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diff --git a/.gitattributes b/.gitattributes index 6833f05..d7b82bc 100644 --- a/.gitattributes +++ b/.gitattributes @@ -1,3 +1,4 @@ -* text=auto -*.txt text -*.md text +*.txt text eol=lf +*.htm text eol=lf +*.html text eol=lf +*.md text eol=lf @@ -1,31 +1,4 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Short-story, by William Patterson Atkinson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Short-story - -Author: William Patterson Atkinson - -Release Date: June 29, 2007 [EBook #21964] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ASCII - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHORT-STORY *** - - - - -Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Graeme Mackreth and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - +*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 21964 *** @@ -101,7 +74,7 @@ The Birthmark (1843) 112 FRANCIS BRET HARTE: The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1869) 134 -ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON: The Sire de Maletroit's Door (1878) 148 +ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON: The Sire de Malétroit's Door (1878) 148 Markheim (1885) 174 @@ -248,7 +221,7 @@ events--as may best aid him in establishing this preconceived effect. If his very initial sentence tend not to the out-bringing of this effect, then he has failed in his first step. In the whole composition there should be no word written of which the tendency, direct or indirect, is -not to the one preestablished design. And by such means, with such care +not to the one preëstablished design. And by such means, with such care and skill, a picture is at length painted which leaves in the mind of him who contemplates it with a kindred art a sense of the fullest satisfaction. The idea of the tale has been presented unblemished @@ -263,7 +236,7 @@ that is, stories of great fear induced in a character by a mass of rather vague and unusual incidents, such as _The Fall of the House of Usher_ (1839) and _The Pit and the Pendulum_ (1843); and stories of "ratiocination," that is, of the ingenious thinking out of a problem, as -_The Mystery of Marie Roget_ (1843). In the latter type he is the +_The Mystery of Marie Rogêt_ (1843). In the latter type he is the originator of the detective story. The writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne exhibit the next stage of @@ -299,7 +272,7 @@ the analysis of the working of the human mind, psychologic analysis, held the interest of some foremost writers. Stories of these various kinds came to the front about the third quarter of the last century. "Mark Twain" (Samuel Langhorne Clemens), Thomas Bailey Aldrich, and -Frank R. Stockton preeminently and admirably present the humor so +Frank R. Stockton preëminently and admirably present the humor so peculiarly an American trait. Local color had its exponents in George W. Cable, who presented Louisiana; "Charles Egbert Craddock" (Miss M. N. Murfree), who wrote of Tennessee; Thomas Nelson Page, who gave us @@ -371,7 +344,7 @@ Error in the Fourth Dimension_, wherein setting is emphasized. Using yet another principle of classification--material--we obtain: stories of dramatic interest, that is, of some striking happening that would hold the audience of a play in a highly excited state, as -Stevenson's _Sire de Maletroit's Door_; of love, as Bunner's _Love in +Stevenson's _Sire de Malétroit's Door_; of love, as Bunner's _Love in Old Cloathes_; of romantic adventure, as Kipling's _Man Who Would Be King_; of terror, as Poe's _Pit and the Pendulum_; of the supernatural, as Crawford's _The Upper Berth_; of humor, as humor, as Mary Raymond @@ -415,7 +388,7 @@ the complicating force, and the interest begins to deepen. Next we have the climax, in which the struggle, and consequently the interest, are at their height; and this in turn is followed by the resolution, where the resolving force works and the knot begins to be untied. Finally there is -the denouement or conclusion. +the dénouement or conclusion. The career of each character may be conveniently spoken of as a line of interest. When the lines of interest become entangled we have the plot. @@ -1243,7 +1216,7 @@ NOTE The foregoing Tale, one would suspect, had been suggested to Mr. Knickerbocker by a little German superstition about the Emperor -Frederick der Rothbart, and the Kypphaueser mountain: the subjoined note, +Frederick der Rothbart, and the Kypphaüser mountain: the subjoined note, however, which he had appended to the tale, shows that it is an absolute fact, narrated with his usual fidelity: @@ -1384,11 +1357,11 @@ Jupiter, grinning from ear to ear, bustled about to prepare some marsh-hens for supper. Legrand was in one of his fits--how else shall I term them?--of enthusiasm. He had found an unknown bivalve, forming a new genus; and, more than this, he had hunted down and secured, with -Jupiter's assistance, a scarabaeus which he believed to be totally new, +Jupiter's assistance, a scarabæus which he believed to be totally new, but in respect to which he wished to have my opinion on the morrow. "And why not to-night?" I asked, rubbing my hands over the blaze, and -wishing the whole tribe of scarabaei at the devil. +wishing the whole tribe of scarabæi at the devil. "Ah, if I had only known you were here!" said Legrand; "but it's so long since I saw you, and how could I foresee that you would pay me a visit @@ -1402,7 +1375,7 @@ creation!" "Nonsense! no! the bug. It is of a brilliant gold color, about the size of a large hickory nut, with two jet black spots near one extremity of -the back, another, somewhat longer, at the other. The _antennae_ are"-- +the back, another, somewhat longer, at the other. The _antennæ_ are"-- "Dey ain't _no_ tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a-telling on you," here interrupted Jupiter; "de bug is a goole-bug, solid, ebery bit of him, @@ -1431,7 +1404,7 @@ at the paper, and, to speak the truth, found myself not a little puzzled at what my friend had depicted. "Well!" I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, "this _is_ a -strange _scarabaeus_, I must confess; new to me; never saw anything like +strange _scarabæus_, I must confess; new to me; never saw anything like it before--unless it was a skull, or a death's-head--which it more nearly resembles than anything else that has come under _my_ observation." @@ -1452,14 +1425,14 @@ myself that I am not quite a blockhead." "But, my dear fellow, you are joking then," said I; "this is a very passable _skull_--indeed, I may say that it is a very _excellent_ skull, according to the vulgar notions about such specimens of physiology--and -your _scarabaeus_ must be the queerest _scarabaeus_ in the world if it +your _scarabæus_ must be the queerest _scarabæus_ in the world if it resembles it. Why, we may get up a very thrilling bit of superstition -upon this hint. I presume you will call the bug _scarabaeus caput +upon this hint. I presume you will call the bug _scarabæus caput hominis_, or something of that kind--there are many similar titles in -the Natural Histories. But where are the _antennae_ you spoke of?" +the Natural Histories. But where are the _antennæ_ you spoke of?" -"The _antennae_!" said Legrand, who seemed to be getting unaccountably -warm upon the subject; "I am sure you must see the _antennae_. I made +"The _antennæ_!" said Legrand, who seemed to be getting unaccountably +warm upon the subject; "I am sure you must see the _antennæ_. I made them as distinct as they are in the original insect, and I presume that is sufficient." @@ -1467,7 +1440,7 @@ is sufficient." handed him the paper without additional remark, not wishing to ruffle his temper; but I was much surprised at the turn affairs had taken; his ill-humor puzzled me--and, as for the drawing of the beetle, there were -positively _no antennae_ visible, and the whole _did_ bear a very close +positively _no antennæ_ visible, and the whole _did_ bear a very close resemblance to the ordinary cuts of a death's-head. He received the paper very peevishly, and was about to crumple it, @@ -1642,11 +1615,11 @@ my hand with a nervous _empressement_ which alarmed me, and strengthened the suspicions already entertained. His countenance was pale even to ghastliness, and his deep-set eyes glared with unnatural lustre. After some inquiries respecting his health, I asked him, not knowing what -better to say, if he had yet obtained the _scarabaeus_ from Lieutenant +better to say, if he had yet obtained the _scarabæus_ from Lieutenant G----. "Oh, yes," he replied, coloring violently; "I got it from him the next -morning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that _scarabaeus_. Do you +morning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that _scarabæus_. Do you know that Jupiter is quite right about it?" "In what way?" I asked, with a sad foreboding at heart. @@ -1658,12 +1631,12 @@ of profound seriousness, and I felt inexpressibly shocked. "to reinstate me in my family possessions. Is it any wonder, then, that I prize it? Since Fortune has thought fit to bestow it upon me, I have only to use it properly, and I shall arrive at the gold of which it is -the index. Jupiter, bring me that _scarabaeus_!" +the index. Jupiter, bring me that _scarabæus_!" "What, de bug, massa? I'd rudder not go fer trubble dat bug; you mus git him for your own self." Hereupon Legrand arose, with a grave and stately air, and brought me the beetle from a glass case in which it was -enclosed. It was a beautiful _scarabaeus_, and, at that time, unknown to +enclosed. It was a beautiful _scarabæus_, and, at that time, unknown to naturalists--of course a great prize in a scientific point of view. There were two round black spots near one extremity of the back, and a long one near the other. The scales were exceedingly hard and glossy, @@ -1733,7 +1706,7 @@ within reach of his master, than from any excess of industry or complaisance. His demeanor was dogged in the extreme, and "dat deuced bug" were the sole words which escaped his lips during the journey. For my own part, I had charge of a couple of dark lanterns, while Legrand -contented himself with the _scarabaeus_, which he carried attached to the +contented himself with the _scarabæus_, which he carried attached to the end of a bit of whip-cord; twirling it to and fro, with the air of a conjurer, as he went. When I observed this last, plain evidence of my friend's aberration of mind, I could scarcely refrain from tears. I @@ -1948,7 +1921,7 @@ During this colloquy no portion of Jupiter's person could be seen; but the beetle, which he had suffered to descend, was now visible at the end of the string, and glistened, like a globe of burnished gold, in the last rays of the setting sun, some of which still faintly illumined the -eminence upon which we stood. The _scarabaeus_ hung quite clear of any +eminence upon which we stood. The _scarabæus_ hung quite clear of any branches, and, if allowed to fall, would have fallen at our feet. Legrand immediately took the scythe and cleared with it a circular space, three or four yards in diameter, just beneath the insect, and, @@ -1978,7 +1951,7 @@ disposition to hope that he would assist me, under any circumstances, in a personal contest with his master. I made no doubt that the latter had been infected with some of the innumerable Southern superstitions about money buried, and that his fantasy had received confirmation by the finding of -the _scarabaeus_, or, perhaps, by Jupiter's obstinacy in maintaining it to +the _scarabæus_, or, perhaps, by Jupiter's obstinacy in maintaining it to be "a bug of real gold." A mind disposed to lunacy would readily be led away by such suggestions--especially if chiming in with favorite preconceived ideas--and then I called to mind the poor fellow's speech @@ -2200,7 +2173,7 @@ extraordinary riddle, entered into a full detail of all the circumstances connected with it. "You remember," said he, "the night when I handed you the rough sketch I -had made of the _scarabaeus_. You recollect, also, that I became quite +had made of the _scarabæus_. You recollect, also, that I became quite vexed at you for insisting that my drawing resembled a death's-head. When you first made this assertion, I thought you were jesting; but afterward I called to mind the peculiar spots on the back of the insect, @@ -2228,7 +2201,7 @@ the reverse, just as I had made it. My first idea now was mere surprise at the really remarkable similarity of outline--at the singular coincidence involved in the fact that, unknown to me, there should have been a skull upon the other side of the parchment, immediately beneath -my figure of the _scarabaeus_, and that this skull, not only in outline, +my figure of the _scarabæus_, and that this skull, not only in outline, but in size, should so closely resemble my drawing. I say the singularity of this coincidence absolutely stupefied me for a time. @@ -2238,7 +2211,7 @@ unable to do so, suffers a species of temporary paralysis. But when I recovered from this stupor, there dawned upon me gradually a conviction which startled me even far more than the coincidence. I began distinctly, positively, to remember that there had been _no_ drawing -upon the parchment when I made my sketch of the _scarabaeus_. I became +upon the parchment when I made my sketch of the _scarabæus_. I became perfectly certain of this; for I recollected turning up first one side and then the other, in search of the cleanest spot. Had the skull been then there, of course I could not have failed to notice it. Here was @@ -2252,7 +2225,7 @@ away, dismissed all further reflection until I should be alone. "When you had gone, and when Jupiter was fast asleep, I betook myself to a more methodical investigation of the affair. In the first place I considered the manner in which the parchment had come into my -possession. The spot where we discovered the _scarabaeus_ was on the +possession. The spot where we discovered the _scarabæus_ was on the coast of the main land, about a mile eastward of the island, and but a short distance above high-water mark. Upon my taking hold of it, it gave me a sharp bite, which caused me to let it drop. Jupiter, with his @@ -2308,12 +2281,12 @@ parchment when you made the drawing of the beetle. How then do you trace any connection between the boat and the skull--since this latter, according to your own admission, must have been designed (God only knows how or by whom) at some period subsequent to your sketching the -_scarabaeus_?" +_scarabæus_?" "Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery; although the secret, at this point, I had comparatively little difficulty in solving. My steps were sure, and could afford but a single result. I reasoned, for example, -thus: When I drew the _scarabaeus_, there was no skull apparent upon the +thus: When I drew the _scarabæus_, there was no skull apparent upon the parchment. When I had completed the drawing I gave it to you and observed you narrowly until you returned it. _You_, therefore, did not design the skull, and no one else was present to do it. Then it was not @@ -2436,8 +2409,8 @@ Here Legrand, having re-heated the parchment, submitted it to my inspection. The following characters were rudely traced, in a red tint, between the death's-head and the goat:-- -53##+305))6*;4826)4#.)4#);806*;48+8¶60))85;;]8*;:#*8+83(88)5*+;46(;88*96* -?;8)*#(;485);5*+2:*#(;4956*2(5*-4)8¶8*;4069285);)6+8)4##;1(#9;48081;8:8#1 +53##+305))6*;4826)4#.)4#);806*;48+8¶60))85;;]8*;:#*8+83(88)5*+;46(;88*96* +?;8)*#(;485);5*+2:*#(;4956*2(5*-4)8¶8*;4069285);)6+8)4##;1(#9;48081;8:8#1 ;48+85;4)485+528806*81(#9;48;(88;4(#?34;48)4#;161;:188;#?; "But," said I, returning him the slip, "I am as much in the dark as @@ -2499,7 +2472,7 @@ Of the character 8 there are 33 92 " 5 :3 " 4 ? " 3 - ¶ " 2 + ¶ " 2 ]--. " 1 "Now, in English, the letter which most frequently occurs is _e_. @@ -2812,7 +2785,7 @@ replicated in ascii, therefore they have been replaced with "+" and THE PURLOINED LETTER - _Nil sapientiae odiosius acumine nimio._ + _Nil sapientiæ odiosius acumine nimio._ SENECA. @@ -2820,14 +2793,14 @@ THE PURLOINED LETTER At Paris, just after dark one gusty evening in the autumn of 18--, I was enjoying the twofold luxury of meditation and a meerschaum, in company with my friend, C. Auguste Dupin, in his little back library, or -book-closet, _au troisieme, No. 33, Rue Dunot, Faubourg Saint Germain_. +book-closet, _au troisième, No. 33, Rue Dunôt, Faubourg Saint Germain_. For one hour at least we had maintained a profound silence; while each, to any casual observer, might have seemed intently and exclusively occupied with the curling eddies of smoke that oppressed the atmosphere of the chamber. For myself, however, I was mentally discussing certain topics which had formed matter for conversation between us at an earlier period of the evening; I mean the affair of the Rue Morgue, and the -mystery attending the murder of Marie Roget. I looked upon it, +mystery attending the murder of Marie Rogêt. I looked upon it, therefore, as something of a coincidence, when the door of our apartment was thrown open and admitted our old acquaintance, Monsieur G----, the Prefect of the Parisian police. @@ -2969,7 +2942,7 @@ employment of the letter, which bestows the power. With the employment the power departs." "True," said G----; "and upon this conviction I proceeded. My first care -was to make thorough search of the minister's hotel; and here my chief +was to make thorough search of the minister's hôtel; and here my chief embarrassment lay in the necessity of searching without his knowledge. Beyond all things, I have been warned of the danger which would result from giving him reason to suspect our design." @@ -2984,7 +2957,7 @@ distance from their master's apartment, and, being chiefly Neapolitans, are readily made drunk. I have keys, as you know, with which I can open any chamber or cabinet in Paris. For three months a night has not passed, during the greater part of which I have not been engaged, -personally, in ransacking the D---- Hotel. My honor is interested, and, +personally, in ransacking the D---- Hôtel. My honor is interested, and, to mention a great secret, the reward is enormous. So I did not abandon the search until I had become fully satisfied that the thief is a more astute man than myself. I fancy that I have investigated every nook and @@ -3059,7 +3032,7 @@ knitting-needle, and in this form it might be inserted into the rung of a chair, for example. You did not take to pieces all the chairs?" "Certainly not; but we did better--we examined the rungs of every chair -in the hotel, and indeed, the jointings of every description of +in the hôtel, and indeed, the jointings of every description of furniture, by the aid of a most powerful microscope. Had there been any traces of recent disturbance we should not have failed to detect it instantly. A single grain of gimlet-dust, for example, would have been @@ -3124,7 +3097,7 @@ would you advise me to do?" "To make a thorough of the premises." "That is absolutely needless," replied G----. "I am not more sure that I -breathe than I am that the letter is not at the hotel." +breathe than I am that the letter is not at the hôtel." "I have no better advice to give you," said Dupin. "You have, of course, an accurate description of the letter?" @@ -3206,7 +3179,7 @@ When he had gone, my friend entered into some explanations. "The Parisian police," he said, "are exceedingly able in their way. They are persevering, ingenious, cunning, and thoroughly versed in the knowledge which their duties seem chiefly to demand. Thus, when -G---- detailed to us his mode of searching the premises of the Hotel +G---- detailed to us his mode of searching the premises of the Hôtel D----, I felt entire confidence in his having made a satisfactory investigation--so far as his labors extended." @@ -3292,11 +3265,11 @@ granted that _all_ men proceed to conceal a letter--not exactly in a gimlet-hole bored in a chair-leg--but, at least, in _some_ out-of-the-way hole or corner suggested by the same tenor of thought which would urge a man to secrete a letter in a gimlet-hole bored in a -chair leg? And do you not see also, that such _recherche_ nooks for +chair leg? And do you not see also, that such _recherché_ nooks for concealment are adapted only for ordinary occasions, and would be adopted only by ordinary intellects?--for, in all cases of concealment, a disposal of the article concealed--a disposal of it in this -_recherche_ manner, is, in the very first instance, presumable and +_recherché_ manner, is, in the very first instance, presumable and presumed; and thus its discovery depends, not at all upon the acumen, but altogether upon the mere care, patience, and determination of the seekers; and where the case is of importance--or, what amounts to the @@ -3328,8 +3301,8 @@ contradicted by the voice of the world. You do not mean to set at naught the well-digested idea of centuries. The mathematical reason has long been regarded as _the_ reason _par excellence_." -"'_Il y a a parier_,'" replied Dupin, quoting from Chamfort, "'_que -toute idee publique, toute convention recue, est une sottise, car elle a +"'_Il y a à parier_,'" replied Dupin, quoting from Chamfort, "'_que +toute idée publique, toute convention reçue, est une sottise, car elle a convenue au plus grande nombre_.' The mathematicians, I grant you, have done their best to promulgate the popular error to which you allude, and which is none the less an error for its promulgation as truth. With an @@ -3400,7 +3373,7 @@ policial action in searches for articles concealed, I felt that this whole train of thought would necessarily pass through the mind of the minister. It would imperatively lead him to despise all the ordinary _nooks_ of concealment. _He_ could not, I reflected, be so weak as not -to see that the most intricate and remote recess of his hotel would be +to see that the most intricate and remote recess of his hôtel would be as open as his commonest closets to the eyes, to the probes, to the gimlets, and to the microscopes of the Prefect. I saw, in fine, that he would be driven, as a matter of course, to _simplicity_, if not @@ -3416,7 +3389,7 @@ have fallen into convulsions." analogies to the immaterial; and thus some color of truth has been given to the rhetorical dogma, that metaphor, or simile, may be made to strengthen an argument, as well as to embellish a description. The -principle of the _vis inertiae_, for example, seems to be identical in +principle of the _vis inertiæ_, for example, seems to be identical in physics and metaphysics. It is not more true in the former, that a large body is with more difficulty set in motion than a smaller one, and that its subsequent _momentum_ is commensurate with this difficulty, that it @@ -3457,7 +3430,7 @@ to conceal it at all. "Full of these ideas, I prepared myself with a pair of green spectacles, and called one fine morning, quite by accident, at the ministerial -hotel. I found D---- at home, yawning, lounging, and dawdling, as usual, +hôtel. I found D---- at home, yawning, lounging, and dawdling, as usual, and pretending to be in the last extremity of _ennui_. He is, perhaps, the most really energetic human being now alive--but that is only when nobody sees him. @@ -3544,7 +3517,7 @@ _fac-simile_? Would it not have been better, at the first visit, to have seized it openly, and departed?" "D----," replied Dupin, "is a desperate man, and a man of nerve. His -hotel, too, is not without attendants devoted to his interest. Had I +hôtel, too, is not without attendants devoted to his interest. Had I made the wild attempt you suggest, I might never have left the ministerial presence alive. The good people of Paris might have heard of me no more. But I had an object apart from these considerations. You @@ -3575,9 +3548,9 @@ clew. He is well acquainted with my MS.; and I just copied into the middle of the blank sheet the words-- "'_----Un dessein si funeste, - S'il n'est digne d'Atree, est digne de Thyeste._' + S'il n'est digne d'Atrée, est digne de Thyeste._' -They are to be found in Crebillon's _Atree_." +They are to be found in Crébillon's _Atrée_." [Illustration: NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE] @@ -4442,7 +4415,7 @@ it was altogether within the limits of possibility to discover this long-sought medium; "but," he added, "a philosopher who should go deep enough to acquire the power would attain too lofty a wisdom to stoop to the exercise of it." Not less singular were his opinions in regard to -the elixir vitae. He more than intimated that it was at his option to +the elixir vitæ. He more than intimated that it was at his option to concoct a liquid that should prolong life for years, perhaps interminably; but that it would produce a discord in Nature which all the world, and chiefly the quaffer of the immortal nostrum, would find @@ -4941,7 +4914,7 @@ Innocent, pointing to the Duchess, "and I can shift for myself." Nothing but Mr. Oakhurst's admonishing foot saved Uncle Billy from bursting into a roar of laughter. As it was, he felt compelled to retire -up the canon until he could recover his gravity. There he confided the +up the cañon until he could recover his gravity. There he confided the joke to the tall pine-trees, with many slaps of his leg, contortions of his face, and the usual profanity. But when he returned to the party, he found them seated by a fire--for the air had grown strangely chill and @@ -5018,13 +4991,13 @@ reddened her cheeks through their professional tint, and Mother Shipton requested Piney not to "chatter." But when Mr. Oakhurst returned from a weary search for the trail, he heard the sound of happy laughter echoed from the rocks. He stopped in some alarm, and his thoughts first -naturally reverted to the whiskey, which he had prudently cached. "And +naturally reverted to the whiskey, which he had prudently cachéd. "And yet it don't somehow sound like whiskey," said the gambler. It was not until he caught sight of the blazing fire through the still blinding storm, and the group around it, that he settled to the conviction that it was "square fun." -Whether Mr. Oakhurst had cached his cards with the whiskey as something +Whether Mr. Oakhurst had cachéd his cards with the whiskey as something debarred the free access of the community, I cannot say. It was certain that, in Mother Shipton's words, he "didn't say 'cards' once" during that evening. Haply the time was beguiled by an accordion, produced @@ -5095,7 +5068,7 @@ proposed to narrate the principal incidents of that poem--having thoroughly mastered the argument and fairly forgotten the words--in the current vernacular of Sandy Bar. And so for the rest of that night the Homeric demi-gods again walked the earth. Trojan bully and wily Greek -wrestled in the winds, and the great pines in the canon seemed to bow to +wrestled in the winds, and the great pines in the cañon seemed to bow to the wrath of the son of Peleus. Mr. Oakhurst listened with quiet satisfaction. Most especially was he interested in the fate of "Ash-heels," as the Innocent persisted in denominating the "swift-footed @@ -5133,7 +5106,7 @@ stay here," was the curt reply. The lovers parted with a long embrace. "You are not going, too?" said the Duchess, as she saw Mr. Oakhurst apparently waiting to accompany -him. "As far as the canon," he replied. He turned suddenly and kissed +him. "As far as the cañon," he replied. He turned suddenly and kissed the Duchess, leaving her pallid face aflame, and her trembling limbs rigid with amazement. @@ -5204,7 +5177,7 @@ once the strongest and yet the weakest of the outcasts of Poker Flat. -THE SIRE DE MALETROIT'S DOOR +THE SIRE DE MALÉTROIT'S DOOR Denis de Beaulieu was not yet two-and-twenty, but he counted himself a @@ -5381,7 +5354,7 @@ moment to compose his expression, lifted the arras and went in. He found himself in a large apartment of polished stone. There were three doors, one on each of three sides, all similarly curtained with tapestry. The fourth side was occupied by two large windows and a great -stone chimneypiece, carved with the arms of the Maletroits. Denis +stone chimneypiece, carved with the arms of the Malétroits. Denis recognized the bearings, and was gratified to find himself in such good hands. The room was strongly illuminated; but it contained little furniture except a heavy table and a chair or two; the hearth was @@ -5401,7 +5374,7 @@ expression. Beautiful white hair hung straight all round his head, like a saint's and fell in a single curl upon the tippet. His beard and mustache were the pink of venerable sweetness. Age, probably in consequence of inordinate precautions, had left no mark upon his hands; -and the Maletroit hand was famous. It would be difficult to imagine +and the Malétroit hand was famous. It would be difficult to imagine anything at once so fleshy and so delicate in design; the taper, sensual fingers were like those of one of Leonardo's women; the fork of the thumb made a dimpled protuberance when closed; the nails were perfectly @@ -5413,11 +5386,11 @@ contemplate people with an unwinking stare, like a god, or a god's statue. His quiescence seemed ironical and treacherous, it fitted so poorly with his looks. -Such was Alain, Sire de Maletroit. +Such was Alain, Sire de Malétroit. Denis and he looked silently at each other for a second or two. -"Pray step in," said the Sire de Maletroit. "I have been expecting you +"Pray step in," said the Sire de Malétroit. "I have been expecting you all the evening." He had not risen, but he accompanied his words with a smile and a slight @@ -5484,7 +5457,7 @@ my explanations; and now there is no power under God will make me stay here any longer; and if I cannot make my way out in a more decent fashion, I will hack your door in pieces with my sword." -The Sire de Maletroit raised his right hand and wagged it at Denis with +The Sire de Malétroit raised his right hand and wagged it at Denis with the fore and little fingers extended. "My dear nephew," he said, "sit down." @@ -5515,7 +5488,7 @@ to assume? While he was thus unpleasantly reflecting, the arras that overhung the chapel door was raised, and a tall priest in his robes came forth, and, giving a long, keen stare at Denis, said something in an undertone to -Sire de Maletroit. +Sire de Malétroit. "She is in a better frame of spirit?" asked the latter. @@ -5537,7 +5510,7 @@ myself." Denis had resigned himself with a good grace--all he desired was to know the worst of it as speedily as possible; so he rose at once, and bowed -in acquiescence. The Sire de Maletroit followed his example and limped, +in acquiescence. The Sire de Malétroit followed his example and limped, with the assistance of the chaplain's arm, toward the chapel door. The priest pulled aside the arras, and all three entered. The building had considerable architectural pretensions. A light groining sprung from six @@ -5573,7 +5546,7 @@ covered her face with her hands and sank upon the chapel floor. "That is not the man!" she cried. "My uncle, that is not the man!" -The Sire de Maletroit chirped agreeably. "Of course not," he said; "I +The Sire de Malétroit chirped agreeably. "Of course not," he said; "I expected as much. It was so unfortunate you could not remember his name." @@ -5608,7 +5581,7 @@ with a tremor of anger and contempt--"that you still think _this_ to be the man?" "Frankly," said the old gentleman, pausing on the threshold, "I do. But -let me explain to you once for all, Blanche de Maletroit, my way of +let me explain to you once for all, Blanche de Malétroit, my way of thinking about this affair. When you took it into your head to dishonor my family and the name that I have borne, in peace and war, for more than threescore years, you forfeited, not only the right to question my @@ -5618,7 +5591,7 @@ the hand of iron. You may bless your God you have only to deal with the hand of velvet, mademoiselle. It was my duty to get you married without delay. Out of pure goodwill, I have tried to find your own gallant for you. And I believe I have succeeded. But before God and all the holy -angels, Blanche de Maletroit, if I have not, I care not one jackstraw. +angels, Blanche de Malétroit, if I have not, I care not one jackstraw. So let me recommend you to be polite to our young friend; for, upon my word, your next groom may be less appetizing." @@ -5645,7 +5618,7 @@ in both hands. "Alas, how my head aches!" she said, wearily--"to say nothing of my poor heart! But it is due to you to know my story, unmaidenly as it must -seem. I am called Blanche de Maletroit; I have been without father or +seem. I am called Blanche de Malétroit; I have been without father or mother for--oh! for as long as I can recollect, and indeed I have been most unhappy all my life. Three months ago a young captain began to stand near me every day in church. I could see that I pleased him; I am @@ -5682,7 +5655,7 @@ Denis made her a respectful inclination. "Madam," he said, "you have honored me by your confidence. It remains for me to prove that I am not unworthy of the honor. Is Messire de -Maletroit at hand?" +Malétroit at hand?" "I believe he is writing in the _salle_ without," she answered. @@ -5694,7 +5667,7 @@ very drooping and shamefast condition, but Denis strutting and ruffling in the consciousness of a mission, and the boyish certainty of accomplishing it with honor. -The Sire Maletroit rose to meet them with an ironical obeisance. +The Sire Malétroit rose to meet them with an ironical obeisance. "Sir," said Denis, with the grandest possible air, "I believe I am to have some say in the matter of this marriage; and let me tell you at @@ -5719,7 +5692,7 @@ regret, you may believe me. For it is not at all your death that I desire, but my niece's establishment in life. At the same time, it must come to that if you prove obstinate. Your family, Monsieur de Beaulieu, is very well in its way; but if you sprung from Charlemagne, you should -not refuse the hand of a Maletroit with impunity--not if she had been as +not refuse the hand of a Malétroit with impunity--not if she had been as common as the Paris road--not if she was as hideous as the gargoyle over my door. Neither my niece nor you, nor my own private feelings, move me at all in this matter. The honor of my house has been compromised; I @@ -5737,7 +5710,7 @@ There was a pause. gentlemen," said Denis. "You wear a sword, and I hear you have used it with distinction." -The Sire de Maletroit made a signal to the chaplain, who crossed the +The Sire de Malétroit made a signal to the chaplain, who crossed the room with long silent strides and raised the arras over the third of the three doors. It was only a moment before he let it fall again; but Denis had time to see a dusky passage full of armed men. @@ -5771,7 +5744,7 @@ Denis again glanced at the girl, who seemed to beseech him to agree. "I give you my word of honor," he said. -Messire de Maletroit bowed, and proceeded to limp about the apartment, +Messire de Malétroit bowed, and proceeded to limp about the apartment, clearing his throat the while with that odd musical chirp which had already grown so irritating in the ears of Denis de Beaulieu. He first possessed himself of some papers which lay upon the table; then he went @@ -5808,7 +5781,7 @@ nothing to arrest them. There were such wide spaces between the furniture, the light fell so badly and cheerlessly over all, the dark outside air looked in so coldly through the windows, that he thought he had never seen a church so vast, nor a tomb so melancholy. The regular -sobs of Blanche de Maletroit measured out the time like the ticking of a +sobs of Blanche de Malétroit measured out the time like the ticking of a clock. He read the device upon the shield over and over again, until his eyes became obscured; he stared into shadowy corners until he imagined they were swarming with horrible animals; and every now and again he @@ -5897,7 +5870,7 @@ judgment day. I have few friends just now, and once I am dead I shall have none." "Ah, Monsieur de Beaulieu!" she exclaimed, "you forget Blanche de -Maletroit." +Malétroit." "You have a sweet nature, madam, and you are pleased to estimate a little service far beyond its worth." @@ -6004,7 +5977,7 @@ her lips and eyes. and covering her wet face with kisses. A melodious chirping was audible behind, followed by a beautiful -chuckle, and the voice of Messire de Maletroit wished his new nephew a +chuckle, and the voice of Messire de Malétroit wished his new nephew a good morning. @@ -7132,7 +7105,7 @@ periodical of short duration, on the model of _The Spectator_, written in conjunction with two of his brothers in 1807-1808. In the meantime he had been admitted to the bar. In 1809 appeared "The Knickerbocker History of New York," a piece of humor and satire which made him famous. -At this time occurred the death of his fiancee, a loss from which he +At this time occurred the death of his fiancée, a loss from which he never recovered. At the beginning of the War of 1812 he served for four months on the staff of the Governor of New York. @@ -7313,7 +7286,7 @@ United States Artillery. 24. SWAMMERDAMM: Jan Swammerdam--one final _m_ according to the Century Dictionary--(1637-1680). A distinguished Dutch naturalist. -27. SCARABAEUS CAPUT HOMINIS: (Latin) _a man's head beetle_. There is no +27. SCARABÆUS CAPUT HOMINIS: (Latin) _a man's head beetle_. There is no such species known. 29. SYPHON: Negro dialect for ciphering, a colloquial word for @@ -7366,22 +7339,22 @@ NOTES TO "THE PURLOINED LETTER" This detective story was published in "The Gift" for 1845. -PAGE 69. NIL SAPIENTIAE, etc.: (Latin) _Nothing is more hateful to wisdom +PAGE 69. NIL SAPIENTIÆ, etc.: (Latin) _Nothing is more hateful to wisdom than too great acuteness_. C. AUGUSTE DUPIN: clever amateur who solves the mysteries which baffle the police. Most writers of detective stories -follow this example set by Poe. AU TROISIEME: (French) _on the third +follow this example set by Poe. AU TROISIÈME: (French) _on the third floor_. FAUBOURG: (French) section of a city. SAINT GERMAIN: a section of Paris on the south bank of the Seine, once the abode of the French nobility. AFFAIR OF THE RUE MORGUE: a reference to the detective story, -"The Murders in the Rue Morgue." THE MURDER OF MARIE ROGET: a reference -to another detective story, "THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGET." The writer is +"The Murders in the Rue Morgue." THE MURDER OF MARIE ROGÊT: a reference +to another detective story, "THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGÊT." The writer is playing the same part as does Dr. Watson in the various Sherlock Holmes stories by Conan Doyle. PREFECT: (French) _chief_. 71. CANT OF DIPLOMACY: set phrases used in intercourse between representatives of governments by which they hint at their meaning. -73. HOTEL: (French) _residence_. AU FAIT: (French) _expert_. +73. HÔTEL: (French) _residence_. AU FAIT: (French) _expert_. 76. MICROSCOPE: since Poe's time the microscope is, in stories, almost an invariable part of a detective's outfit. @@ -7396,16 +7369,16 @@ mythology, Procrustes (derivatively "the stretcher") was a giant who tied those whom he caught on a bed, making them fit by stretching them out if too short, and by cutting off their limbs if too long. -82. ROCHE FOUCALD: Francois La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680). A French +82. ROCHE FOUCALD: François La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680). A French moralist known for his "Maxims" published in 1665. LA BOUGIVE: In the edition of Poe's works prepared by Edmund Clarence Stedman and Professor -George Edward Woodberry, this name is given as La Bruyere. Jean de La -Bruyere (1645-1696) was a French moralist. MACHIAVELLI: Nicolo +George Edward Woodberry, this name is given as La Bruyère. Jean de La +Bruyère (1645-1696) was a French moralist. MACHIAVELLI: Nicolo Machiavelli (1469-1527). A celebrated statesman and writer of Florence, Italy, whose book "The Prince" is based on unscrupulous principles. CAMPANELLA: Tomaso Campanella (1568-1639). An Italian writer. -83. RECHERCHE: (French) _far-fetched_. POLITICAL: a rare word, meaning +83. RECHERCHÉ: (French) _far-fetched_. POLITICAL: a rare word, meaning "pertaining to the police." 84. NON DISTRIBUTIO MEDII: (Latin) _a non-distribution of the middle, or @@ -7427,11 +7400,11 @@ mere similarity of two words does not make them of the same meaning. 86. INTRIGANT: (French) _intriger_. -87. VIS INERTIAE: (Latin) _the force of inertia_, the same as _inertia_, +87. VIS INERTIÆ: (Latin) _the force of inertia_, the same as _inertia_, a term of physics which denotes the tendency of a body to remain at rest or in motion. -88. MINISTERIAL HOTEL: house of the minister or cabinet officer. +88. MINISTERIAL HÔTEL: house of the minister or cabinet officer. 92. FACILIS DESCENSUS AVERNI: a misquotation from Vergil's "Aeneid," Book VI, line 126. It should be "facilis descensus Averno," _easy is @@ -7439,9 +7412,9 @@ the descent to Avernus_. CATALANI: Angelica Catalani (1779-1849). An Italian singer. MONSTRUM HORRENDUM: (Latin) _a horrible monster_, the epithet applied to the one-eyed giant, Polyphemus, in Vergil's "Aeneid," Book III, line 658. UN DESSEIN, etc.: (French). _A design so fatal, if -it is not worthy of Atree, it is worthy of Thyeste_. CREBILLON'S -"ATREE": Prosper Jolyot de Crebillon (1674-1762). A French tragic poet. -His play, "Atree et Thyeste," bears the date 1707. +it is not worthy of Atrée, it is worthy of Thyeste_. CRÉBILLON'S +"ATRÉE": Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon (1674-1762). A French tragic poet. +His play, "Atrée et Thyeste," bears the date 1707. NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE @@ -7680,7 +7653,7 @@ money out of foolish people. At one time they became so numerous in London that laws were passed against them, but it took Jonson's play "The Alchemist" to laugh away their hold. -123. ELIXIR VITAE: (Arabic, _el iksir_, plus Latin, _vitae_) literally, +123. ELIXIR VITÆ: (Arabic, _el iksir_, plus Latin, _vitæ_) literally, _the philosopher's stone of life_. Another fad of the alchemists. 125. ALBERTUS MAGNUS: "Albert the Great" (1193-1280), a member of the @@ -7876,7 +7849,7 @@ GENUNG: Stevenson's Attitude toward Life. PHELPS: Modern Novelists. -NOTES ON "THE SIRE DE MALETROIT'S DOOR" +NOTES ON "THE SIRE DE MALÉTROIT'S DOOR" This story of dramatic interest, which contains, moreover, much psychologic interest, was first published in _Temple Bar_, January, @@ -8139,11 +8112,11 @@ equivalent to "gallant officer." he is a non-commissioned officer who ranks higher and receives better pay than an ordinary sergeant, and, in addition to discharging the usual duties of a sergeant, attends the colors (the flag) in the field or near -headquarters. PATHANS: (pronounced Pay-tan) an Afghan race settled in +headquarters. PATHANS: (pronounced Pay-tán) an Afghan race settled in Hindustan and in eastern Afghanistan. DOUBLE: to increase the pace to twice the ordinary; double-quick. -208. CANTONMENT: (in India pronounced can-tone-ment) part of a town +208. CANTONMENT: (in India pronounced can-tóne-ment) part of a town assigned to soldiers. PULTON: native expression equivalent to "troops." 209. PUKKA: native expression meaning "real," "thorough." @@ -8313,7 +8286,7 @@ Nativity; On Shakespeare; At a Solemn Music; Sonnets. Paradise Lost, Books I and II. Edited by Henry W. Boynton. Cloth, 30 cents. This edition has the first two books of Paradise Lost complete and -a resume of the rest of the epic, with quotations of notable passages. +a résumé of the rest of the epic, with quotations of notable passages. The introduction has two plans and a description of the Miltonic universe. @@ -8335,7 +8308,7 @@ Edited by Mary E. Adams. Cloth, 30 cents. SHAKESPEARE. Edited by Samuel Thurber. As You Like It. -Julius Caesar. +Julius Cæsar. Macbeth. Merchant of Venice. The Tempest. @@ -8463,369 +8436,4 @@ Addison's Stories and his Hymns. 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Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. +*** END OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 21964 *** diff --git a/21964-8.txt b/21964-8.txt deleted file mode 100644 index f0a8c26..0000000 --- a/21964-8.txt +++ /dev/null @@ -1,8831 +0,0 @@ -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Short-story, by William Patterson Atkinson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Short-story - -Author: William Patterson Atkinson - -Release Date: June 29, 2007 [EBook #21964] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHORT-STORY *** - - - - -Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Graeme Mackreth and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - - -[Illustration: WASHINGTON IRVING] - -THE SHORT-STORY - -With -Introduction and Notes - -BY - -W. PATTERSON ATKINSON, A.M. - -VICE-PRINCIPAL OF THE LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL -JERSEY CITY - -ALLYN AND BACON - -Boston New York Chicago - -COPYRIGHT, 1916, -BY ALLYN AND BACON. - -Norwood Press -J. S. Cushing Co.--Berwick & Smith Co. -Norwood, Mass., U.S.A. - - - - -FOREWORD - - -This book is the result of actual work with first year High School -pupils. Furthermore, the completed text has been tried out with them. -Their difficulties, standards of reading, and the average development of -their minds and taste have constantly been remembered. Whatever teaching -quality the book may possess is due to their criticisms. - -Hearty thanks are due Messrs. G. P. Putnam's Sons, Messrs. Charles -Scribner's Sons, The Thomas Y. Crowell Company, and The Houghton Mifflin -Company for gracious permission to use copyrighted material. - -CONTENTS - - PAGE - -PORTRAITS OF AUTHORS vii - -INTRODUCTION - -I. Definition and Development ix - -II. Forms xvi - -III. The Short-story as Narration xvii - -IV. Representative Short-stories xxi - -V. Bibliography xxv - -WASHINGTON IRVING: Rip Van Winkle (1820) 1 - -EDGAR ALLAN POE: The Gold Bug (1842) 23 - -The Purloined Letter (1845) 69 - -NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE: Howe's Masquerade (1838) 93 - -The Birthmark (1843) 112 - -FRANCIS BRET HARTE: The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1869) 134 - -ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON: The Sire de Malétroit's Door (1878) 148 - -Markheim (1885) 174 - -RUDYARD KIPLING: Wee Willie Winkie (1888) 196 - -NOTES 211 - -LIST OF PORTRAITS - - -WASHINGTON IRVING _Frontispiece_ - - FACING PAGE - -EDGAR ALLAN POE 23 - -NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE 93 - -FRANCIS BRET HARTE 134 - -ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON 148 - -RUDYARD KIPLING 196 - - - - -INTRODUCTION - - -I - -DEFINITION AND DEVELOPMENT - -Mankind has always loved to tell stories and to listen to them. The most -primitive and unlettered peoples and tribes have always shown and still -show this universal characteristic. As far back as written records go we -find stories; even before that time, they were handed down from remote -generations by oral tradition. The wandering minstrel followed a very -ancient profession. Before him was his prototype--the man with the gift -of telling stories over the fire at night, perhaps at the mouth of a -cave. The Greeks, who ever loved to hear some new thing, were merely -typical of the ready listeners. - -In the course of time the story passed through many forms and many -phases--the myth, e.g. _The Labors of Hercules_; the legend, e.g. _St. -George and the Dragon_; the fairy tale, e.g. _Cinderella_; the fable, -e.g. _The Fox and the Grapes_; the allegory, e.g. Addison's _The Vision -of Mirza_; the parable, e.g. _The Prodigal Son_. Sometimes it was merely -to amuse, sometimes to instruct. With this process are intimately -connected famous books, such as "The Gesta Romanorum" (which, by the -way, has nothing to do with the Romans) and famous writers like -Boccaccio. - -Gradually there grew a body of rules and a technique, and men began to -write about the way stories should be composed, as is seen in -Aristotle's statement that a story should have a beginning, a middle, -and an end. Definitions were made and the elements named. In the -fullness of time story-telling became an art. - -Similar stories are to be found in many different literatures because -human nature is fundamentally the same the world over; that is, people -are swayed by the same motives, such as love, hate, fear, and the like. -Another reason for this similarity is the fact that nations borrowed -stories from other nations, changing the names and circumstances. -Writers of power took old and crude stories and made of them matchless -tales which endure in their new form, e.g. Hawthorne's _Rappaccini's -Daughter_. Finally the present day dawned and with it what we call the -short-story. - -The short-story--Prof. Brander Matthews has suggested the hyphen to -differentiate it from the story which is merely short and to indicate -that it is a new species[1]--is a narrative which is short and has -unity, compression, originality, and ingenuity, each in a high -degree.[2] The notion of shortness as used in this definition may be -inexactly though easily grasped by considering the length of the average -magazine story. Compression means that nothing must be included that can -be left out. Clayton Hamilton expresses this idea by the convenient -phrase "economy of means."[3] By originality is meant something new in -plot, point, outcome, or character. (See Introduction III for a -discussion of these terms.) Ingenuity suggests cleverness in handling -the theme. The short-story also is impressionistic because it leaves to -the reader the reconstruction from hints of much of the setting and -details. - -[Footnote 1: _The Philosophy of the Short-Story in Pen and Ink_, page -72. (Longmans, Green & Co., 1888.)] - -[Footnote 2: _Ibid._] - -[Footnote 3: _Materials of Fiction_, page 175. (Doubleday, Page & Co., -1912.)] - -Mr. Hamilton has also constructed another useful definition. He says: -"The aim of a short-story is to produce a single narrative effect with -the greatest economy of means that is consistent with the utmost -emphasis."[4] - -[Footnote 4: _Materials of Fiction_, page 173. (Doubleday, Page & Co., -1912.)] - -However, years before, in 1842, in his celebrated review of Hawthorne's -_Tales_[5] Edgar Allan Poe had laid down the same theory, in which he -emphasizes what he elsewhere calls, after Schlegel, the unity or -totality of interest, _i.e._ unity of impression, effect, and economy. -Stevenson, too, has written critically of the short-story, laying stress -on this essential unity, pointing out how each effect leads to the next, -and how the end is part of the beginning.[6] - -[Footnote 5: _Graham's Magazine_, May, 1842.] - -[Footnote 6: _Vailima Letters_, I, page 147.] - -America may justly lay claim to this new species of short narrative. -Beginning in the early part of the nineteenth century there had begun to -appear in this country stories showing variations from the English type -of story which "still bore upon it marks of its origin; it was either a -hard, formal, didactic treatise, derived from the moral apologue or -fable; or it was a sentimental love-tale derived from the artificial -love-romance that followed the romance of chivalry."[7] The first one to -stand out prominently is Washington Irving's _Rip Van Winkle_, which was -published in 1820. This story, while more leisurely and less condensed -than the completely developed form of the short-story, had the important -element of humor, as well as freshness, grace, and restraint, nothing -being said that should not be said. - -[Footnote 7: Krapp's _Irving's Tales of a Traveller_, etc. Introduction. -(Scott, Foresman & Co.)] - -The next writer in the order of development is Edgar Allan Poe, whose -_Berenice_ appeared in 1835. With it the short-story took definite form. -Poe's contribution is structure and technique; that is, he definitely -introduced the characteristics noted in the definition--unity, -compression, originality, and ingenuity. With almost mathematical -precision he sets out to obtain an effect. To quote from his -before-mentioned review of Hawthorne his own words which are so definite -as almost to compose a formula of his way of writing a short-story and -are so thoughtful as to be nearly the summary of any discussion of the -subject: "A skillful literary artist has constructed a tale. If wise, he -has not fashioned his thoughts to accommodate his incidents; but having -conceived, with deliberate care, a certain unique or single effect to be -wrought out, he then invents such incidents--he then combines such -events--as may best aid him in establishing this preconceived effect. If -his very initial sentence tend not to the out-bringing of this effect, -then he has failed in his first step. In the whole composition there -should be no word written of which the tendency, direct or indirect, is -not to the one preëstablished design. And by such means, with such care -and skill, a picture is at length painted which leaves in the mind of -him who contemplates it with a kindred art a sense of the fullest -satisfaction. The idea of the tale has been presented unblemished -because undisturbed; and this is an end unattainable by the novel." It -is to be noted that Poe roused interest in his effect by the method of -suspense, that is, by holding back the solution of the plot, by putting -off telling what the reader wants to know, though he continually -aggravates the desire to know by constant hints, the full significance -of which is only realized when the story is done. His stories are of two -main classes: what have been called stories of "impressionistic terror," -that is, stories of great fear induced in a character by a mass of -rather vague and unusual incidents, such as _The Fall of the House of -Usher_ (1839) and _The Pit and the Pendulum_ (1843); and stories of -"ratiocination," that is, of the ingenious thinking out of a problem, as -_The Mystery of Marie Rogêt_ (1843). In the latter type he is the -originator of the detective story. - -The writings of Nathaniel Hawthorne exhibit the next stage of -development. While lacking some of the technical excellence of Poe by -often not knowing how to begin or how to end a story, by sacrificing -economy or compression, yet he presented something new in making a story -of situation, that is, by putting a character in certain circumstances -and working out the results, as _The Birthmark_ (1843). His stories also -fall into two groups, the imaginative, like _Howe's Masquerade_ (1838), -and the moralizing introspective, or, as they have been called, the -"moral-philosophic," that is, stories which look within the human mind -and soul and deal with great questions of conduct, such as _The -Ambitious Guest_ (1837). Hawthorne was the descendant of Puritans, men -given to serious thought and sternly religious. It is this strain of his -inheritance which is evidenced in the second group. In all his writing -there is some outward symbol of the circumstances or the state of mind. -It is seen, for example, in _The Minister's Black Veil_ (1835). - -In 1868 was published _Luck of Roaring Camp_, by Bret Harte. In this -story and those that immediately followed, the author advanced the -development of the short-story yet another step by introducing local -color. Local color means the peculiar customs, scenery, or surroundings -of any kind, which mark off one place from another. In a literary sense -he discovered California of the days of the early rush for gold. -Furthermore, he made the story more definite. He confined it to one -situation and one effect, thus approaching more to what may be -considered the normal form. - -With the form of the short-story fairly worked out, the next development -is to be noted in the tone and subject matter. Local color became -particularly evident, humor became constantly more prominent, and then -the analysis of the working of the human mind, psychologic analysis, -held the interest of some foremost writers. Stories of these various -kinds came to the front about the third quarter of the last century. -"Mark Twain" (Samuel Langhorne Clemens), Thomas Bailey Aldrich, and -Frank R. Stockton preëminently and admirably present the humor so -peculiarly an American trait. Local color had its exponents in George W. -Cable, who presented Louisiana; "Charles Egbert Craddock" (Miss M. N. -Murfree), who wrote of Tennessee; Thomas Nelson Page, who gave us -Virginia; and Miss M. E. Wilkins (Mrs. Charles M. Freeman), who wrote of -New England, to mention only the most notable. With psychologic analysis -the name of Henry James is indissolubly linked. _The Passionate Pilgrim_ -(1875) may be taken as an excellent example of his work. - -By this time the American short-story had crossed to England and found -in Robert Louis Stevenson an artist who could handle it with consummate -skill. He passed it on a more finished and polished article than when -he received it, because by a long course of self-training he had become -a master in the use of words. His stories remind one of Hawthorne -because there is generally in them some underlying moral question, some -question of human action, something concerning right and wrong. But they -also have another characteristic which is more obvious to the average -reader--their frank romance. By romance is meant happenings either out -of the usual course of events, such as the climax of _Lochinvar_, or -events that cannot occur. - -The latest stage in the development of the short-story is due to Rudyard -Kipling, who has made it generally more terse, has filled it with -interest in the highest degree, has found new local color, chiefly in -India, and has given it virility and power. His subject matter is, in -the main, interesting to all kinds of readers. His stories likewise -fulfill all the requirements of the definition. Being a living genius he -is constantly showing new sides of his ability, his later stories being -psychologic. His writings fall into numerous groups--soldier tales; -tales of machinery; of animals; of the supernatural; of native Indian -life; of history; of adventure;--the list could be prolonged. Sometimes -they are frankly tracts, sometimes acute analyses of the working of the -human mind. - -So in the course of a little less than a century there has grown to -maturity a new kind of short narrative identified with American -Literature and the American people, exhibiting the foremost traits of -the American character, and written by a large number of authors of -different rank whose work, of a surprisingly high average of technical -excellence, appears chiefly in the magazines. - - -II - -FORMS - -Though the short-story has achieved a normal or general form of -straightforward narrative, as in Kipling's _An Habitation Enforced_ or -Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews' _Amici_, yet it exhibits many variations -in presentation. Sometimes it is a series of letters as in James' _A -Bundle of Letters_, sometimes a group of narrative, letters, and -telegrams as in Thomas Bailey Aldrich's _Marjorie Daw_; again, a letter -and a paragraph as in Henry Cuyler Bunner's _A Letter and a Paragraph_, -or a gathering of letters, telegrams, newspaper clippings, and -advertisements as Bunner and Matthews' _Documents in the Case_. - -Again it may be told in the first person as in Stevenson's _Pavilion on -the Links_, or in the third person as in Kipling's _The Bridge -Builders_. Yet again it may be a conundrum as Stockton's famous _The -Lady or the Tiger_! - -But besides the forms due to the manner of presentation there are other -forms due to the emphasis placed on one of the three elements of a -narrative---action, character, and setting. Consequently using this -principle of classification we have three forms which may be exemplified -by Kipling's _William the Conqueror_, wherein action is emphasized; his -_Tomb of His Ancestors_, wherein character is emphasized; and his _An -Error in the Fourth Dimension_, wherein setting is emphasized. - -Using yet another principle of classification--material--we obtain: -stories of dramatic interest, that is, of some striking happening that -would hold the audience of a play in a highly excited state, as -Stevenson's _Sire de Malétroit's Door_; of love, as Bunner's _Love in -Old Cloathes_; of romantic adventure, as Kipling's _Man Who Would Be -King_; of terror, as Poe's _Pit and the Pendulum_; of the supernatural, -as Crawford's _The Upper Berth_; of humor, as humor, as Mary Raymond -Shipman Andrews' _A Good Samaritan_; of animals, as Kipling's -_Rikki-tikki-tavi_; of psychological analysis, as James' _Madonna of the -Future_; and so on. - - -III - -THE SHORT-STORY AS NARRATION - -All the previous discussion must not obscure the fact that the -short-story is a form of narration and subject to all that pertains -thereto. Now what is narration and what does it imply? - -Narration is that form of discourse which presents a series of events in -the order of time. Events or action presuppose actors, or characters as -they are generally called, and a place where the action may take place; -likewise time and circumstances within which the actors act. These -three, which may be conveniently spoken of as actors, action, and -environment, are three of the elements of narration. But there is a -fourth. To make an interesting story there must be something for the -chief character, technically called the protagonist, to overcome, such -as an adversary, a situation, or an idea, which thing is called the -obstacle. Furthermore, there must be something in the story near the -beginning which brings the protagonist into conflict with the obstacle. -Often this conflict, technically the collision, is brought about by -another character. But it may be some happening. Whatever it is, it is -called the complicating force. Then again, toward the end of the story, -there is something else which either helps the protagonist to overcome -the obstacle, or the obstacle to overcome the protagonist. This is -called the resolving force. - -As these two forces work in different parts of the story, the action is -conveniently divided into parts to which names have been attached. First -comes the introduction or proposition, wherein the time, place, -circumstances, and protagonist are presented; then the entanglement, -wherein the protagonist is brought into collision with the obstacle by -the complicating force, and the interest begins to deepen. Next we have -the climax, in which the struggle, and consequently the interest, are at -their height; and this in turn is followed by the resolution, where the -resolving force works and the knot begins to be untied. Finally there is -the dénouement or conclusion. - -The career of each character may be conveniently spoken of as a line of -interest. When the lines of interest become entangled we have the plot. - -The following diagram illustrates to the eye the development of a story. -Of course it must be distinctly understood that no story is the result -of a mere substitution in a formula. Sometimes the various steps in the -working-out of a story overlap in such a manner that its development -according to a prescribed plan is not apparent. - -[Illustration] - -Small _c_ is sometimes called the crisis, being the point at which the -action is most intense and begins to turn toward the end. - - -IV - -LIST OF REPRESENTATIVE SHORT-STORIES - -1. ALDRICH: Marjorie Daw. - -2. Quite So. - -3. ANDREWS: Amici. - -4. The Glory of the Commonplace. - -5. A Good Samaritan. - -6. BUNNER: "As One Having Authority." - -7. Love in Old Cloathes. - -8. BUNNER AND MATTHEWS: Documents in the Case. - -9. CABLE: Posson Jone. - -10. CHILD: The Man in the Shadow. - -11. CLEMENS: Jumping Frog. - -12. COBB: To the Editor of the Sun. - -13. COLCORD: The Game of Life and Death. - -14. DAVIS, R. H.: The Bar Sinister. - -15. Gallegher. - -16. The Lion and the Unicorn. - -17. DOYLE: The Red-Headed League. - -18. A Scandal in Bohemia. - -19. The Striped Chest. - -20. Through the Veil. - -21. GARLAND: The Return of a Private. - -22. GEROULD: On the Staircase. - -23. HALE: The Man without a Country. - -24. HARDY: The Three Strangers. - -25. HARRIS: The Wonderful Tar Baby. - -26. HARTE: Luck of Roaring Camp. - -27. Tennessee's Partner. - -28. HAWTHORNE: The Ambitious Guest. - -29. Ethan Brand. - -30. The Gray Champion. - -31. The Great Stone Face. - -32. "O. HENRY": Friends in San Rosario. - -33. Jimmie Hayes and Muriel. - -34. IRVING: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow. - -35. The Spectre Bridegroom. - -36. JAMES: A Passionate Pilgrim. - -37. JANVIER: In the St. Peter's Set. - -38. The Passing of Thomas. - -39. JEWETT: A Native of Winby. - -40. KIPLING: The Brushwood Boy. - -41. An Habitation Enforced. - -42. The Maltese Cat. - -43. My Lord the Elephant. - -44. Rikki-tikki-tavi. - -45. They. - -46. The Tomb of His Ancestors. - -47. Wee Willie Winkie. - -48. William the Conqueror. - -49. LONDON: The White Silence. - -50. MORRIS: The Trap. - -51. MURFREE: The "Harnt" that Walks Chilhowee. - -52. PAGE: Marse Chan. - -53. Meh Lady. - -54. Polly. - -55. PARKER: The Stake and the Plumb Line. - -56. POE: The Fall of the House of Usher. - -57. The Murders in the Rue Morgue. - -58. The Pit and the Pendulum. - -59. ROBERTS: From the Teeth of the Tide. - -60. SPEARMAN: Jimmie the Wind. - -61. SMITH, F. H.: Colonel Carter of Cartersville. - -62. STEVENSON: The Bottle Imp. - -63. A Lodging for the Night. - -64. Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde. - -65. The Merry Men. - -66. The Pavilion on the Links. - -67. STOCKTON: The Lady or the Tiger? - -68. The Transferred Ghost. - -69. A Story of Seven Devils. - -70. VAN DYKE: The Blue Flower. - -71. WILKINS (FREEMAN): A New England Nun. - -72. The Revolt of Mother. - - -V - -BIBLIOGRAPHY - -BALDWIN, CHARLES SEARS. American Short-stories. _Longmans, Green, & Co., -1904._ - -CANBY, HENRY SEIDEL, A Study of the Short-story. _Henry Holt & Co., -1913._ - -DAWSON, W. J. AND CONINGSBY, The Great English Short-story Writers. -_Harper and Brothers, 1910._ - -HAMILTON, CLAYTON, Materials and Methods of Fiction (Chapters X and XI). -_Doubleday, Page & Co., 1908._ - -MATTHEWS, BRANDER, The Short-story. _American Book Co., 1907._ - -PERRY, BLISS, A Study of Prose Fiction (Chapter XII). _Houghton Mifflin -Co., 1902._ - -SMITH, C. ALPHONSO, The American Short-story. _Ginn & Co., 1912._ - - - - -THE SHORT-STORY - - -[The following Tale was found among the papers of the late Diedrich -Knickerbocker, an old gentleman of New York, who was very curious in the -Dutch history of the province, and the manners of the descendants from -its primitive settlers. His historical researches, however, did not lie -so much among books as among men; for the former are lamentably scanty -on his favorite topics; whereas he found the old burghers, and still -more their wives, rich in that legendary lore, so invaluable to true -history. Whenever, therefore, he happened upon a genuine Dutch family, -snugly shut up in its low-roofed farmhouse, under a spreading sycamore, -he looked upon it as a little clasped volume of black-letter, and -studied it with the zeal of a book-worm. - -The result of all these researches was a history of the province during -the reign of the Dutch governors, which he published some years since. -There have been various opinions as to the literary character of his -work, and, to tell the truth, it is not a whit better than it should be. -Its chief merit is its scrupulous accuracy, which indeed was a little -questioned on its first appearance, but has since been completely -established; and it is now admitted into all historical collections, as -a book of unquestionable authority. - -The old gentleman died shortly after the publication of his work, and -now that he is dead and gone, it cannot do much harm to his memory to -say that his time might have been much better employed in weightier -labors. He, however, was apt to ride his hobby his own way; and though -it did now and then kick up the dust a little in the eyes of his -neighbors, and grieve the spirit of some friends, for whom he felt the -truest deference and affection; yet his errors and follies are -remembered "more in sorrow than in anger," and it begins to be -suspected, that he never intended to injure or offend. But however his -memory may be appreciated by critics, it is still held dear by many -folks, whose good opinion is well worth having; particularly by certain -biscuit-bakers, who have gone so far as to imprint his likeness on their -new-year cakes; and have thus given him a chance for immortality, almost -equal to the being stamped on a Waterloo Medal, or a Queen Anne's -Farthing.] - - - - -RIP VAN WINKLE - -A POSTHUMOUS WRITING OF DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKER - - By Woden, God of Saxons, - From whence comes Wensday, that is Wodensday, - Truth is a thing that ever I will keep - Unto thylke day in which I creep into - My sepulchre-- - -CARTWRIGHT. - - -Whoever has made a voyage up the Hudson must remember the Kaatskill -mountains. They are a dismembered branch of the great Appalachian -family, and are seen away to the west of the river, swelling up to a -noble height, and lording it over the surrounding country. Every change -of season, every change of weather, indeed, every hour of the day, -produces some change in the magical hues and shapes of these mountains, -and they are regarded by all the good wives, far and near, as perfect -barometers. When the weather is fair and settled, they are clothed in -blue and purple, and print their bold outlines on the clear evening sky; -but, sometimes, when the rest of the landscape is cloudless, they will -gather a hood of gray vapors about their summits, which, in the last -rays of the setting sun, will glow and light up like a crown of glory. - -At the foot of these fairy mountains, the voyager may have descried the -light smoke curling up from a village whose shingle-roofs gleam among -the trees, just where the blue tints of the upland melt away into the -fresh green of the nearer landscape. It is a little village of great -antiquity, having been founded by some of the Dutch colonists, in the -early times of the province, just about the beginning of the government -of the good Peter Stuyvesant, (may he rest in peace!) and there were -some of the houses of the original settlers standing within a few years, -built of small yellow bricks brought from Holland, having latticed -windows and gable fronts, surmounted with weather-cocks. - -In that same village, and in one of these very houses (which, to tell -the precise truth, was sadly time-worn and weather-beaten), there lived -many years since, while the country was yet a province of Great Britain, -a simple good-natured fellow of the name of Rip Van Winkle. He was a -descendant of the Van Winkles who figured so gallantly in the chivalrous -days of Peter Stuyvesant, and accompanied him to the siege of Fort -Christina. He inherited, however, but little of the martial character of -his ancestors. I have observed that he was a simple good-natured man; he -was, moreover, a kind neighbor, and an obedient hen-pecked husband. -Indeed, to the latter circumstance might be owing that meekness of -spirit which gained him such universal popularity; for those men are -most apt to be obsequious and conciliating abroad, who are under the -discipline of shrews at home. Their tempers, doubtless, are rendered -pliant and malleable in the fiery furnace of domestic tribulation; and a -curtain lecture is worth all the sermons in the world for teaching the -virtues of patience and long-suffering. A termagant wife may, therefore, -in some respects, be considered a tolerable blessing; and if so, Rip Van -Winkle was thrice blessed. - -Certain it is, that he was a great favorite among all the good wives of -the village, who, as usual with the amiable sex, took his part in all -family squabbles; and never failed, whenever they talked those matters -over in their evening gossipings, to lay all the blame on Dame Van -Winkle. The children of the village, too, would shout with joy whenever -he approached. He assisted at their sports, made their playthings, -taught them to fly kites and shoot marbles, and told them long stories -of ghosts, witches, and Indians. Whenever he went dodging about the -village, he was surrounded by a troop of them, hanging on his skirts, -clambering on his back, and playing a thousand tricks on him with -impunity; and not a dog would bark at him throughout the neighborhood. - -The great error in Rip's composition was an insuperable aversion to all -kinds of profitable labor. It could not be from the want of assiduity or -perseverance; for he would sit on a wet rock, with a rod as long and -heavy as a Tartar's lance, and fish all day without a murmur, even -though he should not be encouraged by a single nibble. He would carry a -fowling-piece on his shoulder for hours together, trudging through woods -and swamps, and up hill and down dale, to shoot a few squirrels or wild -pigeons. He would never refuse to assist a neighbor even in the roughest -toil, and was a foremost man at all country frolics for husking Indian -corn, or building stone-fences; the women of the village, too, used to -employ him to run their errands, and to do such little odd jobs as their -less obliging husbands would not do for them. In a word Rip was ready to -attend to anybody's business but his own; but as to doing family duty, -and keeping his farm in order, he found it impossible. - -In fact, he declared it was of no use to work on his farm; it was the -most pestilent little piece of ground in the whole country; everything -about it went wrong, and would go wrong, in spite of him. His fences -were continually falling to pieces; his cow would either go astray or -get among the cabbages; weeds were sure to grow quicker in his fields -than anywhere else; the rain always made a point of setting in just as -he had some out-door work to do, so that though his patrimonial estate -had dwindled away under his management, acre by acre, until there was -little more left than a mere patch of Indian corn and potatoes, yet it -was the worst conditioned farm in the neighborhood. - -His children, too, were as ragged and wild as if they belonged to -nobody. His son Rip, an urchin begotten in his own likeness, promised to -inherit the habits, with the old clothes of his father. He was generally -seen trooping like a colt at his mother's heels, equipped in a pair of -his father's cast-off galligaskins, which he had much ado to hold up -with one hand, as a fine lady does her train in bad weather. - -Rip Van Winkle, however, was one of those happy mortals, of foolish, -well-oiled dispositions, who take the world easy, eat white bread or -brown, whichever can be got with least thought or trouble, and would -rather starve on a penny than work for a pound. If left to himself, he -would have whistled life away in perfect contentment; but his wife kept -continually dinning in his ears about his idleness, his carelessness, -and the ruin he was bringing on his family. Morning, noon, and night, -her tongue was incessantly going, and everything he said or did was sure -to produce a torrent of household eloquence. Rip had but one way of -replying to all lectures of the kind, and that, by frequent use, had -grown into a habit. He shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, cast up -his eyes, but said nothing. This, however, always provoked a fresh -volley from his wife; so that he was fain to draw off his forces, and -take to the outside of the house--the only side which, in truth, belongs -to a hen-pecked husband. - -Rip's sole domestic adherent was his dog Wolf, who was as much -hen-pecked as his master; for Dame Van Winkle regarded them as -companions in idleness, and even looked upon Wolf with an evil eye, as -the cause of his master's going so often astray. True it is, in all -points of spirit befitting an honorable dog, he was as courageous an -animal as ever scoured the woods--but what courage can withstand the -ever-during and all-besetting terrors of a woman's tongue? The moment -Wolf entered the house his crest fell, his tail drooped to the ground, -or curled between his legs, he sneaked about with a gallows air, casting -many a sidelong glance at Dame Van Winkle, and at the least flourish of -a broom-stick or ladle, he would fly to the door with yelping -precipitation. - -Times grew worse and worse with Rip Van Winkle as years of matrimony -rolled on; a tart temper never mellows with age, and a sharp tongue is -the only edged tool that grows keener with constant use. For a long -while he used to console himself, when driven from home, by frequenting -a kind of perpetual club of the sages, philosophers, and other idle -personages of the village; which held its sessions on a bench before a -small inn, designated by a rubicund portrait of His Majesty George the -Third. Here they used to sit in the shade through a long lazy summer's -day, talking listlessly over village gossip, or telling endless sleepy -stories about nothing. But it would have been worth any statesman's -money to have heard the profound discussions that sometimes took place, -when by chance an old newspaper fell into their hands from some passing -traveller. How solemnly they would listen to the contents, as drawled -out by Derrick Van Bummel, the schoolmaster, a dapper learned little -man, who was not to be daunted by the most gigantic word in the -dictionary; and how sagely they would deliberate upon public events some -months after they had taken place. - -The opinions of this junto were completely controlled by Nicholas -Vedder, a patriarch of the village, and landlord of the inn, at the door -of which he took his seat from morning till night, just moving -sufficiently to avoid the sun and keep in the shade of a large tree; so -that the neighbors could tell the hour by his movements as accurately as -by a sun-dial. It is true he was rarely heard to speak, but smoked his -pipe incessantly. His adherents, however (for every great man has his -adherents), perfectly understood him, and knew how to gather his -opinions. When anything that was read or related displeased him, he was -observed to smoke his pipe vehemently, and to send forth short, frequent -and angry puffs; but when pleased, he would inhale the smoke slowly and -tranquilly, and emit it in light and placid clouds; and sometimes, -taking the pipe from his mouth, and letting the fragrant vapor curl -about his nose, would gravely nod his head in token of perfect -approbation. - -From even this stronghold the unlucky Rip was at length routed by his -termagant wife, who would suddenly break in upon the tranquillity of the -assemblage and call the members all to naught; nor was that august -personage, Nicholas Vedder himself, sacred from the daring tongue of -this terrible virago, who charged him outright with encouraging her -husband in habits of idleness. - -Poor Rip was at last reduced almost to despair; and his only -alternative, to escape from the labor of the farm and clamor of his -wife, was to take gun in hand and stroll away into the woods. Here he -would sometimes seat himself at the foot of a tree, and share the -contents of his wallet with Wolf, with whom he sympathized as a -fellow-sufferer in persecution. "Poor Wolf," he would say, "thy mistress -leads thee a dog's life of it; but never mind, my lad, whilst I live -thou shalt never want a friend to stand by thee!" Wolf would wag his -tail, look wistfully in his master's face, and if dogs can feel pity I -verily believe he reciprocated the sentiment with all his heart. - -In a long ramble of the kind on a fine autumnal day, Rip had -unconsciously scrambled to one of the highest parts of the Kaatskill -mountains. He was after his favorite sport of squirrel shooting, and the -still solitudes had echoed and re-echoed with the reports of his gun. -Panting and fatigued, he threw himself, late in the afternoon, on a -green knoll, covered with mountain herbage, that crowned the brow of a -precipice. From an opening between the trees he could overlook all the -lower country for many a mile of rich woodland. He saw at a distance the -lordly Hudson, far, far below him, moving on its silent but majestic -course, with the reflection of a purple cloud, or the sail of a lagging -bark, here and there sleeping on its glassy bosom, and at last losing -itself in the blue highlands. - -On the other side he looked down into a deep mountain glen, wild, -lonely, and shagged, the bottom filled with fragments from the impending -cliffs, and scarcely lighted by the reflected rays of the setting sun. -For some time Rip lay musing on this scene; evening was gradually -advancing; the mountains began to throw their long blue shadows over the -valleys; he saw that it would be dark long before he could reach the -village, and he heaved a heavy sigh when he thought of encountering the -terrors of Dame Van Winkle. - -As he was about to descend, he heard a voice from a distance, hallooing, -"Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle!" He looked round, but could see nothing -but a crow winging its solitary flight across the mountain. He thought -his fancy must have deceived him, and turned again to descend, when he -heard the same cry ring through the still evening air: "Rip Van Winkle! -Rip Van Winkle!"--at the same time Wolf bristled up his back, and giving -a low growl, skulked to his master's side, looking fearfully down into -the glen. Rip now felt a vague apprehension stealing over him; he looked -anxiously in the same direction, and perceived a strange figure slowly -toiling up the rocks, and bending under the weight of something he -carried on his back. He was surprised to see any human being in this -lonely and unfrequented place, but supposing it to be some one of the -neighborhood in need of his assistance, he hastened down to yield it. - -On nearer approach he was still more surprised at the singularity of the -stranger's appearance. He was a short square-built old fellow, with -thick bushy hair, and a grizzled beard. His dress was of the antique -Dutch fashion--a cloth jerkin strapped round the waist--several pair of -breeches, the outer one of ample volume, decorated with rows of buttons -down the sides, and bunches at the knees. He bore on his shoulder a -stout keg, that seemed full of liquor, and made signs for Rip to -approach and assist him with the load. Though rather shy and distrustful -of this new acquaintance, Rip complied with his usual alacrity; and -mutually relieving one another, they clambered up a narrow gully, -apparently the dry bed of a mountain torrent. As they ascended, Rip -every now and then heard long rolling peals, like distant thunder, that -seemed to issue out of a deep ravine, or rather cleft, between lofty -rocks, toward which their rugged path conducted. He paused for an -instant, but supposing it to be the muttering of one of those transient -thunder-showers which often take place in mountain heights, he -proceeded. Passing through the ravine, they came to a hollow, like a -small amphitheatre, surrounded by perpendicular precipices, over the -brinks of which impending trees shot their branches, so that you only -caught glimpses of the azure sky and the bright evening cloud. During -the whole time Rip and his companion had labored on in silence; for -though the former marvelled greatly what could be the object of carrying -a keg of liquor up this wild mountain, yet there was something strange -and incomprehensible about the unknown, that inspired awe and checked -familiarity. - -On entering the amphitheatre, new objects of wonder presented -themselves. On a level spot in the centre was a company of odd-looking -personages playing at nine-pins. They were dressed in a quaint -outlandish fashion; some wore short doublets, others jerkins, with long -knives in their belts, and most of them had enormous breeches, of -similar style with that of the guide's. Their visages, too, were -peculiar: one had a large beard, broad face, and small piggish eyes: the -face of another seemed to consist entirely of nose, and was surmounted -by a white sugar-loaf hat set off with a little red cock's tail. They -all had beards, of various shapes and colors. There was one who seemed -to be the commander. He was a stout old gentleman, with a weather-beaten -countenance; he wore a laced doublet, broad belt and hanger, -high-crowned hat and feather, red stockings, and high-heeled shoes, with -roses in them. The whole group reminded Rip of the figures in an old -Flemish painting, in the parlor of Dominie Van Shaick, the village -parson, and which had been brought over from Holland at the time of the -settlement. - -What seemed particularly odd to Rip was, that though these folks were -evidently amusing themselves, yet they maintained the gravest faces, the -most mysterious silence, and were, withal, the most melancholy party of -pleasure he had ever witnessed. Nothing interrupted the stillness of the -scene but the noise of the balls, which, whenever they were rolled, -echoed along the mountains like rumbling peals of thunder. - -As Rip and his companion approached them, they suddenly desisted from -their play, and stared at him with such fixed statue-like gaze, and such -strange, uncouth, lack-lustre countenances, that his heart turned within -him, and his knees smote together. His companion now emptied the -contents of the keg into large flagons, and made signs to him to wait -upon the company. He obeyed with fear and trembling; they quaffed the -liquor in profound silence, and then returned to their game. - -By degrees Rip's awe and apprehension subsided. He even ventured, when -no eye was fixed upon him, to taste the beverage, which he found had -much of the flavor of excellent Hollands. He was naturally a thirsty -soul, and was soon tempted to repeat the draught. One taste provoked -another; and he reiterated his visits to the flagon so often that at -length his senses were overpowered, his eyes swam in his head, his head -gradually declined, and he fell into a deep sleep. - -On waking, he found himself on the green knoll whence he had first seen -the old man of the glen. He rubbed his eyes--it was a bright sunny -morning. The birds were hopping and twittering among the bushes, and the -eagle was wheeling aloft, and breasting the pure mountain breeze. -"Surely," thought Rip, "I have not slept here all night." He recalled -the occurrences before he fell asleep. The strange man with a keg of -liquor--the mountain ravine--the wild retreat among the rocks--the -woe-begone party at nine-pins--the flagon--"Oh! that flagon! that wicked -flagon!" thought Rip--"what excuse shall I make to Dame Van Winkle!" - -He looked round for his gun, but in place of the clean well-oiled -fowling-piece, he found an old firelock lying by him, the barrel -incrusted with rust, the lock falling off, and the stock worm-eaten. He -now suspected that the grave roysters of the mountain had put a trick -upon him, and, having dosed him with liquor, had robbed him of his gun. -Wolf, too, had disappeared, but he might have strayed away after a -squirrel or partridge. He whistled after him and shouted his name, but -all in vain; the echoes repeated his whistle and shout, but no dog was -to be seen. - -He determined to revisit the scene of the last evening's gambol, and if -he met with any of the party, to demand his dog and gun. As he rose to -walk, he found himself stiff in the joints, and wanting in his usual -activity. "These mountain beds do not agree with me," thought Rip, "and -if this frolic should lay me up with a fit of rheumatism, I shall have a -blessed time with Dame Van Winkle." With some difficulty he got down -into the glen: he found the gully up which he and his companion had -ascended the preceding evening; but to his astonishment a mountain -stream was now foaming down it, leaping from rock to rock, and filling -the glen with babbling murmurs. He, however, made shift to scramble up -its sides, working his toilsome way through thickets of birch, -sassafras, and witch-hazel, and sometimes tripped up or entangled by -the wild grapevines that twisted their coils or tendrils from tree to -tree, and spread a kind of network in his path. - -At length he reached to where the ravine had opened through the cliffs -to the amphitheatre; but no traces of such opening remained. The rocks -presented a high impenetrable wall over which the torrent came tumbling -in a sheet of feathery foam, and fell into a broad deep basin, black -from the shadows of the surrounding forest. Here, then, poor Rip was -brought to a stand. He again called and whistled after his dog; he was -only answered by the cawing of a flock of idle crows, sporting high in -air about a dry tree that overhung a sunny precipice; and who, secure in -their elevation, seemed to look down and scoff at the poor man's -perplexities. What was to be done? the morning was passing away, and Rip -felt famished for want of his breakfast. He grieved to give up his dog -and gun; he dreaded to meet his wife; but it would not do to starve -among the mountains. He shook his head, shouldered the rusty firelock, -and, with a heart full of trouble and anxiety, turned his steps -homeward. - -As he approached the village he met a number of people, but none whom he -knew, which somewhat surprised him, for he had thought himself -acquainted with every one in the country round. Their dress, too, was of -a different fashion from that to which he was accustomed. They all -stared at him with equal marks of surprise, and whenever they cast their -eyes upon him, invariably stroked their chins. The constant recurrence -of this gesture induced Rip, involuntarily, to do the same, when, to his -astonishment, he found his beard had grown a foot long! - -He had now entered the skirts of the village. A troop of strange -children ran at his heels, hooting after him, and pointing at his gray -beard. The dogs, too, not one of which he recognized for an old -acquaintance, barked at him as he passed. The very village was altered; -it was larger and more populous. There were rows of houses which he had -never seen before, and those which had been his familiar haunts had -disappeared. Strange names were over the doors--strange faces at the -windows--every thing was strange. His mind now misgave him; he began to -doubt whether both he and the world around him were not bewitched. -Surely this was his native village, which he had left but the day -before. There stood the Kaatskill mountains--there ran the silver Hudson -at a distance--there was every hill and dale precisely as it had always -been--Rip was sorely perplexed--"That flagon last night," thought he, -"has addled my poor head sadly!" - -It was with some difficulty that he found the way to his own house, -which he approached with silent awe, expecting every moment to hear the -shrill voice of Dame Van Winkle. He found the house gone to decay--the -roof fallen in, the windows shattered, and the doors off the hinges. A -half-starved dog that looked like Wolf was skulking about it. Rip called -him by name, but the cur snarled, showed his teeth, and passed on. This -was an unkind cut indeed--"My very dog," sighed poor Rip, "has forgotten -me!" - -He entered the house, which, to tell the truth, Dame Van Winkle had -always kept in neat order. It was empty, forlorn, and apparently -abandoned. This desolateness overcame all his connubial fears--he called -loudly for his wife and children--the lonely chambers rang for a moment -with his voice, and then all again was silence. - -He now hurried forth, and hastened to his old resort, the village -inn--but it too was gone. A large rickety wooden building stood in its -place, with great gaping windows, some of them broken and mended with -old hats and petticoats, and over the door was painted, "the Union -Hotel, by Jonathan Doolittle." Instead of the great tree that used to -shelter the quiet little Dutch inn of yore, there now was reared a tall -naked pole, with something on the top that looked like a red night-cap, -and from it was fluttering a flag, on which was a singular assemblage of -stars and stripes--all this was strange and incomprehensible. He -recognized on the sign, however, the ruby face of King George, under -which he had smoked so many a peaceful pipe; but even this was -singularly metamorphosed. The red coat was changed for one of blue and -buff, a sword was held in the hand instead of a sceptre, the head was -decorated with a cocked hat, and underneath was painted in large -characters, GENERAL WASHINGTON. - -There was, as usual, a crowd of folk about the door, but none that Rip -recollected. The very character of the people seemed changed. There was -a busy, bustling, disputatious tone about it, instead of the accustomed -phlegm and drowsy tranquillity. He looked in vain for the sage Nicholas -Vedder, with his broad face, double chin, and fair long pipe, uttering -clouds of tobacco-smoke instead of idle speeches; or Van Bummel, the -schoolmaster, doling forth the contents of an ancient newspaper. In place -of these, a lean, bilious-looking fellow, with his pockets full of -handbills, was haranguing vehemently about rights of -citizens--elections--members of congress--liberty--Bunker's Hill--heroes -of seventy-six--and other words, which were a perfect Babylonish jargon -to the bewildered Van Winkle. - -The appearance of Rip, with his long grizzled beard, his rusty -fowling-piece, his uncouth dress, and an army of women and children at -his heels, soon attracted the attention of the tavern politicians. They -crowded round him, eying him from head to foot with great curiosity. The -orator bustled up to him, and, drawing him partly aside, inquired "on -which side he voted?" Rip stared in vacant stupidity. Another short but -busy little fellow pulled him by the arm, and, rising on tiptoe, -inquired in his ear, "Whether he was Federal or Democrat?" Rip was -equally at a loss to comprehend the question; when a knowing, -self-important old gentleman, in a sharp cocked hat, made his way -through the crowd, putting them to the right and left with his elbows as -he passed, and planting himself before Van Winkle, with one arm akimbo, -the other resting on his cane, his keen eyes and sharp hat penetrating, -as it were, into his very soul, demanded in an austere tone, "what -brought him to the election with a gun on his shoulder, and a mob at his -heels, and whether he meant to breed a riot in the village?"--"Alas! -gentlemen," cried Rip, somewhat dismayed, "I am a poor quiet man, a -native of the place, and a loyal subject of the king, God bless him!" - -Here a general shout burst from the by-standers--"A tory! a tory! a spy! -a refugee! hustle him! away with him!" It was with great difficulty that -the self-important man in the cocked hat restored order; and, having -assumed a tenfold austerity of brow, demanded again of the unknown -culprit, what he came there for, and whom he was seeking? The poor man -humbly assured him that he meant no harm, but merely came there in -search of some of his neighbors, who used to keep about the tavern. - -"Well--who are they?--name them." - -Rip bethought himself a moment, and inquired, "Where's Nicholas Vedder?" - -There was a silence for a little while, when an old man replied, in a -thin piping voice, "Nicholas Vedder! why, he is dead and gone these -eighteen years! There was a wooden tombstone in the church-yard that -used to tell all about him, but that's rotten and gone too." - -"Where's Brom Dutcher?" - -"Oh, he went off to the army in the beginning of the war; some say he -was killed at the storming of Stony Point--others say he was drowned in -a squall at the foot of Antony's Nose. I don't know---he never came back -again." - -"Where's Van Bummel, the schoolmaster?" - -"He went off to the wars too, was a great militia general, and is now in -congress." - -Rip's heart died away at hearing of these sad changes in his home and -friends, and finding himself thus alone in the world. Every answer -puzzled him, too, by treating of such enormous lapses of time, and of -matters which he could not understand: war--congress--Stony Point;--he -had no courage to ask after any more friends, but cried out in despair, -"Does nobody here know Rip Van Winkle?" - -"Oh, Rip Van Winkle!" exclaimed two or three. "Oh, to be sure! that's -Rip Van Winkle yonder, leaning against the tree." - -Rip looked, and beheld a precise counterpart of himself, as he went up -the mountain; apparently as lazy, and certainly as ragged. The poor -fellow was now completely confounded. He doubted his own identity, and -whether he was himself or another man. In the midst of his bewilderment, -the man in the cocked hat demanded who he was, and what was his name? - -"God knows," exclaimed he, at his wit's end; "I'm not myself--I'm -somebody else--that's me yonder--no--that's somebody else got into my -shoes--I was myself last night, but I fell asleep on the mountain, and -they've changed my gun, and every thing's changed, and I'm changed, and -I can't tell what's my name, or who I am!" - -The by-standers began now to look at each other, nod, wink -significantly, and tap their fingers against their foreheads. There was -a whisper, also, about securing the gun, and keeping the old fellow from -doing mischief, at the very suggestion of which the self-important man -in the cocked hat retired with some precipitation. At this critical -moment a fresh comely woman pressed through the throng to get a peep at -the gray-bearded man. She had a chubby child in her arms, which, -frightened at his looks, began to cry. "Hush, Rip," cried she, "hush, -you little fool; the old man won't hurt you." The name of the child, the -air of the mother, the tone of her voice, all awakened a train of -recollections in his mind. "What is your name, my good woman?" asked he. - -"Judith Gardenier." - -"And your father's name?" - -"Ah, poor man, Rip Van Winkle was his name, but it's twenty years since -he went away from home with his gun, and never has been heard of -since--his dog came home without him; but whether he shot himself, or -was carried away by the Indians, nobody can tell. I was then but a -little girl." - -Rip had but one question more to ask; but he put it with a faltering -voice: - -"Where's your mother?" - -"Oh, she too had died but a short time since; she broke a blood-vessel -in a fit of passion at a New-England peddler." - -There was a drop of comfort, at least, in this intelligence. The honest -man could contain himself no longer. He caught his daughter and her -child in his arms. "I am your father!" cried he--"Young Rip Van Winkle -once--old Rip Van Winkle now!--Does nobody know poor Rip Van Winkle?" - -All stood amazed, until an old woman, tottering out from among the -crowd, put her hand to her brow, and peering under it in his face for a -moment, exclaimed, "Sure enough! it is Rip Van Winkle--it is himself! -Welcome home, again, old neighbor---Why, where have you been these -twenty long years?" - -Rip's story was soon told, for the whole twenty years had been to him -but as one night. The neighbors stared when they heard it; some were -seen to wink at each other, and put their tongues in their cheeks: and -the self-important man in the cocked hat, who, when the alarm was over, -had returned to the field, screwed down the corners of his mouth, and -shook his head--upon which there was a general shaking of the head -throughout the assemblage. - -It was determined, however, to take the opinion of old Peter Vanderdonk, -who was seen slowly advancing up the road. He was a descendant of the -historian of that name, who wrote one of the earliest accounts of the -province. Peter was the most ancient inhabitant of the village, and well -versed in all the wonderful events and traditions of the neighborhood. -He recollected Rip at once, and corroborated his story in the most -satisfactory manner. He assured the company that it was a fact, handed -down from his ancestor the historian, that the Kaatskill mountains had -always been haunted by strange beings. That it was affirmed that the -great Hendrick Hudson, the first discoverer of the river and country, -kept a kind of vigil there every twenty years, with his crew of the -Half-moon; being permitted in this way to revisit the scenes of his -enterprise, and keep a guardian eye upon the river, and the great city -called by his name. That his father had once seen them in their old -Dutch dresses playing at nine-pins in a hollow of the mountain; and that -he himself had heard, one summer afternoon, the sound of their balls, -like distant peals of thunder. - -To make a long story short, the company broke up, and returned to the -more important concerns of the election. Rip's daughter took him home to -live with her; she had a snug, well-furnished house, and a stout cheery -farmer for a husband, whom Rip recollected for one of the urchins that -used to climb upon his back. As to Rip's son and heir, who was the ditto -of himself, seen leaning against the tree, he was employed to work on -the farm; but evinced an hereditary disposition to attend to any thing -else but his business. - -Rip now resumed his old walks and habits; he soon found many of his -former cronies, though all rather the worse for the wear and tear of -time; and preferred making friends among the rising generation, with -whom he soon grew into great favor. - -Having nothing to do at home, and being arrived at that happy age when a -man can be idle with impunity, he took his place once more on the bench -at the inn door, and was reverenced as one of the patriarchs of the -village, and a chronicle of the old times "before the war." It was some -time before he could get into the regular track of gossip, or could be -made to comprehend the strange events that had taken place during his -torpor. How that there had been a revolutionary war--that the country -had thrown off the yoke of old England--and that, instead of being a -subject of his Majesty George the Third, he was now a free citizen of -the United States. Rip, in fact, was no politician; the changes of -states and empires made but little impression on him; but there was one -species of despotism under which he had long groaned, and that -was--petticoat government. Happily that was at an end; he had got his -neck out of the yoke of matrimony, and could go in and out whenever he -pleased, without dreading the tyranny of Dame Van Winkle. Whenever her -name was mentioned, however, he shook his head, shrugged his shoulders, -and cast up his eyes; which might pass either for an expression of -resignation to his fate, or joy at his deliverance. - -He used to tell his story to every stranger that arrived at Mr. -Doolittle's hotel. He was observed, at first, to vary on some points -every time he told it, which was, doubtless, owing to his having so -recently awaked. It at last settled down precisely to the tale I have -related, and not a man, woman, or child in the neighborhood, but knew it -by heart. Some always pretended to doubt the reality of it, and insisted -that Rip had been out of his head and that this was one point on which -he always remained flighty. The old Dutch inhabitants, however, almost -universally gave it full credit. Even to this day they never hear a -thunderstorm of a summer afternoon about the Kaatskill, but they say -Hendrick Hudson and his crew are at their game of nine-pins; and it is a -common wish of all hen-pecked husbands in the neighborhood, when life -hangs heavy on their hands, that they might have a quieting draught out -of Rip Van Winkle's flagon. - -NOTE - -The foregoing Tale, one would suspect, had been suggested to Mr. -Knickerbocker by a little German superstition about the Emperor -Frederick der Rothbart, and the Kypphaüser mountain: the subjoined note, -however, which he had appended to the tale, shows that it is an absolute -fact, narrated with his usual fidelity: - -"The story of Rip Van Winkle may seem incredible to many, but -nevertheless I give it my full belief, for I know the vicinity of our -old Dutch settlements to have been very subject to marvellous events and -appearances. Indeed, I have heard many stranger stories than this, in -the villages along the Hudson; all of which were too well authenticated -to admit of a doubt. I have even talked with Rip Van Winkle myself, who, -when last I saw him, was a very venerable old man, and so perfectly -rational and consistent on every other point, that I think no -conscientious person could refuse to take this into the bargain; nay, I -have seen a certificate on the subject taken before a country justice -and signed with a cross, in the justice's own handwriting. The story, -therefore, is beyond the possibility of doubt. D. K."--[AUTHOR'S NOTE.] - - -POSTSCRIPT - -The following are travelling notes from a memorandum-book of Mr. -Knickerbocker: - -The Kaatsberg, or Catskill mountains, have always been a region full of -fable. The Indians considered them the abode of spirits, who influenced -the weather, spreading sunshine or clouds over the landscape, and -sending good or bad hunting seasons. They were ruled by an old squaw -spirit, said to be their mother. She dwelt on the highest peak of the -Catskills, and had charge of the doors of day and night to open and shut -them at the proper hour. She hung up the new moons in the skies, and cut -up the old ones into stars. In times of drought, if properly -propitiated, she would spin light summer clouds out of cobwebs and -morning dew, and send them off from the crest of the mountain, flake -after flake, like flakes of carded cotton, to float in the air; until, -dissolved by the heat of the sun, they would fall in gentle showers, -causing the grass to spring, the fruits to ripen, and the corn to grow -an inch an hour. If displeased, however, she would brew up clouds black -as ink, sitting in the midst of them like a bottle-bellied spider in the -midst of its web; and when these clouds broke, woe betide the valleys. - -In old times, say the Indian traditions, there was a kind of Manitou or -Spirit, who kept about the wildest recesses of the Catskill Mountains, -and took a mischievous pleasure in wreaking all kinds of evils and -vexations upon the red men. Sometimes he would assume the form of a -bear, a panther, or a deer, lead the bewildered hunter a weary chase -through tangled forests and among ragged rocks; and then spring off with -a loud ho! ho! leaving him aghast on the brink of a beetling precipice -or raging torrent. - -The favorite abode of this Manitou is still shown. It is a great rock or -cliff on the loneliest part of the mountains, and, from the flowering -vines which clamber about it, and the wild flowers which abound in its -neighborhood, is known by the name of the Garden Rock. Near the foot of -it is a small lake, the haunt of the solitary bittern, with water-snakes -basking in the sun on the leaves of the pond-lilies which lie on the -surface. This place was held in great awe by the Indians, insomuch that -the boldest hunter would not pursue his game within its precincts. Once -upon a time, however, a hunter who had lost his way, penetrated to the -garden rock, where he beheld a number of gourds placed in the crotches -of trees. One of these he seized and made off with it, but in the hurry -of his retreat he let it fall among the rocks, when a great stream -gushed forth, which washed him away and swept him down precipices, where -he was dashed to pieces, and the stream made its way to the Hudson, and -continues to flow to the present day; being the identical stream known -by the name of the Kaaters-kill. - -[Illustration: EDGAR ALLAN POE] - - - - -THE GOLD BUG - - "What ho! what ho! this fellow is dancing mad! - He hath been bitten by the Tarantula." - _All in the Wrong._ - - -Many years ago I contracted an intimacy with a Mr. William Legrand. He -was of an ancient Huguenot family, and had once been wealthy; but a -series of misfortunes had reduced him to want. To avoid the -mortification consequent upon his disasters, he left New Orleans, the -city of his forefathers, and took up his residence at Sullivan's Island, -near Charleston, South Carolina. - -This island is a very singular one. It consists of little else than the -sea sand, and is about three miles long. Its breadth at no point exceeds -a quarter of a mile. It is separated from the main land by a scarcely -perceptible creek, oozing its way through a wilderness of reeds and -slime, a favorite resort of the marsh-hen. The vegetation, as might be -supposed, is scant, or at least dwarfish. No trees of any magnitude are -to be seen. Near the western extremity, where Fort Moultrie stands, and -where are some miserable frame buildings, tenanted during summer by the -fugitives from Charleston dust and fever, may be found, indeed, the -bristly palmetto; but the whole island, with the exception of the -western point, and a line of hard, white beach on the sea-coast, is -covered with a dense undergrowth of sweet myrtle, so much prized by the -horticulturalists of England. The shrub here often attains the height -of fifteen or twenty feet, and forms an almost impenetrable coppice, -burthening the air with its fragrance. - -In the inmost recesses of this coppice, not far from the eastern or more -remote end of the island, Legrand had built himself a small hut, which -he occupied when I first, by mere accident, made his acquaintance. This -soon ripened into friendship,--for there was much in the recluse to -excite interest and esteem. I found him well educated, with unusual -powers of mind, but infected with misanthropy, and subject to perverse -moods of alternate enthusiasm and melancholy. He had with him many -books, but rarely employed them. His chief amusements were gunning and -fishing, or sauntering along the beach and through the myrtles in quest -of shells or entomological specimens; his collection of the latter might -have been envied by a Swammerdam. In these excursions he was usually -accompanied by an old negro called Jupiter, who had been manumitted -before the reverses of the family, but who could be induced, neither by -threats nor by promises, to abandon what he considered his right of -attendance upon the footsteps of his young "Massa Will." It is not -improbable that the relatives of Legrand, conceiving him to be somewhat -unsettled in intellect, had contrived to instil this obstinacy into -Jupiter, with a view to the supervision and guardianship of the -wanderer. - -The winters in the latitude of Sullivan's Island are seldom very severe, -and in the fall of the year it is a rare event indeed when a fire is -considered necessary. About the middle of October, 18--, there occurred, -however, a day of remarkable chilliness. Just before sunset I scrambled -my way through the evergreens to the hut of my friend, whom I had not -visited for several weeks, my residence being at that time in -Charleston, a distance of nine miles from the island, while the -facilities of passage and re-passage were very far behind those of the -present day. Upon reaching the hut I rapped, as was my custom; and, -getting no reply, sought for the key where I knew it was secreted, -unlocked the door, and went in. A fine fire was blazing upon the hearth. -It was a novelty, and by no means an ungrateful one. I threw off an -overcoat, took an armchair by the crackling logs, and awaited patiently -the arrival of my hosts. - -Soon after dark they arrived, and gave me a most cordial welcome. -Jupiter, grinning from ear to ear, bustled about to prepare some -marsh-hens for supper. Legrand was in one of his fits--how else shall I -term them?--of enthusiasm. He had found an unknown bivalve, forming a -new genus; and, more than this, he had hunted down and secured, with -Jupiter's assistance, a scarabæus which he believed to be totally new, -but in respect to which he wished to have my opinion on the morrow. - -"And why not to-night?" I asked, rubbing my hands over the blaze, and -wishing the whole tribe of scarabæi at the devil. - -"Ah, if I had only known you were here!" said Legrand; "but it's so long -since I saw you, and how could I foresee that you would pay me a visit -this very night of all others? As I was coming home I met Lieutenant -G---- from the fort, and, very foolishly, I lent him the bug; so it will -be impossible for you to see it until the morning. Stay here to-night, -and I will send Jup down for it at sunrise. It is the loveliest thing in -creation!" - -"What--sunrise?" - -"Nonsense! no! the bug. It is of a brilliant gold color, about the size -of a large hickory nut, with two jet black spots near one extremity of -the back, another, somewhat longer, at the other. The _antennæ_ are"-- - -"Dey ain't _no_ tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a-telling on you," here -interrupted Jupiter; "de bug is a goole-bug, solid, ebery bit of him, -inside and all, sep him wing--neber feel half so hebby a bug in my -life." - -"Well, suppose it is, Jup," replied Legrand, somewhat more earnestly, it -seemed to me, than the case demanded, "is that any reason for you -letting the birds burn? The color"--here he turned to me--"is really -almost enough to warrant Jupiter's idea. You never saw a more brilliant -metallic lustre than the scales emit; but of this you cannot judge till -to-morrow. In the meantime I can give you some idea of the shape." -Saying this, he seated himself at a small table on which were a pen and -ink, but no paper. He looked for some in a drawer, but found none. - -"Never mind," said he at length, "this will answer;" and he drew from -his waistcoat pocket a scrap of what I took to be very dirty foolscap, -and made upon it a rough drawing with the pen. While he did this, I -retained my seat by the fire, for I was still chilly. When the design -was complete he handed it to me without rising. As I received it, a loud -growl was heard, succeeded by a scratching at the door. Jupiter opened -it, and a large Newfoundland, belonging to Legrand, rushed in, leaped -upon my shoulders and loaded me with caresses; for I had shown him much -attention during previous visits. When his gambols were over, I looked -at the paper, and, to speak the truth, found myself not a little puzzled -at what my friend had depicted. - -"Well!" I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, "this _is_ a -strange _scarabæus_, I must confess; new to me; never saw anything like -it before--unless it was a skull, or a death's-head--which it more -nearly resembles than anything else that has come under _my_ -observation." - -"A death's-head!" echoed Legrand. "Oh--yes--well, it has something of -that appearance upon paper, no doubt. The two upper black spots look -like eyes, eh? and the longer one at the bottom like a mouth--and then -the shape of the whole is oval." - -"Perhaps so," said I; "but, Legrand, I fear you are no artist. I must -wait until I see the beetle itself, if I am to form any idea of its -personal appearance." - -"Well, I don't know," said he, a little nettled, "I draw -tolerably--_should_ do it at least, have had good masters--and flatter -myself that I am not quite a blockhead." - -"But, my dear fellow, you are joking then," said I; "this is a very -passable _skull_--indeed, I may say that it is a very _excellent_ skull, -according to the vulgar notions about such specimens of physiology--and -your _scarabæus_ must be the queerest _scarabæus_ in the world if it -resembles it. Why, we may get up a very thrilling bit of superstition -upon this hint. I presume you will call the bug _scarabæus caput -hominis_, or something of that kind--there are many similar titles in -the Natural Histories. But where are the _antennæ_ you spoke of?" - -"The _antennæ_!" said Legrand, who seemed to be getting unaccountably -warm upon the subject; "I am sure you must see the _antennæ_. I made -them as distinct as they are in the original insect, and I presume that -is sufficient." - -"Well, well," I said, "perhaps you have--still I don't see them;" and I -handed him the paper without additional remark, not wishing to ruffle -his temper; but I was much surprised at the turn affairs had taken; his -ill-humor puzzled me--and, as for the drawing of the beetle, there were -positively _no antennæ_ visible, and the whole _did_ bear a very close -resemblance to the ordinary cuts of a death's-head. - -He received the paper very peevishly, and was about to crumple it, -apparently to throw it in the fire, when a casual glance at the design -seemed suddenly to rivet his attention. In an instant his face grew -violently red--in another as excessively pale. For some minutes he -continued to scrutinize the drawing minutely where he sat. At length he -arose, took a candle from the table, and proceeded to seat himself upon -a sea-chest in the farthest corner of the room. Here again he made an -anxious examination of the paper, turning it in all directions. He said -nothing, however, and his conduct greatly astonished me; yet I thought -it prudent not to exacerbate the growing moodiness of his temper by any -comment. Presently he took from his coat pocket a wallet, placed the -paper carefully in it, and deposited both in a writing-desk, which he -locked. He now grew more composed in his demeanor; but his original air -of enthusiasm had quite disappeared. Yet he seemed not so much sulky as -abstracted. As the evening wore away he became more and more absorbed in -revery, from which no sallies of mine could arouse him. It had been my -intention to pass the night at the hut, as I had frequently done before, -but, seeing my host in this mood, I deemed it proper to take leave. He -did not press me to remain, but, as I departed, he shook my hand with -even more than his usual cordiality. - -It was about a month after this (and during the interval I had seen -nothing of Legrand) when I received a visit, at Charleston, from his man -Jupiter. I had never seen the good old negro look so dispirited, and I -feared that some serious disaster had befallen my friend. - -"Well, Jup," said I, "what is the matter now?--how is your master?" - -"Why, to speak de troof, massa, him not so berry well as mought be." - -"Not well! I am truly sorry to hear it. What does he complain of?" - -"Dar! dat's it!--him never plain of notin--but him berry sick for all -dat." - -"_Very_ sick, Jupiter!--why didn't you say so at once? Is he confined to -bed?" - -"No, dat he aint!--he aint find nowhar--dat's just whar de shoe -pinch--my mind is got to be berry hebby bout poor Massa Will." - -"Jupiter, I should like to understand what it is you are talking about. -You say your master is sick. Hasn't he told you what ails him?" - -"Why, massa, taint worf while for to git mad about de matter--Massa Will -say noffin at all aint de matter wid him--but den what make him go about -looking dis here way, wid he head down and he soldiers up, and as white -as a gose? And den he keep a syphon all de time"-- - -"Keeps a what, Jupiter?" - -"Keeps a syphon wid de figgurs on de slate--de queerest figgurs I ebber -did see. Ise gittin to be skeered, I tell you. Hab for to keep mighty -tight eye pon him noovers. Todder day he gib me slip fore de sun up and -was gone de whole ob de blessed day. I had a big stick ready cut for to -gib him deuced good beating when he did come--but Ise sich a fool dat I -hadn't de heart arter all--he look so berry poorly." - -"Eh?--what?--ah, yes!--upon the whole I think you had better not be too -severe with the poor fellow--don't flog him, Jupiter--he can't very well -stand it--but can you form no idea of what has occasioned this illness, -or rather this change of conduct? Has anything unpleasant happened since -I saw you?" - -"No, massa, dey aint bin noffin onpleasant _since_ den--'twas _fore_ den -I'm feared--'twas de berry day you was dare." - -"How? what do you mean?" - -"Why, massa, I mean de bug--dare now." - -"The what?" - -"De bug--I'm berry sartain that Massa Will bin bit somewhere bout de -head by dat goole-bug." - -"And what cause have you, Jupiter, for such a supposition?" - -"Claws enuff, massa, and mouff too. I nebber did see sich a deuced -bug--he kick and he bite ebery ting what cum near him. Massa Will cotch -him fuss, but had for to let him go gin mighty quick, I tell you--den -was de time he must hab got de bite. I didn't like de look of de bug -mouff, myself, no how, so I wouldn't take hold ob him wid my finger, but -I cotch him wid a piece ob paper dat I found. I rap him up in de paper -and stuff piece ob it in he mouff--dad was de way." - -"And you think, then, that your master was really bitten by the beetle, -and that the bite made him sick?" - -"I don't tink noffin bout it--I nose it. What make him dream bout de -goole so much, if taint cause he bit by de goole-bug? Ise heerd bout dem -goole-bugs fore dis." - -"But how do you know he dreams about gold?" - -"How I know? why, cause he talk bout it in he sleep, dat's how I nose." - -"Well, Jup, perhaps you are right; but to what fortunate circumstance am -I to attribute the honor of a visit from you to-day?" - -"What de matter, massa?" - -"Did you bring any message from Mr. Legrand?" - -"No, massa, I bring dis here pissel;" and here Jupiter handed me a note -which ran thus:-- - -"MY DEAR ---- - -Why have I not seen you for so long a time? I hope you have not been so -foolish as to take offence at any little _brusquerie_ of mine; but no, -that is improbable. - -Since I saw you I have had great cause for anxiety. I have something to -tell you, yet scarcely know how to tell it, or whether I should tell it -at all. - -I have not been quite well for some days past, and poor old Jup annoys -me, almost beyond endurance, by his well-meant attentions. Would you -believe it?--he had prepared a huge stick, the other day, with which to -chastise me for giving him the slip, and spending the day, _solus_, -among the hills on the main land. I verily believe that my ill looks -alone saved me a flogging. - -I have made no addition to my cabinet since we met. - -If you can, in any way, make it convenient, come over with Jupiter. _Do_ -come. I wish to see you _to-night_, upon business of importance. I -assure you that it is of the _highest_ importance. - -Ever yours, - -WILLIAM LEGRAND." - -There was something in the tone of this note which gave me great -uneasiness. Its whole style differed materially from that of Legrand. -What could he be dreaming of? What new crotchet possessed his excitable -brain? What "business of the highest importance" could _he_ possibly -have to transact? Jupiter's account of him boded no good. I dreaded lest -the continued pressure of misfortune had, at length, fairly unsettled -the reason of my friend. Without a moment's hesitation, therefore, I -prepared to accompany the negro. - -Upon reaching the wharf, I noticed a scythe and three spades, all -apparently new, lying in the bottom of the boat in which we were to -embark. - -"What is the meaning of all this, Jup?" I inquired. - -"Him syfe, massa, and spade." - -"Very true; but what are they doing here?" - -"Him de syfe and de spade what Massa Will sis pon my buying for him in -de town, and de debbil's own lot of money I had to gib for em." - -"But what, in the name of all that is mysterious, is your 'Massa Will' -going to do with scythes and spades?" - -"Dat's more dan _I_ know, and debbil take me if I don't believe 'tis -more dan he know, too. But it's all cum ob de bug." - -Finding that no satisfaction was to be obtained of Jupiter, whose whole -intellect seemed to be absorbed by "de bug," I now stepped into the boat -and made sail. With a fair and strong breeze we soon ran into the little -cove to the northward of Fort Moultrie, and a walk of some two miles -brought us to the hut. It was about three in the afternoon when we -arrived. Legrand had been awaiting us in eager expectation. He grasped -my hand with a nervous _empressement_ which alarmed me, and strengthened -the suspicions already entertained. His countenance was pale even to -ghastliness, and his deep-set eyes glared with unnatural lustre. After -some inquiries respecting his health, I asked him, not knowing what -better to say, if he had yet obtained the _scarabæus_ from Lieutenant -G----. - -"Oh, yes," he replied, coloring violently; "I got it from him the next -morning. Nothing should tempt me to part with that _scarabæus_. Do you -know that Jupiter is quite right about it?" - -"In what way?" I asked, with a sad foreboding at heart. - -"In supposing it to be a bug of _real gold_." He said this with an air -of profound seriousness, and I felt inexpressibly shocked. - -"This bug is to make my fortune," he continued with a triumphant smile, -"to reinstate me in my family possessions. Is it any wonder, then, that -I prize it? Since Fortune has thought fit to bestow it upon me, I have -only to use it properly, and I shall arrive at the gold of which it is -the index. Jupiter, bring me that _scarabæus_!" - -"What, de bug, massa? I'd rudder not go fer trubble dat bug; you mus git -him for your own self." Hereupon Legrand arose, with a grave and stately -air, and brought me the beetle from a glass case in which it was -enclosed. It was a beautiful _scarabæus_, and, at that time, unknown to -naturalists--of course a great prize in a scientific point of view. -There were two round black spots near one extremity of the back, and a -long one near the other. The scales were exceedingly hard and glossy, -with all the appearance of burnished gold. The weight of the insect was -very remarkable, and, taking all things into consideration, I could -hardly blame Jupiter for his opinion respecting it; but what to make of -Legrand's concordance with that opinion, I could not, for the life of -me, tell. - -"I sent for you," said he, in a grandiloquent tone, when I had completed -my examination of the beetle, "I sent for you that I might have your -counsel and assistance in furthering the views of Fate and of the bug"-- - -"My dear Legrand," I cried interrupting him, "you are certainly unwell, -and had better use some little precautions. You shall go to bed, and I -will remain with you a few days until you get over this. You are -feverish and"-- - -"Feel my pulse," said he. - -I felt it, and, to say the truth, found not the slightest indication of -fever. - -"But you may be ill, and yet have no fever. Allow me this once to -prescribe for you. In the first place, go to bed. In the next"-- - -"You are mistaken," he interposed; "I am as well as I can expect to be -under the excitement which I suffer. If you really wish me well, you -will relieve this excitement." - -"And how is this to be done?" - -"Very easily. Jupiter and myself are going upon an expedition into the -hills upon the mainland; and in this expedition we shall need the aid of -some person in whom we can confide. You are the only one we can trust. -Whether we succeed or fail, the excitement which you now perceive in me -will be equally allayed." - -"I am anxious to oblige you in any way," I replied; "but do you mean to -say that this infernal beetle has any connection with your expedition -into the hills." - -"It has." - -"Then, Legrand, I can become a party to no such absurd proceeding." - -"I am sorry--very sorry--for we shall have to try it by ourselves." - -"Try it by yourselves! The man is surely mad! but stay, how long do you -propose to be absent?" - -"Probably all night. We shall start immediately, and be back, at all -events, by sunrise." - -"And will you promise me, upon your honor, that when this freak of -yours is over, and the bug business (good God!) settled to your -satisfaction, you will then return home and follow my advice implicitly, -as that of your physician?" - -"Yes, I promise; and now let us be off, for we have no time to lose." - -With a heavy heart I accompanied my friend. We started about four -o'clock--Legrand, Jupiter, the dog, and myself. Jupiter had with him the -scythe and spades, the whole of which he insisted upon carrying, more -through fear, it seemed to me, of trusting either of the implements -within reach of his master, than from any excess of industry or -complaisance. His demeanor was dogged in the extreme, and "dat deuced -bug" were the sole words which escaped his lips during the journey. For -my own part, I had charge of a couple of dark lanterns, while Legrand -contented himself with the _scarabæus_, which he carried attached to the -end of a bit of whip-cord; twirling it to and fro, with the air of a -conjurer, as he went. When I observed this last, plain evidence of my -friend's aberration of mind, I could scarcely refrain from tears. I -thought it best, however, to humor his fancy, at least for the present, -or until I could adopt some more energetic measures with a chance of -success. In the meantime I endeavored, but all in vain, to sound him in -regard to the object of the expedition. Having succeeded in inducing me -to accompany him, he seemed unwilling to hold conversation upon any -topic of minor importance, and to all my questions vouchsafed no other -reply than "we shall see!" - -We crossed the creek at the head of the island by means of a skiff, and, -ascending the high grounds on the shore of the mainland, proceeded in a -northwesterly direction, through a tract of country excessively wild -and desolate, where no trace of a human footstep was to be seen. -Legrand led the way with decision; pausing only for an instant, here and -there, to consult what appeared to be certain landmarks of his own -contrivance upon a former occasion. - -In this manner we journeyed for about two hours, and the sun was just -setting when we entered a region infinitely more dreary than any yet -seen. It was a species of tableland, near the summit of an almost -inaccessible hill, densely wooded from base to pinnacle, and -interspersed with huge crags that appeared to lie loosely upon the soil, -and in many cases were prevented from precipitating themselves into the -valleys below, merely by the support of the trees against which they -reclined. Deep ravines, in various directions, gave an air of still -sterner solemnity to the scene. - -The natural platform to which we had clambered was thickly overgrown -with brambles, through which we soon discovered that it would have been -impossible to force our way but for the scythe; and Jupiter, by -direction of his master, proceeded to clear for us a path to the foot of -an enormously tall tulip-tree, which stood, with some eight or ten oaks, -upon the level, and far surpassed them all, and all other trees which I -had then ever seen, in the beauty of its foliage and form, in the wide -spread of its branches, and in the general majesty of its appearance. -When we reached this tree, Legrand turned to Jupiter, and asked him if -he thought he could climb it. The old man seemed a little staggered by -the question, and for some moments made no reply. At length he -approached the huge trunk, walked slowly around it, and examined it with -minute attention. When he had completed his scrutiny, he merely said,-- - -"Yes, massa, Jup climb any tree he ebber see in he life." - -"Then up with you as soon as possible, for it will soon be too dark to -see what we are about." - -"How far mus go up, massa?" inquired Jupiter. - -"Get up the main trunk first, and then I will tell you which way to -go--and here--stop! take this beetle with you." - -"De bug, Massa Will!--de goole-bug!" cried the negro, drawing back in -dismay--"what for mus tote de bug way up the tree?--damn if I do!" - -"If you are afraid, Jup, a great big negro like you, to take hold of a -harmless little dead beetle, why you can carry it up by this -string--but, if you do not take it up with you in some way, I shall be -under the necessity of breaking your head with this shovel." - -"What de matter now, massa?" said Jup, evidently shamed into compliance; -"always want for to raise fuss wid old nigger. Was only funnin, any how. -_Me_ feered de bug! what I keer for de bug?" Here he took cautiously -hold of the extreme end of the string, and, maintaining the insect as -far from his person as circumstances would permit, prepared to ascend -the tree. - -In youth, the tulip-tree, or _Liriodendron Tulipiferum_, the most -magnificent of American foresters, has a trunk peculiarly smooth, and -often rises to a great height without lateral branches; but, in its -riper age, the bark becomes gnarled and uneven, while many short limbs -make their appearance on the stem. Thus the difficulty of ascension, in -the present case, lay more in semblance than in reality. Embracing the -huge cylinder as closely as possible with his arms and knees, seizing -with his hands some projections, and resting his naked toes upon -others, Jupiter, after one or two narrow escapes from falling, at -length wriggled himself into the first great fork, and seemed to -consider the whole business as virtually accomplished. The _risk_ of the -achievement was, in fact, now over, although the climber was some sixty -or seventy feet from the ground. - -"Which way mus go now, Massa Will?" he asked. - -"Keep up the largest branch--the one on this side," said Legrand. The -negro obeyed him promptly, and apparently with but little trouble, -ascending higher and higher, until no glimpse of his squat figure could -be obtained through the dense foliage which enveloped it. Presently his -voice was heard in a sort of halloo. - -"How much fudder is got for go?" - -"How high up are you?" asked Legrand. - -"Ebber so fur," replied the negro; "can see de sky fru de top ob de -tree." - -"Never mind the sky, but attend to what I say. Look down the trunk, and -count the limbs below you on this side. How many limbs have you passed?" - -"One, two, tree, four, fibe--I done pass fibe big limb, massa, pon dis -side." - -"Then go one limb higher." - -In a few minutes the voice was heard again, announcing that the seventh -limb was attained. - -"Now, Jup," cried Legrand, evidently much excited, "I want you to work -your way out upon that limb as far as you can. If you see anything -strange, let me know." - -By this time what little doubt I might have entertained of my poor -friend's insanity was put finally at rest. I had no alternative but to -conclude him stricken with lunacy, and I became seriously anxious about -getting him home. While I was pondering upon what was best to be done, -Jupiter's voice was again heard. - -"Mos feerd for to ventur pon dis limb berry far--'tis dead limb putty -much all de way." - -"Did you say it was a _dead_ limb, Jupiter?" cried Legrand in a -quivering voice. - -"Yes, massa; him dead as de door-nail; done up for sartain; done -departed dis here life." - -"What in the name of heaven shall I do?" asked Legrand, seemingly in the -greatest distress. - -"Do!" said I, glad of an opportunity to interpose a word, "why, come -home and go to bed. Come, now, that's a fine fellow! It's getting late, -and, besides, you remember your promise." - -"Jupiter," cried he, without heeding me in the least, "do you hear me?" - -"Yes, Massa Will, hear you ebber so plain." - -"Try the wood well, then, with your knife, and see if you think it is -_very_ rotten." - -"Him rotten, massa, sure nuff," replied the negro in a few moments; "but -not so berry rotten as mought be. Mought ventur out leetle way pon de -limb by myself, dat's true." - -"By yourself? what do you mean?" - -"Why, I mean de bug. 'Tis _berry_ hebby bug. Spose I drop him down fuss, -and den de limb won't break wid just de weight ob one nigger." - -"You infernal scoundrel!" cried Legrand, apparently much relieved; "what -do you mean by telling me such nonsense as that? As sure as you drop -that beetle I'll break your neck. Look here, Jupiter, do you hear me?" - -"Yes, massa; needn't hollo at poor nigger dat style." - -"Well, now listen. If you will venture out on the limb as far as you -think safe, and not let go the beetle, I'll make you a present of a -silver dollar as soon as you get down." - -"I'm gwine, Mass Will--deed I is," replied the negro, very -promptly--"mos out to the end now." - -"_Out to the end!_" here fairly screamed Legrand, "do you say you are -out to the end of that limb?" - -"Soon be to de eend, massa,--o-o-o-o-oh! Lor-gol-a-marcy! what _is_ dis -here pon de tree?" - -"Well!" cried Legrand, highly delighted, "what is it?" - -"Why, taint noffin but a skull--somebody bin lef him head up de tree, -and de crows done gobble ebery bit ob de meat off." - -"A skull, you say!--very well!--how is it fastened to the limb?--what -holds it on?" - -"Sure nuff, massa; mus look. Why, dis berry curous cumstance, pon my -word--dare's a great big nail in de skull what fastens ob it on to de -tree." - -"Well, now, Jupiter, do exactly as I tell you--do you hear?" - -"Yes, massa." - -"Pay attention, then!--find the left eye of the skull." - -"Hum! hoo! dat's good! why, dare aint no eye lef at all." - -"Curse your stupidity! do you know your right hand from your left?" - -"Yes, I nose dat--nose all bout dat--'tis my lef hand what I chops de -wood wid." - -"To be sure! you are left-handed; and your left eye is on the same side -as your left hand. Now, I suppose you can find the left eye of the -skull, or the place where the left eye has been. Have you found it?" - -Here was a long pause. At length the negro asked,-- - -"Is de lef eye ob de skull pon de same side as de lef hand ob de skull, -too?--cause de skull aint got not a bit ob a hand at all--nebber mind! I -got de lef eye now--here de lef eye! what mus do with it?" - -"Let the beetle drop through it, as far as the string will reach--but be -careful and not let go your hold of the string." - -"All dat done, Mass Will; mighty easy ting for to put de bug frue de -hole--look out for him dare below!" - -During this colloquy no portion of Jupiter's person could be seen; but -the beetle, which he had suffered to descend, was now visible at the end -of the string, and glistened, like a globe of burnished gold, in the -last rays of the setting sun, some of which still faintly illumined the -eminence upon which we stood. The _scarabæus_ hung quite clear of any -branches, and, if allowed to fall, would have fallen at our feet. -Legrand immediately took the scythe and cleared with it a circular -space, three or four yards in diameter, just beneath the insect, and, -having accomplished this, ordered Jupiter to let go the string and come -down from the tree. - -Driving a peg, with great nicety, into the ground, at the precise spot -where the beetle fell, my friend now produced from his pocket a -tape-measure. Fastening one end of this at that point of the trunk of -the tree which was nearest the peg, he unrolled it till it reached the -peg, and thence further unrolled it, in the direction already -established by the two points of the tree and the peg, for the distance -of fifty feet--Jupiter clearing away the brambles with the scythe. At -the spot thus attained a second peg was driven, and about this, as a -centre, a rude circle, about four feet in diameter, described. Taking -now a spade himself, and giving one to Jupiter and one to me, Legrand -begged us to set about digging as quickly as possible. - -To speak the truth, I had no special relish for such amusement at any time, -and, at that particular moment, would most willingly have declined it; for -the night was coming on, and I felt much fatigued with the exercise already -taken; but I saw no mode of escape, and was fearful of disturbing my poor -friend's equanimity by a refusal. Could I have depended, indeed, upon -Jupiter's aid, I would have had no hesitation in attempting to get the -lunatic home by force; but I was too well assured of the old negro's -disposition to hope that he would assist me, under any circumstances, in a -personal contest with his master. I made no doubt that the latter had been -infected with some of the innumerable Southern superstitions about money -buried, and that his fantasy had received confirmation by the finding of -the _scarabæus_, or, perhaps, by Jupiter's obstinacy in maintaining it to -be "a bug of real gold." A mind disposed to lunacy would readily be led -away by such suggestions--especially if chiming in with favorite -preconceived ideas--and then I called to mind the poor fellow's speech -about the beetle's being "the index of his fortune." Upon the whole, I was -sadly vexed and puzzled, but at length, I concluded to make a virtue of -necessity--to dig with a good will, and thus the sooner to convince the -visionary, by ocular demonstration, of the fallacy of the opinions he -entertained. - -The lanterns having been lit, we all fell to work with a zeal worthy a -more rational cause; and, as the glare fell upon our persons and -implements, I could not help thinking how picturesque a group we -composed, and how strange and suspicious our labors must have appeared -to any interloper who, by chance, might have stumbled upon our -whereabouts. - -We dug very steadily for two hours. Little was said; and our chief -embarrassment lay in the yelpings of the dog, who took exceeding -interest in our proceedings. He at length became so obstreperous that we -grew fearful of his giving alarm to some stragglers in the vicinity; or, -rather, this was the apprehension of Legrand; for myself, I should have -rejoiced at any interruption which might have enabled me to get the -wanderer home. The noise was at length very effectually silenced by -Jupiter, who, getting out of the hole with a dogged air of deliberation, -tied the brute's mouth up with one of his suspenders, and then returned, -with a grave chuckle, to his task. - -When the time mentioned had expired, we had reached a depth of five -feet, and yet no signs of any treasure became manifest. A general pause -ensued, and I began to hope that the farce was at an end. Legrand, -however, although evidently much disconcerted, wiped his brow -thoughtfully and recommenced. We had excavated the entire circle of four -feet diameter, and now we slightly enlarged the limit, and went to the -further depth of two feet. Still nothing appeared. The gold-seeker, whom -I sincerely pitied, at length clambered from the pit, with the bitterest -disappointment imprinted upon every feature, and proceeded, slowly and -reluctantly, to put on his coat, which he had thrown off at the -beginning of his labor. In the meantime I made no remark. Jupiter, at a -signal from his master, began to gather up his tools. This done, and the -dog having been unmuzzled, we turned in profound silence toward home. - -We had taken, perhaps, a dozen steps in this direction, when, with a -loud oath, Legrand strode up to Jupiter, and seized him by the collar. -The astonished negro opened his eyes and mouth to the fullest extent, -let fall the spades, and fell upon his knees. - -"You scoundrel," said Legrand, hissing out the syllables from between -his clinched teeth--"you infernal black villain!--speak, I tell -you!--answer me this instant, without prevarication!--which--which is -your left eye?" - -"Oh, my golly, Massa Will! aint dis here my lef eye for sartin?" roared -the terrified Jupiter, placing his hand upon his _right_ organ of -vision, and holding it there with a desperate pertinacity, as if in -immediate dread of his master's attempt at a gouge. - -"I thought so!--I knew it! hurrah!" vociferated Legrand, letting the -negro go and executing a series of curvets and caracoles, much to the -astonishment of his valet, who, arising from his knees, looked mutely -from his master to myself, and then from myself to his master. - -"Come! we must go back," said the latter, "the game's not up yet;" and -he again led the way to the tulip-tree. - -"Jupiter," said he, when we reached its foot, "come here; was the skull -nailed to the limb with the face outward, or with the face to the limb?" - -"De face was out, massa, so dat de crows could get at de eyes good, -widout any trouble." - -"Well, then, was it this eye or that through which you dropped the -beetle?"--here Legrand touched each of Jupiter's eyes. - -"'Twas dis eye, massa--de lef eye--jis as you tell me," and here it was -his right eye that the negro indicated. - -"That will do--we must try it again." - -Here my friend, about whose madness I now saw, or fancied that I saw, -certain indications of method, removed the peg which marked the spot -where the beetle fell, to a spot about three inches to the westward of -its former position. Taking, now, the tape-measure from the nearest -point of the trunk to the peg, as before, and continuing the extension -in a straight line to the distance of fifty feet, a spot was indicated, -removed, by several yards, from the point at which we had been digging. - -Around the new position a circle, somewhat larger than in the former -instance, was now described, and we again set to work with the spades. I -was dreadfully weary, but scarcely understanding what had occasioned the -change in my thoughts, I felt no longer any great aversion from the -labor imposed. I had become most unaccountably interested--nay, even -excited. Perhaps there was something, amid all the extravagant demeanor -of Legrand, some air of forethought, or of deliberation, which impressed -me. I dug eagerly, and now and then caught myself actually looking, with -something that very much resembled expectation, for the fancied -treasure, the vision of which had demented my unfortunate companion. At -a period when such vagaries of thought most fully possessed me, and when -we had been at work perhaps an hour and a half, we were again -interrupted by the violent howlings of the dog. His uneasiness, in the -first instance, had been, evidently, but the result of playfulness or -caprice, but he now assumed a bitter and serious tone. Upon Jupiter's -again attempting to muzzle him, he made furious resistance, and leaping -into the hole, tore up the mould frantically with his claws. In a few -seconds he had uncovered a mass of human bones, forming two complete -skeletons, intermingled with several buttons of metal, and what appeared -to be the dust of decayed woollen. One or two strokes of a spade -upturned the blade of a large Spanish knife, and, as we dug further, -three or four loose pieces of gold and silver coin came to light. - -At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained; but -the countenance of his master wore an air of extreme disappointment. He -urged us, however, to continue our exertions; and the words were hardly -uttered when I stumbled and fell forward, having caught the toe of my -boot in a large ring of iron that lay half buried in the loose earth. - -We now worked in earnest; and never did I pass ten minutes of more -intense excitement. During this interval we had fairly unearthed an -oblong chest of wood, which, from its perfect preservation and wonderful -hardness, had plainly been subjected to some mineralizing -process--perhaps that of the bichloride of mercury. This box was three -feet and a half long, three feet broad, and two and a half feet deep. It -was firmly secured by bands of wrought iron, riveted, and forming a kind -of open trelliswork over the whole. On each side of the chest, near the -top, were three rings of iron--six in all--by means of which a firm hold -could be obtained by six persons. Our utmost united endeavors served -only to disturb the coffer very slightly in its bed. We at once saw the -impossibility of removing so great a weight. Luckily, the sole -fastenings of the lid consisted of two sliding bolts. These we drew -back, trembling and panting with anxiety. In an instant a treasure of -incalculable value lay gleaming before us. As the rays of the lanterns -fell within the pit, there flashed upward a glow and a glare, from a -confused heap of gold and of jewels, that absolutely dazzled our eyes. - -I shall not pretend to describe the feelings with which I gazed. -Amazement was, of course, predominant. Legrand appeared exhausted with -excitement, and spoke very few words. Jupiter's countenance wore, for -some minutes, as deadly a pallor as it is possible, in the nature of -things, for any negro's visage to assume. He seemed stupefied, -thunderstricken. Presently he fell upon his knees in the pit, and, -burying his naked arms up to the elbows in gold, let them there remain, -as if enjoying the luxury of a bath. At length, with a deep sigh, he -exclaimed, as if in a soliloquy:-- - -"And dis all cum ob de goole-bug! de putty goole-bug! de poor little -goole-bug, what I boosed in dat sabage kind ob style! Ain't you ashamed -ob yourself, nigger? Answer me dat!" - -It became necessary at last that I should arouse both master and valet -to the expediency of removing the treasure. It was growing late, and it -behooved us to make exertion, that we might get everything housed before -daylight. It was difficult to say what should be done, and much time was -spent in deliberation, so confused were the ideas of all. We finally -lightened the box by removing two-thirds of its contents, when we were -enabled, with some trouble, to raise it from the hole. The articles -taken out were deposited among the brambles, and the dog left to guard -them, with strict orders from Jupiter, neither, upon any pretence, to -stir from the spot, nor to open his mouth until our return. We then -hurriedly made for home with the chest, reaching the hut in safety, but -after excessive toil, at one o'clock in the morning. Worn out as we -were, it was not in human nature to do more immediately. We rested until -two, and had supper, starting for the hills immediately afterward, armed -with three stout sacks, which, by good luck, were upon the premises. A -little before four we arrived at the pit, divided the remainder of the -booty as equally as might be among us; and, leaving the holes unfilled, -again set out for the hut, at which, for the second time, we deposited -our golden burthens, just as the first faint streaks of the dawn gleamed -from over the tree-tops in the east. - -We were now thoroughly broken down; but the intense excitement of the -time denied us repose. After an unquiet slumber of some three or four -hours' duration, we arose, as if by preconcert, to make examination of -our treasure. - -The chest had been full to the brim, and we spent the whole day, and the -greater part of the next night, in scrutiny of its contents. There had -been nothing like order or arrangement. Everything had been heaped in -promiscuously. Having assorted all with care, we found ourselves -possessed of even vaster wealth than we had at first supposed. In coin -there was rather more than four hundred and fifty thousand dollars, -estimating the value of the pieces as accurately as we could by the -tables of the period. There was not a particle of silver. All was gold -of antique date and of great variety,--French, Spanish, and German -money, with a few English guineas, and some counters, of which we had -never seen specimens before. There were several very large and heavy -coins, so worn that we could make nothing of their inscriptions. There -was no American money. - -The value of the jewels we found more difficulty in estimating. There -were diamonds, some of them exceedingly large and fine--a hundred and -ten in all, and not one of them small; eighteen rubies of remarkable -brilliancy; three hundred and ten emeralds, all very beautiful; and -twenty one sapphires, with an opal. These stones had all been broken -from their settings, and thrown loose in the chest. The settings -themselves, which we picked out from among the other gold, appeared to -have been beaten up with hammers, as if to prevent identification. -Besides all this, there was a vast quantity of solid gold ornaments; -nearly two hundred massive finger and ear rings; rich chains--thirty of -these, if I remember; eighty-three very large and heavy crucifixes; five -gold censers of great value; a prodigious golden punch-bowl, ornamented -with richly chased vine-leaves and bacchanalian figures; with two -sword-handles exquisitely embossed, and many other smaller articles -which I cannot recollect. - -The weight of these valuables exceeded three hundred and fifty pounds -avoirdupois; and in this estimate I have not included one hundred and -ninety-seven superb gold watches, three of the number being worth each -five hundred dollars, if one. Many of them were very old, and as -timekeepers valueless, the works having suffered more or less from -corrosion; but all were richly jewelled, and in cases of great worth. We -estimated the entire contents of the chest that night at a million and a -half of dollars; and upon the subsequent disposal of the trinkets and -jewels (a few being retained for our own use), it was found that we had -greatly undervalued the treasure. - -When at length we had concluded our examination, and the intense -excitement of the time had, in some measure, subsided, Legrand, who saw -that I was dying with impatience for a solution of this most -extraordinary riddle, entered into a full detail of all the -circumstances connected with it. - -"You remember," said he, "the night when I handed you the rough sketch I -had made of the _scarabæus_. You recollect, also, that I became quite -vexed at you for insisting that my drawing resembled a death's-head. -When you first made this assertion, I thought you were jesting; but -afterward I called to mind the peculiar spots on the back of the insect, -and admitted to myself that your remark had some little foundation in -fact. Still the sneer at my graphic powers irritated me--for I am -considered a good artist; and therefore, when you handed me the scrap of -parchment, I was about to crumple it up and throw it angrily into the -fire." - -"The scrap of paper, you mean," said I. - -"No; it had much the appearance of paper, and at first I supposed it to -be such; but when I came to draw upon it, I discovered it at once to be -a piece of very thin parchment. It was quite dirty, you remember. Well, -as I was in the very act of crumpling it up, my glance fell upon the -sketch at which you had been looking; and you may imagine my -astonishment when I perceived, in fact, the figure of a death's-head -just where, it seemed to me, I had made the drawing of the beetle. For a -moment I was too much amazed to think with accuracy. I knew that my -design was very different in detail from this, although there was a -certain similarity in general outline. Presently I took a candle, and, -seating myself at the other end of the room, proceeded to scrutinize the -parchment more closely. Upon turning it over, I saw my own sketch upon -the reverse, just as I had made it. My first idea now was mere surprise -at the really remarkable similarity of outline--at the singular -coincidence involved in the fact that, unknown to me, there should have -been a skull upon the other side of the parchment, immediately beneath -my figure of the _scarabæus_, and that this skull, not only in outline, -but in size, should so closely resemble my drawing. I say the -singularity of this coincidence absolutely stupefied me for a time. - -"This is the usual effect of such coincidences. The mind struggles to -establish a connection, a sequence of cause and effect; and, being -unable to do so, suffers a species of temporary paralysis. But when I -recovered from this stupor, there dawned upon me gradually a conviction -which startled me even far more than the coincidence. I began -distinctly, positively, to remember that there had been _no_ drawing -upon the parchment when I made my sketch of the _scarabæus_. I became -perfectly certain of this; for I recollected turning up first one side -and then the other, in search of the cleanest spot. Had the skull been -then there, of course I could not have failed to notice it. Here was -indeed a mystery which I felt it impossible to explain; but, even at -that early moment, there seemed to glimmer faintly within the most -remote and secret chambers of my intellect a glowworm-like conception of -that truth which last night's adventure brought to so magnificent a -demonstration. I arose at once, and, putting the parchment securely -away, dismissed all further reflection until I should be alone. - -"When you had gone, and when Jupiter was fast asleep, I betook myself to -a more methodical investigation of the affair. In the first place I -considered the manner in which the parchment had come into my -possession. The spot where we discovered the _scarabæus_ was on the -coast of the main land, about a mile eastward of the island, and but a -short distance above high-water mark. Upon my taking hold of it, it gave -me a sharp bite, which caused me to let it drop. Jupiter, with his -accustomed caution, before seizing the insect, which had flown towards -him, looked about him for a leaf, or something of that nature, by which -to take hold of it. It was at this moment that his eyes, and mine also, -fell upon the scrap of parchment, which I then supposed to be paper. It -was lying half buried in the sand, a corner sticking up. Near the spot -where we found it, I observed the remnant of the hull of what appeared -to have been a ship's long boat. The wreck seemed to have been there for -a very great while; for the resemblance to boat timbers could scarcely -be traced. - -"Well, Jupiter picked up the parchment, wrapped the beetle in it, and -gave it to me. Soon afterwards we turned to go home, and on the way met -Lieutenant G----. I showed him the insect, and he begged me to let him -take it to the fort. Upon my consenting, he thrust it forthwith into his -waistcoat pocket, without the parchment in which it had been wrapped, -and which I had continued to hold in my hand during his inspection. -Perhaps he dreaded my changing my mind, and thought it best to make sure -of the prize at once--you know how enthusiastic he is on all subjects -connected with Natural History. At the same time, without being -conscious of it, I must have deposited the parchment in my own pocket. - -"You remember that when I went to the table, for the purpose of making a -sketch of the beetle, I found no paper where it was usually kept. I -looked in the drawer and found none there. I searched my pockets, hoping -to find an old letter, when my hand fell upon the parchment. I thus -detail the precise mode in which it came into my possession; for the -circumstances impressed me with peculiar force. - -"No doubt you will think me fanciful--but I had already established a -kind of _connection_. I had put together two links of a great chain. -There was a boat lying upon a sea-coast, and not far from the boat was a -parchment--_not a paper_--with a skull depicted upon it. You will, of -course, ask, 'where is the connection?' I reply that the skull, or -death's-head, is the well-known emblem of the pirate. The flag of the -death's-head is hoisted in all engagements. - -"I have said that the scrap was parchment, and not paper. Parchment is -durable--almost imperishable. Matters of little moment are rarely -consigned to parchment; since for the mere ordinary purposes of drawing -or writing it is not nearly so well adapted as paper. This reflection -suggested some meaning--some relevancy--in the death's-head. I did not -fail to observe, also, the _form_ of the parchment. Although one of its -corners had been, by some accident, destroyed, it could be seen that the -original form was oblong. It was just a slip, indeed, as might have been -chosen for a memorandum--for a record of something to be long remembered -and carefully preserved." - -"But," I interposed, "you say that the skull was _not_ upon the -parchment when you made the drawing of the beetle. How then do you trace -any connection between the boat and the skull--since this latter, -according to your own admission, must have been designed (God only knows -how or by whom) at some period subsequent to your sketching the -_scarabæus_?" - -"Ah, hereupon turns the whole mystery; although the secret, at this -point, I had comparatively little difficulty in solving. My steps were -sure, and could afford but a single result. I reasoned, for example, -thus: When I drew the _scarabæus_, there was no skull apparent upon the -parchment. When I had completed the drawing I gave it to you and -observed you narrowly until you returned it. _You_, therefore, did not -design the skull, and no one else was present to do it. Then it was not -done by human agency. And nevertheless it was done. - -"At this stage of my reflections I endeavored to remember, and _did_ -remember, with entire distinctness, every incident which occurred about -the period in question. The weather was chilly (oh, rare and happy -accident!), and a fire was blazing upon the hearth. I was heated with -exercise and sat near the table. You, however, had drawn a chair close -to the chimney. Just as I placed the parchment in your hand, and you -were in the act of inspecting it, Wolf, the Newfoundland, entered, and -leaped upon your shoulders. With your left hand you caressed him and -kept him off, while your right, holding the parchment, was permitted to -fall listlessly between your knees, and in close proximity to the fire. -At one moment I thought the blaze had caught it, and was about to -caution you, but, before I could speak, you had withdrawn it, and were -engaged in its examination. When I considered all these particulars, I -doubted not for a moment that _heat_ had been the agent in bringing to -light, upon the parchment, the skull which I saw designed upon it. You -are well aware that chemical preparations exist, and have existed time -out of mind, by means of which it is possible to write upon either paper -or vellum, so that the characters shall become visible only when -subjected to the action of fire. Zaffre, digested in _aqua regia_, and -diluted with four times its weight of water, is sometimes employed; a -green tint results. The regulus of cobalt, dissolved in spirit of nitre, -gives a red. These colors disappear at longer or shorter intervals after -the material written upon cools, but again become apparent upon the -reapplication of heat. - -"I now scrutinized the death's-head with care. Its outer edges--the -edges of the drawing nearest the edge of the vellum--were far more -_distinct_ than the others. It was clear that the action of the caloric -had been imperfect or unequal. I immediately kindled a fire, and -subjected every portion of the parchment to a glowing heat. At first, -the only effect was the strengthening of the faint lines in the skull; -but, upon persevering in the experiment, there became visible, at the -corner of the slip, diagonally opposite to the spot in which the -death's-head was delineated, the figure of what I at first supposed to -be a goat. A closer scrutiny, however, satisfied me that it was intended -for a kid." - -"Ha! ha!" said I, "to be sure I have no right to laugh at you--a million -and a half of money is too serious a matter for mirth--but you are not -about to establish a third link in your chain--you will not find any -special connection between your pirates and a goat--pirates, you know, -have nothing to do with goats; they appertain to the farming interest." - -"But I have just said that the figure was _not_ that of a goat." - -"Well, a kid then--pretty much the same thing." - -"Pretty much, but not altogether," said Legrand. "You may have heard of -one _Captain_ Kidd. I at once looked upon the figure of the animal as a -kind of punning or hieroglyphical signature. I say signature, because -its position on the vellum suggested this idea. The death's-head at the -corner diagonally opposite, had, in the same manner, the air of a stamp, -or seal. But I was sorely put out by the absence of all else--of the -body to my imagined instrument--of the text for my context." - -"I presume you expected to find a letter between the stamp and the -signature." - -"Something of that kind. The fact is, I felt irresistibly impressed with -a presentiment of some vast good fortune impending. I can scarcely say -why. Perhaps, after all, it was rather a desire than an actual belief; -but do you know that Jupiter's silly words, about the bug being of solid -gold, had a remarkable effect upon my fancy? And then the series of -accidents and coincidences--these were so _very_ extraordinary. Do you -observe how mere an accident it was that these events should have -occurred upon the _sole_ day of all the year in which it has been, or -may be, sufficiently cool for fire, and that without the fire, or -without the intervention of the dog at the precise moment in which he -appeared, I should never have become aware of the death's-head, and so -never the possessor of the treasure?" - -"But proceed, I am all impatience." - -"Well, you have heard, of course, the many stories current, the thousand -vague rumors afloat, about money buried, somewhere upon the Atlantic -coast, by Kidd and his associates. These rumors must have some -foundation in fact. And that the rumors have existed so long and so -continuous, could have resulted, it appeared to me, only from the -circumstance of the buried treasure still _remaining_ entombed. Had Kidd -concealed his plunder for a time, and afterward reclaimed it, the rumors -would scarcely have reached us in their present unvarying form. You will -observe that the stories told are all about money-seekers, not about -money-finders. Had the pirate recovered his money, there the affair -would have dropped. It seemed to me that some accident--say the loss of -a memorandum indicating its locality--had deprived him of the means of -recovering it, and that this accident had become known to his followers, -who otherwise might never have heard that treasure had been concealed at -all, and who, busying themselves in vain, because unguided, attempts to -regain it, had given first birth, and then universal currency, to the -reports which are now so common. Have you ever heard of any important -treasure being unearthed along the coast?" - -"Never." - -"But that Kidd's accumulations were immense, is well known. I took it -for granted, therefore, that the earth still held them; and you will -scarcely be surprised when I tell you that I felt a hope, nearly -amounting to certainty, that the parchment so strangely found, involved -a lost record of the place of deposit." - -"But how did you proceed?" - -"I held the vellum again to the fire, after increasing the heat, but -nothing appeared. I now thought it possible that the coating of dirt -might have something to do with the failure; so I carefully rinsed the -parchment by pouring warm water over it, and having done this, I placed -it in a tin pan, with the skull downward, and put the pan upon a furnace -of lighted charcoal. In a few minutes, the pan having become thoroughly -heated, I removed the slip, and to my inexpressible joy, found it -spotted in several places, with what appeared to be figures arranged in -lines. Again I placed it in the pan, and suffered it to remain another -minute. Upon taking it off, the whole was just as you see it now." - -Here Legrand, having re-heated the parchment, submitted it to my -inspection. The following characters were rudely traced, in a red tint, -between the death's-head and the goat:-- - -53##+305))6*;4826)4#.)4#);806*;48+8¶60))85;;]8*;:#*8+83(88)5*+;46(;88*96* -?;8)*#(;485);5*+2:*#(;4956*2(5*-4)8¶8*;4069285);)6+8)4##;1(#9;48081;8:8#1 -;48+85;4)485+528806*81(#9;48;(88;4(#?34;48)4#;161;:188;#?; - -"But," said I, returning him the slip, "I am as much in the dark as -ever. Were all the jewels of Golconda awaiting me upon my solution of -this enigma, I am quite sure that I should be unable to earn them." - -"And yet," said Legrand, "the solution is by no means so difficult as -you might be led to imagine from the first hasty inspection of the -characters. These characters, as any one might readily guess, form a -cipher--that is to say, they convey a meaning; but then, from what is -known of Kidd, I could not suppose him capable of constructing any of -the more abstruse cryptographs. I made up my mind at once that this was -of a simple species--such, however, as would appear to the crude -intellect of the sailor absolutely insoluble without the key." - -"And you really solved it?" - -"Readily; I have solved others of an abstruseness ten thousand times -greater. Circumstances, and a certain bias of mind, have led me to take -interest in such riddles, and it may well be doubted whether human -ingenuity can construct an enigma of the kind which human ingenuity may -not, by proper application, resolve. In fact, having once established -connected and legible characters, I scarcely gave a thought to the mere -difficulty of developing their import. - -"In the present case--indeed in all cases of secret writing--the -question regards the _language_ of the cipher; for the principles of -solution, so far especially as the more simple ciphers are concerned, -depend upon, and are varied by, the genius of the particular idiom. In -general, there is no alternative but experiment (directed by -probabilities) of every tongue known to him who attempts the solution, -until the true one be attained. But, with the cipher now before us, all -difficulty was removed by the signature. The pun upon the word 'Kidd' -is appreciable in no other language than the English. But for this -consideration I should have begun my attempts with the Spanish and -French, as the tongues in which a secret of this kind would most -naturally have been written by a pirate of the Spanish main. As it was, -I assumed the cryptograph to be English. - -"You observe there are no divisions between the words. Had there been -divisions, the task would have been comparatively easy. In such cases I -should have commenced with a collation and analysis of the shorter -words, and, had a word of a single letter occurred, as it is most likely -(_a_ or _I_, for example), I should have considered the solution as -assured. But, there being no division, my first step was to ascertain -the predominant letters, as well as the least frequent. Counting all, I -constructed a table thus:-- - -Of the character 8 there are 33 - ; " 26 - 4 " 19 - #) " 16 - * " 13 - 5 " 12 - 6 " 11 - ( " 10 - +1 " 8 - 0 " 6 - 92 " 5 - :3 " 4 - ? " 3 - ¶ " 2 - ]--. " 1 - -"Now, in English, the letter which most frequently occurs is _e_. -Afterward, the succession runs thus: _a o i d h n r s t u y c f g l m w -b k p q x z_. _E_ predominates so remarkably that an individual sentence -of any length is rarely seen in which it is not the prevailing -character. - -"Here, then, we have, in the very beginning, the groundwork for -something more than a mere guess. The general use which may be made of -the table is obvious, but, in this particular cipher, we shall only very -partially require its aid. As our predominant character is 8, we will -commence by assuming it as the _e_ of the natural alphabet. To verify -the supposition, let us observe if the 8 be seen often in couples--for -_e_ is doubled with great frequency in English--in such words, for -example, as 'meet,' 'fleet,' 'speed,' 'seen,' 'been,' 'agree,' etc. In -the present instance we see it doubled no less than five times, although -the cryptograph is brief. - -"Let us assume 8, then, as _e_. Now, of all the _words_ in the language, -'the' is most usual; let us see, therefore, whether there are not -repetitions of any three characters, in the same order of collocation, -the last of them being 8. If we discover repetitions of such letters, so -arranged, they will most probably represent the word 'the.' Upon -inspection, we find no less than seven such arrangements, the characters -being;48. We may, therefore, assume that; represents _t_, 4 represents -_h_, and 8 represents _e_--the last being now well confirmed. Thus a -great step has been taken. - -"But, having established a single word, we are enabled to establish a -vastly important point; that is to say, several commencements and -terminations of other words. Let us refer, for example, to the last -instance but one, in which the combination ;48 occurs--not far from the -end of the cipher. We know that the; immediately ensuing is the -commencement of a word, and of the six characters succeeding this -'the,' we are cognizant of no less than five. Let us set these -characters down, thus, by the letters we know them to represent, leaving -a space for the unknown:-- - - t eeth. - -"Here we are enabled, at once, to discard the '_th_,' as forming no -portion of the word commencing with the first _t_; since, by experiment -of the entire alphabet for a letter adapted to the vacancy, we perceive -that no word can be formed of which this _th_ can be a part. We are thus -narrowed into-- - - t ee, - -and, going through the alphabet, if necessary, as before, we arrive at -the word 'tree' as the sole possible reading. We thus gain another -letter, _r_, represented by (, with the words 'the tree,' in -juxtaposition. - -"Looking beyond these words, for a short distance, we again see the -combination;48, and employ it by way of _termination_ to what -immediately precedes. We have thus this arrangement:-- - - the tree; 4(#?34 the, - -or, substituting the natural letters, where known, it reads thus:-- - - the tree thr#?3h the. - -"Now, if, in place of the unknown characters, we leave blank spaces, or -substitute dots, we read thus:-- - - the tree thr...h the, - -when the word '_through_' makes itself evident at once. But this -discovery gives us three new letters, _o, u, g_, represented by # ? and -3. - -"Looking now, narrowly, through the cipher for combinations of known -characters, we find, not very far from the beginning, this -arrangement:-- - - 83(88, or egree, - -which plainly is the conclusion of the word 'degree,' and gives us -another letter _d_, represented by +. - -"Four letters beyond the word 'degree,' we perceive the combination:-- - - ;46(;88. - -"Translating the known characters, and representing the unknown by dots, -as before, we read thus:-- - - th rtee, - -an arrangement immediately suggestive of the word 'thirteen,' and again -furnishing us with two new characters _i_ and _n_, represented by 6 and -*. - -"Referring, now, to the beginning of the cryptograph, we find the -combination:-- - - 53##+ - -"Translating as before, we obtain:-- - - .good, - -which assures us that the first letter is _A_, and that the first two -words are 'A good.' - -"It is now time that we arrange our key, as far as discovered, in a -tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus:-- - - 5 represents a - + " d - 8 " e - 3 " g - 4 " h - 6 " i - * " n - # " o - ( " r - ; " t - -have, therefore, no less than ten of the most important letters -represented, and it will be unnecessary to proceed with the details of -the solution. I have said enough to convince you that ciphers of this -nature are readily soluble, and to give you some insight into the -_rationale_ of their development. But be assured that the specimen -before us appertains to the very simplest species of cryptograph. It now -only remains to give you the full translation of the characters upon the -parchment, as unriddled. Here it is:-- - - "'A good glass in the bishop's hostel in the devil's seat forty-one - degrees and thirteen minutes north-east and by north main branch - seventh limb east side shoot from the left eye of the death's-head a - bee-line from the tree through the shot fifty feet out.'" - -"But," said I, "the enigma seems still in as bad a condition as ever. -How is it possible to extort a meaning from all this jargon about -'devil's seats,' 'death's-heads,' and 'bishop's hotels'?" - -"I confess," replied Legrand, "that the matter still wears a serious -aspect when regarded with a casual glance. My first endeavor was to -divide the sentence into the natural division intended by the -cryptographist." - -"You mean, to punctuate it?" - -"Something of that kind." - -"I reflected that it had been a _point_ with the writer to run his words -together without division, so as to increase the difficulty of solution. -Now, a not over-acute man, in pursuing such an object, would be nearly -certain to overdo the matter. When, in the course of his composition, he -arrived at a break in his subject which would naturally require a pause, -or a point, he would be exceedingly apt to run his characters, at this -place, more than usually close together. If you will observe the MS., -in the present instance, you will easily detect five such cases of -unusual crowding. Acting upon this hint, I made the division thus:-- - - "'A good glass in the Bishop's hostel in the Devil's seat--forty-one - degrees and thirteen minutes--north-east and by north--main branch - seventh limb east side--shoot from the left eye of the - death's-head--a bee-line from the tree through the shot fifty feet - out.'" - -"Even this division," said I, "leaves me still in the dark." - -"It left me also in the dark," replied Legrand, "for a few days; during -which I made diligent inquiry, in the neighborhood of Sullivan's Island, -for any building which went by the name of the 'Bishop's Hotel'; for of -course I dropped the obsolete word 'hostel.' Gaining no information on -the subject, I was on the point of extending my sphere of search, and -proceeding in a more systematic manner, when one morning it entered into -my head, quite suddenly, that this 'Bishop's Hostel' might have some -reference to an old family of the name of Bessop, which, time out of -mind, had held possession of an ancient manor-house, about four miles to -the northward of the Island. I accordingly went over to the plantation, -and re-instituted my inquiries among the older negroes of the place. At -length one of the most aged of the women said that she had heard of such -a place as _Bessop's Castle_, and thought that she could guide me to it, -but that it was not a castle, nor a tavern, but a high rock. - -"I offered to pay her well for her trouble, and, after some demur, she -consented to accompany me to the spot. We found it without much -difficulty, when, dismissing her, I proceeded to examine the place. The -'castle' consisted of an irregular assemblage of cliffs and rocks--one -of the latter being quite remarkable for its height as well as for its -insulated and artificial appearance. I clambered to its apex, and then -felt much at a loss as to what should be next done. - -"While I was busied in reflection, my eyes fell upon a narrow ledge in -the eastern face of the rock, perhaps a yard below the summit upon which -I stood. This ledge projected about eighteen inches, and was not more -than a foot wide, while a niche in the cliff just above it, gave it a -rude resemblance to one of the hollow-backed chairs used by our -ancestors. I made no doubt that here was the 'devil's seat' alluded to -in the MS., and now I seemed to grasp the full secret of the riddle. - -"The 'good glass' I knew could have reference to nothing but a -telescope; for the word 'glass' is rarely employed in any other sense by -seamen. Now here, I at once saw a telescope to be used, and a definite -point of view, _admitting no variation_, from which to use it. Nor did I -hesitate to believe that the phrases, 'forty-one degrees and thirteen -minutes,' and 'north-east and by north,' were intended as directions for -the levelling of the glass. Greatly excited by these discoveries, I -hurried home, procured a telescope, and returned to the rock. - -"I let myself down to the ledge, and found that it was impossible to -retain a seat upon it except in one particular position. This fact -confirmed my preconceived idea. I proceeded to use the glass. Of course, -the 'forty-one degrees and thirteen minutes' could allude to nothing but -elevation above the visible horizon, since the horizontal direction was -clearly indicated by the words, 'north-east and by north.' This latter -direction I at once established by means of a pocket-compass; then, -pointing the glass as nearly at an angle of forty-one degrees of -elevation as I could do it by guess, I moved it cautiously up or down, -until my attention was arrested by a circular rift or opening in the -foliage of a large tree that overtopped its fellows in the distance. In -the centre of this rift I perceived a white spot, but could not, at -first, distinguish what it was. Adjusting the focus of the telescope, I -again looked, "Upon this discovery I was so sanguine as to consider the -enigma solved; for the phrase 'main branch, seventh limb, east side,' -could refer only to the position of the skull upon the tree, while -'shoot from the left eye of the death's-head' admitted, also, of but one -interpretation, in regard to a search for buried treasure. I perceived -that the design was to drop a bullet from the left eye of the skull, and -that a bee-line, or, in other words, a straight line, drawn from the -nearest point of the trunk through 'the shot' (or the spot where the -bullet fell) and thence extended to a distance of fifty feet, would -indicate a definite point--and beneath this point I thought it at least -_possible_ that a deposit of value lay concealed." - -"All this," I said, "is exceedingly clear, and, although ingenious, -still simple and explicit. When you left the Bishop's Hotel, what then?" - -"Why, having carefully taken the bearings of the tree, I turned -homewards. The instant that I left the 'devil's seat,' however, the -circular rift vanished; nor could I get a glimpse of it afterwards, turn -as I would. What seems to me the chief ingenuity in this whole business -is the fact (for repeated experiment has convinced me it _is_ a fact) -that the circular opening in question is visible from no other -attainable point of view than that afforded by the narrow ledge on the -face of the rock. - -"In this expedition to the 'Bishop's Hotel' I had been attended by -Jupiter, who had no doubt observed for some weeks past the abstraction -of my demeanor, and took especial care not to leave me alone. But, on -the next day, getting up very early, I contrived to give him the slip, -and went into the hills in search of the tree. After much toil I found -it. When I came home at night my valet proposed to give me a flogging. -With the rest of the adventure I believe you are as well acquainted as -myself." - -"I suppose," said I, "you missed the spot, in the first attempt at -digging, through Jupiter's stupidity in letting the bug fall through the -right instead of through the left eye of the skull." - -"Precisely. This mistake made a difference of about two inches and a -half in the 'shot,' that is to say, in the position of the peg nearest -the tree; and had the treasure been _beneath_ the 'shot,' the error -would have been of little moment; but 'the shot,' together with the -nearest point of the tree, were merely two points for the establishment -of a line of direction; of course the error, however trivial in the -beginning, increased as we proceeded with the line, and by the time we -had gone fifty feet, threw us quite off the scent. But for my -deep-seated impression that treasure was here somewhere actually buried, -we might have had all our labor in vain." - -"I presume the fancy of _the skull_--of letting fall a bullet through -the skull's eye--was suggested to Kidd by the piratical flag. No doubt -he felt a kind of poetical consistency in recovering his money through -this ominous insignium." - -"Perhaps so; still, I cannot help thinking that common-sense had quite -as much to do with the matter as poetical consistency. To be visible -from the Devil's seat, it was necessary that the object, if small, -should be _white_: and there is nothing like your human skull for -retaining and even increasing its whiteness under exposure to all -vicissitudes of weather." - -"But your grandiloquence, and your conduct in swinging the beetle--how -excessively odd! I was sure you were mad. And why did you insist upon -letting fall the bug, instead of a bullet, from the skull?" - -"Why, to be frank, I felt somewhat annoyed by your evident suspicions -touching my sanity, and so resolved to punish you quietly, in my own -way, by a little bit of sober mystification. For this reason I swung the -beetle, and for this reason I let it fall from the tree. An observation -of yours about its great weight suggested the latter idea." - -"Yes, I perceive; and now there is only one point which puzzles me. What -are we to make of the skeletons found in the hole?" - -"That is a question I am no more able to answer than yourself. There -seems, however, only one plausible way of accounting for them, and yet -it is dreadful to believe in such atrocity as my suggestion would imply. -It is clear that Kidd--if Kidd indeed secreted this treasure, which I -doubt not--it is clear that he must have had assistance in the labor. -But this labor concluded, he may have thought it expedient to remove all -participants in his secret. Perhaps a couple of blows with a mattock -were sufficient, while his coadjutors were busy in the pit; perhaps it -required a dozen--who shall tell?" - -[Transcribers Note: In the above story the "dagger" and "double dagger" -symbols were used in the cipher. Neither symbols are capable of being -replicated in ascii, therefore they have been replaced with "+" and -"#" respectively.] - - - - -THE PURLOINED LETTER - - _Nil sapientiæ odiosius acumine nimio._ - - SENECA. - - -At Paris, just after dark one gusty evening in the autumn of 18--, I was -enjoying the twofold luxury of meditation and a meerschaum, in company -with my friend, C. Auguste Dupin, in his little back library, or -book-closet, _au troisième, No. 33, Rue Dunôt, Faubourg Saint Germain_. -For one hour at least we had maintained a profound silence; while each, -to any casual observer, might have seemed intently and exclusively -occupied with the curling eddies of smoke that oppressed the atmosphere -of the chamber. For myself, however, I was mentally discussing certain -topics which had formed matter for conversation between us at an earlier -period of the evening; I mean the affair of the Rue Morgue, and the -mystery attending the murder of Marie Rogêt. I looked upon it, -therefore, as something of a coincidence, when the door of our apartment -was thrown open and admitted our old acquaintance, Monsieur G----, the -Prefect of the Parisian police. - -We gave him a hearty welcome; for there was nearly half as much of the -entertaining as of the contemptible about the man, and we had not seen -him for several years. We had been sitting in the dark, and Dupin now -arose for the purpose of lighting a lamp, but sat down again without -doing so, upon G----'s saying that he had called to consult us, or -rather to ask the opinion of my friend, about some official business -which had occasioned a great deal of trouble. - -"If it is any point requiring reflection," observed Dupin, as he -forebore to enkindle the wick, "we shall examine it to better purpose in -the dark." - -"This is another of your odd notions," said the Prefect, who had a -fashion of calling everything "odd" that was beyond his comprehension, -and thus lived amid an absolute legion of "oddities." - -"Very true," said Dupin, as he supplied his visitor with a pipe, and -rolled towards him a comfortable chair. - -"And what is the difficulty now?" I asked. "Nothing more in the -assassination way, I hope?" - -"Oh, no; nothing of that nature. The fact is, the business is _very_ -simple indeed, and I make no doubt that we can manage it sufficiently -well ourselves; but then I thought Dupin would like to hear the details -of it, because it is so excessively _odd_." - -"Simple and odd," said Dupin. - -"Why, yes; and not exactly that, either. The fact is, we have all been a -good deal puzzled because the affair _is_ so simple, and yet baffles us -altogether." - -"Perhaps it is the very simplicity of the thing which puts you at -fault," said my friend. - -"What nonsense you _do_ talk!" said the Prefect, laughing heartily. - -"Perhaps the mystery is a little _too_ plain," said Dupin. - -"Oh, good heavens! who ever heard of such an idea?" - -"A little _too_ self-evident." - -"Ha! ha! ha!--ha! ha! ha!--ho! ho! ho!" roared our visitor, profoundly -amused, "O Dupin, you will be the death of me yet!" - -"And what, after all, _is_ the matter on hand?" I asked. - -"Why, I will tell you," replied the Prefect, as he gave a long, steady, -and contemplative puff, and settled himself in his chair. "I will tell -you in a few words; but, before I begin, let me caution you that this is -an affair demanding the greatest secrecy, and that I should most -probably lose the position I now hold, were it known that I had confided -it to any one." - -"Proceed," said I. - -"Or not," said Dupin. - -"Well, then; I have received personal information, from a very high -quarter, that a certain document of the last importance has been -purloined from the royal apartments. The individual who purloined it is -known; this beyond a doubt; he was seen to take it. It is known, also, -that it still remains in his possession." - -"How is this known?" asked Dupin. - -"It is clearly inferred," replied the Prefect, "from the nature of the -document, and from the non-appearance of certain results which would at -once arise from its passing _out_ of the robber's possession;--that is -to say, from his employing it as he must design in the end to employ -it." - -"Be a little more explicit," I said. - -"Well, I may venture so far as to say that the paper gives its holder a -certain power in a certain quarter where such power is immensely -valuable." The Prefect was fond of the cant of diplomacy. - -"Still I do not quite understand," said Dupin. - -"No? Well; the disclosure of the document to a third person, who shall -be nameless, would bring in question the honor of a personage of most -exalted station; and this fact gives the holder of the document an -ascendency over the illustrious personage whose honor and peace are so -jeopardized." - -"But this ascendency," I interposed, "would depend upon the robber's -knowledge of the loser's knowledge of the robber. Who would dare--" - -"The thief," said G----, "is the minister D----, who dares all things, -those unbecoming as well as those becoming a man. The method of the -theft was not less ingenious than bold. The document in question--a -letter, to be frank--had been received by the personage robbed while -alone in the royal _boudoir_. During its perusal she was suddenly -interrupted by the entrance of the other exalted personage, from whom -especially it was her wish to conceal it. After a hurried and vain -endeavor to thrust it in a drawer, she was forced to place it, open as -it was, upon a table. The address, however, was uppermost, and, the -contents thus unexposed, the letter escaped notice. At this juncture -enters the minister D----. His lynx eye immediately perceives the paper, -recognizes the handwriting of the address, observes the confusion of the -personage addressed, and fathoms her secret. After some business -transactions, hurried through in his ordinary manner, he produces a -letter somewhat similar to the one in question, opens it, pretends to -read it, and then places it in close juxtaposition to the other. Again -he converses for some fifteen minutes upon the public affairs. At -length, in taking leave, he takes also from the table the letter to -which he had no claim. Its rightful owner saw, but, of course, dared not -call attention to the act, in the presence of the third personage, who -stood at her elbow. The minister decamped, leaving his own letter--one -of no importance--upon the table." - -"Here, then," said Dupin to me, "you have precisely what you demand to -make the ascendency complete--the robber's knowledge of the loser's -knowledge of the robber." - -"Yes," replied the Prefect; "and the power thus attained has for some -months past been wielded, for political purposes, to a very dangerous -extent. The personage robbed is more thoroughly convinced every day of -the necessity of reclaiming her letter. But this, of course, cannot be -done openly. In fine, driven to despair, she has committed the matter to -me." - -"Than whom," said Dupin, amid a perfect whirlwind of smoke, "no more -sagacious agent could, I suppose, be desired, or even imagined." - -"You flatter me," replied the Prefect; "but it is possible that some -such opinion may have been entertained." - -"It is clear," said I, "as you observe, that the letter is still in -possession of the minister; since it is this possession, and not any -employment of the letter, which bestows the power. With the employment -the power departs." - -"True," said G----; "and upon this conviction I proceeded. My first care -was to make thorough search of the minister's hôtel; and here my chief -embarrassment lay in the necessity of searching without his knowledge. -Beyond all things, I have been warned of the danger which would result -from giving him reason to suspect our design." - -"But," said I, "you are quite _au fait_ in these investigations. The -Parisian police have done this thing often before." - -"Oh yes; and for this reason I did not despair. The habits of the -minister gave me, too, a great advantage. He is frequently absent from -home all night. His servants are by no means numerous. They sleep at a -distance from their master's apartment, and, being chiefly Neapolitans, -are readily made drunk. I have keys, as you know, with which I can open -any chamber or cabinet in Paris. For three months a night has not -passed, during the greater part of which I have not been engaged, -personally, in ransacking the D---- Hôtel. My honor is interested, and, -to mention a great secret, the reward is enormous. So I did not abandon -the search until I had become fully satisfied that the thief is a more -astute man than myself. I fancy that I have investigated every nook and -corner of the premises in which it is possible that the paper can be -concealed." - -"But is it not possible," I suggested, "that although the letter may be -in possession of the minister, as it unquestionably is, he may have -concealed it elsewhere than upon his own premises?" - -"This is barely possible," said Dupin. "The present peculiar condition -of affairs at court, and especially of those intrigues in which D---- is -known to be involved, would render the instant availability of the -document--its susceptibility of being produced at a moment's notice--a -point of nearly equal importance with its possession." - -"Its susceptibility of being produced?" said I. - -"That is to say, of being _destroyed_," said Dupin. - -"True," I observed; "the paper is clearly then upon the premises. As for -its being upon the person of the minister, we may consider that as out -of the question." - -"Entirely," said the Prefect. "He has been twice waylaid, as if by -footpads, and his person rigorously searched under my own inspection." - -"You might have spared yourself the trouble," said Dupin. "D----, I -presume, is not altogether a fool, and, if not, must have anticipated -these waylayings, as a matter of course." - -"Not _altogether_ a fool," said G----; "but then he's a poet, which I -take to be only one remove from a fool." - -"True," said Dupin, after a long and thoughtful whiff from his -meerschaum, "although I have been guilty of certain doggerel myself." - -"Suppose you detail," said I, "the particulars of your search." - -"Why, the fact is, we took our time, and we searched _everywhere_. I -have had long experience in these affairs. I took the entire building, -room by room, devoting the nights of a whole week to each. We examined, -first, the furniture of each apartment. We opened every possible drawer; -and I presume you know that, to a properly trained police agent, such a -thing as a _secret_ drawer is impossible. Any man is a dolt who permits -a 'secret' drawer to escape him in a search of this kind. The thing is -_so_ plain. There is a certain amount of bulk--of space--to be accounted -for in every cabinet. Then we have accurate rules. The fiftieth part of -a line could not escape us. After the cabinets we took the chairs. The -cushions we probed with the fine long needles you have seen me employ. -From the tables we removed the tops." - -"Why so?" - -"Sometimes the top of a table or other similarly arranged piece of -furniture is removed by the person wishing to conceal an article; then -the leg is excavated, the article deposited within the cavity, and the -top replaced. The bottoms and tops of bed-posts are employed in the same -way." - -"But could not the cavity be detected by sounding?" I asked. - -"By no means, if, when the article is deposited, a sufficient wadding of -cotton be placed around it. Besides, in our case we were obliged to -proceed without noise." - -"But you could not have removed--you could not have taken to pieces -_all_ articles of furniture in which it would have been possible to make -a deposit in the manner you mention. A letter may be compressed into a -thin spiral roll, not differing much in shape or bulk from a large -knitting-needle, and in this form it might be inserted into the rung of -a chair, for example. You did not take to pieces all the chairs?" - -"Certainly not; but we did better--we examined the rungs of every chair -in the hôtel, and indeed, the jointings of every description of -furniture, by the aid of a most powerful microscope. Had there been any -traces of recent disturbance we should not have failed to detect it -instantly. A single grain of gimlet-dust, for example, would have been -as obvious as an apple. Any disorder in the gluing, any unusual gaping -in the joints, would have sufficed to insure detection." - -"I presume you looked to the mirrors, between the boards and the plates, -and you probed the beds and the bedclothes, as well as the curtains and -carpets." - -"That, of course; and when we had absolutely completed every article of -furniture in this way, then we examined the house itself. We divided its -entire surface into compartments, which we numbered, so that none might -be missed; then we scrutinized each individual square inch throughout -the premises, including the two houses immediately adjoining, with the -microscope, as before." - -"The two houses adjoining!" I exclaimed; "you must have had a great deal -of trouble." - -"We had; but the reward offered is prodigious." - -"You include the _grounds_ about the houses?" - -"All the grounds are paved with brick. They gave us comparatively -little trouble. We examined the moss between the bricks, and found it -undisturbed." - -"You looked among D----'s papers, of course, and into the books of the -library?" - -"Certainly, we opened every package and parcel; we not only opened every -book, but we turned over every leaf in each volume, not contenting -ourselves with a mere shake, according to the fashion of some of our -police officers. We also measured the thickness of every book-_cover_, -with the most accurate admeasurement, and applied to each the most -jealous scrutiny of the microscope. Had any of the bindings been -recently meddled with, it would have been utterly impossible that the -fact should have escaped observation. Some five or six volumes, just -from the hands of the binder, we carefully probed, longitudinally, with -the needles." - -"You explored the floors beneath the carpets?" - -"Beyond doubt. We removed every carpet, and examined the boards with the -microscope." - -"And the paper on the walls?" - -"Yes." - -"You looked into the cellars?" - -"We did." - -"Then," I said, "you have been making a miscalculation, and the letter -is _not_ upon the premises, as you suppose." - -"I fear you are right there," said the Prefect. "And now, Dupin, what -would you advise me to do?" - -"To make a thorough of the premises." - -"That is absolutely needless," replied G----. "I am not more sure that I -breathe than I am that the letter is not at the hôtel." - -"I have no better advice to give you," said Dupin. "You have, of -course, an accurate description of the letter?" - -"Oh, yes." And here the Prefect, producing a memorandum-book, proceeded -to read aloud a minute account of the internal, and especially of the -external appearance of the missing document. Soon after finishing the -perusal of this description, he took his departure, more entirely -depressed in spirits than I had ever known the good gentleman before. - -In about a month afterward he paid us another visit, and found us -occupied very nearly as before. He took a pipe and a chair, and entered -into some ordinary conversation. At length I said:-- - -"Well, but G----, what of the purloined letter? I presume you have at -last made up your mind that there is no such thing as overreaching the -minister?" - -"Confound him, say I--yes; I made the re-examination, however, as Dupin -suggested; but it was all labor lost, as I knew it would be." - -"How much was the reward offered, did you say?" asked Dupin. - -"Why, a very great deal--a _very_ liberal reward--I don't like to say -how much precisely; but one thing I _will_ say, that I wouldn't mind -giving my individual check for fifty thousand francs to any one who -obtains me that letter. The fact is, it is becoming of more and more -importance every day; and the reward has been lately doubled. If it were -trebled, however, I could do no more than I have done." - -"Why, yes," said Dupin drawlingly, between the whiffs of his meerschaum, -"I really--think, G----, you have not exerted yourself--to the utmost in -this matter. You might do a little more, I think, eh?" - -"How? in what way?" - -"Why, [puff, puff] you might [puff, puff] employ counsel in the matter, -eh? [puff, puff, puff]. Do you remember the story they tell of -Abernethy?" - -"No; hang Abernethy!" - -"To be sure! hang him and welcome. But, once upon a time, a certain rich -miser conceived the design of sponging upon this Abernethy for a medical -opinion. Getting up, for this purpose, an ordinary conversation in a -private company, he insinuated his case to the physician, as that of an -imaginary individual. - -"'We will suppose,' said the miser, 'that his symptoms are such and -such; now, doctor, what would _you_ have directed him to take?' - -"'Take!' said Abernethy, 'why, take _advice_, to be sure.'" - -"But," said the Prefect, a little discomposed, "_I_ am _perfectly_ -willing to take advice, and to pay for it. I would _really_ give fifty -thousand francs to any one who would aid me in the matter." - -"In that case," replied Dupin, opening a drawer, and producing a -check-book, "you may as well fill me up a check for the amount -mentioned. When you have signed it, I will hand you the letter." - -I was astounded. The Prefect appeared absolutely thunderstricken. For -some minutes he remained speechless and motionless, looking -incredulously at my friend with open mouth, and eyes that seemed -starting from their sockets; then, apparently recovering himself in some -measure, he seized a pen, and, after several pauses and vacant stares, -finally filled up and signed a check for fifty thousand francs, and -handed it across the table to Dupin. The latter examined it carefully, -and deposited it in his pocket-book; then, unlocking an _escritoire_, -took thence a letter and gave it to the Prefect. This functionary -grasped it in a perfect agony of joy, opened it with a trembling hand, -cast a rapid glance at its contents, and then, scrambling and struggling -to the door, rushed at length unceremoniously from the room and from the -house, without having offered a syllable since Dupin had requested him -to fill up the check. - -When he had gone, my friend entered into some explanations. - -"The Parisian police," he said, "are exceedingly able in their way. They -are persevering, ingenious, cunning, and thoroughly versed in the -knowledge which their duties seem chiefly to demand. Thus, when -G---- detailed to us his mode of searching the premises of the Hôtel -D----, I felt entire confidence in his having made a satisfactory -investigation--so far as his labors extended." - -"So far as his labors extended?" said I. - -"Yes," said Dupin. "The measures adopted were not only the best of their -kind, but carried out to absolute perfection. Had the letter been -deposited within the range of their search, these fellows would, beyond -a question, have found it." - -I merely laughed, but he seemed quite serious in all that he said. - -"The measures, then," he continued, "were good in their kind, and well -executed; their defect lay in their being inapplicable to the case and -to the man. A certain set of highly ingenious resources are, with the -Prefect, a sort of Procrustean bed, to which he forcibly adapts his -designs. But he perpetually errs by being too deep or too shallow, for -the matter in hand; and many a schoolboy is a better reasoner than he. -I knew one about eight years of age, whose success at guessing in the -game of 'even and odd' attracted universal admiration. This game is -simple, and is played with marbles. One player holds in his hand a -number of these toys, and demands of another whether that number is even -or odd. If the guess is right, the guesser wins one; if wrong, he loses -one. The boy to whom I allude won all the marbles of the school. Of -course he had some principle of guessing; and this lay in mere -observation and admeasurement of the astuteness of his opponents. For -example, an arrant simpleton is his opponent, and, holding up his closed -hand asks, 'Are they even or odd?' Our schoolboy replies, 'Odd,' and -loses; but upon the second trial he wins, for he then says to himself, -'The simpleton had them even upon the first trial, and his amount of -cunning is just sufficient to make him have them odd upon the second; I -will therefore guess odd;' he guesses odd, and wins. Now, with a -simpleton a degree above the first he would have reasoned thus: 'This -fellow finds that in the first instance I guessed odd, and in the second -he will propose to himself, upon the first impulse, a simple variation -from even to odd, as did the first simpleton; but then a second thought -will suggest that this is too simple a variation, and finally he will -decide upon putting it even as before. I will therefore guess even;' he -guesses even, and wins. Now, this mode of reasoning in the schoolboy, -whom his fellows term 'lucky,' what, in its last analysis, is it?" - -"It is merely," I said, "an identification of the reasoner's intellect -with that of his opponent." - -"It is," said Dupin; "and, upon inquiring of the boy by what means he -effected the _thorough_ identification in which his success consisted, I -received answer as follows: 'When I wish to find out how wise, or how -stupid, or how good, or how wicked is any one, or what are his thoughts -at the moment, I fashion the expression of my face, as accurately as -possible, in accordance with the expression of his, and then wait to see -what thoughts or sentiments arise in my mind or heart, as if to match or -correspond with the expression.' This response of the schoolboy lies at -the bottom of all the spurious profundity which has been attributed to -Rochefoucauld, to La Bougive, to Machiavelli, and to Campanella." - -"And the identification," I said, "of the reasoner's intellect with that -of his opponent depends, if I understand you aright, upon the accuracy -with which the opponent's intellect is admeasured." - -"For its practical value it depends upon this," replied Dupin; "and the -Prefect and his cohort fail so frequently, first, by default of this -identification, and secondly, by ill-admeasurement, or rather through -non-admeasurement, of the intellect with which they are engaged. They -consider only their _own_ ideas of ingenuity; and, in searching for -anything hidden, advert only to the modes in which _they_ would have -hidden it. They are right in this much--that their own ingenuity is a -faithful representative of that of _the mass_; but when the cunning of -the individual felon is diverse in character from their own, the felon -foils them, of course. This always happens when it is above their own, -and very usually when it is below. They have no variation of principle -in their investigations; at best, when urged by some unusual -emergency--by some extraordinary reward--they extend or exaggerate their -old modes of _practice_, without touching their principles. What, for -example, in this case of D----, has been done to vary the principle of -action? What is all this boring, and probing, and sounding, and -scrutinizing with the microscope, and dividing the surface of the -building into registered square inches--what is it all but an -exaggeration _of the application_ of the one principle or set of -principles of search, which are based upon the one set of notions -regarding human ingenuity, to which the Prefect, in the long routine of -his duty, has been accustomed? Do you not see he has taken it for -granted that _all_ men proceed to conceal a letter--not exactly in a -gimlet-hole bored in a chair-leg--but, at least, in _some_ -out-of-the-way hole or corner suggested by the same tenor of thought -which would urge a man to secrete a letter in a gimlet-hole bored in a -chair leg? And do you not see also, that such _recherché_ nooks for -concealment are adapted only for ordinary occasions, and would be -adopted only by ordinary intellects?--for, in all cases of concealment, -a disposal of the article concealed--a disposal of it in this -_recherché_ manner, is, in the very first instance, presumable and -presumed; and thus its discovery depends, not at all upon the acumen, -but altogether upon the mere care, patience, and determination of the -seekers; and where the case is of importance--or, what amounts to the -same thing in the policial eyes, when the reward is of magnitude--the -qualities in question have _never_ been known to fail. You will now -understand what I meant in suggesting that, had the purloined letter -been hidden anywhere within the limits of the Prefect's examination--in -other words, had the principle of its concealment been comprehended -within the principles of the Prefect--its discovery would have been a -matter altogether beyond question. This functionary, however, has been -thoroughly mystified; and the remote source of his defeat lies in the -supposition that the minister is a fool, because he has acquired renown -as a poet. All fools are poets; this the Prefect _feels_; and he is -merely guilty of a _non distributio medii_ in thence inferring that all -poets are fools." - -"But is this really the poet?" I asked. "There are two brothers, I know; -and both have attained reputation in letters. The minister, I believe, -has written learnedly on the Differential Calculus. He is a -mathematician, and no poet." - -"You are mistaken; I know him well; he is both. As poet _and_ -mathematician he would reason well; as mere mathematician he could not -have reasoned at all, and thus would have been at the mercy of the -Prefect." - -"You surprise me," I said, "by these opinions, which have been -contradicted by the voice of the world. You do not mean to set at naught -the well-digested idea of centuries. The mathematical reason has long -been regarded as _the_ reason _par excellence_." - -"'_Il y a à parier_,'" replied Dupin, quoting from Chamfort, "'_que -toute idée publique, toute convention reçue, est une sottise, car elle a -convenue au plus grande nombre_.' The mathematicians, I grant you, have -done their best to promulgate the popular error to which you allude, and -which is none the less an error for its promulgation as truth. With an -art worthy a better cause, for example, they have insinuated the term -'analysis' into application to algebra. The French are the originators -of this practical deception; but if the term is of any importance--if -words derive any value from applicability--then 'analysis' conveys, in -algebra, about as much as, in Latin, '_ambitus_' implies 'ambition,' -'_religio_,' 'religion,' or '_homines honesti_,' 'a set of _honorable_ -men.'" - -"You have a quarrel on hand, I see," said I, "with some of the -algebraists of Paris; but proceed." - -"I dispute the availability, and thus the value, of that reason which is -cultivated in any especial form other than the abstractly logical. I -dispute, in particular, the reason educed by mathematical study. The -mathematics are the science of form and quantity; mathematical reasoning -is merely logic applied to observation upon form and quantity. The great -error lies in supposing that even the truths of what is called _pure_ -algebra are abstract or general truths. And this error is so egregious -that I am confounded at the universality with which it has been -received. Mathematical axioms are _not_ axioms of general truth. What is -true of _relation_, of form and quantity, is often grossly false in -regard to morals, for example. In this latter science it is very -unusually _untrue_ that the aggregated parts are equal to the whole. In -chemistry, also, the axiom fails. In the consideration of motive it -fails; for two motives, each of a given value, have not, necessarily, a -value, when united, equal to the sum of their values apart. There are -numerous other mathematical truths which are only truths within the -limits of _relation_. But the mathematician argues, from his _finite -truths_, through habit, as if they were of an absolutely general -applicability--as the world indeed imagines them to be. Bryant, in his -very learned 'Mythology,' mentions an analogous source of error, when he -says that 'although the Pagan fables are not believed, yet we forget -ourselves continually, and make inferences from them as existing -realities.' With the algebraists, however, who are Pagans themselves, -the 'Pagan fables' _are_ believed; and the inferences are made, not so -much through lapse of memory, as through an unaccountable addling of the -brains. In short, I never yet encountered the mere mathematician who -could be trusted out of equal roots, or one who did not clandestinely -hold it as a point of his faith that _x_^2 + _px_ was absolutely and -unconditionally equal to _q_. Say to one of these gentlemen, by way of -experiment if you please, that you believe occasions may occur where -_x_^2 + _px_ is not altogether equal to _q_, and, having made him -understand what you mean, get out of his reach as speedily as -convenient, for, beyond doubt, he will endeavor to knock you down. - -"I mean to say," continued Dupin, while I merely laughed at his last -observations, "that if the minister had been no more than a -mathematician, the Prefect would have been under no necessity of giving -me this check. I knew him, however, as both mathematician and poet; and -my measures were adapted to his capacity, with reference to the -circumstances by which he was surrounded. I know him as courtier, too, -and as a bold _intrigant_. Such a man, I consider, could not fail to be -aware of the ordinary political modes of action. He could not have -failed to anticipate--and events have proved that he did not fail to -anticipate--the waylayings to which he was subjected. He must have -foreseen, I reflected, the secret investigations of his premises. His -frequent absences from home at night, which were hailed by the Prefect -as certain aids to his success, I regarded only as _ruses_, to afford -opportunity for thorough search to the police, and thus the sooner to -impress them with the conviction to which G----, in fact, did finally -arrive--the conviction that the letter was not upon the premises. I -felt, also, that the whole train of thought, which I was at some pains -in detailing to you just now, concerning the invariable principle of -policial action in searches for articles concealed, I felt that this -whole train of thought would necessarily pass through the mind of the -minister. It would imperatively lead him to despise all the ordinary -_nooks_ of concealment. _He_ could not, I reflected, be so weak as not -to see that the most intricate and remote recess of his hôtel would be -as open as his commonest closets to the eyes, to the probes, to the -gimlets, and to the microscopes of the Prefect. I saw, in fine, that he -would be driven, as a matter of course, to _simplicity_, if not -deliberately induced to it as a matter of choice. You will remember, -perhaps, how desperately the Prefect laughed when I suggested, upon our -first interview, that it was just possible this mystery troubled him so -much on account of its being so _very_ self-evident." - -"Yes," said I, "I remember his merriment well. I really thought he would -have fallen into convulsions." - -"The material world," continued Dupin, "abounds with very strict -analogies to the immaterial; and thus some color of truth has been given -to the rhetorical dogma, that metaphor, or simile, may be made to -strengthen an argument, as well as to embellish a description. The -principle of the _vis inertiæ_, for example, seems to be identical in -physics and metaphysics. It is not more true in the former, that a large -body is with more difficulty set in motion than a smaller one, and that -its subsequent _momentum_ is commensurate with this difficulty, that it -is in the latter, that intellects of the vaster capacity, while more -forcible, more constant, and more eventful in their movements than those -of inferior grade, are yet the less readily moved, and more embarrassed -and full of hesitation in the first few steps of their progress. Again; -have you ever noticed which of the street signs over the shop doors are -the most attractive of attention?" - -"I have never given the matter a thought," I said. - -"There is a game of puzzles," he resumed, "which is played upon a map. -One party playing requires another to find a given word--the name of -town, river, state, or empire--any word, in short, upon the motley and -perplexed surface of the chart. A novice in the game generally seeks to -embarrass his opponents by giving them the most minutely lettered names; -but the adept selects such words as stretch, in large characters, from -one end of the chart to the other. These, like the over-largely lettered -signs and placards of the street, escape observation by dint of being -excessively obvious; and here the physical oversight is precisely -analogous with the moral inapprehension by which the intellect suffers -to pass unnoticed those considerations which are too obtrusively and too -palpably self-evident. But this is a point, it appears, somewhat above -or beneath the understanding of the Prefect. He never once thought it -probable, or possible, that the minister had deposited the letter -immediately beneath the nose of the whole world, by way of best -preventing any portion of that world from perceiving it. - -"But the more I reflected upon the daring, dashing, and discriminating -ingenuity of D----; upon the fact that the document must always have -been _at hand_, if he intended to use it to good purpose; and upon the -decisive evidence, obtained by the Prefect, that it was not hidden -within the limits of that dignitary's ordinary search--the more -satisfied I became that, to conceal this letter, the minister had -resorted to the comprehensive and sagacious expedient of not attempting -to conceal it at all. - -"Full of these ideas, I prepared myself with a pair of green spectacles, -and called one fine morning, quite by accident, at the ministerial -hôtel. I found D---- at home, yawning, lounging, and dawdling, as usual, -and pretending to be in the last extremity of _ennui_. He is, perhaps, -the most really energetic human being now alive--but that is only when -nobody sees him. - -"To be even with him, I complained of my weak eyes, and lamented the -necessity of the spectacles, under cover of which I cautiously and -thoroughly surveyed the whole apartment, while seemingly intent only -upon the conversation of my host. - -"I paid especial attention to a large writing-table near which he sat, -and upon which lay confusedly some miscellaneous letters and other -papers, with one or two musical instruments and a few books. Here, -however, after a long and very deliberate scrutiny, I saw nothing to -excite particular suspicion. - -"At length my eyes, in going the circuit of the room, fell upon a -trumpery filigree card-rack of paste-board, that hung dangling by a -dirty blue ribbon, from a little brass knob just beneath the middle of -the mantel-piece. In this rack, which had three or four compartments, -were five or six visiting cards and a solitary letter. This last was -much soiled and crumpled. It was torn nearly in two, across the -middle--as if a design, in the first instance, to tear it entirely up as -worthless, had been altered, or stayed, in the second. It had a large -black seal, bearing the D---- cipher _very_ conspicuously, and was -addressed, in a diminutive female hand, to D----, the minister himself. -It was thrust carelessly, and even, as it seemed, contemptuously, into -one of the uppermost divisions of the rack. - -"No sooner had I glanced at this letter, than I concluded it to be that -of which I was in search. To be sure, it was, to all appearance, -radically different from the one of which the Prefect had read us so -minute a description. Here the seal was large and black, with the -D----cipher; there it was small and red, with the ducal arms of the -S----family. Here the address, to the minister, was diminutive and -feminine; there the superscription, to a certain royal personage, was -markedly bold and decided; the size alone formed a point of -correspondence. But, then, the _radicalness_ of these differences, which -was excessive; the dirt, the soiled and torn condition of the paper, so -inconsistent with the _true_ methodical habits of D----, and so -suggestive of a design to delude the beholder into an idea of the -worthlessness of the document; these things, together with the -hyper-obtrusive situation of this document, full in the view of every -visitor, and thus exactly in accordance with the conclusions to which I -had previously arrived--these things, I say, were strongly corroborative -of suspicion, in one who came with the intention to suspect. - -"I protracted my visit as long as possible; and while I maintained a -most animated discussion with the minister, upon a topic which I knew -well had never failed to interest and excite him, I kept my attention -really riveted upon the letter. In this examination, I committed to -memory its external appearance and arrangement in the rack; and also -fell, at length, upon a discovery which set at rest whatever trivial -doubt I might have entertained. In scrutinizing the edges of the paper, -I observed them to be more _chafed_ than seemed necessary. They -presented the _broken_ appearance which is manifested when a stiff -paper, having been once folded and pressed with a folder, is refolded in -a reversed direction, in the same creases or edges which had formed the -original fold. This discovery was sufficient. It was clear to me that -the letter had been turned, as a glove, inside out, redirected, and -re-sealed. I bade the minister good-morning, and took my departure at -once, leaving a gold snuff-box upon the table. - -"The next morning I called for the snuff-box, when we resumed, quite -eagerly, the conversation of the preceding day. While thus engaged, -however, a loud report, as if of a pistol, was heard immediately beneath -the windows of the hotel, and was succeeded by a series of fearful -screams, and the shoutings of a terrified mob. D----rushed to a -casement, threw it open, and looked out. In the meantime, I stepped to -the card-rack, took the letter, put it in my pocket, and replaced it by -a _fac-simile_ (so far as regards externals) which I had carefully -prepared at my lodgings--imitating the D---- cipher very readily by -means of a seal formed of bread. - -"The disturbance in the street had been occasioned by the frantic -behavior of a man with a musket. He had fired it among a crowd of women -and children. It proved, however, to have been without ball, and the -fellow was suffered to go his way as a lunatic or a drunkard. When he -had gone, D---- came from the window, whither I had followed him -immediately upon securing the object in view. Soon afterward I bade him -farewell. The pretended lunatic was a man in my own pay." - -"But what purpose had you," I asked, "in replacing the letter by a -_fac-simile_? Would it not have been better, at the first visit, to have -seized it openly, and departed?" - -"D----," replied Dupin, "is a desperate man, and a man of nerve. His -hôtel, too, is not without attendants devoted to his interest. Had I -made the wild attempt you suggest, I might never have left the -ministerial presence alive. The good people of Paris might have heard of -me no more. But I had an object apart from these considerations. You -know my political prepossessions. In this matter I act as a partisan of -the lady concerned. For eighteen months the minister has had her in his -power. She has now him in hers--since, being unaware that the letter is -not in his possession, he will proceed with his exactions as if it was. -Thus will he inevitably commit himself, at once, to his political -destruction. His downfall, too, will not be more precipitate than -awkward. It is all very well to talk about the _facilis descensus -Averni_; but in all kinds of climbing, as Catalani said of singing, it -is far more easy to get up than to come down. In the present instance I -have no sympathy--at least no pity--for him who descends. He is that -_monstrum horrendum_, an unprincipled man of genius. I confess, however, -that I should like very well to know the precise character of his -thoughts, when, being defied by her whom the Prefect terms 'a certain -personage,' he is reduced to opening the letter which I left for him in -the card-rack." - -"How? did you put anything particular in it?" - -"Why, it did not seem altogether right to leave the interior blank--that -would have been insulting. D----, at Vienna once, did me an evil turn, -which I told him, quite good-humoredly, that I should remember. So, as I -knew he would feel some curiosity in regard to the identity of the -person who had outwitted him, I thought it a pity not to give him a -clew. He is well acquainted with my MS.; and I just copied into the -middle of the blank sheet the words-- - - "'_----Un dessein si funeste, - S'il n'est digne d'Atrée, est digne de Thyeste._' - -They are to be found in Crébillon's _Atrée_." - -[Illustration: NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE] - - - - -HOWE'S MASQUERADE - - -One afternoon, last summer, while walking along Washington Street, my -eye was attracted by a signboard protruding over a narrow archway, -nearly opposite the Old South Church. The sign represented the front of -a stately edifice, which was designated as the "OLD PROVINCE HOUSE, kept -by Thomas Waite." I was glad to be thus reminded of a purpose, long -entertained, of visiting and rambling over the mansion of the old royal -governors of Massachusetts; and entering the arched passage, which -penetrated through the middle of a brick row of shops, a few steps -transported me from the busy heart of modern Boston into a small and -secluded court-yard. One side of this space was occupied by the square -front of the Province House, three stories high, and surmounted by a -cupola, on the top of which a gilded Indian was discernible, with his -bow bent and his arrow on the string, as if aiming at the weathercock on -the spire of the Old South. The figure has kept this attitude for -seventy years or more, ever since good Deacon Drowne, a cunning carver -of wood, first stationed him on his long sentinel's watch over the city. - -The Province House is constructed of brick, which seems recently to have -been overlaid with a coat of light-colored paint. A flight of red -freestone steps, fenced in by a balustrade of curiously wrought iron, -ascends from the court-yard to the spacious porch, over which is a -balcony, with an iron balustrade of similar pattern and workmanship to -that beneath. These letters and figures--16 P. S. 79--are wrought into -the iron work of the balcony, and probably express the date of the -edifice, with the initials of its founder's name. A wide door with -double leaves admitted me into the hall or entry, on the right of which -is the entrance to the bar-room. - -It was in this apartment, I presume, that the ancient governors held -their levees, with vice-regal pomp, surrounded by the military men, the -councillors, the judges, and other officers of the crown, while all the -loyalty of the province thronged to do them honor. But the room, in its -present condition, cannot boast even of faded magnificence. The panelled -wainscot is covered with dingy paint, and acquires a duskier hue from -the deep shadow into which the Province House is thrown by the brick -block that shuts it in from Washington Street. A ray of sunshine never -visits this apartment any more than the glare of the festal torches, -which have been extinguished from the era of the Revolution. The most -venerable and ornamental object is a chimneypiece set round with Dutch -tiles of blue-figured China, representing scenes from Scripture; and, -for aught I know, the lady of Pownall or Bernard may have sat beside -this fire-place, and told her children the story of each blue tile. A -bar in modern style, well replenished with decanters, bottles, cigar -boxes, and network bags of lemons, and provided with a beer pump and a -soda fount, extends along one side of the room. At my entrance, an -elderly person was smacking his lips with a zest which satisfied me that -the cellars of the Province House still hold good liquor, though -doubtless of other vintages than were quaffed by the old governors. -After sipping a glass of port sangaree, prepared by the skilful hands of -Mr. Thomas Waite, I besought that worthy successor and representative -of so many historic personages to conduct me over their time honored -mansion. - -He readily complied; but, to confess the truth, I was forced to draw -strenuously upon my imagination, in order to find aught that was -interesting in a house which, without its historic associations, would -have seemed merely such a tavern as is usually favored by the custom of -decent city boarders, and old-fashioned country gentlemen. The chambers, -which were probably spacious in former times, are now cut up by -partitions, and subdivided into little nooks, each affording scanty room -for the narrow bed and chair and dressing-table of a single lodger. The -great staircase, however, may be termed, without much hyperbole, a -feature of grandeur and magnificence. It winds through the midst of the -house by flights of broad steps, each flight terminating in a square -landing-place, whence the ascent is continued towards the cupola. A -carved balustrade, freshly painted in the lower stories, but growing -dingier as we ascend, borders the staircase with its quaintly twisted -and intertwined pillars, from top to bottom. Up these stairs the -military boots, or perchance the gouty shoes, of many a governor have -trodden, as the wearers mounted to the cupola, which afforded them so -wide a view over their metropolis and the surrounding country. The -cupola is an octagon, with several windows, and a door opening upon the -roof. From this station, as I pleased myself with imagining, Gage may -have beheld his disastrous victory on Bunker Hill (unless one of the -tri-mountains intervened), and Howe have marked the approaches of -Washington's besieging army; although the buildings since erected in the -vicinity have shut out almost every object, save the steeple of the Old -South, which seems almost within arm's length. Descending from the -cupola, I paused in the garret to observe the ponderous white-oak -framework, so much more massive than the frames of modern houses, and -thereby resembling an antique skeleton. The brick walls, the materials -of which were imported from Holland, and the timbers of the mansion, are -still as sound as ever; but the floors and other interior parts being -greatly decayed, it is contemplated to gut the whole, and build a new -house within the ancient frame and brick work. Among other -inconveniences of the present edifice, mine host mentioned that any jar -or motion was apt to shake down the dust of ages out of the ceiling of -one chamber upon the floor of that beneath it. - -We stepped forth from the great front window into the balcony, where, in -old times, it was doubtless the custom of the king's representative to -show himself to a loyal populace, requiting their huzzas and tossed-up -hats with stately bendings of his dignified person. In those days the -front of the Province House looked upon the street; and the whole site -now occupied by the brick range of stores, as well as the present -court-yard, was laid out in grass plats, overshadowed by trees and -bordered by a wrought-iron fence. Now, the old aristocratic edifice -hides its time-worn visage behind an upstart modern building; at one of -the back windows I observed some pretty tailoresses, sewing and chatting -and laughing, with now and then a careless glance towards the balcony. -Descending thence, we again entered the bar-room, where the elderly -gentleman above mentioned, the smack of whose lips had spoken so -favorably for Mr. Waite's good liquor, was still lounging in his chair. -He seemed to be, if not a lodger, at least a familiar visitor of the -house, who might be supposed to have his regular score at the bar, his -summer seat at the open window, and his prescriptive corner at the -winter's fireside. Being of a sociable aspect, I ventured to address him -with a remark calculated to draw forth his historical reminiscences, if -any such were in his mind; and it gratified me to discover, that, -between memory and tradition, the old gentleman was really possessed of -some very pleasant gossip about the Province House. The portion of his -talk which chiefly interested me was the outline of the following -legend. He professed to have received it at one or two removes from an -eye-witness; but this derivation, together with the lapse of time, must -have afforded opportunities for many variations of the narrative; so -that despairing of literal and absolute truth, I have not scrupled to -make such further changes as seemed conducive to the reader's profit and -delight. - - * * * * * - -At one of the entertainments given at the Province House, during the -latter part of the siege of Boston, there passed a scene which has never -yet been satisfactorily explained. The officers of the British army, and -the loyal gentry of the province, most of whom were collected within the -beleaguered town, had been invited to a masked ball; for it was the -policy of Sir William Howe to hide the distress and danger of the -period, and the desperate aspect of the siege, under an ostentation of -festivity. The spectacle of this evening, if the oldest members of the -provincial court circle might be believed, was the most gay and gorgeous -affair that had occurred in the annals of the government. The -brilliantly-lighted apartments were thronged with figures that seemed to -have stepped from the dark canvas of historic portraits, or to have -flitted forth from the magic pages of romance, or at least to have -flown hither from one of the London theatres, without a change of -garments. Steeled knights of the Conquest, bearded statesmen of Queen -Elizabeth, and high-ruffled ladies of her court, were mingled with -characters of comedy, such as a party-colored Merry Andrew, jingling his -cap and bells; a Falstaff, almost as provocative of laughter as his -prototype; and a Don Quixote, with a bean pole for a lance, and a pot -lid for a shield. - -But the broadest merriment was excited by a group of figures -ridiculously dressed in old regimentals, which seemed to have been -purchased at a military rag fair, or pilfered from some receptacle of -the cast-off clothes of both the French and British armies. Portions of -their attire had probably been worn at the siege of Louisburg, and the -coats of most recent cut might have been rent and tattered by sword, -ball, or bayonet, as long ago as Wolfe's victory. One of these -worthies--a tall, lank figure, brandishing a rusty sword of immense -longitude--purported to be no less a personage than General George -Washington; and the other principal officers of the American army, such -as Gates, Lee, Putnam, Schuyler, Ward and Heath, were represented by -similar scarecrows. An interview in the mock heroic style, between the -rebel warriors and the British commander-in-chief, was received with -immense applause, which came loudest of all from the loyalists of the -colony. There was one of the guests, however, who stood apart, eyeing -these antics sternly and scornfully, at once with a frown and a bitter -smile. - -It was an old man, formerly of high station and great repute in the -province, and who had been a very famous soldier in his day. Some -surprise had been expressed that a person of Colonel Joliffe's known -whig principles, though now too old to take an active part in the -contest, should have remained in Boston during the siege, and especially -that he should consent to show himself in the mansion of Sir William -Howe. But thither he had come, with a fair granddaughter under his arm; -and there, amid all the mirth and buffoonery, stood this stern old -figure, the best sustained character in the masquerade, because so well -representing the antique spirit of his native land. The other guests -affirmed that Colonel Joliffe's black puritanical scowl threw a shadow -round about him; although in spite of his sombre influence their gayety -continued to blaze higher, like--(an ominous comparison)--the flickering -brilliancy of a lamp which has but a little while to burn. Eleven -strokes, full half an hour ago, had pealed from the clock of the Old -South, when a rumor was circulated among the company that some new -spectacle or pageant was about to be exhibited, which should put a -fitting close to the splendid festivities of the night. - -"What new jest has your Excellency in hand?" asked the Rev. Mather -Byles, whose Presbyterian scruples had not kept him from the -entertainment. "Trust me, sir, I have already laughed more than beseems -my cloth at your Homeric confabulation with yonder ragamuffin General of -the rebels. One other such fit of merriment, and I must throw off my -clerical wig and band." - -"Not so, good Doctor Byles," answered Sir William Howe; "if mirth were a -crime, you had never gained your doctorate in divinity. As to this new -foolery, I know no more about it than yourself; perhaps not so much. -Honestly now, Doctor, have you not stirred up the sober brains of some -of your countrymen to enact a scene in our masquerade?" - -"Perhaps," slyly remarked the granddaughter of Colonel Joliffe, whose -high spirit had been stung by many taunts against New England,--"perhaps -we are to have a mask of allegorical figures. Victory, with trophies -from Lexington and Bunker Hill--Plenty, with her overflowing horn, to -typify the present abundance in this good town--and Glory, with a wreath -for his Excellency's brow." - -Sir William Howe smiled at words which he would have answered with one -of his darkest frowns had they been uttered by lips that wore a beard. -He was spared the necessity of a retort, by a singular interruption. A -sound of music was heard without the house, as if proceeding from a full -band of military instruments stationed in the street, playing not such a -festal strain as was suited to the occasion, but a slow funeral march. -The drums appeared to be muffled, and the trumpets poured forth a -wailing breath, which at once hushed the merriment of the auditors, -filling all with wonder, and some with apprehension. The idea occurred -to many that either the funeral procession of some great personage had -halted in front of the Province House, or that a corpse, in a -velvet-covered and gorgeously-decorated coffin, was about to be borne -from the portal. After listening a moment, Sir William Howe called, in a -stern voice, to the leader of the musicians, who had hitherto enlivened -the entertainment with gay and lightsome melodies. The man was -drum-major to one of the British regiments. - -"Dighton," demanded the General, "what means this foolery? Bid your band -silence that dead march--or, by my word, they shall have sufficient -cause for their lugubrious strains! Silence it, sirrah!" - -"Please your honor," answered the drum-major, whose rubicund visage had -lost all its color, "the fault is none of mine. I and my band are all -here together, and I question whether there be a man of us that could -play that march without book. I never heard it but once before, and that -was at the funeral of his late Majesty, King George the Second." - -"Well, well!" said Sir William Howe, recovering his composure--"it is -the prelude to some masquerading antic. Let it pass." - -A figure now presented itself, but among the many fantastic masks that -were dispersed through the apartments none could tell precisely from -whence it came. It was a man in an old-fashioned dress of black serge, -and having the aspect of a steward or principal domestic in the -household of a nobleman or great English landholder. This figure -advanced to the outer door of the mansion, and throwing both its leaves -wide open, withdrew a little to one side and looked back towards the -grand staircase as if expecting some person to descend. At the same time -the music in the street sounded a loud and doleful summons. The eyes of -Sir William Howe and his guests being directed to the staircase, there -appeared, on the uppermost landing-place that was discernible from the -bottom, several personages descending towards the door. The foremost was -a man of stern visage, wearing a steeple-crowned hat and a skull-cap -beneath it; a dark cloak, and huge wrinkled boots that came half-way up -his legs. Under his arm was a rolled-up banner, which seemed to be the -banner of England, but strangely rent and torn; he had a sword in his -right hand, and grasped a Bible in his left. The next figure was of -milder aspect, yet full of dignity, wearing a broad ruff, over which -descended a beard, a gown of wrought velvet, and a doublet and hose of -black satin. He carried a roll of manuscript in his hand. Close behind -these two came a young man of very striking countenance and demeanor, -with deep thought and contemplation on his brow, and perhaps a flash of -enthusiasm in his eye. His garb, like that of his predecessors, was of -an antique fashion, and there was a stain of blood upon his ruff. In the -same group with these were three or four others, all men of dignity and -evident command, and bearing themselves like personages who were -accustomed to the gaze of the multitude. It was the idea of the -beholders that these figures went to join the mysterious funeral that -had halted in front of the Province House; yet that supposition seemed -to be contradicted by the air of triumph with which they waved their -hands, as they crossed the threshold and vanished through the portal. - -"In the devil's name what is this?" muttered Sir William Howe to a -gentleman beside him; "a procession of the regicide judges of King -Charles the martyr?" - -"These," said Colonel Joliffe, breaking silence almost for the first -time that evening,--"these, if I interpret them aright, are the Puritan -governors--the rulers of the old original Democracy of Massachusetts. -Endicott, with the banner from which he had torn the symbol of -subjection, and Winthrop, and Sir Henry Vane, and Dudley, Haynes, -Bellingham, and Leverett." - -"Why had that young man a stain of blood upon his ruff?" asked Miss -Joliffe. - -"Because, in after years," answered her grandfather, "he laid down the -wisest head in England upon the block for the principles of liberty." - -"Will not your Excellency order out the guard?" whispered Lord Percy, -who, with other British officers, had now assembled round the General. -"There may be a plot under this mummery." - -"Tush! we have nothing to fear," carelessly replied Sir William Howe. -"There can be no worse treason in the matter than a jest, and that -somewhat of the dullest. Even were it a sharp and bitter one, our best -policy would be to laugh it off. See--here comes more of these gentry." - -Another group of characters had now partly descended the staircase. The -first was a venerable and white-bearded patriarch, who cautiously felt -his way downward with a staff. Treading hastily behind him, and -stretching forth his gauntleted hand as if to grasp the old man's -shoulder, came a tall, soldier-like figure, equipped with a plumed cap -of steel, a bright breast-plate, and a long sword, which rattled against -the stairs. Next was seen a stout man, dressed in rich and courtly -attire, but not of courtly demeanor; his gait had the swinging motion of -a seaman's walk; and chancing to stumble on the staircase, he suddenly -grew wrathful, and was heard to mutter an oath. He was followed by a -noble-looking personage in a curled wig, such as are represented in the -portraits of Queen Anne's time and earlier; and the breast of his coat -was decorated with an embroidered star. While advancing to the door, he -bowed to the right hand and to the left, in a very gracious and -insinuating style; but as he crossed the threshold, unlike the early -Puritan governors, he seemed to wring his hands with sorrow. - -"Prithee, play the part of a chorus, good Doctor Byles," said Sir -William Howe. "What worthies are these?" - -"If it please your Excellency they lived somewhat before my day," -answered the doctor; "but doubtless our friend, the Colonel, has been -hand and glove with them." - -"Their living faces I never looked upon," said Colonel Joliffe, gravely; -"although I have spoken face to face with many rulers of this land, and -shall greet yet another with an old man's blessing ere I die. But we -talk of these figures. I take the venerable patriarch to be Bradstreet, -the last of the Puritans, who was governor at ninety, or thereabouts. -The next is Sir Edmund Andros, a tyrant, as any New England schoolboy -will tell you; and therefore the people cast him down from his high seat -into a dungeon. Then comes Sir William Phipps, shepherd, cooper, -sea-captain, and governor--may many of his countrymen rise as high from -as low an origin! Lastly, you saw the gracious Earl of Bellamont, who -ruled us under King William." - -"But what is the meaning of it all?" asked Lord Percy. - -"Now, were I a rebel," said Miss Joliffe, half aloud, "I might fancy -that the ghosts of these ancient governors had been summoned to form the -funeral procession of royal authority in New England." - -Several other figures were now seen at the turn of the staircase. The -one in advance had a thoughtful, anxious, and somewhat crafty expression -of face, and in spite of his loftiness of manner, which was evidently -the result both of an ambitious spirit and of long continuance in high -stations, he seemed not incapable of cringing to a greater than himself. -A few steps behind came an officer in a scarlet and embroidered uniform, -cut in a fashion old enough to have been worn by the Duke of -Marlborough. His nose had a rubicund tinge, which, together with the -twinkle of his eye, might have marked him as a lover of the wine cup and -good fellowship; notwithstanding which tokens he appeared ill at ease, -and often glanced around him as if apprehensive of some secret -mischief. Next came a portly gentleman, wearing a coat of shaggy cloth, -lined with silken velvet; he had sense, shrewdness, and humor in his -face, and a folio volume under his arm; but his aspect was that of a man -vexed and tormented beyond all patience, and harassed almost to death. -He went hastily down, and was followed by a dignified person, dressed in -a purple velvet suit, with very rich embroidery; his demeanor would have -possessed much stateliness, only that a grievous fit of the gout -compelled him to hobble from stair to stair, with contortions of face -and body. When Doctor Byles beheld this figure on the staircase, he -shivered as with an ague, but continued to watch him steadfastly, until -the gouty gentleman had reached the threshold, made a gesture of anguish -and despair, and vanished into the outer gloom, whither the funeral -music summoned him. - -"Governor Belcher!--my old patron!--in his very shape and dress!" gasped -Doctor Byles. "This is an awful mockery!" - -"A tedious foolery, rather," said Sir William Howe, with an air of -indifference. "But who were the three that preceded him?" - -"Governor Dudley, a cunning politician--yet his craft once brought him -to a prison," replied Colonel Joliffe. "Governor Shute, formerly a -Colonel under Marlborough, and whom the people frightened out of the -province; and learned Governor Burnet, whom the legislature tormented -into a mortal fever." - -"Methinks they were miserable men, these royal governors of -Massachusetts," observed Miss Joliffe. "Heavens, how dim the light -grows!" - -It was certainly a fact that the large lamp which illuminated the -staircase now burned dim and duskily: so that several figures, which -passed hastily down the stairs and went forth from the porch, appeared -rather like shadows than persons of fleshly substance. Sir William Howe -and his guests stood at the doors of the contiguous apartments, watching -the progress of this singular pageant, with various emotions of anger, -contempt, or half-acknowledged fear, but still with an anxious -curiosity. The shapes which now seemed hastening to join the mysterious -procession were recognized rather by striking peculiarities of dress, of -broad characteristics of manner, than by any perceptible resemblance of -features to their prototypes. Their faces, indeed, were invariably kept -in deep shadow. But Doctor Byles, and other gentlemen who had long been -familiar with the successive rulers of the province, were heard to -whisper the names of Shirley, of Pownall, of Sir Francis Bernard, and of -the well-remembered Hutchinson; thereby confessing that the actors, -whoever they might be, in this spectral march of governors, had -succeeded in putting on some distant portraiture of the real personages. -As they vanished from the door, still did these shadows toss their arms -into the gloom of night, with a dread expression of woe. Following the -mimic representative of Hutchinson came a military figure, holding -before his face the cocked hat which he had taken from his powdered -head; but his epaulettes and other insignia of rank were those of a -general officer, and something in his mien reminded the beholders of one -who had recently been master of the Province House, and chief of all the -land. - -"The shape of Gage, as true as in a looking-glass," exclaimed Lord -Percy, turning pale. - -"No, surely," cried Miss Joliffe, laughing hysterically; "it could not -be Gage, or Sir William would have greeted his old comrade in arms! -Perhaps he will not suffer the next to pass unchallenged." - -"Of that be assured, young lady," answered Sir William Howe, fixing his -eyes, with a very marked expression, upon the immovable visage of her -grandfather. "I have long enough delayed to pay the ceremonies of a host -to these departing guests. The next that takes his leave shall receive -due courtesy." - -A wild and dreary burst of music came through the open door. It seemed -as if the procession, which had been gradually filling up its ranks, -were now about to move, and that this loud peal of the wailing trumpets, -and roll of the muffled drums, were a call to some loiterer to make -haste. Many eyes, by an irresistible impulse, were turned upon Sir -William Howe, as if it were he whom the dreary music summoned to the -funeral of the departed power. - -"See!--here comes the last!" whispered Miss Joliffe, pointing her -tremulous finger to the staircase. - -A figure had come into view as if descending the stairs; although so -dusky was the region whence it emerged, some of the spectators fancied -that they had seen this human shape suddenly moulding itself amid the -gloom. Downward the figure came, with a stately and martial tread, and -reaching the lowest stair was observed to be a tall man, booted and -wrapped in a military cloak, which was drawn up around the face so as to -meet the flapped brim of a laced hat. The features, therefore, were -completely hidden. But the British officers deemed that they had seen -that military cloak before, and even recognized the frayed embroidery on -the collar, as well as the gilded scabbard of a sword which protruded -from the folds of the cloak, and glittered in a vivid gleam of light. -Apart from these trifling particulars, there were characteristics of -gait and bearing which impelled the wondering guests to glance from the -shrouded figure to Sir William Howe, as if to satisfy themselves that -their host had not suddenly vanished from the midst of them. - -With a dark flush of wrath upon his brow they saw the General draw his -sword and advance to meet the figure in the cloak before the latter had -stepped one pace upon the floor. - -"Villain, unmuffle yourself!" cried he. "You pass no farther!" - -The figure, without blenching a hair's breadth from the sword which was -pointed at his breast, made a solemn pause and lowered the cape of the -cloak from about his face, yet not sufficiently for the spectators to -catch a glimpse of it. But Sir William Howe had evidently seen enough. -The sternness of his countenance gave place to a look of wild amazement, -if not horror, while he recoiled several steps from the figure, and let -fall his sword upon the floor. The martial shape again drew the cloak -about his features and passed on; but reaching the threshold, with his -back towards the spectators, he was seen to stamp his foot and shake his -clinched hands in the air. It was afterwards affirmed that Sir William -Howe had repeated that selfsame gesture of rage and sorrow, when, for -the last time, and as the last royal governor, he passed through the -portal of the Province House. - -"Hark!--the procession moves," said Miss Joliffe. - -The music was dying away along the street, and its dismal strains were -mingled with the knell of midnight from the steeple of the Old South, -and with the roar of artillery, which announced that the beleaguering -army of Washington had intrenched itself upon a nearer height than -before. As the deep boom of the cannon smote upon his ear, Colonel -Joliffe raised himself to the full height of his aged form, and smiled -sternly on the British General. - -"Would your Excellency inquire further into the mystery of the pageant?" -said he. - -"Take care of your gray head!" cried Sir William Howe, fiercely, though -with a quivering lip. "It has stood too long on a traitor's shoulders!" - -"You must make haste to chop it off, then," calmly replied the Colonel; -"for a few hours longer, and not all the power of Sir William Howe, nor -of his master, shall cause one of these gray hairs to fall. The empire -of Britain in this ancient province is at its last gasp -to-night;--almost while I speak it is a dead corpse;--and methinks the -shadows of the old governors are fit mourners at its funeral!" - -With these words Colonel Joliffe threw on his cloak, and drawing his -granddaughter's arm within his own, retired from the last festival that -a British ruler ever held in the old province of Massachusetts Bay. It -was supposed that the Colonel and the young lady possessed some secret -intelligence in regard to the mysterious pageant of that night. However -this might be, such knowledge has never become general. The actors in -the scene have vanished into deeper obscurity than even that wild Indian -band who scattered the cargoes of the tea ships on the waves, and gained -a place in history, yet left no names. But superstition, among other -legends of this mansion, repeats the wondrous tale, that on the -anniversary night of Britain's discomfiture the ghosts of the ancient -governors of Massachusetts still glide through the portal of the -Province House. And, last of all, comes a figure shrouded in a military -cloak, tossing his clinched hands into the air, and stamping his -iron-shod boots upon the broad freestone steps, with a semblance of -feverish despair, but without the sound of a foot-tramp. - - * * * * * - -When the truth-telling accents of the elderly gentleman were hushed, I -drew a long breath and looked round the room, striving, with the best -energy of my imagination, to throw a tinge of romance and historic -grandeur over the realities of the scene. But my nostrils snuffed up a -scent of cigar smoke, clouds of which the narrator had emitted by way of -visible emblem, I suppose, of the nebulous obscurity of his tale. -Moreover, my gorgeous fantasies were wofully disturbed by the rattling -of the spoon in a tumbler of whiskey punch, which Mr. Thomas Waite was -mingling for a customer. Nor did it add to the picturesque appearance of -the panelled walls that the slate of the Brookline stage was suspended -against them, instead of the armorial escutcheon of some far-descended -governor. A stage-driver sat at one of the windows, reading a penny -paper of the day--the Boston Times--and presenting a figure which could -nowise be brought into any picture of "Times in Boston" seventy or a -hundred years ago. On the window seat lay a bundle, neatly done up in -brown paper, the direction of which I had the idle curiosity to read. -"MISS SUSAN HUGGINS, at the PROVINCE HOUSE." A pretty chambermaid, no -doubt. In truth, it is desperately hard work, when we attempt to throw -the spell of hoar antiquity over localities with which the living world, -and the day that is passing over us, have aught to do. Yet, as I glanced -at the stately staircase down which the procession of the old governors -had descended, and as I emerged through the venerable portal whence -their figures had preceded me, it gladdened me to be conscious of a -thrill of awe. Then, diving through the narrow archway, a few strides -transported me into the densest throng of Washington Street. - - - - -THE BIRTHMARK - - -In the latter part of the last century there lived a man of science, an -eminent proficient in every branch of natural philosophy, who not long -before our story opens had made experience of a spiritual affinity more -attractive than any chemical one. He had left his laboratory to the care -of an assistant, cleared his fine countenance from the furnace smoke, -washed the stain of acids from his fingers, and persuaded a beautiful -woman to become his wife. In those days when the comparatively recent -discovery of electricity and other kindred mysteries of Nature seemed to -open paths into the region of miracle, it was not unusual for the love -of science to rival the love of woman in its depth and absorbing energy. -The higher intellect, the imagination, the spirit, and even the heart -might all find their congenial aliment in pursuits which, as some of -their ardent votaries believed, would ascend from one step of powerful -intelligence to another, until the philosopher should lay his hand on -the secret of creative force and perhaps make new worlds for himself. We -know not whether Aylmer possessed this degree of faith in man's ultimate -control over Nature. He had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly -to scientific studies ever to be weaned from them by any second passion. -His love for his young wife might prove the stronger of the two; but it -could only be by intertwining itself with his love of science, and -uniting the strength of the latter to his own. - -Such a union accordingly took place, and was attended with truly -remarkable consequences and a deeply impressive moral. One day, very -soon after their marriage, Aylmer sat gazing at his wife with a trouble -in his countenance that grew stronger until he spoke. - -"Georgiana," said he, "has it never occurred to you that the mark on -your cheek might be removed?" - -"No, indeed," said she, smiling; but perceiving the seriousness of his -manner, she blushed deeply. "To tell you the truth it has been so often -called a charm that I was simple enough to imagine it might be so." - -"Ah, upon another face perhaps it might," replied her husband; "but -never on yours. No, dearest Georgiana, you came so nearly perfect from -the hand of Nature that this slightest possible defect, which we -hesitate whether to term a defect or a beauty, shocks me, as being the -visible mark of earthly imperfection." - -"Shocks you, my husband!" cried Georgiana, deeply hurt; at first -reddening with momentary anger, but then bursting into tears. "Then why -did you take me from my mother's side? You cannot love what shocks you!" - -To explain this conversation it must be mentioned that in the centre of -Georgiana's left cheek there was a singular mark, deeply interwoven, as -it were, with the texture and substance of her face. In the usual state -of her complexion--a healthy though delicate bloom--the mark wore a tint -of deeper crimson, which imperfectly defined its shape amid the -surrounding rosiness. When she blushed it gradually became more -indistinct, and finally vanished amid the triumphant rush of blood that -bathed the whole cheek with its brilliant glow. But if any shifting -motion caused her to turn pale there was the mark again, a crimson stain -upon the snow, in what Aylmer sometimes deemed an almost fearful -distinctness. Its shape bore not a little similarity to the human hand, -though of the smallest pygmy size. Georgiana's lovers were wont to say -that some fairy at her birth hour had laid her tiny hand upon the -infant's cheek, and left this impress there in token of the magic -endowments that were to give her such sway over all hearts. Many a -desperate swain would have risked life for the privilege of pressing his -lips to the mysterious hand. It must not be concealed, however, that the -impression wrought by this fairy sign manual varied exceedingly, -according to the difference of temperament in the beholders. Some -fastidious persons--but they were exclusively of her own sex--affirmed -that the bloody hand, as they chose to call it, quite destroyed the -effect of Georgiana's beauty, and rendered her countenance even hideous. -But it would be as reasonable to say that one of those small blue stains -which sometimes occur in the purest statuary marble would convert the -Eve of Powers to a monster. Masculine observers, if the birthmark did -not heighten their admiration, contented themselves with wishing it -away, that the world might possess one living specimen of ideal -loveliness without the semblance of a flaw. After his marriage,--for he -thought little or nothing of the matter before,--Aylmer discovered that -this was the case with himself. - -Had she been less beautiful,--if Envy's self could have found aught else -to sneer at,--he might have felt his affection heightened by the -prettiness of this mimic hand, now vaguely portrayed, now lost, now -stealing forth again and glimmering to and fro with every pulse of -emotion that throbbed within her heart; but seeing her otherwise so -perfect, he found this one defect grow more and more intolerable with -every moment of their united lives. It was the fatal flaw of humanity -which Nature, in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceably on all her -productions, either to imply that they are temporary and finite, or that -their perfection must be wrought by toil and pain. The crimson hand -expressed the ineludible gripe in which mortality clutches the highest -and purest of earthly mould, degrading them into kindred with the -lowest, and even with the very brutes, like whom their visible frames -return to dust. In this manner, selecting it as the symbol of his wife's -liability to sin, sorrow, decay, and death, Aylmer's sombre imagination -was not long in rendering the birthmark a frightful object, causing him -more trouble and horror than ever Georgiana's beauty, whether of soul or -sense, had given him delight. - -At all the seasons which should have been their happiest, he invariably -and without intending it, nay, in spite of a purpose to the contrary, -reverted to this one disastrous topic. Trifling as it at first appeared, -it so connected itself with innumerable trains of thought and modes of -feeling that it became the central point of all. With the morning -twilight Aylmer opened his eyes upon his wife's face and recognized the -symbol of imperfection; and when they sat together at the evening hearth -his eyes wandered stealthily to her cheek, and beheld, flickering with -the blaze of the wood fire, the spectral hand that wrote mortality where -he would fain have worshipped. Georgiana soon learned to shudder at his -gaze. It needed but a glance with the peculiar expression that his face -often wore to change the roses of her cheek into a deathlike paleness, -amid which the crimson hand was brought strongly out, like a bas-relief -of ruby on the whitest marble. - -Late one night when the lights were growing dim, so as hardly to betray -the stain on the poor wife's cheek, she, herself, for the first time, -voluntarily took up the subject. - -"Do you remember, my dear Aylmer," said she, with a feeble attempt at a -smile, "have you any recollection of a dream last night about this -odious hand?" - -"None! none whatever!" replied Aylmer, starting; but then he added, in a -dry, cold tone, affected for the sake of concealing the real depth of -his emotion, "I might well dream of it; for before I fell asleep it had -taken a pretty firm hold of my fancy." - -"And you did dream of it?" continued Georgiana, hastily; for she dreaded -lest a gush of tears should interrupt what she had to say. "A terrible -dream! I wonder that you can forget it. Is it possible to forget this -one expression?--'It is in her heart now; we must have it out!' Reflect, -my husband; for by all means I would have you recall that dream." - -The mind is in a sad state when Sleep, the all-involving, cannot confine -her spectres within the dim region of her sway, but suffers them to -break forth, affrighting this actual life with secrets that perchance -belong to a deeper one. Aylmer now remembered his dream. He had fancied -himself with his servant Aminadab, attempting an operation for the -removal of the birthmark; but the deeper went the knife, the deeper sank -the hand, until at length its tiny grasp appeared to have caught hold of -Georgiana's heart; whence, however, her husband was inexorably resolved -to cut or wrench it away. - -When the dream had shaped itself perfectly in his memory, Aylmer sat in -his wife's presence with a guilty feeling. Truth often finds its way to -the mind close muffled in robes of sleep, and then speaks with -uncompromising directness of matters in regard to which we practise an -unconscious self-deception during our waking moments. Until now he had -not been aware of the tyrannizing influence acquired by one idea over -his mind, and of the lengths which he might find in his heart to go for -the sake of giving himself peace. - -"Aylmer," resumed Georgiana, solemnly, "I know not what may be the cost -to both of us to rid me of this fatal birthmark. Perhaps its removal may -cause cureless deformity; or it may be the stain goes as deep as life -itself. Again: do we know that there is a possibility, on any terms, of -unclasping the firm gripe of this little hand which was laid upon me -before I came into the world?" - -"Dearest Georgiana, I have spent much thought upon the subject," hastily -interrupted Aylmer. "I am convinced of the perfect practicability of its -removal." - -"If there be the remotest possibility of it," continued Georgiana, "let -the attempt be made at whatever risk. Danger is nothing to me; for life, -while this hateful mark makes me the object of your horror and -disgust,--life is a burden which I would fling down with joy. Either -remove this dreadful hand, or take my wretched life! You have deep -science. All the world bears witness of it. You have achieved great -wonders. Cannot you remove this little, little mark, which I cover with -the tips of two small fingers? Is this beyond your power, for the sake -of your own peace, and to save your poor wife from madness?" - -"Noblest, dearest, tenderest wife," cried Aylmer, rapturously, "doubt -not my power. I have already given this matter the deepest -thought--thought which might almost have enlightened me to create a -being less perfect than yourself. Georgiana, you have led me deeper than -ever into the heart of science. I feel myself fully competent to render -this dear cheek as faultless as its fellow; and then, most beloved, what -will be my triumph when I shall have corrected what Nature left -imperfect in her fairest work! Even Pygmalion, when his sculptured woman -assumed life, felt not greater ecstasy than mine will be." - -"It is resolved, then," said Georgiana, faintly smiling. "And, Aylmer, -spare me not, though you should find the birthmark take refuge in my -heart at last." - -Her husband tenderly kissed her cheek--her right cheek--not that which -bore the impress of the crimson hand. - -The next day Aylmer apprised his wife of a plan that he had formed -whereby he might have opportunity for the intense thought and constant -watchfulness which the proposed operation would require; while -Georgiana, likewise, would enjoy the perfect repose essential to its -success. They were to seclude themselves in the extensive apartments -occupied by Aylmer as a laboratory, and where, during his toilsome -youth, he had made discoveries in the elemental powers of Nature that -had roused the admiration of all the learned societies in Europe. Seated -calmly in this laboratory, the pale philosopher had investigated the -secrets of the highest cloud region and of the profoundest mines; he had -satisfied himself of the causes that kindled and kept alive the fires of -the volcano; and had explained the mystery of fountains, and how it is -that they gush forth, some so bright and pure, and others with such rich -medicinal virtues, from the dark bosom of the earth. Here, too, at an -earlier period, he had studied the wonders of the human frame, and -attempted to fathom the very process by which Nature assimilates all her -precious influences from earth and air, and from the spiritual world, to -create and foster man, her masterpiece. The latter pursuit, however, -Aylmer had long laid aside in unwilling recognition of the -truth--against which all seekers sooner or later stumble--that our great -creative Mother, while she amuses us with apparently working in the -broadest sunshine, is yet severely careful to keep her own secrets, and, -in spite of her pretended openness, shows us nothing but results. She -permits us, indeed, to mar, but seldom to mend, and, like a jealous -patentee, on no account to make. Now, however, Aylmer resumed these -half-forgotten investigations; not, of course, with such hopes or wishes -as first suggested them; but because they involved much physiological -truth and lay in the path of his proposed scheme for the treatment of -Georgiana. - -As he led her over the threshold of the laboratory, Georgiana was cold -and tremulous. Aylmer looked cheerfully into her face, with intent to -reassure her, but was so startled with the intense glow of the birthmark -upon the whiteness of her cheek that he could not restrain a strong -convulsive shudder. His wife fainted. - -"Aminadab! Aminadab!" shouted Aylmer, stamping violently on the floor. - -Forthwith there issued from an inner apartment a man of low stature, but -bulky frame, with shaggy hair hanging about his visage, which was grimed -with the vapors of the furnace. This personage had been Aylmer's -under-worker during his whole scientific career, and was admirably -fitted for that office by his great mechanical readiness, and the skill -with which, while incapable of comprehending a single principle, he -executed all the details of his master's experiments. With his vast -strength, his shaggy hair, his smoky aspect, and the indescribable -earthiness that incrusted him, he seemed to represent man's physical -nature; while Aylmer's slender figure, and pale, intellectual face, were -no less apt a type of the spiritual element. - -"Throw open the door of the boudoir, Aminadab," said Aylmer, "and burn a -pastil." - -"Yes, master," answered Aminadab, looking intently at the lifeless form -of Georgiana; and then he muttered to himself, "If she were my wife, I'd -never part with that birthmark." - -When Georgiana recovered consciousness she found herself breathing an -atmosphere of penetrating fragrance, the gentle potency of which had -recalled her from her deathlike faintness. The scene around her looked -like enchantment. Aylmer had converted those smoky, dingy, sombre rooms, -where he had spent his brightest years in recondite pursuits, into a -series of beautiful apartments not unfit to be the secluded abode of a -lovely woman. The walls were hung with gorgeous curtains, which imparted -the combination of grandeur and grace that no other species of adornment -can achieve; and as they fell from the ceiling to the floor, their rich -and ponderous folds, concealing all angles and straight lines, appeared -to shut in the scene from infinite space. For aught Georgiana knew, it -might be a pavilion among the clouds. And Aylmer, excluding the -sunshine, which would have interfered with his chemical processes, had -supplied its place with perfumed lamps, emitting flames of various hue, -but all uniting in a soft, impurpled radiance. He now knelt by his -wife's side, watching her earnestly, but without alarm; for he was -confident in his science, and felt that he could draw a magic circle -round her within which no evil might intrude. - -"Where am I? Ah, I remember," said Georgiana, faintly; and she placed -her hand over her cheek to hide the terrible mark from her husband's -eyes. - -"Fear not, dearest!" exclaimed he. "Do not shrink from me! Believe me, -Georgiana, I even rejoice in this single imperfection, since it will be -such a rapture to remove it." - -"Oh, spare me!" sadly replied his wife. "Pray do not look at it again. I -never can forget that convulsive shudder." - -In order to soothe Georgiana, and, as it were, to release her mind from -the burden of actual things, Aylmer now put in practice some of the -light and playful secrets which science had taught him among its -profounder lore. Airy figures, absolutely bodiless ideas, and forms of -unsubstantial beauty came and danced before her, imprinting their -momentary footsteps on beams of light. Though she had some indistinct -idea of the method of these optical phenomena, still the illusion was -almost perfect enough to warrant the belief that her husband possessed -sway over the spiritual world. Then again, when she felt a wish to look -forth from her seclusion, immediately, as if her thoughts were answered, -the possession of external existence flitted across a screen. The -scenery and the figures of actual life were perfectly represented, but -with that bewitching, yet indescribable difference which always makes a -picture, an image, or a shadow so much more attractive than the -original. When wearied of this, Aylmer bade her cast her eyes upon a -vessel containing a quantity of earth. She did so, with little interest -at first; but was soon startled to perceive the germ of a plant shooting -upward from the soil. Then came the slender stalk; the leaves gradually -unfolded themselves; and amid them was a perfect and lovely flower. - -"It is magical!" cried Georgiana. "I dare not touch it." - -"Nay, pluck it," answered Aylmer,--"pluck it, and inhale its brief -perfume while you may. The flower will wither in a few moments and leave -nothing save its brown seed vessels; but thence may be perpetuated a -race as ephemeral as itself." - -But Georgiana had no sooner touched the flower than the whole plant -suffered a blight, its leaves turning coal-black as if by the agency of -fire. - -"There was too powerful a stimulus," said Aylmer, thoughtfully. - -To make up for this abortive experiment, he proposed to take her -portrait by a scientific process of his own invention. It was to be -effected by rays of light striking upon a polished plate of metal. -Georgiana assented; but, on looking at the result, was affrighted to -find the features of the portrait blurred and indefinable; while the -minute figure of a hand appeared where the cheek should have been. -Aylmer snatched the metallic plate and threw it into a jar of corrosive -acid. - -Soon, however, he forgot these mortifying failures. In the intervals of -study and chemical experiment he came to her flushed and exhausted, but -seemed invigorated by her presence, and spoke in glowing language of the -resources of his art. He gave a history of the long dynasty of the -alchemists, who spent so many ages in quest of the universal solvent by -which the golden principle might be elicited from all things vile and -base. Aylmer appeared to believe that, by the plainest scientific logic, -it was altogether within the limits of possibility to discover this -long-sought medium; "but," he added, "a philosopher who should go deep -enough to acquire the power would attain too lofty a wisdom to stoop to -the exercise of it." Not less singular were his opinions in regard to -the elixir vitæ. He more than intimated that it was at his option to -concoct a liquid that should prolong life for years, perhaps -interminably; but that it would produce a discord in Nature which all -the world, and chiefly the quaffer of the immortal nostrum, would find -cause to curse. - -"Aylmer, are you in earnest?" asked Georgiana, looking at him with -amazement and fear. "It is terrible to possess such power, or even to -dream of possessing it." - -"Oh, do not tremble, my love," said her husband. "I would not wrong -either you or myself by working such inharmonious effects upon our -lives; but I would have you consider how trifling, in comparison, is the -skill requisite to remove this little hand." - -At the mention of the birthmark, Georgiana, as usual, shrank as if a -red-hot iron had touched her cheek. - -Again Aylmer applied himself to his labors. She could hear his voice in -the distant furnace room giving directions to Aminadab, whose harsh, -uncouth, misshapen tones were audible in response, more like the grunt -or growl of a brute than human speech. After hours of absence, Aylmer -reappeared and proposed that she should now examine his cabinet of -chemical products and natural treasures of the earth. Among the former -he showed her a small vial, in which, he remarked, was contained a -gentle yet most powerful fragrance, capable of impregnating all the -breezes that blow across the kingdom. They were of inestimable value, -the contents of that little vial; and, as he said so, he threw some of -the perfume into the air and filled the room with piercing and -invigorating delight. - -"And what is this?" asked Georgiana, pointing to a small crystal globe -containing a gold-colored liquid. "It is so beautiful to the eye that I -could imagine it the elixir of life." - -"In one sense it is," replied Aylmer; "or, rather, the elixir of -immortality. It is the most precious poison that ever was concocted in -this world. By its aid I could apportion the lifetime of any mortal at -whom you might point your finger. The strength of the dose would -determine whether he were to linger out years, or drop dead in the midst -of a breath. No king on his guarded throne could keep his life if I, in -my private station, should deem that the welfare of millions justified -me in depriving him of it." - -"Why do you keep such a terrific drug?" inquired Georgiana in horror. - -"Do not mistrust me, dearest," said her husband, smiling; "its virtuous -potency is yet greater than its harmful one. But see! here is a powerful -cosmetic. With a few drops of this in a vase of water, freckles may be -washed away as easily as the hands are cleansed. A stronger infusion -would take the blood out of the cheek, and leave the rosiest beauty a -pale ghost." - -"Is it with this lotion that you intend to bathe my cheek?" asked -Georgiana, anxiously. - -"Oh, no," hastily replied her husband; "this is merely superficial. Your -case demands a remedy that shall go deeper." - -In his interviews with Georgiana, Aylmer generally made minute inquiries -as to her sensations and whether the confinement of the rooms and the -temperature of the atmosphere agreed with her. These questions had such -a particular drift that Georgiana began to conjecture that she was -already subjected to certain physical influences, either breathed in -with the fragrant air or taken with her food. She fancied likewise, but -it might be altogether fancy, that there was a stirring up of her -system--a strange, indefinite sensation creeping through her veins, and -tingling, half painfully, half pleasurably, at her heart. Still, -whenever she dared to look into the mirror, there she beheld herself -pale as a white rose and with the crimson birthmark stamped upon her -cheek. Not even Aylmer now hated it so much as she. - -To dispel the tedium of the hours which her husband found it necessary -to devote to the processes of combination and analysis, Georgiana turned -over the volumes of his scientific library. In many dark old tomes she -met with chapters full of romance and poetry. They were the works of the -philosophers of the middle ages, such as Albertus Magnus, Cornelius -Agrippa, Paracelsus, and the famous friar who created the prophetic -Brazen Head. All these antique naturalists stood in advance of their -centuries, yet were imbued with some of their credulity, and therefore -were believed, and perhaps imagined themselves to have acquired from the -investigation of Nature a power above Nature, and from physics a sway -over the spiritual world. Hardly less curious and imaginative were the -early volumes of the Transactions of the Royal Society, in which the -members, knowing little of the limits of natural possibility, were -continually recording wonders or proposing methods whereby wonders might -be wrought. - -But to Georgiana the most engrossing volume was a large folio from her -husband's own hand, in which he had recorded every experiment of his -scientific career, its original aim, the methods adopted for its -development, and its final success or failure, with the circumstances to -which either event was attributable. The book, in truth, was both the -history and emblem of his ardent, ambitious, imaginative, yet practical -and laborious life. He handled physical details as if there were nothing -beyond them; yet spiritualized them all, and redeemed himself from -materialism by his strong and eager aspiration towards the infinite. In -his grasp the veriest clod of earth assumed a soul. Georgiana, as she -read, reverenced Aylmer and loved him more profoundly than ever, but -with a less entire dependence on his judgment than heretofore. Much as -he had accomplished, she could not but observe that his most splendid -successes were almost invariably failures, if compared with the ideal at -which he aimed. His brightest diamonds were the merest pebbles, and felt -to be so by himself, in comparison with the inestimable gems which lay -hidden beyond his reach. The volume, rich with achievements that had won -renown for its author, was yet as melancholy a record as ever mortal -hand had penned. It was the sad confession and continual exemplification -of the shortcomings of the composite man, the spirit burdened with clay -and working in matter, and of the despair that assails the higher nature -at finding itself so miserably thwarted by the earthly part. Perhaps -every man of genius in whatever sphere might recognize the image of his -own experience in Aylmer's journal. - -So deeply did these reflections affect Georgiana that she laid her face -upon the open volume and burst into tears. In this situation she was -found by her husband. - -"It is dangerous to read in a sorcerer's books," said he with a smile, -though his countenance was uneasy and displeased. "Georgiana, there are -pages in that volume which I can scarcely glance over and keep my -senses. Take heed less it prove as detrimental to you." - -"It has made me worship you more than ever," said she. - -"Ah, wait for this one success," rejoined he, "then worship me if you -will. I shall deem myself hardly unworthy of it. But come, I have sought -you for the luxury of your voice. Sing to me, dearest." - -So she poured out the liquid music of her voice to quench the thirst of -his spirit. He then took his leave with a boyish exuberance of gayety, -assuring her that her seclusion would endure but a little longer, and -that the result was already certain. Scarcely had he departed when -Georgiana felt irresistibly impelled to follow him. She had forgotten to -inform Aylmer of a symptom which for two or three hours past had begun -to excite her attention. It was a sensation in the fatal birthmark, not -painful, but which induced a restlessness throughout her system. -Hastening after her husband, she intruded for the first time into the -laboratory. - -The first thing that struck her eye was the furnace, that hot and -feverish worker, with the intense glow of its fire, which by the -quantities of soot clustered above it seemed to have been burning for -ages. There was a distilling apparatus in full operation. Around the -room were retorts, tubes, cylinders, crucibles, and other apparatus of -chemical research. An electrical machine stood ready for immediate use. -The atmosphere felt oppressively close, and was tainted with gaseous -odors which had been tormented forth by the processes of science. The -severe and homely simplicity of the apartment, with its naked walls and -brick pavement, looked strange, accustomed as Georgiana had become to -the fantastic elegance of her boudoir. But what chiefly, indeed almost -solely, drew her attention, was the aspect of Aylmer himself. - -He was pale as death, anxious and absorbed, and hung over the furnace as -if it depended upon his utmost watchfulness whether the liquid which it -was distilling should be the draught of immortal happiness or misery. -How different from the sanguine and joyous mien that he had assumed for -Georgiana's encouragement! - -"Carefully now, Aminadab; carefully, thou human machine; carefully, thou -man of clay!" muttered Aylmer, more to himself than to his assistant. -"Now, if there be a thought too much or too little, it is all over." - -"Ho! ho!" mumbled Aminadab. "Look, master! look!" - -Aylmer raised his eyes hastily, and at first reddened, then grew paler -than ever, on beholding Georgiana. He rushed towards her and seized her -arm with a gripe that left the print of his fingers upon it. - -"Why do you come hither? Have you no trust in your husband?" cried he, -impetuously. "Would you throw the blight of that fatal birthmark over my -labors? It is not well done. Go, prying woman, go!" - -"Nay, Aylmer," said Georgiana with the firmness of which she possessed -no stinted endowment, "it is not you that have a right to complain. You -mistrust your wife; you have concealed the anxiety with which you watch -the development of this experiment. Think not so unworthily of me, my -husband. Tell me all the risk we run, and fear not that I shall shrink; -for my share in it is far less than your own." - -"No, no, Georgiana!" said Aylmer, impatiently; "it must not be." - -"I submit," replied she calmly. "And, Aylmer, I shall quaff whatever -draught you bring me; but it will be on the same principle that would -induce me to take a dose of poison if offered by your hand." - -"My noble wife," said Aylmer, deeply moved, "I knew not the height and -depth of your nature until now. Nothing shall be concealed. Know, then, -that this crimson hand, superficial as it seems, has clutched its grasp -into your being with a strength of which I had no previous conception. I -have already administered agents powerful enough to do aught except to -change your entire physical system. Only one thing remains to be tried. -If that fail us we are ruined." - -"Why did you hesitate to tell me this?" asked she. - -"Because, Georgiana," said Aylmer, in a low voice, "there is danger." - -"Danger? There is but one danger--that this horrible stigma shall be -left upon my cheek!" cried Georgiana. "Remove it, remove it, whatever be -the cost, or we shall both go mad!" - -"Heaven knows your words are too true," said Aylmer, sadly. "And now, -dearest, return to your boudoir. In a little while all will be tested." - -He conducted her back and took leave of her with a solemn tenderness -which spoke far more than his words how much was now at stake. After his -departure Georgiana became rapt in musings. She considered the character -of Aylmer, and did it completer justice than at any previous moment. Her -heart exalted, while it trembled, at his honorable love--so pure and -lofty that it would accept nothing less than perfection nor miserably -make itself contented with an earthlier nature than he had dreamed of. -She felt how much more precious was such a sentiment than that meaner -kind which would have borne with the imperfection for her sake, and have -been guilty of treason to holy love by degrading its perfect idea to the -level of the actual; and with her whole spirit she prayed that, for a -single moment, she might satisfy his highest and deepest conception. -Longer than one moment she well knew it could not be; for his spirit -was ever on the march, ever ascending, and each instant required -something that was beyond the scope of the instant before. - -The sound of her husband's footsteps aroused her. He bore a crystal -goblet containing a liquor colorless as water, but bright enough to be -the draught of immortality. Aylmer was pale; but it seemed rather the -consequence of a highly-wrought state of mind and tension of spirit than -of fear or doubt. - -"The concoction of the draught has been perfect," said he, in answer to -Georgiana's look. "Unless all my science have deceived me, it cannot -fail." - -"Save on your account, my dearest Aylmer," observed his wife, "I might -wish to put off this birthmark of mortality by relinquishing mortality -itself in preference to any other mode. Life is but a sad possession to -those who have attained precisely the degree of moral advancement at -which I stand. Were I weaker and blinder it might be happiness. Were I -stronger, it might be endured hopefully. But, being what I find myself, -methinks I am of all mortals the most fit to die." - -"You are fit for heaven without tasting death!" replied her husband. -"But why do we speak of dying? The draught cannot fail. Behold its -effect upon this plant." - -On the window seat there stood a geranium diseased with yellow blotches, -which had overspread all its leaves. Aylmer poured a small quantity of -the liquid upon the soil in which it grew. In a little time, when the -roots of the plant had taken up the moisture, the unsightly blotches -began to be extinguished in a living verdure. - -"There needed no proof," said Georgiana, quietly. "Give me the goblet. I -joyfully stake all upon your word." - -"Drink, then, thou lofty creature!" exclaimed Aylmer, with fervid -admiration. "There is no taint of imperfection on thy spirit. Thy -sensible frame, too, shall soon be all perfect." - -She quaffed the liquid and returned the goblet to his hand. - -"It is grateful," said she with a placid smile. "Methinks it is like -water from a heavenly fountain; for it contains I know not what of -unobtrusive fragrance and deliciousness. It allays a feverish thirst -that had parched me for many days. Now, dearest, let me sleep. My -earthly senses are closing over my spirit like the leaves around the -heart of a rose at sunset." - -She spoke the last words with a gentle reluctance, as if it required -almost more energy than she could command to pronounce the faint and -lingering syllables. Scarcely had they loitered through her lips ere she -was lost in slumber. Aylmer sat by her side, watching her aspect with -the emotions proper to a man the whole value of whose existence was -involved in the process now to be tested. Mingled with this mood, -however, was the philosophic investigation characteristic of the man of -science. Not the minutest symptom escaped him. A heightened flush of the -cheek, a slight irregularity of breath, a quiver of the eyelid, a hardly -perceptible tremor through the frame,--such were the details which, as -the moments passed, he wrote down in his folio volume. Intense thought -had set its stamp upon every previous page of that volume, but the -thoughts of years were all concentrated upon the last. - -While thus employed, he failed not to gaze often at the fatal hand, and -not without a shudder. Yet once, by a strange and unaccountable impulse, -he pressed it with his lips. His spirit recoiled, however, in the very -act; and Georgiana, out of the midst of her deep sleep, moved uneasily -and murmured as if in remonstrance. Again Aylmer resumed his watch. Nor -was it without avail. The crimson hand, which at first had been strongly -visible upon the marble paleness of Georgiana's cheek, now grew more -faintly outlined. She remained not less pale than ever; but the -birthmark, with every breath that came and went, lost somewhat of its -former distinctness. Its presence had been awful; its departure was more -awful still. Watch the stain of the rainbow fading out of the sky, and -you will know how that mysterious symbol passed away. - -"By Heaven! it is well nigh gone!" said Aylmer to himself, in almost -irrepressible ecstasy. "I can scarcely trace it now. Success! success! -And now it is like the faintest rose color. The lightest flush of blood -across her cheek would overcome it. But she is so pale!" - -He drew aside the window curtain and suffered the light of natural day -to fall into the room and rest upon her cheek. At the same time he heard -a gross, hoarse chuckle, which he had long known as his servant -Aminadab's expression of delight. - -"Ah, clod! ah, earthly mass!" cried Aylmer, laughing in a sort of -frenzy, "you have served me well! Matter and spirit--earth and -heaven--have both done their part in this! Laugh, thing of the senses! -You have earned the right to laugh." - -These exclamations broke Georgiana's sleep. She slowly unclosed her eyes -and gazed into the mirror which her husband had arranged for that -purpose. A faint smile flitted over her lips when she recognized how -barely perceptible was now that crimson hand which had once blazed forth -with such disastrous brilliancy as to scare away all their happiness. -But then her eyes sought Aylmer's face with a trouble and anxiety that -he could by no means account for. - -"My poor Aylmer!" murmured she. - -"Poor? Nay, richest, happiest, most favored!" exclaimed he. "My peerless -bride, it is successful! You are perfect!" - -"My poor Aylmer," she repeated, with a more than human tenderness. "You -have aimed loftily; you have done nobly. Do not repent that with so high -and pure a feeling, you have rejected the best the earth could offer. -Aylmer, dearest Aylmer, I am dying!" - -Alas! it was too true! The fatal hand had grappled with the mystery of -life, and was the bond by which an angelic spirit kept itself in union -with a mortal frame. As the last crimson tint of the birthmark--that -sole token of human imperfection--faded from her cheek, the parting -breath of the now perfect woman passed into the atmosphere, and her -soul, lingering a moment near her husband, took its heavenward flight. -Then a hoarse, chuckling laugh was heard again! Thus ever does the gross -fatality of earth exult in its invariable triumph over the immortal -essence which, in this dim sphere of half development, demands the -completeness of a higher state. Yet, had Aylmer reached a profounder -wisdom, he need not thus have flung away the happiness which would have -woven his mortal life of the selfsame texture with the celestial. The -momentary circumstance was too strong for him; he failed to look beyond -the shadowy scope of time, and living once for all in eternity, to find -the perfect future in the present. - - - - -THE OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT - - -As Mr. John Oakhurst, gambler, stepped into the main street of Poker -Flat on the morning of the 23d of November, 1850, he was conscious of a -change in its moral atmosphere since the preceding night. Two or three -men, conversing earnestly together, ceased as he approached, and -exchanged significant glances. There was a Sabbath lull in the air, -which, in a settlement unused to Sabbath influences, looked ominous. - -Mr. Oakhurst's calm, handsome face betrayed small concern in these -indications. Whether he was conscious of any predisposing cause was -another question. "I reckon they're after somebody," he reflected; -"likely it's me." He returned to his pocket the handkerchief with which -he had been whipping away the red dust of Poker Flat from his neat -boots, and quietly discharged his mind of any further conjecture. - -In point of fact, Poker Flat was "after somebody." It had lately -suffered the loss of several thousand dollars, two valuable horses, and -a prominent citizen. It was experiencing a spasm of virtuous reaction, -quite as lawless and ungovernable as any of the acts that had provoked -it. A secret committee had determined to rid the town of all improper -persons. This was done permanently in regard of two men who were then -hanging from the boughs of a sycamore in the gulch, and temporarily in -the banishment of certain other objectionable characters. I regret to -say that some of these were ladies. It is but due to the sex, -however, to state that their impropriety was professional, and it was -only in such easily established standards of evil that Poker Flat -ventured to sit in judgment. - -[Illustration: BRET HARTE] - -Mr. Oakhurst was right in supposing that he was included in this -category. A few of the committee had urged hanging him as a possible -example and a sure method of reimbursing themselves from his pockets of -the sums he had won from them. "It's agin justice," said Jim Wheeler, -"to let this yer young man from Roaring Camp--an entire stranger--carry -away our money." But a crude sentiment of equity residing in the breasts -of those who had been fortunate enough to win from Mr. Oakhurst -overruled this narrower local prejudice. - -Mr. Oakhurst received his sentence with philosophic calmness, none the -less coolly that he was aware of the hesitation of his judges. He was -too much of a gambler not to accept fate. With him life was at best an -uncertain game, and he recognized the usual percentage in favor of the -dealer. - -A body of armed men accompanied the deported wickedness of Poker Flat to -the outskirts of the settlement. Besides Mr. Oakhurst, who was known to -be a coolly desperate man, and for whose intimidation the armed escort -was intended, the expatriated party consisted of a young woman -familiarly known as "The Duchess;" another who had won the title of -"Mother Shipton;" and "Uncle Billy," a suspected sluice-robber and -confirmed drunkard. The cavalcade provoked no comments from the -spectators, nor was any word uttered by the escort. Only when the gulch -which marked the uttermost limit of Poker Flat was reached, the leader -spoke briefly and to the point. The exiles were forbidden to return at -the peril of their lives. - -As the escort disappeared, their pent-up feelings found vent in a few -hysterical tears from the Duchess, some bad language from Mother -Shipton, and a Parthian volley of expletives from Uncle Billy. The -philosophic Oakhurst alone remained silent. He listened calmly to Mother -Shipton's desire to cut somebody's heart out, to the repeated statements -of the Duchess that she would die in the road, and to the alarming oaths -that seemed to be bumped out of Uncle Billy as he rode forward. With the -easy good humor characteristic of his class, he insisted upon exchanging -his own riding-horse, "Five-Spot," for the sorry mule which the Duchess -rode. But even this act did not draw the party into any closer sympathy. -The young woman readjusted her somewhat draggled plumes with a feeble, -faded coquetry; Mother Shipton eyed the possessor of "Five-Spot" with -malevolence, and Uncle Billy included the whole party in one sweeping -anathema. - -The road to Sandy Bar--a camp that, not having as yet experienced the -regenerating influences of Poker Flat, consequently seemed to offer some -invitation to the emigrants--lay over a steep mountain range. It was -distant a day's severe travel. In that advanced season the party soon -passed out of the moist, temperate regions of the foothills into the -dry, cold, bracing air of the Sierras. The trail was narrow and -difficult. At noon the Duchess, rolling out of her saddle upon the -ground, declared her intention of going no farther, and the party -halted. - -The spot was singularly wild and impressive. A wooded amphitheatre, -surrounded on three sides by precipitous cliffs of naked granite, sloped -gently toward the crest of another precipice that overlooked the valley. -It was, undoubtedly, the most suitable spot for a camp, had camping -been advisable. But Mr. Oakhurst knew that scarcely half the journey to -Sandy Bar was accomplished, and the party were not equipped or -provisioned for delay. This fact he pointed out to his companions -curtly, with a philosophic commentary on the folly of "throwing up their -hand before the game was played out." But they were furnished with -liquor, which in this emergency stood them in place of food, fuel, rest, -and prescience. In spite of his remonstrances, it was not long before -they were more or less under its influence. Uncle Billy passed rapidly -from a bellicose state into one of stupor, the Duchess became maudlin, -and Mother Shipton snored. Mr. Oakhurst alone remained erect, leaning -against a rock, calmly surveying them. - -Mr. Oakhurst did not drink. It interfered with a profession which -required coolness, impassiveness, and presence of mind, and, in his own -language, he "couldn't afford it." As he gazed at his recumbent fellow -exiles, the loneliness begotten of his pariah trade, his habits of life, -his very vices, for the first time seriously oppressed him. He bestirred -himself in dusting his black clothes, washing his hands and face, and -other acts characteristic of his studiously neat habits, and for a -moment forgot his annoyance. The thought of deserting his weaker and -more pitiable companions never perhaps occurred to him. Yet he could not -help feeling the want of that excitement which, singularly enough, was -most conducive to that calm equanimity for which he was notorious. He -looked at the gloomy walls that rose a thousand feet sheer above the -circling pines around him, at the sky ominously clouded, at the valley -below, already deepening into shadow; and, doing so, suddenly he heard -his own name called. - -A horseman slowly ascended the trail. In the fresh, open face of the -newcomer Mr. Oakhurst recognized Tom Simson, otherwise known as "The -Innocent," of Sandy Bar. He had met him some months before over a -"little game," and had, with perfect equanimity, won the entire -fortune--amounting to some forty dollars--of that guileless youth. After -the game was finished, Mr. Oakhurst drew the youthful speculator behind -the door and thus addressed him: "Tommy, you're a good little man, but -you can't gamble worth a cent. Don't try it over again." He then handed -him his money back, pushed him gently from the room, and so made a -devoted slave of Tom Simson. - - * * * * * - -There was a remembrance of this in his boyish and enthusiastic greeting -of Mr. Oakhurst. He had started, he said, to go to Poker Flat to seek -his fortune. "Alone?" No, not exactly alone; in fact (a giggle), he had -run away with Piney Woods. Didn't Mr. Oakhurst remember Piney? She that -used to wait on the table at the Temperance House? They had been engaged -a long time, but old Jake Woods had objected, and so they had run away, -and were going to Poker Flat to be married, and here they were. And they -were tired out, and how lucky it was they had found a place to camp, and -company. All this the Innocent delivered rapidly, while Piney, a stout, -comely damsel of fifteen, emerged from behind the pine-tree, where she -had been blushing unseen, and rode to the side of her lover. - -Mr. Oakhurst seldom troubled himself with sentiment, still less with -propriety; but he had a vague idea that the situation was not fortunate. -He retained, however, his presence of mind sufficiently to kick Uncle -Billy, who was about to say something, and Uncle Billy was sober enough -to recognize in Mr. Oakhurst's kick a superior power that would not bear -trifling. He then endeavored to dissuade Tom Simson from delaying -further, but in vain. He even pointed out the fact that there was no -provision, nor means of making a camp. But, unluckily, the Innocent met -this objection by assuring the party that he was provided with an extra -mule loaded with provisions, and by the discovery of a rude attempt at a -log house near the trail. "Piney can stay with Mrs. Oakhurst," said the -Innocent, pointing to the Duchess, "and I can shift for myself." - -Nothing but Mr. Oakhurst's admonishing foot saved Uncle Billy from -bursting into a roar of laughter. As it was, he felt compelled to retire -up the cañon until he could recover his gravity. There he confided the -joke to the tall pine-trees, with many slaps of his leg, contortions of -his face, and the usual profanity. But when he returned to the party, he -found them seated by a fire--for the air had grown strangely chill and -the sky overcast--in apparently amicable conversation. Piney was -actually talking in an impulsive girlish fashion to the Duchess, who was -listening with an interest and animation she had not shown for many -days. The Innocent was holding forth, apparently with equal effect, to -Mr. Oakhurst and Mother Shipton, who was actually relaxing into -amiability. "Is this yer a d----d picnic?" said Uncle Billy, with inward -scorn, as he surveyed the sylvan group, the glancing firelight, and the -tethered animals in the foreground. Suddenly an idea mingled with the -alcoholic fumes that disturbed his brain. It was apparently of a jocular -nature, for he felt impelled to slap his leg again and cram his fist -into his mouth. - -As the shadows crept slowly up the mountain, a slight breeze rocked the -tops of the pine-trees and moaned through their long and gloomy aisles. -The ruined cabin, patched and covered with pine boughs, was set apart -for the ladies. As the lovers parted, they unaffectedly exchanged a -kiss, so honest and sincere that it might have been heard above the -swaying pines. The frail Duchess and the malevolent Mother Shipton were -probably too stunned to remark upon this last evidence of simplicity, -and so turned without a word to the hut. The fire was replenished, the -men lay down before the door, and in a few minutes were asleep. - -Mr. Oakhurst was a light sleeper. Toward morning he awoke benumbed and -cold. As he stirred the dying fire, the wind, which was now blowing -strongly, brought to his cheek that which caused the blood to leave -it,--snow! - -He started to his feet with the intention of awakening the sleepers, for -there was no time to lose. But turning to where Uncle Billy had been -lying, he found him gone. A suspicion leaped to his brain, and a curse -to his lips. He ran to the spot where the mules had been tethered--they -were no longer there. The tracks were already rapidly disappearing in -the snow. - -The momentary excitement brought Mr. Oakhurst back to the fire with his -usual calm. He did not waken the sleepers. The Innocent slumbered -peacefully, with a smile on his good-humored, freckled face; the virgin -Piney slept beside her frailer sisters as sweetly as though attended by -celestial guardians; and Mr. Oakhurst, drawing his blanket over his -shoulders, stroked his mustaches and waited for the dawn. It came slowly -in a whirling mist of snowflakes that dazzled and confused the eye. -What could be seen of the landscape appeared magically changed. He -looked over the valley, and summed up the present and future in two -words, "Snowed in!" - -A careful inventory of the provisions, which, fortunately for the party, -had been stored within the hut, and so escaped the felonious fingers of -Uncle Billy, disclosed the fact that with care and prudence they might -last ten days longer. "That is," said Mr. Oakhurst _sotto voce_ to the -Innocent, "if you're willing to board us. If you ain't--and perhaps -you'd better not--you can wait till Uncle Billy gets back with -provisions." For some occult reason, Mr. Oakhurst could not bring -himself to disclose Uncle Billy's rascality, and so offered the -hypothesis that he had wandered from the camp and had accidentally -stampeded the animals. He dropped a warning to the Duchess and Mother -Shipton, who of course knew the facts of their associate's defection. -"They'll find out the truth about us _all_ when they find out anything," -he added significantly, "and there's no good frightening them now." - -Tom Simson not only put all his worldly store at the disposal of Mr. -Oakhurst, but seemed to enjoy the prospect of their enforced seclusion. -"We'll have a good camp for a week, and then the snow'll melt, and we'll -all go back together." The cheerful gayety of the young man and Mr. -Oakhurst's calm infected the others. The Innocent, with the aid of pine -boughs, extemporized a thatch for the roofless cabin, and the Duchess -directed Piney in the rearrangement of the interior with a taste and -tact that opened the blue eyes of that provincial maiden to their -fullest extent. "I reckon now you're used to fine things at Poker Flat," -said Piney. The Duchess turned away sharply to conceal something that -reddened her cheeks through their professional tint, and Mother Shipton -requested Piney not to "chatter." But when Mr. Oakhurst returned from a -weary search for the trail, he heard the sound of happy laughter echoed -from the rocks. He stopped in some alarm, and his thoughts first -naturally reverted to the whiskey, which he had prudently cachéd. "And -yet it don't somehow sound like whiskey," said the gambler. It was not -until he caught sight of the blazing fire through the still blinding -storm, and the group around it, that he settled to the conviction that -it was "square fun." - -Whether Mr. Oakhurst had cachéd his cards with the whiskey as something -debarred the free access of the community, I cannot say. It was certain -that, in Mother Shipton's words, he "didn't say 'cards' once" during -that evening. Haply the time was beguiled by an accordion, produced -somewhat ostentatiously by Tom Simson from his pack. Notwithstanding -some difficulties attending the manipulation of this instrument, Piney -Woods managed to pluck several reluctant melodies from its keys, to an -accompaniment by the Innocent on a pair of bone castanets. But the -crowning festivity of the evening was reached in a rude camp-meeting -hymn, which the lovers, joining hands, sang with great earnestness and -vociferation. I fear that a certain defiant tone and Covenanter's swing -to its chorus, rather than any devotional quality, caused it speedily to -infect the others, who at last joined in the refrain:-- - - "I'm proud to live in the service of the Lord, - And I'm bound to die in His army." - -The pines rocked, the storm eddied and whirled above the miserable -group, and the flames of their altar leaped heavenward, as if in token -of the vow. - -At midnight the storm abated, the rolling clouds parted, and the stars -glittered keenly above the sleeping camp. Mr. Oakhurst, whose -professional habits had enabled him to live on the smallest possible -amount of sleep, in dividing the watch with Tom Simson somehow managed -to take upon himself the greater part of that duty. He excused himself -to the Innocent by saying that he had "often been a week without sleep." -"Doing what?" asked Tom. "Poker!" replied Oakhurst sententiously. "When -a man gets a streak of luck,--nigger-luck,--he don't get tired. The luck -gives in first. Luck," continued the gambler reflectively, "is a mighty -queer thing. All you know about it for certain is that it's bound to -change. And it's finding out when it's going to change that makes you. -We've had a streak of bad luck since we left Poker Flat,--you come -along, and slap you get into it, too. If you can hold your cards right -along you're all right. For," added the gambler, with cheerful -irrelevance-- - - "'I'm proud to live in the service of the Lord, - And I'm bound to die in His army.'" - -The third day came, and the sun, looking through the white-curtained -valley, saw the outcasts divide their slowly decreasing store of -provisions for the morning meal. It was one of the peculiarities of that -mountain climate that its rays diffused a kindly warmth over the wintry -landscape, as if in regretful commiseration of the past. But it revealed -drift on drift of snow piled high around the hut,--a hopeless, -uncharted, trackless sea of white lying below the rocky shores to which -the castaways still clung. Through the marvelously clear air the smoke -of the pastoral village of Poker Flat rose miles away. Mother Shipton -saw it, and from a remote pinnacle of her rocky fastness hurled in that -direction a final malediction. It was her last vituperative attempt, and -perhaps for that reason was invested with a certain degree of -sublimity. It did her good, she privately informed the Duchess. "Just -you go out there and cuss, and see." She then set herself to the task of -amusing "the child," as she and the Duchess were pleased to call Piney. -Piney was no chicken, but it was a soothing and original theory of the -pair thus to account for the fact that she didn't swear and wasn't -improper. - -When night crept up again through the gorges, the reedy notes of the -accordion rose and fell in fitful spasms and long-drawn gasps by the -flickering campfire. But music failed to fill entirely the aching void -left by insufficient food, and a new diversion was proposed by -Piney,--story-telling. Neither Mr. Oakhurst nor his female companions -caring to relate their personal experiences, this plan would have failed -too, but for the Innocent. Some months before he had chanced upon a -stray copy of Mr. Pope's ingenious translation of the Iliad. He now -proposed to narrate the principal incidents of that poem--having -thoroughly mastered the argument and fairly forgotten the words--in the -current vernacular of Sandy Bar. And so for the rest of that night the -Homeric demi-gods again walked the earth. Trojan bully and wily Greek -wrestled in the winds, and the great pines in the cañon seemed to bow to -the wrath of the son of Peleus. Mr. Oakhurst listened with quiet -satisfaction. Most especially was he interested in the fate of -"Ash-heels," as the Innocent persisted in denominating the "swift-footed -Achilles." - -So, with small food and much of Homer and the accordion, a week passed -over the heads of the outcasts. The sun again forsook them, and again -from leaden skies the snowflakes were sifted over the land. Day by day -closer around them drew the snowy circle, until at last they looked from -their prison over drifted walls of dazzling white, that towered twenty -feet above their heads. It became more and more difficult to replenish -their fires, even from the fallen trees beside them, now half hidden in -the drifts. And yet no one complained. The lovers turned from the dreary -prospect and looked into each other's eyes, and were happy. Mr. Oakhurst -settled himself coolly to the losing game before him. The Duchess, more -cheerful than she had been, assumed the care of Piney. Only Mother -Shipton--once the strongest of the party--seemed to sicken and fade. At -midnight on the tenth day she called Oakhurst to her side. "I'm going," -she said, in a voice of querulous weakness, "but don't say anything -about it. Don't waken the kids. Take the bundle from under my head, and -open it." Mr. Oakhurst did so. It contained Mother Shipton's rations for -the last week, untouched. "Give 'em to the child," she said, pointing to -the sleeping Piney. "You've starved yourself," said the gambler. "That's -what they call it," said the woman querulously, as she lay down again, -and, turning her face to the wall, passed quietly away. - -The accordion and the bones were put aside that day, and Homer was -forgotten. When the body of Mother Shipton had been committed to the -snow, Mr. Oakhurst took the Innocent aside, and showed him a pair of -snow-shoes, which he had fashioned from the old pack-saddle. "There's -one chance in a hundred to save her yet," he said, pointing to Piney; -"but it's there," he added, pointing toward Poker Flat. "If you can -reach there in two days she's safe." "And you?" asked Tom Simson. "I'll -stay here," was the curt reply. - -The lovers parted with a long embrace. "You are not going, too?" said -the Duchess, as she saw Mr. Oakhurst apparently waiting to accompany -him. "As far as the cañon," he replied. He turned suddenly and kissed -the Duchess, leaving her pallid face aflame, and her trembling limbs -rigid with amazement. - -Night came, but not Mr. Oakhurst. It brought the storm again and the -whirling snow. Then the Duchess, feeding the fire, found that some one -had quietly piled beside the hut enough fuel to last a few days longer. -The tears rose to her eyes, but she hid them from Piney. - -The women slept but little. In the morning, looking into each other's -faces, they read their fate. Neither spoke, but Piney, accepting the -position of the stronger, drew near and placed her arm around the -Duchess's waist. They kept this attitude for the rest of the day. That -night the storm reached its greatest fury, and, rending asunder the -protecting vines, invaded the very hut. - -Toward morning they found themselves unable to feed the fire, which -gradually died away. As the embers slowly blackened, the Duchess crept -closer to Piney, and broke the silence of many hours: "Piney, can you -pray?" "No, dear," said Piney simply. The Duchess, without knowing -exactly why, felt relieved, and, putting her head upon Piney's shoulder, -spoke no more. And so reclining, the younger and purer pillowing the -head of her soiled sister upon her virgin breast, they fell asleep. - -The wind lulled as if it feared to waken them. Feathery drifts of snow, -shaken from the long pine boughs, flew like white winged birds, and -settled about them as they slept. The moon through the rifted clouds -looked down upon what had been the camp. But all human stain, all trace -of earthly travail, was hidden beneath the spotless mantle mercifully -flung from above. - -They slept all that day and the next, nor did they waken when voices and -footsteps broke the silence of the camp. And when pitying fingers -brushed the snow from their wan faces, you could scarcely have told from -the equal peace that dwelt upon them which was she that had sinned. Even -the law of Poker Flat recognized this, and turned away, leaving them -still locked in each other's arms. - -But at the head of the gulch, on one of the largest pine-trees, they -found the deuce of clubs pinned to the bark with a bowie-knife. It bore -the following, written in pencil in a firm hand:-- - - [Symbol: dagger] - - BENEATH THIS TREE - - LIES THE BODY - - OF - - JOHN OAKHURST, - - WHO STRUCK A STREAK OF BAD LUCK - - ON THE 23D OF NOVEMBER 1850, - - AND - - HANDED IN HIS CHECKS - - ON THE 7TH DECEMBER, 1850. - - [Symbol: reversed dagger] - -And pulseless and cold, with a Derringer by his side and a bullet in his -heart, though still calm as in life, beneath the snow lay he who was at -once the strongest and yet the weakest of the outcasts of Poker Flat. - - - - -THE SIRE DE MALÉTROIT'S DOOR - - -Denis de Beaulieu was not yet two-and-twenty, but he counted himself a -grown man, and a very accomplished cavalier into the bargain. Lads were -early formed in that rough, warfaring epoch; and when one has been in a -pitched battle and a dozen raids, has killed one's man in an honorable -fashion, and knows a thing or two of strategy and mankind, a certain -swagger in the gait is surely to be pardoned. He had put up his horse -with due care, and supped with due deliberation; and then, in a very -agreeable frame of mind, went out to pay a visit in the gray of the -evening. It was not a very wise proceeding on the young man's part. He -would have done better to remain beside the fire or go decently to bed. -For the town was full of the troops of Burgundy and England under a -mixed command; and though Denis was there on safe-conduct, his -safe-conduct was like to serve him little on a chance encounter. - -It was September, 1429; the weather had fallen sharp; a flighty piping -wind, laden with showers, beat about the township; and the dead leaves -ran riot along the streets. Here and there a window was already lighted -up; and the noise of men-at-arms making merry over supper within came -forth in fits and was swallowed up and carried away by the wind. The -night fell swiftly; the flag of England, fluttering on the spire top, -grew ever fainter and fainter against the flying clouds--a black speck -like a swallow in the tumultuous, leaden chaos of the sky. As the -night fell the wind rose, and began to hoot under archways and roar amid -the tree-tops in the valley below the town. - -[Illustration: ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON] - -Denis de Beaulieu walked fast and was soon knocking at his friend's -door; but though he promised himself to stay only a little while and -make an early return, his welcome was so pleasant, and he found so much -to delay him, that it was already long past midnight before he said -good-by upon the threshold. The wind had fallen again in the meanwhile; -the night was as black as the grave; not a star, nor a glimmer of -moonshine, slipped through the canopy of cloud. Denis was ill-acquainted -with the intricate lanes of Chateau Landon; even by daylight he had -found some trouble in picking his way; and in this absolute darkness he -soon lost it altogether. He was certain of one thing only--to keep -mounting the hill; for his friend's house lay at the lower end, or tail, -of Chateau Landon, while the inn was up at the head, under the great -church spire. With this clew to go upon he stumbled and groped forward, -now breathing more freely in the open places where there was a good -slice of sky overhead, now feeling along the wall in stifling closes. It -is an eerie and mysterious position to be thus submerged in opaque -blackness in an almost unknown town. The silence is terrifying in its -possibilities. The touch of cold window bars to the exploring hand -startles the man like the touch of a toad; the inequalities of the -pavement shake his heart into his mouth; a piece of denser darkness -threatens an ambuscade or a chasm in the pathway; and where the air is -brighter, the houses put on strange and bewildering appearances, as if -to lead him further from his way. For Denis, who had to regain his inn -without attracting notice, there was real danger as well as mere -discomfort in the walk; and he went warily and boldly at once, and at -every corner paused to make an observation. - -He had been for some time threading a lane so narrow that he could touch -a wall with either hand, when it began to open out and go sharply -downward. Plainly this lay no longer in the direction of his inn; but -the hope of a little more light tempted him forward to reconnoitre. The -lane ended in a terrace with a bartizan wall, which gave an outlook -between high houses, as out of an embrasure, into the valley lying dark -and formless several hundred feet below. Denis looked down, and could -discern a few tree-tops waving and a single speck of brightness where -the river ran across a weir. The weather was clearing up, and the sky -had lightened, so as to show the outline of the heavier clouds and the -dark margin of the hills. By the uncertain glimmer, the house on his -left hand should be a place of some pretensions; it was surmounted by -several pinnacles and turret-tops; the round stern of a chapel, with a -fringe of flying buttresses, projected boldly from the main block; and -the door was sheltered under a deep porch carved with figures and -overhung by two long gargoyles. The windows of the chapel gleamed -through their intricate tracery with a light as of many tapers, and -threw out the buttresses and the peaked roof in a more intense blackness -against the sky. It was plainly the hotel of some great family of the -neighborhood; and as it reminded Denis of a town house of his own at -Bourges, he stood for some time gazing up at it and mentally gauging the -skill of the architects and the consideration of the two families. - -There seemed to be no issue to the terrace but the lane by which he had -reached it; he could only retrace his steps, but he had gained some -notion of his whereabouts, and hoped by this means to hit the main -thoroughfare and speedily regain the inn. He was reckoning without that -chapter of accidents which was to make this night memorable above all -others in his career; for he had not gone back above a hundred yards -before he saw a light coming to meet him, and heard loud voices speaking -together in the echoing narrows of the lane. It was a party of -men-at-arms going the night round with torches. Denis assured himself -that they had all been making free with the wine bowl, and were in no -mood to be particular about safe-conducts or the niceties of chivalrous -war. It was as like as not that they would kill him like a dog and leave -him where he fell. The situation was inspiriting but nervous. Their own -torches would conceal him from sight, he reflected; and he hoped that -they would drown the noise of his footsteps with their own empty voices. -It he were but fleet and silent, he might evade their notice altogether. - -Unfortunately, as he turned to beat a retreat, his foot rolled upon a -pebble; he fell against the wall with an ejaculation, and his sword rang -loudly on the stones. Two or three voices demanded who went there--some -in French, some in English; but Denis made no reply, and ran the faster -down the lane. Once upon the terrace, he paused to look back. They still -kept calling after him, and just then began to double the pace in -pursuit, with a considerable clank of armor, and great tossing of the -torchlight to and fro in the narrow jaws of the passage. - -Denis cast a look around and darted into the porch. There he might -escape observation, or--if that were too much to expect--was in a -capital posture whether for parley or defence. So thinking, he drew his -sword and tried to set his back against the door. To his surprise it -yielded behind his weight; and though he turned in a moment, continued -to swing back on oiled and noiseless hinges until it stood wide open on -a black interior. When things fall out opportunely for the person -concerned, he is not apt to be critical about the how or why, his own -immediate personal convenience seeming a sufficient reason for the -strangest oddities and revolutions in our sublunary things; and so -Denis, without a moment's hesitation, stepped within and partly closed -the door behind him to conceal his place of refuge. Nothing was further -from his thoughts than to close it altogether; but for some inexplicable -reason--perhaps by a spring or a weight--the ponderous mass of oak -whipped itself out of his fingers and clanked to, with a formidable -rumble and a noise like the falling of an automatic bar. - -The round, at that very moment, debouched upon the terrace and proceeded -to summon him with shouts and curses. He heard them ferreting in the -dark corners; the stock of a lance even rattled along the outer surface -of the door behind which he stood; but these gentlemen were in too high -a humor to be long delayed, and soon made off down a corkscrew pathway -which had escaped Denis' observation, and passed out of sight and -hearing along the battlements of the town. - -Denis breathed again. He gave them a few minutes grace for fear of -accidents, and then groped about for some means of opening the door and -slipping forth again. The inner surface was quite smooth, not a handle, -not a moulding, not a projection of any sort. He got his finger nails -round the edges and pulled, but the mass was immovable. He shook it, it -was as firm as a rock. Denis de Beaulieu frowned and gave vent to a -little noiseless whistle. What ailed the door? he wondered. Why was it -open? How came it to shut so easily and so effectually after him? There -was something obscure and underhand about all this, that was little to -the young man's fancy. It looked like a snare, and yet who could suppose -a snare in such a quiet by-street and in a house of so prosperous and -even noble an exterior? And yet--snare or no snare, intentionally or -unintentionally--here he was, prettily trapped; and for the life of him -he could see no way out of it again. The darkness began to weigh upon -him. He gave ear; all was silent without, but within and close by he -seemed to catch a faint sighing, a faint sobbing rustle, a little -stealthy creak--as though many persons were at his side, holding -themselves quite still, and governing even their respiration with the -extreme of slyness. The idea went to his vitals with a shock, and he -faced about suddenly as if to defend his life. Then, for the first time, -he became aware of a light about the level of his eyes and at some -distance in the interior of the house--a vertical thread of light, -widening toward the bottom, such as might escape between two wings of -arras over a doorway. - -To see anything was a relief to Denis; it was like a piece of solid -ground to a man laboring in a morass; his mind seized upon it with -avidity; and he stood staring at it and trying to piece together some -logical conception of his surroundings. Plainly there was a flight of -steps ascending from his own level to that of this illuminated doorway, -and indeed he thought he could make out another thread of light, as fine -as a needle and as faint as phosphorescence, which might very well be -reflected along the polished wood of a handrail. Since he had begun to -suspect that he was not alone, his heart had continued to beat with -smothering violence, and an intolerable desire for action of any sort -had possessed itself of his spirit. He was in deadly peril, he believed. -What could be more natural than to mount the staircase, lift the -curtain, and confront his difficulty at once? At least he would be -dealing with something tangible; at least he would be no longer in the -dark. He stepped slowly forward with outstretched hands, until his foot -struck the bottom step; then he rapidly scaled the stairs, stood for a -moment to compose his expression, lifted the arras and went in. - -He found himself in a large apartment of polished stone. There were -three doors, one on each of three sides, all similarly curtained with -tapestry. The fourth side was occupied by two large windows and a great -stone chimneypiece, carved with the arms of the Malétroits. Denis -recognized the bearings, and was gratified to find himself in such good -hands. The room was strongly illuminated; but it contained little -furniture except a heavy table and a chair or two; the hearth was -innocent of fire, and the pavement was but sparsely strewn with rushes -clearly many days old. - -On a high chair beside the chimney, and directly facing Denis as he -entered, sat a little old gentleman in a fur tippet. He sat with his -legs crossed and his hands folded, and a cup of spiced wine stood by his -elbow on a bracket on the wall. His countenance had a strong masculine -cast; not properly human, but such as we see in the bull, the goat, or -the domestic boar; something equivocal and wheedling, something greedy, -brutal and dangerous. The upper lip was inordinately full, as though -swollen by a blow or a toothache; and the smile, the peaked eyebrows, -and the small, strong eyes were quaintly and almost comically evil in -expression. Beautiful white hair hung straight all round his head, like -a saint's and fell in a single curl upon the tippet. His beard and -mustache were the pink of venerable sweetness. Age, probably in -consequence of inordinate precautions, had left no mark upon his hands; -and the Malétroit hand was famous. It would be difficult to imagine -anything at once so fleshy and so delicate in design; the taper, sensual -fingers were like those of one of Leonardo's women; the fork of the -thumb made a dimpled protuberance when closed; the nails were perfectly -shaped, and of a dead, surprising whiteness. It rendered his aspect -tenfold more redoubtable, that a man with hands like these should keep -them devoutly folded like a virgin martyr--that a man with so intent and -startling an expression of face should sit patiently on his seat and -contemplate people with an unwinking stare, like a god, or a god's -statue. His quiescence seemed ironical and treacherous, it fitted so -poorly with his looks. - -Such was Alain, Sire de Malétroit. - -Denis and he looked silently at each other for a second or two. - -"Pray step in," said the Sire de Malétroit. "I have been expecting you -all the evening." - -He had not risen, but he accompanied his words with a smile and a slight -but courteous inclination of the head. Partly from the smile, partly -from the strange musical murmur with which the sire prefaced his -observation, Denis felt a strong shudder of disgust go through his -marrow. And what with disgust and honest confusion of mind, he could -scarcely get words together in reply. - -"I fear," he said, "that this is a double accident. I am not the person -you suppose me. It seems you were looking for a visit; but for my part, -nothing was further from my thoughts--nothing could be more contrary to -my wishes--than this intrusion." - -"Well, well," replied the old gentleman indulgently, "here you are, -which is the main point. Seat yourself, my friend, and put yourself -entirely at your ease. We shall arrange our little affairs presently." - -Denis perceived that the matter was still complicated with some -misconception, and he hastened to continue his explanation. - -"Your door," he began. - -"About my door?" asked the other raising his peaked eyebrows. "A little -piece of ingenuity." And he shrugged his shoulders. "A hospitable fancy! -By your own account, you were not desirous of making my acquaintance. We -old people look for such reluctance now and then; when it touches our -honor, we cast about until we find some way of overcoming it. You arrive -uninvited, but believe me, very welcome." - -"You persist in error, sir," said Denis. "There can be no question -between you and me. I am a stranger in this countryside. My name is -Denis, damoiseau de Beaulieu. If you see me in your house it is only--" - -"My young friend," interrupted the other, "you will permit me to have my -own ideas on that subject. They probably differ from yours at the -present moment," he added with a leer, "but time will show which of us -is in the right." - -Denis was convinced he had to do with a lunatic. He seated himself with -a shrug, content to wait the upshot; and a pause ensued, during which he -thought he could distinguish a hurried gabbling as of a prayer from -behind the arras immediately opposite him. Sometimes there seemed to be -but one person engaged, sometimes two; and the vehemence of the voice, -low as it was, seemed to indicate either great haste or an agony of -spirit. It occurred to him that this piece of tapestry covered the -entrance to the chapel he had noticed from without. - -The old gentleman meanwhile surveyed Denis from head to foot with a -smile, and from time to time emitted little noises like a bird or a -mouse, which seemed to indicate a high degree of satisfaction. This -state of matters became rapidly insupportable; and Denis, to put an end -to it, remarked politely that the wind had gone down. - -The old gentleman fell into a fit of silent laughter, so prolonged and -violent that he became quite red in the face. Denis got upon his feet at -once, and put on his hat with a flourish. - -"Sir," he said, "if you are in your wits, you have affronted me grossly. -If you are out of them, I flatter myself I can find better employment -for my brains than to talk with lunatics. My conscience is clear; you -have made a fool of me from the first moment; you have refused to hear -my explanations; and now there is no power under God will make me stay -here any longer; and if I cannot make my way out in a more decent -fashion, I will hack your door in pieces with my sword." - -The Sire de Malétroit raised his right hand and wagged it at Denis with -the fore and little fingers extended. - -"My dear nephew," he said, "sit down." - -"Nephew!" retorted Denis, "you lie in your throat;" and he snapped his -fingers in his face. - -"Sit down, you rogue!" cried the old gentleman, in a sudden, harsh voice -like the barking of a dog. "Do you fancy," he went on, "that when I had -made my little contrivance for the door I had stopped short with that? -If you prefer to be bound hand and foot till your bones ache, rise and -try to go away. If you choose to remain a free young buck, agreeably -conversing with an old gentleman--why, sit where you are in peace, and -God be with you." - -"Do you mean I am a prisoner?" demanded Denis. - -"I state the facts," replied the other. "I would rather leave the -conclusion to yourself." - -Denis sat down again. Externally he managed to keep pretty calm, but -within, he was now boiling with anger, now chilled with apprehension. He -no longer felt convinced that he was dealing with a madman. And if the -old gentleman was sane, what, in God's name, had he to look for? What -absurd or tragical adventure had befallen him? What countenance was he -to assume? - -While he was thus unpleasantly reflecting, the arras that overhung the -chapel door was raised, and a tall priest in his robes came forth, and, -giving a long, keen stare at Denis, said something in an undertone to -Sire de Malétroit. - -"She is in a better frame of spirit?" asked the latter. - -"She is more resigned, messire," replied the priest. - -"Now the Lord help her, she is hard to please!" sneered the old -gentleman. "A likely stripling--not ill-born--and of her own choosing, -too? Why, what more would the jade have?" - -"The situation is not usual for a young damsel," said the other, "and -somewhat trying to her blushes." - -"She should have thought of that before she began the dance! It was none -of my choosing, God knows that; but since she is in it, by our Lady, she -shall carry it to the end." And then addressing Denis, "Monsieur de -Beaulieu," he asked, "may I present you to my niece? She has been -waiting your arrival, I may say, with even greater impatience than -myself." - -Denis had resigned himself with a good grace--all he desired was to know -the worst of it as speedily as possible; so he rose at once, and bowed -in acquiescence. The Sire de Malétroit followed his example and limped, -with the assistance of the chaplain's arm, toward the chapel door. The -priest pulled aside the arras, and all three entered. The building had -considerable architectural pretensions. A light groining sprung from six -stout columns, and hung down in two rich pendants from the centre of the -vault. The place terminated behind the altar in a round end, embossed -and honeycombed with a superfluity of ornament in relief, and pierced by -many little windows shaped like stars, trefoils, or wheels. These -windows were imperfectly glazed, so that the night air circulated freely -in the chapel. The tapers, of which there must have been half a hundred -burning on the altar, were unmercifully blown about; and the light went -through many different phases of brilliancy and semi-eclipse. On the -steps in front of the altar knelt a young girl richly attired as a -bride. A chill settled over Denis as he observed her costume; he fought -with desperate energy against the conclusion that was being thrust upon -his mind; it could not--it should not--be as he feared. - -"Blanche," said the sire, in his most flute-like tones, "I have brought -a friend to see you, my little girl; turn round and give him your pretty -hand. It is good to be devout; but it is necessary to be polite, my -niece." - -The girl rose to her feet and turned toward the newcomers. She moved all -of a piece; and shame and exhaustion were expressed in every line of her -fresh young body; and she held her head down and kept her eyes upon the -pavement, as she came slowly forward. In the course of her advance her -eyes fell upon Denis de Beaulieu's feet--feet of which he was justly -vain, be it remarked, and wore in the most elegant accoutrement even -while travelling. She paused--started, as if his yellow boots had -conveyed some shocking meaning--and glanced suddenly up into the -wearer's countenance. Their eyes met: shame gave place to horror and -terror in her looks; the blood left her lips, with a piercing scream she -covered her face with her hands and sank upon the chapel floor. - -"That is not the man!" she cried. "My uncle, that is not the man!" - -The Sire de Malétroit chirped agreeably. "Of course not," he said; "I -expected as much. It was so unfortunate you could not remember his -name." - -"Indeed," she cried, "indeed, I have never seen this person till this -moment--I have never so much as set eyes upon him--I never wish to see -him again. Sir," she said, turning to Denis, "if you are a gentleman, -you will bear me out. Have I ever seen you--have you ever seen -me--before this accursed hour?" - -"To speak for myself, I have never had that pleasure," answered the -young man. "This is the first time, messire, that I have met with your -engaging niece." - -The old gentleman shrugged his shoulders. - -"I am distressed to hear it," he said. "But it is never too late to -begin. I had little more acquaintance with my own late lady ere I -married her; which proves," he added, with a grimace, "that these -impromptu marriages may often produce an excellent understanding in the -long run. As the bridegroom is to have a voice in the matter, I will -give him two hours to make up for lost time before we proceed with the -ceremony." And he turned toward the door, followed by the clergyman. - -The girl was on her feet in a moment. "My uncle, you cannot be in -earnest," she said. "I declare before God I will stab myself rather than -be forced on that young man. The heart rises at it; God forbids such -marriages; you dishonor your white hair. Oh, my uncle, pity me! There -is not a woman in all the world but would prefer death to such a -nuptial. Is it possible," she added, faltering--"is it possible that you -do not believe me--that you still think this" and she pointed at Denis -with a tremor of anger and contempt--"that you still think _this_ to be -the man?" - -"Frankly," said the old gentleman, pausing on the threshold, "I do. But -let me explain to you once for all, Blanche de Malétroit, my way of -thinking about this affair. When you took it into your head to dishonor -my family and the name that I have borne, in peace and war, for more -than threescore years, you forfeited, not only the right to question my -designs, but that of looking me in the face. If your father had been -alive, he would have spat on you and turned you out of doors. His was -the hand of iron. You may bless your God you have only to deal with the -hand of velvet, mademoiselle. It was my duty to get you married without -delay. Out of pure goodwill, I have tried to find your own gallant for -you. And I believe I have succeeded. But before God and all the holy -angels, Blanche de Malétroit, if I have not, I care not one jackstraw. -So let me recommend you to be polite to our young friend; for, upon my -word, your next groom may be less appetizing." - -And with that he went out, with the chaplain at his heels; and the arras -fell behind the pair. - -The girl turned upon Denis with flashing eyes. - -"And what, sir," she demanded, "may be the meaning of all this?" - -"God knows," returned Denis, gloomily. "I am a prisoner in this house, -which seems full of mad people. More I know not; and nothing do I -understand." - -"And pray how came you here?" she asked. - -He told her as briefly as he could. "For the rest," he added, "perhaps -you will follow my example, and tell me the answer to all these riddles, -and what, in God's name, is like to be the end of it." - -She stood silent for a little, and he could see her lips tremble and her -tearless eyes burn with a feverish lustre. Then she pressed her forehead -in both hands. - -"Alas, how my head aches!" she said, wearily--"to say nothing of my poor -heart! But it is due to you to know my story, unmaidenly as it must -seem. I am called Blanche de Malétroit; I have been without father or -mother for--oh! for as long as I can recollect, and indeed I have been -most unhappy all my life. Three months ago a young captain began to -stand near me every day in church. I could see that I pleased him; I am -much to blame, but I was so glad that any one should love me; and when -he passed me a letter, I took it home with me and read it with great -pleasure. Since that time he has written many. He was so anxious to -speak with me, poor fellow! and kept asking me to leave the door open -some evening that we might have two words upon the stair. For he knew -how much my uncle trusted me." She gave something like a sob at that, -and it was a moment before she could go on. "My uncle is a hard man, but -he is very shrewd," she said, at last. "He has performed many feats in -war, and was a great person at court, and much trusted by Queen Isabeau -in old days. How he came to suspect me I cannot tell; but it is hard to -keep anything from his knowledge; and this morning, as we came from -mass, he took my hand into his, forced it open, and read my little -billet, walking by my side all the while. - -"When he finished, he gave it back to me with great politeness. It -contained another request to have the door left open; and this has been -the ruin of us all. My uncle kept me strictly in my room until evening, -and then ordered me to dress myself as you see me--a hard mockery for a -young girl, do you not think so? I suppose, when he could not prevail -with me to tell him the young captain's name, he must have laid a trap -for him; into which, alas! you have fallen in the anger of God. I looked -for much confusion; for how could I tell whether he was willing to take -me for his wife on these sharp terms? He might have been trifling with -me from the first; or I might have made myself too cheap in his eyes. -But truly I had not looked for such a shameful punishment as this! I -could not think that God would let a girl be so disgraced before a young -man. And now I tell you all; and I can scarcely hope that you will not -despise me." - -Denis made her a respectful inclination. - -"Madam," he said, "you have honored me by your confidence. It remains -for me to prove that I am not unworthy of the honor. Is Messire de -Malétroit at hand?" - -"I believe he is writing in the _salle_ without," she answered. - -"May I lead you thither, madam?" asked Denis, offering his hand with his -most courtly bearing. - -She accepted it; and the pair passed out of the chapel, Blanche in a -very drooping and shamefast condition, but Denis strutting and ruffling -in the consciousness of a mission, and the boyish certainty of -accomplishing it with honor. - -The Sire Malétroit rose to meet them with an ironical obeisance. - -"Sir," said Denis, with the grandest possible air, "I believe I am to -have some say in the matter of this marriage; and let me tell you at -once, I will be no party to forcing the inclination of this young lady. -Had it been freely offered to me, I should have been proud to accept -her hand, for I perceive she is as good as she is beautiful; but as -things are, I have now the honor, messire, of refusing." - -Blanche looked at him with gratitude in her eyes; but the old gentleman -only smiled and smiled, until his smile grew positively sickening to -Denis. - -"I am afraid," he said, "Monsieur de Beaulieu, that you do not perfectly -understand the choice I have offered you. Follow me, I beseech you, to -this window." And he led the way to one of the large windows which stood -open on the night. "You observe," he went on, "there is an iron ring in -the upper masonry, and reeved through that, a very efficacious rope. -Now, mark my words: if you should find your disinclination to my niece's -person insurmountable, I shall have you hanged out of this window before -sunrise. I shall only proceed to such an extremity with the greatest -regret, you may believe me. For it is not at all your death that I -desire, but my niece's establishment in life. At the same time, it must -come to that if you prove obstinate. Your family, Monsieur de Beaulieu, -is very well in its way; but if you sprung from Charlemagne, you should -not refuse the hand of a Malétroit with impunity--not if she had been as -common as the Paris road--not if she was as hideous as the gargoyle over -my door. Neither my niece nor you, nor my own private feelings, move me -at all in this matter. The honor of my house has been compromised; I -believe you to be the guilty person, at least you are now in the secret; -and you can hardly wonder if I request you to wipe out the stain. If you -will not, your blood be on your own head! It will be no great -satisfaction to me to have your interesting relics kicking their heels -in the breeze below my windows, but half a loaf is better than no -bread, and if I cannot cure the dishonor, I shall at least stop the -scandal." - -There was a pause. - -"I believe there are other ways of settling such imbroglios among -gentlemen," said Denis. "You wear a sword, and I hear you have used it -with distinction." - -The Sire de Malétroit made a signal to the chaplain, who crossed the -room with long silent strides and raised the arras over the third of the -three doors. It was only a moment before he let it fall again; but Denis -had time to see a dusky passage full of armed men. - -"When I was a little younger, I should have been delighted to honor you, -Monsieur de Beaulieu," said Sire Alain; "but now I am too old. Faithful -retainers are the sinews of age, and I must employ the strength I have. -This is one of the hardest things to swallow as a man grows up in years; -but with a little patience, even this becomes habitual. You and the lady -seem to prefer the _salle_ for what remains of your two hours; and as I -have no desire to cross your preference, I shall resign it to your use -with all the pleasure in the world. No haste!" he added, holding up his -hand, as he saw a dangerous look come into Denis de Beaulieu's face. "If -your mind revolt against hanging, it will be time enough two hours hence -to throw yourself out of the window or upon the pikes of my retainers. -Two hours of life are always two hours. A great many things may turn up -in even as little a while as that. And, besides, if I understand her -appearance, my niece has something to say to you. You will not disfigure -your last hours by want of politeness to a lady?" - -Denis looked at Blanche, and she made him an imploring gesture. - -It is likely that the old gentleman was hugely pleased at this symptom -of an understanding; for he smiled on both, and added sweetly: "If you -will give me your word of honor, Monsieur de Beaulieu, to await my -return at the end of the two hours before attempting anything desperate, -I shall withdraw my retainers, and let you speak in greater privacy with -mademoiselle." - -Denis again glanced at the girl, who seemed to beseech him to agree. - -"I give you my word of honor," he said. - -Messire de Malétroit bowed, and proceeded to limp about the apartment, -clearing his throat the while with that odd musical chirp which had -already grown so irritating in the ears of Denis de Beaulieu. He first -possessed himself of some papers which lay upon the table; then he went -to the mouth of the passage and appeared to give an order to the men -behind the arras; and lastly he hobbled out through the door by which -Denis had come in, turning upon the threshold to address a last smiling -bow to the young couple, and followed by the chaplain with a hand lamp. - -No sooner were they alone than Blanche advanced toward Denis with her -hands extended. Her face was flushed and excited, and her eyes shone -with tears. - -"You shall not die!" she cried, "you shall marry me after all." - -"You seem to think, madam," replied Denis, "that I stand much in fear of -death." - -"Oh, no, no," she said, "I see you are no poltroon. It is for my own -sake--I could not bear to have you slain for such a scruple." - -"I am afraid," returned Denis, "that you underrate the difficulty, -madam. What you may be too generous to refuse, I may be too proud to -accept. In a moment of noble feeling toward me, you forget what you -perhaps owe to others." He had the decency to keep his eyes on the -floor as he said this, and after he had finished, so as not to spy upon -her confusion. She stood silent for a moment, then walked suddenly away, -and falling on her uncle's chair, fairly burst out sobbing. Denis was in -the acme of embarrassment. He looked round, as if to seek for -inspiration, and, seeing a stool, plumped down upon it for something to -do. There he sat, playing with the guard of his rapier, and wishing -himself dead a thousand times over, and buried in the nastiest -kitchen-heap in France. His eyes wandered round the apartment, but found -nothing to arrest them. There were such wide spaces between the -furniture, the light fell so badly and cheerlessly over all, the dark -outside air looked in so coldly through the windows, that he thought he -had never seen a church so vast, nor a tomb so melancholy. The regular -sobs of Blanche de Malétroit measured out the time like the ticking of a -clock. He read the device upon the shield over and over again, until his -eyes became obscured; he stared into shadowy corners until he imagined -they were swarming with horrible animals; and every now and again he -awoke with a start, to remember that his last two hours were running, -and death was on the march. - -Oftener and oftener, as the time went on, did his glance settle on the -girl herself. Her face was bowed forward and covered with her hands, and -she was shaken at intervals by the convulsive hiccough of grief. Even -thus she was not an unpleasant object to dwell upon, so plump and yet so -fine, with a warm brown skin, and the most beautiful hair, Denis -thought, in the whole world of womankind. Her hands were like her -uncle's: but they were more in place at the end of her young arms, and -looked infinitely soft and caressing. He remembered how her blue eyes -had shone upon him, full of anger, pity, and innocence. And the more he -dwelt on her perfections, the uglier death looked, and the more deeply -was he smitten with penitence at her continued tears. Now he felt that -no man could have the courage to leave a world which contained so -beautiful a creature; and now he would have given forty minutes of his -last hour to have unsaid his cruel speech. - -Suddenly a hoarse and ragged peal of cockcrow rose to their ears from -the dark valley below the windows. And this shattering noise in the -silence of all around was like a light in a dark place, and shook them -both out of their reflections. - -"Alas, can I do nothing to help you?" she said, looking up. - -"Madam," replied Denis, with a fine irrelevancy, "if I have said -anything to wound you, believe me, it was for your own sake and not for -mine." - -She thanked him with a tearful look. - -"I feel your position cruelly," he went on. "The world has been bitter -hard on you. Your uncle is a disgrace to mankind. Believe me, madam, -there is no young gentleman in all France but would be glad of my -opportunity, to die in doing you a momentary service." - -"I know already that you can be very brave and generous," she answered. -"What I _want_ to know is whether I can serve you--now or afterward," -she added, with a quaver. - -"Most certainly," he answered, with a smile. "Let me sit beside you as -if I were a friend, instead of a foolish intruder; try to forget how -awkwardly we are placed to one another; make my last moments go -pleasantly; and you will do me the chief service possible." - -"You are very gallant," she added, with a yet deeper sadness--"very -gallant--and it somehow pains me. But draw nearer, if you please; and -if you find anything to say to me, you will at least make certain of a -very friendly listener. Ah! Monsieur de Beaulieu," she broke forth--"ah! -Monsieur de Beaulieu, how can I look you in the face?" And she fell to -weeping again with a renewed effusion. - -"Madam," said Denis, taking her hand in both of his, "reflect on the -little time I have before me, and the great bitterness into which I am -cast by the sight of your distress. Spare me, in my last moments, the -spectacle of what I cannot cure even with the sacrifice of my life." - -"I am very selfish," answered Blanche. "I will be braver, Monsieur de -Beaulieu, for your sake. But think if I can do you no kindness in the -future--if you have no friends to whom I could carry your adieux. Charge -me as heavily as you can; every burden will lighten, by so little, the -invaluable gratitude I owe you. Put it in my power to do something more -for you than weep." - -"My mother is married again, and has a young family to care for. My -brother Guichard will inherit my fiefs; and if I am not in error, that -will content him amply for my death. Life is a little vapor that passeth -away, as we are told by those in holy orders. When a man is in a fair -way and sees all life open in front of him, he seems to himself to make -a very important figure in the world. His horse whinnies to him; the -trumpets blow and the girls look out of window as he rides into town -before his company; he receives many assurances of trust and -regard--sometimes by express in a letter--sometimes face to face, with -persons of great consequence falling on his neck. It is not wonderful if -his head is turned for a time. But once he is dead, were he as brave as -Hercules or as wise as Solomon, he is soon forgotten. It is not ten -years since my father fell, with many other knights around him, in a -very fierce encounter, and I do not think that any one of them, nor so -much as the name of the fight, is now remembered. No, no, madam, the -nearer you come to it, you see that death is a dark and dusty corner, -where a man gets into his tomb and has the door shut after him till the -judgment day. I have few friends just now, and once I am dead I shall -have none." - -"Ah, Monsieur de Beaulieu!" she exclaimed, "you forget Blanche de -Malétroit." - -"You have a sweet nature, madam, and you are pleased to estimate a -little service far beyond its worth." - -"It is not that," she answered. "You mistake me if you think I am easily -touched by my own concerns. I say so because you are the noblest man I -have ever met; because I recognize in you a spirit that would have made -even a common person famous in the land." - -"And yet here I die in a mousetrap--with no more noise about it than my -own squeaking," answered he. - -A look of pain crossed her face and she was silent for a little while. -Then a light came into her eyes, and with a smile she spoke again. - -"I cannot have my champion think meanly of himself. Anyone who gives his -life for another will be met in Paradise by all the heralds and angels -of the Lord God. And you have no such cause to hang your head. -For--Pray, do you think me beautiful?" she asked, with a deep flush. - -"Indeed, madam, I do," he said. - -"I am glad of that," she answered heartily. "Do you think there are many -men in France who have been asked in marriage by a beautiful -maiden--with her own lips--and who have refused her to her face? I know -you men would half despise such a triumph; but believe me, we women know -more of what is precious in love. There is nothing that should set a -person higher in his own esteem; and we women would prize nothing more -dearly." - -"You are very good," he said; "but you cannot make me forget that I was -asked in pity and not for love." - -"I am not so sure of that," she replied, holding down her head. "Hear me -to an end, Monsieur de Beaulieu. I know how you must despise me; I feel -you are right to do so; I am too poor a creature to occupy one thought -of your mind, although, alas! you must die for me this morning. But when -I asked you to marry me, indeed, and indeed, it was because I respected -and admired you, and loved you with my whole soul, from the very moment -that you took my part against my uncle. If you had seen yourself, and -how noble you looked, you would pity rather than despise me. And now," -she went on, hurriedly checking him with her hand, "although I have laid -aside all reserve and told you so much, remember that I know your -sentiments toward me already. I would not, believe me, being nobly born, -weary you with importunities into consent. I too have a pride of my own: -and I declare before the holy mother of God, if you should now go back -from your word already given, I would no more marry you than I would -marry my uncle's groom." - -Denis smiled a little bitterly. - -"It is a small love," he said, "that shies at a little pride." - -She made no answer, although she probably had her own thoughts. - -"Come hither to the window," he said with a sigh. "Here is the dawn." - -And indeed the dawn was already beginning. The hollow of the sky was -full of essential daylight, colorless and clean; and the valley -underneath was flooded with a gray reflection. A few thin vapors clung -in the coves of the forest or lay along the winding course of the river. -The scene disengaged a surprising effect of stillness, which was hardly -interrupted when the cocks began once more to crow among the steadings. -Perhaps the same fellow who had made so horrid a clangor in the darkness -not half an hour before, now sent up the merriest cheer to greet the -coming day. A little wind went bustling and eddying among the tree-tops -underneath the windows. And still the daylight kept flooding insensibly -out of the east, which was soon to grow incandescent and cast up that -red-hot cannon-ball, the rising sun. - -Denis looked out over all this with a bit of a shiver. He had taken her -hand, and retained it in his almost unconsciously. - -"Has the day begun already?" she said; and then illogically enough: "the -night has been so long! Alas! what shall we say to my uncle when he -returns?" - -"What you will," said Denis, and he pressed her fingers in his. - -She was silent. - -"Blanche," he said, with a swift, uncertain, passionate utterance, "you -have seen whether I fear death. You must know well enough that I would -as gladly leap out of that window into the empty air as to lay a finger -on you without your free and full consent. But if you care for me at all -do not let me lose my life in a misapprehension; for I love you better -than the whole world; and though I will die for you blithely, it would -be like all the joys of Paradise to live on and spend my life in your -service." - -As he stopped speaking, a bell began to ring loudly in the interior of -the house; and a clatter of armor in the corridor showed that the -retainers were returning to their post, and the two hours were at an -end. - -"After all that you have heard?" she whispered, leaning toward him with -her lips and eyes. - -"I have heard nothing," he replied. - -"The captain's name was Florimond de Champdivers," she said in his ear. - -"I did not hear it," he answered, taking her supple body in his arms, -and covering her wet face with kisses. - -A melodious chirping was audible behind, followed by a beautiful -chuckle, and the voice of Messire de Malétroit wished his new nephew a -good morning. - - - - -MARKHEIM - - -"Yes," said the dealer, "our windfalls are of various kinds. Some -customers are ignorant, and then I touch a dividend on my superior -knowledge. Some are dishonest," and here he held up the candle, so that -the light fell strongly on his visitor, "and in that case," he -continued, "I profit by my virtue." - -Markheim had but just entered from the daylight streets, and his eyes -had not yet grown familiar with the mingled shine and darkness in the -shop. At these pointed words, and before the near presence of the flame, -he blinked painfully and looked aside. - -The dealer chuckled. "You come to me on Christmas Day," he resumed, -"when you know that I am alone in my house, put up my shutters, and make -a point of refusing business. Well, you will have to pay for that; you -will have to pay for my loss of time, when I should be balancing my -books; you will have to pay, besides, for a kind of manner that I remark -in you to-day very strongly. I am the essence of discretion, and ask no -awkward questions; but when a customer cannot look me in the eye, he has -to pay for it." The dealer once more chuckled; and then, changing to his -usual business voice, though still with a note of irony, "You can give, -as usual, a clear account of how you came into the possession of the -object?" he continued. "Still your uncle's cabinet? A remarkable -collector, sir!" - -And the little pale, round-shouldered dealer stood almost on tiptoe, -looking over the top of his gold spectacles, and nodding his head with -every mark of disbelief. Markheim returned his gaze with one of infinite -pity, and a touch of horror. - -"This time," said he, "you are in error. I have not come to sell, but to -buy. I have no curios to dispose of; my uncle's cabinet is bare to the -wainscot; even were it still intact, I have done well on the Stock -Exchange, and should more likely add to it than otherwise, and my errand -to-day is simplicity itself. I seek a Christmas present for a lady," he -continued, waxing more fluent as he struck into the speech he had -prepared; "and certainly I owe you every excuse for thus disturbing you -upon so small a matter. But the thing was neglected yesterday; I must -produce my little compliment at dinner; and, as you very well know, a -rich marriage is not a thing to be neglected." - -There followed a pause, during which the dealer seemed to weigh this -statement incredulously. The ticking of many clocks among the curious -lumber of the shop, and the faint rushing of the cabs in a near -thoroughfare, filled up the interval of silence. - -"Well, sir," said the dealer, "be it so. You are an old customer after -all; and if, as you say, you have the chance of a good marriage, far be -it from me to be an obstacle. Here is a nice thing for a lady, now," he -went on, "this hand glass--fifteenth century, warranted; comes from a -good collection, too; but I reserve the name, in the interests of my -customer, who was just like yourself, my dear sir, the nephew and sole -heir of a remarkable collector." - -The dealer, while he thus ran on in his dry and biting voice, had -stooped to take the object from its place; and, as he had done so, a -shock had passed through Markheim, a start both of hand and foot, a -sudden leap of many tumultuous passions to the face. It passed as -swiftly as it came, and left no trace beyond a certain trembling of the -hand that now received the glass. - -"A glass," he said hoarsely, and then paused, and repeated it more -clearly. "A glass? For Christmas? Surely not." - -"And why not?" cried the dealer. "Why not a glass?" - -Markheim was looking upon him with an indefinable expression. "You ask -me why not?" he said. "Why, look here--look in it--look at yourself! Do -you like to see it? No! nor I--nor any man." - -The little man had jumped back when Markheim had so suddenly confronted -him with the mirror; but now, perceiving there was nothing worse on -hand, he chuckled. "Your future lady, sir, must be pretty hard favored," -said he. - -"I ask you," said Markheim, "for a Christmas present, and you give me -this--this damned reminder of years and sins and follies--this -hand-conscience! Did you mean it? Had you a thought in your mind? Tell -me. It will be better for you if you do. Come, tell me about yourself. I -hazard a guess now, that you are in secret a very charitable man?" - -The dealer looked closely at his companion. It was very odd, Markheim -did not appear to be laughing; there was something in his face like an -eager sparkle of hope, but nothing of mirth. - -"What are you driving at?" the dealer asked. - -"Not charitable?" returned the other, gloomily. "Not charitable; not -pious; not scrupulous; unloving; unbeloved; a hand to get money, a safe -to keep it. Is that all? Dear God, man, is that all?" - -"I will tell you what it is," began the dealer, with some sharpness, and -then broke off again into a chuckle. "But I see this is a love match of -yours, and you have been drinking the lady's health." - -"Ah!" cried Markheim, with a strange curiosity. "Ah, have you been in -love? Tell me about that." - -"I!" cried the dealer. "I in love! I never had the time, nor have I the -time to-day for all this nonsense. Will you take the glass?" - -"Where is the hurry?" returned Markheim. "It is very pleasant to stand -here talking; and life is so short and insecure that I would not hurry -away from any pleasure--no, not even from so mild a one as this. We -should rather cling, cling to what little we can get, like a man at a -cliff's edge. Every second is a cliff, if you think upon it--a cliff a -mile high--high enough, if we fall, to dash us out of every feature of -humanity. Hence it is best to talk pleasantly. Let us talk of each -other; why should we wear this mask? Let us be confidential. Who knows, -we might become friends?" - -"I have just one word to say to you," said the dealer. "Either make your -purchase, or walk out of my shop." - -"True, true," said Markheim. "Enough fooling. To business. Show me -something else." - -The dealer stooped once more, this time to replace the glass upon the -shelf, his thin blond hair falling over his eyes as he did so. Markheim -moved a little nearer, with one hand in the pocket of his greatcoat; he -drew himself up and filled his lungs; at the same time many different -emotions were depicted together on his face--terror, horror, and -resolve, fascination, and a physical repulsion; and through a haggard -lift of his upper lip, his teeth looked out. - -"This, perhaps, may suit," observed the dealer; and then, as he began to -re-arise, Markheim bounded from behind upon his victim. The long, -skewer-like dagger flashed and fell. The dealer struggled like a hen, -striking his temple on the shelf, and then tumbled on the floor in a -heap. - -Time had some score of small voices in that shop, some stately and slow -as was becoming to their great age, others garrulous and hurried. All -these told out the seconds in an intricate chorus of tickings. Then the -passage of a lad's feet, heavily running on the pavement, broke in upon -these smaller voices and startled Markheim into the consciousness of his -surroundings. He looked about him awfully. The candle stood on the -counter, its flame solemnly wagging in a draught; and by that -inconsiderable movement, the whole room was filled with noiseless bustle -and kept heaving like a sea: the tall shadows nodding, the gross blots -of darkness swelling and dwindling as with respiration, the faces of the -portraits and the china gods changing and wavering like images in water. -The inner door stood ajar, and peered into that leaguer of shadows with -a long slit of daylight like a pointing finger. - -From these fear-stricken rovings, Markheim's eyes returned to the body -of his victim, where it lay both humped and sprawling, incredibly small -and strangely meaner than in life. In these poor, miserly clothes, in -that ungainly attitude, the dealer lay like so much sawdust. Markheim -had feared to see it, and, lo! it was nothing. And yet, as he gazed, -this bundle of old clothes and pool of blood began to find eloquent -voices. There it must lie; there was none to work the cunning hinges or -direct the miracle of locomotion--there it must lie till it was found. -Found! aye, and then? Then would this dead flesh lift up a cry that -would ring over England, and fill the world with the echoes of pursuit. -Ay, dead or not, this was still the enemy. "Time was that when the -brains were out," he thought; and the first word struck into his mind. -Time, now that the deed was accomplished--time, which had closed for the -victim, had become instant and momentous for the slayer. - -The thought was yet in his mind, when, first one and then another, with -every variety of pace and voice--one deep as the bell from a cathedral -turret, another ringing on its treble notes the prelude of a waltz--the -clocks began to strike the hour of three in the afternoon. - -The sudden outbreak of so many tongues in that dumb chamber staggered -him. He began to bestir himself, going to and fro with the candle, -beleaguered by moving shadows, and startled to the soul by chance -reflections. In many rich mirrors, some of home designs, some from -Venice or Amsterdam, he saw his face repeated and repeated, as it were -an army of spies; his own eyes met and detected him; and the sound of -his own steps, lightly as they fell, vexed the surrounding quiet. And -still as he continued to fill his pockets, his mind accused him, with a -sickening iteration, of the thousand faults of his design. He should -have chosen a more quiet hour; he should have prepared an alibi; he -should not have used a knife; he should have been more cautious, and -only bound and gagged the dealer, and not killed him; he should have -been more bold, and killed the servant also; he should have done all -things otherwise; poignant regrets, weary, incessant toiling of the mind -to change what was unchangeable, to plan what was now useless, to be the -architect of the irrevocable past. Meanwhile, and behind all this -activity, brute terrors, like the scurrying of rats in a deserted -attic, filled the more remote chambers of his brain with riot; the hand -of the constable would fall heavy on his shoulder, and his nerves would -jerk like a hooked fish; or he beheld, in galloping defile, the dock, -the prison, the gallows, and the black coffin. Terror of the people in -the street sat down before his mind like a besieging army. It was -impossible, he thought, but that some rumor of the struggle must have -reached their ears and set on edge their curiosity; and now, in all the -neighboring houses, he divined them sitting motionless and with uplifted -ear--solitary people, condemned to spend Christmas dwelling alone on -memories of the past, and now startlingly recalled from that tender -exercise; happy family parties, struck into silence round the table, the -mother still with raised finger: every degree and age and humor, but -all, by their own hearths, prying and hearkening and weaving the rope -that was to hang him. Sometimes it seemed to him he could not move too -softly; the clink of the tall Bohemian goblets rang out loudly like a -bell; and alarmed by the bigness of the ticking, he was tempted to stop -the clocks. And then, again, with a swift transition of his terrors, the -very silence of the place appeared a source of peril, and a thing to -strike and freeze the passer-by; and he would step more boldly, and -bustle aloud among the contents of the shop, and imitate, with elaborate -bravado, the movements of a busy man at ease in his own house. - -But he was now so pulled about by different alarms that, while one -portion of his mind was still alert and cunning, another trembled on the -brink of lunacy. One hallucination in particular took a strong hold on -his credulity. The neighbor hearkening with white face beside his -window, the passer-by arrested by a horrible surmise on the -pavement--these could at worst suspect, they could not know; through -the brick walls and shuttered windows only sounds could penetrate. But -here, within the house, was he alone? He knew he was; he had watched the -servant set forth sweethearting, in her poor best, "out for the day" -written in every ribbon and smile. Yes, he was alone, of course; and -yet, in the bulk of empty house about him, he could surely hear a stir -of delicate footing--he was surely conscious, inexplicably conscious, of -some presence. Ay, surely; to every room and corner of the house his -imagination followed it; and now it was a faceless thing, and yet had -eyes to see with; and again it was a shadow of himself; and yet again -behold the image of the dead dealer, reinspired with cunning and hatred. - -At times, with a strong effort, he would glance at the open door which -still seemed to repel his eyes. The house was tall, the skylight small -and dirty, the day blind with fog; and the light that filtered down to -the ground story was exceedingly faint, and showed dimly on the -threshold of the shop. And yet, in that strip of doubtful brightness, -did there not hang wavering a shadow? - -Suddenly, from the street outside, a very jovial gentleman began to beat -with a staff on the shop door, accompanying his blows with shouts and -railleries in which the dealer was continually called upon by name. -Markheim, smitten into ice, glanced at the dead man. But no! he lay -quite still; he was fled away far beyond earshot of these blows and -shoutings; he was sunk beneath seas of silence; and his name, which -would once have caught his notice above the howling of a storm, had -become an empty sound. And presently the jovial gentleman desisted from -his knocking and departed. - -Here was a broad hint to hurry what remained to be done, to get forth -from this accusing neighborhood, to plunge into a bath of London -multitudes, and to reach, on the other side of day, that haven of safety -and apparent innocence--his bed. One visitor had come: at any moment -another might follow and be more obstinate. To have done the deed, and -yet not to reap the profit, would be too abhorrent a failure. The money, -that was now Markheim's concern; and as a means to that, the keys. - -He glanced over his shoulder at the open door, where the shadow was -still lingering and shivering; and with no conscious repugnance of the -mind, yet with a tremor of the belly, he drew near the body of his -victim. The human character had quite departed. Like a suit half-stuffed -with bran, the limbs lay scattered, the trunk doubled, on the floor; and -yet the thing repelled him. Although so dingy and inconsiderable to the -eye, he feared it might have more significance to the touch. He took the -body by the shoulders, and turned it on its back. It was strangely light -and supple, and the limbs, as if they had been broken, fell into the -oddest postures. The face was robbed of all expression; but it was as -pale as wax, and shockingly smeared with blood about one temple. That -was, for Markheim, the one displeasing circumstance. It carried him -back, upon the instant, to a certain fair day in a fishers' village: a -gray day, a piping wind, a crowd upon the street, the blare of brasses, -the booming of drums, the nasal voice of a ballad singer; and a boy -going to and fro, buried over head in the crowd and divided between -interest and fear, until, coming out upon the chief place of concourse, -he beheld a booth and a great screen with pictures, dismally designed, -garishly colored: Brownrigg with her apprentice; the Mannings with their -murdered guest; Weare in the death grip of Thurtell; and a score besides -of famous crimes. The thing was as clear as an illusion; he was once -again that little boy; he was looking once again, and with the same -sense of physical revolt, at these vile pictures; he was still stunned -by the thumping of the drums. A bar of that day's music returned upon -his memory; and at that, for the first time, a qualm came over him, a -breath of nausea, a sudden weakness of the joints, which he must -instantly resist and conquer. - -He judged it more prudent to confront than to flee from these -considerations; looking the more hardily in the dead face, bending his -mind to realize the nature and greatness of his crime. So little a while -ago that face had moved with every change of sentiment, that pale mouth -had spoken, that body had been all on fire with governable energies; and -now, and by his act, that piece of life had been arrested, as the -horologist, with interjected finger, arrests the beating of the clock. -So he reasoned in vain; he could rise to no more remorseful -consciousness; the same heart which had shuddered before the painted -effigies of crime, looked on its reality unmoved. At best, he felt a -gleam of pity for one who had been endowed in vain with all those -faculties that can make the world a garden of enchantment, one who had -never lived and who was now dead. But of penitence, no, not a tremor. - -With that, shaking himself clear of these considerations, he found the -keys and advanced toward the open door of the shop. Outside, it had -begun to rain smartly; and the sound of the shower upon the roof had -banished silence. Like some dripping cavern, the chambers of the house -were haunted by an incessant echoing, which filled the ear and mingled -with the ticking of the clocks. And, as Markheim approached the door, he -seemed to hear, in answer to his own cautious tread, the steps of -another foot withdrawing up the stair. The shadow still palpitated -loosely on the threshold. He threw a ton's weight of resolve upon his -muscles, and drew back the door. - -The faint, foggy daylight glimmered dimly on the bare floor and stairs; -on the bright suit of armor posted, halbert in hand, upon the landing; -and on the dark wood carvings and framed pictures that hung against the -yellow panels of the wainscot. So loud was the beating of the rain -through all the house that, in Markheim's ears, it began to be -distinguished into many different sounds. Footsteps and sighs, the tread -of regiments marching in the distance, the chink of money in the -counting, and the creaking of doors held stealthily ajar, appeared to -mingle with the patter of the drops upon the cupola and the gushing of -the water in the pipes. The sense that he was not alone grew upon him to -the verge of madness. On every side he was haunted and begirt by -presences. He heard them moving in the upper chambers; from the shop, he -heard the dead man getting to his legs; and as he began with a great -effort to mount the stairs, feet fled quietly before him and followed -stealthily behind. If he were but deaf, he thought, how tranquilly he -would possess his soul! And then again, and hearkening with ever fresh -attention, he blessed himself for that unresting sense which held the -outposts and stood a trusty sentinel upon his life. His head turned -continually on his neck; his eyes, which seemed starting from their -orbits, scouted on every side, and on every side were half rewarded as -with the tail of something nameless vanishing. The four-and-twenty steps -to the first floor were four-and-twenty agonies. - -On that first story the doors stood ajar, three of them like three -ambushes, shaking his nerves like the throats of cannon. He could never -again, he felt, be sufficiently immured and fortified from men's -observing eyes; he longed to be home, girt in by walls, buried among -bedclothes, and invisible to all but God. And at that thought he -wondered a little, recollecting tales of other murderers and the fear -they were said to entertain of heavenly avengers. It was not so, at -least, with him. He feared the laws of nature, lest, in their callous -and immutable procedure, they should preserve some damning evidence of -his crime. He feared tenfold more, with a slavish, superstitious terror, -some scission in the continuity of man's experience, some wilful -illegality of nature. He played a game of skill, depending on the rules, -calculating consequence from cause; and what if nature, as the defeated -tyrant overthrew the chessboard, should break the mould of their -succession? The like had befallen Napoleon (so writers said) when the -winter changed the time of its appearance. The like might befall -Markheim: the solid walls might become transparent and reveal his doings -like those of bees in a glass hive; the stout planks might yield under -his foot like quicksands and detain him in their clutch; ay, and there -were soberer accidents that might destroy him: if, for instance, the -house should fall and imprison him beside the body of his victim; or the -house next door should fly on fire, and the firemen invade him from all -sides. These things he feared; and, in a sense, these things might be -called the hands of God reached forth against sin. But about God himself -he was at ease; his act was doubtless exceptional, but so were his -excuses, which God knew; it was there, and not among men, that he felt -sure of justice. - -When he got safe into the drawing-room, and shut the door behind him, he -was aware of a respite from alarms. The room was quite dismantled, -uncarpeted besides, and strewn with packing cases and incongruous -furniture; several great pier glasses, in which he beheld himself at -various angles, like an actor on a stage; many pictures, framed and -unframed, standing, with their faces to the wall; a fine Sheraton -sideboard, a cabinet of marquetry, and a great old bed, with tapestry -hangings. The windows opened to the floor; but by great good fortune the -lower part of the shutters had been closed, and this concealed him from -the neighbors. Here, then, Markheim drew in a packing case before the -cabinet, and began to search among the keys. It was a long business, for -there were many; and it was irksome, besides; for, after all, there -might be nothing in the cabinet, and time was on the wing. But the -closeness of the occupation sobered him. With the tail of his eye he saw -the door--even glanced at it from time to time directly, like a besieged -commander pleased to verify the good estate of his defences. But in -truth he was at peace. The rain falling in the street sounded natural -and pleasant. Presently, on the other side, the notes of a piano were -wakened to the music of a hymn, and the voices of many children took up -the air and words. How stately, how comfortable was the melody! How -fresh the youthful voices! Markheim gave ear to it smilingly, as he -sorted out the keys; and his mind was thronged with answerable ideas and -images; church-going children and the pealing of the high organ; -children afield, bathers by the brookside, ramblers on the brambly -common, kite-flyers in the windy and cloud-navigated sky; and then, at -another cadence of the hymn, back again to church, and the somnolence of -summer Sundays, and the high, genteel voice of the parson (which he -smiled a little to recall), and the painted Jacobean tombs, and the dim -lettering of the Ten Commandments in the chancel. - -And as he sat thus, at once busy and absent, he was startled to his -feet. A flash of ice, a flash of fire, a bursting gush of blood, went -over him, and then he stood transfixed and thrilling. A step mounted the -stair slowly and steadily, and presently a hand was laid upon the knob, -and the lock clicked, and the door opened. Fear held Markheim in a vice. -What to expect he knew not, whether the dead man walking, or the -official ministers of human justice, or some chance witness blindly -stumbling in to consign him to the gallows. But when a face was thrust -into the aperture, glanced round the room, looked at him, nodded and -smiled as if in friendly recognition, and then withdrew again, and the -door closed behind it, his fear broke loose from his control in a hoarse -cry. At the sound of this the visitant returned. - -"Did you call me?" he asked pleasantly, and with that he entered the -room and closed the door behind him. - -Markheim stood and gazed at him with all his eyes. Perhaps there was a -film upon his sight, but the outlines of the newcomer seemed to change -and waver like those of the idols in the wavering candlelight of the -shop: and at times he thought he knew him; and at times he thought he -bore a likeness to himself; and always, like a lump of living terror, -there lay in his bosom the conviction that this thing was not of the -earth and not of God. - -And yet the creature had a strange air of the commonplace, as he stood -looking on Markheim with a smile; and when he added: "You are looking -for the money, I believe?" it was in the tones of everyday politeness. - -Markheim made no answer. - -"I should warn you," resumed the other, "that the maid has left her -sweetheart earlier than usual and will soon be here. If Mr. Markheim be -found in this house, I need not describe to him the consequences." - -"You know me?" cried the murderer. - -The visitor smiled. "You have long been a favorite of mine," he said; -"and I have long observed and often sought to help you." - -"What are you?" cried Markheim: "the devil?" - -"What I may be," returned the other, "cannot affect the service I -propose to render you." - -"It can," cried Markheim; "it does! Be helped by you? No, never; not by -you! You do not know me yet; thank God, you do not know me!" - -"I know you," replied the visitant, with a sort of kind severity or -rather firmness. "I know you to the soul." - -"Know me!" cried Markheim. "Who can do so? My life is but a travesty and -slander on myself. I have lived to belie my nature. All men do; all men -are better than this disguise that grows about and stifles them. You see -each dragged away by life, like one whom bravos have seized and muffled -in a cloak. If they had their own control--if you could see their faces, -they would be altogether different, they would shine out for heroes and -saints! I am worse than most; myself is more overlaid; my excuse is -known to me and God. But, had I the time, I could disclose myself." - -"To me?" inquired the visitant. - -"To you before all," returned the murderer. "I supposed you were -intelligent. I thought--since you exist--you would prove a reader of the -heart. And yet you would propose to judge me by my acts! Think of it; my -acts! I was born and I have lived in a land of giants; giants have -dragged me by the wrists since I was born out of my mother--the giants -of circumstance. And you would judge me by my acts! But can you not look -within? Can you not understand that evil is hateful to me? Can you not -see within me the clear writing of conscience, never blurred by any -wilful sophistry although too often disregarded? Can you not read me for -a thing that surely must be common as humanity--the unwilling sinner?" - -"All this is very feelingly expressed," was the reply, "but it regards -me not. These points of consistency are beyond my province, and I care -not in the least by what compulsion you may have been dragged away, so -as you are but carried in the right direction. But time flies; the -servant delays, looking in the faces of the crowd and at the pictures on -the hoardings, but still she keeps moving nearer; and remember, it is as -if the gallows itself were striding toward you through the Christmas -streets! Shall I help you--I, who know all? Shall I tell you where to -find the money?" - -"For what price?" asked Markheim. - -"I offer you the service for a Christmas gift," returned the other. - -Markheim could not refrain from smiling with a kind of bitter triumph. -"No," said he, "I will take nothing at your hands; if I were dying of -thirst, and it was your hand that put the pitcher to my lips, I should -find the courage to refuse. It may be credulous, but I will do nothing -to commit myself to evil." - -"I have no objection to a death-bed repentance," observed the visitant. - -"Because you disbelieve their efficacy!" Markheim cried. - -"I do not say so," returned the other; "but I look on these things from -a different side, and when the life is done my interest falls. The man -has lived to serve me, to spread black looks under color of religion, or -to sow tares in the wheat field, as you do, in a course of weak -compliance with desire. Now that he draws so near to his deliverance, he -can add but one act of service--to repent, to die smiling, and thus to -build up in confidence and hope the more timorous of my surviving -followers. I am not so hard a master. Try me. Accept my help. Please -yourself in life as you have done hitherto; please yourself more amply, -spread your elbows at the board; and when the night begins to fall and -the curtains to be drawn, I tell you, for your greater comfort, that you -will find it even easy to compound your quarrel with your conscience, -and to make a truckling peace with God. I came but now from such a -death-bed, and the room was full of sincere mourners, listening to the -man's last words; and when I looked into that face, which had been set -as a flint against mercy, I found it smiling with hope." - -"And do you, then, suppose me such a creature?" asked Markheim. "Do you -think I have no more generous aspirations than to sin, and sin, and sin, -and, at last, sneak into heaven? My heart rises at the thought. Is this, -then, your experience of mankind? or is it because you find me with red -hands that you presume such baseness? and is this crime of murder indeed -so impious as to dry up the very springs of good?" - -"Murder is to me no special category," replied the other. "All sins are -murder, even all life is war. I behold your race, like starving mariners -on a raft, plucking crusts out of the hands of famine and feeding on -each other's lives. I follow sins beyond the moment of their acting; I -find in all that the last consequence is death; and to my eyes, the -pretty maid who thwarts her mother with such taking graces on a -question of a ball, drips no less visibly with human gore than such a -murderer as yourself. Do I say that I follow sins? I follow virtues -also; they differ not by the thickness of a nail, they are both scythes -for the reaping angel of Death. Evil, for which I live, consists not in -action but in character. The bad man is dear to me; not the bad act, -whose fruits, if we could follow them far enough down the hurtling -cataract of the ages, might yet be found more blessed than those of the -rarest virtues. And it is not because you have killed a dealer, but -because you are Markheim, that I offered to forward your escape." - -"I will lay my heart open to you," answered Markheim. "This crime on -which you find me is my last. On my way to it I have learned many -lessons; itself is a lesson, a momentous lesson. Hitherto I have been -driven with revolt to what I would not; I was a bondslave to poverty, -driven and scourged. There are robust virtues that can stand in these -temptations; mine was not so: I had a thirst of pleasure. But to-day, -and out of this deed, I pluck both warning and riches--both the power -and a fresh resolve to be myself. I become in all things a free actor in -the world; I begin to see myself all changed, these hands the agents of -good, this heart at peace. Something comes over me out of the past; -something of what I have dreamed on Sabbath evenings to the sound of the -church organ, of what I forecast when I shed tears over noble books, or -talked, an innocent child, with my mother. There lies my life; I have -wandered a few years, but now I see once more my city of destination." - -"You are to use this money on the Stock Exchange, I think?" remarked the -visitor; "and there, if I mistake not, you have already lost some -thousands?" - -"Ah," said Markheim, "but this time I have a sure thing." - -"This time, again, you will lose," replied the visitor, quietly. - -"Ah, but I keep back the half!" cried Markheim. - -"That also you will lose," said the other. - -The sweat started upon Markheim's brow. "Well, then, what matter?" he -exclaimed. "Say it be lost, say I am plunged again in poverty, shall one -part of me, and that the worse, continue until the end to override the -better? Evil and good run strong in me, hailing me both ways. I do not -love the one thing, I love all. I can conceive great deeds, -renunciations, martyrdoms; and though I be fallen to such a crime as -murder, pity is no stranger to my thoughts. I pity the poor; who knows -their trials better than myself? I pity and help them; I prize love, I -love honest laughter; there is no good thing nor true thing on earth but -I love it from my heart. And are my vices only to direct my life, and my -virtues to lie without effect, like some passive lumber of the mind? Not -so; good, also, is a spring of acts." - -But the visitant raised his finger. "For six-and-thirty years that you -have been in this world," said he, "through many changes of fortune and -varieties of humor, I have watched you steadily fall. Fifteen years ago -you would have started at a theft. Three years back you would have -blenched at the name of murder. Is there any crime, is there any cruelty -or meanness, from which you still recoil?--five years from now I shall -detect you in the fact! Downward, downward lies your way; nor can -anything but death avail to stop you." - -"It is true," Markheim said huskily, "I have in some degree complied -with evil. But it is so with all: the very saints, in the mere exercise -of living, grow less dainty, and take on the tone of their -surroundings." - -"I will propound to you one simple question," said the other; "and as -you answer, I shall read to you your moral horoscope. You have grown in -many things more lax; possibly you do right to be so; and at any -account, it is the same with all men. But granting that, are you in any -one particular, however trifling, more difficult to please with your own -conduct, or do you go in all things with a looser rein?" - -"In any one?" repeated Markheim, with an anguish of consideration. "No," -he added, with despair, "in none! I have gone down in all." - -"Then," said the visitor, "content yourself with what you are, for you -will never change; and the words of your part on this stage are -irrevocably written down." - -Markheim stood for a long while silent, and indeed it was the visitor -who first broke the silence. "That being so," he said, "shall I show you -the money?" - -"And grace?" cried Markheim. - -"Have you not tried it?" returned the other. "Two or three years ago, -did I not see you on the platform of revival meetings, and was not your -voice the loudest in the hymn?" - -"It is true," said Markheim; "and I see clearly what remains for me by -way of duty. I thank you for these lessons from my soul; my eyes are -opened, and I behold myself at last for what I am." - -At this moment, the sharp note of the door-bell rang through the house; -and the visitant, as though this were some concerted signal for which he -had been waiting, changed at once in his demeanor. - -"The maid!" he cried. "She has returned, as I forewarned you, and there -is now before you one more difficult passage. Her master, you must say, -is ill; you must let her in, with an assured but rather serious -countenance--no smiles, no overacting, and I promise you success! Once -the girl within, and the door closed, the same dexterity that has -already rid you of the dealer will relieve you of this last danger in -your path. Thenceforward you have the whole evening--the whole night, if -needful--to ransack the treasures of the house and to make good your -safety. This is help that comes to you with the mask of danger. Up!" he -cried: "up, friend; your life hangs trembling in the scales: up, and -act!" - -Markheim steadily regarded his counsellor. "If I be condemned to evil -acts," he said, "there is still one door of freedom open--I can cease -from action. If my life be an ill thing, I can lay it down. Though I be, -as you say truly, at the beck of every small temptation, I can yet, by -one decisive gesture, place myself beyond the reach of all. My love of -good is damned to barrenness; it may, and let it be! But I have still my -hatred of evil; and from that, to your galling disappointment, you shall -see that I can draw both energy and courage." - -The features of the visitor began to undergo a wonderful and lovely -change: they brightened and softened with a tender triumph; and, even as -they brightened, faded and dislimned. But Markheim did not pause to -watch or understand the transformation. He opened the door and went -downstairs very slowly, thinking to himself. His past went soberly -before him; he beheld it as it was, ugly and strenuous like a dream, -random as chance-medley--a scene of defeat. Life, as he thus reviewed -it, tempted him no longer; but on the farther side he perceived a quiet -haven for his bark. He paused in the passage, and looked into the shop, -where the candle still burned by the dead body. It was strangely silent. -Thoughts of the dealer swarmed into his mind, as he stood gazing. And -then the bell once more broke out into impatient clamor. - -He confronted the maid upon the threshold with something like a smile. - -"You had better go for the police," said he: "I have killed your -master." - - - - -WEE WILLIE WINKIE - - "An officer and a gentleman." - - -His full name was Percival William Williams, but he picked up the other -name in a nursery-book, and that was the end of the christened titles. -His mother's _ayah_ called him Willie-_Baba_, but as he never paid the -faintest attention to anything that the _ayah_ said, her wisdom did not -help matters. - -His father was the Colonel of the 195th, and as soon as Wee Willie -Winkie was old enough to understand what Military Discipline meant, -Colonel Williams put him under it. There was no other way of managing -the child. When he was good for a week, he drew good-conduct pay; and -when he was bad, he was deprived of his good-conduct stripe. Generally -he was bad, for India offers so many chances to little six-year-olds of -going wrong. - -Children resent familiarity from strangers, and Wee Willie Winkie was a -very particular child. Once he accepted an acquaintance, he was -graciously pleased to thaw. He accepted Brandis, a subaltern of the -195th, on sight. Brandis was having tea at the Colonel's, and Wee Willie -Winkie entered strong in the possession of a good-conduct badge won for -not chasing the hens round the compound. He regarded Brandis with -gravity for at least ten minutes, and then delivered himself of his -opinion. - -"I like you," said he, slowly, getting off his chair and coming over -to Brandis. "I like you. I shall call you Coppy, because of your hair. -Do you _mind_ being called Coppy? it is because of ve hair, you know." - -[Illustration: RUDYARD KIPLING] - -Here was one of the most embarrassing of Wee Willie Winkie's -peculiarities. He would look at a stranger for some time, and then, -without warning or explanation, would give him a name. And the name -stuck. No regimental penalties could break Wee Willie Winkie of this -habit. He lost his good-conduct badge for christening the Commissioner's -wife "Pobs"; but nothing that the Colonel could do made the Station -forego the nickname, and Mrs. Collen remained Mrs. "Pobs" till the end -of her stay. So Brandis was christened "Coppy," and rose, therefore, in -the estimation of the regiment. - -If Wee Willie Winkie took an interest in any one, the fortunate man was -envied alike by the mess and the rank and file. And in their envy lay no -suspicion of self-interest. "The Colonel's son" was idolized on his own -merits entirely. Yet Wee Willie Winkie was not lovely. His face was -permanently freckled, as his legs were permanently scratched, and in -spite of his mother's almost tearful remonstrances he had insisted upon -having his long yellow locks cut short in the military fashion. "I want -my hair like Sergeant Tummil's," said Wee Willie Winkie, and, his father -abetting, the sacrifice was accomplished. - -Three weeks after the bestowal of his youthful affections on Lieutenant -Brandis--henceforward to be called "Coppy" for the sake of brevity--Wee -Willie Winkie was destined to behold strange things and far beyond his -comprehension. - -Coppy returned his liking with interest. Coppy had let him wear for five -rapturous minutes his own big sword--just as tall as Wee Willie Winkie. -Coppy had promised him a terrier puppy; and Coppy had permitted him to -witness the miraculous operation of shaving. Nay, more--Coppy had said -that even he, Wee Willie Winkie, would rise in time to the ownership of -a box of shiny knives, a silver soap-box and a silver-handled -"sputter-brush," as Wee Willie Winkie called it. Decidedly, there was no -one except his father, who could give or take away good-conduct badges -at pleasure, half so wise, strong, and valiant as Coppy with the Afghan -and Egyptian medals on his breast. Why, then, should Coppy be guilty of -the unmanly weakness of kissing--vehemently kissing--a "big girl," Miss -Allardyce to wit? In the course of a morning ride, Wee Willie Winkie had -seen Coppy so doing, and, like the gentleman he was, had promptly -wheeled round and cantered back to his groom, lest the groom should also -see. - -Under ordinary circumstances he would have spoken to his father, but he -felt instinctively that this was a matter on which Coppy ought first to -be consulted. - -"Coppy," shouted Wee Willie Winkie, reining up outside that subaltern's -bungalow early one morning--"I want to see you, Coppy!" - -"Come in, young 'un," returned Coppy, who was at early breakfast in the -midst of his dogs. "What mischief have you been getting into now?" - -Wee Willie Winkie had done nothing notoriously bad for three days, and -so stood on a pinnacle of virtue. - -"I've been doing nothing bad," said he, curling himself into a long -chair with a studious affectation of the Colonel's languor after a hot -parade. He buried his freckled nose in a tea-cup and, with eyes staring -roundly over the rim, asked: "I say, Coppy, is it pwoper to kiss big -girls?" - -"By Jove! You're beginning early. Who do you want to kiss?" - -"No one. My muvver's always kissing me if I don't stop her. If it isn't -pwoper, how was you kissing Major Allardyce's big girl last morning, by -ve canal?" - -Coppy's brow wrinkled. He and Miss Allardyce had with great craft -managed to keep their engagement secret for a fortnight. There were -urgent and imperative reasons why Major Allardyce should not know how -matters stood for at least another month, and this small marplot had -discovered a great deal too much. - -"I saw you," said Wee Willie Winkie, calmly. "But ve groom didn't see. I -said, '_Hut jao_.'" - -"Oh, you had that much sense, you young Rip," groaned poor Coppy, half -amused and half angry. "And how many people may you have told about it?" - -"Only me myself. You didn't tell when I twied to wide ve buffalo ven my -pony was lame; and I fought you wouldn't like." - -"Winkie," said Coppy, enthusiastically, shaking the small hand, "you're -the best of good fellows. Look here, you can't understand all these -things. One of these days--hang it, how can I make you see it!--I'm -going to marry Miss Allardyce, and then she'll be Mrs. Coppy, as you -say. If your young mind is so scandalized at the idea of kissing big -girls, go and tell your father." - -"What will happen?" said Wee Willie Winkie, who firmly believed that his -father was omnipotent. - -"I shall get into trouble," said Coppy, playing his trump card with an -appealing look at the holder of the ace. - -"Ven I won't," said Wee Willie Winkie, briefly. "But my faver says it's -un-man-ly to be always kissing, and I didn't fink _you'd_ do vat, -Coppy." - -"I'm not always kissing, old chap. It's only now and then, and when -you're bigger you'll do it too. Your father meant it's not good for -little boys." - -"Ah!" said Wee Willie Winkie, now fully enlightened. "It's like ve -sputter-brush?" - -"Exactly," said Coppy, gravely. - -"But I don't fink I'll ever want to kiss big girls, nor no one, 'cept my -muvver. And I _must_ vat, you know." - -There was a long pause, broken by Wee Willie Winkie. - -"Are you fond of vis big girl, Coppy?" - -"Awfully!" said Coppy. - -"Fonder van you are of Bell or ve Butcha--or me?" - -"It's in a different way," said Coppy. "You see, one of these days Miss -Allardyce will belong to me, but you'll grow up and command the Regiment -and--all sorts of things. It's quite different, you see." - -"Very well," said Wee Willie Winkie, rising. "If you're fond of ve big -girl, I won't tell any one. I must go now." - -Coppy rose and escorted his small guest to the door, adding: "You're the -best of little fellows, Winkie. I tell you what. In thirty days from now -you can tell if you like--tell any one you like." - -Thus the secret of the Brandis-Allardyce engagement was dependent on a -little child's word. Coppy, who knew Wee Willie Winkie's idea of truth, -was at ease, for he felt that he would not break promises. Wee Willie -Winkie betrayed a special and unusual interest in Miss Allardyce, and, -slowly revolving round that embarrassed young lady, was used to regard -her gravely with unwinking eye. He was trying to discover why Coppy -should have kissed her. She was not half so nice as his own mother. On -the other hand, she was Coppy's property, and would in time belong to -him. Therefore it behooved him to treat her with as much respect as -Coppy's big sword or shiny pistol. - -The idea that he shared a great secret in common with Coppy kept Wee -Willie Winkie unusually virtuous for three weeks. Then the Old Adam -broke out, and he made what he called a "campfire" at the bottom of the -garden. How could he have foreseen that the flying sparks would have -lighted the Colonel's little hayrick and consumed a week's store for the -horses? Sudden and swift was the punishment--deprivation of the -good-conduct badge and, most sorrowful of all, two days' confinement to -barracks--the house and veranda--coupled with the withdrawal of the -light of his father's countenance. - -He took the sentence like the man he strove to be, drew himself up with -a quivering under-lip, saluted, and, once clear of the room, ran to weep -bitterly in his nursery--called by him "my quarters." Coppy came in the -afternoon and attempted to console the culprit. - -"I'm under awwest," said Wee Willie Winkie, mournfully, "and I didn't -ought to speak to you." - -Very early the next morning he climbed on to the roof of the house--that -was not forbidden--and beheld Miss Allardyce going for a ride. - -"Where are you going?" cried Wee Willie Winkie. - -"Across the river," she answered, and trotted forward. - -Now the cantonment in which the 195th lay was bounded on the north by a -river--dry in the winter. From his earliest years, Wee Willie Winkie had -been forbidden to go across the river, and had noted that even -Coppy--the almost almighty Coppy--had never set foot beyond it. Wee -Willie Winkie had once been read to, out of a big blue book, the history -of the Princess and the Goblins--a most wonderful tale of a land where -the Goblins were always warring with the children of men until they were -defeated by one Curdie. Ever since that date it seemed to him that the -bare black and purple hills across the river were inhabited by Goblins, -and, in truth, every one had said that there lived the Bad Men. Even in -his own house the lower halves of the windows were covered with green -paper on account of the Bad Men who might, if allowed clear view, fire -into peaceful drawing-rooms and comfortable bedrooms. Certainly, beyond -the river, which was the end of all the Earth, lived the Bad Men. And -here was Major Allardyce's big girl, Coppy's property, preparing to -venture into their borders! What would Coppy say if anything happened to -her? If the Goblins ran off with her as they did with Curdie's Princess? -She must at all hazards be turned back. - -The house was still. Wee Willie Winkie reflected for a moment on the -very terrible wrath of his father; and then--broke his arrest! It was a -crime unspeakable. The low sun threw his shadow, very large and very -black, on the trim garden-paths, as he went down to the stables and -ordered his pony. It seemed to him in the hush of the dawn that all the -big world had been bidden to stand still and look at Wee Willie Winkie -guilty of mutiny. The drowsy groom handed him his mount, and, since the -one great sin made all others insignificant, Wee Willie Winkie said that -he was going to ride over to Coppy Sahib, and went out at a foot-pace, -stepping on the soft mould of the flower-borders. - -The devastating track of the pony's feet was the last misdeed that cut -him off from all sympathy of Humanity. He turned into the road, leaned -forward, and rode as fast as the pony could put foot to the ground in -the direction of the river. - -But the liveliest of twelve-two ponies can do little against the long -canter of a Waler. Miss Allardyce was far ahead, had passed through the -crops, beyond the Police-post, when all the guards were asleep, and her -mount was scattering the pebbles of the river bed as Wee Willie Winkie -left the cantonment and British India behind him. Bowed forward and -still flogging, Wee Willie Winkie shot into Afghan territory, and could -just see Miss Allardyce a black speck, flickering across the stony -plain. The reason of her wandering was simple enough. Coppy, in a tone -of too-hastily-assumed authority, had told her overnight that she must -not ride out by the river. And she had gone to prove her own spirit and -teach Coppy a lesson. - -Almost at the foot of the inhospitable hills, Wee Willie Winkie saw the -Waler blunder and come down heavily. Miss Allardyce struggled clear, but -her ankle had been severely twisted, and she could not stand. Having -thus demonstrated her spirit, she wept copiously, and was surprised by -the apparition of a white, wide-eyed child in khaki, on a nearly spent -pony. - -"Are you badly, badly hurted?" shouted Wee Willie Winkie, as soon as he -was within range. "You didn't ought to be here." - -"I don't know," said Miss Allardyce, ruefully, ignoring the reproof. -"Good gracious, child, what are _you_ doing here?" - -"You said you was going acwoss ve wiver," panted Wee Willie Winkie, -throwing himself off his pony. "And nobody--not even Coppy--must go -acwoss ve wiver, and I came after you ever so hard, but you wouldn't -stop, and now you've hurted yourself, and Coppy will be angwy wiv me, -and--I've bwoken my awwest! I've bwoken my awwest!" - -The future Colonel of the 195th sat down and sobbed. In spite of the -pain in her ankle the girl was moved. - -"Have you ridden all the way from cantonments, little man? What for?" - -"You belonged to Coppy. Coppy told me so!" wailed Wee Willie Winkie, -disconsolately. "I saw him kissing you, and he said he was fonder of you -van Bell or ve Butcha or me. And so I came. You must get up and come -back. You didn't ought to be here. Vis is a bad place, and I've bwoken -my awwest." - -"I can't move, Winkie," said Miss Allardyce, with a groan. "I've hurt my -foot. What shall I do?" - -She showed a readiness to weep afresh, which steadied Wee Willie Winkie, -who had been brought up to believe that tears were the depth of -unmanliness. Still, when one is as great a sinner as Wee Willie Winkie, -even a man may be permitted to break down. - -"Winkie," said Miss Allardyce, "when you've rested a little, ride back -and tell them to send out something to carry me back in. It hurts -fearfully." - -The child sat still for a little time and Miss Allardyce closed her -eyes; the pain was nearly making her faint. She was roused by Wee Willie -Winkie tying up the reins on his pony's neck and setting it free with a -vicious cut of his whip that made it whicker. The little animal headed -toward the cantonments. - -"Oh, Winkie! What are you doing?" - -"Hush!" said Wee Willie Winkie. "Vere's a man coming--one of ve Bad Men. -I must stay wiv you. My faver says a man must _always_ look after a -girl. Jack will go home, and ven vey'll come and look for us. Vat's why -I let him go." - -Not one man but two or three had appeared from behind the rocks of the -hills, and the heart of Wee Willie Winkie sank within him, for just in -this manner were the Goblins wont to steal out and vex Curdie's soul. -Thus had they played in Curdie's garden, he had seen the picture, and -thus had they frightened the Princess's nurse. He heard them talking to -each other, and recognized with joy the bastard Pushto that he had -picked up from one of his father's grooms lately dismissed. People who -spoke that tongue could not be the Bad Men. They were only natives after -all. - -They came up to the boulders on which Miss Allardyce's horse had -blundered. - -Then rose from the rock Wee Willie Winkie, child of the Dominant Race, -aged six and three-quarters, and said briefly and emphatically "_Jao!_" -The pony had crossed the river-bed. - -The men laughed, and laughter from natives was the one thing Wee Willie -Winkie could not tolerate. He asked them what they wanted and why they -did not depart. Other men with most evil faces and crooked-stocked guns -crept out of the shadows of the hills, till, soon, Wee Willie Winkie was -face to face with an audience some twenty strong. Miss Allardyce -screamed. - -"Who are you?" said one of the men. - -"I am the Colonel Sahib's son, and my order is that you go at once. You -black men are frightening the Miss Sahib. One of you must run into -cantonments and take the news that Miss Sahib has hurt herself, and that -the Colonel's son is here with her." - -"Put our feet into the trap?" was the laughing reply. "Hear this boy's -speech!" - -"Say that I sent you--I, the Colonel's son. They will give you money." - -"What is the use of this talk? Take up the child and the girl, and we -can at least ask for the ransom. Ours are the villages on the heights," -said a voice in the background. - -These _were_ the Bad Men--worse than Goblins--and it needed all Wee -Willie Winkie's training to prevent him from bursting into tears. But he -felt that to cry before a native, excepting only his mother's _ayah_, -would be an infamy greater than any mutiny. Moreover, he as future -Colonel of the 195th, had that grim regiment at his back. - -"Are you going to carry us away?" said Wee Willie Winkie, very blanched -and uncomfortable. - -"Yes, my little _Sahib Bahadur_," said the tallest of the men, "and eat -you afterward." - -"That is child's talk," said Wee Willie Winkie. "Men do not eat men." - -A yell of laughter interrupted him, but he went on firmly,--"And if you -do carry us away, I tell you that all my regiment will come up in a day -and kill you all without leaving one. Who will take my message to the -Colonel Sahib?" - -Speech in any vernacular--and Wee Willie Winkie had a colloquial -acquaintance with three--was easy to the boy who could not yet manage -his "r's" and "th's" aright. - -Another man joined the conference, crying: "O foolish men! What this -babe says is true. He is the heart's heart of those white troops. For -the sake of peace let them go both, for if he be taken, the regiment -will break loose and gut the valley. _Our_ villages are in the valley, -and we shall not escape. That regiment are devils. They broke Khoda -Yar's breast-bone with kicks when he tried to take the rifles; and if we -touch this child they will fire and rape and plunder for a month, till -nothing remains. Better to send a man back to take the message and get a -reward. I say that this child is their God, and that they will spare -none of us, nor our women, if we harm him." - -It was Din Mahommed, the dismissed groom of the Colonel, who made the -diversion, and an angry and heated discussion followed. Wee Willie -Winkie standing over Miss Allardyce, waited the upshot. Surely his -"wegiment," his own "wegiment," would not desert him if they knew of his -extremity. - - * * * * * - -The riderless pony brought the news to the 195th, though there had been -consternation in the Colonel's household for an hour before. The little -beast came in through the parade ground in front of the main barracks, -where the men were settling down to play Spoil-five till the afternoon. -Devlin, the Color Sergeant of E Company, glanced at the empty saddle and -tumbled through the barrack-rooms, kicking up each Room Corporal as he -passed. "Up, ye beggars! There's something happened to the Colonel's -son," he shouted. - -"He couldn't fall off! S'elp me, 'e _couldn't_ fall off," blubbered a -drummer-boy. "Go an' hunt acrost the river. He's over there if he's -anywhere, an' maybe those Pathans have got 'im. For the love o' Gawd -don't look for 'im in the nullahs! Let's go over the river." - -"There's sense in Mott yet," said Devlin. "E Company, double out to the -river--sharp!" - -So E Company, in its shirt-sleeves mainly, doubled for the dear life, -and in the rear toiled the perspiring Sergeant, adjuring it to double -yet faster. The cantonment was alive with the men of the 195th hunting -for Wee Willie Winkie, and the Colonel finally overtook E Company, far -too exhausted to swear, struggling in the pebbles of the river-bed. - -Up the hill under which Wee Willie Winkie's Bad Men were discussing the -wisdom of carrying off the child and the girl, a look-out fired two -shots. - -"What have I said?" shouted Din Mahommed. "There is the warning! The -_pulton_ are out already and are coming across the plain! Get away! Let -us not be seen with the boy!" - -The men waited for an instant, and then, as another shot was fired, -withdrew into the hills, silently as they had appeared. - -"The wegiment is coming," said Wee Willie Winkie, confidently, to Miss -Allardyce, "and it's all wight. Don't cwy!" - -He needed the advice himself, for ten minutes later, when his father -came up, he was weeping bitterly with his head in Miss Allardyce's lap. - -And the men of the 195th carried him home with shouts and rejoicings; -and Coppy, who had ridden a horse into a lather, met him, and, to his -intense disgust, kissed him openly in the presence of the men. - -But there was balm for his dignity. His father assured him that not only -would the breaking of arrest be condoned, but that the good-conduct -badge would be restored as soon as his mother could sew it on his -blouse-sleeve. Miss Allardyce had told the Colonel a story that made him -proud of his son. - -"She belonged to you, Coppy," said Wee Willie Winkie, indicating Miss -Allardyce with a grimy forefinger. "I _knew_ she didn't ought to go -acwoss ve wiver, and I knew ve wegiment would come to me if I sent Jack -home." - -"You're a hero, Winkie," said Coppy--"a _pukka_ hero!" - -"I don't know what vat means," said Wee Willie Winkie, "but you mustn't -call me Winkie any no more. I'm Percival Will'am Will'ams." - -And in this manner did Wee Willie Winkie enter into his manhood. - - - - -NOTES - -WASHINGTON IRVING - - -Washington Irving, the son of a Scotch merchant, was born in New York, -April 3, 1783. As his health was delicate his education was desultory, -and at sixteen he began to study law but without much seriousness. He -spent most of the time in reading, being in this way really -self-educated. His health continuing a matter of concern, he took many -excursions up the state to the woods, with much physical benefit. In -many of the up-state towns he mingled in society to such a degree that -he was in danger of becoming a mere society man. However, all the time -he was doing some writing, a part of which appeared in _The Morning -Chronicle_ when he was but nineteen. - -In 1804, his health continuing poor, it was decided to send him to -Europe. There he stayed nearly two years, visiting France, England, and -Italy, being everywhere received by society and meeting the best people, -as he was a remarkably agreeable young man. The trip completely restored -his health. - -On his return to America in 1806, he again plunged into society, giving, -however, a hint of his future occupation in _Salmagundi_, a semi-monthly -periodical of short duration, on the model of _The Spectator_, written -in conjunction with two of his brothers in 1807-1808. In the meantime he -had been admitted to the bar. In 1809 appeared "The Knickerbocker -History of New York," a piece of humor and satire which made him famous. -At this time occurred the death of his fiancée, a loss from which he -never recovered. At the beginning of the War of 1812 he served for four -months on the staff of the Governor of New York. - -In 1815 he went again to Europe, this time on the business of his -brothers' firm, to which he had been admitted, and he stayed there -seventeen years. The firm failing in 1818, he turned to literature and -began the publication in 1819 of "The Sketch-Book," a collection of -sketches and narratives in the manner of _The Spectator_. This book -definitely established him as an author, being received both in America -and in England with delight. Besides being successful financially it -gave him an introduction to literary society. "Bracebridge Hall" and -"The Tales of a Traveller" appeared soon after, in 1822 and 1824 -respectively. Irving himself had been for years much of a traveller, -both from inclination and from the demands of his health. - -In 1826 Irving went to Spain to write his "Life and Voyages of -Columbus," which appeared in 1828. This residence in Spain, which lasted -till September, 1829, was a fruitful one, as Spanish subjects appealed -to his imagination. Besides the "Columbus," he wrote "The Conquest of -Granada," "The Companions of Columbus," and "The Alhambra." These books -were financially profitable in addition to being literary successes. -Throughout these years he enjoyed, as usual, the pleasures of charming -society. His stay in Spain was terminated by his unexpected appointment -as Secretary of Legation to the Court of St. James. - -Returning to England, he was received with honors, the Royal Society of -Literature awarding him in 1830 one of the two annual medals and the -University of Oxford making him an honorary D.C.L. In 1831 he resigned -and the next year returned to America. - -America greeted him with enthusiasm. After an extended tour of the South -and West he settled at Tarrytown, on the Hudson, a few miles north of -New York, to enjoy the domestic life afforded by numerous relatives, and -to do the writing which was more than ever necessary for the support of -the relatives who had become dependent on him. At Sunnyside, as his -place was named, he resolutely devoted himself to literary work, after -declining several offers of public office. He was a regular contributor -to _The Knickerbocker Magazine_ at an annual salary, and he wrote -several volumes, not now much read, while working on more ambitious -literary projects. - -In 1842 he received the unexpected and unsolicited honor of appointment -as Minister to Spain. For four years he continued in office, performing -his duties with tact and discretion. In 1846 he returned finally to his -home, where he devoted his last days to a long-contemplated "Life of -Washington," a task almost beyond his powers. On the 28th of November, -1850, he died, honored as no American man of letters had ever been. - -REFERENCES - -BIOGRAPHY: -WARNER: Washington Irving. -BOYNTON: Washington Irving. - -CRITISCM: -HOWELLS: My Literary Passions. -THACKERAY: Nil Nisi Bonum (Roundabout Papers). -RICHARDSON: American Literature. - - -NOTES TO "RIP VAN WINKLE" - -This story appeared with four other papers in the first number of "The -Sketch-Book," which was published in America in May, 1819, as the work -of one Geoffrey Crayon. - -PAGE 1. DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKER: the supposed author of "The -Knickerbocker History of New York." All this prefatory matter is merely -to carry out the pretence, as do the Note and Postscript at the end. - -2. PETER STUYVESANT: last Dutch governor of New York, born in Holland in -1592, died in New York in 1672. A man of short temper and with a wooden -leg from the knee. FORT CHRISTINA: built by the Swedes on the Delaware -River near the present city of Wilmington. There was no fighting. - -15. FEDERAL OR DEMOCRAT: the two political parties after the close of -the Revolutionary War. TORY: name applied to all followers of the king -during the war. - -16. STONY POINT: this promontory on the west bank of the Hudson was -captured by the British, and later recaptured by the Americans under -General Anthony Wayne. ANTONY'S NOSE: a bold cliff, in the shape of a -nose, on the east bank of the river. The name is now usually spelled -with an _h_. - -18. HENDRICK HUDSON: really Henry Hudson, an Englishman in the employ of -the Dutch East India Company. He was on a voyage to discover a -north-east passage, when he explored the river which bears his name. The -_Half Moon_ was the name of his boat. - - -EDGAR ALLAN POE - -Edgar Allan Poe, the child of poor travelling actors, was born in -Boston, January 19, 1809. Left an orphan in his third year, he was taken -into the family of Mr. John Allan of Richmond, who gave him his name. -Soon he became a great pet of his foster-parents, who rather spoiled -him. In 1815 the Allans went to England, where the boy was in school at -Stoke Newington, a suburb of London, till June, 1820, when the family -returned to Richmond. His education was continued in private schools and -by the aid of tutors till he entered the University of Virginia, -February 14, 1826. At the University he developed a passion for drink -and gambling, which led Mr. Allan to place him in his own counting-room -at the end of the session in December, though he had done extremely well -in some of his studies. Not liking the irksomeness of this occupation, -Poe left to make his own way. - -He first went to Boston, where he succeeded in having some of his verses -published. His resources failing, he enlisted in the United States Army, -being assigned to the artillery and serving in different stations, among -them Fort Moultrie at Charleston, South Carolina. His conduct being -excellent, he was appointed Sergeant-major in 1829. Shortly afterward he -was reconciled to Mr. Allan, who secured him an appointment to West -Point. At the Academy he neglected his duty, was court-martialled, and -was dismissed March 7, 1831. - -Poe now settled in Baltimore, where he devoted himself to writing, -winning a prize of one hundred dollars for his tale, "A MS. Found in a -Bottle." He lived with his aunt, Mrs. Clemm, to whose daughter he became -engaged and whom he married in 1836 in Richmond, where he had gone to -become an assistant on _The Southern Literary Messenger_. - -His habits and unfortunate disposition made it impossible for him to -remain long in one position. After some drifting, he settled in -Philadelphia in 1838, where he did hack work until he became associate -editor of _Burton's Gentleman's Magazine and American Monthly Review_ in -July, 1839. In 1840 appeared a volume of his tales which attracted -favorable notice. In 1841 he became editor of _Graham's Magazine_, but -in this year, too, his wife became a hopeless invalid. Anxiety about her -had doubtless much to do with the subsequent condition of Poe's mind. In -the next year again he lost his position. At this time he fell into -wretched poverty. Then, as always, his aunt gave him the devotion of a -mother. The fortunate gaining of another hundred-dollar prize, this time -for "The Gold Bug," helped along together with some work on _Graham's_ -in a minor capacity. - -New York was his next location, where he was on _The Evening Mirror_. In -1845 his "Raven" was published and at once sprang into phenomenal favor. -Lecturing, magazine work, and the editing of _The Broadway Journal_ -occupied the next year. In 1846 he moved to Fordham. There ill-health -and poverty so oppressed him that money had to be raised to take care of -the family. In 1847 Mrs. Poe died. From this time till his own death, -October 7, 1849, his mind, long clouded and affected by his habits, -became hopelessly diseased. - -Poe was a genius of great analytical power and imagination, but unstable -and morbid. His ability has always received great recognition in Europe, -particularly in France, where a translation of his tales appeared in his -lifetime. - -REFERENCES - -BIOGRAPHY: -WOODBERRY: Edgar Allan Poe. -HARRISON: The Life and Letters of Edgar Allan Poe. - -CRITICISM: -STEDMAN: Poets of America. -GATES: Studies and Appreciations. -BROWNELL: American Prose Masters. - - -NOTES TO "THE GOLD BUG" - -This story, which is classed in the group entitled "Stories of -Ratiocination" (see Introduction), was first published in _The Dollar -Newspaper_ of Philadelphia in June, 1843, winning a prize of one hundred -dollars. - -PAGE 23. TARANTULA: the bite of this spider was once supposed to cause a -form of madness which made the victim dance. Compare the musical term -"tarantelle." HUGUENOT: French Protestant. Many fled to South Carolina -from persecutions in France. SULLIVAN'S ISLAND: Poe has been criticised -for his inaccuracies concerning this island. He should have known it -well, as he was stationed at Fort Moultrie in 1828 when a private in the -United States Artillery. - -24. SWAMMERDAMM: Jan Swammerdam--one final _m_ according to the Century -Dictionary--(1637-1680). A distinguished Dutch naturalist. - -27. SCARABÆUS CAPUT HOMINIS: (Latin) _a man's head beetle_. There is no -such species known. - -29. SYPHON: Negro dialect for ciphering, a colloquial word for -"reckoning in figures." Poe hardly seems successful in representing the -sounds of the speech of Negroes. Not much attention had been paid to the -subject in literature at that time. To-day, since the work of Joel -Chandler Harris in "Uncle Remus" and of Thomas Nelson Page in "In Ole -Virginia," we rather look down on these early crude attempts. NOOVERS: -Negro dialect for manoeuvres in the sense of movements. - -32. EMPRESSEMENT: (French) _eagerness_. - -44. CURVETS AND CARACOLES: the prancing and turning of a horse. - -45. VIOLENT HOWLINGS OF THE DOG: it is popularly supposed that a dog, -through its extraordinary sense of smell, can indicate the presence of -parts of a human body, though buried. - -48. COUNTER: obsolete term for pieces of money. - -49. SOLUTION OF THIS MOST EXTRAORDINARY RIDDLE: this story exemplifies -Poe's power in such work. He specialized on it in magazines. - -52. LONG BOAT: "The largest and strongest boat belonging to a sailing -ship."--_Century Dictionary_. - -54. AQUA REGIA: (Latin) _royal water_. A chemical compound so called -from its power of dissolving gold. REGULUS OF COBALT: early chemical -term referring to the metallic mass of an ore. - -55. CAPTAIN KIDD: William Kidd, about whose early life nothing is -positively known, was commissioned by the Governor of Massachusetts Bay -Colony in 1695 to put down piracy. With a good ship under him, however, -he himself turned pirate. On his return he was arrested, sent to -England, tried, and executed in London in 1701. Some of his buried -treasure was recovered by the colonial authorities in 1699. - -58. GOLCONDA: a place near Hyderabad, India, noted for its diamonds. -CRYPTOGRAPHS: from two Greek words meaning _hidden_ and _write_. The -commoner term is "cryptogram." - -59. SPANISH MAIN: the ocean near the coast of South America and the -adjacent parts of the Caribbean Sea over which the Spaniards exercised -power. - -67. INSIGNIUM: (Latin) _a sign_. - - -NOTES TO "THE PURLOINED LETTER" - -This detective story was published in "The Gift" for 1845. - -PAGE 69. NIL SAPIENTIÆ, etc.: (Latin) _Nothing is more hateful to wisdom -than too great acuteness_. C. AUGUSTE DUPIN: clever amateur who solves -the mysteries which baffle the police. Most writers of detective stories -follow this example set by Poe. AU TROISIÈME: (French) _on the third -floor_. FAUBOURG: (French) section of a city. SAINT GERMAIN: a section -of Paris on the south bank of the Seine, once the abode of the French -nobility. AFFAIR OF THE RUE MORGUE: a reference to the detective story, -"The Murders in the Rue Morgue." THE MURDER OF MARIE ROGÊT: a reference -to another detective story, "THE MYSTERY OF MARIE ROGÊT." The writer is -playing the same part as does Dr. Watson in the various Sherlock Holmes -stories by Conan Doyle. PREFECT: (French) _chief_. - -71. CANT OF DIPLOMACY: set phrases used in intercourse between -representatives of governments by which they hint at their meaning. - -73. HÔTEL: (French) _residence_. AU FAIT: (French) _expert_. - -76. MICROSCOPE: since Poe's time the microscope is, in stories, almost -an invariable part of a detective's outfit. - -79. ABERNETHY: John Abernethy (1764-1831). A celebrated London -physician. - -80. ESCRITOIRE: "A piece of furniture with conveniences for writing, as -an opening top or falling front panel, places for inkstand, pens, and -stationery, etc."--_Century Dictionary_. PROCRUSTEAN BED: In Greek -mythology, Procrustes (derivatively "the stretcher") was a giant who -tied those whom he caught on a bed, making them fit by stretching them -out if too short, and by cutting off their limbs if too long. - -82. ROCHE FOUCALD: François La Rochefoucauld (1613-1680). A French -moralist known for his "Maxims" published in 1665. LA BOUGIVE: In the -edition of Poe's works prepared by Edmund Clarence Stedman and Professor -George Edward Woodberry, this name is given as La Bruyère. Jean de La -Bruyère (1645-1696) was a French moralist. MACHIAVELLI: Nicolo -Machiavelli (1469-1527). A celebrated statesman and writer of Florence, -Italy, whose book "The Prince" is based on unscrupulous principles. -CAMPANELLA: Tomaso Campanella (1568-1639). An Italian writer. - -83. RECHERCHÉ: (French) _far-fetched_. POLITICAL: a rare word, meaning -"pertaining to the police." - -84. NON DISTRIBUTIO MEDII: (Latin) _a non-distribution of the middle, or -the undistributed middle_. This is a mistake in reasoning. When the -Prefect reasons that all fools are poets, therefore all poets are fools, -he has no middle term at all; that is, no class of which poets and fools -are both members. Correct reasoning is represented by this: all men are -mortal; John is a man; therefore John is mortal. Between mortal and -John, two terms, there is a middle term, men, of which both are members. -DIFFERENTIAL CALCULUS a higher form of mathematics. PAR EXCELLENCE: -(French) _above all_. IL Y A, etc.: (French). _The odds are that every -public idea, every accepted convention, is a foolish trick, for it is -suitable for the greatest number._ CHAMFORT: Sebastian Roch Nicolas -Chamfort (1741-1794). A French writer of maxims. AMBITUS: (Latin) _a -going around_. Poe means by this example and by those that follow that -mere similarity of two words does not make them of the same meaning. - -85. BRYANT: Jacob Bryant (1715-1804). An English writer on mythology. - -86. INTRIGANT: (French) _intriger_. - -87. VIS INERTIÆ: (Latin) _the force of inertia_, the same as _inertia_, -a term of physics which denotes the tendency of a body to remain at rest -or in motion. - -88. MINISTERIAL HÔTEL: house of the minister or cabinet officer. - -92. FACILIS DESCENSUS AVERNI: a misquotation from Vergil's "Aeneid," -Book VI, line 126. It should be "facilis descensus Averno," _easy is -the descent to Avernus_. CATALANI: Angelica Catalani (1779-1849). An -Italian singer. MONSTRUM HORRENDUM: (Latin) _a horrible monster_, the -epithet applied to the one-eyed giant, Polyphemus, in Vergil's "Aeneid," -Book III, line 658. UN DESSEIN, etc.: (French). _A design so fatal, if -it is not worthy of Atrée, it is worthy of Thyeste_. CRÉBILLON'S -"ATRÉE": Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon (1674-1762). A French tragic poet. -His play, "Atrée et Thyeste," bears the date 1707. - - -NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE - -Nathaniel Hawthorne, or Hathorne, as it was spelled before he changed -it, was born in Salem, Massachusetts, July 4, 1804. His family, settled -in New England since 1630, had played its part in the activities of the -land in various capacities, including the persecution of so-called -witches. His father, a sea-captain, died on a voyage when the lad was -four years old. The excessive mourning then in vogue made the widow -practically seclude herself in her room, throwing a consequent gloom -over the household and affecting the boy's spirits. From this depressing -atmosphere he found relief in an early developed taste for reading. In -1818 the family moved to a lonely part of Maine, where in roaming the -lonely woods he gained a liking for solitude as well as for nature. He -returned to Salem in 1819 to prepare for Bowdoin College, which he -entered in 1821. After an undistinguished course he went back to his -native town, whither his mother had also returned. - -In Salem he remained for twelve years, a recluse in a family of -recluses, devoting himself to reading and writing. In 1828 his first -book, "Fanshawe," was published at his own expense. Its failure caused -him to destroy all the copies he could find. Some of the stories which -he wrote during this period were published in the annuals, then -fashionable, and in _The New England Magazine_, but without making much -impression. - -This hermit-like existence was healthily broken in 1836 by his becoming -the editor of an obscure magazine, though it was hack work and lasted -but a short time. The anonymity to which he had stubbornly clung was -also dispelled by one friend, and the publication of his "Twice-Told -Tales" was arranged for by another, his classmate, Horatio Bridge. These -two facts made him known and mark the beginning of the disappearance of -his solitary depression, which was ended by his engagement to Sophia -Peabody. - -In January, 1839, he became a weigher and gauger in the Boston Custom -House, a position which he lost in April, 1841, owing to a change in the -political administration. Then for a few months he was a member of the -Brook Farm Community, a group of reformers who tried to combine -agriculture and education. In the Custom House and at Brook Farm he -worked so hard as to have little energy for literature, publishing only -some children's books. On July 9, 1842, occurred his marriage. - -For the next three years Hawthorne resided in Concord at the Old Manse. -In this retired town, where such eminent people as Emerson and Thoreau -were to be met, he lived a very happy, quiet life, given to musing and -observation. But he had lost a considerable sum of money in the Brook -Farm experiment, the failure of _The Democratic Review_ prevented -payment for his contributions, and he began to feel the pinch of -poverty. At this juncture his college mates, Bridge and Pierce, came to -the rescue, and on March 23, 1846, he was appointed surveyor of the port -of Salem, that spot in which the Hawthorne family was so firmly rooted, -whither he had previously returned with his wife and daughter, Una, born -in Concord in 1844. - -Though happy for a short time at getting into the stir of actual life, -the routine and sordidness soon palled and he began to fret in the -harness. This mood kept him from composition till he forced from -himself, in 1848, the last of his short stories, including "The Great -Stone Face" and "Ethan Brand." Despite the effort, the stories rank -well. In 1849 he was dismissed from office by a change of political -administration, not because of inefficiency. He took this dismissal hard -because some of his townspeople had been opposed to him. Again he was in -money difficulties from which he was released by a donation from his -loyal friends. The leisure thus made possible was devoted to the -production of his greatest work, a novel, "The Scarlet Letter," which is -a study in the darker side of Puritanism. Its publication in April, -1850, brought him fame. In the same year he moved to the Berkshire -Hills. - -The year and a half in the hills was thoroughly happy. He had the -incentive of success, the tranquillity of mind due to sufficient means, -physical comfort, and a loving household now enlarged by the birth of a -second daughter, Rose. During this time he wrote and published (1851) -his novel, "The House of the Seven Gables," the study of an inherited -curse, made pleasing as a story by means of its realistic portrayal of -ordinary life. He also put many of the stories of classical mythology -into a form understandable by children, publishing the results in "A -Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys" (1852) and "Tanglewood Tales for Girls -and Boys" (1853). In 1852 appeared "The Snow Image and Other Twice-Told -Tales," containing hitherto uncollected contributions to various -magazines. - -Believing the Berkshire air rather enervating, Hawthorne moved in -November, 1851, to a temporary residence in West Newton, where he wrote -"The Blithedale Romance," which was published in 1852. This novel, -founded on his Brook Farm experience, is a study of the failure of the -typical reformer. In June, 1852, the family moved to a place of their -own, called "The Wayside" in Concord. Here the ideal family life -continued. In the summer he brought out "The Life of Franklin Pierce," -the biography of his old college mate, who was shortly after elected to -the presidency of the United States, and made Hawthorne United States -Consul at Liverpool in 1853. - -The holding of office was never a congenial occupation to Hawthorne, -though he was a good official. It always became irksome and dried up his -creative power. The consulship was no exception, and when he resigned in -1857 he felt much relief. By this time he had obtained a competence -which afforded him the gratification of paying back the money once -raised for him by his friends. When in England he had seen much of the -country; now he determined to see more of Europe. The family travelled -through France to Italy, which they greatly enjoyed, staying there till -1859. For some months they had occupied the old villa of Montauto, where -Hawthorne composed most of "The Marble Faun." The illness of Una -compelling them to seek a different climate, they returned to England, -where he finished the book, which was published the next year. "The -Marble Faun" is "an analytical study of evil"; but despite the subject, -the artistic effects and the interpretation of Italy lend it charm. - -In 1860 the family returned to Concord. Hawthorne's health had been -failing for some time, and now he became incapable of sustained work. -However, in 1863 was published "Our Old Home," the theme of which is -well expressed by the sub-title "A Series of English Sketches," which -had been composed previously. He continued to do some work, and even -promised a new novel to the press, but he came to realize that he would -never finish it. In 1864 he went on a carriage trip with his old friend -Pierce, during which he peacefully died in his sleep. - - -REFERENCES - -BIOGRAPHY: -WOODBERRY: Nathaniel Hawthorne. -JAMES: Nathaniel Hawthorne. - -CRITICISM: -HUTTON: Literary Essays. -STEPHEN: Hours in a Library. - - -NOTES ON "HOWE'S MASQUERADE" - -This story was first published in _The Democratic Review_ for May, 1838, -and was republished in 1842 in an enlarged edition of "Twice-Told -Tales." It exemplifies the work in which Hawthorne was the pioneer--that -of building a story about a situation. The idea of this particular one -is found in the following entry in "American Note-Books": "A phantom of -the old royal governors, or some such showy shadowy pageant, on the -night of the evacuation of Boston by the British." Hawthorne was -accustomed to jot down in his note-books hints for stories which often -can be traced in his developed writings. - -In "Howe's Masquerade" can be clearly seen the fact that he had not -mastered the method of writing the short-story as we have it to-day. -There is too much introduction and too much conclusion. He takes too -long to get the story into motion, and he spoils the effect by tacking -to the end a moral. These mistakes or crudities Poe did not make; -however, each writer contributed to the development of the short-story -some element of value, as has been pointed out in the Introduction. - -This story is one of "The Legends of the Province House," stories joined -together by the scheme of having an old inhabitant tell them to some -visitor. Such machinery with its prologues and end-links, more or less -elaborate, has been often used, as is seen in Chaucer's "Canterbury -Tales" and in Longfellow's "Tales of a Wayside Inn." The taste for this -method has largely passed, though it has been recently revived by -Alfred Noyes in "The Tales of the Mermaid Tavern." - -PAGE 93. WASHINGTON STREET: the scene is laid in Boston. OLD PROVINCE -HOUSE: the term Province House is used somewhat in the same sense as -State House. The building was erected when Massachusetts was a province -and served as the headquarters and dwelling of the royal governor. -Hawthorne represents it as having descended to the condition of an inn -or inferior hotel, the most important part of which was the bar for the -sale of liquor. - -94. LADY OF POWNALL: the wife of Thomas Pownall, a royal governor of -Massachusetts Bay Colony. BERNARD: Sir Thomas Bernard, another royal -governor. - -98. STEELED KNIGHTS OF THE CONQUEST: persons dressed as cavalrymen in -steel armor of 1066, when William the Conqueror became King of England. -PARTY-COLORED MERRY ANDREW: an old term for a clown dressed in garments -having several colors. FALSTAFF: an important character in several of -Shakespeare's plays. He is always represented as fat and ridiculous. DON -QUIXOTE: the chief character of the celebrated Spanish satire "Don -Quixote" (1605) by Cervantes. Don Quixote is a simple-minded man, whose -head has been turned by reading the extravagant romances of chivalry -then current, in which knights ride forth to redress wrongs. He feels -himself called to such a mission and, armed with various ridiculous -makeshifts and accompanied by a humorous squire, Sancho Panza, whose -sayings have achieved an immortality nearly equal to his master's -doings, he sallies out upon a course of adventures, which caused the -world to laugh the dying remnants of false chivalry into its grave. -COLONEL JOLIFFE: an imaginary character. WHIG PRINCIPLES: the people -belonging to the patriotic party in the colonies were called Whigs. - -99. REV. MATHER BYLES: an actual person (1706-1788). He was imprisoned -in 1777 as a Tory; that is, as an adherent of the king. WIG AND BAND: -Protestant clergymen of that day wore wigs and a strip of linen, called -a band, placed about the neck with the ends hanging down in front. - -102. REGICIDE JUDGES: in the first part of the seventeenth century the -people of England became dissatisfied with their king, Charles I, -because of his illegal acts. They revolted, captured the king, put him -on trial, and executed him, January 30, 1649. The judges are called -regicide, because they tried and condemned a king. The royal party spoke -of him as a martyr to the cause. - -110. WHEN THE TRUTH-TELLING ACCENTS, etc.: Hawthorne has tried in this -last paragraph to emphasize the contrast between the rather sordid real -and the imaginary. He is entirely too successful, because he spoils the -effect of the story--something for which Poe strove with such singleness -of purpose as to permit of no such ending. - - -NOTES TO "THE BIRTHMARK" - -This story was first published in the March, 1843, number of _The -Pioneer_, a magazine edited by James Russell Lowell, and was republished -in "Mosses from an Old Manse" in 1846. It belongs to the "moral -philosophic" group of Hawthorne's writings (see Introduction). - -PAGE 112. NATURAL PHILOSOPHY: an old term for physics. SPIRITUAL -AFFINITY: in chemistry certain elements show a tendency to combine with -others, so an attraction of one human spirit for another, leading -generally to marriage, is often called a spiritual affinity. - -114. EVE OF POWERS: Hiram Powers (1805-1873). An American sculptor whose -statue of Eve is one of his noted works. - -118. PYGMALION: in Greek mythology a sculptor who made such a beautiful -statue of a woman that he fell in love with it, whereupon in answer to -his prayer the goddess Aphrodite gave it life. - -121. OPTICAL PHENOMENA: sights which cheat the eye into believing them -real. - -122. CORROSIVE ACID: a powerful chemical which eats away substance. -DYNASTY OF THE ALCHEMISTS: the succession of the early investigators of -chemistry who spent most of their energy in seeking what was called the -"universal solvent" which would turn every substance into gold. These -men were sometimes legitimate investigators, but often cheats who made -money out of foolish people. At one time they became so numerous in -London that laws were passed against them, but it took Jonson's play -"The Alchemist" to laugh away their hold. - -123. ELIXIR VITÆ: (Arabic, _el iksir_, plus Latin, _vitæ_) literally, -_the philosopher's stone of life_. Another fad of the alchemists. - -125. ALBERTUS MAGNUS: "Albert the Great" (1193-1280), a member of the -Dominican order of monks. CORNELIUS AGRIPPA: (1486-1535) a student of -magic. PARACELSUS: Philippus Aureolus Paracelsus (1493-1541), a -physician and alchemist. FRIAR WHO CREATED THE PROPHETIC BRAZEN HEAD: -the legendary "Famous History of Friar Bacon" records the construction -of such a thing. TRANSACTIONS OF THE ROYAL SOCIETY: the volumes -containing the discussions of the Royal Society and also the papers read -before it. This association was founded about 1660 for the advancement -of science. - - -BRET HARTE - -Francis Bret Harte, or as he later called himself Bret Harte, was born -in Albany, New York, August 25, 1836. He came of mixed English, Dutch, -and Hebrew stock. The family led a wandering life, full of privations, -till the death of the father, a schoolmaster, in 1845. In 1853 the widow -moved to California, where she married Colonel Andrew Williams. Thither -the son followed her in 1854. - -As tutor, express messenger, printer, drug clerk, miner, and editor he -spent the three years till 1857, when he settled in San Francisco, where -he became a printer in the office of _The Golden Era_. Soon he began to -contribute articles to the paper, and was promoted to the editorial -room. In 1862 he married Miss Anna Griswold, and in 1864 he was -appointed secretary of the California mint. He continued writing, and in -the same year was engaged on a weekly, _The Californian_. In 1867 the -first collection of his poems was published under the title of "The Lost -Galleon and Other Tales." When _The Overland Monthly_ was founded in the -next year Bret Harte became its first editor. To its second number he -contributed "Luck of Roaring Camp." Though received with much question -in California, it met a most enthusiastic reception in the East, the -columns of _The Atlantic Monthly_ being thrown open to him. This success -he followed six months later by another, "The Outcasts of Poker Flat." -His next great success was the poem "Plain Language from Truthful -James," which was in the September, 1870, number of the magazine. It -made him famous though he attached little importance to it. In this year -he was made Professor of Recent Literature in the University of -California. - -Debt, friction with the new owner of _The Overland_, and a growing lack -of sympathy with the late settlers, caused Bret Harte to leave -California in 1871. He came East and devoted himself entirely to -writing, his work being published for one year altogether in _The -Atlantic Monthly_. But his ever recurring financial difficulties -becoming acute, he did some lecturing in addition. In 1876 appeared his -only novel, "Gabriel Conroy," which was not a success. His money -difficulties continuing, his friends came to the rescue and secured his -appointment as United States Consul at Crefeld, Germany. Leaving his -wife, whom he never saw again, he sailed in 1878. At this post he -continued for two years, his life being varied by a lecture tour in -England. In 1880 he was transferred to the more lucrative consulship at -Glasgow. - -In Glasgow he remained for five years, writing, meeting some eminent -writers, and visiting different parts of the country. In 1885, a new -President having taken office, he was superseded in his consulship. He -then settled in London, devoting himself to writing with only an -occasional trip away, once as far as Switzerland. In 1901 he died. - - -REFERENCES - -BIOGRAPHY: -MERWIN: The Life of Bret Harte. -PEMBERTON: Life of Bret Harte. - -CRITICISM: -WOODBERRY: America in Literature. - - -NOTES TO "THE OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT" - -This story was first published in _The Overland Monthly_ of San -Francisco in 1869. - -PAGE 134. POKER FLAT: an actual place in Sierra County, California. The -name is typical of a large class of western geographic names bestowed by -rough uneducated men when the West was new. MORAL ATMOSPHERE: these -western mining towns in 1850 in a region which had just become a part of -the United States as a result of the War with Mexico, were largely -unorganized and without regularly constituted government. The bad -element did as it pleased until the better people got tired. Then a -"vigilance committee" would be organized, which would either drive out -the undesirables, as in this story, or would execute the entire lot. - -135. SLUICE ROBBER: one way of separating gold from the gravel and sand -in which it is found is to put the mixture into a slanting trough, -called a sluice, through which water is run. As these sluices were -sometimes of considerable length, it was not a difficult matter for a -man to rob one. - -136. PARTHIAN: the Parthians inhabited a part of ancient Persia. It was -their custom when retreating to continue to shoot arrows at their enemy. - -142. COVENANTER: one of that body of Scotchmen who had bound themselves -by a solemn covenant or agreement in the seventeenth century to uphold -the Presbyterian faith. This act required force of character, since it -was in defiance of King Charles I, and this force was shown in the vigor -of their hymns. - -144. ILIAD: the ancient Greek epic poem, ascribed to Homer, which tells -the story of the war of the Greeks against Troy. ALEXANDER POPE -(1688-1744), an English poet, who rather freely translated the poem. - -147. DERRINGER: a pistol, so called from the name of the inventor. - - -ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON - -Robert Lewis Balfour Stevenson, the son of a man of some means, was born -in Edinburgh, November 30, 1850. The _Louis_ form of his second name was -merely a caprice in spelling adopted by the boy, and never altered the -pronunciation of the original by his family. An only child, afflicted -with poor health, he was an object of solicitude, notably to his nurse, -Alison Cunningham, to whose loving devotion the world owes an unpayable -debt. Stevenson's appreciation of her faithful ministrations is -beautifully voiced in the dedication of his "A Child's Garden of Verses" -(1885). After some schooling, made more or less desultory by ill-health, -he attended Edinburgh University. The family profession was lighthouse -engineering, and though he gave it enough attention to receive a medal -for a suggested improvement on a lighthouse lamp, his heart was not in -engineering, so he compromised with his father on law. He was called to -the Scottish bar and rode on circuit with the court, but, becoming -master of his destiny, he abandoned law for literature. - -Literature was the serious purpose of his life and to it he gave an -ardor of industry which is amazing. He worked at the mastery of its -technique for years, till he gained that felicity of expression which -has made his writings classical. His earliest publications were essays, -often inspired by his trips abroad in search of health. On one of these -in France in 1876 he met his future wife, Mrs. Osbourne, an American. -Other such trips are recorded in "An Inland Voyage" (1878) and in -"Travels with a Donkey" (1879). In 1879 he came to America, travelling -in a rough way to California, an experience made use of in his book "An -Amateur Emigrant." As a consequence of this trip, he fell desperately -ill in San Francisco, where he was nursed by Mrs. Osbourne, whom he -married in 1880. His convalescence in an abandoned mining camp is -recorded in "The Silverado Squatters" (1883). Returning to Scotland, -they found the climate impossible for his weak lungs, consequently they -tried various places on the Continent. Throughout his ill-health he -heroically kept at work, publishing from time to time books of essays -and short-stories, such as "Virginibus Puerisque" (1881) and "New -Arabian Nights" (1882), parts of which had already appeared in -magazines, and in 1883 his first popular success, "Treasure Island." - -In 1887 his father died and in the next year he came again to America, -sojourning at various places, among them Saranac Lake, and then voyaging -in a sailing vessel, _The Casco_, in the Pacific. It was not his -ill-health alone that kept him on the move, but an adventurous spirit as -well. Finally the family settled at Apia, Samoa, the climate of which he -found remarkably salubrious. There he could work even physically without -the long spells of illness to which he had been accustomed all his life. -He was able to take an intense interest in the unhappy politics of the -islands, endeavoring to alleviate the unfortunate condition of the -natives, who passionately returned his interest. They built for him to -his house a road to which they gave the significant name of "The Road of -the Loving Heart," and they celebrated his story-telling gift by the -name "Tusitala," the teller of tales. His efforts for Samoa resulted in -a book entitled "A Foot Note to History" (1893), which showed the -troubled condition of the islands. In this place, ruling over a large -retinue of servants like a Scottish chieftain over his clan, he lived -for three years, turning out much work and producing half of that most -wonderful novel, "Weir of Hermiston," which bid fair to be his greatest -achievement. Death came suddenly in 1894 from the bursting of a blood -vessel in the brain, thus cheating his lifelong enemy, tuberculosis. -Besides "Weir," he left almost completed another novel, "St. Ives," -which was concluded by Quiller-Couch and published in 1898. - -On a high peak of Vaea he lies beneath a stone bearing the epitaph -written by himself: - - "Under the wide and starry sky, - Dig the grave and let me lie. - Glad did I live and gladly die, - And I laid me down with a will. - This be the verse you grave for me: - _Here he lies where he longed to be; - Home is the sailor, home from the sea, - And the hunter home from the hill_." - - -REFERENCES - -BIOGRAPHY: -BALFOUR: Life of Robert Louis Stevenson. -RALEIGH: R. L. Stevenson. - -CRITICISM: -GENUNG: Stevenson's Attitude toward Life. -PHELPS: Modern Novelists. - - -NOTES ON "THE SIRE DE MALÉTROIT'S DOOR" - -This story of dramatic interest, which contains, moreover, much -psychologic interest, was first published in _Temple Bar_, January, -1878, and reprinted in the volume "New Arabian Nights" in 1882. - -PAGE 148. SIRE: obsolete French for sir. BURGUNDY: a section of eastern -France bordering on the river Rhone. The Count of Burgundy by a treaty -with the English recognized the claim of the English king, Henry VI, to -the throne of France. Their troops at the time of the story were -endeavoring to establish this claim by force of arms. Joan of Arc -figures in this war. SAFE-CONDUCT: a passport. As Denis had one, he must -have come from the French forces and consequently was among enemies. - -149. CHATEAU LANDON: an ancient town southeast of Paris. - -150. BOURGES: a city in the Department of Cher, west of Burgundy. - -154. RUSHES: In those days the floors of rooms were covered with rushes -into which people were accustomed to throw refuse. Cleaning was done by -removing the old rushes and putting a fresh supply in their place. - -155. LEONARDO: Leonardo da Vinci (1452-1519), a famous Italian painter -who did much portraiture, particularly of women. One of his best-known -works is the "Mona Lisa." - -156. DAMOISEAU: obsolete French word denoting rank. - -163. SALLE: (French) _hall_. - -164. CHARLEMAGNE: the French form of _Charles the Great_ (742-814), a -great king of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans. - -169. HERCULES: a great personage in Greek mythology, famous for his -strength. SOLOMON: king of Israel, 993-953 B.C., noted for his wisdom. - - -NOTES ON "MARKHEIM" - -This psychological study was written in 1884 and published in _Unwin's -Annual_ for 1885. - -PAGE 179. "TIME WAS THAT WHEN THE BRAINS WERE OUT": a misquotation from -Shakespeare's "Macbeth," Act III, scene iv, lines 78-79. In full this -most apposite reference runs: - - "The times have been, - That, when the brains were out, the man would die, - And there an end; but now they rise again, - With twenty mortal murders on their crowns, - And push us from our stools: this is more strange - Than such a murder is." - -180. BOHEMIAN GOBLETS: drinking glasses of glass made in Bohemia, the -most northern portion of the Empire of Austria-Hungary. Its glassware is -famous. - -182. BROWNRIGG: Elizabeth Brownrigg, a notorious English murderess of -the eighteenth century. Pictures of such persons were common at country -fairs. MANNINGS: other murderers, man and wife. THURTELL: another -murderer and his victim. - -185. OTHER MURDERERS: compare the agonies of Bill Sykes in "Oliver -Twist." - -186. SHERATON SIDEBOARD: Thomas Sheraton (1751-1806) was a well-known -English furniture maker. JACOBEANTOMBS: graves of the times of the -English kings named James of the seventeenth century. - -187. A FACE WAS THRUST INTO THE APERTURE: This was not a real person but -one born of Markheim's troubled mind. The conversation shows the dual -nature of man, containing both good and bad, and how a man excuses his -wickedness. The subject was used again by Stevenson in "Dr. Jekyll and -Mr. Hyde." - - -RUDYARD KIPLING - -Rudyard Kipling is the son of John Lockwood Kipling, successively -Professor in the Bombay School of Art and Curator of the Government -Museum at Lahore, India, and of Alice Macdonald, the daughter of a -Wesleyan minister. He was born at Bombay, December 30, 1865. His given -name commemorates the meeting-place of his parents, a small lake in -Staffordshire. - -In accordance with the custom dictated by the needs of health and of -education in the case of white children born in India, he was taken in -1871 to England, where he stayed with a relative at Southsea, near -Portsmouth. The experiences of such little exiles from the home circle -are feelingly shown in "Baa, Baa, Black-sheep" and in the beginning of -"The Light that Failed." When thirteen he entered The United Services -College, Westward Ho, Bideford, North Devon. Here he stayed from 1878 to -1882, taking part in some at least of the happenings so well narrated in -"Stalky and Co." (1899). - -On leaving college in 1882 he went to Lahore, India, where he became -sub-editor of _The Civil and Military Gazette_. In 1887 he joined the -editorial staff of _The Allahabad Pioneer_. To these papers he -contributed many of the poems and short-stories soon collected in the -volumes named "Departmental Ditties" (1886) and "Plain Tales from the -Hills" (1888). All of these writings come near to actual occurrences, -and give a fascinating glimpse of conditions in India. In the same year -of 1888 he published in India six other volumes of tales. - -Leaving India in 1889, he returned to Europe via China, Japan, and the -United States, sending back to the two papers travel sketches which have -since been collected under the title of "From Sea to Sea" (1899). - -On reaching England he found himself a celebrated man. There he met in -1891 Wolcott Balestier, an American, to whom he dedicated "Barrack Room -Ballads" (1892) in an introductory poem filled with glowing tribute. In -the same year he made further journeys to South Africa, Australia, and -New Zealand. - -He married Caroline Balestier in 1892, the year of publication of "The -Naulahka," which had been written in collaboration with her brother. The -travelling continued till they settled in Brattleboro, Vermont, where -their unique house was named appropriately "The Naulahka." The fruit of -his American sojourn was, among other writings, "Captains Courageous" -(1897), a story of the Atlantic fishing banks, full of American -atmosphere and characters. In the meantime, in various periodicals had -appeared short-stories and poems, which were quickly put into books. One -of the stories is "A Walking Delegate," which is so wonderfully accurate -in the local color of Vermont as to be worthy of special mention. It -forms one of "The Day's Work" group (1898). In it is seen Kipling's -power of observation, which he possesses to such a remarkable degree. To -this period belong those famous collections, "The Jungle Book" (1894) -and "The Second Jungle Book" (1895), containing the beast stories which -seem so plausible, and a book of poems, "The Seven Seas" (1896). - -In 1896 the Kiplings returned to England, taking a house at Rottingdean. -While England has remained his permanent home, he has continued to take -journeys. During a trip in 1899 he was seriously ill in New York with -pneumonia. While ill, his condition was a constant source of anxiety to -all classes of people. He recovered, but his little daughter Josephine -died of the same disease. One cannot fail to note the intimate touches -reminiscent of her in "They," published in "Traffics and Discoveries" -(1904). Another trip, in 1900, was to South Africa, while the Boer War -was in progress. The results are to be found in many poems and stories -about the struggle. - -In late years honors have come to him. The Nobel Prize of Literature and -an honorary degree from Oxford were both awarded him in 1907. He has -taken some part in politics, but he continues to write, though not so -prolifically as before. His more recent books are: "Kim" (1902), a vivid -panorama of India; "Puck of Pook's Hill" (1906), and "Rewards and -Fairies" (1910), realistic reconstructions of English history; "Actions -and Reactions" (1909), a series of stories, among them "An Habitation -Enforced," a rare story of the charm of English country life; and "The -Fringes of the Fleet" (1916), relating to the European War. His son -John has had the misfortune to be captured in the present war. - -One book, "The Day's Work," deserves particular mention, as it contains -some of his best stories, such as "The Brushwood Boy," and exhibits -especially the three cardinal points of his philosophy of life--"Work," -"Don't whine," and "Don't be afraid." - - -REFERENCES - -BIOGRAPHY: -CLEMENS: A Ken of Kipling. -KNOWLES: A Kipling Primer. - -CRITICISM: -LE GALLIENNE: Rudyard Kipling, A Criticism. -FALLS: Rudyard Kipling, A Critical Study. -HOOKER: The Later Work of Rudyard Kipling, North American Review, May, -1911. - - -NOTES TO "WEE WILLIE WINKIE" - -PAGE 196. WEE WILLIE WINKIE: the name is taken from the Scotch poem of -William Miller (1810-1872). Below is given Whittier's familiar version -of the poem: - - Wee Willie Winkie - Runs through the town, - Upstairs and downstairs, - In his nightgown! - Tapping at the window, - Crying at the lock, - "Are the weans in their bed, - For it's now ten o'clock?" - - "Hey, Willie Winkie, - Are you coming then? - The cat's singing purrie - To the sleeping hen; - The dog is lying on the floor - And doesn't even peep; - But here's a wakeful laddie - That will not fall asleep." - - Anything but sleep, you rogue! - Glowering like the moon; - Rattling in an iron jug - With an iron spoon; - Rumbling, tumbling all about, - Crowing like a cock, - Screaming like I don't know what, - Waking sleeping folk. - - "Hey, Willie Winkie, - Can't you keep him still? - Wriggling off a body's knee - Like a very eel; - Pulling at the cat's ear, - As she drowsy hums; - Heigh, Willie Winkie! - See! there he comes!" - - Wearied is the mother - That has a restless wean, - A wee stumpy bairnie, - Heard whene'er he's seen-- - That has a battle aye with sleep - Before he'll close his e'e; - But a kiss from off his rosy lips - Gives strength anew to me. - -"AN OFFICER, etc.": this quotation refers to the time when the holders -of military rank also held social position. AYAH: Anglo-Indian for -"nurse." BABA: Oriental title of respect. SUBALTERN: a commissioned -officer of lower rank than captain, _i.e._ lieutenant. COMPOUND: an -enclosure, in the East, for a residence. - -197. COMMISSIONER: a civilian official having charge of a department. -STATION: a military post. MESS: a group of officers who eat together, -hence the officers. RANK AND FILE: the non-commissioned officers and -privates. - -198. AFGHAN AND EGYPTIAN MEDALS: it is customary for medals to be struck -off in commemoration of campaigns and for them to be called after the -places in which the campaigns occurred. - -199. HUT JAO: native expression equivalent to "go away at once." - -200. BELL, BUTCHA: dogs' names. _Butcha_ = butcher. - -201. OLD ADAM: it is a religious belief that Adam, supposedly the first -man, committed sin, the tendency to which he handed down to all men as -his descendants. Hence when one does wrong it is said that the Old Adam -comes out. QUARTERS: house or rooms of an officer. - -202. BAD MEN: childish name for hostile natives. BROKE HIS ARREST: an -officer under arrest is his own keeper. SAHIB: a term of respect, -equivalent to Mister, used by East Indians toward Europeans. - -203. TWELVE-TWO: the unit of measurement of the height of a horse is -called a hand, which is equal to four inches. Hence twelve-two means -twelve hands and two inches. WALER: a horse from New South Wales. - -205. PUSHTO: sometimes _Pushtu_, the language of the Afghans. - -206. SAHIB BAHADUR: Sahib = Mister. _Bahadur_, title of respect -equivalent to "gallant officer." - -207. SPOIL-FIVE: a game of cards. COLOR SERGEANT: in the British army, -he is a non-commissioned officer who ranks higher and receives better -pay than an ordinary sergeant, and, in addition to discharging the usual -duties of a sergeant, attends the colors (the flag) in the field or near -headquarters. PATHANS: (pronounced Pay-tán) an Afghan race settled in -Hindustan and in eastern Afghanistan. DOUBLE: to increase the pace to -twice the ordinary; double-quick. - -208. CANTONMENT: (in India pronounced can-tóne-ment) part of a town -assigned to soldiers. PULTON: native expression equivalent to "troops." - -209. PUKKA: native expression meaning "real," "thorough." - - - - -The Academy Classics - - -The works selected for this series are such as have gained a conspicuous -and enduring place in literature; nothing is admitted either trivial in -character or ephemeral in interest. Each volume is edited by a teacher -of reputation, whose name is a guaranty of sound and judicious -annotation. It is the aim of the notes to furnish assistance only where -it is absolutely needed, and, in general, to permit the author to be his -own interpreter. - -All the essays and speeches in the series (excepting Webster's Reply to -Hayne) are printed without abridgment. The plays of Shakespeare are -expurgated only where necessary for school use. - -The series is handsomely bound in blue cloth, the page is open and -clear, and the paper of the best quality. - - -ADDISON. De Coverley Papers. -Edited by Samuel Thurber. Cloth, 35 cents. -This volume contains thirty-seven papers of which twenty have Sir -Roger as the main theme, and seventeen mention him in such a -way as to throw further light on his character. - - -ARNOLD. Essays in Criticism. -Edited by Susan S. Sheridan. Cloth, 25 cents. -The essays are those on The Study of Poetry, on Keats, and on -Wordsworth. - -Rugby Chapel. -Edited by L. D. Syle. (In _Four English Poems_. Cloth, 25 cents.) - -Sohrab and Rustum. -Edited by G. A. Watrous. (In _Three Narrative Poems_. Cloth, 30 cents.) - - -BURKE. Conciliation with the Colonies. -Edited by C. B. Bradley. Cloth, 30 cents. -This book contains the complete speech, and a sketch of the -English Constitution and Government. - - -BURNS. 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Cloth, 25 cents. -There are fourteen poems in all, including such passages from the -Fable for Critics as refer to prominent American men of letters. - - -MACAULAY. Edited by Samuel Thurber. - -Essay on Addison. -Essay on Lord Clive. -Essay on Johnson. -Essay on Milton. -Cloth, each, 25 cents. -There is a map of India in the Essay on Clive. - -Essay on Chatham. -Boards, 20 cents. - -Essays on Milton and Addison. -One volume, cloth, 35 cents. - - -MACAULAY. Essay on Warren Hastings. -Edited by Joseph V. Denney. Cloth, 40 cents. -This edition will be found especially useful to pupils in composition -who are studying Macaulay for structure. The essay affords conspicuously -excellent illustrations of all four forms of discourse--narration, -description, exposition, and argumentation. The book has a map of India, -a sketch of Macaulay's life, and a bibliography. - -The Academy Classics--Continued - - -MILTON. Minor Poems. -Edited by Samuel Thurber. 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HITCHCOCK, High School, Hartford, Conn. Paper, 42 pages. -Price, 10 cents. - - - - -Select Essays of Macaulay - - -Edited by SAMUEL THURBER. 12mo, cloth, 219 pages. Price, 50 cents. - -This selection comprises the essays on Milton, Bunyan, Johnson, -Goldsmith, and Madame D'Arblay, thus giving illustrations both of -Macaulay's earlier and of his later style. The subjects of the essays -are such as to bring them into close relation with the study of English -Literature. - -The notes are intended to help the pupil to help himself. When an -allusion is not easily understood, a note briefly explains it, or at -least indicates where an explanation may be found. In other cases the -pupil is expected to rely on his own efforts, and on such assistance as -his teacher may think it wise to give. - - - - -Historical Essays of Macaulay - - -Edited by SAMUEL THURBER. 12mo, cloth, 399 pages. 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Thus, we do not necessarily -keep eBooks in compliance with any particular paper edition. - - -Most people start at our Web site which has the main PG search facility: - - http://www.gutenberg.org - -This Web site includes information about Project Gutenberg-tm, -including how to make donations to the Project Gutenberg Literary -Archive Foundation, how to help produce our new eBooks, and how to -subscribe to our email newsletter to hear about new eBooks. diff --git a/21964-8.zip b/21964-8.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index b59e5dd..0000000 --- a/21964-8.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/21964-h.zip b/21964-h.zip Binary files differdeleted file mode 100644 index 309fd6c..0000000 --- a/21964-h.zip +++ /dev/null diff --git a/21964-h/21964-h.htm b/21964-h/21964-h.htm index 98b96aa..4fead2c 100644 --- a/21964-h/21964-h.htm +++ b/21964-h/21964-h.htm @@ -1,20 +1,16 @@ -<!DOCTYPE html PUBLIC "-//W3C//DTD XHTML 1.0 Strict//EN" - "http://www.w3.org/TR/xhtml1/DTD/xhtml1-strict.dtd"> +<!DOCTYPE html> -<html xmlns="http://www.w3.org/1999/xhtml"> +<html lang="en"> <head> - <meta http-equiv="Content-Type" content="text/html;charset=iso-8859-1" /> - <title> - The Project Gutenberg eBook of The Short Story, by W. Patterson Atkinson, A.M.. - </title> - <style type="text/css"> -/*<![CDATA[ XML blockout */ -<!-- + <meta charset="utf-8"> + <title>The Short Story | Project Gutenberg</title> + <link rel="icon" href="images/illus01.jpg" type="image/x-cover"> + <style> p { margin-top: .75em; text-align: justify; margin-bottom: .75em; } - h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6 { + h1,h2,h3,h4,h5,h6,.h4 { text-align: center; /* all headings centered */ clear: both; } @@ -58,62 +54,28 @@ .footnote {margin-left: 10%; margin-right: 10%; font-size: 0.9em;} .footnote .label {position: absolute; right: 84%; text-align: right;} .fnanchor {vertical-align: super; font-size: .8em; text-decoration: none;} - - // --> - /* XML end ]]>*/ + .h4 { + font-size: 1em; + margin-top: 1.33em; + margin-bottom: 1.33em; + } </style> </head> <body> - - -<pre> - -The Project Gutenberg EBook of The Short-story, by William Patterson Atkinson - -This eBook is for the use of anyone anywhere at no cost and with -almost no restrictions whatsoever. You may copy it, give it away or -re-use it under the terms of the Project Gutenberg License included -with this eBook or online at www.gutenberg.org - - -Title: The Short-story - -Author: William Patterson Atkinson - -Release Date: June 29, 2007 [EBook #21964] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHORT-STORY *** - - - - -Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Graeme Mackreth and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - - - - - -</pre> - +<div style='text-align:center'>*** START OF THE PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK 21964 ***</div> <p class="center" style="margin-bottom: 3em;"> -<img src="images/illus01.jpg" alt="cover" /> +<img src="images/illus01.jpg" alt="cover"> </p> <p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus02.png" alt="Irvine" /> -<a id="illus02" name="illus02"></a> +<img src="images/illus02.png" alt="Irvine"> +<a id="illus02"></a> </p> -<p class='center'><span class="smcap">Washington Irving</span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_i" id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p> +<p class='center'><span class="smcap">Washington Irving</span><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_i">[Pg i]</a></span></p> <h1> THE SHORT-STORY</h1> @@ -125,25 +87,25 @@ Introduction and Notes</h2> <h2>W. PATTERSON ATKINSON, A.M.</h2> -<h4>VICE-PRINCIPAL OF THE LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL -JERSEY CITY</h4> +<div class="h4">VICE-PRINCIPAL OF THE LINCOLN HIGH SCHOOL +JERSEY CITY</div> -<p class='center' style="margin-top: 10em;"><small>ALLYN AND BACON<br /> +<p class='center' style="margin-top: 10em;"><small>ALLYN AND BACON<br > -Boston New York Chicago<br /><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ii" id="Page_ii">[Pg ii]</a></span> +Boston New York Chicago<br ><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_ii">[Pg ii]</a></span> -COPYRIGHT, 1916,<br /> -BY ALLYN AND BACON.<br /> -<br /> -Norwood Press<br /> -J. S. Cushing Co.—Berwick & Smith Co.<br /> +COPYRIGHT, 1916,<br > +BY ALLYN AND BACON.<br > +<br > +Norwood Press<br > +J. S. Cushing Co.—Berwick & Smith Co.<br > Norwood, Mass., U.S.A.</small> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_iii" id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p> +<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_iii">[Pg iii]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > <h2>FOREWORD</h2> @@ -155,7 +117,7 @@ quality the book may possess is due to their criticisms.</p> <p>Hearty thanks are due Messrs. G. P. Putnam's Sons, Messrs. Charles Scribner's Sons, The Thomas Y. Crowell Company, and The Houghton Mifflin -Company for gracious permission to use copyrighted material.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_v" id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> +Company for gracious permission to use copyrighted material.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_v">[Pg v]</a></span></p> <h2>CONTENTS</h2> @@ -164,65 +126,65 @@ Company for gracious permission to use copyrighted material.<span class='pagenum <p> -<a href='#LIST_OF_PORTRAITS'><span class="smcap">Portraits of Authors</span></a><br /> -<br /> -<a href="#INTRODUCTION"><span class="smcap">Introduction</span></a><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 5em;"><a href="#DEFINITION">I. Definition and Development</a> </span> <br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 5em;"><a href="#FORMS">II. Forms</a> </span> <br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 5em;"><a href="#NARRATION">III. The Short-story as Narration </a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 5em;"><a href="#REPRESENTATIVE">IV. Representative Short-stories </a></span><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 5em;"><a href="#BIBLIOGRAPHY">V. Bibliography </a> </span><br /> -<br /> -<a href="#RIP_VAN_WINKLE"><span class="smcap">Washington Irving</span>: Rip Van Winkle (1820) </a><br /> -<br /> -<a href="#THE_GOLD_BUG"><span class="smcap">Edgar Allan Poe</span>: The Gold Bug (1842)</a><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 8em;"><a href="#THE_LETTER">The Purloined Letter (1845) </a></span><br /> -<br /> -<a href="#HOWES_MASQUERADE"><span class="smcap">Nathaniel Hawthorne</span>: Howe's Masquerade (1838)</a> <br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 10.75em;"><a href="#THE_BIRTHMARK">The Birthmark (1843) </a></span><br /> -<br /> -<a href="#THE_OUTCASTS_OF_POKER_FLAT"><span class="smcap">Francis Bret Harte</span>: The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1869)</a><br /> -<br /> -<a href="#THE_SIRE_DE_MALETROITS_DOOR"><span class="smcap">Robert Louis Stevenson</span>: The Sire de Malétroit's Door (1878) </a><br /> -<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 11.25em;"><a href="#MARKHEIM">Markheim (1885)</a></span><br /> -<br /> -<a href="#WEE_WILLIE_WINKIE"><span class="smcap">Rudyard Kipling</span>: Wee Willie Winkie (1888)</a><br /> -<br /> -<a href="#NOTES"><span class="smcap">Notes</span> </a><br /> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_vii" id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span></p> - -<h2><a name='LIST_OF_PORTRAITS' id='LIST_OF_PORTRAITS'></a>LIST OF PORTRAITS</h2> +<a href='#LIST_OF_PORTRAITS'><span class="smcap">Portraits of Authors</span></a><br > +<br > +<a href="#INTRODUCTION"><span class="smcap">Introduction</span></a><br > +<br > +<span style="margin-left: 5em;"><a href="#DEFINITION">I. Definition and Development</a> </span> <br > +<br > +<span style="margin-left: 5em;"><a href="#FORMS">II. Forms</a> </span> <br > +<br > +<span style="margin-left: 5em;"><a href="#NARRATION">III. The Short-story as Narration </a></span><br > +<br > +<span style="margin-left: 5em;"><a href="#REPRESENTATIVE">IV. Representative Short-stories </a></span><br > +<br > +<span style="margin-left: 5em;"><a href="#BIBLIOGRAPHY">V. Bibliography </a> </span><br > +<br > +<a href="#RIP_VAN_WINKLE"><span class="smcap">Washington Irving</span>: Rip Van Winkle (1820) </a><br > +<br > +<a href="#THE_GOLD_BUG"><span class="smcap">Edgar Allan Poe</span>: The Gold Bug (1842)</a><br > +<br > +<span style="margin-left: 8em;"><a href="#THE_LETTER">The Purloined Letter (1845) </a></span><br > +<br > +<a href="#HOWES_MASQUERADE"><span class="smcap">Nathaniel Hawthorne</span>: Howe's Masquerade (1838)</a> <br > +<br > +<span style="margin-left: 10.75em;"><a href="#THE_BIRTHMARK">The Birthmark (1843) </a></span><br > +<br > +<a href="#THE_OUTCASTS_OF_POKER_FLAT"><span class="smcap">Francis Bret Harte</span>: The Outcasts of Poker Flat (1869)</a><br > +<br > +<a href="#THE_SIRE_DE_MALETROITS_DOOR"><span class="smcap">Robert Louis Stevenson</span>: The Sire de Malétroit's Door (1878) </a><br > +<br > +<span style="margin-left: 11.25em;"><a href="#MARKHEIM">Markheim (1885)</a></span><br > +<br > +<a href="#WEE_WILLIE_WINKIE"><span class="smcap">Rudyard Kipling</span>: Wee Willie Winkie (1888)</a><br > +<br > +<a href="#NOTES"><span class="smcap">Notes</span> </a><br > +<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_vii">[Pg vii]</a></span></p> + +<h2><a id='LIST_OF_PORTRAITS'></a>LIST OF PORTRAITS</h2> <p> -<a href='#illus02'><span class="smcap">Washington Irving</span></a> <i>Frontispiece</i><br /> -<br /> -<a href='#illus03.png'><span class="smcap">Edgar Allan Poe</span> </a> <br /> -<br /> -<a href='#illus05.png'><span class="smcap">Nathaniel Hawthorne</span></a><br /> -<br /> -<a href='#illus06.png'><span class="smcap">Francis Bret Harte</span></a><br /> -<br /> -<a href='#illus07.png'><span class="smcap">Robert Louis Stevenson</span> </a><br /> -<br /> -<a href='#illus08.png'><span class="smcap">Rudyard Kipling</span></a><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_ix" id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span><br /> +<a href='#illus02'><span class="smcap">Washington Irving</span></a> <i>Frontispiece</i><br > +<br > +<a href='#illus03.png'><span class="smcap">Edgar Allan Poe</span> </a> <br > +<br > +<a href='#illus05.png'><span class="smcap">Nathaniel Hawthorne</span></a><br > +<br > +<a href='#illus06.png'><span class="smcap">Francis Bret Harte</span></a><br > +<br > +<a href='#illus07.png'><span class="smcap">Robert Louis Stevenson</span> </a><br > +<br > +<a href='#illus08.png'><span class="smcap">Rudyard Kipling</span></a><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_ix">[Pg ix]</a></span><br > </p> -<h2><a name="INTRODUCTION" id="INTRODUCTION"></a>INTRODUCTION</h2> +<h2><a id="INTRODUCTION"></a>INTRODUCTION</h2> -<h3>I<br /> +<h3>I<br > -<a name="DEFINITION" id="DEFINITION"></a>DEFINITION AND DEVELOPMENT</h3> +<a id="DEFINITION"></a>DEFINITION AND DEVELOPMENT</h3> <p>Mankind has always loved to tell stories and to listen to them. The most primitive and unlettered peoples and tribes have always shown and still @@ -242,7 +204,7 @@ of Mirza</i>; the parable, e.g. <i>The Prodigal Son</i>. Sometimes it was merely to amuse, sometimes to instruct. With this process are intimately connected famous books, such as "The Gesta Romanorum" (which, by the way, has nothing to do with the Romans) and famous writers like -Boccaccio.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_x" id="Page_x">[Pg x]</a></span></p> +Boccaccio.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_x">[Pg x]</a></span></p> <p>Gradually there grew a body of rules and a technique, and men began to write about the way stories should be composed, as is seen in @@ -262,14 +224,14 @@ short-story.</p> <p>The short-story—Prof. Brander Matthews has suggested the hyphen to differentiate it from the story which is merely short and to indicate -that it is a new species<a name="FNanchor_1_1" id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a>—is a narrative which is short and has +that it is a new species<a id="FNanchor_1_1"></a><a href="#Footnote_1_1" class="fnanchor">[1]</a>—is a narrative which is short and has unity, compression, originality, and ingenuity, each in a high -degree.<a name="FNanchor_2_2" id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> The notion of shortness as used in this definition may be +degree.<a id="FNanchor_2_2"></a><a href="#Footnote_2_2" class="fnanchor">[2]</a> The notion of shortness as used in this definition may be inexactly though easily grasped by considering the length of the average magazine story. Compression means that nothing must be included that can be left out. Clayton Hamilton expresses this idea by the convenient -phrase "economy of means."<a name="FNanchor_3_3" id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> By originality is meant something new in -plot, point, outcome, or character. (See Introduc<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xi" id="Page_xi">[Pg xi]</a></span>tion III for a +phrase "economy of means."<a id="FNanchor_3_3"></a><a href="#Footnote_3_3" class="fnanchor">[3]</a> By originality is meant something new in +plot, point, outcome, or character. (See Introduc<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xi">[Pg xi]</a></span>tion III for a discussion of these terms.) Ingenuity suggests cleverness in handling the theme. The short-story also is impressionistic because it leaves to the reader the reconstruction from hints of much of the setting and @@ -278,15 +240,15 @@ details.</p> <p>Mr. Hamilton has also constructed another useful definition. He says: "The aim of a short-story is to produce a single narrative effect with the greatest economy of means that is consistent with the utmost -emphasis."<a name="FNanchor_4_4" id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a></p> +emphasis."<a id="FNanchor_4_4"></a><a href="#Footnote_4_4" class="fnanchor">[4]</a></p> <p>However, years before, in 1842, in his celebrated review of Hawthorne's -<i>Tales</i><a name="FNanchor_5_5" id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> Edgar Allan Poe had laid down the same theory, in which he +<i>Tales</i><a id="FNanchor_5_5"></a><a href="#Footnote_5_5" class="fnanchor">[5]</a> Edgar Allan Poe had laid down the same theory, in which he emphasizes what he elsewhere calls, after Schlegel, the unity or totality of interest, <i>i.e.</i> unity of impression, effect, and economy. Stevenson, too, has written critically of the short-story, laying stress on this essential unity, pointing out how each effect leads to the next, -and how the end is part of the beginning.<a name="FNanchor_6_6" id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a></p> +and how the end is part of the beginning.<a id="FNanchor_6_6"></a><a href="#Footnote_6_6" class="fnanchor">[6]</a></p> <p>America may justly lay claim to this new species of short narrative. Beginning in the early part of the nineteenth century there had begun to @@ -294,9 +256,9 @@ appear in this country stories showing variations from the English type of story which "still bore upon it marks of its origin; it was either a hard, formal, didactic treatise, derived from the moral apologue or fable; or it was a sentimental love-tale derived from the artificial -love-romance that followed the romance of chivalry."<a name="FNanchor_7_7" id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> The first one to +love-romance that followed the romance of chivalry."<a id="FNanchor_7_7"></a><a href="#Footnote_7_7" class="fnanchor">[7]</a> The first one to stand out prominently is Washington Irving's <i>Rip Van Winkle</i>, which was -published in 1820. This story, while more leisurely and less<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xii" id="Page_xii">[Pg xii]</a></span> condensed +published in 1820. This story, while more leisurely and less<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xii">[Pg xii]</a></span> condensed than the completely developed form of the short-story, had the important element of humor, as well as freshness, grace, and restraint, nothing being said that should not be said.</p> @@ -324,7 +286,7 @@ him who contemplates it with a kindred art a sense of the fullest satisfaction. The idea of the tale has been presented unblemished because undisturbed; and this is an end unattainable by the novel." It is to be noted that Poe roused interest in his effect by the method of -suspense, that is, by holding back the solution of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xiii" id="Page_xiii">[Pg xiii]</a></span> plot, by putting +suspense, that is, by holding back the solution of the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xiii">[Pg xiii]</a></span> plot, by putting off telling what the reader wants to know, though he continually aggravates the desire to know by constant hints, the full significance of which is only realized when the story is done. His stories are of two @@ -353,7 +315,7 @@ there is some outward symbol of the circumstances or the state of mind. It is seen, for example, in <i>The Minister's Black Veil</i> (1835).</p> <p>In 1868 was published <i>Luck of Roaring Camp</i>, by Bret Harte. In this -story and those that immediately followed,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xiv" id="Page_xiv">[Pg xiv]</a></span> the author advanced the +story and those that immediately followed,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xiv">[Pg xiv]</a></span> the author advanced the development of the short-story yet another step by introducing local color. Local color means the peculiar customs, scenery, or surroundings of any kind, which mark off one place from another. In a literary sense @@ -381,7 +343,7 @@ the name of Henry James is indissolubly linked. <i>The Passionate Pilgrim</i> <p>By this time the American short-story had crossed to England and found in Robert Louis Stevenson an artist who could handle it with consummate skill. He passed it on a more finished and polished article than when -he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xv" id="Page_xv">[Pg xv]</a></span> received it, because by a long course of self-training he had become +he<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xv">[Pg xv]</a></span> received it, because by a long course of self-training he had become a master in the use of words. His stories remind one of Hawthorne because there is generally in them some underlying moral question, some question of human action, something concerning right and wrong. But they @@ -408,12 +370,12 @@ maturity a new kind of short narrative identified with American Literature and the American people, exhibiting the foremost traits of the American character, and written by a large number of authors of different rank whose work, of a surprisingly high average of technical -excellence, appears chiefly in the magazines.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xvi" id="Page_xvi">[Pg xvi]</a></span></p> +excellence, appears chiefly in the magazines.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xvi">[Pg xvi]</a></span></p> -<h3>II<br /> +<h3>II<br > -<a name="FORMS" id="FORMS"></a>FORMS</h3> +<a id="FORMS"></a>FORMS</h3> <p>Though the short-story has achieved a normal or general form of straightforward narrative, as in Kipling's <i>An Habitation Enforced</i> or @@ -442,7 +404,7 @@ Error in the Fourth Dimension</i>, wherein setting is emphasized.</p> stories of dramatic interest, that is, of some striking happening that would hold the audience of a play in a highly excited state, as Stevenson's <i>Sire de Malétroit's Door</i>; of love, as Bunner's <i>Love in -Old Cloathes</i>; of roman<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xvii" id="Page_xvii">[Pg xvii]</a></span>tic adventure, as Kipling's <i>Man Who Would Be +Old Cloathes</i>; of roman<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xvii">[Pg xvii]</a></span>tic adventure, as Kipling's <i>Man Who Would Be King</i>; of terror, as Poe's <i>Pit and the Pendulum</i>; of the supernatural, as Crawford's <i>The Upper Berth</i>; of humor, as humor, as Mary Raymond Shipman Andrews' <i>A Good Samaritan</i>; of animals, as Kipling's @@ -450,9 +412,9 @@ Shipman Andrews' <i>A Good Samaritan</i>; of animals, as Kipling's Future</i>; and so on.</p> -<h3>III<br /> +<h3>III<br > -<a name="NARRATION" id="NARRATION"></a>THE SHORT-STORY AS NARRATION</h3> +<a id="NARRATION"></a>THE SHORT-STORY AS NARRATION</h3> <p>All the previous discussion must not obscure the fact that the short-story is a form of narration and subject to all that pertains @@ -473,7 +435,7 @@ Often this conflict, technically the collision, is brought about by another character. But it may be some happening. Whatever it is, it is called the complicating force. Then again, toward the end of the story, there is something else which either helps the protagonist to overcome -the obstacle, or the obstacle to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xviii" id="Page_xviii">[Pg xviii]</a></span> overcome the protagonist. This is +the obstacle, or the obstacle to<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xviii">[Pg xviii]</a></span> overcome the protagonist. This is called the resolving force.</p> <p>As these two forces work in different parts of the story, the action is @@ -491,176 +453,176 @@ the dénouement or conclusion.</p> interest. When the lines of interest become entangled we have the plot.</p> <p>The following diagram illustrates to the eye the development of a story. -Of course it must be distinctly under<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xix" id="Page_xix">[Pg xix]</a></span>stood that no story is the result +Of course it must be distinctly under<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xix">[Pg xix]</a></span>stood that no story is the result of a mere substitution in a formula. Sometimes the various steps in the working-out of a story overlap in such a manner that its development according to a prescribed plan is not apparent.</p> <p class="center" style="margin-top: 2em;"> -<img src="images/illus04.png" alt="chart" /> +<img src="images/illus04.png" alt="chart"> </p> <p>Small <i>c</i> is sometimes called the crisis, being the point at which the -action is most intense and begins to turn toward the end.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xxi" id="Page_xxi">[Pg xxi]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xx" id="Page_xx">[Pg xx]</a></span></p> +action is most intense and begins to turn toward the end.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xxi">[Pg xxi]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xx">[Pg xx]</a></span></p> -<h3>IV<br /> +<h3>IV<br > -<a name="REPRESENTATIVE" id="REPRESENTATIVE"></a>LIST OF REPRESENTATIVE SHORT-STORIES</h3> +<a id="REPRESENTATIVE"></a>LIST OF REPRESENTATIVE SHORT-STORIES</h3> <p> -1. <span class="smcap">Aldrich</span>: Marjorie Daw.<br /> -2.<span style="margin-left: 4em;"> Quite So.</span><br /> -<br /> -3. <span class="smcap">Andrews</span>: Amici.<br /> +1. <span class="smcap">Aldrich</span>: Marjorie Daw.<br > +2.<span style="margin-left: 4em;"> Quite So.</span><br > +<br > +3. <span class="smcap">Andrews</span>: Amici.<br > 4. <span style="margin-left: 4.5em;"> The Glory of the Commonplace.</span> -<br /> -5. <span style="margin-left: 4.5em;"> A Good Samaritan.</span><br /> -<br /> -6. <span class="smcap">Bunner</span>: "As One Having Authority."<br /> -7. <span style="margin-left: 4em;"> Love in Old Cloathes.</span><br /> -<br /> -8. <span class="smcap">Bunner and Matthews</span>: Documents in the Case.<br /> -<br /> -9. <span class="smcap">Cable</span>: Posson Jone.<br /> -<br /> -10. <span class="smcap">Child</span>: The Man in the Shadow.<br /> -<br /> -11. <span class="smcap">Clemens</span>: Jumping Frog.<br /> -<br /> -12. <span class="smcap">Cobb</span>: To the Editor of the Sun.<br /> -<br /> -13. <span class="smcap">Colcord</span>: The Game of Life and Death.<br /> -<br /> -14. <span class="smcap">Davis, R. H.</span>: The Bar Sinister.<br /> +<br > +5. <span style="margin-left: 4.5em;"> A Good Samaritan.</span><br > +<br > +6. <span class="smcap">Bunner</span>: "As One Having Authority."<br > +7. <span style="margin-left: 4em;"> Love in Old Cloathes.</span><br > +<br > +8. <span class="smcap">Bunner and Matthews</span>: Documents in the Case.<br > +<br > +9. <span class="smcap">Cable</span>: Posson Jone.<br > +<br > +10. <span class="smcap">Child</span>: The Man in the Shadow.<br > +<br > +11. <span class="smcap">Clemens</span>: Jumping Frog.<br > +<br > +12. <span class="smcap">Cobb</span>: To the Editor of the Sun.<br > +<br > +13. <span class="smcap">Colcord</span>: The Game of Life and Death.<br > +<br > +14. <span class="smcap">Davis, R. H.</span>: The Bar Sinister.<br > 15. <span style="margin-left: 5.5em;"> Gallegher.</span> -<br /> -16. <span style="margin-left: 5.5em;"> The Lion and the Unicorn.</span><br /> -<br /> +<br > +16. <span style="margin-left: 5.5em;"> The Lion and the Unicorn.</span><br > +<br > 17. <span class="smcap">Doyle</span>: The Red-Headed League. -<br /> +<br > 18. <span style="margin-left: 3em;"> A Scandal in Bohemia.</span> -<br /> +<br > 19.<span style="margin-left: 3em;"> The Striped Chest.</span> -<br /> -20. <span style="margin-left: 3em;"> Through the Veil.</span><br /> -<br /> -21. <span class="smcap">Garland</span>: The Return of a Private.<br /> -<br /> -22. <span class="smcap">Gerould</span>: On the Staircase.<br /> -<br /> -23. <span class="smcap">Hale</span>: The Man without a Country.<br /> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xxii" id="Page_xxii">[Pg xxii]</a></span></p> +<br > +20. <span style="margin-left: 3em;"> Through the Veil.</span><br > +<br > +21. <span class="smcap">Garland</span>: The Return of a Private.<br > +<br > +22. <span class="smcap">Gerould</span>: On the Staircase.<br > +<br > +23. <span class="smcap">Hale</span>: The Man without a Country.<br > +<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xxii">[Pg xxii]</a></span></p> <p> -24. <span class="smcap">Hardy</span>: The Three Strangers.<br /> -<br /> -25. <span class="smcap">Harris</span>: The Wonderful Tar Baby.<br /> -<br /> +24. <span class="smcap">Hardy</span>: The Three Strangers.<br > +<br > +25. <span class="smcap">Harris</span>: The Wonderful Tar Baby.<br > +<br > 26. <span class="smcap">Harte</span>: Luck of Roaring Camp. -<br /> -27.<span style="margin-left: 3.25em;"> Tennessee's Partner.</span><br /> -<br /> +<br > +27.<span style="margin-left: 3.25em;"> Tennessee's Partner.</span><br > +<br > 28. <span class="smcap">Hawthorne</span>: The Ambitious Guest. -<br /> +<br > 29. <span style="margin-left: 5.75em;"> Ethan Brand.</span> -<br /> +<br > 30. <span style="margin-left: 5.75em;"> The Gray Champion.</span> -<br /> -31. <span style="margin-left: 5.75em;"> The Great Stone Face.</span><br /> -<br /> +<br > +31. <span style="margin-left: 5.75em;"> The Great Stone Face.</span><br > +<br > 32. "<span class="smcap">O. Henry</span>": Friends in San Rosario. -<br /> -33.<span style="margin-left: 5em;"> Jimmie Hayes and Muriel.</span><br /> -<br /> -34. <span class="smcap">Irving</span>: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.<br /> -<br /> -35. The Spectre Bridegroom.<br /> -<br /> -36. <span class="smcap">James</span>: A Passionate Pilgrim.<br /> -<br /> +<br > +33.<span style="margin-left: 5em;"> Jimmie Hayes and Muriel.</span><br > +<br > +34. <span class="smcap">Irving</span>: The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.<br > +<br > +35. The Spectre Bridegroom.<br > +<br > +36. <span class="smcap">James</span>: A Passionate Pilgrim.<br > +<br > 37. <span class="smcap">Janvier</span>: In the St. Peter's Set. -<br /> -38. <span style="margin-left: 3.70em;"> The Passing of Thomas.</span><br /> -<br /> -39. <span class="smcap">Jewett</span>: A Native of Winby.<br /> -<br /> +<br > +38. <span style="margin-left: 3.70em;"> The Passing of Thomas.</span><br > +<br > +39. <span class="smcap">Jewett</span>: A Native of Winby.<br > +<br > 40. <span class="smcap">Kipling</span>: The Brushwood Boy. -<br /> +<br > 41. <span style="margin-left: 3.75em;"> An Habitation Enforced.</span> -<br /> +<br > 42. <span style="margin-left: 3.75em;"> The Maltese Cat.</span> -<br /> +<br > 43. <span style="margin-left: 3.75em;"> My Lord the Elephant.</span> -<br /> +<br > 44. <span style="margin-left: 3.75em;"> Rikki-tikki-tavi.</span> -<br /> +<br > 45. <span style="margin-left: 3.75em;"> They.</span> -<br /> +<br > 46. <span style="margin-left: 3.75em;"> The Tomb of His Ancestors.</span> -<br /> +<br > 47. <span style="margin-left: 3.75em;"> Wee Willie Winkie.</span> -<br /> -48. <span style="margin-left: 3.75em;"> William the Conqueror.</span><br /> -<br /> -49. <span class="smcap">London</span>: The White Silence.<br /> -<br /> -50. <span class="smcap">Morris</span>: The Trap.<br /> -<br /> -51. <span class="smcap">Murfree</span>: The "Harnt" that Walks Chilhowee.<br /> -<br /> -52. <span class="smcap">Page</span>: Marse Chan.<br /> +<br > +48. <span style="margin-left: 3.75em;"> William the Conqueror.</span><br > +<br > +49. <span class="smcap">London</span>: The White Silence.<br > +<br > +50. <span class="smcap">Morris</span>: The Trap.<br > +<br > +51. <span class="smcap">Murfree</span>: The "Harnt" that Walks Chilhowee.<br > +<br > +52. <span class="smcap">Page</span>: Marse Chan.<br > 53. <span style="margin-left: 2.5em;"> Meh Lady.</span> -<br /> -54. <span style="margin-left: 2.5em;"> Polly.</span><br /> -<br /> -55. <span class="smcap">Parker</span>: The Stake and the Plumb Line.<br /> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xxiii" id="Page_xxiii">[Pg xxiii]</a></span></p> +<br > +54. <span style="margin-left: 2.5em;"> Polly.</span><br > +<br > +55. <span class="smcap">Parker</span>: The Stake and the Plumb Line.<br > +<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xxiii">[Pg xxiii]</a></span></p> <p> -56. <span class="smcap">Poe</span>: The Fall of the House of Usher.<br /> +56. <span class="smcap">Poe</span>: The Fall of the House of Usher.<br > 57. <span style="margin-left: 2em;"> The Murders in the Rue Morgue.</span> -<br /> -58. <span style="margin-left: 2em;"> The Pit and the Pendulum.</span><br /> -<br /> -59. <span class="smcap">Roberts</span>: From the Teeth of the Tide.<br /> -<br /> -60. <span class="smcap">Spearman</span>: Jimmie the Wind.<br /> -<br /> -61. <span class="smcap">Smith, F. H.</span>: Colonel Carter of Cartersville.<br /> -<br /> -62. <span class="smcap">Stevenson</span>: The Bottle Imp.<br /> +<br > +58. <span style="margin-left: 2em;"> The Pit and the Pendulum.</span><br > +<br > +59. <span class="smcap">Roberts</span>: From the Teeth of the Tide.<br > +<br > +60. <span class="smcap">Spearman</span>: Jimmie the Wind.<br > +<br > +61. <span class="smcap">Smith, F. H.</span>: Colonel Carter of Cartersville.<br > +<br > +62. <span class="smcap">Stevenson</span>: The Bottle Imp.<br > 63. <span style="margin-left: 5em;"> A Lodging for the Night.</span> -<br /> +<br > 64.<span style="margin-left: 5em;"> Dr. Jekyll and Mr. Hyde.</span> -<br /> +<br > 65. <span style="margin-left: 5em;"> The Merry Men.</span> -<br /> -66. <span style="margin-left: 5em;"> The Pavilion on the Links.</span><br /> -<br /> -67. <span class="smcap">Stockton</span>: The Lady or the Tiger?<br /> +<br > +66. <span style="margin-left: 5em;"> The Pavilion on the Links.</span><br > +<br > +67. <span class="smcap">Stockton</span>: The Lady or the Tiger?<br > 68. <span style="margin-left: 4.75em;"> The Transferred Ghost.</span> -<br /> -69. <span style="margin-left: 4.75em;"> A Story of Seven Devils.</span><br /> -<br /> -70. <span class="smcap">Van Dyke</span>: The Blue Flower.<br /> -<br /> -71. <span class="smcap">Wilkins (Freeman)</span>: A New England Nun.<br /> - -72. <span style="margin-left: 8.5em;"> The Revolt of Mother.</span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xxv" id="Page_xxv">[Pg xxv]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xxiv" id="Page_xxiv">[Pg xxiv]</a></span><br /> +<br > +69. <span style="margin-left: 4.75em;"> A Story of Seven Devils.</span><br > +<br > +70. <span class="smcap">Van Dyke</span>: The Blue Flower.<br > +<br > +71. <span class="smcap">Wilkins (Freeman)</span>: A New England Nun.<br > + +72. <span style="margin-left: 8.5em;"> The Revolt of Mother.</span><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xxv">[Pg xxv]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xxiv">[Pg xxiv]</a></span><br > </p> -<h3>V<br /> +<h3>V<br > -<a name="BIBLIOGRAPHY" id="BIBLIOGRAPHY"></a>BIBLIOGRAPHY</h3> +<a id="BIBLIOGRAPHY"></a>BIBLIOGRAPHY</h3> <p><span class="smcap">Baldwin, Charles Sears</span>. American Short-stories. <i>Longmans, Green, & Co., 1904.</i></p> @@ -680,11 +642,11 @@ and XI). <i>Doubleday, Page & Co., 1908.</i></p> Mifflin Co., 1902.</i></p> <p><span class="smcap">Smith, C. Alphonso</span>, The American Short-story. <i>Ginn & Co., -1912.</i><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xxvii" id="Page_xxvii">[Pg xxvii]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xxvi" id="Page_xxvi">[Pg xxvi]</a></span></p> +1912.</i><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xxvii">[Pg xxvii]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xxvi">[Pg xxvi]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /><p><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_xxviii" id="Page_xxviii">[Pg xxviii]</a></span></p> +<hr style="width: 65%;" ><p><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_xxviii">[Pg xxviii]</a></span></p> <h2>THE SHORT-STORY</h2> @@ -723,20 +685,20 @@ folks, whose good opinion is well worth having; particularly by certain biscuit-bakers, who have gone so far as to imprint his likeness on their new-year cakes; and have thus given him a chance for immortality, almost equal to the being stamped on a Waterloo Medal, or a Queen Anne's -Farthing.]<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_1" id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> +Farthing.]<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_1">[Pg 1]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<h2><a name="RIP_VAN_WINKLE" id="RIP_VAN_WINKLE"></a>RIP VAN WINKLE</h2> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > +<h2><a id="RIP_VAN_WINKLE"></a>RIP VAN WINKLE</h2> <p class='center'>A POSTHUMOUS WRITING OF DIEDRICH KNICKERBOCKER</p> <p style="margin-left: 15em;"> -By Woden, God of Saxons,<br /> -From whence comes Wensday, that is Wodensday,<br /> -Truth is a thing that ever I will keep<br /> -Unto thylke day in which I creep into<br /> +By Woden, God of Saxons,<br > +From whence comes Wensday, that is Wodensday,<br > +Truth is a thing that ever I will keep<br > +Unto thylke day in which I creep into<br > My sepulchre— </p> @@ -759,7 +721,7 @@ rays of the setting sun, will glow and light up like a crown of glory.</p> <p>At the foot of these fairy mountains, the voyager may have descried the light smoke curling up from a village whose shingle-roofs gleam among the trees, just where the blue tints of the upland melt away into the -fresh green of the nearer landscape. It is a little village of great<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_2" id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> +fresh green of the nearer landscape. It is a little village of great<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_2">[Pg 2]</a></span> antiquity, having been founded by some of the Dutch colonists, in the early times of the province, just about the beginning of the government of the good Peter Stuyvesant, (may he rest in peace!) and there were @@ -788,7 +750,7 @@ Winkle was thrice blessed.</p> <p>Certain it is, that he was a great favorite among all the good wives of the village, who, as usual with the amiable sex, took his part in all -family squabbles; and never<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_3" id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> failed, whenever they talked those matters +family squabbles; and never<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_3">[Pg 3]</a></span> failed, whenever they talked those matters over in their evening gossipings, to lay all the blame on Dame Van Winkle. The children of the village, too, would shout with joy whenever he approached. He assisted at their sports, made their playthings, @@ -816,7 +778,7 @@ and keeping his farm in order, he found it impossible.</p> <p>In fact, he declared it was of no use to work on his farm; it was the most pestilent little piece of ground in the whole country; everything about it went wrong, and would go wrong, in spite of him. His fences -were con<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_4" id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span>tinually falling to pieces; his cow would either go astray or +were con<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_4">[Pg 4]</a></span>tinually falling to pieces; his cow would either go astray or get among the cabbages; weeds were sure to grow quicker in his fields than anywhere else; the rain always made a point of setting in just as he had some out-door work to do, so that though his patrimonial estate @@ -843,7 +805,7 @@ to produce a torrent of household eloquence. Rip had but one way of replying to all lectures of the kind, and that, by frequent use, had grown into a habit. He shrugged his shoulders, shook his head, cast up his eyes, but said nothing. This, however, always provoked a fresh -volley from his wife; so that he was fain to draw off his forces,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_5" id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> and +volley from his wife; so that he was fain to draw off his forces,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_5">[Pg 5]</a></span> and take to the outside of the house—the only side which, in truth, belongs to a hen-pecked husband.</p> @@ -873,7 +835,7 @@ stories about nothing. But it would have been worth any statesman's money to have heard the profound discussions that sometimes took place, when by chance an old newspaper fell into their hands from some passing traveller. How solemnly they would listen to the contents, as drawled -out by Derrick Van Bummel, the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_6" id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> schoolmaster, a dapper learned little +out by Derrick Van Bummel, the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_6">[Pg 6]</a></span> schoolmaster, a dapper learned little man, who was not to be daunted by the most gigantic word in the dictionary; and how sagely they would deliberate upon public events some months after they had taken place.</p> @@ -904,7 +866,7 @@ husband in habits of idleness.</p> <p>Poor Rip was at last reduced almost to despair; and his only alternative, to escape from the labor of the farm and clamor of his wife, was to take gun in hand and stroll away into the woods. Here he -would sometimes seat him<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_7" id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span>self at the foot of a tree, and share the +would sometimes seat him<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_7">[Pg 7]</a></span>self at the foot of a tree, and share the contents of his wallet with Wolf, with whom he sympathized as a fellow-sufferer in persecution. "Poor Wolf," he would say, "thy mistress leads thee a dog's life of it; but never mind, my lad, whilst I live @@ -932,7 +894,7 @@ For some time Rip lay musing on this scene; evening was gradually advancing; the mountains began to throw their long blue shadows over the valleys; he saw that it would be dark long before he could reach the village, and he heaved a heavy sigh when he thought of encountering the -terrors of Dame Van Winkle.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_8" id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span></p> +terrors of Dame Van Winkle.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_8">[Pg 8]</a></span></p> <p>As he was about to descend, he heard a voice from a distance, hallooing, "Rip Van Winkle! Rip Van Winkle!" He looked round, but could see nothing @@ -960,7 +922,7 @@ of this new acquaintance, Rip complied with his usual alacrity; and mutually relieving one another, they clambered up a narrow gully, apparently the dry bed of a mountain torrent. As they ascended, Rip every now and then heard long rolling peals, like distant thunder, that -seemed to issue out of a deep ravine, or rather cleft, between lofty<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_9" id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> +seemed to issue out of a deep ravine, or rather cleft, between lofty<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_9">[Pg 9]</a></span> rocks, toward which their rugged path conducted. He paused for an instant, but supposing it to be the muttering of one of those transient thunder-showers which often take place in mountain heights, he @@ -988,7 +950,7 @@ to be the commander. He was a stout old gentleman, with a weather-beaten countenance; he wore a laced doublet, broad belt and hanger, high-crowned hat and feather, red stockings, and high-heeled shoes, with roses in them. The whole group reminded Rip of the figures in an old -Flemish painting, in the parlor of Dominie Van<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_10" id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> Shaick, the village +Flemish painting, in the parlor of Dominie Van<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_10">[Pg 10]</a></span> Shaick, the village parson, and which had been brought over from Holland at the time of the settlement.</p> @@ -1018,7 +980,7 @@ gradually declined, and he fell into a deep sleep.</p> <p>On waking, he found himself on the green knoll whence he had first seen the old man of the glen. He rubbed his eyes—it was a bright sunny morning. The birds were hopping and twittering among the bushes, and the -eagle was wheeling aloft, and breasting the pure<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_11" id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> mountain breeze. +eagle was wheeling aloft, and breasting the pure<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_11">[Pg 11]</a></span> mountain breeze. "Surely," thought Rip, "I have not slept here all night." He recalled the occurrences before he fell asleep. The strange man with a keg of liquor—the mountain ravine—the wild retreat among the rocks—the @@ -1047,7 +1009,7 @@ stream was now foaming down it, leaping from rock to rock, and filling the glen with babbling murmurs. He, however, made shift to scramble up its sides, working his toilsome way through thickets of birch, sassafras, and witch-hazel, and sometimes tripped up or entangled by -the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_12" id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> wild grapevines that twisted their coils or tendrils from tree to +the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_12">[Pg 12]</a></span> wild grapevines that twisted their coils or tendrils from tree to tree, and spread a kind of network in his path.</p> <p>At length he reached to where the ravine had opened through the cliffs @@ -1077,7 +1039,7 @@ astonishment, he found his beard had grown a foot long!</p> <p>He had now entered the skirts of the village. A troop of strange children ran at his heels, hooting after him, and pointing at his gray -beard. The dogs, too, not one of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_13" id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> which he recognized for an old +beard. The dogs, too, not one of<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_13">[Pg 13]</a></span> which he recognized for an old acquaintance, barked at him as he passed. The very village was altered; it was larger and more populous. There were rows of houses which he had never seen before, and those which had been his familiar haunts had @@ -1107,7 +1069,7 @@ with his voice, and then all again was silence.</p> <p>He now hurried forth, and hastened to his old resort, the village inn—but it too was gone. A large rickety wooden building stood in its -place, with great gaping win<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_14" id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>dows, some of them broken and mended with +place, with great gaping win<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_14">[Pg 14]</a></span>dows, some of them broken and mended with old hats and petticoats, and over the door was painted, "the Union Hotel, by Jonathan Doolittle." Instead of the great tree that used to shelter the quiet little Dutch inn of yore, there now was reared a tall @@ -1136,7 +1098,7 @@ to the bewildered Van Winkle.</p> <p>The appearance of Rip, with his long grizzled beard, his rusty fowling-piece, his uncouth dress, and an army of women and children at -his heels, soon attracted the atten<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_15" id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>tion of the tavern politicians. They +his heels, soon attracted the atten<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_15">[Pg 15]</a></span>tion of the tavern politicians. They crowded round him, eying him from head to foot with great curiosity. The orator bustled up to him, and, drawing him partly aside, inquired "on which side he voted?" Rip stared in vacant stupidity. Another short but @@ -1165,7 +1127,7 @@ search of some of his neighbors, who used to keep about the tavern.</p> <p>Rip bethought himself a moment, and inquired, "Where's Nicholas Vedder?"</p> -<p>There was a silence for a little while, when an old man<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_16" id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> replied, in a +<p>There was a silence for a little while, when an old man<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_16">[Pg 16]</a></span> replied, in a thin piping voice, "Nicholas Vedder! why, he is dead and gone these eighteen years! There was a wooden tombstone in the church-yard that used to tell all about him, but that's rotten and gone too."</p> @@ -1199,7 +1161,7 @@ whether he was himself or another man. In the midst of his bewilderment, the man in the cocked hat demanded who he was, and what was his name?</p> <p>"God knows," exclaimed he, at his wit's end; "I'm not myself—I'm -somebody else—that's me yonder—no<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_17" id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>—that's somebody else got into my +somebody else—that's me yonder—no<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_17">[Pg 17]</a></span>—that's somebody else got into my shoes—I was myself last night, but I fell asleep on the mountain, and they've changed my gun, and every thing's changed, and I'm changed, and I can't tell what's my name, or who I am!"</p> @@ -1234,7 +1196,7 @@ voice:</p> <p>"Oh, she too had died but a short time since; she broke a blood-vessel in a fit of passion at a New-England peddler."</p> -<p>There was a drop of comfort, at least, in this intelli<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_18" id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span>gence. The honest +<p>There was a drop of comfort, at least, in this intelli<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_18">[Pg 18]</a></span>gence. The honest man could contain himself no longer. He caught his daughter and her child in his arms. "I am your father!" cried he—"Young Rip Van Winkle once—old Rip Van Winkle now!—Does nobody know poor Rip Van Winkle?"</p> @@ -1263,7 +1225,7 @@ satisfactory manner. He assured the company that it was a fact, handed down from his ancestor the historian, that the Kaatskill mountains had always been haunted by strange beings. That it was affirmed that the great Hendrick Hudson, the first discoverer of the river and country, -kept a kind of vigil<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_19" id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> there every twenty years, with his crew of the +kept a kind of vigil<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_19">[Pg 19]</a></span> there every twenty years, with his crew of the Half-moon; being permitted in this way to revisit the scenes of his enterprise, and keep a guardian eye upon the river, and the great city called by his name. That his father had once seen them in their old @@ -1292,7 +1254,7 @@ village, and a chronicle of the old times "before the war." It was some time before he could get into the regular track of gossip, or could be made to comprehend the strange events that had taken place during his torpor. How that there had been a revolutionary war—that the country -had thrown off the yoke of old England—and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_20" id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> that, instead of being a +had thrown off the yoke of old England—and<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_20">[Pg 20]</a></span> that, instead of being a subject of his Majesty George the Third, he was now a free citizen of the United States. Rip, in fact, was no politician; the changes of states and empires made but little impression on him; but there was one @@ -1317,7 +1279,7 @@ thunderstorm of a summer afternoon about the Kaatskill, but they say Hendrick Hudson and his crew are at their game of nine-pins; and it is a common wish of all hen-pecked husbands in the neighborhood, when life hangs heavy on their hands, that they might have a quieting draught out -of Rip Van Winkle's flagon.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_21" id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> +of Rip Van Winkle's flagon.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_21">[Pg 21]</a></span></p> <p class='center'>NOTE</p> @@ -1359,7 +1321,7 @@ morning dew, and send them off from the crest of the mountain, flake after flake, like flakes of carded cotton, to float in the air; until, dissolved by the heat of the sun, they would fall in gentle showers, causing the grass to spring, the fruits to ripen, and the corn to grow -an inch<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_22" id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> an hour. If displeased, however, she would brew up clouds black +an inch<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_22">[Pg 22]</a></span> an hour. If displeased, however, she would brew up clouds black as ink, sitting in the midst of them like a bottle-bellied spider in the midst of its web; and when these clouds broke, woe betide the valleys.</p> @@ -1390,23 +1352,23 @@ continues to flow to the present day; being the identical stream known by the name of the Kaaters-kill.</p> <p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus03.png" alt="Poe" /> -<a id="illus03.png" name="illus03.png"></a> +<img src="images/illus03.png" alt="Poe"> +<a id="illus03.png"></a> </p> -<p class='center'><span class="smcap">Edgar Allan Poe</span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_23" id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> +<p class='center'><span class="smcap">Edgar Allan Poe</span><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_23">[Pg 23]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<h2><a name="THE_GOLD_BUG" id="THE_GOLD_BUG"></a>THE GOLD BUG</h2> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > +<h2><a id="THE_GOLD_BUG"></a>THE GOLD BUG</h2> <p class='center'> -"What ho! what ho! this fellow is dancing mad!<br /> -He hath been bitten by the Tarantula."<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 14em;"><i>All in the Wrong.</i></span><br /> +"What ho! what ho! this fellow is dancing mad!<br > +He hath been bitten by the Tarantula."<br > +<span style="margin-left: 14em;"><i>All in the Wrong.</i></span><br > </p> @@ -1429,7 +1391,7 @@ fugitives from Charleston dust and fever, may be found, indeed, the bristly palmetto; but the whole island, with the exception of the western point, and a line of hard, white beach on the sea-coast, is covered with a dense undergrowth of sweet myrtle, so much prized by the -horticulturalists of England. The shrub here often attains the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_24" id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> height +horticulturalists of England. The shrub here often attains the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_24">[Pg 24]</a></span> height of fifteen or twenty feet, and forms an almost impenetrable coppice, burthening the air with its fragrance.</p> @@ -1459,7 +1421,7 @@ considered necessary. About the middle of October, 18—, there occurred, however, a day of remarkable chilliness. Just before sunset I scrambled my way through the evergreens to the hut of my friend, whom I had not visited for several weeks, my residence being at that time in -Charleston, a distance of nine<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_25" id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> miles from the island, while the +Charleston, a distance of nine<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_25">[Pg 25]</a></span> miles from the island, while the facilities of passage and re-passage were very far behind those of the present day. Upon reaching the hut I rapped, as was my custom; and, getting no reply, sought for the key where I knew it was secreted, @@ -1490,7 +1452,7 @@ creation!"</p> <p>"What—sunrise?"</p> <p>"Nonsense! no! the bug. It is of a brilliant gold color, about the size -of a large hickory nut, with two jet black<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_26" id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> spots near one extremity of +of a large hickory nut, with two jet black<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_26">[Pg 26]</a></span> spots near one extremity of the back, another, somewhat longer, at the other. The <i>antennæ</i> are"—</p> <p>"Dey ain't <i>no</i> tin in him, Massa Will, I keep a-telling on you," here @@ -1521,7 +1483,7 @@ at what my friend had depicted.</p> <p>"Well!" I said, after contemplating it for some minutes, "this <i>is</i> a strange <i>scarabæus</i>, I must confess; new to me; never saw anything like -it before—unless it was a<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_27" id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> skull, or a death's-head—which it more +it before—unless it was a<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_27">[Pg 27]</a></span> skull, or a death's-head—which it more nearly resembles than anything else that has come under <i>my</i> observation."</p> @@ -1555,7 +1517,7 @@ is sufficient."</p> <p>"Well, well," I said, "perhaps you have—still I don't see them;" and I handed him the paper without additional remark, not wishing to ruffle his temper; but I was much surprised at the turn affairs had taken; his -ill-humor puzzled me—and, as for the drawing of the beetle,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_28" id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> there were +ill-humor puzzled me—and, as for the drawing of the beetle,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_28">[Pg 28]</a></span> there were positively <i>no antennæ</i> visible, and the whole <i>did</i> bear a very close resemblance to the ordinary cuts of a death's-head.</p> @@ -1583,7 +1545,7 @@ even more than his usual cordiality.</p> <p>It was about a month after this (and during the interval I had seen nothing of Legrand) when I received a visit, at Charleston, from his man Jupiter. I had never seen the good old negro look so dispirited, and I -feared that some serious disaster had befallen my friend.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_29" id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> +feared that some serious disaster had befallen my friend.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_29">[Pg 29]</a></span></p> <p>"Well, Jup," said I, "what is the matter now?—how is your master?"</p> @@ -1619,7 +1581,7 @@ hadn't de heart arter all—he look so berry poorly."</p> <p>"Eh?—what?—ah, yes!—upon the whole I think you had better not be too severe with the poor fellow—don't flog him, Jupiter—he can't very well -stand it—but<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_30" id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> can you form no idea of what has occasioned this illness, +stand it—but<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_30">[Pg 30]</a></span> can you form no idea of what has occasioned this illness, or rather this change of conduct? Has anything unpleasant happened since I saw you?"</p> @@ -1657,7 +1619,7 @@ goole-bugs fore dis."</p> <p>"How I know? why, cause he talk bout it in he sleep, dat's how I nose."</p> <p>"Well, Jup, perhaps you are right; but to what fortunate circumstance am -I to attribute the honor of a visit from you to-day?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_31" id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p> +I to attribute the honor of a visit from you to-day?"<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_31">[Pg 31]</a></span></p> <p>"What de matter, massa?"</p> @@ -1699,7 +1661,7 @@ What could he be dreaming of? What new crotchet possessed his excitable brain? What "business of the highest importance" could <i>he</i> possibly have to transact? Jupiter's account of him boded no good. I dreaded lest the continued pressure of misfortune had, at length, fairly unsettled -the reason<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_32" id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> of my friend. Without a moment's hesitation, therefore, I +the reason<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_32">[Pg 32]</a></span> of my friend. Without a moment's hesitation, therefore, I prepared to accompany the negro.</p> <p>Upon reaching the wharf, I noticed a scythe and three spades, all @@ -1735,7 +1697,7 @@ better to say, if he had yet obtained the <i>scarabæus</i> from Lieutenant G——.</p> <p>"Oh, yes," he replied, coloring violently; "I got it from him the next -morning. Nothing should tempt me<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_33" id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> to part with that <i>scarabæus</i>. Do you +morning. Nothing should tempt me<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_33">[Pg 33]</a></span> to part with that <i>scarabæus</i>. Do you know that Jupiter is quite right about it?"</p> <p>"In what way?" I asked, with a sad foreboding at heart.</p> @@ -1767,7 +1729,7 @@ my examination of the beetle, "I sent for you that I might have your counsel and assistance in furthering the views of Fate and of the bug"—</p> <p>"My dear Legrand," I cried interrupting him, "you are certainly unwell, -and had better use some little pre<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_34" id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>cautions. You shall go to bed, and I +and had better use some little pre<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_34">[Pg 34]</a></span>cautions. You shall go to bed, and I will remain with you a few days until you get over this. You are feverish and"—</p> @@ -1807,7 +1769,7 @@ propose to be absent?"</p> <p>"Probably all night. We shall start immediately, and be back, at all events, by sunrise."</p> -<p>"And will you promise me, upon your honor, that when<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_35" id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> this freak of +<p>"And will you promise me, upon your honor, that when<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_35">[Pg 35]</a></span> this freak of yours is over, and the bug business (good God!) settled to your satisfaction, you will then return home and follow my advice implicitly, as that of your physician?"</p> @@ -1837,7 +1799,7 @@ reply than "we shall see!"</p> <p>We crossed the creek at the head of the island by means of a skiff, and, ascending the high grounds on the shore of the mainland, proceeded in a northwesterly direction, through a tract of country excessively wild -and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_36" id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> desolate, where no trace of a human footstep was to be seen. +and<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_36">[Pg 36]</a></span> desolate, where no trace of a human footstep was to be seen. Legrand led the way with decision; pausing only for an instant, here and there, to consult what appeared to be certain landmarks of his own contrivance upon a former occasion.</p> @@ -1864,7 +1826,7 @@ When we reached this tree, Legrand turned to Jupiter, and asked him if he thought he could climb it. The old man seemed a little staggered by the question, and for some moments made no reply. At length he approached the huge trunk, walked slowly around it, and examined it with -minute attention. When he had completed his scrutiny, he merely said,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_37" id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>—</p> +minute attention. When he had completed his scrutiny, he merely said,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_37">[Pg 37]</a></span>—</p> <p>"Yes, massa, Jup climb any tree he ebber see in he life."</p> @@ -1899,7 +1861,7 @@ make their appearance on the stem. Thus the difficulty of ascension, in the present case, lay more in semblance than in reality. Embracing the huge cylinder as closely as possible with his arms and knees, seizing with his hands some projections, and resting his naked toes upon -others,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_38" id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> Jupiter, after one or two narrow escapes from falling, at +others,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_38">[Pg 38]</a></span> Jupiter, after one or two narrow escapes from falling, at length wriggled himself into the first great fork, and seemed to consider the whole business as virtually accomplished. The <i>risk</i> of the achievement was, in fact, now over, although the climber was some sixty @@ -1938,7 +1900,7 @@ strange, let me know."</p> <p>By this time what little doubt I might have entertained of my poor friend's insanity was put finally at rest. I had no alternative but to conclude him stricken with lunacy, and I became seriously anxious about -getting him home.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_39" id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> While I was pondering upon what was best to be done, +getting him home.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_39">[Pg 39]</a></span> While I was pondering upon what was best to be done, Jupiter's voice was again heard.</p> <p>"Mos feerd for to ventur pon dis limb berry far—'tis dead limb putty @@ -1979,7 +1941,7 @@ that beetle I'll break your neck. Look here, Jupiter, do you hear me?"</p> <p>"Yes, massa; needn't hollo at poor nigger dat style."</p> -<p>"Well, now listen. If you will venture out on the limb<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_40" id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> as far as you +<p>"Well, now listen. If you will venture out on the limb<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_40">[Pg 40]</a></span> as far as you think safe, and not let go the beetle, I'll make you a present of a silver dollar as soon as you get down."</p> @@ -2021,7 +1983,7 @@ wood wid."</p> as your left hand. Now, I suppose you can find the left eye of the skull, or the place where the left eye has been. Have you found it?"</p> -<p>Here was a long pause. At length the negro asked,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_41" id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>—</p> +<p>Here was a long pause. At length the negro asked,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_41">[Pg 41]</a></span>—</p> <p>"Is de lef eye ob de skull pon de same side as de lef hand ob de skull, too?—cause de skull aint got not a bit ob a hand at all—nebber mind! I @@ -2053,7 +2015,7 @@ established by the two points of the tree and the peg, for the distance of fifty feet—Jupiter clearing away the brambles with the scythe. At the spot thus attained a second peg was driven, and about this, as a centre, a rude circle, about four feet in diameter, described. Taking -now a spade himself, and giving one to Jupiter and one to me,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_42" id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> Legrand +now a spade himself, and giving one to Jupiter and one to me,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_42">[Pg 42]</a></span> Legrand begged us to set about digging as quickly as possible.</p> <p>To speak the truth, I had no special relish for such amusement at any @@ -2082,7 +2044,7 @@ entertained.</p> more rational cause; and, as the glare fell upon our persons and implements, I could not help thinking how picturesque a group we composed, and how strange and suspicious our labors must have appeared -to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_43" id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> any interloper who, by chance, might have stumbled upon our +to<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_43">[Pg 43]</a></span> any interloper who, by chance, might have stumbled upon our whereabouts.</p> <p>We dug very steadily for two hours. Little was said; and our chief @@ -2111,7 +2073,7 @@ signal from his master, began to gather up his tools. This done, and the dog having been unmuzzled, we turned in profound silence toward home.</p> <p>We had taken, perhaps, a dozen steps in this direction, when, with a -loud oath, Legrand strode up to Jupiter, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_44" id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> seized him by the collar. +loud oath, Legrand strode up to Jupiter, and<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_44">[Pg 44]</a></span> seized him by the collar. The astonished negro opened his eyes and mouth to the fullest extent, let fall the spades, and fell upon his knees.</p> @@ -2148,7 +2110,7 @@ his right eye that the negro indicated.</p> <p>"That will do—we must try it again."</p> <p>Here my friend, about whose madness I now saw, or fancied that I saw, -certain indications of method, removed<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_45" id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> the peg which marked the spot +certain indications of method, removed<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_45">[Pg 45]</a></span> the peg which marked the spot where the beetle fell, to a spot about three inches to the westward of its former position. Taking, now, the tape-measure from the nearest point of the trunk to the peg, as before, and continuing the extension @@ -2175,7 +2137,7 @@ into the hole, tore up the mould frantically with his claws. In a few seconds he had uncovered a mass of human bones, forming two complete skeletons, intermingled with several buttons of metal, and what appeared to be the dust of decayed woollen. One or two strokes of a spade -upturned the blade of a large Spanish knife, and, as we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_46" id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> dug further, +upturned the blade of a large Spanish knife, and, as we<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_46">[Pg 46]</a></span> dug further, three or four loose pieces of gold and silver coin came to light.</p> <p>At sight of these the joy of Jupiter could scarcely be restrained; but @@ -2204,7 +2166,7 @@ confused heap of gold and of jewels, that absolutely dazzled our eyes.</p> <p>I shall not pretend to describe the feelings with which I gazed. Amazement was, of course, predominant. Legrand appeared exhausted with -excitement, and spoke<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_47" id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> very few words. Jupiter's countenance wore, for +excitement, and spoke<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_47">[Pg 47]</a></span> very few words. Jupiter's countenance wore, for some minutes, as deadly a pallor as it is possible, in the nature of things, for any negro's visage to assume. He seemed stupefied, thunderstricken. Presently he fell upon his knees in the pit, and, @@ -2232,7 +2194,7 @@ were, it was not in human nature to do more immediately. We rested until two, and had supper, starting for the hills immediately afterward, armed with three stout sacks, which, by good luck, were upon the premises. A little before four we arrived at the pit, divided the remainder of the -booty as equally as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_48" id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> might be among us; and, leaving the holes unfilled, +booty as equally as<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_48">[Pg 48]</a></span> might be among us; and, leaving the holes unfilled, again set out for the hut, at which, for the second time, we deposited our golden burthens, just as the first faint streaks of the dawn gleamed from over the tree-tops in the east.</p> @@ -2262,7 +2224,7 @@ ten in all, and not one of them small; eighteen rubies of remarkable brilliancy; three hundred and ten emeralds, all very beautiful; and twenty one sapphires, with an opal. These stones had all been broken from their settings, and thrown loose in the chest. The settings -themselves,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_49" id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> which we picked out from among the other gold, appeared to +themselves,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_49">[Pg 49]</a></span> which we picked out from among the other gold, appeared to have been beaten up with hammers, as if to prevent identification. Besides all this, there was a vast quantity of solid gold ornaments; nearly two hundred massive finger and ear rings; rich chains—thirty of @@ -2292,7 +2254,7 @@ circumstances connected with it.</p> <p>"You remember," said he, "the night when I handed you the rough sketch I had made of the <i>scarabæus</i>. You recollect, also, that I became quite vexed at you for insisting that my drawing resembled a death's-head. -When<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_50" id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> you first made this assertion, I thought you were jesting; but +When<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_50">[Pg 50]</a></span> you first made this assertion, I thought you were jesting; but afterward I called to mind the peculiar spots on the back of the insect, and admitted to myself that your remark had some little foundation in fact. Still the sneer at my graphic powers irritated me—for I am @@ -2320,7 +2282,7 @@ coincidence involved in the fact that, unknown to me, there should have been a skull upon the other side of the parchment, immediately beneath my figure of the <i>scarabæus</i>, and that this skull, not only in outline, but in size, should so closely resemble my drawing. I say the -singularity of this coincidence absolutely stupefied me for a time.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_51" id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> +singularity of this coincidence absolutely stupefied me for a time.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_51">[Pg 51]</a></span></p> <p>"This is the usual effect of such coincidences. The mind struggles to establish a connection, a sequence of cause and effect; and, being @@ -2349,7 +2311,7 @@ me a sharp bite, which caused me to let it drop. Jupiter, with his accustomed caution, before seizing the insect, which had flown towards him, looked about him for a leaf, or something of that nature, by which to take hold of it. It was at this moment that his eyes, and mine also, -fell upon the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_52" id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> scrap of parchment, which I then supposed to be paper. It +fell upon the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_52">[Pg 52]</a></span> scrap of parchment, which I then supposed to be paper. It was lying half buried in the sand, a corner sticking up. Near the spot where we found it, I observed the remnant of the hull of what appeared to have been a ship's long boat. The wreck seemed to have been there for @@ -2377,7 +2339,7 @@ circumstances impressed me with peculiar force.</p> <p>"No doubt you will think me fanciful—but I had already established a kind of <i>connection</i>. I had put together two links of a great chain. There was a boat lying upon a sea-coast, and not far from the boat was a -parchment—<i>not a paper</i>—with a skull depicted upon it. You will, of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_53" id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> +parchment—<i>not a paper</i>—with a skull depicted upon it. You will, of<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_53">[Pg 53]</a></span> course, ask, 'where is the connection?' I reply that the skull, or death's-head, is the well-known emblem of the pirate. The flag of the death's-head is hoisted in all engagements.</p> @@ -2407,7 +2369,7 @@ thus: When I drew the <i>scarabæus</i>, there was no skull apparent upon t parchment. When I had completed the drawing I gave it to you and observed you narrowly until you returned it. <i>You</i>, therefore, did not design the skull, and no one else was present to do it. Then it was not -done by human agency. And nevertheless it was done.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_54" id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> +done by human agency. And nevertheless it was done.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_54">[Pg 54]</a></span></p> <p>"At this stage of my reflections I endeavored to remember, and <i>did</i> remember, with entire distinctness, every incident which occurred about @@ -2437,7 +2399,7 @@ reapplication of heat.</p> <p>"I now scrutinized the death's-head with care. Its outer edges—the edges of the drawing nearest the edge of the vellum—were far more <i>distinct</i> than the others. It was clear that the action of the caloric -had been imperfect<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_55" id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> or unequal. I immediately kindled a fire, and +had been imperfect<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_55">[Pg 55]</a></span> or unequal. I immediately kindled a fire, and subjected every portion of the parchment to a glowing heat. At first, the only effect was the strengthening of the faint lines in the skull; but, upon persevering in the experiment, there became visible, at the @@ -2469,7 +2431,7 @@ signature."</p> <p>"Something of that kind. The fact is, I felt irresistibly impressed with a presentiment of some vast good fortune impending. I can scarcely say -why. Perhaps, after<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_56" id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> all, it was rather a desire than an actual belief; +why. Perhaps, after<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_56">[Pg 56]</a></span> all, it was rather a desire than an actual belief; but do you know that Jupiter's silly words, about the bug being of solid gold, had a remarkable effect upon my fancy? And then the series of accidents and coincidences—these were so <i>very</i> extraordinary. Do you @@ -2497,7 +2459,7 @@ a memorandum indicating its locality—had deprived him of the means of recovering it, and that this accident had become known to his followers, who otherwise might never have heard that treasure had been concealed at all, and who, busying themselves in vain, because unguided, attempts to -regain it, had given first birth, and then universal currency,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_57" id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> to the +regain it, had given first birth, and then universal currency,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_57">[Pg 57]</a></span> to the reports which are now so common. Have you ever heard of any important treasure being unearthed along the coast?"</p> @@ -2529,7 +2491,7 @@ between the death's-head and the goat:—</p> <p>53‡‡†305))6*;4826)4‡.)4‡);806*;48†8¶60))85;;]8*;:‡*8†83(88)5*†;46(;88*96*?;8)*‡(;485);5*†2:*‡(;4956*2(5*-4)8¶ 8*;4069285);)6†8)4‡‡;1 (‡9;48081;8:8‡1;48†85;4)485†528806*81(‡9;48; -(88;4(‡?34;48)4‡;161;:188; ‡?;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_58" id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p> +(88;4(‡?34;48)4‡;161;:188; ‡?;<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_58">[Pg 58]</a></span></p> <p>"But," said I, returning him the slip, "I am as much in the dark as ever. Were all the jewels of Golconda awaiting me upon my solution of @@ -2561,7 +2523,7 @@ depend upon, and are varied by, the genius of the particular idiom. In general, there is no alternative but experiment (directed by probabilities) of every tongue known to him who attempts the solution, until the true one be attained. But, with the cipher now before us, all -difficulty was removed by the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_59" id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> signature. The pun upon the word 'Kidd' +difficulty was removed by the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_59">[Pg 59]</a></span> signature. The pun upon the word 'Kidd' is appreciable in no other language than the English. But for this consideration I should have begun my attempts with the Spanish and French, as the tongues in which a secret of this kind would most @@ -2577,16 +2539,16 @@ assured. But, there being no division, my first step was to ascertain the predominant letters, as well as the least frequent. Counting all, I constructed a table thus:—</p> -<table summary='cipher' width='60%' cellspacing='5'> +<table style="width: 60%;"> <tr> -<td align='right'>Of the character +<td style="text-align: right;">Of the character </td> -<td align='right'>8 +<td style="text-align: right;">8 </td> -<td align='center'>there are +<td style="text-align: center;">there are </td> -<td align='right'>33 +<td style="text-align: right;">33 </td> </tr> @@ -2594,160 +2556,160 @@ constructed a table thus:—</p> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>; +<td style="text-align: right;">; </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>26 +<td style="text-align: right;">26 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>4 +<td style="text-align: right;">4 </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>19 +<td style="text-align: right;">19 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>‡) +<td style="text-align: right;">‡) </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>16 +<td style="text-align: right;">16 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>* +<td style="text-align: right;">* </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>13 +<td style="text-align: right;">13 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>5 +<td style="text-align: right;">5 </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>12 +<td style="text-align: right;">12 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>6 +<td style="text-align: right;">6 </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>11 +<td style="text-align: right;">11 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>( +<td style="text-align: right;">( </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>10 +<td style="text-align: right;">10 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>†1 +<td style="text-align: right;">†1 </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>8 +<td style="text-align: right;">8 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>0 +<td style="text-align: right;">0 </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>6 +<td style="text-align: right;">6 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>92 +<td style="text-align: right;">92 </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>5 +<td style="text-align: right;">5 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>:3 +<td style="text-align: right;">:3 </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>4 +<td style="text-align: right;">4 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>? +<td style="text-align: right;">? </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>3 +<td style="text-align: right;">3 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>¶ +<td style="text-align: right;">¶ </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>2 +<td style="text-align: right;">2 </td> </tr> <tr> <td> </td> -<td align='right'>]-. +<td style="text-align: right;">]-. </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> -<td align='right'>1 +<td style="text-align: right;">1 </td> </tr> </table> <p>"Now, in English, the letter which most frequently occurs is <i>e</i>. Afterward, the succession runs thus: <i>a o i d h n r s t u y c f g l m w -b k p q x z</i>.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_60" id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> <i>E</i> predominates so remarkably that an individual sentence +b k p q x z</i>.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_60">[Pg 60]</a></span> <i>E</i> predominates so remarkably that an individual sentence of any length is rarely seen in which it is not the prevailing character.</p> @@ -2777,7 +2739,7 @@ vastly important point; that is to say, several commencements and terminations of other words. Let us refer, for example, to the last instance but one, in which the combination;48 occurs—not far from the end of the cipher. We know that the; immediately ensuing is the -commencement of a word, and of the six characters<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_61" id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> succeeding this +commencement of a word, and of the six characters<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_61">[Pg 61]</a></span> succeeding this 'the,' we are cognizant of no less than five. Let us set these characters down, thus, by the letters we know them to represent, leaving a space for the unknown:—</p> @@ -2819,7 +2781,7 @@ substitute dots, we read thus:—</p> <p>when the word '<i>through</i>' makes itself evident at once. But this discovery gives us three new letters, <i>o, u, g</i>, represented by ‡? and 3.</p> -<p>"Looking now, narrowly, through the cipher for com<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_62" id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span>binations of known +<p>"Looking now, narrowly, through the cipher for com<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_62">[Pg 62]</a></span>binations of known characters, we find, not very far from the beginning, this arrangement:—</p> @@ -2858,11 +2820,11 @@ words are 'A good.'</p> <p>"It is now time that we arrange our key, as far as discovered, in a tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus:—</p> -<table summary='cipher'width='30%'> +<table style="width: 30%;"> <tr> <td>5 </td> -<td align='center'>represents +<td style="text-align: center;">represents </td> <td>a </td> @@ -2871,7 +2833,7 @@ tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus:—</p> <tr> <td>† </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> <td>d </td> @@ -2880,7 +2842,7 @@ tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus:—</p> <tr> <td>8 </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> <td>e </td> @@ -2889,7 +2851,7 @@ tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus:—</p> <tr> <td>3 </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> <td>g </td> @@ -2898,7 +2860,7 @@ tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus:—</p> <tr> <td>4 </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> <td>h </td> @@ -2907,7 +2869,7 @@ tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus:—</p> <tr> <td>6 </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> <td>i </td> @@ -2916,7 +2878,7 @@ tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus:—</p> <tr> <td>* </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> <td>n </td> @@ -2925,7 +2887,7 @@ tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus:—</p> <tr> <td>‡ </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> <td>o </td> @@ -2934,7 +2896,7 @@ tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus:—</p> <tr> <td>( </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> <td>r </td> @@ -2943,14 +2905,14 @@ tabular form, to avoid confusion. It will stand thus:—</p> <tr> <td>; </td> -<td align='center'>" +<td style="text-align: center;">" </td> <td>t </td> </tr> </table> -<p>have, therefore, no less than ten of the most important letters<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_63" id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span><br /> +<p>have, therefore, no less than ten of the most important letters<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_63">[Pg 63]</a></span><br > represented, and it will be unnecessary to proceed with the details of the solution. I have said enough to convince you that ciphers of this nature are readily soluble, and to give you some insight into the @@ -2984,7 +2946,7 @@ certain to overdo the matter. When, in the course of his composition, he arrived at a break in his subject which would naturally require a pause, or a point, he would be exceedingly apt to run his characters, at this place, more than usually close together. If you will observe the MS., -in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_64" id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> the present instance, you will easily detect five such cases of +in<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_64">[Pg 64]</a></span> the present instance, you will easily detect five such cases of unusual crowding. Acting upon this hint, I made the division thus:—</p> <div class="blockquot"><p>"'A good glass in the Bishop's hostel in the Devil's seat—forty-one @@ -3013,7 +2975,7 @@ but that it was not a castle, nor a tavern, but a high rock.</p> <p>"I offered to pay her well for her trouble, and, after some demur, she consented to accompany me to the spot. We found it without much difficulty, when, dismissing her, I proceeded to examine the place. The -'castle' consisted of an irregular assemblage of cliffs and rocks—one<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_65" id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> +'castle' consisted of an irregular assemblage of cliffs and rocks—one<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_65">[Pg 65]</a></span> of the latter being quite remarkable for its height as well as for its insulated and artificial appearance. I clambered to its apex, and then felt much at a loss as to what should be next done.</p> @@ -3043,7 +3005,7 @@ elevation above the visible horizon, since the horizontal direction was clearly indicated by the words, 'north-east and by north.' This latter direction I at once established by means of a pocket-compass; then, pointing the glass as nearly at an angle of forty-one degrees of -elevation as<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_66" id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> I could do it by guess, I moved it cautiously up or down, +elevation as<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_66">[Pg 66]</a></span> I could do it by guess, I moved it cautiously up or down, until my attention was arrested by a circular rift or opening in the foliage of a large tree that overtopped its fellows in the distance. In the centre of this rift I perceived a white spot, but could not, at @@ -3072,7 +3034,7 @@ that the circular opening in question is visible from no other attainable point of view than that afforded by the narrow ledge on the face of the rock.</p> -<p>"In this expedition to the 'Bishop's Hotel' I had been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_67" id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> attended by +<p>"In this expedition to the 'Bishop's Hotel' I had been<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_67">[Pg 67]</a></span> attended by Jupiter, who had no doubt observed for some weeks past the abstraction of my demeanor, and took especial care not to leave me alone. But, on the next day, getting up very early, I contrived to give him the slip, @@ -3103,7 +3065,7 @@ this ominous insignium."</p> <p>"Perhaps so; still, I cannot help thinking that common-sense had quite as much to do with the matter as poetical consistency. To be visible -from the Devil's seat, it was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_68" id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> necessary that the object, if small, +from the Devil's seat, it was<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_68">[Pg 68]</a></span> necessary that the object, if small, should be <i>white</i>: and there is nothing like your human skull for retaining and even increasing its whiteness under exposure to all vicissitudes of weather."</p> @@ -3129,12 +3091,12 @@ doubt not—it is clear that he must have had assistance in the labor. But this labor concluded, he may have thought it expedient to remove all participants in his secret. Perhaps a couple of blows with a mattock were sufficient, while his coadjutors were busy in the pit; perhaps it -required a dozen—who shall tell?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_69" id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> +required a dozen—who shall tell?"<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_69">[Pg 69]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<h2><a name="THE_LETTER" id="THE_LETTER"></a>THE PURLOINED LETTER</h2> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > +<h2><a id="THE_LETTER"></a>THE PURLOINED LETTER</h2> <p class='center'><i>Nil sapientiæ odiosius acumine nimio.</i></p> @@ -3161,7 +3123,7 @@ entertaining as of the contemptible about the man, and we had not seen him for several years. We had been sitting in the dark, and Dupin now arose for the purpose of lighting a lamp, but sat down again without doing so, upon G——'s saying that he had called to consult us, or -rather to ask the opinion of my friend, about<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_70" id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> some official business +rather to ask the opinion of my friend, about<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_70">[Pg 70]</a></span> some official business which had occasioned a great deal of trouble.</p> <p>"If it is any point requiring reflection," observed Dupin, as he @@ -3203,7 +3165,7 @@ fault," said my friend.</p> <p>"Ha! ha! ha!—ha! ha! ha!—ho! ho! ho!" roared our visitor, profoundly amused, "O Dupin, you will be the death of me yet!"</p> -<p>"And what, after all, <i>is</i> the matter on hand?" I asked.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_71" id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p> +<p>"And what, after all, <i>is</i> the matter on hand?" I asked.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_71">[Pg 71]</a></span></p> <p>"Why, I will tell you," replied the Prefect, as he gave a long, steady, and contemplative puff, and settled himself in his chair. "I will tell @@ -3242,7 +3204,7 @@ valuable." The Prefect was fond of the cant of diplomacy.</p> be nameless, would bring in question the honor of a personage of most exalted station; and this fact gives the holder of the document an ascendency over the illustrious personage whose honor and peace are so -jeopardized."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_72" id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p> +jeopardized."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_72">[Pg 72]</a></span></p> <p>"But this ascendency," I interposed, "would depend upon the robber's knowledge of the loser's knowledge of the robber. Who would dare—"</p> @@ -3272,7 +3234,7 @@ of no importance—upon the table."</p> <p>"Here, then," said Dupin to me, "you have precisely what you demand to make the ascendency complete—the robber's knowledge of the loser's -knowledge of the robber."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_73" id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> +knowledge of the robber."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_73">[Pg 73]</a></span></p> <p>"Yes," replied the Prefect; "and the power thus attained has for some months past been wielded, for political purposes, to a very dangerous @@ -3306,7 +3268,7 @@ minister gave me, too, a great advantage. He is frequently absent from home all night. His servants are by no means numerous. They sleep at a distance from their master's apartment, and, being chiefly Neapolitans, are readily made drunk. I have keys, as you know, with which I can open -any chamber or cabinet<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_74" id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> in Paris. For three months a night has not +any chamber or cabinet<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_74">[Pg 74]</a></span> in Paris. For three months a night has not passed, during the greater part of which I have not been engaged, personally, in ransacking the D—— Hôtel. My honor is interested, and, to mention a great secret, the reward is enormous. So I did not abandon @@ -3341,7 +3303,7 @@ presume, is not altogether a fool, and, if not, must have anticipated these waylayings, as a matter of course."</p> <p>"Not <i>altogether</i> a fool," said G——; "but then he's a poet, which I -take to be only one remove from a fool."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_75" id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> +take to be only one remove from a fool."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_75">[Pg 75]</a></span></p> <p>"True," said Dupin, after a long and thoughtful whiff from his meerschaum, "although I have been guilty of certain doggerel myself."</p> @@ -3373,7 +3335,7 @@ way."</p> <p>"By no means, if, when the article is deposited, a sufficient wadding of cotton be placed around it. Besides, in our case we were obliged to -proceed without noise."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_76" id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span></p> +proceed without noise."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_76">[Pg 76]</a></span></p> <p>"But you could not have removed—you could not have taken to pieces <i>all</i> articles of furniture in which it would have been possible to make @@ -3408,7 +3370,7 @@ of trouble."</p> <p>"You include the <i>grounds</i> about the houses?"</p> -<p>"All the grounds are paved with brick. They gave us<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_77" id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> comparatively +<p>"All the grounds are paved with brick. They gave us<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_77">[Pg 77]</a></span> comparatively little trouble. We examined the moss between the bricks, and found it undisturbed."</p> @@ -3450,7 +3412,7 @@ would you advise me to do?"</p> <p>"That is absolutely needless," replied G——. "I am not more sure that I breathe than I am that the letter is not at the hôtel."</p> -<p>"I have no better advice to give you," said Dupin.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_78" id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> "You have, of +<p>"I have no better advice to give you," said Dupin.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_78">[Pg 78]</a></span> "You have, of course, an accurate description of the letter?"</p> <p>"Oh, yes." And here the Prefect, producing a memorandum-book, proceeded @@ -3481,7 +3443,7 @@ trebled, however, I could do no more than I have done."</p> <p>"Why, yes," said Dupin drawlingly, between the whiffs of his meerschaum, "I really—think, G——, you have not exerted yourself—to the utmost in -this matter. You might do a little more, I think, eh?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_79" id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p> +this matter. You might do a little more, I think, eh?"<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_79">[Pg 79]</a></span></p> <p>"How? in what way?"</p> @@ -3517,7 +3479,7 @@ starting from their sockets; then, apparently recovering himself in some measure, he seized a pen, and, after several pauses and vacant stares, finally filled up and signed a check for fifty thousand francs, and handed it across the table to Dupin. The latter examined it carefully, -and depos<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_80" id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span>ited it in his pocket-book; then, unlocking an <i>escritoire</i>, +and depos<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_80">[Pg 80]</a></span>ited it in his pocket-book; then, unlocking an <i>escritoire</i>, took thence a letter and gave it to the Prefect. This functionary grasped it in a perfect agony of joy, opened it with a trembling hand, cast a rapid glance at its contents, and then, scrambling and struggling @@ -3548,7 +3510,7 @@ executed; their defect lay in their being inapplicable to the case and to the man. A certain set of highly ingenious resources are, with the Prefect, a sort of Procrustean bed, to which he forcibly adapts his designs. But he perpetually errs by being too deep or too shallow, for -the matter in hand; and many a school<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_81" id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>boy is a better reasoner than he. +the matter in hand; and many a school<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_81">[Pg 81]</a></span>boy is a better reasoner than he. I knew one about eight years of age, whose success at guessing in the game of 'even and odd' attracted universal admiration. This game is simple, and is played with marbles. One player holds in his hand a @@ -3577,7 +3539,7 @@ with that of his opponent."</p> <p>"It is," said Dupin; "and, upon inquiring of the boy by what means he effected the <i>thorough</i> identification in which his success consisted, I -received answer as follows:<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_82" id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> 'When I wish to find out how wise, or how +received answer as follows:<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_82">[Pg 82]</a></span> 'When I wish to find out how wise, or how stupid, or how good, or how wicked is any one, or what are his thoughts at the moment, I fashion the expression of my face, as accurately as possible, in accordance with the expression of his, and then wait to see @@ -3605,7 +3567,7 @@ in their investigations; at best, when urged by some unusual emergency—by some extraordinary reward—they extend or exaggerate their old modes of <i>practice</i>, without touching their principles. What, for example, in this case of D——, has been done to vary the principle of -action? What is all this boring, and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_83" id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> probing, and sounding, and +action? What is all this boring, and<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_83">[Pg 83]</a></span> probing, and sounding, and scrutinizing with the microscope, and dividing the surface of the building into registered square inches—what is it all but an exaggeration <i>of the application</i> of the one principle or set of @@ -3633,7 +3595,7 @@ within the principles of the Prefect—its discovery would have been a matter altogether beyond question. This functionary, however, has been thoroughly mystified; and the remote source of his defeat lies in the supposition that the minister is a fool, because he has acquired renown -as a poet. All<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_84" id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> fools are poets; this the Prefect <i>feels</i>; and he is +as a poet. All<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_84">[Pg 84]</a></span> fools are poets; this the Prefect <i>feels</i>; and he is merely guilty of a <i>non distributio medii</i> in thence inferring that all poets are fools."</p> @@ -3666,7 +3628,7 @@ algebra, about as much as, in Latin, '<i>ambitus</i>' implies 'ambition,' men.'"</p> <p>"You have a quarrel on hand, I see," said I, "with some of the -algebraists of Paris; but proceed."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_85" id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span></p> +algebraists of Paris; but proceed."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_85">[Pg 85]</a></span></p> <p>"I dispute the availability, and thus the value, of that reason which is cultivated in any especial form other than the abstractly logical. I @@ -3694,7 +3656,7 @@ realities.' With the algebraists, however, who are Pagans themselves, the 'Pagan fables' <i>are</i> believed; and the inferences are made, not so much through lapse of memory, as through an unaccountable addling of the brains. In short, I never yet encountered the mere mathematician who -could be trusted out of equal roots, or one who did<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_86" id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> not clandestinely +could be trusted out of equal roots, or one who did<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_86">[Pg 86]</a></span> not clandestinely hold it as a point of his faith that <i>x</i><sup>2</sup> + <i>px</i> was absolutely and unconditionally equal to <i>q</i>. Say to one of these gentlemen, by way of experiment if you please, that you believe occasions may occur where @@ -3721,7 +3683,7 @@ arrive—the conviction that the letter was not upon the premises. I felt, also, that the whole train of thought, which I was at some pains in detailing to you just now, concerning the invariable principle of policial action in searches for articles concealed, I felt that this -whole train of thought would necessarily pass through the mind of the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_87" id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> +whole train of thought would necessarily pass through the mind of the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_87">[Pg 87]</a></span> minister. It would imperatively lead him to despise all the ordinary <i>nooks</i> of concealment. <i>He</i> could not, I reflected, be so weak as not to see that the most intricate and remote recess of his hôtel would be @@ -3751,7 +3713,7 @@ and full of hesitation in the first few steps of their progress. Again; have you ever noticed which of the street signs over the shop doors are the most attractive of attention?"</p> -<p>"I have never given the matter a thought," I said.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_88" id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> +<p>"I have never given the matter a thought," I said.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_88">[Pg 88]</a></span></p> <p>"There is a game of puzzles," he resumed, "which is played upon a map. One party playing requires another to find a given word—the name of @@ -3782,7 +3744,7 @@ to conceal it at all.</p> <p>"Full of these ideas, I prepared myself with a pair of green spectacles, and called one fine morning, quite by accident, at the ministerial hôtel. I found D—— at home, yawning, lounging, and dawdling, as usual, -and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_89" id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> pretending to be in the last extremity of <i>ennui</i>. He is, perhaps, +and<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_89">[Pg 89]</a></span> pretending to be in the last extremity of <i>ennui</i>. He is, perhaps, the most really energetic human being now alive—but that is only when nobody sees him.</p> @@ -3813,7 +3775,7 @@ one of the uppermost divisions of the rack.</p> <p>"No sooner had I glanced at this letter, than I concluded it to be that of which I was in search. To be sure, it was, to all appearance, radically different from the one of which the Prefect had read us so -minute a <span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_90" id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span>description. Here the seal was large and black, with the D—— +minute a <span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_90">[Pg 90]</a></span>description. Here the seal was large and black, with the D—— cipher; there it was small and red, with the ducal arms of the S—— family. Here the address, to the minister, was diminutive and feminine; there the superscription, to a certain royal personage, was markedly @@ -3840,7 +3802,7 @@ presented the <i>broken</i> appearance which is manifested when a stiff paper, having been once folded and pressed with a folder, is refolded in a reversed direction, in the same creases or edges which had formed the original fold. This discovery was sufficient. It was clear to me that -the letter had been turned, as a glove, inside out, re<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_91" id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span>directed, and +the letter had been turned, as a glove, inside out, re<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_91">[Pg 91]</a></span>directed, and re-sealed. I bade the minister good-morning, and took my departure at once, leaving a gold snuff-box upon the table.</p> @@ -3871,7 +3833,7 @@ seized it openly, and departed?"</p> hôtel, too, is not without attendants devoted to his interest. Had I made the wild attempt you suggest, I might never have left the ministerial presence alive. The good people of Paris might have heard of -me no more. But I had an object apart from these<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_92" id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> considerations. You +me no more. But I had an object apart from these<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_92">[Pg 92]</a></span> considerations. You know my political prepossessions. In this matter I act as a partisan of the lady concerned. For eighteen months the minister has had her in his power. She has now him in hers—since, being unaware that the letter is @@ -3899,23 +3861,23 @@ clew. He is well acquainted with my MS.; and I just copied into the middle of the blank sheet the words—</p> <p style="margin-left: 15em;"> -<span style="margin-left: 3em;">"'<i>——Un dessein si funeste,</i></span><br /> -<i>S'il n'est digne d'Atrée, est digne de Thyeste.</i>'<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 3em;">"'<i>——Un dessein si funeste,</i></span><br > +<i>S'il n'est digne d'Atrée, est digne de Thyeste.</i>'<br > </p> <p>They are to be found in Crébillon's <i>Atrée</i>."</p> <p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus05.png" alt="Hawthorne" /> -<a id="illus05.png" name="illus05.png"></a> +<img src="images/illus05.png" alt="Hawthorne"> +<a id="illus05.png"></a> </p> -<p class='center'> <span class="smcap">Nathaniel Hawthorne</span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_93" id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span></p> +<p class='center'> <span class="smcap">Nathaniel Hawthorne</span><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_93">[Pg 93]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<h2><a name="HOWES_MASQUERADE" id="HOWES_MASQUERADE"></a>HOWE'S MASQUERADE</h2> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > +<h2><a id="HOWES_MASQUERADE"></a>HOWE'S MASQUERADE</h2> <p>One afternoon, last summer, while walking along Washington Street, my @@ -3940,7 +3902,7 @@ watch over the city.</p> been overlaid with a coat of light-colored paint. A flight of red freestone steps, fenced in by a balustrade of curiously wrought iron, ascends from the court-yard to the spacious porch, over which is a -balcony, with an iron balustrade of similar pattern and work<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_94" id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span>manship to +balcony, with an iron balustrade of similar pattern and work<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_94">[Pg 94]</a></span>manship to that beneath. These letters and figures—16 P. S. 79—are wrought into the iron work of the balcony, and probably express the date of the edifice, with the initials of its founder's name. A wide door with @@ -3968,7 +3930,7 @@ elderly person was smacking his lips with a zest which satisfied me that the cellars of the Province House still hold good liquor, though doubtless of other vintages than were quaffed by the old governors. After sipping a glass of port sangaree, prepared by the skilful hands of -Mr. Thomas Waite, I besought that worthy suc<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_95" id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span>cessor and representative +Mr. Thomas Waite, I besought that worthy suc<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_95">[Pg 95]</a></span>cessor and representative of so many historic personages to conduct me over their time honored mansion.</p> @@ -3996,7 +3958,7 @@ have beheld his disastrous victory on Bunker Hill (unless one of the tri-mountains intervened), and Howe have marked the approaches of Washington's besieging army; although the buildings since erected in the vicinity have shut out almost every object, save the steeple of the Old -South, which seems almost within arm's length. Descend<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_96" id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span>ing from the +South, which seems almost within arm's length. Descend<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_96">[Pg 96]</a></span>ing from the cupola, I paused in the garret to observe the ponderous white-oak framework, so much more massive than the frames of modern houses, and thereby resembling an antique skeleton. The brick walls, the materials @@ -4024,7 +3986,7 @@ gentleman above mentioned, the smack of whose lips had spoken so favorably for Mr. Waite's good liquor, was still lounging in his chair. He seemed to be, if not a lodger, at least a familiar visitor of the house, who might be supposed to have his regular score at the bar, his -summer<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_97" id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> seat at the open window, and his prescriptive corner at the +summer<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_97">[Pg 97]</a></span> seat at the open window, and his prescriptive corner at the winter's fireside. Being of a sociable aspect, I ventured to address him with a remark calculated to draw forth his historical reminiscences, if any such were in his mind; and it gratified me to discover, that, @@ -4038,7 +4000,7 @@ that despairing of literal and absolute truth, I have not scrupled to make such further changes as seemed conducive to the reader's profit and delight.</p> -<hr style='width: 45%;' /> +<hr style='width: 45%;' > <p>At one of the entertainments given at the Province House, during the latter part of the siege of Boston, there passed a scene which has never @@ -4052,7 +4014,7 @@ provincial court circle might be believed, was the most gay and gorgeous affair that had occurred in the annals of the government. The brilliantly-lighted apartments were thronged with figures that seemed to have stepped from the dark canvas of historic portraits, or to have -flitted forth from the magic pages of romance,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_98" id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> or at least to have +flitted forth from the magic pages of romance,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_98">[Pg 98]</a></span> or at least to have flown hither from one of the London theatres, without a change of garments. Steeled knights of the Conquest, bearded statesmen of Queen Elizabeth, and high-ruffled ladies of her court, were mingled with @@ -4082,7 +4044,7 @@ smile.</p> <p>It was an old man, formerly of high station and great repute in the province, and who had been a very famous soldier in his day. Some surprise had been expressed that a person of Colonel Joliffe's known -whig principles,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_99" id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> though now too old to take an active part in the +whig principles,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_99">[Pg 99]</a></span> though now too old to take an active part in the contest, should have remained in Boston during the siege, and especially that he should consent to show himself in the mansion of Sir William Howe. But thither he had come, with a fair granddaughter under his arm; @@ -4109,7 +4071,7 @@ clerical wig and band."</p> crime, you had never gained your doctorate in divinity. As to this new foolery, I know no more about it than yourself; perhaps not so much. Honestly now, Doctor, have you not stirred up the sober brains of some -of your countrymen to enact a scene in our masquerade?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_100" id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> +of your countrymen to enact a scene in our masquerade?"<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_100">[Pg 100]</a></span></p> <p>"Perhaps," slyly remarked the granddaughter of Colonel Joliffe, whose high spirit had been stung by many taunts against New England,—"perhaps @@ -4139,7 +4101,7 @@ drum-major to one of the British regiments.</p> silence that dead march—or, by my word, they shall have sufficient cause for their lugubrious strains! Silence it, sirrah!"</p> -<p>"Please your honor," answered the drum-major, whose<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_101" id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> rubicund visage had +<p>"Please your honor," answered the drum-major, whose<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_101">[Pg 101]</a></span> rubicund visage had lost all its color, "the fault is none of mine. I and my band are all here together, and I question whether there be a man of us that could play that march without book. I never heard it but once before, and that @@ -4166,7 +4128,7 @@ his legs. Under his arm was a rolled-up banner, which seemed to be the banner of England, but strangely rent and torn; he had a sword in his right hand, and grasped a Bible in his left. The next figure was of milder aspect, yet full of dignity, wearing a broad ruff, over which -descended a beard, a gown of wrought<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_102" id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> velvet, and a doublet and hose of +descended a beard, a gown of wrought<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_102">[Pg 102]</a></span> velvet, and a doublet and hose of black satin. He carried a roll of manuscript in his hand. Close behind these two came a young man of very striking countenance and demeanor, with deep thought and contemplation on his brow, and perhaps a flash of @@ -4198,7 +4160,7 @@ Joliffe.</p> wisest head in England upon the block for the principles of liberty."</p> <p>"Will not your Excellency order out the guard?" whispered Lord Percy, -who, with other British officers, had<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_103" id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> now assembled round the General. +who, with other British officers, had<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_103">[Pg 103]</a></span> now assembled round the General. "There may be a plot under this mummery."</p> <p>"Tush! we have nothing to fear," carelessly replied Sir William Howe. @@ -4228,7 +4190,7 @@ William Howe. "What worthies are these?"</p> <p>"If it please your Excellency they lived somewhat before my day," answered the doctor; "but doubtless our friend, the Colonel, has been -hand and glove with them."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_104" id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span></p> +hand and glove with them."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_104">[Pg 104]</a></span></p> <p>"Their living faces I never looked upon," said Colonel Joliffe, gravely; "although I have spoken face to face with many rulers of this land, and @@ -4258,7 +4220,7 @@ cut in a fashion old enough to have been worn by the Duke of Marlborough. His nose had a rubicund tinge, which, together with the twinkle of his eye, might have marked him as a lover of the wine cup and good fellowship; notwithstanding which tokens he appeared ill at ease, -and often glanced around him as if<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_105" id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> apprehensive of some secret +and often glanced around him as if<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_105">[Pg 105]</a></span> apprehensive of some secret mischief. Next came a portly gentleman, wearing a coat of shaggy cloth, lined with silken velvet; he had sense, shrewdness, and humor in his face, and a folio volume under his arm; but his aspect was that of a man @@ -4290,7 +4252,7 @@ Massachusetts," observed Miss Joliffe. "Heavens, how dim the light grows!"</p> <p>It was certainly a fact that the large lamp which illuminated the -staircase now burned dim and duskily: so<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_106" id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> that several figures, which +staircase now burned dim and duskily: so<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_106">[Pg 106]</a></span> that several figures, which passed hastily down the stairs and went forth from the porch, appeared rather like shadows than persons of fleshly substance. Sir William Howe and his guests stood at the doors of the contiguous apartments, watching @@ -4319,7 +4281,7 @@ land.</p> Percy, turning pale.</p> <p>"No, surely," cried Miss Joliffe, laughing hysterically; "it could not -be Gage, or Sir William would have greeted<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_107" id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> his old comrade in arms! +be Gage, or Sir William would have greeted<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_107">[Pg 107]</a></span> his old comrade in arms! Perhaps he will not suffer the next to pass unchallenged."</p> <p>"Of that be assured, young lady," answered Sir William Howe, fixing his @@ -4350,7 +4312,7 @@ completely hidden. But the British officers deemed that they had seen that military cloak before, and even recognized the frayed embroidery on the collar, as well as the gilded scabbard of a sword which protruded from the folds of the cloak, and glittered in a vivid gleam of light. -Apart from<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_108" id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> these trifling particulars, there were characteristics of +Apart from<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_108">[Pg 108]</a></span> these trifling particulars, there were characteristics of gait and bearing which impelled the wondering guests to glance from the shrouded figure to Sir William Howe, as if to satisfy themselves that their host had not suddenly vanished from the midst of them.</p> @@ -4380,7 +4342,7 @@ portal of the Province House.</p> <p>The music was dying away along the street, and its dismal strains were mingled with the knell of midnight from the steeple of the Old South, and with the roar of artillery, which announced that the beleaguering -army of Washington had intrenched itself upon<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_109" id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> a nearer height than +army of Washington had intrenched itself upon<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_109">[Pg 109]</a></span> a nearer height than before. As the deep boom of the cannon smote upon his ear, Colonel Joliffe raised himself to the full height of his aged form, and smiled sternly on the British General.</p> @@ -4410,12 +4372,12 @@ a place in history, yet left no names. But superstition, among other legends of this mansion, repeats the wondrous tale, that on the anniversary night of Britain's discomfiture the ghosts of the ancient governors of Massachusetts still glide through the portal of the -Prov<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_110" id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span>ince House. And, last of all, comes a figure shrouded in a military +Prov<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_110">[Pg 110]</a></span>ince House. And, last of all, comes a figure shrouded in a military cloak, tossing his clinched hands into the air, and stamping his iron-shod boots upon the broad freestone steps, with a semblance of feverish despair, but without the sound of a foot-tramp.</p> -<hr style='width: 45%;' /> +<hr style='width: 45%;' > <p>When the truth-telling accents of the elderly gentleman were hushed, I drew a long breath and looked round the room, striving, with the best @@ -4437,17 +4399,17 @@ brown paper, the direction of which I had the idle curiosity to read. chambermaid, no doubt. In truth, it is desperately hard work, when we attempt to throw the spell of hoar antiquity over localities with which the living world, and the day that is passing over us, have aught to do. -Yet, as I glanced at the stately staircase<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_111" id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> down which the procession of +Yet, as I glanced at the stately staircase<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_111">[Pg 111]</a></span> down which the procession of the old governors had descended, and as I emerged through the venerable portal whence their figures had preceded me, it gladdened me to be conscious of a thrill of awe. Then, diving through the narrow archway, a few strides transported me into the densest throng of Washington -Street.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_112" id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span></p> +Street.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_112">[Pg 112]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<h2><a name="THE_BIRTHMARK" id="THE_BIRTHMARK"></a>THE BIRTHMARK</h2> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > +<h2><a id="THE_BIRTHMARK"></a>THE BIRTHMARK</h2> <p>In the latter part of the last century there lived a man of science, an @@ -4470,7 +4432,7 @@ control over Nature. He had devoted himself, however, too unreservedly to scientific studies ever to be weaned from them by any second passion. His love for his young wife might prove the stronger of the two; but it could only be by intertwining itself with his love of science, and -uniting the strength of the latter to his own.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_113" id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> +uniting the strength of the latter to his own.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_113">[Pg 113]</a></span></p> <p>Such a union accordingly took place, and was attended with truly remarkable consequences and a deeply impressive moral. One day, very @@ -4503,7 +4465,7 @@ surrounding rosiness. When she blushed it gradually became more indistinct, and finally vanished amid the triumphant rush of blood that bathed the whole cheek with its brilliant glow. But if any shifting motion caused her to turn pale there was the mark again, a crimson stain -upon the snow, in what Aylmer<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_114" id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> sometimes deemed an almost fearful +upon the snow, in what Aylmer<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_114">[Pg 114]</a></span> sometimes deemed an almost fearful distinctness. Its shape bore not a little similarity to the human hand, though of the smallest pygmy size. Georgiana's lovers were wont to say that some fairy at her birth hour had laid her tiny hand upon the @@ -4531,7 +4493,7 @@ prettiness of this mimic hand, now vaguely portrayed, now lost, now stealing forth again and glimmering to and fro with every pulse of emotion that throbbed within her heart; but seeing her otherwise so perfect, he found this one defect grow more and more intolerable with -every moment of their united lives. It<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_115" id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> was the fatal flaw of humanity +every moment of their united lives. It<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_115">[Pg 115]</a></span> was the fatal flaw of humanity which Nature, in one shape or another, stamps ineffaceably on all her productions, either to imply that they are temporary and finite, or that their perfection must be wrought by toil and pain. The crimson hand @@ -4560,7 +4522,7 @@ amid which the crimson hand was brought strongly out, like a bas-relief of ruby on the whitest marble.</p> <p>Late one night when the lights were growing dim, so as hardly to betray -the stain on the poor wife's cheek,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_116" id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> she, herself, for the first time, +the stain on the poor wife's cheek,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_116">[Pg 116]</a></span> she, herself, for the first time, voluntarily took up the subject.</p> <p>"Do you remember, my dear Aylmer," said she, with a feeble attempt at a @@ -4591,7 +4553,7 @@ to cut or wrench it away.</p> <p>When the dream had shaped itself perfectly in his memory, Aylmer sat in his wife's presence with a guilty feeling. Truth often finds its way to the mind close muffled in robes of sleep, and then speaks with -uncompromising directness of matters in regard to which we<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_117" id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> practise an +uncompromising directness of matters in regard to which we<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_117">[Pg 117]</a></span> practise an unconscious self-deception during our waking moments. Until now he had not been aware of the tyrannizing influence acquired by one idea over his mind, and of the lengths which he might find in his heart to go for @@ -4622,7 +4584,7 @@ of your own peace, and to save your poor wife from madness?"</p> not my power. I have already given this matter the deepest thought—thought which might almost have enlightened me to create a being less perfect than yourself. Georgiana, you have led me deeper than -ever into the heart of science. I feel myself fully com<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_118" id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span>petent to render +ever into the heart of science. I feel myself fully com<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_118">[Pg 118]</a></span>petent to render this dear cheek as faultless as its fellow; and then, most beloved, what will be my triumph when I shall have corrected what Nature left imperfect in her fairest work! Even Pygmalion, when his sculptured woman @@ -4652,7 +4614,7 @@ medicinal virtues, from the dark bosom of the earth. Here, too, at an earlier period, he had studied the wonders of the human frame, and attempted to fathom the very process by which Nature assimilates all her precious influences from earth and air, and from the spiritual world, to -create and foster man, her masterpiece. The<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_119" id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> latter pursuit, however, +create and foster man, her masterpiece. The<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_119">[Pg 119]</a></span> latter pursuit, however, Aylmer had long laid aside in unwilling recognition of the truth—against which all seekers sooner or later stumble—that our great creative Mother, while she amuses us with apparently working in the @@ -4681,7 +4643,7 @@ fitted for that office by his great mechanical readiness, and the skill with which, while incapable of comprehending a single principle, he executed all the details of his master's experiments. With his vast strength, his shaggy hair, his smoky aspect, and the indescribable -earthiness that incrusted him, he seemed to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_120" id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> represent man's physical +earthiness that incrusted him, he seemed to<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_120">[Pg 120]</a></span> represent man's physical nature; while Aylmer's slender figure, and pale, intellectual face, were no less apt a type of the spiritual element.</p> @@ -4711,7 +4673,7 @@ wife's side, watching her earnestly, but without alarm; for he was confident in his science, and felt that he could draw a magic circle round her within which no evil might intrude.</p> -<p>"Where am I? Ah, I remember," said Georgiana,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_121" id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> faintly; and she placed +<p>"Where am I? Ah, I remember," said Georgiana,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_121">[Pg 121]</a></span> faintly; and she placed her hand over her cheek to hide the terrible mark from her husband's eyes.</p> @@ -4740,7 +4702,7 @@ original. When wearied of this, Aylmer bade her cast her eyes upon a vessel containing a quantity of earth. She did so, with little interest at first; but was soon startled to perceive the germ of a plant shooting upward from the soil. Then came the slender stalk; the leaves gradually -unfolded themselves; and amid them was a perfect and lovely flower.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_122" id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span></p> +unfolded themselves; and amid them was a perfect and lovely flower.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_122">[Pg 122]</a></span></p> <p>"It is magical!" cried Georgiana. "I dare not touch it."</p> @@ -4774,7 +4736,7 @@ base. Aylmer appeared to believe that, by the plainest scientific logic, it was altogether within the limits of possibility to discover this long-sought medium; "but," he added, "a philosopher who should go deep enough to acquire the power would attain too lofty a wisdom to stoop to -the exercise of it." Not<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_123" id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> less singular were his opinions in regard to +the exercise of it." Not<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_123">[Pg 123]</a></span> less singular were his opinions in regard to the elixir vitæ. He more than intimated that it was at his option to concoct a liquid that should prolong life for years, perhaps interminably; but that it would produce a discord in Nature which all @@ -4807,7 +4769,7 @@ the perfume into the air and filled the room with piercing and invigorating delight.</p> <p>"And what is this?" asked Georgiana, pointing to a small crystal globe -containing a gold-colored liquid. "It<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_124" id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> is so beautiful to the eye that I +containing a gold-colored liquid. "It<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_124">[Pg 124]</a></span> is so beautiful to the eye that I could imagine it the elixir of life."</p> <p>"In one sense it is," replied Aylmer; "or, rather, the elixir of @@ -4839,7 +4801,7 @@ as to her sensations and whether the confinement of the rooms and the temperature of the atmosphere agreed with her. These questions had such a particular drift that Georgiana began to conjecture that she was already subjected to certain physical influences, either breathed in -with the fragrant air or taken with her<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_125" id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> food. She fancied likewise, but +with the fragrant air or taken with her<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_125">[Pg 125]</a></span> food. She fancied likewise, but it might be altogether fancy, that there was a stirring up of her system—a strange, indefinite sensation creeping through her veins, and tingling, half painfully, half pleasurably, at her heart. Still, @@ -4868,7 +4830,7 @@ husband's own hand, in which he had recorded every experiment of his scientific career, its original aim, the methods adopted for its development, and its final success or failure, with the circumstances to which either event was attributable. The book, in truth, was both the -history and emblem of his ardent, ambitious,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_126" id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> imaginative, yet practical +history and emblem of his ardent, ambitious,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_126">[Pg 126]</a></span> imaginative, yet practical and laborious life. He handled physical details as if there were nothing beyond them; yet spiritualized them all, and redeemed himself from materialism by his strong and eager aspiration towards the infinite. In @@ -4897,7 +4859,7 @@ though his countenance was uneasy and displeased. "Georgiana, there are pages in that volume which I can scarcely glance over and keep my senses. Take heed less it prove as detrimental to you."</p> -<p>"It has made me worship you more than ever," said she.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_127" id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span></p> +<p>"It has made me worship you more than ever," said she.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_127">[Pg 127]</a></span></p> <p>"Ah, wait for this one success," rejoined he, "then worship me if you will. I shall deem myself hardly unworthy of it. But come, I have sought @@ -4928,7 +4890,7 @@ the fantastic elegance of her boudoir. But what chiefly, indeed almost solely, drew her attention, was the aspect of Aylmer himself.</p> <p>He was pale as death, anxious and absorbed, and hung over the furnace as -if it depended upon his utmost watch<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_128" id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>fulness whether the liquid which it +if it depended upon his utmost watch<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_128">[Pg 128]</a></span>fulness whether the liquid which it was distilling should be the draught of immortal happiness or misery. How different from the sanguine and joyous mien that he had assumed for Georgiana's encouragement!</p> @@ -4960,7 +4922,7 @@ for my share in it is far less than your own."</p> draught you bring me; but it will be on the same principle that would induce me to take a dose of poison if offered by your hand."</p> -<p>"My noble wife," said Aylmer, deeply moved, "I knew<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_129" id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> not the height and +<p>"My noble wife," said Aylmer, deeply moved, "I knew<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_129">[Pg 129]</a></span> not the height and depth of your nature until now. Nothing shall be concealed. Know, then, that this crimson hand, superficial as it seems, has clutched its grasp into your being with a strength of which I had no previous conception. I @@ -4991,7 +4953,7 @@ kind which would have borne with the imperfection for her sake, and have been guilty of treason to holy love by degrading its perfect idea to the level of the actual; and with her whole spirit she prayed that, for a single moment, she might satisfy his highest and deepest conception. -Longer than one moment she well knew it could<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_130" id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> not be; for his spirit +Longer than one moment she well knew it could<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_130">[Pg 130]</a></span> not be; for his spirit was ever on the march, ever ascending, and each instant required something that was beyond the scope of the instant before.</p> @@ -5024,7 +4986,7 @@ roots of the plant had taken up the moisture, the unsightly blotches began to be extinguished in a living verdure.</p> <p>"There needed no proof," said Georgiana, quietly. "Give me the goblet. I -joyfully stake all upon your word."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_131" id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> +joyfully stake all upon your word."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_131">[Pg 131]</a></span></p> <p>"Drink, then, thou lofty creature!" exclaimed Aylmer, with fervid admiration. "There is no taint of imperfection on thy spirit. Thy @@ -5056,7 +5018,7 @@ thoughts of years were all concentrated upon the last.</p> <p>While thus employed, he failed not to gaze often at the fatal hand, and not without a shudder. Yet once, by a strange and unaccountable impulse, he pressed it with his lips. His spirit recoiled, however, in the very -act; and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_132" id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> Georgiana, out of the midst of her deep sleep, moved uneasily +act; and<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_132">[Pg 132]</a></span> Georgiana, out of the midst of her deep sleep, moved uneasily and murmured as if in remonstrance. Again Aylmer resumed his watch. Nor was it without avail. The crimson hand, which at first had been strongly visible upon the marble paleness of Georgiana's cheek, now grew more @@ -5086,7 +5048,7 @@ and gazed into the mirror which her husband had arranged for that purpose. A faint smile flitted over her lips when she recognized how barely perceptible was now that crimson hand which had once blazed forth with such disastrous brilliancy as to scare away all their happiness. -But then her eyes sought Aylmer's face with<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_133" id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> a trouble and anxiety that +But then her eyes sought Aylmer's face with<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_133">[Pg 133]</a></span> a trouble and anxiety that he could by no means account for.</p> <p>"My poor Aylmer!" murmured she.</p> @@ -5113,12 +5075,12 @@ wisdom, he need not thus have flung away the happiness which would have woven his mortal life of the selfsame texture with the celestial. The momentary circumstance was too strong for him; he failed to look beyond the shadowy scope of time, and living once for all in eternity, to find -the perfect future in the present.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_134" id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span></p> +the perfect future in the present.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_134">[Pg 134]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<h2><a name="THE_OUTCASTS_OF_POKER_FLAT" id="THE_OUTCASTS_OF_POKER_FLAT"></a>THE OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT</h2> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > +<h2><a id="THE_OUTCASTS_OF_POKER_FLAT"></a>THE OUTCASTS OF POKER FLAT</h2> <p>As Mr. John Oakhurst, gambler, stepped into the main street of Poker @@ -5143,14 +5105,14 @@ it. A secret committee had determined to rid the town of all improper persons. This was done permanently in regard of two men who were then hanging from the boughs of a sycamore in the gulch, and temporarily in the banishment of certain other objectionable characters. I regret to -say that some of these were ladies. It is but due to the sex,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_135" id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> +say that some of these were ladies. It is but due to the sex,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_135">[Pg 135]</a></span> however, to state that their impropriety was professional, and it was only in such easily established standards of evil that Poker Flat ventured to sit in judgment.</p> <p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus06.png" alt="Harte" /> -<a id="illus06.png" name="illus06.png"></a> +<img src="images/illus06.png" alt="Harte"> +<a id="illus06.png"></a> </p> <p class='center'><span class="smcap">Bret Harte</span></p> @@ -5180,7 +5142,7 @@ confirmed drunkard. The cavalcade provoked no comments from the spectators, nor was any word uttered by the escort. Only when the gulch which marked the uttermost limit of Poker Flat was reached, the leader spoke briefly and to the point. The exiles were forbidden to return at -the peril of their lives.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_136" id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span></p> +the peril of their lives.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_136">[Pg 136]</a></span></p> <p>As the escort disappeared, their pent-up feelings found vent in a few hysterical tears from the Duchess, some bad language from Mother @@ -5210,7 +5172,7 @@ halted.</p> <p>The spot was singularly wild and impressive. A wooded amphitheatre, surrounded on three sides by precipitous cliffs of naked granite, sloped gently toward the crest of another precipice that overlooked the valley. -It was, undoubtedly, the most suitable spot for a camp, had camp<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_137" id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span>ing +It was, undoubtedly, the most suitable spot for a camp, had camp<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_137">[Pg 137]</a></span>ing been advisable. But Mr. Oakhurst knew that scarcely half the journey to Sandy Bar was accomplished, and the party were not equipped or provisioned for delay. This fact he pointed out to his companions @@ -5237,7 +5199,7 @@ most conducive to that calm equanimity for which he was notorious. He looked at the gloomy walls that rose a thousand feet sheer above the circling pines around him, at the sky ominously clouded, at the valley below, already deepening into shadow; and, doing so, suddenly he heard -his own name called.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_138" id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span></p> +his own name called.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_138">[Pg 138]</a></span></p> <p>A horseman slowly ascended the trail. In the fresh, open face of the newcomer Mr. Oakhurst recognized Tom Simson, otherwise known as "The @@ -5250,7 +5212,7 @@ you can't gamble worth a cent. Don't try it over again." He then handed him his money back, pushed him gently from the room, and so made a devoted slave of Tom Simson.</p> -<hr style='width: 45%;' /> +<hr style='width: 45%;' > <p>There was a remembrance of this in his boyish and enthusiastic greeting of Mr. Oakhurst. He had started, he said, to go to Poker Flat to seek @@ -5267,7 +5229,7 @@ had been blushing unseen, and rode to the side of her lover.</p> <p>Mr. Oakhurst seldom troubled himself with sentiment, still less with propriety; but he had a vague idea that the situation was not fortunate. He retained, however, his presence of mind sufficiently to kick Uncle -Billy, who was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_139" id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> about to say something, and Uncle Billy was sober enough +Billy, who was<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_139">[Pg 139]</a></span> about to say something, and Uncle Billy was sober enough to recognize in Mr. Oakhurst's kick a superior power that would not bear trifling. He then endeavored to dissuade Tom Simson from delaying further, but in vain. He even pointed out the fact that there was no @@ -5293,7 +5255,7 @@ scorn, as he surveyed the sylvan group, the glancing firelight, and the tethered animals in the foreground. Suddenly an idea mingled with the alcoholic fumes that disturbed his brain. It was apparently of a jocular nature, for he felt impelled to slap his leg again and cram his fist -into his mouth.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_140" id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span></p> +into his mouth.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_140">[Pg 140]</a></span></p> <p>As the shadows crept slowly up the mountain, a slight breeze rocked the tops of the pine-trees and moaned through their long and gloomy aisles. @@ -5324,7 +5286,7 @@ Piney slept beside her frailer sisters as sweetly as though attended by celestial guardians; and Mr. Oakhurst, drawing his blanket over his shoulders, stroked his mustaches and waited for the dawn. It came slowly in a whirling mist of snowflakes that dazzled and confused the eye. -What<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_141" id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> could be seen of the landscape appeared magically changed. He +What<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_141">[Pg 141]</a></span> could be seen of the landscape appeared magically changed. He looked over the valley, and summed up the present and future in two words, "Snowed in!"</p> @@ -5352,7 +5314,7 @@ directed Piney in the rearrangement of the interior with a taste and tact that opened the blue eyes of that provincial maiden to their fullest extent. "I reckon now you're used to fine things at Poker Flat," said Piney. The Duchess turned away sharply to conceal something that -reddened her cheeks through their professional tint, and Mother Shipton<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_142" id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> +reddened her cheeks through their professional tint, and Mother Shipton<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_142">[Pg 142]</a></span> requested Piney not to "chatter." But when Mr. Oakhurst returned from a weary search for the trail, he heard the sound of happy laughter echoed from the rocks. He stopped in some alarm, and his thoughts first @@ -5377,7 +5339,7 @@ to its chorus, rather than any devotional quality, caused it speedily to infect the others, who at last joined in the refrain:—</p> <p class='center'> -"I'm proud to live in the service of the Lord,<br /> +"I'm proud to live in the service of the Lord,<br > And I'm bound to die in His army." </p> @@ -5386,7 +5348,7 @@ group, and the flames of their altar leaped heavenward, as if in token of the vow.</p> <p>At midnight the storm abated, the rolling clouds parted, and the stars -glittered keenly above the sleeping camp.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_143" id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> Mr. Oakhurst, whose +glittered keenly above the sleeping camp.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_143">[Pg 143]</a></span> Mr. Oakhurst, whose professional habits had enabled him to live on the smallest possible amount of sleep, in dividing the watch with Tom Simson somehow managed to take upon himself the greater part of that duty. He excused himself @@ -5402,8 +5364,8 @@ along you're all right. For," added the gambler, with cheerful irrelevance—</p> <p class='center'> -"'I'm proud to live in the service of the Lord,<br /> -And I'm bound to die in His army.'"<br /> +"'I'm proud to live in the service of the Lord,<br > +And I'm bound to die in His army.'"<br > </p> <p>The third day came, and the sun, looking through the white-curtained @@ -5417,7 +5379,7 @@ the castaways still clung. Through the marvelously clear air the smoke of the pastoral village of Poker Flat rose miles away. Mother Shipton saw it, and from a remote pinnacle of her rocky fastness hurled in that direction a final malediction. It was her last vituperative attempt, and -perhaps for that<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_144" id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> reason was invested with a certain degree of +perhaps for that<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_144">[Pg 144]</a></span> reason was invested with a certain degree of sublimity. It did her good, she privately informed the Duchess. "Just you go out there and cuss, and see." She then set herself to the task of amusing "the child," as she and the Duchess were pleased to call Piney. @@ -5447,7 +5409,7 @@ Achilles."</p> over the heads of the outcasts. The sun again forsook them, and again from leaden skies the snowflakes were sifted over the land. Day by day closer around them drew the snowy circle, until at last they looked from -their prison over drifted walls of dazzling<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_145" id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> white, that towered twenty +their prison over drifted walls of dazzling<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_145">[Pg 145]</a></span> white, that towered twenty feet above their heads. It became more and more difficult to replenish their fires, even from the fallen trees beside them, now half hidden in the drifts. And yet no one complained. The lovers turned from the dreary @@ -5475,7 +5437,7 @@ stay here," was the curt reply.</p> <p>The lovers parted with a long embrace. "You are not going, too?" said the Duchess, as she saw Mr. Oakhurst apparently waiting to accompany -him. "As far as the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_146" id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> cañon," he replied. He turned suddenly and kissed +him. "As far as the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_146">[Pg 146]</a></span> cañon," he replied. He turned suddenly and kissed the Duchess, leaving her pallid face aflame, and her trembling limbs rigid with amazement.</p> @@ -5507,7 +5469,7 @@ of earthly travail, was hidden beneath the spotless mantle mercifully flung from above.</p> <p>They slept all that day and the next, nor did they waken when voices and -footsteps broke the silence of the camp.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_147" id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> And when pitying fingers +footsteps broke the silence of the camp.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_147">[Pg 147]</a></span> And when pitying fingers brushed the snow from their wan faces, you could scarcely have told from the equal peace that dwelt upon them which was she that had sinned. Even the law of Poker Flat recognized this, and turned away, leaving them @@ -5518,37 +5480,37 @@ found the deuce of clubs pinned to the bark with a bowie-knife. It bore the following, written in pencil in a firm hand:—</p> <p class='center'> -†<br /> +†<br > -BENEATH THIS TREE<br /> +BENEATH THIS TREE<br > -LIES THE BODY<br /> +LIES THE BODY<br > -OF<br /> +OF<br > -JOHN OAKHURST,<br /> +JOHN OAKHURST,<br > -WHO STRUCK A STREAK OF BAD LUCK<br /> +WHO STRUCK A STREAK OF BAD LUCK<br > -ON THE 23D OF NOVEMBER 1850,<br /> +ON THE 23D OF NOVEMBER 1850,<br > -AND<br /> +AND<br > -HANDED IN HIS CHECKS<br /> +HANDED IN HIS CHECKS<br > -ON THE 7TH DECEMBER, 1850.<br /> +ON THE 7TH DECEMBER, 1850.<br > -†<br /> +†<br > </p> <p>And pulseless and cold, with a Derringer by his side and a bullet in his heart, though still calm as in life, beneath the snow lay he who was at -once the strongest and yet the weakest of the outcasts of Poker Flat.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_148" id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p> +once the strongest and yet the weakest of the outcasts of Poker Flat.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_148">[Pg 148]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<h2><a name="THE_SIRE_DE_MALETROITS_DOOR" id="THE_SIRE_DE_MALETROITS_DOOR"></a>THE SIRE DE MALÉTROIT'S DOOR</h2> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > +<h2><a id="THE_SIRE_DE_MALETROITS_DOOR"></a>THE SIRE DE MALÉTROIT'S DOOR</h2> <p>Denis de Beaulieu was not yet two-and-twenty, but he counted himself a @@ -5572,13 +5534,13 @@ up; and the noise of men-at-arms making merry over supper within came forth in fits and was swallowed up and carried away by the wind. The night fell swiftly; the flag of England, fluttering on the spire top, grew ever fainter and fainter against the flying clouds—a black speck -like a swallow in<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_149" id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> the tumultuous, leaden chaos of the sky. As the +like a swallow in<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_149">[Pg 149]</a></span> the tumultuous, leaden chaos of the sky. As the night fell the wind rose, and began to hoot under archways and roar amid the tree-tops in the valley below the town.</p> <p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus07.png" alt="Stevenson" /> -<a id="illus07.png" name="illus07.png"></a> +<img src="images/illus07.png" alt="Stevenson"> +<a id="illus07.png"></a> </p> <p class='center'> <span class="smcap">Robert Louis Stevenson</span></p> @@ -5607,7 +5569,7 @@ threatens an ambuscade or a chasm in the pathway; and where the air is brighter, the houses put on strange and bewildering appearances, as if to lead him further from his way. For Denis, who had to regain his inn without attracting notice, there was real danger as well as mere -discomfort in the walk; and he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_150" id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> went warily and boldly at once, and at +discomfort in the walk; and he<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_150">[Pg 150]</a></span> went warily and boldly at once, and at every corner paused to make an observation.</p> <p>He had been for some time threading a lane so narrow that he could touch @@ -5636,7 +5598,7 @@ skill of the architects and the consideration of the two families.</p> <p>There seemed to be no issue to the terrace but the lane by which he had reached it; he could only retrace his steps, but he had gained some notion of his whereabouts, and hoped by this means to hit the main -thoroughfare and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_151" id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> speedily regain the inn. He was reckoning without that +thoroughfare and<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_151">[Pg 151]</a></span> speedily regain the inn. He was reckoning without that chapter of accidents which was to make this night memorable above all others in his career; for he had not gone back above a hundred yards before he saw a light coming to meet him, and heard loud voices speaking @@ -5664,7 +5626,7 @@ escape observation, or—if that were too much to expect—was in a capital posture whether for parley or defence. So thinking, he drew his sword and tried to set his back against the door. To his surprise it yielded behind his weight; and though he turned in a moment, continued -to swing back on oiled and noiseless hinges until<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_152" id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> it stood wide open on +to swing back on oiled and noiseless hinges until<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_152">[Pg 152]</a></span> it stood wide open on a black interior. When things fall out opportunely for the person concerned, he is not apt to be critical about the how or why, his own immediate personal convenience seeming a sufficient reason for the @@ -5692,7 +5654,7 @@ round the edges and pulled, but the mass was immovable. He shook it, it was as firm as a rock. Denis de Beaulieu frowned and gave vent to a little noiseless whistle. What ailed the door? he wondered. Why was it open? How came it to shut so easily and so effectually after him? There -was something obscure and underhand about all<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_153" id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> this, that was little to +was something obscure and underhand about all<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_153">[Pg 153]</a></span> this, that was little to the young man's fancy. It looked like a snare, and yet who could suppose a snare in such a quiet by-street and in a house of so prosperous and even noble an exterior? And yet—snare or no snare, intentionally or @@ -5721,7 +5683,7 @@ suspect that he was not alone, his heart had continued to beat with smothering violence, and an intolerable desire for action of any sort had possessed itself of his spirit. He was in deadly peril, he believed. What could be more natural than to mount the staircase, lift the -curtain, and confront his difficulty at<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_154" id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> once? At least he would be +curtain, and confront his difficulty at<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_154">[Pg 154]</a></span> once? At least he would be dealing with something tangible; at least he would be no longer in the dark. He stepped slowly forward with outstretched hands, until his foot struck the bottom step; then he rapidly scaled the stairs, stood for a @@ -5750,7 +5712,7 @@ expression. Beautiful white hair hung straight all round his head, like a saint's and fell in a single curl upon the tippet. His beard and mustache were the pink of venerable sweetness. Age, probably in consequence of inordinate precautions, had left no mark upon his hands; -and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_155" id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> the Malétroit hand was famous. It would be difficult to imagine +and<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_155">[Pg 155]</a></span> the Malétroit hand was famous. It would be difficult to imagine anything at once so fleshy and so delicate in design; the taper, sensual fingers were like those of one of Leonardo's women; the fork of the thumb made a dimpled protuberance when closed; the nails were perfectly @@ -5782,7 +5744,7 @@ nothing was further from my thoughts—nothing could be more contrary to my wishes—than this intrusion."</p> <p>"Well, well," replied the old gentleman indulgently, "here you are, -which is the main point. Seat yourself,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_156" id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> my friend, and put yourself +which is the main point. Seat yourself,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_156">[Pg 156]</a></span> my friend, and put yourself entirely at your ease. We shall arrange our little affairs presently."</p> <p>Denis perceived that the matter was still complicated with some @@ -5813,7 +5775,7 @@ behind the arras immediately opposite him. Sometimes there seemed to be but one person engaged, sometimes two; and the vehemence of the voice, low as it was, seemed to indicate either great haste or an agony of spirit. It occurred to him that this piece of tapestry covered the -entrance to the chapel he had noticed from without.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_157" id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p> +entrance to the chapel he had noticed from without.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_157">[Pg 157]</a></span></p> <p>The old gentleman meanwhile surveyed Denis from head to foot with a smile, and from time to time emitted little noises like a bird or a @@ -5847,7 +5809,7 @@ made my little contrivance for the door I had stopped short with that? If you prefer to be bound hand and foot till your bones ache, rise and try to go away. If you choose to remain a free young buck, agreeably conversing with an old gentleman—why, sit where you are in peace, and -God be with you."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_158" id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p> +God be with you."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_158">[Pg 158]</a></span></p> <p>"Do you mean I am a prisoner?" demanded Denis.</p> @@ -5887,7 +5849,7 @@ myself."</p> <p>Denis had resigned himself with a good grace—all he desired was to know the worst of it as speedily as possible; so he rose at once, and bowed in acquiescence. The Sire de Malétroit followed his example and limped, -with the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_159" id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> assistance of the chaplain's arm, toward the chapel door. The +with the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_159">[Pg 159]</a></span> assistance of the chaplain's arm, toward the chapel door. The priest pulled aside the arras, and all three entered. The building had considerable architectural pretensions. A light groining sprung from six stout columns, and hung down in two rich pendants from the centre of the @@ -5915,7 +5877,7 @@ pavement, as she came slowly forward. In the course of her advance her eyes fell upon Denis de Beaulieu's feet—feet of which he was justly vain, be it remarked, and wore in the most elegant accoutrement even while travelling. She paused—started, as if his yellow boots had -conveyed some shocking meaning—and glanced suddenly up into<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_160" id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> the +conveyed some shocking meaning—and glanced suddenly up into<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_160">[Pg 160]</a></span> the wearer's countenance. Their eyes met: shame gave place to horror and terror in her looks; the blood left her lips, with a piercing scream she covered her face with her hands and sank upon the chapel floor.</p> @@ -5949,7 +5911,7 @@ ceremony." And he turned toward the door, followed by the clergyman.</p> <p>The girl was on her feet in a moment. "My uncle, you cannot be in earnest," she said. "I declare before God I will stab myself rather than be forced on that young man. The heart rises at it; God forbids such -marriages; you dishonor your white hair. Oh, my uncle, pity me! There<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_161" id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> +marriages; you dishonor your white hair. Oh, my uncle, pity me! There<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_161">[Pg 161]</a></span> is not a woman in all the world but would prefer death to such a nuptial. Is it possible," she added, faltering—"is it possible that you do not believe me—that you still think this" and she pointed at Denis @@ -5984,7 +5946,7 @@ understand."</p> <p>"And pray how came you here?" she asked.</p> -<p>He told her as briefly as he could. "For the rest," he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_162" id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> added, "perhaps +<p>He told her as briefly as he could. "For the rest," he<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_162">[Pg 162]</a></span> added, "perhaps you will follow my example, and tell me the answer to all these riddles, and what, in God's name, is like to be the end of it."</p> @@ -6014,7 +5976,7 @@ billet, walking by my side all the while.</p> <p>"When he finished, he gave it back to me with great politeness. It contained another request to have the door left open; and this has been -the ruin of us all. My uncle<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_163" id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> kept me strictly in my room until evening, +the ruin of us all. My uncle<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_163">[Pg 163]</a></span> kept me strictly in my room until evening, and then ordered me to dress myself as you see me—a hard mockery for a young girl, do you not think so? I suppose, when he could not prevail with me to tell him the young captain's name, he must have laid a trap @@ -6048,7 +6010,7 @@ accomplishing it with honor.</p> <p>"Sir," said Denis, with the grandest possible air, "I believe I am to have some say in the matter of this marriage; and let me tell you at once, I will be no party to forcing the inclination of this young lady. -Had it been<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_164" id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> freely offered to me, I should have been proud to accept +Had it been<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_164">[Pg 164]</a></span> freely offered to me, I should have been proud to accept her hand, for I perceive she is as good as she is beautiful; but as things are, I have now the honor, messire, of refusing."</p> @@ -6076,7 +6038,7 @@ believe you to be the guilty person, at least you are now in the secret; and you can hardly wonder if I request you to wipe out the stain. If you will not, your blood be on your own head! It will be no great satisfaction to me to have your interesting relics kicking their heels -in the breeze below my windows, but half a loaf is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_165" id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> better than no +in the breeze below my windows, but half a loaf is<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_165">[Pg 165]</a></span> better than no bread, and if I cannot cure the dishonor, I shall at least stop the scandal."</p> @@ -6109,7 +6071,7 @@ your last hours by want of politeness to a lady?"</p> <p>Denis looked at Blanche, and she made him an imploring gesture.</p> -<p>It is likely that the old gentleman was hugely pleased<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_166" id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> at this symptom +<p>It is likely that the old gentleman was hugely pleased<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_166">[Pg 166]</a></span> at this symptom of an understanding; for he smiled on both, and added sweetly: "If you will give me your word of honor, Monsieur de Beaulieu, to await my return at the end of the two hours before attempting anything desperate, @@ -6144,7 +6106,7 @@ sake—I could not bear to have you slain for such a scruple."</p> <p>"I am afraid," returned Denis, "that you underrate the difficulty, madam. What you may be too generous to refuse, I may be too proud to accept. In a moment of noble feeling toward me, you forget what you -perhaps owe to others."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_167" id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> He had the decency to keep his eyes on the +perhaps owe to others."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_167">[Pg 167]</a></span> He had the decency to keep his eyes on the floor as he said this, and after he had finished, so as not to spy upon her confusion. She stood silent for a moment, then walked suddenly away, and falling on her uncle's chair, fairly burst out sobbing. Denis was in @@ -6172,7 +6134,7 @@ fine, with a warm brown skin, and the most beautiful hair, Denis thought, in the whole world of womankind. Her hands were like her uncle's: but they were more in place at the end of her young arms, and looked infinitely soft and caressing. He remembered how her blue eyes -had shone upon him, full of anger, pity, and innocence.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_168" id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> And the more he +had shone upon him, full of anger, pity, and innocence.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_168">[Pg 168]</a></span> And the more he dwelt on her perfections, the uglier death looked, and the more deeply was he smitten with penitence at her continued tears. Now he felt that no man could have the courage to leave a world which contained so @@ -6207,7 +6169,7 @@ awkwardly we are placed to one another; make my last moments go pleasantly; and you will do me the chief service possible."</p> <p>"You are very gallant," she added, with a yet deeper sadness—"very -gallant—and it somehow pains me. But<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_169" id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> draw nearer, if you please; and +gallant—and it somehow pains me. But<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_169">[Pg 169]</a></span> draw nearer, if you please; and if you find anything to say to me, you will at least make certain of a very friendly listener. Ah! Monsieur de Beaulieu," she broke forth—"ah! Monsieur de Beaulieu, how can I look you in the face?" And she fell to @@ -6236,7 +6198,7 @@ before his company; he receives many assurances of trust and regard—sometimes by express in a letter—sometimes face to face, with persons of great consequence falling on his neck. It is not wonderful if his head is turned for a time. But once he is dead, were he as brave as -Hercules or as wise as Sol<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_170" id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span>omon, he is soon forgotten. It is not ten +Hercules or as wise as Sol<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_170">[Pg 170]</a></span>omon, he is soon forgotten. It is not ten years since my father fell, with many other knights around him, in a very fierce encounter, and I do not think that any one of them, nor so much as the name of the fight, is now remembered. No, no, madam, the @@ -6271,7 +6233,7 @@ For—Pray, do you think me beautiful?" she asked, with a deep flush.</p> <p>"I am glad of that," she answered heartily. "Do you think there are many men in France who have been asked in marriage by a beautiful -maiden—with her own lips<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_171" id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span>—and who have refused her to her face? I know +maiden—with her own lips<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_171">[Pg 171]</a></span>—and who have refused her to her face? I know you men would half despise such a triumph; but believe me, we women know more of what is precious in love. There is nothing that should set a person higher in his own esteem; and we women would prize nothing more @@ -6302,7 +6264,7 @@ marry my uncle's groom."</p> <p>She made no answer, although she probably had her own thoughts.</p> -<p>"Come hither to the window," he said with a sigh. "Here is the dawn."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_172" id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> +<p>"Come hither to the window," he said with a sigh. "Here is the dawn."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_172">[Pg 172]</a></span></p> <p>And indeed the dawn was already beginning. The hollow of the sky was full of essential daylight, colorless and clean; and the valley @@ -6335,7 +6297,7 @@ on you without your free and full consent. But if you care for me at all do not let me lose my life in a misapprehension; for I love you better than the whole world; and though I will die for you blithely, it would be like all the joys of Paradise to live on and spend my life in your -service."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_173" id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p> +service."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_173">[Pg 173]</a></span></p> <p>As he stopped speaking, a bell began to ring loudly in the interior of the house; and a clatter of armor in the corridor showed that the @@ -6354,12 +6316,12 @@ and covering her wet face with kisses.</p> <p>A melodious chirping was audible behind, followed by a beautiful chuckle, and the voice of Messire de Malétroit wished his new nephew a -good morning.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_174" id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span></p> +good morning.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_174">[Pg 174]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<h2><a name="MARKHEIM" id="MARKHEIM"></a>MARKHEIM</h2> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > +<h2><a id="MARKHEIM"></a>MARKHEIM</h2> <p>"Yes," said the dealer, "our windfalls are of various kinds. Some @@ -6384,7 +6346,7 @@ to pay for it." The dealer once more chuckled; and then, changing to his usual business voice, though still with a note of irony, "You can give, as usual, a clear account of how you came into the possession of the object?" he continued. "Still your uncle's cabinet? A remarkable -collector, sir!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_175" id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span></p> +collector, sir!"<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_175">[Pg 175]</a></span></p> <p>And the little pale, round-shouldered dealer stood almost on tiptoe, looking over the top of his gold spectacles, and nodding his head with @@ -6417,7 +6379,7 @@ heir of a remarkable collector."</p> <p>The dealer, while he thus ran on in his dry and biting voice, had stooped to take the object from its place; and, as he had done so, a -shock had passed through Markheim,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_176" id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> a start both of hand and foot, a +shock had passed through Markheim,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_176">[Pg 176]</a></span> a start both of hand and foot, a sudden leap of many tumultuous passions to the face. It passed as swiftly as it came, and left no trace beyond a certain trembling of the hand that now received the glass.</p> @@ -6450,7 +6412,7 @@ eager sparkle of hope, but nothing of mirth.</p> <p>"Not charitable?" returned the other, gloomily. "Not charitable; not pious; not scrupulous; unloving; unbeloved; a hand to get money, a safe -to keep it. Is that all? Dear God, man, is that all?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_177" id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span></p> +to keep it. Is that all? Dear God, man, is that all?"<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_177">[Pg 177]</a></span></p> <p>"I will tell you what it is," began the dealer, with some sharpness, and then broke off again into a chuckle. "But I see this is a love match of @@ -6484,7 +6446,7 @@ moved a little nearer, with one hand in the pocket of his greatcoat; he drew himself up and filled his lungs; at the same time many different emotions were depicted together on his face—terror, horror, and resolve, fascination, and a physical repulsion; and through a haggard -lift of his upper lip, his teeth looked out.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_178" id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p> +lift of his upper lip, his teeth looked out.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_178">[Pg 178]</a></span></p> <p>"This, perhaps, may suit," observed the dealer; and then, as he began to re-arise, Markheim bounded from behind upon his victim. The long, @@ -6514,7 +6476,7 @@ had feared to see it, and, lo! it was nothing. And yet, as he gazed, this bundle of old clothes and pool of blood began to find eloquent voices. There it must lie; there was none to work the cunning hinges or direct the miracle of locomotion—there it must lie till it was found. -Found! aye, and then? Then would this dead flesh lift up a cry<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_179" id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> that +Found! aye, and then? Then would this dead flesh lift up a cry<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_179">[Pg 179]</a></span> that would ring over England, and fill the world with the echoes of pursuit. Ay, dead or not, this was still the enemy. "Time was that when the brains were out," he thought; and the first word struck into his mind. @@ -6542,7 +6504,7 @@ been more bold, and killed the servant also; he should have done all things otherwise; poignant regrets, weary, incessant toiling of the mind to change what was unchangeable, to plan what was now useless, to be the architect of the irrevocable past. Meanwhile, and behind all this -activity, brute terrors, like the scurrying of rats in a deserted<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_180" id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> +activity, brute terrors, like the scurrying of rats in a deserted<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_180">[Pg 180]</a></span> attic, filled the more remote chambers of his brain with riot; the hand of the constable would fall heavy on his shoulder, and his nerves would jerk like a hooked fish; or he beheld, in galloping defile, the dock, @@ -6570,7 +6532,7 @@ portion of his mind was still alert and cunning, another trembled on the brink of lunacy. One hallucination in particular took a strong hold on his credulity. The neighbor hearkening with white face beside his window, the passer-by arrested by a horrible surmise on the -pavement—these could at worst suspect, they could not know;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_181" id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> through +pavement—these could at worst suspect, they could not know;<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_181">[Pg 181]</a></span> through the brick walls and shuttered windows only sounds could penetrate. But here, within the house, was he alone? He knew he was; he had watched the servant set forth sweethearting, in her poor best, "out for the day" @@ -6600,7 +6562,7 @@ become an empty sound. And presently the jovial gentleman desisted from his knocking and departed.</p> <p>Here was a broad hint to hurry what remained to be done, to get forth -from this accusing neighborhood, to<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_182" id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> plunge into a bath of London +from this accusing neighborhood, to<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_182">[Pg 182]</a></span> plunge into a bath of London multitudes, and to reach, on the other side of day, that haven of safety and apparent innocence—his bed. One visitor had come: at any moment another might follow and be more obstinate. To have done the deed, and @@ -6627,7 +6589,7 @@ interest and fear, until, coming out upon the chief place of concourse, he beheld a booth and a great screen with pictures, dismally designed, garishly colored: Brownrigg with her apprentice; the Mannings with their murdered guest; Weare in the death grip of Thurtell; and a score besides -of famous crimes. The thing was as clear as an illusion;<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_183" id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> he was once +of famous crimes. The thing was as clear as an illusion;<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_183">[Pg 183]</a></span> he was once again that little boy; he was looking once again, and with the same sense of physical revolt, at these vile pictures; he was still stunned by the thumping of the drums. A bar of that day's music returned upon @@ -6656,7 +6618,7 @@ banished silence. Like some dripping cavern, the chambers of the house were haunted by an incessant echoing, which filled the ear and mingled with the ticking of the clocks. And, as Markheim approached the door, he seemed to hear, in answer to his own cautious tread, the steps of -another<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_184" id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> foot withdrawing up the stair. The shadow still palpitated +another<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_184">[Pg 184]</a></span> foot withdrawing up the stair. The shadow still palpitated loosely on the threshold. He threw a ton's weight of resolve upon his muscles, and drew back the door.</p> @@ -6684,7 +6646,7 @@ with the tail of something nameless vanishing. The four-and-twenty steps to the first floor were four-and-twenty agonies.</p> <p>On that first story the doors stood ajar, three of them like three -ambushes, shaking his nerves like the throats of<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_185" id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> cannon. He could never +ambushes, shaking his nerves like the throats of<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_185">[Pg 185]</a></span> cannon. He could never again, he felt, be sufficiently immured and fortified from men's observing eyes; he longed to be home, girt in by walls, buried among bedclothes, and invisible to all but God. And at that thought he @@ -6712,7 +6674,7 @@ excuses, which God knew; it was there, and not among men, that he felt sure of justice.</p> <p>When he got safe into the drawing-room, and shut the door behind him, he -was aware of a respite from alarms.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_186" id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> The room was quite dismantled, +was aware of a respite from alarms.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_186">[Pg 186]</a></span> The room was quite dismantled, uncarpeted besides, and strewn with packing cases and incongruous furniture; several great pier glasses, in which he beheld himself at various angles, like an actor on a stage; many pictures, framed and @@ -6738,7 +6700,7 @@ children afield, bathers by the brookside, ramblers on the brambly common, kite-flyers in the windy and cloud-navigated sky; and then, at another cadence of the hymn, back again to church, and the somnolence of summer Sundays, and the high, genteel voice of the parson (which he -smiled a little to recall), and the painted Jaco<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_187" id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span>bean tombs, and the dim +smiled a little to recall), and the painted Jaco<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_187">[Pg 187]</a></span>bean tombs, and the dim lettering of the Ten Commandments in the chancel.</p> <p>And as he sat thus, at once busy and absent, he was startled to his @@ -6771,7 +6733,7 @@ for the money, I believe?" it was in the tones of everyday politeness.</p> <p>Markheim made no answer.</p> -<p>"I should warn you," resumed the other, "that the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_188" id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> maid has left her +<p>"I should warn you," resumed the other, "that the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_188">[Pg 188]</a></span> maid has left her sweetheart earlier than usual and will soon be here. If Mr. Markheim be found in this house, I need not describe to him the consequences."</p> @@ -6806,7 +6768,7 @@ known to me and God. But, had I the time, I could disclose myself."</p> intelligent. I thought—since you exist—you would prove a reader of the heart. And yet you would propose to judge me by my acts! Think of it; my acts! I was born and I have lived in a land of giants; giants have -dragged me by the wrists since I was born<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_189" id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> out of my mother—the giants +dragged me by the wrists since I was born<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_189">[Pg 189]</a></span> out of my mother—the giants of circumstance. And you would judge me by my acts! But can you not look within? Can you not understand that evil is hateful to me? Can you not see within me the clear writing of conscience, never blurred by any @@ -6838,7 +6800,7 @@ to commit myself to evil."</p> <p>"Because you disbelieve their efficacy!" Markheim cried.</p> <p>"I do not say so," returned the other; "but I look on these things from -a different side, and when the life is<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_190" id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> done my interest falls. The man +a different side, and when the life is<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_190">[Pg 190]</a></span> done my interest falls. The man has lived to serve me, to spread black looks under color of religion, or to sow tares in the wheat field, as you do, in a course of weak compliance with desire. Now that he draws so near to his deliverance, he @@ -6866,7 +6828,7 @@ murder, even all life is war. I behold your race, like starving mariners on a raft, plucking crusts out of the hands of famine and feeding on each other's lives. I follow sins beyond the moment of their acting; I find in all that the last consequence is death; and to my eyes, the -pretty maid who thwarts her mother<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_191" id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> with such taking graces on a +pretty maid who thwarts her mother<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_191">[Pg 191]</a></span> with such taking graces on a question of a ball, drips no less visibly with human gore than such a murderer as yourself. Do I say that I follow sins? I follow virtues also; they differ not by the thickness of a nail, they are both scythes @@ -6894,7 +6856,7 @@ wandered a few years, but now I see once more my city of destination."</p> <p>"You are to use this money on the Stock Exchange, I think?" remarked the visitor; "and there, if I mistake not, you have already lost some -thousands?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_192" id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p> +thousands?"<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_192">[Pg 192]</a></span></p> <p>"Ah," said Markheim, "but this time I have a sure thing."</p> @@ -6927,7 +6889,7 @@ detect you in the fact! Downward, downward lies your way; nor can anything but death avail to stop you."</p> <p>"It is true," Markheim said huskily, "I have in some degree complied -with evil. But it is so with all: the very<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_193" id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> saints, in the mere exercise +with evil. But it is so with all: the very<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_193">[Pg 193]</a></span> saints, in the mere exercise of living, grow less dainty, and take on the tone of their surroundings."</p> @@ -6963,7 +6925,7 @@ opened, and I behold myself at last for what I am."</p> and the visitant, as though this were some concerted signal for which he had been waiting, changed at once in his demeanor.</p> -<p>"The maid!" he cried. "She has returned, as I fore<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_194" id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span>warned you, and there +<p>"The maid!" he cried. "She has returned, as I fore<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_194">[Pg 194]</a></span>warned you, and there is now before you one more difficult passage. Her master, you must say, is ill; you must let her in, with an assured but rather serious countenance—no smiles, no overacting, and I promise you success! Once @@ -6992,7 +6954,7 @@ downstairs very slowly, thinking to himself. His past went soberly before him; he beheld it as it was, ugly and strenuous like a dream, random as chance-medley—a scene of defeat. Life, as he thus reviewed it, tempted him no longer; but on the farther side he perceived a quiet -haven for his bark. He paused in the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_195" id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> passage, and looked into the shop, +haven for his bark. He paused in the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_195">[Pg 195]</a></span> passage, and looked into the shop, where the candle still burned by the dead body. It was strangely silent. Thoughts of the dealer swarmed into his mind, as he stood gazing. And then the bell once more broke out into impatient clamor.</p> @@ -7000,12 +6962,12 @@ then the bell once more broke out into impatient clamor.</p> <p>He confronted the maid upon the threshold with something like a smile.</p> <p>"You had better go for the police," said he: "I have killed your -master."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_196" id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p> +master."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_196">[Pg 196]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<h2><a name="WEE_WILLIE_WINKIE" id="WEE_WILLIE_WINKIE"></a>WEE WILLIE WINKIE</h2> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > +<h2><a id="WEE_WILLIE_WINKIE"></a>WEE WILLIE WINKIE</h2> <p class='center'>"An officer and a gentleman."</p> @@ -7033,13 +6995,13 @@ not chasing the hens round the compound. He regarded Brandis with gravity for at least ten minutes, and then delivered himself of his opinion.</p> -<p>"I like you," said he, slowly, getting off his chair and<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_197" id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> coming over +<p>"I like you," said he, slowly, getting off his chair and<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_197">[Pg 197]</a></span> coming over to Brandis. "I like you. I shall call you Coppy, because of your hair. Do you <i>mind</i> being called Coppy? it is because of ve hair, you know."</p> <p class="center"> -<img src="images/illus08.png" alt="Kipling" /> -<a id="illus08.png" name="illus08.png"></a> +<img src="images/illus08.png" alt="Kipling"> +<a id="illus08.png"></a> </p> <p class='center'><span class="smcap">Rudyard Kipling</span></p> @@ -7071,7 +7033,7 @@ comprehension.</p> <p>Coppy returned his liking with interest. Coppy had let him wear for five rapturous minutes his own big sword—just as tall as Wee Willie Winkie. -Coppy had prom<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_198" id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span>ised him a terrier puppy; and Coppy had permitted him to +Coppy had prom<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_198">[Pg 198]</a></span>ised him a terrier puppy; and Coppy had permitted him to witness the miraculous operation of shaving. Nay, more—Coppy had said that even he, Wee Willie Winkie, would rise in time to the ownership of a box of shiny knives, a silver soap-box and a silver-handled @@ -7102,7 +7064,7 @@ so stood on a pinnacle of virtue.</p> chair with a studious affectation of the Colonel's languor after a hot parade. He buried his freckled nose in a tea-cup and, with eyes staring roundly over the rim, asked: "I say, Coppy, is it pwoper to kiss big -girls?"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_199" id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span></p> +girls?"<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_199">[Pg 199]</a></span></p> <p>"By Jove! You're beginning early. Who do you want to kiss?"</p> @@ -7140,7 +7102,7 @@ appealing look at the holder of the ace.</p> <p>"Ven I won't," said Wee Willie Winkie, briefly. "But my faver says it's un-man-ly to be always kissing, and I didn't fink <i>you'd</i> do vat, -Coppy."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_200" id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span></p> +Coppy."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_200">[Pg 200]</a></span></p> <p>"I'm not always kissing, old chap. It's only now and then, and when you're bigger you'll do it too. Your father meant it's not good for @@ -7179,7 +7141,7 @@ was at ease, for he felt that he would not break promises. Wee Willie Winkie betrayed a special and unusual interest in Miss Allardyce, and, slowly revolving round that embarrassed young lady, was used to regard her gravely with unwinking eye. He was trying to discover why Coppy -should have kissed her. She was not half so nice as his own<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_201" id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> mother. On +should have kissed her. She was not half so nice as his own<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_201">[Pg 201]</a></span> mother. On the other hand, she was Coppy's property, and would in time belong to him. Therefore it behooved him to treat her with as much respect as Coppy's big sword or shiny pistol.</p> @@ -7212,7 +7174,7 @@ was not forbidden—and beheld Miss Allardyce going for a ride.</p> <p>Now the cantonment in which the 195th lay was bounded on the north by a river—dry in the winter. From his earliest years, Wee Willie Winkie had been forbidden to go across the river, and had noted that even -Coppy—the almost almighty Coppy—had never set foot<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_202" id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> beyond it. Wee +Coppy—the almost almighty Coppy—had never set foot<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_202">[Pg 202]</a></span> beyond it. Wee Willie Winkie had once been read to, out of a big blue book, the history of the Princess and the Goblins—a most wonderful tale of a land where the Goblins were always warring with the children of men until they were @@ -7240,7 +7202,7 @@ he was going to ride over to Coppy Sahib, and went out at a foot-pace, stepping on the soft mould of the flower-borders.</p> <p>The devastating track of the pony's feet was the last misdeed that cut -him off from all sympathy of Humanity.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_203" id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> He turned into the road, leaned +him off from all sympathy of Humanity.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_203">[Pg 203]</a></span> He turned into the road, leaned forward, and rode as fast as the pony could put foot to the ground in the direction of the river.</p> @@ -7271,7 +7233,7 @@ was within range. "You didn't ought to be here."</p> <p>"You said you was going acwoss ve wiver," panted Wee Willie Winkie, throwing himself off his pony. "And nobody—not even Coppy—must go -acwoss ve wiver,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_204" id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> and I came after you ever so hard, but you wouldn't +acwoss ve wiver,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_204">[Pg 204]</a></span> and I came after you ever so hard, but you wouldn't stop, and now you've hurted yourself, and Coppy will be angwy wiv me, and—I've bwoken my awwest! I've bwoken my awwest!"</p> @@ -7307,7 +7269,7 @@ toward the cantonments.</p> <p>"Oh, Winkie! What are you doing?"</p> <p>"Hush!" said Wee Willie Winkie. "Vere's a man coming—one of ve Bad Men. -I must stay wiv you. My<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_205" id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> faver says a man must <i>always</i> look after a +I must stay wiv you. My<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_205">[Pg 205]</a></span> faver says a man must <i>always</i> look after a girl. Jack will go home, and ven vey'll come and look for us. Vat's why I let him go."</p> @@ -7340,7 +7302,7 @@ screamed.</p> <p>"I am the Colonel Sahib's son, and my order is that you go at once. You black men are frightening the Miss Sahib. One of you must run into cantonments and take the news that Miss Sahib has hurt herself, and that -the Colonel's son is here with her."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_206" id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span></p> +the Colonel's son is here with her."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_206">[Pg 206]</a></span></p> <p>"Put our feet into the trap?" was the laughing reply. "Hear this boy's speech!"</p> @@ -7377,7 +7339,7 @@ his "r's" and "th's" aright.</p> <p>Another man joined the conference, crying: "O foolish men! What this babe says is true. He is the heart's heart of those white troops. For the sake of peace let them go both, for if he be taken, the regiment -will break<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_207" id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> loose and gut the valley. <i>Our</i> villages are in the valley, +will break<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_207">[Pg 207]</a></span> loose and gut the valley. <i>Our</i> villages are in the valley, and we shall not escape. That regiment are devils. They broke Khoda Yar's breast-bone with kicks when he tried to take the rifles; and if we touch this child they will fire and rape and plunder for a month, till @@ -7391,7 +7353,7 @@ Winkie standing over Miss Allardyce, waited the upshot. Surely his "wegiment," his own "wegiment," would not desert him if they knew of his extremity.</p> -<hr style='width: 45%;' /> +<hr style='width: 45%;' > <p>The riderless pony brought the news to the 195th, though there had been consternation in the Colonel's household for an hour before. The little @@ -7408,7 +7370,7 @@ anywhere, an' maybe those Pathans have got 'im. For the love o' Gawd don't look for 'im in the nullahs! Let's go over the river."</p> <p>"There's sense in Mott yet," said Devlin. "E Company, double out to the -river—sharp!"<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_208" id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span></p> +river—sharp!"<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_208">[Pg 208]</a></span></p> <p>So E Company, in its shirt-sleeves mainly, doubled for the dear life, and in the rear toiled the perspiring Sergeant, adjuring it to double @@ -7441,7 +7403,7 @@ intense disgust, kissed him openly in the presence of the men.</p> would the breaking of arrest be condoned, but that the good-conduct badge would be restored as soon as his mother could sew it on his blouse-sleeve. Miss Allardyce had told the Colonel a story that made him -proud of his son.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_209" id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span></p> +proud of his son.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_209">[Pg 209]</a></span></p> <p>"She belonged to you, Coppy," said Wee Willie Winkie, indicating Miss Allardyce with a grimy forefinger. "I <i>knew</i> she didn't ought to go @@ -7453,14 +7415,14 @@ home."</p> <p>"I don't know what vat means," said Wee Willie Winkie, "but you mustn't call me Winkie any no more. I'm Percival Will'am Will'ams."</p> -<p>And in this manner did Wee Willie Winkie enter into his manhood.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_211" id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_210" id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span></p> +<p>And in this manner did Wee Willie Winkie enter into his manhood.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_211">[Pg 211]</a></span><span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_210">[Pg 210]</a></span></p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> -<h2><a name="NOTES" id="NOTES"></a>NOTES</h2> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > +<h2><a id="NOTES"></a>NOTES</h2> -<h4>WASHINGTON IRVING</h4> +<h3>WASHINGTON IRVING</h3> <p>Washington Irving, the son of a Scotch merchant, was born in New York, @@ -7495,7 +7457,7 @@ brothers' firm, to which he had been admitted, and he stayed there seventeen years. The firm failing in 1818, he turned to literature and began the publication in 1819 of "The Sketch-Book," a collection of sketches and narratives in the manner of <i>The Spectator</i>. This book -definitely established him as an author, being received both<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_212" id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> in America +definitely established him as an author, being received both<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_212">[Pg 212]</a></span> in America and in England with delight. Besides being successful financially it gave him an introduction to literary society. "Bracebridge Hall" and "The Tales of a Traveller" appeared soon after, in 1822 and 1824 @@ -7533,21 +7495,21 @@ as Minister to Spain. For four years he continued in office, performing his duties with tact and discretion. In 1846 he returned finally to his home, where he devoted his last days to a long-contemplated "Life of Washington," a task almost beyond his powers. On the 28th of November, -1850, he died, honored as no American man of letters had ever been.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_213" id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span></p> +1850, he died, honored as no American man of letters had ever been.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_213">[Pg 213]</a></span></p> -<h5>REFERENCES</h5> +<h4>REFERENCES</h4> <p> -<b>Biography</b><br /> +<b>Biography</b><br > -<span class="smcap">Warner</span>: Washington Irving.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Boynton</span>: Washington Irving.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Criticism</b><br /> +<span class="smcap">Warner</span>: Washington Irving.<br > +<span class="smcap">Boynton</span>: Washington Irving.<br > +<br > +<b>Criticism</b><br > -<span class="smcap">Howells</span>: My Literary Passions.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Thackeray</span>: Nil Nisi Bonum (Roundabout Papers).<br /> -<span class="smcap">Richardson</span>: American Literature.<br /> +<span class="smcap">Howells</span>: My Literary Passions.<br > +<span class="smcap">Thackeray</span>: Nil Nisi Bonum (Roundabout Papers).<br > +<span class="smcap">Richardson</span>: American Literature.<br > </p> @@ -7581,7 +7543,7 @@ with an <i>h</i>.</p> <p><a href="#Page_18">18</a>. <b>Hendrick Hudson</b>: really Henry Hudson, an Englishman in the employ of the Dutch East India Company. He was on a voyage to discover a north-east passage, when he explored the river which bears his name. The -<i>Half Moon</i> was the name of his boat.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_214" id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span></p> +<i>Half Moon</i> was the name of his boat.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_214">[Pg 214]</a></span></p> <h4>EDGAR ALLAN POE</h4> @@ -7619,7 +7581,7 @@ become an assistant on <i>The Southern Literary Messenger</i>.</p> remain long in one position. After some drifting, he settled in Philadelphia in 1838, where he did hack work until he became associate editor of <i>Burton's Gentleman's Magazine and American Monthly Review</i> in -July, 1839. In 1840 appeared a volume of his<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_215" id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> tales which attracted +July, 1839. In 1840 appeared a volume of his<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_215">[Pg 215]</a></span> tales which attracted favorable notice. In 1841 he became editor of <i>Graham's Magazine</i>, but in this year, too, his wife became a hopeless invalid. Anxiety about her had doubtless much to do with the subsequent condition of Poe's mind. In @@ -7646,14 +7608,14 @@ lifetime.</p> <h5>REFERENCES</h5> <p> -<b>Biography</b><br /> -<span class="smcap">Woodberry</span>: Edgar Allan Poe.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Harrison</span>: The Life and Letters of Edgar Allan Poe.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Criticism</b><br /> -<span class="smcap">Stedman</span>: Poets of America.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Gates</span>: Studies and Appreciations.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Brownell</span>: American Prose Masters.<br /> +<b>Biography</b><br > +<span class="smcap">Woodberry</span>: Edgar Allan Poe.<br > +<span class="smcap">Harrison</span>: The Life and Letters of Edgar Allan Poe.<br > +<br > +<b>Criticism</b><br > +<span class="smcap">Stedman</span>: Poets of America.<br > +<span class="smcap">Gates</span>: Studies and Appreciations.<br > +<span class="smcap">Brownell</span>: American Prose Masters.<br > </p> @@ -7662,7 +7624,7 @@ lifetime.</p> <p>This story, which is classed in the group entitled "Stories of Ratiocination" (see Introduction), was first published in <i>The Dollar Newspaper</i> of Philadelphia in June, 1843, winning a prize of one hundred -dollars.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_216" id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span></p> +dollars.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_216">[Pg 216]</a></span></p> <p><span class="smcap">Page</span> <a href="#Page_23">23</a>. <b>Tarantula</b>: the bite of this spider was once supposed to cause a form of madness which made the victim dance. Compare the @@ -7709,7 +7671,7 @@ term referring to the metallic mass of an ore.</p> <p><a href="#Page_55">55</a>. <b>Captain Kidd</b>: William Kidd, about whose early life nothing is positively known, was commissioned by the Governor of Massachusetts Bay Colony in 1695 to put down piracy. With a good ship under him, however, -he himself turned pirate. On his return he<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_217" id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> was arrested, sent to +he himself turned pirate. On his return he<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_217">[Pg 217]</a></span> was arrested, sent to England, tried, and executed in London in 1701. Some of his buried treasure was recovered by the colonial authorities in 1699.</p> @@ -7755,7 +7717,7 @@ physician.</p> <p><a href="#Page_80">80</a>. <b>escritoire</b>: "A piece of furniture with conveniences for writing, as an opening top or falling front panel, places for inkstand, pens, and stationery, etc."—<i>Century Dictionary</i>. <b>Procrustean bed</b>: In Greek -mythology, Procrustes (derivatively "the stretcher") was<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_218" id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> a giant who +mythology, Procrustes (derivatively "the stretcher") was<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_218">[Pg 218]</a></span> a giant who tied those whom he caught on a bed, making them fit by stretching them out if too short, and by cutting off their limbs if too long.</p> @@ -7797,14 +7759,14 @@ remain at rest or in motion.</p> <p><a href="#Page_88">88</a>. <b>ministerial hôtel</b>: house of the minister or cabinet officer.</p> <p><a href="#Page_92">92</a>. <b>facilis descensus Averni</b>: a misquotation from Vergil's "Aeneid," -Book VI, line 126. It should be "facilis descensus<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_219" id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> Averno," <i>easy is +Book VI, line 126. It should be "facilis descensus<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_219">[Pg 219]</a></span> Averno," <i>easy is the descent to Avernus</i>. <b>Catalani</b>: Angelica Catalani (1779-1849). An Italian singer. <b>monstrum horrendum</b>: (Latin) <i>a horrible monster</i>, the epithet applied to the one-eyed giant, Polyphemus, in Vergil's "Aeneid," Book III, line 658. <b>Un dessein</b>, etc.: (French). <i>A design so fatal, if it is not worthy of Atrée, it is worthy of Thyeste</i>. <b>Crébillon's "Atrée"</b>: Prosper Jolyot de Crébillon (1674-1762). A French tragic poet. -His play, "Atrée et Thyeste," bears the date 1707.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_220" id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span></p> +His play, "Atrée et Thyeste," bears the date 1707.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_220">[Pg 220]</a></span></p> <h4>NATHANIEL HAWTHORNE</h4> @@ -7844,7 +7806,7 @@ Peabody.</p> <p>In January, 1839, he became a weigher and gauger in the Boston Custom House, a position which he lost in April, 1841, owing to a change in the political administration. Then for a few months he was a member of the -Brook Farm Community, a group of reformers who<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_221" id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> tried to combine +Brook Farm Community, a group of reformers who<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_221">[Pg 221]</a></span> tried to combine agriculture and education. In the Custom House and at Brook Farm he worked so hard as to have little energy for literature, publishing only some children's books. On July 9, 1842, occurred his marriage.</p> @@ -7883,7 +7845,7 @@ second daughter, Rose. During this time he wrote and published (1851) his novel, "The House of the Seven Gables," the study of an inherited curse, made pleasing as a story by means of its realistic portrayal of ordinary life. He also put many of the stories of classical mythology -into a form understandable by chil<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_222" id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span>dren, publishing the results in "A +into a form understandable by chil<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_222">[Pg 222]</a></span>dren, publishing the results in "A Wonder-Book for Girls and Boys" (1852) and "Tanglewood Tales for Girls and Boys" (1853). In 1852 appeared "The Snow Image and Other Twice-Told Tales," containing hitherto uncollected contributions to various @@ -7920,7 +7882,7 @@ failing for some time, and now he became incapable of sustained work. However, in 1863 was published "Our Old Home," the theme of which is well expressed by the sub-title "A Series of English Sketches," which had been composed previously. He continued to do some work, and even -promised a new novel to the<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_223" id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> press, but he came to realize that he would +promised a new novel to the<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_223">[Pg 223]</a></span> press, but he came to realize that he would never finish it. In 1864 he went on a carriage trip with his old friend Pierce, during which he peacefully died in his sleep.</p> @@ -7928,13 +7890,13 @@ Pierce, during which he peacefully died in his sleep.</p> <h5>REFERENCES</h5> <p> -<b>Biography</b><br /> -<span class="smcap">Woodberry</span>: Nathaniel Hawthorne.<br /> -<span class="smcap">James</span>: Nathaniel Hawthorne.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Criticism</b><br /> -<span class="smcap">Hutton</span>: Literary Essays.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Stephen</span>: Hours in a Library.<br /> +<b>Biography</b><br > +<span class="smcap">Woodberry</span>: Nathaniel Hawthorne.<br > +<span class="smcap">James</span>: Nathaniel Hawthorne.<br > +<br > +<b>Criticism</b><br > +<span class="smcap">Hutton</span>: Literary Essays.<br > +<span class="smcap">Stephen</span>: Hours in a Library.<br > </p> @@ -7963,7 +7925,7 @@ together by the scheme of having an old inhabitant tell them to some visitor. Such machinery with its prologues and end-links, more or less elaborate, has been often used, as is seen in Chaucer's "Canterbury Tales" and in Longfellow's "Tales of a Wayside Inn." The taste for this -method has largely passed,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_224" id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> though it has been recently revived by +method has largely passed,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_224">[Pg 224]</a></span> though it has been recently revived by Alfred Noyes in "The Tales of the Mermaid Tavern."</p> <p><span class="smcap">Page</span> <a href="#Page_93">93</a>. <b>Washington Street</b>: the scene is laid in Boston. @@ -8003,7 +7965,7 @@ linen, called a band, placed about the neck with the ends hanging down in front.</p> <p><a href="#Page_102">102</a>. <b>regicide judges</b>: in the first part of the seventeenth century -the people of England became dissatisfied with their king, Charles I,<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_225" id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> +the people of England became dissatisfied with their king, Charles I,<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_225">[Pg 225]</a></span> because of his illegal acts. They revolted, captured the king, put him on trial, and executed him, January 30, 1649. The judges are called regicide, because they tried and condemned a king. The royal party spoke @@ -8044,7 +8006,7 @@ of chemistry who spent most of their energy in seeking what was called the "universal solvent" which would turn every substance into gold. These men were sometimes legitimate investigators, but often cheats who made money out of foolish people. At one time they became so numerous in -London that laws<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_226" id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> were passed against them, but it took Jonson's play +London that laws<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_226">[Pg 226]</a></span> were passed against them, but it took Jonson's play "The Alchemist" to laugh away their hold.</p> <p><a href="#Page_123">123</a>. <b>elixir vitæ</b>: (Arabic, <i>el iksir</i>, plus Latin, <i>vitæ</i>) @@ -8059,7 +8021,7 @@ the legendary "Famous History of Friar Bacon" records the construction of such a thing. <b>Transactions of the Royal Society</b>: the volumes containing the discussions of the Royal Society and also the papers read before it. This association was founded about 1660 for the advancement -of science.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_227" id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span></p> +of science.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_227">[Pg 227]</a></span></p> <h4>BRET HARTE</h4> @@ -8098,7 +8060,7 @@ writing, his work being published for one year altogether in <i>The Atlantic Monthly</i>. But his ever recurring financial difficulties becoming acute, he did some lecturing in addition. In 1876 appeared his only novel, "Gabriel Conroy," which was not a success. His money -difficulties continuing, his friends came to the rescue<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_228" id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> and secured his +difficulties continuing, his friends came to the rescue<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_228">[Pg 228]</a></span> and secured his appointment as United States Consul at Crefeld, Germany. Leaving his wife, whom he never saw again, he sailed in 1878. At this post he continued for two years, his life being varied by a lecture tour in @@ -8115,12 +8077,12 @@ occasional trip away, once as far as Switzerland. In 1901 he died.</p> <h5>REFERENCES</h5> <p> -<b>Biography</b><br /> -<span class="smcap">Merwin</span>: The Life of Bret Harte.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Pemberton</span>: Life of Bret Harte.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Criticism</b><br /> -<span class="smcap">Woodberry</span>: America in Literature.<br /> +<b>Biography</b><br > +<span class="smcap">Merwin</span>: The Life of Bret Harte.<br > +<span class="smcap">Pemberton</span>: Life of Bret Harte.<br > +<br > +<b>Criticism</b><br > +<span class="smcap">Woodberry</span>: America in Literature.<br > </p> @@ -8144,7 +8106,7 @@ the entire lot.</p> sand in which it is found is to put the mixture into a slanting trough, called a sluice, through which water is run. As these sluices were sometimes of considerable length, it was not a difficult matter for a -man to rob one.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_229" id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span></p> +man to rob one.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_229">[Pg 229]</a></span></p> <p><a href="#Page_136">136</a>. <b>Parthian</b>: the Parthians inhabited a part of ancient Persia. It was their custom when retreating to continue to shoot arrows at their @@ -8160,7 +8122,7 @@ the vigor of their hymns.</p> tells the story of the war of the Greeks against Troy. <b>Alexander Pope</b> (1688-1744), an English poet, who rather freely translated the poem.</p> -<p><a href="#Page_147">147</a>. <b>Derringer</b>: a pistol, so called from the name of the inventor.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_230" id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span></p> +<p><a href="#Page_147">147</a>. <b>Derringer</b>: a pistol, so called from the name of the inventor.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_230">[Pg 230]</a></span></p> <h4>ROBERT LOUIS STEVENSON</h4> @@ -8196,7 +8158,7 @@ married in 1880. His convalescence in an abandoned mining camp is recorded in "The Silverado Squatters" (1883). Returning to Scotland, they found the climate impossible for his weak lungs, consequently they tried various places on the Continent. Throughout his ill-health he -heroically kept at work, publishing from time to time books of essays<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_231" id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> +heroically kept at work, publishing from time to time books of essays<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_231">[Pg 231]</a></span> and short-stories, such as "Virginibus Puerisque" (1881) and "New Arabian Nights" (1882), parts of which had already appeared in magazines, and in 1883 his first popular success, "Treasure Island."</p> @@ -8228,27 +8190,27 @@ which was concluded by Quiller-Couch and published in 1898.</p> written by himself:</p> <p style="margin-left: 18em;"> -"Under the wide and starry sky,<br /> -Dig the grave and let me lie.<br /> -Glad did I live and gladly die,<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And I laid me down with a will.</span><br /> -This be the verse you grave for me:<br /> -<i>Here he lies where he longed to be;<br /> -Home is the sailor, home from the sea,<br /> -And the hunter home from the hill</i>."<br /> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_232" id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span></p> +"Under the wide and starry sky,<br > +Dig the grave and let me lie.<br > +Glad did I live and gladly die,<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And I laid me down with a will.</span><br > +This be the verse you grave for me:<br > +<i>Here he lies where he longed to be;<br > +Home is the sailor, home from the sea,<br > +And the hunter home from the hill</i>."<br > +<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_232">[Pg 232]</a></span></p> <h5>REFERENCES</h5> <p> -<b>Biography</b>:<br /> -<span class="smcap">Balfour</span>: Life of Robert Louis Stevenson.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Raleigh</span>: R. L. Stevenson.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Criticism</b>:<br /> -<span class="smcap">Genung</span>: Stevenson's Attitude toward Life.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Phelps</span>: Modern Novelists.<br /> +<b>Biography</b>:<br > +<span class="smcap">Balfour</span>: Life of Robert Louis Stevenson.<br > +<span class="smcap">Raleigh</span>: R. L. Stevenson.<br > +<br > +<b>Criticism</b>:<br > +<span class="smcap">Genung</span>: Stevenson's Attitude toward Life.<br > +<span class="smcap">Phelps</span>: Modern Novelists.<br > </p> @@ -8287,7 +8249,7 @@ best-known works is the "Mona Lisa."</p> <p><a href="#Page_164">164</a>. <b>Charlemagne</b>: the French form of <i>Charles the Great</i> (742-814), a great king of the Franks and Emperor of the Romans.</p> -<p><a href="#Page_169">169</a>. <b>Hercules</b>: a great personage in Greek mythology, famous<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_233" id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> for his +<p><a href="#Page_169">169</a>. <b>Hercules</b>: a great personage in Greek mythology, famous<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_233">[Pg 233]</a></span> for his strength. <b>Solomon</b>: king of Israel, 993-953 B.C., noted for his wisdom.</p> @@ -8301,12 +8263,12 @@ misquotation from Shakespeare's "Macbeth," Act III, scene iv, lines 78-79. In full this most apposite reference runs:</p> <p style="margin-left: 15em;"> -<span style="margin-left: 9em;">"The times have been,</span><br /> -That, when the brains were out, the man would die,<br /> -And there an end; but now they rise again,<br /> -With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,<br /> -And push us from our stools: this is more strange<br /> -Than such a murder is."<br /> +<span style="margin-left: 9em;">"The times have been,</span><br > +That, when the brains were out, the man would die,<br > +And there an end; but now they rise again,<br > +With twenty mortal murders on their crowns,<br > +And push us from our stools: this is more strange<br > +Than such a murder is."<br > </p> <p><a href="#Page_180">180</a>. <b>Bohemian goblets</b>: drinking glasses of glass made in Bohemia, @@ -8329,7 +8291,7 @@ times of the English kings named James of the seventeenth century.</p> but one born of Markheim's troubled mind. The conversation shows the dual nature of man, containing both good and bad, and how a man excuses his wickedness. The subject was used again by Stevenson in "Dr. Jekyll -and Mr. Hyde."<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_234" id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span></p> +and Mr. Hyde."<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_234">[Pg 234]</a></span></p> <h4>RUDYARD KIPLING</h4> @@ -8368,7 +8330,7 @@ since been collected under the title of "From Sea to Sea" (1899).</p> 1891 Wolcott Balestier, an American, to whom he dedicated "Barrack Room Ballads" (1892) in an introductory poem filled with glowing tribute. In the same year he made further journeys to South Africa, Australia, and -New Zealand.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_235" id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span></p> +New Zealand.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_235">[Pg 235]</a></span></p> <p>He married Caroline Balestier in 1892, the year of publication of "The Naulahka," which had been written in collaboration with her brother. The @@ -8405,7 +8367,7 @@ panorama of India; "Puck of Pook's Hill" (1906), and "Rewards and Fairies" (1910), realistic reconstructions of English history; "Actions and Reactions" (1909), a series of stories, among them "An Habitation Enforced," a rare story of the charm of English country life; and "The -Fringes of the Fleet" (1916), relating to the European War.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_236" id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> His son +Fringes of the Fleet" (1916), relating to the European War.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_236">[Pg 236]</a></span> His son John has had the misfortune to be captured in the present war.</p> <p>One book, "The Day's Work," deserves particular mention, as it contains @@ -8417,14 +8379,14 @@ especially the three cardinal points of his philosophy of life—"Work," <h5>REFERENCES</h5> <p> -<b>Biography</b><br /> -<span class="smcap">Clemens</span>: A Ken of Kipling.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Knowles</span>: A Kipling Primer.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Criticism</b><br /> -<span class="smcap">Le Gallienne</span>: Rudyard Kipling, A Criticism.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Falls</span>: Rudyard Kipling, A Critical Study.<br /> -<span class="smcap">Hooker</span>: The Later Work of Rudyard Kipling, North American Review, May, 1911.<br /> +<b>Biography</b><br > +<span class="smcap">Clemens</span>: A Ken of Kipling.<br > +<span class="smcap">Knowles</span>: A Kipling Primer.<br > +<br > +<b>Criticism</b><br > +<span class="smcap">Le Gallienne</span>: Rudyard Kipling, A Criticism.<br > +<span class="smcap">Falls</span>: Rudyard Kipling, A Critical Study.<br > +<span class="smcap">Hooker</span>: The Later Work of Rudyard Kipling, North American Review, May, 1911.<br > </p> @@ -8434,66 +8396,66 @@ especially the three cardinal points of his philosophy of life—"Work," Scotch poem of William Miller (1810-1872). Below is given Whittier's familiar version of the poem:</p> -<table summary='winkie' cellspacing='50'> +<table style="border-spacing: 50px;"> <tr> <td> -Wee Willie Winkie<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Runs through the town,</span><br /> -Upstairs and downstairs,<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">In his nightgown!</span><br /> -Tapping at the window,<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Crying at the lock,</span><br /> -"Are the weans in their bed,<br /> +Wee Willie Winkie<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Runs through the town,</span><br > +Upstairs and downstairs,<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">In his nightgown!</span><br > +Tapping at the window,<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Crying at the lock,</span><br > +"Are the weans in their bed,<br > <span style="margin-left: 1em;">For it's now ten o'clock?"</span> </td> <td> -Anything but sleep, you rogue!<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Glowering like the moon;</span><br /> -Rattling in an iron jug<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">With an iron spoon;</span><br /> -Rumbling, tumbling all about,<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Crowing like a cock,</span><br /> -Screaming like I don't know what,<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Waking sleeping folk.</span><br /> +Anything but sleep, you rogue!<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Glowering like the moon;</span><br > +Rattling in an iron jug<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">With an iron spoon;</span><br > +Rumbling, tumbling all about,<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Crowing like a cock,</span><br > +Screaming like I don't know what,<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Waking sleeping folk.</span><br > </td> </tr> <tr> <td> -"Hey, Willie Winkie,<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Are you coming then?</span><br /> -The cat's singing purrie<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">To the sleeping hen;</span><br /> -The dog is lying on the floor<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And doesn't even peep;</span><br /> -But here's a wakeful laddie<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">That will not fall asleep."</span><br /> +"Hey, Willie Winkie,<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Are you coming then?</span><br > +The cat's singing purrie<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">To the sleeping hen;</span><br > +The dog is lying on the floor<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">And doesn't even peep;</span><br > +But here's a wakeful laddie<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">That will not fall asleep."</span><br > </td> <td> -"Hey, Willie Winkie,<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Can't you keep him still?</span><br /> -Wriggling off a body's knee<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Like a very eel;</span><br /> -Pulling at the cat's ear,<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">As she drowsy hums;</span><br /> -Heigh, Willie Winkie!<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">See! there he comes!"</span><br /> +"Hey, Willie Winkie,<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Can't you keep him still?</span><br > +Wriggling off a body's knee<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Like a very eel;</span><br > +Pulling at the cat's ear,<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">As she drowsy hums;</span><br > +Heigh, Willie Winkie!<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">See! there he comes!"</span><br > </td> </tr> </table> -<p style="margin-left: 18em;">Wearied is the mother<br /> -<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_237" id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span><br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">That has a restless wean,</span><br /> -A wee stumpy bairnie,<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Heard whene'er he's seen—</span><br /> -That has a battle aye with sleep<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Before he'll close his e'e;</span><br /> -But a kiss from off his rosy lips<br /> -<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gives strength anew to me.</span><br /> +<p style="margin-left: 18em;">Wearied is the mother<br > +<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_237">[Pg 237]</a></span><br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">That has a restless wean,</span><br > +A wee stumpy bairnie,<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Heard whene'er he's seen—</span><br > +That has a battle aye with sleep<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Before he'll close his e'e;</span><br > +But a kiss from off his rosy lips<br > +<span style="margin-left: 1em;">Gives strength anew to me.</span><br > </p> <p>"<b>An officer</b>, etc.": this quotation refers to the time when the holders @@ -8528,7 +8490,7 @@ equivalent to Mister, used by East Indians toward Europeans.</p> called a hand, which is equal to four inches. Hence twelve-two means twelve hands and two inches. <b>Waler</b>: a horse from New South Wales.</p> -<p><a href="#Page_205">205</a>. <b>Pushto</b>: sometimes <i>Pushtu</i>, the language of the Afghans.<span class='pagenum'><a name="Page_238" id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span></p> +<p><a href="#Page_205">205</a>. <b>Pushto</b>: sometimes <i>Pushtu</i>, the language of the Afghans.<span class='pagenum'><a id="Page_238">[Pg 238]</a></span></p> <p><a href="#Page_206">206</a>. <b>Sahib Bahadur</b>: Sahib = Mister. <i>Bahadur</i>, title of respect equivalent to "gallant officer."</p> @@ -8548,25 +8510,25 @@ assigned to soldiers. <b>pulton</b>: native expression equivalent to <p><a href="#Page_209">209</a>. <b>pukka</b>: native expression meaning "real," "thorough." </p> -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_1_1" id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> <i>The Philosophy of the Short-Story in Pen and Ink</i>, page +<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_1_1"></a><a href="#FNanchor_1_1"><span class="label">[1]</span></a> <i>The Philosophy of the Short-Story in Pen and Ink</i>, page 72. (Longmans, Green & Co., 1888.)</p></div> -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_2_2" id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> <i>Ibid.</i></p></div> +<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_2_2"></a><a href="#FNanchor_2_2"><span class="label">[2]</span></a> <i>Ibid.</i></p></div> -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_3_3" id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> <i>Materials of Fiction</i>, page 175. (Doubleday, Page & Co., +<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_3_3"></a><a href="#FNanchor_3_3"><span class="label">[3]</span></a> <i>Materials of Fiction</i>, page 175. (Doubleday, Page & Co., 1912.)</p></div> -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_4_4" id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> <i>Materials of Fiction</i>, page 173. (Doubleday, Page & Co., +<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_4_4"></a><a href="#FNanchor_4_4"><span class="label">[4]</span></a> <i>Materials of Fiction</i>, page 173. (Doubleday, Page & Co., 1912.)</p></div> -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_5_5" id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> <i>Graham's Magazine</i>, May, 1842.</p></div> +<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_5_5"></a><a href="#FNanchor_5_5"><span class="label">[5]</span></a> <i>Graham's Magazine</i>, May, 1842.</p></div> -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_6_6" id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> <i>Vailima Letters</i>, I, page 147.</p></div> +<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_6_6"></a><a href="#FNanchor_6_6"><span class="label">[6]</span></a> <i>Vailima Letters</i>, I, page 147.</p></div> -<div class="footnote"><p><a name="Footnote_7_7" id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> Krapp's <i>Irving's Tales of a Traveller</i>, etc. Introduction. +<div class="footnote"><p><a id="Footnote_7_7"></a><a href="#FNanchor_7_7"><span class="label">[7]</span></a> Krapp's <i>Irving's Tales of a Traveller</i>, etc. Introduction. (Scott, Foresman & Co.)</p></div> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > <h2>The Academy Classics</h2> @@ -8587,233 +8549,233 @@ clear, and the paper of the best quality.</p> <p> -<b>ADDISON. De Coverley Papers.</b><br /> -Edited by Samuel Thurber. Cloth, 35 cents.<br /> -This volume contains thirty-seven papers of which twenty have Sir<br /> -Roger as the main theme, and seventeen mention him in such a<br /> -way as to throw further light on his character.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>ARNOLD. Essays in Criticism.</b><br /> -Edited by Susan S. Sheridan. Cloth, 25 cents.<br /> -The essays are those on The Study of Poetry, on Keats, and on<br /> -Wordsworth.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Rugby Chapel.</b><br /> -Edited by L. D. Syle. (In <i>Four English Poems</i>. Cloth, 25 cents.)<br /> -<br /> -<b>Sohrab and Rustum.</b><br /> -Edited by G. A. Watrous. (In <i>Three Narrative Poems</i>. Cloth, 30 cents.)<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>BURKE. Conciliation with the Colonies.</b><br /> -Edited by C. B. Bradley. Cloth, 30 cents.<br /> -This book contains the complete speech, and a sketch of the<br /> -English Constitution and Government.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>BURNS. Selections.</b><br /> -Edited by Lois G. Hufford. Cloth, 35 cents.<br /> -The selections are forty-five in number and include The Cotter's<br /> -Saturday Night, Tam O'Shanter, The Vision, The Brigs of Ayr,<br /> -and all the more familiar short poems and songs.<br /> +<b>ADDISON. De Coverley Papers.</b><br > +Edited by Samuel Thurber. Cloth, 35 cents.<br > +This volume contains thirty-seven papers of which twenty have Sir<br > +Roger as the main theme, and seventeen mention him in such a<br > +way as to throw further light on his character.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>ARNOLD. Essays in Criticism.</b><br > +Edited by Susan S. Sheridan. Cloth, 25 cents.<br > +The essays are those on The Study of Poetry, on Keats, and on<br > +Wordsworth.<br > +<br > +<b>Rugby Chapel.</b><br > +Edited by L. D. Syle. (In <i>Four English Poems</i>. Cloth, 25 cents.)<br > +<br > +<b>Sohrab and Rustum.</b><br > +Edited by G. A. Watrous. (In <i>Three Narrative Poems</i>. Cloth, 30 cents.)<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>BURKE. Conciliation with the Colonies.</b><br > +Edited by C. B. Bradley. Cloth, 30 cents.<br > +This book contains the complete speech, and a sketch of the<br > +English Constitution and Government.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>BURNS. Selections.</b><br > +Edited by Lois G. Hufford. Cloth, 35 cents.<br > +The selections are forty-five in number and include The Cotter's<br > +Saturday Night, Tam O'Shanter, The Vision, The Brigs of Ayr,<br > +and all the more familiar short poems and songs.<br > </p> <p>The Academy Classics—Continued</p> <p> -<b>BYRON. The Prisoner of Chillon.</b><br /> -Edited by L. D. Syle. (In <i>Four English Poems</i>. Cloth, 25 cents.)<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>CARLYLE. Essay on Burns.</b><br /> -Edited by H. W. Boynton. Cloth, 25 cents.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Essay on Boswell's Johnson.</b><br /> -Edited by H. W. Boynton. <i>Out of print.</i><br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>COLERIDGE. The Ancient Mariner.</b><br /> -Edited by G. A. Watrous. (In <i>Three Narrative Poems</i>. Cloth, 30 cents.)<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>COWPER. John Gilpin's Ride.</b><br /> -Edited by L. D. Syle. (In <i>Four English Poems</i>. Cloth, 25 cents.)<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>GEORGE ELIOT. Silas Marner.</b><br /> -Edited by W. Patterson Atkinson. Cloth, 30 cents.<br /> -The introduction contains a brief life of George Eliot, an account<br /> -of the writing of Silas Marner, and a short list of works on the<br /> -author.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>EMERSON. Select Essays and Poems.</b><br /> -Edited by Eva March Tappan. Cloth, 30 cents.<br /> -The Essays are those on Compensation, Self-reliance, and Manners.<br /> -There are also nine of the best-known poems. A feature of<br /> -the book is the suggestive questions at the bottom of each page<br /> -which keep the pupil's attention on the alert and at the same time<br /> -aid in the interpretation of the text.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>GOLDSMITH. The Vicar of Wakefield.</b><br /> -Edited by R. Adelaide Witham. Cloth, 40 cents.<br /> -The introduction to the work contains a Bibliography of the Life of<br /> -Goldsmith, a Bibliography of Criticism, a Life of Goldsmith arranged<br /> -by topics, a Table of Masterpieces published during his<br /> -life, and an appreciation of Goldsmith's style.<br /> -<br /> -<b>The Traveller and The Deserted Village.</b><br /> -Edited by George A. Watrous. (In <i>Selected Poems</i>. Cloth, 30 cents.)<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>GRAY. Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard and The Progress of Poesy.</b><br /> -Edited by G. A. Watrous. (In <i>Selected Poems</i>. Cloth, 30 cents.)<br /> +<b>BYRON. The Prisoner of Chillon.</b><br > +Edited by L. D. Syle. (In <i>Four English Poems</i>. Cloth, 25 cents.)<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>CARLYLE. Essay on Burns.</b><br > +Edited by H. W. Boynton. Cloth, 25 cents.<br > +<br > +<b>Essay on Boswell's Johnson.</b><br > +Edited by H. W. Boynton. <i>Out of print.</i><br > +<br > +<br > +<b>COLERIDGE. The Ancient Mariner.</b><br > +Edited by G. A. Watrous. (In <i>Three Narrative Poems</i>. Cloth, 30 cents.)<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>COWPER. John Gilpin's Ride.</b><br > +Edited by L. D. Syle. (In <i>Four English Poems</i>. Cloth, 25 cents.)<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>GEORGE ELIOT. Silas Marner.</b><br > +Edited by W. Patterson Atkinson. Cloth, 30 cents.<br > +The introduction contains a brief life of George Eliot, an account<br > +of the writing of Silas Marner, and a short list of works on the<br > +author.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>EMERSON. Select Essays and Poems.</b><br > +Edited by Eva March Tappan. Cloth, 30 cents.<br > +The Essays are those on Compensation, Self-reliance, and Manners.<br > +There are also nine of the best-known poems. A feature of<br > +the book is the suggestive questions at the bottom of each page<br > +which keep the pupil's attention on the alert and at the same time<br > +aid in the interpretation of the text.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>GOLDSMITH. The Vicar of Wakefield.</b><br > +Edited by R. Adelaide Witham. Cloth, 40 cents.<br > +The introduction to the work contains a Bibliography of the Life of<br > +Goldsmith, a Bibliography of Criticism, a Life of Goldsmith arranged<br > +by topics, a Table of Masterpieces published during his<br > +life, and an appreciation of Goldsmith's style.<br > +<br > +<b>The Traveller and The Deserted Village.</b><br > +Edited by George A. Watrous. (In <i>Selected Poems</i>. Cloth, 30 cents.)<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>GRAY. Elegy Written in a Country Churchyard and The Progress of Poesy.</b><br > +Edited by G. A. Watrous. (In <i>Selected Poems</i>. Cloth, 30 cents.)<br > </p> <p>The Academy Classics—Continued</p> <p> -<b>IRVING. Life of Goldsmith.</b><br /> -Edited by R. Adelaide Witham. Cloth, 40 cents.<br /> -The editor has furnished a life of Irving arranged by topics, with<br /> -references to Pierre Irving's life of his uncle. There is also an<br /> -arrangement of the text by topics, for convenience in assigning the<br /> -reading. The book has a useful list of the works of Irving side<br /> -by side with Contemporary American Literature.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Selections from the Sketch-Book.</b><br /> -Edited by Elmer E. Wentworth. Cloth, 35 cents.<br /> -This book contains The Voyage, The Wife, Rip Van Winkle,<br /> -Sunday in London, The Art of Bookmaking, The Mutability of<br /> -Literature, The Spectre Bridegroom, Westminster Abbey, Christmas,<br /> -The Stage Coach, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Stratford-on-Avon,<br /> -To My Books, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>LOWELL. Selections. The Vision of Sir Launfal and Other Poems.</b><br /> -Edited by Dr. F. R. Lane. Cloth, 25 cents.<br /> -There are fourteen poems in all, including such passages from the<br /> -Fable for Critics as refer to prominent American men of letters.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>MACAULAY. Edited by Samuel Thurber.</b><br /> -<br /> -<b>Essay on Addison.</b><br /> -<b>Essay on Lord Clive.</b><br /> -<b>Essay on Johnson.</b><br /> -<b>Essay on Milton.</b><br /> -Cloth, each, 25 cents.<br /> -There is a map of India in the Essay on Clive.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Essay on Chatham.</b><br /> -Boards, 20 cents.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Essays on Milton and Addison.</b><br /> -One volume, cloth, 35 cents.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>MACAULAY. Essay on Warren Hastings.</b><br /> -Edited by Joseph V. Denney. Cloth, 40 cents.<br /> -This edition will be found especially useful to pupils in composition<br /> -who are studying Macaulay for structure. The essay affords conspicuously<br /> -excellent illustrations of all four forms of discourse—narration,<br /> -description, exposition, and argumentation. The book<br /> -has a map of India, a sketch of Macaulay's life, and a bibliography.<br /> +<b>IRVING. Life of Goldsmith.</b><br > +Edited by R. Adelaide Witham. Cloth, 40 cents.<br > +The editor has furnished a life of Irving arranged by topics, with<br > +references to Pierre Irving's life of his uncle. There is also an<br > +arrangement of the text by topics, for convenience in assigning the<br > +reading. The book has a useful list of the works of Irving side<br > +by side with Contemporary American Literature.<br > +<br > +<b>Selections from the Sketch-Book.</b><br > +Edited by Elmer E. Wentworth. Cloth, 35 cents.<br > +This book contains The Voyage, The Wife, Rip Van Winkle,<br > +Sunday in London, The Art of Bookmaking, The Mutability of<br > +Literature, The Spectre Bridegroom, Westminster Abbey, Christmas,<br > +The Stage Coach, Christmas Eve, Christmas Day, Stratford-on-Avon,<br > +To My Books, The Legend of Sleepy Hollow.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>LOWELL. Selections. The Vision of Sir Launfal and Other Poems.</b><br > +Edited by Dr. F. R. Lane. Cloth, 25 cents.<br > +There are fourteen poems in all, including such passages from the<br > +Fable for Critics as refer to prominent American men of letters.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>MACAULAY. Edited by Samuel Thurber.</b><br > +<br > +<b>Essay on Addison.</b><br > +<b>Essay on Lord Clive.</b><br > +<b>Essay on Johnson.</b><br > +<b>Essay on Milton.</b><br > +Cloth, each, 25 cents.<br > +There is a map of India in the Essay on Clive.<br > +<br > +<b>Essay on Chatham.</b><br > +Boards, 20 cents.<br > +<br > +<b>Essays on Milton and Addison.</b><br > +One volume, cloth, 35 cents.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>MACAULAY. Essay on Warren Hastings.</b><br > +Edited by Joseph V. Denney. Cloth, 40 cents.<br > +This edition will be found especially useful to pupils in composition<br > +who are studying Macaulay for structure. The essay affords conspicuously<br > +excellent illustrations of all four forms of discourse—narration,<br > +description, exposition, and argumentation. The book<br > +has a map of India, a sketch of Macaulay's life, and a bibliography.<br > </p> <p>The Academy Classics—Continued</p> <p> -<b>MILTON. Minor Poems.</b><br /> -Edited by Samuel Thurber. Cloth, 30 cents.<br /> -L'Allegro; Il Penseroso; Comus; Lycidas; Arcades; On the<br /> -Nativity; On Shakespeare; At a Solemn Music; Sonnets.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Paradise Lost, Books I and II.</b><br /> -Edited by Henry W. Boynton. Cloth, 30 cents.<br /> -This edition has the first two books of Paradise Lost complete and<br /> -a résumé of the rest of the epic, with quotations of notable passages.<br /> -The introduction has two plans and a description of the Miltonic<br /> -universe.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>POPE. The Rape of the Lock.</b><br /> -Edited by L. D. Syle. (In <i>Four English Poems</i>. Cloth, 25 cents.)<br /> -<br /> -<b>An Essay on Criticism.</b><br /> -Edited by George A. Watrous. (In <i>Selected Poems</i>. Cloth, 30 cents.)<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>SCOTT. The Lady of the Lake.</b><br /> -Edited by G. B. Alton. Cloth, 30 cents.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Marmion.</b><br /> -Edited by Mary E. Adams. Cloth, 30 cents.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>SHAKESPEARE.</b> Edited by Samuel Thurber.<br /> -<br /> -<b>As You Like It.</b><br /> -<b>Julius Cæsar.</b><br /> -<b>Macbeth.</b><br /> -<b>Merchant of Venice.</b><br /> -<b>The Tempest.</b><br /> -<br /> -Cloth, each, 30 cents.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Hamlet</b> (with Pearson's <i>Questions on Hamlet</i>). Cloth, 35 cents.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>STEVENSON. Treasure Island.</b><br /> -Edited by W. D. Lewis. Cloth, 50 cents.<br /> -This edition has a short introduction and a life of Stevenson.<br /> -Very few notes are provided. A complete glossary explains all the<br /> -unusual terms used in the story.<br /> -The book contains illustrations and a map.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>TENNYSON. Enoch Arden.</b><br /> -Edited by G. A. Watrous. (In <i>Three Narrative Poems</i>.) Cloth, 30 cents.<br /> -<br /> -<b>Idylls of the King: Selections.</b><br /> -Edited by H. W. Boynton. Cloth, 30 cents.<br /> +<b>MILTON. Minor Poems.</b><br > +Edited by Samuel Thurber. Cloth, 30 cents.<br > +L'Allegro; Il Penseroso; Comus; Lycidas; Arcades; On the<br > +Nativity; On Shakespeare; At a Solemn Music; Sonnets.<br > +<br > +<b>Paradise Lost, Books I and II.</b><br > +Edited by Henry W. Boynton. Cloth, 30 cents.<br > +This edition has the first two books of Paradise Lost complete and<br > +a résumé of the rest of the epic, with quotations of notable passages.<br > +The introduction has two plans and a description of the Miltonic<br > +universe.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>POPE. The Rape of the Lock.</b><br > +Edited by L. D. Syle. (In <i>Four English Poems</i>. Cloth, 25 cents.)<br > +<br > +<b>An Essay on Criticism.</b><br > +Edited by George A. Watrous. (In <i>Selected Poems</i>. Cloth, 30 cents.)<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>SCOTT. The Lady of the Lake.</b><br > +Edited by G. B. Alton. Cloth, 30 cents.<br > +<br > +<b>Marmion.</b><br > +Edited by Mary E. Adams. Cloth, 30 cents.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>SHAKESPEARE.</b> Edited by Samuel Thurber.<br > +<br > +<b>As You Like It.</b><br > +<b>Julius Cæsar.</b><br > +<b>Macbeth.</b><br > +<b>Merchant of Venice.</b><br > +<b>The Tempest.</b><br > +<br > +Cloth, each, 30 cents.<br > +<br > +<b>Hamlet</b> (with Pearson's <i>Questions on Hamlet</i>). Cloth, 35 cents.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>STEVENSON. Treasure Island.</b><br > +Edited by W. D. Lewis. Cloth, 50 cents.<br > +This edition has a short introduction and a life of Stevenson.<br > +Very few notes are provided. A complete glossary explains all the<br > +unusual terms used in the story.<br > +The book contains illustrations and a map.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>TENNYSON. Enoch Arden.</b><br > +Edited by G. A. Watrous. (In <i>Three Narrative Poems</i>.) Cloth, 30 cents.<br > +<br > +<b>Idylls of the King: Selections.</b><br > +Edited by H. W. Boynton. Cloth, 30 cents.<br > </p> <p>The Academy Classics—Continued</p> <p> -<b>WEBSTER. Reply to Hayne.</b><br /> -Edited by C. B. Bradley. Cloth, 25 cents.<br /> +<b>WEBSTER. Reply to Hayne.</b><br > +Edited by C. B. Bradley. Cloth, 25 cents.<br > </p> -<hr style='width: 45%;' /> +<hr style='width: 45%;' > <p> -<b>Four English Poems.</b><br /> -Edited by L. D. Syle. Cloth, 25 cents.<br /> -The Rape of the Lock, John Gilpin's Ride, The Prisoner of Chillon,<br /> -and Rugby Chapel.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>Selected Poems from Pope, Gray, and Goldsmith.</b><br /> -Edited by George A. Watrous. Cloth, 30 cents.<br /> -The poems included are Pope's Essay on Criticism, Gray's Elegy and<br /> -Progress of Poesy, and Goldsmith's Traveller and Deserted Village.<br /> -<br /> -<br /> -<b>Three Narrative Poems.</b><br /> -Edited by G. A. Watrous. Cloth, 30 cents.<br /> -The Ancient Mariner, Sohrab and Rustum, and Enoch Arden.<br /> -A feature of this book is a map, which makes plain the geography<br /> -of Sohrab and Rustum.<br /> +<b>Four English Poems.</b><br > +Edited by L. D. Syle. Cloth, 25 cents.<br > +The Rape of the Lock, John Gilpin's Ride, The Prisoner of Chillon,<br > +and Rugby Chapel.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>Selected Poems from Pope, Gray, and Goldsmith.</b><br > +Edited by George A. Watrous. Cloth, 30 cents.<br > +The poems included are Pope's Essay on Criticism, Gray's Elegy and<br > +Progress of Poesy, and Goldsmith's Traveller and Deserted Village.<br > +<br > +<br > +<b>Three Narrative Poems.</b><br > +Edited by G. A. Watrous. Cloth, 30 cents.<br > +The Ancient Mariner, Sohrab and Rustum, and Enoch Arden.<br > +A feature of this book is a map, which makes plain the geography<br > +of Sohrab and Rustum.<br > </p> -<hr style='width: 45%;' /> +<hr style='width: 45%;' > <p>The Literature Note-Book</p> @@ -8839,7 +8801,7 @@ pages. Price, 10 cents.</p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > <h2>Select Essays of Macaulay</h2> @@ -8860,7 +8822,7 @@ his teacher may think it wise to give.</p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > <h2>Historical Essays of Macaulay</h2> @@ -8877,7 +8839,7 @@ notes to the Select Essays.</p> -<hr style="width: 65%;" /> +<hr style="width: 65%;" > <h2>Select Essays of Addison</h2> @@ -8894,385 +8856,6 @@ Manners, Politics, Morals, and Religion. There are selections from Addison's Stories and his Hymns. The book contains also Macaulay's Essay on Addison.</p> - - - - - - - -<pre> - - - - - -End of Project Gutenberg's The Short-story, by William Patterson Atkinson - -*** END OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE SHORT-STORY *** - -***** This file should be named 21964-h.htm or 21964-h.zip ***** -This and all associated files of various formats will be found in: - http://www.gutenberg.org/2/1/9/6/21964/ - -Produced by Juliet Sutherland, Graeme Mackreth and the -Online Distributed Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net - - -Updated editions will replace the previous one--the old editions -will be renamed. - -Creating the works from public domain print editions means that no -one owns a United States copyright in these works, so the Foundation -(and you!) can copy and distribute it in the United States without -permission and without paying copyright royalties. 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