M. Y. Halidom

“ Perhaps the most touching incident of all occurred at the last moment, just as the happy pair were entering their carriage.
Mr. Oldstone, who had been very moist on the occasion, drew off his antique ring, of which we have heard so much, from his forefinger and placed it on that of his protégé, saying with much emotion: "Take it, my son; take it with an old man's blessing. Preserve it as an heirloom, for I shall never wear it more."
"Poor old man!" said our artist with some emotion, when they had left the home of the bride a mile behind. ”

“ Then, at length, "Tell me what manner of man he is?"
"Oh! he's a gentleman," replied Oldstone; "you may depend upon that—and, what is more, he's young, and, I think, very good-looking. I am sure you would say so, too."
Here a knowing look came into the antiquary's face, which puzzled the patient, who, with eyes and mouth wide open, appeared to scan his countenance as if to read the very secrets of his soul. Then, like a Pythoness of old, suddenly inspired, she exclaimed, "I have it! In vain you try to keep it from me. Mr. McGuilp has returned. ”

“ They have gone to their account at last—and—there, there, let us not judge, but try to forgive, as we ourselves would wish to be forgiven," said Oldstone.616
"But what harm had I done them? Why should they—I mean, what did they want to do to me?" asked the girl, ingenuously.
"Do to you, silly child! He! he! What all wicked men seek to do when they get the chance," replied her friend. "Let us not talk of them, but rather of the brave man who rescued you in the very nick of time from a living death." ”

“ It would be worth while getting ill then."
"Stay," broke in Helen; "does he say that? Let me see. You are not joking with me, sir?"
"No, my dear," answered Oldstone, "I am not joking. You may see for yourself; but I don't know if I ought to read you all this nonsense. Won't it content you just to know that he is alive and well?"
Without heeding her friend and counsellor, Helen rubbed her hands together with glee, and laughed, saying, "Oh! I do wish he would come and be ill in our house—oh! ”

“ The portrait waxes apace. Our host's daughter is in her very best looks. The painter's hand is inspired not merely by the love of art—great, though that love undoubtedly is with all artists—but spurred on by another, perhaps more powerful feeling, which lends such temper to our artist's ordinary faculties, as to render the painter himself, a rare occurrence, utterly amazed at his own powers. The first hour passes away like five minutes. Scarce a word has been spoken on either side. To those who feel they love, few words are necessary, and in many cases, perhaps the fewer the better. ”

“ Oldstone's death—nay, before—ever since our dear Helen left her home, that a curse seems to have fallen upon this house?" demanded Jack.
"True, I feel an unaccountable depression of spirits, but still I thought it nothing but the weather," rejoined his spouse.
"It's not that only," persisted her husband. "Fair or foul weather, it is just the same to me. See how our custom has fallen off."
"Naturally; now that the members of the club have all departed," replied Molly. "It's lonely like, not seeing a human face all day long." ”

“ That were impossible."
"And you're not afraid of confessing as much to me, you brazen hussy?" demanded the old man, playfully chucking her under the chin.
"To you, you know I am not," replied the girl. "To you, sir, I feel I could, nay, I must, tell everything, and oh! it is such a comfort to have a real true friend from whom one need hide nothing!"
"Well, well, my dear," said Oldstone, "I am sure I have always wished to be your true friend, but whether I am doing right in encouraging you in a passion which cannot end wisely——"
"It need never end," interrupted Helen. ”

“ Enquiries having been made, Jack Hearty and his wife were tracked to the house of a neighbour in the village.
"Father! Mother!" cried the grand lady, stepping out of her carriage; and, throwing all ceremony to the winds, she embraced them both with the fondest affection, while the liveried coachman and footman exchanged glances together.
"Tell us how all this has happened," said our artist; "but first step into the carriage, and we will drive home. You must come and stay with us." ”

“ Love is by nature reticent, and not willing to make its secret common property. Rather than divulge its sacred feelings to the first light-hearted outsider it will prefer—oh, how infinitely!—to bear its own burden alone—aye, if need be, even to the grave.552
Never before in all her life did Helen need a friend and comforter as she did now, when, lo, in the very nick of time, there came to her this kindly old man whom she had known from her earliest childhood, who had dandled her on his knee, and never passed her without a kind word. ”

“ It is not difficult to understand how a young and susceptible child like yourself, having never seen anyone else but old fogies like us, should suddenly take a fancy to a smart young——
"Oh! sir," broke in Helen, in agony, "he is gone—gone for ever, and I did love him so."
"Love! my child! why, at your age you oughtn't to know the meaning of the word."
"I didn't, sir, till quite lately. I had heard of it from others, and read about it in books; but, oh! Mr. Oldstone, I didn't know it was like this." ”

“ Dame Hearty hastily laid the cloth, brought in the lunch of cold beef and pickles, the remains of a rabbit pie, some bread and cheese, with a jug of nut-brown ale, home-brewed and left the two companions to themselves.
"And so our young friend, Vandyke McGuilp, has gone and made a d——d fool of himself," said Rustcoin, after a pause in the conversation. "Well, I thought him a more sensible man. What! one of his talent and position to sink himself to the level of a dish-clout! Why! it's sheer madness."
"My dear fellow; don't talk like that," cried Oldstone. ”

“ They embrace. Exit Alfonso. Pascual remains behind and waves his handkerchief from the terrace.
D. Pas. Adios! He is gone. His ambling mule
Has borne its gallant freight far out of sight.
Farewell, Alfonso. Fortune be thy guide,
Truest of comrades, best of counsellors,
Ride thou, my friend, towards fame, whilst I, Pascual,
Like Cain, must roam the earth, a vagabond,
Flying the face of man, by man pursued;
A price set on my head. Not merely bastard,
But vagabond! What was't he said of fame? ”

“ Tell my young friend Vandyke that my last thoughts were of him and his fair bride." Then extending one hand to his friend Rustcoin and the other to the lawyer, he sank back on his cushions and spoke no more.
"So he has gone at last, the poor old gentleman," said Hardcase, disengaging his hand from that of the corpse.
"Ay, just three days from my arrival, as predicted by the sexton—strange, isn't it?" remarked Rustcoin. "What a fine old head it is. It's a pity a cast should not be taken of it. I should so like to possess a bust of my old friend."
"Nothing is easier," said the lawyer. ”

“ These letters were promptly and voluminously replied to by our antiquary, who, besides local news, of which there was certainly a dearth, managed to fill up his letters with wise saws and some fatherly advice, delicately, not obtrusively given—such as is not unbecoming from an elderly man towards one considerably his junior. The tone of these letters seemed to call for a reply something in the same spirit. It was impossible for our artist to ignore the fact that the old man had taken a prodigious liking to him—loved him, in fact, as we have said, like a son. ”

“ McGuilp to displease all his friends by marrying a penniless girl like yourself—country bred, without education, who knows nothing of the world and society, when he could marry some high-born lady out of his own class—some rich heiress, educated and accomplished, who would grace the society to which he belongs. ”

“ It very often is."
"Are the gentlemen of the club the world?"
"Yes, part of it."
"Would they tell stories about me?"
"If they thought they saw anything suspicious in your conduct."
Helen reflected for a moment and then said, "I don't know what they could find suspicious in my conduct."
"No, my pet, neither do I," answered the kind old man with a benevolent smile. "The fact is, there are so many people in the world who find other people's business more interesting than their own; and even when they are unable to find a flaw in their neighbour's character, they will make one. ”

“ A month had passed over, and it was now time for the case of that memorable night to be tried at the assizes. Our host, the two serving men, and every member of the club had received a summons to appear as witnesses. Helen herself would have been obliged to put in an appearance, had not Dr. Bleedem signed a certificate that her state of health prevented her from attending. The greatest excitement prevailed when our artist appeared in court. Nearly all were prepossessed in his favour, and several women were overheard to express hopes that they would not hang so good-looking a man. ”

“ I can't wade knee-deep through all this. There isn't time. Your mother will be calling you soon."
"Oh, yes, sir, please. Just a little more before mother calls. Then I'll go at once," pleaded Helen, coaxingly.
The antiquary was as wax in her hands. "Well, then, he goes on to say:"
"As soon as I was fairly recovered, I thought I would delay my holiday no longer, and accordingly took the diligence, only too glad to leave the infected city behind me, and to breathe a little fresh mountain air. ”

“ The land has been bought up in our time by a railway company, and crowded trains, with their screeching railway whistle, rush over the very site of this ancient hostelry, whose walls once resounded with the songs and applause of our friends of the "Wonder Club." ”

“ Our artist rose from his couch languid and unrefreshed. His face was pale and haggard, with dark circles round his eyes. What had transpired? Had he received a second visit from the headless lady? Not so. What then? He had slept indifferently, having been kept awake by his own distracting thoughts. If he chanced to close his eyes for a moment his peace was disturbed by the most chaotic and depressing dreams. Was he unwell? Did the fare at the inn disagree with him? He made no complaints. ”

“ This is a girl of character, truth-loving, sweet, and unselfish—pure as an angel—intelligent, and with fine sensibilities."
"Nonsense," broke in Rustcoin, testily. "These country wenches are ever stubborn, hard-headed, self-interested, exacting, undocile, unteachable. Peasant she was born, and peasant she will remain to the end of her days. God help the poor idiot with such a one for a mate! She may be well enough as a wife to some country bumpkin, but for any rational being to hamper himself with one of these clods——"
"But she's not one of these clods," persisted Oldstone. ”

“ How can you? Just think! You must wait till you are well enough to get up," protested her friend and counsellor. "Dr. Bleedem will decide all that."
"I want to see him now, this instant."
"What! In your bedroom!" exclaimed Oldstone. "My dear child! It's not proper."
"Then why do you come yourself, and Dr. Bleedem?"
"That is a very different matter? I am an old man, and Dr. Bleedem is your medical attendant," replied the antiquary. "Mr. McGuilp is young—and people might talk."
"Nonsense! If you don't let me see him, I'll make myself ill and die," exclaimed the patient, petulantly. ”

“ Oldstone was commonly looked up to as the head of the club, if not altogether on account of his age, still as one who was most rigid against any infringement of discipline and decorum, each member glanced timidly towards this worthy, as if to ask his consent and absolution, which having given with a solemn nod of his head, the other members seized with eagerness the mystic folio, and having spread it out upon the table, huddled one behind the other to get the first look at its contents.
As for our artist, he had "metal more attractive," as Mr. Blackdeed might have observed. ”

“ Jack Hearty and his spouse were already in the room when the members of the club appeared at the door.
"Yes, that's our Helen, to a T, and no mistake," he was saying. "Well, its just wonderful, and as like her mother, when she was her age, as one egg is to another. Eh? Molly," said he, addressing his spouse.
"Beg pardon, sir. I hope no offence," continued the landlord, turning deferentially towards our artist.
"But what might such a picture be worth, if I might ask?"
"The wealth of the universe wouldn't purchase it, my good host," replied McGuilp. ”

“ One of the younger members seemed disposed to offer some banter, but I frowned him down. I never will sanction any unseemly levity towards that girl, or allow her to be treated as if she were a mere hackneyed barmaid, used to the coarse jokes of any Tom, Dick or Harry. To me she is something very precious, and I love her as my own child. Poor little one! ”