he could not make up his mind where to go
to spend the autumn this year. Why not Ramsgate? why not Ramsgate?

"Its chalky cliffs, and yellow sand,
And rides, and walks, and weather,
Its windows, which a view command
Of everything together.

"Its pleasant walks, and pretty shops,
To fascinate the belles,
Its foaming waves, like washing-slops,
To captivate the swells.

"Its boats and boatmen, brave and true,
Who lounge upon the jetty,
And smile upon the girls too--
At least when they are pretty.

"Oh! Ramsgate, where in all the earth,
Beside the lovely sea,
Can any town of note or worth
Be found to equal thee?

"Nowhere!" said Queeker, bringing his fist down on the table with a
force that made the ink leap, when he had finished these verses--verses,
however, which cost him two hours and a profuse perspiration to produce.

It was exactly a quarter to eight p.m. by the Yarmouth custom-house
clock, due allowance being made for variation, when this "Nowhere!" was
uttered, and it was precisely a quarter past nine p.m. that day week
when the Durants drove up to the door of the Fortress Hotel in Ramsgate,
and ordered beds and tea,--so powerful was the influence of a great mind
when brought to bear on Fanny Hennings, who exercised irresistible
influence over the good-natured Katie, whose power over her indulgent
father was absolute!

Not less natural was the presence, in Ramsgate, of Billy Towler. We
have already mentioned that, for peculiarly crooked ends of his own,
Morley Jones had changed his abode to Ramsgate--his country abode, that
is. His headquarters and town department continued as before to
flourish in Gravesend, in the form of a public-house, which had once
caught fire at a time, strange to say, when the spirit and beer casks
were all nearly empty, a curious fact which the proprietor alone was
aware of, but thought it advisable not to mention when he went to
receive the 200 pounds of insurance which had been effected on the
premises a few weeks before! It will thus be seen that Mr Jones's
assurance, in the matter of dealing with insurance, was considerable.

Having taken up his temporary abode, then, in Ramsgate, and placed his
mother and daughter therein as permanent residents, Mr Jones commenced
such a close investigation as to the sudden disappearance of his ally
Billy, that he wormed out of the unwilling but helpless Nora not only
what had become of him, but the