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But Dorothy could only answer with an insane laugh—“I will be a witch."

"It is too late," interposed Mistress Nutter.

"You cannot save her.

And remember! she stands in your place. Or you or she must be devoted."

"I will never desert her," cried Alizon, twining her arms round her. "Dorothy-dear Dorothy-address yourself to Heaven."

An angry growl of thunder was heard.

"Beware!" cried Mistress Nutter.

"I am not to be discouraged," rejoined Alizon, firmly. "You cannot gain a victory over a soul in this condition, and I shall effect her deliverance. Heaven will aid us, Dorothy."

A louder roll of thunder was heard, followed by a forked flash of lightning.

"Provoke not the vengeance of the Prince of Darkness," said Mistress Nutter.

“I have no fear," replied Alizon. "Cling to me, Dorothy. No harm shall befal you."

"Be speedy," cried the voice.

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"Let her go,” cried Mistress Nutter to Alizon, will rue this disobedience. Why should you interfere with my projects, and bring ruin on yourself! I would save you. What, still obstinate? Nay, then, I will no longer show forbearance. Help me, sisters. Force the new witch from her. But beware how you harm my child."

At these words the troop gathered round the two girls. But Alizon only clasped her hands more tightly round Dorothy; while the latter, on whose brain the maddening potion still worked, laughed frantically at them. It was at this moment that Elizabeth Device, who had conceived a project of revenge, put it into execution. While near Dorothy, she stamped, spat on the ground, and then cast a little mould over her, breathing in her ear, "Thou art bewitched-bewitched by Alizon

Device."

Dorothy instantly struggled to free herself from Alizon.

"Oh! do not you strive against me, dear Dorothy," cried Alizon. "Remain with me, or you are lost."

"Hence! off! set me free!" shrieked Dorothy; "you have bewitched me. I heard it this moment."

"Do not believe the false suggestion," cried Alizon.

"It is true," exclaimed all the other witches together. "Alizon has bewitched you-and will kill you. Shake her off-shake her off!"

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Away!" cried Dorothy, mustering all her force.

"Away!"

But Alizon was still too strong for her, and, in spite of her efforts at liberation, detained her.

"My patience is well-nigh exhausted," exclaimed the voice. "Alizon !" cried Mistress Nutter, imploringly.

And again the witches gathered furiously round the two girls.

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“Kneel, Dorothy, kneel!" whispered Alizon. And forcing her down, she fell on her knees beside her, exclaiming, with uplifted hands, cious Heaven! deliver us."

As the words were uttered a fearful cry was heard, and the weird troop fled away screaming, like ill-omened birds. The caldron sank

into the ground; the dense mist arose like a curtain; and the moon and stars shone brightly down upon the ruined pile.

Alizon prayed long and fervently, with clasped hands and closed eyes, for deliverance from evil. When she looked round again all was so calm, so beautiful, so holy in its rest, that she could scarcely believe in the recent fearful occurrences. Her hair and garments were damp with the dews of night; and at her feet lay Dorothy, insensible.

She tried to raise her to revive her, but in vain; when at this moment footsteps were heard approaching, and the next moment Mistress Nutter, accompanied by Adam Whitworth and some other servingmen, entered the choir.

"I see them-they are here!" cried the lady, rushing forward.

"Heaven be praised, you have found them, madam!" exclaimed the old steward, coming quickly after her.

"Oh! what an alarm you have given me, Alizon," said Mistress Nutter. "What could induce you to go forth secretly at night in this way with Dorothy! I dreamed you were here, and missing you when I awoke, roused the house, and came in search of you. What is the matter with Dorothy? She has been frightened, I suppose. I will give her to breathe at this phial. It will revive her. See, she opens her eyes." Dorothy looked round wildly for a moment, and then, pointing her finger at Alizon, said,

"She has bewitched me."

Let her

"Poor thing! she rambles," observed Mistress Nutter to Adam Whitworth, who, with the other serving-men, stared aghast at the accusation; "she has been scared out of her senses by some fearful sight. be conveyed quickly to my chamber, and I will see her cared for." The orders were obeyed. Dorothy was raised gently by the servingmen, but she still kept pointing to Alizon, and repeatedly exclaimed, "She has bewitched me."

The serving-men shook their heads, and looked significantly at each other, while Mistress Nutter lingered to speak to her daughter.

"You look greatly disturbed, Alizon; as if you had been visited by a nightmare in your sleep, and were still under its influence."

Alizon made no reply.

"A few hours' tranquil sleep will restore you," pursued Mistress Nutter, "and you will forget your fears. You must not indulge in these nocturnal rambles again, or they may be attended with dangerous consequences. I may not have a second warning dream. Come to the house."

And, as Alizon followed her along the garden path, she could not help asking herself, though with little hope in the question, if all she had witnessed was indeed nothing more than a troubled dream.

THE HARD-UP CLUB; OR, GREETINGS AND GATHERINGS OF ALL NATIONS.

BY A MEMBER.

PART I.

ON a bleak and tempestuous evening, during the most inclement portion of the winter of 1850, three gentlemen, mutual friends, assembled "within the warm precincts" of the comfortable parlour of an oldfashioned inn-one of the few primitive "houses of entertainment" yet to be found in some parts of the metropolis, with gabled front, long galleries running round each story, low-built entrance, and small windows with red curtains, in front of which is a court-yard, from which in former days started the long coaches for different parts of the kingdom. The wintry wind howled fearfully without, in defiance of which a blazing fire diffused warmth and cheerfulness, whilst the friendly chat and merry tale beguiled the fleeting hour. Thus the beverage of the trio gradually disappeared, and a disposition to replenish their potations arose, but, alas! the stock-purse of this little coterie was found insufficient for the attainment of the desired object; upon which uncongenial discovery one of the party observed that, as they all appeared to be equally limited in their pecuniary resources, they might with propriety constitute themselves the nucleus of a society to be termed the Hard-up Club. This idea was instantly caught at by one of the small capitalists, and the following rules were written the next morning; on the evening of which day these gentlemen, with the addition of a select circle, again assembled, and concocted the preliminaries for the formation of the contemplated club: upon which occasion the promoter made some lucid and applicable remarks upon the great topic of the day, and observed that the panic in the money-market had created a fearful sensation among the more wealthy portion of the goodly inhabitants of this vast metropolis; but it could not much affect their present condition, or impair their funds,-even the failure of "the Old Lady of Threadneedle-street" would not make them more insolvent. If, however, the great capitalists of London and other cities of this land of commerce complained of the scarcity of the circulating medium, what must honourable gentlemen who had no capital at all say to the fast approaching crisis, which he feared would compel even the pawnbrokers to suspend the further taking in of flats (flat irons)! Should a national bankruptcy occur, sundry bankrupt stockbrokers, Jew and would-be-Christian money-lenders, railroad projectors and directors, would be claiming the commiseration of the deluded public. To guard against any of those individuals foisting themselves on the society of men whose distress had solely arisen from misfortune, it would be necessary for the club in question to adhere to the following code of byelaws:

1. That the Hard-up Club shall consist of such princes of the royal family of England, France, Spain, Portugal, and other nations, whose expenditure shall exceed their incomes; all officers of the Army, Navy,

Marines, Fencibles, Regular Militia, and the Hon. E. I. Company's service, as also of all gentlemen who have held commissions in any foreign service, without reference to either side of the contest in which they might have been engaged; clergymen with small livings and large families, and also ex-members of Parliament out of office; briefless barristers, and all members of the medical profession of limited practice; all clerks in government and public offices with small salaries; and, in fact, all gentlemen of scanty resources and embarrassed circumstances, whose characters are perfectly free from the slightest stigma.

2. That in addition to the personages and individuals herein specified, the Hard-up Club shall also consist of all Polish, French, Spanish, Portuguese, Hungarians, and other foreigners, military, ecclesiastical, and civil, of good character and undoubted repute, as also of all merchants and traders, British and foreign, whose failures and pecuniary difficulties can be attributed to their misfortunes.

3. That upon all official points relating to the affairs of the institution, the craft shall be addressed by the name, style, and title of the Royal United British and Foreign Hard-up Club; that in addition to any other distinction to which any of the members may be entitled, he shall have affixed to his name the letters M.R.U.B.F.H.C., signifying Member of the Royal United British and Foreign Hard-up Club. That upon all ordinary occasions, the society will be termed the Hard-up Club only, without reference to further distinction.

4. That upon all occasions when the Grand Lodge shall be assembled for the discussion of public affairs, the members shall be termed "Honourable," with the addition of "Gallant" to those belonging to the army or navy; and "Learned" to those possessing university honours, and " Most Reverend," and "Reverend" to the dignitaries of the Church.

5. That the collar and grand cross of the social order be composed of duplicates fastened tastefully together with such material as may be most convenient to the wearer.

6. That the riband and scarf of the said order be composed of copies of writs and declarations joined together in a like manner.

7. That the apron of the said order be composed of the longest unpaid bills neatly stitched together.

8. That upon all occasions of a general meeting (if not held on a Sunday) there shall be two of the craft who are best acquainted with the faces and persons of the different officers of the Sheriff of Middlesex and Surrey placed at the door, with strict orders not to admit is not acquainted with the proper countersign of the day. 9. That the sign and countersign for the day be frequently changed during the four-and-twenty hours, in term time.

any person who

10. That the secretary be privileged from arrest by being at all times provided with a judge's or a bankruptcy-court protection.

11. That the secretary shall, during term time, take upon himself the duties of major of brigade, or town adjutant, and shall give out the sign and countersign for each day, as also an audience to all suspicious-looking persons.

12. That the Grand Lodge of the craft be situated in the county of Middlesex, and, if possible, bordering upon one of the adjoining counties, for the purpose of affording a chance of escape to any of the

honourable members, in the event of being surprised by a detachment of sheriffs' officers.

13. That a corresponding society be established at the head-quarters of the craft, for the purpose of communicating with, and receiving intelligence from, our distant and foreign brethren in adversity.

14. That the affairs of the club be managed by a sub-committee chosen in a general meeting, to be held the first Sunday in every month.

QUALIFICATIONS FOR CANDIDATES.

1. That it shall be necessary for each and every candidate to produce a recommendation from, and to be upon terms of intimacy with, the lineal descendant of his Royal Highness Humphrey Duke of Clarence.

2. That it shall be necessary for every candidate to possess, to a certain extent, the peculiar virtue of fasting, as practised by the late celebrated Bernard Cavanagh, Esq., of immortal memory.

3. That no candidate be considered eligible to become a member who ever assumed a name or rank to which he was not duly entitled, or who had any "alias" attached to his real cognomen.

ever

4. That it shall be necessary for each and every candidate to be thoroughly versed in the following British classics:

"The Ample Mackintosh; or, a Cloak for many Sins." By a Pilgrim of the 19th century.

"The Art of Fasting." By Bernard Cavanagh, Esq.

"The Surplice; or, the Curate in Search of a Living." By the Rev. Anthony Hopelong, B.A., Brasenose College, Oxford.

This work possesses much merit, and is replete with a variety of touching events of real and every-day life. It is the production of a worthy brother of the craft, of portly form but slender means and a large family. We wish the author the success he deserves.

"Essays on Street Fortification, and the Defence of Houses." By Lieut.-Col. O'Swivel, C.B., K.H.

This is a useful work; it contains many practical instructions for guarding against the designs of our common enemies-the sheriff's officer and broker.

"A Guide to the Queen's Prison; or, the Doings of Money-lenders, Mock Picture-dealers, Sham Wine-merchants, and other Bill Discounters." By Captain the Hon. Adolphus Kite-Flyer.

This is a clever little book, and offers a warning against the disasters which daily befal the unwary or reckless. The author cites, as a curious fact, that out of upwards of 760 persons detained on suspicion in the County Prison, Whitecross-street, and 840 in the Queen's Bench (in. November last), not one acknowledged himself to be incarcerated for a just debt, but for giving security for a friend, or indorsing a bill, or such like hard case.

“The Book of Modern Martyrs; or, the Sufferings of Stultz, Nugée, Myers, Burghart, Buckmaster, and other Snips." By Anthony Bilkall, Esq.

"The Modern Peerage; or, New Creations Analysed." By the Hon. Julius Cæsar Fitz-Adam, F.R.S.

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