第3章

AsachildIwasnothandsome。WhenIconsultedthetriangularbitoflooking-glasswhichIalwayscarriedwithme,itshowedapale,sandy,andfreckledface,shadedbylockslikethecolorofseaweedwhenthesunstrikesitindeepwater。Myeyesweresaidtobeindistinctive;theywereafaint,ashengray;butabovethemrose——

myonlybeauty——ahigh,massive,domelikeforehead,withpolishedtemples,likedoor-knobsofthepurestporcelain。

Ourfamilywasafamilyofgovernesses。Mymotherhadbeenone,andmysistershadthesameoccupation。Consequently,when,attheageofthirteen,myeldestsisterhandedmetheadvertisementofMr。Rawjester,clippedfromthatday’s\"Times,\"Iaccepteditasmydestiny。Nevertheless,amysteriouspresentimentofanindefinitefuturehauntedmeinmydreamsthatnight,asIlayuponmylittlesnow-whitebed。Thenextmorning,withtwobandboxestiedupinsilkhandkerchiefs,andahairtrunk,IturnedmybackuponMinervaCottageforever。

CHAPTERII。

BlunderboreHall,theseatofJamesRawjester,Esq。,wasencompassedbydarkpinesandfunerealhemlocksonallsides。Thewindsangweirdlyintheturretsandmoanedthroughthelong-drawnavenuesofthepark。AsIapproachedthehouseIsawseveralmysteriousfiguresflitbeforethewindows,andayellofdemoniaclaughteransweredmysummonsatthebell。WhileIstrovetorepressmygloomyforebodings,thehousekeeper,atimid,scared-

lookingoldwoman,showedmeintothelibrary。

Ientered,overcomewithconflictingemotions。Iwasdressedinanarrowgownofdarkserge,trimmedwithblackbugles。Athickgreenshawlwaspinnedacrossmybreast。Myhandswereencasedwithblackhalf-mittensworkedwithsteelbeads;onmyfeetwerelargepattens,originallythepropertyofmydeceasedgrandmother。

Icarriedabluecottonumbrella。AsIpassedbeforeamirror,I

couldnothelpglancingatit,norcouldIdisguisefrommyselfthefactthatIwasnothandsome。

Drawingachairintoarecess,Isatdownwithfoldedhands,calmlyawaitingthearrivalofmymaster。Onceortwiceafearfulyellrangthroughthehouse,ortherattlingofchains,andcursesutteredinadeep,manlyvoice,brokeupontheoppressivestillness。Ibegantofeelmysoulrisingwiththeemergencyofthemoment。

\"Youlookalarmed,miss。Youdon’thearanything,mydear,doyou?\"askedthehousekeepernervously。

\"Nothingwhatever,\"Iremarkedcalmly,asaterrificscream,followedbythedraggingofchairsandtablesintheroomabove,drownedforamomentmyreply。\"Itisthesilence,onthecontrary,whichhasmademefoolishlynervous。\"

Thehousekeeperlookedatmeapprovingly,andinstantlymadesometeaforme。

Idranksevencups;asIwasbeginningtheeighth,Iheardacrash,andthenextmomentamanleapedintotheroomthroughthebrokenwindow。

CHAPTERIII。

Thecrashstartledmefrommyself-control。Thehousekeeperbenttowardmeandwhispered:——

\"Don’tbeexcited。It’sMr。Rawjester,——hepreferstocomeinsometimesinthisway。It’shisplayfulness,ha!ha!ha!\"

\"Iperceive,\"Isaidcalmly。\"It’stheunfetteredimpulseofaloftysoulbreakingthetyrannizingbondsofcustom。\"AndIturnedtowardhim。

Hehadneveroncelookedatme。Hestoodwithhisbacktothefire,whichsetofftheherculeanbreadthofhisshoulders。Hisfacewasdarkandexpressive;hisunderjawsquarelyformed,andremarkablyheavy。IwasstruckwithhisremarkablelikenesstoaGorilla。

Asheabsentlytiedthepokerintohardknotswithhisnervousfingers,Iwatchedhimwithsomeinterest。Suddenlyheturnedtowardme:——

\"DoyouthinkI’mhandsome,youngwoman?\"

\"Notclassicallybeautiful,\"Ireturnedcalmly;\"butyouhave,ifI

maysoexpressmyself,anabstractmanliness,——asincereandwholesomebarbaritywhich,involvingasitdoesthenaturalness——\"

ButIstopped,forheyawnedatthatmoment,——anactionwhichsingularlydevelopedtheimmensebreadthofhislowerjaw,——andI

sawhehadforgottenme。Presentlyheturnedtothehousekeeper:——

\"Leaveus。\"

Theoldwomanwithdrewwithacourtesy。

Mr。Rawjesterdeliberatelyturnedhisbackuponmeandremainedsilentfortwentyminutes。Idrewmyshawlthemorecloselyaroundmyshouldersandclosedmyeyes。

\"Youarethegoverness?\"atlengthhesaid。

\"Iam,sir。\"

\"Acreaturewhoteachesgeography,arithmetic,andtheuseoftheglobes——ha!——awretchedremnantoffemininity,——askimppatternofgirlhoodwithaprematureflavoroftea-leavesandmorality。Ugh!\"

Ibowedmyheadsilently。

\"Listentome,girl!\"hesaidsternly;\"thischildyouhavecometoteach——myward——isnotlegitimate。Sheistheoffspringofmymistress,——acommonharlot。Ah!MissMix,whatdoyouthinkofmenow?\"

\"Iadmire,\"Irepliedcalmly,\"yoursincerity。Amawkishregardfordelicacymighthavekeptthisdisclosuretoyourself。Ionlyrecognizeinyourfranknessthatperfectcommunityofthoughtandsentimentwhichshouldexistbetweenoriginalnatures。\"

Ilookedup;hehadalreadyforgottenmypresence,andwasengagedinpullingoffhisbootsandcoat。Thisdone,hesankdowninanarm-chairbeforethefire,andranthepokerwearilythroughhishair。Icouldnothelppityinghim。

Thewindhowleddismallywithout,andtherainbeatfuriouslyagainstthewindows。Icrepttowardhimandseatedmyselfonalowstoolbesidehischair。

Presentlyheturned,withoutseeingme,andplacedhisfootabsentlyinmylap。Iaffectednottonoticeit。Buthestartedandlookeddown。

\"Youhereyet——Carrothead?Ah,Iforgot。DoyouspeakFrench?\"

\"Oui,Monsieur\"

\"Taisez-vous!\"hesaidsharply,withsingularpurityofaccent。I

complied。Thewindmoanedfearfullyinthechimney,andthelightburneddimly。Ishudderedinspiteofmyself。\"Ah,youtremble,girl!\"

\"Itisafearfulnight。\"

\"Fearful!Callyouthisfearful,ha!ha!ha!Look!youwretchedlittleatom,look!\"andhedashedforward,and,leapingoutofthewindow,stoodlikeastatueinthepeltingstorm,withfoldedarms。

Hedidnotstaylong,butinafewminutesreturnedbywayofthehallchimney。Isawfromthewaythathewipedhisfeetonmydressthathehadagainforgottenmypresence。

\"Youareagoverness。Whatcanyouteach?\"heasked,suddenlyandfiercelythrustinghisfaceinmine。

\"Manners!\"Ireplied,calmly。

\"Ha!teachME!\"

\"Youmistakeyourself,\"Isaid,adjustingmymittens。\"Yourmannersrequirenottheartificialrestraintofsociety。Youareradicallypolite;thisimpetuosityandferociousnessissimplythesinceritywhichisthebasisofaproperdeportment。Yourinstinctsaremoral;yourbetternature,Isee,isreligious。AsSt。Pauljustlyremarks——seechap。6,8,9,and10——\"

Heseizedaheavycandlestick,andthrewitatme。Idodgeditsubmissivelybutfirmly。

\"Excuseme,\"heremarked,ashisunderjawslowlyrelaxed。\"Excuseme,MissMix——butIcan’tstandSt。Paul!Enough——youareengaged。\"

CHAPTERIV。

Ifollowedthehousekeeperassheledthewaytimidlytomyroom。

Aswepassedintoadarkhallinthewing,Inoticedthatitwasclosedbyanirongatewithagrating。Threeofthedoorsonthecorridorwerelikewisegrated。Astrangenoise,asofshufflingfeetandthehowlingofinfuriatedanimals,rangthroughthehall。

Biddingthehousekeepergoodnight,andtakingthecandle,I

enteredmybedchamber。

Itookoffmydress,and,puttingonayellowflannelnightgown,whichIcouldnothelpfeelingdidnotagreewithmycomplexion,I

composedmyselftorestbyreadingBlair’sRhetoricandPaley’sMoralPhilosophy。Ihadjustputoutthelight,whenIheardvoicesinthecorridor。Ilistenedattentively。IrecognizedMr。

Rawjester’ssterntones。

\"HaveyoufedNo。1?\"heasked。

\"Yes,sir,\"saidagruffvoice,apparentlybelongingtoadomestic。

\"How’sNo。2?\"

\"She’salittleoffherfeed,justnow,butwillpickupinadayortwo!\"

\"AndNo。3?\"

\"Perfectlyfurious,sir。Hertantrumsareungovernable。\"

\"Hush!\"

Thevoicesdiedaway,andIsankintoafitfulslumber。

IdreamedthatIwaswanderingthroughatropicalforest。SuddenlyIsawthefigureofagorillaapproachingme。Asitnearedme,I

recognizedthefeaturesofMr。Rawjester。Heheldhishandtohissideasifinpain。Isawthathehadbeenwounded。Herecognizedmeandcalledmebyname,butatthesamemomentthevisionchangedtoanAshanteevillage,where,aroundthefire,agroupofnegroesweredancingandparticipatinginsomewildObifestival。Iawokewiththestrainstillringinginmyears。

\"Hokee-pokeewokeefum!\"

GoodHeavens!couldIbedreaming?Iheardthevoicedistinctlyonthefloorbelow,andsmeltsomethingburning。Iarose,withanindistinctpresentimentofevil,andhastilyputtingsomecottoninmyearsandtyingatowelaboutmyhead,Iwrappedmyselfinashawlandrusheddownstairs。ThedoorofMr。Rawjester’sroomwasopen。Ientered。

Mr。Rawjesterlayapparentlyinadeepslumber,fromwhicheventhecloudsofsmokethatcamefromtheburningcurtainsofhisbedcouldnotrousehim。Aroundtheroomalargeandpowerfulnegress,scantilyattired,withherheadadornedwithfeathers,wasdancingwildly,accompanyingherselfwithbonecastanets。Itlookedlikesometerriblefetich。

Ididnotlosemycalmness。Afterfirmlyemptyingthepitcher,basin,andslop-jarontheburningbed,Iproceededcautiouslytothegarden,and,returningwiththegarden-engine,IdirectedasmallstreamatMr。Rawjester。

Atmyentrancethegiganticnegressfled。Mr。Rawjesteryawnedandwoke。Iexplainedtohim,asherosedrippingfromthebed,thereasonofmypresence。Hedidnotseemtobeexcited,alarmed,ordiscomposed。Hegazedatmecuriously。

\"Soyouriskedyourlifetosavemine,eh?youcanary-coloredteacherofinfants。\"

Iblushedmodestly,anddrewmyshawltightlyovermyyellowflannelnightgown。

\"Youloveme,MaryJane,——don’tdenyit!Thistremblingshowsit!\"

Hedrewmecloselytowardhim,andsaid,withhisdeepvoicetenderlymodulated:——

\"How’sherpootytootens,——didshegether’ittletootenswet,——

bessher?\"

Iunderstoodhisallusiontomyfeet。IglanceddownandsawthatinmyhurryIhadputonapairofhisoldindia-rubbers。Myfeetwerenotsmallorpretty,andtheadditiondidnotaddtotheirbeauty。

\"Letmego,sir,\"Iremarkedquietly。\"Thisisentirelyimproper;

itsetsabadexampleforyourchild。\"AndIfirmlybutgentlyextricatedmyselffromhisgrasp。Iapproachedthedoor。Heseemedforamomentburiedindeepthought。

\"Yousaythiswasanegress?\"

\"Yes,sir。\"

\"Humph,No。1,Isuppose?\"

\"WhoisNumberOne,sir?\"

\"MyFIRST,\"heremarked,withasignificantandsarcasticsmile。

Then,relapsingintohisoldmanner,hethrewhisbootsatmyhead,andbademebegone。Iwithdrewcalmly。

CHAPTERV。

Mypupilwasabrightlittlegirl,whospokeFrenchwithaperfectaccent。HermotherhadbeenaFrenchballet-dancer,whichprobablyaccountedforit。Althoughshewasonlysixyearsold,itwaseasytoperceivethatshehadbeenseveraltimesinlove。Sheoncesaidtome:——

\"MissMix,didyoueverhavethegrandepassion?Didyoueverfeelaflutteringhere?\"andsheplacedherhanduponhersmallchest,andsighedquaintly,\"akindofdistasteforbonbonsandcaromels,whentheworldseemedastastelessandhollowasabrokencordialdrop。\"

\"Thenyouhavefeltit,Nina?\"Isaidquietly。\"Odear,yes。

TherewasButtons,——thatwasourpage,youknow,——Ilovedhimdearly,butpapasenthimaway。ThentherewasDick,thegroom,buthelaughedatme,andIsufferedmisery!\"andshestruckatragicFrenchattitude。\"Thereistobecompanyhereto-morrow,\"

sheadded,rattlingonwithchildishnaivete,\"andpapa’ssweetheart——BlancheMarabout——istobehere。Youknowtheysaysheistobemymamma。\"

Whatthrillwasthisshotthroughme?ButIrosecalmly,and,administeringaslightcorrectiontothechild,lefttheapartment。

BlunderboreHouse,forthenextweek,wasthesceneofgayetyandmerriment。Thatportionofthemansionclosedwithagratingwaswalledup,andthemidnightshrieksnolongertroubledme。

ButIfeltmorekeenlythedegradationofmysituation。IwasobligedtohelpLadyBlancheathertoiletandhelphertolookbeautiful。Forwhat?Tocaptivatehim?O——no,no,——butwhythissuddenthrillandfaintness?Didhereallyloveher?Ihadseenhimpinchandswearather。ButIreflectedthathehadthrownacandlestickatmyhead,andmyfoolishheartwasreassured。

Itwasanightoffestivity,whenasuddenmessageobligedMr。

Rawjestertoleavehisguestsforafewhours。\"Makeyourselvesmerry,idiots,\"headded,underhisbreath,ashepassedme。Thedoorclosedandhewasgone。

Anhalf-hourpassed。Inthemidstofthedancingashriekwasheard,andoutoftheswayingcrowdoffaintingwomenandexcitedmenawildfigurestrodeintotheroom。Oneglanceshowedittobeahighwayman,heavilyarmed,holdingapistolineachhand。

\"Letnoonepassoutofthisroom!\"hesaid,inavoiceofthunder。

\"Thehouseissurroundedandyoucannotescape。Thefirstonewhocrossesyonderthresholdwillbeshotlikeadog。Gentlemen,I’lltroubleyoutoapproachinsinglefile,andhandmeyourpursesandwatches。\"

Findingresistanceuseless,theorderwasungraciouslyobeyed。

\"Now,ladies,pleasetopassupyourjewelryandtrinkets。\"

Thisorderwasstillmoreungraciouslycompliedwith。AsBlanchehandedtothebanditcaptainherbracelet,sheendeavoredtoconcealadiamondnecklace,thegiftofMr。Rawjester,inherbosom。But,withademoniacgrin,thepowerfulbrutetoreitfromitsconcealment,and,administeringaheartyboxontheearoftheyounggirl,flungheraside。

Itwasnowmyturn。WithabeatingheartImademywaytotherobberchieftain,andsankathisfeet。\"Osir,Iamnothingbutapoorgoverness,prayletmego。\"

\"Oho!Agoverness?Givemeyourlastmonth’swages,then。Givemewhatyouhavestolenfromyourmaster!\"andhelaughedfiendishly。

Igazedathimquietly,andsaid,inalowvoice:\"Ihavestolennothingfromyou,Mr。Rawjester!\"

\"Ah,discovered!Hush!listen,girl!\"hehissed,inafiercerwhisper,\"utterasyllabletofrustratemyplansandyoudie;aidme,and——\"Buthewasgone。

Inafewmomentstheparty,withtheexceptionofmyself,weregaggedandlockedinthecellar。Thenextmomenttorcheswereappliedtotherichhangings,andthehousewasinflames。Ifeltastronghandseizeme,andbearmeoutintheopenairandplacemeuponthehillside,whereIcouldoverlooktheburningmansion。

ItwasMr。Rawjester。

\"Burn!\"hesaid,asheshookhisfistattheflames。Thensinkingonhiskneesbeforeme,hesaidhurriedly:——

\"MaryJane,Iloveyou;theobstaclestoourunionareorwillbesoonremoved。Inyondermansionwereconfinedmythreecrazywives。Oneofthem,asyouknow,attemptedtokillme!Ha!thisisvengeance!Butwillyoubemine?\"

Ifell,withoutaword,uponhisneck。

GUYHEAVYSTONE;

OR,\"ENTIRE。\"

AMUSCULARNOVEL。

BYTHEAUTHORor\"SWORDANDGUN。\"

CHAPTERI。

\"Nereirepandirostrumincurvicervicumpecus。\"

Adingy,swashy,splashyafternooninOctober;aschool-yardfilledwithamobofriotousboys。Alotofusstandingoutside。

Suddenlycameadull,crashingsoundfromtheschool-room。AttheominousinterruptionIshudderedinvoluntarily,andcalledtoSmithsye:——

\"What’sup,Smithums?\"

\"Guy’scleaningoutthefourthform,\"hereplied。

AtthesamemomentGeorgedeCoverlypassedme,holdinghisnose,fromwhencethebrightNormanbloodstreamedredly。TohimtheplebeianSmithsyelaughingly:——

\"Cully!how’shisnibs?\"

Ipushedthedooroftheschool-roomopen。Therearesomespectacleswhichamanneverforgets。TheburningofTroyprobablyseemedalarge-sizedconflagrationtothepiousAeneas,andmadeanimpressiononhimwhichhecarriedawaywiththefeebleAnchises。

Inthecentreoftheroom,lightlybrandishingthepiston-rodofasteam-engine,stoodGuyHeavystonealone。Isayalone,forthepileofsmallboysonthefloorinthecornercouldhardlybecalledcompany。

Iwilltryandsketchhimforthereader。GuyHeavystonewasthenonlyfifteen。Hisbroad,deepchest,hissinewyandquiveringflank,hisstraightpastern,showedhimtobeathoroughbred。

Perhapshewasatrifleheavyinthefetlock,butheheldhisheadhaughtilyerect。Hiseyeswereglitteringbutpitiless。Therewasasternnessaboutthelowerpartofhisface,——theoldHeavystonelook,——asternness,heightened,perhaps,bythesnaffle-bitwhich,inoneofhisstrangefreaks,heworeinhismouthtocurbhisoccasionalferocity。Hisdresswaswelladaptedtohissquare-setandherculeanframe。Astripedknitundershirt,close-fittingstripedtights,andafewspanglessetoffhisfigure;aneatGlengarrycapadornedhishead。OnitwasdisplayedtheHeavystonecrest,acockregardantonadunghillor,andthemotto,\"Devilabetter!\"

IthoughtofHoratiusonthebridge,ofHectorbeforethewalls。I

alwaysmakeitapointtothinkofsomethingclassicalatsuchtimes。

Hesawme,andhissternnesspartlyrelaxed。Somethinglikeasmilestruggledthroughhisgrimlineaments。ItwaslikelookingontheJungfrauafterhavingseenMontBlanc,——atrifle,onlyatriflelesssublimeandawful。Restinghishandlightlyontheshoulderofthehead-master,whoshudderedandcollapsedunderhistouch,hestrodetowardme。

Hiswalkwaspeculiar。Youcouldnotcallitastride。Itwaslikethe\"crest-tossingBellerophon,\"——akindofprancinggait。

GuyHeavystoneprancedtowardme。

CHAPTERII。

\"LordLovelhestoodatthegardengate,A-combinghismilk-whitesteed。\"

Itwasthewinterof186-whenInextmetGuyHeavystone。HehadlefttheUniversityandhadenteredthe76th\"Heavies。\"\"Ihaveexchangedthegownforthesword,yousee,\"hesaid,graspingmyhand,andfracturingthebonesofmylittlefinger,asheshookit。

Igazedathimwithunmixedadmiration。Hewassquarer,sterner,andineverywaysmarterandmoreremarkablethanever。IbegantofeeltowardthismanasPhalasterfelttowardsPhyrgino,assomebodymusthavefelttowardArchididasculus,asBoswellfelttowardJohnson。

\"Comeintomyden,\"hesaid,andliftingmegentlybytheseatofmypantaloonshecarriedmeupstairsanddepositedme,beforeI

couldapologize,onthesofa。Ilookedaroundtheroom。Itwasabachelor’sapartment,characteristicallyfurnishedinthetasteoftheproprietor。Afewclaymoresandbattle-axeswererangedagainstthewall,andaculverin,capturedbySirRalphHeavystone,occupiedthecorner,theotherendoftheroombeingtakenupbyalightbattery。Foils,boxing-gloves,saddles,andfishing-poleslayaroundcarelessly。Asmallpileofbillets-douxlayuponasilversalver。Themanwasnotananchorite,noryetaSirGalahad。

InevercouldtellwhatGuythoughtofwomen。\"Poorlittlebeasts,\"hewouldoftensaywhentheconversationturnedonanyofhisfreshconquests。Then,passinghishandoverhismarblebrow,theoldlookofsternfixednessofpurposeandunflinchingseveritywouldstraightenthelinesofhismouth,andhewouldmutter,halftohimself,\"S’death!\"

\"ComewithmetoHeavystoneGrange。TheExmoorHoundsthrowoffto-morrow。I’llgiveyouamount,\"hesaid,asheamusedhimselfbyrollingupasilvercandlestickbetweenhisfingers。\"YoushallhaveCleopatra。Butstay,\"headded,thoughtfully;\"nowI

remember,IorderedCleopatratobeshotthismorning。\"

\"Andwhy?\"Iqueried。

\"Shethrewherrideryesterdayandfellonhim——\"

\"Andkilledhim?\"

\"No。That’sthereasonwhyIhaveorderedhertobeshot。Ikeepnoanimalsthatarenotdangerous——Ishouldadd——DEADLY!\"Hehissedthelastsentencebetweenhisteeth,andagloomyfrowndescendedoverhiscalmbrow。

Iaffectedtoturnoverthetradesman’sbillsthatlayonthetable,for,likealloftheHeavystonerace,Guyseldompaidcash,andsaid:——

\"YouremindmeofthetimewhenLeonidas——\"

\"O,botherLeonidasandyourclassicalallusions。Come!\"

Wedescendedtodinner。

CHAPTERIII。

\"Hecarriesweight,heridesarace,’Tisforathousandpound。\"

\"ThereisFloraBillingsgate,thegreatestcoquetteandhardestriderinthecountry,\"saidmycompanion,RalphMortmain,aswestooduponDinglebyCommonbeforethemeet。

IlookedupandbeheldGuyHeavystonebendinghaughtilyoverthesaddle,asheaddressedabeautifulbrunette。Shewasindeedasplendidlygroomedandhigh-spiritedwoman。Wewerenearenoughtooverhearthefollowingconversation,whichanyhigh-tonedreaderwillrecognizeasthecommonandnaturalexpressionofthehigherclasses。

\"WhenDianatakesthefieldthechaseisnotwhollyconfinedtoobjectsferaenaturae,\"saidGuy,dartingasignificantglanceathiscompanion。Floradidnotshrinkeitherfromtheglanceorthemeaningimpliedinthesarcasm。

\"IfIwerelookingforanEndymion,now——\"shesaidarchly,assheplayfullycanteredoverafewhoundsandleapedafive-barredgate。

Guywhisperedafewwords,inaudibletotherestoftheparty,and,curvettingslightly,cleverlyclearedtwoofthehuntsmeninaflyingleap,gallopedupthefrontstepsofthemansion,anddashingatfullspeedthroughthehallleapedthroughthedrawing-

roomwindowandrejoinedme,languidly,onthelawn。

\"BecarefulofFloraBillingsgate,\"hesaidtome,inlowsterntones,whilehispitilesseyeshotabalefulfire。\"Gardezvous!\"

\"Gnothiseauton,\"Irepliedcalmly,notwishingtoappeartobebehindhiminperceptionorverbalfelicity。

Guystartedoffinhighspirits。Hewaswellcarried。Heandthefirstwhip,aten-stoneman,wereheadandheadatthelastfence,whilethehoundswererollingovertheirfoxahundredyardsfartherintheopen。

Butanunexpectedcircumstanceoccurred。Comingback,hischestnutmarerefusedaten-footwall。Sherearedandfellbackward。Againheledheruptoitlightly;againsherefused,fallingheavilyfromthecoping。Guystartedtohisfeet。Theoldpitilessfireshoneinhiseyes;theoldsternlooksettledaroundhismouth。

Seizingthemarebythetailandmanehethrewheroverthewall。

Shelandedtwentyfeetontheotherside,erectandtrembling。

Lightlyleapingthesameobstaclehimself,heremountedher。Shedidnotrefusethewallthenexttime。

CHAPTERIV。

\"Heholdshimbyhisglitteringeye。\"

GuywasintheNorthofIreland,cock-shooting。SoRalphMortmaintoldme,andalsothatthematchbetweenMaryBrandageeandGuyhadbeenbrokenoffbyFloraBillingsgate。\"Idon’tlikethoseBillingsgates,\"saidRalph,\"they’reabadstock。Herfather,SmithfielddeBillingsgate,hadanunpleasantwayofturninguptheknavefromthebottomofthepack。Butnousverrons;letusgoandseeGuy。\"

ThenextmorningwestartedforFin-ma-Coul’sCrossing。WhenI

reachedtheshooting-box,whereGuywasentertainingaselectcompanyoffriends,FloraBillingsgategreetedmewithasaucysmile。

Guywasevensquarerandsternerthanever。Hisgustsofpassionweremorefrequent,anditwaswithdifficultythathecouldkeepanable-bodiedservantinhisfamily。Hispresentretainersweremoreorlessmaimedfromexposuretothefuryoftheirmaster。

Therewasastrangecynicism,acuttingsarcasminhisaddress,piercingthroughhispolishedmanner。IthoughtofTimon,etc。,etc。

Oneevening,weweresittingoverourChambertin,afterahardday’swork,andGuywaslistlesslyturningoversomeletters,whensuddenlyheutteredacry。Didyoueverhearthetrumpetingofawoundedelephant?Itwaslikethat。

Ilookedathimwithconsternation。Hewasglancingataletterwhichheheldatarm’slength,andsnorting,asitwere,atitashegazed。Thelowerpartofhisfacewasstern,butnotasrigidasusual。Hewasslowlygrindingbetweenhisteeththefragmentsoftheglasshehadjustbeendrinkingfrom。Suddenlyheseizedoneofhisservants,and,forcingthewretchuponhisknees,exclaimed,withtheroarofatiger:——

\"Dog!whywasthiskeptfromme?\"

\"Why,please,sir,MissFlorasaidashowitwasareconciliationfromMissBrandagee,anditwastobekeptfromyouwhereyouwouldnotbelikelytoseeit,——and——and——\"

\"Speak,dog!andyou——\"

\"Iputitamongyourbills,sir!\"

Withagroan,likedistantthunder,Guyfellswooningtothefloor。

Hesoonrecovered,forthenextmomentaservantcamerushingintotheroomwiththeinformationthatanumberoftheingenuouspeasantryoftheneighborhoodwereabouttoindulgethateveninginthenationalpastimeofburningafarm-houseandshootingalandlord。Guysmiledafearfulsmile,without,however,alteringhissternandpitilessexpression。

\"Letthemcome,\"hesaidcalmly;\"Ifeellikeentertainingcompany。\"

Webarricadedthedoorsandwindows,andthenchoseourarmsfromthearmory。Guy’schoicewasasingularone:itwasalandingnetwithalonghandle,andasharpcavalrysabre。

Wewerenotdestinedtoremainlonginignoranceofitsuse。A

howlwasheardfromwithout,andapartyoffiftyorsixtyarmedmenprecipitatedthemselvesagainstthedoor。

Suddenlythewindowopened。Withtherapidityoflightning,GuyHeavystonecastthenetovertheheadoftheringleader,ejaculated\"Habet!\"andwithabackstrokeofhiscavalrysabreseveredthememberfromitstrunk,and,drawingthenetbackagain,castthegoryheaduponthefloor,sayingquietly:——

\"One。\"

Againthenetwascast,thesteelflashed,thenetwaswithdrawn,andanominous\"Two!\"accompaniedtheheadasitrolledonthefloor。

\"DoyourememberwhatPlinysaysofthegladiator?\"saidGuy,calmlywipinghissabre。\"Howgraphicisthatpassagecommencing’Internos,etc。’\"Thesportcontinueduntiltheheadsoftwentydesperadoeshadbeengatheredin。Therestseemedinclinedtodisperse。Guyincautiouslyshowedhimselfatthedoor;aringingshotwasheard,andhestaggeredback,piercedthroughtheheart。

Graspingthedoor-postinthelastunconsciousthroesofhismightyframe,thewholesideofthehouseyieldedtothatearthquaketremor,andwehadbarelytimetoescapebeforethewholebuildingfellinruins。IthoughtofSamson,theGiantJudge,etc。,etc。;

butallwasover。

GuyHeavystonehaddiedashehadlived,——HARD。

MR。MIDSHIPMANBREEZY。

ANAVALOFFICER。

BYCAPTAINM——RRY——T,R。N。

CHAPTERI。

Myfatherwasanorth-countrysurgeon。Hehadretired,awidower,fromherMajesty’snavymanyyearsbefore,andhadasmallpracticeinhisnativevillage。WhenIwassevenyearsoldheemployedmetocarrymedicinestohispatients。Beingofalivelydisposition,Isometimesamusedmyself;duringmydailyrounds,bymixingthecontentsofthedifferentphials。AlthoughIhadnoreasontodoubtthatthegeneralresultofthispracticewasbeneficial,yet,asthedeathofaconsumptivecuratefollowedtheadditionofastrongmercuriallotiontohisexpectorant,myfatherconcludedtowithdrawmefromtheprofessionandsendmetoschool。

Grubbins,theschoolmaster,wasatyrant,anditwasnotlongbeforemyimpetuousandself-willednaturerebelledagainsthisauthority。Isoonbegantoformplansofrevenge。InthisIwasassistedbyTomSnaffle,——aschoolfellow。OnedayTomsuggested:——

\"Supposeweblowhimup。I’vegottwopoundsofpowder!\"

\"No,that’stoonoisy,\"Ireplied。

Tomwassilentforaminute,andagainspoke:——

\"Yourememberhowyouflattenedoutthecurate,Pills!Couldn’tyougiveGrubbinssomething——somethingtomakehimleatherysick——

eh?\"

Aflashofinspirationcrossedmymind。Iwenttotheshopofthevillageapothecary。Heknewme;Ihadoftenpurchasedvitriol,whichIpouredintoGrubbins’sinkstandtocorrodehispensandburnuphiscoat-tail,onwhichhewasinthehabitofwipingthem。

Iboldlyaskedforanounceofchloroform。Theyoungapothecarywinkedandhandedmethebottle。

ItwasGrubbins’scustomtothrowhishandkerchiefoverhishead,reclineinhischairandtakeashortnapduringrecess。Watchingmyopportunity,ashedozed,Imanagedtosliphishandkerchieffromhisfaceandsubstitutemyown,moistenedwithchloroform。Inafewminuteshewasinsensible。TomandIthenquicklyshavedhishead,beard,andeyebrows,blackenedhisfacewithamixtureofvitriolandburntcork,andfled。Therewasarowandscandalthenextday。MyfatheralwaysexcusedmebyassertingthatGrubbinshadgotdrunk,——butsomehowfounditconvenienttoprocuremeanappointmentinherMajesty’snavyatanearlyday。

CHAPTERII。

Anofficialletter,withtheAdmiraltyseal,informedmethatIwasexpectedtojoinH。M。shipBelcher,CaptainBoltrope,atPortsmouth,withoutdelay。InafewdaysIpresentedmyselftoatall,stern-visagedman,whowasslowlypacingtheleewardsideofthequarter-deck。AsItouchedmyhatheeyedmesternly:——

\"Soho!Anotheryoungsuckling。Theserviceisgoingtothedevil。Nothingbutbabesinthecockpitandgranniesintheboard。

Boatswain’smate,passthewordforMr。Cheek!\"

Mr。Cheek,thesteward,appearedandtouchedhishat。\"IntroduceMr。Breezytotheyounggentlemen。Stop!Where’sMr。Swizzle?\"

\"Atthemasthead,sir。\"

\"Where’sMr。Lankey?\"

\"Atthemasthead,sir。\"

\"Mr。Briggs?\"

\"Masthead,too,sir。\"

\"Andtherestoftheyounggentlemen?\"roaredtheenragedofficer。

\"Allmasthead,sir。\"

\"Ah!\"saidCaptainBoltrope,ashesmiledgrimly,\"underthecircumstances,Mr。Breezy,youhadbettergotothemastheadtoo。\"

CHAPTERIII。

AtthemastheadImadetheacquaintanceoftwoyoungstersofaboutmyownage,oneofwhominformedmethathehadbeentherethreehundredandthirty-twodaysoutoftheyear。

\"Inroughweather,whentheoldcockisoutofsorts,youknow,wenevercomedown,\"addedayounggentlemanofnineyears,withadirknearlyaslongashimself,whohadbeenintroducedtomeasMr。Briggs。\"Bytheway,Pills,\"becontinued,\"howdidyoucometoomitgivingthecaptainanavalsalute?\"

\"Why,Itouchedmyhat,\"Isaid,innocently。

\"Yes,butthatisn’tenough,youknow。Thatwilldoverywellatothertimes。Heexpectsthenavalsalutewhenyoufirstcomeonboard——greeny!\"

Ibegantofeelalarmed,andbeggedhimtoexplain。

\"Why,yousee,aftertouchingyourhat,youshouldhavetouchedhimlightlywithyourforefingerinhiswaistcoat,so,andasked,’How’shisnibs?’——yousee?\"

\"How’shisnibs?\"Irepeated。

\"Exactly。Hewouldhavedrawnbackalittle,andthenyoushouldhaverepeatedthesaluteremarking,’How’shisroyalnibs?’askingcautiouslyafterhiswifeandfamily,andrequestingtobeintroducedtothegunner’sdaughter。\"

\"Thegunner’sdaughter?\"

\"Thesame;youknowshetakescareofusyounggentlemen;nowdon’tforget,Pillsy!\"

WhenwewerecalleddowntothedeckIthoughtitagoodchancetoprofitbythisinstruction。IapproachedCaptainBoltropeandrepeatedthesalutewithoutconscientiouslyomittingasingledetail。Heremainedforamoment,lividandspeechless。Atlengthhegaspedout:——

\"Boatswain’smate?\"

\"Ifyouplease,sir,\"Iasked,tremulously,\"Ishouldliketobeintroducedtothegunner’sdaughter!\"

\"O,verygood,sir!\"screamedCaptainBoltrope,rubbinghishandsandabsolutelycaperingaboutthedeckwithrage。\"Od——nyou!Ofcourseyoushall!Oho!thegunner’sdaughter!O,h——ll!thisistoomuch!Boatswain’smate!\"BeforeIwellknewwhereIwas,I

wasseized,bornetoaneight-pounder,tieduponitandflogged!

CHAPTERIV。

Aswesattogetherinthecockpit,pickingtheweevilsoutofourbiscuit,Briggsconsoledmeformylatemishap,addingthatthe\"navalsalute,\"asacustom,seemedjustthentobehonoredmoreintheBREACHthantheobservance。Ijoinedinthehilarityoccasionedbythewitticism,andinafewmomentswewereallfriends。PresentlySwizzleturnedtome:——

\"Wehavebeenjustplanninghowtoconfiscateakegofclaret,whichNips,thepurser,keepsunderhisbunk。Theoldnipcheeseliestheredrunkhalftheday,andthere’snogettingatit。\"

\"Let’sgetbeneaththestate-roomandborethroughthedeck,andsotapit,\"saidLankey。

Thepropositionwasreceivedwithashoutofapplause。Alonghalf-inchaugerandbitwasprocuredfromChips,thecarpenter’smate,andSwizzle,afteracarefulexaminationofthetimbersbeneaththeward-room,commencedoperations。Theaugeratlastdisappeared,whensuddenlytherewasaslightdisturbanceonthedeckabove。Swizzlewithdrewtheaugerhurriedly;fromitspointafewbrightreddropstrickled。

\"Huzza!sendherupagain!\"criedLankey。

Theaugerwasagainapplied。Thistimeashriekwasheardfromthepurser’scabin。Instantlythelightwasdoused,andthepartyretreatedhurriedlytothecockpit。Asoundofsnoringwasheardasthesentrystuckhisheadintothedoor。\"Allright,sir,\"herepliedinanswertothevoiceoftheofficerofthedeck。

ThenextmorningweheardthatNipswasinthesurgeon’shands,withabadwoundinthefleshypartofhisleg,andthattheaugerhadNOTstruckclaret。

CHAPTERV。

\"Now,Pills,you’llhaveachancetosmellpowder,\"saidBriggsasheenteredthecockpitandbuckledaroundhiswaistanenormouscutlass。\"WehavejustsightedaFrenchship。\"

Wewentondeck。CaptainBoltropegrinnedaswetouchedourhats。

Hehatedthepurser。\"Come,younggentlemen,ifyou’reboringforfrenchclaret,yonder’sagoodquality。Mindyourcon,sir,\"headded,turningtothequartermaster,whowasgrinning。

Theshipwasalreadyclearedforaction。Themen,intheireagerness,hadstartedthecoffeefromthetubsandfilledthemwithshot。PresentlytheFrenchmanyawed,andashotfromalongthirty-twocameskippingoverthewater。ItkilledthequartermasterandtookoffbothofLankey’slegs。\"Tellthepurserouraccountissquared,\"saidthedyingboy,withafeeblesmile。

Thefightragedfiercelyfortwohours。IrememberkillingtheFrenchAdmiral,asweboarded,butonlookingaroundforBriggs,afterthesmokehadclearedaway,Iwasintenselyamusedatwitnessingthefollowingnovelsight:——

BriggshadpinnedtheFrenchcaptainagainstthemastwithhiscutlass,andwasnowengaged,withallthehilarityofyouth,inpullingthecaptain’scoat-tailsbetweenhislegs,inimitationofadancing-jack。AstheFrenchmanliftedhislegsandarms,ateachjerkofBriggs’s,Icouldnothelpparticipatinginthegeneralmirth。

\"Youyoungdevil,whatareyoudoing?\"saidastifledvoicebehindme。IlookedupandbeheldCaptainBoltrope,endeavoringtocalmhissternfeatures,butthetwitchingaroundhismouthbetrayedhisintenseenjoymentofthescene。\"Gotothemasthead——upwithyou,sir!\"herepeatedsternlytoBriggs。

\"Verygood,sir,\"saidtheboy,coollypreparingtomounttheshrouds。\"Goodby,JohnnyCrapaud。Humph!\"headded,inatoneintendedformyear,\"aprettywaytotreatahero。Theserviceisgoingtothedevil!\"

Ithoughtsotoo。

CHAPTERVI。

WewereorderedtotheWestIndies。AlthoughCaptainBoltrope’smannertowardmewasstillsevere,andevenharsh,Iunderstoodthatmynamehadbeenfavorablymentionedinthedespatches。

Reader,wereyoueveratJamaica?Ifso,yourememberthenegresses,theoranges,PortRoyalTom——theyellowfever。Afterbeingtwoweeksatthestation,Iwastakensickofthefever。InamonthIwasdelirious。Duringmyparoxysms,Ihadawilddistempereddreamofasternfacebendinganxiouslyovermypillow,aroughhandsmoothingmyhair,andakindvoicesaying:——

\"Besshis’ittleheart!Didhehavethenaughtyfever?\"Thisfaceseemedagainchangedtothewell-knownsternfeaturesofCaptainBoltrope。

WhenIwasconvalescent,apacketedgedinblackwasputinmyhand。Itcontainedthenewsofmyfather’sdeath,andasealedletterwhichhehadrequestedtobegiventomeonhisdecease。I

openedittremblingly。Itreadthus:——

\"MydearBoy:——Iregrettoinformyouthatinallprobabilityyouarenotmyson。Yourmother,Iamgrievedtosay,wasahighlyimproperperson。Whoyourfathermaybe,Ireallycannotsay,butperhapstheHonorableHenryBoltrope,CaptainR。N。,maybeabletoinformyou。CircumstancesoverwhichIhavenocontrolhavedeferredthisimportantdisclosure。

\"YOURSTRICKENPARENT。\"

AndsoCaptainBoltropewasmyfather。Heavens!Wasitadream?

Irecalledhissternmanner,hisobservanteye,hisill-concealeduneasinesswheninmypresence。Ilongedtoembracehim。

Staggeringtomyfeet,Irushedinmyscantyappareltothedeck,whereCaptainBoltropewasjustthenengagedinreceivingtheGovernor’swifeanddaughter。Theladiesshrieked;theyoungest,abeautifulgirl,blusheddeeply。Heedingthemnot,Isankathisfeet,and,embracingthem,cried:——

\"Myfather!\"

\"Chuckhimoverboard!\"roaredCaptainBoltrope。

\"Stay,\"pleadedthesoftvoiceofClaraMaitland,theGovernor’sdaughter。

\"Shavehishead!he’sawretchedlunatic!\"continuedCaptainBoltrope,whilehisvoicetrembledwithexcitement。

\"No,letmenurseandtakecareofhim,\"saidthelovelygirl,blushingasshespoke。\"Mamma,can’twetakehimhome?\"

Thedaughter’spleadingwasnotwithouteffect。InthemeantimeI

hadfainted。WhenIrecoveredmysensesIfoundmyselfinGovernorMaitland’smansion。

CHAPTERVII。

Thereaderwillguesswhatfollowed。IfelldeeplyinlovewithClaraMaitland,towhomIconfidedthesecretofmybirth。Thegenerousgirlassertedthatshehaddetectedthesuperiorityofmymanneratonce。Weplightedourtroth,andresolvedtowaituponevents。

Briggscalledtoseemeafewdaysafterward。Hesaidthatthepurserhadinsultedthewholecockpit,andallthemidshipmenhadcalledhimout。Butheaddedthoughtfully:\"Idon’tseehowwecanarrangetheduel。Youseetherearesixofustofighthim。\"

\"Veryeasily,\"Ireplied。\"Letyourfellowsallstandinarow,andtakehisfire;that,yousee,giveshimsixchancestoone,andhemustbeabadshotifhecan’thitoneofyou;while,ontheotherhand,yousee,hegetsavolleyfromyousix,andoneofyou’llbecertaintofetchhim。\"

\"Exactly\";andawayBriggswent,butsoonreturnedtosaythatthepurserhaddeclined,——\"likead——dcoward,\"headded。

ButthenewsofthesuddenandseriousillnessofCaptainBoltropeputofftheduel。Ihastenedtohisbedside,buttoolate,——anhourprevioushehadgivenuptheghost。

IresolvedtoreturntoEngland。Imadeknownthesecretofmybirth,andexhibitedmyadoptedfather’slettertoLadyMaitland,whoatoncesuggestedmymarriagewithherdaughter,beforeI

returnedtoclaimtheproperty。Weweremarried,andtookourdeparturenextday。

Imadenodelayinpostingatonce,incompanywithmywifeandmyfriendBriggs,tomynativevillage。Judgeofmyhorrorandsurprisewhenmylateadoptedfathercameoutofhisshoptowelcomeme。

\"Thenyouarenotdead!\"Igasped。

\"No,mydearboy。\"

\"Andthisletter?\"

Myfather——asImuststillcallhim——glancedonthepaper,andpronounceditaforgery。Briggsroaredwithlaughter。Iturnedtohimanddemandedanexplanation。

\"Why,don’tyousee,Greeny,it’sallajoke,——amidshipman’sjoke!\"

\"But——\"Iasked。

\"Don’tbeafool。You’vegotagoodwife,——besatisfied。\"

IturnedtoClara,andwassatisfied。AlthoughMrs。Maitlandneverforgaveme,thejollyoldGovernorlaughedheartilyoverthejoke,andsowellusedhisinfluencethatIsoonbecame,dearreader,AdmiralBreezy,K。C。B。

JOHNJENKINS;

OR,THESMOKERREFORMED。

BYT。S。A——TH——R。

CHAPTERI。

Onecigaraday!\"saidJudgeBoompointer。

Onecigaraday!\"repeatedJohnJenkins,aswithtrepidationhedroppedhishalf-consumedcigarunderhiswork-bench。

\"Onecigaradayisthreecentsaday,\"remarkedJudgeBoompointer,gravely;\"anddoyouknow,sir,whatonecigaraday,orthreecentsaday,amountstointhecourseoffouryears?\"

JohnJenkins,inhisboyhood,hadattendedthevillageschool,andpossessedconsiderablearithmeticalability。Takingupashinglewhichlayuponhiswork-bench,andproducingapieceofchalk,withafeelingofconsciouspridehemadeanexhaustivecalculation。

\"Exactlyforty-threedollarsandeightycents,\"hereplied,wipingtheperspirationfromhisheatedbrow,whilehisfaceflushedwithhonestenthusiasm。

\"Well,sir,ifyousavedthreecentsaday,insteadofwastingit,youwouldnowbethepossessorofanewsuitofclothes,anillustratedFamilyBible,apewinthechurch,acompletesetofPatentOfficeReports,ahymn-book,andapaidsubscriptiontoArthur’sHomeMagazine,whichcouldbepurchasedforexactlyforty-

threedollarsandeightycents;and,\"addedtheJudge,withincreasingsternness,\"ifyoucalculateleap-year,whichyouseemtohavestrangelyomitted,youhavethreecentsmore,sir;THREE

CENTSMORE!Whatwouldthatbuyyou,sir?\"

\"Acigar,\"suggestedJohnJenkins;but,coloringagaindeeply,hehidhisface。

\"No,sir,\"saidtheJudge,withasweetsmileofbenevolencestealingoverhissternfeatures;\"properlyinvested,itwouldbuyyouthatwhichpassethallprice。Droppedintothemissionary-box,whocantellwhatheathen,nowidlyandjoyouslywantoninginnakednessandsin,mightbebroughttoasenseofhismiserablecondition,andmade,throughthatthreecents,tofeelthetormentsofthewicked?\"

WiththesewordstheJudgeretired,leavingJohnJenkinsburiedinprofoundthought。\"Threecentsaday,\"hemuttered。\"InfortyyearsImightbeworthfourhundredandthirty-eightdollarsandtencents,——andthenImightmarryMary。Ah,Mary!\"Theyoungcarpentersighed,and,drawingatwenty-fivecentdaguerreotypefromhisvest-pocket,gazedlongandfervidlyuponthefeaturesofayounggirlinbookmuslinandacoralnecklace。Then,witharesoluteexpression,hecarefullylockedthedoorofhisworkshopanddeparted。

Alas!hisgoodresolutionsweretoolate。Wetriflewiththetideoffortunewhichtoooftennipsusinthebudandcaststhedarkshadowofmisfortuneoverthebrightlexiconofyouth!Thatnightthehalf-consumedfragmentofJohnJenkins’scigarsetfiretohisworkshopandburneditup,togetherwithallhistoolsandmaterials。Therewasnoinsurance。

CHAPTERII。

THEDOWNWARDPATH。

\"ThenyoustillpersistinmarryingJohnJenkins?\"queriedJudgeBoompointer,asheplayfully,withpaternalfamiliarity,liftedthegoldencurlsofthevillagebelle,MaryJones。

\"Ido,\"repliedthefairyounggirl,inalowvoice,thatresembledrockcandyinitssaccharinefirmness,——\"Ido。Hehaspromisedtoreform。Sincehelostallhispropertybyfire——\"

\"Theresultofhispernicioushabit,thoughheillogicallypersistsinchargingittome,\"interruptedtheJudge。

\"Sincethen,\"continuedtheyounggirl,\"hehasendeavoredtobreakhimselfofthehabit。HetellsmethathehassubstitutedthestalksoftheIndianratan,theouterpartofaleguminousplantcalledthesmoking-bean,andthefragmentaryandunconsumedremainderofcigarswhichoccuratrareanduncertainintervalsalongtheroad,which,asheinformsme,thoughdeficientinqualityandstrength,arecomparativelyinexpensive。\"And,blushingatherowneloquence,theyounggirlhidhercurlsontheJudge’sarm。

\"Poorthing!\"mutteredJudgeBoompointer。\"DareItellherall?

YetImust。\"

\"Ishallclingtohim,\"continuedtheyounggirl,risingwithhertheme,\"astheyoungvineclingstosomehoaryruin。Nay,nay,chidemenot,JudgeBoompointer。IwillmarryJohnJenkins!\"

TheJudgewasevidentlyaffected。Seatinghimselfatthetable,hewroteafewlineshurriedlyuponapieceofpaper,whichhefoldedandplacedinthefingersofthedestinedbrideofJohnJenkins。

\"MaryJones,\"saidtheJudge,withimpressiveearnestness,\"takethistrifleasaweddinggiftfromonewhorespectsyourfidelityandtruthfulness。Atthealtarletitbeareminderofme。\"Andcoveringhisfacehastilywithahandkerchief,thesternandiron-

willedmanlefttheroom。Asthedoorclosed,Maryunfoldedthepaper。Itwasanorderonthecornergroceryforthreeyardsofflannel,apaperofneedles,fourpoundsofsoap,onepoundofstarch,andtwoboxesofmatches!

\"Nobleandthoughtfulman!\"wasallMaryJonescouldexclaim,asshehidherfaceinherhandsandburstintoafloodoftears。

*****

ThebellsofCloverdaleareringingmerrily。Itisawedding。

\"Howbeautifultheylook!\"istheexclamationthatpassesfromliptolip,asMaryJones,leaningtimidlyonthearmofJohnJenkins,entersthechurch。Butthebrideisagitated,andthebridegroombetraysafeverishnervousness。Astheystandinthevestibule,JohnJenkinsfumblesearnestlyinhisvest-pocket。Canitbetheringheisanxiousabout?No。Hedrawsasmallbrownsubstancefromhispocket,andbitingoffapiece,hastilyreplacesthefragmentandgazesfurtivelyaround。Surelynoonesawhim?Alas!

theeyesoftwoofthatweddingpartysawthefatalact。JudgeBoompointershookhisheadsternly。MaryJonessighedandbreathedasilentprayer。Herhusbandchewed!

CHAPTERIII。ANDLAST。