Doctor Conolly. And in a postscript he
added, " Tell your friend the General that in
three hours after the receipt of this letter he
will receive a visit from me. accompanied by
my philanthropic friend, Mr.Horsford, who is
strongly of opinion he has often met him before.
So make ready to receive us." I conveyed
the intelligence to our friends. They were
startled at first, but soon recovered, and
said the pleasure of being introduced to
our good uncle and his philanthropic
companion was the crowning happiness of their
visit to dear Marianne. "The joy of your
reception of so kind a relation will be too
sacred for the intrusion of comparative
strangers, so we will retire, the General and
I, for an hour or two, and join the happy
family circle when the meeting is over. You
will drive me, my dear General, through the
glades of the New Forest. It will remind
me of the happy time when you used to
carry me in that noble phaeton through the
woods of your illustrious uncle the field-
marshal. But he was harsh to his next of
kin. He was indeed the Iron Duke! " She
rang, and ordered the gig to the door.
Marianne caught me by the arm. " Joseph," she
said. My name is Joseph. " Only think!
The General is a nephew of—"

"I know it, my love," I said: "and the nose
is very like."

"What an honour!" she continued. "I
don't the least regret the silver plate—nor my
dresses—nor my rings and bracelets. Oh! I
will write some lines on this charming
discovery which shall surpass all my previous
efforts!"

"Adieu," they said, as they stood at the
front door. " We will be back in two hours.
But, by the by," said Mrs. Delormo, " how
are we to know the time? The General is so
strict a disciplinarian he considers
unpunctuality as bad as cowardice. Lend him your
watch, my dear Joseph "—(calling me—me!
—by my Christian name!) " and we shall
be back to the minute fixed." " God bless
you, my sweet friend," said the General,
taking his seat, and smiling to Marianne.
"Heaven recompense you, my excellent
Joseph, for all that you have done! " He
lifted his eyes to heaven with such
a holy air that we were quite overcome.
But no wonder—for he had an uncle a
bishop.

The hour appointed for Uncle John's
arrival passed without his appearance. The
General and Mrs. Delormo—Lady Serena we
used to call her when we were alone—were
much behind their time. Dinner grew cold;
the evening began to close in; I became
uneasy for the safety of the interesting pair;
Uncle John we knew to be unpunctual—so
did not care much for his non-appearance;
but the strict disciplinarian, the military
man, who had actually borrowed my watch
on purpose: that he did not return
surprised us. I put on my thick shoes and
walked across to the railway station. I met
a man in my gig—a man I did not know—a
man with a pipe in his mouth, a man in top
boots, and corduroy shorts, a red waistcoat,
a glazed hat, and carrying a flexible whip in
his hand such as is used by horsedealers at
a country fair.

I said to this man, "Are you going to
Rosebower Cottage ? "

"No, I ain't," he said, pulling up, and
looking not at all respectful.

"Then, where are you going," I said to
this man, " with my gig and horse ? "

"Your gig and horse? " he said. " I
tell you what, young man; you looks soft,
so I'll gie ye some advice. Don't you interfere
with another gentleman's property, or
you'll get the worst on't. I've bought this
trap from Hulky Bill, which has been in
the trade for years."

"Hulky Bill is a thief and a robber," I
replied, "and has imposed on the confidence of
General Delormo."

"Why, that's him—and no mistake. He
said it was give him as part payment of his
wife's salary, which was companion to a young
woman which was out of her mind in this
neighbourhood, and didn't like to go into an
asylum; so I gave him ten pound for the
concern. I don't mind handing it over to you
for a tip of five more."

I was struck silent. I wandered home and
did not speak a word to Marianne all night.
Next morning a letter from Uncle John.
"By this time," it said, " your visitors have
left you, for I knew the very name of
Horsford would be enough. Sell off the remainder
of your furniture, gather in your bills,
promise never to admit anybody into your house
desiring a comfortable home and sympathetic
hearts, and to whom salary is no object. Let
Marianne burn her manuscripts, and learn to
sew, and to keep accounts, and I will set you
straight once more, and endeavour to get you
into some government office, where no
great intellect will be required. But we
must make haste; for if a preliminary
examination is introduced, you will infallibly be
plucked."

Uncle John, as I began by mentioning,
always considered me an Ass. I think he
will die in that opinion.

NEW TALE by Mr. CHARLES DICKENS now
publishing Weekly in HOUSEHOLD WORDS.

ON the First of July will be published, in Household
Words, the FOURTEENTH Portion of a New Work of
Fiction, called

HARD TIMES.

BY CHARLES DICKENS.

The publication of this Story will be continued in HOUSEHOLD
WORDS from Week to Week, and completed in Five Months from
its commencement on the First of April.

Price of each Weekly Number of HOUSEHOLD WORDS,
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