had a row with the Master, and has left him in a huff. I am sent after him to coax him to go back-but, if I don't make the quarrel ten times hotter on both sides, my name is not Francis Martin." A quick footstep was now heard approaching, and Butler instantly advanced towards the door with his pistol in his hand. "Hav'n't you got a knife?" whispered the more sagacious and crafty Martin-" that would make no noise!" As he spoke, the door opened swiftly, and a person, habited like an old woman, entered the apartment-" Lushy!"-A friend!Neale!" said the individual, and throwing off his gown, bonnet, and cap, the man, Neale, stood before them. I must pause to describe this man, for in him is exemplified the inevitable and irresistible influence of vice unchecked, and passions uncontrolled, at a period, when the plasticity of the mind and heart, will alone admit of their eradication. Richard Neale was the son of a respectable tradesman in Birmingham, and he was an only child. His mother-a weak woman-and his father-a silly and imprudent man-spoilt their darling; and at the age of sixteen, he was as accomplished a profligate, as many young men of five and twenty. For his poor silly parents, it could not be expected that he entertained much affection or reverence ;-nor did he: all that he cared about, or coveted, were the means of his own personal and selfish enjoyment. From the want of proper and salutary correction, he became acquainted with a set of loose and idle young men, who, in order to pamper their own appetites, administered to the passions of young Neale, and encouraged him to rob his parents, and obtain by any other means in his power, money and property from them. This career of sin and profligacy was terminated, however, by the commission of a crime by one of the gang, in which Neale himself was implicated-the result was, his transportation, at the eighteen, to Van Diemen's Land. On his first arrival in the Colony, Neale was assigned to a gentleman in Hobart Town, who, on account of the respectability of his parents, and his own delicacy of frame and constitution-for, he was, in appearance, perfectly effeminate,-placed him, as a clerk in his counting-house, thus exempting him from the severe and more degrading labours of prison-discipline. But this kindness was not more mistaken, than it was detrimental to its object. Had a proper and salutary control been exereised over the young man, and had he been rigidly secluded from bad company, he might have perceived his errors, and have turned from them: as it was, however, the very reverse was the case; for, freed, in a great measure, from restraint, and permitted to enjoy a freedom and indulgence, perfectly incompatible with a state of penal discipline, the passions and crimes which were rooted in his heart, were fostered and encouraged, by an association with those, whose characters and example were peculi arly calculated by an initiation in deep and desperate crime, to bring them to a quick and rank maturity. Neale, consequently, had not been three months in the service of his master, before he was detected in embezzling money to a considerable amount :-for this he was sent to a penal settlement, from which he absconded with several others, and was now, at the present period of our narrative, supposed to be in the Bush, with Butler, and the remainder of his confederates. I may observe here, that Neale was gifted with a considerable portion of natural talent, which, had it been properly and prudently cultivated, would have rendered him an ornament, instead of a curse to society: he had the germs, also, of more than one highly respectable virtue; but the neglect of his parents nipped them in the bud, and supplanted them by vices, at once dangerous and detestable. "I have had a precious lark," said Neale, laughing, as he threw the habiliments of his disguise into a chest, that stood open; "I've been cheek by jowl with Duke Humphrey !" "Dnke D-1!" exclaimed Butler-" What made you go there?" "I'll tell you all about it," said Neale, taking a bottle of rum from the chest, and abstracting a considerable portion of its contents at one hearty draught. "It's the smartest spree I have had for many a day. When I went out this morning, with my old woman's toggery on, I went bang up Macquarie-street, turned down Elizabeth-street, up Liverpool-street, and right into the Police Office. There I saw old Daddy Humphrey very busy in taking down the deposition of that nice fellow, Jobson, who has made a regular discovery of all our hidingplaces, and of this place in particular.” Why did'nt you tell us this before?" exclaimed Butler and Martin, in a breath-and with evident alarm. 'Have patience, old Bully-boy-hurry no man's cattle-I'll tell you the tale presently. When I heard Jobson telling his yarn, I bolted, and went away right bang to my good old and most constant friend, Constable I found him, luckily, in the Police Office yard, and just told him my tale of trouble." "The devil you did!" interrupted Butler, angrily; "the more fool you, then." "Why, so, old Bully-boy, again? I tell you what, Master Butler, if you don't let me tell my story my own way, d-n me if I'll tell it at all!" "Tell it, then, and be d- -d to you," said Butler, coolly resuming a short pipe, which he had withdrawn from his mouth for a moment." "Well, then, I told Constable my tale, and promised him ten pounds, if he would help us in this affair-he said, he would, -and I paid him the money." "You paid him the money?" drawled Butler.-" Why, where did you get it?" "Never you mind, my old Bully, I got it-paid it--and have here got a "pass" for the safe conduct of your unhallowed and wicked had a row with the Master, and has left him in a huff. I am sent after him to coax him to go back-but, if I don't make the quarrel ten times hotter on both sides, my name is not Francis Martin." A quick footstep was now heard approaching, and Butler instantly advanced towards the door with his pistol in his hand. "Hav'n't you got a knife ?" whispered the more sagacious and crafty Martin-" that would make no noise!" As he spoke, the door opened swiftly, and a person, habited like an old woman, entered the apartment-" Lushy!"-A friend !— Neale !"—said the individual,—and throwing off his gown, bonnet, and cap, the man, Neale, stood before them. I must pause to describe this man, for in him is exemplified the inevitable and irresistible influence of vice unchecked, and passions uncontrolled, at a period, when the plasticity of the mind and heart, will alone admit of their eradication. Richard Neale was the son of a respectable tradesman in Birmingham, and he was an only child. His mother-a weak woman-and his father—a silly and imprudent man-spoilt their darling; and at the age of sixteen, he was as accomplished a profligate, as many young men of five and twenty. For his poor silly parents, it could not be expected that he entertained much affection or reverence ;-nor did he : all that he cared about, or coveted, were the means of his own personal and selfish enjoyment. From the want of proper and salutary correction, he became acquainted with a set of loose and idle young men, who, in order to pamper their own appetites, administered to the passions of young Neale, and encouraged him to rob his parents, and obtain by any other means in his power, money and property from them. This career of sin and profligacy was terminated, however, by the commission of a crime by one of the gang, in which Neale himself was implicated-the result was, his transportation, at the age of eighteen, to Van Diemen's Land. On his first arrival in the Colony, Neale was assigned to a gentleman in Hobart Town, who, on account of the respectability of his parents, and his own delicacy of frame and constitution-for, he was, in appearance, perfectly effeminate,-placed him, as a clerk in his counting-house, thus exempting him from the severe and more degrading labours of prison-discipline. But this kindness was not more mistaken, than it was detrimental to its object. Had a proper and salutary control been exereised over the young man, and had he been rigidly secluded from bad company, he might have perceived his errors, and have turned from them: as it was, however, the very reverse was the case; for, freed, in a great measure, from restraint, and permitted to enjoy a freedom and indulgence, perfectly incompatible with a state of penal discipline, the passions and crimes which were rooted in his heart, were fostered and encouraged, by an association with those, whose characters and example were peculiarly calculated by an initiation in deep and desperate crime, to bring them to a quick and rank maturity. Nealc, consequently, had not been three months in the service of his master, before he was detected in embezzling money to a considerable amount :-for this he was sent to a penal settlement, from which he absconded with several others, and was now, at the present period of our narrative, supposed to be in the Bush, with Butler, and the remainder of his confederates. I may observe here, that Neale was gifted with a considerable portion of natural talent, which, had it been properly and prudently cultivated, would have rendered him an ornament, instead of a curse to society: he had the germs, also, of more than one highly respectable virtue; but the neglect of his parents nipped them in the bud, and supplanted them by vices, at once dangerous and detestable. 66 I have had a precious lark," said Neale, laughing, as he threw the habiliments of his disguise into a chest, that stood open; 'I've been cheek by jowl with Duke Humphrey !" "Dnke D-1!" exclaimed Butler-" What made you go there?" "I'll tell you all about it," said Neale, taking a bottle of rum from the chest, and abstracting a considerable portion of its contents at one hearty draught. "It's the smartest spree I have had for many a day. When I went out this morning, with my old woman's toggery on, I went bang up Macquarie-street, turned down Elizabeth-street, up Liverpool-street, and right into the Police Office. There I saw old Daddy Humphrey very busy in taking down the deposition of that nice fellow, Jobson, who has made a regular discovery of all our hidingplaces, and of this place in particular." Why did'nt you tell us this before?" exclaimed Butler and Martin, in a breath-and with evident alarm. 'Have patience, old Bully-boy-hurry no man's cattle-I'll tell you the tale presently. When I heard Jobson telling his yarn, I bolted, and went away right bang to my good old and most constant friend, Constable I found him, luckily, in the Police Office yard, and just told him my tale of trouble.' "the more "Why, so, old Bully-boy, again? I tell you what, Master Butler, if you don't let me tell my story my own way, -n me if I'll tell it at all!" "Tell it, then, and be d- -d to you," said Butler, coolly resuming a short pipe, which he had withdrawn from his mouth for a moment. Well, then, I told Constable my tale, and promised him ten pounds, if he would help us in this affair-he said, he would, —and I paid him the money.” "You paid him the money?" drawled Butler." Why, where did you get it?" Never you mind, my old Bully, I got it-paid it—and have here got a "pass" for the safe conduct of your unhallowed and wicked carcass—as well as my own, till to-morrow morning. So let's be up and stirring; and before sun-rise, I hope, we'll spring our plant by the Carlton." The two men speedily made the arrangements necessary for their departure: and, appointing a place of meeting with Martin in a day or two's time, in a wild hollow, or "bottom," near the Carlton, they quitted Hobart Town, as soon as it was dark, and left their cunning and cold-blooded confederate to mature his plot, for the destruction of his victim, Edgar Walton. LEAVES FROM MY PORTE FEUILLE. No. II. "Charles Dillon." It is astonishing to me how frequently it happens that a fine and virtuous mind is led away from the path which it knows and feels to be the right, and making one false step, is plunged into irremediable misfortune, entailing on itself lasting and often fatal sorrow. I have just witnessed the corpse of my once dearly beloved, and still regretted friend Charles Dillon, whose accomplishments, but a few years ago, won the love and admiration of all who were within the circle of his acquaintance, but whose career towards the latter end of his brief yet eventful existence, had estranged him from the hearts of those, who, at an earlier period, prophesied a fate very different to that which has proved to be his, and who were accustomed with smiles to welcome him wherever he came. Alive to all the sympathies of life, to all the feelings of humanity which ennoble our nature, Charles left school with better prospects than most of our class-fellows, his father having died when he was but an infant, put him in possession of very considerable property, and being the only son, he was the object of his mother's unbounded affection. Many, many times have I witnessed the tears start into the old lady's eyes, as she traced the lineaments of his father in her son's features, and a feeling of pride in the recollection of her husband's virtues, would rush into her cheek, while all her hopes were, that as the dead could not be restored to her, she might have the happiness of still enjoying those amiable qualifications in the living. Nor were her desires altogether ungratified, for several years she found in him a comfort in her declining age, and could discover, up to the very day from which his misfortunes might be dated, not a single fault in his conduct. Having engaged in some of the wild speculations which so singularly started into being seven or eight years ago, Charles suddenly |