everything sacred,-with the most grateful thanks for your truly obliging conduct."

Away posted Greatfaith to town, to pour out the vials of his wrath on that treacherous fellow, Mr. Fox. The fury of his indignation seemed to aid the very steam in driving on the train. "All going on well! Tom the gardener keeping all in order! Capital tenants for the summer months!" continued he, muttering to himself; "and the place a wilderness! The horse! the cow! the fowls! why the scoundrel

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But we will not finish the sentence as Mr. Greatfaith finished it—it would be really too hot. Arrived in the city, he was not long in reaching Mr. Fox's door, and thumped a peal on the knocker, which brought the dirty slipshod housemaid to the door, with a face of wonder.

"Is Fox in ?"

"Yes, sir."

"Let me see him instantly!"

"Are you a doctor, sir?"

"A doctor, the devil! no; why do you take me for a doctor? Don't you know me? How long have you lived here?"

"Two months, sir."

"Oh then you don't; let me see Fox."

"But you can't see him, if you're not a doctor -he's ill."

"He's ill!

What's amiss with him ?"

"His leg has inflamed, where he broke his shin; he's got horrysuppolus in it, and the doctor says he must see nobody but himself."

On

Devil take him!" muttered Mr. Greatfaith to himself, darting away from the house, and hastening to his own lodgings. With the utmost impatience he awaited the passing of the week, that he might hurry down to see the place clear of strangers, and give orders to restore it once more to that beautiful neatness in which he had been used to see it. But he was not destined to let the week run out thus. the next morning, which was Monday, his butcher, who had come up to Smithfield market, presented himself at his lodgings. Appleton, the butcher, was a first-rate man of his class. Clever, managing, active, and of surest judgment, he had grown into a wealthy man, with more than one farm of his own. Greatfaith had always had a profound opinion of his business talents, and in all matters relating to the management of his land, and his horse and cow, consulted him.

"I saw you go past the other day, sir," said Appleton, "and wished to speak to you, but you went by as if you were on life and death. Gad, I could guess how it was. You found a pretty mess down there!"

"Mess!" exclaimed Greatfaith; "ruin! deWhat can Fox have been about?

struction!

I wish to

heaven he had broken his shins

before he ever went near that place! Why, he told me all was going on excellently,-Tom keeping everything in order,—and such respectable tenants in the summer!"

Appleton laughed outright. "Excuse me, sir! I can't help it, but it amazes me that a clever man like you should let people with not a tithe of your sense impose on you so. Take my word for it, this Fox is a fox. Why didn't you at once put your place into Dawson's hands at Kingston? I answer for it, if you had, you would have found everything just as you left it-the horse would hardly have seemed to have shed a hair. But good gracious! why it is enough to break any man's heart to think what destruction is in that place."

"Ay, the horse, the cow, the fowls, you

mean?"

"I mean everything!" exclaimed the jolly butcher. "Lord! my heart aches to think what a discovery awaits you, if you have not seen it yet. I took the opportunity to go into the house one day when Tom was in the garden-there was nobody in it then-and if there be a sound glass, or a sound piece of crockery, or a table or a chair

that has not some stain or breakage, it is more than I could find. O Lord! to think of those good books! and then!"

"What!" exclaimed Greatfaith;

drive me mad!"

66

why you

"It's enough to drive anybody mad," continued Appleton. Oh! if you could but have seen how that poor horse and chaise have been used! If you could but have seen that poor cow! I've often thought of writing over to you in foreign parts to tell you; but then I considered it's Mr. Fox's business, and people don't often thank one for meddling."

66

Why didn't you?" cried Greatfaith; "zounds, why will people be so delicate? Tell me all about it,-out with it, Appleton,—for I must and will know."

"If I did but know where to begin," said the butcher; "but it's such a mess-and it's not all to be told in a hurry. Well, there was the horse -I wish you had taken that seventy pounds I offered you for it when you went-I told you it was sure to bring no good lending such things as these-if he has had one master he has had a dozen. First, there was Fox and his wife. They used to come down every Saturday; Tom had to meet them at the station; and on Sunday down came lots more men and women, or gentlemen

and ladies, and Tom met them with the horse and chaise. A pretty lot of them there often was; the chaise was crowded like a sheep-pen. Then, in the afternoon they were all out, flying all over the neighbourhood, with the horse and chaise again, loaded till it was fit to break down; you know how cockneys do load, and how they do drive! Whew! they were here and there; up the hill to the village; up the village round over the common, over rough and smooth; down again at night to the station with all the swarm of company. Going, they were at the last minute, lest they should lose the train, full split. Poor horse! it is a wonder they did not burst his heart. Then Fox and his wife would stay two or three days, and drive all over the country, and then go to the station loaded with hampers of fruit, and vegetables, and fowls, like a carrier's waggon. That was pretty well; but then came the family of lodgers-I mean those of the first summer, with half a dozen great boys, and what with father and mother and boys, a fine time the horse had of it. These lads used to be riding or driving him morning, noon, and night. Up the village, down the village, across the village, on any road within seven miles of it they were to be met, flogging and putting on the poor beast to his fullest speed. It was a wonder they did