requires, however, besides a suitable acid, bridge, and turns sharp round to the the presence of some other albuminoid | right towards the village of Milford. substance analogous to pepsin. Such They pass through the village, and substances, however, are frequent in drive on till they come to the row of cotplants. Besides the well-known diastase, tages tenanted by Sailor and Skim. which converts the starch of malt into Here one of them dismounts, and enters sugar, there are other instances in the the cottage it is Skim; and he comes synaptase which determines the forma-out carrying a lantern in one hand, a mattion of hydrocyanic acid from emulsine, tock and pick in the other. He leads and the myrosin which similarly induces the horse past the cottages, and opens a the formation of oil of mustard. We field-gate. There is a rough sort of cartneed not wonder, then, if the fluid se- shed here, and beneath this the horse is creted by a plant should prove to possess tied up. Then the two men make their the ingredients necessary for the diges-way rapidly on foot towards the manortion of insoluble animal matters. house. They both wear goloshes, and move silently along, like ghosts. Whilst they were yet a little distance from the house, Skim, who was slightly in advance, turned round suddenly, and clutched in terror the arm of his companion. These remarks will, I hope, lead you to see, that though the processes of plant nutrition are in general extremely different from those of animal nutrition, and involve very simple compounds, yet that the protoplasm of plants is not ab- "I see a light," he whispered hoarsely solutely prohibited from availing itself of "a light shining through the brickfood, such as that by which the proto-work. She's about to-night, she is. plasm of animals is nourished; under What shall we do?" which point of view these phenomena of carnivorous plants will find their place, as one more link in the continuity of nature. From Chambers' Journal. THE MANOR-HOUSE AT MILFORD. CHAPTER XII. Are you drawn forth among a world Collop's teeth chattered in his head, bur he affected to be unconcerned. "What! you afraid, Skim? Why, you used to be as bold as a lion." "Ah, but I've had a couple of years of it since then," cried Skim. "I tell you I hear her keys jingling lots of times; and when I hear the door of her box creak, I am out of my mind with terror." "It's only your fancy, Skim. She's safe enough in, and don't walk about at nights." "Tell you she do," cried Skim, "and this is one of her nights. O master! let's go back." ment, which had made Skim a coward, IT is a cold winter's night; the stars "Go on, you fool. Why, if fifty old are sparkling frostily overhead; the thin women, alive or dead, were in the way, I'd pale crescent of the moon has just disap-go on now." Suspense and disappointpeared behind that dark clump of firs; here and there a light shines in a cottage window, but for the most part the village is abandoned to darkness and repose. A silence that may be felt broods over the scene, only disturbed, as you stand here on the bridge, by the feeble brattle of the stream. A thin white vapour rises from its course, through which you may see the reflected gleam of a star in that still reach. Faintly round about are the shadows of hills, hardly to be distinguished from the sky. There is a light The passage came out under the celin the belfry tower; the ringers are up lar stairs in an arched recess, that held a there, about to wake the bells into music. set of wooden shelves. These swung Now the sound of wheels breaks into back, and admitted the treasure-seekers the stillness that was almost oppressive, into the haunted house. They made and a dog-cart, without lamps, driven by their way directly into the kitchen, and a tall thin man, another stouter, burlier Skim silently examined the place with his 'man sitting beside him, rattles over the lantern. "It's only me, sir, locking up the old grating with a chain and padlock. We'll have no followers to-night, master." "What's that?" cried Collop, seizing him by the arm. "Why, the clock's going!" 66 Ah," said Skim, "I set him agoing. I didn't like the look of her standing always at one o'clock." So saying, he threw off his smock and waistcoat, and set vigorously to work. He removed the bricks from the middle of the kitchen, and began to dig out a hole. Collop helped, by removing the dirt as fast as it was thrown out. The earth had evidently been previously disturbed, and this gave them encouragement to persevere, and presently Skim's mattock struck with a harsh, ringing sound against some metallic substance. "We've got him!" cried Skim, jumping out of the hole in great glee. "It's an iron chest, old man, and full of money." Sure enough, as they cleared away the loose earth, the lid of a stout iron chest was revealed to them. There was a handle at the top as if to lift it by. Skim seized the handle, and tried to draw up the box, but it resisted all his efforts. Then he put a rope through it, and Collop and he hauled away with their united strength, but they could not make it stir an inch. "What's to be done now?" cried Skim, looking ruefully at Collop. "Can't you get the lid open?" "I doubt it. We must get the box up first. We ain't got nothing strong enough to burst that open. Stop a bit; there's a hop-pitcher in the house somewhere, if I can think where it's put." A hop-pitcher is a heavy bar of iron, with a broad-pointed end, used by hopgrowers for pitching or drilling holes in the ground about the hop-plants, for the poles on which the vines are trained to be inserted. It forms a very likely instrument for such a purpose as Skim's. "I remember now," cried Skim. "I put it down in the cellar. Come with me down there, won't you! I'm afraid to go alone." The two men cautiously descended the steps into the cellar, holding each other by the arms, and flashing the lamp in front of them. but he had more self-control, and he had more at stake. He snatched up the lantern, and advanced into the cellar. Yes, there stood Aunt Betsy at the end, in her habit as she lived the black poke bonnet; the brown French merino dress; the silk jacket, with fringe on; the black kid gloves, with swollen knuckles and finger-joints. 66 My good old friend," faltered Collop and then he saw his mistake. The head was lolling forward from out the poke bonnet; the chin had fallen; it was only a mummy after all a poor, dried husk of humanity. There was something else in the cellar which Collop had not before noticed. Stretched out in front of his aunt's last resting-place was Tom Rapley, who had been in a dead faint, but who now, as Collop watched him, shewed symptoms of reviving animation. "Skim!" cried Collop, who was now master of himself, "come down, I tell you. The old woman's still and safe enough. I've shut her up now." He suited the action to the word, and closed the door upon the body. It closed with a catch; and a piece of string that was wound round the knob, had probably been the means of releasing the catch when Tom snatched the letter away. 66 Skim, come down; here's Tom Rapley down here.” Skim came down the stairs, halfashamed of his terror, half-overpowered by it. But when he saw Tom Rapley, his countenance assumed an expression of malignant ferocity. "I shall do for this man," he said. "I'll not have him coming in my way any longer." "Don't harm him," cried Collop. "Remember thou shalt do no murder." Tom here began to move. He raised himself on one elbow, rubbed his eyes with his disengaged hand. "What! Mr. Collop," he cried. "Skim!" "You see," whispered Skim, "he knows us. He'll tell upon us. Pop him in the well afore he gets his strength back." The well was at the foot of the cellar "Don't it smell," cried Skim, "like a stairs, you will remember, its mouth covdoctor's shop? Poh! it makes me feel ered by a stone slab the well, of inquite queer and giddy." Here Skim definite depth, and of icy coldness. gave vent to something between a shriek Skim ran and hastily pulled off the stone and a shout, dropped the lantern upon covering. A few pebbles dislodged fell the steps, and fled up the cellar stairs.in, and presently splashed in the water "It's the old lady! It's old Mother far below with a faint hollow sound. Rennel! She's coming out!" Tom was now rising to his feet, beCollop was as much frightened as Skim; wildered. Skim rushed upon him, and hurled him down. Rapley read his fate in a moment from Skim's face. He was to be murdered to be flung alive into the well. "You take his legs, master;; I'll take his head," cried Skim to Collop. Tom lay there quiet, like one dead; but the moment that Skim laid hold of his shoulders to drag him along, he began to shriek piteously. "Help, help!" he cried. "Lizzie! help, help!" "Hold that noise," cried Skim furiously, striking him over the head with the loaded stick he carried beneath his jacket. Tom gave a groan, then all was still. "I've done it now," said Skim in a low, husky whisper. "All we can do after this is to hide it. Take hold of the legs do you hear?" Collop obeyed mechanically. It had all happened in a moment; and now he was blind with agitation, sick at heart, and only half-conscious of what he was doing. Then he saw a black chasm open out under his feet, and that Skim was motioning to him to let go. "I won't, I won't!" cried Collop. "I won't let him go. Skim, you are a murderer!" At that moment they both started back in horror, for a voice was sounding shrilly through the house. "Where's Tom? Where's my Tom? O Tom, Tom, speak to me!" "Here's his wife," cried Skim. "Down with him; down into the water; and her after him, if she will have it." "Skim, I won't; I wash my hands of it.' "Tom, Tom! speak to me, Tom, for the love of Heaven!" repeated the frantic voice above. Still no answer. - at the Royal Oak, sir.” They went inside, and entered the sanded parlour. Pedler sat there by the fire, his basket on the floor in front of him, looking pale and nervous. "Well, what have you got to say for yourself?" said Mr. Brown the superintendent, eyeing the man severely. "Do you know anything about this gold robbery?" 66 Only what I told this gentleman here," said the pedler, indicating Bridger. "I slept in the barn last night, sir, close by the old house, and I see two chaps crawl into a hole in the ground." "Were they rat-catching?" said Brown with a sneer. "I don't know what they was catching," said pedler, "but I wouldn't have liked 'em to have catched me." "Humph! Well, what happened after your friends had gone to earth?” "Well, sir, I lay hid among a lot of old hop-vines; and when an hour or more had gone, they came back, and then I see their faces by the light of the lamp." "Do you know who they were?" "I know one of 'em - a chap they calls Skim; the other was a tall, lanky chap I didn't know. Well, sir, they'd got a little bag with 'em, and they sat down and opened the bag, and began to count out money; I could hear it chinkThere was a moment's struggle, then a ing; and they quarrelled a bit at first. heavy, thunderous roar, and a dull, heavy The long chap wanted to have the most, splash, reverberating hollowly from the and Skim wouldn't stand it; “Fair dealsides of the well; then the quick washing," he says, "share and share alike." of circling ripples beating against the brick-work, after that silence. "You won't let go you won't!" cried Skim. "Let go, I tell you, let go." Thinks I for a minute, I'll cry shares too; but then I see the twinkle in the chap's eye, and perhaps, says I to myself, I'll get knocked on the head for my pains." "And what happened next?" "They puts the boards down they'd taken up, and goes off." 66 And you heard nothing more?" "Only I heard Skim call his friend by his name; but I can't recollect the name; it was a funny one - Cutlet, or Chop, or something like that." "Was it Collop?" suggested Frewen. "That was the very name," cried the pedler. "What is it?" cried every one eagerly. "I can get no farther," said Sailor; After a short consultation between lanterns in his hand, began to crawl up Frewen and the superintendent, it was the narrow stone tube. He had scarcely agreed that pedler should lead the way disappeared, however, when he began to to the barn and point out the place where back rapidly out. the men disappeared. As they went tramping past the old house, they noticed Sailor standing at the gate, on the look-"there is a grating across.' out. He gave them a civil "good-night," and Bridger loitered behind for a moment to tell Sailor the news: how he had been the means of arriving at the real truth of the matter, and how probably Tom Rapley would come off clear, owing to his (Bridger's) activity and foresight. "I told you so," said Brown, triumphantly: "a drain; that's all." "But the grating would open fast enough, only it's fastened with a new chain and padlock." "Break it open, then." "That's easier said than done; I couldn't hardly get at it if I'd the tools. Has anybody got a hammer?" No one had a hammer; but a man was hastily despatched to the village to "O me!" cried Sailor, the recollection of his own experience in the barn flash-get one. ing upon him; "I must go with you; I can give a bit of evidence there only I'll just run up and tell Mrs. Rapley the good news." Sailor ran up the garden-path, and presently returned, bringing with him Tom's wife. She must come, she says," he cried apologetically to Bridger; "she must see fair play to her Tom." When they reached the barn, they found that the police had already removed the boards at the further end of the flooring, and were standing, several of them, up to their middles in a shallow excavation beneath. "It's nothing but a drain,” said Brown. "Drain or not, it may lead into the old house." "I don't believe the story a bit; fancy anybody crawling into this dirty hole! "People will crawl into dirtier holes than that for a bit of money," cried Sailor's voice from among the group of lookers-on. I beg your pardon, sir, but I can give a bit of testimony about this. I see two chaps crawl in here one night, and I believe as it do go to the old house." 66 Very well; there is nothing for it, then, but for some one to crawl up and look. Now, then, men, which of you is inclined for a bit of sewer-work? No volunteers appeared among the police. Sailor remained there, crouching by the hole, with his head inside, eagerly listening. "Hush!" he cried; "there's people there now; I hear them moving about. They're quarrelling too. I hear somebody struggling. Hark!" A narrow circle of light, in which white intent faces are distinctly visible, everything else dusky and uncertain. One of the faces nearest to the opening is a woman's, who is listening greedily. Noises sound clearly but hollowly through the passage -a gruff husky voice, a high shrill one, and another. Yes, the woman recognizes that voice instantly-it is Tom's, it is her husband's, and he is calling for help! "Help, murder, help!" in quick agonized tones. They are killing him in that deserted house, and help is far away! Every one hears the voices now, and they gather in a closer circle about the sunken passage. A strange instinctive excitement takes possession even of the stolid constables. A dozen incoherent suggestions are gasped out: Knock the grating in. Blow it up with gunpowder. Tie a rope to it, and drag it out. But nothing is done. "Help, help, help!" The sounds rang out with fearful but subdued clamour, striking a chill into all hearts, and filling them with a strange agitation. To one ear in that little group the cry came with appalling significance: Lizzie knew the voice, and foreboded at once the worst. "Some of you men," cried Frewen, "I'll go!" cried Sailor, throwing off his pea-jacket. "I'm suppler than you chaps with your helmets, and buckles,"get a crowbar, and break through the and belts, and long-tailed coats." Every one drew back from the excavation; and Sailor, tightening his girdle, and kicking off his shoes, descended, and taking one of the policemen's bull's-eye brick-work of the windows." There were no tools, however, nearer than the village, and nothing could be done with naked hands against stone and iron. "It's all over now," said Sailor, looking up; there had been a hollow groan, and then a heavy fall. "Somebody look out after Mrs. Rapley." She had disappeared. She had run swiftly back to their own house, had torn open the nailed-up door, and was now rushing wildly through the deserted rooms of the old house, calling loudly for Tom. But there was no answer. At that moment she heard a sound so pitiable and full of agony, that her heart ceased for a moment to beat and her blood to circulate. It was a smothered sound, almost like a roar of some wild animal caught in the toils; and yet there was a human voice about it too, unintelligible, and yet unmistakable. It was a cry of wild anguish and intolerable despair; and not of one voice alone, but the blending of two voices, one hoarse and frantic, the other shrill and importunate, uniting in a strange horrible discord. The sound was from the cellar, and she ran down the stairs in frenzy. At the foot of the stairs she stumbled over some soft yielding substance, and almost fell forward, but she recovered herself with an effort. The cellar was not quite dark, for a lamp lay upon the floor, which was smouldering and smoking still; she seized it, and opening the door of the lamp, a breath blew the flame into light. Then she saw what she had escaped: the yawning mouth of the well was open at her feet, and at the foot of the stairs was the body over which she had stumbled her own Tom, bleeding from a deep cut in his forehead. Where were they? Who had done it? The pit which the two wretches had dug for another they had themselves fallen into. Skim had slipped at the margin of the well; he had seized Collop, to save himself, and had involved him in the same horrible fate. That terrible cry of anguish and despair was their last farewell to life. there on the steps, moaning and crying, with her husband's head in her lap. Lizzie pointed to the well, but could not speak. "Well, it looks as if somebody had tumbled in," said the superintendent, examining the margin of the well. There's been a scuffle too and here's a couple of hats. Where is there a rope?" 66 "There's one belonging to the windlass of the other well," cried Sailor. That was brought; but before anybody could descend, it was necessary to test the air down below. Lamp after lamp that was lowered went out, and then they got together a lot of brushwood from Tom's fagot-stock, and made a fire at the mouth of the well. By this time Tom had recovered a little, and was able to speak. He knew the names of his assailants, he whispered they were Skim and Collop; but he didn't know what had become of them. Then he was carried off to his own bed, and the surgeon of the village was sent for, who bandaged up his head, and assured his weeping wife that there was no danger to life. The police bivouacked that night in the old manor; they lit a big fire in the kitchen; Mrs. Booth sent them beer, and bread and cheese, and on the whole they were merry enough. Before morning, they had recovered the bodies from the well. They were locked firmly in each other's gripe, their features distorted with rage, terror, and despair. Frewen came over in the morning, and the iron box was raised from its bed with much difficulty, as it had been firmly secured to a large stone slab beneath. When it was opened, it was found to be nearly full of gold, all Aunt Betsy's hoardings, no doubt. Counted, the amount proved to be ten thousand pounds exactly, neither more nor less. It seemed that this had been her final place of deposit; and it was afterwards ascertained When once they found a crowbar, the that she had ordered the iron chest and police had little difficulty in breaking into stone slab to be prepared in London, the deserted house. They attacked the by a firm she had long dealt with, and new brick-work in the kitchen window, that they were fixed there by the confiand it came away in great flakes, so that dential servants of that firm. It must not a practical breach was soon made. With be supposed that Aunt Betsy had dug no little curiosity and expectation, they down to her iron chest every time she crowded into the place. The first thing that struck their eyes was the hole in the floor and the half-excavated iron box. Then they followed the tracks of sandy feet to the cellar. Here the sight they saw was at once perplexing and disappointing. Only Lizzie Rapley sitting made a deposit there. There had been an iron tube let into a slit in the top of the chest, the mouth of which reached to the surface of the ground, and was covered by one of the bricks of the flooring. The old lady had only to remove one of the bricks and drop her money down coin |