THE SIX OF SPADES. 55 



never seen any one so demoralized and red in the face. 

 And, to crown all, tbe man had put himself into a 

 passion, and murmured something about ' standing it 

 no longer,' had sat down with a crash upon his any- 

 thing but easy chair." There niy father had left him; 

 but tbe first thing in the morning he would have an 

 explanation yes, that he would. 



I could have given him a very full explanation that 

 evening if I had liked. I had smeared the dark seat 

 of tbat wooden chair most liberally with cobbler's wax, 

 and had limed my bird securely on his twig. 



My father sent for me next morning, after a con- 

 versation with Mr. Evans on the subject of his seance 

 fantastique, and commenced an oration of a severe 

 and admonitory character ; but he broke down in his 

 second sentence, laughing till the tears rolled down 

 his cheeks, and leaving me master of tbe entire posi- 

 tion, with the exception of the kitchen-garden, into 

 which I did not feel inclined to wander for many 

 subsequent weeks. 



Then came a period therein we felt that weariness 

 of quarrelling, which tie brilliant but bilious Due de 

 la Eochefoucault has termed " une lassitude de la 

 guerre," in which we still maintained a pugnacious 

 posture, but struck no blows just as you have seen a 

 couple of pullets drawn up in order of battle, and 

 confronting each other tete-a-tete, but wholly indis- 

 posed to peck. Alas ! I disturbed this peaceful 

 armistice with an onslaught of unprecedented 

 ferocity. An undergradnate at Oxford, I began to 

 fall in love, indiscriminately, with every pretty girl I 

 saw ; and Venus must have flowerets for her golden 



