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AsachildIwasnothandsome。WhenIconsultedthetriangularbitoflooking-glasswhichIalwayscarriedwithme,itshowedapale,sandy,andfreckledface,shadedbylockslikethecolorofseaweedwhenthesunstrikesitindeepwater。Myeyesweresaidtobeindistinctive;theywereafaint,ashengray;butabovethemrose——

myonlybeauty——ahigh,massive,domelikeforehead,withpolishedtemples,likedoor-knobsofthepurestporcelain。

Ourfamilywasafamilyofgovernesses。Mymotherhadbeenone,andmysistershadthesameoccupation。Consequently,when,attheageofthirteen,myeldestsisterhandedmetheadvertisementofMr。Rawjester,clippedfromthatday’s"Times,"Iaccepteditasmydestiny。Nevertheless,amysteriouspresentimentofanindefinitefuturehauntedmeinmydreamsthatnight,asIlayuponmylittlesnow-whitebed。Thenextmorning,withtwobandboxestiedupinsilkhandkerchiefs,andahairtrunk,IturnedmybackuponMinervaCottageforever。

CHAPTERII。

BlunderboreHall,theseatofJamesRawjester,Esq。,wasencompassedbydarkpinesandfunerealhemlocksonallsides。Thewindsangweirdlyintheturretsandmoanedthroughthelong-drawnavenuesofthepark。AsIapproachedthehouseIsawseveralmysteriousfiguresflitbeforethewindows,andayellofdemoniaclaughteransweredmysummonsatthebell。WhileIstrovetorepressmygloomyforebodings,thehousekeeper,atimid,scared-

lookingoldwoman,showedmeintothelibrary。

Ientered,overcomewithconflictingemotions。Iwasdressedinanarrowgownofdarkserge,trimmedwithblackbugles。Athickgreenshawlwaspinnedacrossmybreast。Myhandswereencasedwithblackhalf-mittensworkedwithsteelbeads;onmyfeetwerelargepattens,originallythepropertyofmydeceasedgrandmother。

Icarriedabluecottonumbrella。AsIpassedbeforeamirror,I

couldnothelpglancingatit,norcouldIdisguisefrommyselfthefactthatIwasnothandsome。

Drawingachairintoarecess,Isatdownwithfoldedhands,calmlyawaitingthearrivalofmymaster。Onceortwiceafearfulyellrangthroughthehouse,ortherattlingofchains,andcursesutteredinadeep,manlyvoice,brokeupontheoppressivestillness。Ibegantofeelmysoulrisingwiththeemergencyofthemoment。

"Youlookalarmed,miss。Youdon’thearanything,mydear,doyou?"askedthehousekeepernervously。

"Nothingwhatever,"Iremarkedcalmly,asaterrificscream,followedbythedraggingofchairsandtablesintheroomabove,drownedforamomentmyreply。"Itisthesilence,onthecontrary,whichhasmademefoolishlynervous。"

Thehousekeeperlookedatmeapprovingly,andinstantlymadesometeaforme。

Idranksevencups;asIwasbeginningtheeighth,Iheardacrash,andthenextmomentamanleapedintotheroomthroughthebrokenwindow。

CHAPTERIII。

Thecrashstartledmefrommyself-control。Thehousekeeperbenttowardmeandwhispered:——

"Don’tbeexcited。It’sMr。Rawjester,——hepreferstocomeinsometimesinthisway。It’shisplayfulness,ha!ha!ha!"

"Iperceive,"Isaidcalmly。"It’stheunfetteredimpulseofaloftysoulbreakingthetyrannizingbondsofcustom。"AndIturnedtowardhim。

Hehadneveroncelookedatme。Hestoodwithhisbacktothefire,whichsetofftheherculeanbreadthofhisshoulders。Hisfacewasdarkandexpressive;hisunderjawsquarelyformed,andremarkablyheavy。IwasstruckwithhisremarkablelikenesstoaGorilla。

Asheabsentlytiedthepokerintohardknotswithhisnervousfingers,Iwatchedhimwithsomeinterest。Suddenlyheturnedtowardme:——

"DoyouthinkI’mhandsome,youngwoman?"

"Notclassicallybeautiful,"Ireturnedcalmly;"butyouhave,ifI

maysoexpressmyself,anabstractmanliness,——asincereandwholesomebarbaritywhich,involvingasitdoesthenaturalness——"

ButIstopped,forheyawnedatthatmoment,——anactionwhichsingularlydevelopedtheimmensebreadthofhislowerjaw,——andI

sawhehadforgottenme。Presentlyheturnedtothehousekeeper:——

"Leaveus。"

Theoldwomanwithdrewwithacourtesy。

Mr。Rawjesterdeliberatelyturnedhisbackuponmeandremainedsilentfortwentyminutes。Idrewmyshawlthemorecloselyaroundmyshouldersandclosedmyeyes。

"Youarethegoverness?"atlengthhesaid。

"Iam,sir。"

"Acreaturewhoteachesgeography,arithmetic,andtheuseoftheglobes——ha!——awretchedremnantoffemininity,——askimppatternofgirlhoodwithaprematureflavoroftea-leavesandmorality。Ugh!"

Ibowedmyheadsilently。

"Listentome,girl!"hesaidsternly;"thischildyouhavecometoteach——myward——isnotlegitimate。Sheistheoffspringofmymistress,——acommonharlot。Ah!MissMix,whatdoyouthinkofmenow?"

"Iadmire,"Irepliedcalmly,"yoursincerity。Amawkishregardfordelicacymighthavekeptthisdisclosuretoyourself。Ionlyrecognizeinyourfranknessthatperfectcommunityofthoughtandsentimentwhichshouldexistbetweenoriginalnatures。"

Ilookedup;hehadalreadyforgottenmypresence,andwasengagedinpullingoffhisbootsandcoat。Thisdone,hesankdowninanarm-chairbeforethefire,andranthepokerwearilythroughhishair。Icouldnothelppityinghim。

Thewindhowleddismallywithout,andtherainbeatfuriouslyagainstthewindows。Icrepttowardhimandseatedmyselfonalowstoolbesidehischair。

Presentlyheturned,withoutseeingme,andplacedhisfootabsentlyinmylap。Iaffectednottonoticeit。Buthestartedandlookeddown。

"Youhereyet——Carrothead?Ah,Iforgot。DoyouspeakFrench?"

"Oui,Monsieur"

"Taisez-vous!"hesaidsharply,withsingularpurityofaccent。I

complied。Thewindmoanedfearfullyinthechimney,andthelightburneddimly。Ishudderedinspiteofmyself。"Ah,youtremble,girl!"

"Itisafearfulnight。"

"Fearful!Callyouthisfearful,ha!ha!ha!Look!youwretchedlittleatom,look!"andhedashedforward,and,leapingoutofthewindow,stoodlikeastatueinthepeltingstorm,withfoldedarms。

Hedidnotstaylong,butinafewminutesreturnedbywayofthehallchimney。Isawfromthewaythathewipedhisfeetonmydressthathehadagainforgottenmypresence。

"Youareagoverness。Whatcanyouteach?"heasked,suddenlyandfiercelythrustinghisfaceinmine。

"Manners!"Ireplied,calmly。

"Ha!teachME!"

"Youmistakeyourself,"Isaid,adjustingmymittens。"Yourmannersrequirenottheartificialrestraintofsociety。Youareradicallypolite;thisimpetuosityandferociousnessissimplythesinceritywhichisthebasisofaproperdeportment。Yourinstinctsaremoral;yourbetternature,Isee,isreligious。AsSt。Pauljustlyremarks——seechap。6,8,9,and10——"

Heseizedaheavycandlestick,andthrewitatme。Idodgeditsubmissivelybutfirmly。

"Excuseme,"heremarked,ashisunderjawslowlyrelaxed。"Excuseme,MissMix——butIcan’tstandSt。Paul!Enough——youareengaged。"

CHAPTERIV。

Ifollowedthehousekeeperassheledthewaytimidlytomyroom。

Aswepassedintoadarkhallinthewing,Inoticedthatitwasclosedbyanirongatewithagrating。Threeofthedoorsonthecorridorwerelikewisegrated。Astrangenoise,asofshufflingfeetandthehowlingofinfuriatedanimals,rangthroughthehall。

Biddingthehousekeepergoodnight,andtakingthecandle,I

enteredmybedchamber。

Itookoffmydress,and,puttingonayellowflannelnightgown,whichIcouldnothelpfeelingdidnotagreewithmycomplexion,I

composedmyselftorestbyreadingBlair’sRhetoricandPaley’sMoralPhilosophy。Ihadjustputoutthelight,whenIheardvoicesinthecorridor。Ilistenedattentively。IrecognizedMr。

Rawjester’ssterntones。

"HaveyoufedNo。1?"heasked。

"Yes,sir,"saidagruffvoice,apparentlybelongingtoadomestic。

"How’sNo。2?"

"She’salittleoffherfeed,justnow,butwillpickupinadayortwo!"

"AndNo。3?"

"Perfectlyfurious,sir。Hertantrumsareungovernable。"

"Hush!"

Thevoicesdiedaway,andIsankintoafitfulslumber。

IdreamedthatIwaswanderingthroughatropicalforest。SuddenlyIsawthefigureofagorillaapproachingme。Asitnearedme,I

recognizedthefeaturesofMr。Rawjester。Heheldhishandtohissideasifinpain。Isawthathehadbeenwounded。Herecognizedmeandcalledmebyname,butatthesamemomentthevisionchangedtoanAshanteevillage,where,aroundthefire,agroupofnegroesweredancingandparticipatinginsomewildObifestival。Iawokewiththestrainstillringinginmyears。

"Hokee-pokeewokeefum!"

GoodHeavens!couldIbedreaming?Iheardthevoicedistinctlyonthefloorbelow,andsmeltsomethingburning。Iarose,withanindistinctpresentimentofevil,andhastilyputtingsomecottoninmyearsandtyingatowelaboutmyhead,Iwrappedmyselfinashawlandrusheddownstairs。ThedoorofMr。Rawjester’sroomwasopen。Ientered。

Mr。Rawjesterlayapparentlyinadeepslumber,fromwhicheventhecloudsofsmokethatcamefromtheburningcurtainsofhisbedcouldnotrousehim。Aroundtheroomalargeandpowerfulnegress,scantilyattired,withherheadadornedwithfeathers,wasdancingwildly,accompanyingherselfwithbonecastanets。Itlookedlikesometerriblefetich。

Ididnotlosemycalmness。Afterfirmlyemptyingthepitcher,basin,andslop-jarontheburningbed,Iproceededcautiouslytothegarden,and,returningwiththegarden-engine,IdirectedasmallstreamatMr。Rawjester。

Atmyentrancethegiganticnegressfled。Mr。Rawjesteryawnedandwoke。Iexplainedtohim,asherosedrippingfromthebed,thereasonofmypresence。Hedidnotseemtobeexcited,alarmed,ordiscomposed。Hegazedatmecuriously。

"Soyouriskedyourlifetosavemine,eh?youcanary-coloredteacherofinfants。"

Iblushedmodestly,anddrewmyshawltightlyovermyyellowflannelnightgown。

"Youloveme,MaryJane,——don’tdenyit!Thistremblingshowsit!"

Hedrewmecloselytowardhim,andsaid,withhisdeepvoicetenderlymodulated:——

"How’sherpootytootens,——didshegether’ittletootenswet,——

bessher?"

Iunderstoodhisallusiontomyfeet。IglanceddownandsawthatinmyhurryIhadputonapairofhisoldindia-rubbers。Myfeetwerenotsmallorpretty,andtheadditiondidnotaddtotheirbeauty。

"Letmego,sir,"Iremarkedquietly。"Thisisentirelyimproper;

itsetsabadexampleforyourchild。"AndIfirmlybutgentlyextricatedmyselffromhisgrasp。Iapproachedthedoor。Heseemedforamomentburiedindeepthought。

"Yousaythiswasanegress?"

"Yes,sir。"

"Humph,No。1,Isuppose?"

"WhoisNumberOne,sir?"

"MyFIRST,"heremarked,withasignificantandsarcasticsmile。

Then,relapsingintohisoldmanner,hethrewhisbootsatmyhead,andbademebegone。Iwithdrewcalmly。

CHAPTERV。

Mypupilwasabrightlittlegirl,whospokeFrenchwithaperfectaccent。HermotherhadbeenaFrenchballet-dancer,whichprobablyaccountedforit。Althoughshewasonlysixyearsold,itwaseasytoperceivethatshehadbeenseveraltimesinlove。Sheoncesaidtome:——

"MissMix,didyoueverhavethegrandepassion?Didyoueverfeelaflutteringhere?"andsheplacedherhanduponhersmallchest,andsighedquaintly,"akindofdistasteforbonbonsandcaromels,whentheworldseemedastastelessandhollowasabrokencordialdrop。"

"Thenyouhavefeltit,Nina?"Isaidquietly。"Odear,yes。

TherewasButtons,——thatwasourpage,youknow,——Ilovedhimdearly,butpapasenthimaway。ThentherewasDick,thegroom,buthelaughedatme,andIsufferedmisery!"andshestruckatragicFrenchattitude。"Thereistobecompanyhereto-morrow,"

sheadded,rattlingonwithchildishnaivete,"andpapa’ssweetheart——BlancheMarabout——istobehere。Youknowtheysaysheistobemymamma。"

Whatthrillwasthisshotthroughme?ButIrosecalmly,and,administeringaslightcorrectiontothechild,lefttheapartment。

BlunderboreHouse,forthenextweek,wasthesceneofgayetyandmerriment。Thatportionofthemansionclosedwithagratingwaswalledup,andthemidnightshrieksnolongertroubledme。

ButIfeltmorekeenlythedegradationofmysituation。IwasobligedtohelpLadyBlancheathertoiletandhelphertolookbeautiful。Forwhat?Tocaptivatehim?O——no,no,——butwhythissuddenthrillandfaintness?Didhereallyloveher?Ihadseenhimpinchandswearather。ButIreflectedthathehadthrownacandlestickatmyhead,andmyfoolishheartwasreassured。

Itwasanightoffestivity,whenasuddenmessageobligedMr。

Rawjestertoleavehisguestsforafewhours。"Makeyourselvesmerry,idiots,"headded,underhisbreath,ashepassedme。Thedoorclosedandhewasgone。

Anhalf-hourpassed。Inthemidstofthedancingashriekwasheard,andoutoftheswayingcrowdoffaintingwomenandexcitedmenawildfigurestrodeintotheroom。Oneglanceshowedittobeahighwayman,heavilyarmed,holdingapistolineachhand。

"Letnoonepassoutofthisroom!"hesaid,inavoiceofthunder。

"Thehouseissurroundedandyoucannotescape。Thefirstonewhocrossesyonderthresholdwillbeshotlikeadog。Gentlemen,I’lltroubleyoutoapproachinsinglefile,andhandmeyourpursesandwatches。"

Findingresistanceuseless,theorderwasungraciouslyobeyed。

"Now,ladies,pleasetopassupyourjewelryandtrinkets。"

Thisorderwasstillmoreungraciouslycompliedwith。AsBlanchehandedtothebanditcaptainherbracelet,sheendeavoredtoconcealadiamondnecklace,thegiftofMr。Rawjester,inherbosom。But,withademoniacgrin,thepowerfulbrutetoreitfromitsconcealment,and,administeringaheartyboxontheearoftheyounggirl,flungheraside。

Itwasnowmyturn。WithabeatingheartImademywaytotherobberchieftain,andsankathisfeet。"Osir,Iamnothingbutapoorgoverness,prayletmego。"

"Oho!Agoverness?Givemeyourlastmonth’swages,then。Givemewhatyouhavestolenfromyourmaster!"andhelaughedfiendishly。

Igazedathimquietly,andsaid,inalowvoice:"Ihavestolennothingfromyou,Mr。Rawjester!"

"Ah,discovered!Hush!listen,girl!"hehissed,inafiercerwhisper,"utterasyllabletofrustratemyplansandyoudie;aidme,and——"Buthewasgone。

Inafewmomentstheparty,withtheexceptionofmyself,weregaggedandlockedinthecellar。Thenextmomenttorcheswereappliedtotherichhangings,andthehousewasinflames。Ifeltastronghandseizeme,andbearmeoutintheopenairandplacemeuponthehillside,whereIcouldoverlooktheburningmansion。

ItwasMr。Rawjester。

"Burn!"hesaid,asheshookhisfistattheflames。Thensinkingonhiskneesbeforeme,hesaidhurriedly:——

"MaryJane,Iloveyou;theobstaclestoourunionareorwillbesoonremoved。Inyondermansionwereconfinedmythreecrazywives。Oneofthem,asyouknow,attemptedtokillme!Ha!thisisvengeance!Butwillyoubemine?"

Ifell,withoutaword,uponhisneck。

GUYHEAVYSTONE;

OR,"ENTIRE。"

AMUSCULARNOVEL。

BYTHEAUTHORor"SWORDANDGUN。"

CHAPTERI。

"Nereirepandirostrumincurvicervicumpecus。"

Adingy,swashy,splashyafternooninOctober;aschool-yardfilledwithamobofriotousboys。Alotofusstandingoutside。

Suddenlycameadull,crashingsoundfromtheschool-room。AttheominousinterruptionIshudderedinvoluntarily,andcalledtoSmithsye:——

"What’sup,Smithums?"

"Guy’scleaningoutthefourthform,"hereplied。

AtthesamemomentGeorgedeCoverlypassedme,holdinghisnose,fromwhencethebrightNormanbloodstreamedredly。TohimtheplebeianSmithsyelaughingly:——

"Cully!how’shisnibs?"

Ipushedthedooroftheschool-roomopen。Therearesomespectacleswhichamanneverforgets。TheburningofTroyprobablyseemedalarge-sizedconflagrationtothepiousAeneas,andmadeanimpressiononhimwhichhecarriedawaywiththefeebleAnchises。

Inthecentreoftheroom,lightlybrandishingthepiston-rodofasteam-engine,stoodGuyHeavystonealone。Isayalone,forthepileofsmallboysonthefloorinthecornercouldhardlybecalledcompany。

Iwilltryandsketchhimforthereader。GuyHeavystonewasthenonlyfifteen。Hisbroad,deepchest,hissinewyandquiveringflank,hisstraightpastern,showedhimtobeathoroughbred。

Perhapshewasatrifleheavyinthefetlock,butheheldhisheadhaughtilyerect。Hiseyeswereglitteringbutpitiless。Therewasasternnessaboutthelowerpartofhisface,——theoldHeavystonelook,——asternness,heightened,perhaps,bythesnaffle-bitwhich,inoneofhisstrangefreaks,heworeinhismouthtocurbhisoccasionalferocity。Hisdresswaswelladaptedtohissquare-setandherculeanframe。Astripedknitundershirt,close-fittingstripedtights,andafewspanglessetoffhisfigure;aneatGlengarrycapadornedhishead。OnitwasdisplayedtheHeavystonecrest,acockregardantonadunghillor,andthemotto,"Devilabetter!"

IthoughtofHoratiusonthebridge,ofHectorbeforethewalls。I

alwaysmakeitapointtothinkofsomethingclassicalatsuchtimes。

Hesawme,andhissternnesspartlyrelaxed。Somethinglikeasmilestruggledthroughhisgrimlineaments。ItwaslikelookingontheJungfrauafterhavingseenMontBlanc,——atrifle,onlyatriflelesssublimeandawful。Restinghishandlightlyontheshoulderofthehead-master,whoshudderedandcollapsedunderhistouch,hestrodetowardme。

Hiswalkwaspeculiar。Youcouldnotcallitastride。Itwaslikethe"crest-tossingBellerophon,"——akindofprancinggait。

GuyHeavystoneprancedtowardme。

CHAPTERII。

"LordLovelhestoodatthegardengate,A-combinghismilk-whitesteed。"

Itwasthewinterof186-whenInextmetGuyHeavystone。HehadlefttheUniversityandhadenteredthe76th"Heavies。""Ihaveexchangedthegownforthesword,yousee,"hesaid,graspingmyhand,andfracturingthebonesofmylittlefinger,asheshookit。

Igazedathimwithunmixedadmiration。Hewassquarer,sterner,andineverywaysmarterandmoreremarkablethanever。IbegantofeeltowardthismanasPhalasterfelttowardsPhyrgino,assomebodymusthavefelttowardArchididasculus,asBoswellfelttowardJohnson。

"Comeintomyden,"hesaid,andliftingmegentlybytheseatofmypantaloonshecarriedmeupstairsanddepositedme,beforeI

couldapologize,onthesofa。Ilookedaroundtheroom。Itwasabachelor’sapartment,characteristicallyfurnishedinthetasteoftheproprietor。Afewclaymoresandbattle-axeswererangedagainstthewall,andaculverin,capturedbySirRalphHeavystone,occupiedthecorner,theotherendoftheroombeingtakenupbyalightbattery。Foils,boxing-gloves,saddles,andfishing-poleslayaroundcarelessly。Asmallpileofbillets-douxlayuponasilversalver。Themanwasnotananchorite,noryetaSirGalahad。

InevercouldtellwhatGuythoughtofwomen。"Poorlittlebeasts,"hewouldoftensaywhentheconversationturnedonanyofhisfreshconquests。Then,passinghishandoverhismarblebrow,theoldlookofsternfixednessofpurposeandunflinchingseveritywouldstraightenthelinesofhismouth,andhewouldmutter,halftohimself,"S’death!"

"ComewithmetoHeavystoneGrange。TheExmoorHoundsthrowoffto-morrow。I’llgiveyouamount,"hesaid,asheamusedhimselfbyrollingupasilvercandlestickbetweenhisfingers。"YoushallhaveCleopatra。Butstay,"headded,thoughtfully;"nowI

remember,IorderedCleopatratobeshotthismorning。"

"Andwhy?"Iqueried。

"Shethrewherrideryesterdayandfellonhim——"

"Andkilledhim?"

"No。That’sthereasonwhyIhaveorderedhertobeshot。Ikeepnoanimalsthatarenotdangerous——Ishouldadd——DEADLY!"Hehissedthelastsentencebetweenhisteeth,andagloomyfrowndescendedoverhiscalmbrow。

Iaffectedtoturnoverthetradesman’sbillsthatlayonthetable,for,likealloftheHeavystonerace,Guyseldompaidcash,andsaid:——

"YouremindmeofthetimewhenLeonidas——"

"O,botherLeonidasandyourclassicalallusions。Come!"

Wedescendedtodinner。

CHAPTERIII。

"Hecarriesweight,heridesarace,’Tisforathousandpound。"

"ThereisFloraBillingsgate,thegreatestcoquetteandhardestriderinthecountry,"saidmycompanion,RalphMortmain,aswestooduponDinglebyCommonbeforethemeet。

IlookedupandbeheldGuyHeavystonebendinghaughtilyoverthesaddle,asheaddressedabeautifulbrunette。Shewasindeedasplendidlygroomedandhigh-spiritedwoman。Wewerenearenoughtooverhearthefollowingconversation,whichanyhigh-tonedreaderwillrecognizeasthecommonandnaturalexpressionofthehigherclasses。

"WhenDianatakesthefieldthechaseisnotwhollyconfinedtoobjectsferaenaturae,"saidGuy,dartingasignificantglanceathiscompanion。Floradidnotshrinkeitherfromtheglanceorthemeaningimpliedinthesarcasm。

"IfIwerelookingforanEndymion,now——"shesaidarchly,assheplayfullycanteredoverafewhoundsandleapedafive-barredgate。

Guywhisperedafewwords,inaudibletotherestoftheparty,and,curvettingslightly,cleverlyclearedtwoofthehuntsmeninaflyingleap,gallopedupthefrontstepsofthemansion,anddashingatfullspeedthroughthehallleapedthroughthedrawing-

roomwindowandrejoinedme,languidly,onthelawn。

"BecarefulofFloraBillingsgate,"hesaidtome,inlowsterntones,whilehispitilesseyeshotabalefulfire。"Gardezvous!"

"Gnothiseauton,"Irepliedcalmly,notwishingtoappeartobebehindhiminperceptionorverbalfelicity。

Guystartedoffinhighspirits。Hewaswellcarried。Heandthefirstwhip,aten-stoneman,wereheadandheadatthelastfence,whilethehoundswererollingovertheirfoxahundredyardsfartherintheopen。

Butanunexpectedcircumstanceoccurred。Comingback,hischestnutmarerefusedaten-footwall。Sherearedandfellbackward。Againheledheruptoitlightly;againsherefused,fallingheavilyfromthecoping。Guystartedtohisfeet。Theoldpitilessfireshoneinhiseyes;theoldsternlooksettledaroundhismouth。

Seizingthemarebythetailandmanehethrewheroverthewall。

Shelandedtwentyfeetontheotherside,erectandtrembling。

Lightlyleapingthesameobstaclehimself,heremountedher。Shedidnotrefusethewallthenexttime。

CHAPTERIV。

"Heholdshimbyhisglitteringeye。"

GuywasintheNorthofIreland,cock-shooting。SoRalphMortmaintoldme,andalsothatthematchbetweenMaryBrandageeandGuyhadbeenbrokenoffbyFloraBillingsgate。"Idon’tlikethoseBillingsgates,"saidRalph,"they’reabadstock。Herfather,SmithfielddeBillingsgate,hadanunpleasantwayofturninguptheknavefromthebottomofthepack。Butnousverrons;letusgoandseeGuy。"

ThenextmorningwestartedforFin-ma-Coul’sCrossing。WhenI

reachedtheshooting-box,whereGuywasentertainingaselectcompanyoffriends,FloraBillingsgategreetedmewithasaucysmile。

Guywasevensquarerandsternerthanever。Hisgustsofpassionweremorefrequent,anditwaswithdifficultythathecouldkeepanable-bodiedservantinhisfamily。Hispresentretainersweremoreorlessmaimedfromexposuretothefuryoftheirmaster。

Therewasastrangecynicism,acuttingsarcasminhisaddress,piercingthroughhispolishedmanner。IthoughtofTimon,etc。,etc。

Oneevening,weweresittingoverourChambertin,afterahardday’swork,andGuywaslistlesslyturningoversomeletters,whensuddenlyheutteredacry。Didyoueverhearthetrumpetingofawoundedelephant?Itwaslikethat。

Ilookedathimwithconsternation。Hewasglancingataletterwhichheheldatarm’slength,andsnorting,asitwere,atitashegazed。Thelowerpartofhisfacewasstern,butnotasrigidasusual。Hewasslowlygrindingbetweenhisteeththefragmentsoftheglasshehadjustbeendrinkingfrom。Suddenlyheseizedoneofhisservants,and,forcingthewretchuponhisknees,exclaimed,withtheroarofatiger:——

"Dog!whywasthiskeptfromme?"

"Why,please,sir,MissFlorasaidashowitwasareconciliationfromMissBrandagee,anditwastobekeptfromyouwhereyouwouldnotbelikelytoseeit,——and——and——"

"Speak,dog!andyou——"

"Iputitamongyourbills,sir!"

Withagroan,likedistantthunder,Guyfellswooningtothefloor。

Hesoonrecovered,forthenextmomentaservantcamerushingintotheroomwiththeinformationthatanumberoftheingenuouspeasantryoftheneighborhoodwereabouttoindulgethateveninginthenationalpastimeofburningafarm-houseandshootingalandlord。Guysmiledafearfulsmile,without,however,alteringhissternandpitilessexpression。

"Letthemcome,"hesaidcalmly;"Ifeellikeentertainingcompany。"

Webarricadedthedoorsandwindows,andthenchoseourarmsfromthearmory。Guy’schoicewasasingularone:itwasalandingnetwithalonghandle,andasharpcavalrysabre。

Wewerenotdestinedtoremainlonginignoranceofitsuse。A

howlwasheardfromwithout,andapartyoffiftyorsixtyarmedmenprecipitatedthemselvesagainstthedoor。

Suddenlythewindowopened。Withtherapidityoflightning,GuyHeavystonecastthenetovertheheadoftheringleader,ejaculated"Habet!"andwithabackstrokeofhiscavalrysabreseveredthememberfromitstrunk,and,drawingthenetbackagain,castthegoryheaduponthefloor,sayingquietly:——

"One。"

Againthenetwascast,thesteelflashed,thenetwaswithdrawn,andanominous"Two!"accompaniedtheheadasitrolledonthefloor。

"DoyourememberwhatPlinysaysofthegladiator?"saidGuy,calmlywipinghissabre。"Howgraphicisthatpassagecommencing’Internos,etc。’"Thesportcontinueduntiltheheadsoftwentydesperadoeshadbeengatheredin。Therestseemedinclinedtodisperse。Guyincautiouslyshowedhimselfatthedoor;aringingshotwasheard,andhestaggeredback,piercedthroughtheheart。

Graspingthedoor-postinthelastunconsciousthroesofhismightyframe,thewholesideofthehouseyieldedtothatearthquaketremor,andwehadbarelytimetoescapebeforethewholebuildingfellinruins。IthoughtofSamson,theGiantJudge,etc。,etc。;

butallwasover。

GuyHeavystonehaddiedashehadlived,——HARD。

MR。MIDSHIPMANBREEZY。

ANAVALOFFICER。

BYCAPTAINM——RRY——T,R。N。

CHAPTERI。

Myfatherwasanorth-countrysurgeon。Hehadretired,awidower,fromherMajesty’snavymanyyearsbefore,andhadasmallpracticeinhisnativevillage。WhenIwassevenyearsoldheemployedmetocarrymedicinestohispatients。Beingofalivelydisposition,Isometimesamusedmyself;duringmydailyrounds,bymixingthecontentsofthedifferentphials。AlthoughIhadnoreasontodoubtthatthegeneralresultofthispracticewasbeneficial,yet,asthedeathofaconsumptivecuratefollowedtheadditionofastrongmercuriallotiontohisexpectorant,myfatherconcludedtowithdrawmefromtheprofessionandsendmetoschool。

Grubbins,theschoolmaster,wasatyrant,anditwasnotlongbeforemyimpetuousandself-willednaturerebelledagainsthisauthority。Isoonbegantoformplansofrevenge。InthisIwasassistedbyTomSnaffle,——aschoolfellow。OnedayTomsuggested:——

"Supposeweblowhimup。I’vegottwopoundsofpowder!"

"No,that’stoonoisy,"Ireplied。

Tomwassilentforaminute,andagainspoke:——

"Yourememberhowyouflattenedoutthecurate,Pills!Couldn’tyougiveGrubbinssomething——somethingtomakehimleatherysick——

eh?"

Aflashofinspirationcrossedmymind。Iwenttotheshopofthevillageapothecary。Heknewme;Ihadoftenpurchasedvitriol,whichIpouredintoGrubbins’sinkstandtocorrodehispensandburnuphiscoat-tail,onwhichhewasinthehabitofwipingthem。

Iboldlyaskedforanounceofchloroform。Theyoungapothecarywinkedandhandedmethebottle。

ItwasGrubbins’scustomtothrowhishandkerchiefoverhishead,reclineinhischairandtakeashortnapduringrecess。Watchingmyopportunity,ashedozed,Imanagedtosliphishandkerchieffromhisfaceandsubstitutemyown,moistenedwithchloroform。Inafewminuteshewasinsensible。TomandIthenquicklyshavedhishead,beard,andeyebrows,blackenedhisfacewithamixtureofvitriolandburntcork,andfled。Therewasarowandscandalthenextday。MyfatheralwaysexcusedmebyassertingthatGrubbinshadgotdrunk,——butsomehowfounditconvenienttoprocuremeanappointmentinherMajesty’snavyatanearlyday。

CHAPTERII。

Anofficialletter,withtheAdmiraltyseal,informedmethatIwasexpectedtojoinH。M。shipBelcher,CaptainBoltrope,atPortsmouth,withoutdelay。InafewdaysIpresentedmyselftoatall,stern-visagedman,whowasslowlypacingtheleewardsideofthequarter-deck。AsItouchedmyhatheeyedmesternly:——

"Soho!Anotheryoungsuckling。Theserviceisgoingtothedevil。Nothingbutbabesinthecockpitandgranniesintheboard。

Boatswain’smate,passthewordforMr。Cheek!"

Mr。Cheek,thesteward,appearedandtouchedhishat。"IntroduceMr。Breezytotheyounggentlemen。Stop!Where’sMr。Swizzle?"

"Atthemasthead,sir。"

"Where’sMr。Lankey?"

"Atthemasthead,sir。"

"Mr。Briggs?"

"Masthead,too,sir。"

"Andtherestoftheyounggentlemen?"roaredtheenragedofficer。

"Allmasthead,sir。"

"Ah!"saidCaptainBoltrope,ashesmiledgrimly,"underthecircumstances,Mr。Breezy,youhadbettergotothemastheadtoo。"

CHAPTERIII。

AtthemastheadImadetheacquaintanceoftwoyoungstersofaboutmyownage,oneofwhominformedmethathehadbeentherethreehundredandthirty-twodaysoutoftheyear。

"Inroughweather,whentheoldcockisoutofsorts,youknow,wenevercomedown,"addedayounggentlemanofnineyears,withadirknearlyaslongashimself,whohadbeenintroducedtomeasMr。Briggs。"Bytheway,Pills,"becontinued,"howdidyoucometoomitgivingthecaptainanavalsalute?"

"Why,Itouchedmyhat,"Isaid,innocently。

"Yes,butthatisn’tenough,youknow。Thatwilldoverywellatothertimes。Heexpectsthenavalsalutewhenyoufirstcomeonboard——greeny!"

Ibegantofeelalarmed,andbeggedhimtoexplain。

"Why,yousee,aftertouchingyourhat,youshouldhavetouchedhimlightlywithyourforefingerinhiswaistcoat,so,andasked,’How’shisnibs?’——yousee?"

"How’shisnibs?"Irepeated。

"Exactly。Hewouldhavedrawnbackalittle,andthenyoushouldhaverepeatedthesaluteremarking,’How’shisroyalnibs?’askingcautiouslyafterhiswifeandfamily,andrequestingtobeintroducedtothegunner’sdaughter。"

"Thegunner’sdaughter?"

"Thesame;youknowshetakescareofusyounggentlemen;nowdon’tforget,Pillsy!"

WhenwewerecalleddowntothedeckIthoughtitagoodchancetoprofitbythisinstruction。IapproachedCaptainBoltropeandrepeatedthesalutewithoutconscientiouslyomittingasingledetail。Heremainedforamoment,lividandspeechless。Atlengthhegaspedout:——

"Boatswain’smate?"

"Ifyouplease,sir,"Iasked,tremulously,"Ishouldliketobeintroducedtothegunner’sdaughter!"

"O,verygood,sir!"screamedCaptainBoltrope,rubbinghishandsandabsolutelycaperingaboutthedeckwithrage。"Od——nyou!Ofcourseyoushall!Oho!thegunner’sdaughter!O,h——ll!thisistoomuch!Boatswain’smate!"BeforeIwellknewwhereIwas,I

wasseized,bornetoaneight-pounder,tieduponitandflogged!

CHAPTERIV。

Aswesattogetherinthecockpit,pickingtheweevilsoutofourbiscuit,Briggsconsoledmeformylatemishap,addingthatthe"navalsalute,"asacustom,seemedjustthentobehonoredmoreintheBREACHthantheobservance。Ijoinedinthehilarityoccasionedbythewitticism,andinafewmomentswewereallfriends。PresentlySwizzleturnedtome:——

"Wehavebeenjustplanninghowtoconfiscateakegofclaret,whichNips,thepurser,keepsunderhisbunk。Theoldnipcheeseliestheredrunkhalftheday,andthere’snogettingatit。"

"Let’sgetbeneaththestate-roomandborethroughthedeck,andsotapit,"saidLankey。

Thepropositionwasreceivedwithashoutofapplause。Alonghalf-inchaugerandbitwasprocuredfromChips,thecarpenter’smate,andSwizzle,afteracarefulexaminationofthetimbersbeneaththeward-room,commencedoperations。Theaugeratlastdisappeared,whensuddenlytherewasaslightdisturbanceonthedeckabove。Swizzlewithdrewtheaugerhurriedly;fromitspointafewbrightreddropstrickled。

"Huzza!sendherupagain!"criedLankey。

Theaugerwasagainapplied。Thistimeashriekwasheardfromthepurser’scabin。Instantlythelightwasdoused,andthepartyretreatedhurriedlytothecockpit。Asoundofsnoringwasheardasthesentrystuckhisheadintothedoor。"Allright,sir,"herepliedinanswertothevoiceoftheofficerofthedeck。

ThenextmorningweheardthatNipswasinthesurgeon’shands,withabadwoundinthefleshypartofhisleg,andthattheaugerhadNOTstruckclaret。

CHAPTERV。

"Now,Pills,you’llhaveachancetosmellpowder,"saidBriggsasheenteredthecockpitandbuckledaroundhiswaistanenormouscutlass。"WehavejustsightedaFrenchship。"

Wewentondeck。CaptainBoltropegrinnedaswetouchedourhats。

Hehatedthepurser。"Come,younggentlemen,ifyou’reboringforfrenchclaret,yonder’sagoodquality。Mindyourcon,sir,"headded,turningtothequartermaster,whowasgrinning。

Theshipwasalreadyclearedforaction。Themen,intheireagerness,hadstartedthecoffeefromthetubsandfilledthemwithshot。PresentlytheFrenchmanyawed,andashotfromalongthirty-twocameskippingoverthewater。ItkilledthequartermasterandtookoffbothofLankey’slegs。"Tellthepurserouraccountissquared,"saidthedyingboy,withafeeblesmile。

Thefightragedfiercelyfortwohours。IrememberkillingtheFrenchAdmiral,asweboarded,butonlookingaroundforBriggs,afterthesmokehadclearedaway,Iwasintenselyamusedatwitnessingthefollowingnovelsight:——

BriggshadpinnedtheFrenchcaptainagainstthemastwithhiscutlass,andwasnowengaged,withallthehilarityofyouth,inpullingthecaptain’scoat-tailsbetweenhislegs,inimitationofadancing-jack。AstheFrenchmanliftedhislegsandarms,ateachjerkofBriggs’s,Icouldnothelpparticipatinginthegeneralmirth。

"Youyoungdevil,whatareyoudoing?"saidastifledvoicebehindme。IlookedupandbeheldCaptainBoltrope,endeavoringtocalmhissternfeatures,butthetwitchingaroundhismouthbetrayedhisintenseenjoymentofthescene。"Gotothemasthead——upwithyou,sir!"herepeatedsternlytoBriggs。

"Verygood,sir,"saidtheboy,coollypreparingtomounttheshrouds。"Goodby,JohnnyCrapaud。Humph!"headded,inatoneintendedformyear,"aprettywaytotreatahero。Theserviceisgoingtothedevil!"

Ithoughtsotoo。

CHAPTERVI。

WewereorderedtotheWestIndies。AlthoughCaptainBoltrope’smannertowardmewasstillsevere,andevenharsh,Iunderstoodthatmynamehadbeenfavorablymentionedinthedespatches。

Reader,wereyoueveratJamaica?Ifso,yourememberthenegresses,theoranges,PortRoyalTom——theyellowfever。Afterbeingtwoweeksatthestation,Iwastakensickofthefever。InamonthIwasdelirious。Duringmyparoxysms,Ihadawilddistempereddreamofasternfacebendinganxiouslyovermypillow,aroughhandsmoothingmyhair,andakindvoicesaying:——

"Besshis’ittleheart!Didhehavethenaughtyfever?"Thisfaceseemedagainchangedtothewell-knownsternfeaturesofCaptainBoltrope。

WhenIwasconvalescent,apacketedgedinblackwasputinmyhand。Itcontainedthenewsofmyfather’sdeath,andasealedletterwhichhehadrequestedtobegiventomeonhisdecease。I

openedittremblingly。Itreadthus:——

"MydearBoy:——Iregrettoinformyouthatinallprobabilityyouarenotmyson。Yourmother,Iamgrievedtosay,wasahighlyimproperperson。Whoyourfathermaybe,Ireallycannotsay,butperhapstheHonorableHenryBoltrope,CaptainR。N。,maybeabletoinformyou。CircumstancesoverwhichIhavenocontrolhavedeferredthisimportantdisclosure。

"YOURSTRICKENPARENT。"

AndsoCaptainBoltropewasmyfather。Heavens!Wasitadream?

Irecalledhissternmanner,hisobservanteye,hisill-concealeduneasinesswheninmypresence。Ilongedtoembracehim。

Staggeringtomyfeet,Irushedinmyscantyappareltothedeck,whereCaptainBoltropewasjustthenengagedinreceivingtheGovernor’swifeanddaughter。Theladiesshrieked;theyoungest,abeautifulgirl,blusheddeeply。Heedingthemnot,Isankathisfeet,and,embracingthem,cried:——

"Myfather!"

"Chuckhimoverboard!"roaredCaptainBoltrope。

"Stay,"pleadedthesoftvoiceofClaraMaitland,theGovernor’sdaughter。

"Shavehishead!he’sawretchedlunatic!"continuedCaptainBoltrope,whilehisvoicetrembledwithexcitement。

"No,letmenurseandtakecareofhim,"saidthelovelygirl,blushingasshespoke。"Mamma,can’twetakehimhome?"

Thedaughter’spleadingwasnotwithouteffect。InthemeantimeI

hadfainted。WhenIrecoveredmysensesIfoundmyselfinGovernorMaitland’smansion。

CHAPTERVII。

Thereaderwillguesswhatfollowed。IfelldeeplyinlovewithClaraMaitland,towhomIconfidedthesecretofmybirth。Thegenerousgirlassertedthatshehaddetectedthesuperiorityofmymanneratonce。Weplightedourtroth,andresolvedtowaituponevents。

Briggscalledtoseemeafewdaysafterward。Hesaidthatthepurserhadinsultedthewholecockpit,andallthemidshipmenhadcalledhimout。Butheaddedthoughtfully:"Idon’tseehowwecanarrangetheduel。Youseetherearesixofustofighthim。"

"Veryeasily,"Ireplied。"Letyourfellowsallstandinarow,andtakehisfire;that,yousee,giveshimsixchancestoone,andhemustbeabadshotifhecan’thitoneofyou;while,ontheotherhand,yousee,hegetsavolleyfromyousix,andoneofyou’llbecertaintofetchhim。"

"Exactly";andawayBriggswent,butsoonreturnedtosaythatthepurserhaddeclined,——"likead——dcoward,"headded。

ButthenewsofthesuddenandseriousillnessofCaptainBoltropeputofftheduel。Ihastenedtohisbedside,buttoolate,——anhourprevioushehadgivenuptheghost。

IresolvedtoreturntoEngland。Imadeknownthesecretofmybirth,andexhibitedmyadoptedfather’slettertoLadyMaitland,whoatoncesuggestedmymarriagewithherdaughter,beforeI

returnedtoclaimtheproperty。Weweremarried,andtookourdeparturenextday。

Imadenodelayinpostingatonce,incompanywithmywifeandmyfriendBriggs,tomynativevillage。Judgeofmyhorrorandsurprisewhenmylateadoptedfathercameoutofhisshoptowelcomeme。

"Thenyouarenotdead!"Igasped。

"No,mydearboy。"

"Andthisletter?"

Myfather——asImuststillcallhim——glancedonthepaper,andpronounceditaforgery。Briggsroaredwithlaughter。Iturnedtohimanddemandedanexplanation。

"Why,don’tyousee,Greeny,it’sallajoke,——amidshipman’sjoke!"

"But——"Iasked。

"Don’tbeafool。You’vegotagoodwife,——besatisfied。"

IturnedtoClara,andwassatisfied。AlthoughMrs。Maitlandneverforgaveme,thejollyoldGovernorlaughedheartilyoverthejoke,andsowellusedhisinfluencethatIsoonbecame,dearreader,AdmiralBreezy,K。C。B。

JOHNJENKINS;

OR,THESMOKERREFORMED。

BYT。S。A——TH——R。

CHAPTERI。

Onecigaraday!"saidJudgeBoompointer。

Onecigaraday!"repeatedJohnJenkins,aswithtrepidationhedroppedhishalf-consumedcigarunderhiswork-bench。

"Onecigaradayisthreecentsaday,"remarkedJudgeBoompointer,gravely;"anddoyouknow,sir,whatonecigaraday,orthreecentsaday,amountstointhecourseoffouryears?"

JohnJenkins,inhisboyhood,hadattendedthevillageschool,andpossessedconsiderablearithmeticalability。Takingupashinglewhichlayuponhiswork-bench,andproducingapieceofchalk,withafeelingofconsciouspridehemadeanexhaustivecalculation。

"Exactlyforty-threedollarsandeightycents,"hereplied,wipingtheperspirationfromhisheatedbrow,whilehisfaceflushedwithhonestenthusiasm。

"Well,sir,ifyousavedthreecentsaday,insteadofwastingit,youwouldnowbethepossessorofanewsuitofclothes,anillustratedFamilyBible,apewinthechurch,acompletesetofPatentOfficeReports,ahymn-book,andapaidsubscriptiontoArthur’sHomeMagazine,whichcouldbepurchasedforexactlyforty-

threedollarsandeightycents;and,"addedtheJudge,withincreasingsternness,"ifyoucalculateleap-year,whichyouseemtohavestrangelyomitted,youhavethreecentsmore,sir;THREE

CENTSMORE!Whatwouldthatbuyyou,sir?"

"Acigar,"suggestedJohnJenkins;but,coloringagaindeeply,hehidhisface。

"No,sir,"saidtheJudge,withasweetsmileofbenevolencestealingoverhissternfeatures;"properlyinvested,itwouldbuyyouthatwhichpassethallprice。Droppedintothemissionary-box,whocantellwhatheathen,nowidlyandjoyouslywantoninginnakednessandsin,mightbebroughttoasenseofhismiserablecondition,andmade,throughthatthreecents,tofeelthetormentsofthewicked?"

WiththesewordstheJudgeretired,leavingJohnJenkinsburiedinprofoundthought。"Threecentsaday,"hemuttered。"InfortyyearsImightbeworthfourhundredandthirty-eightdollarsandtencents,——andthenImightmarryMary。Ah,Mary!"Theyoungcarpentersighed,and,drawingatwenty-fivecentdaguerreotypefromhisvest-pocket,gazedlongandfervidlyuponthefeaturesofayounggirlinbookmuslinandacoralnecklace。Then,witharesoluteexpression,hecarefullylockedthedoorofhisworkshopanddeparted。

Alas!hisgoodresolutionsweretoolate。Wetriflewiththetideoffortunewhichtoooftennipsusinthebudandcaststhedarkshadowofmisfortuneoverthebrightlexiconofyouth!Thatnightthehalf-consumedfragmentofJohnJenkins’scigarsetfiretohisworkshopandburneditup,togetherwithallhistoolsandmaterials。Therewasnoinsurance。

CHAPTERII。

THEDOWNWARDPATH。

"ThenyoustillpersistinmarryingJohnJenkins?"queriedJudgeBoompointer,asheplayfully,withpaternalfamiliarity,liftedthegoldencurlsofthevillagebelle,MaryJones。

"Ido,"repliedthefairyounggirl,inalowvoice,thatresembledrockcandyinitssaccharinefirmness,——"Ido。Hehaspromisedtoreform。Sincehelostallhispropertybyfire——"

"Theresultofhispernicioushabit,thoughheillogicallypersistsinchargingittome,"interruptedtheJudge。

"Sincethen,"continuedtheyounggirl,"hehasendeavoredtobreakhimselfofthehabit。HetellsmethathehassubstitutedthestalksoftheIndianratan,theouterpartofaleguminousplantcalledthesmoking-bean,andthefragmentaryandunconsumedremainderofcigarswhichoccuratrareanduncertainintervalsalongtheroad,which,asheinformsme,thoughdeficientinqualityandstrength,arecomparativelyinexpensive。"And,blushingatherowneloquence,theyounggirlhidhercurlsontheJudge’sarm。

"Poorthing!"mutteredJudgeBoompointer。"DareItellherall?

YetImust。"

"Ishallclingtohim,"continuedtheyounggirl,risingwithhertheme,"astheyoungvineclingstosomehoaryruin。Nay,nay,chidemenot,JudgeBoompointer。IwillmarryJohnJenkins!"

TheJudgewasevidentlyaffected。Seatinghimselfatthetable,hewroteafewlineshurriedlyuponapieceofpaper,whichhefoldedandplacedinthefingersofthedestinedbrideofJohnJenkins。

"MaryJones,"saidtheJudge,withimpressiveearnestness,"takethistrifleasaweddinggiftfromonewhorespectsyourfidelityandtruthfulness。Atthealtarletitbeareminderofme。"Andcoveringhisfacehastilywithahandkerchief,thesternandiron-

willedmanlefttheroom。Asthedoorclosed,Maryunfoldedthepaper。Itwasanorderonthecornergroceryforthreeyardsofflannel,apaperofneedles,fourpoundsofsoap,onepoundofstarch,andtwoboxesofmatches!

"Nobleandthoughtfulman!"wasallMaryJonescouldexclaim,asshehidherfaceinherhandsandburstintoafloodoftears。

*****

ThebellsofCloverdaleareringingmerrily。Itisawedding。

"Howbeautifultheylook!"istheexclamationthatpassesfromliptolip,asMaryJones,leaningtimidlyonthearmofJohnJenkins,entersthechurch。Butthebrideisagitated,andthebridegroombetraysafeverishnervousness。Astheystandinthevestibule,JohnJenkinsfumblesearnestlyinhisvest-pocket。Canitbetheringheisanxiousabout?No。Hedrawsasmallbrownsubstancefromhispocket,andbitingoffapiece,hastilyreplacesthefragmentandgazesfurtivelyaround。Surelynoonesawhim?Alas!

theeyesoftwoofthatweddingpartysawthefatalact。JudgeBoompointershookhisheadsternly。MaryJonessighedandbreathedasilentprayer。Herhusbandchewed!

CHAPTERIII。ANDLAST。

【推荐阅读】幽幽深宫,醒来一梦似千年,重生于下堂妃身躯中的她,将如何手刃仇人? 点击阅读

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