The night came on, the stars shone out

As bright as wimmen's wit;

And still them fellers swore and gouged,
And fit, and fit, and fit!!!!!!!

The neighbours heard the noise they made,
And thought an earthquake lit;
Yet all the while 'twas him and Sam
As fit, and fit, and fit !!!!!!!!

Fur miles around the noise was heard,
Folks couldn't sleep a bit,
Because them two rantankerous chaps
Still fit, and fit, and fit !!!!!!!!!

But jist at cock-crow, suddently,
There came an awful pause,
And I and my old man run out
To ascertain the cause.

The sun was rising in the yeast,
And lit the hull concern,
But not a sign of either chap
Was found at any turn.

Yet in the region where they fit,
We found, to our surprise,
One pint of buttons, two big knives,
Some whiskers and four eyes!

FEW days afterwards Jack discovered, one fine morning, on the other side of a hedge, a summer apple-tree bearing tempting fruit, and he immediately broke through the hedge, and climbing the tree, he culled the fairest, as our first mother did before him, and did eat. "I say, you sir, what are you doing there?" cried a rough voice.

Jack looked down, and perceived a stout, thickset personage in grey coat and red waistcoat, standing underneath him.

"I'M EATING APPLES."

"Don't you see what I'm about?" replied Jack; "I'm eating apples; shall I throw you down a few?"

"Thank you kindly; the fewer that are pulled the better. Perhaps as you are so free to give them to others as well as to help yourself, you may think that they are your own property?" "Not a bit more my property than they are yours, my good man."

"I guess that's something like the truth; but you are not quite at the truth yet, my lad; those apples are mine, and I'll trouble you to come down as fast as you please; when you're down we can then settle our accounts; and," continued the man, shaking his cudgel, "depend upon it you shall have your receipt in full."

Jack did not much like the appearance of things.

"My good man," said he, "it is quite a prejudice on your part to imagine that apples were not given, as well as all other fruit, for the benefit of us all-they are common property, believe me." "That's a matter of opinion, my lad, and I may be allowed to have my own."

"You'll find it in the Bible," says Jack.

"I never did yet, and I've read it through and through all, bating the 'Pocryfar. "

"Then," said Jack, "go home and fetch the Bible, and I'll prove it to you."

"I suspect you'll not wait till I come back again. No, no; I have lost plenty of apples, and have long wanted to find the robbers out; now I've caught one I'll take care that he don't 'scape without apple-sauce, at all events-so come down, you young thief, come down directly, or it will be all the worse for you."

"Thank you," said Jack, "but I am very well here. I will, if you please argue the point from where I am."

"I've no time to argue the point, my lad, I've plenty to do, but do not think I'll let you off. If

you don't choose to come down, why, then you may stay there, and I'll answer for it, as soon as work is done I shall find you safe enough."

"I CAN'T WAIT HERE, BUT CESAR CAN."

"What can be done," thought Jack, "with a man who will not listen to argument? What a world is this-however, he'll not find me here when he comes back, I've a notion."

But in this Jack was mistaken. The farmer walked to the hedge, and called to a boy, who took his orders and ran to the farmhouse. In a minute or two, a large bull-dog was seen bounding along the orchard to his master. "Mark him, Cæsar," said the farmer to the dog, "mark him." The dog crouched down on the grass, with his head up, and eyes glaring at Jack, showing a range of teeth that drove all our hero's philosophy out of his head.

"I can't wait here, but Cæsar can, and I will tell you, as a friend, that if he gets hold of you, he'll not leave a limb of you together-when work's done, I'll come back;" so saying, the farmer walked off, leaving Jack and the dog to argue the point, if so inclined. What a sad jade must Philosophy be to put her votaries in such predicaments!

After a while, the dog laid his head down and closed his eyes, as if asleep, but Jack observed that at the least movement on his part one eye was seen to partially unclose, so Jack, like a prudent man, resolved to remain where he was. He picked a few more apples, for it was his dinnertime, and as he chewed he ruminated.

Jack had been but a few minutes ruminating before he was interrupted by another ruminating animal, no less a personage than a bull, who had been turned out with full possession of the orchard, and who now advanced, bellowing occasionally,

"At

and tossing his head at the sight of Cæsar, whom he considered as much a trespasser as his master had our hero. Cæsar started on his legs and faced the bull, who advanced pawing, with his tail up in the air. When within a few yards, the bull made a rush at the dog, who evaded him and attacked him in return, and thus did the warfare continue until the opponents were already at some distance from the apple-tree. Jack prepared for immediate flight, but unfortunately the combat was carried on by the side of the hedge at which Jack had gained admission. Never mind, thought Jack, there are two sides to every field, and although the other hedge joined on to the garden near to the farmhouse, there was no option. all events," said Jack, "I'll try it." Jack was slipping down the trunk, when he heard a tremendous roar; the bull-dog had been tossed by the bull; he was then high in the air, and Jack saw him fall on the other side of the hedge; and the bull was thus celebrating his victory with a flourish of trumpets. Upon which Jack, perceiving that he was relieved from his sentry, slipped down the rest of the tree, and took to his heels. Unfortunately for Jack, the bull saw him, and, flushed with victory, he immediately set up another roar, and bounded after Jack. Jack perceived his danger, and fear gave him wings; he not only flew over the orchard, but he flew over the hedge, which was about five feet high, just as the bull drove his head into it. Look before you leap is an old proverb. Had Jack done so, he would have done better; but as there were cogent reasons to

that he had pitched into a small apiary, and had upset two hives of bees, who resented the intrusion, and Jack had hardly time to get upon his legs before he found them very busy stinging him in all quarters. All that Jack could do was to run for it, but the bees flew faster than he could run, and Jack was mad with pain, when he stumbled,

"LOOK BEFORE YOU LEAP."

half-blinded, over the brick-work of a well. Jack could not stop his pitching into the well, but he seized the iron chain as it struck him across the face. Down went Jack, and round went the windlass, and after a descent of forty feet, our hero found himself under water, and no longer troubled with the bees, who, whether they had lost scent of their prey from his rapid descent, or being notoriously clever insects, acknowledged the truth of the adage, “leave well alone," had certainly left Jack with no other companion than Truth. Jack rose from his immersion, and seized the rope to which the chain of the bucket was made fast-it had all of it been unwound from the windlass, and therefore it enabled Jack to keep his head above water. After a few seconds, Jack felt something against his legs, it was the bucket about two feet under the water; Jack put his feet into it, and found himself pretty comfortable, for the water, after the sting of the bees and the heat he had been put into by the race with the bull, was quite cool and refreshing.

"At all events," thought Jack, "if it had not been for the bull, I should have been watched by the dog, and then thrashed by the farmer; but then again, if it had not been for the bull, I should not have tumbled among the bees; and if it had not been for the bees, I should not have tumbled into the well; and if had not been for the chain, I

should have been drowned. Such has been the chain of events, all because I wanted to eat an apple."

After he had been there some fifteen minutes, his teeth chattered, and his limbs trembled; he felt a numbness all over, and he thought it high time to call for assistance, which at first he would not, as he was afraid he should be pulled up to encounter the indignation of the farmer and his family. Jack was arranging his jaws for a halloa, when he felt the chain pulled up, and he slowly emerged from the water. At first he heard complaints of the weight of the bucket, at which Jack was not surprised, then he heard a tittering and laughing between two parties, and soon afterwards he mounted up gaily. At last his head appeared above the low wall, and he was about to extend his arms so as to secure a position on it, when those who were working at the windlass beheld him. It was a heavy farming man and a maid servant. "Thank you," said Jack.

One never should be too quick in returning thanks; the girl screamed, and let go the winch, the man, frightened, did not hold it fast; it slipped from his grasp, whirled round, struck him under the chin, and threw him over it, headlong, and before the "Thank you" was fairly out of Jack's lips, down he went again like lightning to the bottom. Fortunately for Jack, he had not yet let go the chain, or he might have struck the sides and have been killed; as it was, he was merely soused a second time, and in a minute or two regained his former position.

"This is mighty pleasant," thought Jack, as he clapped his wet hat once more on his head; "at all events, they can't now plead ignorance, they must know that I'm here."

In the meantime, the girl ran into the kitchen, threw herself down on a stool, from which she reeled off in a fit upon sundry heaps of dough waiting to be baked in the oven, which were laid to rise on the floor before the fire.

"Mercy on me, what is the matter with Susan?" exclaimed the farmer's wife. "Here-where's Mary-where's John?-Deary me, if the bread won't all be turned to pancakes."

John soon followed, holding his under jaw in his hand, looking very dismal and very frightened, for two reasons, one because he thought that his jaw was broken, and the other, because he thought he had seen the devil.

Mercy on us, what is the matter?" exclaimed the farmer's wife again. "Mary, Mary, Mary!" screamed she, beginning to be frightened herself, for with all her efforts she could not remove Susan from the bed of dough, where she lay senseless and heavy as lead. Mary answered to her mistress's loud appeal, and with her assistance they raised up Susan, but as for the bread, there was no hope

of it ever rising again. "Why don't you come here and help Susan, John?" cried Mary.

"Aw-yaw-aw!" was all the reply of John, who had had quite enough of helping Susan, and who continued to hold his head, as it were, in his hand. "What's the matter here, missus?" exclaimed the farmer, coming in. "Highty-tighty, what ails Susan, and what ails you?" continued the farmer, turning to John. "Dang it, but everything seems to go wrong this blessed day. First there be all the apples stolen-then there be all the hives turned topsy-turvy in the garden-then there be Cæsar with his flank opened by the bull-then there be the bull broken through the hedge and tumbled into the saw-pit-and now I come to get more help to drag him out, I find one woman dead like, and John looks as if he had seen the devil."

one of the satellites of Jupiter sometimes obscures the face of the planet round which he revolves. "Here I am," cried Jack, "get me up quick, or I shall be dead;" and what Jack said was true, for he was quite done up by having been so long down, although his courage had not failed him.

"Dang it, but there be somebody fallen into the well," cried the farmer: "no end to mishaps this day. Well, we must get a Christian out of a well afore we get a bull out of a saw-pit, so I'll go call the men.'

In a very short time the men who were assembled round the saw-pit were brought to the well.

"Down below there, hold on now." "Never fear," cried Jack.

"One would think that the devil had broke loose to-day. What is it, John? Have you seen him, and has Susan seen him?" "Aw-yaw!"

"He's stopped your jaw then, at all events, and I thought the devil himself wouldn't have done that we shall get nothing of you. Is that wench coming to her senses?"

"Dang it, if it bean't that chap who was on my apple-tree," cried the farmer; "howsomever he must not die for stealing a few apples; lift him up, lads, and take him in-he is dead with coldno wonder!"

The farmer led the way, and the men carried Jack into the house, when the farmer gave him a

"Oh, ho, ma'am ! the well, the well

The farmer trotted off to the well; he perceived the bucket was at the bottom and all the rope out; he looked about him, and then he looked into the well. Jack, who had become very impatient, had been looking up some time for the assistance which he expected would have come sooner; the round face of the farmer occasioned a partial eclipse of the round disc which bounded his view, just as

"My name is Easy," replied Jack.

'What, be you the son of Mr Easy, of Forest Hill?"

"Yes."

"Dang it, he be my landlord, and a right good landlord too-why didn't you say so when you were up in the apple-tree? You might have picked the whole orchard and welcome."

[From ERARD AINSLIE sat at breakfast in his cheerful room overlooking the park, with a bright spring sunshine pouring in on his white tablecloth, and the balmy air stealing through his open window to stir the broad sheet of his morning paper, propped against the coffee-pot. There was a tender quiver of green leaves, a fragrance of opening buds and bursting vegetation, pervading the world outside; and within, for Gerard at least, late in life as it had come, the veritable spring-tide of the heart.

He was happy, this bright morning, so happy! A kindly, well-worded letter from Dolly, detailing the interview with Count Tourbillon, had been brought by his servant when he woke, and it seemed like the announcement of freedom to a prisoner for life. True, he had given more than one gentle thought to the memory of the woman who had loved him so recklessly, deceived him so cruelly; but all sadder emotion was speedily swallowed up in the joyous reflection that now at last he might stretch his hand out for the White Rose, and take her home to his breast for evermore. What a world this seemed suddenly to have become! How full of life and beauty everything had grown in the space of an hour! He could scarcely believe in the listlessness of yesterday, or realise the dull weight of sorrow he had carried for so many years that he was accustomed to its pressure, and only knew how grievous it had been now, when it was shaken off. He sat back in his arm-chair, absorbed in dreams of happiness. He felt so good, so considerate, so kindly, so thankful. How delightful, he thought, thus to be at peace with self, in favour with fortune, and in charity with all men !

His servant threw open the door and announced "Mr. Burton."

I suppose. since the fall of our first parents, there never was a Garden of Eden yet into which a serpent of some sort did not succeed in writhing himself soon or late, never a rose in which, if you did but examine closely, you might not find an insect, possibly an earwig, at the core.

Gerard, cheerfully and hospitably greeting his early visitor, little suspected how that gentleman was about to combine the amiable qualities of insect and reptile in his own person.

'Breakfasted!" replied the Dandy, in answer to his host's inquiry. Hours ago! Been round the park since that, and half-way to Kensington. Fact is, my good fellow, I'm restless, I'm anxious, I'm troubled in my mind, and it's about you!"

แ "About me!" said the other. "Don't distress

yourself about me, Dandy. I've had a roughish time of it, as you know, but I'm in smooth water at last. If you won't eat, I'll have the things taken away."

While a servant was in the room, Burton preserved an admirable composure, enlarging pleasantly enough on those engrossing topics which make up the staple of everyday conversation. He touched on the political crisis, the new remedy for gout, the Two Thousand, The Derby, the Jockey Club, the Accordion, and the American actress of whom everybody was talking; while Gerard listened with a vague, happy smile, not attending to a syllable, as he pictured to himself the White Rose moving gracefully through her morning-room, amongst her flowers, and wondered how early he could call without exciting remarks from the household, or outraging the decencies of society.

The moment the door closed, Burton's face assumed an expression of deep and friendly concern.

"Jerry," said he, "I didn't come here at early dawn only to tell you what 'the Man in the Street' says. I've got something very particular to talk to you about. Only-honour !—it must go no farther than ourselves."

Since they left Archer's years ago, he had not called Ainslie by the familiar boyish nickname. The latter responded at once.

"Out with it, old fellow ! Is it anything I can do for you?"

Burton became perfectly saint-like in his candour.

"You will be offended with me, I know," said he. "But a man ought not to shrink from doing his duty by him even at the risk of quarrelling with his friend. You and I are not mere acquaintances. If you saw me riding at a fence where you knew there was a gravel-pit on the other side, wouldn't you halloa to stop me?"

Gerard conceded that he certainly would bid him "hold hard," marvelling to what this touching metaphor tended the while.

"Jerry," continued his friend, with exceeding frankness, "I have reason to believe you are going to ride at a very blind place indeed. You shan't come to grief if I can help it!"

Ainslie laughed good-humouredly. "Show us the gravel-pit," said he. "I don't want to break my neck just yet, I can tell you."

"You won't like it," answered the other. "It's about Mrs. Vandeleur."

Gerard rose and took two turns through the room. Then he stopped opposite Burton's chair,