i am not yet and i will not be until i have embraced my child


rodolphe looked at helen with astonish ment


howl cried he you subject the satisfaction of your pride


to the satisfaction of my maternal ten derness that surprises you monseigneur alas


yes


i


shall i see my child


but take care monseigneur my moments are perhaps counted


as my brother said this crisis may savemay kill me


at this moment i collect allmy strengthall my energy and i need them much to strug gle against the shock of such a discovery


i wish to see my child or i refuse your hand and if i die her birth is not legi timate


marie is not here i should have to send to my house for her


send for her at once and i consent to all


as my moments perhaps are counted i have said it


the marriage can take place while some one goes for my child


although this feeling astonishes me it is too praiseworthy to be disregarded


you shall see her i will write to her


there on the desk where i was wound ed


while rodolphe hastily wrote a few lines helen wiped away the icy sweat which stood upon her brow


his note being written rodolphe arose and said i will send this to my daughter by one of the aidesdecamp


she will be here in half an hour


shall i bring the clergyman and witnesses


i beg you will do so ringdo not leave me alone


rthis union is sad rodolphe said he lenbittery sad for me


for you it will be happy for i shall not survive it


o god cried helen in a supplicating tone when the messenger had departed grant me strength enough to see my child let me not die before she arrives


ah


why have you not always been so good a mother


thanks to you at least i know repent ancedevotionselfdenial


yesjust now when my brother said our child livedlet me say our childi felt that i was stricken unto death


i did not tell him but i was happy the birth of our child would be legitimated and i should die afterward


do not speak thus


alh this time i do not deceive you


and no vestige remains of that impla cable ambition which has ruined you i why has fate willed that your repentance should be so late


it is late but profoundsincere i swear it to yu


at this solemn moment it i thank god to take me from the world it is because my lihfe has been a burden


shelen in mercy i odolphe a last prayeryour hand


the prince turning away his eyes gave his hand to her she placed it between her own


ah i your hands are icy cold cried ro dolphe with affright syes i am dying


perhaps for a last punishment god does not will that i should embrace nmy child


i


oh


yes yes he will be touched with your remorse


and you mon ami are you toucheld


do you pardon me


oh i in mercy say it


when our child shallbe hiereif she comes in timeyou cannot pardon me before her that would be to teach her how guilty i have been and that you would not like


when i am once dead what matters it to you if she loves me be comforted she shall know nothing


rodolphe pardonl ohl pardon


i will you be without pity


am i not sufficiently unhappy


well may god pardon the evil you have done to your child as i pardon what you have done to me unhappy woman


you pardon mefromn the bottom of your heart from the bottom of my heart replied the prince


helen pressed the hand of rodolphe to her dying lips in an extacy of joy and gra titude and said let the clergyman come in


i feel my self very weak


all the actors in this scene were grave and sad


the contract of marriage had been prepared by the care of the uiaron de grann it was read and duly signed


notwithstanding her repentance when theceremony was perforining helens deathlike countenance brightened at rapid and tralisitory expression of triumphant pride passed over her livid features it was the last flash of the ambition which died with her


during this sad and imposing ceremony not a word was uttered by the witnesses


when its was finishcd they all came for ward


profoundly saluting the prince


and retired


my brother said helen in a low tone beg the clergyman to have the goodness to wait a moment in the adjoining room


remaining alone with rodolphe she murmured in an exhausted voice while her features changed in an alarming man ner my strength is gone


i feel that i am dyingi shall never see her


yes yes calm yourself you will see her


i have no more hopethis dayit needs a strength superhuman


mly sight fails already


helen said the prince approaching her and taking her bhands within his own she will comeshe cannot delay


god has not willed this last consola tion


listenlisten


i hear a carriage


yes it is she here is your child i rodolphe


you will not tell her that i was a bad mother she articulated slowly


the noise of a carriage resounded on the pavement of the court


she could not hear it


her words were more and more inco herent


rodolphe leaned over her with anxiety he saw her eyes covered with a film


pardonmy childmy childpardon


these were her last intelligible words


at this moment sir walter murphyen tered the room


monseigneur the princess marie


no cried rodolphe quickly let her not enter


tell seyton to bring the cler gyman


within half an hour afterwards the grand duchess of gerolstein had ceased to exist


it now only remains for us to give as briefly as possible a few facts regarding some of the personages ini this narrative


firstthen we will commence with ger main


rigolette and madame georges a few weeks after the liberation of ger main he was married to rigolette at boqueval where they had remained since sthe day after liis liberationthe presence of her son dissipated the melancholy of madame georges and brighter prospects began to dawn upon her


madame pipelet and alfred were soon installed in their new office of porter and portress to the new institutionthus placed above want by the kindness of their gener ous benefactor


louise morel had been set at liberty


gradually she recovered her health


and spirits and soon had the happiness to see her father restored to reason and liberty


her mother had in the


meantime ac quired her accustomed health and now fortune smiled upon the happy home of the lapidary his annuity of two thousand francs placed him above the frowns of the world and being truly grateful to ro dolphe this happy family acknowledged it in their prayers for his prosperity


the day ater the recovery of marie rodolphe sent for la louve and martial and without informing them that marie was his daughter he asked them what he could do for them all their wishes should be accomplished


perceiving their hesita tion and remembering he had been told about the slightly uncivilised tastes of la louve and her husband he offered them either a considerable amount of money or the half of this amount and lands on the vicinity of the farm which he had bought for the chourineur at algiers


both of them rugged energetic and endowed with


good natural impulses


sympathized the better with each other since they each had reasons to seek solitudethe one for her past life the other for the crimes of his family


he was not deceived martial and la louve accepted his offer with transport and they congratulated each other on the agreeable prospects before them in algiers


the maitre decole continued a prisoner in the conciergerie in that part appropri ated for lunatics here he again recovered his reason and being well aware that if he obtained his liberty he should become amenable to the laws he wisely kept his own counsels and determined to remain where he waslle became fully sensible of the heinousness of his offences and if remorse be any expiation for sins his in deed could not fail of being forgiven him


a few days after these events rodolphe and his daughter left paris for ever


their subsequent life was passed in the calm and tranquil enjoyments of ex alted society and in scenes so totally dif ferent from those through which the reader has followed themthat we may well despair of giving a picturethe re pose and purity of which would contrast so strangely with the murky atmosphere which is alone congenial to paris and its mysteries


cliaptflt iv lltom wlllcn


it will alltar that if inln e stuhkuth akd lamilv al ictiun ills lllasantockteslll


atli a nil most aultekaiile family in till thai worthy man mr pecksniff litmus taken leave olhis cousin in tlie solemn terms recited in the last chapter withdrew lo his own home and remained there three whole days not so much as couig out for a wall beyond the boundaries of his own garden lest he should be hastily summoned to llie bedside of bis jicnitent and remorseful relative wliom in his ample benevolence be had wade up bis mind to forgive and lo luce on any terms


hut such was the obstinacy and such the bitter nature of that stern old man that no repentant summons came and the fourth day found mr pecksniff apparently much further from his christian object than the first


it happened on the ibiirlb evening thai mr pecksniff walking into the bar of the dragon and finding no mrs jjijiiu ihwe went straight upstairs purposing m the fervour of his affectionate zeal to apply his car to the key hole and quiet his mind by assuring him self that the hsrdhcarled patient was going on well


it happened hat mr pecksniff coming softly upon the dark passage into which a spiral ray of light usually limed through this same keyhole was astonished to find no such ray visible and it happcucl that mr pecksn


t wlieu he had fell his nay to the chuuiberdoor stooping hurriedly down to as certain bv iiersona inspection whether the jealousy of the old man bad caused this key hole to be slopped uu the inside brought liis head into such violent contact wilh another liend that he could not


help uttering in an nuiliule voice the monosyllabic oil which oul of him by very anguish


il happened then nnd lastly that m r pecksniff found himself immediately collared by sumrtbing which smlt like several damp umbrellas u barrel of beer a rusk of wnrui liruudyand walir onil u small parlour full if stale tobacco smoke mixed and was straightway led down stairs into the bir from which he bad lately come wherehe found liimuelfsuiudiug opposite lo and in the grasp of a perfectly strong gentleman of still stranger appearance who witli his disengaged hand mbljed hs own head very bard and looked at him pecksniff thu gentleman was of that order nnd ap pearance which is currently termed shabby genteel tliough in respect of liis dress he con hardly be said to have been in nny extremities as his fingers were along wnyoutof bis gloves aud the soles ol his feet were at an inconvenient distance from the upper leather ot bis boots


his nether garments were of a blueish gray viuleut in its colours once but sobered now bv nge and iiiiiiiesiml were so stretched and strained in a tough conflict between his braces and his straps thai they appeared every mo ment in danger ot flviih asunder at the knees


his coat in colour blue nnd of a military cut tras buttoned nud fioggci uj tu liis chin


his criuat was in hue and pattern like one of those mantles which bairdressers are accus lumed to wrap about their clients during the pioirress of the professional mysteries


his imt had arrived at suyh ft pass that it would hnve been hard to determine whether it was originally white or black


but lie wore a moustache n shagsy moustache too nothing in tlie meek nnd merciful way but quite in the fierce and scornful style he regular satanic sort of thing and he wore besides a vast quantity of unbrusbed hair


he was very dirty and very jaunty very bold and very mean vcrv swaggering aud very slinking very much like a man who might liavc been something better nnd unspeakably like a man who deserved to be something norbe


he rejoiced in the euphonious name of tigg


vuu were cavesdropping at lhat door you vagabond said this gentleman


mr pecksniff cast him off ns saint george might have repudiated the dragon in that annuals last moments and said where is mrs lupin i wonderl can tlie good woman possibly be aware that there is a person here who slay i aid the gentleman


wait a bit


she doa know


what then


what then sir cried mr pecksniff


do you know sir that nm the friend and relative of that sick gentleman


hint am his protector his guardian his m not his nieces husband interposed the stranger ill be sivorn lor he was mere before ou


wliat do you mean


said mr pecksniff with iiidiiiaut surprise


what do you tell me sir p wait a hit cried tlie ofber


perhaps you arc a cousin the cousin who lives in this place


i am tlic cousin who lives in this place replied the man of worth


your name is pecksniff t said tlie gen tleman


it is


i am proud to know ou and i ask your pardon said the gentleman touching his bat and subsequently diving behind his cravat for a shirt collar which however he did not succeed in bringing to the surfcee


you behold in me sir uuc who lias also an interest in that gentleman upsfciirs


with this announcement he hurried away to the outer door of the blue dragon and almost immediately returned with a companion shorter than himself who was wrapped in an old blue camlet cloak wilh a lining of a faded scarlet


his sharp features being much piucbed and nipped bv long waiting in the cold and his straggling red whiskers and frowy hair being nioreihan usually dishevelled from the same cause he certainly looked rather more unwhole some aud uncomfortable lhau shakspearian or miltonic


this worthy mr tigg introduced as his friend chevy slyme ksquire


mr pecksniff shrugred his shoulders as ii he recognised the individual and was sorry for it


now said mr tigg clapping one band on the shoulder of his prepossessing friend and calling mr pecksniffs attention lo him vrilh


tin other you two are related aud re lations never did agree and never will which is a wie dispensation and an inevitable thing or there would be none but family parlies and everybody in the world would bore everybody else to death


if you were on good terms i should consider you a most confoundedly un as you do l look upon you as a couple of dicplhoughtcd fellows who may be reasoned wilh to any extent


here in r inevy fclymo wuoso great abilities seemed one and all to poiut towards llie sneak ing quarter of the moral compass nudged his friend stealthily with his elbow and whispered chiv said mr tigg aloud in the high shall come to thai presently


i act upon my own responsibility or nol m all


to tbe extent of such a trilling loan as a crown piece to a man of your talents i look upon mr pecksniff as certain and seeing at this junc ture that the expression of mr pecksniffs ltce bv no means betokened that he shared this certainly mr tigg hid bis finger on his nose for that gentlemans private and especial behoof calling upon him thereby to take notice that the requisition of small loans irenius as developed in his friend slyme that lie tigg winked at the same because of the strong metaphysical interest which these weuk nesses possessed and that in reference to his own personal advocacy of such small advances hi merely consulted the humour of his friend uilhuut the least regard to his own tidrautac


ohciiivi chiv i added mrtiggsurvey ing his adopted brother with an airof profound contemplation after dismissing this piece of iiautoniimc


vou are upon iny life a strange instance of the little frailties that beset a mighty mind


if there had never been a tele scope in the world i should have been quite ceitain fruni


my observation of you chiv that there weretipou on the sun


i wish i may


ii if this isnt the queerest state of existence lliat we find ourselves forced into without knowing why or wherefore mr pecksniffl well never mind


moralise as we will tbe world goes on


as hamlet says hercules iniy lay abuut with his club iu every possible direction but lie cint prevent the cats from making a most intolerable row on the roofs of the bouses or the dogs from being shot in the hut weather if they run nbout the streets un inuzz


lifes a riddle a most iulerually him


riddle to guess mr pecksniff


my own opiniuu is thai like that celebrated conundrum why is a wan in jail like a man oul of jail i tlufs no answer to it


upon my soul and bolv its tbe queerest sort of thing altogether


but theres no use in talking aloit it


hu ha


with which consolatory deduction from the gloomy premises recited mr tigg roused him self by a great effort aud proceeded iu bis former strain


now ill tell you what it is


im n most confoundedly softhearted kind of follow in my way and cannot stand by and see you two blades cutting each others throats when theres nothing to be got by it


mr picksniff youre the cousin of die testator up stairs and were the nephew i say we meaning cbiv


per haps iu all essential points you ure more nearly related lo him limn we are


verjr good


if so so be it


but you cant get at him neither can we


i give you my brightest honour sir that ive been looking through that keyhole with bliurt intervals of rest ever since nine oclock this innrning in expectation of receiv ing nu answer to one of the most moderate and gentlemanly applications for a little temporary assistance only fifteen pounds and my secu ritythat the mind of man can conceive


in the mean time sir he is perpetually closeted with and pouring hib whole confidence into the bosom of a stranger


now i say deci sively with regard to this slate of circum stances that it wont do that it wont act that it cant lie and that it must not be suf livery mnn said mr pecksniff bos o right an undoubted right which i for one would nol cull in question for uny considera tion


oh no i to regulate his own proceedings by liis own likings and disliking supposing they are not ioimoral and not irreligious


i may feel in my own breast that mr chuzzle wit docs not regard m for instance say me with exactly that amount of christian love which should subsist between us may feel grieved and hurt at the circumstance sull i uiny not rush to the conclusion that mrchuz zlewit ib whully without a justification in all his coldness heaven forbid i


besides how mr tigg continued pecksniff eveu more gravely and impressively than he had spoken yet how could mr chuulcwit be prevented from having these peculiar and most extraor dinary confidences of which you speak the ex seucc of which i must admit aud which i cannot but deplore for his sake


consider my good sir nnd here mr pecksuiff eyed him wistfully liow very much at random you are talking


why as to that rejoined tigg it cer tainly is a difficult question


undoubtedly it is a difficult question mr pecksniff answered and as be spoke he drew fulsuddenly of thtinoral gulf between him self and the creature lie addressed


un


duubtcdly it is a very difficult question


and i am fur from feeling sure that it is a question any one is authorised to discuss


oood evening


you dont know that the spotlletoes are here i suppose said jlr


tigg


what do you mean sir


what spotuotoes asked pecksniff stopping abruptly on his way to the floor


mr and mrs spottletoes said chevy slyine esquire speaking aloud


fcr the first time and speaking very sulkily shambling wilh his legs the while spotlletoes married my fathers brothers child didnt he


and mrs spollletoe is chuzstewiis own niece isnt she


slic was his favourite once


you may well ask what spotlletoes


now upon my sacred word


cried mr pecksniff looking upwards


this is dreadful


the rapacily of these people is absolutely its not onlv the spottlrtoes cither tigg said slyme looking at that gentleman aud speaking at mr pecksniff


anthony chui zlewit and his son have got wind of it and have come down this afternoon


i saw cm


oh mammon mammon i cried mr peck sniff smiting his forehead


so there saij slyme regardless or the interruption are his brother and another nephew lor you already


this is llie wliolc thing sir said mr tigg this is the poiut and purpose at which i was gradually arriving when my friend slvme here with six words hit it full


mr pecksniff now that your cousin and chivs uncle has turned tii soinesfejis muse be taken to prevent his disappearing again and if possible to counteract the influence which is exercised over him now by this designing fa vourite


everybody who is interested feels it eir


the whole family is pouring down to this place


thctiine hascome when individual jealou sies and interests must be forgotten for n time sir and union must be made against the common enemy


when the common enemy is routed you will all set up for yourselves again every lady and gentleman who has a part iu the game will go in on their own account and bowl away to the best of their ability at the testators wicket and nobody will be in a worse position than before


think of it


dont commit yourself now


youll find us at tbe half moon and seven stars in this village u any time and open lo any reasonable proposi tion


hem chiv my dear fellow go out aud see what sort of a night it is


mr slyme lost no time iu disappearing


mr tigg pluming his legs as wide npart as he could be reasonably expected by the most sanguine man to keep them shook his head at mr pecksniff and smiled


we must not bo too hard he said upon the lillle eccentricities of our friend slyme


you saw him whisper me


mr pecksniff had seen him


you heard my answer i think


mr pecksniff had heard iu five shillings eh said mrtigg thought fully


ah i


what au extraordinary follow very moderate too mr pecksniff made no answer


five shillings pursued mr tigg mus ing aud to be punctually repaid next week thats tlic best ot il ou beard that


mr pecksniff had not heard that


no you surprise me cried tigg


thats the cream of the thing sir


i never knew that man fail la redeem a promise iu my life


youre not in want of change are you


no said mr licksuut thank you


not at oil


just so returned mr tijrg


if you had been id have got h for you


with that he began to whistle but a dozen seconds had not elapsed when he stopped short aud looking earnestly ut mr pecksniff said perhaps youd rather not lend slyme five shillings


i would much rather not mr pecksniff rejoined


kgad cried tigg gravely nodding his lend as if some ground of objection occurred to him at thai moment for the first time ils very possible you may be right


would you entertain the same sort of objection to lending me five shillings now


yes i couldnt do il indeed said mr pecksniff


nut even halfacrown perhaps urged mrtigg


not even halfacrown


why then we come said mr tigg to the ridiculously small amount of eightecn pence


hal hal


and that said mr pecksniff would be equally objectionable


to le continued


persoal adventuresqf master thi old curiosity sihoii aptrit slxxix


when morning came and theycoulnd speak more calmly on thesubject of their grief they heard howt her life had closed


she had been dead two days


theywere nll about ier at the time knowing that


the ends was drawing on


she died soon after daybreak


they had read nd taillked o her in tie earlier poriion of the nightbut as the hours crept on she sunk to sleep


flhey couldltellby wliatshe faintly uttered in her dreamstha they were of her


journeyilgs lith tle dild man they were of no painful scenes bhtof thoke wholl had helped ad ised them kindly for she soften tsaid god


bless


u with great fervour waking she never wdiiteld in her nmind but once and that was of beautifulmuase which she said was in the air


god knows


it may have been


opening her eyes at last from a very quiet sleep she begged that they would kiss her once again


thatalone she turned to the old man with a lovely smile upon her facesuch they said as they had never seen and never could forgetand clungwith boih her armis aboit his neck


they did not knov that she was dead at first


she had spoken very often of the two sisters who she said were like dear friends to her


she wished they could bie told how much she thought about them and how she had watched them as they walked together by the river side at night


she would like to see poor kit she had


often said oflate


she wished there was somebodyto take her loveto kit


and even then shoe never thought or spoke about himbut with something of her old clear merry laugh


for the rest she had never murmured or com plained but with a quiet mind and manner quite unalteredsave that she every day became more earnest and more grateful to themfaded like the light upon a summers evening


the child who had been her little friend came there almost as soon as it was day with an offering of dried flowers which he begged them to liy upon her breast


it was he who had come to the window overnight and spoken to the sexton and theysaw in the snow traces of small feet where he had been lingering near theroomlinwhich she lay before he went to bed


he had a fancy it seemed that they had left her there alone and could not bear the thought


he told them of his dream again and that it was of her being restored to them just as she used to be lie begged hard to see her saying that le would be very quiet and that they need not fear his being alarmed for hie had sat alone by his young brother all day long when he was dead and had felt glad to beso near him


they let him have his ash and indeed lie kept his word and was in his childish way a lesson to them all


up to that time the old man had not spoken once except to her or stirred from the bedside


but when he saw her little favourite he was moved as they had not seen him yet and made as though lihe would have him come nearer


then pointing to the bed he burst into tears for the first time and they who stood by knowing that the sight of this child had done him good left them alone together


soothing him with his artless talk of her the child persuaded him to take some rest to walk abroad to do almost as he desired him and when the day came on which must remove her in her earthly shape from earthly eyes for ever he led him away that he might not know when she was taken from him


they were to gather fresh leaves and berries for her bed


it was sundaya bright clear wintry afternoonand as they traversed the village street those who werewalking in their path drew back to make way for them and gave them a softened greet ing


some shook the old man kindly by the hand some stood uncovered while he tottered by and many cried god help him i as he passed along


neighbggr said the old man stopping atthe cottage whewyhis guides mother dwelt how is it that the folks are nearly all in black today


i have seen a mourning ribboo or a piece of crape on almost every one


she could not tell the woman said


why you yourselfyou wear the colour tool he cried


windows are closed that never used to be by day


what does this mean l again the woman said she could not tell


we must go back said the old man hurriedly


we must see what this is


no no cried the child detaining him


re member what you promised


our way is to the old green lane where she and i so often were and where you found us more than once making those garlands for her garden


do not turn back


where is she now i said the old man


tell me that


do you not know returned the child


did we not leave her but just now true


true


i was ter we leftwas it t


he pressed his hand upon his brow looked va cantly round and as if impelled by a sudden thought crossed the roadand entered the sextons house


he and his deaf assistant were sitting before the fire


both roseup on seeing who itwas


the child made a hasty sign to them with his hand


it was the action of an instant but that andthe old mans look were quite enough


do youdo you bury anyone today


he said eagerly


no no i who should we bury sir returned the sexton


aye who indeed


i say with you whlo indeed it is a holiday with us good sir returned tihe sexton mildly


w


we haveuno work to dotoday


why then ill go whereyou will said the old man tarning to the child


oyuure stereof what you tell metp you would notdeceiveme


tam changed even in the little time since you las tiaiv me


go thy ways with him liri cried thb sexton t and heaven be with ye both


i am quite ready saidthe old man meekly


come boy come and so submitted to be lcdi away


sand now the bell the bell she had so often heard by night and day and listened to withsolemn pleasure almost as a living voice rung its remorse lessa toll for her so young so beaistlfulso good


decrepit age and vigorous life andblooniingyouth and helpless infancy poured forthon crutetiesin


the pride of strengthiand health in the full blush of promise in theimere dawn of lifeto gatsher round her tomb


old menwere there whose eyes were dim and senses failing grandmothers whio might havedied ten years ago ahd still been old the deafthe blind the lamethe palsiedi thelivin dead in many shapes and forms to see the closing of that early grave


what was the death


it wouldi shut in ito that which still could crawlaid


cireep above it


i


j along the crowded path they bore her now pre as the newlyfalleo snow thatcovered it


iwhose day on earthhadi beenas fleeting


undertthit porch where she hio d sat when heavenlnits merey brought her to that peaceful spoi she passed again and the old churbch recoived hier in itrs quiet shade


i they carried her to oneoldnook where she had many and many a titme satmusing indslid thisir burden oftrty on the plivement the light stiemeid on it throiughheto colouied windowia window whdre the boughs of trees wereever rustling in the summer and


where the birds sanu siweetly all day longi with every breath of


air thi stirred amonog thoseo branches in the suntline some trenbilli abhangig light wuiuld fall upohaher grave


r earth toeartha sslestoi ashtesidseit to disstj


many a young hsiud dropped initushlittle wkeaths many ra stinedsobrwas heardfiomand they were hot a fewcknblt down


allraere slincerend truthful in their sorrow


the service dontetheifmourfieittospart ndi the villagers closed rotindcto lok into the grave before the pavement stoneshouldrbe replgced


one called to mind how hehidseei heesiftiizgd tha very spot and hoteiefliohlid fallen on her lap and she was gazingwithit apensive faceiipobii the sky


another told howy hehad


wondered imuch tihat


pi


sdoeicate as ehisahould be


so bol i hat she had never teard toteler the hurche one lad nighii but had


loved to liigeiihre avhei all was quiet and even toclimb the tover stairivlthmfo moreight than ithat eofj the moon rays teaslidg through the loopholes is the tlhiek oid piyal a whispervents aiouit amingth eiddat there tlat she had seon and talked with tignels


i ind whedtht calledto mindhow she hadlooked andlspokenmand ier early death


some tlaughkititipsi ht be so iindeed thus comiogi to the grave in hlitleepp and glancing downi and wint plaee i eisdrnd falling offinwwhikperitg groups ofthreior fodr the churchwas clearedintime ofall butltie d i adi themourningfriends v ai


a l ae st they sawthe vaulitcovered and tihe stoi fied down


then when the dusk ofdebnighad rii on and not a sound disturbed the atied stilldisitc f the placewhen the bright moon poured inher light on tomb and monument on pillsriall aiid arch and most of all it seemed to thehuipbn har qquiet gravein that calmnitiine when alldtitw il things and inward thoughts teem with assurancesif immortality and


worldly hopes and fears aro hum bled in the


dust before themthinwith rffaiiil and submissive hearts they turned awayannd left the child with god


q s a oh i it is hard to take to heart theslessonthat such deathswill teach


lbut let no man rejeci it for it isone that all must learnanad isi


amighty universal truth


whenln depth ptrikes down he itanoceit andyonsg fof every fragile fu m from which he


lets the paiftifg spirit free a fidifed virtues rise in


shapes of mercy charitypandilove to walk the world and blesit


mf everylearthat sorrowing mortals ishedon snoi green graves some good is born some lgentler nature comes


a


the destroyers steps there spritig ip brightreatids that defy his pogveraend his darkipathibecomessa w iyof light to heaven


it was late whethe old man came home


the boy had led hiintohis own dwelliniifaier isome pretence on their wayiback iand rendereddroiasy by his long ramble and late wantpflest hehad sunk into a deep sleep ly tie fireside


hea


perfectly exhiusted and they were caefunot to rouse him


the sliemier heldhrim a lpongtnmeapd when he at length awoke the ioonwas shiing


the younger brothers uneasy at his protracted absence was watching at the door for hisnciilo


when he appearediir the patliwaiyhpihthi liiiel guide


he oadvanced to meet them and tendlerly obliging the old manto ilean upon his artm o ducted him with slow and tremblihg bieps otirds the house


r t


he repaired to her chamber straight


not finding what he had left therehe returled withadi ttacdfd looks to the room in which they were assembled


from that he rushed into the schoolmasters cottage calling her name


they followed eioi upon him and when he had vainly searchedit brought him home


with such persuasive words as pity and affection could suggest they prevailed upon him to sit among them and hear what they should tell him


then en deavouring by every little artifice to prepare his mind for what must come and dwelling with many words upon the happy lot to which she had been removed they told him at last the truth


the moment it had passed their lips he fell down among them like a murdered man


for many hours they had little hope of his sur vivingbut grief is strong and he recovered


if there be any ryhohave never known the blank that follows deaththe weary voidthe sense of desolation thatiwill come upon the strongest minds when something familiar and beloved is missed at every turn he


connieition between inanimate and senseless thigsaandtld e object of recollection when everyhouseholdgod becomes a monument and every room a graveif there be any who have not known this and proveit


bytheir own experience they can never faintly guess how for many days the old man pined and moped away the time and wan dered here and there as seeking something and had no comfort


whatever power of thought or memory he re tained was all boutndip in her


le never under stood or seemed to care to understand about his brother


to every endearment and attention he continued listless


ifthey spoke to him on this or any other theme save one he would hear them patiently for a while then turn away and go on seeking as before


on that one theme which was in his and all their minds it was impossible to touch


dead i he could not hearor bear the word


the slightest hint of it would throw him into a paroxysm like that he had had when it was first spoken


in what hope he lived no man could tell but that he had some hope of finding her againsome faint and shadowy hope deferred from day to day and making him from day to day more sick and sore at heart was plain to all


they bethought themdof a removal from the scene of this last sorrow of trying whether change of place would rouse or cheer him


his brother sought the advice of those who were accounted skilful in such matters and they came and saw him


some of the number staidupop the spot conyqrsed with him when he would converse and watched him as he wandered up and dowedalone aid sihlent


move him where they might they said he would everseek to get back there


hijsmindiwou d run upon that spot


f they confined him closely nl kept a strict guard uponhim thiey niight hold lii prisonerbustf he couldby anym dtisescape he would surely wanderback ito thpt place ordie upn the road


j t


o the boy to whom h had submittedl at


firstha no longer any iiflueiicewith him


at times he would suffer thechildto walk by his side or would even take such notice of his presenceuasgivlng him iyishapd or would stop tokiss his chegkof pathu on the head


at other times he would entreat him doiinkindl to be gdhne a nwbid nt ubek


near


but wivhetherlalose with this illatdit friend or with those who would have given rim at any cost or sacrifice some consolation or somepeace of mind if happilythe means could have beep devined jie was at all tiiaiesthe samewi li tiy or care forr any itlin giiiifelep biolkenhiearted man


eiarly andwith his knpsack on ais lackhas staff in hand her iown straw hait


and little aiskeitll of such things adihe had been dtisd toackrrcwisine


as theyweremaklogready towursuethinm far and wide a frightened schoolboyl cameiwhohadseen him buta mdment before aittingpgthgehchrh iupon her grave he said


fl


tley hastened ihereainid goiig softltob theooar espied him in the attitude of one who wkitedltiatiently reey


did not disturb h im t epis butkeptu u walch upon him all that daye


w it grgw uite dart he mose addiriibiued home and wnty to aed mqr


muring to himsei heillcen tbimbriroul upon the asqrrowihewas theresagainlfrom subrilse until pigt andssili at nlhthq iiflmdown to ret and mnuttered she itsll cme tomorrosri waited at her grave for her


i howsiman etesof niewjourneys over pleasant copntry ofresting places uderthe free tbroad sky of rambles in t a hpaead baodand paths not after trod how mnany gllmpso of thik form the fluttering dress tie ihair thatiaid so gaily in the wind how many visions ofwhatishd been and whsat he hoped was yet to bp rose upbe fore him in the old dull sileatchurebl hle never told them whai he i tlought


or vhere ivciit h


e would sit withl them at night ponderlog vlh atsecset splisfaction they could see uponithe hlight that he and she would take before night cimepaginpgd still the would hear hin whleperi uai y s rga h let her comeltomorebw tie last time was on a genial day in ipringg


he did not returnl at the usual hour and they went to seek him


he was lying dead upon the stone


they laid him by


the side of her whom he had loved so well and in the church where they had often prayed iid mused and lingered hand in hand the child and the old man slept together


to he continued


itaster stlumpbreus dtocfr


o personal adventures of master humphrey


tub old curiosity shopciiaptesr l matrimonial differences are usually discussed by the parties concerned in the form of dialogue in which the lady bears at least her full half share


those of mr and mrs quilp however were an exception to the general rule the remarks which they occasioned being limited to a long soliloquy on the part of the gentleman with perhaps a few de precatory observations from the lady not extending beyond a trembling monosyllable uttered at long intervals and in a very submissive and humble tone


on the present occasion mrs quilp did not for a long time venture even upon this gentle de fence but when she had recovered from her fainting fit sat in a tearful silence meekly listening to the reproaches of her lord and master


of these mr quilp delivered himself with the utmost animation and rapidity and with so many distortions of limb and feature that even his wife although tolerably well accustomed to his proficiency in these respects was well nigh beside herself with alarm


but the jamaica rum and the joy of having occasioned a heavy disappointment by degrees cooled mr quilps wrath which from being at savage heat dropped slowly to the bantering or chuckling point at which it steadily remained


so you thought i was dead and gone did you t said quilp


you thought you were a widow eh ha ha ha you jade i indeed quilp returned his wife im very sorry who doubts it cried the dwarf


you very sorry


to be sure you are


who doubts that youre very sorry


i i dont mean sorry that you have comno home again alive and well said his wife but sorry that i should have been led into such a belief


i am glad to see you quilp indeed i am


in truth mrs quilp did seem a great deal more glad to behold her lord than might have been ex pected and did evince a degree of interest in his safety which all things considered was rather unaccountable


upon quilp however this cir cumstance made no impression further than as it moved him to snap his fingers close to his wifes eyes with divers grins of triumph and derision


how could you go away so long without saying a word to me or letting me hear of you or know anything about you


asked the poor little woman sobbing


how could you be so cruel quilp hiw could i be so cruel i crsel


cried the dwarf


because i was in the humour


im in the humour now


i shall be cruel when i like


im going away again


not again i yes again


im going away now


im bif directly


i mean to go and live wherever the fancy seizes me at the wharfat the counting house and be a jolly bachelor


you were a widow in anticipation


damme screamed the dwarf ill be a bachelor in earnest


you cant be serious quilp sobbed his wife


i tell you said the dwarf exulting in his project that ill be a bachelor a devilmaycare bachelor and ill have my bachelors hall at the counting house and at such times come near it if you dare


and mind too that i dont pounce in upon you at unseasonable hours again for ill be a spy upon you and come and go like a mole or a weazel


tom scottwheres tom scott


here i am master cried the voice of the boy as quilp threw up the window


wait there you dog returned the dwarf to carry a bachelors portmanteau


pack it up mrs quilp


knock up the dear old lady to help knock her up


hallo there i halloi with these exclamations mr qulip caught up the poker and hurrying to the door of the good ladys sleeping closet beat upon it therewith until she awoke in inexpressible terror thinking that her amiable soninlaw surely intended to murder her in justification of the legs she had slandered


im pressed with this idea she was no sooner fairly awake titan she screamed violently and would have quickly precipitated herself out of the window and through a neighbouring skylight if her daughter had not hastened in to undeceive her and implore iher assistance


somewhat reassured by her account of the service she was required to render mrs jiuiwin made her appearance in a flannel dressing gown and both mother and daughter trembling with terror and cold for the night was now far advanced obeyed mr qulips directions in submissive silence


prolonging his preparations as much is possible for heir greater comfort that eccentric gentleman superintended the packing of his wardrobe and having added to it with his own hands a plate knife and fork spoon teacup and saucer and other small household matters of that nature strapped up the portmanteau took it on his shoulders and actually marched off without another word and with the case battle which he had never once put down still tightly clasped under his arm


consigning his heavier burden to the care of tom scott when lie reached the street taking a drain from the bottle for his own encouragement and giving the boy a rap on the head with it as a small taste for himself quilp very deliberately led the way to the wharf and reached it at between three and four oclock in the morning


snug said quilp when lie had groped his way to the wooden counting house and opened the door with a key he carried about with him


beautifully snug


call me at eight you dog


with no more formal leave taking or explanation he clutched the portmanteau shut the door on hlia attendant and climbing on the desk and rolling himself up as round as a hedgehog in an old boat cloak fell fast asleep


to be continued


how i stood for the dreep daily burghs


kram buekwtt


snburgk ittgastm


chapter vconclusion


parlumbnt wat at length ilittolved the new writs were issued and tbe day of nomination fixed for the dreepdally burgh


for a tiste it appeared lo say


i elf and indeed lo alston every one else that my etnrn was perfectly secure


provotl bnale was io great glory and ibe fscei of ihe unknown clique were positively radient wilb satitfaciioo


but a lora wss brewing io aanlher quarter upon which we bad not previously calculated


the honourable mr puzzlelli waite my opponent bad fixed bis head quarters in drouibielaw and to all appearance wa making very little progress in dreepdally


indeed in no sente of tbe word could fusslelbwaite be aid to be popular


he was a middleaged man at blind as n bat and in order lb cure the defect be ornamented hit vitage wilb an immens pair of green spectacles which it may be easily conceived did not add to the beauly of bis appearance


in speech be wss slow and ver bose ia mamier awkward in matter almos


wholly unintelligible


he professed principles which be said were precisely tbe same as those advocated by the late jeremy benlbain nod cerlaiuly if be wa correct id ibis i do not regret that my parents omitted to bring me up at ibe feet of the utilitarian gamaliel


in short faul was prosy to a degree had not an atom of animation in bis whole com position and could do more have carried a crowd along wilb bim than be could have supported atlas upon bis boulders


a portion however of pbilo


sophie weaversand a certain section of the secede had declared in his favour and moreover it wus just possible that he might galo the suffrages of some of the conservatives


killleweem the tory burgh bad hitherto preserved the appearance of trict neutrality


i bad attempted lo address the electors of that place but found that the hatred of drevpdaily and of its clique was more powerful than my eloquence and somehow or other the benighted savages did not comprehend the merits of the revolution seulement of and were a violently national as tbe celtic race before the in mention of trew


killleweem had equipped half a regiment for prince charles in ibe porlyfive aud still piqued itself on ils staunch episcopacy


a whig therefore could hardly expect to be papular in such a deo of prejudice


by the advice of mcorkindale i abnaiued from any further efforts which might possibly have tended lo exasprale the lectori and left killleweem to itself in the hope thal it would maintain an armed neutrality


and so it prubsbly might have done but for an unexpected occurrence


two days before the nomi nation a new candidate appeared on the ield


shollo douglas was the representative of one of the oldest branches of his distinguished name and the race lo whick he more immediately belonaed bad everbeeu foremost in the ranks of scot uah chi valry and patriotism ia fact no family had auf


feted more from their attachment to ihe cause of legitimacy than the douglases of inveriachan


for


failure after forfeiture had cul down their broad leads to a narrow estate and but for an unexpected indian legacy the preseul heir woald have beau marching as a suballeru io a foot regiment


bul a large importation of rupees had infused new life and spirit into the bosom of sholto douglas


young eager sod enthusiastic be determiued lo rescue himself from obscurity and tbe present state of the drecpdatly burghs appeared to offer a most tempt ing opportunity


douglas was of course conser vative to the backbone but more than thal he openly proclaimed himself a friend of the people and a supporter of the rights of labour


confound ibe fellow i tuid bob mcorkindale to me ibe morning after shollo address bud been placarded through ibe burghs who would have tboughlof an attack of this kind from such ii quai ter


have you seeo hi msaifeito dumhunner


yeshere it is in the patriot


the editor however gives him it soundly in ibe leading article


ilikebisdogmatic style and wholesale denunciation of ibe tories


ill tell you what it is thoughi look opon this as any thing bul a joke


douglas ii evidently not a man to stand upon old aristocratic pretentious


he has got tbe righi sow by lbs ear this lime and had be started a little earlier might have roused the national spirit io a very unpleasant pitch


you observe what be says about scotland the neglect of her local inlereils aud the manner in nhleb she hss been treated wilb reference lo ireland t ido


and you will be pleased lo recollect that but for yourself something of ibe same kiod would bate appeared io my address


if yuu meso that at a reproach dunthunner you ara wrong


how was it punible to have started you as a whig upon patriotic principles v


wellibats true enough


at ibe sume lime i cannot help wisbiog that we bad saul a word or two about ibe interest lo tbe north of ibe tweed


what is dons cauool be uudoue


we must now stick by ibe revolution settlement


j


o


you know bob i think we have given idem quite enough of that same selllrmeni already


those fellows at killleweem laughed in my luce the last lime that i talked about if and i am rather afraid that it wont go down on the boiling


try the sanatory condition of the town then and nniversal conciliation lo ireland replied the economist


i bave given orders lo hire tw hun dred paddies who bave come over for ibe harte at a shilling aheud and of course you may depend upon tbeir voices and also their sbillelali if need ful


i ibink we should have a row


it would be a great maller to make douglas unpopular nod with a movement of my little finger i could turu ont a whole legion of navigator


no bob you bad belter out


it is just possible they might make a miiloke aod shy brickbats at the wrong candidate


ii will be safer i think to leave the mob to itself at the same time we ball not be the worse for lbs tipperary demonstration


and how looks tbe csavast f tolerably well but not perfectly lecure


the clique has done its very beal bul at the same lime there is undeniably a growing feeling againsi ii


many people grumble about its dominion and are fools enough to say ibat they bave a right lo ihiuk v for themselves


could you not circuste a report that puzzle


ibwaite is ibe man of ibe clique


the idea is ingenious but i fear it would hardly work


dreepdally is well known to be the head quarters of the confederation and the name of pro vost binkie is inseparably counected willi h by ibe way mcurkiudale it struck me that yon looked rallier sweet upon miss biokie last oveniog


i did


in fact i popped the question replied robert calmly


indeed i wer you accepted i conditionally


if we gain hie emotion


she becomes mrs mcorkindaleif we lose suppose i ball have to rsturn to glasgow in a stale of celibacy


a carious contract certainly i wall bob sloes your success is involved in mint we mu st fight a desperate battle


i wish though thal mr sholto douglas bad bein kind enough to keep oat of the way ob served mcorkiodale


the morning of tbe day appointed for the noml


nation dawned upon tbe people of dreepdaily with saore iban usual splendour


for once lhere wss no min upon the turroundmg billi and the sky was cer sapphire


rote early lo study my speech which bad reeeived the finishing touches from m vle on he tog before and i ostler myself if was as preily a pieee of whig rhetoric as ver was spooled from a hutting


toddy tam indeed had objected upon seeing a draft that iber were nae banes intil it j but the political economist was contiderrd by hie commitiee a snpsrior authority on such subjects to gill


after having carefully conned ii over i went down blairs where the whole parly were already assem bled


a large blue and yellow flag willi the inscription dwukunner and the good cause wa hong oat from ibe window to the iotenie delight of


gang of urchin who testified to ihe popularity of th candidate by ceaseless voeiferaiion to poor oul


the wall opposite however bor some me moranda


f an opposite tendency for i eonld see oat


larg placards swly paitrd op on wbieb iii word elbctots of dkiroatlyl tod arc w st rat cinnf war csaipieaoui i nor bobs capitals


i heard too something like a ballad mttedis which my um teemed lo b coupled irreverently wilb ibat of lb independent gills


pravost blskiswbo la comrnoa with tbs rsst fib cssspsny wera upon big boto no enormoas


l


prjiwl by lb fair bssds fnis danghlsrisjatsd


with gmt cordiality


wsarv ibat th pro vost had bera kept


f


ffwfc as poiijbit la th dark regarding th actual results of the canvass


he wai to propose toe and it waa thought ihut bl nerves would be more steady if be ama forward uoder the positive conviction of success


this is a great day mr dunsbunnera grand day for dreepdally lie said aday if i may see speak o triumph and rejoicing


the news o ibis will rin frae one end o the land lo the ulter


ior the eera ov scotland is fixed on dreepdally aud the lench auld whig principles is aura lo prevail even like a mighty river thal rius down in pale lo the seal i justly concluded thal this figure of speech formed part of the address to the eliotuis which for the two last days bad been simmering in the brain of the worthy magistrate along with the fumes of the pointions he bad imbibed us incentives to the extraordinary ffort


of course i took care lo uppenr to participate lu his eihuoiasm


my mind however was very far from being thoroughly at euie


as twelve oclock which was the hour of nomi nation drew ueur lhere was a great muster at my committeeroom


the bund of the independent teetotallers who to a mun were iii my interest was in attendance


they bad been well primed with ginger cordial and were obstieperous to a gratifying degree


toddy tam came np to me with a face of the colour of carnation


i think it rieht to tell ye mr dunsbunner that there will be a bit o a bleeze ower yonder al tin hustings


the kitileweem folk hue come through in squads and lord harlsidea tenantry huve marched in a body wi sholto douglas colours flying


and the drouthlelaw fellowswhat has become of there od theyre na wius eithertheyre just savage at the clique i gudesake mr dunsbunner ink tent and dinna say a word about buz


i intend mysell lu denounce the body und maybe that will do us guile


i highly approved of mr gills determination and as the time had now come we formed lu column and marched towards the hustings with the leeiotal band in front playing u very lugubrious imitation of glorious apollo


the other candidates had already taken their places


the moment i was visible to the audience i wat assailed by a volley of yella among which cries of doun wi the clique wha bought theni


nae nominee i weve bad etieuch o the wings


etcetera were distinctly audible


this wus not at all the kind of reception i bud bargained forhowever there was nothing for it


but lo put on a smiling face and i reciprocated courtesies as well as i could with both of my honourable opponents


during hie reading of the writ and the bribery act lhere was a deal of joking which i presume was intended lobe goodhumoured


al the same time there could be no doubt thal it was distinctly personal


i heard my natue associated with epithets of anything but an eadenrlng description and to say the truth if choice had been granted i would fur rather have been al jericho than in front of the hustings at dreepdally


a mun must fie indeed intrepid and conscious of a good cause who can oppose himself without blenching lo the ohjmgalion of an excited mob


the honourable paul poszlelb waite on account of his having been the earliest candidate in the field waa first proposed by a town councillor of drouthieluw


this purl of the ceremony appeared to excite but lillie interest the hooting mid cheering being pretty equally dislribuled


i ii was now our turu


gang forrard provosf and be sure e speak oot i suid toddy tam uud mr biukie advanced accordingly thereupou such a roiv commenced as i never bad witnessed before


yelling is n faint word to express the sounds of that storm of extraordinary wrath which descended upon the head of the devoted provost


clique clique


i resounded on every side and myriads of eyes ferocious as those of the wildcat were bent scowlingly on my worthy pro poser


in rain did be gesticulatein vain implore


the voice of demustheuesnay the deep basa of stentor himselfcould no huve been heard amidst that infernal uproar so that after working his arms for a lime like ibe limbs of a telegraph and exerting himself until he became absolutely wari in the face binkie was fain lo give it up aud retired amidst a wbirlwiud of abuse may ibe dell fly awa wi the hail pack o tbem aaid he almost blubbering with excitement and indignation


wha wad ever han ihochi to bave seeo ibe like o ibia i and hut too that gied them the reform bill i try your hand at them tam fur my beurta umaist brokeo


the bluff independent character of mr gills and bis reputed purity from all taint of the clique operated considerably in ins favour


he advanced amidst general cheeriog and cries of noo for todd tarni lets hear mr gills


and the like and a be tossed his hat iibde and clenched his brawuy fist he really looked the inrurnution of a sturdy and independent elector


his st le too whs decidedly popular listen lae me


i he said and let time brawlin braggio blelherin idiwils frae drouthieluw baud their lang clavering tongues and no keep row tin like a herd o senseless nowie great cheering from dreepdally and kiltleweemconsiderable disapprobation from drouthieluw i ken them weel the auld baverils


cheers


but you my freend ibat i have dwelt wi for twenty years is it possible that ye can believe fur one moment that i wud submit lo be dictated to by a clique


cries of uol no it no yon tam and confusion tfo me


f i diuua thank yo for that


i wull ony mau duur to say io my face that i ever col leagued wi a pack ihut wad buy and sell ibe buill of us as readily as ye candeal wisheeps head in the public market


laughter


div ye i think that it mr dunsbunner wus ony way mixed op wi that gang


i wad be here this day lae secoud him


div ye think


here mr gills met willi a singular interruption


a remarkable figure attired in u red coat and cucked bal al one lime probably the property of a civie officer and who had beeu observed for some lime bobbing about in front of the hustings wag now elevated upon the shoulders of h eoman and tim played to tho delighted spectators the features of geordie dowie


i ay tuddy tam are ye lhere man cried geordie with a malignant grin


what was you and the clique dolo at nause finlayson oa friday uichl


what was if geordie


what was ii cried a hundred voices


am i to be interrupted by a natural cried gills looking however considerably flushed in ibe face


what hae ye dune wi ibe notes tam that the lang chield up by there gied ye


and whaurs your freeod shank and mauslan


see that ye


leek


lo the window neist time ma man i cried geordie willi demoniac ferocity


this was quite enough for ibe mob who seldom require any excuse for a display of their hereditary privileges


a perfect hurricane or hissing and of yelling arose aud gills though he fought like a hero was at lust forced to retire fiom the contest


had geordie dowies windpipe been wilbiu his grasp at that moment i would not have insured for any amount the life of the perfidious spy


sholto douglas was proposed and seconded amidst great cheering and then poszletbwaiie rose lo apeak


i do oot very well recollect what be aid for i hud quite enough lo do in thinking about mielf and the honourable paul would have conferred a material obligation upon me if be had talked for au hour longer


at length my turn carne


electors of dreepdally i that was the whole of my speech at least the whole of it that was audible to any one human being


humboldt if i recollect righi talks in one of ins travels of having oiiiewheie encountered a mountain composed of millious of entangled snakes whose hissing might huve equalled that of the transformed legions of pandemonium


i wish humbuldl for the sake of scientific comparison could have been upon hie hustings thal day


i certain i am that the sibilalion did not leave my ear for a fortnight afterwards and even now in my lumber i am haunted by


wilderness of asps


however at the urgent entreaty of mcorklndale i weat ob for about len minutes though i was quivering io every limbaod at palea a ghost aad in order that the poblic might not lose the benefit of my sen li meale i concluded by haodieg a eopy of my peech interlarded wilb fictitious obrer lo the reporter for the dreepdally patriot


that document may lill be mm by the carious ia id eolaau of that impartial aetjipaper


i will tate ibia for sholto douglas that be behaved like a per feet gentleman


there was io bis peech bo triumph over the discomfiture which ibe other candidate had receivedon the contrary he ralher rebuked the audience fur mil hating listened to ua with greater patience


he then went on willi his oration


i need hardly ay it was a national one andli whmntt enthusiastically cheered


al thal i need mention about the how of band i that it was not by any means hollow in my favour


thal afternoon we were not quite so lively in hie corumllteeroom as usual


the serenity of messrs guis mauhlaiiaml shanksand perhaps i may add of iiiyselfwas a gund deal shaken by the intelligence that a broadside willi the tempting title of full and particular account of an interview between at clique and mr ounshunner


held at nanse finlayson tavern on friday hit and how they caine to term


by an eye witnessvu nculiting like wildfire through the streets


to have been beulen t a douglas was nothing bul to have been so artfully entrapped by u bun


i ti y


provost binhir too whs dull and dissatisfied


the reception ho had met with lu his native town was no doubt a severe morlifiratioti but the feeling that he hud been used as a catspaw anti implement of the clique


wa i suspected uppermost iu lils mind


poor mau we had great difliuulty thal evening in bringing him to his sixth tumbler


even mcoi kunial was hipped


i own i was surprised al this for i knew of old the indefatigable spirit und keen energy of my friend and i ihuughl thal willi such a stake as he had in the conten he would even hue redoubled bia exerliuoa


such however was nut the case


i pass over the proceedings bl the poll


from a very early hour it became perfectly et dent that my chance was utterly gone and indeed had ii been possible i should bute left dreepduily befoie the close


at four oclock ibe numbers stood thus dreepdally


drouihielaw


kittlewetm


douglas pozzhv a waite iii dunshunner


majority for douglas


we had an awful scene io the commitleerooin


gills who lind been drinking ull tiny lied copious floods of tearsshanks was disconsolateund mauslun refused lo be comforted


of conree i gave the usual pledge thal on the very ural oppor tunity i should come forward again to reasseit the iodependence of the bargh now infamously sacrificed to a conservative but the cheering at uri announcement wa of the very faintest descrip tion and i doubt w hellier ony one believed me


two hours afterwards i wa miles uwuy ii oin dreeptlaily


i huve since bad letters from that place which inform me thal the clique is utterly discomfited that for some days the component inerubeis of it might be been wandering through the streets aud pouring their husky sorrows into the ears of every struy listener whom they could fiid until they became a positive nuisance


my best champion however wa the editor of the patriotthal noble und dauntless individual continued lor weeks afterwords lo pour forth jeremiads upon my defeat and btigmutued my opponents und their supporters as knaves uiuciehiilx and nincompoops


i wus he maintained the victim of a base conspi racy anil the degraded town of dreepdally would never be able theieufter to rear its polluted head in the royal convention of burgh


whilst these things were going un in dreeptlaily was cluseied willi mcorkiudale in glasgow


so then yuu have lost your election said he


and you have lost your wife


neither of the two accidents appear to me to be irreparable replied robert


how sodo yon still think of misa hinkief hy no meansi made some little inquiry tfie day before yeslerduy mid discovered ihut a ceituiu nestegg was enormously exaggeratedif uolaltoge ther fictitious


well bob there is certainly nobody like yourself for gelling information


i du my best


may i inquire into the nature of your future movements


i have not yet mude up my mind


these elec tion mattem put every thing else out of unes head


let me seeaiigont is approaching and i half promised the captain of malcohol lo spend a few weeks with lum ut his shooting quarters


are yuu aware dunshuuiier that one of your bills falls due al the gurbuls bank upou tuesday next


mercy upon me bob i i bad forgotten all about it


i did not go to the highlands after all


the fatigue and exertion we had undergone rendered ii quite indispensable that my friend robert unj i should relax a lillie


accordingly e huve bulli embarked for a hurl run upuu the continent


boulognenur mer lm august


iiarnaliy rbudge


etiapter xrir


if joseph willet the denounced and proscribed of prentices had happened to be at home when his fathers courtly guest presented himself before the maypole doorthat is if it had not perversely chanced to be one of the halfdozen days in the whole year on which he was at liberty to absent himself for as


many hours without question or reproachhe would have contrived by hook or crook to dive to the very bottom of mr chesters mysteryand to come at his purpose with as much certainty as though lie had been his confidential adviser


in that fortunate case the lovers would have had quick warning of the ills that threatened them and the aid of various timely and wise suiggestions to boot for all joes readiness of thought and action and all his sympathies and good wishes were enlisted in favour of the young people and were staunch in devotion to their cause


whether this disposition arose out of his old prepossessions in favour of the young lady whose history had surrounded her in his mind almost from his cradle with circumstances of unusual interest or from his attachment towards the young gentleman into whose confidence he had through his shrewd ness and alacrity and the rendering of sundry important services as a spy and messenger almost imperceptibly glided whether they had their origin in either of these sources or in the habit natural to youth or in the constant badgering and worrying of his venerable parent or in any hidden little love affair of his own which gave him something of a fellowfeeling in the matter it is needless to inquire especially as joe was out of the way and had no opportunity on that particular occasion of testifying to his sentiments either on the one side or the other


it was in fact the twentyfifth of march which as most people know to their cost is and has been time out of mind one of those unpleasant epochs termed quarter days


on this twentyfifth of march it was john willets pride annually to settle in hard cash his account with a certain vintner and distiller in the city of london to give into whose hands a canvass beg containing its exact amount and not a penny more or less was the end and object of a journey for joe so surely as the year and day came round


this journey was performed upon an old grey mare concerning whom john had an indistinct set of ideas hovering about him to the effect that she could win a plate or cup if she tried


she had never tlied and probably never would now being some fourteen or fifteen years of age short in wind long in body and rather the worse for wear in respect of her mane and tail


notwithstanding these slight defects john perfectly gloried in the animal and when she was brought round to the door by hugh actually retired into the bar and there in a secret grove of lemons laughed with pride


theres a bit of horseflesh hugh i said joho when lhe had recovered enough selfcommand to appear at the door again


theres a comely creator i theres high mettle i itheres bone


there was bone enough beyond all doubt and so hugh seemed to think as he sat sideways in the saddle lazily doubled up with his chin nearly touching his knees and heedless of the dangling stirrups and loose bridlerein sauntered up and down on the little green before the door


mind you take good of her sir said john appealing from this insensible person to his son and heir who now appeared fully equipped and ready


dont you ride hard


i should be puzzled to do that i think father replied joe casting a disconsolate look at the ani mal


none of your impudence sir if you please retorted old john


what would you ride sir a wild ass or zebra would be too tame for you wouldnt he oel sir


youd like to ride a roaring lion wouldnt you sir eb sir


hold your tongue sir


when mr willet in his differences with his son had exhausted all the questions that occurred to him and joe had said nothing at all in answer


he gene


rally wound up by bidding him hold his tongue


and what does the boymean added mr wil


let after he had stared at him for a little time in a state of stupefaction by cocking his hat to such an extent are you going to kill the wintner sir


no said joe tartly im not


now your minds at ease father


with a milintary air tool said mr willet surveying him from top to too with a swaggering fireeating bilingwater drinking sort of way with him


i


and what do you mean by pulling up the crocuses and snowdrops eh sir


its only a little nosegay said joe reddening theres no harm in that i hope


youre a boy of business you are sir i said mr willet disdainfully to go supposing that wintners carefor nosegays


i dont suppose anything of the kind returned joe let them keep their red noses for bottles and tankards these are going to mr vardens house


anddo you suppose he sminds such things as crocuses demanded john


idopnt know and to say the truth i dent care said joe come father give me the money and in the name of patience let me go there it isreplicd john and take care of it and mind you dont make too much haste back but


givethe mare a long rest


do you mind i ay i mind returned joe shell need it heaven knows


and dont you score up too much at the black lion said john mind that too


then why dont you let me have some money of my own retorted joesorrowfully why dont you father what do you send me into london for giving meonly the right to call for my dinner at the black lion which youre to pay for next time syou go as if i was not to be trusted with a few shillingswhy do you use me like this


its not right of you you cant expect me to be quiet under it


let him have money l cried john in a drowsy reverie


what does he call moneyguineas


heasnt he got money


over and above the tolls hasnt he one and sixpence


one and sixpence i repeated his son contemp


tuously


yes sir returned john one and sixpence when iwas your age i never had seen so much money ina heap


a shilling of it is in case of accidentthe mate casting a shleoo or thle like ofihat the other sixpence is to spend in the diversions of london anhdthe diversion i recommend is going to tle top ofthe monumnt and sitting there


theres naotemptation there sir no drink


no young women no bad characters of any sot notohing butimsaginastion tliats the way i enjoyoed myself wrhea


i was your age sir


i to thlis joe made no answer butbeckoning hugh leaped into the saddle and rode away and a very stalart manly he iiman ie looked desereing a better charger than it was li fortune t o tride


o


john stoodstaringafter him orratheriafter the grpy tiii for he had nb eyes for her iddeif until man and beast had been outof sight some twenty ml nuteswhen


he began to think they were gone and i slowly reentering the house fell into a gentle doze


the unfortunate grey mate who was the agony of joes life floundered along at her own will and pleasure until the maypole was no longer visible and then contracting her legs into what in a puppet would have been looked upon as a clumsy and awk ward imitation of a canter mended her pace all at once and did it of her own accord


the acquaint


ance with her riders usual mode of proceeding which suggested this improvement in hers impelled her likewise to turn up a byeway leadingnot to london but through lanes running parallel with the road they had come and passing within a few hun


dred yards of the maypole which led finally to an inclosure surrounding a large old redbrick mansion the same of which mention was made as the warren in the first chapter of this history


coming to a dead stop in a little copse thereabout she suf


feredier rider to dismount with right good will and to tie her to the trunk of a tree


stay there old gill said joe and let us see whether theres any little commission for me today


so saying lie left her to browse upon such stunted grass and weeds as happened to grow within the length of her tether and passing


through a wicket gate entered the grounds on foot


the pathway after a very few minutes walking brought him close to the house towards which and especially towards one particular window he di rected many covert glances


it was a dreary silent building with echoing court yards desolated turret chambers and whole suites of rooms shut up and mouldering to ruin


the terrace garden dark with the shade of over hanging trees had an air of melancholy that was quite oppressive


great iron gates disused for many years and red with rust drooping


on their hinges and overgrown with long rank grass seemed as though they tried to sink into the ground and hide their fallen state among the friendly weeds


the fantastic monsters on the walls green with age and damp and covered here and there with moss looked grim and desolate


there was a sombre aspect even on that part of the mansion which was inhabited and kept in good repair that struck the beholder with a sense of sadnessof something forlorn and failing whence cheerfulness was banished


it would have been dilticult to imagine a bright fire blazing in the dull and darkened rooms or to picture any gaiety of heart or revelry that the frowning walls shut in


it seemed a place where such things had been but could be no morethe very ghost of a house haunting the old spot in its old outward form and that was all


much of this decayed and sombre look was attributable no doubt to the death of its former master and the temper of its present occupant but remembering the tale connected with the mansion it seemed the very place for such a deed and one that might have been its predestined theatre years upon years ago


viewed with reference to this legend the sheet of water where the stewards body had been found appeared to wear a black and sullen character such as no other pool might own the bell upon the roof that had told the tale of murder to the midnight wind became a very phantom whose voice would raise the listeners hair on end and every leafless bough that nodded to another had its stealthy whispering of the crime


joe passed up and down the path sometimes stopping in affected contemplation of the building or the prospect sometimes leaning against a tree with an assumed air of idleness and indifference but always keeping an eye upon the window he had singled out at first


after some quarter of an hours delay a small white hand was waved to him for an instant from the casement and the young man with a respectful bow departed saying under iris breath as he crossed his horse again no errand for me today i but the air of smartness the cock of the hat to which john willet had objected and the spring nosegay all betokened some little errand of his own having a more interesting object than a vintner or even a locksmith


so indeed it turned out for when he had settled with the vintnerwhose place of business was down in some deep cellars hard by thamesstreet and who was as purplefaced an old gentleman as if he had all his life supported their arched roof on his headwhen he had settled the account and taken the receipt and declined tasting more than three glasses of old sherry to the un bounded astonishment of the purplefaced winter who gimlet in hand had projected an attack upon at least a score of dusty casks and who stood trans fixed or morally gimleted as it were to his own wallwhen he had done all this and disposed besides of a frugal dinner at the black lion in whitechapel spurning the monument and johns advice he turned his eyes towards the locksmiths house attracted by the eyes of blooming dolly varden


joe was by no means a sheepish fellow but for all that when he got to the corner of the street in which the locksmith lived he could by no means make up his mind to walk straight to the house


first he resolved to stroll up another street for five minutes then up another street for five minutes more and so on until he had lost full half an hour when he made a bold plunge and found himself with a red face and a beating heart in the smoky workshop


joe willer or his ghost said varden rising from the desk at which he was busy with his books and looking at him under his spectacles


which is it joe in the flesh eh


thats hearty


and how are all the chigwell company joel much as usual sir they and i agree as well as ever


well well i said the locksmith


we must be patient joe and bear with old folks foibles


hows thie mare joe


does she do the four miles an hour as easily as ever i ha ha


ha i does she joe ehpwhat have we there joea nose gay


a very poor one sir


i thought miss dolly no no said gabriel dropping his voice and shaking his head not dolly


give em to her mother joe a great deal better give em to her mother


would you mind giving em to mrs var den joe oh no sir joe replied and endeavouring but not with the greatest possible success tohide hiis disappointment


i shall be very glad im sure thats right said the locksmith patting him on the back


it dont matter who hias em joe not a bit sir


dear heart how the words stuck in his throat i come in said gabriel


i have just been called to tea shes in the parlour


she thought joe


which of em i wonder mrs


or miss


the locksmith seittled the doubt as neatly as if it hiad been expresqed aloud by leading


him to thre door and saying martha my dear lieres young mr willet inow mrs varde regardtng the maypole as a sort of humane mantrap or decoy for huabands i viewing its proprietor and all who aided and abetted tin in thie light of oriiiany peiroaehers amog christian mon and believing moreover that the publicans coupled with sinners in foly writ were veritable licensed victuallers was far from being favourably disposed towards her visitor


wherefore she was taken faint directly and being duly pre sented with the crocuses and snowdrops divined on further consideration that they were the occasion of the languor that seized upon her spirits


im afraid i couldnt bear the room another minute said the good lady if they remained here


ivould you excuse my putting them out of window joe begged she wouldnt mention it on any ac count and smiled feebly as he saw them deposited on the sill outside


if anybody could have known the pains he had taken to make up that despised and misused bunch of flowers i i feel it quite a relief to get rid of them i assure you said mrs varden


im better al ready


and indeed she did appear to have plucked up her spirits


joe expressed his gratitude to providence for this favourable dispensation and tried to look as if he didnt wonder where dolly was


youre sad people at chligwell lir


joseph said mrs v i hope not maam returned joe


youre the cruellest and most inconsiderate people in the world said mrs varden bridling


i wonder old mr willet having been a married man himself doesnt know better than to conduct himself as he does


his doing it for profit is no excuse


i would rather pay the money twenty times over and have varden come home like a respectable and sober tradesman


if there is one character said mrs varden with great emphasis that offends and disgusts me more than another it is a sot


come martha my dear said the locksmith cheerily let us have tea and dont let us talk about sots


there are none here and joe dont want to hear about them i dare say


at this crisis mliggs appeared with toast


i dare say he does not said mrs varden and i dare say you do not varden


its a very unpleasant subject i have no doubt though i wont say its personalmiggs coughed whatever i may be forced to thinkmiggs sneezed expres sively


you never will know varden and nobody at young mr willets ageyoull excuse me sir can be expected to know what a woman taffers when she is waiting at home under such circum stances


if you dont believe me as i know you dont heres miggs who is only too often a witness of itask her


oh she were very bad the other night sir indeed she were said miggs


if you hadnt the sweetness of an angel in you mim i dont think you could abear it i raly dont


miggs said mrs varden youre profane


begging your pardon mim returned miggs with shrill rapidity such was not my intentions and such i hope is not my character though i am but a servant


answering me miggs and providing yourself retorted her mistress looking round oioth dignity is one and the same thing


how dare you speak of angels in connection with your sinful fellow beingsmeresaid mrs varden glancing at herself in a neighbouring mirror and arranging the ribbon of her cap in a more becoming fashion mere worms and grovellers as we are i i did not intend mim if you please to give offence said miggs confident in the strength of her compliment and developing strongly in the throat as usual and i did not expect it would be took as such


i hope i know my own unworthiness and that i hate and despise myself and all my fellow creatures as every practicable christian should


youll have the goodness if you please said mrs varden loftily to step up stairs and see if dolly has finished dressing and to tell her that the chair that was ordered for her will be here in a minute and that if she keeps it waiting i shall send it away that instant


im sorry to see that you dont take your tea varden and that you dont take yours mr joseph though of course it would be foolish of me to expect that anything that can be had at home and in the company of females would please you


this pronoun was understood in the plural sense and included both gentlemen upon both of whom it was rather hard and undeserved for gabriel had applied himself to the meal with a very promising appetite until it was spoilt by mrs varden herself and joe had as great a liking for the female society of the locksmiths houseor for a part of it at all eventsas man could well entertain


but lie had no opportunity to say anything in his own defence for at that moment dolly herself appeared and struck him quite dumb with her beauty


never had dolly looked so handsome as she did then in all the glow and grace of youth with all her charms increased a hundred fold by a most becoming dress by a thousand little coquettish ways which nobody could assume with a better grace and all the sparkling expectation of that accursed party


it is impossible to tell how joe hated that party wherever it was and all the other people who were going to it whoever they were


and she hiardly looked at himno hardly looked at him


and when tihe chair was seen through the open door coming blundering into the workshop she actually clapped her hands and seemed glad to go


but joe gave her his armthere was some comfort in thatand handed her into it


to see her seat herself inside with her laughing eyes brighter than diamonds and her handaurely she had the pret tiest hand in the worldon the ledge of the open window and her little finger provokingly and pertly tilted up as if it wondered why joe didnt squeeze or kiss it i to think how well one or two of the modest snowdrops would have become that delicate boddice and how they werelying neglected outside the parlour window i to see how miggs looked on with a face expressive of ktiewing how all this love


liness was got up and of being in the secret of every string and pin and hook and eye and of saying it aint half as real as you think and i could look quite as well myself if i took the pains i to hear that provoking precious little scream when the chair was hoisted on its poles and to catch that transient but nottobeforgotten vision of the happy face witliin what torments and aggravations and yet what delights were thesel


the very chairmen seemed favoured rivals as they bore her down the treet


there never was such an alteration in a small room in a small time as in that parlour when they went back to finish tea


so dark so deserted so perfdctly disenchalnted


it seemed such slheer non sense to be sitting tamely there when soe was at a dance with more lovers than man could calculate fluttering about herwith the whole party doting on andadoring hier and wanting to marry her


miggs was hovering abouttoo and the fact of her exist


selide the mere circumstance of tier ever having been born appeared after doll such an unaccountable joke


it weeas impossible to talk


it couldnt bo dbne


he had nothlongleft for it but to stir his tea roind and round add round and ruminate on all thie fascinations of theo blaokstmniths lovely daighter


abriel was dull too


it was a part ofthd cer tain uncertainty of mirs


vardens temper that when they were in this condition she should be gay and sprightly


i need have a cheerful disposition i am sure said the smiling housewife to preserve any spitits at all and how i can do it i can scarcely tell


al mim sighed miggs begging your pardon for the interruption there ant a many like you take away miggs said mrs varden rising


take away pray


i know im a restraint here and as i wish everybody to enjoy themselves as they best can i feel id better go


no no martha cried thp locksmith


stop here


im sure we shall be very sorry to lose you ell joe


joe started and said certainly


thank you varden my dear returned his wife but i know your wishes better


tobacco and beer or spirits have much greater attractions than i can boast of and therefore i shall go and sit up stairs and look out of window my love


good night mr joseph


im very glad to have seen you and only wish i could have provided something more suitable to your taste


remember me very kindly if you please to old air


willet and tell him that whenever he comes here i have a crow to pluck with him


good night


having uttered these words with great sweetness of manner the good lady dropped a curtsey remark


able for its condescension and siedncly withdrew


and it was for this joe had looked forward to the twentyfifth of march for weeks and weeks and had gathered the flowers with so much care and had cocked his hat and made himself so smart this was the end of all his bold determination resolved upon for the hundredth time to speak out to dolly and tell her how he loved her i to see her for a minutefor but a minuteto find her going out to a party and glad to go to be looked upon as a common pipesmoker beerbibber spiritguzzler and tosspot


hle bade farewell to his friend the locksmith and hastened to take horse at the black lion thinking as he turned towards home as many another joe has thought before and since that here was an end to all his hopes that the thing was impossible and never could be that she didnt care for him that he was wretched for life and that the only congenial prospect left him was to go for a soldier or a sailor and get some obliging enemy to knock his brains out as soon as possible


to be continued


ofemtomc the fstoby of a feather a story from pcnch chapter vi continued from our lost


patty butler in the watchhouse the chargeher release


whats the charge asked mr naplightly nightconstable f the parish of st martininthe fields


picking pockets replied one of the watchmen trippingly


hal i seeyes an old friend eh watchman


aid nap lightly looking with brazen significance at the little feather dresser pale trembling and dumbfounded by the suddenness of the event that had placed her in the foul dim dungeon where justice for a time laying aside a halfsmoked tobacco pipe was to decide upon the accusation


you know this young lady of course asked the constable


bless your heart sirknow her do i know my own rattle


the most troublesome and abusingest girlon my beat answered the watchman


thats plain enoughplain with half an eye


now sir if you please and the nightconstable looked towards the tall man the assailant of patty


now sir everything according to business


whats your name


julius curl well answered the ruffian looking loftily around him as though very proud of his name and pulling up his manifold white neckcloth as if still prouder of the cambric


and where do you live and what arc you asked the functionary


i at present reside answered mr curl well with mono syllabic majesty with my friend my lord huntingtopper


the face of the nightconstablebefore arched with dignity relaxed into a courteous smirk and he felt his voice grow mellow in his throat tbe watchmen too drew themselves up glancing respectfully at lord huntingtoppers friend who doubtless unconscious of tho impression he had made jerked with languid lackadaisical air his heavy gold chain and seals between his right thumb and finger


and you charge this young girl mr curl well with pick ing your pocket you


here the constable was interrupted as he called it by fatty for she fell in a heap upon the watchhouse floor as though stabbed to the heart


in an instant knuckle raised her in his arms and removing her bonnet the yellow light of a flaring light fell upon her deathpale innocent face mida tear rolled down her white cheek on the rough hand of luke who as though molten lead had dropt upon his flesh started round and with a look of pain and passion glared now at the constable and now at mr julius curlwell


you stony hearted vipers cried luke at lastwill you let the poor girl diewill none of you get some water


yes its all right muttered one watchman leering and laughing when the evidence is strong they always tries a faint


worn out exhausted by the anguish of the previous das oppressed with that feeling of desolation which makes the world far worse than valuelessterrified astounded by her situationpatty had remained in a halfstuporher mind and senses numbed by the apathy of misery


the nords of the constable for a moment called her back to consciousness and then she sank beneath the torture


thereshell do with a little ater jested one of the watchmen as luke sprinkled fattys face and if she wont im sorry for her seeing as the parish finds no hartshorn


i told you shed do repeated the fellow as fatty unclosed her eyes and breathing heavily looked mournfully about her


oh luke she exclaimed at length bursting into tears as the implied accusation of the constable flashed upon her


oh luke silence i cried the nightofficer knitting his brows and then turning to the injured manlord huntingtoppers friendhe broke into a grim smile sajing now sir if you please


come to the robbery


again patty moaned and aga n the nightconstable roared silence ii cant precisely make aa what you calla crimi nal charge against that young woman in particularno under stand me not in particularcertainly notnevertheless i have been robbeds very handsome family snuffboxrobbed and knocked downor knocked down and robbed for under stand me i wish to be exact a very handsome goldmounted tortoiseshell boxcouldnt go without fingerswith family crestdolphin with tail in his mouth latin under it and everything proper


such was what mr julius curlwell evidently considered to be his charge


the nightconstable indulged in a heavy shake of the head and glancing at fatty observed if things of this sort isnt put down by the strong hand theres an end of respectability


i think theres evidence enough to lock the girl up till the morning


oh for the love of mercy shrieked patty and then convulsed and heartstricken she could speak no more but held forth her clasped hands to the nightconstable


stopstop cried the officer as luke was about to speak let us do everything in order first search the girl the pro perlymay be about her


fatty looked cntreatingly at the constable who waved his hand as though his public virtue were proof against looks


she then turned with streaming eyes to mr curlwell who with a slight cough and averting his face from the glance of the accused somewhat hurriedly drew his handkerchief from his pocket and with considerable energy blew his nose


but to begin withwatchman whats that asked the constable pointing to the case where reposed myself and companions whats that


my work sirit is indeed i was going to take it home said fatty when that gentlemanher voice faltered when that gentlemanoh god help me ishe could say no more


ha i and the nightconstable breathed hard sucked his underlip and then said speaking as an oracle the thing looks very black agin her


watchman and he raised his voice whats in that case


immediately the watchman drew me from my companions and with a look of admiration that ought to have pleased me cried


well i what a bit o snow


i young woman said the nightconstablehe also smitten with my beauty young woman i do hope these things are honestly come by i say i do as a father hope it lie re peated with a manner that proved he had no hope whatever on the subject


w honestly come byto be sure they areas id show you in five minutes if i was only out of this doghole cried luke


by the bye said the nightconstable at length really awakened to the presence of knuckle what is the charge against this man


what is your charge sir i cannot exactly say what it was that prompted the answer to mr julius curlwell but that person having placed his hand in his coat side pocket raised his eyelids with a slight motion of astonishment and replied in the softest voice charge none whatever


i thought you were knocked down sir and unquestionably but i wish to be particular andno i wouldnt make a mistake for the worldand ithat is against tbe mani have no charge whatever


you may go said the nightconstable adding with a leer and you may thank this noble gentleman for his good nature


luke evidently deemed such politeness unnecessary for taking no notice of curlwell and saying in a hurried whisper to fatty just you wait a minute he impatiently made his way from the watchhouse


upon second thoughts said mr curlwell do think mr nigbtconsuble you bad better let the girl go too she may amendshe may reformand for my part i pardon her


i do indeed so youd better let her go


mr naplightly the constable certainly felt desirous to entertain the humane idea suggested by mr julius curlwell but at that philanthropist did not back his arguments by other reasons vary current in the good old days or nights of the good old roundhouse mr naplightly relapsed into official virtue and said ha should certainly lock the girl up till the morrow morning


her patty entreated the constable to wait the return of luke ka would be back immediately


mr curlwell also as the night was very hot wellventilated he would joined in the request adding that as aad the rratrh hnsja sipftjcnlarlv


ii sn ivjtuinj i wait outside until he saw better reason either to forego or press his charge


here mr curlwell slipt a crown into the band of a watchman and the lock of the door was turned


mr curl well sagaciously observing as ho stept into the moonlight that there was nothing so sweet as fresh air


and yet there was another sweetness which mr curl welt lost no time ere he enjoyed for he drew from his sidepocket the tortoiseshell goldmounted snuffboxthe box bearing the dolphin with its tail in its mouth the latin under it and everything properthe box which he had deemed lost in the mob that had gathered round him on his prostration but which happily he had found whilst in the watchhouse though being on certain occasions what is called a close man he did not then make known the discovery


to return to patty in the watchhouse


she not thrust into the den in which halfadozen wretched creatures have been screaming and shouting but is permitted a seat among the watchmen who leaving his majestys subjects to the in fluence of their own impulses good or bad sit at the hearth and drink porter the ulule they admire myself and fellows


say barney cries an old guardian sticking me in his greasy hatband and straddling about the floor heres a thing to go a courlin in


the shout excited by this magic touch of humour was checked by violent knocking nt the witcliliouse door


it was no sooner opened than luke knuckle mr flamingo the feathermer chant andthough not too willinglyair


curlwell entered


mr flamingo seeing me turned pale at the desecration and tremblingly asked the watchman how he dared to pollute his property


the nightconstable was now satisfiedpattys story was true und if she would only ask mr curl ells pardon for having accosted him in the street she might go about her business


never exclaimed patty her face reddening to scarlet


it so happened that curlwellthe faithful valet of lord huntingtopper had no intention to appear again in the watchhouse but hud unhappily met his acquaintance the feathermerchant on his way thither accompanied by knuckle who had compelled him to return


being brought back he felt he was obliged to appear the injured person


bless my soul i said flamingo in a halfwhisper to the valet and that creature addressed you in the street how mrs flamingos deceived in her t this is the last bit of work she does for us


then turning to the nightconstable he exclaimed if she wont ask the gentlemans pardon lock her up


patty thought of her homepoor stricken creature what a home iof the lost night she was to pass beneath a roof with her dead mother and with this thought in her face her eyes her voiceshe approached curlwell and in a tone that must have made bim soulsick said i ask your pardon sir


tiic charge is dismissed erics naplightly the nightcon stable


the render may ask how is it pood master feather that whilst in darkness whilst shut up ia a portfolio you nio enabled to speak tims circumstantially to the outward appearances of things about you


and the feather answers you shall know this aud more at the cud


to be continued


iarnabiy rudge


a


ctaptean xl


little thinking of the planfor his happy settle


meat in life which had suggested itself to the teem ing brain of his provident commander hugh md le no pause until st dunstans giants struck the h r above him when he worked the handle of a pun which stood ard by with great vigour and thtust ing his head under the spout let the water gush upon him until a little stream ran down from every uncombed hair and lie was wet to the waist


con


siderably refreshed by this ablution both in mind and body and almost sobered for the time he dried himself as he best could then crossed the road and plied the knocker of the middle temple gate


the night porter looked through a small grating in the portal with a surly eye and cried halloa which greeting ilugh ieturned in kind and bade him open quickly


we dont sell beer here cried the man what else do you want t to come in hugh replied witha kick at the door


where to go to paperbuildings


whose chambers l sir john chesters


each of which answers he emphasied with another kick


after a little growling on the other side the gate was opened and he passed in undergoing a close inspection from the porter as ibe did so


you wanting sir john at this time of night


said the man


aysaid hugh


i


what of that