the puffs of smoko between the antagonists arc frequent to the right of tho mammelon the ground falls disclosing a peep of the upper end of the harbour then it rises again to two consecutive lulls a milo from tho spectator each crowned with a yellow line of earth forming a battery that on the right is the bill whore tlio strugglo took place between the french and russians on the nd february


again to the tight ib the top of a french battery in front of inkcrmann


it is somewhat inaisliuct as a descending green elope intervenes but ho smoko of a gan reveals it and the shel bursts over tho mam mson while the rush of its courso is still reaching the car


the mammelon replies a gun and mortar in our right attack drop their shells into the work the malakoff sup ports its companion by a couple of shelfi which graze tho orest of our parapet and knocking up little clouds of dust as they go burst far up the hill side


a mortar near tho malakoff pitches a shell into tbe parapet of our odvanced parallel it rolls over and explodes


n commotion is visible through the glass and presently two wounded men are borne past to tho camp one struck in tile cheek the other haying his leg shattered


presently a tremendous explosion close behind malies an unprepared spectator start another follows the two isnncb mortars have been fired


with a rusbjike a whirlwind tho two great shells are buried up into tbo sky grow ing small as cricketbolls and audible when no longer seen


as the sound ceases two clouds of dust rise in the malakoffthe shells have stopt there another moment and two columns of smoko rise and are slowly dis persedboth shells have burst in tbe work


turning to the right so as to complete the lnlf circle you see on the nesk hill the victoria kedoubt made and held by the french with an indented line of trench in front of it


up to the right centre of the view the sea forms tho horizon but between the mam melon and the new russian battery on the hill the country north of the betbce and kateha rivers jutting out into capes takes ap the line of the horizon and continues it nearly on tho sealevel


the land north of the harbour forming tho distance of twothirds of the picture is wter serred in every direction by roads


to reveal the details the aid of a telescope is required


beginning at fort constantine the line of the land is broken for some distance by earthen forts which are marked on the planb sievernaia being the most extensive


in the dip between the malakoff and mammelon appear a low hill over the harbour sur mounted by a fieldwork cncompiuwod by roads


not far from this is a vast burying ground containing apparently thousands of graves


to the right of the mammelon on the cliff above the harbour are rows of build ings like barracks with a camp for six batta lions behind


inland the plains and hills grow bare and wild and are traversed by the simferopol road along which may be seen advancing to the town a large convoy of waggons escorted by troops


all along the edge of the cliff which bordera the harbour and the marsh at the head of it partiei of russians may bo seen working at batteries and intrenchments


having tlus taken a general view let us enter the works themselves


the ravine on the right of the mortarbattery is ciobc though nnsoen sad a few minutes walk con ducts to it


here on both sides are rows of graves on one of which two or three men arc now employed with pickaxe and shovel


passing these the ravine the same in which captain craigio was killad winds deepening as it goes between iti green banks sprinkled with fragments of grey rock


presently you meet a party of frenchmen bearing a covered form or stretcher


you stup one to ask if it is a wounded man p monsieur il est mort he has been killed by a splinter in ihe parallel


the next turn shows tho right bank of the ravine ahead covered with tho recumbent forms of french to diers forming a strong picket ready if necessary to rein force those in the trenches


near these the end of our first parallel meets the ravine and you enter it casting first a glance to the right where high above a glimpse of the mala koff with its guns a mi e off is disclosed


all the trenches are nearly of the same des cription two or three yards wide and two or threo feet deep with the earth thrown up to form a parapet towards the enemy


some times tho soil is clayey but oftencr bedded with stone through which tbe workmen have painfully scooped a cover


after walking some hundred yards you find two guns stationed on their platforms in the trenches which widening here and its parapet heightened and strengthened with gabions and sandbags becomes a battery


piles of shot are close to the guns and a thick mass of earth crossing the trench contains the magazine


through tho embrasures or open ings in the parapet which the guns fire from tho mammelon is visible and these arc the guns which you just now saw firing on it


neit you come to a mortarbattery where the parapet is very solid and so high that the enemys work is not visible to those w rk ing the pieces which are directed by two iron rods called pickets stuck upright in tho parapet in front of the mortar


these being placed one before tho othor so that they form but one object when the eye is directed from behind them on the work they are so left a white line is made down tbe exact middle of of the mortar by a chalked cord stretched and lapped along it and an artillety inau standing behind the mortar holding before his eye a string with a plummet attached causes the mortar to be shifted till the string coincides with bath pickets and with tho white line on tho mortar which is then oorrcotly aimed without the necessity of seeing ihe object


then come more guns separated by trevaises or masses of earth faced with gabions or sandbags the presence of these generally shows tbat the bat tery or trench containing them is in tbe path of tlie enemys shot to tbe courso of which they form olibtades


tho embrasures here look on the malakoff


as you regard it a cloud of a


oko is puffed from one of tlio embrasures the report is followed by a running noise and a shell dashing over the parapet near you bruiseb ittelf friths ground a few yards behind the battery


all if its neighbourhood eloop to avoid the splints after a moment it bursts in a cloud of earth and amoks and tho aplintors whirr and jar around


plenty of pieces of siicub some new somo rusted aro lying about and tho ground is channelled with die graze of shot


hero and there von seo one of our guns half buried in tho soil it has either bunt or been struck by the enemys shot and rendered un serviceable


a trench branching from the first parallel leads towards the second


thib approach pr rather aeries of approaches is of zigzag form tlo branches inoqe direction havipg the parapet on the right the others on he left


travorecs are frequent here and the necessity for them is shown by tho occasional singing of a imllot and the marks where round sliotliavc erased parallel to the trcncli and doso to it


there are no bat teries in thoso trenches as they look obliquely on the enemys workb but in a trench thrown out from one ot them a mortarbattery is placed


further on arc the two fieldguns looking on tho riflepits in front of tho mammelon


turning to tho lctt up a steep trench where tho parapet ib highor you havo to walk circumspectly to avoid treading on tho sleeping soldiers who guard the work their arms loaded and with bayonets fixed leaning against tho parapet


thin is the point where tho russians penetrated on the niglit of the id march mid on tlio left of it is the magazino into which tho albanian leader of the surtio discharged his pistol in a dosperate attempt to blow it up tho moment tmfore he was killed


close to uiis ia the battery and tlio parallel beyond it is lined with soldiers some of whom aro pointing tlioir rifles through sand bag loopholes at tho enemys riflemen whom through thoso loopholes yon may discern behind their reenb of stone beyond thorn fivo hundred yards oil rises the sedan a dark lino of earth broken by ombraiures whore the sum are visible


the complaining sound of tho bullets is frequent here and follows you it intervals along tlio zifpaga liy which vou return to the first parallal of the right attack which terminates in the ravine whore the worontofl road lies


to be continued


the mysteries of sydney not by the author of the mysteries of paris or the mysteries of london but by one of ourselves


chapter xvi


who has not felt some period of his life in which the whole events of the past the emo tions the thoughts the hopes and fears rise up like spectres from the tomb and stand vividly forth pale and thin but distinct and tangible a crowd of things long forgotten but soon re awakened at the call of memory


in such cases the mind is imbued with a melancholy tenderness like that produced by gazing on the fall of the leaf and the spirit becomes depress ed and sad and sorrowing


lt was under such an influence that vernon left the usurers den bearing with him the money so desperately needed and so hardly gained


he looked back to the springtide of life to the games of child hood and the sports of youth the love of his manhood with its hightoned clear unstained thoughts and all seemed gone for ever


the blight had spread over brow and heart the taint of pestilence was upon him


such recol lections illaccorded with the spot on which he stood vernon felt this and hurried into the domain to avoid companionship


but all would not do in vain he gazed upon the broad blue waters of the harbour studded with tiny islets and small boats flitting by like seabirds in vain he looked up to the bright sky above him fleckered with a few fleecy clouds like angels wings serving to render its azure more intense the dark vision of the past shadow ed his mind natures beauties seemed to him a mockery or like lilies spread upon a pall


god


he exclaimed is the curse to be on me for ever will no sorrowing and repent ance clear my bosom of this stain is it only in the haunts of men and the wild scenes of riot and debauchery that intermission can be gained from this gnawing and corroding pain


dum vivimus vivamus my boy


a fig for the cares of the world whilst weve women and wine to delight us twere folly to wish for aught more


give me the philosophy of the epicurean venus and bacchus kisses and the grape against all the dull and stony maxims of the age


you are only a cup too low this morning egad ill soon brace you up


weve made a little party for the races which will not be com plete without you


so on you come


and pitching all thought to the devil leave sorrow a days march behind


vernons evil genius sharkey stood beside him


it was no part of this persons system to allow his victim to escape and although he had already obtained a fair per centage from fawner cringe for the introduction of his dupe yet he anticipated making a much larger profit by appropriating the money obtained by ver non to his own use


sharkey was a thorough man of the world he had studied human nature well and calculated with the strongest confidence upon the weak and vacillating character of vernon


no sharkey the latter replied im not in a fit mood for sport today


the racecourse with its bustle would be in very bad keeping with my depressed spirits


the greater reason why you should go


mens minds are like mirrors reflecting that which is around them


the hilarity and excite ment of the course the smiles of the women the sparkle of the champagne the rush of the thoroughbreds the gallop across from the stand to the corner the huzzas of the crowd will suit you much better than vegetating here


damme


man the very dust of the road is pre ferable to this monotonous array of green leaves and grey trunks


but i have other business on hand the dis charge of that bank debt ls that all


enquired sharkey dont let that worry you for old deuceace will be at the races himself he never misses a chance and is one of the best bookmakers in the country


thus you see it is all cut out well you can either pay him there or leave it till tomor row


vernon after a few more faint excuses allowed himself to be persuaded and the two were quickly mounted and on the road to homebush


sharkey who had received a tolerable education and had travelled and seen much was not an unamusing companion and vernon began to feel an interest in him and despite his better judgment to find some excuses for his previous conduct


sharkey perceiving this impression redoubled his attentions towards his companion he recounted some of his hazardous adventures he described many of the scenes through which he had passed and though he did not attempt to conceal entirely the somewhat questionable part he had acted in them he threw over the whole such an apparent candour and sincerity that vernon felt inclined to look upon him as one who being cast upon the world too early in youth had been impelled resistlessly onwards amongst the shoals and quicksands of life


ah


mr vernon said he as he checked his horse from a slight stumble had i been like this brute with a careful hand to keep me from falling and a watchful eye to see me well stabled fed and groomed i should have been very different to the wornout broken kneed old hack i am


to add a little more of the colouring of truth to the picture jacob sent something like a sigh from between his lips though to an observing ear it would have sounded more like a peculiar expression of astonishment at the greenness of his companion but


its no use grieving my day is gone by and i must een make the best of a bad bargain


now for a gallop and well reach the turf in a jiffey


they put spurs to their horses and soon arrived at their destination


having deposited their silver contributions at the gate they can tered gently up the course which was unusually thronged and presented the bustling and varied character of such exhilirating scenes


the aristocracy and sporting men had just begun to arrive and were threading their way through the motley crowd of tradesmen mechanics labo rers thimbleriggers cinqmen tumblers race card sellers cigarandalight dealers and a hundred other miscellaneous bits of human nature


sharkey was quite au fait at the busi ness of cicerone and while nodding to many of the passers by described them most graphically to vernon


follow me mr vernon and ill introduce you to the mother of the maids


mrs east my darling and how are the times with you said he stopping at the side of a dashing looking turnout in which sat an elderly lady of a brownish complexion flauntingly attired and attended by three blooming beauties whose bold expressive countenances left no room to doubt the nature of their occupation misther sharkey an its bisniss itsilf which is slack wid us


we jist manage to git a chrust an dats all


an its a bad case too whin a hard working woman like meshelf cant git on in the world youre right


there are few people in syd ney who strive harder than you


but while you are instructing your attendant to unwire one or two of those bottles whose necks are peeping so seducingly from the basket allow me to intro duce my friend mr vernon to your notice


he is one of the real sort mrs east a true thorough bred not a bit of cocktail about him a gentle man every inch of him weighs well up to his weight and a pound or two over


vernon who did not thoroughly understand this equivocal compliment bowed to the ladies during the introductory ceremony and on raising his head found three pair of eyes looking at him with an expression half curious and half coquet tish


the champagne went briskly round and while little bits of badinage and sly inuendo were bandied about his hand was clasped by one of the young ladies very fondly and on with drawing it he found a small piece of pasteboard in his palm which contained a description of the fair owners domicile


the bell for saddling the horses began to ring at that moment and shar key hurried him away to the weighing yard to lay out a trifle upon the race


followed by his companion he darted about from one betting circle to another giving and taking odds like the old fishmonger crockford mid the maze of odds and chances well skilled his way to thread with a jedediah buckstone or a cocker in his head


do as i do mr vernon and youre all right


here mr hookey said he calling to a tall man in a cabbagetree hat check coat and trou sers and who carried a large roll of notes in his hand my friend will bet you to the field against the old horse in the allaged stakes


pooh


he whispered to vernon who scrupled about betting its a rare chance the plover is in splendid condition besides tis only an opening to work upon ill make you stand to win on the days racing


all right mr hookey you accept stake


staked it is


very good said hookey who thoroughly understood the office very good


now then im open to take the same bet for the leger against pastile is it a bet


a bet it is replied sharkey another chance for you my friend fortune is certainly propitious today youll go me halves of course


i did not intend sharkey to risk a farthing and i must stop here


what and destroy the whole glorious scheme


was ever such unheard of folly


by jove


i cant stand by and witness such stupidity


well then i leave it in your hands said vernon despondingly but remember i must have this intact tomorrow


and a hundred and fifty added to it my dear fellow if you will only follow up the affair


other bets were made and vernon saw his money melting away without the slightest per ception of how or when he was to regain it but deceived by the assurances of sharkey and the promptitude with which he made similar bets he looked confidently forward to a favorable result


but he little knew that his worthy directors offers and acceptance were gammoning ones and that the gents with whom he dealt stood in the profits of the transaction


even after the first race was run and the old horse came in a winner vernon was persuaded that the re maining events would be all right and leave a considerable profit upon the book


luncheon was proposed and discussed at the grand stand while champagne flew about like water and at the windup sharkey stated himself to be ready for anything and fortified against the troubles of life


his unfortunate dupe had by this time arrived at a state most propitious for the consummation of his plans


he tried a turn or two at the thimbles and e o tables where his funds were still further reduced


the last race was run every event had come off wrong and he stood once morea beggar


a few pounds were all that were left but the wine and excitement had done their work his brain was in a whirl and he only exhibited a reckless anxiety to wind up the evening


thats the right way to take it said sharkey encouragingly never say die


better luck tomorrow


who the deuce could have believed plover would have broken down and that infernal filly run so true or that that ugly brute of a cossack had so much foot


i never was so out in my life and cleaned out too


we certainly have been very gloriously jockied and our recovering bets levanters by jove ill post that fellow


he always had a good character till now


perhaps hell turn up to morrow


fortune is a slippery jade


its no use whining here about the past like schoolboys on for the road and a closing scene with mrs east and her angels


vernon did not reply to or notice these dis jointed comments but galloped off at full speed followed by sharkey who muttered to himself wheugh


a windup its about a cooker with you now youngster or im much deceived


i didnt back his bills thats one comfort if i had though it would not have mattered much his english friends must pay them in the end


by jove he rides as if the devil was at his heels


a very excellent imitation of that personage certainly was close behind him


chiapter il


nothing bit the exigency of the case could ever have persuaded my uncle to stoop to the humiliation of canvassing the iadividual to whom i was now abotit to proceed as envoy extraordinary with full powers to make any orevery amende provided only his interest and that of his followers should be thereby secured to the omalley cause


the evening before i set out was devoted to giv ing me all the necessary instructions how i was to proceed and what dif ficulties i was to avoid


say your uncle is in high feather with the governtmnr t piarty said sir harry and thiat le only votes against them as a ruse deguerre as the french call it


insist upon it that i am sure of the election without him but that


for family reasons he should not stand aloof from me that people are talking of it in the country


and drop a hint said con sidinie that omalley is gleatly improved iii his shootig


and dont get dcunk too early in i the evening for phil


blake has a beautiful claret said another


and be sure you dont make love to the redheaded girls added a third he has four of them each more


sinfully ugly than the other


youll be playing whist too said boyle and never mind losing a few pounds


mrs b long life to i her has a playful way of turning the king


charley will do it all well said my uincle leave him alone


and now letus have hi the sup per


it was only on the following morn ing as the tandem came round to the door that i began to feel the importance of my mission and cer tain misgivings came over me as to my ability to fulfil it


mr blake and his family though estranged from my uncle for several years past had been always most kind and goodnatured to me and although i could not with propriety have cultivated any close intimacy with them i had every reason to suppose that they entertained towards me nothing but sentiments of good will


the head of the family was a galway squire of the oldest and most genuine stock a great sportsman a negli gent farmer and a most careless father he looked upon a fox as an infinitely more precious part of the oreation than a french governess and thought that riding well with hounds was a far better gift than all the learning of a porson


his daughters were afer his own heari the besttempered leasteducated most highspirited gay dashing rugly girls in the countryready to ride over a foulfoot paling without a saddle and to dance the wind that shakes the barley for four consecutive hours against all the officers that their hard fate and the horse guards ever condemned to galway


the mamma was only remarkable for her liking for whist and her in variable good fortune thereat a cir oumstance the world were agreed in ascribing less to the blind goddess than her own natural endowments


lastly the heir of the house was a stripling of about my own age whose accomplishments were limited to selling spavined and broken ewinded horses to the infantry officers playing a sfe gamno at billiards and acting as jackallgeneiral to his sis ters at balls providing them with a sufficiencyof partners and making it strong light for a place at the sup pertable for his mother


these paternnl and lln tra its moren


hon oured at home than abroad had made mr matthew blake a rather wellknown individual in the neigh ebourhood where he lived


though mr blakes property was ample and strange to say for his county unencumbered the whole air i and appearance of his house and grounds betrayed anything rather than a sufficiency of means


the gate lodge was a miserable mud i hovels with a thatched and falling roof the gate itself a wooden con trivance one half of which was boarded and the other railed the avenue was covered with weeds and deep with ruts and the clumps of young plantation which had been planted and fenced with care were ciow open to the cattle and either totally uprooted or denuded of their bark and dying


the lawn a hand some one of sonme forty acres had been devoted to an exercise ground for training horses and wvas cut up by their feet beyond all semblance of its original destination and the house itself a large and venerable structure of above a century old displayed every variety of contri vance as well as the usual one of glassto exclude the weather from the windows


the hall door hung byr a singfle hinge anid yequirea three persoes each morning and evening to open and shut it the remainder of the day it lay pen sively open the steps which led to it were broken and falling and the whole aspect of things with out was ruinous in the extreme


within miatters were somewhat better for though the furniture was old and none of it clean yet an ap pearance of comfort was evident and the large grate blazing with its pile of redhot turf the deep cush ioned chairs the old black mahogany dinner table and the soft carpet albeit deep with dust were not to be despised on a winters evening after a hard days run with the bla zers


here it was however that mr phillip blake had dispensed his hospitalities for above fifty years sand his father before him and here with a retinue of servants as gauche t arid illordered as all about them was he accustomed to invite all that the country possessed of irank and wealth among which tlhe officers i quartired in his neiglibourhoodwer never neolected the


misses jlake having as decided a taste for the army as any young ladies of the west of ireland and while the galway squire with his cords and tops was detailing the last news from ballin asloe in one corner the dandy from st jamessstreet was seen display ing more arts of seductive flattery in another than his most accurate inisuciane would permit him to practise in the elegant saloons of london or paris and the same man who would have cut his brother for a solecism of dress or equipage in bond street was now to be seen quietly domesticated eating family dinners rolling silk for the younig ladies going down the middle in a country dance and even descending to the indignity of long whist at tenpenny points with only the miserable consolation that the comrn pany were not honest


it was upon a clear frosty morn ing when a bright blue sky jand a sharp but bracing air seem to ex ercise upon the feelings a sense zto less pleasurable than the balmiest breeze and warmest sun of summer that i whipped my leader short


round and entered the precincts of gurtnamorra


as i proceeded along the avenue i was struck by the slight traces of repairs here and there evident a gate or two that formerly had been parallel to the horizon had been raised to the per pendicular some ineffectual efforls at paint were also susceptible upon the palings in short everything seemed to have undergone a kind of attempt at improvement


when reached the door instead of being surrounded as of old by a tribe of menials friezecoated bare headed and bareleggedmy presence was announced with a tremendous ringing of bells from the hands of an old functionary in a very formi dable livery who peeped at me through the hall window and whom with the greatest difficulty i recog nized as my quondam acquaintance the butler


his wig alone would have graced a kings counsel and


the high collar of his coat and the stiff pillory of his cravat denoted an eternal adieu to so humble a voca tion as drawing a cork


before i had time for any conjecture as to the altered circumstances about the activity of my friend at the bell had surrounded me with four others worse than himself at least they sere exactly similarly attired and probably from the novelty of their costume and the restraints of so unusual a thing as dress were as perfectly unable to assist themselves or others as the court of aldermen would be were they to rig out in plate armour of the fourtcctuth cen tury


how much longer i ihight have gone on conjecturing the rea sons for the masquerade around i cannot say but my servant ai irish i disciple of my uncles whispered in


i my ear its a red breeches day master charlestheyll have the i hoith of company in the house


from the phrase it needed little explanation to inform me that it i was one of those occasions on which mr blake attired all the hangerson of his house in livery and that great preparations were in progress for a more than usuallysplendid reception


in the next moment i was ushered into the breakfastroom where a party of above a dozen persons were most gaily enjoying all the good cheer for which the house had a well deserved repute


after the usual shaking of handsand hearty greet ings were over i was intioduced in all form to sir geoirge dashivood a tall and singularly handsome man of about fifty with an undress mill tary frock and ribbon


his iecep tion of me was somewhat strange for as they nienoned my relation ship to godfrey omalley he smiled slightly and iirbispered something to mr blake who replied


oh


no no not the least a riind iayarid


besideswhat he added lost for at that moment norah blake was presenting me to miss dashwood


if the sweetest blue eyes that ever beamed beneath a forehead of snowy whiteness over which dark brown and waving hair fell less in curls than masses of locky richness could only have known what wild wgrk they were making ofnmy poorhelqrirt miss dashivodd i trust woult have slooked at her tea cup or


hernmuffin rather than at me as she actually did on that fatal morning


if i weie to judge from her costumeshe had only just arrived and the morning air had left upon her cheek a bloom that contributed greatly to the effect of her lovelycountenance


although very young her form had all the roundness of womanhood wbie her gay and sprightly manner indi cared all the sans gene which only very young girls posses and whlich when tempered with perfcct god


taste and accompanied by beauty and no smnall share of talent form anlr irresistible poker of attratldrion t


n ni uu


li


barnaby rudge


o


a homely proverb recognises the existence of a troublesome class of persons who having an inch conceded thei will take an ell


not to quote thle illustriousexamples of those heroic scourges of man kind whose amiable path in life has been from birth to death through blood and fire and ruin and who would seem to have existed for no better puirpose than to teach mankind that as the absence of pain is pleasureso the earth purged of their presence may be deemed a blessed place not to quote such mighty instances it will be sufficientto refer to old john willet


old


john having longeneroached a good iteniardi inch fullimeasure on the libertyof joe and having snipped off a flemish ell in the matterof the parole grew so despotic and so great that his thirst for


conquest knew no bounds


the more young joe submitted the more


absolute old john became


the ell soon faded into nothing


yards furlongs


miles arose and on went old john in the pleasantest


manner possible trimming off an exuberance in this place shearing away some liberty of speech or action in that and conducting himselfin his small way with as much high mightiness and majesty as the most glorious tyrant that ever had hisstatue reared in the public ways of ancient or modern times


as great men are urged on to the abuse of power when they need uraging which is not often by


their flatterers and dependants so old john was impelled to those exercises of authority by the


applauseand admirationof his


maypole cronies who in theintervals of their nightly pipes and pots wouldshake their heads and say that mr willet was a father


of the good old english sort and there were no newfangled notions of


modern ways in him that he put them in mind ofwhat their fathers were when they were boys that there was no mistake about him that it would


be well for the country if there were more like him and more is the pity there were not with many other original remarks of that nature


tlhen they would condescendingly givejoe to understand that it


was all for his good and he ouldbe thankful for it one day and in particular m cobb wouldacquaint him that when he wasahis age his father thought no more of giving him a parentaln kick or a boi on the ears or a cuff on the heador some little admonition of that sort than he did of any other ordinary dutyolf life


and ie would further remark with looks ofgreat significance that but for this judicious bringing up he might have never been the man he was at that present speaking which was probable enough as he was beyondall question the dullest dog of the party


in short between old johnand oldjohns friends there never was an unfortunate young fellow so bullied badgered worried fretted and browbeaten so constantly beset or made so tired of his lifeas poor joe willet


this had come to be the recognised and established state of things but as john was very anxious to flourish his supremacy before the eyesof mr ches ter he did that day exceed himself and did so goad and chafe his son and heir that but for joes having made asolemn vow to keep his hands in his pockets when they were not otherwise engaged it is im possible to say what he might have done with them


but the longest day has an end and at length mrs checter came down stairs toinount his horle


k was ready at the door


as old john was not in the way at the moment joe who was sitting in the bar suminating


on his dismal fate and the manifold perfections of dolly varden ran out to hold the guests stirrup and assist


him to mount


mr chester wvas scarcely in thue


saddle and joe was in the very act of making him a graceful bow when old john came diving out of the porch and collared him


none of that sir said john none of that sir


no breaking of patroles how dare you come


out of the door sir without leave


youre trying to get away sir are youand to make a traitor of yourself again


what do you mean sir let me go father said joe imploringly as he marked the smile upon their visitors face and observed the pleasure his disgrace afforded liitii


this is too bad


who wants to get away


wio wants to get away i cried john shakiog him


why you do sir you do


youre the boy sir added john collaring himwith one hand and aiding the effect of a farewell bow to the visitor with the other that wants to sneak into houses and stir up differences between noble gentlemen and tiejr sons are you cl


hold your tongue sir


joemade no effort at reply


itvwas the croneig circumstance of his degradation


he extricated himself from ihis fathers grasp darted an angry look at the departing guest and returned into the house


but for her thought joe as lie threw his arms upon a table in the common room and laid his head upon them but for dolly who i couldntebear should think me the rascal they would makeme outi to be if i ran away this house andi should parta tonight


it being evening by this time solomon daisy tom cobb and long parkes wore all in


the com mon room too and had from the window been wit


nesses of what had just occurred


mr willet joining them soon afterwards received the compli ments of the company with great composure and lighting iis pipe sat down among them


well see gentlemen said john after a long pause whos the master of this house and who isnt


well see whether boys are to govern men


or men are to govern boys


and quite right tooassented solomondaisy with some approving dods quite right johnny


very good johnny


well said mr willet


brayvo sir


john slowly brought his eyes to bear upon him looked at him for a long time and finally made answer to the unspeakable consternation of hise hearers when iwant encouragement fromni t sirill ask for it


you let me alone sir


i can get on without you i hopo


dont you tackle me sir if you please


dont take it


ill johnny i didnt mean any harm pleaded the little man


very good sir said john mote than iisually obstinate ater his lute success


never mindsir i coi stand pretty firm of myself sir


i believe without being shoaed up by you


and having glven utterance to this retort mrwillet fixed his eyes upon the boiler and fell into a kind of tobacco


the spirits of thle compaoy being somewhat damped by this embarrassing line of conduct on thei fart of their host nothing more was said fora long l time but at length mr cobb took upon hlimselfto remark as he rose to knock the ashes oet of his pipe that he hoped joe would thenceforth learn to obey llis father in all things that ho had found that day he was not one of the sort of men whto were to be trifled with and that hewould recommend him poetically speaking to mind his eye for the future


id recommend you in returnaid joe look


ing up with a flushed face not to talk to me hold your tongue sir cried mr willet sud doenly rousseg himself and turning round


i woet father cried joe smiting the table with his first so that the jugs and glasses rung again


these things are hard enoughl to boar from you from anybody elae i never will endure them ano more tihorefore isay mr copbb dont talk to me


why who are you said mr cobb sneeringly t hat youre not to be talked to eh joe o whieh joe returned no answer but whh a very ominous shake of the head resumed his old position which hie would have peaceftlly preserved until the house shut up at night but that mr cobb stimulated


by the wonderof thoe company at tho young marts preo


sumption retorted with sundry taunts wilehs proved too much for flesh and blood to boor


crowding lio one mioment the vexation and the wrathof years jon started up overturned the table fell upon his l long enemy puimmelled him with all his might andi maln andi flashed by driving him with surprising swrifess agains


a heap of spittoons in one corner plunging into which head foremost witba tremen dous crash he lay at full length among the ruins satunned and motionless


then without waiting to receive the compliments of the bystanders on the victory he had won he retreated to


his own bed chamber and considering himself in a state of siege piled all the portable furniture against the door by way of barricade


i have done it now said joe as he sat down upon his bedstead and wiped his heated face


i knew it would come at last


the mlaypole and i must part company


im a roving vagabondshe hates me for evermoreits all over


to be continued


bairnaby rudge


cihapter


xxxviit to surround anything however monstrous or ridiculous with an air of mystery is to invest it with a secret charm and power of attraction which to the crowd is irresistible


false priests false prophets false doctors false patriots false prodigies of every kind veiling their proceedings in mystery have always addressed themselves at an immense advan


tage to the popular credulity and have been perhaps more indebted


to that source in gaining and keeping for a time the upper hand of truth and common sense than to any halfdozen items in the whole catalogue of imposture


curiosity is and has been from tihe creation of the world a master passion


to awaken it to gratify it by slight degrees and yet leave something always in suspense istoestablish the surest hold that can be had in wrong on the unthinking portion of mankind


sif a man had stood on london bridge calling till irhe was hoarse upon the passersby to join with lord george gordon although for an object which no man understood and which in that very incident had a charm of


its own the probability is that lie might have influenced a score of people in a month


if allzealous protestants had been publicly urged to join an association for the avowed purpose of singing a hymn or two occasionally and hearing some indifferent speeches made and ultimately petitioning parliament not to pass an act for abolishing the penal laws against roman catholic priests the penalty of perpetual imprisonment de nounced against those who educated children in that persuasion and the disqualification of all members of the romish church to inherit real property in the united kingdom by tight of purchase or descent matters so far removed from the business and bosoms of the mass might perhaps have called together a hundred people


but when vague rumours got abroad that in this protestant association a secret power was musteringagainst the government for undefined and mighty purposes when the air was filled with whispers of a confederacy among the popish powers to degrade and enslave england establish an icquisition in london and turn the pens of smithfield market into stakes and cauldrons awhen terrors and alarms which no man understood were perpetually broached both in and out of parliament by one enthusiast who did not under


stand himself nd bygone bugbears which had lain quietly in their graves for centuries were raised again to haunt the ignorant and credulous when all this was done as it were in tledark and secret invitations to join tihe great protestant association in defence of religion life and liberty were dropped in the public ways thrust under the housedoors tossed in at windows pressed into the hands of those who trod the streets by night when they glared from every wall and shone on every post and pillar so that stocks and stones appeared infected with the common fear urging all men to join together blindfold in resistance of they knew not what they knew not why then the mania spread indeed and the body still increasing every day grew forty thousand strong


so said at least in thismonth of miarch lord george gordon the associations president


whether it was the fact or otherwise few men knew or cared toascetain


it had never made any public demonstrationai had scarcely ever been heard of save through him had never been seen and was supposediby many to he the mere creature of his disordered brain


he was accustomed to talk largely about numbers ofmenstimulated as it was iuferred by certain successfuldisturbances


arising out of the same subject which had occurred in scotlandsn the previous year was looked upon as a cracked brained member of the lower house who attacked all pirties and sided with none and was very little regarded


it was known that there was discontent abroadthere always is he had been accustomed to address the people by placard speech and phamplet upon other questions nothing had come in england of his past exertions and nothing was apprehended from his present


just as he has come upon the reader ihe had come from time to time upon the public and been forgotten in a day as suddenly as he appears ins these pages after a blank of five long years did he and his pro


ceedings begin to force themselves about this period upon the notice of thousands of people who had mingled in active life during the whole interval and who without being deaf or blind to passing events had scarcely ever thought of him before


my lord salid gashford inihis eir as hie drew the curtains of his bed betimes my lord i yeswltos thatl what is it ire clock lhas struck nine returned the secretary with meeklyfolded hands


you have slept well


hope you have slept well if my prayers are heard you are refreshed indeed


to say the truth i have slept so soundly said lord george rubbing his eyes and looking round the room i that i dont remember quitewhat place is thist mly lord i cried gashford with a smile


oh i returned his superior


yes


youre not a jew then


a jew i exclaimed the pious secretary recoil i i dreamed that we were jews gashford


you and i both of us jews with long beards


jleaiven forbid my lord i we might as well be papists


i suppose we might returned the other very quickly


eh l you really think so gashford surely i do the secretary cried with looks of great surprise


humphi he muttered


yes that seems reasonable


i hiope my lord the secretary began


i hope i hie echoed interrupting him


why do you say you itope


theres no harm in thinking of such things


not in dreams returned the secretary


in dreams i no nor waking either called and chosen and faithful re turned gashford taking up lord georges watch which lay upon a chair and seeming to read the in scription on the seal abstractedly


it was the slightest action possible not obtruded on his notice and apparently the result of a mo inents absence of mind not worth remnark


but as the words were uttered lord george who had been going on impetuously stopped short reddened and was silent


apparently quite uncobnscious of this change in iris demeanour the wily secretary stepped a little apart under pretence of pulling up the windowbliod and returning when the other had had time to recover said the holy cause goes bravely on my lord


i wasnot idle even last night


dropped two of tirhe handbills before i went to bed and both are gone this morning nobody in thire house has mentioned the circumstance of finding them though i have been down stairs fill halfanhour


one or two recruits will be their first fruit i predict and who shall say rhowv many more with lieavens blessing on your inspired exertionsal it was a famous device in the beginning re plied lord george an excellent device and did good service in scotland


it was quite wtorthly of you


you remind me not to be a slugard gash ford when the vineyard is menaced withl destruc t ion and may be trodden down by papist feet


let the hiorses be saddled in halfanhour


we must be up and doing i


he said this with a hieightened colour and in a tone of such enthusiasm that the secretary deemed all further prompting needless and withdrew


dreamed he was a jew he said thought


fully as he closed the bedroom door


he may come to that before he dies


its like enough


well i after a time and provided i lost nothing by it i dont see why that religion shouldnt suit me as well as any other


there are rich men among tihe jews shaving is very troublesomees itwould suit me well enough


for the present though we must be christian to the core


our prophetic motto will suit all creeds in their turn thats a comfort eflecting on this source of consolation he reached the sitting room and rangthe bell for breakfast


lord george was quickly dressed for iris plain toilet was easily made and as hei was no less frugal in ihis repasts than in ilia puritan attire his share of the meal was soon despatched


the secretary however more devoted to the good things of the world or more intent on sustaining his strength and spirits for the sake of thire protestant cause ate and drank to the last minute and required indeed some three or four reminders from john grueliy before he could resolve to tear himself away from mr willets plentiful providing


at length he came down stairs wiping hsl greasy mouth and having paid johln wilets bill cttlimbed into his saddle


lord


george who hlad been walk


ing up and down belore the house talking to himself with earnest gestures mounted iris horse and re turning old john wallets stately bow as well as tbe parting salutation of a dozen idlers wchoer tihe rumour of a live lord beitng about to leave the pay pole had gathered round the porch they rode away


with stout john grueby in the rear


if


lord george gordon had appeared in the eyes of mr willet overnight a nobleman of somewhat quaint and odd exterior the impression was confirmed this morning and increased a hundred fold


sitting bolt upright upon his bony steed with his long straight hair dangling about his face and fluttering in the wind his limbs all angular and rigid his elbows stuck out oneither side ungracefully and his whole frame jogged and shaken at every motion of his horses feet a more grotesque or more ungainly figure can hardly be conceived


in lieu of whip he carried in his hland a great goldheaded cane as large as any footman carries in these days and his various modes of holding this unwieldy weapon now upright before his face like the sabre of a horse soldier now over his shoulder like a musket now between his finger and thumb but always in some uncouth and awkward fashioncontributed in no small degree to the absurdity of his appearance


stiff lank and solemn dressed in an unusual man ner and ostentatiously exhibitingwhether by design or accidentall his peculiarities of carriage gesture and conduct all the qualities natural and artificial in which he differed from other men he might have moved the sternest looker on to laughter and fully provoked tile smiles and whispered jests which greeted his departure from tile maypole ina


quite unconscious however of tihe effect he pro duced he trotted on beside his secretary talking to himself nearly all the way until they came within a mile or two of london when now and then some passenger went by who knew him by sight and pointed him out to some one else and perhaps stood looking after him or cried in jest or earnest as it might be hurrah geordie


i no popery


at which ire would gravely pull off his bat and bow


when they reached the town and rode along the streets these notices became more frequent some laughed some hissed some turned their heads and smiled some wondered who lie was some ran along the pavement by his side and cheered


when this happened in a crush of carts and chairs and coaches he would make a dead stop and pulling off his hat cry gentlemen no popery to which the gentle men would respond with lusty voices and with three times three and then on he would go again with a score or so of the raggedest following at his horses heels and shouting till their throats were parched


the old ladies toothere were a great many old ladies in the streets and these all knew him


some of themnot those of the highest rank but such as sold fruit from baskets and carried burdensclapped their shrivelled hands and raised a weazen piping shrill hurrah my lord


others waved their hands or handkerchiefs or shook their fans or parasols or threw up windows and called in haste to those within to come and see


all these marks of popular esteem he received with profound gravity and respect bowing very low and so frequently tlhat his hat was more off his head than on and looking up at the houses as he passed along with tihe air of one who was making a public entry and yet was not puffedup or proud


so they rode to the deep and unspeakable disgust of john grueby the whole length of wvhitechapel leadenhallstreet and cheapslde and into saint pauls churchyard


arriving close to the cathedral he halted spoke to gashford and looking upward at its lofty dome shook his head as though he said the church in dangerl


then to be sure the bystanders stretched their throats indeed and he went on again with mighty acclamations from the mob and lower bows than ever


so along the strand up swallowstreet into the oxford road and thence to his house in welbeck street near cavendishsquare whither he was at tended by a few dozen idlers of whom he took leave on the steps with this brief parting gentle men no popery good day


god bless you


this being rather a shorter addiess than they ex pected was received with some displeasure and cries of a speech i a speech i which might have been complied with but that john grueby making a mad charge upon them with all three horses on his way to the stables caused them to disperse into the adjoining fields where they presently fell to pitch and toss chuckfarthing odd or even dogfighting and other pritistait recreations


in the aftetnoonilord george came forth again dressed in ablaclikvelvet coat and trousers and waistcoatof thebcolon plaid all of the same quaker cut and iiiingll costume which made him look a dozen times mordstrange and singular than before went down onafoot to westminster


gash ford meaniwhile bestirred himself in business mat ters with which he was still engaged when shortly after dusk john grueby entered and announced a visitor


let him come in said gashford


here i come in i growled john to somebody wvithout youre a protestant ant you t i should think so replied a deep gruff voice


youve the looks of it said john grueby


id have known you for one anywhere


with which remark he gave tile visitor admission retired and shut the door


the man who now confronted gashiford was a squat thickset personage with a low retreating forehead a coarse shock head of hair and eyes so small and near together that his broken nose alone seemed to prevent their meeting and fusing into one of the usual size a dingy handkerchief twisted like a cord about his neck left its great veins exposed to view and they were swoln and starting as though with gulping down strong passions malice and illwill


ilis dress was of threadbare velveteena faded rusty whitened black like the ashes of a pipe or a coal fire after a days extinction discoloured with the soils of many a stale debauch and reeking yet with pothouse odours


in lieu of buckles at his knees he wore unequal loops of pack thread and in his grimy hands ihe held a knotted stick the knob of which was carved into a rough likeness of his own vile face


such was the visitor who doffed his threecornered


lhat in gashfords presence and waited leering for his notice


ah


dennisl cried the secretary


sit down


i see my lord down yonder cried the man with a jerk of his thumb towardi thequarter that hire spoke of and ire says to me says my lord if youve nothing to do dennis go up to my house and talk with mluster gashford


of course id nothing to do you know


these ant my working hours


ha ha i was taking the air when i see my lord thats what i was doing


i takes the air by night as thie howls do muster gashford and sometimes in the day time eht said the secretary when you go out in state you know


ha hal roared the fellow smiting his leg for a gentleman as ull say a pleasant thing in a pleasant way give me mluster gashford agin all london and westminsterl


i my lord ant a badun at that but hres a fool to you


ah to be sure when i go out in state


and have your carriage said thie secretary and your chaplain elh l and all thire rest of it youll be the death of me cried dennis with anothter roar you will


but whats in tihe wind now niuster gashford hlie asked hoarsely eh are we to be under orders to putll down one of them popish chapelsor what flush i said tile secretary suffering the faintest smile to play upon his face


hushl i god bless me dennisl we associate you know for strictly peaceable and lawful purposes


know bless you returned the man thrusting hris tongue into his cheek i entered a purpose didnt i i no douibt said gashford smiling as before


and when he said so dennis roared again and smote his leg still harder and falling into fits of laughter wiped his eyes with the corner of his neck erchief and cried muster gashford again all englandhollow lord george anrd i were talking of you last night said gashford after a pause


he says you are a very earnest fellow


so i am returned the hangman


and that you truly hate thie papiists


so i do and he confirmed it wtth a good round oath


lookyo here nluster gashford said the fellow laying his hat and stick upon the floor and slowly beating the palm of one hand with the fingers of the other ohserve


im a constitu tional officer that works for my living and does my work creditable


do i or do i not unquestionably


very good


stop a minute


my work is sound protestant constitutional english work


is it or is it notl


no man alive can doubt it


nor dead neither


parliament says this here says parliament if any man woman or child does anythirgr which goes again a certain number of our actstrow many hanging laws nay tirere be at this present time muster sahford


fifty i dont exactly know how many replied gashford leaning back in his chair and yawotng i a great number though


vell say fifty


parliament says if any man woman or child does anything again any one of them fifty acts that man woman or child shall he worked off by dennis


george the third steps in when they number very strong at the end of a sessions and says these are too many for dennis


ill have half for myself and dennis shall have half for himself


and sometimes he throws we in one over that i didnt expect as he did three year ago when i got mary jones a young woman of nineteen who come up to tyhurn with a infant at her breast and was worked off for taking a piece of cloth off the counter of a shop in ludgate hill and puttingzit down again when the shopman see her and who had never done any harm before and only tried to do that in consequence of her bhusband having been pressed three weeks previous and she being left to beg with two young children as was proved upon the trial


ha ha


well i that being the law and the practice of england is the glory of england ant it muster gashford


certainly said the secretary


and in times to come pursued the hangman if our grandsons should think of their grand


fathers times and find these things altered theyll say those were days indeed and weve been going down hill ever since


wont they


muster gashford i i have no doubt they will said the secretary


well then look here said the hangman


if these papists gets into power and begins to boil and roast instead of hang what becomes of my work


if they touch my work thats a part of so many laws what becomes of the laws in general what becomes of the religion what becomes of the country


did you ever go to church muster gashford


ever i repeated the secretary with some indignation of course


well said tile ruman ive been oncetwice counting the time was christenedand when i heard the parliament prayed tot and thought how many new hanging laws they made every sessions i considered that i was prayed for


how mind muster gashford said the fellow taking up his stick and shaking it with a ferocious air i mustnt have my protestant work tosched nor thil here pro testant state of things altered in no degree if i can help it i mustnt have no papists interfering with me unless they come to me to be worked off in course of law i mustnt have no biling no reisting no fryingnothing but hanging


ily lord may well call me an earnest fellow


in support of the great protestant principle of having plenty of that ill and here le beat his club upon the ground burn fight kill do anything you bid me so that its bold and devilish though the end of it was that i got hung myself


there muster gashford


he appropriately followed up this frequent prosti tution of a noble word to the vilest purposes by pouring out in a kind of ecstacy at least a score of most tremendous oaths then wiped his heated face upon his neckerchief and cried no popery


im a religious man by g i gashford had leant back in his chair regarding him with eyes so sunken and so shadowed by his heavy brows that for aught the hangman saw of them he might have been stone blind


lie remained smiling in silence for a short time longer and then said slowly and distinctly you are indeed an earnest fellow dennisa most valuable fellowthe staunchest fellow i know of in our ranks


but you must calm yourself you must be peaceful lawful mild as any lamb


i am sure you willibe though


ay ay we shall see muster gashford we shall see


you wont have to complain of me returned the other shaking his head


i am sure shall not said the secretary in the same mild tone and with the same emphasis


we shall have we think about next month or may when this papist relief bill comes before tlhe house to convene our whole body for the first time


my lord has thoughts of our walking in procession through the streetsjust as an innocent display of strengthand accompanying our petition down to the door of the house of commons


the sooner the better said dennis with another oath


we shall have to draw up in divisions our numbers being so large and i believe i may ven ture to say resumed gashford affecting not to hear the interruption though i have no direct instructions to that effect that lord george has thought of you as an excellent leader for one of these parties have no doubt you would be an admirable one


try me said the fellow with an ugly wink


you would be cool i know


pursued the secretary still smiling and still managing his eyes so that lie could watch him closely and really not be seen in turn obedient to orders and perfectly temperate


you would lead your party iuto no danger i am certain


id lead them mbuster gashfordthe hangman was beginning in a reckless manner when gashford started forward laid his finger on his lips and feigned to write just as the door was opened by john grueby


oh said john looking in heres another protestant


some other room jolhn cried gashford in his blandest voice


i am engaged just now


but john had brought this new visitor to the door and he walked in unbidden as the words were uttered giving to view the form and features rough attire and reckless air of hugh


to be continued


the storz of thb campaign


written in a tent in tiie crimea


chapter


the nendezvotjs


the following extracts from the private letter of our correspondent dated camp before sobas topol october will explain the circimitapceb under which the story about the campaign has been written we feel sure tlut our readers will join in our earnest hope tliat the accomplished writer may long ixs spared to servo his country and to continue this narrative to the conclusion of the important struggle in which our forces our now engaged i was very gud to be assured by your letter vesterday that you had not quite forgotten me


i am also glad to enclose proof that have not forgotten you


the account of tho operations is brought down to the occupation of bnuklava leaving the siege to fill a paper by itself


you should have had it two maife ago hut i was pros


trated just as i begau to write at the end of sep tember by a severe attack of jaundice a disorder that has been very prevalent so that nothing is more common than to meet h fellow with a faco like a cowslip or a bachelors button


interruptions to my vritingof course have been frequent


alaitus of attacks mostly false generally turn us out onco in the twentyfour hours often by night


yesterday as i was writing the last chanter there wss an alarm of a sortie in force from the garrifon confirmed by a tremendous fire of musketry in our front


taking tho nearest battery of our division the colonel nnd marched it to the front and came into action with tho gunb of the second division which occupies the heights in front of us


the russians eight thousand in number under prince gortschakoff wore advan cing upon us in columns wittabkirnilbaierb in front but our guns whoso practice was really beautifully accurate made them nil seek shelter and our skir mishers pressing on drove them into town with a loss it is eaid of five hundred killed


our own iosb was seventy killed and wounded


carts of woundod russians aro constantly coming in


during tho months of april and mey tho allied arm continued to arrive by instalments in tho bosphorus


on thoir way they hod most of them halted at malta


those who came in steamvessels made a swift and plea bant voyage surrounded by every luxury a traveller can hope for


the visits to tho palaces of the knights and the cburcbeb of tho city the novel and striking aspect of too harbours and fortifications the subsequent voyage through the egean tho view of the plains of troy dotted with the nepulobral mounds of classic heroes the passage of the dardanelles and the gay scenery of constan tinople contributed to give the expedition rather the air of a pleasure excursion than of the advance of an army the halt at scutari so far from the soene of action was rendered endurable to all but tho most impatient spirits by the curious scenes of the turkish capital and tho magnificent landscapes disclosed at every head of tho boa phorus


a vast quadrangular barrack capable of accommodating a small army in its nume rous chambers aud of affording ample space to assemble the occupants on parade within tho oblong enclosed by the four walls of the building vros made over to the english


tho regiments not lodged hero were encamped on the grassy plains behind


a steamer plied across the strait every hour for the conveni ence of the troops t and those who happened to miss it found means of passage in the nume rous caiques which gaily carved and painted and of peculiarly graceful shape danced every where on the clear water propelled some by one some by two handsome greeks in red skullcap and white tunic the background to these graceful figures was especially plea sant to the eye whether formed by the white buildings of tho city gleaming amidit the dark clumps of trees or by the banks of the bearivcr covered with soft feathery foliage amidst which black cypresses stood stifly up varied by the pink blossoms of the peach and apple and the purple clusters of the judas tree while close to the waters edge extended a lino of redroofed painted wooden houses many of them decaying but picturesque in their decay


in lie mean time tho russians had crossed the danube and laid siege to silistria which was expected to fall ior the fortress was nei ther regular nor strong and tho besieging force was disproportionately great


conse quently the original plan of the campaign re mained as yet unchanged


this was to for tify gauipoli in order to prevent the russians who might after turning the lett of the turks have advanced to the chersonese from closing the passage of the dardanelles and to in trench the neck of the isthmus on which con stantinople stands so that should the rus sians defeat the turks south of the balkan the capital might still be saved from the in vader


as the end for which these works were designed has never been fulfilled and they have ceased to bo objects of interest a detailed account of them is unnecessary


contrary to expectation silistria continued to bold out and at the request of omer pasha an english division was landed at varna early in june


the russians being chocked in their rapid advance the line of the balkan might now be held and the fortresses of shumla and varna covered when the enemy should turn upon them after taking silistria which though marvellously defended was still considered as doomed to toll


the rest ot the english army including the greater port of the brigade left in gauipoli followed the light division to varna and was distributed on the heights south of varna bay and at various points on and near the shumla rood devna alodyn and monastir places which though sur rounded by landscapes picturesquely grand will long live drearily in the remembrance of the british army in turkey


foiled in their repeated attacks on silistria and suffering terribly from disease and want the enemy made one final grand assault and when repulsed withdrew across the danube


push on but for this they were not prepared


overrating the resources of the enemy from the beginning an advance into the principali ties does mot seem to have entered into their calculations


various reasons for our inac tivity were circulated the commissariat could not supply us on the march there was no trmsport for the reserve ammunition we were waiting to bcc what austria would do


leaving diplomatists to attach a value to tho last reason i may say that the commissariat would probably if they had been called on have found means to supply tho army but that the want of animals to carry the ammu nition formed a more serious obstacle


the french indeed sent a division into the do brudscba but it rejoined the army without other result than a fearful loss of men from the malaria of those pestilent swampb


a new and terribly prominent feature of the campaign now disclosed itself


towards tbe end of j uly the cholera broke out at varna and in a few days the hospitals were filled with cases


some of the transports lost many men in a few hours and were ordered to cruize out side the bay in hopes of evading the pestilence


changes of si tc seemed of no avail to tbe troops and not a day passed in any quarter without the ghostly spectacle of many men victims either to cholera or fever being borne through the camp sewed in their blankets to be laid in the earth


at this time the troops were busily employed in manufacturing gabions and fascines from the brushwood which every where eovere the face of tbe country


hugo piles of these were collected on tbe south side of varna bay the sappers were busy running out temporary piers die transports remaining in the uosphorus were ordered up and every thing pointed to the speedy fulfilment of what had become since the repulse of the russians at silistria proved the turks capable of hold ing the line of tho danube singlehanded the true strategical object of the campaign viz the invasion of the crimea


stores were accumulated rumours of speedy departure were everywhere repeated aud tho th


au gust was even confidently named as the day of embarkation


however the th passed without movement and though the prepara tions still continue yet all except the most sanguine began to despair of an active cam paign at so advanced a season


v be continued


chapter xvii


a discovery


about three years previous to the death of her father bertha had had a severe illness


her recovery was so slow as to lead the eminent physician who attended her to strongly urge the abso lute necessity of change of air and a voyage or excursion that would arouse by variety and picturesqueness of scene for some weeks in continuation


as she herself saw this necessity if she had desire to save a life so precious to her father she set out on a solitary seavoyage to scotland and the western isles as such would give what was requisite at the least possible cost


she took nothing more with her than a carpetbag and a few books and was thus the most in dependent of voyagers


proceeding from london to edinburgh by sea thence by railway to glasgow she took passage by a steam vessel then ready to start for a fortnight or three weeks cruise amidst the western isles


the period being autumn is was crowd ed with tourists intent upon the same purpose of change and pleasure


as the voyage proceededas daily association at table and excursions inland at such points as the vessel touched made those on board acquainted with each other and broke them into groups as taste or in clination led bertha almost always found in the party to which chance attached her a gentleman whose acquaintance she had incidently made during the first days voyage


some trivial accident had be got conversation and from this time for ward more and more as it progressed and the voyage drew near its close he sought her society


like her he was alonelike her had read much and thought much if not so deeply or with so wide a rangeand like her he seemed one who had to bear this worlds sorrows though possibly of a kind very different to her own


poverty it was evident was not one of these he bore all the appear ance and his expenditure was that of a man of wealth


the last persdn in the world to incur obligations especially from strangers bertha soon found it necessary to exercise incessant vigilance to prevent this class of kindnesses being conferred


were an excursion inland suggested and undertaken she found when she came to pay her share of cost that it was already settled where vehi ele or boat brought into requisition she found a safe and commodious place as signed to her and were there any peril or mischance such as a lost road a squall or heavy sea this stranger was always by her side


she did not seek these kindnesses indeed rather avoided them than not still they were incessantly showed


she had attracted the worship of a human heart and as the voyage drew to its close was neither indifferent nor unconscious


still neither love nor anything rela ting to it had been mentioned on either side


for some unaccountable cause and much as for three weeks they had been together anything like confidence had been mutually avoided


more particularly by the stranger who as his accquaintance with bertha grew seemed by the exercise of some resolution to that effect to increase his intense reserve in all relating to himself


his name bertha learnt from the steward and cap tains address this was all of his voca tion residence or purposes she knew as little at the last as at the first minute of meeting him


but whilst thus taciturn as to himself the stranger seemed will ing to learn all he could respecting ber tha but never garrulous and rendered on this occasion cautious by the strange air of secrecy assumed she baffled all direct enquiring and permitting him to learn no more than that her name was flemingthat she lived in londonthat her father was a surgeon paralised and in decayed circumstancesand that she earned his bread partially and her own by the labour of her pen and pencil


yet whilst restraining all outward show of that confidence so natural for friendship and pleasant daily intimacy to beget he laid no bounds upon the avidity with which he sought her com pany


he would bring books up from the cabin and ask her to read so listen ing he would sit for hours whilst the vessel glided onwards he watched her marvellous pencil as by what seemed to be the fewest possible lines she trans ferred to paper some aspect of the wonderful scenery by which they were so often surrounded and as she was by far the most adventurous and fearless of the ladies on board he was often her sole companion in a walk of miles to some lonely glen or rugged mountain where nature if stern and solitary was worth beholding


chapter vii


the babble of the stream fell without the steady glare shrank one sick willow sere and small


the river bed was dusty white and all the furnace of the light struck up against the blinding wall


mariana in the south


the season which had succeeded the alymers arrival in the colony had generally been fine but a long continu ance of hot weather had dried the water holes and want of water began to be spoken ofto be fearedand ere long to be felt


the sky was like brass the earth parched and dry the young leaves withered on the trees


the poor animals seemed to lose the instinct which should have guided them to the scanty shade thrown by the gumtrees


they stood in the open ground apparently lost to every sense but that of overpowering thirst


the insect world were on the wing buzzing stinging and adding to the torments of the suffering animals


the places where waterholes had been became beds of thick tenacious clay fiere and there a blade of greenish grass would find moisture on their sides


the starving animals trying to reach these treasures became involved in the thick clay and many perished from want of strength to extricate themselves


anxi


ous eyes were turned to the sty when the light clouds appeared alas t at the same moment the wail of the north west wind would rise and all was parching glowing heat once more


kates botanical rambles had long been suspended even the weeds were dead


mr cresner alone found resources dry bones and stones remained and the good little man visited the sick and lectured the healthy with as much zeal and energy as if a drought existed not


he had made some splendid additions to his museum which he wished kate to see


she must spend a few days with them


kate complied with little reluct ance though she felt some apprehension lest fanny should want her


now my dear said mrs cresner as she took her seat in the pony carriage beside her guest that is the very thing which will do you all so much good


mrs alymer will be obliged to take a little more exercisegoing into the store room you know and all thatand mr aylmer why he knows his wife cannot do many things which you do and will earn to be content without and if he has to read to his wife he cant read about medicines and maladies till he ancies himself an invalid


this was not very civil but kate knew it to be true and therefore said nothing


at the gate they met aylmer


he gave kate two letters which he had just received he said enclosed in one to himself


now my dear never mind me i can talk to mr cresner or look at the view or anything and to set her guest at ease mrs cresner began a brisk con versation with her husband who was driving while kate opened first marys letter from which she had read but a few lines when she hastily threw it down tore open her uncles then referred again to the first


it must be the chatter of mrs cresner she thought ar the noise of the carriage


oli if i eould but see fannys letter she tried to read again but a mist swam before her eyes


are you ill my dear


have you heard bad newsor anything


oh nothingsurprisethe treatthe airso long since i have been out of doors and she folded her letters and pressed them in her hands unable to decipher a word


she looked forward to the quiet and solitude of her own room as the only means of calming the agita tion which even to herself she allowed was much greater than the occasion could warrant


but mrs cresner had a long and sad tale to tell of suffering and oppression


at any other time kate would have been warmly interested


even now her sympathy was faintly excited by grahams wrongs and sorrows


before mrs cresners story was con claded mr cresner claimed kates attention


she was carried off to the museum and there detained by a new elucidation of the old system which the recent acquisitions had suggested


when she escaped to dress for dinner she had scarcely time to read once more the beginning of marys letter my dearest kate you will be greatly surprised to find that the bearer of these letters to your far distant country is your old friend mr st quentinand then mary goes on with home news and not one word of why st quentin came to australia


kates pillow was that night a sleepless one yet never had her cheek worn a brighter glow than when two days after wards she re cognised aylmer approach ing the carriage entrance and saw at a glance that his companion was in very truth edward st quentin


you will return with us kate said aylmer


mrs oresner exclaimed but for once kate benefitted by aylmers peremptory tone


fanny expects her sister was unanswerable besidesan argument of equal cogencyi hare brought the carriage on purpose to take miss stafford home


so with many promises of speedily repairing the loss which mrs cresner protested she should feel in her society kate sprang into the carriage


while they take their way to breeza we will satisfy the reader on a point with regard to which kates curiosity remained long ungratified as to what in all the world brought st quentin to australia


to be continued


saster i ltuntpbregn qtlocl personal adventures of master humphrey


tim old curiositry bioicuaptrit lyar


mr chucksters indignant appreliensions were not without foundation


certainly the friendship between the single gentleman and mr garland was not suffered to cool but had a rapid growth and flourished exceedingly


they were soon in habits of conistant intercourse and communication and the single gentleman labourins at this tie under alight attackofillnessthe consequence most pro bably of his late excited feelings and subsequent disappointmentfurnished a reason for their holding yet more frequent correspondence so that some one of the inmates of abel cottage finchley came backwards and forwards between that place and bevis marks almost every day


as the pony had now thrown off all disguise and without any mincing of the matter or beating about the bush sturdily refused to be driven by anybody but kit it generally happened that whether old mr garland came or mr abel kit was of the party


of all messages and inquiries kit was in right of his position the bearer thus it came about that while the single gentleman remained indisposed kit turned into bevis marks every morning with nearly as much regularity as the general postman


mr sampson brass who no doubt had his reasons for looking sharply about him soon learnt to dir tinguish the ponys trot and the clatter of the little chaise at the corner of the street


whenever this sound reached his ears he would immediately lay down his pen and fall to rubbing his hands and exhibiting the greatest glee


ha ha t he would cry


heres the pony again


most remarkable pony extremely docile eh mr richard oh sir dick would return some matterofcourse reply and mr brass standing on the bottom rail of his stool so as to get a view of the street over the top of the window blind would take an observation of the visitors


the old genleman again i he would exclaim t a very prepossessing old gentleman mr richard charming countenance sirextremely calm benevolence in every feature sir


he quite realises my idea of king lear as he appeared when in pas


session of his kingdom mr richardthe sanme good humour the same white hair and partial baldness the same liability to be imposed upon


ali


a sweet subject for contemplation


sir very sweet i then mr garland having alighted and gone up stairs sampson would nod and smile to kit from the window and presently walk out into the street to greet him when some such conversation as the following would ensue


admirably groomed kit mr rasais patting the pony does you great creditamazingly sleek and bright to be sure


he literally looks as if he had been varnished all over


kit touches his hat smiles pats the pony himself and expresses his conviction that mr brass will not find many like him


a beautiful animal indeed cries brass sagacious too i bless you


replies kit he knows what you say to him as well as a christian does


does he indeed cries brass who has heard the same thing in the same place from the same person and in the same words a dozen times but is paralysed with astonishsmsent notwithstanding


dear me


i little thought the first time i saw him air says kit pleased with the attorneys strong interest in his favourite that i should come to be as intimate with him as i am now


al rejoins mr brass brim full of moral precepts and love of virtue


a charming subject of reflection for you very charming a subject of proper pride and congratulation chrrstopher


honesty is the best policy i always find it so my self


i lost fortyseven pound ten by being honest this morning but its all gain its gain mr brass slyly tickles his nose with his pen and looks at kit with the water


standing in his eyes


kit thinks that if ever there was a good man who belied his appearance that man is sampson brass


a man says sampson vwho loses fortyseven pound ten in one morning by his honesty is a man to be envied if it had been eighty pounds the luxuriousness of feeling would have bhee increased


every pound lost would have been a hundredwveight of happiness gained


the still small voice chris topher cries brass smiling and tapping himself on the bosom is a singing comic songs within me and all is happiness and joy


i kit is so improved by the conversation and finds it go so completely home to his feelings that he is considering what he shall say when mr garlatid appears


the old gentleman is helped into tels chaise wvith great obsequiousness by mr sampson brass and the pony after shsaking his head several times and standing for three or four minutes with all isis four legs planted firmly on the groutid as if iho had made sip his mind never to stir from tjsat spot but thsere to live and die suddefly darts off wvielsot the smallest notitde at else rate of twelvre eniglish miles an hour


lhen mr brass end his sister who hiss joined him at the deer exchange ann odd kind of sminle net st all a pleasant one in its expression and return to the society of mr richaril swiveller who during


their absence has bheen regaling himself with various feats of pianiomine tied is discovered at lisi desk iin a very fusihed anid iseated condition violently scratching out n tiing


with half a penknife


whenever kit cams alone aind withoult the chanise it always happened that satupson brass was re minded of some mission calling mr swviveller if net to


pecklism rye angain at all events to some pretty distant place from which lie could not ho expected to return for two or thres hours or inall probability a much longer period as that gentleman was not to say else truth renowned or using great


expedition on much occasion but rather for pro tracting and spinning qut the thins to he very utmost limit of possibility


mr swiveller cmi of sight miss bally iinmrdiatelf withrllew r brass vlould timeisset the offlice dor vide opritl


isis old tune with great galety of heart andsil serasahlcully as belore kicomldg dowyn stairs would be called in entertained with some moral and agreeable conversation perhaps entreated to mind the office for an instant while mr brass stepped over the way and afterwards presented with one or two halfcrowns as the case might be


thisoccutred so often that kit nothing doubting but that they hame from the single gentleman who had already rewarded his mother with great liberality could not enough admire his generosity and bought so many cheap presents for her and for little jacob and for the baby and for barbara to boot that one or other of them was having some new trifle every day of their lives


f while these acts and deeds were in progress in and out of the office of sampson brass richard swiveller being often left alone therein began to find the time hang heavy on his hands


for the better preservation of his cheerfulness therefore and to prevent his faculties from rusting he provided himself with


a cribbage board and pack of cards and


accustomed himself to play at cribbago with a dummy for twenty thirty or sometimes even fifty thousand pounds a side besides many hazardous bets to a considerable amount


as these games were very silently conducted notwithstanding the magnitude of the interests in volved mr swiveller began to think that on those evenings when mr and miss brass were out and they ofien went out now he heard a kind of snort ing or hard breathing sound in the direction of the door which it occurred to him aftersome reflection must proceed from the small servant who always had scold from damp living


looking intently that way one night he plainly distinguished an eye gleaming and glistening at the keyhole and having now no doubt that his suspicions were correct lie stole softly to the door and pounced upon her before she was aware of his approach


oh i i didnt mean any harm indeed


upon my word i didnt cried the small servant strug


gling like a much larger one


its so very dull down stairs please dont you tell upon me please dont


tell upon you i said dick


do you mean to say you were looking through the keyhole for company yes upon my word i was replied the small servant


how long have been cooling your eye there said dick


oh ever since you first began to play them cards and long before


vague recollections of several fantastic exercises with which he had refreshed himself after the fatigues of business and to which no doubt the small ser vant was a party rather disconcerted mr swiveller but he was not very sensitive on such points and recovered himself speedily


well come in he said after a little considera tion


here sit down and ill teach you how to play oh i i durstnt do it rejoined the small ser vant mliss sally ud kill me if she knowd i came up here


have you got a fire down stairs said dick


a very little one replied the small servant


miss sally couldnt kill me if


she knowd


i went down there so ill come said richard putting the cards into his pocket


why how thin you are i what do you mean by it


it ant my fault


could you eat any bread and meat said dick taking down his hat


yes


ah i i thought so


did you ever taste beer ihadea sipof it once said the small servant


heres a state of things


cried mr swiveller ratsing his eyes to the ceiling


she never tasted it it cant be tasted in a sip


i why how old are you


i dont know mr swiveller opened his eyes very wide and appeared thoughtful for a moment then bidding the child mind the door until he came back vanished straightway


presently he returned followed by the boy from the publichouse who bore in one hand a plate of bread and beef and in the other a great pot filled with some very fragrant compound which sent forth a grateful steam and was indeed choice purl made after a particular recipe which mr swiveller had imparted to the landlord at a period when lie was deep in his books and desirous to conciliate his friendship


relieving the boy of his burden at the door and charging his little companion to fasten it to prevent surprise air


swiveller followed her into the kitchen


there i said richard putting the plate before her


first of all clear that off and then youll see whats next


the small servant needed no second bidding and the plate was soon empty


next said dick handing the purl take a pull at that but moderate your transports you know for youre not used to it


well is it good


oh isnt it said the small servant


mr swiveller appeared gratified beyond all ox pression by this reply and took a long draught him self stesdfasthy regarding his companion while he didao


these preliminariesdisposed of he applied himsehf to teaching her the game which she soon learnt tolerably well being both shasrp witted and cunning


now sarid mr swiveller putting two six pences into a naucer and trimming thre wretched candle when thre cards hrad been cut and dealt tirose are the stakes if you win you get em all and if i win i get em to snake it more real and pleasant i shall call you the marchionesa do you hear


the small servant nodded


then mlarchionesa said mrl


swiveller fire sway i the marchioneas holding her cards very tight in both hands considered which to play and mr swiveller assuming she gay and fashionable sir which suds society required took another puii at the tankard and waited for her leaid


ao be ronttined


general harrison the president of ths united states afrer a short illness expired on she th of april at waslringren in thre lth year of his age having filled htis high office just thirty


days


mr


tyler tire vice president by tirepo visions of thre constitution had surcced ed to ath presidency and issued on address to the nation


llr ewpresident exirreased iris determination to ursue the pacific policy of ihis predecessor in thre re ations of america with england


the second stoutabb grant who generally perforosa the part of ricerone or in irodocteur to tire english is a scoeciman and was brought up to londou as a srebel is tire year in sirs salve ship with lords baimerino lkilmsrnork c wirilat on the voyage a scotch servant said to him tyou will be saved


grant shook his head and replied i fear not friendv


you will said the othrer but you will ho the only


not putting ay faith itn tire necoed sight of his countrynian ir ihad no hopes both from tire love teracy


of the cosrrt party and front his having rio friends to intercede for him by tire merest chance no proofa or witnesses appeard against himiv and therefore to iris great surprise ire was acquitted


hes then immediately set out for rome wairere ire lias zesithd ever sincesoinrbsrnes letter


jmastetr lthuitptrens qlock personal adventures of master humphrey


tila old curiosity shopciiaptier


levi


on awaking in the morning richard swiveller became conscious by slow degrees of whispering voices in his room


looking out between the curtains he espied mr garland mr abel the notary and the single gentleman gathered round the marchioness and talking to her with great earnestness but in very subdued tones fearing no doubt to disturb him


le lost no time in letting them know that this precaution was unnecessary and all four gentlemena directly approached his bed


side


old mr garland was the first to stretch out his hand and inquired how he felt


dick was about to answer that he felt much better though still as wealk as need be when his little nurse pushing the visitors aside and pressing up to his pillow as if in jealousy of their interference set his breakfast before him and insisted on his taking it before he underwent the fatigue of speaking or of being spoken to


mr swiveller who was perfectly ravenous and had had all night amsaz ingly distinct and consistent dreams of mutton chops double stout and similar delicacies felt even the weak tea and dry toast such irresistible tempta tions that he consented to eat and drink upon one condition


and that is said dick returning the pressure of mr garlands hand that you answer me this question truly before i take a bit or drop


is it too late i for completing the work you began so well last night returned the old gentleman


no set your mind at rest upon that point


it is not i assure youn


comforted by this intelligence the patient applied himself to his food with a keen appetite though evidently not with a greater zest in the eating than his nurse appeared to have in seeing him eat


the manner of his meal was this mr


swiveller hold ing the slice of toast or cup of tea in his left hand and taking a bite or drink as the case might be constantly kept in his right one palm of the mar chioness tight locked and to shake or even to kiss this imprisoned hand he would stop every now and then in the very act of swallowing with perfect seriousness of intention and the utmost gravity


as often as he put anything into his mouth whether for eating or drinking the face of the marchioness lighted up beyond all description but whenever he gave her one or other of these tokens of recognition her countenance became overshadowed and she began to sob


now whether she was in her laugh nlog joy or in her crying one the marchioness could not help turning to the visitors with an appealing look which seemed to say you see this fellowcan i help this and they being thus made as it were parties to the scene as readily answered by another look


no certainly not


this dumb show taking place during the whole time of the invalids breakfast and the invalid himself pale and emaciated performing no small part in the same it may be fairly questioned whether at any meal where no word good or bad was spoken from beginning to end so much was expressed by gestures in themselves so slight and unimportant


at lengthand to say the truth before very long mr


swiveller had despatched as much toast and tea as in that stage of his recovery it was discreet to let him have


but the cares of the marchioness did not stop here for disappearing for an instant and presently returning with a basin of fair water she laved his face and hands brushed his hair and in short made him as spruce and smart as anybody under such circumstances could ire made and all this in as brisk and businesslike a manner as if he were a very little boy and she his grown up nurse


to these various attentions mr swiveller submitted in a kind of grateful astonishment beyond the reach of language


when they were at ength brought to an end and the marchioness had withdrawn into a distant corner to take her own poor humble break fast cold enough by that time he turned his face away for some few moments and shook hands heartily with the air


gentlemen said dick rousing himself from this pause and turning round again youll excuse me


men who have been brought so low as i have been are easily fatigued


i am fresh again now and fit for talking


were short f chairs here among other trifles but if youll do me the favour to sit upon the bed what can we do for you i said mr garland kindly


if you could make the marchionass yonder a marchioness in real sober earnest returned dick id thank you to get it done off hand


but as you cant and as the question isa not what you will do for


mebut


what you will do forsomebody else who has a better claim upon you pray sir let me know what you intend doing


its chiefly on that account that we have come just now said the single gentleman for you will have aiother visitor presently


we feared you would be anxious unless you knew from ourselves what steps we intended to take and therefore came to you before we stirred inathe matter


gentlemen returned dick i thank you


anybody in thre helples state that yousaee me in is naturally anxious


dont let me interrupt you then you see my good fellow said e single gepntlenan that while we havqueo doubt whatever of thre truth of this disclosusre whilch has so provi dentially come to light


meaning hers said dick pointing towards the m archioness


smeaning hers r courle


whilewe have no doubt of that or that a proper use of it wouqld pro cire the poorlads immete pardon and ilteration wve have a great dqubt plieteer it would by itsqlf enable us to reach qilp theihief agptja this villany


t ghould toll you thattliis dqubt hias been confirmed into somethipg very genrly approaching certaintjy b the best opinions we have bien eabled ih is short sprc of tnat j toi


ke upon the subject


youlliagree with us thgo glv


g hrnhim evqyp spost distanit ciance of escepe


f we could help it yiould be mionstrous


you say with us no doubt if sonve body must escape let it be any one but ire


yereturned dick certainl


that is if somebody mutalbut upon my wordim uinyilliog that anybody should


sines laws were made for every degree to curb vice in others as well as in meoand so forth you knowdoesnt it strike you in that light


the single gentleman smiled as if the lightin which mr swiveller had pot the questionhwerq not the clearest in the world and proceeded t


eapain that they contemplated proceeding y stratagemr in thq first instance and that their deigg was tg en


deavour to extort a confessio from


the gentle sarah


when she finds hqw much we novr nd how we know it he said and tat sheij clearly corn


propised already we are not wtbout strong hopes that we may be enabled through hermeans to punish the other two effectually


if we could do that she might go scotfree for aught i cared


dck recesied this project i aything but a grai cious manner representing


th as much warmth as he was then capable of showing that they wyould find the old buck meaning sarah more difficult to manage than quilp himselfthat for any tampering irifying or cajoleryshe was a very unpromising and unirpeldiog subjectthat she wis of a kind


of brass not easily melted or moulded into any shape in short that they were no match for her and wouldbe signally defeated


but it was in vain to urge them to adopt some other course


thesingle gentleman has been described as explainiiig their joint intentions but it should have been written thatthey all spoke together that if any one of them by chance held his peace for a moment he stood gasping and panting for anopportunity to strike in againa in a word that they had reached that pitch of impatience and agnxiety where mei can neither be persuaded nor reasoraed with and that it would have been easier to turn the most impetuous wind thatever blew than to prevail on them to reconsider their determination