sary articles to her husband's comfort is pure sherry, I know
I shall have her for a customer for your worship's sake.

"But I have to speak to you of other than my own concerns. Yesterday
afternoon, a certain J. A. arrived at my chambers from Clavering, which
he had left under circumstances of which you are doubtless now aware. In
spite of our difference, I could not but give him food and shelter (and
he partook freely both of the Garbanzos Amontillado and the Toboso
ham), and he told me what had happened to him, and many other surprising
adventures. The rascal married at sixteen, and has repeatedly since
performed that ceremony--in Sydney, in New Zealand, in South America, in
Newcastle, he says, first, before he knew our poor friend the milliner.
He is a perfect Don Juan.

"And it seemed as if the commendatore had at last overtaken him, for,
as we were at our meal, there came three heavy knocks at my outer door,
which made our friend start. I have sustained a siege or two here, and
went to my usual place to reconnoitre. Thank my stars I have not a bill
out in the world, and besides, those gentry do not come in that way. I
found that it was your uncle's late valet, Morgan, and a policeman (I
think a sham policeman), and they said they had a warrant to take
the person of John Armstrong, alias Amory, alias Altamont, a runaway
convict, and threatened to break in the oak.

"Now, sir, in my own days of captivity I had discovered a little passage
along the gutter into Bows and Costigan's window, and I sent Jack Alias
along this covered way, not without terror of his life, for it had grown
very cranky; and then, after a parley, let in Mons. Morgan and friend.

"The rascal had been instructed about that covered way, for he made for
the room instantly, telling the policeman to go downstairs and keep
the gate; and he charged up my little staircase as if he had known the
premises. As he was going out of the window we heard a voice that you
know, from Bows's garret, saying, 'Who are ye, and hwhat the divvle
are ye at? You'd betther leave the gutther; bedad there's a man killed
himself already.'

"And as Morgan, crossing over and looking into the darkness, was trying
to see whether this awful news was true, he took a broomstick, and with
a vigorous dash broke down the pipe of communication--and told me this
morning, with great glee, that he was reminded of that 'aisy sthratagem
by remembering his dorling Emilie, when she acted