Then pledged we the wine-cup, and fondly I Stay, stay with us!-rest; thou art weary

RETURNED to Reeves's Hotel, College Green, where I was lodging. The individual who, at this time, so ably filled the important office. of "Boots" at the hotel was a character. Be it remembered that, in his youth, he had been discharged from his place for omitting to call a gentleman, who was to go by one of the morning coaches, and who, in consequence of such neglect, missed his journey. My slumbers were fitful-disturbed. Horrible dreams assailed me. Series of watches each pointing to the hour of FOUR passed slowly before me-then, time-pieces-dials of larger size and at last, enormous steepleclocks, all pointing to FOUR, FOUR, FOUR.

A change came o'er the spirit of my dream,

and endless processions of watchmen moved along, each mournfully dinning. in my ears, "Past four o'clock." At length I was attacked by nightmare. Methought I was an hour-glass-old Father Time bestrode me-he pressed upon me with unendurable weight-fearfully and threateningly did he wave his scythe above my head-he grinned at me, struck three blows, audible blows, with the handle of his scythe, on my breast, stooped his huge head, and shrieked in my ear

"Vor o'clock, zur; I zay it be vore o'clock."

It was the awful voice of Boots.

"Well, I hear you," groaned I.

"But I doant hear you. Vor o'clock, zur.".
"Very well, very well, that'll do."

"Beggin' your pardon, but it woan't do, zur. vore, zur."

'Ee must get up-past

And he thundered away at the door; nor did he cease knocking till I

was fairly up, and had shown myself to him in order to satisfy him of the

fact.

"That'll do, zur; 'ee told I to carl'ee, and I hope I ha' carld'ee properly."

I lit my taper at the rushlight. On opening a window-shutter, I was regaled with the sight of a fog, a parallel to which London itself, on one of its most perfect November days, could scarcely have produced. A dirty drizzling rain was falling. My heart sank within me. It was now twenty minutes past four. I was master of no more than forty disposable minutes, and, in that brief space, what had I not to do! The duties of the toilet were indispensable—the portmanteau must be packed-and, run as fast as I might, I could not get to the coach-office in less than ten minutes. Hot water was a luxury not to be procured; at that villainous hour not a human being in the house (nor, do I firmly believe, in the universe entire,) had risen--my unfortunate self, and my companion in wretchedness, poor Boots, excepted. The water in the jug was frozen; but, by dint of hammering upon it with the handle of the poker, I succeeded in enticing out about as much as would have filled a tea-cup. Two towels, which had been left wet in the room, were standing on a chair, bolt upright, as stiff as the poker itself, which you might almost as easily have bent. The tooth-brushes were riveted to the glass in which I had left them, and of which, (in my haste to disengage them from their stronghold,) they carried away a fragment; the soap was cemented to the dish; my shaving-brush was a mass of ice. In shape more appalling discomfort had never appeared on earth. I approached the looking-glass. Even had all the materials for the operation been tolerably thawed, it was impossible to use a razor by such a light.

"Who's there?"

Now, if 'ee please, zur; no time to lose; only twenty-vive minutes to vive."

I lost my self-possession-I have often wondered that morning did not unsettle my mind.

In

There was no time for the performance of anything like a comfortable toilet. I resolved, therefore, to defer it altogether till the coach should stop to breakfast. "I'll pack my portmanteau; that must be done." went whatever happened to come first to hand. thrust in, amongst my own things, one of mine Everything must come out again.

"Who's there?"

"Now, zur; 'ee'l be too late, zur.”

In my haste, I had host's frozen towels.

THE PENNY YE MEANT TO GI'E.

581

"Coming!"

Everything was now gathered together-the portmanteau would not lock. No matter, it must be content to travel to town in a deshabille of straps. Where were my boots? In my hurry I had packed away both pair. It was impossible to travel to London on such a day in slippers. Again was everything to be undone.

"Now, zur, coach be going."

The most unpleasant part of the ceremony of hanging (scarcely excepting the closing act) must be the hourly notice given to the culprit of the exact length of time he has to live. Could any circumstance have added much to the miseries of my situation, most assuredly it would have been those unfeeling reminders.

"I'm coming," again replied I, with a groan. "I have only to pull on my boots." They were both left-footed! Then must I open the rascally portmanteau again.

"What in the name of the

"Coach be gone, please zur."

"Gone! Is there a chance of my overtaking it?'

"Bless 'ee! noa zur; not as Jem Robbins do droive. He be vive mile off by now."

"You are certain of that?"

"I warrant'ee, zur."

At this assurance I felt a throb of joy, which was almost a compensation for all my sufferings past.

" Boots," said I, "you are a kind-hearted creature, and I will give you an additional half-crown. Let the house be kept perfectly quiet, and desire the chamber-maid to call me

SHIBBOLETH.

SHIBBOLETH.

Then said they unto him: "Say now Shibboleth;" and he said Sibboleth. They took him and slew him at the passages of Jordan; and there fell at that time of the Ephraimites, forty and two thousand. Judges xii. 6.

E. H. J. CLEVELAND.