entered the names in his pocket-book, and wishing the company "good-night," walked slowly down the stairs. He quickened his pace as soon as he had turned the corner of the street, and hurrying to the railway station, caught the last train for Birmingham, and took his place in it.

an innocent horse had its representative in the streets; and as Dickens, like Gulliver looking down upon his fellow-men after coming from the horse-country, looked down into Doncaster High Street from his inn-window, he seemed to see everywhere a then notorious personage who had just poisoned his betting companion. Everywhere I see the late Mr. Palmer with his betting-book in his hand. Mr. Palmer sits next me at the theatre; Mr. Palmer goes before me down the street; Mr. Palmer follows me into the chemist's shop, where I go to buy rose-water after breakfast, and says to the chemist, "Give us soom sal volatile, or soom thing o' that soort, in wather-my head's bad!" And I look at the back of his bad head, repeated in long, long lines on the racecourse, and in the betting-stand, and outside the betting-rooms in the town, and I vow that I can see nothing in it but cruelty, covetousness, calculation, insensibility, and low wickedness.""

If the company whom he had left, and who were yet full of his praises, could have seen the cold, hard smile upon his lips, and the look of cunning satisfaction which marked his features, as the dim light of the carriage lamp fell upon them, while he sat there stroking his short black beard with his forefinger, and holding pleasant counsel with his own thoughts, their good opinion might have been a little shaken, and their anxiety to join his benefit investment club less ardent. But perhaps not; for working men, whose daily business lies in the hard realities of labour, are not often physiognomists; they look to a man's words, rather than to his features; they are apt to take him at his own estimate, and to place confidence in his professions, if only they seem plausible and honest; they are, alas! too easily imposed upon, especially by those who seem to be a little better educated than themselves, and who flatter and beguile them. In a word, they are more ready to think good than evil of their neighbours. More shame to those who take advantage of this generous and simple confidence to rob them, by sham clubs and bubble companies, of the little store laid by for future years, which they have worked so hard to earn and which has cost them so much carefulness and self-denial to accumulate.

Varieties.

AMERICAN ADVICE AS TO FEMALE EDUCATION.-Give your girls a good substantial, common school education. Teach them how to cook a good meal of victuals. Teach them how to wash and iron clothes. Teach them how to darn stockings and sew

save.

on buttons. Teach them how to make their own dresses. Teach them to make shirts. Teach them to make bread. Teach them all the mysteries of the kitchen, the dining-room, and parlour. Teach them that a dollar is only a hundred cents. Teach them that the more they live within their income the more they will income the nearer they get to the poor-house. Teach them to Teach them that the farther they live beyond their wear thick, warm shoes. Teach them to do the marketing for the family. Teach them that Nature made them, and that no amount of tight-lacing will improve the model. Teach them every day a hard, practical, common sense. Teach them selfand dissolute young men. reliance. Teach them to have nothing to do with intemperate Teach them the essentials of lifetruth, honesty, uprightness-then, at a suitable time, let them marry. Rely upon it, that upon your teaching depends, in a great measure, the weal or woe of their after-life.

CONSTABLE AND THE EDINBURGH REVIEW.-The Life of Archibald Constable has recalled many interesting events of Scottish literary history, besides those associated with Sir Walter Scott. Under his auspices the "Edinburgh Review" was published. The first number appeared on October 10th, 1802. "To appreciate the value of the Edinburgh Review,' says Sydney Smith, "the state of England at the period when that journal began should be had in remembrance. The Catholics were not emancipated. The Corporation and Test Acts were unrepealed. The Game Laws were horribly oppressive; steel traps and spring guns were set all over the country; prisoners tried for their lives could have no counsel. Lord Eldon and the Court of Chancery pressed heavily on mankind. Libel was punished by the most cruel and vindictive imprisonment. A thousand evils were in existence which the talents of good and able men have since lessened or removed, and those efforts have been not a little assisted by the honest boldness of the Edinburgh Review." The publication of this new organ of public opinion the projectors entrusted to Archibald Constable. He had already become known to them as active, enterprising, and enlightened." He sympathised with their political opinions, and he "gratefully," his son tells us, "accepted the commercial conduct of the work, with all its pecuniary responsibilities."

CHARLES DICKENS ON "THE TURF."-The veteran patron of horse-racing, Admiral Rous, in a recent letter to the "Times," says: "There is a black cloud on the horizon threatening destruction to the Turf." The very same figure of speech has been used by the gallant admiral on more than one occasion before. What his present foreboding is does not clearly appear in his rambling letter, which refers to a variety of questions connected with racing. But the following passage in the third volume of the "Life of Charles Dickens," by John Forster, may explain something of the blackness that disgraces the Turf, and eventually will make horse-racing as discreditable a sport as cock-fighting, bull-baiting, or other "amusements" of olden times in England. In 1857, returning from a tour in Cumberland with Mr. Wilkie Collins, they came upon Doncaster, and "this was Dickens's first experience of the St. Leger and its Saturnalia." "The impressions received from the raceweek were not favourable. It was noise and turmoil all day long, and a gathering of vagabonds from all parts of the racing earth. Every bad face that had ever caught wickedness from

66

CATS PROTECTING PROPERTY.-Cats have been frequently known to do their best to protect the property of their masters, as well as dogs. A man who was imprisoned for a burglary in Americ stated after his conviction that he and two others broke into the house of a gentleman near Haarlem. While they were in the act of plundering it, a large black cat flew at one of the robbers, and fixed her claws on each side of his face. He added that he never saw a man so frightened in all his life; and that in his alarm he made such an outcry that they had to beat a precipitate retreat to avoid detection. A lady in Liverpool had a favourite cat. She never returned home after a short absence without being joyfully received by it. One Sunday, however, on returning from church, she was surprised to find that pussy did not receive her as usual, and its continued absence made her a little uneasy. The servants were all appealed to, but none could account for the circumstance. The lady therefore made a strict search for her feline friend, and descending to the lower story was surprised to hear her cries of "Puss" answered by the mewing of a cat, the sounds proceeding from the wine-cellar, which had been properly locked and the keys placed in safe custody. As the cat was in the parlour when the lady left for church, it was unnecessary to consult a "wise man to ascertain that the servants had clandestine means of getting into the wine-cellar, and that they had forgotten when they themselves returned to request pussy also to withdraw. The contents of the cellar from that time did not disappear so quickly.

if so, he might be able to trace his parents. His heart beat high with hope; Harry also was sanguine of success.

Harry meanwhile had taken an opportunity of speaking to the young fisherman who had volunteered from the lugger, and making sure that he was no other than Jacob Halliburt, had treated him with all the kindness which in their relative positions he was able to show.

"Do your duty, Halliburt," he said, "and I can answer for it that Captain Headland will endeavour to promote your interests, and give you a higher rating as soon as possible. I will write by the first chance to give your friends notice of your safety, and you can do the same, and let them know what I have said."

"I am much obliged to you for your kindness," answered Jacob; "I knew, sir, when I saw you, that you must be Lieutenant Castleton who was at Texford, and I was thankful to think that I had to serve under you. If it had not been for that I should have been heart-sick to return home to help poor father, for he must be sorely missing me."

Harry was able to assure Jacob that his father's spirits were wonderfully kept up, and that he hoped. Ned Brown would stick by him, and help him during

his absence.

"And mother, sir, does she bear up as well as father?" asked Jacob.

Harry, who had seen the dame just before he left home, was able to give a good account of her.

Jacob longed to ask after May, but he felt tonguetied, and could not bring himself to pronounce her name. Harry was surprised at his silence. Jacob merely remarked that he hoped the family at Downside were also well.

"The ladies were sorry when they heard of your being carried off."

Thank you, Mr. Castleton, thank you," said Jacob; "I will try and do as you tell me, and though I could not have brought myself to leave father of my own accord, it may be my coming aboard here won't be so bad for me after all."

Harry was still under the belief that Jacob was May's brother, and Jacob had said nothing to undeceive him. Jacob at the same time had not the slightest suspicion that his lieutenant was engaged to marry the being on whom his own honest affections were so hopelessly set.

It was observed by his messmates that Jacob Halliburt was a great favourite with the captain and firstlieutenant, but as he was a well-behaved man, and did his duty thoroughly, this was easily accounted for, and no particular favour was shown him of which others could be jealous.

Harry would often gladly have talked with Jacob about Hurlston and his family, but the etiquette of a man-of-war prevented him. He thus remained in ignorance of a circumstance which would have greatly raised his hopes of overcoming his father's objections, for all the time he had supposed that Sir Ralph believed May to be Dame Halliburt's daughter, and had been surprised that he had not spoken more strongly on the subject. His only other supposition was that Sir Ralph had made no inquiries as to May's parentage, and took it for granted that she was the orphan child of some friends of his cousins whom they had charitably adopted.

The Thisbe continued her course day after day over the world of waters. Though a constant look

out had been kept no prizes had been made and no enemy's cruisers encountered. Both the captain and officers hoped before long to find some work either to bring them credit or prize-money.

Light and baffling winds had of late detained the Thisbe, when having got somewhat out of her course, St. Ann, one of the Seychelle Islands, was sighted. Captain Headland stood in for the Mahé Roads, in the hope that some of the enemy's priva teers or merchantmen might be anchored there, and might be cut out without detaining him long.

The opportunity must not be lost. The wind favoured them, for instead of blowing off shore as it generally does, the sea-breeze carried them swiftly towards the harbour.

Eager eyes were on the look-out. A large ship was discovered at anchor without her foremast. From her appearance she would evidently be a prize worth taking, but whether or not she was too strongly armed to allow the Thisbe to make the attempt was the question. As she could not move, Captain Headland stood in close enough to ascertain this, and determined, should her size give him a fair hope of conquest, to attack her.

The cables were ranged with springs ready for anchoring, and the ship cleared for action. All on board eagerly hoped that they might have work to do, and every telescope was turned towards the stranger. Stratagem and deception being practised in war, the Thisbe had hoisted French colours, that her expected antagonist might not take the alarm and run on shore to avoid her. It was at length ascertained that the stranger was a flush-deck ship; and ten guns were counted on the only side visible. Though she was apparently larger than the Thisbe, and more heavily armed, Captain Headland no longer hesitated, while the master volunteered to take the ship in among the numerous shoals which guarded the entrance of the harbour. Taking his station on the fore-yardarm, guided by the colour of the water he gave directions to the helmsman how to steer.

The stranger remained quietly at anchor, apparently not suspecting the character of her visitor.

Every man was at his station. Not a word was now spoken, except by the master, as he issued his orders from the yardarm.

"We will run alongside and carry her by boarding; it will save our anchoring, and we shall not injure her spars; an important object, as I hope we may have to carry her off to sea,' "observed the captain to his first-lieutenant.

The Thisbe was now within two hundred yards of. the stranger's bows, when the master gave notice that there was a shoal ahead extending on either hand, while on shore a battery was seen commanding the passage, and several smaller vessels at anchor under it.

Headland instantly gave the order to anchor. The crew swarmed aloft to hand sails, the French colours were hauled down, and the English run up at the peak. At the same moment the stranger opened a hot fire from the whole of her broadside.

"Fire!" cried Captain Headland, and the Thisbe returned the warm salute she had received.

The battery on shore and the small vessels at the same time began peppering away at her. Broadsides were exchanged with great rapidity between the combatants. The firing calming the light wind which had been blowing, the two ships were soon shrouded in a canopy of smoke. The English crew

redoubled their efforts. The Frenchman's fire at length began to slacken, and in little more than a quarter of an hour down came the tricoloured flag, loud cheers bursting from the throats of the Thisbe's crew. A boat was instantly sent, under the command of the second-lieutenant, to take possession of the prize, but as he was pulling alongside the Frenchmen were seen lowering their boats, in which a considerable number made their escape to the shore. The battery continued firing, and Captain Headland directed Harry to land with a boat's crew and silence it. Jacob accompanied him. The smaller vessels meantime cut their cables, some running on shore, while others endeavoured to make their escape through the intricate passages where the English ship could not follow them.

Harry, ordering his men to give way, pulled rapidly for the beach, exposed to a hot fire of musketry, in addition to that from the heavy guns in the battery. Forming his men, he led the way up the steep bank. The battery had been rapidly thrown up, and offered no insuperable impediment. Sword in hand, he leaped over the parapet, followed closely by Jacob and the rest of his men.

At the same moment a bullet struck him on the shoulder, and a tall French officer, supported by a party of his men, was on the point of cutting him down as he fell forward, when Jacob, with uplifted cutlass, saved him from the blow, returning it with such interest that his assailant fell back wounded among his men.

At this juncture a number of the French who had landed from the ship entered the fort to assist its defenders, and attacked the small party of English who had accompanied Harry. Jacob threw himself across the body of his lieutenant and defended him bravely from the attacks of the French, who attempted to bayonet him as he lay on the ground. The remainder of the boat's crew, springing over the entrenchments, now came to Jacob's support. The garrison fought bravely, and disputed every inch of ground. Jacob's great object, however, was to protect Harry, and as soon as the Frenchmen had given way, springing back, he lifted Harry on his shoulders, and getting over the entrenchments, carried him down to the boat.

In the meantime, Headland, suspecting that the fort was stronger than he had at first supposed, despatched another boat to Harry's assistance. The men sent in her landed just as a party of Frenchmen had come round the hill, and were on the point of intercepting Jacob, who was hurrying down with his burden, regardless of the shot whistling by him.

The Frenchmen on this took to flight, while the last party of English, climbing the hill, threw themselves into the fort, and quickly cleared it of its defenders. The French flag was hauled down by the young midshipman who had led the second party, and that of England hoisted in its stead.

No further opposition was made, the French seeking shelter in the neighbouring woods, where they were not likely to be followed. A few had fallen while defending the fort, while others, unable to make their escape, were taken prisoners.

The fort was found to contain six guns landed from the ship, as also a furnace for heating shot.

As soon as the Frenchmen had disappeared, one of the boats was sent back with the wounded lieutenant and two of the men who had also been hurt.

Jacob carried Harry up the side, evidently con

sidering that it was his duty to attend on him till he had placed him in the surgeon's hands.

No time was lost in getting the captured vessel ready for sea, while the guns belonging to her which had been in the fort were brought on board. A new mast was found on the beach ready to be towed off. It was soon got on board and stepped, and in a couple of days the Concord, a fine new sloop-brig of twenty-two guns, was following the Thisbe out of the roads.

The command had of necessity been given to Lieutenant De Vere, as Harry was unable to assume it.

The surgeon looked grave when he spoke to the captain about him.

"We must keep a careful watch over him, for he has a good deal of fever, and in these warm latitudes it is a somewhat serious matter."

Harry had expressed a wish to have Jacob Halliburt to attend on him, and as it was necessary that some one should be constantly at his side, Jacob was appointed to that duty.

It would have been impossible to have found a more tender nurse, and no one could have attended more carefully to the directions given by the surgeon. The fever the surgeon dreaded, however, came on, and for several days Harry was delirious. Often the name of May was on his lips, and Jacob, as he listened, discovered that his lieutenant loved her.

Several days went by, and Harry appeared to get worse. On his return to consciousness, he felt how completely his strength had deserted him, and though the doctor tried to keep up his spirits by telling him that he would get better in time, so great was his weakness that he felt himself to be dying. He was anxious not to alarm his friend Headland, but as Jacob stood by his bedside he told him what he feared.

"And I hope, my good fellow, that you will be able to return to your home, and if you do I wish you to bear a message to your father and mother and to your sister. I know that she no longer lives with them, and has become fit to occupy a different station in life; but you, I doubt not, love her notwithstanding as much as ever. Tell your parents how much I esteem them, and say to your sister that my love is unchangeable-that my last thoughts were of her."

"Miss May my sister!" exclaimed Jacob, in a tone which aroused Harry's attention. "I will tell her what you say, sir, if my eyes are ever blessed by seeing her again; but she is not my sister. Father found her on board a wreck when she was a little child, and though she is now a grown young lady, she still calls him and mother by the same name as when she lived with us; and that's made you fancy she is their daughter."

This answer of Jacob's had a wonderful effect on Harry. He asked question after question, entirely forgetting the weakness of which he had been complaining. Jacob gave him a full account of the way May had been preserved, and how she had been brought up by his parents, and how the Miss Pembertons had invited her to come and live with them. At length the doctor coming into the cabin put an end to the conversation.

It

From that moment Harry began to recover. seemed to him at once that the great difficulty which he had dreaded was removed, and, ready as he had been to marry May although she was a fisherman's

daughter, he was not the less gratified to hear that she was in all probability of gentle birth, although her parents were unknown. That he had not learned this before surprised him. He could only, as was really the case, fancy that the Miss Pembertons and May herself supposed him to be aware of the truth, and had therefore not alluded to it. He thought over all his conversations with May. He recollected that they had generally spoken of the future rather than of the past, by which alone he could account for her silence on the subject.

"How remarkable it is," he thought, "that my beloved May and Headland should be placed in precisely similar situations, both ignorant of their parents, and yet enjoying the position in life in which they were evidently born.""

Headland was as much surprised as his friend when he heard the account Harry gave him.

"It must indeed be satisfactory news to you, Harry, and I am grateful to young Halliburt for giving it to you, as it is the physic you wanted, and has done more than all the doctor's tonics in bringing you round."

Harry, indeed, after this rapidly got well, and before the ship with her prize arrived in Calcutta he was able to return to his duty.

CHAPTER XLIV.-A CHASE.

THE active little Thisbe had been for some time at sea, and had already performed her duty of giving notice of the recommencement of hostilities at the different stations and to the men-of-war and merchantmen she met with. Her captain, aided by Harry, had made all the inquiries he could relating to the circumstances in which he was so deeply interested, but without any satisfactory result.

Harry had heard in Calcutta of his uncle, Mr. Ranald Castleton, who had gone to Penang soon after its establishment as the seat of government of the British possessions in the Straits of Malacca. He had, however, sailed for England some years before, during the previous war, and the ship had, it was supposed, either been lost or captured by the enemy, as she had not afterwards been heard of. Those who had known him were either dead or had returned home, and Harry could obtain no certain information except the fact that he had had a wife and children, but that they were supposed to have perished with him. Still neither Harry nor Headland gave up hopes of gaining the information they wanted.

Harry had, as he promised, kept his eye on Jacob, who, greatly to his satisfaction, had been made a petty officer. As he was becoming a thorough seaman, and read and wrote better than most of the men in the ship, the captain promised, should a vacancy occur, to give him an acting warrant as boatswain or gunner.

The Thisbe had been more than a year on the station. Harry had received no letters from home. How he longed to hear from May and Julia! He thought that both would certainly have written. His mother, too, ought not to have forgotten him; but in those days, when no regular post was established, letters were frequently a long time on their way. He had written several times to Julia, and not less often, as may be supposed, to May. He had enclosed his letters to her to the Miss Pembertons. He suspected she would wish him to do so, and also that they would have a better prospect of reaching her. He told her the satisfaction he felt at discovering

that she was not, as he had supposed, Adam Halliburt's daughter, but in all probability his equal in birth, and that thus the great obstacle in obtaining his father's sanction to his marriage no longer existed. He sent messages to Adam and the dame, assuring them that he would look after Jacob's interests, and he enclosed at different times letters from Jacob himself to his father and mother. Jacob's letters chiefly contained praises of Lieutenant Castleton and his captain; though for his father's sake he regretted having been forced from his home, he was well content with his life, and spoke with enthusiasm of the strange countries and people he had visited, and of his prospects of advancement in the service.

The Thisbe had once more got free of the Straits of Malacca. Having run down the coast of Sumatra, and touched at Bencoolen, she was standing across the Indian Ocean, when towards sunset a large ship was descried from the masthead to the south-west. At the distance she was away it was impossible to say whether she was an enemy or friend, whether shipof-war or merchantman. At all events, the captain determined to overhaul her, and made all sail in chase. The great point was to get near enough to keep her in sight during the night, so as to follow her should she alter her course. When the sun went down she was still standing as at first seen, and had not apparently discovered that she was chased.

The night was clear, the sea smooth, and the graceful corvette, with all sail set below and aloft, made good way through the water, and was fast coming up with the chase. The captain's intention, however, was not to approach too near till daylight, for should she prove an enemy's man-of-war of much superior force, the Thisbe would have to trust to her heels to keep out of her way, though, should she be of a size which he might, without undue rashness, attack, the captain's intention was to bring her to action, well knowing that he would be ably supported by his officers and crew.

But few of the watch below turned in, every spyglass on board being directed towards the chase. There were various opinions as to her character, some believing her to be a man-of-war, others a French or Dutch merchantman, and from the course she was steering, it was believed she had come through the Straits of Sunda. The dawn of day, which might settle the question, was anxiously looked for.

At length a ruddy glow appeared in the eastern horizon, gradually extending over the sky and suf fusing a wide expanse of the calm ocean with a bright pink hue, and tinging the loftier sails of the stranger, while to the west the surface of the water still remained of a dark purple tint.

"She has hoisted English colours," exclaimed Harry, who had his glass fixed on the chase. A general exclamation of disappointment escaped those who heard him.

"That is no proof that she is English," observed the captain. The cut of her sails is English, and though she is a large ship, she is no man-of-war-of that I am certain. We will speak her, at all events, and settle the point."

The stranger was seen to be making all sail, royals were set, and studding-sails rigged out, but in a slow way, which confirmed Headland's opinion of her being a merchantman. This showed that her commander had no inclination to await the coming up

of