THE THREE RAVENS. 485 



Thus saying, lie deviated into a kind of canter, and, by these means 

 soon brought himself to the door of Raven's house. 



" Are Mr. Raven, Mrs. Raven, and Miss Raven within ?'' de- 

 manded Nonsuch, with astonishing firmness of utterance. 



" They are, Mr. Nonsuch," said the servant ; " will you walk in ?" 



" I will," cried Narcissus, and he sprang upon the mat ; " conduct 

 me to them instantly." 



The servant tapped at the parlour-door ; and, presently, a confused 

 sound of voices broke upon the linendraper's ear. 



" Bid Mr. Nonsuch to come in." 



With a palpitating heart and a low bow did Nonsuch attend their 

 summons. 



" Oh ! Sir/' said Mrs. Raven, with a distant air, " we have been 

 expecting you for some time. But, Niobe, my child," and she turned 

 towards her daughter, " what is the matter ? I have to beg you will 

 compose yourself." 



Miss Niobe projected her hand deprecatingly towards her mother. 



<e No no I can never more be happy," she sobbed, as she buried 

 her face in her pocket-handkerchief. ft Oh ! it is too much too 

 much, indeed !" 



" Retire, my love, retire," urged the mother, with the face of an 

 affectionate shark. " You see, Mr. Nonsuch " and she turned to- 

 wards our hero, "how tremblingly sensitive the poor girl is! Take 

 your shroud with you into the drawing-room; you can finish it 

 there." 



Nonsuch turned an oblique eye upon her as she retired. " Horrible 

 goule !" he muttered; " e take your shroud into the drawing-room, and 

 finish it there!' Would she could betake herself in her shroud to 

 the drawing-room of death, there to be finished unholy cannibal !" 



" We are making shrouds, Mr. Nonsuch," said Mrs. Raven, with 

 a simper ; we have several funerals on hand, and business must be 

 attended to, you know ; will you excuse me for a few minutes ? Mr. 

 Raven will attend you directly." 



"Certainly certainly/' exclaimed Nonsuch; and as he watched 

 the diligent needle of Mrs. Raven, plying at the ghastly head-gear of 

 the deceased unknown, and heard the monotonous ticking of coffin- 

 nails from the back shop, a superstitious horror pervaded his frame. 

 But the entrance of Raven dissipated in some measure this unmanly 

 weakness. 



" Well, Mr. Nonsuch, you are come at last," said Raven, with a 

 cavernous croak ; ff but you look ill." 



" I am ill very ill," cried Nonsuch ; " my mind has been ha- 

 rassed by a letter I have received." 



"Oh!" exclaimed Raven, "you are very ill, are you?" and he 

 gazed upon the other with a silent intensity of speculative expression, 

 as though he were calculating how many square feet of oak, and how 

 many gross of nails would be sufficient to furnish forth a genteel 

 eternity packing-case for his victim ; " you may well be ill, consi- 

 dering how you have treated our poor Niobe." 



" Indeed he may," sighed Mrs. Raven, crimping the border of the 

 deadly night-cap she had then in hand. 



M.M. No. 107. 3 R 



