THE THREE RAVENS. 



Mrs. Midge. Something, therefore, must be done, and Miss Niobe 

 Raven had concocted a cunning plan. She had too long toiled to 

 obtain a husband by fair means she must now endeavour to catch 

 one in her toils. Let us relate the sequel, 



Mr. Narcissus Nonsuch, the linendraper, lived exactly opposite the 

 evil-boding abode of the Ravens. No vulgar swain was Mr. Narcis- 

 sus Nonsuch. No person in the town carried his head higher than 

 he and yet he was but a yard and a half high by his own measure, 

 and some were base enough to say it wanted an inch. Neat to a 

 fault, he had no other. When he stood at his door betimes, alter- 

 nately rubbing his chin and his hands, one might have surmised 

 that he was merely scenting the morning air ; not so, he was saga- 

 cious of his quarry from afar. The tyrant custom usually kept him 

 in doors during the day ; but there was one particular pane at the 

 shop- window end of his counter, through which he occasionally stole 

 a glimpse at the on-goings of the neighbourhood. Through this 

 counter-pane (for so it must be called) he contrived to behold the 

 world; being himself as securely hidden as though he were shrouded 

 by the blanket of the dark. From all the world, I say, was he ef- 

 fectually shrouded except from one individual in it. Miss Niobe 

 Raven had long cast her lynx, or rather links, regards upon 

 him, for her glances were so many links, creating a strong chain of 

 interest, which irresistibly drew her towards him ; but which, as 

 yet, had not succeeded in drawing him towards her. That mournful 

 person had long mused over his many advantageous requisites, con- 

 sidered as a connubial votary ; she with a sad earnestness contem- 

 Elated his desirable qualities ; she desiderated his stock in trade, 

 jase, and fixtures ; in a word 



" Melancholy marked him for her own !" 



It was a fine evening. Dowlas, the corpulent apprentice, was 

 preparing to shut up shop, and his master had retired into the back 

 parlour, to relax his mind after the laborious avocations of the day. 

 At this moment he was engaged in amiable sport with a puppy of a 

 pug-dog, which had been recently presented to him as a mark of 

 friendship and esteem, and which strongly resembled a Bath brick, 

 running about on four knife-handles. Thus amiably and innocently 

 employed, Mr. Narcissus Nonsuch was not precisely in a situation to 

 heed the first interruption of his assistant, who tendered him a letter, 

 which had been just delivered into the shop ; but the whitey-brown 

 parcel of caninity commencing a headlong assault upon the protruded 

 leg of the apprentice, recalled his owner to the consciousness that, 

 there was another presence in the room. 



" Any answer required, Dowlas ?" 



" None, Sir. Mr. Stoat's clerk left it on the counter, and I saw 

 him afterwards call over the way at Raven's/' 



"Oh! very well." 



Left to himself, Nonsuch broke open the letter, with the air of one 

 who is about to peruse the various items of a profitable order : instead 

 of which he read as follows : 



