swered he a little grimly,

as you'd find too if you was to try; but it ain't every one as has the knack o' that hunting. There's that fellow Dixon has no more notion how it should be done, nor how to set a trap for 'um, nor nothing. You'd see, if I had but the chance, I wouldn't leave my man, not no more than a ferret or one of them bloodhounds they tells such stories on in the Forest, till I catched him, and held him too. Now you come and see after the gig with

me.

"Russell said I'd been out so much he wouldn't let me out any day more till evening, and I don't like bothering him for leave so soon again; he was quite angry last week. Besides, it's fifteen miles to Froyle Creek, if it's a step. There's a storm coming up-it's so close; look out to windward how dark it's growing."

Evening will be quite time enow; they won't think o' landing till after dark. There's a moon as big as your hat now, and, storm or no storm, she'll give us light sufficient to drive by. Besides, the fair-traders love a bit o' hazy weather; it makes 'um more sure to come in to-night."

And the stronger will carried the day.

CHAPTER XVI.

AN APPEAL.

was safe, tired of her seclusion, she scrambled down to the shore. It was very long now since she had had time to sit and dream there. There was a fresh brisk breeze, not too strong: the little white horses came prancing in, and touched up the expanse of green water," shot" with purple and grey and blue, with the sort of life which gives the sea the charm of an animate thing. The bits of rock at her feet were hung with an olive-green seaweed, like slimy fur, which rose and fell as the tide came rolling in, and looked happy and enjoying, after its long drouth. The sand-hoppers made the very sand seem alive, and the little crabs hurried about merrily, as they crept in and out among the stones.

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And there they all has to sit and wait till the water comes back for 'um to drink, and can't do nothing like by themselves!" thought she to herself.

The smooth reaches of wet sand sparkled in the evening light, and every bit of pink seaweed and broken shell shone as if it had been made in the fairy-land — though, as Lettice had found to her cost, when she carried them eagerly home at the beginning of her stay, they lost their glory, as fairy gifts are always known to do in possession. Pale, rose-coloured clouds were sailing in the delicate blue sky; Nature seemed dressed in her best gala, and sparkled, and VERY sorrowfully Lettice went home: it shone, and danced, and dazzled in a sort of seemed to her as if she were about to lose brilliant fashion, which at first almost beall the ease and comfort of her intercourse wildered her, after her dark little room at with Mary. She had not the smallest feel- home: the very air was crisp and delicious, ing of interest even in Caleb; and though though it was so far on in the autumn. she was too humble in her opinion of herself Presently the moon began to rise, though it to fancy that it would make much difference was still day it was nearly full, and a long to him, she kept out of mischief, and stayed stream of silver light stretched far away carefully away from the Chine for the next over the sea; and as she watched the briltwo days, and always contrived to escape liant pathway of moonbeams she longed to when Caleb, who seemed perpetually to pass across it "to some quiet place where have business with Norton, appeared at the nobody loved nobody," as she said to herPuckspiece. She knew that he must be go- self. All the threads seems to get tangled ing to sea almost immediately, and she the wrong way here," she sighed, as she sat strove, by all the means in her power, to thoughtfully and sadly on the beach with stave off the evil day of meeting, of which her head on her hands. she had an undefined dread.

"The lugger's off by now," she heard her father say to Tony at last; "I wonder what luck they'll have this time? 'Twere queer, too, what had come over that lad Caleb he didn't sim to know his own mind an hour together to go or stop. 'Twere a hard matter for to get him off, to be sure, this afternoon, and our hands is so short this time-'twould never have done to leave the Dutchman longer, or we should ha' had 'um down on us afore ever we could get in."

Towards evening, when she thought all

Presently she heard a tread on the shingle, and, turning, found Caleb close to her; the noise of the waves had prevented her perceiving him till he was quite near.

I thought you was gone off to sea," said she, springing up with a blush.

"Did ye think ye was rid o' me so ? " answered he, bitterly. "I couldn't go till I'd seen ye again, ye might be sure o' that, Lettie," said the poor fellow, turning his white face away as he saw the expression in hers. "What for do you get away from me now like this? Why won't ye scarce speak to me? What have I done as should

things sometimes takes such hold, like the | Jesse before as ye'd think better on it, and ivy, as ye can tear 'um to bits afore ye give o'er wi' they violent men-'tis no looses them. Ye dunnot know what's good strivin' agin what can't be. Little women-nayther their strength nor their things and big 'uns comes from the Lord; weakness." 'would be easier to thee once thou could'st think this, too, come from His hand. Think better of going now, my lad. Twill only mar and not mend thy matter," she entreated.

"I never set my mind to a thing but I won it yet," said Caleb, darkening.

"Don't ye talk like that, Caleb: pride goes afore a fall. Don't ye set yer mind on what ye can't mend nor make things may be soft and have a will o' their own; just look at the water, and yet ye couldn't turn the tide not an inch."

He strode out of the house without answering, and down to the boat which was waiting for him. Mary stood and watched him anxiously from the little terrace. His "I shall be off wi' the fair traders to-heart seemed to misgive him for leaving her night, and I don't care how soon I get knocked o' the head by them gaugers," replied he, sadly.

"Don't ye go to break our hearts like that, Caleb," said Mrs. Jesse, with the tears in her eyes. "Ye know ye telled

without a word, and he turned and waved his hand to her, but he went on all the same. The wind was fair, and the fishingboat was hoisting its little brown sails, like a bird spreading its wings.

CAN A CHIMNEY-SWEEP CLAIM TO BE CARRIED AS A PASSENGER?—At the Sheriff's Court in Glasgow recently, this question was raised. The pursuer, named Broadfoot, sued the defenders, omnibus proprietors, for damages in respect that, being common carriers of passengers between Govan and Glasgow, they had upon various days in October last refused to carry him, although there was sufficient accommodation on their 'bus, and he was ready to pay his fare. The defence was an admission of the refusal to carry, and a justification on the ground of nuisance. The defenders had no personal objection to Mr. Broadfoot as Mr. Broadfoot, but objected to him as a chimney-sweep in his working and sooty clothes. They refused to carry him in his sooty dress, because this was not consistent with a due regard to the other passengers, to the cleanliness of the 'bus, and their own interest as common carriers. The Sheriff held that the defenders must justify the refusal. Mr. Wilson adduced two of the 'bus guards, Mr. Hinshelwood, and Mr. Watson, a passenger, in support of the defence. The Sheriff having heard them, sustained the defence. He said the defenders did not object to carry the pursuer. They objected to carry him in his sooty clothes. They were not bound to carry him in his working clothes, for these were offensive to the other passengers and injurious to the general traffic. The defenders were accordingly assoilzied. It was intimated by the Sheriff during the course of the debate that the same rule would be applied to bakers in their working clothes.

TENNYSON is said to have granted to Messrs. Strahan & Co. a right of publication of his poems for two years for £8,000.

CHARLES DICKENS, for his farewell readings (which are, it is said, to extend over the United Kingdom to one hundred nights,) is to receive £10,000 from Mr. Chappell.

WE are requested to state that the beautifullypainted window of the Kirke White memorial in Wilford Church, near Nottingham, mentioned in our last week's issue, was executed by Messrs. O'Connor, of Berners-street, London.

THE silver plate belonging to the Duke of Norfolk, which, according to a contemporary had been locked up in Messrs. Smith & Payne's bank since the death of the late duke, has been once more taken from its concealment to adorn the table of the baronial hall. The plate is said to weigh a ton and a half, and is valued at £50,000.

KANSAS prints its governor's messages in three languages, in the proportion of four-sevenths of the whole number in English, two-sevenths in German, and one-seventh in Swedish. Wisconsin adds to its English edition one thousand copies each in German and Norwegian, and five hundred each in Welsh, Bohemian and Dutch.

:

THE first of a series of ten bells and hour-bell for Worcester Cathedral has been deposited in the College Green. The new peal is to cost £3,000, and this sum has been subscribed in honour of the dean (the late Sir Robert Peel's brother), as a testimony to whose virtues the bells are to be hung.

From The Spectator, 2 Jan.
THE PROPOSED CONFERENCE.'

to an external command, that the third is a formal surrender of the right of asylum, WE wonder if anybody thought the that the fourth would compel the Greek Athenians excessively impertinent for risk- Ministry to punish men instigated by their ing Marathon. The Times would have own agents, and that the fifth is a formal done so if it had existed in that day, and confession by an independent State that so we fancy would the British public, only she has broken international law, these it happened just then to consist of tattooed terms appear, to say the least, sufficiently pagans, instead of Philistines in broadcloth. severe. We should be sorry to guarantee Greece is small, nearly as small as she was the head of a Premier who proposed them when she hurled Asia back from Europe; to Great Britain under any circumstances and being small, she cannot pay her debts, whatever; but then, of course, the people -which might be paid in five years, were of little States have no right to national Thessaly and Epirus added to her domin- pride, even if they did found literature, jon, and consequently she has no right politics, and art in Europe, and evolve to fight, or to make treaties, or to sympa- from themselves all the thoughts which still thize with insurgents of her own blood, make statesmen wise. These "points" creed, and language, even when they are and no others are to be considered and being tortured by African mercenaries carried, so far as Napoleon may choose. hired by the power which for centuries en- The Powers concerned are Turkey, who slaved herself. We lent Garibaldi ships, will vote for all the points; England and and sent munitions of war by thousands Austria, who will support the Sultan; Rusof tons to the South, and fêted Kossuth, sia and Prussia, who will favour Greece; and aided the American rebels against Italy, who will side with Bismarck or NaSpain to the utmost of our means; but poleon as she sees best for her own interthen Britain is a strong power, and does est; and Napoleon, who in any case will pay her debts, and only destroys Mussul- possess the casting-vote. It is rumoured man empires-sending their Emperors into that the Emperor of the French, not liking penal servitude - in the "interests of to appear an enemy of the nationalities, or Christianity and civilization." Consequent- to affront the Reds, who throughout Euly, we are right, and Greece is wrong, and rope are on the side of civilization, will try is "insolent," and "reckless," and "trou- to induce Turkey to remain content with blesome," and all manner of bad things three of her five demands. Perhaps she besides, things most obnoxious to a meek will, perhaps she will not, for all in Turrace like our own, and Lord Clarendon, key depends on the Sultan's digestion, as all the world says, is going to take part but suppose she does, what is next to be in a Conference, to be assembled next attempted? Are the Powers who have reweek, in Paris, of all places on earth, to sisted each other in Congress to combine settle how the Christian may best be com- to coerce Greece, or are the friends of pelled to abstain from defending himself Turkey to act while the friends of Greece against the Caliph. To make the gro- sit still, or are the two sides to clash at tesquerie of the affair complete, the ques- once, and so begin the general war which tion of Crete, on which the dispute has everybody is trying to avoid? Greece of arisen, is not to be so much as mentioned, course may yield, but we do not see why and Greece herself is not to be admitted she should until the combined fleets are off to a seat at the board which will decide her the Piræus, or have occupied Athens, for destinies. The tribunal is summoned to the conferring Governments will neither hear the claimant, but the claim is not to annex, nor tax her, nor pillage her, and it be discussed, and the defendant is ex- is, on the whole, more honourable to yield pressly prohibited from putting in any de- to actual force than to menaced force, to a fence. The Conference is to be rigidly knock-down blow than to a threat of kickconfined to the "Five Points" of the ing. Suppose Greece to resist thus far, Turkish ultimatum-namely, that Greece what will Mr. Gladstone, as one of the condisperse her voluuteers; that she disarm the ferring Powers, actually do? Will he, of Enosis, Crete, and Panhellenicon; that she all men, commit an act which will termi"allow" Cretan emigrants to return home; nate the independence of Greece, dethrone that she punish all persons guilty of ag- King George, who reigns as representative gressions against Turks, and compensate of the "Great Idea," drive Mr. Bright out the sufferers; and that she promise to ad- of the Cabinet, and irritate every Radical here for the future to international law. in the kingdom? The "integrity of TurConsidering that the first point involves key," of which so much is made, is not the passing of an internal law in deference guaranteed against Greece, any more than

against revolt in Turkey itself; and if we in ironclads; but they are obliged to hire come to guarantees, that of Greek indepen- an Admiral and engineers from England, dence is at least the first in order. We and have no maritime population which can utterly refuse to believe that the Cabinet compare with the sailors of the islands. will sanction any action of the kind, and Greece is poor, no doubt, though if ironif it is not prepared for this course, what clads owned by Greeks do not make their is the use of entering into a Conference appearance a week after war is declared, prohibited from considering any reasonable we shall be greatly surprised; but Greece compromise, such, for example, as the has enough for rifles, and since when has one proposed by the protecting Powers Turkey been rich, or how much would it two years ago- the erection of Candia cost the Fanar to bring her credit crashing into a hereditary Pashalic, with a Christian to the ground, so turning all Bourses into Pasha, - a Conference which can only choose one of two alternatives, the coercion of Turkey into a surrender of her demands, or a coercion of Greece into an acceptance of them.

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But, say the makers of paragraphs, the Powers may inform Greece that unless she yields, their protection will be withdrawn, and Turkey must work her will, even if a State is blotted out from Europe. That sounds very solemn, and will read very well in a despatch; but then, unfortunately, that is precisely what the Greek nation desires, is the very determination which will produce war. People in the City who cannot imagine how Timour conquered Asia without raising loans, or how the Sepoys could defend Delhi without issuing inconvertible paper, will have it that as Greece does not pay her debts, Turkey will conquer her in a few days." Why has she not conquered Crete in two years of incessant warfare? She has troops enough, and bullets enough, and English capital enough to have done the work ten times over; but she has not done it, because every Cretan knows by experience, as every Greek knows by tradition, that it is easier when attacked by Turks to die fighting than to die by the tortures, mental and bodily, the victors will inflict. Grant that all the evidence of Turkish atrocities is false, or exaggerated till it becomes false, and that immense concession will still have no influence on the result. The Greeks believe those stories, and will fight as, when pressed too far, they have always fought, like rats, who will fly if they can; but who, if they fasten, can never be dislodged. Omar Pasha may be all his friends believe; but before he can march from Thessaly to Athens he will have had to kill a nation of riflemen, posted on mountains, in ravines, and by passes as wild as those of Abyssinia. We English are decent soldiers in our way: but we do not find the conquest of Afghanistan easy, and the Indian Viceroy is as much stronger than the Sultan as the Greeks are stronger than the Afghans. At sea the Turks are said to be very strong," and so they are

her irreconcilable enemies? The Greeks do not believe in the least that they can be conquered, and do believe that they can give the signal for insurrection throughout the Sultan's dominions, -a signal which will be heard in Asia as well as Europe, and will throw the Orthodox from Odessa to St. Petersburg into a fever of excitement. The Greeks may be utterly wrong, may be hot-headed fanatics, victims of an idea, or anything else, but as long as they do not think so they will fight; and the solemn diplomatic threats of leaving them to their fate will be met with the ridicule they deserve, and the war the Conference is to prevent will rage all the more fiercely, because it will have inspired in the Greeks a just belief that diplomatists would like to condemn them unheard. If the Conference will produce peace, well and good; we can understand, though we heartily dislike the policy of peace at any price; but it seems to us much more likely to land us in a position from which we must either retreat with more or less of opprobrium, or coerce a free State in Turkish interests, or allow ourselves to be dragged into a very serious war, waged to compel unwilling populations to remain submissive to Ottoman rule.

From The Spectator 2 Jan.

A LION'S IDEAS ON MAN.

THE Times of Tuesday, the 29th ult., contained a very singular paper, a paper which, if not unique, is, we believe, very nearly unique in English literature. It is a report certainly authentic, and probably literal, of a conversation between Sindhia, the Sovereign of Gwalior, the first Marhatta State, and Colonel Daly, English diplomatist of ability and tact, upon the merits and demerits of British rule in India, a conversation during which the Prince forgot for once both his personal caution and his Indian reserve, and spoke out with trustful smiles and confidential laughter what it was in him to say the real thought in his head