A Simpleton.........................................................................................................................................................1

It has lately been objected to me, in studiously courteous terms of course, that I borrow from other books, and

am a plagiarist. To this I reply that I borrow facts from every accessible source, and am not a plagiarist. The

plagiarist is one who borrows from a homogeneous work: for such a man borrows not ideas only, but their

treatment. He who borrows only from heterogeneous works is not a plagiarist. All fiction, worth a button, is

founded on facts; and it does not matter one straw whether the facts are taken from personal experience,

Ask your common sense why a man writes better fiction at forty than he can at twenty. It is simply because

he has gathered more facts from each of these three sources,experience, hearsay, print.

To those who have science enough to appreciate the above distinction, I am very willing to admit that in all

my tales I use a vast deal of heterogeneous material, which in a life of study I have gathered from men,

journals, bluebooks, histories, biographies, law reports, etc. And if I could, I would gladly specify all the

various printed sources to which I am indebted. But my memory is not equal to such a feat. I can only say

that I rarely write a novel without milking about two hundred heterogeneous cows into my pail, and that "A

Simpleton" is no exception to my general method; that method is the true method, and the best, and if on that

method I do not write prime novels, it is the fault of the man, and not of the method.

In "A Simpleton," the whole business of the girl spitting blood, the surgeon ascribing it to the liver, the

consultation, the final solution of the mystery, is a matter of personal experience accurately recorded. But the

rest of the medical truths, both fact and argument, are all from medical books far too numerous to specify.

This includes the strange fluctuations of memory in a man recovering his reason by degrees. The behavior of

the doctor's first two patients I had from a surgeon's daughter in Pimlico. The servantgirl and her box; the

purplefaced, pigfaced Beak and his justice, are personal experience. The business of houserenting, and

In the nautical business I had the assistance of two practical seamen: my brother, William Barrington Reade,

In the South African business I gleaned from Mr. Day's recent handbooks; the old handbooks; Galton's

"Vacation Tourist;" "Philip Mavor; or, Life among the Caffres;" "Fossor;" "Notes on the Cape of Good

Hope," 1821; "Scenes and Occurrences in Albany and Caffre land," 1827; Bowler's "South African

Sketches;" "A Campaign in South Africa," Lucas; "Five Years in Caffreland," Mrs. Ward; etc., etc., etc. But

my principal obligation on this head is to Mr. Boyle, the author of some admirable letters to the Daily

telegraph, which he afterwards reprinted in a delightful volume. Mr. Boyle has a painter's eye, and a writer's

pen, and if the African scenes in "A Simpleton" please my readers, I hope they will go to the fountainhead,

The title, "A Simpleton," is not quite new. There is a French play called La Niaise. But La Niaise is in reality

a woman of rare intelligence, who is taken for a simpleton by a lot of conceited fools, and the play runs on

their blunders, and her unpretending wisdom. That is a very fine plot, which I recommend to our female

novelists. My aim in these pages has been much humbler, and is, I hope, too clear to need explanation.

A young lady sat pricking a framed canvas in the drawingroom of Kent Villa, a mile from Gravesend; she

was making, at a cost of time and tinted wool, a chair cover, admirably unfit to be sat uponexcept by some

severe artist, bent on obliterating discordant colors. To do her justice, her mind was not in her work; for she

rustled softly with restlessness as she sat, and she rose three times in twenty minutes, and went to the

window. Thence she looked down, over a trim flowery lawn, and long, sloping meadows, on to the silver

Thames, alive with steamboats ploughing, white sails bellying, and great ships carrying to and fro the

treasures of the globe. From this fair landscape and epitome of commerce she retired each time with listless

Yet she was one of those whom few men care to keep waiting. Rosa Lusignan was a dark but dazzling

beauty, with coalblack hair, and glorious dark eyes, that seemed to beam with soul all day long; her

eyebrows, black, straightish, and rather thick, would have been majestic and too severe, had the other features

followed suit; but her black brows were succeeded by long silky lashes, a sweet oval face, two pouting lips

studded with ivory, and an exquisite chin, as feeble as any man could desire in the partner of his bosom.

Personstraight, elastic, and rather tall. Mindnineteen. Accomplishmentsnumerous; a poor French

scholar, a worse German, a worse English, an admirable dancer, an inaccurate musician, a good rider, a bad

draughtswoman, a bad hairdresser, at the mercy of her maid; a hot theologian, knowing nothing, a sorry

accountant, no housekeeper, no seamstress, a fair embroideress, a capital geographer, and no cook.

This ornamental member of society now glanced at the clock once more, and then glided to the window for

the fourth time. She peeped at the side a good while, with superfluous slyness or shyness, and presently she

drew back, blushing crimson; then she peeped again, still more furtively; then retired softly to her frame, and,

for the first time, set to work in earnest. As she plied her harpoon, smiling now, the large and vivid blush, that

had suffused her face and throat, turned from carnation to rose, and melted away slowly, but perceptibly, and

The blow seemed to drive her deeper into her work. She leaned over it, graceful as a willow, and so absorbed,

All the better: her not perceiving that slight addition to her furniture gives me a moment to describe him.

A young man, five feet eleven inches high, very square shouldered and deep chested, but so symmetrical, and

light in his movements, that his size hardly struck one at first. He was smooth shaved, all but a short, thick,

auburn whisker; his hair was brown. His features no more then comely: the brow full, the eyes wide apart and

deepseated, the lips rather thin, but expressive, the chin solid and square. It was a face of power, and

capable of harshness; but relieved by an eye of unusual color, between hazel and gray, and wonderfully

tender. In complexion he could not compare with Rosa; his cheek was clear, but pale; for few young men had

studied night and day so constantly. Though but twentyeight years of age, he was literally a learned

physician; deep in hospital practice; deep in books; especially deep in German science, too often neglected or

skimmed by English physicians. He had delivered a course of lectures at a learned university with general

As my reader has divined, Rosa was preparing the comedy of a cool reception; but looking up, she saw his

pale cheek tinted with a lover's beautiful joy at the bare sight of her, and his soft eye so divine with love, that

she had not the heart to chill him. She gave him her hand kindly, and smiled brightly on him instead of

remonstrating. She lost nothing by it, for the very first thing he did was to excuse himself eagerly. "I am

behind time: the fact is, just as I was mounting my horse, a poor man came to the gate to consult me. He had

a terrible disorder I have sometimes succeeded in arrestingI attack the cause instead of the symptoms,

"Of course. Poor man!only you said you wanted to see papa, and he always goes out at two."

When she had been betrayed into saying this, she drew in suddenly, and blushed with a pretty consciousness.

"Then don't let me lose another minute," said the lover. "Have you prepared him forforwhat I am going

Rosa answered, with some hesitation, "I MUST havea little. When I refused Colonel Brightyou need

Her sentence ended, and away went the original topic, and grammatical sequence along with it. Christopher

"Well, papa was astonished; for everybody says the colonel is a most eligible match. Don't you hate that

"I don't think I will tell you. He asked me was there anybody else; and of course I said 'No.'"

"Oh, that is nothing; I had not time to make up my mind to tell the truth. I was taken by surprise; and you

"What, plump like that? No, I was frightened out of my wits, like a brave girl as I am not, and said I should

never marry any one he could disapprove; and thenoh, then I believe I began to cry. Christopher, I'll tell

you something; I find people leave off teasing you when you crygentlemen, I mean. Ladies go on all the

more. So then dear papa kissed me, and told me I must not be imprudent, and throw myself away, that was

all; and I promised him I never would. I said he would be sure to approve my choice; and he said he hoped

Dr. Staines looked thoughtful, and said he hoped so too. "But now it comes to the point of asking him for

"Why, what deficiencies? You are young, and handsome, and good, and ever so much cleverer than other

people. You have only to ask for me, and insist on having me. Come, dear, go and get it over." She added,

"I'll go this minute," said he, and took a step towards the door; but he turned, and in a moment was at her

knees. He took both her hands in his, and pressed them to his beating bosom, while his beautiful eyes poured

love into hers pointblank. "May I tell him you love me? Oh, I know you cannot love me as I love you; but I

may say you love me a little, may I not?that will go farther with him than anything else. May I, Rosa, may

His passion mastered her. She dropped her head sweetly on his shoulder, and murmured, "You know you

He parted lingeringly from her, then marched away, bold with love and hope, to demand her hand in

Rosa leaned back in her chair, and quivered a little with new emotions. Christopher was right; she was not

capable of loving like him; but still the actual contact of so strong a passion made her woman's nature vibrate.

A dewy tear hung on the fringes of her long lashes, and she leaned back in her chair and fluttered awhile.

That emotion, almost new to her, soon yielded, in her girlish mind, to a complacent languor; and that, in its

turn, to a soft reverie. So she was going to be married! To be mistress of a house; settle in London (THAT

she had quite determined long ago); be able to go out into the streets all alone, to shop, or visit; have a

gentleman all her own, whom she could put her finger on any moment and make him take her about, even to

the opera and the theatre; to give dinnerparties her own self, and even a little ball once in a way; to buy

whatever dresses she thought proper, instead of being crippled by an allowance; have the legal right of

speaking first in society, even to gentlemen rich in ideas but bad starters, instead of sitting mumchance and

mockmodest; to be Mistress, instead of Misscontemptible title; to be a woman, instead of a girl; and all

this rational liberty, domestic power, and social dignity were to be obtained by merely wedding a dear fellow,

who loved her, and was so nice; and the bright career to be ushered in with several delights, each of them

dear to a girl's very soul: presents from all her friends; as many beautiful new dresses as if she was changing

her body or her hemisphere, instead of her name; eclat; going to church, which is a good English girl's theatre

of display and temple of vanity, and there tasting delightful publicity and whispered admiration, in a heavenly

This bright variegated picture of holy wedlock, and its essential features, as revealed to young ladies by

feminine tradition, though not enumerated in the Book of Common Prayer writ by grim males, so entranced

her, that time flew by unheeded, and Christopher Staines came back from her father. His step was heavy; he

looked pale, and deeply distressed; then stood like a statue, and did not come close to her, but cast a piteous

Miss Lusignan rose from her chair, and looked almost wildly at him with her great eyes. "Refused?" said she,

"Yes," said he, sadly. "Your father is a man of business; and he took a mere business view of our love: he

asked me directly what provision I could make for his daughter and her children. Well, I told him I had three

thousand pounds in the Funds, and a good profession; and then I said I had youth, health, and love, boundless

"He ignored it entirely. There! I'll give you his very words. He said, 'In that case, Dr. Staines, the simple

"Then I was obliged to confess I had scarcely received a hundred pounds in fees this year; but I told him the

reason; this is such a small district, and all the ground occupied. London, I said, was my sphere."

"And so it is," said Rosa, eagerly; for this jumped with her own little designs. "Genius is wasted in the

country. Besides, whenever anybody worth curing is ill down here, they always send to London for a doctor."

"I told him so, dearest," said the lover. "But he answered me directly, then I must set up in London, and as

soon as my books showed an income to keep a wife, and servants, and children, and insure my life for five

"Oh, that is so like papa. He is director of an insurance company, so all the world must insure their lives."

"No, dear, he was quite right there: professional incomes are most precarious. Death spares neither young nor

old, neither warm hearts nor cold. I should be no true physician if I could not see my own mortality." He

hung his head and pondered a moment, then went on, sadly, "It all comes to thisuntil I have a professional

income of eight hundred a year at least, he will not hear of our marrying; and the cruel thing is, he will not

even consent to an engagement. But," said the rejected, with a look of sad anxiety, "you will wait for me

She could give him that comfort, and she gave it him with loving earnestness. "Of course I will; and it shall

not be very long. Whilst you are making your fortune, to please papa, I will keep fretting, and pouting, and

"Bless you, dearest! Stop!not to make yourself ill! not for all the world." The lover and the physician

He came, all gratitude, to her side, and they sat, hand in hand, comforting each other: indeed, parting was

such sweet sorrow that they sat, handed, and very close to one another, till Mr. Lusignan, who thought five

minutes quite enough for rational beings to take leave in, walked into the room and surprised them. At sight

of his gray head and irongray eyebrows, Christopher Staines started up and looked confused; he thought

some apology necessary, so he faltered out, "Forgive me, sir; it is a bitter parting to me, you may be sure."

Rosa's bosom heaved at these simple words. She flew to her father, and cried, "Oh, papa! papa! you were

never cruel before;" and hid her burning face on his shoulder; and then burst out crying, partly for

Christopher, partly because she was now ashamed of herself for having taken a young man's part so openly.

Mr. Lusignan looked sadly discomposed at this outburst: she had taken him by his weak point; he told her so.

Rosa had actually forgotten that trait for a single moment; but, being reminded of it, she reduced her sobs in

the prettiest way, not to offend a tender parent who could not bear noise. Under this homely term, you must

know, he included all scenes, disturbances, rumpuses, passions; and expected all men, women, and things in

"Come, young people," said he, "don't make a disturbance. Where's the grievance? Have I said he shall never

marry you? Have I forbidden him to correspond? or even to call, say twice a year. All I say is, no marriage,

nor contract of marriage, until there is an income." Then he turned to Christopher. "Now if you can't make an

income without her, how could you make one with her, weighed down by the load of expenses a wife entails?

I know her better than you do; she is a good girl, but rather luxurious and self indulgent. She is not cut out

for a poor man's wife. And pray don't go and fancy that nobody loves my child but you. Mine is not so hot as

yours, of course; but believe me, sir, it is less selfish. You would expose her to poverty and misery; but I say

no; it is my duty to protect her from all chance of them; and, in doing it, I am as much your friend as hers, if

you could but see it. Come, Dr. Staines, be a man, and see the world as it is. I have told you how to earn my

Dr. Staines was never quite deaf to reason: he now put his hand to his brow and said, with a sort of wonder

and pitiful dismay, "My love for Rosa selfish! Sir, your words are bitter and hard." Then, after a struggle, and

with rare and touching candor, "Ay, but so are bark and steel; yet they are good medicines." Then with a great

glow in his heart and tears in his eyes, "My darling shall not be a poor man's wife, she who would adorn a

coronet, ay, or a crown. Goodby, Rosa, for the present." He darted to her, and kissed her hand with all his

soul. "Oh, the sacrifice of leaving you," he faltered; "the very world is dark to me without you. Ah, well, I

must earn the right to come again." He summoned all his manhood, and marched to the door. There he

seemed to turn calmer all of a sudden, and said firmly, yet humbly, "I'll try and show you, sir, what love can

"And I'll show you what love can suffer," said Rosa, folding her beautiful arms superbly.

It was not in her to have shot such a bolt, except in imitation; yet how promptly the mimic thunder came, and

how grand the beauty looked, with her dark brows, and flashing eyes, and folded arms! much grander and

But between these two figures swelling with emotion, the representative of common sense, Lusignan pere,

stood cool and impassive; he shrugged his shoulders, and looked on both lovers as a couple of ranting

For all that, when the lover had torn himself away, papa's composure was suddenly disturbed by a misgiving.

He stepped hastily to the stairhead, and gave it vent. "Dr. Staines," said he, in a loud whisper (Staines was

half way down the stairs: he stopped). "I trust to you as a gentleman, not to mention this; it will never

Rosa Lusignan set herself pining as she had promised; and she did it discreetly for so young a person. She

was never peevish, but always sad and listless. By this means she did not anger her parent, but only made him

feel she was unhappy, and the house she had hitherto brightened exceeding dismal.

By degrees this noiseless melancholy undermined the old gentleman, and he wellnigh tottered.

But one day, calling suddenly on a neighbor with six daughters, he heard peals of laughter, and found Rosa

taking her full share of the senseless mirth. She pulled up short at sight of him, and colored high; but it was

too late, for he launched a knowing look at her on the spot, and muttered something about seven foolish

He took the first opportunity, when they were alone, and told her he was glad to find she was only dismal at

But Rosa had prepared for him. "One can be loud without being gay at heart," said she, with a lofty, languid

air. "I have not forgotten your last words to HIM. We were to hide our broken hearts from the world. I try to

obey you, dear papa; but, if I had my way, I would never go into the world at all. I have but one desire

"Please begin them first. A convent! Why, you'd turn it out of window. You are no more fit to be a nun

Not having foreseen this facer, Rosa had nothing ready; so she received it with a sad, submissive, helpless

sigh, as who would say, "Hit me, papa: I have no friend now." So then he was sorry he had been so clever;

and, indeed, there is one provoking thing about "a woman's weakness"it is invincible.

The next minute, what should come but a long letter from Dr. Staines, detailing his endeavors to purchase a

practice in London, and his illsuccess. The letter spoke the language of love and hope; but the facts were

discouraging; and, indeed, a touching sadness pierced through the veil of the brave words.

Rosa read it again and again, and cried over it before her father, to encourage him in his heartless behavior.

She became grave and thoughtful, but no longer lugubrious. She seemed desirous to atone to her father for

having disturbed his cheerfulness. She smiled affectionately on him, and often sat on a stool at his knee, and

He was not a little pleased, and said to himself, "She is coming round to commonsense."

At last he got the clew. One afternoon he met Mr. Wyman coming out of the villa. Mr. Wyman was the

"And I think you are quite right, sir, as her father. Well, she is troubled with a little spitting of blood."

"Don't tell me!" said the father. "It is always serious. And she kept this from me!"

Masking his agitation for the time, he inquired how often it had occurred, this grave symptom.

"Three or four times this last month. But I may as well tell you at once: I have examined her carefully, and I

"No; from the liver. Everything points to that organ as the seat of derangement: not that there is any lesion;

only a tendency to congestion. I am treating her accordingly, and have no doubt of the result."

"I'll write to him, if you like, and appoint a consultation." He added, with vast but rather sudden alacrity, "It

"Then send to him, if you please, and let him be here tomorrow morning; if not, I shall take her to London

On this understanding they parted, and Lusignan went at once to his daughter. "O my child!" said he, deeply

"But why, in Heaven's name? What! would you trust this terrible thing to a stranger, and hide it from your

The old man would not scold her now; he only said, sadly, "I see how it is: because I will not let you marry

"O papa! the idea!" said Rosa. "Of course, I know you love me. It was not that, you dear, darling, foolish

papa. There! if you must know, it was because I did not want you to be distressed. I thought I might get better

with a little physic; and, if not, why, then I thought, 'Papa is an old man; la! I dare say I shall last his time;'

Mr. Lusignan stared at her, and his lip quivered; but he thought the trait hardly consistent with her superficial

character. He could not help saying, half sadly, half bitterly, "Well, but of course you have told Dr. Staines."

Rosa opened her beautiful eyes, like two suns. "Of course I have done nothing of the sort. He has enough to

trouble him, without that. Poor fellow! there he is, worrying and striving to make his fortune, and gain your

esteem'they go together,' you know; you told him so." (Young cats will scratch when least expected.) "And

for me to go and tell him I am in danger! Why, he would go wild. He would think of nothing but me and my

health. He would never make his fortune: and so then, even when I am gone, he will never get a wife, because

he has only got genius and goodness and three thousand pounds. No, papa, I have not told poor Christopher. I

may tease those I love. I have been teasing YOU this ever so long; but frighten them, and make them

And here, thinking of the anguish that was perhaps in store for those she loved, she wanted to cry; it almost

choked her not to. But she fought it bravely down: she reserved her tears for lighter occasions and less noble

Her father held out his arms to her. She ran her footstool to him, and sat nestling to his heart.

"Please forgive me my misconduct. I have not been a dutiful daughter ever since youbut now I will. Kiss

Then she purred to him on every possible topic but the one that now filled his parental heart, and bade him

Wyman was exact, and ten minutes afterwards Dr. Snell drove up in a carriage and pair. He was intercepted

in the hall by Wyman, and, after a few minutes' conversation, presented to Mr. Lusignan.

The father gave vent to his paternal anxiety in a few simple but touching words, and was proceeding to state

the symptoms as he had gathered them from his daughter; but Dr. Snell interrupted him politely, and said he

had heard the principal symptoms from Mr. Wyman. Then, turning to the latter, he said, "We had better

"Certainly," said Mr. Lusignan. "She is in the drawingroom;" and he led the way, and was about to enter the

room, when Wyman informed him it was against etiquette for him to be present at the examination.

"Oh, very well!" said he. "Yes, I see the propriety of that. But oblige me by asking her if she has anything on

Dr. Snell bowed a lofty assent; for, to receive a hint from a layman was to confer a favor on him.

The men of science were closeted full half an hour with the patient. She was too beautiful to be slurred over,

even by a busy doctor: he felt her pulse, looked at her tongue, and listened attentively to her lungs, to her

heart, and to the organ suspected by Wyman. He left her at last with a kindly assurance that the case was

At the door they were met by the anxious father, who came with throbbing heart, and asked the doctors'

He was coolly informed that could not be given until the consultation had taken place; the result of that

"And pray, why can't I be present at the consultation? The grounds on which two able men agree or disagree

"No doubt," said Dr. Snell; "but," with a superior smile, "my dear sir, it is not the etiquette."

"Oh, very well," said Lusignan. But he muttered, "So, then, a father is nobody!"

And this unreasonable person retired to his study, miserable, and gave up the diningroom to the

Dr. Snell's opinion was communicated by Wyman. "I am happy to tell you that Dr. Snell agrees with me,

entirely: the lungs are not affected, and the liver is congested, but not diseased."

"It is so, sir." He added, "The treatment has been submitted to me, and I quite approve it."

He then asked for a pen and paper, and wrote a prescription. He assured Mr. Lusignan that the case had no

extraordinary feature, whatever; he was not to alarm himself. Dr. Snell then drove away, leaving the parent

His own had nothing in common with it. The Arctic and Antarctic poles are not farther apart than was his

Amiable science! In which complete diversity of practice did not interfere with perfect uniformity of opinion.

All this was kept from Dr. Staines, and he was entirely occupied in trying to get a position that might lead to

fortune, and satisfy Mr. Lusignan. He called on every friend he had, to inquire where there was an opening.

He walked miles and miles in the best quarters of London, looking for an opening; he let it be known in many

quarters that he would give a good premium to any physician who was about to retire, and would introduce

Then, after a great struggle with himself, he called upon his uncle, Philip Staines, a retired M.D., to see if he

would do anything for him. He left this to the last, for a very good reason: Dr. Philip was an irritable old

bachelor, who had assisted most of his married relatives; but, finding no bottom to the well, had turned rusty

and crusty, and now was apt to administer kicks instead of checks to all who were near and dear to him.

However, Christopher was the old gentleman's favorite, and was now desperate; so he mustered courage, and

went. He was graciously receivedwarmly, indeed. This gave him great hopes, and he told his tale.

The old bachelor sided with Mr. Lusignan. "What!" said he, "do you want to marry, and propagate

pauperism? I thought you had more sense. Confound it all I had just one nephew whose knock at my

streetdoor did not make me tremble; he was a bachelor and a thinker, and came for a friendly chat; the rest

are married men, highwaymen, who come to say, 'Stand and deliver;' and now even you want to join the

giddy throng. Well, don't ask me to have any hand in it. You are a man of promise; and you might as well

hang a millstone round your neck as a wife. Marriage is a greater mistake than ever now; the women dress

more and manage worse. I met your cousin Jack the other day, and his wife with seventy pounds on her back;

and next door to paupers. No; whilst you are a bachelor, like me, you are my favorite, and down in my will

for a lump. Once marry, and you join the noble army of footpads, leeches, vultures, paupers, gone coons,

There was no hope from old Crusty. Christopher left him, snubbed and heartsick. At last he met a sensible

man, who made him see there was no short cut in that profession. He must be content to play the uphill

game; must settle in some good neighborhood; marry, if possible, since husbands and fathers of families

prefer married physicians; and so be poor at thirty, comfortable at forty, and rich at fiftyperhaps.

Then Christopher came down to his lodgings at Gravesend, and was very unhappy; and after some days of

misery, he wrote a letter to Rosa in a moment of impatience, despondency, and passion.

Rosa Lusignan got worse and worse. The slight but frequent hemorrhage was a drain upon her system, and

weakened her visibly. She began to lose her rich complexion, and sometimes looked almost sallow; and a

slight circle showed itself under her eyes. These symptoms were unfavorable; nevertheless, Dr. Snell and Mr.

Wyman accepted them cheerfully, as fresh indications that nothing was affected but the liver; they multiplied

and varied their prescriptions; the malady ignored those prescriptions, and went steadily on. Mr. Lusignan

But it was not in human nature that a girl of this age could always and at all hours be mistress of herself. One

evening in particular she stood before the glass in the drawingroom, and looked at herself a long time with

A deep groan startled her. She turned; it was her father. She thought he was fast asleep; and so indeed he had

been; but he was just awaking, and heard his daughter utter her real mind. It was a thunderclap. "Oh, my

Then Rosa was taken by surprise in her turn. She spoke out. "Send for a great physician, papa. Don't let us

"No, no; that is no use; they will put their heads together, and he will say whatever Mr. Wyman tells him. La!

papa, a clever man like you, not to see what a cheat that consultation was. Why, from what you told me, one

can see it was managed so that Dr. Snell could not possibly have an opinion of his own. No; no more echoes

of Mr. Chatterbox. If you really want to cure me, send for Christopher Staines."

"But he is very clever, and he is not an echo. He won't care how many doctors he contradicts when I am in

"I'll try it," said the old man, eagerly. "How confident you look! your color has come back. It is an

"I think by this time he must be at his lodgings in Gravesend. Send to him tomorrow morning."

"My own, good, kind papa! Ah! well, come what may, I have lived long enough to be loved. Yes, dear papa,

The old man bustled away to put on something warmer for his night walk, and Rosa leaned back, and the

Before she had recovered her composure, a letter was brought her, and this was the letter from Christopher

She took it from the servant with averted head, not wishing it to be seen she had been crying, and she started

at the handwriting; it seemed such a coincidence that it should come just as she was sending for him.

MY OWN BELOVED ROSA,I now write to tell you, with a heavy heart, that all is vain. I cannot make,

nor purchase, a connection, except as others do, by time and patience. Being a bachelor is quite against a

young physician. If I had a wife, and such a wife as you, I should be sure to get on; you would increase my

connection very soon. What, then, lies before us? I see but two thingsto wait till we are old, and our

pockets are filled, but our hearts chilled or soured; or else to marry at once, and climb the hill together. If you

love me as I love you, you will be saving till the battle is over; and I feel I could find energy and fortitude for

both. Your father, who thinks so much of wealth, can surely settle something on YOU; and I am not too poor

to furnish a house and start fair. I am not quite obscuremy lectures have given me a nameand to you, my

own love, I hope I may say that I know more than many of my elders, thanks to good schools, good method, a

genuine love of my noble profession, and a tendency to study from my childhood. Will you not risk

something on my ability? If not, God help me, for I shall lose you; and what is life, or fame, or wealth, or any

mortal thing to me, without you? I cannot accept your father's decision; YOU must decide my fate.

You see I have kept away from you until I can do so no more. All this time the world to me has seemed to

When this reaches you I shall be at your gate. Let me see you, though but for a moment, and let me hear my

This letter stunned her at first. Her mind of late had been turned away from love to such stern realities. Now

she began to be sorry she had not told him. "Poor thing!" she said to herself, "he little knows that now all is

changed. Papa, I sometimes think, would deny me nothing now; it is I who would not marry himto be

The next moment she started up in dismay. Why, her father would miss him. No; perhaps catch him waiting

for her. What would he think? What would Christopher think?that she had shown her papa his letter.

Then she sat down and dashed off a line to Christopher. This was for Harriet to take out to him. Anything

She was afraid to do anything for fear of making matters worse. She went to the window, and stood looking

anxiously out, with her hands working. Presently she uttered a little scream and shrank away to the sofa. She

sank down on it, half sitting, half lying, hid her face in her hands, and waited.

Staines, with a lover's impatience, had been more than an hour at the gate, or walking up and down close by

it, his heart now burning with hope, now freezing with fear, that she would decline a meeting on these terms.

At last the postman came, and then he saw he was too soon; but now in a few minutes Rosa would have his

letter, and then he should soon know whether she would come or not. He looked up at the drawingroom

windows. They were full of light. She was there in all probability. Yet she did not come to them. But why

He walked up and down the road. She did not come. His heart began to sicken with doubt. His head drooped;

and perhaps it was owing to this that he almost ran against a gentleman who was coming the other way. The

"Dr. Staines!" said Mr. Lusignan surprised. Christopher uttered an ejaculation more eloquent than words.

Lusignan thought that odd; however, he said politely, "No matter, it is fortunate. Would you mind coming

"No," faltered Christopher, and stared at him ruefully, puzzled more and more, but beginning to think, after

They entered the gate, and in one moment he saw Rosa at the window, and she saw him.

Then he altered his opinion again. Rosa had sent her father out to him. But how was this? The old man did

not seem angry. Christopher's heart gave a leap inside him, and he began to glow with the wildest hopes. For,

Mr. Lusignan took him first into the study, and lighted two candles himself. He did not want the servants

The lights showed Christopher a change in Mr. Lusignan. He looked ten years older.

"My health is well enough, but I am a brokenhearted man. Dr. Staines, forget all that passed here at your last

visit. All that is over. Thank you for loving my poor girl as you do; give me your hand; God bless you. Sir, I

am sorry to say it is as a physician I invite you now. She is ill, sir, very, very ill."

"She kept it from you, my poor friend, not to distress you; and she tried to keep it from me, but how could

she? For two months she has had some terrible complaintit is destroying her. She is the ghost of herself.

The old man sobbed aloud. The young man stood trembling, and ashy pale. Still, the habits of his profession,

and the experience of dangers overcome, together with a certain sense of power, kept him up; but, above all,

This comforted Mr. Lusignan. He was to get an independent judgment, at all events.

When they reached the top of the stairs, Dr. Staines paused and leaned against the baluster. "Give me a

moment," said he. "The patient must not know how my heart is beating, and she must see nothing in my face

but what I choose her to see. Give me your hand once more, sir; let us both control ourselves. Now announce

Mr. Lusignan opened the door, and said, with forced cheerfulness, "Dr. Staines, my dear, come to give you

Then Christopher Staines drew himself up, and the majesty of knowledge and love together seemed to dilate

his noble frame. He fixed his eye on that reclining, panting figure, and stepped lightly but firmly across the

The young physician walked steadily up to his patient without taking his eye off her, and drew a chair to her

Then she took down one handthe leftand gave it him, averting her face tenderly, and still covering it

with her right; "For," said she to herself, "I am such a fright now." This opportune reflection, and her heaving

bosom, proved that she at least felt herself something more than his patient. Her pretty consciousness made

his task more difficult; nevertheless, he only allowed himself to press her hand tenderly with both his palms

one moment, and then he entered on his functions bravely. "I am here as your physician."

He gently detained the hand, and put his finger lightly to her pulse; it was palpitating, and a fallacious test.

Oh, how that beating pulse, by love's electric current, set his own heart throbbing in a moment!

He put her hand gently, reluctantly down, and said, "Oblige me by turning this way." She turned, and he

winced internally at the change in her; but his face betrayed nothing. He looked at her full; and, after a pause,

put her some questions: one was as to the color of the hemorrhage. She said it was bright red.

Then he listened at her shoulderblade and at her chest, and made her draw her breath while he was listening.

The acts were simple, and usual in medicine, but there was a deep, patient, silent intensity about his way of

Mr. Lusignan crept nearer, and stood with both hands on a table, and his old head bowed, awaiting yet

Up to this time, Dr. Staines, instead of tapping and squeezing, and pulling the patient about, had never

touched her with his hand, and only grazed her with his ear; but now he said "Allow me," and put both hands

to her waist, more lightly and reverently than I can describe; "Now draw a deep breath, if you please."

"Hum!" said he. Then, after a considerable pause, "Are you better or worse after each hemorrhage?"

Dr. Staines looked at Rosa, and then at her father. The agony in that aged face, and the love that agony

"The cause?"he hesitated, and looked rather uneasy."Well, the cause, sir, istight stays."

The tranquillity of the meeting was instantly disturbed. "Tight stays! Me!" cried Rosa. "Why, I am the loosest

girl in England. Look, papa!" And, without any apparent effort, she drew herself in, and poked her little fist

Dr. Staines smiled sadly and a little sarcastically: he was evidently shy of encountering the lady in this

argument; but he was more at his ease with her father; so he turned towards him and lectured him freely.

"That is wonderful, sir; and the first four or five female patients that favored me with it, made me disbelieve

my other senses; but Miss Lusignan is now about the thirtieth who has shown me that marvellous feat, with a

calm countenance that belies the herculean effort. Nature has her everyday miracles: a boaconstrictor,

diameter seventeen inches, can swallow a buffalo; a woman, with her stays bisecting her almost, and

lacerating her skin, can yet for one moment make herself seem slack, to deceive a juvenile physician. The

Dr. Staines blushed and looked uncomfortable. "I did not mean to be offensive; it certainly was a very clumsy

"What does that matter?" said Mr. Lusignan, impatiently. "Be quiet, Rosa, and let Dr. Staines and me talk

"You are everybody," said Staines, soothingly. "But," suggested he, obsequiously, "if you don't mind, I would

Dr. Staines then invited Mr. Lusignan to his lodgings, and promised to explain the matter anatomically.

"Meantime," said he, "would you be good enough to put your hands to my waist, as I did to the patient's."

Mr. Lusignan complied; and the patient began to titter directly, to put them out of countenance.

"Now apply the same test to the patient. Breathe your best, please, Miss Lusignan."

"I am aware it is rather laborious," said Staines, a little dryly; "but to oblige your father!"

"Oh, anything to oblige papa," said she, spitefully. "There! And I do hope it will be the lastla! no; I don't

Dr. Staines politely ignored her little attempts to interrupt the argument. "You found, sir, that the muscles of

my waist, and my intercostal ribs themselves, rose and fell with each inhalation and exhalation of air by the

"I did; but my daughter's waist was like dead wood, and so were her lower ribs."

At this volunteer statement, Rosa colored to her temples. "Thanks, papa! Pack me off to London, and sell me

"In other words," said the lecturer, mild and pertinacious, "with us the lungs have room to blow, and the

whole bony frame expands elastic with them, like the woodwork of a blacksmith's bellows; but with this

patient, and many of her sex, that noble and divinely framed bellows is crippled and confined by a powerful

machine of human construction; so it works lamely and feebly: consequently too little air, and of course too

little oxygen, passes through that spongy organ whose very life is air. Now mark the special result in this

case: being otherwise healthy and vigorous, our patient's system sends into the lungs more blood than that

one crippled organ can deal with; a small quantity becomes extravasated at odd times; it accumulates, and

would become dangerous; then Nature, strengthened by sleep, and by some hours' relief from the diabolical

engine, makes an effort and flings it off: that is why the hemorrhage comes in the morning, and why she is

the better for it, feeling neither faint nor sick, but relieved of a weight. This, sir, is the rationale of the

complaint; and it is to you I must look for the cure. To judge from my other female patients, and from the few

words Miss Lusignan has let fall, I fear we must not count on any very hearty cooperation from her: but you

are her father, and have great authority; I conjure you to use it to the full, as you once used itto my

sorrowin this very room. I am forgetting my character. I was asked here only as her physician.

He gave a little gulp, and hurried away, with an abruptness that touched the father and offended the sapient

However, Mr. Lusignan followed him, and stopped him before he left the house, and thanked him warmly;

"I say that I am very unfortunate in my doctors. Mr. Wyman is a chatterbox and knows nothing. Dr. Snell is

Mr. Wyman's echo. Christopher is a genius, and they are always full of crotchets. A pretty doctor! Gone

Mr. Lusignan admitted it was odd. "But, after all," said he, "if medicine does you no good?"

"Ah! but any medicine HE had prescribed would have done me good, and that makes it all the unkinder."

"If you think so highly of his skill, why not take his advice? It can do no harm."

"No harm? Why, if I was to leave them off I should catch a dreadful cold; and that would be sure to settle on

my chest, and carry me off, in my present delicate state. Besides, it is so unfeminine not to wear them."

This staggered Mr. Lusignan, and he was afraid to press the point; but what Staines had said fermented in his

When Dr. Staines had satisfied himself that the disorder was easily curable, then wounded pride found an

entrance even into his loving heart. That two strangers should have been consulted before him! He was only

As he seemed in no hurry to repeat his visit, Mr. Lusignan called on him, and said, politely, he had hoped to

receive another call ere this. "Personally," said he, "I was much struck with your observations; but my

daughter is afraid she will catch cold if she leaves off her corset, and that, you know, might be very serious."

Dr. Staines groaned, and, when he had groaned, he lectured. "Female patients are wonderfully monotonous in

this matter; they have a programme of evasions; and whether the patient is a lady or a housemaid, she seldom

varies from that programme. You find her breathing life's air with half a bellows, and you tell her so. 'Oh, no,'

says she; and does the gigantic feat of contraction we witnessed that evening at your house. But, on inquiry,

you learn there is a raw red line ploughed in her flesh by the cruel stays. 'What is that?' you ask, and flatter

yourself you have pinned her. Not a bit. 'That was the last pair. I changed them, because they hurt me.' Driven

out of that by proofs of recent laceration, they say, 'If I leave them off I should catch my death of cold,' which

is equivalent to saying there is no flannel in the shops, no common sense nor needles at home."

He then laid before him some large French plates, showing the organs of the human trunk, and bade him

observe in how small a space, and with what skill, the Creator has packed so many large yet delicate organs,

so that they should be free and secure from friction, though so close to each other. He showed him the liver,

an organ weighing four pounds, and of large circumference; the lungs, a very large organ, suspended in the

chest and impatient of pressure; the heart, the stomach, the spleen, all of them too closely and artfully packed

"Is it a small thing for the creature to say to her Creator, 'I can pack all this eggchina better than you can,'

and thereupon to jam all those vital organs close, by a powerful, a very powerful and ingenious machine? Is it

a small thing for that sex, which, for good reasons, the Omniscient has made larger in the waist than the male,

to say to her Creator, 'You don't know your business; women ought to be smaller in the waist than men, and

In short, he delivered so many true and pointed things on this trite subject, that the old gentleman was

Dr. Staines shook his head dolefully, and all his fire died out of him at having to face the fair. "Reason will be

wasted. Authority is the only weapon. My profession and my reading have both taught me that the whole

character of her sex undergoes a change the moment a man interferes with their dress. From Chaucer's day to

our own, neither public satire nor private remonstrance has ever shaken any of their monstrous fashions.

Easy, obliging, pliable, and weaker of will than men in other things, do but touch their dress, however

objectionable, and rock is not harder, iron is not more stubborn, than these soft and yielding creatures. It is no

He came that very evening, and saw directly she was worse. "Of course," said he, sadly, "you have not taken

"A physician can prescribe without sending his patient to the druggist; and when he does, then it is his words

He looked ruefully at Mr. Lusignan and was silent. Rosa smiled sarcastically; she thought he was at his wit's

Not quite: he was cudgelling his brains in search of some horribly unscientific argument, that might prevail;

for he felt science would fall dead upon so fair an antagonist. At last his eye kindled; he had hit on an

argument unscientific enough for anybody, he thought. Said he, ingratiatingly, "You believe the Old

"Then let me tell you a story from that book. A Syrian general had a terrible disease. He consulted Elisha by

deputy. Elisha said, 'Bathe seven times in a certain river, Jordan, and you will get well.' The general did not

like this at all; he wanted a prescription; wanted to go to the druggist; didn't believe in hydropathy to begin,

and, in any case, turned up his nose at Jordan. What! bathe in an Israelitish brook, when his own country

boasted noble rivers, with a reputation for sanctity into the bargain? In short, he preferred his leprosy to such

irregular medicine. But it happened, by some immense fortuity, that one of his servants, though an Oriental,

was a friend, instead of a flatterer; and this sensible fellow said, 'If the prophet told you to do some great and

difficult thing, to get rid of this fearful malady, would not you do it, however distasteful? and can you hesitate

when he merely says, Wash in the Jordan, and be healed?' The general listened to good sense, and cured

himself. Your case is parallel. You would take quantities of foul medicine; you would submit to some painful

operation, if life and health depended on it; then why not do a small thing for a great result? You have only to

take off an unnatural machine which cripples your growing frame, and was unknown to every one of the

women whose forms in Parian marble the world admires. Off with that monstrosity, and your cure is as

certain as the Syrian general's; though science, and not inspiration, dictates the easy remedy."

Rosa had listened impatiently, and now replied with some warmth, "This is shockingly profane. The idea of

comparing yourself to Elisha, and me to a horrid leper! Much obliged! Not that I know what a leper is."

"Come, come! that is not fair," said Mr. Lusignan. "He only compared the situation, not the people."

"Oh, papa! Well, it is not Sunday, but I have had a sermon. This is the clergyman, and you are the

commentatorhe! he! And so now let us go back from divinity to medicine. I repeat" (this was the first time

she had said it) "that my other doctors give me real prescriptions, written in hieroglyphics. You can't look at

An angry spot rose on Christopher's cheek, but he only said, "And are your other doctors satisfied with the

"Perfectly! Papa, tell him what they say, and I'll find him their prescriptions." She went to a drawer, and

Lusignan complied. "First of all, sir, I must tell you they are confident it is not the lungs, but the liver."

"And don't you screech," said her father, with a look of misery and apprehension impartially distributed on

"You must have misunderstood them," murmured Staines, in a voice that was now barely audible a yard off.

Christopher's face still wore a look of blank amazement, till Rosa herself confirmed it positively.

Then he cast a look of agony upon her, and started up in a passion, forgetting once more that his host

abhorred the sonorous. "Oh, shame! shame!" he cried, "that the noble profession of medicine should be

disgraced by ignorance such as this." Then he said, sternly, "Sir, do not mistake my motives; but I decline to

have anything further to do with this case, until those two gentlemen have been relieved of it; and, as this is

very harsh, and on my part unprecedented, I will give you one reason out of many I COULD give you. Sir,

there is no road from the liver to the throat by which blood can travel in this way, defying the laws of gravity;

and they knew, from the patient, that no strong expellent force has ever been in operation. Their diagnosis,

therefore, implies agnosis, or ignorance too great to be forgiven. I will not share my patient with two

gentlemen who know so little of medicine, and know nothing of anatomy, which is the A B C of medicine.

"Why, then you have drunk about two gallons of unwholesome liquids, and eaten a pound or two of

unwholesome solids. These medicines have cooperated with the malady. The disorder lies, not in the

hemorrhage, but in the precedent extravasation that is a drain on the system; and how is the loss to be

supplied? Why, by taking a little more nourishment than before; there is no other way; and probably Nature,

left to herself, might have increased your appetite to meet the occasion. But those two worthies have struck

that weapon out of Nature's hand; they have peppered away at the poor illused stomach with drugs and

draughts, not very deleterious I grant you, but all more or less indigestible, and all tending, not to whet the

appetite, but to clog the stomach, or turn the stomach, or pester the stomach, and so impair the appetite, and

"This is good sense," said Lusignan. "I declare, II wish I knew how to get rid of them."

"I'll do it too politely for that. Christopher, you are very cleverTERRIBLY clever. Whenever I threw their

medicines away, I was always a little better that day. I will sacrifice them to you. It IS a sacrifice. They are

She sat down and wrote two sweet letters to Dr. Snell and Mr. Wyman, thanking them for the great attention

they had paid her; but finding herself getting steadily worse, in spite of all they had done for her, she

Then Dr. Staines brightened up, and said to Lusignan, "I am now happy to tell you that I have overrated the

malady. The sad change I see in Miss Lusignan is partly due to the great bulk of unwholesome esculents she

has been eating and drinking under the head of medicines. These discontinued, she might linger on for years,

existing, though not livingthe tightlaced cannot be said to live. But if she would be healthy and happy, let

her throw that diabolical machine into the fire. It is no use asking her to loosen it; she can't. Once there, the

temptation is too strong. Off with it, and, take my word, you will be one of the healthiest and most vigorous

Rosa looked rueful, and almost sullen. She said she had parted with her doctors for him, but she really could

"That part of the programme is disposed of," said Christopher. "Please go on to No. 2. How about the raw red

"What red line? No such thing! Somebody or other has been peeping in at my window. I'll have the ivy cut

"Simpleton!" said Mr. Lusignan, angrily. "You have let the cat out of the bag. There is such a mark, then, and

"He never discerned it at all," said Rosa, red as fire; "and, what is more, he never will."

"I wish YOU were gone nowexposing me in this cruel way," said Rosa, angry with herself for having said

But Mr. Lusignan interfered promptly. "Rosa, no noise. I will not have you snapping at your best friend and

mine. If you are excited, you had better retire to your own room and compose yourself. I hate a clamor."

Every tear was like a drop of blood from Christopher's heart. "Pray don't scold her, sir," said he, ready to

snivel himself. "She meant nothing unkind: it is only her pretty sprightly way; and she did not really imagine

"Don't YOU interfere between my father and me," said this reasonable young lady, now in an ungovernable

"No, Rosa," said Christopher, humbly. "Mr. Lusignan," said he, "I hope you will tell her that, from the very

first, I was unwilling to enter on this subject with HER. Neither she nor I can forget my double character. I

have not said half as much to her as I ought, being her physician; and yet you see I have said more than she

can bear from me, who, she knows, love her and revere her. Then, once for all, do pray let me put this

"Unfatherly tyranny, that means," said Rosa. "What business have gentlemen interfering in such things? It is

"Well, you need not scream at me," said Mr. Lusignan; and he shrugged his shoulders to Staines. "She is

Now this roused the bile of Dr. Staines. "What, sir!" said he, "you could separate her and me by your

authority, here in this very room; and yet, when her life is at stake, you abdicate! You could part her from a

man who loved her with every drop of his heart, and she said she loved him, or, at all events, preferred him

to others,and you cannot part her from a miserable corset, although you see in her poor wasted face that it

is carrying her to the churchyard. In that case, sir, there is but one thing for you to do,withdraw your

opposition and let me marry her. As her lover I am powerless; but invest me with a husband's authority, and

you will soon see the roses return to her cheek, and her elastic figure expanding, and her eye beaming with

Mr. Lusignan made an answer neither of his hearers expected. He said, "I have a great mind to take you at

your word. I am too old and fond of quiet to drive a Simpleton in single harness."

This contemptuous speech, and, above all, the word Simpleton, which had been applied to her pretty freely by

young ladies at school, and always galled her terribly, inflicted so intolerable a wound on Rosa's vanity, that

she was ready to burst: on that, of course, her stays contributed their mite of physical uneasiness. Thus

irritated mind and body, she burned to strike in return; and as she could not slap her father in the presence of

"You can turn me out of doors," said she, "if you are tired of your daughter, but I am not such a

SIMPLETON as to marry a tyrant. No; he has shown the cloven foot in time. A husband's AUTHORITY,

indeed!" Then she turned her hand, and gave it him direct. "You told me a different story when you were

paying your court to me; then you were to be my servant,all hypocritical sweetness. You had better go and

marry a Circassian slave. They don't wear stays, and they do wear trousers; so she will be unfeminine

enough, even for you. No English lady would let her husband dictate to her about such a thing. I can have as

many husbands as I like, without falling into the clutches of a tyrant. You are a rude, indelicate And so

Both her auditors stood aghast, for she uttered this conclusion with a dignity of which the opening gave no

"I do mean it," said she, firmly; "and, if you are a gentleman, you will not compel me to say it twicethree

At this daggerstroke Christopher turned very pale, but he maintained his dignity. "I am a gentleman," said

he, quietly, "and a very unfortunate one. Goodby, sir; thank you kindly. Goodby, Rosa; God bless you!

Oh, pray take a thought! Remember, your life and death are in your own hand now. I am powerless."

When he was gone, father and daughter looked at each other, and there was the silence that succeeds a storm.

Rosa, feeling the most uneasy, was the first to express her satisfaction. "There, HE is gone, and I am glad of

it. Now you and I shall never quarrel again. I was quite right. Such impertinence! Such indelicacy! A fine

prospect for me if I had married such a man! However, he is gone, and so there's an end of it. The idea!

telling a young lady, before her father, she is tightlaced! If you had not been there I could have forgiven

him. But I am not; it is a story. Now," suddenly exalting her voice, "I know you believe him."

"I say nothing," whispered papa, hoping to still her by example. This ruse did not succeed.

"But you look volumes," cried she: "and I can't bear it. I won't bear it. If you don't believe ME, ask my

"All the better! Why should not wires be broken as well as my heart? Oh, here she is! Now, Harriet, come

Harriet looked in her face a moment to see what was required of her, and then said, "That you are not, miss. I

"Now," said Rosa, "you see I was right; and, after all, it was a match you did not approve. Well, it is all over,

and now you may write to your favorite, Colonel Bright. If he comes here, I'll box his old ears. I hate him. I

hate them all. Forgive your wayward girl. I'll stay with you all my days. I dare say that will not be long, now I

have quarrelled with my guardian angel; and all for what? Papa! papa! how CAN you sit there and not speak

me one word of comfort? 'SIMPLETON?' Ah! that I am to throw away a love a queen is scarcely worthy of;

and all for what? Really, if it wasn't for the ingratitude and wickedness of the thing, it is too laughable. Ha!

Her father cried for help in dismay. In ran Harriet, saw, and screamed, but did not lose her head; this

veracious person whipped a pair of scissors off the table, and cut the young lady's stay laces directly. Then

there was a burst of imprisoned beauty; a deep, deep sigh of relief came from a bosom that would have done

honor to Diana; and the scene soon concluded with fits of harmless weeping, renewed at intervals.

When it had settled down to this, her father, to soothe her, said he would write to Dr. Staines, and bring about

Mr. Lusignan was a sensible man: he dropped the subject for the present; but he made up his mind to one

Next day Rosa kept her own room until dinnertime, and was as unhappy as she deserved to be. She spent

her time in sewing on stiff flannel linings and crying. She half hoped Christopher would write to her, so that

At halfpast six her volatile mind took a turn, real or affected. She would cry no more for an ungrateful

fellow,ungrateful for not seeing through the stone walls how she had been employed all the morning; and

making it up. So she bathed her red eyes, made a great alteration in her dress, and came dancing into the

As they were sitting together in the diningroom after dinner, two letters came by the same post to Mr.

DEAR SIR,I am sorry to hear from Miss Lusignan that she intends to discontinue medical advice. The

disorder was progressing favorably, and nothing to be feared, under proper treatment.

DEAR SIR,Miss Lusignan has written to me somewhat impatiently and seems disposed to dispense with

my visits. I do not, however, think it right to withdraw without telling you candidly that this is an unwise

Rosa burst out laughing. "I have nothing to fear, and I'm on the brink of the grave. That comes of writing

without a consultation. If they had written at one table, I should have been neither well nor ill. Poor

Warned by this that grief sat very near the bright, hilarious surface, Mr. Lusignan avoided all emotional

subjects for the present. Next day, however, he told her she might dismiss her lover, but no power should

"I will not give you that excuse for inflicting him on me again," said the young hypocrite.

She took to walking every day, and increasing the distance, till she could walk ten miles without fatigue.

Her favorite walk was to a certain cliff that commanded a noble view of the sea. To get to it she must pass

through the town of Gravesend; and we may be sure she did not pass so often through that city without some

idea of meeting the lover she had used so ill, and eliciting an APOLOGY from him. Sly puss!

When she had walked twenty times, or thereabouts, through the town, and never seen him, she began to fear

But by and by bodily health, vanity, and temper combined to rouse the defiant spirit. Said she, "If he really

loved me, he would not take my word in such a hurry. And besides, why does he not watch me, and find out

At last she really began to persuade herself that she was an ill used and slighted girl. She was very angry at

times, and disconsolate at others; a mixed state in which hasty and impulsive young ladies commit lifelong

Mr. Lusignan observed the surface only: he saw his invalid daughter getting better every day, till at last she

became a picture of health and bodily vigor. Relieved of his fears, he troubled his head but little about

Christopher Staines. Yet he esteemed him, and had got to like him; but Rosa was a beauty, and could do

better than marry a struggling physician, however able. He launched out into a little gayety, resumed his quiet

dinnerparties; and, after some persuasion, took his now blooming daughter to a ball given by the officers of

She was the belle of the ball beyond dispute, and danced with ethereal grace and athletic endurance. She was

madly fond of waltzing, and here she encountered what she was pleased to call a divine dancer. It was a Mr.

Reginald Falcon, a gentleman who had retired to the seaside to recruit his health and finances sore tried by

London and Paris. Falcon had run through his fortune, but had acquired, in the process, certain talents which,

as they cost the acquirer dear, so they sometimes repay him, especially if he is not overburdened with

principle, and adopts the notion that, the world having plucked him, he has a right to pluck the world. He

could play billiards well, but never so well as when backing himself for a heavy stake. He could shoot

pigeons well, and his shooting improved under that which makes some marksmen missa heavy bet against

the gun. He danced to perfection; and being a wellbred, experienced, brazen, adroit fellow, who knew a

little of everything that was going, he had always plenty to say. Above all, he had made a particular study of

the fair sex; had met with many successes, many rebuffs; and, at last, by keen study of their minds, and a

habit he had acquired of watching their faces, and shifting his helm accordingly, had learned the great art of

pleasing them. They admired his face; to me, the short space between his eyes and his hair, his aquiline nose,

and thin straight lips, suggested the bird of prey a little too much: but to fair doves, born to be clutched, this

Rosa danced several times with him, and told him he danced like an angel. He informed her that was because,

for once, he was dancing with an angel. She laughed and blushed. He flattered deliciously, and it cost him

little; for he fell in love with her that night, deeper than he had ever been in his whole life of intrigue. He

asked leave to call on her: she looked a little shy at that, and did not respond. He instantly withdrew his

proposal, with an apology and a sigh that raised her pity. However, she was not a forward girl, even when

excited by dancing and charmed with her partner; so she left him to find his own way out of that difficulty.

He was not long about it. At the end of the next waltz he asked her if he might venture to solicit an

"Oh, certainly," said she. "What a selfish girl I am! this is terribly dull for him."

The introduction being made, and Rosa being engaged for the next three dances, Mr. Falcon sat by Mr.

Lusignan and entertained him. For this little piece of apparent selfdenial he was paid in various coin:

Lusignan found out he was the son of an old acquaintance, and so the door of Kent Villa opened to him;

meantime, Rosa Lusignan never passed him, even in the arms of a cavalry officer, without bestowing a

glance of approval and gratitude on him. "What a goodhearted young man!" thought she. "How kind of him

Falcon followed up the dance by a call, and was infinitely agreeable: followed up the call by another, and

admired Rosa with so little disguise that Mr. Lusignan said to her, "I think you have made a conquest. His

"Oh, never mind his estates," said Rosa, "he dances like an angel, and gossips charmingly, and IS so nice."

Christopher Staines pined for this girl in silence: his fine frame got thinner, his pale cheek paler, as she got

rosier and rosier; and how? Why, by following the very advice she had snubbed him for giving her. At last,

he heard she had been the belle of a ball, and that she had been seen walking miles from home, and blooming

as a Hebe. Then his deep anxiety ceased, his pride stung him furiously; he began to think of his own value,

and to struggle with all his might against his deep love. Sometimes he would even inveigh against her, and

call her a fickle, ungrateful girl, capable of no strong passion but vanity. Many a hard term he applied to her

in his sorrowful solitude; but not a word when he had a hearer. He found it hard to rest: he kept dashing up to

London and back. He plunged furiously into study. He groaned and sighed, and fought the hard and bitter

fight that is too often the lot of the deep that love the shallow. Strong, but singlehearted, no other lady could

comfort him. He turned from female company, and shunned all for the fault of one.

The inward contest wore him. He began to look very thin and wan; and all for a Simpleton!

Mr. Falcon prolonged his stay in the neighborhood, and drove a handsome dogcart over twice a week to visit

He used to call on that gentleman at four o'clock, for at that hour Mr. Lusignan was always out, and his

She was at home at that hour because she took her long walks in the morning. While her new admirer was in

bed, or dressing, or breakfasting, she was springing along the road with all the elasticity of youth, and health,

Twentyone of these walks did she take, with no other result than health and appetite; but the twentysecond

was more fertile extremely fertile. Starting later than usual, she passed through Gravesend while Reginald

Falcon was smoking at his front window. He saw her, and instantly doffed his dressinggown and donned his

coat to follow her. He was madly in love with her, and being a man who had learned to shoot pigeons and

opportunities flying, he instantly resolved to join her in her walk, get her clear of the town, by the seabeach,

where beauty melts, and propose to her. Yes, marriage had not been hitherto his habit, but this girl was

peerless: he was pledged by honor and gratitude to Phoebe Dale; but hang all that now. "No man should

marry one woman when he loves another; it is dishonorable." He got into the street and followed her as fast

It was not so easy to catch her. Ladies are not built for running; but a fine, tall, symmetrical girl who has

practised walking fast can cover the ground wonderfully in walkingif she chooses. It was a sight to see

how Rosa Lusignan squared her shoulders and stepped out from the waist like a Canadian girl skating, while

He was hardly ten yards from her when an unexpected incident occurred. She whisked round the corner of

Bird Street, and ran plump against Christopher Staines; in fact, she darted into his arms, and her face almost

Rosa cried "Oh!" and put up her hands to her face in lovely confusion, coloring like a peony.

"No," said Rosa, "it was I ran against you. I walk so fast now. Hope I did not hurt you."

"Oh, please don't quarrel with me in the STREET," said Rosa, cunningly implying that he was the

quarrelsome one. "I am going on the beach. Goodby!" This adieu she uttered softly, and in a hesitating tone

that belied it. She started off, however, but much more slowly than she was going before; and, as she went,

she turned her head with infinite grace, and kept looking askant down at the pavement two yards behind her:

moreover she went close to the wall, and left room at her side for another to walk.

Christopher hesitated a moment; but the mute invitation, so arch yet timid, so pretty, tender, sly, and

womanly, was too much for him, as it has generally proved for males, and the philosopher's foot was soon in

the very place to which the Simpleton with the mere tail of her eye directed it.

They walked along, side by side, in silence, Staines agitated, gloomy, confused, Rosa radiant and glowing,

yet not knowing what to say for herself, and wanting Christopher to begin. So they walked along without a

Falcon followed them at some distance to see whether it was an admirer or only an acquaintance. A lover he

never dreamed of; she had shown such evident pleasure in his company, and had received his visits alone so

However, when the pair had got to the beach, and were walking slower and slower, he felt a pang of rage and

jealousy, turned on his heel with an audible curse, and found Phoebe Dale a few yards behind him with a

white face and a peculiar look. He knew what the look meant; he had brought it to that faithful face before

"You know very well it is not that. Oh, please don't make me cry in the streets."

This humble petition, or rather meek threat, led to another long silence. It was continued till they had nearly

reached the shore. But, meantime, Rosa's furtive eyes scanned Christopher's face, and her conscience smote

her at the signs of suffering. She felt a desire to beg his pardon with deep humility; but she suppressed that

weakness. She hung her head with a pretty, sheepish air, and asked him if he could not think of something

"I am afraid not," said Christopher, bluntly. "I have an awkward habit of speaking the truth; and some people

"That depends on temper, and nerves, and things," said Rosa, deprecatingly; then softly, "I could bear

"Indeed!" said Christopher, grimly. "Well, then, I hear you had no sooner got rid of your old lover, for loving

you too well and telling you the truth, than you took up another,some flimsy man of fashion, who will tell

"It is a story, a wicked story," cried Rosa, thoroughly alarmed. "Me, a lover! He dances like an angel; I can't

"Are his visits at your house like angels'few and far between?" And the true lover's brow lowered black

Rosa changed color, and her eyes fell a moment. "Ask papa," she said. "His father was an old friend of

"Rosa, you are prevaricating. Young men do not call on old gentlemen when there is an attractive young lady

The argument was getting too close; so Rosa operated a diversion. "So," said she, with a sudden air of lofty

"Listen to gossip and not have me watched! That shows how little you really cared for me. Well, if you had,

"I shall not tell you. Think what you please. Yes, sir, you would have found out that I take long walks every

day, all alone; and what is more, that I walk through Gravesend, hopinglike a goose that somebody

really loved me, and would meet me, and beg my pardon; and if he had, I should have told him it was only

my tongue, and my nerves, and things; my heart was his, and my gratitude. And after all, what do words

signify, when I am a good, obedient girl at bottom? So that is what you have lost by not condescending to

"Why, for not understanding me; for not knowing that I should be sorry the moment you were gone. I took

"But I do. Don't interrupt. It is to your good advice I owe my health; and to love anybody but you, when I

owe you my love and my life, I must be a heartless, ungrateful, worthless Oh, Christopher, forgive me!

"I'll do both," said Christopher, taking her in his arms. "I beg your pardon, and I forgive you."

Rosa leaned her head tenderly on his shoulder, and began to sigh. "Oh, dear, dear! I am a wicked, foolish girl,

On this admission, Christopher spoke out, and urged her to put an end to all these unhappy

"And so I would this very minute, if papa would consent. But," said she, slyly, "you never can be so foolish

"No, dear; but you are the only one who has not; and perhaps I should lose even the one, if you were to marry

me. Oh, husbands are not so polite as lovers! I have observed that, simpleton or not."

Christopher assured her that he took quite a different view of her character; he believed her to be too

profound for shallow people to read all in a moment: he even intimated that he himself had experienced no

little difficulty in understanding her at odd times. "And so," said he, "they turn round upon you, and instead

of saying, 'We are too shallow to fathom you,' they pretend you are a simpleton."

This solution of the mystery had never occurred to Rosa, nor indeed was it likely to occur to any creature less

ingenious than a lover: it pleased her hugely; her fine eyes sparkled, and she nestled closer still to the strong

She listened with a willing ear to all his reasons, his hopes, his fears, and, when they reached her father's

door, it was settled that he should dine there that day, and urge his suit to her father after dinner. She would

The lovers parted, and Christopher went home like one who has awakened from a hideous dream to daylight

He had not gone far before he met a dashing dogcart, driven by an exquisite. He turned to look after it, and

In a moment he divined his rival, and a sickness of heart came over him. But he recovered himself directly,

She did receive him though: at all events, the dogcart stood at the door, and its master remained inside.

Christopher stood, and counted the minutes: five, ten, fifteen, twenty minutes, and still the dogcart stood

It was more than he could bear. He turned savagely, and strode back to Gravesend, resolving that all this

Phoebe Dale was the daughter of a farmer in Essex, and one of the happiest young women in England till she

She was reared on wholesome food, in wholesome air, and used to churn butter, make bread, cook a bit now

and then, cut out and sew all her own dresses, get up her own linen, make hay, ride anything on four legs;

and, for all that, was a great reader, and taught in the Sunday school to oblige the vicar; wrote a neat hand,

and was a good arithmetician, kept all the house accounts and farm accounts. She was a musician, too,not

profound, but very correct. She would take her turn at the harmonium in church, and, when she was there,

you never heard a wrong note in the bass, nor an inappropriate flourish, nor bad time. She could sing, too, but

never would, except her part in a psalm. Her voice was a deep contralto, and she chose to be ashamed of this

heavenly organ, because a pack of envious girls had giggled, and said it was like a man's.

In short, her natural ability and the range and variety of her useful accomplishments were considerable; not

that she was a prodigy; but she belonged to a small class of women in this island who are not too high to use

their arms, nor too low to cultivate their minds; and, having a faculty and a habit deplorably rare amongst her

Her figure and face both told her breed at once: here was an old English pastoral beauty; not the

roundbacked, narrowchested cottager, but the wellfed, erect rustic, with broad, full bust and massive

shoulder, and arm as hard as a rock with health and constant use; a hand finely cut, though neither small nor

very white, and just a little hard inside, compared with Luxury's soft palm; a face honest, fair, and rather large

than small; not beautiful, but exceedingly comely; a complexion not pink and white, but that delicately

blended brickdusty color, which tints the whole cheek in fine gradation, outlasts other complexions twenty

years, and beautifies the true Northern, even in old age. Gray, limpid, honest, pointblank, searching eyes;

hair true nutbrown, without a shade of red or black; and a high, smooth forehead, full of sense. Across it ran

one deep wrinkle that did not belong to her youth. That wrinkle was the brand of trouble, the line of agony. It

Three years before our tale commenced, a gentleman's horse ran away with him, and threw him on a heap of

stones by the roadside, not very far from Farmer Dale's gate. The farmer had him taken in. The doctor said he

must not be moved. He was insensible; his cheek like delicate wax; his fair hair like silk stained with blood.

He became Phoebe's patient, and, in due course, her convalescent: his pale, handsome face and fascinating

The womanly nurse's heart yearned over her child; for he was feeble as a child; and, when he got well enough

to amuse his weary hours by making love to her, and telling her a pack of arrant lies, she was a ready dupe.

He was to marry her as soon as ever his old uncle died, and left him the means, etc., etc. At last he got well

enough to leave her, and went away, her open admirer and secret lover. He borrowed twenty pounds of her

He used to write her charming letters, and feed the flame; but one day her father sent her up to London, on his

own business, all of a sudden, and she called on Mr. Falcon at his real address. She found he did not live

thereonly received letters. However, half acrown soon bought his real address, and thither Phoebe

proceeded with a troubled heart, for she suspected that her true lover was in debt or trouble, and obliged to

So the loving girl knocked at the door, asked for Mr. Falcon, and was shown in to a lady rather showily

Phoebe Dale stared at her, and then turned pale as ashes. She was paralyzed, and could not find her tongue.

"Certainly not, if you are one of the bygones," said the woman, coarsely; and Phoebe Dale waited to hear no

more, but found her way, Heaven knows how, into the street, and there leaned, half fainting, on a rail, till a

policeman came, and told her she had been drinking, and suggested a cool cell as the best cure.

"Not drink; only a breaking heart," said she, in her low, mellow voice that few could resist.

He got her a glass of water, drove away the boys that congregated directly, and she left the street. But she

It was night when he appeared. She seized him by the breast, and taxed him with his villany.

What with her iron grasp, pale face, and flashing eyes, he lost his cool impudence, and blurted out excuses. It

was an old and unfortunate connection; he would give the world to dissolve it, if he could do it like a

"Very well," said Phoebe. "I am going home; and, if you are not there by tomorrow at noon"She said no

more, but looked a great deal. Then she departed, and refused him her hand at parting. "We will see about

At noon my lord came down to the farm, and, unfortunately for Phoebe, played the penitent so skilfully for

about a month, that she forgave him, and loved him all the more for having so nearly parted with him.

Her peace was not to endure long. He was detected in an intrigue in the very village.

The insult struck so home that Phoebe herself, to her parents' satisfaction, ordered him out of the house at

But, when he was gone, she had fits of weeping, and could settle to nothing for a long time.

Months had elapsed, and she was getting a sort of dull tranquillity, when, one evening, taking a walk she had

often with him, and mourning her solitude and wasted affection, he waylaid her, and clung to her knees, and

shed crocodile tears on her hands, and, after a long resistance, violent at first, but fainter and fainter, got her

in his power again, and that so completely that she met him several times by night, being ashamed to be seen

This ended in fresh promises of marriage, and in a constant correspondence by letter. This pest knew exactly

how to talk to a woman, and how to write to one. His letters fed the unhappy flame; and, mind you, he

sometimes deceived himself, and thought he loved her; but it was only himself he loved. She was an

invaluable lover; a faithful, disinterested friend; hers was a vile bargain; his, an excellent one, and he clung to

And so they went on. She detected him in another infidelity, and reproached him bitterly; but she had no

longer the strength to break with him. Nevertheless, this time she had the sense to make a struggle. She

implored him, on her very knees, to show her a little mercy in return for all her love. "For pity's sake, leave

me!" she cried. "You are strong, and I am weak. You can end it forever, and pray do. You don't want me; you

don't value me: then, leave me, once and for all, and end this hell you keep me in."

No; he could not, or he would not, leave her alone. Look at a bird's wings!how like an angel's! Yet so vile

a thing as a bit of birdlime subdues them utterly; and such was the fascinating power of this mean man over

this worthy woman. She was a reader, a thinker, a model of respectability, industry, and sense; a

businesswoman, keen and practical; could encounter sharp hands in sharp trades; could buy or sell hogs,

calves, or beasts with any farmer or butcher in the country, yet no match for a cunning fool. She had

enshrined an idol in her heart, and that heart adored it, and clung to it, though the superior head saw through

No wonder three years of this had drawn a telltale wrinkle across the polished brow.

Phoebe Dale had not received a letter for some days; that roused her suspicion and stung her jealousy; she

She had a thick veil that concealed her features; and with a little inquiring and bribing, she soon found out

that Mr. Falcon was there with a showy dogcart. "Ah!" thought Phoebe, "he has won a little money at play or

She took the lodgings opposite him, but observed nothing till this very morning, when she saw him throw off

his dressinggown all in a hurry and fling on his coat. She tied on her bonnet as rapidly, and followed him,

until she discovered the object of his pursuit. It was a surprise to her, and a puzzle, to see another man step in,

as if to take her part. But as Reginald still followed the loitering pair, she followed Reginald, till he turned

She confronted him in threatening silence for some time, during which he prepared his defence.

"Yes, and I should say she is bespokethat tall, finebuilt gentleman. But I suppose you care no more for

"Phoebe," said the egotist, "I will not try to deceive you. You have often said you are my true friend."

"That you have. Well, then, be my true friend now. I am in love really in lovethis time. You and I only

torment each other; let us part friends. There are plenty of farmers in Essex that would jump at you. As for

me, I'll tell you the truth; I have run through every farthing; my estate mortgaged beyond its valuetwo or

three writs out against methat is why I slipped down here. My only chance is to marry Money. Her father

knows I have land, and he knows nothing about the mortgages; she is his only daughter. Don't stand in my

way, that is a good girl; be my friend, as you always were. Hang it all, Phoebe, can't you say a word to a

fellow that is driven into a corner, instead of glaring at me like that? There! I know it is ungrateful; but what

can a fellow do? I must live like a gentleman or else take a dose of prussic acid; you don't want to drive me to

She gave him one majestic, indescribable look, that made even his callous heart quiver, and turned away.

Then the scamp admired her for despising him, and could not bear to lose her. He followed her, and put forth

all those powers of persuading and soothing, which had so often proved irresistible. But this time it was in

vain. The insult was too savage, and his egotism too brutal, for honeyed phrases to blind her.

After enduring it a long time with a silent shudder, she turned and shook him fiercely off her like some

"Do you want me to kill you? I'd liever kill myself for loving such a thing as THOU. Go thy ways, man, and

let me go mine." In her passion she dropped her cultivation for once, and went back to the THOU and THEE

He colored up and looked spiteful enough; but he soon recovered his cynical egotism, and went off whistling

She crept to her lodgings, and buried her face in her pillow, and rocked herself to and fro for hours in the

bitterest agony the heart can feel, groaning over her great affection wasted, flung into the dirt.

While she was thus, she heard a little commotion. She came to the window and saw Falcon, exquisitely

dressed, drive off in his dogcart, attended by the acclamations of eight boys. She saw at a glance he was gone

courting; her knees gave way under her, and, such is the power of the mind, this stalwart girl lay weak as

water on the sofa, and had not the power to go home, though just then she had but one wish, one hopeto

see her idol's face no more, nor hear his wheedling tongue, that had ruined her peace.

The exquisite Mr. Falcon was received by Rosa Lusignan with a certain tremor that flattered his hopes. He

told her, in charming language, how he had admired her at first sight, then esteemed her, then loved her.

She blushed and panted, and showed more than once a desire to interrupt him, but was too polite. She heard

But by this time she had made up her mind what to say. "O Mr. Falcon!" she cried, "how can you speak to me

"No; I am sure you are not, or you would never have given me the encouragement you have."

"Oh, all engaged young ladies flirta little; and everybody here knows I am engaged to Dr. Staines."

Rosa's tact was a quality that came and went; so she blushed, and faltered out, "We had a little tiff, as lovers

"And you did me the honor to select me as cat'spaw to bring him on again. Was not that rather heartless?"

"Oh, sir, do not think so ill of me. I am not heartless, I am only unwise; and you are so superior to the people

about you; I could not help appreciating you, and I thought you knew I was engaged, and so I was less on my

guard. I hope I shall not lose your esteem, though I have no right to anything more. Ah! I see by your face I

And with this she turned on the waters of the Nile, better known to you, perhaps, as "crocodile tears."

Falcon was a gentleman on the surface, and knew he should only make matters worse by quarrelling with her.

So he ground his teeth, and said, "May your own heart never feel the pangs you have inflicted. I shall love

"Ay," said he to himself, "I WILL remember you, you heartless jilt, and the man you have jilted me for.

He drove back crestfallen, bitter, and, for once in his life, heartsick, and drew up at his lodgings. Here he

A sheriff's officer took his dogcart and horse under a judgment; the disturbance this caused collected a tiny

crowd, gaping and grinning, and brought Phoebe's white face and eyes swollen with weeping to the window.

Falcon saw her and brazened it out. "Take them," said he, with an oath. "I'll have a better turnout by

He got down, lit a cigar, chaffed the officer and the crowd, and was, on the whole, admired.

Then another officer, who had been hunting him in couples with the other, stepped forward and took HIM,

Then the swell's cigar fell out of his mouth, and he was seriously alarmed. "Why, Cartwright," said he, "this

is too bad. You promised not to see me this month. You passed me full in the Strand."

"You are mistaken, sir," said Cartwright, with sullen irony. "I've got a twinbrother; a many takes him for

me, till they finds the difference." Then, lowering his voice, "What call had you to boast in your club you had

made it right with Bill Cartwright, and he'd never see you? That got about, and so I was bound to see you or

lose my bread. There's one or two I don't see, but then they are real gentlemen, and thinks of me as well as

"I must have been drunk," said Falcon apologetically. "More likely blowing a cloud. When you young gents

gets asmoking together, you'd tell on your own mothers. Come along, colonel, off we go to Merrimashee."

"You had better not, sir," said Cartwright; but he was softened a little by the compliment.

"I can't; but I have got a friend over the way that could, if she chose. She has always got money, somehow."

"I don't know. She has quarrelled with me; but give me a little time. Here! have a glass of sherry and a

Having thus muffled Cartwright, this man of the world opened his window and looked out. The crowd had

followed the captured dogcart, so he had the street to himself. He beckoned to Phoebe, and after considerable

"Phoebe," said he, in tones of tender regret, admirably natural and sweet, "I shall never offend you again; so

"Indeed I have. After our quarrel, I started to propose to her; but I had not the heart; I came back and left

"Time will show. If it is not her, it will be some other, you false, heartless villain."

"Ah! but it is worse than you think. I am only taken for a paltry thirty pounds or so."

"Thirtythree, fifteen, five," suggested Cartwright, in a muffled whisper, his mouth being full of biscuit.

"But once they get me to a sponginghouse, detainers will pour in, and my cruel creditors will confine me for

"It is the best place for you. It will put a stop to your wickedness, and I shall be at peace. That's what I have

"But you will not be happy if you see me go to prison before your eyes. Were you ever inside a prison? Just

think what it must be to be cooped up in those cold grim cells all alone; for they use a debtor like a criminal

Phoebe shuddered; but she said, bravely, "Well, tell THEM you have been acourting. There was a time I'd

have died sooner than see a hair of your head hurt; but it is all over now; you have worn me out."

Falcon heaved a deep sigh. "It is no more than I deserve," said he. "I'll pack up my things, and go with the

officer. Give me one kind word at parting, and I'll think of it in my prison, night and day."

He withdrew from the window with another deep sigh, told Cartwright, cheerfully, it was all right, and

Meantime Phoebe sat at her window and cried bitterly. Her words had been braver than her heart.

Falcon managed to pay the trifle he owed for the lodgings, and presently he came out with Cartwright, and

the attendant called a cab. His things were thrown in, and Cartwright invited him to follow. Then he looked

up, and cast a genuine look of terror and misery at Phoebe. He thought she would have relented before this.

Her heart gave way; I am afraid it would, even without that piteous and mute appeal. She opened the window,

Cartwright committed his prisoner to the subordinate, and knocked at the door of Phoebe's lodgings. She

came down herself and let him in. She led the way upstairs, motioned him to a seat, sat down by him, and

Cartwright was human, and muttered some words of regret that a poor fellow must do his duty.

"Oh, it is not that," sobbed Phoebe. "I can find the money. I have found more for him than that, many's the

time." Then, drying her eyes, "But you must know the world, and I dare say you can see how 'tis with me."

"I can," said Cartwright, gravely. "I overheard you and him; and, my girl, if you take my advice, why, let him

go. He is a gentleman skin deep, and dresses well, and can palaver a girl, no doubt; but bless your heart, I can

see at a glance he is not worth your little finger, an honest, decent young woman like you. Why, it is like

butter fighting with stone. Let him go; or I will tell you what it is, you will hang for him some day, or else

"Ay, sir," said Phoebe, "that's likelier; and if I was to let him go to prison, I should sit me down and think of

his parting look, and I should fling myself into the water for him before I was a day older."

Upon this Phoebe put him a question, and found him ready to do anything for her, in reasonprovided he

was paid for it. And the end of it all was, the prisoner was conveyed to London; Phoebe got the requisite sum;

Falcon was deposited in a thirdclass carriage bound for Essex. Phoebe paid his debt, and gave Cartwright a

present, and away rattled the train conveying the handsome egotist into temporary retirement, to wit, at a

village five miles from the Dales' farm. She was too ashamed of her young gentleman and herself to be seen

with him in her native village. On the road down he was full of little practical attentions; she received them

coldly; his mellifluous mouth was often at her car, pouring thanks and praises into it; she never vouchsafed a

word of reply. All she did was to shudder now and then, and cry at intervals. Yet, whenever he left her side,

her whole body became restless; and when he came back to her, a furtive thrill announced the insane

complacency his bare contact gave her. Surely, of all the forms in which love torments the heart, this was the

"Why, what is the matter now?" said he, a little peevishly. "We have had nothing of this sort of thing lately."

"Papa, it is because I have misconducted myself. I am a foolish, imprudent girl. I have been flirting with Mr.

Falcon, and he has taken a CRUEL advantage of itproposed to methis very afternoon actually!"

"Has he? Well, he is a fine fellow, and has a landed estate in Norfolk. There's nothing like land. They may

well call it real propertythere is something to show; you can walk on it, and ride on it, and look out of

"Oh, papa! what are you saying? Would you have me marry one man when I belong to another?"

"Why, you dismissed him before my very eyes; and very ill you behaved, begging your pardon. The man was

your able physician and your best friend, and said nothing that was not for your good; and you treated him

"Oh, don't say so, papa! At all events, he has apologized, as a gentleman should wheneverwhenever"

"With all my heart. I shall be downright glad to see him again. You used him abominably."

"But you need not keep saying so," whined Rosa. "And that is not all, dear papa; the worst of it is, Mr. Falcon

proposing to me has opened my eyes. I am not fit to be trusted alone. I am too fond of dancing, and flirting

will follow somehow. Oh, think how ill I was a few months ago, and how unhappy you were about me! They

were killing me. He came and saved me. Yes, papa, I owe all this health and strength to Christopher. I did

take them off, the very next day, and see the effect of it and my long walks. I owe him my life, and what I

value far more, my good looks. La! I wish I had not told you that. And after all this, don't I belong to my

Christopher? How could I be happy or respect myself if I married any one else? And oh, papa! he looks wan

and worn. He has been fretting for his Simpleton. Oh, dear! I mustn't think of thatit makes me cry; and you

"Well, then," said Rosa, coaxingly, "I'll tell you how to end them. Marry your Simpleton to the only man who

is fit to take care of her. Oh, papa! think of his deep, deep affection for me, and pray don't snub him ifby

"Oh, then it is possible that, by the merest chance, the gentleman you have accidentally asked to dinner, may,

by some strange fortuity, be surprised into asking me a second time for something very much resembling my

Rosa colored high. "He might, you know. How can I tell what gentlemen will say when the ladies have

Said Rosa, "Well, if he should happen to be so foolish, pray think of ME; of all we owe him, and how much I

love him, and ought to love him." She then bestowed a propitiatory kiss, and ran off to dress for dinner; it was

They dined together. Mr. Lusignan chatted freely, but Staines and Rosa were under a feeling of restraint,

Staines in particular; he could not help feeling that before long his fate must be settled. He would either

obtain Rosa's hand, or have to resign her to some man of fortune who would step in; for beauty such as hers

could not long lack brilliant offers. Longing, though dreading, to know his fate, he was glad when dinner

Rosa sat with them a little while after dinner, then rose, bestowed another propitiatory kiss on her father's

head, and retired with a modest blush, and a look at Christopher that was almost divine.

"Mr. Lusignan," said he, "the last time I was here you gave me some hopes that you might be prevailed on to

"Well, Dr. Staines, I will not beat about the bush with you. My judgment is still against this marriage; you

need not look so alarmed; it does not follow I shall forbid it. I feel I have hardly a right to, for my Rosa might

be in her grave now but for you; and, another thing, when I interfered between you two I had no proof you

were a man of ability; I had only your sweetheart's word for that; and I never knew a case before where a

young lady's swan did not turn out a goose. Your rare ability gives you another chance in the professional

battle that is before you; indeed, it puts a different face on the whole matter. I still think it premature. Come

now, would it not be much wiser to wait, and secure a good practice before you marry a mere child? There!

there! I only advise; I don't dictate; you shall settle it together, you two wiseacres. Only I must make one

positive condition. I have nothing to give my child during my lifetime; but one thing I have done for her;

years ago I insured my life for six thousand pounds; and you must do the same. I will not have her thrown on

the world a widow, with a child or two, perhaps, to support, and not a farthing; you know the insecurity of

"I do! I do! Why, of course I will insure my life, and pay the annual premium out of my little capital, until

"Then I fear," said the old gentleman, with a sigh, "my opposition to the match must cease here. I still

recommend you to wait; but there! I might just as well advise fire and tow to live neighbors and keep

To show the injustice of this simile, Christopher Staines started up with his eyes all aglow, and cried out,

"Yes, you may tell her," said Lusignan, with a smile. "Stopwhat are you going to tell her?"

"I'll tell her all," said Staines, and rushed out even as he spoke, and upset a heavy chair with a loud thud.

"Ah! ah!" cried the old gentleman in dismay, and put his fingers in his earstoo late. "I see," said he, "there

will be no peace and quiet now till they are out of the house." He lighted a soothing cigar to counteract the

"Poor little Rosa! a child but yesterday, and now to encounter the cares of a wife, and perhaps a mother. Ah!

The old gentleman prophesied truly; from that moment he had no peace till he withdrew all semblance of

Christopher insured his life for six thousand pounds, and assigned the policy to his wife. Four hundred

pounds was handed to Mr. Lusignan to pay the premiums until the genius of Dr. Staines should have secured

him that large professional income, which does not come all at once, even to the rare physician, who is

The weddingday was named. The bridesmaids were selected, the guests invited. None refused but Uncle

Philip. He declined, in his fine bold hand, to countenance in person an act of folly he disapproved.

Christopher put his letter away with a momentary sigh, and would not show it Rosa. All other letters they

read together, charming pastime of that happy period. Presents poured in. Silver teapots, coffeepots,

sugarbasins, creamjugs, fruit dishes, silvergilt inkstands, albums, photographbooks, little candlesticks,

choice little services of china, shell saltcellars in a case lined with maroon velvet; a Bible, superb in binding

and clasps, and everything but the textthat was illegible; a silk scarf from Benares; a gold chain from

Delhi, six feet long or nearly; a Maltese necklace, a ditto in exquisite filagree from Genoa; English brooches,

a trifle too big and brainless; apostle spoons; a treblelined parasol with ivory stick and handle; an ivory

cardcase, richly carved; workbox of sandalwood and ivory, etc. Mr. Lusignan's City friends, as usual with

these gentlemen, sent the most valuable things. Every day one or two packages were delivered, and, in

opening them, Rosa invariably uttered a peculiar scream of delight, and her father put his fingers in his ears;

yet there was music in this very scream, if he would only have listened to it candidly, instead of fixing his

mind on his vague theory of screamsso formed was she to please the ear as well as the eye.

At last came a parcel she opened and stared at, smiling and coloring like a rose, but did not scream, being too

dumfounded and perplexed; for lo! a teapot of some base material, but simple and elegant in form, being an

exact reproduction of a melon; and inside this teapot a canvas bag containing ten guineas in silver, and a

washleather bag containing twenty guineas in gold, and a slip of paper, which Rosa, being now half

"People that buy presents blindfold give duplicates and triplicates; and men seldom choose to a woman's

taste; so be pleased to accept the enclosed tealeaves, and buy for yourself. The teapot you can put on the

Rosa looked sore puzzled again. "Papa," said she, timidly, "have we any friend that isa littlederanged?"

"Why no, love," said Christopher. "I have heard of much learning making a man mad, but never of much

"I'll read it again," said Rosa. "WellyesI declareit is not so mad as I thought; but it is very eccentric."

Lusignan suggested there was nothing so eccentric as common sense, especially in time of wedding. "This,"

said he, "comes from the City. It is a friend of mine, some old fox; he is throwing dust in your eyes with his

reasons; his real reason was that his time is money; it would have cost the old rogue a hundred pounds' worth

of timeyou know the City, Christopherto go out and choose the girl a present; so he has sent his clerk

The handwriting afforded no clew, so there the discussion ended: but it was a nice little mystery, and very

convenient; made conversation. Rosa had many an animated discussion about it with her female friends.

The weddingday came at last. The sun shoneACTUALLY, as Rosa observed. The carriages drove up.

The bridesmaids, principally old schoolfellows and impassioned correspondents of Rosa, were pretty, and

dressed alike and delightfully; but the bride was peerless; her Southern beauty literally shone in that white

satin dress and veil, and her head was regal with the Crown of orange blossoms. Another crown she

hadtrue virgin modesty. A low murmur burst from the men the moment they saw her; the old women

forgave her beauty on the spot, and the young women almost pardoned it; she was so sweet and womanly,

When they started for the church she began to tremble, she scarce knew why; and when the solemn words

were said, and the ring was put on her finger, she cried a little, and looked half imploringly at her bridesmaids

once, as if seared at leaving them for an untried and mysterious life with no woman near.

They were married. Then came the breakfast, that hour of uneasiness and blushing to such a bride as this; but

at last she was released. She sped upstairs, thanking goodness it was over. Down came her last box. The

bride followed in a plain travelling dress, which her glorious eyes and brows and her rich glowing cheeks

seemed to illumine: she was handed into the carriage, the bridegroom followed. All the young guests

They started; the ladies flung their white shoes right and left with religious impartiality, except that not one of

their missiles went at the object. The men, more skilful, sent a shower on to the roof of the carriage, which is

the lucky spot. The bride kissed her hand, and managed to put off crying, though it cost her a struggle. The

party hurrahed; enthusiastic youths gathered fallen shoes, and ran and hurled them again with cheerful yells,

and away went the happy pair, the bride leaning sweetly and confidingly with both her white hands on the

bridegroom's shoulder, while he dried the tears that would run now at leaving home and parent forever, and

kissed her often, and encircled her with his strong arm, and murmured comfort, and love, and pride, and joy,

and sweet vows of lifelong tenderness into her ears, that soon stole nearer his lips to hear, and the fair cheek

Dr. Staines and Mrs. Staines visited France, Switzerland, and the Rhine, and passed a month of Elysium

before they came to London to face their real destiny and fight the battle of life.

And here, methinks, a reader of novels may perhaps cry out and say, "What manner of man is this, who

marries his hero and heroine, and then, instead of leaving them happy for life, and at rest from his uneasy pen

To this I can only reply that the old English novel is no rule to me, and life is; and I respectfully propose an

experiment. Catch eight old married people, four of each sex, and say unto them, "Sir," or "Madam, did the

more remarkable events of your life come to you before marriage or after?" Most of them will say "after,"

and let that be my excuse for treating the marriage of Christopher Staines and Rosa Lusignan as merely one

incident in their lives; an incident which, so far from ending their story, led by degrees to more striking

They returned, then, from their honey tour, and Staines, who was methodical and kept a diary, made the

"We have now a life of endurance, and selfdenial, and economy, before us; we have to rent a house, and

furnish it, and live in it, until professional income shall flow in and make all things easy: and we have two

They came to a family hotel, and Dr. Staines went out directly after breakfast to look for a house. Acting on a

friend's advice, he visited the streets and places north of Oxford Street, looking for a good commodious house

adapted to his business. He found three or four at fair rents, neither cheap nor dear, the district being

respectable and rather wealthy, but no longer fashionable. He came home with his notes, and found Rosa

beaming in a crisp peignoir, and her lovely head its natural size and shape, highbred and elegant. He sat

down, and with her hand in his proceeded to describe the houses to her, when a waiter threw open the door

In flowed Florence: they both uttered a little squawk of delight, and went at each other like two little

tigresses, and kissed in swift alternation with a singular ardor, drawing their crests back like snakes, and then

darting them forward and inflicting what, to the male philosopher looking on, seemed hard kisses, violent

kisses, rather than the tender ones to be expected from two tender creatures embracing each other.

"Darling," said Rosa, "I knew you would be the first. Didn't I tell you so, Christopher?My husbandmy

darling Florry! Sit down, love, and tell me everything; he has just been looking out for a house. Ah! you have

got all that over long ago: she has been married six months. Florry, you are handsomer than ever; and what a

beautiful dress! Ah! London is the place. Real Brussels, I declare," and she took hold of her friend's lace and

Christopher smiled goodnaturedly, and said, "I dare say you ladies have a good deal to say to each other."

"There's a good husband," said Mrs. Cole, as soon as the door closed on him, "and such a fine man! Why, he

must be six feet. Mine is rather short. But he is very good; refuses me nothing. My will is law."

"That is all rightyou are so sensible; but I want governing a little, and I like itactually. Did the

"Oh, no! I had it by me. I bought it at Brussels on our wedding tour: it is dearer there than in London."

"Yes, darling, I'll tell you all about it. I never saw a moire this shade before. I don't care for them in general;

"The house," said Rosa. "Oh, he has seen one in Portman Street, and one in Gloucester Place."

"Oh, that will never do," cried Mrs. Cole. "It is no use being a physician in those outoftheway places. He

"Of course. Besides, then my Johnnie can call him in when they are just going to die. Johnnie is a general

prac., and makes two thousand a year; and he shall call your one in; but he must live in Mayfair. Why, Rosie,

you would not be such a goose as to live in those placesthey are quite gone by."

"I shall do whatever you advise me, dear. Oh, what a comfort to have a dear friend: and six months married,

These two ladies in their conversation gravitated towards dress, and fell flat on it every halfminute. That

great and elevating topic held them by a silken cord, but it allowed them to flutter upwards into other topics;

and in those intervals, numerous though brief, the lady who had been married six months found time to

instruct the matrimonial novice with great authority, and even a shade of pomposity. "My dear, the way ladies

and gentlemen get a housein the first place, you don't go about yourself like that, and you never go to the

people themselves, or you are sure to be taken in, but to a respectable houseagent."

"Of course it is; and you ask for a house in Mayfair, and he shows you several, and recommends you the best,

"Thank you, love," said Rosa; "now I know what to do; I'll not forget a word. And the train so beautifully

shaped! Ah! it is only in London or Paris they can make a dress flow behind like that," etc., etc.

Dr. Staines came back to dinner in good spirits; he had found a house in Harewood Square; good entrance

hall, where his gratuitous patients might sit on benches; good diningroom where his superior patients might

wait; and good library, to be used as a consulting room. Rent only eightyfive pounds per annum.

But Rosa told him that would never do; a physician must be in the fashionable part of the town.

"Eventually," said Christopher; "but surely at first startingand you know they say little boats should not go

Then Rosa repeated all her friend's arguments, and seemed so unhappy at the idea of not living near her, that

Staines, who had not yet said the hard word "no" to her, gave in; consoling his prudence with the reflection

that, after all, Mr. Cole could put many a guinea in his way, for Mr. Cole was middleaged,though his

So next day, the newlywedded pair called on a houseagent in Mayfair, and his son and partner went with

them to several places. The rents of houses equal to that in Harewood Square were three hundred pounds a

Christopher told him these were quite beyond the mark. "Very well," said the agent. "Then I'll show you a

Rosa clapped her hands. "That is the thing for us. We don't want a large house, only a beautiful one, and in

The Bijou had a small diningroom with one very large window in two sheets of plate glass, and a projecting

balcony full of flowers; a still smaller library, which opened on a square yard enclosed. Here were a great

many pots, with flowers dead or dying from neglect. On the first floor a fairsized drawingroom, and a tiny

one at the back: on the second floor, one good bedroom, and a dressingroom, or little bedroom: three garrets

"It is a banknote," said the agent, stimulating equal enthusiasm, after his fashion. "You can always sell the

Christopher kept cool. "I don't want a house to sell, but to live in, and do my business; I am a physician: now

the drawingroom is built over the entrance to a mews; the back rooms all look into a mews: we shall have

the eternal noise and smell of a mews. My wife's rest will be broken by the carriages rolling in and out. The

hall is fearfully small and stuffy. The rent is abominably high; and what is the premium for, I wonder?"

"Always a premium in Mayfair, sir. A lease is property here: the gentleman is not acquainted with this part,

"Oh, yes, he is," said Rosa, as boldly as a six years' wife: "he knows everything."

"Then he knows that a house of this kind at a hundred and thirty pounds a year in Mayfair is a banknote."

"Well, then, the coachhouse. Why, there's plenty of room for a brougham, and one horse, and fifty poor

patients at a time: beggars musn't be choosers; if you give them physic gratis, that is enough: you ain't bound

to find 'em a palace to sit down in, and hot coffee and rump steaks all round, doctor."

This tickled Rosa so that she burst out laughing, and thenceforward giggled at intervals, wit of this refined

They inspected the stables, which were indeed the one redeeming feature in the horrid little Bijou; and then

the agent would show them the kitchen, and the new stove. He expatiated on this to Mrs. Staines. "Cook a

The agent reminded him there were larger places to be had, by a very simple process, viz., paying for them.

Staines thought of the large, comfortable house in Harewood Square. "One hundred and thirty pounds a year

"Well," said he, "I'll submit to the rent, but I really cannot give the premium, it is too ridiculous. He ought to

"Then good morning. Now, dearest, just come and see the house at Harewood Square,eightyfive pounds

Rosa sighed and said, "Oh, the nice little place; and we have lost it for two hundred pounds."

"Being near the Coles would soon have made that up to you: and such a cosey little nest."

"But somebody is sure to snap it up. It is a Bijou." She was disappointed, and half inclined to pout. But she

vented her feelings in a letter to her beloved Florry, and appeared at dinner as sweet as usual.

During dinner a note came from the agent, accepting Dr. Staine's offer. He glozed the matter thus: he had

persuaded the owner it was better to take a good tenant at a moderate loss, than to let the Bijou be

uninhabited during the present rainy season. An assignment of the leasewhich contained the usual

covenantswould be prepared immediately, and Dr. Staines could have possession in fortyeight hours, by

Rosa was delighted, and as soon as dinner was over, and the waiters gone, she came and kissed Christopher.

He smiled, and said, "Well, you are pleased; that is the principal thing. I have saved two hundred pounds, and

"La! yes," said Rosa, "I forgot. We shall have to get furniture now. How nice!" It was a pleasure the man of

forecast could have willingly dispensed with; but he smiled at her, and they discussed furniture, and

Christopher, whose retentive memory had picked up a little of everything, said there were wholesale

upholsterers in the City who sold cheaper than the Westend houses, and he thought the best way was to

measure the rooms in the Bijou, and go to the city with a clear idea of what they wanted; ask the prices of

various necessary articles, and then make a list, and demand a discount of fifteen per cent on the whole order,

About nine o'clock Mrs. Cole came in to condole with her friend, and heard the good news. When Rosa told

her how they thought of furnishing, she said, "Oh no, you must not do that; you will pay double for

everything. That is the mistake Johnnie and I made; and after that a friend of mine took me to the

auctionrooms, and I saw everything soldoh, such bargains; half, and less than half, their value. She has

furnished her house almost entirely from sales, and she has the loveliest things in the worldsuch ducks of

tables, and jardinieres, and things; and beautiful rare chinaher house swarms with itfor an old song. A

"Yes, but," said Christopher, "I should not like my wife to encounter a public room."

"Not alone, of course; but with me. La! Dr. Staines, they are too full of buying and selling to trouble their

Thus appealed to before a stranger, Staines replied warmly, "No, dearest, no; you cannot please me better

than by beginning life in earnest. If you two ladies together can face an auctionroom, go by all means; only I

must ask you not to buy china or ormulu, or anything that will break or spoil, but only solid, good furniture."

"No; or you might feel yourself in leadingstrings. Remember the Bijou is a small house; choose your

This was Wednesday. There was a weekly sale in Oxford Street on Fridays; and the ladies made the

Next day, after breakfast, Christopher was silent and thoughtful awhile, and at last said to Rosa, "I'll show

"It is about my Uncle Philip. He has been very cruel; he has wounded me deeply; he has wounded me

"You were not my wife then. I kept an affront from you; but now, you see, I keep nothing."

"I am so happy, I have got over that stingalmost; and the memory of many kind acts comes back to me;

and I don't know what to do. It seems ungrateful not to visit himit seems almost mean to call."

"I'll tell you; take me to see him directly. He won't hate us forever, if he sees us often. We may as well begin

Christopher was proud of his wife's courage and wisdom. He kissed her, begged her to put on the plainest

When they got to his house in Gloucester Place, Portman Square, Rosa's heart began to quake, and she was

They left their cards and address; and she persuaded Christopher to take her to the saleroom to see the

A lot of brokers were there, like vultures; and one after another stepped forward and pestered them to employ

him in the morning. Dr. Staines declined their services civilly but firmly, and he and Rosa looked over a

Another broker came up, and whenever the couple stopped before an article, proceeded to praise it as

something most extraordinary. Staines listened in cold, satirical silence, and told his wife, in French, to do the

same. Notwithstanding their marked disgust, the impudent, intrusive fellow stuck to them, and forced his

venal criticism on them, and made them uncomfortable, and shortened their tour of observation.

"I think I shall come with you tomorrow," said Christopher, "or I shall have these blackguards pestering

Next day Dr. Staines was sent for into the City at twelve to pay the money and receive the lease of the Bijou,

and this and the taking possession occupied him till four o'clock, when he came to his hotel.

It was a large room, with a good sprinkling of people, but not crowded except about the table. At the head of

this tablefull twenty feet longwas the auctioneer's pulpit, and the lots were brought in turn to the other

"We must try and get a seat," said the enterprising Mrs. Cole, and pushed boldly in; the timid Rosa followed

strictly in her wake, and so evaded the human waves her leader clove. They were importuned at every step by

brokers thrusting catalogues on them, with offers of their services, yet they soon got to the table. A gentleman

Mrs. Staines let down half her veil, but Mrs. Cole surveyed the company pointblank.

The broker who had given up his seat, and now stood behind Rosa, offered her his catalogue. "No, thank

you," said Rosa; "I have one;" and she produced it, and studied it, yet managed to look furtively at the

There were not above a dozen private persons visible from where Rosa sat; perhaps as many more in the

whole room. They were easily distinguishable by their cleanly appearance: the dealers, male or female, were

more or less rusty, greasy, dirty, aquiline. Not even the amateurs were brightly dressed; that fundamental

error was confined to Mesdames Cole and Staines. The experienced, however wealthy, do not hunt bargains

The auctioneer called "Lot 7. Four saucepans, two trays, a kettle, a bootjack, and a towelhorse."

These were put up at two shillings, and speedily knocked down for five to a fat old woman in a greasy velvet

jacket; blind industry had sewed bugles on it, not artfully, but agriculturally.

"The lady on the left!" said the auctioneer to his clerk. That meant "Get the money."

The old lady plunged a huge paw into a huge pocket, and pulled out a huge handful of coincopper, silver,

and goldand paid for the lot; and Rosa surveyed her dirty hands and nails with innocent dismay. "Oh, what

a dreadful creature!" she whispered; "and what can she want with those old rubbishy things? I saw a hole in

one from here." The broker overheard, and said, "She is a dealer, ma'am, and the things were given away.

Soon after this the superior lots came on, and six very neat bedroom chairs were sold to all appearance for

Instantly some dealer, one of the hooknosed that gathered round each lot as it came to the foot of the table,

She colored at the intrusion, and left off bidding directly, and addressed herself to Mrs. Cole. "Why should I

The real reason was that the first lot was not bid for at all, except by the proprietor. However, the broker gave

her a very different solution; he said, "The trade always run up a lady or a gentleman. Let me bid for you;

When lot 25 came on, the broker bid in the silliest possible way, if his object had been to get a bargain. He

began to bid early and ostentatiously; the article was protected by somebody or other there present, who now

of course saw his way clear; he ran it up audaciously, and it was purchased for Rosa at about the price it

"Better not lose them," said the agent; "they are a great bargain;" and bid another pound for her on his own

They were still run up, and Rosa peremptorily refused to give any more. She lost them, accordingly, by good

But, as the sale proceeded, she being young, the competition, though most of it sham, being artful and

exciting, and the traitor she employed constantly puffing every article, she was drawn in to wishing for

Then her traitor played a game that has been played a hundred times, and the perpetrators never once

lynched, as they ought to be, on the spot. He signalled a confederate with a hooked nose; the Jew rascal bid

against the Christian scoundrel, and so they ran up the more enticing things to twice their value under the

Rosa got flushed, and her eye gleamed like a gambler's, and she bought away like wildfire. In which sport she

caught sight of an old gentleman, with little black eyes that kept twinkling at her.

She complained of these eyes to Mrs. Cole. "Why does he twinkle so? I can see it is at me. I am doing

Mrs. Cole turned, and fixed a haughty stare on the old gentleman. Would you believe it? instead of sinking

But now, whenever Rosa's agent bid for her, and the other man of straw against him, the black eyes twinkled,

and Rosa's courage began to ooze away. At last she said, "That is enough for one day. I shall go. Who could

The broker took her address; so did the auctioneer's clerk. The auctioneer asked her for no deposit; her

beautiful, innocent, and highbred face was enough for a man who was always reading faces, and

But this charming sex is like that same auctioneer's hammer, it cannot go abruptly. It is always

goinggoinggoinga long time before it is gone. I think it would perhaps loiter at the door of a jail, with

the order of release in its hand, after six years' confinement. Getting up to go quenches in it the desire to go.

So these ladies having got up to go, turned and lingered, and hung fire so long, that at last another set of oak

The bidding was mighty languid now Rosa's broker was not stimulating it; and the auctioneer was just

knocking down twelve chairsoak and leatherand two armchairs, for twenty pounds, when, casting his

eyes around, he caught sight of Rosa looking at him rather excited. He looked inquiringly at her. She nodded

slightly; he knocked them down to her at twenty guineas, and they were really a great bargain.

One or two more of his tribe confirmed this pious falsehood, and clamored to have them put up again.

"Call the next lot," said the auctioneer, peremptorily. "Make up your mind a little quicker next time, Mr.

Mrs. Staines and her friend now started for Morley's Hotel, but went round by Regent Street, whereby they

got glued at Peter Robinson's window, and nine other windows; and it was nearly five o'clock when they

reached Morley's. As they came near the door of their sittingroom, Mrs. Staines heard somebody laughing

and talking to her husband. The laugh, to her subtle ears, did not sound musical and genial, but keen, satirical,

unpleasant; so it was with some timidity she opened the door, and there sat the old chap with the twinkling

"Oh!" said Rosa, and turned red and pale by turns; for she had a great desire to propitiate Uncle Philip.

"No, ma'am. I go to a dozen sales a week; but it is not to buyI enjoy the humors. Did you ever hear of

"No. Yes; a great traveller, isn't he? Discovered the Nileor the Nigeror SOMETHING?"

This majestic vagueness staggered old Crusty at first, but he recovered his equilibrium, and said, "Why, yes,

now I think of it, you are right; he has travelled farther than most of us, for about two centuries ago he visited

that bourn whence no traveller returns. Well, when he was alivehe was a student of Christchurchhe used

to go down to a certain bridge over the Isis and enjoy the chaff of the bargemen. Now there are no bargemen

left to speak of; the mantle of Bobby Burton's bargees has fallen on the Jews and demisemiChristians that

buy and sell furniture at the weekly auctions; thither I repair to hear what little coarse wit is left us. Used to

go to the House of Commons; but they are getting too civil by half for my money. Besides, characters come

out in an auction. For instance, only this very day I saw two ladies enter, in gorgeous attire, like heifers

decked for sacrifice, and reduce their spoliation to a certainty by employing a broker to bid. Now, what is a

broker? A fellow who is to be paid a shilling in the pound for all articles purchased. What is his interest,

then? To buy cheap? Clearly not. He is paid in proportion to the dearness of the article."

"Accordingly, what did the broker in question do? He winked to another broker, and these two bid against

one another, over their victim's head, and ran everything she wanted up at least a hundred per cent above the

value. So open and transparent a swindle I have seldom seen, even in an auctionroom. Ha! ha! ha! ha! ha!"

His mirth was interrupted by Rosa going to her husband, hiding her head on his shoulder, and meekly crying.

Christopher comforted her like a man. "Don't you cry, darling," said he; "how should a pure creature like you

know the badness of the world all in a moment? If it is my wife you are laughing at, Uncle Philip, let me tell

you this is the wrong place. I'd rather a thousand times have her as she is, than armed with the cunning and

"With all my heart," said Uncle Philip, who, to do him justice, could take blows as well as give them; "but

why employ a broker? Why pay a scoundrel five per cent to make you pay a hundred per cent? Why pay a

noisy fool a farthing to open his mouth for you when you have taken the trouble to be there yourself, and

have got a mouth of your own to bid discreetly with? Was ever such an absurdity?" He began to get angry.

"Do you want to quarrel with me, Uncle Philip?" said Christopher, firing up; "because sneering at my Rosa is

"Oh, no," said Rosa, interposing. "Uncle Philip was right. I am very foolish and inexperienced, but I am not

Mrs. Cole caused a diversion by taking leave, and Rosa followed her downstairs. On her return she found

Christopher telling his uncle all about the Bijou, and how he had taken it for a hundred and thirty pounds a

At last he found his tongue. "The Bijou!" said he. "Why, that is a name they gave to a little den in Dear

"Why the owner is a friend of mine; an old patient. Stables stunk him out. Let it to a man; I forget his name.

Stables stunk HIM out. He said, 'I shall go.' 'You can't,' said my friend; 'you have taken a lease.' 'Lease be

dd,' said the other; 'I never took YOUR house; here's quite a large stench not specified in your description

of the propertyIT CAN'T BE THE SAME PLACE;' flung the lease at his head, and cut like the wind to

foreign parts less odoriferous. I'd have got you the hole for ninety; but you are like your wifeyou must go

to an agent. What! don't you know that an agent is a man acting for you with an interest opposed to yours?

Employing an agent! it is like a Trojan seeking the aid of a Greek. You needn't cry, Mrs. Staines; your

husband has been let in deeper than you have. Now, you are young people beginning life; I'll give you a piece

of advice. Employ others to do what you can't do, and it must be done; but never to do anything you can do

better for yourselves! Agent! The word is derived from a Latin word 'agere,' to do; and agents act up to their

etymology, for they invariably DO the nincompoop that employs them, or deals with them, in any mortal

Uncle Philip went away crusty, leaving the young couple finely mortified and discouraged.

That did not last very long. Christopher noted the experience and Uncle Phil's wisdom in his diary, and then

took his wife on his knee, and comforted her, and said, "Never mind; experience is worth money, and it

always has to be bought. Those who cheat us will die poorer than we shall, if we are honest and economical. I

have observed that people are seldom ruined by the vices of others; these may hurt them, of course; but it is

"Ah! Christie," said Rosa, "you are a man! Oh, the comfort of being married to A MAN. A man sees the best

side. I do adore men. Dearest, I will waste no more of your money. I will go to no more sales."

Christopher saw she was deeply mortified, and he said, quietly, "On the contrary, you will go to the very

next. Only take Uncle Philip's advice, employ no broker; and watch the prices things fetch when you are not

She caressed his ears with both her white hands, and thanked him for giving her another trial. So that trouble

Notwithstanding the agent's solemn assurance, the Bijou was out of repair. Dr. Staines detected internal

odors, as well as those that flowed in from the mews. He was not the man to let his wife perish by miasma; so

he had the drains all up, and actually found brick drains, and a cesspool. He stopped that up, and laid down

new pipe drains, with a good fall, and properly trapped. The old drains were hidden, after the manner of

builders. He had the whole course of his new drains marked upon all the floors they passed under, and had

But all this, with the necessary cleaning, whitewashing, painting, and papering, ran away with money. Then

came Rosa's purchases, which, to her amazement, amounted to one hundred and ninety pounds, and not a

carpet, curtain, or bed amongst the lot. Then there was the carriage home from the auctionroom, an expense

one avoids by buying at a shop, and the broker claimed his shilling in the pound. This, however, Staines

refused. The man came and blustered. Rosa, who was there, trembled. Then, for the first time, she saw her

husband's brow lower; he seemed transfigured, and looked terrible. "You scoundrel," said he, "you set

another villain like yourself to bid against you, and you betrayed the innocent lady that employed you. I could

indict you and your confederate for a conspiracy. I take the goods out of respect for my wife's credit, but you

"Take it, then! I'll give you something to howl for;" and he seized him with a grasp so tremendous that the

On this abject appeal, Staines tore the door open with his left hand, and spun the broker out into the passage

with his right. Two movements of this angry Hercules, and the man was literally whirled out of sight with a

rapidity and swiftness almost ludicrous; it was like a trick in a pantomime. A clatter on the stairs betrayed

that he had gone down the first few steps in a wholesale and irregular manner, though he had just managed to

As for Staines, he stood there still lowering like thunder, and his eyes like hot coals; but his wife threw her

"Dear me," said Christopher, with a ludicrous change to marked politeness and respect, "I forgot YOU, in my

righteous indignation." Next he became uxorious. "Did they frighten her, a duck? Sit on my knee, darling,

This was followed by the whole absurd soothing process, as practised by manly husbands upon quivering and

somewhat hysterical wives, and ended with a formal apology. "You must not think that I am passionate; on

the contrary, I am always practising self government. My maxim is, Animum rege qui nisi paret imperat,

and that means, Make your temper your servant, or else it will be your master. But to illuse my dear little

"Oh, dear! don't go into another. It is all over. I can't bear to see you in a passion; you are so terrible, so

beautiful. Ah! they are fine things, courage and strength. There's nothing I admire so much."

"Why, they are as common as dirt. What I admire is modesty, timidity, sweetness; the sensitive cheek that

pales or blushes at a word, the bosom that quivers, and clings to a fellow whenever anything goes wrong."

"Then, Christie, dear, you are a Simpleton, that is all. And we are made for one another."

The house was to be furnished and occupied as soon as possible; so Mrs. Staines and Mrs. Cole went to

another saleroom. Mrs. Staines remembered all Uncle Philip had said, and went plainly dressed; but her

friend declined to sacrifice her showy dress to her friend's interests. Rosa thought that a little unkind, but said

In this auctionroom they easily got a place at the table, but did not find it heaven; for a number of

secondhand carpets were in the sale, and these, brimful of dust, were all shown on the table, and the dirt

choked, and poisoned our fair friends. Brokers pestered them, until at last Rosa, smarting under her late

exposure, addressed the auctioneer quietly, in her silvery tones: "Sir, these gentlemen are annoying me by

forcing their services on me. I do not intend to buy at all unless I can be allowed to bid for myself."

When Rosa, blushing and amazed at her own boldness, uttered these words, she little foresaw their effect. She

"You are quite right, madam," said a respectable tradesman opposite her. "What business have these dirty

fellows, without a shilling in their pockets, to go and force themselves on a lady against her will?"

"Yes, but not to force yourself on a lady. Why, she'd give you in charge of the police if you tried it on

Presently up rises very slowly a countryman so colossal, that it seemed as if he would never have done

getting up, and gives his experiences. He informed the company, in a broad Yorkshire dialect, that he did a

bit in furniture, and at first starting these brokers buzzed about him like flies, and pestered him. "Aah damned

'em pretty hard," said he, "but they didn't heed any. So then ah spoke 'em civil, and ah said, 'Well, lads, I

dinna come fra Yorkshire to sit like a dummy and let you buy wi' my brass; the first that pesters me again

ah'll just fell him on t' plaace, like a caulf, and ah'm not very sure he'll get up again in a hurry.' So they

dropped me like a hot potato; never pestered me again. But if they won't give over pestering you, mistress,

ah'll come round and just stand behind your chair, and bring nieve with me," showing a fist like a leg of

"No, no," said the auctioneer, "that will not do. I will have no disturbance here. Call the policeman."

While the clerk went to the door for the bobby, a gentleman reminded the auctioneer that the journals had

"Fault of the public, not mine, sir. Policeman, stand behind that lady's chair, and if anybody annoys her put

"This auctionroom," said the auctioneer, master of the gay or grave at a moment's notice, "is supported by

A Jew upholsterer put in his word. "I do my own business; but I like to let a poor man live."

"Jonathan," said the auctioneer to one of his servants, "after this sale you may put up the shutters; we have

gone and offended Mr. Jacobs. He keeps a shop in Blind Alley, Whitechapel. Now then, lot 69."

The obnoxious broker got opposite her, and ran her up a little out of spite; but as he had only got half a crown

On the other side of the table was a figure to which Rosa's eyes often turned with interesta fair young boy

about twelve years old; he had golden hair, and was in deep mourning. His appearance interested Rosa, and

she wondered how he came there, and why; he looked like a lamb wedged in among wolves, a flower among

weeds. As the lots proceeded, the boy seemed to get uneasy; and at last, when lot '73 was put up, anybody

"Lot '73, an armchair covered in morocco. An excellent and useful article. Should not be at all surprised if it

The auctioneer."I like to hear some people run a lot down; shows they are going to bid for it in earnest.

Now if nobody had spoken the auctioneer would have gone on, "Well, four pounds thenthree, two,

whatever you like," and at last obtained a bona fide offer of thirty shillings; but the moment he said "Five

pounds to begin," the boy in black lifted up his childish treble and bid thus, "Five pound ten""six

pounds""six pound ten""seven pounds""seven pound ten""eight pounds" "eight pound

ten""nine pounds""nine pound ten""ten pounds!" without interruption, and indeed almost in a breath.

"Bless the child!" said a female dealer, kindly, "what made you go on like that? Why, there was no one bid

Young master began to whimper. "Why, the gentleman said, 'Five pounds to BEGIN.' It was the chair poor

grandpapa always sat in, and all the things are sold, and mamma said it would break her heart to lose it. She

was too ill to come, so she sent me. She told me I was not to let it be sold away from us for less than ten

pounds, or she shshould be mmmiserable," and the poor little fellow began to cry. Rosa followed suit

"How do you know?" asked Mr. Cohen. "Have YOU got any on hand? I never seen none at your shop."

Some tempting things now came up, and Mrs. Staines bid freely; but all of a sudden she looked down the

table, and there was Uncle Philip, twinkling as before. "Oh, dear! what am I doing now!" thought she. "I have

She bid on, but in fear and trembling, because of those twinkling eyes. At last she mustered courage, wrote on

a leaf of her pocket book, and passed it down to him: "It would be only kind to warn me. What am I doing

He sent her back a line directly: "Auctioneer running you up himself. Follow his eye when he bids; you will

She nodded to Uncle Philip; and, with her expressive face, asked him what she should do.

The old boy must have his joke. So he wrote back: "Tell him, as you see he has a fancy for certain articles,

The next article but one was a drawingroom suite Rosa wanted; but the auctioneer bid against her; so at

"Yes, sir," said Rosa; "but as you are the only bidder, and you have been so kind to me, I would not think of

The words were scarcely out of her mouth, when they were greeted with a roar of Homeric laughter that

literally shook the room, and this time not at the expense of the innocent speaker.

"Put the next lot up with the owner's name and the reserve price. Open business."

"A little less noise in Judaea, if you please," said the auctioneer, who had now recovered from the blow. "Lot

This was a very pretty marqueterie cabinet; it stood against the wall, and Rosa had set her heart upon it.

A dealer offered guineas; and it advanced slowly to four pounds and half a crown, at which it was about to be

knocked down to Rosa, when suddenly a new bidder arose in the broker Rosa had rejected. They bid slowly

and sturdily against each other, until a line was given to Rosa from Uncle Philip.

"This time it is your own friend, the snipenosed woman. She telegraphed a broker."

"Ten guineas," said Rosa; and then, with feminine cunning, stealing a sudden glance, caught her friend

"It is yours, my faithful friend," said Rosa, turning suddenly round to Mrs. Cole, with a magnificent glance no

"Why, Rosie dear, it is the only thing I have bid for. There I've sat by your side like a mouse."

Rosa turned gravely towards her. "You know it is not that. You had only to tell me you wanted it. I would

"Yes, mean; to draw back and hide behind the friend you were with, and employ the very rogue she had

turned off. But it is my own fault. Cecilia warned me against you. She always said you were a treacherous

"And I say you are an impudent little minx. Only just married, and going about like two vagabonds, and talk

"I have. And he shall never call in your husband; so you may leave Mayfair as soon as you like."

Rosa drove home in great agitation, and tried to tell Christopher; but choked, and became hysterical. The

husbandphysician coaxed and scolded her out of that; and presently in came Uncle Philip, full of the humors

of the auctionroom. He told about the little boy with a delight that disgusted Mrs. Staines, and then was

particularly merry on female friendships. "Fancy a man going to a sale with his friend, and bidding against

Uncle Philip got up, looking sour. "Good afternoon, Mrs. Christopher," said he, very dryly.

Christopher accompanied him to the foot of the stairs. "Well, Christopher," said he, "matrimony is a blunder

at the best; and you have not done the thing by halves. You have married a simpleton. She will be your ruin."

"Uncle Philip, since you only come here to insult us, I hope in future you will stay at home."

Christopher Staines came back, looking pained and disturbed. "There," said he, "I feared it would come to

"Never you mind. Don't let us say anything more about it, darling. It is a pity, a sad pityhe was a good

He paused, entered what had passed in his diary, and then sat down, with a gentle expression of sadness on

his manly features. Rosa hung about him, soft and pitying, till it cleared away, at all events for the time.

Next day they went together to clear the goods Rosa had purchased. Whilst the list was being made out in the

office, in came the fair haired boy, with a tenpound note in his very hand. Rosa caught sight of it, and

"Oh! sir, surely you will not take all that money from him, poor child, for a rickety old chair."

The auctioneer stared with amazement at her simplicity, and said, "What would the vendors say to me?"

She looked distressed, and said, "Well, then, really we ought to raise a subscription, poor thing!"

"Why, ma'am," said the auctioneer, "he isn't hurt: the article belonged to his mother and her sister; the

brotherinlaw isn't on good terms; so he demanded a public sale. She will get back four pun ten out of it."

Here the clerk put in his word. "And there's five pounds paid, I forgot to tell you."

"Oh! beg pardon; that is what we call him in the room. He has got such a curious laugh."

"Oh! I know the gent. He is a retired doctor. I wish he'd laugh less and buy more: and HE gave you five

pounds towards the young gentleman's armchair! Well, I should as soon have expected blood from a flint.

You have got five pounds to pay, sir: so now the chair will cost your mamma ten shillings. Give him the

Christopher and Rosa talked this over in the room whilst the men were looking out their purchases. "Come,"

said Rosa; "now I forgive him sneering at me; his heart is not really hard, you see." Staines, on the contrary,

was very angry. "What!" he cried, pity a boy who made one bad bargain, that, after all, was not a very bad

bargain; and he had no kindness, nor even common humanity, for my beautiful Rosa, inexperienced as a

child, and buying for her husband, like a good, affectionate, honest creature, amongst a lot of sharpers and

"It WAS cruel of him," said Rosa, altering her mind in a moment, and half inclined to cry.

This made Christopher furious. "The illnatured, crotchety, old the fact is, he is a misogynist."

"Oh! is that all? Why, so do Iafter that Florence Cole. Women are mean, heartless things. Give me men;

"Every soul of them," said Mrs. Staines, passing loftily over the proposed test. "That is, all the ones I care

Mrs. Staines took Christopher to shops to buy the remaining requisites: and in three days more the house was

furnished, two female servants engaged, and the couple took their luggage over to the Bijou.

Rosa was excited and happy at the novelty of possession and authority, and that close sense of house

proprietorship which belongs to woman. By dinnertime she could have told you how many shelves there

were in every cupboard, and knew the Bijou by heart in a way that Christopher never knew it. All this ended,

as running about and excitement generally does, with my lady being exhausted, and lax with fatigue. So then

When he had examined all the bills carefully he looked very grave, and said, "Who would believe this? We

began with three thousand pounds. It was to last us several yearstill I got a good practice. Rosa, there is

"No, no, my darling; you were bitten once or twice, but you made some good bargains too. Remember there

"Your father did not think so. Then the lease; the premium; repairs of the drains that would have poisoned my

Rosa; turning the coachhouse into a dispensary; painting, papering, and furnishing; china, and linen, and

everything to buy. We must look at this seriously. Only fourteen hundred and forty pounds left. A slow

profession. No friends. I have quarrelled with Uncle Philip: you with Mrs. Cole; and her husband would have

"Never mind; it is not a case for despondency, but it is for prudence. All we have to do is to look the thing in

the face, and be very economical in everything. I had better give you an allowance for housekeeping; and I

earnestly beg you to buy things yourself whilst you are a poor man's wife, and pay ready money for

everything. My mother was a great manager, and she always said, 'There is but one way: be your own

marketwoman, and pay on the spot; never let the tradesmen get you on their books, or, what with false

weight, double charges, and the things your servants order that never enter the house, you lose more than a

Rosa yielded a languid assent to this part of his discourse, and it hardly seemed to enter her mind; but she

raised no objection; and in due course he made her a special allowance for housekeeping.

It soon transpired that medical advice was to be had, gratis, at the Bijou, from eight till ten: and there was

generally a good attendance. But a week passed, and not one patient came of the class this couple must live

by. Christopher set this down to what people call "the transition period:" his Kent patients had lost him; his

London patients not found him. He wrote to all his patients in the country, and many of his pupils at the

Rosa bore this very well for a time, so long as the house was a novelty; but when that excitement was worn

out, she began to be very dull, and used to come and entice him out to walk with her: he would look wistfully

at her, but object that, if he left the house, he should be sure to lose a patient.

But Christopher would kiss her, and remain firm. "My love," said he, "you do not realize how hard a fight

there is before us. How should you? You are very young. No, for your sake, I must not throw a chance away.

"So I will, dear. Especially to those that are married and come to London. Oh, and I'll write to that

"Did I? I was not aware. Well, dear, if ladies of rank were to come here, I fear they might make you

"All the women on earth could not do that. However, the chances are she will not come near me: she left the

school quite a big girl, an immense girl, when I was only twelve. She used to smile at my capriccios; and

once she kissed meactually. She was an awful Sawny, though, and so affected: I think I will write to her."

These letters brought just one lady, a Mrs. Turner, who talked to Rosa very glibly about herself, and amused

Rosa twice: at the third visit, Rosa tried to change the conversation. Mrs. Turner instantly got up, and went

away. She could not bear the sound of the human voice, unless it was talking about her and her affairs.

And now Staines began to feel downright uneasy. Income was going steadily out: not a shilling coming in.

The lame, the blind, and the sick frequented his dispensary, and got his skill out of him gratis, and sometimes

a little physic, a little wine, and other things that cost him money: but of the patients that pay, not one came to

He walked round and round his little yard, like a hyena in its cage, waiting, waiting, waiting: and oh! how he

envied the lot of those who can hunt for work, instead of having to stay at home and wait for others to come,

whose will they cannot influence. His heart began to sicken with hope deferred, and dim forebodings of the

future; and he saw, with grief, that his wife was getting duller and duller, and that her days dragged more

At last his knocker began to show signs of life: his visitors were physicians. His lectures on "Diagnosis" were

well known to them; and one after another found him out. They were polite, kind, even friendly; but here it

ended: these gentlemen, of course, did not resign their patients to him; and the inferior class of practitioners

Mrs. Staines, who had always lived for amusement, could strike out no fixed occupation; her time hung like

lead; the house was small; and in small houses the faults of servants run against the mistress, and she can't

help seeing them, and all the worse for her. It is easier to keep things clean in the country, and Rosa had a

high standard, which her two servants could never quite attain. This annoyed her, and she began to scold a

little. They answered civilly, but in other respects remained imperfect beings; they laid out every shilling they

earned in finery; and, this, I am ashamed to say, irritated Mrs. Staines, who was wearing out her wedding

garments, and had no excuse for buying, and Staines had begged her to be economical. The more they

dressed, the more she scolded; they began to answer. She gave the cook warning; the other, though not on

good terms with the cook, had a gush of esprit de corps directly, and gave Mrs. Staines warning.

Mrs. Staines told her husband all this: he took her part, though without openly interfering; and they had two

This worried Rosa sadly; but it was a fleabite to the deeper nature, and more forecasting mind of her

husband, still doomed to pace that miserable yard, like a hyena, chafing, seeking, longing for the patient that

Rosa used to look out of his dressingroom window, and see him pace the yard. At first, tears of pity stood in

her eyes. By and by she got angry with the world; and at last, strange to say, a little irritated with him. It is

One day, after watching him a long time unseen, she got excited, put on her shawl and bonnet, and ran down

to him: she took him by the arm: "If you love me, come out of this prison, and walk with me; we are too

miserable. I shall be your first patient if this goes on much longer." He looked at her, saw she was very

excited, and had better be humored; so he kissed her and just said, with a melancholy smile, "How poor are

they that have not patience!" Then he put on his hat, and walked in the Park and Kensington Gardens with

her. The season was just beginning. There were carriages enough, and gay Amazons enough, to make poor

Christopher heard the sigh; and pressed her arm, and said, "Courage, love, I hope to see you among them

Christopher said nothing: but these words seemed to imply a thirst for admiration, and made him a little

By and by the walk put the swiftchanging Rosa in spirits, and she began to chat gayly, and hung prattling

and beaming on her husband's arm, when they entered Curzon Street. Here, however, occurred an incident,

trifling in itself, but unpleasant. Dr. Staines saw one of his best Kentish patients get feebly out of his carriage,

and call on Dr. Barr. He started, and stopped. Rosa asked what was the matter. He told her. She said, "We

Staines said nothing; he only quickened his pace; but he was greatly disturbed. She expected him to complain

that she had dragged him out, and lost him that first chance. But he said nothing. When they got home, he

"Well, then, dearest," said he sweetly, "we have nothing to reproach ourselves with." Then he knit his brow

gloomily. "It is worse than I thought. It seems even one's country patients go to another doctor when they

Rosa leaned her head on his shoulder, and curled round him, as one she would shield against the world's

injustice; but she said nothing; she was a little frightened at his eye that lowered, and his noble frame that

Two days after this, a brougham drove up to the door, and a tallish, fattish, pastyfaced man got out, and

He was shown into the diningroom, and told Jane he had come to consult the doctor.

Rosa had peeped over the stairs, all curiosity; she glided noiselessly down, and with love's swift foot got into

"No," said she; "not yet. I met a doctor's wife at Dr. Mayne's, and she told me things. You must always keep

them waiting; or else they think nothing of you. Such a funny woman! 'Treat 'em like dogs, my dear,' she

said. But I told her they wouldn't come to be treated like dogs or any other animal."

"Oh! if you are going to be disagreeable, goodby. You can go to your patient, sir. Christie, dear, if he is

veryvery illand I'm sure I hope he isoh, how wicked I am; may I have a new bonnet?"

As soon as Staines entered the room, the first patient told him who and what he was, a retired civilian from

India; but he had got a son there still, a very rising man; wanted to be a parson; but he would not stand that;

bad profession; don't rise by merit; very hard to rise at all;no, India was the place. "As for me, I made my

fortune there in ten years. Obliged to leave it nowinvalid this many years; no TONE. Tried two or three

doctors in this neighborhood; heard there was a new one, had written a book on something. Thought I would

To stop him, Staines requested to feel his pulse, and examine his tongue and eye.

"You are suffering from indigestion," said he. "I will write you a prescription; but if you want to get well, you

While he was writing the prescription, off went this patient's tongue, and ran through the topics of the day

At last, the first patient, having delivered an octavo volume of nothing, rose to go; but it seems that speaking

an "infinite deal of nothing" exhausts the body, though it does not affect the mind; for the first patient sank

Staines saw no signs of coming syncope; he rang the bell quietly, and ordered a decanter of sherry to be

brought; the first patient filled himself a glass; then another; and went off, revived, to chatter elsewhere. But

at the door he said, "I had always a running account with Dr. Mivar. I suppose you don't object to that system.

Dr. Staines bowed a little stiffly; he would have preferred the money. However, he looked at the Blue Book,

and found his visitor lived at 47 Manchester Square; so that removed his anxiety.

The first patient called every other day, chattered nineteen to the dozen, was exhausted, drank two glasses of

Soon after this a second patient called. This one was a deputy patientCollett, a retired butlerkept a

lodginghouse, and waited at parties; he lived close by, but had a married daughter in Chelsea. Would the

Staines paid the woman a visit or two, and treated her so effectually, that soon her visits were paid to him.

She was cured, and Staines, who by this time wanted to see money, sent to Collett.

Collett said he had recommended the patient, that was all. He had never said he would pay her debts. That

Now her husband was the mate of a ship; would not be in England for eighteen months.

The woman, visited by lawyer's clerk, cried bitterly, and said she and her children had scarcely enough to eat.

Lawyer advised Staines to abandon the case, and pay him two pounds fifteen shillings expenses. He did so.

"This is damnable," said he. "I must get it out of Pettigrew; by theby, he has not been here this two days."

He waited another day for Pettigrew, and then wrote to him. No answer. Called. Pettigrew gone abroad.

Staines went to the houseagent with his tale. Agent was impenetrable at first; but, at last, won by the

doctor's manner and his unhappiness, referred him to Pettigrew's solicitor; the solicitor was a respectable

But by this time Pettigrew was chattering and guzzling in Berlin; and thence he got to St. Petersburg. In that

stronghold of gluttony, he gormandized more than ever, and, being unable to talk it off his stomach, as in

But long before this Staines saw his money was as irrecoverable as his sherry; and he said to Rosa, "I wonder

And Rosa got more and more moped at being in the house so much, and pestered Christopher to take her out,

and he declined: and, being a man hard to beat, took to writing on medical subjects, in hopes of getting some

money from the various medical and scientific publications; but he found it as hard to get the wedge in there

At last Rosa's remonstrances began to rise into something that sounded like reproaches. One Sunday she

came to him in her bonnet, and interrupted his studies, to say he might as well lay down the pen, and talk.

"I might as well not be married at all as be a doctor's wife. You are never seen out with me, not even to

"Why, I wouldn't miss church for all the world. Any excitement is better than always moping. Come over the

water with me. The time Jane and I went, the clergyman read a paper that Mr. Brown had fallen down in a fit.

There was such a rush directly, and I'm sure fifty ladies went outfancy, all Mrs. Browns! Wasn't that fun?"

"Fun? I don't see it. Well, Rosa, your mind is evidently better adapted to diversion than mine is. Go you to

"Then all I can say is, I wish I was back in my father's house. Husband! friend! companion!I have none."

Then she burst out crying violently; and, being shocked at what she had said, and at the agony it had brought

into her husband's face, she went off into hysterics; and as his heart would not let him bellow at her, or empty

a bucket on her as he would on another patient, she had a good long bout of them: and got her way, for she

Even after the hysterics were got under, she continued to moan and sigh very prettily, with her lovely, languid

head pillowed on her husband's arm; in a word, though the hysterics were real, yet this innocent young person

had the presence of mind to postpone entire convalescence, and lay herself out to be petted all day. But fate

willed it otherwise: while she was sighing and moaning, came to the door a scurrying of feet, and then a

sharp, persistent ringing that meant something. The moaner cocked eye and ear, and said, in her everyday

Jane hurried to the streetdoor, and Rosa recovered by magic; and, preferring gossip to hysterics, in an

almost gleeful whisper, ordered Christopher to open the door of the study. The Bijou was so small that the

A boy in buttons gasped out, "Oh, if you please, will you ast the doctor to come round directly; there's a

"Yes, miss. It's our missus's little girl fallen right off an ichair, and cut her head dreadful, and smothered in

"Ay, and missus she fainted right off; and I've been to the regler doctor, which he's out; and Sarah, the

housemaid, said I had better come here; you was only just set up, she said; you wouldn't have so much to do,

"That is all SHE knows," said Jane. "Why, our masterthey pulls him in pieces which is to have him fust."

"What an awful liar! Oh, you good girl!" whispered Dr. Staines and Rosa in one breath.

"Ah, well," said Buttons, "any way, Sarah says she knows you are clever, 'cos her little girl as lives with her

mother, and calls Sarah aunt, has bin to your 'spensary with ringworm, and you cured her right off."

"Ay, and a good many more," said Jane, loftily. She was a housemaid of imagination; and while Staines was

putting some lint and an instrument case into his pocket, she proceeded to relate a number of miraculous

cures. Dr. Staines interrupted them by suddenly emerging, and inviting Buttons to take him to the house.

Mrs. Staines was so pleased with Jane for cracking up the doctor, that she gave her five shillings; and, after

that, used to talk to her a great deal more than to the cook, which judicious conduct presently set all three by

Buttons took the doctor to a fine house in the same street, and told him his mistress's name on the wayMrs.

Lucas. He was taken up to the nursery, and found Mrs. Lucas seated, crying and lamenting, and a woman

holding a little girl of about seven, whose brow had been cut open by the fender, on which she had fallen

Dr. Staines lost no time; he examined the wound keenly, and then said kindly to Mrs. Lucas, "I am happy to

tell you it is not serious." He then asked for a large basin and some tepid water, and bathed it so softly and

soothingly that the child soon became composed; and the mother discovered the artist at once. He compressed

the wound, and explained to Mrs. Lucas that the principal thing really was to avoid an ugly scar. "There is no

danger," said he. He then bound the wound neatly up, and had the girl put to bed. "You will not wake her at

any particular hour, nurse. Let her sleep. Have a little strong beeftea ready, and give it her at any hour, night

or day, she asks for it. But do not force it on her, or you will do her more harm than good. She had better

Mrs. Lucas begged him to come every morning; and, as he was going, she shook hands with him, and the soft

palm deposited a hard substance wrapped in paper. He took it with professional gravity and seeming

unconsciousness; but, once outside the house, went home on wings. He ran up to the drawingroom, and

found his wife seated, and playing at reading. He threw himself on his knees, and the fee into her lap; and,

while she unfolded the paper with an ejaculation of pleasure, he said, "Darling, the first real patient the

"Oh, I'm so glad!" said she, with her eyes glistening. "But I'm afraid one can't get a bonnet fit to wearfor a

Dr. Staines visited his little patient every day, and received his guinea. Mrs. Lucas also called him in for her

own little ailments, and they were the best possible kind of ailments: for, being imaginary, there was no limit

Then did Mrs. Staines turn jealous of her husband. "They never ask me," said she; "and I am moped to

"It is hard," said Christopher, sadly. "But have a little patience. Society will come to you long before practice

About two o'clock one afternoon a carriage and pair drove up, and a gorgeous footman delivered a

Of course Mrs. Staines was at home, and only withheld by propriety from bounding into the passage to meet

her schoolfellow. However, she composed herself in the drawingroom, and presently the door was opened,

and a very tall young woman, richly but not gayly dressed, drifted into the room, and stood there a statue of

Rosa had risen to fly to her; but the reverence a girl of eighteen strikes into a child of twelve hung about her

still, and she came timidly forward, blushing and sparkling, a curious contrast in color and mind to her

visitor; for Lady Cicely was Languor in personher hair whiteybrown, her face a fine oval, but almost

colorless; her eyes a pale gray, her neck and hands incomparably white and beautifula lymphatic young

lady, a live antidote to emotion. However, Rosa's beauty, timidity, and undisguised affectionateness were

something so different from what she was used to in the world of fashion, that she actually smiled, and held

out both her hands a little way. Rosa seized them, and pressed them; they left her; and remained passive and

"How kind of you to send to me," was the polite, but perfectly cool reply. "But how you are gwown,

andmay I say impwoved?You la petite Lusignan! It is incwedible," lisped her ladyship, very calmly.

"I was only a child," said Rosa. "You were always so beautiful and tall, and kind to a little monkey like me.

She drew her gently to the sofa, and they sat down hand in hand; but Lady Cicely's highbred reserve made

her a very poor gossip about anything that touched herself and her family; so Rosa, though no egotist, was

drawn into talking about herself more than she would have done had she deliberately planned the

conversation. But here was an old schoolfellow, and a singularly polite listener, and so out came her love,

her genuine happiness, her particular griefs, and especially the crowning grievance, no society, moped to

Lady Cicely could hardly understand the sentiment in a woman who so evidently loved her husband.

"Society!" said she, after due reflection, "why, it is a boa." (And here I may as well explain that Lady Cicely

spoke certain words falsely, and others affectedly; and as for the letter r, she could say it if she made a hearty

effort, but was generally too lazy to throw her leg over it.) "Society! I'm dwenched to death with it. If I could

only catch fiah like other women, and love somebody, I would much rather have a teteatete with him than

go teawing about all day and all night, from one unintwisting cwowd to another. To be sure," said she,

"The idea! andoh no! no! it is not that. But even in the country we had always some society."

"Well, dyar, believe me, with your appeawance, you can have as much society as you please; but it will boa

you to death, as it does me, and then you will long to be left quiet with a sensible man who loves you."

Said Rosa, "When shall I have another teteatete with YOU, I wonder? Oh, it has been such a comfort to

me. Bless you for coming. ThereI wrote to Cecilia, and Emily, and Mrs. Bosanquet that is now, and all my

sworn friends, and to think of you being the one to comeyou that never kissed me but once, and an earl's

Ha! ha! ha!"Lady Cicely actually laughed for once in a way, and did not feel the effort. "As for kissing,"

"No; and I have had a lesson. That Florence ColeFlorence Whiting that was, you knowwas always

kissing me, and she has turned out a traitor. I'll tell you all about her." And she did.

Lady Cicely thought Mrs. Staines a little too unreserved in her conversation; but was so charmed with her

sweetness and freshness that she kept up the acquaintance, and called on her twice a week during the season.

At first she wondered that her visits were not returned; but Rosa let out that she was ashamed to call on foot

Lady Cicely shrugged her beautiful shoulders a little at that; but she continued to do the visiting, and to enjoy

This lady's pronunciation of many words was false or affected. She said "good murning" for "good morning,"

and turned other vowels to diphthongs, and played two or three pranks with her "r's." But we cannot be all

imperfection: with her pronunciation her folly came to a full stop. I really believe she lisped less nonsense

and bad taste in a year than some of us articulate in a day. To be sure, folly is generally uttered in a hurry, and

One day Mrs. Staines took her upstairs, and showed her from the back window her husband pacing the yard,

waiting for patients. Lady Cicely folded her arms, and contemplated him at first with a sort of zoological

Lady Cicely, with her eyes fixed on Staines, made a motion with her hand that she was attending.

"I begin to understand," said Lady Cicely quietly; and soon after retired with her invariable composure.

Meantime, Dr. Staines, like a good husband, had thrown out occasional hints to Mrs. Lucas that he had a

wife, beautiful, accomplished, moped. More than that, he went so far as to regret to her that Mrs. Staines,

being in a neighborhood new to him, saw so little society; the more so, as she was formed to shine, and had

All these hints fell dead on Mrs. Lucas. A handsome and skilful doctor was welcome to her: his wifethat

But one day Mrs. Lucas saw Lady Cicely Treherne's carriage standing at the door. The style of the whole

On another occasion she saw it drive up, and the lady get out. She recognized her; and the very next day this

parvenue said adroitly, "Now, Dr. Staines, really you can't be allowed to hide your wife in this way. (Staines

stared.) Why not introduce her to me next Wednesday? It is my night. I would give a dinner expressly for her;

When Staines carried the invitation to his wife, she was delighted, and kissed him with childish frankness.

But the very next moment she became thoughtful, uneasy, depressed. "Oh, dear; I've nothing to wear."

"All gone by, more or less; or not fit for such parties as SHE gives. A hundred carriages!"

"Oh yes." And the lady, who had nothing to wear, paraded a very fair show of dresses.

Staines saw something to admire in all of them. Mrs. Staines found more to object to in each.

"It looks just out of the shop. Come, tell the truth; how often have you worn it?"

"What does that matter? Do you think the people can tell how long a dress has been lurking in your

wardrobe? This is childish, Rosa. There, with this dress as good as new, and your beauty, you will be as much

At ten o'clock Mrs. Staines was nearly dressed; at a quarter past ten she demanded ten minutes; at halfpast

ten she sought a reprieve; at a quarter to eleven, being assured that the street was full of carriages, which had

put down at Mrs. Lucas's, she consented to emerge; and in a minute they were at the house.

They were shown first into a cloakroom, and then into a tearoom, and then mounted the stairs. One servant

took their names, and bawled them to another four yards off, he to another about as near, and so on; and they

They had not taken many steps, on the chance of finding their hostess, when a slight buzz arose, and seemed

Rosa wondered what that was; but only for a moment; she observed a tall, stout, aquiline woman fix an eye of

bitter, diabolical, malignant hatred on her; and as she advanced, ugly noses were cocked disdainfully, and

scraggy shoulders elevated at the risk of sending the bones through the leather, and a titter or two shot after

her. A woman's instinct gave her the key at once; the sexes had complimented her at sight; each in their way;

the men with respectful admiration; the women, with their inflammable jealousy and ready hatred in another

of the quality they value most in themselves. But the country girl was too many for them: she would neither

see nor bear, but moved sedately on, and calmly crushed them with her Southern beauty. Their dry, powdered

faces could not live by the side of her glowing skin, with nature's delicate gloss upon it, and the rich blood

mantling below it. The gotup beauties, i.e., the majority, seemed literally to fade and wither as she passed.

Mrs. Lucas got to her, suppressed a slight maternal pang, having daughters to marry, and took her line in a

moment; here was a decoy duck. Mrs. Lucas was all graciousness, made acquaintance, and took a little turn

with her, introducing her to one or two persons; among the rest, to the malignant woman, Mrs. Barr. Mrs.

Barr, on this, ceased to look daggers and substituted icicles; but on the hateful beauty moving away, dropped

The rooms filled; the heat became oppressive, and the mixed odors of flowers, scents, and perspiring

humanity, sickening. Some, unable to bear it, trickled out of the room, and sat all down the stairs.

Rosa began to feel faint. Up came a tall, sprightly girl, whose pertness was redeemed by a certain bonhomie,

and said, "Mrs. Staines, I believe? I am to make myself agreeable to you. That is the order from

She jerked a little offhand bow to him, and said, "Will you trust her to me for five minutes?"

Miss Lucas carried her off, and told Dr. Staines, over her shoulder, now he could flirt to his heart's content.

"Oh, there are some much greater flirts here than I am," said the ready Miss Lucas; and whispering something

in Mrs. Staines's ear, suddenly glided with her behind a curtain, pressed a sort of button fixed to a

lookingglass door. The door opened, and behold they were in a delicious place, for which I can hardly find a

word, since it was a boudoir and a conservatory in one: a large octagon, the walls lined from floor to ceiling

with lookingglasses of moderate width, at intervals, and with creepers that covered the intervening spaces of

the wall, and were trained so as to break the outline of the glasses without greatly clouding the reflection.

Ferns, in great variety, were grouped in a deep crescent, and in the bight of this green bay were a small table

and chairs. As there were no hothouse plants, the temperature was very cool, compared with the reeking

oven they had escaped; and a little fountain bubbled, and fed a little meandering gutter that trickled away

among the ferns; it ran crystal clear over little bright pebbles and shells. It did not always run, you

"Oh, how heavenly!" said Rosa, with a sigh of relief; "and how good of you to bring me here!"

"Yes; by rights I ought to have waited till you fainted. But there is no making acquaintance among all those

Miss Lucas had good nature, smartness, and animal spirits; hence arose a vivacity and fluency that were often

amusing, and passed for very clever. Reserve she had none; would talk about strangers, or friends, herself,

her mother, her God, and the last buffoon singer, in a breath. At a hint from Rosa, she told her who the lady

in the pink dress was, and the lady in the violet velvet, and so on; for each lady was defined by her dress, and,

more or less, quizzed by this showwoman, not exactly out of malice, but because it is smarter and more

natural to decry than to praise, and a little medisance is the spice to gossip, belongs to it, as mint sauce to

lamb. So they chatted away, and were pleased with each other, and made friends, and there, in cool grot, quite

forgot the sufferings of their fellowcreatures in the adjacent Turkish bath, yclept society. It was Rosa who

first recollected herself. "Will not Mrs. Lucas be angry with me, if I keep you all to myself?"

"Oh no; but I'm afraid we must go into the hothouse again. I like the greenhouse best, with such a nice

They slipped noiselessly into the throng again, and wriggled about, Miss Lucas presenting her new friend to

Presently Staines found them, and then Miss Lucas wriggled away; and in due course the room was thinned

by many guests driving off home, or to balls, and other receptions, and Dr. Staines and Mrs. Staines went

home to the Bijou. Here the physician prescribed bed; but the lady would not hear of such a thing until she

had talked it all over. So they compared notes, and Rosa told him how well she had got on with Miss Lucas,

and made a friendship. "But for that," said she, "I should be sorry I went among those people, such a dowdy."

"Dowdy!" said Staines. "Why, you stormed the town; you were the great success of the night, and, for all I

"Very well. Then did you see that lady in skyblue silk, embroidered with flowers, and flounced with white

"I did; a tall, skinny woman, with eyes resembling her jewels in color, though not in brightness."

"Never mind her eyes; it is her dress I am speaking of. Exquisite; and what a coiffure! Well, did you see HER

in the black velvet, trimmed so deep with Chantilly lace, wave on wave, and her head dress of crimson

"I did, love. The room was an oven, but her rubicund face and suffocating costume made it seem a furnace."

"Stuff! Well, did you see the lady in the corncolored silk, and poppies in her hair?"

"Of course I did. Ceres in person. She made me feel hot, too; but I cooled myself a bit at her pale, sickly

"Oh, excuse me; it is always a point with us benighted males, all eyes and no eyes."

"Well, then, the lady in white, with cherryvelvet bands, and a white tunic looped with crimson, and

"It was very refreshing; and adapted to that awful atmosphere. It was the nearest approach to nudity I ever

"It was lovely; and then that superb figure in white illusion and gold, with all those narrow flounces over her

slip of white silk glacee, and a wreath of white flowers, with gold wheat ears amongst them, in her hair; and

"Noses! noses! stupid! That is not what strikes you first in a woman dressed like an angel."

"Well, if you were to run up against that one, as I nearly did, her nose WOULD be the thing that would strike

"Now, don't, Christopher. This is no laughing matter. Do you mean you were not ashamed of your wife? I

"No, I was not; you had but one rival; a very young lady, wise before her age; a blonde, with violet eyes. She

was dressed in light mauvecolored silk, without a single flounce, or any other tomfoolery to fritter away the

sheen and color of an exquisite material; her sunny hair was another wave of color, wreathed with a thin line

of white jessamine flowers closely woven, that scented the air. This girl was the moon of that assembly, and

"Eyes and no eyes. She saw you, and said, 'Oh, what a beautiful creature!' for I heard her. As for the old

stagers, whom you admire so, their faces were all clogged with powder, the pores stopped up, the true texture

of the skin abolished. They looked downright nasty, whenever you or that young girl passed by them. Then it

was you saw to what a frightful extent women are got up in our day, even young women, and respectable

"Then what an obscure pair the Apollo Belvidere and the Venus de Medicis must be."

"Well done," said he, admiringly. "That IS a knockdown blow. So now you have silenced your husband, go

you to bed directly. I can't afford you diamonds; so I will take care of that little insignificant trifle, your

Mrs. Staines and Mrs. Lucas exchanged calls, and soon Mrs. Staines could no longer complain she was out of

the world. Mrs. Lucas invited her to every party, because her beauty was an instrument of attraction she knew

how to use; and Miss Lucas took a downright fancy to her; drove her in the park, and on Sundays to the

The Lucases rented a box at the opera, and if it was not let at the library by six o'clock, and if other

engagements permitted, word was sent round to Mrs. Staines, as a matter of course, and she was taken to the

opera. She began almost to live at the Lucases, and to be oftener fatigued than moped.

The usual order of things was inverted; the maiden lady educated the matron; for Miss Lucas knew all about

everybody in the Park, honorable or dishonorable; all the scandals, and all the flirtations; and whatever she

knew, she related pointblank. Being as inquisitive as voluble, she soon learned how Mrs. Staines and her

husband were situated. She took upon her to advise her in many things, and especially impressed upon her

that Dr. Staines must keep a carriage, if he wanted to get on in medicine. The piece of advice accorded so

He objected that no money was coming in, and therefore it would be insane to add to their expenses. Rosa

persisted, and at last worried Staines with her importunity. He began to give rather short answers. Then she

quoted Miss Lucas against him. He treated the authority with marked contempt; and then Rosa fired up a

little. Then Staines held his peace; but did not buy a carriage to visit his no patients.

So at last Rosa complained to Lady Cicely Treherne, and made her the judge between her husband and

herself. Lady Cicely drawled out a prompt but polite refusal to play that part. All that could be elicited from

her, and that with difficulty, was, "Why quall with your husband about a cawwige; he is your best fwiend."

"Ah, that he is," said Rosa; "but Miss Lucas is a good friend, and she knows the world. We don't; neither

So she continued to nag at her husband about it, and to say that he was throwing his only chance away.

Galled as he was by neglect, this was irritating, and at last he could not help telling her she was unreasonable.

"You live a gay life, and I a sad one. I consent to this, and let you go about with these Lucases, because you

were so dull; but you should not consult them in our private affairs. Their interference is indelicate and

improper. I will not set up a carriage till I have patients to visit. I am sick of seeing our capital dwindle, and

no income created. I will never set up a carriage till I have taken a hundredguinea fee."

"Or ride in a cab," said Christopher, with a quiet doggedness that left no hope of his yielding.

One afternoon Miss Lucas called for Mrs. Staines to drive in the Park, but did not come upstairs; it was an

engagement, and she knew Mrs. Staines would be ready, or nearly. Mrs. Staines, not to keep her waiting,

came down rather hastily, and in the very passage whipped out of her pocket a little glass, and a little powder

puff, and puffed her face all over in a trice. She was then going out; but her husband called her into the study.

"There is no need of that. All you want is a basin and some nice rainwater. I keep a little reservoir of it."

He then handed her the same with great politeness. She looked in his eye, and saw he was not to be trifled

with. She complied like a lamb, and the heavenly color and velvet gloss that resulted were admirable.

He kissed her and said, "Ah! now you are my Rosa again. Oblige me by handing over that powderpuff to

"You are a pest," said Mrs. Staines, and so joined her friend, rosy with rainwater and a rub.

Rosa never dreamed that rainwater and rub could be the cause of her looking so well.

"It is my tiresome husband," said she. "He objects to powder, and he has taken away my puff."

"Why, you poorspirited little creature, I should like to see a husband presume to interfere with me in those

Miss Lucas laughed at her, and quizzed her so on her allowing a man to interfere in such sacred things as

dress and cosmetics, that she came back irritated with her husband, and gave him a short answer or two. Then

"I treat you like a beautiful flower, that no bad gardener shall wither whilst I am here."

"What nonsense! How could that wither me? It is only violet powderwhat they put on babies."

"And kill a hundred of them for one a man ever kills. Mothers! the most wholesale homicides in the

While she was gone he sent for a breakfastcupful of flour, and when she came back he had his scales out,

and begged her to put a teaspoonful of flour into one scale and of violet powder into another. The flour

"Now," said Staines, "does not that show you the presence of a mineral in your vegetable powder? I suppose

they tell you it is made of white violets dried, and triturated in a diamond mill. Let us find out what metal it

is. We need not go very deep into chemistry for that." He then applied a simple test, and detected the

presence of lead in large quantities. Then he lectured her: "Invisible perspiration is a process of nature

necessary to health and to life. The skin is made porous for that purpose. You can kill anybody in an hour or

two by closing the pores. A certain infallible ass, called Pope Leo XII., killed a little boy in two hours, by

gilding him to adorn the pageant of his first procession as Pope. But what is death to the whole body must be

injurious to a part. What madness, then, to clog the pores of so large and important a surface as the face, and

check the invisible perspiration: how much more to insert lead into your system every day of your life; a

cumulative poison, and one so deadly and so subtle, that the Sheffield filecutters die in their prime, from

merely hammering on a leaden anvil. And what do you gain by this suicidal habit? No plum has a sweeter

bloom or more delicious texture than the skin of your young face; but this mineral filth hides that delicate

texture, and substitutes a dry, uniform appearance, more like a certain kind of leprosy than health. Nature

made your face the rival of peaches, roses, lilies; and you say, 'No; I know better than my Creator and my

God; my face shall be like a dusty miller's.' Go into any flourmill, and there you shall see men with faces

exactly like your friend Miss Lucas's. But before a miller goes to his sweetheart, he always washes his face.

You ladies would never get a miller down to your level in brains. It is a miller's DIRTY face our

"About nothing! Is your health nothing? Is your beauty nothing? Well, then, it will cost you nothing to

"Work for youwrite for yousuffer for yoube selfdenying for youand even give myself the pain of

disappointing you now and thenlooking forward to the time when I shall be able to say 'Yes' to everything

Rosa put her arms round him and acquiesced. She was one of those who go with the last speaker; but, for that

very reason, the eternal companionship of so flighty and flirty a girl as Miss Lucas was injurious to her.

One day Lady Cicely Treherne was sitting with Mrs. Staines, smiling languidly at her talk, and occasionally

drawling out a little plain good sense, when in came Miss Lucas, with her tongue well hung, as usual, and

This young lady in her discourse was like those little oily beetles you see in small ponds, whose whole life is

spent in tacking confound them for it!generally at right angles. What they are in navigation was Miss

Lucas in conversation: tacked so eternally from topic to topic, that no man on earth, and not every woman,

At the sight and sound of her, Lady Cicely congealed and stiffened. Easy and unpretending with Mrs. Staines,

she was all dignity, and even majesty, in the presence of this chatterbox; and the smoothness with which the

transfiguration was accomplished marked that accomplished actress the highbred woman of the world.

Rosa, better able to estimate the change of manner than Miss Lucas was, who did not know how little this

Sawny was afflicted with misplaced dignity, looked wistfully and distressed at her. Lady Cicely smiled

kindly in reply, rose, without seeming to hurry, catch her condescending to be rude to Charlotte

Lucas,and took her departure, with a profound and most gracious courtesy to the lady who had driven her

Mrs. Staines saw her downstairs, and said, ruefully, "I am afraid you do not like my friend Miss Lucas. She

Lady Cicely shook her head. "Clevaa people don't talk so much nonsense before strangaas."

"My dyah, I'm not easily dwiven from those I esteem. But you undastand that is not a woman for me to

She said this with a sudden maternal solemnity and kindness that contrasted nobly and strangely with her

yeanay style, and Mrs. Staines remembered the words years after they were spoken.

It so happened that after this Mrs. Staines received no more visits from Lady Cicely for some time, and that

vexed her. She knew her sex enough to be aware that they are very jealous, and she permitted herself to think

This idea, founded on a general estimate of her sex, was dispelled by a few lines from Lady Cicely, to say her

family and herself were in deep distress; her brother, Lord Ayscough, lay dying from an accident.

Then Rosa was all remorse, and ran down to Staines to tell him. She found him with an open letter in his

hand. It was from Dr. Barr, and on the same subject. The doctor, who had always been friendly to him,

invited him to come down at once to Hallowtree Hall, in Huntingdonshire, to a consultation. There was a

Husband and wife embraced each other in a tumult of surprised thankfulness. A few necessaries were thrown

into a carpetbag, and Dr. Staines was soon whirled into Huntingdonshire. Having telegraphed beforehand,

he was met at the station by the earl's carriage and people, and driven to the Hall. He was received by an old,

silverhaired butler, looking very sad, who conducted him to a boudoir; and then went and tapped gently at

the door of the patient's room. It was opened and shut very softly, and Lady Cicely, dressed in black, and

"Thank you for coming so promptly. Dr. Barr is gone. I fear he thinkshe thinksO Dr. Stainesno sign

Staines looked very grave at that. Lady Cicely observed it, and, faint at heart, could say no more, but led the

There in a spacious chamber, lighted by a grand oriel window and two side windows, lay rank, title, wealth,

and youth, stricken down in a moment by a common accident. The sufferer's face was bloodless, his eyes

fixed, and no signs of life but in his thumbs, and they kept working with strange regularity.

In the room were a nurse and the surgeon; the neighboring physician, who had called in Dr. Barr, had just

Lady Cicely introduced Dr. Staines and Mr. White, and then Dr. Staines stood and fixed his eyes on the

patient in profound silence. Lady Cicely scanned his countenance searchingly, and was struck with the

extraordinary power and intensity it assumed in examining the patient; but the result was not encouraging.

At last, without removing his eye from the recumbent figure, he said quietly to Mr. White, "Thrown from his

"Yes. Severe contusions, and a rib broken and pressed upon the lungs. I replaced and set it. Will you see?"

At last he spoke again. "The motion of the thumbs corresponds exactly with his pulse."

"All the better," said Dr. Staines upon reflection. "Well, sir," said he, "the visible injuries having been ably

relieved, I shall look another way for the cause." Then, after another pause, "I must have his head shaved."

Lady Cicely demurred a little to this; but Dr. Staines stood firm, and his lordship's valet undertook the job.

Staines directed him where to begin; and when he had made a circular tonsure on the top of the head, had it

"I thought so," said he. "Here is the mischief;" and he pointed to a very slight indentation on the left side of

the pia mater. "Observe," said he, "there is no corresponding indentation on the other side. Underneath this

trifling depression a minute piece of bone is doubtless pressing on the most sensitive part of the brain. He

"Then I hand the patient over to you. The case at present is entirely surgical."

White was driven home, and soon returned with the requisite instruments. The operation was neatly

performed, and then Lady Cicely was called in. She came trembling; her brother's fingers were still working,

"That is only HABIT," said Staines; "it will soon leave off, now the cause is gone."

And, truly enough, in about five minutes the fingers became quiet. The eyes became human next; and within

"No, my lord," said Staines, smartly; "only rubbed a bit. You can go to sleep, my lord. I'll take care of the

Dr. Staines, at the earnest request of Lady Cicely, stayed all night; and in course of the day advised her how

He said the patient's brain might be irritable for some days, and no women in silk dresses or crinoline, or

creaking shoes, must enter the room. He told her the nurse was evidently a clumsy woman, and would be

letting things fall. She had better get some old soldier used to nursing. "And don't whisper in the room," said

he; "nothing irritates them worse; and don't let anybody play a piano within hearing; but in a day or two you

may try him with slow and continuous music on the flute or violin if you like. Don't touch his bed suddenly;

don't sit on it or lean on it. Dole sunlight into his room by degrees; and when he can bear it, drench him with

it. Never mind what the old school tell you. About these things they know a good deal less than nothing."

The cure was telegraphed to Dr. Barr, and he was requested to settle the fee. He was not the man to undersell

the profession, and was jealous of nobody, having a large practice, and a very wealthy wife. So he

So, as Christopher Staines sat at an early breakfast, with the carriage waiting to take him to the train, two

They were both directed by Lady Cicely Treherne. One of them contained a few kind and feeling words of

gratitude and esteem; the other, a check, drawn by the earl's steward, for one hundred and thirty guineas.

He bowled up to London, and told it all to Rosa. She sparkled with pride, affection, and joy.

"Now, who says you are not a genius?" she cried. "A hundred and thirty guineas for one fee! Now, if you

Doctor Staines begged leave to distinguish; he had not said he would set up a carriage at the first one hundred

guinea fee, but only that he would not set up one before. There are misguided people who would call this

logic: but Rosa said it was equivocating, and urged him so warmly that at last he burst out, "Who can go on

forever saying 'No,' to the only creature he loves?"and caved. In fortyeight hours more a brougham

waited at Mrs. Staines's door. The servant engaged to drive it was Andrew Pearman, a bachelor, and, hitherto,

an undergroom. He readily consented to be coachman, and to do certain domestic work as well. So Mrs.

Ere long, three or four patients called, or wrote, one after the other. These Rosa set down to brougham, and

crowed; she even crowed to Lady Cicely Treherne, to whose influence, and not to brougham's, every one of

these patients was owing. Lady Cicely kissed her, and demurely enjoyed the poor soul's selfsatisfaction.

Staines himself, while he drove to or from these patients, felt more sanguine, and buoyed as he was by the

He sent an account of Lord Ayscough's case to a medical magazine: and so full is the world of flunkeyism,

that this article, though he withheld the name, retaining only the title, got the literary wedge in for him at

once: and in due course he became a paid contributor to two medical organs, and used to study and write

It was about this time circumstances made him acquainted with Phoebe Dale. Her intermediate history I will

dispose of in fewer words than it deserves. Her ruin, Mr. Reginald Falcon, was dismissed from his club, for

marking high cards on the back with his nail. This stopped his remaining resourceborrowing: so he got

more and more out at elbows, till at last he came down to hanging about billiardrooms, and making a little

Having culminated to that, he wrote and proposed marriage to Miss Dale, in a charming letter: she showed it

Now, if his vanity, his disloyalty, his falsehood, his ingratitude, and his other virtues had not stood in the

But the offer came too late; not for Phoebeshe would have taken him in a momentbut for her friends. A

baited hook is one thing, a bare hook is another. Farmer Dale had long discovered where Phoebe's money

went: he said not a word to her; but went up to town like a shot; found Falcon out, and told him he mustn't

think to eat his daughter's bread. She should marry a man that could make a decent livelihood; and if she was

to run away with HIM, why they'd starve together. The farmer was resolute, and spoke very loud, like one

that expects opposition, and comes prepared to quarrel. Instead of that, this artful rogue addressed him with

deep respect and an affected veneration, that quite puzzled the old man; acquiesced in every word, expressed

contrition for his past misdeeds, and told the farmer he had quite determined to labor with his hands. "You

know, farmer," said he, "I am not the only gentleman who has come to that in the present day. Now, all my

friends that have seen my sketches, assure me I am a born painter; and a painter I'll befor love of Phoebe."

"You are mistaken. It's the best trade going. There are gentlemen making their thousands a year by it."

"Not in our parts, there bain't. Stop a bit. What be ye going to paint, sir? Housen, or folk?"

"Well, ye might just make shift to live at it, I suppose, with here and there a signboard. They are the best

paid, our way: but, Lord bless ye, THEY wants headpiece. Well, sir, let me see your work. Then we'll talk

"I'll go to work this afternoon," said Falcon eagerly; then with affected surprise, "Bless me; I forgot. I have no

palette, no canvas, no colors. You couldn't lend me a couple of sovereigns to buy them, could you?"

"Ay, sir; I could. But I woan't. I'll lend ye the things, though, if you have a mind to go with me and buy 'em."

Mr. Falcon painted a landscape or two out of his imagination. The dealers to whom he took them declined

them; one advised the gentleman painter to color teaboards. "That's your line," said he.

"The world has no taste," said the gentleman painter: "but it has got lots of vanity: I'll paint portraits."

He did; and formidable ones: his portraits were amazingly like the people, and yet unlike men and women,

especially about the face. One thing, he didn't trouble with lights and shades, but went slap at the features.

His brush would never have kept him; but he carried an instrument, in the use of which he was really an

artist, viz., his tongue. By wheedling and undersellingfor he only charged a pound for the painted

canvashe contrived to live; then he aspired to dress as well as live. With this second object in view, he hit

He used to prowl about, and when he saw a young woman sweeping the afternoon streets with a long silk

train, and, in short, dressed to ride in the park, yet parading the streets, he would take his hat off to her, with

an air of profound respect, and ask permission to take her portrait. Generally he met a prompt rebuff; but if

the fair was so unlucky as to hesitate a single moment, he told her a melting tale; he had once driven his

fourinhand; but by indorsing his friends' bills, was reduced to painting likeness, admirable likenesses in

His piteous tale provoked more gibes than pity, but as he had no shame, the rebuffs went for nothing: he

actually did get a few sitters by his audacity: and some of the sitters actually took the pictures, and paid for

them; others declined them with fury as soon as they were finished. These he took back with a piteous sigh,

that sometimes extracted half a crown. Then he painted over the rejected one and let it dry; so that sometimes

a paid portrait would present a beauty enthroned on the debris of two or three rivals, and that is where few

All this time he wrote nice letters to Phoebe, and adopted the tone of the struggling artist, and the true lover,

who wins his bride by patience, perseverance, and indomitable industry; a babbled of "Self Help."

Meantime, Phoebe was not idle: an excellent business woman, she took immediate advantage of a new station

that was built near the farm, to send up milk, butter, and eggs to London. Being genuine, they sold like

wildfire. Observing that, she extended her operations, by buying of other farmers, and forwarding to London:

and then, having of course an eye to her struggling artist, she told her father she must have a shop in London,

"With all my heart, wench," said he; "but it must not be thou. I can't spare thee."

So the lovesick woman of business set up a little shop, and put her brother Dick in it, and all to see more of

her struggling artist. She stayed several days, to open the little shop, and start the business. She advertised

pure milk, and challenged scientific analysis of everything she sold. This came of her being a reader; she

knew, by the journals, that we live in a sinful and adulterating generation, and anything pure must be a

Now, Dr. Staines, though known to the profession as a diagnost, was also an analyst, and this challenge

brought him down on Phoebe Dale. He told her he was a physician, and in search of pure food for his own

Phoebe smiled an honest country smile, and said, "Surely, sir." She gave him every facility, and he applied

those simple tests which are commonly used in France, though hardly known in England.

He found it perfectly pure, and told her so; and gazed at Phoebe for a moment, as a phenomenon.

She smiled again at that, her broad country smile. "That is a wonder in London, I dare say. It's my belief half

the children that die here are perished with watered milk. Well, sir, we shan't have that on our souls, father

Staines looked in her face, with kindly approval marked on his own eloquent features. She blushed a little at

so fixed a regard. Then he asked her if she would supply him with milk, butter, and eggs.

"Why, if you mean sell you them, yes, sir, with pleasure. But for sending them home to you in this big town,

as some do, I can't; for there's only brother Dick and me: it is an experiment like."

"Thank you kindly, sir. I hope you won't be offended, sir; but we only sell for ready money."

When he was gone, Phoebe, assuming vast experience, though this was only her third day, told Dick that was

"There now; the boy is blind. Why, 'twas like a jewel. Such an eye I never saw in a man's head, nor a

Staines told his wife about Phoebe and her brother, and spoke of her with a certain admiration that raised

Rosa's curiosity, and even that sort of vague jealousy that fires at bare praise. "I should like to see this

phenomenon," said she. "You shall," said he. "I have to call on Mrs. Manly. She lives near. I will drop you at

He did so, and that gave Rosa a quarter of an hour to make her purchases. When he came back he found her

conversing with Phoebe, as if they were old friends, and Dick glaring at his wife with awe and admiration. He

She was far more extravagant in her praises than Dr. Staines had been. "What a good creature!" said she.

"And how clever! To think of her setting up a shop like that all by herself; for her Dick is only seventeen."

Dr. Staines recommended the little shop wherever he went, and even extended its operations. He asked

Phoebe to get her own wheat ground at home, and send the flour up in bushel bags. "These assassins, the

bakers," said he, "are putting copper into the flour now, as well as alum. Pure flour is worth a fancy price to

any family. With that we can make the bread of life. What you buy in the shops is the bread of death."

Dick was a good, sharp boy, devoted to his sister. He stuck to the shop in London, and handed the money to

Phoebe, when she came for it. She worked for it in Essex, and extended her country connection for supply as

Staines wrote an article on pure food, and incidentally mentioned the shop as a place where flour, milk, and

butter were to be had pure. This article was published in the Lancet, and caused quite a run upon the little

shop. By and by Phoebe enlarged it, for which there were great capabilities, and made herself a pretty little

parlor, and there she and Dick sat to Falcon for their portraits; here, too, she hung his rejected landscapes.

They were fair in her eyes; what matter whether they were like nature? his hand had painted them. She knew,

from him, that everybody else had rejected them. With all the more pride and love did she have them framed

For a few months Phoebe Dale was as happy as she deserved to be. Her lover was working, and faithful to

herat least she saw no reason to doubt it. He came to see her every evening, and seemed devoted to her:

would sit quietly with her, or walk with her, or take her to a play, or a musichallat her expense.

She now lived in a quiet elysium, with a bright and rapturous dream of the future; for she saw she had hit on a

good vein of business, and should soon be independent, and able to indulge herself with a husband, and ask

She sent to Essex for a dairymaid, and set her to churn milk into butter, coram populo, at a certain hour every

morning. This made a new sensation. At other times the woman was employed to deliver milk and cream to a

Mrs. Staines dropped in now and then, and chatted with her. Her sweet face and her naivete won Phoebe's

heart; and one day, as happiness is apt to be communicative, she let out to her, in reply to a feeler or two as to

whether she was quite alone, that she was engaged to be married to a gentleman. "But he is not rich, ma'am,"

said Phoebe plaintively; "he has had trouble: obliged to work for his living, like me; he painted these pictures,

EVERY ONE OF THEM. If it was not making too free, and you could spare a guineahe charges no more

Now, Rosa said this, out of her ever ready kindness, not to wound Phoebe: but having made the promise, she

kept clear of the place for some days, hoping Phoebe would forget all about it. Meantime she sent her

In about a fortnight she called again, primed with evasions if she should be asked to sit; but nothing of the

kind was proposed. Phoebe was dealing when she went in. The customers disposed of, she said to Mrs.

Staines, "Oh, ma'am, I am glad you are come. I have something I should like to show you." She took her into

the parlor, and made her sit down: then she opened a drawer, and took out a very small substance that looked

like a tear of ground glass, and put it on the table before her. "There, ma'am," said she, "that is all he has had

"His friend was going abroadto Natal; to his uncle that farms out there, and does very well; it is a firstrate

part, if you take out a little stock with you, and some money; so my one gave him credit, and when the letter

came with that postmark, he counted on a five pound note; but the letter only said he had got no money yet,

but sent him something as a keepsake: and there was this little stone. Poor fellow! he flung it down in a

Phoebe's great gray eyes filled; and Rosa gave a little coo of sympathy that was very womanly and lovable.

Phoebe leaned her cheek on her hand, and said thoughtfully, "I picked it up, and brought it away; for, after

alldon't you think, ma'am, it is very strange that a friend should send it all that way, if it was worth nothing

"And do you know, ma'am, when I take it up in my fingers, it doesn't feel like a thing that was worth

"No more it does: it makes my fingers tremble. May I take it home, and show it my husband? he is a great

Rosa drove home, on purpose to show it to Christopher. She ran into his study: "Oh, Christopher, please look

at that. You know that good creature we have our flour and milk and things of. She is engaged, and he is a

painter. Oh, such daubs! He painted a friend, and the friend sent that home all the way from Natal, and he

dashed it down, and SHE picked it up, and what is it? ground glass, or a pebble, or what?"

"Humph!by its shape, and the greatbrilliancyand refraction of light, on this angle, where the stone

has got polished by rubbing against other stones, in the course of ages, I'm inclined to think it isa

"A diamond!" shrieked Rosa. "No wonder my fingers trembled. Oh, can it be? Oh, you good, coldblooded

"Don't be in such a hurry. I only said I thought it was a diamond. Let me weigh it against water, and then I

He took it to his little laboratory, and returned in a few minutes, and said, "Yes. It is just three times and a

"My dear, I'm not a jeweller: but it is very large and pearshaped, and I see no flaw: I don't think you could

"Why, my dear, one would think you had invented 'the diamond.' Show me how to crystallize carbon, and I

"Oh, I leave you to carbonize crystal. I prefer to gladden hearts: and I will do it this minute, with my

"Do, dear; and I will take that opportunity to finish my article on Adulteration."

Now Phoebe was drinking tea with Reginald Falcon, in her little parlor. "Who is that, I wonder?" said she,

Reginald drew back a corner of the gauze curtain which had been drawn across the little glass door leading

"It is a lady, and a beautifulOh! let me get out." And he rushed out at the door leading to the kitchen, not to

This set Phoebe all in a flutter, and the next moment Mrs. Staines tapped at the little door, then opened it, and

"Surely," said Phoebe, still troubled and confused by Reginald's strange agitation.

"There! It is a diamond!" screamed Rosa. "My husband knew it directly. He knows everything. If ever you

are ill, go to him and nobody elseby the refraction, and the angle, and its being three times and a half as

heavy as water. It is worth three hundred pounds to buy, and a hundred and fifty pounds to sell."

"So don't you go throwing it away, as he did. (In a whisper.) Two teacups? Was that him? I have driven him

"Oh, ma'am, don't go yet," said Phoebe, trembling. "I haven't half thanked you."

"You may, and must. Thereand thereand there. Oh dear, what nice things good luck and happiness are,

Upon this Phoebe and she had a nice little cry together, and Mrs. Staines went off refreshed thereby, and as

gay as a lark, pointing slyly at the door, and making faces to Phoebe that she knew he was there, and she only

retired, out of her admirable discretion, that they might enjoy the diamond together.

When she was gone, Reginald, whose eye and ear had been at the keyhole, alternately gloating on the face

and drinking the accents of the only woman he had ever really loved, came out, looking pale, and strangely

Phoebe came back to him, full of the diamond. "Did you hear what she said, my dear? It is a diamond; it is

worth a hundred and fifty pounds at least. Why, what ails you? Ah! to be sure! you know that lady."

"It takes me by surprise too. I thought you were cured. I thought MY turn had come at last."

Reginald met this in sullen silence. Then Phoebe was sorry she had said it; for, after all, it wasn't the man's

fault if an old sweetheart had run into the room, and given him a start. So she made him some fresh tea, and

He told her, loftily, he must take a studio, and his sitters must come to him, and must no longer expect to be

immortalized for one pound. It must be two pounds for a bust, and three pounds for a kitcat.

"Nay, but, my dear," said Phoebe, "they will pay no more because you have a diamond."

This was intended for a threat. Phoebe instinctively felt that it might not be so received; she counselled

moderation. "It is a great thing to have earned a diamond," said she: "but 'tis only once in a life. Now, be

ruled by me: go on just as you are. Sell the diamond, and give me the money to keep for you. Why, you

might add a little to it, and so would I, till we made it up two hundred pounds. And if you could only show

two hundred pounds you had made and laid by, father would let us marry, and I might keep this shop it

pays well, I can tell youand keep my gentleman in a sly corner; you need never be seen in it."

"Ay, ay," said he, "that is the small game. But I am a man that have always preferred the big game. I shall set

up my studio, and make enough to keep us both. So give me the stone, if you please. I shall take it round to

them all, and the rogues won't get it out of ME for a hundred and fifty; why, it is as big as a nut."

"No, no, Reginald. Money has always made mischief between you and me. You never had fifty pounds yet,

you didn't fall into temptation. Do pray let me keep it for you; or else sell itI know how to sell; nobody

So now she sat down and cried over this piece of good luck, for her heart filled with forebodings.

He laughed at her, but at last had the grace to console her, and assure her she was tormenting herself for

Three or four days he came, as usual, to laugh her out of her forebodings. But presently his visits ceased. She

knew what that meant: he was living like a gentleman, melting his diamond, and playing her false with the

This blow, coming after she had been so happy, struck Phoebe Dale stupid with grief. The line on her high

forehead deepened; and at night she sat with her hands before her, sighing, and sighing, and listening for the

"Oh, Dick!" she said, "never you love any one. I am aweary of my life. And to think that, but for that

Then Dick used to try and comfort her in his way, and often put his arm round her neck, and gave her his

rough but honest sympathy. Dick's rare affection was her one drop of comfort; it was something to relieve her

"He couldn't use me worse. I have been wife, and mother, and sweetheart, and all, to him; and to be left like

"'Tis your own fault, Phoebe, partly. You say the word, and I'll break every bone in his carcass."

"What, do him a mischief! Why, I'd rather die than harm a hair of his head. You must never lift a hand to

"Ay, boy: I should. God forgive me: 'tis no use deceiving ourselves; when a woman loves a man she despises,

never you come between them; there's no reason in her love, so it is incurable. One comfort, it can't go on

forever; it must kill me, before my time and so best. If I was only a mother, and had a little Reginald to

dandle on my knee and gloat upon, till he spent his money, and came back to me. That's why I said I wished I

was his wife. Oh! why does God fill a poor woman's bosom with love, and nothing to spend it on but a stone;

for sure his heart must be one. If I had only something that would let me always love it, a little toddling thing

at my knee, that would always let me look at it, and love it, something too young to be false to me, too weak

to run away from my longingarmsandyearning heart!" Then came a burst of agony, and moans

of desolation, till poor puzzled Dick blubbered loudly at her grief; and then her tears flowed in streams.

Trouble on trouble. Dick himself got strangely out of sorts, and complained of shivers. Phoebe sent him to

bed early, and made him some white wine whey very hot. In the morning he got up, and said he was better;

but after breakfast he was violently sick, and suffered several returns of nausea before noon. "One would

At one o'clock he was seized with a kind of spasm in the throat that lasted so long it nearly choked him.

Then Phoebe got frightened, and sent to the nearest surgeon. He did not hurry, and poor Dick had another

"It is hysterical," said the surgeon. "No disease of the heart, is there? Give him a little salvolatile every half

In spite of the salvolatile these terrible spasms seized him every half hour; and now he used to spring off the

bed with a cry of terror when they came; and each one left him weaker and weaker; he had to be carried back

A sad, sickening fear seized on Phoebe. She left Dick with the maid, and tying on her bonnet in a moment,

rushed wildly down the street, asking the neighbors for a great doctor, the best that could be had for money.

One sent her east a mile, another west, and she was almost distracted, when who should drive up but Dr. and

Mrs. Staines, to make purchases. She did not know his name, but she knew he was a doctor. She ran to the

Dr. Staines got quickly, but calmly, out; told his wife to wait; and followed Phoebe upstairs. She told him in

a few agitated words how Dick had been taken, and all the symptoms; especially what had alarmed her so, his

Dr. Staines told her to hold the patient up. He lost not a moment, but opened his mouth resolutely, and looked

"The glottis is swollen," said he: then he felt his hands, and said, with the grave, terrible calm of experience,

"Nothing can save him, unless we had a surgeon on the spot. Yes, I might save him, if you have the courage:

Staines seized a basin, put it by the bedside, made an incision in the windpipe, and got Dick down on his

stomach, with his face over the bedside. Some blood ran, but not much. "Now!" he cried, cheerfully, "a small

Phoebe ran for it, and at Dr. Staines' direction lifted Dick a little, while the bellows, duly cleansed, were

gently applied to the aperture in the windpipe, and the action of the lungs delicately aided by this primitive

He showed Phoebe how to do it, tore a leaf out of his pocketbook, wrote a hasty direction to an able surgeon

Phoebe and he never left the patient till the surgeon came with all the instruments required; amongst the rest,

with a big, tortuous pair of nippers, with which he could reach the glottis, and snip it. But they consulted, and

thought it wiser to continue the surer method; and so a little tube was neatly inserted into Dick's windpipe,

and his throat bandaged; and by this aperture he did his breathing for some little time.

Phoebe nursed him like a mother; and the terror and the joy did her good, and made her less desolate.

Dick was only just well when both of them were summoned to the farm, and arrived only just in time to

Their elder brother, a married man, inherited the farm, and was executor. Phoebe and Dick were left fifteen

hundred pounds apiece, on condition of their leaving England and going to Natal.

They knew directly what that meant. Phoebe was to be parted from a bad man, and Dick was to comfort her

When this part of the will was read to Phoebe, she turned faint, and only her health and bodily vigor kept her

But she yielded. "It is the will of the dead," said she, "and I will obey it; for, oh, if I had but listened to him

more when he was alive to advise me, I should not sit here now, sick at heart and dryeyed, when I ought to

When she had come to this she became feverishly anxious to be gone. She busied herself in purchasing

agricultural machines, and stores, and even stock; and to see her pinching the beasts' ribs to find their

condition, and parrying all attempts to cheat her, you would never have believed she could be a lovesick

Dick kept her up to the mark. He only left her to bargain with the master of a good vessel; for it was no trifle

to take out horses and cows, and machines, and bales of cloth, cotton, and linen.

When that was settled they came in to town together, and Phoebe bought shrewdly, at wholesale houses in the

city, for cash, and would have bargains: and the little shop in Street was turned into a warehouse.

They were all ardor, as colonists should be; and what pleased Dick most, she never mentioned Falcon; yet he

"We shall soon make our fortune out there," he said; "and I'll get you a good husband."

The evening before they were to sail, Phoebe sat alone, in her black dress, tired with work, and asking

herself, sick at heart, could she ever really leave England, when the door opened softly, and Reginald Falcon,

She started up with a scream, then sank down again, trembling, and turned her face to the wall.

"You have worn it out, dear," she said softly, without turning her head from the wall.

"I wish I could say as much; but, curse it, every time I leave you I learn to love you more. I am never really

"Bless you for saying that, dear. I often thought you MUST find that out one day; but you took too long."

"Oh, better late than never. Phoebe! Can you have the heart to go to the Cape, and leave me all alone in the

"Yes; my father left Dick and me fifteen hundred pounds apiece to go: that was the condition. Poor Dick

loves his unhappy sister. He won't go without meI should be his ruinpoor Dick, that really loves me;

and he lay adying here, and the good doctor and meGod bless himwe brought him back from the

grave. Ah, you little know what I have gone through. You were not here. Catch you being near me when I am

in trouble. There, I must go. I must go. I will go; if I fling myself into the sea half way."

"And, if you do, I'll take a dose of poison; for I have thrown away the truest heart, the sweetest, most

This set Phoebe sobbing. "Don't cry, dear," she murmured through her tears; "if you have really any love for

"Phoebe, I'll do anything else. I'll swear not to leave your side. I'll never look at any other face but yours. But

"I know you can't. It takes a little real love to go there with a poor girl like me. Ah, well, I'd have made you

so happy. We are not poor emigrants. I have a horse for you to ride, and guns to shoot; and me and Dick

would do all the work for you. But there are others here you can't leave for me. Well, then, goodby, dear. In

Africa, or here, I shall always love you; and many a salt tear I shall shed for you yet, many a one I have, as

well you know. God bless you. Pray for poor Phoebe, that goes against her will to Africa, and leaves her heart

This was too much even for the selfish Reginald. He kneeled at her knees, and took her hand, and kissed it,

She could not speak. He had no hope of changing her resolution; and presently he heard Dick's voice outside,

"Oh, no! no!" she gasped. "Unless you want me to die at your feet. I am almost dead now."

Dick came in, and found his sister leaning with her head back against the wall. "Why, Phoebe," said he,

When she did speak, it was to say something for which my male reader may not be prepared. But it will not

"I'm blessed if I don't believe that vagabond has been here tormenting of you again."

"Oh, don't miscall him. He is penitent. Yes, Dick, he has been here crying to meand I can't leave him. I

can'tI can't. Dear Dick! you are young and stouthearted; take all the things over, and make your fortune

out there, and leave your poor foolish sister behind. I should only fling myself into the salt sea if I left him

"Lordsake, Phoebe, don't talk so. I can't go without you. And do but think, why, the horses are on board by

now, and all the gear. It's my belief a good hiding is all you want, to bring you to your senses; but I han't the

"I won't go!" cried Phoebe, turning violent all of a sudden. "No, not if I am dragged to the ship by the hair of

"Eh, but women are kittle cattle to drive," said poor Dick ruefully. And down he sat at a nonplus, and very

Phoebe sat opposite, sullen, heartsick, wretched to the core; but determined not to leave Reginald.

Then came an event that might have been foreseen, yet it took them both by surprise.

A light step was heard, and a graceful, though seedy, figure entered the room with a set speech in his mouth:

"Phoebe, you are right. I owe it to your long and faithful affection to make a sacrifice for you. I will go to

Africa with you. I will go to the end of the world, sooner than you shall say I care for any woman on earth but

Both brother and sister were so unprepared for this, that they could hardly realize it at first.

Phoebe turned her great, inquiring eyes on the speaker, and it was a sight to see amazement, doubt, hope, and

"I will sail with you tomorrow, Phoebe; and I will make you a good husband, if you will have me."

"That is spoke like a man," said Dick. "You take him at his word, Phoebe; and if he illuses you out there, I'll

Out went poor Dick, with the tear in his eye at being snubbed so. While he was putting up the shutters,

Phoebe was making love to her pseudo penitent. "My dear," said she, "trust yourself to me. You don't know

all my love yet; for I have never been your wife, and I would not be your jade; that is the only thing I ever

refused you. Trust yourself to me. Why, you never found happiness with others; try it with me. It shall be the

best day's work you ever did, going out in the ship with me. You don't know how happy a loving wife can

make her husband. I'll pet you out there as man was never petted. And besides, it isn't for life; Dick and me

will soon make a fortune out there, and then I'll bring you home, and see you spend it any way you like but

one. Oh, how I love you! do you love me a little? I worship the ground you walk on. I adore every hair of

your head!" Her noble arm went round his neck in a moment, and the grandeur of her passion electrified him

so far that he kissed her affectionately, if not quite so warmly as she did him: and so it was all settled. The

maid was discharged that night instead of the morning, and Reginald was to occupy her bed. Phoebe went

up stairs with her heart literally on fire, to prepare his sleeping room, and so Dick and Reginald had a

"Please to cast your eyes on this suit of mine. Don't you think it is rather seedyto go to Africa with? Why, I

shall disgrace you on board the ship. I say, Dick, lend me three sovs., just to buy a new suit at the slopshop."

"Well, brotherinlaw," said Dick, "I don't see any harm in that. I'll go and fetch them for you."

What does this sensible Dick do but go upstairs to Phoebe, and say, "He wants three pounds to buy a suit;

Phoebe was shaking and patting her penitent's pillow. She dropped it on the bed in dismay. "Oh, Dick, not for

all the world! Why, if he had three sovereigns, he'd desert me at the water's edge. Oh, God help me, how I

love him! God forgive me, how I mistrust him! Good Dick! kind Dick! say we have suits of clothes, and we'll

fit him like a prince, as he ought to be, on board ship; but not a shilling of money: and, my dear, don't put the

"Oh, all right! and then don't you snap this here good, kind Dick's nose off at a word again."

"Never. I get wild if anybody threatens him. Then I'm not myself. Forgive my hasty tongue. You know I love

"Oh, ay! you love me well enough. But seems to me your love is precious like cold veal, and your love for

Dick went down, and said, "I've got no money to spare, till I get to the Cape; but Phoebe has got a box full of

suits, and I made her promise to keep it out. She will dress you like a prince, you may be sure."

At nine o'clock they were on board the vessel; at ten she weighed anchor, and a steamvessel drew her down

the river about thirty miles, then cast off, and left her to the southeasterly breeze. Up went sail after sail; she

Phoebe shed a few natural tears at leaving the shores of Old England; but they soon dried. She was demurely

happy, watching her prize, and asking herself had she really secured it, and all in a few hours?

They had a prosperous voyage: were married at Cape Town, and went up the country, bag and baggage,

looking out for a good bargain in land. Reginald was mounted on an English horse, and allowed to zigzag

about, and shoot, and play, while his wife and brotherin law marched slowly with their cavalcade.

What with air, exercise, wholesome food, and smiles of welcome, and delicious petting, this egotist enjoyed

himself finely. He admitted as much. Says he, one evening to his wife, who sat by him for the pleasure of

At that, the celestial expression of her pastoral face, and the maternal gesture with which she drew her pet's

During this period, the most remarkable things that happened to Dr. and Mrs. Staines were really those which

I have related as connecting them with Phoebe Dale and her brother; to which I will now add that Dr. Staines

detailed Dick's case in a remarkable paper, entitled "Oedema of the Glottis," and showed how the patient had

been brought back from the grave by tracheotomy and artificial respiration. He received a high price for this

To tell the truth, he was careful not to admit that it was he who had opened the windpipe; so the credit of the

whole operation was given to Mr. Jenkyn; and this gentleman was naturally pleased, and threw a good many

The Lucases, to his great comfortfor he had an instinctive aversion to Miss Lucasleft London for Paris

In February he reviewed his year's work and twelve months' residence in the Bijou. The pecuniary result was,

outgoings, nine hundred and fifty pounds; income, from fees, two hundred and eighty pounds; writing, ninety

He showed these figures to Mrs. Staines, and asked her if she could suggest any diminution of expenditure.

"Oh, impossible! You cannot think how the servants eat; and they won't touch our homemade bread."

"Oh, because they think it costs us less. Servants seem to me always to hate the people whose bread they eat."

"More likely it is their vanity. Nothing that is not paid for before their eyes seems good enough for them.

Well, dear, the bakers will revenge us. But is there any other item we could reduce? Dress?"

"Well, then, Rosa, as there is nothing we can reduce, I must write more, and take more fees, or we shall be in

the wrong box. Only eight hundred and sixty pounds left of our little capital; and, mind, we have not another

shilling in the world. One comfort, there is no debt. We pay ready money for everything."

Staines did his part nobly. He read; he wrote; he paced the yard. He wore his old clothes in the house; he took

How Phoebe Dale would have valued him, cooperated with him, and petted him, if she had had the good

The season came back, and with it Miss Lucas, towing a brilliant bride, Mrs. Vivian, young, rich, pretty, and

This lady was the first that ever made Rosa downright jealous. She seemed to have everything the female

heart could desire; and she was No. 1 with Miss Lucas this year. Now, Rosa was No. 1 last season, and had

weakly imagined that was to last forever. But Miss Lucas had always a sort of female flame, and it never

Rosa did not care so very much for Miss Lucas before, except as a convenient friend; but now she was

mortified to tears at finding Miss Lucas made more fuss with another than with her.

This foolish feeling spurred her to attempt a rivalry with Mrs. Vivian, in the very things where rivalry was

Miss Lucas gave both ladies tickets for a flowershow, where all the great folk were to be, princes and

"Then you must get something, and mind it is not pink, please; for we must not clash in colors. You know I'm

dark, and pink becomes me. (The selfish young brute was not half so dark as Rosa.) Mine is coming from

Worth's, in Paris, on purpose. And this new Madame Cie, of Regent Street, has such a duck of a bonnet, just

come from Paris. She wanted to make me one from it; but I told her I would have none but the pattern

bonnetand she knows very well she can't pass a copy off on me. Let me drive you up there, and you can

Staines was writing for the bare life, and a number of German books about him, slaving to make a few

"Oh, darling, I've only come in for a minute. We are going to a flowershow on the 13th; everybody will be

so beautifully dressed especially that Mrs. Vivian. I have got ten yards of beautiful blue silk in my

wardrobe, but that is not enough to make a whole dresseverything takes so much stuff now. Madame Cie

does not care to make up dresses unless she finds the silk, but Miss Lucas says she thinks, to oblige a friend

of hers, she would do it for once in a way. You know, dear, it would only take a few yards more, and it would

Then she clasped him round the neck, and leaned her head upon his shoulder, and looked lovingly up in his

"No one ever looks as well, in my eyes, as my Rosa. There, the dress will add nothing to your beauty; but go

and get it, to please yourself; it is very considerate of you to have chosen something of which you have ten

yards, already. See, dear, I'm to receive twenty pounds for this article; if research was paid it ought to be a

hundred. I shall add it all to your allowance for dresses this year. So no debt, mind; but come to me for

The two ladies drove off to Madame Cie's, a pretty shop lined with dark velvet and lace draperies.

In the back room they were packing a lovely bridal dress, going off the following Saturday to New York.

"Oh, dear, yes!" exclaimed Madame Cie. "The American ladies are excellent customers. They buy everything

"I have brought a new customer," said Miss Lucas; "and I want you to do a great favor, and that is to match a

Madame Cie produced a white muslin polonaise, which she was just going to send home to the Princess

"Then why don't you have a polonaise? The lace is the only expensive part, the muslin is a mere nothing; and

It was agreed Madame Cie was to send for the blue silk and the lace, and the dresses were to be tried on on

On Thursday, as Rosa went gayly into Madame Cie's back room to have the dresses tried on, Madame Cie

said, "You have a beautiful lace shawl, but it wants arranging; in five minutes I could astonish you with what

The dressmaker kept her word. By the time the blue dress was tried on, Madame Cie had, with the aid of a

few pins, plaits, and a bow of blue ribbon, transformed the half lace shawl into one of the smartest and

distingue things imaginable; but when the bill came in at Christmas, for that five minutes' labor and distingue

Madame Cie then told the ladies, in an artfully confidential tone, she had a quantity of black silk coming

home, which she had purchased considerably below cost price; and that she should like to make them each a

dressnot for her own sake, but theirsas she knew they would never meet such a bargain again. "You

know, Miss Lucas," she continued, "we don't want our money, when we know our customers. Christmas is

"Christmas is a long time off," thought the young wife, "nearly ten months. I think I'll have a black silk,

Madame Cie; but I must not say anything to the doctor about it just yet, or he might think me extravagant."

"No one can ever think a lady extravagant for buying a black silk; it's such a useful dress; lasts

Days, weeks, and months rolled on, and with them an everrolling tide of flowershows, dinners, athomes,

Strange that in one house there should be two people who loved each other, yet their lives ran so far apart,

except while they were asleep: the man all industry, selfdenial, patience; the woman all frivolity,

selfindulgence, and amusement; both chained to an oar, onlyone in a working boat, the other in a painted

The woman got tired first, and her charming color waned sadly. She came to him for medicine to set her up.

"No, no," said he; "no medicine can do the work of wholesome food and rational repose. You lack the season

On this the doctor's wife went to a chemist for advice. He gave her a pink stimulant; and, as stimulants have

two effects, viz., first to stimulate, and then to weaken, this did her no lasting good. Dr. Staines cursed the

Returning one day to his dressingroom, just after Rosa had come downstairs, he caught sight of a red stain

Staines examined the housemaid; she lied instinctively at first, seeing he was alarmed; but, being urged to tell

"Rosa," said he, very gravely, "there are two people a woman is mad to deceiveher husband and her

I suspect Dr. Staines merely meant to say that she had concealed from him an alarming symptom for several

weeks; but she answered in a hurry, to excuse herself, and let the cat out of the bagexcuse my vulgarity.

"It was all that Mrs. Vivian's fault. She laughed at me so for not wearing them; and she has a waist you can

"It looks as hideous as a Chinese foot, and, to the eye of science, far more disgusting; it is the cause of so

"Minutely. I look at all your friends with great anxiety, knowing no animal more dangerous than a fool.

"A sure proof of a disordered stomachand a waist pinched in so unnaturally, that I said to myself, 'Where

on earth does this idiot put her liver?' Did you ever read of the frog who burst, trying to swell to an ox? Well,

here is the rivalry reversed; Mrs. Vivian is a bag of bones in a balloon; she can machine herself into a wasp;

but a fine young woman like you, with flesh and muscle, must kill yourself three or four times before you can

make your body as meagre, hideous, angular, and unnatural as Vivian's. But all you ladies are

monomaniacs; one might as well talk sense to a gorilla. It brought you to the edge of the grave. I saved you.

Yet you could go and God grant me patience. So I suppose these unprincipled women lent you their stays

"No. But they laughed at me so that Oh, Christie, I'm a wretch; I kept a pair at the Lucases, and a pair at

"You spent your daylight dressing. You dressed to go out; dressed again in stays; dressed again without them;

and all to deceive your husband, and kill yourself, at the bidding of two shallow, heartless women, who

would dance over your grave without a pang of remorse, or sentiment of any kind, since they live, like

And she kneeled down, and renewed the request, looking up in his face with an expression that might have

He smiled superior. "The question is, are you sorry you have been so thoughtless?"

"Sublata causa tollitur effectus." The stays being gone, and dissipation moderated, Mrs. Staines bloomed

again, and they gave one or two unpretending little dinners at the Bijou. Dr. Staines admitted no false friends

to these. They never went beyond eight; five gentlemen, three ladies. By this arrangement the terrible

discursiveness of the fair, and man's cruel disposition to work a subject threadbare, were controlled and

modified, and a happy balance of conversation established. Lady Cicely Treherne was always invited, and

always managed to come; for she said, "They were the most agweeable little paaties in London, and the host

and hostess both so intewesting." In the autumn, Staines worked double tides with the pen, and found a

vehicle for medical narratives in a weekly magazine that did not profess medicine.

This new vein put him in heart. His fees, towards the end of the year, were less than last year, because there

was no hundredguinea fee; but there was a marked increase in the small fees, and the unflagging pen had

Not so Mrs. Staines; for some time she had been uneasy, fretful, and like a person with a weight on her mind.

One Sunday she said to him, "Oh, dear, I do feel so dull. Nobody to go to church with, nor yet to the Zoo."

So to church they went; and Staines, whose motto was "Hoc age," minded his book. Rosa had intervals of

During the Litany in bustled Clara, the housemaid, with a white jacket on so like her mistress's, that Rosa

clutched her own convulsively, to see whether she had not been skinned of it by some devilish

In her excitement, Rosa pinched Staines, and with her nose, that went like a waterwagtail, pointed out the

malefactor. Then she whispered, "Look! How dare she? My very jacket! Earrings too, and brooches, and

"Well, never mind," whispered Staines. "Sunday is her day. We have got all the week to shine. There, don't

When they walked home after church, Staines tried to divert her from the consideration of her wrongs; but

She mourned the hard fate of mistressesunfortunate creatures that could not do without servants.

"Is not that a confession that servants are good, useful creatures, with all their faults? Then as to the mania for

dress, why, that is not confined to them. It is the mania of the sex. Are you free from it?"

"Then she is your intellectual inferior, and more excusable. Anyway, it is wise to connive at a thing we can't

"My dear, pray do not send her away, for she is tidy in the house, and quick, and better than any one we have

"To hear you speak, one would think it was my fault that we have so many bad servants."

"I never said it was your fault; but I THINK, dearest, a little more forbearance in trifles"

"Trifles! triflesfor a mistress and maid to be seen dressed alike in the same church? You take the servants'

"You should not say that, even in jest. Come now, do you really think a jacket like yours can make the

servant look like you, or detract from your grace and beauty? There is a very simple way; put your jacket by

Mrs. Staines said that; but when it came to acting, she deferred to her husband's wish; she resigned her

intention of sending for Clara and giving her warning. On the contrary, when Clara let her in, and the white

jackets rubbed together in the narrow passage, she actually said nothing, but stalked to her own room, and

Unfortunately, she was so long dressing for the Zoo, that Clara came in to arrange the room. She picks up the

white jacket, takes it in both hands, gives it a flap, and proceeds to hang it up in the wardrobe.

Thereupon ensued an uneven encounter, Clara being one of those of whom the Scripture says, "The poison of

"Oh, because I've got one like it. Ay. Missises can't abide a goodlooking servant, nor to see 'em dressed

"Mistresses do not like servants to forget their place, nor wear what does not become their situation."

"My situation! Why, I can pay my way, go where I will. I don't tremble at the tradesmen's knock, as some

"Leave the room, yesand I'll leave the house too, and tell all the neighbors what I know about it."

Clara rushed to the kitchen, and there told the cook and Andrew Pearman how she had given it to the

mistress, and every word she had said to her, with a good many more she had not.

But Andrew Pearman was wroth, and said, "You to affront our mistress like that! Why, if I had heard you, I'd

"It would take a better man than you to do that. You mind your own business. Stick to your onehorse chay."

"Well, I'm not above my place, for that matter. But you gals must always be aping your betters."

"I have got a proper pride, that is all, and you haven't. You ought to be ashamed of yourself to do two men's

work; drive a brougham and wait on a horse, and then come in and wait at table, You are a teakettle groom,

that is what you are. Why, my brother was coachman to Lord FitzJames, and gave his lordship notice the

first time he had to drive the children. Says he, 'I don't object to the children, my lord, but with her ladyship

in the carriage.' It's such servants as you as spoil places. No servant as knows what's due to a servant ought to

This expression wounded the great equestrian soul to the quick; the rest of Sunday he pondered on it; the next

Meantime, the cook made haste and told the baker Pearman had "got it hot" from the housemaid, and she had

called him a teakettle groom; and in less than half an hour after that it was in every stable in the mews.

Why, as Pearman was taking the horse out of the brougham, didn't two little redheaded urchins call out,

"Here, come and see the teakettle groom!" and at night some mischievous boy chalked on the black door of

the stable a large white tea kettle, and next morning a drunken, idle fellow, with a clay pipe in his mouth,

and a dirty pair of corduroy trousers, no coat, but a shirt very open at the chest, showing inflamed skin, the

effect of drink, inspected that work of art with blinking eyes and vacillating toes, and said, "This comes of a

chap doing too much. A few more like you, and work would be scarce. A fine thing for gentlefolks to make

one man fill two places! but it ain't the gentlefolks' fault, it's the man as humors 'em."

Pearman was a peaceable man, and made no reply, but went on with his work; only during the day he told his

master that he should be obliged to him if he would fill his situation as soon as convenient.

The master inquired the cause, and the man told him, and said the mews was too hot for him.

The doctor offered him five pounds a year more, knowing he had a treasure; but Pearman said, with sadness

The doctor's heart fairly sank at the prospect of losing the one creature he could depend upon.

Next Sunday evening Clara was out, and fell in with friends, to whom she exaggerated her grievance.

Then they worked her up to fury, after the manner of servants' FRIENDS. She came home, packed her box,

brought it down, and then flounced into the room to Doctor and Mrs. Staines, and said, "I shan't sleep another

Rosa was about to speak, but Dr. Staines forbade her: he said, "You had better think twice of that. You are a

good servant, though for once you have been betrayed into speaking disrespectfully. Why forfeit your

"I don't mean to, sir," said she, lowering her voice suddenly; then, raising it as suddenly, "There are my keys,

"Mrs. Staines will not search your box; and you will retire at once to your own part of the house."

"I'll go farther than that," said she, and soon after the street door was slammed; the Bijou shook.

At six o'clock next morning, she came for her box. It had been put away for safety. Pearman told her she must

wait till the doctor came down. She did not wait, but went at eleven A.M. to a police magistrate, and took

out a summons against Dr. Staines, for detaining a box containing certain articles specifiedvalue under

When Dr. Staines heard she had been for her box, but left no address, he sent Pearman to hunt for her. He

could not find her. She avoided the house, but sent a woman for her diurnal love letters. Dr. Staines sent the

woman back to fetch her. She came, received her box, her letters, and the balance of her wages, which was

Out of respect for a court of justice, however humble, Dr. Staines attended next Monday to meet the

The magistrate was an elderly man, with a face shaped like a hog's, but much richer in color, being purple

and pimply; so foul a visage Staines had rarely seen, even in the lowest class of the community.

Clara swore that her box had been opened, and certain things stolen out of it; and that she had been refused

Staines swore that he had never opened the box, and that, if any one else had, it was with her consent, for she

had left the keys for that purpose. He bade the magistrate observe that if a servant went away like this, and

left no address, she put it out of the master's POWER to send her box after her; and he proved he had some

The pigfaced beak showed a manifest leaning towards the servant, but there wasn't a leg to stand on; and he

did not believe, nor was it credible, that anything had been stolen out of her box.

At this moment, Pearman, sent by Rosa, entered the court with an old gown of Clara's that had been

discovered in the scullery, and a scribblingbook of the doctor's, which Clara had appropriated, and written

amorous verses in, very superiorin numberto those that have come down to us from Anacreon.

"Young woman," said Staines, "do not insult those whose bread you have eaten, and who have given you

many presents besides your wages. Since you are so ready to accuse people of stealing, permit me to say that

this book is mine, and not yours; and yet, you see, it is sent after you because you have written your trash in

The purple, pigfaced beak went instantly out of the record, and wasted a deal of time reading Clara's poetry,

and trying to be witty. He raised the question whose book this was. The girl swore that it WAS given her by a

lady who was now in Rome. Staines swore he bought it of a certain stationer, and happening to have his

passbook in his pocket, produced an entry corresponding with the date of the book.

The pigfaced beak said that the doctor's was an improbable story, and that the gown and the book were quite

"What, because two things she never demanded have been found and sent after her? This is monstrous. I shall

"Very well, sir. Now hear me: if this is an honest judgment, I pray God I may be dead before the year's out;

He deigned no reply, but paid the guinea, and Clara swept out of the court, with a train a yard long, and

leaning on the arm of a scarlet soldier who avenged Dr. Staines with military promptitude.

Christopher went home raging internally, for hitherto he had never seen so gross a case of injustice.

One of his humble patients followed him, and said, "I wish I had known, sir; you shouldn't have come here to

be insulted. Why, no gentleman can ever get justice against a servant girl when HE is sitting. It is notorious,

and that makes these hussies so bold. I've seen that jade here with the same story twice afore."

Staines reached home more discomposed than he could have himself believed. The reason was that barefaced

injustice in a court of justice shook his whole faith in man. He opened the street door with his latchkey, and

"For goods delivered at this house, sir. Balance of account." And he handed him a butcher's bill, L88, 11s. 5

"You must be mistaken; we run no bills here. We pay ready money for everything."

"Well, sir," said the butcher, "there have been payments; but the balance has always been gaining; and we

have been put off so often, we determined to see the master. Show you the books, sir, and welcome."

"This instant, if you please." He took the butcher's address, who then retired, and the other tradesman, a

He went to the butcher's, sick at heart, inspected the books, and saw that, right or wrong, they were

incontrovertible; that debt had been gaining slowly, but surely, almost from the time he confided the accounts

The debtor put his hand to his heart, and stood a moment. The very grocer pitied him, and said, "There's no

harry, doctor; a trifle on account, if settlement in full not convenient just now. I see you have been kept in the

"No, no," said Christopher; "I'll pay every shilling." He gave one gulp, and hurried away.

A bill of nineteen pounds at the very pastrycook's; a place she had promised him, as her physician, never to

In short, wherever she had dealt, the same system: partial payments, and evergrowing debt.

Remembering Madame Cie, he drove in a cab to Regent Street, and asked for Mrs. Staines's account.

Miss Edwards was a good while making it out; but it was ready at last. He thrust it into his pocket, without

daring to look at it there; but he went into Verrey's, and asked for a cup of coffee, and perused the document.

L s. May 4. Reshaping and repairing elegant lace mantle, 1 8 Chip bonnet, feather, and flowers . . . . 4 4

May 20. Making and trimming blue silk dressmaterial part found . . . . . . . . . . . 19 19 Five yards rich blue

silk to match. . . . 4 2 June 1. Polonaise and jacket trimmed with lace material part found . . . . . . . . 17 17

June 8. One black silk dress, handsomely trimmed with jet guipure and lace . . . . . . 49 18

A few shreds and fragments of finery, bought at odd times, swelled the bill to L99 11s. 6d.not to terrify the

And let no unsophisticated young lady imagine that the trimmings, which constituted threefourths of this

bill, were worth anything. The word "lace," in Madame Cie's bill, invariably meant machine made trash,

worth tenpence a yard, but charged eighteen shillings a yard for one pennyworth of work in putting it on.

Where real lace was used, Madame Cie always LET HER CUSTOMERS KNOW IT. Miss Lucas's bill for

L s. Rich gros de cecile polonaise and jacket to match, trimmed with Chantilly lace and valenciennes . . . 68 5

The customer found the stuff; viz., two shawls. Carolina found the nasty little polecats, and got twentyfour

But Christopher Staines had not Miss Lucas's bill to compare his wife's with. He could only compare the

He went home, and into his studio, and sat down on his hard beech chair; he looked round on his books and

his work, and then, for the first time, remembered how long and how patiently he had toiled for every

hundred pounds he had made; and he laid the evidences of his wife's profusion and deceit by the side of those

signs of painful industry and selfdenial, and his soul filled with bitterness. "Deceit! deceit!"

Mrs. Staines heard he was in the house, and came to know about the trial. She came hurriedly in, and caught

him with his head on the table, in an attitude of prostration, quite new to him; he raised his head directly he

"The matter is what it has always been, if I could only have seen it. You have deceived me, and disgraced

"It was plenty, if you had kept faith with me, and paid ready money. It was enough for the first five weeks. I

am housekeeper now, and I shall allow myself two pounds a week less, and not owe a shilling either."

"Then, you should have come to me, and said so; and I would have shown you how. Was I in Egypt, or at the

North Pole, that you could not find me, to treat me like a friend? You have ruined us: these debts will sweep

away the last shilling of our little capital; but it isn't that, oh, no! it is the miserable deceit."

Rosa's eye caught the sum total of Madame Cie's bill, and she turned pale. "Oh, what a cheat that woman is!"

But she turned paler when Christopher said, "That is the one honest bill; for I gave you leave. It is these that

part us: these! these! Look at them, false heart! There, go and pack up your things. We can live here no

"I thought you would, sooner or later," said Mrs. Staines, panting, trembling, but showing a little fight. "He

"An honest man's wife, you mean: that is what you are not fit for. You will go home to your father, and I

shall go into some humble lodging to work for you. I'll contrive to keep you, and find you a hundred a year to

spend in dressthe only thing your heart can really love. But I won't have an enemy here in the disguise of a

friend; and I won't have a wife about me I must treat like a servant, and watch like a traitor."

The words were harsh, but the agony with which they were spoken distinguished them from vulgar

They overpowered poor Rosa; she had been ailing a little some time, and from remorse and terror, coupled

with other causes, nature gave way. Her lips turned white, she gasped inarticulately, and, with a little piteous

He was walking wildly about, ready to tear his hair, when she tottered; he saw her just in time to save her,

Away went anger and every other feeling but love and pity for the poor, weak creature that, with all her

He applied no remedies at first: he knew they were useless and unnecessary. He laid her head quite low, and

opened door and window, and loosened all her dress, sighing deeply all the time at her condition.

While he was thus employed, suddenly a strange cry broke from him: a cry of horror, remorse, joy,

tenderness, all combined: a cry compared with which language is inarticulate. His swift and practical eye had

He kneeled over her, with his eyes dilating and his hands clasped, a picture of love and tender remorse.

Then he made haste, and applied his remedies, and brought her slowly back to life; he lifted her up, and

carried her in his arms quite away from the bills and things, that, when she came to, she might see nothing to

revive her distress. He carried her to the drawingroom, and kneeled down and rocked her in his arms, and

pressed her again and again gently to his heart, and cried over her. "O my dove, my dove! the tender creature

God gave me to love and cherish, and have I used it harshly? If I had only known! if I had only known!"

While he was thus bemoaning her, and blaming himself, and crying over her like the rain,he, whom she

had never seen shed a tear before in all his troubles,she was coming to entirely, and her quick ears caught

"I forgive you, dear," she said feebly. "BUT I HOPE YOU WILL BE A KINDER FATHER THAN A

These quiet words, spoken with rare gravity and softness, went through the great heart like a knife.

But that night he made a solemn vow to God that no harsh word from his lips should ever again strike a being

so weak, so loving, and so beyond his comprehension. Why look for courage and candor in a creature so

timid and shy, she could not even tell her husband THAT until, with her subtle sense, she saw he had

To be a father; to have an image of his darling Rosa, and a fruit of their love to live and work for: this gave

the sore heart a heavenly glow, and elasticity to bear. Should this dear object be born to an inheritance of

He began to act as if he was even now a father. He entreated Rosa not to trouble or vex herself; he would

He paid all the bills, and put by a quarter's rent and taxes. Then there remained of his little capital just ten

He went to his printers, and had a thousand orderchecks printed. These forms ran thus:

"Dr. Staines, of 13 Dear Street, Mayfair (blank for date), orders of (blank here for tradesman and goods

ordered), for cash. Received same time (blank for tradesman's receipt). Notice: Dr. Staines disowns all orders

He exhibited these forms, and warned all the tradespeople, before a witness whom he took round for that

He paid off Pearman on the spot. Pearman had met Clara, dressed like a pauper, her soldier having emptied

Staines told the cook Mrs. Staines was in delicate health, and must not be troubled with anything. She must

"Yes, sir," said she. But she no sooner comprehended the check system fully than she gave warning. It put a

stop to her wholesale pilfering. Rosa's cooks had made fully a hundred pounds out of her amongst them since

Under the male housekeeper every article was weighed on delivery, and this soon revealed that the butcher

and the fishmonger had habitually delivered short weight from the first, besides putting down the same thing

twice. The things were sent back that moment, with a printed form, stating the nature and extent of the fraud.

The washerwoman, who had been pilfering wholesale so long as Mrs. Staines and her sloppyheaded maids

counted the linen, and then forgot it, was brought up with a run, by triplicate forms, and by Staines counting

the things before two witnesses, and compelling the washerwoman to count them as well, and verify or

dispute on the spot. The laundress gave warninga plain confession that stealing had been part of her trade.

He kept the house well for three pounds a week, exclusive of coals, candles, and wine. His wife had had five

pounds, and whatever she asked for dinnerparties, yet found it not half enough upon her method.

He kept no coachman. If he visited a patient, a man in the yard drove him at a shilling per hour.

By these means, and by working like a galley slave, he dragged his expenditure down almost to a level with

Rosa was quite content at first, and thought herself lucky to escape reproaches on such easy terms.

But by and by so rigorous a system began to gall her. One day she fancied a Bath bun; sent the new maid to

the pastrycook's. Pastrycook asked to see the doctor's order. Maid could not show it, and came back

"A Bath bun," said Staines. "Why, they are colored with annotto, to save an egg, and annotto is adulterated

with chromates that are poison. Adulteration upon adulteration. I'll make you a real Bath bun." Off coat, and

into the kitchen, and made her three, pure, but rather heavy. He brought them her in due course. She declined

"If I can't have a thing when I want it, I don't care for it at all." Such was the principle she laid down for his

One day, when she asked for the carriage, he told her the time was now come for her to leave off carriage

"I am sorry for that. But it is necessary to you, and by and by your life may depend on it."

In one of these walks she stopped at a shop window, and fell in love with some baby's things. "Oh! I must

The tears of disappointment stood in her eyes, and his heart yearned over her. But he kept his head.

"Well, but wait a bit," said he; "suppose I am making a little money by it, to buy you something you have set

In a very few days after this, he brought her a little box with a slit in it. He shook it, and money rattled; then

he unlocked it, and poured out a little pile of silver. "There," said he, "put on your bonnet, and come and buy

She put on her bonnet, and on the way she asked how it came to be all in silver.

"What, undersell my brethren! Hang it, no! My dear, I made it honestly, and some day I will tell you how I

made it; at present, all I will tell you is this: I saw my darling longing for something she had a right to long

for; I saw the tears in her sweet eyes, andoh, come along, do. I am wretched till I see you with the things in

They went to the shop; and Staines sat and watched Rosa buying babyclothes. Oh, it was a pretty sight to

see this modest young creature, little more than a child herself, anticipating maternity, but blushing every

now and then, and looking askant at her lord and master. How his very bowels yearned over her!

And when they got home, she spread the things on a table, and they sat hand in hand, and looked at them, and

And yet, as time rolled on, she became irritable at times, and impatient, and wanted all manner of things she

Then he was out from six o'clock till one, and she took it into her head to be jealous. So many hours to spend

Presently, Ellen, the new maid, got gossiping in the yard, and a groom told her her master had a sweetheart

on the sly, he thought; for he drove the brougham out every evening himself; "and," said the man, "he wears a

Ellen ran in, brimful of this, and told the cook; the cook told the washerwoman; the washerwoman told a

At last it came to Mrs. Staines in a roundabout way, at the very moment when she was complaining to Lady

Cicely Treherne of her hard lot. She had been telling her she was nothing more than a lay figure in the

"My husband is housekeeper now, and cook, and all, and makes me delicious dishes, I can tell you; SUCH

curries! I couldn't keep the house with five pounds a week, so now he does it with three: and I never get the

carriage, because walking is best for me; and he takes it out every night to make money. I don't understand

Lady Cicely suggested that perhaps Dr. Staines thought it best for her to be relieved of all worry, and so

"No, no, no," said Rosa; "I used to pay them all a part of their bills, and then a little more, and so I kept

getting deeper; and I was ashamed to tell Christie, so that he calls deceit; and oh, he spoke to me so cruelly

once! But he was very sorry afterwards, poor dear! Why are girls brought up so silly? all piano, and no sense;

and why are men sillier still to go and marry such silly things? A wife! I am not so much as a servant. Oh, I

am finely humiliated, and," with a sudden hearty naivete all her own, "it serves me just right."

While Lady Cicely was puzzling this out, in came a letter. Rosa opened it, read it, and gave a cry like a

The letter informed her bluntly that her husband drove his brougham out every night to pursue a criminal

While Rosa was wringing her hands in real anguish of heart, Lady Cicely read the letter carefully.

"Not true! Why, who would be so wicked as to stab a poor, inoffensive wretch like me, if it wasn't true?"

"The first ugly woman would, in a minute. Don't you see the witer can't tell you where he goes? Dwives his

"Oh, my dear friend, bless you! What have I been complaining to you about? All is light, except to lose his

love. What shall I do? I will never tell him. I will never affront him by saying I suspected him."

"Wosa, if you do that, you will always have a serpent gnawing you. No; you must put the letter quietly into

"Oh, I could not. I haven't the courage. If I do that, I shall know by his face if there is any truth in it."

"Well, and you must know the twuth. You shall know it. I want to know it too; for if he does not love you

After dinner she put the letter into Christopher's hand, and asked him quietly was there any truth in that: then

Christopher read it, and frowned; then he looked up, and said, "No, not a word. What scoundrels there are in

the world! To go and tell you that, NOW! Why, you little goose! have you been silly enough to believe it?"

"My dear wife, I never loved you as I love you now; and if it was not for you, I should not drive the

brougham out of nights. That is all I shall tell you at present; but some day I'll tell you all about it."

He took such a calm high hand with her about it, that she submitted to leave it there; but from this moment

Now it happened one night that Lady Cicely Treherne and a friend were at a concert in Hanover Square. The

other lady felt rather faint, and Lady Cicely offered to take her home. The carriages had not yet arrived, and

Miss Macnamara said to walk a few steps would do her good: a smart cabman saw them from a distance and

The cabman bustled down and opened the door; Miss Macnamara got in first, then Lady Cicely; her eye fell

on the cabman's face, which was lighted full by a streetlamp, and it was Christopher Staines!

She told him where, and when they got out, said, "I'll send it you by the servant."

A flunkey soon after appeared with halfacrown, and the amateur coachman drove away. He said to

Next day, and the day after, he asked Rosa, with affected carelessness, had she heard anything of Lady

She did call at last, and after a few words with Rosa, became a little restless, and asked if she might consult

"Certainly." She rang the bell, and told the servant to ask Dr. Staines if he would be kind enough to step into

Dr. Staines came in, and bowed to Lady Cicely, and eyed her a little uncomfortably.

She began, however, in a way that put him quite at his ease. "You remember the advice you gave us about my

"Perfectly: his life is very precarious; he is bilious, consumptive, and, if not watched, will be epileptical; and

"Exactly: and you wecommended a sea voyage, with a medical attendant to watch his diet, and contwol his

habits. Well, she took other advice, and the youth is worse; so now she is fwightened, and a month ago she

asked me to pwopose to you to sail about with Tadcastah; and she offered me a thousand pounds a year. I put

on my stiff look, and said, 'Countess, with every desiah to oblige you, I must decline to cawwy that offah to a

man of genius, learning, and weputation, who has the ball at his feet in London.'"

Lady Cicely continued: "Now, this good lady, you must know, is not exactly one of us: the late earl mawwied

into cotton, or wool, or something. So she said, 'Name your price for him.' I shwugged my shoulders, smiled

affably, and as affectedly as you like, and changed the subject. But since then things have happened. I am

afwaid it is my duty to make you the judge whether you choose to sail about with that little cubRosa, I can

beat about the bush no longer. Is it a fit thing that a man of genius, at whose feet we ought all to be sitting

with reverence, should drive a cab in the public streets? Yes, Rosa Staines, your husband drives his brougham

out at night, not to visit any other lady, as that anonymous wretch told you, but to make a few misewable

"It is no use, Dr. Staines; I must and will tell her. My dear, he drove ME three nights ago. He had a cabman's

badge on his poor arm. If you knew what I suffered in those five minutes! Indeed it seems cruel to speak of

itbut I could not keep it from Rosa, and the reason I muster courage to say it before you, sir, it is because I

know she has other friends who keep you out of their consultations; and, after all, it is the world that ought to

Her ladyship's kindly bosom heaved, and she wanted to cry; so she took her handkerchief out of her pocket

without the least hurry, and pressed it delicately to her eyes, and did cry quietly, but without any disguise,

like a brave lady, who neither cried nor did anything else she was ashamed to be seen at.

As for Rosa, she sat sobbing round Christopher's neck, and kissed him with all her soul.

"Dear me!" said Christopher. "You are both very kind. But, begging your pardon, it is much ado about

Lady Cicely took no notice of that observation. "So, Rosa dear," said she, "I think you are the person to

"I will settle that," said Staines. "I have one beloved creature to provide for. I may have another. I MUST

make money. Turning a brougham into a cab, whatever you may think, is an honest way of making it, and I

am not the first doctor who has coined his brougham at night. But if there is a good deal of money to be made

by sailing with Lord Tadcaster, of course I should prefer that to cabdriving, for I have never made above

"Yes, love: leave youfor your good; and only for a time. Lady Cicely, it is a noble offer. My darling Rosa

will have every comfortay, every luxury, till I come home, and then we will start afresh with a good

Lady Cicely gazed on him with wonder. She said, "Oh! what stout hearts men have! No, no; don't let him go.

See; he is acting. His great heart is torn with agony. I will have no hand in parting man and wifeno, not for

Rosa fell on her knees, and asked Christopher's pardon for having been jealous; and that day she was a flood

of divine tenderness. She repaid him richly for driving the cab. But she was unnaturally cool about Lady

Cicely; and the exquisite reason soon came out. "Oh yes! She is very good; very kind; but it is not for me

now! No! you shall not sail about with her cub of a cousin, and leave me at such a time."

"Christie, you shall not see that lady again. She came here to part us. SHE IS IN LOVE WITH YOU. I was

Next day, as Lady Cicely sat alone in the morningroom thinking over this very scene, a footman brought in

The lady's pale cheek colored; she stood irresolute a single moment. "I will see Dr. Staines," said she.

Dr. Staines came in, looking pale and worn; he had not slept a wink since she saw him last.

She looked at him full, and divined this at a glance. She motioned him to a seat, and sat down herself, with

her white hand pressing her forehead, and her head turned a little away from him.

He told her he had come to thank her for her great kindness, and to accept the offer.

She sighed. "I hoped it was to decline it. Think of the misery of separation, both to you and her."

"It will be misery. But we are not happy as it is, and she cannot bear poverty. Nor is it fair she should, when I

can give her every comfort by just playing the man for a year or two." He then told Lady Cicely there were

more reasons than he chose to mention: go he must, and would; and he implored her not to let the affair drop.

In short, he was sad but resolved, and she found she must go on with it, or break faith with him. She took her

desk, and wrote a letter concluding the bargain for him. She stipulated for half the year's fee in advance. She

"You ARE a friend!" said he. "I should never have ventured on that; it will be a godsend to my poor Rosa.

"So will Uncle Philip, I think. I will see him before I go, and shake hands. He has been a good friend to me;

Then he thanked and blessed her again, with the tears in his eyes, and left her more disturbed and tearful than

she had ever been since she grew to woman. "O cruel poverty!" she thought, "that such a man should be torn

from his home, and thank me for doing it all for a little moneyand here are we poor commonplace

Staines hurried home, and told his wife. She clung to him convulsively, and wept bitterly; but she made no

direct attempt to shake his resolution; she saw, by his iron look, that she could only afflict, not turn him.

Next day came Lady Cicely to see her. Lady Cicely was very uneasy in her mind, and wanted to know

Rosa received her with a forced politeness and an icy coldness that petrified her. She could not stay long in

face of such a reception. At parting, she said, sadly, "You look on me as an enemy."

"What else can you expect, when you part my husband and me?" said Rosa, with quiet sternness.

"I meant well," said Lady Cicely sorrowfully; "but I wish I had never interfered."

Rosa was unjust, but she was not rude nor vulgar; and Lady Cicely's temper was so well governed that it

never blinded her heart. She withdrew, but without the least idea of quarrelling with her afflicted friend, or

abandoning her. She went quietly home, and wrote to Lady , to say that she should be glad to receive

Dr. Staines's advance as soon as convenient, since Mrs. Staines would have to make fresh arrangements, and

The money was forthcoming directly. Lady Cicely brought it to Dear Street, and handed it to Dr. Staines. His

Staines took the money to Rosa, and said, "See what our best friend has brought us. You shall have four

hundred, and I hope, after the bitter lessons you have had, you will be able to do with that for some months.

"No, no!" said Rosa. "I shall go and live with my father, and never spend a penny. O Christie, if you knew

how I hate myself for the folly that is parting us! Oh, why don't they teach girls sense and money, instead of

But Christopher opened a banking account for her, and gave her a checkbook, and entreated her to pay

everything by check, and run no bills whatever; and she promised. He also advertised the Bijou, and put a bill

Rosa cried bitterly at sight of it, thinking how high in hope they were, when they had their first dinner there,

And now everything moved with terrible rapidity. The Amphitrite was to sail from Plymouth in five days;

and, meantime, there was so much to be done, that the days seemed to gallop away.

Dr. Staines forgot nothing. He made his will in duplicate, leaving all to his wife; he left one copy at Doctors'

Commons and another with his lawyer; inventoried all his furniture and effects in duplicate, too; wrote to

Uncle Philip, and then called on him to seek a reconciliation. Unfortunately, Dr. Philip was in Scotland. At

last this sad pair went down to Plymouth together, there to meet Lord Tadcaster and go on board H.M.S.

They met at the inn, as appointed; and sent word of their arrival on board the frigate, asking to remain on

Dr. Staines presented his patient to Rosa; and after a little while drew him apart and questioned him

professionally. He then asked for a private room. Here he and Rosa really took leave; for what could the poor

things say to each other on a crowded quay? He begged her forgiveness, on his knees, for having once spoken

harshly to her, and she told him, with passionate sobs, he had never spoken harshly to her; her folly it was

Poor wretches! they clung together with a thousand vows of love and constancy. They were to pray for each

other at the same hours: to think of some kind word or loving act, at other stated hours; and so they tried to

fight with their suffering minds against the cruel separation; and if either should die, the other was to live

wedded to memory, and never listen to love from other lips; but no! God was pitiful; He would let them meet

again ere long, to part no more. They rocked in each other's arms; they cried over each otherit was pitiful.

At last the cruel summons came; they shuddered, as if it was their deathblow. Christopher, with a face of

agony, was yet himself, and would have parted then: and so best. But Rosa could not. She would see the last

Then he let her come with him to Milbay Steps; but into the boat he would not let her step.

The ship's boat lay at the steps, manned by six sailors, all seated, with their oars tossed in two vertical rows.

A smart middy in charge conducted them, and Dr. Staines and Lord Tadcaster got in, leaving Rosa, in charge

Each order was executed so swiftly and surely that, in as many seconds, the boat was clear, the oars struck the

water with a loud splash, and the husband was shot away like an arrow, and the wife's despairing cry rang on

They were received on the quarterdeck by Captain Hamilton: he introduced them to the officersa torture

to poor Staines, to have his mind taken for a single instant from his wifethe first lieutenant came aft, and

Staines seized the excuse, rushed to the other side of the vessel, leaned over the taffrail, as if he would fly

ashore, and stretched out his hands to his beloved Rosa; and she stretched out her hands to him. They were so

near, he could read the expression of her face. It was wild and troubled, as one who did not yet realize the

"HANDS MAKE SAILAWAY, ALOFTUP ANCHOR"rang in Christopher's ear, as if in a dream.

All his soul and senses were bent on that desolate young creature. How young and amazed her lovely face!

Yet this bewildered child was about to become a mother. Even a stranger's heart might have yearned with

The capstan was manned, and worked to a merry tune that struck chill to the bereaved; yards were braced for

casting, anchor hove, catted, and fished, sail was spread with amazing swiftness, the ship's head dipped, and

slowly and gracefully paid off towards the breakwater, and she stood out to sea under swiftlyswelling

Staines only felt the motion: his body was in the ship, his soul with his Rosa. He gazed, he strained his eyes

to see her eyes, as the ship glided from England and her. While he was thus gazing and trembling all over, up

came to him a smart second lieutenant, with a brilliant voice that struck him like a sword. "Captain's orders to

The man's wild answer made the young officer stare. "Oh, sir! not nowtry and do my duty when I have

Now this officer always went to sea singing "Oh be joyful." But a strong man's agony, who can make light of

it? It was a revelation to him; but he took it quickly. The first thing he did, being a man of action, was to dash

into his cabin, and come back with a short, powerful double glass. "There!" said he roughly, but kindly, and

shoved it into Staines's hand. He took it, stared at it stupidly, then used it, without a word of thanks, so

This glass prolonged the misery of that bitter hour. When Rosa could no longer tell her husband from

another, she felt he was really gone, and she threw her hands aloft, and clasped them above her head, with the

wild abandon of a woman who could never again be a child; and Staines saw it, and a sharp sigh burst from

him, and he saw her maid and others gather round her. He saw the poor young thing led away, with her head

all down, as he had never seen her before, and supported to the inn; and then he saw her no more.

His heart seemed to go out of his bosom in search of her, and leave nothing but a stone behind: he hung over

the taffrail like a dead thing. A steady footfall slapped his ear. He raised his white face and filmy eyes, and

saw Lieutenant Fitzroy marching to and fro like a sentinel, keeping everybody away from the mourner, with

the steady, resolute, businesslike face of a man in whom sentiment is confined to action; its phrases and its

Staines staggered towards him, holding out both hands, and gasped out, "God bless you. Hide me

somewheremust not be seen SOgot duty to doPatientcan't do it yetone hour to draw my

breath oh, my God, my God!one hour, sir. Then do my duty, if I dieas you would."

Fitzroy tore him down into his own cabin, shut him in and ran to the first lieutenant, with a tear in his eye.

"The doctorawfully cut up at leaving his wife: got him in my cabin. Wants to have his cry to himself."

"Curious creatures, landsmen," said the first lieutenant. "However, you can stick a marine there."

"And I say, show the YOUNGSTER the berths, and let him choose, as the doctor's aground."

So Fitzoy planted his marine, and then went after Lord Tadcaster: he had drawn up alongside his cousin,

Captain Hamilton. The captain, being an admirer of Lady Cicely, was mighty civil to his little lordship, and

talked to him more than was his wont on the quarterdeck; for though he had a good flow of conversation, and

dispensed with ceremony in his cabin, he was apt to be rather short on deck. However, he told little Tadcaster

he was fortunate; they had a good start, and, if the wind held, might hope to be clear of the Channel in

twentyfour hours. "You will see Eddystone lighthouse about four bells," said he.

"Of course we shall, and the sooner the better." He then explained to the novice that the only danger to a good

While Tadcaster was digesting this paradox, Captain Hamilton proceeded to descant on the beauties of blue

water and its fine medicinal qualities, which, he said, were particularly suited to young gentlemen with

bilious stomachs, but presently, catching sight of Lieutenant Fitzroy standing apart, but with the manner of a

lieutenant not there by accident, he stopped, and said, civilly but smartly, "Well, sir?"

Fitzroy came forward directly, saluted, and said he had orders from the first lieutenant to show Lord

Tadcaster the berths. His lordship must be good enough to choose, because the doctor couldn't.

"Brought to by grief! Who the deuce is grief? No riddles on the quarterdeck, if you please, sir."

"Oh no, sir. I assure you he is awfully cut up; and he is having his cry out in my cabin."

"Well, I don't wonder," cried little Tadcaster warmly. "She is, oh, so beautiful!" and a sudden blush

o'erspread his pasty cheeks. "Why on earth didn't we bring her along with us here?" said he, suddenly

"Why, indeed?" said the captain comically, and dived below, attended by the welldisciplined laughter of

Lieutenant Fitzroy, who was too good an officer not to be amused at his captain's jokes. Having acquitted

himself of that dutyand it is a very difficult one sometimeshe took Lord Tadcaster to the maindeck,

and showed him two comfortable sleepingberths that had been screened off for him and Dr. Staines; one of

these was fitted with a standing bedplace, the other had a cot swung in it. Fitzroy offered him the choice, but

His little lordship cocked his eye like a jackdaw, and looked almost as cunning. "You see," said he, "I have

"Ah, ha!" said Fitzroy, with a chuckle that showed plainly he had some delicious reminiscences of youthful

The little lord chuckled too, and put one finger on Fitzroy's shoulder, and pointed at the cot with another.

"Tumble out the other side, you knowslippery hitchescords cutdown you come flop in the middle of

Fitzroy's eye flashed merriment: but only for a moment. His countenance fell the next. "Lord bless you," said

he sorrowfully, "all that game is over now. Her Majesty's ship!it is a church afloat. The service is going to

"Ain't you sorry?" says the little lord, cocking his eye again like the bird hereinbefore mentioned.

"He is not ill: I am. He is paid to take care of me: I am not paid to take care of him," said the young lord

"I understand," replied Fitzroy, dryly. "Well, every one for himself, and Providence for us allas the

Here my lord was summoned to dine with the captain. Staines was not there; but he had not forgotten his

duty; in the midst of his grief he had written a note to the captain, hoping that a bereaved husband might not

seem to desert his post if he hid for a few hours the sorrow he felt himself unable to control. Meantime he

would be grateful if Captain Hamilton would give orders that Lord Tadcaster should eat no pastry, and drink

only six ounces of claret, otherwise he should feel that he was indeed betraying his trust.

The captain was pleased and touched with this letter. It recalled to him how his mother sobbed when she

There was champagne at dinner, and little Tadcaster began to pour out a tumbler. "Hold on!" said Captain

Hamilton; "you are not to drink that;" and he quietly removed the tumbler. "Bring him six ounces of claret."

While they were weighing the claret with scientific precision, Tadcaster remonstrated; and, being told it was

the doctor's order, he squeaked out, "Confound him! why did not he stay with his wife? She is beautiful." Nor

did he give it up without a struggle. "Here's hospitality!" said he. "Six ounces!"

Receiving no reply, he inquired of the third lieutenant, which was generally considered the greatest authority

The third lieutenant answered not, but turned his head away, and, by violent exertion, succeeded in not

"I'll answer that," said Hamilton politely. "The captain is the highest in his department, and the doctor in his:

now Doctor Staines is strictly within his department, and will be supported by me and my officers. You are

bilious, and epileptical, and all the rest of it, and you are to be cured by diet and blue water."

Tadcaster was inclined to snivel: however, he subdued that weakness with a visible effort, and, in due course,

returned to the charge. "How would you look," quavered he, "if there was to be a mutiny in this ship of yours,

"Well, I should look SHARPhang all the ringleaders at the yardarm, clap the rest under hatches, and steer

"Oh!" said Tadcaster, and digested this scheme a bit. At last he perked up again, and made his final hit.

"Why, you have not seen it; you have only seen the British Channel." It was Mr. Fitzroy who contributed this

After dinner all but the captain went on deck, and saw the Eddystone lighthouse ahead and to leeward. They

passed it. Fitzroy told his lordship its story, and that of its unfortunate predecessors. Soon after this Lord

Presently the captain observed a change in the thermometer, which brought him on deck. He scanned the

water and the sky, and as these experienced commanders have a subtle insight into the weather, especially in

familiar latitudes, he remarked to the first lieutenant that it looked rather unsettled; and, as a matter of

prudence, ordered a reef in the topsails, and the royal yards to be sent down: ship to be steered W. by S. This

done, he turned in, but told them to call him if there was any change in the weather.

During the night the wind gradually headed; and at four bells in the middle watch a heavy squall came up

This brought the captain on deck again: he found the officer of the watch at his post, and at work. Sail was

At four A.M. it was blowing hard, and, being too near the French coast, they wore the ship.

Now, this operation was bad for little Tadcaster. While the vessel was on the starboard tack, the side kept him

snug; but, when they wore her, of course he had no leeboard to keep him in. The ship gave a leelurch, and

He shrieked and shrieked, with terror and pain, till the captain and Staines, who were his nearest neighbors,

came to him, and they gave him a little brandy, and got him to bed again. Here he suffered nothing but

violent seasickness for some hours. As for Staines, he had been swinging heavily in his cot; but such was his

mental distress that he would have welcomed seasickness, or any reasonable bodily suffering. He was in that

Worn out with sickness, Tadcaster would not move. Invited to breakfast, he swore faintly, and insisted on

dying in peace. At last exhaustion gave him a sort of sleep, in spite of the motion, which was violent, for it

was now blowing great guns, a heavy sea on, and the great waves dirty in color and crested with raging foam.

A tremendous sea struck her quarter, stove in the very port abreast of which the little lord was lying, and

washed him clean out of bed into the lee scuppers, and set all swimming around him.

Didn't he yell, and wash about the cabin, and grab at all the chairs and tables and things that drifted about,

In rushed the captain, and in staggered Staines. They stopped his "voyage autour de sa chambre," and

He clung to them by turns, and begged, with many tears, to be put on the nearest land; a rock would do.

"Much obliged," said the captain; "now is the very time to give rocks a wide berth."

They pacified him with a little brandy, and for the next twenty four hours he scarcely opened his mouth,

except for a purpose it is needless to dwell on. We can trust to our terrestrial readers' personal reminiscences

At last they wriggled out of the Channel, and soon after that the wind abated, and next day veered round to

the northward, and the ship sailed almost on an even keel. The motion became as heavenly as it had been

Staines had suffered one whole day from seasickness, but never complained. I believe it did his mind more

As for Tadcaster, he continued to suffer, at intervals, for two days more, but on the fifth day out he appeared

with a little pink tinge on his cheek and a wolfish appetite. Dr. Staines controlled his diet severely, as to

quality, and, when they had been at sea just eleven days, the physician's heavy heart was not a little lightened

by the marvellous change in him. The unthinking, who believe in the drug system, should have seen what a

physician can do with air and food, when circumstances enable him to ENFORCE the diet he enjoins. Money

will sometimes buy even health, if you AVOID DRUGS ENTIRELY, and go another road.

Little Tadcaster went on board, pasty, dimeyed, and very subject to fits, because his stomach was constantly

overloaded with indigestible trash, and the blood in his brainvessels was always either galloping or

creeping, under the first or second effect of stimulants administered, at first, by thoughtless physicians.

Behold him nowbronzed, pinky, brighteyed, elastic; and only one fit in twelve days.

The quarterdeck was hailed from the "lookout" with a cry that is sometimes terrible, but in this latitude and

It was the island of Madeira: they dropped anchor in Funchal Roads, furled sails, squared yards, and fired a

They went ashore, and found a good hotel, and were no longer dosed, as in former days, with oil, onions,

Staines wrote home to his wife: he told her how deeply he had felt the bereavement; but did not dwell on that;

his object being to cheer her. He told her it promised to be a rapid and wonderful cure, and one that might

very well give him a fresh start in London. They need not be parted a whole year, he thought. He sent her a

very long letter, and also such extracts from his sea journal as he thought might please her. After dinner they

inspected the town, and what struck them most was to find the streets paved with flagstones, and most of the

carts drawn by bullocks on sledges. A man every now and then would run forward and drop a greasy cloth in

Next day, after breakfast, they ordered horses; these on inspection, proved to be of excellent breed, either

from Australia or Americavery rough shod, for the stony roads. Started for the Grand Canalpeeped

down that mighty chasm, which has the appearance of an immense mass having been blown out of the centre

They lunched under the great dragon tree near its brink, then rode back admiring the bold mountain scenery.

Next morning at dawn, rode on horses up the hill to the convent. Admired the beautiful gardens on the way.

Remained a short time; then came down in hand sleighslittle baskets slung on sledges, guided by two

natives; these sledges run down the hill with surprising rapidity, and the men guide them round corners by

At 1.30, the men having dined, the ship was got under way for the Cape of Good Hope, and all sail made for

The weather was now balmy and delightful, and so genial that everybody lived on deck, and could hardly be

Dr. Staines became a favorite with the officers. There is a great deal of science on board a modern ship of

war, and, of course, on some points Staines, a Cambridge wrangler, and a man of many sciences and books,

was an oracle. On others he was quite behind, but a ready and quick pupil. He made up to the navigating

officer, and learned, with his help, to take observations. In return he was always at any youngster's service in

a trigonometrical problem; and he amused the midshipmen and young lieutenants with analytical tests; some

of these were applicable to certain liquids dispensed by the paymaster. Under one of them the port wine

One lovely night that the ship clove the dark sea into a blaze of phosphorescence, and her wake streamed like

a comet's tail, a waggish middy got a bucketful hoisted on deck, and asked the doctor to analyze that. He did

not much like it, but yielded to the general request; and by dividing it into smaller vessels, and dropping in

various chemicals, made rainbows and silvery flames and what not. But he declined to repeat the experiment:

"No, no; once is philosophy; twice is cruelty. I've slain more than Samson already."

As for Tadcaster, science had no charms for him; but fiction had; and he got it galore; for he cruised about the

forecastle, and there the quartermasters and old seamen spun him yarns that held him breathless.

But one day my lord had a fit on the quarterdeck, and a bad one; and Staines found him smelling strong of

rum. He represented this to Captain Hamilton. The captain caused strict inquiries to be made, and it came out

that my lord had gone among the men, with money in both pockets, and bought a little of one man's grog, and

a little of another, and had been sipping the furtive but transient joys of solitary intoxication.

Then Hamilton represented that it was very ungentlemanlike to go and tempt poor Jack with his money, to

offend discipline, and get flogged. "How will you feel, Tadcaster, when you see their backs bleeding under

"Oh, dn it all, George, don't do that," says the young gentleman, all in a hurry.

Then the commander saw he had touched the right chord. So he played on it, till he got Lord Tadcaster to

The little fellow gave the pledge, but relieved his mind as follows: "But it is a cursed tyrannical hole, this

"Well, but no more you can in the grave: and that is the agreeable residence you were hurrying to but for this

The airs were very light; the ship hardly moved. It was beginning to get dull, when one day a sail was sighted

on the weatherbow, standing to the eastward: on nearing her, she was seen, by the cut of her sails, to be a

manofwar, evidently homeward bound: so Captain Hamilton ordered the mainroyal to be lowered (to

render signal more visible) and the "demand" hoisted. No notice being taken of this, a gun was fired to draw

her attention to the signal. This had the desired effect; down went her mainroyal, up went her "number." On

referring to the signal book, she proved to be the Vindictive from the Pacific Station.

This being ascertained, Captain Hamilton, being that captain's senior, signalled "Close and prepare to receive

letters." In obedience to this she bore up, ran down, and rounded to; the sail in the Amphitrite was also

shortened, the maintopsail laid to the mast, and a boat lowered. The captain having finished his despatches,

they, with the letterbags, were handed into the boat, which shoved off, pulled to the lee side of the

Vindictive, and left the despatches, with Captain Hamilton's compliments. On its return, both ships made sail

on their respective course, exchanging "bon voyage" by signal, and soon the upper sails of the homeward

bounder were seen dipping below the horizon: longing eyes followed her on board the Amphitrite.

How many hurried missives had been written and despatched in that halfhour. But as for Staines, he was a

Lord Tadcaster wrote to Lady Cicely Treherne. His epistle, though brief, contained a plum or two.

He wrote: "What with sailing, and fishing, and eating nothing but roast meat, I'm quite another man."

This amused her ladyship a little, but not so much as the postscript, which was indeed the neatest thing in its

Let us defy time and space to give you Lady Cicely's reply: "I should enjoy it of all things, Taddy. But, alas! I

N.B.She was twentyseven, and Tad sixteen. To be sure, Tad was four feet eleven, and she was only five

To return to my narrative (with apologies), this meeting of the vessels caused a very agreeable excitement

that day; but a greater was in store. In the afternoon, Tadcaster, Staines, and the principal officers of the ship,

being at dinner in the captain's cabin, in came the officer of the watch, and reported a large spar on the

He then explained to Lord Tadcaster that, on a cruise, he never liked to pass a spar, or anything that might

In the middle of his discourse the officer came in again, but not in the same cool business way: he ran in

This hail reached the captain's ears faintly. However, he waited quietly till the officer came in and reported it;

then he burst out, "Absurd! there is no such creature in the universe. What do you say, Dr. Staines?It is in

Dr. Staines, thus appealed to, asked the captain if he had ever seen small snakes out at sea.

"Very well, captain; then seaserpents exist, and it becomes a mere question of size. Now which produces the

larger animals in every kind,land or sea? The grown elephant weighs, I believe, about five tons. The very

smallest of the whale tribe weighs ten; and they go as high as forty tons. There are smaller fish than the

whale, that are four times as heavy as the elephant. Why doubt, then, that the sea can breed a snake to eclipse

the boa constrictor? Even if the creature had never been seen, I should, by mere reasoning from analogy,

expect the sea to produce a serpent excelling the boaconstrictor, as the lobster excels a crayfish of our

rivers: see how large things grow at sea! the salmon born in our rivers weighs in six months a quarter of a

pound, or less; it goes out to sea, and comes back in one year weighing seven pounds. So far from doubting

the large seaserpents, I believe they exist by the million. The only thing that puzzles me is, why they should

Captain Hamilton laughed, and said, "Well, this IS new. Doctor, in compliment to your opinion, we will go

on deck, and inspect the reptile you think so common." He stopped at the door, and said, "Doctor, the

saltcellar is by you. Would you mind bringing it on deck? We shall want a little to secure the animal."

The captain went up a few ratlines in the mizzen rigging, and looked to windward, laughing all the time: but,

all of a sudden, there was a great change in his manner. "Good heavens, it is aliveLUFF!"

The helmsman obeyed; the news spread like wildfire. Mess kids, grog kids, pipes, were all let fall, and some

three hundred sailors clustered on the rigging like bees, to view the longtalkedof monster.

It was soon discovered to be moving lazily along, the propelling part being under water, and about

twentyfive feet visible. It had a small head for so large a body, and, as they got nearer, rough scales were

seen, ending in smaller ones further down the body. It had a mane, but not like a lion's, as some have

pretended. If you have ever seen a pony with a hogmane, that was more the character of this creature's

They got within a hundred yards of it, and all saw it plainly, scarce believing their senses.

When they could get no nearer for the wind, the captain yielded to that instinct which urges man always to

kill a curiosity, "to encourage the rest," as saith the witty Voltaire. "Get ready a gunbest shot in the ship lay

This was soon done. Bang went the gun. The shot struck the water close to the brute, and may have struck

him under water, for aught I know. Any way, it sorely disturbed him; for he reared into the air a column of

serpent's flesh that looked as thick as the maintopmast of a seventyfour, opened a mouth that looked

capacious enough to swallow the largest buoy anchor in the ship, and, with a strange grating noise between a

Staines alone took it quite coolly. It did not surprise him in the least. He had always thought it incredible that

the boa constrictor should be larger than any seasnake. That idea struck him as monstrous and absurd. He

noted the seaserpent in his journal, but with this doubt, "Semblemore like a very large eel."

Next day they crossed the line. Just before noon a young gentleman burst into Staines's cabin, apologizing for

want of ceremony; but if Dr. Staines would like to see the line, it was now in sight from the mizzentop.

"Glad of it, sir," said Staines; "collect it for me in the ship's buckets, if you please. I want to send A LINE to

Young gentleman buried his hands in his pockets, walked out in solemn silence, and resumed his position on

Nevertheless, this opening, coupled with what he had heard and read, made Staines a little uneasy, and he

went to his friend Fitzroy, and said, "Now, look here: I am at the service of you experienced and humorous

mariners. I plead guilty at once to the crime of never having passed the line; so, make ready your swabs, and

lather me; your ship's scraper, and shave me; and let us get it over. But Lord Tadcaster is nervous, sensitive,

prouder than he seems, and I'm not going to have him driven into a fit for all the Neptunes and Amphitrites in

Fitzroy heard him out, then burst out laughing. "Why, there is none of that game in the Royal Navy," said he.

"I'm so sorry," said Dr. Staines. "If there's a form of wit I revere, it is practical joking."

Staines told Tadcaster, and he went forward and chaffed his friend the quartermaster, who was one of the

"Gone ashore!" growled the seaman. "Last seen in Rateliff Highway. Got a shop therelends a shilling in

"Neruds!" (scratching his head.) "I harn't kept my eye on them small craft. But I BELIEVE they are selling

A light breeze carried them across the equator; but soon after they got becalmed, and it was dreary work, and

the ship rolled gently, but continuously, and upset Lord Tadcaster's stomach again, and quenched his manly

At last they were fortunate enough to catch the southeast trade, but it was so languid at first that the ship

barely moved through the water, though they set every stitch, and studding sails alow and aloft, till really she

While she was so creeping along, a man in the mizzentop noticed an enormous shark gliding steadily in her

wake. This may seem a small incident, yet it ran through the ship like wildfire, and caused more or less

uneasiness in three hundred stout hearts; so near is every seaman to death, and so strong the persuasion in

their superstitious minds, that a shark does not follow a ship pertinaciously without a prophetic instinct of

Unfortunately, the quartermaster conveyed this idea to Lord Tadcaster, and confirmed it by numerous

examples to prove that there was always death at hand when a shark followed the ship.

Thereupon Tadcaster took it into his head that he was under a relapse, and the shark was waiting for his dead

Staines told Fitzroy. Fitzroy said, "Shark be hanged! I'll have him on deck in half an hour." He got leave from

the captain: a hook was baited with a large piece of pork, and towed astern by a stout line, experienced old

The shark came up leisurely, surveyed the bait, and, I apprehend, ascertained the position of the hook. At all

events, he turned quietly on his back, sucked the bait off, and retired to enjoy it.

Every officer in the ship tried him in turn, but without success; for, if they got ready for him, and, the

moment he took the bait, jerked the rope hard, in that case he opened his enormous mouth so wide that the

bait and hook came out clear. But, sooner or later, he always got the bait, and left his captors the hook.

Then Tadcaster, who had watched these experiments with hope, lost his spirit and appetite.

Staines reasoned with him, but in vain. Somebody was to die; and, although there were three hundred and

more in the ship, he must be the one. At last he actually made his will, and threw himself into Staines's arms,

and gave him messages to his mother and Lady Cicely; and ended by frightening himself into a fit.

This roused Staines's pity, and also put him on his mettle. What, science be beaten by a shark!

He asked the captain's permission to try his hand. This was accorded immediately, and the ship's stores

Dr. Staines got from the carpenter some sheets of zinc and spare copper, and some flannel: these he cut into

threeinch squares, and soaked the flannel in acidulated water. He then procured a quantity of bellwire, the

greater part of which he insulated by wrapping it round with hot gutta percha. So eager was he, that he did not

In the morning he prepared what he called an electric fusehe filled a sodawater bottle with gunpowder,

attaching some cork to make it buoyant, put in the fuse and bung, made it watertight, connected and

insulated his main wiresenveloped the bottle in porktied a line to it, and let the bottle overboard.

The captain and officers shook their heads mysteriously. The tars peeped and grinned from every rope to see

a doctor try and catch a shark with a sodawater bottle and no hook; but somehow the doctor seemed to know

what he was about, so they hovered round, and awaited the result, mystified, but curious, and showing their

"The only thing I fear," said Staines, "is that, the moment he takes the bait, he will cut the wire before I can

Nevertheless, there was another objection to the success of the experiment. The shark had disappeared.

"No," said little Tadcaster, white as a ghost; "he is only under water, I know; waitingwaiting."

"Keep clear of me," said Staines quietly but firmly. "It can only be done at the moment before he cuts the

The shark turned slowly on his back, and, instead of grabbing at the bait, seemed to draw it by gentle suction

into that capacious throat, ready to blow it out in a moment if it was not all right.

The moment the bait was drawn out of sight, Staines completed the circuit; the bottle exploded with a fury

that surprised him and everybody who saw it; a ton of water flew into the air, and came down in spray, and a

The carcass was towed alongside, at Tadcaster's urgent request, and then the power of the explosion was

seen. Confined, first by the bottle, then by the meat, then by the fish, and lastly by the water, it had exploded

with tenfold power, had blown the brute's head into a million atoms, and had even torn a great furrow in its

The wind improved, and, as usual in that latitude, scarcely varied a point. They had a pleasant time,private

theatricals and other amusements till they got to latitude 26 deg. S. and longitude 27 deg. W. Then the trade

The master complained of the chronometers, and the captain thought it his duty to verify or correct them; and

so shaped his course for the island of Tristan d'Acunha, then lying a little way out of his course. I ought,

perhaps, to explain to the general reader that the exact position of this island being long ago established and

recorded, it was an infallible guide to go by in verifying a ship's chronometers.

Next day the glass fell all day, and the captain said he should doublereef topsails at nightfall, for something

The weather, however, was fine, and the ship was sailing very fast, when, about half an hour before sunset,

the masthead man hailed that there was a bulk of timber in sight, broad on the weatherbow.

The captain, who was on deck, levelled his glass at it, and made it out a raft, with a sort of rail to it, and the

He ordered the officer of the watch to keep the ship as close to the wind as possible. He should like to

The master represented, respectfully, that it would be unadvisable to beat to windward for that. "I have no

faith in our chronometers, sir, and it is important to make the island before dark; fogs rise here so suddenly."

This electrified the ship. The captain ran up the mizzen rigging, and scanned the raft, now nearly abeam.

"It IS a man!" he cried, and was about to alter the ship's course when, at that moment, the signalman hailed

Then succeeded an exciting dialogue between the captain and the master, who, being in his department, was

very firm; and went so far as to say he would not answer for the safety of the ship, if they did not sight the

The captain said, "Very well," and took a turn or two. But at last he said, "No. Her Majesty's ship must not

He then began to give the necessary orders; but before they were all out of his mouth, a fatal interruption

Tadcaster ran into Dr. Staines's cabin, crying, "A raft with a corpse close by!"

Staines sprang to the quarter port to see, and craning eagerly out, the lower port chain, which had not been

well secured, slipped, the port gave way, and as his whole weight rested on it, canted him headlong into the

A smart seaman in the forechains saw the accident, and instantly roared out, "MAN OVERBOARD!" a cry

Another smart fellow cut the lifebuoy adrift so quickly that it struck the water within ten yards of Staines.

The officer of the watch, without the interval of half a moment, gave the right orders, in the voice of a

These orders were executed with admirable swiftness. Meantime there was a mighty rush of feet throughout

the frigate, every hatchway was crammed with men eager to force their way on deck.

In five seconds the middy of the watch and half her crew were in the lee cutter, fitted with Clifford's

"Lower away!" cried the excited officer; "the others will come down by the pendants."

The man stationed, sitting on the bottom boards, eased away roundly, when suddenly there was a hitchthe

"Lower away there in the cutter! Why don't you lower?" screamed the captain, who had come over to leeward

"The rope has swollen, sir, and the pendants won't unreeve," cried the middy in agony.

"Volunteers for the weatherboat!" shouted the first lieutenant; but the order was unnecessary, for more than

But mishaps never come singly. Scarcely had this boat gone a foot from the davit, than the volunteer who was

acting as coxswain, in reaching out for something, inadvertently let go the line, which, in Kynaston's

apparatus, keeps the tackles hooked; consequently, down went the boat and crew twenty feet, with a terrific

But, meantime, more men having been sent into the lee cutter, their weight caused the pendants to render, and

Seeing this, Lieutenant Fitzroy collected some hands, and lowered the lifeboat gig, which was fitted with

common tackles, got down into her himself by the falls, and pulling round to windward, shouted to the

The signalman was at his post, and had fixed his eye on the man overboard, as his duty was; but his

messmate was in the stove boat, and he had cast one anxious look down to see if he was saved, and, sad to

relate, in that one moment he had lost sight of Staines; the sudden darknessthere was no

Fitzroy, however, made a rapid calculation, and pulled to windward with all his might. He was followed in

about a minute by the other sound boat powerfully manned, and both boats melted away into the night.

There was a long and anxious suspense, during which it became pitch dark, and the ship burned blue lights to

mark her position more plainly to the crews that were groping the sea for that beloved passenger.

Captain Hamilton had no doubt that the fate of Staines was decided, one way or other, long before this; but he

kept quiet until he saw the plain signs of a squall at hand. Then, as he was responsible for the safety of boats

The cutter came alongside first. Lights were poured on her, and quavering voices asked, "Have you got him?"

Then the gig came alongside. Fitzroy seated in her, with his hands before his face; the men gloomy and sad.

At midnight all quiet again, and hove to. Then, at the request of many, the bell was tolled, and the ship's

company mustered bareheaded, and many a stout seaman in tears, as the last service was read for Christopher

Rosa fell ill with grief at the hotel, and could not move for some days; but the moment she was strong

enough, she insisted on leaving Plymouth: like all wounded things, she must drag herself home.

But what a home! How empty it struck, and she heartsick and desolate. Now all the familiar places wore a

new aspect: the little yard, where he had so walked and waited, became a temple to her, and she came out and

sat in it, and now first felt to the full how much he had suffered therewith what fortitude. She crept about

the house, and kissed the chair he had sat in, and every muchused place and thing of the departed.

Her shallow nature deepened and deepened under this bereavement, of which, she said to herself, with a

shudder, she was the cause. And this is the course of nature; there is nothing like suffering to enlighten the

As her regrets were tender and deep, so her vows of repentance were sincere. Oh, what a wife she would

make when he came back! how thoughtful! how prudent! how loyal! and never have a secret. She who had

once said, "What is the use of your writing? nobody will publish it," now collected and perused every written

scrap. With simple affection she even locked up his very wastepaper basket, full of fragments he had torn,

In the drawer of his writingtable she found his diary. It was a thick quarto: it began with their marriage, and

ended with his leaving homefor then he took another volume. This diary became her Bible; she studied it

daily, till her tears hid his lines. The entries were very miscellaneous, very exact; it was a map of their

married life. But what she studied most was his observations on her own character, so scientific, yet so

kindly; and his scholar like and wise reflections. The book was an unconscious picture of a great mind she

had hitherto but glanced at: now she saw it all plain before her; saw it, understood it, adored it, mourned it.

Such women are shallow, not for want of a head upon their shoulders, but of ATTENTION. They do not

really study anything: they have been taught at their schools the bad art of skimming; but let their hearts

compel their brains to think and think, the result is considerable. The deepest philosopher never fathomed a

character more thoroughly than this poor child fathomed her philosopher, when she had read his journal ten

"This dark day I have done a thing incredible. I have spoken with brutal harshness to the innocent creature I

have sworn to protect. She had run in debt, through inexperience, and that unhappy timidity which makes

women conceal an error till it ramifies, by concealment, into a fault; and I must storm and rave at her, till she

actually fainted away. Brute! Ruffian! Monster! And she, how did she punish me, poor lamb? By soft and

tender wordslike a lady, as she is. Oh, my sweet Rosa, I wish you could know how you are avenged. Talk

of the scourgethe cat! I would be thankful for two dozen lashes. Ah! there is no need, I think, to punish a

man who has been cruel to a woman. Let him alone. He will punish himself more than you can, if he is really

From the date of that entry, this selfreproach and selftorture kept cropping up every now and then in the

diary; and it appeared to have been not entirely without its influence in sending Staines to sea, though the

main reason he gave was that his Rosa might have the comforts and luxuries she had enjoyed before she

One day, while she was crying over this diary, Uncle Philip called; but not to comfort her, I promise you. He

burst on her, irate, to take her to task. He had returned, learned Christopher's departure, and settled the reason

in his own mind: that uxorious fool was gone to sea by a natural reaction; his eyes were open to his wife at

last, and he was sick of her folly; so he had fled to distant climes, as who would not, that could?

"SO, ma'am," said he, "my nephew is gone to sea, I findall in a hurry. Pray may I ask what he has done

It was a very simple question, yet it did not elicit a very plain answer. She only stared at this abrupt

inquisitor, and then cried, piteously, "Oh, Uncle Philip!" and burst out sobbing.

"You WILL hate me now. He is gone to make money for ME; and I would rather have lived on a crust.

"Repents! heigho! why, what have you been up to now, ma'am? No great harm, I'll be bound. Flirting a little

"My Christopher desert me! He loves me too well; far more than I deserve; but not more than I will. Uncle

Philip, I am too confused and wretched to tell you all that has happened; but I know you love him, though

you had a tiff: uncle, he called on you, to shake hands and ask your forgiveness, poor fellow! He was so sorry

you were away. Please read his dear diary: it will tell you all, better than his poor foolish wife can. I know it

by heart. I'll show you where you and he quarrelled about me. There, see." And she showed him the passage

with her finger. "He never told me it was that, or I would have come and begged your pardon on my knees.

But see how sorry he was. There, see. And now I'll show you another place, where my Christopher speaks of

your many, many acts of kindness. There, see. And now please let me show you how he longed for

reconciliation. There, see. And it is the same through the book. And now I'll show you how grieved he was to

go without your blessing. I told him I was sure you would give him that, and him going away. Ah, me! will

he ever return? Uncle dear, don't hate me. What shall I do, now he is gone, if you disown me? Why, you are

"Disown you, ma'am! that I'll never do. You are a goodhearted young woman, I find. There, run and dry

your eyes; and let me read Christopher's diary all through. Then I shall see how the land lies."

Rosa complied with his proposal; and left him alone while she bathed her eyes, and tried to compose herself,

When she returned to the drawingroom, he was walking about, looking grave and thoughtful.

"It is the old story," said he, rather gently: "a MISUNDERSTANDING. How wise our ancestors were that

first used that word to mean a quarrel! for, look into twenty quarrels, and you shall detect a score of

misunderstandings. Yet our American cousins must go and substitute the unideaed word 'difficulty'; that

is wonderful. I had no quarrel with him: delighted to see either of you. But I had called twice on him; so I

thought he ought to get over his temper, and call on a tried friend like me. A misunderstanding! Now, my

dear, let us have no more of these misunderstandings. You will always be welcome at my house, and I shall

often come here and look after you and your interests. What do you mean to do, I wonder?"

"Sir, I am to go home to my father, if he will be troubled with me. I have written to him."

"My Christie thought I should like to part with it, and the furniturebut his own writingdesk and his chair,

no, I never will, and his little clock. Oh! oh! oh!But I remember what you said about agents, and I don't

"Then, leave it to me. I'll come and live here with one servant; and I'll soon sell it for you."

"If I find it so, I'll soon drop it. I'm not the fool to put myself out for anybody. When you are ready to go out,

Soon after this he bustled off. He gave her a sort of hurried kiss at parting, as if he was ashamed of it, and

Next day her father came, condoled with her politely, assured her there was nothing to cry about; husbands

were a sort of functionaries that generally went to sea at some part of their career, and no harm ever came of

it. On the contrary, "Absence makes the heart grow fonder," said this judicious parent.

This sentiment happened to be just a little too true, and set the daughter crying bitterly. But she fought against

"Why, of course you will. But as to your coming to Kent Villa, I am afraid you would not be very

"I know that, papa: andwhy, that is one of the reasons. I have a good income now; and I thought if we put

"Oh, that is a very different thing. You will want a carriage, I suppose. I have put mine down."

"No carriage; no horse; no footman; no luxury of any kind till my Christie comes back. I abhor dress; I abhor

expense; I loathe everything I once liked too well; I detest every folly that has parted us; and I hate myself

"Well, I dare say there are associations about this place that upset you. I shall go and make ready for you,

He bestowed a paternal kiss on her brow, and glided doucely away before she could possibly cry again.

The very next week Rosa was at Kent Villa, with the relics of her husband about her; his chair, his

writingtable, his clock, his wastepaper basket, a very deep and large one. She had them all in her bedroom

She derived some comfort from Uncle Philip. His rough, friendly way was a tonic, and braced her. He called

several times about the Bijou. Told her he had put up enormous boards all over the house, and puffed it

finely. "I have had a hundred agents at me," said he; "and the next thing, I hope, will be one customer; that is

about the proportion." At last he wrote her he had hooked a victim, and sold the lease and furniture for nine

hundred guineas. Staines had assigned the lease to Rosa, so she had full powers; and Philip invested the

Now came the letter from Madeira. It gave her new life. Christopher was well, contented, hopeful. His

example should animate her. She would bravely bear the present, and share his hopes of the future: with these

brighter views Nature cooperated. The instincts of approaching maternity brightened the future. She fell into

gentle reveries, and saw her husband return, and saw herself place their infant in his arms with all a wife's, a

In due course came another long letter from the equator, with a full journal, and more words of hope. Home

in less than a year, with reputation increased by this last cure; home, to part no more.

Ah! what a changed wife he should find! how frugal, how candid, how full of appreciation, admiration, and

Lady Cicely Treherne waited some weeks, to let kinder sentiments return. She then called in Dear Street, but

This persistent injustice mortified her at last. She said to herself, "Does she think his departure was no loss to

ME? It was to her interests, as well as his, I sacrificed my own selfish wishes. I will write to her no more."

This resolution she steadily maintained. It was shaken for a moment, when she heard, by a side wind, that

Mrs. Staines was fast approaching the great pain and peril of women. Then she wavered. But no. She prayed

This state of things lasted some six weeks, when she received a letter from her cousin Tadcaster, close on the

heels of his last, to which she had replied as I have indicated. She knew his handwriting, and opened it with a

DEAR CICELY,A terrible thing has just happened. We signalled a raft, with a body on it, and poor Dr.

Staines leaned out of the porthole, and fell overboard. Three boats were let down after him; but it all went

wrong, somehow, or it was too late. They could never find him, he was drowned; and the funeral service was

We are all sadly cut up. Everybody loved him. It was dreadful next day at dinner, when his chair was empty.

First of all, I thought I ought to write to his wife. I know where she lives; it is called Kent Villa, Gravesend.

But I was afraid; it might kill her: and you are so good and sensible, I thought I had better write to you, and

I send this from the island, by a small vessel, and paid him ten pounds to take it.

Words are powerless to describe a blow like this: the amazement, the stupor, the reluctance to believethe

rising, swelling, surging horror. She sat like a woman of stone, crumpling the letter. "Dead!dead?"

For a long time this was all her mind could realizethat Christopher Staines was dead. He who had been so

full of life and thought and genius, and worthier to live than all the world, was dead; and a million nobodies

She lay back on the sofa, and all the power left her limbs. She could not move a hand.

But suddenly she started up; for a noble instinct told her this blow must not fall on the wife as it had on her,

She had her bonnet on in a moment, and for the first time in her life, darted out of the house without her

maid. She flew along the streets, scarcely feeling the ground. She got to Dear Street, and obtained Philip

Staines's address. She flew to it, and there learned he was down at Kent Villa. Instantly she telegraphed to her

maid to come down to her at Gravesend, with things for a short visit, and wait for her at the station; and she

Hitherto she had walked on air, driven by one overpowering impulse. Now, as she sat in the train, she thought

a little of herself. What was before her? To break to Mrs. Staines that her husband was dead. To tell her all

her misgivings were more than justified. To encounter her cold civility, and let her know, inch by inch, it

must be exchanged for curses and tearing of hair; her husband was dead. To tell her this, and in the telling of

it, perhaps reveal that it was HER great bereavement, as well as the wife's, for she had a deeper affection for

Well, she trembled like an aspen leaf, trembled like one in an ague, even as she sat. But she persevered.

A noble woman has her courage; not exactly the same as that which leads forlorn hopes against bastions

bristling with rifles and tongued with flames and thunderbolts; yet not inferior to it.

Tadcaster, small and dull, but noble by birth and instinct, had seen the right thing for her to do; and she, of

the same breed, and nobler far, had seen it too; and the great soul steadily drew the recoiling heart and

quivering body to this fiery trial, this act of humanityto do which was terrible and hard, to shirk it,

"But I must see her. I am an old friend. Please take her my card. Lady Cicely Treherne."

The maid hesitated, and looked confused. "Perhaps you don't know, ma'am. Mrs. Staines, she isthe doctor

"Master have gone out for the day, ma'am; but if you'll step in the drawingroom, I'll tell the doctor."

At last Dr. Philip came in, with her card in his hand, looking evidently a little cross at the interruption. "Now,

"I am, madam, at your servicefor five minutes. Can't quit my patient long, just now."

"Oh, sir, thank God I have found you. Be prepared for ill news sad newsa terrible calamityI can't

He buried his face in his hands. "Christopher! my poor, poor boy!" he groaned. But suddenly a terrible

"You are a good, kind lady, for being so thoughtful. Madam, if this gets to my niece's ears, it will kill her, as

"Then let us keep it from her. Command me, sir. I will do anything. I will live heretake the letters inthe

"No, no; you have done your part, and God bless you for it. You must not stay here. Your ladyship's very

presence, and your agitation, would set the servants talking, and some idiotfiend among them

"Oh yes, I wish you would; and I will run over, if all is well with herwell with her? poor unfortunate girl!"

At nine o'clock that same evening, as she lay on a sofa in the best room of the inn, attended by her maid, Dr.

Dr. Philip was too old, in other words, had lost too many friends, to be really broken down by bereavement;

but he was strangely subdued. The loud tones were out of him, and the loud laugh, and even the keen sneer.

Yet he was the same man; but with a gentler surface; and this was not without its pathos.

"Well, madam," said he gravely and quietly. "It is as it always has been. 'As is the race of leaves, so that of

man.' When one falls, another comes. Here's a little Christopher come, in place of him that is gone: a brave,

beautiful boy, ma'am; the finest but one I ever brought into the world. He is come to take his father's place in

our heartsI see you valued his poor father, ma'ambut he comes too late for me. At your age, ma'am,

friendships come naturally; they spring like loves in the soft heart of youth: at seventy, the gate is not so

open; the soil is more sterile. I shall never care for another Christopher; never see another grow to man's

"Like them allpoor creature: in heaven, madam; in heaven. New life! new existence! a new character. All

the pride, glory, rapture, and amazement of maternitythanks to her ignorance, which we must prolong, or I

would not give one straw for her life, or her son's. I shall never leave the house till she does know it, and

come when it may, I dread the hour. She is not framed by nature to bear so deadly a shock."

"Her father, sir. Would he not be the best person to break it to her? He was out today."

"Her father, ma'am? I shall get no help from him. He is one of those soft, gentle creatures, that come into the

world with what your canting fools call a mission; and his mission is to take care of number one. Not

dishonestly, mind you, nor violently, nor rudely, but doucely and calmly. The care a brute like me takes of his

vitals, that care Lusignan takes of his outer cuticle. His number one is a sensitive plant. No scenes, no noise;

nothing painfulbytheby, the little creature that writes in the papers, and calls calamities PAINFUL, is of

Lusignan's breed. Out today! of course he was out, ma'am: he knew from me his daughter would be in peril

all day, so he visited a friend. He knew his own tenderness, and evaded paternal sensibilities: a selfdefender.

"A man! I call such creachaas weptiles!" said Lady Cicely, her ghastly cheek coloring for a moment.

In the course of this interview, Lady Cicely accused herself sadly of having interfered between man and wife,

and with the best intentions brought about this cruel calamity. "Judge, then, sir," said she, "how grateful I am

to you for undertaking this cruel task. I was her schoolfellow, sir, and I love her dearly; but she has turned

"Madam," said the doctor, "there is nothing more mean and unjust than to judge others by events that none

could foresee. Your conscience is clear. You did your best for my poor nephew: but Fate willed it otherwise.

As for my niece, she has many virtues, but justice is one you must not look for in that quarter. Justice requires

brains. It's a virtue the heart does not deal in. You must be content with your own good conscience, and an

old man's esteem. You did all for the best; and this very day you have done a good, kind action. God bless

Then he left her; and next day she went sadly home, and for many a long day the hollow world saw nothing

When Mr. Lusignan came home that night, Dr. Philip told him the miserable story, and his fears. He received

it, not as Philip had expected. The bachelor had counted without his dormant paternity. He was

terrorstrickenabjectfell into a chair, and wrung his hands, and wept piteously. To keep it from his

daughter till she should be stronger, seemed to him chimerical, impossible. However, Philip insisted it must

be done; and he must make some excuse for keeping out of her way, or his manner would rouse her

Dr. Philip trusted nobody; not even his own confidential servant. He allowed no journal to come into the

house without passing through his hands, and he read them all before he would let any other soul in the house

see them. He asked Rosa to let him be her secretary and open her letters, giving as a pretext that it would be

"Why," said she, "I was never so well able to bear them. It must be a great thing to put me out now. I am so

happy, and live in the future. Well, dear uncle, you can if you likewhat does it matter?only there must

The very next day came a letter of condolence from Miss Lucas. Dr. Philip intercepted it, and locked it up, to

But how could he hope to keep so public a thing as this from entering the house in one of a hundred

He went into Gravesend, and searched all the newspapers, to see what he had to contend with. To his horror,

he found it in several dailies and weeklies, and in two illustrated papers. He sat aghast at the difficulty and the

The best thing he could think of was to buy them all, and cut out the account. He did so, and brought all the

papers, thus mutilated, into the house, and sent them into the kitchen. He said to his old servant, "These may

By these means he hoped that none of the servants would go and buy more of these same papers elsewhere.

Notwithstanding these precautions, he took the nurse apart, and said, "Now, you are an experienced woman,

and to be trusted about an excitable patient. Mind, I object to any female servant entering Mrs. Staines's room

with gossip. Keep them outside the door for the present, please. Oh, and nurse, if anything should happen,

likely to grieve or to worry her, it must be kept from her entirely: can I trust you?"

"I shall add ten guineas to your fee, if she gets through the month without a shock or disturbance of any

"I feel I may. Still, she alarms me. She looks quiet enough, but she is very excitable."

Not all these precautions gave Dr. Philip any real sense of security; still less did they to Mr. Lusignan. He

was not a tender father, in small things, but the idea of actual danger to his only child was terrible to him and

This is the less to be wondered at, when I tell you that even the stout Philip began to lose his nerve, his

Well did the great imagination of antiquity feign a torment, too great for the mind long to endure, in the

sword of Damocles suspended by a single hair over his head. Here the sword hung over an innocent creature,

who smiled beneath it, fearless; but these two old men must sit and watch the sword, and ask themselves how

"Ill news travels fast," says the proverb. "The birds of the air shall carry the matter," says Holy Writ; and it is

so. No bolts nor bars, no promises nor precautions, can long shut out a great calamity from the ears it is to

blast, the heart it is to wither. The very air seems full of it, until it falls.

Rosa's child was more than a fortnight old; and she was looking more beautiful than ever, as is often the case

with a very young mother, and Dr. Philip complimented her on her looks. "Now," said he, "you reap the

advantage of being good, and obedient, and keeping quiet. In another ten days or so, I may take you to the

seaside for a week. I have the honor to inform you that from about the fourth to the tenth of March there is

always a week of fine weather, which takes everybody by surprise, except me. It does not astonish me,

because I observe it is invariable. Now, what would you say if I gave you a week at Herne Bay, to set you up

"As you please, dear uncle," said Mrs. Staines, with a sweet smile. "I shall be very happy to go, or to stay. I

shall be happy everywhere, with my darling boy, and the thought of my husband. Why, I count the days till

he shall come back to me. No, to us; to us, my pet. How dare a naughty mammy say to 'me,' as if 'me' was

"Did I?" said he, to gain time. "Perhaps I remembered the uncertainty of human life, and of all mortal hopes.

She gave him a curious and rather searching look; then, leaning over her boy, said, "Mammy's not afraid.

Beautiful Pet was not born to die directly. He will never leave his mamma. No, uncle, he never can. For my

life is bound in his and his dear father's. It is a triple cord: one go, go all."

At this moment the nurse, who had been bending so pertinaciously over some work that her eyes were

invisible, looked quickly up, cast a furtive glance at Mrs. Staines, and finding she was employed for the

moment, made an agitated signal to Dr. Philip. All she did was to clench her two hands and lift them half way

to her face, and then cast a frightened look towards the door; but Philip's senses were so sharpened by

constant alarm and watching, that he saw at once something serious was the matter. But as he had asked

himself what he should do in case of some sudden alarm, he merely gave a nod of intelligence to the nurse,

scarcely perceptible, then rose quietly from his seat, and went to the window. "Snow coming, I think," said

he. "For all that we shall have the March summer in ten days. You mark my words." He then went leisurely

out of the room; at the door he turned, and, with all the cunning he was master of, said, "Oh, by the by, come

"Yes, doctor," said the nurse, but never moved. She was too bent on hiding the agitation she really felt.

She rose with feigned indifference, and left the room. She walked leisurely down the passage, then, casting a

hasty glance behind her, for fear Mrs. Staines should be watching her, hurried into the doctor's room. They

met at once in the middle of the room, and Mrs. Briscoe burst out, "Sir, it is known all over the house!"

"What you would give the world to keep from her. Why, sir, the moment you cautioned me, of course I saw

there was trouble. But little I thoughtsir, not a servant in the kitchen or the stable but knows that her

husbandpoor thing! poor thing!Ah! there goes the housemaidto have a look at her."

Mrs. Briscoe had not waited for this; she rushed after the woman, and told her Mrs. Staines was sleeping, and

Mrs. Briscoe saw her return to the kitchen, and came back to Dr. Staines; he was pacing the room in torments

"Doctor," said she, "it is the old story: 'Servants' friends, the master's enemies.' An old servant came here to

gossip with her friend the cook (she never could abide her while they were together, by all accounts), and told

Dr. Philip groaned, "Cursed chatterbox!" said he. "What is to be done? Must we break it to her now? Oh, if I

could only buy a few days more! The heart to be crushed while the body is weak! It is too cruel. Advise me,

Mrs. Briscoe. You are an experienced woman, and I think you are a kindhearted woman."

"Well, sir," said Mrs. Briscoe, "I had the name of it, when I was youngerbefore Briscoe failed, and I took

to nursing; which it hardens, sir, by use, and along of the patients themselves; for sick folk are lumps of

selfishness; we see more of them than you do, sir. But this I WILL say, 'tisn't selfishness that lies now in that

room, waiting for the blow that will bring her to death's door, I'm sore afraid; but a sweet, gentle, thoughtful

creature, as ever supped sorrow; for I don't know how 'tis, doctor, nor why 'tis, but an angel like that has

"But you do not advise me," said the doctor, in agitation, "and something must be done."

"Advise you, sir; it is not for me to do that. I am sure I'm at my wits' ends, poor thing! Well, sir, I don't see

what you can do, but try and break it to her. Better so, than let it come to her like a clap of thunder. But I

think, sir, I'd have a wetnurse ready, before I said much: for she is very quickand ten to one but the first

word of such a thing turns her blood to gall. Sir, I once knew a poor womanshe was a carpenter's

wifeanursing her child in the afternoonand in runs a foolish woman, and tells her he was killed dead,

off a scaffold. 'Twas the man's sister told her. Well, sir, she was knocked stupid like, and she sat staring, and

nursing of her child, before she could take it in rightly. The child was dead before suppertime, and the

woman was not long after. The whole family was swept away, sir, in a few hours, and I mind the table was

not cleared he had dined on, when they came to lay them out. Welladay, nurses see sorrow!"

"We all see sorrow that live long, Mrs. Briscoe. I am heartbroken myself; I am desperate. You are a good

soul, and I'll tell you. When my nephew married this poor girl, I was very angry with him; and I soon found

she was not fit to be a struggling man's wife; and then I was very angry with her. She had spoiled a firstrate

physician, I thought. But, since I knew her better, it is all changed. She is so lovable. How I shall ever tell her

this terrible thing, God knows. All I know is, that I will not throw a chance away. Her body SHALL be

stronger, before I break her heart. Cursed idiots, that could not save a single man, with their boats, in a calm

sea! Lord forgive me for blaming people, when I was not there to see. I say I will give her every chance. She

shall not know it till she is stronger: no, not if I live at her door, and sleep there, and all. Good God! inspire

me with something. There is always something to be done, if one could but see it."

Mrs. Briscoe sighed and said, "Sir, I think anything is better than for her to hear it from a servantand they

"No, no; I see what it is," said Dr. Philip. "I have gone all wrong from the first. I have been acting like a

woman, when I should have acted like a man. Why, I only trusted YOU by halves. There was a fool for you.

"Well, then, now I shall go at it like a man. I have a vile opinion of servants; but no matter. I'll try them: they

are human, I suppose. I'll hit them between the eyes like a man. Go to the kitchen, Mrs. Briscoe, and tell them

She stopped at the door, and said, "I had better get back to her, as soon as I have told them."

"And what shall I tell her, sir? Her first word will be to ask me what you wanted me for. I saw that in her eye.

Dr. Philip groaned. He felt he was walking among pitfalls. He rapidly flavored some distilled water with

orangeflower, then tinted it a beautiful pink, and bottled it. "There," said he; "I was mixing a new medicine.

Mrs. Briscoe went to the kitchen, and gave her message: then went to Mrs. Staines with the mixture.

Dr. Philip went down to the kitchen, and spoke to the servants very solemnly. He said, "My good friends, I

am come to ask your help in a matter of life and death. There is a poor young woman upstairs; she is a

widow, and does not know it; and must not know it yet. If the blow fell now, I think it would kill her: indeed,

if she hears it all of a sudden, at any time, that might destroy her. We are in so sore a strait that a feather may

turn the scale. So we must try all we can to gain a little time, and then trust to God's mercy after all. Well,

now, what do you say? Will you help me keep it from her, till the tenth of March, say? and then I will break it

to her by degrees. Forget she is your mistress. Master and servant, that is all very well at a proper time; but

this is the time to remember nothing but that we are all one flesh and blood. We lie down together in the

churchyard, and we hope to rise together where there will be no master and servant. Think of the poor

unfortunate creature as your own flesh and blood, and tell me, will you help me try and save her, under this

"Ay, doctor, that we will," said the footman. "Only you give us our orders, and you will see."

"I have no right to give you orders; but I entreat you not to show her by word or look, that calamity is upon

her. Alas! it is only a reprieve you can give her and to me. The bitter hour MUST come when I must tell her

she is a widow, and her boy an orphan. When that day comes, I will ask you all to pray for me that I may find

words. But now I ask you to give me that ten days' reprieve. Let the poor creature recover a little strength,

"A general assent will not satisfy me," said Dr. Philip. "I want every man, and every woman, to give me a

The men gave him their hands at once. The women wiped their hands with their aprons, to make sure they

were clean, and gave him their hands too. The cook said, "If any one of us goes from it, this kitchen will be

"Nobody will go from it, cook," said the doctor. "I'm not afraid of that; and now since you have promised me,

out of your own good hearts, I'll try and be even with you. If she knows nothing of it by the tenth of March,

five guineas to every man and woman in this kitchen. You shall see that, if you can be kind, we can be

He then hurried away. He found Mr. Lusignan in the drawingroom, and told him all this. Lusignan was

fluttered, but grateful. "Ah, my good friend," said he, "this is a hard trial to two old men, like you and me."

"It is," said Philip. "It has shown me my age. I declare I am trembling; I, whose nerves were iron. But I have

a particular contempt for servants. Mercenary wretches! I think Heaven inspired me to talk to them. After all,

who knows? perhaps we might find a way to their hearts, if we did not eternally shock their vanity, and forget

that it is, and must be, far greater than our own. The women gave me their tears, and the men were earnest.

Not one hand lay cold in mine. As for your kitchenmaid, I'd trust my life to that girl. What a grip she gave

me! What strength! What fidelity was in it! My hand was never GRASPED before. I think we are safe for a

Lusignan sighed. "What does it all come to? We are pulling the trigger gently, that is all."

"No, no; that is not it. Don't let us confound the matter with similes, please. Keep them for children."

Mrs. Staines left her bed; and would have left her room, but Dr. Philip forbade it strictly.

One day, seated in her armchair, she said to the nurse, before Dr. Philip, "Nurse, why do the servants look

Mrs. Briscoe cast a hasty glance at Dr. Philip, and then said, "I don't know, madam. I never noticed that."

"You should not turn up your nose at them, for they are all most kind and attentive. Only, I catch them

"Rosa, you are taking me quite out of my depth. The looks of servant girls! Why, of course a lady in your

condition is an object of especial interest to them. I dare say they are saying to one another, 'I wonder when

my turn will come!' A fellowfeeling makes us wondrous kindthat is a proverb, is it not?"

On this Dr. Philip begged the maids to go near her as little as possible. "You are not aware of it," said he, "but

your looks, and your manner of speaking, rouse her attention, and she is quicker than I thought she was, and

This was done; and then she complained that nobody came near her. She insisted on coming downstairs; it

She assented to that; and now passed some hours every day in the drawingroom. In her morning wrappers,

so fresh and crisp, she looked lovely, and increased in health and strength every day.

Dr. Philip used to look at her, and his very flesh would creep at the thought that, ere long, he must hurl this

fair creature into the dust of affliction; must, with a word, take the ruby from her lips, the rose from her

cheeks, the sparkle from her glorious eyes eyes that beamed on him with sweet affection, and a mouth that

never opened, but to show some simplicity of mind, or some pretty burst of the sensitive heart.

He put off, and put off, and at last cowardice began to whisper, "Why tell her the whole truth at all? Why not

take her through stages of doubt, alarm, and, after all, leave a grain of hope till her child gets so rooted in her

heart that" But conscience and good sense interrupted this temporary thought, and made him see to what a

horrible life of suspense he should condemn a human creature, and live a perpetual lie, and be always at the

One day, while he sat looking at her, with all these thoughts, and many more, coursing through his mind, she

Now, Dr. Philip had given that up. He had got the servants at Kent Villa on his side, and he felt safer here

than in any strange place: so he said, "I don't know: that all depends. There is plenty of time."

"No, uncle," said Rosa gravely. "I wish to leave this house. I can hardly breathe in it."

"Mystery is not my native air; and this house is full of mystery. Voices whisper at my door, and the people

don't come in. The maids cast strange looks at me, and hurry away. I scolded that pert girl Jane, and she

answered me as meek as Moses. I catch you looking at me, with love, and something else. What is that

something? It is Pity: that is what it is. Do you think, because I am called a simpleton, that I have no eyes,

nor ears, nor sense? What is this secret which you are all hiding from one person, and that is me? Ah!

Christopher has not written these five weeks. Tell me the truth, for I will know it," and she started up in wild

He said, "My poor girl, you have read us right. I am anxious about Christopher, and all the servants know it."

"Was it for us to retard your convalescence, and set you fretting, and perhaps destroy your child? Rosa, my

"Yes," said she, trembling, "Heaven has been good to me; I hope Heaven will always be as good to me. I

don't deserve it; but then I tell God so. I am very grateful, and very penitent. I never forget that, if I had been

a good wife, my husbandfive weeks is a long time. Why do you tremble so? Why are you so palea

She looked at him, started wildly up, then sank back into her chair. So the stricken deer leaps, then falls. Yet

even now she put on a deceitful calm, and said, "Tell me the truth. I have a right to know."

"Of a passenger drownedout of that ship. This, coupled with his silence, fills our hearts with fear."

"It is worseyou are breaking it to meyou have gone too far to stop. One word: is he alive? Oh, say he is

Philip rang the bell hard, and said in a troubled voice, "Rosa, think of your child."

"It is hard to say, with such a terrible report about, and no letters," faltered the old man, his courage failing

"What are you afraid of? Do you think I can't die, and go to him? Alive, or dead?" and she stood before him,

"Ah, then he is dead," said she, with stony calmness. "I drove him to sea, and he is dead."

"Yes, our poor Christie is gonebut his child is herethe image of him. Do not forget the mother. Have

"Take it out of my sight!" she screamed. "Away with it, or I shall murder it, as I have murdered its father. My

dear Christie, before all that live! I have killed him. I shall die for him. I shall go to him." She raved and tore

her hair. Servants rushed in. Rosa was carried to her bed, screaming and raving, and her black hair all down

Swoon followed swoon, and that very night brain fever set in with all its sad accompaniments; a poor

bereaved creature, tossing and moaning; pale, anxious, but resolute faces of the nurse and the kitchenmaid

watching: on one table a pail of ice, and on another the long, thick raven hair of our poor Simpleton, lying on

clean silver paper. Dr. Philip had cut it all off with his own hand, and he was now folding it up, and crying

over it; for he thought to himself, "Perhaps in a few days more only this will be left of her on earth."

Staines fell headforemost into the sea with a heavy plunge. Being an excellent swimmer, he struck out the

moment he touched the water, and that arrested his dive, and brought him up with a slant, shocked and

panting, drenched and confused. The next moment he saw, as through a foghis eyes being full of

watersomething fall from the ship. He breasted the big waves, and swam towards it: it rose on the top of a

wave, and he saw it was a lifebuoy. Encumbered with wet clothes, he seemed impotent in the big waves;

Almost exhausted, he got to the lifebuoy, and clutched it with a fierce grasp and a wild cry of delight. He

got it over his head, and, placing his arms round the buoyant circle, stood with his breast and head out of

He now drew a long breath, and got his wet hair out of his eyes, already smarting with salt water, and, raising

He saw, to his great concern, the ship already at a distance. She seemed to have flown, and she was still

He saw no signs of help. His heart began to turn as cold as his drenched body. A horrible fear crossed him.

But presently he saw the weatherboat filled, and fall into the water; and then a wave rolled between him and

The next time he rose on a mighty wave he saw the boats together astern of the vessel, but not coming his

way; and the gloom was thickening, the ship becoming indistinct, and all was doubt and horror.

He rose and fell like a cork on the buoyant wavesrose and fell, and saw nothing but the ship's lights, now

But at last, as he rose and fell, he caught a few fitful glimpses of a smaller light rising and falling like

himself. "A boat!" he cried, and raising himself as high as he could, shouted, cried, implored for help. He

The light kept moving, but it came no nearer. They had greatly underrated the drift. The other boat had no

Minutes passed of suspense, hope, doubt, dismay, terror. Those minutes seemed hours.

In the agony of suspense the quaking heart sent beads of sweat to the brow, though the body was immersed.

And the gloom deepened, and the cold waves flung him up to heaven with their giant arms, and then down

again to hell: and still that light, his only hope, was several hundred yards from him.

Only for a moment at a time could his eyeballs, straining with agony, catch this willo'thewisp, the boat's

When what seemed days of agony had passed, suddenly a rocket rose in the horizonso it seemed to him.

The lost man gave a shriek of joy; so prone are we to interpret things hopefully.

Misery! The next time he saw that little light, that solitary spark of hope, it was not quite so near as before. A

He shrieked, he cried, he screamed, he raved. "Oh, Rosa! Rosa! for her sake, men, men, do not leave me. I am

In vain. The miserable man saw the boat's little light retire, recede, and melt into the ship's larger light, and

Then, a cold, deadly stupor fell on him. Then, death's icy claw seized his heart, and seemed to run from it to

every part of him. He was a dead man. Only a question of time. Nothing to gain by floating.

But the despairing mind could not quit the world in peace, and even here in the cold, cruel sea, the quivering

body clung to this fragment of life, and winced at death's touch, though more merciful.

Unable to live or to die, condemned to float slowly, hour by hour, down into death's jaws.

To a long, deathlike stupor succeeded frenzy. Fury seized this great and longsuffering mind. It rose against

the cruelty and injustice of his fate. He cursed the world, whose stupidity had driven him to sea, he cursed

remorseless nature; and at last he railed on the God who made him, and made the cruel water, that was

waiting for his body. "God's justice! God's mercy! God's power! they are all lies," he shouted, "dreams,

chimeras, like Him the allpowerful and good, men babble of by the fire. If there was a God more powerful

than the sea, and only half as good as men are, he would pity my poor Rosa and me, and send a hurricane to

drive those caitiffs back to the wretch they have abandoned. Nature alone is mighty. Oh, if I could have her

on my side, and only God against me! But she is as deaf to prayer as He is: as mechanical and remorseless. I

am a bubble melting into the sea. Soul I have none; my body will soon be nothing, nothing. So ends an

honest, loving life. I always tried to love my fellowcreatures. Curse them! curse them! Curse the earth!

The thing, being larger than himself and partly out of water, was drifting to leeward faster than himself.

He gave a loud cry, and tried to swim towards it; but encumbered with his lifebuoy, he made little progress.

He shouted with hope, he swam, he struggled; he got near it, but not to it; it drifted past, and he lost his

chance of intercepting it. He struggled after it. The lifebuoy would not let him catch it.

Then he gave a cry of agony, rage, despair, and flung off the life buoy, and risked all on this one chance.

He gains: he cries, "Rosa! Rosa!" and struggles with all his soul, as well as his body: he gains.

He is near it. He cries, "Rosa! Rosa!" and with all the energy of love and life flings himself almost out of the

It seemed as if it would come away in his grasp. He dared not try to pull himself up by that. But he held on by

Holding by that terrible and strange support, he made a grasp, and caught hold of the woodwork at the bottom

But in situations so dreadful, men think fast; he worked gradually round the bottom of the raft by his hands,

till he got to leeward, still holding on. There he found a solid block of wood at the edge of the raft. He prised

himself carefully up; the raft in that part then sank a little: he got his knee upon the timber of the raft, and

with a wild cry seized the nearest upright, and threw both arms round it and clung tight. Then first he found

breath to speak. "THANK GOD!" he cried, kneeling on the timber, and grasping the upright post"OH,

"Thank God!" why, according to his theory, it should have been "Thank Nature." But I observe that, in such

Our philosopher not only thanked God, but being on his knees, prayed forgiveness for his late ravings, prayed

hard, with one arm curled round the upright, lest the sea, which ever and anon rushed over the bottom of the

Then he rose carefully, and wedged himself into the corner of the raft opposite to that other figure, ominous

relic of the wild voyage the newcomer had entered upon; he put both arms over the rail, and stood erect.

The moon was now up; but so was the breeze: fleecy clouds flew with vast rapidity across her bright face,

and it was by fitful though vivid glances Staines examined the raft and his companion.

The raft was large, and well made of timbers tied and nailed together, and a strong rail ran round it resting on

several uprights. There were also some blocks of a very light wood screwed to the horizontal timbers, and

But what arrested and fascinated the man's gaze was his dead companion, sole survivor, doubtless, of a

It was a skeleton, or nearly, whose clothes the seabirds had torn, and pecked every limb in all the fleshy parts;

the rest of the body had dried to dark leather on the bones. The head was little more than an eyeless skull; but

in the fitful moonlight, those huge hollow caverns seemed gigantic lamplike eyes, and glared at him

He sickened at the sight. He tried not to look at it; but it would be looked at, and threaten him in the

The wind whistled, and lashed his face with spray torn off the big waves, and the water was nearly up to his

knees, and the raft tossed so wildly, it was all he could do to hold on in his corner: in which struggle, still

those monstrous lacklustre eyes, like lamps of death, glared at him in the moon; all else was dark, except the

But, before morning, the breeze sank, the moon set, and a sombre quiet succeeded, with only that grim figure

in outline dimly visible. Owing to the motion still retained by the waves, it seemed to nod and rear, and be

The sun rose glorious, on a lovely scene; the sky was a very mosaic of colors sweet and vivid, and the

tranquil, rippling sea, peach colored to the horizon, with lines of diamonds where the myriad ripples broke

Staines was asleep, exhausted. Soon the light awoke him, and he looked up. What an incongruous picture met

his eye: that heaven of color all above and around, and right before him, like a devil stuck in midheaven,

But daylight is a great strengthener of the nerves; the figure no longer appalled hima man who had long

learned to look with Science's calm eye upon the dead. When the sea became like glass, and from

peachcolor deepened to rose, he walked along the raft, and inspected the dead man. He found it was a man

of color, but not a black. The body was not kept in its place, as he had supposed, merely by being jammed

into the angle caused by the rail; it was also lashed to the corner upright by a long, stout belt. Staines

This was not lost on him: he removed the belt for his own use: he then found it was not only a belt, but a

When he had taken it off the body, he felt a compunction. "Ought he to rob the dead, and expose it to be

He was about to replace the belt, when a middle course occurred to him. He was a man who always carried

certain useful little things about him, viz., needles, thread, scissors, and string. He took a piece of string, and

easily secured this poor light skeleton to the raft. The belt he strapped to the rail, and kept for his own need.

And now hunger gnawed him. No food was near. There was nothing but the lovely sea and sky, mosaic with

Hunger comes and goes many times before it becomes insupportable. All that day and night, and the next

day, he suffered its pangs; and then it became torture, but the thirst maddening.

Towards night fell a gentle rain. He spread a handkerchief and caught it. He sucked the handkerchief.

Next day was cloudless. A hot sun glared on his unprotected head, and battered down his enfeebled frame.

He resisted as well as he could. He often dipped his head, and as often the persistent sun, with cruel glare,

Next day the same: but the strength to meet it was waning. He lay down and thought of Rosa, and wept

bitterly. He took the dead man's belt, and lashed himself to the upright. That act, and his tears for his beloved,

were almost his last acts of perfect reason: for next day came the delusions and the dreams that succeed when

hunger ceases to torture, and the vital powers begin to ebb. He lay and saw pleasant meadows with

meandering streams, and clusters of rich fruit that courted the hand and melted in the mouth.

Ever and anon they vanished, and he saw grim death looking down on him with those big cavernous eyes.

By and by, whether his body's eye saw the grim skeleton, or his mind's eye the juicy fruits, green meadows,

So, in a placid calm, beneath a blue sky, the raft drifted dead, with its dead freight, upon the glassy purple,

There came across the waters to that dismal raft a thing none too common, by sea or landa good man.

He was tall, stalwart, bronzed, and had hair like snow, before his time, for he had known trouble. He

The man at the masthead descried a floating wreck, and hailed the deck accordingly. The captain altered his

course without one moment's hesitation, and brought up alongside, lowered a boat, and brought the dead, and

A young middy lifted Staines in his arms from the wreck to the boat; he whose person I described in chapter

Men are not always rougher than women. Their strength and nerve enable them now and then to be gentler

than butteryfingered angels, who drop frail things through sensitive agitation, and break them. These rough

men saw Staines was hovering between life and death, and they handled him like a thing the ebbing life

might be shaken out of in a moment. It was pretty to see how gingerly the sailors carried the sinking man up

the ladder, and one fetched swabs, and the others laid him down softly on them at their captain's feet.

"Well done, men," said he. "Poor fellow! Pray Heaven, we may not have come too late. Now stand aloof a

The surgeon came, and looked, and felt the heart. He shook his head, and called for brandy. He had Staines's

head raised, and got half a spoonful of diluted brandy down his throat. But there was an ominous gurgling.

After several such attempts at intervals, he said plainly the man's life could not be saved by ordinary means.

"Then try extraordinary," said the captain. "My orders are that he is to be saved. There is life in him. You

"A bath of beeftea. Dr. Staines says he applied it to a starved childin the Lancet."

Thus encouraged, the surgeon went to the cook, and very soon beef was steaming on a scale and at a rate

Meantime, Captain Dodd had the patient taken to his own cabin, and he and his servant administered weak

There was no perceptible result. But at all events there was life and vital instinct left, or he could not have

The captain took charge of the patient's clothes: the surgeon and a sailor bathed him in lukewarm beeftea,

and then covered him very warm with blankets next the skin. Guess how near a thing it seemed to them,

Just before sunset his pulse became perceptible. The surgeon administered half a spoonful of eggflip. The

"He must not be left, day or night," said the captain. "I don't know who or what he is, but he is a man; and I

That night Captain Dodd overhauled the patient's clothes, and looked for marks on his linen. There were

Captain Dodd found his pocketbook, with banknotes, two hundred pounds. He took the numbers, made a

He lighted his lamp, examined the belt, unripped it, and poured out the contents on his table.

They were dazzling. A great many large pieces of amethyst, and some of white topaz and rock crystal; a large

number of smaller stones, carbuncles, chrysolites, and not a few emeralds. Dodd looked at them with

"What a lot!" said he. "I wonder what they are worth!" He sent for the first mate, who, he knew, did a little

private business in precious stones. "Masterton," said he, "oblige me by counting these stones with me, and

Mr. Masterton stared, and his mouth watered. However, he named the various stones and valued them. He

said there was one stone, a large emerald, without a flaw, that was worth a heavy sum by itself; and the

pearls, very fine: and looking at the great number, they must be worth a thousand pounds.

Captain Dodd then entered the whole business carefully in the ship's log: the living man he described thus:

"About five feet six in height, and about fifty years of age." Then he described the notes and the stones very

Staines took a good deal of eggflip that night, and next day ate solid food; but they questioned him in vain;

his reason was entirely in abeyance: he had become an eater, and nothing else. Whenever they gave him food,

he showed a sort of fawning animal gratitude. Other sentiment he had none, nor did words enter his mind any

more than a bird's. And since it is not pleasant to dwell on the wreck of a fine understanding, I will only say

that they landed him at Cape Town, out of bodily danger, but weak, and his mind, to all appearance, a

They buried the skeleton,read the service of the English Church over a Malabar heathen.

Dodd took Staines to the hospital, and left twenty pounds with the governor of it to cure him. But he

deposited Staines's money and jewels with a friendly banker, and begged that the principal cashier might see

The cashier came and examined him, and also the ruby ring on his fingera parting gift from Rosaand

"Why, it is the only one, sir," said Dodd. "How can we give you his signature? He is not in his right mind."

Having made these provisions, the worthy captain weighed anchor, with a warm heart and a good conscience.

Yet the image of the man he had saved pursued him, and he resolved to look after him next time he should

Staines recovered his strength in about two months; but his mind returned in fragments, and very slowly. For

a long, long time he remembered nothing that had preceded his great calamity. His mind started afresh, aided

only by certain fixed habits; for instance, he could read and write: but, strange as it may appear, he had no

idea who he was; and when his memory cleared a little on that head, he thought his surname was Christie, but

Nevertheless, the presiding physician discovered in him a certain progress of intelligence, which gave him

great hopes. In the fifth month, having shown a marked interest in the other sick patients, coupled with a

disposition to be careful and attentive, they made him a nurse, or rather a subnurse under the special orders

of a responsible nurse. I really believe it was done at first to avoid the alternative of sending him adrift, or

transferring him to the insane ward of the hospital. In this congenial pursuit he showed such watchfulness and

skill, that by and by they found they had got a treasure. Two months after that he began to talk about

medicine, and astonished them still more. He became the puzzle of the establishment. The doctor and surgeon

would converse with him, and try and lead him to his past life; but when it came to that, he used to put his

hands to his head with a face of great distress, and it was clear some impassable barrier lay between his

growing intelligence and the past events of his life. Indeed, on one occasion, he said to his kind friend the

Ten months after his admission he was promoted to be an attendant, with a salary.

He put by every shilling of it; for he said, "A voice from the dark past tells me money is everything in this

A discussion was held by the authorities as to whether he should be informed he had money and jewels at the

Upon the whole, it was thought advisable to postpone this information, lest he should throw it away; but they

told him he had been picked up at sea, and both money and jewels found on him; they were in safe hands,

only the person was away for the time. Still, he was not to look upon himself as either friendless or

At this communication he showed an almost childish delight, that confirmed the doctor in his opinion he was

acting prudently, and for the real benefit of an amiable and afflicted person, not yet to be trusted with money

In his quality of attendant on the sick, Staines sometimes conducted a weak but convalescent patient into the

open air; and he was always pleased to do this, for the air of the Cape carries health and vigor on its wings.

He had seen its fine recreative properties, and he divined, somehow, that the minds of convalescents ought to

be amused, and so he often begged the doctor to let him take a convalescent abroad. Sooner than not, he

would draw the patient several miles in a Bath chair. He rather liked this; for he was a Hercules, and had no

Now, these openair walks exerted a beneficial influence on his own darkened mind. It is one thing to

struggle from idea to idea; it is another when material objects mingle with the retrospect; they seem to supply

The ships going out of port were such a steppingstone to him, and a vague consciousness came back to him of

Unfortunately, along with this reminiscence came a desire to go in one again; and this sowed discontent in his

mind, and the more that mind enlarged, the more he began to dislike the hospital and its confinement. The

feeling grew, and bade fair to disqualify him for his humble office. The authorities could not fail to hear of

this, and they had a little discussion about parting with him; but they hesitated to turn him adrift, and they still

While matters were in this state a remarkable event occurred. He drew a sick patient down to the quay one

morning, and watched the business of the port with the keenest interest. A ship at anchor was unloading, and

a great heavy boat was sticking to her side like a black leech. Presently this boat came away, and moved

sluggishly towards the shore, rather by help of the tide than of the two men who went through the form of

propelling her with two monstrous sweeps, while a third steered her. She contained English goods:

agricultural implements, some cases, four horses, and a buxom young woman with a thorough English face.

The woman seemed a little excited, and as she neared the landingplace, she called out in jocund tones to a

young man on the shore, "It is all right, Dick; they are beauties," and she patted the beasts as people do who

She stepped lightly ashore, and then came the slower work of landing her imports. She bustled about, like a

hen over her brood, and wasn't always talking, but put in her word every now and then, never crossly, and

Staines listened to her, and examined her with a sort of puzzled look; but she took no notice of him; her

They got the things on board well enough; but the horses were frightened at the gangway, and jibbed. Then a

man was for driving them, and poked one of them in the quarter; he snorted and reared directly.

"Man alive!" cried the young woman, "that is not the way. They are docile enough, but frightened. Encourage

'em, and let 'em look at it. Give 'em time. More haste less speed, with timorous cattle."

"That is a very pleasant voice," said poor Staines, rather more dictatorially than became the present state of

his intellect. He added softly, "a true woman's voice;" then gloomily, "a voice of the pastthe dark, dark

At this speech intruding itself upon the short sentences of business, there was a roar of laughter, and Phoebe

Falcon turned sharply round to look at the speaker. She stared at him; she cried "Oh!" and clasped her hands,

and colored all over. "Why, sure," said she, "I can't be mistook. Those eyes'tis you, doctor, isn't it?"

"Doctor?" said Staines, with a puzzled look. "Yes; I think they called me doctor once. I'm an attendant in the

"Ay, before you do another thing, or say another word. Come here, now." So he came, and she told him to

"What, not know the man who saved your own life! Oh, Dick, what are your eyes worth?"

This discourse brought the few persons within hearing into one band of excited starers.

Dick took a good look, and said, "I'm blest if I don't, though; it is the doctor that cut my throat."

"Oh, better breathe through a slit than not at all," said Dick. "Saved my life with that cut, he did, didn't he,

"That he did, Dick. Dear heart, I hardly know whether I am in my senses or not, seeing him alooking so

Dick came forward. "Sure you remember me, sir. Dick Dale. You cut my throat, and saved my life."

"Not the way you done it. Well, sir, you ain't the man you was, that is clear; but you was a good friend to me,

"Thank you, Dick," said Staines, and took his hand. "I don't remember YOU. Perhaps you are one of the past.

The past is dead wall to mea dark dead wall," and he put his hands to his head with a look of distress.

Everybody there now suspected the truth, and some pointed mysteriously to their own heads.

He said a little pettishly, "All I know is, he is the kindest attendant in the ward, and very attentive."

The invalid, with the selfishness of his class, then begged Staines to take him out of all this bustle down to

the beach. Staines complied at once, with the utmost meekness, and said, "Goodby, old friends; forgive me

for not remembering you. It is my great affliction that the past is gone from megone, gone." And he went

"I wonder at you," sobbed Phoebe. "Good people, I'm fonder of my brother than he is of himself, it seems; for

I can't take it so easy. Well, the world is full of trouble. Let us do what we are here for. But I shall pray for

So then she bustled, and gave herself to getting the cattle on shore, and the things put on board her wagon.

But when this was done, she said to her brother, "Dick, I did not think anything on earth could take my heart

off the cattle and the things we have got from home; but I can't leave this without going to the hospital about

our poor dear doctor: and it is late for making a start, any wayand you mustn't forget the newspapers for

Reginaldhe is so fond of themand you must contrive to have one sent out regular after this, and I'll go to

She went, and saw the head doctor, and told him he had got an attendant there she had known in England in a

very different condition, and she had come to see if there was anything she could do for himfor she felt

"Well," said the doctor, "I believe it is the same man; for, now you tell me thisyes, one of the nurses told

"Doctor," said Phoebe, blushing, "I don't know what you will think of me, but I don't know his name. Laws

Phoebe saw it, and colored to the temples. "Oh, sir," she cried piteously, "don't go for to think I have told you

a lie! why should I? and indeed I am not of that sort, nor Dick neither. Sir, I'll bring him to you, and he will

say the same. Well, we were all in terror and confusion, and I met him accidentally in the street. He was only

a customer till then, and paid ready money, so that is how I never knew his name, but if I hadn't been the

"Ay, sir, the loveliest lady you ever clapped eyes on, and he is almost as handsome; has eyes in his head like

jewels; 'twas by them I knew him on the quay, and I think he knew my voice again, said as good as he had

"Yes; if he knows your voice, you will be able in time to lead his memory back; at least, I think so. Do you

"Oh, if you think I could do the poor doctor good by having him with me, you have only to say the word, and

out he goes with Dick and me tomorrow morning. We should have started for home to night, but for this."

"Are you in earnest, madam?" said the doctor, opening his eyes. "Would you really encumber yourself with a

"But that is not his fault, sir. Why, if a dog had saved my brother's life, I'd take it home, and keep it all its

days; and this is a man, and a worthy man. Oh, sir, when I saw him brought down so, and his beautiful eyes

clouded like, my very bosom yearned over the poor soul; a kind act done in dear old England, who can see

the man in trouble here, and not repay itay, if it cost one's blood. But indeed he is strong and healthy, and

hands are always scarce our way, and the odds are he will earn his meat one way or t'other; and if he doesn't,

why, all the better for me; I shall have the pleasure of serving him for nought that once served me for neither

"There's better, and there's worse," said Phoebe quietly, and even a little coldly.

"We shall hand him over to your care: but firstjust for formif you are a married woman, we should like

Ploebe laughed merrily. "Dick is my brother; and he can't be spared to come here. Dick! he'd say black was

"My husband is at the farm. I could not venture so far away, and not leave him in charge." If she had said, "I

will not bring him into temptation," that would have been nearer the truth. "Let that fly stick on the wall, sir.

Phoebe did not reply pointblank to that; she merely said, "All my chickens are happy, great and small," and

an expression of lofty, womanly, innocent pride illuminated her face and made it superb for a moment.

In short, it was settled that Staines should accompany her next morning to Dale's Kloof Farm, if he chose. On

inquiry, it appeared that he had just returned to the hospital with his patient. He was sent for, and Phoebe

asked him sweetly if he would go with her to her house, one hundred and eighty miles away, and she would

"Nay, by land; but 'tis a fine country, and you will see beautiful deer and things running across the plains,

"Ay, poor soul, that we shall, God willing. You and I, we will hunt it together."

He looked at her, and gave her his hand. "I will go with you. Your face belongs to the past, so does your

"Ay, that I have, the loveliest little boy you ever saw. When you are as you used to be, you will be his doctor,

Phoebe then begged Staines to be ready to start at six in the morning. She and Dick would take him up on

While she was talking to him the doctor slipped out, and to tell the truth he went to consult with another

authority, whether he should take this opportunity of telling Staines that he had money and jewels at the

bank: he himself was half inclined to do so; but the other, who had not seen Phoebe's face, advised him to do

nothing of the kind. "They are always short of money, these colonial farmers," said he; "she would get every

"Well, what mother could be just to a lunatic, with her own sweet angel babes to provide for?"

"What I would do,I would take her address, and make her promise to write if he gets well, and if he does

Dr. acted on this shrewd advice, and ordered a bundle to be made up for the traveller out of the hospital

Next morning, Staines and Dick Dale walked through the streets of Cape Town side by side. Dick felt the

uneasiness of a sane man, not familiar with the mentally afflicted, who suddenly finds himself alone with

one. Insanity turns men oftenest into sheep and hares; but it does now and then make them wolves and tigers;

and that has saddled the insane in general with a character for ferocity. Young Dale, then, cast many a

suspicious glance at his comrade, as he took him along. These glances were reassuring: Christopher's face

had no longer the mobility, the expressive changes, that mark the superior mind; his countenance was

monotonous: but the one expression was engaging; there was a sweet, patient, lamblike look: the glorious

eye a little troubled and perplexed, but wonderfully mild. Dick Dale looked and looked, and his uneasiness

vanished. And the more he looked, the more did a certain wonder creep over him, and make him scarce

believe the thing he knew; viz., that a learned doctor had saved him from the jaws of death by rare

knowledge, sagacity, courage, and skill combined: and that mighty man of wisdom was brought down to this

lamb, and would go north, south, east, or west, with sweet and perfect submission, even as he, Dick Dale,

should appoint. With these reflections honest Dick felt his eyes get a little misty, and, to use those words of

As for Christopher, he looked straight forward, and said not a word till they cleared the town; but when he

saw the vast flowery vale, and the faroff violet hills, like Scotland glorified, he turned to Dick with an

ineffable expression of sweetness and good fellowship, and said, "Oh, beautiful! We'll hunt the past

Now, this he said, not that he cared for the past, nor intended to waste the present by going upon its

predecessor's trail; but he had come to a resolutionfull three minutes agoto humor his companion to the

top of his bent, and say "Yes" with hypocritical vigor to everything not directly and immediately destructive

The next moment they turned a corner and came upon the rest of their party, hitherto hidden by the apricot

hedge and a turning in the road. A blueblack Kafir, with two yellow Hottentot drivers, man and boy, was

harnessing, in the most primitive mode, four horses on to the six oxen attached to the wagon; and the horses

were flattening their ears, and otherwise resenting the incongruity. Meantime a fourth figure, a colossal

young Kafir woman, looked on superior with folded arms, like a sable Juno looking down with that absolute

composure upon the struggles of man and other animals, which Lucretius and his master Epicurus assigned to

the Divine nature. Without jesting, the grandeur, majesty, and repose of this figure were unsurpassable in

Dick Dale joined the group immediately, and soon arranged the matter. Meantime, Phoebe descended from

the wagon, and welcomed Christopher very kindly, and asked him if he would like to sit beside her, or to

He glanced into the wagon; it was covered and curtained, and dark as a cupboard. "I think," said he, timidly,

"So you will, poor soul," said Phoebe kindly, "and better for your health: but you must not go far from the

wagon, for I'm a fidget; and I have got the care of you now, you know, for want of a better. Come, Ucatella;

you must ride with me, and help me sort the things; they are all higgledypiggledy." So those two got into the

wagon through the back curtains. Then the Kafir driver flourished his kambok, or long whip, in the air, and

made it crack like a pistol, and the horses reared, and the oxen started and slowly bored in between them, for

they whinnied, and kicked, and spread out like a fan all over the road; but a flick or two from the terrible

kambok soon sent them bleeding and trembling and rubbing shoulders, and the oxen, mildly but persistently

goring their recalcitrating haunches, the intelligent animals went ahead, and revenged themselves by breaking

The body of the wagon was long and low and very stout. The tilt strong and tightmade. The roof inside, and

most of the sides, lined with green baize. Curtains of the same to the little window and the back. There was a

sort of hold literally built full of purchases; a small fireproof safe; huge blocks of salt; saws, axes, pickaxes,

adzes, flails, tools innumerable, bales of wool and linen stuff, hams, and two hundred empty sacks strewn

over all. In large pigeonholes fixed to the sides were light goods, groceries, collars, glaring cotton

handkerchiefs for Phoebe's aboriginal domestics, since not every year did she go to Cape Town, a twenty

days' journey by wagon: things dangled from the very roof; but no hard goods there, if you please, to batter

one's head in a spill. Outside were latticed grooves with tent, tentpoles, and rifles. Great pieces of cork, and

bags of hay and corn, hung dangling from mighty hooksthe latter to feed the cattle, should they be

compelled to camp out on some sterile spot on the Veldt, and methinks to act as buffers, should the whole

concern roll down a nullah or little precipice, no very uncommon incident in the blessed region they must

Harness mended; fresh start. The Hottentots and Kafir vociferated and yelled, and made the unearthly row of

a dozen wild beasts wrangling: the horses drew the bullocks, they the wagon; it crawled and creaked, and its

Slowly they creaked and wobbled past apricot hedges and detached houses and huts, and got into an open

country without a tree, but here and there a stunted camelthorn. The soil was arid, and grew little food for

man or beast; yet, by a singular freak of nature, it put forth abundantly things that here at home we find it

harder to raise than homely grass and oats; the ground was thickly clad with flowers of delightful hues;

pyramids of snow or rosecolor bordered the track; yellow and crimson stars bejewelled the ground, and a

thousand bulbous plants burst into all imaginable colors, and spread a rainbow carpet to the foot of the violet

hills; and all this glowed, and gleamed, and glittered in a sun shining with incredible brightness and purity of

Christopher fell to gathering flowers, and interrogating the past by means of them; for he had studied botany:

the past gave him back some pitiably vague ideas. He sighed. "Never mind," said he to Dick, and tapped his

"This is a beautiful country," suggested Christopher. "It is all flowers. It is like the garden ofthe garden

"It is delightful," replied the selfcompelled optimist sturdily. But here nature gave way; he was obliged

to relieve his agricultural bile by getting into the cart and complaining to his sister. "'Twill take us all our time

to cure him. He have been bepraising this here soil, which it is only fit to clean the women's kettles.

"Poor soul! mayhap the flowers have took his eye. Sit here a bit, Dick. I want to talk to you about a many

While these two were conversing, Ucatella, who was very fond of Phoebe, but abhorred wagons, stepped out

and stalked by the side, like an ostrich, a camelopard, or a Taglioni; nor did the effort with which she subdued

her stride to the pace of the procession appear: it was the poetry of walking. Christopher admired it a

moment; but the noble expanse tempted him, and he strode forth like a giant, his lungs inflating in the

The consequence was that when they came to a halt, and Dick and Phoebe got out to release and water the

"Hanc rem aegre tulit Phoebe," as my old friend Livy would say. "Oh dear! oh dear! if he strays so far from

us, he will be eaten up at nightfall by jackals, or lions, or something. One of you must go after him."

"Me go, missy," said Ucatella zealously, pleased with an excuse for stretching her magnificent limbs.

"Yuke, my girl," said Phoebe, "listen. He has been a good friend of ours in trouble; and now he is not quite

right HERE. So be very kind to him, but be sure and bring him back, or keep him till we come."

"Me bring him back alive, certain sure," said Ucatella, smiling from ear to ear. She started with a sudden

glide, like a boat taking the water, and appeared almost to saunter away, so easy was the motion; but when

you looked at the ground she was covering, the stride, or glide, or whatever it was, was amazing.

Christopher walked fast, but nothing like this; and as he stopped at times to botanize and gaze at the violet

hills, and interrogate the past, she came up with him about five miles from the halting place.

She laid her hand quietly on his shoulder, and said, with a broad genial smile, and a musical chuckle,

"Oh! very well;" and he turned back with her, directly; but she took him by the hand to make sure; and they

marched back peaceably, in silence, and hand in hand. But he looked and looked at her, and at last he stopped

dead short, and said, a little arrogantly, "Come, I know YOU. YOU are not locked up;" and he inspected her

pointblank. She stood like an antique statue, and faced the examination. "You are 'the noble savage,'" said

"Iss, the housemaid, Ucatella. So come on." And she drew him along, sore perplexed.

They met the cavalcade a mile from the haltingplace, and Phoebe apologized a little to Christopher. "I hope

you'll excuse me, sir," said she, "but I am just for all the world like a hen with her chickens; if but one strays,

"Madam," said Christopher, "I am very unhappy at the way things are locked up. Please tell me truly, is this

That afternoon they stopped at an inn. But Dick slept in the cart. At three in the morning they took the road

again, and creaked along supernaturally loud under a purple firmament studded with huge stars, all bright as

moons, that lit the way quite clear, and showed black things innumerable flitting to and fro; these made

Phoebe shudder, but were no doubt harmless; still Dick carried his double rifle, and a revolver in his belt.

They made a fine march in the cool, until some slight mists gathered, and then they halted and breakfasted

near a silvery kloof, and watered the cattle. While thus employed, suddenly a golden tinge seemed to fall like

a lash on the vapors of night; they scudded away directly, as jackals before the lion; the stars paled, and with

one incredible bound, the mighty sun leaped into the horizon, and rose into the sky. In a moment all the lesser

lamps of heaven were out, though late so glorious, and there was nothing but one vast vaulted turquoise, and

This did not escape Christopher. "What is this?" said he. "No twilight. The tropics!" He managed to dig that

At ten o'clock the sun was so hot that they halted, and let the oxen loose till sundown. Then they began to

The way was steep and rugged; indeed, so rough in places, that the cattle had to jump over the holes, and as

the wagon could not jump so cleverly, it jolted appallingly, and many a scream issued forth.

Near the summit, when the poor beasts were dead beat, they got into clouds and storms, and the wind rushed

howling at them through the narrow pass with such fury it flattened the horses' ears, and bade fair to sweep

Christopher and Dick walked close behind, under the lee of the wagon. Christopher said in Dick's ear, "D'ye

"It is time to do SOMETHING," said Dick. He took advantage of a jutting rock, drew the wagon half behind

it and across the road, propped the wheels with stones, and they all huddled to leeward, man and beast

They huddled and shivered three hours, and then the sun leaped into the sky, and lo! a transformation scene.

The cold clouds were first rosy fleeces, then golden ones, then golddust, then gone; the rain was big

diamonds, then crystal sparks, then gone; the rocks and the bushes sparkled with gemlike drops, and shone

The shivering party bustled, and toasted the potent luminary in hot coffee; for Phoebe's wagon had a stove

and chimney; and then they yoked their miscellaneous cattle again, and breasted the hill. With many a jump,

and bump, and jolt, and scream from inside, they reached the summit, and looked down on a vast slope,

The descent was more tremendous than the ascent, and Phoebe got out, and told Christopher she would liever

The Hottentot with the reins was now bent like a bow all the time, keeping the cattle from flowing diverse

over precipices, and the Kafir with his kambok was here, and there, and everywhere, his whip flicking like a

lancet, and cracking like a horsepistol, and the pair vied like Apollo and Pan, not which could sing sweetest,

but swear loudest. Having the lofty hill for some hours between them and the sun, they bumped, and jolted,

and stuck in mudholes, and flogged and swore the cattle out of them again, till at last they got to the bottom,

where ran a turbid kloof or stream. It was fordable, but the recent rains had licked away the slope; so the

existing bank was two feet above the stream. Little recked the demon drivers or the parched cattle; in they

plunged promiscuously, with a flop like thunder, followed by an awful splashing. The wagon stuck fast in the

mud, the horses tied themselves in a knot, and rolled about in the stream, and the oxen drank imperturbably.

"Oh, the salt! the salt!" screamed Phoebe, and the rocks reechoed her lamentations.

The wagon was inextricable, the cattle done up, the savages lazy, so they stayed for several hours.

Christopher botanized, but not alone. Phoebe drew Ucatella apart, and explained to her that when a man is a

little wrong in the head, it makes a child of him: "So," said she, "you must think he is your child, and never

"All right," said the sable Juno, who spoke English ridiculously well, and rapped out idioms; especially

About dusk, what the drivers had foreseen, though they had not the sense to explain it, took place; the kloof

dwindled to a mere gutter, and the wagon stuck high and dry. Phoebe waved her handkerchief to Ucatella.

Ucatella, who had dogged Christopher about four hours without a word, now took his hand, and said, "My

The drivers, flogging like devils, cursing like troopers, and yelling like hyenas gone mad, tried to get the

wagon off; but it was fast as a rock. Then Dick and the Hottentot put their shoulders to one wheel, and tried

to prise it up, while the Kafir ENCOURAGED the cattle with his thong. Observing this, Christopher went in,

with his sable custodian at his heels, and heaved at the other embedded wheel. The wagon was lifted directly,

so that the cattle tugged it out, and they got clear. On examination, the salt had just escaped.

Says Ucatella to Phoebe, a little ostentatiously, "My child is strong and useful; make little missy a good

"A slave! Heaven forbid!" said Phoebe. "He'll be a father to us all, once he gets his head back; and I do think

The next three days offered the ordinary incidents of African travel, but nothing that operated much on

Christopher's mind, which is the true point of this narrative; and as there are many admirable books of

African travel, it is the more proper I should confine myself to what may be called the relevant incidents of

On the sixth day from Cape Town, they came up with a large wagon stuck in a mudhole. There was quite a

party of Boers, Hottentots, Kafirs, round it, armed with whips, shamboks, and oaths, lashing and cursing

without intermission, or any good effect; and there were the wretched beasts straining in vain at their choking

yokes, moaning with anguish, trembling with terror, their poor mild eyes dilated with agony and fear, and

often, when the blows of the cruel shamboks cut open their bleeding flesh, they bellowed to Heaven their

"BARBARIANS!" he roared, and seized a gigantic Kafir by the throat, just as his shambok descended for the

hundredth time. There was a mighty struggle, as of two Titans; dust flew round the combatants in a cloud; a

whirling of big bodies, and down they both went with an awful thud, the Saxon uppermost, by Nature's law.

The Kafir's companions, amazed at first, began to roll their eyes and draw a knife or two; but Dick ran

This representation pacified them more readily than one might have expected. Dick added hastily, "We'll get

The proposal was favorably received, and the next minute Christopher and Ucatella at one wheel, and Dick

and the Hottentot at the other, with no other help than two pointed iron bars bought for their shepherds, had

effected what sixteen oxen could not. To do this Dick Dale had bared his arm to the shoulder; it was a

stalwart limb, like his sister's, and he now held it out all swollen and corded, and slapped it with his other

hand. "Look'ee here, you chaps," said he: "the worst use a man can put that there to is to go cutting out a poor

beast's heart for not doing more than he can. You are good fellows, you Kafirs; but I think you have sworn

never to put your shoulder to a wheel. But, bless your poor silly hearts, a little strength put on at the right

"You hear that, you Kafir chaps?" inquired Ucatella, a little arrogantlyfor a Kafir.

The Kafirs, who had stood quite silent to imbibe these remarks, bowed their heads with all the dignity and

politeness of Roman senators, Spanish grandees, etc.; and one of the party replied gravely, "The words of the

"And his arm blanked* strong," said Christopher's late opponent, from whose mind, however, all resentment

Thus spake the Kafirs; yet to this day never hath a man of all their tribe put his shoulder to a wheel, so strong

is custom in South Africa; probably in all Africa; since I remember St. Augustin found it stronger than he

"Bother you and your child!" said poor Phoebe. "To think of his flying at a giant like that, and you letting of

him. I'm all of a tremble from head to foot:" and Phoebe relieved herself with a cry.

"There, never mind me. Do go and look after your child, and keep him out of more mischief. I wish we were

Ucatella complied, and went botanizing with Dr. Staines; but that gentleman, in the course of his scientific

researches into camomile flowers and blasted heath, which were all that lovely region afforded, suddenly

succumbed and stretched out his limbs, and said, sleepily, "GoodnightUcat" and was off into the

The wagon, which, by the way, had passed the larger but slower vehicle, found him fast asleep, and Ucatella

"Oh, dear! what now?" said Phoebe: but being a sensible woman, though in the hen and chickens line, she

said, "'Tis the fighting and the excitement. 'Twill do him more good than harm, I think:" and she had him

bestowed in the wagon, and never disturbed him night nor day. He slept thirtysix hours at a stretch; and

when he awoke, she noticed a slight change in his eye. He looked at her with an interest he had not shown

The country became wilder, the signs of life miserably sparse; about every twenty miles the farmhouse or hut

of a degenerate Boer, whose children and slaves pigged together, and all ran jostling, and the mistress

screamed in her shrill Dutch, and the Hottentots all chirped together, and confusion reigned for want of

method: often they went miles, and saw nothing but a hut or two, with a nude Hottentot eating flesh, burnt a

little, but not cooked, at the door; and the kloofs became deeper and more turbid, and Phoebe was in an agony

about her salt, and Christopher advised her to break it in big lumps, and hang it all about the wagon in sacks;

and she did, and Ucatella said profoundly, "My child is wise;" and they began to draw near home, and

Phoebe to fidget; and she said to Christopher, "Oh, dear! I hope they are all alive and well: once you leave

home, you don't know what may have happened by then you come back. One comfort, I've got Sophy: she is

That night, the last they had to travel, was cloudy, for a wonder, and they groped with lanterns.

Ucatella and her child brought up the rear. Presently there was a light pattering behind them. The swifteared

Ucatella clutched Christopher's arm, and turning round, pointed back, with eyeballs white and rolling. There

were full a dozen animals following them, whose bodies seemed colorless as shadows, but their eyes little

"GUN!" said Christie, and gave the Kafir's arm a pinch. She flew to the caravan; he walked backwards,

facing the foe. The wagon was halted, and Dick ran back with two loaded rifles. In his haste he gave one to

Christopher, and repented at leisure; but Christopher took it, and handled it like an experienced person, and

said, with delight, "VOLUNTEER." But with this the cautious animals had vanished like bubbles. But Dick

told Christopher they would be sure to come back; he ordered Ucatella into the wagon, and told her to warn

Phoebe not to be frightened if guns should be fired. This soothing message brought Phoebe's white face out

between the curtains, and she implored them to get into the wagon, and not tempt Providence.

"Time will show," said Dick dryly. "These varmint are on and off like shadows, and as cunning as Old Nick.

We two will walk on quite unconcerned like, and as soon as ever the varmint are at our heels you give us the

"Wewillpeppertheir fur," said Christopher, repeating what to him was a lesson in the ancient and

So they walked on expectant; and by and by the fourfooted shadows with large limelight eyes came

stealing on; and Phoebe shrieked, and they vanished before the men could draw a bead on them.

"Thou's no use at this work, Pheeb," said Dick. "Shut thy eyes, and let us have Yuke."

"Well, then, when the varmint are at our heels, draw in thy woolly head, and bleat like a young lamb. They

Matters being thus prepared, they sauntered on; but the jackals were very wary. They came like shadows, so

departeda great many times: but at last being reenforced, they lessened the distance, and got so close, that

Ucatella withdrew her head, and bleated faintly inside the wagon. The men turned, levelling their rifles, and

found the troop within twenty yards of them. They wheeled directly: but the four barrels poured their flame,

four loud reports startled the night, and one jackal lay dead as a stone, another limped behind the flying

crowd, and one lay kicking. He was soon despatched, and both carcasses flung over the patient oxen; and

Ucatella, with all a Kafir's love of firearms, clapped her hands with delight. "My child shoots loud and

"Ay, ay," replied Phoebe; "they are all alike; wherever there's men, look for quarrelling and firing off. We

"Ay." said Dick, "the cattle especiallyfor it is them the varmint were afterand let 'em eat my Hottentots."

At this picture of the cattle inside the wagon, and the jackals supping on cold Hottentot alongside, Phoebe,

who had no more humor than a cat, but a heart of gold, shut up, and turned red with confusion at her false

When the sun rose they found themselves in a tract somewhat less arid and inhuman; and, at last, at the rise of

a gentle slope, they saw, half a mile before them, a large farmhouse partly clad with creepers, and a little plot

of turf, the fruit of eternal watering; item, a flowerbed; item, snowwhite palings; item, an air of cleanliness

and neatness scarcely known to those dirty descendants of clean ancestors, the Boers. At some distance a very

large dam glittered in the sun, and a troop of snowwhite sheep were watering at it.

"Ay, sir," said Phoebe; "as nigh as man can make it." But soon she began to fret: "Oh, dear! where are they

all? If it was me, I'd be at the door looking out. Ah, there goes Yuke to rouse them up."

"Come, Pheeb, don't you fidget," said Dick kindly. "Why, the lazy lot are scarce out of their beds by this

"More shame for 'em. If they were away from me, and coming home, I should be at the door day AND night,

She uttered a scream of delight, for just then, out came Ucatella, with little Tommy on her shoulder, and

danced along to meet her. As she came close, she raised the chubby child high in the air, and he crowed; and

then she lowered him to his mother, who rushed at him, seized, and devoured him with a hundred inarticulate

"NATURE!" said Christopher dogmatically, recognizing an old acquaintance, and booking it as one more

conquest gained over the past. But there was too much excitement over the cherub to attend to him. So he

watched the woman gravely, and began to moralize with all his might. "This," said he, "is what we used to

call maternal love; and all animals had it, and that is why the noble savage went for him. It was very good of

"Good of her!" cried Phoebe. "She is all goodness. Savage, find me a Dutchwoman like her! I'll give her a

good cuddle for it;" and she took the Kafir round the neck, and gave her a hearty kiss, and made the little boy

At this moment out came a collie dog, hunting Ucatella by scent alone, which process landed him headlong in

the group; he gave loud barks of recognition, fawned on Phoebe and Dick, smelt poor Christopher, gave a

growl of suspicion, and lurked about squinting, dissatisfied, and lowering his tail.

"Thou art wrong, lad, for once," said Dick; "for he's an old friend, and a good one."

"After the dog, perhaps some Christian will come to welcome us," said poor Phoebe.

Obedient to the wish, out walked Sophy, the English nurse, a scraggy woman, with a very cocked nose and

thin, pinched lips, and an air of respectability and pertness mingled. She dropped a short courtesy, shot the

glance of a basilisk at Ucatella, and said stiffly, "You are welcome home, ma'am." Then she took the little

boy as one having authority. Not that Phoebe would have surrendered him; but just then Mr. Falcon strolled

out, with a cigar in his mouth, and Phoebe, with her heart in HER mouth, flew to meet him. There was a

rapturous conjugal embrace, followed by mutual inquiries; and the wagon drew up at the door. Then, for the

first time, Falcon observed Staines, saw at once he was a gentleman, and touched his hat to him, to which

Christopher responded in kind, and remembered he had done so in the lockedup past.

Phoebe instantly drew her husband apart by the sleeve. "Who do you think that is? You'll never guess. 'Tis

the great doctor that saved Dick's life in England with cutting of his throat. But, oh, my dear, he is not the

man he was. He is afflicted. Out of his mind partly. Well, we must cure him, and square the account for Dick.

I'm a proud woman at finding him, and bringing him here to make him all right again, I can tell you. Oh, I am

happy, I am happy. Little did I think to be so happy as I am. And, my dear, I have brought you a whole

"No doubt. He wasn't an apothecary, or a chemist, you may be sure, but a high doctor, and the cleverest ever

was or ever will be: and isn't it sad, love, to see him brought down so? My heart yearns for the poor man: and

then his wifethe sweetest, loveliest creature you everoh!" Phoebe stopped very short, for she

remembered something all of a sudden; nor did she ever again give Falcon a chance of knowing that the

woman, whose presence had so disturbed him, was this very Dr. Christie's wife. "Curious!" thought she to

herself, "the world to be so large, and yet so small:" then aloud, "They are unpacking the wagon; come, dear.

I don't think I have forgotten anything of yours. There's cigars, and tobacco, and powder, and shot, and

bullets, and everything to make you comfortable, as my duty 'tis; andoh, but I'm a happy woman."

Hottentots, big and little, clustered about the wagon. Treasure after treasure was delivered with cries of

delight; the dogs found out it was a joyful time, and barked about the wheeled treasury; and the place did not

A plain but tidy little room was given to Christopher, and he slept there like a top. Next morning his nurse

called him up to help her water the grass. She led the way with a tub on her head and two buckets in it. She

took him to the dam; when she got there she took out the buckets, left one on the bank, and gave the other to

Christie. She then went down the steps till the water was up to her neck, and bade Christie fill the tub. He

poured eight bucketsful in. Then she came slowly out, straight as an arrow, balancing this tub full on her

head. Then she held out her hands for the two buckets. Christie filled them, wondering, and gave them to her.

She took them like toy buckets, and glided slowly home with this enormous weight, and never spilled a drop.

When she reached the house, she hailed a Hottentot, and it cost the man and Christopher a great effort of

"You must not speak bad words, my child," said she. "Now, you water the grass and the flowers." She gave

him a wateringpot, and watched him maternally; but did not put a hand to it. She evidently considered this

It was only by drowning that little oasis twice a day that the grass was kept green and the flowers alive.

She found him other jobs in course of the day, and indeed he was always helping somebody or other, and

became quite ruddy, bronzed, and plump of cheek, and wore a strange look of happiness, except at times

when he got apart, and tried to recall the distant past. Then he would knit his brow, and looked perplexed and

They were getting quite used to him, and he to them, when one day he did not come in to dinner. Phoebe sent

Just before daybreak Dick Dale saw a fire sparkle by the side of a distant thicket. He went to it, and there was

Ucatella seated, calm and grand as antique statue, and Christopher lying by her side, with a shawl thrown

over him. As Dale came hurriedly up, she put her finger to her lips, and said, "My child sleeps. Do not wake

"Here's a go," said Dick. Then, hearing a chuckle, he looked up, and was aware of a comical appendage to the

scene. There hung, head downwards, from a branch, a Kafir boy, who was, in fact, the brother of the stately

Ucatella, only went further into antiquity for his models of deportment; for, as she imitated the antique

marbles, he reproduced the habits of that epoch when man roosted, and was arboreal. Wheel somersaults,

and, above all, swinging head downwards from a branch, were the sweeteners of his existence.

"Well," said Dick, "he has chosen a nice place. This is the clump the last lion came out of, at least they say

so. For my part, I never saw an African lion; Falcon says they've all took ship, and gone to England.

However, I shall stay here with my rifle till daybreak. 'Tis tempting Providence to lie down on the skirt of a

Tim was sent home for Hottentots, and Christopher was carried home, still sleeping, and laid on his own bed.

He slept twentyfour hours more, and, when he was fairly awake, a sort of mist seemed to clear away in

places, and he remembered things at random. He remembered being at sea on the raft with the dead body; that

picture was quite vivid to him. He remembered, too, being in the hospital, and meeting Phoebe, and every

succeeding incident; but as respected the more distant past, he could not recall it by any effort of his will. His

mind could only go into that remoter past by material steppingstones; and what steppingstones he had

about him here led him back to general knowledge, but not to his private history.

In this condition he puzzled them all strangely at the farm; his mind was alternately so clear and so obscure.

He would chat with Phoebe, and sometimes give her a good practical hint; but the next moment, helpless for

want of memory, that great faculty without which judgment cannot act, having no material.

After some days of this, he had another great sleep. It brought him back the distant past in chapters. His

weddingday. His wife's face and dress upon that day. His parting with her: his whole voyage out: but,

strange to say, it swept away onehalf of that which he had recovered at his last sleep, and he no longer

Thus his mind might be compared to one climbing a slippery place, who gains a foot or two, then slips back;

He took a great liking to Falcon. That gentleman had the art of pleasing, and the tact never to offend.

Falcon affected to treat the poor soul's want of memory as a common infirmity; pretended he was himself

very often troubled in the same way, and advised him to read the newspapers. "My good wife," said he, "has

brought me a whole file of the Cape Gazette. I'd read them if I was you. The deuce is in it, if you don't rake

Christopher thanked him warmly for this: he got the papers to his own little room, and had always one or two

in his pocket for reading. At first he found a good many hard words that puzzled him; and he borrowed a

pencil of Phoebe, and noted them down. Strange to say, the words that puzzled him were always common

words, that his unaccountable memory had forgotten: a hard word, he was sure to remember that.

One day he had to ask Falcon the meaning of "spendthrift." Falcon told him briefly. He could have illustrated

the word by a striking example; but he did not. He added, in his polite way, "No fellow can understand all the

words in a newspaper. Now, here's a word in mine'Anemometer;' who the deuce can understand such a

"Oh, THAT is a common word enough," said poor Christopher. "It means a machine for measuring the force

One sultry day Christopher had a violent headache, and complained to Ucatella. She told Phoebe, and they

bound his brows with a wet handkerchief, and advised him to keep indoors. He sat down in the coolest part

of the house, and held his head with his hands, for it seemed as if it would explode into two great fragments.

All in a moment the sky was overcast with angry clouds, whirling this way and that. Huge drops of hail

pattered down, and the next minute came a tremendous flash of lightning, accompanied, rather than followed,

This was the opening. Down came a deluge out of clouds that looked mountains of pitch, and made the day

night but for the fast and furious strokes of lightning that fired the air. The scream of wind and awful peals of

In the midst of this, by what agency I know no more than science or a sheep does, something went off inside

Christopher's head, like a pistolshot. He gave a sort of scream, and dashed out into the weather.

Phoebe heard his scream and his flying footstep, and uttered an ejaculation of fear. The whole household was

alarmed, and, under other circumstances, would have followed him; but you could not see ten yards.

A chill sense of impending misfortune settled on the house. Phoebe threw her apron over her head, and

Ucatella would have tried to follow him; but Dick forbade her. "'Tis no use," said he. "When it clears, we that

"I don't think but what we shall. There's nowhere he can fall down to hurt himself, nor yet drown himself, but

"If we do find him, we must take him back to Cape Town, before he does himself, or some one, a mischief.

The electrified man rushed out into the storm, but he scarcely felt it in his body; the effect on his mind

overpowered hailstones. The lightning seemed to light up the past; the mighty explosions of thunder seemed

Six hours the storm raged, and, before it ended, he had recovered nearly his whole past, except his voyage

with Captain Doddthat, indeed, he never recoveredand the things that happened to him in the hospital

before he met Phoebe Falcon and her brother: and as soon as he had recovered his lost memory, his body

began to shiver at the hail and rain. He tried to find his way home, but missed it; not so much, however, but

that he recovered it as soon as it began to clear, and just as they were coming out to look for him, he appeared

before them, dripping, shivering, very pale and worn, with the handkerchief still about his head.

At sight of him, Dick slipped back to his sister, and said, rather roughly, "There now, you may leave off

"Oh, sir," said Phoebe, "was this a day for a Christian to be out in? How could you go and frighten us so?"

"The best thing you can do now is to go to bed, and let us send you up something warm."

"You are very good," said Christopher, and retired with the air of one too full of great amazing thoughts to

He slept thirty hours at a stretch, and then, awaking in the dead of night, he saw the past even more clear and

vivid; he lighted his candle and began to grope in the Cape Gazette. As to dates, he now remembered when

he had sailed from England, and also from Madeira. Following up this clew, he found in the Gazette a notice

that H. M. ship Amphitrite had been spoken off the Cape, and had reported the melancholy loss of a

Staines ground his teeth with rage at this. "Every exertion! the falsehearted curs. They left me to drown,

Pursuing his researches rapidly, he found a much longer account of a raft picked up by Captain Dodd, with a

white man on it and a dead body, the white man having on him a considerable sum in money and jewels.

Then a new anxiety chilled him. There was not a word to identify him with Dr. Staines. The idea had never

occurred to the editor of the Cape Gazette. Still less would it occur to any one in England. At this moment his

That hope was dashed away as soon as found. Why, these were all OLD NEWSPAPERS. That gentlemanly

He now tore through them for the dates alone, and soon found they went to 1868. Yet they were old papers.

This thought crushed him. By and by he began to carry this awful idea into details. "My Rosa has worn

Those tears cleared his brain still more. For all that, he was not yet himself; at least, I doubt it; his insanity,

driven from the intellect, fastened one lingering claw into his moral nature, and hung on by it. His soul filled

with bitterness and a desire to be revenged on mankind for their injustice, and this thought possessed him

He joined the family at breakfast; and never a word all the time. But when he got up to go, he said, in a

strange, dogged way, as if it went against the grain, "God bless the house that succors the afflicted." Then he

"Dick," said Phoebe, "there's a change. I'll never part with him: and look, there's Collie following him, that

"Part with him?" said Reginald. "Of course not. He is a gentleman, and they are not so common in Africa."

Dick, who hated Falcon, ignored this speech entirely, and said, "Well, Pheeb, you and Collie are wiser than I

Soon Christopher paid the penalty of returning reason. He suffered all the poignant agony a great heart can

So this was his reward for his great act of selfdenial in leaving his beloved wife. He had lost his patient; he

had lost the income from that patient; his wife was worse off than before, and had doubtless suffered the

anguish of a loving heart bereaved. His mind, which now seemed more vigorous than ever, after its long rest,

At the picture, he cried like the rain. He could give her joy, by writing; but he could not prevent her from

Turning this over in connection with their poverty, his evil genius whispered, "By this time she has received

the six thousand pounds for your death. SHE would never think of that; but her father has: and there is her

comfort assured, in spite of the caitiffs who left her husband to drown like a dog.

"I know my Rosa," he thought. "She has swoonedah, my poor darlingshe has ravedshe has wept," he

wept himself at the thought"she has mourned every indiscreet act, as if it was a crime. But she HAS done

all this. Her good and loving but shallow nature is now at rest from the agonies of bereavement, and nought

remains but sad and tender regrets. She can better endure that than poverty: cursed poverty, which has

brought her and me to this, and is the only real evil in the world, but bodily pain."

Then came a struggle, that lasted a whole week, and knitted his brows, and took the color from his cheek; but

it ended in the triumph of love and hate, over conscience and common sense. His Rosa should not be poor;

and he would cheat some of those contemptible creatures called men, who had done him nothing but

When the struggle was over, and the fatal resolution taken, then he became calmer, less solitary, and more

Phoebe, who was secretly watching him with a woman's eye, observed this change in him, and, with

benevolent intentions, invited him one day to ride round the farm with her. He consented readily. She showed

him the fields devoted to maize and wheat, and then the sheepfolds. Tim's sheep were apparently deserted;

but he was discovered swinging head downwards from the branch of a camel thorn, and seeing him, it did

strike one that if he had had a tail he would have been swinging by that. Phoebe called to him: he never

answered, but set off running to her, and landed himself under her nose in a wheel somersault.

"He not go far," said Tim coolly. The young monkey stole off a little way, then fell flat, and uttered the cry of

a jackal, with startling precision. Back went the sheep to his comrades post haste, and Tim effected a

Then Phoebe rode on, and showed Christopher the ostrich pan. It was a large basin, a form the soil often takes

in these parts; and in it strutted several fullgrown ostriches and their young, bred on the premises. There was

a little dam of water, and plenty of food about. They were herded by a Kafir infant of about six, black, glossy,

Sometimes one of the older birds would show an inclination to stray out of the pan. Then the infant rolled

after her, and tapped her ankles with a wand. She instantly came back, but without any loss of dignity, for she

strutted with her nose in the air, affecting completely to ignore the inferior little animal, that was nevertheless

controlling her movements. "There's a farce," said Phoebe. "But you would not believe the money they cost

me, nor the money they bring me in. Grain will not sell here for a quarter its value: and we can't afford to

send it to Cape Town, twenty days and back; but finery, that sells everywhere. I gather sixty pounds the year

She showed him the granary, and told him there wasn't such another in Africa. This farm had belonged to one

of the old Dutch settlers, and that breed had been going down this many a year. "You see, sir, Dick and I

being English, and not downright in want of money, we can't bring ourselves to sell grain to the middlemen

for nothing, so we store it, hoping for better times, that maybe will never come. Now I'll show you how the

They inspected the dam all round. "This is our best friend of all," said she. "Without this the sun would turn

"Oh, indeed," said Staines. "Then it is a pity you have not built it more scientifically. I must have a look at

"Ay do, sir, and advise us if you see anything wrong. But hark! it is milking time. Come and see that." So she

led the way to some sheds, and there they found several cows being milked, each by a little calf and a little

Hottentot at the same time, and both fighting and jostling each other for the udder. Now and then a young

cow, unused to incongruous twins, would kick impatiently at both animals and scatter them.

"That is their way," said Phoebe: "they have got it into their silly Hottentot heads as kye won't yield their

milk if the calf is taken away; and it is no use arguing with 'em; they will have their own way; but they are

very trusty and honest, poor things. We soon found that out. When we came here first it was in a hired

wagon, and Hottentot drivers: so when we came to settle I made ready for a bit of a wrangle. But my maid

Sophy, that is nurse now, and a great despiser of heathens, she says, 'Don't you trouble; them nasty ignorant

blacks never charges more than their due.' 'I forgive 'em,' says I; 'I wish all white folk was as nice.' However,

I did give them a trifle over, for luck: and then they got together and chattered something near the door, hand

in hand. 'La, Sophy,' says I, 'what is up now?' Says she, 'They are blessing of us. Things is come to a pretty

pass, for ignorant Muslinmen heathen to be blessing Christian folk.' 'Well,' says I, 'it won't hurt us any.' 'I

don't know,' says she. 'I don't want the devil prayed over me.' So she cocked that long nose of hers and

By this time they were near the house, and Phoebe was obliged to come to her postscript, for the sake of

which, believe me, she had uttered every syllable of this varied chat. "Well, sir," said she, affecting to

proceed without any considerable change of topic, "and how do you find yourself? Have you discovered the

"I feared as much; for you have lost your fine color, and your eyes are hollow, and lines on your poor brow

"No, Mrs. Falcon. Give me the sovereign gift of reason, with all the torture it can inflict. I thank God for

Phoebe was silent a long time: then she said in a low, gentle voice, and with the indirectness of a truly

feminine nature, "I have plenty of writingpaper in the house; and the post goes south tomorrow, such as

He was silent a long time. Then he said, "No. It is her interest that I should be dead."

"Not a word more, I implore you. I am the most miserable man that ever breathed." As he spoke, two bitter

Phoebe cast a look of pity on him, and said no more; but she shook her head. Her plain common sense

However, it did not follow he would be in the same mind next week: so she was in excellent spirits at her

protege's recovery, and very proud of her cure, and celebrated the event with a roaring supper, including an

Dick Dale looked a little incredulous, but he did not spare the ham any the more for that.

After supper, in a pause of conversation, Staines turned to Dick, and said, rather abruptly, "Suppose that dam

of yours were to burst and empty its contents, would it not be a great misfortune to you?"

"You deceive yourself. It is not scientifically built, to begin, and there is a cause at work that will infallibly

"I detected two of them that had perforated the dyke from the wet side to the dry, and water was trickling

through the channel they had made. Now, for me to catch two that had come right through, there must be a

great many at work honeycombing your dyke; those channels, once made, will be enlarged by the permeating

water, and a mere cupful of water forced into a dyke by the great pressure of a heavy column has an

expansive power quite out of proportion to the quantity forced in. Colossal dykes have been burst in this way

with disastrous effects. Indeed, it is only a question of time, and I would not guarantee your dyke twelve

"Why so? You can make it safe in a few hours. You have got a clumsy contrivance for letting off the excess

of water: let us go and relieve the dam at once of two feet of water. That will make it safe for a day or two,

He spoke with such authority and earnestness, that they all got up from table; a horn was blown that soon

brought the Hottentots, and they all proceeded to the dam. With infinite difficulty they opened the waste

sluice, lowered the water two feet, and so drenched the arid soil that in fortyeight hours flowers unknown

Next morning, under the doctor's orders, all the black men and boys were diving with lumps of stiff clay and

puddling the endangered wall with a thick wall of it. This took all the people the whole day.

Next day the clay wall was carried two feet higher, and then the doctor made them work on the other side and

buttress the dyke with supports so enormous as seemed extravagant to Dick and Phoebe; but, after all, it was

as well to be on the safe side, they thought: and soon they were sure of it, for the whole work was hardly

finished when the news came in that the dyke of a neighboring Boer, ten miles off, had exploded like a

cannon, and emptied itself in five minutes, drowning the farmyard and floating the furniture, but leaving

them all to perish of drought; and indeed the Boer's cart came every day, with empty barrels, for some time,

to beg water of the Dales. Ucatella pondered all this, and said her doctor child was wise.

This brief excitement over, Staines went back to his own gloomy thoughts, and they scarcely saw him, except

One evening he surprised them all by asking if they would add to all their kindness by lending him a horse,

Dick Dale looked at his sister. She said, "We had rather lend them you to go home with, sir, if you must leave

us; but, dear heart, I was half in hopesDick and I were talking it over only yesterday that you would go

"I have too little to offer for that, Mrs. Falcon; and, besides, I am driven into a corner. I must make money

quickly, or not at all: the diamonds are only three hundred miles off: for heaven's sake, let me try my luck."

"Ay, but I shall," said he. "Great bad luck is followed by great good luck, and I feel my turn is come. Not that

I rely on luck. An accident directed my attention to the diamond a few years ago, and I read a number of

prime works upon the subject that told me of things not known to the miners. It is clear, from the Cape

journals, that they are looking for diamonds in the river only. Now, I am sure that is a mistake. Diamonds,

like gold, have their matrix, and it is comparatively few gems that get washed into the river. I am confident

that I shall find the volcanic matrix, and perhaps make my fortune in a week or two."

When the dialogue took this turn, Reginald Falcon's cheek began to flush, and his eyes to glitter.

Christopher continued: "You who have befriended me so will not turn back, I am sure, when I have such a

chance before me; and as for the small sum of money I shall require, I will repay you some day, even if"

"La, sir, don't talk so. If you put it that way, why, the best horse we have, and fifty pounds in good English

"And pick and spade to boot," said Dick, "and a double rifle, for there are lions, and Lord knows what,

"Heaven forbid!" said Phoebe. "No, my dear, no more diamonds for us. We never had but one, and it brought

"Nonsense, Phoebe," replied Falcon; "it was not the diamond's fault. You know I have often wanted to go

there, but you objected. You said you were afraid some evil would befall me. But now Solomon himself is

going to the mines, let us have no more of that nonsense. We will take our rifles and our pistols."

"And we will be there in a week; stay a month, and home with our pockets full of diamonds."

"Broken fiddlestick! We have been parted longer than that, and yet here we are all right."

"Ay, but the pitcher that goes too often to the well gets broke at last. No, Reginald, now I have tasted three

years' happiness and peace of mind, I cannot go through what I used in England. Oh, doctor! have you the

heart to part man and wife, that have never been a day from each other all these years?"

"Mrs. Falcon, I would not do it for all the diamonds in Brazil. No, Mr. Falcon, I need hardly say how

charmed I should be to have your company: but that is a pleasure I shall certainly deny myself, after what

"Doctor," said the charming Reginald, "you are a gentleman and side with the lady. Quite right. It adds to my

esteem, if possible. Make your mind easy; I will go alone. I am not a farmer. I am dead sick of this

monotonous life; and, since I am compelled to speak my mind, a little ashamed, as a gentleman, of living on

my wife and her brother, and doing nothing for myself. So I shall go to the Vaal river, and see a little life;

here there's nothing but vegetationand not much of that. Not a word more, Phoebe, if you please. I am a

good, easy, affectionate husband, but I am a man, and not a child to be tied to a woman's apronstrings,

Dick put in his word: "Since you are so independent, you can WALK to the Vaal river. I can't spare a couple

This hit the sybarite hard, and he cast a bitter glance of hatred at his brotherinlaw, and fell into a moody

But when he got Phoebe to himself, he descanted on her selfishness, Dick's rudeness, and his own wounded

dignity, till he made her quite anxious he should have his own way. She came to Staines, with red eyes, and

"Not a petticoat in the place, I believe. It is a very rough life; and how Falcon could think of leaving you and

"I am the most unfortunate man upon the earth; Falcon is one of the happiest. Would I leave wife and child to

go there? Ah me! I am dead to those I love. This is my one chance of seeing my darling again for many a

long year perhaps. Oh, I must not speak of HER it unmans me. My good, kind friend, I'll tell you what to

do. When we are all at supper, let a horse be saddled and left in the yard for me. I'll bid you all goodnight,

and I'll put fifty miles between us before morning. Even then HE need not be told I am gone; he will not

"You are very good, sir," said Phoebe; "but no. Too much has been said. I can't have him humbled by my

brother, nor any one. He says I am selfish. Perhaps I am; though I never was called so. I can't bear he should

think me selfish. He WILL go, and so let us have no ill blood about it. Since he is to go, of course I'd much

liever he should go with you than by himself. You are sure there are no women up thereto take care

ofyouboth? You must be pursebearer, sir, and look to every penny. He is too generous when he has got

In short, Reginald had played so upon her heart, that she now urged the joint expedition, only she asked a

Staines did not share those vague fears that overpowered the wife, whose bitter experiences were unknown to

him; but he felt uncomfortable at her conditionfor now she was often in tearsand he said all he could to

comfort her; and he also advised her how to profit by these terrible diamonds, in her way. He pointed out to

her that her farm lay right in the road to the diamonds, yet the traffic all shunned her, passing twenty miles to

the westward. Said he, "You should profit by all your resources. You have wood, a great rarity in Africa;

order a portable forge; run up a building where miners can sleep, another where they can feed; the grain you

"But there are oxen. I'll show you how to make an oxmill. Send your Cape cart into Cape Town for iron

lathes, for coffee and tea, and groceries by the hundredweight. The moment you are readyfor success

depends on the order in which we actthen prepare great boards, and plant them twenty miles south. Write

or paint on them, very large, 'The nearest way to the Diamond Mines, through Dale's Kloof, where is

excellent accommodation for man and beast. Tea, coffee, homemade bread, fresh butter, etc., etc.' Do this,

and you will soon leave off decrying diamonds. This is the sure way to coin them. I myself take the doubtful

way; but I can't help it. I am a dead man, and swift good fortune will give me life. You can afford to go the

Then he drew her a model of an oxmill, and of a miner's dormitory, the partitions six feet six apart, so that

these very partitions formed the bedstead, the bedsacking being hooked to the uprights. He drew his model

The portable forge and the oxmill pleased Dick Dale most, but the partitioned bedsteads charmed Phoebe.

She said," Oh, doctor, how can one man's head hold so many things? If there's a man on earth I can trust my

husband with, 'tis you. But if things go cross up there, promise me you will come back at once and cast in

your lot with us. We have got money and stock, and you have got headpiece; we might do very well together.

And on this understanding, Staines and Falcon were equipped with rifles, pickaxe, shovels, waterproofs, and

full saddlebags, and started, with many shakings of the hand, and many tears from Phoebe, for the diamond

Falcon's spirits rose as they proceeded. He was like a boy let loose from school. His fluency and charm of

The travellers soon entered on a vast and forbidding region, that wearied the eye; at their feet a dull, rusty

carpet of dried grass and wild camomile, with palered sand peeping through the burnt and scanty herbage.

On the low mounds, that looked like heaps of sifted ashes, struggled now and then into sickliness a ragged,

twisted shrub. There were flowers too, but so sparse, that they sparkled vainly in the colorless waste, which

stretched to the horizon. The farmhouses were twenty miles apart, and nine out of ten of them were new ones

built by the Boers since they degenerated into white savages: mere huts, with domed kitchens behind them. In

the dwellinghouse the whole family pigged together, with raw flesh drying on the rafters, stinking skins in a

corner, parasitical vermin of all sorts blackening the floor, and particularly a small, biting, and odoriferous

tortoise, compared with which the insect a London washerwoman brings into your house in her basket, is a

stroke with a featherand all this without the excuse of penury; for many of these were shepherd kings,

sheared four thousand fleeces a year, and owned a hundred horses and horned cattle.

These Boers are compelled, by unwritten law, to receive travellers and water their cattle; but our travellers,

after one or two experiences, ceased to trouble them; for, added to the dirt, the men were sullen, the women

moody, silent, brainless; the whole reception churlish. Staines detected in them an uneasy consciousness that

they had descended, in more ways than one, from a civilized race; and the superior bearing of a European

seemed to remind them what they had been, and might have been, and were not; so, after an attempt or two,

our adventurers avoided the Boers, and tried the Kafirs. They found the savages socially superior, though

The Kafir cabins they entered were caves, lighted only by the door, but deliciously cool, and quite clean; the

floors of puddled clay or ants' nests, and very clean. On entering these cool retreats, the flies that had

tormented them shirked the cool grot, and buzzed off to the nearest farm to batten on congenial foulness. On

the fat, round, glossy babies, not a speck of dirt, whereas the little Boers were cakes thereof. The Kafir would

meet them at the door, his clean black face all smiles and welcome. The women and grown girls would fling

a spotless handkerchief over their shoulders in a moment, and display their snowy teeth, in unaffected joy at

At one of these huts, one evening, they met with something St. Paul ranks above cleanliness even, viz.,

Christianity. A neighboring lion had just eaten a Hottentot faute de mieux; and these good Kafirs wanted the

Europeans not to go on at night and be eaten for dessert. But they could not speak a word of English, and

pantomimic expression exists in theory alone. In vain the women held our travellers by the coattails, and

pointed to a distant wood. In vain Kafir pere went on allfours and growled sore. But at last a savage youth

ran to the kitchenfor they never cook in the houseand came back with a brand, and sketched, on the wall

of the hut, a lion with a mane down to the ground, and a saucer eye, not loving. The creature's paw rested on

a hat and coat and another fragment or two of a European. The rest was fore shortened, or else eaten.

Then the undaunted Falcon seized the charcoal, and drew an Englishman in a theatrical attitude, left foot well

forward, firing a gun, and a lion rolling head over heels like a buck rabbit, and blood squirting out of a hole in

The savages saw, and exulted. They were so off their guard as to confound representation with fact; they

"You did: and once there was a sculptor who showed a lion his marble group, a man trampling a lion,

extracting his tongue, and so on; but report says it DID NOT CONVINCE THE LION."

"Why, no; a lion is not an ass. But, for your comfort, there ARE no lions in this part of the world. They are

myths. There were lions in Africa. But now they are all at the Zoo. And I wish I was there too."

"In what characterof a discontented animalwith every blessing? They would not take you in; too

common in England. Hallo! this is something new. What lots of bushes! We should not have much chance

The country, however, did not change its feature; bushes and little acacias prevailed, and presently dark forms

The travellers held their breath, and pushed on; but at last their horses flagged; so they thought it best to stop

They did so, and Falcon sat with his rifle cocked, while Staines boiled coffee, and they drank it, and after two

hours' halt, pushed on; and at last the bushes got more scattered, and they were on the dreary plain again.

Falcon drew the rein, with a sigh of relief, and they walked their horses side by side.

"Well, what has become of the lions?" said Falcon jauntily. He turned in his saddle, and saw a large animal

stealing behind them with its belly to the very earth, and eyes hot coals; he uttered an eldrich screech, fired

both barrels, with no more aim than a baby, and spurred away, yelling like a demon. The animal fled another

way, in equal trepidation at those tongues of flame and loud reports, and Christopher's horse reared and

plunged, and deposited him promptly on the sward; but he held the bridle, mounted again, and rode after his

companion. A stern chase is a long chase; and for that or some other reason he could never catch him again

till sunrise. Being caught, he ignored the lioness, with cool hauteur: he said he had ridden on to find

This was literally the only incident worth recording that the companions met with in three hundred miles.

On the sixth day out, towards afternoon, they found by inquiring they were near the diamond washings, and

But Christopher's eye had lighted upon a sort of chain of knolls, or little round hills, devoid of vegetation, and

"Oh," said the Boer, "they are not on my farm, thank goodness! they are on my cousin Bulteel's;" and he

pointed to a large white house about four miles distant, and quite off the road. Nevertheless, Staines insisted

on going to it. But first they made up to one of these knolls, and examined it; it was about thirty feet high, and

not a vestige of herbage on it; the surface was composed of sand and of lumps of gray limestone very hard,

Staines got to the top of it with some difficulty, and examined the surface all over. He came down again, and

said, "All these little hills mark hot volcanic actionwhy, they are like boiling earth bubbleswhich is the

very thing, under certain conditions, to turn carbonate of lime into diamonds. Now here is plenty of limestone

unnaturally hard; and being in a diamond country, I can fancy no place more likely to be the matrix than these

They did so; and found one or two common crystals, and some jasper, and a piece of chalcedony all in little

Just then the proprietor, a gigantic, pasty colonist, came up, with his pipe, and stood calmly looking on.

Staines came down, and made a sort of apology. Bulteel smiled quietly, and asked what harm they could do

him, raking that rubbish. "Rake it all avay, mine vriends," said he: "ve shall thank you moch."

He then invited them languidly to his house. They went with him, and as he volunteered no more remarks,

they questioned him, and learned his father had been a Hollander, and so had his vrow's. This accounted for

the size and comparative cleanliness of his place. It was stuccoed with the lime of the country outside, and

was four times as large as the miserable farmhouses of the degenerate Boers. For all this, the street door

opened on the principal room, and that room was kitchen and parlor, only very large and wholesome. "But,

Lord," as poor dear Pepys used to blurt out"to see how some folk understand cleanliness!" The floor was

made of powdered ants' nests, and smeared with fresh cowdung every day. Yet these people were the

The vrow met them, with a snowwhite collar and cuffs of Hamburgh linen, and the brats had pasty faces

round as pumpkins, but shone with soap. The vrow was also pastyfaced, but gentle, and welcomed them

The Hottentots took their horses, as a matter of course. Their guns were put in a corner. A clean cloth was

spread, and they saw they were to sup and sleep there, though the words of invitation were never spoken.

At supper, sundried flesh, cabbage, and a savory dish the travellers returned to with gusto. Staines asked

what it was: the vrow told himlocusts. They had stripped her garden, and filled her very rooms, and fallen

in heaps under her walls; so she had pressed them, by the million, into cakes, had salted them lightly, and

After supper, the accomplished Reginald, observing a wire guitar, tuned it with some difficulty, and so

twanged it, and sang ditties to it, that the flabby giant's pasty face wore a look of dreamy content over his

everlasting pipe; and in the morning, after a silent breakfast, he said, "Mine vriends, stay here a year or two,

and rake in mine rubbish. Ven you are tired, here are springbok and antelopes, and you can shoot mit your

The placid Boer went afarming; and the pair shouldered their pick and shovel, and worked on their heap all

"Come," said Falcon, "we must go to the river;" and Staines acquiesced. "I bow to experience," said he.

At the threshold they found two of the little Bulteels, playing with pieces of quartz, crystal, etc., on the

doorstone. One of these stones caught Staines's eye directly. It sparkled in a different way from the others:

he examined it: it was the size of a white haricot bean, and one side of it polished by friction. He looked at it,

and looked, and saw that it refracted the light. He felt convinced it was a diamond.

"Give the boy a penny for it," said the ingenious Falcon, on receiving the information.

He borrowed it of the boy, and laid it on the table, after supper. "Sir," said he, "this is what we were raking in

your kopjes for, and could not find it. It belongs to little Hans. Will you sell it us? We are not experts, but we

"But if it is a diamond, it is worth a hundred. See how it gains fire in the dusk."

In short, they forced the ten pounds on him, and next day went to work on another kopje.

But the simple farmer's conscience smote him. It was a slack time; so he sent four Hotteatots, with shovels, to

help these friendly maniacs. These worked away gayly, and the white men set up a sorting table, and sorted

the stuff, and hammered the nodules, and at last found a little stone as big as a pea that refracted the light.

Staines showed this to the Hottentots, and their quick eyes discovered two more that day, only smaller.

Then Staines determined to dig deeper, contrary to the general impression. He gave his reason: "Diamonds

don't fall from the sky. They work up from the ground; and clearly the heat must be greater farther down."

Acting on this, they tried the next strata, but found it entirely barren. After that, however, they came to a fresh

layer of carbonate, and here, Falcon hammering a large lump of conglomerate, out leaped, all of a sudden, a

diamond big as a nut, that ran along the earth, gleaming like a star. It had polished angles and natural facets,

and even a novice, with an eye in his head, could see it was a diamond of the purest water. Staines and Falcon

They showed the prize, at night, and begged the farmer to take to digging. There was ten times more money

Not he. He was a farmer: did not believe in diamonds. Two days afterwards, another great find. Seven small

Next day, a stone as large as a cobnut, and with strange and beautiful streaks. They carried it home to

dinner, and set it on the table, and told the family it was worth a thousand pounds. Bulteel scarcely looked at

In the middle of dinner, it exploded like a cracker, and went literally into diamonddust.

Falcon swore. But Staines showed fortitude. "It was laminated," said he, "and exposure to the air was fatal."

Owing to the invaluable assistance of the Hottentots, they had in less than a month collected four large stones

of pure water, and a wineglassful of small stones, when, one fine day, going to work calmly after breakfast,

they found some tents pitched, and at least a score of dirty diggers, bearded like the pard, at work on the

ground. Staines sent Falcon back to tell Bulteel, and suggest that he should at once order them off, or, better

In twentyfour hours it was too late. The place was rushed. In other words, diggers swarmed to the spot, with

A thousand tents rose like mushrooms; and poor Bulteel stood smoking, and staring amazed, at his own door,

and saw a veritable procession of wagons, Cape carts, and powdered travellers file past him to take

possession of his hillocks. Him, the proprietor, they simply ignored; they had a committee who were to deal

with all obstructions, landlords and tenants included. They themselves measured out Bulteel's farm into

thirtyfoot claims, and went to work with shovel and pick. They held Staines's claim sacredthat was

Had the friends resisted, their brains would have been knocked out. However, they gained this, that dealers

poured in, and the market not being yet glutted, the price was good. Staines sold a few of the small stones for

two hundred pounds. He showed one of the larger stones. The dealer's eye glittered, but he offered only three

hundred pounds, and this was so wide of the ascending scale, on which a stone of that importance is priced,

Nevertheless, he afterwards doubted whether he had not better have taken it; for the multitude of diggers

turned out such a prodigious number of diamonds at Bulteel's pan, that a sort of panic fell on the market.

These dry diggings were a revelation to the world. Men began to think the diamond perhaps was a commoner

As to the discovery of stones, Staines and Falcon lost nothing by being confined to a thirtyfoot claim.

Compelled to dig deeper, they got into a rich strata, where they found garnets by the pint, and some small

diamonds, and at last, one lucky day, their largest diamond. It weighed thirtyseven carats, and was a rich

yellow. Now, when a diamond is clouded or off color, it is terribly depreciated; but a diamond with a positive

"Why not? I'm not much of a digger. I can serve our interest better by selling. I could get a thousand pounds

Now, the fact is, Falcon, as a digger, was not worth a pin. He could not sort. His eyes would not bear the

blinding glare of a tropical sun upon lime and dazzling bits of mica, quartz, crystal, white topaz, etc., in the

midst of which the true glint of the royal stone had to be caught in a moment. He could not sort, and he had

not the heart to dig. The only way to make him earn his half was to turn him into the travelling and selling

Christopher was too generous to tell him this; but he acted on it, and said he thought his was an excellent

proposal; indeed, he had better take all the diamonds they had got to Dale's Kloof first, and show them to his

wife, for her consolation: "And perhaps," said he, "in a matter of this importance, she will go to Cape Town

He sat and brooded over the matter a long time, and said, "Why make two bites of a cherry? They will only

give us half the value at Cape Town; why not go by the steamer to England, before the London market is

"Go to England! What! without your wife? I'll never be a party to that. Me part man and wife! If you knew

"Why, who wants you?" said Reginald. "You don't understand. Phoebe is dying to visit England again; but

she has got no excuse. If you like to give her one, she will be much obliged to you, I can tell you."

"Oh, that brute of a brother of hers is a very honest fellow, for that matter. She can trust the farm to him.

This suggestion of Falcon's set Christopher's heart bounding, and his eyes glistening. But he restrained

The fact is that for some time past, Christopher had felt sharp twinges of conscience, and deep misgivings as

to the course he had pursued in leaving his wife a single day in the dark. Complete convalescence had cleared

his moral sentiments, and perhaps, after all, the discovery of the diamonds had cooperated; since now the

To do him justice, he knew his wife's excitable nature, and was not without fears of some disaster, should the

But this proposal of Falcon's made the way clearer. Mrs. Falcon, though not a lady, had all a lady's delicacy,

and all a woman's tact and tenderness. He knew no one in the world more fit to be trusted with the delicate

task of breaking to his Rosa that the grave, for once, was baffled, and her husband lived. He now became

quite anxious for Falcon's departure, and ardently hoped that worthy had not deceived himself as to Mrs.

In short, it was settled that Falcon should start for Dale's Kloof, taking with him the diamonds, believed to be

worth altogether three thousand pounds at Cape Town, and nearly as much again in England, and a long letter

to Mrs. Falcon, in which Staines revealed his true story, told her where to find his wife, or hear of her, viz., at

Kent Villa, Gravesend, and sketched an outline of instructions as to the way, and cunning degrees, by which

the joyful news should be broken to her. With this he sent a long letter to be given to Rosa herself, but not till

she should know all: and in this letter he enclosed the ruby ring she had given him. That ring had never left

The letter to Rosa was sealed. The two letters made quite a packet; for, in the letter to his beloved Rosa, he

told her everything that had befallen him. It was a romance, and a picture of love; a letter to lift a loving

woman to heaven, and almost reconcile her to all her bereaved heart had suffered.

This letter, written with many tears from the heart that had so suffered, and was now softened by good

fortune and bounding with joy, Staines entrusted to Falcon, together with the other diamonds, and with many

"But mind, Falcon," said Christopher, "I shall expect an answer from Mrs. Falcon in twenty days at farthest. I

do not feel so sure as you do that she wants to go to England; and, if not, I must write to Uncle Philip. Give

me your solemn promise, old fellow, an answer in twenty daysif you have to send a Kafir on horseback."

"Wellno. Why should I conceal my real name any longer from such friends as you and your wife? Christie

is short for Christopher that IS my Christian name; but my surname is Staines. Write to 'Dr. Staines.'"

Falcon wore a strange look. "I almost think I have. Down at Gravesend, or somewhere."

"That is curious. Yes, I married my Rosa there; poor thing! God bless her; God comfort her. She thinks me

His voice trembled, he grasped Falcon's cold hand till the latter winced again, and so they parted, and Falcon

Rosa Staines had youth on her side, and it is an old saying that youth will not be denied. Youth struggled with

But she came out of that terrible fight weak as a child. The sweet pale face, the widow's cap, the suit of deep

blackit was long ere these came down from the sickroom. And when they did, oh, the dead blank! The

weary, listless life! The days spent in sighs, and tears, and desolation. Solitude! solitude! Her husband was

Uncle Philip was devotedly kind to her, and so was her father; but they could do nothing for her.

Months rolled on, and skinned the wound over. Months could not heal. Her boy became dearer and dearer,

She used to read her lost one's diary every day, and worship, in deep sorrow, the mind she had scarcely

respected until it was too late. She searched in his diary to find his will, and often she mourned that he had

written on it so few things she could obey. Her desire to obey the dead, whom, living, she had often

disobeyed, was really simple and touching. She would mourn to her father that there were so few commands

to her in his diary. "But," said she, "memory brings me back his will in many things, and to obey is now the

It was in this spirit she now forced herself to keep accounts. No fear of her wearing stays now; no powder; no

After the usual delay, her father told her she should instruct a solicitor to apply to the insurance company for

the six thousand pounds. She refused with a burst of agony. "The price of his life," she screamed. "Never! I'd

Her father remonstrated gently. But she was immovable. "No. It would be like consenting to his death."

He set her child on her knee; and gave her a pen. "Come," said he, sternly, "be a woman, and do your duty to

She kissed the boy, cried, and did her duty meekly. But when the money was brought her, she flew to Uncle

Philip, and said, "There! there!" and threw it all before him, and cried as if her heart would break. He waited

"Oh, no, no. Dribble us out a little as we want it. That is the way to be truly kind to a simpleton. I hate that

She bit her lip and colored a little; but answered adroitly, "They are people that pretend not to have good

hearts, but have the best in the world; far better ones than your smooth ones: that's crusty people."

"Very well," said Philip; "and I'll tell you what simpletons are. They are little transparentlooking creatures

that look shallow, but are as deep as Old Nick, and make you love them in spite of your judgment. They are

the most artful of their sex; for they always achieve its great object, to be lovedthe very thing that clever

"Well, and if we are not to be loved, why live at allsuch useless things as I am?" said Rosa simply.

So Philip took charge of her money, and agreed to help her save money for her little Christopher. Poverty

As months rolled on, she crept out into public a little; but always on foot, and a very little way from home.

Youth and sober life gradually restored her strength, but not her color, nor her buoyancy.

Yet she was perhaps more beautiful than ever; for a holy sorrow chastened and sublimed her features: it was

now a sweet, angelic, pensive beauty, that interested every feeling person at a glance.

She would visit no one; but a twelvemonth after her bereavement, she received a few chosen visitors.

One day a young gentleman called, and sent up his card, "Lord Tadcaster," with a note from Lady Cicely

Treherne, full of kindly feeling. Uncle Philip had reconciled her to Lady Cicely; but they had never met.

Mrs. Staines was much agitated at the very name of Lord Tadcaster; but she would not have missed seeing

She received him with her beautiful eyes wide open, to drink in every lineament of one who had seen the last

Tadcaster was wonderfully improved: he had grown six inches out at sea, and though still short, was not

diminutive; he was a small Apollo, a model of symmetry, and had an engaging, girlish beauty, redeemed

from downright effeminacy by a golden mustache like silk, and a tanned cheek that became him wonderfully.

He seemed dazzled at first by Mrs. Staines, but murmured that Lady Cicely had told him to come, or he

"Who can be so welcome to me as you?" said she, and the tears came thick in her eyes directly.

Soon, he hardly knew how, he found himself talking of Staines, and telling her what a favorite he was, and all

The tears streamed down her cheeks, but she begged him to go on telling her, and omit nothing.

He complied heartily, and was even so moved by the telling of his friend's virtues, and her tears and sobs, that

he mingled his tears with hers. She rewarded him by giving him her hand as she turned away her tearful face

When he was leaving, she said, in her simple way, "Bless you" "Come again," she said: "you have done a

Lord Tadcaster was so interested and charmed, he would gladly have come back next day to see her; but he

Then he visited her again. He had observed the villa was not rich in flowers, and he took her down a

magnificent bouquet, cut from his father's hothouses. At sight of him, or at sight of it, or both, the color rose

for once in her pale cheek, and her pensive face wore a sweet expression of satisfaction. She took his flowers,

Soon they got on the only topic she cared for, and, in the course of this second conversation, he took her into

his confidence, and told her he owed everything to Dr. Staines. "I was on the wrong road altogether, and he

put me right. To tell you the truth, I used to disobey him now and then, while he was alive, and I was always

the worse for it; now he is gone, I never disobey him. I have written down a lot of wise, kind things he said to

me, and I never go against any one of them. I call it my book of oracles. Dear me, I might have brought it

Then she looked at him with her lovely swimming eyes, and said tenderly, "And so here is another that

disobeyed him living, but obeys him dead. What will you think when I tell you that I, his wife, who now

worship him when it is too late, often thwarted and vexed him when he was alive?"

"Nobody else should say so before me," said the little gentleman grandly. "I shall take HIS word before yours

on this one subject. If ever there was an angel, you are one; and oh, what would I give if I could but say or do

"You can do nothing for ME, dear, but come and see me often, and talk to me as you doon the one sad

This invitation delighted Lord Tadcaster, and the sweet word "dear," from her lovely lips, entered his heart,

and ran through all his veins like some rapturous but dangerous elixir. He did not say to himself, "She is a

widow with a child, feels old with grief, and looks on me as a boy who has been kind to her." Such prudence

and wariness were hardly to be expected from his age. He had admired her at first sight, very nearly loved her

at their first interview, and now this sweet word opened a heavenly vista. The generous heart that beat in his

small frame burned to console her with a lifelong devotion and all the sweet offices of love.

He ordered his yacht to Gravesendfor he had become a sailorand then he called on Mrs. Staines, and

told her, with a sort of sheepish cunning, that now, as his yacht HAPPENED to be at Gravesend, he could

come and see her very often. He watched her timidly, to see how she would take that proposition.

Then he produced his oracles; and she devoured them. Such precepts to Tadcaster as she could apply to her

own case she instantly noted in her memory, and they became her law from that moment.

Then, in her simplicity, she said, "And I will show you some things, in his own handwriting, that may be

good for you; but I can't show you the whole book: some of it is sacred from every eye but his wife's. His

Then she pointed out passages in the diary that she thought might be for his good; and he nestled to her side,

and followed her white finger with loving eyes, and was in an elysiumwhich she would certainly have put

a stop to at that time, had she divined it. But all wisdom does not come at once to an unguarded woman. Rosa

Staines was wiser about her husband than she had been, but she had plenty to learn.

Lord Tadcaster anchored off Gravesend, and visited Mrs. Staines nearly every day. She received him with a

pleasure that was not at all lively, but quite undisguised. He could not doubt his welcome; for once, when he

came, she said to the servant, "Not at home," a plain proof she did not wish his visit to be cut short by any

And so these visits and devoted attentions of every kind went on unobserved by Lord Tadcaster's friends,

because Rosa would never go out, even with him; but at last Mr. Lusignan saw plainly how this would end,

Well, he did not interfere; on the contrary, he was careful to avoid putting his daughter on her guard: he said

to himself, "Lord Tadcaster does her good. I'm afraid she would not marry him, if he was to ask her now; but

As for Philip, he was abroad for his own health, somewhat impaired by his long and faithful attendance on

So now Lord Tadcaster was in constant attendance on Rosa. She was languid, but gentle and kind; and, as

mourners, like invalids, are apt to be egotistical, she saw nothing but that he was a comfort to her in her

While matters were so, the Earl of Miltshire, who had long been sinking, died, and Tadcaster succeeded to his

Rosa heard of it, and, thinking it was a great bereavement, wrote him one of those exquisite letters of

condolence a lady alone can write. He took it to Lady Cicely, and showed it her. She highly approved it.

He said, "The only thingit makes me ashamed, I do not feel my poor father's death more; but you know it

has been so long expected." Then he was silent a long time; and then he asked her if such a woman as that

It was on her ladyship's tongue to say, "She did not make her first happy;" but she forbore, and said coldly,

Tadcaster seemed disappointed by that, and by and by Cicely took herself to task. She asked herself what

were Tadcaster's chances in the lottery of wives. The heavy army of scheming mothers, and the light cavalry

of artful daughters, rose before her cousinly and disinterested eyes, and she asked herself what chance poor

little Tadcaster would have of catching a true love, with a hundred female artists manoeuvring, wheeling,

ambuscading, and charging upon his wealth and titles. She returned to the subject of her own accord, and told

him she saw but one objection to such a match: the lady had a son by a man of rare merit and misfortune.

Could he, at his age, undertake to be a father to that son? "Othahwise," said Lady Cicely, "mark my words,

you will quall over that poor child; and you will have two to quall with, because I shall be on her side."

Tadcaster declared to her that child should be quite the opposite of a bone of contention. "I have thought of

that," said he, "and I mean to be so kind to that boy, I shall MAKE her love me for that."

"Then, it will depend on how you do it. Rosa Staines is a true mourner. Whatever you may think, I don't

believe the idea of a second union has ever entered her head. But then she is very unselfish: and she likes you

better than any one else, I dare say. I don't think your title or your money will weigh with her now. But, if

you show her your happiness depends on it, she may, perhaps, cwy and sob at the very idea of it, and then,

So, on this advice, Tadcaster went down to Gravesend, and Lady Cicely felt a certain selfsatisfaction; for,

her wellmeant interference having lost Rosa one husband, she was pleased to think she had done something

Lord Tadcaster came to Rosa Staines; he found her seated with her head upon her white hand, thinking sadly

"It is an awfully important visit to me. I could not feel myself independent, and able to secure your comfort

and little Christie's, without coming to the lady, the only lady I ever saw, thatoh, Mrs.

StainesRosawho could see you, as I have donemingle his tears with yours, as I have done, and not

"Love! to me, a brokenhearted woman, with nothing to live for but his memory and his child."

"Was he not my best friend? Should I have the health I enjoy, or even be alive, but for him? Oh, Mrs.

StainesRosa, you will not live all your life unmarried; and who will love you as I do? You are my first and

"Your happiness depend on me! Heaven forbida woman of my age, that feels so old, old, old."

"You are not old; you are young, and sad, and beautiful, and my happiness depends on you." She began to

tremble a little. Then he kneeled at her knees, and implored her, and his hot tears fell upon the hand she put

Oh! never can the cold dissecting pen tell what rushes over the heart that has loved and lost, when another

true love first kneels and implores for love, or pity, or anything the bereaved can give.

When Falcon went, luck seemed to desert their claim: day after day went by without a find; and the

By this time the diggers at Bulteel's pan were as miscellaneous as the audience at Drury Lane Theatre, only

mixed more closely; the gallery folk and the stalls worked cheek by jowl. Here a gentleman with an affected

lisp, and close by an honest fellow, who could not deliver a sentence without an oath, or some still more

horrible expletive that meant nothing at all in reality, but served to make respectable flesh creep: interspersed

with these, Hottentots, Kafirs, and wild blue blacks gayly clad in an ostrich feather, a scarlet ribbon, and a

On one side of Staines were two swells, who lay on their backs and talked opera half the day, but seldom

After a week's deplorable luck, his Kafir boy struck work on account of a sore in his leg; the sore was due to

a very common cause, the burning sand had got into a scratch, and festered. Staines, out of humanity,

examined the sore; and proceeding to clean it, before bandaging, out popped a diamond worth forty pounds,

even in the depreciated market. Staines quietly pocketed it, and bandaged the leg. This made him suspect his

blacks had been cheating him on a large scale, and he borrowed Hans Bulteel to watch them, giving him a

third, with which Master Hans was mightily pleased. But they could only find small diamonds, and by this

time prodigious slices of luck were reported on every side. Kafirs and Boers that would not dig, but traversed

large tracts of ground when the sun was shining, stumbled over diamonds. One Boer pointed to a wagon and

eight oxen, and said that one lucky glance on the sand had given him that lot: but day after day Staines

returned home, covered with dust, and almost blinded, yet with little or nothing to show for it.

One evening, complaining of his change of luck, Bulteel quietly proposed to him migration. "I am going,"

"You leave your farm, sir? Why, they pay you ten shillings a claim, and that must make a large return; the

"Yes, mine vriend," said the poor Hollander, "they pay; but deir money it cost too dear. Vere is mine peace?

Dis farm is six tousand acres. If de cursed diamonds was farther off, den it vas vell. But dey are too near.

Once I could smoke in peace, and zleep. Now diamonds is come, and zleep and peace is fled. Dere is four

tousand tents, and to each tent a dawg; dat dawg bark at four tousand other dawgs all night, and dey bark at

him and at each oder. Den de masters of de dawgs dey get angry, and fire four tousand pistole at de four

tousand dawgs, and make my bed shake wid the trembling of mine vrow. My vamily is with diamonds

infected. Dey vill not vork. Dey takes long valks, and always looks on de ground. Mine childre shall be

humpbacked, roundshouldered, looking down for diamonds. Dey shall forget Gott. He is on high: dere

eyes are always on de earth. De diggers found a diamond in mine plaster of mine wall of mine house. Dat

plaster vas limestone; it come from dose kopjes de good Gott made in His anger against man for his

vickedness. I zay so. Dey not believe me. Dey tink dem abominable stones grow in mine house, and break out

in mine plaster like de measle: dey vaunt to dig in mine wall, in mine garden, in mine floor. One day dey

shall dig in mine body. I vill go. Better I love peace dan money. Here is English company make me offer for

"An English company? They will cheat you without mercy. No, they shall not, though, for I will have a hand

He set to work directly, added up the value of the claims, at ten shillings per month, and amazed the poor

And to close this part of the subject, the obnoxious diamonds obtained him three times as much as his father

The company got a great bargain, but Bulteel received what for him was a large capital, and settling far to the

south, this lineal descendant of le philosophe sans savoir carried his godliness, his cleanliness, and his love of

peace, out of the turmoil, and was happier than ever, since now he could compare his placid existence with

One day, a Hottentot came into Bulteel's farm and went out among the diggers, till be found Staines. The

Hottentot was one employed at Dale's Kloof, and knew him. He brought Staines a letter.

Staines opened the letter, and another letter fell out; it was directed to "Reginald Falcon, Esq."

"Why," thought Staines, "what a time this letter must have been on the road! So much for private

DEAR SIR,This leaves us all well at Dale's Kloof, as I hope it shall find you and my dear husband at the

diggings. Sir, I am happy to say I have good news for you. When you got well by God's mercy, I wrote to the

doctor at the hospital and told him so. I wrote unbeknown to you, because I had promised him. Well, sir, he

has written back to say you have two hundred pounds in money, and a great many valuable things, such as

gold and jewels. They are all at the old bank in Cape Town, and the cashier has seen you, and will deliver

them on demand. So that is the first of my good news, because it is good news to you. But, dear sir, I think

you will be pleased to hear that Dick and I are thriving wonderfully, thanks to your good advice. The wooden

house it is built, and a great oven. But, sir, the traffic came almost before we were ready, and the miners that

call here, coming and going, every day, you would not believe, likewise wagons and carts. It is all bustle,

morn till night, and dear Reginald will never be dull here now; I hope you will be so kind as tell him so, for I

Sir, we are making our fortunes. The grain we could not sell at a fair price, we sell as bread, and higher than

in England ever so much. Tea and coffee the same; and the poor things praise us, too, for being so moderate.

So, sir, Dick bids me say that we owe this to you, and if so be you are minded to share, why nothing would

please us better. Headpiece is always worth money in these parts; and if it hurts your pride to be our partner

without money, why you can throw in what you have at the Cape, though we don't ask that. And, besides, we

are offered diamonds a bargain every day, but are afraid to deal, for want of experience; but if you were in it

with us, you must know them well by this time, and we might turn many a good pound that way. Dear sir, I

hope you will not be offended, but I think this is the only way we have, Dick and I, to show our respect and

Dear sir, digging is hard work, and not fit for you and Reginald, that are gentlemen, amongst a lot of rough

fellows, that their talk makes my hair stand on end, though I dare say they mean no harm.

Your bedroom is always ready, sir. I never will let it to any of them, hoping now to see you every day. You

that know everything, can guess how I long to see you both home. My very good fortune seems not to taste

like good fortune, without those I love and esteem to share it. I shall count how many days this letter will take

to reach you, and then I shall pray for your safety harder than ever, till the blessed hour comes when I see my

P.S. There is regular travelling to and from Cape Town, and a post now to Pniel, but I thought it surest to

Staines read this letter with great satisfaction. He remembered his two hundred pounds, but his gold and

jewels puzzled him. Still it was good news, and pleased him not a little. Phoebe's good fortune gratified him

too, and her offer of a partnership, especially in the purchase of diamonds from returning diggers. He saw a

large fortune to be made; and wearied and disgusted with recent illluck, bleareyed and almost blinded with

sorting in the blazing sun, he resolved to go at once to Dale's Kloof. Should Mrs. Falcon be gone to England

with the diamonds, he would stay there, and Rosa should come out to him, or he would go and fetch her.

He went home, and washed himself, and told Bulteel he had had good news, and should leave the diggings at

once. He gave him up the claim, and told him to sell it by auction. It was worth two hundred pounds still. The

good people sympathized with him, and he started within an hour. He left his pickaxe and shovel, and took

only his double rifle, an admirable one, some ammunition, including conical bullets and projectile shells

given him by Falcon, a bag full of carbuncles and garnets he had collected for Ucatella, a few small

diamonds, and one hundred pounds,all that remained to him, since he had been paying wages and other

He came to a little store that bought diamonds and sold groceries and tobacco. He haltered his horse to a

hook, and went in. He offered a small diamond for sale. The master was out, and the assistant said there was a

While they were chaffering, in walked a Hottentot, and said, "Will you buy this?" and laid a clear, glittering

"Two hundred pounds! Let us look at it;" he examined it, and said he thought it was a diamond, but these

large stones were so deceitful, he dared not give two hundred pounds. "Come again in an hour," said he, "then

Staines, who had been literally perspiring at the sight of this stone, mounted his horse and followed the man.

When he came up to him, he asked leave to examine the gem. The Hottentot quietly assented.

Staines looked at it all over. It had a rough side and a polished side, and the latter was of amazing softness

and lustre. It made him tremble. He said, "Look here, I have only one hundred pounds in my pocket."

"But if you will go back with me to Bulteel's farm, I'll borrow the other hundred."

The Hottentot declined, and told him he could get four hundred pounds for it by going back to Pniel. "But,"

said he, "my face is turned so; and when Squat turn his face so, he going home. Not can bear go the other way

Staines gave it him, and was in despair at seeing such a prize so near, yet leaving him.

He made one more effort. "Well, but," said he, "how far are you going this way?"

"Why, so am I. Come with me to Dale's Kloof, and I will give the other hundred. See, I am in earnest, for

Staines made this proposal, trembling with excitement. To his surprise and joy, the Hottentot assented,

though with an air of indifference; and on these terms they became fellowtravellers, and Staines gave him a

cigar. They went on side by side, and halted for the night forty miles from Bulteel's farm.

They slept in a Boer's outhouse, and the vrow was civil, and lent Staines a jackal's skin. In the morning he

bought it for a diamond, a carbuncle, and a score of garnets; for a horrible thought had occurred to him, if

they stopped at any place where miners were, somebody might buy the great diamond over his head. This

fear, and others, grew on him, and with all his philosophy he went on thorns, and was the slave of the

He resolved to keep his Hottentot all to himself if possible. He shot a springbok that crossed the road, and

they roasted a portion of the animal, and the Hottentot carried some on with him.

Seeing he admired the rifle, Staines offered it him for the odd hundred pounds; but though Squat's eye

Finding that they met too many diggers and carts, Staines asked his Hottentot was there no nearer way to

Oh, yes, he knew a nearer way, where there were trees, and shade, and grass, and many beasts to shoot.

The Hottentot, ductile as wax, except about the price of the diamond, assented calmly; and next day they

diverged, and got into forest scenery, and their eyes were soothed with green glades here and there, wherever

the clumps of trees sheltered the grass from the panting sun. Animals abounded, and were tame. Staines, an

Sleeping in the wood, with not a creature near but Squat, a sombre thought struck Staines. Suppose this

Hottentot should assassinate him for his money, who would ever know? The thought was horrible, and he

awoke with a start ten times that night. The Hottentot slept like a stone, and never feared for his own life and

precious booty. Staines was compelled to own to himself he had less faith in human goodness than the savage

had. He said to himself, "He is my superior. He is the master of this dreadful diamond, and I am its slave."

Next day they went on till noon, and then they halted at a really delightful spot; a silver kloof ran along a

bottom, and there was a little clump of three acaciatrees that lowered their long tresses, pining for the

stream, and sometimes getting a cool grateful kiss from it when the water was high.

They halted the horse, bathed in the stream, and lay luxurious under the acacias. All was delicious languor

The Hottentot made a fire, and burnt the remains of a little sort of kangaroo Staines had shot him the evening

before; but it did not suffice his maw, and looking about him, he saw three elands leisurely feeding about

three hundred yards off. They were cropping the rich herbage close to the shelter of a wood.

The Hottentot suggested that this was an excellent opportunity. He would borrow Staines's rifle, steal into the

Staines did not relish the proposal. He had seen the savage's eye repeatedly gloat on the rifle, and was not

without hopes he might even yet relent, and give the great diamond for the hundred pounds and this rifle; and

he was so demoralized by the diamond, and filled with suspicion, that he feared the savage, if he once had the

rifle in his possession, might levant, and be seen no more, in which case he, Staines, still the slave of the

diamond, might hang himself on the nearest tree, and so secure his Rosa the insurance money, at all events. In

He hem'd and haw'd a little at Squat's proposal, and then got out of it by saying, "That is not necessary. I can

"Too far! This is an Enfield rifle. I could kill the poor beast at three times that distance."

Blacky was amazed. "An Enfield rifle," said he, in the soft musical murmur of his tribe, which is the one

"Yes," said Christopher. Then, seeing his companion's hesitation, he conceived a hope. "If I kill that eland

from here, will you give me the diamond for my horse and the wonderful rifle?no Hottentot has such a

Staines groaned with disappointment, and thought to himself with rage, "Anybody but me would club the

rifle, give the obstinate black brute a stunner, and take the diamondGod forgive me!"

Says the Hottentot cunningly, "I can't think so far as white man. Let me see the eland dead, and then I shall

"Very well," said Staines. But he felt sure the savage only wanted his meal, and would never part with the

However, he loaded his left barrel with one of the explosive projectiles Falcon had given him; it was a little

fulminating shell with a steel point. It was with this barrel he had shot the murcat overnight, and he had found

he shot better with this barrel than the other. He loaded his left barrel then, saw the powder well up, capped it

and cut away a strip of the acacia with his knife to see clear, and lying down in volunteer fashion, elbow on

ground, drew his bead steadily on an eland who presented him her broadside, her back being turned to the

wood. The sun shone on her soft coat, and never was a fairer mark, the sportsman's deadly eye being in the

He aimed long and steadily. But just as he was about to pull the trigger, Mind interposed, and he lowered the

deadly weapon. "Poor creature!" he said, "I am going to take her lifefor what? for a single meal. She is as

big as a pony; and I am to lay her carcass on the plain, that we may eat two pounds of it. This is how the

weasel kills the rabbit; sucks an ounce of blood for his food, and wastes the rest. So the demoralized

sheepdog tears out the poor creature's kidneys, and wastes the rest. Man, armed by science with such powers

of slaying, should be less egotistical than weasels and perverted sheepdogs. I will not kill her. I will not lay

that beautiful body of hers low, and glaze those tender, loving eyes that never gleamed with hate or rage at

man, and fix those innocent jaws that never bit the life out of anything, not even of the grass she feeds on, and

does it more good than harm. Feed on, poor innocent. And you be blanked; you and your diamond, that I

Squat understood one word in ten, but he managed to reply. "This is nonsensetalk," said he, gravely. "The

"No more it is," said Staines. "I am a fool. It is come to this, then; Kafirs teach us theology, and Hottentots

morality. I bow to my intellectual superior. I'll shoot the eland." He raised his rifle again.

"No, no, no, no, no, no," murmured the Hottentot, in a sweet voice scarcely audible, yet so keen in its

entreaty, that Staines turned hastily round to look at him. His face was ashy, his teeth chattering, his limbs

shaking. Before Staines could ask him what was the matter, he pointed through an aperture of the acacias into

the wood hard by the elands. Staines looked, and saw what seemed to him like a very long dog, or some such

animal, crawling from tree to tree. He did not at all share the terror of his companion, nor understand it. But a

terrible explanation followed. This creature, having got to the skirt of the wood, expanded, by some strange

magic, to an incredible size, and sprang into the open, with a growl, a mighty lion; he seemed to ricochet

from the ground, so immense was his second bound, that carried him to the eland, and he struck her one blow

on the head with his terrible paw, and felled her as if with a thunderbolt: down went her body, with all the

legs doubled, and her poor head turned over, and the nose kissed the ground. The lion stood motionless.

Presently the eland, who was not dead, but stunned, began to recover and struggle feebly up. Then the lion

sprang on her with a roar, and rolled her over, and with two tremendous bites and a shake, tore her entrails

out and laid her dying. He sat composedly down, and contemplated her last convulsions, without touching her

At this roar, though not loud, the horse, though he had never heard or seen a lion, trembled, and pulled at his

Blacky crept into the water; and Staines was struck with such an awe as he had never felt. Nevertheless, the

king of beasts being at a distance, and occupied, and Staines a brave man, and out of sight, he kept his ground

and watched, and by those means saw a sight never to be forgotten. The lion rose up, and stood in the sun

incredibly beautiful as well as terrible. He was not the mangy hue of the caged lion, but a skin tawny, golden,

glossy as a race horse, and of exquisite tint that shone like pure gold in the sun; his eye a lustrous jewel of

richest hue, and his mane sublime. He looked towards the wood, and uttered a full roar. This was so

tremendous that the horse shook all over as if in an ague, and began to lather. Staines recoiled, and his flesh

After a pause, the lion roared again, and all the beasts and birds of prey seemed to know the meaning of that

terrible roar. Till then the place had been a solitude, but now it began to fill in the strangest way, as if the lord

of the forest could call all his subjects together with a trumpet roar: first came two lion cubs, to whom, in

fact, the roar had been addressed. The lion rubbed himself several times against the eland, but did not eat a

morsel, and the cubs went in and feasted on the prey. The lion politely and paternally drew back, and watched

Meantime approached, on tiptoe, jackals and hyenas, but dared not come too near. Slatecolored vultures

settled at a little distance, but not a soul dared interfere with the cubs; they saw the lion was acting sentinel,

After a time, papa feared for the digestion of those brats, or else his own mouth watered; for he came up,

knocked them head over heels with his velvet paw, and they took the gentle hint, and ran into the wood

Then the lion began tearing away at the eland, and bolting huge morsels greedily. This made the rabble's

mouth water. The hyenas, and jackals, and vultures formed a circle ludicrous to behold, and that circle kept

narrowing as the lion tore away at his prey. They increased in number, and at last hunger overcame prudence;

the rear rank shoved on the front, as amongst men, and a general attack seemed imminent.

Then the lion looked up at these invaders, uttered a reproachful growl, and went at them, patting them right

and left, and knocking them over. He never touched a vulture, nor indeed did he kill an animal. He was a lion,

and only killed to eat; yet he soon cleared the place, because he knocked over a few hyenas and jackals, and

the rest, being active, tumbled over the vultures before they could spread their heavy wings. After this

warning, they made a respectful circle again, through which, in due course, the gorged lion stalked into the

A savage's sentiments change quickly, and the Hottentot, fearing little from a full lion, was now giggling at

Staines's side. Staines asked him which he thought was the lord of all creatures, a man or a lion.

Staines now got up, and proposed to continue their journey. But Blacky was for waiting till the lion was gone

While they discussed the question, the lion burst out of the wood within hearing of their voices, as his

prickedup ears showed, and made straight for them at a distance of scarcely thirty yards.

Now, the chances are, the lion knew nothing about them, and only came to drink at the kloof, after his meal,

and perhaps lie under the acacias: but who can think calmly, when his first lion bursts out on him a few paces

off? Staines shouldered his rifle, took a hasty, flurried aim, and sent a bullet at him.

If he had missed him, perhaps the report might have turned the lion; but he wounded him, and not mortally.

Instantly the enraged beast uttered a terrific roar, and came at him with his mane distended with rage, his eyes

At that terrible moment, Staines recovered his wits enough to see that what little chance he had was to fire

into the destroyer, not at him. He kneeled, and levelled at the centre of the lion's chest, and not till he was

within five yards did he fire. Through the smoke he saw the lion in the air above him, and rolled shrieking

into the stream and crawled like a worm under the bank, by one motion, and there lay trembling. A few

seconds of sick stupor passed: all was silent. Had the lion lost him? Was it possible he might yet escape?

Staines looked round, and saw a woolly head, and two saucer eyes and open nostrils close by him. It was the

The Hottentot whispered, "Gone a little way to watch. He is wise as well as strong." With this he disappeared

Still no sound but the screaming of the vultures, and snarling of the hyenas and jackals over the eland.

"Yes," said Squat; "but not today. Wait here a day or two. Den he forget and forgive."

Now Staines, having seen the lion lie down and watch the dying eland, was a great deal impressed by this;

and as he had now good hopes of saving his life, he would not throw away a chance. He kept his head just

The Hottentot, on the contrary, raised his head, and ventured a little way into the stream.

By these means he saw it was something very foul, but not terrible. It was a large vulture that had settled on

At this the Hottentot got bolder still, and to the great surprise of Staines began to crawl cautiously into some

The next moment he burst into a mixture of yelling and chirping and singing, and other sounds so manifestly

jubilant, that the vulture flapped heavily away, and Staines emerged in turn, but very cautiously.

Could he believe his eyes? There lay the lion, dead as a stone, on his back, with his four legs in the air, like

wooden legs, they were so very dead: and the valiant Squat, dancing about him, and on him, and over him.

Staines, unable to change his sentiments so quickly, eyed even the dead body of the royal beast with awe and

wonder. What! had he already laid that terrible monarch low, and with a tube made in a London shop by men

who never saw a lion spring, nor heard his awful roar shake the air? He stood with his heart still beating, and

said not a word. The shallow Hottentot whipped out a large knife, and began to skin the king of beasts.

Staines wondered he could so profane that masterpiece of nature. He felt more inclined to thank God for so

great a preservation, and then pass reverently on, and leave the dead king undesecrated.

He was roused from his solemn thoughts by the reflection that there might be a lioness about, since there

were cubs: he took a piece of paper, emptied his remaining powder into it, and proceeded to dry it in the sun.

By this time the adroit Hottentot had flayed the carcass sufficiently to reveal the mortal injury. The projectile

had entered the chest, and slanting upwards, had burst among the vitals, reducing them to a gory pulp. The

The Hottentot uttered a cry of admiration. "Not the lion king of all, nor even the white man," he said; "but

Staines's eyes glittered. "You shall have it, and the horse, for your diamond," said he eagerly.

The black seemed a little shaken; but did not reply. He got out of it by going on with his lion; and Staines

eyed him, and was bitterly disappointed at not getting the diamond even on these terms. He began to feel he

should never get it: they were near the highroad; he could not keep the Hottentot to himself much longer. He

felt sick at heart. He had wild and wicked thoughts; half hoped the lioness would come and kill the Hottentot,

At last the skin was off, and the Hottentot said, "Me take this to my kraal, and dey all say, 'Squat a great

Then Staines saw another chance for him, and summoned all his address for a last effort. "No, Squat," said

he, "that skin belongs to me. I shot the lion, with the only rifle that can kill a lion like a cat. Yet you would

not give me a diamonda paltry stone for it. No, Squat, if you were to go into your village with that lion's

skin, why the old men would bend their heads to you, and say, 'Great is Squat! He killed the lion, and wears

his skin.' The young women would all fight which should be the wife of Squat. Squat would be king of the

"And shall I give the skin, and the glory that is my due, to an illnatured fellow, who refuses me his paltry

diamond for a good horselook at himand for the rifle that kills lions like rabbitsbehold it; and a

hundred pounds in good gold and Dutch notessee; and for the lion's skin, and glory, and honor, and a rich

The Hottentot's hands and toes began to work convulsively. "Good master, Squat ask pardon. Squat was

blind. Squat will give the diamond, the great diamond of Africa, for the lion's skin, and the king rifle, and the

little horse, and the gold, and Dutch notes every one of them. Dat make just two hundred pounds."

"More like four hundred," cried Staines very loud. "And how do I know it is a diamond? These large stones

"Iss, master," said the crushed Hottentot, with the voice of a mouse, and put the stone into his hand with a

childlike faith that almost melted Staines; but he saw he must be firm. "Where did you find it?" he bawled.

"Master," said poor Squat, in deprecating tones, "my little master at the farm wanted plaster. He send to

Bulteel's pan; dere was large lumps. Squat say to miners, 'May we take de large lumps? Dey say, 'Yes; take

de cursed lumps we no can break.' We took de cursed lumps. We ride 'em in de cart to farm twenty milses. I

beat 'em with my hammer. Dey is very hard. More dey break my heart dan I break their cursed heads. One

day I use strong words, like white man, and I hit one large lump too hard; he break, and out come de white

clear stone. Iss, him diamond. Long time we know him in our kraal, because he hard. Long time before ever

white man know him, tousand years ago, we find him, and he make us lilly hole in big stone for make wheat

This was intended as a solemn form of asseveration adapted to the white man's habits.

Yes, reader, he told the truth; and strange to say, the miners knew the largest stones were in these great lumps

of carbonate, but then the lumps were so cruelly hard, they lost all patience with them, and so, finding it was

no use to break some of them, and not all, they rejected them all, with curses; and thus this great stone was

carted away as rubbish from the mine, and found, like a toad in a hole, by Squat.

"Well," said Christopher, "after all, you are an honest fellow, and I think I will buy it; but first you must show

me out of this wood; I am not going to be eaten alive in it for want of the king of rifles."

Squat assented eagerly, and they started at once. They passed the skeleton of the eland; its very bones were

polished, and its head carried into the wood; and looking back they saw vultures busy on the lion. They soon

Squat handed Staines the diamondwhen it touched his hand, as his own, a bolt of ice seemed to run down

his back, and hot water to follow itand the money, horse, rifle, and skin were made over to Squat.

And Squat strutted away, with the halter in his hand, horse following him, rifle under his arm, and the lion's

skin over his shoulders, and the tail trailing, a figure sublime in his own eyes, ridiculous in creation's. So

Staines hurried forward on foot, loading his revolver as he went, for the very vicinity of the wood alarmed

That night he lay down on the open veldt, in his jackal's skin, with no weapon but his revolver, and woke

with a start a dozen times. Just before daybreak he scanned the stars carefully, and noting exactly where the

sun rose, made a rough guess at his course, and followed it till the sun was too hot; then he crept under a

ragged bush, hung up his jackal's skin, and sweated there, parched with thirst, and gnawed with hunger.

When it was cooler, he crept on, and found water, but no food. He was in torture, and began to be frightened,

Next day, hunger took a new form, faintness. He could not walk for it; his jackal's skin oppressed him; he lay

down exhausted. A horror seized his dejected soul. The diamond! It would be his death. No man must so long

for any earthly thing as he had for this glittering traitor. "Oh! my good horse! my trusty rifle!" he cried. "For

what have I thrown you away? For starvation. Misers have been found stretched over their gold; and some

day my skeleton will be found, and nothing to tell the base death I died of and deserved; nothing but the

cursed diamond. Ay, fiend, glare in my eyes, do!" He felt delirium creeping over him; and at that a new terror

froze him. His reason, that he had lost once, was he to lose it again? He prayed; he wept; he dozed, and forgot

all. When he woke again, a cool air was fanning his cheeks; it revived him a little; it became almost a breeze.

And this breeze, as it happened, carried on its wings the curse of Africa. There loomed in the northwest a

cloud of singular density, that seemed to expand in size as it drew nearer, yet to be still more solid, and

darken the air. It seemed a duststorm. Staines took out his handkerchief, prepared to wrap his face in it, not

But soon there was a whirring and a whizzing, and hundreds of locusts flew over his head; they were

followed by thousands, the swiftest of the mighty host. They thickened and thickened, till the air looked

solid, and even that glaring sun was blackened by the rushing mass. Birds of all sorts whirled above, and

swooped among them. They peppered Staines all over like shot. They stuck in his beard, and all over him;

they clogged the bushes, carpeted the ground, while the darkened air sang as with the whirl of machinery.

Every bird in the air, and beast of the field, granivorous or carnivorous, was gorged with them; and to these

animals was added man, for Staines, being famished, and remembering the vrow Bulteel, lighted a fire, and

roasted a handful or two on a flat stone; they were delicious. The fire once lighted, they cooked themselves,

for they kept flying into it. Three hours, without interruption, did they darken nature, and, before the column

ceased, all the beasts of the field came after, gorging them so recklessly, that Staines could have shot an

But to tell the horrible truth, the cooked locusts were so nice that he preferred to gorge on them along with

But now he got on some rough, scrubby ground, and damaged his shoes, and tore his trousers.

This lasted a terrible distance; but at the end of it came the usual arid ground; and at last he came upon the

track of wheels and hoofs. He struck it at an acute angle, and that showed him he had made a good line. He

By and by, looking back, he saw a lot of rough fellows swaggering along behind him. Then he was alarmed,

terribly alarmed, for his diamond; he tore a strip of his handkerchief, and tied the stone cunningly under his

"We found five big stones, my mate and me. He is gone to Cape Town to sell them. I had no luck when he

had left me, so I have cut it; going to turn farmer. Can you tell me how far it is to Dale's Kloof?"

No, they could not tell him that. They swung on; and, to Staines, their backs were a cordial, as we say in

However, his travels were near an end. Next morning he saw Dale's Kloof in the distance; and as soon as the

heat moderated, he pushed on, with one shoe and tattered trousers; and half an hour before sunset he hobbled

It was all bustle. Travellers at the door; their wagons and carts under a long shed.

Ucatella was the first to see him coming, and came and fawned on him with delight. Her eyes glistened, her

teeth gleamed. She patted both his cheeks, and then his shoulders, and even his knees, and then flew indoors

crying, "My doctor child is come home!" This amused three travellers, and brought out Dick, with a hearty

"But Lordsake, sir, why have you come afoot; and a rough road too? Look at your shoes. Hallo! What is

Dick made a wry face. "Well, sir, you know best. You are welcome, on horse or afoot. You are just in time;

He took him into a little room they had built for their own privacy, for they liked to be quiet now and then,

being country bred; and Phoebe was putting their dinner on the table, when Staines limped in.

She gave a joyful cry, and turned red all over. "Oh, doctor!" Then his traveltorn appearance struck her. "But,

And she flung open the window, and almost flew through it in a moment, to look for her husband.

"With me?no. You know we parted at the diggings. Come, Mr. Dale, he may not be here now; but he has

Phoebe, who had not lost a word, turned round, with all her high color gone, and her cheeks getting paler and

"No, Mr. Dale, you should not say that; he left me, with my consent, to come to Mrs. Falcon here, and consult

"Diamonds!diamonds!" cried Phoebe. "Oh, they make me tremble. How COULD you let him go alone!

"Oh, no, Mrs. Falcon; he had his horse, and his rifle, and money to spend on the road."

"Five weeks! and not come yet. Ah! the wild beasts!the diggers! the murderers! He is dead!"

"He is dead. He has died between this and the dreadful diamonds. I shall never see my darling again: he is

She rushed out of the room, and out of the house, throwing her arms above her head in despair, and uttering

At such horrible moments women always swoonif we are to believe the dramatists. I doubt if there is one

grain of truth in this. Women seldom swoon at all, unless their bodies are unhealthy, or weakened by the

reaction that follows so terrible a shock as this. At all events, Phoebe, at first, was strong and wild as a lion,

and went to and fro outside the house, unconscious of her body's motion, frenzied with agony, and but one

Dick followed her, crying like a child, but master of himself; he got his people about her, and half carried her

He got the poor creature to sit down, and she began to rock and moan, with her apron over her head, and her

"Why should he be dead?" said Dick. "Don't give a man up like that, Phoebe. Doctor, tell us more about it.

Oh, man, how could you let him out of your sight? You knew how fond the poor creature was of him."

"But that was it, Mr. Dale," said Staines. "I knew his wife must pine for him; and we had found six large

diamonds, and a handful of small ones; but the market was glutted; and to get a better price, he wanted to go

straight to Cape Town. But I said, 'No; go and show them to your wife, and see whether she will go to Cape

"Only on one road. Mr. Dale, he was well armed, with rifle and revolver; and I cautioned him not to show a

diamond on the road. Who would molest him? Diamonds don't show, like gold. Who was to know he had

three thousand pounds hidden under his armpits, and in two barrels of his revolver?"

"Three thousand pounds!" cried Dale. "You trusted HIM with three thousand pounds?"

"Certainly. They were worth about three thousand pounds in Cape Town, and half as much again in"

Phoebe started up in a moment. "Thank God!" she cried. "There's hope for me. Oh, Dick, he is not dead: HE

And with these strange and pitiable words, she fell to sobbing as if her great heart would burst at last.

There came a reaction, and Phoebe was prostrated with grief and alarm. Her brother never doubted now that

Reginald had run to Cape Town for a lark. But Phoebe, though she thought so too, could not be sure; and so

the double agony of bereavement and desertion tortured her by turns, and almost together. For the first time

these many years, she was so crushed she could not go about her business, but lay on a little sofa in her own

room, and had the blinds down, for her head ached so she could not bear the light.

She conceived a bitter resentment against Staines; and told Dick never to let him into her sight, if he did not

In vain Dick made excuses for him: she would hear none. For once she was as unreasonable as any other

living woman: she could see nothing but that she had been happy, after years of misery, and should be happy

now if this man had never entered her house. "Ah, Collie!" she cried, "you were wiser than I was. You as

good as told me he would make me smart for lodging and curing him. And I was SO happy!"

Dale communicated this as delicately as he could to Staines. Christopher was deeply grieved and wounded.

He thought it unjust, but he knew it was natural: he said, humbly, "I feel guilty myself, Mr. Dale; and yet,

unless I had possessed omniscience, what could I do? I thought of her in allpoor thing! poor thing!"

The tears were in his eyes, and Dick Dale went away scratching his head and thinking it over. The more he

Staines himself was much troubled in mind, and lived on thorns. He wanted to be off to England; grudged

every day, every hour, he spent in Africa. But Mrs. Falcon was his benefactress; he had been, for months and

months, garnering up a heap of gratitude towards her. He had not the heart to leave her bad friends, and in

Two days after his return, he was seated, disconsolate, gluing garnets and carbuncles on to a broad tapering

"No, not sick: but miserable." And he explained to her, as well as he could, what had passed. "But," said he,

"I would not mind the loss of the diamonds now, if I was only sure he was alive. I think most of poor, poor

While Ucatella pondered this, but with one eye of demure curiosity on the coronet he was making, he told her

In a few minutes he had finished the coronet, and gave it her. She uttered a chuckle of delight, and with

instinctive art, bound it, in a turn of her hand, about her brow; and then Staines himself was struck dumb with

amazement. The carbuncles gathered from those mines look like rubies, so full of fire are they, and of

enormous size. The chaplet had twelve great carbuncles in the centre, and went off by gradations into smaller

garnets by the thousand. They flashed their bloodred flames in the African sun, and the head of Ucatella,

grand before, became the head of the Sphinx, encircled with a coronet of fire. She bestowed a look of

rapturous gratitude on Staines, and then glided away, like the stately Juno, to admire herself in the nearest

That very day, towards sunset, she burst upon Staines quite suddenly, with her coronet gleaming on her

magnificent head, and her eyes like coals of fire, and under her magnificent arm, hard as a rock, a boy

kicking and struggling in vain. She was furiously excited, and, for the first time, showed signs of the savage

in the whites of her eyes, which seemed to turn the glorious pupils into semicircles. She clutched Staines by

the shoulder with her left hand, and swept along with the pair, like dark Fate, or as potent justice sweeps

away a pair of culprits, and carried them to the little window, and cried "Openopen!"

Dick Dale was at dinner; Phoebe lying down. Dick got up, rather crossly, and threw open the window. "What

is up now?" said he crossly: he was like two or three more Englishmenhated to be bothered at dinnertime.

"Dar," screamed Ucatella, setting down Tim, but holding him tight by the shoulder; "now you tell what you

see that night, you lilly Kafir trash; if you not tell, I kill you DEAD;" and she showed the whites of her eyes,

Tim, thoroughly alarmed, quivered out that he had seen lilly master ride up to the gate one bright night, and

look in, and Tim thought he was going in: but he changed his mind, and galloped away that way; and the

"Me mind de sheep," said Tim apologetically. "Me not mind de lilly master: jackals not eat him."

"No, no: God bless you both," cried poor Phoebe: "now I know the worst:" and a great burst of tears relieved

Dick went out softly. When he got outside the door, he drew them all apart, and said, "Yuke, you ARE a

goodhearted girl. I'll never forget this while I live; and, Tim, there's a shilling for thee; but don't you go and

"No, master," said Tim. "I shall buy much bread, and make my tomach tiff;" then, with a glance of reproach

When he went back to her there was a change: the brave woman no longer lay prostrate. She went about her

He brought Dr. Staines in. Phoebe instantly turned her back on him with a shudder there was no mistaking.

"She will have to quarrel with me else," said Dick steadily. "Sit you down, doctor. Honest folk like you and

me and Phoebe wasn't made to quarrel for want of looking a thing all round. My sister she hasn't looked it all

round, and I have. Come, Pheeb, 'tis no use your blinding yourself. How was the poor doctor to know your

"He is a blackguard, and always was. And now he is a thief to boot. He has stolen those diamonds; you know

"Well, and if half a sheep is mine, and I take the whole and sell him, and keep the money, what is that but

stealing? Why, I wonder at you, Pheeb. You was always honest yourself, and yet you see the doctor robbed

by your man, and that does not trouble you. What has he done to deserve it? He has been a good friend to us.

He has put us on the road. We did little more than keep the pot boiling before he camewell, yes, we stored

grain; but whose advice has turned that grain to gold, I might say? Well, what's his offence? He trusted the

diamonds to your man, and sent him to you. Is he the first honest man that has trusted a rogue? How was he

to know? Likely he judged the husband by the wife. Answer me one thing, Pheeb. If he makes away with

fifteen hundred pounds that is his, or partly yoursfor he has eaten your bread ever since I knew him and

fifteen hundred more that is the doctor's, where shall we find fifteen hundred pounds, all in a moment, to pay

"My honest friend," said Staines, "you are tormenting yourself with shadows. I don't believe Mr. Falcon will

wrong me of a shilling; and, if he does, I shall quietly repay myself out of the big diamond. Yes, my dear

friends, I did not throw away your horse, nor your rifle, nor your money: I gave them all, and the lion's

Dick Dale glanced at it stupidly. Phoebe turned her back on it, with a cry of horror, and then came slowly

"Yes," said Staines sadly, "I had to strip myself of all to buy it, and, when I had got it, how proud I was, and

how happy I thought we should all be over it, for it is half yours, half mine. Yes, Mr. Dale, there lies six

"I'm sure of it. And so, if your suspicions are correct, and poor Falcon should yield to a sudden temptation,

and spend all that money, I shall just coolly deduct it from your share of this wonderful stone: so make your

mind easy. But no; if Falcon is really so wicked as to desert his happy home, and so mad as to spend

"Me! You had better not take me. If I catch hold of him, by I'll break his neck, or his back, or his leg, or

something; he'll never run away from you again, if I lay hands on him," replied Dick.

"Don't you demean yourself, praying her," said Dick. "It's a public conveyance: you have no need to ask HER

"That is true: I can't hinder folk from going to Cape Town the same day," said Phoebe sullenly.

"Don't speak to her, doctor, to get your nose snapped off. Give her time. She'll come to her senses before she

Next day Mrs. Falcon and Staines started for Cape Town. Staines paid her every attention, when opportunity

He landed her at an inn, and then told her he would go at once to the jeweller's. He asked her piteously would

she lend him a pound or two to prosecute his researches. She took out her purse, without a word, and lent him

He began to scour the town: the jewellers he visited could tell him nothing. At last he came to a shop, and

there he found Mrs. Falcon making her inquiries independently. She said coldly, "You had better come with

She took him to the bankit happened to be the one she did business withand said, "This is Dr. Christie,

There was some demur at this; but the cashier recognized him, and Phoebe making herself responsible, the

Staines took them, looking confused. He did not know what to think. When they got into the street again, he

No answer: she was not going to make friends with him over such a trifle as that.

By degrees, however, Christopher's zeal on her behalf broke the ice; and besides, as the search proved

unavailing, she needed sympathy; and he gave it her, and did not abuse her husband as Dick Dale did.

One day, in the street, after a long thought, she said to him, "Didn't you say, sir, you gave him a letter for

"Perfectly. I begged you, if you should go to England, to break the truth to my wife. She is very excitable;

"And you were very wise. But whatever could make you think I would go to England?"

"When he told me that, I caught at it, of course. It was all the world to me to get my Rosa told by such a kind,

good, sensible friend as you; and, Mrs. Falcon, I had no scruple about troubling you, because I knew the

stones would sell for at least a thousand pounds more in England than here, and that would pay your

"It was anything but true. I had suffered so in England; I had been so happy here: too happy to last. Ah! well,

it is all over. Let us think of the matter in hand. Sure that was not the only letter you gave my husband? Didn't

"Of course I did; but that was enclosed to you, and not to be given to her until you had broken the joyful news

to her. Yes, Mrs. Falcon, I wrote and told her everything: my loss at sea; how I was saved, after, by your

kindness. Our journeys, from Cape Town, and then to the diggings; my sudden good fortune, my hopes, my

joy O my poor Rosa! and now I suppose she will never get it. It is too cruel of him. I shall go home by the

next steamer. I CAN'T stay here any longer, for you or anybody. Oh, and I enclosed my ruby ring that she

"Let me think," said Phoebe, turning ashy pale. "For mercy's sake, let me think!

"We must take two places in the next mail steamer. I must look after my husband, AND YOU AFTER

Mrs. Falcon's bitter feeling against Dr. Staines did not subside; it merely went out of sight a little. They were

thrown together by potent circumstances, and in a manner connected by mutual obligations; so an open

rupture seemed too unnatural. Still Phoebe was a woman, and, blinded by her love for her husband, could not

forgive the innocent cause of their present unhappy separation; though the fault lay entirely with Falcon.

Staines took her on board the steamer, and paid her every attention. She was also civil to him; but it was a

About a hundred miles from land the steamer stopped, and the passengers soon learned there was something

wrong with her machinery. In fact, after due consultation, the captain decided to put back.

This irritated and distressed Mrs. Falcon so that the captain, desirous to oblige her, hailed a fast schooner, that

tacked across her bows, and gave Mrs. Falcon the option of going back with him, or going on in the schooner,

Staines advised her on no account to trust to sails, when she could have steam with only a delay of four or

five days; but she said, "Anything sooner than go back. I can't, I can't on such an errand."

Accordingly she was put on board the schooner, and Staines, after some hesitation, felt bound to accompany

It proved a sad error. Contrary winds assailed them the very next day, and with such severity that they had

On one of these occasions, with a ship reeling under them like a restive horse, and the waves running

mountains high, poor Phoebe's terrors overmastered both her hostility and her reserve. "Doctor," said she, "I

believe 'tis God's will we shall never see England. I must try and die more like a Christian than I have lived,

forgiving all who have wronged me, and you, that have been my good friend and my worst enemy, but you

did not mean it. Sir, what has turned me against you soyour wife was my husband's sweetheart before he

"Nay, sir, once she came to my shop, and I saw directly I was nothing to him, and he owned it all to me; he

had courted her, and she jilted him; so he said. Why should he tell me a lie about that? I'd lay my life 'tis true.

And now you have sent him to her your own self; and, at sight of her, I shall be nothing again. Well, when

this ship goes down, they can marry, and I hope he will be happy, happier than I can make him, that tried my

This conversation surprised Staines not a little. However, he said, with great warmth, it was false. His wife

had danced and flirted with some young gentleman at one time, when there was a brief misunderstanding

between him and her, but sweetheart she had never had, except him. He courted her fresh from school. "Now,

my good soul," said he, "make your mind easy; the ship is a good one, and well handled, and in no danger

whatever, and my wife is in no danger from your husband. Since you and your brother tell me that he is a

villain, I am bound to believe you. But my wife is an angel. In our miserable hour of parting, she vowed not

to marry again, should I be taken from her. Marry again! what am I talking of? Why, if he visits her at all, it

will be to let her know I am alive, and give her my letter. Do you mean to tell me she will listen to vows of

At last the wind abated; and after a wearisome calm, a light breeze came, and the schooner crept homeward.

Phoebe restrained herself for several days; but at last she came back to the subject; this time it was in an

apologetic tone at starting. "I know you think me a foolish woman," she said; "but my poor Reginald could

never resist a pretty face; and she is so lovely; and you should have seen how he turned when she came in to

my place. Oh, sir, there has been more between them than you know of; and when I think that he will have

been in England so many months before we get there, oh, doctor, sometimes I feel as I should go mad; my

Then Staines tried to comfort her; assured her she was tormenting herself idly; her husband would perhaps

have spent some of the diamond money on his amusement; but what if he had? he should deduct it out of the

big diamond, which was also their joint property, and the loss would hardly be felt. "As to my wife, madam, I

have but one anxiety; lest he should go blurting it out that I am alive, and almost kill her with joy."

"Man, I tell you there is everything to fear. You don't know him as I do; nor his power over women."

"Then please to close this subject forever. In three weeks we shall be in England."

He bowed stiffly to her, went to his cabin, and avoided the poor foolish woman as much as he could without

Mrs. Staines made one or two movementsto stop Lord Tadcaster with her hand, that expressive feature

When at last he paused for her reply, she said, "Me marry again! Oh! for shame!"

"Never. Me take another husband, after such a man as I have lost! I should be a monster. Oh, Lord Tadcaster,

you have been so kind to me; so sympathizing. You made me believe you loved my Christopher, too; and

"Oh! Mrs. Staines, do you think me capable of feigningdon't you see my love for you has taken you by

surprise? But how could I visit youlook on youhear youmingle my regrets with yours; yours were the

"I believe it." And she gave him her hand. He held it, and kissed it, and cried over it, as the young will, and

implored her, on his knees, not to condemn herself to lifelong widowhood, and him to despair.

Then she cried, too; but she was firm; and by degrees she made him see that her heart was inaccessible.

But he was too much of a man to fall into that trap. "No," he said: "I could not, I could not. Love or nothing."

"You are right," said she, pityingly. "Forgive me. In my selfishness and my usual folly, I did not see this

"Never mind that," gulped the little earl. "I shall always be proud I knew you, and proud I loved you, and

Then the magnanimous little fellow blessed her, and left her, and discontinued his visits.

Mr. Lusignan found her crying, and got the truth out of her. He was in despair. He remonstrated kindly, but

firmly. Truth compels me to say that she politely ignored him. He observed that phenomenon, and said,

Philip, telegraphed, came down that evening; likewise his little black bag. He found them in the

drawingroom: papa with the Pall Mall Gazette, Rosa seated, sewing, at a lamp. She made little Christie's

Having ascertained that the little boy was well, Philip, adroitly hiding that he had come down torn with

anxiety on that head, inquired with a show of contemptuous indifference, whose cat was dead.

"Nobody's," said Lusignan crossly. Then he turned and pointed the Gazette at his offspring. "Do you see that

"I see her," said he. "She does look a little too innocent. None of them are really so innocent as all that. Has

"How is it to be accounted for? Is it the old story? 'I could never love him.' No; that's inadequate; for they all

"She ignores us," said Philip. "It is intolerable. She does not appreciate our politeness in talking at her. Let us

arraign her before our sacred tribunal, and have her into court. Now, mistress, the Senate of Venice is

assembled, and you must be pleased to tell us why you refused a title and twenty thousand a year, with a

Rosa laid down her work, and said quietly, "Uncle, almost the last words that passed between me and my

Christopher, we promised each other solemnly never to marry again till death should us part. You know how

deep my sorrow has been that I can find so few wishes of my lost Christopher to obey. Well, today I have

had an opportunity at last. I have obeyed my own lost one; it has cost me a tear or two; but, for all that, it has

given me one little gleam of happiness. Ah, foolish woman, that obeys too late!"

All this seemed a little too highflown to Mr. Lusignan. "There," said he, "see on what a straw her mind

turns. So, but for that, you would have done the right thing, and married the earl?"

The sagacious Philip looked at her gravely. He thought to himself how piteous it was to see so young and

lovely a creature, that had given up all hope of happiness for herself. These being his real thoughts, he

expressed himself as follows: "We had better drop this subject, sir. This young lady will take us potent, grave,

But the moment he got her alone he kissed her paternally, and said, "Rosa, it is not lost on me, your fidelity to

the dead. As years roll on, and your deep wound first closes, then skins, then heals"

"Time and nature will absolve you from that vow; but bless you for thinking this can never be. Rosa, your

folly of this day has made you my heir; so never let money tempt you, for you have enough, and will have

He was as good as his word; altered his will next day, and made Rosa his residuary legatee. When he had

done this, foreseeing no fresh occasion for his services, he prepared for a long visit to Italy. He was packing

up his things to go there, when he received a line from Lady Cicely Treherne, asking him to call on her

professionally. As the lady's servant brought it, he sent back a line to say he no longer practised medicine, but

He found her reclining, the picture of lassitude. "How good of you to come," she drawled.

"I wish to cawnsult you about myself. I think if anybody can brighten me up, it is you. I feel such a

He examined her tongue and the white of her eye, and told her, in his blunt way, she ate and drank too much.

"Then it is only your lips call it luncheon. Your poor stomach, could it speak, would call it dinner. Afternoon

"At seventhirty another dinner. Tea after that. Your afflicted stomach gets no rest. You eat pastry?"

"Well, sugar is poison to your temperament. Now I'll set you up, if you can obey. Give up your morning

"Tea in bed, before eating. Can't you see that is a dram? Animal food twice a day. No wine but a little claret

and water; no pastry, no sweets, and play battledore with one of your male subjects."

"It will incarnadine the lily, and make you the happiest young lady in England, as you are the best."

"I should like to be much happier than I am good, if we could manage it among us."

"We will manage it AMONG us; for if the diet allowed should not make you boisterously gay, I have a

remedy behind, suited to your temperament. I am oldfashioned, and believe in the temperaments."

"Well, then, the heroic remedyto be used only as a desperate resort, mindyou must marry an Irishman."

"A nice man; no. That means a fool. Marry scientificallya precaution eternally neglected. Marry a

"No, sir. And it is very curious. No, I won't tell you. Yes, I will. Hem II think I have noticed one."

Having administered this prescription, our laughing philosopher went off to Italy, and there fell in with some

His absence, and Lord Tadcaster's, made Rosa Staines's life extremely monotonous. Day followed day, and

week followed week, each so unvarying, that, on a retrospect, three months seemed like one day.

And I think at last youth and nature began to rebel, and secretly to crave some little change or incident to

ruffle the stagnant pool. Yet she would not go into society, and would only receive two or three dull people at

the villa; so she made the very monotony which was beginning to tire her, and nursed a sacred grief she had

She was in this forlorn condition, when, one morning, a carriage drove to the door, and a card was brought up

When, after a little struggle with his better angel, he rode past his wife's gate, he intended, at first, only to go

to Cape Town, sell the diamonds, have a lark, and bring home the balance: but, as he rode south, his views

expanded. He could have ten times the fun in London, and cheaper; since he could sell the diamonds for more

money, and also conceal the true price. This was the Bohemian's whole mind in the business. He had no

designs whatever on Mrs. Staines, nor did he intend to steal the diamonds, but to embezzle a portion of the

purchasemoney, and enjoy the pleasures and vices of the capital for a few months; then back to his milch

cow, Phoebe, and lead a quiet life till the next uncontrollable fit should come upon him along with the means

On the way, he read Staines's letter to Mrs. Falcon, very carefully. He never broke the seal of the letter to

Mrs. Staines. That was to be given her when he had broken the good news to her; and this he determined to

do with such skill, as should make Dr. Staines very unwilling to look suspiciously or illnaturedly into

He reached London; and being a thorough egotist, attended first to his own interests; he never went near Mrs.

Staines until he had visited every diamond merchant and dealer in the metropolis; he showed the small stones

At last he got an offer of twelve hundred pounds for the small stones, and the same for the large yellow stone,

and nine hundred pounds for the second largest stone. He took this nine hundred pounds, and instantly wrote

to Phoebe, telling her he had a sudden inspiration to bring the diamonds to England, which he could not

regret, since he had never done a wiser thing. He had sold a single stone for eight hundred pounds, and had

sent the doctor's four hundred pounds to her account in Cape Town; and as each sale was effected, the half

would be so remitted. She would see by that, he was wiser than in former days. He should only stay so long

as might be necessary to sell them all equally well. His own share he would apply to paying off mortgages on

the family estate, of which he hoped some day to see her the mistress, or he would send it direct to her,

Now the main object of this artful letter was to keep Phoebe quiet, and not have her coming after him, of

The money got safe to Cape Town, but the letter to Phoebe miscarried. How this happened was never

positively known; but the servant of the lodginghouse was afterwards detected cutting stamps off a letter; so

By this means, matters took a curious turn. Falcon, intending to lull his wife into a false security, lulled

When he had taken care of himself, and got five hundred pounds to play the fool with, then he condescended

to remember his errand of mercy; and he came down to Gravesend, to see Mrs. Staines.

On the road, he gave his mind seriously to the delicate and dangerous task. It did not, however, disquiet him

as it would you, sir, or you, madam. He had a great advantage over you. He was a liara smooth, ready,

This was the outline he had traced in his mind: he should appear very subdued and sad; should wear an air of

condolence. But, after a while, should say, "And yet men have been lost like that, and escaped. A man was

picked up on a raft in those very latitudes, and brought into Cape Town. A friend of mine saw him, months

after, at the hospital. His memory was shakencould not tell his name; but in other respects he was all right

If Mrs. Staines took fire at this, he would say his friend knew all the particulars, and he would ask him, and

so leave that to rankle till next visit. And having planted his germ of hope, he would grow it, and water it, by

visits and correspondence, till he could throw off the mask, and say he was convinced Staines was alive: and

from that, by other degrees, till he could say, on his wife's authority, that the man picked up at sea, and cured

at her house, was the very physician who had saved her brother's life: and so on to the overwhelming proof he

I am afraid the cunning and dexterity, the subtlety and tact required, interested him more in the commission

than did the benevolence. He called, sent up his card, and composed his countenance for his part, like an actor

The history of a "Not at home" is not, in general, worth recording: but this is an exception.

On receiving Falcon's card, Mrs. Staines gave a little start, and colored faintly. She instantly resolved not to

see him. What! the man she had flirted with, almost jilted, and refused to marryhe dared to be alive when

She said "Not at home" with a tone of unusual sharpness and decision, which left the servant in no doubt he

Falcon received the sudden freezer with amazement. "Nonsense," said he. "Not at home at this time of the

He felt sure she was at home; and being a tremendous egotist, he said, "Oh! all right. If she would rather not

know her husband is alive, it is all one to me;" and he actually took no more notice of her for a full week, and

never thought of her, except to chuckle over the penalty she was paying for daring to affront his vanity.

However, Sunday came; he saw a dull day before him, and so he relented, and thought he would give her

When he was about a hundred yards from the villa, a lady, all in black, came out with a nurse and child.

Falcon knew her figure all that way off, and it gave him a curious thrill that surprised him. He followed her,

and was not very far behind her when she reached the church. She turned at the porch, kissed the child

He went into the church, and walked up a side aisle to a pillar, from which he thought he might be able to see

the whole congregation; and, sure enough, there she sat, a few yards from him. She was lovelier than ever.

Mind had grown on her face with trouble. An angelic expression illuminated her beauty; he gazed on her,

fascinated. He drank and drank her beauty two mortal hours, and when the church broke up, and she went

home, he was half afraid to follow her, for he felt how hard it would be to say anything to her but that the old

However, having watched her home, he walked slowly to and fro composing himself for the interview.

He now determined to make the process of informing her a very long one: he would spin it out, and so secure

many a sweet interview with her: and, who knows? he might fascinate her as she had him, and ripen gratitude

He called, he sent in his card. The man went in, and came back with a sonorous "Not at home."

Falcon turned white with rage at this second affront. "All the worse for her," said he, and turned on his heel.

He went home, raging with disappointment and wounded vanity, and since such love as his is seldom very

far from hatehe swore she should never know from him that her husband was alive. He even moralized.

By and by, a mere negative revenge was not enough for him, and he set his wits to work to make her smart.

DEAR MADAM,What a pity you are never at home to me. I had something to say about your husband,

Imagine the effect of this abominable note. It was like a rock flung into a placid pool. It set Rosa trembling all

"I am afraid it is only to get to see me. You know he admired me once. Ah, how suspicious I am getting."

DEAR SIR,Since my bereavement I see scarcely anybody. My servant did not know you; so I hope you

will excuse me. If it is too much trouble to call again, would you kindly explain your note to me?

Falcon chuckled bitterly over this. "No, my lady," said he. "I'll serve you out. You shall run after me like a

He wrote back coldly to say that the matter he had wished to communicate was too delicate and important to

put on paper; that he would try and get down to Gravesend again some day or other, but was much occupied,

and had already put himself to inconvenience. He added, in a postscript, that he was always at home from

Next day he got hold of the servant, and gave her minute instructions, and a guinea.

Then the wretch got some tools and bored a hole in the partition wall of his sittingroom. The paper had large

flowers. He was artist enough to conceal the trick with watercolors. In his bed room the hole came behind

That very afternoon, as he had foreseen, Mrs. Staines called on him. The maid, duly instructed, said Mr.

Falcon was out, but would soon return, and could she wait his return? The maid being so very civil, Mrs.

Staines said she would wait a little while, and was immediately ushered into Falcon's sittingroom. There she

sat down; but was evidently ill at ease, restless, flushed. She could not sit quiet, and at last began to walk up

and down the room, almost wildly. Her beautiful eyes glittered, and the whole woman seemed on fire. The

caitiff, who was watching her, saw and gloated on all this, and enjoyed to the full her beauty and agitation,

But after a long time, there was a reaction: she sat down and uttered some plaintive sounds inarticulate, or

Then it cost Falcon an effort not to come in and comfort her; but he controlled himself and kept quiet.

She rang the bell. She asked for writing paper, and she wrote her unseen tormentor a humble note, begging

him, for old acquaintance, to call on her, and tell her what his mysterious words meant that had filled her with

This done, she went away, with a deep sigh, and Falcon emerged, and pounced upon her letter.

He kissed it; he read it a dozen times: he sat down where she had sat, and his base passion overpowered him.

Her beauty, her agitation, her fear, her tears, all combined to madden him, and do the devil's work in his false,

For once in his life he was violently agitated, and torn by conflicting feelings: he walked about the room

more wildly than his victim had; and if it be true that, in certain great temptations, good and bad angels fight

for a man, here you might have seen as fierce a battle of that kind as ever was.

At last he rushed out into the air, and did not return till ten o'clock at night. He came back pale and haggard,

He bolted himself in, and drank a wineglass of it neat; then another; then another.

Now his pale cheek is flushed, and his eye glitters. Drink forever! great ruin of English souls as well as

He brought Staines's letter, and softened the sealingwax with the hot poker; then with his penknife made a

neat incision in the wax, and opened the letter. He took out the ring, and put it carefully away. Then he

lighted a cigar, and read the letter, and studied it. Many a man, capable of murder in heat of passion, could

not have resisted the pathos of this letter. Many a Newgate thief, after reading it, would have felt such pity for

the loving husband who had suffered to the verge of death, and then to the brink of madness, and for the poor

bereaved wife, that he would have taken the letter down to Gravesend that very night, though he picked two

But this was an egotist. Good nature had curbed his egotism a little while; but now vanity and passion had

Now, the pure egotist has been defined as a man who will burn down his NEIGHBOR'S house to cook

HIMSELF an egg. Murder is but egotism carried out to its natural climax. What is murder to a pure egotist,

I knew an egotist who met a female acquaintance in Newhaven village. She had a onepound note, and

offered to treat him. She changed this note to treat him. Fish she gave him, and much whiskey. Cost her four

shillings. He ate and drank with her, at her expense; and his aorta, or principal bloodvessel, being warmed

I had the pleasure of seeing that egotist hung, with these eyes. It was a slice of luck that, I grieve to say, has

His less truculent but equally remorseless brother in villany, the brandied egotist, Falcon, could read that poor

husband's letter without blenching; the love and the anticipations of rapture, these made him writhe a little

with jealousy, but they roused not a grain of pity. He was a true egotist, blind, remorseless.

In this, his true character, he studied the letter profoundly, and mastered all the facts, and digested them well.

All manner of diabolical artifices presented themselves to his brain, barren of true intellect, yet fertile in

fraud; in that, and all low cunning and subtlety, far more than a match for Solomon or Bacon.

His sinister studies were pursued far into the night. Then he went to bed, and his unbounded egotism gave

him the sleep a grander criminal would have courted in vain on the verge of a monstrous and deliberate

Next day he went to a fashionable tailor, and ordered a complete suit of black. This was made in fortyeight

hours; the interval was spent mainly in concocting lies to be incorporated with the number of minute facts he

had gained from Staines's letter, and in making close imitations of his handwriting.

Thus armed, and crammed with more lies than the "Menteur" of Corneille, but not such innocent ones, he

The servant was all obsequiousness. Yes, Mrs. Staines received few visitors; but she was at home to HIM. He

even began to falter excuses. "Nonsense," said Falcon, and slipped a sovereign into his hand; "you are a good

The servant's respect doubled, and he ushered the visitor into the drawingroom, as one whose name was a

Mrs. Staines was alone. She rose to meet him. Her color came and went, her full eye fell on him, and took in

all at a glancethat he was all in black, and that he had a beard, and looked pale, and ill at ease.

Little dreaming that this was the anxiety of a felon about to take the actual plunge into a novel crime, she was

rather prepossessed by it. The beard gave him dignity, and hid his mean, cruel mouth. His black suit seemed

to say he, too, had lost some one dear to him; and that was a ground of sympathy.

She received him kindly, and thanked him for taking the trouble to come again. She begged him to be seated;

But he was in no hurry, and waited for her. He knew she would speak if he was silent.

She could not keep him waiting long. "Mr. Falcon," said she, hesitating a little, "you have something to say to

"Yes," said he softly. "I have something I could say, and I think I ought to say it; but I am afraid: because I

"Me! more unhappy? Me, whose dear husband lies at the bottom of the ocean. Other poor wounded creatures

have the wretched comfort of knowing where he liesof carrying flowers to his tomb. But I oh, Mr.

Falcon, I am bereaved of all: even his poor remains lost, lost"she could say no more.

Then that craven heart began to quake at what he was doing; quaked, yet persevered; but his own voice

quivered, and his cheek grew ashy pale. No wonder. If ever God condescended to pour lightning on a skunk,

Shaking and sweating with terror at his own act, he stammered out, "Would it be the least comfort to you to

know that you are not denied that poor consolation? Suppose he died not so miserably as you think? Suppose

"Suppose he lingered, nursed by kind and sympathizing hands, that almost saved him? Suppose he was laid in

"Ah, that would indeed be a comfort. And it was to say this you came. I thank you. I bless you. But, my good,

kind friend, you are deceived. You don't know my husband. You never saw him. He perished at sea."

"Will it be kind or unkind, to tell you why I think he died as I tell you, and not at sea?"

"Kind, but impossible. You deceive yourself. Ah, I see. You found some poor sufferer, and were good to him;

but it was not my poor Christie. Oh, if it were, I should worship you. But I thank you as it is. It was very kind

to want to give me this little, little crumb of comfort; for I know I did not behave well to you, sir: but you are

generous, and have forgiven a poor heartbroken creature, that never was very wise."

He gave her time to cry, and then said to her, "I only wanted to be sure it WOULD be any comfort to you.

Mrs. Staines, it is true I did not even know his name; nor yours. When I met, in this very room, the great

disappointment that has saddened my own life, I left England directly. I collected funds, went to Natal, and

turned landowner and farmer. I have made a large fortune, but I need not tell you I am not happy. Well, I

had a yacht, and sailing from Cape Town to Algoa Bay, I picked up a raft, with a dying man on it. He was

perishing from exhaustion and exposure. I got a little brandy between his lips, and kept him alive. I landed

with him at once: and we nursed him on shore. We had to be very cautious. He improved. We got him to take

eggflip. He smiled on us at first, and then he thanked us. I nursed him day and night for ten days. He got

much stronger. He spoke to me, thanked me again and again, and told me his name was Christopher Staines.

He told me that he should never get well. I implored him to have courage. He said he did not want for

courage; but nature had been tried too hard. We got so fond of each other. Oh!"and the caitiff pretended to

He made an apparent effort, and said, "He spoke to me of his wife, his darling Rosa. The name made me start,

but I could not know it was you. At last he was strong enough to write a few lines, and he made me promise

Rosa cast a keen eye of suspicion and terror on him. His not bringing the letter seemed monstrous; and so

Falcon affected not to notice her keen look. He flowed on, "The address he put on that letter astonished me.

"How could you come to me without that letter?" cried Rosa, wringing her hands. "How am I to know? It is

"Don't you believe me?" said Falcon sadly. "Why should I deceive you? The first time I came down to tell

you all this, I did not KNOW who Mrs. Staines was. I suspected; but no more. The second time I saw you in

the church, and then I knew; and followed you to try and tell you all this; and you were not at home to me."

"Forgive me," said Rosa carelessly: then earnestly, "The letter! when can I see it?"

"Bring it! I am in agony till I see it. Oh, my darling! my darling! It can't be true. It was not my Christie. He

lies in the depths of the ocean. Lord Tadcaster was in the ship, and he says so; everybody says so."

Rosa lifted her hands to heaven, and cried piteously, "I don't know what to think. You would not willingly

deceive me. But how can this be? Oh, Uncle Philip, why are you away from me? Sir, you say he gave you a

"Because he told me the contents; and I thought he prized my poor efforts too highly. It did not occur to me

He rose TO GO; but had a sudden inspiration; very sudden, of course. "Had he nothing about him you could

Mrs. Staines uttered a sharp cry and seized the ring. Her eyes dilated over it, and she began to tremble in

every limb; and at last she sank slowly back, and her head fell on one side like a broken lily. The sudden sight

Falcon rose to call for assistance; but she made him a feeble motion not to do so.

She got the better of her faintness, and then she fell to kissing the ring, in an agony of love, and wept over it,

But he soon found he had nothing to fear. For a long time she seemed scarcely aware of his presence; and

"It was my Christie you were so good to: may Heaven bless you for it: and you will bring me his letter, will

"Oh, do not go yet. It is all so strange: so sad. I seem to have lost my poor Christie again, since he did not die

at sea. But no, I am ungrateful to God, and ungrateful to the kind friend that nursed him to the last. Ah, I envy

you that. Tell me all. Never mind my crying. I have seen the time I could not cry. It was worse then than now.

I shall always cry when I speak of him, ay, to my dying day. Tell me, tell me all."

Her passion frightened the egotist, but did not turn him. He had gone too far. He told her that, after raising all

their hopes, Dr. Staines had suddenly changed for the worse, and sunk rapidly; that his last words had been

about her, and he had said, "My poor Rosa, who will protect her?" That, to comfort him, he had said he

would protect her. Then the dying man had managed to write a line or two, and to address it. Almost his last

"You have no child? Then it must have been you he meant. He spoke of you as a child more than once."

"Then I think he knew it. They say that dying men can see all over the world: and I remember, when he said

it, his eyes seemed fixed very strangely, as if on something distant. Oh, how wonderful all this is. May I see

He then left her, with a promise to come back early next morning with the letter.

Then he became very uneasy, and begged her not to tell a soul. He did not tell her the reason, but he feared

the insurance office would hear of it, and require proofs of Christopher's decease, whereas they had accepted

it without a murmur, on the evidence of Captain Hamilton and the Amphitrite's logbook.

As for Falcon, he went carefully through Staines's two letters, and wherever he found a word that suited his

purpose, he traced it by the usual process, and so, in the course of a few hours, he concocted a short letter, all

the words in which, except three, were facsimiles, only here and there a little shaky; the three odd words he

had to imitate by observation of the letters. The signature he got to perfection by tracing.

He inserted this letter in the original envelope, and sealed it very carefully, so as to hide that the seal had been

Thus armed, he went down to Gravesend. There he hired a horse and rode to Kent Villa.

Why he hired a horse, he knew how hard it is to forge handwriting, and he chose to have the means of escape

He came into the drawingroom, ghastly pale, and almost immediately gave her the letter; then turned his

back, feigning delicacy. In reality he was quaking with fear lest she should suspect the handwriting. But the

envelope was addressed by Staines, and paved the way for the letter; she was unsuspicious and good, and her

heart cried out for her husband's last written words: at such a moment, what chance had judgment and

MY OWN ROSA,All that a brother could do for a beloved brother, Falcon has done. He nursed me night

and day. But it is vain. I shall never see you again in this world. I send you a protector, and a father to your

child. Value him. He has promised to be your stay on earth, and my spirit shall watch over you.To my last

Rosa stopped him. "You need not go," said she. "You are our friend. By and by I hope I shall find words to

"Pray let me retire a moment," said the hypocrite. "A husband's last words: too sacreda stranger:" and he

went out into the garden. There he found the nursemaid Emily, and the little boy.

He stopped the child, and made love to the nursemaid; showed her his diamondshe carried them all about

himtold her he had thirty thousand acres in Cape Colony, and diamonds on them; and was going to buy

thirty thousand more of the government. "Here, take one," said he. "Oh, you needn't be shy. They are

common enough on my estates. I'll tell you what, though, you could not buy that for less than thirty pounds at

any shop in London. Could she, my little duck? Never mind, it is no brighter than her eyes. Now do you

know what she will do with that, Master Christie? She will give it to some duffer to put in a pin."

"She won't do nothing of the kind," said Emily, flushing all over. "She is not such a fool." She then

volunteered to tell him she had no sweetheart, and did not trouble her head about young men at all. He

"No sweetheart!" said he; "and the prettiest girl I have seen since I landed: then I put in for the situation."

Here, seeing the footman coming, he bestowed a most paternal kiss on little Christie, and saying, "Not a word

to John, or no more diamonds from me;" he moved carefully away, leaving the girl all in a flutter with

The next moment this wolf in the sheepfold entered the drawing room. Mrs. Staines was not there. He

waited, and waited, and began to get rather uneasy, as men will who walk among pitfalls.

Presently the footman came to say that Mrs. Staines was with her father, in his study, but she would come to

This increased his anxiety. What! She was taking advice of an older head. He began to be very seriously

alarmed, and, indeed, had pretty well made up his mind to go down and gallop off, when the door opened,

and Rosa came hastily in. Her eyes were very red with weeping. She came to him with both hands extended

to him; he gave her his, timidly. She pressed them with such earnestness and power as he could not have

suspected; and thanked him, and blessed him, with such a torrent of eloquence, that he hung his head with

shame; and, being unable to face it out, villain as he was, yet still artful to the core, he pretended to burst out

He waited two days, and then called again. Rosa reproached him sweetly for going before she had half

"All the better," said he. "I have been thanked a great deal too much already. Who would not do his best for a

dying countryman, and fight night and day to save him for his wife and child at home? If I had succeeded,

then I would be greedy of praise: but now it makes me blush; it makes me very sad."

"Ah! that I did. Indeed, I was ill for weeks after, myself, through the strain upon my mind, and the

disappointment, and going so many nights without sleep. But don't let us talk of that."

From this time Falcon was always welcome at Kent Villa. He fascinated everybody in the house. He renewed

his acquaintance with Mr. Lusignan, and got asked to stay a week in the house. He showed Rosa and her

father the diamonds, and, the truth must be owned, they made Rosa's eyes sparkle for the first time this

In reply to the old man's eager questions, as the large diamonds lay glittering on the table, and pointed every

word, he said that a few of his Hottentots had found these for him; he had made them dig on a

diamondiferous part of his estate, just by way of testing the matter; and this was the result; this, and a much

"If I was a young man," said Lusignan, "I would go out directly, and dig on your estate."

"I would not let you do anything so paltry," said "le Menteur." "Why, my dear sir, there are no fortunes to be

made by grubbing for diamonds; the fortunes are made out of the diamonds, but not in that way. Now, I have

thirty thousand acres, and am just concluding a bargain for thirty thousand more, on which I happen to know

there are diamonds in a sly corner. Well, of my thirty thousand tried acres, a hundred only are

diamondiferous. But I have four thousand thirtyfoot claims leased at ten shillings per month. Count that up."

"Excuse me: you must deduct a thousand a year for the expenses of collection. But this is only one phase of

the business. I have a large inn upon each of the three great routes from the diamonds to the coast; and these

inns are supplied with the produce of my own farms. Mark the effect of the diamonds on property. My sixty

thousand acres, which are not diamondiferous, will very soon be worth as much as sixty thousand English

acres, say two pounds the acre per annum. That is under the mark, because in Africa the land is not burdened

with poorrates, tithes, and all the other iniquities that crush the English landowner, as I know to my cost.

But that is not all, sir. Would you believe it? even after the diamonds were declared, the people out there had

so little foresight that they allowed me to buy land all round Port Elizabeth, Natal, and Cape Town, the three

ports through which the world get at the diamonds, and the diamonds get at the world. I have got a girdle of

land round those three outlets, bought by the acre; in two years I shall sell it by the yard. Believe me, sir,

English fortunes, even the largest, are mere child's play, compared with the colossal wealth a man can

accumulate, if he looks beyond these great discoveries to their consequences, and lets others grub for him.

But what is the use of it all to me?" said this Bohemian, with a sigh. "I have no taste for luxuries; no love of

display. I have not even charity to dispense on a large scale; for there are no deserving poor out there; and the

John heard nearly all this, and took it into the kitchen; and henceforth Adoration was the only word for this

He seldom held such discourses before Rosa; but talked her father into an impression of his boundless wealth,

and half reconciled him to Rosa's refusal of Lord Tadcaster, since here was an old suitor, who, doubtless,

Under this impression, Mr. Lusignan gave Falcon more than a little encouragement, and, as Rosa did not

resist, he became a constant visitor at the villa, and was always there from Saturday to Monday.

He exerted all his art of pleasing, and he succeeded. He was welcome to Rosa, and she made no secret of it.

Emily threw herself in his way, and had many a sly talk with him, while he was pretending to be engaged

with young Christie. He flattered her, and made her sweet on him, but was too much in love with Rosa, after

his fashion, to flirt seriously with her. He thought he might want her services: so he worked upon her after

Then he told her that, if all went to his wish in England, she should be landlady of one of his inns in the Cape

Colony. "And you will get a good husband out there directly," said he. "Beauty is a very uncommon thing in

those parts. But I shall ask you to marry somebody who can help you in the businessor not to marry at all."

"I wish I had the inn," said Emily. "Husbands are soon got when a girl hasn't her face only to look to."

"Well, I promise you the inn," said he, "and a good outfit of clothes, and money in both pockets, if you will

"That I would, sir. But, laws, what can a poor girl like me do for a rich gentleman like you?"

He looked at her well; saw she was one of those who could keep a secret, if she chose, and he resolved to risk

Then he told the girl a pretty tender tale, that he had loved Mrs. Staines when she was Miss Lusignan, had

thought himself beloved in turn, but was rejected; and now, though she was a widow, he had not the courage

to court her, her heart was in the grave. He spoke in such a broken voice that the girl's goodnature fought

against her little pique at finding how little he was smitten with HER, and Falcon soon found means to array

her cupidity on the side of her goodnature. He gave her a fivepound note to buy gloves, and promised her a

fortune, and she undertook to be secret as the grave, and say certain things adroitly to Mrs. Staines.

Accordingly, this young woman omitted no opportunity of dropping a word in favor of Falcon. For one thing,

she said to Mrs. Staines, "Mr. Falcon must be very fond of children, ma'am. Why, he worships Master

"Why, no, ma'am. He is rather shy over it; but when he sees us alone, he is sure to come to us, and say, 'Let

me look at my child, nurse;' and he do seem fit to eat him. Onst he says to me, 'This boy is my heir, nurse.'

"None whatever. You must have misunderstood him. You should not repeat all that people say."

"No, ma'am; only I did think it so odd. Poor gentleman, I don't think he is happy, for all his money."

These conversations were always short, for Rosa, though she was too kind and gentle to snub the girl, was

But Rosa's was a mind that could be worked upon, and these short but repeated eulogies were not altogether

At last the insidious Falcon, by not making his approaches in a way to alarm her, acquired her friendship as

well as her gratitude; and, in short, she got used to him and liked him. Not being bound by any limit of fact

whatever, he entertained her, and took her out of herself a little by extemporaneous pictures; he told her all

his thrilling adventures by flood and field, not one of which had ever occurred, yet he made them all sound

like truth; he invented strange characters, and set them talking; he went after great whales, and harpooned

one, which slapped his boat into fragments with one stroke of its tail; then died, and he hung on by the

harpoon protruding from the carcass till a ship came and picked him up. He shot a lion that was carrying off

his favorite Hottentot. He encountered another, wounded him with both barrels, was seized, and dragged

along the ground, and gave himself up for lost, but kept firing his revolver down the monster's throat till at

last he sickened him, and so escaped out of death's maw; he did NOT say how he had fired in the air, and

ridden fourteen miles on end, at the bare sight of a lion's cub; but, to compensate that one reserve, plunged

into a raging torrent and saved a drowning woman by her long hair, which he caught in his teeth; he rode a

race on an ostrich against a friend on a zebra, which went faster, but threw his rider, and screamed with rage

at not being able to eat him; he, Falcon, having declined to run unless his friend's zebra was muzzled. He fed

the hungry, clothed the naked, and shot a wild elephant in the eye; and all this he enlivened with pictorial

descriptions of no mean beauty, and as like South Africa as if it had been feu George Robins advertising that

In short, never was there a more voluble and interesting liar by word of mouth, and never was there a more

agreeable creature interposed between a bereaved widow and her daily grief and regrets. He diverted her

At last, such was the charm of infinite lying, she missed him on the days he did not come, and was brighter

Things went smoothly, and so pleasantly, that he would gladly have prolonged this form of courtship for a

month or two longer, sooner than risk a premature declaration. But more than one cause drove him to a bolder

course; his passion, which increased in violence by contact with its beautiful object, and also a great

uneasiness he felt at not hearing from Phoebe. This silence was ominous. He and she knew each other, and

what the other was capable of. He knew she was the woman to cross the seas after him, if Staines left the

These double causes precipitated matters, and at last he began to throw more devotion into his manner; and

having so prepared her for a few days, he took his opportunity and said, one day, "We are both unhappy. Give

She colored high, and said, "You have consoled me more than all the world. But there is a limit; always will

One less adroit would have brought her to the point; but this artist only sighed, and let the arrow rankle. By

this means he outfenced her; for now she had listened to a declaration and not stopped it short.

He played melancholy for a day or two, and then he tried her another way. He said, "I promised your dying

husband to be your protector, and a father to his child. I see but one way to keep my word, and that gives me

courage to speakwithout that I never could. Rosa, I loved you years ago, I am unmarried for your sake. Let

Rosa shook her head. "I COULD not marry again. I esteem you, I am very grateful to you: and I know I

behaved ill to you before. If I could marry again, it would be you. But I cannot. Oh, never! never!"

"I shall, as I ought to be. You will not, I hope. I shall miss you sadly; but, for all that, I advise you to leave

me. You will carry my everlasting gratitude, go where you will; that and my esteem are all I have to give."

"I will go," said he; "and I hope he who is gone will forgive my want of courage."

"Dying men see clearer. I am sure he wishedno matter; it is too delicate." He kissed her hand and went out,

Nothing was heard of him for several days; and Rosa pitied him more and more, and felt a certain discontent

Matters were in this state, when one morning Emily came screaming in from the garden, "The

The house was alarmed. The garden searched, the adjoining paddock. The child was gone.

Emily was examined, and owned, with many sobs and hysterical cries, that she had put him down in the

summerhouse for a minute, while she went to ask the gardener for some balm, balm tea being a favorite

Further inquiry proved, however, that a tall gypsy woman had been seen prowling about that morning; and

suspicion instantly fastened on her. Servants were sent out right and left; but nothing discovered; and the

agonized mother, terrified out of her wits, had Falcon telegraphed to immediately.

He came galloping down that very evening, and heard the story. He galloped into Gravesend, and after seeing

the police, sent word out he should advertise. He placarded Gravesend with bills, offering a reward of a

Meantime the police and many of the neighboring gentry came about the miserable mother with their vague

Down comes Falcon again next day; tells what he has done, and treats them all with contempt. "Don't you be

afraid, Mrs. Staines," said he. "You will get him back. I have taken the sure way. This sort of rogues dare not

go near the police, and the police can't find them. You have no enemies; it is only some woman that has

fancied a beautiful child. Well, she can have them by the score, for a thousand pounds."

He was the only one with a real idea; the woman saw it, and clung to him. He left late at night.

Next morning out came the advertisements, and he sent her a handful by special messenger. His zeal and

Then what a burst of joy and gratitude! The very walls of the house seemed to ring with it as a harp rings with

Imagine the scene! The mother's screams of joy, her furious kisses, her cooing, her tears, and all the miracles

of nature at such a time. The servants all mingled with their employers in the general rapture, and Emily, who

was pale as death, cried and sobbed, and said, "Oh, ma'am, I'll never let him out of my sight again, no, not for

She was much agitated, and cried, "Oh, you did well to bring him today. I could not have kept it another

"Of course you have. Meet me in the garden tomorrow morning, and I'll show you you have done a kind

thing to your mistress, as well as me. And as for the fifty pounds, that is NOTHING; do you hear? it is

nothing at all, compared with what I will do for you, if you will be true to me, and hold your tongue."

"Oh! as for that, my tongue shan't betray you, nor shame ME. You are a gentleman, and I do think you love

The mother was left to her rapture that night. In the morning Falcon told his tale.

"At two P.M. a man had called on him, and had produced one of his advertisements, and had asked him if

that was all squareno bobbies on the lurk. 'All square, my fine fellow.' 'Well,' said he, 'I suppose you are a

gentleman.' 'I am of that opinion too.' 'Well, sir,' says he, 'I know a party as has FOUND a young gent as

comes werry nigh your advertisement.' 'It will be a very lucky find to that party,' I said, 'if he is on the square.'

'Oh, WE are always on the square, when the blunt is put down.' 'The blunt for the child, when you like, and

where you like,' said I. 'You are the right sort,' said he. 'I am,' replied I. 'Will you come and see if it is all

right?' said he. 'In a minute,' said I. Stepped into my bedroom, and loaded my sixshooter."

"A revolver with six barrels: by the by, the very same I killed the lion with. Ugh! I never think of that scene

without feeling a little quiver; and my nerves are pretty good, too. Well, he took me into an awful part of the

town, down a filthy close, into some boozing kenI beg pardon, some thieves' publichouse."

"Shall I tell you the truth, or play the hero? I think I'll tell YOU the truth. I felt a little frightened, lest they

should get my money and my life, without my getting my godson: that is what I call him now. Well, two ugly

"'That is rather sharp practice, I think,' said I; 'however, here's the swag, and here's the watchdog.' So I put

down the notes, and my hand over them with my revolver cocked, and ready to fire."

"Well, Mrs. Staines, if I was writing you a novel, I suppose I should tell you the rogues recoiled; but the truth

is they only laughed, and were quite pleased. 'Swell's in earnest,' said one, 'Jem, show the kid.' Jem whistled,

and in came a great tall black gypsy woman, with the darling. My heart was in my mouth, but I would not let

them see it. I said, 'It is all right. Take half the notes here, and half at the door.' They agreed, and then I did it

quick, walked to the door, took the child, gave them the odd notes, and made off as fast as I could, hired a

"Papa," said Rosa, with enthusiasm, "there is but one man in England who would have got me back my child,

When they were alone, Falcon told her she had said words that gladdened his very heart. "You admit I can

Mrs. Staines said "Yes," then colored high; then, to turn it off, said, "But I cannot allow you to lose that large

"Large sum of money!" said he. "It is no more to me than sixpence to most people. I don't know what to do

with my money; and I never shall know, unless you will make a sacrifice of your own feelings to the wishes

of the dead. O Mrs. StainesRosa, do pray consider that a man of that wisdom sees the future, and gives

wise advice. Sure am I that, if you could overcome your natural repugnance to a second marriage, it would be

the best thing for your little boyI love him already as if he were my ownand in time would bring you

peace and comfort, and some day, years hence, even happiness. You are my only love; yet I should never

have come to you again if HE had not sent me. Do consider how strange it all is, and what it points to, and

don't let me have the misery of losing you again, when you can do no better now, alas! than reward my

She was much moved at this artful appeal, and said, "If I was sure I was obeying his will. But how can I feel

"Because I put the words he said to me together with that short line to you. Mind, I don't say that he did not

exaggerate my poor merits; on the contrary, I think he did. But I declare to you that he did hope I should take

care of you and your child. Right or wrong, it was his wish, so pray do not deceive yourself on that point."

This made more impression on her than anything else he could say, and she said, "I promise you one thing, I

Instead of pressing her further, as an inferior artist would, he broke into raptures, kissed her hand tenderly,

and was in such high spirits, and so voluble all day, that she smiled sweetly on him, and thought to herself,

As he was always watching her facea practice he carried further than any person livinghe divined that

sentiment, and wrought upon it so, that at last he tormented her into saying she would marry him SOME

When he had brought her to that, he raged inwardly to think he had not two years to work in; for it was

evident she would marry him in time. But no, it had taken him more than four months, close siege, to bring

her to that. No word from Phoebe. An ominous dread hung over his own soul. His wife would be upon him,

or, worse still, her brother Dick, who he knew would beat him to a mummy on the spot; or, worst of all, the

husband of Rosa Staines, who would kill him, or fling him into a prison. He MUST make a push.

In this emergency he used his ally, Mr. Lusignan; he told him Mrs. Staines had promised to marry him, but at

some distant date. This would not do; he must look after his enormous interests in the colony, and he was so

The old gentleman was desperately fond of Falcon, and bent on the match, and he actually consented to give

It consisted in directing the clergyman to call in church the banns of marriage between Reginald Falcon and

They were both in church together when this was done. Rosa all but screamed, and then turned red as fire and

white as a ghost, by turns. She never stood up again all the service; and in going home refused Falcon's arm,

and walked swiftly home by herself. Not that she had the slightest intention of passing this monstrous thing

by in silence. On the contrary, her wrath was boiling over, and so hot that she knew she should make a scene

Once inside the house she turned on Falcon, with a white cheek and a flashing eye, and said, "Follow me, sir,

if you please." She led the way to her father's study. "Papa," said she, "I throw myself on your protection. Mr.

"Publiclypublicly: he has had the banns of marriage cried in the church, without my permission."

"I choose all the house to hear me. I will not endure it. I will never marry you nownever!"

"Rosa, my child," said Lusignan, "you need not scold poor Falcon, for I am the culprit. It was I who ordered

"I think I had. I exercised parental authority for once, and for your good, and for the good of a true and

faithful lover of yours, whom you jilted once, and now you trifle with his affection and his interests. He loves

you too well to leave you; yet you know his vast estates and interests require supervision."

"That for his vast estates!" said Rosa contemptuously. "I am not to be driven to the altar like this, when my

heart is in the grave. Don't you do it again, papa, or I'll get up and forbid the banns; affront for affront."

Rosa vouchsafed no reply, but swept out of the room, with burning cheeks and glittering eyes, and was not

seen all day, would not dine with them, in spite of three humble, deprecating notes Falcon sent her.

"Let the spiteful cat alone," said old Lusignan. "You and I will dine together in peace and quiet."

It was a dull dinner; but Falcon took advantage of the opportunity, impregnated the father with his views, and

Rosa learned next Sunday morning that this was to be done, and her courage failed her. She did not go to

She cried a great deal, and submitted to violence, as your true women are too apt to do. They had

compromised her, and so conquered her. The permanent feelings of gratitude and esteem caused a reaction

Falcon renewed his visits, and was received with the mere sullen languor of a woman who has given in.

Then the patient Rosa bought laudanum enough to reunite her to her Christopher, in spite of them all; and

having provided herself with this resource, became more cheerful, and even kind and caressing.

She declined to name the day at present, and that was awkward. Nevertheless the conspirators felt sure they

should tire her out into doing that, before long; for they saw their way clear, and she was perplexed in the

In her perplexity, she used to talk to a certain beautiful star she called her Christopher. She loved to fancy he

was now an inhabitant of that bright star; and often on a clear night she would look up, and beg for guidance

from this star. This I consider foolish: but then I am old and sceptical; she was still young and innocent, and

I don't suppose the star had anything to do with it, except as a focus of her thoughts; but one fine night, after a

long inspection of Christopher's star, she dreamed a dream. She thought that a lovely weddingdress hung

over a chair, that a crown of diamonds as large as almonds sparkled ready for her on the dressingtable, and

she was undoing her black gown, and about to take it off, when suddenly the diamonds began to pale, and the

white satin dress to melt away, and in its place there rose a pale face and a long beard, and Christopher

Staines stood before her, and said quietly, "Is this how you keep your vow?" Then he sank slowly, and the

white dress was black, and the diamonds were jet; and she awoke, with his gentle words of remonstrance and

This dream, cooperating with her previous agitation and misgivings, shook her very much; she did not come

downstairs till near dinnertime; and both her father and Falcon, who came as a matter of course to spend

his Sunday, were struck with her appearance. She was pale, gloomy, morose, and had an air of desperation

Falcon would not see it; he knew that it is safest to let her sex alone when they look like that; and then the

After dinner, Rosa retired early; and soon she was heard walking rapidly up and down the dressingroom.

Papa Lusignan thought it inconsiderate; and after a while, remarking gently that he was not particularly fond

They did so; but after a while, finding that Falcon was not smoking, he said, "Don't let me detain you. Rosa is

Falcon took the hint, and went to the drawingroom. Rosa met him on the stairs, with a scarf over her

"He is on the lawn, dear Rosa," said Falcon, in his most dulcet tones. He was sure of his ally, and very glad to

So he went into the drawingroom, where all the lights were burning, and quietly took up a book. But he did

The mean villain, who is incapable of remorse, is, of all men, most capable of fear. His villany had, to all

appearance, reached the goal; for he felt sure that all Rosa's struggles would, sooner or later, succumb to her

sense of gratitude and his strong will and patient temper. But when the victory was won, what a life! He must

fly with her to some foreign country, pursued from pillar to post by an enraged husband, and by the offended

law. And if he escaped the vindictive foe a year or two, how could he escape that other enemy he knew, and

dreadedpoverty? He foresaw he should come to hate the woman he was about to wrong, and she would

instantly revenge herself, by making him an exile and, soon or late, a prisoner, or a pauper.

While these misgivings battled with his base but ardent passion, strange things were going on out of

doorsbut they will be best related in another sequence of events, to which indeed they fairly belong.

Staines and Mrs. Falcon landed at Plymouth, and went up to town by the same train. They parted in London,

Staines to go down to Gravesend, Mrs. Falcon to visit her husband's old haunts, and see if she could find him.

She did not find him; but she heard of him, and learned that he always went down to Gravesend from

Notwithstanding all she had said to Staines, the actual information startled her, and gave her a turn. She was

obliged to sit down, for her knees seemed to give way. It was but a momentary weakness. She was now a

wife and a mother, and had her rights. She said to herself, "My rogue has turned that poor woman's head long

For once her bitter indignation overpowered every other sentiment, and she lost no time, but late as it was

went down to Gravesend, ordered a private sittingroom and bedroom for the night, and took a fly to Kent

But Christopher Staines had the start of her. He had already gone down to Gravesend with his carpetbag,

left it at the inn, and walked to Kent Villa that lovely summer night, the happiest husband in England.

His heart had never for one instant been disturbed by Mrs. Falcon's monstrous suspicion; he looked on her as

When he reached the villa, however, he thought it prudent to make sure that Falcon had come to England at

all, and discharged his commission. He would not run the risk, small as he thought it, of pouncing unexpected

on his Rosa, being taken for a ghost, and terrifying her, or exciting her to madness.

Now the premises of Kent Villa were admirably adapted to what they call in war a reconnaissance. The lawn

was studded with laurestinas and other shrubs that had grown magnificently in that Kentish air.

Staines had no sooner set his foot on the lawn, than he heard voices; he crept towards them from bush to

bush; and standing in impenetrable shade, he saw in the clear moonlight two figures Mr. Lusignan and

These two dropped out only a word or two at intervals; but what they did say struck Staines as odd. For one

thing, Lusignan remarked, "I suppose you will want to go back to the Cape. Such enormous estates as yours

"Enormous estates!" said Staines to himself. "Then they must have grown very fast in a few months."

Staines thought this still more mysterious; he waited to hear more, but the succeeding remarks were of an

He noticed, however, that Falcon spoke of his wife by her Christian name, and that neither party mentioned

Presently Falcon went off to join Rosa; and Staines thought it was quite time to ask the old gentleman

He was only hesitating how to do it, not liking to pounce in the dark on a man who abhorred everything like

Oh! the thrill he felt at the sight of her! With all his self possession, he would have sprung forward and

taken her in his arms with a mighty cry of love, if she had not immediately spoken words that rooted him to

the spot with horror. But she came with the words in her very mouth; "Papa, I am come to tell you I cannot,

"Never! I'll die sooner. Not that you will care for that. I tell you I saw my Christopher last nightin a dream.

He had a beard; but I saw him, oh, so plain; and he said, 'Is this the way you keep your promise?' That is

enough for me. I have prayed, again and again, to his star, for light. I am so perplexed and harassed by you

all, and you make me believe what you like. Well, I have had a revelation. It is not my poor lost darling's

wish I should wed again. I don't believe Mr. Falcon any more. I hear nothing but lies by day. The truth comes

"Consider, Rosa, your credit is pledged. You must not be always jilting him heartlessly. Dreams! nonsense.

ThereI love peace. It is no use your storming at me; rave to the moon and the stars, if you like, and when

you have done, do pray come in, and behave like a rational woman, who has pledged her faith to an

honorable man, and a man of vast estatesa man that nursed your husband in his last illness, found your

child, at a great expense, when you had lost him, and merits eternal gratitude, not eternal jilting. I have no

Staines stood in the black shade of his cedartree, rooted to the ground by this revelation of male villany and

He did not know what on earth to do. He wanted to kill Falcon, but not to terrify his own wife to death. It was

Rosa watched her father's retiring figure out of sight. "Very well," said she, clenching her teeth; then

suddenly she turned, and looked up to heaven. "Do you hear?" said she, "my Christie's star? I am a poor

perplexed creature. I asked you for a sign, and that very night I saw him in a dream. Why should I marry out

of gratitude? Why should I marry one man, when I love another? What does it matter his being dead? I love

him too well to be wife to any living man. They persuade me, they coax me, they pull me, they push me. I see

they will make me. But I will outwit them. See see!" and she held up a little phial in the moonlight. "This

shall cut the knot for me; this shall keep me true to my Christie, and save me from breaking promises I ought

never to have made. This shall unite me once more with him I killed, and loved."

She meant she would kill herself the night before the wedding, which perhaps she would not, and perhaps she

would. Who can tell? The weak are violent. But Christopher, seeing the poison so near her lips, was

perplexed, took two strides, wrenched it out of her hand, with a snarl of rage, and instantly plunged into the

The farther she got, the more terrified she became, and soon Christopher heard her screaming in the

As he went upstairs, he heard her cry, "His ghost! his ghost! I have seen his ghost! No, no. I feel his hand

upon my arm now. A beard! and so he had in the dream! He is alive. My darling is alive. You have deceived

me. You are an impostora villain. Out of the house this moment, or he shall kill you."

This was too much. Staines gave the door a blow with his arm, and strode into the apartment, looking white

Falcon saw death in his face; gave a shriek, drew his revolver, and fired at him with as little aim as he had at

the lioness; then made for the open window. Staines seized a chair, followed him, and hurled it at him; and

the chair and the man went through the window together, and then there was a strange thud heard outside.

Staines laid his wife flat on the floor, got the women about her, and at last she began to give the usual signs

Staines said to the oldest woman there, "If she sees me, she will go off again. Carry her to her room; and tell

All this time Papa Lusignan had sat trembling and whimpering in a chair, moaning, "This is a painful

scenevery painful." But at last an idea struck him"WHY, YOU HAVE ROBBED THE OFFICE!"

Scarcely was Mrs. Staines out of the room, when a fly drove up, and this was immediately followed by

They ran down, and found Falcon impaled at full length on the spikes of the villa, and Phoebe screaming over

him, and trying in vain to lift him off them. He had struggled a little, in silent terror, but had then fainted from

fear and loss of blood, and lying rather inside the rails, which were high, he could not be extricated from the

As soon as his miserable condition was discovered, the servants ran down into the kitchen, and so up to the

rails by the area steps. These rails had caught him; one had gone clean through his arm, the other had

Phoebe clutched Staines by the arm. "Let me know the worst," said she. "Is he dead?"

"Yes. Who can, if you cannot? Oh, have mercy on me!" and she went on her knees to him, and put her

He was touched by her simple faith; and the noble traditions of his profession sided with his gratitude to this

He took immediate steps for stanching the blood; and the fly carried Phoebe and her villain to the inn at

Falcon came to on the road; but finding himself alone with Phoebe, shammed unconsciousness of everything

Staines, being thoroughly enraged with Rosa, yet remembering his solemn vow never to abuse her again, saw

her father, and told him to tell her he should think over her conduct quietly, not wishing to be harder upon her

Rosa, who had been screaming, and crying for joy, ever since she came to her senses, was not so much

afflicted at this message as one might have expected. He was alive, and all things else were trifles.

Nevertheless, when day after day went by, and not even a line from Christopher, she began to fear he would

cast her off entirely; the more so as she heard he was now and then at Gravesend to visit Mrs. Falcon at the

While matters were thus, Uncle Philip burst on her like a bomb. "He is alive! he is alive! he is alive!" And

"Seen him? Yes. He caught me on the hop, just as I came in from Italy. I took him for a ghost."

"Not a bit. I don't mind ghosts. I'd have half a dozen to dinner every day, if I might choose 'em. I couldn't

stand stupid ones. But I say, his temper isn't improved by all this dying: he is in an awful rage with you; and

"Vilest of fiddlesticks! It's his fault, not yours. Shouldn't have died. It's always a dangerous experiment."

"I shall die if he will not forgive me. He keeps away from me and from his child."

"I'll tell you. He heard, in Gravesend, your banns had been cried: that has moved the peevish fellow's bile."

"It was done without my consent. Papa will tell you so; and, O uncle, if you knew the arts, the forged letter in

my darling's hand, the way he wrought on me! O villain! villain! Uncle, forgive your poor silly niece, that the

"Because you are too good and innocent," said Uncle Philip. "There, don't you be downhearted. I'll soon

bring you two together againa couple of ninnies. I'll tell you what is the first thing: you must come and live

Philip Staines had a large house in Cavendish Square, a crusty old patient, like himself, had left him. It was

his humor to live in a corner of this mansion, though the whole was capitally furnished by his judicious

He gave Rosa and her boy and his nurse the entire first floor, and told her she was there for life. "Look here,"

said he, "this last affair has opened my eyes. Such women as you are the sweeteners of existence. You leave

my roof no more. Your husband will make the same discovery. Let him run about, and be miserable a bit. He

"My Christopher will never say a harsh word to me. All the worse for me. He will quietly abandon a creature

Now, she was always running to the window, in hope that Christopher would call on his uncle, and that she

might see him; and one day she gave a scream so eloquent, Philip knew what it meant. "Get you behind that

screen, you and your boy," said he, "and be as still as mice. Stop! give me that letter the scoundrel forged,

This was hardly done, and Rosa out of sight, and trembling from head to foot, when Christopher was

"Because I have sworn never to say an angry word to her again; and, if I was to go there, I should say a good

many angry ones. Oh, when I think that her folly drove me to sea, to do my best for her, and that I was nearer

death for that woman than ever man was, and lost my reason for her, and went through toil and privations,

hunger, exile, mainly for her, and then to find the banns cried in open church, with that scoundrel!say no

"It was not her folly, but her innocence, that was imposed on. You a philosopher, and not know that wisdom

itself is sometimes imposed on, and deceived by cunning folly! Have you forgotten your Milton?

Come, come! are you sure you are not a little to blame? Did you write home the moment you found you were

"Evidently not," said the keen old man. "Ah, my fine fellow! have I found the flaw in your own armor?"

"I did wrong, but it was for her. I sinned for her. I could not bear her to be without money, and I knew the

"And she had much better have sinned against God, hadn't she? He is more forgiving than we perfect

creatures that cheat insurance companies. And so, my fine fellow, you hid the truth from her for two or three

"Well, uncle," said Christopher, hard pressed, "I am glad she has got a champion; and I hope you will always

"No; don't be in a hurry. I have something else to say, not so provoking. Do you know the arts by which she

"This was given her with your ruby ring, and a tale so artful that nothing we read about the devil comes near

it. This was what did it. The Earl of Tadcaster brought her title, and wealth, and love."

"What, he too! The little cub I saved, and lost myself forblank him! blank him!"

"Why, you stupid ninny! you forget you were dead; and he could not help loving her. How could he? Well,

but you see she refused him. And why? because he came without a forged letter from YOU. Do you doubt

"Christopher, don't you say that before me, or you and I shall quarrel. Poor girl! she lay, in my sight, as near

He went to a cabinet, and took out a silver paper; he unpinned it, and laid Rosa's beautiful black hair upon her

husband's knees. "Look at that, you hardhearted brute!" he roared to Christopher, who sat, anything but

hardhearted, his eyes filling fast, at the sad proof of his wife's love and suffering.

Rosa could bear no more. She came out with her boy in her hand. "O uncle, do not speak harshly to him, or

She came across the room, a picture of timidity and penitence, with her whole eloquent body bent forward at

an angle. She kneeled at his knees, with streaming eyes, and held her boy up to him: "Plead for your poor

The cause was soon decided. All Philip's logic was nothing, compared with mighty nature. Christopher gave

one great sob, and took his darling to his heart, without one word; and he and Rosa clung together, and cried

over each other. Philip slipped out of the room, and left the restored ones together.

I have something more to say about my hero and heroine, but must first deal with other characters, not wholly

Dr. Staines directed Phoebe Falcon how to treat her husband. No medicine, no stimulants; very wholesome

food, in moderation, and the temperature of the body regulated by tepid water. Under these instructions, the

injured but still devoted wife was the real healer. He pulled through, but was lame for life, and ridiculously

lame, for he went with a spring halt,a sort of hopandgoone that made the girls laugh, and vexed

Phoebe found the diamonds, and offered them all to Staines, in expiation of his villany. "See," she said, "he

Staines said he was glad of it, for her sake, for he must be just to his own family. He sold them for three

thousand two hundred pounds; but for the big diamond he got twelve thousand pounds, and I believe it was

Counting the two sums, and deducting six hundred for the stone Mr. Falcon had embezzled, he gave her over

She stared at him, and changed color at so large a sum. "But I have no claim on that, sir."

"That is a good joke," said he. "Why, you and I are partners in the whole thingyou and I and Dick. Was it

not with his horse and rifle I bought the big diamond? Poor dear, honest, manly Dick! No, the money is

"He will never see it, sir. I shall take him back, and give him all his heart can ask for, with this; but he will be

little more than a servant in the house now, as long as Dick is single; I know that;" and she could still cry at

Staines made her promise to write to him; and she did write him a sweet, womanly letter, to say that they

were making an enormous fortune, and hoped to end their days in England. Dick sent his kind love and

I will add, what she only said by implication, that she was happy after all. She still contrived to love the thing

she could not respect. Once, when an officious friend pitied her for her husband's lameness, she said, "Find

me a face like his. The lamer the better; he can't run after the girls, like SOME."

Dr. Staines called on Lady Cicely Treherne; the footman stared. He left his card.

A week afterwards, she called on him. She had a pink tinge in her cheeks, a general animation, and her face

"Yes," said she; "and I am come to thank you for your pwescwiption: I followed it to the lettaa."

"Good gracious! you don't mean that! I must be more cautious in my prescriptions. After all, it seems to

Dr. and Mrs. Staines live with Uncle Philip. The insurance money is returned, but the diamond money makes

them very easy. Staines follows his profession now under great advantages: a noble house, rent free; the

curiosity that attaches to a man who has been canted out of a ship in midocean, and lives to tell it; and then

Lord Tadcaster, married into another noble house, swears by him, and talks of him; so does Lady Cicely

Munster, late Treherne; and when such friends as these are warm, it makes a physician the centre of an

important clientele; but his best friend of all is his unflagging industry, and his truly wonderful diagnosis,

which resembles divination. He has the ball at his feet, and above all, that without which worldly success

Mrs. Staines is an admiring, sympathizing wife, and an admirable housekeeper. She still utters inadvertencies

now and then, commits new errors at odd times, but never repeats them when exposed. Observing which

docility, Uncle Philip has been heard to express a fear that, in twenty years, she will be the wisest woman in

Her conduct and conversation afford this cynic constant food for observation; and he has delivered himself

oracularly at various stages of the study: but I cannot say that his observations, taken as a whole, present that

consistency which entitles them to be regarded as a body of philosophy. Examples: In the second month after

Mrs. Staines came to live with him, he delivered himself thus: "My niece Rosa is an anomaly. She gives you

the impression she is shallow. Mind your eye: in one moment she will take you out of your depth or any

man's depth. She is like those country streams I used to fish for pike when I was young; you go along, seeing

the bottom everywhere; but presently you come to a corner, and it is fifteen deep all in a moment, and souse

In six months he had got to thisand, mind you, each successive dogma was delivered in a loud, aggressive

tone, and in sublime oblivion of the preceding oracle"My niece Rosa is the most artful woman. (You may

haw! haw! haw! as much as you like. You have not found out her little gameI have.) What is the aim of all

women? To be beloved by an unconscionable number of people. Well, she sets up for a simpleton, and so

disarms all the brilliant people, and they love her. Everybody loves her. Just you put her down in a room with

six clever women, and you will see who is the favorite. She looks as shallow as a pond, and she is as deep as

At the end of the year he threw off the mask altogether. "The great sweetener of a man's life," said he, "is 'a

simpleton.' I shall not go abroad any more; my house has become attractive: I've got a simpleton. When I

have a headache, her eyes fill with tender concern, and she hovers about me and pesters me with pillows:

when I am cross with her, she is afraid I am ill. When I die, and leave her a lot of money, she will howl for

months, and say I don't want his money: 'I wawwawwawwawwant my Uncle Philip, to love me, and

scold me.' One day she told me, with a sigh, I hadn't lectured her for a month. 'I am afraid I have offended

you,' says she, 'or else worn you out, dear.' When I am well, give me a simpleton, to make me laugh. When I

am ill, give me a simpleton to soothe me with her innocent tenderness. A simpleton shall wipe the dews of

death, and close my eyes: and when I cross the river of death, let me be met by a band of the heavenly host,

who were all simpletons here on earth, and too good for such a hole, so now they are in heaven, and their

Arrived at this point, the AngloSaxon race will retire, grinning, to fresh pastures, and leave this champion of