to pull down one of them Popish chapels or what? » «Hush!» said the secretary, suffering the faintest smile to play upon his face. Hush! God bless me, Dennis! We associate, you know, for strictly peaceable and lawful purposes.

"

I know, bless you,» returned the man, thrusting his tongue into his cheek; «I entered a' purpose, didn't I!»

No doubt," said Gashford, smiling as before. And when he said so, Dennis roared again, and smote his leg still harder, and falling into fits of laughter, wiped his eyes with the corner of his neckkerchief, and cried Muster Gashford again all England-hollow!»

"Lord George and I were talking of you last night,» said Gashford, after a pause. He says you are a very earnest

fellow.

So I am,» returned the hangman.

And that you truly hate the Papists. »

»

"So I do," and he confirmed it with a good round oath. Lookye here, Muster Gashford, said the fellow, laying his hat and stick upon the floor, and slowly beating the palm of one hand with the fingers of the other; Ob-serve.

I'm a

constitutional officer that works for my living, and does my work creditable. Do I, or do I not? »

"Very good. Stop a minute. My work is sound, Protes tant, constitutional, English work. Is it, or is it not? »

Nor dead neither. Parliament says this here-says Parliament 'If any man, woman, or child, does anything which goes again a certain number of our acts'-how many hanging laws may there be at this present time, Muster Gashford? Fifty ? »

"

I don't exactly know how many, replied Gashford, leaning back in his chair and yawning; «a great number though. » "Well; say fifty. Parliament says 'If any man, woman, or child, does anything again any one of them fifty acts, that man, woman, or child, shall be worked off by Dennis.' George the Third steps in when they number very strong at

the end of a sessions, and says 'These are too many for Dennis. I'll have half for myself and Dennis shall have half for himself; and sometimes he throws me in one over that I don't expect; well! That being the law and the practice of England, is the glory of England, an't it, Muster Gashford ? » «Certainly, said the secretary.

་་

"And in times to come," pursued the hangman, if our grandsons should think of their grandfathers' times, and find these things altered, they'll say 'Those were days indeed, and we've been going down hill ever since.'-Won't they, Muster Gashford ? »

I have no doubt they will, said the secretary.

Well then, look here," said the hangman. If these papists gets into power, and begins to boil and roast instead of hang, what becomes of my work! If they touch my work that's a part of so many laws, what becomes of the laws in general, what becomes of the religion, what becomes of the country Did you ever go to church, Muster Gashford ? »

« Ever!» repeated the secretary with some indignation; « of

course?»

Well," said the ruffian, I've been once-twice, counting the time I was christened-and when I heard the Parliament prayed for, thought how many new hanging laws they made every sessions, I considered that I was prayed for. Now mind, Muster Gashford, said the fellow, taking up his stick and shaking it with a ferocious air, « I mustn't have my Protestant work touched, nor this here Protestant state of things altered in no degree, if I can help it; I mustn't have no Papists interfering with me, unless they come to me to be worked off in course of law I mustn't have no biling, no roasting, no frying-nothing but hanging. My lord may well call me an earnest fellow. In support of the great Protestant principle of having plenty of that, I'll, and here he beat his club upon the ground, « burn, fight, kill-do anything you bid me, so that it's bold and devilish though the end of it that I got hung myself.-There, Muster Gashford ! »

a

was,

He appropriately followed up this frequent prostitution of a noble word to the vilest purposes, by pouring out in a kind

of ecstacy, at least a score of most tremendous oaths; then wiped his heated face upon his neckkerchief, and cried, «No Popery! I'm a religious man, by G-!»

Gashford had leant back in his chair, regarding him with eyes so sunken, and so shadowed by his heavy brows, that for aught the hangman saw of them, he might have been stone blind. He remained smiling in silence for a short time longer, and then said, slowly and distinctly:

You are indeed an earnest fellow, Dennis-a most valuable fellow-the staunchest man I know of in our ranks. But you

must calm yourself; you must be peaceful, lawful, mild as any lamb. I am sure you will be though. »

«Ay, ay, we shall see, Muster Gashford, we shall see. You won't have to complain of me," returned the other, shaking his head.

"

"I am sure I shall not," said the secretary in the same mild tone, and with the same emphasis. We shall have, we think, about next month, or May, when this Papist relief bill comes before the house, to convene our whole body for the first time. My lord has thoughts of our walking in procession through the streets-just as an innocent display of strengthand accompanying our petition down to the door of the House of Commons. »

"The sooner, the better," said Dennis, with another oath.

We shall have to draw up in divisions, our numbers being so large; and, I believe I may venture to say,» resumed Gashford, affecting not to hear the interruption, «though I have no direct instructions to that effect that Lord George has thought of you as an excellent leader for one of these parties. I have no doubt you would be an admirable one. » Try me, said the follow, with an ugly wink.

-

You would be cool, I know," pursued the secretary, still smiling, and still managing his eyes so that he could watch nim closely, and really not be seen in turn, obedient to orders, and perfectly temperate. You would lead your party into no danger, I am certain. »

the hangman was begin

. I'd lead them, Muster Gashford ihng in a reckless way, when Gashford started forward, laid

his finger on his lips, and feigned to write, just as the door was opened by John Grueby.

"

Oh! said John, looking in; «here's another Protestant. »

Some other room, John, cried Gashford in his blandest voice. I am engaged just now."

"I

But John had brought this new visitor to the door, and he walked in unbidden, as the words were uttered; giving to view the form and features, rough attire, and reckless air, of Hugh.

INCIDENTS OF TRAVEL

IN CENTRAL AMERICA, CHIAPAS, AND YUCATAN.

(Concluded from page 62.)

On the 13th of February, Mr. Stephens, still in bad health, set out from San José, on a land journey of twelve hundred miles to Guatimala. We must conquer our inclination to transfer to our pages many of his incidents of travel' one earthquake scene is irresistible—and will condense as well as we can his most interesting details regarding the projected ship-canal to unite the Atlantic and Pacific. But first the earthquake. Our traveller was at the hacienda of Santa Rosa, the guest of Don Juan José Bonilla :

While sitting at the supper-table we heard a noise over our heads which seemed to me like the opening of the roof. Don Juan threw his eyes to the ceiling, and suddenly started from his chair, threw his arms around the neck of a servant-a fall from his horse during a popular commotion had rendered him lame for life-and with the fearful words, « Tremblor! tremblor!»-(an earthquake! an earthquake!) -all rushed for the doors. I sprang from my chair, made one bound across the room, and cleared the piazza. The earth rolled like the pitching of a ship in a heavy sea. My step was high, my feet barely touched the ground, and my arms were thrown up involuntarily to save myself from falling. I was the last to start, but once under way, I was the last to stop. Half way across the yard I stumbled over a man on his knees, and fell. I never felt myself so feeble