"Here I am again!' said the sailor genially—a valise in one hand and a few odds-and-ends in the other, Boots' after him with a portmanteau on his shoulder. The landlady had put things to him,' he said, and he had turned out' to let the widow turn in.'

"We were thus chatting, when a slight rustling, no louder than the night wind gently breathing through the ivy leaves outside the casement might be, attracted my attention to the recess; and, on looking round, I saw the widow, who had at that instant gone to the table for her bag with the papers. She was ghastly pale I noticed, on her turning to leave the room. It was only at that very moment that the naval officer raised his head-the next he had sprung to his feet, and rushing forward, with a wild inarticulate cry-held to his breast, his wife, who had uttered a shrill moaning wail, and was swooning in his arms!

"The landlady, scared at the ejaculations, which had reached the bar, entered to ascertain the cause of this second alarm; and Camlet, who had been mooning about the porch and heard the commotion, made his appearance in the doorway of the parlour. And what a scene to astound his vision-a ghost converted into flesh-and-blood, the dead alive, and a widow'unweeded!' Those who have seen Liston as 'Dominie Sampson,' and remember his 'Prodigious!' would have witnessed a sort of second edition on beholding Camlet in this tableau vivant, and upon which we must drop the curtain.

"We had, on learning that fate decreed our detention all night at the Crown, ordered supper to be on table before 12 o'clock, and the ingredients for a bowl of punch, the landlady promising the gallant Captain a bottle of famous port from a bin kept alone for the aristocracy visiting the house; and when the ten of us sat down, an admirable repast was spread before us, from the huge pie stuffed to repletion with hares, pheasants, and partridges, to roast chickens, boar's head, and mince pies and if there were a plethora of good things, as surely the same, however unpoetical, might be a word applied to the happiness of all. None of our hearts seemed

But

-' hard in nature, and unfit
For human fellowship, as being void
Of sympathy, and therefore dead alike
To love and friendship both.'

'Who the exquisite delight can tell, The joy'

which thrilled through the heart's blood and soul-yearnings of those whom the will of Providence in mercy vouchsafed should thus meet again united?

"The clergyman improved the occasion by a capital speech, ending it with a cleverly closing period at the first announcement from the irontongued warner of the midnight hour, and we mutely listened to those solemn vibrations through the frosty air, which were the last throbbings of the Old Year. Then merrily came the peal of bells from the same grey tower when the last intonation (as though the knell of the departed) had died away, the clergyman raising aloft his glass as a signal for our own being uplifted, and in a clear voice giving that most joyous toast-A Happy New Year

to all,' which was followed by three cheers, and three times three, and one cheer more for the lost found; and how the cheers were re-echoed as we sent a mighty bowl, hot and strong, to the coachman and guard of the Wonder, and our humbler fellow travellers, I leave you all to suppose.

"As a matter of course, an elucidation of the main mystery had to be solved, and the apparition seen, and seer being actually present, we had a true version. Mrs. Studleigh having a second or so before its appearance left the chamber of the hostess for the purpose of getting her leathern bag with the papers (blaming herself for her negligent carelessness), the door closed behind her, a light from a room at the further end of the passage streaming across it, the rays of which fell upon the entire form of her husband on his approaching his room, and that she saw him she could religiously have vowed by every Saint in the calendar! The fate or death of her husband was on this wise. The Albatross gunbrig had really foundered in a tremendous gale; an East Indiaman, which rode it out, beholding her engulphed in a chasm that opened as it were in the seething deep to receive its victim. The disaster occurred towards sunset. The Indiaman lay to, under jury-masts, and storm-sail to steady her, that night and the next day; but through the spray and flying foam not a creature nor a spar could be descried afloat. There were however, although unseen, strugglers on the surface of the wrathful ocean, three of whom were cast on the shore, whose beetling rocks loomed through the mist-Lieutenant Studleigh aud two men, whose peril and privations by land as well as by sea would, if told even in his modest, though briefly-spoken narrative, form a tale in itself.

"The clergyman gave his blessing ere we broke up. Trusses of straw were brought into the parlour, and we improvised couches on the floor or with chairs, piled up a roaring fire, and if we had'nt tub and scrub next morning, we had abundance of slushing to refresh us notwithstanding.

6

"Intelligence came that the road was cleared sufficiently for traffic, and after a capital breakfast we were told the Wonder' would be presently round from the yard.

"Wheels were heard, and we hurried to the entrance; the wheels not however proving those of the coach, but the travelling carriage of the Marlbys, and in single file through the crowd of us, the family passed, and a more crest-fallen procession than that was never witnessed, bar two of the outgoers-the placid governess (who gave a greeting to Mrs. Studleigh, an interchange of kissings following), and Master Tom, the only son, who manifested a certain degree of liveliness demonstrated by his treading on the hinder part of Mr. Camlet's shoes, which seemed too big for him at the heels, this youth getting into the dicky with the footman. Camlet, dumb, and woe-begone, dejectedly mounted the box beside the coachman, and slowly the two dappled bays, with a grey and black for posters in front, moved off with their load; not taking the road for the Manor, but that, as we learnt, from whence they

came.

"Then it was our turn to start, and although it was not his wont to stow himself in the 'hold,' as he formerly termed it, this day we need scarcely say, the sailor preferred to share what he called the cabin' with his wife and child, and got inside. The merchant and banker, in

F

sisting on outside places, left the happy trio to themselves, each the gainer of thoroughly beautiful weather to reward their consideration. The coach arriving at its destination, away we went to our respective friends, there or in the neighbourhood.

"Before the month of January was out, the Studleighs took possession of Sunnybourne Manor, and its £12,000 a-year. The living having been by-and-by vacated, our acquaintance the clergyman was presented to it by Captain (now Admiral) Studleigh; and last, but by no means least, Miss Merritt was installed perceptress of no end of little girls, afterwards marrying well, and—and I have nothing more to say than this-that one of the most memorable and enjoyable of my coach journeyings was on the occasion of that

New Year's

AT THE

Crown."

Ebe

RAMBLES IN IRELAND.

Jack Fitz-Eustace's Story.
[Concluded.]

Miss Olivia Hamilton received a beautiful album as a prize from a Bazaar held at a neighbouring town. She was most anxious to fill this with the "cartes" of her friends and acquaintances, and amongst others requested mine. In pride and delight I immediately communicated with my photographer, ordering half-a-dozen copies of my "vignette." This being about a week before the eventful shooting day, the package arrived by post two days after it. As misfortune would have it, Miss Milliken had also extorted a promise of a copy.

The most of my mistakes in life arose from too much caution, a very unusual circumstance with persons of my age, for I was then not more than twenty-five. I, on this occasion, resolved not to lose the present opportunity of sounding Miss Hamilton's sentiments, and accordingly set about putting my own into a verse or two which were to accompany the present of the "carte de visite." After rejecting rhyme enough to fill a small volume, I decided on the following:

And wilt thou look on this stern face

So marked with lines of care?

Wilt thou give it an honoured place

With those thou holdest dear?

Had all my friends been such as thou

No shade of gloom had dimm'd my brow.

As time shall heighten my esteem
Of thee and all that's thine!
That I to thee may better seem

Till love will make thee mine.
Ah! then I'll strive and better be,
That I may yet be worthy thee!

Fearing the anger of Mrs. Hamilton if this should come under her notice, I omitted the words "love," "mine," and "thine" which occur

in the last three lines, placing four dots in the place of each. In the handsome sheet of scented note-paper on which were written these amorous verses, I folded the best of the six likenesses; then putting the worst into a similar but blank-sheet, I enclosed each in a handsome undirected envelope. My next consideration was how to convey the envelopes to those for whom they were intended. I would not dare hand Miss Olivia hers, knowing that she would open it in my presence, to our mutual embarrassment. It would not, I thought, be safe either to entrust the delivery to the inquisitive little house-maid. But my difficulties in this respect were instantly removed by the appearance of Willie Hamilton, a fine guileless child, before my door.

"Willie,” I said, "do you know where Miss Milliken is?”

"Ith, Mithter Fiz," said the child: "she's putting flour on her nose in ma's room."

I was too full of anxiety to enjoy the ridiculous but simple portrait described by Willie.

"Show me your right-hand, Willie, my child," I continued; "take this letter in your right-hand, and that one in your left-hand. Give the right-hand one to Miss Milliken, and the other to Miss Olivia; now be careful."

The child, delighted to be able to do me a service ran off instantly; but as he entered the room in which his governess was, that formidable woman approached him with such a fierce ear-boxing aspect, that he lifted his right hand to defend his face, while he threw her the envelope in his left, and fled away to deliver the rest of his message.

"I am so thankful to you Mr. Fitz-Eustace," said Miss Milliken when I entered the parlour at luncheon-time. "I really think mine is a better impression than Miss Olivia's" she continued, working up a smile with as much labour as it takes to lift a pile-driver.

"You will, I hope, Miss Millikin, have no objection," I asked, "to give me one of yours in return?"

"I would be most happy," she replied, again labouring at a smile, "but I have none by me. Those I got were so bad that I could not bear to look at them. It is seldom those photographers do justice to a lady. You appear so blank sometimes, and you look so vacant and so glum-" "Oh, they can tone down that darkness," I remarked.

"Can they? Then I'll write for one requesting them to do that," replied she.

Not heeding Miss Millikin's remark about the impression, I had no doubt of Willie's having properly delivered his errand, though, while I observed no change in Miss Hamilton's manner towards me, her governess appeared to have undergone a mental revolution in my regard. My bed-room was overhauled, and the housemaid abused for neglect of that appartment. Wrists and collars, through which I had hitherto lacerated my flesh with pins, were now supplied with buttons, as if by enchantment. Socks and pocket-hankerchiefs that were destined, I thought, to be "kindly scattered" in the wash, like their by-gone companions, were now beautifully emblazoned with my initials, so that the most heedless laundress could not fail to recognise the mark.

I was not so obtuse of intellect as not to perceive that all this had an object besides fraternal charity, but I had no idea of how much I myself was the unwitting cause,

On Saturday evening, as we passed from the dining to the drawingroom along a dark corridor, I felt myself between two ladies, one of whom warmly pressed my hand in hers. The touch operated like that of a torpedo. My whole frame vibrated under its influence. I thought it was the charming Olivia's silent response to my advances. In fact, I was satisfied nobody else could put so much natural heart-touching warmth into the gentle pressure.

The grim governess visited such expressions of feeling with her severest censures. They were rude-unlady-like, only fit for the coarse peasantry, in her estimation. When she herself took your hand, she did so as if it were fresh-moulded of wet stucco, and that she dreaded leaving on it the impression of her fingers. It was impossible Mrs. Hamilton, who followed, could have given the friendly squeeze. On entering the drawing-room I was quite absent in mind. In making my punch, I poured the hot water into my glass before I had put in it the whiskey or sugar, smashing the frail vessel and sending the scalding contents flowing over the table on Mr. Hamilton's tight trowsers, making that gentleman dance about the room, while his terrified spouse demanded the instant removal of the saturated garment, there and then. But he bore his torture like a man until he got to his own room, where he found the effects insignificant. Mrs. Hamilton, nevertheless, hinted very pointedly, that it was not fire-arms alone that were dangerous in my hands.

The phrases"most unfortunate," "extremely awkward," "foolishly absent," seemed to be the burden of a number of inaudible soliloquies in which she freely indulged for a considerable time after the trifling accident.

The next morning, shortly before breakfast, as I was contemplating my fast altering features in the looking-glass, Willie Hamilton came with his whistle against my door. My mind was so busy that I did not heed him until he forced it open, and ran to me with a large envelope. My heart leaped high, but alas! to fall the deeper into despondency. At first, it naturally occurred to me that it was Miss Hamilton's response to my little effusion of the past week. I did not ask from whom it came, but opened the seal at once. It told its own tale. Judge of my dismay, when, on opening it, I was confronted with the hideous likeness of the governess, with her skirts expanded in her hands, in the attitude of bowing or curtseying, as if she were taken by the "pistol camera" at an evening party. On her almost obliterated face was an abortive smile, like the grin of a vanishing goblin. The photographer, it would appear, in trying to tone down the dark nosered becoming black in the impression of the photograph-had almost washed away the rest of the features, so that at a little distance, nothing appeared but a pear-shaped spot over a headless trunk.

The beautiful lace-edged paper in which the "carte" was wrapped contained the following touching lines, written in fancy ink, and in Miss Millikin's best hand:

"Dear Mister Fitz,

You make such hits

In this sweet note you write me,

That I must fain

Not to complain

That you should thus invite me.