pleaded the black, she no call-e names no more-call-e Espashion ah, missy cooky! And he accompanied this with such a halfcomic, half-loving leer, that it would have been irresistible in any other company.

Impudent dolt!' ejaculated Mrs. Dr. Wizbeach with sardonic bitterness; if you are not silent I shall hand you over to the game-keeper's whip, and order you to have no dinner for a week.'

'Mrs. Stiles-Stains, I mean'-said his reverence,' I desire you to go to your own apartment. Go-you are lost. You cannot be saved by any manner of means. It is utterly impossible that you

should ever meet the elect in heaven.'

'I should be sorry, indeed, if there was a chance of such a thing,' echoed his superior half, with ghastly calmness.

'I wouldn't change chances, howsomedever;' retorted Mrs. S.; and the head gardener is of the same opinion-that's more.' The head gardener?' interrogated the lady.

The head?' exclaimed his reverence, half rising from his recumbency.

Yes, to be sure he is a follower of Mr. Livermore Stiles, as well as myself, and has been so these three months, off and on." 'So-so.'

Why, he has lived seven years with me;-I took Mr. Romulus from the Dean of***ester's!'

'It's no more than the truth what I say by him.'

Monstrous concerning him, accusative case-not ablative,by— Oh, monstrous ingratitude!-such, my dearest love, is the world;' and he turned a deplorable orthodox look upon his saturnine lady. It's the truth what I say,' muttered Mrs. Stains, and no case of accusation.'

'It excites no surprise in me, Dr. Wizbeach ;—it is no more than we may always expect from low vulgar creatures, who exist upon our bounty.'

Bounty, Mrs. Wizbeach!' rekindled the smouldering cook :'low vulgar creatures!-the dirt under your feet!-what was the doctor himself twenty years ago?-little better than a public schoolmaster's usher, I've heer'd say.'

Dr. Wizbeach rose upon his legs. Foul-tongued maligner!— quit the breakfast-room this moment! No!-remain awhile, for I would address a few words to you according to my sacred calling. It is only in the blessed gospel, according to our divine Master, as taught and exhorted to mankind in his holy church as by law established, that any human soul can enjoy the most distant chance of salvation. Such is the pure doctrine of faith in the true believer.'

Dr Wizbeach here paused to arrange the form of his oration. Ebbery ting massa say,' murmured Vespasian reverently, so full o'face.'

'When we rise in the morning, Mrs. Stains, when we walk forth

into the groves; when we behold the delightful clouds above our heads; when we enter the established house of God, imbued and overflowing with lawful piety; every muscle of our mortal frames; every pulse of its fearful and wonderful construction; yea, and every thought, quickens and abounds within us at the ecstatic hope of an exquisite eternity of enjoyment, where no storms shall rage, no crosses annoy, no blasphemers and sinners dare to intrude.' Ebbery ting massa say,' murmured Vespasian in low response, -e so brim full o'ope.'

Beware,' pursued Dr. Wizbeach, deepening his tone, beware, oh Amelia Stains! of trenching upon the proud prerogative of the otherwise humble children of heaven. That heaven is not for heretics, but only for the pure of faith, the good, holy, and sanctified children of true worship.'

Ebbery ting massa say, so good for children o'worsesheep,' sonorously responded the black.

The fires of hell, Amelia Stains, are fiercely multitudinous— multitudinous in form and kind and fashion and degree-and eternal as fierce. Thither wilt thou, and such as follow in thy abandoned and dissentient course, be infallibly dismissed from the most minute and fragmentary shadow of hope of salvation; for mercy would lose all its characteristics were there no such thing (here the doctor raised his voice) as justice; charity would lose its name were it indiscriminate, thus degenerating into a mere weakness; and the name of the charitable (here his reverence raised his voice to the utmost) would become as a mockery and a by-word among men.'

Ebbery ting,' exclaimed Vespasian, lifting one hand with sympathetic excitement, ebbery ting massa and missis say,' and he stamped upon the floor at the same moment that he brought his hand down upon the breakfast table, with a bang that made every cup leap from its saucer, -e so tam charitable.'

A peculiar silence ensued.

Vespasian,' said Dr. Wizbeach, with awkward authority,' quit the apartment directly.'

The black moved towards the door.

Stop, sirrah!-where did you learn that dreadful expression? who in my house have you ever heard utter a blasphemy?—where did you hear it, I say y?" ?'

Me hear you say him four time in the pulpit, massa, last sabbas morning, massa.

Leave the room,' thundered his reverence.

Vespasian went with a most subdued air. Just as he was passing through the door the light glanced upon the right side of his bronze cheek bone, evidently denoting, though his back was turned, some extraordinary change of expression; but whether originating in a grimace preparatory to blubbering at the terrible dismissal, with its prospects, or a grin of the very broadest possible dimen

sions, for negroes often abound in humour, is left to be conjectured.

And now Mrs. Stiles-Stains I should say-depart from our presence into utter darkness.'

Before I pay her one farthing of her wages, I shall examine her box.'

Madam!' cried the cook, reddening like a great coal, I'm as honest as you or his reverence either! I haven't a tithe in my box of anything that don't belong to me.'

Apply to me for a character!' pursued the lady with a bitter look, I will give you one, depend upon it.'

I

I'll make you give me a character; and a proper one; hav'nt stolen one tithe, I say, from you or anybody else, that's what I haven't; I'm an honest woman, though some women are no better than they should be.'

Beware of the tread-mill!' said Dr. Wizbeach threateningly. 'Your children shall both be turned out immediately from the charity school, where the doctor's friend, the bishop's reverend grandson, had placed them for you. Quit my sight.'

What! cruel, cruel Mrs. Wizbeach! would you go for to do sich a shocking thing?'

'Such-not-ahem!'

Certainly, you may depend upon it.'

"Then, if there be one place of more dreadfuller punishment in hell than another, may you go to that there place! Yes, both of you, I say, with your children's children's children for ever! not only for this act by me and mine, but also, mark this for your frightful wickedness and heinous want of grace in the right way, according to that only way expounded in the way of Mr. Livermore Stileses doctrine! And let me tell you this, so that you may weep and wail and gnash your tushes before your hour, that the two housemaids, and both gamekeepers, are going to hear him next Lord'sday evening, for the seventh time!'

With these words the cook dashed like a brand across the room, and flared through the whirling door.

Dr. Wizbeach had sank down in his red morocco chair, leaning his head against the cushioned back with open mouth, and his eyes staring up at the ceiling.

Mrs. Wizbeach rose slowly, and approaching his prostrate reverence, bent over him, and imposed a dry husky something or other-I suppose she called it a kiss-upon his bloated cheek.

My love,' murmured Dr. Wizbeach, I am dying for my

breakfast.'

The lady rang the bell; not violently, but continuously.

Do not, my blessed love,' said the doctor, pathetically lifting his powdered head, do not suffer your keen sensibility and tenderness to be so much excited by the wicked scum of mortality. We will get an entirely new set of servants.'

At this moment the door half opened, and a pale face looked fearfully round the corner.

Send the cook this instant!' said the lady.

'The cook!' ejaculated Dr. Wizbeach, with alarm, ́ ah, true,

true.'

True, true, my dearest love."

Mrs. Stains entered slowly and softly treading on the carpet with an altered mien.

Cook,' mildly pronounced Dr. Wizbeach, no remarks; I have nothing further to say to you beyond this: you must do your duty in that state of life unto which-in short, as long as here you remain. Send me up the hot rolls, fried sausages and crout, this moment, and a cold woodcock for your mistress.'

Mrs. Stains, now thoroughly recalled to a deep sense of conventional practices and forms, curtseyed low and retired with a subdued demeanour. Just as the door was closing a patting noise was heard, as of a hand upon a fat back, while a half-whispering, quaint, guttural voice, articulated Well done, missy cooky! me go too, nex Sabbas, hear-e Massa Stile!'

A LAMENT FOR THE PAST.

Он, early Days! and Youth! and Bloom!
Ye are exsanguent in the tomb

Of Time and Change;

The minutes and the airs have taken
Your glory from this form forsaken :
I cannot range

The proud earth wantonly and proudly,
Nor cry unto the ocean loudly,

With glee redundant, as of yore:

The ecstacy of life is gone;

Like a mossed tree, I blanch alone-
I am beloved no more.

Old Time! my youth restore;

Ye Elements! its liveries disgorge
From your eternal maw;

Kindle new fire, wherewith I may reforge

The iron of my strength: O, for a law

Of the dead Past revocative!

To my youth's grave, O, let my age withdraw!
For thus, for thus-it is not life to live.

* W.*

247

THE CHOICE.

FOURTH FANTASY PIECE AFTER HOFFMAN.

(Concluded from p. 193.)

CHAPTER IV.

VERY Soon after Edmund's meeting with Miss Vosswinkel in the botanic garden, Miss V. discovered that the portrait of her papa, which hung in her own room, was very unlike him, and very badly painted. She demonstrated to the councillor that he was infinitely better and younger-looking than the painter had made him; and she talked so often and so much upon the subject, that, at last, Mr. Vosswinkel began to think the portrait and the conduct of the portrait painter equally shocking. In short, he considered himself a very ill-used, misrepresented, good-looking gentleman, and ordered the picture into the lumber-room.

Miss Albertine, however, having been accustomed to see a sort of likeness of her dear papa, felt the vacant space on the wall of her chamber a great annoyance, and she begged him to have his portrait taken again by some very skilful artist, hinting the propriety of employing young Mr. Edmund Lehsien, who had already produced works of such great merit.

'Daughter, daughter!' said the councillor in reply to her, 'do you wish to ruin me? those young artists are ready to burst with conceit, and require handfuls of gold for the least thing they do.'

Albertine assured her papa, that, on the contrary, Mr. Edmund worked less for gold than for glory. At last Mr. Vosswinkel was persuaded to call upon the young painter.

Edmund received him joyfully, for he immediately guessed that Albertine had persuaded her papa to employ him. He hastened to remove all obstacles, by declaring that he should be too happy to paint such a fine man as the councillor, without any thought of a recompense.

'Good heavens! do I understand aright?' exclaimed Mr. Vosswinkel, quite transported; no recompense, my worthy Mr. Edmund-nothing even for the canvass and colours?'

Edmund smilingly answered, that such trifles were not worth mentioning.

'But,' said the councillor, 'you don't know, perhaps, that I wish to be taken at full length, as large as life?'

'It matters not,' replied Edmund.

On hearing those words, the councillor threw himself impetuously into the arms of the young artist, and, with the tears standing in his eyes, said:

Oh heavens! do some noble souls yet flourish upon this selfish,