to his astonishment found him to be the very man he had refused
a meal to the week before. Blunt happened to be in Walters's office at the
time the fellow called. Walters, he says, drew himself up to his full
height, and looked like an ebony statue.

"Sir," said he, "I came to your house and asked for a meal, for which I was
able to pay; you not only refused it to me, but heaped upon me words such
as fall only from the lips of blackguards. You refuse to have me in your
house--I object to have you in mine: you will, therefore, quit the
premises immediately." The fellow sneaked out quite crestfallen, and his
creditors have broken him up completely.

"I tell you what, Jule, if I was a black," continued he, "living in a
country like this, I'd sacrifice conscience and everything else to the
acquisition of wealth."

As he concluded, he turned from the window and sat down by a small table,
upon which a lighted lamp had been placed, and where a few law papers were
awaiting a perusal.

A little boy and girl were sitting opposite to him. The boy was playing
with a small fly-trap, wherein he had already imprisoned a vast number of
buzzing sufferers. In appearance he bore a close resemblance to his father;
he had the same red hair and sallow complexion, but his grey eyes had a
dull leaden hue.

"Do let them go, George, do!" said the little girl, in a pleading tone.
"You'll kill them, shut up there."

"I don't care if I do," replied he, doggedly; "I can catch more--look
here;" and as he spoke he permitted a few of the imprisoned insects to
creep partly out, and then brought the lid down upon them with a force that
completely demolished them.

The little girl shuddered at this wanton exhibition of cruelty, and offered
him a paper of candy if he would liberate his prisoners, which he did
rather reluctantly, but promising himself to replenish the box at the first
opportunity.

"Ah!" said he, in a tone of exultation, "father took me with him to the
jail to-day, and I saw all the people locked up. I mean to be a jailer some
of these days. Wouldn't you like to keep a jail, Liz?" continued he, his
leaden eyes receiving a slight accession of brightness at the idea.

"Oh, no!" replied she; "I would let all the people go, if I kept the jail."

A more complete contrast than this little girl presented to her parents and
brother, cannot be imagined. She had very dark chestnut hair, and mild blue
eyes, and a round, full face, which, in