XIV.' THE OLD HAIR TRUNK. `HERE was an old gentleman once who had by him THE a hair trunk. Not a handsome patent-leather travelling portmanteau, but an ugly, exceedingly shabby, old-fashioned trunk, covered with stripped yellow hair, and bound with iron. The moths had been very busy with the hair, rust had considerably damaged the iron, and time had given many a bump to the metal bands and corners. "That's an article that has seen a good many ups and downs," said the witty porter, as he took the trunk from the carriage and flung it to the ground with a crash, which was not particularly adapted to improve its appearance; its iron corners, however, defended it pretty well from the passers-by. "It's no use coming so close," it growled to the other boxes who had been its travelling companions. "You only want to see how moth-eaten I am!" The gentleman to whom this superannuated piece of antiquity belonged, was a very eccentric man, for when he was at home, the old trunk always stood in the place of honour in his library, under a fine gilt mirror, looking very much out of place, indeed, in such a handsome room. When he travelled, the first thing he thought of was always the old trunk, which he had brought from his carriage and placed by his side. "It must surely be full of gold, for he never loses sight of it," said one. But here they were completely in the dark; something, certainly, the old trunk contained, but not gold-money least of all, As soon as the old gentleman found himself alone he would go up to it and press his finger on a hidden spring, when the lid flew open and discovered an inner box of bright crimson velvet, with gold bands and fastenings If any one came, presto! down went the lid. 1 Now it so happened this old gentleman had an exceedingly inquisitive housekeeper. One day, leaving her shoes at the door, she managed to steal unperceived into the room, when the trunk stood open. She had almost succeeded in reaching it, when, dazzled by the splendour of the crimson and gold, she quite forgot herself, and exclaimed 'Well, to be sure! who'd have thought it? Why, if the old trunk isn't quite new inside!" |