Beatrice.

and special callings . A few diamond merchants , one or two commission agents some of those mysterious gentlemen who go everywhere and do nothing , and always have an office in the city , one or two patriotic exiles from foreign lands , one or two teachers of languages , and , lastly , our friend Grogwitz . There was an air of mildewed shabbiness about the place , which was perhaps not to be wondered at ; " and the quantity of dirty men , and slip-shod women , lounging about the court , " Mr . Miller said , " was most trying to the optic and the olfactory nerves . " However , we have left Mr . Miller in Mr . Grogwitz ' s waiting-room , and thither we must return to him .

All of a sudden the door opened , and Mr . Grogwitz himself appeared . "Ah , " he said , " my friend Mr . Docket sends you to me , and says it is a very peculiar case ! Yell , vat can I do for you ?" We need not follow Mr . Miller through his " confession " to his new " confessor , " but we may simply recount that , after a long and patient audience , the great man summed up the result of it in these remarkable words : — " Yellit is a very difficult caseaud vill be a very expensive one . I cannot do

, , very moch in it , but I will introduce you to Madame . " ( Here Mr . Miller winced . ) "She is very clover , very clever indeed , at such leetle tings , and if it is put in her vay , I feel sure she vill make you to succeed—as indeed you ought to do . Yell , before we begin , you must be so good ; my clear sare , as to give me a leetle cheque , ( naming the sum ) , for nevare , nevare have I known money so tight , so bad to get in . " Now Mr . Miller did not so much mind the cheque as Madame ; for he filled up the

former , though he evidently shirked the latter . But Grogwitz , who knew his man , cut the Gordian Knot b y opening a door , saying , " Oh , here is Madame . Mr . Miller wishes to speak with you , my dear . " I woidd rather draw a veil over the next half-hour : the more so , as I do not think it will edify my readers . At the end of it Mrs . Grogwitz most gracefully undertook " the commission , " ancl Mr . Grogwitz said , in the rapture of his soul , —

" Ah , you will not repent you of your bargain . Madame is a very clever woman ; she can do anything—almost anythmg—and I always leave soch matters in her hands with perfect confidence . " " Well , " said poor Mr . Miller , "I hardly know what it is she proposes to do . My object ( oh ! the old rascal ) is to prevent a certain young lady marrying a certain young man , ancl all you say is , your wife " is sure to succeed—she is sure to succeed ! " ' '' Yell , " said Mr . Grogwitz confidingly , " you must leave that to her . We cannot explain everything . Have you ever seen Beaumarchais' ' Barbier de Seville ?'" "Never , " said Mr . Miller loftily , " never ; I don't go to the playhouses . ' "

" More is the pity , " replied Grogwitz , " for you woidd have seen a very clever performance at the Comedie Frangaise , when Bressant and Victoria Lafontaine acted , in the olden time especially , and you would have been introduced to that great character , Monsieur Bartolo ! Ah , Bartolo is a grand conception ! He says , and I agree with him , ' There is nothing like la calomnie , '—calumny , as you call it , lying , if you like , and that is the principal employment ( ancl here he laughed ) of us special agents . We do

not do what we have to do openly , we coidd not do it , for fear of some good friends of mine in Scotland Yard : but we do do it sorreptitiously , as you say , by taking away a person ' s character , for instance . " " Oh ! ah ! yes ! " said Mr . Miller , not knowing quite what to say . "Madame is quite an fait at that sort of work , ancl I can assure you , my dear sare , we will prove ourselves worthy of your confidence , ancl execute the commission vith

vich you have honoured us vith perfect soccess . " Oh , worthy trio ! Happily for us all , roguery and villany do not always succeed in this poor world of ours , and the Grogwitzes in general often find the laws too strong , and the police too '" cute" in particular . Tes , kind readers , let us conclude this chap ter with the good old axiom , true if ancient , ever new if old , ever seasonable and unchanging , L'homme propose , Bieu dispose ! ( To be continued . )