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heart she‘ has i’.’ ‘ - - ‘ ’ , ‘
“You don’t know,‘ Pa,” said Bella; “ what a shocking
creature I was growing, when he saved me froniinyself I”
“, You don’t know, sir,” said Rokesinith, “ what a sac-
riliceshehasmade for.mel"' ‘- ' V” .
. “ My'dear.Be1la,"’ replied the cherub, “still pathetically
scared, ‘!a‘nd‘my dear Johnllokesmith, if you will allow
me so to call you-” ' ' ' "‘ "7
“You don’t know, sir,f’ said Roke'siiiith', “what ya
' " “Yes do, Pa, do i’-’ urged'Bella. ?'Ial1oW you’,
will ishis law. V Isn’t it-dear John Rokesmith I ”‘ i. -
There was an engagingshyness in Bella, coupled with
an engaging tenderness of love andconfidence and pride
iuthus first calling him by name, which madeiit quite
excusable in John Rokesmith to do what he did. “That
he did was once ‘more togive her the appearance of van‘-
ishing as aforesaid. -T. v v W’ ‘ v ‘ -‘
'‘‘ I think, my dears,” observed the cherub, “ that if you
could make it convenientito sit one on one side‘ of me,
-and the other on the‘ other, we should get on rather more
consecutively; and make things ‘rather plainer. John ’
Rokesmith menti‘oned,'a..while ago, that he had no pre-
sent occupation.” -i 7 Ex ’ ' 1 r ‘
' “ None,” said'Rokesn‘iith. '- ' ‘
“No, Pa, none,” said Bella. H.’ ,‘ i p’
- “From which-I argue,” proceededrthe cherub, .“,that
hehzisleft Mr. Bof’iin?.”" .v ‘ 3 v: ' ‘ ’- -‘
“ Yes, Pa. And so-” "
“ Stop a bit, my dear. I wish to lead up to it ‘.by ‘de-
grees. And that Mr. Bofliu has not treated him well -? ”
. “ Has treated him most shamefully, dear ‘Pavl” ‘ cried
Bella, with a flashing face. “ . ' 2-:
“Of which.” pursued ‘the’ cherub," enjoining patience
withlhis hand, “a certain mercenary young person dis-
tantly related to myself, could t not approve ‘P: (Am I lead-
ing upto it riglit?” - ‘H9: -.,;= i i 1? v. --1: H’,-
“Could not approve, sweet Pa,’.' Si1l(1“Bella, with'a
tearful laugh and ajoyful kiss. ‘0 ' .--i ‘ i 5.
“Upon which,” pursued the ;cherub, “the” certain
mercenaryyoung ‘person distantly ‘related to myself,
having previously observed and mentioned to myself that
prosperity was spoiling Mr.’-Boflin,-felt that she must not
sell lierisense of what was right and what was wrong,
and what was true and What wasfalse, and what was
just and what wasunjust, for any price’ that could ‘be
pailcl tp her by fany one,a.live‘2-’ AXXII leading,up' to it
nglE.7;,, , ‘ 7,. , v, , , v, .,
again. ' i . A , .,
“ And therefore-and therefore," the cherub went on
in a glowingvvoice, as'Bella’s hand stole gradually up
his waistcoat to his neck, “ this mercenary young person ,
distantly related to myself, refused the price, took off the
splendid fashions that were part of it, put on the com-
paratively poor dress that I had last given her, and trust!
ing ‘to my supporting her in what was right, came
straight to me. - Have I led up to it 7” iv v - -. i ‘
“Bella’s hand.,was round hisfneck' by this time, and
her face was on it. . . .
“ The rnercenar oung erson distantl r I l .
self," said her gooll3father,p“ did well I .-’yl‘h:1?iiie(:1rdgil:iy:y
young person distantly related: to myself, did ‘not trust‘
to me in vain l r I admire this mercenary younoo person
distantly relatedto myself, more in this dress tllaan if she
had come to me in’China silks, Cashmere shawls and‘
Golconda diamonds’ V Ilove this young‘ person deariyi I.
say to the man of this young person's heart, out of my
heart and with all of it, ‘My blessing on this engacre.
nient betwixt you, and sherbrings you ‘a good fox-txfm,
when she brings you the -poverty shevhas accepted ‘for
your sake and the honest truth’s !' " - r ‘ , r
The stanch little man's ; voice failed himas he gave
John Ilokesniith his hand, and he was silent, bending .
his face low over his daughter.’ But, not for’ long.‘ 4 He
soon looked up, saying in‘a. sprightly tone :' - ‘
“And now, my dear child, if you think -you can enter.
tain John Rokesinith. for a minute. and a half, I’ll run
over to the Dairy, and fetch" him '9. cottage ‘loaf and a
drink of milk, that we may all have tea together.”
It was, as Bella gaily said,‘ likefthe ‘supper provided
for thethree nursery hobgoblins at their house in the
forest, without their thunderous low growlings of the
523 . ‘ CHARLES ‘.DIOKENS.’.: Irozzzzs.
alarming discovery, '5 Somebodyis .been, drinking my
milk i” It "was a delicious repast; by far the most de-
licious that Bella, or John Rokcsmith,‘or even R. VVi1fer
had ever made. ‘ The iincongenial oddity of its surround-
ings, with the two brass knobs of‘the iron safe of Chick-
sey,'Veneering, and Stobbles staring from a‘ corner, like
the eyes of ’ some dull dragon,’ only made it the more
delightful. . . i ,
“ To think,” said the cherub, looking round, the ollice
with unspeakable enjoyment,’-." that anything, of a ten-
der nature should come 03 here, is what tickles me. To
think that ever I should have seen, my Bella folded in
the arms of her future-husband, here, you know !”
I was not until thc'cottage loaves and the milk had for
some time disappeared; and the foreshadowings of night
were creeping over Mincing Lane, that the cherub by
degrees became a little nervous, and said to Bella, as he
cleared his throat: 5 ' , ‘ ' .
“ llem-Have you thought at all about your mother,
mydear?”" " .' ‘
“Yes, Pa.” ' ’ ’ i . . . . ,’
“ And your sister Lavvy,;for instance, my dear? ”
W “ Yes, Pa. ‘I thing we had-betternot enterinto par-
ticulars at home. I think it will be quite enough to say
that I had a difference with-Mr. Boilin, and‘have left for
ood.” . - “ ‘ i ‘ I‘
“ John Rokesmith being acquainted with your lila, my
love,” said her’ father, after some; Slight hesitation, “I
need have no delicacy in hinting before him‘ that you Ina)’
perhaps find your Ma a little wearing.” . ' .
w A little, patient Pa -2” said Bella with a tuneful
laugh :.the tunefullerfor being so loving in'its tone. '
. “ VVell X lVe’ll say, strictly inconfidence among our-
selves, wearing ; we don't qualify it,” the cherub stoutly
admitted. “ And your sister’s'tcmper is wearing?’
-:.‘.‘Idon't mind, Pa.”- . ;- ,3 - ‘ ‘V ,
“ And you must prepare yourself, you know, my
precious,” said her, father, with much gentleness,“‘ for
our looking very poor and meagre at home, and being ‘ft
gie best but very‘ uncomfortable, after Mr. Boliin s
ouse.” “ H ,j. ' , .‘
T..“,I don't mind, Pa.-- Ifcould hear much harder trials
-forJohn.”'.. W ' . I; ..
“ The closing words were not so softly and blushingly '
said but that John heard them, and showed that he heard
them by again assisting Bella to another of those mys-
' i ‘ ‘terioiis disappearances‘. .
VVith another tearful 1augh‘Bella joyfully kissed him i -
.“,Well I” said the cherub ,’gaily,‘and not expressing
disapproval,‘ “ when you-when you come back from.Ye-
tirement, my love, and reappear on the surface, l-think
it will be time to lock up and go.”' " 1 ‘ ‘
If the counting-house of Cliicksey, 'Venecring, ‘md
Stobbles had ever been shut up by three happier pe0i’19.r
glad asinost people were to shut it up, they must 1111"“
been superlatively happy‘ indeed. But first‘ B611“
mounted upon Rumty’s Porch, and said, “ Show mg‘. “'1.11“
you do here all day long, dear Pa. : Do you write like
this?” " laying her round; cheek upon her 1ilump.1““
arm, and losing sight of her pen in waves of liair. in ”'
highly unbusiness-like manner. Though John Rake-
smith seemed to like it. , v .' , 1 ,
‘So, the three hobgoblins, having eifaced all traccs.0t
their feast, and swept up the crumbs; came out of Mm’
cing Lane to walk to Holloway; and lf..‘tWO,0f 311."
hobgobliris didn’t wish the distance twice as long as 1‘
was, the third hobgoblin was much mistaken. Indeeib
that modest spirit deemed himself so much in ‘the, “'11)
of their: deep enjoyment of the journey, that he aP0l".‘
getically‘ remarked: ‘f I think, my dears,‘ I’ll ‘take, the
lead on the other side of the road, and 'see'ni. not to be-
long to you.” VVhich he did, clierubically strewingy the
path with smiles, in the absence of flowers, . ,
It was almost‘ ten',o’clocl: when they stopped Wllllm
view of lVilfer Castle ; and then, the spot being ‘lmct
‘ iinddeserted, Bellabegnn a serious of disappearances
which threatened to last all night.”- I , . ', .f
“I think, John,” the cherub hinted at last. "that ‘
you can spare me the young person distantly related 159
' myself, l’ll take her in.” ‘
v “ I can't spare her,” answered John, “ but I iI1uSi519,“‘1
her to you.eMy Darling l ” A word of ; Magic “lllch
caused Bella instantly, to disappear again.‘ ‘ ‘ ‘ " s
,, J-. u. .;
"‘>:'O' Pri:' H15