"I sha'n't do no such a thing!" returned Dick, and walked briskly away; but, looking round, and seeing a detaining hand about to be placed upon him, he took to his heels with amazing rapidity, and was soon lost in the distance.

He had made considerable progress towards his destination, — indeed, he was not very far from Delta Villas, when it occurred to him that his roll into the road might have tarnished his apparel. An inspection of his gossamer elicited the fact that the brim had taken an upward direction in front; and, on applying the corner of his cambric handkerchief to his face, he discovered that that attractive combination of features had been soiled to an exigence of soap and

water.

"I'll go into that little public-house," said he, "and set myself to rights. It won't do to show myself at Garton's in this dishabill. Cuss it, I'm precious unlucky; but it'll be all the same a hundred years hence. Cut along!"

Cheered by these philosophical stimulants, he entered the house, and made it his request to the landlady in the bar that she would permit him to set himself to rights. The landlady heard this request with little apparent sympathy for the occasion of it, for it seemed to her that Dick Sparrow was not likely to approve himself an absorbent. She, however, called to a girl, and bade her take the young man into the kitchen; but presently recollecting herself, added, "No, I shall want to come there myself. Take him up to the second floor back;" — and Dick followed his guide upstairs, and was ushered into a room.

And here he found, after an inspection of himself in the glass, and a diligent scrutiny of his garments, that he had a longer job cut out for him than he had anticipated, — a job rendered the more tedious from the untoward circumstance that there was no brush in the

room.

-

"The old woman looked so precious sour, and was so busy with the mixed liquors, that I shouldn't like to ask her for a brush," mused Dick. "Never mind; I'll rub my clothes with the inside of that counterpane. No one'll be the wiser."

He now set to work in right earnest, and, his labours just completed, had walked into the corner for his cane, when he thought he heard a light step at the door; and, turning round, was just in time to see a female head withdrawn before the door was closed and locked. "Here's a blessed move!" said Dick, staring about him. "Dash'd if they haven't fastened me in! Thought I'd bolted; and I sha'n't be able to make 'em hear in a month. I'll try, though."

He was just about to lift up his voice, and to propel it through the keyhole, when a sound as of two men ascending greeted his ears. "They're coming to let me out, to be sure. Bother that fool of a girl!"

The two men halted close to the door.

"Well,” said one, "what I've brought you up here for, and want to know is, D'ye think he'll come out?"

"To be sure he will," answered the other,-" if you kick him." "Well, I'll give him a little time, and then knock him down for one," observed the first speaker.

"Good: and if that won't do, we'll stick it into him, and no mistake."

With this the two men went down stairs, leaving the listener at the keyhole more dead than alive. Here were terribly intelligible words! Here was a frank avowal of an intention to "cook his goose!" Dick's personal courage, a small and subtle essence, disturbed by the foreign gentleman at the Lyceum, tampered with by the hackney-coachman, now evaporated altogether. Penny romances had quickened his sense of danger by revelations of roadside publichouses, where bedsteads descended through the floors, and the landlords were blood-boltered assassins. This must be one of such dens of horror,-the old house in West Street moved out of town, and set up in the public line.

"If Aunt Reddish knew what they're going to do, wouldn't she go on! Oh! that I was at home, and father jawing at me as he does when he's half sprung,-that's all."

Some such thoughts as these passed through his mind as he hurried to the window. It was no great height from the ground. There was yet a chance of escape. He had heard of such things practised successfully. He'd have a try.

Clawing off the counterpane, therefore, he tied the two sheets together, and fastened one to the bed-post, placing his foot against the bedstead to make the knot secure. This done, he laid hold upon the sheet tightly with both hands, and got out of the window. But before he had yet made any effort at descent, he did descend with terribly unexpected quickness, and, looking up with terrified amazement, there was a bed-post glimmering at the window, a testimony that the piece of furniture to which it belonged went upon castors. And now a wild burst of laughter almost deprived him of his wits; and glancing whence it proceeded, he discovered that he was hanging suspended immediately in front of the first-floor window, through which he beheld some dozen of decent Christians seated at the convivial board.

"Don't go to chaff me, that's good gentlemen, or I shall let go, and break my neck," said Dick, as the window was thrown up, and two men caught him under the arms. "Just pull me in, and I'll tell you all. It was an error of judgment, and there's no great harm done."

Dick being drawn in, and seated by the chairman, received a glass of rum and water, and explained wherefore he had entered the house, repeating the ominous words that had set him upon this hazardous method of escape.

The company in general stared; but their perplexity was soon relieved by obstreperous merriment proceeding from the chairman and his vice.

"After that, Perkins, you must sing," cried the chairman, when he recovered breath," or we will stick it into you by making you stand glasses round. Mr. Vice and I wanted to fix you, and went out of the room here to talk about it; but, seeing you coming upstairs, we moved on to the second-floor."

Dick was well laughed at by "the Goldfinches," for so they called themselves; but that he little cared for. He joined in the laugh, dispensed his cigars, reserving one for himself, had some more rum and water, and was duly elected a "Goldfinch," and promised a weekly attendance. This sort of relaxation was so new and delightful to him that he would probably have forgotten Garton's al

vete ju är he iscovered that he had come to the end of his de mu let that Aunt Redfish's sovereigns were inviolable. Addei x ms, me if he party had for some time past been regarding 11 P if has and garing eyes, that reminded him start

- if ne Zrzem parteman and not knowing that the gazer ve nvrrily scared 1pon favouring his friends with The Wolf," md mat le vis netting the lowest bass notes he could descend

- m de intrary suspecting that the stranger had an evil les men im. he was too glad to be gone, and took his hasty mi dienceret departure.

- Sitter if in my rite" sid Dick when he was well on me mist be precious late. That rum and water was er of inMin Wa, what's the odds! How terribly becast I am. t be sure. Ah: there's Garton's. There are the luns fil srv."

Am dere dey were. sure enough. Banking the street-door, sculp tured wees it ice of armament and convenience,-of ornament to de gener, eve, of convenience to the butcher's boy and the baker, Fuse 27 mi basket had often reposed upon their backs.

Just is Des bat ascended the steps, and was holding forth his and fur me cues, the door opened, and a gentleman hastening JUC TESTY LIVEs÷i i'm backwards on to the pavement.

**e. Fani ng Prater. God bless you!"

* Gurun, ny boy, good night I'm last, as usual. Never spent si bucos in evening in my le

By this time the two gentlemen had recognised Dick.

Leve in to me." siid Garton, with a look at the other. "Good ric Price. God bless you.”“”

Good man.” sud Priter, and with a glance of scorn and conSam in Ches, he went his way.

- And wie beings you here, sir?" cried Garton fiercely. “You

-NEER What was it about?" answered Dick; then, to Himself Old Garte's well it up, anyhow."

-You must have had it,” said Garton, "by the six o'clock de

Dick remembered the postman with the letter at his nose, just beSure be set forth

- Wel zerer mind the letter," said he. "Bother the letter ! You've put of the party. Nimport. What d'ye look so for at me? I'm very late; but I'll tell you all about it. Let us come in. I'm so peckiso-so hungry, I mean."

- Hungry, are you?" cried Garton savagely, and at that moment a servant came out of the parlour with the tantalising remainder of a stritz, with which she walked off into the kitchen,-" hungry, are you? Perhaps you'd like a rasher of Dunmow bacon?" and while the borror caused by this interrogatory was wreaking itself upon Pick's countenance, Garton called out, “Mrs. G., just step this way. Here's that impudent rascal, young Sparrow, come to pay his respects to you."

"I've heard him," said the lady, making her appearance from the parlour, with a tongue in one hand and a roast fowl in the other; and so we're always at it, hammer and tongs, are we?" and so saying she wheeled off with her attractive burthen towards the kitchen.