THE TARTAR'S REVENGE.

BT J. AKBUTHNOT WILSON,

Author of "Boy. John Croody," "The Curato of Cliimsido,1'" Strango Storios." &c.

From Belgravia. Annual.

CHAPTER 1

Tobolsk, though a Siberian metropolis, is really a very Peasant placo to pass a win ter in. Like the western Amorican cities, where ovorybody has made his money easily and spends it easily, it positively bubbles over with bad champagne, cheap culture, advancod thought, French romances, and fI U the other most rocont products of human industry and ingenuity. Everybody cats jwtc do foic gras, quotes Hartmann and Herbert Spencer, uses electric bolls, believes in woman's rights, possesses pro found views about tho future of Asia, and hid a grandfather who was a savago Saiuoyedo or an ignorant Buriat. Society isoxtrcmoly cultivated, and if you scratch it evor so little, you soo tho Tartar. Novortheloss, it considers itself tho only really polito and enlightened community 01 tho whole face of this evolving terrestrial P fhoDavidofTd, however, who belonged to the most advanced soetion of mercantile society in all Tobolsk, woro not originally Siberians, or ovon Kussians, by birth or nationality. Old Mr Davidoff, tho grand father who foundod tho fortunes of tho family in St. Petersburg, was o Welsh Davids; and ho had altorod his namo by the timely addition of a Slavonic suffix in order to ocneiliato the national suscepti bilities of Orthodox Russia. His son, Dimitri, whom for the enine reason he had christened in honour of a Russian saint, removed tho Russian branch of the house to Tobolsk (they woro in the Siberian fur trade), and thoro marrying a Gorman lady of the nftino of Freytag, had one daughter and heiress, Olga DavidolY, the acknow ledged belle of Tobolskan society. It was gonerally understood in Tobolsk that tho Davidoffs were descended from Wolsh princoa (as may vory likoly havo beon the Cisc—though ono would really like to know what has bocomo of all the descendants of Welsh subjects), if indeed thoy were not even remotely connected with tho Princo of Wales himself in person. The winter of 1873 .(as everybody will remember) was a very cold one throughout Siberia. The riverß froze unusually early, sod troikas had entirely superseded toroases on all the roads as early aa the very bogin- D |ae of October. Still, Tobolsk was ex ceedingly gay for all that; in tho warm houses of the groat merchants, with their tropical plants kopt at summer heat b> jiovea and flues all the yoar round, nobody noticed the exceptional rigour of that esvere season. Balls and dances followed one another in quick succession, and Olga Davidoff, just twenty, enjoyed herself as ihe had never before done in all her life time It was such a chango to como to the concentrated gaieties and delights of Tobolsk after six years of old Miss Water low's Establishment for Young Ladies, at The Laurels, Clapham. That winter for the first time, Baron NiM, the Buriat, came to Tobolsk. Exquisitely polished in manners, and very handsome in face and bearing, there wai nothing of the Tartar anywhere visible about Baron Niaz. He had been brought up in Paris, at a fashionable Lycde, and he spoke French with perfect fluency, as well •3 with some native sparkle and genuine olevernMS. HU taste in music was unim peachable; even Madame Davidoff, net Jfreytag, candidly admitted that his per formances upon the violin were singularly brilliant, profound, and appreciative. Moreover, though a Buriat chief, he. was a most undoubted nobleman; at the Go vernor's parties he took rank, by patent of the Emperor Nicholas, aa a real Russian baron of the first > water. To be sure, ho was nominally a Tartar; but what of that ? His mother and his grandmother, ho declared, had both boen Russian Indies; and you had only to look at him to see that there was scarcely a drop of Tartar blood still remaining anywhere in him. If tlie half-caste negro is a brown mulatto, the quarter-paste a light .quadroon, and, ..the next remove a practically wlifte octoroon, Mrtlyßaron Niaz, in spite of his remote ■ Buriat great-grandfathers, might well pass for an ordinary overyday civilised Paissian. Olga Davidoff was fairly fascinatld by tho j accomplished young baron. She met him I everywhere, and ho paid nor always the mo3t marked and flattering attention. He was ft Buriat, to bo sure ; but at Tobolsk, you know . Well, one mustn't bo too particular about these littlo questions of origin in an Asiatic city. It was at the Governor's dance, just be fore Christmas, that tho Baron got his first Rood chance of talking with her for ten minutes alone among the fan palms and yuccas in the big conservatory. There wag a soat in tho far corner beside tho flowering oleander, where tho Baron led her after tho fourth waltz, and leant over ; her respectfully as she playod with her Chinese fan, half trembling at tho declara tion she knew ho was on tho point of making to her. "Mademoisello Davidoff," tho Baron be gan in French, with a lingerint; cadence 'as he pronounced her narao, and a faint tremor in his voico that thrilled rospon rively through her inmost being; " Mademoiselle Davidoff, I have beon wait- Ing long for this opportunity of speaking to you alone, because I havo something of tome impjrtanoo—to me at least, mademoi selle-about which I wish to confer with you, Mademoiselle, will you do me the honour to listen to me patiently a minute or two? The matter about which I wish to ■peek to you Is one thai may concern your leU, too. more closely than you at first Imag'ne." i What a funny way to begin proposing to one I OJga Davidoffs heart beat violently aa>he answered as unconcernedly as pos ' eiblo, "I shall bo glad, M. le Baron, I'm iraro, to listen to any communication that you may wish to make to mo." . " Mademoiselle," the young man went on almost timidly—how handsome ho looked as he stood there bending over her in his wmi-barbario Tartar uniform!—"Mademoi •elle, the village whero I live in our own country is a lonely one among the high 1 mountains. You do not know tho Buriat country—it is wild, savage, rugged, pine clad, snow-clad, solitary, inaccessible, but »eiy beautiful. Even the Russians do not loyeit; but we love it, we others, who are to tho manner born. We breatho there the air of liberty, and we prefer our own brawl ing streams and sheer precipices to all the artificial stifling civilisation of Paris and Bt Petersburg." Olga looked at him and smiled quietly, She saw at once how he wished to break it to her, and held her peace like a wise maiden,

"Yea, mademoiselle," the young man Went on, flooding hor each moment with th« flashing light from his groat luminous U:el eyes; "my village in the Buriat country lies high up besido tho eternal ;wows. But though we live alone there, so far from civilisation that we seldom see oven ' a passing traveller, our life is not devoid of {to own delights and its own interests. I have my own people all around me ; I live wmy village as a little prinoo among his own subjects. My people are few, but "ley are very faithful. Mademoiselle has weo educated in England, I believe ?" B}"T eß>" 0!k» answered. "In London, ''«■■ lo Baron. lam of English parentage, tod my father sent me there to koep up tho .Connection with hia old fatherland, whero ,<too branch of our house is still established."

' "Then, mademoiselle, you will doubtless .we read the tales of Walter Scott ?" Olga smilod curiously. " Yes," she said, . &m«sed at his naivete, " I have certainly "ad them." She began to think that after all thehand3omo young Buriat couldn't «ally moan to propose to her. Well, you know, in that case, what WM the life of a Highland chieftain in Scotland, whon the Highland chieftains *ere still practically all but independent. «j' mademoisell«, is exactly the lifo of a modern Bnriat nobleman under the Russian empire. Ho has hia own little territory I J? . °Y a lit.l>lo peoplo, ho lives among them in his own little antiquated fortress, « ™mowledtre!> nominally the sovereignty w the most orthodox Czar, and even per haps exchanges for a Russian title the Urtar chieftainship handed down to him in unbroken succession from hia earliest fore wthora. But in all the rest he still re maiDß essentially independent. He rules °w a little principality of his own, and cares not a fig in his own heart for czar, or urn? or Ksneral, or minister." J-nis is rathor treasonable talk for the uovrrnor'a ptdaco," Olga put in, smiling qvuetly. »lf we wero not n i, eac j y ;„ Tobolsk wo might both, pwhaps. imagine Weßho U idh^t t ,,,Siberi,." >, ■*™ f afon Uugherf, and showed hi* two %S ol Pearly white teeth to the best ad- Tjntega. "they might send ma to the

mines," ho said, "for aught I care, mademoiselle. I could get away easily enough from village to village to my own country; and onco there, it would be easier for the Czar to tako Constantinople and Bagdad and Calcutta than to track and dislodgo Alexander Niaz in his moun tain fortress." Alexander Niaz ! Olga Jnoted tho name to herself hurriedly. Ho was converted then i he was an orthodox Christian ! That at least was a good.thing, for so many of these Buriats are still nothing more than the most degraded Schamenists and heathens I "But, madomoisollo," tho young man went on again, playing moro nervously now than ever with the jewollod hilt of his dross sword, "thore is ono thing still wanting ft) my happiness among our beautiful Siberian mountains. I havo no lovoly chutolaino to liolp mo guard my little feudal castlo. Madomoisollo Buriat women are not tit allies for a man who has boon brought up among tho civilisation of tho groat. Wostern cities. Ho needs a companion who can sympathise with bis higher tastes : who can speak with him of books, of life, of art, of music. Our Buriat women aro moro household drudgos ; to marry ono of them would bo utterly im possible Mademoiselle, my father and my grandfather camo away from thoir native wilda to seek a lady wlio would condoacond to lovo tliom, in the polito socioty of Tobolsk. I havo gono farther abroad ; 1

luivo sought in Paris, Berlin, Vienna, St. Potorsburg. But I saw no lady to whoso hoart my heart responded, till I cmno buck onco moro to old Tobolsk. There, madomoisollo, thore I saw ono whom I ro cognisod nt onco us fashioned for mo by Hoaven. Mademoisolle Davidoff—l tromblo to ask you, but—l lovo you—will you share my exilo ?" Olga looked at the handsome young man with unconcoaled joy and admiration. "Your oxilo," she murmured softly, to gain timo for a moment. " And why your exile, M. lo Baron ?"

" Mademoisolle," tho young Buriat con

tinned, vory earnossly, "Ido not wish ts woo or wed you undor false pretoncos. lieforo you give me an answer, you must understand to what sort of life it is that I venture to invito you. Our mountains are vory lonely: to live thoro would bo indeed an exile to you, accustomed to the gaioties and the vortex of London." (Olga smiled quietly to horsolf as sho thought for a second of tho littlo drawing-room at The

Laurels, Clapham.) " But, if you can con sent to live in it with mo, I will do my bout to make It as easy for you as possible. You Bhali have music, books, papors, amusomenta—but not society—during the six months of summer which wo must neces sarily pass at my mountain village: you shall visit Tobolsk, Moscow, Petersburg, London—which you will—during tho six months of holiday in winter) above all, you shall have the undying love and devotion of one who has never lovod another woman- Alexander Nlaa. . . . Mademoiselle,

you see tho conditions. Can you accept them. Can you condescond of your good ness to lovo me T to marry me!"

Olga Davidoff lifted her fan with an effort and answered faintly : " M. lo Baron, you are very flattering. I—l will try my best to deservo your goodness." Niaz took her pretty little hand in his with old-fashioned politeness, and raised it chivalrously to his trembling lips. " Mademoiselle," he aaid, " you havo mado me eternally happy. My life shall bo pa^ed in trying to prove my gratitude to you for this condescension." "I think," Olga answered, shaking from head to foot, "I think, M. le Baron, you had bettor take me back into the next room to my mother."

CHAPTER 11,

Oloa Da vidoff's wedding was ono of tho most brilliant social successes of that Tobolsk season. Davidoff pert surpassed himself in the costliness of his exotics, tho magnificence of his presents, the reckless abundanco of bis Veuve Clicquot. Madame Davidoff successfully caught tho Governor and the General, and tho English traveller from India via tho Himalayua. The Baron looked as gorgeous aa he was handsome in his half Russian half Tartar uniform and his Oriental display of pearls and diamonds. Olga herself was the prettiest and most blushing bride ever seen in Tobolsk, a eimplo Ertglish gtrl, fresh* from the pro prieties of The Laurels at Clapham, among all that curious mixed cosmopolitan society of semi-civi!i*od Siberians, Catholic Poles, and Orthodox Russians.

As soon as tho wedding was fairly ovnr, tho bride and bridegroom started off by torosa to mako their way across the southern plateau to the Baron's village. It waa a long and dreary drive, that wed ding tour, in a jolting carriage over Siberian roads, resting- at wayside posting houses, bad enough while they wore still on the main line ot the Imperial mails, but degenerating into truo Central-Asian cara vanserais when once they had got off tho beaten track into the wild neighbourhood of the Baron's village. Nevertheless, Olga Davidoff bore up against tho troubles and discomforts of the journey with a bravo heart, for was not the Baron always by her side ? And who could be kinder, or gentler, or more thoughtful than her Buriat hua band ? Yos, it waa ft long and hard jour noy, up among those bordor mountains of the Chineso and Tibetan frontier; but Ol^a felt at homo at last when, aftor three weeks of incessant jolting, they arrivod at tho Buriat mountain stronghold, under cover of the night; and Niaz led nor strai"htwoy to her own pretty little Euro pean 71 boudoir, which he. had prepared for her beforehand at immense expense and trouble in his upland village. The moment they entered, Olga saw a pretty little room, papered and carpeted in English fashion, with a small piano over in tho corner, a lamp burning brightly on the tiny side-table and a rouring fire of logs blazing and crackling npon the simple skono hearth. A book or two lay upon the shelf at the side : she glanced casually a* their titles as she passed, and saw that they were some of ToUrgtSniefFs latest novels, a paper covered Zola fresh from Paris, a volume each of Tennyson, Browning, Carlylo, and Swinburne, a Demikoff, an Emile Augior, a "Revue dcs Deux Mondea," and a late number of an English magazine. She valued those things at once Fer their own sakes, but still more because she felt in- Btinctively that Niaz had taken the trouble to get them there for her beforehand in this remote and uncivilised corner. She turned to the piano: a light piece by Sullivan lay open before her, and a number of airs from Chopin, Schubert, and Mendolsßohn were Mattered loosely on the top one above the other. Her heart was too full to utter a word, but the went straight up to her husband, threw her armß tenderly around his neck, and kissed him with the utmost fervour. Niaz smoothed her wavy fair hair'gently with his hand, and his eyes sparkled with conscious pit awe as he returned her caress and kissed her forehead. After a while, they went into tho next room to dinner —a small hall, somewhat barbaric in type, but not ill-furnished ; and O'g i noticed that the two or three servants wera vory fierca and savage-looking Buriats of tho most pronounced Tartar type. The dinner waa a plain one, plainly served, of rough country hospitality; but the ap pointment* were all European, and, though simple, gaod and sufficient. Niaz had said bo much to her of the discomforts of his mountain stronghold that Olga waa quite dolighted ta find things on the wholo bo 'comparatively civilised, clean, and European. _ A few days' sojourn in tho fort—it waa rather that than a c.istle or a village— showed Olga pretty clearly what sort of life she waa honceforth to expect. Her hus band's subjects numbered about a hundred and fifty (with as many more women and children); tliey rendered him tho most im plicit obedience, and they evidently looked upon him entirely as a superior being. They were trained to a military discipline, and regularly drilled every morning by Niaz in the queer old semi-Chineso courtyard of the mouldering castle. Olga was so accus tomed to a (Russian military regime that this circumstance never struck her as being anything extraordinary; she regarded it o'llv as p »rt of tho Baron's ancestral habits as a practically independent Tartar chief taWeek after week rolled away at the fort, and trough Olga had absolutely no one to whom she could speak except her own husband (for the Buriats knew no Russian save the word of com mand), she didn't find time hang heavily on her hands in tho quaint old-fashioned village The walks and rides about were really delightful; the ecenery was grand and be»ut!ful to the last degree; the Chinese-looking houses and Tartar dress were odd and picturesque like a scene in a theatre. It was all so hardly romantic After all, Olga said to herself_with >a smile more than once, it isn * haH had being married to a Tartar ehioftuln up in the border mountains, when you actually come to try it. Oaly, she confessed in her own

heart that she would probably always be very glad when the winter camo again, and sho got back from these mountain solitudes' to tho congonial gaioty of Tobolsk or Petersburg. And Niaz—well, Niaz loved hor dis tractedly. No husband on earth could possibly love a woman hotter. Still, Olga could nover understand why ho somotimes had to loavo her for three

or four days together, and why during his absence, whon sho was loft all alone at night in tho solitary fort with those droad ful Buriats, they kopt watch and ward so carefully all tho timo, and seemed so re liuved when Niaz camo back. Hut whon-

over sho asked him about it, Niaz only

looked grave and anxious, and roplicd with a would-bo careless wavo of tho hand that part of his duty was to guard tho frontier, and that tho Czar had not conferred a title and an order upon him for nothing. Olga felt frightened und disquieted on all such occasions, but soniohow felt, from Niuz's manner, that sho must not question him further on tho matter.

One (lay, after ono of these occasional excursions, Niaz cumo buck in high spirits,

and kissed lior nioro tenderly and affection

ntcly thiin ever. After dinner, ho rend to her out of .■; book of ITi'oncli poems a grand piece of Victor Hugo's, and thon ntado her Hit down to tho piano and play him his fuvourito air from " Dor Froischutz " twico ovor. When she hail tinishod, lio leant back in Ins chair und murmured quietly in French (which they always spolco togother), " Ami thia is in tho mountains of Tartary 1 Ono would say n eoiriio of St. Petersburg or of Paris."

Olga turnod and looked at him softly. " What is tho timo, dearest NiazV" sho said with a smile. "Shall Ibo ablo to play you still that dtinco of Pinsuti's."

N;az pullod out Ills watch and answered quickly, " Only ten o'clock, darling. You have plenty of time still." Something in tho look of tho watch he held in his hand struck Olga as queer and unfamiliar. Sho glanced at it sideways, and noticed hurridly that Niaz was tryipg to roplaco it unobsorved in his waistcoat pocket. " Ihavon't seen that watch boforo," she said suddenly ; "lot mo look at it, dear, will you ?" Ninz drow it out and handed It over to her with affected nonchalanco ; but in the undercurrent of his expression Olga caught a glimpse of a hang-dog look blio had never before observed in it. Slio turned ovor the watch and looked on tho back. To her im monso surprise it boro tho initials "F. do K." engraved upon tho covor. "Thoso letters don't bo'ongto you, Niaz," aho eaid, scanning it curiously. Niazmovoduneasily inlilbchair. "No," ho answered, "not to mo, Olga. It's—it's an old family relic—an heirloom, In fact. It bolongcd to my mother's mother. She wag—a Mdlle. do Kcronac, I bolieve from Morbihan in Brittany.'

Olga's eyos looked at him through and through with a etrango new-born suspioion. What could it mean t Sho knew he was telling har a, f&laohood. Had tho watch belonged—f.o aomo other lady 1 What was tho meaning of hia continued absences ? Could he but no. It was a man's watch, not a lady's. And if so—why, if so, thon Niaz had clearly told her a falsehood in that too, and must be trying to concoalsomething about it.

That night, for tho first time, Olga Davidoff began to distrust her Buriat husband.

Next morning, getting up a little early and walking on the parapet of the queer old fortress, she saw Niaz in the court below, jumping and stamping in a furious temper upon something on the ground. To her horror, she saw that his face was all hideously distorted by anger, and that as he raged and Btampod the Tartar cast in his fnatures, never before visiblo, camo out quite clearly and dwtinetly. Olga looked on, and trembled violontly, but dared not speak to him. A fow minutes lator Niaz camo In to breakfast, gay as usual, with a fresh flowor stuck prettily in tho button-hole of his un dress coat and a smilo playing uncon cernedly around tho clear cut corners of his handsomo thin-lipped mouth.

" Niaz," his wife s:»id to him anxiously, " whoro is tho watch you showed me last night?" His faoo never £,Uored a moment as ho replied with tho samo bland and innocent smilo us over, " My darling, I have broken it all to little piccos. I paw it annoyed you in some way when I showed it to you yestor day, and tlu3 morning I took it out acciden tally in tho lower courtyard. Tho sight of it put mo in a violent tomper. ' Cursed thinjr,' I ?aiJ, ' you shall never a^'ain stop in so cruelly between mo and my darling. There, talio that, and that, and that, rascal !' and I stamped it to pieces under foot in tho courtyard.1 Olga turned palo, and looked nt him horrified. Ho smiled again and took her wee hand tenderly in his. " Littlo ono," ho said, " you necd'nt be afraid ; it is only our quick Buriat fashion. We loao our tempers sometimes, but it is soon over. It is nothing. A littlo whirlwind—and, pouf, it passes." "But, Niaz, you said it was a family hoirloom I"

" Well, darling, and for your gako I ground it to powdor. Voila tout! Come, no moro about it: it isn't worth tho trouble. Lot us go to breakfast."

CHAPTER 111.

Some days later Niaz went on an oxpodition : again, " on tho Czar's sorvico for tho pro-' tection of tho frontier," and took moro than half his able-bodied Tartars on tho journey with him. Olga had novor felt so lonely bofore, surrounded now by doubt and myfitory in that awful solitary strong hold. The broken watch weighod gloomily upon her frightened spirits. Niaz was gono for three days, as often happened, and on tho fourth night, after she had retired to her lonely bedroom, sho felt suro she hoard his voice (peaking low somowhero In tho courtyard. At tho sound ehe sprang from hor bed and wont to tha window. Yos, there, down in tho far corner of tho yard, without lights ornoiso, and trending cautiously, sho saw Niar, and his men filing quietly in through the dim gloom, and bringing with them a number of boxes. Her heart beat fast. Could It bo some kind of smuggling ? Thoy .lay so near the passes into Turkestan and China, and she knew that tho merchant track from Yarkand to Semipalatinsk crossed tho frontior not far from Niaz's village- Huddling on hor dross hastily, sho issued out, alone and terrified, into tho dark courtyard, and sought over tho wholo placo in the black night for sight of Niaz. Sho could find him nowhore. At last she mounted tho staircase to the mouldering rampart. Generally the Tartar guards kopt watch there constantly, but to-night tho wholo placo seemed somehow utterly deserted. She groped her way along till she reached tho far corner by a patch of ground which Niaz had told her was tho Tartar burial-place.

There she came suddenly upon a great crowd of men below on the plain, running about and"shouting wildly, with links and torches. Niaz stood in the midst, erect and military, with his Russian uniform gloam ing fitfully in the flickoring torchlight. In front of him six Turcoman merchants, with their hands bound bohind their backs, knelt upon the ground, and besido him two Tartars held by oithor arm a man in Euro pean dress, whom Olga recognised at once as tho English traveller from India by way of the Himalyas. Her hoarfc stood still within her with terror, and she hung there, mute and unseen, upoi tho rampart above, wondering what in heaven's namo this ex traordinary ficcno was going to end in. What could it mean ? What could Niaz be doing in it ? Groat God, it was too horrible ! A Tartar came forward quietly from the crowd with a curved sword. At a word from Niaz he raised his sword aloft in the air. One second it glancod bright in the torchlight; the next second a Turcoman's head lay rolling in the dust, and a little torrent of blood spurted suddenly from the still kneeling corpse. Olga opened her mouth to scream at the horrid eight, but happily her voice atonco forsook her as in a dream, and she stood fixed to the spot in a perfect fascination of awe and terror. Then the Tartar movod on, obedient to a word and a nod from Niaz, and raised his sword again above the second Turcoman. In a moment the second head too rolled down quietly besido the other. Without a minute's delay, as though it formed part of his everyday business, the practised headsman went on quietly to the next in order, and did not stop till all six heads lay grim and ghastly scattered about unheeded in the dust together. Olga shut her eyes, sickening, but still could not scream for horror.

Next, Niaz turned to tho English traveller and said something to him in his politest manner. Olga couldn't catch the words themselves because of the distanco, but she saw from his gestures that he was apologising to the Englishman for his rough treatment. The Englishman in reply drew out and handed to Niaz a small canvas bag and a purse and a watch. Niaz took them, bowing politely, " Handa off," be cried to

tho Tartars in Russian, and they loosed their prisoner. Then ho made a sign, and the Englishman knelt. In a minute more his head lay rolling in tho dust bolow, and Niaz, with a placid smile upon hie hand some face, turnod to givo ordors to tho sur rounding Tartars. Olga could Btand it no more. Sho dared not scream or lot horsolf bo scon ; but she turnod round, sick at heart, and groped her way, half paralysed by fear, along tho mouldoring rampart: and thon turnod in at last to hor own bedroom, whero sho Hung hersolf upon tho bod in horclothos, and lay, tearless but torrifiod, the whole night through in blinding misery. Sho did not need to havo it all oxplainod to her. Niaz was nothing more, after all, than a savago Buriat robbor chieftain.

CHAPTER IV.

What a terribly long hypocrisy and sus pense that three months of dreary waiting, boforo nn answer to hor lofctor could como rom Tobolsk and tho Govornor could sond

n dotachmont of tlio military to roacuoher from this nest of murderous banditti !

i 1 o\v Olga lmtod horsol i Forni ill protending to koop on tonns with Niuz! How nho loathed and detested the man with whom sho muni yet livo iih wife for that endless timo till tho day of hor dolivory !

And Nia/. couldn't holp seeing that hor mannor wna changed towards him, though lie fluttered himself that sho had as yet only a'baro suspicion, and no real knowlodge, of tho horrible truth. What a end thing that sho should ever ovon havo suspected it ! What a pity if ho could not koop hor horo to sootho and lighten his winter solitude !— for ho loved lier : yos, ho really loved her, and ho noeded sympathy and companion ship in nil the beat and highest iustiucts of his inner naturo. Those Buriats, what woro they ? a misorablo sat of brutal savages: more hard-working robbers and murdorors, good enough for tho practical rough work of everyday life (such as knock ing Turcoman merchants on the head), but utterly incapable of appreciating or sympathising with tho butter tastes of civilised humanity. It was a hard calling, that of chieftain to thoao Tartar wretches', especially fov a man of musical culture brought up in Paris; and he hnd hoped that Olga might havo holpcd him through with it by hor frioudly companionship, Not, of oonwo, that ho over uxpec ted to bo ab!o to toll her tho whole truth : womon will bo womon j and coining to a rough country, thoy can't understand tho neces sities laid upon one for rough dealing. No, he could never have expected hor to relish the full details of a borderer's profession, but ho was vexed that sho should already begin to suspect its naturo on so vory short an acquaintance Ho had told hor ho was liko ft Highland ohloftain of tho old tiinos : did nho euppoco that tho Rob Hoys and Roderick Dims of real lifo used to treat their Lowland captives with roeowater and chivalry 7 Aftor all, womon hare really no idea of how thingi must bti managed In tbo stern roalitios of actual oilstonco.

So tho threo months passed ulowly away, and Olga waited und watched, with smiles on hor lips, in muto terror. At last, ono day, in broad daylight, with out a moment's warning, or a single pro monitory symptom, Olga saw tho courtyard euddonly tilled with men in Russian uni forms, and a friend of hers, a major of infantry at Tobolsk, rushing in at tho hoad of hie soldiers upon tho Tartar barrack. In ono second, as if by magic, tho court yard hnd changed into a roarinp battlefield, the Cossacks were firing at the Tartars, and tho Tartars woro firing at tho Cossacks. There was a din of guns and a smoke of gun powder ; and high above all, in tho Buriat language, she heuri the voice of Niaz, frantically encouragug his men to action, and shouting to them with wild energy in incomprehensible gutturals. Tho surprise had boon ao complcto that almost beforo Olga roalised the situation the firing began to dio away. Tho fort was carried, and Niaz and his mon stood, disarmod and sullen, with blooding faces, in tho midst of a hastily-formed square of stout Cossacks, among tho dead and dying strewn upon tho ground. Handsome as over, but how she hatod him 1

Vis arm wa3 wounded : and tie Russian surgeon led him asido, to bind it up. To Olga's amazement, whilo tho surgoon was actually engaged in binding it, Niaz turned upon him liko a savago dog, and bit his arm till tho tooth met fiercely in tho very middle Sho shut her oyos, and half fainted with disgußt and horror.

Tho surgeon shook him oil", with an outh ; and two Cossacks, coming up hastily, bound his hands behind Ilia back, and tied his legs, quito rogardlcss of his wounded condition. Meanwhile, the Russian major had sought out Olga. " Madame la IJaronne," ho said respectfully, " 1 congratulate you upon your safety and your recovered freedom. Your fathor is with us ; ho will soon bo horo. Your letter reached him safely, in spite 6f iti roundabout direction ; and tho Governor of Tobolsk despatched us at onco upon this errand of release. Buron Niaz had long boon suspected ; your lottor romovod all doubts upon the subjoct." A minuto or two lator, tho Uoß.sacks raarchod their priaonors out of the courtyard, two and two, into tho groftl hall of tho stronghold. " I wish to bid farowoll to my wifo," Niaz cried to tho major, in a loud voice. "I shall bo sent to tho mines, I snppoeo, and 1 ahull never sco hor again in this world most probably." Tho major allowed him to come no.ir with in speaking distanco, under guard of two Cossacks. " Madamo la Baronno, ho lussed out botweon his elenohed teeth, " thin is your hind. It was your hand that you gavo mo in mnrrmgo ; it was your hand that wroto to betray me. Boliovo mo, madamo, como what may, your hand shall pay tho ponalty." So much ho said, passionately indeed, but with tho oflbndod dignity of a civilised boing. Then the Tartar in him broke through tho thin vonoer of European culture and ho lollodhistongueoutatherinßavagodorision, with a hidoous menacing loor liko an un tamed barbarian. Till that mornonfr, in Bpito of tho horriblo majsacro sho bad neon with hor Own eyes, Olga had novor suspoctcd whft profound dopths of vulgar savagery lay unporcoivod beneath Alexander Niaa's handsomo and aristocratic European fea tures. Ono moro word ho uttered coarsoly : a word of foul reproach unlit to bo repeated, which made Olga's cheek turn crimßon with wrath and indignation oven in that supremo momont of conflicting paaeions. She buried her faoo between hor two hands wildly, and burst into a flood of uncontrollablo tears. • " March him away," criod tho major in a stern voice. And tboy marchod him away, still mocking, with the othor prisoners. That was the last Olga Davidoff saw of her Buriat husband.

CHAPTER V,

Aftku Niaz had boon tried and condemned for robbery and murder, and sont with tko usual Russian clemency to tho mines of Oukboul, Olga Davidoff could not bear any lonßor to live at Tobolsk. It was partly terror, partly shame, partly pride; but Tobolsk or even St. Peter-burg she folt to be henceforth utterly im] osiiblo to her. < So sho determined to go back to hor kins folk in that dear old quiet England, whero thoro are no Nihilists, and no Tartars, and no exiles, and where everybody lived so placidly and demurely. Sho looked back now upon Tho Laurels, Clapham, as the ideal home of repose and happiness. It was not at Clapham, howover, that Madame Niaz (as she still called herself) settled down, but in a quiet little Kentish village whore tho London branch of tho Davids family had retired to spend their Russian money. Frank Davids, the eon of tho house, was Olga's second cousin ; and when Olga had taken the pretty little rose-covored cottage at tho end of the village, Frank Davids found few things more pleasant in life than to drop in of an afternoon and have a chat with his Russian kinswoman. Olga lived there alone with her companion, and in spite of the terrible scenes she had so lately gone through, she was after all still a girl, very young, very attractive, and very pretty. What a_ wonderfully different life, tho lawn-tennis, and the curate, and the Davids' girls up at the big house, from tho terror and isolation of the Buriat stronghold! Under the soothing influence of that placid existence Olga Davidoff began at last almost to outlive the lasting effects of that one great horror. Stamped as it was into tho very fabric of her being, she felt it now less poignantly than of old, and sometimes for an Tiour or two she even ventured to be careless and happy. Yet all the time the awful spectre of that robber and murderer Niaz, who was never theless still her wedded husband, rose up before her, day and night, to prevent Iwr happiness from beiri;* ever moro than momentary.

And Frank, too, was bug!) i nins, gond fellow ! Frank had heard from Mme. David off all her Btory (for Madame had coma over to see Olga fairly settled), and he pitied her

for her sad romanco in such a kind, brotherly fashion. Once, and onco only, Frank said a word to hor that was not oxactly brothorly. Thoy were walking together down tho foot path by tho mill, and Olca had boon talking to him about that groat torror, when Frank asked hor in a quiet voice, " Olga, why don't you try to get a divorco from that horriblo Niaz?"

Olga lookod at him in blank astonishment, and asked in roturn, " Why, Frank, what would bo tho uao of that '! It would never blot out tljomemory of tho past, or make that wretch any tho less my wedded husband."

" But, Olga, you nood a protector sorely. You need somebody to sootho and removo your lasting torror. And I think I know someone, Olga—l know someone who would givo his whole lifo to save you, dearest, from a single day's fear or unhappiness."

Olga looked up at him lil<o a startled child. "Frank," sho cried, " doar, door Prank, you good cousin, nover say again another word liko that, or you will mako mo afraid to walk with you or talk to you any longor. You are tho ono friend I havo whom I can trust and coniido in : don't drive mo away by talking to me of what is so impossible. I liato tho man : I loatho and abhor him with nil my heart: but 1 can novor forget that lo is stillmyhusband. 1 havo mado my choieo, and I must abido by it. Frank, Frank, promiso mo—promise me, that you will novor again speak upon tho subjoct." Frank's faco grow saddoncd in a momont with a torriblo sadnoss; but ho eald in a linn voice, "Ipromiso," and ho novorbroko his word from that day onward.

CHAPTER VI,

TiißfiK years passed away quiotly in tho Kontish villago, and overy day Olga's un reasoning torror of Niaz grow gradually fainter and fainter. If she had known that Niaz had oseaped from tho mines, aftor oight months'imprisonment, and madohisway by means of his Tartar friends across thepassos to Tibet and Calcutta, sho would not havo allowed tho soneo o£ security to grow so strong upon her.

Meanwhile Frank, often In London, had picked up tho acquaintance of a certain M. do Vouillcmout, a French gentleman much about at tho clubs, of whoso dolightful manners and wido acquaintance with the world and men ho wua novor tired of talking toOl^a. "A most charming man, indeed, do Vouillemont, and very anxious to come down hore and eoc Hazolhurst, Besides, Olga, ho has been ovon in Russia, and ho knows how to talk admirably about every body and ovorything. I've askod him down for Friday evening. Now, do, liko a good girl, break your rulo for onco, and como and diuo with üb, although there's to bo a stranger. It's only ono, you know, and tho girls would bo so dolightful if you'd holp entertain him, you know, for hospouks hardly »ny English, and thoir French, poor things, is horribly iiißular and boarding-school}'. At last, with much reluctance, Olga con sented, and on tho Friday sho wont up to tho big houso at eight punctually. Mrs Davide and tho girls were not yet in tho drawing-room when sho arrived ; but, M. do Vouiliomont had dressed early, and was standing with his back to tho room, looking intently at some picturos on the wall, as Olga entered. As sho came in, and tho sorvant shut tho door behind her, tho strangor turnod slowly. In a momont fiho recognised him. Ilia complexion was disguised, bo as to mako him look darkor than boforo; his black moustache was shaved off; his hair was differently cut nnd dressed ; but still, as ho lookod her in tho face, sho know him at]onco. It was Aloxander Niaz !

Petrified with foar, she could neither fly nor scream. Sho stood still in tho middlo of tho drawing-room, and starodathim fixedly in an agony of terror. Niaz had evidently tracked hor down, and comeproparod for his horrid revenge. With out a moment's delay, his faco underwent a hideous change, and from tho cultivated European gontloman in ovoning clothes that he looked when she ontorod, ho was transformed as if by magic into a grinning, gibbering Tartar savage, with his touguo lolling out once moro, as of old ia Siboria, in hateful derision of hor speechless torror.

Seizing hor roughly by tlio arm, lio dragged her after him, not so much unrosist' ing as rigid with horror, to the opon fire place. A marblo fondor ran around tho ti'od hoartli. Laying licr down upon tho rug as if sho was doad, ho placed her small right hand (viths&vagJa gluo u'.mhi that ready inado block, and thon proceededdeliboratcly to tako out a small sharp steel hatchet from inside his ovoning coat. Olga was too terriiiod even to withdraw her hand. Ho mined tho axe on high—it Hashed a second in tho air—a smart throb of pain—a dreadful crunching of bono and sinow—and Olga's hand foil white and lifeless upon tho tiled hoarthplaco. Without stopping to look at her for a second, ho took it up brutally in his own, and flung it with a horrible oath into tho blazing lire. At that momont, tho door oponod, and Frank onterod. Olga, lying faint and bleeding on tho hearth-rug, was ]ust able to look up at him imploringly and utter in n sharp cry of alarm the ono word " NiaK." Frank sprang upon him liko n young lion. " I told hor hor hand should pay tho penalty," tho Tartar cried, with a horrible joy bursting wildly from his livid foatnro3 : '• and now it burns in tho firo over yondor, an sho herself shall burn noxt minuto for ovnr and ovor in liro and brimstono." As ho spoko ho drew n pistol from his pockot, and pointod it at her with his finger on tho trigger. Noxt momont, beforo ho could firo, 1 rank had soized his hand, (lung tho pistol to tho farther end of tho drawing-room, and forced tho Tarter down upon tho floor in a tornblo lifo-and-dcath strugglo. Niaii's faco, already livid, grow purplor and purplor (is thoy wrestled with ono another on tho carpot in that deadly effort. His wrath and vindictivonosa garo a mad onorgy to hid limbs and musclos. Should ho bo baulked of his fair rovongo at last ? I Should tho woman who had betrayed him esc«po scot-freo with just tho loss of a hand, and ho htmsolf merely oxchango a Siborian for an English prison t No, no., novor! by St. Nicholas, nover 1 Ha, madamo ! I will murder you both ! Tho pistol I tho pistol! A thousand dovils I lot mo go ! I will kill you yot! I will kill you ! I will kill you ! Then ho gasped, and grew blackor and purpler—blacker and purplor —blackor—blackor—blackor— ovor blackor. Presently ho gasped again. Frank's hand was now upon his mumbling throat. Thoy rolled over and over in their frantic struggles. Then a long, glow in spiration. Aftor that, his musclos rolaxod. Frank loosed him a littlo, but knelt upon his breast heavily still, lost ho should rise again in another paroxysm. But no :ho lay quite motionless—quito motionless, and never stirred a single finger. Frank felt his heart—no movemont; his pulse—quito quiet; his lips—not a breath percoptiblo I ;Thon ho rose, faint and staggering, and rang for tho servants. When tho doctor came hurriedly from tho village to bandage tho Russian lady's arm, ho immediately pronounced that M, do Vouillomont was doad—stono doad—not a doubt about it. Probably apoplexy under Btress of violent emotion. Tho inquest was a good deal hushed up, owing to tho exceedingly painful circum stances of tho case; and to this day vory few people about Torquay (whero sho now lives) know how Mrs Frank Davids, tho quiet lady who dresses herself always in black, and has such a beautiful softened half-frightened expression, came to loso her right hand. But everybody knows that Mr Davids is tenderness itself to her, and that she loves him in return with tho most absolute and childlike devotion. It was worth cutting off her right hand, after all, to bo rid of that awful spectre of Niaz, and to have gained the peaceful lovo of Frank Davids,

Berlin Trams.

It appears that the conditions of life of the omnibus conductors of Berlin and that of his tramway-car brother in the " Second City" curiously or closely resemble each other. The former serves one of tho wealthiest German companies—the share holders in which, like those of our own Tramway Company, have small reason to grumble at their dividends. He works eighteen hours every day seven days a week, boars the full responsibility for every coin which passes through his hands, and is heavily fined for any irregularity. For this ho receivos a daily pay of somewhat less than half-a-crown. Should ho ever think of going to church, he pays his com pany for the privilege ; should he fall ill his pay is lost at once ; and as for his meals, he swallows them, such as they are, while waiting for passengers at an omnibus . station.

HOW THE MULLIGATAWNY SCRIP CAME DOWN.

THE STORY OF A MINING SWINDLE.

[.Written for tho Star Satukday Suitlismckt

by J.A.P.]

There was intonso excitement in tho can vas-roofed mining exchango of Bungvillo ono wet afternoon in July.

For months and months tho gold mines, stuck away in odd inaccessible cornors of (ho avalanche-scarred hills and gullios that surround Bungvillo, had with disheartening persistence withhold their auriferous troaßuroe, and tho wocbegono faces of our two storekeepers, four publicans, and tho bellman, to fay nothing of tho out-at olbowed down-at-tho-heol n,ppearanco of the shar'obrokors, cardsharpcrs, and others of that indescribably heterogeneous class I hat go to muku up the residuum of a now mining township, was nullicient evidence t) convince tho most hopeful Bungvillor that matters woro really at a vory low obb. Even jovial-lack Maggott, tho President of tho Stock Exchange, and director of tho Lord knows how many worthless mining companies, was not proof against tho wave of depression, and on the score of oconomy had left his room in the hotel," and was tuckoring himself in a little hut of punga logs just next door to No. 15 Gladstono Esplanade. (Oh ! tho grandiloquence of Little Pcddlingtonism). And No, 15 Gladstono Esplanado was tho ollico of tho "Bungvillo Bnnnor and Cameron County Comet," of which, dear reader, the present writer, James Adolphus Plum, was tho presiding gonius — proprietor, editor, reporter, compositor, printer's devil, all rolled into ono. Evon now, though twenty years havo passed ovor my hoad sinco those bizarre Bungvillo days, and though tho touch or old Father Timo has thickened my moral opidormiß, I can fool tho blush rising to my cheek when I think of the barefaced manner in which tho "Bungvillo Banner" bolstered up, as a now El Dorado, that cotton worthless goldfield in which my lot was for tho timo cast.

About a year before tho timo at which my narrative commences, tho Magillacuddy Gold Mining and Quartz Crushing Com pany hud cut a lino loader, rich with tho precious metal, so " hard to get and heavy to hold "; but aftor it had turned out a fow hundred ounces, tho inevitable "slide" or fault of clay had crossed tho loador, and tho shot of gold which had beon to us Bungvillors like a ray of golden sunlight— liko a Heavensent promiso of speedy pros perity—was cut off, and our hopes were blasted. How woll I remember that on the strength of tho Magillacuddy " find " I induced a confiding bootmaker to construct mo a now pair of cowhido Bluchers, and how well I remember that tho statute of limitations has long sinco freed mo from the responsibility of that debt. But let that pass. Tho Magillacuddy directors soon spoilt all tho little money thoy had in voting themsolves liboral honoraria—yes, that's the word—and in searching for tho lost shot of gold, and thon all work was suspended.

Tho directors of tho adjoining claim, tho Mulligatawny Ciold Mining Company, how ever, were sanguine that tho shot of gold was somowhore, and they kept making calls and pofjßing away. The model American pugilist, when ovorpowored by an antagonist of superior weight, is Baid to quietly lunch off his opponent's ear and wait for bettor times, And I have often thought that there is an analogy between this stylo of pugilism and tho tactics of tho Mulligatawny directors. They quigtly lunched off tho pockets of their too confid ing brother shareholders, and Micawber ised. Thoy bolongod to that claes of horoos that want thoir country saved, but want somoono else to savo it. I hopo Jack Maggott and his co-directors will havo a nicho in tho Templo of Famo—l hopo it for old acquaintance' sako—but candour com pels mo to admit that I havo vory grave doubts on the subject.

All this brings mo up to tho o>:citeinont on that bloak wet afternoon in July, which —the excitement, of course—as I wroto in my leading articlo in tho noxt morning's " Banner," shook Bungvillo city to its contro. The grout fact was first announced by a terse bulletin posted on tho weather beaten notice board at tho Stock Exchange. Tho characters on tho dirty transfer form had evidently been traced by Jack Maggot t's great hairy perpetually perspir ing paw, and besides, tho papor boro that worthy's unmistakablo signature at tho foot. Tho historic document was as fol lows :—

NOTES TO THE CITIZENS OF BUNGVILLEAN ELSEWHAR.

Tlit! derroturs Of The mulliga tawny G.M. Company bogs to anounco tnat tho men worrukiiiK in No. '1 cross-cut cut tho JMti(?ila oudy spnoimen load at olevn 0 clock this morning- 60 pounds of specimens, and ritcli gold in the face, Signed on bohalf of the dorco turs, Jons Maogott, Charoiuan.

Tho big rain-drops pattorod unnoticod and uncared-for on tho heads of tho Bung villers as thoy road tho hopo-inspiring nows. Simbby-looking citizens laughed for joy and congratulatory hand-shakings woro the order' of tho day. Jimmy Pettish, tho bullmun, scut tho rust Dying from his tintinabulator with a joyous and prolongod peal; Charlio Poloy, our local politician and orator-in-ordinary—whoso wife, by the way, washed for tho " boys," whilo Charlie moulded public opinion—mounted a barrel and mado a speocli; and Darby Flynn, tho proprietor of tho Bungvillo Arms over the way, invited about thirty of us to his bar, and with truo Hibernian munificence per formed tho operation technically known as " eotting up drinks fo» the crowd." Mulligatawny Bharos rose from fourponco to a pound in tho courso of an hour, I was infected with tho gonoral oxcitement, and after, with some difficulty, effecting another mortgage on tho plant of tho "Banner" with old Moses Abrams (who bought gold, and crushod stolen spocimons on tho sly— bad luck to him !), procured a fow of the covoted scrip. That ovoning I was so excited that 1 could scarcoly "set up " my glowing description of tho ovents of that wonderful day. I Eoraotimos found my fingors in the " a " box when I wantod an " m," whilo moro than onco I stoppod work altogether for several minutes, and built airy castles of futuro woalth. I would bo able to pay my mortgages, take a room at Darby Flynn's, and in othor respects play tho part of a bloatod capitalist. Indeod, there was so much roverio and so little work that night that I was compelled to fill a largo portion of the " Bannor " that should havo contained a continuation of tho sorial story, "Tomahawk tho Hatchet-thrower, or Tho Skeleton's Revengo" with dummy advertisements, and a great long-leaded an nouncomont,

at this lapse of time I am not ashamed to write that that was all I did for tho poor little heathen on that particular occasion.

Two days later Mulligatawnies stood at £5 4s Cd. That was the morning quotation from tho Stock Exchange Thoy had steadily rison to that figure, and thoy now appeared to be stationary. In the after noon tho roport of tho brokers showed that thoy had rocedod to "£5. No buyors and sellers at that liguro." What did it mean ? Only the day bef oro a quarter of a ton of rich stono had been reported, with a good show loft, and Jack Maggott told mo that there had boon no breaking down since. But it didn't seem all squaro Eomohow. Shares don't usually fall in price just aftor 500lbB of specimens had been obtained. Oh no, Jack. I'm not so green as I'm cab bago looking. S'w'elp me ! Yes, blowed if 1 don't. I'll just slip up myself to-night, and see how things are getting on. Of course, I got up on Charlie Poley's barrel and intimated my intention to tho whole of Bungvillo. I did—over the left. I just got my lines, and mado beliovo I was'oll1 to Slaughter-house Creek on an eel fishing expedition. So I told Jack, and smiled grimly to myself as I thought that if I caught him he would bo tho most slippery iish 1 had over landed. Well, quite unseen by tho festivo Bungvillors. I got to the mine about 11 p.m., and, lighting a piece of candle, stolo towards tho winze on tho shot of gold. There was apparently not a soul about, so I seized tho rope that was hanging down tho hole and was preparing to descend when I was electrified by tho apparition of Jack Maggott's factotum, "Cornish Billy," a sinister-looking giant in moloskin trousers and a blue shirt. Billy promptly seized me by tho collar, and having roughly "yanked mo back from the mouth of tho winze, pro ceeded to swear at me in precise and finished stylo. " What the sanguinary in fernal region's flames did I sanguinary well moan? Condemn my sanguinary optics, what was I doing there ? were some of tho ques tions ho put to me in his Cornish dialect, making threatening gestures tho while. But thare is a divinity that doth hedge a newspaper proprietor, which accounts for tho fact that life insurance companies class then as first-class rigks along with Russian emperors, Persian lolly men, and Irish land lords—and Billy did not hurt mo much. Indeed, when ho had cursed till his throat was dry, ho condescended to take a pull out of my whisky flask, and was good enough to toll me that his solo reason for preventing me from going down to the winze was that it was full of poisonous gas, and that ho would not like to see such a promising young man cut off " 'fore he'd carried forth his first stops." With tears of gratitude in my eyes I wrung Billy's hand, hailed him as my pre server, and handed him tho flask again. My gratitude was so sincere and heartfelt that Iropeatodthe'.atter operationmore than once, and soon Jack Maggott's right hand man was sleeping tho sleep of the just, with his head on a piece of mining timber and his arm hugging fondly my empty flask. Now was my chance. Hastily dropping a match down the winze, and seeing it burn brightly to tho bottom, I disposed summarily of tho etory of the gaß, and a minute later, candle in hand, I was at the bottom. I stretch out my hand. Yes, here is the roof. Let me follow it down. Here are the two walls, woll-defined, nice colours of gold ahowing—ruby, silver, and other "kindly" minerals in enormous quantities. " Well, Jim Plum. I'm think ing there's nothing wrong, and you've made a darned idiot of yourself." Down on my knees I go, closely scrutinising tho lender close by. Here, three inches from the bottom of the winze, ie some clay In the lode. Hados and Thomas Didymus ! I'm right. Thero's a clay seam across the lode. Let mo try tho pick. Thud! thud! The blasted rogue. The leader's cut off. It was so. Below tho minute clay seam thera was nothing but soft mullock, and Mulliga tawnies, instead of boing worth £5, wore worth only as many shillings. Tho reat of my story is soon told. I gnoaked back to town, sat up all night, and at 7.30 next morning got rid of my shares to a confiding new chum. Then I quietly ( " tipped tho wink" to Darby and some more of my immediate chums, and at 11 o'clock issued an "extra "of tho "Bung villo Banner," describing tho result of my surreptitious visit on the previous evening.

Facilis descensus Averni. £5, £1, £3, £2, £1, in tho oourso of half-an-hour, down they camo with a speed as pitiless as fate; and how I shook hands with myeolf when I subsequently found that Jack and his brother swindlers had boon stuck with their shares, arid instead1 of" making tholr fortune, had actually lost'money. I got lots of praiso from the right-think ing portion of tho community for the part I had taken in tho exposure of tho Mulliga tawney swindle, and when, a few months lator, Mosos Abrams sold up tho "plant, book debts, and good will" of the "Bung villo Banner," and I consequently had to seek fresh fields, thoy presented me with an electro-plated tea-pot and an illuminated addross.

And that is tho story of how tho Mulliga rawnoy scrip caino down—every word of it ;rue, I assure you.

A Genuine Love Story.

A tocno clergyman and hia brido wore in vited guests at a largo party given by a wealthy parishioner. In all tho freshness and ologonco of hor bridal wardrobe, tho young wlfo shono among tho throng, distin guished by hor oomolinosa, vivacity, and rich nttire; and whon during tho evening her huaband drow hor asido and whispered to hor that eho was tho most beautiful women in all tho company, and that his heart was bursting with pride and love for hor, she thought herself the happiest woman in tho world. Ten years later the same husband and his wife were guosts at the samo house, whoro was gathered a similar gay company. The wifo of 10 years wore the same dress sho had worn on the previous occasion : of course, it had been made over, and waß old-fashioned and almost shabby. Toil and caro and mothorhood and pinched circumstances had taken the rosea out of her chocks, and tho lltho spirit out of hor form. She sat apart from <ho crowd, looking care worn and preoccupied. Hor email hands, roughonod with coarao toil, were ungloved, for tho minister's salary was painfullly small.

A littlo apart, tho ton years husband stood and looked at his wifo, and as ho observed her faded dress and woary attitude, a groat sense of all her patient, loving faithfulness camo over his heart. Looking up sbo caught his earnest gaze and noticed that his oyes were filled with tears. She roso and went to him, her questioning eyos mutoly asking an explanation of his emotion; and when he tenderly took her hand and placing it on his arm, led her away from the crowd and told her how he had been think ing of her as she looked ten years before when she was a bride, and how much more precious she was to him now, and how much more beautiful for all her shabby dress and roughened hands, and how he appreciated all nor sacrifices and patient toil for him and thoir children, a great wave of happiness filled her heart, a light shone in her face that gave it moro than its youthful beauty, and in all this company there was not so happy a couple as this husband and wife, their hearts and faces aglow from the flam ing up of a pure sentiment that transfigured and ennobled and glorified all the toils and privations they had endured.

Love, Drink, and Suicide.

A man was found on January 2nd, at the corner of Wallace and Nelson streets, Woollahra, with portions of his head liter ally blown away. Threo boys saw the man stop, deliberately place a pistol to his head, and discharge the contents right against his forehead. The unfortunate man presented a fearful sight. When he was picked up by the police he was conscious, and attemp ted to still further injure himself. The poor follow was at once taken to the Sydney Hospital by the police, where he was attended to by Dr. Westrum ; but no hope 3of his recovery were entertained from the first, and at 9 p.m. he died. It is re ported that the unfortunate man had been paying his addresses to a servant in Judge Cowling's residence, Wcollahra ; but she had refused to speak to him on account of his intemperate habits. This seems to havo prsyed upon his mind and induced him to commit the rash act. In the man's pocket was found an envelope ad dressed-to "Miss E. Wright, care Judge Dowling, Wallis-street, Woollahra," and on another part of it " Let me like a soldier fall." In the envelope was discovered a letter written as follows:—"Sydney, Jan. 2, 18S5. Dear Elizabeth, —When this meets your eye 1 will be no more. Then there will be no drunken dirty beasts to trouble you. Good-bye, and God bless you. From your too fond love, 'Wai. Bell. P.S.— Thanksforallyourpastkindness. Aslamnot fit to live, then I will die." The envelope was enclosed in another, on which the following was written:—"Mr Wm. Bell ; next birthday, aged 33 year 3 ; birthplace, York j" and bolow—"At Mr Fred. Lawoon, i Pitt aud Park streets, Good-bye, friend."

Mr and Mrs Spoopendyke at Niagara.

The doings of Mr and Mrs Spoopendyke at Niagara are told aa follows:—" Oh I'1 squeaked Mrs Spoopendyke, hysterically, as sho gazod on tho Falls with one eye, and furtively throw tho other around on other women to see if they wore bettor dressed than she was, " isn't this wonderful ? Bay, my dear, shouldn't you think that little island would be afraid over there alono by itself X" " It's safer there than it would be ashore," muttered Mr Spoopendyko, drop ping a highly-wrought bead bag in his effort to jam v pair of mocassins that wern't mates into his pocket. "If that island is in any way hard up and smart, it'll stay where it is and hold on to what it's got. I cay, what are you going to do \i itli these shoos if over you get 'em homo I" ho continue J, as the larger one hitched up and dropped to tho ground. "Don't lose it!" exclaimed Mrs fcspoopendyke anxiously, "I'm going to hang them up in tho parlour." "If tho man who sold them was any way reasonable in his charges, I'd like to hire him to get into 'em about thetimo tho hanging cornea off!" growled Mr Spuopendyko. " Look here ! Have you any lixed* idea of the distance you expect me to In.'this shinny old stick? Got any accurate notion of tho labour involved in hauling this thing around?" "Thata an Indian war club," protested Mrs bpoopen dyko. " I want that, and you mustn t loso it for anything." " From my experience around here I don't s'poso I could loso it for nothing," grunted Mr Spoopendyke. " But what I want to know," ho continued, i settling one end of the club to his hip pocket, and trying to conceal the other under his coat, " is when the measly thing is calculated to bo on a peaceful footing. Here I In what portion of my habilli ments am I expected to secrete this cemetery? Whore does this rapidly-grow ing-in-popularity graveyard go?" ''Oh, my! It's a work-basket," chirruped Mrs Spoopen dvko "You must carry that in your hand or you'll break it. Say, dear," and she took his arm and crept more closely to him, "Don't you enjoy it? Isn't that awful fall of terrible water just too lovely ? VV hat makes it fall down like that] "I dont know," retorted Mr Spoopendyke, oyeing tho scene with a scowl, and dropping an armful of stereoscopic vifcWS. I suppose it falls like that because it can t runup .If you could get into tho confidence of the thing I presume it would refer you to tho theory ot gravitation, and that it would turn you over to the doctrine of pressure. By that time we wouldn't hare money to get home with. Say, do you really think you're going to need this gunboat for anything to which you can give a definite description ? 'On, mylittufcanoe," cried Mr. Spoopendyke, " I'm going to hang that on the chandelier with pretty ribbons." ".That will provide a groat deal of entertainment," snorted Mr Spoopendyke, hunching the canoe into his armpit so as to get a bettor grip on the keel " But my judgment»that this self acting chunk of aboriginal transportation m going to need Beseemer steel chains to ho d it I oan understand how a savage could sail in tho thing, but what I want to know now is the combination by which ho stopped it when he got ready to . Hold on ! Catch hold of that junk if you calculate to save it. Shove it under my arm, will ye ? No, tie up the other end bo that I can get a purchase. Idon'tknow, though," muttered Mr Spoopendyke gutturally; "aman can t want much help to find a purchase around here,"and ho glared about him, and then stooped over to pick up a tomahawk and a pipe " We've got lots of nice thinga to remind us of Niagara, haven't we, dear! . smiled Mrs Spoopendyke, encouragingly. " But I want to get a few little trinkets for the ladies in the church. Only little ones, you know." "Yes, I know," grinned Mr Spoopendyke. "They will have to be littlei for I have only got my ears left to Btow them in. Go and buy them. Don't hesitate on my account. These women expect it, and they're going to have it. All I want now is a war-trail and a consignment of belated Government rations to look like a meaely reservation ! Bring on the consignment. Disinfect the goods and file the invoices on the back of my neck. If you meet a man with a lum ber yard on his shoulder and a. hammer m his fist, get him to build a wing and a loft, and then go ahead with your Niagara Falls. Whoop ! There goes more prehistoric civil isation. Can't you reach down and hand mo those Bpears and that left-handed scythe with a wart on its spine? Now just run 'em through my suspenders behind, and tie that war bonnet around my neck. " What's that in your mouth, dear? inquired Mrs Spoopendyke, solicitously. A flint arrow-head," growled Mr Spoopendyke vindictively; "and it'll take a dentist to get itout. Then he'll go blowing about that he's found an Aztec battlefield, and they'll fence my jaw in and charge admission. Let it alone, will you ? I paid three dollars for it, and I am going to chaw on it while it lasts. Seen enough of this ? Want to stand around here any longer watching that thing i squirt V " It's so lovely!" murmured Mrs Spoopendyke, turning again to the Palls, " Oh, my dear, think of a man going over these Falls," and Mrs Spoopendyke shuddered. "He wouldn't be any more of an ass than a man who pays a dollar to go under 'em," argued Mr Spoopondyke,_ who still retained a lively recollection of his ex perionco on the American side. "If I ever come here again, and if God gives me my health I won't, I think I will try to go over the Falls, provided thero is a chance of dropping on the Esquimaux who poured mo into a bathing suit, with a hole under each arm and a slit up the back. Say_, my dear, suppose we give this fatigue uniform with bad smell to some worthy charity I" "That's my squaw's dress," faltered Mrs Spoopondyke, " and I would not take any- i thing for it." " I wish the man I bought it oS had felt that way," groaned Mr Spoopendyke. "Just pull it through the back strap of my trousers, will you, and tie those knock-kneed garters around my waist. Look out for the battle-axe 1 I want that myself to open oysters with. Where's the shoe that belonged to the game-legged warrior 7 Here's one, where's the other?" Mrs Spoopendyke found it in his hat, and then announced her readiness to tako in the rest of the show. " There's a man down there that's got a whirlpool," exclaimed Mr Spoopendyke, experiencing Borne difficulty in getting undorweigh with his trophies. " I don't know whether he is in the habit of exhibiting it to band waggons, but if ho is, and don't insist on having me buy it, we'll take a look at it. Come along." "Is that the suspension bridge!" asked Mrs Spoopendyke, as they drove past it. "Yes, wasn't it?" de manded her husband. "Though I don't know why thoy should call it' suspension,' when ovorything else around hero^ appears to bo in active financial operation."

Burying Live Persons.

A ooKKEsroNDENT thinks that in thoso days of invention it would be regarded as a groat blessing if somebody couldbring out apatent whereby we could ascertain whether a per son is dead or alivo before he is buriod. It is but recently that a gentleman who had been suffering from cholera was supposed to bo dead, and was laid for burial. After a lapse of six hours a person went into the room and found the patient alivo, complain ing that he had boen " loft so long." The doctor said that if he had been attended to before he had become so icy cold he would have come round. About three months ago a young woman was laid for burial, and after two days she came on to the landing of the stairs and called out, "Come to me; I am so cold." Some weeks ago, a man in Paris was supposed to have died of cholera, and as the undertaker was assisting to put him into his coffin he awoko, and was so shocked at what was going on that ho died in a fow hours afterwards. Some time since a body had to be exhumed, when it was clear from the position it was found in that the person had been buried alive. Other caßes of this sort have been re ported. Some years ago a neighbour of the correspondent in Cheshire was seized with cholera, and died to all appearance. Her husband, who had been from home, met the people carrying her out to be buried. Ho insisted, however, upon seeing her, and when the coffin was opened, to their great surprise^the woman was alive, and she lived twenty-five years afterwards, and died a Bhort time ago. Surely we who are above ground might do something to prevent such awful mistakes. It is the opinion fliat no doctor should bo allowed to give a certificate of death without seeing the patient after death—a thing which they rarely if ever do. To receivo word that the patient is dead ought not to be sufficient. If there ia the least room for doubt, it would bo a mercy to use means to obviate the possibility of a person coming to life in a coffin, even if it were by the use of a lance. Some medicine has a very stupefying effect, and there Is reason to fear that thousands of people have been buried alive, and it may fall to the gentle reader's lot to be added to the number.

A Terrible Experience.

We young engineers, had many good frionds in Bradford, 10 miles away, and would often run down thore to dinner other attraction, returning by a laggago train which started from Bradford to wend its weary way everywhere at the witching hour getting knocked about here and there, until its dismembered components would lind their way to the uttermost ends of the earth. I never looked King Death so fully in the face as from that night luggage Wo had on our staff an architect, who designed the stations, lodges, &c. _ This architect livod at Bradford, and being a hospitable man, wo dined with him iro quently, returning aa I have said. Isow this long, lumbering lugKajro-tnxin passed in its course within two or three hundred yards of tho residences of most of us, wmlrt tho station was much further away. The gradiont was unfavourable, the train heavy, and it was an understood thing that tho engine-driver wa3 not to slop to put us down, but slacken speed to. some five or six miles an hour, when we might got out as best we could. On this occasion wo had a carnage noxc tho engine, and a long lino of luggage trucks, gay 40, 50, or 60, behind us. Wo arrived at tho spot whero I meant to de scend. Tho train slackened, and I opened tho carriage door. It was very dark, i could not eco the ground, but I swung_ my right foot lightly as I hung on tho carnage, ray left hand on tho door-handle, my- lett foot on the step, and looked earnestly down before jumping. I could not see, but 1 knew we were passing the proper place, and the rest urged mo on ; so I JumPca and pitched upon a raised heap ot iresn ballast. The ballast yielded under me j l slipped and foil rolling towards the train. Inside the carriage they shout and scream to the driver to stop the train, but the rat tle overpowers their voices and he does not hear them. If they had succeoded, they would have killed me with their kind ness. But thoy failed, and I, of course, knew nothing about it. They decided to say no word at tiQ station, wisely enough; of course, they know I shouldnot wish theaffairtobonoised about if I were safe, and if, as they all felt euro was the case, I was cut to pieces, they could do nothing for me- So, when the tram pulled up—for be sure no one else jumpoa down that night-they got lights from the lamp room and hurried back. They found the crushod remains of my hat. uney searched the line, the embankment foot, and the slope all over, and then they de cided to go first to my room, to see It by any chance I had escaped. Thoy did so, and entering found me seated before the tire, a churchwarden in my mouth, a glass ot brandy and water on the table by myside, and my feet on the hob. contemplating a bright fire. The fact was that when I jell and rolled towards the train, expecting nothing but instant death, I tumbled into a hole eight inches deep, alongside of and indeed almost under the rail. My head fitted into this hole as the passing wheel brushed oft my hat. My body and feet lay away from the train over the six-foot. Was I safe ? Tha first waggon did not touch me, although the rattle from the loosened rail joint as the wheels crossed it jarred me terribly, striking terror into my very soul. Clank, clank, clank, the coupling chains passed over, and the leading wheels of the second waggon shook me again as thoy rolled over the loose joints. Then I began to feel safe j but anou I remembered that a hanging1 coupling or a dragging tarpaulin woulfl be fatal to me. I listened painfully fof, the jangle of a loose chain, but ere half-a-dozen waggons had passed I was unconscious of all but the great fact that the footboards were travelling three inches or less'above my head, and travelling, oh, so slowly} Would they never be past ? A horrible desire to raise my head^took possession of me. I felt that I must raise it, even though it were to be sliced in two the next instant in consequence of my doing so. I clenched my teeth atid fists and tried to pray that I might have strength to resist the infernal temptation. Just when that temptation had become positively agonising in its strength, and when I was on the point of succumbing to it, I saw a red glare above my head. It was the "tail lamp," and the train had passed ! But not for me; it was all going on just the same. More waggons, and still more, seemed to be rolling above me, and at last I lifted my head! As I live to write this, I solemnly declare it was with a sort of wonder as to what it would all feel like soon whore I was going to. Nothing touched me, however, I stared wildly around, and then fainted.

Presently the air and the stillness revived me, and I knew that I was safe. But at first I felt almost disappointed. 1 know that had there been half a score more of carriages to that train my head would have gone up and gone off, for my presence of mind had left me. I could barely stagger home, when I drank a tumbler of brandy quite full at a draught; it steadied me. Therest—thepipe, &c.—were rnerebravado. But I paid for it. That night, or morning rather, after I had gone to bed, and. ray rejoicing companions had left me, I started up shivering, rattling the very bed with my shaking, my teeth chattering, and my heart ooating in violent terror. It was long before I left that bed.—" Francis Grundy."

The Chinese. Theatre.

The Chinese theatre is perhaps seen at its best in tho evening. What pushing aud chattering and quarrelling there is, to be sure, as you make your way through the Celestials who throng tho box-office. The box-offico, too, with its little pigeon holes, eocms rather small for the purpose. But as the Chinese always bring the exact sum, no change is necessary, and everything moves with admirable despatch. You have probably engaged a box, or " room," as the Chisesecall it, and, as your name has been posted up conspicuously upon it, there is no chance of mistake. The stage is ablaze with brilliant costumes of red and gold. The lights from the iron chandeliers flare heavily in tho draught. Processions of armies, emperors, statesmen, and generals enter in rapid succession through a "red curtained door on one side, and pass out through a red-curtained door on the other. Now the Emperor is holding an audience. The next moment his troops are engaged in bitter oombat with the retainers of some unruly vassel. Every species of crime, every form of human passion, is crowded into the brief moment of the fleeting scene. A messenger from heaven, standing on a chair, delivering his high summons to a fairy fish, is next presented to your confused imagination. Then, whirling in angry passion, a painted-face king, pulling his feathers fiercely, and loudly threatening all manner of dreadfu Wrings, Ther orchestra keeps up its infernal din. In shrill falsotto the characters sing through a sort of high pitched recitative. Presently you paas down behind the stage, through the paint room, where an actor is making himself as ugly as vermillion and humber can well do it; then by a narrow stairway down to the dressing-room, rich in its very confusion, and strewn around with costly brocades and satins wherever tho convenience of the last actor had left them,. It is not long before you find yourself standing on the stage, so near tho actors, too, that the Emperor's robes touch you as he sweeps superbly by. Then you are hurried back to your box again, where it is explained to you that the hghting is still going on, and that So-and-so has killed So-and-so and is oil on horseback. You loave the theatre of the oldest people in tho world with a con fused idea of tho plot, burlesqued by your interpreter, and still more highly coloured by your heated imagination, with the blaro of tho trumpet and the strident wail of tho fiddlo in your ears, with tho smell of all Chinatown in your nostrils, with a headache, perhaps, but with little added to your stock* of information.—" Tho Century."

Reminiscence of Mozart.

If tho true artist, as somo cultured critics say, will recoil with horror from the sensa tional, what must Mozart have felt on his first introduction to the public 1 The pro. gramme of his first performance, drawn up by his father at Frankfort in 1764, has lately been discovered in Germany, and according to the "Gartonlauba runs thus: —"My daughter twelve years old and my eon of seven, tho son being the great Mozart, will execute tho concertos of tho greatest mas ters on several kinds of pianos, and my boy on the violin likewise. My son will cover the fingorboard of the piano with a cloth and play as if it were not covered. He will ([juess both standing near or at a distance any note, any accord sounded on the piano, ova bell or any other instrument. In con clusion, he will improvise, as long aH desired both on the organ or the piano, in all keys, even the most difficult, as any one may choose. But hia rendering of organ musio differs greatly from that of tjio piano."

THE AUCKLAND EVENING STAR, SATURDAY, FEBRUARY 7, 1885

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ADVERTISE IN THE " B A X N E It," AND YOU WILL GROW RICH. Tho next morning 30 or 40 of us puffed and perspired, and sworo up tho acolivitous track leading to tho Mulligatawny Mino. Ono by ono we wore lowered down tho winze, barking our knoos and chafing our hands during the process; but we all felt rewarded. There was the leader of beautiful blue and white stono, as "kindly" as ever Cornish minor eet eyes on this eido of the Lino, and right through the perpondicular strip of mottled quartz a broad band of golden stone could bo seen. We waited until sonic of tho reef had been blasted, heard Jack Maggott announco thot "400 pounds of as purty spicimints as iver ye saw" had resulted from the "breaking down," and then wo rushed off, each man anxious to get to Bungville first with the welcome news. On the strength of this breaking down, shares went up another pound, and Bungville went into a state of whisky and maudlin joy. That evoning our itinerant preacher held forth from the doorstep of the "Banner" office, and we were all mighty pleased. The appearance of a clerical personage on a goldfield is a sign of prosperity. Just as the love song of the cicada signals the approach of summer, or the croaking of tho bull frog prognosticates coming rain, so does the appearance of a black surtout and a white choker on a goldfield show that thero is a chance of a little ready money circulating. And our black-coated herald of prosperity did remarkably good business on behalf of the poor little heathen that evening. Why, shares went up half-a-crown as soon as it became known that there wag a pai-3on in Bungville, and wouldn't it have been right down mean, nut to say recklessly unthank ful to Providence, if' Jack Maggott and other large holders of Mulligatawnies had not corao down handsome ? As for me, I may aay that I handed round the hat, and