her till she fell fainting into those of my wife. What a dread contrast was there between the frantic gestures-the passionate lamentations of the mother, and the stony silence and motionlessness of the daughter! One little but affecting incident occurred in my presence. Mrs. P― (as yet unacquainted with the peculiar nature of her daughter's seizure) had snatched Miss P-'s hand to her lips, kissed it repeatedly, and suddenly let it go, to press her own hand upon her head, as if to repress a rising hysterical feeling. Miss P-'s arm, as usual, remained for a moment or two suspended, and only gradually sunk down upon the bed. It looked as if she voluntarily continued it in that position, with a cautioning air. Methinks I see at this moment the affrighted stare with which Mrs. P- regarded the outstretched arm, her body recoiling from the bed, as though she expected her daughter were about to do or appear something dreadful! I learned from Mrs. P-that her mother, the grandmother of Agnes, was reported to have been twice affected in a similar manner, though apparently from a different cause; so that there seemed something like a hereditary tendency towards it, even though Mrs. Pherself had never experienced anything of the kind.

As the memorable evening advanced, the agitation of all who were acquainted with, or interested in the approaching ceremony, increased. Mrs. P—, I need hardly say, embraced the proposal with thankful eagerness. About half-past seven, Dr. D- arrived, pursuant to his promise; and he was soon afterwards followed by the organist of the neighbouring church-an old acquaintance, and who was a constant visitor at my house, for the purpose of performing and giving instructions on the organ. I requested him to commence playing Martin Luther's hymn-the favourite one of Agnes - as soon as she should be brought into the room. About eight o'clock, the Dean's carriage drew up. I met him at the door.

"Peace be to this house, and to all that dwell in it!" he exclaimed, as soon as he entered. I led him up stairs; and, without uttering a word, he took the seat prepared for him, before a table on which lay a Bible and PrayerBook. After a moment's pause, he directed the sick person to be brought into the room. I stepped up stairs, where I found my wife, with the nurse, had finished dressing Miss P-. thought her paler than usual, and that er cheeks seemed hollower than when

I had last seen her. There was an air of melancholy sweetness and languor about her, that inspired the beholder with the keenest sympathy. With a sigh, I gathered her slight form into my arms, a shawl was thrown over her, and, followed by my wife and the nurse, who supported Mrs. P—, I carried her down stairs, and placed her in an easy recumbent posture, in a large old family chair, which stood between the organ and the Dean's table. How strange and mournful was her appearance! Her luxuriant hair was gathered up beneath a cap, the whiteness of which was equalled by that of her countenance. Her eyes were closed; and this, added to the paleness of her features, ber perfect passiveness, and her being enveloped in a long white unruffled morning dress, which appeared not unlike a shroud, at first sight made her look rather a corpse than a living being! As soon as Dr. D― and I had taken seats on each side of our poor patient, the solemn strains of the organ commenced. I never appreciated music, and especially the sublime hymn of Luther, so much as on that occasion. My eyes were fixed with agonizing scrutiny on Miss P-. Bar after bar of the music melted on the ear, and thrilled upon the heart; but, alas! produced no more effect upon the placid sufferer than the pealing of an abbey organ on the statues around! My heart began to misgive me: if this one last expedient failed! When the music ceased, we all kneeled down, and the Dean, in a solemn and rather tremulous tone of voice, commenced reading appropriate passages from the service. for the visitation of the sick. When he had concluded the 71st psalm, he approached the chair of Miss P-, dropped upon one knee, held her right hand in his, and in a voice broken with emotion, read the following affecting verses from the 8th chapter of St. Luke:

"While he yet spake, there cometh one from the ruler of the synagogue's house, saying to him, Thy daughter is dead; trouble not the Master.

But when Jesus heard it, he answered him, saying, Fear not; believe only, and she shall be made whole.

"And when he came into the house, he suffered no man to go in, save Peter, and James, and John, and the father and the mother of the maiden. And all wept and bewailed her: but he said, Weep not; she is not dead, but sleepeth. And they laughed him to scorn, knowing that she was dead.

"And he put them all out, and took

her by the hand, and called, saying, Maid, arise. And her spirit came again, and she arose straightway." While he was reading the passage which I have marked in italics, my heated fancy almost persuaded me that I saw the eyelids of Miss P- moving. I trembled from head to foot; but, alas, it was a delusion!

The Dean, much affected, was proceeding with the fifty-fifth verse, when such a tremendous and long-continued knocking was heard at the street door, as seemed likely to break it open. Every one started up from their knees, as if electrified-all moved but unhappy Agnes and stood in silent agitation and astonishment. Still the knocking was continued, almost without intermission. My heart suddenly misgave me as to the cause.

"Go-go-See if"-stammered my wife, pale as ashes endeavouring to prop up the drooping mother of our patient. Before any one had stirred from the spot on which he was standing, the door was burst open, and in rushed Mr. N-, wild in his aspect, frantic in his gesture, and his dress covered with dust from head to foot. We stood gazing at him, as though his appearance had petrified us.

66 Agnes-my Agnes!" he exclaimed, as if choked for want of breath.

" AGNES! Come!" he gasped, while a laugh appeared on his face that had a gleam of madness in it.

"Mr. N-? what are you about? For mercy's sake, be calm! Let me lead you, for a moment, into another room, and all shall be explained!" said I, approaching and grasping him firmly by the arm.

"AGNES!" he continued, in a tone that made us tremble. He moved towards the chair in which Miss P-lay. I endeavoured to interpose, but he thrust me aside. The Venerable Dean attempted to dissuade him, but met with no better a reception than myself.

66 Agnes!" he reiterated, in a hoarse, sepulchral whisper, "why won't you speak to me? what are they doing to you?" He stepped within a foot of the chair where she lay-calm and immovable as death! We stood by, watching his movements, in terrified apprehension and uncertainty. He dropped his hat, which he had been grasping with convulsive force, and before any one could prevent him, or even suspect what he was about, he snatched Miss P-out of the chair, and compressed her in his arms with frantic force, while a deliri

ous laugh burst from his lips. We rushed forward to extricate her from his grasp. His arms gradually relaxedhe muttered, "Music! music! a dance!" and almost at the moment that we removed Miss P- from him, fell senseless into the arms of the organist. Mrs. P- had fainted; my wife seemed on the verge of hysterics; and the nurse was crying violently. Such a scene of trouble and terror I have seldom witnessed! I hurried with the poor unconscious girl up stairs, laid her upon the bed, shut and bolted the door after me, and hardly expected to find her alive; her pulse, however, was calm, as it had been throughout the seizure. The calm of the Dead Sea seemed upon her! To be concluded in our next.

MARRIED FOR MONEY. Concluded from page 104.

last

It was about a year after this winter, in short that wandering through that part of the world, I thought of paying Makepeice, an old fellowofficer of mine, a congratulatory visit, having heard of nothing among our common acquaintance for the last twelve months, but his uncommon good fortune. I wrote a letter to him then from an adjoining inn; and as we had been great chums in our day, said that I would look in upon him about his dinner hour. Accordingly, a boy was sent on with a small bundle of clothes, to dress for the evening, and I sallied forth on a snipe-shooting expedition, for which I had visited that part of the country. About five o'clock, completely wet through, excessively hungry, and not triflingly fatigued, I wended my way through some long, dank grass, the road to the house being only half completed, to my friend's mansion. My ring at the bell, I soon perceived, was the cause of no slight discomfiture. I heard the hurrying tramp of steps-the raised tone of voices; while the glim mering of lights, passing from one window to the other, gave me a cheering prospect of the bustle that was made for my reception. "How kind, how friendly," I murmured, "and how sorry I am to give all this trouble." At last two men, one out of livery, who looked like a gardener, and the other in livery, who bore a strong resemblance, in his finery, to a chimney-sweep on May-day, came to the half-opened door. "Is Captain Makepeice come in yet? has he received my note? and is my bundle

come?" To these three interrogatories which I made, carelessly entering, the two domestics, gaping and staring, answered, "Yes, no, yes, no," in quick succession, to which paid but little attention; and giving my gun to the footman, with the charge to remember it was loaded, I asked the man who was not a footman to show me to my apartment. "You can't come in here, Sir," said the fellow, staring, "Mistress says she can't receive none of you." "But the gentleman is to come in, though," said my liveried friend; "master told me he was. "" "Ay," said I, "there's some mistake-I am the gentleman your master said he expected, and not the gentleman," turning to the other," whom your mistress said she would not receive;" and taking a hand candlestick off the hall-table, Come," said I, "quick! shew me my room, for I shall be ashamed to appear before Mrs. Makepeice in this fashion." Still there was staring and irresolution; I got out of patience. "Go you," said I to the man who had spoken about his master, "and tell Captain Makepeice that I, Major Elyot, have come; and give you," said I to the other, my compliments to your mistress, and say I would come myself, even as I am, to pay my devoirs to her, but that I have heard too much of her taste and fashion, not to wish to make myself first a little more decent."-" Doors," said the chap, there are no doors to pay for, that I'm certain, for my mistress always pay all ready money." Just as this answer had reduced me to despair, I heard a low whisper behind a door to my right "Well, I think the man is a gentleman; now he is come, Captain Makepeice (you're always bringing people here,) it will be proper, I suppose, to relieve him, but you must tell him we have dined-he can take a little tea with us in the evening. There, go now; don't stand here like a fool," And the door was opened suddenly, and my friend pushed through, whose rheumatism easily losing him his equilibrium, he fell into my arms at once.

"How do you do, my dear fellow," said 1. "Ha," said he, "how d'ye dohow are you - you must be tired-won't you sit down?" I could not help laughing, since we were in the hall without a sign of any convenience for putting his request into execution. "And where shall we sit down?" said I. "Ha! ha!" said he, faintly, devilish good joke, isn't it? where shall we sit down, by-the-bye?" After some

66

a

murmuring between me, two servants. and their master, and an appeal to the upper housemaid, who was below stairs, and who first visited the back parlour, from which my friend the captain had burst upon me, I got introduced into a garret, and procured my bundle, and some warm water in a cracked, blue jug, with which I contrived to make my ablutions.

With jaws aching with hunger, and with some faint symptoms of that aguish disorder which my sport was not unlikely to produce, I descended the oaken staircase, trembling at every step for my neck, which its polished surface put into evident jeopardy, and was shewn into a largish, square, dark, panelled room, most faintly illumined by two thin mould candles. One small, dying bit of wood might be discovered between two old-fashioned brass dogs, that served as a fire-grate. Mrs. Makepeice, whose face, figure, and fair accomplishments, I have described, was sitting by a square table, covered with a loose, green-baize cloth. The captain, one-half of whose face I now discovered to be frightfully red and swollen, while the other had shrunk into utter thinness and cadaverousness, sat twisting his thumbs by her side and farthest from the fire; a' chair was placed for me opposite. Without being a great adept at Lord Chesterfield's maxims, I had quite sufficient tact to compliment my friend on his wife, and his wife on her property and mansion; and this, perchance, procured me the offer of some cold beef with my tea, which I thankfully accepted; and complaining of cold in my stomach, at which my friend murmured something about Mrs. Makepeice's late uncle having some excellent Port, the lady assuring her husband that he was "a horror," and thought of nothing since he had escaped from a state of starvation but of ruining his health by luxurious living, very kindly offered me a little rhubarb in peppermint water: which she said was what she always took for any pain in the stomach; the Captain, the faint twinkling of whose best eye shewed that he had not yet lost all relish for a joke, made some pun upon raising the wind, which it is not worth while to repeat. "Come, none of your vulgar jokes, Captain Makepeice; the Major, I am sure, won't understand you, and I really have not been used to it; but this comes, Major Elyot, of marrying a beggar. My poor aunt, whenever her asthmatics would let her speak, used

120

always to say how it would be; she, poor dear thing, was the pink of gentility you don't know, Major Elyot, if she could have thought-but who could have thought? Oh, you awkward wretch-(as the Captain rather maliciously turned his hot cup of tea over an unfaded grey silk gown)-you mean to kill me, to ruin me, I see you do; and who is to buy me other gowns, I should like to know? this comes of marrying a beggar!" and the lady flounced out of the room, leaving my friend and me to our various soliloquies and a bottle of "the late uncle's Port," which, when the lady was fairly gone to bed, the Captain, who had a fac simile of the key of the cellar, contrived to produce.

I must confess that, poverty-stricken as I am, I thought my poor friend the most miserable of mortals, until I was awoke in the night by the information that Mrs. Makepeice had got the cholera she was taken at two in the morning, and was dead by twelve at mid-day. The whole of her fortune was left to the Magdalen. "And so much," said my friend, rubbing the rheumatic side of his face very dolorously "So much, my dear fellow, for marrying for money!" New Monthly Mag.

SAM SCRAPES. For the Olio.

Sam Scrapes he was a barber gay,
And hair-dresser by trade,
And, like his razor, was pronounced,
A keenish sort of blade.

He served his time in famed Cheapside,
But, tired of brainless blocks,
He bolted soon from Mr. Barr's,
In spite of all his locks.

At length, commenced the world himself,
Sam was upon the whole

A wonder-for his fame soon spread,
Like light-from poll to poll.

But then, of course, such brillant parts
As his must needs prevail;

He'd please some with a well-dress'd head,
And others with a tale

His soaping, too, had such effect,
On either friends or foes,
That all forgave his faults, although
He took them by the nose.

For politics, it was his boast,
He did not care a fig;
Though he a Tory's head could turn,
And then make him a Whig.
In making fronts or good peruke,
There never was his match;
If partly bald his fingers itch'd
To give your head a scratch.
He did not like aquatic sports,
And yet 'tis strange to say,
He kept a cutter in his shop,

And handled sculls all day.

A FEW days ago, a gondolier brought me a billet without a superscription, intimating a wish on the part of the writer to meet me either in my gondola, or at the island of San Lazaro, or at a third rendezvous, indicated in the note. "I know the country's disposition well,"

in Venice "they do let heaven see those tricks they dare not show," &c. &c.: so, for all response, I said that neither of the three places suited me; but that I would either be at home at ten at night alone, or be at the ridotto at midnight, where the writer might meet me masked. At ten o'clock I was at home and alone (Marianna was gone with her husband to a conversazione,) when the door of my apartment opened, and in walked a well-looking and (for an Italian) blonda girl of about ninteen, who informed me that she was married to the brother of my amorosa, and wished to have some conversation with me. I made a decent reply, and we had some talk in Italian and Romaic, (her mother being a Greek of Corfu), when, lo! in a very few minutes in marches, to my very great astonishment. Marianna S**, in propria persona, and, after making a most polite curtsy to her sister-in-law, and to me, without a single word seizes her said sister-inlaw by the hair, and bestows upon her some sixteen slaps, which would have made your ear ache only to hear their echo.

I need not describe the screaming which ensued. The luckless visitor took flight. I seized Marianna, who, after several vain efforts to get away in pursuit of the enemy, fairly went into fits in my arms; and, in spite of reasoning, eau de Cologne, vinegar, half a pint of water, and God knows what other waters beside, continued so till past midnight. After damning my servants for letting people in without apprising me, I found that Marianna in the morning had seen her sister-in-law's gondolier on the stairs; and, suspecting that this apparition boded her no

good, had either returned of her own accord, or been followed by her maids or some other spy of her people to the conversazione, from whence she had returned to perpetrate this piece of pugilism. I had seen fits before, and also some small scenery of the same genus in and out of our island; but this was not all. After about an hour, in comes -who? why, Signor S**, her lord and husband, and finds me with his wife fainting upon a sofa, and all the apparatus of confusion, dishevelled hair, hats, handkerchiefs, salts, smelling bottlesand the lady as pale as ashes, without sense or motion. His first question was, "What is all this?" The lady could not reply-so I did I told him the explanation was the easiest thing in the world; but, in the mean time, it would be as well to recover his wife-at least, her senses. This came about in due time of suspiration and respiration. You need not be alarmed-jealousy is not the order of the day in Venice, and daggers are out of fashion, while duels, on love matters, are unknown-at least, with husbands. But, for all this, it was an awkward affair; and though he must have known that I made love to Marianna, yet I believe he was not, till that evening, aware of the extent to which it had gone. It is very well known that almost all the married women have a lover; but it is usual to keep up the forms, as in other nations. I did not, therefore, know what the devil to say. I could not out with the truth, out of regard to her, and I did not choose to lie for my own sake; besides, the thing told itself. I thought the best way would be to let her explain it as she chose (a woman being never at a loss-the devil always sticks by them) -only determining to protect and carry her off, in case of any ferocity on the part of the Signor. I saw that he was quite calm. She went to bed, and next day-how they settled it, I know not, but settle it they did. Well-then I had to explain to Marianna about this never to be sufficiently confounded sister-in-law; which I did by swearing innocence, eternal constancy, &c. &c. **** But the sister-in-law, very much discomposed with being treated in such wise, has (not having her own shame before her eyes,) told the affair to half Venice, and the servants (who were summoned by the fight and the fainting) to the other half.

Letters and Journal of Lord Byron.

THE FATAL LETTER. For the Olio.

THE following narrative is taken from a singular occurrence during the confinement of Charles the First, at Hampton Court, when a speedy settlement between that unfortunate monarch and the parliament was daily expected, and propositions to a like effect had been already advanced by the latter.

It was in the dusk of the evening, when three troopers, who had proceeded at a rapid pace from Windsor, arrived at the "Blue Boar" in Holborn. The goodly citizens had been too long inured to the grim visages of parliamentarians to feel alarm at their appearance, however sudden or mysterious. In the present case, therefore, the arrival of these troopers elicited but few remarks either from byestanders, or the inmates of the Blue Boar. But their mission was one of higher importance than seemed attached to it, and deeply concerned the individuals engaged in it. On dismounting they gave their horses to the care of the ostler, having previously taken their pistols from the holsters, and secured them in their belts. One of them, apparently the superior in rank, advanced briskly to the inn, and demanded quarters for the night; at the same time adding, that as he and his comrades had learnt to suffer hardship and privation in the support of the parliament, and the furtherance of the Great Work, they would not incommode others should there be any difficulty in finding room, but would put up with a night's lodging in the stable, and keep company with their horses, who had done a good day's work.

"I thank thee, good belligerent," replied the host, "and avail myself of thy condescension, for be assured I have but one bed vacant in the whole inn, and that but a sorry one; mayhap, therefore, you and your comrades will prefer the hayloft to a garrett, which has not been slept in these five years."

"Be it so," said the soldier, and seemingly satisfied, he joined his companions.

The soldier we have thus shortly introduced was a robust and muscular man, of middle stature, and while conversing with his companions seemed with a single glance to penetrate the innermost thoughts of the one he interrogated, or in turn listened to. Their conference had not lasted long ere it was interrupted by the ostler, who beg