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I kicked Walrus on the shins under the table, but he took no notice. "C'est un mauvais plaisant," said he," he wanted to have the pleasure of your society all to himself; he won't tell you that story now I'm here." "Ah,-le méchant," ejaculated Eugènie, "comme il ressemble à Panurge; ça aurait fait de même."

I felt a gentle pressure on my toe as Walrus spoke which in some degree relieved the anxiety I was beginning to feel, though I could not at all satisfy myself as to the precise course he meant to adopt.

Mademoiselle Eugènie's reply was prompt.

"J'accepte, monsieur, avec plaisir.'

The remainder of the dinner passed off satisfactorily enough, though Walrus and I were compelled to decline a very earnest request of Mademoiselle Loriot's that we should " boxer en peu" for her edification.

"J'ai beaucoup entendu parler de votre gout national pour le boxer; -on m'a dit que vous le faites toujours après le diner ;-ne vous gènez pas je vous en prie ; j'ai grand envie de le voir."

It was only by declaring that she would see plenty of the national sport at the theatre, that Walrus succeeded in checking her desire for an immediate exhibition. Gracious Heavens ! The idea that I-Dr. Dryasdust,

a grave member of several learned societies, should have been requested to enter into a pugilistic contest with a friend as an after-dinner amusement! It was really too bad to think of! The word theatre wrought a diversion in her ideas, and she then straightway inquired what time we were to go. The clock on the chimney-piece indicated eight, and Walrus replied that we would, if she pleased, set out directly; he had only to go into the next street to get a carriage to carry us. I followed him to the

door.

"For God's sake, Walrus," whispered I, "tell me what you mean to do. You surely don't intend to take this woman to the play?"

"Oh, yes,” replied he, laughing, "and you shall go too.”

"If I do," exclaimed I,

He stopped the profane resolve I was about to make.

"Listen," he said;-" what have you done about her baggage?" "It is all ready at the hotel, as you suggested."

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Very good; just step there and have it put in a cab. to the door directly while I get another for ourselves. together."

"What, to the theatre ?"

I'll send one

We'll all start

"The theatre! what do you think of the Birmingham Railway Station ?"

"I see it all," I replied, "but, my dear Walrus, she is not dressed for the journey."

"Oh," said he, still laughing, "she'll do well enough; her cloak is as thick as half-a-dozen blankets, and I've got a stout worsted comforter to tie round her neck;-the great thing is to get her off."

"That's true," I rejoined, and leaving Mademoiselle Loriot to arrange herself before the glass, I took my hat and went at once to the hotel. The cab was presently at the door, the baggage out and fastened in it, and some stray articles belonging to the lady, placed inside. It then drew up in the shade, a short distance from my own door.

"I have been to fetch your shawl, mademoiselle," said I, on entering

the room where I had left her, "you will want your cloak also, the night is so cold and foggy, but that you can leave in the foyer of the theatre."

"Merci, mon cher monsieur,-vous êtes bien aimable," and she pressed my hand with more cordiality than I expected,-the effect of claret or inconstancy, I don't know which;-" votre ami là est assez bon diable,— mais il est trop gras; moi, je n'aime pas le gras,-au contraire je prefère le maigre."

The reader has already guessed, without my telling him, that I am as thin as a whipping-post; like Justice Shallow, "my dimensions to any thick sight are invisible." Could there be a clearer demonstration? Even at that moment I trembled for the consequences, but luckily Walrus came rolling into the room.

"Every thing is ready," said he, "but the fog is intense. It is impossible to exist in London unless we fortify ourselves against it. Permit me, mademoiselle, to offer you a glass of cognac."

Mademoiselle Loriot made a feint of refusing it, but it went down so easily that Walrus pressed another, and would have tried a third, had I not been fearful it might have taken effect before we got to the station.

Down stairs then we went. Walrus handed Eugènie into the first cab and took his place beside her, and I on the plea of not disarranging her dress, followed in the carriage which held the baggage. The word was given to the Birmingham Railway, and off we started.

It was lucky for the success of our scheme that the interesting stranger whom we were escorting had never yet travelled by railway. At the time I speak of not one existed anywhere in France, and even now her native city of Bordeaux boasts of only one short line leading to the Basin of Arcachon on the coast of the Bay of Biscay. Walrus allowed her no time to look about her, and she was too intent on the "spectacle" to offer any impediment.

"Ah! voilà les premières places," exclaimed she as the words "1st Class" caught her eye. "Est ce que nous aurons des stalles?"

"Mais, certainement," was his reply, as he led her into the waitingroom, vous serez bien installée."

66

"Ah, mon-sieur,"-hiccoughed Eugènie, on whom the wine and brandy had now begun to take effect," ah,-vous faites-des—cal—cal—embourgs! Sa-vez-vous que je dé-teste les cal-em-bourgs !".

At this moment I joined them, having given proper directions to the porters about the baggage and purchased a first class ticket for the unconscious traveller."

"I am sorry to say," observed I on entering, "that we are too late for places at this house; we shall have to go to the other theatre; but they play equally well there and box a great deal better."

"A la bonne heure," said Mademoiselle Loriot, "par-tons!"

Steadying her between us, for she evidently needed our assistance, we handed her along as well as we could to the platform where the railway carriages were drawn up; the bell was ringing for the passengers to take their seats.

"Qu'est-ce-que-c'est-que-ça?" said our companion, gazing fixedly on the train.

"These are the carriages that are to take us to the other theatre." "Mais-je-ne-vois pas de che-che-vaux. ment elles sont-toutes-liées-ensemble."

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Ap-pa-rem

"That is precisely the case, mademoiselle ;-have the kindness to step in first."

She obeyed intuitively, and Walrus followed to arrange her cloak and shawl comfortably for the journey; the yellow bonnet was already swinging over her head. She leant her head back and was asleep before he had completed the operation.

"Are you the guard of this train?" I inquired of a civil, intelligent young man, who was hastening past. He answered in the affirmative. "There is a French lady," said I, "in this carriage, who does not speak a word of English,-neither does she understand the value of English money. I have paid her fare to York; will you have the kindness to see that she is properly forwarded to a few miles from Dunbar? Pray let her want for nothing; I think you will find this sufficient," and I handed him the necessary amount.

"I will pass her on, sir," he replied, touching his cap, "to the next guard, with instructions all through, he is a very steady young man,

sir."

"Oh, on that head," replied I, smiling, "I have no fear. Come, Walrus, the train is just off. Thank you, sir.-Adieu, Mademoiselle

Loriot."

6

"She's as fast as a church," said Walrus; "that last glass of brandy did it. I wonder what she'll think of the spectacle' when she wakes!" The whistle sounded, -the train moved on, and thus I disposed of MY FRENCH GOVERNESS.

BLACK, RED, AND GOLD.

BY CAPTAIN MEDWIN.

Black speaks of night Cimmerian spread afar
O'er lands through which no cheering ray can enter,

An iron age-the elemental war

Of Chaos-Anarch old-where do concenter
(Is this your Central Power ?) Hate, Avarice, Pride,
Discord, Ambition, miscalled Patriotism.

Red is the second colour of the prism,
Which the first Cæsar wore the hue to hide
Of blood-denoting not the love of brothers,
But civil strife sprung from the heart that sates
Its craving maw upon the goods of others.

Gold tells-sad irony-of bankrupt states,
Crowns best relief-a starving people's tears:
Behold the livery German freedom wears!

VANCOUVER'S ISLAND.

It is little more than two years ago that we chronicled our opinion in reference to the then much debated Oregon question, that as far as right and title were concerned, the country so designated, was originally discovered by the renowned English circumnavigator Sir Francis Drake in the sixteenth century. This was priority of discovery. Further, that when the United States became an independent nation, they neither possessed nor advanced any claim to the British territories in Western America, to which, in the mean time, the explorations of Captain Cook and the commercial intercourse which followed those discoveries, added to the subsequent surveys and discoveries of Meares in 1788, and of Vancouver in 1792-3-4 completed the title.

The so-called Columbia river discovered in the same territory by the Spaniard Heceta, having been first explored by Captain Gray, a subject of the United States, the Americans set up a claim, founded on that exploration, backed by the fact of Lewis and Clarke having, in 1805-6, followed in part the footsteps of Carver in 1804, and the settlement of Astoria having, in 1811, risen up among the trading-posts of the North-West Fur Company, established since 1804. It was a bad case; contiguity, the half-savage outcry of squatters, and the clamour of go-a-head democrats, filled up the chorus; justice and equity were sacrificed to popular frenzy, and Great Britain yielded all of Oregon as far as to the 49th degree of latitude.

This was a very great concession to make, considering the strength of our claims, the numbers of our countrymen already settled on the Columbia; its value as an outlet to the North-West-now the Hudson's Bay Company-and the importance of a settlement on the western coast of America to our trade in the Pacific, and to our vast colonial possessions in the Australian seas; but considering, on the other hand, the excited character of the population of the far west, and the imperious self-will of democratic institutions, for the sake of peace, we did not regret it.

The most, and indeed the only important territory that remained to us after this somewhat humiliating concession, was Vancouver's Island. This island, 250 miles long, by 50 broad, possesses many most remarkable advantages. Its climate assimilates closely to our own, its soil is acknowledgedly rich and fertile, it abounds in woods and pastures, and as if all this were not sufficient, it reveals a vast extent of mineral and mercantile wealth in almost untouched beds of coals which actually crop out to day. But even all these numerous advantages give way to the importance of its harbours, the only truly available ports between San Francisco and Nootka Sound.

It has been justly pointed out by Mr. Gladstone that from these combined advantages, probably at some future period the world may see in Vancouver's Island a powerful state commanding a great portion of the trade between the Archipelago of the Pacific, and the continent of America, and another authority has said of the same island that, if ever the North Pacific is destined to become a Mediterranean, there will be its Tyre.

It appears from what can be gathered from the parliamentary discussion on the matter, that soon after the settlement of the Oregon question, the

Hudson's Bay Company made application to the Colonial Office, stating that they had establishments on the southern side of Vancouver's Island, and wishing to know whether they would be confirmed in the possession of such lands, as they wished to add to those they already possessed. Earl Grey having, however, suggested in answer to this application, that it was right that Vancouver's Island should be colonised, the company offered to accede to what they deemed to be a great evil, upon the con dition that the whole of the Queen's dominions to the west of the Rocky Mountains, were made over to them. This extensive grant, asked for merely with the view to keep out others, was refused, whereupon the company was obliged to content itself with Vancouver's Island. But even this limited yet important cession, has had the effect of drawing and fastening the attention of parliament not only upon the territory proposed to be granted, but upon the general policy and character of the Hudson's Bay Company, its mode of administration, its rights and privileges, and above all, the results which have been derived to this country, as well as to the natives, by nearly two centuries of absolute and unquestioned rule.

The explanation given by the authorities of the Colonial Office for the favourable manner in which the application of the Hudson's Bay Company was received, is that all previous applications made to colonise Vancouver's Island were not accompanied by any security that the parties would be able to carry out the object in view. The Hudson's Bay Company, on the contrary, was a powerful company, with capital, with ships, and with large adjacent possessions, and they had already a settlement on the island. That Vancouver's Island was not likely to be colonised by private enterprise, as the cost to convey an emigrant to it would be three or four times as much as to any other colony. Moreover, the grant was simply a territorial grant; the government of the colony would be a perfectly free one; there would be a governor and an assembly, and the making of laws and the collection and application of revenue, would be altogether in the hands of the assembly, and not of the Hudson's Bay Company. Few, probably, would advocate a considerable grant of public money at this moment to colonise the island. Yet there were strong reasons for taking means to occupy it. Unless occupied speedily by British settlers, and under British auspices, it would be occupied by American squatters, and in the course of a very years the practical possession would pass from our hands. Earl Grey said that he had heard that this system had already to some extent commenced, and that the sect called Mormonites, who had been obliged to quit America, contemplated removing in large numbers to settle on Vancouver's Island.

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Mr. Buller argued that emigrants could not be conveyed to Vancouver for less than 50l. a head! That there was no trade, and as to maritime defence or command, such were ensured in the Pacific by Labuan, New Zealand, and Hong Kong! He believed that it had one of the finest climates in the world, but the fertility of the soil had been exaggerated. The colonisation of Vancouver's Island was a chimera for the present generation.

Earl Grey contended that it was very fair and reasonable, considering that government could not themselves undertake to find the means and capital for colonising the island, that it should be placed in the hands of

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