for broadie broad cloth they pay s


a stretch a yard and for bulldogs lumps of sugar stolen from grocers half price


the fences always have the ready money about them and the deal ing in strictly according to the maxim of hon our amongst thieves


a portion of the above is almost a verbatim conversation between a notorious malefactor a few hours before he paid the penalty of his crimes upon the gallows and one of the turnkeys of newgate


her somesomesome


dn it this vill never do im a gettin softhearted


look arter her lipey and see she dont come to vant or


the turnkey entered at this moment and warned me that the time allowed for my visit had expired


spicy began his whistle again and assumed a bold air but the convulsive grasp which he gave my hand at parting convinced me of the terrible struggle which was going on within him that grasp i shall never forget daylight it felt likeit was a deathclutch


but why dwell longer upon such a theme


the spicy kid was hanged by the neck


he came up the fatal ladder with a firm step and though his face was ashy pale he looked down at the mob with something of his old reckless expression


he nodded to two or three of his familiars whom he recognised in the crowd and as his eye caught mine the glance which shot from it conveyed this mingled message farewell and remember betsy


as the cap was placed over his face he seemed to summon up all lifes energies to die the rope was ad justed the bolt withdrawn the drop fell and all was over


the ice becomes harder and more stubborn as i have heard after a thaw i leave that for phi losophers to determine but no sooner were my old companions lost to me than my heart closed up


i had now become thoroughly hardened


to be continued


literature


the ministers wooing


i tale of new england


by mrs ii b stowc


continued from the age of october th


chapter xvi


continued


and soon colonel btirr with one on either arm was to bo seen on the top of the hill beyond the house the very one from which mary the week before had seen the retreating sail we all wot of hence though her companion contrived with tho adroitnesb of a practised mau of gallantry to di rect hia words aud looks as oontanlly to her as if ihey had been in a tile iclc and although nothing could be more graceful more delicately flattering more engaging still the little heart kept equal noise lor where a true lovs haa once bolted the door a false one serenades in vaiu tuder the window


some fine instinctive per joplion of the real cha racter of the man beside her seemed to have dawned on marys mind in the conversation of the morning she had lelt the covert and subtle irony that larked beneath his pslished smile felt the utter want of failh or sympathy in what she and her revered friend deemed holiest and therefore there was a calm dignity in her manner of receiving his atten tions which rather piqued aud stimulated his curiosity


he had been wont to boast that he oould subdue any woman if ho could only see enough of her in the first interview in the garden he had made her color come aud go nnd brought tears to her eyes in a manner that interested his fancy and he could not resist the impulse to ex periment again


it was a new sensation to him to find himself quietly studied and calmly measured by those thoughtful blue eyes he felt with his fine instinctive tact that the soul within was en folded in some crystalline sphere of protection transparent but adamantine so that he could not touch it


what was that secret poise that calm immutable centre on which she rested that made her in her rustic simplicity eo unapproachable and so strong


burr remembered once finding in hia grand fathers study among a mass of old letters ono in which that greiat man iu early youth described his future wife then known to him only by distant re port


with his keen natural sense of everything fine and poetic he had been struck with this passage as so beautifully expressing an ideal womanhood that he had in his earlier dayb copied it in mb pri rrofn rerue


they say it ran that there is a young lady who is beloved of that great being who made and rules the world and that there are certain sea sons in which this great being in some way or other invisible come to her and fills her mind with such exceeding sweet delight that sho hardly cares for anything except to meditate on him that she expects after a while to be received up where he is to b raised up out of the world and caught up into hoaven be assured that he loves her too well to let her remain at a distance from him always


therefore if you present all the world before her with the richest of its treasures she disregards it


she has a strange sweetness in her mind and sin gular purity iu her affections and yon could not persuade her to do anything wrong or sinful if you bhould give her all the world


she is of a wonderlul sweetness oalmness and universal benevolence of mind especially after this great god has mani fested himself to her mind


sho will sometimes go from place to place singing sweetly aud seems to be always full of joy and pleasure and no one knows for what


she loves to be alone walking in fields and groves and seems to have some invisible nnn alivan nnnvprninfr with hfir a shadowy recollection of this description orossed his mind moro than once as he looked iato thoso calm and candid eyes


was there then a truth in that inner union of chosen eouib with god of which his mother and her mother before her had borne meek witness their souls shining out as sacred lamps through the alabaster walls of a temple but then again had hnot logically met and de monstrated to his own satisfaction the nullity of the religious dogmas on which new england faith was based


there could be no such inner life he said to himself he had demonstrated it as an absur dity


what was it then this charm so subtle and bo strong by which this fair child his inferior in age cultivation and knowledge of tho world held him in a certain awe and made him feel her spirit so unapproachable


his curiosity was piqued


he felt stimulated to employ all his powers of pleasing


he was determined that sooner or later she should feel his power


with mrs soudder his success was immediate she was completely won over by the deferential manner with whioh he constantly referred himself to her matronly judgments and on returning to tho house bhe warmly pressed him to stay to dinner


burr accepted the invitation with a frank and almost boyish abandon declaring thai ho had not seen anything for years that so reminded him of old times


ho praised everything at table the smoking brown bread the baked beans steaming from tne oven where they had been quietly sim meriug during the morning walk and the indian puddiug with its gelatinous softuesa matured by loug and patient brooding in the motherly old oven lie declared that thero was no style of living to be compared with the simple dignified order of a true new england home where servants were ex clnded and everything came direct from tho polished and cultured hand of a lady


it rea lised the dreams of arcadiaa romance


a mau he declared must bo unworthy the name who did not rise to lofty sentiments and heroic deeds when even his animal wants were provided for by the ministrations of the most delioate and exalted por tion of the creation


after dinner he would be taken into all the family interests


gentle and pliable as oil he seemed to penetrate every joint of the minmge by a subtlo and seductive sympathy


he was interested in the spinning in the weaving and in fact nobody knows how it wab done but before the afternoon shadows had turned he was sitting in the craoked armchair of marys garret boudoir gravely giving judgment on several specimens of her spinning which mrs soudder had presented to his notice


with that case with which be could at will glide into the character of the superior nnd elder brother he had without seeming to aek questions drawn from mary an account of her reading her studios her acquain tances


you read french i presume


he said to her with easy negligence


mary colored deeply and then as one who recol


lects ones self answered gravely no mr burr i kaow bo language but my own


but you should learn french my child said burr with that gentle dictatorship which he oould at times so gracefully as uma i should be dolighed to learn said mary but have no opportunity


yes said mrs scudder mary has always had a taste for study and would be glad to im prove in any way


pardon me madam if i take the liberty of making a euggestion


there is a most excellent man the abbe lefon now in newport driven here by the political disturbances in france he is anxious to obtain a few scholars and i am inte rested that he should succeed for he is a most worthy man


is he a roman catholio


he is madam but there could be no manner of danger with a person so admirably instructed as your daughter


if you please to see him rnadim i will call with him some time


mrs marvyn will perhapb join me sld mary


she has been studying frenoh by herself for some time in order to read a treatise on astro nomy which she found in that language


i will go over tomorrow and see her about it


beforo colonel burr departed the doctor re quested him to step a moment with him into his study


burr who had had frequent occasions during his life to experience the sort of paternal freedom which the clergy of his country took with him in right of his clerical descent began to sum mon together his faculties of addresb for the avoid ance of u kind or conversation which he was not disposed to meet


he was agreeably disappointed however when taking a paper from the table aud presenting it to him the doctor said i ieel myself my dear sir under a burden of obligation for benefits received from your family so that i never bee a mem ber of it without casting about in my ownmlndhow i may in some measure express my goodwill towards him


you are aware that tho papers of your dis tinguished grandfather have fallen into my hinds ami from them i havo taken the liberty to make a copy of those maxims by which he guided a life which was a blessing to his country and to the world


may i ask the favor that you will read them with attention


and if you find anything contrary to right reason or sober eense i shall be happy to bear of it on a future occasion


thank you dootor said burr bowing i shall always be sensible of the kindness of the mo tive which has led you to take this trouble on my account


believe me air i am truly obliged to you for it


and thus the interview terminated


that night the doctor before retiring offered fervent prayers for the grandson of his revered master aud friend praying that his fathers and mothers god might bless him and make him a living stone in the eternal temple


meauwile the object of these prayers waa sitting by a table in drepsiug gown and slippers thiukiug over the events of the day


the pupsr which dr h had handed him contained the celebrated re solutions by which his ancestor led a life nobler than any mere dogmas can possibly be


by iis tide lay a perfumed note from madame de frontig nac ono of those womanly notes so beautiful so sacred in themselves but eo monrnlul to a right minded person who sees whither they are tending


burr opened and perused it laid it by opened the document which tho doctor had given and tisoushtiully read the first of the resolutions resolved that i will do whatsoever i think to bn most vo gods glory and my own good profit and pleasure in the whole of my duration without any consideration of time whether now or never so many myriad ages hence


resolved to do whatever i think to be my duty and most for the good and advantage of mankind in general


resolved to do this whatsoever difficulties i meet with and how many and how great soever


burr read the whole paper through attentively once or twice and paused thoughtfully over many parts of it


he sat for some time after lost in re flection the paper dropped from his hand and then followed one ef those long deep seasons of fixed reverie when the soul thinks by pictures and goeb over endless distances in moments


in him originally every moral faculty and bensibility was as keenly strung as in any member of that remark able family from which ho was descended and which has whether in good or ill borne no com mon stamp


two possible lives flashed before his mind at that moment rapidly as when a train sweeps by with flashing lamps in the night


the life of worldly expediency the life of eternal rec titude the life of seventy years and that lifo eternal in which the event of death ia no distur bance


suddenly he roused himself up picked up i the paper filed and dated it carefully and laid it by and in that moment was renewed again that governing purpose which sealed him with all his beautiful capabilities as the slave of the fleeting and the temporary which sent him at last a ship wrecked man to a nameless dishonored grave


he took his pen and gave to a friend bis own views of the events of the day


my dear


we are still in newport con jugating the verb sennuyer which i for one have put through all the moods and tenses


pour passer le temps however i have la belle francaue and my sweet littlo puritan


i visited there this morning


sho lives with her mother a little walk out toward the sea side in a cottago quite prettily sequestered among blossoming apple trees and the great hierarch of modern theology dr h keeps guard over them


no chanoa here for any indisoretionbj you see


by the by the good doctor astonished our monde here on sunday last by treating us to a solemn onslaught on slavery and the slave trade


he had all the chief captaius and counsellors to hear him and smote them hip and thigh and pur sued them even unto shur


he is one of those great honebt fellows with out the smallest notion of the world we live in who think in dealing with men that you must go to work and prove the right and wrong of a matter just as if anybody cared for that i


supposing he is


right wbioh appears very probable to me what is he going to do about it


no moral argument since the world began ever prevailed over per cent profit


however he ia the spiritual director of la telle pimtaine and was a resident in my grandfathers family so i did the agreeable with him as well as such an uncircumcised ishmaelite could


i dis coursed theology sat with the most docile air pos sible while he explained tome all the ins and outs in his system of the universe past present and fu tureheard him dilate calmly on the millennium and expound prophetio symbols marching cut before me his whole apocalyptio menagerie of beasts and dragons with heads and horns innu merable to all which i gave edifying attention taking occasion now and then to turn a com pliment in favor of the ladies never lost you know


really be ib a worthy old soul and actually believes all these things with his whole heart at taching unheardof importance to the most abstract ideas and embarkiug his whole being in his ideal view of a grand millennial finale to the human race


i look at him and at mybelf and ask can human beings be made bo unlike


my little mary today was in a mood of sweet austere composure quite becoming to her htylo of beanty her naire nonchalance at times is rather stimulatiug


what a contrast between her and la belle fraiicaitcl all the difference that there is between a diamond and a flower


i find the little thing has acultivated mind enriched by reading and more by a still quaint habit of think ing which is new and charming


but a truce to this


i have seen our friends at last


we have had three or four meetings and are waiting to hear from philadelphia matters aro getting iu train


if messrs t and s dare to repeat what they said again let me know they will find in mo a mau not to ba uifled wiih


i shall be with you iu a week or ten days at farthest


meanwhile stand to your gunh ever yours burr


chapter xvii


tho noxt morning before the early dews had yet dried off the grass mary started to go and see hjr friend mrs marvyn


it was one of those charming invigorating days familiar to those of newport experience when the sea lies shimmering and glit tering in deep blue and gold and the sky above is firm and cloudless and every breeze that cornea landward seems to bear health and energy upon its wingfl


as mary approached the house she heard loud sounds of disoubsion from the open kitchen door and looking in saw a rather original scene acting


candace armed with a long ovenshovel stood before the open door of the oven whenoe she had just been removing an array of good things which appeared ranged around on tho dresser


cato in the undress of a red flannel shirt and towcloth trousers was cuddled in a consoled and protected attitude in the corner of the wooden settle with a mug of flip in his hand which jandace had pre pared and calling him in from hia work authori tatively ordered him to drink on the showing that he had kept her awake the night before with his cough tnd bhe was sure he was going to be sick


of course worse things may happen to a mn than to be vigorously taken care oi by his wife and civto had a salutary conviction of this fact bo that he resigned himself to his comfortable corncr and his flip with edifying serenity


opposite to candace stood a wellbuilt oor pulent negro man dressed with considerable care and with the air of a person on excellent terms with himself


thii was no other than digo the houseservant and factotum of dr stiles who considered himself as the guardian of his masters estate his title his honor bis literary charaoter h a professional position and his religious creed


digo was ready to assert beforo all the world that one and all of these were under his special protection and that whoever had anything to fay to the contrary of any of these must expect to take iusue with him


digo not only swallowed all hia masters opinions whole but beemed to have tho stomach of an ostrich in their digestion


he be lieved everything no matter what the moment he understood that the dootor held it


he believed that hebrew was tho language of heaven that the ten tribes of the jews had reappeared in tho north american indians that there was no such thing as disinterested bene volence and that the doingh of the tinre generate had some value that slavery was a divine ordinance and that dr h was a radical who did more harm than good and finally that there never wa so great a man as dr stiles and as dr stiles belonged to him in the capacity of master why


hp digo owned tho greatest man in america


of course as cudscu held precisely similar opinions in regard to dr ii the two never could meet without a discharge of the oppo site electricities


digo had it is true come osten sibly on a mere worldly errand from his mistress to mrs marvyn who had promised to send her some turkeys eggs but he had inly resolved with him self that he would give candaco his opinion that is what dr stiles had said at dinner the day before about dr hs sunday discourse


dr stiles had not heard it but digo had


he had felt it due to the responsibilities of his position to be present on bo very important an occasion


therefore after receiving his eggs be opened hostilities by remarking in a general way


that ha had attended the doctors preaohing on sunday and that there was quite a crowded heusc


candace immediately began mentally to bristle her feathera like a hen who sees a hawk in the distance and re sponded with deoision den you heard eometin for once ia your life


i i must say said digo with suavity dat i oanfc give my proval to such sentiments


more shumo for you said candacc grimly


you a man and not stau by your oolor aud flunk under to mean white ways


kf you was half a man your heart would a bounded like aoanuou ball at dat ar sermon


dr stiles and me we talked it over aftor church said digo and de doctor was of my pinion dat providence didno intend


oh you go long wid your providence i giiflsa ef white folks had lot us alone providence wouldnt trouble us


well said digo dr stiles is clear dat dia yers a fulfillin de propheoies and bringln iu do fulness of do gentiles


fulness of de fiddlesticks said can dace irreverently


now what u way dat ar is of talkiul go look at ono o dem ship we come over in sweatin and groanin in de dark and dirt oryin aud dyin howlin for breath till de sweat run off ub livin and dead chained together prayin like de rich man in hell for a drop o water to cool our tongues


call dat ar abringin dp fulness of de gentiles do yo t ugh


and candace ended with a guttural howl and stood frowning and gloomy over the top of her long kitohenbhovel like a black bellona leaning oa her spear of battle digo recoilcd a littlo but stood too well in his own esteem to give up so he bhifted hia attack


well for my part i must say i never was clined to your doctors pinions


why now dr stiles says notin couldnt be more ab surd dan what ho says bout disinterested benevo lence


my dootor says dore ant no such ting


i should tink its likely


said candace draw ing herself up with superb disdain


our doctor knows dere it and why i cause hes gstitin here said she giving her ample ohest a knock whioh resounded like tne boom from a barrel


candace said cato gently youa gettln too hot


cato you shut up baid candace turning sharp round


what did i make you dat ar flip for cept you was so hoarse you oughtn for to say a word


pootty business you go to agitatin your belf wid dose yer


ef you wear out your poor old throat talkin you may det de sumption and dea whatd become o me


cato thus lovingly pitohed hors de combit sipped the sweetened cup in quietness of eoui while candace returned to the oharge


now i tell ye what bhe said to digo jest cause you wear your masters old coats and hats you tink you must go in for all dese yer old mean white pinions


ant yo shamed you a blaok man to have no more pluck and make cause wid de egyptians


now tant what my dootor gives me he never giv me the snip of a fingernail but its what he does for mine and when de poor critturs lands dar tumbled out like bales on de wharves hant dey seen his great cocked hat like a lighthouse and his big eyes lookin sort o pitiful at em as ef he felt o ono blood wid em


why de very looks of de man is worth everyting and who ever thought o doin any ting for der bouls or oared ef dey hadsouls till ho begun it


well at any rate said digo brightening up i dont believe his doctrine about de doings of de unregenerate its quite clear hes wrong dar


who cares said candaoe generate or un regenerate its all one to me


i believe a man dat acts as he does


him as stands up for de poor him as pleads for de weak hes my man


ill believe straight through anything hes a mind to put at me


at this juncture marys fair face appearing at the door put a stop to the discussion


bress you miss mary


comin hero like a fresh june rose i it makes a bodys eyes dance in deir head


come right in


i got cato up from do lot cause hes rader poorly dis mornin his oough makes mo a sight o conoern hes allers apullin off his jaoket de wrong time or doin sometin i tell him not to and it just keeps him hack haok haokin all de time


during this speech cato stood meekly bowing feeling that he was being apologisod for in the boat possible manner foe long years of instruction had fixed the idea in his mind that he was an ignorant sinner who had not the smallest notion how to conduot himself in this world and that if it wero not for his wifes distinguishing grace he would long since hare been in the shades of oblivion


missis is spinnin up in de north ohamber said candaoe but ill run up and fetch her down


candace who was about tho size of a puncheon was fond of this familar manner of representing her mode of ascending the stairs but mary sup pressing a smile said oh no candace dou t lor tlie world disturb ber


i know just whore sho is


and beforo candace oould stop har marys light foot was on tho top step of the staircase that led up from tho kitchen


the north room was a largo ohamber overlook ing a splendid reach of sea prospect


a moving panorama of blue water and gliding bails was ue rolled beforo its three windows so that stepping iu to tho room gave ono an instant and breeey sense of expansion


mrs marvyn was standing at the large wheel spinning wool a reel aud basket of spools on her side


her large brown eyes had an eager joy in them when mary entered but they seemed to calm down again und she received her only with that placid sincere air which wab har habit


everything about this woman bbowed an ardent soul repressed by timidity and by a certain dumbness in the faoulties of outward expression but her eyes had at times that earnest appealing language whioh is so pathetio in the silenoe of in ferior animals


ono sometimes sees such eyes and wonders whether the story they intimate will ever be spoken in mortal language


mary began eagerly detailing to her all that bad interested her sinoa they last met the party her acquaintance with burr his visit to the oottage his inquiries into hor education and reading and finally the proposal that they should study frenoh together


my dear said mrs marvyn let us begin at once suoh an opportunity is not to bo lost


i studied a little with tames when he was last at home


with james p said mary with an air of timid uyeg


the dear boy has become what i nover expected quite a student


he employs all his spare time now in reading and studying tha second mate is a frenchman and james has got so that he can both speak and read


ha is studying spanibh too


barnaby rudge


chapter xxxv


when john willet saw that the horsemen wheeled smartly round and drew up three abreast in the narrow road waiting for him and his man to join them it occurred to him with unusual precipitation that they must be highwaymen and had hugh been armed with a blunderbuss in place of his stout cudgel he would certainly have ordered him to fire it off at a venture and would while the word of command was obeyed have consulted his own per sonalsafety in immediate flight


under the cir cumstances ofdisadvantage however in which he and hisguard were placed he deemed it prudent to adopt a different style of generalship and therefore whispered his attendant to address them in the most peaceable and courteous terms


by way of acting up to the spirit and letter of this instruction hugh stepped forward and flourishing his staff before the very eyes of the rider nearest to him demanded roughly what he andhis fellows meant by so nearly galloping over them and why they scoured the kings highway at that late hour of night


the man whom he addressed was beginning an angry reply in the same strain when he was checked by the horseman in the centre who interposing with an air of authority inquired in a somewhat loud but not harsh or unpleasant voice pray is this the london road


if you follow it right it is replied hugh roughly


nay brother said the same person l youre hbut a churlish englishman if englishman you be which i should much doubt but for your tongue


your compaonion i am sure will answerme more civilly


how say you friend


i i say it is the london road sir answered john


and i wish he added in a subdued voice as lie turned to hugh that you was in any other road you


vagabond


are you tired of your life sir that yo go


atrying to provoke three neck or nothing chaps that could keep on running over us backards and forards till we was dead and then tale our bodies up behind em and drown us ten miles off


how far is it to london inquired the same speaker


why from here sir answered john persua sively its thirteen very easy mile


the adjective was thrown in as an inducement to the travellers to ride away with all speed but instead of having the desired effect it elicited from the same person the remark thirteen miles


i thats a long distance i which was followed by a short pause


of indecision


pray said the gentleman are there any inns hiereabouts


at te word inns john plucked up his spirit in a surprising manner


his fears rolled off like smoke all the landlord stirred within him


there are no inns rejoined mr willet with a strong emphasis on the


plural number but theres a innone innthe maypole inn


thats a infin indeed


you wont seethe like of that inn often


you keepit perhaps said the horseman smiling


idosir replied john greatly wondering how he had found ihis out


and how far is the maypole from here p


about a milejohn was going to add that it was the easiest mile in all the world when the third rider who had hitherto kept a little in the rear suddenly interposed and you have one excellent bed landlord


hlem i


a bed that youcan recommend a bed that you are sure is well aired abed that has been slept in by some perfectly respectable and unexception


able person


we dont take ii no tagrag and bobtail at our house sir answered john


and as to the bed itself say as to three beds interposed the gentleman who had spoken before for we shall want three if


e stay though my friend only speaks of one


no no my lord you are too good you are too kind but your life is of far too much im portance to the nation in these portentous times to be placed on a level with one so poor a mine


a great cause my lord a mighty cause depends on you


you are its leader and its champion its advanced guard and its van


it is the cause of our altaisr and our homes our country and our faith


let me sleep on a chair the carpet anywhere


no one will repine if i take cold or fever


let john grueby pass the night beneath the open sky no one will repine for him


but forty thousand men of this our island in the wave exclusive of women and children rivet their eyes and thoughts on lord george gordon and every day from the rising up of the sun till the going down of the sane pray for his health and vigour


my lord said the speaker rising in his stirrups it is a glorious cause and must not be forgotton


my lord it is a mighty cause and must not be endangered


my


lord it is a holy cause and must not be deserted


lt is a holy cause exclaimed his lordship lifting up his hlat with great solemnity


amen john grueby said thelongwinded gentleman in a tone of mild reproof his lordship said amen


i heard my lord sir said the man sitting like astatue on his horse


and do not yaou say amen likewise


to which john grueby made no reply at all but sat looking straight befote him


you surprise me grueby said the gentleman


at a crisis like the present when queen elizabeth that maidin imonarch weeps within her tomb and bloody mary with a brow of gloom and shadow sialks triumphant oh sir cried the man gruffly wheres the use of taiking of bloody mary under such circum astanees as the present when my lords wet through and tired with hard rlding


lets either go on to london sir or put up at once or that unfortnate bloody mlary willhave more to answer forand shes done a deal more harm in her grave thian she ever did in her life time i believe by this time mr willet who had never heard so many words spoken togetherat one time or delivered with such volubility and emphasis as by the longwinded gentleman and whose brain being wtholly unable to sustain or compass them had quite given itself up for lost recovered so far as to observe thai there was ample accommodation at the maypole for all time party good beds neat wvines excellent entertainment for man and beast private rooms for large and small parties dinners dressed upon the shortest notice choice stabling and a lockup coach house and in short to runover such re commendatory scraps of language as were painted up on various portions of the building and whichh in the course of some forty years he had learnt to repeat with tolerable correctness


he was considering whether it was at all possible to insert any novel sentences to the same putpose when the gentlemnan who had spoken flrstturnlog to him of the long wind exclaimed wlhat say yoi


gashford l


shall we tarry at this house hie speaks of or press forward


you shall decide


i would submit my lord then returned the personhe appealed to in a silky tone that your health and spiritsso important under providence to our great cause our pure and truthful cause here his lordship pulled off his hat again though it was raining hardrequire refreshment and repose


go on before landlord and show the way said lord george gordon we will follow at a footpace


if youll give me leave my lord said john grueby in a low voice ill change my proper place and ride before you


the looks of the land lords friend are not over lionest and it may be as well to be cautious with him


john grueby is quite right


interposed mr gashford falling back hastily


my lord a life so precious as yours must not be put in peril


go forward john by all means


if you have any reason to suspect the fellow blow his brains out


john made no answer but looking straight before him as his custom seemed to be when the secretary spoke bade hugh push on and followed close behind him


then came his lordship with mr willet at his bridle rein and last of all his lord ships secretary for that it seemed was gash fords ofice


hugh strode briskly on often looking back at the servant whose horse was close upon his heels and glancing with a leer at his holster case of pistols by which ihe seemed to set great store


he was a squarebuilt strongmade bullnecked fellow of the true english breed and as hugh measured him with his eye he measured hugh regarding him meanwhile with a look of bluff disdain


he was much older than the maypole man being to all appearance fiverandforty but was one of those selfpossessed hardheaded imperturbable follows who if they ever are beat at fistycuffs or other kind of warfare never know it and go on coolly till they win


if i led you wrong now said hugh tauntingly youdha ha ha lyoud shoot me through the head i suppose


john grueby took no more notice of this remark than if he had been deaf and hugh dumb but kept riding on quite comfortably with his eyes fixed on the horizon


did you ever try a fall with a man when you were young master said hugh


can you make any play at singlestick


john grueby looked at him sideways with the same contented air but deigned not a word in answer


like this said hugh giving his cudgel one of those skilful flourishes in which the rustie of that time delighted


whoop l or that returned john orueby beating down his guard with his whip and striking him on the head with its butt end


yes i played a little once


you wear your hair too long i should have crackedyour crown if it had been a little shorter


it was a pretty smart loudsounding rap as it was and evidently astonished hugh who for the moment seemed disposed to drag his new acquaint


ance from his saddle


but his face betokening neither malice triumph rage nor any lingering idea that he had given him offence his eyes gazing so steadily in the old direction and his manner


being as careless and composed as if helhad merely brushed away a fly hugh was so puzzled and so disposed to look upon him as a fellow of supernatural toughness that ihe merely laughed and cried well done i then sheering off a little led the way in silence


before the lapse of many minutes the party halted at the maypole door


lord george and his secre tary quickly dismounting gave their horses to their servant who under the guidance of hugh repaired to the stables


right glad to escape from the inclemency of the night they followed mr willet into the common room and stood warming them


selves and drying their clothes before the cheerful fire while he busied himself with such orders and preparations as his guests high quality required


as he bustled in and out of the room intent on these arrangements he had an opportunity of observing the two travellers of whom as yet he knew nothing but the voice


the lord the great personage who did the maypole so much honour was about the middle height of a slender make and sallow complexion with an aquiline nose and long hair of a reddish brown combed perfectly straight and smooth about his ears and slightly powdered but without the faintest vestige of a curl


he was attired under his greatcoat ina full suit of black quite free from any ornament and of the most pre cise and sober cut


the gravity of his dress together with a certain lankness of cheek and stiff ness of deportment added nearly ten years to his age but his figure was that of one not yet past thirty


as he stood musing in tihe red glow of the fire it was striking to observe his very bright large eye which betrayed a restlessness of thought and purpose singularly at variance with the studied composure and sobriety of his mien and with his quaint and sad apparel


it had nothing harsh or cruel in its expression neither had his face which was thin and mild and wore an air of melancholy but it was suggestive of an indefinable uneasiness which infected those who looked upon him and filled them with a kind of pity for the man though why it did so they would have had some trouble to explain


gashford the secretary was taller angularly made high shouldered bony and ungraceful


his dress in imitation of his superior was demure and staid in the extreme his manner formal and con strained


this gentleman had an overhanging brow great hands feet and ears and a pair of eyes that seemed to have made ab unnatural retreat into his head and to have dug themselves a cave to hide in


his manner was smooth and humble but very sly and slinking


hie wore the aspect of a man who was always lying in wait for something that toouldnt come topass but lte looked patientvery patient and fawned like a spaniel dog


even now while he warmed and rubbed his hands before the blaze hie had the air of one who only presumed to enjoy it in his degree as a commoner and though he knew his lord was not regarding him he looked into his face from time to time and with a meek and de ferential inanner smiled as if from practice


such were the guests whom old john willet witht a fixed andleaden eye surveyed a hiundred times and to whom he now advanced with a state candle stick in each hand beseeching them to follow him into a worthier cihamber


for my lord said jolhnit is odd enough but certain people seem to have as a great a pleasure in pronouncing titles as their owneis hiave in wearing them this room my lord isnt at all tile sort of place for your lord ship and i have to beg your lordships pardon for keeping you here my lord one minute


with this address john ushered them up stairs into the stateapartmentl which like many other things of state was dold and comfortless


their own footsteps reverberating through the spacious reoom struck upon thieir hearing with a hollow sound and its damp and chilly atmosphere was rendered doubly cheerless by contrast with the homely warmth they had deserted


it was of no use however to propose a return to the place they had quitted for the preparations a went on so briskly that there was no time to stop c them


john with the tall candlesticks in his a hands bowed them up to the fireplace hugh b striding in with a lighted brand and pile of fire


wood cast it down upon the hearth and set it in a ti blaze john grueby who had a great blue cockade s in his hat which be appeared to despise mightily v brought in the portmanteau he had carried on his to horse andplaced it on the floor and presently all three were busily engaged in drawing out the screen laying the cloth inspecting the beds lighting fires ti in the bedrooms expediting theiupper and making c everything as cosy and as snug as might be on so a short a notice


in less than an hours time supper had been served and ate and cleared away and h lord george and his secretary with slippered feet u and legs stretched out before the fire sat over some hot mulled wine together


so ends my lord said gashford filling his glass with great complacency the blessed work of a most blessed day


to and of a blessed yesterday said his lordship raising his head


ti al


and here the secretary clasped his hands a blessed yesterday indeed i the pro s testants of suffolk are godly men and true


though others of our countrymen have lost their way in g darkness even as we my lord did lose our road to to night theirs is the light and glory


did i move them gashford said lord


george


h move them my lord i move them


they a cried to be led on against the papists they vowed a d dreadful vengeance on their heads they roared like k men possessed but not by devils said his lord


by devils i my lord i by angels


tl yesoh surelyby angels no doubt said a lord george thrusting his hands into his pockets taking them out again to bite his nails and looking uncomfortably at the fire


of course by angels eh gashford


you do not doubt it my lord said the secretary


nono returned his lord


no


why i should i


i suppose it would be decidedly irre ligious to doubt it


wouldnt it gashford


though there certainly were he added without waiting for an answer some plaguy illlooking characters ti among them


when you warmed said the secretary looking ti sharply at the others downcast eyes which bright


b ened slowly as he spoke when you warmed into t that noble outbreak when you told them that you were never of the lukewarm or the timid tribe and bade them take heed that they were prepared to follow one who would lead them on though to the very death when you spoke of a hundred and h twenty thousand men across the scottish border who c would take their own redress at any time if it were ii notconceded when you cried perish the pope and c all his base adherents the penal laws against them a shall never be repealed while englishmen have hearts and handaand waved your own and c touched your sword and when they cried no popery


and you cried no not even if we wade in blood and they threw up their hats and cried hurrah


not even if we wade in blood no ti popery


lord george


down with the papists a vengeance on their heads when this was said and a done and a word from you my lord could raise or a still the tumult ah


then i felt what greatness was indeed and thought when was there ever power ni likoethis of lord george gordons


its a great power


youre right


it is a great a power i he cried with sparkling eyes


but dear ii gashford did i really say all that v and how much more i cried the secretary ii looking upwards


ah i how much more


and i told them what you say about the one t hundred and forty thousand men in scotland did i he asked with evident delight


that was c bold


a our cause is boldness


truth is always bold


a certainly


so is religion


shes bold gash ford the true religion is my lord


and thats ours ite rejoined moving uneasily i in his seat and biting his nails as though he would pair them to the quick


there can be no doubt r of ours being the true one


you feel as certain of e that as i do gashford dont you does my lord ask mse whined gashford draw a ing his chair nearer with an injured air and laying a his broad flat hand upon the table me ie re peated bending the dark hollows of his eyes upon i him with an unwholesome smile who stricken by the magic of his eloquence in scotland but a year ago abjured the errors of the romish church and clung to him as one whosetimnely hand had plucked me from a pit true


no no


ii didnt mean it replied i the other shaking him by the hand rising from his seat and pacing restlessly about the room


its a proud thing to lead the people gashford he added as he made a sudden halt


by force of reason too replied thie pliant secretary


ay to be sure


they may cough and jeer and groan in parliament and call me fool and mad man but which of them can raise this human sea i t and make it swell and roar at pleasure


not one


not one repeated gashford


ii which of them can say for his honesty what i i can say for minewhich of them has refused a ia ministers bribe of one thousand pounds a year to resign his seat in favour of another


a not one repeated gashford again taking the fa lions share of the mulled wine between ivhiles


and as we are honest true and in a sacred p cause gashford said lord george with a height i


d ened colour and in a louder voice as he laid his fi fevered hand upon his shoulder and are the only i h men who regard the mass of people out of doors or are regarded by them we will uphold them to the last and will raise a cry against these unenglish f papists which shall reecho through the country and r roll with a noise likle thunder


i will beworthy of a the motto on my coat of arms called and chosen and faithful


a called said the secretary by lieaven


hi i am


chosen by the people


yes li faithful to both


a to the block i it would be diflcult toconvey an adequate idea ofthe excited manner in which he gave these answers to thle secretarys promptings of the rapidity of his ii utterance or the violence of his tonhe and gesture in i which struggling through his puritans demeanour p was somethitg wild and ungovernable whicl broke f through all restraint


for some minutes he walked a rapidly up and down the room then stopping sud


denly exclaimed a gashford you moved them yesterday too


oh


yes i you did


i shone with a reflected light my lord replied a the humble secretary laying his hand upon his heart


i did msy best


you did well said his master and are a great and worthy instrument


if you will ring for john grueby to carry the portmanteau into my soom and will wait here while i undress we will dispose of i business as usual if youre not too tired


too tired mny lord


but this is his considera b tion


i christian from head to foot


with which g soliloquy the secretary tilted the jug and looked i very hard into the mulled wine to see how much a remained


john willet and john grueby appeared together


l the one bearing the great candlesticks and the other a the portmanteau showed the deluded lord into his chamber and left the secretary alone to yawn and i shake himself and finally to fall asleep before the fire


t now mr gasbhford sir said john grueby in i his ear after what appeared to him a moment of unconsciousness my lords abed


oh very good john was his mild reply


thank you john


nobody need sit up


i know my room


i hope youre not a going to trouble your head tonight or my lords head neither with anything more about bloody mary said john


i wish the blessed old creetur had never been born


i said you might go to bed john returned the secretary


you didnt hear me i think


between bloody marys and blue cockades and glorious queen besses and on poperys and pro testant associations and making of speeches pur sued john grueby looking as usual a long way off and taking no notice of this hint ny lords half off his head


when we go out of doors such a set of ragamuffins comesa shouting after us gor don forever


that im ashamed of myself and dont know where to look


when were in doors they come a roaring and screaming about the house like so many devils and my lord instead of ordering them to be drove away goes out into the balcony and demeans himself by making speeches to em and calls em men of england and fellow


countrymen as if he was fond of em and thanked em for coming


i cant make it out but theyre all mixed up somehow or another with that unfortnate bloody mary and call her name out till theyre hoarse


theyre all protestants tooevery man and boy among em and protestants is very fond of spoons i find and silver plate in general whenever areagates is left open accidentally


i wish that was tihe worst of it and that no more harm might be to come but if you dont atop these ugly customers in time mr gashford and i know you youre the man that blows the fire


youll find em grow a little bit too strong for you


one of these evenings when the weather gets warmer and protestants are thirsty theyll be pulling london downand i never heerd that bloody mary went as far as that


gashford had vanished long ago and these remarks had been bestowed on empty air


not at all dis composed by the discovery john grueby fixed his hat on wrong side foremost that he might be un conscious of the shadow of the obnoxious cockade and withdrew to bed shaking his head in a very gloomy and prophetic manner until he reached his chamber


chapter xxxvi


gashford with a smiling face but still with looks of profound deference and humility betook himself towards his masters room smoothing his hair down as he went and humming a psalm tune


as he approached lord georges door he cleared his throat and hummed more vigorously


there was a remarkable contrast between this mans occupation at the moment and the expression of his countenance which was singularly repulsive and malicious


his beetling brow almost obscured his eyes his lip was curled contemptuously his very shoulders seemed to sneer in stealthy whisper


ings with his great flapped ears


hush i he muttered softly as he peeped in at the chamber door


he seems to be asleep


pray heaven he is i too much watching too much care too much thought


ah i lord preserve him for a martyr


i he is a saint if ever saint drew breath on this bad earth


placing his light upon a table he walked on tiptoe to the fire and sitting in a chair before it with his back towards the bed went on communing with himself like one who thought aloud the saviour of his country and his countrys religion the friend of his


poor countrymen the enemy of the proud and harsh beloved of the re jected and oppressed adored by forty thousand bold and loyal english heartswhat happy slumbers his should bel and here he sighed and warmed his hands and shook his head as men do when their hearts are full and heaved another sighland warmed his hands again


why gashford said lord george who was lying broad awake upon his side anid had been staring at him from his entrance


mymy lord said gashford starting and looking round as though in great surprise


i have disturbed you i have not been sleeping


not sleeping he repeated with assumed con fusion


what can i say for having in your preo


sence given utterance to thoughtsbut they were sincerethey were sincere


exclaimed the secre tary drawing his sleeve in a hasty way across his eyes and why should i regret your having heard them gaashford said the poor lord stretchling out his hand with manifest emotion


do not regret it


you love me well i knowtoo well


i dont de serve such homage


gashford made no reply but grasped the hand i and pressed it to his lips


then rising and taking from the trunk a little desk he placed it on a table near the fire unlocked it with a key he carried in his pocket sat down before it took out a pen and before dipping it in the inkstand sucked itto compose the fashion of his mouth perhaps on which a smile was hovering yet


how do our numbers stand since lastlenrolling nightl inquired lord george


are we really forty thousand strong or do we still speak in round numbers when we take the association at that amount


our total now exceeds that number by a score and three gash ford replied casting his eyes upon his papers


the funds not vwery improving but there is some manna in the wvildernoss my lord


heml on friday night the widows mites dropped in


forty sea vengers three and fourpenee


an aged pew opener of st martins parish sixpence


a bellringer of the established church sixponce


a protesant infant newly born one halfpenny


the united link boys three shillingsone bad


the anti popish prisoners in newgate five andfourpence


a friend in bedlam halfacrown


dennis the hang man one shilling


that dennls said his lordship is an earnest man


i markedhim in the crowd in welbeckstreet last friday


a good man rejoined the secretary a staunch sincere and truly zealous man


lie should be encouraged said lord george make a note of dennis


ill talk with him gashford obeyed and went on reading from his list the friends of religion halfaguinea


the friends of liberty halfaguinea


the friends of peace halfaguinea


the friends of charity halfaguinea


the friends of mercy halfa guinea


the associated rememberers of bloody mary halfaguinea


the united bull dogs half a guinea


the united bull dogs said lord george biting his nails most horribly are a new society are they not


formerly the prentice knights my lord


the indentures of the old members expiring by degrees they changed their name it seems though they still have prentices among them as well as workmen


what is their presidents name inquired lord george


president said gashford reading mr simon tappertit i remember him


the little man who some times brings an elderly sister to our meetings and sometimes another female too who is conscientious i have no doubt but not wellfavoured the very same my lord


tappertit is an earnest man said lord george thoughtfully


eli gashford one of the foremost among them all my lord


he snuffs the battle from afar like the war horse


he throws his hat up in the street as if he were inspired and makes most stirring speeches from the shoulders of his friends


make a note of tappertit said lord george gordon


we may advance him to a place of trust


that rejoined the secretary doing as he was told is all except mrs vardens box fourteenth time of opening seven shillings and sixpence in silver and copper and half a guinea in gold and miggs being tihe saving of a quarters wages one and threepence


miggs said lord george


is that a man


the name is entered on the list as a woman replied the secretary


i think she is the tall spare fereoileof whom you spoke just now my lord as not being well favoured who sometimes comes tohear the speeches along with tappertit and mrs varden


mrs varden is the elderly lady then is she


the secretary nodded and rubbed the bridge of his nose with the feather of his pen


she is a zealous sister said lord george


her collection goes on prosperously and is pur sued with fervour


has her husband joined


a malignant returned the secretary folding up his papers


unworthy such a wife


he re mains in outer darkness and steadily refuses


the consequences be upon his own head i gashford


my lord i you dont think lie turned restlessly in his bed as he spoke these people will desert me when the hour arrives


i have spoken boldly for them ven tured much suppressed nothing


theyll not fall off will they


no fear of that my lord said gashford with a meaning look which was rather the involuntary expression of his own thoughts than intended as any confirmation of his own words for the others face was turned away


be sure there is no fear of that


nor he said with a more restless motion than before of theirbut they can sustain no harm from leaguing for this purpose


right is on our side though might be against us


you feel as sure of that as ihonestly you do


the secretary was beginning with you do not doubt when the other intersupted him and impa tiently rejoined doubt


no


who says i doubt if i doubted should i cast away relatives friends everything for this unhappy countrys sake this unhappy country he cried springing tp in bed after repeating the phrase unhappy countrys sake to himself at least a dozen times forsaken of god and man delivered over to a dangerous confederacy of popish powers the prey of corruption idolatry and despotism l who says i doubt


am i called and chosen and faithful


tell me


am i oram i not to god the country and yourself cried gashford


i am


i will


i say again i will be to the block


who says as much i do you does any man alive


i the secretary drooped his head with an expression of perfect acquiescence in anything that had been said or might be and lord george gradually sink


ing down upon his pillow fell asleep


although there was something very ludicrous in his vehement manner taken in conjunction with his meagre aspect and ungraceful presence it would scarcely have provoked a smile in any man of kindly feeling or even if it had lie would have felt sorry and almost angry with himself next moment for yielding to the impulse


this lord was sincere in his violence and in his wavering


a nature prone to false enthusiasm and the vanity of being a leader were the worst qualities apparentin his composition


all the rest was weakness sheer weakness and it is the unhappy lot of thoroughly weak men that their very sympathies affections confidences all the qualities which in better constituted minds are virtues dwindle into foibles or turn into downright vices


gashford with many a sly look towards the bed sat chuckling at his masters folly until his deep and heavy breathing warned him that he might retire


locking his desk and replacing it within the trunk but not before he had taken from a secret lining two printed handbills he cautiously withdrew looking back as he went at the pale face of the slum bering man above whose head the dusty plumes that crowned the maypole couch waved drearily aid sadly as though it were a bier


stopping on the staircase to listen that all was quiet and to take off his shoes lest his footsteps should alarm any light sleeper who might be near at hand le descended to the ground floor and thrust one of his bills beneath the great door of the house


that done he crept softly back to his own chamber and fromnt the window let another fall carefully wrappedround a stone to save it from the wind into the yard below


they wereoaddressed on the back to every pro testant into whose hands thiis shall come and bore within whlat follows men and brethrenwho


ever shall find thisa letter will take it as a warning to join without delay the friends of lord george gordon


there are great events at hand and the time are dangerous and troubled


read this care fully keep it cleanand drop it somewhere else


for king and country union


more seed more seed said gashford as ihe closed the window


when will the harvest come to be continued


then durability of the oak


the durability oef the oak may be known from the fact that the throne of edward the confessor is yearsi old i one of the oaken coronation cliairs has been in its present situation in westminster abbey about years and the oldest wooden bridge of which we have an account is of oak it is that famous for its defence by heratius cocles and which eaisted at rome n years before christ


s barlnaby rudge


the thoughts of wlvldly inen ate for ever regulated by a moeral law


f gravitaiono whichlike the physical one holds them down to earth


the bright glory of day and the silent wondersof astatlit night appeal to their minds in vain


tqre are no asigns in the sun airin the moonor in the stal for their reading


they age liko some wise men who learningto know each planet by itslaiiinrnie have quite forgotten sich small


heavenly constellations as charity


for bearance universal love and mercy although they shine by night and day so brightly that the blind may see them and who looking upward at the spangled sky see nothingtliero but the reflection of their own great wisdom and booklearning


it is curious to imagine these people of the world busy in thought turning their eyes towards the countless spheres that shine above us and making them reflect the only images their minds contain


the man who lives bit in the breath of princes has nothing in his sight but stars for courtiers breasts


the envious man beholds his neighbours honours evenin the sky to the moneyhoarder and the mass of worldly folk the whole great universe above glit ters with sterling coinfresh from the mintstamped with the sovereigns headcoming always between them and heaven turn where they may


so do the shadows of our own desires stand between us and our better angels and thus their brightness is eclipsed


everything wa fresh and gay as though the world were bhut that morning made when mr chester rode at a tranquil pace along the forest road


though early in the seison it was warm and genial weather the trees were budding into leaf the hedges and the grass were green the air was musical with songs of birds andhigh absove them all the lark poured out her richest melody


in shady spots the morning dew sparkled on each young leaf and blade of grass and where the sun was shining some diamond drops yet glistened brightly as in unwillingness to leave so fair a world and have such brief existence


even the light whid whose rustling was as gentle to the ear as softlyfalling water had its hope and promise andleaving a pleasant fragrance in its track as it went fluttering by whispered of its intercourse with summer and of his happy coming


the solitary rider went glancing on among the trees from sunlightinto shade and back again at the same even pacelooking about him certainly from time to time but with no greater thought of the day or the scene through which he moved than that he was fortunate being choicely dressed to have such favourable weather


he smiled very complacently at such times but rather ast he were satisfied with himself than with anything else aqd so went riding on upon his chestnut cob as pleasant to look upon as


his own hore and probably far less sensitive to the many ieerfl influences by which he was sur sgrundeif in courseof time the mraypoles massive chimneys rose tiodn his view


but he quickened not his pace onie jot and with the same cool gravity rode up to thetavern porch


john willet who was toasting his red face before a great fire in the bar and who with surpassiogforesight and quickness of apprehen sion hba been thinking as lie looked at the blue sky that ifi at state of things lasted much longer it ight ultimately become necessary to leave off fires and throw the windows open issued forth to hold his stirrup calling lustily for hugh oh youve here are you sir said john


rather surprised by the quickness with which ha appeared


take this hlerevaluable animal into the stable and have more than particular care of him if you want to keep yodr place


a mortal lasy fellow sir he needs a deal of looking after


but you have a son returned mr chester


giving his bridle to hugh as be dismounted and acknowledging his salute by a careless motion of his hand towards his bat


why dont you make him useful why the truth is sir replied john with great importance


that my sonwhat youre a listening are


you villain whos listening returned tughb angrily


a treiat indeed to ear gou speak i would


you hate te take him in till hes cool walk him up and down further off then sir ried old jcho and when you see me and a noble gentleman entertaining ourselves with talk keep your distance


if you dont know your distance sir added mr wllet after an enormously long pause during which he fixed his great dull eyes on hugh and waited with exemplary patience for any little propeify in the way of ideas that might be coming to him well find a way to teach you pretty soon


hugh shrugged his shoulders scornfully and in his reckless swaggering way crossed to the other side of the little green and there with the bridle slung loosely over his shoulder led the horse to and fro glancing at his master every now and then from under his bushy eyetrows with as sinister an aspect aone would desire to see


mr chester who without appearing to do so had eyed him attentively during this brief dispute stepped into the porch and turning abruptly to mr willet said you keep strange servants john


strange enough to look at sir certainly an swered the host but out of doors for horses dogs and the like of that there aut a better man in england than is that sleypole hugh yonder


he ant fit for indoors added ar


wvillet with the confidential air of a man who felt his own superior nature i do that but if that chap had only a little psiagioation sir hes an active fellow now i dare swear said mr chester


in a musing tone which seemed to suggest that he would have said the same had there enn nobody to hear him


active sir retorted john with qugte an ex pression in his face that chap


hallo there you sir


bring that horse here and go sad hang mny wig on the weathercock to show this gentleman whether youre one of the lively sort or not


hugh made no answer but throwing the bridle to his master and snatching his wig from his head in a manner so unceremonious and hasty that the action discomposed mr willet not a little though iperformed at his own special desire climbed nimbly to the very summit of the maypole before the house and hanging the wig upon the weathercock sent it wirling round like a roastins jack


having achierved this performance he cast at on the ground and liding down toe pole with incooceisable rapidity alighted on his feet almost as soon as it had touched the earth


there sir said joho relapsing into his usual stolid state you wont see that at many houses besides the maypole where theres good accommo ation for manand beastnor that neither though hat with him is nothing


stbhis last remark bore reference to his vaulting on horseback as upon mr chestens first visit and quickly disappearing by the stable gate


that with him s nothing repeated mr willet brushing his wig with his wrist and inwardly re olviig to distsibute a small charge for dust and damageso to hat article of dress throcgh the various items of his guests bill hell get out of amost any ainder in the house


themre never was such a chap for flinging himself about oand never hurting his bones


its my opinion sir thbt its pretty rearly all owing to his not having any imagination rand that if imagination could be wbhich it cant knocked into bhm hed never be able to do it any more


but we was a talking sir about my son


true willet true said his visitror turning again towards the landlord with his accustomed serenity of face


my good friend what about bim n it has been reported that mr willet previously to ronking answer winked but as be never was known to be guilty of such lightness of conduct ither before or afterwards this may be looked upon a as malicious oinvention of his enemies founded peshaps upon the undisputed circumstance of his auking bhis guest bythe third breast button of bis coatcounting downwards from theb chin and pouring his reply into hisear


sir whispxvdjoha


with dignity i koow amyduty


we want e cloaemnking hemre sir un beknown to parenta i respecta certain yonog gentleman taking him in the light of a younoag gen tleman i respect a certain young lady taking her ito the light oat a yoeeng lady but of the two as a couple i have no knowledge sir dnoewhaterate


my son sir is upon his patrole


i thought i saw him lookirg through the corner window bat this momeotsaid mr chester who naturally thought that being on patrole implied walking about somewhere


s np doubt you did sir retlured jola


he is upon his patrole of honour sir not to leave the premises


l


e anod some friends of mine thatuse bthe mlaypole of an eveninog sir considered what was beat to be done with him to prevent his doing aony is


launpleasant in oppoaeg your desires and weve yeatam on his parle


and whats more ir he wont be off his patrole for a pretty long time to come i can tell you that


when he had communicated this bright idea whicrh had had its otigin in the pequsal by the village


cronies of a newspaper containing among other matters an account of how some ltffcerpending the saentence of some court martial had been enlarged on parole mr willet drew back from shis guests ear and without any visible alteration of feature chuckled thrice aedthly


this nearest approach to a laugh in whicli hie ever indulged and that but seldom and onlyon extreme occasions never even curled his lip or effected the smallest change inno not so much as h slight wagging ofhis great fat double chin whichs at these times as at all others remained a perfect desert in the broad map of his face one changeless dull tremendous blank


lest it should be matter of surprise to any that mr willet adopted ibis bold course in opposition to one idlom he had often entertained and who had always paid his way at the maypole gallantly it may be remarked that it was his very penetration and sagacity in this respect which occasioned him to indulge in those unusual demonstrations of jocularity just now recorded for filr


willet after carefully balancing father and son in his mentalthales had arrived at the distinct conclusion that the old gen tleman was a better sort of customer than the young one


throwing his landlord into the same scale which was already turned by this consideration and heaping upon him again his strong desires to run counter to the unfortunate joe and his opposition as a general principle to all matters of love and matrimony it went down to the very ground straight


way and sent the light cause of the younger gen tleman flying upwards to the ceiling


mr chester was not the kind of man to be by any means dim sighted to mr willets notives but he thanked him as graciously as if he had been one of the most disinterested martyrs that ever shone on earth and leaving him with many complimentary reliances on his great taste and judgment to prepare whatever dinner he might deem most fitting the occasion ibnt his steps towards the warren dressed with more than his usual elegance as suming agracefulness of manner which though it was the result of long study sat easily upon him and became him well composing his features into the most serene and prepossessing expjgssion and setting in short that guard upon himself in every point which denoted that he attached no slight im portance to the impression he was about to make he entered the bounds of miss haredales usual walk


he had not gone far or looked about him long when he descried coming towards him a female figure


a glimpse of the form and dress as she crossed a little wooden bridge which lay between them satisfied him thathe had found her whom he desired to see


he threw himself in her way and a very few paces brought them close together


he raised his hat from his head and yielding the path striated her to pass him


then as if the idea had but that moment occurred to him he turned hastily back and said in an agitated voice i beg pardon do i address miss haredale she stopped in some confusion at being so unezx pectedly accosted by a stranger and answered y es


something told me he said looking a com


pliment to her beauty tat it could be no other


miss haredale i bear a name which is not unknown to you which it is a pride and yet a pain to me to know sounds pleasantly in your ears


i am a man advanced in life as you see


i am the father of him whom you honour and distinguish above all other men


may for weighty reasons which fill me with distress beg but a minutes conversation with you here


ho that was inexperienced in deceit and bad a frank and open heart could doubt the speakers truth could doubt it too when the voice that spoke was like the faint echo of one she knew so well and so much loved to hear t


she inclined hier head aidastopping cast her eyes upon the ground


a little more apartamong these trees


it is an old mans hand miss haredale an honest one believe me


she put hers in it as he said these words and suatered him to lead her to a neighbouring seat


you alarm me sir she said in a low voice


you are not the bearer of any ill tews i hope of none that you anticipate he answered sitting down beside her


edsard is wellquite well


it is of him i wish to speak certainly but i have no misfortune to communicate


she bowed her head again and made as though she would have begged him to proceed but sad nothing


i am sensibe that i speak to you at a disad vantage dear fmiss haredale


believe me that i am not so forgetful of the feelings of my younger days as not to know that you are little disposed to view me with favour


you have heard me de scribed as coldhearted calculating sellisb i have never sir


she interposed with an altered manner and a firmer voice i have never heard you spoken of in harsh or disrespectful terms


you do a great wrong to edvards nature if you believe him capable of any mean or base proceel ing


pardon me my sweet young lady but your uncle nor is it my uncles nature either she re plied with a heightened colour in her cheek


it is not his nature to stab in the dark nor is it mice to love such deeds


she rose as she spoke and would have left him but he detained her with a gentle hand and besought her in such persuasive accents to hear hina but another minute that she was easily prevailed on to comply sand so sat down again


and it is said mr chester looking upward and apostrophising the air it is this frank inge nuous noble nature nied that you can wound so lightly


shameshame upon you boy


i


she turned towards hbm quickly and with a scornful look and flashing eyes


there were tears in alr


chesters but he dashed them hurriedly away as though unwilling that his weakness should be known and regarded her with mingled admira tion and compassion


never until now he said believed that the frivolous antions of a young man could move me like these of my own son


i never knew till now the worth oat a womans heart which boys so lightly win and so lightly fling away


trust me dear young lady that i never until now did know your worth and though an abhorrence of deceit and falsehood has impelled me to seek you out and would have done so had you been the poorest and least gifted of your sex should have lacked the fortitude to sustain this interview could i have pic tured you to my imagination as you really are


oh


if mrs varden could have seen the virtu ous gentleman as he said these words with indigoa


iion sparkling from his eyes if she could hare heard his broken quavering voice if she could harebeheld him as he stood bareheaded in the sun light and with unwonted energy poured forth his eloquence i with a hsbaughty face but pale and trembling too emma regarded him in silence


she neither spoke nor moved but gazed upon him as though she would look into his beast


i throw off said mr chester the restraint lhich natural affection would impose on some men and reject all bonds but those of truth and duty


miss hlaredale you are deceived you are deceived by your uniwortthy lover and my unworthy son


still shq looked at him steadily and still said not one word


i bare ever opposed his professions of love for yoa you will do me the justice dear miss hiare dale to remember that


your uncle and myself were enemies in early life and if i had sought re taliation i might bare found it here


but as we grow older we grow wiserbetter i would fain hopeand from the first i have opposed him in this attempt


i foresaw the end and would have spared you if i could


speak plainly sir she faultered


ton de ceive me or are deceived yourslf


i do st believe youi cannoti should not first said mr


chester soothingly for there may be in your mind some latent angry feelinog to which i would not appeal praytake this letter


it reached my hands by chance and by mistake add should have accounted to you as i am told for my sons not answerinog some other ote of yeours


god forbid bliss haredale said the good gentleman with great emotion that there should be in your gentle breast one causeless ground of quarrel with him


you should know and you will see that he was in no fault here


there appeared something so very candid so scrupulously bonoonrable so very truthful and just in this coursesomethig which rendered the up right person who resorted to it so worthy of belief that emmas heart for the irst time suank within her


she turned away and bunrst into tears


i would said mr chester leaning over her andspeaking in mild oand quite venerable accents l would dear girl it were may task to banishs not increase those tokens of your grief


mly son my erring son will not call him deliberately criminal in this for men so young who havebeen inconstant twice or thrice beforeact without reflection almost without a knowledge of the wrong they dowill break his pllgshted faith to you has broken it even now


shall i stop here and having given yguthis warning leave it to be fulfilled or shall i go on


you will go on sir she answered and speak more plainly yet in justice both to him andme


my dear girl said mr ohester bending over her more affectionately still whom i would call my daughter but the fates forbid edward leeks to break with you upon a false and most unwarrantable pretence


i have it on his own showing in his own hand


forgive me if i have had a watch upon his conduct i am his father i had a regard for your peace and his houour and no better resource was left me


there lies on his desk at this moment ready for transmission to you a letter in which he tells you that our povertyour poverty his and mine miss haredale forbids him to pursue his claim upon your hand in which he offers volun tarily proposes to free yon from your pledge and talks magnanimously men do so verycommonly in such cases of being in time more worthy your regardand so forth


a letter to be plain in which he not only jilts youpardon the word would summon to your aid your pride and dignity not only jilts you i fear in favour of the object whose slighting treatment first inspired his briel passion for yourself and gave it birth in wounded vanity but affects to make a merit and a virtue of the act


she glanced proudly at him once more as by an involuntary impulse and with a swelling breast re joined if what you say bq true he takes much needless trouble sir to compass his design


he is very tender of my peace of mind


i quite thank him


the truth of what i tell you dear young lady he replied you will test by the receipt or non receipt of the letter of which i speakharedale my dear fellow i am delighted to see you although we meet under singular circumstances and upon a melancholy occasion


i hope you are vely well


at these words the young lady raisedher eyes which were filled with tears and seeing that her uncle indeed stood before them and being quite unequal to the trial of hearing or of speaking one word nore buriiedly withdrew and left them


they stood looking at each oilier and at iher re treating figure and for a long time neither of them spoke


what does this mean


explain it said mr haredale at length


why are you here and why with her my dear friend rejoined the other resuming his accustomed manner with infinite readinessand throwing himself upon the bench with a weary air you told me not very long ago at that delightful old tavern of which you are the esteemed proprietor and a most charming establishment it is for persons of rural pursuits and in robust health who are not liable to take cold that i had the head and heart of an evil spirit in all matters of deception


i thought at the time i really did think you bstteled me


but now i begin to wonder at your discernment and vanity apart do honesly believe you spoke the truth


did you ever counterfeit extreme ingenuous ness and honest indignatton


my dear fellow you have no conception if you never did bow faint the effort makes one


mr haredale surveyed him with a look of cold contempt


you may evade an explanation i know he said folding his arms


lut i must have it


i can wait ot at all


not at all my good fellow


you shall not wait a moment returned his friend as he lazily crossed his legs


the simplest thing in the world


it lies in a nutshell


ned has written her a lettera boyish honest sentimental composition wshich remains as yet in his desk because he hasnt had the heart to send it


i have taken a liberty for which my parental affection and anxiey are a sufficient excuse and possessed myself of the con tents


i base described them to your nitce a most enchanting person haredale quite an angelic ereature with a little colouring and description adapted to our purpose


its done


you may be quite easy


its all over


deprived of their ad herents and mediators her pride and jealousy roused to the utmost with nobody to undeceive her and you to confirm me you will ind that their intercourse will close with her answer


if she re ceives neds letter by tomorrow noon you nav date their parting from tomorrow night


no thanks i beg you owe me cone


i have acted for myself nl it i have fcardd


j o onport iii atl l ardour even you could have desired i have done so selfishly indeed


i curse the compact as you call it with my whole heart and soul returned the other


it was made in an evil hour


i have bound myself to a lie i have leagued myself with you and though i did so with a righteous motive and though it cost me such an effort as haply few men know hate and despise myself for the deed


you are very warm said mr chester with a languid smile


i am warm i am maddened by your coldness


death chester if your blood ran warmer in your seins and there were no restraints upon me sech as those that hold and drag me backwell it is done you tell me so and on such a point nay believe you


when i am most remorseful for ais treachery i will think of you and your manriage and try to justify myself in such remembrances for having torn asunder emma and your son at soy cost


our bond is cancelled now and we nay part


mr chester waved his hand gracefully and with the same tranquil face he had presereed throughout even when he had seen his companion so totared and transported by his passion that is whole frame was shken lay in his lounging posture on the seat and watched him as he walked away


my scapegoat and my drudge at school hr said raising his head to look after him my frieni of later days who could not keep his mistress whea he had won her and threw me on her way to carry sff the prize i triumph in the present and the past


bark on ill favoured ill condituoned cur fortune has ever been with me i like to hear you


the spot where they had met was in an avenue of trees lmr


haredale not passing out on either band had walked straight on


he chanced to turn i his head when at some considerable distance and i seeing that his late companion had by that time risen and was looking after himrstood still as though he half expected him to follow and waited for his coming up


it racy come to that one day but not yet said mr chester waving his hand as though they were the best of friends and turning away


not yet hlaredale


life is pleasant enough to me dull and full of heaviness to you


no


to cross swords with such a man to indulge his humour unless upon extremity would be weak iodeed


for all that he drew his sword as he walked i along and in an absent humour ran his eye from hilt to point lull twenty times


but thoughtfulness begets wrinkles remembelting this


he soon put it up smoothed his contracted brow hummed a gay tune with greater gaiety of manner and was hi unrufled self again


to be oneinreid


literary public atiolson a re cent invrestigation into the affairs of an extensive publishing concern it was found that of one bhundred and thirty works publhshed by it in a given time ffty had not paid their expenses


out of the eighty that did pay thirteen only arrived at a second cditiow but in most instances these econd editions hadot been grofitable


in general


it has been esatmated that of the books published a fourth do not pay their expenses and ttat only one in eibht or ten can be reprinted with advantage


with respect to pamphlets it has been atfrmed that not one ino fifty pays tse expenses of its publication siakspeasrbshakspearo was the man who of all modern and perhaps ancient poets had the largest and most comprehensire soul


all the images cf nature were still present to him and he drew them not laboriously but lurtily when be describes any thing you more than see it you feel it too


those who accuse him to have wanted learning give him the greater commendation he was naturally learned be needed not the spectacle of books to read nature he looked inwards and found her there


i cannot say he is everywhere alike were he so i should do himo injury to com pare him with the greatest of mankind


he is many time fiat and insiped his comic wit degenerating into clenches his sesioni swelling into bombast


but he is always great when some great occasion is presented to him no man can say he ever had a fit aubject for his wit and did not thea raise himnsfltas high above the rest or the poets


mamm koprtaso ai uwnau


ilitemttoe


the story of a feather


s jbousltti jcrroiv


a story from tusen chapter xxv


icontlnued from pur lut


a house of mourningi am in great perila message from the dead


was in a house of mourning


that is the shutters were partly closed the curtains were drawn the dressmaker had taken orders for black and very dear friends were invited to a funeral


becky the maidi honoured her resolutionstrug gled hard to look lugubrious not at all comforted by the pros pect of a new gown whilst the fortitude of the bereaved mrs cramp was an example to all newly delivered widows


protest i loved tha woman for her honesty


the breath being fairly out of the body of her husband that is her husband by conjugal law she neither wept nor whined never caught her self in a strangulating sigh but wiped all defiling grief from her face as she would have wiped flyspots from china


she looked more than resigned


ere cramp was screwed down heard her laugh lustily albeit the practised becky begged her mistress not to go on


so stlrically as shrieks wouldnt bring him back and why should theywasnt he in heaven


mrs cramp declared she could nt help it and from my heart i believed the woman


i as a good wife to him becky said the widow smiling in the very sweetness of conscience


when he was alive mem i always said you was too good for him but now hes just gone it isnt right to say so


still he va old mem thats on his collin so theres no harm in saying that


nothings wickeder than to abuse the dear dead mcrj he wa old


pvp


as said the ikuow with slight emphasis


never could have been goodlooking but bless him dear soul i whod blame him for that


still he never could have been handsome sighed becky


i never beard of anybody who said as much


but whats beauty in aman betky


nothing


nevertheless he wasnt handsome god knows cried the widow


and then we all have our tempers mem to be sure


for all that mem master was a little sour


sometimes as one may say hed bile over with vinegar


he meant nothing becky nothing at all said mrs cramp


it was only in our honeymoon i rememberha becky here the widow slightly shuddered shall never forget my honeymoon


i yes membut you were going to saywhat did dear master do then mem swore like any trooper becky


but sickness did him a deal of good said mrs cramp


quite cured him at last mem


and thenbut its a common faulthe did love money a little mem and becky paused


the widow made no answer but glancing at her maid servant drew a long sigh


and what was the use mem i you know be couldnt take it with him


here a burst of light animated the widows face and she criedthe monosyllable bubbling from her heart no i wouldnt abuse the dead for the world mem but people called him an old jew said the maid


he wasnt that becky answered the widow in the mildest sweetest tone of reproof


but he did like to drive a bargain


he did love more than his pennorth cried becky


he was a man of the world becky said mrs cramp


hal mem cried becky hardly knowing the truth she uttered if so many folks wasnt what they call themselves men of the world the world mem wouldnt beso badas it is


dont think the poor man left it worse than he found it observed the mans widow


and thenif he wasnt dead i would sny itha used you like any turk


it was his fondness becky at least i hope it was his fond ness


ha mem ive said it agin and agin you was too good for him cried becky


my belief at the time was that mrs cramp had long been of her maids opinion


however she merely answered thats over now becky


it over and a good thing too for although nobody should speak ill of the deadi must say ita worser man never lived


becky dont distress me come here


with this meek reproof mrs cramp approached where i was lying followed by her maid


twill be a thousand pities said the widow taking me gently in her hand


quite a sin mem to do it said becky


and yet i must go into weeds sighed the widow


all the better mem you do look so nice in black cried the maid


it is clear i thought i have been the subject of previous conversation and mistress and maid are now discussing my late


w hat would become of mc


a thousand pities to dye it uid mrs cramp still gazing stn


trembled at the word through every filament


dye me


what i was i to forego and so soon the snowy purity of my outside


in the very btauty of my whitenessin my excel ling candourto be dyed pitchblack i for no fault of mine but at the whim the tyrannous caprice of another to be de graded to the negro


and yet twill wear a long time dyed muted mrs cramp


doesnt show the dirt lo be sure mem said becky


still its a pity


yet i must be black for a twelvemonth becky observed the widow


you must to be decent mem answered the maid


sud


denlj however she thought of a probable escape and added unless you marry afore mem i before a twelvemonth


i what do you think me becky


well becky we shall see said mrs cramp laying me down gain and after a few moments leaving me in solitude


the last speech of the widow left me in perplexity for i knew not whether she had deferred the idea of again marrying within the year or of submitting me to the dyers mystery whether she was again to speedily don bridal white or i was to be immediately doomed to wear enduring darkness


passed a time of restless misery


i am sure that i felt as a man feelscondemned by inevitable circumstance to be blackened for life he himself no party to the iniquity


i felt the same anguish at the thought of losing my exterior white ness and being after a time used in fifty different offices for the convenient reason that the dirt i gathered would not show


can it be thus with men i pondered


after the first dip and dye in inky guiltinessdo afterspots go with them for nothing


the purity of their white rame once gone do they show no future dirt


again i reasoned with myself what


i asked if i am no party to the pollution shall i therefore despair


say that to outw ard look i am made black as pitchshall it be to me no consolation that i feel the same inward purity that i am black only to appearance not black within


such were than my musings


i have since learned to look on men with all their faults as sometimes little more than feathers in the bands of the dyer i about ten days had elapsed from the death of the old card maker and i had begun to think myself forgotten by his widow when she took me from a drawer and carried me down stairs


i might narrate much gossip of which i was earwit ness respecting the solemnity of the funeral with the tea and very hospitable supper given on the lamentable occasion


all this i pass over


mrs crampi must own as muchwore bcr widows weeds as though she was proud of them many of lier female fijends assured her that she never looked better whilst to ona or two she confessed that to bar surprise she


aw


fu


so


whet mt cramp had descended to the parlour i tram blfd for thai was becky plainly prepared


for som mission


after all i thought ara thay going to dya ma


w andnow becky you will take the feather lo a peremptory knock at the streetdoor mutilated mrs cramps sentence


becky immediately answered the sum mons and as quickly returned oh mern i its that mon ster of a man mr betty was a quick speaker but ere she had uttered the word du mr uriah cloudy personally introduced himself


now women have a peculiar dexterity in biding things with almost more than feminine rapidity mrs cramp threw me at the back of her chair and prepared herself forher visitor


girl youre not wanted said mr cloudy to becky


go into the kitchen


the muggletonian having been the spiritual adviser of the late cardmaker for the nonce installed himself the master of his widows maid


becky seemed resolved to question the usurpation but a look from her mistress sent her grumbling from the room


youre quite happy mrs cramp asked cloudy


happy as can be expected answered the widow


its a blessed thing im left executor aid the muggie tonian


mrs cramp said nothing


and now mrs cramp im come upon a solemn business


i come to bring you the words of the dead mr cloudy cried the widow anxiously as though halfexpecting some unpleasant communication from her buried husband


you know my rebecca


well wasnt she a woman


a weddingring wasnt lost upon her was it


well she knew she was dying


dear creature


i she knew everything


it was strange tooat least if we didnt know all things are for the bestit was strange that she should go only a month before your poor man but she knew hed follow her she knew it maam she knew it


and so she called me to her and said uriah will you take my last words to that dear angel of a woman mrs cramp


dear angel were her very words or im the worst of sinners ltebecca says i make your mind easy ill tell her every syllable


then she takes hold of my haniljust as i take hold of yours mrs crampand says uriah im agoing and mr cramp is coming after me


you and mrs cramp will be left alone in the world


shes a dear woman and i dont know what you mean mr cloudy cried the widow never divining human meaning better in all her life


its only my respect for the dead mrs cramp that makes me offend you but ltebecca promised to haunt me if didnt do as she begged me


shes a dear woman she said and as i think has always had an honest regard for you


when im gone uriah youll be left a poor unprotected creature in the world


nobody to look to your wants to take care of your darning your linen and your nice little hot suppers


oh uriah i couldnt rest in my grave if i thought it and so in decent time go to that dear mrs cramp when shes a widow and give her my love and my compliments and say if shed be really happy in this life shell marry you


with these words uriah cloudy dropt upon his knees and mrs cramp suddenly jumping from her seat the chair fell back to the floor


becky startled by the noise ran into the room and picking me up hid me under her cloak


whats the matter mein


she cried


mrs cramp could give no answer but burst into a violent fit of laughter


its nothing becky nothing said the muggletonian only taking on about your poor master


to be continued


stmaetsr umpiftred ilockt personal adventures of mastei humphrey


tiei old curiosity shiopcapteri lxvii


unconscious of the proceedings faithfully nar rated in the last chapter and little dreaming of the mine whii ha been sprung beneath him tfor to the entd that he should have


no varning of the huisness afoot the profoundest secrecy was ob served in the whole transaction mr quilp remained shut up in his hermitage undisturbed by any suspicion and extremelyiwell satisfied with the result of his machinations


being engaged in the adjustment of some accountsanoccupation to which the silence and solitude of his retreat were very favourablehe had not strayed from his den for two whole days


the third day of his devotion to this pursuit found him still hard at work and little disposed to stir abroad


it was the day next after mr brasss confession and consequently that which threatened the restric


tion of mr quilps liberty and the abrupt commu nication to him of some very unpleasant and un welcome facts


having no intuitive perception of


the cloud which lowered upon his house the dwarf was in his ordinary state of cheerfulness and when he found he was becoming too much engrossed by business with a due regard to his health and spirits he varied its monotonous routine with a little screeching orhowling or some other innoa cent relaxationof that nature


lie was attended as usual by tom scott who sat crouching over the fire after the manner of a toad and from time to time when his masters back was turned imitated his grimaces with a fearful exactness


the figurehead had not yet disappeared but remained in its old place


the face horribly


seared by the frequent application of the redhot poker and further ornamented by the insertion in the tip of the nose of a tenpenny nail yet smiled blandly in its lacerated parts and seemed like a sturdy martyr to provoke its tormentor to the com


mission of new outrages and insults


the day in the highest and brightest quarters of the town was damp dark cold and gloomy


in that low and marshy spot the fog filled every nook and corner with a thick dense cloud


every object was obscured at one or two yards distance


the warning lights and fires upon the river were power


less beneath this pall and but for the raw and piercing chillness in the air and now and then the cry of some bewildered boatman as he rested on his oars and tied to make out where he was the river itself might have been miles away


the mist though sluggish and slow to move was of a keenly searching kind


no muffling up in furs and broadcloth could keep it out


it seemed to penetrate into the very bones of the shrinking wayfarers and to rack them with colds and pains


everything was wet and clammy to the touch


the warm blaze alone defied it and leaped and sparkled merrily


it was a day to be at home crowding about tihe fire telling stories of travellers who had lost their way in such weather on heaths andmoors and to love a warm hearth more than ever


the dwarfs humour as we knowwas to have a fireside to himself and when he was disposed to be convivial to enjoy himself alone


by no means insensible to the comfort of being within doors he ordered tom scott to pile the little stove with coals and dismissing his work for that day determined to be jovial


to this end he lighted more candles and heaped more fuel on the fire and having dined off a beef steak which he cooked himself in somewhat


of a savage and cannibal manner brewed a great bowl of punch lighted his pipe and sat down to spend the evening


at this moment a low knocking at the cabin door arrested his attention


when it had been twice or thrice repeated he softly opened the little window and thrusting his head out demanded who was there


only me quilp replied a womans voice


only you i cried the dwarf stretching his neck to obtain a better view of his visitor


and what brings you here you jade


hiow dare youapproach tleogres castle eh i have come with some news rejoined his spouse


dont be angry with me


is it good news pleasalnt s news nwto make a man skip arnd snap


itis fingers i said the dwarf is the dear old lady dead


i dont know what news it it or whether jis then shesalive sai quilp and theres nothing the matter with her


go home again you bird of evil note go homei i hae brotght a letter cried the meek little woman los it is at the windowy here and go your ways


itquilp ntetrptitg her ior ill come out aiid adatch yoti


i ni but please qullp do hear me speak urged ihis submisive wife in tears


please do


speak then growled the dwarf with a mall clus grior


be quick aud short about it


speak