22
"THE CHIMES."
(Continued from Page 20)
THE CHINA MAIL.
strong sometimes; and he looked..........Mr. Tugby said he wouldn't; but involuntarily behind the parlour-door, his whole, existence was a fight, in where the accounts of credit, cus- which, if any judgment might be tomers were usually kept in chalks. founded on the constantly increasing There was no record of his name. shortness of his breath, and the
SATURDAY, DECEMBER 10,
hearth stones, salt, vinegar, blacking. Some names were there, but they deepening purple of his face, he was with great energy. Not for that they were a young and beautiful person in the world who has a chance ed by Mrs. Tugby; while Mr. Tugby
were strange to him, and infialtely argued that the porter was an advo fewer than of old; from which he cate of ready-money transactions, and on coming into the business had looked pretty sharp after the Chicken stalker defaulters.
red hearings, stationery, lard, mush broad, shuttlecocks, eggs, and slate room-ketchup, stay-laces, loaves of pencil; everything was fish that came to the net of this greedy little shop, and all articles were in its net. How many other kinds of petry. merchandise were there, it would be So desolate was. Trotty, and so difficult to say; but balls of pack mournful for the youth and promise
onions, 'thread, ropes of
Bounds of his blighted child,, that it was a of candles, cabbage nets, and sorrow to him, even to have no brushes, hung in bunches from the place in Mrs. Chickenstalker's ledger. ceiling, like extraordinary fruit; while emitting various add canisters aromatic smells, established the veracity of the inscription over the outer door, which informed the public that the keeper of this little shop was a licensed dealer in tea, coffee, tobacco, pepper, and snuff,
Glancing at such of these items as
were visible in the shining of the blaze, and the less cheerful radiance of two smoky lamps which burned but dimly in the shop itself, as though! its plethora sat heavy on their lungs; and glancing, then, at one of the two
What sort of a night is it, Anne?" inquired the former porter of Sir Joseph Bowley, stretching out his legs before the fire, and rubbing as much of them as his short arms could reach with an air that added, "Here I am if it's bad, and I don't want to go out if it's good."
"Blowing and slecting hard," re- turned his wife; and threatening snow. Dark. And very cold."
"I'm glad to think we had muffins," said the former porter, in the tone of one who had set his conscience at, rest. "It's a sort of night that's
and
man who had often and often tried "My friend," he said, looking him the was a good workmen to the back, you needn't diecuss whether very end); that gentleman, who he shall be removed or not. He has knew his history, sald, I believe you spared you that trouble, I believe." are incorrigible, there is only one Saying so, he ran upstairs, follow- panted and grumbled after them at leisure; being rendered more than commonly short-winded by the weight of the ill, in which there had been an inconvenient quantity of copper......... Trotty, with the child beside him,. floated up the staircase like mere air.
kneeled to her; sald it was so sald "Well, sir, he went to her, and
it ever had been so and made a prayer to her to save him." her And she?Don't distress your
self, Mrs Tugby.
1
"And where should he have died, Why, that," said Mrs. Tugby, Tugby ?” cried his wife.
taking a seat near him, is not the in the workhouse," he returned, least cruel part of her story, air, What are workhouses made for ?" You see they kept company, she and "Not for that," said Mrs. Tugby, Richard, many years ago. When always getting the worst of it. Neither did I marry you for that couple, everything was settled, and of reclaiming you sak me to trust "So it's blowing, and sleeting, and Don't think it Tugby. I won't have they were to have been married on a you no more, until she tries to do it threatening snow and its dark. I want's allow it. I'd be separated New Year's Day, But, somehow, Something like that, in his anger and and very cold, is it, my dear cald first, and never see your face again. Richard got into his head, through vexations Mr. Tugby, looking at the fire, and When my widow's name stood over what the gentlemen told him; that "Ab!" said the gentleman, reverting to the cream and marrow that door, as it did for many, many, he might do better, and that he'd Well?" of his temporary elevation. years this house being known as soon repent it, and that ebe wasn't. "Hard weather indeed," returned] Mrs. Chickenstalker's far and wide, good enough for him, and that a
never known but to his wife, shalding her head.
its young man of spirit had no business "Ay, ay! Years," said Mr. Tugby, honest credit and its good-report to be married. And the gentlemen are like Christiane in that respect. when my widow's name stood frightened her, and made Some of 'em die hard; some of 'em over that door, Tugby, I knew him melancholy, and timid of his desert- die easy. This one hasn't many days 29 a handsome, steady, manly, ing her, and of her children coming to run, and is making a fight for it. Independent youth; I knew her as to the gallows, and of its being wick I like him all the better. There's a the sweetest looking, sweetest-tempered to be man and wife, and a good customer, my love!".
ed girl eyes ever saw; I knew her deal more of it. And in short, they Attentive to the rattling door, Mrs. father (poor old creetur, he fell down lingered and lingered, and their trust from the steeple walking in bla sleep, in one another was broken, and so Tugby had already risen.
and killed himself) for the simplest, at last was the match. But the fault hardest-working,childest-hearted man
was his. She would have married that ever drew the breath of life; and him, sir, joyfully. I've seen her when I turn them out of house and heart swell, many times afterwards, home, may angels turn me out of when he passed her in a proud and heaven. As they would! And serve careless way; and never did a wo me right!"
man grieve more truly for a man, than she for Richard when he first went wrong."
"Oh! he went wrong, did he?"
vent-peg of the table-beer, and trying to peep down into the barrel through the hole.
Now, then!" said that, lady, passing out into the little shop, What's wanted?-Oh! I beg your pardon, sir, I'm sure. I didn't think it was you,"
She made this apology to a gentle man in black, who, with his wrist- bands tucked up, and his hat cocked loungingly one on side, and his hands
table-beer barrel, and nodded in return.
"Follow her! Follow her! Follow her!" He heard the ghostly voices in the bells repeat their words as he ascended." Learn it, from the crea ture dearest to your heart!"
“And
"She came to me that night to ask It was over. It was over. me about living here, What be was this was she, her father's pride and once to me, she said, is buried in a joy! This haggard, wretched wo grave, side by side with what I was man, weeping by the bed, if it deserv to him. But I have thought of this; ed that name, and pressing to her and I will make the trial, In the breast, and hanging down her head hope of saving him; for the love of upon, an infant. Who can tell how the light-hearted girl (you remember spare, how sickly, and how poor an her) who was to have been married infant? Who can tell how dear? on a New Year's Day; and for the
Thank God!" cried Trotty, hold- love of her Richard. And she said ing up his folded hands. "Oh, God he had come to her from Lilian, and be thanked! She loves her child!" Lilian had trusted to him, and she! never could forget that. So they hearted or indifferent to such scenes, The gentleman, not otherwise hard were married; and when they came than that he saw them every day, home here, and I saw them, I hoped and knew that they were figures of when they were young, may not often scratches in the working of those- full themselves as they did in this calculations-laid his hand upon the case, or I wouldn't be the makers of heart that beat no more, and listened them for a mine of gold."
for the breath, and said. "His pain The gentleman got off the cask, is over. It's better as it is!" Mrs. and stretched himself, observing Tugby tried to comfort her with "I suppose he used her ill, as soon❘ kindness, Mr. -Tugby tried as they were married?
philosophy.
faces by the parlour-fire; Trotty had meant for muffins. Likewise crum., in his pockets, sat down astride on the changes which had come to pass, said the gentleman, pulling out the that such prophecles as parted them no moment in the Filer sums-mere
pets. Also Saily Lunns."
$
small difficulty in recognising in the atout old lady, Mrs. Chickenstalker, The former porter mentioned each always inclined to corpulency, even successive kind of eatable, as if he in the days when he had known her were musingly summing up his good as established in the general line, and actions. After which, he rubbed his having a small balance against him fat legs as before, and jerking them in her books.
at the knees to get the fire upon the yet unroasted parts, laughed as if somebody had tickled him.
The features of her companion were less easy to him. The great broad chin, with creases in it large enough to hide a finger in the astonished eyes, that seemed to ex postulate with themselves for sinking deeper and deeper into the yielding fat of the soft face; the nose afflicted with that disordered action' of its functions which is generally termed the snuffles; the short, thick throat,
"You're in spirits, Tugby, my dear," observed his wife.
>
"This is a bad business upstairs, Mrs. Tugby," said the gentleman. "The man can't live."
"Not the back-atlic can't!" cried Tugby, coming out into the shop to join the conference.
"The back attic, Mr. Tugby," said the gentleman, is coming downstairs fast, and will be below
the basement very soon."
Her old face, which had been a' plump and dimpled one before the
seemed to shine out of her as she said these words; and when she dried her eyes, and shook her head and ber handkerchief at Tugby, with an expression of firmness which it was quite clear was not to be easily resisted, Trotty said, "Bless ber Bless her!'.
Then be listened, with a panting heart, for what should follow. Know ing nothing yet, but that they spoke of Meg. The firm was Tugby, late Chicken stalker.
Looking by turns at Tugby and his If Tugby had been a little
ip "No. Not wife, he sounded the barrel with his elevated "No," said Tugby,
the parlour, be particular. I'm a little elewated. The knuckles for the depth of beer, and more than balanced that account by muffins came so pat!"
having found it, played a tune upon being not a little depressed in the the empty part.
shop, where he now stood staring at "The back-attic, Mr. Tugby," said his wife, without attempting a reply; in silent consternation, for some time abstraction or as a precautionary -"js going."
measure all the money from the till into his own pockets, as he looked at her.
With that he chuckled until he
**
"Well, sir, I don't know that he rightly understood himself, you see. I think his mind was troubled by their having broke with one another:| and that but for being ashamed before the gentlemen, and perhaps
"I don't think he ever did that," Come, come!" he said, with his- for being uncertain too, how she said Mrs. Tugby, shaking her head, bands in his pockets, you mustn's might take it, he'd have gone through and wiping her eyes. "He went on give way, you know. That won't do any suffering or trial to have had better for a short time; but his habits You must fight up. What would Meg's promise and Meg's hand were too old and strong to be got rid have become of me if I had given. again. That's my belief. He never of; he soon fell back a little; and, way when I was porter, and we had said so; more's the pity! He took was falling fast back, when his illnes as many as six runaway carriage. to drinking, idling, bad companions
་་
and labouring chest, with other was black in the face; and had so the gentleman-Tugby having stoodi secretly conveying.—either in a fit of be so much better for him than the he has always felt for her. I am sure but I fell back upon my strength of beauties of the like description;| much ado to become any other though calculated to impress the colour, that his fat legs took the memory. Trotty could at first allot strangest excursions into the air. Nor to nobody he had ever known: and were they, reduced to anything like yet he had some recollection of them decorum until Mrs. Tugby had At length, in Mrs. Chicken thumped him violently on the back, stalker's partner in the general line, and shaken him as if he were a great
too.
and in the crooked and eccentric line of life, he recognised the former) porter of Sir Joseph Bowley; an apoplectic innocent, who had connect- ed bimself in Trotty's mind with Mrs. Chickenstalker years ago, by giving bim admission to the mansion where he had confessed his obligations to that lady, and drawn on his unlucky head such grave reproach...
Trotty had little interest in a change like this, after the changes he had seen; but association is very
bottle.
"Good gracious, 'goodness, lord-a-] mercy bless and save the man!" cried Mrs. Tugby, in great terror. "What's he doing?"
Mr. Tugby wiped his eyes, and faintly repeated that he found him self a little elewated.
"Then don't be so again, that's a dear good soul," said Mrs. Tugby, "if you don't want to frighten me to death, with your struggling and fighting!"
"Then," said Tugby, turning to his wife," he must go, you know, before he's gone."
*I don't think you can move him," said the gentleman, shaking his head, "I wouldn't take the responsibility of saying it could be done myself. You had better leave him where he is. He can't live long.”
"It's the only subject," said Tugby, bringing the butter-scale down upon the counter with a crash, by weigh ing his fist on it," that we've ever had a word upon, she and me, and look what it comes to! He's going] to die here, after all. Going to die upon the premises, Going to die in our house!"
The gentleman upon the table- beer cask, who appeared to be some authorised medical attended upon the poor, was far too well accustomed, evidently, to little differ- ences of opinion between man and wife, to interpose any remark in this instance. He sat softly whistling, and turning little drops of beer out of the tap upon the ground, until there was a perfect calm; when he raised his bead, and said to Mrs, Tugby, late Chickenstalker→→
"There's something interesting about the woman, even now. How did she come to marry him?"
all the fine resources that were to came so strong upon him. I think doubles at our door in one night! home he might have had. He lost he has. I have seen him, in his cry mind, and didn't open it! his looks, his character, his health, ing fits and tremblings, try to kiss Again Trotty heard the voices, her hand; and I have heard him call saying, "Follow her!" He turned his strength, his friends, bis work her 'Meg, and say it was her nine towards his guide, and saw it rising everything!
teenth birthday. There he has been from him, passing through the air, lying, now, these weeks and months. "Follow her!" it said. And vanish. Between him and her baby, she has ed. not been able to do her old work; He hovered round her; sat down and by not being able to be regular, at her feet; looked up into her face | she has lost-it, even if she could have for one trace of her old self; listen- done it. How they have lived, I ed, for one note of her old pleasant hardly know!”
voice. He fitted round the child, so wan, so prematurely old, so dreadful in its gravity, so plaintive in its fee- ble, mournful, miserable wail. He almost 'worshipped it. He clung to- it as her only safeguard; as the last unbroken link that bound her to endurance. He set his father's hope and trust on the frail baby; watched
He didn't lose everything, Mrs Tugby," returned the gentleman, because he gained a wife and I want to know how he gained her."
"I'm coming to it, sir, in a mo ment, This went on for years and years-he sinking lower and lower; she enduring, poor thing, miseries "I know," muttered Mr. Tugby: enough to wear her life away. At last, ke was 80 cast down, and cast out, that no one would employ or notice him; and doors were shut upon him, go where He was interrupted by a cry-a he would. Applying from place to sound of lamentation-from the up place, and door to door; and coming per storey of the house. The gentle for the hundredth time to one gentle-) man moved hurriedly to the door.
looking at the till, and round the shop; and at his wife and rolling his head with immense intelligence,
*Like fighting cocks!"*
(Contiuued on Page 28.)
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WINE AND Spirit MERCHANTS.
QUEEN'S ROAD CENTRAL, HONGKONG.
A ROYAL DRINK.
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Finest extra quality.
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