JOURNEY CONTINUED. 19 



a murmur ; for the waiter assured my servant 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 extin- 

 guished the candle, sprang into bed, and too late 

 discovered that I was overloaded with a mass of pon- 

 derous blanketing, while a faint spark twinkled in the 

 bottom of the grate, and, like the cry of wisdom in the 

 streets, was disregarded. I fell into a temporary dose, 

 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 him- 

 self beneath my window, and the other took up a position 

 at the opposite side of the street, and for three long hours 

 they barked incessantly, relieving themselves occasion- 

 ally by indulging in a mournful and nerve-torturing howl. 

 Human forbearance could not support the martyrdom 

 I suffered : I was driven to desperation, and, collecting 

 every missile article in the chamber, with repeated 

 discharges, routed my persecutors, and once more 

 endeavoured to procure some rest. 



I sank into a delicious slumber ; but suddenly the door 

 was flung open, and in rushed the waiter with porten- 



