"Oh, but you must; indeed, you must," exclaimed the colonel. "This is the first time you've been in my little crib-wouldn't come to our ear-ache and stomach-ache-most brilliant thing of the season. Must break bread with us now-indeed, you must."

Jasper now returned, bearing a massive silver tray, with a richly-cut decanter of sherry, surrounded with little blown glass plates, containing finger-biscuits, saucer-cakes, currant buns, and other remnants of that notable feast, now fresh out of Mrs. Blunt's bonnet-box.

"Get out the Cardigan, Jasper," said the colonel to the man, who forthwith produced a three-quarters-full black bottle, with the word Brandy," in black letters on the ivory label.

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sir;

you,

Ah, that's the stuff!" exclaimed the colonel, as the man placed it on the stand; "that's the stuff!" repeated he, his eyes glistening with delight. "Now, take a drop of this just a thimbleful," continued he, seizing a tumbler, and filling it about half full. "Thank you, sir-I'm very thank much obliged to you, sir," exclaimed Mr. Hall, endeavouring to arrest the filling, "but I really. "You really must oblige me," interrupted the colonel; "this is the first time I have had the pleasure of seeing you at least, of seeing you here; and though I've not had the pleasure of dining with you yet, I shall have very great satisfaction in doing so; for you Fleecy borough folks, though there's not much style about you, have a deal of good rough honest hospitality, which, in my opinion, is a much better thing; and I don't know any quarter in England where you get such undeniable mutton-mutton that eats like mutton, instead of the nasty watery, stringy, turnipy stuff, neither mutton nor lamb, that other countries are inundated with." The colonel then filled himself an equally liberal glass, and, nodding to his guest, was soon deep in its contents. "That's good," said he, " very good!" smacking his lips, as he placed the glass on the

table.

Very bad," thought Mrs. Blunt, who was listening at the door; adding to herself, "I'm sure you'll be tipsy."

"Take a biscuit, or a bun, or some of these absurdities ?" said the colonel, flourishing his hand over the tray.

"None, I'm much obleeged," replied the banker, who thought they didn't look very fresh.

"Ah, well; I dare say you're right," observed the colonel. “Drinkin's better for the teeth than eatin'," added he, draining the contents of his glass. He then took, if possible, a more liberal measure than before. "To resume our conversation," said he, glancing his blood-shot eyes at the banker—“to resume our conversation about the young people. I think we understand each other-I think we understand each other. I have, I assure you. the very greatest regard and consideration for my young friend Joe-I mean to say, Tom; there's no young man I have so high an opinion of as I have of him-no young man that I would sooner have as a son-in-law; and if he continues of the same mind, and all things were made pleasant, of course I should not say no. But then, that must be all in good time-all in good time; must know each other-must understand each other-must appreciate each other. Young folks hardly out of their 'teens are not fit to enter into the binding entanglements of matrimony-monthly nurses, coral rattles, caudle, and cryin' childern,"

the colonel kicking out his right fin as if undergoing persecution from a crying child then.

Hall followed the renewed debate, with the following mental commentary:

"Sivin and four's elivin, and a under'd and ninety's two under'd and one-wonder wot he's going to be at now; and thirty's two under'd and thirty-one-wonder if he would make things pleasant; and fourteen is two under'd and fifty-three-she's a devilish deal older than that; and forty's two under'd and ninety-three-a cryin' brat's a terrible nuisance; Mr. Buss's bairn's always cryin'."

Text and commentary coming to a close, the plump diplomatists then sat staring, each wishing the other would come to the point.

"You don't get on with your beverage," at length observed the colonel, seeing his guest sat nursing, his tumbler on his fat knee; "would you like sherry, or gin, or shrub, or anything else?"

"Thank ye, no, colonel; it's very good, but rather strong," replied Hall, taking a sip, and setting down the glass.

"Oh, brandy can hurt no one," replied the colonel; "brandy can hurt no one-most wholesome beverage there is, recommended by the faculty," continued he, draining his tumbler again, and replenishing it plentifully. "Your good health, Hall," said he, holding it up, and addressing the banker; "your good health-Mrs. Hall's good health, my friend Tom's good health. I like a feller like you," said he, smacking his lips, as he set down the glass--" a man without any gammon or blandishment, who comes to the point at once, instead of hummin' and hawin', and beatin' about the bush, as some aggrivatin' fellers do."

"Sivin and four's elivin, and forty-five is fifty-six-he's humbuggin' now," thought Hall; "what does he mean by blandishment?"

"You and I are gettin' on in years," continued the colonel," and shall both be damping off before long, and our objects, I've no doubt, are the same-to see our children comfortably settled while we live; and should anything come of this youthful-romantic attachment, I've no doubt you'll come down devilish handsome-turn some of your dibs into land, and buy them a good substantial family house, with green-house and granaries, and gardens and all complete, so that they may increase and multiply in comfort."

"Sivin and four's elivin, and five-under'd and nine is five-under'd and twenty-he's coming to the point in style," thought Hall. "How would it suit you, colonel, to get out of your money, and invest it in land ?" asked he.

(Bad word) Old beggar has me there," growled the colonel to himself. "Why, I don't know," replied he, "it might be a temptation; or as we are castle building, you and I, s'pose we say-if the thing takes place-we each put down-what shall I say?-twenty, or five-and-twenty thousand?"

"Sivin and four's elivin, and three under'd and four is three under'd and fifteen-that's to the point, at all events," mused Hall. "Well," said he, taking up his hat, and stretching it incontinently on his knee, "well," repeated he, "I'm not prepared to say that I wouldn't. But then, again,' continued he, after a little more mental arithmetic, "it would fall much heavier on me than it would on you."

"How so?" asked the colonel, chuckling at the idea of any one supposing him worth five-and-twenty thousand pounds.

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Why, this way you see," said Hall, still stretching away at his hat; "my money's employed in business, yielding me from fifteen to twenty per cent."

"The devil it is!" exclaimed the colonel; "and yet you only allow two per cent. to depositors, and talk of reducing that. Well (bad word) me," added he, slapping his thigh, "but I've always said bankers, brewers, and bakers, are the biggest rogues under the sun!"

"Indeed,” smiled the banker, amused at his host's vehemence; "mine's a successful business, because it's well attended to-you never see me huntin', or gamlin', or drivin' coaches and four." Our friend looking earnestly at the colonel, as if he had paid him off for his rude speech."But what I was goin' to say, colonel, is this: my money being so well employed, and yours so ill, wouldn't it be better, before the great influx of gold sends down the funds, for you to sell out and buy an estate ?"

"Well, I don't know but it might," replied the colonel, with an air of indifference. "I'll consult my lawyers on the point-no man dare blow his nose without consulting his lawyer, you know; haw, haw, haw!—he, he, he!-ho, ho, ho!"

"Well, then," observed Hall, after a long pause and a side-ways stretch of his hat, "I s'pose that's as far as we can go this mornin'?"

"I s'pose it is," replied the colonel, "unless you'll take another go of brandy-plenty in the bottle," added he, nodding towards it.

"Thank'e, no more, colonel, I am obleged," moving his chair as if about to rise; when a thought struck him-"You're in the funds, I think you say-Consols, I s'pose?"

"Consols," nodded the colonel.

"In your own name, of course?" observed the banker, with an air of indifference.

"In my own name," repeated the colonel.

The man of metal then rose to depart.

"Well, then, Brown-that's to say, Hall," observed the colonel, scrambling off the sofa, and grasping his hand, "I'm much obliged by the friendly nature of this visit; (bad word) it, I like an honest, open-countenanced feller, without guile or blandishment, who comes to the point like a man. I little thought, when I called to ask you to our car-ache and stomach-ache, that we should ever come to anything like this; but I'm sure, if the young people, after a rational acquaintance, feel the same way towards each other that they do now, that we, out of our great abundance, will make them very comfortable," the colonel dashing his fat paw across his blear eyes, as if to check a rising tear, as he spoke.

Hall returned the warmth of the colonel's grasp with his little suetdumpling of a hand, and then, with a " Your servant, colonel," rolled out of the room, nearly tumbling over Jasper, who was kneeling with his ear at the key-hole.

Arrived at the bank, Hall drew out his daily letter of advice to his London correspondents, Messrs. Bullock and Hulker, enclosing a slip of paper, with the following written in pencil:

"Please get Mr. Ferret to find out the amount of stock standing in the name of Lieutenant-Colonel Thomas Blunt, of the Heavysteed Dragoons. I have a particular reason for wishing to know.

T. H."

RECOLLECTIONS OF THE LAST CAFFRE WAR.

It may not be uninteresting at the present time, when we have a protracted Caffre war so imminent, and when we learn by recent arrivals that the Caffres are again threatening to attack Graham's Town, to describe some few events that occurred during the first commencement of the war of 1834 and 35; and how the inhabitants of that town managed to protect and fortify themselves when they were then threatened, until they were relieved by a reinforcement of troops from Cape Town. Much of what I am about to relate, I was an eye-witness to. And although Graham's Town is now partly fortified, and they have soldiers to protect them, yet the continual warfare that has ensued, with scarcely an intermission, since the time above mentioned, has given the Caffres all the advantages and experience of civilised war, and time has also supplied them with a good stock of fire-arms; so that an attack at the present time will, I doubt not, cause as much anxiety and alarm as it did then. It will serve my purpose, if it but conveys to the public a feeling of sympathy for those who are now battling with these savages. But, oh! how should I rejoice, if it could in the slightest degree impress on the minds of those who think that troops are not needed in peace, as well as in war, that in all cases prevention is better than cure! By having soldiers always stationed in Caffreland, any further outbreak could be easily suppressed; and the poor farmer and the inhabitants, I may also add of the towns of the eastern province, may look forward to spending their days in peace and quietness, in a land flowing with milk and honey.

What precious lives have been sacrificed, and blood shed, since the commencement of the disasters of which I am about to write! How much property has been ruthlessly destroyed, to acquire which years of toil and labour had been spent by its owners! How many mothers have been left childless, and how many wives are there, even now, mourning for those who have fallen a sacrifice to the mistaken measures of a government which could listen to the promptings of people who, to serve their own purposes, caused the land to be returned to these savages, and represented them as an ill-used people!an ill-used people!-after the hard-fought battles and protracted sufferings of the colonists, who had so joyfully thought that the admirable arrangements made by the late Sir Benjamin d'Urban and Sir Harry Smith could not fail to meet the approbation of the home government; as the settlement made by them left the Caffres satisfied to consider themselves a conquered people, and also contented at the treaties which established for the English a permanent stronghold in the heart of Caffreland, and thereby insured the peace of the whole colony.

Although it was pretty well known before the first outbreak, that such was premeditated, by the symptoms of the Caffres, who are usually so indolent, being constantly employed in the manufacture of their warweapons, knob-kerries, &c., and by their more than usual avidity to purchase fire-arms and ammunition from the traders, and by those Caffres who are in service in the colony deserting to a man, yet it was extraordinary with what apathy those preparations were regarded, and it was only

when too late to prevent the mischief that the colonists seemed aware of their perilous position.

Graham's Town, it may not be unnecessary to state, is situated on an undulating piece of ground, surrounded by moderately high hills; the houses were at that time mostly thatched, one and two-storied brick buildings, and, from the irregular way in which they were built, extended over a large space. The principal streets run in right angles to each other, having a large square in the centre, where the houses were of a better description, being mostly slate and flat-roofed, and nearly two stories in height. The possession of this town by the English has always been a source of much envy to the Caffres, as they are foolish enough to think that, could they but obtain it, they would, to use their own words, "Drive the white man into the sea."

It was, then, in the latter end of December, 1834, that the Caffres first burst upon the colony; and well can I recollect the afternoon of the 22nd of December, and the strange scene the town presented, as express after express arrived at the public offices from the different military outposts, with the appalling news that the Caffres had spread themselves all over the colony, burning and laying waste the farms, murdering the inhabitants in cold blood, and carrying desolation and terror wherever they appeared. At the time I write of, there was but H. M. 75th Regiment and the Cape Corps on the frontier; and my readers may, then, imagine the fearful consternation of the inhabitants when knowing their unprotected state, for the soldiers were mostly at the outposts, and there were but a few in town. They were informed, by almost the first express, that the Caffres were even then marching down on them, contemplating to take the town as their first bold achievement. Immediately on receiving the intelligence, a meeting was held, and attended by the most influential of the inhabitants; and a resolution was formed of taking immediate steps to protect themselves, and fortify the town as well as they were able, until they could get assistance from Cape Town. It was deemed prudent to make the Episcopal Church, which was situated in the centre of the square, a stronghold for the arms and ammunition; for, as the magazine was some little distance from the town, it was thought the safest plan to convey its contents into this central position. The church was also to serve as a nightly refuge for those people who lived in the outskirts of the town. As soon as the meeting was dissolved, the church bell tolled forth the alarm. Gentlemen were seen on horseback, galloping about, some carrying orders to different parts of the town, others already armed, rushing and jostling in amongst the immense crowd collected, as if the Caffres were already pursuing them. As it drew towards evening the scene grew more exciting: men, women, and children, with terror and alarm depicted on their countenances, were seen carrying beds, bundles, and all their little valuables, hurrying to their refuge in the church; soldiers, with carts loaded with ammunition, hastening to and fro. Carriages and carts, full of the families of the civilians and merchants who had houses in the suburbs, were seen emptying their contents at every door in the square. Fortunate did those con

sider themselves who could get accommodation for their wives and children within it-whether in warehouse, dwelling-house, or "negotic winkle" (retail shop). All night long were expresses coming in.