What a different

sun, was replacing the cold grey of the darker hours. thing it is, to be sure, to get out of your bed deliberately, and, rubbing your eyes for two or three minutes with your fingers, as you stand at the half-closed curtain, and then, through the mist of your sleep, look out upon the east, and think you see the sun rising, and totter back to the comfortable nest again-the whole incident not breaking your sleep, but merely being interwoven with your dreams-a thing to dwell on among other pleasant fancies, and to be boasted of the whole day afterwards-what a different thing it is, I say, from the sensations of him who has been up all night in the mail-shaken, bruised, and cramped-sat on by the fat man, and kicked by the lean one; still, worse of him who spends his night dos-a-dos to an oak in a forest, cold, chill, and comfortless-no property in his limbs beneath the knees, where all sensation terminates-and his hands as benumbed as the heart of a poor-law guardian.

If I have never in all my after life seen the sun rise from the Rigi, from Snowdon, or the Pic du Midi, or any other place which seems especially made for this sole purpose, I owe it to the experience of this night, and am grateful therefor. Not that I have the most remote notion of throwing disrespect on the glorious luminary-far from it. I cut one of my oldest friends for speaking lightly of the equator; but I hold it that the sun looks best-as every one else does-when he's up and dressed for the day. It's a piece of prying, impertinent curiosity to peep at him when he's rising and at his toilet-he has not rubbed the clouds out of his eyes, or you dared not look at him, and you feel it too: the very way you steal out to catch a glimpse, shows the sneaking, contemptible sense you have of your own act. Peeping Tom was a gentleman compared to your early riser.

The whole of which digression simply means to say-I by no means enjoyed the rosy-fingered morning's blushes, the more for having spent the preceding night in the open air. I need not worry myself, still less my reader, by recapitulating the various frames of mind which succeeded each other every hour of my captivity. At one time my escape with life served to console me for all I endured; at another my bondage excited my whole wrath-I vowed vengeance on my persecutors too, and meditated various schemes for their punishment-my anger rising as their absence was prolonged, till I thought I could calculate my indignation by an algebraical formula, and make it exactly equal to the squares of the distance of my persecutors: then I thought of the delight I should experience in regaining my freedom, and actually made a bold effort to see something ludicrous in the entire adventure-but no; it would not do; I could not summon up a laugh, do all in my power. At last it might have been towards noon-I heard a merry voice chanting a song, and a quick step coming up the allée of the wood. Never did my heart beat with such delight: the very mode of progression had something joyous in it-it seemed a hop, and a step, and a spring, suiting each motion to the tune of the air-when suddenly the singer, with a long bound, stood before me. It would, indeed, have been a puzzling question which of us more surprised the other: however, as I can render no accurate account of his sensations on seeing me, I must content myself with recording mine on beholding him, and the best way to do so is, to describe him :-He was a man, or a boy-heaven knows which-of something under the middle size, dressed in rags of every colour and shape-his old white hat was crushed and bent into some faint resemblance of a chapeau, and decorated with a cockade of dirty ribbons and a cock's feather-a little white jacket, such as men cooks wear in the kitchen, and a pair of flaming crimson plush

shorts, cut above the knee, and displaying his naked legs, with sabots, formed his costume: a wooden sword was attached to an old belt round his waist, an ornament of which he seemed vastly proud, and which from time to time he regarded with no small satisfaction.

"Holloa!" cried he, starting back, as he stood some six paces off, and gazed at me with most unequivocal astonishment; then recovering his self-possession long before I could summon mine, he said—“ Bon jour, bon jour, camarade-a fine day for the vintage."

"No better," said I; "but come a little nearer, and do me the favour to untie these cords."

"Ah! are you long fastened up there ?"

"The whole night," said I, in a lamentable accent, hoping to move his compassion the more speedily.

"What fun," said he, chuckling.

about ?"

tell

"Were there many squirrels

"Thousands of them. But come-be quick and undo this, and I'll you all about it."

"Gently, gently," said he, approaching with great caution about six inches nearer me. "When did the rabbits come out?-was it before

day ?"

"Yes, yes, an hour before. But I'll tell you every thing when I'm loose. Be alive now, do."

"Why did you tie yourself so fast ?" said he, eagerly, but not venturing to come closer.

"Confound the fellow," said I, passionately. "I didn't tie myself; it was the-the-"

"Ah! I know-it was the Maire, old Pierre Bougout. Well, well, he knows best when you ought to be set free. Bon jour," and with that he began once more his infernal tune, and set out on his way as if nothing had happened; and though I called, prayed, swore, promised, and threatened with all my might, he never turned his head, but went on capering as before, and soon disappeared in the dark wood. For a full hour passion so completely mastered me, that I could do nothing but revile fools and idiots of every shade and degree-inveighing against mental imbecility as the height of human wickedness, and wondering why no one had ever suggested the propriety of having "naturals" publicly whipped. I am shocked at myself, now, as I call to mind the extravagance of my anger; and I grieve to say, that had I been, for that short interval the proprietor of a private mad-house, I fear I should have been betrayed into the most unwarrantable cruelties towards the patients; indeed, what is technically called "moral government," would have formed no part of my system.

Meanwhile time was moving on, if not pleasantly, at least steadily; and already the sun began to decline somewhat; and his rays, that before came vertical, were now slanting as they fell upon the wood. For a while my attention was drawn off from my miseries by watching the weazles as they played and sported about me, in the confident belief that I was at best only a kind of fungus-an excrescence on an oak tree. One of them used to come actually to my feet, and even ran across my instep in his play. Suddenly the thought ran through me-and with what terror-how soon may it be thus, and that I shall only be a miserable skeleton, pecked at by crows, and nibbled by squirrels. The idea was too dreadful; and, as if the hour had actually come, I screamed out to frighten off the little creatures, and sent them back scampering into their dens.

"Holloa there! what's the matter?" shouted a deep mellow voice from

the middle of the wood; and before I could reply, a fat, rosy-cheeked man, of about fifty, with a pleasant countenance terminating in a row of double chins, approached me, but still with evident caution, and halting when about five paces distant, stood still.

"Who are you?" said I, hastily, resolving this time at least to adopt a different method of effecting my liberation.

"What's all this ?" quoth the fat man, shading his eyes with his palm, and addressing some one behind him, whom I now recognised as my friend the fool who visited me in the morning.

"I say, sir," repeated I, in a tone of command somewhat absurd from a man in my situation-"who are you, may I ask ?"

"The Maire of Givét," said he, pompously, as he drew himself up, and took a large pinch of snuff with an imposing gravity, while his companion took off his hat in the most reverent fashion, and bowed down to the ground.

“Well, Monsieur le Maire, the better fortune mine to fall into such hands. I have been robbed and fastened here, as you see, by a gang of scoundrels"-I took good care to say nothing of smugglers-" who have carried away every thing I possessed. Have the kindness to loosen these confounded cords, and set me at liberty."

"Were there many of them ?" quoth the Maire, without budging a step forward.

"Yes, a dozen at least. But untie me at once-I'm heartily sick of being chained up here."

"A dozen at least!" repeated he, in an accent of wonderment.

"Ma

foi, a very formidable gang. Do you remember any of their names?"

"Devil take their names, how should I know them? Come, cut these cords, will you ? We can talk just as well when I'm free."

"Not so fast, not so fast," said he, admonishing me with a bland motion of his hand. "Every thing must be done in order. Now, since you don't know their names, we must put them down as 'parties unknown.'" "Put them down whatever you like; but let me loose."

"All in good time. Let us proceed regularly. Who are your witnesses ?"

"Witnesses!" screamed I, overcome with passion.-"You'll drive me distracted. I tell you I was waylaid in the wood by a party of scoundrels, and you ask me for their names, and then for my witnesses! Cut these cords, and don't be so infernally stupid. Come, old fellow, be alive, will you?"

Softly, softly; don't interrupt public justice," said he, with a most provoking composure. "We must draw up the procés verbal.”

"To be sure," said I, endeavouring to see what might be done by concurrence with him-" nothing more natural. But let me loose first; then we'll arrange the procés.".

"Not at all; you're all wrong," interposed he. "I must have two witnesses first to establish the fact of your present position-ay, and they must be of sound mind, and able to sign their names."

"May heaven grant me patience, or I'll burst," said I to myself, while he continued in a regular sing-song tone

"Then we'll take your deposition in form. from ?"

Where do you come

"Ireland," said I, with a deep sigh, wishing I were up to the neck in a bog-hole there, in preference to my actual misfortune.

"What language do you usually speak?"

"English."

"There now," said he, brightening up-"there's an important fact already in the class No. 1, identity, which speaks of "all traits, marks, and characteristic signs by which the plaintiff may be known." Now, we'll set you forth as 'an Irishman that speaks English.""

"If you go on this way a little longer, you may put me down as insane, for I vow to heaven I'm becoming so."

"Come, Bobeche," said he, turning towards the natural, who stood in mute admiration at his side-" go over to Claude Gueirans' at the mill, and see if the notaire be up there: there was a marriage of his niece this morning, and I think you'll find him;-then cross the bridge, and make for Papalot's, and ask him to come up here and bring some stamped paper to take informations with him. You may tell the cure as you go by, that there's been a dreadful crime committed in the forest, and that 'la justice s'informe' "—these last words were pronounced with an accent of the most magniloquent solemnity.

Scarcely had the fool set out on his errand when my temper, so long restrained, burst all bounds, and I abused the Maire in the most outrageous manner. There was no insult I could think of I did not heap on his absurdity, his ignorance, his folly, and stupidity; and never ceased till actually want of breath completely exhausted me. To all this the worthy

man made no reply, nor paid even the least attention. Seated on the stump of a beech tree, he looked steadily at vacancy, till at length I began to doubt whether the whole scene were real, and that he was not a mere creature of my imagination. I verily believe I'd have given five louis d'ors to have been free one moment, if only to pelt a stone at him. Meanwhile, the shadow of coming night was falling on the forest-the crows came cawing home to their dwelling in the tree tops-the sounds of insect life were stilled in the grass-and the odours of the forest, stronger as night closed in, filled the air. Gradually the darkness grew thicker and thicker, and at last all I could distinguish was the stems of the trees near me, and a massive black object I judged to be the Maire.

I called out to him in accents intended to be most apologetic-I begged forgiveness for my warmth of temper-protested my regrets, and only asked for the pleasure of his entertaining society till the hour of my liberation should arrive. But no answer came-not a word, not a syllable in reply; I could not even hear him breathing. Provoked at this uncomplying obstinacy I renewed my attacks on all constituted authorities→ expressed the most lively hopes that the gang of robbers would some day or other burn down Givét and all it contained, not forgetting the Maire and the notary; and finally, to fill up the measure of insult, tried to sing the " ca ira," which, in good monarchical Holland, was, I knew, a dire offence; but I broke down in the melody, and had to come back to prose. However, it came just to the same-all was silent. When I ceased speaking, not even an echo returned me a reply. At last I grew wearied-the thought that all my anathemas had only an audience of weazles and wood-peckers, damped the ardour of my eloquence, and I fell into a musing fit on Dutch justice, which seemed admirably adapted to those good old times when people lived to the age of eight or nine hundred years, and when a few months were as the twinkling of an eye. Then I began a little plan of a tour from the time of my liberation, cautiously resolving never to move out of the most beaten tracks, and to avoid all districts where the Maire was a Dutchman. Hunger, and thirst, and cold by this time began to tell upon my spirits too, and I grew sleepy from sheer exhaustion.

Scarcely had I nodded my head twice in slumber, when a loud shout

awoke me, I opened my eyes, and saw a vast mob of men, women, and children, carrying torches, and coming through the wood at full speedthe procession being led by a venerable-looking old man on a white pony, whom I at once guessed to be the cure, while the fool, with a very imposing branch of burning pine, walked beside him.

"Good evening to you, monsieur," said the old man as he took off his hat with an air of great courtesy.

"You must excuse the miserable plight I'm in, Monsieur le Curé," said I, "if I can't return your politeness-but I'm tied."

"Cut the cords at once," said the good man to the crowd that now pressed forward.

"Your pardon, Father Jacques," said the "Maire," as he sat up in the grass and rubbed his eyes, which sleep seemed to have almost obliterated; "but the procés verbal is"Cut the rope, my

Quite unnecessary here," replied the old man. friends."

"Not so fast," said 'the Maire, pushing towards me. "I'll untie it. That's a good cord, and worth eight sous.'

And so, notwithstanding all my assurances that I'd give him a crownpiece to use more despatch, he proceeded leisurely to unfasten every knot, and took at least ten minutes before he set me at liberty.

"Hurrah," said I, as the last coil was withdrawn, and I attempted to spring into the air, but my cramped and chilled limbs were unequal to the effort, and I rolled headlong on the grass.

The worthy cure, however, was at once beside me, and after 'a few directions to the party to make a litter for me, he knelt down to offer up a short prayer for my deliverance-the rest followed the act with implicit devotion, while I took off my hat in respect, and sat still where I was.

"I see," whispered he, when the ave was over-"I see you are a Protestant. This is a fast day with us, but we'll get you a poulet at my cottage, and a glass of wine will soon refresh you."

With many a thankful speech I soon suffered myself to be lifted into a large sheet, such as they use in the vineyards, and with a strong cortége of the villagers, carrying their torches, we took our way back to Givét.

*

*

The circumstances of my adventure, considerably exaggerated of course, were bruited over the country; and before I was out of bed next morning a chasseur, in a very showy livery, arrived with a letter from the lord of the manor, entreating me to take my abode for some days at the Château de Rochepied, where I should be received with a perfect welcome, and every endeavour made to recover my lost effects. Having consulted with the worthy cure, who counselled me by all means to accept this flattering invitation-a course I was myself much disposed to-I wrote a few lines of answer, and despatched a messenger by post to Dinant to bring up my heavy baggage which I had left there.

Towards noon the count's carriage drove up to convey me to the chateau. And having taken an affectionate farewell of my kind host, I set out for Rochepied. The wicker conveniency in which I travelled, all alone, was, albeit not the thing for Hyde Park, easy and pleasant in its motion; the fat Flemish mares, with their long tails tastefully festooned over a huge cushion of plaited straw on their backs, went at a fair steady pace; the road led through a part of the forest abounding in pretty vistas of woodland scenery; and every thing conspired to make me feel that even an affair