Imagens da página
PDF
ePub

'But whatever your intentions may be,' said Slasher, coming up at the time, 'to the weary, benighted pilgrims of these regions, you should be careful, and not waste such good matter upon persons like myself; here are three which you gave me, innocently, I doubt not, they are very much at your service. Why not reserve them for Kitty Trippit, when the dancing is over?' continued he, flinging Kitty's rose-tinted, strong-scented note, which some luckless Saint had left lying about, into the midst of the disconcerted Sternites.

Stanley now joined them, and they laughed long and heartily at the bombshell effect of the little discovery.

Now Tabitha had a great curiosity to see the inside of a church of the Old Countree. Against her father's express orders therefore had she gone, arm in arm with Maxwell, to the village church of Old Trememdon. Tabitha had a new bonnet also, one rather in advance of the Trememdon girls' bonnets, and she was particularly desirous of eclipsing them. It was Tabitha's first attendance at a service of the church of the Nation. When the organ began the beautiful prelude 'I will arise,' I heard her say to herself, 'Oh, how dreamy! how beautiful! ah,—so that it enthralls while it lasts! But, ah, now it ceases, what a dreary blank! But, oh, listen to that young man in white! how handsome! oh, what a voice! all in the still silence too-so much more impressive after the tones of the organ have died away! How it steals over my senses! Ah, why was I not born a Churchwoman?'

After a pause, St. Peter confided to Luke that he feared Tabitha's soul was in a very bad way.

[ocr errors]
[ocr errors]

Think, my brother,' said he painfully, Tabitha asked her mother, "might she dance?" the night of that carnal delight!' St. Luke was thereupon immediately shocked, and asked him why he had brought her. Peter replied,

'Maxwell did not tell us there would be so sinful a pleasure as dancing; and there was no holding her in; and, then, to think,' continued he, 'of the Rector having danced like anybody elseľ 'Ho! ho truly horrible!' cried all.

'Verily, think ye that Maxwell is sound?' asked St. Peter, in a dubious whine.

'Oh, very!' replied all, in which Fid-fad joined.

'My brothers' howled St. Peter, 'should we not warn the Marquis about his soul?'

'Not until we get his Name,' replied Lanky imperatively.
'Oh, no! oh, no!' joined in St. Luke, in decided tones.

Then directly after!' said St. Peter, urged by the recollection of his dream.

'We'll see,' said Lanky; 'we may want it for other "business." Fleasum knows best-ah! here he is!'

It was night; Fleasum was merry. As Todigrab and his money were gone, he had resolved to push Fleasaway' on his own account, and get the lion's share of the plunder. He had just finished a third bottle of the Marquis's old port.

'Tol-de-rol-de-liddle-lol-tol-de-hullo, boys!'

'John Fleasum!' said St. Peter solemnly, 'wist ye not that it is the Sabbath, John?'

But John was in a rollicking mood.

‘Damn—ahem—how's your--hic-self-my-hic — noble Gall-hic-wood-m'sn't g't toolow-damcrawlers !-ahem-hic -bad-thing-cheerup-hic-howsthe-hic-fineoldboy-hic -Markis-dem fine-hic-ahem-fineplace Tmmd'n-hic-dem -ahem--fine! jolly fler-hic-Rect'r-demme-hic-ahemnoendfler !'

John sat down; the Sternites looked from one to the other, and shook their heads.

'Tol-de-rol-de-hic-b'g pard'n-hic-hopey'ralljolly,' continued John, evading the ireful looks cast towards his corner, and, rising from his seat, he began to dance about like a juggler. Fidfad catching his eye, the two talked aside for a few seconds.

'I fear John's ways are not as our ways,' said St. Peter deploringly to St. Luke. 'What a pity, too! such a fine disciple as he would make! just cut out for a missionary!'

'Stuff-stuff! much more useful here,' said St. Luke; and then continued, in a confidential tone, 'Between you and me, Peter, I verily think he hath a great affection for the Marquis-very!' 'And so hath Walter-very promising is Walter!'

'Come, come, boys!' cried John Fleasum, his ruddy countenance all aglow, hic-let's have-hic-nothrbumpr-an-hicdrnk-sccss-"F-flswy !""

He raised his hands aloft in glee, and danced among the Sternites with terpsichorean agility.

‘Oh, John! oh, John! on Sunday night!' cried the weaker brethren.

Had there been an eighth day specially set apart for him, there would have been no restraining John Fleasum-seventh or first, it was all one to him; he rattled on until he was completely tired. Subsiding, eventually, into a roomy arm-chair, he gave vent to little puffs of short and select sentences, such as, 'He's joll-gd fell-her-hic-er,' and 'Toll-lol-lido-' till he fell fast asleep.

Slasher and Stanley had again neared the group. Fid-fad

was exhibiting a full-length portrait of Todigrab to the rapt and admiring gaze of the Sternites. With wonderful simplicity, Stanley suddenly exclaimed,

'Why, Othie! that'th not Todigrab !'

'Not Todigrab! how so?' asked Fid-fad hotly.

'Why, of courthe it ain't; thith feller'th got hith handth in hith own pocketth, whoever he ith,' said the innocent Freddy.

The silence which followed was simply awful, the only sounds disturbing it proceeding from Fleasum's chair, where, between his heavy breathings, an occasional start, followed by 'tol,' and then 'de rol,' or else 'de rido,' broke in upon the stillness.

The Sternites discussed the probabilities of Fleasaway' no more that night, although the Vortex was sadly in want of a good round, plump football,' and was beginning to languish without. Freddy Stanley was soon sleeping the sleep of the just; Slasher was not long behind; while Ralph, on retiring for the night, pulled out a note from his pocket, handed him by old Betty on coming out of church. It ran thus:

'Ralph! I love HER! CHRIST loves us all three! I am to GUARD HER!-Yours, H. S.'

After reading it over half a dozen times, Ralph fell fast asleep.

CHAPTER XXIV.

'I saw thee weep-the big, bright tear
Came o'er that eye of blue;

And then methought it did appear

A violet dropping dew.'-BYRON.

As I have before intimated, but for the imperative duties in other Spheres, which are constantly calling me away, I should have liked to have given you a comprehensive, as well as an authentic and historical, account of every event just as it happened up to the present year of our Lord one million.

My time is not my own, sir. I will endeavour briefly to trace the course of those events without my notes, which, I regret to say, I have left, with their duplicates, in some remote part of Space. They are safe enough, and, should occasion ever require, can be referred to. I know the planet well, and they are in the very best of keeping; 'tis not a question of Space, but Time, and I hope to jog on pretty well without them.

About six months after the breaking up of the Trememdon Christmas party, Lady Beatrice Violet Playfair, and her cousin

Maude Mountedgecumbe Playfair Trevosa, who had recently arrived from Fernland, were conversing together in a bower of the Castle grounds, commanding an extensive and lovely view of the cliffs and crowning woods, with the sea in the background.

Lady Beatrice was trembling, and looked very pale. She was bitterly lamenting her fate. Ralph had become so rich, she said, and she hated money; and ended by sobbing forth hysterically, 'Think of poor, dear papa, Daisy darling! how sad it all makes me !'

'But surely Ralph does not ask you to marry him on the sly!' exclaimed Maude.

'Not urge me, Daisy; but Ralph is so romantic, and knows every poet by heart!'

[ocr errors]

Ralph would do nothing wrong, Birdie; I have seen enough of him to know that.'

'Oh, Daisy! you dearest of pets!' exclaimed Lady Beatrice, affectionately kissing her little cousin, 'you are so true!'

The soldier's daughter was decided if quiet, and capable, if thoroughly roused, of energetic, heroic action. She quietly said, 'I am only true to those I love. Stay, darling,' she added suddenly, 'I'm true to those I hate!' Her bright eyes flashed, while her small and delicately formed frame trembled with excitement.

'Don't, darling, say such things!' implored her little cousin, feeling alarmed at her inward agitation.

'Kiss me, dearest Birdie, and I'll say no more; but I promised Ralph I'd guard his precious treasure!'

'You?-guard me !' said Birdie innocently.

'Only during his absence; but I'll write and tell him to

come!'

'Do, Daisy, and I'll always do as you advise; you are always right; I wish I had a head like yours!'

'And I a heart like thine, sweet child of Innocence and Love!'

'And when you're gone away, if I have anything to say, I'll telegraph, like Ralph did for old Macjoy; I know you'll come, my precious Daisy !'

I will, my own sweet child. Ah, how I wish I were dear Ralph!'

[ocr errors]

You !-why, my love?' asked Birdie wonderingly.

'I'd never go away from Birdie !' said little Maude, embracing her cousin tenderly.

'Sweet Maude! to talk like that! Ah, p'raps he never will when next he comes !'

'How odd! that's just what I was thinking!'

"Then, Maude, I do believe we two have lived before, as Ralph would say !'

CHAPTER XXV.

'Climb not too high, lest the fall be the greater.'— Old Saying.

'QUITE a City man, sir-quite a City man!' began the inhabitants in and about the purlieus of the Undone Vortex to say of Ralph Osborne.

It was not for me to laugh, and yet I did, for it did me good; I had been moaning for some time previously. Ralph Osborne a City man-ha! ha!

He had not closed his account immediately upon as he had told Viscount Playfair he would do!

his return,'

The fumes of sulphurous smoke and flames might burst ever and anon from the site of Todigrab's Bank in Money Street; the balance at his own might increase to such an extent, that his former wealth, considerable as it had been, appeared utter insignificance; the tragic end of the Arch-Spoiler-a Vampyre of the first degree-a Vampyre!-to which he, thirsting for others' wealth, was fast assimilating, might sometimes flit in memory across his excited brain; and the consciousness of his deep, burning love for his little charmer, allied with the remembrance of her look and manner when she told him it would break her little heart if anybody whom she loved were to do Speculative business, might take possession of his entire being; yet Ralph Osborne had not closed his 'Speculative account' !

I heard him constantly saying he intended soon to leave off; and he was jotting down in his diary,

'Mean to go down very soon-marry her right off-no courtship-no humbug of any sort.'

us.

'They won't let you,' I breathed; 'custom must be obeyed.' 'Bother custom !' he said impetuously.

'Ralph,' I breathed, 'bring her to spend her honeymoon with We'll welcome her-a million of us at a time.'

He was silent for a while; then suddenly exclaimed, 'I'll marry her on the sly!'

'What! I breathed, in horrified amaze; 'and bring dishonour on Trememdon's noble race!'

'Dishonour's in the soul,' cried he, 'as sin rests there; my Birdie cannot sin! I'll follow Birdie everywhere!'

« AnteriorContinuar »