14 A BAD NIGHT. 



submitted without a murmur ; for the waiter assured my ser- 

 vant that I had got the best bedroom in the house. Now, in 

 the course of my narrative, I omitted to mention, that on the 

 preceding night I had scarcely closed an eye. On retiring to 

 my dormitory, I remarked that the grate was heaped with 

 black turfs, apparently in the same state in which they had 

 been removed from their parent moor ; but, anxious to court 

 the drowsy god, I extinguished the candle, sprang into bed, 

 and too late discovered that I was overloaded with a mass of 

 ponderous blanketing, while a faint spark twinkled in the bot- 

 tom of the grate, and, like the cry of wisdom in the streets, 

 was disregarded. I fell into a temporary doze, and awoke an 

 hour afterwards in a burning fever ; for the grate, in place of 

 cold turfs, exhibited a roaring fire. In vain I opened door and 

 window ; in vain I tumbled blanket after blanket on the floor : 

 hours elapsed before the fever- warmth of the apartment could 

 be abated. At last, exhausted by heat and exertion, I threw 

 myself upon the outside of the bed- coverings, and made myself 

 up for repose. Just then a brace of obstinate curs determined 

 to " bay the moon :" one established himself beneath my win- 

 dow, and the other took up a position at the opposite side of 

 the street, and for three long hours they barked incessantly, 

 relieving themselves occasionally by indulging in a mournful 

 and nerve-torturing howl. Human forbearance could not sup- 

 port the martyrdom I suffered : I was driven to desperation, 

 and, collecting every missile article in the chamber, with re- 

 peated discharges routed my persecutors, and once more en- 

 deavoured to procure some rest. 



I sank into a delicious slumber ; but suddenly the door was 

 flung open, and in rushed the waiter with portentous speed. 

 " The house must be on fire !" I ejaculated as I somerseted 

 into the centre of the floor. My fears were fortunately ground- 

 less : Dennis merely awoke me to inquire if I would drive three 

 miles out of town to see two scoundrels fight, who had quar- 

 relled the preceding night about a game of cribbage. Judge 

 then, dear George, after all these visitations, whether the 

 annunciation of a quiet bed at Tuam was not to me " a sound 

 ecstatic !" 



I swallowed a pint of rascally sherry without a murmur, for- 

 tified it with a dose of diluted alcohol, yawned my way to my 

 room, found clean linen no fire, and, in five minutes, was 

 buried in sleep " fast as a watchman." 



