Lorn's honesty. At the end, however, of five minutes-which seemed twenty to the Count-his messenger reappeared. The delay which had occurred arose in this manner: When Lorn entered the bank it was about the clerks' dinner-hour, business was slack, only one cashier was at his desk, and he was particularly engaged, not exactly in accounts, but in conversation too pleasant to admit of interruption. "If you please, sir," said Lorn, unbuttoning his coat, and holding his hand tight over the pocket in which he had put the cheque-" if you please, sir, can you tell me But the clerk paid no attention to him. "That's deuced good," he said, with a broad grin on his face, speaking to a stout, jolly-looking man, who was leaning over the counter. “I didn't fancy Brumby up to anything half so spicy!" "Oh, but he is, though," was the answer; "and I can tell you another capital joke about him. He had been over to Chester races-by-the-by, had you anything on the Cup?" Only a pony, which I lost," said the clerk. Ah, Brumby had a good many ponies, and stabled them all," returned the jolly-looking man. "His luck!" apostrophised the clerk. "That-and something else, you know," replied the other. "Brumby's pretty well up to the time of day. Well, as I was saying: he'd been over to the races, and was driving back in his dog-cart, all alone, to a little box of his not far from Pulford, and just as he got to Doddlestoncommon, what should he see but an old ooman driving a pig"If you please, sir," interrupted Lorn. "I'm engaged with this gent," said the clerk; "you must wait.-Well, 'driving a pig' "Yes," pursued the clerk's interlocutor, "she'd a cord round one of the pig's hind-legs, and was laying on to his back with a long whip, double-thonging him like four o'clock, but devil a bit would grunter stir." "Capital!" said the clerk, rubbing his hands. 6 6 "Well, Brumby no sooner saw what was going on, than he made up his mind to a lark. Missis,' says he, 'something's the matter, I reckon, with that there pig? He's a beast,' says the old ooman, in a rage; 'but I'll give it him!' 'He won't stir!' says Brumby. Drat un, no!' says the old ooman, laying on again. When pigs is obstinate,' says Brumby, there's no beating it out of 'em. Have you far to go?' A matter of five mile,' says the old ooman. Which way?' asks Brumby. 'T'other side of Pulford,' says the old ooman. That's my way,' says Brumby. Now, I'll tell you what-if you've a mind, I'll drive you and the pig home together.""" "If you please, sir," said Lorn, for the third time. "Oh, bother!" said the clerk. "What do you want?-wait a moment, Sparkler-what have you got there? Can't you speak?" "A cheque, sir," said Lorn, "for fifty pounds." "Go on, "Give it me," said the clerk, almost snatching it out of Lorn's hand, in such a hurry was he to hear the rest of his friend's story. Sparkler! You and the pig home together?" "I'm sure,' says the old ooman, I've no objection if the pig hasn't; but how's it to be done?' 'I'll show you,' says Brumby. You just go to my hoss's head and make him stand.' So out jumps Brumby, and whips up the pig in his arms-he's a strong chap, Brumby-and before the pig know'd where he was, he had him safe under hatches in the dog-cart. Brumby was in his seat again in no time. Now,' says he, to the old ooman "Please to give me the money, sir," said Lorn, once more interposing. "How'll you have it?" said the clerk, angrily. "Short?" "In gold, sir," replied Lorn. The clerk gave a hasty glance at the cheque, stuck it on a file, and began to count out the gold, while his friend went on. "Now,' says Brumby, come away from that hoss's head, put your foot on this step, and up with you.' You'll scarcely credit what I'm going to tell you, but it's as true as truth-the old ooman set one foot on the step as she was bid, and just as she was a lifting of herself to clamber into the dog-cart, Brumby he gives the reins a shake "Ha! ha! ha!" burst out the clerk —"forty-eight, forty-nine ha ha ha!-fifty! There, young man-ha! ha! ha!-Reins a shake'. ?" "Over went the old ooman into the ditch, away went Brumby with the pig" What further happened to Brumby and the pig failed to reach Lorn's ears, but the clerk's obstreperous laughter, and that of his jovial companion, followed him into the street. The Count's eyes shot forth a gleam of satisfaction as he saw his unsuspecting emissary come out of the Bank. All was right then! The cheque had not been questioned; but what had kept him there so long? A press of business, probably. That, however, was the Bank's affair, not his. But he must not appear to have watched Lorn, who, he perceived, was turning his steps towards the restaurant. The colonnade afforded the means of concealment, and, running as fast as he could, the Count was safe in his old quarters before Lorn had got half way up the Haymarket. It would not do, however, for them to meet in the coffee-roomwhat he intended to say to Lorn might be overheard, and give rise to suspicion so he stopped in the passage and turned round, moving slowly towards the door. He met Lorn just as he was entering. "I was afraid," said the Count, "from the time you were gone, that you might have missed your way, or forgotten the house, and I crawled here to see. You have got the money?" "Yes, sir," replied Lorn; "here it is. A stupid clerk kept me waiting for his amusement." The Count clutched the little yellow canvas bag and thrust it in his pocket. "Do you feel better, sir?" asked Lorn. "A great deal," returned the Count, "but not able to walk far at present. We will take a cab-a Hansom." Lorn called one, and the Count having given orders to be set down at Hyde Park-corner, they drove off rapidly in that direction. INDEX TO THE FORTY-NINTH VOLUME. Constable of the Tower. An His- Of the means of avoiding the and Governor of the King's Person 2 Y Manner the Obsequies of King - the Tower. II. From which it XVI.-How the Admiral's An Easter-day at Rome, and its Con- Augustus Cæsar: his Court and Com- B. Beatrice Boville; or, Pride versus Bushby, Mrs. Holger Danske and C. Canterbury and its Archbishops, 205 Costello, Dudley. The Fate of Fauriel, XIV. - - Smudge's Secret, 553. The Evils that came from a Maude I. In Memoriam. Brabazon-De Norman L. Life and Letters of Mary Granville Life, The, of the Sea, and Life in the Literature, the Present State of, 215 M. Macmahon, Duke of Magenta, 293 Mendelssohn and Goethe, 68 metic Music, 55. Of Storm-brew- Monkshood, Mingle-Mangle by. Mi- Munich, Society at, 544 Münster, Mary C. F. Waiting till my 0. Ode of Callistratus to Harmodius and Ouida. Our Corps' Friends and Foes; |