haw many mothers like her look upon educa tion as a measure rather than means as an end not a beginning and alas


how many like edith live to suffer for it


it was a beautiful evening the sun shone with a warmth and mellow ness unusual to england the air was fresh and all nature seemed beauti ful but in the collage o


the liamil ions every thing was otherwise a stranger passing it might have thought it the home of happiness it was the abodu of death


ediths mother was i dying the red lints of declining day fell with a sickly aspect through the window curtains into a chamber scru pulously neat and clean homely yet comfortable it was the room mrs hamilton had slept in for years and now her husband her child tier friends were around her but care was on every face for respect and esteem were ever accorded lo the hamilton though wealth was not with them and all were silent in grief


edith was differently attired from those around her


slic had been summoned from london lo her mothers dying bed and her travel ling habiliments were not yet gone and as she knelt to receive the blrss ing of an anxions parent her cushion able attire contrasted stnf ingly uilli tbe homely garb of her village friends


hamilton himself was wholly wretch ed to him his wife was lifes greatest treasure sad when lie doctor en tered his anxious look silently breath ing more anxiety than words could compass his lips moving in silence as if afraid to speak his outstretched hand all told how overpowering was his grief how deepsealed his emo tions


alas


there was no hope a few short hours and ibis restless slumber would sleep for ever


and mrs hamilton was sensible of it for she seemed to try to arouse her self now that edith was come or as if she felt another tie to earth while she clasped tbe hand of her child


there was silence indeed the ciear hum of the bees return ing laden with their spoils and the occasional note of a feathered songster fell deeper on the ear than all the sounds of animated humanity for in death there is something so appalling something that strikes home upon the hearts of all around that they eeem fearful of a sound so silently do they await the coming of its final pang


edith was on her knees praying supplicating heaven for a parent and that parent was silently breathing her wishes to heaven for a child


o the silence of this world when removed far from the busy haunts of men is beautiful indeed


it must be sweet to die in at least sweeter than that noise which is all wordly


the dy ing woman spoke and though her words were slow and her voice faint i could have heard them had they been softer


iidith


mv child


said she i am going o leave yon and thank god that he has left one lo protect ycu you have been my pride and my comfort and though it pleases him to take me from you he will be a parent and a friend to all who love him


edilh dearest edilh be a good girl be dutiful lo your earthly falber and you shall be rewardcil by your fa ther in riearen could ycu tell lidilli how i have loved you and prayed for you and thought about you when you have been far far away from me how i have thought about the temptations you will be exposed to and how sorely you must be tried amidst the goitie of the world and then kditb i have thought if it should be as it now comes to puss thai should be taken away from you and you should have no mother to counsel you no friend to advise you and your beauty should be a snare lo temptations and peril


then edith think what a mothers fears have been


forsake the gay world be u friend to your falber he wanti iorue one now to solace his old age be good and for my sake edilh ilo nothing ibat my spirit may not look upon


the dying woman seemed almost exhausted and al though lidith essayed lo speak her tears choked her ulteraucc for a lime sobs brief stifled obs and these only were audible then there was a brief silence it lasted not long when the clergyman entered he conferred for a moment with the doc tor and as lie said in a low solemn voice let us pray every ono present knill humbly and reverently whilst he offered up a supplication to heaven for the sick for the suffering woman for the parent for the child for mercy unto her who was about lo depart and for grace unto them who i were still left to contend againsl the vanities and passions of their mortal career that the parent might be re ceived into the heavenly rest of a blessed redeemer that the child iniehl follow her


and that they uiglil all be reunited in a happier world where there shall be no more partings from those we love


the pastor faltered as lie adminis tered the sacrament to the dying wo man he had known them long as an upright example of lovely merit and much as he approved the principle which induced a lady lo patronise the pretty edilh he feared hat from tbe school of frivolity aud ailcctation the heart could not escape lo return as free and as pure as it iiad once ram bled in the fields around her village home


hamilton himself was over come lost in that deepseated wretchedness of heart that finds no sympathy in ostentatious compassion and as his pastor and frientl pressed bis hand and bade him be of good cheer for not one sparrow fell lo the ground without the knowledge of his heavenly father the old man did return that pressure and would have spoken but he could not for his voice failed him and a tear ran down his furrowed cheek lor an hour the spirit of the dying woman dickered as if unwilling lo depart


her strength was ebbing fast she looked as if she would speak and took the hand of her child but the silent motion of the lip and the an xious eye were nil that her dying en ergies were equal to


edith had never witnessed aught like death be fore and it bore douii upon her with more poignancy that the first she should ever witness was of lhat being she most loved wildly press ing the hand of her mother to her lips she prayed careslly and sincerely that this cup might pass from them but ill a sub she added oh god thy will be done and when she had ceased thai bund was stiff and lifeless those eyes were glazed with the mist of eternity thai cheek was blanched with he pallid hue of death yes


the visitor of the mighty as well as the humble had summoned another spirit to tho world unseen


words will but faintly picture oul the sorrows of un everlasting part ing and ihcy who hud fought lo soothe retired lo let the sufferers give vent to griefs


they celt were exquisite


kdith and her father were alone and the long dull silence of twilight was not broken by a word


sometimes a half suppressed sob a stilled sigh or a tear fell upon the hour and again all was still


evening camr and hen night the minister returned and oflercd tj lead hamilton from the chamber of death but when he vrcnt up to the old man to rouse him from his lethargy he shrunk back alien he touched his hand and he drew liis own across his forehead as if lo le certain of his consciousness and again he laid hold of the hand that had fallen from bis grasp it was cold as marble and ulten he pro cured a light he found at from him life had departed for his spirit had sunk into sleep am


lie was dead


idilli was an orphan


marie antoinette ott the chevalier of the red house


continued from our last


chapter xxxiii


night had enveloped in its gloomy shroud that immense hall whose mournful echoes wero only ac customed to repeat tho shnrp voices of the advo


cates and the supplicating tones of the pleaders


from distance to distance white columns sprung i up straight from tho depth of the surrounding ob scurity seeming like phantom guardians oer somo sacred spot


the only sounds that were heard amidst the gloom arose from the gnawing and racing of rats in the offices and amongst the papers belonging to the scribes at times the rattle of a carriage penetrated to the hall then followed the jingling of keys as if issuing from beneath the earth


but all these noises were only like distant murmurs neither sound nor light materially breaking through the silence or gloom within


indeed any one would have been affected with ter ror on entrusting himself within the great hall of the palace justice at that hour


the outer walls wero still sprinkled with tho blood of the victims of september


the same day twentyfire persons condemned to death had passed through its gates whilst only a few flagstones divided the visitors from the cells be neath which were strewed with tho bleaching skeletons of those who had entered these fatal precincts notwithstanding this in the dead of that frightful night and in the midst of a silence almost awful a slight creaking noise was heard and tbe door of one of the scribes offices slowly opened on its rusty hinges


a shadow deeper than the shade of night cautiously glided from tho wooden offices the excited patriot who was addressed as sir in alow voice but who loudly proclaimed himself to be called theodore groped his way with a light foot across the flag stones of the ball


ho hold in his right hand a heavy iron crowbar whilst with his left


bo ad justed in his sash a doublebarrelled pistol


i have murmured he counted twelve flagstones from the office


let nie see herois the extremity of the first still calculating he felt with tho point of his foot for each crevice which time had widened between the stones


let mo consider said he pausing have i taken my measures pioperly am sufficiently strongand does she possess enough of courage


yes i


oh yes her courage is familiar to me


my god i when i take her band and when i tell her madam you aro saved ho paused again as if crushed under the wright of such a hopo


oh resumed he our friends who aro lying warm and snug in their beds will call this a rash and madcap pro jeet or will content themselves with spying about the conciergerie disguised as lacltuys but tbon they have not the inducement to nerve them that i posess


i not only wish to save the queen but above all the woman


come come to work and now to recapitulate


raise the flagstone that is nothing


to leave it open


that is the danger for some one may come round on duty


but then there aro no patrols here and lhere an be no suspicion for i have no aceomplices


besides what time will it take for one so ardent as aro to clear the dark passage


in three minutes i shall be under her chamber


in fivo moro raise the hearthstone shu will hear mo at work but he possesses so much firmness that she will not entertain uny fear


on the other hand she will know that her liberator advances two men are guarding


yjand doubtless they will hasten forward


vvotlbfayail two menwhat aro they


the auubladtalrfpl or two blows of the crowbar will settle them


poor fellows


but many others lie low ho wero far less culpable


but let us to work


and the citizen theodore j resolutely inserted his crowbar betwcon the flag stones


at tho snme moment a vivid light shot hko n golden ray across the flagstones and a noise multiplied by the echoes of the roof made thocon spirator start and turn his head


by a single bound he gained the scribes office


in a short time the feeble murmur of voices softened still more by that emotion which all men experience on entoriug vast buildings at night reached theodores car


he turned his eyes in th direction of the voices and at first perceived a man in military uniform whoso heavy sabre clanaed on the flagstones


ho was fol lowed by a man in a grayish dress holding a footrule in his hand and carrying a roll ol papers under his arm


tho third person wore a heavy vest and a rough cap and the fourth had wooden shoes and the common dress of the period


the mercers gate creaked on its ponderous hinges and clanked against tho chain provided to keep it open during the day


the four men entered


a patrol murmured theodore


god be praised i ten minutes later and i should have been lost


then with a scrutinising gaze ho proceeded to reconnoitre the persons composing the party


he immediately recognised three of them


the one who took the lead in the generals uniform was santerre


the man in the heavy vest was tho gaoler richard


the one in the clogs was a turnkey


but he had never seen the person who carried the footrulo and the roll of paper


who could ho be and what was he going to do at ten oclock at night in the hall of ruin accompanied by the general of the commune the gaoler and a turnkey


the citizen theodore knelt on his knee and held his pistol ready in ono hand whilst with the other he adjusted his bonnet over his wig which his hasty movement had too much displaced to appear natural


up to that time the four visitors had main tained silence or nt least the words they might have pronounced only reached theodoios ears like a vague murmur


santerre however spoko when about ten paces distant from the office and his voice carno distinct to citizen theodore ia his concealment


let us see


here we aro now in tho hall of ruin citizen architect you must now guide us above nil take care that your revelations turn not out to bo mero trifling for look you the revolu tion has settled all these follies and wo no longer believe in souls or subterranean passages


what say you citizen richard added santerre turn ing towards lum


i have never said that a subterranean passage might not exist under the concieigerio


but there is gracchus who has been a turnkey for ten yearsand whoconsequentlyisasvvell acquainted with the prison as his own pocket and yet ho does not know of the existence of the passage spoken of by citizen giraud


however citizen giraud is an architect and therefore ought to know better than usas that is his business


theodore on hearing these words trembled from head to foot fortunately murmurod he tho hall is im mense and it will cost them at least two days to discover what they seek


j he architect however opened his principal roll of paper put on his spectacles and knelt be fore


a plan w inch he examined beneath the fluctu ating light of the lantern held by gracchus


i am afraid said santerre sneeringly that citizen giraud has been dreaming


you will soon seo citizen general said the architect you will soon seo whether i have dreamt


wait a little wait a little


you may easily pcrceivo wo are waiting said santeire


good remarked tho architect proceeding to calculate twelvo and lour make bixteen and eiht muke twentyfour which divided by six give four after that onehalf remains


thats it


i have got it


i do not mistake even a singlo foot and if i do jou may jet me down as a foul the architects confidence as he spoko made theodore grow deathlike with terror


santerre glanced at the plan with a species of respect which made it evident that he admired it in exact proportion as ho did not undcrstaud it


remark what i am about to say


in what way


on this plan which i have drawn up


par dieu i do you comprehend


thirteen feet fi oin tho wall there is a movcablo flagstone


i have mai kod it ado you see it


certainly i seo a said santerre


do you think i cannot road


beneath tho flagstone there is a staircase continued tho architect


look i have marked it b repeated santerro i see the b but no stairs and he laughed loudly at his own remark


the flagstone once raisedthe foot once on ho last step of the stairs you count fifty paces of three feet each and then looking upwards you will find yourself under the fireplace in the queens cell


of widowcapet you mean citizen giraud said santerre frowning


eh jes widow capet


but yon said iho queen vile custom


so you say asked richard that you are under the fireplace


not only so but under the very hearthstone hold said gracchus


that is strange for i have noticed that every time i throw the faggotb down on the hearth a hollow noise was produced


indeed said santerre


if we find it as stated citizen architect i will admit that there is some thing in geometry and that it is an excellent thing


well be it so citizen santerre


i will con


duct you to the place designated by tho letter a


the citizen theodore buried his nails in his flesh


when i have seen itwhen i have seen it i will admit it remarked santerre


i am like saint thomas


ah you said saint thomas rejoined the architect


my faith yes just as you said queenfrom habit but no one is likely to accuse mo of con spiring in favour of saint thomas


nor i for the queen said the architect who as ho made that remark took his rule and began carefully to measure the ground


having well calculated his distance he struck upon a flagstone


this was precisely the same which theodore i had thumped in his furious w rath


this is it citizen general said the architect


do you believe so citizen giraud


tho patriot in tho office so far forgot himsolf as to sti ike his thigh violently with his clenched hand and utter a deep groan


am certain resumed giraud and your ex perience combined with my report will prove to the convention that i ara not deceived


yes citizen general this flagstone covers a subterra nean passage which ends under the widows capt s cell lot us raiso it up and descend when will convince you that two men or even ono man could in a singlo night carry her off without any one suspecting how it was accom plished a murmur of alarm and admiration arose from the group and died away on thoodores ear who seemed converted into an inanimate statue


such is tho danger


we iun resumed giraud


well now by means of an iron grating which i fahall fix in the passage previous to reaching the widow capets coll


bhall save the country


oh i citizen giraud said santerre you have struck on a sublime discovery


triple fool murmured the patriot theodore with increased fmy


may hell coufound you now then said the architect raiso the flag stone


citizen gracchus who carried a crowbar commenced work and in nn instant the flagstone was raised the gaping passage then appeared w ith tho staircasu lost in tho abyss from which arose a damp vapour like steam


another magnificent attempt ruined mur mured the citizen theodore


heaven then does not will her to escape and her cause is accursed


the three mon remained motionless for an in stant at the entrance of the subterranean passage whilst the turnkey lowered the i lantern which however did not illuminate the depths beneath the triumphant architect drow himself up with all the pride of conscious genius


well i exclaimed ho at length


my faith answered santorre it is an in contestable fact that there is a subterranean pas sago only it remains to bo discovered wheoco it loads


yes repeated citizen richard wo must know that


very well descend citizen richard and you will convinco yourself that i have spoken the truth


wo can do better than descend here said the gaoler lot you tho general and my self return to tho conoiergerie there you can raiso tho hearth stone and we shall see very good said santorro


lot us go


take caro said tho architect if the flag stone remains open it may convoy a now idea to somo one hero


who the devil would you have here at this hour asked santorro


besides said richard this hall is deserted and if wo leavo gracchus behind it will be suffi cient


remain hero citizen gracohu and wo will rejoin you from tho other end of tho passage


bo it so said gracchus


are you armed inquired santerre citizen general i have my sabro and this crowbar


excollont keep a good watch


in ten minutes wo will join you


the throe having closed the iron gate retired by the mercers gallery towards the chief entrance to the conciergerie


the turnkey watched their departure looking after them as long as ho could soe them and lis tening to their footsteps as long as he could hear them


then when all was restored to silence and when everything seemed buried in solitude again he placed tho lantern on the ground and swinging his legs over tho gulf began to dream of other things


turnkeys are dreamers at times only they do not always ondonvour to analyse their dreams


whilst plunged in a profound reverie ho sud denly felt a heavy hand placed on bis shoulder


ho turned quickly perceived a strange figuro and was about to cry aloud but the cold muzzle of a pistol was planted on his temple


his voice was titled in his throat his arms dropped power less by his side and his eyes assumed a most sup plicatiug expression


not a word said the stranger or you are a doad man


what do you want sir stammered the turn key even in there were moments when the word citieti was forgotton i wish you answered citizen theodore to allow me to descend into that passage


what to do


what does that matter to you


tho turnkey looked at him who madethis sin gular demand with the most profound astonish ment


however his interrogator imagined he perceived a flash of intelligence in that look


ho lowered his weapon accordingly


would you object to make your fortuno


i dont know


no one has ever proposed anything to me on that head


well i shall make that proposition said theodore


do you offer to make ray fortune


yes


what do you mean by a fortune asked tho turnkey


fifty thousand francs in gold


the metal is scarce nowadays and is worth a million of lrancs


well i offer you fifty thousand francs


to allow you to descend into the subterranean passage


yes on condition that you descend with me and assist me in what i am about to do


but what can you do there


in five minutes that subterranean passage will bo filled with soldiers who will arrest you


i citizen theodore was struck with the force of that observation could you prevent the soldiers from descend ing


i have no means of doing so


i dont know anynor can i deviso any


it was evident that tho turnkey had combined all his faculties to discover those means for the value of the discovery amounted to fifty thousand francs


but tomorrow asked citizen theodoro cannot wo enter then


yes doubtless but before that time an iron grating will be placed across the passage and for greater security it will be made solid and without any door


in that case somo other means must be dis covered said theodore


yes we may find some other method said the turnkey


lot us try


from the above conversation it must be evident that the collected manner in which the turnkey expressed himself announced an established alliance between him and tho citizen theodore


that is important said the latter


what do you do in the conciergerie


i am a turnkey


thit is


i lock and unlock all cell doors


do you sleep there asked theodore


yes sir


do you take your meals there


not always


i am allowed time for recreation elsewhere


and then j l profit by it


how i


to court my mistress in the cabaret of the puitsdenoe who has promised to marry me when i possess twelve hundred francs


where is this cabaret situated


near the street of the vieilledraperie


very good


hush sir


the patriot listened


ah


ah said he


i


do you hear them


asked the turnkey


i yesvoicesfootsteps


they aro now coming


you see that he had no time


that remark was perfectly selfevident


i true said theodoro and i see that you are agood fellow


citizen you seem to me to be pre destined


to what interrupted the turnkey


to bo a rich mau one of these days replied theodore


i may god grant it


you still believo in god then sometimes said the turnkey


that is now and thento day for instance


well


i shall willingly believe in god n believo then in him said theodore putting ten louis into the mans hand


tho devil said he gazing at the gold which ho held in the light of the lantern


it is then a serious affair


nothing could bortoroso


answerod theodore


what can bo done


be at the puitsdonoo tomorrow i will tell you what want


what is your name gracchus


wcllcitizen gracchus previous to that time cause the gaoler to dismiss you


dismiss me


and


my place


do you expect to remain a turnkey when worth fifty thousand francs


no but beiag a poor turnkey i am certain uot to bo guillotined


certain said theodoro


almostwhilst being free and rich you can conceal your money citizen gracchus and court some one in different circumstances from tho mistress of the puitsdenoe


woll it is agreed


tomorrow at the carbarct said theodoro


at what hour


six in the evening


there they are said the turnkey


take flight tuke flight i say for i suppose you descended through tho roof


tomorrow repeated theodore escaping


it was indeed time for the noise of voices and footsteps approached and lights were seen ad vancing through the gloom ot the passage


theodoro reached the door pointed out by the scribo


he burst tho lock with his crowbar readied the window formerly indicated opened it dropped into the street and found himself in tho republican causeway


before he lett the hall entirely he could hear the citizen gracchus question richard and the latter reply as follows tlio citizen architect was porfeotly right


tho passage runs beneath the widow capets chamber


it was most dangerous


believe you said gracchus who then con scientiously uttered the truth


santerre reappeared at the head of the stair case


what of your workmen citizen archi tect


asked he from giraud


before daylight replied the latter his voice seeming to issue from the bowels of the earth and without intermission in our work the grating will bo fixed


and you will then havo saved the country said santerre half serious halfmocking him


you cannot exactly say so yet citizen general muttered gracchus to himself


to be continued


a new series


the mysteries of sydney or the revelations of sin shame and sorrow


chapter xxv


frank earle is placed upon his trial for forgery


what hap pened thereon


the day appointed for the trial of frank earle came round in the cycle of events


he had been often visited in prison by his sister fanny and those staunch friends miss winifred scrymgour and harry mordaunt and he derived a consola tion and confidence from them which the cer tainty of his own innocence would scarcely have afforded


men cooped up within stone walls are apt to question the mysterious workings of pro vidence and lose that faith in him who chas teneth whom he loveth


lt is but few who can meet severe afflictions without chafing


mr quickels with the carefulness of a lawyer forbore to hold out many hopes of franks ac quittal from the charge


he knew the uncer tainties of the law too well this advice there fore flowed naturally from him on all occasions be prepared for the worst


the principle is un exceptionable as no one can complain upon equitable grounds when the worst does come and when it does not the advocate clearly earns his fee and is entitled to the gratitude of his client


he was busy nevertheless in collecting all the evidence necessary for franks security and thwarting the skill of that cunning master of fence kitely


meantime the latter pressed forward the prosecution with unrelenting bitter ness the warnings he received only had the effect of hardening his heart and hurrying him onward in the path of destruction


it was a matter of life and death to him earle or he must perish and kitely was too downright a villain to heed any suggestions of the silent mo nitor


conscience and he had long parted com pany all good feelings were eradicated by sin


so it stood with the parties when the day of trial came


mr justice wickinson was the legal magnate who graced the tribunal with his presence than whom no man was more aware of the dignity of the bench or more scrupulous to preserve it


a cough in court was an abomination to him a sneeze the concentrated essence of all earthly horrors


asthma and influenza never received pity he looked upon them as evils which ought to meet with treatment similar to that which the infant hercules accorded to the serpents


wheezy plethoric gentlemen generally left thc court in the charge of policemen and tyro snuff takers who had too much politeness to refuse the offered boxes of inveterate ones were ordered to remove themselves and their titilating ahchoos into the most remote quarters of the globe or the nether world


shuffling of feet made mr justice wickinson nervously irritable and a whisper as sumed the character of a disagreeable oration


the officers of the court knew this peculiarity of his honor well and as underlings are notorious for subserviency throughout the day their stentorian voices might be continually heard making these exclamationssilence


less noise there


take your child out of court


order


stop that talking at the door


his honor cant hear


let that man with the cough go outside


in fact the din occasioned by the running fire of these criers of the court seemed expressly called into existence for the purpose of drowning all minor noises


mr justice wickinson was quite as eminent for politeness as for legal talent in his cradle he was a chesterfield and if there be any truth in the saying manners make the man we might safely affirm that the father of his honor was a manners and not a wickin son


at school he acquired the sobriquet of gentleman john he invariably took his hat off to a rising football unless that playfully pro pelled rotundity relieved him from the duty and met castigations with sir i thank you


he preserved an equally polite demeanour at college and when the principals on his departure from thence were kind enough to present him with a ligneous spoon his parting boon was acknow ledged to be by all the most correct thing ima ginable


he promised the learned examiners to retain their valuable gift for his children in order that they might not fall into the error of con ceiving themselves born with silver spoons in mouth


yes his honor mr justice wickinson was deputed to try frank earle


mr banning and mr brallaghan were the crown advocates mr turney general being on circuit duty in some distant region


mr banning once enjoyed the honour of sitting on the bench it was during the absence of mr justice kerry


he was much admired while on the judicial dais for his extraordinary proficiency in the mesmeric art bannings addresses and sleep were synonymous


one witty barrister was heard to say that few knew the law of arest so well and the stern mr marble who seldom condescended to descend from his stilts to perpetuate a joke once remarked that banning looked upon mankind as a parcel of wornout clothes and was always trying to put a nap upon them


mr marble mr widehurst and mr hooker were engaged for the defence and the selection did infinite credit to the acumen of mr quickels


mr marble was very imposing mr widehurst very clever mr hooker very sharp


mr marble was a species of legal coriolanus who carried weight with him and bore not bored the word must not be mistaken


a jury down mr widehurst was suasive and insinuating and tickled them under the ribs as a fisher would a trout mr hooker lanced them with a liliputian needle


mr marble did not accustom himself to the use of glasses he was too longsighted


mr widehurst and mr hooker differed from him in that respect


after disposing of a case against one john rowdy alias jack the nipper for piracy on the high seas to wit for forcibly seizing one boat laden with firewood from lane cove bound to the cove of sydney frank earle was ordered to stand up in the dock


he did so


frank looked serious but composed and stood like one prepared to meet his adverse fate with heroic fortitude


there was not the faintest sign of bravado about him only the resoluteness of a man conscious of innocence to whom fear is a stranger


on his appearance a sympathetic burst came from the crowded court which was imme diately checked by the frowns of the judge and the less silent orders of the minor officials


the lawyers seemed more than usually interested and good feeling towards the criminal oozed through that hardbaked crust produced by fre quent mixings with the worst phases of human nature perversion of truth and professional apathy


the usual forms of swearing the jury were gone through and the twelve gentlemen having been handed into the box mr starter the clerk of arraigns read the indictment


lt was to the effect that frank earle did on a certain day make forge and counterfeit certain notes pur porting to be on the union bank of australia


a second count also charged the prisoner with uttering the same


when called upon to plead the prisoner ex claimed not guilty in a clear and unhesitat ing tone


mr banning thereupon rose and opened the case


may it please your honor gentlemen of the jury however much i may regard the prisoner who stands before you on account of the respectability of his connections and his general good character i cannot allow such feeling to interfere with the performance of my duty to the crown and to society i were unworthy the high position i occupy in the world did i allow myself to swerve one hairs breadth from the line of justice


gentlemen of the jury i trust you will participate in these sentiments and abandon every other consideration but that of duty


i you we have a painful duty to perform yet it must be done


i will now proceed to place the facts of the case before you and not a single statement will be made which cannot be sub stantiated by the clearest the most unimpeach able testimony


the prisoner was in the service of mr hawk kitely


i see that gentleman in court said mr marble rising majestically perhaps your honor will be kind enough to order all wit nesses out till called upon


not that i doubt mr kitelys truth he continued sarcastically nor can i question his perfect remembrance of the instructions he gave my learned friend i only apply your honor in the usual way


you are quite right mr marble replied mr justice wickinson with a polite bend back into his chair


i thought the accustomed pro clamation had been made


it is great negli gence on the part of the proper officers to omit it


let this be done


the judicial dictum was immediately attended to his honor twiddled his thumbs and kitely left the court casting certain glances upon mr marble which looked like lineal descendants of the evil eye


they were unnoticed by the frigid barrister who was amusing himself by working out quadratic equations on the con cluding page of his brief


mr widehurst mean while was tracing pictorial illustrations of the most marked physiognomies around him and mr hooker was doing an extensive piece of crochet or net work with a yard or two of red tape


it really is delightfully refreshing to a client to witness the complete absorption of his advocates in his interest


mr banning proceededthe prisoner as l observed before was in the service of hawk kitely esq i beg my learned brothers pardon re marked mr widehurst he called him mr hawk kitely previously if he esquire him we must call upon him to prove his title


the phlogistic portion of mr bannings body began to kindle up and he was about to make a red hot remark when his honor told him to proceed with the case


thank your honor said mr banning bending like a willow these observations and interruptions materially interfere with the pro gress of business i trust my learned brother does not apply his observations to me remarked mr hooker jumping suddenly on his legs


of course not replied mr justice wickin son with considerable asperity your voice has not been heard till this moment and i must say it is a great pity it was raised


his honor again bowed back with unmistakeable polite ness


mr hooker crouched down under the judicial rebuff and twisted the red tape into inextricable knots with alarming rapidity


a steamengine in convulsions could scarcely have exceeded his movements


mr banning resumed with some vehemence in the service of kitely in the capacity of a clerk whose duty it was to receive and pay monies and while so employed he handed over to his master five forged notes which he declared he had taken from a highly respectable mercan tile firm in sydney kilgrist and coriander


now gentlemen of the jury i shall not only be enabled to prove he never obtained the notes from that source but that in his desk were found fifteen others of a similar kind which doubtless he had concealed for the purpose of palming off upon his kind benevolent unsuspi cious and indulgent master


is my learned brother about to put the cha racter of mr kitely in evidence asked mr marble coolly


it is quite unnecessary i presume answered mr banning with no slight warmth


quite echoed his honor


perhaps not rejoined mr marble with a frigidity by thc side of which cucumbers or boston ice would have seemed fresh running lava


your honor will allow me to spake said mr brallaghan


i do not see the necessity was


the stern reply


his honor once more bowed himself back into his chair and mr brallaghan sank down abashed


mr quickels whispered in mr marbles ear mr marble knit his brow bit his lip and softly uttered the expressive word umpse meaning thereby to convey his per fect understanding of mr quickels communi cation


if it were the intention of the counsel for the prisoner to irritate mr banning and thereby throw him off his guard they certainly suc ceeded as that gentleman sat down in evident disgust and ordered the first witness for the crown to be placed in the box


it was mawler the detective who apprehended frank at the instance of kitely


he detailed the circum stances of his being called in by the latter gentle man who handed five notes to him which were represented to have been received from the pri soner also his subsequent finding of fifteen similar notes concealed in the prisoners desk


a glance passed between mr marble and mr quickels


it was enough


have you any questions to put to this wit ness enquired mr justice wickinson


i presume not he is only the apprehending con stable


only one or two your honor replied mr marble rising as slowly from his seat as william pitt when the fate of europeof the world almost depended upon him


what did the prisoner say when the accusation was made denied it of course answered the detec tive gruffly


where were the other fifteen notes found


in the prisoners desk


did he give you the key of it mr maw ler continued the advocate


oh yes replied the witness


unhesitatingly oh yes


you have the key i presume continued the advocate


mawler answered in the affirma tive and it was placed in mr marbles posses sion


you searched the desk for a considerable time i believe before these notes were found


oh yes


in fact i had turned away from it without being successful


who called you back said mr marble in a tone of perfect indifference


mr kitely responded the witness


do you recollect his words mawler


well


lets have em said mr marble lan guidly


i objict your honor to have thim put in evidince they may be matarial or immatarial as the case may be exclaimed mr brallaghan while standing on tiptoe with face and whiskers unusually red


i cannot decide that point until i have heard them mr brallaghan observed mr justice wickinson with severity


in ireland your honor this is not a steeplechasing bench jumping at all sorts of conclusions and coming down without a leg to stand upon mr brallaghan


we look before we leap


witness repeat the words ifyoucan


mr justice wickinson shot a count dorsaydeadcutsmile upon mr brallaghan and bowed himself back into his chair once more


have you examined fully


there might be some secret place were the words kitely used to me replied the detective quietly


be pleased to take a note of that your honor said mr hooker impulsively


it is the least i can do mr hooker seeing that the witness took fifteen notes on the spot replied mr justice wickinson smilingly


he fancied he had said a good thing the bar laughed simultaneously the minor officials were in ecstacies mrs cornelia gracchus sprout was convulsed and the whole court was hysterically inclined


poor tom hoods best issuing from an attic would not have produced a tithe portion of the impression


judicial jokes are the kohi noors of wit they are so dazzling so very valuable so inestimably precious


but when the judge is removed from the bench it is no joke


the carbon is metamorphosed into paste


jokes which glitter in the false light of syco phancy are perishable articles


the next witness summoned was kitely


he was somewhat paler than usual and there was a nervous twitching about his frame which he vainly endeavoured to conceal


the jury looked from him to the prisoner and contrasted the agitation of the one with the calmness of the other


the survey was unquestionably against kitely


when the solemn words which enjoin each witness to testify the truth on peril of his immortal soul were pronounced and kitely was about to set the seal on his destruction a deep and sonorous voice exclaimed forbear


the effect was electric


all eyes were directed towards the spot where the speaker was sup posed to be but they could not rest upon the object of their search


a few persons of both sexes meanly clad and evidently of the common order met their gazenothing more


the judge frowned the counsel whispered the jury shook their heads and kitely trembled


the oath was recorded and the examination proceeded


kitely recovered his selfpossession and stated the manner in which the prisoner had paid him five notes which were originally for one pound but had been skilfully changed into ten pounds each and he took them for that amount from the prisoner fully considering and believing them to be legitimate and true


he likewise corroborated the evidence of the detective as to finding fifteen similar notes in the prisoners desk


when mr brallaghan who examined kitely sat down mr widehurst rose for the purpose of crossexamination


you have known the prisoner a long while i believe asked he toying his eyeglass


not very long l voyaged with him from england hither and took him into your employ about six months ago precisely remarked the advocate


you are very correct mr kitely


and the fifteen forged notes were foundwhere did you say


in the prisoners desk replied kitely


ah i see brought it from england with him rejoined mr widehurst carelessly


not so the desk belonged to my office said kitely


oh indeedquite immaterial but the ad mission speaks much for your candour it shows the absence of private illfeeling you come for ward on public grounds quite correct remark ably proper mr kitely


the prisoners mother if i am rightly informed also voyaged with him


you are wrongly informed said kitely with a sneer as he perceived the drift of the question it was his sister


ah indeedno matter


was the key of the desk anything like this mr kitely said the advocate suddenly at the same moment hand


ing over to him one of formidable dimensions


certainly not replied kitely


what was it like


perhaps you have some in your pocket which might afford us an idea or a particle of an idea suggested mr widehurst blandly and coolly


kitely was about to deny the possession of such articles he met the eye of mawler and instan taneously felt the futility of denial where the proof could be so easily enforced


he saw the danger of his position there was not any retreat secu rity was only to be gained by boldness


it was a key similar to one of these said he taking a bunch from his pocket and throwing them over to mr widehurst who examined them with some attention


none of these would open the desk in ques tion i presume mr kitely


not that i know of replied kitely with much fierceness of tone


ah indeedof course not


you can go down


dont leave the court witness said mr justice wickinson authoritatively you may be wanted again


mr quickels and mawler exchanged a glance kitely saw it and the gipsys words dashed upon his memory the sleuth hound of the law was on his trail and ready to hunt him to the death


ls that the case for the crown enquired mr justice wickinson


yes if your honor pleases


we have ano ther witness jonas quelch the prisoners fellow clerk but we shall not call him we consider the case complete without him said mr ban ning


what can he prove mr banning


nothing your honor


lt is a pity you subpoenaed him


true your honor but it was not one of my acts cried mr brallaghan with all the dig nity of insulted legal virtue


and yet it was a blunder sir


replied mr justice wickinson and once more he bowed himself back into his chair like the most polished gentleman of the age


mr marble rose for the defence which was awaited with the deepest anxiety by all


gen tlemen of the jury said he i am not about to enlist your sympathies for the prisoner on account of his present forlorn position i am not about to speak of his integrity his untarnished character his faultless reputation and those attributes somewhat more than earthly which advocates are wont to use in ardent zeal for their clients


i am not about to shed an ocean of tears or breathe a myriad of siglis in hope of wafting you into the harbour of acquittal


no i spurn those ad captandum impositionsto such i will never descend


let fitzboy tellie and blarney fail ips at the old bailey do these thingsi will not


i stand here to prove not only that my client is innocent of this charge but to hurl destruction upon the head of the guilty one


gentlemen of the jury to show my earnestness i will first call a witness of the crown jonas quelch


my learned friends were afraid to do so i am not they strove to keep the sunlight of truth from their gloomy case i jaybee marble will let it in


i trust remarked mr banning your honor does not think i do was the brief judicial reply


i hope said mr brallaghan your honor does not conceive i dont was the curt


wickinsonian an swer


when jonas quelch appeared in the box as a witness for the defence kitelys blood was chilled and the words of the gipsy rang in his ears


the ruined heartbroken old man stood before him


kitely at length saw the shadow of com ing events


flight was now his only resource yet how to evade the eye of mawler


there was the difficulty


a light touch was on his arm he started turned round the gipsy stood beside him


the tiger is now in the toils she whispered but i will set him free


speak not be com posed night is approaching under the shadow of this cloak you may escape unobserved


hush


the sleuth hound of the law is watching warily


when the time comes i will be with you


the gipsy glided from him swiftly and silently


the examination of jonas quelch fell to the lot of mr marble


that gentleman contented himself with asking a few trivial questions the answers to which were favourable to kitely whose spirits revived


mr marble sat down in his usual cold manner but rose again imme diately


a bustle at this time was heard in court mixed with the clanking of fetters and forky jem was brought forward in the custody of two policemen


one question more quelch said mr mar ble do you know this man


i have seen him sir


where


in mr kitelys room


your memory ant so bad broke out forky jem it was when i brought him the twenty forged notes which poor knuckler cooked up for himworse luck


the commotion in court was overwhelming


judge officials and police were totally unable to stop the expressions of sympathy for the pri soner and exultation at his approaching deliver ance


when the noise was partially quelled mr banning rose and objected to the evidence of forky jem


but said the learned gentleman in the pero ration of a very long winded speech if your honor should overrule my objection and admit this testimony there is not any proof of kitely having placed the forged notes in the prisoners desk


my learned friend is quite mistaken re marked mr marble freezingly we are in a position to prove that


by whom enquired mr banning


by jonas quelch who witnessed the act replied mr marble


and how did kitely obtain access to the desk said mr brallaghan quickly


by this key which he handed over to my learned friend mr widehurst


your honor will be shown that it is a duplicate key


we will produce the maker of it nay further the person who manufactured the desk with its secret pannel under kitelys directions


i hope my learned friend will be satisfied now said mr marble


mr banning hemmed coughed shifted his gown and retired


all that mr marble promised was proved to the letter the jury stopped the case and frank earle was acquitted and restored without a blemish on his character to the loving hearts which were beating so anxiously for him


as the words not guilty were pronounced by the foreman of the jury mr justice wick inson ordered kitely to be apprehended


a sudden rush was made to the spot where he was last seen but he was gone


in his place stood a wild haggard woman who treated all the en quiries of the laws myrmidons with contemptuous indifference


and so hawk kitely escaped


howwas a mystery


to be continued


my second tour


br tiie author of out op harness


chapter i england i am not going to quote the hackneyed line of cowper but by my troth with all tliy defects thou art not a country to be sneezed at


nor london are thy charms altogether to be despised when an al most parisian gaiety characterises thy streets thorough fares and parks


i would have said also thy squares but then i bethought me of those gloomy rccesses so cauea wnicn near tne names ot uavenuisn iortwan and grosvenor


what mysterious solitudes they are forbidden ground even to those for whose exclusive uso they were designed


whoever saw three human beings at one time in any ono of these intramural wilder nesses


thoy might as well be turned at once into ce meteries for the dead as remain inaccessible to the foot steps of the living


even the birds seem to avoid the shelter of those smokohegrimed plantations and to fly from the sauntering official watching over the trees with as much terror and celerity as if they had met a stray urchin stone in hand or had come suddenly up on a stealthy sportsman in the act of taking aim with j his gun


what are the squares for


there is no par ticular pleasure in walking round them or iu looking in them


they are a nuisance as well as au eyesore and unless they can be turned to some better account ought to be abated


i once borrowed a key of cavendish square for the purpose of trying the sensation of a walk there with an old sweetheart of mine she was young then who lived in the neighborhood


memorable ex periment


all tender emotions at least so far ns i was concerned were instantly overwhelmed by


the intense consciousness of our isolated position from that we had a moment before occupied there was no hiding our selves among groves or arbors we stood out in bold and unmistakable outline that distinct and extraor dinary spectacle of a gentleman and lady walking in broad daylight arminarm in the interior of caven dish square


even the statue iu the centre seemed to be staring at us and after ono or two turns in which i pretended not to think that i was looking supremely ridiculous i made my exit with my fair companion and hurried as quickly as possible into the most bustling part of oxford street where i became myself again and contrived to say some of the sweet tilings that i had found neither voice nor heart for in the gloomy locality i had just left


whnt a change in london during the eighteen years that had passed since i last resided in it


none greater in any part of it than at either end of this same oxford street


wending eastward the farfamed st giless is no longer to be found at least that por tion of it which used to he the terror of passengers and the refuge for the destitute the desperate and the depraved


that pestilential alsatia where poverty vice and crime reposed in the security of its own phy sical and moral malaria has disappeared and left not a wreck behind


one rejoices to fmd no trace re maining of such dismal abodes though the thought haunts one that still in some wretched corner of this wide wide world all that vice and crime and misery has been driven to hide its cerberean head


many it ib to be hoped may have found entrance into ragged schools and model lodginghouses and against the force of circumstances with the help and sympathy of the affluent and benevolent fought their way into respectability


it is no insignificant step in the right direction to open to the working classes those means of intellectual and physical enjoyment which were hereto fore considered as the exclusive luxuries of the rich


public baths readingrooms and model lodginghouses now offer to the poorest mechanic the combined means of living in a manner consistent with that dignity and selfrespect both morally and socially which are essen tial to the happiness of a civilised human being


here i am at the marble arch looking into hyde park at that spot of which gay makes his hero in the beggars opera thus sing since laws were made for every degree for dulces and for lords as well as for me i wonder weve not better company upon tyburn tree


highwaymen of the macheath school aro somewhat scarce now a days but had that fastidious footpad or rather liorsepad for he was a cavalry marauder been doomed in these times to mako his exit at the tree tlie aristocratic locality of the present lyburuia would probably have been a very acceptable spot to him for making his final bow


tyburnia is far more salubri ously situated than its southern rival belgravia and in magnificence and extent if not in fashion far eclipses it


palatial streets terraces aud squares meet the eye in every direction extending along paddington and bayswater to iceusingtou gardens through the extreme end of which a road has been cut studded with semi rural mansions equally remarkable for tlieir capacious size and architectural beauty


kensington gardens are so iu fact as well as name the public walk between beds of the choicest plants and shrubs each marked with the botanical name and the crowds that are in summer to be seen daily especially on sunday wend


ing their way thither show liow thoroughly these ap pendages to the city for recreation and exercise are enjoyed and appreciated


i wish we had some such in melbourne


true we have the botanical gardens but there is no convenient access to them from the town and as to carlton gardens and fitzroy square whatever they may become iu future no sign has yet given indica tion that they are to remain anything more than a terra projiibita or terra dcscrta


let us hope however as the song says that theres a good time coming


well on the rd may ad thought it high time to get out of london notwithstanding its gaities and other attractions at that period


it requires both more wealth and leisure than were at my command to enter into all the enjoyments of what is called the season to go through the round of them from begin ning to end ono must bo very idle and very rich


moreover by visiting the continent at the commence ment of the summer one finds the hotels less crowded and things both of gods making and mans are seen under much more comfortable circumstances than when surrounded by crowds of holiday seekers


the previous year i had commenced my tour in the middle of august and the consequence were hurry cram and overflow wherever we went the only attention we received at the inns being of that kind wliich a punster would call inattention


at halfpast four pm


we


start by tho railway for folkestone self wife sisterinlaw and son arrive at seven and locate ourselves for the night at the pavilion hotel


here taking tea in the public salon we hear a wellknown voice one that we had last heard in the par lor of our own homo on the eastern hill melbourne


by all thats agreeable it is our friend g


on liis way from as we are on our way to paris


we were mutually delighted to meet each other and he would have turned back with me if his arrangements had per mitted him to retrace his steps


as we parted he grew eloquent and exclaimed let me know where you are after you leave paris and i will meet you on highest alp or lowest vale in switzerland or italy by comos lake or at badens baths


after vainly endeavoring to make an appointment somewhere near the foot of mont blanc we parted and here am i in victoria not having been fortunate enough to light again upon friend j


but hoping to do so some day or other here for i find that most colonists with all their apprecia tion of european attractions sooner or later find their way back again to the country which had filled their pockets and as they discover when away from it no small portion of their affections


we took tea i have said in the public salon


here again ls a great improvement in the english hotel arrangements at those places were travellers are con stantly passing


there is no necessity as formerly for a private sittingroom to enable a party of which ladies form a portion to take all or any of their meals in quietly and comfortably


it is the practice now at nil the principal hotels of such places as folkestone dover c to assimilate their arrangements to those of the parisian hotels having in addition there to a salon a manger a reading and sitting room for their guests and what saves the exercise of a very dis agreeable discretion a nxeci tarin ior anenuance as well as for lodging and meals


may th


at ten am wo embark on the steamer for boulogne where we landed in two hours from the time of starting but had to wait about an hour for in spection of luggage passports c before we could leave by the next train for paris


our journey thither occupied four and alialf hours and terminated at about seven in the evening


another hour was occupied in fixing upon an hotel which at length ended in our clioico of the hotel de lille et d albion


here next morning at breakfast i discovered a face that i had often seen on the melbourne cricketground and by his side one or two others evidently also from australia


i dont remember that wc had ever exchanged a word under tho southern cross but here we became iustantly familiar


the fact is when one has lived for many years in the colonies for i call tho australian ones par excellence tho colonies other places even ones native country become to us almost strange and foreign so that the countenance of a followcolonist seen therein has a sort of magnetic attraction and draws forth involuntarily one of those hearty bliakes of the hand which do not always take place between parties withiu the canonical degrees of orthodox acquaintance


from mr t whose bat i yet hope to see do fitting execution on our new cricket ground i learnt that one of our earliest settlers in port phillip who loft it some years ago on a mission of im portance respecting a question now satisfactorily settled a gentleman of great energy and intelligence and of whose ill health his australian friends had often heard with regret waa then in paris and would be glad to see me


accordingly drove forthwith to his apart ments where i found him an invalid certainly but full nfclifinrfiilneah and lookine verv well in the face thnucrli unable to walk


he was surrouridod by a small but choice library and spoke with his accustomed en thusiasm and vivacity upon various topics touching up on more serious subjects in a tone and spirit that gave a peculiar eliarm to his conversation showing that suf fering had rather chastened than depressed him and had added much more to the stability and serenity of his mind and feelings than it had detracted from the buoyancy of the one or the elasticity of the other


be ing both valetudinarians and in some respects from apparently similar causes we had much to say in which we sympatliised with each other both mentally and physically


i am going said i to try some of the german baths for my friends will have it that i ought not to re turn to australia without doing so so to escape fur ther importunity on the subject i am now on my way to follow their advice


a french physician i have con sulted here reeommends toplitz but i have been reading dr granvilles book on the german spas on perusal of which i have come to the conclusion that a less distant locality to wit a certain spot called wildbad will do if not quite very nearly as well


after looking at mo a moment as if he did not quite like to make the proposition that was in his mind my fellow invalid exclaimed dont li igh but if youll take ray advico youll consult madame


she lives here and i am in fact un der her care


i sliall not detail all he told me about the wonders she had achieved in his own case but the result of our conference in the matter was that i con sented to see her on the morrow if only as he ob served just to hear what she said


on the morrow went the lady was too unwell to leave her bed but had made arrangements to see me there if i would visit her chamber


accordingly accompanied by my spouse and the medical attendant of madame i was ushered into her bedchamber where i found her reclining ready to receive me with as much ease and selfpossession as if she had been in her drawingroom


tho medical supervisor waived his hands two or three times before her face when she fell or was supposed to fall into a mesmeric trance


sho then took my linrwl nnrl flirt lnrfnr fnnlr lii nfm nnrl flirttnfrjvl


v rnm her description a diagnosis of my disease and its ap propriate remedies


she saw from the manner in


which i walked into the room enough to give her a clue to the probable character of my disease and was not therefore altogether wrong in her description though far from accurate but she did not see or sus pect from my appearance that i had a very severe rheumatism in my right arm and of this she said not a word though i have always understood that ladies similarly gifted feel hy sympathy or whatever else it may be all the pains that affect at the time the patient with whom they are in contact


when madame had finished her prescription she dropped my hand faintly exclaiming adieu monsieur was demesmerised and saw or pretended not to see a napoleon dropped into the hand of her attendant and then languidly wishing us bon jour dropped on her pillow


on regaining my friends apartments i found him in a btate of considerable anxiety as to tho result of our upstairs proceedings


he listened very patiently whilst we communicated all that had passed and then exclaimed well i am loth to persuade you against your own convictions but were i in your place i would follow her advice


no said i i really cant go through the ordeal she prescribes of three issues i have tried issues enough in australia as you know and although the result may have been to set other people upon their legs i never found that the effect was to set me upon my own


wo shook hands and i did not see him afterwards but i am sure he thinks i lost a capital chance of going back to victoria with a sounder understanding than i brought away from it by not following the advice of madame


to enjoy paris thoroughly requires a good pair of legs


one cant look comfortably either at the shops or wie people from the inside of a carriage and these sights form no small part of the attractions of the jrencli metropolis


an afternoon ride in the champs elysees waa my cliief amusement during the few days i stayed there


i went also to the theatre francais the pieces performed being molieres les femmes savantes aud la belle mere et lo gendre


the hitter has appeared on our own stage under the title of my wifes mother


itacliel unfortunately did not appear in either but tlie acting in both was of a supe rior order


being close to the stage i had an opportu nity of seeing those minute touches of repose and byplay which at


a greater distance are hardly observable


the characteristic of the acting was tact and delicacy without the slightest


disposition to rant and seldom ever ap proaching to vehemence


the defsct to my mind lay in the extreme rapidity of utterane e which not only rendered much of the language unimpressive but destroyed i tbiijk many of the points whicli the author had de signed to tell upon the audience


it is very probable my imperfect acquaintance with the french language incapacitated me from following the stage enunciation of it even with the book in my hand but my friends with me spoke french as well as english and admit ted that the effect of the nights performance was occasionally impaired by the unvaried rapidity of the dialogue


on sunday we went to hear a musical ex hibition called orpheon at the cirque de limperatrice


the performance consisted exclusively of vocal pieces sung by about voices in chorus


the effect was magnificent and lover of music as i am i never re member to have been more impressed by what i heard that day at the cirque de limperatrice


i could not have conceived the human voice without any other adjunct capable of communicating such sublime and elevating emotions


to those who object to such exhi bitions taking place on a sunday i can only say that i at it to have been much deeper and more beneficial than many of the sermons that are preached from the pulpit on that day


the orpheon however was fixed to take place after church time and probably the whole of the audience among whom were all the ministers and other distinguished parisians had previously attended divine service


no people are fonder of theatricals than the french and paris consequently abounds in theatres of all sorts and sizes


it has also two immense hippodromes besides the cirque de limperatrice and the cirque napoleon in all of which are exhibited equestrian displays on a very magnificent scale


the last time i visited the hippodrome where the performances are by day they terminated with a double balloon ascent


two balloons are tied together side by side and a path made from the car of the one to the car of the other by a plank placed across


in the cen tre of this plank holding only by a rope tightened to act as a rail the aeronaut placed himself and waving his hat ascended amidst drums trumpets and huzzas to that part of the world which is likely for some time to remain a not very crowded thoroughfare to less adven turous mortals


strange that the amount of peril in curred in these exhibitions should form their chief attraction


had the doubleballoon gentleman gone up standing on his head instead of his legs the number as sembled to see him would have been doubled too


until the police interfered people were being delightfully hor rified with seeing monsieur this and madame that ride to tho clouds on horseback the poor animal being slung to the balloon by ropes and the rider mounted as if on terra firma


good gracious what a way of get ting ones living


at the cirque napoleon one of the attractions was an english clown who among other drolleries stood upon his head at the top of a long pole with a leisurely perti nacity that i thought must have ended in an apoplectic fit


to my mind there is something melancholy in this degradation of the human form divine to such vile uses


that state of society in which such exhibitions are encouraged can liardly be considered as sound


homo sum nihil liumani a mo alienum puto


and so far tho poor wretches who are the actors in these displays to earn their bread i excuse but their excuse is the condemnation of those who applaud them


jiuimuu mueeci i uancy a oemg only a little lower than the angels exclaiming with his head balanced on the top of a pole homo sum aye but what sort of a homo


gentlemen of the aboriginal nnd other missions look to it


the enquiry were worth your while


to be continued


the portland guardian and normanby general advertiser


published every monday wednesday friday to protect our rightsnot to infringe upon those of others


wednesday december


adventures and observations in australia


by alister macalister gent chapter ix melbourne


a few small vessels lay at the wharf at which we landed which was within view of a substantial stone bridge thrown across the river a little farther up and which afforded unequivocal evidence of progress


an elevated broad wooden platform ran along the top of the wharf


this was rendered necessary as the wide intervening space between the wharf and the lower part of the town being unpaved was as i afterwards found in wet weather nearly impassable and by no means a desirable landing ground for cargo


fronting the wharf was a straggling line of wall and paling broken by empty spaces and a few brick and wooden buildings of a very un pretending character with the exception of one or two publichouses which ap peared to make a feeble effort at distinction


proceeding into the town with the sur geon when near the corner of one of the principal streets we were assailed with an intolerable stench


this we ascertained was an illustration of the liberty of the subject in this new land


the abominable nuisance was occasioned by a soap and candle manufactory which the good natured citizens quietly tolerated in their midst no doubt in recognition of the validity of the maxim which tells us that a man has a right to do what he likes with his own


we managed to turn the corner of the nuisance and found ourselves in a wide and spacious street extending straight as an arrow as far as the eye could reach and containing some rather respectable looking buildings but side by side with the most flimsy and mean erections


the roadway though all that could be wished in breadth and in directness was in a very unsatisfactory condition and was loudly calling on labor for its improvement


the street however was exceedingly cheerful a mild and kindly sun was smiling upon it and it was full of life activity and busi ness


the energy the speech and the dress of the home country met me at every step and so slight was the difference in what i saw to that with which i had been accustomed in glasgow that had i not seen a group of aborigines squatted before a public house i could almost have per suaded myself that i had not left britain


the aborigines to whom i have just referred were the first that i had seen and i regarded them with no ordinary interest but my companion who had no such interest was considerably annoyed at my halting for a moment to look at them somewhat particularly


the group con sisted of two men three women and a child


the men were stronglimbed powerful fellows


the women were short in stature thin in habit and repulsive in countenance


the child which might be six months old with the exception of a its colour and its large soft expressive dark eye had very much the features of a european infant about the same age and appeared to be healthy and lively


none of them had any covering on the head save their own hair which was black and glossly as the wing of the raven but not curled like that of the african negro


the men had their faces disfigured if dis figured they could be by being painted with red and white ocres or clays


their only clothing was a covering made of opossum skins in which they loosely wrapped themselves


in this matter the women seemed to have advanced further in civilization for discarding the skins they were attired after the same manner as their lords in old woollen blankets


i am no sickly sentimentalist but as i gazed on this interesting portion of the original proprietors of australia the question flashed through my mind with the velo city and force of lightningwhilst we have justified ourselves in appropriating the lands of the aborigines have we acted the part of men and of christians to our weaker brethren


my companion said as he half dragged me away from contemplating the interest ing group we cannot stand here all day to be laughed at


depend upon it you will yet have ample and more fitting opportunities of studying this rare speci men of the rather curious genus homo but you ought to know that the present is not the time for prolonged investigation


i have already told you that i have been but once before in melbourne and that i have neither relative nor friend


the inn or publichouse in which i lodged is situ ated in a lane called little bourkestreet which is close at hand


if the house be still occupied by its former landlord i have to warn you that he is a mighty pleasant person but a notorious rascal who has the reputation of reading the law of real property in a way profitable to himself


i do not say that he ever directly practised upon me but it will be prudent whether you live at this house or at ano ther of which you know nothing that you keep your cash concealed about your person with the exception of the small change which you may require for imm edit use


as he spoke we turned into a narrow and forbidding lane of seemingly interminable length


this lane he continued young though it be has as old and blackguard on appearance as some of the vilest resorts of crime and poverty in the elder cities of europe and let me tell you with like appearance it has also like moral characteristics


there were here i understood the offices of some reputable and extensive merchants but the dwellings shops and publichouses were in general of the meanest and dirtiest description


the place swarmed with a squalid and filthy population and seemed to be one of the worst lanes of a large home town transported to the antipodes


we arrived at the house for which we were bounda shabby twostory building which stood much in need of aid from the glazier the windowclearer the plasterer and the painter


this unprepossessing place of entertainment had for its sign the pig and gridiron


i had heard of the celebrated pig and whistle situated in a court off paternoster row london and of the goose and gridiron immortalised by john gibson lockhart but this seemed to be quite an irish idea and i soon discovered that i was not wrong in my conjecture


we entered from the street a small par lour redolent of tobacco by a door separate from that leading to the bar


this was the public room


it contained a few old stuffbottomed chairs a large table covered with soiled waxcloth and a number of coarse prints in flaming colors set in equally glaring and vulgar gilt frames add to these a capacious brokenmouthed water jug a heavy handbell and a square deal box of brobdingnag dimensions intended to do duty as a spitoon and you have a full and particular inventory of the contents of the principal apartment of the pig and gridiron


my companion lustily applied himself to the big bell and the landlord speedily made his appearance in obedience to its loud and clamorous summons


he was a tall burley redfaced redhaired round headed oily irishman whose age might be forty years but he was one of those subjects sometimes met with whose age is not easily determined by a mere look


he might be forty or he might be a few years more or less


be this as it may he had a jolly and wellseasoned corporation which was lighted up by a pair of ferret like eyes which told as plainly as eyes could tell that they were cunning and active sentinels


this attractive figure had only on short cords and a shirt and as if even this scanty equipment were too oppressive the sleeves of the latter were tucked up to the shoulders exposing a brawny arm covered with shaggy hair like the paw of some powerful wild animal


as he hastily entered the room he bore in his hand what appeared to be a coat or jacket and took the first word of speech


plase your honors he said in a rich brogue didnt tom the potboy tell me that two strange gintlemen had gone into the parlour and didnt i wish to pay as much riverence to your honors as if you were the praest himself but bad luck to it you made such a noise with that bell which for sartin is fitter for a staaple than for a quiet house that i hadnt time to put on my coat to show my manners


my com panion interrupted him by saying well barney now to business but was immedi ately interrupted in his turn by the landlord who said with evident astonishment sure barnabas orourke is the name by which i was christened in ballinabag in the county cark before i was bothered to leave it and theres no denying that same but how your honor should know that they call me barney for shortness beats me intirely


barney i am afraid that as you get old and fat and rich you are troubled with a bad memory or do not wish to recollect you former friends


plase your honor and that swate inno cent youth there are some ould friends that it is most convanient to forget


i do not doubt it but some of them may surely be worth rememberingmyself for instance


sure and the present company is al ways excepted


a very safe and proper rule


but i have no doubt you keep up acquaintance with a few of your former worthy patrons


flash dick is still a favourite is be not cannot jist kiss the book and say that he is


you knew flash dick not i hope birds of a feather


but you must have been cohabiting in the cucotoo islands when you did not larn that that promising boy was lagged a year and a half age and sarved him right too for is it not myself he got into trouble and had it not been for that ducent gintleman of a magistrate who was himself at one time a rumseller and who now rints out so many public houses of his own i would not be spaking sinse to you at this present


flash dick was never one of my fav ourites and doubtless got his deserts


but i suppose bouncing fred looks in occasionally to amuse you with his wonder ful stories


the man has a genius of the highest order


he is out of sight the cleverest liar i ever had the pleasure to meet with and might make his fortune by dictating works of fiction


poor boy his work is finished


he was choaked by jack ketch five months ago for accidentally sticking a man with a fat purse on collingwood common


the man died the purse was amissing and honest hearty laughing bouncer was hanged like a dog


i went to comfort him in his cage after he had got the judges last blessing and would you belave it he would scarcely shake hands called me any thing but a gintleman and bothered me about hell the devil and sin


i saw that the protastant praest had driven him cranky so as a friend i proposed to sind to him father mcturk to make hell aisy to frighten the devil to pardon his sins and to give him a short stay in purgatory


but he was too far gone with the other praest so i had to leave him to his fate and sure i did pity so dacent a heretic and couldnt help crying that he should be kilt first and damned after


i give you credit barney for your good feeling to the bouncer


but we must all die once and he that is hanged escapes drowning


after the very plea sant information you have given me i am almost afraid to ask after the welfare of any more of my old acquaintances but my curiosity seeks farther gratification


what of the nightingale


arrah now but you have got hould of a list of the unfortunates as if you had taken it down from that thaif of a book that they kapes in the peelers office


the nightingale had done some good tricks and was flush of the ready but as he got fortunate he got proud and cureless


people sure shouldnt look too high or carry their eyes in their breeches pocket or they may come across more kicks than tenpennybits


and so the nightingale found out


he was nearly nabbed in going about a trifling job in an unwork manlike style and bolted right off out of the colony


i was tould that he is in hobart town doing a fair business in the locksmith line and that he is a member of the bull club and sings st patrick was a gintle man as lively as ever


now you give me encouragement to pro ceed fartherbut be seated barney


it is really comfortable to know that at least one of the old squad is not as yet legged or hanged though he has been under the necessity of removing for a time in order to the benefit of his health


what of the snake


the snake is one of the fortunates sure enough


he has got into what they call the accommodating business and is making lash ings of money


he will let you have from five shillings to five hundred pounds for value recaaved or advance you any sum on good security at five and twenty per cent


he is too wideawake and sly for the peelers who have been long trying to hunt him down but it wont do


when they pay him a friendly visit he gives them the top of the morning but sorra a haparth else do they ever get out of him


och


but he is the prosperous man intirely and sure if he should come to die wont he be buried in a goulden coffin


but he will be the snake to the last lane and mane


when he drops in of an evening to take a hand at cards or dice for he still plays and cheats and wins he grudges his single pint of halfandhalf as much as any beggarly scotchman


well i thought the snake would thrive after a fashion


but such contemptible crea tures accumulate wealth and generally leave it to those who will not bless their memory and who are adepts in the art of spending


i tire you and must bring this inquiry to a close by putting only one question more


what of the leech


the landlord whose little twinkling eyes had been earnestly watching the questioner for some time suddenly clasped his hands toge ther and shouted out at the top of his voice i have it


i have it


you are the leech


when his excitement had somewhat calmed down my companion coolly said now barney are not you a blind stupid turnip headed irishman not to have known me till this moment and so few years have passed since we met


it would have been well for some of our mutual friends if the detective officers had all been simple unobservant paddies like yourself


but to business


can i have my old bedroom and can you spare a bedroom for this young gentleman


well if you can this matter is settled


and now as i am dying with thirst will you be so good as bring a bottle of drinkable pale brandy and prepare as soon as possible an eatable dinner for two


ifitrg liarbtttr


continued from page


chapter


v two years had elapsed since the occur rences narrated in the close of our last chapter when one wet and stormy evening mr tucker and his two children clad in the sable garbs of mourning were seated at a table upon which was spread their as yet untasted evening meal


the dusky shades of night were casting their gloom over the cold and cheerless apartment and tended to increase the melancholy which was too plainly depicted in each countenance


mr tucker had sat for some time in a meditative mood with his arms folded and his chin resting upon his breast apparently forgetful of the duties which devolved upon him at the head of the table


at length thevoice of his little son aroused him


oh papa said henry in a com plaining tone tc do light candles and let us have tea for i am so hungry and so sleepy and so sad and heres poor sue crying again like she does evescy night it makes me cry too to see her grieve so much


mr tucker started up lighted th eandies and drew down the window blinds and taking his little daughter in i iris arms in the most soothing tones he could assume he inquired j what is the matter sue my dear


what does my poor little pet cry for every night


u poor mammas in the pit hole said the little child bursting into an agony of grief oh my dear mamma my dear mammal what shall i do without her


hush my darling girl said mr tucker fondly embracing the child and dropping a tear as he kissed her little swollen face dont cry any more my dear and i will buy you a nice new doll tomorrow and you shall go to the bazaar and select it for yourself


i want to go and see poor mammas grave sobbed the child


harry and i planted some daisies and many other pretty flowers there and i want to see j if they are growing


i like to sit on i her grave and repeat the pretty hymns she taught me for i think i can see


her then but shes in heaven papa isnt she sobbed the child looking up with her eyes suffused with tears


yes my dearest mamma is in heaven said mr tucker at a loss to reply for he felt that he could poorly discourse with her upon such a topic and you shall go and see her grave tomorrow as you so much wish it


ann shall take you and harry too and you shall stop there all the after noon if you like


oh i want you to go with us papa sobbed the child i dont like ann to go she is so cross


dont you recollect those pretty verses the last which poor mamma wrote


she gave them to you papa i do love them so much and i will try to learn them


i heard her read them to you after she had written them in bed and she cried so much as she read them and so did you too papa


i can recollect these two verses i think they are so very pretty because dear mamma wrote them


the summers sun will shine dearest earths lovely flowers will bloom the birds will sing their cheerful songs but ill lay in my tomb


then take my boy and girl dearest and show them where i lay tell them my happy souls in heaven


and oh


teach them the way


well my dear girl i will go with you tomorrow said mr tucker with almost inarticulate utterance and now do be cheerful he added assuming a lively tone sit up and you shall have your tea out of your silver mug and henry my boy run up to mr gard ners room kick at the door and tell him that tea is ready you must kick hard for he is probably asleepand then he added soliloquisingly he is certain to be discharged tomorrow drunk every day for the last fortnight tis a wonder to me how he stands it and this is the third time mr green has observed it


well i cannot help him i have screened him as long as i possibly could at my own risk


i heartily wish he was dead for he causes me no end of anxiety


come say grace harry my dear and let us begin tea


jjr la a few minutes henry gardner entered the room with his haii dishevelled his face bloated and swollen his eyes wild and inflamed and his general appearance dirty and slovenly


a sad alteration was observ able in him and the change which the last two years had effected might have been judged the work of ten


he staggered to a chair at the tea table and commenced his meal in gloomy silence


however came you to get drunk again this morning henry asked mr tucker in a timid and hesitating tone after your promises to me last night


i have no confidence in you now and i fear your dismissal is certain tomor row for mr green vowed to me the last time he saw you drunk that he would not look over another transgres sion of the sort and it was only the intercession of mrs green and i may add myself which saved you from dis grace a week ago


i have no patienee left you are a downright fool and i must and will say


ay fool thief rogue beggar and a doomed drunkard


interrupted henry u and i should have but a short distance to go to find my match he added casting a fierce look at mr tucker


i know i shall be dismissed tomorrow from this employ and i am rather glad of it i shall be out of your way and you will be safer too


in the meantime take a warning if you value a sound skin and avoid making any more taunting remarks to me


you have ruined me and well you know it step by step you have led me on in the drunkards course you have jeered me out of my repeated resolutions to abstain from the fiery devildistilled draught which is now biting me like a serpent and stinging me like an adder you ae the miserable wreck which your vik example and abominable sophistries have made me


gloat over my wretch edness if you like shrug your shoulders and express pity for me as many other virtuous men will do who have heads or stomachs strong enough to stand twice the quantity of the poison which has sufficed to drive me mad who like yourself are scarcely ever sober although seldom drunk in the eyes of the world who pass for temperate men are strong advocates for moderation and most implacable enemies to the poor palsied drunkard whom while you ex press your maudlin pity you would kick him if possible to lower depths of misery and degradation and be the last persons to give hiui a chance to rise again


now tucker he continued with in creasing excitement we shall soon part


i would not injure you willingly for the sake of those dear children and for the sake of your poor departed wife who is now where neither you nor i will ever associate with her for no drunkard can enter heaven and she is there but mark me tis a fearful fact the devil is in me and if you rouse him fatal consequences may result


tis quite enough for me to feel my degra dation the loss of my health my reputa tion all my prospects of advancement in this life and to feel the horrible cer tainty of eternal damnation without bearing from day to day your gibes and taunts gilded over with hypocritical professions of interest in my welfare you who have tempted me by degrees drink till now i am ruined body and soul


now i will drink give me some brandytis a charity to give it now must have it ten thousand devils are tearing my vitals out he shrieked


some brandy quick quick


they are devouring me for it my brain is on fire i am mad mad horribly mad


mind stand clear children theres a devil coming in at the door but ill break his back as starting up he rushed frantically towards the door which he struck with all his force with his clenched hand smashing the door into fragments ancl cutting his hand at the same time in a fearful manner causing the blood to flow profusely


the poor children screaming with terror rushed to their fathers arms and he pale and affrighted at this sudden and violent outburst rang the bell and summoned the servant


run for the doctor ann as quickly as you can said mr tucker as the servant entered the room


stop thundered henry who had just swallowed a large glass of brandy from a decanter on the sideboard i am better now dont fetch a doctor for me


you may send for my old but much abused friend golding he is in sydney for i saw him yesterday although tis long since i have ventured to speak to him


much as i have despised his manly counselmuch as i have abused his friendship he will not refuse to come to me in my extremity tis a time when he will most readily come and prove his true friendship


he will do me more good than all the doctors in the world send for him quickly he lodges at mrs sims on churchhill henry flung himself upon a sofa buried his face in his hands and wept aloud whilst mr tucker hurried the children away to their bedroom without their tea


mr golding did not wait to put many interrogatories to the servant but suspecting the cause of the sum mons he hastily made his way to mr tuckers house


he found henry lying on the sofa in a doze from the effects of the copious stimulant which he had lately swallowed


mr tucker was sitting in his armchair in a state of bewilderment and anxiety


jn a short time henry awoke and looking up extended his mutilated hand to his friend once the dest friend of bis youth and burst into an agony of tears


ob goldiirg how kind it is of you to come and see a poor lost wretch like me


i am dreadfully ill pray dont leave me


i shall be torn in pieces by the fiends or devoured by these redhot snakes


look at them now crawling up my legs


catch them


tear them off me


they are biting me horribly


oh save me save me golding


see there is one round my neck it will strangle me


cut it off me


give me a knife or a razor ill cut it off


oh horror horror


i shall choke


some brandy brandy


oh pray give me some brandy


mr golding hastily procured him a small quantity of brandy with a few drops of laudanum in it which he eagerly swallowed and instantly be came more composed


oh my dear golding was there ever torment to surpass what i am suffering v he said in a languid voicc


o i have felt this coming on for the last four days


oh dont leave me for pitys sake


look


he is coming i again that hideous devil


he ex claimed in a wild unearthly tone while his eyes nearly starting out of his head were fixed upon the door opening to mr tuckers bedroom with an aspect of extreme terror there he is again but til murder him


he shrieked as he rushed over to the door and struck it with the force of a giant and then fell upon his back with violence from the recoil whilst the blood from his knuckles which were completely smashed flowed in streams


aqua


to be continued


marie antoinette


on


the chevalier of the red house


continued from colonial times march


chapter xviii


j the queen had just arisen


having been indis posed during several days she loy in bed later than usual


hersister having apprised her thatthe day was magnificent she made an effort to gctup to take an airing with her daughter on tho terrace that liberty having been granted according to her nquest besides she had another reason


once only once it is true she had from the summit of the tower seen the dauphin in the garden but at the first symptom of recognition simon interposed and drove in the child


at all events she had seen him and that was much


it is true the poor little prisoner was very pale and greatly altered


he was elad uko the child of a labourer with his car magnole and large pantaloons they had left his beautiful curling fair hair which like a crown god intended doubtless the martyred child to wear in heaven


if she could only see him once more what joy to the mothers heart


there was another besides all these


sister madam elizabeth here remarked you know that wc found in the corridor some straw piled in the corner according to the lan guage of our signs that would signify that we must be on our guaid and that a friend approaches


true answered the queen regarding her sister and daughter with compassion encouraging them at the same time not to despair of their safety


j


the exigencies of the service heving been ful filled maurice was so much the more master within the keep of the temple since the chance had de cided that he should be on guard during the day whilst agrcola and mcrccvaultwcie tobe on duty during the night


the municipals exchanging guard had departed leaving their report with the council of the temple


well citizen municipal said tisons wife coming forward to salute him you biing some society to view our


ooped up pigeons


i am the only one condemned never to see my poor heloise


these arc friends of minc said maurice who hnvc never seen the woman capet


tney could not be better than behind the glass


certainly not remarked morand


only said genevive we have the air of cruel curiosity of those who look through the bars to enjoy the prisoners torments


ali


why do you not see them on their way to the tower since the woman walks out today with her sister and daughter for they have left her her child whilst tlicy have taken away mine who um not guilty


oh the aristocrats they will always do as they pleasethe poor receive no favour citizen maurice


but they haye taken away her son replied he


ah


if i had a son murmured the woman i believe i should not regret my daughter so much


genevive had in the meantime exchanged several glances with morand


my fiiend said the youngwoman to maurice the citizen is right if you will place me in some manner in the way of maria antoinette that would produce less repugnance within mc than to see her here


it seems that this mode of seeing the prisoners is humiliating at onco to them and to ourse ves


excellent genevive said maurice you are full of delicacy


ah pardicul citizen exclaimed one of the municipals on duty who were breakfasting on bread and sausages in the antechamber if you were a piisoncr and the widow capet felt any anxiety to sec you she would not coquine make so much ceremony about satisfying her fantasy


genevive by a movement rapid as lightning turned her eyes towards morand to observe the cflbi t of such insults


in fact he started n strange light flashed from his eyes and his hands were knitted together for an instant but all these signs passed so rapidly that they were not observed


who do they call this municipal asked she from maurice


citizen mcrccvault answered the youngman then he added as if to excuse his rudeness he is a st necutter


mcrccvault heard it and looked towards maurice


come come said tisons wife finish your sausage and your pint that i may clear the table


it is not the austrians fault that i live to finish my repast grumbled the municipal if she could have caused my death on the th of august she would certainly have done so but on tho day when she sneezes into the sack i shall be in the front ranks fiimat my post


morand became as pale as death


come come citizen maurice said genevive lead us where you promised


here i feel as if i were a prisoner


i am suffocated


maurice led out morand and genevive


the sentinels insti ucted by lorin let them pass without any difficulty


he placed them in a small passage on the upper story so that the instant the queen madame elizabeth and madame royal ascended to the gallery these august personages could not do otherwise than pass before them


as the promenade was fixed for oclock and as there were a few minutes to spare mnurice not only did not leave his friends but lest the slightest suspic on might attach to this visit however little illegal he having encountered agrcola took him along with him


ten oclock struck


open cried a voice at the bottom of the tower which maurice recognised as that of san terrc


then the guard took arms


the gates were closed


the sentinels shouldered arms


there was a thunder of iron stone and footsteps which made a strong impression upon morand and genevive for maurice saw them both grow pole


what precautions mm mured genevive to guard three women


yes said morand attempting to laugh if those who attempt to carry them off were in our place und saw what we now sec it would digest them with their trade


t in fact said gc cvieve i begin tobelieve they will not escape


and i said maurice hope so


he leaned ashc spoke on the railing of the star


attention said he here are the prisoners the two who ascend first sure the sister and daughter of capet the last one preceded by a lap dog is maria antoinette


genevive stepped forward but morand on the other hand instead of looking pressed close to the wall


his lips were more livid and dcatblikc than the stone of the keep


genevive with her white dress and her fine eyes seemed on angel attending the prisoners to soften their bitter journey and give a passing joy to their hearts


madame elizabeth and madame royal went on ftere sting a look of astonishment upon the stranger


doubt less the first supposed it was thse whom the signs had announced for she quickly turned to madame royal and squeezed her hand letting fall her handkerchief as if to warn the queen


take care sister i have dropped my handker chief and she ascended with the young princess


the queen her short bieath and dry cough


in dicating her complaint stooped to pick up the handkerchief but the little dog quicker than she was seized it and ran with it after madame eliza beth


the queen still ascended and after mount ing several steps she stood before genevive moiand and the young municipal


ahl flowers said she


it is a long tme since i have seen any how sweet they smell


oh i


but you nre fortunate to have flowers madam


quick as the thought produced by these words genevive offered the bouquet to the queen


marie antoinette then raised her head looked at her and an almost imperceptible flush appeared on her brow