Year: 1874

allow it. 1t is robbery I'll not par
with these things but with my life. G
away, sir" he said to the gentlemanly man
this is my property. They are not to b
valued or sold"


To do him justice, the gentlemanly maj
was much put out at this incident, anC
declared truely that he had merely come, a
he supposed, at Mr. Crinkleton's request
And he took his departure at once Then m,
father turned on them.


90 Let a finger be laid on my treasures,
he cried, "and | will DO something desper
ate. I'll send them tomorrow to some mu
seum-give them away sooner than have
them scattered. Mind, take warning, fol
they are part of my life -


The two ladies were much taken back al
this sudden explosion, and even tried tC
soothe him. But for the rest of the day he
was terribly excited, and the following
morning was lying i'll in bed, with wild
eyes and all the symptoms of fever A doc
tor was sent for to attend him-an eminent
practioner-who looked grave. Indeed,
the two ladies caught the reflection
from his face, and looked grave and dis
turbed.


was the only one whom he seemed to re-
cognize, though indistinctly. Again there
was fresh whispering, and inspection of pa
pers and property. And again his eyes
peered out wistfully towards to door, as if he
could see the spectral images of his collec-
ton floating away in the direction Of Dim
bley's.


lie grew worse and worse. To my mex
pressible grief, it one morning passed round
the house in a mysterious way that we
were to lose him. Some one came running
for me, and took me by the hand to lead
me to him. There was a piteous intelli-
gence in his eye, and a CLEAN of light
came in it as he saw me. lie was NOV
ing his arms, and pointing and trying to
speak.


The lldy who was his wife kept turning
up her eyes and shaking her head, as who
should say his wits were gone. But he kept
his imploring glance fixed on me, making as
though he would clutch something in his
hand. was sure, could have sworn it
was one of his pet treasures, and stole away
to rack my brain with desperate attempts
At first thought it must be the two pre-
cious figures of Old Bow, representing Kitty
Give and Woodward Martin as the fine lady
and gentleman, and returned with these in
my hands. A fresh eagerness came into his
eyes, and he seemed to smile and nod his
head, as though it was something near what
he desired.


Some curious stupidity came ove- mc-or
was it my trouble? for | surely ought to
have guessed, and gone out to choose some
other article, which should be the right
one. While was taking hurried birds
eye glance over the collection, they came
running to me again, and | was dragged in
to see the last friend had on earth in his
agony.





So he passed away and after a scarcely
decent interval, the two women where going
about with avsricious eyes, counting up the
treasures. This time there was no one to
interfere with " Dimbley's man., and the
eminent firm had pronounced that the
whole, when submitted TO competition at
their well-known mart, would bring vast
sum. By the viii of the deceased collector,
made shortly after his second marriage, the
whole of his property was to 20 to her, and
small pittance was kept for us-that Is, for
me and my sister, who was at 4 cheap board
ing school.


\ great fuss began TO be made about the
Crinkleton Collection, and it was discovered
that another portion was at some museum
in the country, where it had been exhibited,
and which was quite as valuable a. in our
house. The whole, it was expected, would
bring ten or twelve thousand pounds. They
gloated over their prospect We-that IS,
nv sister and would be beggars, but that
they did not think about.


By-and-by the inventory was taken, the
catalogue made out, and the prospect dis
covered to be even more inviting. The men
in green baize arrived to pack and carry
away. Spring-vans stood at the door. We
saw the whole stripped gradually-there
was not to be a relic kept $50 was told to
remind Us of the dear old collector who had
brought them together. Very timarously
| begged that they would let me choose
something which might keepas a souvenir;
but an excuse was made that the list had
been taken, and it could not be possible to
make any alteration now.


Utterly shocked and almost desperate with
rage at such heartlessness, | came to the
resolution that | would have what | wanted,
and determined to secure what was associat-
ed with one of the last acts Of my fathers
life at which | had assisted, namely, the
old tea-pot That should be mine, and
should not be subjected to the PROCLAMATION
Of a sale. | did not care for the penalties,
which | knew would be awful they might
put me into torture, they would never know
where had concealed this relic.


My plans where laid. | choose & moment
when they had gone out, and taking no one
into my confidence, prepared to execute the
daring scheme. Ii was nervous task.
The teapot was placed, with few other
articles not yet removed, on high bracket
of antique pattern over the chimney piece.
Even standing on a chair | could not reach
it; still | was not to be daunted. l con-
structed sort of ladder formed of chairs,
which, with much trepidation, ascended,
| secured the grotesque teapot, but without
ever having heard the Latin quotation, ia
CHS deSoensS, | found myself cordially
endosing its truth, and stood there on pre-
carious balance, carefully holding the treas
ure, and not knowing what to do next.
To get down and leave the teapot 1t might
be thought would be the simplest course ;
but with my nervousness, and its own
insecurity, the structure now began to tot
ter. The next instant | heard her on the
stairs.


How it occurred | know not, but there
followed crash, being left standing on the
insecure construction, while the old cherish
ed teapot had slipped out of my fingers
and was dashed into hundred fragments on
the hearthstone They rushed in-l was
dragged down and in a storm of seedlings
was hurried off for punishment. 1t was Ia
ficted with terrible severity, and bore II
without finching. One thought was even
then il nv mind, TO recover the shattered
fragments, keep them in that condition, and
perhaps one day, when was richer, get
them restored.


When they were tired scolding and beat
ing they had gone downstairs, then after
waiting patiently | watched my opportunity
and stole down. They had not thought II
worth while to remove the fragments,
which lay there N heap-the curved han,
die, the eering face, the spout, the lid.
gathered them up tenderly, and as l dlc
so, saw that a small piece OF paper folded W
was living, as it were, partially thrust int
the spout. took it up with the pieces
on the ground that it was relic Of his tha
ought 20 be preserved, and reyerentl.
brought the whole mass away to my owl
room.


1t seemed hopeless. | tried myself to pu
the pieces together in many different ways
but it was not to be done save by miraei
"a miracle however which skillul hand
accomplished later. In a sort of despair
laid it aside, and then carelessly opened tn
paper


1t was signed with has name, which wa
sufficient to give it an interest for me. An
vet this only made me feel more acutely tn
cruel loss of the piece of earthenware, whie
| felt that nothing could ever restore t
us. 1t was long time indeed before
set myself seriously to the task OF max
ing ont what was written on the slip {
paper.


it began "Codieil to my viii, and state
that it revoked the bequest of particula
date, and left all his personal property an
effects. including the china, which was to