, 1861-12-19
tFrOm BAcEwOOds Edinburgh MsgsInel
The Congress and the Agapedome
Tale OF Peace and Love.
CHAPTER III.

ment in London, six weeks after the dissolution
"Why, yes-and the case is rather worse
than supposed" replied Jack despondingly.
"You don't mean to say that hc has married
that Internal woman in pantalOonsy
"Not quite so bad as that but very nearly.
She has carried him off to her den; and what
she may make Of him there 1t Is quite impossible
to predict"
Her denH Has she actually inveigled him
to American"
"Not at all. These kind of women have sta.
tons established over the whole face Of the earth.
"Where, then, Is he locatedI"
al shall tell you. In the course Of my inqui.
| ries, which, you are aware, were rather eSten.
sive CHANGED TO iall in with q Yarmouth Bloa-
| ter"
"a whatg"
"Ibeg your pardon-I meant to say Ply
mouth Brother. Now, these fellows are q sort
of regular kidnappers, who lie in wait to catch
up any person Of means and substance; they
don't meldle with paupers, for, as you are aware,
they share their property in common; and it
occurred to me rather forcibly, that by means oi
my friend, who was a regular trapping mission
ary. might learn something about my uncle.
| 1t cost me an immensity Of brandy to elicit the
| information; but at last succeeded in bringing
out the fact that my uncle is at this moment the
inmate of an Agapedome in the neighbOrhood Of
Southampton, and that the Latchley is his ap-
pointed keeper"
"An Agapedome what the mischief is
that ."
"You may well ask" said Jack but won't
give it n cOarscr ma 'e. However, from all can
learn, il is as bad as Mormonite institution"
And what the deuce may they intend to do
with him, now they have him in their power?"
"Flesce him out Of every sixpence Of pro-
perty which he possesses in the world" replied
Jack.
"That won't do, Jack We must get him out
/ by some means or other"
a suspect Il would be an easier job to scale q
nunnery. So far as can learn, they admit no
one into their premises, until they have hopes
Of catching him as n convert; and I am afraid
that neither you nor have the look OF likely
pupils. Besides, the Latchley could not Gail to
recognise uIe in moment"
"Thafs true enough, said !. think, how
ever, that might escape detection by slight al
teration Of attire. The lady did not honor me
with much notice during the half hour We spent
| in her company. must own, however, that
should not like to go alone"
any dear friend I" cried Jack, "H you will
really be kind enough tO Obligs me in this mat
Ter, know the very man to accompany you.
| Rogers Of ours is in town Just now lie is ia
nous leOw-rather fast, perhaps, and given to
| iurking-but as true as steel. You shall meet
him to-day at dinner, and then we eau arrange
| our plaIs."
must own that did not feel very sanguine
OF success this time. Your genuine rogue is the
most suspicious character on the face Of the earth,
wide awake to o thousand little discrepancies
which would escape the observation Of the hon.
est; and felt perfectly convinced that the su-
perintendent Of the Agapedome was likely 70
prove a rogue Of the first water Then ] did
not see my way clearly to the characters which
we ought to assume. OF course il was no use
Tor me to present myself as u scion Il the
Woods and Forests should be treated as q
Government sly, and have the door slapped in
my face To appear rs an emissary Of the Je
suits would be dangerous; that body being well
known for their skill in annexing property. In
short came to the conclusion, that unless could
| work upon the cupidity Of the head AgapedOm-
ian, there was no chance whatever Of cllecting
Pettigrew's release. To this point therefore, ]
resolved to turn my attention.
At dinner, according to agreement I met Ro-
gers Of ours. Rogers was not gifted with any
powerful inventive faculties; but he was 6ne
| specimen Of the British breed, ready to take q
hand at anyth ng which offered a prospect Of
| fun. You would not probably have selected him
as leading conspirator; but, though no Mac
chiavelli, he appeared most valuable as an Re-
complice. -..Hr ..-..-.- d
Our great difficulty was to pitch praper char
acters After much discussion, II was resolved
that Rogers Of ours should appear as young
nobleman of immense wealth, but exceedingly
eccentric habits, and that should act as bear
leader, with an eye to my own interest. What
we were to do when we should succeed in get
ting admission to the establishment, was not
| very clear to the perception Of any OF US. We
| resolved to be regulated entirely by circum-
stances, the great point being the rescue Of Mr..
Peter PettigreW. eco s4.-
Accordingly, we all started for Southampton
on the following morning. On arriving there,
we were informed that the Agapedome was sit
uated some three miles from the town, and that
the most extraordinary legends Of the habits
and pursuits Of its inmates were current In the
neighborhood. Nobody seemed to know exactly
what the Agapcdonians were. They seemed to
constitute tolerably large society Of persons,
both male and female; but whether they were
Christians, Turks Jews or MahOmetans, was
matter Of exceeding disputation. They were
known, however, to be rich, and occasionally
went out airing in carriages -and.iour--the wo-
men all wearing pantaloons, 10 the Infinite scan.
dal Of the peasantry. So far as we could learn,
no gentleman answering to the description Of
Mr.. Pettigrsw had been seen among them.
AfleT agreeing TO open communications with
Jack as speedily as possible, and emptying bot
lie Of champagne towards the success Of our ex
peditiOu, Rogers and started in pOstehase for
the Agapedome. Rogers was curiously arrayed
4 in garments Of chequered plaid, mere glance At
which would have gone far to impress any snec
tator with strong notion Of his eccentricity /;
whilst for my part. Ihad donned a suit Of black,
! and assumed massive pair Of gold spectacles,
| and q hnaver with n nortentouS rim.
| This Agapedome was q large building sur.
rounded 6y high wall, and looked, upon the
whole, like convent Deeming u prudent TO
ascertain how theland lay before introducing the
eccentric Rogers, requested that gallant indi'
/ .iA...i ....A.h.i.. ,nhilnl "A.