The Heir Of Bendersleigh ; Or , The Freemason's Promise.

glories . The little house was soon reached , and there the party found Mrs . Slarshall and Mr . Grainger at the door , rather anxiously waiting their arrival . " Where have you all been ? " inquired Sirs , Slarshall , as the pic-nic party crowded into the house . " Oh , such adventures , Sla , " exclaimed Harriet , " and hair-breadth escapes and situations , ivhich , the danger over , will be a mine of wealth to Mrs . Puffier Smirke . "

" Eeally , Harriet , there are times when the most sublime situations are lost in the wonderful sensation of fear . So remarkable is the instinct of self preservation , wMch alike is felt by the savage mind , and the exalted man—or woman—a-hem—of genius . So strange it is ; so vast , so Aviso , ah , as unfathomable as yon silver moon that sheds its silent brilliancy upon this sylvan scene . "

lhis was the dreamy and rather alliterative mode in which Sirs . Puffier Smirke described the faculty which some of her own friends whisperingly said she herself remarkably possessed , of taking good care of number one . The table had been spread for the refreshment of the rather jaded parly , before they arrived , and so they quickly set themselves to the refreshingtask before them . The incidents of the day were all recounted aud described for the amusement and the wonder of Mr . Grainger aud his hostess , and in this the time passed merrily on .

Great ivas Sirs . Puffier Smirke ' s eloquence when she described the dangers of the hill upon which the jibber first exhibited his exhilirating performances , and withering ivas her denunciation of all trustees of roads who broke down bridges and then stuck up notices to say that the roads across them were stopped ; for she argued poetically , ancl with very considerable show of reason and research , that , if a bridge was broken

down—in the very middle too—it ivas of no use sticking up a notice by the side of the bridge , to say that there ivas no road over it . And from -the bridge again they jumped to the mcriy adventure of Jacob , and the wine , and the accordion , and thc terror of Jacob , and the dilapidation of the player ; and round and round thc joke and laughter went , until the night waxed late and the moon ivas high iu the meridian of night .

. Awi . tnus they were amusing each other , and being amused , when Sir . Grainger beckoned Sir . Augustus Eaker to the window ^ iear which he stood . " Since you have been out to-day , " said lie , iu an under tone , " a letter , that arrived this morning , has been brought to mc . It is from the East Indies . You see it bears a black edging , " said he , with gravity , exhibiting a yellow-looking letter with a black band across it .

"You don't mean to say that thc old chap ' s popped off ? " exclaimed Sir . Eaker , in something approaching to a gleeful tone , produced , doubtless , by emotion .

Sir . Grainger looked at the young man beside him with an expression of countenance which bespoke anything but satisfaction with the conduct of the person to whom he had ' addressed himself . But only for an instant was his countenance raffled . "Ytiur _ father is no more , Sir . Eaker , " said Sir . Grainger , "and his ivill lias , it seems , been forwarded to me , and it now lies at my office