"Yes, sir," now spoke up the housekeeper, taking courage; "I have had a dream about a certain number; and come what will of it, I will get the ticket 999."

"Why, what an old fool you must be!" was the polite observation of the softened stock broker, "Venture all you have in the world upon a stupid dream! What will you do if you should lose this money?"

"Work for more, sir," answered Betty, firmly. "If you choose to turn me away for indulging my fancy: why, I can't help it; I shall soon get another place."

"Turn you away!" observed Mr. Stevens, thinking at that moment, no doubt, of all the excellences of her past conduct; her sobriety, her honesty, her cleanliness, her unwearying attention to his comforts and his interests; "why, in the name of all that's beautiful (and he smiled and bowed conceitedly to me) why should I turn you away because you are a bit of a gambler: what is the number you are resolved to have?"

Betty repeated to him all about the eggs, the frying-pan, and the flying pigeons, and insisted on it, that she would have, if money and inquiry would obtain it, the whole ticket bearing that magic number. "You are a stupid old fool!" again repeated Mr. Stevens; "but wilful woman will ever have her way-asking your pardon, madam, for speaking so disrespectfully of your sex. Then you want, I suppose, too, a holiday to-morrow, to go in search of this same ticket? better think no more about it ;-you'll surely repent it."

You had

Have

"No, Sir," answered Betty; "if it should turn up a blank, why I shall have had my fling for it; and I shall never fret about it. you, Sir, so much money in the house ?"

"Silly woman! Thirty pounds, indeed! A mere bagatelle! What is your opinion, Madam ?" said he most deferentially.

I saw the woman's heart was set upon it, so answered accordingly, "That if people were resolved to do a foolish thing, as this was a free country, why they must have the liberty of doing it."

"Then I'll give her the money out of my pocket-book this moment, if you will permit me to do it in your presence. I have had a little good fortune this morning on the Stock-Exchange, although I am only a dabbler now. These are the fruits of my speculations to-day;" and he took out a small roll of bank-notes very ostentatiously, as if to throw dust in my eyes. "There, Betty," said he; "there are three ten pound notes for you, and a crown-piece besides, to pay your coach and dinner in town, for you will have a fine scrambling walk about from one lottery-office to another, to get your favourite ticket, and perhaps a pound or two to give as a bribe to get it back again, if it should be sold."

"I have a pound or two by me," said Betty, "and have it I will, cost what it may. That number is the same as any other to those who have not had a dream about it; they know nothing of its value; so I shall be sure to have it. I will take care, Sir, to have every thing comfortable here at home for you and this kind lady, whilst I am away. I will speak to Peggy Hughes, the charwoman, to-night, to come and wait upon you both to-morrow; and if you please, I should not like you to twit me afterwards about this lottery-ticket, if I should be deceived. Please never to mention it to me again."

"Just as you please, Betty; but I suppose we shall know of it, if you get the £30,000," said I.

Mrs. Betty simpered, and immediately left the apartment, whilst I gave a pretty broad hint, that the sun would soon go down, if I did not immediately go out to walk; and the little stockbroker had not courage enough to ask me, "If he should accompany me?" I carried too many guns for him; so he was obliged, sheepish enough, to veer off; but he crossed my path more than once during my solitary walk, with my book in my hand; but he felt awed to keep a respectful distance. I found the weather so delightful, and enjoyed the pure air so much, that I made up my mind that I would not be frightened away sooner than I had first intended from my country retreat, through any absurd punctilio, and because a vulgar, low-born, mere money-getting man happened to have taken a fancy to my portly person, and intended to honour me with proposals of marriage. I wish I had not so much pride in my composition. Proposals of marriage from Mr. George Stevens! It makes m sick, even at this distance of time.

Home came Mrs. Betty Martin, towards the evening of the next day— every look assured me that she had succeeded in the object of her search. And when her master asked her, still keeping his promise to the ear, that he would not mention the affair of the lottery-ticket again to her, yet trying to worm out a little information about her proccedings in town, I had not the slightest doubt in my mind, but that number 999 slumbered quietly in the depths of her tin japanned nutmeg-grater, to her an exchequer.

"You look fatigued, Betty," said Mr. Stevens; "here, take a glass of wine.-Well, I hope now you will be at rest?"

"I ought to be so, your honour," answered Betty," for I have but three shillings left me now in the world; all the rest is in that great London town, yonder; what a mint of money does it contain!"

"What an excellent tactician is this simple creature," thought I, as I heard how she had led her master off the scent, by her last observation. I was walking up and down the little forecourt, and from the parlour window caught every word. It was a point of honour now to me, and to Mr. Stevens, not to question her about the lottery.

Another week passed pleasantly away, and Mr. Stevens gave up, as a "bad job," to use his own words, all hopes of gaining the stately and high-born Monthly Nurse, the ci-devant Mrs. Griffiths, for his future wife but it seems the thought of marrying, once kindled, would not be extinguished.

He came home in high good humour one evening, about a week after this, and full two hours later than his usual time. 66 He had taken a chop," he told Mrs. Betty, "in town, and if Mrs. Griffiths would allow it, he should like to say a word or two to her, his old servant, up in that lady's apartment."

No objection could I possibly have; so when the gentleman was seated, and his housekeeper was standing waiting his orders near the door, he asked me " If I would permit Mrs. Martin to sit down a minute or two in my presence ?"

"Willingly," said I, "for I have great respect for this kind, good. creature; so help yourself to a chair, Mrs. Betty."

N. S.-VOL. I.

3 ጊ

"I am glad you think so well of her, madam," said Mr. George Stevens, looking much embarrassed, and, as I thought, a little spitefully too, at me; but I may be mistaken. "Some days ago I had other views," continued the little round stockbroker; "but in this world we cannot get every thing one fancies. You have not found me an unkind

master, Elizabeth?" asked the gentleman.

Mrs. Betty stared; she did not know herself by the name of Elizabeth; she had never been called it in her life. She might, for aught she knew (nay, she did know), have been christened so; but what of that? Betty was the name she answered to. I own I stared a little likewise, and wondered what was coming next.

"I believe I have been a very moral man," observed Mr. Stevens, "since you have been under my roof?" and he looked poor Betty full in the face she was perplexed beyond measure. And you have been a most faithful, industrious, saving, trust-worthy and modest creature!" Betty burst into a flood of tears-it was too much for her; such unqualified praise! and from so great a man as her master!

"For so exemplary a domestic," continued Mr. George Stevens, getting warmer as he proceeded, and giving a sidelong glance at me, to see how I took it, "for so good, modest, and excellent a creature, there can be nothing too valuable to bestow upon her. I have thought over the matter well, and if Elizabeth Martin will become the wife of George Stevens, why-the sooner it is done the better!"

O inimitable Cruikshank! why have I not your skill, to illustrate this scene? it was one thy graver would have done ample justice to. Betty could not answer-astonishment, doubt, delight, chased each other over her features she turned deadly sick, and as white as ashes; I gave her a glass of water, and told her to be of good courage. "Tell your master at once, my good soul: will you accept his most unexpected offer?"

"Will I?" at length sobbed out Mrs. Martin: "O it is what indeed I do not deserve!"

"You deserve every thing," cried Mr. Stevens; "and as I always like to strike a bargain at once, I have been to Doctors' Commons this very day, and have brought down the license; aye, and the ring too, in my pocket."

There was no mistaking now the look of the little stockbroker, as he handed to me the parchment and the wedding ring; it spoke as plainly as a look can speak, "See what you have lost : you have no longer any chance of me!" But all feelings of self were now absorbed in extreme interest for poor Elizabeth, as I must now, I suppose, call her: the surprise had been too much for her: she was in a state of stupor, and I was obliged to loosen some of her clothes. "Can it be possible," at length she said, whilst tears relieved her; "shall I be the mistress of this beautiful little palace-sit in the parlour and in the drawing-room, and call my dear master by the name of husband ?"

Certainly you will," answered I,

taken place before now."

"as strange things as that have

"And will you go to church with me, ma'am?" said the poor housekeeper, "I shall know that all is right then." I looked towards Mr. Stevens before I could give an answer.

"Will you do us that honour, madam," said that gentleman, bowing

to me, formally, "to attend our wedding? I wish it to be to-morrow morning."

"To-morrow!" repeated poor Elizabeth, very naturally; "why I have not a gown handsome enough to appear in, sir, as your bride."

"We can easily manage that," said I," we have only to tack up one of mine at the bottom, as I am a little taller, and we can make it fit you. You shall have also one of my bonnets and my veil."

"I have ordered two white satin bonnets and white gloves as I came down; and have spoken to the clerk at Camberwell. We will be married at St. Giles's, then," said Mr. George Stevens.

"And shall we come back here to dinner?" innocently inquired the astonished bride elect, thinking, no doubt, of who should cook the dinner; and that she ought to be in the parlour, and waited on, if they dined at home.

"Hampton Court is a pleasant distance from town," said Mr. Stevens, looking, inquiringly, at me, " or Richmond. We will have a good dinner upon the occasion; where shall it be eaten?"

"Oh, help me! answer for me," said the agitated woman, “I am so confused that I cannot speak."

"We can settle where we shall dine to-morrow," said I; " and now, sir, with your permission, I will take Mrs. Stevens that is to be into my room there, and make her lie down an hour, for she looks yet very pale. Perhaps you had better go and procure the charwoman who was here the other day; for Elizabeth must no longer be the kitchen guest."

"Not the charwoman," said Mr. Stevens, with great good sense, 66 we must have no one that has known her before; there is a servant coming down from town by the last coach. I thought of all that; and now, ladies, I will leave you, and go and order a glass coach for our expedition to-morrow."

When he was gone, I was nearly as much struck with the suddenness of all this as poor Elizabeth could be. I had my suspicions, but I kept them to myself, as to the cause of it all; and it turned out I was not mistaken. But this is not the place to speak of them.

I shall not describe all that passed before nine o'clock the next morning; the contrivances that we made in order to make the former housekeeper look a little like a lady. She had a good clear skin, dark eyes, a colour like the setting sun, and hair which certainly wanted some attention to be paid to it. She looked not exactly, it is true, like Venus being attired by the Graces, as I did the best I could for her, and after powerful ablutions and brushing, braided up her tresses, with a graceful knot behind. We tore to pieces two pairs of white kid gloves before we could cram Betty's rosy, chubby hands into their bridal coverings; but with some allowance to be made for not being perfectly au fuit, when dressed in my handsome silver grey silk dress, with lace pelerine and cuffs, she looked better than scores of ladies I have seen at a Guildhall or Mansion-house dinner; and I admired the work of my own hands and inventive skill, almost as much as Mr. George Stevens did, when he handed us into the smart barouch and four (think of that, Mr. Brook!) and who could hardly recognise the smiling, obliging Mrs. Betty Martin, in the gaily dressed personage that sat all blushes and confusion, and doubts and fears, and hopes and sunny smiles, opposite to him in the carriage.

It does not take long to splice a pair together, when both are ready, and willing; the license bought, and the priest robed-before she could say Jack Robinson, there she stood, and was hailed by the high sounding cognomen of "Mrs. George Stevens."

"Now where shall we go to dine?" enquired the loving bridegroom, -all places were the same to her: she thought at first of Stepney, were she was born, that she might show herself there in all her grandeur; but that was soon overruled,—then Richmond, she had heard so much of Richmond! so the carriage was ordered to the Star and Garter.

Before dinner, we explored Richmond-hill, and Richmond-park; drove to Ham-common in our carriage, went up the river in a boat, loitered and sauntered about as fancy directed us; the still amazed Mrs. Stevens, clinging to my arm and protection, and imploring me to direct her to speak to the waiters on her return; and to take the top of the table for her. An excellent dinner had we,-eels and chickens, and lamb, and tarts, and fruit, and all sorts of things.-The bride wisely enough, talked but little, which is always a safe course to do we drank as much wine as we liked, had tea with a profusion of cream in it; and at eight o'clock precisely, stepped once more into our green barouche, to return to Peckham. Mr. Stevens insisted on our taking a very handsome bouquet home with us, which cost him full ten shillings; but his heart was open, and he wished to show us both, me more especially, what a noble liberal man he was, and what I had lost.

When we had been seated about ten minutes, Mr. Stevens, who had imbibed rather more than a sufficient quantity of rosy wine, took the ungloved hand of his new partner, ungloved, because that plump red hand of hers had burst its cerements, and thus addressed her; for he could contain himself no longer.—

Elizabeth," said he, "dear Elizabeth! I have a most delightful surprise for you" (it was not much of one to me,) "let me congratulate you, and he gave her a connubial kiss, "your ticket is come up a capital prize, I was in Coopers-hall, and saw it drawn myself,-Number 999, is actually one of the 30,000's."

My God forgive me!" screamed the new made bride, clasping her hands and overcome with so many new sensations, crowding one after the other upon her, "and I did not buy the ticket after all!!”—and she now actually fainted.

"Not bought the ticket!" ejaculated the equally as distressed bridegroom,-" did I hear aright? what have I married my own servant, without a shilling in the world, when I believed, and had every reason for doing so, that I was taking to church a woman with a fortune of £30,000!"

You have married a virtuous, clean, kind-hearted creature, as ever lived," said I, "and not a bad looking one either-do not destroy her happiness, and your own by unavailing anger, and reproaches.—Make the best of your bargain; and I will pledge myself that she will turn out not a bad one after all:-see, she recovers Mr. Stevens, do not be a fool now;-she is your wife, and she will be no discredit to you"— Elizabeth now opened her eyes, and burst into tears!

"Oh Master" said she, "I mean sir, my husband, sure you are; but all seems to me a dream-when I got to the office, and found out they