The Caledonian. [volume] (St. Johnsbury, Vt.) 1837-1867, 1865-01-20
BIZ the Night Train.
A Story of English Railway Travel.

well knOWu COuil JC"Oiolo \AAAiCo ~ l1cIl-
derson) and its object was to fetch away
+ certain set of pearl and ruby ornaments
which my father had ordered, and which
were his present to his future daughter-in-
law. Mr.. Henley had looked forward
with pleasure to placing those costly toys
, in the brides hands but since he had
been compelled to postpone his arrival at
G, he had good naturedly, but firmly, in
sisted that | should take the jewels down
with me, and give them to Garry in his
name. had not seen the design of the
ornaments, but was aware that the de-
vice was new and we'll chosen one; and
from my fathers liberality, of which
had since childhood received so many
proofs, l had little doubt that the gift
would prove to be splendid one
As | was in the act Of opening the jew
elers' door, man passed me so closely as
to brush my elbow, and, turning his head.
looked me for a moment in the face. His
own face was remarkable one, or rather
would have appeared remarkable else
where than in London, where the natives
of al countries are every day to be met,
Jostling each other unnoticcd in the midst
OF the great seething stream of restless
human life that fills our streets. This
person, evidently foreigner, was about
forty years Of age, wore spectacles, a
bushy red-brown beard, and a threadbare
suit Of black, shabby, but we'll brushed
and neat. So far his appearance CORES
ponded more or less accurately with that
of legion of professors, doctors and phi
losophers, dubious hangers-on of the learn
ed professions, whom red republicans te-
nets and police hostility have landed in
the limbo of Leicester Square. But l
could not help feeling a thrill of repug-
nance and dislike at the aspect of that
broad, fiat, white face with its Tartar
coarseness Of feature, the sharp, white
teeth just visible between the thin lips,
and the long narrow eyes, blinking catlike
through the glasses of the spectacles-
Can you fancy white-faced tiger, badly
|pitted by the small pox, walking erect in
human guisc, and stealthily pursuing his
way through 4 Jungle, not of trees, but of
houses! Such was the impression which
tbs first glimpse of that foreigners face
made upon me. In the next | laughed at
myself for my folly.
And then MIR. Miles, bald and horid,
came civillly forward to welcome me. and
| forgot the Russian and all connected
with him.
Certainly, my dear sir, certainly said
the .jeweler, unlocking the strongest of
safes with the tiniest of Bramah keys.
and tossing over a quantity of ecrins la
beled with the names of half the duchess
es and countcsses in the red book Here
is the set that your esteemed father, Mr.
Henley, was so good as to order Very
old and respected customer of ours, is Mr..
Henley. | sold him-dear me! thirty
years ago it must have been-a set of
emeralds for Mrs Henley's wearing. Not
a very costly set, but in good taste. Mr..
Henley had but lately come back, then,
from Calcutta His was new name,
then, on the Royal exchange and in the
bank parlor. No name higher, now but
his taste was always excellent, always
Here the stones are. Pretty, very pretty,
the design, he said, as he opened the
|plate-gg lass door Of the shop. And as
for the stones, | defy the sharpest eye to
make out a flaw in any one of the rubies
Better stones never came from Ceylon,
nor pearls of a finer water All, Mr..
Henley, it is not every one who is able to
give such presents as your good father l
sent Il set nearly similar, last week, for
the wedding of Lady Florence Fetherton,
but not SO fine. give my word, as a
tradesman Of fifty years standing, not 50
fine
| think these words were either uttered
in louder tone than the rest of the lew
cler's discourse, Or lull in the roll and
rumble of the carriages made them unu-
sually distinct, but at any rate three or
four of the passers by turned their heads
inquisitively towards old Mr.. Miles and
myself, as we stood in the open doorway
And among those three or four was the
ugly foreigner with the red-brown beard.
He was re-passing the shop, coming down
from the opposite direction to that in
which he had previously been walking
A coincidence, no doubt! Merely a CO.
incidence.
A Hanson cab had been called for me
by one Of the messengers, and l found it
drawn up by the curbstone, as | briskly
descended the steps. 1t was twilight by
this time in the streets, and the lamps had
long been twinkling | noticed, as | step
ped into the cab, that another, four
wheeler, was stationed few doors off,
and that a mans head was protruding
through the open window nearest the
pavement, but the instant [ looked that
way the head disappeared into the interior
OF the vehicle like that of tortoise with
IN Its shell. | did not give second
thought to this circumstance.
Drive fast, my man. l want to hit
the night train for G.. Half-a-crown ex-
ira if we don't miss it,
1he cab bowled swiftly off, and the
streets being clearer than at an earlier
hour, was borne quickly to the termi-
nus.
managed to crush my way to the win
dow, and to take my ticket for C.
First class to c., MONSIEUR said a pe-
culiarly harsh and strident yo;co Of ~,