Amidst this Bedlamite confusion, and baaing, and | a cool smile and a dignified hem! "So, Mr. Oliver squealing, and barking, (for Imp and Fiend enjoyed Cromwell," he began, “you have brought yourself to the fun too much to remember their instructions,) I much honour! I wish you joy of your temple of fame! was flung a somerset, which deprived me of my cud- Your aunt cannot, of course, think of enjoying so much gel, and, in the next moment, I found myself locked undue credit as the company of a gentleman who has in an embrace which had nearly finished my career. been peeped at through the gratings of the cage, and I was too good a pupil of the Smasher's to be at a loss who will probably be immortalized at a cart's tail; how to act, and I commenced operations upon my therefore it is possible that this may be the last time opponent's countenance, which speedily suggested an we meet-I wish you good morning, sir, and a pleaalteration in his tactics. I was released from his grasp, sant whipping." With that he pulled off his hat, but, at the same time, received a visitation on the eye, made me a low bow, and desired the coachman to which, I felt, had marked me for a month at least. In drive on, amidst the multitudinous "good byes" of my a furious attempt to retaliate, I found my eyes were cousins, who had all the time been remarking what a fated to be a match, and three or four more blows, funny little cottage I lived in. placed ad libitum, nearly smothered me in my blood, and felled me the earth, with the weight of my adversary full upon me. I felt that he was double my own size, but it would never do to be taken prisoner, and I struggled desperately. He was an unmanly fighter, and beat me on the ground long after I was incapable of resistance, and, indeed, I think, long after I had ceased to be sensible of what was going for ward. How the war ended I know not. My first sensations of life were awakened by an uneasy sort of motion, like that of being carried upon some one's back, sometimes with my head and sometimes with my heels downwards, just as it happened to suit the convenience of my companions, and occasionally by a variety of bumps and jolts, as if I were being thrown over hedges, and eventually rattled over a rough road in a cart without springs. My ideas upon the subject, however, were extremely dim; and all that I could collect and surmise was, that I had several bones broken, and was probably on my way to the cage. A host of strange, disjointed visions of dungeons, chains, and courts of justice, followed each other in indescribable variety. Sometimes I was in the pillory sometimes "on board a tender" and afterwards chained to Billy the Skulker in Botany Bay. Finally, I was stripped and tied to a cart's tail opposite to the scene of my glory, the Dog and Duck. All the world was present to enjoy the performance, and, amongst the rest, my tender-hearted aunt, to whom the unchi. valric catastrophe of the cat-o'-nine-tails was horror beyond measure. My tutor, however, was at her elbow, with a piece of his usual conclusive reasoning. My dear madam," said he, “if none of the knights were whipped, you must remember that all the saints were; and I submit it to your excellent understanding whether it is not better for your nephew to be a saint than a knight. In my opinion he is the glory of your family." My aunt, of course, was struck by the justice of the remark, but, being willing that I should become a saint as cheaply as possible, gave him a sum of money to After a time, I felt myself removed from the cart bribe the executioner, (who was no less a personage and flung down upon a bundle of straw, in which than Julius Cæsar himself,) not to discourage her inno situation I was agonized by the glare of a strong light cent boy in his saint-like pursuits by whipping him which was held to my face, and seemed to pierce my too hard. The ambassador (as he would no doubt brain, without enabling me to distinguish a single have done in reality) conveyed the treasure to his feature of the figures which were swimming aroundown breeches' pocket; and the noble Roman, whose me. The words which were buzzing in my ears were arm was strengthened at the particular request of my equally unintelligible; and the neck of a bottle,which | uncle, prepared to do his duty. The little boys huz was forced into my bleeding mouth, appeared to spout zaed, and the cart began to move; when, as a climax liquid fire down my throat. I believe I made an en- to all earthly misery, my tutor's young niece, of whom deavour to cry out, and the restorative was abandoned I have before made mention, came screaming in to just as I was at the last gasp; after which I sank into save me. The anguish of such a disgraceful exposure a kind of drunken torpor. before her was more than nature could sustain; and, had I not been shaken into a sense of the delusion, I think I should absolutely have died in convulsions. The light was taken away and the voices ceased, and I was left to puzzle out, as I best might, whether I was dead or alive. The next four or five hours were, in idea, the most eventful of my life. I know not whether I was asleep or light-headed, but my imagination pictured me in the cage, with "Live and Repent" painted in large letters over the door, and all the little dirty children in the village peeping at me through the iron bars. Presently the appalling coach and four of my uncle and cousins drove up, and I was again saluted by my christian name, and all the kind and killing inquiries which I had undergone in the morning, without the same energy of replying. I en deavoured to hide myself under the straw, like a rat, but it did not answer. My uncle surveyed me with My first endeavour was to rub my eyes and jump up; but I could do neither, for my arms were too stiff to be raised, and the torture which I underwent from the exertion assured me that several of my ribs were broken. I stared eagerly round. It was broad daylight; and, to my inexpressible delight, I discovered that I was not in the cage, but in my aunt's own identical hayloft. I called as loudly as my strength would permit, but no one answered, and I was only aware that I had an attendant by a faint hysterical sobbing close to my ear. “Who is that?” I inquired.—“ Do not disturb yourself," replied a beautiful but tremulous voice," it is only me." Every fibre of my body was instinct with instantaneous vigour. I sprang upon | into the house, whither my young nurse volunteered my legs as if nothing had happened, and beheld the to precede me, and prepare my aunt for the dilapidalovely being whose visionary appearance had made tions which her innocent had undergone. This office such an electric termination to my fancies. "Jessie," was performed with such tenderness and address, that I exclaimed," is it you? Is it possible that you think my aunt, who, as she afterwards said, having brought me worth" I could say no more, for I had ex. me up from my birth, must have known much more erted myself too much, and dropped helpless by her about my bones than any doctor in the land, permitted side; but my heart was swelling with a sensation, te them to be put to rights without her interference, and purchase which I would willingly have been broken suffered me to be withheld from her arms till I was upon the wheel. She raised my head upon her knee, placed comfortably in bed. Luckily for her, and me and promised that, if I would not agitate myself and too, her sensibilities were equally divided between increase the mischief which my frame had already grief and gratitude; for had not the beautiful Jessie suffered, she would tell me all that I was going to been there to support her, and receive the embraces inquire about. which she never failed to bestow on some one or other, in all cases of excitement, it is possible that my newlycemented frame would have proved very insufficiently barricadoed. Jessie, indeed, had, during her short conference, so ingratiated herself with my aunt, who had before learnt something of her character, and on whom first appearances had always a very wonderful effect, that I soon found we were to enjoy her gentle heart in partnership. Jessie,' she declared in the being she had been seeking to solace the lonely hours when I was occupied in my studies;-never, in future, should they be separated ;—she would adopt her; she would love her as her own; and, in short, dropped expressions which gave me reasonable ideas that the adoption was not without a very interesting reference to the prostrate knight who had suffered so honourably in the late fray. That I may not disarrange the order of events, I must commence with certain particulars which I afterwards learnt from the Tinker.—It appeared that our battle at Dead-Man's Corner had been a piece of choice amusement confined entirely to our own party, who had no enemy to contend with but the evil conscience and faint heart of the Smasher and the Skulker. These respectable persons had, in fact, mistaken the rush of the sheep from the wood for a sortie of the game-intervals of much hysterical weeping, was the very keepers, whereupon ensued the war-cry of Julius Cæsar, and the consequent variety of fractured heads. My own particular opponent had been no other than the Smasher himself. The error had not been discovered till all had ran away excepting the Tinker and the Swiller, both of whom were as brave as lions, the first by nature, and the second by drunkenness. This valiant remnant of my band, having come to a proper understanding, first shared the spoils, and then commenced a search for their leader, whom they conveyed home as before described. Neither of them, however, chose to be the object of cross-questioning, by alarming the house. The Swiller, therefore, went his way to hide the treasure, and the Tinker to consult his worthy friend, my tutor. My tutor happened not to sleep at home, being, probably, on a poaching excursion of his own; and before it was light, the maidservant had carried the intelligence to her young mistress, who, she was quite sure, would be pleased to hear any news of young master. "I thought," continued my trembling little nurse, "you would not be angry at my interfering, and soand so I came to sit by you till some one might venture to awaken your aunt." "Hush, dearest Jessie," I cried, with a courage 1 never before felt; "let her dream of Don Quixote till dinner-time; for, indeed, I am not hurt, and cannot be happier than at this moment." "But the doctor will be here." "Impossible; he lives nine miles off.” "I sent for him as soon as I came to you, which is nearly four hours ago." Her little fingers were employed in parting the hair from my wounded forehead, and she reclined over me with eyes which, had I dared, I could have fancied almost affectionate. Most willingly would I have persuaded the surgeon that nothing ailed me, for, situated as I was, I could have been well content to leave my bones to set themselves at their leisure; but the truth was too palpable, and I was removed carefully Three days flowed on in uninterrupted happiness; for, though I was still unable to turn in my bed, my pains were constantly dispelled by the presence of Jessie, who grew more and more essential to my aunt's peace of mind, and assisted her in the great work of imbuing my spirit with a more legitimate feeling of romance. Whenever my aunt turned over the leaves of the enchanted tome, my eyes grew stedfastly upon the countenance of her blushing companion, whilst my heart applied to her all that was described of virtue, and love, and loveliness. When it was Jessie's turn to read, my gaze was still more intent. Her voice had a melody beyond imagination, and as her manner varied with the various feeling of her story, the sentiments which the poet had given to his sweetest creations seemed identified with her own. I was overwhelmed by a thrilling intensity of bliss, which oppressed me almost like a load of grief. I longed to do something to deserve her. Had I been a knight of old, I would have fought dragons by the dozenhave slain giants without respect to age or sex-have faced the three-headed dog himself. Three days, I have said, we passed in this interesting manner. At the end of that time, my tutor found his way home, and came in hot haste to offer his consolations, and still the tide of sorrow with his firm opinion that the fracture of my ribs was an exceedingly lucky circumstance, inasmuch as they would be twice as strong in future, and, beyond a doubt, would never break in the same place again. My aunt had not taken this view of the case before; and when he referred to the tilting days, in which cracking a rib was no more than cracking a joke, her mind resumed the calm which had been ruffled by the repetition of my woes, and she was enabled to turn to the other object of her solicitude, and claim the fee-simple of the timid beauty, who was hanging her head by his side -a meek and tacit reproach to fate, which had provided a guardian so unworthy of his charge. I stared at the lieutenant, with my fist clenched, and my hair standing on end. 46 Ay, Squire," continued the Engineer, "I thought you would not altogether approve of it—I told him it was not gentlemanlike—if it had been me, I'd have taken my lacing honourably. Nobody should say that I ever peached, and I would not do such a blackguard trick if any one was to give me a guinea for it." "The scoundrel!" I exclaimed, "go back and tell him I grieve that I have not power to do him service, or he should, most assuredly, be whipped according to his merits." Jep was a man of mettle, swore I acted like a true Christian, and conjured me, by the success of the last speculation, not to think of leaving off business. He recommended me, by no means, to be daunted by the apostacy of the Skulker, for the rest were all true My tutor showed no disposition to mar his niece's fortune, by objecting to this proposal. Indeed, I believe he did not know very well what to do with her, for, by the interposition of Providence, as he described it, one of his clerical friends had, a short time before, broken his neck over a five barred gate, and the rector (with whom he had been feasting upon the occasion,) being a sensible fox-hunter, and a great despiser of Latin, Greek, and Divinity, had obligingly prevailed upon him to fill the vacancy; a desire to which, he said, he had assented the more readily from his con-men, and would stand boldly by my side in triumph viction that my education was completed to the utmost or in fetters, just as it might happen. They proof his ability, though he certainly had felt some com- nounced me to be the best captain alive, and the punction for poor Jessie, to whom the new residence Smasher confessed that I was the hardest hitter of my would probably have appeared rather dull and uncom-weight that he had ever met with. "As for Will fortable, being in a distant part of the country, which | Skulker," Jep added, “let him split and be hanged; was only inhabited by foxes and vermin of that ilk. it is but three month's imprisonment for us, and if you My aunt embraced her as her own, and after a few don't care, I'm sure I don't: I'd as soon be in quod as more tears and agitations, amongst which my own not." were by no means the least powerful, the arrangement was finally made. Boldly as I conducted myself in the presence of my lieutenant, I will not deny that as soon as he departed I found myself shivering with the most horrible alarm; but I still felt that to have bought myself off from the consequences of a threat would have been a meanness far worse than any of the follies I had yet been guilty of. Under this impression, I contrived to keep up an appearance of equanimity, but my frame was in a fever—my nights restless—and my poor dear aunt made sure that I was going to die. The everlasting idea of being disgraced in the eyes of Jessie was beyond my powers of endurance, for I seemed to love her in proportion to my savage, uncultivated state. My feelings had never known the moderation of reason, and had I been led to believe my exposure inevitable, I know not to what rash act I might not have been impelled. This intense disquietude in In a few days my preceptor, his wife, and progeny, with the whole establishment of dogs, horses, kine, and swine, went off in a drove together to take possession of the new living. I cannot say that their departure caused me any particular emotion except of pleasure, for I was now Jessie's acknowledged protector, which I could not feel myself while there was any other claimant at hand. She had already become familiarized to her situation-had learnt to call me brother, which was the nearest relationship I had mustered courage to propose; and was finding out all my aunt's loveable points as fast as she could. Every thing was going on completely to my satisfaction, when I was startled by the announcement of my friend Jep, the Tinker. Jep entered upon tiptoe, a mode of progression which he had contracted from long habit, increased daily, and it is scarcely possible for those more consequence of the creaking of shoes being particularly hostile to some of his avocations. Disquiet seemed written upon his sooty visage in remarkably large characters, and I inquired with some trepidation the cause of his visit. They wanted me to tell my errand down stairs," said Jep," but I thought you would not like me to trust them." "Well, Jep; what is it? a hare sitting?" "Worse than that, Squire;-the devil is sitting, and I doubt he'll hatch some rare mischief: Billy Skulker is in quod, and sentenced to be whipped." For what?" inured to the world, and capable of seeing the simplicity of my fears, to conceive the extreme agony I suffered. I almost began to think poaching a bad trade, and resolved that I would some day endeavour to amend. Several days elapsed without producing the expected visitation of justice-I was beginning to think of quitting my room, and to fancy that my fears had been delusive, when I was informed that John the constable was desirous of seeing me, and before I could make inquiries or decide which way to run, in he walked without ceremony. John was a butcher in the neighbourhood, a sleek, stall-fed ox of a fellow, with a good-natured, but, as I fancied, an official aspect, which had never pleased me; and as soon as the ser vant had quitted the room, he began fumbling in his pocket for something which I suspected might possibly turn out to be a pair of handcuffs-I had no weapon I know not which was greatest, my fear or my rage; at hand but a long old-fashioned candlestick, by which For stealing geese." "What is that to me? I was not of the party?" "No, Squire; but the varlet swears you must get him off, or he'll peach about Dead Man's Cor ner." my aunt and Jessie had read me to sleep the night took place. The case of the Smasher was to be before. I snatched it from the chair on which it stood, brought forward on the last day, and early in the and was meditating a tournament; previous to which, morning I entered the county town, amidst the largest however, I thought it prudent to open a parley, and crowd I had ever witnessed. With considerable diffiinquire his business with me. John produced an omi- culty I obtained admission to the Court, and hid mynous looking paper, which startled me infinitely more self in a corner as well as I could, panting with anxiety, than the sight of a pistol would have done. He told and wondering what I was to do now I had got there. me it was a subpœna, which my extensive knowledge Alas! there was no one to whom I could apply for inof the law conjured immediately into a summons to formation. I scarcely knew a gentleman in the world take my trial. My agitation showed clearly the mis--certainly not one in the Court-and my raw, wildtake I was under, and John, could scarcely help grin-beast-like shyness was an effectual bar to my conversning-"Why, lord, master," said he, " don't you knowing with strangers. The only persons I knew were what a subpœna is? Jep the Tinker could have told those whom I wished to avoid-gentlemen of the you that, for I have just given him one, and he knew fancy, (amongst whom I have before stated the all about it. But then to be sure he was an old friend | Smasher to have been a prominent character,) poachof mine, and as good a lawyer as any on the Bench, ers, pickpockets, and thieves of every gradation, who for I have taken him up a dozen times at least." hovered round me like demons in a nightmare. "You shall not take me up, I promise you." As soon as order was obtained, and some prelimi "Lord love you! I a'n't going to take you up-younaries adjusted, the judge called for the prisoner, and can't get that bit of fun at Dead-Man's Corner out of your head. Ay, ay, you see I know all about it, squire. It was I who took Bill Skulker before the magistrate when he went to peach against you." "Did he so?" I exclaimed. immediately the clank of irons announced his approach. I shall never forget the effect which his pale, staring visage produced upon me. His courage was gone, his mind seemed confused almost to idiocy, and, when the business of the trial required that he should speak, his To be sure he did. But the magistrate only voice laboured forth in a deep guttural tone, which laughed, and said he would take a private oppor-appeared the very soul of agony. I had never before tunity of inquiring into the business, and ordered seen nature in its utter extremity, and the sight of it Billy back to be kept comfortable till next market-day. frightened me. I scarcely know what passed in the Billy, however, had no fancy for the cat, and kicked early part of the proceedings. There was a long enup as much dust as if he had never walked behind aergetic speech from one of the counsel, which at times cart in his life; and so, says he, 'If you'll let me off this time, I'll peach a murder.' This, to be sure, was another story, and so we made a bargain with him, and e'cod! he sold us his best friend Jem Smasher, for murdering Mark Simmons." "Is the Smasher taken up?" "Ay, ay-safe enough. He showed no more fight than a lamb, and talks of hanging as if it was going to last for a week. Lord, squire, with our new drops, and two or three good fellows to pull your legs, it's no more than a flea-bite." The man's professional indifference to blood made me shudder; and, in the dreadful fate which was impending over my late associate, I entirely lost sight of the dangers of my own implication. I made myself master of all the circumstances, and found that I was subpoenaed to give the wretch a character. Alas! had it been in my power to give him a character, I felt that it was necessary to obtain one myself before I could hope to be believed-1 who had listened with applause to the tale of the hayloft-I who had stood side by side in midnight depredations by a proved and half-acknowledged murderer. The rational thought which had been denied to every action of my past life, pealed upon my brain like accumulated thunders all at once, and the terrors for the consequences of what I had done dwindled into mere infantile chimeras when I turned to all that I might have done. I begged my visiter to say no more of Dead Man's Corner, and, adding a cogent reason from my purse, signified that if he had nothing further to communicate, I did not wish to detain him. appeared to strike every decent person present with horror, but there was an internal buzzing of my ears which prevented me from following him. The first thing which I particularly remarked, and the first thing which made any impression on the prisoner, was the entrance of the Skulker. He was dragged in by a constable, and looked round him to see if there were no means of escape. In his way to the witness-box he had to pass close by the Smasher. I saw the latter clench his fists firmly, and his betrayer saw it likewise, for he sprang on one side like the jackall from the crouch of the tiger. His testimony was a shuffling, equivocating account of the tale of the hayloft, to which he had scarce breath to give utterance. Every now and then it was broken by long pauses, which perhaps were equally resorted to for the accession of courage and the invention of a lie. The account which was dragged out of him of his thievings and his whippings very materially shook his credit; and, to the satisfaction of the whole court, he was at last convicted of a palpable falsehood, for which the judge ordered him immediately to be whipped through the town. The wretch dropped upon his knees and screamed for mercy, but in less than a quarter of an hour he was heard yelling very audibly on his march, amidst the hootings of the mob. This circumstance, however, produced but little advantage to the prisoner. The testimony of the other witnesses was too strong for him, and a case was made out but too conclusive. He was now called upon for his defence. I could see that he made a strong effort to collect courage, but it was unavailing, for he was I need not describe my state of mind till the assizes obliged to grasp firmly by the bar before him, to pre B vent himself from sinking. At first he was not audi-admire your candour and your spirit. Seek other ble, and when he was so, the poor wretch's attempt to companions and other occupations. If I mistake not, divest his address of any disrespectful slang terms, you will turn them to good account." which were the only language he could talk, plunged him into an ocean of mistake and confusion, which extracted a murmur of pity from all present. He endeavoured, as is usual in such cases, to establish an alibi. “Have you no witnesses to call?" said the judge. The Smasher looked vaguely round. "I don't see any body, my lord. I thought the young squire would have been here, but I suppose he can't come." The imputation of having deserted my old companion, guilty as he was, was stronger than my fear or my shame. I stepped forward, with a determination of, at any rate, not being classed with such scoundrels as the Skulker, kissed the book which was tendered by the officer, and ascended into the witness-box like a soldier to the forlorn hope. "God bless you, squire!" cried the Smasher, penetrated by the sight of a friend amongst so many who were hostile to him-"God bless you! I thought you'd come to speak a good word for me." My heart rose to my throat, and seemed as if it could only be kept down by main force. I turned my eyes rapidly round the court to prevent them from filling with tears, and betraying any appearance of unmanliness. The first face I encountered in the grand jury-box was that of my uncle: it was flushed with confusion, and his lips were compressed with an expression of anger and irony which seemed, as I had dreamt, to congratulate me on the credit I reflected on my family. At any other time I should have been appalled, but my feelings were now too forcibly drawn into another channel. The sound of my voice, when my examination commenced, gave me a degree of courage, which increased as we proceeded, till I was enabled to answer with a propriety which rather surprised me. Character I could give none; but some thing, I fancied, might be said in palliation of the want of it. My strangeness to courts of justice, perhaps, caused the infliction of death to appear more terrible to me than to persons more experienced in the world; and I was inspired with a feeling of eloquence which burst forth, however rude the medium, impetuously, and apparently without intention. Its aim, I am told, was to apply the blame of his misdeeds to myself, and to insist that, had he not been incited to them by encouragement from those upon whom he depended for support and example, he had possibly never turned either to poaching or prize-fighting. My heart swelled with every thought-my vehemence increased-my frame shook as if with the recoil of every sentenceand words came to my assistance which till then had been strange to my mouth, and almost beyond my comprehension. Never, I believe, will it be my fate to excite such interest as was riveted by this burst of boyish agony. The spectators gazed upon me with an appearance of commiseration and friendliness mingled with their attention; and the judge himself seemed to forget the rules of the court, till he found I was in danger of committing myself. God bless you, squire" again exclaimed the Smasher, in a voice which showed that in spite of his fears he was deeply affected—" God Almighty bless you, I knew you would speak a good word for me--I knew you would!" I struggled to make my escape from the court, and effected it with difficulty; for I was unable to trust my voice in petitioning for a passage, and the crowd gathered round me almost to suffocation. As I was rushing out of the door, my uncle seized me by the hand. There was a degree of kindness in his countenance which he had never before manifested towards me, and apparently a corresponding cordiality in his words. Whatever they may have been, I heard them not, and extricated myself from his grasp without uttering a syllable. I rushed straight to the inn where I had put up my horse, and remained in a conflict of the bitterest thoughts till the noise of the departing rabble informed me that the trial was concluded. I asked but one brief question. The Smasher was sentenced to be hanged on Friday. I mounted my horse in silence, and galloped rapidly towards home, with a forcible endeavour to expel the agony of thought. It was a fine spring evening, and when I pulled up in the meadows at a short distance from the house, the thrushes were singing sweetly over Jessie's bank of wild-flowers, and Jessie herself was strolling pensively along in expectation of meet ing me. The scene and the beautiful being presented a contrast to the last few hours which melted at once the rigid horror of my soul. I leaped from my horse, and, for the first time, catching her in my arms, suffered my tears to fall unrestrainedly upon her bosom. She guessed the cause too well, and asked not a single question, but suffered me to weep on, and press her more firmly to my heart and to my lips. "Sweet Jessie," I cried, "if I were not sure that you love me, I should envy the fate of the miserable man from whom I have just parted. Promise me, Jessie, that you will love me!" Jessie made no promise-she spoke no word-she only blushed, and trembled, and wept with me, and looked as though she asked if such a promise was necessary. "Oh, teach me," I again exclaimed, “teach me to be worthy of you, and I will obey you like a child"" "Then promise me," she whispered, in a tone of timidity, as if doubtful of offending "To give up my evil habits," I added, “and the companions who have disgraced me?" Pity my wounds," the patch'd impostor cried: |