of whose arm I caught hold to steady myself,
seemed, lantern and all, by mere communicated
violence, to be shaken and buffeted about as I
was. I had always been an abstemious young
man, and had not exceeded in the consumption
of the hospitable junior partner's rare old hock ;
besides, for all the noise in my head, I could
think and talk —albeit my teeth chattered, and
my tongue wagged in my mouth with aguish
convulsions. I had never known before that
railway porters were a hard hearted race, but
one tall man in velveteen grinned most impertinently
as I was helped into a fly, and I am certain
that his companion, a short, fat fellow, with
a leer in his eye, thrust his tongue into his cheek
as he heaped, at my desire, great-coats and rugs
over me, and bade the flyman drive to the
Marine Parade, where my uncle resided. I had
told every one at the station about my attack of
ague.

"He's got his load," I heard the tall porter
exclaim, as we drove off. Of course he meant
that the flyman had got all my luggage.

It was a dreadful five minutes' ride to my
uncle's. The fit was so strong on me that my
head and limbs kept bumping against opposite
sides of the fly, and once came in contact with
the window-glass. And the noise in my head
never ceased. I stumbled out, somehow, when
the vehicle stopped, and, clinging to the knocker
of the avuncular door, struck such a quivering
peal of blows—I had previously scattered the
cabman's fare on the pavement in the attempt
to place the money in his hand—that Jakes,
my uncle's confidential man, who opened the
door, stared with astonishment.

"I'm very ill, Jakes," I stammered, when I
had staggered into the hall. "I'm down with
that dreadful Ague again."

"Yes, sir," answered Jakes, with something
like a grin on his countenance too. "Compts
of the season, sir. Hadn't you better go to
bed, sir ?"

Now the house was all lighted up, for there
was to be a snapdragon party, and I knew that
my Tilly and all the Standfasts were up-stairs
with my uncle and his waistcoat, and that they
were to wait for my arrival before lighting the
bowl. And, ill as I was, I burned to see my
darling.

"No, Jakes," I said, "I'll try and bear up.
You had better bring me a little cognac, and
some very hot water, into the dining-room. It
will do me good, and the fit may leave me."
What would you believe was the reply of this
pampered domestic?

"Better not, sir," he had the hardihood to
observe. "Christmas time, sir. Plenty more
like you. Better go to bed, sir. Think of your
head in the morning, sir."

"Fellow—"I began to retort, still
violently trembling, when I saw my uncle Bonsor
appear at the head of the staircase. There was
a group of ladies and gentlemen in the
background, and as well as I could see for shaking,
there were the dear golden curls of my Tilly.
But her face looked so scared and terrified.

"Alfred," said my uncle, sternly, from behind
his waistcoat, "you ought to be ashamed of
yourself. Go to bed directly, sir!"

"Uncle!" I cried, with a desperate attempt
to keep myself steady, "do you think I'm— "
Here I made an effort to ascend the staircase,
but my foot caught either in the carpet or over
one of the confounded brass rods, and, upon my
word, I tumbled heels over heels into the hall.
And yet, even as I lay recumbent, I shook worse
than ever. I heard my uncle's responsible
voice ordering the servants to carry me to bed.
And I was carried too ; Jakes and a long-legged
foot-page conveying my shaking body to my
bedroom.

The night was brief and terrible as in an access
of fever, and I lay shaking and chattering in the
burning bed. In the morning, my uncle sent
word to say that my ague was all nonsense,
and that I was to come down to breakfast.

I went down, determined on remonstrance,
but holding on by the banisters and quivering
in every limb. O! for the tribulations of that
wretched Christmas-day. I was received with
sneers, and advised to take very strong tea with
a little cognac; yet soon afterwards my uncle
shook hands with me, and said that it was only
once a year, and that he supposed boys would
be boys. Everybody wished me a merry Christmas;
but I could only return the compliments
of the season in a spasmodic stutter. I took a
walk on the pier immediately after breakfast,
but I nearly tumbled into the sea, and bumped
against so many posts, that I had to be led
home by a mariner in a yellow sou'-wester hat,
who insisted that I should give him five shillings
to drink my health. Then came a more appalling
ordeal. I was to call at Snargatestone Villa to
accompany my Tilly and the family to church.
To my great relief, though I was shaking in
every joint of my fingers and toes, nobody took
any notice of my alarming complaint. I began
to hope that it might be intermittent, and
would pass off, but it wouldn't, and rather
increased in violence. My darling girl patted me
on the head, and hoped that I was "a good boy,
now;" but when I began, shiveringly, to
explain my attack of ague, she only laughed. We
went to church, and then my ague soon brought
me into disgrace again. First I created terrible
scandal by knocking up against the old pauper
women in the free seats, and nearly upsetting
the beadle. Then I knocked the church services
and hymn-books off the ledge of the pew. Then
I kicked a hassock from beneath the very knees
of my future mamma-in-law. Then I trod—
accidentally I declare—on the toes of Mary
Seaton, my Tilly's pretty cousin; whereupon she
gave a little scream, and my beloved looked
daggers at me; and as a climax, in the agony of
that extraordinary horizontal shaking fit of mine,
I burst the pew door open, and tumbled once
more against the beadle, who in stern tones,
and in the name of the churchwardens, desired
me either to behave myself or to leave the
church. I saw that it was no good contending
against my complaint, so I did leave; but