MERRYMAN. By the pricking of my thumbs, three distinct knocks At that moment were heard against the outside of the door.. the clock began to strike, and had no sooner made the tinkling metal resound for the twelfth time, than they heard the folding door, at the bottom of the room, thrown open, and saw a thick vapour rush in, as if the house had been in flames. All were so petrified, that they could neither move nor speak; but gazed in silent horror. Merryman, whose back was towards the door, either through ebriety or terror, fell from his chair, and emptied the contents of his stomach upon a copy of Paul Sheers's petition, which he had dropped upon the floor. (See the Frontispiece.) The vapour ascended, and expanded itself, till it filled all the end of the room; the resemblance of Brush was discernible in the midst of it; and his well-known voice was heard to pronounce, not in the hollow, hoarse, terrific tone of vulgar ghosts; but in the bland accents which had so often charmed the members of the Common Hall both within and without its walls: "You see that I am punctual to the promise which I made to Merryman, my lads! I was terribly afraid that he would drink so much to drown his last night's dream, as to make him forget to mention it to you; but he, too, has been punctual for once in his life. Well-I see you're going on as usual-merrilySecret-service money, hey! Well, you're publicspirited men, and it is but fair that the public should find you in spirits. They are, undoubtedly, so very meek a sort of ass, that any daring adventurers may up and ride; but, at times, she is apt to fling her riders over her head, and to kick at them when down. Have a care, lads, that this be not your case! I came to inform you that a very weighty danger hangs over your heads; the sword over the head of Damocles was a trifle compared with what is suspended over your's." The spectre then pointed to the ceiling, whence the company beheld an enormously large PORTLAND-stone suspended over them by a slight cord, and the figure of Farmer Gildrig, armed with a large pair of Sheers, and in the very act of cutting it asunder. (The Reader has our permission to turn to the Fron tispiece, so often as he pleases during the reading of this chapter, on the slight condition only of praising the abilities of the author in every company into which he may go for a month to come; and, by the time he has seen what justice the engraver has done to our ideas, the Brushites will have been sufficiently recovered from their fright and consternation to have regained the use of their tongues, which were for some minutes jaw-locked after beholding this dismal portent.) proceed? Well, Reader, art thou ready to Come on then, attend to the follow ing dialogue: GHOST. What, no one speak! Is then that member, tongue, With which the Common-Hall so oft has rung your own praises, now denied its task? In If aught you to have to ask me quickly ask. From each, one question, I've just time to answerThen speak thou first-thou petty op'ra dancer. MINIKIN. Is there no hope?—Not one string to my bow? GHOST. Fortune, who leaps so high, can ne'er bring low. You'll rook the public with a pigeon's-wing- Who follows next? GREYGOOSE. Pray, tell me, friendly ghost? Are all the loaves and fishes ever lost? What shall I do? GHOST. Why, in the Common-Hall, Tell to the people all about it — all! How thou for conscience-sake hast lost thy place→ Some few will pity-more laugh in thy face: But thou may'st cry: A titled Greygoose is a lordly bird!" HOWARD. For me, what's written in the doom's-day book? Fortune befriends thee; so thou need'st not fear STANLEY. Must I too fall? - Curse on the treach'rous stool! GHOST. A feast of love's sufficient for a fool... HARESKIN. What shall I do? I flatter me that I GHOST. Why, aye. I will be I, but that is no great thing, Tho' with thy praise thy tongue should ever ring: But still thou'st hopes--the heiress is a prize— And little I's great worth can't 'scape her eyes. Well, who's the next? TURN-ANY-WAY. What fate will me betide? GHOST. Thou'lt justice do thyself by suicide. BROWNBREAD. What course now must I steer? |