ame time, that if I had a daughter, and my freedom,
pleasure, nay, my very health and life, depended on her taking a husband
whom I pointed out, I should hope it would not be necessary to advance
any other arguments to induce her to consent to my wishes.'

Bray looked at Ralph as if to see whether he spoke in earnest, and
having nodded twice or thrice in unqualified assent to what had fallen
from him, said:

'I must go upstairs for a few minutes, to finish dressing. When I come
down, I'll bring Madeline with me. Do you know, I had a very strange
dream last night, which I have not remembered till this instant. I
dreamt that it was this morning, and you and I had been talking as we
have been this minute; that I went upstairs, for the very purpose
for which I am going now; and that as I stretched out my hand to take
Madeline's, and lead her down, the floor sunk with me, and after falling
from such an indescribable and tremendous height as the imagination
scarcely conceives, except in dreams, I alighted in a grave.'

'And you awoke, and found you were lying on your back, or with your head
hanging over the bedside, or suffering some pain from indigestion?' said
Ralph. 'Pshaw, Mr Bray! Do as I do (you will have the opportunity, now
that a constant round of pleasure and enjoyment opens upon you), and,
occupying yourself a little more by day, have no time to think of what
you dream by night.'

Ralph followed him, with a steady look, to the door; and, turning to the
bridegroom, when they were again alone, said,

'Mark my words, Gride, you won't have to pay HIS annuity very long. You
have the devil's luck in bargains, always. If he is not booked to make
the long voyage before many months are past and gone, I wear an orange
for a head!'

To this prophecy, so agreeable to his ears, Arthur returned no answer
than a cackle of great delight. Ralph, throwing himself into a chair,
they both sat waiting in profound silence. Ralph was thinking, with a
sneer upon his lips, on the altered manner of Bray that day, and
how soon their fellowship in a bad design had lowered his pride and
established a familiarity between them, when his attentive ear caught
the rustling of a female dress upon the stairs, and the footstep of a
man.

'Wake up,' he said, stamping his foot impatiently upon the ground, 'and
be something like life, man, will you? They are here. Urge those dry old
bones of yours this way. Quick, man, quick!'

Gride shambled f