plied Andrews, positively clenching his huge fist, and beating the air emphatically to clench his asseveration.

The "Squire" then proceeded to repeat the accusation the lawyer

had made.

"It's all a flam, by jingo!" cried Andrews, looking excited and confused.

"Are you prepared upon your oath (remember an oath is an awful thing, Andrews!) are you ready upon your oath, I repeat, to say that, to the best of your knowledge and belief, the grey mare was not out of the stable on the evening of Thursday last? "Thursday evening!" repeated Andrews, scratching his ear, "The infallible resource

To which embarrassed people have recourse,"

and looking rather confused,-" Thursday evening?"

"

Remember, Andrews," said Greene, anxiously," that I am threatened with a law-suit for damages, and that I rely confidently upon your evidence to exculpate me. Yes, your old master may be ruined; for I am resolved to spend the last farthing I have in the world in defending my cause.”

Andrews looked seriously at his worthy master, then at the lawyer, and his knees evidently trembled. At last recovering his possession of mind, he exclaimed,

"Yes!—she were out, as I am a sinner, and hope to be saved!" There!" said the lawyer ; "that is enough." "What! do you too mean to bear false witness against me?" said Josiah.

"No, no, no!" said Andrews, convulsively, and dropping on his knees. "Pardon me, dear master! I b'lieve for a sartainty the old gentleman ha' got the upper hand o' me. There's never no mischief but he has a finger in the pie. Them two devil-may-care chaps at the house yonder has led me into this scrape."

Greene sternly demanded him to rise, and, after much circumlocution, they elicited from the unfortunate gardener the fact that the two College youths had secretly feed him to lend the mare on two or three occasions, no doubt for the very purpose of mystifying the character of the eccentric geologist, and involving him in a dilemma; in which charitable purpose, as we have seen, they had succeeded to their heart's content.

The lawyer was satisfied, but by no means internally pleased with the justification of his old rival, and retreated completely baffled and confused.

Old Andrews was terribly alarmed, but readily obtained the forgiveness of his worthy master, who was too much delighted at having removed the imputation cast upon his character to harbour any vindictive feelings against his unwise domestic, who had been made the dupe of the two rival "lions."

The whole detail of the affair was soon spread abroad, and the good folks of the village, who really esteemed the "Doctor," now generously took up the cudgels in his favour, resolving to make him every reparation for the unmerited slight and neglect he had suffered. They openly deprecated the "lark" of the young gentlemen, and refused to have any intercourse with them.

The consequence was, they compounded with Farmer Hodges for the damage done to his crop or crips," and soon afterwards quitted the scene of their rural sports, langing heartly at the mystification into which they had thrown the Muading old squaretoes," through the instrumentality of aid Andrews and the Grey Mare.

65

COLIN CLINK.

BY CHARLES HOOTON.

BOOK THE THIRD.

CHAPTER VI.

"WHITHER are we bound? demanded Woodruff.

"To Kiddal Hall. My father, Mr. Lupton, charged me, in case we succeeded, to convey you there. I have provided a vehicle at a village over the forest: the moment we reach it, fear will be at an end." The night was dark, but clear and fresh. A healthy breeze swept across, and sighed through the trees.

"How I thank Heaven for this!" exclaimed Woodruff, "and you, friendly strangers, whom I can never compensate, for the delight I feel in this liberty is beyond estimation."

He stretched his hands to heaven, and sunk upon his knees, while our friends stood silently by until he had poured out his heart in thankfulness. Fearful of lingering, Colin used his influence to urge him onward, or he would have remained in this ecstacy of adoration. Accustomed to darkness, the night suited him; individual flowers and leaves, which to his companions were fused into masses, he could see with separate distinctness; he plucked them with the eager delight of a child.

This excitement, and the unaccustomed exertion overcame him, after they had traversed two or three miles, and, notwithstanding his endeavours, Woodruff became incapable of proceeding. Under these circumstances, Calvert and Veriquear volunteered to carry him, a task which they performed, while Colin lingered behind to ascertain whether old Jerry had contrived to give any alarm.

This precaution proved not needless. As he crouched down, to bring the ground into a line horizontal with the sky, so as to enable him to detect whatever objects might present themselves, he fancied he beheld moving figures. Hereupon Colin requested his friends to hurry forwards, while he remained to reconnoitre. His suspicion proved just. The figures rapidly advanced, until he could distinctly discern five men, one of whom he instantly recognised as Jerry. He was exclaiming passionately, calling down imprecations on his own head, for having disabled him from following with the expedition which otherwise he could have used. His doubts satisfied, Colin had nothing to do but hurry his companions onward. This, however, their burden in part prevented; and Mr. Woodruff became excited to an extreme, and begged of them rather to let him be killed in resisting, than ever again see those horrible walls. Every effort was made to pacify him; but his long-lost liberty was now so dear, that the thought of being a second time deprived of it made him tremble like an infant.

As the pursuing party gained upon them, Colin recommended that they should turn aside amongst the brushwood, until the others should have passed; they soon found harbour beneath an elm, that bent down from a bank at the foot of which lay a pool collected from the rains. While silently standing there, the parties approached,

VOL. IX.

F

and the voice of Jerry could distinctly be heard, as he swore that he thought his skull was broken; while his discourse in other respects seemed to bespeak a disordered mind.

How the circumstance happened Colin never could distinctly ascertain; but scarcely were they congratulating themselves on the success of their stratagem, when a loud cry from Jerry Clink, accompanied by a wild rush upon them, announced their discovery. Mr. Woodruff had been seated against the bank, and before him the friends now stood, resolved to defend him to the last. A tremendous scuffle ensued, during which Calvert and Veriquear conducted themselves gallantly, and severely drubbed three of the assailants. Jerry, half frantic, yelled like a savage, till in the confusion, the old man received from some unrecognised hand, whether of friend or opponent was never known, another blow, which completed that work the former had left undone. He was seen to stand a moment, as though stunned; he tried to utter a curse upon him who had struck the blow; but exhausted nature refused the promptings of that savage spirit; his tongue sunk for ever silenced, and old Jerry dropped suddenly upon his back,- dead! This event put a termination to the engagement. The body of Jerry was carried off by his associates, and those they had attacked were left to pursue their journey.

In due time the party arrived at the village, where the vehicle was provided, and they were driven off to the Hall.

As for old Jerry, a coroner's inquest was subsequently held over his body, when the facts of his having met his death in the manner above described being clearly established, the usual verdict was returned. His corpse was committed to the ground, and the matter gradually subsided until it became forgotten.

Mr. Lupton was at the hall when the party arrived. There was also awaiting Mr. Colin a letter from Miss Jenny, which went far to destroy that pleasure which else he could not have failed to experience from the success of the enterprise. But, before this be commented on, it is necessary to record certain other little matters.

The story of Woodruff's liberation soon became known; and as Rowel's imprisonment had created no little sensation, the presence of so important a character excited universal attention.

Colin caused a messenger to be despatched to Fanny Woodruff, for the purpose of informing her of the arrival of her father at the Squire's mansion, and to appoint an hour when her meeting with him should take place, it being deemed advisable to allow some time to elapse before that meeting was permitted.

To recapitulate the circumstances attendant on that meeting forms no part of my design. It is enough to state, that the feelings of each were wrought up to the extreme; and that night scarcely separated them without tears.

Some time after, when the condition of all parties would allow of it without pain, an entertainment upon a large scale was given at the Hall, at which every one of the individuals most interested were present, besides a number of the neighbouring gentry, whose sympathies had been aroused in that story of persecution of which Mr. Woodruff had been the victim.

On this occasion it was that the blunt and honest Roger Calvert first became acquainted with Fanny Woodruff. They were sufficiently near the same age to constitute, in that respect, a proper

match.

Fanny was by no means deficient in personal attractions, which were rather heightened than depreciated, by the delicate character her features had assumed since she made the painful discovery that the affection she had felt for Colin would never be returned. Grief and anxiety had spiritualised her looks, and attached a degree of interest to her appearance which it did not possess before; while the devotedness with which she watched her father conspired to stamp both her person and character with those requisites which recommend to the love of the discerning.

While Roger tarried at the Hall, he had frequent opportunities of remarking her character. So favourably did these interviews affect his sensitive bosom, that it soon became evident he meditated liming his twigs to catch the pretty bird. And though at the outset Fanny exhibited a reluctance to be wooed, yet at length her heart relented; she found, perhaps, in the disposition of Roger a better substitute for Colin than the chance of a thousand might give her; as those two gentlemen were by no means opposite to each other. A reason this for listening with more early favour to his suit than she could have done to that of another. At the same time she heard Colin express himself in such terms of his friend, as could not fail to have considerable influence in predisposing her in his favour. Then, too, there was that strongest tie, gratitude for the part he had taken in restoring a parent whom she had lost. This amour caused Mr. Calvert to prolong his stay considerably; combined as it was with the solicitations of Mr. Lupton, who would not think of permitting so early a departure to the son of one of his dearest friends.

Fanny, it is almost unnecessary to relate, had declined the duties of Sylvester's house. The leisure thus afforded was taken advantage of by Roger, whose attentions to his daughter were marked by Mr. Woodruff with pleasure, that gentleman feeling that no reward in his power to bestow could ever return the service rendered him. Still the greatest in his power to give, had he possessed worlds, would in his estimation have been the hand of so dear a child, with such a portion as would place her in ease for life.

Thus sanctioned by the smiles of her father, it is no wonder that her estimation of Roger daily grew more favourable, until at length she fairly yielded to receive him as an accepted lover.

With respect to Colin's mother, our hero seized the earliest opportunity to wait upon her with the assurance of his present happiness, as well as to convey to her a present of two hundred pounds. Mrs. Clink expressed herself in terms of satisfaction, but informed him that, as she could never enjoy a mother's highest delight and be a witness of her child's prosperity, it would be more congenial to her feelings to carry into execution a design she had formed of retiring to a distant part of the country, where, out of sight of all who might be to her, as she to them, a cause of unpleasant reflection, she could quietly pass the remaining portion of her life in humble endeavours to atone for the great error of her existence.

Colin wept over his mother. He saw too much good sense in her remarks to attempt to controvert them, although he strove as much as lay in his power to soften the asperity of the self-accusation with which they were intermingled. All he could promise was, that she should be made as happy as in this world we can hope to be; and that he would omit nothing calculated to reconcile her to herself.