m with unusual anxiety.

"I am very glad you have come, Mr. Gusher," interposed Chapman. "My dear
wife is oppressed with a little matter I am sure you can relieve."

Mr. Gusher turned and thanked them for the high compliment thus paid
him. "You shall ze as I shall be so grateful for dis 'onar. And your
daughter--she is well?"

"Very well--she was speaking of you kindly to-day. Here is something
that reached me to-day, Mr. Gusher," she resumed, rising from her chair
and handing him the letter, with a dignity of manner quite uncommon to
her: "I am sure you will pardon me, sir, but it contains matter which,
as a friend of yours, I have taken the liberty to submit. I make it a
rule to stand by a friend, you know."

Gusher took the letter and began reading it with an air of unconcern.
Then breaking out into a hearty laugh, he replied: "Zis grand rascal as
write dis let-tar is one par-tick-lar friend of mine--"

"I am sure, sir," rejoined Mrs. Chapman, "he is an enemy of yours, and
no friend. That you can explain it all satisfactorily, I have no doubt."

"Pardon, madam, pardon; this grand rascal I call him one friend. Ze
'onar, madam, he is so much dear to me as my life. Oh yes, you shall zee
as my 'onar and mine country is more dear to me zan my life. Zis grand
rascal, he is my friend be-cause he do me zis injury so many times, and
in ze end he do me so much good. You shall zee zar was a lady. Zat lady,
ze grand rascal as writes zis letter--it is so many years ago, as I
almost forget--pays to her his compliment. Pardon, madam, zat lady
prefar me to ze gentleman. Zen zat gentleman he pays to me his
compliment like one grand rascal. He persecute my 'onar, and he make me
so many friends--"

"Really, Mr. Gusher," interrupted Mrs. Chapman, encouragingly, "then it
is all the result of jealousy? I had a suspicion that there was
something of the kind at the bottom of it."

"You shall zee, madam, it was be-cause ze lady prefar me. Zen I give ze
grand rascal one pistol." Here Mr. Gusher flourished his right hand.
"You shall give me ze satisfaction as one gentleman he give to ze oser,
I say. I gives to ze grand rascal one small sword. I say I shall have ze
satisfaction one gentleman he will give to ze oser. No, madam, ze grand
rascal, he is one small coward. He will not give me ze satisfaction. I
shall show you as this grand rascal tells not one word of ze truth."

"I told you, my dear," said Chapman, "that Mr. Gusher was a ge