,illustration3 ,,chambers',s ,,journal ,,of ,,popular ,,literature1 ,,science1 ,,and ,,art ,fifth ,series ,,established ,,by ,,william ,,and ,,robert ,,chambers1 #ahcb ,,conducted ,,dy ,r4 ,,chambers 7,,secundus7 ,,no4 #abe4--,,vol4 ,,iii4 ,,saturday1 ,,may #bb1 #ahhf4 ,,price #a;d4 ,,coaching-,,days4 ,the old stagecoaches1 having served their day and generation1 are now a thing of the past1 save such as are used for pleasure by societies like the ,coaching ,club4 ,the relics of these bygone days are to be found in roomy inns1 with their broad gates1 their commodious yards1 and extensive stabling1 which have been rendered comparatively useless and deserted by the diversion of the traffic that maintained them4 ,our fathers and grandfathers can yet interest us by relating stories of their experiences in the old slow coaches with six inside1 the improved fast coaches and flying machines running twelve miles per hour with four inside passengers2 or the crawling1 lumbering stage-wagon1 which carried merchandise and the poorer passengers1 and which was considered to have travelled quickly if it rolled over four miles of road per hour4 ,previous to the introduction of coaches1 journeys were performed on horseback or by postchaise1 and goods were carried on packhorses4 ,stow says that the ,earl of ,arundel introduced coaches into ,england about #aehj2 but some give the honour to ,boonen1 a ,dutchman1 who is said to have used this class of vehicle so early as #aefd4 ,these coaches1 however1 were for private use1 and it was not until #afbe that they were let for hire at the principal inns4 ,in #afcg1 there were fifty hackney-coaches in ,london and ,westminster1 and soon after1 stagecoaches came into general use4 ,here is a copy of an old coachbill of that date3 #8,,york ,,four ,,dayes4--,stagecoach begins on ,monday1 the #ahth of ,march #afgh4 ,all that are desirous to pass from ,london to ,york1 or return from ,york to ,london1 or any other place on that road1 let them repair to the ,black ,swan in ,holborn in ,london1 and the ,black ,swan in ,cony ,street in ,york4 ,at both which places they may be received in a stagecoach every ,monday1 ,wednesday1 and ,friday1 which performs the whole journey in ,four ,days 7if ,god permit7 and sets forth by ,six in the ,morning4 ,and returns from ,york to ,doncaster in a ,forenoon2 to ,newark1 in a ,day and a ,half2 to ,stamford1 in ,two ,days2 and from ,stamford to ,london1 in ,two ,days more4' ,nearly one hundred years after1 the coaches were called #8machines1' and the fast ones1 #8flying machines2' while1 to continue the metaphor1 one man thus advertises his coach--#8,pruen's ,machine will begin flying as follows3 ,hereford ,machine1 in a day and a half1 twice a week1 sets out from the ,redstreak-tree ,inn in ,hereford1 ,tuesday and ,thursday mornings1 at #g o'clock2 and from the ,swan with ,two ,necks1 ,lad ,lane1 ,london1 every ,monday and ,wednesday evenings4 ,insides #a4 ,outsides1 half-price4 ,jan4 #e1 #agge4' ,during these palmy days1 they had not the good macadamised roads that we now enjoy4 ,in winter1 the roads were often so bad that the coaches could not run1 but were laid up1 like ships during an arctic frost4 ,if the roads were defined at all1 it was most frequently by ditches1 into which many a luckless outsider has been thrown by the numerous coach accidents of the period4 ,in many places1 there was no road boundary at all1 for we read that ,ralph ,thoresby the antiquary lost his way between ,york and ,doncaster2 and the diarist ,pepys between ,newbury and ,reading4 ,a writer in #aggj thus speaks of the ,lancashire roads3 #8,i know not1 in the whole range of language1 terms sufficiently expressive to describe this awful road4 ,let me most seriously caution all travellers who may accidentally propose to travel this terrible country1 to avoid it as they would a pestilence2 for a thousand to one they break their necks or their limbs by overthrows or breakings-down1 as they will here meet with ruts1 which ,i actually measured1 four feet deep1 and floating with mud1 in summer-time4' ,besides the dangers of bad roads1 the drivers did not render life1 limb1 and property anymore secure by the furious driving which opposition coaches inspired4 ,as in rival ocean steamers1 competition led to a speed not compatible with safety4 ,in ,driffield 7,east ,yorkshire7 churchyard there is a tombstone to the memory of the guard of a coach who was killed by the coach being overturned2 and the way in which the local newspaper speaks of the accident1 leads you to believe there had been racing between it and another coach4 ,richard ,wood1 of the ,reindeer and ,ram ,inns1 ,high ,street1 ,doncaster1 in his advertisements1 says that his coaches are the best--the horses keep good time--and no racing4 ,these days were the days of highwaymen and footpads4 ,lady ,walpole in her ,letters relates how she and ,lady ,browne were robbed of their purses1 when going to the ,duchess of ,montrose4 #8,after the thief had gone1 ,lady ,browne was most fearful lest he should return and wreak vengeance2 8for10 said she1 8,i always prepare for such-like people1 and carry an old purse filled with bad money1 which ,i give them1 and so save my good money40 ,her fears were groundless1 however1 for we reached our journey's end without further mishap4' ,these highwaymen were a source of great danger and trouble to coach-travellers1 in spite of precautions to guard against them4 ,a post-office notice issued in ,york1 ,october #cj1 #aghf1 says with regard to the mailcoach passengers3 #8,ladies and gentlemen may depend on every care and attention being paid to their safety4 ,they will be guarded all the way by ,his ,majesty's servants1 and on dark nights1 a postillion will ride on one of the leaders4' ,there is also a note to the effect that the guard was well armed4 ,during very wet weather and on low-lying roads1 it was most unpleasant to drive through deep water2 while1 to add one misfortune to another1 the trace might break or something else give way2 and the mishap must be mended before we could get on to dry land4 ,the writer has heard of the water over the axle-trees2 and on one occasion it ran into the coach1 and all but set afloat two old ladies who were inside4 ,their dismay may be easily imagined1 and their supplications to the coachman to stop were quite affecting4 ,those on the outside were nearly as much to be pitied2 for it had rained without ceasing all day--that kind of pitiless rain which comes down straight in solid stripes1 like the water from a shower-bath1 which in nautical language goes by the appellation of #8raining marlin-spikes with their points downwards4' ,the only difference between the outsiders and the old ladies being1 that while they got it from below1 the outsiders got it from above4 ,a good story has been told of four young undergraduates who had taken the four inside seats of the ,oxford coach #8,defiance4' ,just as the coach was about to start1 a very pretty girl came up1 attended by her grandfather1 and asked if she could have an inside seat4 ,as all the seats were occupied1 the guard was unable to grant her request2 but the young gentlemen inside vowed they would bear any amount of crushing and discomfort for her sake4 ,the fare was paid1 and she gently handed in her grandfather1 saying3 #8,mind you thank the young gentlemen1 grandpa6' ,the feelings of the young gallants can be better imagined than described2 but the coach drove off amid a general chorus of anger and dismay4 ,a gentleman-coachman gives the following incident3 #8,in or about ,november #ahcd1 ,i got upon the 8,albion0 coach1 which ran from ,birkenhead to ,london4 ,there was no one on the box1 a most unusual thing1 so ,i got by the side of the coachman4 8,i suppose you know what kind of a load we've got1 sir80 said he4 8,no10 ,i answered2 8they look a queer lot6 ,what are they80--8,why10 said he1 8they're all jail-birds40 8,where are they going80 said ,i4--8,why1 to ,botany ,bay2 and ,i wish they were there now1 for they are inclined to give some trouble1 and would do if they had not got #8ruffles' on2 but they're pretty safe1 ,i think40 ,they had two turnkeys with them2 and there was no one else on the coach but these worthies1 their keepers1 myself1 coachman1 and guard4 ,i left the coach at ,wolverhampton1 and a lucky thing for me it was2 for1 before reaching ,walsall1 the horses shied at some sparks flying across the road from a blacksmith's shop1 bolted1 ran against a post1 and upset the coach4 ,no one was killed2 but the coachman ultimately died of the injuries then received4 ,during the confusion caused by the accident1 and whilst another coach and coachman were being got ready to take them on1 some of the convicts contrived to get files and other implements1 and by these means put their handcuffs into such condition that they could slip them whenever they chose to do so4 ,at a given signal they freed themselves1 sprang upon and overpowered their keepers1 guard1 and coachman1 handcuffed them1 cut the traces1 let loose the horses1 and decamped4 ,the greater number of them were1 however1 recaptured4' ,with what ease1 rapidity1 and comfort we now perform our journeys1 is best shown by contrast with the way in which our grandfathers thought wonders were performed4 ,on a cold day in winter1 your hands were frozen1 your feet were frozen1 your very mouth felt frozen2 and1 in fact1 you felt frozen all over4 ,sometimes1 with all this cold1 you were also wet through--your hat wet through2 your coat wet through2 the lame wrapper that was meant to keep your neck warm and dry1 wet through2 and you felt wet through to your very bones4 ,only twenty minutes was allowed for dinner2 and by the time you had got your hands warm enough to be able to untie your neck-wrapper1 and had got out of your greatcoat1 which1 being wet1 clung most tenaciously to you1 the time for dinner was half-gone4 ,before you had eaten one quarter of what you could have consumed1 if your mouth had been in eating trim1 and if your hands had been warm enough to handle your knife and fork1 the coachman would put in his head and say3 #8,now1 gentlemen1 if you please2 the coach is ready4' ,after this summons1 having struggled into your wet greatcoat1 bound your miserable wet wrapper round your miserably cold neck1 having paid your half-crown for the dinner you had the will but not the time to eat1 with sixpence for the waiter1 you wished your worthy host good-bye1 grudging him the half-crown he had pocketed for your miserable dinner4 ,you then again mounted your seat1 to be rained and snowed on1 and almost frozen to death before you reached your journey's end4 ,the following is from ,notes and ,queries1 ,august #ahef3 #8,there being persons who seriously lament the good old time of coaches1 when they could travel leisurely and securely1 see the country1 and converse with the natives1 it may be well to register some of the miseries before they are altogether effaced from the memory4 ,the evil that men do lives after them2 ,the good is oft interred with their bones4 ,it is certainly not desirable that the good of coaches should be interred with their bones2 neither is it by any means to be wished that the evil should entirely cease to live after them1 so as to render us indifferent1 and thankless1 and insensible to the superior advantages of modern locomotion4 7#a7 ,although your place has been contingently secured days before1 and you have risen with the lark1 yet you see the ponderous vehicle arrive full1 full1 full2 and this1 not unlikely1 more than once4 7#b7 ,at the end of a stage1 beholding the four panting1 reeking1 foamy animals1 which have dragged you twelve miles2 and the stiff1 galled1 scraggy relay1 crawling and limping out of the yard4 7#c7 ,being politely requested1 at the foot of a tremendous hill1 to ease the horses1 by getting out and walking4 7#d7 ,an outside passenger resolving to endure no longer the pelting of the pitiless storm1 takes refuge inside1 to your consternation1 with dripping hat1 saturated cloak1 and soaked umbrella4 7#e7 ,set down with a promiscuous party to a meal1 bearing no resemblance to that of a good hotel save in the charge2 and no time to enjoy it4 7#f7 ,closely packed in the coach1 8cabined1 cribbed1 confined0 with five companions morally or physically obnoxious1 for two or three comfortless days and nights4 7#g7 ,during a halt1 overhearing the coarse language of the hostlers and tipplers at the roadside pothouse2 and besieged by beggars exposing their mutilations4 7#h7 ,roused from your nocturnal slumber by the horn or bugle1 the lashing and cracking of whip1 a search for parcels under your seat1 and solicitous drivers4 7#i7 ,discovering at a diverging point in your journey that the other coach you wished to take runs only every other day1 or has finally stopped4 7#aj7 ,clambering from the wheel to your elevated seat by various iron projections4 7#aa7 ,after threading the narrowest streets of an ancient town1 entering the innyard by a low gateway1 requiring great care to escape decapitation4 7#ab7 ,seeing the luggage piled up 8,olympus high10 so as to occasion an alarming oscillation4 7#ac7 ,having the reins and whip placed in your unpractised hands1 while coachee indulges in a glass and a chat4 7#ad7 ,when dangling at the extremity of a seat1 overcome with drowsiness4 7#ae7 ,exposed to piercing draughts1 owing to a refractory glass2 or1 vice vers1 being in a minority1 you are compelled1 for the sake of ventilation1 to thrust your umbrella accidentally through a pane4 7#af7 ,at various seasons1 suffocated with dust and broiled by a powerful sun2 or cowering under an umbrella in a drenching rain2 or petrified by cold2 or torn by fierce winds2 or struggling through snow2 or wending your way through perilous floods4 7#ag7 ,perceiving that a young squire is receiving an initiatory practical lesson in the art of driving1 or that a jibing horse or a race with an opposition coach is endangering your existence4 7#ah7 ,losing the enjoyment or employment of much precious time1 not only on the road but also from consequent fatigue4 7#ai7 ,interrupted before the termination of your hurried meal by your two rough-coated1 big-buttoned1 many-caped friends1 the coachman and guard1 who hope you will remember them4' ,no doubt these olden times had their delights as well as discomforts1 and old coachmen still speak enthusiastically of the charm of a bright moonlight night in summer-time1 in which1 not marred by the beat of the horses' feet or the rumble of the wheels1 you heard sounds1 saw sights1 and felt conscious of perfumes that are unknown to railway travellers4 ,yes1 though many may greatly regret that steam has superseded horse-flesh1 that the grimy engine-driver and stoker have displaced the coachman1 that the discordant1 screeching whistle is heard instead of the long mellow horn1 the balance is in our favour1 in spite of all the annoyances to which we are subjected by the stupidity and carelessness of railway officials1 or by the red-tapeism and apparent indifference of railway directors4 ,,in ,,all ,,shades4 ,,chapter ,,xxvii4 ,on the morning when ,harry ,noel was to arrive in ,trinidad1 ,mr ,dupuy and ,edward ,hawthorn both came down early to the landing-stage to await the steamer4 ,mr ,dupuy condescended to nod in a distant manner to the young judge--he had never forgiven him that monstrous decision in the case of ,delgado versus ,dupuy--and to ask chillily whether he was expecting friends from ,england4 #8,no1' ,edward ,hawthorn answered with a bow as cold as ,mr ,dupuy's own4 #8,i have come down to meet an old ,english friend of mine1 a ,mr ,noel1 whom ,i knew very well at ,cambridge and in ,london1 but who's coming at present only from ,barbadoes4' ,mr ,dupuy astutely held his tongue4 ,noblesse did not so far impose upon him as to oblige him to confess that it was ,harry ,noel he1 too1 had come down in search of4 ,but as soon as the steamer was well alongside1 ,mr ,dupuy1 in his stately1 slow1 ,west ,indian manner1 sailed ponderously down the special gangway1 and asked a steward at once to point out to him which of the passengers was ,mr ,noel4 ,harry ,noel1 when he received ,mr ,dupuy's pressing invitation1 was naturally charmed at the prospect of thus being quartered under the same roof with pretty little ,nora4 ,had he known the whole circumstances of the case1 indeed1 his native good feeling would1 of course1 have prompted him to go to the ,hawthorns'2 but ,edward had been restrained by a certain sense of false shame from writing the whole truth about this petty local race prejudice to his friend in ,england2 and so ,harry jumped at once at the idea of being so comfortably received into the very house of which he so greatly desired to become an inmate4 #8,you're very good1 ,i'm sure1' he answered in his off-hand manner to the old planter4 #8,upon my word1 ,i never met anything in my life to equal your open-hearted ,west ,indian hospitality4 ,wherever one goes1 one's uniformly met with open arms4 ,i shall be delighted1 ,mr ,dupuy1 to put up at your place--,orange ,grove1 ,i think you call it--ah1 exactly--if you'll kindly permit me4--,here1 you fellow1 go down below1 will you1 and ask for my luggage4' ,edward ,hawthorn was a minute or two too late4 ,harry came forward eagerly1 in the old friendly fashion1 to grasp his hand with a hard grip1 but explained to him with a look1 which ,edward immediately understood1 that ,orange ,grove succeeded in offering him superior attractions even to ,mulberry4 ,so the very next day found ,nora and ,harry ,noel seated together at lunch at ,mr ,dupuy's well-loaded table2 while ,tom ,dupuy1 who had actually stolen an hour or two from his beloved canes1 dropped in casually to take stock of this new possible rival1 as he half suspected the gay young ,englishman would turn out to be4 ,from the first moment that their eyes met1 ,tom ,dupuy conceived an immediate dislike and distrust for ,harry ,noel4 ,what did he want coming here to ,trinidad8 ,tom wondered3 a fine-spoken1 stuck-up1 easy-going1 haw-haw ,londoner1 of the sort that your true-born colonist hates and detests with all the force of his good-hater's nature4 ,harry irritated him immensely by his natural superiority3 a man of ,tom ,dupuy's type can forgive anything in any other man except higher intelligence and better breeding4 ,those are qualities for which he feels a profound contempt1 not unmingled with hatred1 envy1 malice1 and all uncharitableness4 ,so1 as soon as ,nora had risen from the table and the men were left alone1 ,west ,indian fashion1 to their afternoon cigar and cup of coffee1 ,tom ,dupuy began to open fire at once on ,harry about his precious coloured friends the ,hawthorns at ,mulberry4 #8,so you've come across partly to see that new man at the ,westmoreland ,district ,court1 have you8' he said sneeringly4 #8,well1 ,i daresay he was considered fit company for gentlemen over in ,england1 ,mr ,noel--people seem to have very queer ideas about what's a gentleman and what's not1 over in ,england--but though ,i didn't like to speak about it before ,nora1 seeing that they're friends of hers1 ,i think ,i ought to warn you beforehand that you mustn't have too much to say to them if you want to get on out here in ,trinidad4 ,people here are a trifle particular about their company4' ,harry looked across curiously at the young planter1 leaning back in awkward fashion with legs outstretched and half turned away from the table1 as he sipped his coffee1 and answered quietly1 with some little surprise3 #8,why1 yes1 ,mr ,dupuy1 ,i think our ,english idea of what constitutes a gentleman does differ slightly in some respects from the one ,i find current out here in the ,west ,indies4 ,i knew ,hawthorn intimately for several years at ,cambridge and in ,london1 and the more ,i knew of him the better ,i liked him and the more ,i respected him4 ,he's a little bit too radical for me1 ,i confess1 and a little bit too learned as well2 but in every other way1 ,i can't imagine what possible objection you can bring against him4' ,tom ,dupuy smiled an ugly smile1 and gazed hard at ,harry ,noel's dark and handsome face and features4 #8,well1' he said slowly1 a malevolent light gleaming hastily from his heavy eyes1 #8we ,west ,indians may be prejudiced2 they say we are2 but still1 we're not fond somehow of making too free with a pack of niggers4 ,now1 ,i don't say your friend ,hawthorn's exactly a nigger outside1 to look at3 he isn't3 he's managed to hide the outer show of his colour finely4 ,i've seen a good many regular white people1 or what passed for white people'--and here he glanced significantly at the fine-spoken ,londoner's dark fingers1 toying easily with the amber mouthpiece of his dainty cigar-holder--#8who were a good many shades darker in the skin than this fellow ,hawthorn1 for all they thought themselves such very grand gentlemen4 ,some of 'em may be coloured1 and some of 'em mayn't3 there's no knowing1 when once you get across to ,england2 for people there have no proper pride of race1 ,i understand1 and would marry a coloured girl1 if she happened to have money1 as soon as look at her4 ,but this fellow ,hawthorn1 though he seems externally as white as you do--and a great deal whiter too1 by ,jove--is well known out here to be nothing but a coloured person1 as his father and his mother were before him4' ,harry ,noel puffed out a long stream of white smoke as he answered carelessly3 #8,ah1 ,i daresay he is1 if what you mean is just that he's got some remote sort of negro tinge somewhere about him--though he doesn't look it2 but ,i expect almost all the old ,west ,indian families1 you know1 must have intermarried long ago1 when ,english ladies were rare in the colonies1 with pretty half-castes4' ,quite unwittingly1 the young ,englishman had trodden at once on the very tenderest and dearest corn of his proud and unbending ,west ,indian entertainers4 ,pride of blood is the one form of pride that they thoroughly understand and sympathise with2 and this remote hint of a possible 7and probable7 distant past when the purity of the white race was not quite so efficiently guaranteed as it is nowadays1 roused both the fiery ,dupuys immediately to a white-heat of indignation4 #8,sir1' ,mr ,theodore ,dupuy said stiffly1 #8you evidently don't understand the way in which we regard these questions out here in the colonies1 and especially in ,trinidad4 ,there is one thing which your ,english parliament has not taken from us1 and can never take from us2 and that is the pure ,european blood which flows unsullied in all our veins1 nowhere polluted by the faintest taint of a vile ,african intermixture4' #8,certainly1' ,mr ,tom ,dupuy echoed angrily1 #8if you want to call us niggers1 you'd better call us niggers outright1 and not be afraid of it4' #8,upon my word1' ,harry ,noel answered with an apologetic smile1 #8,i hadn't the least intention1 my dear sir1 of seeming to hint anything against the purity of blood in ,west ,indians generally2 ,i only meant1 that if my friend ,hawthorn--who is really a very good fellow and a perfect gentleman--does happen to have a little distant infusion of negro blood in him1 it doesn't seem to me to matter much to any of us nowadays4 ,it must be awfully little--a mere nothing1 you know2 just the amount one would naturally expect if his people had intermarried once with half-castes a great many generations ago4 ,i was only standing up for my friend1 you see4--,surely1' turning to ,tom1 who still glared at him like a wild beast aroused1 #8a man ought to stand up for his friends when he hears them ill spoken of4' #8,oh1 quite so1' ,mr ,theodore ,dupuy replied1 in a mollified voice4 #8,of course1 if ,mr ,hawthorn's a friend of yours1 and you choose to stand by him here1 in spite of his natural disabilities1 on the ground that you happened to know him over in ,england--where1 ,i believe1 he concealed the fact of his being coloured--and you don't like now to turn your back upon him1 why1 naturally1 that's very honourable of you1 very honourable4--,tom1 my dear boy1 we must both admit that ,mr ,noel is acting very honourably4 ,and1 indeed1 we can't expect people brought up wholly in ,england'--,mr ,dupuy dwelt softly upon this fatal disqualification1 as though aware that ,harry must be rather ashamed of it--#8to feel upon these points exactly as we do1 who have a better knowledge and insight into the negro blood and the negro character4' #8,certainly not1' ,tom ,dupuy continued maliciously4 #8,people in ,england don't understand these things at all as we do4--,why1 ,mr ,noel1 you mayn't be aware of it1 but even among the highest ,english aristocracy there are an awful lot of regular coloured people1 out-and-out mulattoes4 ,west ,indian heiresses in the old days used to go home--brown girls1 or at anyrate young women with a touch of the tar-brush--daughters of governors and so forth1 on the wrong side of the house--you understand'--,mr ,tom ,dupuy accompanied these last words with an upward and backward jerk of his left thumb1 supplemented by a peculiarly ugly grimace1 intended to be facetious--#8the sort of trash no decent young fellow over here would have so much as touched with a pair of tongs 7in the way of marrying 'em1 ,i mean72 and when they got across to ,england1 were snapped up at once by dukes and marquises1 whose descendants1 after all1 though they may be lords1 are really nothing better1 you see1 than common brown people6' ,he spoke snappishly1 but ,harry only looked across at him in mild wonder4 ,on the calm and unquestioning pride of a ,lincolnshire ,noel1 remarks such as these fell flat and pointless4 ,if a ,noel had chosen to marry a kitchen-maid1 according to their simple old-fashioned faith1 he would have ennobled her at once1 and lifted her up into his own exalted sphere of life and action4 ,her children after her would have been ,lincolnshire ,noels1 the equals of any duke or marquis in the ,united ,kingdom4 ,so ,harry only smiled benignly1 and answered in his easy off-hand manner3 #8,by ,jove1 ,i shouldn't wonder at all if that were really the case now4 ,one reads in ,thackeray1 you know1 so much about the wealthy ,west ,indian heiresses1 with suspiciously curly hair1 who used to swarm in ,london in the old slavery days4 ,but of course1 ,mr ,dupuy1 it's a well-known fact that all our good families have been awfully recruited by actresses and so forth4 ,i believe some statistical fellow or other has written a book to show that if it weren't for the actresses1 the peerage and baronetage would all have died out long ago1 of pure inanition4 ,i daresay the ,west ,indian heiresses1 with the frizzy hair1 helped to fulfil the same good and useful purpose1 by bringing an infusion of fresh blood every now and then into our old families4' ,and ,harry ran his hand carelessly through his own copious curling black locks1 in perfect unconsciousness of the absurdly malapropos nature of that instinctive action at that particular moment4 ,his calm sense of utter superiority--that innate belief so difficult to shake1 even on the most rational grounds1 in most well-born and well-bred ,englishmen--kept him even from suspecting the real drift of ,tom ,dupuy's reiterated innuendoes4 #8,you came out to ,barbadoes to look after some property of your father's1 ,i believe8' ,mr ,dupuy put in1 anxious to turn the current of the conversation from this very dangerous and fitful channel4 #8,i did1' ,harry ,noel answered unconcernedly4 #8,my father's1 or rather my mother's4 ,her people have property there4 ,we're connected with ,barbadoes1 indeed4 ,my mother's family were ,barbadian planters4' ,at the word1 ,tom ,dupuy almost jumped from his seat and brought his fist down heavily upon the groaning table4 #8,they were8' he cried inquiringly4 #8,barbadian planters8 ,you don't mean to say1 then1 ,mr ,noel1 that some of your own people were really and truly born ,west ,indians8' #8,why on earth should he want to get so very excited about it8' ,harry ,noel thought to himself hastily4 #8,what on earth can it matter to him whether my people were ,barbadian planters or ,billingsgate fishmongers8'--#8,yes1 certainly1 they were1' he went on to ,tom ,dupuy with a placid smile of quiet amusement4 #8,though my mother was never in the island herself from the time she was a baby1 ,i believe1 still all her family were born and bred there1 for some generations4--,but why do you ask me8 ,did you know anything of her people--the ,budleighs of the ,wilderness8' #8,no1 no2 ,i didn't know anything of them1' ,tom ,dupuy replied hurriedly1 with a curious glance sideways at his uncle4--#8,but1 'pon my honour1 ,uncle ,theodore1 it's really a very singular thing1 now one comes to think of it1 that ,mr ,noel should happen to come himself1 too1 from a ,west ,indian family4' ,as ,harry ,noel happened that moment to be lifting his cup of coffee to his lips1 he didn't notice that ,tom ,dupuy was pointing most significantly to his own knuckles1 and signalling to his uncle1 with eyes and fingers1 to observe ,harry's4 ,and if he had1 it isn't probable that a ,lincolnshire ,noel would even have suspected the hidden meaning of those strange and odd-looking monkey-like antics4 ,by-and-by1 ,harry rose from the table carelessly1 and asked in a casual way whether ,mr ,dupuy would kindly excuse him2 he wanted to go and pay a call which he felt he really mustn't defer beyond the second day from his arrival in ,trinidad4 #8,you'll take a mount8' ,mr ,dupuy inquired hospitably4 #8,you know1 we never dream of walking out in these regions4 ,all the horses in my stable are entirely at your disposal4 ,how far did you propose going1 ,mr ,noel8 ,a letter of introduction you wish to deliver1 ,i suppose1 to the governor or somebody8' ,harry paused and hesitated for a second4 ,then he answered as politely as he was able3 #8,no1 not exactly a letter of introduction4 ,i feel ,i mustn't let the day pass without having paid my respects as early as possible to ,mrs ,hawthorn4' ,tom ,dupuy nudged his uncle2 but the elder planter had too much good manners to make any reply save to remark that one of his niggers would be ready to show ,mr ,noel the way to the district judge's--ah--dwelling-place at ,mulberry4 ,as soon as ,harry's back was turned1 however1 ,mr ,tom ,dupuy sank back incontinently on the dining-room sofa and exploded in a loud burst of boisterous laughter4 #8,my dear ,tom1' ,mr ,theodore ,dupuy interposed nervously1 #8what on earth are you doing8 ,young ,noel will certainly overhear you4 ,upon my word1 though ,i can't say ,i agree with all the young fellow's ,english sentiments1 ,i really don't see that there's anything in particular to laugh at in him4 ,he seems to me a very gentlemanly1 well-bred1 intelligent---- ,why1 goodness gracious1 ,tom1 what has come over you so suddenly8 ,you look for all the world as if you were positively going to kill yourself outright with laughing about nothing6' ,mr ,tom ,dupuy removed his handkerchief hastily from his mouth1 and with an immense effort to restrain his merriment1 exclaimed in a low suppressed voice3 #8,why1 now1 ,uncle ,theodore1 do you mean to tell me you don't see the whole joke6 you don't understand the full absurdity of the situation8' ,mr ,dupuy gazed back at him blankly4 #8,no more than ,i understand why on earth you are making such a confounded fool of yourself now1' he answered contemptuously4 ,tom ,dupuy calmed himself slowly with a terrific effort1 and blurted out at last1 in a mysterious undertone3 #8,why1 the point of it is1 don't you see1 ,uncle ,theodore1 the fellow's a coloured man himself1 as sure as ever you and ,i are standing here this minute6' ,a light burst in upon ,mr ,dupuy's benighted understanding with extraordinary rapidity4 #8,he is6' he cried1 clapping his hand to his forehead hurriedly in the intense excitement of a profoundly important discovery4 #8,he is1 he is6 ,there can't be a doubt about it6 ,baronet or no baronet1 as sure as fate1 ,tom1 my boy1 that man's a regular brown man6' #8,i knew he was1' ,tom ,dupuy replied exultantly1 #8the very moment ,i first set eyes upon that ugly head of his6 ,i was sure he was a nigger as soon as ,i looked at him6 ,i suspected it at once from his eyes and his knuckles4 ,but when he told me his mother was a ,barbadian woman--why1 then1 ,i knew1 as sure as fate1 it was all up with him4' #8,you're quite right1 quite right1 ,tom2 ,i haven't a doubt about it1' ,mr ,theodore ,dupuy continued helplessly1 wringing his hands before him in bewilderment and horror4 #8,and the worst of it is ,i have asked him to stop here as long as he's in ,trinidad6 ,what a terrible thing if it were to get about over the whole island that ,i've asked a brown man to come and stop for an indefinite period under the same roof with your cousin ,nora6' ,tom ,dupuy was not wanting in chivalrous magnanimity4 ,he leaned back on the sofa and screwed his mouth up for a moment with a comical expression2 then he answered slowly3 #8,it's a very serious thing1 of course1 to accuse a man offhand of being a nigger4 ,we mustn't condemn him unheard or without evidence4 ,we must try to find out all we can about his family4 ,luckily1 he's given us the clue himself4 ,he said his mother was a ,barbadian woman--a ,budleigh of the ,wilderness4 ,we'll track him down4 ,i've made a mental note of it6' ,just at that moment1 ,nora walked quietly into the dining-room to ask the gentlemen whether they meant to go for a ride by-and-by in the cool of the evening4 #8,for if you do1 papa1' she said in explanation1 #8you know you must send for ,nita to the pasture1 for ,mr ,noel will want a horse1 and you're too heavy for any but the cob1 so you'll have to get up ,nita for ,mr ,noel4' ,tom ,dupuy glanced at her suspiciously4 #8,i suppose since your last particular friend fell over the gully that night at ,banana ,garden1' he said hastily1 #8you'll be picking up next with a new favourite in this fine-spoken1 new-fangled1 haw-haw1 ,english fellow6' ,nora looked back at him haughtily and defiantly4 #8,tom ,dupuy1' she answered with a curl of her lip 7she always addressed him by both names together71 #8you are quite mistaken--utterly mistaken4 ,i don't feel in the least prepossessed by ,mr ,noel's personal appearance4' #8,why not8 ,why not8' ,tom inquired eagerly4 #8,i don't know by what right you venture to cross-question me about such a matter2 but as you ask me1 ,i don't mind answering you4 ,mr ,noel is a shade or two too dark by far ever to take my own fancy4' ,tom whistled low to himself and gave a little start4 #8,by ,jove1' he said1 half aloud and half to himself1 #8that was a ,dupuy that spoke that time1 certainly4 ,after all1 the girl's got some proper pride still left in her4 ,she doesn't want to marry him1 although he's a brown man4 ,i always thought myself1 as a mere matter of taste1 she positively preferred these woolly-headed mulattoes6' ,,john ,,hullah4 ,in #ahgj1 when ,mrs ,john ,hullah was canvassing on behalf of ,miss ,garrett1 ,m4,d41 then a candidate for the ,london ,school ,board1 several persons suggested that ,mrs ,hullah herself should have been proposed--#8,for it's a name that ought to be on the ,board4' ,that the name of ,hullah must at one time have been a household word might be gathered from ,lord ,wharncliffe's statement in the ,house of ,lords1 that between the end of #ahda and ,july #ahdb1 fifty thousand persons were enlisted as musical students under the superintendence of ,mr ,hullah and his pupils4 ,very early in life1 ,mr ,hullah's thoughts had been occupied with the great problem of popularising the noble and refining art of music1 and this problem it was his life's labour to deal with1 bringing to the task considerable wisdom and culture1 magnificent patience1 and generous enthusiasm4 ,at a time when musical culture was very limited indeed1 ,hullah stood forward to proclaim that this evil was readily curable1 that almost any child might learn to sing on scientific principles1 so as to be able to pursue the study after leaving school1 and that music deserved to be dealt with systematically1 instead of being treated as a mere #8relaxation from severer studies4' ,as showing how these ideas were promoted during a long and busy career1 the ,life of ,john ,hullah1 now published by his widow 7,london3 ,longmans71 and including a few pages of autobiography1 will be welcome not only to musicians but to social reformers1 and all who have any respect for the pioneers of progress4 ,on the authority of ,grove's ,dictionary of ,music and ,musicians1 ,mr ,hullah informs us that he first saw the light in the city of ,worcester1 on the #bgth of ,june #ahab4 ,in a private school1 he received a remarkably good education in ,english literature1 but apparently in nothing else2 and his future career was still an open question1 when it was suggested1 by a musical family very intimate with the ,hullahs1 that ,john should be trained to the profession of music4 ,accordingly1 he became a pupil of ,william ,horsley1 the celebrated glee-writer4 ,at the age of seventeen or eighteen1 ,hullah himself ventured on the composition of a glee2 and in #ahcc1 he became a student at the ,royal ,academy of ,music1 then possessing1 in his opinion1 a reputation which it has never exceeded4 ,here1 among his fellow-students1 he met ,miss ,fanny ,dickens1 sister of the novelist1 and shortly afterwards he appears to have become intimately acquainted with ,charles ,dickens himself4 ,mr ,hullah's first marriage took place on ,december #bj1 #ahch2 and early in the following year1 the idea of a popular method of teaching singing began to engage his attention4 ,he went to ,paris to observe the method of ,m4 ,wilhem1 and soon afterwards began teaching on a small scale at the ,normal ,school at ,battersea4 ,through ,sir ,james ,kay ,shuttleworth1 the sympathy of many influential persons was secured1 and ,hullah awoke to find himself famous4 ,all classes from royalty downward were eager for information as to the new method4 ,lectures were required in all parts of the country2 and owing probably to ,mr ,hullah's own enthusiasm1 very many of his pupils became teachers4 ,in #ahdd1 ,hullah became ,professor of ,music at ,king's ,college1 ,london1 an office which he filled with acceptance for thirty years4 ,he held similar appointments at ,bedford ,college and ,queen's ,college1 two well-known schools for girls2 and1 indeed1 was associated with ,f4 ,d4 ,maurice in the founding of the latter institution4 ,the erection of ,st ,martin's ,hall1 the scene of his most public labours1 was an enterprise entered upon by him with characteristic light-heartedness4 #8,to the work carried out in ,st ,martin's ,hall1' says ,mrs ,hullah1 #8is undoubtedly traceable the present all but universal study of music by every class in ,england2 but it may certainly be said that for the chief director of that early movement1 splendidly as he was supported and encouraged by his immediate friends1 the results were ruinous in every way4' ,in this costly building he took up his residence1 in order to be near the scene of his classes and concerts1 and for more than fourteen years he carried on a severe struggle for the cause which lay so near his heart4 ,in #ahfa1 when the ,hall was destroyed by fire1 and #8,mr ,hullah1 now past his prime1 stood a ruined man in the midst of a large family1' a host of influential friends--including ,charles ,dickens1 ,henry ,chorley1 ,sir ,j4 ,kay ,shuttleworth1 ,sir ,arthur ,helps1 and ,mr 7now ,lord7 ,coleridge--rallied round him1 and gave him a new start in life4 ,in #ahfa1 ,hullah published his ,royal ,institution ,lectures on ,the ,history of ,modern ,music1 a work which met with a cordial reception1 and has since been translated into ,italian by ,alberto ,visetti4 ,hullah's failure in #ahfe to gain the appointment of ,professor of ,music at ,edinburgh was apparently as crushing as any misfortune could be to so buoyant a nature4 ,there was scarcely a spot in the world which he would have chosen for his home in preference to ,edinburgh4 ,his lectures at the ,philosophical ,institution and his numerous concerts had made him well known there1 and gained him many warm friends1 who apparently encouraged him to suppose that his election was certain4 ,there can be no doubt that he would have been a brilliant professor and an honour to the university2 for he was a man of wide culture and boundless enthusiasm for his art4 ,that #8capacity for general appreciation1' which he pointed to in ,mendelssohn1 was very properly cited by a friend as the striking feature in ,hullah's own character4 ,natural scenery1 poetry1 painting1 and especially architecture1 all found in him a thoughtful appreciation4 ,but admirably as he was fitted for such a professorship1 perhaps the post which he received in #ahgb of government ,inspector of ,music was even more suited to call forth his best talents and energies4 ,his great objects were1 firstly1 to abolish singing by ear2 and secondly1 to encourage the formation of mixed choirs4 ,he wished women to have more systematic training in choirs1 so as to supersede the passionless soprano of boys and the falsetto counter-tenor of men4 ,what he did towards the promotion of a scientific method of singing1 may be judged from the fact1 that during nine years1 he examined sixteen thousand male and female students who expected to become teachers1 and in that case would probably give their pupils the benefit of his system4 ,his official position brought him into delicate relations with the advocates of other singing methods1 but although of course we find occasional depreciatory remarks1 his tone is generally very fair4 ,referring to the tonic sol-fa system1 he went so far on one occasion as to recommend the government to refuse their sanction to #8a notation or alphabet absolutely unknown out of ,great ,britain1 the closest acquaintance with which fails to enable its possessors to read music as it is written by musicians4' ,this seems at first sight inconsistent with his repeated deprecation of #8any attempt to enforce on the musical instructors in training-schools directly or indirectly the adoption of any particular method of instruction1 books1 or exercises whatever2' but possibly his meaning was that the tonic sol-faists1 however their course might begin1 should ultimately include in it a knowledge of the old notation--a provision to which they could not possibly object4 ,as a composer1 ,hullah attained no great distinction4 ,in #ahcf1 ,the ,village ,coquettes--an opera for which ,charles ,dickens supplied the libretto1 and ,hullah the music--was very successfully produced at the ,st ,james's ,theatre1 where it ran for sixty nights4 ,it was also played in ,edinburgh under the management of ,mr ,ramsay4 ,charles ,kingsley praised very highly ,hullah's setting of ,the ,three ,fishers1 a song which is still met with in concert programmes4 ,among his other songs1 which1 as ,mrs ,hullah mentions1 generally reflected his sadder moods1 ,the ,storm and ,the ,sands of ,dee are probably the best known4 ,mrs ,hullah has wisely restricted herself to a bare outline of her husband's lifework1 thus bringing her book within reach of his many pupils and admirers4 ,had a larger scope been permissible1 a most interesting volume might have been produced consisting of reminiscences of his distinguished friends4 ,we should have had a peep at the genial author of ,friends in ,council1 for between ,helps and ,hullah there existed a life-long intimacy4 ,we hear almost nothing of ,mendelssohn2 and of ,spohr1 we are simply told that #8he did not play very well4' ,the simple fact of a dinner with ,meyerbeer is recorded2 and we also hear of ,samuel ,rogers and ,tom ,moore as visitors at ,mr ,hullah's house4 ,his friend ,mr ,chorley having reported the discovery of #8a new composer1 ,gounod by name1' ,hullah went to ,paris1 and reported favourably but cautiously concerning ,m4 ,gounod's abilities4 #8,a great original musical genius1' he writes1 #8is such a creation1 that one is slow to come to any conclusion4' ,hardly one of the good stories ,hullah was constantly picking up has found its way into this volume4 ,being gifted with elocutionary and dramatic power1 he could repeat a story very effectively1 and once boasted that he had correctly given a ,scottish anecdote involving two distinct dialects4 ,in #ahgf1 ,hullah received the degree of ,,ll4,d4 from the university of ,edinburgh1 being presented to the ,chancellor by his old friend1 ,professor ,douglas ,maclagan4 #8,it is fitting1' said ,professor ,maclagan1 #8that the university of ,edinburgh1 which alone1 of the universities of ,scotland1 possesses a chair of ,music1 should show a practical acknowledgment of past musicians by recognising one of the fine arts in the person of this most adequate representative4' ,in #ahhj1 ,hullah had a stroke of paralysis1 which partially disabled his left leg and arm2 but after a short rest1 his marvellous energy forced him again into active work4 ,even at the age of seventy1 he resented the idea of retirement2 and it was not until he had accepted ,mr ,gladstone's offer of a ,civil ,list pension1 that he fully realised that his lifework was over4 ,he died in the midst of his family1 at ,malvern wells1 on the #bast of ,february #ahhd4 ,john ,hullah devoted his whole energies to a cause in which he had a profound faith4 ,it was doubtless to typify this devotion that he adopted the witty device and motto which appear on the title-page of ,mrs ,hullah's book4 ,the ladder referred to in the motto1 #8,per scalam ascendimus1' is of course the musical scale1 by means of which ,hullah knew he could greatly benefit his fellow-countrymen4 ,with remarkable courage and tenacity he pursued this object1 triumphing wonderfully over both apathy and obloquy4 ,his name will probably not be permanently associated with the great work of giving to all ,british school children a rudimentary musical education on a thoroughly scientific basis2 but the principle was fearlessly maintained by him when it had scarcely any other supporter1 and all our future efforts must rest on the sound foundation which he laid4 ,in conclusion1 we may add that it is matter of congratulation that the teaching of music in elementary schools is no longer left merely to private enterprise1 but now forms a branch of the work done under the auspices of the ,education ,department4 ,government encourages musical tuition by a grant of money even to infant schools1 #8if the scholars are satisfactorily taught to sing by note'--that is1 #8by the standard1 or any other recognised1 notation4' ,in this way the culture and the love of music will be sure to enter more than ever into the everyday life of our homes and communities4 ,,the ,,herring-,,fishery ,,and ,,fishermen4 ,,in ,,two ,,parts4--,,part ,,ii4 ,until recent years1 many curious customs and superstitions prevailed among the fisher-people1 and in a year of scarcity it was nothing uncommon to see in the streets of ,fraserburgh1 ,peterhead1 or any of the ,moray ,firth ports1 a considerable procession1 headed by several representative men1 some on horseback1 and others on foot1 bearing flags and symbols of the trade4 ,the leaders were always comically and fantastically attired2 and while some had a number of herrings suspended by the tail from their hat-brims1 others had their clothes stuck full of burrs2 and all this demonstration was deemed to have sufficient virtue in it to cause the herrings to rise and go into the nets6 ,up to the time that such exhibitions were common1 no class was more superstitious than fishermen1 and many practical jokes were perpetrated at their expense4 ,the seafaring classes had a pious horror of hares and swine1 and contact with them was held as portending some serious disaster or evil2 and if any jocular cooper or fishcurer1 anxious at a dull time in the fishing-season to relieve the monotony of their daily life1 surreptitiously placed a leg of either of those animals on board a boat1 its discovery led to the greatest commotion among the crew1 who would not on any account go to sea that night1 lest some dreadful accident should befall the craft4 ,after a period of scarcity1 the unexpected arrival of a successful craft in the early forenoon with the report that the fleet had at length met a large shoal of fish and secured heavy takes1 spreads like wildfire through the town2 and the excitement manifested by all1 from the largest fishcurer to the smallest fisher-boy1 is intense4 ,the piers are soon crowded with visitors1 interested spectators1 and those directly engaged in the trade2 and the effect produced by the loud-toned dialect spoken by the local fisherwomen mingling with the distinctive pronunciation of the natives of ,fife1 ,berwickshire1 ,banff1 and ,moray1 in addition to the highly pitched ,gaelic of the ,highland girls1 is unusually strange4 ,as the boats round the breakwater1 they are eagerly scanned by many anxious faces2 and on reaching the pier1 the crews of those craft that have been fortunate in securing unusually heavy takes receive1 in a homely way1 the congratulations of their relatives1 and form the centre of attraction to all those loungers about the harbour who have nothing particular to do4 ,one of the first evidences of a successful fishing is the activity of the fisherwomen running hither and thither in hot haste armed with a plentiful supply of food for the bread-winners1 which is soon after the boat's arrival put on board1 and hastily partaken of ere the hard day's work commences4 ,before the meal is finished1 the carters are waiting at the pier-side2 and should all the herrings be shaken out of the nets1 the men at once don their oilskins1 and placing themselves in a convenient position to fill the baskets in the boat's hold1 the work of discharging commences4 ,the skipper stands upon the pier to haul the baskets ashore1 an operation in which he is often assisted by his wife1 who on many occasions takes the lion's share of the work4 ,after working some time in the hold1 the men gradually become covered with the silvery scales of the fish till their clothing assumes the appearances of a coat of mail1 in which their stalwart figures and superb physique stand out in striking relief4 ,should the harvest of the sea be landed in larger quantities than usual1 the stir both on the piers and in the curing-yards correspondingly increases2 and amid a babel of tongues and uproarious good-humour1 the stream of carts loaded with herrings goes on incessantly2 while fishcurers1 whose heads are almost turned with the pressure of business1 rush to and fro issuing orders to their servants and fishermen4 ,on being brought into the yards1 the herrings are emptied into large square wooden boxes called #8forelands1' many of which are under a roof1 so that the women who gut the fish may be protected from the heat of the sun or the inclemency of the weather4 ,to those who see them for the first time in a heavy fishing-night1 the gutters count one of the sights of the trade2 and their persons1 as they appear clad in oilskins and besmeared with blood from head to foot1 reminds one of an ,indian in his war-paint fresh from battle4 ,these women1 from a life-long experience1 show the greatest dexterity in their work2 and the rapidity with which they seize a herring1 enter the knife at its gills1 remove the gut1 and throw the offal into one tub and the fish into another1 is one of the features of the business1 and1 in the eyes of a stranger1 appears part of a juggler's education4 ,in the course of an afternoon and evening1 one crew of women--comprising two gutters and one packer--will have a good many rows of barrels at their credit1 representing earnings of from ten to twenty shillings4 ,on all occasions when the fishing is heavy1 these women are obliged to work at any hour2 and as it often happens that the boats are late in arriving1 curing operations go on all night1 rendering a curing-yard1 if not a pretty1 an interesting sight4 ,from end to end of the premises are rows of forelands heaped with herrings1 whose silvery scales glitter in the light thrown from the blazing naphtha lamps suspended overhead1 the rays of which1 again1 play upon the surface of the water in the harbour in a way that recalls memories of historic cities by sea and lake4 ,around the forelands the women ply the knife in a competitive spirit with lightning speed2 and while they work1 the air is often filled with the strains of popular songs and hymns1 interspersed with the ,gaelic music of the ,highland girls1 sung by these toilers to while away the midnight hours4 ,on such a night1 a fishing-town has an appearance quite unique4 ,the lurid glare in a murky sky of the many lights burning in the yards1 has a very weird effect2 while the roll of carts and the shrill cries of the fisher-girls1 mixed with the stentorian tones of #8the maister' issuing his orders at dead of night1 give a romantic touch to the picture4 ,often among the gutters are to be found most respectable1 educated females1 who are tempted by the high remuneration paid to engage in the work1 and who1 when the fishing is over1 assume another character1 and may be seen at the ,christmas balls in some of the smaller towns as the leaders of fashion4 ,it may be noted here1 that after being gutted1 packed1 and salted1 the herrings are allowed to lie in barrels in the curing-yards for some little time4 ,the barrels are then filled up1 and otherwise completely cured2 and having received the brand of the ,fishery ,board as a certificate of good quality1 they are despatched to ,germany and ,russia and2 other centres where herrings form a staple article of food4 ,the salting of herrings has hitherto been the chief method of curing2 but recently1 boracic acid has been introduced for the same purpose1 though how far it will be adopted in practice1 is still a question of the future4 ,one feature of the fishing which presents an unusually pretty and romantic sight may be seen on a dark night towards the end of ,august4 ,at that time the boats are usually within a mile or two of the shore2 and when the gloaming deepens and the nets are shot1 the crews prepare to hoist the lights required to be exhibited by law to prevent accidents happening with passing vessels4 ,as darkness sets in1 light after light appears1 till the sea for a stretch of many miles is transformed into what seems a gaily illuminated city2 but instead of the din and bustle associated with such an occasion1 not a sound is heard but the gentle ripple of the summer sea1 as its wavelets frolic on the sandy beach1 or thread their way round the rocks near the old tower4 ,the sight is ever new1 and one so pretty and so fascinating1 that on every occasion when it is available1 the whole community1 including those who have been privileged to witness it for a lifetime1 eagerly seek the points of vantage where they can best view the fairy-like scene spread out before them4 ,in mostly all the great herring-fishery ports1 the harbours during winter have a most oppressive stillness1 and often the trade done for a protracted period would comprise the arrival and sailing of a few colliers and a limited number of windbound ships4 ,in spring1 the scene changes1 however2 and by ,july1 every available inch of water area is appropriated to the use of craft employed in the staple industry2 and at times so great is the pressure1 that many vessels are obliged to lie in the bay and wait their regular turn before being permitted to enter the harbour4 ,in addition to our own ships1 a great many ,german vessels have been hitherto engaged carrying herrings2 but within the last two years1 ,norwegian steamers1 which were employed in the ,norwegian herring business before steam was introduced here1 have greatly taken up the carrying-trade1 to the serious exclusion of the ,british sailing schooners1 which held the trade in their own hands for half a century1 and considered it strictly their own4 ,in consequence of the altered aspect of affairs1 a strong feeling exists among the old-fashioned mariners1 especially the local skippers1 against what they consider an unjust usurpation of their exclusive right1 and many an aged salt may be heard sighing for the #8good old times4' ,but in spite of their quarter-deck arguments1 which appear as old-fashioned as their craft1 steam-carrying power is fast increasing2 and it is more than probable that the once smart fleet of schooners1 whose employment in the herring-trade was wont to yield the year's dividend to the owners1 will soon be practically a thing of the past4 ,the social aspect of the fishermen engaged in the herring-fishery has undergone a remarkable change within the last quarter of a century2 and the noisy1 hard-drinking1 indigent toilers of the deep have given place to a race of sober1 industrious1 religiously inclined class of men1 who in many instances have amassed and have at their credit in the bank large sums of money4 ,on the north and north-east coasts1 thirty or forty years ago1 fishermen as a class were reckoned amongst the hardest drinkers of the population1 and one curious custom then existing1 but which happily disappeared many years ago1 was rather a strong proof of the not very enviable character attached to the men in those days4 ,before finally settling the terms of an agreement with the curer1 the skipper always satisfied himself that one important clause was safe1 which was to the effect that the curer was bound to supply a gallon and a half of whisky weekly for the exclusive use of the crew while prosecuting the fishing4 ,as years rolled on1 the habits of fishermen gradually improved2 and when the temperance movement spread its branches over the land1 no class enlisted under its banners more readily1 and no section of the community was more enthusiastic or adhered more firmly to the teetotal principles than did this section of the seafaring class4 ,in a remarkably short time the thatched hovels gave place to neat stone and lime cottages2 and the fishermen1 instead of spending their evenings in the public-house1 preferred either to stay at home and mend the nets or join in some temperance or religious movement which often necessitated a walk of a good many miles to the chief town in the district where these meetings were usually held4 ,the religious tone in most of the villages on the north-east coast and ,moray ,firth continues marked2 and many of those whose conduct a generation ago was a reproach to their village1 not only are now in comfortable circumstances1 but take an active interest in all local affairs1 and can conduct religious meetings in a way that would do credit to those regularly trained for the ministry4 ,fishermen are not naturally cosmopolitan in their nature1 and take comparatively little interest in matters not directly affecting themselves2 but if a trawling agitation is being promulgated1 or if a sudden gale deals destruction to fishermen anywhere on the coast1 the villagers evince the greatest anxiety to obtain the latest information4 ,war or rumours of war exercise a strong influence on their minds1 and the weekly newspapers are anxiously looked for1 and the reports on the subject keenly discussed2 but stirring questions of national importance seldom or never disturb the equilibrium of village life4 ,a local oracle is here and there met with1 and though his learning may not be profound1 he has sufficient ability to represent with some degree of intelligence the opinions or wishes of his fellow-villagers at any time that a question affecting their welfare is prominently before the public4 ,some of these oracles are vain of their learning2 and many good stories are in circulation in the fishing districts indicative of their anxiety to air their learning1 especially when a big word could be utilised1 whether it suited the sense or not4 ,one good example happened in ,fraserburgh not many years ago on the occasion of an accidental meeting of a minister and a leading villager4 ,during the fishing season1 the minister was visiting in a part of the town where a row of small houses were built on exactly similar lines2 and finding it difficult to distinguish his parishioner's house1 asked a fisherman--at the moment remarking as to the similarity of the buildings--where the individual whom he wanted resided4 ,the man drew himself up1 and with the intention of impressing the minister with his erudition1 proffered his services with the following remark3 #8,weel1 sir1 ,i'm no a bit surprised at your difficulty1 for the houses on this street are most unanimous4' ,as has been already indicated1 fishermen do not trouble themselves with the affairs of state1 and the result is that food for conversation limits itself to incidents in their daily life1 which1 though at times painfully exciting1 is oftenest most uneventful4 ,during the herring-fishing season1 when the men often do not see one another from ,monday to ,saturday1 part of ,sunday is invariably spent in discussing the results of the previous week's work4 #8,between sermons1' three1 four1 and sometimes half-a-dozen fishermen congregate at a relative's or an acquaintance's lodgings1 and having seated themselves1 some on chairs1 some on chests1 and others on nets1 and filled their pipes1 proceed to narrate their experiences of the past few days2 in the course of which1 one man describes how1 after sailing east-north-east1 and putting ,mormond ,hill down1 he shot his nets1 and was rewarded with a good take1 but got much destruction to netting in consequence of other boats having shot over his #8fleet2' while another recounts most minutely every night's work from leaving till returning to the harbour1 and explains that though they had been upon different grounds1 they had failed to meet with any luck1 although their neighbour ,sandie1 who was alongside of them1 one night had got seventy crans4 ,in this manner each skipper gives a little history of the week's labours2 and the company having exhausted their store of news1 take their departure to their respective homes1 probably not to meet again till the following ,sunday4 ,,my ,,first ,,patient4 #8444 ,and may ,i beg you to visit us in your private rather than in your professional capacity8 ,since my dear wife has been failing thus sadly1 she has evinced a great dread of medical men2 and were she to guess you other than an ordinary guest1 ,i tremble for the consequences6 ,the carriage will meet you at ,blackburne ,station at whatever hour you name4--,yours very truly1 ,,arthur ,,crawford4' ,this is an extract from a letter that ,i received on the #ajth of ,june #ahgj1 and being but a young fellow of twenty-six1 ,i was very much elated thereby4 ,the great drawback to being what is called a specialist is that the generality of people--for what reason1 ,i have never been able to discover--are afraid to employ you until you are well on in years1 and consequently this ,mrs ,crawford for whom my services had been enlisted was my first private patient4 ,my speciality was madness2 and tiring equally of hospital-work and of idling in my own rooms1 ,i was heartily thankful for the good luck that had befallen me4 ,in a previous letter1 ,mr ,crawford had given a detailed account of his wife's symptoms2 and now all arrangements were completed1 and ,i was due at his ,berkshire home on the following day4 ,when the train steamed into the little country station1 ,i found a carriage and pair ready to meet me4 ,evidently1 to judge by the general get-up of the whole thing1 the ,crawfords were wealthy folk2 and this impression was confirmed when we reached the house1 which was standing in the midst of a lovely park4 ,in true country fashion1 the hall-doors were standing open1 and my host met me on the threshold with outstretched hands4 #8,this is exceedingly kind of you1' he said genially1 #8for ,i know you have come at your very earliest convenience4--,journey from town pleasant8--,yes8 ,that's right4--,james1 take ,mr ,lennox's things to his room4 ,lunch in the morning-room1 hey8--,come along1 my dear sir2 you must be half famished4' ,so saying1 he preceded me down a long corridor1 whence ,i caught distant glimpses of a beautiful garden at the back of the house1 and into a snug little room where luncheon was laid4 ,while ,i discussed a cold chicken1 ,mr ,crawford went on chatting2 and ere ,i went to my room for a wash and brush up before presenting myself to his wife1 we were excellent friends4 ,i do not think ,i ever met a man who so much charmed me at first sight2 nay1 he more than charmed1 he captivated me4 ,he was about thirty1 and exceedingly handsome1 with fair curly hair1 and bright blue eyes4 ,he had a bronzed complexion1 and a hearty laugh1 and was altogether a most attractive specimen of a young ,englishman4 ,when ,i had finished luncheon1 his manner changed abruptly as he began speaking of his young wife4 #8,i did not like to enter upon the subject before you were rested1' he began courteously2 #8but ,i am intensely anxious you should see her4 ,for some months past she has been suffering from intense melancholia1 and lately she has taken a deep distrust of those around her1 more particularly of me4' ,he stopped abruptly and bit his lip4 #8,doctor1 ,i simply worship her1' he went on passionately4 #8,when ,i married her five years ago1 she was the blithest1 merriest girl in all the shire2 and now1 to see her like this--why1 it breaks my heart6' and he dropped into a chair and buried his face in his hands4 ,there was an awkward pause1 for in those days ,i was too inexperienced to be much of a hand at consolation1 and then ,i stepped nearer to him and laid my hand upon his shoulder4 #8,come1 come1' ,i said cheerily1 #8there is no need to despair like this4 ,we must hope for the best4 ,how does she show her distrust of you8' ,he raised his head to answer me4 #8,by keeping the boy from me1 for one thing4 ,she will hardly let me touch him4' #8,the boy8 ,a son of yours8' #8,our only child1' he answered--#8a dear little fellow of nearly four2 and she betrays a terrible fear whenever ,i have him with me4' #8,does she eat well8' #8,hardly at all4' #8,sleep at night8' ,he shook his head2 and then followed a string of various professional questions4 ,our conversation at an end1 ,i requested to be shown to my room1 promising to be in the drawing-room for five o'clock tea1 when ,i should be introduced to ,mrs ,crawford4 #8,as ,mr ,lennox1 if you please1' suggested her husband as we crossed the hall4 #8,you remember that ,i asked you to drop the doctor1 and seem an ordinary visitor8' ,of course ,i agreed2 and then he told me he had spoken to her of me as an old college friend2 and finally he left me to myself4 ,when ,i descended to the drawing-room1 ,i found both ,crawford and his wife waiting for me4 ,he was standing by the open window playing with the climbing roses that were nodding by its sill3 he was talking merrily as ,i entered1 and looked the personification of life and good spirits4 ,a girl was standing by the mantel-shelf with her back towards me1 and ,i had barely time to admire the slight figure and graceful pose1 before ,crawford's voice rang out in hearty cordiality4 #8,ah6 there you are at last6 ,let me introduce you to my wife4--,beatrice1 this is ,mr ,john ,lennox4' ,she had half turned when he began speaking2 but as he said my name1 she gave a sudden gasp and confronted me with large startled eyes4 ,i have seen the eyes of a snared bird and those of a hunted stag1 but ,i have never seen such a look of piteous fear as dwelt in hers then4 ,for one moment she seemed half mad with terror2 but the next it fled as quickly as it came1 and she held out her hand in greeting4 ,as she did so1 an ugly scar on the smooth white wrist caught my eye4 ,it looked to me like an unskilful but intentional cut from a knife1 and while we were exchanging commonplaces as to my journey1 c41 ,i was wondering as to whether she had ever attempted her own life4 ,she was in the first flush of her womanhood2 and her glorious blue eyes and coil of auburn hair would alone have sufficed to stamp her as a beautiful woman1 had it not been that the curious expression of her face outweighed every other fascination4 ,she gave me the impression of being literally consumed by a terrible dread1 to the nature of which ,i of course as yet held no clue2 and with this dread1 an equally strong desire to suppress all outward indication of it4 ,add to this1 the fact that her face was entirely colourless1 and that the hand she had given me1 in spite of the ,june sunshine1 was as cold as ice1 and it will be seen that my first case promised to be full of interest4 ,she poured out the tea silently1 while her husband and ,i went on chatting1 and she did not speak again until he proposed to ring the nursery bell4 #8,we have not seen ,bertie all day1' he added1 #8and ,i know you would like to show him off to ,lennox4' #8,he is having his tea1' she rejoined quickly4 #8,show him off in the morning1 ,arthur2 ,i don't think we want him now4' #8,o fie6 ,there is an unkind mamma6 ,i wonder what ,bertie would say to you8 ,he can finish his tea here1 dear4 ,i'll fetch him4' #8,no1 no2 ,i'll go4' ,she ran out of the room as she spoke2 and ,crawford turned to me with a weary-looking smile4 #8,you see1 ,lennox8 ,i generally give way2 but ,i am afraid of it growing upon her1 if ,i never see the child4 ,he is such a splendid fellow6' ,as he spoke1 his wife returned with the boy in her arms4 #8,i met him in the hall1' she explained2 #8he was just coming in from his walk4--,no1 ,arthur1 don't take him3 he is not at all heavy4' ,this last to her husband1 who had advanced with outstretched hands4 #8,look here1 ,bertie1 darling4 ,who likes cake8' ,she seated herself on a low chair1 still keeping a jealous arm around the child1 and went on talking1 this time to me4 #8,arthur and ,i quarrel over this small boy4' ,she laughed a little1 but it sounded very mirthless4 #8,the last cause of dissension is his health4 ,i think he is growing delicate and wants change1 and papa doesn't agree4 ,does he1 my beauty8' ,the boy laughed as she held him yet more closely to her2 and looking at his rosy cheeks and bright eyes1 it seemed to me that there could not be a healthier youngster4 #8,i am afraid ,i must take papa's side1' ,i said4 #8,you must not alarm yourself unnecessarily1 dear ,mrs ,crawford1 for ,i think'---- ,i stopped abruptly1 alarmed by the expression on her face4 ,i was new at my work1 be it remembered2 but ,i think that older men than ,i would have been frightened4 ,bertie had rebelled against the detaining arm2 and sliding on to the floor1 had run to his father and climbed into his arms4 ,a fine game of romps now ensued1 and the mother sat and watched them4 ,sitting there facing her1 ,i1 too1 was watching4 ,in my student days1 ,i had kept a tame lizard1 and by whistling to it1 had been able to direct its movements at will1 and now ,i was reminded of my whilom pet by watching ,beatrice ,crawford's eyes4 ,every motion of her husband's1 as he ran round the room tossing the laughing boy in his arms1 appeared to hold a fascination for her1 and her gaze never left him but once4 ,that once was when she walked swiftly to a further table and possessed herself of a paper-knife1 which she handed to me1 commenting on its curious make4 ,it was of steel and sharply pointed2 and ,i handed it back again with the remark1 that it would make a nasty weapon if needed4 ,she took it without glancing at me again2 but her husband had caught her words1 and now came up to us breathless and laughing1 with ,bertie clinging round his neck4 #8,don't hold that thing1 my darling1' he said tenderly4 #8,i hate to see such an ugly knife in your dear little hands4' #8,give it to ,bertie1 mamma1' cried the child1 stretching dimpled hands for the coveted treasure2 and his father1 with an injunction to be careful1 was taking it from her to give to him1 when1 with a muffled cry1 she snatched the knife back and dashed it through the open window into the garden beyond4 #8,you shan't have it6--you shan't have it6' she cried excitedly1 while a bright red spot burned on either cheek4 #8,you would'---- ,with marvellous self-control1 she stopped dead short2 and after an almost imperceptible pause1 she added in her usual quiet tones3 #8,pray1 forgive me1 ,arthur2 ,i am so afraid of ,bertie hurting himself4--,go up to the nursery1 dear4 ,mamma will come to you4' ,awe-struck at her late passion1 the child went gently out of the room1 and his mother following him1 ,i was left alone with ,crawford4 ,it went to my heart to see the pained1 drawn look on his face2 but the scene had at all events put one thing beyond a doubt3 ,mrs ,crawford was not merely failing in brain-power--she was mad4 ,a couple of days went by1 and ,i became fairly puzzled4 ,all the ordinary verbal tests when applied to my patient proved complete failures4 ,her memory was excellent1 and indeed in this respect she was far better than her husband1 who was constantly forgetting things4 ,as to her judgment1 it struck me as above the average1 for she was a widely-read woman1 and we had a stiff argument one night as to the merits of our favourite authors4 ,she managed her own housekeeping1 and capitally she did it too2 and1 in fact--not to exhaust the reader's patience by entering into details--the only visible outcome of her mental aberration was this extreme terror in which she lived1 and for which ,i could find no reason4 7,i may remark parenthetically that the mad undoubtedly have rules of their own by which they are influenced4 ,experience thus teaching me that ,mrs ,crawford had some reason for this1 to us1 inexplicable dread--even though it might be but a fear of her own shadow--it became my business to solve this reason47 ,what baffled me most was the fact that while it was ,crawford himself who primarily excited this terror1 she was undeniably fond of him4 ,indeed1 the word #8fond' is hardly suitable1 for she simply adored him4 ,i never heard him express the slightest wish as to the household arrangements but it was instantly fulfilled2 while every whim--and he was the most whimsical of men--was implicitly obeyed4 ,in fact1 at the end of a week ,i was precisely in the same state as when ,i first entered the house4 ,but that my amour propre was piqued1 and ,i felt angry at my non-success1 ,i should have been paying a very enjoyable visit4 ,arthur ,crawford made a capital host2 and although1 as ,i have already said1 he was a very whimsical man1 and was subject to unaccountable fits of depression1 he and ,i got on excellently together4 ,at the end of the week1 something happened which had the double effect of lowering me several inches in my own estimation1 and of placing matters in a totally different light4 ,it was an exceedingly hot night2 and after we had all gone to bed1 ,i was tempted to leave my room1 and seating myself by the open window in the corridor1 to indulge in an extra cigar4 ,the fact that it was a fine moonlight night1 and that while the corridor window boasted a lovely view1 that of my own room looked into the stables1 amply justified my choice of a seat4 ,i had been there for perhaps an hour1 when ,i heard the ,crawfords talking in their room1 which was on a level with my own4 ,the tones were excited and eager2 and fearing that ,mrs ,crawford might be lashing herself into a fury1 and that her husband might be ignorantly increasing it1 ,i stole down to their door and stood listening4 #8,arthur1 dear1 give it to me4 ,you don't want it to-night4 ,why not wait until the morning8' ,these were the first words that ,i caught spoken in ,mrs ,crawford's usually gentle tones4 #8,give it to you8--,no2 not ,i6 ,i know a trick worth two of that4 ,ah1 you think ,i don't know that you and that confounded mealy-mouthed doctor are in league against me4' ,crawford's voice1 shrill and mocking1 but undoubtedly his4 ,good heavens6 was the man drunk8 ,there was a moment's pause1 and then he began again1 this time more gently4 #8,come1 come1 ,beatrice4 ,drop this stupid joking4 ,i only want to have a little cut at ,bertie1 just a little cut2 and look6 the knife is so bright and sharp1 it cannot hurt him much4' ,the wall seemed to reel around me as ,i leaned against it for support4 ,in a flash of revelation that nearly blinded me1 as ,i realised the full horror of the situation1 ,i understood for the first time how matters actually stood4 ,crawford himself was the madman1 and the devoted wife1 whom ,i had been taught to look upon as insane1 had known the truth all this time2 and knowing it1 for some inscrutable woman's reason1 had shielded him1 perhaps at the cost of her very life4 ,in a moment the meaning of his many whims1 his loss of memory1 his fits of depression1 were made clear to me2 and as ,i thought of the martyrdom through which his girl-wife had passed1 ,i cursed myself for the readiness with which ,i had been duped4 ,while these thoughts were rushing through my brain1 ,i had noiselessly opened the outer door1 and now stood in the dressing-room1 peering into the bedroom beyond4 ,the door between the two was standing open2 but a heavy curtain hung in the aperture1 and by making a little slit in it by means of my penknife1 ,i was enabled to command a view of the interior4 ,at the farther end of the apartment lay ,bertie asleep in his cot4 ,standing before him1 clad in a long white wrapper1 and with her auburn hair flowing over her shoulders1 was the young mother herself2 while at some paces from her stood ,crawford1 still in evening dress1 and balancing in his fingers a long glittering dagger1 that ,i recognised as one that usually hung in the library below4 ,by this time he had dropped his angry tones1 and was speaking in his accustomed pleasant fashion4 #8,you know1 dear1' he was saying1 #8it really is necessary that we both drink some4 ,half a glassful of young and innocent blood1 and we both shall keep young and happy for ever4' #8,won't my blood do8' asked the girl desperately4 ,she stretched her bare arms towards him and forced a smile to her poor quivering lips4 #8,you are much fonder of me1 aren't you1 dear8 ,i shall do much better4' ,he laughed softly4 #8,no1 no1 my darling2 not you4 ,i wouldn't hurt you for all the gold of all the ,indies4' ,he stopped suddenly1 as if struck by his own words4 #8,gold8' he repeated4 #8,ah6 yes1 of course1 ,i must have gold4 ,where did ,i put it now8' ,he retreated a few steps1 looking uneasily from side to side4 #8,perhaps you left it in the library4--,ring for ,james4 ,or go to ,mr ,lennox1 ,arthur2 he will help you to find it4' ,he laughed again--a low monotonous laugh1 to which my hospital-work had but too well accustomed me1 and then he moved nearer her1 still balancing the dagger in his long nervous fingers4 ,that terrible knife6 ,if he had only put it down for a moment1 ,i could have rushed in and secured it before turning to him2 but as matters were1 cruel experience taught me that the instant he caught sight of me1 he would rush to the child1 to carry his dreadful purpose into effect1 and that the mother in all probability would fall the victim4 ,on the other hand1 ,i dared not quit my post to summon assistance1 and so leave ,beatrice entirely at his mercy4 ,i glanced round the dressing-room1 and the window-cord caught my eye4 ,it was new and strong4 ,i cut it as high as ,i could reach1 and crept back to my hole at the curtain4 ,crawford was growing rapidly angry4 #8,give me that boy6' he cried roughly4 #8,get out of the way1 ,beatrice1 and let me have him2' and he caught her by the arm and dragged her from the cot4 #8,arthur1 ,arthur6 husband1 sweetheart6' ,she clasped both arms around his neck1 and raised imploring eyes to his2 but the sight of the thin white face only moved him to greater wrath4 #8,it is all your fault ,i have not made you strong long ago1' he exclaimed irritably4 #8,you never laugh now1 and you can't sing1 and you won't dance4' #8,dance8 ,o yes1 ,i can4 ,look1 ,arthur6' ,she drew rapidly back towards the cot1 speaking in her ordinary quiet voice4 #8,you shall do what you like with ,bertie2 ,i was only joking4 ,only we must have our dance first1 you know4' ,with a sudden movement1 she stooped and lifted the sleeping child from the bed1 talking all the time in an arch merry voice1 that still retained its old power over the poor madman4 ,he nodded approvingly as she began rocking to and fro with the boy in her arms1 and he moved a chair or two1 to give her more space4 #8,dance1 ,beatrice6' and he began whistling a then fashionable valse1 beating time to the air with the dagger1 of which he never relinquished his hold4 #8,very well1' she responded cheerily4 #8,stand by the mantel-piece and give us plenty of room4 ,now1 then1 my baby boy2 one1 two1 and off we go4' ,my life has shown me instances of self-devotion in plenty2 ,i have seen proofs of ready wit1 and more of indomitable pluck2 but ,i have never seen them so marvellously combined as on that terrible ,june night4 ,instinct taught me what she meant to do4 ,she had persuaded her husband to stand at the end of the room farthest from the curtain that hid her one means of escape1 and now she intended to hazard her only chance1 dash through it1 lock the door on the other side1 and then go for help4 ,backwards and forwards1 round and round1 she circled1 a weird enough figure in her white draperies4 ,the little white feet were bare1 and it taxed her utmost strength to hold the heavy boy in her arms2 but with a sublime heroism of which ,i should never have believed her capable1 she never once paused for breath4 ,a miracle alone kept the child asleep2 but when ,i saw the poor mother's lips move dumbly between the snatches of the gay valse she was humming1 ,i felt that she was praying ,god he might not waken4 ,nearer and nearer the curtain she came2 but1 to my horror1 ,i perceived that ,crawford was growing uneasy and advancing slowly in the rear4 #8,mrs ,crawford6 ,quick6' ,there was not a minute to be lost4 ,i tore the curtain aside1 and she rushed towards me2 but ere ,i could fasten the heavy door1 her husband was upon us4 ,with a yell of baffled rage1 he was tearing after her through the open doorway1 and in another moment would have reached her with uplifted knife1 when ,i tripped him up1 and he fell headlong to the floor4 ,he was stunned by his fall2 and while ,i fastened his hands and feet by means of the cut window-cord1 his wife went back to the inner room and rang loudly for assistance4 ,ere he came to himself1 ,arthur ,crawford was safely secured in my own room4 ,leaving him there under charge of the men-servants1 ,i went back to seek ,mrs ,crawford4 ,she was lying on the bedroom floor with her nervous fingers still tightly interlaced1 and by her side sat her little son1 warm and rosy from his broken sleep4 ,he was kissing the paling lips as ,i came hastily into the room1 and now held up a warning finger as ,i knelt beside them4 #8,poor mamma is fast asleep1' he whispered4 #8,and she is so cold6' ,she was not dead4 ,the long and frightful mental strain through which she had passed brought on brain-fever1 and for some days we despaired of her life2 but she came through it bravely2 and ere the summer waned1 ,i had the satisfaction of installing both mother and son in a seaside cottage1 far enough away from her ,berkshire home4 ,crawford1 poor fellow1 only lived a few months1 for a dangerous fall in the asylum grounds put a merciful termination to his confinement4 ,during those few months1 ,i visited him occasionally1 and he always spoke most tenderly of his wife1 whom he imagined to be dead4 ,when he died1 ,i went to break the news to his young widow2 and while staying in her pretty ,devonshire cottage1 ,i solved much that had puzzled me4 ,her terror at my first introduction to her had been occasioned by the fact that she had at once recognised me as ,lennox the mad doctor4 ,i had been pointed out to her in the park the season before4 ,she dreaded ,arthur's incipient madness being known to any one2 for she had a blind terror of a lunatic asylum in connection with her idolised husband1 and hoped that a quiet country life1 free from trouble and contradiction1 might in time restore him4 ,but had he never broken out before8 ,i asked1 for it seemed to me incomprehensible that so slight a frame should be capable of such courage4 ,once1 she said1 only once1 and then he had been bent on killing himself4 ,in struggling with him for the possession of the knife1 he had accidentally cut her wrist1 and so occasioned the ugly scar that disfigured it4 ,as for ,bertie's presence on that fatal night1 she told me he had always been accustomed to sleep in their room2 and as ,i had refused to second her theory that the child wanted change of air1 and so aid in sending him out of the house1 she could devise no other means of getting rid of him4 ,and then ,i took my leave2 and ,i have never seen ,mrs ,crawford from that day to this2 but still1 in spite of a certain pair of sweet brown eyes which make the sunshine of my home1 ,i am forced to admit that there is no woman on earth for whom ,i have such a boundless admiration as for that unfortunate lady of whom ,i at one time thought as my ,first ,patient4 ,,fyvie ,,castle4 ,great are the vicissitudes of landed property in these modern times4 ,estates of more than local name are constantly being placed in the market1 and even manors and castles of national interest are occasionally brought to the auctioneer's hammer4 ,old families are dying out or becoming embarrassed1 and many of #8the stately homes of ,england'--often associated with legendary lore and the history of centuries--have to be handed over to the highest bidder4 ,we are not here concerned with the political or economical aspect of this transference of landed property2 but even the most utilitarian will admit that there is something melancholy in seeing a fine old historic mansion advertised for sale1 or a family divorced from an estate with which it may have been connected for generations4 ,on the other hand1 nothing1 we should fancy1 would be more tempting to the new class of rich men desirous of acquiring landed possessions than the chance of securing some old family seat1 of quaint architectural design1 and crowded with memories of the past4 ,a splendid chance of this kind was offered some time ago in the proposed sale of ,fyvie ,castle1 in ,aberdeenshire1 along with the adjoining estate2 but no sale was effected4 ,this castle may be said to be complete in its way4 ,it possesses dungeons1 a #8murder-hole1' and a secret1 inaccessible chamber1 with1 of course1 a dreadful threat hanging over the head of him who first enters it2 a #8,green ,lady' is said to occasionally walk up and down its main staircase2 a #8dripping stone' is one of its curiosities2 a family history is associated with each of its four towers2 it figures prominently in a well-known local ballad2 and ,thomas the ,rhymer even delivered himself of a prophecy concerning it4 ,yet1 withal1 it is a comfortable and commodious mansion1 pleasantly situated1 with park1 lake1 river1 and shootings attached4 ,what more could one wish for in a castle8 ,the traveller from ,aberdeen to ,banff by railway may catch a glimpse of ,fyvie ,castle to his right when he has accomplished about three-fourths of his journey4 ,he will only see its turret-tops1 however1 for the castle stands in a well-wooded hollow--familiarly known in the ,aberdeenshire dialect as #8the howe o' ,fyvie'--encircled by low1 undulating hills and stretches of highly cultivated land4 ,the castle occupies two sides of a square1 and is a high and narrow structure of the old ,scotch baronial type1 which would be designated plain were it not for its numerous turrets and dormer windows1 surmounted with carved canopies and statuary4 ,it has something of the appearance of a ,french chateau1 and it has indeed been cited by ,john ,hill ,burton in his ,scot ,abroad as one of the finest specimens of how the chateau architecture of ,france was superimposed upon the original grim square block of a ,scotch baronial mansion4 ,the chief front is to the south1 and is formed by the union of three tall towers1 built by and called after three successive families who1 at one time or other1 have been owners of ,fyvie4 ,of these three towers1 the most noticeable is the central one1 the ,seton ,tower1 named after a member of the ,seton family1 to whose ,french upbringing and architectural tastes the general design of the building is attributed4 ,it is curiously recessed1 two semi-round twin towers being united by an arch above the fourth story4 ,in the recess thus formed1 which is rendered striking by its great height and width1 is the former grand entrance1 leading into a low1 vaulted passage1 the doorway being defended by a ponderous iron grating bolted into the massive walls4 ,the west side1 terminating in a corresponding tower at the north end1 is of more modern construction1 but is in perfect harmony with the front4 ,the main architectural feature of the castle1 however1 is1 as already hinted1 its many bartisan turrets and dormer windows and high-pitched gables1 the turrets being surmounted with stone figures1 and the dormer windows with carved canopies4 ,a good view of this portion of the structure is given in ,billings's ,baronial and ,ecclesiastical ,antiquities of ,scotland1 the castle being there described 7again by ,hill ,burton1 who furnished the letterpress to ,billings's engravings7 as #8one of the noblest and most beautiful specimens of the rich architecture which the ,scottish barons of the days of ,king ,james ,,vi4 obtained from ,france4 ,its three princely towers1 with their luxuriant coronet of coned turrets1 sharp gables1 tall roofs and chimneys1 canopied dormer windows1 and rude statuary1 present a sky outline at once graceful1 rich1 and massive1 and in these qualities exceeding even the far-famed ,glammis4' ,the interior of the building is in keeping with the exterior1 and abounds in narrow passages1 winding staircases1 and small rooms2 though there are apartments the size and elegance of which could hardly be predicated from a mere survey of the outside of the castle4 ,for such an old place1 the light and airiness of the rooms are something remarkable2 while the views across the park and policies that are obtained from the windows are charming and charmingly diversified4 ,but the main attraction is a grand stone staircase of unique design1 said to be without an equal1 or even a rival1 in ,scotland4 ,it is best described as #8revolving in corkscrew fashion round a massive central pillar1 the skill of the architect being chiefly shown in the turns and windings of the ribbed and vaulted roof1 with its arches springing occasionally out of carved capitals in the walls4' ,the steps are of great breadth1 and are so gently graduated1 that it is easy to accept a tradition to the effect that the horse of one of the lairds used to ascend them4 ,the stone figures on the tops of the turrets1 wrought in the red sandstone that lends colour to the canopies and other ornamentations1 are somewhat diminutive1 and1 with one exception1 have lost their personality1 if they ever had any4 ,this exceptional figure is said to represent ,andrew ,lammie1 #8the trumpeter of ,fyvie1' immortalised in a well-known ,aberdeenshire ballad1 ,mill o' ,tifty's ,annie4 ,the miller's daughter fell in love with the trumpeter1 and was done to death by her family in consequence1 the tragedy being completed by the pining away of the trumpeter4 ,we quote the concluding verses of this truly pathetic ballad3 #8,fyvie lands lie braid and wide1 ,and oh1 but they be bonny6 ,but ,i wadna gie my ain true-love1 ,for a' the lands in ,fyvie6 #8,but mak my bed1 and lay me down1 ,and turn my face to ,fyvie1 ,that ,i may see1 before ,i die1 ,my bonny ,andrew ,lammie6' ,they made her bed1 and laid her down1 ,and turned her face to ,fyvie2 ,she gave a groan1 and died or morn-- ,she ne'er saw ,andrew ,lammie4 ,the laird o' ,fyvie he went hame1 ,and he was sad and sorry2 ,says1 #8,the bonniest lass o' the country-side ,has died for ,andrew ,lammie4' ,oh1 ,andrew's gane to the house-top ,o' the bonny house o' ,fyvie2 ,he's blawn his horn baith loud and shrill ,o'er the lowland leas o' ,fyvie4 #8,mony a time hae ,i walked a' night1 ,and never yet was weary2 ,but now ,i may walk wae my lane1 ,for ,i'll never see my dearie4 #8,love pines away1 love dwines away1 ,love--love decays the body2 ,for the love o' thee1 now ,i maun dee2 ,i come1 my bonny ,annie6' ,mill of ,tifty is still #8to the fore1' and the effigy of the trumpeter points his trumpet in its direction2 and the ballad seems to have some truth in it1 for the tombstone of the unfortunate ,annie--her real name was ,agnes ,smith--was till recently in ,fyvie kirkyard1 being now replaced by a handsome monument2 and documents show that her father was owner of the mill in #afgb4 ,the castle as it now stands--there is supposed to have been an older castle or keep--is believed to date from about #acig1 the oldest tower extant having been built by ,sir ,henry ,preston--of the family of ,preston of ,craigmillar--who fought at ,otterburn1 and who acquired the estate from ,sir ,james de ,lindsay1 #8,dominus de ,crawfurd et ,buchan4' ,from the ,prestons1 the estate passed by marriage into a family called ,meldrum2 but the family most associated with the castle is the family named after it4 ,in #aeif1 ,fyvie was purchased from the ,meldrums by ,alexander ,seton1 third son of ,george1 sixth ,lord ,seton1 and brother of the first ,earl of ,winton4 ,this ,alexander ,seton was first created ,lord ,fyvie1 and then ,earl of ,dunfermline--the former title being apparently used by the family in the north4 ,he was a lawyer-statesman of great ability and influence1 and a favourite councillor of ,james ,i4's4 ,he held a number of state and judicial offices1 being successively ,president of the ,court of ,session and ,lord ,chancellor of ,scotland2 and he was the ,king's ,commissioner to the ,scotch parliament of #afab1 which rescinded the ,act of #aeib establishing the ,presbyterian system of church government4 ,the second ,lord ,fyvie took a prominent part1 under ,montrose1 in the operations against the ,covenanters1 and afterwards lived abroad with ,charles ,,ii41 and shared in the honours distributed at the restoration of the ,merry ,monarch4 ,the fourth and last peer fought at ,killiecrankie on the royalist side1 was outlawed1 and died at ,st ,germain4 ,the estate1 which had been forfeited to the ,crown1 was sold in #agbf to ,william1 second ,earl of ,aberdeen1 who settled it on his eldest son by his third wife1 ,lady ,anne ,gordon1 sister of ,lord ,lewis ,gordon--the #8,lewie ,gordon' of the ,jacobite ballad2 and it has since descended through members of junior branches of the ,gordon 7,aberdeen7 family4 ,its present proprietor is ,sir ,maurice ,duff-,gordon1 son of ,lady ,duff-,gordon1 whose pleasant ,letters from ,egypt have not yet escaped memory4 ,it will thus be seen that a considerable historic interest attaches to the castle that was so recently in the market4 ,the domain of ,fyvie1 indeed1 is said to have been a royal chase at one time2 and some would even have it that in the reign of ,robert the ,bruce it was a royal residence1 and was visited in #abif by ,edward ,i4 on his progress through the north of ,scotland4 ,there is a #8,queen ,mary ,room' in the castle1 and some good specimens of the furniture of ,mary's period1 though it is doubtful if ,mary herself ever occupied the room4 ,the great ,marquis of ,montrose1 who certainly encamped once in the neighbourhood of the castle1 is reported to have spent a night under its roof2 and a century later1 the ,duke of ,cumberland marched through the policies of ,fyvie on his way to ,culloden4 ,turning from the historical to the legendary1 we have a prophecy of ,thomas the ,rhymer's respecting ,fyvie3 ,fyvns riggs and towers1 ,hapless shall your mesdames be1 ,when ye shall hae within your methes1 ,frae harryit kirk's land1 stanes three-- ,ane in ,preston's tower2 ,ane in my lady's bower2 ,and ane below the water-yett1 ,and it ye shall never get4 ,two of these stones have been found in their respective places1 but the third one remains true to the seer's prediction4 ,one of the weird stones is carefully kept1 and is known as the #8dripping stone1' as at times it exudes a large quantity of moisture1 often sufficient to fill a large basin with water4 ,singular to say1 nothing is known of a #8water-yett1' or of there having been one2 while the alleged raid on ,church property is equally a mystery2 and though the hapless fate of the ladies of ,fyvie is not specified1 it is a curious circumstance that no heir has been born in ,fyvie ,castle for several generations4 ,but whatever the prophecy may portend1 it completes the charm of a castle which possesses much to delight both the lover of the picturesque and the worshipper of the past4 ,,bird ,,notes4 ,six poplar trees1 in golden green1 ,stand up the sweet ,may snow between-- ,the snow of plum and pear tree bloom-- ,and ,i1 looking down from my little room1 ,call to the bird on the bough3 #8,what cheer8' ,and he pipes for answer3 #8,the spring is here4' ,a month goes by with its sun and rain1 ,and a rosebud taps at my window pane2 ,i see in the garden down below ,the tall white lilies a stately row2 ,the birds are pecking the cherries red3 #8,summer is sweet1' the starlings said4 ,again ,i look from my casement down2 ,the leaves are changing to red and brown2 ,and overhead1 through a sky of gray1 ,the swallows are flying far away4 #8,whither away1 sweet birds8' ,i cry4 #8,autumn is come1' they make reply4 ,keenly1 coldly1 the north winds blow2 ,silently falls the pure white snow2 ,of birds and blossoms am ,i bereft-- ,brave bright robin alone is left1 ,and he taps and chirps at my window pane3 #8,take heart2 the spring will return again4' ,,florence ,,tylee4 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