112 A PIC NIC. 



latter should arrange matters with Lord D. for his elopement with 

 Adelaide. And now, as I heard it whispered, the travelling 

 chaise and four was waiting at the park gate nearest to the lake. 

 The fond and careful mother was but to shut her eyes, and leave 

 all to the widow. The other parent was supposed to be suffici- 

 ently secured by his ignorance of the plot, and by the habitual, 

 uninquiring indolence of his nature. But, whether from hatred, 

 of Mrs. Allington, or from jealousy of Adelaide, or from a real 

 good and upright feeling towards honest John, I know not ; this 

 I know, that I had not failed to open his eyes and rouse his 

 mind to all that was going on. And what got I for it ? Thanks , 

 — yes, thanks, after a fashion; but absolutely nothing more. 

 Honest John seemed scarce to hear me ; and, when urged to 

 comprehend the whole extent and force of the information, little 

 seemed it to interest him. Was it then possible he could 

 indeed countenance by his criminal neglect so disgraceful a 

 proceeding? 



The exibition had begun. The first few bars of " God save 

 the King" (imposing overture! which, much to the credit of our 

 loyalty, is always appropriate on every occasion of public rejoic- 

 ing, from the election of a churchwarden, upwards) sounded 

 from the full band of B. bari-acks; and, already, among the 

 shouts of the peasantry, the first rockets ruslied upward to the 

 sky. But they were the signals only of dissappointment. The 

 night had become unusually dark, the air unusually still and 

 sultry. By short-sighted and sanguine mortals the latter circum- 

 stance had been hailed as one of comfort to the spectators; the 

 former as favourable to the effect of what they were soon to be 

 dazzled withal. But after a vivid flash or too of sheeted light- 

 ning, which embraced and shamed all that man could do in the 

 way of coruscation, the thunder began to growl, and large, heavy 

 drops were now heard to plash upon the calm, blackened water. 

 And scarcely had the band, surmounting its second stanza, 

 begun to give effect to the prayer of the third, " On him be 

 pleased to pour ; long may he reign ;" when rain it did in right 

 earnest ; and it soon poured. 



All thoughts were turned, instantly and eagerly, towards the 

 house. But fear misleads judgment, and the greater part of the 

 company hurried in directions wide of that which led to shelter. 

 Mrs. Allington was standing in her Gothic porch distributing 

 umbrellas, shawls, and cloaks, to go she knew not whither; and 

 long was it ere she was joined by more than a very inconsiderable 



