melting into the azure distance; rise to my
supremest height of all, and love me here!"
Then would the pretty bodice, the clocked
stocking, and the silver-buckled shoe be, like the
broad forehead and the bright eyes, fraught
with the spring of a very chamois, until the
strain was over.

Not even over Vendale himself did these
songs of hers cast a more potent spell
than over Joey Ladle in his different way.
Steadily refusing to muddle the harmony by
taking any share in it, and evincing the
supremest contempt for scales and such like
rudiments of music—which, indeed, seldom
captivate mere listeners—Joey did at first
give up the whole business for a bad job, and
the whole of the performers for a set of howling
Dervishes. But, descrying traces of
unmuddled harmony in, a part-song one day, he
gave his two under-cellarmen faint hopes of
getting on towards something in course of time.
An anthem of Handel's led to further
encouragement from him: though he objected
that that great musician must have been
down in some of them foreign cellars pretty
much, for to go and say the same thing so
many times over; which, took it in how you
might, he considered a certain sign of your
having took it in somehow. On a third
occasion, the public appearance of Mr. Jarvis
with a flute, and of an odd man with a
violin, and the performance of a duet by the
two, did so astonish him that, solely of
his own impulse and motion, he became
inspired with the words, "Ann Koar!"
repeatedly pronouncing them as if calling in a
familiar manner for some lady who had
distinguished herself in the orchestra. But this
was his final testimony to the merits of his mates,
for, the instrumental duet being performed at
the first Wednesday concert, and being
presently followed by the voice of Marguerite
Obenreizer, he sat with his rnouth wide open,
entranced, until she had finished; when, rising
in his place with much solemnity, and prefacing
what he was about to say with a bow that
specially included Mr. Wilding in it, he delivered
himself of the gratifying sentiment: "Arter
that, ye may all on ye get to bed!" And ever
afterwards declined to render homage in any
other words to the musical powers of the
family.

Thus began a separate personal acquaintance
between Marguerite Obenreizer and Joey
Ladle. She laughed so heartily at his compliment,
and yet was so abashed by it, that Joey
made bold to say to her, after the concert was
over, he hoped he wasn't so muddled in his head
as to have took a liberty? She made him a
gracious reply, and Joey ducked in return.

"You'll change the luck time about, Miss,"
said Joey, ducking again. "It's such as you
in the place that can bring round the luck of
the place."

"Can I? Round the luck?" she answered,
in her pretty English, and with a pretty wonder.
"I fear I do not understand. I am so stupid."

"Young Master Wilding, Miss," Joey
explained confidentially, though not much to her
enlightenment, "changed the luck, afore he
took in young Master George. So I say, and
so they'll find. Lord! Only come into the
place and sing over the luck a few times, Miss,
and it won't be able to help itself!"

With this, and with a whole brood of ducks,
Joey backed out of the presence. But Joey
being a privileged person, and even an involuntary
conquest being pleasant to youth and beauty,
Marguerite merrily looked out for him next
time.

"Where is my Mr. Joey, please?" she asked
of Vendale.

So Joey was produced and shaken hands
with, and that became an Institution.

Another Institution arose in this wise. Joey
was a little hard of hearing. He himself said
it was "Wapours," and perhaps it might have
been; but whatever the cause of the effect,
there the effect was, upon him. On this first
occasion he had been seen to sidle along the
wall, with his left hand to his left ear, until he
had sidled himself into a seat pretty near the
singer, in which place and position he had
remained, until addressing to his friends the
amateurs the compliment before mentioned. It
was observed on the following Wednesday that
Joey's action as a Pecking Machine was
impaired at dinner, and it was rumoured about
the table that this was explainable by his
high-strung expectations of Miss Obenreizer's
singing, and his fears of not getting a place
where he could hear every note and syllable.
The rumour reaching Wilding's ears, he in
his good nature called Joey to the front at
night before Marguerite began. Thus the
Institution came into being that on succeeding
nights, Marguerite, running her hands over
the keys before sinking, always said to Vendale,
"Where is my Mr. Joey, please?" and that
Vendale always brought him forth, and stationed
him near by. That he should then, when all
eyes were upon him, express in his face the
utmost contempt for the exertions of his friends
and confidence in Marguerite alone, whom he
would stand contemplating, not unlike the
rhinoceros out of the spelling-book, tamed and on
his hind legs, was a part of the Institution.
Also that when he remained after the singing
in his most ecstatic state, some bold spirit
from the back should say, "What do you think
of it, Joey?" and he should be goaded to
reply, as having that instant conceived the
retort, "Arter that ye may all on ye get to
bed!" These were other parts of the
Institution.

But, the simple pleasures and small jests of
Cripple Corner were not destined to have a long
life. Underlying them from the first was a
serious matter, which every member of the
patriarchal family knew of, but which, by tacit
agreement, all forbore to speak of. Mr.
Wilding's health was in a bad way.

He might have overcome the shock he had
sustained in the one great affection of his life,
or he might have overcome his consciousness of
being in the enjoyment of another man's