60 THE ENTOMOLOGIST. 



Joe, however, grew impatient under his burthen ; besides, 

 he would have had something done even for a devil in dis- 

 tress. For about the twentieth time he called on Dame 

 Huggins to open the door, which was now shut-to behind her ; 

 but there she stood with her back against it, looking vacantly 

 on and muttering and smiling. " The devil's in the woman !" 

 exclaimed Joe. " Why, dame/' once more he repeated, " why 

 don't ye let us in, to carry the lad, dead or alive, up to his 

 own bed?" But he might as well have spoken to the door 

 itself. Shoving her aside, he tried to open it ; but from the 

 outside this was no easy matter. "The window, then!" cried 

 Joe ; and calling his brother, the milkman, to his assistance, 

 he and his senseless encumbrance were presently through the 

 low casement, up the ladder-stair, and Tim deposited upon 

 his wretched bed. 



"What was done next ? This is a query which we shall now, 

 perhaps, best answer in our own proper person, inasmuch as 

 we took upon us to do it then, practically, as one amongst the 

 many spectators and few actors in the scene above described. 

 We had been out betimes that morning for the purpose of 

 seeking some early-flying moths, when, returning past the 

 cottage of Dame Huggins, we fell in with the assemblage 

 round her door, and were, of course, led to augment it, but 

 only just previous to the moment when Joe effected an 

 entrance at the window. We knew little about the dame, 

 except her general character as a hard, griping, cunning old 



