1881.] The Man of Letters. 529 



of commencing, stole up on the other side, and gave my morning gown, 

 which I had hastily thrown on, a vigorous tug, either as a notice to be 

 on my guard, or as a warning to retreat in time. Before, however, I 

 had an opportunity for either the one or the other, he whom I had 

 questioned, placed his mouth close to my ear, and whispered in a well- 

 remembered voice — " Jack Howden ! — send young sauce-box awdy — and 

 mum !" 



Half the mystery was thus in a moment explained, though as to the 

 other half, I could not for the life of me conceive what had brought 

 my old ship-mate to the hall at so uncouth an hour. However, after 

 thrusting my hand into the hard paw extended by my friend, and giving 

 it a hearty though silent shake, I obeyed his instructions, and dismissed 

 Susy, as nmch for my own sake as his, for I was not a little anxious to 

 have the matter elucidated. 



" My dear Jack," cried I, as soon as she was gone, — " welcome, wel- 

 come, ten thousand times. I suppose you knew the pleasure this visit 

 would give me, and determined to heighten it by taking me by surprise ; 

 if so, you have succeeded to a miracle." 



" Captain Tom Burton," cried my friend, " I can see by your manner, 

 that I have been a little out of order ; and egad, now I think of it, order 

 and quiet are every thing with you ! But let this satisfy you, Tom : 

 I knew, that come what hour I might, I should be welcome !" 



Another hearty and reciprocal shake of the hand between us proved 

 that though we had been separated for two or three years, the cordiality 

 of our friendship had lost nothing by absence. 



But though the mystery of Jack's arrival at past twelve o'clock was 

 at the time beyond my calculation, it admitted of an easy, though not 

 very agreeable solution. From his account it appeared, that just before 

 he had started on his last voyage for China, he had been pressed by an 

 old acquaintance of his, to be a guarantee for him to a considerable 

 amount to another person, who was a sort of mutual friend, and who, 

 as he then believed, would never press him to an inconvenience, even 

 though the guarantee shovJd be unable to meet the demand against 

 him. Jack, however, had reckoned without his host, and scarcely had 

 he returned, when he was informed by his creditor, that the guaranteed 

 had disappeared, shortly after his departure for the east, without leaving 

 any assets, and that the guarantee was consequently counted on. Jack 

 madenot a fevf wry faces atthis announcement,butafter venting his choler, 

 he actually paid the sum of f liiOO on his bond of indemnity, congra- 

 tulating himself, that although it was almost a larger sum than he could 

 well muster with all the earnings of his long sea-faring life, it was a 

 comfortable thing after all to be free from debts, and that it might so 

 happen, that his friend would some day or other return and repay the 

 amount. But Jack was again without his host ; no sooner had he paid 

 the £1500 on the bond of indemnity, than his creditor acquainted him, 

 that there was likewise an I. O. U. which he held of his, for £1000 

 additional, and on which it was his intention to proceed, if not imme- 

 diately settled. It was in vain, that Jack reminded Mr. Nathaniel 

 Gorgle, that that I. O. U. had only been given on a contingency that had 

 not yet hapjjened, and that the very fact of its being merely an I. O. U., in- 

 8tead of a strict legal document, proved the doubtful grounds on which 

 it had been given. Gorgle was inexorable, and gave my friend notice, 

 I\I.M. New Amci— Vol. XII. No. 71. 2 U 



