-^^ MUGBY JUNCTION.

THE EXTRA CHKISTMAS NUMBER OP ALL THE YEAR ROUND. CONDUCTED BY CHARLES DICKENS. coBTAnrnia THE AMOUNT OF TWO OEDINAET NTJMBEES.

CHRISTMAS, 1868. 4d.°

INDEX. rAOB BABBOX BBOTHEBS Bv CniiitEs DicsEis 1 BABBOX BKOTHEBS AND CO Br CHARLES DICKENS 10 MAINLINE. THE BOY AT MUGBY BY CiI.utLES DICKES.S 17 No. 1 BEANOH LINE. THE SIGNALMAN - Bv CllAELEs DlcsESs 20 No. 2 BRANCH LINE. THE ENGINE-DRIVEIt Bv AsDRIiW HALLIDAy 25 Na 3 BRANCH LINE. THE COMPENSATION HOUSE Br CHAELES CoLLl.ss 28 No. 4 BRANCH LINE. THE TRAVELLING POST^IFFICE ... Ev HESDA SIHETTON 35 , Na 5 BRANCH LINE. THE ENGINEER Er AMELIA B. EOWASDS 42

BAKBOX BROTHERS. spoke to a man within five years of fifty either way, wlio liad turned grey too soon, like a neg­ I. lected fire ; a mau of poudcriug habit, brooding " GUARD ! What place is this ?" carriage of the liead, and suppressed internal " Mu^by Junction, sir." voice; a man with many mdications on him of **ATnnay place !" having been much aloue. " Yes, it mostly is, sir." Hc stood unnoticed on the dreary platform, "Aad looks comfortless indeed!" except by the raiu and by the wind. Those two " Tes, it generally does, sir." vigilant assailants made a rusli at him. " Very " la it a rainy night still ?" well," said he, yielding. " It siguilies nothing " Pours, sir." to mc, to what quai-tcr I turn my face." " Open the door. I'll get out." Thus, at Mugby Junction, at past three o'clock " You'll have, sir," said the guard, glistening of a tempestuous morning, the traveller \icut with drops of wet, and looking at the tearful where the weather drove him. fiice of his watch by the light ot his lantern as Not but what he could make a stand when the traveller descended, *' three minutes here." he was so minded, for, coming to liic end " More, I think.—^For I am not going on." of the roofed shelter (it is of cousidcrable " Thonght you had a through ticket, sir!"' extent at Mugby Jutictiou) and looking out " So J have, but I shall sacrifice the rest of upon the dark night, with a yet darker spirit- it. I want my luggage." wmg of storm beating its wild way throurii " Please to come to the van and point it out, it, he faced about, and held his o\ni as rn^gediy sir. Be good enough to look very sharp, sir. m the diflacult direction, as hc had held it iu Not a moment to spare." the easier one. Thus, wilh a steady step, the The guard humed to the luggage van, and traveller went up and down, up and down, up the traveller liurried after him. ^ The guard got and down, seeking nothing, apd finding it. mto it, and the traveller looked into it. A place replete with shadowy shapes, this " Those two large black portmanteaus in the Mugby Junction in the black hours of the four- comer where your light shines. Those are and-twenty. Mysterious goods trains, covered mine." with palls and gliding on Uke vast weird fune­ " Name upon 'em, sir ?" rals, conveying themselves guill ily away from the " Barbox Brothers." prescnee of the few ligliled lamps, as if tlieir " Stand clear, sir, if you please. One. Two freight bad eome to a secret and unlawful end. Hair miles of coal pursnuigin a Detective man­ lamp waved. Signal lights ahead already ner, followmg when Ihcy lead, stoppingwhen Ihcy stop, haekmgwheu Ihcy hack. Red hot embers changmg. Shriek from engine. Tram gone. showering out upon the ground, down this ••Mugby Junction!" said the traveller, pulling dark avenue, and down tlie other, as if tiir- up the woollen mufiler round his throat with turmg fires were being raked clear; concur­ both hands. " At past three o'clock of a tem­ rently, shrieks and groans and grinds uivaduig pestuous moming! So!" the car, as if the tortured were at tho height He spoke to himself. There was no one else of tlieir sullering. Iron-barred cages full of to speak to. Periiaps, though there had been cattle jangling by midway, tho drooping beasts any one else to speak to, he would have preferred with horns entangled, eyes fi'ozen with terror. to speak to himself. Speakmg to himself, he

y^ 2 [December 10,1SG6.] MUGBY JUNf TIOX. [ConducUd by and mouths too: at least they have long icicles before, without having ever, as one might say, (or what seem so) hanging from their lips. Un­ gone ashore there. known languages in the air, conspiring in red, " 0 yes, there's a town, sir. Anyways green, and white, characters. AJI earthquake there's town enough to put up in. But," fol­ accompanied with thunder and lightning, going lowing the glance of the otiier at his luggage, up express to Londou. Now, all quiet, all nisty, " this is a very dead time of the night with ns, wind and raiu in possession, lamps extinguished, sir. The deaclest time. I n^Ight a'most call it llugby Junction dead and Inalstmct, with its our deadest and burledest tune." robe drawn over ifs liead, like Caesar. " No porters about?" Now, too, as the belaletl Irnvollcr plotlded up " Well, sir, you see," returned Lamps, con-, and down, a shadowy Irain went by him in the fideutial agaiu, "they in general goes off with looui wliich was no other Ihan the train of a life, the gas. That's how it is. And they seem to f rom whatsoever intangible deep cuttuig or have overlooked you, through your walking to dark tunnel it emerged, here it came, unsuni- the furder end of the platform. But in about nioncd and unannounced, stealing upon hini aud twelve minutes or so, she may be up." passlug away into obscurity. Here, mournfully " Who may be up ?" went by, a child who had never had a chlld- " Tlie three forty-two, sir. She goes off in liood or known a ])arcnt, inseparable from a a sidin' till the Up X passes, and then she," youth with a bitter sense of his namelessncss, here an air of hopeful vagueness pervaded coupled to a man the enforced busiuess of Lamps, " does all as lays in her power." whose best years had beeu distasteful aud oppres­ " I doubt if I comprehend the arrangement.'* sive, linked to au uugrateful frieud, dragglngafter " I doubt if anybody do, sir. She's a Par- him a woman once beloved. Attend.ant, with liamcutary, sir. And, you see, a Parliamentary, many a clank and wrench, were lumbering or a Skii'mishuu " cares, dark meditations, huge dim disappouit- " Do you mean an Excursion?" ments, monotonous years, a long jarrmg liue "That's it, sir. — A Parliamputary or a of the discords of a solitary and unhappy ex­ Skirmishiin, she mostly doos go off into a istence. sidin'. But when she can get a chance, she's " —Yolus, sir?" whistled out of it, and she's whistled up into The traveller recalled his eyes from the waste doin' all as," Lamps again wore the air of a Lighly iuto which they had been staring, and fell back sanguine man who hoped for the best, " all as a step or so midcr the abruptness, and perhaps lays m. her power." the chance appropriateness, of the question. Hc then exphuued that porters ou duty beiug " 0! My thoughts were not here for the required to be in attendance on the Pai-liamentary moment. Yes. Yes. Those two portmanteaus matroji iu question, would doubtless turn up arc mine. Arc you a Porter?" with the gas. In the mean time, if the gentle­ *' On Porter's wacfcs, sir. But I am Lamps." man would not very much object to the smell of Tiie traveller looked a little coufused. lamp-oil, and would accept the warmth of his, *' Who did you say you are ?" little room. The gentleman beiug by this tune " Lamps, sir," showing an oily cloth In his very cold, instantly closed with the proposal hand, as further explanation. A greasy little cabin it was, suggestive to " Surely, surely. Is tlicfc any hotel or the sense of smell, of a cahiu iu a Whtder. tavern here ?" But there was a brjgiit Ore burning in its ruaty " Not exactly here, sir. There Is a Refresh­ grate, aud on the Iloor there stood a wooden ment Room here, but "Lamps, witli a mighty st and of newly trimmed and lighted lamps, ready serious look, gave his head a warning roll that for rarririgc service. They made a bright show, plainly added—"but it's a blessed circumstance and tlieir li.a[ht, and the warmth, accounted for for you that it's uof. open." llic popularity of the room, as borue witness to " You couldn't rcrainmend it, T sec, if it Ma.s by many impressions of velveteen trousers ou a available?" furni by the lire, and many rounded smears and " Ask your pardon, sir. If it was ?" smudges of stooping velveteen shoulders ou tlie " Opeii ?" adjacent wall. Various untidy shelves accom-: " It ain't my place, as a paid servant of the iiiodated a quantity of lamps and oll-caus, aui company to give my opinion ou any of the com­ also a fragrant collection of what lo.oked like pany's toeplcs," he nrouounccd it more like tlie pocket-handkerchiefs of the whole lamp toothpicks, "beyond lamp-ile and cottons," re­ family. turned Lamps, in a coutidcntlal tone; " but As Barbox Brothers (so to call the traveller speaking as a man, I wouldn't recommcud my ou the warrauty of his luggagjc) took his seat father (if hc was to come to life agiiiu) to go upon the form, and warmed his uow ungloved, aud try how he'd be treated at the Kefreshnicnt hands at the fire, he glanced aside at a little deal Room. Not speaking as a man, no, 1 would desk, much blotched with ink, wliich his elbow 7ioi." touched. Upon it, were some scraps of coarse The traveller nodded conviction. "I sup­ paper, and a superannuated steel pen in verj pose I can put up In the town ? There is a reduced and gritty cii'cumstances. town here ?" Por the traveller (thougli a-stay- From glancing at the scraps of paper, h/^ at-home compared with most travoUors) had turned involuntarily to his host, aud said, wiih. beeu, like many others, carried on the steam some roughness: winds and the iron tides through that Junction " Why, you are never a poet, man!" -:^ ^ MUGBY JUNCTION. [December 10,186G.] 3 liamps had certainly not the conventional ap­ told me that on every twentieth of December my pearance of one, as he stood modestly rubbing his life had a penitential anniversary Iu It called a squab nose with a handkerchief so exceedingly birthday. 1 suppose the last communication oily, that he might have been in the act of mis­ was truer thau the first!" taking himself for one of his charges. He was " Wliat am I like, Youug Jackson r" a spare man of about the Barbox Brothers time " You are like a blight all througii the year, to of life, with his features whimsically drawn up­ mc. You hard-lined, thin-lipptd, repressive, ward as if they were attracted by the roots of cliauMlcss womau with a wax mask ou. You are his hair. He had a peculiarly shining trans­ Uke tlie Devil to me ; most of all when you teach parent complexion, probably occasioned by con­ mc religious thiugs, fiur you make me abhor stant oleagmous application; and his attrac­ them." tive hair, oeing cut short, and beiug grizzled, " You remember me, ^Mr. Young Jackson?" and stauding straight up ou eud as if it iu its In another voice fioni another quarter. tum were attracted by some invisible magnet " Most gratcfidly, sir. You were the ray of above it, the top of his head was not very ope and prospering atubitlon in my life. Wlien unlike a lamp-wielc. I attended your course, I believed that I "But to be sure it's no busmess of mine," should come to be a great healer, and I felt almost said Barbox Brothers. "That was au impertinent happy—evcu though i was stiU the one hoarder observation on my part. Be what you like." iu the house with that horrible mask, and ate "Some people, sir," rcmnrkcd Lamps, ina aud drank in silence and cont-traint M'itli the tone of apology, "are sometimes what they mask before me, every day. As 1 had done every, don't like." every, every, day, through my school-time and "Nobody knows that better thau I do," from my earliest recoll(-:ctiou." sighed the other. "I have been what I don't " What am I Uke, Mr. Youn^ Jackson ?" like, all my life." "You are like a Superior Being to me. You " When I first took, sir," resumed Lamps, arc like Nature bcgiuning to reveal herself to " to composing little Comic-Songs-like " me. I hear you agaiu, as one of the hushed BaJbox Brothers eyed him with great dls- crowd of young men kindling under the power Javour. of your presence and knowledge, aud you briug " —To composing littlo Comic-Songs-like— into uiy eyes the ouly exultant tcai's that ever and what was more hard—to singing 'em after­ stood in them." wards," said Lamps, " it went agaiust the " You remember Mc, Mr. Young Jacksou ?" grain at that time, it did indeed." In a grating voice from quite another quarter. Something that was not all oU here shining in " Too w^l. You made your ghostly appear- Lamps's eye, Barbox Brothers withdrew his aucu in my Ufe one day, and announced that owu a little disconcerted, looked at the lire, Its course was to be suddenly and Mholly and put a foot ou the top bar. "Why did changed. You showed me which was my you do it, then ?" he asked, after a short pause ; wearisome scat iu the GaUcy of Barbox abruptly enough but Iu a softer toue. " If Brothers. (When ihey were, if they ever were, Is unknown to me; there was nothing of you didn't want to do it, why did you do them but the name when I bent to the oar.) It? Wliere did you smg them? PubUc- You told mc what I was to do, and what to be house ?" paid; you told mc afterwards, at lutervals of To which Mr, Lamps retunied the cuiious years, when I was to sign for the Pirm, when I reply: " Bedside." became a partner, when I became the Pirm. I At this moment, while the traveller looked at know no more of it, or of myself." him for elucidation, AUigby Junction started suddenly, trembled violentfy, aud opened its " What am I like, Mr. Yoimg Jackson ?"_ gas eyes. " She's got up !""Lamps announced, " You are like my father, I sometimes think. excited. "What lays in her power is some­ You are hard enough and cold enough so to have brought up an unacknowledged son. I times more, and sometimes less; but it's laid in see your scanty figure, your close brown suit, her power to get up to-night, by George !" and "your tight brown wig ; but .you, too, wear a The legend "Barbox Brothers" in large wax mask to ;^-our death. You never hy a white letters on two black surfaces, was very chance remove "it—it never by a chance faUa off soon afterwards trmidiiug on a truck through —and I kuow no more of you." a silent street, and, when the owner of the Throuirhont this dialogue, the traveller spoke legend had shivered on the pavement half an to himself at his window in the moruiug, as he hour, what time tlie porter's knocks at the had spoken to himself at the Junction over­ Inn i)oor knocked up the whole town first, night, Aud as hc had then looked in the dark­ and the Inn last, he groped his way into the ness, a mau who had turned grcv too soon, Uke close air of a shut-up house, and so groped be­ a neglected fire : so he now looked in the sun­ tween the sheets ofa shut-up bed that seemed light, an asliier grey, like a fire which the bright­ lo have been expressly refrigerated tor lain ness ofthe bun put out. wheu last made. The firm of Barbox Brothers had been some II. offshoot or irregular branch of the Public " You remember me, Younc Jackson?" Notary and hill-broldug tree, Tt had gained "What do I remember if not you? lou for itself a griping reputation before the days of are mv first remembrauce. It was you who , Young Jackson, and the reputation had stuck told me that was my name. It was you wlio 4 [UccemberlO, 1906.] MUGBY JUNCTION. to it and to hira. Ashe had imperceptibly come But there were so mauy Lines. Gazing down into possession of the dim den up in the corner upon them from a bridge at the Junction, it was ofa court olf Lombard-street, on whose grimy as if the concentrating Companies formed a windows the inscri|)tiou Barbox Brothers had great Industrial Exhibition of the works of ex­ for many long years daily interposed itself be­ traordinary gronnd-spiders that spun Iron. And tween hnn and the sky, so hc had insensibly then so many of the Lines went such wonderful found himself a personage held in chronic dis­ ways, so crossing and ciining aniQUg one trust, whom it was essential to bcrcw tight to another, that the eye lost thera. And then, every transaction In whieh he cngai^cd, whose some of them appeared to start with the fixed word was never to be taken wilhout his attested intention of going five hundred miles, and all bond, who)ii all dealers with openly set up guards of a sudden gave it up at an insignificant and w-nrds against. This' character had come barrier, or turned off into a workshop. And upon liiin through no act of his own. ILwasas theu others, Uke intoxicated men, went a Uttle if the original JJarbox had strctclied himself way very straight, and surprisingly slued round down upou the offiec-flonr,and had thither caused and came back again. Aud then others were to lie conveyed Young Jackson in his sleep, and so chock-full of trucks of coal, others were so had Ihere effected a metempsychosis aud ex­ blocked with trucks of casks, others were so change of persona with him. The discovery gorged with trucks of ballast, others were so — aided in its turn by the deceit of the ouly set apart for wheeled objects Uke immense iron woman hc had ever loved, and the deceit of the cotton-reels: while otheis were so bright and only frieud hc had ever made : who eloped from clear, and others* were so delivered over to rust him lo be married iogcther^lhc discovery, so and ashes and idle wheelbarrows out of work, followed up, comjilcted what his earliest rear­ with their legs In the air (looking much like their ing had begun. lie shrank, abashed, willnii the masters on strike), that there was no beguiuing, form of Barbox, and lifted up his head aud heart middle, or end, to the bcwiidermGut. no more. J>;irbox Brothers stood puzzled on the bridge, But hc did at last effect one groat releiiso In passing his ri^ht hand across the Unes on his his condition. Hc broke tho oar hc had ])\u:i] soforehead , which muUiplicd wliile he looked down, long, and he scuttled and sank the galUjy. He as if the railway Lines were getting themselves prevented the gradual retirement of au old con­ photographed on t hat sensitive plate. Then, was ventional business from him, by taking the heard a dislaut ringing of beUs and blowing of initiative and retiring from it. With enough to whislles. Then, puppet-looking heads of men live on (though after all with not too much), he popped out of boxes in perspective, and popped obliterated the firm of Barbox Brothers from the m agaiu. Then, ]n-odigious wooden razors set pages of the Post-oflicc Directory ami the face up oil end, began shaving the atmosphere. Then, ofthe earth, leaving uotliing of It but its name several locomotive engmes In several directions on two portmanteaus. began to scream and oc agitated. Then, along " Por one must have some name in going one avenue a train carae in. Then, along an­ about, for people to pick uyi," hc explained to other two trains appeared that didn't come in, IStugby Iligh-strect, tiirough the Inn-window, but stopped without. Then, bits of trains broke " and that name at least was real once. AVhcreas, off. Tlicn, a struggling horse became iuvolved Young Jackson!—Not to mention ifs being a with them. Then, the locomotives shared the sadly satirical misnomer for Old Jackscni." blls of trains, and rau away with the whole. He took up his hat and walked out, just in " I have uot made my next move much time to see, passing along ou the opposite side clearer by this. Ko huiTy, No need to make ofthe way, a velveteen man, carrying his day's np my mind to-day, or to-morrow, nor yet the dinner iu a sniaU bundle that might have been day at'tcr. I'll take a walk." larger without, suspicion of gluttony, and pcU- It fell out somehow (perhaps he meant it iug away towards the Junction at a great pace. should) that the walk tended to the platform at "There's Lamps!" said Barbox Brothers. wiiich hc had alighted, and to Lamps's room. " And by-tlic-by " But Lamps was not in his room. A pair of Riiiiculous, surely, that a man so serious, so velveteen shoulders were adapting themselves sclf-cnufauK'd, and not yet three days emanci­ to one of the impressions on the waQ by Lamps's pated from a roulinc of drudgery, should sland fireplace, but otlicrwi-'C the room was void. In rubbing his chin in the street, in a brown study passlug back to get out of the station again, he about Comic Songs. learnt the cause of this vacancy, by eatchmg sight "Bedside?'* saiil Barbox Bmlhrrfi, testily. of Lamps ou the opposite line of raUway, skip­ " Sings thera at the bedside? "Why at Ihobe'd- ping along the top of a train, from carriage to sidc, uidess hc goes to bed drunk? Does, I carriage, and catching Ughted namesakes thrown ulinuldn't wonder. But it's no business of miue. up to hira by a coadjutor. Let mc sec. I^lugby Junction, Mugby Junc­ " He is busy. He has not much time for tion. Where shall I go next? As it carae into composuig or singing Comic Songs this mom­ my head last uight when I woke from an uneasy ing, I tuke it." sleep in the carriage and found myself here, I ^riie direction hc pursued now, was into the can go anywhere from here. Where shall I go ? coimtry, keeping very near to the side of one I'll go and look at the Junction by daylight. great Line ot railway, and within easy view of There's no hurry, and 1 may Uke the look of one others. " I have half a mind," he said, glancing Line better thau another." around, " to settle the questiou from this point.

>v ^^ -^ Chtriu Dlckflu.] MUGBY JUNCTION. [December lo, ISCC.] 5 by saying, * I'll take this set of rails, or that, " and yet I saw the performing hands again, as or t'other, and stick to it.' They separate them­ I came by. What are the cliUdrcn singing ? selves from tile confusion, out here, and go their Why, good Lord, they can never be singing the ways." multiplieal ion-fable!" Ascending a gentle hill of some extent, he Thoy were though, and wilh infinite enjoy­ came to a {ew cottages. There, looking about ment. The mysterious face had a voice attached him as a very reserved man might who had to it which occasionally led or sttt the children never looked about him in his me before, hc right. Its musical cheerfnUicss was delightful. saw some six or eight young childrcu come Tue measure at length stoppoii, aud was suc­ merrily trooping and whooping fiom oue of ceeded by a munnuring of young voices, and then the cottages, and disperse. Bvit not uutil they by a short song which he made out to be about had all turned at the httic gardeu gate, aud tlic cniTcnt month ofthe year, aud abnut what kissed their hands to a faee at the upper work il, yielded to the labourers in the fichls aud window; a low window euough, although the farm-yards. Tlien, tliere was a stir of little upper, for the cott

"""^ —Xj-. C [December 10, ISM.] MUGBY JUKCTION. "Pendit." " O yes, I am always lying down, because I The knock-down promptitude of this reply caunot sit up. But I am not an invaUd," leaving him not a le.g to stand upon, Barbox The laughing eyes seemed highly to enjoy his Brothers produced the twopeuGC with great great mistake. lameness, and withdrew in a state of humi­ " Would you miud takuig the trouble to liation. come in, sir I* There is a beautiful vle^v from But, seeing the faee on the window-sill as he this window. And you would see that I am not passed the cottage, he acknowledged its pre­ at all ill—being so good as to care." sence there with a gesture, whicli was not a It was said to help him, as he stood irreso­ nod, not a bow, not a removal of his hat from lute, but evidently desiring to enter, with his his head, but was a diffident compromise be­ diffident hand on the latch of the garden gate. tween or struggle with aU three. The eyes It did help him, and he weut in. iu the face seemed amused, or cheered, or both, The room up-stairs was a very clean white and the Ups modestly said: " Good day to you, room with a low roof. Its only inmate lay ou sir." a couch that brought her face to a level with " I find I must stick for a time to Mugby the window. The couch was white too; and her Junction," said Barbox Brothers, with much simple dress or wrapper beiug Ugnt blue, like gravity, after once more stopping on his return the band aromid her liair, she had an ethereal road to look at the Lines where they weut their look, and a fanciful appearance of lying among several ways so c^uietly. " I can't make up my clouds. He felt tliat she instinctivefy perceived mind yet, which iron road to take. In fact, I liim to be by habit a downcast taciturn man; must get a Uttle accustomed to the Junction it was another help to hira to have established before I can decide." that understanding so easily, aud got it over. So, he announced at the Inn that he was There was an awkward constramt upon him, " going to stay ou, for the present," and im­ nevertheless, as he touched her hand, and took proved his acquaintance with the Junction that a chair at the side of her couch. night, aud agaui next morniug, and agaiu next " I see now," lie began, not at all fluently, night aud morning: going down to the station, "how you occupy yonr hands. Only seeing mingling with the people there, lookiug about you from the palli outside, I thought you were him dowu all the avenues of railway, and be­ playing upon somethiug," ginning to take an interest iu the incomings She was engaged in very iiunbly and dex­ and outgoings of the trains. At first, he often terously makiug lace. A lace-pillow lay npon put his head iuto Lamps's little room, but he her breast ; aud the quick movements and never found Lamps there. A pair or two changes of her hands upon it as she worked, of velveteen shoulders he usually found there, had given them the action he had misinterpreted. stooping over the fire, sometimes In connexion " That is curious," she answered, with a with a clasped knife and a piece of bread blight smUe, " Por I often fancy, myself, that and meat; but the answer to his inquiry. I play tunes while I am at work." * Where's Laiiip s r was, either that hc was " Have you any musical knowledge ?'* "t'other side the liue," or, that it was his off- She shook her liead. time, or (in the latter case), his own personal " I think I could pick out tunes, if I had any Introduction to another Lamps who was not his instrument, which could be made as handy to Lamps, However, hc was not so desperately me as my lace-pillow. Bnt I dare say I deceive set upon seeing Lamps now, but he bore the myself. At aU events, I shall never kuow." disappointment. Nor did lie so wholly de­ " You have a musical voice. Excuse me; I vote liimself to his severe application to the have heard you sing." study of Mugby Junction, as to neglect exercise. " ^Vith the chUdren ?" she answered, sUghtly On the contrary, he took a walk every day, colouring. " O yes. I sing with the dear chil­ and alwavs the same walk. But the weather dren, if It can be caUcd singing." turned cold and wet agaui, aud the window was Barbox Brothers glanced at the two small never open. forms in the room, and hazarded the speculation HI. that she was fond of children, aud that she was At length, after a lapse of some days, there learned iu uew systems of teaching them? came another streak of fine bright hardy aui nmn "Yery fond of them," she said, shying her weather. It was a Saturday. The window heada^aiu; "but I kuow nothing of teaching, was open, aud the clnldren were gone. Not beyond the interest 1 have in it, and the plea­ surprising, this, for he had paUently watched sure it gives me wheu they \eaxn. Perhaps and waited at the corner, until they were gone. your overhearuig iny Uttle scholars sing some of " Good day," he said to the face; absolutely their lessons, has led you so far astray as to think getting his hat clear ofi" his head this time. mca grand teacher? Ah! I thought so! No, I " Good day to you, sir." have only read and been told about that sys­ "I am glad you have a fine sky again, io tem. It seemed so pretty and pleasant, and to look at." treat thera so like the merry Robins they are, " Thank you, sir. It Is kind of you." tlmt I took up with it in my Uttle way. You " You arc an invalid, I fear?" don't need to be told what a vei-y Uttle way " No, sir, I have very good health." mine Is, sir," she added, with a glance at the " But are you not always lying down ?'* sraaU fo]-ms and round the room.

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OhtilM Dlckau.] MUGBY JUNCTION. CDccembor 10,laS6.] 7 All this time her hands were busy at her So I've heerd on, sir, so I've heerd on," laee-piUow. As they stUl continued so, aud ai returned Lamps. " It's your bemg noticed so . there was a kind of substitute for conversation oflen down at the Junction, without taking any m the cUck and play of its pegs, Barbox Bro­ train, that has begun to get you Ihe name among thers took the opportunity ot observing her. us of the gentleman for Nowiiere. No oifence He guessed her to be thirty. The charm in iiiy having called you by it when took by sur­ of lier transparent face aud large bright brown prise, I hope, sir?" eyes, was, not that they were passively resigned, " None at all. It's as good a name for me as but that they were actively and thoroughly any other you could call me by. But may I ask cheerful. Even her busy hands, which of their you a question iu the comer here ?" own thuiuess alone might have besought com­ Lamps suffered hunself to be led aside from passion, plied their task with a gay courage that his daughter's couch, by one of the buttons of made mere compassion an unjustifiable assump­ his velvet een jacket. tion of superiority, aud au impertmence. " Is this the bedside where you sing your He saw her eyes in the act of rising towards songs ?" his, and he directed his towards the prospect, Lamps nodded. saying: " Beautiful indeed!" The gentlemau for Nowhere clapped him on " Most beautiful, sir. I have sometimes had the shoulder, and they faced about again. a foncy that I would like to sit up, for once, " Upou my word, my dear," said Lamps then only to try how it looks to an erect head. But to his daughter, lookmg from her to her visitor, what a foolish faucy that would be to encourage! " it is such an amaze to me, to find you brought It cfffiuot look more lovely to any one than it acquahited with this geutleman, that I must (if does to me." this gentlemau wiU excuse me) take a rounder." Her eyes were turned to it as she spoke, Mr. Lamps demonstrated m action what this with raost delighted admiration aud enjoyment, meant, by pulUng out his oUy handkerchief There was not a trace in it of any sense ot depii roUed up in the form of a baU, and giving him­ vation. self au elaborate smear, from behind the right "And tliose threads of railway, with their ear, up the cheek, across the forehead, and down puffs of smoke and steam changing places so fast, the other cheek to behind his left ear. After make it so Uvely for me," she went on. " 1 this operation, he shone exceedingly. think of the uumber of ])eople who can go where "It's according to my custom when par­ they wish, on their busmess, or their pleasure; ticular warmed up by any agitation, sir," he I remember that tire puffs make signs to me offered by way of apology. " And reaUy, I am that they are actually gomg while I look; throwed mto that state of amaze by finding you and that enlivens the prospect with abundance brought acquainted vrith Phcebe, that I—that I of company, if I want eompauy. There is the thiuk I will, if you'U excuse me, take another great Junction, too. I don't see It under the rounder." Which he did, seeinmg to be greatly foot of the liUl, but I can very often hear it, and restored by it. I always know it is there. It seems to join rae, They were now both stauding by the side of in a way, to I don't know how many places and her couch, and she was working at her lace- things that / shall never see." pillow. " Your daughter teUs me,"snid Barbox With au abashed kind of ideathat It might have Brothers, stIU In a half reluctant shamefaced already joined himself to something hc< had never w^ay, " that she never sits up." seen, he said constrainedly: " Just so." *' No, sir, uor never has done. You see, her " And so you see, sir," pui-sued Phoebe, " I mother (who died when she was a year and two am not the mvaUd you thought me, aud I am mouths old) was subject to very bad fits, and as very well off indeed." : . . she had never mentioned to me that she wai " You have a happy disposition," said Bar- subject to fits, they couldn't be guarded against. box Brothers : perhaps with a sUght excusatory Consetjuently, she dropped the baby when took, touch for his owu disposition. and this liappeued." " Ah! But you should know m^ father," she " It was very wroug of her," said Barbox repUed, " His is the happy disposition !—Don't Brothers, with a knitted brow, " tj marry you, mind, sir!" Por his reserve took the alarm at a making a secret of her infifmlty." step upou the stairs, and he distnistcd that he " Well, sir," pleaded ttamps, iu behalf of the would be set down for a troublesome intruder. long-deceased, "You see, Pha;be and me, we have " This is my father coming." taUced that over too. And Lord bless us! Such The door opened, and the father paused there. a number on us has our iufirmitics, what with fits, " Why, Lamps I" exclaimed Barbox Brothers, and what with misfits, of oue sort and another, that if wc confessed to 'em aU before we got starting from his chair. " How do you do, married, most of ns might never get married." " Might not that be for the better?" \o which. Lamps responded: "The gentle­ "Not in this case, sir," said Phcebe, givmg man for Nowhere! How do you DO, sir.''" her hand to her father, And they shook hands, to the greatest admira­ tion and surprise of Lamps's daughter. " No, not iu this case, sir," said her father, « I have looked you up, half a dozen times patting it between his own. since that night," said ^Barbox Brothers, "but " You correct nie,"retur ued Barbox Brothers, have never found you," with a blush ; " and I mnst look so like a Brute,

>r 8 [December 10, 1866.] MUGBY JUNCTION. that at all events it would be superfluous in jokes we had between ns. More than that, he me to confess to thai infirmity. I wish you olteu does so to thb day. O ! I'll teU of yon, would tell me a little more about yourselves. 1 father, as the gentleman has asked about you. hardly know how to ask it of .you, for I ara con­ He is a poet, sir," scious that I have a bad stiff manner, a dull " I shouldn't wish the gentleman, my dear," discouraging way with me, but I wish you observed Lamps, for the moment turning grave, Mould." " to carry away that opinion of your lather, "Wilh all our heai'ts, sir," returned Lamps, because it might look as if I was given to gaily, for both, "And first of all, that you asking the stars in a moUoucoUy manner what may know my name " they was up to. Whieh I wouldn't at once " Stay !" ii»erposed the visitor, with a sUght waste the time, and take the Uberty, my dear." flush, " Wliat signifies your name! Lamps is " My father," resumed Phoebe, amending her narae enough for mc. llikc it, Itis bright aud text," is always on the bright side, and the good expressive. AVhat do I want more!" side. You told me just now, I had a happy " TVHiy to be sure, sir," ret urned Lamps. " I disposition. How can 1 help it ?'* have in general no otlier name down at the " Well; but my dear," returned Lamps ar- Junction; but I tliought, on account of your gumcntatively, " now cau I help it ? Put it to being here as a first-class single, iu a private yourself, sir. Look at her. Always as you seo character, that you might——'* lier now. Always workmg—and after all, sir, The visitor waved the thought away with his for but a yery few shillings a week—always hand, and Lamps ackuowiedged the mark of contented, always Uvely, always interested confidence by taking another rounder. in others, of aU sorts, I said, this moment, "You are hard-worked, I take for granted?" she was always as you see her now. So said Barbox Brothers, when the subject of the she is, with a difference that comes to much rounder came out of it much diilicr than he the same. Por, when it's my Sund^ off and went into it. the moming belts have done ringing, I hear the Lamps was begiuning," Not particular so"— prayers ana thanks read in the touchingest way, when his daughter took Idm up. and I have the hymns sung to me—so soft, sir, " 0 yes, sir, he is very hard-worked. Four­ that you couldn't hear 'em out of this room—m. teen, filtceu, eighteen, hours a day. Sometimes notes that seem to me, I am sure, to come from twenty-four hours at a time," Heaven and go back to it." " Aud you," said Barbox Brothers, " what It might have been merely through the asso­ with your school, Phcebe, and what with your ciation of these words with thefr sacredly quiet lace-making " time, or it might have been through the hu-ger " Bnt my school is a pleasure to me," she in­ association of the words with the Redeemer's terrupted, opeimig her brown eyes wider, as if preseuce beside the bedridden; bnt here her surprised to find hira so obtuse. " I began It dexterous fingers came to a stop on the lace- when I was but a child, because it brought mc piUow, and clasped themselves around his neck and other childi'cn into company, dou't you as he bent dowu. There was great natural see ? That was not work, I carry it on still, sensibiUty iu both father and daughter, the because it keeps clnldren about me. That is visitor could easily see; but each made it, for the not work. I do it as lovc, not as work. Then other's sake, retiring, not demoiistrative; and my lacc-piUow;" her busy hands had stopped, perfect cheerfulness, intuitive or acqmred, was as if her argument reqmred all her cheerful cither the first or second nature of both. In a earnestuess, but now went on again at the very few moments. Lamps was taking another name; " it goes with my thoughts when I think, rounder with liis comical features beanung, and it goes with my tunes when I hum any, and whilo'Phocbe's laughiug eyes (just a glistening that's not work. A^liy, you yourself thought it speck or so npon their lashes) were agaui was music, you know, sir. And so it is, to nie.'* directed by turns to him, and to her work, and " Everything is !" cried Lamps, radiantly. to Barbox Brothers. "Everythnig is music to her, sir," " When my father, sir,'* she said brightly, " My father Is, at any rate," said Phcebe, ex- " tells you about my being interested in otlier ultingly pointing her thin forefinger at hira. people even though they know nothing about "There is more music In my father thau there me—which, by-the-by, I told you myself—you is iu a brass band." ought to know how that comes about. That's "I say! Mydcar! It's very fillyllliallydone , my father's doing." you know; but you arc flattering your father," " No, it isu't!" he protested, he protested, sparkling. " Don't you beUeve liim, sir; yes, it is. He " No I am not, sir, I assure you. No I am tells me of everything he sees down at his work. not. If you could hear my father sing, you You would be surprised what a quantity he gets would know I am not. But you never wiU together for me, every day. He looks mto the hear hira sing, because he never sings to auy carriages, and tells me how the ladles are drest one but mc. HowTvcr tired hc is, hc always —so that I know all the fashions! He looks siii^s to mc when he comes home. When I into the carriages, and tells me what pairs of lay here long ago, quite a poor Uttle broken doll, lovers he sees, and what new-marrlcd couples on he used to sing to me. More than that, lie their wedding trip—so that I know all about used to make songs, bringiug iu whatever Uttle that! He collects chance newspapers and books "V N^

MUGBY JUNCTION. [December 10.18W.] 9 —so that I have plenty to read! Hc tells mc No matter just now. We were speaking of about the sick people who are travelUng to try the Junction last time. I have passed hours to get better—so that I know all about thera I there since the day before yesterday." In short, as I began by saying, he teUs me every­ "Arc you now the gentleman for Some­ thing he sees and makes out, down at his work, where ?" she asked with a smUe. and you can't think what a quantity he does see " Certainly for Somcwiicrc; but I don't yet and make out," know Where. You would never guess what 1 " As to collecting newspapers and books, my am travelling from. ShaU I tell you? lam dear," said Lamps, " it's clear I cau have no travelling from my birthday." merit in that, because they're not my perquisites. Her hands stopped in her work, and she You see, sir, it's this way ; A Guard, he'll say looked at him with incredulous astonishment. to me, * Hallo, here you are, Lamps. I've saved "Yes," said Barbox Brothers, not quite easy this paper for your daughter. Uow Is she agoing in his chair, " from my birthday. I am, to my­ on?* A Head-Porter, he'U say to me, ' Here ! self, an unintelligible book with the earUer chap­ Catch hold, Lamps. H cre's a couple of woUumcs ters all torn ont, and throwu away. My child­ for your daughter. Is she pretty much where hood had no grace of childhood, my youth had she were r' And that's what makes it double no charm of youth, and what can be expected welcome, yon see. If she had a thousand pound from such a lost beginning ?" His eyes meet­ in a box, they wouldn't trouble themselves about ing hers as they were addressed iuteutly to him, her; but being what she is—that is, you un­ something seemed to stir within his breast, derstand," Lamps added, somewhat hurriedly, whispering: "Was this bed a place for the " not havlug a thousand pound in a box—they graces of chUdhood and the charms of youth take thought fur her. Aud as coneeruing to take to, kindly ? 0 shame, shame !" the young pairs, married and unmarried, it's " it is a disease witli me," said Barbox only natural I should bring home what little Brothers, checking himself, and making as I can about ihem, seeing that there's not a though hc had a difiicidty iu swalhnving some- Couple of either sort in tlie neighbourhood that tlmig, " to go wrong about that. I don't know don't come of their owu accord to confide In how I came to speak of that. I ho])c it is be­ Phcebe.'* cause of au old misplaced confidence in one She raised her eyes tiiumpliantly to^aibox of yonr sex involving an old bitter treachery. Brothers, as she said: I don't know. I am all wrong together." " Indeed, sir, that Is true. If I could have Her hands quietly and slowiy resumed their got up aud gone to church, I dou't know how work. Glancing at her, hc saw that her eyes often I should have been a bridesmaid. But if were thoughtfully/ following tlicin. I could have done that, some girls In love mi,^ht " I ara travelling frora my birthday," he re­ have been jealous of mc, and as It is, no girl is sumed, " because It has always been a dreary day jealous of me. And my piUow wonld not have to me. My first free blrtliday commg round been half as ready to put the piece of cake some five or six weeks hence, I am travelling uuder, as I always find it," she added, turnuig to put its predecessors far behind me, and to her face ou it with a light sigh, aud a smUe at try to crush the day—or, at all events, put it her father. out of my sight—by heaping uew objects on The arrival of a liitlc girl, the biggest of the it." scholars, now led to au understanding ou the As he paused, she looked at Irnn ; but only part of Barbox Brothers, lliat she was the shook her head as bein^ quite at a loss. domestic of the cottage, and had come to take " This is uulntclliglbrc to yonr happy disposi­ active measures in it, attended by a pail that tion," hc pursued, abiding by his former jjlirasc might have extinguished her, and a broom three as if there were some lingering virtue of sclf- times her height. He therefore rose to lake del'ciicc ill it : " I knew It would be, and am .his leave, and took it; saying that if Phcebe glad it is. However, on tlils travel of niiuo had uo objection, he would come again, (in which I mean to pass the rest of my days, - He had muttered that hc would come "in the having abandoned aU thought of a fixed home), course of his walks." The course of his walks I stopped, as you heard from your father, at. the must have beeu highly favourable to his return^ Juuclion here. The exteut of its ramifications for ic returned alter an Interval of a smgle quite confused me as to whither I should go, from here. I have not yet settled, being stdl perplexed among so many roads. What do "You thought yon would never see mc you think I mean to do ? How raany of the any more, I suppose?" he said to Phcebe as branching roads cau you see from your wm­ he touched her hand, aud sat down by her dow ?" " Why should I think so!" was her surprised Looking out, full of Iiitcrcsl-, she answered, " Seven.'* , . , rcjouK cr^^ it for granted you would mistrust " Seven," said Barbox Brothers, watching her with a grave smile. "WeU! 1 jn-oposc to my­ "^" For granted, sir ? Have you been so much self, at once to reduce the gross number to those very seven, ami gradually to line them down fo mistrusted?" ,./,!• one the most proiiiising for mc—aud to take "I think I am justified in answering yes. that." But I may have mistrusted too, on my part. 3.0 [Docombcr 10,196(1,] MUGBY JUNCTION. "But how wUl you know, sir, wliich is the dear! Por the present—you can open your most promising?" she asked, with her bright­ eyes now—good-bye!" ened eyes roviii" over the view. In his embarrassed way, he closed the door "Ah!" said Barbox Brothers, with another upon himself, and only saw, in doing so, that grave smile, and cousidcrably improving in his she ecstatically took the present to her bosom ease of speech. ".To be sure, \n this way. and caressed it. The glimpse gladdened his ^Vherc your father cau pick up so much every heart, aud yet saddened it; tor so might she, if (lay for a good purpose, I may once and again her youth had flourished in its natural coui'se, pick up a Uttle for an iudifi'ereut purpose. The have taken to her breast that day the slumbering gentleman for Now here must become still better music of her own cliUd's voice. known at the Junctiou. lie shall continue to explore it, until he attaches something that he has seen, heard, or found out, at the head of BARBOX BROTHERS AND CO. each ofthe seven roads, to the road itself. And With good wUl and earnest purpose, the so his choice of a road sliaU be determined by his gentleman for Nowhere begau, on the very next choice among his discoveries." day,his researches at the heads of the seven roads. Her hands still busy, she again glanced at the The results of his researches, as he and Phabe prospect, as if it comj)rehended something that afterwards set them down in fair writing, hold had not beeu iu it before, and laughed as if it t heir due places iu this veracious chronicle, from yielded her new pleasure. its seventeenth page, onward. But they occu- " But I must not forget," said Barbox jiicda much longer time iu the getting together Brothers, " (havl-ng got so lar) to ask a favour. than they ever will in the perusal. And this is I want your help m this expedient of mine. jirobably the case with most reading matter, I want to bring you what I pick up at the heads except when it is of that highly beneficial Idnd of the seven roads that you Ue here looking out (for Posterity) which is "thrown off in a few at, and to compare notes with you about It. Alay moments of leisure" by the superior poetic 1 ? They say two heads are better than one. geniuses who scorn to take prose pains. I should say myself that probably depends upou It must be admitted, however, that Barbox the licads concerned. But I am quite sure, by no means hurried himself. His heart being in though we arc so newly acquainled, that your his work of good-nature, he revelled in it. Tl^e head aud your father's have found out better was the joy, too (it was a true joy to him), things, Phcebe, than ever mine of itself dis­ of sometiiucs sitting by, Ustening to Phcebe as covered." she picked out more aud more discourse from Slie gave lilin her sympafhclic light hand, In her musical instrument, and as her natural taste perfect rapture wit h his proposal, and eagerly and car refined daily upon her first discoveiies. and gratefuUy fhauked him. Besides being a pleasure, this was an occupation, " That's well \" said Barbox Brol hers. aud iu the course of weeks it consumed hours. "Agaiu I must not forget (havUig got so far) It resnlf,cd that his dreaded birthday was close to ask a favour. Will you shut yonr eyes ?" njion hira before he had troubled himself any Laughing playfully at the strange nature of more about if. the request, she did so. Tlie matter was made more pressing by the "Keep them shut," said Barbox Brothers, unforeseen circumstance that the councils held goiug softly to the door, and coming back. (at whicli Mi'. Lamps, beaming most briUiantly, " You are on your honour, mind, not to opeu ou a few rare occasions assisted) respectmg the your eyes until I t(il you that you may ?" road to be selected, were, after all, m no wise "Yes! On my liononr." assisted by his investigations. Por, hc had con­ "Good. May I take yonr lace-pillow from nected tins interest with this road, or that inte­ you for a minute?" rest with the other, but could deduce no reason Still laughing and wondering, shr^ rrmovcd from it for giving any road the preference. iicr hands Irom it, and lie put It aside. Consequently, wiicn the last coimcil was liolden, "TcU mc. Did yon sec the puffs of smoke that part of the business stood, iu the eud, ex­ nnd steam made by the morning fast-train yes­ actly where It had s^ood iu the beginning. terday on road nundicr seven from here?" "J5ut, sir," remarked Plia?bc, "wc have " Behind t he clm-trces and the spire ?" only six roads after aU. Is the seventh road "That's the roail," said Barbox Brothers, dumb?" directing his eyes towards it. " The seventh road ? 0 !" said Barbox " Yes. I watched them melt away." Brothers, rubbing his chin. " That is the road "Anything unusual inwiiat they expressed?" I took, you know, when I went to get your little *'No!" slic answered, merrily. prcsput. That is its story, Phcebe." " Not complimcnfary lo mc, for I was In that " Would vou miud taking that road again, train. I went—don't open your eyes — to sir?" she asked with hesitation, fetch yon this, from the great ingenious town. " Not Iu the least; it is a great high road It is not half .so large as your lacc-piUow, and after aU." lies easily and lightly in ils place. Those little " I should Uke you to take it," returned keys are like Ihe keys of a miniature piano, and Phoebe, with a persuasive smUe, " for the love you supply I he air retniired with your left hand. of that little present whicli must ever be so dear May you pick out delightful music from It, my to me. I should Uke you to take it, because N* y

Cbarlei nicken«.J MUGBY JUNCTION. [DeeemberlO, 1S«.] H that road can never be again, like any other road dinner-hour, Barbox Brothers went out for a to me. I should Uke you to take it, iu remem­ walk in the busy sh-ects. Aud now It began to brance of your having done mc so much good: be suspected by hira that Mugby Junction was of your having made me so much happier! If a Juiicfion of many hranehes, invisible as weU as you leave me by the road you travelled when visible, and had joined hira to an cncUcss number you went to do me this great kindness," sound­ uf byways. Por, whereas lie would, but a little ing a faiut chord as she spoke, " I sliaU feel, while a^'o, have walked these streets blindly lying here watching at my wmdow, as if it must brooding, he now had eyes and thoughts for a conduct you to a prosperous cud, aud bring you new external world. How the many toiUng back some day." people Uved, and loved, and died ; how wonderful " It shall be doue, my dear; it shaU be it was to consider the various trainings of eye done." aud hand, the nice distinctions of sight and So at last the gentleman for Nowhere took a touch, that separated them mto classes of work­ ticket for Somewhere, and his destination was ers, and cveu into classes of workers at subcU- thegreat ingenious town. vlsions of one complete whole whicli combined He had loitered so loug about the Junction their many inteUigcnces and forces, though of that it was the eighteenth of December when itself but some cheap object of use or ornament he left it. " High time," he refleeted, as he in common Ufe; how good it was to know that seated himself in the train, " that I started in sueh assembling In a multitude on their part, earnest! Oidy one clear day remains between mo and such contribution of theii' several dexterities and the day I ara running away from. I'll towards acivUisuigcud, did not deteriorate tlicm push onward for the hill-country to-uiorrow. as it was the fashion of the supercilious May­ rU go to Wales." flies of humanity to pretend, but engendered among thcni a self-respect and yet a modest It was with some pains that he placed before di'sirtf to be m\icli wiser than thcv were (the himself the undeniable advantages to be guined first evinced In their well-balanced bearing aud in the way of novel occupation for his senses manner of speech when hc stopped to ask a from misty mountains, swollen streams, raiu, nueslion; the second, in the annonncements of cold, a wild seasTiore, aud rugged roads. And llieir popular studies aud annisements on the yet he scarcely made them out as distinctly as he public waUs); these considfrations, aud a host could have wished. Whether the poor girl, in , uf such, made his walk a memorable one. "1 spite of her new resource, her muaic, w^ould too am but a little part of a great whole," he have any feeling of loneUness upon her now— began to thuik; "and to be serviceable lo just at first—that she had not had before; myself aud others, or to be hap])y, I must cast whether she saw those very pufls of steam and my interest into, aud draw it out of, the comraon smoke that he saw, as he sat m the train think­ stock." ing of her; whether her face would have any pensive shadow on It as they died out of tlie Although he had ai'iived at his joimiey's cud cHstant view frora her wmdow ; whether, in teU­ for the day by noon, he had since insensibly ing him he had done her so much good, she had walked about the towu so far and so hm^r that not unconsciously corrected his old moody be­ the lampUghters were now at their work m the moaning of Ids station iu life, by settin,^ lilm streets, aud the shops were sparkling np bril­ thinking that a man might be a great healer, if liantly. Thus reiiiinded to turn towards his be would, and yet not be a great doctor; these quarters, h^ was In the act of doing so, when a and other simUar meditations got between lilm very Uttle hand crept into his, and a very little and his Welsh picture. There was within voice said: him, too, that dull sense of vacuity which fol­ lows separation from an object of interest, " 0! If you please, I am lost!" and cessation of a pleasant pursuit; and this Hc looked down, and saw a very Uttle fair- sense, being quite new to 1dm, made him liaii'cd girl. restless. Further, in losing Mugby Junctiou " Yes," she said, confirming hen words with he had found himself iigain; and he was uot a serious nod. " I am Iudeed. I am lost." the more enamoured of himself for having lately Greatly perplexed^ he stopped, looked about passed his time ui better company. him for help, descried uone, and said, bending low: " Where do you Uve, my chUd r" But surely, here uot far ahead, must be the '" I don't kuow where I Uve," she returned. great mgcuious town. This crashing and clasli­ "I am lost." mg that the traui was undergoing, and tins " Wliat is yonr name ?" eoupUuf ou to it of a multitude of new echoes, "Polly." could mean nothing less than approach to the " What Is your other name ?" great station. It did mean uothmg less. After The reply was prompt, but unintelligible. some stormy flasheso f town Ughtniiig, in the way Iniitatmg the sound, as he caught it, he of swift revelations of red-brick blocks of houses, hazarded the guess, " Trivlts ?" high red-brick chimney-shafts, vistas ot red- "O no!" said the child, shakmg her head. bnck raUway arches, tongues of fire, blots of "Nothing Uke that." smoke, valleys of canal, and hdls of coal, there " Say it again, little one," came the thuudermg in at the journey s end. An unpromising business. Por this tune it Having seen his portmanteaus saiely housed had quite a different sound. in the hotel he chose, and having appomtcd his He made the venture: " Paddens ?" 13 [D«MinberlO,ia66.] MUGBY JUNCTION. [Candiwtod b;

" 0 no!" said the child. " Nothmg Uke that." He flattered himself that he had said this " Once more. Let us try it agaiu, dear.'* pretty well for an idiotic monster; but the A most hopeless busmess. This time it child, instantly perceiving the awkwardness of swelled iuto four syllables. " It cau't be Tap- his attempt to adapt himself to her level, pitarver?" said Barbox Brothers, rubbing his utterly destroyed his hopeful opinion of him­ Lead with his hat m discomfiture. self by saymg, compassionately : " What a funny ** No ! It ain't," the child quietly assented. mau you are!" Ou her trymg this unfortunate name once FeeUng, after tins melancholy failure, as if he more, with extraordinary efforts at distuictuess, every miuute grew bigger and heavier in person, it swelled mto eight syUablcs at least. and weaker in mind, Barbox gave himself up for "Ah! I think," said Barbox Brothers, with a bad job. No giant ever submitted more a desperate air of resignation, " that wc had meekly to be led iu triumph by all-couquer- better give it up." mg Jack, than he to be bound in slavery to " But I am lost," said the cliUd, nestUng her PoUy. little hand more closely iu his, " aud you'U " Do you know any stories ?" she asked take care of nic, won't you ?" him. If ever a mau were disconcerted by division He was reduced to the humiliating confes­ between compassion on the oue hand, aud the sion : "No." very inibecillty of frresolution on the other, here " What a dunce you must be, mustn*t youP** the mau was. "Lost!" he repeated, looking said Polly. dowu at the child. " I am sure / am' What He was reduced to the hmniliating confes­ is to be doue!" sion ; " Yes." " Where do you live ?" asked the child, look­ " Would you like me to teach you a story? ing up at him, wistfully, Bnt you must remember it, you know, and De " Over there," he answered, pomting vaguely able to teU it right to somebody else after­ in the direction of his hotel, wards ?'* " Hadn't wc better go there ?" said the child. Ue professed that it would afford hiin the "Really," he rcpUcd, "I don't know but highest mental gratification to be taught a what we had." story, and that he would humbly endeavour to So they set off, hand Iu hand. He, through rctam it in his mind. Whereupon PoUy, giving comparison of himself against Ins Uttle compa- her hand a new Uttle turn in his, expressive of mon, with a clumsy fecUiig on him as if he had scttUng down for enjoyment, commcuced along just developed into a foolish ?iant. She, clearly romance, of which every relishing clause began elevated in her own tiny oinnion by having got with the words: " So this" or " And so this." him so neatly out of his embarrassment. As, " So this boy;" or, " So this fairy;" or, " We arc going to have dinner when wc get " And so this pic was four yards round, and two there, I suppose ?" said PoUy. yards aud a quarter deep,'* The interest of " WeU," he rejoined, " I—yes, I suppose wc the romance was derived trom the intervention are." of this fairy to punish this boy for having a " Do you like your dinner ?" asked the child. greedy appetite. To achieve which purpose, " Why, ou the whole," said Barbox Brothers, this fairy made this pie, and this boy ate and "yes, 1 thiuk I do." ate aud ate, and his checks swcUed and sweUed " I do mine," said Polly. " Have you any aud swelled. There were many tributaiy cir­ brothers and sisters?" cumstances, but the forcible interest culminated "No. Have you?" iu the total consumption of this pie, and the "Mine arc dead." bursting of this boy. Truly he was a fine "0!" said Barbox Brothers. With that sight, Barbox Brothers, with serions attentive absurd sense of unwlcldiiiess of mind and body face, and ear bent dowu, much jostled on the weighing hini down, hc would have not knowu pavements of the busy town, "but afraid of how to pursue (he conversation beyond this curt losmg a single iucident of the epic,- lest he rejoinder, but that the chUd was always ready should be exammed in it by-and-by aud found for him. deficient. " What," she asked, turning her soft hand Thus they arrived at the hotel. And there he coaxuigly in his, " are you goiug to do to had to say at the bar, and said awkwardly amuse mc, after dinner ?" enough : " I have fouud a Uttle girl !** " Upou my soul, PoUy," exclaimed Barbox The whole establishment tumed ont to look Brothers, very much at a loss, " 1 have not the at the Uttle girl. Nobody knew her ; nobody shghtest idea!" could make out her name, as she set it forth— ** Then I teU you whai," said PoUy. " Have exce])t one chamberniaid, who said it was Cou- yon got any cards at your house?" stautuioplc—which it wasn't. " Plenty," said Baroox Brothers, in a boastful " I wiU dine with my young friend in a private vein. room," said Barbox Brothers to the hotel autho­ "Very well. Then I'll build houses, aud rities, " and perhaps you wiU be so good as let vou shall look at nic. You mustn't blow, you the poUce know that the pi'ct(,jr baby is here. I know," suppose she is sure to be inquired for, soou, if " 0 no !" said Barbox Brothers. " No, uo, she has not been afready. Come alon*:, no. No blowing, Blowuig's not fair." PoUy.'* ^

/T - !• 11^^

MUGBY JUNCTION. [December 10, IMB.] 13 Perfectly at ease and peace, PoUy came along, " I cannot," hc murmured to himself, " recal but, finding the stairs rather stiff work, was why.—1 dou't know, Polly.' carried up by Barbox Brothers. The dinner " You must be a simpleton to do things and was a most transcendent success, and the Bar- not kuow why, mustn't you ?" said PoUy, box sheepishness,-uuder Polly's directions how In spite of which reproof, he looked at the lo mince her meat for her, and how to diffuse child again, intently, as she bent her head over eravy over the plate with a liberal and equal her eard-strncturc, her rich curls shading Eand, was another fine sight. licr face. "It is impossible," hc thought, "And now," said Potly, "whUc we are at " that I can ever have seen this pretty baby dinner, you be good, and'tell me that story I before. Cau I have dreamed of her ? In some taught you." sorrowful dream ?" With the tremors of a ciyU service examination He coidcl make nothing of it, So he went on him, and very uncertain indeed, not only a into the buUding trade as a journeyman uuder to the epoch at which the pie appeared in his PoUy, and they built three stories' liigh, four tory, but also as to the measurements of Ihat stories high: even live. mdispensable fact, Barbox Brothers made a "I say. Who do yon think is coming?" shaky beginning, but under encouragement did asked PoUy, rubbing her eyes after tea. very fairly. There was a want of breadth ob­ He guessed : "The waller?" servable in his rendering of the cheeks, as well "No," said Polly, "the dustman. I am as the appetite, of the boy; and there was a getting sleepy." certain tameness iu his fairy, referable to an under-current of desire to "accoimt for he A new cniDarrassinent for Barbox Brothers ! StUl, as the flrst lumbering performance of " I don't think I ain going to be fetched to­ good-humoured monster, it passed muster. night," said Polly ; " what do you thiuk ?" He thought not, cither. After another quarter "I told you to be good," said Polly, "and of au hour, the dustman uot merely impending you are good, aiu't you ?" but actually arriving, recourse was had to the " I hope so," replied Barbox Brothers. Constantinopolitan chambermaid; who cheerily Such was his deference that Polly, elevated undertook that the child shoidd sleep iu a on a platform of sofa-cushions in a chair at his comfortable and wholesome room, which she right hand, encouraged him with a pat or two herself would share. on the face from the greasy bowl of her spoon, " And I know you will be careful, won't you," and even with a gracious kiss. In getting on said Barbox Brothers, as a new fear dawned her feet upou her chair, however, to give hiin upon hini, "liiat she don't faU ont of bed." this last reward, she toppled forward among the Polly found this so liij:hly enferfaiuiug that dkhes, and caused him to exclaim as he efl'ected she was under the neccssily of clutching him her rescue : " Gracious Angels ! Whew! I round tlie neck with both arms as he sat ou his thought we were iu the fire, PoUy !" footstool picking up the cards, and rocking him " What a coward you arc, ain't you ?" said to and fro, wilh her dimpled chin on his shoulder. Polly, wheu replaced. "O what a coward you are, ain't you!" said " Yes, I am rather nervous," he replied. Polly. " Do you fall out of bed ?'* " Whew! Dou't, Polly! Don't flourish your "N—not generally, Polly." spoon, or you'll go over sideways. Don't tilt "No more do I." * up yonr legs when you laugh, I'oUy, or you'll With that, PoUy gave hira a reassuring hug o over backwards. Whew! Polly, PoUy, or two to keep him going, aud theu giving f 'oUy," said Barbox Brothers, nearly succumbing that confiding mite of a hand of hers to be to despafr," we are environed with dangers !" swaUowed up in the hand of the Constauti- Indeed, he could descry no security from the nopoUtan chambermaid, trotted off, chattering, pitfaUs that were yawning for Polly, but in without a vestige of anxiety. proposing to her, after dinner, to sit upon a low He looked after her, had the screen removed stool. " I will, if you wiU," said PoUy. So, and the table and chairs replaced, and stifl as peace of mind shoidd go before aU, hc begged looked after her. Hc paced the room for half the waiter to wheel aside the table, brmg a pack an hour. "A most engaging Uttle creature, of cards, a couple of footstools, and a screen, but It's uot that. A most •winniug little voice, and close in Polly and himself before the fire, but it's not that. That has much to do with It, as it were in a snug room withiu the room. but there is something more. How can it be Then, finest sight of all, was Barbox Brothers that I seem to know this child ? What was on his footstool, with a pint decanter on the it she imperfectly recaUcd to me when I felt her mg, contemplating PoUy as she buUt success- touch m the street, and, looking down at her, My, aud growing blue in the face with hold­ saw her looking up at me ?" ing his breath, lest hc should blow the house "Mr. Jackson!" down. With a start hc turned towards the sound of "How you stare, don't you ?'* said Polly, m the subdued voice, and saw his answer standing a houseless pause. at the door, Detected in the ignoble fact, he felt obliged ' 0 Mr. Jacksou, do not be severe with me. to admit, apologetically: "I am'afraid I was Speak a word of encouragement to me, I be­ looking rather hard at you, Polly." seech you," " wliy do you staic ?" asked PoUy. j '•• You are PoUy's mother.'*

JT 14; COecember 10, 190(1.] MUGBY JUNCTION. "Yes." "It is not that my husband's mind is Yes. PoUy herself might come to this, one at aU impafrcd by his bodUy suffering, for I day. As you sec what the rose was, in ils assure you that is not the case. But in his faaed leaves; as you see what the sumuier weakness, and m his knowledge that he is growth of the woods was, in their wintry iucm-ably iU, he cannot overcome the ascen­ branches; so Polly might be traced, one day, in dancy of one idea. It preys upou him, em­ a carc-woru woman like this, with her hafr bitters every mouitut of his painful life, and turned grey. Before him, were (he ashes of a wUl shorten it." dead Ifre that had once burned blight. This She btoppmg, he said again: " Speak freely waa the woman hc had loved. This was the to me. Trust me." woman he had lost. Sueh had been the con­ " We have had five clnldren before this dar- stancy of his imaginatiou to her, so had Time liu^, aud they aU lie in their little graves. He spared her uuder Its withholding, that now, beUevcs that they have withered away under a seeing how rougldy the inexorable hand had curse, and that it wUl bUght this cliUd like the struck her, his soul was fiUed with pity and rest." amazement. " Uuder what curse ?" He led her to a chair, and stood leaning on a " Both I and he have it on our conscience that corner of the chimney-piece, with his head rest­ we tried you very heavUy, and I do not know but ing on his hand, and his face half averted. that, if I were as ill as he, I might suffer in my " Did you see me iu the street, and show me mind as hc does. This is the constant burden: to vou/'child ?" he asked. —' I beUeve, Beatrice, I was the only friend that "Yes." Mr. Jackson ever cared to make, though I " Is the little creature, then, a party to was so much his junior. The more influence deceit ?" he acquired In the business, the higher he ad­ "I hope there is no deceit. I saidto her, vanced me, and I was alone in his jirivate con­ *Wc have lost our way, and I must try to find fidence. I came between him and you, aud mine by myself. Go to that gentleman and I took you from him. We were both secret, teU hira you are lost. You shall be fetched by- and the blow fell when he was whoUy unpre­ and-by.* Perhaps you have not thought how very pared. The anguish it caused a mau so com­ young she Is ?" pressed, must have been terrible; the wrath it " She is very self-reliant." awakened, iuappeasable. So, a curse came to " Perhaps because she is so young ?" be invoked on our poor pretty Uttle flowers, He asked, after a thort pause, " AYhy cUd and they fall.' " you do this ?" "And yon, Beatrice," be asked, when she " 0 Mr. Jackson, do you ask mc ? Iu the had ceased to speak, and there had been a silence hope that you might see something in my mno­ afterwards : " how say you ?** cent child to bolteu yom* heart towards me. " UntU within these few weeks I was afraid Not only towards me, but towards my hus­ of you, and I believed that you would never, baud." never, forgive." Hc suddenly turned about, and walked io " UntU within these few weeks," he repeated. the opposite cud of the room. He came back " Have you changed your 0[iinioii of nie within agauL with a slower step, aud rcauincd his these few weeks?" former attitude, saying: " Yes." " I thought yon had emigrated to America ?" " Por what reason?" " Wc did. But Ufo went 111 with us there, " I was getting some pieces of music in a and wo camo back." shop in tills towu, when, lo my ten'or, you came " Do you Uve iu this town ?"' in. As I vcUed my face and*stood iu the dark " Ye.s. I am a daily teacher of music here. end of the shop, I heard you explain that yon My husbaud is a book-kcc]ier." wanted a musical instrument for a bedridden "Arc yon—forgive my asking—poor?" girl. Yoiu" voice aud manner were so softened, " Wc earn enough for our wants. That Is you showed such interest in its selection, you not our distress. My husband Is very, very iU took it away yourself with so much tender­ of a luigering disorder. Hc wUl never re­ ness of care and pleasure, that 1 knew yon cover " were a mau with a most gentle heart. O Mr. "Y'ou check yourself. If It is for want of Jackson, Mr, Jackson, if you could have felt the encouraging word you spoke of, take it the refreshing rain of tears that followed for from me. 1 cannot ibrgct the old time, mc !'* Beatrice.** Was Phcebe playing at that momeut, on her " God bless you !'* she replied, with a burst distaut couch ? He seemed to hear her. of tears, and gave hiin her trembUug hand, " I inquired in the shop where you lived, but " Compose yourself. I canuot bo composed could gel no information. As I had heard you if JOU arc not, for to see you weep distresses mc say that you were going back by the next train beyond expression. Sjicak freely to me. Trust (but you did not say where), I resolved to visit me." the station at about that time of day, as often as She shaded her face with her veU, aud after I eould, between my lessons, on the chance of a Uttle while spoke calmly. Her voice had the seeing you again. 1 have been there very often, ring of PoUy's. but saw you no more uutil to-day. You were

"V -^^ MUGBY JUNCTION. CDecomber 10, ISeO.] 15 meditating as you walked the street, but the 'Speckled all over. Which ponies jump calm expression of your face emboldened me through hoops " to send my chUd to you. And wheu I saw you •' No, uo, NO!" cried Polly, as before. "They bend your liead to speak tenderly to her, I prayed never jump througii hoops !" to GOD to forgive me for having ever brought '' Yes, they do, 0 I assure you tlicy do, a sorrow on it. I now pray to yoa to for­ Aud cat pie in pinafores " give me, and to forgive my husband. I was " Ponies eating pie in pinafores I" said Polly. very young, he was young too, aud hi the " What a story-teller you are, ain't you ?'* ignorant harcUhood of such a time of life we " Uiioii my honour,—And fire off guns." don't know what we do to those who have (Polly hardly seemed to sec the force of the undergone more discipUne. You generous man! ponies resortmg to fire-arms.) You good man I So to raise me up and make "Aud I was thinking," pursued the ex­ nothmg of my crime against you!"—for he would emplary Barbox, "that if you and I were togo not see her on her knees, and soothed her as a to the Circus where these ponies are, it would kind father might have soothed an erring do our constitutions good." daughter—" thank you, bless you, thank you !'* " Does that mean, amuse us ?" inquired Polly. When he next spoke, it was after having " What loug words you do use, don't you ?" drawn aside the wmdow-curtain and looked out Apologetic for having wandered out of his a whUe. Then, he only said: depth, he repUed : " That means amuse us. " Is PoUy asleep ?'* That is exactly what It means. There are many " Yes. As I came in, I met her going away other wonders besides the pouies, aud we shall upstaira, and put her to bed myself." see them aU. Ladies and gentlemen In spangled " Leave her with me for to-morrow, Beatrice, dresses, and elephants and lions and tigers." and write me your address on this leaf of my Polly became observant of the teapot, with pocket-book. In the evcniug I wiU brmg her a curled-up nose indicating some uneasiness of nome to yon—and to her father." mind. " They never get out, of course," she remarked as a mere truism. ***** " The elephants and Uoiis and tigers ? 0 " HaUo!'* cried Polly, putting her saucy sunny dear no!" face in at the door next morning wheu break­ "0 dear no!" said PoUy. "And of course fast was ready : " I thought I was fetched last nobody's afraid of the ponies shooting any­ night?'* body," " So you were, PoUy, but I asked leave to " Not the least iu the world." keep you here for the day, and to take you " No, no, not the least in the world," said home m the evening." Polly. "Upon my word I" said PoUy, "You are " I was also thinking," proceeded Barbox, very cool, ain't you ?'* "tlKit if we were to look ui at the toy-shop, to However, Polly seemed to think it a good choose a doU " idea, apd added, " I suppose I must give you a " Not dressed!" cried PoUy, with a clap of kiss though you are cool." The kiss giveu and her hands. "No, uo, NO, not dressed!" taken, they sat down to breakfast in a highly " Full dressed. Together with a house, and conversational tone. aU things necessary for housekeeping " "Of course, you arc going to amuse me?" Polly gave a little scream, and seemed in said PoUy. danger of faUiiig mto a swoon of bliss. " Oh, of course," said Barbox Brothers. " What a darling you are !" she languidly ex­ In the pleasurable height of her anticipations, claimed, leaning tack in her chair. "Come PoUy found it indispensable to put down her and be hugged, or I must come aud hug piece of toast, cross oue of her little fat knees you.'* over the other, and bring her little fat right This resplendent programme was carried into hand down into her left hand with a business' execution with the utmost rigour ofthe law. It Uke slap. After this gatheruig of herself toge^ beiug essential to make the purchase of the ther, Polly, by that time, a mere heap of dim­ doU its first feature—or that lady would have ples, asked in a wheedUng manner: " What are lost the ponies—the toy-shop expedition took we going to do, you dear old thing ?" precedence. Polly in the magic warehouse, with "Why, I was thinking," said Barbox a doll as large as herself under each arm, and a Brothers,' "—but are you fond of horses, neat assortment of some twenty more ou view Polly?" . „ ^ upon the counter, did indeed present a spectacle "Ponies, I am," said PoUy, " especiaUy when of Uidecision not qnite compatible with un­ thefr taUs are long. But horses—n—no—too alloyed happiness, but the light cloud passed. The lovely specimen oftencst chosen, oi'tenesfc big, you know." rejected, aud finally abided by, was of Circassian " Well," pursued Barbox Brothers, m a spmt descent, possessing as much boldness of beauty of grave mysterious confidence adapted to the as was reconcilable with extreme feebleness of importance of the considtatlon, " I did see yes­ mouth, and combining a sky-blue silk pelisse terday, PoUy, on the walls, pictures ^of two long- with rose-coloured satin trousers, and a black taUed pouies, speckled all over " velvet hat : which this fan* stranger to our " No, no, NO!" cried Polly, m an ecstatic de­ northern shores would seem to have fouuded sfre to linger ou the charmmg details. " Not speckled afl over !'* 16 tDcwmber 10, IM8.J MUGBY JUNCTION.

on the portraits of the late Duchess of Kent, times), to give up PoUy, having found her, to no The name this distinguished foreigner brought one but you. WUl you take her from me ?'* with her from beneatn the glowing skies of a As the father held out his arms for the child, bumiy clime was (on Polly's authority) Miss each of the two men looked steadUy at the other. IMeUuka, and the costly nature of her outfit as " She is very dear to you, Tresham ?" a housekeeper, from the Barbox coffers, may "Unutterably dear." bo inferred from the two facts that her silver " God bless her ! It is not much, Polly,'* teaspoons were as large ns her kitchen poker, hc continued, torning his eyes upon her peacC'* aud that the proportions ofher watch exceeded ful face as he apostroplused her, "it is' not those of her frying-pan. Miss MeUuka was much, Polly, for a blind and sinful man to graciously please'd to express her entire appro­ invoke a blessmg ou something so far better bation of the Circus, and so was PoUy; for the thau hunself as a Uttle chfld is; bnt it wonld ponies were speckled, aud brought down nobody be much—much upon his cruel head, and when they fired, and the savagery of the wUd much upon his guUty soul—if he could be so beasts appeared to be mere smoke—which wicked as to invoke a curse. He had better article, m fact, they did produce In large quan­ have a mlUstone round his neck, and be cast tities from then insides. The Barbox absorp­ into the deepest sea. Live and thiive, my tion in the general subject throughout the realisa­ pretty baby!'* Here he kissed her. "Live tion of these delights was again a sight to see, and prosper, and become in time the mother of nor was it less worthy to behold at diuuer, when other Uttle chUdren, like the Angels who behold he drauk to Miss MeUuka, tied stiff iu a chafr The Father's face!" opposite to Polly (the fair Cfrcasslau possessing He kissed her again, gave her up gently to an uubendable spme), and even induced the both her parents, and went out. waiter to assist in carrying out with due decorum But he went not to Wales. No, he never the prevaUing glorious idea. To wind up, went to Wales. He went straightway for an­ there came the agreeable fever of getlmg Miss other stroU about the town, and he looked in MeUuka and aU her wardrobe and rieh posses­ upon the people at their work, and at their sions into a fly with PoUy, to be takeu home. But play, here, there, everywhere, and where not. , by that time PoUy had become unable to look For he was Barbox Brothers aud Co, now, upou such accumulated joys wilh waking eyes, and had taken thousands of partners into the and had withdrawn her consciousness into the soUtary firm. wonderful Paradise of a chUd's sleep. " Sleep, He nad at length got back to his hotel room, Polly, sleep," said Barbox Brothers, as her and was standing beiore his fire refreshing him­ head dropped on his shoulder; "you shaU not self with a glass of hot drink which he had fall out ol this bed, easUy, at any rate !** stood upon the cftlmney-piece, when he heard What rustling piece of paper he took from his the town clocks striking, aud, referring to his pocket, and carefully folded into the bosom of watch, found the evening to have so sUpped away, Polly's frock, shall not be mentioned. He said that they were striking twelve. As he put up nothing about it, and nothing shaU be said about his watch again, his eyes met those of nis re­ it. They drove to a modest suburb of the great flection iu the chimney-n^Iass. ingenious town, and stopped at the fore-court of "Why it's your birthday already," he said, asmaU house, " Do not wake the cluld,'* said smiUng. " You are looldng very weU. I wish Bajrbox Brothers, softly, to the driver, " I wifl you many happy returns of the day.'* carry her in as she is.'* He had never before bestowed that wish upon Greeting the light at the opened door which himself. "By Jupiter!" he discovered, "it alters was held by Polly's mother, Polly's bearer the whole case of running away from one's passed on with mother and chfld into a ground- birthday! It*s a thing to explam to Phcebe. floor room. There, stretched on a sofa, lay a Besides, here is quite a long story to tell her, sick man, sorely wasted, who covered his eyes that has sprung out of the road with no story. with his emaciated hands. I'll go back, instead of going on, I'U go back "Tresham," said Barbox, iu a kindly voice, by my friend Lamps's Up X presently.** " I have brought you back your Polly, fast He went back to Mugby Junction, and in asleep. Give me yonr hand,'and teU me you omt of fact he establbhed himself at Mugby are better." 5unction. It was the convenient place to Uve The sick man reached forth his right hand, m, for brightening Phoebe's Ufe. It was the aud bowed his head over the hand into which it convenient place to live in, for having her was taken, aud kissed it. " Tliauk you, thank taught music by Beatrice. It was the con­ you ! I may say that I am weU aud happy," venient place to live in, for occasionaUy bor­ " That's bi-avc," said Barbox. " Tresham, I rowing PoUy. It was the convenient pmce to have a faucy—can you make room for me beside live in, for being joined at wUl to afl sorts of you here ?'* , agreeable places aud persons. So, he became He sat down on the sofa as he said the words, settled there, and, his house stauding in au chcrishmg the plump peachy check that lay elevated situation, it is noteworthy of him in uppermost on bis shoulcler, conclusiou, as PoUy herself might (not irreve­ " I have a fancy, Tresham (I am getting rently) have put it: quite an old fellow now, you know, and old There was an Old Barbox who Uved on a hill, ieUows may take fancies into their heads some­ And if he ain't gone, he lives there still. "HTOBUGBY JUNCTION. [December 10,1864] 17

HEUE FOLLOWS THE SUBSTANCE OF WHAT WAS SKl'.N, HEAKD, OR OTHERjnSE PICKED UP, BY THE GENTLEMAN roit NoWIIEllE IN HIS CAREEUL STUDY OF THE JUNCTION,

MAIN LINE. a transparent medium composed of you head THE BOY AT MUGBY. aud body ? I shonld hope not. I am The Boy at Mugby. That's about what You should sec our BundoUiimg Room at /am. Mugby Junction. It's led to, by the door behind You don't know what I meau ? What a pity! the counter which you'll notice usually stands But I thmk you do. I think you must. Look ajar, and it's the room where Our Missis and here, I am the Boy at what is caUed The Be- our young ladies Bandolines their hair. You freshmeut Boom at Mugby Junction, and what's should see *eni at it, bet wixt trains, Baudolimug proudest boast is, that it never yet refreshed away, as if they was anoint ing themselves for the a mortal being. combat. Wheu you're ttiegraplied, you shonld Up in a comer of the Down Ilefreshmeut see their noses all a going up with scorn, as If il, Itoom at Mugby Junction, In the height of was a part of the working of the same Cooke twenty-seven cross draughts (I've ofteu comited and M heat stoue electrical machinery. Yon *em while they brush the First Chis^ hair should hear Our Missis give the w^oril " Here twenty-seven ways), behiud the bottles, among comes the Beast to be Fed!" and then you the glasses, bounded on Ihe nor'-west by the should see 'em indiguantly ski[)ping across the beer, stood pretty far to the right of a metallic Liue, from the Up to the Down, or Wiccr object that's at times the tea-iu'n aud at times War5aw, and begin to pitch the stale pastry into the soup-tureen, according to the nature of the the plates, ami chuck the sawdust sangwiches last twang imparted to Its contents which are the uuder the glass covers, and get out the—ha same groundwork, feuded off from the traveller halia!—the Sherry—0 my eye, my eye!—for hy a barrier of stale sponge-cakes erected atop your Refreshment. of the counter, and lastly exposed sideways to It's only ill the Isle of the Brave aud Land the glare of Our Missis's eye — you ask a of the Free (by whieh of course I mean to say Boy so sitiwated, next time you slop In a Brifamiia) Ihat Kefreshmentiiig is so effective, hnri-y at Mugby, for anything tu drink; you so 'olesome, so constitutional, a check npon the take particular notice that he'll try to seem not public. There was a foreigner, which having to hear you, that he'U appear in a absent poUlcly, with his hat off, besccciied our young manner to survey the Line through a transpa­ ladies aud Our ilissis for "a Icettl gloss holf rent medium composed of your head aud body, pranidee," and having; had liie Line surveyed and that he won't serve you as long as you can ihrough hiin by all and no other aekuovvledg- possibly bear it. That's Me. ment, was a proceediug at last to help himseU", What a lark it is ! Wc are the Model Esta­ as seems to be the custom in his own country, blishment, we are, at Mugby. Other Rcfresh- when Our Missis with lu-r hair almost a meut llooms send their imperfect young ladies coming un-Bandolincd with rage, aud her. up to be finished off by our Missis, For some eyes omittuig sparks, flew at him, colched of the young ladies, when they're new to the the decanter out of his hand, and siiid : " Put business, come into it mild I Ah! OurMi?sis, it down! I won't aUowthat!" The foreigner she soon takes that out of 'em. Why, I originally turned pale, stepped back nllii his arms come iuto the business meek myself. But Our stretched out in front of hun, his hands clasped, Missis she soon took that out ot me. and his shoulders riz, and exclaimed; " Ah! What a delightful lark it is ! I look upon us Is it possible this! That these disdaincous Kefreshmenters as ockiuying the only proudly females and this ferocious old woman arc placed independent footing ou the Liue. There's Papers here by the administration, not only to em­ for instance—my lionourable I'liend if he will poison the voyagers, but to affront tliciu! Great allow me to caU him so—him as belongs to Heaven I How arrives It ? The English people. Smith's bookstaU. Why he no more dares to Or is he then a slave ? Or idiot ?" AjaoLlier time, be up fo our Re freshmen tmg games, than he a merry wideawake American gent had tried the dares to jump atop of a locomotive with her sawdust and spit it out, and had tried the Sherry steam at full pressure, and cut away upon her and spit that out, and had tried iu vain to sustain alone, drivmg himself, at limited-mail speed. exhausted natur upon Butter-Scotch, and had Papers, he'd get his head punched at every com- been rather extra Bandollned and Line-surveyed through, when, as the beU was linglug and mrtment, first second and third, the whole he paid Our Missis, he says, very loud aud {ength of a train, U" he was to ventur to imitate good-tempered: " I tell Yew what 'tis, ma'aiin. my demeanour. It's the same with the porters, 1 la'af. Tliccr I I la'af. I Dew. I oughtcr tbe same with the guards, the same with the ha' seen most things, for I had from the Ouli- ticket clerks, the same the whole way up to the mitcd side of the Atlantic Ocean, and I halve secretary, traflic manager, or very chairman. traveUed right slick over the Limited, head ou Tliere ain't a one among 'cm on the nobly inde­ through Jce-rusalcmm and the East, and Uke- pendent footing we are. Did you ever catch one ways France and Italy, Europe Old World, and of them, when you wanted anything of him, am now upon the track to the Chief Europian making a system of surveying the Line through 18 [Deeember 10,13CS.] MUGBY JU^O'l'lUU.' "VUlage; but such an Institution as Yew, and looking another way whUe the public foams, is Yewer youug ladies, and Ycwcr fixin's solid the last accompUshment taught to the young and liquid, atbrc the glorious Tarnal I never did ladies as come to Mugby to be finishedb y Our sec yet! And if 1 hain't fouud the ciditli Missis ; aud It's always taught by Mrs. Sniff. wonder of monarchical Creation, In finding When Our Missis went away upon her journey, Yew, and Ycwcr young ladies, and Yewer fixin's Mrs. Sniff was left in charge. She did hold the solid aud liquid, all as aforesaid, established ublic Ui check most beautiful! In aU my time, in a country where the people air not absolute ? never see lialf so many cups of tea given with­ Loo-naticks, I am Extra Double Darned with out milk lo people as wanted it with, nor half a Nip and Frizzle to the inncrmostest grit! so many cups of tea with mUk given to people Wlicerfur—Tlieer!—I la'af! I Dew, ma'arm. as wanted it without, Wheu foaming ensued, I la'af!" And so he went, stamping and Mrs. Sniffwouldsay: " Then you'd better settle shaking his sides, along the platform all the way it among yourselves, and change with one to his own compartment. another." It was a most highly delicious lark. I think it was her standing up agin the Fo­ I enjoyed the Refreshmenting business more reigner, as giv' Our Missis the idea of going Ihan ever, and was so glad I had took to it over to Prance, and droring a comparison be­ when young. twixt Refreshmenting as foUowed among the Our Missis returned. It got circulated among frog-eaters, and Refreshmenting as trinn*phanf Ihe young ladies, aud it as it might be pene­ in the Isle of the Brave and Land of the Free trated to me throngh the crevices ofthe Bando- (by whieh of course I meau to say agin, Bri­ lining Room, ihat she had Orrors to reveal, if tannia). Onr young ladies. Miss Whiff, Miss revelations so conteinplible could be dignified Piff, and Mrs. Sniff', was unanimous opposed to with the name. Agitation become awakened. her going; for, as they says to Our Missis one and Excitement was up in the stirrups. Expecta­ aU, it is weU bekuown to the liends of the berth tion stood a tiptoe. At length it was put forth as no other nation except Britain has a idea thatonourslackcst evening in the weelc, and at of anytliink, but above alt of business. Why our slackest time of that evening betwixt trains. then should yon tire yourself to prove what is Our Missis would give her views of foreign aready proved? Our Missis however (being Refreshmenting, m the BandoUning Room, a tcazer at all pints) stood out grim obstinate, It was arranged tasteful for the purpose. and got a return pass by Soutli-Eastcrn Tidal, The Bandollniug iable and glass was hid In a to go right through, if such should be her dis­ corner, a arm-chair was elevated on a packing- positions, to MarseiUes. case for Our Missis's ockypation, a table and a Sniff is husband to Mrs. Sniff', and Is a regular tumbler of water (no sherry iu it, thankee) vis& insignificant cove. He looks arter the sawdust placed beside it. Two of the puj»Us, the season department in a back room, and is sometimes oeing autumn, and hollyhocks and daliabs being when we are very hard put to It let in behind iu, ornamented the wsdl with three devices m the counter with a corkscrew; but never when those flowers. Ou one might be read, " MAT it can be helped, his demeanour towards the ALBION NEVER LKARN ;" on another, " KEEP public beiug disgusting servile. How Mrs. Sniff' THE PUBLIC DOWN ;" on another, " OUR RE­ ever come so far to lower herself as to marry FRESHMENTING CHARTER.'* The whole had a him, I don't know; but I suppose he does, and beautiful appearance, with which the beauty oH I should think lie wished he didn't, for he leads the sentiments corresponded. a awful life. Mrs. Sniff couldn't be much harder On Our iEissis's brow was wrote Severity, as with hira if he was public. Similarly, Miss Whiff she ascended the fatal platform. (Not that that and Miss Piff, taking the tone of Mrs. SnilF, was anytliink new.) Miss Whiff aud Miss Piff they shoulder Sniff about when he is let Ui sat at her feet. Three chairs from the Waiting witli a corkscrew, and they whisk things out Room might have been perceived by a average of his hands when in his servUity he is a going eye, in front of her, ou wliich the pupUs was ac­ to let the pubUc have'em, and tlicy snap liini commodated. Behind them, a very cloise ob­ np when In the crawling baseness of his spirit server might have discerned a Boy. Myself. he is a going to answer a public question, amL " Where," said Our Missis, glancinggloomUy they drore more tears into his eyes thau ever the aronud, "is Suifl'?" mustard does which hc all day long lays on to the " I thought it better," answered Mrs. Sniff, sawdust.. (But it ain't strong.) Once, when Sniff " that he should not be let to come in. He is had the repulsivcness to reach across to get the such au Ass," miUc-pot to hand over for a baby, I sec Our "No doubl," assented Our Missis, "But Missis in her rage catch hira by both his shoul­ for that reason Is it uot desfrable to improve ders and spin him out into the BandoUning his mind?" Room. " 0! Nothing wiU ever improve him*' But Jlrs. Sniff. How different! She's Ihe said Mrs. Sniff. one ! She's Ihe one as you'll notice to be always " However," pursued Our Missis, "caU him looking another way frora you, when you look at in, Ezekiel," her. She's the one wilh the sraaU waist buckled I called him Ui, The appearance of the low- in tight in front, and wilh the lace cuffs at her minded cove was haUed with disapprobation wiisis, which she puts on the edge ofthe counter from all sides, on account of his havmg brought before her, and stands a smoothing whUe the his corkscrew with him. He pleaded "the public foams. This smoothing the cuffs and force of habit.'* CharleiDlckflni.] MUGBY JUNCTION. [December 10, t8C6.] 19 " The force !" said Mrs. Sniff. " Don't let ask shaU I be credited?) nothing bitter m It, us have you talking about force, for Gracious and no flour to choke off'the consumer; there sa'te. Tliere! Do stand stUl where you are, was a variety of cold dishes set off with jelly ; with your back agaiust the wall." there was sahul; there was—mark mcl^^fresh He is a smiling piece of vacancy, and he pastry, and that of a light construction; "there smUed in the mean way In which he wiU even was a luscious show of fruit. There was bottles smUe at the pubUc if he gets a chance (hui- aud decanters of sound smaU wiue, of every size guage can say no meaner of him), aud hc stood and adapted to every pocket; the same odious upright near the door with the back of his head statement wUl apply to brandy ; aud these were agin the wall, as if he was a waiting for some­ set out upon the counter so tlmt all could help body to come and measure his heighth for the themselves." Army. Our Missis's lips so quivered, ihat Mrs. Sniff, " I should not enter, ladies," says Our Missis, though scarcely less convulsed than she were, "on the revolting disclosures I am about to got up and held the tumbler to them. make, if it was uot in the hope that they will " This," proceeds Our Missis, "was my first cause you to be yet more implacable iu the unconstitutional experience. Well would it exercise of the power you wield m a constitu­ have been, if it had been my last and worst. But tional country, and yet more devoted to the no. As I proceeded further iuto that en­ constitutional" motto which I see before me;" slaved and ignorant land, its aspect became it was behind her, but the words sounded more hideous. I need not explain to this as­ better so; " * May Albion never learn!'" sembly, the ingredients and formation of the Here the pupUs as had raade the motto, ad­ Britisii Re fresli ment baugwich?" mfred it, and cried," Hear! Hear! Hear!" SnlU', Universal laughter—except from Sniff, who, showing an incUnation to join in chorus, got as sangwich-cutter, shook his head m a state of himself frowned down by every brow. the utmost dejcetlon as he stood with it aglu " The baseness of the French," pursued Our the wall. Missis, " as displayed in the fawning nature of " WcU!" said Our Missis, with dilated nos­ their Refreshmenting, equals. If not surpasses, trils, "Take a fresh crisp long crusty penny anythink as was ever heard of the baseness of loaf made of the wliilest and best flour. Cut the celebrated Buonapai'te." it longuisc through the middle. Insert a fair Miss Whiff, Miss Piff and mc, we drored a and nicely fitting slice of ham. Tie a smart piece heavy breath, equal to saying, " We thought as of ribbon round the middle of the whole to bind much !" Miss Whiff and Miss Piff seeming to It together. Add at oue end a neat wrapper of object to my droruig mine along with theirs, I clean white paper by which to hold it. And drored another, to aggravate 'em. the universal French Refreshment sangwich " ShaU I be believed," says Our Missis, with busts ou yoA* disgusted vision." flashing eyes, " wheu I teU yon that no sooner A cry of " Shame !" from all—except SnllT, had I set my foot upon that treacherous which rubbed his stomach with a soothing shore '* hand. Here Sniff, either busting out mad, or think­ " 1 need not,'* said Our Missis, " explain to ing aloud, says, in a low voice i "' Feet. Plural, this assembly, the usual formation aud fittmg you know." of the Brilisli Refreshment Room ?'* The cowering that come upon hira when he No, no, and laughter. Sniff agin shaking his was spumed by all eyes, added to his being head in low spirits agin the wall. beneath contempt, was'sulficieut punishment for " Well," said Our Missis, " what would you a cove so grovelling. In the midst of a sUeucc say to a general decoration of everythink, to rendered more impressive by the tnrned-up hangings (sometimes elegant), lo easy velvet female noses with which It was pervaded. Our furniture, to abundance of little tables, to abund­ Missis went on: ance of little seats, to brisk briglit waiters, to " Shall I be believed when I tcU you that no great convenience, to a per\-adiug cleanlmess and sooner had I landed," this word with a kiUing tastefulness positively addressing the public look at Sniff, " on that treacherous shore, thau and making the Beast thinking Itself worth the I was ushered uito a Refreshment Room where there were, I do not exaggerate, actu­ Contcmptous fnry ou the part of all the ally eatable things to eat ?" ladles. Mrs. Suiff looking as if she wanted A groan burst from the ladles. I not only somebody to hold her, and everybody else look­ di* myself the honour of jining, but also of ing as if they'd rayther not. len^rthening it out. " Three times," said Our Missis, working her­ " Where there were," Our Missis added, "not self into a truly terrimenjioiis state, "three times only eatable things to eat, but also drinkable did I see these shamful things, only between the coast and Paris, and not counting either: things to drink ?" at Hazebi'oucke, at Arras, at Amiens. But A murmur, swelUng almost into a scream, worse remains. TeU me, what would you call a ariz. Miss Piff, trembUng with indignation, person who should propose in England that caUed out:" Name !" . there should be kept, say at our own model "I will name," said Our Missis. "Ihere Mugby Junction, pretty baskets, each holdmg was roast fowls, hot and cold; there was an assorted cold lunch and dessert for one, each smoking roast veal surrounded with browned at a certain fixed price, and each withui a pas- potatoes; there was hot soup with (again I 20 [DecemLei: 10, lace.] MUGBY JUliUllUIf" scnger's power to take away, to empty in the the right-about aud put another system in onr carriage at perfect leisure, and to return at places, as soon as look at us; perhaps sooner, another station fifty or a hundred miles further for I do not beUeve they have the good taste ou ?" to care to look at us twice." There was disagreement what such a person The sweUing tumult was arrested in its rise. shouldbe called. \Vlicthcr re volution I st, atheist, Sniff, bore away by his servUe disposition, had Bright {I said him), or Un-English. Miss drored up his leg with a higher and a higher Pifl' screeched her shrill oplnitm last, Iu the relish, and was uow discovered to be waving words: " A malignant maniac 1" his corkscrew over his head. It was at this " I adopt,*' says Our Missis, "the brand set moment that Mrs. Sniff, who had kep' her eye upon such a persou by the righteous indignation upon him like the fabled obeUsk, descended on of my friend Miss Piff. A maUgnant maniac. her victim. Our Missis followed them both Know then, that that maUgnaut maniac has out, and cries was heard iu the sawdust depart­ sprung from the congenial soU of France, aud ment. that his maUgnant madness was in unchecked You come into the Dowu Refreshment Room, action on this same part of my journey." at the Junction, makiug bcUeve you don't I noticed that Sniff was a rubbUig his hands, kuow me, aud I'll pint you out with my right and that Mrs. Sniff had got her eye upou him. thumb over my shoulder which is Our Missis, But I did not take more particular notice, and which is Miss Whiff', and which is Miss Piff, owiug to the excited state in which the young and which is Mi's. Sniff. But you won't get a ladies was, and to feeling myself called upon to chance to see SnilT, because he disappeared that keep it up with a howl. night. Whether he perished, tore to pieces, I " On my experience south of Paris," said Our cannot say; but his corkscrew alone remains, to Missis, in a deep toue, "I will not expatiate. bear witness to the servtUty of his disposition. Too loathsome were the task! But fancy this. Fancy a guard comiug round, with the train at No. 1 BRANCH LINE. fuU speed, to inquU'e how many for dinner. Paucy his telegrapliiug forward, the number of THE SIGNAL-MAN. diners. Fancy every oue expected, and the " HaUoa! Below there !'* table elegantly laid for the complete party. When he heard a voice thus calling to him, Fancy a charming dimier, iu a charming room, he was standing at the door of his box, with a and the head-cook, concerned for the honour of , flag iu his hand, furled round its short pole. every dish, superintending iu his clean white One wonld have thought, considering the nature jacket and cap. Fancy the Beast traveUing six of the gromid, that he could not have doubted hundred miles on end, yery fast, and with great ' from what quarter the voice came; but, in­ punctuaUty, yet beiug taught to expect aU this stead of lookiug up to where I stood ou the to be done for it!" top of the steep cutting neai'ly over his head, A spirited chorus of " The Beast!" he turned himself about aud looked dowu the I noticed that Siuff was agin a rubbing his Line. There was something remarkable in his stomach with a soothing hand, and that he manuer of doing so, though I could not have said, iiad drored up one leg. But agm I didn't lake for my life, what. But, I know it was remark­ particular notice, lookiug ou myself as caUed able enough to attract my uotice, even though upou to stimilate public feelUig, It being a his figure was foreshortened and shadowed, lark besides. down in the deep trench, aud mme was high above "Putting everything togelher," said Onr him, so steeped In the glow of an angry sunset Mis'-is, " French Refreshmenting comes to this, {tha t I had shaded my eyes with my hand before and O it comes to a uice total! First: eatable I saw him at aU, thiugs to eat, and drmkable things to drink." "Halloa! Below!" A groan from the young ladies, kep' up by From looking dowu the Line, he turned him­ me. self about again, and, raising his eyes, saw my " Second ; convenience, and even elegance." figure Uigh above him, Another groan from the young ladies, kep' " Is there auy path by which I cnn come up by me. dowu and speak to you ?" " Third : moderate charges." He looked up at me without replying, and I This time, a groan from me, kep' up by the looked down at him without pressing him too young ladies. soon with a repetition of my idle guestion. Just "iourlh :—and here," says Our Missis, "I then, there came a vague vibration in the earth claira your angriest sympathy—attention, com­ and air, quickly changing into a violent pulsa­ mon civility, nay, even politeness!" tion, and an oncoming rush that caused me to Me and the young ladies regularly ragmg start back, as though it had force to draw me mad nU together. dowu. When such vapour as rose to my "And 1 cannot in conclusion," says Our height from this rapid train, had passed me and Missis, with her spltefullest sneer, " give you a was skimming away over the landscape, I completer pictur of that despicable nation (after looked down again, aud saw him re-furling the what I have related), than assuring you that flag he had shown whUe the tram went by. they wouldn't bear our constitutional ways and 1 repeated my uiquuy. After a pause, dming noble independence at Mugby Junction, for a wliich lie seemed to regard me with fixed atten­ binglc month, aud that they would tura us to tion, he motioned with his roUed-up flag, to- ^/

CbariM Diekeoi.] MUGBY JUNCTION. [December 10,1S6«.} wards a point on my level, some two or three that this was a spirit, not a man. I have specu­ hundred yards distaut, I called dowu to him, lated siuce, whether there may have been mfec- "AU right!" and made for that point. There, tloii iu his mind. by dint of looking closely about me, I fouud a lu my tuiTi, I stepped back. But iu making rough zig-zag descending path notched out: the action, I detected in his eyes some latent fear which I foUowed. of mc. This put the monstrous tliought to flight. The cutting was extremely deep, aud un­ " You looli at me," I said, forcing a smile, usually precipitate. It was made llirongh a " as if you had a dread of mc." clammy stone that became oozlcr and wetter as " I was doubtful," he returned, " whelher I I went dowu. For these reasons, I fouud the had seen you before." way long euough lo give mc time to recal a " Where ?" singular air of reluctance or compulsion with He pointed to the red Ught hc had looked at. which he had pointed out the path. " There ?" I said. "WhenI came down low enough upou the zig­ Iuteutly watchful of mc, he repUed (but zag descent, to see him again, I saw that he was without sound), Yes. standing between the raUs on the way by whicli " My good fcUow, what should I do there? the tram had lately passed, in au attitude as if However, be that as it may, I never was there, he were waiting for me to appear. He had his you may swear." left hand at his chin, and that left elbow rested " I think 1 may," hc rejoined. " Yes. I am on his right hand crossed over his breast. His sure I may." attitude was oue of such expectation and watch­ His manner cleared, like my owu. He fulness, that I stopped a moment, wondcrmg replied to my remarks with readiness, and at it. in well-chosen words. Had he much to do I resumed my downward way, and, steppmg there? Yes; that was to say, hc had enough out upon the level of the raUroad and drawing rcspousibUity to bear; but exactness and watch­ nearer to him, saw that he was a dark sallow mau, fulness were what was required of him, and of with a dark beard and ratlier heavy eyebrows. actual work—manual labour—he had next to His post was in as soUtary and cUsinal a place as uone. To change that signal, to trim those ever I saw. On either side, a dripping-wet wall lights, and to turn this iron handle now and of jagged stone, excluding aU view but a strip of then, was all he had to do under that head. Re­ sky; the perspective one way, oidy a crooked pro­ garding those many long and lonely hours of longation of this great dungeon; the shorter per­ whicli I seemed to make so much, he could only spective in the other direction, terminating in a say that the routine of his \^^e had shaped Itself gloomy red Ught, and the gloomier entrance to a into that form, and he had grown used to it. black tunnel, in whose massive architecture He had taught himself a language down here— there was a barbarous, depressing, and forbid­ if only to kuow it by sight, and to have formed ding air. So Uttle sunUght ever fouud its way his owu crude ideas of its pronunciation, could to tnis spot, that it had an earthy deadly smcU ; be called learning it. He had also worked and so much cold wind rushed through it, that at fractions and decimals, and tried a Uttle al­ it stmck chiU to me, as if I had left the natural gebra ; but he was. and had been as a boy, a poor world. hand at figures. Was it necessary for him when on duty, always to remain iu that channel of damp Before he stirred, I was near enough to air, anil could hc never rise into the sunshine him to have touched him. Not even theu re­ from between those high stone waUs ? Why, moving his eyes from mine, he stepped back one tlmt depended upon times and circumstauces. step, and lifted his hand. Under some conditions there would be less upon This was a lonesome post to occupy (I the Line than under others, and the same held said), and it had riveted my attention when I good as to certain hours of the day and night, looked down from up yonder. A visitor was a lu bright weather, he did choose occasions for rarity, I should suppose; not an unwelcome getting a little above these lower shadows; bnt, rarity, I honed? In me, he merely saw a being at aU times liable to be called by his man who had been shut up within narrow limits electric bell, and at such tiraes Ustening for it dl his life, and who, bemg at last set free, had a with redoubled anxiety, the reUcf was less than newly-awakened mterest iu these great works. I wonld suppose. To such purpose I spoke to him; but I am far from sure of the terms I used, for, besides that He took me mto his box, where there was a I am not happy iu opening any conversation, fire, a desk for an olficial book iu which he there was something m the man that daunted had to make certain entries, a telegraphic in­ me. strument with Us dial face and needles, and the He directed a most curious look towards the little bell of which he had spokeu. On my trust­ red Ught near the tunnel's mouth, and looked ing that hc would excuse the remark that he aU about it, as if something were missmg from had been well educated, and (I hoped I might it, and then looked at me. ™- • say without offence), perhaps educated above That Ught was part of his charge ? Was it that station, he observed that instances of sUght incongruity iu such-wise would rarely be fouud wantinn; amoug large bodies of men; that ho had He answered m a low voice: Don t you heard it was so in workhouses, in the police know it is?" , ,^ . ( . J force, even iu that last desperate resource, the The monstrous thought came mto my mmd army; fuid that he knew it was so, more or less, JI perused the fixed eyes and the satumme face. N^

[DMtmbar 10, ISM.] MUGBY JUNCTION. in any great railway staff. Hc had been, when don't call out! Let me ask you a parting ques­ young (if I could beUevc it, sitting in that, tion. What made yon cry * Halloa! Below hut; hc scarcely could), a student of natural there!' to-night ?'* pliUoso]ihy, and had attended lectm'es; but he " Heaven knows," said I. " I cried some­ had run wUd, misused his opportunities, gouc thing to that effect " dowu, aud never risen again. Hc had no com­ " Not to that effect, sir. Those were the plaint to offer about that. Hc had made his very words. I know them weU." bed, and he lay upon It. It was far too late to "Admit those were the very words. I said make another, them, no doubt, because I saw you below." AU that I have here condensed, he said in a " For uo other reason ?" quiet manner, with his grave dark regards di­ " What other reason could I possibly have!" vided between me aud the fire. He threw iu " You had no feeling that they were conveyed the word "Sir," from time to time, and espe­ to vou iu auy supernatural way?" ciaUy wheu he refeiTed to his youth: as though " No." to request uie to underslaud that he claimed to Ue wished mc good night, and held up his be uothmg but what I found him. He was Ught. I widked by the side of the down Line of several times interrupted by the liltle bell, and raUs (with a very disagreeable sensation of a had to read off messages, and send replies. tram commg behind me), nntU I found the path. Once, hc had to stand without the door, and It was easier to mount thau to descend, and I display a flag as a train jiassed, and make some got back to my nm without auy adventure. verlial communication to the driver. In the Punctual to my appointment, I placed, my discharge of his duties I observed hiin to be foot on the first notch of the zig-zag next night, remarkably exact and vigilant, breaking off his as the distant clocks were striking eleven. He discoui'se at a syllabic, and remaining silent was waiting for me at the bottom, with his uutU what he had to do was done. wlute light ou. " I have not c:dled out," I In a word, I shoidd have set this man dcmii said, when wc came close together; "may I as oue of the safest of men to be employed in speak now?" "By aU means, sfr." "Good that capacity, but for the circumstance that night then, and here's my hand." " Good night, wlule he was spcakiug to mc he twice broke off sir, and here's mine." With that, we walked with a fallen colour, turned his face towanis side by side to hia box, entered it, closed the the little bell when it did NOT ring, opened the dqor, and sat down by the fire. door of the hut (wiiich w as kept shut to exclude " I have made up my mind, sfr," he began^ the iinhealtliy damp), and looked out tfjwards bending forward as soon as we were seated, the red light near the raouth of the tunnel. On and speaking in a tone but a Uttle above both of tliosc occasions, he carae back to the fire a whisjjer, " that you shall not have to ask mo with the inexplicable air upon hira which I had twice what troubles me. I took you for some remarked, without bruig able to define, when we one else yesterday evening. That troubles me,** were so far asunder. " That mistake ?"' Said I wheu I rose to leave him: " You " No. That some one else." / almost make me think that I have met with a " W^ho is it ?" contented man." " I dou't know," (1 am afraid I must acknowledge that I said it "Like mc?" to lead him on.) " I don't kuow. I never saw the face. The "I believe 1 used to be so," hc rejoined, m left arm is across the face, mid the right arm the low voice iu which hc had first s])oken; Is M'aved. Violently waved. This way." " but I am troubled, sir, I am troubled." 1 followed his action with my eyes, aud it was He would have rccaUcd the words if hc coiJd. the action of an arm gesticulating with the utmost He had said them, however, and I took them up passion and vehemence: " For God's sake clear quickly. the way!" " With what ? Wh^-d is your trouble ?" "One moouUght night," said the man, "I " It is very difficult to Imparl, sir. It is very, was sitting here, when I lirard a voice cry very, difficult to speak of. If ever ycni make nic ' Halloa ! Below there !' I started up, looked another visit, I wiU try to tell you." from that door, and saw this Some one else " But I expressly intend to make you another standing by the red Ught near the tunnel, wavmg visit. Say, when shall it be ?" as I just now showed you. The voice seemed " I ^0 off early in the morning, aud I shall be hoarse with shouting, aud it cried, *Look out I ou again at ten to-morrow uight, sir." Ijook out!' Aud then agaiu ' HaUoa! Below "1 wiU come at eleven." there! Look out!' I caught up my lamp, He thanked me, and went out at the door turned it on red, and rau towards the figure, with me. "I'U show my white light, sir," he calUng, 'What's wrong? "What has happened? said, iu his peculiar low voice, "till you have Where?' It stood just outside the blackness found the way up. When you have found it, of the tunnel. I advanced so close upon it don't call out! Aud when you arc at the top, that I wondered at its keeping the sleeve across don't call out!" its eyes. I ran right up at it, and had my hand His manner seemed to make the place strike stretched ont to pull LIIC sleeve away, when it colder to me, but 1 said no more than " Veiy was gone.'* weU." " Into the tunnel," said I. " Aud wheu you come down to-morrow night, " No, I ran on iuto the tunnel, five hundred 'Sita y

Cbarlu Dlakuu.] MUGBY JUNCTION. [Deumbar ID, 1666.] 33 yards, I stopped and held my lamp above my Ugjht, with both hands before the face. LUte head, and saw the figures of the measured dis­ tliis." tance, and saw the wet stams steaUng down the Once more, I followed his action with my waUs and trickling through the arch. I ran out eyes. It was an action of mourning, I have again, faster than I had run in (for I had ,\ seen such an attitude Iu stoue figures on tombs. mortal abhorrence of the place upon me), and I Did you go up to it ?" looked aU round the red light with my own red"' I came i\\ and sat down, partly to collect light, and I went up the iron ladder to the my thoughts, partly because it had turned mc gaUery atop of it, and I came down again, and faint. When I weut to the door again, daylight ran back here. I telegraphed both ways: * An was above me, and the ghost was gone." alarm has been given. Is anythmg wroug?' The "But nothing followed? Nothing came of answer came back, both ways: ' AU well' '* this ?" Resisting the slow touch of a frozen finger He touched nie on the arm with his fore­ traciug out my spine, I showed him how that finger twice or thrice, giving a ghastly nod each this figure must be a dcccjitiou of his sense of time: sight, aud how that figures, originating iu dis­ " That very day, as a train came out of the ease of the deUcate uerves that minister lo the tunnel, I noticed, at a carriage window on my fimctions of the eye, were knowu to have ofteu side, what looked lUce a confusiou of hands aud troubled patients, some of whom had become heads, and somethiug waveil. I saw it, just iu conscious of the uature of their affliction, and time to signal the driver. Stop! He shut off, had even proved it by experiments upon them­ and put lus brake ou, but the train drifted past selves. " As to an imaginary cry," said I, " do here a huudred and fifty yards or more. I but listen for a moment to the wiud iu this ran after it, and, as Iwent along, heard ter­ imnatural valley whUe we speak so low, and to rible screams and cries. A beautiful young lady the wUd harp it makes of the telegraph wires!" had died iustautaueously iu oue of the com­ That was aU very wdl, he returned, after partments, and was brought in here, and laid we Bad sat Ustenmg for a while, and he ought down ou this floor between us." to know somethiug of the wind aud the wires, luvoluutarily, I pushed my chair back, as he who so often passed loug winter nights there, I looked from the boards at which he pomted, alone and watching. But he would beg to to himself. remark that he had uot fiuished. " Tnie, sir. True. Precisely as it happened, I asked his pardon, and he slowly added 50 I teU it you." these words, touchUig my arm: I could thiuk of nothiug to say, lo any pur­ " Within six hours after the Appearance, pose, and my mouth was very dry. The wiud the memorable accident ou this Line happened, and the wfres took up the story with a long aud within ten hours the dead and wounded were lamenting wail. brought along through the tunnel over the spot He resumed. " Now, sir, mark this, and where tJie figure had stood." judge how my miud is troubled. The spectre A disagreeable shudder crept over me, but came back, a week ago. Ever siuce, it has I did my best against it. It was not to be been there, now and again, by fits and starts," denied, I rejoined, that this was a remarkable "At the light?" coincidence, calculated deeply to impress his " At the Danger-light." mind. But, it was unquestionable that remark­ " What does it seem to do ?'* able coincidences did continuaUy occur, and He repeated, If possible with increased pas­ they must be taken into account in deaUng with sion and vehemence, that former gesticulation Bucn a subject. Though to be sure I must of " For God's sake clear the way !" admit, I added (for I thought I saw that he Theu, he went on. " I have no peace or rest waa going to briug tke objection to bear upon for it. It calls to me, for many minutes to­ me), men of common sense did not allow much gether, in an agonised manner, ' Below there ! for comcideuces iu making the ordmary calcula­ Look out! Look out!' It stands waving to me. tions of life. It rings my little bell " He again begged to remark that he had uot I caught at that. " Did it rmg your beU fijiished. yesterday evenuig when I was here, and you I again begged his pardon for being betrayed went to the door?" into interruptions. " Twice." " This," he said, agaiu laying his hand upon ""Wily, see," said I, " how your imagination my arm, and glancing over Ins shoulder with misleads you. My eyes were on the bell, and hoUow eyes, "was just a year ago. Six or my ears were open to the bell, and if I am a seven months passed, aud I had recovered from living man, it did NOT ring at those tinics. the surprise aud shock, when oue moruiug, as No, nor at auy other time, except when it was the day was breaking, I, standing at that door, rung in the natural course of physical things by looked towai-ds the red Ught, and saw ihe the station comniuuicating with you." spectre again," He stopped, with a fixed look He shook his head. " I have never made a at me. mistake as to that, yet, sir. I have never con­ " Did it cry out ?'* fused the spectre's riug with the man's. The ghost's ring is a strange vibration in the bell "No, It was sUent."^ that it derives from nothing else, and I have " Did it wave its arm r" not asserted that the beU stfrs to the eye. I "No. It leaned against the shaft of the 2'J; [December 10. 1?0G ] MUGBY JUNCTION. don't wonder that you failed to hear it. But / been averted ? When on its second coming it beard it." hid its face, why not teU me instead : ' She is " And did the spectre seem to be there, when going to die. Let them keep her at home*? you looked out?" If it came, on those two occasions, only to show "It WAS there.'* me that its warnings were true, and so to pre­ " Both times ?" pare me for the third, why not warn me plainly He repeated firmly : " Both times." now? And I, Lord help me! A mere poor "Will you come to the door with me, and signalman on this soUtary station! Why not look for ir now ?" go to somebody with credit to be beUeyed, and He bit his under-lip as though he were some­ power to act!" what unwUling, but arose. I opened the door, When I saw him in tliis state, I saw that for and stood on the step, wliUe he stood iu the the poor man's sake, as well as for the public doorway. There, was the Danger-light, There, safety, what I had to do for the time was, to was the dismal mouth of the timnel. There, compose his mind. Therefore, setting aside all were the high wet stone walls of the cuttmg. question of rfeaUfy or unreality between us, I There, were the stars above them. represented to him that whoever thoroughly " Do you see It ?" I asked him, taking parti­ discharged his duty, must do weU, and that at cular note of his face. His eyes were promi­ least it was his comfort that he understood his nent and strained; but not very much more so, duty, though he did not understand these con­ perhaps, than my own had been when I had founding Appearances. In this effort I succeeded directed them earnestly towards the same spot. far better than in the attempt to reason him out " No," he answered. " It is not there." of his conviction. He became calm; the occu­ " Agreed," said I, pations incidental to his post as the night ad­ We went in again, shut the door, and re­ vanced, begau to make larger demands on his sumed our scats, I was thinking how best to atteutiou ; and I left him at two in the moming. improve this advantage, if it might be called I had offered to stay through the night, but he one, w hen hc took up the conversation in such would not hear of it. a matter of course way, so assuming that there That I more than once looked back at the could be no serious question of fact between us, red Ught as I ascended the pathway, that I that I felt myself placed in the weakest of posi­ did not like the red Ught, and that I should have tions. slept but poorly if my bed had been under it, I " By this lime vou wiU fuUy understand, sir," see no reason to conceal. Nor, did I Uke I he two hc said, " that wliat troubles me so dreadfully, sequences of the accident and the dead girl. is the question. What docs the spectre I see no reason to conceal that, either. mean ?" But, what rau most in my thoughts was the I was not sure, I told him, that I did fully consideration how ou^ht I to act, having be­ understand, come the recipient of this disclosure ? I had " What is its warning against ?" he said, ru­ proved the man to be inteUigent, vigilant, pains­ minating, with his eyes on the fire, and only by taking, and exact; but how long might he re­ times turning them ou me. " ^Vliat is the main so, iu his state of mind ? Though in a danger ? "Where Is the danger ? There is danger subordinate position, stfll he held a most impor­ overhangmg, somewhere on the Line. Some tant trust, aud would I (for iustance) like to stake dreadful calamity will happen. It is uot to be my own Ufe on the chances of his contmutng to doubted this third time, after what has goue execute it w ith precision ? before. But surely tins is a cruel haunting of Uuable to overcome a feeling that there would me. What can I do I" be something treacherous in my communicatmg He pulled out his haudkerchief, aud wiped the what he had told me, to his superiors in the drops from his healed forehead. Company, without first being plaiu with himself " If I telegraph Danger, on either side of me, or and proposuig a middle course to him, I ultimately on both, I can give no reason for it," hc went on, resolved fo offer to accompany him (otherwise wiping the palms of his hands. " I should get keeping his secret for the present) to the wisest iuto trouble, and do no good. They would think medical practitioner we could hear of in those I Wtis mad. This is the way it would work :— parts, aud to take liis opinion, A change in his Message: * Danger! Take care !' Answer : time of duly would come round next night, he ' What Danger? Where?' Message: 'Don't had apprisccf me, and he wonld be off an hour know. But for God's sake lake care!' They or two after sunrise, and on again soon after woiJd dlsjilace me. What else could they do ?" sunset. I had appointed to return accordindy. His pam of mmd was most pitiable to see. Next eveuing was a lovely evening, and I It was the mental torture of a conscientious walked out eariy to enjoy it. The sun was not man, oppressed beyond endurance by an nniutel- yet quite down when 1 traversed the field-path lipible responsibility involving life. near the top of the deep cuttmg, I would extend " When it first stood under the Danger-light,** my walk for an hour, 1 said to myself, half an he weut on, puttmg his dark hair back from his honr on and half an hour back, aud it would head, and drawing his hands outward across and then be time to go to my signalman's box. across his temples in an extremity of feverish Before pursuing my stroll, I stepped to the distress, " why not teU me where .that accident brink, and mechanicaUy looked dowu, from the was to Iiappen—if it must happen? Why not point from which I had first seen him. I can­ tefl me how it could be averted—^if it could have not describe the thriU that seized upon me, A '\V ~- Chuin DIektai.] MUGBY JUNCTION. [December 10,1B6&] 35 when, close at the mouth of the tunnel, I saw the which I myself—not he—had attached, and that appearance of a mau, with his left sleeve across only in my own miud, to the gesticulation he his eyes, passionately waviug his right arm. had imitated. The nameless horror t£at oppressed me, passed in a moment, for in a moment I saw that this appearance of a man was a man indeed, No. 2 BRANCH LINE. and that there was a Uttle group of other men THE ENGINE-DRIVER. standmg at a short distance, to wnom he seemed ^ " Altogether ? Well Altogether, since I8il, to be rehearsing the gesture he made. The I've killed seven men and boys. It ain't many Danger-light was not yet lighted. Agamst its In all those years." shaft, a Uttle low hut, entirely uew to me, had These startling words he uttered in a serious been made of some wooden supports and tar­ tone as he leaned against the Station-wall. He paulin. It looked no bigger thau a bed. was a thick-set, ruddy-faced mau, with coal-black With an irresistible sense that something was eyes, the whites of which were not white, but wrong'—with a flashing self-reproachful fear that a brownish-yeUow, and apparently scarred aud fatal mischief had come of my leavuig the man seamed, as if they had been operated upon. there, and causuQg no one to be seut to over­ They were eyes that had worked hard in look­ look or sorrect what he did—I descended the ing through wind and weather. He was dressed notched path with all the speed I could make, in a short black pea-jacket and grimy white " What is the matter?" I asked the men. cauvas trousers, and wore on his head a flatblac k "Signalman kiUed this morning, sfr." cap. There was no siga of levity in his face. " Not the man belougmg to that box ?'* Hts look was serious even to sadness, and there " Yes, sir." was an air of responsibuity aboui; his whole bear­ " Not the man I know ?" ing wluch assured me that he spoke in earnest. " You wiU recognise him, sir, if you kuew "Yes, sir, I have beeu for five-and-twenty himj," said the man who spoke for the others, years a Locomotive Engine-driver; and in aU solemnly uncovering his own head and raising an that time, I've ouly killed seven men and boys. end of the tarpaulin, " for his face is quite com- There's uot many of my mates as ean say as much for themselves. tSLcadlncss, sir—steadi­ ' O! how did this happen, how did this ness aud keeping your eyes open, is wiiat happen?" I asked, turning from one to another docs it. Wheu 1 say seven meu and boys, I as the hut closed in again. mean my mates—stokers, porters, and so forth. " He was cut dowu by au engine, sir. No I don't count passengers." man in England knew his work better. But How did he become au engine-driver? somehow he was not clear of the outer raU. It " My father," he said, " was a wheel­ was just at broad day. He had struck the Ught, wright In a small way, aud Uved in a little and had the lamp in his hand. As the engine cottage by the side of the railway which came out of the tunnel, his back was towai'ds runs betwixt Leeds aud Selby. It was the her, aud she cut him dowu. That man drove second railway laid dowu in the kingdom, the her, and was shoiving how it happened. Show second after the Liverpool and Mauchciter, the gentleman, Tom.'* where Jlr. llusklsson was kiUcd, as you may The man, who wore a rough dark dress, have heard on, sir. When the trains rushed by, stepped back to his former place at the mouth we young 'uns used to run out to look at 'cm, of the tunnel: and hooray. I noticed the driver turning hantUes, " Comiug round the curve m the tunnel, sir," aud making it go, aud I thought to myself it woidd be a fiue thing to be a engine-driver, he said, " 1 saw him at the eud, Uke as if I saw and have the coul roi of a wonder! ul machine him down a perspective-glass. There was no like that. Before the railway, the driver of the time to check speed, and 1 knew him to be very maU-coach was the biggest man I knew. 1 careful. As he didn't seem to take heed of the tliought I should Uke to be the driver of a whistle, I shut it off when we were running coach. Wc had a picture Iu our cottage of down upou hira, and called to him as loud as I George the Third iu a red coat. I always mixed could call." up the driver of the maU-coach—wlio had a red " What did you say?" coat, too—with Ihe king, only hc had a low- " I said. Below there I Look out! Look out! crowned broad-brimmed hat, wiiich the king For God's snke clear the way!" hadn't. In my id(;a, the king couldn't be a I started. greater mau thau the driver of the mail-coach. " Ah ! it was a dreadful time, sir, I never I had always a fancy to be a head man of some left otf caUuig to him. I put .this arm before my kind. Wheu I went to Leeds once, and saw a eyes, not to see, and I waved this arm to the last; mau conducting a orchestra, I thouglit I should but it was no use.'* like to be the conductor of a orchestra. When I went home I made myself a bS,ton, and w^cnt Without prolonging the narrative to dwell about the fields conducting a orchestra. It on auy oue of its curious cirQumstances more wasn't there, of course, but I pretended it was. thau on auy other, I may, iu closmg it, point At another time, a man with a whip and a out the coincidence that the warmug of the speaking-trumpet, ou the stage outside a show, Ku"ine-Driver included, not only the words took my fancy, and I thought I should like to •whrch the unfortunate Signalman had repeated be him. But when the train came, the engine- to me as hauntlug hun, but also the words [December 10,1866.] MUGBY JUNCTION. [CnduUd hf driver put thera all iu the shade, and I was you exhaust the boiler, and then you'U have to resolved to be a engine-driver. It wasn't long crawl along tUl your fresh water boUs up. The before I had to do something to earn my own great thing in driving, is, to go steady, never living, though 1 was only a young 'un. My to let your water get too low, nor your fire too fath< r died suddenly—he was kiUcd by thunder low. It's the same with a kettle. If you fiU and lightning while staiuUng under a tree out it up w hen it's about half empty, it soon comes of the raiu—aud mother couldn't keej) us all. to the boil again; but if you don't fiU it up The day after my father's burial I walked down uniil the water's nearly out, it's a long time iu to Ihc station, and said I wanted to be a cominn; to the boll agaiu. Another thmg; you (iiiginc-driver. The stal ion-master laughed a should never make spurts, unless you are de­ bit, said I Mas for beginning early, but that 1 tained aud lose time. You should go up a incline was not qnite big enough yet. lie gave me a and down a incline at the same pace. Sometimes jicuny, and told mc to go home and grow, and a driver will wasi c his steam, aud when he comes come a-^aiu iu ten years' time. I didn't to a hill he has scarcely enough to di-ag him up. dream of danger then. If I couldn't be When you're in a tram that goes by fits and a engine-driver, I was determined to have starts, you may be sure that there is a bad somethmg lo do about a engine; so, as I could driver on the engine. That kind of driving get nothing else, I went ou board a Humber frightens passengers dreadful. When the steamer, and broke up coals for the stoker. train, after rattUng along, suddenly slackens That was how I bei,'an. Prom I hat, I became a speed when it am't uear a station, it may be in stoker, first on board a boat, aud then on a loco­ the middle of a tunnel, the passengers tliink motive. Then, after two years' service, 1 be­ there Is danger. But generally it's because the came a driver ou the very Line whicli jiassed driver has exhausted his steam. our cottage. My mother and my brothers and "I drove the Brighton express, four or five sisters came out to look at mc, the first day I years before I come here, aud the annnals drove._ I was watchuig for them and thcv was — that is, the passengers who had annual watching for me, aud they waved their hands tickets—always said they knew when I was and hoora'd, and I waved my hand to tlicm. 1 on the engine, because they wasn't jerked. had Ihc steam wcU uj), aud was going at a (Tcnllcincn used to say as they came on to the rattlnig pace, aud rare proud I was that platform, 'Who drives to-day—Jim Martin?* miuute. Never was so proud in my Ufe ! Aud when the guard told them yes, they said "When a man has a Ukiug for a thing It's ' AU right,' and took thefr seats quite comfort- as good as being clever. In a very short time ahle. But the driver never gets so much as a I became one ofthe best drivers on the LUic. sluUiug; the guard comes Lu for aU that, and he That was allowed. I look a pride iu It, you does nothing -much. Few ever think of the sec, and Uked it. No, I didn't know much driver. I dare say they thiuk the train about the engine scientifically, as you call It; goes along of itself; yet if we didu't keep a but I could juit her to rights' if anything weut sharp look-out, know our duty, and do It, tliey out of gear—tli;it is tosay, if there was nothing might all go smash at auy moment. I used broken—but I couldn't liave cxphuiicd how the to make that jouruey to Brighton iu fifty-two steam worked inside. Starting a engine, it minutes. The papers said forty-niue minutes, just like drawing a drop of gin. You'turn a but that was coming it a little too strong. I handle and off she goes; then you turn the had to watch signals all the way, one every two handle flic other way, put ou tho brakes, aud miles, so that mc aud my stoker were on the you sfr>p her. There's not much more in it, so stretch all the time, doiug two things at once—• f.ir. It's no good being scicutUic and knowiug attending to the engine and looking out, I've the jiiindplc of the engine inside; uo good at driven on this Line, eighty-one mfles and all. Filleis, who kuow all the ms and outs of three-quarters, iu eighty-six minutes. There's no the engine, make the worst drivers. That's well danger ui speed if you have a good road, a good known. They know too nmch. It's just as engine, aud not too many coaches behind. No, we I'vi! heard of a m;iii with regard to his inside: don't caU thcni carriages, we call them * coaches.* if hc knew wh;tt a eoinpUcaled niuchiiic it is, " Yes; osciUatloii means danger. If you're hc would never cat, or drink, or dance, or run, ever in a coach that osciUates much, teU or do anything, for fear of busticg somethmg. of it at the first station and get it coupled So It is with fitters. But us as are not up closer. Coaches when they're too loose are tmnblcd with such thonglits, we go ahead. apt to jump, or swing off the rails; aud it's quite " But sf arl ing a engine's one thinn^ and drivmg as daugcrous when they're coupled up too close.' of her is another. Any one, a chUd a'most, can There ought to be just space enough for the Iniu ou the slcani i-iiid turn it olf agaiu ; bnt it buffers to work easy. Passengers arc frightened ain't every one that can keep a engine wcU on ill tmincls, but thcrc'slcss danger, «o«',iu tunnels (hc road, no more Ihan It ain't every one who than anywhere else. We never enter a tunnel can ride a horse properly. It is much the same unless it's signalled Clear. thing. If you gallop a liorsc right off for a mUe "A tram can be slopped wonderful quick, or two, yon take the wind out nf lilm, aud for even when running express, if the guards act the next njilc or two you must h't Itini trot or with the driver and clap on aU the brakes walk. So it is with a engine. If you put on too promptly. Mueh depends upon the guai'ds. much steam, to get over the ground at the start, One urake behmd, is as good as two in frout. —^

Ohulu DloLtu,] MUGBY JUNCTION. [Deoember 10,1666.')

The engiue, you see, loses weight as she bums as A B C. There are water-troughs at certaiu her coals imd consumes her water, but the places, lying between the rails. By moving a coaches behmd don't alter. We have a good lever you let down the mouth of a scoop iuto deal of trouble with youug guards. In thefr the water, aud as you rush along the water is anxiety to perform their duties; they put on the forced iuto the tauk, at the rate of three thou­ brakes too soou, so that sometimes we can sand gallons a minute. scarcely drag the train iuto the station; wiieu " A engine-driver's chief anxiety is to keep they grow older at it they are not so anxious, time; that's what he thinks most of. When and don't put them on soon enough. It's no use I was driving the Brighton express, I always to say, when an accident hapjiens, that they did felt like as if 1 was riding a race against tinie. not put ou the brakes in lime; they swear tlicy I had no fear of the pace; what I feared was did, and you can't prove that they didn't. losing way, and not getting iu to the minute. " Do I think that the tapping of the wheels AVe have to give in au account of our time with a hammer is a mere ceremony ? WcU, I when we arrive. The company provides us don't kuow exactly; I should not Uke to say. with watches, and we go by them. Before It's uot often that the chaps find anythmg startmg ou a journey, we pass through a room wroug. They may sometimes be half asleep to be inspected. That's to see If wc are sober. when a train comes Into a station in the middle But they don't say nothhig to us, and a man who of the night. You would be yourself. They was a Uttle gone might pass easy. I've known ought to tap the axle-box, but they don't. a stoker that had passed the inspection, come " Many accidents take place that never get on to the engme as, drunk as a fly, flop down into the papers; mauy trains, fuU of passengers, among the coals, aud .sleep there like a log for escape being dashed to pieces by uext door to a the wiiole run. 1 had to be my own stoker mfracle. Nohody knows anythiug about it but theu. If you ask me if engine-drivers are the driver and the stoker. I remember once, drinkiug men, I must answer you that they are wheu I was driving on the Eastern Counties, pretty weU. It's trying work; one half of Gomg round a curve, I suddenly saw a traui you cold as ice; t'other half hot as fire; wet coming along on the s;imc Une of rails. I one minute, dry the iiexl. If ever a man clapped on tne brake, but it was too late, I had an excuse for drinking, ihat man's a thought. Seemg the engine almost close eiigiuc-diiver. And yet I don't kuow if ever a upou us, I cried to my stoker to jump. He driver goes upon his engme ffrunk. If he jumped off the engine, almost before the words was to, the wiud would soou sober him, were out of my mouth. I was just taking my " I believe engine-drivers, as a body, are the hand off the lever to foUow, wheu the coming healthiest fcUovis aUve; but they dou't Uve train turned off ou the points, and the next long. The cause of thai, I believe to be the instaut the hind coach passed ray engine by a cold food, and the shaking. By the cold shave. It was the nearest touch I ever saw. iMy food, I mean that a engine-driver never gets stoker was killed. In another/half second 1 his meals coiiiforlablc. He's never at home should have iurapcd off and beeu kUlcd too. to his dinner. When hc starts away the first What would have become of the tram without thing in the morniug, he takes a bit of us is more than I can tell you. cold meat and a piece of bread with him for " There are heaps of people ruli over that no his dinner; and gencraUy hc has to eat it in one ever hears about. One dark night iu the the shed, for hs mustn't leave his engine. You Black Couutry, me and my mate felt somethiug can understand how the jolting and shaking wet and warm splash in our faces. * That knocks a man up, afler a bit. The insurance didu't come from the engine, BUI,' I said. companies won't take us at ordinary rates. * No,' he said; 'it's something thick, Jim,' We're obliged to be Foresters, or Old Friends, It was blood. That's what It was. We heard or that sort of thiug, where tliey ain't so parti­ afterwards that a collier had been run over. cular. The wages of a engine-driver average When we kiU auy of our own chaps, we say about (iglit shiUings a day, but if he's a good as Uttle about it as possible. It's generaUy— bcheiner'with his coals—yes, 1 mean if he mostly always—their own faidt. No, we never economises his coals—he's allowed so much think of danger ourselves, yfe're used to it, raore. Some will make from five to teu shll- you sec. But we're not reckless, I don't be­ Ungs a week that way. I don't complain of lieve there's any body of men tliat takes more the wages particular; but it's hard hues for pride in their work than engiiie-diivcrs do. such as us, to have to ])ay income-tax. The We are as proud and as foud of onr engines as company gives au account of all our wages, and if they were living things; as proud of thera as we have to pay. It's a shame. a huntsman or a jockey is of his horse. And a "Our domestic Ufe—our Ufe at home, you engine h;i3 almost as many ways as a horse; mean ? Well, as to that, we dou't see much of she's a kicker, a plunger, a roarer, or what our famUies. I leave home at half-past seven not. In her way. Put a stranger on to my in the moriung, and dou't get back again until en"-iiic, aud he wouldn't kuow what to do with half-past nine, or maybe later. The chUdren are her. Yes ; there's wonderful improvciueuts iu nut uj) wheu I leave, and they've ^one to bed engines smce the last great Exhibition, Some a"-ain before I come home. This is about my ofl^hem take up their water without stopping. ,|;iy;—Leave Londou at S.-tS ; drive for four That's a wonderful invention, and yet as simple hom's and a half; cold snack on the engme

^=^ 3S [December 10, IS66.] MUGBY JUNCTION, step; see to engine; drive back again; clean caUed out to her to bring him to me, and I took engine; report myself; and home. Twelve hours' him upon the engine and kissed hira—ah, twenty hard aud anxious work, and no comfortable times I should thiuk—^making him in such a victuals. Yes, onr wives are anxious about us ; mess with grease and coal-dust as you never saw. for wc never know when we go out, if we'll ever " I was all right for the rest of the journey. come back agaiu. We onght to go home the And I do believe, sir, the passengers were safer minute we leave the station, and report ourselves after little Bill was gone. It wonld never do, to those that are thnikmg on us and depending you see, for engine-drivers to know too much, onus; but I'm afraid wc dou't always. Perhaps or to feel too much," wc go first to the pnbUc-housc, and perhaps you would, too, if you were iu charge of a engine No. 3 BRANCH LINE. all day long. But the wives have a way of ihefr own, of finding out if we're all right. They TIIE COMPENSATION HOUSE. inquire among each oth^r. ' Have yon seen my " There's not a looking-glass in all the house, Jim ?' one says. ' No,' says another, ' bnt Jack sir. It's some pecuUar fancy of my master's. see him commg out of the station half an hour There isn't one in any single room iuthe house." ago.' Then she knows that her Jim's all right, It was a dark and gloomy-looking buUding, and knows where to find him if she wants him. and had beeu purchased by this Company for an It's a sad thing when any of us have to carry enlargement of their Goods Station. The value bad news to a mate's wife. None of ns likes of the Iiouse had beeu referred to what waa that job. I remember when Jack Davldge was popidarly called " a compensationjury,'* and the kiUed, none of us conld face his poor missus lionse was caUcd, iu consequence. The Compensa­ with the news. She had seven chUdren, poor tion House, It had become the Company's pro­ thing, and two of 'em, the youngest, was down perty ; but its tenant stUl remained in possession, with the fever. Wc got old Mrs. Berridgc— pending the commencement of active buildmg Tom Bcriidge's mother—to break it to her, operations. My attention was originally drawn Eutshcknewsummat was the matter, the minute to this house because it stood directly in front the old woman went in, and, afore she spoke a of a collection of huge pieces of timber which word, fell down like as if she was dead. She lay lay near this part of the Line, and on which I afl uight like that, and never heard from mortal sometimes sat for half au hour at a time, when lips nufll next morning that her George was I was tfred by my wanderings about Mugby killed. But she knew it in her heart. It's a Junction. pitch and toss kind of a Ufe onrs! It was square, cold, grey-looking, built of "Audyet Incvcr was nervous on a engine but rough-hewn stone, and roofed with thin slabs once. I never think of my own life. You go in of the same material. Its windows were few for staking that, when you begin, aud you get in number, and very small for the size of used to the risk. I never think of the passeu- the building. In the great blank, grey broad­ gers cither. The thoughts of a englno-drivrv side, there were only four windows. The en­ never go behind his engine. If he keeps his trance-door was in the middle of the house; engine aU right, the coaches behind wiU oe aU there was a window on either side of it, and right, as far as the driver is concerned. But there were two more in the single story above. once I did think of the passengers. My little The blinds were all closely drawn, and, when the boy, BUI, was among ihcm that morning. He door was shut, the dreary building gave no sign was a poor liltle cripple fellow that we all loved of life or occupation. more nor the others, because hc was a cripple, But the door was not always shut. Some­ and so quiet, and wific-like. Hc was going down times it was opened from within, with a great to his auut m the countiy, who was to take jingling of bolts and door-chains, and then a man care of him for a while. Wc thought the country would come forward and stand upon the door­ air would do him good. I did think there step, snufling the air as one might do who was were Uves bchhid me that nmniing; at least, 1 ordinarily kept on rather a small allowance of that thought hard of one little life that was in my clement. Pic was sfout, thickset, and perhaps liands. There were twenty coaches on ; my Uttle fifty or sixty years old—a man whose hair was BiU seemed fo me to be In every oue of'cm, !My cut exceedingly close, who wore a large bushy hand trembled as I turned on llic sleam. I felt beard, aud whose eye had a sociable twinkle in it my heart Ihnmplng as wc drew close to the which was prepossessing. He was dressed, when­ pointsman's box ; as we neared the Junction, I ever I saw him, in a greenish-brown frock-coat was all ill a cohl sweat. At the end of the first made of some material whieh was not cloth, wore fifty miles I was nearly eleven minutes behind a waistcoat and trousers of Ught colour, and had time. ' What's the matlcr with yon this morn­ a frill to his shirt—an ornament, by the way, ing?' my stoker said. 'Did yon have a drop which did not seem lo go at all well with tho too mnch last night?' 'Don't speak to me, beard, which was continually in contact with it. Fred,' I said. Mill we get to Peterborough ; and It was the custom of this worthy person, after keep a sharp look-nnt, there's a good fellow.' standing for a short time ou the threshold in­ I never was so thankful In my life as when haling the air, to come forward iuto the road, I shut off steam to enter the station at Peter­ and, after glancing at one of the upper windows borough. Little Bill's aunt was waiting for him, iu a half mechanical way, to cross over to the and I saw her lift him out of the carriage, I , logs, aud, leaning over the fence which guarded MUGBY JUNCTION, CD«cember 10,186S.] the railway, to look up and dowu fhe Line (it just a fancy on the part of my master. He passed before the house) with the air of a man had some strange fancies, and this was one of accompllshlug a self-imposed task of which them, A pleasant gentleman he was to live nothing was expected to come. This done, he with, as any servant could desire, A liberal would cross the road again, and turning on genticman, and one who gave but little trouble; the threshold to take a final sniff of air, dis­ always ready with a kind word, and a kind deed, appeared once more within the house, bolting too, for the matter of that. There was not a and chaining the door agabi as if there were house in allthe paiishof St. George's (iuwhich no probabiUty of its being reopened for at least we lived before we came down lierc) where the a week. Yet ^half an hour had not passed be­ servants had more holidays or a better table kept; fore he was out iu the road again, sniffing the but, for all that, he had his queer ways and his air and looking up and down the Liue as before. fancies, as I raay call thera, aud this was one of It was not very long before I managed to them. And the point he made of it, sir," the old scrape acquaintance with this restless per­ mau weut on ; " the extent to which that regula­ sonage. I soon found out that my fiiend tion was enforced, whenever a new servant was with the shirt-frill was the confidential ser­ engaged ; and the changes in the establishment it occasioned! In hiring a new servant, the vant, butler, valet, factotum, what you will, very first sllpulatiou made, was that about the of a sick gentleman, a Mr. Oswald Strange, looting-glasses. It was one of my duties to ex­ who had recently come to inhabit the house plain the thing, as far as it 'could be explained, opposite, aud concerning whose history my before any servant waa takeu into the house. new acquaintance, whose name I ascerlaiued ' You'll find it an easy place,' I used to say, * with was Masey, seemed disposed to be somewhat a Uberal tabic, good wages, and a deal of leisure; communicative. His master. It appeared, had but Ihere's one thing you must make up your come down to this place, partly for the sake of re­ mind to; you mnst do without looking-glas?es ducing his estabUshment—uot, Mr. Masey was while you're here, for theis isn't one in the swift to inform me, ou economical principles, house, and, what's more, there uever will be.*" but because the poor gentleman, for particular reasons, wished to have few dependents about "But how did you kuow there never would him—partly iu order that he might be near his be oue?" I asked. old frieud, Dr, Gardeu, who was established "Loi* bh^ss you, sir! If you'd seen and iu the neighbourhood, and whose society and ad­ heard all that I'd seen and heard, you could vice were necessary to Mr. Strange's life. That have no doubt about it. Why, ouly to take life was, it appeared, held by this suffering geu­ one instance :—I remember a particular day tleman ou a precarious tenure. It was ebbing when my master had occasion to go into the away fast with each passing hour. The servant housekeeper's room, where the cook lived, to already spoke of his master In the past tense, see about some alterations that were making, describing him to me as a young gentleman not and when a pretty scene took place. Tlie cook more than five-and-thirty years of age, with a —she was avery ugly woman, aud awful vain— young face, as far as the features aud build of It had left a little hit ot' a looking-glass, about six went, but with an expression wiiich had nothing iiiehcs square, upon the chimney-piece; she had of youth about it. This was the great peculiarity got it surreptious, aud kept it always locked up ; but she'd left it out, being called away suddenly, of the mau. At a distance he looked younger while titivating her hair. I had seen the glass, than he was by many years, and strangers, at and was making for the chimney-piece as fast the time when he had "been used to get about, as I could; but master came in frout of it always took him for a man of seven or eight-and- before I could get there, and it was all over In a twenty, but they changed their minds on getlUig moment. He gave one long picrciug look nearer to him. Old Masey had a way of his mto it, turned deadly pale, aud seizing the own of summing up the peculiarities of his glass, dashed it into a hundred pieces on master, repeating twenty times over : " Sir, he the floor, and then sfami)ed upon Ihe fiag- was Strange by name, aud Strange by nature, nieiits and ground thein into powder with his and Strange to look at iuto the bargain." feet. He shut himself up for the rest of It was during my second or third inter­ that day in his own room, first ordering me view with the old fellow that he uttered the to discharge the cook, then aud there, at a words quoted at the beginning of this plain moment's uotice." narrative. " Not such a thing as a lookiug-glass iu all " What an extraordinary thing!" I said, pon­ the house," the old man said, standing beside dering, my piece of timber, aud looking across reflec­ "Ah, sir," continued the old man, "it was tively at the house opposite. " Not one." astonishing what trouble I had with those " In the sitting-rooms, I suppose you meau ?" women-servants. It was diflicult to get any " No, sir, I mean sitting-rooms and bedrooms tliat would lake the place at aU uuder the cir- both ; there isn't so much as a shaving-glass as cumstauees. ' What not so much as a mossul to do one's 'air at?' they would say, and they'd big as the palm of your hand anywhere." go off, in spite of extra wages. Theu those wiio "But how is it ?" I asked. " Why are there did consent to eome, what lies they would tell, no looking-glasses in any of the rooms ?" to be sure! They would protest that they " Ah, sir !" replied Masey, " that's what none didn't want to look in the glass, that they never of us can ever tell. There is the mystery. It's

y^ 30 [DwwmberlO, lUO.] MUGBY JUNCTION. [Condnctod hy

had been in the habit of looking in the glass, and The old man turned round and looked at me all the while that very wench wonld have her fixedly. "The doctor here," he said. "Dr, looking-glass, of some kind or another, hid away Garden. My master's very old friend," among her clothes up-stairs. Sooner or later, she "I should Uke to speak with this gentle­ would bring It out too, and leave it about some­ man,*' I said, involuntarUy, where or other (just like the cook), where It was "He is with my master now,** answered as likely as not that master might see it. Aud Masey. "He will be coming out presently, then—for girls like that have no consciences, and I think I may say he will answer any ques­ sir—when I had caught one of'em at it, she'd tion you may like to put to him.'* As the old turn round as bold ns brass, 'And how am I man spoke, the door of the house opened, to know whether my 'air's parted straight?' and a middle-aged genticman, who was tall she'd say, just as if it hadn't been considered and thin, but who lost something of his in her wages that that was the very thing wiiich height by a habit of stooping, appeared on she never u-as to know winle she lived iu onr the sicp. Old Masoy left me in a moment. house, A vaiu lot, fir, and the ii:;ly ones ITo iiiuttercd something about takiug the always the vainest. There was no end to their doeloi-'s diiTctions, and hastened across the dodges. They'd have looking-glasses in the in­ road. The tall gentleman spoke to him for a teriors of their Witrkl)OX-!id.s, when; it was next minulc or two very seriously, probably about to impossible that 1 conld find 'em, or iiisidf the jialiciit np-st;ilrs, aud it Ihcu seemed to me the covers of hynm-books, or cookery-books or from Iheir gc.-fiires that I myself was the sub- in their caddies. I recollect one giil, a sly one she jret of some furl her conversation between them. was, ami marked with the small-pox terrible, At all events, when old Masey retired Into the who was always reading her prayer-book at odd hoiisc, the doe!or carae across to where I was times. Somel lines 1 used lo think what a sl;indiiig, and addressed mc with a very agree­ religious mind she'd got, ami at other limes able sinile. (depending on the mood I was in) T would con­ " John Jfascy tells mc that you are interested clude that it was the marriage-service she was In the case of my poor friend, sir. I am now studying; but one day, when I got behind her going back to my house, and if you don't mind to satisfy my doubts—lo and behold! it was i he trouble of walking with me, I shall be happy the old story: a bit of ghiss, without a frame, to enlighteu you^as far as I am able." fastened into the kivcr with the oulsidc I haslencd to make my apologies and express edges ofthe sheets of postage-stamps. Dodges! my acknowledgments, and we set off together. Why they'd keep their looking-glasses Iu the When wc had reached the doctor's house and scullery or the coal-cellar, or leave them were scaled in his study, I ventured to inquire in charge of the servants next door, or with after the health of this poor gentleman. the milk-woman round the corner; but have " I am afraid there is no amendment, nor any *eni they would. " And I don't mind confessing, prospect of amendment," said the doctor, " Old sir," said the old raan, bringing his long speech Masey has told you something of his strange to an end, " that it was an ineouvenlency not to condition, has hcnot?" have so much as a scrap to shave before. 1 " Yes, he has tohi mc something," I answered, used to go to the barber's at first, but I soon "and hc says yon know all about it." [ gave that up, and took to wearing my beard as Dr. Garflcu looked very grave, "I don't my master did ; likewise to keeping my hair"— know nil abont it. I only know what happens Mr. Masey touched his head as he spoke—"so wiirn he comes into the presence of a looking- short, that it didn't require any parting, before glass. But ns to the circnmstances which have or beliind." 'od to his being haunted in the strangest fashion I sat for some time lost iu amazement, and that 1 ever heard of, I know no more of them staring at my coin^iaiiion. My curiosity was than yon ilo." powerfully stimulated, and the desire to learn "Haunted?" I repeated. "And in the more was very strong within me, strangest fashinu that you ever heard of?'* " Had your niastcr any personal defect," I Dr. Garden smiled at my eagerness, seemed iiifpiircd, " whicli niiiiht have made it distressing to be collecting his thoughts, and presently to hiin to sec his own inia^i'o rcilixtcd ?" went on; "By no means, sir," said Iho old man. "He "I made the acquaintance of Mr. Oswald was as handsome a genllcman as you wonld Strange in a curious way. It was on board of wish to see: a Utile deliratc-lonking and care­ an 11 alian steamer, bound from Civita Vecchia worn, perhaps, with a very pale face; but as to Marseilles. Wc had been travelling all night. free tmm any dcfornilty as you or I, sir. No, In the mtuning 1 was shaving myself in the sir, no; it was nothing of Ihat." cabin, when snddenly this man came behind mc, " Then what was il ? Whal is It ?" I asked, glanced for a moment into the small mirror desperately. "Is there uo one uiio is, nr has before wiiich T was standing, and then, without been, in your master's confidence?" a word of warning, tore it from the nail, " Yes, sir," said the old Iellow, with his eyes and dashed it to pieces at my feet. His turning to that window opposite. "Tliere is face was at first livid with passion—it seemed one person who knows all my master's secrets, lo me ralher the passion of fear than of anger— and this secret among the rest." bnt it changed after a moment,-and he seemed "And who Is that ?" ashamed of what he had done. Well," cou- Cbkrtei Dlakem.] MUGBY JUNCTION. [December 10,1866.] 31

tinned the doctor, relapsing for a momeut vergne : a place but little known, out of iuto a smile, " of course l' was in a d.nil tlic linn of railway-^ .and lo which we had of a rage. I was operating ou my umler- been driuvn, pnrtly by the aiitiijuarian altran- jaw, aud the start the thing gave mc caused tions which the place possessed, and partly mc to cut myself. Besides, altogether It secmetl by the beauty of the scenery. The weather au outrageous and insolent ihing, and I gave it | had been ratherafhcrr against us. The day had to poor Strange in a style of language whicli I 'bee n dull and murky, the heat stifling, and am sorry to think of now, but which, I hope the sky had threatened mischief since the morn­ was excusable at the time. As to the ofl'endei ing. At sundown, these thnvds were fiilPilled. himself, his confusiou and regret, now that his Tlic_ thunderstorm, which luul been all day passion was at an end, disarmed me. He sent coming up—as it seemed to us, against the for the steward, and paid most liberally for the wind—^bnr.st over the place where we were damage done to the steam-boat property, explain­ lodged, with very great violence. ing to him, and to some other passenn;ers who "There are some practical-minded persons were present in the cabin, that what had hap­ wilh strong constitutions, who deny roundly pened had beeu accidental. For me, however, that their fellow-creatures are, or cau be, he had another explanation. Periiaps he felt affected, in mind or body, by atmospheric influ­ that I must know it to have been no aeclclent— ences. I am not a disciple oi" that school, simply perhaps he really wished to confide in some one. because I cannot believe that those changes tif At all eveuts, he owned to me that what he had weather, which have so much effect ujion ani­ done was done under the influpiice of an uncon­ mals, and even on inanimate objects, can fail lo trollable impulse—a seizure whicli took him, he have some inflncnce on a piece of inacliinery said, at times—something like a fit. He begged so sensitive and intricate as the human frame. my pardon, and entreated that I would endea­ I think, then, that it was In part owing to the vour to disassociate him personalty from this disturbed state of the atmosphere that, on this action, of which he was heartily ashamed. Then particular evening I felt nervous and depressed. he attempted a sickly joke, poor fellow, about When my new friend Strange aud I parted for his wearing a beard, and feeUng a little spiteful, the uight, I felt as little disposed lo go to rest as in consequeuce, when hc saw other people taking I ever did in my life. The f liumlcr was still linger­ the trouble to shave; but hcsaid nothiug about ing among the mountains in the midst of which any infirmity or delusion, and shortly after left our inn was placed. Sometimes it seemed nearer, me. aud at other times further off; but It never left ofT " In my professional capacity I could not help nltogcther, except for a few minutes at a time. taking some interest In Mr. Strange. I did not I was quite unable to shake off a succession of altogether lose sight of him after onr sea-journey paiuful ideas which persistently besieged my mind. to MarseUles was over. I found him a plcasaift companion np to a certain point; but I always " It is hardly necessary to add that Ithought felt that there was a reserve about him. He from time to time of my travelling-companion was uncommunicative about his past life, and ill tlie next room. His image was almost con­ especially would never allude to anything con­ tinually before me. Ho had been dull and de­ nected with his travels or his residence in Italy, pressed all *'n; evening, and when wc parted which, however, I could make out had been a for the night there was a look In his eyes long one. He spoke Italian well, and secin'ed whicli I could uot get ont of my memory. famUiar with the country, but disliked to talk " Tlicrc was a door between onr rooms, and the about it. partition dividing tliem was not very solid ; and "During the tirae wc spent together there yet I had heard no sound since I prirtcd IVom were seasons when he was so Uttle himself, him whicli could Indicate that hc was there at that I, with a pretty large expeiieuce, was almost all, much less that he was awake and stirring. afraid to be with him. His attacks were I was iu a mood, sir, wiiich made this sileuce violent and sudden in the last degree; and terrible to mc, and so many foolish fancies—as there was one most extraordinary feature con­ that he was lying there dead, or in a fit, or what nected with them all: — some horrible asso­ not—took possession of mc, that at last I could ciation of ideas took possession of hira wiiencver bear it uo longer. I went to the door, and, after he fouud himself before a looking-glass. And listening, very attentively but quite in vain, for after we had traveUed together lor a time, I any sound, 1 at last knocked pretty sharply. dreaded the sight of a mirror hanging harm­ There was no answer. Peeling that longer sus­ lessly against a wall, or a toilet-glass standing pense would be unendurable, I, without more on a dressing-table, almost as much as he did, ceremony, turned the handle and went In. "Poor Strange was not always affected in " It was a great bare room, and so imperfectly the same manner by a looking-glass. Some­ lighted by a single candle that It was alraost times it seemed to madden him with fnry; impossible—except when tho lightning flashed at other tiraes, it appeared to turn him to —to see into its great dark corners. A small stone ; remaining motionless and speechless as rickety bedstead stood against one ofthe walls, if attacked by catalepsy. One night—the worst shrouded by yellow cotton curtains, passed things always happen at night, and oftener thau through a great iron ring iu the ceiling. There one would think on stormy nights—we arrived was, for all other furniture, an old chest of at a small town in the central district of Au­ drawers which served also as a washing-stand,

^^ 32 CDwMinbflr 10, 1SG6,] MUGBY JUNC'HOJr" [COBdKCMbr having a small basin and ewer and a single such force as was necessary, I drew him gra­ towel arranged on the top of it. There were, dually away, and got him to one of the chafrs moreover, two ancient chairs and a dressing- at the foot of the bed, ' Come I' I said table. On this last, stood a large old-fashioned —after the long silence my voice, even to looking-glass with a carved frame. myself, sounded strange and hollow—'come! " I must have seen aU these things, because You are over-tired, and you feel the weather. I remember them so well now, but I do not Dou't you think you ought to be in bed ? Kiiow how 1 could have seen them, for it seems Suppose you Ue down. Let me try my medical to me that, from the moment of my entering skill in mixing you a composing draught.' that room, the action of my senses and of " He held my hand, and looked eagerly into the faculties of my mind was held fast by the my eyes. ' I am better now,' he said, speaking ghastly figure whicli stood motionless before the at last very faintly. Still he looked at me looking-glass in the middle of the empty room, in that wistful way. It seemed as If there "How terrible it was! The weak Ught were somethiug that he wanted to do or say, of one candle stauding on the table shone but had not sufficient resolution. At length upon Strange's face, ligbting it from below, he got up from the chair to which I had and throwing (as I now remember) his shadow, led Ilim, and beckoning me to follow him, weut vast and black, upon the waU behind hini and across the roora to the dressing-table, and stood upon the ceiling overhead. He was leaning again before the glass. A violent shudder rather forward, with his hands upon the table passed through his frame as he looked iuto it; supporting him, and gazing into the glass whicli laut apparently forcing himself to go through stood before hini with a horrible fixity. The with what he had now begun, he remained sweat was ou his white face; his rigid fea­ where he was, and, without looking away, tures and his pale Ups showed iu that feeble moved to me with his hand to come and stand light were horrible, more thau words can tell, beside him. I compUed. to look at, Hc was so completely stupified and " 'Look in there!' he said, iu an almost in­ lost, that the noise I had made in knocking audible tone. He was supported, as before, and iu entering the room was unobserved by by his hands resting ou the table, and could hiin. Not even when I called hiin loudly by only bow with his liead towards the glass to name did he move or did his face change, intimate what he meant. 'Look Iu there !* he "What a vision of horror that was, in the repeated. great dark empty room, in a silence that was " I did as he asked me. something more than negative, that ghastly " ' What do you see ?' he asked next. figure frozen into stone by some unexplained " ' Sec r' I repeated, trying to speak as cheer­ terror ! And the silence and the stillness! The fully as I could, and describing the reflexion of very thunder had ceased now. My heart stood his own face as nearly as I could. 'I see a still with fear. Then, moved by some instinctive very, very pale face with sunken cheeks ' feeUng, under whose influence I acted mechani­ " * What ?' he cried, with au alarm iu his cally, I crept with slow steps nearer and nearer voice which I could uot understand, to the table, and at last, half expecting tosec " ' AVith sunken cheeks,' I went on, 'and some spectre even more horrible than this wiiich two hollow eyes with large pupils.' Isaw already, I looked over his shoulder into the "I saw the reflexion of my friend's face looking-glass. I happened to touch his arm, change, aud felt his hand clutch my arm even though ouly iu the lightest manner. In that more tightly thau he had done before. I one moment the spell whicli had held hlin— stopped abruptly and looked round at him. who kuows how long ?—encliaiiied, seemed He did not turn his head towards me, but, broken, and he lived in this world again. He gazing still into the lookuig-glass, seemed to turned round u[)on me, as suddenly as a tiger labour for utterauce. makes its spring, aud seized me by the arm. " ' What,' he stammered at last. * Do—you "I have told you that even before I entered —see it—too ?' my friend's room 1 had felt, all that uight, " ' See what ?' I asked, quickly, dcjtresscd und nervous. The necessity for " 'That face!' he cried, in accents of horror. action at this tlinc was, however, so obvious, 'That face—which is not mine—aud which—I and this man's agony made all that I had lelt, SEE INSTEAD OF MINE —always !* appear so trifling, that much of my own dis­ " I was struck speechless by the words. In comfort seemed to leave mc. I felt that 17nust a moment this mystery was explained—but what be strong. an explanation ! Worse, a hundred times worse, " The face before me almost unmanned than anything I had imagined. What! Had me. The eyes whicli looked into mine were this man lost the power of seeing his owu image so scared with terror, the lips ^ if I may as it was reflected there before hira ? and, in ils say so—looked so speechless. The wretched lace, was there the image of another ? Had nian gazed long iuto my face, and then, still Ee changed reflexions with some other man? holding me by the arm, slowly, very slowly, The frightfulncss of the thought struck me tumed his head. I had gently tried to move speechless for a time—thcu I saw how false an hira away from the looking-glass, but he would impression my silence was conveying. not stir, and uow he was looking int o it as fixedly " ' No, no, uo !' I cried, as soou as I could as ever. I could bear this no louger, and, using speak—' a hundred times, no! I see you, of CbulM Dickeaa.] MUGBY JUNCTION. [December 10, ISC6.] 33 course, and only you. It was your face I at­ ing his tale to au end, "did you ever hear a tempted to describe, and no other.' more miserable history, or was ever man haunted "He seemed not to hear me. 'Why, look in a more ghastly manner than this mau?" there!' he said, iu a low, Indistinct voice, I was about to reply, when we Iieard a sound pointing to his own image iu the glass. ' Whose of footsteps outside, aud before I could speak face do you see there ?' old Masey entered the room, in haste and " * Why yours, of course.' Aud then, after disorder. a moment, I added, ' W^hose do you see ?' "I was just telUng this gentleman," the " He answered, like one iu a trance, ' His— doctor said: not at the moment observing old only his—always his!' He stood still a moment, Masey's changed manner: "how you deserted aud then, with a loud and terrific scream, re­ me to go over to your present master." peated those words, ' ALWAYS ins, ALWAYS " Ah ! sir," the man answered, in a troubled HIS,' and fell dowu m a fit before me, voice, " I'm afraid he won't be my master long." The doctor was on his legs in a momeut. "I kuew what to do now. Here was a " What! Is he worse ?" thing which, at any rale, I could understand. "I think, sir, he is dying," said the old man. I had with me my usual small stock of medi­ "Come with me, sir; you may be of use if you cines and surgical instruments, and I did what can keep quiet." The doctor caught up hishat was necessary: first to restore my unliappy as hc addressed me in those words, and iu a patient, and next to procure for him the rest he few miuutes we had reached The Compensation needed so much. He was very Ul—at death's House. A few seconds more and we were door for some days—and I coidd not leave liim, standing In a darkened room on the first floor, though there was urgent need that I should be and I saw lying on a bed before me—pale, back in London. Wlien he began to mend, 1 emaciated, and, as it seemed, dying—the man sent over to England for my servant—John whose story I had just heard. Masey—whom I kuew I could trust. Acquaint­ He was lying with closed eyes when we came ing him with the outlines of the case, I left into the room, and I had leisure to examine his him in charge of my patient, with orders that features. What a tale of misery they told! he should be brought over to this country as They were regular and symmetrical in their soon as he was fit to travel. arrangement, and not without beauly — the "That awful scene was always before me. I beauty of exceeding refinement and delicacy. saw this devoted mau day after day, with the Force there was none, and perhaps it was to the eyes of my imagination, sometimes destroying in want of this that the faults—perhaps the crime his rage the harmless looking-glass, which was —which had made the man's life so miserable the immediate cause of his suffering, sometimes were to be attributed. Perhaps the crime? transfixed before the horrid image that turned Yes, it was not Ukely that an affliction, lifeloufj him to stone. I recollect coming upon him once aud terrible, such as this he had endured, when we were stopping at a roadside inn, and would come upon him unless some misdeed had seeing him stand so by broad dayUght, His provoked the punishment. What misdeed we back was turned towards me, and 1 waited and were soon to know. watched him for nearly half an hour as he stood It sometimes—I think generally—happens there motionless and speechless, and appearing that the presence of any one who stands and not to breathe. I am not sure but that this watches beside a sleeping man will wake him, apparition seen so by dayligiit was more ghastly unless his slumbers arc unusually heavy. It tnan that apparition seen iu the middle of the was so now. While we looked at him, the night, with the thunder rumbling among the sleeper awoke very suddenly, and fixed his hills. eyes upon us. He put out his hand and took " Back in Loudon in his own house, where he the doctor's in its feeble grasp. " Who is could command in some sort the objects which that ?" he asked next, pointing towards me. should surround him, poor Strange was better "Do you wish him to go? The gentleman than he would have been elsewhere. He seldom knows something of your sufferings, aud is went out except at night, but once or twice I powerfully interested In yonr case; but he will have walked with him by daylight, and have leave us, if you wish it," the doctor said. seen him terribly agitated when we have had " No. Let hira stay." to pass a shop in which looking-glasses were Seating myself out of sight, but where I could exposed for sale. both see and hear what passed, waited for what " It is nearly a year now since my poor friend should follow. Dr. Garden and John Masey foUowed me down to this place, to which I have stood beside the bed. There was a moment's retired. For some months he has been dally pause. getting weaker and weaker, and a disease of " I want a looking-glass," said Strange, with­ the lungs has become developed in him, whicb out a word of preface. has brought him to his death-bed. I should Wc all started to hear him say those words. add, by-the-by, that John Masey has been his "I am dying," said Strange; "wiUyounot constant companion ever siuce I brought thera grant me my request ?" tcether, and I have had, consequently, to look Doctor Gardeu wiiispered to old Masey; after a new servant. and the latter left the roora. He was not " And now teU me," the doctor added, bring­ absent long, having gone no further than the

jT 34: [Decombor lO.lBGR.] MUGBY JUNCTION, next house. He held an oval-framed mirror in the room, writing at a travelling-desk, iu his hand when he returned, A shudder by the Ught of a single candle. It was a passed througii the body of the sick man as he rude dressing-table, aud—and before him— saw It. exactly before him—there was—there was a "Put It down," hc said, faintly—"anywhere looking-glass. —for the present." " I stole up behind bim as he sat and wrote No one of us spoke. I do not llilnk, iu that by the Ught of the candle. I looked over his moment of suspense, that wc could, any of us, shoulder at the letter, and I read, 'Dearest have spoken if we hatl tried. Lucy, my love, ray darling,* As I read the The sick mau tried to raise himself a litlle. words, I pulled the trigger of the pistol I held " Prop me up," hc said. " I speak with difii- iu my right hand, aud killed him — killed cuUy—I have something to say." him — but, before he died, he looked up 'llicy put pillows behind him, so as to raise once—not at me, but at my image before his head and body- him In the glass, and his face—such a face- " I have presently a use for it," he said, in­ has been there—ever since, and mine—my face dicating the mirror. " I want to see " He —is gone !" stopped, and sccnied to change his miud. He He fell back exhausted, and we all pressed was sparing of his words. "I want to tell forwaid thinking that he must be dead, he lay you—all about it." Again hc was silent. Then so still. he seemed to make a great effoi't aud spoke But he had not yet passed away. He revived once raorc, beginning very abruptly. uuder the iufluence of stimulants. He tried to "1 loved my wife fondly. I loved her—her speak, and muttered indistinctly from time to name was Lucy. She was English; but, after time words of whicli wc could sometimes make no we were married, we lived long abroad—iu Italy. sense. We understood, however, that hc had been She liked the couutry, and I liked what she tried by au Italian tribunal, and had beeu fouud liked. She Uked to draw, too, and I got her a guilty; but with such extenuating circumstances master. He was an Italian, I will not give his that his sentence was commuted to imprison­ name. We always called him 'the Master.' A ment, during, we thought we made out, two treacherous lusidlous mau this was, aud, under years. But we conld uot understand what he cover of his profession, took advantage of his said about his wife, though we gathered that she opportunities, aud taught my wife to lovc him was still alive, from something he whispered to —to love him. the doctor of there beiug provision made for her " I am short of breath. I need not enter into in his will. details as to how 1 found thera out; but I did Hc lay in a doze for something more than an find thera out. We were away ou a sketching hour after he had told his lale, and then he expedition when I made my discovery. My woke up quite suddenly, as he had done when rage niaddcucd me, and there was one at hand wc had first entered the room. He looked who fomented my madness. My wife luul a round uueasily iu all directions, until his eye maid, who, it seemed, had also loved this man fell on the looking-glass. —the Master—and had beeu ill Ireated and " I want it," he said, hastily ; but I noticed deserted by him. She told me all. She had that hc did not shudder uow, as it was brought ilayed the part of go-between—had carried ucar. When old Masey approached, holdmg fctters. When she told mc these things, it was it in his hand, and crying Uke a child. Dr. night, in a solitary Italiau town, among the Garden came forward and stood between him mountains. * He ia iu his room now,' she said, and his master, taking the hand of poor Strange * writing to her.* in his, "A frenzy took possession of me as I lis­ " Is this wise ?" he asked. " Is it good, do tened to those words. I am naturally vin­ you, think, to revive this misery of your life dictive—remember that—and now my longing now, w hen it is so uear its close ? The chastise­ for revenge was like a thirst. Travelling in ment of your crime," he added, solemnly, " has those lonely regions, I was armed, and when beeu a terrible one. Let us hope in God's mercy the woman said, ' He Is writing to your wife,' that your puuishraent is over." I laid hold of my pistols, as by an instinct. The dying man raised himself with a last It has been some comfort to me since, that I great effort, and looked up at the doctor took them both. Perhaps, at that moment, I with such au expression on his face as none may have meant fairly by him—meant that of us had seen ou any face, before, wc should fi^tit. J don't kuow what I "I do hope so," he said, faintly, "but you meant, quite. The woman's words, ' He is must let mc have my way in this—for if, now, in his owu roora uow, writing to her,* rung iu wiicu I look, I see aright—ouce more—I shall my cars, then hope yet more strongly—for I shall take it Tho sick man stoi)pcd to take breath. as a sign." It seemed an hour, though It was probably The doctor stood aside without another word, not inure than two miuutes, before lie sjiokc when he heard the dying mauspeak thus, and again, , the old servant drew near, aud, stooping over " I managed to get into his room unobserved. softly, held the lookiug-glass before his master. Indeed, he was altogclhcr absorbed in what he Presently afterwards, we, who stood around was doing. Hc was sitting at the ouly table looking breathlessly at him, saw such a rapture

:K MUGBY JUNCTION. [Duocmbur 10, loOG.] 35 upon bis face, as left no doubt upou our minds I had never yet had au opportunity orseeingmy that the face which had haunted him so long, fair unkno'wn friends. had, in his last hour, disappeared. It was towards the close of the following October that it came under my notice that the No. 4 BRANCH LINE, Ihcu Premier of tlu^ minisfry was paying an autumn visit to a iioblenuui, A\liose country THE TRAVELLING POST-OFFICE, seat was siluated near a riiuall village ou Many years ago, and before this Line was so our line of raU. The Pi'euiler's drspatch-box, much as projected, I was engaged as a clerk in eoiitauiiiig, of course, all the do->[)atc!u'S \Uiieh a TravelUug Post-office running along tlic Line it was necessary to send dowu to him, parsed of railway from Loudon to a town In the Midland between him mid the S(?crelary uf Stale, aud Counties, which we will call Fazelcv. My duties was, as usual, entrusted to the care of the were to accompany the niail-traiii whicli left post-olfiec. The ContiiimL w;is just then In a Fazeley at 8.15 P.M., and arrived In London more than ordinarily ciilical state; we were about midnight, and to return by the day inaU thought to be upou the verge of au European leavmg London at 10.30 the following morning, war; ami there were inunnurs fioating about,at after which 1 had an uubrokcu lught atPa/.tiey, the dispersion ofthe ministry np and down the while another clerk tUscliargcd the same round country. Those clrcumstaiiccs made the charge of work ; aud in this way each alternate evening' of fhe despat(ii-box the more infcrcsliug to me. I was on duly iu ihc raUway post-oflicc van. At It was very similar in size aud shape to the old- first I suffered a Uttle from a hmry aud tremor fasliioned wurkboxes used by ladies before boxes of nerve in pursuing my occupation while the of poUslied and ornamental wood carnc into train was crashiug along imdcr bridges and vogue, aud, like Ihcm, it was covered wilh red thi'ough tunnels at a speed whicli was then inoi'occo leather, and It fastened with a lock and thought marveUous aud perUous; but It was not key. The fir:?t time it came into my hands I long before my hands and eyes became accus­ look such special notice of it as night bo cx- tomed to the motion of the carriage, and I (lected. Upon one corner of the Ud I detected could go through my business wilh the same a jicculiar device scratched sUghtly upon It, despatch and case as in the jiost-ofiicc of the most probably wilh the sharji poiut of a steel country town where I had learned it, and from pen, ill such a moment uf lU'L-occnpatiouof mind which I had beeu promoted by the inllueiiec of as causes most of us to draw odd Hues and cari­ the surveyor of the disirict, Mr. Huntingdon. catured faces iiiton luiy piceo of [japcr wiiich may In fact, the work soon fell into a nionotoiious iic under oui' hand. 11 was I he old revoUilIonury routine, which, night after night, was ])ursncd di;viec ofa heart wilh a dagger piercing it; and in au unbroken course by myself and the junior I womlrred whether il cuuld be thi* Premier, or clerk, who was my only assistant: the railway one of Ilis .sccrclari(_:-, ^vho had traced it upon post-office work uot having theu attained the llic iiiorcicco. importance and magnitude it now possesses. This box had been travelUng up and down Our route lay through an agriciilliiral dis­ fur about ten day.^, aud, as the vUlage did not trict containing many snntU towns, whicli made make up a bag for London, there biiiig very up two or three bags ouly; one for London; few lotlrrs excepting those frum the great another perhaps for the comity town; a third house, the Icttcr-bag from the house, and the for the raUway post-office, to be opened by us, despatch-box, wcri: handed direct iuto our travel­ aud the enclosures to be distributed accordmg ling post-office. But ill coinplimcut to the pre­ to their various addresses. The clerks m many sence of the Prciiiier in the neighbourhood, the of these small offices were women, as Is very train. Instead of sliirkmimg .spcri only, stopped generaUy the ciise stiU, being the daughters and altogether, in oidrr ihaL the Premii;r's trusty female relatives of the nominal postmaster, wiio and confidential iiu'sscnger might deliver the transact most of the business of the office, and important box into my owu hands, that Its per­ whose names are most frequently signed iijion fect safely miglit be ensured. I had au unde­ the bUls accomiianying the bags. 1 was a yonng fined suspicion that suiiic person was also ciii- man, aud somewhat more curious iu fcminiuc pluycd tu accompany Ihc train u|) to Londou, handwriting thau I am uow. There was one fur'llii-ce or four times I had met with a foreign- family m particular, whom I had uever seen, but looking gentleman at Eustoii-squarc, stauding with whose signatures I was perfectly famiUar— at the door of the carriage neare^it the post- clear, deUcate, and educated, very unlike the office van, and eyeing the heavy bags as they miserable scrawl upou other Ictlcr-blUs. One wci'C transferred"'from my care to the cuslody New Year's-eve, iu a moment of seutimcnl, I of the ofUeials from the General Post-office. tied a slip of paper among a bundle of letters for But Ihuiii;-)! L flit amused aud somewhat nettled their office, upon wluch I had written, "A ut this needless precaution, I louk uo further happy New Year to you aU." The uext eveuing notice of the man, exce{it to observe that he brought mc a return of my good wishes, signed, hud the swarthy aspect of a foreigner, aud that as I guessed, by tlnec sisters of the name of he kept his face well away frora the Ught of the CUfton, From that day, every uow and theu, laiiqis. Except for these thmgs, and after the a sentence or two as brief as the one above first tunc or two, the Premier's despatch-box passed betweeu us, and the feeUng of ac. interested mc no more thau any other part of quaintance and ftiendship grew upon me, though my charge. My work had been doubly mono-

y^ 36 [December 10, IWifi] MUGBY JUNCTION. [Condnctad bj tonous for sorae time past, and I began to think she answered, with a smUe that made aU my it time to get up some little entertainment vrith nerves tingle. my unknown, friends, the CUftons. I w^as just " You have not written me a word for ages," Ihiukingof it as the train stopped at the station said I, reproachfully. about a niile frora the towu where they lived, " You had better not talk, or you'U be makiiig and their postman, a grufl'matter-of-fact fellow— mistakes," she replied, in an arch tone. It you could see It In every line of his face—put iu was quite true; for, a sudden confusion coming the letter-bags, aud with them a letter addressed over rae, I was sorting the letters at random. to me. It was in au ofiicial envelope, " On Her We were just then approaching the small Majesty's Service," and the seal was an official station where the letter-bag from the great seal. On the folded paper inside It (folded oflaci- house was takeu up. The engine was slack­ ally also) I read the following order: " Mr. ening speed. Miss Clifton manifested some "Wilcox is requested to permit the bearer, the natural and becoming diffidence. dau.yhtcr of the postmaster at Eaton, to see the " It would look so odd," she said, " to any working of the raUway post-office durmg the up- one on the platform, to see a girl in the post- journey." The writing 1 kuew well as being office van ! And they couldu't know I was a that of one of the surveyor's clerks, and the jiostmastcr's daughter, and had an order from signature was Mr. Huutmgdon's. The bearer of Mr. Huutingdon. Is there no dark corner to the order presented herself at the door, the shelter me?" snorting of Ihc engme gave notice of the instant I must explain lo you in a word or two the departure of the tram, I held out my hand, the consl ruction of the van, which was rauch less young lady sprang Ughtly and deftly into the van, elUeleufJy fitted up than the travelling post- and we were off again on our midnight jouniey. offices of the preseut day. It was a reversible She was a smaU sUght creature, one of van, with a door at each right-hand corner. At those slender little girls one never thinks of as each door the letter-boxes were so arranged as bemg a womau, dressed neatly and plamly in to form a kind of screen about two feet in a dark dress, with a vcU hanging a little over width, which prevented people from seeing afl her face and tied under her chin: the most over the carriage at once. Thus the door at the noticeable thing about her appearance being a far end of the van, the one not in use at the great mass of Tight hiur, almost yeUow, which tirae, was thrown into deep shadow, and the had got loose m some way, aud fell dowu her screen before it turned it iuto a small niche, neck in thick wavy tresses. She had a free where a slight little person like Miss Clifton pleasant way abont her, not in the least bold or was very well concealed from curious eyes. forward, which hi a miuute or two made her Before the train came within the Ught from the presence seem the most natural thing in the lamps ou the platform, she ensconced herself in world. As she stood beside me before the this shelter. No one but I could see her laughing row of boxes Into which I was sorting my face, as she stood there leauiug cautiously for­ letters, she asked questions and I answered ward with her Imger pressed upon her rosy lips, as if it were quite au every-day occurrence for peeping at the messenger who delivered Into my ns lo be travelling up togctuer in the night mail owu Iiauds the Premier's despatch-box, while to Enslon-sqnare station, I blamed myself for Tom MorviUe received the letter-bag of the an icUot that I had uot sooner made an oppor­ great house. •*• tunity for visiting my nuknown friends at Eaton. " See," I said, when we were agaiu in mo- " Then," I said, putting down the lottcr-biU t ion, and she had emerged from her concealment, from their owu office before her, " may I ask "this is the Premier's despatch-box, goiug back which of the signatures I kuow so well, is to the Secretary of State. There are some state yours ? Ts it A. Clifton, or M. Clifton, or secrets for you, aud ladies arc fond of secrets." S. CUfton ? She hesitated a Uttle, aud blushed, " 0 ! I kuow nothiug about polities," she and lifted up her frank chUdUke eyes to mine. answered, iu differ en tly, "and wc have had that " I am A. Clifton," she answered, box through our office a time or two." " And your name ?" I said. " Did you ever notice this mark upon it," I "Anne;" then, as If anxious to give some asked—" a heart with a dagger through it ?" explanation to mc of her present ()osition, she and bending down my face to hers, I added a added, " I was going up to Loudon on a visit, certain spooney remark, which I do not care to and I thought it wonld be so nice to travel iu repeat. Miss CUfton tossed her Uttle head, the post-olUce to sec how the work was done, and pouted her lips; but she took the box out and Mr. Huntingdon came to survey our office, of my hands, and carried it to the lamp nearest and hc said he would scud me au order." the lurther end of the van, after which she put I felt somewhat surprised, for a stricter it down upon the counter close beside the martinet than ]\Ir. llnnlingdon did not breathe; screen, and 1 thought no more about it. The bnt 1 glanced down at llic small Innocent face midnight ride was entertaining m the extreme, at my side, and cordially a]iprovcd of his depar­ for the girl was full of young Ufe and saucmess ture frora ordinary rules, aud merry humour. 1 can safely aver that I " Did you know you would travel with me?'f have never been to an evening's so-caUed en­ I asked, in a lower voice ; for Tom MorvUlc, my tertainment which, to me, was half so enjoyable. junior, was at my other elbow, It added also to the zest and keen edge " 1 knew I should travel with Mr. Wilcox,** of the enjoyment to see her hasten to hide y CbarlM Dlokani.] MUGBY JUNCTION. 37 herself whenever I told her we were going to while I was still searching, and losing more and stop to take up the mails. more of my composure every instant. Tom We had passed Watford, the last station at MorviUe joined mc in my quest, and felt which we stopped, befure I became alive* to every bag which had bccu made up and scaied. the recollection that our work was terribly be­ The box was no small arliiie which coidd go hindhand. Miss CUfton also became grave, and into Uttle compass ; it was cerliilniy twelve inches sat at the end ofthe counter very qmet and sub­ long, and more than that in girth. But it dued, as if her frolic were over, "and it was pos­ turned up nowhere. I never felt nearer fainting sible she might fiud something to repent of in it. thau at that moment. I had told her we should stop no more uutil wc "Could Mi.ss Clifton have carried it off?" reached Eustou-square station, but to ray sur­ suggc>tcd Tom iMorvUle. prise I felt our speed decreasing, and our train " No," I said, iiulignautly bnt thoughtfully, coming to a staiid-still. I ^looked out and "she couldn't have can'icd off such a bulky called to the guard in the van behind, who thing as that, without our seeing it. It would told me he supposed there was sonictlilng on the not go into one of our pockets, Tom, and she line before us, and that we should go ou in a wore a tight-fitting jacket that would not con­ minute or two. I turned my head, and gave this ceal anything." information to my feUow-cle'rk and Miss Clifton. "No, she can't have U," assented Tom; "Doyou kuow where we arc?" she asked, " theu it mnst be somewhere about." W'e in a frightened tone. searched agaiii aud again, turning over every­ "At Camden-towu," I replied. She sprang thing iu the van, but without success. The hastfly from her seat, and came towards mc. Premier's dcs]tateli-box was gone; and all we "I am close to my friend's house here," she eould do at first was to stand and stare at one said, " so it is a lucky thing for mc. It Is not another. Our trauec of blank dismay was of five minutes' walk from the station. I wUl say short duration, for the van was assailed by Ihc good-bye to you uow, Ms. WUcox, aud I thank postmen from St. ilartln's - le - Grand, wiio you a thousand times for yonr kindness." were, waiting fur our charge, \\\ a stupor of She seemed flimicd, and she held ont bolh bewildorincnt wc completed our work, and de­ her Uttle hands to me In an appealing kind of Uvered up the mails ; then, once more wc way, as if nhc were afraid of my dctainhig her confioulcd one another with pale faces, agamst her wIU. _ I took them both into mhie, frightened out of our scveu senses. All the pressing them with rather more ardour thau was scrajics we had ever been in (and wc had had quite neccsEary. our usual share of errors and blunders) faded "I do not like you fo go alone at this hour," into ntler insignificance compared with this. I said, " but there is uo help forit. It has been My eye fell upon Mr. Huntingdon's order lying a delightful time to me. WUl you allow mc to among sf)mc scrajis of wasl,o paper on the call upon you to-morrow mormng early, for I floor, and 1 picked it up, and ])ut it carefuUy, leave Lon'don at 10.30 ; or on Wednesday, with its official envelope, into my pocket, wheu I shaU be in towu agaui ?" " Wc can't stay licrc," said Tom. The " 0," she answered, hanging her head, porters were looking In Inquisitively ; wc were "I dou't know. Pll write and tell mamma how seldom sn long in quitting our empty van. kind you have been, aud, aud—but I must go, " No," I replied, a sudden gleam of sense dart­ Mr. WUcox." ing across the blank bcwilderincnt of my brain ; "I don't like your going alone," I repeated. "no, we must go to licad-quarfers at ouce, and "0! I know the way perfectly," she said, make a clean breast of it. This is no private in the sarae flurried manner, "perfectly, thank business, Tom." you. Aud it is close at haml. Good-bye!" ^Ye made one raore Ineffectual search, and She jumped Ughtly out of the carriage, and then wc haUcd a cab and drove as hard as Me the tram started ou agaiu at the same iustant. could to the General Post-office. The secre­ We were busy enough, as you may suppose, tary of the Post-oflicc was uot tiicre, of course, Iu five mmutes more we should be in Euston- but wc obtained the adch'css of his residence iu square, and there was nearly fiftceu miuutes' oue of the suburbs, four or five miles from the work stUl to be douc. Spite of the enjoyment City, and wc told uo one of our niisfortunc, my he had afforded mc, 1 mentally anathematised idea being that the fewer who were made ac­ Mr. Huntingdon and his departure from ordmary quainted with the loss the better. Aly judgment rules, and, thrusting Miss CUfton forcibly out of w as ill the right there. my thouglits, I set to work wilh a will, gathered Wc had to knock up the household of the up the registered letters for London, tied them secretary—a forinidablc perbonagc with wiiora into a buudle with the paper bill, and then turned I had never bccui brought into contact before— to the corner of the counter for the despatch-box. aud in a short time wc were holdnig a strictly You have guessed already my cursed misfor­ private and conlidcntal interview with him, by tune. The Premier's dcspalch-box was uot the glimmer of a solitary candle, jnst scrvuig to there. Fur the first minute or so I was Ui no­ hght np liLs severe face, which changed ils ex­ wise alarmed, and merely looked round, upon pression sevend times as 1 narrated the calamity. the floor, under the bags, into the boxes, into It was too titu]iendous for rebuke, aud Ifanclcd any place into wliich it could have fallen or his (!yt's softened with something Uke coni- been deposited. We reached Euston-square miseratluu as hc gazed upon us. After a short

yT 33 Doocmbar 10,1866.] MUGBY JUNCTION. interval of deliberation, he announced his in­ Camden-town, and inquire at every house tention of accompanying us to the residence for Miss CUfton, whUe I—there would be jnst of the Secretary of Slate; and in a few time for it—was to run down to Eaton by train muiutcs wc were driving back again lo the and obtain her exact address from her parents. opposite extremity of London, Lt was not We agreed to meet at the General Post-office at far off the hour fur the morning dcdivcry of half-past five, ifl could possibly reach it by that letters when we reached our destination; but 1 ime; but in any case Tom was to report himself the atmosphere was yellow with fog, and wc to the secretary, and account for my absence. could see uolhiiig as we passed along In ^Vhen I arrived at the station at Eaton, I almost utter Hilence, fur neither of us ventured found that I had only forty-five minutes before to speak, and llie secretary only made a brief the np train went by. The towu was uearly a remark now and then. AYc drove up fo some mile away, but I made all the haste I conld to dwelling enveloped In fog, aud we were left reach it. I was not surprised to fiud the post- in tho cab for nearly haU'an hour, while our oflicc in connexion with a bookseller's shop, secretary went in. At the end of that time we aud I saw a pleasant elderly lady seated behind were summoned to au apartment where there the counter, whUe a tall dark-haired girl was was seated at a large desk a small spare man, sitting at sorae work a Uttle out of sight. I with a great head, aud eyes deeply sunk under Introduced myself at once. the brows. There was uu form of introduction, " I ara Prank Wilcox, of the railway post- of course, aud wc could ouly guess who he office, aud I have just run down to Eaton to mitjht be ; but we were requested to repeat our obtain some information from you." statement, and a few shrewd questions were "C'crtaiuly. We know y(m weU byname,** put to us by the stranger. Wc were eager to was the reply, given in a cordlid manner, whieh put him in possession of everythmg wc knew. was particularly pleasant to me. But that was Uttle beyond the fact that the " \\'ill you be so good as give me the ad­ despatch-box was lost. dress of lliss Anne CUfton in Camden-towu ?'* " That young pci'sou must have taken il," he I said. said. " Miss Anne Clifton r" ejaculated the lady. "She could nut, sir," I answered, positively, " Yes. Your daughter, 1 presume. Who but deferentially. " She wore the lightcst-fiiluig went up to London last niglit." pelisse I ever saw, und she gave mc bolh her "I have no daughter Ainic," she said; "I hands when she said good-bye. She could not am Aune ClU'lon, and my daughters are named possibly have it concealed about her. It would JlaiT aud Su--au. This is my daughter Mary."- not go iuto my pocket." Tlic tall dark-haired girl had left her seat, "Ilow did she come to 1 ravel up with you iu and now^ stood beside her niolhcr. Ceriainly the van, sir?" he asked, severely. she was very unlike the sraall golden-haired I gave him for answer the order signed by coquette who had travelled up to London wilh Mr. llnntmgdou. He and our secretary scanned me as Anne Clifton. it closely. " Madam," I said, scarcely able to speak, " It is Himtmgdon's signature wit hout doubt," " is your other daughter a slcudcr Uttle crea­ said the latter ; " 1 could swear to it anywhere. ture, exactly the reverse of this young lady ?" This Is an extraordinary circunistaiicc !" "No," she answered, laughiug; " Susan is It was an cxtraorduiary circumstance. The both taller and darker than Mary. Call Susan, two retired Into au adjoining room, where they my dear." stayed for another half-hour, mid when Ihcy In a few seconds Miss Susan made her ap­ retunied to us their faces stIU bore an aspect pearance, mid I had the three before mc—A. of grave ]icrplexily. CUfton, S. Clifton, mid M. CUfton. There was "Mr. Wilcox and !Mr. M(n-vil]e," said our no other girl iu the faraily ; and when I de­ secretary, "it is expedient that this affair should scribed the young lady wiio had travelled under be kept inviolably secret. You must even be their name, tlicy could not think of auy oue careful ii(jt lo hint that you hold any scent. in the town—it was a small one—who an­ Y'on did w(il not to announce your loss at the swered my description, or who had gone on a Post-ofiicc, and I shall cause it to be iiiidcrslood visit to London, I bad uo time to spare, and that yon had inslruclifms lo lake the despatch- 1 hurried back to the station, just catching tho box direct tu its dcstinati(m. Your busmess train as it left the ]ilatfoi'm. At the appomtcd now is to find the young woman, and return hour I met Moi'villc at the General Post-office, with her not later "than six o'clock this after­ and ihrcading Ihe long passages of the secre­ noon lo my office at the General Post-oflice. tary's offices, wc at length found ourselves What other stc|)s we think It requisite to take, anxiously wailing in an ante-room, unlU we you need kuow nothing about; the less you were called into his presence. Moi'villc had know, the better for yourselves." discovered nothing, except that the porters and Another gleam of coinmiscrallnn in hia official policemon at Camdeu-lown station had seeu a eye made our hearts sink wiihin us. We young lady pass out last night, attended by a departed prom])t]y, and, wilh that instinct of swarliiy man who looked like a foreigner, and wisdom which at" times diclatcs infallibly what carried a small black portmauleau. course wc should pursue, wc decided our line I scarcely kuow how long we waited; it of action. Tom MorviUe was to go down to might have Dcen years, for 1 was conscious of

•"V >**. ^/

ChirlM DiclMov} MUGBY JUNCTION. [December 10,1806.] 39 an ever-increasing difficulty in commanding my to blame, gentlemeu," I fancied there was a st Ir thoughts, or fixing them upon the subject whicli and movement at the table, but my eyes were dim, had engrossed them all day. I had not tasted andin another second 1 had lost consciousness. food for twenty-four hours, uor closed my eyes When I came to myself, in two or three for thii'ty-six, whUe, duriug the whole of the miuutes, I I'oiind lliat Mr. Huntingdon was tune^, my nervous system had been on full st rain. kneeling on the floor beside mc, snjiporting Presently, the summons carae, and I was my lifad, while our secretary held a glass ol ushered, first, iuto the inner apartment. There wine to my lips. I rallied as quickly as sat five gentlemen round a table, which was possible, and staggered to my feet; but tlu; strewed with a number of docuracnts. There two genllemcn placed rae in the chair agaiust were the Secretary of State, whora we had seen which I had been leaning, ami insisted upon my in the morniug, our secretary, aud Mr. Humt- finishing the wine before I tried to speak. ingdon; the fourth was a line-looking man, " 1 have uot tasted food aU day," 1 said, whom I afterwards knew lo be the Premier; faintly. the fifth I recognised as our great chief, the "'Wlieii, my good fellow, you sliaU go home Postmaster-General. It was au. august as­ immediately," said the Postinaster-Gcnpral; semblage to me, and I bowed low; but my head " but be on your guard ! Not a word of Ihis was dizzy, aud my throat parched. must esca])e you. Arc you a married man r" "Mr. WUcox," said our secretary, "you wfll " No, my lord," I answered. teU these gentlemen again, the circumstauces of "So much the better," hc added, smiUng. the loss you reported to me this morning." " You can keep a secret from your mother, 1 * I laid my hand upon the back of a chair to dare say. Wc rely upon your honour." steady myself, and went through the narration The "secretary then rang a IJCU, and I w;is for the third time, passing over sundry remarks coinmlttcd to the charge of the messenger made by myself to the young lady. That done, who answered it; and in a few minutes I was I added the account of my expedition to Eaton, beiug conveyed in a cab to my Londou lod^r- and the certainty at which I had arrived that ings. A week afterwards, Tom MorviUe was sent my feUow-traveUer was not the person she re­ out to a post-olficc in Canada, where he settled presented herself to be. After which, 1 inquired down, married, and is still living, perfectly with indescribable anxiety if Mr. Huntingdon's satisfied with his position, as hc occasionally order were a forgery ? mforms mc by letter. For myself, I remained " I canuot tell, Mr. Wilcox," said that gen­ as I desired, iu my old post as travcUing-cleik tleman, takmg the order mto his hands, and re­ until the death uf my niulhcr, wiiieli occurred garding; it with au air of extreme pcrjilexity. " I some ten or twelve mouths alferwards, I was could have sworn it was mine, had It bccu at­ theu promoted to au ajipointnicnt as a clerk iu tached to any other document. I think Forbcs's charge, upon the first vaOancy. hand writ ing'is not so weU imitated. But it is the The business of the clerks In charge is to very ink I use, and miue is a pccuUar signature." take possession of any post-office iu the king­ It was a very peculiar and old-fashioned sig­ dom, upon the death or resignation of the post­ nature, with a flourish underneath it uot unlike master, or when circumstances of suspicion a whip-handle, with the lash caught round it iu cause his suspension from oflice. My new the middle; but that did not make it the more duties carried me three or four times into Mr. difficult to forge, as I humbly suggested. Mr. Huntingdon's district. Though that gentle­ Huntingdon wrote his name upon a paper, and man aud I never exchanged a word with regard two or three of the gentlemen tried to imitate to the mysterious loss in which we had both the flourish, but vainly. They gave it up with had an hmoceut share, he distinguished me a smUe upon their grave faces. witlf^ecuUar favour, and more thau once in­ vited me to visit bim at his owu house. He " You have been careful not to let a hint of lived aloue, having Imt one danglitcr, who this matter drop from you, JTr. Wilcox ?" said had manied, somewhat against his will, one of the Postmaster-General. his clerks : the Mr. Forbes whose handwrUing "Not a syUable, my lord," I answered, had bcfii so successfully nnitatcd in the official " It is imperatively necessary that the secret order presented to mc by the sLlf-stylcd Miss should be kept. You would be removed from Anne Clifton. (By the way, I may here mention, the temptation of tclliug it, U' you had au ap­ though it has nothing to do with my story, that pointment in some office abroad. The packet- my acquamtance with the CUftons had ripened agency at Alexandria is vacant, and I wiU have mto an intimacy, which resulted m my engage­ yon appointed to it at once." ment and marriage to Mary.) It would be a good advance from my present situation, aud would doubtless prove a stepping- It would be beside my purpose to spccily the stone to other and better appointments; but 1 precise number of years whicb elapsed before I had a mother Uvmg at Fazeley, bedridden and was once again summoned to the secretary's paralytic, who had no pleasure in existence except private apartment, where I found him closeted having me to dweU under the same roof with her. with Mr. Huntingdon. Mr. Huntingdon shook My head was growing more and more dizzy, bauds with unofficial cordiality; aud then the se­ and a strange vagueness was creeping over me. cretary proceeded to state the business on hand. " Gentlemen," I muttered, " I have a bed­ "Mr. Wilcox, you remember our offer to ridden raother whom I cannot leave. I was not place you in office in Alexandria ?" he said. 40 [December 10, IS66.] MUGBY JUNCTION. " Certainly, sir," I answered. fancy must be playing a trick upon me! But "It has been a troublesome office," he con­ the sound of a Ught step—for, light as it was, tinued, almost pettishly, "We sent out Mr, I heard it distinctly as it approached the room Forbes only six months ago, ou account of his —broke my trance, and I hastened to re­ hcalih, which required a wanner climate, and place the box on the piano, aud to stoop down now his meilical man reports that his life is not as if examining the music before the door opened. worth three weeks' purcha.sc." 1 had not sent iu my name to Mrs. Forbes, for Upon Mr. lluulingdon's face there rested an I did not suppose Ihat she was acquainted with expression uf profound anxiety; and as the it, nor could .she see me distinctly, as I stood in secretary paused he addressed himself to mc. the gloom. Jiut I could see her. She had the "Mr. Wilcox," he said, " I have been solicit­ sliijlit slender figure, the chfldlike face, and the ing, as a personal favour, that you should be fair hair of Miss Anne Clifton. She came quickly sent out to take charge of the packet agency, in across the roora, holding out both her hands in order that my daughter may have some one at a childish appealing maimer, hand to befriend her, aud manage her business " 0!" she wailed, in a tone that went affairs for her. You are uot personally acquainled straight to my heart, " he is dead! He has'just wilh her, but I know I cau trust her with you." died!" " You raay, Mr. Huntingdon," 1 said, warmly. It was no time then to speak about the red " T will do anything 1 can to aid Mrs. Forbes. morocco workbox. This little chUdish creature, A\ hen do you wish mc to start?" who did not look a day older than wheu I had "How soon can you be ready?" was the last seen her in my travelUng post-office, was a rcjolntlcr. widow in a strange land, far away from auy " To-morrow morning," friend save myself. I had brought her a letter I was not married thru, and I anticipated no from her father. The first duties that devolved delay m setting off. Nor was there any. 1 tra­ upon me were those of her husband's interment, velled with the overland mail through France to which had to take place immediately. Three Marseilles, cinbarked In a vessel for Alexandria, or four weeks elapsed before I could, with any and in a few days frora tho time I first heard hnraauity, enter upon the Uivestigation of her of my destination set foot in the office there. mysterious complicity in the daring theft All the postal arrangemenls had fallen iuto con­ practised on the govemment and the post- siderable irregularity and confusion; fur, as ofiicc. 1 was infurmcil immediately gn my arrival, I did not see the despatch-box again. In the Mr. Fm-bcs had been ni a dying condition for midst of her new aud vehement grief, Mra. the last week, and of coursc'tlic absence of a Forbes had Ihe precaution to remove it before master had borue the usnal results. 1 took I was ushered again into the room where I had formal possession of the office, and then, con­ discovered it. I was at some trouble to hit upon ducted by one of the clerks, I proceeded to auy plau by which to gain a second sight of it; the dwelling of the unfortunate postmaster and but 1 was resolved that Mrs. Forbes should not his no less unlorlunatc wife. It wtnild be out leave Alexandria without giving me a fuU ex­ of place in this narrative to indulge iu any tra- planation. We were waiting for remittances vcUcr's tales about the strange place where I and instructions from England, and in the mean was so micxpcctcdly located. Suffice It to say, time the violence of her grief abated, and she that the darkened sultry room into wiiich I was recovered a good share of her old buoyancy shown, on inquiring fur Jlrs. Forbes, was bare and loveliness, which had so delighted me of furnilnre, and deslilufc of aU tliose little ou my first acquaintance with her. As her tokens of i-clincmciit and taste which make our demands npon my sympathy weakened, my Knglish parluurs so (ileasant to the eye. There ciiiiosity grew stronger, and at last mastered was, however, a jnauo iu one of the dark corners mc. 1 carried with mc a netted purse whieh of the roora, open, and with a sheet of music on required mending, and I asked her to catch up it. While 1 waited for Mrs. Forbcs's appear­ the bn)kcu meshes wliUc I waited for it. ance, I strolled idly up to ihc piauolo soc what " 1 will" tell your nmid to brmg your work- music it. might be. The next moment my eye box," I said, going to the door and calUug the fcU upon an antique red morocco workbox servant. " Your mistress has a red morocco I standing ou tho top of the piano—a workbox workbox," I said to her, as she answered my evidently, for the lid'was not closely shut, and summons. I a few threads of silk and cotton were hanging " Yes, sir," she replied. out of it. In a kind of dream—for it was dif­ " Where is It?" ficult to believe Ihat the occurrence was a " III her bedroom," she said. I fact—I carried the box to the darkened window, " .Mrs. Forbes wishes it brought here." 1 j and there, plain in my sight, was the device turned back into the room. Mrs, Forbes had scratched ujiuu tJio leather: the revolutionary gone deadly pale, but her eyes looked sullen, .symbol of a heart with a dagger through it. I and her tcctli were clenched under her lips had found tho Premier's dcspafcli-box iu the with an expression of stubbornness. The maid parlour of the packct-agcut of Alexandria! brought the workbox. I walked, with it in 1 stood for suine miuutes with that drcani- my hands, up to the sofa where she was seated, lUcc feeling upon mc, gazing at the box m the " You remember this mark ?" 1 asked; " I dim obscure light. It oould not be real! My' think neither of us can ever forget it."

>v .^ CbarlM Dlokeni.] MUGBY JUNCTION. [December 10, ia66.] 41 She did not answer by word, but there was a the counter, close to the corner where I hid my­ very intelUgent gleam in her blue eyes. self at every station. There was a door wiih " Now," 1 continued, softly, " I promised a window in it, and I asked if I might have the your father to befriend you, and I am not a man window op(ni, as the van was too warm for me. lo forget a promise. But you must teU me the I believe Monsieur Bonnard could have taken it whole simple truth.'*. from mo by only leaning througii his window, I was compeUed to rcasou with her, and to but hc preferred stepping out, and taking it urge her for some time. I confess I went so fur as from my hand, just as the train was leaving AV'^at- to remind her that there was au English consul at ford—on the i'ar side of the carriages, you un­ Alexandria, to whom I could resort. At last she derstand. It was the last station, audtlic train opened her stubborn lips, aud the wiiole story came to a staud at Caradeii-town. Afler afl, came out, minglcdwitli sobs aud showers of tears. the box was nut out of your sight more Ihan She had been in lovc with Alfred, she said, twenty minutes before you missed it. Monsieur and they were too poor to marry, and papa Bonnard and 1 hurried out of the station, and would uot hear of sucli a thing. She was always Alfred foUuwed ns. The box was forced ojien— Ul want of money, she was kept so sliorl,; and the lock has never been mended, for it was a pe­ they promised to give her such a great sum—a culiar one—and Monsieur Bonnard took ])()ssi'S- vast sum—five hundred pounds. slon of the papers. Ho left the box wilh mc, after putting mside it a roU of nolcs. Alfred " But who bribed you?" I inquired. and I were raarricd next morning, and I went A foreign gentleman whom she had met in back lo my aunt's; but wc did not tell papa of London, called Monsieur Bonnard. Tt was a our marriage for three or four months. That French narae, but she was uot sure that hc was is the story of my red morocco workbox." a Frenchman. He talked to her about her father being a surveyor In the post-office, and Stic smiled with the provoking mlrthfulncss asked her a great number of questions. A few of a mischievous child. There was one point weeks after, she met lum iu their own town by stUl, ou whicli my curiosity was unsatisfied. accident, she aud Mr. Forbes; and Alfred had "Did you know what the despatches were a long private talk with hira, and they came to about ?" I asked. her, aud told her she could help them very " O no !" she answered; " I never under­ much. They asked her if she could be brave stood politics in the least. I knew "noihing enough to carry off a Uttle red box out of the about tlicm. Monsieur did not say a word; he travelUng post-office, containing nothing but did not even look at the papers wlillc wc were papers. After a while she consented. When hy. I would never, never, have taken a registered she had confessed so mucli under compulsion, letter, or anything with money in it, you know. Mrs. Forbes seemed to take a pleasure in the But all those papers could bc_ written again narrative, aud went ou fluently, quite easily. You must not think me a thief, " We required papa's signature to the order, &lr, Wilcox; there was nothing worth money and we did not kuow how to get It. Luckily among the pa]icrs." he had a flt of the gout, and w;is very peevish; "Tlicy were worth five hundred pomids to and I had to read over a lot of official papers to you," 1 said. "Did you ever sec Bonnard him, and then he signed them. Oue of the agam?" papers I read twice, and slipped the order uito " Never again," she repUed. " He said he its place after the second reading. I thought I was going to return to his native countiy. I should have died with fright; but just then don't think Bonnard was his real name." he was in great pain, and glad to get his Most Ukely not, I thought; but I said no work over. I made an excuse that I was going more to Mrs. Forbes. Once again I was in­ to visit my aunt at Beckby, but instead of going volved in a great perplexity about this affair. It there direct, we contrived to be at the station was cleariy my duty to report the tUscovcry at at Eaton a minute or two before the mail train head-quarters, but 1 shrank from doing so. came up. I kept outside the station door tUl One of the chief culprits was already gone to we heard the whistle, aud just then the postman another judgment than that of mau; several came runmng down the road, and I foUowed years had obliterated all traces of Monsieur him straight through the booking-office, and Bonnard ; and the only victim of justice would ' asked hira to give you the order, which I put be this poor little dupe of the two greater cri­ into his hand. He scarcely saw me. I just minals. At last I came to the conclusion to send caught a glimpse of Monsieur Boimard's face the whole of the particulars to Mr. Huntingdon through the window of the compartment next the himself; and I wrote them to hira, without van, wheu Alfred had goue. They had promised remark or comment. me that the train should stop at Camden-town, The answer that came to Mrs. Forbes and me if I could only keep your attention engaged in Alexandria was the announcement of Mr. until then. Yon know how I succeeded." Huntingdon's sudden death of some disease of " But how did you dispose ofthe box?" I the heart, ou the day which I caluuhitcd would asked, " You could not have concealed it about put him iu ])Osscssion of my communication. you ; that I am sure of." _ Mrs. Forbes was again ovcrwlielmed with appa­ "Ah'" she said, "nothing was easier. Mon­ rently heartrending sorrow and remorse. 'Ihe Income left to her was something less than one sieur Bonnard had described the van to me, and hundred pounds a year. The secretary of the JOU remember I put the box down at the end ol 43 [December 10, ISQQ.] MUGBY JUNCTION. l_Coiidaet«d I7 post-office, who had been a personal friend of and arrow-heads, and ornaments of gold and the deceased genllcman, was his sole executor ; glass, I had a vague awe of the Tors in those aud I received a fitter from hlin, containing one boyish days, and would not have gone near them for Mrs. ForbpH, wiiich recominended her, iu after dark for the heaviest bribe. terms not to be misnndcislood, to fix npon I have said that we were born in the same some residence abroad, and not to return to viUagc. He was the son of a small farmer, Enghind, She fancied she would like Ihe se­ named William Price, and the eldest of a family clusion and quiet of a convent; and I made of seven; I was the only child of Ephraim arrangemeuts for her to enter one iu Malta, Hardy, the Chadleigh blacksmith — a well- where she wonld stiU be under British protec­ known man in those parts, whose memory is tion. I left Alexaudiia myself on the arrival of not forgotten to this day. Just so far as a another packet-agent; and on my rcfum to farmer is supposed to be a bigger man than a Londou I had a private interview with the blacksmith. Mat's father might be said to have secretary. I found that there was no need to a better standing thau mine; but William Price iufonn him of the circumstauces I have related with his small holding and his seven boys, was, to you, as he had taken possession of all in fact, as poor as many a day-labourer; whilst, Mr. Huntingdon's papers. In consideration of the blacksmith, well-to-do, bustling, popular, his ancient friendslilp, and of the escape of aud open-handed, was a person of some import­ those who most merited punishment, he had ance in the place. All this, however, had no­ come to the conclusion that it was quite as well thing to do with Mat and myself. - It never to let bygones be bygones. occurred to either of us that his jacket was out At the conclusion of the interview I deUvered at elbows, or that our mutual funds came alto­ a message which Mrs. Forbes had emphaficaUy gether frora my pocket. It was enough for us entrusted to me. that we sat on the same school-bench, conned " Mrs. Forbes wished me to impress npon your our tasks frora the same primer, fought each mind," I said, "that iiell her she nor Mr. Forbes other's battles, screened each other's faults, would have been guilty of this misdcmcauonr fished, nutted, played truant, robbed orchards if they had not been very mnch in love wilh one and birds' nests together, and spent every another, and very much in want of money." half-hour, authorised or stolen, in each other's "Ah!" replied the secretary, with a'smile, society. It was a hap|)y time; but it could "if Cleopalra's nose had been shorter, the fate not go on for ever. My father, being pros­ of the world would have been differput'" perous, resolved to put me forward in the world. I must know more, and do better, than No. 5 BRANCH LINE. himself. The forge was not good enough, the little world of Chadleigh not wide enough, for THE ENGINEER. me. Thus It happened that I was still swinging His name, sir, was Matthew Price ; mine is the satchel when Mat was whistling at the Benjamin Hardy. We were born withiu a few plough, and that at last, when my future course days of each other; bred up iuthc same village ; was shaped out, we were separated, as It then taught at the same school. I cannot remember seemed to us, for life. For, blacksmith's son as the time wiicii wc were not close friends. Even I wasf, furnace and forge. In some form or other, as boys, we never knew what it was lo quarrel. pleased mc best, aud I chose to be a working We had not a thought, we had not a possession, engineer. So my father by-and-by appren­ that was not in common. We would have stood ticed me to a Birmlngliani iron-master; and, by each other, fearlessly, to Ihe death. It was having bidden farewell to Mat, and Chadleigh, such a friendship as one reads about sometimes and the grey old Tors in the shadow of which I in books; fast and firm as the great Tors upou had spent all the days of my Ufe, I turned my our native moorlands, true as the snu iu the face northward, and weut over into "the Black heavens. country.** The name of OI.LI village was Chadleigh. I am not going lo dwell on this part of my Lifted high above the pasture flats which story. How I worked out the term of my appren­ stretched away at onr feet like a measureless ticeship ; how, when 1 had served my full time green lake and melled Into mist on the furthest aud become a skilled workman, I took Mat from horizon, It nestled, a tiny stoiic-built hamlet, iu the plough and brought him over to the Black a sheltered hollow about midway between the Country, sharing with him lodging, wages, ex­ plain and the plateau. Above us, rising ridge perience—all, in short, that I had to give ; how beyond lidge, slope beyond slope, spread the he, naturally quick to learn and brimful of mountainous moor-country, bare and bleak for quiet energy, worked his way up a step at a the most part, with here 'and there a patch of time, and came by-and-by to "be a " first hand'* cultivated field or hardy jilantatlon, and crowned in his own department; how, during aU these highest of all with masses of huge grey years of change, and trial, .and effort, the old crag, abrupt, isolaled, hoary, and older than boyish nfTection never wavered or weakened, the deluge. These were the Tors—Druids' but went on, growing with our growth and Tor, King's Tor, Castle Tor, and the like; stteiiE^lhcning with our strength—are facts sacred places, as T have heard, in the ancient whicli 1 need do no more than outliue in this time, wliere crownings, burnings, human sacri­ place. fices, and aU kinds ol bloody heathen rites were About this time—it will be remembered (hat performed. Bones, too, had been found there. I speak of the days when Mat and I were on

>v Ni»

Cb.rlMDlck«nh] MUGBY JUNCTION. CDMwnlMrlO, ie66.J 43 the bright side ot thirty—it happened that our piled about the door, or hung hke tapestry firm contracted to supply six first-class locomo­ from the balconies ; and all day long, from dawn tives to run on the new line, then in process of to dusk, an incessant stream of passers-by construction, between Turin and Genoa. Tt was poured up and tlown betweeu the port and the first ItaUan order we had taken. We had the upper quarter of the city. liaddealinj^swith France, lIolland,Belgiuni, Ger­ Our landlady was tlie widow of a silver- many; but never with Italy. Thcconnexion,tliere- worker, and lived by the sale of filigree orna­ fore, was new and valuable—all the more valu­ ments, cheap jewellery, combs, fans, aud toys in able because our Transalpine neighbours had but ivory and jet. She had an only daughter lately begun to lay down the iron roads, and named Gianetta, who served in the shop, and would be safe to need more of our good English as simply the most beautiful womau 1 ever work as they weut on. So the Birmingham beheld. Looking back across this weary chasm firm set themselves to the contract with a will, of years, aud bringing her image before me (as lengthened our working hours, increased our I can and do) with all the vividness of life, I 'wages, took on fresh hands, and determined, if am unable, even now, to detect a fiaw in her energy and promptitude could do it, to place beauty. I do not attempt to describe her. I themselves at the head of the Italian labour- do not believe there is a poet living who could market, and stay there. They deserved and find tho words to do it; but I once saw a achieved success. Tlie six locomotives were picture that was somewhat like her (not half not only turned out to time, but were so lovely, hut still like her), and, for au^ht I shipped, despatched, and delivered with a know, that picture is still hanging where 1 last promptitude that fairly amazed our Piedmontese looked at it—upon the walls of the Louvre. consignee. I was not a little proud, you may It represented a woman with brown eyes and be sure, when I fouud myself appointed to goldcu hair, looking over her shoulder into a superintend the transport of the engines. Being circular mirror held by a bearded man in the allowed a couple of assistants, I contrived that background. In this man, as I then under­ Mat should be one of them ; and thus we en­ stood, the artist had painted his own portrait; joyed together the first great holiday of our lives. in her, the portrait of th« woman he loved. No picture that I ever saw was half so beautiful, It was a wonderful change for two Birming­ and yet it was not worthy to be named iu the ham operatives fresh from the Black Couutry. same breath with Gianetta Coneglia. The fairy city, witli its crescent background of Xlps; the port crowded w^fth strange shipping; You may be certain the widow's shop did not the marvellous blue sky and bluer sea; the want for customers. All Genoa knew how fair painted houses on the quays; the quaint cathe­ a faee was to be seen behind that dingy little dral, faced with black and wliite marble; the counter; and Gianetta, flirt as sho was, had street of jewellers, like an Arabian Nights' more lovers than she cared to remember, even bazaar; the ttreet of palaces, with its Moorish by name. Gentle and simple, rich and poor, court-yards, its iountams and orange-trees ; the from the red-capped sailor buying his earrings women veiled like brides; the galley-slaves or his amulet, to the nobleman carelessly pur­ chained two and two ; the processions of priests chasing half the filigrees in the window, she and friars; the everlasting clangour of bells; treated them all alike — encouraged them, the babble of a strange tongue; the singular laughed at them, led them on and turned them lightness and brightness of tlie climate—made, off at her pleasure. She had no more heart th.in altogether, such a combination of wonders that a marble statue; as Mat aud I discovered by- we wandered about, the first day, in a kind of and-by, to our bitter cost. bewildered dream, like childrcu at a fair. Be­ I cannot tell to this day how it; came about, fore that week was ended, being tempted by or what first led me to suspect how things the beauty of the place and the liberality of were going with us both; but long before the the pay, we had agreed to take service with the waning of that autumn a coldness had sprung Turin and Genoa Railway Company, and to up between ray friend and myself. It was turn our backs upon Birmingham for ever. notiiing that could have been put into words. It was nothing that either of us could have Then began a new life—a life so active and explained or justified, to save his life. We healthy, so' steeped in fresh air and sunshine, lodged together, ate togetiier, worked to­ that we sometimes marvelled how we could gether, exactly as before; we even took our have endured the gloom of the Black Country. long evening's walk togetiier, when the day 3 We were constantly up and down the line : now labour was ended; and except, perhaps, that we at Genoa, now at Turin, taking trial trips with were more silent th.in of old, no mere looker-on the locomotives, and placing our old experiences could have detected a shadow of change. at the service of our new employers. Yet there it was, silent and subtle, widening In the mean while we maile Genoa our head­ the gulf between us every day. quarters, and hired a couple of rooms over a small shop in a by-street sloping down to the It was not his fault. He was too true and quays. Such a busy little street—so steep and gentle-hearted to have willingly brought about winding that no vehicles could pass through such a state of things between us. Neither do it, and so narrow that the sky looked like a 1 believe—fiery as my nature is—th.at it was mere strip of deep-blue ribbon overhead! mine. It was all hers—hers from first to last Every house in it, however, was a shop, where the sin, and the shame, and the sorrow. the goods encroached oa the footway, or were It she had shown a fair and open preference 44 ci}'"™^''*> 1^^'] MUGBY JUNCTION. for cit her of us, no real harm could have come of "You ask too much," she said. it. I would have put any constraint upon my­ " Only what you have led me to hope these self, and. Heaven knows I have borne any suffer­ five or .SIX mouths past!" ing, to sec Mat really happy. I know that he " That is just what Matteo says. How tire­ would have done the same, and more if hc some you both are!" could, for me. But Gianetta cared uot one "0, Gianetta," I said, passionately, "be sou for either. She never meant to choose serious for one moment! I am a rough fellow, between us. It gratified her vanity to divide it is true—uot half good euough or clever us ; it amused her to play wlfli ns. It would enough for you; but I love you with my whole pass my power to IcU how, by a'thousand iin- heart, and an Emperor could do uo more." perceptlble shades of coquetry—by the lingering "I am glad of it," she replied; "I do not of a glance, the substitution of a word, the want you to love me less.** flilling of a sniUc—she coiifrived to tuni our " Then you cannot wish to make me wretched! heads, and torture onr hcarls, and lead ns on WiU you promise me?" to lovc her. She deceived us both. She buoyed " I promise nothing," said she, with another ns both np with hope; she maddened us wilh burst of laughter; "except that I will not jealousy; she crushed ns with despair. For marry Matteo !'* my part, when I seemed to wake to a sudden Except that she would not marry Matteo! sense of the ruin that was about our path and Only that. Not a word of hope ior myself. I saw how the truest frieudshii) that ever Nothing but my friend's condemnation. I bound two lives logether was drifting on to might get comfort, and selfish triumph, and wreck and ruin, I asked myself wiiether any some sort of base assurance out of that, if I womau in the world was worth what Mat had could. And so, to my shame, I did. I grasped bccu to me and I to him. But this was uot often. at the vain encouragement, and, fool that I was .' I was readier to shut my eyes upon the truth than let her put mc oil' agaiii unanswered. From to face It; and so Uved on, wilfully, in a dream. that day, I gave up all effort at self-control, aud Thus the autumn pnssed away, and winter let niybclf drift blindly on—to destruction. came—the strange, treacherous Genoese winter, At length things became so bad between Mat green with olive and ilex, brilliant with sun­ aud myself that it seemed as if an open rupture shine, and bitter with storm. Still, rivals at must be at hand. We avoided each other, heart and frieuds ou the surface. Mat and I scarcely exchanged a dozen sentences iu a day, lingered on in our lodging in the Vicolo Balba. and fell away from all our old familiar habits. Still Giinetta held ns with her fatal wiles and At this time—I shudder to remember it!—there her slill more fatal beauty. At length there were moments when I felt that I hated him. came a day when I felt I could bear the horrible Thus, with the trouble deepening and widen­ misery and suspense of it no longer. The sun, ing between us day by day, another mouth or I vowed, shonld not go down before I knew my five weeks went by ; and Februarv oame ; and, sentence. She must choose between us. She with February, the Carnival. They said iu must either take me or let me go. I was reck­ Genoa that it was a particularly dull carnival; less. I was desperate. I was determined to and so it must have been; for, save a flag or two know the worst, or the best. If the worst, I hung out iu some of the principal streets, and a wonld at once turn my back upou Genoa, upon sort of festa look about the women, there wero her, upon all the pursuits and purposes of my no special indications of the season. It was, I past life, and begin the world anew. This I think, the second day when, having been on the told her, passionately and sternly, standing line all the morning, I returned to Genoa at before her in tlie little parlour at the back of dusk, aud, to my surprise, found Mat Price ou the shop, one bleak Heccmbcr morning. the plalform. He came up to mc, and laid his "If it's Mat whom you care for most," I hand on my arm. said, " tell me so iu one word, and I will uever " You arc In lale,'* he said. " I have been trouble you again. He is better worth your waiting for you three-quarters of an hour. ShaU love. I am jealous and exacting; he is as we dine together to-day ?" trusting and unselfish as a woman. Speak, Impulsive as I am, this evidence of returning Gianetta; am I to bid you good-bye for ever good will at ouce called np my better feelings. and ever, or am I lo write home to my moi her " With all my heart. Mat,** I replied; "shaU iu England, bidding her pray to God to bless we go to Gozzoli's?" the woman who has promised to be my wife?" " No, no," hc said, hurriedly. " Some quietei " You plead your friend's cause well," she re­ place—some place where we can talk. I have plied, haughtily. "Mattco ought to be grate­ something to say to you.*'. ful. This is more thau he ever did for yon." I noticed now that hc looked pale aud "Give mc my answer, for pity's sake,'* I ex­ agitated, and an uneasy sense of apprehension claimed, " and let me go !" stole upon me. We decided on the " Pescatore," "You are free togo or stay, Signer Inglese," a' little out-of-the-way trattoria, down near the she replied. " I am not yonr jriilor." Molo Veccliio. There, in a diugy salon, fre­ "Do yon bid me leave yon'r" quented chiefly by seamen, and redolent of to­ " Beata Madre I not I.'* bacco, we ordercil our simple dinner. Mat "WUl you marry mc, if I stay ?'* scarcely swallowed a morsel ; but, calUng She laughed aloud—such a merry, mocking, presently for a bottle of SiciUan wiue, drank musical laugh, like a cliinie of silver bells! eagerly.

/T •"%v ^^ y^ Cliftrlsi Dickens,] MUGBY JUNCTION. [nepcmber 10, 18611] 4r5

" Well, Mat," I said, as the last dish was " Wc? Who? What do you mean?" placed on the table, " what news have you?" " I mean that wc were to have been mar­ "Bad." ^ ried—Gianclta aud I." " I guessed that from yonr fiice." A sudden storm of rage, of scorn, of incre­ "Bad for you—bad for inc. Giaiictla." duhly, swept over meat this, and seemed to " What of Giancf^fa?" cany my senses away. He passed bis hand nervously across his lijjs. " Yva I" I cried. " Gianetta marry you! I " Gianetta Is false—worse than false," he don't believe It." s;iid, in a hoarse voice. " She values au honest " I wish I had not believed it," hc rc]iUed, man's heart just as she values a flower for her looking up as if puzzled by my vehemence. hair—w^ears it for a day, then throws it a^ide " But she promised mc; and I thought., wUen for ever. She has cruelly wronged us both." she promised it, she meant it." " In what way ? Good Heavens, speak out !'* " She told mc, weeks ago, that she would " In the worst way that a woman can wrong never be your wife !" those who lovc her. She has sold herself to His colour rose, his brow darkened; but when the Marcbesc Loredano." his answer came, it was as calm as the last. The blood rushed to my head aud face In a "Indeed!" hcsaid. "Then It is only one burning torrent. I could scarcely sec, and baseness more. She told mc that she had re­ dared not trust myself to speak" fused you; aud that was why we kept our en­ " I saw her going lowarus the cathedral," hc gagement secret." went on, hurriedly. " It was about three hours "Tell the truth, Mat Price," I said, well- ago. I thought she might be going to confes­ nigh beside -myself wilh suspicion. " Confess sion, so I hung back and followed her at a dis- that every word of this is false I Confess that tauce. When she got inside, however, she went Gianetta will not Usten to yon, and thatyou are straight to the back of the pulpit, where this afraid I may succeed wiierc you have failed. As man was waiting for her. You rcnicinbcr him—• perhaps I shall—as perhaps I shall, after all!" au old mau who used to haunt the shop a mont h " Are you mad?" he exclaimed. "What do or two back. W^cll, seeing how deep in coii- you mean ?" versatlou they were, and how they stood close " Tlmt I believe it's just a trick to get mc away under the pulpit with their backs towards the lo England—that I don't credit a syllable of church, I fell into a passion of anc,'cr aud went your story. You're a liar, and I hate you!" straight up the aisle, Intending to say or do He rose, antl, laying one hand ou the back Bomethlng: I sc;ircely knew whal ; but, at all of his chair, looked mc sternly in the face. events, to draw her arm througii mine, aud "If you were not Benjamin Hardy," he said, take her home. When I came within a few deliberately, "I would thrash you within au feet, however, and fouud only a big pillar be­ inch of your life." tween myself aud thein, I paused. Tlicy could The words had uo sooner passed his lips than not see me, nor I them-, but I could hear their I sjirang at him. I h.-iVc never been able dis­ voices distinctly, and—and I listened," tinctly to remember what followed. A curtc—a " Well, and you heard " blow—a struggle—a moment of blind fury—a "The terms of a shameful bargain—beanfy cry—a confusion of tongues—a circle of strange onthe one side, gold ou the other; so many faces. Then I see Mat lying back iu the arms thousand francs a year; a villa near Naples of a bystander; myself trembling and bewildered Pah! It makes me sick to repeat it.** —the knife dropping from my grasp; blood upon Aud, with a shudder, he poured out auolher the floor; blood upou my hands; blood npon his glass of wine aud drank It at a draught. shirt. And then I hear those dreadful words: "After that,'* he said, presently, "I made " 0, Ben, you have murdered me!" no effort to bring her away. The whole thUm He did not die—at least, not there and then. was so cold-blooded, so deliberate, so shameful, He was carried to the nearest hospital, and lay that I felt I had only to wipe her out of my for sonic weeks between life and death. His mcm&vy. and, leave her to her fate. I stole out case, they said, was difiicult and dangerous. of the catlifcili-nl and walked about here by the The kuifc hnd gone in just below the collar- sea for ever so long, ti-yhig to get my thoughts bone, aud pierced dowu into the lungs. He straight. Then I remembered you, Ben; and was not allowed to speak or turn—scarcely to the recollection of how llits wanton had come breathe with freedom. He might not even lift between us and broken up our lives drove mc his head to drink. I sat by him day and night wild. So I went up to llie station and waited all through that sorrowful time. I gave up my for you. I felt you ought to know it all; and— situation'on the raUwuv; I quitted my lodgmg and I thought, perhaps, that we might go back iu the Vicolo B;dba ; I f ricd to forget that such to England together." a woman as Gianetta Coneglia had ever [Uawu breath. I lived only for Mat; ami he t,iied to " The Marcbesc Loredano !" live more, I believe, for my sake than his own. It was all that I could say ; all that I could Thus, iu the bitter silent hours of paiu and peni­ think. As Mat had jubt said of himself, I felt tence, when no hand bnt miue approached his " like one stunned." Ups or smoothed his pillow, the old friendship " There is one other thing I may as well tell came back with even more than its old trust and you," lie added, reluctantly, "if only to show faithfulness. He forgave me, fully aud freely; you how false a woman can be. Wc—wc were and I would thankfully have giveu my life for him. to have been married next month." 46 [OecemberlO,lS6e.] MUGBY JUNCTION. At length there came one bright spring morn­ doned me made It Ue none the Ughter. Peace ing, when, dismissed as convalescent, he tottered on earth was for me no more, ana goodwill to­ out through the hospital gates, leaning on my wards men was dead iu my heart for ever, arm, aud feeble as an infant. He was not cured ; liemorse sofienssome natures; but it poisoned neither, as I then learned to my horror ami mine. I hated aU mankind but above aU man­ anguish, was it possible that he ever could be kind I hated the woman who had come betweeft cured. He might Uve, with care, for some us two, and ruined both our Uves. years; but the lungs were injured beyond hope He had bidden me seek her out, aud be the of remedy, aud a strong or healthy man he could messenger of his forgiveness. I had sooner never be af^'ain. These, spoken aside to me, have gone dowu to the port of Genoa and were the parting words of the chief pliyslcian, taken upou me the serge cap aud shotted chain who advised me to take him further south with­ of auy galley-slave at his toil in the pubUc out delay. works; but for all that I did my best to obey I toi)k him to a little coast-town called Rocca, him, I went back, alone aud on foot. I went some thirty miles beyond Genoa—a sheltered back, iuleiiding to say to her, "Gianetta Cone­ lonely place along the iliviera, where the sea glia, he forgave you ; but God never will." But was even bluer than tho sky, and the cliffs were she was gone. The little shop was let to a green with strange tropical plants, cacti, aud fresh occupant; and the neighbours only knew aloes, and Egyptiau nalins. Here we lodged that mother and daughter had left the place in the house ofa small tradesman; aud Mat, to quite suddenly, and that Gianetta was supposed use his own words, "set to work at getting tu be under the " protection" of the Marchese well in good earnest." But, alas I it was a work Loredano. How I made inquiries here and whicli uo earnestness could forward. Hay after there—how I heard that they had gone to day he went dowu to the beach, aud sat for Iiours Naples—and how, being restless and reckless drinking the sea air and watching the sails that of my time, I worked my passage m a French came aud went in the ofiiiig. By-and-by he steamer, and followed her—how, having fonnd could go no further than tlie garden of the the siim])tuous viUa that was now hers, I house In wiiich wc lived. A little later, andhe learned that she had left there some teu days" spent his days on a couch beside the open win­ and gone to Paris, where the Marchese was dow, waiting patiently for the cnd. Ay, for ambassador for the Two Sicilies—how, working the end ! It had come to that. He was fading my passage back again to Marseilles, and fast, waning with the waning summer, and con­ thence, in part by the river aud iu part by the scious that the Reaper was at hand. His rail, I made my way to Paris—how, day after whole aim uow was to soften the agony of my day, I paced the streets and the parks, watc-iied remorse, and prepare me fur what must shortly at the ambiissador's gates, followed his carriage, come, aud at last, after weeks of waiting, discovered "I would not live longer, if I could," he her address—how, having written to request an said, lying on his couch one summer evening, interview, hcf servant* oiiurued me from her aud looking up to the stars. " If I had niy door aud fiung my letter in ray face—how, choice at this momeut, I would ask to go. I lookiug up at her windows, I then, instead of shouldUke Gianetta to kuow that I forgave her." forgiving, solemnly cursed her with the bitterest " She shall kuow it," I said, trembling sud­ curses my tongue could devise—and how, this denly from head to foot. done, I shook the dust of Paris from my feet, aud He pressed my hand, became a wanderer upon the face of the eartb, "And you'U write to father?'* are facts which I have now no space to tell. " I will." The next six or eight years of my life I hud drawn a little back, that hc might not wore shifting and unsettled enough. A morose , see the tears raining down my cheeks; bnt he and restless man, I took employment here and raised himself on his elbow, and looked round. thcrc,""as opportunity offered, turning my hand "Don't fret, Ben," hc whispered; laid his to many things, and caring Uttle what I earned, head back wearily upon the pillow—and so died. so long as the work was hard and the change incessant. First of aU I en^affcd myself as And this was the end of it. This was the chief engineer in oue of tlio Freuch steamers end of all that made life life to mc. I buried plying between Marseilles and Constantiuople. him there, iu hearing of the wash of a strange At Coiistantmople I changed to one ofthe Aus­ sea on a strange shore. I stayed by the grave trian Lloyd's boats, and worked for some time till the priest aud the bystanders were gone. I to and from Alexnudria, Jafla, aud those parts. saw the earth tilled iu to the last sod, aud the After that, I feU in with a party of Mr. Layard's gravedigger stamp it down with his feet. Then, men at Cairo, and so weut up the Nile and and not till theu, I felt that I had lost him took a turn at the excavations of the mound of for ever—tbe frieud I had loved, ami hated, Nimroud. Then I became a working engmeer on and slain. Then, and not till then, 1 knew the new desert line between Alexandria and Suez; f hat all rest, and joy, and hope were over for me. aud by-and-by I worked my passage out to Bom­ From that moment my heart hardened within bay, and took service as an engiue fitter on oue me, and my life was filled with loathing. Hay of the great Indian raUways. I stayed a long time and night, laud and sea, labour and rest, food Ul India; that is lo say, I stayed nearly two aud sleep, were alike hateful to mc. It was yeare, which was a long time for me; and I the curse of Cam, and that ray biiother had par­ might not even have left so soou, but for the war

/^ X 5Y" JUNCTION. [December 10,1R6H.] 47 that was declared just then with Kussla. That road, to the nearest station on the other side of tempted me. For I loved danger and hardship the gap, where another train aud engine awaited as other men love safety and ease; and as for them. This, of course, caused great confusion my Ufe, I bad sooner have parted from it than and annoyance, put all our time-tables wrong, kept it, any day. So I came straight back to and subjected the pubUc to a large amouut of England ; betook myself to Portsmouth, where inconvenience. In the meau while an army of my testimonials at once procured me the sort of navvies was drafted to the spot, aud worked berth I wanted, I went out to the Crimea iuthe day aud night to repair the damage. At tliis engine-room of one of her Majesty's war steamers. time I was driving two through trains each day; I served with the fleet, of course, while the namely, one from J\Iantua to Venice in the early war lasted; and when it was over, went wander­ morning, and a return train from Venice to ing off again, reioicln^ In my liberty. This time Mantua In the afternoon—a tolerably full d^iy's Iwent to Canada, and after working on a railway work, covering about one hundred and niucfy then in progress uear the American frontier, I mUes of ground, and occupying between ten I presently passed over into the Stales; journeyed and eleven hours. I was tlier<*fore not best from uorth to south ; crossed the Rocky Moun­ pleased when, on the third or fourth day after tains; tried a monlh or two of life in the gold the accident, I was informed that, in addition couutry ; and then, being seized with a sudden, to my regular allowance of work, I should that aching, unaccountable longing to revisit that evening be required to drive a special train to solitary grave so far away on the Italiau coast, I Venice. This special train, consisting of an tiu'ued my face ouce more towards Europe. engine, a sin2;le carriage, and a break-van, was to leave the Mantua platform at eleven; at Poor little grave! I found it rank with Padua the passengers were to alight and Ihid Weeds, the cross half shattered, the inscription post-chaises waitmg to convey them to Ponte half effaced. It was as If no one had loved him, di Brenta; at Ponte di Brenta another engine, or remembered him. I went back to the house carriage, and break-van were to be iu readiness. iu which we had lodged together. The same I was charged to accompany thcin throughout. people were stUl Uvmg there, aud made mc kiuoly welcome. I stayed with them for some " Corpo di Bacco," said the clerk who gave weeks. I weeded, and planted, and trimmed mc my orders, " you need not look so black, the grave with ray own hands, and set up a man. You are certain of a handsome gratuity. fresh cross in pure white marble. It was the Do you know who goes with you ?'* first season of rest that I had known smce I " Not I.'* laid him there; and when at last I shouldered "Not you, indeed! Why, it's the Huca my knapsack aud set forth again to battle with Loredano, the Neapolitan ambassador." th» world, I promised myself that, God wiUing, "Loredano !" I stammered. "What Lore­ I would creep hack to Bocca, when my days dano ? There was a Marchese " drew neat to ending, aud be buiied by his side. "Certo. He was the Marchese Loredano From hence, "^I'mg, perhaps, a Uttle less in­ some years ago ; but he has come into his duke­ clined than formerly fur very distant parts, and dom since then." wilUng to keep within reach of that grave, I " He must be a very old mau by this time." weut no further thau Mantua, where I engaged " Yes, he is old ; bnt what of that ? He is myself as au engme-drivcr on the Unc, then not as hale, aud bright, and stately as ever. You long completed, between that city and Venice, have seen hira before ?" Somehow, although I had bccu trained to the " Yes," I said, tni'niug away ; " I have seen working engincermg, I preferred in these days him—^ycars ago." to earn my bread by driving. I liked the ex­ " You have heard of Ids marriage ?'* citement of it, the sense ot power, the rush of I shook my head. the air, the roar of the fire, the flilling of the The clerk chuckled, rubbed his hands, aud landscape. Above all, I enjoyed to drive a shrugged his shoulders. uight express. The worse the weather, the better " An extraordinary affair," hcsaid. "Made il suited with my sullen temper. For I was as a tremendous esclandrc at the tune. He hard, aud harder than ever. The years had done married his mistress—quite a common, vulgar nothing to soften mc. They had only coufirnied girl—a Genoese—veiy handsome; but not re­ aU that was bkckest ami bitterest ui my heart. ceived, of course. Nobody visits her." I continued pretty faithful to the Mantua "Married her!" I exclaimed. "Impossible." Une, and had been working on it steadily for " True, I assm*e you." more than seven months when that which I-am I put my hand to my head. I felt as if 1 had now about to relate took place. had a fall or a blow. It was iuthe month of March. The weather " Docs she—does she go to-night P" I faltered. had been unsettled for some days past, and the " 0 dear, yes—goes everywhere with him nights stormy; and at one point along the line, —never lets him out of her sight. You'U see near Ponte cU Breuta, the waters had risen and her—labcUa Hnchessa!" swept away some seventy yards of embankment. With this my informant laughed, aud rubbed Since this accident, the trains had all been his bauds again, and went back to his office. obliged to stop at a certain spot between Padua The day went bv, I scarcely know how, ex­ and Ponte dl Brenta, and the passengers, with cept that my whole soul wiis in a tumult of their luggage, had thence to be transported In rage and bitterness. I returned from my after­ all kinds of vehicles, by a cireuitous country noon's work about 7.25, and at 10,30 I was

yr iS MUGBY JUNT™?? [December 10, Ifr^. once again at the station, 1 had examined the my soul with my friend's blood! She should die. engine; given instructions to the Fochisfa, or In the plcntitnde of her wealth and her beauty, stoker, about 1 he fire ; seen to the supply of oU ; and uo power upon earth should save her! and got all iu readiness, when, just as I was The stations flew past. I put on more steam ; about to compare my watcli with the clock in I bade the fircnian heap in the coke, and stir the ticket-office, a hand was laid upon my arm, the blazing mass. I would have outstripped and a voice in my ear said: the wind, bad it been possible. Faster and faster "Are you the engine-driver who is going on —hedges and trees, bridges and stations, flash­ with this special train ?" ing past—viUages no sooner seen than gone— I had never seen the speaker before. He telegraph wires twisting, and dipping', and was a small, dark man, miilficd np about the twining themselves in one, with the awful swift­ throat., with blue glas.^cs, a large black beard, ness of our pace! Faster and faster, tiU the fire­ and his hat drawn low upon his eyes. man at my side looks white and scared, and " You are a poor man, I suppose," he said, refuses to add more fuel to the furnace. Faster In a quick, eager whisper, "and, Uke other poor and faster, tUl the Mind rushes in our faces and men, would uot object to be butter off. Would drives the breath back upon our Ups. you like to earn a couple of thousand florins?" I would have scorned to save rayself. I "Ill what way?" meant to die with the rest. Mad as I was— "Hush ! You arc fo stop at Padua, arc you and I b-llcvc from my very soul that I was not, and to go on agaiii at Ponte di Brenta ?" utterly mad for the time—I felt a passing panjj I nodded. of pity for the old man and his suite, I' would " Suppose you did notiiing of the kind. have snared the poor fellow at my side, too, if Suppose, instead of turning olf the steam, you I could; bnt the pace at which wc were going jump off the engine, and let the train run on ?" made escape impo^ssiblc. " lmpossU)le. There are seventy yards of Vlccnza was passed—a mere confused vision embankment gour, and " of Ughts. Pojana flew by. At Padua, but "Pasta! 1 know thitt. Save yourself, and nine railcs distant, our passengers were to let the train run ou. It would be nothing but alight. I saw the farcmaii's face turned upon an accident." me in remonstrance; I saw his Ups move, I tnnicd hot and cold ; I trembled ; my heart though I could not hear a word; I saw his ex­ beat fast, and my breath failed. pression change suddenly from remonstrance to " Why do you tempt me ?" I faltered. a deadly terror, and then—merciful Heaven! " For Italy's sake," hc whispered; " for then, for the first time, I saw that he and I libciiy's sake. I know you are uo Italiau; bnt, were no longer alone upon the cngin"B. for all that, you may be afrlend. This Lorcttano There was a third man—a third man standing is one of his country's bitterest enemies. Stay, nn my right hand, as the fireman was standing here are the two thousand florins." nn my left—a taU, stalwart m^n, wUh short I fhriist his hand back fiercely, curling hair, and a flat Scotch cap upon his head. "JNo—no," I said, "No blood-money. If As I fell back in the first shock of surprise, he I do it, I do it neither for II aly nor for money; stepped nearer; look my place at thb engine, but for vengeance." and turned the steam off. I opened my lips to " For vengeance !'* he repeated. speak to him ; he turned his head slowly, and At this momeut the signal was given for looked me in the face. backing uji to the ])latfonn, I sprang to my Matthew Price! place npon the engine without another word. I uttered one long wUd crv, flimg-my arms When I again looked towards the spot where hc wildly np above my head, and feU as if I had had been standlug, the stranger was gone. been smitten with an axe, I saw them lake their places—L>uke and Duchess, secretary aud priest, valet and maid. I am prepared for the objcctious that may be I saw the station-master bow them into the raade to ray story. I expect, as a matter of carriage, aud slaud, bareheaded,beside the door.- course, to be told that this was an oplical I could not distinguish their faces; the platform Ulusion, or that I was sutrering from pressure was too dusk, and the glare from the engine fire on the brain, or even that I laboured under au too strong ; but 1 recognised her stalely figure, attack of temporary insanity, I have heard aU and the poise of her head. Had I not been these arguments before, and, if I may be for­ tohi w ho she was, I should have known her by given for saying so, I have no desire to hear those traits alone, 'Then the guard's whistle them ngaiii. My own mind has been made up shrlUcd out, and the siiition-mastcr made his last npon this subject for many a year. All that 1 bow; I turned tlic steam on; and wc started. can say-aU Ihat I Xv/o;c is—that Matthew Price My blood was on fire. I no longer trembled Clime back from the dead to save my soul aud or hesitated. I felt as If every ncrvewas iron, the Uves of those whom I, iu my guilty rage, and evei'y puUc instinct with deadly purpose. would have hurried to destruction, I believe She was inniv power, and I would be revenged. this as I believe in the mercy of Heaven and She should due—she, for whom I had stained the forgiveness of repentant sinners.

THE END OF TIIE CHRISTMAS NUMHEn FOR 18G6. fy The right of Translating any portion O/MUOBT JTTNCTION IS reserved by the Authort.

:•; Wi'liinijiiJ" !^ii'L'''t Stniml. Prinl'.-i I'v '-'. WiiniN.:, noaiirort House, Stuui.l.