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。