you?" said she, as I approached her. "What it is to be without a roof to cover you, when the damp night comes on !"

"Are you so unfortunate as this ?" I inquired.

"Ay, to be sure, or my old limbs would not be stretched upon the grass at this late hour. Give me your hand, good stranger! Heaven bless you for that! Now, help me to rise-there! I am once more on my feet. Shall I lean on your arm? Thank you! thank you! Do you live in the village? Ah! I am glad of that! Could a poor woman stay the night in your kitchen? These old bones of mine have made me quite a cripple. What do you say? can I stay the night-eh ?"

I answered that it would be impossible, as the lateness of the hour obliged me to seek new quarters myself.

Under these circumstances, she intimated that an odd shilling would not be unacceptable; accordingly, I pulled out my purse to make the required donation.

"And is that all you are going to give me?" said she, taking the small piece of coin which I proffered. "Hark ye, sir-I am no lover of money, but I can tell ye this wouldn't buy me a breakfast. Seeing that you have money by the handful, I don't know that there is any need of

your playing the miser. Give me the half you've got, and let us say no more about it."

"I am sorry I cannot oblige you," I returned.

"You are going to be stubborn-eh?" said she, pulling out a pistol from the folds of her dress, and holding it to my breast. "Now will you give the old woman your purse?"

I need not say that I found myself in rather an unpleasant predicament. This levelling of a pistol, I thought, was somewhat unceremonious; or rather, I had not time to think anything about it. I had read of such things in Spanish romance; but always believed them to be the invention of some poor author's brain.

"Your money, or your life!" shouted the robber in disguise-for such, indeed, he was.

I threw my purse at his feet; and while he stooped to pick it up, I took advantage of his unguarded position, and with a well-aimed blow stretched him full length upon the ground. While he was thus prostrate, I used the precaution to possess myself of his weapons, which consisted of a large Spanish knife and a brace of pistols, that there might be no possible dispute as to who was the victor.

"You see," said I, "the order of things is reversed. Fortune has declared in my favour!

What do you say now to passing the night in the kitchen-eh ?"

"Will you forgive the most unfortunate wretch alive?" asked he, in a tone of earnest entreaty, returning me my purse.

"Villain!" said I, "what claim have you to my forgiveness ?"

"None, none!" was his despairing answer.

"Who are you?" I interrogated.

"As you have seen--a robber."

"What is your name ?"

"My name, sir, is Dingee O'Dougherty."

"You must be punished!"

"For Heaven's sake, spare me! It was only to keep my family from starving that I thought of attacking any one on the highway. Spare me, spare me, good sir, if it is only for their sake!"

"I think, sir robber, I have had the pleasure of your acquaintance before ?"

"Ah! I was in hopes you had forgotten me," said he. "I knew you from the first. By-theway, I sold you a bargain in that watch! Have you parted with it yet?"

"Ay! or rather, it parted from me."

The reader need scarcely be told that I had again fallen in with the little man in gray, whom I have mentioned in a preceding chapter.

Everything considered, I was not much disposed to listen to his expostulations until the approach of a third person, who proved to be one of his accomplices. The odds were now against me; consequently, I was no longer the dictator. I was resolved, nevertheless, if it should be required, to sell my life as dearly as possible; but the robbers showed no disposition further to molest me, because, as they said, I had been so humane as not to shoot Dingee, when he was in my power. Furthermore, the little man in gray assured me, that were it ever in his power, he would certainly rẹpay the kindness I had so signally shown him. With this amicable understanding, we separated.

CHAPTER XX.

Here are a few of the unpleasant'st words

That ever blotted paper.

Merchant of Venice.

How now, fair shepherd?

Your heart is full of something that doth take

Your mind from feasting.

Winter's Tale.

THE day after the adventure just recorded, I was seized with a violent fever, which continued nearly a fortnight. When I had partially recovered, I was seated, near the close of a pleasant day, in the drawing-room. My father's carriage drew up at the street-door with my sisters, Eleanor and Rosaline, who had been on an excursion through the country. They sprang out of the vehicle, full of life and buoyancy, and bounded lightly through the hall.

"Another interruption !" I exclaimed to myself; "even solitude is denied me!"

"Oh, here is our melancholy brother!" said