第3章
加入书架 A- A+
点击下载App,搜索"Condensed Novels",免费读到尾

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

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

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

  CHAPTERII。

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

  lookingoldwoman,showedmeintothelibrary。

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

  Icarriedabluecottonumbrella。AsIpassedbeforeamirror,I

  couldnothelpglancingatit,norcouldIdisguisefrommyselfthefactthatIwasnothandsome。

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

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

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

  Thehousekeeperlookedatmeapprovingly,andinstantlymadesometeaforme。

  Idranksevencups;asIwasbeginningtheeighth,Iheardacrash,andthenextmomentamanleapedintotheroomthroughthebrokenwindow。

  CHAPTERIII。

  Thecrashstartledmefrommyself-control。Thehousekeeperbenttowardmeandwhispered:——

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

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

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

  Asheabsentlytiedthepokerintohardknotswithhisnervousfingers,Iwatchedhimwithsomeinterest。Suddenlyheturnedtowardme:——

  \"DoyouthinkI’mhandsome,youngwoman?\"

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

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

  ButIstopped,forheyawnedatthatmoment,——anactionwhichsingularlydevelopedtheimmensebreadthofhislowerjaw,——andI

  sawhehadforgottenme。Presentlyheturnedtothehousekeeper:——

  \"Leaveus。\"

  Theoldwomanwithdrewwithacourtesy。

  Mr。Rawjesterdeliberatelyturnedhisbackuponmeandremainedsilentfortwentyminutes。Idrewmyshawlthemorecloselyaroundmyshouldersandclosedmyeyes。

  \"Youarethegoverness?\"atlengthhesaid。

  \"Iam,sir。\"

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

  Ibowedmyheadsilently。

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

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

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

  Thewindhowleddismallywithout,andtherainbeatfuriouslyagainstthewindows。Icrepttowardhimandseatedmyselfonalowstoolbesidehischair。

  Presentlyheturned,withoutseeingme,andplacedhisfootabsentlyinmylap。Iaffectednottonoticeit。Buthestartedandlookeddown。

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

  \"Oui,Monsieur\"

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

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

  \"Itisafearfulnight。\"

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

  Hedidnotstaylong,butinafewminutesreturnedbywayofthehallchimney。Isawfromthewaythathewipedhisfeetonmydressthathehadagainforgottenmypresence。

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

  \"Manners!\"Ireplied,calmly。

  \"Ha!teachME!\"

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

  Heseizedaheavycandlestick,andthrewitatme。Idodgeditsubmissivelybutfirmly。

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

  CHAPTERIV。

  Ifollowedthehousekeeperassheledthewaytimidlytomyroom。

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

  Biddingthehousekeepergoodnight,andtakingthecandle,I

  enteredmybedchamber。

  Itookoffmydress,and,puttingonayellowflannelnightgown,whichIcouldnothelpfeelingdidnotagreewithmycomplexion,I

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

  Rawjester’ssterntones。

  \"HaveyoufedNo。1?\"heasked。

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

  \"How’sNo。2?\"

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

  \"AndNo。3?\"

  \"Perfectlyfurious,sir。Hertantrumsareungovernable。\"

  \"Hush!\"

  Thevoicesdiedaway,andIsankintoafitfulslumber。

  IdreamedthatIwaswanderingthroughatropicalforest。SuddenlyIsawthefigureofagorillaapproachingme。Asitnearedme,I

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

  \"Hokee-pokeewokeefum!\"

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

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

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

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

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

  Iblushedmodestly,anddrewmyshawltightlyovermyyellowflannelnightgown。

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

  Hedrewmecloselytowardhim,andsaid,withhisdeepvoicetenderlymodulated:——

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

  bessher?\"

  Iunderstoodhisallusiontomyfeet。IglanceddownandsawthatinmyhurryIhadputonapairofhisoldindia-rubbers。Myfeetwerenotsmallorpretty,andtheadditiondidnotaddtotheirbeauty。

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

  itsetsabadexampleforyourchild。\"AndIfirmlybutgentlyextricatedmyselffromhisgrasp。Iapproachedthedoor。Heseemedforamomentburiedindeepthought。

  \"Yousaythiswasanegress?\"

  \"Yes,sir。\"

  \"Humph,No。1,Isuppose?\"

  \"WhoisNumberOne,sir?\"

  \"MyFIRST,\"heremarked,withasignificantandsarcasticsmile。

  Then,relapsingintohisoldmanner,hethrewhisbootsatmyhead,andbademebegone。Iwithdrewcalmly。

  CHAPTERV。

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

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

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

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

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

  Whatthrillwasthisshotthroughme?ButIrosecalmly,and,administeringaslightcorrectiontothechild,lefttheapartment。

  BlunderboreHouse,forthenextweek,wasthesceneofgayetyandmerriment。Thatportionofthemansionclosedwithagratingwaswalledup,andthemidnightshrieksnolongertroubledme。

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

  Itwasanightoffestivity,whenasuddenmessageobligedMr。

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

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

  \"Letnoonepassoutofthisroom!\"hesaid,inavoiceofthunder。

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

  Findingresistanceuseless,theorderwasungraciouslyobeyed。

  \"Now,ladies,pleasetopassupyourjewelryandtrinkets。\"

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

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

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

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

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

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

  ItwasMr。Rawjester。

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

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

  Ifell,withoutaword,uponhisneck。

  GUYHEAVYSTONE;

  OR,\"ENTIRE。\"

  AMUSCULARNOVEL。

  BYTHEAUTHORor\"SWORDANDGUN。\"

  CHAPTERI。

  \"Nereirepandirostrumincurvicervicumpecus。\"

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

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

  \"What’sup,Smithums?\"

  \"Guy’scleaningoutthefourthform,\"hereplied。

  AtthesamemomentGeorgedeCoverlypassedme,holdinghisnose,fromwhencethebrightNormanbloodstreamedredly。TohimtheplebeianSmithsyelaughingly:——

  \"Cully!how’shisnibs?\"

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

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

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

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

  IthoughtofHoratiusonthebridge,ofHectorbeforethewalls。I

  alwaysmakeitapointtothinkofsomethingclassicalatsuchtimes。

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

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

  GuyHeavystoneprancedtowardme。

  CHAPTERII。

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

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

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

  \"Comeintomyden,\"hesaid,andliftingmegentlybytheseatofmypantaloonshecarriedmeupstairsanddepositedme,beforeI

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

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

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

  remember,IorderedCleopatratobeshotthismorning。\"

  \"Andwhy?\"Iqueried。

  \"Shethrewherrideryesterdayandfellonhim——\"

  \"Andkilledhim?\"

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

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

  \"YouremindmeofthetimewhenLeonidas——\"

  \"O,botherLeonidasandyourclassicalallusions。Come!\"

  Wedescendedtodinner。

  CHAPTERIII。

  \"Hecarriesweight,heridesarace,’Tisforathousandpound。\"

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

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

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

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

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

  roomwindowandrejoinedme,languidly,onthelawn。

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

  \"Gnothiseauton,\"Irepliedcalmly,notwishingtoappeartobebehindhiminperceptionorverbalfelicity。

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

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

  Seizingthemarebythetailandmanehethrewheroverthewall。

  Shelandedtwentyfeetontheotherside,erectandtrembling。

  Lightlyleapingthesameobstaclehimself,heremountedher。Shedidnotrefusethewallthenexttime。

  CHAPTERIV。

  \"Heholdshimbyhisglitteringeye。\"

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

  ThenextmorningwestartedforFin-ma-Coul’sCrossing。WhenI

  reachedtheshooting-box,whereGuywasentertainingaselectcompanyoffriends,FloraBillingsgategreetedmewithasaucysmile。

  Guywasevensquarerandsternerthanever。Hisgustsofpassionweremorefrequent,anditwaswithdifficultythathecouldkeepanable-bodiedservantinhisfamily。Hispresentretainersweremoreorlessmaimedfromexposuretothefuryoftheirmaster。

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

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

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

  \"Dog!whywasthiskeptfromme?\"

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

  \"Speak,dog!andyou——\"

  \"Iputitamongyourbills,sir!\"

  Withagroan,likedistantthunder,Guyfellswooningtothefloor。

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

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

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

  Wewerenotdestinedtoremainlonginignoranceofitsuse。A

  howlwasheardfromwithout,andapartyoffiftyorsixtyarmedmenprecipitatedthemselvesagainstthedoor。

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

  \"One。\"

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

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

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

  butallwasover。

  GuyHeavystonehaddiedashehadlived,——HARD。

  MR。MIDSHIPMANBREEZY。

  ANAVALOFFICER。

  BYCAPTAINM——RRY——T,R。N。

  CHAPTERI。

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

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

  \"Supposeweblowhimup。I’vegottwopoundsofpowder!\"

  \"No,that’stoonoisy,\"Ireplied。

  Tomwassilentforaminute,andagainspoke:——

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

  eh?\"

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

  Iboldlyaskedforanounceofchloroform。Theyoungapothecarywinkedandhandedmethebottle。

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

  CHAPTERII。

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

  \"Soho!Anotheryoungsuckling。Theserviceisgoingtothedevil。Nothingbutbabesinthecockpitandgranniesintheboard。

  Boatswain’smate,passthewordforMr。Cheek!\"

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

  \"Atthemasthead,sir。\"

  \"Where’sMr。Lankey?\"

  \"Atthemasthead,sir。\"

  \"Mr。Briggs?\"

  \"Masthead,too,sir。\"

  \"Andtherestoftheyounggentlemen?\"roaredtheenragedofficer。

  \"Allmasthead,sir。\"

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

  CHAPTERIII。

  AtthemastheadImadetheacquaintanceoftwoyoungstersofaboutmyownage,oneofwhominformedmethathehadbeentherethreehundredandthirty-twodaysoutoftheyear。

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

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

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

  Ibegantofeelalarmed,andbeggedhimtoexplain。

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

  \"How’shisnibs?\"Irepeated。

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

  \"Thegunner’sdaughter?\"

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

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

  \"Boatswain’smate?\"

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

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

  wasseized,bornetoaneight-pounder,tieduponitandflogged!

  CHAPTERIV。

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

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

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

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

  \"Huzza!sendherupagain!\"criedLankey。

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

  ThenextmorningweheardthatNipswasinthesurgeon’shands,withabadwoundinthefleshypartofhisleg,andthattheaugerhadNOTstruckclaret。

  CHAPTERV。

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

  Wewentondeck。CaptainBoltropegrinnedaswetouchedourhats。

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

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

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

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

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

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

  Ithoughtsotoo。

  CHAPTERVI。

  WewereorderedtotheWestIndies。AlthoughCaptainBoltrope’smannertowardmewasstillsevere,andevenharsh,Iunderstoodthatmynamehadbeenfavorablymentionedinthedespatches。

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

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

  WhenIwasconvalescent,apacketedgedinblackwasputinmyhand。Itcontainedthenewsofmyfather’sdeath,andasealedletterwhichhehadrequestedtobegiventomeonhisdecease。I

  openedittremblingly。Itreadthus:——

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

  \"YOURSTRICKENPARENT。\"

  AndsoCaptainBoltropewasmyfather。Heavens!Wasitadream?

  Irecalledhissternmanner,hisobservanteye,hisill-concealeduneasinesswheninmypresence。Ilongedtoembracehim。

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

  \"Myfather!\"

  \"Chuckhimoverboard!\"roaredCaptainBoltrope。

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

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

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

  Thedaughter’spleadingwasnotwithouteffect。InthemeantimeI

  hadfainted。WhenIrecoveredmysensesIfoundmyselfinGovernorMaitland’smansion。

  CHAPTERVII。

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

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

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

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

  ButthenewsofthesuddenandseriousillnessofCaptainBoltropeputofftheduel。Ihastenedtohisbedside,buttoolate,——anhourprevioushehadgivenuptheghost。

  IresolvedtoreturntoEngland。Imadeknownthesecretofmybirth,andexhibitedmyadoptedfather’slettertoLadyMaitland,whoatoncesuggestedmymarriagewithherdaughter,beforeI

  returnedtoclaimtheproperty。Weweremarried,andtookourdeparturenextday。

  Imadenodelayinpostingatonce,incompanywithmywifeandmyfriendBriggs,tomynativevillage。Judgeofmyhorrorandsurprisewhenmylateadoptedfathercameoutofhisshoptowelcomeme。

  \"Thenyouarenotdead!\"Igasped。

  \"No,mydearboy。\"

  \"Andthisletter?\"

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

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

  \"But——\"Iasked。

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

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

  JOHNJENKINS;

  OR,THESMOKERREFORMED。

  BYT。S。A——TH——R。

  CHAPTERI。

  Onecigaraday!\"saidJudgeBoompointer。

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

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

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

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

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

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

  CENTSMORE!Whatwouldthatbuyyou,sir?\"

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

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

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

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

  CHAPTERII。

  THEDOWNWARDPATH。

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

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

  \"Theresultofhispernicioushabit,thoughheillogicallypersistsinchargingittome,\"interruptedtheJudge。

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

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

  YetImust。\"

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

  TheJudgewasevidentlyaffected。Seatinghimselfatthetable,hewroteafewlineshurriedlyuponapieceofpaper,whichhefoldedandplacedinthefingersofthedestinedbrideofJohnJenkins。

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

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

  \"Nobleandthoughtfulman!\"wasallMaryJonescouldexclaim,asshehidherfaceinherhandsandburstintoafloodoftears。

  *****

  ThebellsofCloverdaleareringingmerrily。Itisawedding。

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

  theeyesoftwoofthatweddingpartysawthefatalact。JudgeBoompointershookhisheadsternly。MaryJonessighedandbreathedasilentprayer。Herhusbandchewed!

  CHAPTERIII。ANDLAST。

点击下载App,搜索"Condensed Novels",免费读到尾