he truth of
that, sir, when he had to be hail-fellow-well-met with tiger-cats and
hippopotamuses in the ark--hippopotami, I suppose you classical men call
it--though, now I come to think of it, he never was there at all. But
you will let an old man go with you, there's good boys," continued Mr.
Frampton in a tone of entreaty; "not one of you feels more interest in
Frank Fairlegh's success than I do."

"Come along, governor," exclaimed Lawless, taking him by the arm, "you
and I will go together, and if anybody gets in your way, down he goes if
he were as big as Goliath of Gath. You shall see the list as soon as any
one of them, for you're a trump--a regular brick!"

"With a very odd tile on the top of it," whispered Archer, pointing to
the broad brim.

"Now, then," continued Lawless, "fall in there. Follow the governor.
To the right about face! March!" So saying, he flung open the door, and
arm-in-arm with Mr. Frampton hurried down the stairs, followed by the
others in double-quick time. When they were all gone I made an effort to
rouse myself from the state of lassitude and depression into which I had
fallen, and ~246~~succeeded so far as to recover sufficient energy
to attempt the labour of dressing, though my hands trembled to such a
degree that I could scarcely accomplish it, and was forced to postpone
the operation of shaving to some more favourable opportunity.

Having made my outer-man respectable, I re-entered the sitting-room, and
waited with impatience for the return of my friends. Oh! the horrors of
suspense! that tooth-ache of the mind, in which each moment of anxiety r
stretched on the rack of expectation, appears to the overwrought senses
an eternity of gnawing anguish!--of all the mental tortures with which I
am acquainted, defend me from suspense!

I had worked myself up into a thorough fever, and was becoming so
excited that I was on the point of rushing out to learn the worst at
once, when sundry shouts, mingled with peals of laughter, reached my
ear--sounds which assured me that news was at hand. And now, with the
inconsistency of human nature, I trembled at, and would willingly have
delayed, my friends' arrival, lest it might bring me the certainty
of failure, to which even the doubt and suspense I had been so lately
chafing at appeared preferable. The sounds grew louder and louder--they
were approaching. Oh! how my heart beat! in another moment they would
be here. Sinking into a chair, for my kn