tween the double-doors of the library and the study, in which no one had been, since Mr. Waltham had left it for his own office, on the other side of the lawn, in the morning, "Now, Mirry, go and pick that up, that there may be a grain of truth in the lie you are going to tell-so you see there is no end to the evil consequences entailed by carelessness-and then take it to that careless puppy, Waltham, and say you picked it up. Mind you don't say you found it, for you did not find it, as you saw me put it there; but tell him you picked it up between the two doors, and that he had better send it off to his mother immediately, before it goes out fishing with the other note; but take care you don't give him an idea that I know anything of his abominable carelessness, or I should be obliged to dismiss him; for I should never do any good with those fellows, if I did not make them afraid of me." "Then I fear you never will do any good with them, at that rate," said Belzoni, smiling. "And I'm sure you never will with me," said I, climbing up upon a chair, in order to throw my arms about his neck, and kiss his darling head; "for I never shall be afraid of you." "You are an impudent little puppy," said he, kissing me, and putting me down, "not to treat your grand-uncle, and a Governor to boot, with more respect; and if I don't see something wonderful to-night from a certain pair of little red boots with gold spurs, that some one (I think it must have been your albatross, Belzoni) told me about, I shall have to send it to Colonel Clavering, next Sunday morning, to get the black-hole ready at Fort Goliah." "Ah!" laughed Belzoni, "and if he has any gallantry in him-though that, I suppose, would be against his principles-he may serenade you with that verse from the Song of Solomon,' which says, I'm black, but comely."" Mademoiselle here sent to say, that it was six o'clock; and she wanted me to come to tea, and then to go and lie down. I told Grace to say I would come directly; and once more kissing my uncle and Belzoni, I rushed through the hall, and down the steps, across the lawn, as fast as I could run, till I reached Mr. Waltham's office. I found him with his elbows on the table, and his face buried in his handkerchief. Heaven forgive me! but as I was the bearer of good tidings, I thought I was entitled to the recompense of a sorry joke; so I put on a most dismal face, as I stood at the door. He looked round, and, hastily wiping his eyes, said: "Thank you, my dear Miss Miriam; I knew you would not be able to find it." "And why, pray," said I, advancing on tiptoe with my hands behind my back, "should I not be able to find it?" "Oh, I, of course, only meant that no one could find it, or I'm sure you've done all you could, and I'm very much obliged to you." "Well, if you are so very much obliged to me for not finding it, I suppose you won't be at all obliged to me for finding it; which is lucky, as I can't stay to be thanked; so there it is," said I, laying it down on the table, and running back to the door. "My dear Miss Miriam, is it possible? Where did you find it?" said he, clasping his hands, while his eyes sparkled with delight. “Oh, I can't stay now, I'm in a great hurry," said I; "it was not on the ramparts though; I picked it up between the double doors of the library and study; pray send it off to your mother directly, for fear you should lose it again;" and so saying, I made him a military salute, à la cracovienne, knocked my heels together, though I had no spurs on, and vanished, before he had time to say another word. When I got up stairs, I complained of a very bad headache; so Mademoiselle de Guilleragues would not let me have any tea, but gave me some eau de fleur d'oranger in water, and sent me to bed, that I might sleep off my headache against the important events of the evening. I was soon asleep; and, after a terrible night-mare, wherein I thought Colonel Clavering, mounted upon a huge bat, with fiery wings, upon which were inserted, de hereticis puniendis, carried me off hither, thither, up, down, to the right first, then to the left, and then all round about, for he did not seem very well to know where he was going, I was eventually flung off upon a cloud, cool and pleasant withal, where I beheld Lady Laura O'Shindy sitting-like "Rule Britannia"-explaining to a set of starving wretches the excellencies of universal philanthropy; and how pernicious it was to relieve individual distress, while Dermot (too dazzling for mortal eyes to behold, in a livery of one solid emerald, studded with stars, the celestial climax, in fact, of his earthly field of buttercups) was holding a large toadstool over her head, with one hand to screen her complexion from the sun, (supposed to be lurking about that neighbourhood on the look out for a glimpse of it) while with the other, he contrived to offer, with all the dexterity of a heavenly tay boy,* a silver cloud full of ethereal refreshments-such as clair de lune gazeuse-and vapour sandwiches, which Lady Laura discussed at the same time, with the elevating principle, and universal benevolence; yet, strange to say, the poor starving wretches, by whom she was surrounded, did not seem to grow a bit the fatter upon the goodness of her appetite and philosophical principles; till suddenly I saw a universal gladness pervade, like a a burst of sunshine, the whole group, who began to scramble for sheafs of corn, amphorii of wine, and nice warm fleecy clouds, in which they wrapped themselves, and clapped their hands rejoicing; when, There is a tract published entitled "The Heavenly Footman," then why not "The Heavenly Tay boy?" upon looking up far into a higher and brighter heaven, I beheld my Uncle Paulett, silent and still, with his Great Mogul face on, showering down all these things. I did not know a line of Milton then, and don't know many now, for I don't admire him, or if I had, it is probable that even in a dream, I might have said to the angels: "There entertain him, all the saints above, But even in youth, one can't dream always, so Nelly just at this juncture awoke me; and although a reality, and a most substantial one, I must do her the justice to say, that she looked big and bright as a harvest moon; when she announced to me that it was tin o'clock, and time to put on my "bootsh and schpursh; for if iver any one rode de foremosht horshe, it wash I, that wud do it that night." |