The national era. [volume] (Washington [D.C.]) 1847-1860, 1857-11-12
THE BOx-TUNNtL-A FACT,
A NEW STORY BYyGRARLEs READE.

The l0.l5 train g,ided from Paddingto. i,
May q, l847. In the Let compartment of /,
certain hrst-cass carrieg, we're four passengert /;
OF these, two were worth description. The lad |,
had smooth, white, delicate brow, strongl ,
marked eyebrows, long lssaes, eyes that seeing
to change color, and E sgood-sized deliciot |,
mouth, with teeth as shDe as milk. A ma J
could not see her nose, for her eyes and mouth :
her own sex could and aald have told us SON :
nonsense about it. SAavore an unpreterdia I
grayish dress, buttorA< to the throat, wits
lozenge-shaped buttonsb ind Scotch sha,l
that sgreeably evaded the responsibility Nyf
color. She was like derk-so tight Ter plat:
feathers fitted her. and here she sat- smooth,
snug, and delicious, witt; a book in her harsl,
and soupcon of her s!owy wrist just visk g
as she held it. 4
good style of mantle / ore to bis credit, sin.
he belonged to a corporation that frequently
turns out the worst Imaginable style of youbg
men. He was a cavalry eff GER, aged twentj-
hve he had nous 5che, but not very g.
pulsve one; not one s:those sub nasal pfr-
tails, on which soul is s ,eeuded like dew on "a
shrub; it was short, thist and black as a COZ
His teeth had not yet .sen turned by tobacst 10
smoke to the color of to- acco juice, his cloth$s
did not stick or hang OF him. they sat on hiki !;
he had an engaging 8, ile and, what / lik d
the dog for, his vanity, 8hich was inordina. e.
was In his proper plaG>, his heart, not in lis
lace, Jostlng mine an other peoples w,,o
have none; IN a word, h. was what one offer ar
hears OF than meets-a ~sAng gentleman lie
was conversng in an a, hatet whisper with "a
companion, fellow OK sr-ttey were talking
about, what it is far beler not to do, woman
Our friend clearly did n wish to be overhead
for he cast, ever and ansa, a furtive glance at
his fair vis-a-vis, and lt.sered his voice. Sic
seemed completely sbsorbed in her book, a id
that treasured him. AT last the two soldiers
came down to a whisper, and in that whisper
the truth must be told) the one who got dozen
at Slough, and was lost to posterity, bet Ten
pounds TO three, that he who was going with Us
to Bath, and Immortality, would not kiss eitier
OF the ladies opposite upon the road. "Donei +"
Done!" Now, L am sorry man | have
hitherto praised should have lent himself, even
IN whisper, to such a speculation but " 70
body is wise at all hours" not even when .he
clock is striking five-and.twenty; and you ere
to consider his profession, his good looks, ald
the temptation-ten to three.
After Slough, the party was reduced to tire e
at Twyford, one lady dropped her handkerchief;
Captain Dolignan fell on it ike a tiger and e.
turned to it like lamb; two or three wuhls
II
ing, the Marlborough of our tale made one of
the safe investments of that day; he boughi
Times and Punch; the latter was full .of
steel pen thrusts and wood cuts Valor AID
beauty deigned to laugh at some inflated he N.
bug or other punctured by Punch. Now, laugh
ing together thaws cur human ice; long beft re
S~indon, 1T was talking match-at Swind, N,
who 80 Devoted 40 Cantaip Dnl;enan-he hasad.
ed them out-he souped them-he tough chitK-
al. L. i LII 80.
and he branded and 'burnt-sugared the other;
on their return to their carriage, one lady pc
ed into the inner compartment to inspect GER
tain gentlemans seat on that side the line.
Reader had it been you or |, the bea Ity
would have stayed with US till all was blae,
| ourselves included; not more surely does ,ur
slice of bread and butter, when it ESCAPES fl pun
our hand, revolve ii ever 80 often, alght fice
downwsrds on the carpet. But this was bit
of flop, Adonis, drsgoon-so Venus remai, led
tete tete with him. You have seen log
meet an unknown female Of his species; ow
handsome, how emPresse, how expressive, he
becomes such was Dolignan after SwinI on,
and, to do the dog justice, he got handso.aer
and handsomer; and you have seen a cat on
scious Of approaching cream-such was .iss
Haythorn she became demurrer and demq fer.
Presently our Csptaia looked out of the win low
and laughed; this elected an inqniring ,ook
from Miss Haythorn. ave are only a ale
from the Box Tunnel" a.
"Do you always laugh mile from the BOX
Tunnel?" inquired the lady.
"Invariably."
"What for?"
"Why, hem it's gentleman's Joke"
"Ohl | don't mind it's being silly, f it
makes me laugh"
Captain Dolignan, thus encouraged, recon- tied
to Miss Haythorn the following A lady and
her husband sat together, going through the
Box Tunnel. There was one gentleman op.
posite, and it was pitch dark After the tun-
mel had been passed through, the lady I'D
George, how absurd of you to salute me e ,ing
through the tunnel ! - 81 did no such thin Z !"
You didn't" "Nol why 2" "Why, be.
cause somehow thought you did"
Here Captain Dolignan laughed, and en-
deavored to lead his companion to laugh but
| it was not to be DONE
The train entered the tunnel.
Miss Haythorn. "Ahl"
Dolignan. "Whatis the matter?"
Miss Haythorn. 81 am frightened
Dolignan, knowing to her side,) Z" Pras do
not be alarmed, am near you"
Miss Haythorn. 4" You are near me, very
near me indeed, Captain Dolignan."
Dolignan. :" You Enow my name
|
ton it. | wish we were out of this dark pL ce y
Dolignan. az could be content to ,end
hours here, reassuripg you, sweet lady"
Miss Haythorn. Nonsense"
Dolignan. "Pweepi"
(Grave reader, do not put your lips the
cheek of the next pretty girl you meet, Of you
will understand what this means)
Miss Haythorn. "Eel Eel Ohl"
Friend. What's the matter, dear ?"
Miss Haythorn. "Open the door ope the
doorl"
There was sound of hurried whispers the
door was shut, and the blind pulled down with
hostile sharpness.
1t any critic falls on me for putting ina ticu
late sounds in a. dialogue as above, | an iwer
with all the insolence | can command at ores
} ent, Hit boys as big as yourself" b ,ger
} perhaps, such as .Sophoces, Earipides,. and
Aristophanes; they began it, and lear ed il
of them, sore against my will.
Miss Haythorn s:scream lost part of Us eff
feet, because the engine whis;led forty tho sanG
, murders at the same moment and fct tious
, grief makes itself heard when real canuol
Between the tunnel and Bath, our ouna
friend had timesto ak himself whether hi con
duct had been sasked by that delicate r. serv,
which is surprised 20 distinguish the ,rfec
gentleman. :
With long face, real or feigned, he helt
3 open the door.--hs late friends attempted t.
8 escape on the, other side-impossible the
5 must pass him. Sae whom he had insultet
Latin for kissed) deposited somewhere st hi
r loot, look of gentle blushing reproac! thu
e other, whom he hae not insulted, darte red
b hot daggers at him from her eyes, and 9 the,
/ parted. ss
}, 1t was perhs ps fortunate for Doligna,, tina
K he had the grase to be friends with Msie Hos