hen I awoke, I was astonished at my situation and naturally enough, for
I was in a strange apartment and snugly stowed away in a strange but
decidedly luxuriant bed. The room was handsomely furnished, but to my
additional surprise, many female garments were scattered about,
indicating that the regular inhabitant of the place was a lady. This
mystery was soon solved, for I was not the only inmate of the couch. My
companion was the lady to whom I had been introduced by Jack Slack.
Pitying my helpless condition--and, doubtless, prompted by the
mischievous Jack--she had carried me to bed, and had also retired
herself, being actuated by a benevolent anxiety for my safety. What a
delicate situation for a modest youth to be placed in! Having, to my no
small satisfaction, ascertained that the lady was fast asleep, I arose
so carefully and noiselessly as not to awaken her. In truth, I was
disgusted with the whole concern, and determined to leave it as speedily
as possible. A light was fortunately burning in the room, which enabled
me to move about with safety. A gold watch which lay upon the table
informed me that it was nearly midnight.--Leaving the chamber and its
sleeping inmate, I crept down stairs, and, on passing the door of the
principal sitting-room, the voice of Jack Slack, who was singing a comic
song amid the most enthusiastic applause, convinced me that my
interesting friend was still rendering himself a source of amusement and
an object of admiration. Without stopping to compliment him upon the
excellence of his performance, I approached the front door, turned the
key which was in the lock, unfastened the chain, and passed out into the
street, just as the clock of a neighboring steeple was proclaiming the
hour of twelve.

My head ached terribly after the champagne which I had so profusely
drank, and besides, I felt heavy and sleepy to an extraordinary degree.
Unable to resist the overpowering influence of my feelings, I sat down
upon the steps of a house and was fast asleep in less than a minute.
Then I dreamed of being seized in the powerful grasp of some gigantic
demon, and hurried away to the bottomless pit. I certainly felt
conscious of being moved about, but my oblivious condition would not
admit of arriving at any definite understanding of what was happening to
me. When I finally awoke, I found myself in an apartment that was far
different in its aspect from the luxurious chamber I had just quitted.
The floor,