, 1873-06-08
SOME ONE PAYS.


r | !.
:" Ba1sD1s1. uonr.
q "DEAR Harry :-Onr plans are all formed ,
0 start from this on Tuesday for Corfu. wbara
+ have secured small cutter Of some thirty. to,
, BY which ne mean to drop down. thu A1h,n;
8 coast, making woodcocks our object On all I
: days pigs do not offer. We are four-Gera,
t Hope, Lascalles, and myselt- wtomyou 1n,
all but Lasce1les, but are sure to like when =
meet him. We want you, and will take m ,
fusa1. Hope declares on his honor that he "
never pay yon hundred you 1ent him. il "
fail us and be will-which is more 1emarkab
: still-book up the day you join us. seriousl
however. I entreat you to be one OF "a. Tai
l no trouble about gums, etc. We are ann
provided We only ask yourself. Yours eva
GEonax Oa1E.
.tsH you cannot join at Corfu, we shall re-,
devious at Prevesa, little town on the Turks
side. where you can address Us, to the care {
the Vice Consul Lydyard."
This note reached me one day in tho late An
tumn, while WAS sojourning at the Lamm.. a
Innspruck. It had followed me- from Paris t
Munich, to Rsden. the Ammergau, and at las
aftor it had been written. Il was annoyed a
the delay which lost me such compauionsbin
for three Of the four were old friends, elanc
at the postscript reconci1ed me- at once to Tia
disappointment; Preyese, and the name Lyd
yard, awoke very sad memories; and
do not know what would have induced
] me to refresh them' by Seeing either again
It Is not story, noe ia it scene. that :.
am about to relate. It is one Of those little in
cidants which arc ever occurring Though lite
| aud which servo to remind us how our mora
health, like our physical, is the sport Of acci
| dent; and that just as the passing breeze MAJ
carry ON it's breast a pleurisy, the chance meet,
inge in the world may be scarcely less fatal!
| I have been an idler and a wanderer for yearB
I left the army after short experience OF mill
tary life, imagining that could not endure the
restraints Of discipline, and nlowly discovered
| afterwards that there ia no such slavery as an
untramme!ed will, and that the most irksome
! bondage is nothing in comparison with the
| vacillations and uncertainties Of purposeIesa
was left early in life my OWL mAster, With no
relatives except distant ones, and with means.
not exactly ample, but quite sufficient for tue
ordinary needs Of gentleman: was free to
so anywhere or do anything, which, in my case
at least, meant to be everlastingly projecting
and abandoning-now determining on some pur-
suit that should give me an object or goal in
life, and now assuring myself that all such de-
terminations were slayeries, and that to con-
cess in public or professional life was an ignoble
without Saii Il. A|4'' 'D"' - AAN NA' 'oula A''
In this unsettled frame Of mind I travelled
auQuG LQ6 W0TlQ 10T 1eAI8-At uIEL over the cog
nato parts Of the Continent, with which BE-
eame thoroughly Notwithstanding Rome,
London. I then ran ali over the
States, crossing. the Rocky Mountains,
and spending above year On the Pacific coast:
say home, for1 have none by Constantinople,
and thence. to Belgrade, where I made the ac-
quaintance OF q Turkish Pacha, then Governor
Of scutari in Albania, and returned along with
Ii. l. - LaRr 4 ~
Of Prevesa induced me to 60 back with him to
TINT unpromiaing spot, assuring me how easily
should always find means Of reaching Corfu OF
Italy; and that, meanwhile, the quail-shooting,
which was there beginning, would amply reward
me for my stay.
Prevesa WAS about as WTetched village az
poverty, sloth, and Turkish indifference could ao-
complsh. The inhabitants, who combined trade
and fishing ostensibly, really lived by smuggling,
and only needed the opportunity TO be bIsganda
played only the oommonest wares OF Manchester
Or Glasgow, with Belgian cutlery or cheap imi-
tation iewelry. But even these had no buyers;
and the little stir and life Of the place was in the
teeth, smoked and lonnged the lye-long day,
aud, to nll seeming, fulfilled no other duty in
existence.
suspect have an actual liking for dreasy
and tiresome places. believe they somehow
accommodate themselves to something in my
temperament which is not misanthropy nor men
al depression, nor yet romance, but ia COM
pounded Of all three. feel, besides, that my
soars the more freely the fewer the |
distractions that surround me; but that require
uat that small amount Of stimulant human life |
md it's daily cares suggest to prevent stagna- |
ion.
I was at least aix days at Prevesa before Was /
'ware that her Britannia Majesty had a represent
title alley that led to the bay came upon the
british arms over lower doorway. It Was
cry poor-loohng tumble-down house. with q
cry fra1 wooden balcony over the door, dis
By flagstaff, to bs doubtless de-
md.
Framing forget what imaginary reason for
1quiry entered and knocked at 8 door in
cribed +" Consular hours from"-and then q
nudge OF paint opliterating the rest and leaving
0 my summons, pushed open the door and
ntored. 4 man in his shirtsleeves and slip-
crs was asleep on q very dirty sofa, and so
3undly that my entrance did not disturb
i'm. l. desk with some much-worn books and
catered papers, massive leaden inkstand, and ]
large official seal, were in front OF hum but
aper OF Turkish tobacco, and glass Of what
melt to be gin, were also present. and, from the
1shed cheek and heavy breathing OF the ]
eeper appeared to have been amongst his
lest occupations. II
It is not necessary should record our CONVEX
tion. In his half-waking and not all sober I
ate he had. mistaken me Tor British sailor 3
ho had been left behind somewhere, and was 8
,portuning to be sent On to England, but =
hose case evidently had inspired scant gym p
thy. i
I'll not do it!'. grumbled. ont the Consul, Q
th his eyes more than half closed, ''You 4
,re drunk, or a. deaerter-I. don't care which o
? instructions are positive, and you may so to b
@ d. for me-. There now, that's your an Ii
'er, and youn not get any other il you stayed b
ere till dusk" -, -. h
:" I: suspect you mistake me, sr," said ], mild
am traveller, and m English gentle d.
& I hate gentlemen, and Idon't love travel "
!" said he, in the game drowsy voice as be- il
e. Il,
Sorry for that, but must ask you all the same 10
ny passport permits me- togo into Italy 2" ba
or course it does. What sort Of q traveller III
you that does not know that much, and that Fl
'ou wanted uisd, it's the italian should give he
and there is no italian or Frenchman here. ch
are's no one here but Russian Strantopsky, nj
- his eyes-good mornings" and he again hu
ned his face to the wall cannot bay what VT
mpted me to continue our little promising an
verBation; but there Was something so strange
he mans manner at Notwithstanding I'M
seemed to Indicate a very diffarant cOndi- "a,