,illustration3    ,,chambers',s         
,,journal    ,,of    ,,popular          
,,literature1 ,,science1 ,,and ,,art    
,fifth ,series    ,,established ,,by    
,,william ,,and ,,robert ,,chambers1    
#ahcb    ,,conducted ,,by ,r4 ,,chambers
 7,,secundus7    ,,no4 #dd4--,,vol4 ,i4 
,,saturday1 ,,november #a1 #ahhd4       
,,price #a;d4          ,,how ,,the      
,,weather ,,is ,,made ,,and ,,forecast4 
,in the minds of foreigners1 it is held 
to be one of the many  peculiarities of 
the people of these islands that so much
 of their  casual conversation consists 
of remarks on the weather4 ,the national
  temperament is often held to be       
responsible for this failing2 but some  
of the blame must no doubt be laid at   
the door of the weather itself4  ,our   
climate presents such a record of change
 and uncertainty1 that we  need not     
wonder if it is always in our minds1 and
 the first subject on  our lips when we 
meet a friend4 ,other lands may have    
their cold and  hot1 dry1 and rainy     

periods1 that come round in the proper  
order year  after year with unvarying   
monotony2 but with us it may be said of 
the  weather1 that we rarely know what a
 day or an hour may bring forth4  ,even 
the seasons seem occasionally to be     
independent of any necessity  of        
visiting us at the particular time of   
the year at which we have  been taught  
to expect them4 ,spring weather in      
,november1 or a winter  temperature in  
,july1 or a ,november fog in the merry  
month of ,may1 all  seem to be amongst  
the possibilities of our climate4       
,happily1 our meteorologists are at     
length beginning to define with  growing
 clearness and confidence the laws which
 underlie and regulate  the complicated 
and ever varying phenomena which we call
 the weather1  and many of these laws1  
like most natural laws1 are beautiful in
  their simplicity4 ,although #8weather 
wisdom' is as old as history  itself1   
the science of the weather or           
meteorology is a growth of the  last few

 years4 ,the weather wisdom of our      
forefathers may in the  light of present
 knowledge be divided into sense and    
nonsense4 ,under  the nonsense may be   
included not only such proverbs as that 
which  attributed to ,st ,swithin's day 
and certain other times and seasons1    
occult influences over the weather1 but 
most of the information of the  old     
almanacs1 which used to ascribe the     
character of the weather to  the        
positions and movements of the heavenly 
bodies and the age and  changes of the  
moon4 ,the prevalence of the belief that
 the weather  was regulated by such     
influences1 can only be accounted for by
 the  well-known love of the human mind 
for the wonderful and inexplicable4     
,much of the old weather lore1 however1 
had a large element of truth  in it1 and
 was the result of the collective       
experience of many  generations1 which  
had found that certain phenomena were   
generally  followed by certain          
conditions of weather4 ,the saying1 that

 a rosy  sky in the morning presages    
rainy weather1 and the same appearance  
in the evening1 fine weather1 was       
current weather lore before the         
,christian era1 and is recognised as    
being1 in a certain sense1 true at  the 
present day4 ,amongst sailors1 farmers1 
shepherds1 and such like1  weather      
maxims1 the result of observation and   
experience1 have always  been current1  
and the value of many of these is now   
recognised and  explained by science4   
,the first step towards acquiring an    
insight into the causes which  control  
our weather is a study of the laws which
 regulate the flow and  changes of the  
winds in these islands4 ,the air is the 
great medium  in which all the changes  
of weather are elaborated4 ,we live at  
the  bottom of a great ocean of air1    
which extends for many miles upwards1   
and which is always heaving and         
changing1 like the other ocean which  it
 covers4 ,the winds1 which are the      
ever-changing currents which flow       

through this invisible sea1 are1 roughly
 speaking1 the principal  factors in the
 making of the weather4 ,many of us know
 very well the  general character of the
 weather which accompanies the wind from
 the  principal points of the compass1  
that which comes from the moist warm    
south-west1 for instance2 or with the   
blustering1 shower-bringing             
north-wester2 or with the harsh1 dry1   
east wind in spring2 but to most  of us 
the wind itself #8bloweth where it      
listeth4' ,the movements of the  air and
 changes of the wind are1 however1      
subject to laws1 a knowledge  of which  
is in some degree necessary before we   
can understand how our  weather is made 
for us4    ,a simple definition of the  
wind which we ordinarily experience is  
that it is air obeying the force of     
gravity1 in seeking to return to  an    
equilibrium which has been disturbed4   
,by the aid of the barometer  we are    
able to form some idea of what is       
constantly taking place  in the great   

ocean above us4 ,the principle upon     
which this simple  and useful instrument
 is constructed is easily understood4   
,the air  presses downwards upon the    
earth's surface with a weight averaging 
nearly fifteen pounds to the square     
inch4 ,if a portion of the surface  of  
any fluid is relieved from this pressure
 by inverting over it a  tube exhausted 
of air1 the weight of the air upon the  
surface outside  will force the fluid up
 into the tube until the weight of the  
column  counterbalances the pressure    
which the air would exercise upon the   
amount of surface covered by the mouth  
of the tube4 ,a column of mercury  in   
such a case will rise in an             
air-exhausted tube to a height of about 
thirty inches2 while water1 from its    
lighter specific gravity1 rises to  a   
height of about thirty-four feet before 
it counterbalances the weight  of the   
air above4 ,the depth1 and consequently 
the pressure1 of the air  overhead is1  
however1 constantly varying within      

certain limits2 and the  column of      
mercury in the barometer enables us to  
keep a faithful record  of the movements
 of the waves of air in the great ocean 
under which we  live4 ,at times1 the    
depth of air above us is comparatively  
shallow1 and  the pressure beneath is   
lessened2 the column of mercury is not  
raised  so high1 and the barometer is   
said to fall4 ,at other times1 the air  
is heaped up in particular places2 the  
pressure beneath is increased1  and the 
barometer is said to rise4 ,in stormy   
weather1 the column of  water in a      
water-barometer where the scale is very 
large may be seen to  pulsate with every
 change of pressure from the air-waves  
at the surface4    ,the winds are       
nothing more than the rush of air from  
the regions of  high pressure to fill up
 the spaces where low pressure prevails4
 ,thus1  if the column of mercury should
 stand #bh4f inches high at ,london1    
with  a gradual rise as we travelled    
northward1 until the barometer-reading  

was #bi inches at ,edinburgh at the same
 time1 this would indicate that  a      
region of depression existed over the   
former place1 and we should  expect a   
rush of air in the form of wind blowing 
upon ,london from the  north4    ,when  
the barometrical readings taken         
simultaneously at stations  distributed 
over a wide area are compared1 the      
distribution of  atmospheric pressure   
can be ascertained1 and it is possible  
to tell  from this the force and        
direction of the winds prevailing within
 this  area1 and generally also the     
weather which is likely to be           
experienced4  ,the greater the          
inequality of pressure1 the greater will
 be the rush of  air to the centre of   
depression1 and the stronger will be the
 wind4 ,the  wind1 however1 does not    
flow in a straight line from a region of
 high  to a region of low pressure4 ,the
 surrounding air from all quarters has  
a tendency to flow in1 and1 as with     
water1 which rushes to the centre  of a 

funnel when it is flowing out at the    
bottom1 a gyratory movement  is the     
result4 ,the wind blows round a centre  
of depression in this  way1 always      
curving inward towards the centre2 and  
in the northern  hemisphere1 this       
gyratory movement of the wind is always 
in a direction  against the hands of a  
watch1 while the contrary is the case in
 the  southern hemisphere4 ,these       
principles of the relation of the winds 
to  atmospheric pressure hold good      
without exception over all the world4   
,they were first definitively stated in 
,america twenty-five years ago2  but    
,professor ,buys ,ballot of ,utrecht    
first drew attention to them in         
,europe1 and the law expressing them is 
now generally recognised as ,buys       
,ballot's law4    ,in ordinary          
circumstances in our latitude1 the winds
 are generally  regulated by the        
differences in pressure induced by      
contrasts between  continents and       
oceans4 ,where the air becomes heated1  

an area of low  pressure is produced1   
the warm air becoming rarefied and      
ascending1 and  the heavier cold air    
rushing in from the sides to supply its 
place4 ,in  winter1 the weather over    
these islands is controlled to a great  
extent  by the winds which sweep round a
 large area of depression which exists  
over the ,atlantic1 the mean centre of  
which is about midway between  the      
continents of ,europe and ,america1 in  
the latitude of the ,orkney  ,islands4  
,this depression is the result of the   
contrast produced between  the          
comparatively warm air over this portion
 of the ,atlantic and the  much colder  
air over the northern portion of ,europe
 and ,america1  which is continually    
flowing in to supply the place of the   
lighter  and constantly ascending warm  
air4 ,the winds sweeping round this     
centre strike our shores from the       
south-west4 ,this depression is not     
stationary1 but is continually shifting 
over a large but well-defined  area1 and

 it gives rise to many subsidiary       
eddies1 or small cyclone  systems as    
they are called1 which sometimes skirt  
our coasts1 or travel  over these       
islands1 bringing with them the storms  
of wind and rain and  sudden changes of 
the wind with which we are familiar4 ,in
 spring1 the  prevailing winds from the 
east and north-east1 so much dreaded by 
many1  are the result of a large        
cyclonic system formed by the sudden    
increase  of temperature over middle and
 southern ,europe1 as the sun's rays    
gain  strength and the days lengthen4   
,the temperature is not yet sufficiently
  high to bring in the air from off the 
,atlantic1 as happens when the  season  
is further advanced1 so that the cold   
air rushes in from the  polar regions in
 a huge eddy1 striking our coasts from  
the east and  north-east1 and bringing  
in its train all the attendant miseries 
which  make our ,english spring a time  
to be dreaded by the weak and ailing4   
,a knowledge of the general principles  

which direct the flow of our  prevailing
 winds is1 however1 only of general     
assistance in enabling  us to forecast  
the weather which we experience in these
 islands4 ,this  is governed and        
produced to a great extent by the       
development of  subsidiary centres of   
depression in and between the great     
cyclonic  systems4 ,these generally     
approach our shores from the west1      
travelling  in a north-easterly         
direction2 and they are responsible for 
most of  the variable weather with which
 we are so familiar4 ,they generally    
carry with them a certain well-defined  
course of weather4 ,the readings  of the
 barometer taken simultaneously at many 
places over a wide  area on a system    
such as that now controlled by the      
,meteorological  ,office1 enables us to 
determine the approach and development  
of these  small cyclonic systems1 and so
 to forecast with a certain degree of   
confidence the weather likely to be     
experienced in a certain district  from 

twelve to twenty-four hours in advance4 
,most of the disturbing  influences     
reach us from the west2 and as the west 
coast of ,ireland  is the extreme limit 
to which our stations reach in that     
direction1  we can receive only very    
short notice of their approach4 ,this is
  one of the principal reasons why1 with
 the means at present at our  disposal1 
we cannot expect to make our weather    
science as perfect  as in a country such
 as ,america1 where the central office  
receives  warnings from stations        
dispersed over the face of a vast       
continent4  ,nevertheless1 we have made 
great advances since #ahfa1 when the    
first  weather forecasts were prepared  
and issued in this country by the ,board
  of ,trade1 under the superintendence  
of the late ,admiral ,fitzroy4 ,the     
forecasts at that time1 although        
admitted to be of considerable utility  
to the country1 were thought to be      
scarcely accurate enough to justify     
their continuance upon the system then  

in operation1 and they were             
discontinued in #ahff4    ,in the       
following year1 the ,meteorological     
,office was constituted  upon its       
present footing1 and the daily          
publication of forecasts has  continued 
down to the present4 ,considering       
that--judging from the  forecasts       
published daily in the newspapers--the  
chances of a successful  forecast are on
 the average about seventy-nine per     
cent4 for ordinary  weather1 while the  
percentage of successes is slightly     
higher in the  case of storm warnings1  
it is evident that the ,meteorological  
,office is  capable of rendering        
important service to the community at   
large4 ,every  morning1 the central     
office in ,london receives telegraphic  
reports  from fifty-three stations4 ,it 
also receives thirteen reports every    
afternoon1 and nineteen each evening4   
,besides the numerous well-placed       
observation stations in the ,british    
,islands1 there are twenty-three        

foreign reporting stations1 extending   
along the entire western coast  of      
,europe1 from which information is      
received1 in accordance with            
arrangements made with the              
meteorological organisations in ,norway1
  ,sweden1 ,denmark1 ,germany1 ,holland1
 and ,france4 ,the morning observations 
are made at all the ,british stations at
 eight ,a4,m4 ,greenwich time1 and  are 
transmitted direct to the               
,meteorological ,office1 where they are 
received between nine and ten o'clock4  
,thus are given the barometrical  and   
thermometrical readings at the various  
stations at eight ,a4,m42  the direction
 and force of the wind1 and the state of
 the weather1  together with any changes
 of importance which may have been      
noticed in  the course of the preceding 
day4 ,from these reports1 weather charts
  are made out1 forecasts of the weather
 are prepared and issued to the  evening
 papers in ,london and the provinces2   
and a telegraphic rsum of  the weather1 

or1 if necessary1 intelligence of       
storms1 is despatched to  various points
 on our coasts and to foreign countries4
 ,the forecasts  for the morning daily  
papers are issued at half-past eight    
,p4,m4 on  the previous evening4 ,they  
are prepared from reports received from 
twenty-six home and six foreign         
stations2 but although these are the    
most widely distributed and read of any 
issued from the office1 they  are much  
less complete than the eight ,a4,m4     
forecasts4    ,the ,times publishes     
every morning with the forecasts the    
weather  chart issued by the department4
 ,this chart shows the condition and    
movements of the atmosphere over the    
,british ,isles and the vicinity2  the  
distribution of pressure2 the           
temperature1 state of the sea1 and  the 
force and direction of the winds blowing
 within the area at six  ,p4,m4 on the  
previous day4    ,the familiar dotted   
lines termed isobars1 which are such a  
feature in  weather maps of this sort1  

are lines at all places along which the 
barometer stands at the same height4    
,except where their regularity  is      
broken by the existence of subsidiary   
disturbances1 these lines  extend in    
gradually widening circles around a     
centre of depression1  the barometer    
always standing highest along the       
outside curve1 and  gradually and       
regularly falling towards the centre2 so
 that if we could  view our atmosphere  
from above one of those centres of      
depression1 we  would see a deep hollow1
 with sides sloping downwards to the    
centre1  towards which the revolving air
 was being gradually indrawn1 like water
  in an eddy4    ,at intervals1 we      
receive warning across the ,atlantic1   
from the ,new  ,york ,herald weather    
bureau1 respecting storms which are     
crossing  the ,atlantic towards our     
coasts1 and which are often described as
  #8likely to develop dangerous energy' 
on their way4 ,although many of  those  
warnings are subsequently justified1 or 

partially justified1  it must not be    
supposed that these are storms which    
have left the  ,american continent on   
their way to us1 and that it has been   
possible  to calculate their course     
across the ,atlantic and predict the    
time of arrival upon our coasts4 ,mr    
,clement ,ley1 ,inspector to the        
,meteorological ,council1 tells us that 
it is not yet satisfactorily  shown that
 storms cross the ,atlantic from        
,america1 and he presumes that          
arrangements must be effected by which  
the logs of passing steamers may  be    
consulted in ,america as to the         
character of the weather experienced  in
 crossing from this country2 and from   
the information received in  this       
manner1 it is possible to arrive at     
conclusions respecting the  direction   
and character of storms travelling      
towards this side of the  ,atlantic1 and
 to anticipate their arrival by         
telegraph1 the warning  being flashed   
beneath the ocean in time to reach us   

long before the  storm itself4    ,the  
variety and complexity of the phenomena 
which have to pass under  careful       
observation render the science of the   
weather an exceedingly  difficult one to
 study1 more especially as1 up to the   
present1 we have  done little more than 
master its fundamental principles4 ,the 
time ought  not1 however1 to be far     
distant when we shall have the means at 
our  disposal to enable us to forecast  
the weather with a nearer approach to   
certainty than we can attain at present4
 ,the results already obtained  by the  
,meteorological ,office are certainly   
encouraging1 and it must  be remembered 
that1 in attempting to forecast the     
weather in this  country1 it labours    
under two serious disadvantages4 ,the   
first is our  geographical position1    
which at present precludes us from      
obtaining  any but the shortest notice  
of weather approaching from the         
west--the  point from which most of our 
weather comes4 ,the other drawback is of

 a  pecuniary nature1 and it is to be   
regretted that it prevents us from      
testing to the full limit the usefulness
 of the ,meteorological ,office4  ,it   
may be argued that1 in this country1    
storms are seldom so sudden or          
disastrous as to justify us in          
maintaining at a very much larger outlay
  an organisation which would enable us 
to be warned of their approach4  ,it is1
 however1 only necessary to take into   
account the enormous losses  in life and
 property occasioned every year by the  
weather in shipwreck  alone1 in order to
 appreciate what might be the value to  
the nation of  a properly organised     
system of weather science1 did it only  
succeed in  reducing1 even by a small   
percentage1 the annual number of wrecks 
on  our coasts4          ,,by ,,mead    
,,and ,,stream4    ,,by ,,charles       
,,gibbon4      ,,chapter ,,liv4--,,poor 
,,comfort4    ,madge awakened from the  
reverie into which she had fallen1 to   
find  ,aunt ,hessy's kind eyes resting  

on her inquiringly and with a shade of  
sorrow in them4 ,she1 however1 instantly
 awoke1 brightened and spoke  with      
cheerful confidence1 although there was 
a certain note of timidity  in her voice
 indicating that she had not yet quite  
recovered from the  effects of the scene
 in her bedroom4    #8,you see1 aunt1   
how wickedly ,philip has been deceived1 
and that ,i was  right to trust ,mr     
,shield4'    #8,yes1 but--,mr ,beecham8'
    ,madge's cheeks flushed1 the smile  
disappeared1 and the head was lifted    
with something like impatience4 ,it     
seemed as if the pronunciation  of      
,beecham's name in that questioning tone
 revealed to her the full  significance 
of ,wrentham's insinuations--that she   
was not acting fairly  to ,philip4      
#8,i have told you1 aunt1 that he is ,mr
 ,shield's friend1 and that  he is doing
 everything that can be done to help    
,philip out of his  difficulties4 ,you  
cannot doubt that whatever ,i may do is 
for the same  object4'    #8,ah1 child1 

,i never doubted thee4 ,my doubt is that
 whilst desiring to  do right thou      
may'st have done wrong in giving the    
trust to a stranger  thou'rt afraid to  
give to those that love thee4'    #8,mr 
,beecham will himself tell you before   
the week is out that he gave  me such   
proofs of his friendship as would have  
satisfied even you4'    #8,well1 well1  
we shall say no more1 child1 till the   
time comes2  but never expect goodman   
,dick to be patient with what he thinks 
unreasonable4 ,see what a handle this   
rogue ,wrentham--,i always felt  that he
 was a rogue--has made of thy name to   
help him in cheating and  bamboozling   
,philip6 ,take my word1 we may turn our 
toes barely an inch  from the straight  
path at starting1 but we'll find        
ourselves miles from  it ere the end if 
we do not make a quick halt and go      
back4'    #8,i have only held my        
tongue1' said the girl quietly enough1  
but the  feeling of offended innocence  
was there4    #8,holding the tongue when

 one should speak out is as bad as      
telling a  book of lies--worse1 for we  
don't know how to deal with it4'    #8,i
 should be less sorry for vexing you1   
aunt1' said the niece1 #8if ,i  did not 
know that by-and-by you will be sorry   
for having been vexed  with me4'        
#8,so be it4--,but now let us finish    
clearing up the room1 and we'll get  the
 bedstead down in the morning4 ,dr ,joy 
says that ,mr ,hadleigh is not  nearly  
so much hurt as was thought at first1   
and that they may be able  to move him  
in a day or two4'    ,when the          
arrangements for turning the            
sitting-room into a bedroom had  been   
completed--and there were nice details  
to be attended to in the  operation1    
which the dame would intrust to no other
 hands than her own  and her            
niece's--,madge went in search of       
,pansy4    ,her sudden appearance in the
 kitchen interrupted the boisterous     
mirth  which was going forward4 ,when   
she inquired for ,pansy ,culver1 there  

was  an abashed look on the faces of    
those who had permitted the girl to go  
without inquiring whither2 but ,jenny   
,wodrow answered saucily3    #8,she got 
into a state when ,i was talking about  
,caleb ,kersey1 and  slipped out before 
any of us could say ,jack ,robinson4'   
,the silent reproof in the expression of
 ,madge's tender eyes had its  effect   
even on this self-assertive damsel4     
,jerry ,mogridge hobbled up to  his     
young mistress4    #8,i'll find her for 
you1 ,missy1' he said cheerily1 for he  
was in the  happy state of mind of one  
who has enjoyed a good meal and knows   
that  there is a good sleep lying       
between him and the next day's toil4    
,they went out to the yard1 and ,jerry1 
opening the door of the dairy1  thrust  
his head into the darkness with the     
invocation3 #8,come out ov  here1 ,pansy
 ,culver2 what are you doing there8     
,missy wants you4' ,there  was no       
answer1 and after groping his way amidst
 cans and pails standing  ready for the 

morning's milk1 he returned muttering3  
#8,she ain't there  anyhow4 ,i'll get   
the lantern1 ,missy1 and we'll soon find
 her1 so being  as she ha'n't gone to   
her father's4'    ,whilst ,jerry went   
for the lantern1 the moon began to light
 the  snow-covered ground1 and ,madge   
discovered ,pansy in the doorway of the 
stable4 ,she was leaning against the    
door as if support were necessary  to   
save her from falling4 ,madge put her   
arm round the girl1 and drawing  her out
 from the shadows into the moonlight1   
saw that the face was  white as the snow
 at their feet1 and felt that the form  
was shivering  with agitation more than 
with cold4    #8,i knew it would upset  
you1 ,pansy2 and intended to tell you   
myself1 but  wanted to do it when we    
were alone4'    #8,it doesn't matter1   
,missy1' answered the girl through her  
chattering  teeth2 #8but thank you      
kindly4 ,there's no help for it now4    
,i've been  the ruin of him1 and        
standing out here1 ,i've seen how wicked

 and cruel  ,i've been to him4 ,i knew  
what he was thinking about1 and ,i might
 have  told him not to think of it--but 
,i liked him--,i like him1 and ,i wish  
they  would take me in his place4 ,they 
ought to take me1 for it was me that    
drove him to it4'    #8,hush1 hush1     
,pansy1' said ,madge with gentle        
firmness2 #8,caleb is  innocent1 and    
will be free in a few days4 ,it was only
 some foolish  business he had with     
,coutts ,hadleigh which brought him     
under  suspicion4'    #8,yes1 yes1 but  
it was about me that he went to speak to
 ,mr ,coutts--and  ,mr ,coutts never    
said anything to me that a gentleman    
might not say4  ,only he was very       
kind--very kind1 and ,i came to think of
 him1 and--and--it  was all me--all me6 
,and you1 though you didn't mean it1    
showed me  how wrong it was1 and ,i went
 away4 ,and if ,caleb had only waited1  
maybe--maybe4444 ,i don't know right    
what ,i am saying2 but ,i would have    
come to myself1 and have tried to make  

him happy4'    ,this hysterical cry     
showed the best and the worst sides of  
the girl's  character4 ,for a brief     
space she had yielded to the vanity of  
her sex1  which accepts the commonplaces
 of gallantry as special tributes to the
  individual1 and so had misinterpreted 
the attentions which ,coutts would  have
 paid to any pretty girl who came in his
 way4 ,she had been rudely  startled    
from her folly1 and was now paying      
bitter penance for it4 ,she  took to    
herself all the blame of ,caleb's guilt1
 and insisted that she  should be in    
jail1 not him4    ,madge allowed her    
feelings to have full vent1 and then was
 able to  comfort her with the          
reiterated assurance of ,caleb's        
innocence1 which  would be speedily     
proved4    ,the fit being over1 ,pansy  
showed herself to be a sensible being1  
and  listened attentively to the kindly 
counsel of her friend4 ,she agreed  to  
follow her original plan1 namely1 to see
 her father in the morning  and then    

return to ,camberwell to devote her     
whole energies to the task  of          
reclaiming her grandfather from his     
foolish ways and bringing him  out to   
,ringsford4 ,madge was certain that this
 occupation would prove  the best       
antidote to all ,pansy's unhappy        
thoughts and self-reproaches4           
,meanwhile it was arranged that ,pansy  
should not have ,jenny ,wodrow for  her 
bedfellow4           99       99        
99       99       99    ,affairs at the 
farm had gone on uncomfortably from the 
moment  ,dick ,crawshay expressed       
displeasure with his niece4 ,she made   
what  advances she could towards        
reconciliation2 but she did not yet     
offer  any explanation4 ,he was obliged 
to accept her customary service as      
secretary2 but it was evident that he   
would have liked to dispense with  it4  
,neither his appetite nor his slumbers  
were disturbed1 however2 and  he slept  
soundly through the night whilst the    
fire was raging at the  ,manor4 ,it was 

not until the wain with its load of     
milk-cans had started  for the station  
that he heard from ,jerry ,mogridge the 
report of what  had occurred4    ,then  
yeoman ,dick mounted his horse and rode 
at full speed to ,ringsford  to offer   
what help it might be in his power to   
render1 grumbling at  himself all the   
way for not having been sooner aware of 
his neighbour's  danger4 ,finding ,mr   
,hadleigh in the gardener's cottage1    
where there was  want of space and      
convenience1 the farmer with impetuous  
hospitality  invited the whole family to
 ,willowmere4 ,the invalid could not be 
removed until the doctor gave           
permission2 but ,caroline and ,bertha   
were  at once escorted to the farm4     
,miss ,hadleigh remained at the cottage 
to  assist the housekeeper in nursing   
her father3 she was moved to do so by  a
 sense of duty as well as by the        
knowledge that ,alfred ,crowell would   
come out as soon as he heard of the     
disaster1 and he would expect to  find  

her there4    ,in the bustle and        
excitement of the first part of the day 
there was  only one person who thought  
much about ,philip and of the effect    
this  new calamity might have upon him  
in his present state4 ,as the afternoon 
advanced1 everybody was wondering why he
 neither came nor sent any  message4    
,the arrival of ,pansy relieved ,madge  
on this and other points2  and she was  
happily spared for that night the pain  
of learning that  ,philip did visit the 
gardener's cottage without calling at   
,willowmere4    ,postman ,zachy         
delivered two welcome letters in the    
cold gray light of  the winter morning4 
,both were from ,austin ,shield--one for
 ,mrs ,crawshay1  the other for ,madge4 
,the first simply stated that his old   
friend might  expect to see him in a few
 days1 and that he believed she would   
have  reason to give him the kindly     
greeting which he knew she would like to
  give him4 ,the second was longer and  
contained important information4        

#8,be patient and trust me still1' it   
said4 #8,you have fixed the week  as the
 limit of your silence3 before the time 
is out ,i shall be at  ,willowmere4     
,philip has acted in every way as ,i    
would have him act under  the           
circumstances1 except in the extreme    
mercy which he extends to  the man      
,wrentham2 but he pleads that it is for 
the sake of the poor  lady and child    
whose happiness depends on the rascal1  
and ,i have been  obliged to yield4 ,at 
the last moment ,wrentham attempted to  
escape1 and  would have succeeded but   
for the cleverness of the detective1    
,sergeant  ,dier4    #8,be patient1 and 
have courage till we meet again4'       
#8,be patient--have courage3' excellent 
phrases and oftentimes helpful2  but was
 there ever any one who at a crisis in  
life has found the words  alone         
satisfactory8 ,they by no means relieved
 ,madge of all uneasiness1  although she
 accepted them as a token that her      
suspense would soon be  at an end4 ,in  

one respect she was keenly disappointed3
 there was not a  hint that the proofs  
she had given ,mr ,shield of ,mr        
,hadleigh's innocence  of any complicity
 in his misfortunes had been yet        
acknowledged to be  complete4 ,had that 
been done1 ,philip would have forgotten 
half his  worries4 ,mr ,shield was aware
 of that--he must be aware of it1 and   
yet he  was silent4 ,she could not help 
thinking that there was some truth in   
,mr  ,hadleigh's view of the            
eccentricity of his character4          
,,the ,,new ,,medi,,val ,,room ,,at     
,,the ,,british ,,museum4      ,one of  
the rooms at the ,british ,museum1 left 
vacant by the removal of  the ,natural  
,history ,collection to ,south          
,kensington1 has lately been  re-opened1
 under the title of the ,medival ,room1 
with a collection  of curious objects1  
many of which possess strong personal as
 well as  antiquarian interest4 ,the    
articles shown range from the twelfth   
century  downwards4 ,some of them have  

already been on exhibition in another   
part  of the building2 but the majority 
are now publicly shown for the first    
time4 ,the various items have been      
carefully arranged and labelled by      
,messrs ,franks and ,read1 the curators 
of the ,ethnological ,department1  the  
fullness of the appended descriptions   
more than compensating for  the         
temporary lack of a catalogue4    ,among
 the curiosities of more modern date is 
a silver-mounted  punch-bowl of         
,inveraray marble1 formerly the property
 of the poet  ,burns1 and presented by  
his widow to ,alexander ,cunningham4    
,not far  distant rests the ,lochbuy    
brooch1 a massive ornament four inches  
in  diameter1 said to date from about   
the year #aejj1 and to have been        
fashioned out of silver found on the    
estate of ,lochbuy1 in ,mull4 ,its      
centre is a large crystal1 surrounded by
 upright collets bearing  pearls of     
considerable size4 ,it was long         
preserved as a sort of  heirloom in the 

,lochbuy family1 but passed out of it by
 the marriage  of a female              
representative1 and in course of time   
became part of the  ,bernal ,collection1
 whence it was acquired by the ,british 
,museum4 ,hard  by it is a handsomely   
carved casket1 made of the wood of      
,shakspeare's  mulberry tree1 and       
presented in #agfi1 with the freedom of 
the town of  ,stratford-on-,avon1 to    
,david ,garrick4 ,the majority of the   
exhibits1  however1 belong to very much 
earlier periods4 ,there is a choice     
display of horn and tortoiseshell snuff 
and tobacco boxes1 two of  the          
latter--duplicates1 save in some        
unimportant particulars--bearing  the   
arms of ,sir ,francis ,drake1 and the   
representation of a ship in  full sail4 
,we are told that boxes of this same    
pattern are frequently  offered to      
collectors as having been the personal  
property of the great  admiral2 but an  
inscription on one of the specimens here
 exhibited  shows that they were        

actually made by one ,john ,obrisset in 
#agab4    ,an ordinary-looking piece of 
rock-crystal in one of the cases claims 
to be the veritable #8show-stone' or    
divining crystal of ,dr ,dee1 the       
celebrated astrologer and alchemist of  
,queen ,elizabeth's time4 ,dee's  own   
account of the origin of the show-stone 
was as follows4 ,he declared  that one  
day in ,november #aehb1 while he was    
engaged in prayer1 the  angel ,uriel    
appeared to him and presented him with a
 magic crystal1  which had the quality1 
when steadfastly gazed into1 of         
presenting  visions1 and even of        
producing articulate sounds4 ,these     
sights and  sounds1 however1 were only  
perceptible to a person endowed with the
  proper mediumistic faculty4 ,this the 
doctor himself unfortunately  lacked2   
but such a person was soon found in one 
,edward ,kelly1 who  was engaged as the 
doctor's assistant1 and produced        
#8revelations'  with ,joseph-,smith-like
 facility4 ,indeed1 his revelations had 

more  than one point in common with     
those of the ,mormon apostle1 for it is 
recorded that on one occasion he        
received a divine command that he  and  
the doctor should exchange wives1 which 
edifying little family  arrangement was 
actually carried out1 with much parade  
of prayer and  religious ceremonial4 ,it
 seems probable that ,dee really        
believed  in the manifestations1 and was
 himself the dupe of his unscrupulous   
associate4 ,kelly was accustomed to     
describe what he saw and heard in  the  
magic crystal1 and ,dr ,dee took notes  
of the mystic revelations4  ,these notes
 were1 in #afei1 collected and published
 in a folio volume  by ,dr ,meric       
,casaubon1 an eminent scholar of that   
day1 who appears to  have believed that 
the revelations were really the work of 
spirits1  though of doubtful character4 
,from these notes it would appear that  
,dee was possessed of two1 if not more1 
divining crystals of various  sizes4    
,after his death1 a stone1 said to be   

one of these1 came into the  possession 
of the ,earl of ,peterborough1 and      
thence into that of ,lady  ,elizabeth   
,germaine4 ,it subsequently fell into   
the hands of the then  head of the      
,house of ,argyll1 by whose son1 ,lord  
,frederick ,campbell1  it was presented 
to ,horace ,walpole4 ,for many years it 
formed part of  the ,strawberry ,hill   
,collection1 and there was appended to  
the leather  case in which it was       
contained a manuscript note1 in         
,walpole's own  handwriting1 describing 
it as #8the black stone into which ,dr  
,dee used  to call his spirits1' and    
recording the above facts respecting it4
 ,on  the dispersion of the ,strawberry 
,hill ,collection in #ahdb1 the stone   
in question is said to have been        
purchased1 at the price of thirteen     
pounds1 by ,mr ,smythe ,pigott2 and at  
the sale of that gentleman's  library in
 #ahec1 to have passed into the hands of
 ,lord ,londesborough4  ,as to the later
 history of this particular stone1 we   

have no  information2 but it is clearly 
not identical with the one in the       
,british ,museum4 ,horace ,walpole's is 
described as being a #8black stone4'    
,others add that it was in shape a flat 
disk1 with a loop or handle1  and it is 
generally believed to have been a highly
 polished piece  of cannel coal4 ,the   
one in the ,british ,museum more nearly 
resembles  the descriptions given of    
,lady ,blessington's crystal1 employed  
for  a similar purpose by ,lieutenant   
,morrison1 the ,zadkiel of #8almanac'   
celebrity4 ,it is a ball1 about two     
inches in diameter1 of rather dark      
rock-crystal1 and1 as ,mr ,read informs 
us1 has been in the possession of  the  
,british ,museum for nearly a century4  
,assuming1 however1 that1 as  stated in 
,casaubon's notes1 ,dr ,dee used two or 
more magic specula1 this  may of course 
have been one of them4    ,this mystic  
crystal is appropriately flanked by a   
collection of  oriental talismans1 some 
in metal1 for suspension from the neck2 

others  of agate or chalcedony1 engraved
 with charms and cabalistic signs1 for  
reproduction on wax or parchment4 ,here 
also are a couple of bezoar  stones1    
formerly much esteemed as possessing    
occult medical virtues1  particularly as
 an antidote to poison4 ,the genuine    
bezoar stone is a  calculus found in the
 stomach of the goat or antelope4 ,the  
specimens  here shown are artificial1   
being compounded from a recipe in the   
possession of ,sir ,hans ,sloane4 ,they 
claim1 however1 to have all the  virtues
 of the genuine article1 which we think 
extremely probable6 ,they  have a       
peculiar aromatic smell1 which probably 
assisted the belief in  their hygienic  
properties4    ,in another of the cases 
we find post-mortem casts of the faces  
of  ,charles ,,ii4 and ,oliver          
,cromwell4 ,a third1 anonymous when     
acquired by  the ,museum1 has since been
 identified as that of ,charles ,,xii41 
king of  ,sweden4 ,the musket-wound in  
the temple1 by which he fell1 is plainly

  observable4 ,not far distant are a    
leathern #8black-jack' and a couple  of 
#8chopines1' the latter1 however1 not   
being1 as ,french scholars  might be    
inclined to suppose1 the measure of that
 name1 but a sort of  stilt about       
sixteen inches in height1 with a shoe at
 the upper end1  and formerly worn by   
the ,venetian ladies4 ,shakspeare       
alludes to this  queer article where he 
makes ,hamlet say1 addressing one of the
 female  players1 #8,by'r ,lady1 your   
ladyship is nearer heaven than when ,i  
saw  you last1 by the altitude of a     
chopine4' ,here1 too1 are a couple of   
the mallets and a ball used in the old  
game of pall-mall4 ,the present         
specimens were found in the house of ,mr
 ,vulliamy1 situated in the  street of  
the same name1 which adjoins the ancient
 ,mall4 ,the ball is of  wood1 about two
 and a half inches in diameter2 and the 
mallets1 save  that their heads are     
bound with iron1 are almost precisely   
similar to  those used in croquet at the

 present day4    ,there are sundry      
curious ivories1 among them being a     
drinking-horn made  out of a single     
tusk1 elaborately carved1 and mounted   
with copper-gilt4  ,it bears the        
inscription3        ,drinke you this1   
and thinke no scorne      ,although the 
cup be much like a horne4    ,it bears  
the date #aeii1 and is in general       
appearance like a fish1 with  a sort of 
scoop1 or spoon-bowl1 projecting from   
the mouth4 ,there are  indications that 
it was originally fashioned as a horn   
for blowing1 but  was afterwards        
converted to its present purpose4 ,a    
small tablet of the  same material      
represents #8,orator' ,henley preaching4
 ,on the floor in the  centre of the    
building1 presumably ,henley's chapel in
 ,lincoln's ,inn  ,fields1 is seen an   
inscription indicating that the         
notorious ,colonel  ,charteris lies     
buried there4 ,immediately in front of  
the preacher  stands a bear on his      
hind-legs1 holding a staff2 and the     

congregation  are represented with      
horns1 exaggerated noses1 heads of      
animals1 and  other deformities4 ,the   
preacher appears to be uttering the     
words1 #8,let  those not calumniate who 
cannot confute4'    ,in another part of 
the room is a choice collection of      
ancient watches1  pocket dials1 and     
timepieces of various descriptions1 some
 of very  eccentric character4 ,there   
are oval watches1 octagon watches1 and  
cruciform watches2 watches in the form  
of tulips and other flowers4  ,there is 
a dial in the form of a star1 and       
another in the shape of  a lute4 ,a gilt
 clock1 of considerable size1 in the    
form of a ship1  with elaborate         
mechanical movements1 is said to have   
been made for  the ,emperor ,rudolf     
,,ii4 ,a pocket dial shown has a special
 interest1 as  having belonged to       
,robert ,devereux1 ,earl of ,essex1 some
 time favourite  of ,queen ,elizabeth4  
,this dial bears the arms of the        
ill-fated earl1  together with an       

inscription showing that it was made by 
one ,james  ,kynvyn1 in #aeic4          
,astrolabes1 nocturnals1 and other      
astronomical instruments1 ,english  and 
foreign1 are largely represented4 ,there
 are ancient chess and  backgammon      
boards1 with men carved or stamped in   
divers quaint  fashions2 and a number of
 drinking-cups in bronze1 rock-crystal1 
and  silver1 among those of the last    
material being a small goblet of        
graceful fashion long known as the      
#8,cellini' cup1 but believed to be  in 
truth of ,german workmanship4 ,an       
elegant tazza of rock-crystal1  mounted 
with silver-gilt1 has a medallion       
portrait of ,queen ,elizabeth  in its   
centre2 but whether it actually belonged
 to the ,virgin ,queen is  uncertain4   
,the connoisseur in enamels will here   
find a large and varied  collection1    
ranging from the cloisonn of the        
,byzantine to the champ  lev of the     
early ,limoges school1 and the          
surface-painting of later  artists4     

,some of the specimens shown are        
extremely beautiful2 indeed1  this      
collection alone would well repay the   
trouble of a visit4 ,one of  the earlier
 specimens1 a plate of ,german enamel1  
represents ,henry of  ,blois1 ,bishop of
 ,winchester1 and brother to ,king      
,stephen4 ,among the  more curious      
specimens of this ancient art are sundry
 bishops' crosiers  of various dates1   
and a couple of #8pricket' candlesticks1
 in which the  candle1 instead of being 
dropped into a socket in the modern     
manner1 is  impaled upon an upright     
point4    ,a small piet of the sixteenth
 century1 placed in one corner of the   
room1 deserves a special mention4 ,the  
figures are in wax1 skilfully  draped   
with real silk and lace4 ,such a        
combination has usually a tawdry        
appearance1 but it has no such effect in
 this instance4 ,the name of  the       
modeller has not been handed down to us1
 but he was unquestionably  a true      
artist4 ,the look of death on the       

,saviour's face1 and the  heart-broken  
expression of the ,madonna as she bends 
over to kiss  his blood-stained brow1   
are almost painfully real4 ,the power of
 the  representation is the more        
remarkable from its small size1 the     
whole  group being only about eight     
inches square4    ,in a collection      
numbering many hundreds of items1 it is 
obviously  impossible even to mention   
more than a very small proportion of the
  whole4 ,we have spoken more           
particularly of such as have some       
personal  or historical association     
connected with them2 but on the score of
  antiquity alone1 such a collection as 
this must be full of interest  to       
thoughtful minds4 ,who can gaze upon    
these relics of the distant  past       
without yearning to look back into the  
far-off times when all  these things    
were new8 ,what would we give to see1   
#8in their habit  as they lived1' the   
men who fashioned these ancient         
timepieces1 who  drank from these       

crystal cups1 and played tric-trac on   
these quaint  backgammon boards8 ,it    
needs but small imagination to call up  
,burns and  his boon-companions         
carousing around the marble punch-bowl1 
with #8just  a wee drap in their e'e2'  
but who shall name the knights who wore 
this  iron gauntlet or that repouss     
breastplate8 ,their #8bones are dust1   
their good swords rust1' and yet here is
 part of their ancient panoply1         
well-nigh as perfect as when it left the
 armourer's anvil four hundred  years   
ago4 ,truly1 they did good work1 these  
medival artificers4 ,the  struggle for  
existence was not so intense2 they did  
not hurry1 as in  these high-pressure   
days4 ,believing1 with old ,george      
,herbert1 that  #8we do it soon enough1 
if that we do be well1' they wisely took
 their  time1 caring little to do quick 
work1 so long as they did good work4    
,and so their handiwork remains1        
monumentum re perennius1 a standing     
memorial of the good old time when #8art

 was still religion1' and labour  was   
noble1 because the craftsman put his    
heart into his work4          ,,one     
,,woman',s ,,history4    ,a ,,novelette4
    ,,by ,t4 ,w4 ,,speight4             
,,chapter ,v4    ,five minutes later1   
,archie ,ridsdale burst abruptly into   
the room4  #8,here's a pretty go6' he   
exclaimed4 #8,read this1 please1 dear   
,madame ,de  ,vigne1' putting a telegram
 into her hand4    ,madame ,de ,vigne   
took it and read3 #88,from ,beck and    
,beck1 ,bedford ,row1  ,london40'       
#8,the guv's lawyers1' explained        
,archie4    #88,to ,archibald ,ridsdale1
 ,palatine ,hotel1 ,windermere4--,we are
  instructed to request you to be at our
 office at ten ,a4,m4 to-morrow1 to     
meet ,sir ,william ,ridsdale40'    ,mora
 looked at him as she gave him back the 
telegram4    #8,the last train for      
town1' said ,archie1 #8leaves in        
twenty-five minutes4  ,my man is        
cramming a few things into a bag1 and ,i
 must start for the  station at once4'  

#8,were you not aware that your father  
had arrived from the continent8'        
#8,this is the first intimation ,i've   
had of it4 ,you know how anxiously      
,i've been expecting an answer to the   
second letter ,i wrote him nearly a     
month ago4'    #8,it would seem from the
 telegram that he prefers a personal    
interview4'    #8,i'm glad of it for    
some things4 ,he has never refused me   
anything when  ,i've had the chance of  
talking to him1 and ,i don't suppose he 
will  refuse what ,i shall undoubtedly  
ask him to-morrow4'    ,madame ,de      
,vigne shook her head4 #8,you are far   
too sanguine4 ,sir ,william  knows      
already what it is you want him to do4  
,he knew it before1  when--when'----    
#8,when he sent ,colonel ,woodruffe as  
his plenipo4 to negotiate terms with    
the enemy--meaning you1' said ,archie1  
with a laugh4 #8,a pretty ambassador    
the colonel made6'    ,madame ,de       
,vigne1 who had risen and was gazing out
 of the window again1  did not answer   

for a little while4 ,at length she said3
 #8,archie1 while  there is yet time1   
before you see your father to-morrow1 ,i
 beg of you  once more seriously to     
consider the position in which you will 
place  yourself by refusing to break off
 your engagement with my sister4 ,that  
,sir ,william will sanction your        
marriage with ,clarice1 ,i do not for   
one  moment believe4 ,what father in his
 position would8'    ,archie1 when he   
burst into the room1 had omitted to     
close the door  behind him4 ,it was now 
pushed a little further open1 and1      
unperceived  by either of the others1   
,clarice1 dressed for walking1 stepped  
into the  room4    #8,naturally1 he must
 have far higher1 far more ambitious    
views for his  only son1' continued     
,madame ,de ,vigne4 #8,as the world     
goes1 he would be  greatly to blame if  
he had not4 ,so1 ,archie1' she said1 as 
she took both  his hands in hers1 #8when
 you leave us to-night1 ,i wish you     
clearly  to understand that you go away 

unfettered by a tie or engagement of    
any kind4 ,you go away as free and      
untrammelled as you were that sunny     
afternoon when you first set eyes on my 
sister4 ,i speak both for  ,clarice and 
myself4'    ,here ,clarice came quickly 
forward4 #8,yes--yes1 dear ,archie1 that
 is so1'  she exclaimed4 #8,you are free
 from this hour4 ,i--,i shall never     
cease to  think of you1 but that won't  
matter to any one but myself4'          
#8,upon my word1 ,i'm very much obliged 
to both of you1' answered ,archie1  who 
was now holding a hand of each4 #8,i    
don't know whether to laugh or  be      
angry4 ,a nice1 low1 mean opinion you   
must have formed of ,archie  ,ridsdale1 
if you think he's the sort of fellow to 
act in the way you  suggest4' ,then     
turning to ,clarice1 he said3           
#8,darling1 when you first  told me that
 you loved me1 you believed me to be a  
poor man--poor in  pocket and poor in   
prospects4 ,that made no difference in  
your feelings  towards me4 ,there was   

then no question of a rich father coming
 between  us--and ,i vow that neither he
 nor any one else in the world shall    
come  between us6 ,i love and honour my 
father as much as any son can do2 but   
this is one of those supreme questions  
which each man must decide for          
himself4'    #8,i have said my say--the 
raven has croaked its croak1' said      
,madame ,de  ,vigne with a little shrug1
 as she crossed to the other side of the
  room4 #8,you are a wilful1 headstrong 
boy1 and ,i suppose you must be  allowed
 to ruin yourself in your own way4'     
#8,ruin1 indeed6' exclaimed ,archie as  
he drew ,clarice to him4 #8,i don't  in 
the least care who looks upon me as a   
ruin1 so long as this sweet  flower     
clings to me and twines its tendrils    
round my heart6' ,and with  that he     
stooped and kissed the fair young face  
that was gazing so  lovingly into his   
own4    #8,ah--boys and girls--girls and
 boys--you are the same all the world   
over1'  said ,madame ,de ,vigne with a  

sigh4    #8,and you won't be able to go 
to the picnic to-morrow1' remarked      
,clarice  plaintively4    ,nanette      
appeared4 #8,the carriage is at the     
door1 sir4 ,the driver says he  has only
 just time to catch the train4'         
#8,i'm going to the station1 dear1 to   
see ,archie off1' said ,clarice to  her 
sister4    #8,good-bye--for a little    
while1' said ,archie1 as he took ,madame
 ,de  ,vigne's hand4 #8,the moment ,i   
have any news1 you shall hear from me2  
and  in any case1 you will see me back  
before we are many days older4'         
#8,good-bye--and good-bye4 ,above all   
things1 don't forget the love and       
obedience you owe your father1 and      
remember--the moment you choose to      
claim your freedom1 it is yours4'       
#8,ah1 dear ,madame ,de ,vigne'----     
,she interrupted him with a slight      
gesture of her hand4 #8,do not think me 
hard--do not think me unkind4 ,i have to
 remember that ,i am this girl's  sister
 and mother in one4'    #8,but'----     

#8,not another word4' ,she took his head
 in both her hands and drew it  towards 
her1 and kissed him on the forehead4    
#8,bon voyage6 ,dieu vous  protge4 ,the 
prayers of two women will go with you4' 
,there was a tear in ,archie's eye as he
 turned away4 ,nanette was  standing by 
the open door4 ,a moment later1 and the 
young people were  gone4    ,madame ,de 
,vigne stepped out into the veranda and 
waved her handkerchief  as the carriage 
drove off4    #8,he will marry her      
whether ,sir ,william gives his consent 
or not1' she  mused4 #8,he is in youth's
 glad spring-tide1 when the world is    
full of  sunshine1 and the dragons that 
beset the ways of life seem put there   
only to be fought and overcome4         
,well--let me but see my darling's      
happiness assured1 and ,i think that ,i 
can bear without murmuring  whatever    
,fate may have in store for myself4'    
,she stepped back into  the room1 and as
 she did so1 ,nanette opened the door   
once more and  announced--#8,colonel    

,woodruffe4'    ,a slight tremor shook  
,madame ,de ,vigne from head to foot4   
,she drew a  long breath1 and advanced a
 step or two to meet the colonel as he  
entered the room4    #8,i told you that 
,i should come1' said ,colonel          
,woodruffe1 with a rich  glow on his    
face as he went forward and held out his
 hand4    #8,and you are here1' answered
 ,madame ,de ,vigne1 who had suddenly   
turned  very pale4    #8,did you not    
expect me8'    #8,yes1' she answered1 as
 for a moment she looked him full in the
 eyes4    ,she sat down on an ottoman1  
and the colonel drew up a chair a little
  distance away4 ,he was a tall1        
well-built1 soldier-like man1 some      
thirty-eight or forty years old4        
#8,you know the purpose that has brought
 me8' he asked4    #8,i have not        
forgotten4'    #8,two months ago ,i had 
the temerity to ask you a certain       
question4 ,i1  who had come to judge    
you1 if needs were to condemn1 had ended
 by  losing my heart to the only woman  

,i had ever met who had power to  drag  
it out of my own safe keeping4 ,you     
rejected my suit4 ,i left you4  ,time   
went on1 but ,i found it impossible to  
forget you4 ,at length ,i  determined   
again to put my fortune to the proof4   
,it was a forlorn hope1  but ,i am an   
old soldier1 and ,i would not despair4  
,once more ,i told you  all that ,i had 
told you before2 once more ,i put the   
same question to  you4 ,this time you   
did not say ,no1 but neither did you say
 ,yes4 ,to-day  ,i have come for your   
answer4' ,he drew his chair a little    
closer and  took one of her hands4      
#8,mora1 do not say that your answer    
to-day will  be the same as it was      
before--do not say that you can never   
learn to  care for me4'    ,she had     
listened with bent head and downcast    
eyes4 ,she now disengaged  her hand1    
rose1 crossed to the window1 and then   
came back4 ,she was  evidently much     
perturbed4 #8,what shall ,i say8 what   
shall ,i say8' she  asked half aloud4   

,the colonel overheard her and started  
to his feet4 #8,let me tell you  what to
 say6' he exclaimed4    ,she held up her
 hand4 #8,one moment1' she said4 ,then  
she motioned to him  to be seated1 and  
herself sat down again4    #8,has it    
never occurred to you1' she began1 #8to 
ask yourself how much or  how little you
 really know about the woman whom you   
are so desirous  of making your wife8   
,three months ago you had not even      
learnt my name1  and now--even now1 how 
much more do you know respecting me and 
my  antecedents than you knew the first 
day you met me8'    #8,i know that ,i   
love you4 ,i ask to know nothing more4' 
#8,you would take me upon trust8'       
#8,try me4'    ,she shook her head a    
little sadly4 #8,it is not the way of   
the world4'    #8,this is a matter with 
which the world has nothing to do4'     
#8,colonel ,woodruffe--,i have a ,past4'
    #8,so have all of us who are no     
longer boys or girls4'    #8,it is only 
right that you should know the history  

of that ,past4'    #8,such knowledge    
could in nowise influence me4 ,it is    
with the present  and the future only   
that ,i have to do4'    #8,it is of the 
future that ,i am now thinking4'        
#8,pardon me if ,i scarcely follow you4'
    #8,how shall ,i express to you what 
,i wish to convey8' ,she rose1 crossed  
to the table1 and taking up a book1     
began to turn its leaves carelessly     
over1 evidently scarcely knowing what   
she was about4 #8,if--if it so  happened
 that ,i were to accede to your wishes1'
 she said--#8if1 in short1  ,i were to  
become your wife--and at some future    
time1 by some strange  chance1 some     
incident or fact connected with my past 
life1 of which  you knew nothing1 and of
 which you had no previous suspicion1   
were to  come to your knowledge1 would  
you not have a right to complain that ,i
  had deceived you8 that ,i had kept    
silence when ,i ought to have spoken8   
that--that'----    #8,mora--,mora1 if   
this is all that stands between me and  

your love--between  me and happiness1 it
 is nothing--less than nothing6 ,i vow  
to you'----    #8,stay6' she said1      
coming a step or two nearer to him4     
#8,do not think  that ,i fail to        
appreciate your generosity or the       
chivalrous kindness  which prompts you  
to speak as you do4 ,but--,i am thinking
 of myself as  well as of you4 ,if such 
a thing as ,i have spoken of were to    
happen1  although your affection for me 
might be in nowise changed thereby1     
with what feelings should ,i afterwards 
regard myself8 ,i should despise        
myself1 and justly so1 to the last day  
of my life4'    #8,no--no6 ,believe me1 
you are fighting a shadow that has no   
substance  behind it4 ,i tell you again1
 and ,i will tell you so a hundred      
times1  if need be1 that with your ,past
 ,i have nothing whatever to do4 ,my    
heart tells me in accents not to be     
mistaken that you are a pure and        
noble-minded woman4 ,what need a man    
care to know more8'    #8,i should fail 

to be all that you believe me to be1    
were ,i not to  oppose you in this      
matter even against your own wishes4'   
#8,do you not believe in me8 ,can you   
not trust me8'    #8,oh1 yes--yes6 ,i   
believe in you1 and trust you as only a 
woman can  believe and trust4 ,it is the
 unknown future and what may be hidden  
in it1 that ,i dread4' ,she crossed to  
the chimney-piece1 took up the  letter1 
gazed at it for a moment1 and then went 
back with it in her  hand4 #8,since you 
were here five days ago1 ,i have written
 this--written  it for you to read4 ,it 
is the life-history of a most unhappy   
woman4 ,it  is a story that till now has
 been a secret between the dead and     
myself4  ,but to you it must now be     
told1 because--because--oh6 you know    
why4 ,take  it--read it2 and if after   
that you choose to come to me--then'----
    ,not a word more could she say4 ,she
 put the letter into his hand1 and      
turning abruptly away1 crossed to the   
window1 but she saw nothing for  the    

blinding mist of tears that filled her  
eyes4    ,colonel ,woodruffe1 with his  
gaze fixed on the letter1 stood for a   
moment or two turning it over and over  
in his fingers4 ,then he crossed  to the
 fireplace4 ,in a stand on the          
chimney-piece were some vesta  matches4 
,he took one1 lighted it1 and with it   
set fire to the letter1  which he held  
by one corner till it was consumed4     
,madame ,de ,vigne had  turned and was  
watching him with wide-staring eyes4    
#88,let the dead ,past bury its dead10' 
said the colonel gravely1 as the  ashes 
dropped from his fingers into the grate4
 #8,your secret shall  remain a secret  
still4'    #8',tis done6 ,i can struggle
 no longer1' said ,madame ,de ,vigne to 
herself4    ,the colonel crossed to her 
and took one of her hands4 #8,nothing   
can come  between us now1' he said4     
#8,now you are all my own4'    ,he drew 
her to him and touched her lips with    
his4 ,all her face flushed  rosy red1   
and into her eyes there sprang a light  

of love and tenderness  such as he had  
never seen in them before4 ,never had he
 seen her look  so beautiful as at that 
moment4 ,he led her back to the ottoman 
and sat  down beside her4    #8,tell me1
 dearest1' he said1 #8am ,i the same man
 who came into this room  a quarter of  
an hour ago--doubting1 fearing1 almost  
despairing8'    #8,yes1 the same4'      
#8,i began to be afraid that ,i had been
 changed into somebody else4 ,well1  now
 that the skirmish is over1 now that the
 fortress has capitulated1  suppose we  
settle the terms of victory4 ,how soon  
are we to be married8'    #8,married6   
,you take my breath away4 ,you might be 
one of those  freebooters of the middle 
ages who used to hang their prisoners   
the  moment they caught them4'    #8,we 
are prepared to grant the prisoner a    
reasonable time to make her  peace with 
the world4'    ,madame ,de ,vigne laid a
 hand gently on his sleeve4 #8,dear     
friend1 let us  talk of this another    
time1' she said4    #8,another time then

 let it be1' he answered as he lifted   
her hand to his  lips4 #8,meanwhile'----
    #8,yes1 meanwhile8'    #8,i may as  
well proceed to give you a few lessons  
in the art of making  love4'    #8,it   
may be that the pupil knows as much of  
such matters as her teacher4'    #8,that
 has to be proved4 ,you shall have your 
first lesson to-morrow4'    #8,merci1   
monsieur4'    #8,by ,jove6 talking about
 to-morrow reminds me of something ,i   
had nearly  forgotten4' ,he started to  
his feet and pulled out his watch4      
#8,now that  you have made me the       
happiest fellow in ,england1 ,i must    
leave you for a  little while4'         
#8,leave me8' she exclaimed as she rose 
to her feet4    #8,only for a few hours4
 ,on my arrival here ,i found a telegram
 from my  brother4 ,he has been staying 
at ,derwent ,hall1 near ,grasmere4      
,to-morrow  he starts for ,ireland4 ,we 
have some family matters to arrange4 ,if
 ,i  don't see him to-night1 we may not 
meet again for months4 ,i'm sorry at    

having to go1 but you won't mind my     
leaving you till to-morrow8'    #8,can  
you ask8 ,do you know1 ,i'm rather glad 
you are going4'    #8,why glad8'        
#8,because it will give me time to think
 over all that has happened this        
evening4 ,i--,i feel as if ,i want to be
 alone4 ,you are not a woman1 and  can't
 understand such things4'    ,again his 
arm stole round her waist4 ,the clock on
 the mantel-piece  struck the hour4     
,mora disengaged herself4 #8,twilight   
seems to have come  all at once1' she   
said4 #8,you will have a dark drive4 ,it
 is time for you  to go4'    #8,more's  
the pity4'    #8,to-morrow will soon be 
here2 which reminds me that we have     
arranged  for a picnic to-morrow at     
,high ,ghyll ,force4'    #8,you will be 
there8'    #8,clarice and ,miss         
,gaisford have induced me to promise4'  
#8,if ,i should happen to drive round   
that way on my return1 should ,i be     
looked upon as an intruder8'    #8,as if
 you didn't know differently from that6'

    #8,then possibly you may see me4'   
#8,i shall expect you without fail4'    
#8,in that case ,i will not fail4--,my  
driver will be wondering what has       
become of me4'    #8,good-night1' said  
,mora impulsively4    #8,harold1' he    
said softly4    #8,harold--dear         
,harold6' she answered4    #8,my name   
never sounded so sweet before1'         
exclaimed the colonel as1 with  a       
parting embrace1 the gallant wooer      
quitted the apartment4    #8,heaven     
bless you1 my dearest one6' she murmured
 as the door closed4  ,then she sank on 
to a seat and wept silently to herself  
for several  minutes4 ,after a time she 
proceeded to dry her eyes4 #8,what      
bundles of  contradictions we women are6
 ,we cry when we are in trouble1 and we 
cry  when we are glad4'    ,nanette came
 in1 carrying a lighted lamp4 ,she was  
about to close the  windows and draw the
 curtains1 but her mistress stopped her4
 ,after the  hot day1 the evening seemed
 too fresh and beautiful to be shut out4

  ,nanette turned down the flame of the 
lamp till it seemed little more  than a 
glowworm in the dusk1 and then left the 
room4    #8,how lonely ,i feel1 now that
 he has gone1' said ,mora2 #8but        
to-morrow  will bring him               
again--to-morrow6'    ,she crossed to   
the piano and struck a few notes in a   
minor key4 ,then  she rose and went to  
the window4 #8,music has no charms for  
me to-night1'  she said4 #8,i cannot    
read--,i cannot work--,i cannot do      
anything4 ,what  strange restlessness is
 this that possesses me8' ,there was a  
canary in  a cage hanging near the      
window4 ,it chirruped to her as if      
wishful of  being noticed4 #8,ah1 my    
pretty ,dick1' she said1 #8you are      
always happy so  long as you have plenty
 of seed and water4 ,i can whisper my   
secret to  you1 and you will never tell 
it again1 will you8 ,dick--he loves     
me--he  loves me--he loves me6 ,and ,i  
love him1 oh1 so dearly1 ,dick6'    ,she
 went back to the piano and played a few

 bars2 but being still beset  by the    
same feeling of restlessness1 she       
presently found her way again  to the   
window4 ,on the lawn outside1 the dusk  
was deepening4 ,the trees  stood out    
massive and solemn against the evening  
sky1 but the more  distant features of  
the landscape were lost in obscurity4   
,how lonely  it seemed6 ,there was not a
 sound anywhere4 ,doubtless1 several    
windows  of the hotel were lighted up1  
but from where ,mora was standing they  
were not visible4 ,dinner was still in  
progress2 as soon as it should  be over1
 the lawn would become alive with       
figures1 idling1 flirting1  smoking1    
seated under the trees1 or promenading  
slowly to and fro4  ,at present1        
however1 the lady had the whole solemn1 
lovely scene to  herself4    ,she stood 
gazing out of the window for some       
minutes without moving1  looking in her 
white dress in the evening dusk like a  
statue chiselled  out of snowy marble4  
#8,my heart ought to beat with          

happiness1' she inwardly communed2 #8but
 it  is filled with a vague dread of    
something--,i know not what--a fear that
  has no name4 ,yet what have ,i to     
fear8 ,nothing--nothing6 ,my secret is  
still my own1 and the grave tells no    
tales4'    ,suddenly a breath of air    
swept up from the lake and shook the    
curtains4  ,she looked round the dim    
room with a shudder4 ,the tiny tongue of
 flame  from the lamp only served1 as it
 were1 to make darkness visible4 ,she   
made a step forward1 and then drew back4
 ,the room seemed full of  weird        
shadows4 ,was there not something in    
that corner8 ,it was like a  crouching  
figure1 all in black1 waiting to spring 
upon her6 ,and that  curtain--it seemed 
as if grasped by a hidden hand6 ,what if
 some one were  hiding there6    ,she   
sank into the nearest chair and pressed 
her fingers to her eyes4                
#8,no--no--no6' she murmured4 #8,these  
are only my own foolish imaginings4 ,o  
,harold1 ,harold6 why did you leave me8'

    ,next moment the silence was broken 
by the faint1 far-away sound of a  horn1
 playing a slow1 sweet air4 ,mora lifted
 her head and listened4    #8,music on  
the lake4 ,how sweet it sounds4 ,it has 
broken the spell that  held me4 ,it     
seems like the voice of a friend calling
 through the  darkness4 ,i will walk    
down to the edge of the water4 ,the cool
 air from  the hills will do me good4'  
,there was a black lace scarf hanging   
over the arm of a couch2 she took  it up
 and draped it over her head and round  
her throat and shoulders4  ,her foot was
 on the threshold1 she was in the act of
 stepping out into  the veranda1 when   
she heard a voice outside speaking to   
some other  person4 ,the instant she    
heard it she shrank back as though      
petrified  with horror4    #8,that      
voice6 ,can the grave give up its dead8'
 she whispered as though  she were      
asking the question of some one4        
,next moment the figures of two men1 one
 walking a little way behind  the other1

 became distinctly outlined against the 
evening sky as they  advanced up the    
sloping pathway from the lake4 ,the     
first of the two men  was smoking1 the  
second was carrying some articles of    
luggage4    ,the first man came to a    
halt nearly opposite the windows of     
,madame  de ,vigne's sitting-room4      
,turning to the second man1 he said1    
with a  pronounced ,french accent3      
#8,take my luggage into the hotel4 ,i   
will stay  here a little while and      
smoke4'    ,the second man passed       
forward out of sight4 ,the first man1   
still  standing on the same spot1 took  
out another cigar1 struck a match1  and 
proceeded to light it4 ,for a moment by 
the light of the match his  features    
were plainly visible2 next moment all   
was darkness again4    ,but ,madame ,de 
,vigne1 crouching behind the curtains of
 the dimly lighted  room1 had seen      
enough to cause her heart to die within 
her4    #8,the grave has given up its   
dead6 ,it is he6' her blanched lips     

murmured4    ,some minutes later1       
,clarice ,loraine1 on going into the    
sitting-room1  found her sister on the  
floor in a dead faint4          ,,an    
,,educational ,,pioneer4      ,it would 
be difficult to find a more unique or   
more interesting  educational body than 
the so-called ,brothers of the          
,christian ,schools4  ,founded some two 
hundred years ago by the venerable ,john
 ,baptist de la  ,salle1 on lines which 
the best schools of to-day have not     
hesitated  to adopt1 the influence of   
this ,institute has spread over all the 
civilised1 and even to some regions of  
the uncivilised world4 ,its  extension  
to ,great ,britain is but of recent     
date1 and only seven  schools have as   
yet been inaugurated4 ,the thoroughness 
and practical  value of the instruction 
given are mainly due to a strict        
adherence to  the #8object' lesson      
principle4    ,hitherto1 we have been   
accustomed to associate this with the   
,kindergarten ideas of ,pestalozzi and  

,froebel2 but although their  efforts to
 lighten the intellectual labours of the
 young were mainly  instrumental in     
bringing #8playwork' to its present     
perfection1  recent researches have     
shown that the venerable ,dr de la      
,salle in  his educational plan strongly
 urged that pupils should be taken to   
exhibitions and so forth1 where their   
masters could give practical            
illustrations of special studies4       
,zoological or botanical gardens  were  
in this way to be visited1 that the uses
 and benefits of certain  animals or    
plants might be demonstrated2 and school
 museums1 herbaria1  geological1        
mineralogical1 and other collections    
were afterwards to be  formed by the    
pupils themselves4 ,and not only did ,de
 la ,salle institute  object-teaching1  
but he was also the first to introduce  
class methods4  ,before his time1       
children were for the most part taught  
individually1  or1 where this was not   
so1 large numbers were collected in one 

room1  each in turn going to the teacher
 to have separate instruction1 whilst   
the others were allowed to remain idle1 
free to torment one another or  the     
little victim at the master's table4    
,great care was taken by ,de la  ,salle 
in examining and placing the children   
committed to his care in  the classes   
best fitted for them2 and the success of
 his method was  so great1 that the     
numerous schools opened by the ,brothers
 under his  direction soon became       
overcrowded4    ,his great object was to
 reach the poor1 and to train them to a 
knowledge of a holy life and an         
independent livelihood4 ,the opposition 
he met with was at times very great4    
,the ire of professional                
writing-masters was first aroused2 the  
poor had necessarily been  debarred from
 learning to write1 because only the    
well-to-do could  afford the stipulated 
fees1 and writing-masters were therefore
 employed  to do all the correspondence 
of those who could not write4 ,so1 when 

,de  la ,salle undertook to teach every 
child who came to him what had been  in 
some senses a secret art1 their fury    
vented itself in an opposition  so      
overpowering that they drove the        
,brothers from their schools in  ,paris 
and threw their furniture into the      
streets4 ,the opposition was  only      
temporary1 however2 and as time passed1 
fresh schools were opened1  not only in 
,france and her colonies1 but in every  
,european country1 and  many parts of   
,america1 as well as in one or two      
districts of ,asia and  ,africa4    ,the
 ,institute of the ,brothers of the     
,christian ,schools1 though  nominally  
,roman ,catholic1 is truly catholic in  
its widest sense1 for1  besides         
admitting children of every religious   
denomination1 secular  learning is      
admirably provided for4 ,their greatest 
successes have  perhaps been achieved in
 the art of writing and drawing1 as     
applied  to all technical industries and
 art products4 ,one illustration of the 

results of their method of teaching     
writing in a remote region where  the   
pupils are not the easiest to train1 may
 be cited as an example4  ,when the     
treaty of commerce between ,france and  
,madagascar in #ahfh was  about to be   
signed1 ,queen ,ranavalona was much     
struck by the beautiful  caligraphy of  
the copy presented to her by the        
,chancellor of the ,french  ,consulate1 
and she determined that hers should not 
be inferior4 ,the  pupils in all the    
chief schools in the island furnished   
examples of  handwriting to the queen's 
prime-minister1 but without satisfying  
her  taste4 ,at last1 an officer who had
 seen the ,brothers' schools suggested  
that one of their pupils should compete4
 ,a young boy1 ,marc ,rabily-,kely1     
sent in some beautiful specimens of     
different styles of writing2 and  the   
copying of the treaty was at once       
intrusted to him4 ,when the two  copies 
were presented side by side1 a murmur of
 applause went round  at the sight of   

,queen ,ranavalona's copy1 and all cried
 out3 #8,resy ny  vasoha' 7,the whites  
are beaten74 ,this is only one instance 
among many1  and shows how much can be  
done by systematic training in the art  
of  writing1 a subject much neglected in
 the majority of schools4    ,but ,de la
 ,salle did not stop short at educating 
the poor2 he was  the first to found    
training colleges for masters1 and the  
first to  institute regular             
boarding-schools in which everything    
relating to  commerce1 finance1 military
 engineering1 architecture1 and         
mathematics  was taught1 and in which   
trades could be learned4 ,besides these1
 he  founded an institution in which    
agriculture was taught as a science4    
,at ,st ,yon1 where the first           
agricultural school was started1 a large
  garden was devoted to the culture of  
specimens of fodder-plants1  injurious  
plants1 grain1 plants peculiar to       
certain soils1 fruits and  flowers4 ,the
 students of to-day study all this1 and 

in addition to  working on model farms1 
visit all the best farms around1 are    
sent with  special professors to attend 
certain markets and sales of live-stock1
  and have special field-days for       
practically studying botany1 geology1   
and entomology4 ,the innovations        
introduced by ,de la ,salle extended  to
 other matters than practical education4
 ,before ,french boys in his  day were  
allowed to study their own language1    
they were obliged to  learn to read     
,latin1 and thus years were sometimes   
spent in acquiring  a certain facility  
in reading a language they never        
understood4 ,de la  ,salle changed all  
this1 in spite of repeated opposition1  
and succeeded  in making the vernacular 
tongue the basis of their teaching      
instead of  ,latin4 ,owing to this      
change1 the poor scholars progressed    
much more  rapidly than those in other  
schools1 and the ,brothers' ,institutes 
were  soon far ahead of all the         
elementary schools of their day4 ,the   

way in  which they have held their      
position even till to-day is shown by   
the  results of the public examinations 
in ,paris during the last thirty-five   
years4 ,out of sixteen hundred and      
thirty-five scholarships offered  during
 this time1 pupils of these schools have
 obtained thirteen  hundred and sixteen4
 ,this in itself is an enormous         
proportion2 but  it is even greater than
 it appears1 when we consider that      
seculars  had more schools1 fewer pupils
 per teacher1 and thus a better chance  
to advance the individual scholar1 and  
as a rule1 a richer class of  scholars  
to select from4 ,these scholarship      
examinations have recently  been        
discontinued1 though not until after the
 ,brothers' pupils were  excluded from  
competition in consequence of the       
so-called #8laicisation'  of schools in 
#ahhj1 after which the ,brothers of     
,paris gave up their  government schools
 and opened voluntary ones4    ,the     
whole educational scheme of ,de la      

,salle was admirably complete2  but     
perhaps the most interesting feature of 
the whole--now that we  are familiarised
 with his systems for teaching special  
subjects by  their spread in their      
original or a modified form to most     
,european  countries--was his very      
simple plan for enforcing discipline4   
,he was  always loath to believe        
unfavourable accounts of any pupil1 and 
in  the first place took pains to       
discover whether the failings were the  
result of the misdirection of those in  
authority or of the pupil's  own        
wilfulness4 ,when there was evidently a 
necessity for punishment1  the culprit  
was put in a quiet and fairly           
comfortable cell4 ,once shut  in alone1 
his notice was attracted to stands      
obviously intended for  flowers1 to     
empty cages and other things which      
reminded the little  prisoner that there
 were good and beautiful enjoyments for 
those who  deserved them4 ,one of the   
first questions the boys generally asked

  was why there were nails for pictures1
 cages for birds1 c41 and yet  neither  
pictures nor birds4 ,in answer1 they    
were told that as they  improved they   
would be supplied with all these good   
things2 that if  they left off using    
profane or bad language1 a bird would be
 put in the  cage2 that as soon as they 
became industrious and worked well1     
their  prison vases would be adorned    
with flowers2 that when they            
acknowledged  their previous            
wrong-doing1 pleasant pictures would be 
hung on the  panels2 that when their    
repentance was seen to be sincere1 they 
would  rejoin their schoolfellows2 and  
that in time they would be allowed to   
go back to their families4    ,the      
system worked so well1 and is still     
found to succeed so thoroughly1  that it
 is almost a wonder it has not become   
more general4 ,it has  certainly many   
advantages over the plan of giving boys 
so many hundred  lines to write1 which  
is a mere task1 soon forgotten1 and     

benefiting  no one4 ,but as there are   
only seven schools1 and those of very   
recent  foundation1 in ,england1 we may 
perhaps still have to wait before       
hearing that this discipline is at all  
general4 ,in the meantime1 all          
interested in the training of the young 
might derive valuable hints  from       
studying this and other methods         
initiated by the pioneer of  popular    
education not only in ,france1 but in   
all ,europe4          ,,the ,,missing   
,,clue4    ,a ,,tale ,,of ,,the ,,fens4 
,,chapter ,i4--,,the ,,arrival ,,at     
,,the #8,,saxonford ,,arms4'    ,if any 
misanthropic subject of ,his ,most      
,gracious ,majesty ,king ,george  ,,ii4 
had wished to withdraw himself from the 
bustle of public life and  turn recluse 
in real good earnest1 he could scarcely 
have chosen a  district more likely to  
suit his retiring taste than the country
 in the  vicinity of ,saxonford4        
,scarcely aspiring to the dignity of a  
village1  the place so named was merely 

a cluster of cottages formed upon the   
edge of a rough highway leading         
apparently to nowhere4 ,in ancient      
times this spot had been of somewhat    
more importance1 for it was here  that a
 religious house of no inconsiderable   
size had flourished4 ,but  those days   
had long passed away2 and in #agde the  
only remnant of the  monastery which    
survived the depredations committed by  
man and the  all-effacing hand of ,time 
was a gray skeleton tower1 a silent     
witness  to its departed conventual     
magnificence4 ,being erected1 as was    
usually  the case with fen settlements1 
upon a rise of comparatively high land1 
the remains commanded a view of an      
almost unbroken horizon4 ,standing  at  
some distance from the hamlet which had 
arisen round the monastic  ruin was a   
quaint dilapidated structure1 known to  
the scattered natives  of those parts as
 the ,saxonford ,arms4 ,whatever might  
have been the  causes that induced the  
architect to build such an inn--for it  

was  by no means a small one--in so     
lonely a part1 must remain a matter  of 
conjecture4 ,a visitor was almost       
unknown at the old inn4 ,there  it      
stood1 weather-beaten and time-worn as  
the gray old tower which  overlooked it1
 and much more likely to tumble down1 if
 the truth be  told4    ,at the time we 
speak of1 the scene appeared unusually  
calm and  beautiful1 for the day was    
drawing to an end1 and it was close upon
  sunset1 a period which is seldom seen 
to so much advantage as in the          
low-lying districts of the fens4 ,the   
weather had been unusually hot1  and the
 sinking sun shed a warm glow over a    
tract of well-browned  country1 making  
its rich hues seem richer still4 ,in the
 glassy water of  the river1 the vivid  
sky was reflected as in a mirror1 while 
the tall  tops of the sedge-rushes that 
bordered it were scarcely stirred by a  
breath of air4 ,a rotten timber bridge1 
which might have been erected in  the   
time of ,hereward1 spanned the stream at

 a short distance from the  old inn2    
crossing this1 the road dipped down and 
led the way between  patches of black   
peat1 cultivated land1 and unreclaimed  
watery morass1  straight towards the    
south4    ,a small party of strong      
sunburnt fen labourers were seated on   
the rough  benches in front of mine     
host's ancient house of entertainment1  
some of  them swarthy1 black-bearded    
men1 others with light tawny hair and   
blue  eyes4 ,true types of the hardy    
race were they2 their strong1 uncovered 
brown arms1 which had all day long been 
working under a baking sun1  upon a     
shadeless flat1 telling a tale of sinewy
 power that came not a  jot under the   
renowned strength of their mighty       
ancestors4 ,mine host  himself1 a       
ruddy-faced man of middle age1 was there
 too1 smoking a long  well-coloured     
pipe1 and gazing in a thoughtful way    
across the long  stretch of fen1 over   
which the shades of night were steadily 
creeping4    #8,what be ye gaping at1   

master8' quoth one of the brawny        
labourers1 as  the landlord shaded his  
eyes with his hand and endeavoured to   
make out  some indistinct object4       
#8,what're ye looking after1 ,hobb8'    
asked another one in a bantering  tone4 
#8,can't ye believe your own eyes1 man8'
    #8,nay1 ,swenson1 ,i can't1'        
returned mine host1 lowering his hand   
and  turning to the person who addressed
 him4 #8,i want a good pair sadly4'     
#8,you're like to get 'em staring over  
the fen in that way1 my boy6'  remarked 
,swenson with a hoarse laugh4    #8,lend
 me your eyes here1 ,harold1' went on   
the innkeeper4 #8,take a squint  across 
that bank and tell me what you see4'    
#8,what be the good o' askin' me8'      
returned the man4 #8,i can't tell a     
barn-door from a peat-stack at fifty    
yards' distance4'    #8,i'll tell ye1   
,dipping1' cried a young sunburnt giant1
 starting up from  the bench on which he
 had been sitting4 #8,where is't8'      
#8,you see yon tall willow8'    #8,him  

as sticks up there by the dike8'        
#8,ay4 ,look out there to the left o'   
it1 across the fen1 and tell me what  ye
 see4'    ,the fellow's blue eyes were  
directed with an earnest gaze towards   
the  distant spot which the landlord    
pointed out2 and then he turned sharply 
round and exclaimed3 #8,it be two       
horsemen4'    #8,are ye sure8' asked    
mine host1 as he bent his brows and     
vainly tried  to make out the far-off   
speck4    #8,quite sure1' was the reply4
 #8,they're coming up the road by the   
old  ,north ,lode4--,there2 now they're 
passing ,one ,man's ,mill4'    #8,i see 
'em6' exclaimed ,swenson1 pointing      
towards a solitary windmill1  the jagged
 sails of which formed a slight break in
 the long line of  misty flatness4      
#8,perchance they be travellers1 and    
will want beds for the night1' said     
mine host1 roused to action by the mere 
possibility of such an event  occurring4
 #8,i will see that the place is got    
ready for them4'    #8,hobb ,dipping is 

soon counting his chickens1' remarked   
one of the  uncouth fenmen1 laughing1 as
 the landlord of the ,saxonford ,arms   
disappeared4    #8,ay1 it's like him all
 over1' rejoined ,swenson1 while he     
gathered up  some implements and        
prepared to go4--#8,are ye coming with  
me1 ,harold8'    #8,no1 my boy2 ,i'm    
agoing to stop and see who yon horsemen 
may be4 ,news  are scarce in these      
parts4 ,if you're off now1 why1         
good-night to ye4'    ,swenson nods1    
bids the man good-night1 and then       
strides off in the  direction of the old
 gray tower4 ,the major part of the     
loiterers go  with him2 but three or    
four still linger1 looking along the    
misty road1  and waiting as if in       
expectation of something4    ,a light up
 in one of the windows of the inn tells 
that ,hobb ,dipping  is preparing his   
best room for the reception of the      
approaching  travellers1 in case it     
should be needed2 and a savoury smell of
 hot  meat which issues forth through   

the open doorway of the hostel makes    
the few hungry watchers that remain feel
 inclined to seek their own             
supper-tables4 ,at length mine host has 
finished his task1 and the most         
presentable apartment that the house    
contains is ready for instant           
occupation if necessary4 ,honest ,hobb  
,dipping gazes wistfully out of a       
rickety diamond-paned window1 and thinks
 that his labour must have been  in     
vain4 ,the moon is rising from the      
shadow of a thick bank of vapour1  its  
dim red outline as yet but faintly seen 
through the misty cloud4  ,it is getting
 late2 the travellers must have passed  
by the bridge1 and  ridden along the    
flood-bank4 #8,if they know not the way 
well1' mutters  ,dipping to himself1    
#8they'll lose themselves in the fen for
 certain4 ,an  awkward path that be1    
specially binight1 with a damp fog      
rising4'    ,at this moment1 a clatter  
of horses' hoofs breaks the silence1 and
  two horsemen canter over the shaky    

timber bridge and draw up in front  of  
the old inn4 ,mine host bustles about   
shouting a number of confused           
directions2 the one youthful domestic   
which the place boasts of running       
helplessly to and fro and doing nothing4
 ,the foremost rider1 suddenly  leaping 
from his horse1 strides into the inn1   
and flings himself into a  chair1       
ordering a private room and supper to be
 made ready at once4    ,honest ,dipping
 hurries about1 unused to strangers of  
distinction1  bringing in liquor and    
glasses1 meat1 platters and knives1     
besides a  quantity of other things that
 are not wanted1 the stranger meanwhile 
having taken possession of the room     
up-stairs which had been hurriedly      
prepared for him4    ,presently follows 
the gentleman's servant1 a short        
muscular fellow1  with a sullen1        
lowering countenance2 and a short       
conversation takes  place between the   
man and his master4    #8,are the horses
 put up1 ,derrick8'    #8,yes1 sir4'    

#8,and the pistols8'    #8,here they    
are1 ,sir ,carnaby4'    #8,loaded1 of   
course8'    #8,ay1 sir1 both of them4'  
#8,right6 ,now1 what think you of this  
part8 ,is it not quiet enough for  us8  
,i never was in such a dead-alive       
wilderness before2 and taking that  into
 consideration1 ,i fancy it is possible 
to last out a few days even  in this    
ghastly shanty4 ,after that1 ,i shall   
ride to ,lynn and take ship1  for1 as ,i
 live1 the country is getting too hot to
 hold me4'    ,derrick gave vent to a   
sound resembling a grunt1 and muttered a
 few  words containing seemingly some   
disparaging reference to the #8king over
  the water4'    #8,hush1 you fool6'    
exclaimed his master in a low whisper2  
#8you should  know better than to speak 
of what does not concern you4 ,be wise1 
and  hold your tongue4'    #8,your      
pardon1 ,sir ,carnaby1' replied         
,derrick2 #8it shall not be spoken of   
again4'    #8,and mind1 ,derrick1 in    
case we should be inquired after1 let   

the rustic  boors know that ,i am ,mr   
,morton1 a landowner from somewhere or  
other4  ,you1 ,derrick1 are ,john       
,jones2 so mind and answer to your name4
 ,d'ye  hear8'    ,the attendant's face 
relaxed into a sly grin as he answered3 
#8,i hear1  sir4'    ,the truth is1 ,mr 
,morton--or to call him by his proper   
name1 ,sir  ,carnaby ,vincent--was a    
young baronet of good family1 and       
reputed to  be enormously rich4 ,in     
consequence of his being mixed up in    
some  disturbances occasioned by the    
,jacobite party1 he had found it        
necessary1 at a previous period1 to     
avoid the cognisance of the             
authorities4 ,but a certain nobleman    
having interested himself in  the       
youthful plotter's behalf1 the affair   
was hushed up1 and ,sir  ,carnaby       
returned to society once more4 ,having a
 relish for all kinds  of intrigue1     
besides being of too excitable a        
temperament to exist  long in a state of
 quiet1 the madcap young fellow again   

entered heart  and soul into the        
intrigues of ,prince ,charles'          
followers1 and this  time succeeded only
 too well in attracting notice4 ,a      
warrant was  issued for his             
apprehension2 and ,sir ,carnaby once    
more had to seek  safety in flight1     
taking with him a quantity of valuable  
papers1 and  the blessings of all his   
companions engaged in the perilous      
cause4  ,he was accompanied by only one 
person1 his servant ,derrick1 a rough   
but doggedly faithful retainer1 who had 
followed the fortunes of his  house for 
nearly thirty years4 ,derrick himself   
cared not a jot for the  ,jacobite party
 to which ,sir ,carnaby was so attached2
 his first thought  was to follow his   
master1 and share the dangers which he  
might have  to encounter4 ,their retreat
 from the metropolis was safely         
effected1  much to the satisfaction of  
the baronet1 who was really seriously   
alarmed at this second unlucky          
discovery4 ,from ,london they journeyed 

through ,cambridgeshire1 ,sir ,carnaby's
 plan being to lie quiet for a  few days
 in the heart of the fens1 then         
afterwards proceeding to some  obscure  
seaport on the borders of the ,wash1 to 
take sail for a foreign  land1 where he 
could best forward the fortunes both of 
himself and his  hapless ,prince4       
,,chapter ,,ii4--,,the ,,jacobite4      
#8,where did you place the saddle-bags1 
,derrick8' asked ,sir ,carnaby1 when    
,hobb ,dipping had quitted the old      
wainscoted apartment in which his       
distinguished visitor was about to      
partake of supper4    ,speech was a gift
 which nature had bestowed very         
sparingly upon the  attendant2 moreover1
 he was possessed of a rough1           
unmelodious voice4  ,pointing towards a 
chair in one corner1 he slowly          
ejaculated3 #8,there1  sir--underneath4'
    #8,good6' said ,sir ,carnaby1       
seating himself at the table4--#8,by the
 way1  ,derrick1 ,i think it would be   
just as well to look after the          

innkeeper3  his glances are a trifle too
 curious to please me4 ,when ,i have    
finished  my supper1 you had better     
descend into the public room and try to 
ascertain his opinion of us4'           
#8,right1 sir1' replied the attendant4  
#8,come from behind my chair1 you       
varlet1' said the baronet1 motioning    
him at the same time with his hand4     
#8,draw up to the table and break  your 
fast with me2 we shall gain time by so  
doing4'    ,derrick sat down            
respectfully at the farther end of the  
board1 and  gazed in a thoughtful way at
 a dark patch of sky which could be seen
  through the diamond-shaped panes of   
glass in a window opposite him4         
#8,you seem in no hurry to refresh the  
inner man1' remarked ,sir ,carnaby4     
#8,what are you thinking of1 ,derrick8' 
#8,a dream1 sir4'    #8,a what8'    #8,a
 dream1 sir1' repeated ,derrick--#8one  
,i had last night4'    #8,well1 as your 
mind appears to be somewhat uneasy1'    
remarked ,sir  ,carnaby1 with a slight  

smile playing over his features1 #8,i   
should  recommend open confession as    
being the proper thing to relieve it4'  
#8,there's little enough to tell1 sir1' 
said ,derrick2 #8'twas only a bit  of   
dark sky up there that brought it back  
to me4'    #8,well1' said ,sir ,carnaby 
simply4    #8,it seemed to me1'         
continued the attendant1 #8as if ,i was 
riding alone1  holding your horse by the
 bridle4 ,the moon was up1 and the sky  
looked  the same as it does out there4  
,i can remember now quite plain that ,i 
felt kind of troubled1 but what about1  
,i know just as little as you1  sir4'   
#8,is that the whole story8' asked ,sir 
,carnaby with a laugh4 #8,well1 ,i  can 
tell you1 good ,derrick1 so far as      
riding alone goes1 your prophecy  is    
likely to prove a true one1 though ,i   
certainly don't intend you to  carry off
 my horse with you4--,see here2 this is 
something more important  than a        
heavy-headed dream4 ,you must start     
to-morrow for the ,grange4 ,be  in the  

saddle early1 and don't spare your      
spurs4'    #8,am ,i to go alone1 sir8'  
#8,certainly4 ,the journey has no object
 beyond the delivery of this  letter2   
and as inquiry is sure to be pretty rife
 concerning me1 ,i shall  stay where ,i 
am and await your return4'    ,derrick  
received the sealed envelope which was  
handed to him with a  gruff but         
respectful #8,right1 sir1' and then     
relapsed into his customary  silence4   
#8,i shall leave it to your discretion  
to find out the way1' said ,sir         
,carnaby4 #8,of course you will go      
armed8'    ,the attendant opened his    
coat without speaking and touched the   
hilt of  a stout hanger which he wore at
 his side4    ,sir ,carnaby smiled4     
#8,yes1' he said2 #8you are ready enough
 to play  at blood-letting2 but that    
sort of thing is best avoided4 ,let your
  movements be as quiet and speedy as   
possible2 and when you reach your       
destination1 seek out ,captain ,hollis  
by means of that address4 ,give the     

note into his hands1 then make haste    
back4 ,i shall have other work for  you 
when you return4'    #8,more plots1'    
thought ,derrick1 but he merely uttered 
a grunt and  pocketed the letter4       
#8,this room1' continued the baronet1   
#8seems to be parlour and bedchamber  in
 one4 ,so far well4 ,if there should be 
any occasion to consult me  again before
 you start1 one rap at this door will be
 quite sufficient  to wake me4 ,i am a  
light sleeper4'    #8,anything more1    
sir8'    #8,nothing more to-night2 you  
have all my orders for the              
present4--,good-night1 ,derrick4'       
#8,good-night1 sir4'    ,when the last  
faint clank of ,derrick's boots has     
ceased to ring upon  the staircase1 ,sir
 ,carnaby ,vincent rises and locks the  
door1 glancing  outside first1 to see   
that no one lurks without4 ,this being  
done1 he  carefully bars the shutters   
over the window1 looks inside two       
cupboards  which the room contains1 and 
then having ascertained that he is not  

likely to be overlooked1 draws forth the
 afore-mentioned saddle-bags4 ,a        
strange look of anxiety passes over the 
fugitive's face as he plunges  his hand 
into one of them1 and brings out a      
small1 shallow1 oaken box1  black with  
age4 ,its contents are apparently of no 
little value1 for  the lid is secured by
 two locks1 and a corresponding number  
of blotchy  red seals1 upon which may be
 deciphered the impression of a crest4  
,sir  ,carnaby turns the box over and   
examines its fastenings1 then rises and 
walks slowly round the room1 as if in   
search of something4 ,his manner  at    
this moment is most strange1 and the    
light step with which he treads  over   
the old flooring does not awaken enough 
creaking to disturb a  mouse4 ,four     
times round the room he goes1 with a    
curious expression on  his face which   
would puzzle even a skilful             
physiognomist to interpret1  then       
stooping down1 he places the box on the 
floor and appears to  listen4           

,,the ,,musk-,,rat ,,of ,,india4        
,,from ,,an ,,anglo-,,indian4      ,the 
musk-rat is from six to eight inches    
long1 of a slatish-blue  colour1 with a 
long movable snout1 and diminutive eyes4
 ,its skin is  very loose1 and quite    
conceals the extremities1 only allowing 
the feet  to be seen4 ,this formation   
occasions the peculiar pattering of its 
run4 ,the tail1 broad at its base1 is   
pinkish and bare of everything  except a
 few hairs2 ears are diminutive4        
,loathed and detested by all1  this     
creature leads a charmed life2 only a   
few dogs will kill it1 and  then there  
is always sneezing and a little foaming 
afterwards4 ,cats  follow but won't     
touch it2 it is1 moreover1 equally      
avoided by more  aristocratic rats and  
mice4 ,as the animal runs along the wall
 of the  room1 it emits a kind of       
self-satisfied purr1 which1 if alarmed1 
breaks  into a squeak1 and immediately  
the scent-bottle is opened4 ,if there is
  light to see the tiny creature1 you   

will observe it scanning with its  nose 
all parts of the horizon in search of   
what caused the alarm2 the  eyes        
apparently being unequal to the task4   
,musk-rats have a singular habit of     
always running along the walls of  a    
room1 never crossing from one wall to   
the other2 hence1 as they are  not swift
 movers1 they are easily overtaken1 and 
a blow from a cane  instantly kills the 
animal4 ,traps are of little use in     
capturing these  creatures2 and if one  
is captured1 that trap is for ever      
useless as  regards ordinary rats and   
mice1 which won't approach it after     
being  contaminated4 #8,muskies' are    
omnivorous and very voracious4 ,during  
the  rains1 the insect world is on the  
wing4 ,if at this season you place  a   
night-light on the ground near the beat 
of a musk-rat1 you will be  amused at   
watching its antics in trying to catch  
some of the buzzers  round the light1 or
 those crawling up the wall1 and will be
 surprised  at its agility4 ,the        

captives are ruthlessly crunched1 and   
the animal  never seems satiated2 at the
 same time its enjoyment is evinced by  
its purring4 ,woe betide him should     
another musky invade this happy         
hunting-ground6 ,war is at once         
proclaimed1 and immediately the two are 
fighting for their lives1 squeaking1    
snapping1 biting1 rolling over  and     
over1 and all the time letting off their
 awful scent-bottles4 ,you1  in the     
comparative distance1 just escape the   
disgusting odour2 but the  insect       
invasion catch it full1 and quickly     
leave the scene4 ,and so the  fight goes
 on1 until you happily catch both the   
combatants with one  blow of your cane1 
and the stinking turmoil ceases2 and    
having thrown  open the doors to        
ventilate the room1 you are glad to     
retire to rest4    ,i was awakened one  
night at ,arrah by the squeaking and    
stench of two  musk-rats1 which were in 
mortal combat near my bed4 ,quietly     
rising and  seizing my slipper1 ,i smote

 the combatants a wrathful blow1 to     
which  one succumbed1 and the other     
escaped through the venetian4 ,i then   
lay  down again1 but only to hear the   
hateful p-r-r-r-r of #8musky1' who had  
come to look after his dead brother4    
,seizing him1 he carried him off  to the
 venetian1 and there dropped him with a 
squeak1 as ,i rose to my  elbow4        
,bringing the dead rat back and laying  
my slipper handy1 ,i again  lay down4   
,very soon ,i heard the disgusting purr 
and saw the dead musky  being carried   
off2 and now the slipper was true1 and  
both muskies lay  prone4    ,apropos to 
this1 if you throw out a dead rat or    
mouse1 he is at once  swooped upon by a 
kite or crow2 but both these scavengers 
will avoid  a dead musk-rat2 the kite   
will swoop and pass on as if he had not 
noticed the odour1 whilst our old friend
 the crow will alight at a  safe        
distance1 and with one eye survey the   
dead shrew4 ,perhaps in that  glance a  
whiff from the scent-bottle reaches him1

 for he hops off a  yard or two1 caws1  
and then rubs his beak once or twice on 
the ground4  ,then he takes an          
observation with the other eye1 caws1   
and flies up  into the overhanging nna  
tree4 ,no one will touch the dead       
musk-rat2  even those faithful          
undertakers1 the burying-beetles1 avoid 
him4    ,now1 what is the scent of the  
musk-rat like8 ,when ,i was last at home
 in  #ahge1 ,i went into a greenhouse on
 a hot summer day1 and found it given   
up to the musk-plant4 #8,muskies6       
muskies6' ,i exclaimed1 as ,i fled from 
the stifling1 dank1 and fetid           
atmosphere4 ,get up that combination--a 
hot day1 a dank1 humid1 and suffocating 
greenhouse given up to the  musk-plant1 
and you will have the full effect of    
only one full-blown  musky4 ,the odour  
of the plant1 heavy when close1 is      
delicate when  diffused2 the scent of   
the musk-rat1 on the other hand1 is     
heavy when  diffused1 and insupportable 
when near4 ,the marvellous diffusibility

 of  this odour is illustrated in many  
ways4 ,it has long been maintained  that
 the musk-rat has only to pass over a   
closely corked bottle of  wine to       
destroy its contents4 ,i have tasted    
sherry so destroyed1 and  at the same   
time have placed corked bottles of water
 in the runs of  musk-rats without any  
defilement4 ,the odour won't permeate   
glass1 so  the bottle of sherry must    
have been contaminated by a defiled     
cork4  ,place a porous water-goblet     
7soorh7 in the run of a musk-rat1 and   
defilement is secure2 and if that goblet
 endures for a hundred years1  it will  
during that century affect all water    
which may be put into it4  ,these       
animals seem to enjoy communicating     
their disgusting odour to  surrounding  
objects4 ,it doesn't follow that mere   
contact conveys it1  for ,i have often  
handled these animals without           
contamination2 but there  is            
undoubtedly--setting aside the          
scent-bottle as a means of defence--an  

instinctive marking of objects for      
purposes of recognition1 sheer          
mischief1 or for the easing of the      
secretion organ4    ,another anomaly    
pertains to this animal3 though so      
disgusting to  others1 it is not so to  
itself2 and it is one of the tidiest and
 most  cleanly of animals4 ,its nesting 
arrangements1 too1 are very peculiar2   
nothing is more greedily utilised than  
paper1 which it tears up4 ,some  years  
ago1 ,i lived in a boarded house1 and   
used to be nightly worried  by a        
pattering and purring musky dragging a  
newspaper towards a certain  corner4    
,arrived there1 it disappeared down a   
hole and pulled the paper  after        
it--that is1 as much as would enter the 
hole4 ,if ,i gently removed  the paper1 
the inquisitive nose would appear       
ranging round the hole1  and shortly    
after1 the animal itself in quest of the
 paper4 ,i had the  boarding taken up1  
and there1 in a paper nest1 lay five    
pink and naked  muskies1 all heads1 with

 hardly any bodies1 and quite blind4    
,i cannot find one redeeming trait in   
the character and conduct of  ,sorex    
crulescens1 and ,i must admit that he is
 an ill-favoured beast1  and of         
questionable utility4          ,a ,,day 
,,in ,,early ,,summer4          ,a      
little wood1 wherein with silver sound  
,a brooklet whispers all the sunny day1 
,and on its banks all flow'rets which   
abound        ,in the bright circle of  
the charmd ,may3      ,primroses1 whose 
faint fragrance you may know            
,from other blooms2 and oxlips1 whose   
sweet breath      ,is kissed by         
windflowers--star-like gems which blow  
,beside pale sorrel1 in whose veins is  
death2      ,larch-trees are there1 with
 plumes of palest green2        ,and    
cherry1 dropping leaves of scented      
white2      ,while happy birds1 amid the
 verdant screen1        ,warble their   
songs of innocent delight4      ,surely 
they err who say life is not blest2     
,hither may come the weary and have     

rest4                ,j4 ,c4 ,h4        
99       99       99       99       99  
,printed and ,published by ,w4  ,r4     
,,chambers1 #dg ,paternoster ,row1      
,,london1  and #cci ,high ,street1      
,,edinburgh4           99       99      
99       99       99    ,all ,rights    
,reserved4