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SiTMTFIMWTOW TTIWTWTO ATW IP A WMWFT? SwJJ liMMoR M ll ifiirailM 11 IroM aJI A TKUMS, 5*2,00 per annum, in advance. Original Rurtnj. For the Southern Literary Gazette. TO , K .|, a rt thou in generous thoughts ami I deed*, v m ,blo friend ! Thou scornest those base arl '’ . . i t ie ignoble throng so otten win it | n i ~ig prize. A fallen foe by thee ~ | j|i| ( _his hatred turned to love, — WM :h t., peace. Thou yieldest up, un ! a.-ked, I„■ e( |,. :l |o t hopes of youth,—long cherished hopes, I | il)V e!i with thy fondest plans of life, , | )U y ain'.lter’s peace,—content thyself j'o plant the golden flowers, which other hands, ithiiikmgly perhaps, shall cull. Earth’s jioor, -te.n Oppression’s iron heel trod down, ||, iL . e J to toil, through long and weary hours, slaves of wealth, and haughty wealth-born power, — - coining, drop by drop, their own best Id ood, , buv that pittance mean, mere elothes and bread, — v cvri’ tinne ; their wrongs,—their every grief. y niusie hath thy step, by thresholds low, \\ ~,L . Want abides. Thy smile, like sunshine, ii -eatters wide the gioom from lonely homes, \\ ~ t- lon i the night of Sorrow brooding slept, L ke sunni-elouds on the sea. [J*C 11ES JOVRNOT. iliinjws us jfirut Soaks. ,111-; little black porter. ; a ‘Three Courses and a Dessert, ** Published by H. Cl. Holm, London. [IONCLIDED FROM LAST WEEK-] ihe indignation and amazinent of I (iiurle- Perry, on seeing his own dead I UUr r in the trunk, where he had expec t,.ii to find the fair form of the bloom ing and lively Isabel Plympton, may nadlv be imagined. His lirst emotions l’ wonder at the sight were quickly .. i,reeded by the deepest regret for the atli of liis favourite dog: but his siirrow for the animal was suddenly extinguished by a most painful feeling nfmnrtideation, at having been soegre giniisly duped : at last, rage,—violent mgovernable rage, seemed to master ill other passions in his bosom. lie r;unl like a bedlamite, beat his fore head, tore his hair, stamped up and down the room, vowed to sacrifice, not I only young Fairfax, Patty Wallis, Doc tor I*l vtutoii, but even Doncaster Dick I himself; and when his excitement had readied its highest pitch, he lifted the dead (log out of the chest, and hurled it. with all his might, at the head of Fesar Devalle. The force of the blow t ew the little Black Porter on the t, where he lay with the dog sprawl ing upon him ; and his grimaces and exclamations for rescue from the ani mal. appeared so exceedingly ludicrous to Charles Perry, that the young gen tleman hurst out into a violent and un- I controllable fit of laughter, in which I he was most readily joined by Doneas- I ter Dick. Long before the merriment of either master or man had subsided, Caesar contrived to extricate himself from the dig; and after adjusting his disordered oavat. began to express his deep indig nation at the insult he had suffered.— lh intimated, in a tone tremulous with agitation, but in rather choice terms, that he should be quite delighted to know by what law or custom any per ’ m was authorized to hurl the corpse of a huge mastiff at the head of a citi zoi of the world ; and why the alarm i . position of an inoffensive father of o n children, struggling to escape ! in an animal, which might, for aught he knew, be alive and rabid, should exhilarate any gentleman, whose pa |vnt> or guardians were not cannibals; ‘"'any groom, except a Centaur* “If w*e ■He to be treated in this way,” pursued he, ‘‘where is the use of tying our hair] e may as well go about like logs I, 1 a dream, if gentlemen know nothing 01 liodrophobia, or the philosophy ol hie human heart. Even the brute cre ation teaches us many of our social du kes : the cat washes her face, and even ‘he duck smoothes her feathers, in or her that she may be known on the pond 11, r “ hat >he is : but if a man is toem -1 “iiish his exterior, —if we are to dis 1’ ay the character ofour minds by out ward appearances, and yet be thrown at, tor sport, like cocks on a Shrove IncsJay,— why, to speak plainly, the ‘■aiges may as well be turned into a ’’ -pot, and the Arabian deserts be cov with \\ itney blankets.” “ lhe short and the long of it is,” ‘aid Dick, “he means, sir, that we ou -lit to know, lookve, as how a man ‘ties his cravat in a small rosette, and shows a bit of frill, don’t give or take horse-plav. That’s mv translation ot Ins rigmarole, and I’ll lay a crown ‘t * a true one.” ” I suspect it is,” said Perry, “ and i in sorry, porter, that —” “-Not a word more,” interrupted 1 |' sar , again suffering his features to [‘■ax from their state ofgrave restraint “do his habitual smile ; — “not a word “Wne, 1 insist: to evince a disposition t’ make an ample apology, is quite ‘atisfactory from one gentleman to a— to a—” * “lo another, you would say, said Charles. ” ou honour me vastly by thiscon -I''oiisiun, sir; and if ever 1 compose ‘ other cotillon, or Mrs. Devalle pre ", !s me with an eight pledge of our a,l, ‘Ctioii, your name shall certainly be lll;i de use of. Gratitude is implanted fcVe ® in stocks and stones; and the ae ° ni that is only half munched by s ’) ille , grows into an oak, and, centuries ai el \ becomes a ship, in which our cel ‘"'rated breed of pigs is carried to the I ’ n ‘ quarters of the world. Even my II ‘ nesake Caesar, the Roman, and llan the Carthageuian —” ” Exactly.—exactly so,” said Perry, l: ‘i ling on his heel and biting his lip, as the recollection of the trick which tla ‘l been played upon him again flashed aer, ss his mind. a £AMM mm&k BMW to mmmm, t m Am Aim sgimis, Aim m mmMx imwMmwsL “ I bog pardon,” said Caesar, follow ing him ; “ I don’t think you foresaw, precisely—” ‘•Well, what, were you going to say?” inquired Charles, in a tone of impa tience. “ I was about to propose, that we should drown all future animosity in a bumper; —that is, if you would honour so humble a member of society as Cte sar Devalle, by ordering the liquor.— Shall I execute your commads?” “ 1 )iek, get some brandy : —I could drink a glass myself.” “ I’ll step for a pint or so,” quoth Ctesar; U 1 am fond of motion :it ex emplifies the living principle, and—” “ No more ofyour observations, but begone,” interrupted Charles. Devail6 made a low bow, and immediately left the room. ‘‘The fellow’s a fool,” con tinued Charles, as the Little Black Port er closed tlie door. “ What say you, Dick, to all this ?” “ Why, sir,” replied Dick, “ I don’t like to be over positive ; but, to me, it looks rather like a pretty kettle offish. Moreover, I’ll lay a year’s perquisites to half a pound, that Mr. Caesar, the porter, is more rogue than ninny.” “ What do you mean ? Why do you wink in that manner !” “Ah ! I never winks without there,s a notion or two in my head. A sensi ble horse don t throw his ears forward, unless there's something in the wind he thinks may he worth looking at. 1 can’t make out which way we’ve been jockied in this form. Where lies the fault, sir ? —that’s what I want to know. \\ ho put the dog in the box ? 1 wish any one would answer that simple ques tion.” “So do 1, Dick, with all my heart.” “\\ ell, then, it’s clear there’s a screw loose somewhere. I’ll lay my leg it don’t lie with little Patty. Then where can it ?” “ Ay, that’s the point, Dick.” “ Why, then, if I'm any judge, this little porter isn t twopence halfpenny better than he should he. He was a long while going for the trunk, you'll reccollect: and when 1 told him that it was directed to Godfrey Fairfax, Esquire, ‘Ay, ay !’ says he, taking the words out of my mouth, ‘Godfrey Fair lax, Esquire, of Demerary.’ It didn’t strike me, then ; but it seems rather oddish to me, now ; and, in my mind, all the roguery was done ’twixt here and the wagon-office : I'll bet a guinea it was.” “Egad, Dick! you’re generally right; and there seems some probabil ity. lint how shall we act ?” “ Why, sir, 1 recommend that we should make him drunk, aud pump him.” “ But suppose his head should prove too hard for ours, Dick.” “ Never fear that, sir; I’ll ring the changes, so that he shall do double du ty.” “You forget, Dick, that all this time he may be making his escape. Run down stairs and look after him.” Dick walked to the door, but re turned w ithout opening it. “ 1 hear his hoof on the stairs, sir,” said he: “sharp’s the word.” The Little Black Porter now entered the room, followed by a waiter with a decanter of brandy, and three glasses. Bumpers were immediately tilled, and the Little Black Porter and Dick drank young Perry’s health: Charles then emptied his glass: more liquid was poured out, the littie Black Porter be gan to talk, and, in a very short time, the contents of the decanter were con siderably diminished. Devalle drank, alternately, and it must be confessed, “nothing loath,” to Dick and his mas ter ; and the groom, with much inge nuity, contrived to make him swallow at least thrice the quantity that either he or young Perry took. Caesar’s eyes gradually grew bright; a slight stutter was perceptible in his speech ; he un necessarily used words of considerable length; and spoke familiarly of persons far above his own station in life. “You seem to he acquainted with nearly all the residents of this neigh bourhood,” said Charles, drawing the Little Black Porter to a w indow ; “can you inform me w ho lives in yonder old brick house, the window-shutters of which always appear closed?” “The owner, sir, “ replied Caesar, “ is an opulent merchant, old and whimsi cal, —but age will have its errors; if not why do we prop a tottering castle, and patch shoes] Nothing is incompre hensible if we adopt the doctrines of analogy; which, as more than one great writer observes, is an irrefragable proof that man is endowed with reasoning powers. The gentleman, whose house you now see, sir, sleeps by day, and dines at midnight. Far be it from me to say that he is wrong : there are quite enough of us to dance attendance on the sun ; why should not Luna have her votaries ] There’s no act of par liament to make man fall asleep at eleven precisely ; Spitzbergen does not lie under the tropics, you know ; and, perhaps, if 1 had my choice, —for flesh is grass,—l should prefer that latitude where it is three months day and three months night.” “And why so, Caisar?” “ Why, 1 need not tell you there’s some difference between a rhinoceros and a sugar-cane ; and, accordingly, I, for one, seldom or ever want to go to sleep, except when under the influence of a more cheerful cup than 1 usually take ; in fact, when I’m in a state of inebriation, which rarely occurs, —for many mole-hills go to a mountain. But on the other hand, when 1 do sleep, — so lovely is nature! —that 1 never should wake, for three months at least, 1 suspect, —though, of course, 1 never tried the experiment, —if Mrs. DevalD did not deluge me with soap-suds. 1 am told that coap contains alkali; and alkali, to some constitutions, is whole some ; —for fire, you know, will roast an ox; —and the custom of bears re tiring into winter quarters, meets with my warmest approbation.’ Before Perry and Ciesar returned to the table, Doncaster Dick had secretly procured a fresh supply of brandy; with which Charles plied the Little Black Porter so vigorously, that Caesar was soon pronounced by Dick to be sufficiently intoxicated for their purpose. Young Perry and the groom then be gan to draw Caesar’s attention to the dog; and endeavoured, by dint of wheedling, threats, and promises, to elicit from him what bail taken place, with regard to the trunk while it was in his possession : but, as the porter had nothing to confess, all their at tempts, of course, proved ineffectual; and Caesar, at last, dropped his head on his shoulder, and sank into a pro found sleep. “ We have overdone it, Dick,” said Perry ; “ we gave him too much, you see.” “ Yes, sir,” replied Dick, “you open ed too hotly upon him; —that’s clear. If you had left him to me, I'd have drawn him as gently as a glove.” Dick and his master, notwithstand ing their precaution, had drunk suffi cient to intoxicate them : they were ripe for mischief, and heedless of con sequences. W hen Charles Perry,there fore, asked Dick what was to be done with the trunk, it is scarcely a matter of surprise, that Dick proposed packing the porter in it, and forwarding it ac cording to the address on its cover ; or that Charles, irritated as he felt, and still suspicious that Ctesar had been a party to the trick which had been play ed off upon him, gaily assented to the proposal. Caesar was lifted into the box, and the cords securely fastened, in a very few minutes. Dick then sal lied forth to ascertain where the ship lay. lie soon returned with a couple of Pill boatmen, who informed Charles that the William and Mary was lying at Ringroad, and waiting only for the tide to put to sea: they were just about to return to Pill, and they undertook, for a small sum, to carry the chest down the river in their boat, .and place it safely on board the vessel before she sailed. It will, doubtless, lie recollected that we left Godfrey Fairfax in a state of delightful agitation, on the deck of the W iliiam and Alary, while several ofthe crew were preparing to hoist his trunk out of the hold. As soon as it w r as brought on deck, Godfrey, with tears of joy glistening in his eyes, fell on his knees in front of it, and eagerly unfastened the cords. lie trembled to find the bolt of the lock already shot back, and with the most anxious solici tude, threw up the cover: instead of the lovely face of Isabel, his eyes fell on that of the Little Black Porter!— Uttering a shriek of horror, he leaped upon his feet, and stood aghast and speechless for several moments, gazing on Devalle. The crew crowded round the chest, and Caesar, who had been roused by Godfrey’sexclamation,raised himself, and stared on the various ob jects by which he was surrounded, —ex- pressed the utter astonishment he felt at his novel situation by such strange contortions of countenance and incohe rent expressions, that tiic sailors, who at the first glimpse they had of Caesar, in the box, were almost as much amaz ed as the Little Black Porter himself, began to laugh most heartily. Godfrey at length, recovered sufficient posses sion of his faculties to grasp Devalle bv the throat, and violently exclaim, — “Villain, explain! What have you done?” “ That is precisely what I wish to know,” replied Ciesar, as soon as he could disengage himself from young Fairfax. “ What have 1 done]—Why do I find myself here? —And where in the world am I?” “ In de Bristol Channel,” chuckled the black cook, who stood tuning a fid dle by the side of the chest. “ Him shipped in good order and condition, aboard de good shipWilliainand Mary.” “ Consigned, I see,” added a sailor, “to Godfrey Fairfax, Esquire, of De merara, —whither we’re bound, direct, —‘with care this side upwards.’ ” “Godfrey Fairfax, of Demerara ! consigned to Demerara!” exclaimed Ceesar, leaping out of the trunk: “Don’t play with my feelings,—don’t—don't —don’t! If you are men, don’t trifle with me your words are poisoned ar rows to my poor heart.” “ Massa blackee no runaway slave, eh?” inquired the cook. “ Unfortunate wretch that 1 am !” replied Caesar; “flesh is frail, and li berty’s wand is a sugar-cane. 1 feel driven by present circumstances to con fess, that 1 certainly did escape in the hold of the Saucy Jane, from Demera ra, thirty years ago. Fellow-creatures, do not refund me to my old master: — I was the property of Mr. Fairfax.” “Os my father !” exclaimed Godfrey. “ Miserable me ! His son here, too!” said Caesar. “ 1 have been kidnapped, —cheated ! I’m a free man, though;— a citizen of the world; a housekeeper, and the father of seven lovely children: do not deprive them of their paternal support. Remember, 1 stand upon my rights: there are laws even for rabbits; English oak is the offspring of the land of liberty, and consequently I command somebody to put me ashore.” “ How* can we put you ashore, my good man ?” asked a fellow in the garb of an hostler ; “we’re cantering along at the rate of twelve miles an hour be fore the wind; and I’ve lost sight of land this long time.” “ 1 don't care for that:—a kangaroo isn’t a cockroach, and I demand my privileges. Put back the ship, I say ; I’m here by mistake.” “ Put back the ship !” repeated the man in the stableman’s dress ; “don’t make yourself so disagreeable in com pany. Do you think every body is to be turned to the right-about for you? I’ve got fifteen mules aboard under my care, and every hour is an object.” “ My good sir,"’ said Devillc, with a smile which he deemed irresistible, “think of my wife and family.” “Oh, nonsense! think of my mules.” “ If there were but a being endowed with the sublime light of reason,among you,” exclaimed Caesar, I would shew* by analogy, —yea, 1 would convince even any muleteer butthisgentleman-” CHARLESTON. SATURDAY, NOV. 16. 18-50. “ Now don’t fatigue yourself, nor put yourself out of the way.” inter rupted the man whom Caesar designa ted as the muleteer; “we all know, that freedom is dear; at least, so I’ve been told by them that ought to be dead as a nail upon such things: therefore it’s only a pleasant trip for you to Demerara and back. Your old master won’t take you again.” “ But lie will,” said Caisar. “ But lie won’t,” retorted the mule teer. “ But he will, I tell you : what is the use of your saying a bull won’t gore me through the stomach, when I know that he will, whether he can or no ? 1 must lift up my voice, —curse that fiddle 1 it’s till out of tune,” con tinued Devalle, snatching the instru ment from the cook, who was scraping tin old march upon it: “I shall lift up my voice, and protest loudly against this outrage. The downfall of Rome may be dated from the Sabine occur rence ; therefore, J warn every body to restore me at once to my adopted land. Retract, 1 say,” pursued the Little Black Porter, almost uncon sciously tuning the fiddle, and then handing it back to the cook as he spoke; “retract, and land me, or you’ll find to your cast, that Demosthenes didn’t put pebbles into his mouth for nothing.” (Yesar, however, was not endowed with sufficient eloquence to get restored to “ home, love, and liberty.” lie ap pealed in vain to the officers of the ship; they said it was impossible for them to lie to, and land him ; for night was coming on—the wind blew a capful— time was of the utmost importance— they touched nowhere on the voyage— and, unwilling as they were to be en cumbered with him, —Jack in the box, (as Caesar was already familiarly term ed.) must positively go with them to Demerara. Leaving the Little Black Porter and Godfrey Fairfax (who scarcely spoke a dozen words during the first week of the voyage) on board the William and Mary, we shall now return to some of the other characters in our tale. Firmly believing that he had been the dupe of Patty, Isabel, and one or both of his rivals, Squire Perry con cealed the circumstances which had oc curred at the Dog and Dolphin : and, in a few months, to the great joy of Doctor Plympton, he left the neigh bourhood entirely. George Wharton’s affection for Isabel, in the mean time had become so apparent, that several good-natured friends alluded to it, at the Doctor’s table, in such plain terms, that the old gentleman was, at length, compelled to notice it. He said noth ing, however,either to Isabel or George; but wrote to the young gentleman’s fa ther, in Jamaica, stating, that, singular to say, the young people had clearly fallen in love with each other, in the opinion of many who were very well qualified to judge in such matters, al though, for his own part, he protested that he could scarcely believe it. “ I entreat you,” he continued, “not to at tach any blame to me, on this occasion: 1 have done my duty to your son, who is as fine a scholar as ever 1 turned out of hand ; although, I must confess,that, latterly, his diligence has visibly de creased. I beseech you, therefore, as he is sufficiently advanced in the classics to enter upon the grand stage of life, instead of suffering him to remain with me another year, which I believe was your intention, to send for him at once, and so blight this unhappy passsion for my child in its very bud.” To the Doctor’s astonishment, Mr. Wharton wrote in reply, that nothing could give him greater pleasure than an alliance with so respectable a family as that of his old friend Plympton ; “that he highly approved of his son’s choice; that he was by no means opposed to early marriages; that he had, by the same packet, communicated his ideas as to a settlement, to an able profes sional gentleman, who would, doubt less, speedily wait upon the Doctor for his approval to a draft deed ; and that the sooner the match was made the better. Adam Burdock, the old attorney of Furnival’s Inn,was the professional gen tleman alluded to in Mr. Wharton’s epistle ; and, in a few days after its ar rival, Doctor Plympton, who found himself unable to communicate what had transpired to George and Isabel in person, made an excuse to come to Lon don, and thence, by letter, afforded them the welcome intelligence. The deeds were prepared w r ith ex traordinary despatch; and, after an absence of eleven days only, Doctor Plympton, accompanied by the attor ney, returned home. On entering the parlour, he was rather surprised to find his own capacious elbow-chair occupied by a- stranger of very singular appear ance. After gazing for a moment at his unknown visitor, who was fast asleep, he turned to his companion, and muttered a few incoherent phrases, bv which the attorney discovered that his host was extremely anxious to disclaim all previous acquaintance with the gen tleman in the chair. The stranger still slept. lie was attired in a short nan keen coat and waistcoat, —the latter lying open from the second button up ward, evidently to display a frilled and very full bosomed shirt; black small clothes, much the worse for wear; white silk stockings, hanging in bags about the calves, and exhibiting an ela borate specimen, from the knee-band to the instep, of the art of darning: his hands rested on a fine bamboo, and his head was embellished with a well powdered wig : —it was the Little Black Porter. Doctor Plympton coughed thrice with considerable emphasis, moved a chair with unnecessary violence, and very energetically poked the fire; but his guest still snored. lie inquired of the attorney, by a look, what he should do. Burdock shrugged up his shoul ders, smiled, and took a seat. Patty Wallis, who had been busy hitherto in receiving the luggage from the driver, now entered the room ; George and Isabel immediately followed; and the joyous laugh of the latter at once pro duced the desired effect on the Little Black Porter. He was awake and on his legs in an instant; and. while he stood bowing and grinning at Isabel and the Doctor, Patty informed George who had just returned with Isabel from a walk, that the strauger knocked at the door about ten minutes before, in quired for Miss Plympton, and, on be ing informed that she was out, but would probably return within half an hour, requested permission to wait, as he had something of importance to communicate. Although the presence of his un known guest was particularly annoying to him, Doctor Plympton addressed the Little Black Porter with his usual suavity, and begged he would resume his scat. Avery awkward silence of several moments ensued ; during which Ctesar took snuff with great self-eoin placency, brushed away the particles which had fallen on his frill, threw him self back in the chair, and seemed to be proud of the curiosity which he ex cited. “My friend I )octor Plympton,” at length observed the attorney, fixing his eye on Caeser so firmly —to use his own expression—that he could not flinch from it, “ my friend here, sir, would, doubtless, be happy to know what for tunate circumstance lie is indebted to for the honour of your company ?” “I dare say lie would,” replied Caesar; “but mv business is with the young lady.” ’ “ With Isabel Plympton !” exclaim ed George. “Ay, sir!” replied the porter; “Cu pid, the little blind god of hearts, you know —eh! Doctor? Ha, ha —Well! who has not been young ? —Cupid and his bow, and then his son Hy men ! My toast, when I m in spirits, always is— May Cupid’s arrows he cut into match es to light Hymen’s torch, but his bow never be destroyed in the conflagra tion.” “ Come, come, sir! —this is foolery,” said \\ barton, who seemed to be much agitated;—“your business at once.” “Foolery!” exclaimed Ctesar; “I will not suffer the .dignity of man to be outraged in my person, remember; so take warning. Foolery, indeed ! but never mind; time is precious; wis dom has been rather improperly paint ed as an old woman with a flowing beard, and some of us have not long to live : so, as we are all friends, I will speak out my business without delay, provided 1 am honoured with Miss Isa bel’s permission.” “ 1 would rather hear it*in private,” said the young lady. “Then lam dumb,” quoth Caesar; “ Venus has sealed my lips with ada mant.” “ You are joking, Bell; —surely you are joking!” exclaimed young Wharton. “ Decidedly you are, child, —I say, decidedly,” cried the Doctor. “ Indeed I am not, father,” replied Isabel, with a gravity of manner which, with her, wa almost unprecedented.— “ If he have aught to say to me, and to me alone, I will hear it alone, or not at all.” “ You see, gentlemen,” said Caesar, “ I should be very happy—but Venus has stopped my breath. I have been always a slave to the sex. Mahomet went to the mountain; and it is inso lence in a rushlight to rival the moon. Do not entreat me, for I’m inflexible.” “ No one entreats you, man,” said George : “If Label Plympton, and such as you, have any private business with each other, I, for one, will not trouble you with my presence.” Young Wharton had no sooner ut tered these words, than he walked out of the room. “Good Heavens!” exclaimed the Doctor, “1 never saw George so roused. Sir,” added he,addressing the attorney, “he’s the quietest creature in existence, —gentle as a lamb, —meek as a dove ; bis enemies, if it were possible for one of his kind disposition to have any, would say he was even too passive. I’m quite alarmed; —pray come with me, —pray do: do assist me, sir, to soothe him. I’m quite unused to such events, and scarcely know how to act. Excuse me, sir, a moment.” The last words of the Doctor were addressed, as he drew the attorney out of the room, to the Little Black Porter. ‘ Don’t mention it, sir,” said Caesar; “ if we can’t make free, why should crickets be respected ? And now, young lady, as we are quite alone—” “ You come from Godfrey Fairfax,” interrupted Isabel. “ Bless my soul!” exclaimed Caesar; —“ a witch !—the world’s at an end ! But I ascribe it to Cupid. How do you know—” “His letter?” “Yes ; have sou not one from him?” “ l will not deny that I have ; but l was only to deliver it on condition—” “ Don’t talk of conditions; —give it to me, at once.” “There it is, then: your commands are my law. 1 have been a martyr to my submission to the fair, but I don’t repent; and, as philosophy and analo gy both concur—” “ Not another word,” interrupted Isabel, “ but leave the house :—go. — What! Cupid’s messenger and demur ?” “ Never :—I will fly. Wish for ine, and Caesar Devalle shall appear. I kiss your fair fingers.” The Little Black Porter perpetrated a bow in his best style, and closed the front door behind him, as Doctor Plympton returned to the parlour. “ He’s very obstinate —George is,” said the Doctor; “I can’t account for it; —he won’t come in. But where’s the gentleman of colour ?” “ Gone, father.” “ Gone!” “Yes, his business with me was brief, you see.” “ That may be ; but I assure you, Bell, I do not feel exactly satisfied with you. I should like to know—” “ Ask me no questions to-night, pa pa : 1 am not well, and I wish to retire. If you will permit me to go to my room at once, I will dutifully answer any thing you please in the morning.” “ Well, go, my lov e ; —go, and God bless you! but it’s very mysterious for all that.” Isabel retired, and, in a short time, the attorney, followed by George Wharton, entered the parlour. They found the Doctor walking to and fro, with his arms folded across his breast, and evidently absorbed in thought.— Their appearance roused him from his reverie: he advanced, very earnestly shook hands with both of them, and asked pardon for his want of urbanity; as an excuse for which, he protested, with ludicrous solemnity, that he scarce ly knew whether he was walking on his head or his heels. “My pupil, too,” he continued, looking at young Wharton, but addressing the attorney, “ I regret to perceive, still clothes his countenance in the frowns of displea sure.” “ Isabel is occupied in privately con ferring somewhere with our new friend, I presume,” said George. “ No, child—not at all,” replied the Doctor, with affected calmness; “she is gone to her room : one of her old attacks of head-ache has occurred, and we may not expect to see her again for the remainder of the evening. The gentleman of colour had departed be fore my return to the parlour.” “ It would have been as well, 1 think, if you had not quitted it,” said young Wharton, angrily : “ I remember the time when you made Miss Plympton a close prisoner, and would sutler none but the inmates of your own house to speak to her, in order that she should not hold any communication with a young gentleman of respectable family who was well known in the neighbour hood : now, you leave her with a stran ger of the most suspicious appearance, who boldly tells you that he lias pri vate business with her, which she re fuses to hear even in your presence! Hut of course, Miss Plympton acquaint ed you with the purport of his visit.” “ No Georg.e, I declare she did not,” said the Doctor, with great humility. “What, sir! did she refuse when you insisted ?” “ 1 did not insist,” replied Doctor Plympton ; “ I did not insist, for she told me beforehand that she would an swer no questions till the. morning,—or something to that effect.” “ You astonish me !” “ I confess that I was staggered my self : —but what could Ido ? She has grown out of her girlhood like a dream; and for the first time in her life, to my apprehension my child stood as a wo man before me. Her look, her tone, her posture, and, above all, the expres sion of her eye-brow, reminded me so strongly, on a sudden, of her majestic mother, that all my energies w'ere sus pended : the dead seemed to be raised from the grave, and I was awed before her. But a truce to this : it will not occur again. 1 was taken by surprise; and, by-the-by, George, on reflection, 1 feel compelled to observe, that it is im possible that 1 should submit to the dictatorial air which you thought fit to assume a few months since. Remem ber, sir, who you are, and what I am; or rather, perhaps, what I was; for tru ly, 1 feel that 1 am not the man 1 re collect myself to have been : —that, however, is no excuse for you.” “ On the contrary, sir,” said George, affectionately taking the old man’s hand, “it adds to my offence.” “ You do not mean to convey, that you are conscious of any visible symp toms of my being unequal to my for mer self, —do you?” “By no means,sir; but—” “ Well, well! once more, enough of this. Let us think of our respectable guest, to whom 1 owe a thousand apolo gies, and order supper. Let us post pone all that’s unpleasant until the morning; when, 1 have no doubt, this affair will prove to be a little farce, at which we shall all heartily laugh. The gentleman of colour is, doubtless, an itinerant vender of some of those num berless absurdities for the toilet or the work-box, which run away with a great portion of every girl’s pocket-money. The idea did not strike me before, but l am almost persuaded that 1 am cor rect in my supposition ; and doubtless, Isabel, piqued at your warmth, —which really almos f electrified me, —deter- mined to punish you, by affecting to be serious and making a mystery of the affair. Retaliate, George, by sleeping soundly to-night, and looking blithe and debonair, as the young Apollo new ly sprung from his celestial couch, to morrow morning.” In spite of the Doctor’s occasional attempts to infuse some portion of gaie ty into the conversation that ensued, a deep gloom reigned in his little parlour during the remainder of the evening. Very shortly after the removal of the cloth from the supper-table, the old at torney, much to the satisfaction of the Doctor and George, retired to his bed room, and they immediately followed his example. Isabel appeared at the breakfast-table the next merning ; but her usual gaiety had vanished: she looked pale and thoughtful, and when addressed, she replied only in monosyllables. George Wharton was sullen, and the Doctor could not avoid betraying his uneasi ness: he several times made such ob servations as he thought would infalli bly force Isabel into an elucidation of the mysteries of the preceding evening; but she was proof against them all, and maintained an obstinate silence on the subject. Under the pretence of shew ing the beauties of his pleasure-ground, Doctor Plympton drew the attorney, who was breakfasting with the most perfect professional non chalance , from his chocolate and egg, to one of the windows; and there briefly, but pa thetically, laid open the state of his mind. “ I declare,” said he, “ I am nearly deprived of my reasoning facul ties with amazement, at the conduct of Bell and the son of your respected cli ent. So complete a metamorphosis has never occurred since the cessation of miracles. Each of them is an al- THIRD VOLUME—NO. 29 WHOLE NO 129. tered being, sir; they are the antipodes of what they were; and 1 assure you, it alarms, —it unnerves me. George, who used to be as bland as Zephyr, and obedient as a gentle child, either sits morose, or blusters, as you saw him hist night, like a bully. And Bell, who indulged almost to an excess in the in nocent gaieties of girlhood, is turned into marble : no one would believe, to look at her now, that she had ever smiled. She has lost her laugh, which used to pour gladness into my old heart, and is quite as dignified and almost as silent as some old Greek statue. How do you account for this ?” “ Sir,” replied Burdock, whose choco late was cooling; “makeyourselfquite easy : such changes are no novelties to me; they must be attributed to the business of the day : —the execution of a deed of settlement, in contempla tion of a speedy marriage, is an awful event to those who have never gone through the ceremony before. I have witnessed hysterics at a pure love match. even when it was seasoned with money in profusion on both sides.” The attorney now strode back to his seat, and began his capital story rela tive to the Great cause of Dukes and Driver. The Doctor reluctantly re turned to the table, and seemed to listen to his guest; but his mind was occupied on a different s tbject; and when the cloth was removed, and the attorney’s tale concluded,he was scarce ly conscious that he had breakfasted, and knew no more of the merits of the case, than Beaufidel, who sat on a foot stool, looking ruefully at his mistress, and evidently disappointed at not hav ing been favoured with his usual por tion of smiles and toast. Immediately after breakfast, Burdock produced, from the recesses of his bag, the marriage settlement, and in a clear and distinct manner, proceeded to read over its contents, —occasionally pausing to translate its technical provisoes into common sense, and enjoining the young people boldly to mention any objec tions that might strike them to the language of the deed, so as to afford him an opportunity of explaining them away as they occurred. In the course ot a couple of hours, he had gone through the drudgery of perusing half a-dozen skins of parchment; and the gardener and Patty were called in to witness the execution of thedeed by the young couple, and Doctor Plympton and Adam Burdock as trustees to the settlement. It wasa moment of interest:—George and the Doctor advanced to lead Isabel to the table ; she started from her chair as they approached, hurried towards the deed, and snatched the pen which the attorney gallantly offered for her use. lie guided her hand to the seal, against which she w as to set her name; but the pen rested motionless on the parchment. After a moment’s pause, the attorney looked up : Isabel’s face, which had previously been exceedingly pale, was now of a deep crimson; her lips quivered ; her eyes were fixed, ap parently, upon some object that had ap peared at the door of the room ; and relinquishing her hold of the pen, she faintly articulated,“Forgive me,George, —Father, forgive me, —but I cannot do it!” Following the direction of her eyes, Burdock turned round while Isabel was speaking, and, to his surprise,beheld the Little Black Porter, who stood bowing and grinning at the door. George Wharton said a few words to encourage Isabel, and supported her with his arm ; and her father, with clasped hands, repeated, in a sorrowful tone, “ Cannot do it!” “ No, —no,” said Isabel; “ never, fa ther, —never ; —while he lives and loves me.” “ He, child ! Whom mean you ?” ex claimed the old man. “ Godfrey Fairfax,” replied Isabel, tremulously. Her head dropped on her shoulder as she spoke ; but though she was evi dently fainting, George withdrew his hand from her waist, with an exclama tion of deep disgust; and she would have sunk on the floor, had not the Lit tle Black Porter, who had been gadu ally advancing, now sprung suddenly forward, and, pushing young Wharton aside, received her in his arms. The attention of George and the Doctor had been so riveted on Isabel, that they were not aware of Devalle’s presence until this moment. George no sooner beheld him, than he rushed out of the room ; the astonished Doctor stagger ed to a chair ; and the two servants, in stead of assisting their mistress, stood motionless spectators of the scene. — Burdock alone seemed to retain perfect possession of his senses : he request ed the gardener to fetch the usual re storatives, and gently reproached Pat ty for her neglect. While Patty, who now became very alert and clamorous, relieved the Little Black Porter trom the burthen which he willingly supported, the attorney suggested to Doctor Plympton, the propriety of obtaining possession of a ietter, the end of which was peeping out of Isabel’s bosom, before she re covered ; but the Doctor sat, heedless of his remark, gazing at his pale and inanimate child. Burdock, therefore, without loss of time, moved cautiously towards Isabel, and without being de tected even by the waiting-maid, drew the letter forth. At that instant Isa bel opened her eyes, and gradually re covered her senses. She intimated that she was perfectly aware of what Burdock had done ; and, after request ing that the letter might be handed to her father, with the assistance of Patty she retired from the room. The Little Black Porter was follow ing Isabel and Patty as closely as pos sible, and had already placed one foot outside the door, when Doctor Plymp ton peremptorily ordered him to come back. Devalle returned bowing very obsequiously; and when he had ar rived within a pace or two of the Doc tor’s chair, with a strange mixture of humility and impudence, he inquired what were the honoured gentleman s commands. The Doctor had entirely laid aside his usual suavity of deportment, and, in a loud voice, accompanied with vio lent gesticulation, he thus addressed the ever-smiling object of his wrath: — “ Thou fell destroyer of my peace! — what art thou] Art thou Incubus, Succubus, or my evil spirit? Who sent thee ? In what does thy influence over my child consist? Why am I tortured by thy visitation I—Speal—Speak— explain to me —unfold thy secret —or I shall forget my character, and do I know not what.” “Pray be moderate, my dear friend,” said Burdock, interposing his person between the Doctor and Devalle. “Ay, ay,—that is wisely said, —pray be moderate, my dear friend,” repeat ed Devalle ; “we are all like the chaff which we blow away with the breath of our own nostrils. Be calm —be calm : let us be rational, and shew our greatest attribute. A man that is a slave to passion, is worse than a negro on a plantation : he’s a wild beast. I don’t wish to be rude, for life is short; and more than one great man has been cut off by a cucumber ; but I must ob serve, that a passionate gentleman is very likely to make holes in his man ners.—What says our legal friend ? Caesar Devalle"! will feel honoured in being permitted utterly to abandon him self to the good gentleman's opinion. Arbitration against argument always has my humble voice : and if a man wishes to get well through the world, civility is the best horse he can ride.” “ If your observations are addressed to me,” aid the attorney, “they are un welcome. Restrict your discourse to plain answers to such questions as I shall put to you. Now’ attend: —did you deliver this letter last night to Miss Plympton ?” “ Why does the gentleman ask ?” “ 1 suspect you did.” “Avow or deny it, sirrah! at once,” exclaimed the Doctor. “ Oh, pardon me, there, ,£ replied Devalle; “we are all men : the cat ex pects to be used after its kind ; and if a man is to be treated like a dog, he may as well bark, and wear a tail at once. I can bear a blow as well as most people, from a blackguard ; but, with gentlemen, I expect a certain be hav our. Resentment is found in the breast of a camel; and there is no doubt but that man is endowed with feelings:—if not, why do we marry?” “ Well, my good friend,” said the at torney, changing his manner entirely from that which he had adopted in his first category, “ perhaps you may be right: we will not dispute the points you have raised ; but you must allow that Doctor Plympton has some ex cuse for being warm. Appearances are strong ; but 1 doubt not you will, as an honest man, unequivocally answer us, and clear them up.” “ Oh, sir,” replied Devalle, “lam yours devotedly: ask me no questious; for 1 do not like to have what I know tugged out of my conscience by an at torney, like jaw-teeth with nippers, or corks from a bottle by a twisting screw; for l have a large family, and am more than fifty years old. I will tell you frankly, that I did give Miss that let ter: I was sent on a special mission with it to her from Demerara. I went out in the same ship with Mr. Godfrey Fairfax: on landing, we found that his father Mid just died, and left him heir to all; then, as flesh is grass, he sent me back at once with orders—if Miss was not married—to give her his billet doux. That’s the truth: 1 confess it freely, for it’s useless to deny it; and our heads will lie low r enough a hun dred years hence. Perhaps you will not take it uncivil in me to say, that you would have found all that I have said, and more, in fewer words, if, in stead ofcalling me sirrah, and so forth, you had perused Mr. Godfrey’s letter. Excuse me, but the philosopher could notread the stars until somebody told him tc buy a telescope. I am for civil ity, mutual improvement and wisdom all over the world. And now, gentle men,T hope you will permit me to re tire. I must find my wife and family: I have not made a single inquiry for them yet; though they occupy all my waking thoughts, and are the dramatis persona: of my little dreams. I hum bly withdraw, but shall soon be in the neighbourhood again,—for locomotion is salubrious ; and, if this present match with Miss be not strangled, I hope-to have the honour of seeing you in church, in order, humble as I am, to forbid the banns. Y'ou would not smile, perhaps, if it occurred to your recollection, as it does into mine, that lions have been emancipated by mice, and more than one hero has been choked by a horsebean. It is for these reasons. 1 apprehend, judging from anal ogy, —a doctrine I reverence, —that cat tle pasturing on a common or warren, abhor rabbit-burrows, and we, our selves, detest and exterminate scor pions and wasps.—Gentlemen, your most humble and very devoted ser vant Caesar Devalle.” With his usual multitude of obei sances, the Little Black Porter now left Doctor Plymptonand the attorney to peruse the love-letter of Godfrey’ Fairfax to Isabel. It abounded with professions of the most passionate at tachment ; the deepest regret was ex pressed at the writer’s present inabili ty to return to England ; but he vowed to fly to Isabel, on the wings of love, early in the ensuing summer, if she still considered his hand worthy of her ac ceptance! lie stated, that he was una ble to solve the mystery of her escape from the trunk: he feared that some thing unpleasant had happened, but clearly exonerated his fond, confiding Isabel from having borne any share in the base plot which had evidently been played off against him. 1 hese allusions to the affair of the trunk, were beyond Doctor PI ymptons 1 comprehension ; Burdock, however, ob tained a tolerably clear insight to the circumstances from Isabel, Patty, George Wharton, and Caesar DevallS,