the usual Stationers' Almanac hanging
above the mantle-piece, the usual worn
carpet and cinder-brown hearth-rug.
In the outer office, where the four clerks
sat, and where the smaller owners and
the captains had to wait Mr. Statham's
leisure (large owners and underwriters

[No. 1.

was so happy as when he had thrown off all the ordinary constraints of conventionality, and was leading a life widely different from that normally led by him, and associating with persons widely different from those with whom he was ordinarily brought into contact.

CHAPTER IX.-TOM DURHAM'S FRIEND. being granted immediate audience), the Mr. Statham was, however, in his busiwalls were covered with printed bills, ness just now, and had not thrown off certain ships, the approaching sale of a large iron safe, with one or two of its others; the high desks were laden with drawers open; and before him lay a huge ledgers and files of Lloyd's lists; number of letters and papers, which he and one of the clerks, who took a deep read through one by one, or curiously interest in his business, gave quite a glanced at, duly docketed them, made maritime flavor to the place by invari- some memorandum regarding them in ably wearing a particular short pea- his note-book, and stowed them away jacket and hard round oil-skin hat. in a drawer in the safe. As he read through some of them he smiled; at others he glanced with an angry frown, or a shoulder-shrug of contempt; but there were one or two during the perusal of which the lines in his face seemed to deepen perceptibly, and before he laid them aside he pondered long and deeply over their contents.

ON the morning after the Reverend announcing the dates of departure of his cautious habits. By his side stood

Martin Gurwood and Madame Du Tertre had had their game at chess, and held the conversation just recorded, a straggling sunbeam, which had lost its way, turned by accident into Change Alley, and fell straight on to the bald head of a gentleman in the second floor of one of the houses there. This gentleman, who, according to the inscription Not much leisure had these clerks: on the outer door-jamb, was Mr. Hum- they were, to use their own phrase, "at phrey Statham, was so astonished at the it" from morning till night; for Mr. unexpected solar apparition, that he Statham's business was a large one, and, laid down the bundle of red tape with though all the more important part of which he was knotting some papers to it was discharged by himself, there was gether, and, advancing to the grimy plenty of letter-writing and agreementwindow, rubbed a square inch of dirt copying, ledger-entering, and running off the pane, and, bending down, looked backwards and forwards between the up at as much as he could discern of office and Lloyd's, when the "governor," the narrow strip of dun-colored sky as they called him, was busy with the which does duty for the blue empyrean underwriters. This year had been a to the inhabitants of Change Alley. The peculiarly busy one; so busy, that Mr. sun but rarely visits Change Alley in Statham had been unable to take his summer, and in winter scarcely ever usual autumnal holiday, a period of puts in an appearance: the denizens relaxation which he always looked forendeavor to compensate themselves forward to, and which, being fond of athits absence by hanging huge burnished letics, and still in the very prime of life, tin reflectors outside their windows, or he usually passed among the Swiss giving up all attempts at deception, and sitting under gaslight from morning till eve. So that what Mr. Statham saw when he looked up was as satisfactory as it was unexpected; and he rubbed his hands together in sheer geniality, as he muttered something about having "decent weather for his trip."

Alps. This autumn he had passed it at Teddington instead of Courmayeur, and had substituted a couple of hours' pull on the river in the evening for his mountain - climbing and hair-breadth escapes. But the change had not been sufficient: his head was dazed, he suffered under a great sense of lassitude; A tall, strongly-built man, and good- and his doctor had ordered him to looking atter his fashion, with a fringe knock off work, and to start immediately of dark-brown hair round his bald for a clear month's vacation. Where crown, large, regular features, piercing he was to go he had scarcely made up hazel eyes, somewhat overhanging his mind. Of course, Switzerland in brows, a pleasant, mobile mouth, and a November was impossible; and he was crisp, brown beard.

Humphrey Statham was a ship-broker; though, from a cursory glance at his office, it would have been difficult to guess what occupation he pursued, furnished as it was in the ordinary business fashion. There was a large, leathercovered writing table, at which he was seated; a standing desk in the window; an old, worn, stained leather easy-chair for clients; the usual directories and commercial lists on shelves against the wall,

"What a queer lot it is!" said Humphrey Statham, wearily throwing himself back in his chair; "and how astonished people would be if they only knew what a strange mass of human interests these papers represent! With the exception of Collins, outside there, no one, I suppose, comes into this room who does not imagine that this safe contains nothing but business memoranda, insurances, brokerages, calculations, and commissions; details concerning the Lively Polly of Yarmouth, or the Saucy Sally of Whitstable; or who has the faintest idea that among the business documents there are papers and letters which would form a good stock-in-trade for a romance writer! Why on earth do these fellows spin their brains, when for a very small investment of cash they could get people to tell them their own experiences, actual facts and occurrences, infinitely more striking and interesting than the nonsense which they invent? Every man who has seen any thing of debating between the attractions of a life must, at one time or other, have had month's snipe-shooting in Ireland, and some strange experience: the man who the delight of passing his time on board sells dog-collars and penknives at the one of the Scilly Islands pilot-boats, corner of the court; the old, brokenroughing it with the men, and thor- down hack in the outer office, who was oughly enjoying the wild life and the a gentleman once, and now copies letdangerous occupation. A grave, plain- ters and runs errands for fifteen shillings mannered man in his business, -some- a week; and I, the solemn, grave, trusted what over-cautious and reserved, they man of business, I, the cautious and thought him at Lloyd's, - Humphrey reserved Humphrey Statham, perhaps Statham, when away for his holiday, I, too, have had my experiences, which had the high spirits of a boy, and never would work into a strange story! A

story I may have to tell some day,may have to tell to a man, standing face to face with him, looking straight into his eyes, and showing him how he has been delivered into my hands." And Humphrey Statham crossed his arms before him and let his chin sink upon his breast, as he indulged in a profound reverie.

We will anticipate the story which Mr. Statham imagined that he would some day have to tell under such peculiar circumstances.

his turn; and, accordingly, Master Hum- turned to England and to respectability, phrey, on his removal from Caneham- to take up his position in the paternal bury, was sent to a tutor, resident in one counting-house, Mr. Statham was conof the Rhineland towns, with a view to siderably more astonished than gratified his instruction in French and German, at the manner in which his son's time and to his development from a careless, had been passed, and at its too evident high-spirited lad, into a man of business results. About Humphrey there was and of the world. nothing which could be called slang in The German tutor, a dreamy, misty the English sense of the term, certainly transcendentalist, was eminently un- nothing vulgar; but there was a reckfitted for the charge intrusted to him. less abandon, a defiance of set propriety, He gave the boy certain books, and a superb scorn for the respectable conleft him to read them or not, as he ventionality regulating the movements Humphrey Statham's father was a chose; he set him certain tasks, but and the very thoughts of the circle in merchant and a man of means, living in never took the trouble to see how they which Mr. Statham moved, which that good style in Russell Square; and, though had been performed, or, indeed, whether worthy gentleman observed with horror, of a somewhat gloomy temperament and they had been touched at all, till he and which he considered almost as stern demeanor, in his way fond of his was remarkably astonished, after a short loathsome as vice itself. Previous to son, and determined that the lad should time, to find his pupil speaking very his presentation to the establishment be educated and prepared for the posi- excellent German, and once or twice over which he was to rule, Humphrey's tion which he would afterwards have to took the trouble to wonder how "Hom-long locks were clipped away, his light, assume. Humphrey's mother was dead, frie," as he called him, could have ac- downy beard shaved off, his fantastic -had died soon after his birth; he had quired such a mastery of the language. garments exchanged for sad-colored, no brothers or sisters; and, as Mr. Stat- Had an explanation of the marvel ever soberly-cut clothes; and, when this ham had never married again, the house- been asked of Humphrey himself, he transformation had been accomplished, hold was conducted by his sister, a meek, could have explained it very readily. the young man was taken into the city long-suffering maiden lady, to whom The town selected for his domicile was and placed into the hands of Mr. hebdomadal attendance at the Found- one of the celebrated art academies of Morrison, the chief clerk, who was enling Chapel was the one joy in life. It Germany, a place where painters of all joined to give a strict account of his had first been intended that the child kinds flocked from all parts to study business qualifications. Mr. Morrison's should be educated at home; but he under the renowned professors therein report did not tend to dissipate the seemed so out of place in the big, resident. A jovial, thriftless, kindly disappointment which had fallen like a old-fashioned house, so strange in the set of Bohemians these painters, in the blow on the old man's mind. Humphcompany of his grave father or melan- strict sense of the word impecunious rey could talk German as glibly, and choly aunt, that, to prevent his being to a degree, now working from morn with as good an accent, as any Rhinegiven over entirely to the servants, till eve for days together, now not lander from Manheim to Dusseldorf; he whom he liked very much, and with touching pencil or maulstick for weeks; had picked up a vast amount of conwhom he spent most of his time, he living in a perpetual fog of tobacco, versational French from the French he was sent, at an early age, to a prepar- and spending their nights in beer- artists who had formed part of his jolly atory establishment, and then trans- drinking and song-singing, in cheap society, and had command of an amount ferred to a grammar-school of repute in epicureanism and noisy philosophical of argot which would have astonished the neighborhood of London. He was discussions. To this society of careless Monsieur Pilarète Chasles himself: a dare-devil boy, full of fun and mis- convives Humphrey Statham obtained but he had never been in the habit of chief, capital at cricket and foot-ball; a ready introduction, and amongst them either reading or writing any thing but and though remarkably quick by nature, soon established himself as a prime the smallest scraps of notes; and when and undoubtedly possessing plenty of favorite. The bright face and inter- Mr. Morrison placed before him a fourappreciative common-sense and savoir minable spirits of "Gesellschap's Eng-sided letter from their agent at Hamfaire, yet taking no position in the lander," as he was called (Gesellschap burg, couched in commercial German school, and held in very cheap estima- was the name of his tutor) made him tion by his master. The half-yearly re- welcome everywhere. He passed his ports, which, together with the bills for days in lounging from studio to studio, education and extras, were placed inside smoking pipes and exchanging jokes Master Humphrey's box, on the top of his with their denizens, occasionally standneatly-packed clothes, and accompanied ing for a model for his hosts, now with him home at every vacation from Cane- bare neck and arms appearing as a hambury, did not tend to make Mr. Roman gladiator, now with casque and Statham any the less stern, or his man- morion, as a young Flemish burgher of ner to his son any more indulgent. The Van Artevelde's guard; always ready, It was impossible to hide these shortboy knew he could not help knowing always obliging, roaring at his own comings from Mr. Statham, who was that his father was wealthy and in- linguistic mistakes, but never failing to anxiously awaiting Mr. Morrison's refluential; and he had looked forward to correct them; while at night at the port; and after reading it, and assuring his future without any fear, and, indeed, painters' club, the Malkasten, or the himself of its correctness by a personal without very much concern. He thought less aristocratic Kneipe, his voice was examination of his his son, he should like to go into the army; the cheeriest in the chorus, his wit the which ever since Humphrey's return which meant to wear a handsome uni- readiest in suggesting tableaux vivants, had been frigid and reserved, grew form, and do little or nothing; to be or in improvising practical jokes. harsh and stern. He took an early petted by the ladies, of whose charms A pleasant life, truly, but not, per- opportunity of calling Humphrey into he had already shown himself perfectly haps, a particularly reputable one. his private room, and of informing him cognizant, and to lead a life of luxury Certainly not one calculated for the that he would have one month's probaand ease. But Mr. Statham had widely formation of a city man of business, tion; and that, if he did not signally imdifferent views although he had suc- according to Mr. Statham's interpreta- prove by the end of that time, he would ceeded to his business, he had vastly tion of the term. When at the age of be removed from the office, as his father improved it since he became its master, twenty the young man tore himself did not choose to have one of his name and had no idea of surrendering so away from his Bohemian comrades, the laughing-stock of those employed lucrative a concern to a stranger, or of who kissed him fervently, and wept by him. The young man winced under letting it pass out of the family. As he beery tears at his departure, and, in this speech, which he received in had worked, so should his son work in obedience to his father's commands, re- silence, but in five minutes after leav

phraseology, and requested him to re-
translate and answer it, Humphrey's
expressive face looked so woe-begone,
and he boggled so perceptibly over the
manuscript, that one
of the junior
clerks saw the state of affairs at a
glance, and confidentially informed his
neighbor at the next desk that “
S. was up a tree."

young

manner,

ing his father's presence, his mind was made up. He would go through the month's probation, since it was expected of him, but he would not make the smallest attempt to improve himself, and he would leave his future to chance. Punctually, on the very day that the month expired, Mr. Statham again sent for his son; told him he had discovered no more interest in, or inclination for, the business than he had shown on his first day of joining the house, and that, in consequence, he must give up all idea of becoming a partner, or, indeed, of having any thing further to do with the establishment. An allowance of two hundred pounds a year would be paid to him during his father's lifetime, and would be bequeathed to him in his father's will; he must never expect to receive any thing else; and Mr. Statham broadly hinted, in conclusion, that it would be far more agreeable to him, if his son would take up his residence anywhere than in Russell Square, and that he should feel particularly relieved if he never saw him again.

side of his nature. He was engaged
in some wild speculations just at that
time, and it was while careering over
the country with Tom Durham, in
search of a capitalist to float some mar-
vellous invention of that fertile genius,
that Humphrey Statham met with an
adventure which completely altered the
current of his life.

ise, no obstacle should be made by Emily's friends.

Humphrey Statham returned to London and wrote at once to his father, telling him that he had seen the errors of his youth, and was prepared to apply himself to any sort of business which his father could place in his way. In reply, he received a curt note from Mr. Statham, stating that the writer did not know of any position which Humphrey could competently fulfil, reminding him of the agreement between them, and hinting dislike at the re-opening of any correspondence or communication. Foiled at this point, Humphrey Statham secretly took the advice of old Mr. Morrison, the chief clerk in his father's office, a kindly as well as a conscientious man, who had endeavored to soften the young man's lot during the few weeks he had passed in the dull counting-house; and at his recommendation Humphrey established himself as a ship-broker, and for two years toiled on from morning till night, doing a small and not very remunerative business, but proving to such as employed him that he possessed industry, energy, and tact. During this period he ran down to Leeds at four distinct intervals, to pass a couple of days with Emily, whose uncle had died, and who remained in the house of her helpless, bed-ridden aunt. At the end of this time Mr. Statham died, leaving in his will a sum of ten thousand pounds to his son, as a recognition of his attempt to gain a livelihood for himself," and bequeathing the rest of his fortune to various charities.

66

They were making Leeds their headquarters; but Tom Durham had gone over to Batley for a day or two, to see the owner of a shoddy mill, who was reported to be both rich and speculative, and Humphrey was left alone. He was strolling about in the evening, thinking what a horrible place Leeds was, and what a large sum of money a man ought to be paid for living in it, when he was overtaken and passed by a girl, walking rapidly in the direction of Headingley. The glimpse he caught of her face showed him that it was more than ordinarily beautiful; and Humphrey quickened his lazy pace, and followed the girl until he saw her safely housed in a small neat dwelling. The This arrangement suited Humphrey next day he made inquiries about this Statham admirably. Two hundred a girl, the transient glance of whose face year to a very young man, who has had made such an impression upon him, never had any command of money, is and found that her name was Emily an important sum. He left the count- Mitchell; that her father, now dead, had ing-house; and whatever respect and been a booking-clerk in one of the large regard he may have felt for his father factories; that she was employed in a had been obliterated by the invariable draper's shop; and that she lived with sternness and opposition with which all her uncle and aunt in the small house his advances had been received. Two to which Humphrey had tracked her. hundred a year! He would be off back Humphrey Statham speedily made at once to Rhineland, where, among Miss Mitchell's acquaintance, found her the painters, he could live like a prince more beautiful than he had imagined, with such an income: and he went and as fascinating as she was lovely; and in six months came back again. fascinating, not in the ordinary sense of The thing was changed somehow: it the word, not by coquetry or blandishwas not as it used to be. There were ment, but by innate refinement, grace, the same men, indeed, living the same and innocence. After seeing her and kind of life, equally glad to welcome talking with her a few times, Humphrey their English comrade, and to give him could no longer control his feelings; and the run of their studios, and their clubs, finding that he was not indifferent to and kneipes; but after a time this kind Emily, - his good looks, his frank naof life seemed very flat and vapid to ture, and his easy bearing, well qualified Humphrey Stathum. The truth is, him to find favor in the eyes of such a that, during his six weeks' office experi- girl, he spoke out plainly to her ence, he had seen something of London; uncle, and told him how matters stood. and on reflection he made up his mind He was in love with Emily, he said, that, after all, it was perhaps a more and most anxious to marry; but his inamusing place than any of the Rhine- come was but two hundred a year, not land towns. On his return to London sufficient to maintain her, even in the he took a neat lodging, and for four or quiet way both he and she desired they five years led a purposeless, idle life, should live; but he was young, and, such a life as is led by hundreds of though he had been idle, now that he Yes! Emily had fled from her home, young men who are hardened with that had an incentive to work he would show so said her aunt; and so said the few curse, a bare sufficiency, scarcely enough what he could do. It was possible, that, neighbors who, roused at the sight of a to keep them, more than enough to pre- seeing the difference in him, his father cab, had come crowding into the cotvent them from seeking employment, might be inclined to relent, and put tage. About a week ago, they told and to dull any aspirations which they something in his way; or some of his him, she had gone out in the morning may possess. It was during this period father's friends might give him employ- to her work as usual, and had never reof his life that Humphrey made the ment. He would go to London and turned. She left no letter of explanaacquaintance of Tom Durham, whose seek for it at once; and so soon as he tion, and no trace of her flight had been gayety, recklessness, and charm of man- saw his way to earning two hundred a discovered; there was no slur upon her ner, fascinated him at once; and he year in addition to his annuity, he would character, and, so far as their knowlhimself took a liking to the frank, return, and claim Emily for his wife. edge went, she had made no strange generous, high-spirited young man. In this view the uncle, a practical old acquaintance. She received a number Tom Durham's knowledge of the world north-countryman, coincided: the young of letters, which she had always said made him conscious that, though indo- people could not marry upon the income were from Mr. Statham. What did lent, and to a certain extent dissipated, which Mr. Humphrey possessed; they he come down there for speering after Humphrey Statham was by no means had plenty of life before them; and Emily, when, of all persons in the world, depraved; and to his friend Mr. Dur-when the young man came back and he was the likeliest to tell them where hain therefore exhibited only the best proved that he had carried out his prom- she had been?

So at last Humphrey Statham saw his way to bringing Emily home in triumph as his wife; and with this object he started for Leeds, immediately after his father's funeral. He had written to her to announce his arrival, and was surprised not to find her awaiting him on the platform. Then he jumped into a cab, and hurried out to Headingley. On his arrival at the little house, the stupid girl who attended on the bedridden old woman seemed astonished at seeing him, and answered his inquiries after Emily inconsequently, and with manifest terror. With a sudden sinking of the heart Humphrey made his way to the old lady's bedside, and from her quivering lips learned that Emily had disappeared.