"Oh! I didn't think as how it would have been a blow," returned Smudge; "but there's no saying. Howsever, I'll tell you what 'appened to me." Thereupon she narrated all the circumstances of her fright and escape, speaking her mind, respecting Mr. Drakeford, with a freedom that quite startled the Doctor. "Hush! hush! my dear!" he said. "You mustn't say those things." "Well, I can't 'elp it," replied Smudge. "I has my feelings, the same as others. It's a crool thing to go and jipperdy a poor gal's life in that way!" The Doctor thought it time to turn the subject. He had begun to entertain some doubts of his friend's honesty, but, in spite of the article in which he dealt, his own nerves were weak, and he was afraid of hearing too much, lest, somehow, the knowledge should get him into trouble. What & "And so you've a letter for Miss Esther," he said. "Well, give it me! I'll send it under cover to Mrs. Drakeford. Bless me! good hand you write. Is this your writing?" Smudge coloured to the eyes. She had not been told to keep Lorn's secret, and might have betrayed it without any treachery, but her instinct told her it would have been a betrayal, and, perhaps, injurious to Lorn, so she made it appear that the business was her own. "I got a person as I knows, sir, to do it for me." "Oh, you needn't blush. You're not the only one that don't write your own letters. If this was addressed to some young man, now, I should suspect a love-letter." Poor Smudge's confusion became extreme, and her outspoken nature, mingling with a bitter feeling, almost prompted her to say it was one; but she held her peace, though with a swelling heart, and the Doctor, pleased at his own wondrous perspicacity, merely laughed, without pursuing the subject further. "Where are you living now ?" he inquired. Smudge told him. "You expect an answer, most likely ?" Smudge didn't know how that might be; but if the Doctor was going to write to Mrs. Drakeford, perhaps he wouldn't mind mentioning a trifle of wages that was coming to her. "To be sure I will," said the good-natured Doctor; "and, stay-you must have been sadly hurt about losing all your things: this will help you to get some of them back again !" Saying which, he put a sovereign into Smudge's hand. She would fain have refused it, but the Doctor was peremptory. If he made money by a process which many might think irregular or of doubtful morality, he had a kind, generous heart, and gave as freely as he received; so let the legitimacy of his gains remain a question for the medical faculty. Smudge thanked him sincerely for his kindness, but still delayed taking leave, as if she had something more to speak about, but did not know how to say it. At last she took courage. "I beg parding, sir," she said, "but if not making too free, which I wouldn't do it at no time with a good kind gent like you, and not on no consideration if not obligated, might I mention of the name of Loriottthe young man, sir, which he acted as sectary at Mr. Drakeford's ?" "Certainly! What of him?" replied the Doctor, who, never reading anything in the papers but his own advertisement, knew nothing of what had happened to Lorn. "He's been took up, sir!" said Smudge, with a gulp-to keep down the never-failing globus hystericus-as the Doctor would have called the emotion which always accompanied her recital of Lorn's misfortunes. "What for?" asked the Doctor. "He was put on, sir, without knowing of it, to take a paper to the Finsb'ry and S'uthark Bank, which the name to it wasn't the right one, and they give him in charge." "I see," said the Doctor, gravely-"an attempted forgery." "That's what they calls it, sir," returned Smudge, "but I'm sure he didn't do it of his own 'edd!" "At whose instigation, then? Who employed him? He had fallen into bad hands, I suppose!" "Him as took and went and set him on to do it-him as would do anything as is bad-him as wouldn't stop at 'ousebreaking, or purgery, or wuss-him as is the greatest willing unhung-that muck of a Count it was!" "Count! What Count? You surely don't mean "I knows what you're going to say, but I do, sir. Mr. and Mrs. Drakeford's Count--Mr. Charles, or whatsomdever else he calls hisself!" The Doctor was thunderstruck. Smudge had already shaken his faith in Mr. Drakeford, and now came this terrible accusation against Mr. Drakeford's bosom friend. He remembered, too, his own losses at cards, and who had been the invariable winners. But though a timid man, he was not one who readily imbibed suspicion. "What makes you say this?" he asked. "I read it all in the newspaper, sir-all printed in the Clarkingwell Gazette. There ain't no mistake about it! It's gosple every word!" Further inquiry elicited full particulars, and made the Doctor very reflective. "If it really turns out as you say," he remarked, "I may perhaps be of some use to the young man. I liked what I saw of him. He seemed of a good disposition." "He's as good as gold, sir!" exclaimed Smudge, "and never done a bit of 'arm to any one in all his life!" "Had you known him long, then ?" asked the Doctor. Smudge was obliged to confess that her acquaintance with Lorn had originated at Mr. Drakeford's. "Well!" said the Doctor," I'll do what I can. I keep my account at the Finsbury and Southwark Bank, and know something of the manager. At all events, he will not press too heavily on the young man, but see that justice is done." "That's all that's arsted for," said Smudge, confidently. "He'll come out of the brazing firy furnish like Dannell in the lying's den!" With this apt illustration of her scriptural knowledge, Smudge curtseyed to the Doctor, who shook hands with her as she took leave, greatly rejoiced at having raised up a friend for her darling Lorn. So full of hope was she on his account that she quite forgot-for the time-the original object of her errand to Finsbury-circus. INDEX TO THE FIFTIETH VOLUME. A. ABOUT Portraits and Portrait-painting, 513 The American Athens, The. By J. G. American Notabilities: Lincoln-Jeff Cavour, Count, 89 Chambre, Major. Campaign of the torical Romance. By William Har- by. Chaps. XVII. and XVIII., 64. - - D. J. Jeff Davis-American Notabilities, 456 B. Kohl, J. G. American Young Ladyism, Krudener, Madame de, Woman of the L. La Châtelaine sans Château; or, a Last Night, The. By Mary C. F. Letters of Junius under their Comic M. M'Clellan-American Notabilities, 456 Discount Rate of the Bank of France, Marquis's Tactics, The, and how they succeeded; or, a Bet I once made 74 Mems. of an unreported Meeting, 74 N. Night, The last. By Mary C. F. 0. Spanish Railways, 80 T. Taming, The, of the Pythoness; or, Taste, The, for Wines in England, 178 Ouida. The Taming of the Pythoness; Season the II., III., IV., 33Ï. P. Paris, The Improvements of, 441 Propria quæ Naribus. Mingle-Mangle R. Railways, Spanish, 80 Regenerated Almack's. A Feuille Vo- Revolutions, Continental, 49 S. Salons, The, of Vienna and Berlin, 148 V. W. Washington, The Federal City of. By Worries, The, of a Chaperone; or, Lady END OF THE FIFTIETH VOLUME. |