S730Ofortt^UfCami>rl|oal JItbrarg^1924 103377218Cornell UniversityLibraryTheoriginal oftliis bool< is intine Cornell University Library.Therearenoknowncopyrightrestrictions intheUnitedStatesontheuseofthetext.http://www.archive.org/details/cu31924103377218WOEKSOPSAMUELWAEEEND.C.L. F.E.S.VOL. V:WILLIAMBLACKWOODAND SONSEDINBUEGHANDLONDONMDCOCLVMISCELLANIESCEITICAL, IMAGINATIVE, AND JURIDICALCONTEIBTITED TO BLACKWOOD'S MAGAZINESAMUEL WAEREND.O.L. F.R.S.WILLIAM BLACKWOOD AND SONSEDINBUBGH AND LONDONMDCGCLVTOTHE REV. SAMUEL WAEEEN, LL.D.,INCUMBENT OF ALL SOULS', ANOOATS, MANOHESTEK,THIS VOLUMEIS EBfiPECTFULLT INSOBIBED^n %iki&m^ ^sm.InnebTeuple, Decemier 1854.CONTENTS.PREFACE, ......THE BRACELETS. ATALE, ....Mr FIRST cieouit: lawandfacts fromthe north,SIR WILLIAM POLLETT, KNIGHT, ATTORNET-OENERAL,MEMOIR OP JOHir WILLIAM SMITH, OF THE INNER TEMPLE, BARRIS-TER-AT-LAW,WHO IS THEMURDERER ? APROBLEMINTHELAWOFCIRCUMSTAN-TIAL EVIDENCE, .THEDUKE OF MARLBOROUOH,THE PARADISE IN THE PACIFIC,UNCLE TOM'S CABIN, .CALAIS,PEaSWORTH: A PRESS-ROOM SKETCH,THEMISTERT OF MURDER, AND ITS DEFENCE,MODERN STATE TRIALS:NO. I. THEWELSH RIOTERSHIOH TREASON, .NO. n. HIOH TREASON ANDMURDERMORAL INSANITY,NO. m.THE ROMANCE OF FORGERY,NO. IV. DUELLINO; AND, "WHAT'S IN A NAME?"NO. V. THE MURDERED GLASGOW COTTON-SPINNER; AND THETRIALS OF DANIEL O'CONNELL ANDWILLIAM SMITHO'BRIEN, ......THE MARTYR PATRIOTS, ......SPECULATORSAMONG THE STARS, . . . . .A FEWPERSONAL RECOLLECTIONS OF CHRISTOPHER NORTH,Faosrii11740164179213229237272294414431437405PEEF ACE.This volumecontainssuchof theAuthor'scontributionstoBlackwood'sMagazine, as appeared todealwithsubjects ofgeneral, intrinsic, andpermanentinterest andimportance. Mostof them wereoriginally writ-ten withaviewtosubsequentseparatepublication;and somehavecosttheAuthorgreatpains,alikeinthewritingandrevision.The paper, however,entitled" The MysteryofMurder,anditsDe-fence," did not appear in Blackwood's Magazine,but in thequarterlyLawReview,andisincludedin these"Miscellanies,"forreasonsstatedinanotesubjoinedtothecommencementof thepaper.The short prize poem, entitled"TheMartyr Patriots," is here in-serted, principallyfromthe Author's desire to indicate his earlycon-nection with the ancient anddistinguished University ofEdinburgh,towardswhichheentertainsfeelingsof greatrespect.Thelast articleinthiscollection,entitled"A FewPersonalRecollec-tions of ChristopherNorth,"isabrief unstudiedtributeofaffection andadmirationforthe character and genius ofProfessor Wilson. Itwagwrittenoriginallyforthese"Miscellanies ";but, at Messrs Blackwood'srequest,alsoappears in the numberofBlackwood's Magazine for De-cember 1854. Ithas beensuggestedto theAuthor,withreferencetoan allusion made,in anote to thatpaper, to aletterreceivedbyhimfrom Sir Walter Scott, that the reader mightbe pleased to see theentire letter : which is therefore here given, as an evidence oftheextraordinary good-nature and condescension of that great writer toviiiPREFACE.an unknown correspondent, a mere boyscarcely entered upon hisseventeenth year. Hehad, at that earlyperiod, nearlycompleted, insecret,a work forthe press; and,inasuddenfit of thatenthusiasm withwhichthe author oi" Waverley"inspiredso many of his myriadreadeis,actually presumedtowritetohim, givinganoutlineof theproposedun-dertaking,andaskingthe greatman'sadvice howtosetaboutpublish-ing! Hopingthathis intrusion in so doingmay bedeemed,insomedegree,atonedfor,bygiving thepublicsointeresting anevidenceof thethenGreatUnknown'sgood-natured counsels toanunknownyouthftdliteraryaspirant,hereisaverbatimcopyof theletterinquestion:"Abbotsfobd,ZdAugust{1^231."Sm,Iamfavoured withyourletter of the26thult., which somebusinessprevented mysoonerreplyingto. Iamnot theauthorofthosenovelswhichtheworldchoosesto ascribetome,andamthereforeunworthyof thepraisesduetothatindividual,whoeverhemay provetobe. It isneedless,therefore,to add, thatIcannotbe useful to you in thewayyou propose. Indeed, ifyouwilltake myadvice,youwillseek noother person'sjudgmentorcoun-tenanceontheprojectof publishingwhichyou entertain,thanthatof anin-telligent bookseller,whois in a good lineinthetrade. Althoughnogreatreaders, nor pretendingtoparticulartaste,thesegentlemen, whoseprofessionit is tocaterforthepublic, acquire mjich more accurate knowledgeofwhatwillgivesatisfaction to thegeneral reader, than canbe obtained bya manoflettersinhiscloset. They havealso ready accesstogoodjudges, andtheirowninterestperemptorilycommandsthem to give as muchencouragementaspossibletogenius, oranythingapproachingit."Excusethesehintsfromonewhohas had some experience, and believeme,Sir,yourmostobedientservant,"WaltebScott.*SamuelWabhen, Esq.*'InnerTemple,Lohdos',letDecember 1854.MISCELLANIES.THE BEACELETS.ATALE.*[Theensuing sketch waswrittenwhen the author wasofvetyyouthful age. ItwasthefirstcommunicationheeversenttoBlackimoil's Magazine.]It was late on the evening of agloomy and bitter dayinDecember,aboutthe middle ofthe seventeenthcentury,thatCarlKpeoker,astudentof GoettingenUniversity,hayingsip-pedhislastcupofcoffee,was sittingthoughtfullyinhisroom, with hisfeetcrossedandresting on the fender ofhis little fireplace. His eyes werefixedonthefire, which crackled andblazed briskly, throwing a cheerfullustreover his snug study. All thetools ofscholar-craft lay about him.Onatablebyhisside layopen vari-ous volumesof classicand metaphysiclore,whichshowedevident marks ofservice, being respectably thumbedandfingered;sundrynote-books, fill-edwithmemorandaof theday'sstud-ies, andacaseofmathematical instru-ments. Two sides of the chamberwere lined with well- filled book-shelves;ononeside wasthe window,and the corresponding one bore aduskypictureof MartinLuther. Allwassilentasthe most studious Ger-man could desire; for the stillnesswas,sotospeak,butenhanced bythewhisperedtickingsof anold-fashionedfamily watch, suspended over themantel-piece. AsforCarl himself,hewasof goodlylook andstature. Hisshirt-necklayopen, withthespotlesscollarturneddownoneach side;hisrighthandlayinhis bosom, and hisleft, leaning on the table, supportedhis learning-laden head; for learnedhecertainlywas,afterthe fashion ofthat day. His brow was furrowedwith thoughtful anxiety, which, to-gether with his sallow features andlong black mustaches, gave himtheappearanceofanolder manthan hereally was. Asfor his thoughts, itweredifficult to saywhether, at themomentwhenheis presented to thereader, they were occupied by themysterious pneumatological specula-tionsofDrvon Dunder Profondant,which Carl had been attempting tocomprehendinthemorning'slecture;whether his fancy was revelling inrecollections of the romantic splen-doursoflastnight'sopera,or whether*Thesnhtleschemesresortedto hy theInquisitionfor thedetectionandseizure ofits-victims,eveninplacesremoteiromtheseatof itscentral authority, andsupposedto befarheyondtheir jurisdiction, aretoowell known for anintelligentreader to chargeanypor-tionsoftheensuingnarrativewithimprobabilityorexaggeration. In a'^ordallthat thewitand power of devilscandevise and execute mayweU-nighbebelievedofthemembersof thathorribleinstitution.MISCELLANIES.theywerefixed, withpainfal interest,onthefacts of a sudden and secretseizuremadethat dayin Goettingenbytheterriblemyrmidons ofthe In-quisition, on the double charge ofheresy and aoroery. The frightfultribunal alluded towas then in theplenitudeofits'power, andits myste-riousandferociousdoingswereexcit-ing nearly as much indignation astheyhadlong occasioned consterna-tion. Carlwasof a veryspeculativeabstractturn,andhaving been earlyinitiated into the gloomy depths oftranscendentalism,hadbegun latterlytoturnhis thoughts towards the oc-cultsciences.Abouttheperiod when this narra-tivecommences,itwas generallyun-derstood that a professor of the ArtDiabolic had visited the principalplacesof Germany,andwassupposedtohavemadeseveralconvertsamongthelearned, aswellastohave found-edsecretschooldfor teaching theprin-ciples of his infernal science. Thel^nx-eyed Inquisition soon searchedhimout,andtheunfortunateprofessorof magicsuddenlydisappeared, with-outever again beingheard of. Thepresent object ofthoseholy censorsof mankind,theprincipals ofthe In-quisition,wastodiscoverthe schoolshehadfounded,and the disciples>at-tendingthem. Severalof theleadingstudentsatGoettingen hadfallen'un-der suspicion, and Carl Koecker, itwas said, among the number. Hewasastuteenough,however,toavoidanyplausible pretext for offenc?,- bysayinglittleandeventhat little hetookcareshouldbein disparagementofthedetestabledoctrinesinquestion,Carlhadjust set down his coffee-potonthe hob, after an abortive ef-forttoextract, another cup fromit,andwasstirringtogethertheglowing em-bersof hisfire, whenhe was startledbyaloudknockingathisdoor. Itisnot asserted that the sound causedhim to change colour, but that heheard it with alittle trepidation, isundeniable. 'Who,opearth, couldbewanting him?Bap,rap,rap !Rap,rap,rap!Carl gently laid down the poker,butdidnot movefrom his seat, J^elistenedhis heart beat quick andhard, it seemed evident that the ob-streperousapplicantfor admission wasresolvedoneffectinghis purpose onewayoranother; for,ina fewseconds,thedoorwas shaken, andwith someviolence. Carl, almostfancying hehadbeen dreaming, startedfrom hisseat, andcastanalarmedeye towardsthesceneofsuch unseemlyinterrup-tions. Aythedoor wasreally,visi-blyshaken,andthat, too, veryimpet-uously. Who^souldit beand whatthematter? Wasitoneof his credi-tors? Hedidnotowefivepounds inthe world. Afellow-student? Thehourwastoo lateand Carl,besides,of sucha reserved, unsocial turn, asto have scarce one acquaintance atCollegeonvisiting terms. Athief?Hewouldsurelyeffecthisentrancemorequietly. Weresomeof hisrela-tives come to Goettingen? wasany'member of his familyill? was itmere-lydruiikon Jans, the janitor ?WhoWHOcoulditbe?thoughtthestartledstudent.Bap,rap, rap, rap !Eap,rap,rap!Carlalmostoverthrewthechair hewasstanding by,snatched up hislittlelamp,andstoletothedoor.' "Whois without, th^re?" he in-quired, angrily, but not very firmly,withone hand hesitatinglyextendedtowardsthe doorhandle,and theotherholdinghislamp; theflameof which,by theway,hefanciedflickeredoddly."Whois withoutthere? "heaskedagain, for his first question had re-ceivednoanswer.Bap,rap,rap, rap, rap !Bap, rap,rap"Inthe nameofhem!whoareyou""Who amI ?"replieda husky, andsomewhathollowvoice, fromwithout"Whoam1, i' faith?Let mein!Let mein1^Mercy^youcould not bemoreuncivil, orperchanceaffrighted,if IwereJansCutpurse,orthe Spiritof theHartzmountains.Let me in,CarlKoecker,IsayLet meinI"" Letyouin? Derteufel!""Come,comeopenthedoorl""Whoare you? Who areyou, ITHEBEACELETS.hisay?" continued Carl,' pressing hisrighthandandkneeagainstthedoor."Let meinatonoe,CarlKoeoker^let mein,Isayorit mayfare fear-fullywithyoii!""Mein Gott!"exclaimed the con-founded student,.looking askance athis lamp, as though he expected tofindaconfidentialadviserinit. Theknocker,however,recommenced ope-rations,withsuchastoundingrapidityandviolence,thatCarl, ina moment-aryfit of fearandconfusion,unguard-edlyopenedthe door. Atide of ob-"urgatory expressions gushed up tolistongue,whensome one suddenlvslipped through the door past Carl,made his way to the fireplace; andSatdowninthe arm-chairwhichhadbeenrecentlyoccupied by thestudent.Thiswasdonewith the easjrmatter-of-fact air of the most intimate ac-quaintance. CarlK.oecker still heldthehandleof the door, staring open-eyedaridopen-mouthed at thestrangerwithunutterableamazement." GoodCarl,prithee, now,shutthedoorfor 'tis bitter cold," exclaimedtheunbiddenguest,ina' familiartone,dragginghisseatcloseto thefire,andruboing together hisshrivelled fingerstoquickenthecirculation."Come, Carl! shut the door, andsit downhere,"continued thestrangerentreatingly. Carl, completely be-wildered,obeyed,and sat down in achairopposite thestranger. Thelat-terseemed not unlike aJewpedlar,Hewassmall instature,but ofsinewymake. Heworeashortcoarse drab-coloured coat, or tunic, with doublerowsof hugehorn,buttons. Hisvestwasof the same materials and cut;and, as wasusualin those dayswithitinerantvendersofvaluablearticles,hehadabroad leathern girdle abouthiswaist,witha. pouchontheinside.Hisshort, shrunk, curved legs wereEnvelopedinworsted overfalls, soiledand spattered with muddywalking.Removing a broad-brimmed hat, hedisclosed a fine bald head, fringedroundthebasewithafew stragglinggreyhairs. His face was wrinkled,and of a parchment hue; and his^arkjing black eyes peered on thestudent with an expression ofkeenand searchinginquisitiveness. Carl,in, hisexcitement, almostfanciedthestranger'seyesto glare onhipiwithsomething like a swinish voracity.He shuddered; and was but littlemorereconciledtothe strange figurebeforehim,whenafurtive glance hadassuredhimthatat leastthefeetwerenotcloven!. Whenheallowed himselfto dwellforafewmomentsonthestrangecir-cumstances inwhichhewasplacedalonenear midnight, with nobodyknewwhoma thief, a murderer, awizard,a disguisedsatelliteofthein-fernalInquisition-^a devil,for aughiheknew; when,inaword,he gazedatthestrangeintruder,sittingquietlyand silentlybythe-fire, with the airrather of host thanguest,andreflectedhowfarhewasout ofhearing or aS;sistanoe,ifaught ofviolence humanorsupernatural should be offereditwasnotriflingeffortthatenabledhinitopreserveatolerable show ofcalm-ness." Heigh-ho!"gruntedtheoldman,inamusiiigtone,withhis eyes fixedon the fire, and his skinny fingersclaspedovereachknee._ " H e m!"muttered Carl,hiseyes, asitwere,gluedtothose ofhisgu^st."Well,Carl,"saidthestranger,sud?denly,as if starting from a reverie;"itgrowslate, andImust begoneerelo;ig, hayingfar totravel, and on press-ing errands. So shall we discoursea litye touching philosophy, or pro-ceedatoncetobusiness ? ""Proceed to business?"echoedCarl,amazedly"Yes, I say, proceed to business.Isthere anythingso very odd inthat?"inquiredthe old man,slowly,with asurprisedair." Business !Business!"ex-claimed Carl, muttering to himself;and headded,in alouder tone,address-ing himselfto his visitor"Why,whatthedbv^"" Pho, pho, Carl!We have no-thingwhatevertodo with thedevilat least Ihave not,"replied the oldman,withanoddleer, "--andin theseMISCELLANIES.ticklishtimes,Ishouldthinkthatthelessyouhave, thebetter.But,withyourgoodleave, Carl, we will settleourbusinessfirst, andthenproceed todiscourse ona pointofDr VonDun-der'sleotureofthis morning."Sothisextraordinary personage had beenpre-sent at Doctor Von Bunder's thatmorningand, further, knew thatCarlhad!"Carl," continued the stranger,abruptly"areyou still anxious forthebracelet 1"The question suddenly blanchedCarl'sface, andhiseyesseemed start-ingfromtheirsockets,as he muttered,orrathergasped, in faltering accents" Devil! devil ! devil! Whatwantyou withme? Whyare you comehitheit?" Heshook in his seat; fora certain circumstance occasioned asuspicion ofthe stranger's beinganemissary ofthe Inquisition, to flashacrossthemindoftheaffrighted stu-dent."Whosentyouhither?"hereiter-atedinfalteringaccents."Why,in heaven's name, are yousodisturbed,Carl?I amreally neitherthedevilnorone of his minions-r-hav-ingneitherwitnorpowerenoughforeither,"saidthestranger,mildly."Thenare you worseyou arefromthe Inquisitionand are sent to en-snare mysoultohell,and mybodytotortures horrible !"rejoined Carl, acold sweat suddenly bedewing hiswholeframe." Why,ifitwereso, Imust surelybe bolder than wise, to venture onsuchoddsasarehere. I amold andsomewhat shaken of strength; youyoung and lion-like. Which wouldnavethebetter,thinkyou,inastrug-gle?"continued thestranger, meekly."Why," repliedCarl, stillshiveringwith the fearful suspicion "youspeakfairlyand reasonably; and letmethenas fairly tell you,thatwho-everyoube, if youbebutmortal,andwrongme,orattemptmemischief,Iwillput you to death as calmlyandsurelyas I showyou this"andhedrewa small poniard from his vest,claspedit fiercelyinhishand, and ex-tended the glitteringblade to thestranger, whb merely crossed hishands on his breast, and looked up-wardswithanairof innocent resigna^tion." DidInotsay I wasin your power,Carl? AndisitprobableIshallseekanoffencewith you?TWouldI,anoldfeebleman",."Whatbroughtyouhither? Whatmadeyoucausethe uproarat my doorjustnow?''inquired Carl,withsomeshowof self-possession,"Oh,faiththatiseasily answered.Businessbusiness ! Ihavemuchtodowithyou,andbutsmalltimeto doit in. Trulyyourfears areall false!Iam,Irepeat it, but amaneven asyouarewiththedifferenceof anoddyearortwough ! ugh! ugh!"con-tinuedthestrangerwith a feebleasth-maticlaugh. "But,to be short. Ifyourheartis still setuponthe brace-lets^I may,perhaps,put youin thewayof obtaining them."Carl strove to look calm^but thethingwasimpossible. Hiscolourfad-ed, hisheart seemed fluttering abouthisthroat as though it would chokehim, andhiseyes,ashefancied,emit-tedcoruscationsoffire."Oldman ! whoever,whatever, youare^I supplicateyouto tell mehowyouknowanythingabout the matteryouspeakof! How came you to knowthatIhadanycareabout thethethebracelets?"Hecouldscarcegetouttheword"forIhavenot breath-ed a syllable about themto anyonehuman!""HowdidI knowit? Pho,itmightbealong,perchanceadull tale,wereItoexplain howIcameby my know-ledgeinthismatter. Enoughthat Iknowyoursoul gapes to getthe brace-lets. i}i a word,I came not here totell youhowIknowwhatIdo,butsimplytoputyou in the wayofob-tainingwhatyouwant."Acold stream of suspicionflowedover Carl's mindwhile the strangerspoke and whenCarl reverted tothe manysubtledevicesknowntobeadopted bytheInquisitionforentrap-pingtheirprey.Still Carl'sanxiouscuriosityprevailed over hisfears.The1 oldman,afterfumblingawhileaboutTfiE BEACELETS.theinnerpart ofhis girdle,' took outwhatseemedtoCarla large snufFortobacco-box. Opening it, he slowlyremoved two or three layers offinewool; andthenthereglistened beforetheenchantedeyesof thestudent oneof themostresplendentbraceletsthathad everissued fromthehandsofcun-ningjeweller. Hewaslost, for a se-condortwo,inspeechlessecstasy." Oh,rare' oh,exquisiteexquisitebracelet!"he gasped at length, soabsorbed with thesplendid baublethathedid not notice the almost wolfishglare withwhichthe old man's eyewasfixedonhis." And maythis beMINE ? Didyounotsay youcould putitinto mypower ? ""Ay, Carl, it maybe yours!"re-pliedthe stranger,in a low, earnesttone, stillfixedlyeyeinghis compan-ion'scountenance."Ay,ay! itmay? Name,then,theprice I Nameyourprice,oldman!"exclaimed Carl, eagerly. Checkinghimself,however,headded suddenly,inadespondingtone," Butwhydo Iask its price? Fool that I am, mywholefortuneay,thefortunesofallour family, would not purchase oneonlyofthese jewels!"The more Carl looked at the gor-geoustoy, themore was hefascinated.It was studded with gems of suchamazingbrilliance,as to present theappearanceof acircleof delicate vio-let and orauge-hued fiame, as thestrangerplaced it in different pointsofview. Carl could not remove hiseyesfromthebracelet."" Takeit into yourownhandsitwill bear a close scrutiny,"said theoldman,proffering the box,with itscostly contents, to the student, whoreceived it with an eager but trem-bling hand. As he examined the gems,he discovered one of superior splen-dourandmagnitude; andwhilst hiseyes were riveted upon it was itmerelyhisnervousagitationor,gra-cious heavens! did it really assumetheappearance of ahumaneye, andof awfulexpression ?Carl'seyesgrewdim,the blood re-treated to his heart, and his handsshookviolentlyashepushed back thebox and its mysterious contents tothestranger. Neitherspokefor someseconds. Theoldmangazed at Carlwith evidentastonishment."Whatwhat shall I call you?"murmuredCarl, assoonashehad re-coveredthepowerof speech."Whatmeans thatthatthat damnedeyewhichlooksatmefromthe bracelet?Doyoursuperiors,then,useevensor-cerytoinveigletheirvictims?"Histeeth chattered." Awaywith yourdamnedmagic! Out onyou I AwayorI shall call for help from with-outI " And Carl fiercely drew halfouthisponiard."Tut,man," rejoinedthestranger,calmly, after listeningwith patiencetoCarl'sobjurgations." Now,to hearyouraveinthiswise! Youamanascholar! Thedaysofsorcery, me-thinks, are gone for ever; andasfortheiNQUismoNthatyoudin into myears, Imyselffear,but morehate,thatcruel and accursed institution. Butwhathave weto do withithere?Howare you to be carried off intoSpain,good friend, supposing me to havecomehitherin mystrength for suchpurpose? " Thiswassaidslowlyanddeeplythe speaker's eyes searchinglyfixed on those ofhimhe addressed.The student,however, answered not,andtheoldmanresumed."'Tis but your own heated fancythat has likenedone ofthese jewelstoanEYE^he, he,he!" saidhe,withafaintattempt at laughter."Whatis it that has frightened you but alargediamond ? Ahumaneye,i'faithhe,he,he!^But,toaway withthesewomanish fancies, I wouldknow, atonce, Carl, as a matter of business,whetheryouwishto callyourselftheownerof thisbracelet?"Carlpaused."Willyoureally, then,givemenoanswer,Carl ?""AyHeavenknows Iwould fainbeitsmasterfor 'tis anenchanting,adazzlingyetafearful"" Bah!"exclaimedtheoldman,im-patiently."Well,then," continuedCarl,doubt-ingly,"since temperfailsyou, Iwilltothe point. Suppose, then,1were,MISCELLANIES.iQ a manner,disposed^I meanhem!WhatIwouldsay,is^inshort,ifitweretooometopass thatIwereear-nestly desirous (which I amnot) ofhavingthis braceletnotformyself,markme,butforanother'""Tothe point, man!Tothepoint!"interrupted thestranger,with anxiousasperity."Well, Isay,if Iweredisposedtopurchasethebracelet,whatwould beyourterms? WhatmustIdo? Whatgive?"." Oh,myterms are mosteasyandsimpleso much so, thatyott mayperchanceeven laugh athearing1;hem.Findmebutthefellowtothisbrace-letandbothshallbeyours."Carlsuddenly becamecold andpale.The stranger's' peculiar ^ords andmanner had roused painful suspi-cions in the breast ofthestudenttransientlyhoweverthatcertaindo-ings ofhismustbeintimately knownin certain awful quarters; and thatthe stranger's planwas but a subtletrap for makinghim develop them.This feeling graduallyyieldedtooneofsheerastonishment, asthestrangerrepeated his terms, in a significanttone, and with great earnestness ofmanner."I/,CarlKoecker-^findyouthefellowtothis bracelet!"exclaimed thestudent."Surelyyoumustbe mad,ormockingme."" Whether I be mad or not, con-cernsyoulittle, soasIcan makegoodmypromise. You have mytermsyoumay makethe bargain,if you havebutalittle spirit!"_ "Will yougive me till to-morrownight to consider whether Iwill ac-cept them?"inquiredCarl,after alongandpuzzledpause."No,"repliedthestranger,impera-tivelv." Hem!"exclaimedCarl, suddenly:"soyouhavebutonebraoelfet. Howcameyou byit?Youknow,oldman,that if I buy it, Imust be satisfiedthatIcankeepit.""Keepyour questions toyourself.Enough for you that I have it," re-pliedthestranger,sternly."Another question, nevertheless,IWhereisthe other bi-acfe-must'put.let?""Itmustbesoughtfor," repliedtheoldman,gloomily,placing hisbroad-brimmed hatonhishead,asif toover-shadow his eyes"and it is wor-thythesearch, though aprincewerethe seeker. He,moreover,whoshallhave this, has aclue infallibletothediscoveryof theother.""Thenwhynotsearch for it your-self?"inquiredCarl, quickly. Aflushoverspreadthestranger's, face,andheseemed,fora moment,somewhatcon-fused."Youaresenthitherbythe Inqui-sition," said Carl, with a cold shud-der, at the same time plunging hisright hand into his bosom,insearchofhisponiard^-halfresolved to takesummary vengeance on the daringand perfidiousspy. Hecontrolledhim-self, however, and repeatedhisques-tioninacalmertone."Whydo not you seekforthefel.low-bracelet,oldman ? ""I maynot, Carl. Thatmustbesufficientfor you. You neednotenteron the search you need not takethisbracelet; butifyouwillventure,andshouldsucceed,'twillbe thegreat-est day'sworkyouever did. , Itwillbring you riches andhonour; and,above all, you shall see both thesebeautiful trinkets glistening on thewhitearmof her"" Hold! Imadden! Speaknot!"gasped Carl, springing with suddenemotionfromhis chair^pressing hishands against his forehead, andgaz-ingfixedlyonthebracelet,whichthestrangerstill heldinhishands."'T^san overwhelmingthoughttru-"ly ! It is !butbutJfindthe fel-low to this bracelet? "hecontinued,with a bewilderedair,"where,in Hea-ven'sname,amItosearchforit?""Where_you can, and where youdare,"repliedthestranger,with asig-nificant emphasis,which greatlyim-pressedCarl." And howlongshallIhaveto trymyfortune?Tut!'tis anidleamadquestiontruly,afoolishscheme;but, supposingin aword,howlongwillyougive me ? "THE BEACELETS,."Twodaysfromthistime; andonthe third, I will come and see youagain.""Alone?" inquired Carl, with asearchingglance."Yesalone,"repliedthestranger,.pointedly." And can yougive me noclue, what-ever?^None?""No, assuredly; else the merit ofyoursearchwouldfail. Youwillnotbelonginfindingone, ifyou dobutset about the search heartily. Ah,Carl, Carl," headded, suddenly, withas muchgaiety as his extraordinaryfeatures could assume,""youhave awhitehand,andasmallwrist!"Carlglanced at them complacently.'"Iwonder, now, whether it were smallenough for thisbracelet?Tryit on,mantryit on!^Yourwrist,Ithinkjis but a triflelargerthanhers^"Thelastwordbroughtthe_blood intoCarl'sface, eventohistemples -^andatempesttohis soul. Scarce know-ing whathedid,hetooktheglitteringbracelet, and with a little difl3,culty,claspedit abouthiswrist."Ah, ha!Howwondrous well itsuits you! lu truth, it might havebeenmadeforyou! Yourwrist mighthave been alady's !"said theold man,laughing ; and,rising fromhisseatj hescrutinisedtheBraceletnarrowly,andadjusteditmorenicely." AndBow,CarlKoeckersee you part not withit,in your search! Farewell, Carl!" Thestrangersteppedtowardsthedoor."Staystay, oldman!"exclaimedthestudent,amazedly."Whitherareyougoing? Ha-^ha,DerTeufel!"hecontinued, almost leaping from thefloor with suddenfrightWhy,thoufiend! Icannotremovethebracelet!Itclingsto mywristlike adamant!Itwillcut my handoff! Ahahitis cutting to the bone," hegroaned.He strove violentlytowrench it off."Take it off! Takeitoff-1 cannotmoveit ! Help,help!dear,goodoldman,formercy'ssake"Buthisvisitorwasopening thechamber-door,anxiousto be gone. Carl followed him,makingfrantic efforts todislodgethebraceletfromhiswrist,whichexperi-encedafearfulsenseof compression." Good sirI Kind'old man-^who-ever you are, wherever you comefromwhateveryourerrand,evenbeit from the horrible Inquisition-^forGod's love, help me to remove thisbracelet! Oh" he groaned, "willyounottakeit off?""Off?never!" shouted the oldman,withanunearthlylaugh,andaneyeofdreadfulderision. Thestudentdroppedhis hands, fellbackaghastapaceortwo, andstaredat thestranger,witheyesthat seemed burstingfromtheirsockets. Theperspirationstart-edfromeverypore."NeverAh,neverdid yousay?"gasped Carl, renewing his desperateefforts to remove the bracelet. Hegrewdesperate. Villain ! fiend! Youhave played ahell-trickagainstme!Will you yetsaynever f""Aj^ never, till you find its fel-low," replied the old man, pointinghisshrivelledfingeratthestudent."Accursed wretchI DeceivingdevillThenwill westruggleforit. Ho,haveatyou,"almostshriekedCarl, spring-ingforward to grapple with his tor-mentor; who, however, at that mo-ment slipped through the. opendoor,shuttingit inCarl's face; andastheold man went rapidly down stairs,Carlheardhimexclsdmingintonesfainter and fainter as the distanceincreased"Never, Carl; never,never!" .Carl staggeredstupefied to a seat,andsatforsomemoments the imageof despair. Hewould have rushedoutaftertheoldman, butthatadead-ly faintness seized him. He couldnotbringhisscatteredsensesto bearforaninstantonanyonepointof thepreceding interview. He felt like amansuddenly rousedat midnight froma frightful dream. Hadhe beenasleepanddreaming? Alas,no! Therewasfearfulevidence,palpableandvisible,of wakingreality. Hiseye happenedto alight on the bracelet glisteningwithnow abhorred splendour on hiswrist. With frantic effort l>e oncemore strove to disengage it, but invain. Hecould not moveit; itseem-ed to have become imbedded in hisflesh! He rose from his chair, and8MISCELLANIES.pacedhisroominanecstasyofalter-natefearand fury. Whathadcometohim ? Was he underthe spell ofwitchcraft? Washethesportofdia-bolical agency ? Or,worse thaneitherthesealed victim oftheInquisition ?Hadtheysenttheir emissaryto probehim,andleavethiscunninglyframedbracelet as an irremovable evidenceof their manevenas sheepare mark-edfortheslaughter? As this lattersuspicionflashedacrosshis mind withincreasingprobability,hesunkinhischair,overwhelmedwithanguishandhorror; and from hischair tothefloor.Whatwastobecomeofhim? Whatcouldhedo ? Whither was he tofly?Howascertainthecriminatoryextentof theinformationonwhichtheyact-ed. He knew not ! Heclosed hiseyes,foreverythingabouthim seem-edturninground,and assuming gro-tesque images and positions. Afterlyingforsomeminutes on the floor.Hesuddenlysprung to his feet, con-vinced that the extraordinaryoccur-rences of theeveningcouldhavenootlferfoundationthanfancythathemust have been sufiering from the-pightmare. Hestepped intohissleep-ing-room,and plunged his head andfaceinto abowlofcold springwater.Theshockforafewmomentsrevivedandrecalledhiswandering faculties;butin wipinghis face, the accursedbraceletscratchedhischeekthe de-lusionsof hope vanishedin an instant,andflingingaside his towel,he rushedfromthe roomindespair. Thesilenceandsolitudeof hisapartmenthad be-comeintolerable. "Whithershould hego, thattheInquisitionhounds couldnotfollow, find, and seize him. Hebegan to imagine that they hadpressedthearts of sorceryintotheirassistance. Hefelt, in a word, thathis fears weremaddeninghim. Hecould bear his rooms no longer: soputting his cap on his head, andthrowingacloak over his shoulders,hewentout,hopingto see, oratleastheartidings of, nisdreadfulvisitor.Thenight, far advanced, was coldand gloomythe windsblew chilly,andthesnow was flutteringfast. Hespoke to one or two of the drowsyshivering watch, and askedwhethertheyhadseen anyone answering tothedescriptionof hisvisitor. Oneofthemtoldhimwithayawn,that onlyaquarter ofan hour before, he hadseenanoldmanpassby, thatstooped,andwore,hethought,abroadhat anddrabcoat; thathewalkedat a greatratedownthemainstreet, followedhytwomemin darhdressesI Carlfellin-tothe armsof the watchman,deprivedofsenseandmotion. Thelastclauseof theman'sintelligence had confirm-edhis worst fearsthe InqdisitioKWEBEAFTEBHBI!Afterawhile,theattentionsofthehumane night-guardian, backedbyalittlespicedalewhich hecarriedin aleathernbottle,sufficedtoreviveCarl,whowasable, soonafter, to proceed,aftergiving the watchman somesmallcoin. WhatwasCarlnowtodo? Toreturn to his rooms was impossible.He hurried on through the street,why, or whither, heknew not. Hefelt a sortof drowsiness or stuporcreeping over him. Suddenlyhenear-lyoverthrewwhatproved tobea fe-male figure muffled in a long darkdress. Hishairstoodonend^for, atthefirst moment, hemistook herfigureforthatofone ofthe"menin darkdresses,"spokenof W thewatchmanOf the familiars of^the Inquisition.While recoiling shudderingly from-her,he fancied he heard himselfad-dressed" Follow!"said the lowhur-riedvoiceof a woman"Follow me,andbesilent. Youhavebeen expect-ed this half-hour. 'Tis foolish'tiscruelthustodelay!""IIeimected?gaspedthe stag-geringstudent" Why,doyou knowme?""Know you?why,Carl Koecker,of course," replied the female; add-ing in a low imploringtone"Oh,followforHeaven'ssake, follow in-stantly, orall willbelost!""Lost! why, am not I, rather,lost? InGod'sname,whitherwouldyo"lead me?Are youinleaguewiththat old"Carl wasinterruptedbyhis companionwhispering hurried-ly" Hush!the good folksofGoet-tuigenwillhearyou!"THE BEACELETS.9She had scarce Uttered the lastwords,before Carl thought he heardthefaintechoof manyvoicesat somedistance, from behindand whichseemed, as they grew nearer, to beloud and tumultuous. He suddenlyturned towards the quarter whencecame the sounds of distant uproar,whenhebeheldseveral torchesgleam-ingdimlyfaroff, andheldbypersonshurryingtoand fro in all directions.Thesounds approached, and as theybecamemoredistinct,wereevidentlythoseofalarm."What in God's name is stirringnow?"inquired. Carlof thefemale he,was accompanying."Can you tellme wherefore is all that uproar?"Herspectralstarealmostfroze Carl'sblood, assheansweredinalowquicktone"Ahdo not touknow, CarlKoecker?a deed of blood and hor-ror"She wasinterruptedby thestartling clangour ofthe alarm-bell,pealingwith prodigious rapidityandviolence. Carl shudderedand wellhemight. Whatiscapableof inspir-ing more thrilling terror than thegloomy toll of a church-hell, heardwithsuddenloudnessatmidnight?Thewholetownof Goettingenwasroused. Carllistened: hishairstoodonend, his knees tottered, his brainreeledfor the cries were those ofmurderandrevenge: and amidall thetumultofthe voices, and the sullenbutrapidtollingof the bell, Carl dis-tinctlyheardhis ownname! Halfstunnedwiththethought,helistenedhestrainedhiseartotakeineverysound thatsoughtit."Carl Koeckerwas the name uttered byahundredtongues ;andCarl Eoecker was soughtafterasamurderer. Hewouldhaveshouted in answerhe would havediscovered himself, conscious of hisinnocencebut he felt a suffocatingEressureabout his throat, and hiseart seemed likelyto burst throughhis side. Strange lights flashed be-forehis eyes, and his knees seemedabouttorefusehim any longer theirsupport, when hisunknowncompanionsuddenly grasped his handbetweenhercold fingers, whispering"Carl,Carl, you must hasten! Fly J fly-!Youwill fall into their hands! Theyare yelling for you! They are astigersdrunkwithblood!""I care not! I am innocent!Ihave done no crime! Why, then,should I fly? No,I will stay, withGod'shelp, till they come up," mur-mured the fainting student. Mean-whiletheclamourof voices grewnear-erand louder. Innumerabletorchesflittedtoandfro,casting adiscolouredglareovertheduskyatmosphere."Haste, Carl! Haste, murderer,hasteI haste!"muttered thewomanby his side"Justice flieth quicklyafterhervictims!""Wretch! whatareyou saying? "stammeredCarl,beginningtosuspecthimself the victim of diabolical vil-lany. Hetriedtograsphis compan-ion by the arm^but his hand waspowerless. Asudden recollection ofthestrangerwhohad given himthebracelet, and of the mysterious cii--cumstanoesattendingthetransaction,flashed with fearful vividness beforehis mind." Woman, woman!" he faltered,"Whoismurdered? Isitis it""Fly, fool! Fly, fly, fly!-Thefamiliars are near at hand! Theblightingbrandof theInquisitionwilldiscover"" TheMjAoiwhat!"groaned Carl,hiseyesdarkeningforaninstant, andhisvoicechoked."Onlythou fly, fly! "continuedthe woman, hurrying him forward.The crowd oftorch-bearers seemednowat but a little distance; and Carl,overwhelmed and bewildered,hisconsciousness of innocence drownedin the apprehensionofpressing dangerneededbutlittleurgingto step in-toavehiclestandingatthecorner ofa street they hadjust entered. Hescarce knew what he was doingsImmediatelyonhissittingdown, thedoorwas closed, and away shot thevehicle, rollingasrapidlyasfour fleethorsescouldcarryit.Carlfouudhimself alonein thecoaohif suchit wasfor hisconductor hadsuddenlyand most unexpectedlydis-appeared. The utter extremity offright, amazement, and perplexity,is10 MISCELLANIES.toofeebleaterm to conveyanythinglikean adequate idea ofthe state ofCarl Koeoker's feelings, when thus,after< such an astounding series ofevents, hurried away no one knewhow,why,orwhither.Visionsofinquisitorial horrorsflit-tedthroughhis perturbed mind. Towhat scenes ofghastlyofhopelessmiserywashe now,perchance,beinghurried? Hesunk back on the seat,andswooned. Howlonghehadcon-tinuedinsensible he knewnot. Whenherecovered he found himselfrattlingonwardataprodigiousrate,and amidprofound darkness: he stretched hishandoutof the windowof the vehicle,andthesnowfell fastandthick uponit. Helistened, butheard no sound,excepttherapidandregulartrampofhorses'hoofs, andtherustling of thebranches,against whichtheroofofthevehiclebrushedinpassing. He couldnothearthevoicesofeitherdriverorattendants. Inasaddenfitoffrenzy,hethrew down one ofthe windows,pushed out his head, androared forrescue^but his cries wereunattend-ed to. Hethen strove to forceopenthe door, that he might leap out,thoughatthe hazard ofhislife ; buthisutmostefforts were useless! Hetriedif thewindow-spaceswere largeenoughtoadmitofescapebut theyweretoo small to admit ofa child'sexit! Whatwasto become ofhim ?Afteragainandagaintryingto forceopen the doors, he wearied himself,andfell atfulllengthontheseat,sul-lenlyresigned to his fate, under theConvictionthat he waseither in thetoils ofthe Inquisition,or the handsofthievesandmurderers. But whatcouldthelatterwantwithapoorstu-dent? Fqrtheformer suspicion, hisquaking heart could readily assigngrounds!Helayin astateof stupor, tillthesuddenstoppageof thevehiclealmostjerked him from hisseat, and sufScient-ly rousedhimtoperceivethattheXsar-riagewasstandingbeforethegatesofa magnificent building. Wherehe was,or howlonghisjourney hadlasted, hehadno idea; andunutterable, there-fore,wasbis astonishment to beholdthealteredaspectof nature. The timeappearedabouttwoorthree o'clock inthemorning.< Thegloomand inclem-encyoftheformer part ofthe nighthad entirely disappeared. The scen-ery,atwhich he glanced hastily,seem-edof atotallydifferent classfromthatwhichhehadbeenapcustomedto be-hold. Thegloriousgildingof thefullmoon lay on every objectalike onthesnowyshroud glisteningoverend-lessplainsandhillsason the quar-riedcloudslying piled irregularly, oneahoTretheother,in snowystrata alongthesky. Their edges seemed all melt-ingintogoldenlight.Thebuildingbeforewhich the car-riage had drawn up, seemedavastgrey mass ofirregular structure,theprevailing character of which wasGothic. Whether, however, it wereacastle, apalace,a prison,a nunnery,oramonastery,Carl'shurried glancecouldnotdistinguish. Hehadscarcetimetoscanitsoutline,beforethecar-riage-doorwasopened,by(asCarl ob-served) removing a large bar fromacrosstheoutside,andastringof at-tendants,habitedinsomewhatofmil-itarycostume,stoodreadyto conductthe solitaryvisitor to the interior oithebuilding. Aftera moment'spauseof stupefied irresolution uncertainwhether or not to makea desperateattempt at escape^he alighted, a,ndfollowed the chiefof the attendantstowards the interior of the build-ing. Everystephe took within thesplendid, though antiquestructure, con-vmcedhimthat he had entered aregalresidence. Hepaced along seeminglyendless galleries and corridors, withthe passive, or rather submissive airof a manledalong guardedprison-pas-sagestoexecution. He wasat lengthusheredintoalarge tapestried apart-ment, in the centre of which wasspreadasupper-table,sinking beneatha costly service of gold and silver.Scarce knowingwhether or notinthevulgarphrasehis head or heelswere uppermost,Carlsat himselfdownmechanicallyatthetable; andtheob.sequiousattendants instantlyremovedthe covers ofseveral dishes.WhenCarl saw theexpensive daintiesspreadTHE BRACELETS. nbeforehim,andthemagnificentplatewhich contained them,and marked thesolemn and anxious deference paidhimbytheservants, hefelt convincedthatthroughsomeinexplicable blun-der,hehadbeenmistaken for an ex-pectedvisitor ofthe highest distinc-tion. Thetumultuousand terrifyingsceneswhichhadusheredin his jour-ney, werefor a whileobscured fromhisrecollection. Carlfounditimpossibletopartakeof theexquisitefare beforehim. Hecontrived, however,toquaffanamplecupof richwine, which soonrevivedhistorpidfaculties. Heturn-ed towards the silent servants, sta-tioned atduedistancesfromhim,andinquired, in a stern tone, what theywere going todo with him,"whethertheyknew whohe was?"Arespect-ful obeisance was the only answer."That he was Carl Koeokera stu-dentofGoettingeli University?" Asecondandlowerbow. Athird timelierepeatedhisquestion,buttheonlyanswer he could obtain wasa briefintimation,couchedinthemostdefer-ential terms, that" Her Highness"waswaitinghisappearanceintheau-dience-room. Carlclaspedhis handsoverhisforehead,lostin wonder anddespair." Who^who,in Heaven'sname,is'HerHighness?'"heinquired."Shehasbeenlongexpectingyourarrival with anxiety,"replied one oftheservants, apparently in nowisesur-prisedatthe disorder of their youth-fulguest."Waitingand formyarrival?Impossible!Youare all wrong, fel-lows! Iamnot hewhomyou sup-pose me! I ammistakenfor someoneelseandhecanbeno one ofimpor-tance,seeingI,through beingmistak-en for him, was kidnapped away!Harkee,sii-rahsdoyouunderstand?"Theservantslookedatoneanotherinsilence, and without a smile. "Doyou know whoI am?"continued Carlinalouderkeybut in vain; he re-ceived noanswer. Theservantsseem-edtohavebeentutored." Alas!"resumed Carl, in a lowtone,"IaskyouwhoI am, whenIverily knownot, myself!Aha!WhoamI? Where?Whyhere?An-swer! Tellme! Speak there1"con-tinuedCarl,resolutely, relyingonthewinehe hadtaken, andwhichhefeltsupplying him with confidence."Oncemore,IsayWho amI?" herepeated."That,wesuppose,your Highnessbestknowsbutourduty is to waitandconductyouinto herHighness'spresence,"wastheonlyanswerhere-ceived, deliveredinthesamesteadfastrespectfulnessof toneandmanner."Where will all this mummeryend?"thoughtCarl,pouringout, me-chanically,anothercupofwine. Thethouglitsuddenlystruckhim,andthemore heentertained it, themore pro-bable itappearedthat, afterall,thewhole of his evening's adventuresmight be the contrivance of one ofthosecelebratedandsystematichoax-ers,of whom,in Italy,the illustriousLorenzo waschief. Every occurrenceof the evening seemed easily expli-cable on this hypothesisbut one;the generaluproar in the streets ofGoettingenatthe period ofhis leav-ing. That savoured too stronglyofseriousrealitytobepartof ah/jaxiWhile he was turning about thesethoughtsin hismind,oneofthe ser-vantsopenedadoor,and stoodbyit,as if hintingthatCarlwasexpectedto rise from table and follow. Re-solvedpatientlytoawaittheissue,herose, and walked towards the door.Hewasconducted upan ample stair-case,leadingtoaloftyhall, supportedby marblepillars. Aftertraversingitin silence, his conductors openedapairoflargefolding-doors, and usheredCarlthroughthemgentlyclosedthehigh' doors upon him, and retired.Carlnowfound himselfin an apart-ment equally magnificent with theonehe hadleft. Here,however,therewasnotas in the otherartificiallight; buttheroomwas, soto speak,floodedwith a radiant tide of moon-light. Everythingabout him,toCarl'sdisturbed apprehension,worethe airof mystery andromance. Thesilenceof thesepulchrewasthere, and it op-pressed him. Hedaredhardlydrawhisbreath,fearfulofitsbeingaudible.Hewas reluctant to move from th^J2MISCELLANIES.'spotwherehehadfirst Btood,lest heshould dissipatethenameless charm.of the chamber, or encounter someunwelcome and startling spectacle.Vhiohever wayhelooked,there wasa dim and dreary si)lendour whichtranscended the creations ofpoetry.Almostthe wholeextent of the fartherextremityof thechamberconsistedofa largeGothic-fashioned window, witha door in the centre of it, openingupon a narrow slip of shrubberyorterrace. The prospect through thiswindow was mostglorious, The moonwasstill"Bidingrat herhighest noon,"likeabrightbark over a sea of sap-phire, scattering hersplendour overstreamsglitteringlikeveinsofsilveramid a noble extent ofchampaigncountry; and rendering visible, inthedistance, hoary.structuresof pro-digious extent, relieved against abackground ofprofoundforestshade.Alittletothe rightlay alakeofliquidsilver! Butthemostmarvellouscir-cumstanceofthewhole,was the dis-appearance ofthe snowhe hadsolatelyseen. WasitpossiblethoughtCarl,pressing his hands to hisforeheadthathehadsleptthroughanintervalof twenty-four hours since he sawthe snow? Had he taken druggeddraughts at supper, and ^ut nowawoke, unconscious of the intervalthathadelapsed ? Thisextraordinaryabsenceof snowwas,asalreadysaid,the first or chiefthing observed byCarl,hurriedaswas his glance; butere longaverydifferentobject,withinthe chamber, arrested his attention,absorbing every faculty in mute as-tonishment and admiration, At theupper extremity ofthe chamber theresplendent moonbeams fell on thefigureof alady,whiteassnow,reclin-ing on a couch, withher head sup-portedbyherarm. Neverbefc^hadCarl beheld,evenindreams,avisionofsuch dazzlingbeauty. Soperfect-lysymmetricalwere her features, sodelicatelymouldedwasherfigure, sogracefullynegligentherattitude, andsomotionlesswithal, thatCarl, as heglided slowly towards her, his eyesand hands elevated with rapturousastonishment, begantosuspect he wasmockedbysomesurpassingspecimenof the statuary's art. Ashe drewnearer,heperceivedthatthelady wasasleepat least her head droopedalittle, and hereyeswereclosed. Hestoodwithinafewpaces ofher. Hehadneverbeforeseenfeaturessoper-fectlybeautiful. Herbrowworethepure hue ofalabaster; hereyebrowswere most delicately pencilled andshadedoff; hernose, of soft Grecianoutline, was exquisitelychiselled; andher small closed lips seemed like aburstingrose-bud. Theliliedfingersof thelittlehandsupporting herhead,peeped out in rich contrast fromamongher black tresses; while herrighthandlayconcealedbeneath thefoldsofalongrichveil. Whatwithgazing on thelovelyrecumbent,andthegenerouspotencyofthe wine hehadbeendrinking, Carl felt himself,'asit were, under quitea newinfiuence.Fearanddoubthadpassed away. Hefellsoftlyon Mskneesbefore thebeau-itifulunknown. Herfeatures movednot.Now,thoughtCarl, was she inani-mateacunning piece ofwax-work,andwerethe contrivers ofthe hoax,if such it were, watchinghimfromsecret parts of theroom,toenjoyhisdoings.Heimagined,however,after stead-fastlyeyeingher, thatheperceivedaslowheavingof thebosom,asthough-she strove to conceal the breathshedrew. Intoxicatedwithhis feelings,Carlcouldcontinuesilentnolonger."Oh, lady, if mortal youbeoh,lady, I die at your feet1"he stam-meredwithaflutteringheart."Carl,wherehaveyoubeen? Youcannotno, you cannot love me, oryouwouldnothavedelayedsolong!"repliedthelady,inagentletone, andwithaglance"fuller ofspeech untothe heart than aught utterable byman." Whatdazzlingeyeswerefix-eduponthesinkingstudent!"1 wouldtoHeaven,"hestammer-ed,"Imightbelieve youlovedme:butbutlady"".BuJwhat?-Ah, Carl! Doyouafter all that I havesuffered andriskedTHE BEACELETS.13for you, doubt me?" inquired theladjr, gazing at himwith an eye ofanxious tenderness. Carl's tonguerefused him utterance for somemo-ments,andhetrembledfrom head tofoot." How,fair one, canyousay thatyou love one whomyouknownot?Meyouknownot""Not know you /Oh,Carl, Carl!"andshelookedathimwith a tendermaddeningsmile. Thestudentstaredatherinsilence."Lady," at length he gasped, "Iambewildered! I know not where Iam, nor how I came hither! Yet,blessedbeHeaven, that Ihave thusseenyou. Icoulddiewith your im-agein myeye! Itwouldpassmetoheaven! Oh,forgiveme,lady, know-ingthatI rave! Tourbeauty mad-densme! 1sinkI die beneath it!Iknownot,norcancontrol,what mytongue utters ! The only thing I knowis, that I amunworthy ofyou"He paused, dropping his head uponhisbosom."Then,Carl,"saidshesweetly,"isinyloveforyouthegreater, seeingitcanoverlookallunworthiness! But,dear Carl, whyspeak I thus? Youarenotunworthyno,no! Youareofgreat witgraceful, noblein aword,I""Speak,lady!speak;speak! De-lay not! IfaintIdie!" murmuredtheimpassionedstudent." Well, I love you Carl ! I havelongloved you,sincefirstmyeyefellon you. Pardon the scheme"Here the lady became inarticulatewithagitation. Alongpauseofmu-tual trepidation and embarrassmentensued. Eachcast butfurtiveglancesat the other; the conscious colourwent and came alteriiately, in thecheeksof both.Carl, still bending on his knee,gentlystrovetodisentanglethehandwhichlayconcealed beneaththefoldsofherveil. Hesucceeded, feeble aswastheforcehe used; but the handwasstill enveloped in the folds ofalongwhiteglove." MayInotkiss these fair fingersbutthroughaglove?" inquiredCarl,fondly,andwith returningself-posses-sion."Why,you are truly ofa suddengrownchivalrousasaknightofold,"repliedthelady,inatoneof subduedfaiety;"butsincesuch is your am-itious fancy, why should I refuseyou so small a favour, who can re-fuse you nothing? So, here is mynjA*hand.Sir Knight. Whatwouldstthou?"Shedisengagedthehandonwhichher headhadbeenleaning,andgaveit to Carl, who smothered the taperfingerswith kisses. Infatuated withsudden unaccountable passion, Carl,in a sort Offrenzy, started from hisknee,threwhisarmaround thesylph*likefigureof thelady, andimprinteda long, clinging, half- returned kissuponhersoftlips1Hehadneithertime nor inclinationtoreflectonwhat he was doingonthe insane'freedom ofhis behaviourtoaladyevidentlyof thehighestcon-sideration,with whomhe hadhadand that in the most unsatisfactoryandmysterious manneronly a few-minutes' a;cquaintance. In vain didhe strive to calm and settle his un-steadyfaculties, orsoberhimselfintoaconsciousnessof hisrealsituationof howhecamethitherand how hadcome to pass the astoundingeventsof the evening. He forgot all his.harrowing suspicions ofinquisitorialdevilry; be thought no more ofthepossibilitythat his franticfeatswerethe subjects of suppressed laughterto invisible hoaxers ! Everythingmergedintohisintenseconsciousnessof presfent pleasure. He yielded totheirresistibleimpulseof hisfeelings,blindandindifferenttoconsequences."'Tis allowingtothewineIdrankin the supper- room!"thought Carl;but, alas, howlittle did heknow oftheimportant events with which hehad got extraordinarily implicated;ofthe profound and subtle influencewhich was at work preparing forhimscenesoffuture change and suf-fering!Afew minutes' time beheld Carlpacingslowlyup anddownthe spa-,ciouschamber,supportinghis beauti^14 MISCELLANIES.fulandmysteriouscompanion,watch-ing withecstasy her gracefulmotions,andpouring into her ear the impiis-sionedaccentsof love; not,however,without an occasional fli|;htiness ofmanner, which hecouldneitherchecknor disguise. Whenhe listened tothedulcetmelodyofhervoice, whichfell on hisearlikethebreathingsofan.fflolian harp; when he observedherdove-likeeyesfixedfondlyuponhim;and felt the faint throbbings of herheartagainstthehandthatsupportedher, he almost lost' all consciousnessoftreading amongthelowerrealitiesoflife.Whilst Carlwas thus delightfullyoccupied, his companion suddenlyturn-edaside her head,and,toCarl's amaze-mentandalarm,burstintoa flood oftears. Buryingherface in the foldsof herveil,'shebegan to weepbitterly."Formercy'ssake,dearlady,tell mewhat ails you!" inquired the con-founded student. He repeated hisquestion; butinvain. Hisreiteratedinquiriescalledforthnootheranswerthansobsandtears;"LadyI Idear, beloved ladywhyare you bent onbreaking myheart ?HaveIthensosoon grownunworthyinyoureyes?"againinquiredCarl, alittlerelaxingthearmthatsupportedher, as thoughgrieved and mortifiedatherreserve."OhCarl, Carl! Indeedyou aremostworthyof my love,of all mycon-fidence;but youcannothelp me! No,noI amundone! Lost,lost,lost forevent",replied thelady,in heart-break-ingaccents.Carlbegged,entreated,imploredtobemadeacquaintedwiththe causeofheragitation, biitinvain. Byapro-cess which can be easier conceivedthan explained, commiseration wasfrieezing fast into something like down-rightanger.>"Lady, if you thinkmethusun-worthytoshareyourgrieftobeap-prised of its source-^that so I mayacquit myself, IIIcannotstaytosee you in sufferingsImaynot alle-viatef Irhustyes,Xmustleaveyou,ladyif it evenbreakmy heartI"said Carl,' withas muchfirmnessashecould muster. She turned towards hinianeyethatinstantlymeltedawayallhis displeasureasoftblue eye glis-teningthroughthedewsofsorrowandswoonedinhisarms.Was ever mortalsosituatedasCarl,atthatagitating moment?Inexpress-ibly shocked, he bore his lovely butinsensibleburdentotheWindow;andthinking fresh air might revive her,hecarried her throughthedoor,whichopened on thenarrow terraceas beforementioned. 'While supportingherinhid aifms, and againsthis shakingknees,andpartingher luxuriant hair fromherdampforehead,he unconsciouslydropped a tear upon her pallid fea-tures. She revived, and presentlysmiledwithsadsweetnesson hera^-tated supporter, with slowly return-ingconsciousness,and passedhersoftfingersgentlyoverhis forehead. Assoonas herstrengthreturned,Carl ledher gentlya fewpacesto andfroonthe terrace, thinking the exercisemightfullyrestoreher. The terraceoverlooked,at a great height, anexten-siveandbeautifullydisposedgarden;andbothCarl andhismysteriouscom-panionpausedafew momentsto viewa fountain underneath, which threwoutitsclearwaters inthemoonlight,like sparkling showers of crystal.How tranquil and beautiful was allbefore them! 'WhileCarl's eye wagpassing rapidly over the various ob-jectsbeforehim, he perceivedhiscom-panion suddenlystart. Concernandagitationwereagainvisiblein herfea^tures. She seemed on the point ofbursting a second time into tears,whenCarlioncemore,withaffection-ateearnestness,besoughthertokeephimnolonger in torturingsuspense,butacquainthimwith the source ofhersorrows."Lady,oncemore.Iimploreyontotellmewhenceall thisagony?''*Sheeyedhimsteadfastlyandmournfully,andreplied, "Aloss,dear Carlafear-fulanirreparableloss."" Inthe nameof mercy,lady,whatlosscanmeritsuchdreadfulnames?"inquired the student,shocked at thesolemnityofher manner,and theashyhue -which,her countenance hadas-THE BRACELETS. 15sumed. Slietrembled,andcontinuedsilent. Carl's eyes were more elo-quent than his lips. Seeing themfixed on her withintense curiosity andexcitement,sheproceeded:"It is a loss, Carl, the effects ofwhichscarcebefitsmortallips totell.Itwerelittle tosay,that unless itberecovered, a crowned head must bebroughtlow!" She shuddered fromhead to foot. Carl's blood began totrickle coldly through his veins,andhestood gazingathis companion withterrifiedanxiety."Carl!" continued the lady, in ascarcely audible murmur,"I havebeentoldto-dayhowshallIbreatheit!byonefrom the gravCjthatyouwere destined to restore to mewhatI have lostthatyouwereHeaven'schoseninstrumentthatyoualone,ofothermen,Kadrightlystudied thelawsofspiritualJeinjf could commandtheservipes ofevu. spmns,"she contin-ued, fixing such an awful eye uponhim,thatitpalsiedhissoul."Lady, pardon me for sayingitisfalse, if"it has been so slanderouslyreported to you ofme; ay, false asthe lips of Satan! I know noughtof spirits nought of hereafter, butthrough the blessed Bible," repliedCarl, in hurried accents, a cold per-spiration suddenly bedewing him fromhead to foot. His feelings began torevolt^to recoilfrom his companion^whom he could not helpsuddenlylikeningtothebeautiful serpentthatbeguiled Eve; but she twined herarms closelyaround him,andalmostgroaned in heart -moving accents,"OhCarl,Carl! thatImightbuttellyou what I have heard ofyon,orratherwhatIKNOWof youI"There hadbeensomethingterribleinher demeanour,latterly. Sheseem-ed speakingas if ofsetpurpose,andhereyewaseveralive,probingCarl'ssoultoseetheeffect ofwhat she ut-tered: so, atleast,thoughtCarl. Allhisapprehensions about the hideousInquisition revived, andwith tenfoldforce. Was this subtle and beauti-fulbeingone oftheir creatures? Afiend, cunningly tutored to extracthissoul'ssecret,andthenbetray himinto the fiery grasp of torture anddeath?It was long beforehecouldspeak toher. Atlengthhe exclaimed,"Eormercy's sake,lady,tell me what fright-ful meaninglurks beneathwhatyousay?Whatis your loss? What do youknow,orhaveheard,of me ? Tellme,thoughIdie!"" Canyou,then,bear asecretto thegrave,unspoken ?"sheinquired,gaz-ing at him with an expression ofmelan-cholyandmysteriousawe.;" i>idTkwrialmaappearagain?"The student gave a horrible start,turnedghastlypale,andalmostdrop-pedherfromhisarms."I knownotwhatyourwords mean,"hestammered,almostswooning. HisCompanion's eye was fixed on him withwell-nighpetrifyingeffect."Carl,"saidshe,in alowtone,"Iamabouttotellyouthesourceof mysorrowsthat is, myloss. There isnone near to 'overhear us?" she in-quired faintly,withoutremovinghereyesfromCarl's."None! none!" inurmuredthestu-dent,amistcloudinghiseyes; for,atthemomentofhiscompanion'sutter-ingthewordslast mentioned,hehaddistinctlyseen a humanface peeringovertheedgeof theloftyterrace.Heshooklikeanaspen-leaf,shiver-ingunderthemidnightwind." What have you lost?"he inquired."The fellow to this," repliedthelady, drawing offthe glovefromherleft hand, and disclosing a bracelet,thevery' counterpartof thatinCarl'spossession. His brainreeled;hefeltchoked."Whatwhat ofhimthathathits fellow?" Hefaltered, sinking onone knee, unable to sustain thebur-denof hiscompanion." He is either a sorcerer, aprince,oramurderer!"repliedthelady,inahollowbrokentone.Carlslowlybaredhis shakingarm,anddisclosed the braceletgleaming onhis wrist. Hefeltthatinanothermo-ment he must sink senseless to theearth; but the lady,after glaringat thebracelet,with a half-suppressed shriek,and anexpanding eyeofglassy horror,16 MISCELLANIES.suddenly sprung from hinij and fellheadlongovertheterrace, atthevery,edge of which they had been stand-ing."Haaccursed,thrice accursedtrai-tor!"yelleda voiceclosebehindhim,followed byapealof hideouslaughter.He turned staggeringly towards thequarterfromwhichthe sounds came,and beheldtheold man whohad givenhimthebracelet, andnowstoodcloseathiselbow,glaringathimwith theeye ofademon, his handsstretchedcut,his fingers curved like thecruelclaws ofa tiger, andhisfeetplantedin the earth as if with convulsiveeffort."Thrice accursedwretch!"repeat-edtheoldman,inavoiceof thunder;" what haveyoudone ? Didnotherhighnesstellyouwhoyouwere?"f'Tellme!what?"TheoldmansuddenlyclaspedCarlby the wrist covered withthe bracelet;hisfeaturesdilatedwithfiendishfury;hiseyes,fullof horriblelustre,glancedfromCarl to the precipice, andfromtheprecipicetoCarl."Tellme!what?" again gasped thestudent,half dead withfright,strivinginvaintorecede fromtheedgeof theterrace. Thehand with whichtheoldman clasped Carl's wrist, quiveredwithfierceemotion."Tell me"once more mur-muredCarl" Whatdidshesay?""Bah1"roared his tormentor, atthesametimelettinggoCarl'swrist,and, slipping over the.edge of theterrace, ce was out of sight in aninstant^leavingCarlKoeckerbboadAWAKE, and in darkness, for, withhishorrifiedstart, hehadbroken hislamp, andoverthrownbothchairandtable. His fire hadgone out to thelastcinder,andarayortwoof mistytwilight, struggling throughthecre-vices ofthewindowshutters,servedto showhimhowlong hehadbeenDREAMING.Hegroped his waytobed, shiver-ing with cold, and execrating theoperawhichhehadrecentlywitness-ed, whose ill-assorted recollections,withother passing fancies, hadbeeULmoulded into so singular and dis-tressingaDBEAM.Jtmiam1832.MYFIRST CIECUIT:LAWAND FACTS TEOMTHE NOETH.IN ALETTER TO CHRISTOPHEK NOETH, ESQ. FROMAH OLD CONTKIEUTOK.** * *XhbnextmomentIwasenclosed in thehaokney-ooach,oppo-site the large portmanteau whichcontained mylittleall. 'Twasatrulymiserable vehicle, and the sight ofthe skinnyfeeble horses made one'sheartache." WhereshallIdriveto,sir?" inquired a huskyvoice out ofaheapofoldclothesfromthecoach-box. TheJarveywasasmall sparefellow, with a thin face, and sharpwateryeyes, andkeen red nosehelookedasif hehadbeendrinkingginall night."Where to, sir?" he re-peated."OhPlowdeu Buildings,in the Temple, to take up a gentle-man andhisservant: andheark'eemake haste, forHeaven's sake.''tisaquarter past nine already, andwemustbeattheSwanwith Two Necksby ten o'clock exactly. D'ye thinkwe can do it easily?""Oh, yes,sirbut ye see, wehan'tahap'ortho' time to lose. Go it, ye cripples:go it !"he added, addressing hishorses, at thesametimetenderlyre-commendinghis suggestionstotheirattentionbysundryblowsupontheirbonyflanksandoff werumbled fromthedoor. Ahme,hownervousIbe-came! forwecould not be going atalessratethanhalfamilean hour;and imagine a stoppage in some ofthoseinfernalsinuosities leading from.Cheapsidetotheooaoh-oifide; or evena break down! with an eye to theavoidance of which latter mishapdoubtless it was that Jarvey wentthegingerlypacehedidand whichkeptme in a fever ofapprehension.Then there were myfriend Q. andhisservant,withHeavenknowshowmuch luggage, to be got into andupon the rickety fabric!Q., how-ever, was (for onceinhislife) readyand waiting for usand in a veryshort time we drove off, having ex-actly nineteen minutes in which tofofrom almost the extremityof the'emple to LadLanebyten o'clock.Oh! Christopher, why will mortalspush off everything to the eleventhhour? Whydo they take so littlecare to set out on ajourneycalmlyand comfortablyloving rather topass the precedent hour in a stewand perspiration^^curses rising mo-mentarily to their lips from a soulboiling over with irritability? Woewasme! UpFleet Street andLud-gateHill wepositively crawled. Whenwereached St Paul's it wanted tenminutes to ten o'clock. Good;butwehadtogo'roundStPaul'sChurch-yardand I did not know in whatpart of Cheapside Lad Lane was;andourhorsesseemed,throughmereexhaustion,tobeslackeningeven thesorrowful pace at which they hadhithertogone. Thelineof somebodyonthedeathof somebody"The wearywheelsoflife atlength stoodstiU"was present tomymind every mo-'^Ouly suchportionsof thispaperare givenasereaders.1 likely to amuse andinterestgeneralB18 MISCELLANIES.ment. Q.andImade manygood re-solutionsas wekept our eyesonourwatches,andpoppedourheadsoutofthewindowseveryhalf-minutetoseewhetherthe roadwasclearthatwewould never run so near the windagain. WegotintoCheapside,how-ever, duly;therewe wereonlyonceinterrupted for ahout half aminute;andjust asourwatchesshowedfourminutestoten, we turned down a verynarrowstreet on the left hand side,leading down directly to the coach-office. Whenwehadgotaboutthreequarters down this street, we werestopped bytwolarge andmostenor-itnously-laden carts, standing one oneach sideand howto get on weknewnot. Invain ourlittle Jarveysqueaked outcurses against the lub-berly carters, who listened with acontemptuously indifferent air, anddeigned no reply. In an agony Iopened the coach door, jumped oUt,and ran down to the caaoh-pffice totell the people where we were. Itwas much ftirther downthan I hadsuspected; I rushed breathless intotheyard."Does not the ^sUifette 'Birming-hamcoach start fromthisplace?" I'inquired eagerly of a man lazilyslashing water over themud-bespat-teredwheelsof amail-coach."Yes, it does; butit's off thistenminutesandmore.""Off!""Yes, sir.""What!oone!""Yesstarts worry punctual in-deed-^ata quartertoten,anddoesn'tstopnbtimefornobody,never, sir! ''ObstupuiI"Do youreally meanthatthe coachisgone?"" Yes"slapwent another jpitilfuloverthewheelsof themail-coach." Why, the people told mewhenthe places were taken, thatthetimewasteno'clockexactly."" Didthey,indeed,sir ? Then theywasquite wrong,sir, and nomistake,"hereplied,phlegmatically."Good heavens ! what shall wedo? We'vepaidourfares.""Neverreturns no money,b'lieve.""Have wea chanceof catching thecoach,anywhere ?""Whynotmuch," said he,takingoff hiscaptoscratchhishead"butifyou like youmaytry, sir; ifyougoesuncommon quick youmayhaveachanceof catchingthecoachattheAngel, atIslington.A hopeful beginningthisof myfirstcircuit. I came back to the coach,which I found hadjustgot pastthetwo carts above spokenof, andcom-municatedthedismayingintelligenceto Q. and the coachman. I lookedatthehorses, and my heartsmoteme,as I said,"Come, off !off for theAngel, as fast as ever you can go1our onlychance!" In a tricewewereonourway,andsoongotintoalongbroadstraightstreetorroadthatled directlytowardstheAngel. Wereally galloped all the way. Howthe poor beasts contrivedtogosucha pace I knownoi, though I couldhear the grievous thwacksincessanti;^"raining influence"on their leanhides. My heartachedfor the wretch-edbeasts; and I thought,thank God!weshall, at all events, have nothingofthissortuponthe railroadtheen-ginecan'tdrawonone'ssympathy!But at length,aswedashedroundto the Angel, there stood acoach-^the coachreadyto start, the coach-manwithhisfoot on the wheel, andthe whip and reins in hishand,andthe guard evidently looking out forsomeone." Come,come,gentlemen,really butthisan'tthecorrect thing;I'm a quarter ofan hourbehindmytime with waiting for you! Come,jump Up, gentlemenjumpuptheporter 'Vfill put your luggage on;quick,Jarvey,quick!" TheoffendedJehuwasobeyed; wepaidthe JarveySevenshillings, the scamp demandingten(!)^the servant got Up on thefront,Q. and I behindcrack wentthewhip,offwerewhiskedtheclothsfrom the horses, cheerily blew theguard his hornandawaywe wentatarattlingpace!, Hurried as had been our lattermovements,I had contrived to pur-chase a TiTnea newspaperbefore thecoach set off, but, on attemptingtoMYFIEST CIRCUIT. 19read it, found that tiewindwastoohigh; soIwasobliged to putit intomypocketforamoreconvenientsea-son."Ah!"thoughtI,as werattledrapidlyalong,"everjgstepcarriesusfarther away fromthecentreofactionandinfluencegloriousLondon! To-morrow morning, and for the nextthreeweeks or so, I shall be a daybehind the world: Ishallget every-thing atsecondhandIshall begloat-ing over that which has been forgotteninLondon!"Theskyworeableak,mottledappearance, andtheweatherwas very squally. Gusts ofa keennorth-easterify wind sweptsearchinglyEastus, accompaniedwithoccasionalailandrain, andmadeusverysoonregrethaving takenoutsideplaces. Ihadalargeblue cloaktwo, in fact,made into onewithanample cape,which, hood-like, I threw over myheadwhentheweatherwassharpest,and so in a considerable measuresheltered myselffrom the sleet andrain and cutting wind. Q. had anoldgreatcoat,andanimmense" com-fortable"roundhisneck. Heand Isat with our backs to the horses.Next to him sat a manhaving theappearanceofan elderly commercialtraveller. Opposite to me sat theguardon a pileofcoatsandMackin-toshes;nextto him sat twomenofhumbleappearance, whoweregoing,it seemed, only half way. Astheweatherbecamemore and more dis-agreeable, the guard gaveus all acoupleof thickgreatcoatstospreadoverourlaps; but they were insufficient tokeep my legs warm, for the wind*Arecollection ofthefollowing sensibleobservationsitwasthatprevented mefronieverresorting to theuseofspiritsonsuchoccasions;"I may hereallude to the commonprac-tice of'taking a dram' of somekindofspirits before exposiire to cold, apracticebothfoolishand dangerous; thestimulatingeffect ofthe spiritsoongoesoff, andisfol-lowedbyadegree oflanguor proportionedtotheamountofstimulation. This is thestateinwhichthebodyis mosteasilychill-ed;the secretion ofthe skinmost easilychecked; in -whichthepersonis mostliabletotake cold,' and, ifheisexposedtotheinfluenceof coldafter the stimu&ting effectshavesubsided,the chancesare very stronglyin fovour ofhis sufferingfromit. Spiritsrushed through below wretchedly.Our umbrellas were next touseless,the wind was so high, but mycapedid megood service ontheoccasionof oneortwoviolenthail-storms. Bythe timethat we hadgot abouttwentymiles we were quitebenumbedwiththe cold;and whenever the coachstopped to change horses Q. and Ijumpeddown and ranonasfast as wecouldtowarmourselves again. Theother passengers had, as frequently,recourse to brandy, and brandy-and'water.*"Whentheguard enteredto summonusoff, we each paid ten shillings toridetheremainderofthejourney in-side. There was onlyonepassengerwithinbesideourselves^-a respectablegentleman,a West Indian;*withwhomwe gossipped pleasantlyenough. HowI felt for.those outside! The nightwas clear and bright, but, oh, howcold! We-got on very comfortably,exceptthat the coachman, at one oftheplaceswhere wechanged horses,put inside an elderly woman ap-parentlyafriendof hiswhohad onherlapasmallbasket,whenceissuedanodourlikethatof afowldecompos-ing,andwhichwas so disagreeableas to require opening the window,coldasit was. ThenshewouldtalkII, whowasherms-or^s,answered heronly in reluctant,' ungracious mono-syllables,beingverysleepy" Dear!Ah! Yes!-Indeed!"wishing herallthewhile anywherebutwhereshe!was. At length she kindly ceased,and we all seemed dropping into anap; I, at least, was fast forgettingoughtnot to betaken before such expo-sure, unlessthe personistobeexposedbutfor averyshorttime, orunless the dose istoberepeatedasoftenas the effects oftheprevious, dosebegin tosubside. Coffeedoesnotseemliabletothisobjection; itsstimu-lating effects aremuchmorelasting; andits warmingeffectsseemto meto be evengi'eater, and the subsequentlanguoriscer-tainlyless. Its cordialeffectsthedurationofthe stimulus it affordswas, I believe,first noticed byDrRush, in, hisInquiryinto the effect ofardent spirits.' He saysthatheonce knewacountryph;^siclan whomadeapractice ofdrinkinga pintof strongcoffee previous to long-continued exposureto cold, andfound it more cordial tohimthan spirits in anyform."Robertson on'DietandBegitnen,pp. 44, 49.20 ,MISCELLANIES.thewomanoppositeand her abomin-ablebasket,whena thoughtsudden-ly flashed across mymind"Goodheavens !Mywig I" 1 exclaimed,"Eh !whatwhat'sthematter?"inquiredQ.,startledoutof hisdoze."Q.,mywig!mywig!"Our West Indian friend laughedyandsaidtoQ."He'sdreaming!""Whatisthematter ?"inquiredQ." Alas^I've certainly left mywigbehindafter all!"" Yourwigofallthings!"" Yesmywig!"." Youdon'tsay so!"pointedly ex-claimedourWestIndian,good-natur-edly. He could have had nonotionof thenatureof mycalamity."La,sir,' excuseme,but you seemtohavea good enough wig on now;what'stheuseoftwo?"inquired thewomanwiththestench."What shall I do!"I exclaimedwithasighof vexation.'"How do you know,'' saidQ.,"that it is not in your portman-teau?"' "Oh,I amsureofit ; I now recol-lect where it must bein a placethatwouldbeunlikelytooccur to usinthehurryingofpackingup. It islyingonthe top ofone ofthe book-shelves in mystudy! Howveryveryprovoking! Irecollectnowsee-ing mygownlying alongthe top ofthethings inthe portmanteau^I won-derit didnotsuggest""Oh,nowIseewhatyou are, sir;you're a counsellor, sir, ar'n'tyou?"politelyinquiredthewomanwiththestench." Youareinafix,"quoththeWestIndian,withagiggle"thatis,if thewisdom's in the wig/"I could notjust then exactly relish thejoke, oradmirethetasteofit. Whatwas tobe done? Visions came o'er nae ofthe crowds ofclients whowouldbe-siege my lodgings with armfiils ofbriefsassoonas myarrivalin Liver-poolshouldhavebecomeknownthecourtopeningonthenext morningandIwigless! anobjectof whichthejudgecouldnot takejudicial notice!Hecouldnotseeorhearme! AndifBO, what was to beoonieofthe interestsofmynumerous clients? After wehadfullydiscussedthematter,itwasagreedthatthebestthingI could dowouldbetoge^outforafewminutesat Coventry, which wasthen abouteightmilesoff,andifpossiblesendoffalineto town, in time for the mail,whichwould pass throughCoventryabout twelve o'clock, on its waytoLondon. IfI succeeded indoing somyletter would be delivered on theensuingmorning at ten o'clock; thewigcouldbedespatchedbythethreeo'clockcoach,directedto meatLiver-pool;andthusImightfind it await-ing myarrival. But then, againsuppose my wifeshould be from home!ForIrecollectedthat shehad talkedofgoing immediately tospendaday.ortwowithafriendatsomedistancefromtown;orsupposesheshouldbeunable to find mywig;orsuppose,afterall, itshouldbeat that momentin myportmanteau^howcould I as-certain thislatterfactwithoutlosingtheopportunityof rectifyingtheerrorbythefirst coach,ifitshouldturn outthat my wig was not there? Titil-latedbythesepleasant possibilities Ireached Coventry, and, the momentthat the coach stopped,jumped out,ranintothebooking-office, and scrawl-edoff the following, which,as pleasingevidence ofmythoughtfulness, mywifehaspreserved:"MyMjjg'/ Forgotten!!In thetinbox,onthe lowest shelfofbooksinthestudy. Tieitupsecurelydi-rectit distinctlyto'ontheNorthernCircuit, at the Adelphi, Li-verpool;' accompanytheservant withit, bytwoo'clock, to the SwanwithTwoNecks,bookit, andpay the fullcarriage on to Liverpool. Hereinfail not, as you love me. Yours,"Coventry, half- past nine, p.m.,Addressed' To MrsX.Y.; or any oftheservants.'"Having secureditsdue transmissionto the post-office,and thanked thecivilbooking-officer, I re-entered thecoach,somewhat relieved from myanxiety.Thechattering woman withthestench hadgone; so weallbeganMYFIEST CIRCUIT.21iodozeandsleep; forwhere is -thereabetterincentive tosleep thanrollingsmoothly alonginsideacoach, inthedark,andwhenyouhavebeentravel-lingthe whole day? For a while Ifixedmyeyesonthelanternnearestme,sheddingits duskycircumscribedlightoverthe emptyhigh-road,whichaloneitrenderedvisible, andnothingwasaudiblebutthemonotonous clat-tering tramp ofthe horses and dullrumblingofthe coach wheels;I be-camegraduallylessandless sensiblebothof theoneandtheotherandatlengthsaw,andheard,and thoughtof nothingat all.Iwasrousedfromsleep some timeafterwards by hearing the voices ofpersonsshoutingandswearingviolent-ly. Ifoundthatthecoach wasstand-ingoppositeapublic-house,wherewechangedhorses; andQ.informedmeof whatwasgoingon. Wehadbeenwaitingthereupwardsofaquarterofanhour; for, asthetwoleaderswerestandingreadytobeharnessedtothecoach, one ofthem took it into hisheadtobolt oiftowardsBirminghamathistop-speed. Theother, as soonashesawtheostler pelting after biscompanion, turned roundthe drollbrute!andscampered off, similarlyattended,inanoppositedirection;asif ithad beenatrick concerted betweenthem! Youshouldhaveseenthefatoldowner ofthe public-house at thetime when this happened! He wasstanding, saidQ.,against the door-post,leaningonasortofcrutch,hav-mgapparently the goutand shookhiscane-stick, and cursed and sworeafterthehorses"errant"inludicrousand impotent rage. In about fiveminutes' time the first horse wasbrought back; and thealready windedostler, aftersecuring it, had to startoff againinsearchofthe other! Hewas gone so long,withoutanysignsof returning,thatathirdwasorderedto mount the first fugitive and rideafterthesecond! Thiswasthestateof things when I awoke. The firstwords which I heard the old manutter, after stretching his head andstraining his ear in the directiontaken by the last -mentioned horse.were,"Ican'thear"em! Curse me,if Idon'tthinkthebrute'sgot upintoatree, andhid hi'self! Lord,IonlywishI had 'em here!" saidhe,shakinghis stickwithdirefulsignificancy.Atlength, however,the horse wasbrought back again, having been, itseemed,along way uptheroad; and,afterwaitingfor upwards oftwenty-fiveminutes,weagainset oif on ourjourney,Q.andIconsolingourselveswith the reflection, that this sort ofthing, at allevents,couldnothappenontherailway. We reached Birming-ham about half-past eleven; and, asthecoachputupattheSwan,andthehourwassolate, andourstay in thetown so short, we did the samethoughwehadpurposedgoingto theBen and Chickens. We were soonseatedinanexcellentcoffee-room be-side a roaring fire : andQ.andI, to-gether with our West Indian com-paniontheonlytenantsoftheroomhaving partaken, with infinite reUish, ofcoffee,toast, and collared tongue,andchatted togetherforabouthalf anhour aboutsnakes, slaves,andsugar,retired to our respective rooms.Isleptlike a top till nine o'clock thenextmorning,androserefreshed.** * Therain still camedownsteadily, andtherefore wethought itbesttoreturntoourhotel, especiallyaswehad letters to write. Mywighadbeenbobbingbefore"mymind'seye" fifty times during the day.Wouldit arrive in time, and safely?SupposethemanatCoventry, thoughfee'dforhistrouble,hadneglected orforgotten toput myletter into thepostor suppose mywife to have gonefromhome,andtheservantsto beun-abletofindthewig,ortotakepropermeans forsendingit on, asdirectedor supposebut it was useless tospeculate. I wrote off a longletterhome,and then wedressedandset offto dine with our friends, as we didrightpleasantly.Irose athalf-pastsixo'clockinthemoming-^the train starting from a?lace two miles off at eight o'clock,t wasbitterlycold, andthe snow wasflutteringdown fastandthick, Iwasin the cofiee-room about seven, andMISCELLANIES.foundit crowded as on the previousmorningbytravellers,mostofwhomlookedcold, andwearied,and hungry.As before, too, I had towait a con-siderabletimebefore I could get mybreakfast. Ihad barely finished mysecondegg andcupofcoffeewhentheomnibuswhich was to convw usto therailroad wasannounced. Wehurried-ly discharged our bill, threw ourcloaks around us, and succeeded ingettingtotheomnibusjust as, beingfull, it set off. We were obliged,therefore, to have a fly, and stood,whileit waspreparingfor us, byoui'luggageat the door, in the cold andpnow,exclaimingagainstour constantillluck. We reachedtherailroadsta-tion,however,ingood time ; and hav-inginour turnfor there wasacrowdof applicantspaid a guinea a-piecefor ourselves, and fourteen shillingsfortheservant,forwhich wereceivedtickets,numberingboth our carriageandtheparticularseat whichweweretooccupy,wewent forthwith to thetraini. e. aseries of the bodies*-as they seemedof handsome andcommodiousstage-coaches,hookedto-gethersay fourteen ofthemeachcontainingampleroomfor six passen-gers, the seats being separate, andwhich,beingalso numbered, securedregularityanda good understandingas to their rights among the pas-sengers. ThiscircumstaticeI learntthus:"Sir,Ibegyourpardon,"saidagentlemanentering,andlooking atmeandtheseatI hadchosen," but /amfifty.""Really, sir, I don't understand,"Ireplied,withasmile,andgreatsur-prise; "what ifyon are fifty?youdon'thohasmuch.""Oh,mjrseatisnumberfifbythat'sall,"herejoined, smilingin his turn,and pointing to the number, whichglitteredinbrassletters immediatelyoverme.Of course I immediately surren-dered myseat, andtook onejust op-posite toQ., each ofus sitting near*It must be borneiumindthatthis wasWritten sixteen years ago, when railroadswere, comparatively speaking, iu their in-fancy.the window. This matter settled, Iwasgettingout'tolookaboutme foramoment,whenIheardthesoundofatrumpet,andina momentafter saw4ponderousstructurerollslowlyandhissingpast;itwastheengine, justtakenoutofhisshed,andgoingtobeattached to the train. Hebore thestartling name,"Sikocco," in largegold letters on his flank, andlookedquite splendid in his polished brassand steel. He carriedhis food andwater after him! Presently our ticketswere called for; then a man wentalongfromcarriageto carriage, care-fully fastening the doors andadjust-ing the handlessafely, whileanotherplacedpalm-oilonthewheels. Therewasnoneof the noise and bustle oitdinarily attending the starting of astage-coach; onthecontrary,allwasquiet and methodical. Again thetrumpet sounded; andjust at eighto'clock wefeltagentlemotion,noise-less withaland found that wehadcommenced our journey,tutasslowlyas wecouldwellmpveat first. Gra-dually we quickened our speed tillwe had got fairly on our wayandwere clear of all interruption, whenwebegan a rate ofspeed tomeun-precedented. I let down the glassandputout my head toseethelengthand appearanceof thetrain,butquick-ly withdrewit; for, whatwith thesleet,andthedraughtoccasionedby thera-pidity with which we were passingthrough the bitterly cold air, it wasunpleasantenough. Howdrearythecountrylooked! I shut the windowandwrappedmyself up inmycloik,leanedbackinmyseat, and,togetherwithQ., enjoyed for a while, in si-lence,thenoveltyof oursituationandsensations. The motion was prettyuiiiformgentle, slightly vibrating,with now andthena jerk: wealmostbelievedwecouldhavewrittenallthewaywewent. Solongas welookedonly at distant objects, we did notseemtobegoingmuchquicker thaninafaststage-coach;butas soonaswelookedatanythingneareratthefence ofthe railroad, for instancewe became instantly sensible oftheprodigiousrapidityof ourmotion.ItMY FIRST CIECUIT. 23wasreallypainfultolookdown for aminutetogether. WhileI wasthinksingahouttherapidity andpleasureofourrateandmodeoftravelling" Confound it !"exclaimedQ.," where's myumbrella?"!Certes wewere a precious pair oftravellers! .He hadleftitat the Swan!Ipointedsignificantlytomine, whichIhadin myhand; buthedashed mytriumph by saying briskly-:-" Yourwi^you'llremember!"> We stopped once in about everytwelveorfifteen miles at, "Stations,"inordertogiveoffortakein passeu-fers,as also to let our good Siroccorink(a rare draught, merryimon-ster! washisahogsheadat least!)andfeed,whenhesnappedup sev-eral sacks of coals, apparently wiiihgreatrelish. Whatadigestion mustbehis! Wellmayhisbreath, be hotandhis system feverish! He gene-rally panted a little at starting, butitsoonpassedoff, andhe ran the re-mainder ofhis journey without anyapparenteffort orexhaustion., Theword"ea^losion"flittedoflenerthrough mythoughts,Imustconfess,thanIcouldhavewished, andalwaysoccasionedamomentarytremor,espe-ciallywhenmyfancy would fly foi>wardandimageforthsomesuchplea-sant paragraph as"FrighifulAcci-derdandLossofLives on the.LivetpoolandBirmingham Bailroad, c6c.Boilerburst,&c., &c.; enginemanblown toatoms,his remains fsiUing at severalfields'distance. Amongstthe suffer-ers, weregrettosay, two gentlemenof thebar,goingforthefirst time ontheNorthernCircuit, &c.nowlyinginanutterlyhopelessstateattheCatandCockchafer,nearStafford; rejoicetoadd,nofaultto beattributed to anyone,"&o.&c.Haveyounever,mydearsir, expe-riencedsimilarfeelings?or have youever "steamedit?" I would^veatrifle, if youhad,foryowr descriptionof it ofyour feelings while being-whirledalongat such an astoundingspeed, and in such a novel manner.Forabouttwelvemiles we wentat therate ofat least forty milesanhour!Toprovetheverygreatrapiditywithwhichwe were flying along:therewasnotabreathofair when westart-edfromoneofthestations; in afewminutes'time, happening to putmyheadthrough the window for a mo^inent,Iseemedtoencounter a hurrvcane, andyet I observed that thesmallbranches ofthe trees near theroadside:did not move in the least.Q.satelazilybackinthecorner; ands'iiice hecould not put his head throughthewindowto trytheexperiment, inordertoshowhimhowmattersstood,Ifastened oneendof my pocket-hand-kerchief round myfinger,andput myhand outsidewhenthehandkerchiefinstantly flew'and fluttered along,cracklinglike a pennant at a mast-headinastrong wind. Indeed,I wasvery nearly losing it. Itwasreallypainful totheeyestolookoutahead,the draught of air was so strong;and,asIobservedbefore,it wasdizzywork tolookdownimmediatelyuponthe road, and see the velocity withwhich we passed over it. Objectafterobjfect^rails, posts, trees,fee-glanced like light as we shot pastthem. On one occasion I hadjustthrustmyheadout, when somethinghuge,black,tremendous,rushed hiss-ingcldsepastme,withinafewinchesof myface,andIfellbackin myseatasif I hadbeenshot. It was anothertrainwhichwascomingin the oppo;sitedirection. Afteronlyafewmo-ments' pause, I looked out after it-;but I protest it was almost out ofsight. Atoneplacetherewereseve-ral horsesinafieldneartheroad, allofwhom,affrightedatourmonstrousappearance, gia,llopped off, exceptone,whoremainedbehind, looking at us,Icouldimagine, withasadair;pos-siblyrepeating to himselfthe wordsof ourgreatpoet*Ofarewell,I^ewell theneighingsteed!And,oh! you mortalengivxsiFarewellI Othello'soooupation's gone!"Whenwehadconsiderably abatedourspeed,Iobservedadrollevidenceofthe rapidity withwhich we werestill travelling. Agood ysized dogsuddenlypoppedoutofashed ontheroadside,andliterallyranaracewith24 MISCELLANIES.us for about twominutes, evidentlyasfastashecouldlayhisfeet to theground: but'twasin vain; he couldnot keep abreast ofthe carriage op-posite to whichhe had started; butcarriageaftercarriagequicklypassedhim, till the whole train had got a-head of him, when he stoppedamerespeck in the rapidly-increasingdistance.* *Wehadtogothrougha tunnel on reaching theconfinesofLiverpool, andwhich passesdirectlyunderthetown. Theenginewasde-tachedfromthe train on arriving atthe mouth ofthe tunnel,andarope,orropes, attachedin its placebut Ididnotseetheprocessbywhich wewere to be drawnthroughthewholelengthof thetunnel! It was drearyenough work, plunged as we were,ingtanter, out of broad daylight intoblackCimmeriangloom"Shut upfromoutwardlight,Toincorporatewith gloomynight. " *Alamphereandthereshed itspallid,circumscribed light over the damplowsides and roof of thetunnel, whichisvery narrow, and so long, that ifyou put your head throughthewin-dowyoucouldnotseelight at eitherextremityatleast, onlyasakindofspeck. Andthere wewerelabouringheavily along,notatour formerspeed;nothing beingheardbutthedullrum-bling noise of the wheels upon therails, andthevapoursstrikingso rawandcold, that wewereforcedtoclosdthe window; when divers pleasantthoughts crossed mymind. Supposesome accidentshouldhappentousjust then!the tunnel fall in, andbringhalf Liverpoolabout ourears;weshouldnotbedugoutinlessthanthreeyears'time,if any one had cu-riosity enough to set about such atask. Supposesomeof the queer in-visiblemechanismbywhichweweredrawn along should give wayinshort, howIhate tunnels; especiallytunnelsamile and aquarterinlength!* * *Wedrovefirst tothehotel,where Ijumpedouttoinquire aboutmywig; andjoyindeed!soonhadin myhands such alittle parcel as I de-* Samton AgmMea,160,161.eired^plainly mywig-box"care)_paclced. The direction wasinmy'goodwife's handwriting"distinct^' enough,inallconsciencemynamebeinginletters more than half an inch inlength, andelaborately^m'jrferffas wecalledit atschool),topreventallpos-sibilityofobliterationormistake. Thenextmorning,aboutteno'clock,wemade our appearanceincourt.MrJusticePattison, apatient,mer-ciful, andvery learnedjudge,presidedinthecriminalcourt, thefirst in whichwe made our appearance. The pri-sonerstandingatthebar was chargedwithbigamy. Hewasashort youngmanofabout five-and-twenty; ofsomean andinsignificantan appearance,that I wonderedhowhe could eve^havepersuadedonewomanto marryhimtosaynothingof tivo! He hadlight close -cut hair, just like pig'sbristlesincolourandcoarseness,sanseyebrows, beard, or whiskers; withsharp greyeyes,thatpeered about himanxiously fromoutof tworather largesockets. He stood patiently in thedock, with a kind of quaint compo-sure, hishands disposed behind him,under the tails of adecentbluecoat,whilethe clearest case in the worldwasbeingprovedagainst him. Whencalled on for his defence he gave aquiet hem! and in a calm, business-like way, with much self-possessionandinfinitequaintness,delivered him-self thus:"Hem!Sir, myLord, and yougentlementhere," (thejury)"this isthemeaningofthe whole thing, yoiisee. I tuk a fancy to Sallythat'smyfirstwife'causesheandme wasworkersi' thesame factory, and shedid seem thenagoodgirl, andlikelytomakemeagoodwoife. SoI saysto her onedaysays I, Sally,wiU'tha' meforthy husbandifI'lltaktheeformywoife? Yea, saysshe, Iwillso wekip coompanyfor sometoime,an'I giv her money and things, yesee, tomakeherloike memoore andmooreand I thowt she did; sowegot married toeachother. Well"(withthisword,uttered witha kindofsigh,he commenced almost every sentence).MYFIEST CIRCUIT. 25''well, you Bee,'sir,Igotmarried,asIsaid, andwegotonwellenoughforaboutamoonth,whenoneday, whatd'ye think, gentlemen? I coomedhoamfro' mywork,andbehold Sallywere gone. I wonder what's this,says 1;and, puttingtogether afewthings as Salhadsaidtomenowan'then,you maydependon't, says I tomyself,Salis gone whoamto her awldfaitheran'mither(theylivedten mileoff, sir! ; for she were very p'tic'larfond o them;fondernorshewereo'meadom'ddeal; an' she'doften saidto me, Tummas, faither an' mithermustcooman'livewi'us. But Isaidna; if I'vemarried thee, Sal, I han'tmarried all thy family; which wasthetruth,gentlemen,an'everyoneofyouwouldha'said the same. Well,ap'tic'larfriend o' mineand me talk-ed the thing over together; and hesays to me, 'Tummas,'sayshe, 'I'dgo arter Sal, andbring herwhoamagain; for if thee's married a woife,thee's a reettoha'herlivewi'thee,'andIthowtthesame.""To be sure youhadyou werequite right," interposed the Judge,whoseemedlisteningto hisstatementwithsomeinterest; "goon.""Well,Isetoffdirectly,an' walkedthe whoolway theere an' back, wi'onlytenpencei' mypocket, and toir-edand hoongryIwer,Ireckon, whenIcoomedwhoamagain. Well,I sawSally, sure enough; and I says toher, in a very proper wajr (if you'llb'lieve me), 'Sally, is this good o'thee? Arn't thee my laful woife?And an't Iareettoha'thee?'' Na,na,' says she, 'I won't coom back,withoutfaitherandmither coom wi'me,'an'she stuck to this, an'we'dagooddeal o'talk about the matter,an'sheabusedme,and so did t'ouldones, andtheysaidImightgo back,for Sal shouldn't go wi' me unlessall went togither, an' lived loving-loiketogither. I warn't going toAothisneither, any how; so I wentwhoamwithouther,an' did my workasusual.Well, howsever, in a week's toimeSallycoomedback,andIthowtshe'dthowtbetter on't, an' were going tolivecomfortable and proper-loike wi'me. Well, she were reet lovingwi'mefor sometoime,whenoneday,tobesure,I foundshe'd pawnedandsolda'mythings, an'goneoffwi't moneytot'ouldonesagin""Theer'tleeing, Tummas!theer'tleeing, an' thee knows it," suddenlysquealedoutafemale voice from thefurther end ofthe court."I'm thylaful woife, an' I've got the 'tificateofour marriage withmehere, thouleer!"Shewassoonsilenced,andthe pri-sonercalmlyproceeded:"ButSally coomed backagain whenthe money wer all gone,andwhataloifeshedidleadme,to besure! Shetuktodrink, and sold all mythingstoget it, even a noioe silver watch,thathadbeengivmebymyfaitherall went for drink. She wentoni' this'nsforaboutayear,gentlemen,and I got toired o'myloife. Some-timesshe'dcomean'livewi'me,andsometimes not; I doan't say Sallykepcoompanywi'othermen,butsheworno coompany to me. Well, atlast I saystoher' Sally,wil'talivewi'meloikeawifeshould, or wil't anot?''Na,' says she, snappingherfinger.'Well then,' says I,'coombeforeamagistrate,andlet'sget part-edinalafulway.'""Oetparted in a lawfid wayIWhatdo you meanby that?" sud-denly interposed the Judge, with akindofsterncuriosity."Qet divoorced,sir,accordin'tola."Mr Justice Fattison leaned back,withan air of mingled surprise andpity."Well," added the prisoner, afterashortpause,"Sallywouldn'tdoonething nor t'othershe'd neitherlivewi' me nor stop awayleastwise,whenever she did, it were only formischief, to pawnandsell mygoods,d'yesee. So at lengthIsaystoher' Sally, since thee won't part law-fullyfromme,I'vedonewi'thee, an'TU partwi'tJiee;andsince theedoan'tknow what agoodhusbandis, Iknowthemthatdoes,an'I'llgive thee leave,oncefor all, togotothyawldfaitheran' mitheran' marry'em, iftheeloik'st buti'wdonewi'thee.' Well,86 MISCELLANIES.I went and tduld all thisto mypre-sentwoife.""Tour present wife ! She isn'tyourwife,"interruptedtheJudge." AndIsaidtoher,"continuedtheprisoner, imperturbably,"will theeobject to marryme, an'livewi'me,andbeagoodwoife? Andshedidultsay menay; so we got married, an'we've lived very different -wise toSallyandme. SoI thowtI'dareettodoit ; andthissecond woman's mywoife; and Sally isn'tmywoife anylonger, an' that's the truth o' thewhole matter, and I've got nothingmoretosay,gentlemen."All this had been said ip a firm