the same creaking voice in which he used to say
Amen, 'To-morrow one customer will come
into your shop. Only one. Shave him! Shave
him ! Shave him! as you shaved ME!!' He
pointed to his throat, and vanished. I have
been thinking over the matter, and have arrived
at the conclusion that I am not necessarily
bound to cut your throat. I did not cut the
old man's; he did it himself; and, therefore, I
hope that all may yet be well. If I can shave
you without drawing a drop of blood, you will
escape. But if I accidentally cut you, as I did
Towzer, the coincidence will be so remarkable
that I shall feel myself bound to go on. You
see the point? Ever since that terrible night,
I have not been able to see a drop of blood, but
I must see more! more! more!"

At this time, the carriage drove up to Julia's
door, having returned from its fruitless journey
to the church. I heard the steps let down,
and the house door open and shut, and then
I heard the carriage drive off. But I could
see only dimly, for I felt sick and faint.
The barber also heard, and looked towards
the window. As he again turned to me, I
thought I saw a smile flit over his features. I
felt somewhat encouraged.

"Why, you are still trembling," he said.
"I cannot proceed, with any hope of safety,
until you are more quiet."

I was glad to hear him say that; for, dreadful
as was my present position, anything was better
than that lie should commence the use of the
razor under the terrible conditions he had
mentioned. Lending a somewhat unnecessary aid to
nature, I shook to such an extent that the barber,
mad as he was, looked positively alarmed.

As I heard his next words, I could scarcely
believe my ears.

"Why, you are getting worse than ever,"
said he, "and my hand might be more steady
too. I had no rest last night. Now, I'll tell
you what we'll do. Let us take forty winks
apiece—you in that chair—I in this. The one
who awakes first, shall call the other, and then
we will proceed to business. A nap will calm
our nerves. What do you say?"

"The very thing," I cried. And oh, how
my heart beat with hope. Nothing could have
been more favourable to my chances of escape.
The key of the door was still in his pocket. I
could see the handle of it peeping out. Oh
that he would sleep quickly and sleep soundly!

The barber closed his razor, yawned, stretched
out his legs, and folded his arms. I stilled my
trembling limbs as well as I could, and, at the
earliest moment consistent with probability,
began to draw my breath regularly, as if asleep.
Presently I fancied I heard the barber snore.
I ventured to steal a glance at the barber. His
eyes were shut, and he was decidedly nodding.
He shifted his position, and leaned back in the
chair to rest his head. Half a minute more
and his breathing became regular, then loud,
then outrageous, until he snored like an ogre.

Now was my time! I arose, and two steps
brought me to his side. My boots were new
boots, and creaked horribly as I stepped. But
the barber did not awake. Without trouble or
difficulty I drew the key from his pocket. I
passed behind his chair. I was at the door. I
put the key into the lock, turned it, the door
opened easily. I was free! I was gone!

I rushed down the court; I fled up the
street; I was without a hat, the shaving-cloth
was still on my shoulders, my face was thickly
covered with lather, so that I must have
considerably terrified the persons in the streets.
I have since heard that one old lady was frightened
into fits. But whither I went, what I did,
or what I said, I do not of my own knowledge
know at all.
One thing, incredible as it seemed to me
at first, I was ultimately compelled to
believe. The barber was no more mad than I was.
He had come into the town some little time
before, as an actor at the theatre; but not finding
that a very lucrative pursuit, had resumed his
original trade of shaving. I believe he had
managed to persuade Julia that he did so, solely
for love of her; unknown to me, he had been for
some time her favoured suitor; she had already
promised to marry him, when I cut him out. He
was aware that it, was my wedding-day, and was
brooding over his wrongs when I by fatal chance
entered his shop. He knew me by sight, and
conceived the idea of taking revenge both
on Julia and on myself, by preventing me from
going to church until canonical hours were
past.

He attained his object more fully, perhaps,
than he anticipated; for Julia would never
have anything to say to me again, and
her door was always closed in my face in
the most uncompromising manner possible.
To a letter of explanation I sent her, she
returned a reply to the effect that it made no
difference, for she would never marry a poltroon.
Yes, that was the word; as if a person in the
drapery, grocery, pin and needle, note-paper,
bacon, and general line, were required to be a
hero! After a little while, I gave the thing up,
and, unable to withstand the continual jeering
of boys and others, sold my business, and retired
to another part of the kingdom.

I have since been informed that Julia at last
forgave the barber for having caused the
mortifying predicament in which she had been placed,
and became his wife. He soon after returned
to the stage, where he did pretty well, and
would have done better, if he had not been
somewhat too fond of drink. I hear that Julia
henpecks him horribly, and leads him by no
means an angel of a life; so, perhaps, I am well
out of it after all, for if she can serve him so,
what would she have done by me?

       Now ready, in One Volume, post 8vo,
          AUNT MARGARET'S TROUBLE.
London: CHAPMAN and HALL, 193, Piccadilly.