lock in the evenin when this row took place; and such
a row it was, that nobody but me heard master's knock. He came in, and
heard the hooping, and screeching, and roaring. He seemed very much
frightened at first, and said, "What is it?"

"Mrs. Shum's here," says I, "and Mrs. in astarrix."

Altamont looked as black as thunder, and growled out a word which I
don't like to name,--let it suffice that it begins with a D and ends
with a NATION; and he tore up stairs like mad.

He bust open the bedroom door; missis lay quite pale and stony on the
sofy; the babby was screechin from the craddle; Miss Betsy was sprawlin
over missis; and Mrs. Shum half on the bed and half on the ground: all
howlin and squeelin, like so many dogs at the moond.

When A. came in, the mother and daughter stopped all of a sudding. There
had been one or two tiffs before between them, and they feared him as if
he had been a hogre.

"What's this infernal screeching and crying about?" says he. "Oh, Mr.
Altamont," cries the old woman, "you know too well; it's about you that
this darling child is misrabble!"

"And why about me, pray, madam?"

"Why, sir, dare you ask why? Because you deceive her, sir; because you
are a false, cowardly traitor, sir; because YOU HAVE A WIFE ELSEWHERE,
SIR!" And the old lady and Miss Betsy began to roar again as loud as
ever.

Altamont pawsed for a minnit, and then flung the door wide open; nex he
seized Miss Betsy as if his hand were a vice, and he world her out of
the room; then up he goes to Mrs. S. "Get up," says he, thundering loud,
"you lazy, trolloping, mischsef-making, lying old fool! Get up, and get
out of this house. You have been the cuss and bain of my happyniss
since you entered it. With your d----d lies, and novvle rending, and
histerrix, you have perwerted Mary, and made her almost as mad as
yourself."

"My child! my child!" shriex out Mrs. Shum, and clings round missis. But
Altamont ran between them, and griping the old lady by her arm, dragged
her to the door. "Follow your daughter, ma'm," says he, and down she
went. "CHAWLS, SEE THOSE LADIES TO THE DOOR," he hollows out, "and never
let them pass it again." We walked down together, and off they went: and
master locked and double-locked the bedroom door after him, intendin,
of course, to have a tator-tator (as they say) with his wife. You may be
sure that I followed up stairs again pretty quick, to hear the result of
their confidence.

As they say a