier to her feet where she stood staring blankly at her husband and children


what missis asked joe bitterly hast the taken to the ginbottle


be ruin and shame to come from thee


hast good wages and tidy doing bought only this


fcjhe was roused now and full of shame at being found thus and of evil temper iat being roused her replies were cruel ones


thus a fierce quarrel grew and ior the first time in his life joe in his deep provocation raised his hand against is wife and then left the room


he went off to where he knew lie should find bingley and there broke out his sorrow


ive seen and guessed it for some time past joe replied ned


but i didnt like to say a word to thee for nelly till thee came to lunnon wur such a sober cretur


but thee must talk to her and set the ruin before her eyes if thee can


as to me i cant stop to see it for its been a grief to me this mony a week


so ive made up my mind to get married but tother lodgers maynt be so nice joe for theyve not known thee and nelly for mony a year as i have and wont be feelin it like me


theres kaylor ready to be thy lodger for ive already told him im leaving


when nelly was in a degree recovered in the morning she was very penitent and heartily ashauned


she tried to repair her errors of the previous day and by shifts to procure a dinner for the money entrusted her for this purpose had been spent in gin


still there was a shadow over the little household which no temporary reparation could take away ghmpses of light came within these shadows now and then


bernardo came to see them and brought his favourite ruth a little cast of some winged and sleeping angels


he spoke better eng lish now and told them how he had got constant employment at the shop they had seen him enter the old master there of having fallen ill and needing assist ance


dick too progressed bravely with his book and going with old madge to see the secondhand bookseller who the better days of both had been madges employer expressed himself pleased with the boy and said that as soon as dick should be old enough he could give him employment to mind his stall and go errands


little jim was still inclined to he led astray


though sent to the same school as diofc he was always playing truant with boys of doubtful character that prowled about the streets sometimes he would absent himself for the whole day only returning when he thought his father would be at home


if nelly had been such a mother as she was a year before this might not have happened but the child finding her so often soddened in sleep or imbecile from drink soon grew to disregard any thing she said and to take advantage of her miserable state


step led on to another


he brought home things which if nelly had been as observant as of old she would at once seen could not have been honestly obtained


but in the maudlin state to which she so often reduced herself the boys mere assertion that the things had been given to him contented her


grow ing presently even less fearful of his father he stayed out later and later at night


to prevent this threats and whipping proved of no avail the steps to crime were thus quickly fol lowed


at length nothing was heard of the lad for some daysr and when his parents did it was through a policemans visit


they had thought the boy illinclined and difficult to manage but not so vici ous or so steeped in sin as this act proved


eh cried nelly when the policeman who had broken out the matter had de parted this comes o nixs lodgings


had we never gone there this would not have come about


im rather thinking missis retorted joe for much of his soft and tender man ner towards nelly had departed that if you didnt do what you often do and wur more at home to see to the children things wouldnt be as bad


as they be


but work as i may theres little home now for em poor things


the lord pity em


if you mean the drop o drink i have had a time or two master retorted nelly its best for you not to be check ing me that way


i do the best i can for em but one cant be as neat and clean in this place as we wur i th country


there say no more missis spoke joe loudly thy childrens ruin as well as mine has yet i fear to lie upon thy head


he went from the room as he said this and made his way with a broken heart to the nearest police sta tion to learn when the rules of the pri son to which the child had been sent would permit him to be seen


stung by his reproach and dead almost to all things but her craving for gin she left dick and ruth weeping bitterly and seizing some spare garment went off with it to a pawnbrokers thence with it to a ginshop and there got more inebri ated than she had ever been


this was downwardsdownwards but worse was still to come


chapter i dr livingstons first journey to the lake again in de parted from kolobengcrosses the kalahari desert discovers the river uragareception by the bayeiyealls down the jeounparpases and froapeeukeaehe the lake intended vito sfbltoane postponed


award of the royal geographical bqcietyrliringrtons second journey in reaches the vxaetrictcrosss


the dougalls design of proceeding north frustrated by the these returns to kolobeng


t


i i kotobeng dr livingstons startingpoint is din deg


s lat deg e long


it lies miles north of kuruman the station of the federal


moffat and has been for a considerable time the advanced post of south african missions taking therefore a northerly di action and pursuing it about miles and at slight suffering to themselves and their cattle from the difficulty of the road and the want of water they were not less surprised than delighted on emerging at the end of a month from a dreary region the principal productions in which were the camel thorn and other characteristic growths of the african desert to find themselves upon the banks of the zouga a noble and exquisitely beautiful river flowing s e richly fringed with fruitbearing and other trees some of them of gigantic growth and new to our travellers


received with a frank and evidently cordial welcome from the bayeiye the natives of the spot and learning from them that the zouga flowed out of the lake ngami which was still


jdq miles distant dr livingston while his waggon slowly followed the windings of the eltham embarked in a rude native canoe hol allowed out of the trunk of tree and paddled joy these islands sailors he proceeded up the zouga calling on in way at many of the val lasts which nestled in the broad belt of reeds


or amongst the limestone rock which form its margin


as he advanced the stream flowed


widerivid deeper and the missionarys heart i expanded with the hope that it would prove one of the highways through which chris straightly and its attendants civilization and coin p r


fierce might find free coarse into the hitherto inaccessible interior of africa


this hope was quickened by the intelligence that the other refers flowed both into the zouga arid the lake lyon the north and by the feet that sebitoane ft friendly and powerful chief whom dr livingston proposed to visit lived only a ten


daysiojourney to the northeast


animated by thedcerieb he reached the muchdesired i like ngapala and looked across its broad waters to a shoreless expanse in one direction and to the dim outline of the distant boast the another with the hallowed joy of a missionary discoverer


by astronomical observations it was ascertained thw thel part of the lake now reached was situated in deg min late


and about deg


e longitude that it was feet above the sea level and its length frames to miles


in this outline we cannot linger with our traveller upon the spot he had not reached or l pacific in detail in mfttfeature ana v natural history there was kindred shiells wlfinda more appropriate place in time to wine he is about to publuhnbut before referring to his second jqrhnttitt utat through the ujttingfteaf of effete m o s


i r i s v ill not allow the strangers topipceedtojhepeople beyond them and their own want of means for crossing the zouga dr livingston after failing to frame a raft that would float was compelled most reluctantly to postpone his proposed visit to obituary


the party therefore retraced their steps to kolobeng mr oswell with characteristic generosity having engaged at his own expense to bring up boat from cape town on the following season in time to rejoin dr livingston on another visit to the lake district and the region beyond


for the discoveries thus made the council of the royal geographical society awarded to dr livingston half the royal premium for the encouragement of geographical science and dis coveries


in the following year accompanied now by mrs livingston his family and circle the chief of the bakwains dr livingston paid his second visit to the newly discovered region but this time his leading design of reaching the country of sebastian was frustrated by the unexpected prevalence of marshfeverand of the venomous fly called tsetse so destructive to cattle


the same causes prevented him from adding much to the geographical knowledge acquired during his previous journey


the travellers however crossed the zouga and ascended its northern bank intending to reach the tamunacle a stream of which they had heard on their former visit but which they did not then see hoping to follow its course and thus get to their destination but dr livingston having acquired by his failures such knowledge of the district on which the lake is situated and of that through which the zouga flows as to satisfy him that neither would afford a salubrious centre for a new mission and as sickness began to prevail among his party he was reluctantly compelled to return to his station and again to postpone the accomplishment of his object


iimwrms


the story oe aeeather


y onalit


stitolh a story from


poseen chapter xxxlv contlnucjfiom our lost


the trial of click abram and patty butler


as the highwayman lanced round the court it was plain he felt the greatness of his reputation


he was to be tried before a most crowded and most fashionable assembly


his courtesies of finchley and hounslow had not been lost upon a reflecting world that thronged to see a thief ho robbed a lady of her watch as though it had been tier heart who would pick a pocket with the like mingled grace and serenity mitti which a statesman would propose a moneybill


clickly abram had elevated his profession he had made robbery like war at the worst as people say but a necessary evil


hence high and beautiful women had migrated from the westend to the old bailey and with scrutinising sympathising ejes saw liie lion in the engethe hero in the dock


clickly abram with a smile of killing sweetness laid his hand upon his breast and bowed


he was dressed in thefullness of the mode


his linenthe gift of the widowwas of the finest web anda diamond ring flashed on the little finger of the highwaymans white right hand which with graceful negligence he rested on the bar of the dock


a jeweller had visited newgate to fit mr abram with that ring and thirty guineas the late money of the late mr cramp had paid for it if


thought at the timettic perversity of an english jury should send the high wayman to that far country where the cardmaker abided what misery might the widows lover wreak upon the husband ghost


but no it was impossible


hang such a man with such a smile upon his face such ruffles at his wrists such a coat upon his back


no law could be so arrogant


clickly abram vas not a thief


no he stood in the dock a graceful light hearted gentleman summoned for some good ho had performed to receive a sentence of thanks from a grateful generation


patty stood beside the highwayman


she was pale and after a brief time tranquil as a statue


when she entered the dock a momentary blush deep as blood covered her face and arms and she stood struggling against the beating of her heart


the highwayman played his gallantry for he bowed and smiled very powerfully upon his fellowprisoner he could not have been more polite to the widow at ranelagh


the courtesy was however cast away upon patty


though she thought not to vindicate her own guiltlessness hy scorn of her companion she stood in soul apart from him


she felt alone in that dockalono with innocence


looked around the court and to my surprise saw many of my old acquaintances


seated close to the bench with her eyes upon the highwayman was lady dinah willowly


she of course carne to give a days recreation to her breaking heart vue as there to solace her sorrow with a highwayman in jeopardy of tyburn as she would have regaled her poodle the pupil of mr spanncu


on the breast of a chicken


a trial for life or death was a titbit for what she thought her constitutional melancholy


not far from lady dinah sat the owners of mantrap park th miss peachicks


they looked about the court and then in each others face and then at the highwayman and patty and then threw up their hands and eyes and shifted in their seats in a state of wondering agitation


in near neighbour hood to them were the flamingoes


i could sec the feather merchant look very judicial as lie scanned patty and then whispered something to his helpmate who nodded in apparent affirmation


flamingo was not a juryman but he had already pasted a verdict of guilty against the featherdresser


mrs goptooth with a glecsome wickedness in her looks was amongst the crowd and mrs traply and honest luke knuckle


poor fellow


he sat staring at patty and vigorously gnawing his thumbnail unconscious of the feast


there too was the widow cramp with the faithful becky at her side


poor w idow


tears had touched her beauty her face looked scalded with weeping and there seeing nothing befi re her but une rorro one face she sat working her pocket handkerchief into a ball in her burning hand


abram saw her and with a blithe look kissed his fingers towards her


the tenderness was too much for the poor creature she broke into hysterical sobbing whilst the homely becky with one tear trickling down her nose took her mistress like a child lo her bosom and a man of office with


fierce eye cast towards the mourner bellowed out silence in the court


lintley his wife and inglewood were together


once only did inglewood exchange a glance with patty


ile then seemed to avoid her seemed as though he had retired into his soul and was there praying for her deliverance


the apothecary bowed to patty who meekly smiled and little mra


lintley herself allowed the recognition never even hinting that there must be something in it


mr curlwell was among the crowd fldgetty and restless


now he looked at pattynow he blew his noseand now he appealed for tranquillity to his snuffbox that boxcrested with a dolphin with tail in its mouth latin and everything properwhich the valet bad proclaimed in the roundhouse on the night he had assaulted with his attentions the young feather dresser in the strand


sura i am that that box smote curl wells conscience at the old bailey and then he made himself comfortable with the thought that if the girl would go to tyburn instead of to church the evil lay at the door of her wicked wilfuluess


the trial began


the indictment charged abram with steal ing watch and certain moneys on the highway and patty with aiding abetting and comforting the evildoer


the first witness called was one andrew bishop


he was a rough dulllooking man and stared doggedly about the court as though the business therein transacted was wearying and contemptible


hia examination which teduce to the main point began


he had been supercargo to the mermaid she had sailed without him and he had lost his berth and all along of the damned watch and the trial


here the witness was rebuked by the bench for bad language whereupon the witness scratched his head


it wai a goldwatch with a ship in the plate pitching in a green sea with the words suth is life


he had met the prisoner at the bar at a tavern the dog and duck thought him a jovial gentleman he sang n good song


witness left the tavern and the prisoner went with him went through a many places at last up somewhere by the long fields when there was nobody by the prisoner clapt a pistol to witnesss skull and said he must have all be had


and to heprisoner took it and that was all witness knewbut that hed swear to


mr clickly himself crossexamined the witness and with n elegant subtlety of manner that would have honoured even the coif


in vain the witness was too obstinate to be puszled


he would not stir from two facts


the one that abram had put a pistol to his head tho other that abram had taken both his purse and lils watch


mr abram himself smiled pityingly upon the witness and then smiled upon the jury but it aided him notandrew bishop supercargo was fixed in the two facts


shadrach jacobs was the next witness and proved that he had sold tht watch to bishop a circumstance substantiated by the subsequent testimony of his daughter miriam


he proved that he was present at the dog and duck with bishop that there was a man drinking and singing with the supercargo very lik the gentleman at the bar certainly very like him but not the gentleman


there waa a girl with the man and ihat girlshadrach jacobs would swear itwas the girl in the dock


hire an ejaculation of disgust was heard from on of the audience and the ameer looking in the direction of luke knuckle exclaimed silence in the court i curlwell look ing at patty seemed anxious and irresolute and mrs gap tooth leered sod smiled


and then came the evidence of hardmouth and two of the watchmen


they had tracked th prisoner to bia lodgings ia bloomsbury whence he bad escaped they however found there the pocketbook the money gone and the watch of the prosecutor


the watch wa found in the bed of the female prisoner after abram bad escaped from the room


mrs crumpet who declared that she believed mr abram to be a perfect gentleman deposed that he had lodged in her hpuse never knew anything irregular in bim


would have trusbwwiwbntjiigold


the yooog woman at tho har rabeen a tong usa sick j and ben th robbery waa done wlajbid conis


not certainly plain baw hw watch wai found with patty pugftttnjj i x n


ji


i ii


m iii mi mi


three morewitnesses for mr abraracourageously swore that on the night of tho robbery tile maligned prisoner was at gloucester


could perceive that the widow albeit she looked wondcringly at these witnesses looked not with dis pleasure


mr lintley bore testimony to the north this goodness of patty and air flamingo ho had been hunted out and com pelled to attend by the apothecary deposed that he thought the female prisoner a very honest woman and then on cross examination allowed with great alacrity that she had been once in the roundhouse that there had been a charge against hersomething about a snuffbos


but that man knows it wa all a lie cried luke knuckle from the gallery pointing to curl well


remove that man said the judge to the officer of the court but luke did not wait to troublo that functionary


mr lintley however immediately communicated with the counsel and when flamingos examination was over julius curlwcll wes called and sworn


it was very true he


oh ned he had made a false chargehe had found his boxin fact he had himself addressed not assaulted as the counsel said the girl in the street


it was true he had offered to marry her sinceyes he would not deny itho loved her very much


had never said he could save her if he would


knew shadwell jacobsbut knew no harm of him would swearthat if he was almost sure he wouldthat he had never met the jew about the trial


knew a woman gaptooth here that excellent matron elbowed her way out of court thought her character tolerably good she had been two or three times indicted would not swear that he had not sent messages by her to the prisoner at the bar they were not dishonourable messages that is they were only messages that gentlemen sometimes sent to young women


here curlwells examination terminated that is he was taken off the rack


he had a quickwitted counsel and his own conscience against him


hence the valet turned pale and red and


shuffled and stammered and grinned vacantly and whined and so laid bare before the court the miserable nature of julius curlwell


there never was a moro pitiable picture of a weak dissolute creature


when released from the torture of selfdelineation the valet with the sweat running from his brow ran from the court


his evidence bad done much for tho cause of patty


lintleyi saw itthought so for he smiled and grasped inglewood hand and airs


lintley her self nodded cbeeringly to the fcmule prisoner at the bar


and now was abram called upon for his defence


leaning forward he made a sort of sweeping bow to the whole court and then with condescending air began


aly lord and gen tlemen of the jury said the highwaman whilst i regret that the inconvenience of being in this place should have fallen to your humble servant i cannot but feel that there arc circum stances which at the first blush demanded for the satisfaction of justice that i should be so placed


a robbery has been committed gentlemen there can be no doubt of that the pro secutor a most intelligent and i am sure very honourable man was despoiled of his mone and his wnitli


he has sworn that i am the robber und believe gentlemen that he be lieves he has sworn truly


but is the fact supported by corro borative testimony


mr jacobs a merchant of high standing distinctly states that i was not present at the dog and duck but that a man unfortunately like mc was i must say and the speaker smiled unfortunately for me i n this case


three other respectable men swear on that very night i was at gloucester


gentlemen of the jury was i


it is true the watch was found at my lodgings but mrs crumpet lets her every room


it has been said i was lying concealed there


gentlemen it is true and why


i was a little in debti own it with a blusha little in debt


gentlemen leave my case to your own intelligence


you will not find me guilty of felony because i happen to resemble some unfortunate man you will not hang me for a likeness and mr abram tried to be jocular you will not find me guilty for having the same eyes and nose and mouth as a highwayman for such indeed is proved my only offence no gentlemen you value your own peace of mindyou value your own nights rest your wives and your families and above all you value truth


in which case gantlemcn of the jury without one anxious thought do i leave my fate in your hands


i know what your verdict must be and in the tranquillity of innocence await it


there was a butt a murmur of applause at the eloquence


the widow cramp looked smilingly about


patty was then called upon


her defence was simply not guilty


the judge briefly summed up and as i thought bore hard upon click abram that person however seemed to think otherwise for whilst the jury was retired he lounged against the side of the dock and employed bimself by trimming the skin around his filbert nails


the jury returned into court


the verdict was given


cllckly abram guilty martha butler not guilty


a loud shriek rang from the gallery and then poor mrs cramp screaming murder murder i fell in the arms of bcr faithful handmaid the highwayman paused as be was about to turn from the dock and a momentary look of anguish pos sessed him as he gazed upward at the suffering widow


mr and mrs lintley inglewood and lastly the two miss pcachicks forced their way to the dock to grasp the hands of patty


to be continued


laletr nutnpbregs llortr


personal adventures of master humphirey


ib old curiosity siopciiapter xxviii


sleep hung upon the eyelids of the child so long that when she awoke lrs


jarley was already decorated with her large bonnet and actively en gaged in preparing breakfast


she received nells apology for being so late with perfect goodhumour and said that she should not have roused her if she had slept on until noon


because it does you good said the lady of the caravan when youre tired to sleep as long as ever you can and get the fatigue quite off and thats another blessing of your time of lifeyou can sleep so very sound


have you had a bad night maam asked nel


i seldom have any hing else child replied mrs jarley with the air of a martyr


i some times wonder how i bear it


remembering the snores which had proceeded from that cleft in the caravan in which the proprie tress of the wax work passed the night nell rather thought she must have been dreaming of lying awake


however she expressed herself very sorry to bear such a dismal account of her state of health and shortly afterwards sat down with hergrandfatherand mrs jarleyto breakfast


the meal finished nell assisted to wash the cups and saucers and put them in their proper places and these household duties performed mrs jarley arrayed herself in an ex ceedingly bright shawl for the purpose of making a progress through the streets of the town


the wan will come on to bring the boxes said mrs jarley and you had better come in it child


i am obliged to walk very much against my will but the people expect it of me and public characters cant be their own masters and mistresses in such matters as these


how do i look child nell returned a satisfactory reply and mrs jar hy after sticking a great many pins into various parts of her figure and making several abortive at tempts to obtain a full view of her own back was at last satisfied with her appearance and went forth majestically


the caravan followed at no great distance


as it went jolting through the streets nell peeped from the window curious to see in what kind of place they were and yet fearful of encountering at every turn the dreaded face of quilp


it was a pretty large town with an open square which they were crawling slowly across and in the middle of which was the townhall with a clock tower and a weathercook


there were houses of stone houses of red brick houses of yellow brick houses of lath and plaster and houses of wood many of them very old with withered faces carved upon the beams and staring down into the street


these had very little winking windows and lowarched doors and in some of the narrower ways quite overhung the pavement


the streets were very clean very sunny very empty and very dull


a fewidlemen lounged about the two inns and the empty marketplace and the tradesmens doors and some old people were dozing in chairs outside an alnshouse wall but scarcely any passengers who seemed bent on going anywhere or to have any object in view went by and if perchance some straggler did his footsteps echoed on the hot bright pavements for minutes af terwards