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covered with white cloths-their plates of cakes, as well as their pleasant, cheerful faces-formed a delightful contrast to the surrounding quiet and gloom.

In the still streets echoed the signals of the watchmen, who struck their heavy hickory sticks on the pavement; and groups of idlers, or single wanderers, stopped at the stalls, drank their cup of tea, paid their picayune, and walked, laughing and talking, to another street, or to another market, to pass the night in the open air, and throw themselves, at daybreak, on their beds, to sleep a few hours.

At twelve o'clock, a number of sailors, who were somewhat intoxicated, came in the lower market, drank their coffee, and laughed and sang.

"Listen, Tom," one of them at length said to the noisiest of the group. "Don't make such a thundering row, or you'll spend the night in the calebouse."

"Hang the calebouse !" he replied.I'm a white man, not a cursed nigger; and I'd like to see the man who'd put me in the calebouse! Here, girl, is your money!" He turned to the little one, who was timidly packing up her cups, through fear of having some of them broken. "Here-one, two, three, four, five, six, seven-here's half a dollar! Are you satisfied ?"

"You've a picayune change to receive," the girl replied modestly.

"Hang your picayune! I'll have a kiss! Now, come, don't be a fool!" "Let me go, or I'll call the watch."

"Call and be hanged! I'll have my kiss!"

He tried to seize her, in spite of the advice of his more sober comrades, but the girl had scarce uttered a loud cry for help, when one of the watchmen, buttoned up in a coarse brown coat, with a helmet-shaped hat on his head, behind which, in sailor's fashion, a broad ribbon fluttered, while in front was a yellow number, came up, pushed back the disturbers, and ordered them to go away.

The sailors tried in vain to drag away their comrade; he used most vehement language to the watchman, and tried to take a stick from one of the bystanders to attack him. "K-r-r-r!" the rattle sounded; and the watchman sprang on the drunkard, seized him with the left hand, and said—

"You're my prisoner!"

The others drew back, and were surrounded in a second by some twenty wellarmed and powerful watchmen. The drunken man gave in, and was led away, while the others quietly dispersed.

Now the first beams of day broke in the East, and the Oceanic became again all alive. The watch awoke the firemen and sailors; and, while the first kindled the fire under the boilers, the latter washed the several decks, so that they glistened and shone in the first beams of the morning sun. Breakfast was eaten, and again drays arrived with freight, or boxes and trunks belonging to passengers; the fruit-boats glided once again among the vessels, and once more the sound of the great bell was heard above all the noise of the port.

Little boys with newspapers, others with fruit, or baskets full of books, novels, and stories; young negro and mulatto girls, with coloured handkerchiefs tied gracefully and coquettishly round their woolly heads, with large pewter cans filled with sweet or buttermilk, crowded over the narrow planks which connected the steamer with the shore, and tried to sell their various articles.

Two of the milk-girls, a mulatto and a negress, neither more than eighteen years of age, and both tall and graceful in their figures, had commenced quarrelling on board, and went on with it on shore. One word brought on another,

and the mulatto girl at length put her milk-can on the ground, tucked up her sleeves, and challenged the other to fight it out. In a second, sailors and firemen rushed up from the vessels, and formed a large circle round the two girls, who now were eager for the fray. The negress had also tucked up her sleeves, and had boldly and successfully withstood the attack of the "yaller" girl.

"That's right, Mary," some one cried, guessing at her name, Give it her!"

"that's right.

While, on the other side, might be heard such encouraging shouts as these"Between the eyes, Jinny! That was a famous blow! Now another! That's your sort!"

A man forced his way through the crowd, and, scizing the mulatto by the arm, tried to drag her away.

"Let loose-let loose!" five shouted simultaneously. 'em fight it out!"

"It's a fair battle! Let

"She's my slave;" the new comer said angrily, while still striving to separate the two girls.

"Confound you and your slave!" said a gigantic sailor, as he hurled him back. "Let 'em have it out!"

"Yes; let 'em fight it out!" the mob shouted; and the owner of the slave was obliged to leave her to her fate, unless he wished to be attacked himself.

The two fighters had given up their fisticuffs, and had seized one another by their woolly hair and clothes, so that the latter hung in rags; at length the negress saw an opening, seized the mulatto by both hands round the neck, and struck her own forehead with such violence against her temples that she fell down unconscious.

"Look at the nigger," the mob shouted. "Well done, little one! you're a famous fighter! Your husband will have a benefit!" and so on, sounded from all sides, and they willingly made way for the girl, whose clothes hung in strips about her, that she might go home and receive a beating from her mistress for destroying her raiment, which, as much as herself, were her mistress's property; while the man lifted up his mulatto girl, threw her on one of the empty drays, and ordered the driver to carry her to his house. In two minutes the whole mob had dispersed, and no one thought any more of the occurrence.

Serious preparations appeared, however, now to be making on board the Oceanic for starting, and not merely the thick smoke poured from the chimneys, but the white steam rose in a cloud from the 'scape-pipe. The bell had been rung for the second time this morning, the chains were pulled in, and the vessel was only held by two thin warps; the paddle-wheels were working slowly against the current, and the mate sent two of his sailors out to stand by the iron rings on the throw off the ropes on a given signal.

quay, and

The bell now sounded for the last time, with quick, re-echoing strokes. All who were still on board to take leave of their friends sprang hastily over the single plank, for fear of being carried off. Others, who were still on shore, jumped on board. The ropes were unfastened, the pilot stood in his little round-house, the two sailors ran over the plank on board, and some twenty men exerted themselves in pushing the vessel away from shore with long poles. The pilot rang his bell, the engineer answered by another bell that he understood the signal, and the immense vessel clove its way noisily through the fruit-boats, which quickly got

C

out of its path, and in a few moments the steamer floated freely on the powerful river, dividing the waters with its paddles, so that they bounded high and foaming against the bow; and the wherries rocked backwards and forwards in the waves raised by the gigantic paddles.

But who comes running up the Levee, waving handkerchief and cap, and yelling and shouting, to the no small amusement of the bystanders, calls till he can no longer utter a sound, waves his cap till he has no strength left to lift an arm, and then seats himself-when he sees that the vessel is going further and further from him, and all his haste, trouble, and fear were in vain, desperately wringing his hands-upon the ballast that is piled upon the Levee?

It is a poor German, who arrived only three days before from his fatherland, who intends to go up to Missouri, and his whole family-a wife, three young children, and an aged mother, who would not be left alone in the old home-are on the vessel that is gradually disappearing in the misty distance. Many ask him what is the matter, many laugh at him, some pity him-he himself sits unsympathizing, and with his eyes fixed on the river. He understands no English, and, consequently, does not comprehend their questions, their ridicule, or their pity; but all he understands is, that he is alone, destitute, in a foreign city, and will never, never again see those who belong to him, and to whom his heart cleaves.

The poor fellow's wife scarce perceives that the boat has started, and knows her husband is on shore, than she rushes with flying hair, forgetting all else, to beg them to wait for him who may be nought to all the world, but is all the world to her. Poor woman! 'Tis the first time she has travelled in an American steamer; and the belief that anything would be done out of charity may be forgiven hershe knows no better!

"Don't understand!" is the reply she receives to her entreaties, accompanied, probably, by an oath, as she is in the way of those drawing in the cable. A German sailor, at length, hears her complaints, and runs to the mate, to represent the poor woman's situation to him.

"Go to the captain. I've something else to do. Why wasn't the German fool on board?" is the reply he receives. He runs to the captain, and tells him the story in a few words.

"Too late-too late!" says the latter, shrugging his shoulders. "The man had time enough to come on board."

"But, captain, his wife and children are alone on board, and don't speak any English. They have no one, therefore, to protect them."

"It's very bad; but I cannot help them. I cannot turn back five or six miles to pick up a 'tween-deck passenger, who neglected to come on board betimes."

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In the little drawing-room of a rustic cottage, from which the Seine and the low hills of Meudon could be descried, an extremely animated dialogue was being maintained between two individuals of a different sex-one was a man, about fifty-five years of age, endowed with an open, kindly cast of features, and dressed in one of those loose costumes which many people adopt with the approach of advanced years, as if they were thus preparing for increased corporeal dimensions. The other was a lady, some two lustres younger, of a full-blown, flaunting maturity, and whose pretentious toilette announced the existence of a coquettish disposition, in better preservation than her personal attractions.

"But, my dear sister! But, Mademoiselle Bailleul! But, dear sister!" exclaimed the male personage in a doleful tone.

"Your dear sister, indeed! That is not the question, Yes or no-will you do what I request?"

"But, my dear sister, it is impossible!"

"Nothing is impossible!"

"But you won't see that it is a question of a sacred promise, of an engagement of honour, of a clause in a marriage-settlement."

"Nonsense! In family matters, such strict notions are not at all proper."

"But permit me to observe, it is anything but nonsense-it is a very serious affair. When your niece, Adolphine, married Chaudieu, I settled on her a marriage-portion of 40,000 francs, payable three months after the signature of the marriage-contract. Eight months have passed already, and Chaudieu has not touched a single sou."

"What a terrible calamity! Is not Adolphine your only child? And will not all you have go to her after your death?"

"After my death! How you talk! I, for one, must frankly confess that I am not impatient for that consummation to be brought about. Anyhow, it is quite clear that I owe 40,000 francs to my son-in-law; and it is an exceedingly painful reflection to me that I did not discharge that obligation the day it was due. Poor Chaudieu says nothing, but I am not at all sure he would be sorry to see the colour of my money. This house has cost him a large sum, and he has spent a great deal of money in furnishing it, and on the wedding-presents. A married life does not end on the bridal-day; and perhaps he is reckoning on this money to cover a part of his expenses."

"How fond you are of contemplating bugbears! I think, sir, that people in our position might be considered safe for 40,000 francs !"

"Precisely-you are quite right," answered M. Bailleul in a dignified tone. "And that, failing M. Benoit Chaudieu, Adolphine might have secured a husband!"

"Undoubtedly. But he ought to have received this money two months ago; and it would be exceedingly disagreeable if he were to ask me for it some fine morning, and I were not in a position to comply with his demand."

"Indeed, I should like to catch him doing anything of the kind!" replied Mademoiselle Bailleul, with a contemptuous curl of her lip. "I should teach him how to conduct himself towards people of our position. But you are giving yourself a great deal of uneasiness without any cause. Chaudieu is not a man to

forget the respect due to us-I must say that for him."

"It is precisely because poor Benoit is such an innocent lamb that I am scrupulous

"If he were a wolf, your scruples would, I believe, be still greater; but I wish to put an end to this discussion. Of the 40,000 francs you have agreed to give with Adolphine, you have handed over 10,000, three months since, to M. Laboissière, to invest in his inexplosible-ship speculation, which he guarantees will yield you ten per cent. at the least. And now M. Laboissière requests, on the same terms, a second investment of 10,000 francs. You surely don't ask me to break my promise?"

"Most assuredly not, my dear sister!" replied M. Bailleul, awed by the glance of his imperial relative. "I am always only too glad to comply with your wishes. But it is on Chaudieu's account that I am embarrassed."

"Everything embarrasses you! One would suppose you were asked to swallow the sea at a gulp. Just understand what you are required to do. Instead of giving 40,000 francs to Chaudieu, you will pay him by yearly instalments of 2,000 francs. Your money, invested at ten per cent. in M. Laboissière's project, will yield this sum. Consequently, you will get rid of your debt without opening your purse; and you will gain 20,000 francs to boot. That is quite clear, I believe." "Undoubtedly. But I don't like to propose this arrangement to my son-in-law."

"Then leave the matter to me."

"And as to these inexplosible ships, are they safe ?”

"Safe! When they cannot be wrecked !"

"The ships-yes! But the money of the shareholders ?"

"Ah! that's quite another thing! Do you consider M. Laboissière an honest man ?"

"Oh! certainly!"

"Do you think he would inveigle you into a bad speculation?"

"I didn't say that."

"Then what do you say?"

"I say

"Black, because I say white; that's your way. I believe that you would positively become ill if you were but once to agree with me."

"At any rate, I fancy that I always end by agreeing with you," exclaimed the brother with a sigh.

"In that case, why don't we commence with the end? It would save us a great deal of tiresome argument. I hope, however, that this last is quite exhausted, and that it is agreed you will hand over the 10,000 francs to M. Laboissière. By the way, he will be here soon, and all you'll have to do will be to give him a line to your lawyer."

M. Bailleul took several turns up and down the apartment with the air of a whipped spaniel. Presently he stopped, and, turning upon his sister with a suspicious look

"Laboissière dines here again to-day, then?" he said in a low voice.

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